Precious Metal & Rare Coin Market News

The Federal Reserve’s ten rate hikes since March of 2022 have helped ease inflation in the US, but we’re not there yet. At a CPI of 4% year-over-year and core inflation that’s even higher, we’re still not at the 2% target. This might not seem like a problem. After all, if ten rate hikes got us this far down from our peak of 9.1% in June of 2022, then a few more hikes should get ... >> Read More        

In 1783, after eight difficult years, Great Britain declared it would cease hostilities with the United States, creating an end to the long Revolutionary War. The 1783 Treaty of Paris officially ended the war and recognized the United States as an independent nation. Now, our young nation faced its next serious problem. At that time, there was no official coinage and the thirteen early American states all used different forms of official or unofficial money ... >> Read More        

Kind of like the uncle who keeps sticking around long after dinner has ended, inflation is proving hard to say goodbye to. Ten interest rate hikes later, the Federal Reserve still hasn't stuffed the inflation genie back into the bottle – as the central bank battles with the highest levels of inflation in the United States since the early 1980s. New data reveals that despite the most aggressive interest rate hike campaign in history – ... >> Read More        

In 1936 the Wisconsin Centennial Commission appointed a Coinage Committee to pursue the development and minting of a commemorative coin to celebrate and help finance the Wisconsin Centennial that year. The Wisconsin Centennial half dollar came at a time when the commemorative coin market was booming. This surge was due to previous commemorative coins that were minted in low quantities causing them to appreciate in value significantly. Many of these pieces sold at a premium ... >> Read More        

In 2023, there is a shining star in the financial world: gold is shimmering and bright. Since the start of the year, gold climbed as much as 10% higher, traded above $2,000 an ounce, and approached the all-time record high price for the precious metal. You may be wondering – what's going on with gold? To uncover what's driving the big move higher in gold this year, David Zanca, Senior Portfolio Manager at Blanchard, and ... >> Read More        

The 1937 silver 50-Cent Antietam coin was minted to commemorate the 75th anniversary of a Civil War battle that had major national significance. On September 17, 1862, nearly 5,000 were killed and 20,000 were wounded in the Battle of Antietam near Sharpsburg, Maryland. it was the first field army–level engagement in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War to take place on Union soil and is remembered as the single bloodiest day of the ... >> Read More        

Retirement accounts face greater risks today. That risk is inflation. Rising inflation has moderated a bit in recent months. Yet it is still well above the 10-year historical average of about 1.88%. The problem is that many retirement accounts were set up, funded, and invested at a time when inflation was low. That time has passed, but few retirement accounts have caught up to the current environment. As a result, the allocations within many of ... >> Read More        

Mosby’s Treasure in Virginia Idaho Stagecoach Robbery Treasure Pirate Treasure at Hawaii’s Palemano Point Gangster John Dillinger's Suitcase Filled With Cash Jesse James And His Band of Outlaws Lost Loot in Oklahoma The allure of hidden treasure and sudden riches is strong. The possibility of a huge stash of gold, silver, jewels, cash and more has driven treasure hunters on expeditions throughout history. Today we highlight five hidden treasures that are still waiting to be ... >> Read More        

An event that has a small probability of occurring is sometimes called a tail event. The “tail” is the sloping far left and right sides of a normal distribution curve. These are the areas that sit outside the main bulge of the curve. If the tail represents uncommon outcomes, why do they matter? They matter because when they do happen, they often present dramatic outcomes. In his 2007 best-seller, The Black Swan: The Impact of ... >> Read More        

The Trade Dollar is an interesting example of how expanding global trade can give rise to new coins. In the mid-1800s, the Mexican peso was a highly valued means of exchange in China. In contrast, the American silver dollar was far less popular due to its relatively light weight. This meant that American merchants had no choice but to use Mexican and Spanish currency when engaging in commerce. Around this time, Louis Garnett, who served ... >> Read More