Weekly World Numismatic News for March 20, 2022

Bleached Counterfeit Currency

An example of a $100 Federal Reserve Note printed on a bleached $5 note (Image courtesy of Prescott Police Department via AOL.com)

Bleaching low currency denominations and printing higher denominations is not a new phenomenon. This past week a New Jersey man was convicted again for doing it again.

Hollis Forteau, 38, of New Jersey, was convicted on two counts of counterfeiting in 2015 for bleaching low denomination notes, printing $100 on the blank paper, and passing them as real currency. Since most people continue to use iodine pens to detect counterfeit currency, the counterfeit notes will pass the test.

Professional counterfeiters know it is easy to pass bleached currency. Rather than understanding the embedded security features of real currency, stores continue to rely on technology that the criminals know how to defeat.

Although the counterfeiter is convicted, the damage will affect the businesses he scammed and their customers. The businesses do not get compensated for the lost revenue for each counterfeit note, and those businesses will have to recover the lost revenue by raising prices. Nowadays, with inflation increasing, the business can bury the rise in inflation concerns.

The consumers end up paying for these cases.

Businesses should be encouraged to train their employees to recognize the anticounterfeiting embedded into United States currency by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

And now the news…

 March 14, 2022
The Central Bank of Argentina has ceased minting new coins, according to media reports. Rising metals prices have made the coins too costly to produce.  → Read more at centralbanking.com

 March 15, 2022
A New Jersey man was sentenced to five years in prison after creating counterfeit money with bleach, $1 bills and a printer, officials said. Fake $100’s were made.  → Read more at miamiherald.com

 March 16, 2022
The rare gold coin has been on display at the British Museum on long-term loan from a private collector.  → Read more at foxbusiness.com

 March 18, 2022
The Ukraine crisis has shaken up prices—and sent some Americans scrambling for coins.  → Read more at theatlantic.com

 March 19, 2022
Do you know that Sheikh Noor ud Din and Sheikh Humza Makhdoom have also been mentioned in the numismatic records of this land?  → Read more at greaterkashmir.com
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No Morgan and Peace Dollars in 2022

The U.S. Mint announced that they would not produce the 2022 Morgan and Peace Dollars calling it a “calculated pause.”

According to their press release, the pandemic impacts their suppliers’ availability to deliver silver blanks. Although many areas are returning to pre-COVID operating standards, suppliers require additional time to increase production to meet the higher demands.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine should not affect the worldwide supply of silver and gold since their mines are depleted. However, higher energy prices will impact the mining, refining, and transport of these metals.

The law requires the U.S. Mint to strike American Silver Eagle bullion coins. The law authorizing the 2021 Morgan and Peace dollars does not require the U.S. Mint to produce those coins in other years. If there is a supply problem, the U.S. Mint will strike the required American Silver Eagle Coins and suspend the Morgan and Peace Dollars.

Although popular designs, does it matter if the U.S. Mint strikes the coins again? Would it be better for the hobby if the coins were a one-year tribute and faded into numismatic history?

Weekly World Numismatic News for March 6, 2022

In support of the Ukrainians fighting for their freedom, the Monnaie de Paris created the Solidarity with Ukraine Mini-Medal. The copper-nickel medal is 34mm in diameter and features the Eifel Tower next to a colored Ukrainian flag. On the Ukrainian flag is the French national motto “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité.”

The reverse is described as having a common reverse used by the Monnaie de Paris with the 2022 date.

Each medal is 10€ (about $10.93), with 8€ donated to the French Red Cross for Ukrainian relief. The Monnaie de Paris does not say that they will ship to the United States or the costs. Mint officials will likely answer an inquiry on Monday.

If you purchase a medal from the Monnaie de Paris, remember that most credit card companies will charge a transaction fee for converting euros to dollars. Contact your credit card company to ask about the charges.

You can find the medal on the Monnaie de Paris website. The link will help you visit the page in English.

Please watch @coinsblog on Twitter and this post for updates on availability and shipping to the United States.

