Inside the Coin Collecting Underworld

Author

Max Hockley
February 09, 2024

This might surprise you, but we’re now on issue #22 of this newsletter. That’s a pretty big deal. You might say I’m on a roll.

Well, as always, this week’s email is full of the latest and greatest numismatic tips, tricks, and news, curated by your favorite YouTube influencer/Guru/Personal hero - including my foray into the world of illegal and taboo coins.

But first, pop quiz, hotshot (answer in bottom of email):

The 1913 Liberty Head Nickel is one of the rarest and most famous coins in the U.S. How many of these coins are known to exist?

I know, I know. It’s my sunny good-guy personality that wins you guys over. But even the Silverpicker has a penchant for rebellion at times. In this week’s video, PawnMan’s gives us a behind-the-scenes tour of his coin shop, and shows us some of his most illicit numismatic treasures.

Things got wild.

Check it out:

This week’s question comes from Reddit:

OK, good question.

US 1-Cent coins prior to 1982 are made out of copper. This is a very reactive metal that reacts with all different types of compounds in the environment. This all determines how the coin is going to look.

There are three different color categories for 1-Cent coins, per PCGS’s grades. When one of these coins is graded, it gets a grade of either “Red” (highest, new), “Red-brown” (in between), and “Brown” (lowest).

Red

Brown

This last grade can look brown, olive-colored, or dark brown. That’s what you’re seeing in the above image. This coin would have the “Brown” grade, making it the least coveted.

Pop quiz answer: Well done, those of you who got it - you go straight to the top of the class. The answer is, of course, 5

See you next week!

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