Apr 4, 2021 | coins, news, quarter
In a few days, the U.S. Mint will release the last of the five-ounce silver America the Beautiful Quarters. The ATB series was a follow-up to the 50 State Quarter Program to honor the nation’s national parks and forests. The order of the program was determined by the date the area became a national park or forest.
The Tuskegee Airman National Historic Site in Tuskegee, Alabama, became a registered historic site on November 6, 1998. Formerly Morton Field, the site was the Tuskegee Airmen’s base and training center, the only African-American division of the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.
The end of the ATB quarters also ends the corresponding five-ounce hockey puck-sized bullion coin issues. The big coins are popular with investors and some collectors.
Now that the ATB quarters program has ended, a reverse celebrating George Washington’s crossing the Delaware River will replace the reverse for the rest of 2021. In 2022, the quarters will feature prominent women in United States history. The program will last until 2026, when the quarters’ design will celebrate the American Semisesquincentenial (250 years).
And the law that extended the circulating commemorative programs also includes the provisions for the U.S. Mint to create five-ounce silver hockey puck-sized coins from almost any program.
And now the news…
March 29, 2021
In the midst of one of the most comprehensive conservation projects currently taking place in Israel, archeologists in Jerusalem’s Old City discovered a Tyre coin, believed to have been used to pay the Temple tax by pilgrims making their way to the Temple for Passover, Shavuot or Sukkot.
→ Read more at
jpost.com
March 31, 2021
Indigenous men and women who have served in the military have been commemorated through Australia’s newest circulating $2 coin launched by the Royal Australian Mint yesterday, 30 March.
→ Read more at
canberraweekly.com.au
April 2, 2021
A 17th century Arabian silver coin, top, that research shows was struck in 1693 in Yemen, rests above a 1652 Massachusetts Bay Colony Oak Tree Shilling , and a 1727 Spanish half real coin, on a table, in Warwick, Rhode Island, March 11, 2021.
→ Read more at
voanews.com
April 2, 2021
Gold coins cast a spell. The pile of coins found in a wall in Caesarea and now displayed in a glass case at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem begs questions.
→ Read more at
haaretz.com
April 3, 2021
This Is Why The Police Are Involved In Every Pawn Stars Transaction
→ Read more at
looper.com
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Apr 2, 2021 | coins, legislative, news
Every month we look at the numismatic legislation that Congress worked on the previous month. Since the 117th Congress is only three months into its first session, most of the legislative action is introducing bills.
Nowadays, Congress members do not have to drop their papers into the hopper in their respective chambers. Bills are submitted electronically. To prove that they are doing something, these legislators also post the bill on their official websites. Inevitably, an intern or low-level staffer makes a mistake that gets misinterpreted by the press, making it sound like a bill has been passed. According to the Government Printing Office, there has been no numismatic-related bill that has made it past its committee assignment.
A few days ago, Rep. Alexander Mooney (R-WV) introduced H.R. 2285, a bill “To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to clarify that gain or loss on the sale or exchange of certain coins or bullion is exempt from recognition.” Although this bill’s text has yet to be published, the title suggests that it will make the sale of coins and bullion exempt from capital gains taxes.
Currently, collectors who sell items from their collections are required to pay capital gains taxes on the profit from the sale of their coins. If you bought a coin for $100,000 then sell it for $150,000, the capital gains tax is applied to the $50,000 profit. Under the 2020 rate schedule, that is a 0% tax, except if you bought the coin within the last year, it is taxed as part of your regular income. But if you bought the coin for $50,000 before 2020 and sold it for $150,000 in 2020, then the $100,000 profit is taxed at 15%.
Are you confused? This is why the potential of eliminating the capital gains tax on coins and bullion will help the industry.
Here is the list of the eight bills introduced in March 2021.
H.R. 1648: To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in recognition and celebration of the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
Introduced in House — Mar 8, 2021
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. — Mar 8, 2021
S. 672: A bill to amend title 31, United States Code, to save Federal funds by authorizing changes to the composition of circulating coins, and for other purposes.
