Man's Coin Gamble Pays Big Bucks
WCCO - 02-10-2006
A Stearns County man flipped an ancient coin and made $200,000. Coin collector Allan Davisson mortgaged his house in late 2004 so he could bid $400,000 for a 1,200-year-old British coin. The small-gold coin was slightly larger than an American penny and bore the likeness of the Anglo-Saxon king Coenwulf. It's the first known coin to refer to the city of London..

2006-Dated Golden Dollar Coins and Kennedy Half-Dollars Available February 15 in Bags and Rolls
Press Release - 02-10-2006
WASHINGTON ? The United States Mint today announced that 2006-dated Golden Dollar coins and Kennedy half-dollars will be available in bags and rolls at www.usmint.gov beginning on February 15, 2006, at noon (ET). Customers can purchase the Golden Dollar in 25-coin rolls for $35.50 and in 250-coin bags for $347.00. The bags and rolls bear either the mint mark of the United States Mint at Philadelphia (?P?) or the mint mark of the United States Mint at Denver (?D?)..

Ohio Coin Dealer, Fundraiser Charged
CBS News - 02-13-2006
AP) A coin dealer and GOP fundraiser hired to manage an unorthodox state investment in rare coins was charged Monday with embezzling at least $1 million in an election-year scandal that has sent Ohio Republicans running for cover. Tom Noe, 51, pleaded not guilty and was released on $500,000 bail. .

Royal Mint marks big changes in currency
ABC.Net - 02-13-2006
Today marks the 40th anniversary of the introduction of decimal currency in Australia. Valentine's Day in 1966 was the changeover day from pounds and pence to dollars and cents. The chief executive of the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra, Vivienne Thom, says there have been a number of changes to the currency since then. "Of course there were one and two cent coins, which we no longer have," she said..

Sofia Launches Wine-Praising Coin
Sofia News - 02-13-2006
Bulgaria's Central Bank (BNB) has introduced a special coin dedicated to the art of wine making. Shown for the first time on Monday, the coin at the cost of BGN 5 (approximately EUR 2.5) will be launched on the very next day to mark the much-loved festival Trifon Zarezan. The folk tradition marks the start of wine-growing farm season. .

RMB banknotes on way out
Xinhua - 02-13-2006
China has stopped issuing banknotes with face value of two yuan (US$0.247) and two jiao, officials with the People's Bank of China was quoted as saying by yesterday's Daily Sunshine. The banknotes currently in circulation are the fifth set of renminbi whose issuance began Oct. 1, 1999. Banknotes with a denomination of two yuan and two jiao had been left out of the fifth set with 20 yuan banknotes added to the new set of renminbi. .

COMMODITIES-Markets sink as funds cut positions
Reuters - 02-13-2006
SYDNEY, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Commodity prices tumbled across Asia on Monday, extending last week's sell-off in copper, gold and other markets by once big-spending hedge funds in North America and Europe. Gold, zinc and copper -- all big gainers in recent months -- each lost nearly 1 percent of value. .

This Sunshine's Liable to Leave Burns
Washington Post - 02-13-2006
Thanks to a scandal involving a politically connected Ohio coin dealer, a number of venture capital and corporate buyout firms -- including some of the Washington area's biggest names -- risk having vital information about their investments released to the world..

Collectors keep alive dying hobbies
Daily Times - 02-13-2006
SALISBURY -- Sam Malone once traded more than $600 for 3 cents. But Malone, a Princess Anne coin collector, said the gold 3-cent piece manufactured in the second half of the 19th century is the hallmark of his portfolio. Perusing other rarities at an annual coin, stamp and postcard collection show Sunday, he spotted a dollar bill from 1795..

'Monumental' tomb find in Greece
CNN - 02-13-2006
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) -- Archaeologists have unearthed a massive tomb in the northern Greek town of Pella, capital of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia and birthplace of Alexander the Great. The eight-chambered tomb dates to the Hellenistic Age between the fourth and second century B.C., and is the largest of its kind ever found in Greece. The biggest multichambered tombs until now contained three chambers..

On Lincoln's 197th, country planning for the big 2-0-0
Souther Illinoisan - 02-13-2006
SPRINGFIELD - It might seem like a daunting task to plan a birthday party for 298 million people. But coordinating Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday festivities is a job Michael Bishop and the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission are excited about. .

A penny saved is a cent and a half earned
AZStartNet - 02-13-2006
When you give your two cents' worth these days, you should charge for three. The spot price of copper was $2.23 per pound on the New York Mercantile Exchange Friday, and at that rate, a penny is worth 1.45 cents. But before you commence scouring the nether regions of couches and car seats, be aware that there are some major catches to a get-rich scheme based on this news. .

