So...You've Decided to Collect (A Set Of) Dahlonega Half Eagles...

So...You've Decided to Collect (A Set Of) Dahlonega Half Eagles...

Of the four denominations struck at the Dahlonega mint, half eagles are the largest in size and have—by far—the most struck; both in terms of individual dates and total produced. This denomination was made from 1838 through 1861, and there were a total of 26 issues.

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So...You've Decided to Collect San Francisco Gold Coins...

So...You've Decided to Collect San Francisco Gold Coins...

The San Francisco mint opened in 1854 and it made gold coins up through 1930. I have seen more interest in San Francisco gold coinage in the last five-ten years than I have at any other time in my numismatic career, and I feel that San Francisco gold coinage is an especially fascinating segment of the market.

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So...You've Decided to Collect Gold Dollars...

So...You've Decided to Collect Gold Dollars...

The gold dollar was made from 1849 through 1889 in three distinct types and was struck at five different mints. This denomination has been popular with many generations of collectors and it lends itself to a host of different collecting methodologies...

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The With Motto New Orleans Eagle "Short Set"

The With Motto New Orleans Eagle "Short Set"

I’d like to propose a set that checks most collectors’ boxes. This set contains larger-sized coins, it is easily completable but can be made challenging, it appeals to collectors with reasonably low budgets, it contains both 19th and 20th century issues and these coins were produced at a popular Southern branch mint.

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So...You've Decided to Collect Charlotte Gold Coinage...

So...You've Decided to Collect Charlotte Gold Coinage...

This feels like a great point in time to specialize in Charlotte gold. There is not as much competition at the very top end of the market as there is for Dahlonega and New Orleans gold. This means that a collector wishing to focus on finest known or Condition Census issues is not necessarily biting off more than he can chew.

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The Top Ten List of Bad Coin Collection Names

The Top Ten List of Bad Coin Collection Names

In my recent article on branding your collection, I discussed how a serious collection of coins deserved a serious name. But not everyone got my point. In the spirit of numismatic humor, here is a list of bad coin collection names:

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