Introduced in Senate — Mar 10, 2021
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. — Mar 10, 2021
H.R. 1842: To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint commemorative coins in recognition of the Bicentennial of Harriet Tubman’s birth.
Introduced in House — Mar 11, 2021
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. — Mar 11, 2021
H.R. 1789: To amend title 31, United States Code, to save Federal funds by authorizing changes to the composition of circulating coins, and for other purposes.
Introduced in House — Mar 11, 2021
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, and Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. — Mar 11, 2021
S. 697: A bill to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint commemorative coins in recognition of the Bicentennial of Harriet Tubman’s birth.
Introduced in Senate — Mar 11, 2021
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. — Mar 11, 2021
H.R. 1900: To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the health care professionals, first responders, scientists, researchers, all essential workers, and individuals who provided care and services during the coronavirus pandemic.
Introduced in House — Mar 16, 2021
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. — Mar 16, 2021
S. 867: A bill to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in recognition and celebration of the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
Introduced in Senate — Mar 18, 2021
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. — Mar 18, 2021
H.R. 2284: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to clarify that gain or loss on the sale or exchange of certain coins or bullion is exempt from recognition.
Introduced in House — Mar 29, 2021
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. — Mar 29, 2021
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Mar 28, 2021 | coins, news
What is the price of a coin?
There are many answers to that question. Some will point to price guides. Others will argue that one price guide is better than others. Then some people will deliver a dissertation about supply and demand and the commodity price of the metals to explain their answer.
The price of a coin is whatever the price one person will pay.
In an auction, people will bid until the price exceeds what all but one participant will pay.
This past week, Heritage Auctions sold a 1935 George V silver Pattern “Waitangi” Crown sold for $72,000, a New Zealand coin record.
In Las Vegas, Stack’s Bowers Galleries sold the only privately owned 1822 Half Eagle for $8.4 million. The other two examples are in the Smithsonian Museum. It is the second-highest amount ever paid for a U.S. coin.
These sales come the week after a George VIII Gold Crown sold for £1 million, a record price for a British coin.
Back down to earth, those who were shut out of the 2010-W American Silver Eagle sale are finding the secondary market selling these coins for upward of $150, double their sale price. Collectors trying to maintain complete collections are paying these markups.
Over a year after the coronavirus pandemic shut down the country, there seems to pent-up demand by collectors. All types of numismatic auctions, except scripophily, are experiencing extraordinary realized prices from auctions.
The strong demand is bringing people out of the woodwork trying to cash in. Major auction houses are lowering their commission to attract new sellers of high-end merchandise. Medium-sized auction houses have been contacting collectors looking to sell smaller collections usually left to estate and liquidation auction services.
Collectors are paying higher prices for coins. A recent liquidation auction, an ungraded 1880-CC Morgan Dollar with many problems, including questionable toning, may be worth about $100 according to the price guides. The coin sold for over $200 with buyer’s premium.
If this is how the market is reacting while contact continues to be limited, imagine how it will be when everything is fully open for business.
And now the news…
March 22, 2021
By Rajiv Shah Gujarat’s top Dalit rights organisation, Navsarjan Trust, is all set to initiate a unique campaign under which families from different parts of the country will contribute a brass article or a utensil — all of it will be melted and minted into a 1111 milligram diameter coin with the question engraved on it: Will the 1947 dream of untouchability-free India be reality yin 2047?
→ Read more at
counterview.net
March 22, 2021
Are you a fan of United States coins? Perhaps you are also interested in creating a long-term investment opportunity.
→ Read more at
azbigmedia.com
March 25, 2021
A 19th century coin sold for $8.4 million Thursday at a Las Vegas auction, becoming the most valuable U.S. Mint gold coin ever auctioned. The 1822 half eagle, a $5 coin with only three copies in existence, was sold at the Stack’s Bowers Galleries Las Vegas Auction.
