Available in January 2008 from Zyrus Press, Investment Strategies for U.S. Gold Coins, by Jeff Ambio, offers advice on how to successfully and profitably invest in United States gold coins.

Ambio is a well-known numismatic expert and auction cataloger. His professional career spans the nation’s top auction houses: Heritage Auction Galleries, Superior Galleries, Bowers & Merena. Recently, Ambio served as Vice President of Numismatics at Rare Coin Wholesalers. As one of the industry’s most highly trained numismatic scholars, Ambio brings first-hand experience and expertise together to offer exclusive insider tips for the collector and investor - What do I look for? Which coin should I buy next? Is the coin available on the market? How much can I expect to pay? And how do I make the most of my investment?

This book covers regular-issue gold series from 1795 through 1933 and informs the reader on a number of investing strategies, including collecting by type, variety, or rarer issues. The book includes over 150 high-resolution gold coin images, graphs, and vital pricing data. Each chapter begins with a brief history of a gold type, then goes on to describe various tactics or “game plans” to help the investor build his or her collection. (more…)

United States paper money listings have been added to the NumisMaster online pricing and information service powered by Krause Publications.

“All of the photographs and listings found in the Standard Catalog of United States Paper Money are now available online, with quick searches that take you right to what you’re looking for,” said George Cuhaj, paper money market specialist at Krause Publications.

And accessing the price listings online means having the most up-to-date prices at the click of a mouse. Just log on to www.numismaster.com

“The escalation of the currency market creates a need for current pricing and the most accurate information available,” Cuhaj said.

The United States Paper Money Guide includes all non-coin monetary issues of the United states, including large-size, small-size, Fractional Currency, National Bank Notes, error notes, pre-Civil War Treasury notes, Silver and Gold Certificates, Military Payment Certificates, encased postage and postage stamp envelopes. Current market values are listed in up to four grades of preservation. (more…)

By Greg Reynolds for CoinLink

The first CoinFest was held on Oct. 27 & 28 at the Eastern Greenwich (CT) Civic Center. The unique 1870-S half dime was prominently exhibited near the entrance, and is the topic of a separate article that will appear on CoinLink. The show was organized and promoted by Jon Lerner, proprietor of Scarsdale Coin. Laura Sperber is co-owner of CoinFest.

A large number of serious collectors came to the CoinFest, along with hundreds of casual browsers. Lerner declared that “more than 1800 people attended.” Also, there were free numismatic magazines, educational speakers, and a young numismatist program. On the whole, the atmosphere at CoinFest was lively.

The bourse was sold out, and dealers came from far away to offer coins. Don Willis’s Premium Quality Numismatics, for example, is based in Southern California.

Although dealer Robert Riemer is a specialist in Morgan dollars and commemoratives, he found that “early 20th century U.S. gold coins were” his “best sellers at CoinFest.” Indeed, he “sold 90% of the gold coins” that he brought with him. “The Connecticut coast has waited a long time to have a coin show of its own,” Riemer adds, “and it was very well done.” (more…)

After unveiling its own “currency” bearing Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul’s likeness this year, The Liberty Dollar of Evansville, Ind., an “alternative” mint that has tried to print its own money to compete with the U.S. dollar, has now minted coins that advocate an end to the war in Iraq.

The Liberty Dollar made its name minting coins pegged to commodity prices. It has now released the 2008 Peace Dollar, with a face value of 10 Liberty Dollars and containing a half-ounce of pure silver.

The $20 Ron Paul Dollar was minted in support of the Republican presidential candidate, who has ridden a wave of Internet buzz to increased prominence. Also available are $1,000 gold denominations. Read Full Story

The Austrian Mint’s four coin gold series “Vienna Jugendstil” concludes with the issue of the coin “House No. 38 in the Linke Wienzeile” on 7th November, 2007.

The series began in 2004 with a coin for the Vienna “Secession”, the exhibition hall in which the “Jugendstil” school of art had its origins. 2005 saw a work of sacral art, the “Church am Steinhof” with its golden dome. 2006 brought the “Vienna River Gate” to the City Park, a monumental work for public use. The series now is rounded off with an apartment house designed by the great Jugenstil architect Otto Wagner, who even took an apartment for himself in this building on the street bordering the Vienna River, the “Linke Wienzeile”.

The house was built in 1898-99 and is one of the best known examples of the Jugendstil in Vienna. Occupying a corner block, its cream façade decorated in gold is a prominent sight in the Linke Wienzeile. The rounded corner of the house itself is flanked on top by two female half-figures who, with hands raised to their mouths, trumpet out their joy to all Vienna. These figures are the work of the sculptor Othmar Schimkowitz, who also created the angels on Wagner’s Church am Steinhof. The façade is decorated with gold medallions of women’s heads, designed by the great Jugendstil artist Koloman Moser. Wagner had hoped to create a row of Jugenstil houses along the Wienzeile; a dream that was not to be realised. (more…)