Showing posts with label coins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coins. Show all posts

Saturday, December 13, 2025

Introducing the 2013B Shop: Historic Currency T-Shirts

New designs celebrating the U.S. penny’s final chapter and American money history

Currency tells stories. Whether it’s the saga of rare star notes or the rise and fall of coins that jingled in pockets for generations, money connects us to history, memory, and culture. If you’ve ever dug through a jar of old coins or tracked down a collectible bill, you know the thrill of that discovery. It’s that same spirit of connection and curiosity that drives the new 2013B Shop — your home for unique, conversation-starting apparel inspired by numismatic history. https://2013b-shop.fourthwall.com/

Today, we’re excited to introduce two designs that capture a moment few could have predicted: the end of the U.S. penny as we’ve known it. After more than 230 years of continuous production, the U.S. Mint officially ceased manufacturing new circulating pennies in 2025, marking the end of an iconic era in American coinage.

Our new shirts celebrate this historic milestone and bring numismatic passion into everyday style.  Check back often as we are regularly adding new designs. 


Celebrating an Era with Style: The “I’m Out” 2025 Retirement Penny Tee

There’s a perfect blend of humor, nostalgia, and historical significance in the The “I’m Out” 2025 Retirement Penny design — and it’s tailor-made for collectors, history buffs, and anyone who’s ever wondered what happens when a beloved piece of everyday life quietly exits the stage.

Black tee: Abraham Lincoln illustration walks off a penny, with the text "I'M OUT." Historical humor t-shirt.
Abe said, "I'm out!" đźš¶‍♂️

đź”— See it here: https://2013b-shop.fourthwall.com/en-usd/products/the-im-out-2025-retirement-penny

This design imagines the humble penny announcing its own retirement — a nod to the real decision in 2025 to stop producing penny blanks and strike the last circulating one-cent pieces. Though existing pennies remain legal tender, and cash rounding rules are likely to spread, the symbolic retirement of the penny marks a shift in how we think about physical money.

The shirt captures that moment with irony and reverence — perfect for:

  • collectors who want to mark a unique turning point in U.S. currency history,
  • anyone with a soft spot for quirky historical memorabilia,
  • and fans of currency culture

Wear it to coin shows, collector meetups, or casual days out — it’s a fun and thoughtful way to carry a piece of 2025 with you.


Honoring History: The Last Cent 1793–2025 Design

If you’re drawn to deeper historical narratives, the The Last Cent 1793–2025 design might become your new favorite.

Black tee: Circular collage of US cents, including Lincoln, Indian Head, and Large Cents. Center text reads "THE LAST CENT 1793-2025."
The complete history of the US Cent, from 1793 to 2025! đź’¸ This striking design features a circular arrangement of US pennies, including Large Cents, Flying Eagle, Indian Head, and Lincoln Cents, surrounding the theme "THE LAST CENT." A must-have for numismatists and history buffs.

đź”— See it here: https://2013b-shop.fourthwall.com/products/historical-us-penny-collection-t-shirt-the-last-cent-1793-2025-coin-collector-gift-2

This shirt visually and conceptually frames the penny’s journey from its birth in the 1790s — when it first rolled off the U.S. Mint presses — to its final circulating production in 2025. The date span 1793–2025 isn’t just typography; it’s a narrative arc that acknowledges:

  • over two centuries of American commerce where pennies were part of everyday life,
  • the evolution of design and metal composition over generations, and
  • the fact that the pennies you grew up with — and those that sit in your jar at home — are now artifacts of a bygone era.

This shirt makes a powerful conversation piece. It’s ideal for:

  • historians and numismatists,
  • collectors commemorating the penny’s legacy,
  • or anyone who loves wearable history.

Pair it with a favorite jacket, or wear it to events where storytelling matters — this shirt lets you carry the last cent with pride.


Why This Moment Matters — And Why It’s Worth Celebrating

To understand the resonance behind these designs, it helps to look at why the penny’s end is such a big deal. The U.S. Mint’s decision wasn’t just administrative; it closed one of the longest continuous coin production runs in American history.

