Jun 3, 2009 | coins, video
A retired psychologist in Truro, Massachusetts on Cape Cod found a 17th century sixpence while digging in his garden.
It was reported that Dr. Peter Burgess retired to Truro and decided to plant a garden. While digging in March 2008, he found the coin. Although it was very worn, Dr. Burgess did some Internet research and contacted Louis Jordan of the Department of Special Collections at University of Notre Dame. Jordan verified that the coin was a William III sixpence.
William III of Orange was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1689-1702. He was King along side his wife, Queen Mary II until her death in 1694. William endowed the College of William and Mary in present day Williamsburg, VA.
I found a video of an interview with Burgess by the Cape Cod Times:
Even though the coin is worn, I think it is worth something. In any case, it is a good find!
May 21, 2009 | cents, charity, video
Anyone who has followed my writing knows that I am an advocate for keeping the Lincoln Cent and charities that use the cent as a basis for the good work they do. The power of the little copper-colored coin is underestimated and maligned for bogus reasons. The coin we colloquially (and incorrectly) call the penny deserves more respect.
Add Marcelo Bezos to the list of people who found the penny to be a worthy charitable endeavor. Bezos, the founder of the Penny Pyramid Project was inspired to break the world’s record for a pyramid made of cents by a family member’s ongoing fight with colorectal cancer. As Bezos writes, “My father in laws Dad has been battling this cancer for almost 12 years. In November of last year his health took a turn for the worst. I wanted to do something big to show this man that his strength, faith and will to live had touched many of those who had met him, including me.”
In turn, Bezos turned his project into an annual fundraising event in conjunction with students in his area.
The concept of building a pyramid from pennies is such a neat idea and the stop action video of the project is so cool, I thought my readers would be interested in watching:
If you watch this video, can someone please help me identify the background music?
Although his site and YouTube channel appears to be sporadically updated, I hope he is successful in furthering awareness to the necessity of screening and finding a cure for colorectal cancer.
May 8, 2009 | BEP, video
If you have never been to a show where the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing shows off their “1 Billion Dollar Exhibit,” you may not have seen the demonstration of intaglio printing with on a spider press that dates from the Lincoln Administration.
The following video appears to be from the 2005 World’s Fair of Money held in San Francisco. It shows BEP specialist Mike Beck demonstrating the intaglio printing process while printing show souvenirs.
I first saw Mike Beck’s demonstration in 2007. He is very engaging and has a wonderful sense of humor. He is also very knowledgeable of the entire currency production process and the differences between the old and current processes. If you have a chance see Mr. Beck and the BEP exhibit, I encourage you to visit. It is worth your time.
May 6, 2009 | commemorative, US Mint, video
One thing I like about numismatics is that coins, currency, tokens, and other ephemera can be used to teach history. Along with teaching history, they can be used to raise money for worthy causes. One such coin is the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar, the first coin with readable braille. The $10 surcharge, up to a maximum of $4 million will be paid to the National Foundation for the Blind to promote braille literacy.
In order to understand where your money will go, NFB produced a video titled Change with a Dollar to explain their Braille literacy initiative and how the money raised from the sales of the Braille Commemorative will help their cause. I thought my readers would be interested in this video:
NFB also produced a one minute commercial titled I Can Do More: Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar which can be seen…
Both proof and uncirculated coins are available from the US Mint if you want to help NFB’s effort to promote Braille literacy.
Apr 22, 2009 | fun, gold, RCM, video
Not long ago, a Canadian friend passed along a funny video of a tour of the Royal Canadian Mint. Today, someone else sent the link to the video so I decided to share. The video is by Rick Mercer. Mercer is the host of the popular Rick Mercer Report on Canadian Broadcast Company network. He is a popular political satirist in Canada whose show is described as a cross between something he has done in the past and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
In this video, Mercer and his crew visit the RCM’s Ottawa facility to take a tour of the gold storage areas and coin production. Mercer is very irreverent in the video giving his tour guides and nearby guards proverbial heartburn over his antics. See for yourself and enjoy!
