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Name:        Anne
Email Address:   castro@frontiernet.net
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Question:        Why is Lincoln's head on the penny facing opposite
direction as oppose to all other coins?

It is a question of heraldry and tradition.  In Europe in was traditional to reverse the bust on coins of a new King when he succeeded the old one.  This tradition, more or less, continued in the United States.  The Indian on the Indian cent that predated the Lincoln cent faced left, so  Lincoln got to face right.  Note that Franklin on the half dollar faced right and when the Kennedy half was conceived the resulting bust faces left.  It is only by coincidence that the other current coins face left. If the cent ever gets replaced the bust will most likely face left again.

Comments:        This is a great help.  Thank you
Name:        Suzanne
Email Address:   suzannea@peoplefirst.com
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Question:        I'm trying to get the value on a coin, the writing on the packaging says:  Cayman Islands - Gold One Hundred Dollar, Specimen Uncirculated Edition, issued to commemorate the 6 sovereign Queens of England - struck at the Royal Canadian Mint.  Can you help me?  Also, the date on the coin is 1975. Thank you..........

I usually don't respond to questions that just request valuations. These types of questions are best served by current pricing catalogs available at any book shop.

The 1975 Cayman Island uncirculated coin, though a low mintage piece (only 8,053 pieces were minted) is a non-circulating legal tender coin and like many of these tired contrived issues don't necessarily excite the collector market.  Current wholesale value is about 5% over the gold content of .3646 troy ounces.  Multiply this number against the world gold price and then multiply by 1.05 to get the approximate value.

The coin is legal tender in the Cayman Island but it would be hard to spend. You would have to trade it at the Central Bank in Grand Cayman. $100 Cayman = $120 U.S. so that would be the Theoretical floor value even if the gold content was below that figure.

Comments:         I have found the coin site to be very interesting and informative
Name:        kavon
Email Address:   nespari@ev1.net
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Question:           My son is 11 and has became very interested in coin collecting. Right now he is only at the point of having a variety fo coins from around the world, (about 12 different countries). Is there any type of coin holder/book that could be used for foreign coins(current)? If so where could something of the sorts be purchased?  Thankyou

Generally, coins can be kept in holders in a coin box.  There are several different kinds.  One of the best are the cardboard holders with a cellophane window.  They come in various sizes, are easy to use, just staple the holder shut, and they are inexpensive. They will accommodate almost any kind of coin.  You can also notate each holder with information about the coin.   The coins are stored in a coin box.

There are also flips, which are clear plastic envelopes with cards that are inserted in one side.  I don't recommend the vinyl type as they will eventually damage the coins. Use only Mylar if you can afford it. Albums of various types are also available and for the furniture lover there are also coin cabinets.  See your local coin dealer or hobby shop to purchase the above items.

Comments:        It's a great place.  No matter how small the questions or how bizzare they always seem to get answered.
Name:        Kurt Praska
Email Address:   wpraska@means.net
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Question:         I have a 1792 gold 8 Escudo coin.  The mint mark looks like an "S" with a circle on top it.  The assayer initial's, I believe are FM. The coin is in good condition. I was wondering if you know where this coin was minted and how much is worth.

The Coin is  a Spanish, Charles IIII 8 Escudos with the bust of Charles III (they didn't know what the new king looked like so they kept the old portrait for a good number of years. 'No e-mail and attachments back then). The Mint mark you described is Santiago, Chile however the assayer would be "DA" not "FM".  Take another look at your coin. Values depending on condition: $400 - $1,200.

Comments:        I think it is fantastic. As I use it I'll give you more
detailed feedback.
Name:        Jose Klahr
Email Address:   ticsmiami@yahoo.com
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Question:        I have several coins to sell, some of them I purchased form the Government in the early 80"s, some from dealers, a few are graded by professional organizations, but most are not. To sell them I am sure is better to grade them professionally. Please answer the following questions: Who are the most accredited Grading Organizations? What are the charges for grading? Can you point me to their web sites? Do you have any other recommendations to sell my coins (most are Morgan Silver Dollar, but also have many foreign coins? Do I need to grade the coins I bought form the goverment? They are in sealed vinyl cases.
Cathie referred me to your web site, I finally had a chance to take a look.
Thanks,
Jose

PCGS, NGC and ANACS are the three major grading services.  You can find their links on the LINKS page on CoinSite.  Encapsulated, graded coins from these services only enhance the value of your coins if the coins are valuable to begin with.  The fees for grading run $15-$30 per coin plus postage and insurance.