The penny was first authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792, intended to bring unified currency to a young nation. Over the decades, its composition changed — from nearly pure copper to zinc-plated steel — and it survived countless economic shifts. Yet by the early 2020s, several factors made continued production impractical:

  • the cost of producing a penny exceeded its face value (about 3.7 cents per coin),
  • digital and cashless transactions reduced demand,
  • and many pennies simply sat unused in jars, drawers, or collections.

By November 12, 2025, the U.S. Mint pressed its final batch of circulating one-cent coins at the Philadelphia facility — a symbolic and historic moment captured in news coverage and celebrated by collectors.

Though pennies will remain legal tender, no new pennies will enter everyday circulation, and many legacy uses — like exact change transactions — will shift with that reality. In some regions, cash transactions may be rounded to the nearest five cents, a system already familiar to Canadians since they retired their penny in the early 2010s.

So whether you’re a lifelong collector or someone who grew up with pennies jingling in your pocket, this is a moment worth noting — and what better way to commemorate it than with wearable art?


More Than Shirts — A Community Around Currency Culture

Whether you’re a seasoned numismatist, a hobbyist, or someone just discovering the rich world of currency collectibles, these shirts make history tangible — and stylish.

Visit the shop now, explore the growing lineup of designs, and pick up a piece of monetary history that you can wear:

👉 https://2013b-shop.fourthwall.com

Celebrate the penny’s final chapter. Wear your story. Pass it on.

Header image for currency-themed t-shirt store. Image features a dollar bill background with "2013B" and "Currency themed designs."
Dive into our collection of original, money-themed designs, from dollar bills to historical coins. Perfect apparel for investors, numismatists, and anyone who appreciates a unique graphic tee.

 



Sunday, August 25, 2024

Project 2013B Marketplace Launched

13Bay... Project 2013B's Marketplace
Click to see what is up for bids!

13Bay

Welcome to 13Bay, our new marketplace! Explore fixed-price items and exciting auctions. Whether you’re after a great deal or the thrill of bidding, 13Bay has something for everyone. Discover your perfect item today!

Listing are a bit sparse currently as this is literally Day 1, so I put some of my own items up for auction. In approximately a month (maybe 2) a matched pair will be up for sale!  A potential 2nd pair is in the works.

After successfully consigning matched pairs on behalf of their owner(s), at various auction houses, it became readily apparent that the fees incurred were excessive, if not downright greedy. The following table is a summary of fees and commissions charged to either the seller, the buyer, and quite often BOTH. It also compares other aspects for you to consider. 


Comparison of 13Bay to other auction sites
Comparison of 13Bay to other auction sites


The ‘24 hour rule’ prevents last-second bids, giving everyone a fair chance to respond to being out-bid. Unlike eBay, where you can lose by a dollar in the final second, this rule extends the auction by 24 hours even if a bid is placed in the last second. This means you don’t have to monitor the auction constantly, or go out of your way to be available at the auction closing date and time. If someone bids at 7:59:59 pm, the auction extends to 7:59 pm the next day, giving you ample time to decide whether to increase your bid.

The web-page at https://bit.ly/13Bay shows all of the auctions and fixed-price listings in what I refer to as the 'Auction Table'. The table is not updated in real time like eBay, but more event driven as bids (or purchases) trickle in. The 24-hour close also helps make the auctions less time sensitive. For example: If the deadline of an auction is in 3 hours, but the last update was 2 hours ago there are several scenarios taken care of by the "soft close"
  • If you intend to put in a bid that is higher than the high bid shown in the table, you can rest assured that the auction deadline will be extended by 24 hours from the time you put in your bid. This is the case for any new high-bid that occurs during the last 24 hours of an auction's deadline.
  • If in the same scenario you put in a new higher bid, but someone else has put in an even higher bid than yours during the above scenario, the auction close will be extended 24 hours from THEIR bid time.

