With interest already gaining momentum for the new series of quarter dollars scheduled to begin next year, CoinNews Media Group LLC is pleased to be able to offer a resource that all will find illuminating, the AmericaBeautifulQuarters.com Web site.

From the most seasoned numismatist to the newest entrant to the hobby, America the Beautiful Quarters is a one-stop informational site teeming with all of the designs, release dates, specifications and news relating to the America the Beautiful Quarters Program from the United States Mint.

The quarter-dollars launch in 2010 and run for 11 years encompassing a total of 56 newly designed quarters. Five times a year a new coin will be issued to feature a different national park or national site -- one from each state, territory and the District of Columbia.(...)
Read the rest of America the Beautiful Quarters Site (294 words)

Litigation surrounding the 1933 double eagles of the Langbord family, whose pater familias Israel Switt has his pedigree on all of the known pieces that the government has seized, took a new twist Sept. 29.

That day the U.S. Mint amended the existing lawsuit to counterclaim for relief not only to require the Langbord family to forfeit the 10 1933 $20 gold coins that they asked the Mint to authenticate, but to seek the same fate for anybody else that has one, too.

In a way, the litigation has come the full circle. But since ...

Full Article: New Government Legal Tack Could Backfire - NumisMaster.com

The Chinese lunar calendar is known to be thousands of years old but they still use it today to mark special events and festivities. In fact, their system is known worldwide along with the twelve animals used to differentiate its cycles.

Said to signify the courage and competitiveness of a natural leader, the tiger is one of those twelve animals and is found on some of the newest releases from The Perth Mint. The 2010 Year of the Tiger Silver Coins feature a variety of options for the collector or ...

Full Article: Perth Mint's Year of the Tiger Silver Coins - CoinNews

The discovery earlier this week of a huge stash of stolen property strewn over two acres in Missouri City in rural Clay County is making for a heavy, and sometimes tedious, workload for investigators. But a discovery on Friday of some hidden treasures has re-energized authorities ... Boydston is talking about the discovery of a table full of money, coins and currency rich in history.

"There's (money) from the 1860's and obviously you don't have to be a curator to know this is someone's personal, very valuable collection," said Boydston ...

Full Article: Rare Coin Find Energizes Stolen Property Investigation - Fox4KC.com

The United States Mint this week announced the deadline to order Braille Commemorative Silver Dollars.

The legislation authorizing the coins stipulates that they can only be issued "during the 1-year period beginning January 1, 2009." On its online store, the US Mint has posted the following message:

The 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar products must be issued by December ...

Full Article: Deadline for 2009 Braille Silver Dollars - CoinNews

Lincoln Presidency in DC Cent - Click to Enlarge

WASHINGTON - On November 12, 2009, the United States Mint will release to the Federal Reserve Bank millions of one-cent coins bearing the fourth-and final-new reverse (tails side) design in the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One-Cent Program.

The design is emblematic of Lincoln's presidency in Washington, D.C.  For a limited time only, the agency will offer the 2009 Lincoln Cent Two-Roll Set - "Presidency" at its online catalog, http://www.usmint.gov/catalog, beginning at noon Eastern Time (ET) on November 12.  Orders are limited to five units per household.

Priced at $8.95, the set contains one roll of 50 coins from the United States Mint at Philadelphia with no mint mark and one roll of 50 coins from the United States Mint at Denver with the "D" mint mark.  Each roll is packaged in specially designed paper coin wrap that displays the mint of origin, the year and the face value of its contents.(...)
Read the rest of Lincoln Presidency Bicentennial Cent Available Nov. 12 (304 words)

As you no doubt know, I am pretty obsessive when it comes to “original” gold coins. I like coins that have an appearance that suggests that they haven’t been fooled with. I recently bought and sold an early gold coin that, in my opinion, was the epitome of an original piece and I’d like to share a photo and some descriptive information.

The coin ...

Full Article: What Does An Original Early Gold Coin Look Like? - RareGoldCoins.com

The annual Penny Harvest is now underway with an estimated 500,000 students participating in the 19th year of its operation.

Schools across the nation have signed on to take part in the activity by allowing their students to take an active roll in the process. Through the use of adult coaches, peer leaders, assemblies, etc., kids are asked to volunteer their time to help raise money for their community, one penny at a time.

