Two 1796 Quarter Eagles Break Million Dollar Mark in Heritage’s Second Largest Auction Ever!

Dallas, TX. Two million dollar coins were sold during the course of Thursday’s Platinum Night session by Heritage Auction Galleries, the Official Auctions of the FUN 2008 Orlando Convention. Total prices realized from Heritage’s coin auctions exceeded $50 million, and another $10 million in rare currency was auctioned in Heritage’s second largest auction ever. Results from both auctions have been posted by Heritage in their Permanent Auction Archives at HA.com. When proceeds from Final Session Auctions for coins and currency are concluded, plus Post Auction Buys from both events are combined, the total prices realized are expected to exceed $62 million. An additional $4.3 million was realized in Heritage’s Signature auction of Ancient and World Coins held at the NYINC just prior to FUN. (more…)

On January 1, 2008, NGC expanded its Star Designation to all grades of US coinage up to MS 69 and PF 69. Previously, the Star Designation was limited to coins grading between MS 63/PF 63 and MS 69/PF 69.

The Star Designation is NGC’s unique identifier of coins with exceptional eye appeal or characteristics that distinguish them from other coins of the same technical grade. This does not mean that they just miss the next grade, but it can mean that they verge on the next designation. For example, an untoned PF 65 Cameo coin is not necessarily close to the PF 66 grade, but may be close to an Ultra Cameo designation.
The online NGC Census will show population figures for Star Designated coins on each coin’s respective coin detail page. All Star Designated coins will also be eligible for the NGC Registry where they receive a score premium to recognize their special characteristics. (more…)

DAHLONEGA - It has been reported by AccessNorthGa.com that the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office has thwarted a possible conspiracy to steal gold coins from the Dahlonega Gold Museum in Dahlonega Georgia.

The article stated that an anonymous caller alerted the museum on Christmas Eve of the potential conspiracy. Based on that tip, Officials reportedly contacted one of the alleged co-conspirators, who had recently visited the museum and was researching the value of the coins.

“We put them on notice that we knew about the conspiracy and none of the coins would be stolen,” Lumpkin County Sheriff Mark McClure said. And, “We would be definitely looking to charge individuals if that did occur.”

The alleged thief, who is beleived to be from Florida, denied having any involvement in the scheme. The man was not identified by the Sheriffs office (more…)

The United States Mint issued three limited-edition commemorative coins on January 15th celebrating the dramatic comeback of the Bald Eagle to America’s lands, waterways and skies, and marking the 35th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. [Profiles of the coins can be found in the CoinGuide Section of CoinLink]

“We are excited to work closely with the United States Mint and their artists and engravers to create these beautiful coins,” said American Eagle Foundation (AEF) (http://www.eagles.org/) founder and President Al Cecere. “We hope the public will enthusiastically support this program to aid the bald eagle, a precious national treasure, for generations to come.”

The collectable coins include a $5 gold coin, a silver dollar and a clad half-dollar (available individually and in three different special sets), and will only be sold through Dec. 31, 2008. During a one-month pre-issue period, Jan. 15th through Feb. 14th, the coins will be available at a special discounted price. They can be purchased at http://www.usmint.gov/ or by calling 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).

Editors Note: The US Mint On-line order system is unavailable at this time. A message on the Mint’s website stated: (more…)