1804 Silver Dollar. This is one of the rarest coins in existence as only 15 are known to exist. The fact that there are 15 does raise the specter that perhaps more of these rare US coins are available somewhere. Perhaps one is hiding in an old trunk? Time will eventually tell….

1849 Coronet Double Eagle. How rare is this $20 piece? Well, there is only ONE left in all of existence. Or, more accurately, there is only one that we know of in existence. If you happen by extremely rare chance to find one of these coins, you could place the coin up for auction and easily procure a multimillion dollar sale.

1913 Liberty Head Nickel. The tale of this nickel is somewhat unique and surprising. The Liberty Head nickel was originally discontinued in 1912 but five were produced in 1913. All five ended up in the ownership of one collector. Needless to say, the collector was able to amass a valuable equity on these coins since he was the only person in possession of them. Today, these coins would still be considered the prize jewel of any coin collection due to their immense rarity. Due to this rareness, their value is well into the millions of dollars.

1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle. Because The Great Depression had devastated the nation, President Roosevelt needed to remove the US from the gold standard. That involved the recalling of numerous gold coins so they could be melted down. This particular coin was worth $20 in 1933 and was recalled for melting. A few did survive and one private collector sold it at an auction in 1992 for…$7 million!

1943 Copper Penny. What makes this copper penny is not its copper but the inclusion of a bronze alloy within it. Bronze was essentially rationed during World War II so this penny should not have included bronze within its components. However, a number were produced with bronze and that makes them highly collectible and valuable.

1970 Lincoln Penny Doubled Die Obverse. Who would ever have thought a penny would eventually be worth $3,000? The minting “double die obverse” error created the foundation for such a valuable penny and it remains one of the most prized collectible pennies of all.

Of course, the sheer number of rare US coins can go on for many pages. The five listed herein are among the rarest and most prized of all US coins. Hence, they deserve a special place in the history of collecting rare US coins.

These days, the general public is starting to awaken to a fact that those in the know have realized for years: precious metals are quickly becoming the perfect hedge investment for those looking to safeguard their portfolios. The reason why more and more people are tuning into this approach is due to their disillusionment with investing in the stock market. The rapid ups and downs of the market have soured many people on it.  Worst of all, the previously safe market of real estate is certainly no longer the sage investment it once was. So, where does are more and more people turning to so they may hedge their investments? They are headed to the precious metals market.

For some, the notion of procuring silver dollar coins as an investment hedge may seem odd. There are two reasons for this. The first reason is that most people look at gold as the standard, traditional precious metal to invest in. Honestly, investing in gold is not a bad idea! Gold has increased in value over the past decade so significantly that it is quickly becoming a safe investment as opposed to a risky one. However, gold is not the only precious metal one can invest in. Silver and platinum are also available and silver has most definitely increased in value over the past decade as well. This adds to silver’s reliability as a hedge investment in a significant manner.

Another reason why some may not be so keen on using silver dollar coins as a hedge is because, well, they are coins. Most people consider precious metal purchasing and trading to consist solely of gold and silver bars. Really, there is absolutely nothing wrong with procuring silver bars…unless you are procuring them in a myopic fashion. In other words, if you have not explored other options available for hedging with silver then you may be limiting your chances for success.

Silver dollar coins were first minted in the 19th Century and since that time many excellent coins have been produced. Among the most popular – and collectible — are the 1878 Morgan Silver Dollar which was produced at the legendary Carson City Mint; the extremely rare and uncirculated 1996 Silver Eagle; and the 2000 Silver American Eagle.

Yes, silver dollar coins remain an excellent venture for those looking to acquire a solid investment. In fact, silver dollar coins growing increasingly popular alongside dollar coins as excellent investment options for even conservative investors. This is because in addition to the market value of silver, coins also have a rare collectible value to them as well. This further enhances their value and makes them quite attractive to those looking for a solid investment hedge.

As the stock market and real estate realm continue on the path of instability, precious metals still remain valuable. This is one major reason why there is such additional interest in silver dollar coins and definitely a reason why it is wise to look into using them as a portfolio hedge.

