Prospectors Find Largest Gold Nugget in 120 Years
Rapid City Journal
A bright yellow glimmer caught Charlie “Digger Chuck” Ward’s eye as he panned. His eyes had fooled him in the past, so he reached in the pan to feel the weight of the clump. Ward handed it to his prospecting partner, Byron Janis, and asked “Is this what I think it is?” The 2-¼ inch by 1-1/2 inch by 1 inch rock was exactly what Ward thought it was: GOLD.
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Coin Find Points to Early Chinese Trade With Africa
Numismaster
At least one coin found in an archaeological context suggests the Vikings may have arrived in North America long before the voyage of Columbus. Now Chinese coins of the Yongle Period of the Ming Dynasty may likewise support oral history that a fleet from China may have arrived in western Africa about 600 years ago. The legendary sunken ships of the Zheng He fleet may not be legendary. The epicenter of this appears to be the village of Mambrui in Malindi, Kenya. There archaeologists have recently uncovered an undisclosed number of Yongle Tongbao Chinese cast cash coins of the Ming Dynasty as well as additional Chinese relics.
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More Scrutiny Finds More Rays
Numismatic News
More extra rays in Liberty’s crown have been found on Presidential dollar coins. In the Aug. 24 issue I took a look at three different Presidential dollars that exhibited interesting clashed die marks that made Liberty’s crown (or tiara if you prefer) appear to have eight rays rather than the normal seven. One was on a 2007-P George Washington, and one of each was on 2007-P and 2007-D Thomas Jefferson Presidential dollars. In every case they also showed other less dramatic clash marks that I did not emphasize as much.
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Bonhams & Butterfields to Offer the J.D. Collection of Saint-Gaudens $10 Eagles
ArtDaily
Bonhams & Butterfields announced the September 20, 2010 auction of Rare Coins, Medals and Banknotes featuring the J.D. Collection of Saint-Gaudens $10 eagle coins. The Collection, which is comprised of approximately 30 highly sought after gold coins, date from 1907 to 1932.Though not a complete set, a majority of the coins from the Collection are in Choice to Gem Uncirculated condition and are graded by the both major numismatic entities, NGC and PCGS. Nearly all of the coins have been off the market for many years, and will be eagerly sought by collectors.
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U.S. Mint Running Out of Silver (And Excuses)
Seeking Alpha
In Title 31 of the US Code, the United States Mint is required by law to supply (see here). In quantities sufficient to meet public demand, one dollar silver bullion coins of specified size, weight, and design. This law is widely referenced, and I have criticized the US Mint in the past when it fails to meet consumer demand because of poor planning, despite the availability of silver. However, there is an incredible amount of confusion about a second law which allegedly states that the US Mint must supply its silver “blanks” from domestic resources.
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Video on European Monetary Unification Released
The E-Sylum
I have the great pleasure to inform you that the 2010 video supporting the European monetary unifications, from Antiquity to modern times (EMU) application for the creation of a European COST network is now on the website. You can find it at www.emu-cost.net/pages/emu_presentation.html
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Top Grade 1886 Indian Heads Tough
Numismatic News
Almost no one pays any attention to the 1886 Indian Head cent. Most would assume that it is one of the common dates to be found, starting with the 1879 and running all the way through the final Indian Head cent in 1909 with the exception of the 1908-S and the 1909-S. That assumption is basically right as in lower circulated grades, the 1886 is relatively available. However, the 1886 is not in the same league with the significant rarities in the upper grades, either.
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Treasured Coins of Ancient Rome Set to Rule Over Collectors
Paul Fraser Collectibles
Wednesday’s sale could see legions of bidders for the rare Roman pieces on show. This week marks a highlight in the auction calendar for collectors of early Greek and Roman coins. That’s because ArtCoins Roma are holding another sale of rare and valuable coins from the era and it’s shaping up to be quite an event.The auction will take place in the Italian capital, with coins from ancient Rome, Greece and even some Celtic pieces up for sale. However, the star lots of the auction are dominated by a collection of very rare Roman coins.
