Return of the America the Beautiful Quarters

Return of the America the Beautiful Quarters

A few weeks ago, I wrote a little bit about the premiere of the designs for the 2014 America the Beautiful Quarters. This week, the 2013 America the Beautiful Quarters sold out in both the bullion coins for investors and the Uncirculated coins for collectors. This article goes more into detail about the sell outs and how much some of these coins were going for.

The five quarters released for 2013 were:

1. 2013 White Mountain National Forest Site Quarter- located in New Hampshire.

2. 2013 Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial Site Quarter- located in Ohio.

3. 2013 Great Basin National Park Quarter- located in Nevada.

4. 2013 Ft. McHenry Site Quarter- located in Maryland.

5. 2013 Mount Rushmore National Memorial Site Quarter- located in South Dakota.

With the release of the 2014 coins, the series is now up to 25 coins. The whole series will contain 56 coins total, one site for each state, plus a site from each territory and a Washington, D.C. quarter. For more information on the series as a whole checkout this website: http://americabeautifulquarters.com/

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Christmas day.

 “May the Force be with you!”

 –Katie

Coin of the Week

In fitting with the holiday this week, my Coin of the Week coin is 2013 Australia 1/2 oz Proof Silver Merry Christmas coin. The Perth Mint in Australia is once again offering a stunning coin to celebrate the Christmas season. This year’s coin features a colorized evergreen tree, decorated for the holiday.

I love the thought and effort that goes into a lot of the coins that come from the Perth Mint. Other mints have stunning designs as well, but something about the Perth Mint just speaks to me. Maybe I’m part Australian??? This year’s design is simple yet classic. It is definitely a coin I would want for my Christmas coin collection, if I had one. Maybe I should start one…

I find these coins to be simple ways to find Christmas joy. I can’t help but feel warm and cozy when looking at the coin. To me, it seems to represent an easier time in my life, back when I was a kid and Christmas was a magical experience. This season, I find myself hassled with travel arrangements and I realize that somewhere between childhood and adulthood, Christmas magic gets lost. The older you get, the more you have to work to get everybody to be happy and as a kid all you know is the beauty and wonder of a Christmas tree with presents underneath.

With Christmas just two days away, I wish everyone a safe and merry Christmas. I also wish that you take the time to find that Christmas magic, that little surprise or hidden moment that makes you realize all the stress and struggles were worth it. I know I will find mine when I least expect it.

Merry Christmas and Happy Monday!

“May the Force be with you!”

–Katie

NerdyCoinGirl

NerdyCoinGirl

Ever wanted a neat DYK fact? (DYK- Did You Know)  This tumblr by NerdyCoinGirl gives out neat little tidbits about gold, silver, coins and anything to do with the world of numismatics. For some fun reading, check out her page! You’ll even see that I have referenced her factoids in a previous post.

Let me know if you have a favorite post by her!

“May the Force be with you!”

–Katie

Coin of the Week

So last week I posted about the Australian Opal Pigmy Possum coin. That got me thinking, I should do a “coin of the week” featuring a new coin that I find interesting every single Monday. This helps since Monday is hard to remember what happened last week.

I had to research the Australian Silver Kookaburra coin. These coins are an official bullion coin of Australia. The series is minted by the Perth Mint and is an annual release coin. Begun in 1990, these coins feature a different image of the Kookaburra. The Kookaburra is the largest bird in the Kingfisher species. The kookaburra is featured in a popular song for children.

This is the 2014 1 oz Silver Kookaburra coin:

The kookaburra is part of many Aboriginal legends. One popular legend explains why the kookaburra eats snakes. It is said that the kookaburra birds and snakes were friends. Then one day, a snake ate the egg of a kookaburra. When the kookaburra discovered this and became angry. From that day on, the kookaburra birds have eaten snakes.

I find these types of coins to be rather fascinating. There is usually a neat story as to why the image was chosen. Please continue to weigh in about what coins you find fascinating or share facts about my chosen coin.