The government hoard of Carson City Morgan Dollars that were sealed in plastic cases and sold to the public are usually traded that way (and often in quantity). Most of the hoard dates were 1882-CC, 1883-CC and 1884-CC. These are not worth paying a grading fee for unless they are absolutely pristine pieces that would grade MS65 or better.  If you have other Carson City dates such as 1885-CC, 1881-CC or if you are really lucky 1889-CC they are worth grading though they might not bring any more than if left in the government case. The dealers know how to grade, the grading services are for you.

If you have particularly rare and valuable pieces you might want to hire a professional numismatist to do an appraisal of your holdings.  You could then decide which coins to grade. A good appraisal should get you within 10% of what you could realize in the market for your coins.

If you would like to see some rare and valuable Morgan Dollars, check out Collectors' Showcase (www.sellcoins.com). It can also be reached from the CoinSite menu.

From: Claudia val15_79@yahoo.com
Subject: !!! Some old coins !!! Please help!!!
Hi,
      My name is Claudia Lopez. I wanted to see if you could give me some information on some old coins that my mother has.  She used to live in Tamaulipas, Mexico and said that a man sold the coins to her many years ago.  There are nine coins in all, five are square / rectangle and the other four are circles.  They are not silver and I don't think they could be gold because they look cooper but they seem to be coated with some kind of thin black paint. Here are their descriptions:

Squared coins:
1. front says, Villa de Colima 1853, back says ENR.
2. front says, ZAMATLAN 1835 1/8, back has nothing.
3. front says, HACIENDA EL CORTIJO 1853, back says PERES.
4. front says,ZAMATLAN 1835 1/8, back has nothing.
5. front says, UN OCTAVO 1835, back says HACIENDA MUNICIPAL DE OSTOTITLAN.
Round coins:
1. front says, TIZAPAN TLACO 1833 and has small circles, back has nothing.
2. front says 1/8 1824, has lines across it and small dots along the edge, the back has some grapes and the letter B on one side of the grapes and a T on the other, it also has lines across it and small dots along the edge.
3. The same as coin number two but thicker and bigger.
4. front says CONTU 1855 and has some type of stems under the date, back has 1/8 and and O on one side and a C on the other and some type of leaves under that.
I would really apreciate it if you could tell me where they are from or a little history of these types of coins and if they are worth anythig.
                                    Thank you,
                                   Claudia Lopez

These "coins" are called hacienda tokens and were used to pay ranch workers for their labors.  The families of the workers also lived on the ranch land and were essentially treated very much like medieval serfs.  The tokens could only be used in the ranch company store and so the workers were tied completely to the ranch owners.   The store sold general goods including food, tools, cooking utensils, clothing,  tobacco, fuel oil, lamps, bedding, simple furniture and other essentials. The tokens come in many shapes and sizes and are made from brass, wood, white metal, copper and even bone.  They are sometimes even painted as you have observed.

There are collectors of Hacienda Tokens and examples often appear in exonumia auctions.  These tokens existed in other Latin American countries but the largest production of these interesting pieces are Mexican. The Hacienda system seems to be an important part of the economics of 19th century Mexico.

The tokens usually state the name of the hacienda or ranch a denomination (they didn't use Peso or centavo as these were official National designations). The term "Octavo" or 1/8 was a fractional token of what ever the "peso" denomination was called.  I've seen, for example, "Cinco Mecates Chapeo" as a token denomination....translation  Five  ? Ropes.  "Mecates" is the a Spanish word for rope or cord....Chapeo???...There is a Mexican game called Chapas which is a coin game....'could translate as 5 Ropes.  The point is that the denominations were made up by the Ranch owners and they pegged the company store prices in tokens to a relationship to the national currency.

Values depend on the rarity of the item in the market place and the current collector interest.  Prices range from a dollar or so to more than $100.

Name:        Keith
Email Address:   kerogers@acusa.com
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Question:        What is an 1862 five dollar gold piece, that says Confederate States of America, and on reverse it says 5 dollars?