And now the news…

 February 28, 2022
The newfound Roman coin in Hungary features a bearded Emperor Volusianus on one side and Libertas, the personification of freedom, on the other.  → Read more at livescience.com

 March 2, 2022
The Royal Canadian Mint says it will be donating the net proceeds of sales on its 2022 pysanka-themed collector's coins to the Red Cross Ukrainian relief fund in light of the Russian invasion. “For the past seven years, the Mint has proudly honoured the richness of Ukrainian culture and artistry in Canada with a best-selling series of pysanka-themed collector coins.  → Read more at ottawa.ctvnews.ca

 March 3, 2022
Charles Spencer just found buried treasure (kidding…sorta). Today, Princess Diana’s brother shared a must-see photo on his personal Instagram account, featuring a Roman coin that was discovered at Althorp House (the English estate where the siblings grew up).  → Read more at purewow.com

 March 4, 2022
A gold stater from Lydia, one of the first coins in the world. Such coins were the very first coins to be used in the world.  → Read more at greekreporter.com

 March 4, 2022
The Department of Homeland Security just returned a trove of artifacts deemed to be the property of the French government, and five gold ingots that were likely smuggled to the U.S. decades ago and which landed in a Bay Area auction house, were among them.  → Read more at sfist.com

 March 4, 2022
Since November, we have published 38 coin ads throughout our newspapers in Ohio and Michigan.  → Read more at athensmessenger.com

 March 5, 2022
The Bangla word Takshal which is "mint" in English, is a place where money is coined, especially under state authority. Since Muslim rule in Bengal was established in 1205 by Ikhtiyar Uddin Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji, the rulers started making coins from the capital and other important administrative and commercial cities.  → Read more at tbsnews.net
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Weekly World Numismatic News for February 27, 2022

2022 Maya Angelou Quarter

As Black History Month winds down, the numismatic community is part of history as Ventris Gibson is nominated to be the first African-American woman to be the Director of the United States Mint.

Another numismatic celebration came with the first American Women Quarters Program featuring writer, poet, performer, social activist, and teacher Maya Angelou.

These are two events that the numismatic community can use to demonstrate diversity and attract more collectors. With the national attention on the new quarters and Gibson’s appointment, it is an opportunity not seen since the 50 State Quarters Program over 20 years ago.

WRC, the NBC owned and operated station in Washington, DC, interviewed Ventris Gibson as part of their Black History Month series. Here is the interview they aired:

And now the news…

 February 21, 2022
Juneteenth Commemorative Coin 2021 by Juneteenth Unlmited Black owned Small Business Releases Historic Commemorative Coin for Juneteenth 2021  → Read more at einnews.com

 February 24, 2022
A Kirkcaldy man tried to pass off thousands of pounds worth of fake £2 coins as genuine at post offices across Fife in the hope of changing them into legitimate cash.  → Read more at thecourier.co.uk

 February 25, 2022
As the financial year of the temple treasury began on Rosh Chodesh Nisan from which date certain requirements of the sacrificial service could only be purchased with funds from that year, those proclamations were made to give a month’s notice to people to pay these annual dues required to be deposited in the temple Treasury.  → Read more at australianjewishnews.com
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Weekly World Numismatic News for February 20, 2022

Fake Silver Eagles

Two counterfeit American Silver Eagles purchased from a company who advertised on Facebook.

There is at least one noteworthy numismatic article in the non-numismatic media most weeks. The news published this week was mundane and not worth noting.

The news worth reporting is that online scammers are changing how they structure their scams.

After examining the websites reported by several people, they are now:

  • The “companies” behind the scams are registered in London, and I am not sure why they chose London.
  • Five of the six companies investigated have registrations that point to the owners coming from India. The U.K. and India have had close relations following their independence from the British Empire.
  • The websites are hosted in the U.K. using a service that supports online marketplaces.
  • After examining a set of coins purchased by a reader, they resemble the counterfeit coins I purchased in 2020.

Many people have talked about doing something to combat counterfeits coming from overseas. Some groups tried to write letters without a response from the recipients. At what point does the numismatic industry stop writing letters and do something?

If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different outcome, numismatics may be ready to be fitted for a straight jacket.

Since nobody in the numismatic industry is coming up with a plan, I will develop one. It will be comprehensive and involve the entire industry. Give me a few months to research the possibilities.

And now the news…

No mainstream news this week.
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Weekly World Numismatic News for February 13, 2022

The controversial Croatian 1 Euro coin with the marten design (Image courtesy of the Croatian National Bank)

This week’s entertaining news comes from Croatia, where their proposed euro coins have been under attack for misappropriation and plagiarism.

