The Banker's Hoard Auction by Teletrade
Teletrade - 02-06-2006
The Banker's Hoard is a unique Teletrade auction to be held on February 9, 2006. Comprising of superb quality Proof Mercury dimes and Proof Walking Liberty half dollars. Registry Set builders, collectors, dealers, and investors will find more than 150 superior quality, low population coins offered, with many NGC or PCGS certified Proof-68. .

Have Commodities Become the New Tech Stocks?
NY Times - 02-06-2006
RETURNING to basics has been a major theme in the markets. If investors in the late 1990's took a bold leap into the future with technology stocks ? off a high ledge, as it turned out ? they are now embracing age-old economic mainstays like copper, lumber, oil and gold..

Exceptional Gold Glitters in Heritage's Palm Beach Signature Auction!
Heritage Press Release - 02-07-2006
Dallas, Texas: Heritage Auction Galleries' Palm Beach Signature Auction (March 2 & 3) offers an incredible array of American gold numismatic rarities, in addition to important coins from a wide range of collector specialties. The auction will be held at the Palm Beach Convention Center, 650 Okeechobee Boulevard at Florida Avenue, West Palm Beach, Florida..

Spot gold posts biggest one-day fall since 1993
Yahoo News - 02-07-2006
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Spot gold posted its biggest one-day decline in dollar terms in nearly 13 years on Tuesday, as heavy profit taking by investment funds and speculators pummeled the metals markets. Spot gold was down $19.60 or 3.27 percent at $550.40 an ounce by midafternoon in New York. That compared with Monday's New York close of $570.00/570.90. The move was the biggest single-day fall since August 1993, according to Reuters charts..

NY precious metals fall sharply on profit taking
Reuters - Yahoo - 02-07-2006
NEW YORK, Feb 7 (Reuters) - U.S. gold futures fell more than 2 percent and other precious metals also plummeted in a broad-based sell-off Tuesday morning as investors cashed in on the market's recent rise to multiyear highs. Palladium futures tumbled more than the other metals, losing almost 7 percent by midmorning..

The perfect setting - Collectors continue to enjoy history-related settings
StateQuarters.com - 02-07-2006
The release of the 2006 Nevada quarter dollar, the 40th coin design in the State quarters program, might give some collectors the opportunity to remember what it was like in the early years of the program. The official launch ceremony for the Nevada quarter on Jan. 31 in Carson City, as many other such ceremonies, had lots of help from citizens and businesses in the area. .

Reiver Collection tops $8.5 million in nine sessions
Coin Values - 02-07-2006
The Jules Reiver Collection of U.S. Coinage realized $8,534,146 in nine sessions spread over five days, Jan. 24 to 28, at the Dallas headquarters of Heritage Galleries and Auctioneers, the firm reported. The auction, held without reserve, drew 2,815 bidders, 654 of whom were successful, for 4,642 total lots. .

Alexander the Great-era coins stolen from Bulgarian museum
Makfax - 02-07-2006
Nearly EUR 1.2 million worth of antique jewelry and coins dating from the ancient Macedonian kingdom, have been stolen from a museum in Veliko Trnovo, Bulgarian officials said. The overall booty comprising jewelry, 11.000 coins including 230 golden coins from Hellenistic era and 68 staters dated from Filip-era and the reign of his son Alexander the Great..

Collectors Universe to Announce Second Quarter Fiscal 2006 Earnings on February 9, 2006
Press Release - 02-07-2006
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Feb. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Collectors Universe, Inc. today reported that it will release second quarter fiscal 2006 earnings on Thursday, February 9th after market close.Collectors Universe will host a conference call to discuss results on February 9th, at 5:00 PM ET..

5th century copper coin discovered at Banavasi
Deccan Herald - 02-07-2006
On one side of the coin, there is an inscription ?Srimanaragi? in Kannada script and on the other side, the symbol of Ujjayini is inscribed, says Dr Gopal, director, Department of Archaeology and Ancient History. An ancient copper coin dating back to 5th century with an inscription in the Kannada script has been discovered at Banavasi, which was once the capital of Kadamba rulers..