Happy December!

“May the Force be with you!”

–Katie

 

America the Beautiful Quarters

America the Beautiful Quarters

Part of working in the coin and bullion world is keeping up with the latest information and news. One interesting article I read today was from CoinNews. The final designs for the next 5 coins in the America the Beautiful Quarters have been released from the U.S. Mint. Check out the article and let me know how you feel about the new designs!

“May the Force be with you!”

–Katie

A Coin Padawan’s Daily Task

 

One of the things that each little coin Padawan must learn is how to describe various different products for the website. We use a special program that lists the items that need information written about them. A Padawan, like me, then chooses an item and does some research to provide accurate information to potential customers about the item.

An item I recently worked on was the 2 oz silver bar created by Prospector’s Gold and Gems. I choose this item and then began a search to learn more about it. Most of the time, the best information comes directly from the company that created the item. I gathered some general information on the bar and a little bit of the background to give a nice rounded description of the item. Here is an image from the company where I work:

When looking at an item such as this one, there is a write-up giving the information that I, or another Padawan, have discovered about it. Our aim for these write-ups to help buyers decide if the item is right for them. A new buyer make like knowing that these bars are hand-poured to be unique. A history buff may decide not to go with this item because there is not much of a story to it.

Either way, the coin Padawan has spent time and effort on presenting each item in a factual and enjoyable way. We often research and write about several pieces a day, and those help us to learn the inventory, and also to learn more about the world of bullion.

As Yoda says,

“May the Force be with you!”

–Katie

 

The Bullion Falcon (see what I did there?)

After I got a handle on the coin speak, it was time to move on! I would say we jumped into hyperdrive, but learning about this stuff is almost the exact opposite, hyperstop. Yeah, I know I just made that up, please just go with it 🙂

So the whole coin business can be pretty complicated. There is this word that gets thrown around all the time: bullion. I didn’t know what the heck it meant, but I kept reading it everywhere. So the best thing to do was define it for myself.

There is a crazy technical definition, but the one that makes the most sense is the simple one. Bullion is any precious metal item that is traded for its intrinsic value. An American Gold Eagle is not worth the value on the coin, it is worth the price of the gold it contains.

There are a few different types of gold bullion as well. Coins are just one type. The most common are coins and bars. Here’s a breakdown of the types:

• Coins– coins are typically government minted, dated and issued. Coins usually have a face value and some are used as legal tender.
• Bars– bars come in various sizes and are easily liquidated and traded. Each bar is imprinted with it’s purity and since there is no emotional value on them, a buyer is paying strictly for the amount of gold in the bar.
• Rounds– rounds are very similar to coins, but they are not necessarily government minted. Rounds have no legal tender or face value and are valued by their purity and weight.
• Medals– medals are created to honor people, events and sites. Many are pure gold, but some are gold-plated or silver-gilded.
• Tokens– tokens are coin-like items that are used instead of actual coins. Tokens are often issued by private companies or groups and are typically made from cheaper materials.
• Wafers– wafers are gold bars that are stamped and not cast. The resulting bar is thinner and flatter than a traditional gold bar, these are also known as biscuits.

Of course, at this point I’m feeling much like another favorite character of mine, Alice. Delving into the world of gold and silver collectibles can be a lot like falling down the rabbit hole. However, my little white rabbit isn’t scampering off, he sticks around just make life that much more interesting.

Have a great weekend and as Yoda says,

“May the Force be with you.”

–Katie

Coins from the Stars

  If there is one thing I’ve learned from my experiences working with coins, it is that coins come with all kinds of interesting pictures. I mentioned that if Star Wars coins existed, I would find them. Well, I did, and truthfully it was a lot more than I expected to find.

   Enter the island of Niue. About two years, they asked the New Zealand Mint to create some coins for them. These coins were Star Wars coins. Released in November of 2011, these coins can be used as actual legal tender by Niue citizens, however the cost makes that seem a little silly. The coins come in two series.

