Coin History – The Indian Head “Buffalo” Nickel

1927 Indian Head Buffalo Nickel Obverse

Throughout the history of coinage in the United States, a handful of coins have captured the imagination of collectors and the general public at the same time. The Morgan Dollar certainly comes to mind as does the Winged Head “Mercury” Dime. Another coin that many would add to that list is the Indian Head Nickel, commonly known as the Buffalo Nickel. Minted from 1913 to 1938, the Buffalo nickel was one of the coins that …

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Coin History – Standing Liberty Quarter

1930 Standing Liberty Quarter - Fine

In the last Coin History article covering the Winged Liberty Head, or Mercury, Dime, I discussed the significant changes that happened to United States coinage in 1916. Misguided by the wrong interpretation of a law, the Mint was compelled to believe that it had to change the Half Dollar, Quarter Dollar, and Dime given they had been in circulation for 25 years. That wrong reading of the law led to the birth of the Mercury …

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Coin History – The Winged Head Liberty (Mercury Dime)

1939 Mercury Dime

The history of the Winged Head Liberty Dime, commonly referred to as the Mercury Dime, is one that nearly did not happen. A misunderstanding of a law brought it into being when the Mint thought it had to change the circulating coinage in the United States. It didn’t but like many collectors, I’m thankful the misreading of the law happened. If it hadn’t, we would not have one of the most beloved coins in the …

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Coin History – The Silver American Eagle

2019 American Eagle Silver Proof Obverse

One of the coins that many collectors look forward to each year is the Silver American Eagle. Available in bullion, Proof and Uncirculated condition – as well as some special one-off finishes – the Silver American Eagle is a relatively inexpensive way to add silver bullion to your portfolio or coin collecting. In fact, it can actually be used to fund your Individual Retirement Account (IRA). But like many coins throughout the coinage history of …

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Coin History – The American Buffalo Gold Coin

2020 American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coin

In previous Coin History articles, the focus has predominantly been on circulating coins of the past or today. For this article, I will focus on another modern coin, but on one of the bullion coins that is offered by the United States Mint: The American Buffalo. The American Buffalo, also sometimes referred to as a Gold Buffalo, was the first pure, 24-karat gold coin ever produced by the Mint for offer to the public. It …

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