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Question:        Do you know anything about a $5.00 coin dated 1849 by a company named Pacific Co.?

Very little is known about this company, one of several that made private issue coins for commerce during the gold rush period in California. The Pacific Company resided in San Francisco but there is nothing known about its origins.  It is conjectured that the gold coins with the stamp of the Pacific Company were minted by a firm called Broderick and Kohler (Kohler was the maker of the famous Kohler bar ingots). The Pacific Company gold coins were minted in the denominations of $5 and $10. Both are extremely rare. Value range to $150,000.

The United States Government rarely reissued regular issue coins at dates later than the date on the coin. Type II dollars were only made from 1854-1856. There are no examples of this type with the dates 1868 or 1887. I might assume that the word "restrike" in this case is a euphemism for counterfeit or copy. Counterfeits have no numismatic value and are technically illegal to own or sell.  In practice, counterfeits often show up on jewelry items where the coin's low cost increases the sellers profit.

Numismatist learn counterfeit detection by studying genuine coins and learning their characteristics.  Dahlonega minted coins and Type II dollars are valuable enough to motivate counterfeiting.  You can have your gold dollars authenticated by the ANA, PCGS, NGC or ANACS.  Please see the Links page to contact these organizations.

This coin is an aluminum 5 Franc coin from Morocco.  You mistakenly assumed that the Christian Gregorian Calendar is universally used.  Morocco is a Moslem country and uses the Moslem calendar.  AH1370 is roughly 1950 in the Gregorian Calendar. Value: about U.S. 10 cents.

You have a Massachusetts 1/2 cent or cent. (The half cent is the size of a current US quarter, the cent, nearly the size of a US current half dollar). The obverse of the coin shows an Indian with a star to the left of his head and the words  COMMON WEALTH around.  The reverse shows a spread eagle with the words either half cent or cent on its breast. This may not be apparent if the coin is severely worn. The eagle is holding a bundle of arrows in one claw (symbol of war or strength) and an olive branch in the other (peace). The legend, MASSACHUSETTS, is around the eagle.

There are many varieties of these interesting coins since all the coins were struck from hand-made dies.  For example, the bundle of arrows in the eagle's claw may appear in either the right or left talon.

The coins were first authorized by the Massachusetts General Court in 1786 and were minted under the direction of Joshua Witherle. The dies for these bronze coins are attributed to Joseph Callender and Jacob Perkins of Newburyport, Massachusetts.

Notable:
-This is the first "American" coin struck with the words cent and half cent.
-The coin was minted in 1787 and 1788
-The coin ceased production in 1789 to comply with the newly ratified United States Constitution.

Value depends on the major type and the grade (condition).  Value Range (good -uncirculated): $50 - $3,000+.

If you believe that your example warrants it, you can have the coin authenticated and attributed by the American Numismatic Association.  See the Links page  for more information.

Caesar Rodney was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence who eventually became President of Delaware.  This is a good reason why he is featured on the Delaware Quarter. Paul Revere is not the figure riding the horse. Though Famous for his role in the Revolution, he is not a son of Delaware.

The last of the circulating Sovereigns were minted in:

-England -1925
-Canada (C on ground - Ottawa Mint) - 1919
-India (I on ground-Bombay Mint) - 1918
-Australia (M on ground - Melbourne Mint) - 1931
-Australia (P on ground - Perth Mint) - 1931
-Australia (S on ground - Sidney Mint) -1926
-South Africa (SA on ground -Pretoria Mint) - 1932

England had already diluted their intrinsic money system by reducing the silver content of their legal tender coins in 1920 from .925 fine to .500 fine in order to pay their WW I war debts. Sovereigns quickly disappeared from normal circulation and instead became an international trade unit valued at the world price of gold.  After WW II, though the world was still on a gold based system, it was slowly moving away from gold to a credit based system that was more flexible, especially in the light of having to rebuild so much of the world from the ravages of WW II.

The reissue of the sovereign gold coin in 1957 was a way of reestablishing some of the prestige from the past as well as to make the British Royal Mint a few bucks.  When gold was released from its formal bounds of $35 a troy ounce in the 1970's, the gold price soared and again people sought gold sovereigns as a safe method for holding gold. Gold Sovereigns are still being issued today as proofs and as a prestige item at a significant premium (see the Links page for the British Royal Mint).

There were no Eisenhower Bicentennial dollars struck or plated in gold by the United States Mint. Your coin was treated by a private person or organization that plated the coin for some purpose.  Since it is a "mutilated" coin the Treasury will purchase it at 80 cents. Any sale above face value would require revealing the true origins of the coin to the perspective buyer.

The 1855 10 centimes coin (100 centimes=1 Franc) was made in large numbers and at seven mints. There are a large number of survivors and low grade examples often show up in Dealer bargain boxes. Depending on grade(condition) and mint mark the value range is: $0.25 - $50.

The period between 1789 and 1804 was a time when the Government in London failed to mint enough copper coinage for Britain and Ireland to fuel the needs of commerce.  The shortage was first addressed by the Parys Mines Company, a firm mining copper in north Wales. They produced high quality penny and half-penny tokens. Other companies followed and in Ireland, the Associated Irish Mine Company, formed in 1787, and also mining copper, began issuing large numbers of half penny tokens.