While we are all familiar with the silver dollar for a time there was a gold one dollar coin produced by the US mint and it remained in production from 1849 to 1889. The notion of a dollar produced in the form of a gold coin was considered somewhat obtuse as a dollar was hardly a monetary figure that came to mind when one thought of gold. Then, in the 1840′s something incredible happened that greatly impacted life in the United States: the California Gold Rush.

The Gold Rush came completely unexpectedly and it led to a huge increase in the gold reserves of the United States. Because of this it became smart business to expand the use of gold for currency purposes. This is why gold coins as low as one dollar in value were produced with the first being the “Liberty Head” gold dollar that first appeared in 1849. In time, more United States gold coins were produced with many of them sporting unique “Indian Head” designs.

5 Dollar Gold Coin

United States gold coin production as with all good things must come to an end at some point and in 1889 the gold dollar coin was discontinued although it remained in circulation until the 1930′s when the United States departed from using the gold standard as a method of currency.

Then, in the late 20th Century the United States gold coin made a comeback of sorts. By 1986, the United States had been out of the world gold currency market for quite some time and feeling the time was right to re-enter the gold currency realm and re-issue coins in denominations such as $5, $10, $25 and $50. Of course, as the price of gold rises these coins are worth far more than their face value and this makes them quite attractive in collector’s circles. These coins are quite striking to look at thanks to the presence of a beautifully drawn American Eagle. Unfortunately, it is not easy to acquire these gold coins as many are not circulated and many that are, are produced in rare limited edition coin sets.

Of course, these United States gold coins make excellent editions to one’s personal collection. They are truly novel and unique items and truly standout among many the vast seas of coins out there in the collector’s market. Adding such coins to a collection would enhance a collection far beyond what many would even think possible.

It has been said most people take money for granted except for when they notice they are running short of funds. A similar notion can be said about US coin history because we can not perceive of a time when the United States did not issue currency. Perhaps this is because no one is old enough to remember when the colonies issued “continental scripts”. Perhaps this is a good thing because those scripts were barely worth the paper they were printed on! Thankfully, the United States did eventually gain its independence and when it issued its own currency the currency had legitimate value. But sometimes we neglect the history of the United States’ issuing of it own currency particularly the first instances of issuing coins.

It was the Coinage Act of 1792 which started the proverbial ball rolling for minting coins in the United States. This act established the silver dollar as a legitimate currency unit and was quickly followed by Congress’ authorization of the establishment of the US Mint to produce the various coins. The first Mint was in Philadelphia and it was followed over the years by Mints in Denver, West Point and San Francisco. These Mints are all in operation today and remain the origination point of all the historic coins that have been produced over the years.

Various incarnations of the silver dollar coin were produced throughout the years, but the dollar coin along with its compatriot the half dollar (fifty cent piece) coin have seen their popularity and numbers swindle significantly. The most widely used coins that still exist to this very day are the penny, nickel, dime and quarter. Yes, there were a number of other coins produced over the years such as the ten dollar gold piece but they have long since been discontinued.

The penny first debuted in 1793 and was made of traditional copper until 1853 when it was then minted in bronze before switching back to copper several years later. The coin would be briefly minted in metal during World War Two due to copper shortages but returned once again to copper after 1944. While there have been a number of images on the penny, modern version of the coin feature Abraham Lincoln on the front and the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse of the coin.

Buffalo Nickels

Prior to the Civil War, five cent pieces were made of silver and were called “half dimes”. Due to silver shortages the copper nickel alloy debuted and it remains in existence today with the modern version of the coin featuring the image of Thomas Jefferson with the old discontinued “Buffalo Nickel” still being fondly remembered to this day. The dime has been around since 1792 being one of the first coins ever minted and the modern version of the coin featuring the image of the iconic president Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Quarter debuted in 1796 and its nickname derives from twenty five cents being one quarter (1/4) of a dollar. It has been colloquially called “two bits” which derives from Spanish slang but this colloquialism has fallen out the vernacular in recent years.

This is a basic history of US coins and one should never lose sight of the fact that it is a living history. In other words, the future may bring new coins and new designs. Time will eventually reveal what these new spins actually will be.