Noe case heading to Lucas County grand jury
The Blade - 02-13-2006
COLUMBUS — As Columbus prosecutors yesterday filed criminal ethics charges against two former aides to Gov. Bob Taft for their ties to Tom Noe, Lucas County Prosecutor Julia Bates said she will soon seek charges based on her investigation of Mr. Noe’s failed state rare-coin investment fund. Ms. Bates said her office, which is working with a federal-state task force looking into Mr. Noe and others, nearly has finished its investigation into the former GOP fund-raiser’s $50 million coin venture. She said she will take the case before a county grand jury..

Heritage to Offer Rare Quarter Eagle at Auction!
Press Release - 02-13-2006
Dallas, Texas: Heritage Auction Galleries will offer the finest-known example of a rare 1848 $2 1/2 PR64 PCGS in their upcoming Signature Auction, to be held March 2 & 3 at the Palm Beach Convention Center, 650 Okeechobee Boulevard at Florida Avenue, West Palm Beach, Florida. "When David Akers cataloged this coin as part of the Pittman Collection, he noted that only three positively identified proofs were known to him," said Greg Rohan.

Coin one of several new products unveiled by RCM for '06
Canadian Coin News - 02-13-2006
The Royal Canadian Mint's first catalogue of 2006 was released Jan. 10 and includes a number of collecting staples. Silver $1 - The 2006 silver $1 honours the 150th anniversary of the institution of the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration awarded to British Commonwealth military forces..

British Museum open to collectors and ideas
World Coin News - 02-13-2006
The spectacular breadth of The British Museum’s numismatic holdings, spanning 28 centuries and covering every corner of the globe, seems surpassed only by the openness of its staff and their willingness to attract students and professionals whose interests may range from ancient to modern coins..

Goldberg Long Beach sale tops $1 million
Coin Values - 02-14-2006
Ancient coins, and world gold, crowns and minors offered Feb. 7 in the fifth session in a six-session auction conducted by Ira & Larry Goldberg auction prior to the Long Beach (Calif.) Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo, realized $1,021,684.15, including the 15 percent buyer's fee..

Coin Market Roars at Heritage Long Beach Signature Auction!
Press Release - 02-14-2006
Over $10 Million Realized With Sales Continuing - Dallas, Texas: Heritage Auction Galleries held their 2006 February Long Beach Signature Auction on February 9-11, 2006 at the Long Beach Coin and Collectibles Expo in Long Beach, CA. Over the course of the 4,204 lots offered, this auction has realized $10,324,835 so far, with after-auction purchases continuing. With the related On-Line Session closing on February 13, totals for this auction will climb even higher..

Strong Attendance, Major Exhibits At February 2006 Long Beach Expo
Press Release - 02-14-2006
(Long Beach, California) – Strong attendance by dealers and the public totaled 6,376 at the February 9 – 11, 2006 Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo. “We came close to running out of visitor badges on the last day,” said Ronald J. Gillio, Expo General Chairman. “The coin market is booming and there obviously are a lot of new collectors as well as ‘former collectors’ who are returning to the hobby.” .

BNM Issues Songket Commemorative Coins
Bernama.com - 02-14-2006
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 (Bernama) -- Bank Negara Malaysia has issued three types of coins to commemorate the "Songket-The Regal Heritage," inspired by the songket promotional works started by the late Datin Seri Endon Mahmood. These commemorative coins were launched Tuesday by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at Sri Pentas Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Bhd..

Poisoned coin hazard
SMH.com - 02-14-2006
THE 40th anniversary of the introduction of decimal currency passed quietly yesterday with only a few baby boomers shedding a tear for the day they lost the joy of finding silver coins in Christmas plum puddings..

Heritage to Auction Extraordinary Goloid Dollar Coin!
Press Release - 02-14-2006
Dallas, Texas: Heritage Auction Galleries will offer a rare 1880 $1 Goloid Metric Dollar PR67 PCGS in their upcoming Signature Auction, to be held March 2 & 3 at the Palm Beach Convention Center, 650 Okeechobee Boulevard at Florida Avenue, West Palm Beach, Florida."An exquisite specimen, struck in aluminum with a reeded edge, this is a repeat of George Morgan's Coiled Hair design that was first used in 1879, and is also similar to the Coiled Hair design used on the four dollar stellas," said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auction Galleries. "Originally issued as a part of a goloid set, only four pieces are believed known of this design in aluminum.".

Noe timeline
Columbus Dispatch - 02-14-2006
Events in the state scandal involving the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation's $50 million investment in two rare-coin funds controlled by former Maumee coin dealer Thomas W. Noe:.

