The U.S. Mint recently named Joseph Menna as its Chief Engraver. Menna, who has worked for the Mint for 14 years, is a talented artist, his work earning him numerous Krause Publications’ Coin of the Year awards in various categories. He will now oversee the design development aspects
The United States Mint launched the first coin pursuant to the American Innovation $1 Coin Act (H.R. 770). This is the beginning of a 14-year dollar coin series that recognizes American innovation, commemorating innovation and innovators from each state, each U.S. territory, and the District
David J. Ryder is now the new Director of the U.S. Mint after being confirmed by the Senate on March 21, 2018. The Mint has not had a permanent director since Edmund C. Moy left it in January 2011. Long-Standing Vacancy at U.S. Mint Ryder
The U.S. Mint’s Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Five Ounce Silver Coin was named Coin of the Year at the 2020 Krause Coin of the Year (COTY) Awards. The coin also won the Best Silver Coin and Best Contemporary Event Coin categories. The COTY Awards program,
When the U.S. Mint makes a mistake, coin collectors often rejoice. Rare 1943 bronze cents are a stellar example, intriguing numismatists ever since 16-year-old Don Lutes Jr. found one in change from his school cafeteria in 1947. According to coin experts, there are 17 confirmed
What should have been an obverse coin design depicting women empowered in the fight against breast cancer instead became a design of women who are angry and in protest. There is a subtle difference in expression between power and anger. Unfortunately, the US Mint got
Last week, after years of prodding by members of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) and the collector community, the United States Mint finally announced a medal program. Unfortunately, it is nothing more than a bullion sales program and is likely to do more to
Now that it looks certain that the United States Mint will soon have a properly appointed Director for the first time since George W. Bush’s nominee, Ed Moy, was sworn in as the 38th Director of the United States Mint on September 5, 2006, the
Whether America won the War of 1812 or lost it is a matter of perspective. The important people and key battles also depend on point of view. So the coins commemorating the event by the United States and Canada make an interesting collection. The War
“1849: The Philadelphia Mint Strikes Gold” won the 2016 Numismatic Literary Guild Award. Michael Moran and Jeff Garrett teamed up to write a book that chronicles how the discovery of gold in California impacted the U.S. Mint and the nation. “The arrival of Colonel Mason’s
For the first time in ten years the United States won top honors with the Baseball Hall of Fame clad half dollar coin as the Krause Coin of the Year for coins dated 2014. The United States won two awards at the first round of
It is highly probable that the U.S. Mint will issue commemorative coins to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 in 2019. If so, Congress most probably will require a special joint committee for design review as they did for the World War 1 commemorative
After waiting more than two years since the last Mint Director officially resigned, the White House announced last week that Matthew Rhett Jeppson would be nominated as Director of the Mint. Jeppson currently serves as the Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. Mint. Once sworn
The 1792 Silver Center Cent was the first coin officially struck at the First United States Mint. It also remains one of most significant in U.S. history, despite not being as well-known as other rare coins. The Coinage Act of 1792 (also known as the
The U.S. Mint took home “Best Gold Coin” honors at the 2019 Krause Coin of the Year Awards (COTY). The winning American Liberty 225th Anniversary Gold Coin, dated 2017, features a modern interpretation of Lady Liberty. It commemorates the founding of the United States Mint
The U.S. Mint’s Boy’s Town Centennial silver dollar won “Most Inspirational Coin” for coins dated 2017 in the Krause Coin of the Year Awards (COTY). The winning commemorative silver dollar coin commemorates the 100th anniversary of Boys Town, an organization dedicated to helping children. A century
In addition to taking home top honors for its Baseball cupped clad half dollar, the U.S. Mint’s Baseball gold $5 coin (KM# 578) was named “Best Gold Coin” in the Krause Coin of the Year for coins dated 2014. Both coins are part of the 2014
The U.S. Mint won the “Most Inspirational” coin category for 2015 dated coins in the Krause Coin of the Year Awards for the USA March of Dimes $1 KM#604 silver dollar. The coin commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Salk polio vaccine. The reverse design
The United States Mint won “Best Circulating Coin” for its America the Beautiful Program quarter honoring Kisatchie National Forest. The USA Kitsache 25 cent KM#598 was the Mint’s second win in the 2017 Krause Coin of the Year Awards. In 2010, the United States Mint
The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) has two new members, both of whom were sworn in on November 14, 2018. Samuel H. Gill will represent the interests of the general public, replacing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar whose appointment expired. Robin Salmon, who is specially qualified in medallic art and
The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) is currently accepting applications for new members. The CCAC was created in 2003 by Congress under Public Law 108-15. Its role is to advise the Secretary of the Treasury on the themes and designs of all U.S. coins and medals. The
While many of the country’s founding fathers practiced law, until the 20th Century, a law degree was not required to do so. Neither Alexander Hamilton or Franklin Delano Roosevelt had university law degree. Alexander Hamilton will finally get one — Albany Law School plans to
A rare 1787 New York Brasher Doubloon was recently sold for more than $5 million. The transaction, which was brokered by Heritage Auctions, sets one of the highest prices ever reported for an American coin. The Brasher Doubloon is one of the rarest and most historical of
Don Everhart, retired Lead Sculptor at the United States Mint, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in Coin design at the World Money Fair in Berlin on Saturday, February 3, 2018. Everhart created more than 100 coins and medals for the United States during his
Tom Uram has been elected to the American Numismatic Association (ANA) Board of Governors for the 2017-19 election term. Uram is also a member of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee and President of the Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists (PAN). Uram was sworn-in to his new
Author and Hall of Fame basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the latest member of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC). While many Americans know him as an author or as an NBA legend, the coin collector community knows him as a collector of 1850 to
A contingent of state and federal officials recently gained entrance into the famed vaults at Fort Knox, prompting one politician to describe the experience as “seeing a leprechaun on a unicorn.” It was the first time that the United States Bullion Depository, which holds $186
The ubiquitous Red Book is the gold standard for coin collectors. The expanded version, aptly named Mega Red, includes 1,504 pages that are more than 30 percent larger than those in the standard Red Book. The latest version is now on sale. Mega Red’s coverage
The U.S. Mint recently announced that the 2017 American Liberty 225th Anniversary Gold Coin design will feature Liberty as an African-American woman. The new $100 gold coin joins part of a series of coins depicting Lady Liberty in a new and modern way. “Lady Liberty,
The American Numismatic Society is leading the way for numismatic ebooks. While the ebook has captured the commercial market for fiction and non-fiction books, numismatic booksellers like Whitman and Krause Publications have not been so quick to produce electronic versions of their reference books. The
The federal government recently won a decade-long legal battle over the ownership of rare Double Eagles coins. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the lower court’s decision ordering a Philadelphia family to surrender ten 1933 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagles found in a safe deposit
A special committee will select the designs for the Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin, which are intended to raise breast cancer awareness, along with millions of dollars for research. President Obama signed the Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Act into law on April 29, 2016. The
Steve Roach and Dennis B. Tucker recently joined the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC). Both members have backgrounds in journalism — Roach is editor-at-large for Coin World, while Tucker is the publisher of Whitman Publishing Company. The eleven-member CCAC play a vital role in U.S.