The Associated principal mine was at Cronebane in the Vale of Ovoca, near Wicklow.  The token shows St. Patrick dressed as a Bishop with the company crest on the other side. Value range for average circulated pieces: US$10 -$25.

Few silver dollars were made in 1851(1,300) and 1852 (1,100).  The reason centers on the fact that the rising silver prices made the dollar's silver content equal or exceed the face value of the coin. This was true by the spring of 1853. Secondarily, the coin was not popular as a circulating medium, it was big and heavy and worth too much to be practical in small transactions. Though the coin had been issued from 1840, most were used in the export trade and not as regular currency.

The first coins issued by the authority of the United States were the "fugio" cents, called so because of the word "FUGIO" on the sun above the sun dial (This Latin legend represents the expressing "Time Flies"). Underneath is the words "Mind Your Business".  Fugio Cents were another effort to supply small change for commerce in the fledgling United States.

Note that Fugio Cents were coined by a private company in New Haven, Connecticut but other companies might have made them too. Abel Buell was the die sinker.

There are many varieties; all are dated 1787.  Purportedly, Benjamin Franklin was the author of the legends.  The copper is said to have come from the copper bands from powder kegs sent by the French during the Revolution.The first United States Mint issues weren't struck until the Philadelphia Mint was built in 1792. The first coins struck were essentially experimental coins and include the 1792 Silver Center Cent, the 1792 Birch Cent and the 1792 half disme (pronounced like the word "steam" but with a "d"). (See the History of U.S.  and look for the article on the 1792 half disme).

The first regular issue coins weren't struck until 1793 and consisted only of the half cent and Cent.

Sounds like it might be a Roman sestertius.  You've read only part of the legend...which is CAESAR AVG (Caesar Augustus) but you didn't supply enough information to actually identify which Roman Emperor it is (His name appears before the CAESAR AVG).  Could be anyone from Augustus Caesar and after.  I'll guess between 20 BC and 100 AD.

SC is the Latin Abbreviation for "Senatus Consulto" or by the authority of the Senate. The Roman Senate had the authority to strike copper coins. The copper coins in this era were called the As, dupondius and sestertius.

1912 Great Britain King George V pennies are common in circulated condition and you could probably buy one for about 5p in a coin shop. There is a variety with a "H" (Heaton) mint mark and that one brings less than £2 in average circulated grades.  Only uncirculated (new) examples bring a nice premium, about £15 for the 1912 and £50 for the 1912H.

Weigh them!  Copper cents weigh 3.11 grams, zinc cent weigh 2.5 grams. Also, the plating was difficult to apply and numerous bubbles appear on the surface of 1982 zinc cents.  Use a 4x slide glass to see them.

Canadian five cent coins were pure nickel prior to 1982 and .75 copper and .25 nickel from 1982-1989.  Both type are just face value and continue to circulate as such. They do not bring a premium for their metal content.

The National Historic Mint is a private company that makes medals to promote to the general public.  The company has no relationship to any governmental official body. Coin and medal collectors tend to avoid contrived issues therefore there is little market value for these medals. Gold plated medals have no gold value as the amount of gold on the surface of these pieces is infinitesimal.  The silver value would be their chief value.  If you like them, enjoy them for what they are but do not think of them as potentially "valuable investments".

Florence was one of the first Italian City States to add gold coinage to the standard silver issues.  In 1252 they struck the first gold florins ( the famous fiorini d'oro ). The coin features a often used design showing John the Baptist on the obverse with the inscription S. IOHANNNES B and a lily on the reverse with the legend FLORENTIA.

Fold errors are rare and valuable, especially on a "star" note.  The star note itself is suppose to replace a damaged bill.  Because it is out of sequence in a stack, the star allows one to know immediately that it is a replacement note.

It is hard to price such a rich error as all of these are one of a kind and it would also be useful to see the error note.  Grade, that is the condition of the note, expressed in a system that collectors understand is also a big factor in pricing.
Estimate: $125. - $500.

1914 Barber dimes are quite scarce in mint condition. Depending on the mint mark and actual grade, values run from $90 to about $2,000.  I don't, however understand your reference to "miny money", unless you are referring to a miniature coins made by a novelty company. These are play money and have no specific collector value.

Your description indicates a gold 8 escudos from Spain or Spanish America under Carlos III.  If not gold but copper or brass, than it is a copy of some sort, possibly a merchant token or play money.  8 Escudos weigh close to a troy ounce and contain about 3/4 of a troy ounce of gold, so they are quite heavy (should weigh slightly more than 27 grams total).

You have a penny from Great Britain.  The legend says in abbreviated Latin, George VI, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, KING OF ALL THE BRITAINS AND EMPEROR OF INDIA.  The reverse shows a figure of Britannia seated on a rock holding a trident (symbol of Neptune and the sea). This coin is very common and trades at about US 10 cents.

