US Mint Pre-1933 Gold Coins

The Sheldon Scale: A Comprehensive Guide for Grading Gold and Silver Coins

The Sheldon grading Scale is widely used by various entities within the numismatic community. Third-party grading services are arguably the most notable users of the Sheldon grading Scale. These independent organizations, including the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), provide expert coin grading services to collectors and dealers worldwide.

Sheldon introduced his scale in the 1940s for the grading of early American cents, but the system’s usefulness quickly led to its adoption for all types of coins. The Sheldon Grading Scale effectively revolutionized the field of numismatics by providing a common language to describe a coin’s condition.

Sales Tax When Buying Silver and Gold

$20 Liberty Double Eagle Obverse

Despite the long history of gold and silver being recognized as money, many states continue to tax their citizens for the privilege of owning these metals. The notion of sales tax on precious metals investing is contentious to some and represents a line in the sand between some legislators and investors.

Is Owning Precious Metals Legal?

On April 5, 1933 President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 6102 which outlawed the private ownership of gold by citizens.

For a duration lasting 41 years in the mid-20th century, the government made it a crime for the people to own, hold or transact in sound money.

Following the resignation of Nixon, one of the first laws signed by President Ford included a bill which reversed Roosevelt’s Executive Orders.

It has been legal for anyone to own, hoard, buy and sell gold in the United States since December 1, 1974.

Compare Premiums to Determine Which Silver Dealer Has the Best Price

shipping silver bullion

When you buy silver and gold bullion from online dealers the pricing displayed on their websites can be confusing. It can sometimes be hard to tell if you’re getting a good deal or not. All bullion dealers, whether online or a local coins shop, price their bullion relative to the spot price of the precious … Read moreCompare Premiums to Determine Which Silver Dealer Has the Best Price