Although Croatia became a member of the European Union in 2013, the country that used to be part of Yugoslavia became eligible to become a member of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) II and must convert to the euro by January 1, 2023.

Croatia is getting ready by updating its minting processes to produce euro coins. The process includes a nationwide contest to create new designs for the side of the euro coins they can customize.

Croatia 50 euro cent design featuring Nikola Tesla (Image courtesy of the Croatian National Bank)

First, the Croats upset Serbia by selecting Nikola Tesla to feature on the 50-cent coin. Tesla, the inventor of alternating current (AC) electricity transmission, is ethnically a Serb buried in Belgrade, Serbia. Throughout his life, Tesla identified himself as Serbian. However, he was born in 1856 in the village of Smiljan, which is part of Croatia today. Serbia does not believe that Tesla should be on a Croatian coin. Croatia disagrees, and the design will stay.

This past week, Croatia introduced the design of the 1 euro coin featuring an image of a Pine Marten that may have been copied from a photograph. The marten is a weasel-like animal that lives in many northern climates, including the two species that live in North America. Its prevalence in Croatia led to its selection during the design competition.

However, it appears that the marten image is a “copy” of a photograph by Scottish photographer Iain H. Leach. Leach was told about the design by others who claimed plagiarism. One user on Twitter posted a video comparing the two images by overlapping the designs.

Play the following clip and you decide.

According to one report, a search for “side view marten” will return Leach’s image as one of the first few results fueling the plagiarism charges. Since Google searches use many customizing factors, the only way to force a search to return Leach’s image was to search for “side view marten leach.”

If the artist copied Leach’s photograph, the design would violate his copyright. The Croatian National Bank decided to not use the design.

And now the news…

 February 7, 2022
Six treasure finds dating from the Bronze Age to post-medieval periods were declared treasure on Friday by John Gittins coroner for North Wales east and central. The objects were all discovered by metal detectorists and include a Bronze Age hoard, three medieval coin groups, a post-medieval bodkin and seal matrix.  → Read more at wrexham.com

 February 7, 2022
It is time to retire the penny from circulation. All of them. In this expensive modern age we no longer have a need for something as worthless as a penny. They are expensive to mint, a waste of time for everyone using them, bad at being money and get less valuable every single year. I hope by the end of this column you will be, at the very least, sympathetic to the idea of letting the penny go and relinquishing it to history books and coin collections.  → Read more at uiargonaut.com

 February 8, 2022
The extremely rare Edward VIII penny was never even officially released (Image: Showpiece.com/PA Wire) A rare coin marking the reign of King Edward VIII has been valued at a whopping £200,000.  → Read more at mylondon.news

 February 8, 2022
The euro has not even been introduced in Croatia yet, but the single currency is already causing the second scandal.  → Read more at netherlandsnewslive.com
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Weekly World Numismatic News for January 30, 2022

Several news stories touted the collecting of coins and said that coins are a great teaching tool.

A Chicago Sun-Times article suggested that parents use national coin storage to teach their kids history and economics. Coins have images of presidents, and presidents represent history. For example, the 50 State Quarters and America the Beautiful Quarters can help teach geography and history. Even though the Ohio quarter has a hanging astronaut, a parent can use it to explain aviation history.

From Ghent, New York, Ralph Gardner Jr. asks if coin collecting is making a comeback? Gardner admits that regular coin collecting is not a good investment. The opportunity for change hunting is limited, and the regular collector market is dominated by graded coins that are out of the reach of ordinary collectors. But there continue to be opportunities for someone who likes coins to find something interesting to collect.

Finally, a New York Times print edition published an editorial cartoon that compared coin collecting to cryptocurrency. The gist of the cartoon was to show that while there may be investment opportunities in the cryptocurrency market, if something happens in either market, the coins are a tangible asset.

Recently, I received emails from people looking for information about buying collectible coins. Most have said they were participating in the crypto markets but were worried about its volatility. The number of messages increased this past week during a decline in the crypto market. The crypto investors with the capital are looking for a safe haven and choosing collector coins for their investment.

As a result, the collector and investor market appears to be strong. The only problem is understanding what everyone wants to collect.