'D' Mint turns 100
Numismatic News - 02-14-2006
The U.S. Mint at Denver has turned 100. To commemorate a century of operations, a centennial celebration was held at the facility on Feb. 1. The centennial commemoration party was called “100 Years of Change.”.

RBM to mint K5, K10 coins
Nation Online - 02-14-2006
The Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) on Monday unveiled plans to introduce into circulation K5 and K10 coins before the end of this year. RBM spokesperson Henry Mathanga said the move has become necessary to contain the problem of deterioration of K5 and K10 banknotes which are the most frequently used notes in circulation..

Make Money, Avoid Mistakes in the $3 Billion Rare Coin Market
Press Release - 02-14-2006
Publishing giant, Random House, has issued the revised and updated, "The Coin Collector's Survival Manual, Fifth Edition," an important new consumer protection book with straight-forward information about the risks and rewards in the $3 billion U.S. rare coin bull market. It reveals insiders' secrets on how to make money when gold prices are up or down, and how to avoid counterfeits, altered coins and online auction scams..

Is this the last great buying opportunity for gold?
AME - 02-14-2006
Those who predicted that gold would suffer a sell-off at $500 an ounce were proven hopelessly wrong in the first seven weeks of 2006. The yellow metal has soared past the $570 barrier and its present retreat to above $540 an ounce is probably the last great buying opportunity before prices head to much higher levels..

Australian man accused of stealing coins from mint
Reuters UK - 02-14-2006
An Australian man has been charged with stealing more than A$6,000 (2,500 pounds) from the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra by hiding new A$2 coins in his work boots and lunchbox, Australian Federal Police said on Tuesday..

Gold's big run is almost over
MSN Money - 02-14-2006
Gold’s good for jewelry but a terrible investment right now. One ETF has engorged the market with investors, and the price is unlikely to rise much higher.When an investment skyrockets in a short period, the first question most of us ask is: Is the party over? For gold, my bet is that it is..

Noe accused of stealing from funds until May 26
Toteldo Blade - 02-15-2006
COLUMBUS - The 53-count indictment filed Monday against Tom Noe claims the coin dealer continued to defraud Ohio's $50 million rare-coin funds long after Attorney General Jim Petro and State Auditor Betty Montgomery first learned about problems with the investment..

Heads: These 5 quarters win; tails: those 5 lose
Arizona Republic - 02-15-2006
The U.S. Mint has unveiled 40 of the coins in its 50 State Quarters program, allowing Arizona to see what works (Maine's picturesque lighthouse) and what doesn't (Wisconsin's cow head). We've chosen what we think are the best and the worst designs thus far:.

Australia's decimal currency turns 40
ABC Queensland - 02-15-2006
In come the dollars, in come the cents, to replace the pounds, shillings and pence. So be prepared when the money starts to mix, on the fourteenth of February, nineteen sixty-six. ABC Wide Bay went to local coin dealer John Felasina to find out what it means from a collector's perspective when a country changes its currency..

Veterans Council wants commemorative coins
Bristol Press - 02-15-2006
BRISTOL -- Among the hottest military collectibles these days are special coins, minted especially to mark special events or for big shots to hand out. They’re merely commemorative, not currency, but they’re in demand. The Bristol Veterans Council is looking to jump on the bandwagon by ordering a batch of bronze coins from a private mint that it could give to people who speak at veterans ceremonies or those who perform yeoman’s service for veterans..

Homo Numismatus
Forbes - 02-15-2006
NEW YORK - Among Wall Street's many mysteries--the secret deals, the hidden transactions, the devious schemes and swindles--are its underground societies. They meet behind closed doors in undisclosed locations; their dealings are obscure. Fortunes are made and lost, futures determined, fates decided. Traditions are created and kept. .

Ohio coin dealers feeling scandal's sting
Toledo Blade - 02-15-2006
Experts say industry thrives but 'Coingate' is cautionary tale - Beth Deisher tells people she is editor of Coin World magazine in Ohio and some raise an eyebrow or pause disapprovingly, she said. It wasn't always that way in her Buckeye State. But a $50 million rare-coin scandal this year involving one-time GOP fund-raiser and coin-dealer Tom Noe has stigmatized the industry, she said..

Condition rarities boost Bowers and Merena total
Numismatic News - 02-15-2006
Condition rarities helped highlight a $2.1 million Bowers and Merena auction. Called the Beverly Hills Rarities Sale, it was held Feb. 4.A 1917-S Walking Liberty half with the mintmark on the reverse graded MS-67 by Numismatic Guaranty Corp. brought a stunning $71,300, including a 15-percent buyer’s fee. The firm said the Feb. 3 Certified Coin Dealer Newsletter had it at $32,000..

