U.S. Gold Coin Hoard Found in East London Garden
The E-Sylum
A valuable hoard of American gold coins has been unearthed in an east London garden — one of Britain’s most curious treasure finds. Buried hoards are discovered every so often, but their Anglo-Saxon, Viking or Roman owners were themselves interred long ago. Whoever hid the 80 coins from the 19th and early 20th centuries may be alive. Why they chose the garden of a residential block in Hackney is a mystery.
[ Read Full Article]

US Mint Modifies Bulk Purchase Requirements for Silver Bullion Coins
Silver Coins Today
Requirements to become an Authorized Purchaser for U.S. Mint silver bullion coins have recently been revised. While these changes will be transparent for the average investor who buys the coins for their portfolio or for collectors adding to their collection, they will affect any business firms that are interested in applying to become a purchaser under the program. Since the inception of the American Silver Eagle series in 1986, and recently applicable to the America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins debuting this year, the United States Mint has refrained from selling its silver bullion products directly to the public.
[ Read Full Article]

Find Documents Arabic Coin Trade With Baltic
Numismaster
Coins can be valuable artifacts to the archaeologist when found and studied in their proper context. Since most non-numismatic artifacts are typically found in pieces and few carry dates, names of places or of local rulers, coins fill in a lot of informational gaps. Coins can also help document trade and trade routes, especially when the coins are found in large quantities. This is exactly what happened recently in a field near the German town of Anklam, not far from Germany’s current border with Poland.
[ Read Full Article]

Silver Money for Americans
SilverSeek
I think that my readers will agree that there is a desperate need for some fresh thinking about money in the U.S. Many respected analysts worry that the expected action by the Fed to apply a new bout of QE after the coming elections is fraught with danger. Fiat money in the US is in an advanced stage of decomposition and when money rots, the whole social, economic and political structure of the nation rots with it. A return to sound money is urgent. More and more people are aware of the perilous road ahead if nothing is done.
[ Read Full Article]

Any Undamaged Morgan Reaches $20
Numismatic News
China raised interest rates. Gold reacted negatively and finally sold off. It is now approximately 4 percent down from last week’s report. Silver was down 3 percent and platinum about the same. The markets seem like they may be starting a recovery, which I think is too soon. Bullion level U.S. gold type coins continue to lose some of their premium.
[ Read Full Article]

A Troublesome King’s Collectibles Command Strong Prices at a Spink Auction
Paul Fraser Collectibles
Rare coins, currency and medals related to King Edward VIII sale sold well this week. On Thursday, Spink concluded their Portraits of a Prince sale – a treat for numismatists interested in Edward VIII’s brief reign, which was based on the collection of Joseph S Giordano. We focused on three coin lots and a medal set, the latter being the medals awarded to Jack Crisp.
[ Read Full Article]

One of Peter III’s Last Coins a Sale Highlight in Zurich
Paul Fraser Collectibles
From the year he was declared dead – to his surprise – the rarity stars alongside other Russian coins. An exciting set of sales offering collectible coins, especially gold coins are scheduled for this week in Zurich. Hess Divo is actually offering three sales in quick succession, beginning with a sale of ancient coins, and followed by auctions of gold coins and medals, and of medieval and modern coins and medals in succession.
[ Read Full Article]

1877-CC Had Strikes Against it From Start
Numismaster
The 1877-CC Trade dollar was in theory a coin that should have never seen circulation in the U.S. By 1877, the Trade dollar experiment was failing and as bad as things were, Congress had managed to make them worse. The Trade dollar was basically a coin created to be exported to China, where merchants seemed to only accept large silver coins. The U.S. could certainly do that as it had more silver than it could use.
[ Read Full Article]

1794 Silver Dollar Scotsman Highlight
Coin Values
The auction, offering 1,019 lots of U.S. coins from copper half cents through gold $20 double eagles, brought total prices realized of $1,585,574. The prices realized include the 15 percent buyer’s fee added to the final closing price of each lot won. Of the lots offered, 84.9 percent were reported sold. For more information on the auction, write Scotsman Auction Co., 11262 Olive Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63141, or telephone the firm at (314) 692-2646 or (800) 642-4305. Visit online at www.scoins.com.
[ Read Full Article]

