Turning a Hobby or Passion into a Business
Ecommerce-Guide.com - 01-19-2006
Bob Walter, a co-owner at Sam Sloat Coins, Inc., a leading dealer in rare coins, sports memorabilia and political memorabilia, knows why so many people who try to turn a hobby or passion into a business so often fail: "Their heart wasn't really in it." That and they didn't understand the business or their customers he adds. .

Collectors Universe Reports Metrics for Second Quarter and First Half of Fiscal Year 2006
Press Release - 01-19-2006
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Collectors Universe, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLCT), a leading provider of value-added authentication and grading services to dealers and collectors of high-value collectibles and diamonds, today reported its unit performance metrics for second fiscal quarter of 2006. The Company reports the number of units which it authenticates, grades and ships, on a quarterly basis, for coins, sports cards, autographs, stamps, currency and diamonds which comprise its principal authentication and grading markets. .

New York International Recap
Blog - David Lawrence - 01-16-2006
I attended the NY International Show last week to meet the major dealers in the world numismatic market, as well as pick up some, fresh new material. Happily, I succeeded in both and had a great time at the American Numismatic Society's (ANA) annual gala too boot. More at that later. As DLRC grows into the world coin market, I have found it very interesting to see other dealer's inventories and reaction to our presence. .

Odyssey's Shipwreck & Treasure Adventure to Re-Open in New Orleans
Yahoo News - 01-19-2006
TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Odyssey's Shipwreck & Treasure Adventure, an interactive shipwreck exploration attraction will re-open in New Orleans, on Wednesday, February 15, 2006. The attraction, which features the SS Republic shipwreck, tells an amazing story of hurricane survival. In 1865, the Republic sank in a raging hurricane while steaming toward New Orleans from New York..

Eliasberg 1927-D 'Saint' Sold for Record Price by North American Certified Trading
Press Release - 01-19-2006
IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- North American Certified Trading (N.A.C.T), a division of Spectrum Numismatics, an Escala Group Company (Nasdaq: ESCL) is pleased to announce that the Eliasberg specimen 1927-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle has been sold for over $1.9 million. The buyer of the coin is described as "an anonymous East Coast collector," according to Andrew Glassman, President of N.A.C.T..

Lucky' treasure find
Bromley Times - 01-19-2006
Archaeologists have discovered a cluster of ancient Roman coins in a trove of buried treasure. A handful of bronze coins dating back to the 3rd and 4th century AD were unearthed by Thames Water as they carried out survey work in West Wickham last week..

Heritage's Latest Online Session Realizes Over $1.2 Million!
Press Release - 01-19-2006
Dallas, Texas: Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc., (HNAI) held its most recent Online session (#395) January 9, 2006 as part of its Orlando, Florida, F.U.N. Signature Auctions. $1,224,372 was realized, with 1,710 total bidders participating, 824 of them successfully, for 3,637 total lots. This brings Heritage's overall auction total, including their U.S. Coins Signature Auction (#394), the Heritage Currency Auctions of America (CAA) Signature Auction (#396), and this Online session, to $44,074,840, although after-auction sales are still ongoing..

Gold recovers from losses, bulls return
Business Day - 01-19-2006
LONDON - Gold was firmer in early European trading, bouncing off lows in Asia as Japanese investors regained confidence after equity markets slumped, and the bull trend re-asserted itself, dealers said. "The market fell but recovered nicely, and the overall situation is still bullish. There is strong retail interest in gold bars and in exchange traded products, as well as institutional buyers," a European dealer said..

The incredibly disappearing one-shilling coin
The Standard - 01-20-2006
The shopper comes calling. The shopkeeper is only too happy to serve her dutifully. After the shopping is done and the shopper needs some change, the shopkeeper scratches his head, then says:.

There's a hole in your toga, dear Titus
Times Online - 01-20-2006
BRONZE COINS from the 3rd and 4th centuries, found at the site of a dried-up stream near Bromley in South London, merited a small item in The Times this week because the chap who found them, an archaeologist with Thames Water, said they suggested that the Ancient Romans threw coins into the water for luck..

