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Coin and Paper Money Collecting/Questions Answered by Expert Bruce Goldstein

Subject	Date Asked
1976 error coin	2/20/2011
Q: first thank you for your time. I have a 1976 penny and it says"In God we tru" there is no (st) on ... A: Actually, I think the dollar you were offered was fair. Coins like that are relatively common as ...
1974D off struck cent	2/15/2011
Q: Goldstein I have a 1974D off struck penny, and I have been looking online for any information and or ... A: The value depends on the overall condition and how much the coin is offstruck. If it's only ...
1984 zinc penny	2/9/2011
Q: What is the deal with this coin? It is in mint condition?doesn't look tampered with? Is it worth ... A: The coin is ultra common in mint state so it has no real premium above face. However it's possible ...
Penny askewed	2/1/2011
Q: I found a 1982 penny that has the back side slightly askewed. All the wording and picture is there ... A: Coins with slight variations of rotation between obverse and reverse are relatively common although ...
1890 silver dollar	1/22/2011
Q: I have an 1890 silver dollar. It has a nice patina to it. It looks absolutely real but I am sure it ... A: I would guess it's real. I'm fairly certain silver can be attracted to a magnet. Don't clean it or ...
flawed penny	1/20/2011
Q: I found a penny that is 'double sided'. Because it isn't the Lincoln side, I don't know the year is ... A: More than likely the coin is just a gimmick piece that was manufactured from two real cents. It has ...
US 2 1/2 dollar gold gold	1/10/2011
Q: I have a 1855 US 2 1/2 dollar gold coin. It is in excellent condition, possibly never circulated. ... A: It really depends on the exact condition of the coin. If the coin has never been messed with (i.e. ...
penny collection	1/3/2011
Q: I have a complete penny collection from 1941-1974 called the Number Two Collection 1941-1974 ... A: This would have a very small premium above just face value (adding up the cents). Even if many of ...
coin cleaning	1/2/2011
Q: should I clean the coins and if so with what? A: The general answer is you should never clean coins. You're more than likely to damage the coin and ...
Painted New York quarter	1/1/2011
Q: I recently found a 2001 New York quarter, and the New York side is colored. It looks like it was ... A: Any time you find coins like this that have been colorized after coming out of the Mint, they have ...
mercury dime	12/8/2008
Q: how much is a 1940 mercury dime facing left worth? ANSWER: All Mercury dimes face left. It's worth ... A: If the coin is uncirculated (never handled in circulation) it's worth a little more than bullion, ...
1873 cc dime no arrows	10/24/2008
Q: I am a novice coin collector. I have many old coins I have collected over the years and have had ... A: It is unlikely that the coin is real or perhaps it has been altered. There is only one real one ...
Value of Gold	10/4/2008
Q: I have a gold crown that came off of a tooth long, long ago and was just wondering what it might be ... A: For the gold crown, there are a couple of ways you could find out its value. You might try to ask ...
19th century coins	8/30/2008
Q: Recently handed down to me was a box of early U.S. and world coins. There is a number of early U.S. ... A: This sounds like a nice little lot of coins. It's very difficult to give value without seeing what ...
mistamped nichol	8/12/2008
Q: I have a nichol that I got out of a brandnew roll of nichols in approx. 1988. The only part that ... A: I assume you're referring to U.S. nickels that have no date but are minted extremely off center. ...
Found Object?	8/5/2008
Q: I found an object on the beach encased in material and was able to remove part of the debris before ... A: If the item is gold, it should not corrode or turn any dark color normally. Your description is not ...
peace dollar	7/19/2008
Q: if I were to invest in coins which should I invest in Peace dollars or a 20th century type set? ... A: If you're looking to invest in coins, you will need to do a lot of research. Read whatever ...
Coins	7/9/2008
