Weekly World Numismatic News for June 2, 2019
The most interesting news of the week was not printed by a media outlet but by the Government Printing Office. On May 23, 2019, the GPO published an entry in the Federal Register saying that the U.S. Mint has priced the Pride of Two Nations Limited Edition Two-Coin Set at $139.95.
Which two nations? Of course, if this is coming from the U.S. Mint, one of the countries is the United States. However, several reports claim that the second nation is Canada.
According to a source, the set will include a proof one-ounce American Silver Eagle coin and a proof one-ounce silver Canada Maple Leaf with a unique privy mark. There was no further information as to what the privy mark will be.
Production will be limited to 250,000 sets, according to the source.
The coins will be packaged and marketed by the U.S. Mint. The Royal Canadian Mint will also take orders for the set that will be fulfilled by the logistics contractor working for the U.S. Mint.
The source did not have information about the packaging.
The set will go on sale at the beginning of the World’s Fair of Money via Internet and telephone ordering only. Falling under the category that we can no longer have nice things, the U.S. Mint’s reticence to open sales at shows is a result of the fiasco that occurred when they released the 2014 50th Anniversary Kennedy Half-Dollar Gold Proof coin at that year’s World’s Fair of Money.
Of course, no dealer was penalized by the American Numismatic Association for disrupting the World’s Fair of Money or setting the conditions that disrupted the distription outside of the Denver Mint.
And now the news…
May 28, 2019ST. GEORGE — Glen Canyon National Recreation Area’s investigation of centuries-old Spanish coins that were turned into the park has provisionally concluded the coins are authentic. However, according to a news release from the National Park Service, the two small coins were probably part of a modern coin collection, perhaps accidentally or intentionally dropped by a visitor to Lake Powell. 
→ Read more at stgeorgeutah.com
May 29, 2019Editor's note: This story has been updated to include the newest mock-up of the Harriet Tubman currency from the advocacy group Women on 20s. WASHINGTON – The Trump administration says it needs until 2028 to release a new $20 bill featuring abolitionist hero Harriet Tubman. → Read more at usatoday.com
June 1, 2019The coins and a silver ingot, believed to be worth £500,000, were seized in Durham and Lancashire. → Read more at bbc.com
June 1, 2019Is the current 1p piece the least valuable British coin since the currency was unified in 1707? → Read more at bbc.com
You Can Vote for COTY–Hopefully Soon!
World Coin News, a Krause Publication and sponsor of the Coin of the Year (COTY) awards has added a new category for the “People’s Choice.” Readers and other interested parties may log into Numismaster, the Krause pricing and news portal, to vote for their choice of COTY. The People’s Choice award will be given in addition to the regular Coin of the Year award.
Voting is supposed to begin on December 1 at www.numismaster.com. However, as of Sunday, December 2, at 8:00 PM Eastern Time, the links for COTY could not be found. Hopefully, voting will be available on Monday!
Last year, the 2005 Marine Corps 230th Anniversary Silver Dollar was been named “Coin of the Year” The COTY award presented in 2008 will a competition of designs featured in 2006.
National Coin Week Theme Deadline is Sunday
As I continue to catch up from my week off, I am going through my email and found a note from the American Numismatic Association saying that the deadline for submitting your theme idea for 2008 National Coin Week, April 20-26, is this Sunday. The ANA is looking for themes that focus on unity around the world and the role children and numismatics play in achieving this unity. The ANA is offering a one-half ounce gold American Eagle proof coin for the winning theme. Second place will receive a one-quarter ounce gold American Eagle proof coin. The third place selection will receive a one-tenth ounce gold American Eagle proof coin.
If you are an ANA member and interested in participating, send your theme idea, description of why it should be chosen, and ANA number to ncw@money.org.
2008 Quarter Designs Finalized
The US Mint announced the final designs for the 2008 50 State Quarters Program. If the Senate does not pass District of Columbia and United States Territories Circulating Quarter Dollar Program Act (H.R. 392), 2008 will be the last year of this program. H.R. 392 has been referred to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Contact the committee if you want to see this bill passed.
