Fuljenz thinks metals will rise
Numismatic News - 03-08-2006
When Mike Fuljenz talks about bullion coins and precious metals, people listen. A longtime numismatist with numerous hobby literary awards to his credit, the president of Universal Coin and Bullion of Beaumont, Texas, says that over the next five years, silver will hit $15 an ounce, gold will break $1,000 per ounce and platinum will reach $2,000 per ounce..

Biggest money launderer in Taiwan history nabbed
China Post - 03-09-2006
"I've never seen that much money before," an awed police detective said yesterday. His colleagues were similarly stunned when they saw a small mountain of NT$1,000 banknotes after they had broken into a secret room of an apartment in a posh 15-floor mansion in downtown Taichung..

Huntoon tops CPMX events
Bank Note Reporter - 03-09-2006
Researcher and author Peter Huntoon will give three public talks on National Bank Notes and related topics to highlight activities at the 12th annual Chicago Paper Money Expo March 9-12 at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare in Rosemont, Ill. The first will be at 1 p.m. on March 10. It is called, “$5 Brown Back Title Layouts.” .

B&M to sell pedigreed Hawaii half
Numismatic News - 03-09-2006
A 1928 Hawaiian commemorative half dollar with its pedigree documentation is a featured item in Bowers and Merena’s 2006 March 16-17 Baltimore auction. “It was the eighth coin out of 50 presented to Juliette Mae Fraser, who designed the Hawaii commemorative half dollar,” said Jeff Ambio, director of numismatics at Bowers and Merena. “This one is significant because most of the 50 were sandblasted.”.

Rainbow $10 Bill and Hamilton Versus Jackson
LewRockwell.com - 03-09-2006
Last week the Federal Reserve blessed us with a new $10 bill replete with shades of orange, yellow and red. We all feel great about the enhanced "security" and quality of our "IOU nothing" bills, now don’t we? The portrait of Alexander Hamilton adorns the $10 bill and he wrote in 1781 that public debt is "a national blessing." If only the Republic’s first Treasury Secretary could see us now! .

Penny brings more than luck
DesMoines Register - 03-09-2006
Businesses typically launch with the help of some start-up money. Chris Seuntjens' business sprung from a single coin. As a child growing up in the western Iowa town of Mapleton, Seuntjens found a 1919-S Lincoln cent. That penny sparked an interest in coin collecting that eventually led Seuntjens to turn his hobby into a job..

Security of banknotes tightened
BBC - 03-11-2006
The security of banknote storage has been tightened following the £53m raid on a Securitas depot, the Bank of England has said. Bank governor Mervyn King commissioned a security review on the day of the 22 February raid in Tonbridge, Kent. .

Wanted: Mint ideas for N.M. quarter
Albuquerque Tribune - 03-11-2006
SANTA FE - You don't have to be an artist to design the New Mexico quarter. But you do have to be able to write your idea for the New Mexico Coin Commission, which on Friday started taking submissions for the U.S. Mint's 50 State Quarters Program..

Demand for gold up despite rising price
The Peninsula - 03-11-2006
Doha: Demand for 10 and 20-gram pure gold bars remains high in Doha despite increasing prices. Asian expatriates are large buyers of small bars while locals mostly prefer jewellery made from 18, 21 and 22-carat gold..

Looted Afghan art smuggled into UK
Times Online - 03-11-2006
UP TO four tons of ancient Afghan artefacts have been seized in Britain after an unprecedented wave of looting from archeological sites in Afghanistan that has exceeded the plundering of treasures in Iraq..

MD passes on legal coin tender
Pincher Creek Echo - 03-11-2006
Fears over fraud have got councillors at the Municipal District of Pincher Creek wary of endorsing the Chamber of Economic Development’s centennial coin. Late last month, council received a letter from the chamber asking councillors to pass a motion to make the coin legal tender within the municipality..

Winslow auctions Gregg collection
Bank Note Reporter - 03-11-2006
A Saratoga and Whitehall Railroad Co. stock certificate issued to and signed by Peter Cooper and signed by Jay Gould and Abram Hewitt sold for $5,175 in Scott J. Winslow Associates’ 381-lot Northern Virginia Stock and Bond Auction Jan. 27..

