This coin is only 11 mm in diameter and has a face value of 25 cents Canadian. At the present time it is being sold for $74.95 Canadian dollars or $72.87 USD.

The design used for this coin has been around since 1937 and has been on the Canadian 25 cent piece ever since. But those coins in circulation are not made of gold.

When this coin was designed, it was said to reflect the Canadian national identity by the creator of the coin, sculptor Emanuel Hahn.

The purpose of this coin’s release was for Coin Collecting. It has only been recently released and it still available from the Royal Canadian Mint, but they are not expected to last very long. It is only sold as a highly reflective proof coin that is only being produced in the Ottawa mint.

By being the world’s smallest gold coin, it is selling fast as a keep sake. Once the supply from the mint is exhausted the value of the coin is expected to rise. But at the present time you can still order a pure Gold Canada Caribou Coin from the Royal Canadian Mint online or on your next visit to Canada.

For additional resources on coins please see Morgan Dollar Collecting Guide. This site and all of its contributors strive to bring you the most accurate information available. If you have any comments to help us improve out site please leave them. Thank You for visiting.

The Morgan dollar was minted from 1878 till 1904 and again in 1921. Its composite is 90% American silver and 10% copper. They were minted in 5 different locations, Carson city (CC), Denver (D), New Orleans (O), San Francisco (S) and Philadelphia ( ).  All of the proofs except for the 1921 were minted in Philadelphia.

For the average person who is into coin collecting the most valuable ones are the coins minted at the Carson City Nevada mint due to its real life connection to the old west. Many consider this version the rarest by numbers, but the Denver mint only produced these coins for the last year in 1921 so it’s a judgment call.

There was also a book published by Van Allen and A. George Mallis that went into detail about all the irregularities of this coin. The miss stamps and odd ball coins they point out are now referred to as the VAM Morgan dollars.

Considered by most, the coins with the highest value are the 1878 P because the eagle has 8 tail feathers. Because of minting problems the 1879 CC where the CC is clear is also rare. To many smudged ones came out. There is also the 1882-O over an S, The 1887-O the 7 is over a 6. The 1900-O is over the CC, the 1901-P Shifted Eagles and in 1903-S the S is smaller than normal.

For a complete Morgan Dollar Collecting Guide would take well over 100 pages, but this small article will give you a starting point. Enjoy collecting coins; it is history you can hold in the palm your hand.

For additional resources on coins please see Yosemite National Park Quarters. This site and all of its contributors strive to bring you the most accurate information available. If you have any comments to help us improve out site please leave them. Thank You for visiting.

The Yosemite quarter is the third in the America the Beautiful series that is honoring our national parks. This was the very first national site in our nation back in 1890.

This coin was released to the public on July 26, 2010 for general circulation and should be showing up in your change soon if it’s not already. Keep an eye out for it. The front still has good old George but the back is a depiction of El Capitan. This is the 3000 foot cliff in Yosemite Park.

Like with every previous release there was a ceremony in Yosemite Park on July 29, 2010. With each official launching at the park is a set of rolled quarters that are stamped with an official pad that states they were purchased at the ceremony. If you are into Coin Collecting this might be your chance to catch history.

There are more quarters in this series that will go thru the same ceremony. Find the park closest to you and make a day of it. Most of the ceremonies do not start until 11am local time. So just being in the close proximity is sufficient to attend. But do not be too late. The rolls of the Yosemite National Park Quarters ran out by 1:30 pm.

For additional resources on coins please see 1952 Superbird Washington Quarter. This site and all of its contributors strive to bring you the most accurate information available. If you have any comments to help us improve out site please leave them. Thank You for visiting.

What is true is that this coin can only be found in the proof sets for that year, but not every set, just a limited number of them. The S is so small that for most people a magnifying glass is needed to see it.

To locate the S, look on the reverse side of the quarter where the eagle is located. In the second row of chest feathers just off center to the eagles left is an S. The top of the S is embedded deeper than the bottom.

Recently there were 1800 coins submitted by collectors to the PCGS for verification they had a superbird coin. Out of all those coins only 11 were found to be authentic.

There were 81,980 proof sets produced that year of which an estimated 15,000 are of then superbird variety. Both the cameo and deep cameo coins are said to contain the S. If you are into coin collecting and looking for this rare coin the time might be well spent. A regular 1952 proof quarter will sell for about $135 in PR 65 or better condition a 1952 Superbird Washington Quarter of the same condition can be worth nearly $425.