Curator's fascination with iconology on display
Corning Leader - 01-20-2006
Corning | Sheila Hoffman was a graduate student at the University of Oklahoma when she was first drawn to iconology, or artistic symbolism. On the way to a degree in art history, she did a master's thesis involving iconology, a subject she says is “kind of like deciphering a code.” Hoffman, now the curator of the Rockwell Museum of Western Art, found herself explaining her fascination with iconology to a crowd of 40 or 50 curious onlookers in an upstairs gallery at the museum on Thursday evening..

Dave Barry Shares His 'Money Secrets'
NPR PART 1 - 01-20-2006
You've read his columns. You've bought his books. But should you take his financial advice? David Gardner talks fun and finance with Pulitzer-winning columnist Dave Barry, author of Dave Barry's Money Secrets: Like - Why Is There a Giant Eyeball on the Dollar?.

Dave Barry's 'Money Secrets,' Part 2
NPR - 01-20-2006
David Gardner continues his conversation with Pulitzer-winning humorist and columnist Dave Barry and his new book, Dave Barry's Money Secrets: Like - Why Is There a Giant Eyeball on the Dollar?.

Almost the currency of the past
CoinCollector.org - 01-20-2006
BOSTON --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 that have been plunked into MBTA turnstiles since 1951. But soon, in the city that is home to America's first subway, where folk singers have rhapsodized about public transportation, tokens won't be good for a ride..

Middle Israel: Good as gold
Jerusalem Post - 01-20-2006
There was a time when the travails of gold reflected, even shaped, history's course. When World War I broke out, trading in America's many stock markets, and even the coffee and cotton exchanges, was suspended in response to the sudden increase in European demand for US gold; trading on Wall Street did not resume until four months later,.

GALLOPING GOOD TIME EXPECTED AT NEVADA QUARTER LAUNCH
Press Release - 01-20-2006
United States Mint’s First Quarter of 2006 Features Wild Horses on the Run Join United States Mint Acting Director David Lebryk, Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn and Nevada Treasurer Brian Krolicki as they launch the Nevada quarter on the steps of the State Capitol Building at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, January 31 in Carson City. “The Silver State” was the 36th state to be admitted into the Union, making this the 36th coin to be issued in the United States Mint’s popular 50 State Quarters® Program. The Nevada quarter is the first to be released by the United States Mint in 2006..

United States Mint to Present Designs for New 24-Karat Bullion Coins, 2007 Presidential $1 Coins, 2007 50 State Quarters Program® and 2007 Jamestown Commemorative Coin
Press Release - 01-20-2006
The United States Mint will present design candidates for four major coin programs at the January 24, 2006 Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) public meeting at 9:30 a.m. at United States Mint Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the meeting is to conduct business associated with the CCAC’s responsibility to advise the Secretary of the Treasury on themes and designs pertaining to United States coinage..

ANS GALA
ANS E-NEWS - 01-20-2006
The 2006 Annual Dinner Gala in honor of Q. David Bowers was a stellarsuccess. The event took place at the elegant Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City on the night of January 12th. The dinner was generously sponsored by American Numismatic Rarities and Whitman Publishing; and the cocktails, by Bowers and Merena Auctions, Spectrum and Teletrade..

Treasures & Trends: Young collector could cash in on advice from coin book, local expert
Tucson Citizen - 01-20-2006
Question: My son is a teenager and has just become interested in collecting coins. Can you recommend a good book to get him started in the right direction? - Meredith, Tucson Answer: Collecting coins is one of America's most popular hobbies. Although there are dozens of excellent books available, I especially like "Coin Collection 101: What You Need to Know" by Alan Herbert.

Gold Holds Gains After Nearing 25-Year High on Osama Tape
Bloomberg - 01-20-2006
Jan. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Gold prices held their gains after building on yesterday's 2.7 percent advance to approach a 25- year high as Osama bin Laden warned of more al-Qaeda attacks in the U.S..

After surge, gold vulnerable as speculators change bet
The Globe and Mail - 01-20-2006
ORONTO, VANCOUVER -- Gold is increasingly vulnerable after its stunning ascent, warns a London-based precious metals analyst, as more speculators boost their bets the price of bullion will fall.John Reade of UBS pointed out in a note that gold has continued to rally in January even as speculators decreased their "long" positions.

