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Boy how times change...


Tiffibunny

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I just realized with all the talk of gold in the "Wish you owned" thread that I have 4 gold US coins in my possession.

 

901460.jpg

 

This being the most recent. 2000 $5 Gold Eagle 1/10oz.

 

895890.jpg

 

1986-W Liberty Gold $5 Commemorative

 

First modern minted Half Eagle 1/4oz

 

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1991 World War II 50th Anniversary Gold $5

 

How's that for interesting? The commemorative Gold 1/4oz coins still have the $5 denomination even though 1/10 Gold eagles which started in the same year also have the $5 denomination.

 

Then here in 2003 the commemorative 1/4oz is now $10.

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I just realized with all the talk of gold in the "Wish you owned" thread that I have 4 gold US coins in my possession.

 

901460.jpg

 

This being the most recent.  2000 $5 Gold Eagle  1/10oz.

 

895890.jpg

 

1986-W Liberty Gold $5 Commemorative

 

First modern minted Half Eagle 1/4oz

 

901262.jpg

1991 World War II 50th Anniversary Gold $5

 

How's that for interesting?  The commemorative Gold 1/4oz coins still have the $5 denomination even though 1/10 Gold eagles which started in the same year also have the $5 denomination.

 

Then here in 2003 the commemorative 1/4oz is now $10.

 

Which 2003 are you talking about? If you are referring to the Wright Bros. $10, it's not a quarter ounce, it's a regular $10 gold, with .48375 oz. of gold (twice the size of the Statue of Liberty gold). The commems are all minted under the old gold standard, which equates gold at $20.67 per oz. So the $10 has 0.48375 oz, and the $5 has 0.241875 oz. The eagle bullion coins have just idiotic random denominations, especially the 1/4 ounce. That program has a face value of $50 for an ounce, so 1/4 of that should be $12.50, but instead they rounded it to $10 for some unknown reason. So if we were trading at face value, you could give me a 1/4 oz. $10 for 2 1/10 oz $5, and I'd be ahead by 0.05 oz of gold! I'd do that trade all day long! Now you know why I only own a couple of modern bullion eagles (plus they utterly butchered Saint-Gaudens' design!) :ninja:

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Which 2003 are you talking about?  If you are referring to the Wright Bros. $10, it's not a quarter ounce, it's a regular $10 gold, with .48375 oz. of gold (twice the size of the Statue of Liberty gold).  The commems are all minted under the old gold standard, which equates gold at $20.67 per oz.  So the $10 has 0.48375 oz, and the $5 has 0.241875 oz.  The eagle bullion coins have just idiotic random denominations, especially the 1/4 ounce.  That program has a face value of $50 for an ounce, so 1/4 of that should be $12.50, but instead they rounded it to $10 for some unknown reason.  So if we were trading at face value, you could give me a 1/4 oz. $10 for 2 1/10 oz $5, and I'd be ahead by 0.05 oz of gold!  I'd do that trade all day long!  Now you know why I only own a couple of modern bullion eagles (plus they utterly butchered Saint-Gaudens' design!)  :ninja:

 

 

Ah, see I thought they changed the denomination, the book really doesn't give specifics for each coin. So, thanks for that.

 

 

And that's what doesn't make sense to me. Why didn't they use the same standard for the GAE's? It seems silly to me. If (never happen) we had to use them as money again, those with the GAE's would make out like bandits. ;)

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I am really not sure how they came up with denominations on the bullion coins. If they used the old standard it would be really odd since a one ounce coin would have a face value of $20.67, and no one likes odd denominations. I think they probably took the "official" price of gold which is $42/oz. and rounded up. Of course that still wouldn't explain the idiocy of the 1/4 oz. = $10 situation. They probably could have made the 1 oz. with a face of $100, then $50, $25 and $10, but then they'd be identical to some Canadian issues, and it would really make the value of paper dollars look foolish. Ultimately we may never know!

 

If I remember, I'll get my Wright Bros. eagle out of the bank and take a picture with it next to a $5 to give perspective.

 

PS- I think the Statue of Liberty half eagle is one of the prettiest gold commems the mint has made in modern times.

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Yeah, they're ok. My Mom bought the commems for me, but they pale in comparison to the one I'm temporarily holding to give her for her birthday.

 

900262.jpg

 

:ninja:

 

I have a month and 6 days to continue to drool over it. ;)

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Ok Tiff, here is the photo I promise, one compares the $5 eagle bullion to the $5 commem and the $10 eagle bullion and the $10 Commem. The second just shows the two commems, $5 and $10 side by side. This should hopefully give the proper perspective.

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