By Mark Ferguson for COIN VALUES

As rare coin prices in general have risen during this 5-year-old bull market trend we’re still in, prices have differentiated those coins that are solid for a grade or considered premium quality (PQ) from those coins that barely make a grade, or are even considered to be overgraded.

Demand has been unprecedented during this time, leaving the vast majority of coins on the market picked over because they are considered low quality for their grades.

Some collectors, and even some dealers, who are relatively new to the scene have trouble recognizing coins that are solidly graded. However, “old school” collectors and dealers, and those who’ve educated themselves about grading standards, are having a very difficult time finding coins they consider acceptable.

A common belief among dealers and collectors is that over the years, Professional Coin Grading Service and Numismatic Guaranty Corp., which have each been grading coins for more than 20 years, have practiced “gradeflation,” a loosening of grading standards, in order to entice more business (submissions). The belief some hold is that submitters have been receiving higher grades from one service, forcing the other to loosen its standards.  Read Full Story

A new hour-long feature documentary, Augustus Saint-Gaudens: Master of American Sculpture, is being produced by the Trustees of the Saint-Gaudens Memorial with assistance from the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. Paul Sanderson, of Our Town Films, Inc. is the film’s producer and director.

Although millions today see Saint-Gaudens’ work in museums and public places, few know the man behind the art. The film will introduce new audiences to this artist and his work and show how he influenced American cultural life through the art of sculpture and as teacher and supporter of the arts. The documentary will cover Saint-Gaudens life, from his birth in Dublin, Ireland and childhood in New York City, though his rise to prominence in the art world both in Europe and the United States, and his continued legacy as one of the country’s greatest artists.

The film had its first advanced screening on Friday, July 13, 2007, at Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H. Additional advanced screenings and symposia are scheduled at the Smithsonian Institution (September 7), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (September 23), the Philadelphia Museum of Art (September 30), the Art Institute of Chicago (March 8, 2008), and with other locations anticipated. The film will air on New Hampshire Public Television during Spring 2008. (more…)

DALLAS, TEXAS – Former Frito-Lay International CEO and rare-coin supercollector Jim O’Neal is featured on the cover of the premiere issue of Heritage Magazine for the Intelligent Collector.

The quarterly magazine, hitting mailboxes this month, targets readers pursuing the world’s most valuable collectibles, with stories on Hollywood memorabilia (a 1934 “The Black Cat” movie poster that fetched more than $250,000); White House mementos (jewelry being auctioned by former first daughter-in-law Sharon Bush); Civil War collectibles (a sword belonging to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant that sold for $1.67 million); and sports memorabilia (a Lou Gehrig game jersey is expected to sell for up to $400,000).

“The collectibles market is growing at a phenomenal rate, with everything from fine art to comics growing as legitimate investments,” says editorial director Hector Cantu. “We’ll be providing collectors with solid advice, sales information and interviews so they can make smart decisions when it comes to selling and buying the most sought-after collectibles.”
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