Numismatic News February 25, 2025

On Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, Stack’s Bowers Galleries (SBG) released a letter from CEO Greg Roberts, President Brian Kendrella, and CFO Andrew Glassman announcing that it had entered a merger agreement to be acquired by A-Mark Precious Metals. A press release from A-Mark Precious Metals, Inc. reads, “A-Mark Precious Metals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMRK), a leading fully integrated precious metals platform, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100 percent of the stock of Spectrum Group International, Inc., the parent of Stack’s Bowers Galleries.” The letter from SBG assured that the auctioneer would continue to work as a standalone, but the merger with A-Mark will provide them “with the resources and scale to accelerate growth and enhance the services….” The letter continues, “Going forward, our leadership team will remain in…

Here are some answers sent from our e-newsletter readers. Read more responses at www.numismaticnews.net. What are some youth sports you’re hoping to see on the U.S. Mint’s 2027 coins and why? While this is a nice attempt to interest the youth of the country in coins, haven’t we had enough “programs” for a while? There are about 130 different Washington quarters currently circulating. Great if you collect foreign coins because cashiers rarely know which are U.S. coins and which are not. As long as the size is close, into the drawer it goes. I have collected all of these quarters and am struggling to find the enthusiasm to do so for youth sports! Gerald Ward Address withheld Soccer, soccer, and more soccer! Tom Pesacreta Address withheld The U.S. Mint’s plan…

The 2025 Proof Set will become available on the U.S. Mint’s website on March 4. The set will include ten proof coins, including all five 2025 American Women Quarters, one Native American dollar coin, a Kennedy half dollar, a Roosevelt dime, a Jefferson nickel, and a Lincoln one-cent coin. The five women featured on the 2025 quarters are Ida B. Wells, Juliette Gordon Low, Vera Rubin, Stacey Park Milbern, and Althea Gibson.…

■ What is the proper protocol for a civilian wearing his military medals? Retirees, honorably separated individuals, and veterans can wear military medals on their left breast pocket at military-related events, during holidays, and on other appropriate occasions. Miniature medals are recommended to be worn on more formal occasions, with full-size medals to be worn otherwise. Lapel pins representing a single military decoration are also appropriate for civilian wear. ■ I have a collection of military medals. Any recommendations on how to display them? There are many types of shadow boxes and display cabinets in which military medals can be viewed. In general, the highest honor should be at the top far left, with lesser honors following in their order of importance. Should you have both medals you or a…

To say there has been a fair amount of attention focused on our Washington quarters in the past few decades may be one of the biggest understatements in all of numismatics. Since 1999, the fine folks at the Mint appear to have been working overtime, pounding out hundreds of billions of our twenty-five-cent pieces with an impressive array of reverse designs. There are gorgeous proofs made each year, with many of them now produced in the 90 percent silver alloy of the pre-1965 time. There is now even a new obverse to go with the legion of reverses that have come out. Perhaps because of this, what can now be termed the classic Washington quarters have been relegated to the shadows a bit. And that means there just might be…

Martha Washington and the 1792 Half Disme. The question of the portrait on the half disme has been a contentious matter since at least the 1850s. There are those who firmly believe that the profile is that of Martha Washington, while others, probably a majority, strongly disagree and see only a Liberty head, which is not all that well done. The following points apply: 1) The President was not as strongly opposed to his portrait as commonly believed. Although he may well have been opposed, circumstantial evidence indicates that he made little or no effort to oppose the original Senate bill mandating a presidential portrait. Martha Washington’s appearance would have honored the President in a subtle way. 2) The “GW Pt” pattern cent strongly indicates not only being official but…