→ Read more at
reviewjournal.com
March 26, 2021
Neil Mahrer, Scott Miles, Richard Miles, Olga Finch, Reg Mead. Picture:DAVID FERGUSON.
→ Read more at
jerseyeveningpost.com
March 27, 2021
This 1935 Pattern Crown coin is a record-breaker. Photo / Supplied
→ Read more at
nzherald.co.nz
March 27, 2021
Ceuta Coin Find Dates Back To 7th Century. image: twitter Ceuta Coin Discovery Dates Right Back To The Byzantine Era Between 602 and 610 AD
→ Read more at
euroweeklynews.com
March 28, 2021
When I turned twenty-one, my father gifted me twenty-one silver dollars, which his father had given to him when he was the same age. Most are from the early 1900s, and one is even from the late 1800s.
→ Read more at
americanlifestylemag.com
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Mar 21, 2021 | auction, coins, COTY, news
Some noticed that I did not post a Weekly World Numismatic News last week. It is nice to see that so many readers are paying attention. This week, I will combine the news of the last two weeks with some highlights.
We Know Who Owns the ’33 Double Eagle
The 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle is arguably the world’s most famous coin. The only coin of its type legal to own sold for $7,590,020 in a Sotheby/Stack’s auction to an anonymous buyer in 2002. We learned that the owner is shoe designer Stuart Weitzman and will be selling the coin along with two extremely rare stamps at an exclusive auction. The auction will include a rare plate block of the famous Inverted Jenny stamp, the holy grail for stamp collectors. Sotheby’s is estimating the coin’s value at $10-15 million. I predict it will sell for over $12 million.
British Coin Sells for £1 Million
A rare gold coin with the portrait of King Edward VIII sold for £1 million. King Edward VIII was the shortest-serving monarch of the 20th century. He abdicated the throne 11 months after his coronation to marry a twice-divorced American woman. At the time, the British people felt that the divorces and her ex-husbands were living as an insult to the Church of England. Rather than fight the church, Edward gave up the throne. During his reign, the Royal Mint struck only three £5 gold coins and never circulated. The sale makes this coin the most expensive British coin.
A Britannia of Color
Britannia, the female allegorical symbol of Britain, is depicted on bullion coins as a woman of color. Early in U.S. coin history, Liberty has appeared in ways similar to Britannia. See the image on the Seated Liberty Dollar for an example. Following the United States’ use of a woman of color to represent Liberty, the Royal Mint mint designers produce their own. The new designs are being lauded in the cynical British press for their art and its symbolism. The Royal Mint notes that Anglo-Saxons do not dominate British territories and members of the Commonwealth Realm. It is important to understand that the coin was planned and designed before the Royal Family’s recent controversies.
U.S. Wins COTY
In case you missed it, the 2019 Apollo 11 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing Commemorative five-ounce silver proof coin win the prestigious Coin of the Year competition. World Coin News sponsors the annual competition. Nominations, reviews, and voting are held the year following the coins’ issue. They announce the winner the following year. Aside from winning COTY, the coin won the Best Contemporary Event Coin and Best Silver Coin categories. It is one of the best designs by the U.S. Mint in recent years.
Picture Credits: Sotheby’s, Heritage Auctions, the Royal Mint, and
collectSPACE.comAnd now the news…
March 7, 2021
An exceptionally rare gold coin for King Edward VIII's short-lived reign is tipped to sell for more than £1million. The £5 coin with a bust of the controversial monarch on one side was struck but never put into circulation as he abdicated after just 11 months on the throne.
→ Read more at
dailymail.co.uk
March 11, 2021
S otheby’s New York is pleased to present Three Treasures – Collected by Stuart Weitzman, a dedicated live auction of three legendary treasures from the personal collection of the renowned fashion designer and collector.
→ Read more at
sothebys.com
March 11, 2021
COIN collectors or people who’ve inherited old change could be sitting on a small fortune. But as the rarest coins are all from before decimalisation – the switchover to the currency system we use now – you won’t find them in your spare change.
