Traveling and Change Hunting
If you are a change hunter, you know the thrill that you can find in your pocket as you travel. Spend a few dollars here and there, drop the change in your pocket, then spend time later looking hoping that you find something interesting.
Earlier today, it was time to leave Atlanta. After the stress of dropping off a rental car, getting through the TSA checkpoint complete with physical and verbal molestation, I needed a cold drink. Braving airport prices, I bought a bottle of water and waited for my plane.
A few moments ago, I emptied my pockets and found the coins I have been hunting for since the beginning of the year: two nice 2021 quarters, the Tuskeegee Airmen National Historic Site and the Washington Crossing the Delaware quarters.
Obverse of the 2021 Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site quarter on the left and the 2021 Washington Crossing the Delaware Quarter on the right.
The first noticeable thing is that the obverse of the Washington Crossing the Delaware quarter looks closest to the last regular issue quarter in 1998. Washington’s bust is more prominent, and there are smaller fields. The compromise in the design is to fit “LIBERTY” in the field left of the bust.
If the U.S. Mint designers can use a smaller font for “LIBERTY,” they can produce an obverse similar to this 2021 revival. Remember, congress has passed legislation for circulating commemorative quarters for the next ten years.
Reverse designs of the 2021 quarters
The images produced by the U.S. Mint show promise for the reverse designs. However, when you look at the coin in hand, the design has a smooth feel. The design lacks the depth needed to bring out the design. It can be a good design, but the U.S. Mint’s tradeoff to lower relief coins to extend the die’s life ruins the intended effect.
Although the Tuskeegee Airmen National Historic Site quarter was struck in a similar relief, it appears that the dies were engraved to give the design a better image of depth and texture. The design and engraving of this coin gives the America the Beautiful Quarter program a well-designed closed.
Weekly Numismatic World News for August 27, 2017
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…
Priceless collection of 75 gold Roman coins depicts evolution of propaganda and portraiture over 300 years
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.
"We don’t give away keys to the city, John. Too many people breaking in."
It's a challenge coins for veterans to be given out by police officers
The pair had been sweeping a recently ploughed field with metal detectors when they discovered the buried hoard
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.
Ambulance driver Toby Robyns was arrested as he prepared to fly home with his family.
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.
(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…
How about a Numismatic World News Podcast?
For the last few weeks, I have been publishing the Weekly Numismatic World News every Sunday evenings. These posts consist of links to the articles that I find around the Interwebs along with a commentary on one of the articles or something else related to the news.
I had an idea. Rather than just post the news, I would create a podcast that would allow me to report the news and add some information. Rather than typing a full discussion, the news links posted on the website would be the equivalent of show notes for the podcast. The commentary would be moved to the show.
For those not familiar with a podcast, it is like a radio show but stored in an audio file that can be downloaded or listened to on demand. You can download podcasts and listen to them like any music file. There are also programs that allow you to subscribe to podcasts so that they can be downloaded when new episodes are available.
If there is an interest, I can produce a weekly podcast that will look at the various numismatic-related news items with commentary in a show that is a half-hour or less. In the future, I will look to create special podcasts from events.
Please note: I will continue to write this blog. It is not an either/or situation. If there is an interest, I can do both!
Would you be interested?
Loading ...Numismatic Eclipse
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!
- 1999 Alderny Eclipse commemorative coin image courtesy of the States of Alderny.
- 1999 Romanian 500 lei coin image courtesy of romaniancoins.org.
- 1961 Italian gold eclipse medal image courtesy of Chard.
- Nikopolis Eclipse Coin image courtesy of Astronomical Symbols on Ancient Coins..
Weekly Numismatic World News for August 20, 2017
Charging Bull by Arturo DiModica is a bronze sculpture that stands in Bowling Green Park just south of the Financial District in lower Manhattan.
As I was reminded in one of the articles in today’s list, “Is Now The Time To Buy Gold?” predicting the price of gold is as easy as tracking the U.S. dollar and the stock markets. If the dollar weakens or the markets show insecurity, then the price of gold rises. What makes this tricky is that this is an either/or proposition that makes the theory sound easier than it is.
Simply, gold investing is used as a hedge against weakening currencies. If the currency loses its purchasing power, the price of gold rises. When stocks lose their asset values and are not providing returns to investors, currency may be strong but its buying power is not what it used to be, also known as inflation, then gold becomes a safe bet.
Silver is sometimes referred to as the “poor man’s investment” because of its lower price.
The tricky part is trying to predict what the markets are going to do. This is why when something happens that creates uncertainty, the markets react like a scared dog in a thunderstorm (one of my dogs becomes a basket case during thunderstorms).
The biggest problem is that uncertainty can come as quickly as a Tweet. It is amazing how one statement in 140-characters or less could move all of these markets. It is the business version of being scared of their own shadow.
For now, I am just going to stick to collecting coins. Aside from the satisfaction of the chase and accomplishment, my collection is worth more than what I paid. It is more fun and I know that when it is time to sell, I will make a profit.
And now the news…
IT has been the “hardest secret” that Australian children’s book author Mem Fox has had to keep for a year.
The Royal Canadian Mint has issued a new coin to celebrate a trail that runs through the heart of Saskatoon, along the South Saskatchewan River.
It’s a special promotion through one supermarket chain, so you might just end up with these magical $2 coins in your possession.
As examples of hubris go, that of Hannibal (the Carthaginian general, not the fictional serial killer) takes some matching. And now German geochemists have added solid science to the evidence of historians and archeologists.
Interesting money can you bring from journey. Disney dollars are traded one-to-one to the American, the Cuban peso is only for local residents, the coin 25 Euro in almost every country you can find unusual currency. Yes, and the usual money that we pay in the supermarkets, are often a pleasant and even beautiful reminder …
With gold climbing to over $1,300 an ounce for the first time this year, should investors consider now the time to buy gold? Or is waiting a better option?
Readers who know not to take wooden nickels are instead advised to hunt for experimental pennies of the 1940s; some pay off big time.
The metal detectorist said he had made some finds which were of archaeological interest but this one was "bling".
Bob Harwell has turned his childhood pastime of collecting coins into a profession, and now coins he collected are on display at a University of Georgia library. The display includes a complete set…
Unlucky at the ATM
You need a quick amount of cash. After all, not every transaction can be made with a credit card. You hop in the car and drive to the bank to use the ATM. Within seconds, the machine spits out money and you drive away.
Early the next morning you look at the bills and notice that not only are they crisp new $20 Federal Reserve Notes but they are in sequence. A closer look and you think that you might have a good Liar’s Poker hand.
An ATM find: A Sequence of $20 Federal Reserve Notes
Then you take a closer look at the serial number and think you might have stumbled on something. That is when you realize that you might need to take that prescription from the ophthalmologist to a store and get your glasses changed!
Eight notes sooner and I would have picked up a $20 Federal Reserve Note with a cool serial Number!
Although a decent Liar’s Poker hand (a full-house), I almost had a repeater. Had I made to the ATM sooner, I could have found the note with a 4-digit serial repeater. Then, if the rest of the notes were in sequence, I would have sacrificed to go back for more money. After all, there would be someone who would be interested in buying serial number “92009200” and maybe the succeeding notes!
Now I am stuck hoping to win the $535 million after spending number “92009212” on Powerball tickets.
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