Oct 5, 2017 | cents, coins, copper, errors
1943-D Bronze Lincoln Cent graded MS-64BN by PCGS
Raymond Reddington, played by James Spader, was trying to gain the attention of a high-rolling thief and found himself at a numismatic auction. The item up for bid was the 1943-D Bronze Lincoln cent. As part of the story, it was announced that it was the only one known to exist and that it was graded by the Professional Coin Grading Service.
Currently, there is only one known 1943-D Bronze Lincoln Cent and was graded by PCGS to be MS-64BN. It last sold for $1.7 million in 2010.
Since then, more 1943 Bronze Lincoln Cents were found including a 1943-S graded MS-62BN by PCGS. That coin was sold to Bill Simpson, a co-owner of the Texas Rangers, for $1 million in 2012. Simpson owns a complete set of 1943-PDS and 1944-PDS off-metal Lincoln cents, the latter made of zinc coated steel.
In the show, the hammer price was $3 million. All things considered, it is probably an accurate estimate of what the coin might be worth if it were to come to market today.
Of course, they did not use a real 1943-D Bronze Lincoln cent and there was a mistake when the coin showed up later in the story. But if you have not seen this episode, I am not going to spoil it for you!
Oct 3, 2017 | coins, commemorative, legislative
Sometimes, it takes time for the online system to catch up with the acts of Congress. But in what looks like a rare display of bipartisanship, the Senate passed The American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act (H.R. 2519) on September 29, 2017. It becomes the first piece of numismatic-related legislation passed by the 115th Congress.
When signed by the president, who is in Puerto Rico today and expected to be in Las Vegas tomorrow, the American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin program will be the second commemorative program of 2019. The other is the Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Commemorative program.
Typical of the three coin commemorative programs, the law authorizes a $5 gold, $1 silver, half-dollar clad coins with maximum mintages of 50,000, 400,000, and 750,000 respectively.
According to the bill, “The design for the coins minted under this Act shall be emblematic of The American Legion.” Other than the required inscriptions, no other restrictions were placed on the design except the required reviews by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.
Surcharges of $35 for the gold coin, $10 for the silver coin, and $5 for the clad coin will go to the American Legion to help with their service efforts. If the program sells out, the Amercian Legion can earn $9.5 million.
H.R. 2519: The American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act
Summary: This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue commemorative coins in recognition and celebration of the 100th anniversary of the American Legion.Surcharges received from the sale of these coins shall be paid to the American Legion for costs related to promoting the importance of: (1) caring for those who have served, and those who are still serving, in the Armed Forces; and (2) maintaining patriotic values, strong families, and assistance for at-risk children.
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. — May 18, 2017
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. — Sep 25, 2017
Received in the Senate. — Sep 26, 2017
Message on Senate action sent to the House. — Sep 29, 2017
Presented to President. — Sep 29, 2017
Oct 1, 2017 | coins, commemorative, commentary, legislative
Trying to follow the inner workings of politics is more frustrating than what you see on television news. Part of following the inner workings of Congress is to try to figure out what Congress will do next is not only understanding where legislation is in the process, what Congress calls “regular order,” but it also requires understanding who is asking for what favors in order to get pet projects passed.
As part of the House of Representatives’s regular order, they created a rule that two-thirds of the members must support a commemorative coin bill by being a co-sponsor before it will be considered in committee. This means that 287 members must sign-on as co-sponsors. Once the bill meets the threshold, the bill goes through the committee process.
Although both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act and The American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act met that threshold, the threshold was met a while ago. This means the bills were supposed to go through the committee process except neither did. Both bills were introduced on the floor under a process called “suspension of the rules.” Under suspension of the rules, a bill may be brought to the floor for debate and vote without having to go through regular order.
When a bill is brought to the floor, there is a debate period determined by whoever is acting as the presiding officer. Both sides get to have their say, however, in these cases, the member who introduced the bill will stand up and provide a justification for the record as the only speaker. Once the debate period ends, the House votes on the bill.
Both bills were passed on a voice vote.
What can make following legislation frustrating is that there was no indication that these bills were going to be brought to the floor under suspension of the rules. I had asked a source whether this was done in order to curry favor with the sponsors. My source was uncertain as to why these bills were rushed to the floor.
Now it is on to the Senate. Let’s see how quickly they get to this legislation or whether it will be burried in committee.
H.R. 1235: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act
Introduced: February 27, 2017
Summary: This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 50,000 $5 coins, 400,000 $1 coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins in recognition and celebration of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.The coins shall be in the shape of a dome, and the design on the common reverse of the coins shall depict a basketball. Treasury shall hold a competition to determine the design of the common obverse of the coins, which shall be emblematic of the game of basketball.The bill requires all sales of such coins to include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by Treasury to the Hall to fund an endowment for increased operations and educational programming.