Readers expand list of baseball currency
BankNote Reporter - 02-15-2006
With a couple months having elapsed since my initial presentation on baseball currency, which was also published in three installments in Sports Collectors Digest, our weekly sports memorabilia collectors’ periodical, it now seems safe to assume all likely reader reaction on the subject of the 1887-1889 and 1893 baseball currency advertising notes has been forthcoming..

Hawaii Prepares To Choose Design For Commemorative Quarter
The HawaiiChannel - 02-15-2006
HONOLULU -- Hawaii is getting ready to have the U.S. Mint make the state commemorative quarter. Gov. Linda Lingle on Tuesday signed an order to form the commission that will help select, develop and recommend a design for Hawaii's quarter. People in Hawaii will have the opportunity to give their own ideas on what should be on our quarter..

Proof, Mint set survival
Coin World - 02-15-2006
The surviving number of Proof sets and Uncirculated Mint sets issued by the United States Mint may be smaller than many may think. Each year, the Mint produces sets in quantities ranging from hundreds of thousands to the low millions, for dealer and collector consumption. Not all of these sets, however, remain as sets in their original packaging. .

Sell gold: Goldman
Globe and Mail - 02-16-2006
oldman Sachs Group Inc. is recommending that investors get out of gold and lock in their gains just two months after it suggested they buy. On Dec. 5, the brokerage issued a list of its top trades for 2006, one of them being the purchase of gold futures for delivery in December 2006, priced then at $534.50 (U.S.)..

Counterfeited banknotes worth USD35 million seized in Prague
Czech News Agency - 02-16-2006
PRAGUE- Prague customs officers seized a container from Vietnam with 350,000 pieces of counterfeited USD100- banknotes last April, and the Czech National Bank (CNB) today confirmed that the counterfeits are of a very low quality, customs officers spokesman Zdenek Malek told..

Bank Negara coins with songket touch
The Star - 02-16-2006
PETALING JAYA: To enhance an initiative started by the late Datin Paduka Seri Endon Mahmood, Bank Negara has issued three commemorative coins with songket motifs. The coins - in gold, silver and bi-metal - were meant to commemorate Songket - The Regal Heritage, which was inspired by Endon's efforts to promote the country's culture and heritage. .

Belarus puts silver coins with amber inserts into circulation
ITAR - TASS - 02-16-2006
MINSK, February 16 (Itar-Tass) - The National Bank of Belarus has put into circulation "Twelve Months" commemorative silver coins in the "Fairy-Tales of the Peoples of the World" series on Thursday. The obverse side of the coin represents an embossed National Emblem of Belarus while the reverse side is made from natural amber inserts. The number of coins, minted in Warsaw, is up to 20,000. The coin's mass is 28.28 grammes, and denomination is 20 Belarus roubles (One US dollars equals 2,150 Belarus roubles). .

Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee to View New Design Candidates for 2007 Presidential $1 Coins
Press Release - 02-16-2006
The United States Mint will present new design candidates for the obverse (heads side) and reverse (tails side) of the four Presidential $1 Coins of 2007 at the February 28, 2006 public meeting of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) in Washington D.C..

Evaluating a coin collection
Wall Street Journal - 02-16-2006
If you own or have inherited an antique coin collection, there are several ways to get an authoritative opinion on its value at minimal expense. You can refer to a coin book such as A Guide to United States Coins or The Standard Catalogue of World Coins first. .

Short Term Trend May Have Reversed For Metals
Australasian InveReview tnemts - 02-16-2006
The overall trend for metals still looks undecided, in the view of our colleagues at Basemetals.com, although they also believe Wednesday's market action favours further downside.The view is based upon the observation that prices were pushed lower on further liquidation and short selling. .

8 duped in scam involving fake $1-million bill
asahi.com - 02-16-2006
Eight people in Kumamoto Prefecture were duped into investing 150 million yen in a scheme that involved several "rare" $1-million U.S. bank notes--a denomination that doesn't even exist..

Coins issued for great engineer
BBC News - 02-16-2006
Two new coins are due to be launched in Bristol on Thursday to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The new designs for the £2 coins will be officially unveiled at Clifton Suspension Bridge, designed by Brunel and opened in 1865 after his death. .

Artists make cut
Numismatic News - 02-16-2006
As the Artistic Infusion Program enters its third calendar year, the United States Mint exercised its option to renew contracts for 12 of 25 master designers participating in the program..

COTY finalists unveiled
Numismatic News - 02-17-2006
The stage is set for selection of the Coin of the Year after a first round of balloting resulted in 10 finalists. The current COTY contest, sponsored by World Coin News, sister publication of Numismatic News, is for coins from the world’s mints dated 2004. .