IRVINE, Calif. – Bowers and Merena Auctions, America’s leading rare coin auction house, announces that it will auction the only 1932-D Washington Quarter graded MS-66 by PCGS in its upcoming Chicago Rarities Sale on April 14, 2008, in Rosemont, Ill.

The 1932-D Washington Quarter, Population 1/0 at PCGS, is part of “The Marquette Yakima Collection of Washington Quarters,” an extraordinary collection that contains a multitude of Registry Set-quality PCGS-certified Washington Quarters, including some Population 1/0. The complete collection will be auctioned in individual lots.

“The entire ‘Marquette Yakima Collection’ is exceptional, but this 1932-D Washington Quarter is truly the best there is, the finest known and an absolutely superb example,” said Steve Deeds, president of Bowers and Merena. “It last sold in 2001, before Registry Sets popularized the collection of the finest examples. I can’t remember the last time I have seen a coin of such magnitude and Bowers and Merena is proud to showcase it as the centerpiece of our Chicago Rarities Sale in April.” Read Full Article

Nearly two dozen $20 denomination notes from the infamous 1971 “D.B. Cooper” skyjacking have been certified by PCGS Currency on behalf of the owner who found them a quarter-century ago.

The bills belong to Brian Ingram, 36, of Mena, Arkansas who was eight years old in 1980 when he found the only ransom cash ever recovered from the infamous skyjacking.

“Even though the notes were damaged from apparently being in the Columbia River for years, we were able to match serial numbers with those on the FBI’s list of the $200,000 in $20 bills the skyjacker had when he jumped from the jetliner. There was even a Series 1963A star note,” said Laura A. Kessler, Vice President of PCGS Currency (www.PCGSCurrency.com) of Newport Beach, California, who headed the certification team. Read Full Story