Doyle to offer Damon Collection March 23
World Coin News - 03-11-2006
“This will probably be one of the greatest collections that will ever be auctioned off,” said Honolulu-based coin dealer Craig Watanabe, president of Captain Cook Coin Co. “This Damon estate collection is probably going to go down on record as among the top 10 sales in the history of the world.”.

Late ordering information causing headaches
Numismatic News - 03-11-2006
The U.S. Mint gets a lot of flak – some of it justified, some not. That’s the nature of the business of government. Not everybody’s going to like what you do. Hard decisions have to be made that are going to upset some and please others..

MPCFest sees record attendance
Numismatic News - 03-11-2006
More than 60 military money enthusiasts met March 3-5 at MPCFest 7 in Port Clinton, Ohio, to banter, barter and otherwise enjoy military numismatics. This was a new high for registered attendance at MPCFest, which has become a popular annual event for people interested in military money. .

Husband ponders the great 1982 penny weight problem
IndyStar - 03-12-2006
When I came home Saturday afternoon, the kitchen table was covered with stacks and stacks of pennies perfectly aligned in long, neat rows. The husband was pacing back and forth in front of them with his hands behind his back and his glasses perched low on his nose..

Venetian coins in an Ottoman Bath
Cyprus Mail - 03-12-2006
REMAINS of an Ottoman Bath have been unearthed during excavations in the old city near the Paphos Gate where the new offices of the Sewage Board will be built. The added discovery of a stash of 300-400 copper Venetian coins has led to speculation that the bath was built during the first few years of the Ottoman period in Cyprus, when Ottoman currency may not yet have been initiated and circulating around the island..

Cash in an old favourite
Courier Mail - 03-13-2006
BANKNOTES have become a popular collectable item for Australians. - According to Access Economics, it was the number one investment in Australia between 1992 and 2002, with value consistently appreciating. The $1 and $2 notes, which were replaced by coins in 1984 and 1988 respectively, can be worth thousands of dollars. .

House approves Tuskegee medal
Numismatic News - 03-13-2006
House action on a rare congressional gold medal, to be awarded to the Tuskegee Airmen, was approved Feb. 28 on a 400-0 unanimous vote. H.R. 1259 was then sent to the Senate, which already had a parallel bill awaiting consideration..

Ancient coins offer clue to riverside ritual 1,300 years ago
ASAHI - 03-13-2006
AO, Osaka Prefecture--Everybody at some time has tossed a coin into a fountain, or elsewhere, for good luck. It turns out the practice has been around for well over 1,000 years, probably longer. That, archaeologists say, may explain the recent discovery of rare copper coins from the Nara (710-784) and early Heian (794-1185) periods at a dried-up riverbed here. .

Blanchard & Co. Forecasts $800 an Ounce Gold Bullion Before Year's End
Red Orbit - 03-13-2006
Blanchard and Co., a precious commodities and rare coin brokerage in the Central Business District, has bullishly forecast gold prices climbing steadily to $300 an ounce, then $400 and $500.With gold futures for April delivery topping $560 Feb. 24, Blanchard's new prediction still raises eyebrows - $800 before year's end..

Hiring of private audit firms puts records off limits
AP Wire - 03-13-2006
COLUMBUS, Ohio - A company hired to examine the state's unorthodox $50 million investment in rare coins doesn't have to make its files public because state law exempts work done by private businesses for the state..

Medals at Auction
MAD - 03-13-2006
In today's often overhyped world of collecting, where a painted box may bring three-quarters of a million dollars, million-dollar coins are not unheard of, and an iron escutcheon sells for over $40,000, there seem to be few, if any, undervalued fields. Collectible medals (sometimes called table medals), both art and commemorative, may be one of those fields, as evidenced by the December 10, 2005, floor and mail-bid auction held in Baltimore, Maryland, by Presidential Coin & Antique Company of Clifton, Virginia, whose president and chief is Joe Levine..

Escala Group Recognized for Creating Shareholder Value and Achieving Operating Performance
Press Release - 03-13-2006
Escala Group (Nasdaq: ESCL) today announced that investment consultant DeMarche Associates, Inc. has named Escala Group as one of America's 100 Most-Improved Companies for Shareholder Value for 2005, a distinction placing the Company in the top three percent of all major U.S. corporations for operating performance during the three-year period ending December 31, 2005..