On the other side:Appears an animal, possibly a lion, looking left. Around the periphery, at the top, the words 'DOSCIENTAS PIEZAS EN KILOG' and at the bottom, 'CINCOS CENTIMOS' I would be very grateful if you could solve this mystery. Thank you. Larry Clarke

You have a copper pattern from Spain.  Patterns are proposals for potential coinage. Virtually every coin issue has multiple examples minted to show the authorities the potential design or for testing purposes.  I show a 10 centimos pattern dated 1870 in my notes but not a 5 centimos.  That is not to say that it doesn't exist, just that it isn't in my notes.

The 10 centimos shows a lion walking left, with a shield near the lions breast.  The reverse shows a allegorical figure of Liberty (Spain) seated. The translation of your description is: Cinco Gramos = 5 grams, that is the weight of the coin and DOSCIENTAS PIEZAS EN KILOG=200 pieces in a kilogram. 'L.MARCHIONNI'  is the designer.

All patterns from this period are rare and valuable, though state of preservation is very important. Do not clean this coin. I suggest placing it in an appropriate auction to realize its true value. You might also want to have the coin authenticated first in which case I recommend the American Numismatic Association. See the Links page to locate their site.

The Sacagawea dollar is an alloy of copper, nickel and manganese.  This is a first for U.S. coinage. The idea is to make the coin recognizable as it is just a bit larger than a quarter.  It also has a plain edge instead of reeded.  The coin replaces the SBA dollar but will circulated along with that coin indefinitely.  Both have the same electronic properties and will work in the same vending machines or turnstiles.

The United States MInt will issue a 14K gold collector edition containing 1/2 ounce of pure gold sometime this year. There is a great deal of controversy about this as the coins will look similar but the gold version will cost near $300 (about double the gold melt value) but still have a face value of one dollar(How about a face value of $100 so it would be easier to tell the difference between the two versions).

  The Marshall Islands has been a separate country from the United States since 1986. They use U.S. dollars but beginning in 1986 they commissioned private mints to make commemorative coins that could be sold at a premium to raise money.  All the current Marshall Islands coinage are commemoratives that are marketed in magazines and newspapers.  They are produced by the Medallac Art Co, Roger Williams Mint and the Sunshine Mint.

The $5 coins are minted on copper-nickel blanks and one or more issues have been produced each year since 1988. Coin collectors generally dislike contrived issues and so there isn't much of a market for these coins. Though they have a "face" value of $5, you might have a hard time getting five bucks from the Marshall Islands as they are reluctant to redeem them. If you enjoy the designs, collect them for there artistic value and not as a fiscal instrument.

I assume you are talking about the United States Liberty Nickel (1883-1912) that features a "V" on the reverse. The "V" is the Roman numeral for "5" and indicates that the coin is "5 cents". There is no relationship to a victory of any kind.

This coin is part of the commemorative half dollars issued by the United States Mint that began in 1892 and still is on-going today.  The Carver-Washington half dollar features the conjoined busts of Booker T. Washington, a famous Black educator and founder of the Tuskegee Institute, and George Washington Carver, an agricultural chemist whose innovative concepts, especially in the use for peanuts and soy beans, still impacts us today.

Unfortunately, the coin was less about honoring these great men and more about "McCarthyism" of the 1950's.  As quoted in the bill that authorized the coin: Money obtained from the sale of these commemoratives was to be used to "oppose the spread of communism among Negroes in the interest of national defense(sic)."

You have a "Hard Times Token". These tokens were privately issued emergency money made during the coin shortage during the Depression or "Hard Times" period during the presidency of Andrew Jackson. (Note that similar tokens were manufactured during the coin shortage during the Civil War (1861-65)). Because of the dearth of low value coins, it was almost impossible to make change. Private merchants and others made tokens to keep the stream of commerce going. The tokens often had political themes or displayed advertising. The "Not One Cent" was a sarcastic response to The United States Government's complaints that making these tokens constituted counterfeiting.

SBA dollars were made in 1999 to satisfy the demand for the coin. They are most often used in the United States in municipal transportation systems and vending machines (mostly U.S. Postal System). The coin is now replaced by the Sagagawea dollar, now in circulation. Both are the same size and have the same electrical properties and both will continue to circulate.

Re-coloring refers to applying an artificial patina to a coin. Silver, nickel and copper are chemically active and will oxidize to different colors depending on the depth of penetration of the metal. This happens when a coin is exposed to an active chemical such as sulfur, often used in the manufacture of paper,cardboard and canvas bags. The patina usually takes a great deal of time to develop, anywhere from a decade to centuries. Collectors often prize toned coins for their aesthetic appeal.

Artificial toning is often applied in order to cover up some flaw on the coins surface. The flaw could be an area that has been repaired, scratched or cleaned. The patina appears shallow in depth and often shows sudden changes of color to the surface instead of a smooth transition, especially if the coin has been exposed to high temperatures.

The technique for applying artificial toning often begins with stripping the coin of all oxide. This process removes metal and therefore reduces the amount of luster that is usually present on a uncirculated coin. This factor is one of the diagnostics that are used to identify "re-colored coins".