Mar 23, 2009 | fun, video
I had to share this before retiring for the evening since it’s marginally coin-related. We’ve seen these stories before and they are just as amusing each time. A Romanian man was angry after being fined 500 lei for allegedly employing children to tend his goats. Angelo Rujinaru, 39, objected to the fine saying that a neighbor’s child was playing with his goats. Rujinaru said that the police refused his right under the law to pay half of the fine within 48 hours, which lead to his protest: Rujinaru paid his 500 lei fine with 50,000 one ban coins (100 ban is equal to one lei).
Rujinaru carried his coins in a backpack and two buckets to the community cashier, who is required to accept the coins in payment for the fine. Because Romanian law requires cash payments to be counted by hand, the clerk and two colleagues were able to count 15,000 coins. Rujinaru was quoted saying, “I’m sorry for the cashier lady, but this is my way to protest this unjust act. If they count one penny per second, they should be done in about two days.”
Here is how it was reported on MSNBC:
I am sure he is now the talk of the town… and maybe the police, as well!
Feb 7, 2009 | coins, gold, video
As an avid collector and purveyor of the “neat” things in numismatics, I find it difficult to pass up a “how it’s done” video. A friend who knows this, saw the video I posted about Rae Biester, Superintendent of the Philadelphia Mint, appearing on the game show What’s My Line, and sent along a link to another interesting video.
This video is from the Mayer Mint, a private mint in Germany, and sponsored by the Gold Refining Forum. It shows the making of a 2002 non-circulating legal tender gold coin honoring the Year of the Horse. It is part of the Bhutan Lunar Series. The coins struck in the video are 5 ounces of 999.9 gold proofs with the denomination of 20,000 Ngultrum issued by the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan.
I love videos like this!
Coin specification image courtesy of the Mayer Mint GmbH
Feb 3, 2009 | history, US Mint, video
On July 20, 1958, Mrs. Rae V. Biester, Superintendent of the US Mint in Philadelphia was a contestant on the the CBS game show, What’s My Line. Watch as Mrs. Biester stumps the pannel:
While looking for biographical information about Rae Biester, I was surprised to learn that she was instrumental in the promotion of proof coin sets in the 1950s.
According to Tom DeLorey in The Three Major Eras of Modern Proof Sets, following the passage of legislation that allowed the US Mint to produce proof sets in 1950, sales started slowly as the public was getting used to the program and paying a small premium over face value for the “special handling.” The newly appointed Biester did what she could to help increase sales of proof sets, especially during a recession, in order to prevent layoffs. DeLorey writes:
Sales increased slowly over the first few years, and finally began to climb in 1954 under the personal care and promotion of the new Philadelphia Mint Superintendent Rae Biester, who sought to avoid a threatened round of layoffs by increasing Mint output via Proofs. Biester went so far as to write personal notes thanking buyers of the 1953 Proof sets, and inviting them and their friends to buy the 1954 and subsequent sets.
Under Biester’s administration the packaging was improved by placing the coins between two sheets of plastic divided into pockets via a simple pressure bonding, which allowed the coins to be viewed and displayed without removing them from their original holders. These &ldlquo;flat packs” appeared in mid-1955, and this is the only year which is collected by holder variations (other than by product variations).
By the time Mrs. Biester appeared on What’s My Line, she had saved the proof program and protected the employment of many US Mint employees.
Aug 10, 2008 | foreign, medals, video
Although I am not a big fan of the Olympics, I can appreciate a good show. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) put on an great show for the opening ceremonies. The committee for the London 2012 games will have its work cut out for itself after that presentation.
When we think about the Olympic games, we associate the results to the medals won by each athlete for their country. These medals are made of precious metals and awarded after the conclusion of final competition in each sport. While we do not think of the Olympic medals in a numismatic context, the BOCOG chose a design for these medals that are also a symbol of ancient Chinese money in its design and the by the use of jade.