Coins reclaimed in art crackdown
ANSA - 03-13-2006
(ANSA) - Rome, March 13 - Some 300 stolen Ancient Roman coins were recovered in a town north of Rome on Monday as Italy's recent crackdown on art theft continued . The owner claimed he had received the coins in a will but was cited for receiving stolen artefacts ..

Vietnamese Central bank to mint more coins
Portolino - 03-13-2006
"The Vietnamese central bank has sought government permission to mint more coins. With the bank no longer printing VND5,000 notes and less and the existing supply gradually wearing out, demand for coins is sharply mounting. .

Beware of coin hucksters
In-Forum - 03-13-2006
The broken down coin collectors were out in force at the Clarence Gilstad Auction in Jamestown, N.D.. It has been a tough fall and winter for them. Despite the recent upsurge in coin and bullion prices, talk was rife of the Minneapolis wholesaler who had invaded the valley and was deceiving the local collectors..

Gold Sell-Down No Match for Mining Shares
Resource Investor - 03-13-2006
As expected in the last report, both gold and mining shares took a dive. While gold’s downside move thus far has been modest, mining shares took a disproportionate whipping, suggesting the largest players are expecting further weakness for the metal. Momentum has also shifted in favor of the bears, but a few signs suggest bears should not get cocky. Not yet at least..

Odyssey Marine Exploration Announces 2005 Financial Results
Press Release - 03-14-2006
TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 14, 2006--Odyssey Marine Exploration (AMEX:OMR), a leader in the field of deep-ocean shipwreck exploration, today reported full year 2005 financial results. For the full year 2005, Odyssey reported revenues of $10.0 million, compared to $17.6 million in 2004. .

Felix says big changes ahead
Bank Note Reporter - 03-14-2006
Enhancing the $100 Federal Reserve Note with a new optically variable device – and probably redesigning the $5 at the same time, too – is keeping Larry Felix plenty busy. But Felix, who was appointed Bureau of Engraving and Printing director Jan. 11, revealed that even greater changes are coming to U.S. paper money production. .

1822 error quarter realizes $195,500
Numismatic News - 03-14-2006
An 1822 Capped Bust quarter with a denomination overpunch brought in $195,500, helping Heritage Auction Galleries realize nearly $6.6 million in its most recent Signature Auction in Palm Beach, Fla..

CN Tower coin marks anniversary
The Sun - 03-14-2006
The unveiling of a new coin at the CN Tower yesterday scored silver for a Waterloo family here for a pre-March break weekend holiday. The 2006 collectible $20 CN Tower silver dollar-sized coin was an obvious draw for the family of history buffs . .

Nebraskans Take Part In ''Quarter Strike'' Ceremony At Denver Mint
KNEB - 03-14-2006
The Denver Mint was the place Monday for the striking of Nebraska's quarter, featuring Chimney Rock and the covered wagon design chosen by the governor. State Senator Phil Erdman of Bayard and Gering Mayor Starr Lehl were among the fifty Nebraskans from across the state who got a chance to "strike" their own quarter. .

Braille coin bill surprises some
Numismatic News - 03-14-2006
Action taken Feb. 28 by the U.S. House of Representatives took the Mint and Treasury by surprise, approving a coin honoring the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille, whose invention of a raised-dot alphabet enables the blind and sight-impaired to easily read..

Malaysian Auction of rare coins and notes this Sunday
Malay Mail - 03-14-2006
The Malaysian Numismatic Society will hold its 30th auction at the National Museum on Sunday from 10.30am to 1pm. Viewing of auction items starts at 10am..

Mysterious coins - Are State quarters destined to play a central role in a future mystery novel?
StateQuarters.com - 03-15-2006
Do State quarter dollars have an air of mystery about them? Is there a secret message in any of the designs? Will you ever be able to read a mystery novel that weaves one or more of the designs into its plot? It's not as far-fetched as it might sound..

1795 B-1 Flowing Hair Dollar in PCGS MS-63 Sells for $218,500
Press Release - 03-15-2006
On March 7, 2006, R.M. Smythe conducted a 1,127-lot auction of U.S. Colonial, Copper, Silver and Gold coins. The highlight of the sale was a 1795 B-1 Flowing Hair Dollar in PCGS MS-63 which rose from an opening bid of $65,000 to $195,000 when the gavel finally struck..