Q: do you think collecting Peace dollars is a good idea? A: Personally, I don't collect them but I do have a couple for type. There are many Peace dollar ...
Barber 1899 Half Dollar	7/7/2008
Q: Could you please tell me if the eagle on the reverse side is supposed to be upside down Thank You A: All U.S. coins should have the reverse normally at a 180 degree rotation difference than the ...
1803nickel (half dime)	7/5/2008
Q: I recently found a 1803 nickel. I understand that it is considered a half dime. What is the value ... A: Depending on condition and originality (the coin has not been messed with...i.e. cleaned or worse), ...
20.00 gold piece and silver bars	7/2/2008
Q: I have inherited a necklace with a 20.00 gold piece the necklace part was specially made so it could ... A: The $20 gold piece, since it was used as jewelry, is likely only worth around bullion which is a bit ...
2 cent peice no date	6/19/2008
Q: this coin is in very good condition but has no date. I've read they were hand stamped could it have ... A: The coin might have a premium for a collector interested in such an item. I can say that I wouldn't ...
1943D silver/steel penny?	5/29/2008
Q: One of the residents in my building asked me about this penny. It looks like bright silver and is ... A: In 1943, the Mint needed to find another alloy to create cents with as copper was deemed necessary ...
Old Dines	5/18/2008
Q: My brother gave me a bag of old dines. While going thru the bag we pulled out a few really old ones ... A: That sounds like a lot of silver (dimes)! You might want to separate the dimes into types. The ...
1863 Almost Uncirculated type 3 three cent piece	4/19/2008
Q: but you can still see all of the points and sides. The inner shield is more worn. Can you tell me ... A: This is a coin that I would absolutely need to see decent photos of. If this is truly a genuine ...
1926 Indian Head & Buffalo Nickle	4/11/2008
Q: Is this 5 cent piece worth anything to a collector or should I ask this question in another 18 ... A: It depends on a lot of things. If there's no mint mark on the reverse below the buffalo on the ...
1919 penny	4/7/2008
Q: i have a 1919 penny,has an s on it. any infomation on it and what it might be worth? thanks,amber A: The "s" means the coin was minted in San Francisco which actually makes it a somewhat more desirable ...
1939 nickel and others	4/1/2008
Q: I have 5 coins from 1939 to 1942, 2 of wich are from 1942 and feel very different than the other's. ... A: If the 1942 has a large mint mark on top of Monticello then it's 35% silver and has some melt value ...
1864 Two Cent coin	3/20/2008
Q: i have a 1864 Two Cent coin but how do i tell if it is small or large motto and the value of the ... A: More than likely you have a Large Motto, simply by surviving population. However, you might be ...
Silver 3-cents	3/19/2008
Q: Looking at Yeoman's guide, it seems as if production of the silver 3-cent piece trailed off ... A: This is a great question. After 1862, silver became heavily hoarded and shipped off overseas for ...
1924 peace silver dollar	3/16/2008
Q: I have a 1924 peace silver dollar that is missing the E in liberty. Any idea on the value? A: [I apologize if I've already answered this before, but the site is showing that I need to still ...
1986 P $1 Commemorative Coin	3/9/2008
Q: I have several 1986 Uncirculated Commemorative Ellis Island Coins. The MInt Stamp is P (I have ... A: The P Mint is from Philadelphia and is the Uncirculated version of the coin, whereas the S Mint is ...
silver penny	2/21/2008
Q: my name is rhonda.i have a1943silver wheat penny .could you tell me alittle about it and if it is ... A: In 1943, due to the war effort, the U.S. Mint made hundreds of millions of steel-coated zinc cents ...
Value	2/19/2008
Q: I have a lot of misc old coins.Morgan dollars,silver,halfs quarters dimes nickles.I want to sell ... A: First off, you probably want to get a list of dates and mint marks for all these coins. Buy a ...
Proof Isabella Quarter	2/12/2008
Q: Bruce, I have what I believe could be a proof Isabella quarter, 1893. It certainly is detailed, ... A: If it's a Proof, it's a very scarce coin. Only about 400 were minted. You want to discern if the ...