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An Important 1796 Draped Bust
Stack’s
There are several desirable early United States Federal coins in our September 30-October 2 Philadelphia Americana Sale, but one that stands out is the 1796 Draped Bust, Small Eagle quarter graded MS-63 (PCGS). This coin is important as it represents the first year quarter dollars were struck in America, and curiously a mere 6,146 pieces were struck using two different die pairings. This denomination must have been somewhat experimental at the time, as more focus seemed to be put on other denominations during the initial decade at the Mint.
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Few Dare Venture Into Colonial Coins
Numismaster
Collecting Colonials is definitely not for everyone. You have to be willing to accept pieces that are worn, sometimes barely identifiable, not blazing Mint State-70. You have to know that the mintage figure of your prized coins may never be known with exact certainty. You must have an appreciation of history and be willing to do much reading and research on your own. You must not be afraid to go against the crowd. And you have to realize that your prized coins may not appear for sale for months, even years, and you may have to prepare to bid at an auction for a chance at your dream coins.
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Full Band Roosevelt
Coin Values
The market for full bands Roosevelt dimes is one dominated by a handful of specialists who are willing to spend big for the right coin. Numismatic Guaranty Corp. calls circulation-strike Roosevelt dimes with both the upper and lower pair of bands on the torch showing full separation, having a complete and unbroken line dividing the bands, “full torch” (abbreviated as FT), while Professional Coin Grading Service calls them “full bands” (FB). Both services began to recognize the designation in 2003 and the popularity of registry sets has fueled four-figure prices for condition rarities.
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Classic Gold Coin From Queen Anne’s Reign is Priced at £14,000
Paul Fraser Collectibles
A quick scan of the coin markets reveals a great quality numismatic gem that’s worthy of closer attention… This five guineas piece is dated to 1713. British five guinea coins were machine-struck between 1668-1753 in gold, measuring 37 millimeters in diameter and weighing between 41-42 grams. Today the coin is referred to as a “five guinea” piece, but would also have been known as a “five pound” piece when this example was struck.
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Mint Production Drops in August
Numismaster
For the second month in a row, Mint coin production fell in August. However, overall August output of 743.78 million coins was still only 28.3 million lower than the July figure of 772.08 million. June’s output of 918.94 million coins is the Mint’s highest monthly total for calendar year 2010. The decline in output seems to be centered in Denver because normally the outputs of the Mint’s two circulating coin production facilities more closely match. In August, Denver produced 135.74 million fewer coins than Philadelphia.
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Gold-Plated Coin Story Familiar One
Numismatic News
The story is well known among coin collectors. The design on the nickel was changed during 1883. The new Liberty Head design depicted the bust of Liberty on the obverse, with a Roman numeral “V” to identify the denomination value on the reverse. At 6 o’clock on the reverse was the legend “E Pluribus Unum.” Some enterprising individuals allegedly recognized the lack of the word “cents” coupled with a depiction of Liberty rather than a federal shield could cause confusion between the nickel and the $5 gold piece if the nickel were to be gold plated.
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Check Your Wallet For a Rare British Coin
CNN
People in Britain are being urged to check their wallets for some rare loose change that could earn them some serious cash. A batch of 20-pence coins were issued in 2008 without a date, and those coins have now gone up in value for collectors, according to the London Mint Office, a coin marketing company. The company is offering to buy these undated coins for 100 pounds ($154.43) each — 500 times the coin’s value.
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Perth Mint’s Year of the Rabbit Gold and Silver Coins
Coin Update News
The Perth Mint will soon release the 2011 Australian Gold and Silver Lunar Coins featuring the Year of the Rabbit. The Lunar Coin Series II features the twelve animals of China’s ancient lunar calendar. The coins are struck in .999 silver or .9999 gold and available across a wide array of sizes. People born within the date range February 3, 2011 to January 22, 2012 are said to be born within the Year of the Rabbit. Previous years include 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, and 1999.
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Florida Man Steals $9000 Coin, Sells it For $167
TCPalm
A gold coin worth more than $9,000 was stolen from a collectors’ store, but the 18th century Spanish treasure made its way back to the store within a few hours, police said. Christopher William Saunders, 27, of the 3300 block of Third Street, Vero Beach, was charged with grand theft and two counts of dealing in stolen property. Saunders remained Tuesday at the Indian River County Jail in lieu of $20,000 bail. The owner of West Bay Trading Company in the 2000 block of Sixth Avenue told police Saunders walked into the store Friday to sell some coins for a few dollars and presented his driver license.
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