It seems that I discovered the existence of Die Variety News #11 just in time, because reader Danny Chapman dropped me a line earlier this morning to tell me that Die Variety News #12 has just come out! Die Variety News is a bimonthly variety coin magazine published free of charge in PDF format by variety coin expert Billy Crawford. If you enjoy hunting through pocket change to find rare and valuable coins, you don’t want to miss Billy’s great magazine, which is loaded with photos showing you exactly what to look for.

The lead story in Die Variety News #12 is about the recently discovered 2000-P Lincoln Memorial Cent doubled die obverse which shows an extra section of Lincoln’s beard, rotated about 40 degrees and then offset a ways onto the neck. The doubling can be seen with the naked eye, which makes this variety an important type. Billy provides several photos that will help you find your own specimen in your pocket change (or you can just take the lazy man’s way and buy it on eBay.) Read Full Story

Senator the Hon Nick Sherry, Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law, today joined with former Governor-General Sir William Deane AC KBE, National President of Scouts Australia and Mr John Ravenhall AM, Chief Commissioner of Scouts Australia to launch a new one dollar coin to mark the centenary of scouting in Australia.

“Scouts Australia was founded 100 years ago. We all know just how big a part of our culture the Scouts have become since then, with over 60,000 scouts spread across the country.

“Launching this coin is a perfect way for everyone in Australia to remember the achievements and contributions of the scout movement founded by Lord Baden Powell over the past century. The Government is very happy to recognise this incredible contribution and has declared 2008 the Year of the Scout”, Minister Sherry said.

The Minister, Sir William and Mr Ravenhall were also joined on the Mint Oval by ten young people representing various scouting groups to reveal a giant model of the commemorative coin. (more…)

Feb. 27 (Bloomberg) — Gold rose to records in London and New York and silver gained to a 27-year high as the dollar’s all- time low spurred demand for precious metals as a hedge against inflation. Palladium rose to the highest since 2001.

Gold is up 15 percent this year as a U.S. housing slump and turmoil in credit markets led the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates when commodities were rising to records. The dollar declined on speculation Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke will signal more rate cuts in testimony to Congress today.

“With a weaker dollar, imports become more expensive and that can import inflation into a country,” said Ben Davies, chief executive officer of Hinde Capital Ltd. in London who helps manage the Hinde Gold Fund. “The Fed wants to inflate their way out of the problems of a huge deficit and a banking system that’s at the point of imploding.”

Gold for immediate delivery climbed $10.30, or 1.1 percent, to $958.45 an ounce as of 11:24 a.m. in London after earlier rising to a record $964.99. Read Full Story

Odyssey Marine Exploration Named Sole Custodian for Shipwreck Site

TAMPA, Fla. — Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. (Nasdaq:OMEX) has been named the sole plaintiff in the in rem Admiralty case number 4:05-CV-122-D3 pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina after a U.S. District Judge granted the Joint Motion from Odyssey Marine Exploration and BDJ Discovery Group, LLC for “Substitution of Plaintiff.”

In 2005, BDJ Discovery Group filed the original arrest action against the Unidentified Shipwreck Vessel, its apparel, tackle, appurtenances and cargo located in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean approximately 12 miles off the coast of North Carolina.

BDJ Discovery Group, the company that originally discovered evidence of the site, brought the project to Odyssey in 2007 and an agreement was reached for Odyssey to take over all aspects of the project. BDJ has assigned all of its rights to the artifacts and any wreck from which they originate to Odyssey in return for up to 15% of any proceeds from artifact sales after archaeological excavation, conservation, marketing and certain other expenses.

“As other groups assess the real costs and challenges of shipwreck projects, including archaeological recovery, conservation, legal and marketing expenses, we’re being called more often on projects like these,” commented Greg Stemm, Odyssey CEO. “We have the experience, technical expertise and infrastructure required to effectively handle all aspects of virtually any shipwreck project that comes our way.” (more…)