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Roger W. Burdette

Responsible for much original numismatic research in recent years, Roger Burdette was named the ANA Numismatist of the Year in 2023. Besides CoinWeek, he has written for Coin World and The Numismatist, among others. He is the author of Renaissance of American Coinage 1916-1921 (2005); Renaissance of American Coinage 1905-1908 (2006); Renaissance of American Coinage 1909-1915 (2007); A Guide Book of Peace Dollars (Whitman, 2009); and Fads, Fakes & Foibles (2021). He also co-wrote the NLG award-winning Truth Seeker: The Life of Eric P. Newman (2015) with Len Augsburger and Joel Orosz. Burdette served as a member of the Citizen’s Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) from 2008 to 2012.
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Recent Articles by this Author

New Orleans Mint Half Eagle melting.

The Metal Is Not Properly Mixed: Gold Half Eagles at the New Orleans Mint

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek .....   In a recent CoinWeek column, I mentioned the unusual transfer of gold from the New York Assay...
The New Orleans Mint, C. 1900. Image: United States Department of the Treasury / colorized by CoinWeek.

How Erratic Coin Distribution Affected Mint Workers

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek .....   Coming into the 20th century, mint facilities in the United States were putting coins into circulation on...
Fort Knox Gold Bullion Depository

The National Gold Bullion Depository at Fort Knox

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek .....   Several months before passage of the Gold Reserve Act of January 30, 1934, the United States Treasury...
Grading gold coins

Some Practical Coin Grading Concepts for the Average Collector

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek .....   Several days ago, a collector (DeplorableDan) posted photos and comments about an 1836 Quarter Eagle, Block 8...
This is an illustration of a United States $20 gold coin alongside a ledger entry showing the daily melting of gold coins into gold ingots in 1937.

Converting Gold Coins Into Bullion Bars After 1933

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek .....   Much has been made of President Roosevelt’s Executive Order 6102 forbidding the hoarding of gold coin, gold...
1904 Proof coins seen over a ledger entry for Proof coin and medal orders.

The Big Impact of Small Coin Collectors

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek .....   The Philadelphia Mint began selling sets of special coins to collectors in 1858. The new policy was...
An artist's interpretation of an 1877 Liberty Seated half dollar melting in a crucible. Image: CoinWeek / Adobe Stock.

Coin Production at the US Mint: Questions and Answers

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek ..... In the “old days” we’d call this a “mail bag column”. But now that everything’s electronic mail,...
1873 Coins. Date Magnified. Image: CoinWeek.

1873 : The Year That Changed the United States Mint

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek .....   1873 was an interesting year for the United States Mint. The most important event was the passage...
Platinum-filled Gold Coins. Some 19th Century fakes were plugged with precious metal.

Counterfeit Gold Coins Filled With Platinum: Hollow Gold

The production of counterfeit gold and silver coins is almost as old as coinage itself. The usual method involves making something that looks like an...

Edge Collars – Coining’s Third Dimension

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek .....   All United States coins have three sides. Collectors pay most of their attention to the obverse (the...
United States Silver Dollars. Image: Adobe Stock.

Why Coin Mintages Are Often Even Numbers

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek .....   Recently, a hobby message board member asked an interesting question: Does anyone know why quarter and half dollar...
1874 United States Assay Medal; Assay Commission Medals – Insights Into the 1874 Issue

Assay Commission Medals – Insights Into the 1874 Issue

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek .....   The Mint Act of 1792 established the United States Assay Commission to test and verify weight and...
What is a First Strike Coin? by Roger Burdette.

What Is a First Strike Coin?

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek ..... Over several years, coin marketing and sales types have promoted catchy phrases for traditional first strike or...
Saint-Gaudens double eagle: A Proof, Specimen, or Business Strike?

Roger Burdette: “Silk Purse” Coins

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek .....   “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear,” is an expression that has been...
How Coins Were Made - 1869 Edition

How Coins Were Made – 1869 Edition

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek .....   Nineteenth-century America was a nation of technological advancement, increasing mechanization, and pervasive fraud on the general public...
United States Mint Employee Allegiance Medal.

The United States Mint Employee Allegiance Medal

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek .....   On September 2, 1861, officers and workmen/women of the various facilities of the United States Mint took...
United States Coinage Figures Not Always Correct

United States Coinage Figures Not Always Correct

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek .....   We like to assume that all coins with the current year’s date were delivered to the Treasurer...
How Thick is the U.S. Trade Dollar?

How Thick Was a Trade Dollar?

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek ..... Today, the thickness of a coin is seldom a topic of discussion among coin collectors. It mostly...
1809 Half Cent Mintage Feature Article

How Coin Mintages Sometimes Get Messed Up

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek ..... We’re all familiar with coin guides of one sort or another. The most frequently used are price...
1882-CC Morgan Silver Dollar Adjustments

A Possible Adjustment to Carson City Mint Coinage for 1882

By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek .....   Production of George T. Morgan’s standard silver dollar coin tested the abilities of U.S. mints to meet...

Bullion Sharks Silver

AU Capital Management US gold Coins

Doug Winter Numismatics Branch Mint Gold

Great Collections Ancient and World Coins

Rick Snow Eagle Eye Rare Coins