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. — Feb 27, 2017
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. — Sep 25, 2017
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. — Sep 26, 2017
H.R. 2519: The American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act
Introduced: May 18, 2017
Summary: This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue commemorative coins in recognition and celebration of the 100th anniversary of the American Legion.Surcharges received from the sale of these coins shall be paid to the American Legion for costs related to promoting the importance of: (1) caring for those who have served, and those who are still serving, in the Armed Forces; and (2) maintaining patriotic values, strong families, and assistance for at-risk children.
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. — May 18, 2017
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. — Sep 25, 2017
Received in the Senate. — Sep 26, 2017
Message on Senate action sent to the House. — Sep 29, 2017
Sep 27, 2017 | bullion, coins, palladium, US Mint
Quick update for those interested in the new Palladium Bullion Coin that was sold to authorized purchasers on Monday.
The U.S. Mint added a link for the Palladium Bullion Coin to the American Eagle Coin Program web page. The web page provides scaled image of the coin and the design information.
If you want to find an authorized seller, the U.S. Mint has a web page to let you find one based on your location.
Rather than using the images that were reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, the U.S. Mint also posted full-sized color pictures of the coins.
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2017 American Palladium Eagle One Ounce Bullion Coin Obverse using the Mercury Dime design by Adolph A. Weinman
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2017 American Palladium Eagle One Ounce Bullion Coin Reverse using the design 1907 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Gold Medal reverse by Adolph A. Weinman
A quick check of online auctions shows that the American Palladium Eagle coin is averaging $1,100 per coin when buying one graded and encapsulated coin or $1,080 when buying an ungraded coin. Multiple coin lots are averaging between $1,070 and $1,080 each.
As I type this, the current price of palladium is $928.73. Dealers are paying 6.25 percent over the spot price (approximately $986.79) plus shipping costs. Graded coins also incur fees paid to the third-party grading service.
Images courtesy of the U.S. Mint.
Sep 19, 2017 | bullion, coins, Eagles, palladium, poll, US Mint
American Palladium Eagle mockup as presented to the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee
After seven years since the law was passed (American Eagle Palladium Bullion Coin Act of 2010, Pub. L. 111-303), these coins Will begin their sale. There is no indication whether the U.S. Mint will offer collectable versions or just release the bullion coins.
The coin will have a $25 face value and require that “the obverse shall bear a high-relief likeness of the ‘Winged Liberty’ design used on the obverse of the so-called ‘Mercury dime’” making it yet another bullion coin that will feature a design from the early 20th century. For the reverse, the law says that the coin “shall bear a high-relief version of the reverse design of the 1907 American Institute of Architects medal.” Both the Mercury Dime and 1907 AIA medal designed by Adolph A. Weinman, whose Walking Liberty design is used on the American Silver Eagle coins.
No price has been announced but the current Price of Palladium is $911.63. As a reference the current spot price of metals are as follows:
Precious Metals Price Snapshot as of September 19, 2017
(This is a static chart—it does not update)
The U.S. Mint does not publish the bullion and bulk sale prices the way it does for collector coins but it is likely that these coins are sold to distributors at a premium over their spot price. I guess we will find out how much these coins will cost for investors and collectors purchase when they hit the market.
For today’s poll, are you going to buy one?
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Sep 10, 2017 | coins, news
NOTE: A previous version was posted by mistake and then deleted. Sorry!
The old Round Pound and the new 12-sided £1 coin
Aside from the change over from the “round pound” to the new 12-sided pound coin most of the stories are about what to look for in pocket change. People in the UK are now scrutinizing their pocket change more with the issuance of the new pound coin and it has caused a lot of people to look for the circulating commemoratives issued by the Royal Mint.
Unlike the United States, the primary unit of currency in the UK, the pound, circulates as a coin since the lowest denomination of paper currency is the £5 banknote.
The Royal Mint also produces a £2 coin.
Additionally, the 50 pence coin does circulate and has also been used for commemorative purposes.
Now that the focus is on the new 12-sided pound coin, the other coins have been getting notice. The nation’s tabloids have been writing about these coins generating more interest than the America the Beautiful quarters are receiving here in the United States.
S. John Rajendra Prasad with his collection of ancient coins and rare stamps. (Credit: The Hindu)
The stories that appear in the press the collectors that are highlighted for the volume and longevity of their collections.
Volume seems to be a similar story between the collections. Many of these collections would be classified as hoards based on our societal norms. But rather than lumping the coins together, Indian collectors do sort and separate coins by types, sometimes in a way that makes sense.
I have not had the chance to learn more about the appeal of coins to the Indian society but I find the overall passion for their collecting pursuits quite appealing.
