Coin Talk

Thessaly, Larissa Silver Stater (356–342 BC)

I wanted to share a recent image and a few behind-the-scenes shots showing how it was made. The coin is a silver stater from Larissa, Thessaly (356–342 BC) — a municipal issue with a remarkably high-contrast surface. The reverse features a bridled horse advancing to the right, with its foreleg raised.



What made this one challenging was the extreme tonal range: bright, untoned metal next to deep fields of oxidation. Even well diffused lighting immediately blew out the highlights and crushed the midtones.

Instead of fighting it, I reversed my approach. I turned the coin away from the light, and the main illumination came from white and silver reflectors angled in front. This let me “wrap” the light around the relief softly, maintaining texture and definition without washing out the contrast. It took some tweaking, but I think the result was worth the effort.

In the...

Visited the Royal Mint in Llantrisant, Wales today. What a great experience it was! Started with Google leading my wife and me to the security gate where trucks carrying coins and metals pass. Not surprisingly, we didn’t enter there but an employee kindly directed us to the visitor entrance. The staff was very friendly, and the tour guide was cheery and well informed. We elected to have the strike-your-own-coin and the tea for two options (extra cost but well worth it).

The part of the tour through the factory was strictly no pictures. There were parts of various equipment types (presses, up-setter, edge letterer, sheet roller, etc.) and dies available to touch. The sheet metal rolls of base metal used for planchet production weigh 3 tons. Then it was through the factory floor separated from the presses only with a wire fence. This part of the factory, the largest part at 50 x 100 meters, is for production of circulating coins. There were many huge presses. We didn’t go through...

Hi all! I recently purchased a PCGS membership and decided to send in a few coins. Some of these aren't really "worth it" for grading, but I prefer graded coins for my collection. I also like waiting for grades, picking out coins, etc. It's easier, to me, to purchase raw at a low price and grade myself than buy after the fact at an inflated price!

I submitted 10 coins in total. Luckily, 9/10 straight graded. Many of these will likely stay in my personal collection unless I upgrade them.

The great thing about PCGS regular world submissions is coins come with true views automatically, which makes this post even easier!

First up, the details coin of the bunch. Bavaria, 1686-CZ, 10 pfennig, UNC Details, Cleaned. Honestly, the obverse I thought looked good, but the reverse I think earned the details grade. This coin also has a pretty gnarly curve from the roller milling process


Secondly, a couple uniface pfennigs from Nurnberg. Both were graded MS63....

Here are a couple of really interesting coins that recently turned up.



There is a cross over here from Shipwreck coins, military career and political activism.

Admiral Alan Gardner, a figure of considerable renown in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, was a pivotal naval officer during an era dominated by the formidable might of the Royal Navy. His distinguished career was marked by bravery and strategic acumen, earning him a place among the luminaries of Nelson's era. Gardner's active service spanned significant conflicts, from the American War of Independence to the protracted struggles against Revolutionary France. He commanded with distinction at the pivotal 'Glorious First of June' in 1794, a major naval engagement against the French fleet, and later played a crucial role at the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1797, a resounding British victory. His unwavering resolve and leadership...

Some coins seem to have been created to immediately catch the eye, to command center stage by their sheer magnitude. This is one such coin, which was clearly not intended for everyday use. To the contrary, its creation is a product of the time in Brazil, in the state of Minas Gerais, in southeastern Brazil, where gold was being extracted in the rivers, streams and fields in unprecedented amounts in the 1720s.




Lisbon and the Tagus River, 1572

In terms of natural resources, Brazil was gold rich and silver poor. Gold poured out of Portugal's colony as a virtual river to Lisbon, much the same way silver and gold flowed to Spain from her colonies to Seville, Vigo and beyond. The gold and silver from the New World played a large part in financing the economic growth and power of Europe, filling the coffers not only of Spain and Portugal, but also the coffers of governments and banks in the United Provinces, France, Belgium, England and Italy...

Just thought I would share. I had submitted an article to the ANA and while it didn't get picked to be in the Numismatist they recently published it their new Reading Room. They really made it look nice too. I'm happy.

https://readingroom.money.org/the-hudson-fulton-celebration-medal/

I was able to make some arrangements with Ian at Great Collections to play with some pretty cool stuff at the ANA show.

I did a deep dive into the United States Mint's foreign coinage contracts and communications with South Korea.

The U.S. Archives are awesome!

I only wish the Korean archives was as transparent and open..

Korean Coins at the United States Mint

Dahlonega, Georgia

I recently visited the city of Dahlonega, Georgia. The area has been on my must-see list for quite a while for several reasons - “there’s gold in them thar hills”; there was a branch mint of the U.S. Mint located here; hiking; wine tasting. The numismatic angle is what put the place on the map for me. I’ve cobbled together a few notes about the area - enjoy and please post pictures of any and all Dahlonega coins!!!


Fun fact: The name Dahlonega is from the Cherokee-language word Dalonige, meaning “yellow” or “gold”.

Georgia Gold Belt & Georgia Gold Rush

The largest quantities of gold...