How to Get Rich: Collecting Coins
WASW - 02-07-2006
Bill Brandimore's been collecting coins since he was a kid. "The whole idea is the value you receive from learning about the coin, learning the stories behind them." Brian Krusem, owner of Liberty Bell Coin Investments, says it's a reasonable hobby for everyone..

Masterpieces to appear on coins
ABC News - 02-07-2006
The Royal Australian Mint and the National Art Gallery have combined to preserve the works of four Australian artists on silver coins. Masterpieces by Sidney Nolan, Jeffrey Smart, Brett Whiteley and Russell Drysdale were selected to feature on the coins. The Royal Australian Mint spokesperson Vivienne Thom says only 10,000 collector sets will be sold. .

First gold fund under consideration
Shanghai Daily - 02-07-2006
The China Gold Association is considering forming the country's first gold fund with partners. "Some association members have discussed the program to start a gold fund to tap China's gold market," Hou Huimin, vice chairman of the Beijing-based association, said yesterday. "It's still only a proposal at this stage and we have not yet contacted banks or gold companies about further moves." .

A token farewell
Washington Times - 02-07-2006
Transit tokens have jingled in the pockets of Bostonians since 1837, from the silver-colored coins of the horse-drawn Roxbury Coach to the worn brass discs thathavebeen plunked into MBTA turnstiles since 1951. But soon, in the city that is home to the nation's first subway, where folk singers have rhapsodized about public transportation, tokens won't be good for a ride. .

Kadamba era coin found
NewIndPress - 02-07-2006
MYSORE: Litterateurs and Kannada activists fighting for classical status for the language have a reason to smile, as a Mangalore-based archaeologist and numismatist has found a Kadamba age copper coin bearing Kannada letters on it, dated 5th century AD, to support their claim for classical tag to Kannada. .

Copper reaching historic highs
Numismatic News - 02-07-2006
Any old pre-1983 small cent now has at least 1.45 cents? worth of copper in it. Surprised? With copper at historic highs of $2.24 a pound, the circulating inventory of billions of mostly copper one-cent pieces produced in the 20th century is in jeopardy of being melted for its metal content (Believe it or not, some are still being used, others ended up in the proverbial sock drawer)..

BEP apologizes for Internet site crash
Numismatic News - 02-07-2006
?We sincerely apologize,? said Kevin Brown, marketing manager for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing about the crash of its Web site Jan. 24 at the beginning of order taking for 500 $50 Premium Federal Reserve Sets..

Central Bank to substitute RD$10, RD$20 bills with coins
Dominican Today - 02-07-2006
Santo Domingo.- The Central Bank is already in possession of the coin models to replace the RD$10 and RD$20 bills, in pursuit of facilitating the flow of money with lower value. The RD$10 and RD$20 coins will soon circulate across the country together with RD$1.00 and RD$5.00 denominations, though the exact date is yet to be disclosed. .

Franklin commemoratives sell out
Numismatic News - 02-07-2006
Enough orders have been taken to declare a sellout of the two Benjamin Franklin commemorative silver dollars. A total of 50,000 Founding Father proof coins are being held back for the 2006 U.S. Mint American Legacy Collection to be offered later this year. .

COP ARREST MAN OVER A SILVER COIN
NewsWithViews - 02-07-2006
Derby, New York businessman Dan Buczek 55, and 7 family members and friends were enjoying an evening out like thousands of other Buffalo, New York area hockey fans on Dec. 26, 2005?cheering their favorite Buffalo Sabres on to victory over the New York Islanders. During the course of the evening, Buczek's daughter Amanda and her boyfriend, Joel Lattuca went to the HSBC refreshment stand to buy a beer and a hotdog. .