At its March meeting in Washington DC, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) considered the designs for a three coin set—gold $5, silver $1, and clad $1/2 dollar—to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of Boys Town. It was the first time that obverses and reverses
Susan Gamble, an artist for the United States Mint, passed away in January at the age of 57-years-old. Her legacy to the United States of America is her art and through that art she will be remembered forever. In 2007 Susan Gamble designed the reverse
The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee CCAC recently approved the designs for the congressional gold medal honoring the Lake Superior Band of the Fond du Lac Chippewa Code Talkers. The medal is part of Code Talkers Recognition Congressional Medals Program, which recognizes the dedication and valor
Dr. Herman J. Viola, who specializes in the history of the American West, was sworn in at last week’s meeting of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) for a four-year term. The CCAC provides recommendations to the Secretary of the Treasury on the themes and
The U.S. Mint will make history this week when it shows the world that it can produce the Shimon Peres Congressional Gold Medall from concept to finished product in just over one month. No private mint could have met the deadline set by Congress on
The extraordinary efforts of the employees of the United States Mint to design, manufacture and distribute a Congressional Gold medal in just three months included a few firsts that could now be reported since the medal has been awarded. (PLEASE NOTE: The quickest Congressional Medal
The ANA Numismatic Art Award for Excellence in Medallic Sculpture is awarded annually at the ANA’s annual banquet in August of each year. The award is made to a sculptor who “exemplifies the fine art of designing, sculpting and engraving.” Mel Wacks, Committee Chairman said,
Royal Australian Mint’s $5 Earth & Beyond – Curved Earth coin took home the “Best Crown Coin” at the 2020 Coin of the Year (COTY) Awards. The spectacular coin, dated 2018, features a full-color convex surface, which was a first for the Australian Mint. The Curved
Poland’s 10 zlotych silver coin (Y.902) was named the “Most Inspirational Coin” in the 2016 Krause Coin of the Year Awards. The award-winning silver coin, dated 2014, honors the birth of Jan Karski, who smuggled Holocaust evidence to the Allies in a hollow key. The
Austria’s 20 Euro commemorating the fall of the Iron Curtain won the Krause Coin of the Year Award in the “Best Silver” category for coins dated 2014. The coin marks the 25th anniversary of the creation of a free, peaceful and united Europe. As described
Finland and the United States were the top winners in the first round of judging in the Coin of the Year competition. Each nation won two of the 10 categories, while Italy, Japan, Canada, Great Britain, Austria, and the Cook Islands each won in a
Earlier this year, a 1792 Half Disme sold for a record $1.41 million dollars at Heritage Auctions’ U.S. Coin Florida United Numismatists (FUN) Signature Auction. The historic coin is generally recognized as the first circulating American coin struck under authority of the Mint Act of
For Americans traveling to Turks & Caicos there is no need to worry about converting money or returning home from vacation with a pocket full of coins you will never use. The official currency is the U.S. dollar. Like 50 countries across the globe, he
Anyone who appreciates or collects the medals made at the United States Mint in the 19th Century knows Robert Julian and his magnum opus, Medals of the United States Mint the First Century 1792 to 1892 published by the Token & Medal Society, 1977. I
Photography English Language & Literature Numismatics DONALD SCARINCI 201-806-3386201-806-3386 DonaldScarinci@Yahoo.com Donald Scarinci was born in Jersey City, NJ in 1956. His book, “David Brearley and the Making of the United States Constitution” received favorable academic reviews when it was published in 2005. The
CCAC United States Mint U.S. Department of the Treasury Donald Scarinci Coin The CCAC was established in 2003 by Congress under Public Law 108-15 to advise the Secretary of the Treasury on the themes and designs of all US coins and medals. The CCAC
DONALD SCARINCI201-806-3386DonaldScarinci@Yahoo.com Photography English Language & Literature Numismatics English Language and Literature Montclair State University, BA with a double major inEnglish and Philosophy “New York University, MA in English Language and Literature Donald Scarinci has written articles on a broad range of topics from law