And now the news…
September 4, 2017
THE Benjamin Bunny 50p coin has now arrived and is the latest commemorative coin to be released by the Royal Mint as part of the Beatrix Potter series. But when exactly did the coin enter circulati… 
→ Read more at thesun.co.uk
September 7, 2017
‘Find a penny, pick it up. All day long, you’ll have good luck’ – that’s how the saying goes but what if it was worth enough to keep you going for months? A dad has told of his surprise after being handed a rare 1p coin that could be worth thousands of pounds – because it’s in silver. → Read more at mirror.co.uk
September 9, 2017
A hoard of more than 280 gold and silver coins from the time of the Roman invasion of 
Britain has been unearthed by two metal detectorists. → Read more at granthamjournal.co.uk
September 9, 2017
The first building block of Australia’s new icebreaker was welded into place at a keel laying ceremony at Damen Shipyard Galati in Romania late last month. The concept design was done by Knud E. Hansen, and Managing Director, Finn Wollesen attended the ceremony, along with Rasmus Nygaard from Friends of Nella Dan. → Read more at maritime-executive.com
Sep 3, 2017 | coins, news
Labor Day was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century to celebrate the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of the country. It became an official federal holiday in 1894 and marks the unofficial end of summer.
Aside from having a three day weekend, it is traditionally the weekend that college football begins its season. The seasons started Thursday night and will continue until the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic on Monday night. Next Thursday, the NFL season begins.
Football season also means that as I search for numismatic-related news, the term “coin toss” will fill up the search results. This year there may be a twist in that there are reports that some games, networks, and conferences will be creating their own coin to toss. Some have reported that they will be selling the coins for collectors while others may auction game used coins for charity. This is an opportunity for sports fans and exonumia collectors to have some fun together.
Yes, These are Medals
I know these are medals since they have no denomination and not produced by a government. I decided to use the common vernacular rather than being technically correct!
If you are looking for the manufacture of these coins, you can visit the website for the Highland Mint. It appears that they have the contracts with all of the sports leagues to provide coin and coin-related souvenirs.
And now the news…
August 28, 2017
Public demand has been so high the Treasury Department will mint an additional 490,000 commemorative coins to mark the cremation of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej this October. The largest portion will be 400,000 silver commemorative coins priced at 2,000 baht each, with 50,000 more gold coins priced at 50,000 baht each and 40,000 copper coins priced at 3,000 baht each, director-general Patchara Anuntasilpa said on Monday. → Read more at bangkokpost.com
August 29, 2017
Among those captivated by the recent story of the little Israeli girl who stumbled on a 2,000-year-old half-shekel coin — only to learn some days later that what she had found was a roughly 15-year-old souvenir — was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. → Read more at haaretz.com
August 30, 2017
Armed with a metal detector in 2014, Jim Bailey unearthed a small, silver coin about the size of an American dime that once belonged to a pirate. MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (WJAR) — Sweet Berry Farm in Middletown covers more than 100 acres. → Read more at turnto10.com
August 30, 2017
JERSEY CITY – The United States Mint has introduced a New Jersey-inspired coin into circulation as part of its “America the Beautiful Quarters” program. Dozens gathered at Ellis Island on Wednesday morning for the debut of the “Island of Hope” coin, which depicts a family of immigrants arriving to the United States. → Read more at nj.com
August 30, 2017
Governments have long waged a war on cash in an attempt to curb terrorism and tax evasion. Their focus has typically been on eliminating large denominations, like Europe’s €500 bill or India’s 1,000 rupee note. → Read more at qz.com
August 30, 2017
Police in the northwestern German city of Cologne hit an unexpected jackpot when they chanced upon historical coins and currency notes during a drug-related search. The historical loot was found in a black carry-on suitcase in May 2017, police said on Thursday. → Read more at dw.com
September 3, 2017
Vernon economist takes a look at money → Read more at vernonmorningstar.com
Sep 1, 2017 | coins, commemorative, legislative
We send our hopes and wishes out to the victims of Hurricane Harvey.
A Rockport firefighter goes door to door on a search and rescue mission as he looks for people who may need help after Hurricane Harvey passed through on August 26, 2017, in Rockport, Texas. (Image courtesy of The Atlantic)
The American Red Cross needs blood donors. If you can give blood, visit redcross.org/hp/harvey3 to find a blood drive near you!
You can also visit the Red Cross website to donate to relief efforts. Donations can be made by Credit Card or by using your PayPal account. If you are not comfortable donating on the web, you can call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or you can make a $10 donation by texting HARVEY to 90999. The $10 donation will appear on your next cell phone bill.
The National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster group has a collection of member organizations who may be taking both donations and volunteers to help the flood-stricken region. You can see the list on their website at nvoad.org/voad-members/national-members.
The City of Houston has established a Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund. You can find out how to donate directly to the fund on the city’s website at houstontx.gov/mayor/press/harvey-relief-fund.html.