Those who do participate then go home and ask their family, friends, and neighbors for loose change (as well as donate some themselves) and begin to collect it to be eventually turned back in to their school. Once the coins are compiled, the funds are set aside while those same students take an active part in deciding what do to with the ...

Full Article: 19th Annual Penny Harvest - CoinNews

NGC has authenticated, graded and encapsulated ten 1933 Saint-Gaudens $20 gold pieces that were handed over to U.S. Treasury officials in 2005 for authentication. The coins are the subject of an ongoing lawsuit concerning their ownership. All ten coins have been encapsulated in NGC’s re-closeable museum holder with a unique serial number and certificate of grade ...

Full Article: NGC Certifies Ten 1933 Double Eagles - Numismatic Guaranty Corporation

The second 100 Euro coin in the gold series "Crowns of the House of Habsburg" will be released on Wednesday, 4th November. It is dedicated to the so-called "Archduke’s Hat", a name derived from the red velvet cap within the crown itself.

The title of archduke was invented by Rudolf IV in the spurious document of 1358/59 called the privilegium maius. t was an attempt to assert the status of the House of Habsburg as the equal of any Prince Elector of the Holy Roman Empire. There exists a mediaeval portrait of Rudolf wearing ...

Full Article: Austrian's Crown of an Archduke Gold Coin Launch - CoinNews

What is generally called the Bar-Kokhba Revolt or Second Revolt of Judaea against the Romans took place in Roman occupied Judaea between A.D. 132 and 136. The name Bar-Kokhba comes from the name of the leader of the unsuccessful revolt.

The alleged final stand of Shimon Bar-Kokhba’s army is believed to have taken place at Betar. Betar is near the current Jewish settlement of ...

Full Article: Judaea Coin Find Aids Theory of Ancient Revolt - NumisMaster

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), the government agency responsible for printing US currency, has released the newest addition to the Presidential Portrait Collection, the President Barack Obama Engraved Portrait.

The collection features portraits of each US President captured with the "artistry and craftsmanship of skilled Bureau of Engraving and Printing employees."  There are ...

Full Article: BEP's President Obama Engraved Portrait - CoinNews

One afternoon in March 2007, Jack Daws stepped up to a newsstand in Los Angeles International Airport with a handful of change, including a counterfeit penny made of 18-karat gold that Mr. Daws, a Seattle artist, had fashioned. He carefully put the counterfeit penny, dated 1970, down on the counter, counted out enough change to pay $11.90 for a ...

Full Article: Brooklyn Woman Finds Counterfeit Penny Made of Gold - NYTimes.com

October was explosive for US bullion coins. Unprecedented demand for gold and silver coins elevated the month with US Mint recorded sales levels that are either at or near the top of the all-time high charts.

Bullion American Gold Buffalo and American Silver Eagle coins enjoyed their best October ever.

For the Silver Eagles, more than double ...

Full Article: Demand for US Gold & Silver Coin Sets Records - CoinNews

The standout in the latest US Mint weekly sales figures is the newly released 2009 American Buffalo Gold Proof Coin.

The one-ounce coins launched Thursday, Oct. 29. By Sunday, Nov. 1, a total of 19,468 were listed as sold. That is just 123 shy of the total sales of the one ounce 2008 Proof Buffalo. An impressive opening considering the $1,360 price point. And more so given the launch price missed a $50 price cut by a mere 28.8 cents -- a situation that may have resulted in some customers waiting to place an order (for background, read the Buffalo article on sister site CoinNews.)

In other notables, the 2009 UHRs returned back above 1,000 in weekly sales. Last week's report showed they had gained by 562, the second lowest weekly increase since they were released on Jan. 22. First Spouse Gold Coins improved as a group as well.

In terms of the biggest unit gainer, it was the 2009 United States Mint Uncirculated Set at 23,469. Sales were higher than the prior week. The set also topped the 500K mark.

The following table lists US Mint sales stats. The first three columns provide weekly increases between the listed time periods, offering a sense of recent trends. The final column provides the latest totals for US Mint coin products, as of Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009.(...)
Read the rest of Buffalo Gold Proof Coins Begin with a Bang (758 words)

WASHINGTON - The United States Mint announced today that the limited-edition U.S. Virgin Islands Official First Day Coin Cover will be available online at http://www.usmint.gov/catalog beginning at noon Eastern Time (ET) on November 10, 2009.  The agency will offer for sale only 20,000 units.

