Massachusetts Historical Society Plans ANA Numismatic Exhibit
The E-Sylum
We’re planning a knock-your-socks off exhibition for the summer with most, if not all, of our unique items and a host of other pieces. John Adams is curating with me, so the full Washington-Webster Comitia set will be on display, along with Vernon material to tie in with the new book. Of course we won’t forget the coin/currency collectors: the NE pieces, 1690 note and 1776 Mass. Pine Tree copper penny will also be displayed. Stay tuned to the A.N.A. website and The Numismatist July issue for more details. Coin World is also working on some informative features.
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Coin Legislation Update
Mint News Blog
Commemorative coin programs are authorized by Congress. The process begins when a bill is introduced in either the House of Representatives or the Senate. In order for the bill to become law, it must be passed in both the House and Senate, and then signed by the President. Under current law, only two commemorative coin programs may be approved for each year. Two programs have already been approved for 2011. Only one program has been approved for each of the years 2012, 2013, and 2014, leaving one slot open for an additional program.
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Could Original EU Currency Be Reissued?
Coin Collector’s Blog
What would happen if these countries did not want to be beholden to the European Central Bank? Countries would have to break from the bank and issue its own currency. There has even been speculation as to the current value of the former EU currencies if they were still in circulation. For numismatists it would add new collectibles to the market. Countries that would re-issue its own currencies would likely demonetize the Euro and force locals to trade in their Euro coins and notes for the re-issued currency. This would make the reverse designs that are country specific instantly collectible as well as the new Drachma, Escudo, Pesta, Franc, Lira, or Deutsche Mark that would be issued in its place.
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Coin Shows Proliferate
Coin Values
If dealers wanted, they could attend a regional- or national-level coin show every weekend of the year. Few dealers want to be on the road that much, so selection is a necessity and shows must prove their usefulness to stay vibrant. In between Central States Numismatic Society’s Milwaukee show and the June Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo, three shows illustrate different aspects of the show circuit. From May 12 to May 14, Professional Coin Grading Service sponsored its Las Vegas Invitational in Nevada. It’s a small coin show, with fewer than 20 tables, although its market impact is potentially much greater as many of the major wholesale “players” and major collectors attend.
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Santa Cruz 1902 $5 Plain Back To Be Auctioned
Numismaster
A scarce 1902 $5 Plain Back from the County First National Bank, Santa Cruz, Calif., charter 9745, Fr. 601, is set to draw attention in Baltimore. Bowers and Merena, official auctioneers for the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo, will offer the note among more than 200 lots of U.S. currency in the fourth session of its sale slated for 2 p.m. on June 19 at the Baltimore Convention Center, One W. Pratt St. The Fine-graded note is one of 23 large-size examples known from this bank and one of seven with this title. This specimen has been off the market for more than 40 years. Also being auctioned will be an 1882 $5 Brown Back from The First National Bank of Muscogee, Okla., Indian Territory, charter 4385, Fr. 471. Graded PMG Fine 12 Net, Internal Tear.
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Feasibility and Transparency of Fees for Online Coin Auctions
Coin Update News
Recently I purchased from a Heritage online auction a 1923 Peace Dollar, MS64, for $26 and two 1921 Morgan Dollars, MS63, for $30 and $24, respectively. That may seem like a bargain. The retail value of those three NGC and PCGS graded silver dollars is about $140, or a savings of $60. However, these “hammer” prices do not include buyer fees. Like many online auctions, Heritage charges a 15% buyer’s fee. Add that to the hammer price and you have the “realized” price, or $12 on an $80 purchase—still a bargain for those silver dollars, or $50 off the retail price. But recently Heritage set the minimum buyer’s fee at $14; so I ended up paying $42 in fees for a whopping 52.5% buyer’s premium. With shipping, my total cost was $129.
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Royal Canadian Mint Dinosaur Collector Coin Series Starts
Royal Canadian Mint
A cousin of T-Rex is on the loose as the Royal Canadian Mint rolls out a new dinosaur collector coin just in time for the Canadian Museum of Nature’s long-awaited re-opening and centennial celebration weekend, from May 22 to May 24, 2010.  The Mint has taken this coin’s life-like motion of its lenticular technology to new heights with a 15-frame animation of a fearsome Daspletosaurus Torosus prowling the Museum’s grounds in downtown Ottawa.  Available to the public since May 3, 2010, this 50-cent brass-plated steel lenticular coin is the first of a series of three coins to be issued in 2010 featuring realistic animations of dinosaurs.  The Mint is looking forward to inaugurating the Museum’s Victoria Day celebrations on May 24, 2010 by presenting the Canadian Museum of Nature with its very own framed Daspletosaurus Torosus coin.
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Action Needed Against Coin Fakes and Reproductions
The E-Sylum
I just received my copy of the Coin World, April 26 edition, and I was proud to be part of the special front page story about the counterfeit display at the Federal Reserve. I read with great interest the complete story about counterfeiting and how our government agencies can react. At the present moment, the counterfeiters are at it again, making $100 Bills which are undermining U.S. currency. It is no different with the counterfeit coins that are now coming from China. They are HURTING those who obtain them and dilute the rarity and desirability of COLLECTIBLES like the coins that they are now falsifying. Yet our government agencies are not enforcing their right to restrict them from coming into our country.
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A Possible Counterfeit 1824/1 Bust Half Dollar With Cuds
JR Newsletter
The coin has what appear to be large rim cuds on both obverse and reverse.  All of the devices are very sharp (unlike a casting), and the piece has the ring of a genuine coin. It does not look like German Silver, (the color is a natural medium gray). Both obverse and reverse dies are an exact match to Overton 101. I have made  photographic overlays of this piece and of a genuine O.101, and the match is identical for both obverse and reverse.  The reverse die cracks that appear on late states of a genuine O.101 near the rim cannot be seen on this piece due to the heavy wear.  To my knowledge, no known genuine 101 has die cracks in the areas of the cuds shown in the picture.  Also, no Capped Halves are known to have rim cuds.