There are no Confederate States coins other than a few examples of a pattern half dollar and  a confederate cent that was made privately in the North and kept hidden until well after the Civil War.  Through the years replicas of the Confederate State's half dollar and copies of the confederate cent struck with cancelled dies were privately produced and sold as souvenirs of the Confederacy.

I have also seen modern fantasy pieces in brass than mimic United States gold coins with a Confederate theme on the reverse.  Your piece may be one of these.

Comments:        THIS IS A GREAT WEB SITE!
Name:        JEFF W.
Email Address:   jkwhit64@hotmail.com
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Question:        DOC,
A FEW YEARS AGO I FOUND WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE A 1995D 1 CENT 100% UNPLATED PLANCHET. IT LOOKS AS IF THERE WAS NO  COPPER WHEN IT WAS STRUCK. IT HAS GREAT DETAIL BUT IS A DARK GRAY COLOR FROM THE ZINK I PRESUME,I WOULD GIVE IT AN MS-60 PLUS GRADE. WOULD YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT IT'S
 VALUE IS?

This kind of error is called a lamination and occurs when gas or some other matter comes between the copper layer and the zinc resulting in a partial or complete lack of the copper plating.  Full laminations in unc are worth approximately $10 or so.

I have two pennies I am interested in more information on; 1943 penny, it is magnetic, it is gray colored not copper colored, is it a steel penny, value? 1974 penny, this is so weird, it have the outline of the state of Illinois engraved into the penny, with a capital i.  Cannot find it in any book. Would appreciate help
Kat

Please consult the Coin Doc articles, archives and FAQ for a wealth of information about 1943 cents. Punched cents, as you described, are done outside the Mint for promotional or advertising purposes.  Since these punches are not a product of the Mint, i.e. they weren't made that way, they have no "rare coin" value but would be valued by collectors of exonumia for their associated historical importance or use.

From: Thoover914@aol.com
Subject: Inquiry on Reichsbanknote
I am in possession of 2 -10,000 Reichsbanknotes dated berlin, January 1922. Trying to locate someone that can determine value???can you help?

There are three varieties of the 19.1.1922 10,000 Reichsbanknotes.  They devalued so quickly during the great inflation of 1922-23 that many were never spent. Not to long after this note was printed, it took 500 million marks to buy a postage stamp.  Though there are collectors for German Inflation money, and though some issues are rare, this particular note is common.  They make great bookmarks.

Name:        Spencer Leong
Email Address:   Barbieleong@hotmail.com
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Question:        I have a question? What do they call the place on a coin that they actually put the date? Its for a school project and my teacher said it was 7 letters long. I need you to reply A.S.A.P! Thanks for your help

Exergue is the place where a date appears but it must be separated from the rest of the design by a device such as a line. For example, if you look at a Buffalo Nickel you will see that the date is below a line that the buffalo is standing on.  You would then say that the date is in "exergue"

Name:        Stephan Quay
Email Address:   scquay@eticomm.net
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Question:        I was just given a coin by my wifes grandmother. The front has the following words on it. VICTORIA D:G:        BRITT:REG:F:D: It also has the head of a queen. The back has the date of 1889. The picture is a night riding a horse with a sword.  The horse is on its hind legs with what appears to be a snake coming out of another body with wings. Any Ideas?

This design appears on gold Sovereigns, gold 5 pound coins and silver crowns of Great Britain.  Your coin shows Queen Victoria (1837-1901) with the Latin Legend  which translates as VICTORIA BY THE GRACE OF G-D RULER OF BRITAIN AND DEFENDER OF THE FAITH.

The figure on the reverse is the famous St. George wearing only a cloak and helmet, slaying a dragon (St. George is the patron Saint of England).  This design by Benedetto Pistrucci is considered one of the most beautiful coinage designs. This image has graced British coins from 1817. The value of your coin depends on what denomination you have and the state of preservation (grade).

Name:        Tony
Email Address:   plewis@pdn.net
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Question:        I want to know about a coin I have...it is dated 1824 and has a picture of a pig on one side with the words perish credit. perish commerce. my victory, down with the bank. on the other side it has My substitute for the US bank, experiment my currency my glory. Does it have any collector value?

