By Andrew Pierce for Telegraph.co.uk

The Queen’s coat of arms is at the heart of the biggest changes to the British currency in 40 years which the Royal Mint will unveil tomorrow.

The designs for the reverse of the coins, from the one pence piece to the pound, have been a closely guarded secret.

But the Telegraph has learnt that the new pound coin features the traditional shield design from the Royal coat of arms.

The lower-denomination coins will feature close-up details of the shield which, when fitted together, show the shield as a whole.

The sovereign’s coat of arms has evolved over many years and reflects the history of the monarchy and country.

In the design the shield shows the Royal emblems of different parts of the United Kingdom: the three lions of England in the first and fourth quarters, the lion of Scotland in the second and the harp of Ireland in the third. Read Full Article in the Telegraph

An online auction of ancient coins will be held in August 2008 to raise funds for ACCG legal initiatives.

An Ancient Coin Collectors Guild benefit auction is currently being organized to raise funds for anticipated legal expenses in opposition to State Department imposed import restrictions on ancient coins. The online sale, closing on August 17, 2008, will be hosted on the Vauction site as a fund raiser for anticipated legal expenses. Individuals wishing to donate coins for this sale may contact Wayne G. Sayles, ACCG Executive Director by telephone at 417-679-2142 or by email at director@accg.us for details. A goal of 150 lots has been established and some exceptional coins have already been pledged. All donations are welcome. Coins of lesser grade or value may be combined into multiple coin lots. All donations should be arranged as early as possible, but not later than June 15, 2008 in order to provide time for proper cataloging and processing.

Arrangements are being made to exhibit the benefit sale lots at the American Numismatic Association convention in Baltimore from July 30th through August 3rd. Specific lot viewing information will be posted on this site and in various announcements prior to the convention. The sale will also be previewed in a special pre-auction viewing section at the Vauction site http://www.vauctions.com with all lots being professionally photographed and cataloged. This is an excellent opportunity for all members and non-member supporters of the ACCG to demonstrate their support for the hobby in a way that is perhaps less taxing than cash donations. (more…)

(Dallas, Texas) – Fifteen $20 Federal Reserve Notes from the infamous 1971 “D. B. Cooper” skyjacking will be offered to the public for the first time in June by Heritage Auction Galleries of Dallas, Texas (www.HA.com). The notes are owned by Brian Ingram, 36, of Mena, Arkansas who was eight years old in 1980 when he found the only ransom money ever discovered from the still-unsolved skyjacking.

“Some of these notes have the initials of investigators who examined the recovered money after Ingram found it along the banks of the Columbia River near Vancouver, Washington in February 1980,” said Steve Ivy, Co-Chairman of Heritage and a long-time paper money collector.

“The serial numbers all match the FBI’s list of $20 bills given to the skyjacker known as ‘D.B. Cooper’ who parachuted from a jetliner with the cash somewhere between Seattle Washington and Reno, Nevada during a rainstorm on November 24, 1971. The 15 pieces consigned by Ingram include two Series 1963-A and four Series 1969 Federal Reserve Notes.”

The D.B. Cooper cash will be offered as part of a big auction of Americana memorabilia in Dallas and online, June 13 and 14. (more…)