Groundbreaking Video Game Rewards Players With Unique Coin Offerings, Including Special, Limited-Edition United States Mint Silver Eagles

Nice Gang, a new mobile gaming studio, has partnered with the United States Mint to create a groundbreaking collaboration aimed at engaging a new generation of coin collectors. This partnership follows the Mint's previous collaboration with DC Comics and represents an innovative approach to promoting special, limited-edition coins

Eighth Era: A Revolutionary Gaming Experience

Nice Gang's flagship mobile game, Eighth Era, is set to revolutionize the gaming industry by offering players the opportunity to win physical collectibles, specifically unique silver bullion coins with a first-of-its-kind privy mark

This free-to-play mobile game features:

  • Over 90 unique characters inspired by historical coins

  • Chances to win physical coins in various metals and finishes

  • Early access to limited-edition American Silver Eagles with a special star privy mark

The game's design draws inspiration from iconic coins such as the ancient Greek Athenian Owl tetradrachm, the 1839 British £5 Una and the Lion gold coin, the Indian Head/Buffalo nickel, and the early 20th century Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle

Collaboration Details

The partnership between Nice Gang and the U.S. Mint offers several unique features:

  • Players can gain early access to American Silver Eagle bullion coins with a star privy mark

  • The initial release will have the lowest mintage of bullion Silver Eagles in U.S. Mint history, limited to 50,000 coins

  • Plans are already in place for a second offering featuring an eagle-in-flight privy mark

Market Potential and Reception

The collaboration taps into significant market potential:

  • The collectibles market size reached $426 billion in 2023

  • Mobile games grossed $108 billion in the same year

Early market testing has shown promising results:

  • Alpha and beta tests received "emphatically positive" responses from players

  • The rewards system appears to be a strong differentiating factor

  • A prototype reward coin sold for $350 at Gary Vaynerchuk's VeeCon festival

Key Figures Behind Nice Gang

Nice Gang boasts a team of industry veterans:

  • Mark Salzberg: Chairman and founder of Certified Collectibles Group and Numismatic Guaranty Corporation

  • Vincent Nguyen: Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder, with experience in major animated franchises

  • Jason Wasserman: CEO and Co-Founder, former executive at 20th Century Fox and The Walt Disney Studios

Launch and Availability

Eighth Era is scheduled for release on mobile app stores worldwide in October 2024. Interested collectors and gamers can visit www.NiceGang.com to watch the trailer, learn more about the game, and sign up for notifications regarding the unique United States Mint offerings. This collaboration represents a significant step in the Mint's efforts to connect with younger collectors and introduce them to the world of numismatics through an engaging, interactive platform.

The United States Mint Selects Stack’s Bowers Galleries to Sell Privy Mark 230th Anniversary Flowing Hair High Relief Gold Coins

The 2024 Flowing Hair High Relief Gold Coins, commemorating the 230th anniversary of America's first silver dollar, achieved remarkable success at auction.

Auction Results

  • Stack's Bowers Galleries auctioned 230 privy-marked coins on December 12, 2024

  • Total realized: $8,230,000

Coin Details

  • 1 oz .9999 fine gold

  • Struck at West Point Mint

  • High relief design

  • "230" privy mark

  • Obverse and reverse designs based on 1794 Flowing Hair dollar

Historical Significance

  • Commemorates the 1794 Flowing Hair silver dollar

  • Original 1794 dollar: first U.S. silver dollar, designed by Robert Scot

  • Initial mintage: 1,758 coins

  • Fewer than 150 1794 dollars estimated to survive today

Numismatic Information

  • Third collaboration between U.S. Mint and Stack's Bowers

  • Coins sold in striking order (1 to 230)

  • Graded by PCGS

  • Special Certificate of Authenticity signed by U.S. Mint Director

The auction's success underscores the enduring appeal of early American coin designs and the strong market for modern reinterpretations of classic numismatic treasures

The 1850 Baldwin & Co. Horseman $10 Gold Coin: A Rare Echo of California's Gold Rush

The 1850 Baldwin & Co. Horseman $10 gold coin is a rare and significant artifact from the California Gold Rush era. Here's a concise summary of its history and importance:

Origins and Design

  • Frederick D. Kohler, a San Francisco coiner, commissioned engraver Albrecht Kuner to create a unique $10 gold coin design in 1850.

  • Kuner's design featured a vaquero (cowboy) on horseback, inspired by an 1831 print titled "Californians Throwing the Lasso" by F.W. Beechey.

  • This design was distinctly different from the typical Liberty Head gold coinage of the time.

Transition to Baldwin & Co.

  • On March 15, 1850, Kohler sold his business to Baldwin & Co., owned by George C. Baldwin and Thomas S. Holman.

  • Baldwin & Co. continued using Kuner's Horseman design for their $10 gold pieces.

Production and Issues

  • The 1850 Horseman $10 contained 99.6% of its stated gold value, making it Baldwin & Co.'s most honest product.