Coin bearing Honest Abe tests consumer integrity
Poughkeepsie Journal - 01-20-2006
WAPPINGERS FALLS — Dutchess Garage on Route 9D probably isn't the first place you'd look to find the answer to one of life's great philosophical questions. Most people stop by Dutchess Garage to gas up their car, load up on cigarettes or get their daily dose of the New York State Lottery. Deep thinking not required..

Japan investors favour gold as alternative asset
Reuters - 01-20-2006
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese retail investors of gold, who led the global rally in late 2005, are seeking the metal as an alternative asset for their portfolios despite this week's turbulence triggered by a sell-off in Tokyo stocks. With many analysts expecting spot gold this year to hit $600 per ounce, a level last reached in 1980, investors are keen to shift part of their assets into gold coins, gold bars, the futures market and gold-linked commodities funds..

Gold futures end with a $15 gain
Marketwatch - 01-20-2006
Gold futures climbed almost $15 an ounce Thursday, erasing the prior session's losses on the heels of concerns about volatility in energy prices and news of a purported al-Qaida threat against the United States.Gold for February delivery closed up $14.50 at $559 an ounce after touching an intraday high of $559.70. The benchmark contract lost nearly $10 Wednesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange, with traders saying the metal had become overbought after recent sharp gains..

Finalists chosen for Washington state quarter design
KXLY Spokane - 01-20-2006
OLYMPIA -- The three finalists for Washington's official state quarter are in. The designs are being reviewed by the U-S Mint, and will be sent back to the state this spring. Washington residents will be able to choose a favorite in an online opinion poll. But the final decision rests with Governor Gregoire..

Coin shipment arrives
Solomon Islands Star - 01-20-2006
THE second lot of coins that was expected to arrive in the country early this year had reached the country and is now with the Central Bank of Solomon Islands. The first shipment arrived late last year and was already distributed to all the commercial banks on arrival. Daniel Haridi of the Central Bank Currency and Banking Operations told Solomon Star that the first shipment only contained 50 cents coins while the recent shipment contained one dollar coins and 20 cents coins..

Family program planned to mark release of Nevada state quarters
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL - 01-21-2006
For Reno coin collector Paul Williams, the value of Nevada's new quarter extends to how it has heightened interest in the hobby and the nation's history. "Interest in coins and how they're made has increased dramatically because of the U.S. Mint's quarter program," said Williams, president of the Reno Coin Club..

Police look for lead in coin case
Florida Today - 01-21-2006
Police are trying to figure out who stole more than $100,000 in collectible currency from two Brevard County coin buffs earlier this month. The crimes are likely connected to a series of rare-coin thefts following a Jan. 5-7 coin show at the Orange County Convention Center. .

PERKINS, Jacob [1766-1849] -- American inventor: steel plates for bank-note printing
Rootsweb.com - 01-21-2006
Among his inventions is a machine for cutting and heading nails at a single operation. He was the originator of using steel, instead of copper plates, for engraving banknotes. [HE] His new plates made bank notes and other important documents much more difficult to counterfeit. .

Nevada State Bank is The Bank of The Nevada Quarter Launch
Press Release - 01-21-2006
Nevada State Bank has been named "The Bank of the Nevada Quarter Launch." As the bank of the Nevada Quarter Launch, Nevada State Bank will be the first bank to offer the new quarter to the general public at a kick-off event scheduled for January 31, 2006, at the Capitol Grounds in Carson City, NV at 10:00 a.m. .

Stoltz joins Superior board
Numismatic News - 01-21-2006
Superior Galleries welcomed Mitchell T. Stoltz to its newly expanded board of directors as it also announced a search for a new chief financial officer due to the resignation of Paul Biberkraut. The board decided to expand from five to seven members at a Dec. 15, 2005, meeting. .

Boston $2 star notes sellout
Numismatic News - 01-21-2006
The Boston version of the individual $2 star notes sold by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing has sold out. Along with that news came the announcement that order limits on the $2 stars have been lifted. With the Boston sellout, however, 12-district sets of the star $2s are no longer available. .