The following text and images are from the US Mint:
Oklahoma: “Scissortail Flycatcher,” features an image of the State bird, the Scissortail Flycatcher, in flight with its distinctive tail feathers spread. The bird is soaring over the State wildflower, the Indian Blanket, backed by a field of similar wildflowers. Engraver: Phebe Hemphill.
New Mexico: “Land of Enchantment,” features a Zia sun symbol over a topographical outline of the State with the inscription “Land of Enchantment.” Engraver: Don Everhart.
Arizona: “Grand Canyon State,” features an image of the Grand Canyon with a Saguaro cactus, Arizona’s state flower, in the foreground. A banner reading “Grand Canyon State&lrquo; separates the two images to signify that the Saguaro cactus does not grow in the Grand Canyon. Engraver: Joseph Menna.
Alaska: “The Great Land,” features a grizzly bear emerging from the waters clutching a salmon in its jaw. The coin’s design includes the North Star displayed above the inscription “The Great Land.” Engraver: Charles Vickers.
Hawaii: “King Kamehameha I,” features Hawaiian monarch King Kamehameha I stretching his hand toward the eight major Hawaiian Islands. The design includes the state motto “UA MAU KE EA O KA ‘AINA I KA PONO” (The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness). Engraver: Don Everhart.
Return from Giving Thanks
I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and took some time off to relax and give thanks for what they have. I also hope that you would consider helping someone else who does not have the means to help themselves. It could be something as small as a donation to a food bank to a donation of your time to a shelter. Whatever you do, giving can be more satisfying as receiving.
My last entry was about my going to the Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention. I was to attend on Friday but circumstances prevented me from arriving in the morning. I was able to spend most of the afternoon walking around checking out the coins and visiting with people. This was Whitman’s third time running the show and it looks like they are really refining the way the show is being presented. A notable refinement was the placement of the Bowers and Merena table along the wall in Hall C was a very good idea. It allowed for more room to let potential bidders to view auction lots and interact with the Bowers and Merena staff.
Along that idea, Whitman placed their own booth in the same area between the Bowers tables and the exhibit from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing making it a good area to visit. BEP brought its “Billion Dollar Exhibit” with currency from past and present. BEP also had sheets of the new $5 Federal Reserve Notes to see the new designs. It was the first time the new notes were on display for the public. Although I am not a currency collector, I like how the BEP does their exhibit and makes their people available to ask questions. The US Mint should learn from the BEP how to put together an exhibit. After all, the Mint has one of the most extensive collections of US coins outside of the Smithsonian Institute. They should use shows like Baltimore to show off the collection.
As always, I enjoyed myself and purchased a few neat items. I will discuss my experiences in a few posts over the next week-or-so along with images of my purchases. What’s a good story without pictures, other than a fish story!
Random Musings Before Baltimore
Rather than reviewing a document, I am day dreaming about what I will find in Baltimore tomorrow. My biggest concern is how the price of gold and silver will effect coin prices. As I type this, gold closed at $787.20—hovering around the magic $800 price for most of the week—and silver closed at $14.52—nudging towards $15. Precious metals price watching has not been a big financial sport since the boom in 1980. We have already seen where it has affected the price of coins from the US Mint.
But I could be just worrying since I am not in the market for anything significant. In fact, I may be selling more than buying! After thinking about it, I decided to sell my set of modern dollars. The only coins worth more than $100 are a 1971 Eisenhower Dollar graded MS-65 by NGC and a 1999-P Susan B. Anthony Dollar with the Narrow Rim graded MS-65 by NGC. I am considering consigning them to one of the online auction houses to see what happens.
Finally, before I get back to work, the US Mint released the James Madison dollar today. As our fourth president, Madison was forced into the War of 1812 when the British Royal Navy blocked American trade with France while Britain and France were at war. The captured seamen were forced into conscription on behalf of the British. It was during the Battle of Baltimore that Francis Scott Key wrote the poem “The Defense of Fort McHenry,“ which is known today as the Star Spangled Banner.
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