Worth Its Weight

Afleveringen

1. Numismatic Innovators with Dr. Donald Kagin | Episode 1: David Hall and the Birth of PCGS

   5 november 2026 · 40 min

   Afspelen
   Numismatic Innovators with Dr. Donald Kagin | Episode 1: David Hall and the Birth of PCGS Lees meer

   How did a coin in a little plastic holder change the rare coin market? In the premiere of Numismatic Innovators, Dr. Donald Kagin sits down with David Hall to explore the origins of the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and how independent grading changed the way collectors buy and sell coins. This monthly interview series is presented by the American Numismatic Association and hosted on Worth Its Weight.

   About Dr. Donald Kagin
   Don Kagin was the first person in the United States to earn a doctorate in numismatics. He is president of Kagin’s, Inc., a former ANA vice president, and the author of America’s Golden Age, a reference on private and pioneer U.S. gold coins.

   About David Hall
   David Hall is a longtime rare coin dealer and the co-founder and first president of PCGS, which began grading coins in 1986. He helped bring independent coin grading into widespread use and helped develop the Set Registry, which lets collectors compare their collections online.

   Explore more

   Kagin’s, Inc.

   Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS)

   The story of how PCGS began, in David Hall’s own words

   Numismatic Innovators series page and listener questions

   Worth Its Weight is an ANA production from the Money Museum, where history adds up—with interest!

   To learn more, explore show notes, and discover more stories carried by money, visit money.org.

   Follow the money. Literally.

2. Political Pocket Change: When Campaigns Get Dirty

   3 november 2026 · 30 min

   Afspelen
   Think today's political campaigns are nasty? America's politicians have been slinging mud for centuries—and sometimes, they struck their insults in metal. Lees meer

   From Andrew Jackson's transformation into a jackass to Martin Van Buren's unfortunate footsteps, political tokens of the 1830s turned economic frustration into pocket-sized satire. By 1896, opponents of William Jennings Bryan were manufacturing enormous silver dollars, ridiculous caricatures, and even a miniature coffin to mock his monetary policies. And the tradition didn't end there.

   In this Election Day special, host Caroline Turco explores the wonderfully irreverent history of American political exonumia, tracing how tokens, medals, and metallic mementos reflected the changing relationship between money and public participation. Along the way, we celebrate a distinctly American freedom: the right to criticize our leaders, challenge their decisions, and even mint our disagreements.

   ---

   Featured Numismatic Objects

   1834 Andrew Jackson “I Take the Responsibility” Hard Times Token

   A satirical political token depicting Andrew Jackson emerging from a strongbox with a sword and money bag. The reverse portrays a jackass bearing the letters “LL.D.,” mocking Jackson's honorary law degree and his interpretation of presidential authority.

   Smithsonian National Museum of American History — Object and Images

   ANA — Tales from the Vault: Hard Times Tokens

   1837 “Illustrious Predecessor” Hard Times Token

   A running jackass illustrates Martin Van Buren's promise to follow Andrew Jackson's policies, while a tortoise carrying a treasury chest mocks the administration's proposed financial system.

   Smithsonian National Museum of American History — Object and Images

   1896 Bryan Money — Comparative Dollars

   Oversized silver pieces manufactured to ridicule William Jennings Bryan's proposed free coinage of silver at a sixteen-to-one ratio with gold. These medals turned a complex monetary debate into a striking visual argument.

   …

3. Weekly Weigh-In: October 30, 2026

   30 oktober 2026 · 12 min

   Afspelen
   Coins in Costume: Hidden Identities & a $93,000 Silver Eagle | Weekly Weigh-In, October 30, 2026 Lees meer

   Some coins have been keeping secrets beneath their costumes. In this Halloween edition of the Weekly Weigh-In, Caroline Turco unwraps a Continental dollar’s earlier identity, investigates a gold sovereign masquerading as a Canadian quarter, and examines the extraordinary rarity behind a nearly $93,000 Silver Eagle.

   Plus: a chill in gold and silver prices, quarters suiting up for youth sports, the return of a fractional Gold Buffalo, and a new chapter for the Coin of the Year awards.

   Worth Its Weight—made for collectors, open to the curious.

   In this episode

   A ghost beneath the surface: X-ray research identifies a 1748 Mexico City eight reales beneath a silver Continental dollar. What does this reveal about its manufacture—and what questions remain unanswered?

   A chill in the metals market: An October 29 snapshot of gold and silver prices, followed by the $92,812.50 sale of a 2026-P Team USA privy-mark Silver Eagle.