'Real-time data' can be found by clicking the tabs to the right of the "Auctions" tab. The "Latest_Bids" show the 10 most recent auction bids that have been submitted.  The "Latest_Purchases" tab shows the 10 most recent Lots that have been purchased (these are the fixed price "Buy-it-Now" listings).  When you submit a bid (or do a purchase), you should see your Lot and the first 3 characters of your email address show up in the appropriate tab within 1-5 minutes.

Currently the updates will be during daylight hours but I am working on making the updates of the table more frequent. If I delayed launching this until it was perfect, it literally would never be launched. 

Fixed-Price listings (called "Buy-it-Now") will obviously be unaffected by table-updates as they are first come, first serve by nature.

Exposure: 

Last month (July 2024) we averaged over 1,200 visitors daily. It is my hope that 13Bay will become the go-to place for buying and selling 2013B star notes. In the near future there will be a matched pair for sale, with a 2nd matched pair currently in the works.

How to use 13Bay: 

The web-page at https://bit.ly/13Bay shows all of the auctions and fixed-price listings in what I refer to as the 'Auction Table'. The columns in the table are fairly self explanatory:

Item Category: The general category the item fits in, whether it is a coin, banknote (non 2013B star notes), or a 2013B item.

Listing Type: tells you whether the item is a timed auction or a "Buy-It-Now" item you can purchase right away.

Item Link: Clicking this takes you to a page that has the full description and photos of the item(s) for sale.

Item: The item that is up for auction or purchase.  Each listing will have a unique Lot number.

Bidding form: Clicking this link will take you to a partially pre-filled form. This is where you put in your bid for an auction item, or agree to purchase the item outright if the item is a "Buy-It-Now" listing.  In both cases the forms contain the very latest Terms & Conditions. The Terms & Conditions on this web-page should be the same, but if they are not, the one on the form will take precedence.

STATUS:  Anything with the status of LIVE is still actively accepting bids in the case of auction listing, or still available to purchase in the case of "Buy-it-Now" fixed price listings.

Bid By: If you are the highest bid on a current auction, the first 3 characters of your email address will show up here.

AUCTION High Bid: This is the current highest bid as of the last time the auction table was updated.  The last update time and date is shown in cell O11 and cell M1.

Buy It Now Price: The purchase price for the non-auction listings.

Reserve Price Met:  If the bids on an auction listing have met the minimum sale price that will be accepted, you will see a 'YES', at which point you just need to wait till the auction deadline for the sale to go through (assuming you are the highest bidder). This will automatically show 'YES' in cases where the auction has no reserve price.

Soft Close: This is the auction's deadline date.  It will be extended a further 24 hours if a new higher bid occurs in the last 24 hours leading up to the auction's deadline date and time.

Soft Close Time:  Assuming there are no higher bids in the last 24 hours, this is the time the auction ends on the soft-close date.

Number of Bids: just shows how many bids were submitted for the auction Lot in question.

Note: place for various message updates including announcing a new soft-close date, a Lot being sold recently, and more!

Last Updated:  show the time the auction table was last updated (in the yellow header cell).  The other dates and times show the last time there was any activity on the individual Lots.

Email Updates

You should expect to be notified when you have been out-bid, when you are the highest bidder, and when you have won an auction. The same goes for when submitting the purchase form for the fixed-price "Buy-it-Now" items.  The testing has shown that the reliability of these status emails is over 98%, but intermittently an email can fail to be delivered.  If you are expecting an email but did not receive one within an hour or two, check the auction table to see if the Lot you are interested in has had any updates (column O).

Have Something to Sell?

