Recent Articles by this Author
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
By Dan Duncan – Retired, Pinnacle Rarities ......
There are many strategies for collecting the classic commemorative series. With 144 silver coins across 50 different...
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
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
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
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
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
By Dan Duncan – Retired, Pinnacle Rarities ......
The 59 distinct designs of the silver and gold classic commemoratives are often collected by theme. The...
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
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
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
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
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....