U.S. paper money discriminates against the blind and must be redesigned to help sight-impaired people distinguish among dollar bills, tens, twenties and other amounts, a federal appeals court ruled.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in a 2-1 ruling today, rejected Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson’s contention that changing the bills to differentiate the denominations would be too expensive.

“A large majority of other currency systems have accommodated the visually impaired, and the secretary does not explain why U.S. currency should be any different,” Judge Judith Rogers wrote for the majority. “The financial costs identified by the secretary are not out of line with the costs of other currency changes the secretary has made”, she said.

U.S. District Judge James Robertson in Washington ruled in 2006 that the same-size paper currency violates the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination based on disability. An inability to identify the value of paper money without help from others leaves blind and sight-impaired people at risk of being cheated, he said.

Of 180 countries that issue paper money, only the U.S. prints bills that are identical in size and, until recently, color for all denominations.

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Washington - The United States Mint announced today the selection of Andrew D. Brunhart as its new Deputy Director. Mr. Brunhart will assume his responsibilities beginning May 23, 2008.

“Andy has more than 20 years of experience in senior executive positions,” said United States Mint Director Ed Moy. “His expertise in organizational change will help the United States Mint achieve its strategic goals and become a more results-oriented organization.”

Most recently, Mr. Brunhart served as General Manager of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) in Laurel, Maryland. In that capacity, Mr. Brunhart guided the re-vitalization of the Engineering and Capital Programs and proactively addressed WSSC’s aging infrastructure. During his tenure, WSSC received recognition as one of the “Best Places to Work” in the Greater Washington, D.C. area for three consecutive years.

Mr. Brunhart retired from the U.S. Navy as a Captain following 30 years of service. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Marquette University and a Masters of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois. He also is a graduate of the Advanced Executive Program at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and holds a Certificate in Financial Planning. Mr. Brunhart is a certified professional engineer and a registered financial consultant. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from Walden University. (more…)

By Doug Winter - www.raregoldcoins.com

As the year races towards its half way mark, let’s step back and take a quick overview of what’s happened in the rare gold coin market so far in 2008 and what’s on tap in the coming months.

Last year saw an almost unparalleled upwards spike in gold prices and, as a result, we saw levels for many generics that were hard to imagine. I remember wholesaling some very low end AU Saints at over $1,000 each and thinking “Jeez, this is a lot of money for junky Saints.”

Despite huge increases in commodities in 2008, the gold market has been weaker than what we saw in 2007. My guess is that we’ll see gold continue to hold in the $850-950 range but I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw some price increases as the election draws nearer.

The generic gold market is as weak right now as at any time I can recall. There is a lot of supply on the market and very little demand. There are exceptions to this rule, of course. CAC approved common date Saints in MS65 and better are very easy to sell and smaller denomination issues in MS63 and up have pockets of demand. But it appears to me that generics will stay weak for the immediate future.

The market for very rare United States gold coins has never been better. If you follow the top end of the market, you’ve probably noticed a scenario in which there are very few great coins available and lots of demand. Many of the really great six and seven figure rarities don’t trade at auction and are quietly placed by specialized dealers who have multiple collectors anxiously waiting to buy really great one-of-a-kind coins. (more…)

All right, it isn’t actually a bake sale, but it might as well be. On May 15, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5872, an act “To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the centennial of the Boy Scouts of America, and for other purposes.” The other purposes? The sale of the coins by the Secretary of the Treasury, with a surcharge on each coin sold to “be paid to the National Boy Scouts of America Foundation.” In other words, this is a congressionally mandated fundraiser for the Boy Scouts.

With the act allowing for up to 350,000 of this coin to be issued and fixing the surcharge at $10 per coin, the Boy Scouts could receive as much as $3.5 million from their sale. Never before, in the long history of U.S. government-issued commemorative coins, has this benefit been granted to an organization that promotes religion or discriminates based on religion.

What is a Commemorative Coin and How Does the Program Work?

A 1996 U.S. Mint report titled “Commemorative Coins Could Be More Profitable,” described the issuance of commemorative coins as follows: “Every commemorative coin program is authorized by an act of Congress. Congress authorizes commemorative coins primarily as a means of honoring certain events and individuals and raising funds for the coins’ sponsors. On occasion, the proceeds from commemorative coin sales are applied to the national debt. Commemorative coins are legal tender but are purchased and retained by collectors, rather than used as a circulating medium of exchange.”

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