For several years now, I have joked that people know so little about Bitcoin that they ask my thoughts on it because I’m a coin dealer. In general, most individuals that I speak with consider Bitcoin to be a speculative bubble waiting to pop. The recent rise of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) is making peoples’ heads spin, but the future of NFTs is up in the air until the tokens become more widely accepted and understood as an asset class.
With a few clicks of your smartphone, you can know more about a coin than most experts of the past. There is an amazing set of tools available for collectors and dealers to use when making a purchase decision.
For decades, the hobby of numismatics has provided me with more benefits than anyone could ever hope for, from years of enjoyment to a pretty good living. Since assembling my first Lincoln Cent album in the 1960s, my enthusiasm has never waned. Many of my non-numismatic friends envy that I look forward to going to work every day. I sincerely hope that the hobby remains relevant so that future generations can enjoy the same pleasures numismatics has given me.
Who is the fairest of them all? A strong argument can be made for a Prooflike Morgan Silver Dollar. There are few numismatic delicacies as aesthetically appealing as a deeply Prooflike silver dollar. These coins are simply stunning! Anyone who collects Morgan Silver Dollars is familiar with these interesting coins. Even though most dates of Morgan Silver Dollars are known with Prooflike surfaces, collectors tend to treat them as a specialty category of the series. This is understandable, as collecting them can be much more difficult.
Like everyone else, you are probably searching for holiday gift ideas to please that hard-to-buy-for friend or relative. Shopping this year is even more difficult, with most of your options limited to online shopping. As we bring 2020 to a close (thankfully), try celebrating with numismatic gifts for your loved ones, if one or more is a collector or may be inclined to collect. However, numismatists can be very hard to surprise with gifts.
It is with great disappointment that the Florida United Numismatists (FUN) board of directors is announcing FUN 2021 is cancelled. Slated for January 7-10, 2021 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, the convention would have been the 66th annual event held by the Florida organization devoted to serving collectors of coins, paper money, medals, and tokens.
Most major players in the rare coin market have been concerned about the COVID-19 crisis’s impact on the US economy. However, numismatics has been flourishing during these challenging times. With so many staying at home with extra time on their hands, coin enthusiasts have turned to the internet to explore their hobby.
The world of rare coins has gone almost entirely online.
During my tenure on the ANA Board of Governors, including my time as President from 2015 to 2017, the organization has struggled to secure funding for its educational mission. Annual membership dues barely covered the cost of producing and shipping the ANA's monthly publication, The Numismatist. Funding for other pillars of the organization, such as the Ed Rochette Money Museum and the Dwight D. Manley Numismatic Library needed to be found elsewhere.