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Million Serial Number Australian Banknotes
Numismaster
Collectors—or dealers—who pay close attention to their bank note holdings can sometimes score a bonus. The facts of the matter are simple. We don’t necessarily know all there is to know about the each and every note and its design, even the most common of modern issues. New information pops out every now and then—usually thanks to a sharp pair of eyes and an inquisitive mind. One example occurred just five years back among Australian issues. Commonwealth of Australia bank notes have a serial prefix and a six-digit serial number. In the bad old days before electronic counting became the norm, notes were printed in batches of 1 million commencing with note 000001. Clearly the serial of the 1 millionth note of each serial prefix used seven and not six digits. As the numbering of note 1000000 was beyond the capability of the six-digit numbering machines in use the numbering was done by hand.
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Historic Mint Reopens
Newburyport News
After a year of intense work, the first phase of the restoration of the historic Jacobs Perkins Printing and Engraving building is complete. The Historical Society of Old Newbury, Cushing House Museum, will be holding a ceremonial ribbon cutting at 1 p.m. to honor the purchase and first phase of restoration of the mint. “It’s been years in the process … it’s actually been decades,” said Jay Williamson, Historical Society of Old Newbury curator. In 2007, the Historical Society of Old Newbury was able to purchase the building from then-owner James Lagoulis using a $200,000 grant from the Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank. The society also received a $184,500 grant through the Community Preservation Act to cover the cost of the restoration.
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Profile of Error Coin Expert Fred Weinberg
Susan Headley, About.com: Coins
Fred Weinberg is easily one of the most well-known people in coin collecting. He is a specialist in error coins, the coins which result from mistakes and mishaps during the coin minting process. Chances are, if you’ve seen a handsome, bearded coin expert on television, it was Fred Weinberg, as he is probably one of the most consulted coin experts in the country. He has appeared on numerous TV news and radio shows, from the major networks to local affiliates, explaining the way the coins are made in his engaging and easy-going fashion. So, who is Fred Weinberg and how did he get to where he is today?
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The Mercator Medal of Drake’s World Circumnavigation
The E-Sylum
From the National Maritime Museum: Medal commemorating Sir Francis Drake’s voyage, 1577-1580. ‘TROPICVS’ type. On a silver plate, on one side the eastern hemisphere and on the other the western, showing the track of Drake’s voyage. Nine examples of this commemorative medallion are known. One of the nine, formerly in the collection of the Earl of Caledon, has a cartouche identifying the maker as Michael Mercator, grandson of the Dutch cartographer, Gerard Mercator the elder. It indicates that the medallion was sold in London in 1589. There is some evidence that they were cast from an engraved original. Drake’s route is indicated by a dotted line with tiny ships. The date of his landing on the Californian coast is given incorrectly as 1580 instead of 1579.
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America the Beautiful Coin Sales Start ‘Underwhelming’
Mint News Blog
The first sales figures are available from the US Mint for the recently released 2010 America the Beautiful Quarters Proof Set. Between the start of sales on May 13 and the reporting date of May 16, sales of 75,558 sets have been recorded. This is somewhat of an underwhelming start for the product. This set contains the first proof coins released for the new 12 year series and represents the first availability for four of the five coin designs for this year. Until this set was released, only one design had been released as a circulating coin. For comparison, the 2010 Presidential Dollar Proof Set had managed to sell 224,426 sets within the first reporting period between February 11 to February 14, 2010.
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Variations in ‘S’ Mintmarks
Numismaster
If you have the chance to examine any major auction catalog of United States coins, you will quickly see that there are several variables that occur with respect to mintmarks. As I’m thinking about this, let me list what you can expect to find. First, mintmarks come in different sizes and shapes (style). Most variation in size occurred on 19th century coins. Later, during periods of conformity, the same style punch was carried over for several years. This can be confirmed by looking at early S-mint Lincoln cents. Mintmarks are found in different locations – sometimes even on the same coin types.
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Coin Company Sues Former Employee Over Confidential Information
The Southeast Texas Record
A coin seller claims it shared top secret and confidential information with an employee for four years, and now that employee is using that knowledge to recruit customers for a competing company. First National Reserve filed a lawsuit May 7 in Jefferson County District Court against Edward Hein and First United Reserve. First National Reserve, a business selling coins to the public and dealers in the United States and Canada, claims it hired Hein on May 12, 2003, as a sales person. As part of his job duties, Hein had to maintain contact with clients, employees and vendors of First National Reserve; had to render qualified and professional services concerning the sale of used and new gold coins, silver coins, platinum coins and other items; and had to use his best efforts to promote the interests of First National Reserve, according to the complaint.
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Rare $5 Casino Chip Offered
Paul Fraser Collectibles
Gambling in Las Vegas has become somewhat subdued in recent times, with many unwilling to risk money they can’t afford to lose. However, one of the industry’s products has looked an increasingly safe bet in recent years: vintage casino chips. Many have increased in worth to hundreds or even thousands of times their face value. For this reason, Heritage is offering a selection of some of the most collectible chips in their historical sale this weekend – a sale which also includes JFK’s briefcase. “A rare 1950’s era $5 denomination chip from the Sands Hotel and Casino is estimated to sell for $30,000 or more,” said Tom Slater, Director of Americana at Heritage. “It’s one of only four known $5 Sands chips depicting a cowgirl leaning on an hourglass, a famous Vegas casino logo.
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