Clubs seek to honor Schlag
Numismatic News - 01-21-2006
A fund has been created to raise money for a granite monument honoring Felix Schlag, the designer of the 1938 Jefferson nickel. Al Bobrofsky, former Michigan State Numismatic Society president, and Steven Bieda, former MSNS governor and designer of the reverse of the 1992 Olympic half dollar, recently announced plans for the memorial. .

1927-D $20 flirts with $2million
Numismatic News - 01-21-2006
The 1927-D Saint-Gaudens $20 gold piece once owned by Louis Eliasberg Sr. has traded hands for “in excess of $1.9 million,” according to seller North American Certified Trading. Andrew Glassman, president of NATC, described the buyer as “an anonymous East Coast collector.”.

CPAC upholds coin exemption for Italy
ACCG News - 01-22-2006
Ancient coins will remain exempt from the import restrictions on Cultural Property from Italy which have been extended for another five years. The Cultural Property Advisory Committee (CPAC) heard public comment on September 8, 2005 regarding Italy's request to extend the existing restrictions on importation of certain cultural property from that country. .

Gold market signals good times for hobby
Numismatic News - 01-22-2006
Gold. It is in the headlines. It popped higher by roughly $30 an ounce to $550 as this is written. It is exciting to see the market active again, to be hitting 25-year highs. Will it hit $850 and take out the 1980 all-time high? I don’t know, because it depends on your time frame..

Counterfeiting expert calls new bills impossible to forge
joongangdaily.com - 01-22-2006
The recently-released new 5,000-won ($5) notes, and the new 1,000-won notes that will soon be out, have some of the world's best anti-forgery features, according to Korea's top expert in counterfeit banknotes..

Jefferson comes home to U.S. nickel
Star Ledger - 01-22-2006
THE FINAL NICKEL in the U.S. Mint's "Westward Journey" series is now available, although if you look at the reverse, it will look a lot like the nickels that were minted before the series began..

Roofers say not thieves
Numismatic News - 01-22-2006
They say they didn’t steal the money. Prosecutors argue they did. Both sides will get a chance to present their cases at the trial of four New England roofers accused of theft in the discovery of an 1,800-piece hoard of antique paper money..

Golden years
Journal News - 01-22-2006
WHITE PLAINS — Everything from ancient Greek coins dating to 300 B.C. to colonial American coins from the 1790s to the American Eagle gold coins from the 1990s are available at Coin Mint in White Plains..

Numismatic Society conference begins
The Hundu - 01-22-2006
HYDERABAD: Karnataka Governor T.N.Chaturvedi has said that new sources will help to interpret history in a new light. Inaugurating the XI annual conference of the South Indian Numismatic Society at Dravidian University, Kuppam, on Saturday, he emphasised the importance of various academic fora coming together.

The euro in Malta: does religion come into it?
Independant Online - 01-22-2006
The Maltese are being given a say in the design of the national face for the euro coins, which will become legal tender across Europe. Last week the Central Bank of Malta and the National Euro Changeover Committee (NECC) launched a public consultation process for the selection of the designs of the Maltese euro coin set..

Tiny gold piece carries weight of frontier history
OregonLive.com - 01-22-2006
When Rick Gately holds the rare Oregon Beaver $5 gold piece minted in 1849, he likes to imagine which famous Oregon characters might have jingled it in their trouser pockets. Perhaps mountain man Joe Meek, who later became the Oregon Territory's first U.S. marshal. Or Dr. John D. McLoughlin, head of the powerful Hudson's Bay Co. and Oregon's most prominent figure for decades. .

No tossup regarding legality of Liberty coins
Buffalo News - 01-22-2006
Southtowns businessman Daniel Buczek said he has had "no trouble" using Liberty silver dollars to buy coffee, oil filters for his car and other items at a number of area businesses. But when someone in his family tried to use them to buy beer at a Buffalo Sabres game, Buczek and his son wound up in trouble with the law. .