Get ready for CPMX March 9-12
BankNote Reporter - 02-07-2006
The 12th annual Chicago Paper Money Expo will take place March 9-12 at the Crowne Plaze Chicago O?Hare, located at 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, Ill. An 85-dealer bourse, a paper money auction by Lyn Knight Currency Auctions and several educational and hobby organization meetings are scheduled. .

Nevada up first
Numismatic News - 02-07-2006
Pony Express delivered the coins, and Mark Twain gave them away. So went the launch of the first state quarter of 2006, Nevada. On the steps of the State Capitol Building in Carson City on Jan. 31, dignitaries such as Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn, Nevada Treasurer Brian Krolicki and Acting U.S. Mint Director David Lebryk helped usher in the new quarter..

A month's wages in one mancus
Telegraph News - 02-08-2006
The Anglo-Saxons had only two coins, the silver pennig (penny) and the gold mancus.The former was the equivalent of a day's wages for a skilled worker, such as a craftsman or a soldier. The latter was worth 30 days' wages.The rural unskilled would not be paid in coins. Trade, as far as it went, meant paying produce and goods to a landlord and sometimes receiving similar from him..

ESCALA GROUP, INC. ANNOUNCES FISCAL YEAR 2006 SECOND QUARTER AND FIRST-HALF EARNINGS
Press Release - 02-08-2006
Escala Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ESCL) today announced financial results for the fiscal 2006 second quarter and six months ended December 31, 2005. Net income for the second quarter was US$10.1 million, or US$0.35 per diluted share, compared with net income of US$7.7 million, or US$0.27 per diluted share, for the second quarter of fiscal 2005..

Britain's hoard of ancient coins
Guardian - 02-08-2006
The British Museum today unveils the most expensive coin in history. The ninth-century coin depicts Coenwulf, the ruler of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia from 796 to 821, and it is thought to be the oldest example of gold currency commemorating a British ruler - which helps to explain why the museum paid ?357,832 to the anonymous person who found it near Bedford in 2001..

Fake notes fewer than presumed
JoongAng Daily - 02-08-2006
February 09, 2006 ㅡ A diplomatic source in Seoul said yesterday that Washington estimates the amount of North Korean-produced counterfeit U.S. currency in circulation at about $50-60 million. He said, evidently taking it for granted that the fake banknotes were produced in North Korea, that the sophistication of the so-called "supernotes" is enough in itself to conclude that the counterfeiting is supported by the North Korean government..

Collectors Universe to Present at the Roth Capital Partners 18th Annual Growth Conference
Press Release - 02-08-2006
EWPORT BEACH, Calif., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Collectors Universe, Inc. will present at the Roth Capital Partners 18th Annual Growth Stock Conference. The conference is being held February 20-22, 2006 at The St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and Spa at Dana Point, CA. Chief Executive Officer, Michael Haynes, will present at 12:30 p.m. Pacific time on Tuesday, February 21, 2006..

Gold steady in Europe after steep tumble
Business Day - 02-08-2006
LONDON - Gold was steady in early trading in Europe today after its 3,27% fall in New York yesterday and downside potential is now limited, traders said. Gold traded at $548,10/548,80 an ounce in early trade, down slightly from its New York close of $549,80/550,70..

Nepal Before Unification
OhmyNews - 02-08-2006
Nepal is blessed with an incredible diversity of natural beauty and an opulence of cultural varieties. It is also considered the country of Mount Everest and the birthplace of Buddha. The Abhirs were the first rulers of Nepal and were a race of cow herders. They ruled the Kathmandu valley in the 8th century B.C..

NBA Rejects Reports About Removal of Coins from Circulation
BaKu Today - 02-08-2006
National Bank of Azerbaijan (NBA) rejected information reported by local press about the withdrawal of new coins (gepiks) from circulation, Turan reported citing NBA statement. .