There was one of these superbird coins of PR65 (DC) quality that sold of $1639 in July of 2010. So keep your eyes open and your magnifying glass close by when you look at your old coins. You never know what you may find.

For additional resources on coins please see Seated Liberty Half Dollar Guide. This site and all of its contributors strive to bring you the most accurate information available. If you have any comments to help us improve out site please leave them. Thank You for visiting.

This series of coins were being minted when the motto “In God We Trust” began to appear on American coins. This was in response to the heart ache and loss of so many Americans during the civil war. This motto started to appear in 1866 on the reverse of this coin.

In that first year, 1939, there were 2 versions of the coin. The one with the drape on the lady’s elbow is worth 2 to 10 times more than a comparable version without one.  Another rarity was the 1853 coin. This was the only year there were rays in the back side behind the eagle.

One unusual fact of this coin has to be mentioned. There were three different weights but the diameter remained the same. From 1839 to 1853, the coin weighed 13.36g. From 1853 to 1873 the weight of the coins was 12.44g. From 1873 to 1891 the weight was increased to 12.50g.

This coin was minted at the same time of the Morgan Silver Dollar. At the Philadelphia mint, a majority of the resources were transferred to their minting. That makes all the Seated Liberty half dollars minted during this period at the Philadelphia mint very rare.

For most that enjoy coin collecting, the CC or Carson City-minted coins are popular since this mint no longer exists, and there is a connection to the Wild West. But there are others that are worth watching out for. An extremely rare coin is the 1878 S which only a few are known to exist. Another rare coin where only 5 are known to still be with us is the 1853 O with no arrows at the date and no rays on the back.

I hope this Seated Liberty Half Dollar guide gives you a better appreciation for this coin.

For additional resources on coins, please see Collecting Roman Coins. This site and all of its contributors strive to bring you the most accurate information available. If you have any comments to help us improve our site, please leave them. Thank you for visiting.

What actually took place was the dream of every coin collector and anyone that has the hobby of metal detecting, as Dave Crisp does. Dave is the man that was using a metal detector in a field in the southwestern part of England, near Frome, Somerset.

At first, only 21 coins were found, but this was just the start of the discovery. Upon digging down some more, Dave found a pot full of old Roman coins. Knowing the historical significance of the find, he contacted the archaeologist from the Somerset County Council.

With professional help, a food storage pot was unearthed that contained nearly 350 pounds of ancient Roman coins. To date, this is the single, largest find in a pot, and the second largest find in the UK of all time.

All of the coins date from 253 AD to 293 AD and were minted in England by the Roman Empire during the reign of Marcuse Aurelilius Carausius, who ruled England from 286 Ad to 293 Ad.

The coins were made of silver and bronze. This is more evidence why coin collecting should include coins made of more than just gold.

The reason the coins were buried is unknown. There is speculation it was a gift to the Roman gods or for safe keeping against being stolen during an invasion. For whatever reason, they remained buried until 2010. They laid buried there for 1,717 years undiscovered.

Collecting Roman coins from this hoard might be permitted. But a decision on whether this find is subject to the Treasury Act of 1996 is being held on July 22, 2010. After that, they might be for sale.

For additional resources on coins, please see US Mint Direct Ship Program. This site and all of its contributors strive to bring you the most accurate information available. If you have any comments to help us improve our site, please leave them. Thank you for visiting.

The type of coins available for this program is the Presidential $1 coins and the Native American $1 coins. From the time of the order, it will take 2 weeks for the coins to arrive. They will arrive in boxes containing 25 rolls of coins.

Because of abuse of the program, special restrictions have been placed on the purchase of the coins with credit cards. There were reports that individuals were making purchases of $10,000 of the $1 coins to receive bonus air miles and bonus points on their credit cards, and then depositing the coins in the bank when they arrived. To prevent this, the charges on the credit card will now be considered a cash advance and no bonus points or miles will be rewarded.

This program is to promote the use of the $1 coins and for them to be placed in circulation where the general public can use them.  This is the reason the US government is paying for the postage. The hope is that the use of this coin in vending machines, retail transactions, and mass transit exchanges will become common and used by more people.

If you do not intend to place the coins in circulation, then you are discouraged from placing an order in the US Mint Direct Ship Program for the $1 coin. These coins are not intended for coin collecting purposes.