Benedict XVI Hails Swiss Guards on 500th Anniversary
VATICAN CITY - 01-22-2006
Benedict XVI gave tribute to the Swiss Guards 500 years after Pope Julius II welcomed and blessed the first contingent. Today after praying the Angelus with the thousands who gathered in St. Peter's Square, Benedict XVI greeted "all those who make up this distinguished corps to which I impart my heartfelt apostolic blessing." .

Zamindar family to display rare coins
Kolkata NewsLine - 01-22-2006
January 22: ON the occasion of World Museum Day on February 8, the Sabarna Roy Choudhurys of Barisha — ostensibly Kolkata’s earliest zamindars — are putting together a collection of rare coins which will be on display at their family museum — the Sabarna Sangraha Shala..

Heritage's Long Beach Signature Auction Features Rarities Across Most Series
Press Release - 01-23-2006
Dallas, Texas: Heritage Galleries & Auctioneers will be presenting their 56th Official Auction of the Long Beach Coin Expo on February 9-11, 2006. "Our February Long Beach Signature Auction," explained Heritage Galleries President Greg Rohan, "contains an astonishing variety of high quality coins among its 4209 Signature lots and additional 3366 lots in our Online Session. Demonstrating the range of rarities are a Mint State 1783 Nova Constellatio Copper with Pointed Rays and Large US, certified MS62 Brown by NGC; 1795 $1 Flowing Hair, Three Leaves MS65 Star NGC. B-7, BB-18, R.3 (the finest known?) and an 1849 Mormon Quarter Eagle, K-1, certified AU55 by PCGS;.

Ashoka pillar throws light on Samudragupt
Hindustan Times - 01-23-2006
Few know that the Ashoka pillar located in Allahabad Fort serves as an important link for the historians and scholars as far as their knowledge about the ruler Samudragupt is concerned. The pillar has the engravings in the language Prakrit written in Brahmi script which elaborates the details of victories of Samudragupt. The details are found nowhere except on this pillar.

It's the euro's fault, many Europeans say
International Herald - 01-23-2006
FRANKFURT The crush of economists, politicians and central bankers who protest that the euro has not heightened inflation simply do not impress Heinz-Dieter Friedrich.A cook at a restaurant in the Bornheim neighborhood here, Friedrich rattles off a list of daily necessities that now cost substantially more since euro bills and coins were introduced in 2002..

Poongsan to Profit from Oz, U.S. Coin
Chosun.com - 01-23-2006
Poongsan Corporation, the world’s largest manganese brass strip manufacturer, has secured another steady customer after signing to supply coin blanks to the U.S. The company said Monday its chairman Ryu Jin signed a renewed deal with the Australian government in Canberra to supply the Royal Australian Mint with manganese brass strips worth AU$100 million (US$63 million) until 2008. Australia is renewing a supply contract with Poongsan without a new tender..

On the Money
Pantagraph.com - 01-23-2006
Numismatics. Know the word? It means the study or collection of money and coins. It's a hobby that's been around for over 2000 years. Garry Garrison traces his numismatic obsession to childhood. Like many novice collectors in the 1950s and 1960s, he made regular trips to the bank to get rolls of coins, which he would later sort through, hoping to find a treasure..

Coin show gives some value to the penny
Star Press - 01-23-2006
MUNCIE -- Six year-old Benjamin Martin had one fist tightly closed while he searched a plastic bin full of coins with the other hand. He finally found what he wanted, then carefully opened his fist and added another shiny coin to his palm..

China boosts gold market, signals intention exchange U.S. currency to the Euro, precious metals, due to weak dollar and geo-political concerns
Press Release - 01-23-2006
As platinum reaches an all-time high, and gold hits 25-year high at $564 per ounce, all indications are that these record levels are only the begining of a shift away from the dollar. China appears to become more and more concerned about the $818.9 billion U.S. dollars in currency it currently holds..

Alliance Republican couldn’t stem flow of FDR dimes
Cantonrep.com - 01-23-2006
ALLIANCE - Fifty years ago, former Stark County resident William Brett was keeping political party members from playing penny-ante politics with America’s money. OK, technically the ante was a dime in the middle of the 1950s. Specifically, the 61-year-old former Alliance businessman was attempting five decades ago to calm Republicans who were annoyed by the Roosevelt dime..