  • Later issues were found to be debased, leading to public distrust and eventual decline of private mints in California.

Rarity and Value

  • Only 20 to 25 examples of the 1850 Horseman $10 are believed to exist in private hands.

  • The coin's rarity and unique design make it highly valuable to collectors.

Historical Significance

  • The coin represents the entrepreneurial spirit of the Gold Rush era and California's cultural diversity.

  • Its vaquero design acknowledges California's Mexican heritage and cowboy culture.

In essence, the 1850 Baldwin & Co. Horseman $10 gold coin is a rare and valuable numismatic treasure that encapsulates the history, culture, and economic dynamics of Gold Rush-era California.

Small mintages tend to produce good results, as with a 1976 National Bicentennial Medal MS65 NGC that sold for $49,200. This medal was the Mint’s ultimate tribute to the National Bicentennial, designed by Chief Engraver Frank Gasparro, and the largest gold medal ever produced by the U.S. Mint, measuring 76mm in diameter and weighing 14.72 troy ounces of .900 fine gold. Each medal is numbered on the edge; this medal is number 13 from a reported distribution of 424, although an unknown number of those produced were likely melted in the 1980s.

1924-S Double Eagle, MS65 NGC, caught the attention of numerous bidders, selling for $60,000

Although nearly a decade removed from the 1933 Gold Recall mandated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 1924-S was heavily melted in the mid-1930s. Of the 2.9 million struck, most remained in government control by 1933. Approximately 250,000 were “put out” to the Federal Reserve banks, but few ever made it into domestic commerce; the majority eventually returned to the Mint and were melted down. It is believed the surviving population has dwindled to roughly 1,100 examples.

The only example to earn a PR66 grade with the coveted Star designation, which indicates exceptional eye appeal, this coin is among just 291 examples that NGC has certified as proofs. Of those, just 25 fall into the PR66 grade range, the finest of which—the example offered in this auction—is the lone offering to carry the Star designation.

Rare 1870-CC Double Eagle Lifts Heritage’s US Coins Auction Above $5.6 Million

An 1870-CC Double Eagle, XF45 NGC sold for $312,000 on December 12-15, 2024

“This is one of the few survivors of this exceptional coin, which is one of the greatest trophy-level coins of the entire double eagle series,” says Todd Imhof, Executive Vice President of Heritage Auctions. “Only 3,789 were originally struck, and of those, estimates of its surviving population have ranged from just 40 to 65, making it the rarest gold coin from this historically important Mint.

New York, NY (July 26, 2024) — The Trustees of the American Numismatic Society (ANS) have selected Dr. William E. Metcalf as the recipient of the 2024 Archer M. Huntington Award in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the fields of Roman and Byzantine numismatics. A reception will take place on October 19, 2024, at the ANS headquarters in New York City, beginning at 4:00 PM ET, followed by the award ceremony at 4:30 PM ET. During the event, Dr. Metcalf will deliver the Silvia Mani Hurter Memorial Lecture on “The Making of Roman Provincial Coinage (X).” Attendees are invited to RSVP for in-person attendance.

Dr. Metcalf earned his academic credentials from the University of Michigan, receiving an A.B. in Latin with distinction and highest honors in 1969, an A.M. in Classical Studies in 1970, and a Ph.D. in Classical Studies in 1973. He began his illustrious career at the ANS in 1973 as Assistant Curator of Roman and Byzantine Coins, later becoming Chief Curator in 1979, a role he held until 2000. In 2002, Dr. Metcalf took on the position of Curator of Coins and Medals at the Yale University Art Gallery and Professor of Classics (adj.) at Yale University. He also served as the Ben Lee Damsky Curator of Coins and Medals from 2007 to 2014, and has held teaching positions at numerous esteemed institutions, including Columbia University, Princeton University, and New York University.

Dr. Metcalf’s scholarly contributions are vast. His published works include notable books such as The Cistophori of Hadrian (ANS, 1980), The Silver Coinage of Cappadocia: Vespasian-Commodus (ANS, 1996), and The Later Republican Cistophori (ANS, 2017). Additionally, he edited The Oxford Handbook of Greek and Roman Coinage (Oxford University Press, 2012). His contributions extend to editorial boards of prestigious journals, including American Journal of Numismatics and American Journal of Archaeology. He has also served on numerous committees for organizations such as the Archaeological Institute of America and the Society for Classical Studies.

Among his many accolades, Dr. Metcalf was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London (1998), and the William E. Metcalf Lecture Series of the Archaeological Institute of America was established in his honor in 2000. He received the Jeton de Vermeil from the Société Française de Numismatique in 2008, and the ANS honored him with the publication of Concordia Disciplinarum: Essays on Ancient Coinage, History, and Archaeology in Honor of William E. Metcalf in 2018.

The Archer M. Huntington Award, first presented in 1918, honors outstanding career contributions to numismatic scholarship. The current award medal, designed by Eugene L. Daub, continues to symbolize excellence in the field.