Jade was discovered over 7000 years ago in China. Its beauty and toughness helped earn its nickname as the “imperial gem.” Skilled artists were brought in to create works art to honor deities and the dynasties. Jade art was considered so valuable that it use was preferred vehicle for trade on the Silk Road over gold and silver.
China’s use of jade as currency dates back to its discovery and ends when the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 9 CE) introduced bronze coinage. It was typical of the currency at that time to include a hole in the middle. The hole was to save on materials used and to aid in carrying. Typically, the hole reduced the metal content by half.
BOCOG is using the Olympics to convey that China is a modern country steeped in long tradition that defines them as a people. It was that purpose that BOCOG used to hold the first-ever public competition for the reverse design of the Olympic and Paralympics medals. The obverse of the medals are struck with the officials designs of the Olympics and Paralympics games. When reviewing the entries, the BOCOG selected a design to honor jade’s impact on early Chinese history and using the hole as a design element.
The result is a jade inlay covering half of the reverse of the medal that includes a 40 mm central hole. Within the hole is a simulated medal engraved with the logos for the respective games. BOCOG worked with the artists and engravers at the Shanghai Mint. This was a first for the Shanghai Mint since it is the facility that produces China’s circulated coins for China Banknote Printing and Mining company. Although working with the jade insert was a difficult process, the result is a beautifully executed modern interpretation of ancient Chinese culture.
One thousand of each medal were created for the games.
The use of jade and the rise in metal prices greatly increases the intrinsic value of the medal. Reports claim that the metal and jade makes the value of the medals $393. Medals issued for the 2004 Athens Games were worth $155 ($179.55 adjusting for inflation). This increase is directly attributable to the jade and the rise in copper prices in the last four years. Of course the price of gold is a big factor. Gold medals are silver plated with 6 grams of 24-karat gold.
Jade used for the medals were mined in China. The gold, silver, and copper were provided by BHP Billiton from their mines in Australia and Chile. BHP Billiton delivered the metals to the Shanghai Mint with much fanfare. BHP is based in Australia. The following video is likely a clip from an Australian news program when the metals were delivered to the Shanghai Mint on January 15, 2008:
Early in July, the Shanghai Mint presented BOCOG with the six thousand completed medals that will be awarded at the games. The South China Morning Post filed this report on July 3, 2008:
Medals for the 2008 Paralympic Games, scheduled for September 6-17 at the same venues as the able bodied Olympics, were given their own ceremony in Beijing. The following report was file by London’s CCTV 9:
When I watch, I will be cheering for the Americans participating in both games, especially the Redeem Team!
Jul 20, 2008 | gold, video
Last Wednesday, I wrote about the potential seigniorage of the 2008 American Buffalo 24-karat Gold Coins and suggested that some may be used as an investment. Remember, I am not an investment advisor and don’t pretend to know what I am talking about in that area. But if you are watching the market price of gold as an investor or interested bystander, you know that it has been in a real roller coster ride this year.
Since writing about the gold Buffaloes, gold has dropped to $954.60 (as of 5:15 PM, NY Time) from Wednesday’s close of $975.10. It may have a lot to do with the upward movement of stocks on the New York Stock Exchange—NASDAQ was down because of lower than expected earnings reports from Microsoft (MSFT) and Google (GOOG), two technology sector bellwethers.
As an interested bystander, I was wondering about gold in this market. I was pointed to TheStreet.com, the site started by financial guru Jim Cramer, to see what they had to say. I came across the following video report about investing in gold during these economic times:
It is an interesting take on the market. My posting it here is by no means an endorsement of these opinions or a recommendation. You should consult with your investment adviser (if you have one) and make the decision that fits your investment goals. My interest is as a coin collector but would like to see some value from the collection as I consider the eventual passing of my collection to my family.
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