For the time being the listings will be limited to coins and paper currency. Depending on how things go the list of item categories might expand.  If you have something to sell, whether it be 2013B star notes, other collectible currency, or coins, please familiarize yourself with the section titled Terms and Conditions for Selling on 13Bay. If you find the terms and conditions acceptable,  kindly complete the form to allow us to assess the suitability of the items you wish to sell: Sell with us

Terms and Conditions

My ultra-wordy terms and conditions are (as well as info descriptions above) can be found at the following page:  https://project2013b.blogspot.com/p/marketplace.html


Current Auctions at 13Bay


Saturday, May 6, 2023

CORRECTION! Final price on May 5th auction was $6,600!

CORRECTION


Correction.  No offense to Ricardo

A lesson in not trusting your browser's refresh button.  Yesterday I quoted the final price (after auction fees) for a matched pair to be $5,880.  Turns out my screen shot did not reflect a final bid that happened sometime in the last 4 seconds!

Screenshot after I refreshed my screen after auction apparently ended.

One of the bill owners reached out and informed me of this.  Here is his screenshot directly from his account at Heritage Auctions (see below).  Final price, after auction fees to the bidder, was $6,600.



Final auction price after last second sniper bid.


A running history of all matched pair auctions that I am aware of can be found at https://project2013b.blogspot.com/p/auction-history-for-2013b-matched-pairs.html





COINSHOP

Check out my online coinshop at  https://bit.ly/thecoinshop   
Consider a coin as a unique gift to those you know who are hard to buy for, or just something for your favorite person... you!
              
99.99% pure silver

Useful Links
Serial Number Submission Form:  https://bit.ly/submit2013b
Project 2013B Database:  http://bit.ly/3KNpX3I
Protect your bills:  https://amzn.to/3JPCX85
Collector Resources and Supplies: http://bit.ly/3DPo2Y7
Help support Project 2013B:  https://ko-fi.com/cartoons
My store (currency themed items):  https://rdbl.co/3Ms0Jp8
My store (general themed items): https://1zin.short.gy/2013store

Friday, May 5, 2023

Project 2013B matched pair sells for $6,600 at auction

Auction Results


To the best of my knowledge, this is the lowest graded matched pair ever to go to auction, but still yielded an impressive final bid of $5,500 with the buying shelling out a total of $6,600 after the buyer's premium is factored in.

...with 4 seconds to go but...


A last second bit pushed the price up and won.  Final bid $5,500 (without auction fee)




The bills that made up the matched pair were graded 40 and 25 respectively, on a grading scale where 'perfect' is a 70, and a 1 being "poor" or "Poor banknotes must be identifiable by catalog number. It is unusual for a banknote to circulate to the point of becoming Poor from a wear standpoint. These banknotes will be extremely worn with the paper virtually falling apart. Most banknotes acquire repairs before this point. An unrepaired Poor is an extreme rarity."

Initial Discovery


This pair was Project 2013B's 15th confirmed match; photo confirmation was posted on this blog back on October 15th of last year. [LINK]

Here's the image of the pair when it was first detected and verified by this project.  At this point each bill were still physically apart by 100s of miles, and ungraded.  The DC note in particular, according to its owner was "caught in the wild at a pizza shop"

From pizza place to Heritage Auctions



A running history of all matched pair auctions that I am aware of can be found at https://project2013b.blogspot.com/p/auction-history-for-2013b-matched-pairs.html


Self-Plug

I now have a webpage on USA Coin Book listing various coins I have for sale. Most are proof coins with limitted mintages from the Royal Canadian Mint, but there are also a few British coins, and I will be adding some American coins in the days and weeks to come.  Please visit https://bit.ly/thecoinshop



A gift for Mother's Day?

The world's first plasma-etched coin.  Wild color!

Scotty! Give me more buyers!





Useful Links
Serial Number Submission Form: https://bit.ly/submit2013b
Project 2013B Database:  http://bit.ly/3KNpX3I
Protect your bills:  https://amzn.to/3JPCX85
Collector Resources and Supplies: http://bit.ly/3DPo2Y7
Help support Project 2013B:  https://ko-fi.com/cartoons
My store (currency themed items):  https://rdbl.co/3Ms0Jp8
My store (general themed items): https://1zin.short.gy/2013store