This design represents one of  many "Hard Times" token from the Jacksonian error and original examples are dated 1834. These tokens were privately issued and substituted for the dearth of small change that plagued this era.

These wonderful pieces became vehicles for advertisement or political statements (mostly surrounding the controversy over the "Bank of the United States"). With one exception, all of these tokens are similar size to the Large Cents that were issued by the U.S. Mint during this era. The tokens were made in copper brass and silver plated brass. (white metal cast copies exist).

Pieces dated "1824" are modern copper-coated lead alloy replicas that were made after 1960. They are probably electrotype copies made from an original copper token. Genuine pieces are valued from a few dollars to over $5,000. depending on variety and grade.  The "1824" replica has nominal value.

Comments:        So far so good this is my first question and will be
waiting to see what I receive in answer....I have other questions as well... thank you
Johnny Trigg...
Name:        Johnny Trigg
Email Address:   jtrigg@adisfwb.com
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Question:        For years the 1938 M and inverted W 10 centavos of the Philippines were listed as two coins  mostly with no price for the  inverted W, now there is only one listing...that being the inverted W...I have long wondered if the M existed in that all the coins of that type I have seen have been the inverted W type....question..is this true and that the listings have been wrong all this time??????

Probably.  The catalog writers begin with Official Mint reports and then observe what happens in the market. It could be that all the Manila Mint 1938 10 centavos have the M inverted to a W.  That's why the catalogs have given up and now list only the observed type.

Comments:        So far so good, it seems you supply some very useful information to collectors,
Name:        Johnny Trigg
Email Address:   jtrigg@adisfwb.com
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Question:        Why do people want to call the 1979 P  a near and far date type?? The reality is that the date is in the same location on both type coins..the real difference is that one has a wide rim and the other a narrow rim, there by giving it the look of a near and far location on the coin..so why not be factural and call it a wide or narrow rim  type????

 You are talking about the SBA dollar. Coin terms are terms of endearment, i.e. the Winged Liberty Dime became known as the "Mercury" dime. Collectors are already creating a buzz word for the new dollar to be issued in 2000.  I've already heard the term "weegie" to describe it (shortcut for Sacagawea, who appears on the obverse).

Name: Lisa Newcomb
Email Address: LisaN@hsc.edu
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Question: I should have asked these questions in an earlier email. I also have a 1981 copper quarter that I am extremely curious about. I have never seen anything like it.
And I have a 1883 Liberty Head (Nickel?) that is gold and has a V on the back. I was told that it could possibly be a conterfiet, but it looks so authentic. Thank you for your help.

These questions have already been answered. Use the CoinSite's Search Tool and search for "lamination" for your first question.  When the file list appears click on a selection, wait for the page to load.  Use your browser's search button (Ctrl+F, in MS Internet Explorer or Netscape) to located "lamination" on the page.

To answer your second question, please see the CoinSite FAQ and look for the article called Racketeer Nickel.

Name: charles tatro
Email Address: cb0456@aol.com
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Question:        1832 half cent miss liberty head facing left on front tobaco wreath on back does this have a value and what is the history on this coin.

The first 1/2 cent was minted in 1793 and the denomination found a great deal of use until it was retired along with the Large Cent in 1857. There are various designs that were used during the life of the coin.  Half cents dated 1832 are called the Classic Head type.  Only 51,000 1832 1/2 cents were minted making this year a scarcer date than others. Values range from about $35 for average circulated pieces.  Uncirculated or full red specimens are much more valuable.

Name:        deryck
Email Address:   deryck-2@msn.com
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Question:        my wife came upon a nickel that appears to be made of copper, and dated 1995, is this of any value?

It is possible that it was struck on a cent flan. Misstruck Jefferson nickels on Lincoln cent flans bring from $35 to $100 depending on grade. Part of the nickel design most probably would be missing and the coin would be thinner than a normal nickel.  Also, 1995 cents are minted from zinc and are plated with copper.  You would most likely see the zinc metal as the plating would not likely cover the entire stretched flan.

You can also weigh the coin. A cent flan weighs 2.5 grams and a nickel flan weighs 5 grams. If you coin doesn't measure up to these tests then it has been oxidized and that is the source of the copper color. This would only be valued at face.