→ Read more at
thesun.co.uk
March 12, 2021
In the autumn of 2020, I was contacted by the field archaeology unit of the Swedish National Historical Museums, who are also known as the Archaeologists. They were excavating at a Viking-age settlement at Viggbyholm just north of Stockholm.
→ Read more at
theconversation.com
March 15, 2021
A rare Bermuda coin is expected to fetch thousands of dollars when it goes up for auction next month. The coin, which may have been minted as early as the 17th century, was found by a metal detectorist in Kent in the UK in 2019.
→ Read more at
royalgazette.com
March 17, 2021
The helmeted warrior Britannia has personified the nation, engraved on coins holding a trident and shield with the symbolic and patriotic lion by her side, for more than 2,000 years. Give or take the odd tweak, she’s remained untouched with the passing of time while society and all those around her have altered.
→ Read more at
vogue.co.uk
March 17, 2021
Dozens of rare parchment fragments that are over 1,800 years old have been found in a remote cave in the Judean Desert. Israeli Antiquities Authority
→ Read more at
goodnewsnetwork.org
March 20, 2021
Supplied John Mowbray, the owner of Mowbray Collectables, says sales at the Kapiti Coast stamp and coin auction house are up 30 per cent over 2019.
→ Read more at
i.stuff.co.nz
March 20, 2021
Benjamin Franklin’s Libertas Americana, one of the most sought-after American medals of all time, will be on display for one day only at Sarasota Rare Coin Gallery on Saturday, March 20, 2021 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Jeff Garrett, Senior Editor of the Guidebook of United States Coins (Redbook), will be on hand to present the medal.
→ Read more at
wflanews.iheart.com
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Mar 17, 2021 | celebration, coins, commemorative, silver, US Mint
The United States Mint released the Christa McAuliffe Proof Silver Dollar in a socially distanced ceremony where they presented the first coin to First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, honoring her lifelong dedication to teaching.
NASA selected Christa McAuliffe to be the first member of the Teacher in Space Program. The space agency would train teachers to travel to space and hold lessons from the space shuttle. Unfortunately, 73 seconds into the flight, the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated, killing all seven members aboard.
Jill Biden began her education career as a substitute teacher in 1975. She went to school part-time to earn her Master of Education, completing her coursework while pregnant with her daughter Ashley. After a few years, Biden returned to the classroom teaching English in a public high school. In January 2007, at age 55, she earned a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) before hitting the campaign trail for the Obama-Biden ticket.
Dr. Biden is a champion for education and plans to teach again this fall.
During the issuing ceremony, Biden said:
There’s a saying Christa loved and it’s inscribed on the coin that we unveiled today: ‘I touch the future I teach.’ And this coin, like her life, is a tribute to all educators, as Steve [McAuliffe] said. It’s a reminder of the incredible power we hold to write our history and to shape our future. And it’s a recognition of the obligation we have to keep working toward a time when all students have all that they need to thrive. So thank you to all the educators who touch the future.
The coin’s sale price includes a $10 surcharge paid to the FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics program to promote leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Credits: All images are courtesy of the U.S. Mint via social media.
Mar 12, 2021 | auction, coins, gold
1933 Saint Gaudens Double Eagle (obverse).
Last sold for $7,590,020 in 2002.
Weitzman continued to design shoes with unique designs and materials not used before. He was creating one-of-a-kind designs for stars to wear on the red carpet. Top stars and models consider Stuard Weitzman shoes the must-have accessory to any designer outfit.
Weitzman collected stamps as a child. As he collected, Weitzman became fascinated with very rare stamps. Although his collection is modest in size, it consists of two rarest stamps, the only surviving British Guiana One-Cent Magenta stamp and the 1918 24-Cent Inverted Jenny Plate Block stamps. Sotheby’s will be selling both stamps in an auction on June 8, 2021.
As part of the auction announcement, Sotheby’s revealed that Weitzman was also selling the only 1933 Saint Gaudens Double Eagle gold coin that is legal to own. It is the first time the identity of the coin’s owner is publicly known.
