Answers Page

Latest answers to your questions:

What was the Binion Hoard?

This Answer covers the Binion coin hoard, describing how more than 135,000 silver dollars were involved in a murder investigation and multiple court cases.

What is a Monster Box for Coins?

This Answer assesses differences between Monster Boxes from various mints and explores factors that impact the value of sealed Monster Boxes.

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Has Wisconsin Stopped Taxing Precious Metals?

This Answer explains recent legislation in Wisconsin, considers the rationale of this legislation, and explores some of the potential impacts of changes to tax law

What is the GSA Hoard?

This Answer explains what the GSA hoard was, how it was found, and how it impacted the value of certain Morgan silver dollars.

What are Japanese Silver Yen Coins?

This Answer explores the context, design, issuance, and mintage of Japanese silver yen or Dragon Yen.

What was the Baltimore Gold Hoard?

This Answer covers the Baltimore Gold Hoard, a discovery of buried gold coins found by two teenage boys during the Great Depression.

What is Edge Lettering on Coins?

If you have seen the term edge lettering and have been curious about what it means, how it began, and what U.S. coins you might

What Are Australian Domed Gold Coins?

What is the Lincoln-Garfield Medal?

This Answer covers the 1882 Lincoln-Garfield Medal, explaining its purpose, authorization, issuance, and varieties.

What is Contrarian Investing?

This Answer briefly covers contrarian investing, describing its approaches and strategies, and some of its advantages and disadvantages.

What is the John Adams Dollar Coin?

This Answer describes the design of the Presidential John Adams Dollar coin, providing a brief history of John Adams, as well as the value of

Canadian Gold Coins vs U.S. Gold Coins

The Canadian government backed the Royal Canadian Mint’s decision to produce coins with the highest possible purity. This allowed Canada to capture a significant portion

What are Silver Bullets?

This Answer explains what silver bullets are, how they compare to products like silver rounds and bars, and why you would not want to load

Does Silver Melt Ice?

This Answer explains how silver accelerates the rate of ice melting and provides several other methods for authenticating your silver products.

What is Pennyweight?

Do you know what a pennyweight is? This Answer explores the pennyweight measure of mass and provides a historical background to its use.

Do You Sell Storage Boxes for MintDirect® Silver Eagles?

This Answer discusses one of the storage solutions available for MintDirect® Silver American Eagles and the benefits this solution provides.

How Do I Find the Value of a Double-Sided Quarter?

This Answer explains why all but a handful of double-sided quarters and other coins are post-mint alterations and describes the value of several authenticated double-sided

What is a Bickford Dollar?

This Answer explains the production of Dana Bickford’s pattern dollars, describing their context, issue, and why they were not adopted.

What Type of Error Causes a Three-Digit Date on Coins?

This Answer explores some of the potential root causes of coins with a three-digit date and describes the parts of the minting process those would

What is a Widow’s Mite?

If you have ever seen the biblical account of the Widow’s Mite, this Answer describes the smallest Judean coin and considers its value in ancient

What is a Clipped Planchet?

This Answer covers clipped planchet error coins, describing some of the most common varieties of clipped planchets, as well as what factors lead to their

Does Platinum Scratch?

This Answer discusses whether or not platinum can be scratched and provides context for understanding the durability of platinum and hardness of other metals.

What is an Italian Lira?

This Answer provides a brief history of the Italian lira and explains the precious metal content of lire from 1861 to date.

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