Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2026 i Coin Collector

Happy new year and welcome to the first 2026 edition of Coin Collector. In this month’s magazine, we include details of the US Mint’s coin programme to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial, which marks the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding. The coins are the result of a survey conducted amongst the American public in the autumn of 2023 to find out the most popular thematic topics to celebrate the anniversary. These new designs are for one year only, with the designs reverting to their normal schedule in 2027. The designs that have been revealed include a new dime that features an image of Lady Liberty, who symbolises the country’s struggle to free itself from British rule. Five new quarters for the anniversary highlight key moments in the establishment of the…

The American Numismatic Society (ANS) – a nearly 170-year-old organisation dedicated to the public appreciation and research of coins, currency and medals and holding the most comprehensive collection of numismatic objects in the United States – has announced its strategic relocation from its current leased location at 75 Varick Street in New York City to Toledo, Ohio, where it will take up residence on the campus of the Toledo Museum of Art (TMA). This major relocation, taking place in the first half of 2028, will enable the ANS to better serve its American and international audiences, while developing a strong relationship with the local community in the former major industrial city now undergoing a cultural revival. The Numismatic Society of Ireland has announced that Our Own Coinage: The Political and Legal…

In early December 2025, I had the opportunity to visit the Bavarian State Mint in Munich – a routine appointment for a journalist like myself, yet one that unexpectedly offered a glimpse into the future of what awaits us collectors in 2026. In one of the halls stood pallets stacked with buckets filled with freshly struck silver coins. Christmas coins, beautifully designed and technically flawless – and yet without a future. They were ready to be transported to the melting furnace. The decision not to release these coins at all is a tough question. But, given the current legal framework, it is arguably unavoidable, as the Bundesbank cannot simply issue coins whose metal value exceeds their face value. The matter has been heatedly debated in online forums and Facebook groups,…

This article will explore the ‘right-grain’ gold mohur of the Bengal Presidency (an Australian Proclamation coin), giving a brief history of the Bengal Presidency itself, the design of the mohur and its weight standard, and investigating the mohur’s monetary power in England and Australia. Historical events and details will be kept succinct as an in-depth explanation is out of the scope of this write-up. Further, information was gathered from various works and, therefore, credit goes to several of my numismatic predecessors: Richard Doty, Fred Pridmore and John Sharples, as well as the most recent publications of Paul Stevens, who was partly aided in his work by the collector Robert Puddester. THE BENGAL PRESIDENCY The Bengal Presidency, officially the ‘Presidency of Fort William in Bengal’, was an administrative division of British…

Stack’s Bowers sold an example of the storied 1804 silver dollar in December for $6,000,000 (Figure 1). The rare coin was previously unknown to the numismatic community. For generations, numismatic experts thought there were exactly 15 examples known. Last year it was revealed that a 16th example of this popular rarity had been hidden away in a safety deposit box for decades. The coin was part of the illustrious James A Stack collection, which had been formed in the 1930s and 1940s. James A Stack died in 1951, but his coins had been bequeathed to his heirs, with instructions they only be sold for the benefit of his grandchildren when they turned 25. The first coins from this famous collection entered the market in 1975. Other coins were sold over…

14 January – St James’s InterContinental New York Barclay, 111 East 48th Street, New York, USA stjauctions.com 14 January – Tennants Harmby Road, Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 5SG www.tennants.co.uk 18 January – Chris Rudd PO Box 1500, Norwich NR10 5WS celticcoins.com 27 January – Noonans 16 Bolton Street, Mayfair, London W1J 8BQ www.noonans.co.uk 27–28 January – Lockdales 52 Barrack Square, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich IP5 3RF www.lockdales.com 10 February – Noonans 16 Bolton Street, Mayfair, London W1J 8BQ www.noonans.co.uk 18 February – Warwick & Warwick Chalon House, Scar Bank, Millers Road, Warwick CV34 5DB www.warwickandwarwick.com 23–27 February – Christoph Gärtner Steinbeisstraße 6+8, 74321 Bietigheim www.auktionen-gaertner.de 3 March – Noonans 16 Bolton Street, Mayfair, London W1J 8BQ www.noonans.co.uk 15 March – Chris Rudd PO Box 1500, Norwich NR10 5WS celticcoins.com 20 March…

The reign of Nicholas II as the last Tsar of Russia, which lasted from 1894 until 1917, occupies a distinctive place in the world of numismatics (Figure 1). His coinage represents both the apex of technical refinement in the Russian Empire and the final chapter of a centuries-old monetary tradition that ended abruptly with the revolution of 1917. For collectors, the coins of Nicholas II blend artistry, political symbolism, economic transition and historical tragedy. They enable us to explore the numismatic legacy of the last Romanov ruler, its historical context, design evolution, minting practices, rarities and enduring significance. For British collectors, it may be interesting that Nicholas II was a family member of Queen Victoria. On one side, they were distant cousins going back to their common ancestor King George…

A new 2026 £5 brilliant uncirculated coin from the Royal Mint features a modern reinterpretation by Italian sculptor Sandra Deiana of the historic angel coin, which was first introduced in 1465. Considered to be of cultural significance when it was in use, the original coin was used in touching ceremonies to protect the bearer from scrofula, also known as ‘the king’s evil’. The reverse of the coin was inspired by the famous passage from the New Testament that describes a battle between a heavenly army and the forces of darkness. It depicts the Archangel Michael as a powerful protector slaying Satan, who is represented as a dragon. This scene featured in many famous artworks, including Raphael’s Saint Michael Vanquishing Satan. In these depictions, St Michael is usually shown as a…