Wanna invest in the gold mkt? Here're tips
Economic Times - 03-15-2006
Today the gold market is hot. The price of standard gold this week opened at Rs 7,910/10 gm. Is gold a good investment? Portfolios that contain gold are generally more robust and better able to cope with market uncertainties than those that don’t. Adding gold to a portfolio introduces an entirely different class of asset. .

The Hibernia Coppers of Colonial America
Bella On-line - 03-15-2006
Imagine living in America during the time of the colonists. You are living in a new environment; with people from all over Europe, each with their own customs and languages; and, a variety of monies with which to conduct transactions. That is one of the most interesting points about colonial America, the money..

Watch for new $10s
Numismatic News - 03-15-2006
Taking a further step in the redesign of U.S. currency, the Series 2004A $10 Federal Reserve Note was released to circulation March 2. A pocket-sized copy of the U.S. Constitution was the first item purchased with a new Series 2004A $10 Federal Reserve Note. .

Heritage auction totals $6.5 million in Palm Beach
Coin Values - 03-15-2006
Heritage Auction Galleries realized $6,593,229 for 2,304 lots in an auction conducted March 1 to 4 in Palm Beach, Fla., even before after-auction sales and a separate online session on March 6..

Theft sparks Mint revamp
Herald Sun - 03-15-2006
THE Royal Australian Mint will revamp its security systems and hiring practices after a worker allegedly smuggled out $114,000 in new coins in his lunchbox and boots..

New Faulty 5,000-Won Banknotes Found
Korea Times - 03-15-2006
SEOUL (Yonhap) _ South Korea’s state-run Korea Mint & Security Printing Corp. said Wednesday that it has found additional new banknotes with printing errors. Earlier this year, the country issued a new, smaller version of the 5,000-won bill (US$5.12) with stronger anti-forgery features to prevent counterfeiting..

Old notes are set to raise a pretty penny
Belfast Telegraph - 03-15-2006
Around 150 historical banknotes from Northern Ireland, some of which date back to the turn of last century, are going under the hammer at an auction in London later this week. The collection may sell for as much as £20,000 when the notes are auctioned by Dix Noonan Webb on Thursday..

ANA Governor Discovers Significant New Canadian Variety
Press Release - 03-15-2006
American Numismatic Association Governor Michael Fey, Ph.D., has discovered that a die sinker may have used inverted V’s in place of A’s in the word, “Canada,” on an 1874 H Canadian quarter, thus creating reengraved A’s over inverted V’s..

Nebraska quarters roll off the presses
Journal Star - 03-15-2006
here’s no going back now for Nebraska: The pioneer family rolling past Chimney Rock is now stamped onto the latest batch of commemorative quarters. Expect to see them in your change in late April or early May..

2006 U.S. Mint Proof Set® Available March 22
Press Release - 03-16-2006
WASHINGTON - The United States Mint today announced that the 2006 United States Mint Proof Set will be released Wednesday, March 22, 2006. The 10-coin set, priced at $22.95, features proof versions of the Lincoln cent, the “Return to Monticello” 5-cent coin, the Roosevelt dime, the Kennedy half-dollar and the Golden Dollar, all in one sealed presentation case..

The ANA Board will Meet in Atlanta
Press Release - 03-16-2006
(Colorado Springs, Colorado) The Board of Governors of the American Numismatic Association will hold business meetings Wednesday and Thursday, April 5-6, at the Cobb Galleria Centre, room 106, in Atlanta, prior to the National Money Show™. On the agenda during the open session Wednesday afternoon from 2 to 5 p.m. is approval of the 2006/07 budget, the Club Representative Program, a proposed new membership category for dealers, rewards and an overview and update to the organization’s strategic plan..

Escala Group Reports Strong Auction Results for January and February 2006
Press Release - 03-16-2006
NEW YORK, March 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Escala Group (Nasdaq: ESCL - News) today announced that auctions held in January and February of the fiscal 2006 third quarter continue to demonstrate a strong market in stamps and coins. At its four-day auction in January, Heinrich Koehler Wiesbaden achieved aggregate sales of US$2.65 million, exceeding its pre-sale estimate of US$1.79 million by 48%..

