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Own one of the early private silver alternatives. This is a 1999 NORFED Liberty Dollar — the #3 design in the original series cataloged by the Liberty Dollar Encyclopedia — struck during the organization’s first full year.
NORFED (National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve Act and the Internal Revenue Code) launched the Liberty Dollar on October 1, 1998. Bernard von NotHaus, former mintmaster of the Royal Hawaiian Mint, designed it as a voluntary silver-backed currency meant to compete with Federal Reserve notes. The rounds were produced by Sunshine Minting in Idaho and distributed through redemption centers. By the end of 1999 the group claimed over 200 centers and more than $200,000 already in circulation.
The 1999 $10 piece is one of the first issues to carry the full organizational name and the explicit rim legend “FOR THE REPEAL OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE AND THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE.”
Collectors treat the 1998–1999 pieces as key early dates. The 1998 original was a tiny first run; the 1999 followed immediately and remains far scarcer than the later 2000s and 2003–2005 issues that were produced in larger numbers. Exact figures were never published in detail, but the early designs (numbered #1–#3 in the encyclopedia) command consistent premiums over later common dates.
The reverse shows Liberty’s torch with “$10,” “AMERICAN LIBERTY DOLLARS,” “1 OZ. .999 SILVER,” the NORFED triangle, and the year 1999. The obverse is the classic left-facing Liberty head with “LIBERTY,” “TRUST IN GOD,” and “USA.” These early strikes are proof-like.
What came later is well documented. In 2006 the U.S. Mint warned that using Liberty Dollars as current money was a federal crime. In 2007 the FBI raided the organization and seized metal. Von NotHaus was later convicted on conspiracy and counterfeiting charges related to issuing coins intended as current money. The silver was forfeited. The “free speech for political purpose — not to be used as current money” disclaimer that appears on later pieces was not yet required on these 1999 rounds.
This example shows original toning across the fields. Surfaces are proof-like with the light contact marks typical of the early strikes. Photos are of the exact piece.
Specs
Year: 1999 (early key date — Encyclopedia #3)
Weight: 1 troy ounce
Purity: .999 fine silver
Diameter: ≈39 mm
Edge: Reeded
Designer / Issuer: Bernard von NotHaus / NORFED
Private issue — not U.S. legal tender
Disclaimer: Sold as a historical collectible only. Not current money and not a U.S. Mint product.
Ships USPS with tracking in protective packaging.
More NORFED / Liberty Dollar pieces in the shop.