Raids bust currency and excise counterfeiters
The Messenger - 02-08-2006
Georgia's Financial Police detained members of an organized crime group Tuesday on charges of distributing counterfeit money. Zurab Ghviniashvili, the alleged leader of the operation, is presently serving a 16-year term in the Ksani prison colony and is thought to have guided the group's activities by mobile phone, the head of financial police's investigative department Levan Mkheidze said Tuesday. .

Unique Anglo-Saxon gold coin saved for the nation
NewKerala - 02-08-2006
LONDON: A unique Anglo-Saxon gold coin, found by an amateur treasure hunter in 2001, was saved for the nation today after the British Museum paid a record 357,852 pounds (625,500 dollars) to the American owner. It is the highest amount ever paid for a British coin..

Berhampur museum awaits govt care
The Statesman - 02-09-2006
BERHAMPUR, Feb. 9. ? The museum in Berhampur has failed to serve the public, rather it presents a picture of an abandoned mission. The museum that functions in the city has literally become a piece of history due to the neglect of government machinery. Since the condition of the Berhampur museum is in dire state, the number of visitors thronging the site is dwindling rapidly.According to the registry book of visitors, a total of 146 persons had made a beeline for the museum from 1993 to 1998.

NY gold races up early as investors buy the dips
Reuters - 02-09-2006
NEW YORK, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Gold futures in New York surged on Thursday morning as investors and funds rebuilt long positions after a two-day, 3.5 percent technical correction that dragged the precious metals to cheaper levels.Gold scampered up overnight in Asia after a security scare in the United States and a rise in crude prices, dealers said, and prices climbed further in later European and U.S. trade..

Minutemen and historians showcase early American weapons and money
EastBayRI - 02-09-2006
SWANSEA - A room in the North Swansea First Baptist Church was filled with swords, old coins and other items from days gone by Saturday night. Standing at the front of the room was a man in colonial garb talking about where the coins and weapons came from..

Minister doubts Mint chief's severance can be challenged
Ottawa Sun - 02-09-2006
Canadians may be permanently kept in the dark over David Dingwall's departure as head of the Royal Canadian Mint. Pontiac Tory MP Lawrence Cannon, the new transport minister whose portfolio includes overseeing the mint, said yesterday he doubts the government can challenge Dingwall's $417,780 severance, adding the government could be legally forced to keep reasons for the pay ruling under wraps. .

Adding Value to the Business of Coins
AllAfrica - 02-09-2006
WHATEVER your attitude towards money, whether it's imali mania or cash contempt, no one can possibly be as passionate about it as Joseph Melamu. And for good reason; Melamu runs tours of Coin World at the South African Mint on the Old Johannesburg Road. For those who thought coins were deathly dull, think again; numismatics - the study of coins - is fascinating..

Nebraska commemorative quarter to be officially released April 7
Sioux Journal - 02-09-2006
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- Celebrations in Lincoln, Kearney and Gering are planned for April 7 to officially release Nebraska's commemorative quarter, which features Chimney Rock and a covered wagon. Any child under age 18 who shows up at any of the events will receive a free quarter, said John Munn, co-chairman of the launch committee and the state's banking director..

Plastic money on the rise
iAfrica - 02-09-2006
Carrying wads of cash for a weekly or monthly shop is risky and not having enough when you get to the till is embarrassing. It?s an age old problem. To keep their money secure, the Vikings who invaded Ireland in the late eighth century embedded their coins in lumps of beeswax which they put under their armpits. .

Terror threat responsible for high gold price - Greenspan
Times Online - 02-09-2006
ALAN GREENSPAN, who stepped down last week as chairman of the US Federal Reserve after 18? years, yesterday blamed the threat of terrorism for the soaring gold price, in his first private sector speech since being let off the leash of officialdom..

Germany launches stamps and silver coin for FIFA World Cup
Daily Times - 02-09-2006
BERLIN: Germany on Wednesday launched a series of five stamps and a silver souvenir coin to commemorate the football World Cup finals which take place across the country in June and July..

