It’s a wrap!

The latest Coin World Monthly issue, dated May 1, 2017, has been sent to the presses, and we have a quick preview of some of the Coin World exclusives found in our latest digital edition.

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Collectors Craving Variety

Modern-day collectors don’t limit themselves to one particular category like the traditional collector once did. While 20th and 21st century coin varieties share very few characteristics of older varieties, collectors have a wide range of coins to choose from, as Steve Roach writes.

“Some varieties show transitions as the Mint changed designs, such as the 1992 Close AM Lincoln cents, or reflect mix-ups at the Mint, as seen on the 1999 American Eagle $5 and $10 gold bullion coins with the W West Point Mint mark,” Roach writes.

“A key element of a variety’s survival rate can depend on how early it is detected.”

Coins of All Nations sets feature two hobbies in one

Our resident world coin expert, Jeff Starck, dives into the Franklin Mint’s coin and stamp sets. Four volumes were issued in the program, and featured Uncirculated, even Prooflike coins, on postally canceled cards.

Hear Starck’s commentary on the Franklin Mint Program in this week’s Monday Morning Brief.

How old are the coins in the sets? “The earliest postmark found was from 1981, but many of the coins actually date to the 1960s or 1970,” he writes. “The sets were issued heavily until about the mid-1990s.”

Territorial national bank notes

Collectors absolutely swoon for territorial national bank notes.

The field offers notes from the early history of areas before they became states, which many collectors value. Banks gained national charters after the National Banking Act of 1863, and the rest is history.

“Banks in 13 territories issued national bank notes in the period,” starting during the Civil War and extending into the 1930s, William T. Gibbs writes. Some banks issued notes during the territorial era and then continued to do the same after statehood was achieved.

Interesting dynamics, indeed.

Chinese investment market continues to grow

The market for unique objects, in coinage as in fine arts, is relatively complex.

For fine art, reports from the TEFAF Art Market report and the European Art Foundation in the Netherlands both consider public and private sales when compiling their data but reach differing conclusions.

However, “Both reports agree that China was the biggest-grossing region in terms of auction sales in 2016,” Steve Roach writes. 

The growing interest in fine art in China parallels a growth in numismatic collecting in the region and American businesses are taking notice.

“Major coin grading services like PCGS and NGC continue to spread their brands beyond the U.S. with a focus on China.”

One could assume that the outreach will continue to expand.

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