World's Largest Gold Mine Halts Production
Wired News - 02-22-2006
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- Production at the world's largest gold and copper mine was suspended Wednesday after illegal miners blocked the road leading to the site in Indonesia's remote Papua province, a company spokesman said. Around 400 illegal miners set up wood and stone barricades on the road leading to the Grasberg mine in Indonesia's Papua province.

Responsible collecting - Good time management now will help collectors plan for the future
StateQuarters - 02-22-2006
Are you a responsible State quarter dollars collector? Are the State quarters you are saving organized in a readily identifiable form? Or are they scattered in dresser drawers or tossed in baby food jars waiting to be organized when you "get some time"? Well, guess what? You'll never "get some time.".

Gold demand soars
Globe and Mail - 02-23-2006
Global appetite for gold soared to a record last year, driven by increased investment demand, then slipped in the fourth quarter as record high prices took their toll, a report said Wednesday. The London-based World Gold Council, the industry's international body funded by gold producers, said demand for gold surged to $53.6-billion (U.S.) in 2005 from $46.1-billion the previous year..

More Defective W5,000 Notes in Circulation
Korea Times - 02-23-2006
The Bank of Korea (BOK) said Thursday there could be more mistakenly printed 5,000-won banknotes in circulation, saying it is taking emergency steps together with the state-run mint to find the defective notes. The bank apologized for a stir caused by the printing mistakes, which sparked a recall of 16.81 million of the new 5,000-won notes in stock for distribution in the market..

Armed robbers escape with up to £40m
Financial Times - 02-23-2006
Police were last night investigating what could be the biggest bank robbery in UK history after an armed gang stole up to £40m. Four balaclava-clad men with handguns seized the cash in new and used banknotes from a depot run by Securitas Cash Management. Securitas was holding the money for the Bank of England. The Bank made an initial assumption that at least £25m had been seized in the raid at Securitas's main depot in Tonbridge, Kent..

What The Price Of Gold May Be Telling Us
Counter Currents - 02-24-2006
Markets are often the best forecasters since their direction supposedly represents the collective wisdom of the smartest people moving them - the professionals, not the public that just goes along for the ride where they're taken. The way the dominant "players" view the future is how they decide where they want to place their financial bets..

Gold output snatches record high in Chinese mainland
Peoples Daily - 02-24-2006
Gold output in the Chinese mainland captured a new record high in 2005 and will continue to grow steadily this year, driven by soaring gold prices, according to an industry organization. The mainland's gold output last year rose by 5.51 per cent to 224.05 tons from 2004, according to statistics from Beijing-based China Gold Association. .

Man combs beaches for buried treasure
Miami Herald - 02-24-2006
It's hard to carry a conversation when everybody's wearing headphones and listening for beeps, blurts or gnatty buzzes, which are all plausible descriptions of the sound a metal detector gives off when it passes over buried treasure..

Changeover committee sticks to Baptism of Christ
Times of Malta - 02-24-2006
The National Euro Changeover Committee has submitted the image of the Baptism of Christ - as depicted in the sculpture by Giuseppe Mazzuoli at St John's Co-Cathedral, in Valletta - as the final design of the national side of the euro coins, its chairman, Joseph F.X. Zahra, said yesterday..

ANCIENT COINS ON DISPLAY IN THOMAS
Bryn Mawr Now - 02-24-2006
A permanent exhibition of ancient coins will open on Tuesday, Feb. 28, in the Ella Riegel Memorial Museum on the third floor of Thomas Hall at Bryn Mawr. Titled "A Treasury of Knowledge: An Exhibition of the Bryn Mawr College Collection of Ancient Coins," the display is curated by Sarah Hafner, a graduate student in Greek, Latin and Classical Studies and a National Endowment for the Humanities Curatorial and Exhibitions Fellow..

Auction house hit bumps in road during coin counting
Ohio News Now - 02-24-2006
Some of the problems Sotheby's auction house said it encountered as it tried to account for rare coins managed by coin dealer Tom Noe: May 22-26, Maumee, suburban Toledo: A two-person team from Sotheby's is at first denied access to Noe's coin shop, Vintage Coins and Cards, then allowed a brief five-hour inspection of a small collection on Wednesday, May 24.

Clad proofs due March 22
Numismatic News - 02-24-2006
A release date of March 22 has been set for the U.S. Mint’s 2006 10-coin clad proof set. More ordering and pricing information was not available at press time. The 2005 set was $22.95..

Get ready for CPMX March 9-12
Bank Note Reporter - 02-25-2006
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. .