S Korean firm wins Australian coin order
Sydney Morning Herald - 01-23-2006
South Korea's largest producer of fabricated copper products, Poongsan Corp, said on Monday it won a $63 million order to supply materials for casting coins to Australia Mint..

Gold firms in Europe after sharp sell-off
Business Day - 01-23-2006
LONDON - Gold rebounded today, surprising many traders who thought heavy profit-taking late on Friday, which toppled prices from a 25-year high, was set to persist at the start of this week. In early trade, spot gold was quoted at $556,00/556,75 a troy ounce, up from New York’s close last week at $553,40/554,20..

Public Corruption or Liberty Dollars?
WNY Media - 01-23-2006
Buffalo, NY - While our career politicians walk free after allegations of missing money, criminal wrongdoing, and violation after violation of local, state and federal laws, our coveted District Attorney Frank Clark has been noticeably asleep at the switch..

Superior Galleries Reports Second-Quarter Results
Press Release - 01-24-2006
Superior Galleries, Inc. ("Superior") (OTCBB: SPGR - News) today reported financial results for its fiscal year 2006 second quarter and the six-month period ended December 31, 2005. The Company recorded revenues of $9.6 million in the December quarter, an increase of $1.2 million, or 15%, from $8.4 million for the prior-year second quarter ended December 31, 2004..

Gold rush -- Ways to invest in gold
BankRate.com - 01-24-2006
Has the glitter of gold caught your eye? As the price of the precious metal surges to levels it hasn't seen in 25 years, investors who might not ordinarily dabble in such things are wondering if gold should be in their portfolio. Some investment advisers tout gold as a way to diversify a portfolio and protect against inflation and a decline in the value of the dollar..

Zimbabwe bank unveils new range of bills
BusinessWeek - 01-24-2006
JAN. 24 12:35 P.M. ET Zimbabwe is introducing a new range of bills that will more than double the value of the largest bank note to help reduce the piles of money needed in routine cash transactions in the stricken economy, the central bank announced Tuesday..

Silver Trader Armstrong Seeks to Get Out of Jail After 6 Years
Bloomberg - 01-24-2006
Martin Armstrong, the former silver trader accused of a $700 million fraud, today asked a court to free him after serving six years in connection with a crime for which he was never tried..

Memory making - State quarter memories help connect collectors with current, future generations
Coin World - 01-24-2006
t's amazing how one's mind can leap from thought to thought to thought. After watching Bob Hope's The Road to Zanzibar recently, I began to think about the power of memories. That particular "Road" movie was made in 1941, three years after Hope made his first feature appearance in a motion picture, in 1938. .

Florida proclamation medals top bidding at Stack's Ford XIII sale
Coin Values - 01-24-2006
Two silver medals each bring $230,000 in auction. A pair of struck silver Florida medals, each believed unique, topped bidding at Stack's 13th auction of the John J. Ford Jr. Collection, conducted Jan. 16 in New York City. Each medal brought $230,000, including a 15 percent buyer's fee. The Ford auction brought a total of $2,250,446.50..

Put railroad on commemorative quarter
StandardNet - 01-24-2006
The Utah commemorative quarter will reflect our historical and cultural image. The governor's office has narrowed its choice to three themes; one will shortly be decided upon. The Transcontinental Railroad theme has superior merit. Of the three themes submitted, this is the most significant historical event for the development of the Western United States. .

British Royal Mint offers silver sets
British Royal Mint - 01-24-2006
The 2006 British Proof Set features six new designs, including ones commemorating Queen Elizabeth II’s 80th birthday, the 200th anniversary of the engineer Brunel and the 150th anniversary of the Victoria Cross. The total authorized mintage for the sets, in three different types of packaging, is limited to 50,000..

Gemini NYINC auction realizes $1.85 million
Numismatic News - 01-24-2006
The Jan. 10 Auction II sale held by Gemini LLC in New York City ended in sales of $1,850,000, including the 15-percent buyers’ fees. The sale was held prior to the start of the New York International Numismatic Convention at the same location, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, in New York City. .

