Gavin's College Fund Coin Album
6951 of 10,189 (68%) of the entire population are graded perfect DCAM.
The first United States patent was signed by President George Washington. Issued on July 31, 1790, it was awarded to Samuel Hopkins for a new, highly efficient process for making potash (a key ingredient in fertilizer, soap, and glassmaking). Because the U.S. patent system was brand new, the document was also personally signed by two other members of the first Patent Board: Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph. For historical context, before the United States established this federal process, the very first patent in North America was granted in 1641 by the Massachusetts General Court to Samuel Winslow for a salt-making process.
Satin finish coins were not released directly into circulation, but were sold in mint sets only. All Satin finish coins were struck on special sandblasted planchets, under higher pressure than circulation strike coins. Only 27K collector versions were struck.
Dolley Madison is a great representative for the First Ladies Series. Beyond being a perfect strike, she epitomizes intelligence and charm in ways that contribute to the diplomatic mission.
In 2006, the United States Mint added a second gold bullion coin to its precious metals portfolio. Authorized by the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005, the American Gold Buffalo was the Mint’s first .9999 fine gold coin. Just as the American Eagle Gold coin adapted a venerated design from the Mint’s past, the American Buffalo brought back James Earle Fraser’s iconic Buffalo Nickel design. While no new program is guaranteed to succeed, the Mint had reasons to believe that the Gold Buffalo would be well received after a 2001 silver commemorative coin bearing Fraser’s work sold out of its authorized 500,000 coin mintage in just 15 days. The first American Buffalo gold coins rolled off the press on June 20, 2006, at the West Point Mint and were available for purchase on June 22. Demand for the new design was markedly higher than demand for that year’s American Gold Eagle. For the 2006-W American Buffalo Gold Proof, the Mint set a mintage limit of 250,000. The final mintage of 246,267 represents that total minus returns. As a collectible, the 2006-W American Buffalo Gold Proof has the highest mintage of any Proof issue in the series and should be considered a common date.
Bullion coin for modern gold sets. Value tracks the bullion price.
This coin is a normal, "perfect", issue. Normal examples of the 2007-W platinum coins show the word FREEDOM (on the reverse) as polished, brilliant letters in contrast with the frosted, unpolished ribbon. In February 2011, a collector, Jason Fishman, reported finding an example of the $100 denomination with frosted, unpolished letters.
Ordered from Mint and then sent for grading. Pop 5,879/0.
Jaime Hernandez: The 2016-W Standing Liberty Gold Quarter originally went on sale on September 8, 2016. The original issue price of the 2016-W Standing Liberty Quarter when purchased directly from the U.S. Mint was set at $485 each. Its maximum authorized mintage was set at 125,000 coins. Each coin contains one-fourth ounce of pure 24 karat gold. The coins have a reeded edge with a beautiful Standing Liberty design. From September 8 to September 20, the ordering limit was set at one coin per household. The coins were well received by collectors, dealers and the public. In the secondary market, there were a few dealers trying to buy them in large quantities, even offering premiums ranging from about $50 - $100 over the U.S. Mint issue price per coin. However, on September 21, the U.S. Mint threw a curve ball when it raised the household ordering limit from one coin per household to an unlimited ordering limit per household. This was an unanticipated move for many collectors, speculators and dealers, as it affected prices of the coins. By September 28, the U.S. Mint had already sold a little over 75,000 coins, from the maximum authorized mintage of 100,000. In other words, approximately three-fourths of the coins have been sold so far. In 2016 the U.S. Mint introduced three different 2016 Centennial Gold coins to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Mercury Silver Dime, Standing Liberty Silver Quarter and Walking Liberty Silver Half Dollars. The U.S. Mint already offered the Gold Mercury Dimes and the Gold Standing Liberty Quarter earlier in the year and offered the Gold Walking Liberty Half Dollars later in the year. All three coin designs were originally introduced in 1916, but were composed of 90% silver as opposed to 24 karat pure gold.
2009 MMIX Ultra High Relief $20 Gold PCGS MS-70 PL. A top-pop, high-relief, proof-like, bullion coin that reprises the high relief coin of 1907.
Comparatively rare in PL (145/11,393 as of 2026).
Not many people can collect coins of their Alma Mater. I spent 4 years as a cadet and 20 years as faculty at West Point. I paraded endless times on the pictured parade field, quartered for my senior (Firstie) year in the first floor/third room from the left (as shown on the coin) with Jeff Benchich, and field/road marched countless times past the West Point Mint at the bottom of the ski slope (near the hills on the right). My younger son was born in the West Point hospital (Keller Army Hospital), both attended on-post and local schools (and both graduated from MIT), and my wife died at West Point and is buried in the West Point Cemetery, about a mile from the mint, saving me a spot.
The Medal of Honor is considered to be the highest personal decoration among military personnel. The 2011-W Medal of Honor coin was struck at the West Point Mint to commemorate the Medal of Honor Medal itself (not the coin), which has been awarded to fewer than 3,500 individuals since its inception in 1861.
A perfect coin. Bimetallic; top pop 682/0.