Bullion sets now at three
Numismatic News - 02-25-2006
Three special bullion sets will be released by the U.S. Mint in 2006, instead of the two initially announced. According to the Mint, two of the sets could include coins with what’s called a Reverse Brilliant Uncirculated finish. More information on that will be available at a later date..

Golden dollar, 2006 Kennedy halves new to boxes
Numismatic News - 02-25-2006
I was never any good at jigsaw puzzles. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever had the patience to sit long enough to finish one. This flaw or handicap, or whatever you want to call it, makes juggling these boxes somewhat difficult. .

Stack's plans March 7-9 sale
Numismatic News - 02-25-2006
From the Crimson Collection comes an 1879 Flowing Hair Stella that promises to be the belle of Stack’s March 7-9 auction ball. A number of collections of ancient, world and U.S. coins in all metals are included in the sale, which features three auction sessions..

New coins to cost a pretty penny
Daily Post - NZ - 02-25-2006
New coins being introduced this year will cost Rotorua ratepayers up to $85,000 for alterations to the city's parking meters. All 1200 meters will need to be recalibrated to fit the smaller, lighter 50c, 20c and 10c coins, which the Reserve Bank is introducing at the end of July. .

Maumee man released on bond after not-guilty pleas to 7 felonies
Toledo Blade - 02-25-2006
Noe partner appears in court - A Maumee man who was Tom Noe's partner in a rare-coin business in Monclova Township was arraigned yesterday in Lucas County Common Pleas Court on seven felony charges. Timothy LaPointe, 59, of Springfield Township entered not-guilty pleas to one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and six counts of tampering with records..

Indian Bank to sell pure gold coins
Chennai Online - 02-25-2006
Udhagamandalam, Feb 25: Indian Bank would soon initiate sale of "pure gold coins" through their select branches, Chairman and Managing Director M K C Chakrabarty said. Addressing a press conference here today he said the scheme would be launched before the end of this fiscal or by the beginning of next fiscal. .

Goodbye dollars, hello euros
TMC - 02-25-2006
(Philippine Daily Inquirer Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)PABLO YAMBOT, A YUPPIE IN HIS EARLY 30s, has long wanted to convert a portion of his savings in euros or in financial instruments denominated in Europes unified currency..

Man who bucks dollar for different currency faces theft charges
ABC7 - 02-27-2006
(RIVER FALLS, Wis.) - A UW-River Falls student who bought 20-dollar coins from a company that doesn't believe in U-S currency was cited by police after spending the coins at two gas stations. Eric Krenz tells the Saint Paul Pioneer Press he's just offering a legal alternative to Federal Reserve notes. Federal officials agree it's not illegal to spend or accept the coins as long as they're not passed off as legal tender. .

Royal Canadian Mint issues new products featuring coins from popular series
Canadian Mint - 02-27-2006
Ottawa, Ontario, February 27, 2006 — Today the Royal Canadian Mint officially released its newest line of collector products, featuring new issues from popular series. These ongoing series include the 99.999% Pure Gold coin series, the smallest gold coins produced by the Royal Canadian Mint series, the National Parks of Canada series, and the Mint’s Golden Flowers series. Featured products in the Mint’s new collection include the 2006 Pure Gold coin- Iris Versicolor, the 2006 1/25 oz Gold coin- Cowboy, the 2006 National Parks coin- Nahanni, and the 2006 50-cent Sterling Silver coin- Golden Daisy. .

Smythe & Co Coin Auction No.259
News Antiques - 02-27-2006
Smythe & Co., today announced that their Winter Coin Auction, consisting of over 1,000 lots of certified and raw U. S. and foreign coins, will be held on Tuesday March 7th, at Smythe’s auction gallery in New York City. This sale contains a significant number of high quality rarities in gold, silver, and copper, key and semi-key collector coins, sets and partial sets, and dealer lots. There is something for virtually every collector and every budget..

Students learn history through old Roman coins
Capital Journal - 02-27-2006
Joey Tetzlaff, left, a Pierre sixth-grader, wields a mallet that will help him make his own coin out of a piece of lead. Dawson Lewis, holding the locking pliers, visited Mark Halling’s social studies classes on Tuesday to talk about the origins of money in Western civilization..

ANA Seeks Nominations for Numismatic Art Award for Excellence in Medallic Sculpture
Press Release - 02-27-2006
COLORADO SPRINGS – The American Numismatic Association is accepting nominations for its 41st annual Numismatic Art Award for Excellence in Medallic Sculpture. The award honors an artist whose cumulative lifetime achievements in the field of medallic sculpture have been of the highest order..

