The finest known 1907 Ultra High Relief Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle gold coin, insured for $5 million, will be displayed during the first three days of the Santa Clara, California Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo to be conducted November 19 – 22, 2009. The show will be held in the Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Parkway, where free parking is available.

“This magnificent-looking Ultra High Relief is graded PCGS Proof-69, and will be exhibited courtesy of Certified Assets Management of Wilmington, Delaware,” said Ronald J. Gillio, Expo General Chairman.

“This famous coin was designed by renowned sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, at the personal request of President Theodore Roosevelt. It was struck seven times to bring up all the beautiful features in the design. There are less than 20 known surviving examples, and this is the finest. There is no other example certified higher,” said Bob Higgins, President of Certified Assets Management.

More than 500 dealers will be buying and selling rare coins, paper money, stamps, vintage postcards, historical documents and other collectibles during the show. The Cupertino Coin Club will display exhibits, and there will be educational seminars on hobby topics.

Teletrade of Irvine, California will conduct the official auction during the Santa Clara Expo. A gold coin door prize will be awarded each day, and a children’s treasure hunt will be conducted between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 20.

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Award-winning numismatic author Scott Travers and veteran financial journalist Jim Kingsland will present a detailed, three-hour public educational forum about buying and selling gold on Saturday, May 30, 2009, during the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo in the Long Beach, California Convention Center, 100 S. Pine Ave., May 28 to 30.

Visitors to the three-day show will see both the “Gold River Morgan Dollars Set,” ranked number two on the PCGS Set Registry for date set circulation strikes, and see the “Wild West Collection,” a complete set of superb-grade Carson City dollars. A free gold coin door prize will be awarded to a lucky, registered visitor each day.

The seminar, “Gold: Hoping For The Best, Preparing For The Worst,” will be presented from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, May 30, in room 102-C of the Long Beach Convention Center.

“The gold seminar will be jointly conducted by Travers, an acclaimed consumer advocate who is the author of a dozen award-winning numismatic books, and by Kingsland, a respected Fox Business Network editor and long-time Wall Street journalist,” said Ronald J. Gillio, Expo General Chairman.

“With the renewed interest in gold because of the U.S. and world economic situation, this certainly is one of the most important and timely educational seminars we’ve had in the history of the Long Beach Expo.”

“This educational program will provide pertinent and potentially valuable information about the precious metals markets from mining stocks to bullion coins – such as the American Eagle and Canadian Maple Leaf – to gold estate jewelry and ‘scrap’ gold,” explained Travers. (more…)

Collectors Universe, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLCT) announced that Chief Executive Officer Michael Haynes will depart the Company as of April 1, 2009 to pursue other opportunities.

Clint Allen, Chairman of the Board stated, “During his tenure, Michael Haynes directed the turnaround of the Company and was instrumental in strengthening the balance sheet and positioning the Company for long-term profitability. The Company now has substantially improved continuing operations and is prepared for the next phase of success. We are grateful for his years of dedication toward this goal.”

Michael Haynes stated, “Based on a strategy established by the board at the beginning of my term in 2003, Collectors Universe has been transformed to focus on its core competency of grading and authentication of collectibles, with updated operating systems and restructured management. The proven leadership position of these divisions in their markets along with the efficient operating support and favorable balance sheet provides the foundation for long-term profitability.”

Michael McConnell, a member of the Board of Directors of the Company, has been appointed interim Chief Executive Officer.

The Orange County Business Journal also had an article about Mr Haynes departure in which it said…

The move comes a week after investor Shamrock Capital Advisors Inc. pressed Collectors directors to put the company up for sale.

Burbank-based Shamrock Capital believes the company is an attractive acquisition candidate and could be worth twice as much if it were sold, it said in a letter to directors last week.

Collectors directors should abandon the company’s “flawed strategic direction,” said Shamrock, which owns 9% of Collectors shares.

Shamrock invests money for Disney and relatives through an activist value fund.