The U.S. Virgin Islands Official First Day Coin Cover contains two U.S. Virgin Islands commemorative quarter-dollar coins-one each from the United States Mint facilities at Philadelphia and Denver.  The quarters are mounted on a handsome display card in an envelope with a 44-cent United States Flag postage stamp.  The postmark, September 28, 2009, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, VI, marks the day U.S. Virgin Islands quarters were first released to the Federal Reserve Bank and to the public.(...)
Read the rest of U.S. Virgin Islands Official First Day Coin Cover on Sale Nov. 10 (296 words)

Gold, silver and platinum have surged over the past month and we are again seeing higher premiums on nearly all older U.S. gold type coins, especially the Type 1 $20 Liberty issue. Those of you who collect the modern issues of Eagles will enjoy the current higher premiums. This is especially true on the proof issues and there is just simply a stampede going on in the gold Buffalo herd. Dealers are continually complaining there is not enough product available to satisfy customer needs ...

Full Article: Surge Leads to Higher Premiums on Gold Type Coins - NumisMaster

The finest known 1907 Ultra High Relief Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle gold coin, insured for $5 million, will be displayed during the first three days of the Santa Clara, California Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo to be conducted November 19 – 22, 2009.

The show will be held in the Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Parkway, where free parking is available.

"This magnificent-looking Ultra High Relief is graded PCGS Proof-69, and will be exhibited courtesy of Certified Assets Management of Wilmington, Delaware," said Ronald J. Gillio, Expo General Chairman.

"This famous coin was designed by renowned sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, at the personal request of President Theodore Roosevelt. It was struck seven times to bring up all the beautiful features in the design. There are less than 20 known surviving examples, and this is the finest. There is no other example certified higher," said Bob Higgins, President of Certified Assets Management.

More than 500 dealers will be buying and selling rare coins ...

Full Article: Finest Known 1907 UHR Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle at Santa Clara Expo - CoinNews

In the history of U.S. coinage, only three official mints have produced proof coinage according to a defined schedule: Philadelphia (inception to 1964 and sporadically thereafter), San Francisco (1968 to present), and West Point (most gold and platinum proofs since 1984). The other five current or historical mints - Charlotte, NC, Dahlonega, GA, New Orleans, LA, Carson City, NV and the still-active Denver, CO - have not or did not.

Note the term "defined schedule," however: in the above list of the five mints ...

Full Article: Coin Monday: Branching Out: A Branch Mint Proof Morgan Dollar - Heritage Blog

History tells us that dramatic precious metal price increases only last for a relatively short period of time. In their wake they sometimes leave us with a host of new realities that will have an impact on the coin market for years and years. It’s not always the same, but what happens during a period of rising metal prices like we have today can well be a major factor in the coins that are available and the prices you may pay in the years ahead.

Realistically, there have been ...

Full Article: Fluctuating Metal Prices Left Mark on Coins - NumisMaster

Jeffery Morin's memorabilia business in Stafford probably isn't the next Google or eBay, but I love the 27-year-old's story because it's about a regular guy who saw an online opportunity and went for it.

Morin was noodling around on eBay, the auction Web site, seven years ago while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp in the middle of the Red Sea. He stumbled across some people selling old military memorabilia coins, about the size of a silver dollar, called "challenge coins." Challenge coins are collectibles ...

Full Article: Collectible coins grows into a $5 million mini-empire - The Washington Post

Today at noon ET the United States Mint began selling the 2009 American Buffalo Gold Proof Coin for $1,360.00, as it announced on Oct. 22.

The one-ounce .9999 fine (24 karat) gold coin is expected to draw significant attention. The US Mint handled early demand in improved fashion compared to the collector blitz and resulting problems that brought its web site down just a few weeks ago with the release of another product, the Lincoln Coin and Chronicles Set ...

Full Article: American Buffalo Proof Coin Launches with Little Issues - CoinNews

Walking Liberty half dollars continue to be on collectors' and dealers' want lists.

If there is a trend, it is that there is strength in just-miss grades, such as About Uncirculated 58, Mint State 62 and MS-64, while MS-65 examples prove a tougher sell in many cases. For rare issues, such as the 1921-S half dollar, finding a fantastic AU-58 even at the Coin Values price of $12,000 is a  ...

Full Article: Still popular in market - Coin Values

Spectrum Numismatics International, Inc., one of the world’s largest rare coin and currency dealers, announced today that it has hired Richard Melamed as their Senior Numismatist.