   The quarter at the masquerade: A 1969 Canadian quarter struck over a 1966 British gold sovereign brings $28,125. Was its transformation an accident or deliberate mint-floor mischief?

   Quarters suit up and a Buffalo rises again: The U.S. Mint unveils its 2027 youth-sports quarters and wheelchair-basketball half dollar, while a one-tenth-ounce reverse-proof Gold Buffalo is scheduled for December 10.

   A new dragon watching over the hoard: NGC will manage the Coin of the Year awards beginning in 2027. We revisit memorable winners featuring lunar exploration, Ukrainian cultural heritage, and a Chinese dragon.

   Sources & further reading

   Continental dollar research

   CoinWeek: X-rays reveal a hidden Spanish dollar beneath the Continental dollar

   Robert L. Rodriguez, The Continental Dollar: A Journey of Discovery — Whitman Publishing

   Precious metals & the Team USA Silver Eagle

   Reuters: October 29 gold and precious-metals report

   GreatCollections: October 18 au…

4. The Blood Countess or Blood Money?

   27 oktober 2026 · 29 min

   Afspelen
   The Blood Countess or Blood Money? Lees meer

   A souvenir banknote. Two rival rulers. Hundreds of "victims." What can money reveal about the so-called Blood Countess, Elizabeth Báthory?

   In the final spooky-season episode of Worth Its Weight, Caroline Turco explores the terrifying legend of the Blood Countess—and then examines the evidence behind it. Beginning with a modern souvenir note featuring Báthory and Čachtice Castle, we follow coins and historical accounts into a world of divided kingdoms, religious conflict, powerful families, and war.

   Coins of Matthias II and Gabriel Báthory introduce the competing authorities surrounding her. Alongside these objects, we examine her wealth and estates, interpretations of her household’s healing practices, and Cambridge academic Dr. Annouchka Bayley’s reassessment of her work educating young women.

   How much of the familiar story rests on evidence? What might others have gained from her downfall? And how does a disputed reputation become a marketable legend?

   *Content advisory: This episode discusses allegations of torture, murder, and violence against women and girls.

   The interpretations discussed in this episode remain contested. The coins illuminate Báthory’s world; they do not independently establish her guilt or innocence.

   ---

   Featured numismatic objects

   Čachtický Hrad €0 souvenir note, Slovakia, 2019 — EEBX 2019-1. Featuring Elizabeth Báthory and Čachtice Castle. The seller’s description discussed in the episode presents her murderous reputation as fact. This is a souvenir, not legal tender. View the note and seller’s description.

   Stephen Báthory medal commemorating the recovery of Livonia and Polotsk, circa 1582. Its reverse adapts imagery from Roman Judaea Capta coinage. Examples were distributed at Jan Zamoyski’s wedding to Gryzelda Báthory in 1583. View both sides and the auction description.

   Matthias II silver five-thaler piece, Hungary, 1610, Kremnica mint. A crowned, armored portrait and dynastic arms proclaim th…

5. Weekly Weigh-In: October 23, 2026

   23 oktober 2026 · 13 min

   Afspelen
   Cigar Box Gold, Medieval Kings & D. B. Cooper’s $20 Bill | Weekly Weigh-In Lees meer

   A gold coin hidden in a cigar box brings $97,600, newly reported dollar errors send collectors checking their purchases, and a damaged $20 bill carries a six-figure connection to D. B. Cooper.

   This week, Caroline Turco catches up on what’s making news in numismatics, from strong proof-set sales and growing interest in circulated banknotes to a rare Norwegian coin identified during museum cataloguing. We also explore how Harold II presented himself on money in the fateful year 1066—and make a personal detour to the Paris Opera.

   In this episode

   Proof-set follow-up: Strong sales for the $107 Semiquincentennial Proof Set add another perspective to the affordability discussion.

   Collector market: Arthur Friedberg’s analysis examines stronger prices for circulated large-size U.S. banknotes.

   Cigar box treasure: An exceptionally preserved 1867-S Liberty Head half eagle emerges from a family collection.

   Missing-layer dollars: Three reported Trump dollar errors—and why an asking price is different from a completed sale.

   In circulation: The Gettysburg Address quarter begins its journey through the banking system.

   From ceiling to coin: A former opera singer’s personal pick connects the Palais Garnier, Marc Chagall, and French commemorative coins.

   Olaf’s unexpected appearance: A closer reading of an inscription reveals a rare coin of Norway’s king and future saint.

   Harold II and 1066: Crown, sceptre, and the word PAX—peace—preserve a king’s authority before his defeat.