From: Russell, Tyler (x5054)
Subject: upside down new quarters?
My question is regarding the circulation of an error quarter that was minted this year. I am not sure which state the quarter represents, but I haveheard that one side of it is upside down. Have you heard of this rumor,do you know of its validity and if so, where can I find documentation on it? Thank you, Tyler Russell

All U.S. Coins are struck with "coin" orientation, that is the coin has to be flipped from top to bottom for the other side to be upright.  Many world coins and many medals are struck with "medallic" orientation, that is, the coin has to be flipped from side to side in order for the opposite side to be upright.  Many people have suddenly noticed this because they are really looking at the new quarters and so believe that the opposite side is upside down.  Check any other U.S. coins and you will see the orientation is the same.

Note that because of the way coin dies are manufactured it is difficult to fit the dies in the press in any other orientation. I have found out recently that due to the type of presses being used or because of workman error, there have been recent reports of rotated dies. More than a half-million coins are struck from a die pair, making these kinds of errors less than rare.

Name: les rose
Email Address: lesrose@worldnet.att.net
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Question: I have a silver coin that looks like an old dollar with the words " Liberty and Virtue" on the front and Massachusetts on the back. it has a date on the front of "1776" - do you have any idea what kind of coin this is?

The Piece is one of the Colonial "Massachusetts Unofficial Coppers" and features a crude pine tree with the letters 1d LM at its base. It shows the inscription MASSACHUSETTS STATE. The reverse has a figure of Liberty seated on a globe holding a staff and a liberty cap. There is a dog at her feet. The Legend LIBERTY AND VIRTUE are around the figure. There is also a similar copper piece that shows an Indian with a bow and a seated figure on the reverse. No one really knows the origin of these pieces but many different tokens and coins were minted during this era to alleviate the acute shortage of currency.

Only one genuine piece of each type is currently known to exist. There are many copies or replicas in various metals. The discovery of another genuine piece would be considered a numismatic landmark. In your note you say that the coin is silver. Note that all of the token coinage from this era was minted in copper. It was the small change that was hard to come by. Spanish 8 Reales or Pillar Dollars were certainly available but represented too large a sum of money.

If you think your piece could be genuine send it to the American Numismatic Association for authentication. Their address and information about their service can be found on their web site. See the Links page on CoinSite to find a link for the ANA.

Comments: Great site -- we don't have a background in coin collecting, and we were able to learn a lot. Thanks,Jerry
Name: J Sokol
Email Address: jasokol@idirect.com
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Question: My daughter has found a 1999 Pennsylvania state quarter that was struck in a medallic orientation (that has the head printed upside down). I have never seen a US coin in this orientation -- is this correct?

"Coin orientation" is the normal way U.S. coins are struck, that is, if you are holding the "heads" side of the coin you have to flip it from North to South to see the reverse upright. "Medallic orientation" requires that the coin be flipped from east to west to see the reverse upright.

Check your change and you will see that ALL U.S. coins are struck in coin orientation. 

Name: ADAM
Email Address: ADAMNJESS@AOL.COM
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Question: HELLO, MY FAVORITE COIN SHOP BOUGHT FOUR 1935 D ONE DOLLAR SILVER CERTIFICATES, GEM CRISP ! ALL FOUR WHERE SIGNED BY THE TREASURER ABOVE HER NAME AND THE SERIAL NUMBER. I GOT DIBS ON ONE OF THEM FOR $35. I HAD HEARD THAT SHE DID THIS QUITE OFTEN DURING HER REIGN. I WAS WONDERING IF YOU KNEW THIS TO BE TRUE AND IF IT IS GENUINE WHAT WOULD THE VALUE BE?

Many collectors consider hand written autographs to have damaged the note. They seem to be more curiosity items than real collectibles. There are also many of these notes around, they show up in quantity at major shows. Even serial #1 are considered defaced if they are signed above the facsimile name. Unless you want it to hang on the wall, I wouldn't buy one.

Comments: The Coin Site was very imformative, unlike other sites visited in the past week.
Name: e ramey
Email Address: ramey3@worldnet.att.net
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Question: What would step by step procedure be if one would like to auction off the 1943 penny?