   The first series is broken into two sets, The Millennium Falcon set and the Darth Vader set. The Millennium Falcon set includes four coins featuring: Luke and Leia Skywalker, Han Solo and Chewbacca, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda, with the final coin featuring C-3P0 and R2-D2. The Darth Vader set includes four coins featuring: Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, a Storm Trooper, and the Death Star.

   The second series only contains four coins, but customers can choose between the Darth Vader box or the Millennium Falcon box. The coins featured in this series are: Darth Maul, Queen Amidala, Yoda and young Anakin Skywalker.

   I will include the link to the New Zealand Mint, but be warned that authorization and access is denied when wanting to view some of the sets. I made a log-in, but that did not seem to help. I’m not sure if it is a bug or what, but it made me pretty sad. 😦

 In the words of the immortal Yoda,

 “May the Force be with you.”

 –Katie

checkout the coins: http://www.nzmint.com/starwars

Introduction to the Force (Coin Force, that is)

One of the first things a coin padawan must learn is how to read and understand a coin. Most people are used to saying that a coin has “heads and tails” but in the coin collecting world, those common terms just won’t do. A coin has an obverse and a reverse side.

The Obverse is the top or heads side of a coin. Usually the side with the coin’s date and portrait design. Typically the obverse side contains:

• Portrait: Generally, the main part of a coin’s design. Common portraits include presidents, kings, queens, and Liberty.
• Date: Indicates the year a coin was minted or first issued.
• Legend: The main letters, often referred to the coin’s inscription.
• Motto: Coin lettering or inscriptions like “In God We Trust,” “E Pluribus Unum,” and “Liberty.”
• Field: The flat area of a coin’s surface that is not raised and doesn’t have any design or inscription.

The Reverse: is the back or tails side of a coins. Typically the reverse contains:

• Relief: The part of a coin’s design that is raised above the surface.
• Designers Initials: The initials of the person who designed the coin.
• Mint Mark: The always small letter or symbol on a coin that indicates where a coin was minted. In the U.S., common mint marks include Philadelphia “P”, Denver “D”, San Francisco “S”, and West Point “W.”
• Motto: Coin lettering or inscriptions like “In God We Trust,” “E Pluribus Unum,” and “Liberty.”
• Legend: The main letters, often referred to the coin’s inscription.
• Field: The flat area of a coin’s surface that is not raised and doesn’t have any design or inscription.

Coins have two other parts as well:

The Rim: The raised edge on both sides that runs completely around a coin. The design helps protect a coin’s design from wear, and makes coins easier to stack.

The Edge: Often called the “third side” of a coin, the edge is the very outer border of a coin. Edges can be lettered, like the new U.S. Presidential $1 coins, plain, reeded, or decorated.

Once I got the basics of a coin down, I was able to continue my journey on the path to coin master.

And in the words of the immortal Yoda,

“Always pass on what you have learned.”

–Katie

My Coin Adventures Begin

My journey to Jedi Master started when I began working for a coin company. My previous experience with coins was just counting change and watching those infomercials on TV about replica coins. I thought about trying to collect all the states coins back when they came out, but I never did. Now, I learn a little bit more about coins every day. Not just coins either, there are bars and rounds, plus these collectibles come in gold, silver, platinum and even palladium. I actually thought palladium was a made up element, until this job. Each day, I learn a little bit more about the world of coins and see some interesting behind the scenes things.

But what does that have to do with Star Wars? Nothing, except I happen to be a pretty big Star Wars fan. Episode VII can’t get here fast enough. Plus, if some mint has ever released or will release Star Wars bullion, I will be vastly interested. I mean, Dr. Who got made into coinage, so why not Yoda?

And in the words of the immortal Yoda,

“Always two there are, no more, no less: a master and an apprentice.”

–Katie