The Coin Doc's Answers

1956 proof sets were packaged in film and sent in a envelope. There is a silver colored mint seal inside the film.

From 1947 to 1956 Mint sets were sent with the coins inserted into a cardboard cutout. There is nothing covering the coins. Two of each coin, from each mint, was included.  The style of the time was to store the coins in cardboard albums that showed only one side. The duplicates allowed showing the reverse in a collectors' album. Mint sets from this era often show heavy patina caused from long contact with the high content sulfur cardboard holders.

Uncirculated = new note= no folds or bends, crisp with 4 sharp corners. Superior uncirculated pieces (choice or gem) have better centering and brighter colors and a very deep sharp raised impression.

The "+" sign was used to show that higher prices arepossible. The prices in the "What's it Worth?" tables are very general. They are designed to help those that do not know how to grade get an approximate value for their material.

1. Urban legend. State quarters are struck on the exact same quarter blanks that have been in use since 1965.
2. Civil war era store card (Search for "store card" in the CoinSite Search Tool to get more information).

Dimes, quarters and half dollars are struck on blanks that are essentially a sandwich of copper nickel (the bread) with a pure copper center (the filling).  Occasionally the "top piece of bread" doesn't stick, falls off or came from strip improperly manufactured. Note that small, partial "laminations" to not add value to a coin but full side laminations do bring a premium in the coin market (see "lamination" in the CoinSite Search Tool for more information about this error).

Value Range for a full lamination on a copper-nickel dime: about $6.

In 1992 Mexico instituted currency reform (1,000 old pesos = 1 new peso(N$)).  The foreign exchange value is currently about 10c per peso, making your coin worth 50 cents.)  There is a numismatic premium for this copper-nickel coin if in uncirculated condition or close to it. It commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Nationalization of the Oil Industry. Value in unc: about $8.

A set of commemorative 10 mark coins were struck for the Munich Olympic Games in Germany in 1972.  The set was issued in both uncirculated and proof manufacture and struck in .625 silver (each coin has about 1/3rd ounce of pure silver). They were never intended to circulated but are legal tender. (FX value about $5.)

It sounds like a Mexico 4 or 8 reales of 1732.  There will be a large MF on the reverse at left, the denomination "4" or "8" (reales) appears at the right and a crowned shield appears at the center. The obverse shows two globes under a crown, The Pillars of Hercules are on either side, date is below.

Either coin is extremely valuable.  Only a few 1732 Mexico 4 reales exist. These were specimens and not intended for actual circulation).  It's hard to estimate its value as they rarely show up at auction.  Rough estimate: $50,000 -$100,000+.  The 1732 8 reales Pillar 8 Reales are easier to locate, estimate $6,000 to $10,000 depending on grade (condition).

I suggest you get the coin certified by the American Numismatic Association (see the CoinSite Links page).

Congratulations on acquiring such a rare find!

You have a 1874H Great Britain Penny. It is a mystery why you couldn't find this coin in a standard British Coin guide.  The "H" indicates the Heaton Mint.  The Coin shows the "mature bust" of Victoria facing left with the legend: VICTORIA D.G. BRITT. REG. F.D. (Victoria by the Grace of G-d Queen, Defender Of The Faith).

The reverse features Britannia seated on a rock holding a trident, the date below and ONE PENNY around. (use the CoinSite Search Engine to search for "Britannia" for more information).

Value depends on condition (grade) and type. In average circulated grade and type, which is often how this coin is found, the value is approximately $2.  You can often find this coin in bargain boxes at dealer tables at local coin shows.  Higher grade pieces or better types (there are 6) range in market value from:$5 - $700.

There are some State Quarters with rotated reverses (see the "What's it Worth?" feature on CoinSite and specifically the error prices page (see the bottom of that page for State quarter errors). For more information about "rotated reverses" see the Coin Doc Archive #13 and search for "rotated reverse".

