As we approach the final few hours of 2020 – a year many of us will happily put behind us – I wanted to share a note of heartfelt thanks to each and everyone one of you. Thank you for making 2020 the most successful for the site.
For those who have been visiting USCoinNews since its inception in 2019, you’ll quickly do the math and figure out “the most successful” year in a site’s second year isn’t all that hard. Fair. The site started in May 2019 so even then, it was really only half a calendar year of being up and going last year. But numbers don’t lie: The engagement from readers has been exponentially higher this year with hundreds of comments and Mail Bag questions sent in to answer. And there are few of you who are regulars so-to-speak. I can almost always count on Richard (you know who you are) commenting on posts, particularly those around the United States Mint and new coinage designs. Thank you Richard, and thank you to everyone who is engaging in the site daily and weekly.
Overall, the number of visits to USCoinNews were up 212% this year (that percentage won’t change once I run analysis for today) with 75% of visitors being repeat visitors. A total of 584 posts were made on the site in 2020. Most visitors are coming from the United States and Canada but a fair number are also coming from Great Britain and India. The vast majority of visitors to the site, 74%, come to the site via their mobile device.
The most read article in 2020? The article from January announcing that the 2020-W Jefferson Nickel would be included in Annual Sets this year (which sadly were dropped later in the year due to the Mint’s struggles to keep up production because of the pandemic).
On the financial front, 2020 was very close to a break even. So again, thank you. Thanks for clicking those ads, making purchases through Today’s Deal, and for signing up to be a Patron. Frankly, it just helps me keep things going without hitting my budget too hard.
As for 2021, it will be a continuation of what has made the site successful. My plan is to have a Coin History article every month or two (Yes, I’m still working on the Mercury Dime one I teased before Thanksgiving on Instagram!), more Mail Bag questions, reviews, how-to’s and tips, and of course all the news around collecting United States coinage.
I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention COVID-19 as I close out. I know everyone in some way has been impacted by this pandemic. I personally have had friends and family who have battled this virus and a few who succumbed to it. It has been difficult. I suspect many of you have felt and seen the same. The impact on our hobby of COVID-19 cannot be understated. Dozens of coin shows, conventions, and expos were cancelled in 2020 and the same has happened for many shows in the first quarter of 2021. At some point, things will return to a semblance of normality. I don’t know when that will be but I truly believe through the continual understanding of this virus, inoculations, and other scientific processes that we will, as a species, overcome it. It may take some or all of 2021 to do so, but it will happen.
In the meantime, we can find solidarity in our isolation through this beautiful hobby that we have taken up. Continue your passion for it. Continue your education around it. Continue to be a part of this wonderful numismatic community.
Thank you everyone.
Clinton