Discovery of Second Obverse for 1872 Double Die Reverse
The E-Gobrecht - 01-24-2006
During December, a well known LSCC member and seated coinage specialist sent me a nice 1872 Double Die Reverse (F-105) dime that he had recently bought. The dime graded EF/AU and was thought to be an earlier die state of the doubled reverse since the doubling was very pronounced. Upon receiving the coin, I immediately used my stereo microscope for a detailed inspection and discovered that the obverse die did not match the characteristics of the NGC MS61 plate coin used in the web-book..

Is it coin of the realm or realm of the coin?
Medicalpost.com - 01-24-2006
While rolling quarters, Dr. Morton Rapp considers what's printed on our coins and what might have been - By Morton Rapp - You get a lot of loose change these days and it sticks to your pockets like lint. What to do with it? You could of course throw it away. That is what a lot of people do with pennies and the way the value of money is sinking, you could do the same with nickels as well, without having to declare bankruptcy..

Quirky Quarter Creates False Hope
WEAU.com - 01-24-2006
There's some funny money making its way into the hands of people here in the Chippewa Valley, but when they pick it out of their pocket, the quarter they're finding is making them buy into big dollar dreams. An Eau Claire coin dealer is having to dash some of those coin-holder's hopes... Including a man from Durand..

Rare 1849 Oregon $5 gold coin fetches $125,000
OregonLive.com - 01-24-2006
LA GRANDE, Ore. (AP) — A rare $5 Oregon gold coin minted in 1849 has fetched $125,000 from a collector who now has a link to a time when people in the Oregon Territory began to end a life of bartering with gold dust, beaver pelts, wheat, salmon and horses..

Liberty Dollar “Larcenists” Land in Lockup
Hammer of Truth - 01-25-2006
Some of you have probably never heard of Liberty Dollars, in fact I myself am pretty skeptical of this odd currency that is backed by silver, yet is only distributed and exchangeable through a single institution (calling it a bank would be a stretch). Not so for Daniel and Shane Buczek, both of Derby, New York. The two men are believed to be the first people to be charged for passing Liberty Dollars as real currency when the tried to buy beer with them at a at a Buffalo Sabres game (the vendors rejected the coins, shock)..

Silver Market Update
Gold-Eagle.com - 01-25-2006
What a difference a few hours can make! After posting the article “The Great Silver Standoff”, additional research for a new Silver Market update revealed that on the arithmetic chart, silver has in recent days successfully tested the lower channel line of a fine parallel uptrend channel, and is now in position to break strongly higher, an event that can be expected to trigger another strong rally in gold..

Estate sale uncovers four unique, previously unknown RCM test tokens
Canadian Coin News - 01-25-2006
The sale of the estate of former Royal Canadian Mint master Norval A. Parker's executive secretary has yielded a unique set of eleven 1965 Canadian test tokens. Four of the pieces in the set are thought to be unique, and were previously unknown: a copper 25-cent piece with a smooth edge; a brass 25-cent piece with a smooth edge; a brass 50-cent token; and a nickel 50-cent token with a smooth edge..

Silver jumps to new highs, platinum hits record
FXStreet.com - 01-25-2006
LONDON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Silver prices spiked to fresh 18-1/2-year highs in Europe on Wednesday as talk of setting up a new exchange-traded fund spurred fund buying, while platinum hit a new record high. Gold also picked up and moved closer to last week's 25-year high after consolidating in previous trading sessions, with the market tone remaining bullish on worries about inflation and economic growth, dealers said..

Bits 'n' Pieces: Mayor not sold on state coin
Columbian.com - 01-25-2006
Regardless of which design is chosen as the Washington state quarter, there's at least one coin collector in Clark County who won't be clamoring to grab a handful when they are released in early to mid-2007. Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard said none of the three designs shows much creativity and he won't be adding the final coin to his collection. .

Coins on the roll with a whiff of history
Times of India - 01-25-2006
BANGALORE: Be it the world's largest silver coin weighing 1 kg, the smallest gold coins of the Vijaynagara empire, the world's first blue coin or the latest 'lord of the rings' collection of coins — they are all for display at 'Nanyadarshini,' the four-day all-India exhibition of coins and currencies in Bangalore. .

