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Name: scott clark
Email Address: seclark@marktwain.net
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Question: hello...i have a friend who just showed me what he called a "bar cent"...it's got 13 bars on the back of it and he says they represent the 13 colonies. i cant seem to find any info on it while browsing. do you know anything about this? thanks in advance, scott clark.

The Bar "copper" is one of the creations that circulated during the coin shortage between the transition from the colonial period to the establishment of the United State Mint. It is undated but it is thought to have been minted in 1785 in New York State. It shows a monogram of USA on one side and 13 horizontal bars on the reverse. Value depends on grade: $400 - $4,000.

There is also a struck copy made by J.A. Bolen in the early 1860's. In the Bolen copy, the "A" passes under, instead of over, the "S" in USA. The copies are worth much less than the originals.

The coin is a 3 Pence of Great Britain. You are correct that the portrait is that of George V. You can get more information about British coins from the following publications:

• Coins of England and the United Kingdom - B.A. Seaby Ltd. London published yearly.
• For some background try: A Social History of England by Asa Briggs-The Viking Press New York.
• More Background: The Splendid Shilling by James O'Donald Mays - New Forest Leaves Burley, Ringwood, Hampshire U.K.

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  Comments: Just found it. Next to Ebay it's lots of fun and very interesting.
  Name: Pete Dammann
  Email Address: peatea9893@aol.com
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  Question: How can I pick up a grey sheet?

Write to the Coin Dealer Newsletter, PO Box 11099, Torance CA 90510 Phone: 310.515.7369. They offer a sampler of all their publications at a reasonable price.

Capped Bust half dollars were the standard half dollar in the United States from 1807-1836. These wonderful coins were designed by John Reich. Reich was a German immigrant who had become an indentured servant in return for passage to the United States. A Mint official noticed his exquisite work and was responsible for freeing Reich and recommending him for the job of Mint Engraver. His Ms. Liberty is very European and includes a Liberty cap which was very much in the style of Ladies headcovering of the time called a mobcap.

Average uncleaned pieces bring from $20-$120+ depending on actual grade, Uncirculated examples a great deal more.

Cents without mint marks were minted in Philadelphia.

Connecticut coppers are an example of emergency money created during the transition from colony to Statehood. The coppers, about the size of a English half penny, were minted by a group including John Goodrich, Samuel Bishop, James Hillhouse and Joseph Hopkins. They were given the authority by the state of Connecticut to establish a mint near New Haven. It is not quite clear whether they did the work or sub-contracted some of it out to others.

There are two variations of the Laureate head. Could this be because the coins was minted in two locations? In any case, both varieties are dated 1785. As with any coin, grade and rarity, determine value. Range from Good - XF- $35 -$1,500+

The 1858 Flying Eagle cent was the circulating cent of that year. 24,600,000 pieces were struck. The pattern date is 1856, that is, they made no circulation strikes that year. The 1856 patterns were given to Congressmen for their approval. The reason many survived is that the Congressmen failed to return the patterns to the mint. The survivors mostly come from this group.

There are, besides business strikes in 1858, patterns and trials that were made at the mint in an effort to improve the much maligned Flying Eagle (called a "turkey" by the coin's detractors). Pattern 1858 Flying Eagle cents are rare as only a few were made of each trial. The major differences between the 1858 business strike and the patterns include the attitude of the eagle, the absence of shield or a differently ornamented shield and varieties of the wreath.

If you believe you have a genuine 1858 pattern Flying Eagle cent, you might want to send it to The American Numismatic Association for authentication See the Links Page. They can also attribute which pattern it is. I think there are ten different Flying Eagle patterns for 1858.

You can also try to locate a copy of "United States Pattern, Experimental and Trial Pieces" by A. Kosoff or an original edition by J. Hewitt Judd, M.D. There are more up-to-date pattern books but the Judd editions are the ones you normally can find at the public library or a used book shop.

The Coin Doc answers are more informational; not really a price guide. Coin World, Numismatic News, The Coin Dealer Newsletter, The Red Book and other publications are good places to track the weekly ups and downs of the coins descibed above.

You have a note that is missing the third printing, that is the printing that establishes the serial numbers and treasury seal. Value depending on condition: $150 - $250+. See other Coin Doc answers about paper money errors.

The 1863 Florida State $1 note shows slaves harvesting cotton at the center, a child and the State arms at left. The note is black with red overprinting. There is  a common copy of this note that is seen duplicated on fake parchment with a yellowish cast. The "play money" version is only printed in black. Genuine notes are printed on linen and have the red overprint. Value depends on condition: $35-$150.

Most coin designs are allegorical . That means that the image that you see on coins or paper money represents some thought or feeling and not necessarily the literal design. For example, many U.S. coin designs have a portrait, usually of a female, wearing a band or hat. She is an allegorical representation of "Liberty", her cap represents "freedom of thought", which is what "Liberty" represents. Often you will see a wreath of wheat or cotton on some coin reverses; this represents the work of agriculture.