Yes, one 1999 Susan B. Anthony dollar was accidentally struck on a Sacagawea dollar planchet. The coin was found in a mint sealed bag of SBA dollars that was purchased by a collector.  The coin was subsequently sold for $10,000.

This is a copper-nickel issue of the Marshall Islands.  The coin is what is called "non-circulating legal tender", however since the Marshall Islands uses United States money, you'd have a hard time spending it. That doesn't mean that you can't enjoy it for its aesthetic value (its pretty). Approximate market value: $2.

For more information about Marshall Islands issues, please see the CoinSite Search Tool and search for "Marshall Islands ".

Coins generally have legends that show an issuing authority, country and often the denomination. Without these elements the item doesn't match the definition of a "coin".  If that information is available it would help identify the item.  Also, the use of two dates on opposite sides indicate that neither is the year of minting. (birth/death dates would be on the same side of the medal).

The style of headstones with funerary urns do not occur until the 19th century and its use is both American and British. Without further evidence I would guess a funeral/death medal, probably struck sometime during the first half of the 19th century. These are interesting pieces and very collectable. 

You have a "spiel marke" or "play money".  There are collectors for spiel markes.  Please see the American Play Money Association on the Links page.

The making of privately issued medals is a fairly common activity.  Sometimes they are used to raise money for a particular cause or for some other purpose.  Medals of all types go under the heading of exonumia which is the study of medals, tokens and other related unofficial or official items.

There is a limited market for this type of piece. They do find their way into auctions.  Estimate auction value: $10 -$50.

One ounce of silver is more than I ever received from the tooth fairy (the biggest haul I ever got was a Franklin half dollar) but that is all it is worth, at least to a disinterested party. To the recipient it is probably priceless.

There were a variety of privately struck medals to commemorate Hawaii's admission the Union as a State on August 21, 1959. The only one that I know of that actually lists the Names of the Hawaiian Islands is the Alaska-Hawaii Statehood medals privately issued by Clifford Mishler of Vandalia, Michigan and struck by Robbins Co, in Attleboro Massachusetts. (Both Alaska and Hawaii became states in 1959).

It is unusual for their to be more than one working die to make these medals.  The reason being, besides the expense, is the relatively small number of coins struck. Any errors on the working dies most likely would appear on the entire run of medals.

The Mishler medals were made in various metals including 10K rose gold, sterling silver, bronze, oxidized bronze, copper, oxidized copper, nickel-silver oxidized and  aluminum.  Collectors like this particular medal.  Value range, depending on grade and metal: $25 - $250.

You have an apothecary weight. In the days before electronic scales and prepackaged medicines, pharmacists used a balance beam scale to measure the appropriate amount of medicine to a customer.  One would put the appropriate weights on one side and then pour the powdered drug on the other until the balance was centered.

The majority of 1908 Hungarian 100 Koronas are "restrikes", that is made after the date on the coin.  These coin have been restruck as gold bullion coins from around the 1950's to the present time. They contain almost an ounce of gold (.9802 of a troy ounce pure gold).  To find the approximate value of each coin, multiply the above decimal against the current gold price.

This modern token accompanies all Mint sets issues from sometimes in the 1980's to the present.  A mint set consists of two packages, one with the current coins from the Philadelphia Mint and one with the current coins from the Denver Mint. There is one of these tokens in each package. The date "1789" is year when the U.S. Treasury was established, not the date the token was minted.

You can purchase current Mint Sets from the Mint's web site and get two tokens for free.  See the Links page and the United States Mint for more information.

1946 United States cents were struck on flans made from virtually pure copper (.950 copper .050 zinc).  There were no zinc flans. The 1943 cents were minted on steel flans and coated with zinc to prevent rust. Zinc flans do not come in to play until 1982 when copper plated zinc flans replaced the traditional copper-alloy blanks.

You can determine whether the cent you have is copper or zinc by weighing it.  A standard copper cent weighs 3.11 grams, a zinc cent would weigh 2.5 grams. I've seen counterfeit lead cents and even silver plated cents. Neither are United States Mint products.

