Coin World's latest weekly edition is on its way to you, and we present previews of a few of its columns, all found exclusively in the print and digital editions of the Jan. 8 issue of Coin World.

And the Top 10 Stories of 2017 are …

Every year in December, the Coin World editorial staff looks back at the last 12 months and votes on the top 10 stories we have covered during that period. What 10 stories made the cut this year? A couple of hints: three involve American Eagle bullion coins, those coins struck by the United States Mint and those pieces that are issued and sold by the unscrupulous.

Our coverage, exclusive to the print and digital editions of Coin World, begins in the Jan. 15 issue.

Mutilated coins used by a ‘secret’ society

The United States has never been more split than it was during the Civil War, when North and South fought over the issues that divided them. However, there were those in both regions that did not support the majority view of their fellow citizens.

As Gerald Tebben writes in his “Coin Lore” column, some in the North who were sympathetic to the South called themselves “Copperheads,” and to identify themselves to others in this “secret” society, they wore badges made from mutilated copper coins.

Repunched Mint mark varieties among collector finds

Many collectors like to share their discoveries with others, and John Wexler is happy to oblige in his monthly column “Varieties Notebook.” This month, several repunched Mint mark varieties are among the finds by readers.

Readers report finding 1954-S/S and 1961-D/D Lincoln cents with repunched Mint marks. Each has a Mint mark that is doubled, and many such varieties await discovery. To join the variety hunt, be sure to read John’s monthly column, exclusive to Coin World’s print and digital editions.

Mint officials share knowledge in a ‘first’ book

In the 1840s, “Collectors of French and British coins had guidebooks identifying and illustrating their national coins, but not Americans,” writes Joel Orosz in his “Numismatic Bookie” column. That changed in 1842 when two Philadelphia Mint officials “shone light into the numismatic darkness” with a book that was the first of its kind in the United States.

William Dubois and Jacob Eckfeldt’s A Manual of Gold and Silver Coins of all Nations, Struck within the Past Century “instantly became the guidebook for American coin collectors. Although numismatists eventually found several errors in the text, the plates of coins kept it useful for decades,” he writes.

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