Stuart Weitzman was the winning bidder of the Sotheby/Stack’s auction held on July 30, 2002, held at the Sotheby’s headquarters in New York City. When the hammer fell, Weitzman anonymously purchased the coin for $6.6 million plus a 15-percent buyer’s premium. Sotheby’s famously paid the $20 face value to the U.S. Mint to monetize the coin. The final sale price was $7,590,020. At the time, it was almost twice the previous record paid for a coin.
Although there are other one-of-a-kind coins, none have the same story as the 1933 Farouk-Fenton Double Eagle. It is a unique story that could only be born out of the circumstances of the Great Depression and the documented corruption at the Philadelphia Mint.
The coin and stamps will be on public view by appointment at Sotheby’s in New York until March 17 and June 5-7.
The Double Eagle and British Guiana stamp carries a pre-auction estimate of $10-15 million. The Inverted Jenny is estimated to be worth $5-7 million.
I expect the sale of the coin will break the record for the price of a single coin. The coin is likely to sell for more than $12 million, including the buyer’s premium.
Auction preview video courtesy of Sotheby’s
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Mar 8, 2021 | bullion, coins, gold, investment, markets, news, silver
Prices are rising.
Whether you talk about the price of groceries, gas, or collectibles, prices are rising. So are the price of the collectibles markets, including numismatics.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has been steadily rising for six months. While the prices are rising, unemployment has dropped from the beginning of the pandemic high of 14-percent to the 6.2-percent rate, BLS recently announced.
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Charting the Consumer Price Index during the pandemic
(Chart courtesy of the St. Louis Fed)
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Charting the Unemployment rate during the pandemic
(Courtesy of the St. Louis Fed)
With all of this economic stress, why are collectibles, especially numismatics, are seeing rising prices?
An auction industry source said that there is a pent-up demand for something resembling normal. Instead of the everyday routine, those with means are buying. In the last six months, the industry reports that prices realized for all sectors have risen at rates higher than seen in many years. Estate auctions are attracting new customers looking for unique items.
Numismatics is in the middle of the trend, with collectors and investors looking for something to do. Collectors are spending more time with their collections and looking to expand. Investors see the rise in values because of the rise in precious metal prices and have driven the market higher.
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One year gold spot price
(Graph courtesy of PCGS)
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One year silver spot price
(Graph courtesy of PCGS)
One of the areas where the price changes are noticeable is in the markets for precious metals. While the spot price for gold and silver has been relatively steady, the numismatic spread for coins has climbed. Dealers are reporting that generic gold and silver for numismatic items increased over the last six months.
Price trends of coinage over the last year
(graphs courtesy of PCGS)
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One year trend of generic gold coin prices
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One year trend of Morgan and Peace Dollar prices
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One year trend of 20th Century coin prices
Several industry reports note a higher demand for physical ownership of precious metals, putting pressure on the markets. But rather than buying bullion, investors are purchasing coins. Demand for American Eagle products has outpaced many dealer’s abilities to purchase supplies. When bullion coins were not available, investors purchase coins produced for the collector market, including proof and special issues coins.
Recently, the U.S. Mint set a 99 coin limit when they released the 2021-W American Silver Eagle Proof coin with the original reverse. The coin sold quickly. When asked, the U.S. Mint claimed they did not have the statistics about the number of 99 coin purchases they fulfilled. Collectors report that they were shut out of coin purchases while dealers have been slabbing and selling the coins mostly to investors.
If the predictions are true, economists believe that there will be a roaring 2020s similar to the roaring 1920s following the Spanish Flu Pandemic. Considering the current trends, the secondary market for numismatics may make it too expensive for the average collector to participate in the market.
And now the news…
March 1, 2021
Some artists struggle to figure out ways to make money from their art. Not Christina Hess, a Philadelphia-based artist and chair of the illustration department at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design.
→ Read more at
lancasteronline.com
March 2, 2021
Most people have some coins lying around in their house somewhere, some people decide to keep them in a jar, and some may have quite a lot of them.