   D. B. Cooper’s ransom: The surviving portion of a single $20 note sells for $134,200.

   Sources and further reading

   Proof sets and the collector market

   CoinNews: 2026 Innovation Reverse Proof Set Breaks Record — includes the latest Semiquincentennial Proof Set sales update.

   Greensheet: October 2026 Market Analysis—Collector Grade Notes Strong

   Cigar box treasure

   Heritage’s auction description: 1867-S Liberty Head Half Eagle, …

6. Haunting Notgeld

   20 oktober 2026 · 28 min

   Afspelen
   A headless rider guarding a lonely cross stone. Witches flying across the Brocken on Walpurgis Night. A mysterious piper abducting a village's children. Lees meer

   In the years surrounding Germany’s defeat in World War I, communities across the country issued their own emergency money, or notgeld, to fill shortages of official currency. What began as a practical solution soon became something more colorful—and considerably stranger.

   In this spooky-season episode of Worth Its Weight, Caroline explores three German notgeld notes that draw on local legends, folklore, and fear. Along the way, she examines how emergency money became a canvas for community identity, tourism, collector demand, and stories much older than the notes themselves.

   ---

   What Was Notgeld?

   Notgeld—literally “emergency money”—was issued by municipalities, businesses, and other local organizations when official coins and currency became scarce. During and after World War I, shortages of metal coinage encouraged increasingly widespread local issues. By 1920 and 1921, many colorful Serienscheine were produced in sets aimed partly at collectors, featuring local history, scenery, legends, and folklore.

   The ANA Edward C. Rochette Money Museum explores German emergency currency, its origins, materials, and transformation into a collector market.
   ANA Money Museum — German Notgeld
   ANA Money Museum — World War I German Emergency Money

   ---

   Featured Objects:

   Berga, 25 Pfennig, 1921 — The Headless Rider
   Issued by the town of Berga an der Elster on October 1, 1921, this 25-pfennig note depicts a headless horseman standing watch near a boundary stone.

   Its inscription tells the story:

   “The rider without a head keeps watch at the stone cross every dark night. He fell while storming the castle. His name is no longer spoken.”

   The note belonged to a larger illustrated series drawing on local legends and supernatural stories. Its imagery shows how notgeld could preserve folklore as readily as civic monuments or histor…

7. The Witch-Hunting King: James VI and I

   13 oktober 2026 · 25 min

   Afspelen
   In 1590, King James VI of Scotland became convinced that witches had tried to kill him by summoning storms at sea. What followed were the infamous North Berwick witch trials, brutal interrogations, executions, and eventually James’s own treatise on witchcraft and demons, Daemonologie. Lees meer

   In this spooky-season episode of Worth Its Weight, Curator Caroline Turco explores the complicated Christian worldview of James VI and I through witch trials, royal theology, and the coins that carried his ideas into everyday life.

   ---

   Show Notes & Links

   James VI and I
   James became King of Scotland as an infant in 1567 and inherited the English throne in 1603, ruling there as James I. His reign joined the crowns of Scotland and England under a single monarch and produced coinage that increasingly reflected his ideas about kingship, religion, and union.

   Explore James I and his coinage through the ANA Edward C. Rochette Money Museum’s Kings and Queens of England exhibit. ANA Money Museum — James I and the Gold Unite

   The North Berwick Witch Trials
   After storms disrupted Anne of Denmark’s voyage to Scotland and later endangered James and Anne on their journey home, accusations emerged that witches had deliberately raised the weather against the royal couple. The resulting North Berwick prosecutions implicated more than 100 people and became one of the defining witch-hunting episodes of James’s reign.

   The University of Edinburgh’s Survey of Scottish Witchcraft explores the legal procedures, evidence, and wider history of Scottish witch trials. Survey of Scottish Witchcraft — Trial Procedures and Evidence

   For broader context on both women and the Scottish witch hunts, explore the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft, a University of Edinburgh research database documenting thousands of accused witches and their cases. Survey of Scottish Witchcraft

   James VI, Daemonologie (1597)
   Written as a dialogue, Daemonologie presented James’s arguments for the reality of witchcraft, demons, spirits, an…

8. Weekly Weigh-In: October 9, 2026

   9 oktober 2026 · 12 min

   Afspelen
   Coming up: a familiar collector tradition gets an unfamiliar price tag, new research revisits a famous coin’s ownership history, and a supposed rarity proves disappointing. Lees meer

   Plus, funding for coin clubs, an auction for young collectors, and a new series coming to this podcast.

   And before we’re done, Canada puts a ghost on its money.

   Apparently, inflation wasn’t frightening enough.

   ---

   Links and Resources

   2026 Semiquincentennial Proof Set — U.S. Mint

   How the U.S. Mint determines product prices

   1792 half disme — Heritage Auctions, Lot 3414

   Aluminum-cent replica report — Coin World

   Hobby Protection Act — Federal Trade Commission

   CAC Grading charitable funding announcement

   Funding requests: Email jalbanese@cacgrading.com by October 31, explaining your organization’s purpose and proposed use of the donation. John Albanese asks applicants to write in their own words, without AI assistance.

   ANA events — YN auction catalog and participation information

   Royal Canadian Mint — new releases

   The history behind the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse mystery

   Worth Its Weight is an ANA production from the Money Museum, where history adds up—with interest!

   To learn more, explore show notes, and discover more stories carried by money, visit money.org.

   Follow the money. Literally.

9. A Coin to Die For: EID MAR with Shanna Schmidt

   6 oktober 2026 · 1 uur 5 min

   Afspelen
   Spooky season at Worth Its Weight begins with a killer coin. Shanna Schmidt joins Caroline Turco for a conversation about the EID MAR and the ancient coin industry, connecting a notorious piece of Roman history with the people who collect, study, and trade ancient money today. Join us for a look at the enduring fascination of ancient coins—and the stories they carry into the modern world. Lees meer

   ---

   Guest Shanna Schmidt: Shanna Schmidt is an ancient coin dealer specializing in Greek coinage and the founder of Shanna Schmidt Numismatics. The daughter of renowned numismatist Harlan J. Berk, she grew up in the coin business before launching her own firm in 2016. She has served on the American Numismatic Association’s Board of Governors and helps collectors build collections and navigate major auctions worldwide.

   ---

   In this episode:

   Reading the EID MAR’s imagery—and the contradictions behind its message of liberty.

   Ancient coins as political advertisements, historical evidence, and objects of fascination.

   Shanna’s journey from music and advertising to ancient coins, and finding her confidence in a predominantly male industry.

   What auction representation involves, including bidding strategy, client advocacy, and lessons learned under pressure.

   Shanna’s perspective on cultural property, collecting, and the importance of preserving a coin’s ownership history.

   Her personal experience of the gold EID MAR investigation and its impact on the trade.

   The S&S Library, historic auction catalogs, and efforts to preserve and digitize numismatic research.

   Subscribe Today!

   If you enjoyed this episode, follow Worth Its Weight wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review—it helps more listeners discover the stories money carries.

   And if there’s a coin, note, or piece of monetary history you think deserves an episode, send us your two cents. You never know what might make its way onto Worth Its Weight.

   ---

   Learn More About the American Numismatic Association

   Money Mus…

10. Weekly Weigh-In: October 2, 2026

    2 oktober 2026 · 11 min

    Afspelen
    A growing hobby doesn’t always mean rising prices—and that can be good news for collectors. This week, Caroline explores the distinction between enthusiasm and value, from falling bullion prices and steady classic coins to the creative appeal of hobo nickels. Along the way: a real treasure hunt, the truth behind a $235,000 penny headline, a Team USA Silver Eagle that challenges the meaning of a “complete” collection, and Supergirl’s surprisingly ancient numismatic predecessors. Apparently, putting heroes on money never goes out of style. Lees meer

    Show Notes

    Follow the clues, find the treasure: Stack’s Bowers is offering $40,000 in numismatic prizes across four cities: Miami, October 6–10; Philadelphia, October 13–17; San Francisco, October 20–24; and Boston, October 27–31. Rules, clues, and participation details.

    An energized hobby versus rising prices: Coin World’s price-sheet analysis examines the contrast between bullion-linked modern issues and steadier classic collector coins. Metals prices mentioned in the episode reflect an October 1 snapshot.

    Five-cent canvases: According to Kagin’s post-sale press release, the September 28 opening session of the Candace D. Kagin hobo nickel collection realized more than $100,000 across 137 lots. Explore the auction catalog.

    Behind the $235,000 penny headline: A family’s long-held 1943 bronze cent receives authentication—not a newly discovered windfall from pocket change. The reported figure is a valuation; the sale price was not disclosed. Read the story.

    The Team USA Silver Eagle: A special issue with a mintage of just 403 raises questions about collecting boundaries. Bidding on the featured example closes October 18. Auction background and listing link.

    Supergirl meets ancient coinage: Explore the U.S. Mint’s Comic Art program. Compare its modern heroes with Heracles on Alexander’s coinage, Aeneas on a Caesar denarius, and Commodus dressed as Hercules.

    Coming Tuesday: Shanna Schmidt joins Caroline to discuss the EID MAR a…

Alle 21 afleveringen →