Who wants to be a bullion-aire?
SMH.com - 02-27-2006
There are endless ways of buying and selling gold, with something for every taste, writes David Potts. - MY favourite, as in strangest, Kerry Packer story is the one about the gold heist 11 years ago. Gold ingots worth $5.3 million were stolen from one of the safes in his personal office and were never recovered..

Deciding on dealer often a matter of personal preference
Columbus Dispatch - 02-27-2006
Could you send me a list of reputable dealers? When my husband died, he left a can full of mixed steel and wheat pennies and some other coins. I will be needing some extra money this winter. — B.T., Rushsylvania Dear B.T.: I’m sorry, but I can’t recommend a dealer. Dealers make their living buying coins at one price and selling at a higher price. .

Man bucks system with his 'Liberty Dollars'
ST Paul Pioneer Press - 02-27-2006
But police file theft charges over use of alternative coins - A River Falls, Wis., man's disdain for federal currency has resulted in the circulation of dozens of silver "Liberty Dollars" and has led police to charge the man with theft.Eric Krenz, an accounting major at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, said he's only trying to offer an alternative to the Federal Reserve note, but a St. Paul coin dealer said the coins have little value..

Finance Minister to Sign Memorandum on Slovenia's Euro Coins
Slovinia Business Week - 02-27-2006
The government has authorised Finance Minister Andrej Bajuk to sign a memorandum of understanding on the production of Slovenia's euro coins with the eurozone countries and the European Commission, the Finance Ministry said on Monday, 13 February. The eurozone ministers have decided that Slovenia's euro coins can be produced after the country no longer holds the derogation status. .

A dime for your thoughts
Star Telegram - 02-27-2006
Consider the penny, that copper-colored, Lincoln-mugged coin that graces clerk-side change cups nationwide. Are they a fiscal nuisance? Do we like them? Let the debate rage. However, a company in the coin business polled more than 1,000 U.S. adults last year for their thoughts. We are, it seems, a people of mixed emotions about this smallest of our coins..

Changes to hobby will be evident at CPMX
Bank Note Reporter - 02-27-2006
Change is happening all around us whether we collectors like it or not. If we tried to assemble a list of the most important changes that we are facing as a paper money collecting hobby, we imagine that there would be much discussion and a wide body of opinion as to how to rank them..

Virtual Tour of ANA’s Money Museum
Press Release - 02-27-2006
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – Visitors to the American Numismatic Association Web site at www.money.org can tour the Money Museum in Colorado Springs without leaving their homes. A new virtual tour provides Web travelers with a look inside the nation’s largest museum dedicated exclusively to numismatics, providing scans and still photos of both permanent and rotating exhibits..

House approves coin to commemorate Braille
Montana News - 02-28-2006
CAPITOL HILL The House has approved a commemorative silver dollar with writing in Braille code The House bill calls for 400-thousand silver dollars featuring Louis Braille. He was the inventor of the most widely used reading and writing method for the blind. The coins, if also approved by the Senate, would come out in 2009, the bicentennial of Braille's birth..

Coin dealer sues to disqualify county's judges from criminal case
Ohio News Now - 02-28-2006
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The coin dealer at the center of Ohio's government corruption scandal has asked the Ohio Supreme Court to disqualify all Lucas County judges from hearing his case, saying they are either personal friends or political enemies. Tom Noe, a rare coin dealer and prominent GOP fundraiser now facing state and federal charges, says in a lawsuit that he has ferociously and persistently worked to unseat Democratic judges and elect Republicans for 20 years..

Escala and Spectrum Sign Agreement Offering To Purchase Coins, Bullion and Other Assets
Press Release - 02-28-2006
Escala Group (Nasdaq: ESCL) today announced that Escala and its subsidiary Spectrum Numismatics International, Inc. have entered into an agreement with Development Specialists, Inc. (DSI), offering to purchase certain coins, bullion and other coin-related assets for US$7.5 million. DSI, the liquidator responsible for managing the disposal of the coin inventory and assets formerly owned and managed by affiliates of the Capital Coin Fund in Ohio, is currently in the process of soliciting additional bids for these coin assets in the open market..

Wide Variety of Educational Programs Set for ANA Show in Atlanta
Press Release - ANA - 02-28-2006
Educational programs will cover topics from local to international interest for new and seasoned collectors at the American Numismatic Association National Money Show™ in Atlanta, Georgia, April 7-9. “We offer a wonderful opportunity for anyone to learn how numismatics can teach us about culture, art, science and history,” said ANA Outreach Director Lane Brunner, Ph.D. “There are learning opportunities for everyone from new collectors to seasoned professionals..