→ Read more at
tweaktown.com
March 2, 2021
At least 110 ancient gold coins were seized and a suspect was arrested in an anti-smuggling operation in southeastern Turkey, a security source said on March 1. Gendarmerie teams fighting organized crime in Şanlıurfa province raided the address of the suspect, who was learned to be smuggling historical artifacts, in Viranşehir district, said the source on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
→ Read more at
hurriyetdailynews.com
March 5, 2021
There has been strong interest in the international numismatic auction planned for Friday March 12 in Central Wellington. From a midday start, there will be more than 600 lots to auction, with participants bidding both in the room and online.
→ Read more at
scoop.co.nz
March 6, 2021
Artist Gary Cooper of Belfast used a 3D sculpting computer program to create the winning design for the commemorative coin that will mark the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission. Credit: Abigail Curtis / BDN
→ Read more at
bangordailynews.com
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Mar 4, 2021 | coins, legislative, news
Welcome to the first legislative report for the 117th Congress.
Every two years, a new Congress opens to an alleged promise of a productive session. But like all political promises, the ideals disappear after the opening gavel.
Aside from the public business that makes the news, the House of Representatives set itself up for a lot of busywork. Through February, members of the House have submitted 1,461 bills to be considered. It is the soonest the House has reached 1,000 bills in the last ten years.
If the House is nicknamed “The Raucus Caucus,” then the Senate is the more deliberative body. That is until they appear in the well of the chamber to wax poetic about some issue only to change their minds when the cameras are on them. But the 100 members of the Senate, with two seat changes in January, proposed 479 bills through February. The pace is a little faster than in previous sessions.
Of the 1,907 bills proposed in either chamber, only three had to do with numismatics. Two of the bills are the typical commemorative proposals and the nonsense proposed by Mike Lee.
If this is representative of what we can expect from the 117th Congress, it will be a boring session for numismatics.
H.R. 1057: To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC, and for other purposes.
Introduced in House — Feb 15, 2021
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. — Feb 15, 2021
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E134) — Feb 15, 2021
H.R. 905: To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the health care professionals, first responders, scientists, researchers, all essential workers, and individuals who provided care and services during the coronavirus pandemic.
Introduced in House — Feb 8, 2021
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. — Feb 8, 2021
S. 185: Cancel the Coin Act
Summary: This bill prohibits the Department of the Treasury from minting or issuing any coin, including platinum bullion coins and proof platinum coins, having a nominal or face value exceeding $200.
Introduced in Senate — Feb 2, 2021
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. — Feb 2, 2021
Feb 15, 2021 | coins, news
One of the nice aspects of a new year is all of the new coins that become available. Every major mint starts the year with new bullion products, commemorative coins, and other non-circulated legal tender coinage to keep collectors interested.
For collectors, it is a lot of fun.
Bluenose gold-plated silver dollar is part of the Royal Canadian Mint Silver Proof Set (Image courtesy of the Royal Canadian Mint)
Although the Bluenose launched in 1921, it did not appear on the Canada 10-cent coin until 1937. Since then, the Bluenose appeared on every 10-cent coin except for 1967 when Canadian coins were redesigned to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation.
The Royal Mint has started the year by issuing commemorative sovereigns, Britannia bullion coins, and the yearly Trial of the Pyx. Although modern technology makes the Trial of the Pyx unnecessary, it is an exciting part of Royal Mint history that deserves celebration.
Down under in Australia, the Royal Australian Mint has issued silver coins of the Outback Majesty series that celebrates the Australian Outback animals. Since Australia has done better than the rest of the world with keeping the pandemic under control, the Royal Australian Mint has resumed tours and has operations closer to normal.
Over in New Zealand, it looks like they are having more fun with coins. New this year are the Chibi Collection of the Lord of the Rings characters, DC Comics superheroes, and more. Although the New Zealand Mint designs and strikes these coins, they are issued under the Niue government’s authority. The New Zealand Mint also strikes coins for the Cook Islands. Both are self-governing states in free association with New Zealand.
