By GLENN COLLINS for the NYT

They didn’t exactly hire two guys with a truck to secretly move one of the world’s largest and most valuable coin collections over the weekend in Manhattan. But they did use five standard-issue moving vans.

No armored-car convoys. No helicopter gunships. No National Guard outriders flourishing automatic weapons. Just sweaty movers, in blue shirts with their names stitched at the front, schlepping 425 plastic packing crates that were filled with treasures trussed in humble bubble wrap and garden-variety vinyl packing tape.

Yes, the New York Police Department provided an escort, but during more than eight hours on Saturday, one of the great hoards of coins and currency on the planet, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, was utterly unalarmed as it was bumped through potholes, squeezed by double-parked cars and slowed by tunnel-bound traffic during the trip to its fortresslike new vault a mile to the north. In the end, the move did not become a caper movie.

“The idea was to make this as inconspicuous as possible,” said Ute Wartenberg Kagan, executive director of the American Numismatic Society. “It had to resemble a totally ordinary office move.”

The collection of 800,000 coins, bank notes, medals, commemorative badges, pins, historic advertising tokens, campaign buttons and other artifacts has been amassed during the 150-year existence of the nonprofit society.

It was transported from the society’s high-security headquarters at 96 Fulton Street, in the former Fidelity and Deposit Company building at the corner of William Street, to its future home, a secure $4 million vault and exhibition space 22 blocks away, on the 11th floor of One Hudson Square, at Varick and Canal Streets.

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by Joseph Bakes/The Star-Ledger

The breadth of the offerings and exhibits at the 33rd Garden State Numismatic Association convention last month in Somerset gave testimony to the broad appeal of coin collecting.

And the efforts of the organizers to involve young collectors was testimony to their enthusiasm for the hobby.

“Coin collecting, even paper money, has to do with the history of our country,” said Bill Horton of Keyport, a past president of both the GSNA and the American Numismatic Association.

And with geography and language, said Dave Bailey of Staten Island, the new president of the GSNA.

“The expression ‘Hold history in your hands’ is certainly true” about coin collecting, said Bailey, a retired history teacher.

While most young collectors start out putting pennies and nickels of various years into slots on cardboard folders, he said that for as little as $3 they could own a coin minted during the Roman Empire. He pointed out a beautiful 1 denarius Roman coin graced by Faustina, the wife of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Dating to the second century A.D., the coin was on sale at the convention for $60.

“I like old,” Bailey said, recalling that he was able to collect pre-Revolutionary War coins as a child “for pennies.” (more…)

COLORADO SPRINGS – Gail Baker, former education director for the American Numismatic Association, has been named chairperson of the ANA Membership Committee, President Barry Stuppler has announced.

Baker, who retired May 31 following a 10-year career with the ANA, will replace Alan Herbert, who is stepping down as chair, but who will continue as a member of the committee.

“I’m very pleased to announce that Gail has agreed to replace Alan as chair,” Stuppler said. “She is an innovator who cares deeply for the Association, and who brings with her very relevant recent experience as an ANA staffer. We are fortunate that she is willing to fill Alan’s shoes.”

Baker was hired as the ANA education director in 1998, and was instrumental in creating a second one-week Summer Seminar session as well as launching Coins in the Classroom. Most recently she was the Association’s national numismatic advocate.

“I’m pleased that the Membership Committee has made strides in moving the Association forward,” Herbert said. “We are reaching out to a younger, more Internet savvy group of members – and I’m very pleased that Gail has been named to continue that effort.” The ANA Membership Committee meets monthly via teleconference. For more information on ANA committees, go to www.money.org, click on the communications drop-down menu and go to committees and minutes.

By: Silver Institute

Unprecedented investor demand has caused a market shortage for American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins, and the Silver Institute has called on the U.S. Mint to take immediate steps to increase production of this popular physical precious metal investment vehicle.

Today, the Silver Institute has written to the Director of the U.S. Mint expressing its concern over published reports that the coins are essentially being rationed to thirteen authorized dealers, reflecting a major kink in the supply chain, thereby making it difficult in many cases for consumers to purchase them. Silver Institute Executive Director Michael DiRienzo said, “It’s clear that the Mint misjudged the strength of the current silver market, and we are encouraging the Mint to take immediate steps to increase its production of these popular investment coins and plan accordingly for the balance of 2008 and for 2009. The trend line is clear, silver investment is on the rise, so the Mint should position itself to take advantage of this market momentum.”

Congressionally authorized American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins provide investors with a convenient and cost-effective way to add physical silver to their investment portfolios. Since their launch in 1986, American Eagles have become a leading silver bullion coin investment product and have produced over 165 million one-ounce coins, with 9.8 million sold in 2007, and already over 7.2 million have been sold in just the first 5 months of 2008.

Understanding that demand for the extremely popular coins is strong, the Silver Institute is urging the Director of the U.S. Mint to consider methods for streamlining the silver Eagles’ production process.

“We are very concerned about interruptions in this market and have requested a meeting with the Mint Director to seek stability for this important silver coinage program,” DiRienzo added.

A copy of the letter from the Silver Institute to the U.S. Mint can be viewed at http://www.silverinstitute.org/news/DirectorMoyMay29.pdf. (more…)

The American Numismatic Association has launched an online version of The Numismatist at www.money.org. Members now can access all current and future magazine issues over the Internet, anytime, anywhere.

The electronic edition replicates the print version using a “flip-page” PDF format. No special software is required.

Every high-resolution page is print-ready. Readers can zoom in for a closer look, search articles for keywords, or use the handy table of contents to go right to items of interest. To introduce members and collectors to the Numismatist:Online, the June issue is available to all directly from the ANA homepage, . Starting with the July issue, access will be granted to members only by logging on to the ANA website, where readers will find the current issue as well as a digital archive (beginning with May 2008).

The online magazine is a free, ANA membership benefit. Readers will continue to receive the print magazine, unless they opt for the digital edition only.

Advertisers can take advantage of the high-powered, digital edition by linking their ads directly to their company websites, enabling collectors to fully explore their goods and services. To learn about digital advertising opportunities, contact ANA Advertising Sales Manager David Truesdell at 719-482-9847 or truesdell@money.org.

To take the cool, new online version of The Numismatist for a spin, simply click on the icon at the bottom of the ANA homepage, www.money.org