Highlights Include Exceptional 1870-S Seated Liberty Silver Dollar and Special Session of
World Coins Featuring the “Carl F. Chirico Jr. Collection of World Pattern Coins”

IRVINE, Calif. – Bowers and Merena Auctions, America’s leading rare coin auction house, continues as Official Auctioneer of the Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention in 2008, with the next auction scheduled for February 27 to March 2, 2008, at the Baltimore Convention Center. This is the first of three Baltimore auctions by Bowers and Merena in 2008, continuing their longstanding and ongoing association with the convention.

There is a long list of highlights offered in the 3,220-lot auction, most notably a very rare 1870-S Seated Liberty Silver Dollar, certified VF 25 by PCGS and considered to be one of the greatest American coin rarities. This particular coin, known as The Farouk-Schultz Specimen, enjoys a prestigious pedigree and auction history including the 1935 Norman Schultz Auction and Sotheby’s 1954 sale of the King Farouk collection, “The Palace Collections of Egypt” auction. (more…)

by Greg Reynolds for CoinLink

Of course, in Orlando, mainstream U.S. coins received more bids and attention than unusual numismatic items. After all, the Winter FUN Convention bourse, the official Heritage auction, and the pre-convention auctions altogether amount to the premier event of the year for high quality U.S. coins. Nevertheless, it is worth noting, and curious, that very unusual items realized high prices and generated much conversation this year. These items are well outside the paths that U.S. coin collectors tend to follow.

As I just wrote an article about it, I will not here discuss the Madison Collection’s 1792 ‘fusible alloy’ cent pattern, which is certainly cool and unusual. It sold, during Heritage’s Platinum Night event of Jan. 10, for $603,750.

The Proof 1876-CC dime is also something cool and unusual that will not be explained here. It may be the only Proof Carson City Mint dime. Please see my pre-auction article about this 1876-CC dime. At the Superior Auction in Orlando, on Jan. 5, a central New Jersey dealer was the successful bidder. He later sold a half interest in this dime to Rare Coin Wholesalers. It realized an impressive $178,250. (more…)

An old coin was discovered between floor panels in a building from 1840 in Djúpivogur, southeast Iceland, currently under renovation. It has a picture of a lion hanging from an ax, which is Norway’s coat of arms, and dates back to 1653.

“It was made in Kongsberg in Norway out of Norwegian silver,” numismatist Anton Holt told Morgunbladid. “Every coin found in Iceland is significant because we didn’t have any coins ourselves.” (more…)

WASHINGTON - The 2008 United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin Proof SetTM will be available at 12:00 noon (ET) today. The set, priced at $14.95, contains the coins for 2008 in the Presidential $1 Coin Program and honors James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren.

The Presidential $1 Coin Program, launched in 2007, pays tribute to the Presidents of the United States in the order in which they served. The multi-year program, authorized by the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005, features four new obverse designs annually. (more…)