Money itself is allegorical in that it represents frozen energy. When you earn money you have to expend energy to get it. Your expended energy is stored in the money. Images of cotton, wheat and other agricultural or "work" themes confirm money's role as stored energy.

You have a 1947 Republic of China 5000 Yuan. The "man" on the left is Sun Yat-Sen on the right is the P'ai-lou Gate. This is one of the post WW II inflation issues before economic chaos helped create the People's Republic of China in 1948-1949. Value in average circulated condition $5-$10. Uncirculated examples are worth more. There are also several varieties.

A few hundred billion. Between about 4 billion and 8 billion cents are struck each year and though most are sitting in "penny jars" they are primarily used for paying sales tax.

People seem to be frustrated by cents and even try to structure transactions so they can spend their cents. I hate when the bill comes to $5.06. That means I'm going to get four more cents if I forgot to bring at least six cents with me.

Last year I tried to give rolls of 50 cents out as trick or treat to the kids on Halloween. Some of the more assertive kids told me to take a hike and break out the candy or I was going to get the "trick" part of the ceremony. M & M's and Mars Bars won the day.

Indian Peace Medals were part of the relationship between the Europeans and the indigenous Indians in North America from the late 17th century to about 1890. The Europeans, especially the French, English and later the Americans, realized that these medals were a potent way of swaying Indian loyalty to the "white man's" causes.

The Washington Peace medals of the late 18th century, oval shaped and designed to be worn as a breast plate, were highly revered by the Eastern American tribes. Recipients worn them to the grave.

Issues of Peace Medals were made under every President of the United States from George Washington to Benjamin Harrison. The medal you describe was made in 1841 under John Tyler's Presidency. By this time the medals were available for sale to the public.

All the medals from 1809-1849 have a similar reverse of a crossed tomahawk and Peace Pipe, clasped hands and the legend PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP. This design was created by John Reich, the Mint Engraver in 1809. The obverse shows a portrait of a fur-draped bust facing left with the legend JOHN TYLER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES 1841. The medal's obverse was designed by Ferdinand Pettrich.

The medal was issued in two sizes, 76mm and later, 62 mm. The latter went on sale in 1861. They were issued in either silver or copper. Gold plated pieces were plated privately, outside the Mint.

The United States mint continued to strike these medals well into the 20th Century. The "restrikes" are in a gold colored brass alloy. The original copper pieces are red or a chocolate brown. Values: $50-$400.

Panama uses the US dollar. The older collectable notes from 1933 and through the 1940's has Balboa spelled out. This is also true on Balboa coinage. Panama is an artificial country created out of the northern part of Columbia expressly to be the host for the Panama canal. On currency markets the Balboa is referred to as PAB.

You have a "Stone Mountain" Commemorative half dollar. It was issued by the U.S Mint in 1925. It features portraits of General "Stonewall" Jackson and General Robert E. Lee on horseback, famous Confederate Generals that fought in the United States's Civil War (1861-65). The design appears as a huge sculpture cut into the rocks at Stone Mountain Park in Georgia. Profits from the sale of this coin helped pay some of the cost of creating this memorial scuplture. This massive work was finally completed in 1970. The first coin was struck on January 21, 1925 at the Philadelphia Mint, "Stonewall" Jackson's birth anniversary. The coin was designed by Gutzon Borglum.

There are Stone Mountain half dollars that were counterstamped on the reverse, (side with the eagle) with letters or numbers. These stamps represent various State sales agencies. Coins with these counterstamps are valued higher than non-counterstamped examples.

You have, most likely, a copy of a Brasher Doubloon. This coin, created before there was an United States Mint, was probably a pattern or a proposal for potential official coinage. Ephraim Brasher was a well-known jeweler and goldsmith in New York and was a neighbor of George Washington. Only a few of these wonderful gold coins exist. There are many 'souvenir' copies in base metal, mostly brass.

In case your dad gave you a genuine one, genuine punch on wing examples have sold at auction between $430,000-$725,000.

The term red, red-brown and brown refer to copper coins. Copper is red in color when new but left unprotected, will oxidize to a red-brown and finally to a brown color. Copper coin in the original red color are worth more than their brown cousins.

Don't keep coins in polyvinyl flips. They eventually decay and release an oily film that will damage most silver, nickel and copper coins. Small amounts of hydrogen sulfide are released at the same time which is corrosive. Use only inert materials such as Mylar to store coins for long periods of time. PCGS or NGC holders are not dangerous but do allow air to enter. If humidity is a problem in your area, you can purchase a deliquescent that will absorb moisture from the air. These chemical dehumidifiers come in various forms such as in hangers or canisters. Check your local hardware store.

I have recently gotten into collecting coins. No particular type or grade really. Although, I seem to have a "thing" for Canadian, British, and Aussie ones.

