Perth Mint – New Release

Treasures of Australia is a beautiful series of locket coins celebrating Australia’s abundance of natural riches. This first release contains stunning blue sapphires, which are found in major accumulations in Queensland and New South Wales.

For a limited time only, collectors who purchase this Treasures of Australia gold proof locket coin will automatically receive a pure silver version absolutely free! Offer ends 31 October 2007 or when the full mintage of just 1,000 gold proof locket coins has been taken up.

The 2007-dated coin is struck from 1oz of 99.99% pure gold in proof quality. The design surrounds a transparent half-circle locket containing approximately 1-carat of sapphires. Linked through time with many special properties, including wisdom, loyalty and healing, sapphires are also the birthstone of people born in September.

More Information is available at the Perth Mint Web site 

Photos of amero design created by parody coin designer, Daniel Carr

Pictures of the supposedly designed and coined “Amero” have been making their rounds on the internet lately, causing a stir among those aware of real proposals for a common currency between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It seems as though certain individuals have picked up on this design and propagated the idea that it is a legitimate and official design of the Amero currency to be distributed en masse. Further research reveals that the design comes from a known parody coin designer named Daniel Carr, and is a collectable, fantasy pattern.

Pictures of the coin can be seen on his website by clicking here. According to the website, the coin is to be a “private-issue fantasy pattern.”

“These private-issue fantasy pattern coins will be struck as an annual series (until such time as it is no longer legal to do so), starting in the latter part of 2007.

John Kraljevich is striking out on his own, starting a numismatic business named John Kraljevich Americana and Numismatics.

“As a wide-eyed boy of 11 years, I resolved that by the age of 30 I’d be either the Phillies starting third baseman or an independent professional numismatist,” Kraljevich said, citing Q. David Bowers as a role model and mentor.

Kraljevich’s new firm will be based in New York City and specialize in early American historical items. In particular, he intends to work with Colonial, pre-federal, and early U.S. Mint coins up to the introduction of steam; early American paper money; American historical medals and unusual paper and metallic Americana.