Super-cycle’s Next Stage Is ‘Vertical,’ Say 48 Top AnalystsPHOENIX — Over four dozen experts now agree gold and silver prices must double again in the near future to reach their previous inflation-adjusted 1980 highs, as oil prices did last week, according to GOLD: THE NEXT STAGE, Swiss America Trading Corporation’s 26th anniversary financial journal.Gold prices have rocketed from $650 an ounce to $950 in just the last eight months. A 2008 Reuters global poll of fifty analysts are forecasting gold to surge over 20 percent this year, topping $1,000/oz.”Great values exist today for the educated gold buyer,” says Swiss America CEO Craig R. Smith. “I’m convinced the world will witness a gold price explosion in 2008, propelling the shiny yellow metal vertically into the next and most exciting stage of this long-term bull market.”Rising inflation, here and abroad, may be the next economic volcano to erupt, derailing the Federal Reserve’s desperate attempt to engineer a soft- landing from an impending recession.GOLD: THE NEXT STAGE features the top ten economic issues of 2008 and dozens of forces driving precious metal prices to skyrocket, distilled from 48 top analysts over the past two years. (more…)

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is excited to celebrate the year 2008 by offering the 2008 $2 Single Note. This product features a crisp, uncirculated Series 2003A $2 note with a serial number beginning with “2008xxxxD.” Each 2008 $2 Single Note is protected by a clear, acid-free polymer sleeve, in a commemorative 2008 folder.

The second Federal Reserve Bank designation that will be offered for the 2008 $2 Single Note is New York. Other Bank designations will be made available during calendar year 2008. Total quantity available for this product is 10,000 notes.

This product is limited to 100 units per household during the quantity restriction period from February 25 - March 9, 2008. Order Here

Forget the fragile cherry blossoms and cuddly panda bears. The District has decided to seek a tougher message on its new commemorative quarter: a protest of its lack of full voting rights. The only question is whether the U.S. Mint will go along.

Yesterday, the District submitted three ideas for its quarter, part of a popular program that has produced coins representing each of the 50 states. One would feature the three stars and two bars of the D.C. flag; another would portray Benjamin Banneker, the 18th-century abolitionist who helped survey the city; and another would depict jazz great Duke Ellington, a D.C. native.

Each design would include the inscription “Taxation Without Representation” or “No Taxation Without Representation.” Read Full Story

The second and third in a year-long series of free Professional Numismatists Guild “Share the Knowledge” educational seminars will be conducted in conjunction with the Whitman Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention on February 29, 2008 and at the American Numismatic Association’s National Money Show™ in Phoenix on March 8, 2008. A complimentary light lunch will be available at both programs.

Robert Rhue of Denver, Colorado, a member of the PNG Board of Directors, will present a seminar entitled, “Collecting Coins, Medals and Tokens From the Back of the Redbook,” at Noon on Friday, February 29. The one-hour program will be conducted in room 303 of the Baltimore Convention Center.

“If you want to learn about many interesting areas of numismatics apart from Federal issue coinage, come to this short overview seminar on ‘the back of the Redbook’ (the popular, annual reference, A Guide Book of the United States Coins). Knowledge is king, and knowing more about Territorial coins, Lesher dollars, errors, patterns, Hawaiian coinage and other fun, esoteric areas, might just someday present an opportunity for you that could translate into a pleasant financial reward,” said Rhue.

Internationally known bank note expert, Tom Denly of Boston, also a member of the PNG Board, will present a seminar entitled, “The History of U.S. Paper Money and How to Collect It,” at Noon on Saturday, March 8, at the ANA’s National Money Show in room 102-A of the Phoenix Convention Center West Building. (more…)