For more information about the federal disaster response and other resources, visit disasterassistance.gov.
Finally, for those looking for numismatic content, here is what happened in August before Congress went on summer break:
H.R. 965: Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park Redesignation Act
Introduced: February 7, 2017
This bill redesignates the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, in New Hampshire, as the "Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park."
Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands. — Feb 23, 2017
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent. — Jul 26, 2017
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 197. — Aug 25, 2017
S. 1182: The American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act
Introduced: May 18, 2017
This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue commemorative coins in recognition and celebration of the 100th anniversary of the American Legion.Surcharges received from the sale of these coins shall be paid to the American Legion for costs related to promoting the importance of: (1) caring for those who have served, and those who are still serving, in the Armed Forces; and (2) maintaining patriotic values, strong families, and assistance for at-risk children.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. — May 18, 2017
Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote. — Aug 3, 2017
Held at the desk. — Aug 4, 2017
S. 1718: 75th Anniversary of the End of World War II Commemorative Coin Act
Introduced: August 2, 2017
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. — Aug 2, 2017
Aug 27, 2017 | ancient, coins, commentary
This week, the BBC reported about Toby Robyns, a 52-year-old ambulance driver from the U.K., who may be facing an up to three-year prison sentence for trying to take home ancient coins he found on a beach in Turkey.
Immediately, my thoughts turned to a story I wrote about my friends in a similar situation. While sitting on a beach, they found several ancient coins. Just like the British man, they threw their finds in their luggage and proceeded with their vacation.
When airport security found the coins in the luggage they detained Robyns, just like what happened to my friends.
One of the differences between the two stories is that the U.K. news outlets are reporting about this state sanctioned abduction. It was confirmed that when the family that returned to the U.K. they contacted the media to tell the story.
In the U.S., my friend’s family was asked by the government representatives not to talk about the case with the media. Part of the reason was that my friend was working for the U.S. federal government at the time and had clearances. Although it cannot be confirmed, I am sure that this is why his story ended quickly.
Regardless of the disposition of Mr. Robyns’ case, the damage has been done. The coins are likely not valuable and this is nothing more than harassing a foreign national because they can. And given some of the rhetoric between Turkey, Europe, and the U.K., especially over Brexit and the Middle East refugee situation, it will be unfortunate if Mr. Robyns is made to pay for the politics.
And now the news…
August 21, 2017
Priceless collection of 75 gold Roman coins depicts evolution of propaganda and portraiture over 300 years → Read more at timesofisrael.com
August 21, 2017
The Treasury Department will accept orders for special coins commemorating King Rama IX’s cremation at banks and state financial institutions from Aug 22 to Sept 30. → Read more at bangkokpost.com
August 22, 2017
"We don’t give away keys to the city, John. Too many people breaking in." → Read more at denverite.com
August 23, 2017
It's a challenge coins for veterans to be given out by police officers → Read more at wbay.com
August 23, 2017
The pair had been sweeping a recently ploughed field with metal detectors when they discovered the buried hoard → Read more at cornwalllive.com
August 23, 2017
A Government push to phase out the old pound coin is being hampered by firms mistakenly returning its 12-sided replacement. Around half of the coins being delivered to cash centres have turned out to be the new pound coin, slowing efforts to remove the round pound from circulation. → Read more at helensburghadvertiser.co.uk
August 24, 2017
Ambulance driver Toby Robyns was arrested as he prepared to fly home with his family. → Read more at bbc.com
August 24, 2017
The Cairo International Airport antiques’ unit blocked an attempt by an Egyptian passenger to smuggle a collection of Khedival-era coins, paper currency, contracts, and bonds to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, the unit head said in a statement. → Read more at egyptindependent.com
August 26, 2017
(JTA) — An 8-year-old Israeli girl found a rare coin from the Second Temple period. The half-shekel coin dates from a time when it was used to pay a yearly Temple tax, archaeologist Zachi Dvira told The Times of Israel. The custom is prescribed in the Torah (Exodus 30:11-16). Hallel Halevy discovered the coin in… → Read more at jta.org
Aug 21, 2017 | ancient, coins, commentary, foreign
As we wait for the shadow of the moon to trek across the United States from Oregon to South Carolina, I was curious as to whether there were coins ever created to commemorate any of the past eclipses regardless of location.
Allowing an online search engine to help, I was able to find a few coins.
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1999 Alderny Total Eclipse of the Sun Commemorative Five Pound Coin
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1999 Romanian Eclipse 500 lei bi-metalic commemorative coin
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1961 Italy Total Eclipse of the Sun Gold Medallion (Image courtesy of Chard)
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Minting of these coins in Nikopolis could indicate an eclipse focused on that region
I am sure there may be a few more, but I need to run out to pick up a pair of those funky glasses!