For additional resources on coins, please see America the Beautiful Proof Sets. This site and all of its contributors strive to bring you the most accurate information available. If you have any comments to help us improve our site, please leave them. Thank you for visiting.

The 2010 United States America the Beautiful Quarters Proof Set (Q5A) is available for sale for $14.95. They are made up of blanks that consist of 8.33% nickel and 91.66% cooper. These blanks are feed thru press twice to give them more detail than the coins in circulation. Then they are polished o a high luster finish. These are only minted at the San Francisco mint that is evident with the mark S on them.

The 2010 United States America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set (SV2) is available for sale for $32.95. These blanks are made of 90% pure silver that has a total weight of silver at 0.904 ounces. Just like the regular proof sets, the silver proof sets are only minted at the San Francisco mint.

At the present time both sets have sold over 100,000 units to the public for coin collecting purposes. These figures were helped since both sets had advance orders of over 70,000 units before they were available to the public.

The quarters included in both sets are the 2010 Hot Springs National Park, 2010 Yellowstone National Park, 2010 Yosemite National Park, Grand Canyon National Park and the Mount Hood National Park Quarters. 

If a set of the circulation coins is more to your liking, the cost of a set of 5 is at $9.99. But since 3 of the coins have yet to be minted and there might be a limited minting of one of the coins, there is no guarantee they will ever be made available directly from the mint.

This is the latest updated news on the America the Beautiful Proof Sets for 2010.

For additional resources on coins please see How to Photograph Coins. This site and all of its contributors strive to bring you the most accurate information available. If you have any comments to help us improve out site please leave them. Thank You for visiting.

Before, with 35mm cameras, a special lens would be needed for close-ups or a zoom lens. The problem with a zoom is that it introduces more variables. A close up lens allows for a sharper and clearer image to appear.

With many of the modern Digital cameras, there is more than one lens incorporated into the camera itself. The standard lens allows for a clear shot at approximately 12 inches while the close-up lens can focus on the coin even when only 2 inches away. Some cameras call this the macro setting or have a figure of a flower.

Next, because you will be taking a shot of such a small object where the maximum detail is desired, the camera should not be held. Even the smallest amount of movement could ruin the picture. This is when a tripod is very useful.

Choosing the right background can make the difference on how well the coin will appear. Shiny coins look best with a dark or black background. For a tarnished or dull finished coin, a brighter background would be best, like white.

The material to be used for the background should not endanger the coin or its finish. For this reason, a soft cloth in the appropriate color would do, like a t-shirt.

The lighting is very crucial. The flash should be disabled because you will not be able to control it, and at such a short distance, will not be even. Sunlight would be best just as long as it is not direct. The point is to have an even distribution of light on the coin without causing shadows. A small aperture setting could assist in this effort.

The focus should start with the zoom all the way out, and then get the camera as close as possible while remaining in focus. The zoom will affect the outcome and should be avoided, if possible.

Set the focus and take the picture. Those that are into coin collecting might wish to take several shots so they have a choice of which picture turns out the best. This is the best way to know how to photograph coins from your collection or someone else’s.

For additional resources on coins, please see Yellowstone Quarter. This site and all of its contributors strive to bring you the most accurate information available. If you have any comments to help us improve our site, please leave them. Thank you for visiting.

The set of two rolls is being sold for $32.95 and the bags are for sale at $35.95 each. Both of these prices are above the face value of the coins, but they are in mint condition and uncirculated.

Today, on June 3, 2010 at 10:30 am MT, there will be a ceremony at Old Faithful Inn commemorating the official launch of this coin. Edmund Moy, the director of the US Mint, will be present at this ceremony. There is also a live pod cast of this historic event for those that are unable to visit the park today. Children under the age of 18 attending the event will receive a new quarter for free.

The tail side of this coin has an image of Old Faithful, with a bison standing in the fore ground. The head side is the original portrait of George Washington, designed by John Flanagan in 1932.

This is the second quarter issued in the America the Beautiful Quarters Program that will eventually release 56 new quarters commemorating the US national parks and sites across the nation. There are a total of 5 coins scheduled to be released each year, until all have been minted.

The specifications of the Yellowstone Quarter, for anyone into coin collecting, is 24.26mm diameter and with a thickness of 1.75mm.

For additional resources on coins, please see 2010 America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set . This site, and all of its contributors, strives to bring you the most accurate information available. If you have any comments to help us improve out site, please leave them. Thank you for visiting.