By Doug Winter - www.raregoldcoins.com

When the Immovable Object met the Irrestible Force in the Battle of the 1878-CC Half Eagle who won? Read today’s blog to see what happened when two won’t-be-denied collectors jousted over a rare coin and (maybe) failed to do their due diligence.

The 1878-CC half eagle is one of my favorite issues. It is among the scarcest gold coins struck at the Carson City mint. There are an estimated 75 or so known in all grades with the majority in the Fine to Very Fine range. It is clearly a rare date in Extremely Fine and it is very rare in About Uncirculated with probably no more than ten to twelve accurately graded examples currently known. In the higher AU grades it is extremely rare and I know of no more than three or so true AU58’s.

So this means that when a nice example of the 1878-CC half eagle becomes available, it sends off shock waves in the Carson City gold collecting community. This is exactly what happened back in May of 2007 when a really nice PCGS AU58 was offered as Lot 2303 in Heritage’s Platinum Night session of the Central States auction.

After strong floor bidding, the coin in question brought $41,400 to a phone bidder. I can remember sitting in the audience at the time of the sale and thinking, “hmmm…that sure seems like a strong price for an 1878-CC half eagle.” My thinking, at the time, was that the coin was worth around $32,500 to $35,000 and maybe, at a stretch, it might bring as much as $37,500.

A lot has happened in the Carson City gold market since then, it appears. There are now a couple of new collectors who are very strong buyers, especially if a coin is in a PCGS holder and either the finest graded or close to it. This has meant some very strong prices for appropriate coins in the last year or two. (more…)

By Kevin Bogardus for The Hill

American coin collectors and art dealers say a rule under consideration at the State Department could dramatically decrease the importation of goods from China, crippling a booming antiquities market in the United States.

The State Department has not yet imposed any restrictions, but officials are considering requiring shippers to provide documentation of ownership when moving goods from China to the United States. Chinese officials, who asked the State Department for the change in 2004, argue the rule is a way to protect China’s cultural heritage and prevent the trafficking of stolen goods.

Coin collectors and art dealers fear more than a receipt will be required. Instead, they expect to have to track an item’s lineage under the new rule.

That could dramatically scale back what is a growing, multimillion-dollar antiquities trade with Asia and foist an unmanageable amount of paperwork on small-business coin collectors, critics claim.

Without the necessary paperwork, customs inspectors could seize the artifacts.

Read Full Story here

(Fallbrook, California) – The Professional Numismatists Guild will continue its year-long series of PNG Share the Knowledge educational seminars at major numismatic conventions in June and August. Programs will be conducted by PNG member-dealers at the Whitman Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention, June 6; the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money® in Baltimore, August 1 and 2; and at the Whitman Coin and Collectibles Atlanta Expo, August 22, 2008.

A complimentary light lunch will be available for audience members at each seminar. The seminars are free and open to collectors and dealers as a way for some of the hobby’s top experts to share their knowledge.

PNG Immediate Past President Jeff Garrett of Lexington, Kentucky will present a program about “United States Gold Coins and The Smithsonian Collection” at Noon on Friday, June 6, in room 303 of the Baltimore Convention Center.

“While doing research for the book, Encyclopedia of United States Gold Coins, I had the opportunity to study one of the greatest collections of gold coins ever assembled. During my seminar I’ll discuss the history of the collection, the museum and many of the incredible highlights that make the National Numismatic Collection one of the finest in the world,” said Garrett.

Two PNG seminars will be presented at the ANA convention starting with Donald Kagin, Ph.D. of Tiburon, California who will discuss “Pioneer Gold Pattern Coinage” at 11 a.m. Friday, August 1, in room 319 of the Baltimore Convention Center.

“It’s the story of our nation’s first entrepreneurs who created and made impressions from coinage dies primarily in contemplation of making coins from the gold in our country’s first three gold rushes. There were more than 30 different companies, but 11 of them never made gold coins,” Kagin said.

The second PNG seminar at the ANA’s annual summer convention will be presented by PNG President Gary Adkins of Edina, Minnesota, “Collectors Are From Venus, Dealers Are From Mars!,” at Noon, Saturday, August 2, also in room 319 of the Baltimore Convention Center.

Adkins will discuss expectations on both sides of the bourse table when attending a coin show, including preparation before the show; travel and security; show hours and management; dealer and collector etiquette; buying and selling; expectations of the transaction; and enjoying the experiences of a coin show. (more…)

By F. Michael Fazzari, Numismatic News

In this column, I shall try to put an end to some misconceptions about technical coin grading. I have seen some inaccurate postings on numismatic online forums. Then, at a coin show recently, I listened as a dealer explained the difference between technical grading and commercial or market grading to a couple of older gentlemen purchasing some Indian $10 gold coins. It was clear to me that the young dealer had little understanding of technical coin grading or its roots.

So, who needs to know about a grading system that numismatists no longer use? Sit back, read on and you be the judge.

Let me first state that I was very closely involved with the conception, augmentation and refinement of technical coin grading beginning in 1973. My involvement continued up until the time technical grading was gradually replaced by commercial grading standards, beginning in the late 1980s. I’ll make no judgments or complaints here, just an effort to set the record straight in this limited space and provide an insider’s perspective about this chapter of numismatic history.

Read Full Numismater Article Here

The American Numismatic Association will offer a variety of classes, workshops and seminars, catering to all ages and interests, before and during the Baltimore World’s Fair of Money®, July 30 to Aug. 3.

Educational programs begin with a variety of pre-convention seminars on July 28-29, and continue throughout the show.

Technical Series

The Technical Series courses teach hobbyists essential skills that will allow them to evaluate and authenticate coins with confidence. The following two-day courses will be presented from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 28-29:

• Forensic Numismatics: Detecting Counterfeit and Altered U.S. Coins
• Fundamentals of Grading U.S. Coins
Cost for Technical Series seminars is $345 for ANA members; there is a $50 life member discount and a $50 early registration discount (before July 1). Cost is $445 for all others.

Collector Series

Collector Series courses give hobbyists a well-rounded introduction to a specific area of the hobby.

• Advanced Morgan Dollar Study, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 28-29
• Numismatics of Colonial America, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 1
• Overview of Post-Civil War Tokens, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 1
“Advanced Morgan Dollar Study” costs $145 for ANA members. There is a $10 life member discount and a $20 early registration discount (before July 1). Cost for all others is $245.
“Numismatics of Colonial America” and “Overview of Post-Civil War Tokens” each cost $98 for ANA members; there is an additional $10 life member discount and a $10 early registration discount (before July 1). Cost for all others is $198. (more…)