What a Canadian Maple Leaf coin is
The Maple Leaf is Canada’s government bullion coin. Gold Maples are .9999 fine. Silver Maples are one ounce of .9999…
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The public coin and money library, plus dealer guides — what people bring to a shop, how money works, and how shops run.
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What a Krugerrand is
The Krugerrand is a South African gold bullion coin first struck in 1967. The one-ounce coin is 22 karat and…
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What a British sovereign is
A sovereign is a British gold coin, traditionally 22 karat, with about 0.2354 troy ounces of gold. Shops know it.…
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What a hallmark is on jewelry and silver
A hallmark is an official or maker’s stamp that claims fineness and origin. It is a clue. It is not…
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What COMEX and LBMA have to do with the number on the shop wall
COMEX is a US futures market. LBMA is the London over-the-counter gold and silver market. Together they are the wholesale…
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What seigniorage is
Seigniorage is the profit a government makes when face value is more than the cost to produce the money. A…
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Why coins have ridges on the edge
Reeding was added so people could not shave gold and silver off the edge and pass the coin at full…
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Where coins began: Lydia, weight, and the first stamps
The first coins were stamped lumps of mixed gold and silver in ancient Lydia, around the 7th century BC. The…
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What inflation does to the coins in your pocket
Inflation means each dollar buys less. Face-value coins stay at face value. Silver and gold coins do not. That is…
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