The U.S. Mint, whose output is the most restrictive of the world mints, has issued the American Silver Eagle Proof coin and the new American Platinum Eagle Proof. The American Platinum Eagle Proof series celebrates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, starting with the Freedom of Religion. Also available is the Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Silver Dollar. Later, the U.S. Mint will issue the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum commemorative coins.
Finally, the U.S. Mint has issued the last of the America the Beautiful Quarters honoring the Tuskegee Airman Historical Site. The U.S. Mint will produce a redesigned quarter for the balance of the year. The Prominent American Women Quarters will begin in 2022.
It is a fun time to be a coin collector!
And now the news…
February 2, 2021
The Reddit-fueled run-up in silver prices might be stalling, but the U.S. Mint said it is still rationing its sales of silver coins because of “continued exceptional market demand,” as well as limited supplies and manufacturing capacity.
→ Read more at
bloomberg.com
February 9, 2021
An Israel Defense Forces soldier discovered a rare 1,800-year-old coin during a training exercise, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Monday. The coin features an image of the head of the Roman emperor Antonius Pius and was dated to 158–159 CE.
→ Read more at
timesofisrael.com
February 11, 2021
Details of a "very special" haul of 651 Roman coins found in the ancient city of Aizanoi in Turkey have been released by researchers behind the discovery. The silver coins were found in a jug during archeological excavations led by researchers from Pamukkale University, according to a press release from the university.
→ Read more at
cnn.com
February 12, 2021
You might have a coin worth literally thousands in your pocket right now. No, not like that Simpsons episode where Mr Burns tries to steal a trillion dollars: an actual, real coin that you could buy something with that is secretly also worth plenty more than face value to a collector.
→ Read more at
ladbible.com
February 12, 2021
CHICAGO: The US Mint announced this week that it will issue a Silver Dollar coin to commemorate Christa McAuliffe, a teacher and a civilian astronaut of Lebanese heritage who died on the Challenger Space Shuttle when it exploded minutes after taking off from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Jan.
→ Read more at
arabnews.com
February 13, 2021
The discovery of nine Roman coins found in Norfolk has been declared as treasure. Yvonne Blake, area coroner for Norfolk, opened the treasure inquest into the find at Norfolk Coroner's Court earlier this month.
→ Read more at
edp24.co.uk
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Jan 28, 2021 | coins, commemorative, education, news
The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and “slipped the surly bonds of earth” to “touch the face of God.”
— President Ronald W. Reagan, Address to the Nation, January 28, 1986
The U.S. Mint announced the launch of a “pre-order system and begin accepting pre-orders for its 2021 commemorative coin programs.” Sales begin today. In addition to the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum Commemorative Coins, the U.S. Mint will begin selling the Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Silver Dollar.
NASA selected Christa McAuliffe to be the first member of the Teacher in Space Program. The space agency would train teachers to travel to space and hold lessons from the space shuttle. Unfortunately, 73 seconds into the flight, the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated, killing all seven members aboard.
The crew members of the Challenger for Mission STS-51L were Commander Dick Scobee, Pilot Michael J. Smith, Mission Specialists Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith A. Resnik, and Ronald E. McNair, and Payload Specialists Gregory Jarvis and Christa McAuliffe.
The pre-order price of the silver dollar is $69.00. The price includes a $10 surcharge paid to the FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics program to promote leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
The STS-51L crewmembers are: in the back row from left to right: Mission Specialist, Ellison S. Onizuka, Teacher in Space Participant Sharon Christa McAuliffe, Payload Specialist, Greg Jarvis and Mission Specialist, Judy Resnik. In the front row from left to right: Pilot Mike Smith, Commander, Dick Scobee and Mission Specialist, Ron McNair.
In a few days, the U.S. Mint will release the last of the five-ounce silver America the Beautiful Quarters. The ATB series was a follow-up to the 50 State Quarter Program to honor the nation’s national parks and forests. The order of the program was determined by the date the area became a national park or forest.
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