Contact a Auction house for a contract. Most auction houses such as Stacks in New York, Bowers & Merena, Christi's, Sotheby's charge a 10 or 15% commission that is deducted from the hammer price. They'll work with you to set up a "reserve", that is the minimum price that the item can sell for. The reserve is usually somewhere about 80% of the current market price of the item. If the bids are below that then the coin doesn't sell and it is returned to you. Commissions are only charged on sales. On a very expensive item,the commissions are often negotiable.

The coin must be authenticated prior to consigning the coin to auction. You can do this through the American Numismatic Association, PCGS or NGC. See the Links page on CoinSite for links to these and other organizations. There is a genuine 1943 copper cent currently being offered on Collectors' Showcase [item #1988] if you want to get an idea of market price. See

Name: Andy Haverland
Email Address: andy@casco.net
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Question: My father has a coin from the Indian princely states, it is a Nazarana (2 Rupees). The 1993 "World Coins" book says very little about its worth. Only that it is rare. Do you have any information on this? The date is AH 1288.

The Nazarana issues were coins struck in copper, silver or gold especially minted for use as gifts to the local ruler. It was traditional to offer these gifts as thanks for allowing an audience. Since the Nazarana issues were produced in all the Indian Princely States you would have to be more specific about what state your Nazarana 2 Rupees represented. Most of the Nazarana issues are One Rupee coins. Two Rupees issues and higher are scarce to rare. For example, the Bhopal AH1286 2 Nazarana Rupees brings from $300-$600. The Baroda 1288AH Nazarana Rupee is very rare and has no recent auction records as far as I know. If yours is the latter above I suggest placing it in an international auction in the U.S. or Europe. It should bring a very handsome price.

Comments: Kind of Neat!!
Name: John Miller
Email Address: jmhydroq@mindspring.com
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Question: Out of curiosity, I began to look through a lot of cents that I had accumulated and found a different type of 1987-D doubled-die. It is a 1987 D/D. The regular "D" is in the proper position ... but there is a second "D" under it. It can be seen sticking out in the southeast position. The second (actually first) "D" is truly above the surface of the coin itself. It shows the lower serif just below the lower serif of the upper "D" and then swings in an arc to the right ... forming the "bow" of the "D" up to slightly beyond the point where the bow begins to arc back to the left.
The upper "D" is copper ... the lower "D" is the underlying zinc. Is this coin of any consequence?
Thanks ... John

It sounds more like the coin was struck through some foreign material. The mint marks, until very recently, were struck in the working dies by hand. Sometimes the punch ended up in the wrong place and the mint mark was polished off and repunched over the error. If it is true that there is a 2nd mint mark struck over the first, than all the coins minted from that die would exhibit the same characteristic additional mint mark. There would have to be many of these coins to really be a D/D. This is called a repunched Mint Mark.

It wouldn't be a doubled die though, as that is an error made when the working die is created and has to do with the hub rotating slightly or radically on subsequent impressions to the potential working die.

Original attractive toning on silver dollars is getting harder to find. The natural state of a coins a century or more old is that it has acquired a patina. The market for toned coins supercedes many "white" coins that are in the same grade.

Proof-like coins are the first strikings from a new silver dollar die. The first 20 or so impressions from the die have a mirror finish. The die was then removed, polished and then put into regular service. The coins struck from the polished die have normal luster. This process was the end stage of preparing a die for use. Proof-Like coins, especially ones with "deep mirrors" (DMPL) and frosted devices bring higher prices because of their extraordinary beauty.

I think you are talking about 7 mace and 2 Candareens, a China Silver Dollar issued from the late 19th century through the early 20th. This coin has many provincial issues and even comes with different spellings such as Candarins or Caindarins. Since there are so many issues, you would have to be more specific. You would have to know the date, province and grade. For example the 1899 "7 Candarins 2" brings about $100 in average circulated condition.

Actually he did become King for a short time (January 20-Dec 11, 1936). Though most Commonwealth countries never got a chance to mint a Edward VIII coin, some did. The British West Africa 1936 Penny with the name of Edward VIII is a one year issue but was made in large numbers. More than 32 million of these British West Africa pennies were made in three different mints. Value in uncirculated condition: about US$5.