1996 two headed quarter	2/10/2008
Q: i got a two headed quarter the other day at taco bell and i was woundering if it was worth anything ... A: The coin is likely a gaffe, created for magicians to use. I don't believe there are any known ...
Online Refrence	2/7/2008
Q: What is the best online refrence for three cent pieces? A: There's limited information published on these coins unfortunately. Generally, for both 3-cent ...
1943D SILVER PENNY	1/20/2008
Q: HOW MUCH IS IT WORTH A: The coin is a Lincoln cent made of zinc-plated steel. They were only minted in 1943. They were ...
Dimes	1/19/2008
Q: How rare is a buffalo head dime? Or does it have a value as a collectors item? A: I think you're referring to either a Barber dime, minted between 1892 and 1916 or a Mercury dime, ...
identify coin	1/14/2008
Q: I have what looks like dime roman numerals III on one side the date is 1873 can you tell me if this ... A: It sounds like you have a three-cent nickel! That's one of my favorite coins actually. Depending ...
Found old $20 dollar bills	1/11/2008
Q: I found a 1963 twenty dollar bill in an bank book from my grandfather's dresser. The number is ... A: The 1963 $20 bill, depending on condition can be worth between $40-$100. If the bill is in pretty ...
1870 3 cent piece	1/10/2008
Q: How much is a post-Civil War 1870 3-Cent Piece with a rotated-reverse error worth? A: I'm guessing you're talking about a three cent nickel (3CN) (with the head of Liberty on the ...
1915 coin	1/6/2008
Q: I just recently found a 1915 dime how much do you think it's wort? A: A United States 1915 dime (also known as a Barber Dime, due to the name of the designer) is worth ...
gold dime	1/5/2008
Q: I have a gold dime it is in the 2000 range is this real or have it been dip in something. A: If you're referring to a Roosevelt Dime then in all likelyhood it has been dipped. There's a remote ...
WHEAT PENNY	1/3/2008
Q: I HAVE A OLD WHEAT PENNY BUT THIS ONE HAS THE WHEAT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN I WAS JUST WONDERING ... A: I know of no known double-sided reverse Lincoln cents. this is quite likely a gimmick coin created ...
Large indian head coin?	1/2/2008
Q: I have 1 inch diameter bronze (copper?) coin simular to indian head penny. Front - above the ... A: I would strongly suggest that you get good scans or photographs of both sides of this item, visit a ...
Mexican Pesos	12/30/2007
Q: What is the value of the Mexican Peso from 1935-1945? Are they worth more in silver? Also, I am just ... A: Lisa: From 1920 to 1945 the peso was minted in 72% pure silver (12 grams which was a decrease from ...
Value of coin	12/26/2007
Q: I have this coin its gold color. and on the back it says 10 Euro cent.on the front it says Beatrix ... A: What you have is a current 10-cent coin from the Netherlands Euro coinage. A group of countries ...
off center penny	12/25/2007
Q: I recently found a 199? penny that is off center to the right. The front reads IN GOD W (with the ... A: Off center coins like this aren't all that rare. However, they do carry some amount of premium ...
1964 nickeled penny	12/19/2007
Q: I just came across a 1964 penny,the penny is not made out of copper, instead is made out of nickel.. ... A: Tino, there's two possibilities that I can think of about this coin. The most likely possibility is ...

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Bruce Goldstein

Top Expert on this page

Expertise

I specialize in U.S. three-cent nickels, but also close behind them are U.S. two-cent pieces, three-cent silver, and twenty cent pieces. Also, I have a bit of experience in the area of U.S. Early Proofs (19th century). However, I can possibly assist in most questions regarding U.S. Type coins.

Experience

I have read virtually everything I can find in print on the areas of U.S. 2-3-20 cent pieces. I have written articles on three-cent coins and Early Proofs published (or will be published) in Coin World.

Organizations
ANA

Publications
Coin World

Education/Credentials
MS in Mathematical Physics ANA Advanced Grading and Problem Coins seminar

Encyclopedia

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