� � � Do you know how coins are made? First a strip of metal is used to make the blanks. The leftover metal is used to make another strip of metal. The blanks are heated so they are soft and easy to make designs in it. After that They are cleaned. Then the rims are made on the blanks and then they go into the die. The die punches the design into the coin. Finally� the coins are checked and any errors are removed. Some errors make it through and go into circulation. Some error coins are worth a lot of money. Proof coins are made in a different way. Proof coins polished and struck multiple times to make them look perfect. Then they are checked and put into airtight packages��and are�sold to collectors.� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Coins are made in many different places called mints. Each mint puts a small letter called a mint mark. Mint marks show where the coins are made. There are currently 4 mints.� are in Philadelphia, Denver, West Point, and San Francisco. Their mint marks are P, D, W, and S. There are also 4 former mints. They were in Carson City, New Orleans, Charlotte, and� Dahlonega.� Their mint marks are CC, O, C, and D. The oldest mint is Philadelphia. It has made coins since 1793. The newest is West Point it has made coins since 1984.� Cents made in�Philadelphia and in West Point have�no mint mark. Also before 1979�Philadelphia had no mint marks except�on wartime silver nickels. Some proof coins without mint marks�are worth thousands of�dollars.� � � � � � � Thank you for reading this. I hope you enjoyed reading about mints, how coins are made, and mint marks.

Hey everyone,I'm really excited to be writing about what I did yesterday, but first, we have to rewind about a week and a half.� Remember the 131 silver dollars and 84 40% silver half dollars I said that I inherited? If not, I'm not surprised, because that was a blog from long ago. Anyways, I'll fill you in. 3 or 4 years ago, I inherited these aforementioned silver dollars and half dollars. For a while, I didn't know what to do with them, but recently, I decided that, since they were common and not worth more than spot price, that I should sell them and put the money into my Wheat Cents collection. I did just that a week ago, and I got $2,100 from Coins & Currency of Wayne, PA for the whole hoard. Then, just yesterday, I went to my favorite coin shop, owned by Mike, who I have mentioned in my previous blogs. There were four coins which I particularly liked. 1. A 1909 S VDB Wheat Cent PCGS AU-58, 2. 1909 S Wheat Cent PCGS AU-58, 3. 1931 S Wheat Cent NGC MS-63 RB, and 4. 1908 S Indian head cent NGC VF-30. The original price for all four coins was $1680, but Mike, the shop owner, made the price $1500 for me. I still have $600 left over from the silver dollar sales, plus $450 that I had previously saved. I'll probably use most of the $600 on a VF-XF 1914 "D". I am really happy to have these coins!Thanks for reading,� � � � �copper coin collector

What To Collect?

It's been quite a while since I last posted a blog post. Unfortunately, I ran out of new, unique ideas of things to write. Anyways, I finally have a new blog! Last weekend, I went to the World's Fair of Money in Rosemont, Illinois at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. I went on the final day of the show, on Saturday. Unfortunately, last week was the first week of school, so I wasn't able to go to the show during the week. I really wanted to go every day of the show so I could be sure to see everything, talk to dealers, and go to the cool events. Saturday was still fun, even though many of the dealers decided to start their trek home and left either before the show on Saturday or sometime mid-day. It was nice getting in at 9:30, though. Since it was the free day for everyone, I assumed there would be a lot more people there, but even by noon, there still wasn't a super large crowd, which was quite nice.�

In the mid 1830s, President Andrew Jackson felt a need for mints in other locations besides Philadelphia. 3 branches were proposed:Charlotte, Dolenada, and New Orleans. New orleans was a large port where foreign silver deliveries commonly came in. The act became official on March 3, 1835. Mint Director Samuel Moore chose John Mitchel and Benjamin F. Fox for the construction contract. William Strickland designed the new mint. He had also designed the second Philadelphia Mint. David Bradford was appointed superintendent of the new mint in March of 1837. In January� of 1838, Robert Maskell, the mint director reported: "The machinery of the New Orleans Mint was executed, and the steam engine set in action in may last; and there would have been no difficulty in putting the mint in full operation, but for the apprehensions from the climate.� Two of the officers and all of the workmen were from the middle states, and unacclimated; and I was advised by the resident officers that they would incur great risk in going to New Orleans in the warm season…. They are now, however, all at their stations, and making every exertion to commence the operations of the Mint at an early day.”