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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

How the U.S. Mint Hardened and Tempered Coinage Dies

More Articles Roger W. Burdette -
 Inside the 1877 U.S. Mint: How William Barber Kept Coin Dies From Breaking Every struck coin begins with controlled violence. A coining press forces two hardened...
1907 High Releif $20 Saints. LEFT is an MS-63 coin on the RIGHT is a SP-63 Example

“Silk Purse” Coins: The 1907 High Relief Label Problem

Collecting Strategies Roger W. Burdette -
“You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.” The expression has circulated for centuries. Writers used a recognizable version of it during...

Two Mint Letters Solve the 1917 Half Dollar Mintmark Mystery

More Articles Roger W. Burdette -
Two Mint Letters Finally Solve the 1917 Half Dollar Mintmark Mystery Collectors often ask one question about the 1917 Walking Liberty Half Dollar: Why did...

Mint Records Confirm Proof Dies Did Double Duty in 1883 and 1884

More Articles Roger W. Burdette -
Proof Dies in Pocket Change? Mint Records Reveal an 1880s Coinage Surprise Collectors like clean categories. Proof coins belong in one box. Circulation strikes belong...
Figure 1. Panama-Pacific International Exposition souvenir medal struck during the exposition. The bronze medals sold for 50-cents, but remainders sold in bulk lots for ten cents each after the event closed. A silver medal is illustrated, above. Image: Heritage Auctions / CoinWeek.

The Panama-Pacific International Exposition Award Medal

Medals and Tokens Roger W. Burdette -
A Landmark Moment for American Exposition Medals The 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition produced more high-quality numismatic designs than any American exposition before or since. The official...
Figure 2. Experimental 1860 thin half eagle produced in response to filling coins with platinum. This pattern is 27 millimeters in diameter, the same diameter as a gold Eagle, but weighs 8.36 grams, identical to a standard half eagle. The pattern is approximately one millimeter thick. This piece is cataloged as Judd 271. (Courtesy HA.com)

Counterfeit Gold Coins Filled With Platinum: Hollow Gold

Crime and Fraud Roger W. Burdette -
The Strange Story of The Hollow Gold Scam: Counterfeit Gold Coins Filled Real $10 Eagles With Platinum By Roger W. Burdette - Updated by CoinWeek May 2026 Counterfeit...

Superintendent Snowden’s 1885 Resignation

More Articles Roger W. Burdette -
By Roger W. Burdette Politics, Principle, and Power at the Philadelphia Mint Archibald Loudon Snowden stood at the center of American coinage for nearly three decades....
1904 Proof coins seen over a ledger entry for Proof coin and medal orders.

The Big Impact of Small Coin Collectors

US Coins Roger W. Burdette -
By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek ..... The Philadelphia Mint began selling sets of special coins to collectors in 1858. This new policy did...
1836 Classic Head Quarter Eagle, HM-6. Image: Stack's Bowers.

Some Practical Coin Grading Concepts for the Average Collector

Collecting Strategies Roger W. Burdette -
By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek ..... I remember a while back, a collector (DeplorableDan) posted photos and comments about an 1836 Quarter Eagle,...
1913-S Indian Head Half Eagle with "Blob" Mintmark

The Mystery of the “Blob” Mintmark on the 1913-S Indian Head Half Eagle

US Coins Roger W. Burdette -
By Roger W. Burdette for CoinWeek Collectors of Indian Head half eagles cherish a quintet of San Francisco Mint coins for their overall rarity. These...
1881-S Prooflike Morgan Dollar

Updated Research: Proof-Like Coins and Their Manufacture

More Articles Roger W. Burdette -
A newly discovered letter by Philadelphia Mint Coiner A. Loudon Snowden adds to our knowledge of how proof-like coins were made. While this new information...
1841 Liberty Head Quarter Eagle. John Dannreuther-1, the only known dies. Rarity-6+. Proof-64 Cameo (PCGS). CAC.

Origins of 1841 Quarter Eagles and Similar Coins

US Coins Roger W. Burdette -
During its first decades, the United States Mint was something of a hybrid government bureau. It began under the Secretary of State’s purview, then...
Inside the Denver Mint

‘Glitters of Gold’ – Edwin L. Hobart’s Suppressed Denver Mint Booklet

US Coins Roger W. Burdette -
By Roger W Burdette Copyright 2025. All rights reserved. United States mints have traditionally welcomed the public to visit and observe the process of coin production....

The James Fraser’s Lincoln Cent – 1911 by Roger W. Burdette

US Coins Roger W. Burdette -
By Roger W. Burdette - Special to CoinWeek Most coin collectors are familiar with the story of sculptor James Fraser’s creation of the Buffalo nickel,...
This is a public domain photograph of the aftermath of the bombing at the New York Assay Office.

The Forgotten Report That Rewrites the Wall Street Bombing Story

Crime and Fraud Roger W. Burdette -
By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek ….. On September 16, 1920, at midday, a bomb exploded in front of the United States Assay Office in New York,...
Figure 4. Photo (1898) showing coins being put on a counting board with a scoop, and a manger holding a box of coins fresh from the press room. Image: Library of Congress. Image colorized by CoinWeek.

Counting Coins at the U.S. Mint: Roger Burdette

US Coins Roger W. Burdette -
By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek .....   The United States Mint has been turning out millions of circulation coins each year since about 1804....
How clad coins are made. Image: Adobe Stock.

Manufacturing Clad Coinage Metal

US Coins Roger W. Burdette -
Hot Rolling and Explosive Lamination of Copper-Nickel on Copper Core Material   By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek .....   When the Treasury Department faced the necessity...
A collage of 1861 United States coins.

Where Do Coin Mintage Figures Come From?

US Coins Roger W. Burdette -
By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek .....   Modern coin quantities come from press releases and annual reports of the United States Mint. Reports of...
Guiness World Record holder for largest gold bar.

How the World’s Largest Gold Bars Got Made

Bullion & Precious Metals Roger W. Burdette -
By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek .....   Every place that produces or proclaims a special product has its own “biggest,” “best,” or other claim...
Figure 3. West Point Mint front view following renovation and expansion completed in 2002. (U.S. Mint photo.)

The West Point Mint and Bullion Depository: Roger Burdette

US Coins Roger W. Burdette -
By Roger W. Burdette, special to CoinWeek .....   The nation’s first and arguably best-known military academy is at West Point, New York. But within the...
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