Pinnacle Rarities

Kathleen Duncan co-founded Pinnacle Rarities in 1992. Based in Olympia, Washington, Pinnacle sought to provide continuing professional service to a clientele composed of collectors, investors and dealers from all 50states and several foreign countries. They tried to specialize in handling the rarest, most desirable coins the industry has to offer. Pinnacle closed in 2022.
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Recent Articles by this Author

The 1921 Missouri half dollar draws from the classic American motif of settler and native cooperation. Image: CoinWeek / Stack's Bowers.

Thanksgiving Motifs on Classic Commemorative Coins

By Dan Duncan – Retired, Pinnacle Rarities ......   The Thanksgiving celebration cues up the holiday season and begins the winding down of another year. The...

Buying Coins From Digital Photographs

Coin Photographs by Dan Duncan - Retired, Pinnacle Rarities, Inc ......   My first job in the industry was in the back of a coin shop....
The Tab Toning of Classic US Commemorative Coins

The Tab Toning of Classic US Commemorative Coins

By Dan Duncan – Retired, Pinnacle Rarities ...... There are many strategies for collecting the classic commemorative series. With 144 silver coins across 50 different...
Rare U.S. gold coins

The Re-Branding of Rare Coins in the U.S. Coin Market

By Dan Duncan - Retired, Pinnacle Rarities ......   I began my career in numismatics during the late 1980s when rare coins were undergoing something of...
The Crest of the Classic Commemorative Coin Wave - 1936

The Crest of the Classic Commemorative Coin Wave – 1936

By Dan Duncan - Retired, Pinnacle Rarities ...... Historically, 1936 was not a great year for most Americans. The United States was deep into the...
The United States Proof Sets of 1936 to 1942

The United States Proof Sets of 1936 to 1942

By Dan Duncan – Retired, Pinnacle Rarities ......   The United States Mint is the largest coin dealer in the world. Aside from bullion items, the...
Lady Liberty: The Allegory of a Nation

Lady Liberty: The Allegory of a Nation

By Dan Duncan – Retired, Pinnacle Rarities ......   In discussions of our nation’s coinage, the use of a female allegory for Liberty dates back to...
United States 1861-O Seated Liberty Half Dollar

United States 1861-O Seated Liberty Half Dollar

By Dan Duncan – Retired, Pinnacle Rarities ......   Description The 1861 half dollars from the New Orleans Mint have the distinction of being the only issue...
The Eagles of the Classic Commemoratives

The Eagles of the Classic Commemoratives

By Dan Duncan – Retired, Pinnacle Rarities ......   The 59 distinct designs of the silver and gold classic commemoratives are often collected by theme. The...
US Coins - A Concise Overview of the Washington Quarter Silver Issues

A Concise Overview of the Washington Quarter Silver Issues

By Dan Duncan – Retired, Pinnacle Rarities ......   The long-running obverse design of the Washington quarter is currently in its final year and will be...

A Concise Overview of the Standing Liberty Quarter Series

By Dan Duncan – Retired, Pinnacle Rarities ......   Historical Background The entire run of American coinage received a major overhaul and aesthetic upgrade between 1907 and...
Ghosts of Times Passed: The Remnants of the Columbian Expo

Ghosts of Times Passed: The Remnants of the Columbian Expo

By Dan Duncan – Retired, Pinnacle Rarities ......   As thousands ascend on the greater Chicago area for the American Numismatic Association's (ANA) World’s Fair of...
Isabella: The Mother of All U.S. Commemorative Quarters

Isabella: The Mother of All U.S. Commemorative Quarters

By Dan Duncan – Retired, Pinnacle Rarities ......   The original Washington quarter was intended as just a one-year commemorative. Yet John Flanagan’s obverse design has...
The Liberty Nickel: Twice Controversial

The Liberty Nickel: Twice Controversial

By Dan Duncan – Retired, Pinnacle Rarities ......   The Liberty nickel, also referred to as the “V” nickel, is a simple design by Charles E....

Proof Franklin Half Dollars: A Date-by-Date Analysis

By Dan Duncan – Retired, Pinnacle Rarities ......   The short-lived Proof version of the popular Walking Liberty half dollar was discontinued during World War II...
The Once and Future Commemorative Washington Quarter

The Once and Future Commemorative Washington Quarter

By Dan Duncan – Retired, Pinnacle Rarities ......   The Washington Quarter obverse is one of the longest-running U.S. coin designs. Since colonial times, the George...

Classic US Coins: The Short-Lived Two Cent Piece

The Two Cent Piece by Kathleen Duncan - Pinnacle Rarities ......   The Two Cent piece designed by James Longacre was struck for a mere 10...

Proof Indian Head Cents: An Overview by Decade

By Dan Duncan – Retired, Pinnacle Rarities ......   Production of the ever-popular Indian cent spanned six fascinating decades of United States history. Struck from 1859 until...

The Peace Dollar (1921-1935): A Date by Date Analysis

By Dan Duncan – Retired, Pinnacle Rarities ......   2021 is the centennial of one of American numismatics' most popular series – the Peace dollar. There are...

The Heraldic Eagle Design on U.S. Coins

By Dan Duncan - Retired, Pinnacle Rarities ......   Many of the coins we collect are graced with images of the bald eagle, our national bird....

PCGS Set Registry

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Doug Winter Numismatics Branch Mint Gold

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