Vietnamese man collects currency bills from 222 nations
Thanhnien News - 01-25-2006
A 33-year-old man has made it to Vietnam Guinness Book Center (Vietbooks), which records Vietnamese records, for owning currency notes from the most number of countries.Ho Minh Hiep says he has collected paper currencies from 222 countries and territories, adding he only lacks a Palestinian note to complete the whole global set..

Give your two cents on quarter design
Tooele Bulletin - 01-25-2006
Three proposed designs for Utah's quarter were unveiled last week. The governor will have the final say on which design will be chosen for the 50 State Quarters program. A month-long public comment period may inform his decision a spokesperson for the quarter design committee said..

Two bits for an apple
Seattle Times - 01-25-2006
Quick: Name the symbols that most clearly represent the state of Washington. We'd pick salmon and Mount Rainier. For that reason, the most appealing design for Washington's new 25-cent piece is the one featuring Mount Rainier in the background and a large salmon jumping in the foreground..

RBI issues Rs 50 new series banknotes
WebIndia - 01-25-2006
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will shortly issue Rs 50 denomination banknotes in Mahatama Gandhi series- 2005 with insert letter 'R' in both numbering panels. The notes will bear the signature of Dr Y V Reddy, RBI Governor..

New W5,000 Bills Forgery- but not Water-Proof
Chosun.com - 01-25-2006
The new forgery-proof W5,000 banknotes are less than proof against the elements since the hologram comes off easily and the ink runs when it gets wet, according to a slew of complaints on the Bank of Korea homepage.

A time capsule is under memorial
CheshireOnline - 01-25-2006
WORKMEN should uncover a time capsule buried deep beneath the remnants of the town's war memorial, according to Coppenhall man Wilmot Richards. Wilmot, 88, of Broughton Road, grew up in Market Square and was seven when the Britannia statue was erected. .

Super Bowl business: Coins, cookies and a pep rally
Post-Gazette - 01-25-2006
For the 16th consecutive year, the Highland Mint of Melbourne, Fla., has been commissioned by the NFL to produce the coin that will be flipped immediately prior to the Super Bowl to determine which team kicks off and which receives. And on the theory that it is better to receive, Highland Mint is willing to sell you an exact replica of the Super Bowl XL Flip Coin, featuring "selective 24-karat gold plating on one troy ounce of .999 fine silver.".

Viewers of this artist's work get their nickel's worth
The Transcript.com - 01-26-2006
PUTNEY, Vt. — Vermont artist Johnny Swing has taken his creative past and given it practical applications in the form of furniture — that is, if you want to call a couch made out of 6,400 welded nickels practical..

Differing forms of money found in old records
Columbian.com - 01-26-2006
Nicky, our 8-year-old, is looking for one of the new Jefferson nickels. Thomas Jefferson is important to our American money, so it's a fitting tribute that his nickel be updated. In 1784, Jefferson proposed that United States money be based on the decimal system with a dollar being the base. In 1792, this was adopted by Congress, and the legal coins were dollars, dimes, and cents. .

CENTRAL BANK OF ARMENIA RELEASES BOOK TITLED ARMENIA'S MONEY
ARAK News - 01-26-2006
EREVAN, January 26. /ARKA/. Central Bank of Armenia released a book titled Armenia's Money Emissions. The CBA press service says the book can be interesting for those persons keeping watch on money circulation in Armenia and Armenian numismatics..

A tale that would fill a ... novella?
CalendarLive.com - 01-26-2006
Coin of the comic realm Back in the 5th century BC, one of the most common silver coins in Greece was the tetradrachm (its value: four drachms), and of course the Getty has an example on display. The donor: Lily Tomlin, who is credited with a 1980 contribution of more than a dozen coins in the villa..

Red envelopes seen as symbols of fortune, wealth
TaiwanNews - 01-26-2006
The lunar year of the dog is just around the corner. One traditional item that is always associated with the Lunar New Year holidays is the red envelope, also known as the "hongbao(紅包)." Inside the hongbao is money, which symbolizes luck and wealth for the coming year..