The Standard Catalog of World Coins, Krause Publication’s industry standard identification and price guide for more than 50 years, is now available in a three-DVD set. The set contains actual page images from Standard Catalog of World Coins 2001 to Date, 2nd Edition; Standard Catalog of World Coins 1901 to 2000, 35th Edition; and Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 5th Edition. Authors are Colin R. Bruce II and Thomas Michael. The DVDs feature 3,760 pages from three volumes, 82,750 images that can be enlarged 300 percent and up-to-date pricing.

The Royal Canadian Mint, housed in a building reminiscent of a medieval castle, is a popular place for tourists and school groups who come to see the mint’s specialized presses stamp out collector coins, medallions and more. But tucked inside the nearly century-old building on Sussex Drive is another line of business that Canadians rarely see. The Crown corporation runs a world-class gold refinery, processing billions of dollars worth of precious metals each year. While scarcely known to the public, the mint’s refinery has garnered a reputation for honesty in the mining industry.

Jack Suneson bought a downtown property on Commerce Street thinking it was a good spot for tourists to part with their money. But someone had already parted with a stockpile of coins at the site — nearly 130 years ago. Suneson is a businessman from Nuevo Laredo who owns Marti’s, a Mexican arts and crafts store. On Monday, a construction crew was digging up dirt to lay a foundation for Suneson’s new store at 310 W. Commerce St. A backhoe uncovered about 200 U.S. quarters, half dollars and silver dollars dating between 1852 and 1880. The crew also found a gold coin from that era

Gold and silver fell on speculation a slowing U.S. economy will reduce demand for precious metals. The price of gold dropped 2.2 percent last week as the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 1.2 percent. The Dow index fell as much as 0.7 percent today, erasing early gains. The U.S. Federal Reserve cut its discount rate on Aug. 17 to head off the rout in credit markets. Gold is still up 4.5 percent this year. “The risk to the economy is on the downside,” said Stephen Platt, a commodity analyst at Archer Financial Services Inc. in Chicago. “People are looking for safe returns. Gold doesn’t yield returns.”