Some of the most collectible coins are those that are no longer in circulation, especially those that came in denominations that are no longer used. The smallest denomination of gold currency was the gold dollar coin, which was produced between 1849 and 1889. The five dollar gold coin, also known as the half eagle or Indian head coin was produced between 1795 and 1929. Some commemoratives are still available, but this was the first gold coin ever minted by the United States. The double eagle, a 20 dollar gold coin, was given its name since it was worth twice the value of a typical eagle. A 50 dollar gold coin, also called a half-union, was only minted as a commemorative coin, and weight over 2 ounces of almost pure gold. The US Gold Eagle coin was considered the base unit for gold coinage, which determined the name for many of the gold coins that are no longer in circulation. The California gold coin collection is one of the most highly collected collections in the world, due mostly to the fact that many of the denominations are no longer in circulation.

50 Dollar Gold Coin

A silver coin collection is also a very popular coin collection in the United States, and also consists of many United States coins that are no longer in circulation. The half dime coin, which is now called a nickel, was a silver coin valued at five cents that was about half the size of a dime at the time. Another popular US silver coin is the silver dollar coin, which was minted between 1794 and 1803. It was then replaced by the 1804 silver dollar, which is one of the rarest United States coins in the entire world. The Morgan dollar, a silver coin minted between 1878 and 1921, is a silver coin named after its creator, George T. Morgan. It is one of the most collected silver coins, especially those minted in the year 1921.

A Buffalo nickel, also called Indian head nickel, was a five cent piece minted between 1913 and 1938. It was designed by James Earle Fraser, and many mistakes were spotted soon after it went into circulation. The words FIVE CENTS were the highest spot on the coin, and wore away fairly easily with normal wear and tear. Finding a Buffalo nickel in decent condition is a very rare opportunity. A liberty nickel is another popular collecting piece, and was minted between 1883 and 1912. They were quickly copied by con artists, because they contains a roman number V on the back without the word CENTS. It was later added, but replaced in 1913 with the Buffalo nickel mentioned above.

The Presidential coin collection is a fairly new collection, which many hope will be as popular as the recently minted states quarters. The plan is to mint dollar coins honoring past United States Presidents. No coins can be issued for living presidents or presidents who passed then less than two years earlier, but the U.S. Mint plans on releasing four new dollar pieces each year until 2016.

The US Gold Eagle coin is available in 1/10 oz, ¼ oz, ½ oz, or 1 oz denominations of pure gold, and is guaranteed to contain the stated amount. An alloy of silver and copper are also used to provide a wear resistant shell, which can protect the coin from any wear and tear. It is created from 22 carat gold, with the content being more than .916 of solid gold.

US Gold Eagle Coin

The obverse side of the US Gold Eagle coin contains a full-length picture of Lady Liberty, with beautiful flowing hair, a flaming torch in her right hand, an olive branch in her left hand, and the Capitol building in the background. The portrait is an Augustus Saint-Gaudens original, and contains fifty beautiful stars around the border. Miley Busiek designed the reverse side, which features a male eagle that is carrying an olive branch. He is flying above a nest, which contains a female eagle and her newly born babies.

The market value of the US Gold Eagle coin is currently equal to the market value of the gold content, rather than the face value of the coin. They were originally available in $5, $10, $20, and $50 coins, but sell for $110, $225, $450, and even $900. The actual selling prices vary based on the current price of gold, which can fluctuate slightly year after year.

The US Gold Eagle coin was originally dated with roman numerals, but switched to Arabic numbers by the U.S. Mint in 1992. All of the coins are identical to one another, with the only differences being the weight and face value that is included on the reverse side of the coin. Like many U.S. gold coins, the face value of the coin is only symbolic and does not reflect the actual value.

The US Gold Eagle coin is great investment for a coin collection, or even those who are interested in collecting any type of gold. They were created using the gold standards from over 300 years ago, which keeps them in good condition even after years of owning one. They are the only U.S. coin that is guaranteed as to weight and gold content, and will only increase in value as the price of gold increases.

