Two reverse types have been discovered on uncirculated 2008-W American Eagle silver coins sold by the Mint directly to collectors, but Numismatic Guaranty Corp. says it is not yet known whether there are two types of reverses for the regular bullion coins sold through the Mint’s national authorized purchaser network.

One type is the same reverse as was used in 2007. The other type is one introduced this year.

“This is a significant hub variety,” says Rick Montgomery, NGC president. “It has very clear diagnostics, and appears on one of the most widely collected of all U.S. coins.”

The most obvious identification diagnostic, NGC says, is the “U” of UNITED on the coin’s reverse. On the Reverse of 2008, as the new type has been designated, the “U” has a spur on the right side of the letter.

Source: Numismaster

The U.S. Mint press relations office provided some interesting information about this variety and the minting of Silver Eagles in general. Here are some of the facts they provided:

• Approximately 47,000 2008-W Silver Eagles were released with the 2007 reverse type.
• The reason for the change in hub is that the Mint has upgraded from using hand-engraved hub creation methods, to digital engraving methods.
• The Mint believes that 15 dies with the 2007 Reverse type were involved.
• The variety was created during 3 production shifts, which is how the Mint arrived at its estimate of the number of coins involved.
• The U.S. Mint marketing materials depicted the 2007 reverse type.
• The Mint did not plan for the hub change to happen mid-year, and has confirmed it was unintentional that the 2007 Reverses were used for 2008.

This triangle-shaped silver half dollar proof features the Mint’s patented color enamel technology

In 2005 the Royal Canadian Mint introduced their enamel-effect technology on the red-enameled Canada Flag Silver Dollar. This coin sold out instantly at the mint (as have all subsequent enameled issues) and now trades for several multiples of its release price, having proven to be a great investment.

Technology Note
The Milk Delivery Dairy Token Half Dollar Silver Proof features the Royal Canadian Mint’s patented enamel effect technology. This proprietary technique applies deep, rich, semi-opaque colors to the coin, while the glaze over these hues creates the effect of real enamel. The green on this triangular coin replicates the color found on many of the original dairy tokens!

There was a time when most people did not go to the grocery store to purchase their milk… in the good old days the dairy delivered straight to one’s door Many adults today have childhood memories of a uniformed milkman placing bottles of fresh milk and other dairy products on the front porch and collecting the empty bottles their mother had put out for exchange.
But there was something else the milkman collected - dairy tokens. From the late 19th century to the 1960’s, customers could buy dairy tokens to “pay” for the milk or cream that was delivered.

Milk delivery tokens were used in nearly every state of the Union and all ten Canadian provinces. Many dairies had their own custom tokens, while others used generic ones. These tokens were valued at such quantities as ½ or 1 pint; 1, 2 or 3 quarts; or ½ or 1 gallon. In addition, they specified whether the token was for cream or milk, and for what kind.

Source: Talisman Coins

Each year during the third week of April, the American Numismatic Association celebrates National Coin Week with exhibits, presentations and other activities at civic centers, libraries, and schools to let the world know about the joys of collecting and studying coins, paper notes, and other forms of money.

Learn how Money Makes the World Go Round with the ANA’s “National Treasure Hunt.”

The National Coin Week bookmarks challenge you to find five different numismatic objects:

1. A coin with an animal
2. The oldest coin you can find
3. A coin from a different place (country or state)
4. A coin from the year you were born
5. A coin that’s not a coin (token, medal, etc.)

Once you complete the treasure hunt please contact us with this online form, to enter a drawing for local and national prizes.

The ACNS is an ANA member club and encourages all to get involved!

Jeff Makkos of Ohio reports finding a double struck 2007-P James Madison dollar in a Mint-issue set. The type of double strike involved is what errorists refer to as an “In-Collar Double Strike with Rotation Between Strikes.”The cause may be due to two different scenarios.

The first possibility is that the coin was struck normally and then reentered the coining area falling back over the collar where it was forced back into the collar by a second strike in a position rotated just a few degrees away from the original strike.

Another possibility suggested by CONECA president Mike Diamond, is that coin remained in the collar while the inner sleeve of the collar broke loose and rotated within resulting in the same effect.

Source: NN, 08 April 2008.

U.S. Mint Director Ed Moy (TKE alumni from Lambda, Univ. of Wisconsin) said America’s coins are public art that people get to see every day. He said they also can be educational — such as coins with presidents’ pictures or the program to honor each of the 50 states on the backs of quarters.

Director Moy and Gov. Bill Richardson launched New Mexico’s quarter on Monday 07 April 2008 at the state Capitol in Santa Fe. Moy will also be in Albuquerque for a coin collectors’ forum open to everyone.

The New Mexico quarter is the 47th coin of the United States Mint’s popular 50 State Quarters Program, because New Mexico was the 47th state to be accepted into the Union in 1912.  The coin bears the image of a Zia sun symbol over a topographical outline of the State with the inscription “Land of Enchantment.”  The coin also bears the inscriptions “New Mexico” and “1912.”

The New Mexico quarter design:

WHAT:

Launch of the New Mexico Commemorative Quarter-Dollar &
Quarter Exchange
Coin Collectors Forum on Eve of Launch

WHO:

United States Mint Director Ed Moy
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson
Secretary Stuart Ashman, Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historian Estevan Rael-Galvez
Santa Fe All Stars

WHEN:

Launch:  April 7th, 2008, 11 a.m. (MT); Quarter Exchange to immediately follow ceremony

Coin Collectors Forum:  April 6, 2008, 2:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m. (MT)

WHERE:

Launch:  Capitol Rotunda, State Capitol Building, Santa Fe, NM
Coin Collectors Forum:  National Hispanic Cultural Center of New Mexico, 1701 Fourth St. SW, Albuquerque, NM