Hawaiian Banker's Rare Coins Go On The Block
Bloomberg - 03-16-2006
March 16 (Bloomberg) -- An 1883 Hawaii silver dollar with a portrait of King Kalakaua, graded in near-mint condition, is expected to top $75,000 when Doyle New York sells the collection of Samuel Mills Damon, a prominent Honolulu banker, next week. The auction on March 23 offers rare coins, medals and notes that were kept locked in a bank for more than 100 years. The collection may top $3 million. .

Gold Rarities Highlight Heritage's Atlanta ANA Signature Auction of U.S. Coins
Press Release - 03-16-2006
Dallas, Texas: Extraordinary rarities from across the range of gold and silver American coins will be auctioned by Heritage Auction Galleries at their Atlanta ANA Signature Auction, being held April 6-7. "Heritage has the privilege of offering three exceptional gold collections - the Jeffrey Fisher - Duke's Creek Collection of Dahlonega Gold, the Lake Highland Collection, and the Alexander Collection - in Atlanta," noted Heritage President Greg Rohan. .

New £1 coin
Newry Democrat - 03-16-2006
THE new £1 coin featuring Newry’s famous Egyptian Bridge is to be issued on St Patrick’s Day. The coin will also be available from Friday in a special cover which will bear the unique postmark of “Newry, St Patrick’s Day”. .

Replacing Mutilated US Currency
About.com - 03-16-2006
Every year the U.S. Treasury redeems over $30 million worth of mutilated currency. Do you know how to get damaged US money replaced? The correct procedure for replacing US currency depends on how and how badly the money has been damaged. .

Judge sets August trial date for Noe in theft case
12ABC - 03-17-2006
March 17, 2006 - TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - Tom Noe will face trial August 29th on charges he stole at least a million dollars while managing the state's investment in rare coins. A judge in Toledo set the date this morning, despite objections from Noe's attorney who said the defense would need more time to go over documents in the case. .

Mint State MCMVII High Relief Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Won by California Collector
Press Release - 03-17-2006
The 11th High Relief Awarded to Heritage Survey Respondents - Dallas, Texas: Keith M. Parker, a Southern California collector, has won the Grand Prize in Heritage’s 2006 Auction Survey drawing – an MS61 High Relief Double Eagle designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Designed at the behest of President Theodore Roosevelt, the High Relief “Saint” is considered by many numismatists to be America’s most beautiful coin. .

Damon Estate coins may fetch $3 million
Star Bulletin - 03-17-2006
The century-old collection will be auctioned next week - NEW YORK » An 1883 Hawaii silver dollar with a portrait of King Kalakaua, graded in near-mint condition, is expected to top $75,000 when Doyle New York sells the collection of Samuel Mills Damon next week. The auction Thursday will offer rare coins, medals and notes that were locked in a bank for more than 100 years..

Investment demand expected to push up gold prices
Hindustan Times - 03-17-2006
The high investment demand for gold, witnessed since September last year, is expected to continue till 2007, resulting in global prices of the precious metal rising to new highs, a new report stated on Friday..

Counterfeiters turn silver into gold
Herald Sun - 03-18-2006
It is hardly the crime of the century -- but an amateur counterfeiter has come up with a method of turning two 5c pieces into $2 with a dab of superglue and a splash of gold paint..

Furnace find near stupa site
The Telegraph - 03-18-2006
Calcutta, March 18: Excavations at Tilpi in South 24-Parganas have unearthed a wealth of proof that it was once thickly populated by industrious and self-sufficient people...excavations at Dhosa suggest that a stupa existed there in the 2nd and 1st century BC..

RBI to issue new Rs 50 denomination banknotes
Andhracafe - 03-18-2006
he Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will soon issue Rs 50 denomination banknotes. The notes will have inset letter "E" in both numbering panels in Mahatma Gandhi Series-2005 bearing the signature of its Governor, Dr Y V Reddy..

Wolka updates Ohio book on CD
Bank Note Reporter - 03-18-2006
A CD update to Wendell Wolka’s A History of Nineteenth Century Ohio Obsolete Bank Notes and Scrip is now available. The update contains more than 110 pages of information, 117 new or revised listings and 118 high-resolution color illustrations. .