And now the news…

 January 25, 2022
My children’s questions were about the monetary value coins hold, and the American values our country has branded onto coins’ heads and tails for centuries — both values now becoming outdated.  → Read more at chicago.suntimes.com

 January 27, 2022
This is just one of the stories from our “I’ve Always Wondered” series, where we tackle all of your questions about the world of business, no matter how big or small. Ever wondered if recycling is worth it?  → Read more at marketplace.org

 January 28, 2022
A DOLLAR coin said to be the first ever struck by the US Mint has sold for a whopping $12million. The silver dollar coin features the year of 1794 with Liberty’s head staring towards the top right on the obverse.  → Read more at the-sun.com

 January 29, 2022
A small part of the writer’s wheat penny collection. Wheat pennies, Buffalo nickels and silver quarters still bring a thrill when discoved in ordinary pocket change.   → Read more at berkshireeagle.com
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Weekly World Numismatic News for January 23, 2022

(Image courtesy of The U.S. Sun)

Exaggerated headlines are not new to journalism. Depending on whose depiction of history you read, it dates to the work of Joseph Pulitzer and New York World and William Randolph Hearst in the New York Journal. The battle between the two raged into the 1890s and earned the name of Yellow Journalism.

The tradition continues on the Internet. Instead of Yellow Journalism, it is called clickbait. In the old days, editors used the headlines to sell newspapers so readers could see the advertising. Today, the headline writers want you to click the links to display advertising. It is the same principles even though the medium is different.

Some people do not like overly dramatic headlines and avoid those links. But there is one set of numismatic-related stories whose headlines you should not ignore.

The Sun is a UK-based tabloid newspaper owned by Ruppert Murdock. While the newspaper is known for yellow and tabloid journalism, the paper has well-written stories that are not sensational or salacious. With the power of the Internet, they brought The Sun to the U.S. using the same formula to get page impressions.

One of the story formulas The U.S. Sun uses is to lure readers is to watch eBay coin auctions as a basis to write about different coins. Once they find something interesting, the articles produced are well written, informative, and readable to the average collector.

A good example is the “PRETTY PENNY Rare Lincoln penny with wax filled die sells for $122 – see if you have one in your wallet“ is a headline that seems like clickbait. But if you read the article, it explains the issues with the filled die, looks at other research into the date and error and talks about what to look for when searching pocket change.

A journalist explained that these are formula stories. A formula story is written based on a publisher-defined style so that any writer can fill in the details and maintain standards. Writers who earn their pay by the story will create story formulas to publish as many stories as possible.

Given The U.S. Sun‘s ability to publish well-written stories about the coins they cover makes it an excellent educational read for all coin collectors regardless of knowledge level. Follow @coinsblog on Twitter for when I find these stories.

And now the news…

 January 17, 2022
More exists to challenge coins than the simple design of them. Business owners must pay attention to a variety of things like plating, shape, size and cost.  → Read more at vervetimes.com

 January 19, 2022
Our government just dropped a hot new quarter featuring Maya Angelou with her arms dramatically aloft, posed before a bird’s giant wingspan. It’s the first of a series, each depicting women on the back.  → Read more at nymag.com

 January 20, 2022
An extremely rare Henry III gold penny discovered in a farm field in England could fetch more than $500,000 at auction this month. Spink & Son  → Read more at smithsonianmag.com

 January 21, 2022
Coin collecting is one of the most popular hobbies in the world. As with any hobby, it's important to know how to collect coins so that you can avoid making mistakes and start building a strong collection. Here are six things about coin collecting you should know before starting your collection!  → Read more at bbntimes.com

 January 21, 2022
A new internal report depicts the United States Mint as an institution rife with internal tumult over allegations of racist behavior.  → Read more at nytimes.com

 January 23, 2022
THE Henning quarter is arguably one of the most fascinating coins in American history – but some are wondering if they should add it to their collection. Often times with coins, they will gain their rarity off a low mintage, an error, or another unique element.  → Read more at the-sun.com
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Weekly World Numismatic News for January 16, 2022

The late Harvey G. Stack and Muriel Eymery, both inspirations in numismatics

The deaths of Harvey G. Stack and Muriel Eymery and other events in my life have me thinking about our legacy on the hobby. All of us will leave a legacy, and whether it is with our family or the hobby in general, sometimes we need to take stock in what that legacy will be.

