The word “bullion” may conjure up images of pirates pillaging treasure chests or the military patrolling the golden bunkers of Fort Knox — but bullion isn’t just for the criminal class and the government. In fact, buying bullion is a great way to diversify your portfolio and (often) realize a great rate of return. How…

If you want to see the treasures of the famed Ship of Gold, you’ll need to book your ticket for Southern California later this month. The 2013 Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Sports Collectibles Expo features a display of more than $10 million worth of gold that was recovered from the ship as well as…

Selling your gold, silver, jewelry or other valuables can be a nerve-racking process. How do you know what your valuables are really worth? How can you be sure that you’re not getting ripped off? And if you’re in the market to buy gold bullion, silver bullion or vintage jewelry, how can you know whether you’re…

This year, coin collectors are celebrating the release of the American Buffalo one-ounce gold reverse proof coin. Struck in 99.99% fine, 24-karat gold at the United States Mint at West Point, this beautiful coin has a style all its own. Instead of the traditional proof style — with a shiny background and frosted buffalo and…

Imagine this: you open up one of those old boxes sitting in your basement or attic and find a small leather bag. Inside the bag are some old coins, so you sit down and begin to sift through them. Most likely, you’ll have a handful of historical curiosities, which might be worth a few dollars….

Back in the 1790s, the United States was quite a different place. George Washington gave the country’s first State of the Union address. Thomas Jefferson was in charge of the first U.S. Census, which asked a total of six questions. The largest urban area was New York City, with a population of just over 33,000…

Back in December 1904, three years after he took office, Theodore Roosevelt sent a famous letter to Treasury Secretary Leslie Shaw that ushered in a new age of American coinage. Here’s what he said:  I think our coinage is artistically of atrocious hideousness. Would it be possible, without asking permission of Congress, to employ a…

  Produced from one of the world’s largest gold mines in South Africa, the Krugerrand is the original and most recognized one-ounce gold bullion coin. First minted in 1967 from Rand Refinery, it was developed to internationally promote South African gold by making it easy for anybody to invest in gold. It’s been legal tender…

A friend was recently cleaning out his family home’s basement when he came across a locked box that hadn’t been opened in perhaps decades. He dusted it off, turned the lock and was surprised to find it contained a cache of out-of-circulation coins: Liberty coins, Morgan silver dollars, Mercury dimes, Franklin half-dollars and more. Not…

  The story of the U.S. penny begins back in 1787 when the first pure copper half-cent was designed by Benjamin Franklin and manufactured in a private mint. Back then, you could buy a nice plate of eggs and bacon with a few cents, but today a penny doesn’t get you much at all. If…

Recently, it was widely reported that a very rare 1796 U.S. half cent fetched a whopping $357,000 at a European auction held by Wooley and Wallis of Salisbury, England. Also known as the Liberty Cap Half Cent, this coin was certainly a prime offering as there were only 1,390 ever minted by the U.S. Mint…

So we know the proposed $1 trillion coin made of platinum was ultimately rejected by the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Treasury. And no, the proposed coin was not going to contain $1 trillion worth of platinum, but let’s consider for a moment, what it would look like if it did… Thanks to a quirky…

The chisel slipped, injuring one of his hands. And the work of Bo Hughes, one of the best-known hobo nickel carvers, was never the same. The Great Depression largely defined the hobo nickel phenomenon. With millions of people out of work and without prospects in their hometowns, many joined the drifter community, hoping to find…

Interested in starting a coin collection but not sure where to start or what you should know? Here are some tips from the experienced staff at West Seattle Coins and Bellevue Rare Coins to help you start collecting. First, choose a series of coins you would like to collect. Start small, with modern coins, before…

Coin collecting is one of the world’s oldest known hobbies (and one of our favorites!). Once thought of as an activity for the wealthy, today, coin collecting is becoming increasingly popular with millions of hobbyists worldwide. In the US, interest in coin collecting was sparked by the availability of commemorative coins in the 1930s as…