A genuine 1946 zinc cent would be unique and certainly valuable. It would be a mystery to solve since no zinc flans existed at the mint in this year.  If your cent meets the above test and weighs 2.5 grams, you should send it to the American Numismatic Association for certification (see their link on the CoinSite's Link Page)

Prices are a factor of the Market (that is, supply and demand): Below are the proof sets issued for 1995, their issue prices and recent retail
prices:

Set		                Issue Price  Recent Price

1995S proof set (copper-nickel)  $12.50        $75.00
1995S Prestige Set
(includes Civil War 50c and$1)   $57.         $110.00
1995S (struck in 90%
silver for the 10c,25c, 50c)     $21.          $75.00
1995S Silver Premier Set         $37.          $80.00

Not every proof issue rises in price. The nineties seems to have attracted a new group of proof set collectors, possibly due to the power of the Internet and more aggresive marketing by the Mint. Not every issue has been so successful, some issues in the 1980's sell for far below their issue price.

The seated figure appears to be facing directly forward.  The letters IN? run from about 7:30 to 9:00 on the coin edge The date looks like it could be 170? or 180?  The only recognizable feateres on the inverse side are the letters ORI directly opposite from the letters IN? (from the obverse side.  I know that in this condition, that the coin is probably not worth much, but my curiosity is killing me.       Thanks

Your description indicates that it is an English half penny, most likely of George V (1910-1936). What you are seeing are the partial legends surrounding the head of King George facing left: GEORGIVS V DEI GRA:BRIT:OMN:REX:FID:DEF:IND:IMP: (George V, By the Grace of G-d King of All the Britains, Defender of the Faith and Emperor of India). The reverse shows Britannia seated on a rock, her right hand on a shield with the Crest of Great Britain, her right hand is holding a trident (symbol of the sea).

The motto "In God We Trust" wasn't part of the design of $5 notes until the 1963 Federal Reserve note.  Your note precedes this and therefore doesn't have the motto.

To see values of notes, see the " What's it worth?" feature on CoinSite's Menu and Home page.

A design flaw in the Buffalo Nickel allowed the date to wear more rapidly than other design features. You can tell whether it is a 1913 or later (mound vs. line) but that's about all.

You find is not a coin but a modern privately issued medal. It sounds similar to an example from the set of promotional presidential medals issued by the Shell Oil Company in the 1950's.  The medals were widely distributed and exist in both brass and aluminum. The dates 1809 and 1817 are the dates of James Madison's presidency. A complete set of uncirculated medals, including the special holder, has brought $75 in a recent exonumia auction.

Note: Cleaning coins or medals usually ruins them.

The obverse shows the designers initials at the truncation of Kennedy's neck, Gilroy Roberts. The identical initials exists on all Kennedy half dollars including ones dated 2000.

Yes, they made SBA dollars in 1999.  There was more demand then what was available at the Treasury. The '99 mintage made up the shortfall. SBA's are now replaced by the 2000 Sacagawea dollar.  Both coins are identical in size and weight  and electrical properties and both will continue to circulate. The new dollar is easier to identify because of its brassy, gold color and its lack of edge reeding.

Below is the history of the SBA dollar:

P=Philadelphia Mint D=Denver Mint
1979P, 1979D, 1979S(proof only)
1980P, 1980D, 1980S(proof only)
1981P&D (only released in mint sets, never circulated) 1981S(proof only)
1999P, 1999D, 1999P(proof)

Many people are surprised to learn that dollar coins circulate.  Years ago, they were "discovered" by many municipalities around the U.S. as a great transportation token. Also, by that bus, train or subway station are vending machines that take the coin.  Lunch money for school kids is less likely to be lost if given as a dollar coin. It is also a great "tip" coin. One doesn't have to take out a wallet to pay luggage handlers.

Alas, not everyone is aware.  I watched with consternation as a cocktail waitress perused my SBA dollar tip, tossed it on the floor and announced with great indignation that she didn't accept Canadian money.