Q #1: I have figured out what the Krause numbers refer to..a trip to the book store educated me to the tune of $47.00..and I generally take the values listed with a grain of salt...ok a large bag of it...what I can't seem to understand is Why the heck are these coins I am buying (i.e. 1963 Canadian Dollar..still in the Royal Canadian Mints wraping..costing me 2-5 times Krause value listed ?

Q #2..May 9, 1999 The United Kingdom announced that they are selling off their gold reserves (to the tune of 415 metric tons) ((Personally I think they loathe the idea of sending it to the EU central bank in Germany !))..while I realize that this is a HUGE chunk of gold, $3.98 BILLION worth, what do you expect the value of gold coinage to do ? I realize this will impact mostly the low grades of coins which I see listed as "bullion" value.

I don't understand the price of "2-5 times" Krause for 1963 dollars. There is a trend among dealers to send these coins to PCGS or NGC to grade them. High graded pieces (MS65 or above) bring more than Krause prices since the highest grade list for Canadian dollars is MS63. Don't get confused with Canadian Proof-Like dollars and Proof Dollars. These are valued differently.

Regarding gold: Gold wears two hats. Sometimes it acts as money at which time an increase in supply doesn't necessarily have an effect on the price of the metal. Generally in this case it is currency that changes in value, gold's purchasing power stays constant. Increase in gold prices requires inflation. Gold is currently acting as a commodity and is sensitive to an increase in supply. Large amounts in the market will temporarily lower the gold price. As any commodity, it will find its level and stay there until inflation increases again.

Rare coins are not necessarily impacted by metal commodity prices as their numismatic value usually exceeds their bullion value. Note that metal may have little to do with market value for rare coins, i.e. some rare copper coins exceed the value, by far, than some rare gold coins. Also, rare coins could conceivably decline in value in a rising gold market as collectors might perceive that bullion items will appreciate faster than rare coins.

You have an 1855 France 10 Centimes. The denomination is on the reverse and expressed as DIX CENTIMES (100 centimes = 1 Franc). Above that is, EMPIRE FRANCAIS or French Empire. Eagles on coins do not necessarily indicate that they are American eagles or coins from the United States but they are symbols of strength or power. The 10 Centimes was made at various mints and the mint mark appears as a single or double letter below the eagle.

As in U.S. coins, some combinations of date and mint mark impact the value. France had many more places to mint coins than the United States, curious for a country only the size of New York State. Then again, there was the "Empire", that is, conquered possessions around the world that also had a need for French Coins. Your coin was struck at one of the following mints:

• A - Paris Mint
• B - Dieppe
• BB - Strasbourg
• D - Lyon
• K - Bordeaux (pressing grapes and coins simultaneously)
• MA - Marseille(?) [on some coins between 1853-57 the Mint is signified by a image of a shell]
• W - Lille [on some coins between 1853-57, the Mint is signified by an image of an oil lamp]

French gold 20 francs from the era of Napoleon III were mostly used as trade units, that is, a way of paying debts across national boundaries. The coin was minted in .900 fine gold. The actual pure gold weight is .1867 troy ounces of pure gold. "Barre" is the name of the designer. Twenty Franc coins also circulated nationally but were often used as bank reserves or as backing for letters of credit or bank notes.

If you compare the French 20 Franc (.1867 agw) to the the United States Liberty $5 gold piece (.2419 agw) you will see that the 20 Franc was worth about 4 dollars in U.S. funds.  In the late 1870's, the U.S. Minister to Austria, Hon. John A. Kasson, introduced the idea of minting a four dollar gold coin in the United States that would be  an international trade unit to the French Standard. The U.S. version was not approved by Congress but the surviving patterns that were given to Congressmen as samples to examine, still exist. (The four dollar coin (called "The Stella" because of the prominent Star motif) are highly valued by collectors today).

A note about the contemporary value of these nickel sized gold coins: 20 Francs or a U.S. $5 gold coin was a great deal of money during the 19th century. The approximate buying power was that of a 1999 U.S. $100 note. Even that value may not be accurately describe the purchasing power of these coins, as some items in this era were relatively much cheaper than they are today. For example, in the U.S., a loaf of bread might be a 1 cent and in some places, especially when one was close to the source of production, eggs were 1/2 cent each.

Though your coin dated 1864 is not rare, it does bring a premium in uncirculated condition. Rare dates do exist. In the gold bullion business, these coins are known as "Napoleons" and can be purchased in quantity from most bullion houses. It is apparent that the "trade unit" status of these coins continues.

Lenin is considered the father of the Soviet Union. The coin you have is a 1970 one Ruble commemorative of the centennial of Lenin's Birth. Coins can be a powerful propaganda instrument and the Russians wanted to make sure lots of people got one. They were collected instead of spent so there is about 100 million of these guys floating around the world. Value: about $1.