Pope John Paul II embraces Mother Teresa on the new 5 oz. pure gold 500 Euro commemorative coin issued by France to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of this beloved Nobel Peace Prize winner. This memorable moment took place on February 2, 1986, during a visit of the Pontiff to the Missionaries of Charities order, in Calcutta.

When the pontiff arrived at the two-storey building in the heart of the city’s slums, he kissed the top of her head and she took him into the home she founded in 1950 called Nirmal Hriday, or Sacred Heart to tend to the needs of those suffering from cancer, tuberculosis or malnutrition. During his visit, the Pope helped the nuns to feed the sick and dying and was visibly moved by what he saw. Mother Teresa, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and was regarded as a living saint, said the Pope’s visit was “the happiest day of my life”.

The obverse quote by Mother Teresa can be translated as: “In our house there is always a bed ready for one more child,” and features Mother Teresa lovingly holding a young boy.

Mother Teresa was of Albanian origin, born Agnesë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910 in India. She founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950, and for over 45 years she ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, while guiding the Missionaries of Charity’s expansion throughout India and then in other countries. At the time of her death, Mother Teresa’s charity was operating 610 missions in 123 countries, including hospices and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis, soup kitchens, children’s and family counseling programs, orphanages, and schools. Six years after her death in 1997, Mother Teresa was beatified by Pope John Paul II and given the title Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.

Each Mother Teresa Centennial coin is 5 troy oz. of .999 fine gold, minted in Proof quality by Monnaie de Paris. Mintage is limited to just 99 pieces. Issue price was $10,950; for the current price and availability contact official United States distributor Panda America at 1-800-472-6327 or visit www.PandaAmerica.com.

The National Inflation Association is pleased to announce the release of its first ever update to its unbiased reviews of the major online sellers of gold and silver bullion. NIA’s ‘Gold and Silver Seller Reviews’ feature was originally launched on January 14th and has become widely recognized in the industry as the premiere spot for precious metals investors to become educated about how online gold and silver coin and bullion dealers are rated in the categories of pricing, selection, shipping/processing, customer experience, and overall.

The online gold and silver seller industry is one of the most rapidly growing in the world today. NIA is dedicated to ensuring that Americans get the most real money for their fiat money when making the most important investment decision of their lives. NIA believes it’s important for Americans to receive their precious metals in a timely manner, as hyperinflation in the U.S. can literally break out overnight due to an unforeseen event taking place in one of our creditor nations.

NIA decided to award Gainesville Coins with our “NIA 2010 Best Bullion Award“.

Gainesville Coins is the highest rated company in our review with prices for precious metals that are the lowest out of all the companies in our review. Gainesville Coins had already earned a perfect 5 stars in all categories in our original review, but they have somehow managed to improve their site by adding precious metal spot prices as well as new “Deals of the Week”, “Featured”, “New Arrivals”, and “Top Sellers” features. NIA members who make a purchase on Gainesville Coins can now receive an automatic $5 discount on their order by applying the following coupon code in their shopping cart: ‘NIAUS’ (NIA does NOT earn any kind of a referral fee).

NIA has added three new companies to its review: Austin Rare Coins, Monarch Precious Metals, and Northwest Territorial Mint. NIA has also updated the reviews of previously reviewed companies. NIA’s next update to its review will be released later this summer. NIA plans to soon implement a new feature that will allow its members to submit new companies for NIA to review. NIA members will also be able to submit complaints about companies that should be avoided.

Only $60 Offered for $10,000 Gold Coin

Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) member-dealers have been assisting the news media in their continuing investigations of several gold-buying companies that move from community to community across the United States. One of the buyers offered only $60 — significantly less than even its bullion melt value — for a 1925-D Indian Head $2.50 gold coin certified NGC MS66 and valued at $10,000 by PNG experts.

” Despite prominent advertising that may proclaim, ‘NO ONE PAYS MORE,’ some traveling gold buyers are offering only pennies on the dollar for rare coins,” said Robert Brueggeman, PNG Executive Director.

“Recent newspaper and television investigations in five states conducted with the assistance of Professional Numismatist Guild member-dealers revealed that some buyers who set up for a few days in a hotel, then move on to another town, sometimes offered as little as three percent of the actual value of certified rare coins they were offered. You may see bigger promises than payouts.”

The initial investigations were conducted by The Examiner newspaper in Beaumont, Texas of several traveling gold buying companies at hotels in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The subsequent stories revealed that “promises of big money weren’t really true, and in many encounters the money offered was nearly a fourth or less of the actual value of the items being presented for sale,” according to Jerry Jordan, the award-winning News Editor of The Examiner.

Based on the results of the investigative reporting, PNG officials issued a brief consumer advisory to the general public.

“Results reported in those stories are not necessarily indicative of all hotel coin buyers across the country, but we encourage people who want to sell gold or silver to prepare in advance: know beforehand what you are selling and get more than one offer, preferably in writing. Consult with local merchants in your community who may not have flashy advertising but who may offer you considerably more money for your coins and jewelry. Members of the Professional Numismatists Guild must adhere to a strict Code of Ethics in the buying and selling of numismatic merchandise, and must refrain from buying at unreasonable prices,” advised Brueggeman.

“If you don’t know coins, you’d better know your coin buyer.”

Jordan discovered some hotel buyers operate under multiple assumed names, have lawsuits filed against them and are targeting areas of the country undergoing economic distress. The investigations also revealed another potential problem for people who want to sell gold jewelry.

“The scales used by some itinerant buyers to weigh gold jewelry may not even be lawfully registered with government agencies. That could result in inaccurate weight measurements to your detriment when you’re selling gold jewelry for its melt value,” said Brueggeman.

During the investigations, PNG member-dealers provided Jordan with gold and silver coins valued at more than $43,000 to offer to traveling gold buying companies, and assisted the newspaper with expert opinions on what their own companies would actually pay for those items. (more…)