Mint Rolls out the National Park Quarters

The mint unveiled the first five design of the "America the Beautiful" quarter series.  In my opinion, the designs are much better than the "state quarters," The State Quarter series had no coherent design.  Some showed maps of states, others showed unrelated state mementos, while one design featured a hanging  astronaut (sorry Ohio).

The first five quarters in the national park series are all scenic.  Note the consistency in the designs.  They will look good together as a collection.  They feature Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas; Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming; Yosemite National Park in California, Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona; and Mount National Forest in Oregon.

US mint Trying to release more 2001 Sacagewea Dollars

As we begin 2010, I read about the US mint releasing more of its 2001 Sacagewea dollars.  I assumed it was simple dyslexia.  But no, the mint has still not been able to place all of the 2001 coins into circulation.  The coins are being offered under the mint’s "circulating $1 coin direct ship program." I hate to sound like a broken record, but the problem is that Americans do not like dollar coins.  And yet the mint continues to make more.  The 2001’s might be an especially tough sell, since there is likely to be more interest in the presidential dollars or the newer native American series.

Holy Nelly -- 1913 Liberty Head Nickel sells for $3,737,500

Heritage Auctions has sold a 1913 Liberty Head Nickel at an Orlando auction for $3,737,500. The price includes the 15% buyer’s premium, which gives Heritage auctions a $560,625 commission. Holy Nelly! That’s not bad for auctioning a single coin.

Not part of an authorized mint issue, the coin was probably made by a mint employee. The prime suspect was Samuel Brown, who offered five such nickels for sale in 1920. For more information on the liberty head nickel story, please see my web page at www.peterplanchet.com/libertyheadnickels
or read the book, Million Dollar Nickels: Mysteries of the 1913 Liberty Head Nickels Revealed.
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The coin was featured on the Hawaii Five O episode entitled “The $100,000 nickel. It is episode 136 from Hawaii Five-O: Sixth Season
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