A proof version of the US Gold Eagle coin is also available, and is typically produced for coin collectors around the globe. They are mostly produced in West Point, New York, and carry a “W” beneath the date as the West Point mark. Although the proof is almost identical to the actual U.S. Gold Eagle coin, owning a real gold piece is an amazing addition to any coin collection.

The US silver coin is most widely known for the underlying message issued on many of them, ranging from stern warnings to messages of hope and everlasting peace. The face of our beloved “liberty” is also commonly seen on the us silver coin, usually with an olive branch and a protective shield. The American eagle is also popular among silver pieces, usually holding the olive branch for peace and a set of arrows representing war.

Many coin collectors were amazed by the time and effort put into each US silver coin, which actually lead to them no longer being in circulation and a very hard item to come by. Because the silver coins were only in circulation for a short period of time, the supply has decreased at a very alarming rate and made the US silver coin a valuable addition to a coin collection.

Silver Eagle Coin

The Morgan Silver Dollar is one of the most sought out coins in the US silver coin collection, and is considered one of the most beautiful of all United States coins. They were minted back in the late 1800s, and even after 100 years are still considered the King of all United States coins that have ever been in circulation. It is a coin that shows the detailed excellence put into each piece of money, and also shows long term profit potential in the hot coin collecting market.

The silver market offers collectors and investors a wide variety to choose from, since silver was used for several pieces that were put into circulation. Dimes, quarters, and half dollars dated prior to 1965 were minted out of 90% fine silver, and many pieces in circulation condition are readily available. They are typically sold in bags with a face value of $1000, with 2,000 half dollars, 4,000 quarters, or 10,000 dimes in each bag.

New York Silver Coin

Bags containing coins in uncirculated condition, meaning in almost perfect condition, carry a higher value per bag than those in circulation condition. Bags that contain coins with the same date are also valued higher than those with different dates, with the 1964 Kennedy half dollar being the most popular and expensive uncirculated US silver coin.

The most widely collected coins in the world are the US silver dollars, especially those minted between 1878 and 1904 or 1921 to 1935. They are nicknamed cartwheels, and come in two different designs. Like other silver coins of the same time, the silver dollars were minted of 90% pure silver and 10% copper. Each coin has a silver net content of 0.77344 ounce, with a bag weighing at least 50 ounces more than a bag of silver quarters, dimes, or half dollars.

Even those who are not devoted coin collectors like to invest in silver coins, because they are some of the most beautiful pieces of silver ever created. Both circulated and uncirculated pieces contain some of the most intricate and detailed designs, most of which are nothing compared to coin designs currently in circulation. A US silver coin is an amazing piece to add to any coin collection, or even a nice item to cherish by even those who are not into coin collecting.

The minting of the Masschusetts coin was opened in 1787. Though there was legislation in place to strike coins that were made of copper, silver or gold, the Massachusetts Mint only struck coins made of copper in the half cent and one cent values. The original dies were made by Joseph Callender, who added the signature S’s to the design, and Callender was succeeded by Joseph Perkins, who changed the design and tightened it up. One way to mark coins from this era is that the arrows that are held by the eagle in this minting were held in the left talon, marking it as different from all editions that came afterwards; this particular variation was known as the Transposed Arrows variety. This variety also showed off the fact that the word “CENT” was raised, rather than incuse, as would happen for all later coins.

If you are looking for a less rare Massachusetts coin, you can find the Horned Eagle One Cent, circa 1787. There is a particular die break, where the head of the eagle is affixed to the bottom left portion of the H in the word Massachusetts. This amusing variety gives the eagle the appearance of a horn, like the one found on the unicorn. This is a great coin to search for and find, and it is probable that it will not be any where near as frustrating to search out as the ones listed above.

1788 Massachusetts Coin

The Massachusetts mint lost its legal writ to create coins on January 23, 1789, mere months before the rights of all the states to mint coins was given over to the federal government, but before this happened, there were quite a few variations of the Massachusetts coin to be found. For instance, only Massachusetts ever minted a half cent coin. Take a look both online and in coin collection shops to see what you can find from this interesting era in United States