Although they were of different ages, Stack and Eymery had similar philosophies. Both wanted to bring advancement to the hobby by expanding what people collected. Stack was one of the people who advocated for the 50 State Quarters program, and Eymery was an advocate for international collecting for collectors from all over the world.

It was not enough for both to look beyond their primary interests. Stack could have made a good living from his New York City store selling rare coins, holding auctions, and serving a high-end community without being involved in areas that would help the average collector. Eymery took her passion and made a career in several countries, including the United States and Hong Kong. She became an ANA Governor overcoming xenophobia because she spoke with an accent even though she was a U.S. citizen.

Both stepped beyond their comfort zone to help the hobby and should be role models for all of us. Stack and Eymery went beyond their self-interests to grow the hobby. They had their business interests, but they could think beyond an alleged correct way to collect for the sake of the hobby.

What will your legacy be? Are you going to leave the hobby static or grow it by creating a legacy that collecting is fun and does not have to be limited by plastic-encased coins or printed albums? Or will you embrace everything that the hobby offers, including areas you do not collect?

For the memory of Harvey Stack and Muriel Eymery, we should commit to leaving a legacy of progress and inclusion in the hobby that all of us want to grow and thrive.

And now the news…

 January 11, 2022
Famous author and noted civil rights leader Maya Angelou became the first African American woman featured on the 25-cent coin. The U.S. Mint began shipping the quarters on January 10. Reportedly, the Angelou coin is the first in a series designed to celebrate the accomplishments of American women.  → Read more at spokesman-recorder.com

 January 13, 2022
A coin collector shows the commemorative coin, released by the Colombian Central Bank, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Colombian independence.  → Read more at marketwatch.com

 January 14, 2022
Being called “two-faced” by someone today would most likely “breed a quarrel,” as the old saying goes. However, if one were to go back just two centuries to classical Rome, that same depiction might elicit a very different response.  → Read more at theday.com

 January 14, 2022
A hoard of 337 silver Roman coins, discovered in a field, have been declared as treasure.  → Read more at bbc.com

 January 14, 2022
A badger has led archaeologists to a hoard of more than 200 Roman coins that had been hidden in a cave in Spain for centuries. The animal had burrowed into a crack in the rock inside the La Cuesta cave in the Asturias region of northwest Spain, and dug out coins that were later discovered by a local man, Roberto García, according to a paper on the find published in December.  → Read more at cnn.com
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Weekly World Numismatic News for January 9, 2022

Royal Canadian Mint’s Mental Heath Medal and Magnet Set (Royal Canadian Mint Image)

Mints all over the world are releasing new coins. The U.S. Mint opened the sale of the Negro Leagues Commemorative coins. Across the pond, the Royal Mint announced the coins they would issue in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. She is the longest-reigning monarch in British history. The world’s longest-reigning monarch is Louis XIV of France (over 72 years).

The Royal Canadian Mint has released its precious metals variation on the Maple Leaf but has issued a commemorative Metal and Magnet set promoting Mental Health. Proceeds from the sale of the set will be donated to Kids Health Phone, a 24-hour support service for Canadian children.

The Perth Mint, New Zealand Mint, and the Pobjoy Mint announced several non-circulating legal tender coins that will upset traditionalist collectors.

With the American Women Quarters program, there should be a lot of exciting coins to collect.

And now the news…

 January 6, 2022
Combo photo shows an ancient coin seized at Cairo International Airport in Cairo, Egypt, on Jan. 5, 2022. Egypt’s archeological unit and the police at Cairo International Airport seized on Wednesday nine ancient coins and a yellow copper-made candlestick, which a passenger attempted to smuggle abroad.  → Read more at africa.cgtn.com

 January 7, 2022
The Astronauts Memorial Foundation is now selling coin sets signed by members of the last Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, STS-125 in 2009  → Read more at space.com

 January 7, 2022
Welcome to Kitco News' 2022 outlook series. The new year will be filled with uncertainty as the Federal Reserve looks to pivot and tighten its monetary policies. At the same time, the inflation threat continues to grow, which means real rates will remain in low to negative territory.  → Read more at kitco.com

 January 7, 2022
Among those who support the end of government fiat money, it’s not uncommon to hear and see claims that gold is “the best money” or “natural money” or the only substance that’s really suited to be commodity money.  → Read more at wallstreetwindow.com
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