Indian Head Cents are some of those neat little treasures that you may be lucky enough to find from time to time. They were made for fifty years starting from 1859 to 1909. The design changed a little over the different production runs. While they are getting harder to find since they have been out of production for over a hundred years, they are sill common enough that they may just turn up if you keep your eyes open.
One of the interesting things about Indian Head Cents is that the individual depicted is not a Native America, but Lady Liberty. She is wearing an Indian style feathered headdress. On the headdress is the word “Liberty”. Considering the age of these coins, it is not uncommon for the word on the headdress to be unreadable or worn completely off. These coins were made to replace the Flying Eagle Cents since they were easier to mint with good results.
While they are still, obviously, worth one cent if you were to spend one, they are worth considerably more to collectors. In good condition they are worth about one dollar. That may not seem like much, but it is one hundred times their original value. Good condition means that most of the detail is still there and you can still read at least two of the letters in the word “Liberty.” Value can go down from there or a lot higher.
The value has a lot to do with condition and also depends on the year that the penny was minted. If you are looking to sell some Indian Head Cents to a collector, it is a good idea to get it appraised by a professional. You might be lucky enough to turn up a key date like the 1877 Indian Head Cent!
All in all, these coins are great pieces of classic Americana. You may not get rich from Indian Head Cents, but they are a wonderful way to get started collecting coins or to introduce a youngster to the thrill of coin collecting.
The American Gold Eagle was first issued by the United States Mint in 1986. The coins were struck in 22 karat gold and offered in five different bullion weights. Authorized as a method to allow Americans to easily invest in precious metals, the bullion coins were instantly popular with both precious metals investors and collectors.
The series was offered each year amid fluctuating demand. Starting in the middle of 2008, demand for Gold Eagles expanded dramatically. Financial conditions and uncertainties about the economy led many people to reconsider precious metals investment. Sales of the United States Mint’s Gold and Silver Eagle bullion coins jumped to multi year highs.
The increased level of demand led to some problems for the offerings. On several occasions, the US Mint’s entire inventory was depleted, leading to a suspension of sales. A later solution was a rationing program, which was put into place for extended periods of time when full demand could not be met. As a final measure, some bullion coins like fractional weight Gold Eagles and certain collector coins like proof gold eagles were delayed or canceled.
The situation of rationing, suspensions, and delays persisted for more than two years. Even as the stock market rebounded and some claimed an economic recovery had taken hold, many investors still sought a store of value in precious metals.
Last month, the American Gold Eagle bullion coin sales fell to their lowest level since June 2008. Across available one ounce and fractional weight options, sales of 41,500 ounces were recorded. This low monthly level followed three months of sales exceeding 150,000 ounces per month. Was the last month an aberration, or a sign that the long period of elevate physical precious metals demand is finally abating?
American Silver Eagles have been around since 1986 and are America’s official silver bullion coin. One side of the coin features the “Walking Liberty” design that was originally seen on the half dollar coin in the early half of the twentieth century. This image was used because it has always been one the American public’s favorites. It also reads “Liberty” along the top part of the coin. The image is an iconic one that has been loved since its first unveiling.
On the reverse side of the coin is an eagle behind a shield which is reminiscent of the Great Seal of the United States. It also reads “1 oz. Fine Silver” on the coin. American Silver Eagles have a face value of one dollar. The coins were originally minted with the United State’s own stockpiled silver in an attempt to balance the federal budget. In later years congressional approval was give to use silver bought on the open market.
These coins have been extremely popular with collectors and those individuals looking for a way to buy unique and beautiful silver coins. There have been several special editions of the coins over the years including a 20th anniversary edition and special collector set which featured highly polished coins and coins with a frosted finish. Uncirculated versions of the American Silver Eagle coins have long been available to collectors, though they have been discontinued on occasion when the demand for bullion was too high.
Many collectors have tried to collect the coins by date, getting the uncirculated varieties each year that they were available. They are often considered to be the modern version of the more common silver dollar coins. Since the coins quality is guaranteed by the U.S. Mint, they have been very popular with precious metal collectors aside from coin collectors. The beauty of Silver Eagles has made them one of the more popular coins minted in the United States in the last hundred years.
These coins are a beautiful addition to any collection. The striking detail of each coin is virtually unrivaled and their guaranteed silver quality means that can be a very good investment for anyone want to own a piece of history. American Silver Eagles are some of the more unique coins available today.