Yesterday morning November 28th at Spink in London, a crowded auction room saw Russian lots sell for enormous prices. Amongst the highlights were the honours and awards bestowed upon General Thiébault Charles Maurice Janin (1862-1946), Commanding Officer of the Czech Legion, and one of the three most senior Allied Officers during the Allied Intervention in Russia, 1918-20.

A Parisian by birth, he was a controversial figure prominent in the Russian Imperial Court of Tsar Nicholas II during a period of high intrigue. After the infamous murder of the Russian Imperial Family it is reported by several contemporary sources, including Pierre Gilliard, the French tutor of the Tsar’s children (1905-18), that Janin carried out of Russia the human remains and effects of the Imperial Family on a high speed train from under the clutches of the Bolshevik agents charged with retrieving the damning evidence.

The collection was made up of 18 lots that sold for a total of £293,418. The top selling lot was the extremely rare Order of the White Eagle with swords, which sold for £161,100 to an anonymous phone bidder- a new world record price for this order at auction. There were ten phone bidders competing for the medals and awards of General Janin, making the sale a truly global event. (more…)

Readers of this blog could hardly escape the sense of frustration that I personally have felt over what I see as intransigence in a bureau of the U.S. State Department. I’m sure that it literally pours from these lines. For years, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) has operated under a shroud of secrecy that becomes neither the Department nor those charged with fulfilling its mission. Several prominent journalists, including Steven Vincent, Nina Teicholz and Jeremy Kahn have raised questions about the lack of transparency at ECA regarding cultural property issues.

When the U.S. Legislature authorized implementation of parts of the 1970 UNESCO Convention, a well thought out series of safeguards was built into the process that we know as CPIA (the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act). These safeguards were intended to protect and preserve the rights of a broad cross section of society — including private and public collectors. The integrity of these safeguards is dependent upon transparency in the system where decisions affecting those various elements of society are made. (more…)

By David Yates for the Southeast Texas Record

Austin-based U.S Money Reserve, Inc. is pursuing a permanent injunction against a band of former employees, who formed their own coin company by allegedly stealing the company’s consumer accounts.

U.S Money Reserve, doing business as United States Rare Coin & Bullion Reserve (USRCB), filed its suit, USRCB vs. United States Money Exchange et al, earlier this month.

On Nov. 13 Judge Bob Wortham, 58th Judicial District, granted a temporary injunction. Two weeks later, on Nov.29 a hearing was held for a permanent injunction. At press time no decision had been reached.

The suit names as defendants Cecil Roberts, individually and doing business as United States Money Exchange; Jason Braquet and Ed Seymour, individually and doing business as JTB Coins; Chad Poole, Terry Finley and Bill Truman. (more…)

Paul Kmiotek of New York was in for a big surprise when he opened the 2007 state quarter proof set his in-laws gave him on his birthday. The last thing he expected to find was a major minting error.

When he slid the set out of the box, he saw that the lower right corner of the case was jammed partially open by the high flange of a misstruck 2007-S Wyoming state quarter.

At first he didn’t notice the error and tried to snap the case back closed, but the high flange that was cupped upward from obverse forced it to spring back open. He then noticed the “problem” and decided to contact Numismatic News about his find. The report was forwarded to me and I then consulted with a pool of experts to see what they thought.

Fred Weinberg of Encino, Calif., said, “I’d call it a Close Overlapped Double Strike, Cupped, with a Tilted Partial Collar. As a proof states quarter, I’d estimate it at $1,500-$1,800 retail value.” Read Full Story

WASHINGTON - Federal appeals court judges indicated they were troubled that blind people are unable to distinguish between a $50 bill and a $1 bill, but said yesterday they were reluctant to force a redesign of U.S. currency.

“Where does this stop?” asked Judge A. Raymond Randolph. Are postage stamps illegal? Government Web sites? When mail carriers leave handwritten notes on front doors, are they discriminating against blind people?

“The National Gallery is having a Hopper exhibit,” Randolph said. “Those paintings, do they violate the Rehabilitation Act?” The case erupted last year when a judge said the government discriminated against the blind by keeping bills the same color, shape and texture. He gave the Treasury Department just days to begin solving the problem, but changes have been put on hold while appeals play out.

Judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit did not rule immediately, citing concern about the consequences. (more…)