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This is a question I have been asking myself for a long time.  I mean no disrespect to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the II, but her link to Canada has become so minimal of the the last 25 years that it that its rather funny that her picture remains on all of our coins.  Would there not be anyone else worthy of putting on Canadian coins?

The United States for example have so many variety of coins, right from the original Lincoln Wheat Penny of 1909 which changed in 1958 to the varieties of Gold Quarter Eagles, Half Eagles, Eagles and Double Eagles.  Figures on U.S. coins are allowed to be changed every 25 years.  Sure, U.S coins have pictures of president’s on them, but look how many there have been.  The variety that this allows allows the U.S. to keep its coins fresh and updated.  Even the commemorative coins the U.S. comes with use the many figures to create varieties.  For example, the presidential dollar sets that are currently being sold, for every presidential dollar, another $5 gold coin is issued for their spouse.  Not to mention the long history of silver commemoratives for events like the Panama Pacfic Exhibition of 1915, or the Oregon Trail Silver piece.

Canada certainly does have nice coins, no doubt, and some valuable one as well.  For example, the 1921 50 cent piece, which in good condition can fetch upward of $30,000.  The coin features the face of King George the V, who at that point certainly held more significance in Canada than his grandaughter does today.

I think its time for Canada to start diverifying its coinage, start using more Prime Ministers perhaps or people of significance to Canada.  The Queen has had her turn.

Last week we had a snow storm and it was in the low 20s. Today when I woke up it was 53 degrees, in December.

I found a bank that takes unrolled coins and customers and non-customers can use it without a fee. Coins are heavy when you’re traveling with them in your purse. I felt the gravitational pull towards the ground. I couldn’t wait to dump those coins into the machine. The big news was the coins added to over one hundred dollars so I opened up an account at the branch. This will be my "change" savings account.

My next quilting project with be embroidered. I haven’t embroidered in a few months, so this will be interesting if I can remember how to do the embroidery stitch. Top left is the backing fabric; to the right are two 8 inch square cotton batting; bottom left is muslin; in the center are a hoop and strands of floss; and to the right is the book where I’ll get transfer paper designs.

Gold coins are so popular that even the U.S. Mint has been having trouble keeping enough gold coins in stock for customers.

Currently, the U.S. Mint is sold out of Buffalo gold coins, and the popular 1/10th-ounce American Eagle gold coin was sold out in less than 1 day of sale!

What does all this mean for you, the coin collector who may want gold coins? Seek gold coins from coin dealers.

When buying gold coins from coin dealers, be sure that you realize the price of gold coins fluctuates daily, thanks to the gold bullion market. The gold bullion market sees price increases and price drops not only daily, but also hourly.

Make sure you know what the approximate price of gold is on the day you go to buy (or sell) gold coins. That way, you will know what to expect in terms of prices. But, of course, do realize that coin dealers need to make a profit on the coins they sell. Therefore:

• Prices will not be exactly what the gold value is on that day.
   
• Most coins do carry collector (numismatic value), making gold coins worth more than the value of the gold inside them.

I understand that after the south lost the Civil War, Charlotte never regained its designation as a mint. So, were any gold coins minted there, bearing the "C" mark, immediately of greater value or did that take some time? Would they have been very hard to collect in the 1930’s or would the price have been relatively low? I know the prices now can be anywhere from $5,000 to $100,000, but I am only interested in knowing how much the value would have been in the 1920’s or 1930’s if anyone can help me with that.

Until 1933 the United States currency was backed by gold thus the value of gold coins was held to face value which was quite a bit at the time. Soon after that time the values increased rapidly despite the Presidential order to redeem all gold coins. The link below shows the values for select US coins as far back as 1950. For instance, an 1846-C Quarter Eagle ($2.50 face value) graded F-12 (fairly heavy wear) was worth $15US in 1950, and is currently worth about $1,750US, or an 1838-C Half Eagle ($5 face value) graded F-12 was worth $17.50US in 1950, and is currently worth about $2,500US. An 1851-C gold Dollar graded VF-20 was worth $17.50US in 1950, and is currently worth about $1,250US. You might also find it interesting to know that during the Civil War the southern mints were used to make a few silver coins stamped with CSA (Confederate States of America). I hope that helps.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Only Nancy the Indian woman knew. She lived near Castella. She also had a cabin somewhere on the old Whalen Station Road supposedly about one-half mile west of Highway 99. As the story goes, Nancy would suddenly disappear and then reappear with $20 gold pieces. Where did they come from? No one ever knew because her secret hiding place died with her in 1912.

If this story is true, the gold coins could have come from one of the many pack trains that were attacked and robbed by the Indians during the days of the Gold Rush. This was at a time when the Indian people were starving. Indians had no use for gold or gold coins. What they wanted and needed was the mules - to eat. There are stories of the Indian robbers flinging and throwing gold coins from the leather bags across the canyons and also of hiding the coins in caves. If Nancy’s story is true, could her coins be from one of these robberies?

When collectors or investors first start out to amass gold coins they often find themselves confused by the myriad of coins that are available. There has always been a huge amount of choices for people when they wanted to purchase gold products, starting with the first gold Krugerrands targeted by collectors, right on through the incredible assemblage available for purchase in today’s gold products market.

The highest value of these coins is not monetary, it is in the exquisite design details. The front of the coin features Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ gorgeous depiction of Lady Liberty against the capitol buildings in the background. The back of the coin depicts an impressive, soaring Eagle above a nest inscribed with the standard “E Pluribus Unum” and “In God We Trust”. And of course there is the value due to the weight in gold.

Since there are so many sizes to choose from, amateur collectors and investors can really benefit from collecting golden eagle coins. There are 1/10 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz and 1 oz versions of this eagle coin. If you are unsure about the value of a gold item, it may be reassuring to know that gold eagle coins often sell for more than the current gold price. The coins can sell for about $1,000, if gold is valued at $950. You can even look around online auction services to find great 1/10 ounce gold coins that are worth more than a hundred dollars. The spot price value for these types of coins are usually $95.

While many folks will try to tell you a gold coin is “just” a gold coin, always remember that buying American backed coins DOES matter in the mind of most collector around the world. One thing an investor can count on is they will be purchasing a product of quality when they choose to purchase Gold Eagle coins.

Purchasing any collectible has an element of risk, but the safest bets are available from the larger, more reputable companies established within the USA Government involvement provides a certain guarantee of a quality product. Because of this, golden Eagle coins may be the safest and best item for new collectors.

The American Eagle coin, with its U.S. government endorsement, as well as it sheer beauty and majesty, definitely has a place in any coin investor’s collection. There are also silver and platinum Eagle coins, if you prefer to add some diversity to your portfolio.

Franklin Kelly writes articles on gold bullion coins, including Gold Proof Eagles and Gold Proof Anniversary Eagles for your precious metals portfolio or coin collection.