Can’t Avoid Expense With $10 Type
Numismatic News
Most cannot afford even one of the possible collections of $10 gold pieces as there is simply too much gold and too many better if not actually rare dates in the various sets. Even a type collection is out of the reach of many hobbyists. While most of us cannot attempt full collections of gold eagles, a type collection is possible even if it is expensive. Should you decide to undertake it, know that it is a worthwhile exercise as the gold eagle perhaps more than any other gold coin of the United States really shows the changing situation at the Mint as well as the evolving role of gold in commercial activity.
[ Read Full Article]

Generic Gold Premiums Collapsed
PCGS Blog
Generic gold coins, i.e. MS61 to MS64 examples of the most common dates of $2.5, $5 & $10 Liberties and Indians, and $20 Liberites & St. Gaudens, trade on the basis of the premium of their price over their bullion content. This premium can expand and conract due to various factors including buyer demand, dealer inventory levels, and, since a lot generic U.S. gold is imported from Europe each year, the value of the dollar versus gold and the Euro.
[ Read Full Article]

Ireland Honors Past Coinage with a New Series
Coin Update News
With just the right amount of pomp and ceremony, the first ever silver crown coin series to be issued from the Central Bank of Ireland was launched on October 13, 2010. Accompanied by two mounted Policemen of the Irish National Guard at the steps of the Central Bank’s entrance on Dame Street in Dublin, the coin series entitled “The Animals of Irish Coinage” officially went on sale to an eager group of Irish coin enthusiasts.
[ Read Full Article]

Coin Collecting Now a Soap Opera
Numismatic News
As I got the latest word from the U.S. Mint that no decision has been made as to when sales begin for the new 5-ounce, 3-inch diameter America the Beautiful silver bullion coins, I wondered whether we all have become numismatic thrill seekers. Wondering week by week when the new coins will be released has become something like a soap opera. And it is not just this particular set of coins that keeps us on the edge of our chairs.
Much of what we have focused on this year has gone in similar vein.
[ Read Full Article]

Scarcity Premium Swept Away by Bullion
Numismaster
Last month I mentioned anomalies in the coin market because of the distortions created by sharply higher precious metals prices. With gold up over eight percent, silver up almost 19 percent and platinum nearly seven percent, everybody is wondering what to do. Those with big positions are nervous and wondering whether to sell some. Others are playing ostrich with their heads in the sand. Still others feel they missed the boat.
[ Read Full Article]

United States Mint Circulating Coin Bulk Purchase Program
Mint News Blog
Back in June, the United States Mint announced the America the Beautiful Quarters Bulk Purchase Program. Recently, the Mint has added bulk purchase options for Presidential Dollars and Native American Dollars. The America the Beautiful Quarters have been available in bulk bags of 200,000 coins ($50,000 face value). These bulk bags come on steel pallets measuring 41.5 inches long, 27.5 inches wide, and 19.5 inches high, with a weight of 2,615 pounds for the coins and pallet.
[ Read Full Article]

Will the 5 Ounce – 2010 Silver Quarters sell out?
PCGS Blog
These are the largest coins ever struck or issued by the U.S. Mint. The largest coins the Mint had ever struck before these 3 inch America the Beautiful Bullion Silver coins, were the $50 Half Union Patterns struck back in 1877. I placed a Roosevelt Dime next to a regular 2010 America the Beautiful Quarter based off their actual size, so our readers can get an idea on how big the coins really are.
[ Read Full Article]

The Nevada Exhibit at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition
The E-Sylum
I know almost nothing about the overall use of Nevada bullion in the Mints, but I can add some information about some Nevada bullion produced in the Nevada exhibit at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. Here is an excerpt from the draft of my book that may be germane.
[ Read Full Article]