Dec 2, 2007 | coin design, coins, COTY
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.
Nov 30, 2007 | ANA, coins
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.
Nov 27, 2007 | coins, quarter, US Mint
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.
Nov 15, 2007 | coins, dollar, registry sets, shows
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.
Nov 13, 2007 | ANA, Baltimore, BEP, coins, currency, shows
As I take my midday lunch break on Tuesday, I made sure that I posted my Friday day off on my company’s internal calendar and started to think about the Whitman Baltimore show. So I started to gather my email of announcements and news to bring together the scope of Whitman’s effort going into this show.
I previously wrote about the American Numismatic Association offering classes on Understanding Die Varieties and Coin Collecting 101. This is a great step for the ANA expand its education mission beyond its conventions and the summer seminars.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing announced their 2008 Intaglio Print Subscription Program called the “Americana Series.” The first issue will be at the Baltimore Show. BEP will have a press on site in Baltimore. BEP announced that they will also display, for the first time ever, a sheet of the new $5 Federal Reserve Note as well as its “Billion Dollar Exhibit.”
David Lange announced on the Collectors’ Society Boards that he will presenting a slide show about coin boards of the 1930s-40s. This will be based on his book Coin Collecting Boards of the 1930s & 1940s. According to Dave, the program will be on Saturday at 2pm in Room 301. There will be a free drawing in which three attendees will each win a vintage coin board after the program.
With over 4,000 lots and a full currency session, Bowers and Merena Auctions will be holding their largest auction in company history. There are a number of interesting items for the rare coin and currency collector. See their online catalog for the lots that will be auctioned.
There will be coin grading by NGC, PCGS, ANACS, and ICG. The ANA and the folks from Florida United Numismatists will also be present.
It appears as if Whitman is looking to challenge FUN’s proclamation of being the “Largest Coin Show in America.” The only thing Baltimore is missing are the exhibits—maybe this is something they can include next year. But if it is Whitman’s goal to make their Baltimore show larger than FUN, I am sure those of us who live closer to Baltimore appreciates the opportunity to attend a premier show.
Oct 22, 2007 | coins, fun, state quarters
Do you have the Monday morning blahs? Do you need a small mental pick-me-up? Then don’t think about work. Go to Mental Floss and test you knowledge of the reverses of some of the 50 State Quarters. They show you 20 quarter reverses and you guess the state from a choice of two. I scored 19 out of 20 after not being able to remember the second coin.
Enjoy!
Oct 18, 2007 | coins, gold, US Mint
Yesterday was a busy day in the coin industry. Aside from the announcements from the American Numismatic Association, the US Mint resumed selling bullion coins. The newly priced American Gold Buffalo and American Gold Eagle proof coins have had their prices adjusted and can now be ordered. Based on a comparison of the new price, the prices are up $75 per ounce. Gold closed at $767.80 on October 18.
Here are the new prices compared with the old:
| Coin(s) |
Old Price |
New Price |
| American Buffalo One Ounce 24 Kt. Gold Proof |
$825.95 |
$899.95 |
| American Eagle One-Ounce Gold Proof |
$789.95 |
SOLD OUT |
| American Eagle Half-Ounce Gold Proof |
$399.95 |
$459.95 |
| American Eagle Quarter-Ounce. Gold Proof |
$209.95 |
$239.95 |
| American Eagle Tenth-Ounce Gold Proof |
$104.95 |
$116.95 |
| American Eagle Four Coin Gold Proof Set |
$1,449.95 |
$1,649.95 |
It’s a good thing I received my 2007-W proof Buffalo over the summer, before the prices went up!
Oct 15, 2007 | coins, gold, platinum, US Mint
When I decided to take a week off, I did not think that there would be much news in the numismatic community. I knew that the US Mint would issue the 28-coin 2007 Mint Set with a satin finish. I figured that would be all of the news from the Mint until the release of the James Madison Dollar. But it seems that precious metals prices have had an effect on Mint products.
As the dollar weakens, investors are running to precious metals to protect their assets. This is driving up the prices for gold and platinum. The increased interested gold caused its spot price to reach $711.40 on September 12. Because the margin decreased, the Mint suspended sales of American Eagle gold coins on September 13.
Platinum has also been surging. As of the market close on Friday, October 5, platinum closed at $1365—up over $300 this year— as gold closed at $741.30. When the markets opened on Monday, the Mint suspended sales of the platinum American Eagles and American Buffalo gold proof coins. The next day, bulk sales to dealers were halted. Only the silver and platinum proof American Eagles are still available.
Dave Harper of Numismatic News speculates that the Mint acts when the threshold between the cost of the metals and the spot prices are within $100 of the Mint’s sales price. While he has no evidence of this, it is a plausible theory based on recent events as all bullion sales ceased when gold and platinum spot prices were within $100 of the Mint’s sales price.
Before the Mint can reprice these coins, they are required to publish the new prices in The Federal Register. Nothing has been announced. Market volatility may make this more difficult for the Mint than expected. It could take the Mint until the end of the month to set new prices to allow the market to settle.
Oct 6, 2007 | coins, fun, other, rareties
Can you own a 1913 Liberty Head Nickel? What about a 1856 Flying Eagle Cent? Is there a 1907 High Relief Saint Gaudens Double Eagle in your future? Most of us commoners can only dream about owning one of these great rarities. But would it be interesting to have a unique collectible about these and other great coins?
A friend who is a baseball card collector and was searching the Internet looking for a a particular card. After doing a series of online searches he stumbled on a website that he thought I would be interested in seeing. Sure it was about trading cards, but not of baseball players. He said that these were trading cards of rare coins. I thought my friend was doing some early weekend celebrating, but it was such a different idea that I had to see for myself. His email had a link to www.eaglesofamerica.com. When the page loaded, I was surprised to see that this company had partnered with the Upper Deck Company to create rare coin trading cards.
What an interesting idea! I probably will never own most of these rare coins, so why not supplement my collection with trading cards about them? According to the site, “Series 1” will be sold in foil packages at coin and hobby shops. Each package will have eight out of 500 different cards, one of 100 Lucky Penny card that will have an uncirculated Lincoln cent from 1930-70, and one bonus card. The bonus card has an assortment of prized to be claimed from the publishers.
The cards will be available in November from hobby shows with a suggested retail price of $5-6 per pack. Sweepstakes and other prizes are described on the site that include a 1907 High Relief Saint Gaudens Gold Double Eagle, a Trade Dollar, a 1799 Bust Dollar, and a trip to Washington for a visit to the Smithsonian Museum. It will be interesting to see if these cards generate interest in the numismatic community.
Oct 4, 2007 | coins, dollar
It was reported in the Peoria Journal Star that police were investigating the alleged use of counterfeit Presidential Dollars at a Peoria McDonald’s restaurant. The coins were very shiny and gold colored that included George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. It raised a concern at the local bank when an employee noted that the Madison dollar was not yet released. Following an examination of the coins, police said that they were proofs from a US Mint proof set.
This was one of those shake-your-head stories. One would think that a banker would know the difference between a business and proof strike coins. Then I remembered the blank stares I was given when trying to buy rolls of Washington dollars the day they were issued. Also, why did someone break up a Presidential Dollar Proof Set and use them as four-dollars when they are worth four times that? We may never know the answer but I can think of better things to buy for $4 than a Big Mac!
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!
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