"Richard Melamed is one of the most respected numismatists in the industry. During his 36-year career, Melamed has done everything from running his own coin business to grading for Professional Coin Grading Service, to working for the largest names ..."

Full Article: Spectrum Numismatics Names New Senior Numismatist - CoinNews

President Barack Obama signed today the Girl Scouts of the USA Commemorative Coin Act authorizing the minting of 350,000 silver dollar coins in honor of Girl Scouts and the achievements of the 50 million women across the nation whose lives have been influenced by Girl Scouting.

“This is a wonderful honor for Girl Scouts,” said Kathy Cloninger, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of the USA. “Congress only allows the minting of two coins a year and this is such a fitting way to honor our Movement and the million of girls and women whose lives Girl Scouting has touched. We are grateful to the President, the House and the Senate for their support.”

The bill in the House of Representatives (H.R. 621), sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA), easily passed by a voice vote and with more than 300 cosponsors on October 15. A companion Senate bill (S. 451), sponsored by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), also passed unanimously on October 19.

President Obama signed the bill at a ceremony at the White House that included Connie L. Lindsey, GSUSA National Board Chair, Laurie Westley, Senior Vice President, Public Policy, Advocacy & the Research Institute, and girls from the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital.(...)
Read the rest of President Obama Signs Girl Scout Commemorative Coin Act (297 words)

Demand for collector coins mostly declined compared to the prior week's figures, the latest US Mint sales stats reveal.

2009 UHR Double Eagles pulled back severely, with new weekly sales increasing by just 562. Higher gold prices and, therefore, the higher UHR coin price has not been favorable, as the numbers are the second lowest since the coins went on sale Jan. 22. Demand for First Spouse Gold Coins was down as well. The Sarah Polk proof coin showed the biggest gain, but only with an increase of 79.

Bullion coin sales are solid this month. Silver Eagles have already marked their best October ever, despite sales slowing slightly over the past seven days. As for 2009 Buffalo Gold Coins, in two weeks 114,000 have been purchased. The 2009 Buffalo Gold Proof Coin was released today. Sales figures will begin to appear for the first time in next week's report.(...)
Read the rest of US Mint Coin Product Sales Update (1,040 words)

The United States Mint has sold 110,500 one-ounce American Buffalo $50 Gold Bullion Coins since they were released on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009.

To place that in perspective, in less than two weeks bullion dealers have purchased 64.2 percent of the total (172,000) that was sold in all of 2008.

There appeared to a touch of dry spell in sales for several days. The US Mint generally updates bullion figures daily, but the Gold Buffalos remained at 86,000 from ...

Full Article: Bullion Gold Buffalo Coins Pass Early Milestone - CoinNews

I received an e-newsletter that mentioned inflation and coin prices. Many people believe there is a connection. There really isn’t a direct connection, but to explain can seem more like a word game.

Most coin prices depend on average collector incomes and the willingness of these collectors to spend that income on certain coins. Both factors fluctuate or change and inflation plays a role in what people are paid, but the link is not direct ...

Full Article: Inflation poor guide to future coin values - Buzz with Dave Harper

With a sell-through rate of 90% by lot and 88% by dollar value, and almost 3300 bidders, Heritage Auctions’ Oct. 23-24 Dallas Signature® U.S. Coin Auction soared to $8.7 million total. All prices include a 15% Buyer’s Premium.

The impressive tally is a good sign for the coin market and provides strong momentum as the numismatic world prepares for the January FUN auctions, long a solid indicator of the overall strength of the business and a benchmark by which to judge the coming year.

"We saw some very strong prices in some unexpected areas," said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions. "The rare coin market seems to be almost fully recovered in many areas, and perhaps even headed for record price levels next year."

A stunning 1879 Flowing Hair stella struck in gold, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, PR65 NGC was the top lot of the Heritage Auctions event, with a price realized of $161,000 ...

Full Article: Heritage Auctions Realizes $8.7M in Dallas - CoinNews

On Sept. 5 Janine Murphy, CEO of the Royal Australian Mint, died following a long illness.

Mrs. Murphy enjoyed a distinguished career in the Australian Commonwealth Treasury commencing in 1976. Her principle concern was with micro-economic reform, in particular the deregulation of the financial system and taxation policy ...

Full Article: Australian Mint CEO Dies - NumisMaster

The date run of half eagles produced at the San Francisco mint from 1858 through 1864 includes some of the rarest and most overlooked gold issues ever manufactured at any of the various branch mints. These were issues that had limited production runs and which were eagerly absorbed into commerce by the booming local and regional economies.

I recently had the good fortune of handling one of just two known 1859-S half eagles in Uncirculated (an NGC MS61) and now that I am no longer actively marketing the coin, I thought it would be interesting to take a more in-depth look at this issue and ...

Full Article: The 1859-S Half Eagle - RareGoldCoins.com

President Obama Honors the First African-American Elected to the U.S. Senate by Popular Vote

WASHINGTON - President Obama today presented former U.S. Senator Edward William Brooke III with the Congressional Gold Medal for his unprecedented and enduring service to the Nation.  The ceremony was held in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

Edward William Brooke III with the Congressional Gold Medal (Bronze Duplicate) - Click to Enlarge

The Congressional Gold Medal, designed and struck by the United States Mint, honors Senator Brooke's pioneering accomplishments in public service.  Senator Brooke broke new ground at a time when few African-Americans held state or Federal office.

He was the first African-American elected to the U.S. Senate by popular vote, serving with distinction for two terms, from January 3, 1967, to January 3, 1979.  During his first term, Brooke was appointed to the President's Commission on Civil Disorders, where his work on discrimination in housing served as the basis for the 1968 Civil Rights Act.

Brooke began his career in public service as chairman of the Boston Finance Commission, where he established an outstanding record of confronting and eliminating graft and corruption.(...)
Read the rest of Edward William Brooke III Receives Congressional Gold Medal (346 words)

The Austrian mint, the world’s largest marketer of pure gold coins, plans to slash output by 32 percent next year from a record, forecasting the end of the financial crisis will weaken investor demand.

Muenze Oesterreich AG aims to cut production of Philharmonic gold coins to 650,000 ounces in 2010 from an estimated 950,000 ounces this year, mint President Kurt Meyer said ...

Full Article: Gold Coin Output to Drop by 32% on Demand, Austrian Mint Says - Bloomberg.com

Pulling coins out of circulation is a time-proven method of getting started. There is a wide variety of coinage in circulation, and the quickest way to become acquainted with it is to go through your change coin by coin.

When you plunk a pocketful of coins on a table, you often see a wide variety of conditions. Cents range from the deep chocolate color of older pieces to a bright coppery red of newly struck coins. Various shades of color can also be detected as the modern nickel, dime and quarter wear ...

Full Article: How to Acquire Coins - NumisMaster

Click to Enlarge: These four photographs show a tampered PCGS encapsulation holder with a fraudulent insert. When the holder was cracked open it revealed that it housed the pictured coins, a genuine 1879 and a genuine Carson City Mint dollar that were split in two along the rim to create an "1879-CC." PCGS experts believe the diagnostic evidence indicates the 1879 Morgan dollar used in this case most likely was an 1879-S. (Photo credit: Professional Coin Grading Service.)

Information provided to Northern California law enforcement authorities by Professional Coin Grading Service led to the arrest of a suspect who is now under investigation in connection with the sales of fraudulently altered Morgan dollars in tampered PCGS holders for nearly $300,000.

"Genuine, common date Morgan dollars were split into two pieces (front and back along the rim), then adhered to each other in combinations to create the illusion of rare date and mintmarks.

The coins then were placed in tampered PCGS holders to give the coin credibility in the marketplace and to hide the alterations," said Stephen Mayer, Chief Operating Officer of Collectors Universe, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLCT), parent company of Professional Coin Grading Service.

Among the fraudulent alterations were "1883-S," "1884-S" and "1903-S" that were deceitfully labeled as PCGS MS65, MS63 and MS64, respectively ...

Full Article: PCGS Helps Police Nab Counterfeits Suspect - CoinNews

The numismatic staff here at Krause Publications produces an e-newsletter on Friday of every week. It includes a question that I pose to recipients. The question is a weekly poll question that also appears in Numismatic News, the sister publication to World Coin News that deals with U.S. coinage.

Naturally, the subject matter of the weekly question is American coinage and related topics. That is the plan and for the most part that is what has happened since we began the e-newsletter ...

Full Article: Hungary Opts for Coin; What Will U.S. Do? - NumisMaster

Bill Dismukes has been collecting coins for more than 50 years. "I started with my father," he said in an interview Tuesday. "We collected coins. We had a wonderful time."

Dismukes says what happened at Mid-South Coin Company on Park Avenue last Friday is no surprise to him ...

Full Article: Store clerk tricked with fake coins - WMCTV.com

Clearing a field and plowing it for the first time is hard, backbreaking work. That is what Oliver Hall was doing in 1909 when fortune shined on him.

Oliver Hall heard something tinkle against his plow blade. When he looked back, the furrow he had just plowed was filled with silver coins.

"That was the story my daddy always told," said Neil Hall of Landersville. "He found a broken bottle with silver and gold coins spilling out of it." ...

Full Article: Who buried the Pieces of Eight? - The Moulton Advertiser

In addition to Prada handbags, Burberry scarves, UGGS boots, and DVDs of Hollywood movies, Chinese copycats have expanded their counterfeit offerings to collectible coins, including silver dollars and other rare U.S. coins. It’s perfectly legal. In China.

It’s not here in the United States. The problem is, U.S. authorities don’t seem all that concerned. Under the Hobby Protection Act it is not illegal to manufacture replicas of rare coins. However, by law, they must ...

Full Article: Making a Mint Off Fake Coins - FOXBusiness.com

Mint sets have shown little change with the exception of a flurry of interest in the Special Mint Sets of 1965-1967 and some strong buying of the 2008 set, which seems to be in very short supply.

Proof sets are active with no declines lately. There are about a dozen increases. Some are caused by the rise in silver bullion. The 2008 set shines here as well ...

Full Article: 2008 mint and proof sets strong - Numismatic News

Speaking of things that are too small, I was cataloging coins for the upcoming December Houston U.S. Coin auction when I came across an intriguing error: a 1956-dated Franklin half dollar that was struck on a quarter planchet, which is indeed “one size too small.”

As with any error coin, the natural question is “What went wrong?” ...

Full Article: Coin Monday, or Riddle Me This: A Planchet One Size Too Small - Heritage Blog

Betty Higby, who served as superintendent of the Denver Mint 1969-1978, and went on to work part time for the American Numismatic Association as director of grants and endowments, died Aug. 13 at age 94, a resident of Colorado Springs, Colo.

Appointed by President Richard Nixon, she served for three days shy of nine years,  March 21, 1969, to March 18, 1978. Her work ethic was legendary ...

Full Article: Former Denver Mint superintendent dies - Numismatic News

(San Antonio, TX) - CoinCollectingNews.org was originally designed as a quick hub where interested parties could learn about the latest coin news from leading sources. While this feature continues as the site’s trademark, Coin Collecting News recently expanded to offer brand new resources and more than 150 pages of quality information relevant to the hobby of coin collecting.

"I started Coin Collecting News about 18 months back in the hopes of creating an open, sharing environment for both collectors and writers," said Mike Unser, founder and president of CoinNews Media Group LLC, which owns CoinCollectingNews.org.

"While we patted ourselves on the back with how well the site was performing, it became clear that we weren’t doing enough. Our readers began telling us that they wanted more information about the coin world and how it relates to them — not just daily aggregated news."

"With that in mind, we spent a significant amount of time adding content and resources that are sure to be useful to anyone interested in numismatics," Unser added. "We’ve been thrilled and thankful for the feedback we’ve received following each area rollout. The entire process, with the exception of the many late nights and working weekends, has been positive for all of us at CoinNews Media Group."

The new areas Unser mentions are actually web site subsections that have been quietly appearing on Coin Collecting News since late August. Acceptance by the collecting community has been exceptional. Readership is up nearly 35 percent since Oct. 1, and collectors are spending extra time on site, visiting more pages.(...)
Read the rest of Coin Collecting News Site Updates (305 words)

Continuing its international expansion, Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) participated in COINEXPO in Warsaw, Poland on October 15-17 and in the Brogniard show October 17 in Paris, France.

Both shows raised the continuing growing interest in world coin grading among European and Eastern European collectors. In Poland, third-party independent coin grading is already widely recognized as adding value to collectors’ coins. Collectors can submit their coins to PCGS through two PCGS authorized Polish dealers, Mennica Polska and Inwestycje Alternatywne Profit (www.e-numizmatyka.pl).

Following PCGS President Don Willis’ visit to Paris, it was the first time a coin grading company was ever invited to participate in the Paris Brogniard show organized by the French Numismatic Dealers Association, SYNDICAT NATIONAL DES EXPERTS NUMISMATES ET NUMISMATES PROFESSIONNELS.

"It was a great opportunity for PCGS to have such a high-visibility presence at this premier European show," said Muriel Eymery from PCGS, who expressed her thanks for the support of the show organizers and PCGS French dealers.

In addition to the PCGS booth showcasing French brochures and specially made 1 Franc coin samples, PCGS French dealers displayed PCGS-graded coins at their booths ...

Full Article: PCGS Makes Strong Impression at COINEXPO Warsaw and Paris Brogniard Show - CoinNews

The United States Mint has confirmed that it will begin selling the 2009 American Buffalo One Ounce Gold Proof Coins on Thursday, October 29th, as it had been tentatively announced earlier this month. Sale time will start at 12 Noon (ET).

In contrast to last year, the US Mint will only be striking the one ounce sized Buffalos. As communicated in November of 2008, the fractional sizes of 1/2 ounce, 1/4 ounce and 1/10 ounce were discontinued due to a "numismatic product portfolio analysis" conducted by the Mint.

The proof Buffalo coin is expected to have quite a demand placed upon it. The bullion version of the Buffalo was made available on October 15th after also being unavailable throughout 2009. 86,000 of the bullion coins were purchased in one week, representing 50% of the amount that was sold in all of 2008.(...)
Read the rest of 2009 American Buffalo One Ounce Gold Proof Coins (432 words)

The Lincoln Coin and Chronicles set sold out less than two days after it went on sale at noon Eastern time Oct. 15. A rapid sellout was anticipated by me and probably everyone else who has the slightest interest in new Mint issues.

Included in the set is a proof example of the Lincoln commemorative silver dollar plus proof examples of each of the four Lincoln cent designs for this year. The cents are struck in a 95 percent copper, 3 percent zinc and 2 percent tin alloy, the same as was used in the first Lincoln cents in 1909 ...

Full Article: Set Limits Don't Always Attract Coin Buyers - NumisMaster

These past few weeks have seen much excitement about the Lincoln Coin and Chronicles set. The set was released by the U.S. Mint on Oct. 15 at a price of $55.95 and sold out quickly.

Those who have followed the Mint's recent offerings – including the first day of the 2009 Ultra High Relief gold $20 double eagle release – assumed that the ordering process would be slow and tedious, but that their patience would be rewarded with quick, easy profits ...

Full Article: Profits for the patient - Coin Values

In my continuing series that has focused on the ten rarest coins in each denomination of United States gold coin struck from the late 1830’s to the early 1900’s, I’ve nearly reached the end of the road. The last major denomination to discuss is the enigmatic Three Dollar gold piece.

This denomination was produced from 1854 to 1889. For more details and history behind the series I suggest that you read the book the Q. David Bowers and I wrote in 2005. It is available through Stack’s and fine numismatic booksellers everywhere. The ten rarest Three Dollar gold pieces are as follows ...

Full Article: The Ten Rarest Three Dollar Gold Pieces - RareGoldCoins.com

Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC held their 6th overall and 2nd fully live internet auction of numismatic and shipwreck treasures on October 15-16, 2009, realizing a record price of over $1.6 million* in 2082 lots. Featured in the sale were coins and artifacts and printed materials from around the world, including the prestigious collections of Mark Bir, Louis Hudson, Herman Blanton and Thomas Sebring.

"This was by far our best auction, and the feedback from both consignors and bidders has been overwhelmingly Your browser may not support display of this image. positive. We greatly exceeded our goal of $1 million, and over 94% of the lots sold," said Daniel Sedwick, company principal and founder.

"We were honored to present for sale several great collections of coins and artifacts, including a few significant coins that are rarely offered at auction. This is proof that our relatively new and rapidly growing Treasure Auctions are a competitive specialized option for consignors, with an unparalleled level of personalized service from beginning to end for both bidders and consignors alike."

Full Article: Sedwick Treasure Auction Realizes Over $1.6 Million - CoinNews

What's the story behind J & J Coins and your work there? "The business started in October 1963. At that time, it was my father (Jess Hoogeveen, the current owner) and his brother, Jake Hoogeveen. Jake got out of the business in 1968. That's where the 'J & J' comes from. I've been working here on and off since I was 10 years old. It's something that I grew up in. I became a graduate gemologist ...

Full Article: Coin expert finds job 'super fun' - Post Tribune