In the mid-1960s, the United States faced a silver crisis that had a profound impact on its coinage. Due to rising silver prices and hoarding, the government made a pivotal decision to reduce the silver content in quarters, dimes, and half dollars. As a result, quarters minted after 1965 no longer contained silver, marking a significant shift in the composition of U.S. coinage. However, within this era of non-silver quarters, a surprising world of valuable and collectible coins emerged, capturing the attention of numismatists worldwide. In this article, we embark on a journey to explore the fa ..read more

Have you ever taken a closer look at the back of a quarter? If you have, you might have noticed a tiny yet significant detail—a mint mark. This small marking, located just below the primary design on the reverse side of the coin, holds great historical and numismatic importance. By understanding the mint mark on quarters, you can gain valuable insights into their production origins and appreciate their significance among collectors. In the United States, the use of mint marks on coins dates back to the early days of coin production. It was in 1838 that mint marks first made their appearance on ..read more

The United States dollar, the most widely recognized currency in the world today, has a rich and fascinating history that dates back to the early days of the American colonies. From its humble beginnings as a means of trade and commerce, the currency has evolved and undergone various changes to become the modern dollar we know today. This article explores the captivating journey of US currency from colonial times to the present. Colonial Era During the colonial era, the American colonies used a variety of currencies, including Spanish, Dutch, and British coins, as well as paper money issued by ..read more

Investment demand for gold bullion is robust, central banks continue adding to their gold reserves, and the price of the precious metal approached a record high in early May. These bullish trends reflect stark geopolitical and economic facts. Russia shows no sign of ending its war against Ukraine, which continues to cause inflation to run hot in many countries, leading to a tightening of monetary policy that threatens to push major economies into recession. The International Monetary Fund warned in May: “Global growth is poised to decelerate as rising interest rates and Russia’s war in Ukraine ..read more

If the Federal Reserve is walking a tightrope then gold is the investor’s safety net. For the 10th consecutive time, the Federal Reserve’s policy-making Open Market Committee boosted short-term interest rates on May 3rd. Led by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, the U.S. central bank has pursued its most aggressive monetary policy tightening campaign in more than four decades, raising the overnight lending rate for banks by 5 percentage points up to a range of 5 to 5-1/4 percent as it tries to get runaway inflation under control. The danger, though, is that the central bank’s tightening inflicts seve ..read more

Central banks purchased a record amount of gold during the first quarter, 228 tons, nearly three times the year-ago period, according to the World Gold Council. The latest demand data follows the central banks’ all-time annual purchases of more than 1,000 tons during 2022. Singapore was the single largest buyer, with the Monetary Authority of Singapore making a huge purchase of 69 tons. The People’s Bank of China added 58 tons during the quarter. And in April, China added another 8 tons, according to the Chinese State Administration of Foreign Exchange. The latest data brings China’s state gol ..read more

With gold trading near a record high, it is as attractive as ever to criminals who pulled off several notable gold robberies in April. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is investigating a gold heist at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport where a container with $15 million in gold was taken from a cargo holding area. “An aircraft arrived here at the airport in the early evening and as per normal procedure, the aircraft was unloaded, and cargo was transported from the aircraft to holding cargo facility,” RCMP Inspector Stephen Duivesteyn said during an April 20 press conference. Police belie ..read more

After enduring bankruptcies, repeated scams, and a collapse in what they had hoped would be get-rich quick purchases, a growing number of cryptocurrency speculators are throwing in the towel and turning to the reliability and relative stability of gold as an alternative investment, reports The Wall Street Journal. “Bruised by steep declines in a variety of cryptocurrencies, some investors who preached about crypto’s independence from banks and national currencies have diversified into gold,” said The Journal in a front page article. A convert from crypto to gold, 27-year old Mitch Day confesse ..read more

The growing challenge of discovering new goldfields has led to the biggest gold mining acquisition in history. After months of negotiations, Colorado-based Newmont has reached a $19 billion all-stock deal to purchase Australia’s Newcrest Mining. The purchase agreement, which will top Newmont’s 2019 buyout of Goldcorp, solidifies Newmont’s position as the world’s biggest bullion producer. It will own mines across the Americas, Africa, Australia and Papua New Guinea. Newcrest shareholders will receive a 31 percent premium above the company’s share price, as measured just prior to Newmont’s initi ..read more

Investors across the globe have been snapping up gold bars and coins as they seek a safe haven investment in the face of rampant inflation and concerns about growing fissures in the financial system. U.S. gold bar and coin demand jumped to 32 tons in the first quarter, a 40 percent increase from the prior quarter, and a 4 percent year-over-year increase. It was the strongest quarter of bar and coin buying since 2010, according to the World Gold Council. Investors accelerated their move to the safety of gold following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in March, financial sh ..read more