Gold fades after US scare sparks rally
Reuters - 02-10-2006
INGAPORE (Reuters) - Gold lost traction on Friday after it failed to sustain previous day's sharp gains ignited by a brief security scare in the United States and a bounce in crude oil prices. Some dealers said gold may undergo more correction, having reached its highest in 25 years at $574.60 an ounce last week, and the metal could trade in a volatile $545 to $575 range in coming days..

Brokers differ on gold outlook
Globe and Mail - 02-10-2006
At the same time as one big brokerage has raised its long-term gold price forecast, another is suggesting that gold could drop more than a third in the medium term. Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. boosted its long-term forecast to $500 (U.S.) an ounce from $400, based on an expectation of "a gradual decline in world mine output, lower central bank sales, investment demand remaining robust as a result of a plethora of new publicly traded gold investment vehicles and solid fabrication demand (particularly from India, the Far East and Middle East),".

Treasure salvage attempt runs aground on diplomatic row
SMH.com - 02-10-2006
A BRITISH warship that sank in the Mediterranean three centuries ago with a cargo of coins now worth about $A5 billion is at the centre of a bitter diplomatic dispute. The row over HMS Sussex, probably the world's most valuable sunken treasure, pits Spain against Britain, the US and an American company that wants to salvage the wreck..

Superior Galleries Realizes Record Prices in February 5-7, 2006, Beverly Hills Auction
Press Release - 02-10-2006
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 2006--Superior Galleries, Inc. ("Superior") (OTCBB:SPGR) announced today the results of its February 5-7, 2006, Pre-Long Beach Beverly Hills Auction. Anchored by many private collections, including the superlative Allan Mandelstamm Collection, prices realized from this successful auction were $5,115,942, inclusive of the buyer's premium, which was in excess of the pre-sale estimate for the entire sale. The Auction, the inaugural one to be held in Superior Galleries' newly renovated, state-of-the-art auction room and retail galleries in Beverly Hills, held just prior to the 2006 February Long Beach Coin Expo, was a stunning success..

Millionaires who can?t afford basics
Zimbabwe Independant - 02-10-2006
AN advert in the classifieds section of the Rhodesia Herald of September 1, 1974 makes interesting but sad reading for those who want to appreciate the precipitous collapse of the Zimbabwe dollar and the economy as a whole..

Ex-aide latest in 'Coingate' scandal
The Enquirer - 02-10-2006
COLUMBUS - Charges could be filed within the week against a former aide to Gov. Bob Taft over allegations that he donated money from another person in his name to three Ohio Supreme Court justices. Douglas Talbott, who also served as an aide to former Gov. George Voinovich, could face ethics charges at the same time involving his failure to report a loan he received from the coin dealer at the heart of Ohio's government corruption scandal.

Coins for RD$10, RD$25 to circulate this month
Dominican Today - 02-10-2006
Santo Domingo.- The new coins for RD$10 and an innovative RD$25 denomination, issued by the Central Bank, will begin to circulate shortly. The RD$10 will have the image of founding father Matias Ramon Mella, while the RD$25 will show the imprint of Restoration hero, General Gregorio Luperon. .

Azerbaijan Cash Confusion
Caucasus Reporting Service - 02-10-2006
One month into a mass currency conversion, Azerbaijanis are more confused than ever about the banknotes in their pockets. Last February, Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliev ordered a re-denomination of the currency unit ? the manat ? as of January 1, 2006. However, unlike in other countries, where the process has generally involved getting rid of a line of zeros, Azerbaijan decided to peg its currency to the US dollar. One dollar equals about 4,600 old manats these days and so the new one manat note was made to be equivalent to 5,000 old ones..

Big growth from small coins
Financial Times - 02-10-2006
As a veteran of several bear phases of the market, as well being cautious by nature, I often find it hard to enjoy success in my investing without a tinge of apprehension that there may be bad times lurking around the corner. This past month has been noteworthy for a continued stream of good news, or at least good price performances, in several parts of my portfolio. .