Tag Archives: US Mint

Video

Minting Coins – then and now!

One of our Members shared these 2 Videos to enlighten us on just how much the Coin Minting Process has changed in the last few generations. The first video is from 1940 and gives an historical reference of coin making in the USA from its’ inception. The second video is from 2015 and shows the same Mint and the process of making Quarters today. You may be surprised at the difference!

*Videos are not owned or managed by Bel Mar Coin Club. Copyrights and Credits are on YouTube and on each Video.*

Minting Coins at the Philadelphia Mint: “How They Make Money” circa 1940

US Quarter Minting Process today

Lincoln Cent Historic Coin Flips

Posted on April 21, 2012 by harveyclay | 1 comment

How do you engage kids in Coin Collecting today?

How about combining a bit of US History with Coin Collecting?

“History – ugh!” you may hear from the kids, but what a concept!

Let’s start with the Lincoln Cent. Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809. In 1909 the US Mint broke new ground by allowing Victor David Brenner to design a coin with the image of an actual person on it! According to historical documents, it was President Theodore Roosevelt who had the courage to commission the Lincoln Cent and to order the Mint to break new ground by having the image of a former President on the Coin.

There is much history around the inaugural Lincoln Cent, and even more due to the controversy of Mr. Brenner’s initials on the coin!

Here is a link to the full Wikipedia Page on Mr. Brenner and his commissioning by President Roosevelt:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_David_Brenner

The US Mint removed Mr. Brenner’s initials from the dies that struck the Lincoln Cents halfway through the year. Because of this, the 1909 V.D.B. and the 1909-S V.D.B. are some of the rarest Cents today!

Here is a fact some may not know: a 1909-S (San Francisco Mint) V.D.B. Lincoln Cent in “Almost Good” AG3 condition is worth $650.00 Retail, and the same coin in “Mint State 67 condition still having its Red color” (MS-67R) is worth up to $100,000.00 dollars! Click here to see this beautiful cent!

Below is a picture of a sheet of 20 2″ x 2″ coin flips designed to hold and display any collectible coin. One of our members has printed 1.5″ x 1.5″ photos of significant events in history from each of the years of the Lincoln Cent, beginning with 1909. Now young coin collectors can learn a little about United States History as they build their coin collection!

If you have a young collector in your family, think of ways you can incorporate education with collecting. If your favorite coin to collect is a Buffalo Nickel, or a Mercury or Roosevelt Dime, you could also print the small 1.5″ x 1.5″ pictures to include in the flips. You can order perforated paper stock and set up a printing program within Microsoft Office to help you with the printing. If you would like advice, or need help doing this, just contact the Bel Mar Coin Club using the Comments or Reply form, or check the About Us page for contact information.

If you visit one of Bel Mar Coin Club’s meetings or Coin Shows you can also inquire about the Lincoln Cent Historic Coin Flips.

Happy Collecting!

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Tagged Coin Collecting, Coin Flips, Coins, Lincoln Cent, US Coins, US Mint

2013 Fort McHenry Quarter

Posted on April 19, 2012 by harveyclay | 4 comments

Here is a Maryland Coin Story many Collector’s have been following:

In the March 2012 Coin World Magazine there was a feature article about the Fort McHenry Quarter which will be part of the current “America the Beautiful Quarters Program” issued by The US Mint.

For the 2nd time the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) rejected the US Mint’s proposed designs for the Fort McHenry National Monuments Quarter scheduled for 2013 release. There were 11 Fort McHenry designs presented during the February meeting, 7 of which were aerial views. If you read the full Coin World article you can see these 11 designs, some of which are very appealing. The Commission Chair, Earl A. Powell III said he didn’t like the angles at which The Fort was depicted. “Try it again,” was his terse advice to the US Mint.

The first rejections had come from the panel during a meeting in November 2011. With the deadline for submission looming, US Mint Deputy Director Richard A. Peterson told his engraving staff to get back to the drawing board.

Well, after more wrangling, and a split from the CFA by the Citizen’s Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC), a design was selected and sent for approval. There is still disagreement , and there was sharp debate over whether the design would work. The selected Fort McHenry Quarter will show “bursting bombs” over the Fort: