In this collector's guide, retired chief engraver of the Philadelphia Mint and designer of the reverse side of the American silver eagle bullion coin, John M. Mercanti, details the history and development of the American silver eagles program as well as other U.S. bullion coins and medals.

A rich visual history of real and fictional space stations, illustrating pop culture's influence on the development of actual space stations and vice versa Space stations represent both the summit of space technology and, possibly, the future of humanity beyond Earth. Space Stations: The Art, Science, and Reality of Working in Space takes the reader deep into the heart of past, present, and future space stations, both real ones and those dreamed up in popular culture. This lavishly illustrated book explains the development of space stations from the earliest fictional visions through historical and current programs--including Skylab, Mir, and the International Space Station--and on to the dawning possibilities of large-scale space colonization. Engrossing narrative and striking images explore not only the spacecraft themselves but also how humans experience life aboard them, addressing everything from the development of efficient meal preparation methods to experiments in space-based botany. The book examines cutting-edge developments in government and commercial space stations, including NASA's Deep Space Habitats, the Russian Orbital Technologies Commercial Space Station, and China's Tiangong program. Throughout, Space Stations also charts the fascinating depiction of space stations in popular culture, whether in the form of children's toys, comic-book spacecraft, settings in science-fiction novels, or the backdrop to TV series and Hollywood movies. Space Stations is a beautiful and captivating history of the idea and the reality of the space station from the nineteenth century to the present day.

It's a coin collector's dream folder, with a space for every state's newly designed quarters--arranged according to the year each was minted--along with dozens of fascinating facts. When Congress passed the "50 States Commemorative Coin Program Act" in 1997, which led to the creation of quarters honoring every state in the union, its members especially hoped that young people and their families would collect these memorable tokens. This handy folder will help youngsters realize that goal and hold onto these special keepsakes, which are being released over ten years in the order in which the states ratified the Constitution. In addition to the slots for the quarters, kids will find a description of the Commemorative Coin Program; a history of the United States Quarter Dollar; a list of state capitals, nicknames, mottoes, and more; details on how the 50 designs were chosen; and an account of how coins are manufactured by the U.S. Mint and distributed by the Federal Reserve Bank.

Store and display all of the National Parks quarters in this handy collector's folder Beginning in 2010, the United States Mint will issue newly designed quarters featuring a national park or other site approximately every ten weeks--and this compact folder is the perfect place for collectors to store each new coin. Complete with historical information and details of the Congressional Act that initiated this special program, the folder will keep this commemorative series organized, accessible, and easy to show off. The noteworthy sites will come from all 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and five U.S. territories: Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

In conjunction with the American Numismatic Association, author David W. Lange and researcher Mary Jo Meade present a fascinating look into the history of the United States Mint. From its roots in the pre-colonial eras, through independence and confederation, the intriques, tribulations, and triumphs of the 1800's, and into the modern day-through war, peace, famine, earthquakes, gold rushes, good times and bad-we follow the twists and turns of one of the federal government's most intriguing bureaus. This hard cover book features vintage photographs and documents throughout. Hundreds of enlarged, high-detailed images of American coins, tokens, medals and much more to enjoy!

With the new program introduced by the United States Mint, coin collecting has never been so interesting or exciting. The wildly successful Statehood Quarter program produces over 6 billion quarters per year, which are in turn collected by over 100 million Americans. The new Whitman ten-year folder provides 100 coin slots for each of the fifty states, with room for both the Philadelphia and Denver Mints. The cover is the traditional Whitman Blue, with gold embossing for a distinctive, elegant appearance. This is a must for any serious collector. The Fifty State Commemorative Quarter Folder is something to be cherished by collectors of all ages.

Every coin collector knows about the United States Mint's American Eagle bullion coins. But did you know that the Mint has produced more than 150 other collectible works of silver and gold bullion since the national Bicentennial in 1976? They include some of the most beautiful coins and medals ever engraved for the United States. Some were runaway best-sellers and made national headlines. Others are well-kept secrets. Many are sought by collectors and investors around the globe. Some are "sleepers" - underappreciated treasures with great potential waiting to be discovered. Now, award-winning author Dennis Tucker shares years of research and unique perspective in a colorful exploration of these amazing pieces of Americana. He takes you behind the scenes at the U.S. Treasury, into the engraving department of the U.S. Mint and the chambers of Congress, even to the White House, where questions about the nation's precious metals have been argued for generations. Inside you'll find a richly illustrated history of silver and gold in the coinage of colonial America and the United States. You'll see why silver and gold were difficult for the average American to acquire through most of our history. Learn about the American Arts gold medallion program of the early 1980s, and the U.S. Mint's recent American Buffalo, First Spouse, and America the Beautiful bullion programs. Bicentennial gold medals, the 2014 gold Kennedy half dollar, 1916-2016 centennial gold coins, silver Wildlife Refuge Service medals, the 9/11 national medal, and other important modern productions all are cataloged and described inside. Along the way Tucker shines light on a thousand people, places, and points in American history: military heroes and famous artists, awe-inspiring landmarks, fearless innovators, dreamers and doers.