Dallas, TX: Phil Kaufman’s superlative collection of Early Seated Proof Sets (1839-1858) is being offered by Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries in a series of events starting with the August 8-10, 2007 ANA World’s Fair of Money Platinum Night Auction in Milwaukee.

“Mr. Kaufman’s Collection is so extensive - and so valuable,” noted Heritage President Greg Rohan, “that we will be offering important pieces over four of our Signature/Platinum Night auctions during the coming year. Mr. Kaufman wanted to start this process in Milwaukee at the Official Auction of the summer ANA, as this represents one of the most important venues of the year. Milwaukee marks Heritage’s 36th selection as the Official ANA Auctioneer.”

“Mr. Kaufman is an extraordinary collector,” continued Rohan. “We started selling important selections from his collections in 2002, and have successfully concluded more than a half dozen separate consignments. He has been so pleased with his results that we are now privileged to offer his beloved early Seated silver proofs.”

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Bowers and Merena Auctions reported $4.3 million in sales from an offering of more than 2,200 lots, mostly U.S. coins and paper money, in three sessions June 28 and 29 as the official auctioneer of the Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention.

The June auction was the second of three official auctions that Bowers and Merena will present at the Baltimore Coin and Currency conventions in 2007, with the next scheduled for Nov. 14 to 17.

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MIAMI (Reuters) - An American-owned ship that was boarded and forced into Spanish port last week by authorities who suspect it snatched a treasure worth millions from a sunken Spanish galleon has been cleared to leave Spain, its owners said on Tuesday.

In a statement from its headquarters in Tampa, Florida, Odyssey Marine Exploration said the ship, the Ocean Alert, had been cleared for departure on Saturday after an inspection in the Spanish port of Algeciras.

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As baby boomers become empty nesters, retirees and born-again collectors, they’re dusting off their old blue Whitman coin albums, especially those holding Lincoln cents, and are beginning again where they left off years earlier to complete those collections.

New collectors who’ve begun with the State quarter dollars are also taking an interest in the United States’ longest running series, the Lincoln cent, now 98 years old.

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