The US Mint is the country's primary producer of gold coinage used for private and federalized trading and commerce. The origins of the US Mint date back to the Coinage Act of 1792, which formally established the it as the producer and regulator of coinage in the US. The US mint network contains five key minting facilities:
Philadelphia Mint - The primary US Mint facility was located in the US' first capitol, Philadelphia. The US Mint Philadelphia facility was opened in 1793. A newer facility was established in 1969 and is still the country's primary mint facility and is responsible for the production of master die used for coinage designing and production.
Read more...
The $10 Indian Head Eagle gold coin, also know as the $10 Eagle, minted from 1907 to 1933, is considered to be one of the most beautiful American gold coins produced by the U.S. Mint. Its production came about through the insistence of President Theodore Roosevelt. He did not like the current design on his Inaugural Medal that was designed by Charles E. Barber and George T. Morgan, nor other coins being produced by the mint at the time.
The President had some artistic friends who encouraged him to have it re-done. "I think our coinage is artistically of atrocious hideousness," President Theodore Roosevelt wrote in a note to Secretary of the Treasury Leslie Mortier Shaw on December 27, 1904, and then continues, "Would it be possible, without asking permission of Congress, to employ a man like Saint-Gaudens to give us a coinage that would have some beauty?"
President Roosevelt commissioned the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens for the task of coming up with a new design. Saint-Gaudens accepted this assignment, but was so terribly busy that he only had time to sketch out some rough ideas on a paper napkin while making the train trip from Washington. He had told President Roosevelt that he would need to have his associate, Adolf A. Weinman, to do most of the actual work on the design. Collectors today will probably know Weinman for his work on the Mercury dime and the Walking Liberty Half Dollar.
Read more...
Rare U.S. double eagle gold coin that could be worth up to $15 million has been found by an Egyptian couple as they cleaned out their flat, the Qatar Ar-Raya newspaper said on Monday.
The precious piece of gold was discovered in an old box that had once belonged to Mohamed Ismail's grandfather while he and his wife, Fatima, were throwing old clothes and broken furniture out of a closet.
Mohamed subsequently sent the coin to experts, hoping that he would get a few dollars for it. However, the tailor was shocked when the experts told him that his grandfather had left him a unique coin of historical value.
Read more...
The US Gold Eagle coin was first minted in 1986. It is an official gold coin of the United States authorized under the Gold Bullion Act of 1985. This coin was available in many denominations. The US Gold Eagle coin is unusual in that it is the only gold bullion coin guaranteed as to weight and gold content. The gold in the coin must come from American sources. This is a great coin to include in any collection, and is an absolute necessity in a collection of gold coins.
The US Gold Eagle is available in four different denominations: 1/10 ounce, ¼ ounce, ½ ounce and 1 ounce of pure gold. The coin is guaranteed to contain the amount stated. The US Gold Eagle is treated with a metal alloy of copper and silver which creates a wear-resistant shell that protects the coin. The Gold Eagle is minted from 22 carat gold, and the content is more than .916 solid gold.
Lady Liberty graces the opposite side of the US Gold Eagle coin in her full glory with long flowing hair, a flaming torch in her right hand, an olive branch in her left. Behind her, you can see the Capitol Building. Augustus Saint-Gaudens created the portrait of the Statue of Liberty, bordering her with fifty patriotic stars. Miley Busiek created the male eagle on the reverse side, carrying an olive branch. He is circling a nest containing a female eagle and her newly-hatched chicks.
Read more...