EurAsEC central banks favor national currencies in transactions
National Center - 02-28-2006
The EurAsEC central banks favor more intense involvement of national currencies in payments between economic entities of the concerned countries, Chairman of the National Bank of Belarus Piotr Prokopovich told reporters reviewing the results of the 14th sitting of the Council of Heads of the EurAsEC central (national) banks..

Viennese gold coin cake displayed in Tokyo's Ginza
Kyodo News - 02-28-2006
Some 3,000 Viennese gold coins arranged in the shape of a cake are shown at Tanaka Kikinzoku Jewelry K.K.'s store in Tokyo's Ginza district on Feb. 28. The 250-million-yen Viennese gold coin cake was made to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birthday..

Committee warns against abuse in rounding up conversion of Maltese coins into Euro
- 02-28-2006
he National Euro Changeover Committee (NECC) has published a set of guidelines on the rounding and smoothing of Maltese lira amounts converted into Euro with the aim of ensuring fairness where conversion of monetary amounts from Maltese Lira into Euro necessitates the applicability of rounding and smoothing. .

Commemorative coins, stamp to mark Buddha Jayanthi
Daily News - 02-28-2006
Arrangements have been made to issue 3 commemorative coins and a stamp to mark the 2550th Buddha Jayanthi celebrations this year said Religious Affairs Ministry Secretary B. N. Jayasena. The faces of the three coins will depict the imprints of the 'Sri Pada', Emperor Asoka's emblem and the lotus pond with the Dharma Chakra respectively..

Taking inventory
StateQuarters - 02-28-2006
Preparing specific inventory of collection can help survivors of fire, flood and death - In the March 6 State quarters column we began a discussion about the importance of putting together an up-to-date inventory list of your State quarters and other coins. We'll continue our discussion where we left off last week..

Loon takes off on circulating Olympic commemorative
Canadian Coin News - 02-28-2006
The Royal Canadian Mint will reprise the Lucky Loonie with a similar issue. The circulating coin was due out Jan. 18, but at least one roll got out early. An item described as a Canada 2006 Flying Loon Dollar from original roll was sold on EBay on Jan. 10, for just under $4, apparently by a Quebec dealer. If it was a roll that got out early, that wouldn't be unusual..

Fiji's debentures of 1871-1873: currency or no?
Bank Note Reporter - 02-28-2006
I was delighted when I finally caught up with the ninth edition of the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, Vol 2, General Issues, in 2001. At long last the debentures issued by the pre-cession Cakobau government of Fiji (circa c.1871-1873) had been recognized as currency items: P-16A and P-16B. This was the first time any major paper money catalog had acknowledged that these items had played such a role..

No restrictions on Italian coins
World Coin News - 02-28-2006
Ancient coins will remain exempt from the import restrictions on cultural property from Italy, at least for another five years. On Jan. 19, The U.S. State Department extended existing restrictions, originally approved in 2001, on importation of certain cultural items from Italy. Coins were exempted from the original decision and it was decided to continue to do so..

Half Disme tops Superior auction
Numismatic News - 02-28-2006
With a 1792 silver half disme fetching $126,500, Superior Galleries, Inc., realized more than $5 million in its Feb. 5-7 Pre-Long Beach Beverly Hills Auction. The piece was part of the Allan Mandelstamm Collection that anchored the sale and was graded AU-50 by Professional Coin Grading Service..

Modern Day US Coins - History Grading and Pricing" -- Stan McDonald
Press Release - 02-28-2006
Stan McDonald wrote this book for the collector and the novice to provide guaranteed coin pricing from the writer, a detailed history of each coin, how to grade coins and the coins true value. The book is available for purchase at www.lulu.com..

Collector Buys Finest Known 1796 No Stars Quarter Eagle and 1907 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle for Over $5 Million
Press Release - 02-28-2006
Dallas, Texas: A private collector, who is building one of the finest type sets of United States coins ever assembled, purchased two important numismatic rarities recently for over $5 million. The two coins were a 1907 Ultra High Relief $20 Lettered Edge PR69 PCGS, and a 1796 G$2.50 MS 65 PCGS.The two coins are the finest graded by either of the two major services (NGC and PCGS), the Ultra High Relief being the only PR69 and the 1796 NS quarter eagle the only MS65. Heritage Auction Galleries of Dallas, TX sold the coins for $3,350,000 and $1,725,000, respectively..

The Silver Deficit (1942-2004)
Safe Haven - 02-28-2006
"Because of the long-term structural deficit in silver, stretching back to World War II, we have consumed inventories for more than 60 years."-Ted Butler, "The Coming Silver Bubble"This essay will seek to prove what Mr. Butler and other silver bulls have been confidently asserting for so long, that is, the claim that silver has experienced a supply/demand deficit which stretches back all the way to 1942..