A follow-up to the original Historical Coin Collection (which was sold out), the second Historical Coin Collection is a celebration of Australia’s currency heritage. Individual coins to be released in 2008, include 12 releases, each with a reverse design portraying a coin or token of historic importance.

The 12 Crown-sized reproduction coins (40mm) are each struck by The Perth Mint from 1oz of 99.9% pure silver. Three of the coins are plated in 99.99% pure gold, and three are plated in copper.

The obverse of each coin, which is released as legal tender of the Cook Islands, portrays Raphael Maklouf’s portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II  and includes a wooden velvet-lined presentation case along with a Replica Collection comprising actual size replicas of all 12 historical coins and tokens.

Only 1,500 of these collections will ever be released and you may purchases the complete set from the Perth Mint or sign up for a monthly subscription Plan. Check the Perth Mint web site here for full details. (more…)

The Federal Mint Swiss mint, continues its four-part “Swiss National Park” series of commemorative coins. Last year, the series started with the motif of the ibex. The red deer and the marmot with follow in 2009 and 2010.

The designer of the”Golden Eagle” commemorative coin is scientific illustrator Nik-laus Heeb. He shows the bird of prey just coming in to land – a dynamic and vigorous pose that is rarely seen in pictures. The bimetallic coin made of aluminium-bronze and copper-nickel has a face value of 10 Swiss francs and is available in minting qualities “uncirculated” and “proof” in a presentation case. The new commemorative coin also supplements the Swiss coin sets for 2008 (legal tender).

After the bearded vulture, the golden eagle is the largest domestic bird of prey and one of the most powerful predatory birds in the world. Females are always larger than males: the wingspan of the female is around 220 cm, that of the male around 200 cm. Its talons, the size of a man’s hand with rear claws often exceeding 5 cm in length, are an especially impressive feature. (more…)

This world-class collection of Ancient and World coins will be auctioned by Ira and Larry Goldberg on May 24-28, 2008 at the Crowne Plaza Beverly Hills and on Ebay Live.

Catalogues prices will be $15 US each, $30 International, or $40 US, $60 Int. for the entire set of 3. Catalogues: Ancient Coins, European Coins, and New World Coins (including Africa, Asia, and Oceana). Tentative date for catalogue availability is April 1, 2008. Call 1-800-978-2646 to place your order. (Subscriptions will include this catalogue.)

Because of the intense worldwide interest in this collection, we strongly suggest you make your hotel arrangements and bidding arrangements as soon as possible.

The Millennia Collection is now a featured gallery on the NGC website. Click here to view the gallery.

This gallery presents just a small sampling of the variety and extraordinary rarities that are included. Many predictions suggest that when the Millennia Collection sells, it will become the most valuable collection of world coins ever sold.

Selected examples from the collection formed the raison d’etre for Whitman’s recent award winning Money of the World: Coins That Made History, a gorgeous, full-color coffee table book co-edited by Ira and Larry Goldberg. The National Literary Guild awarded “Best World Coin Book” for 2007. This book presents coins as objects of purpose and importance, as well as having a fascinating history attached to them. The entire Millennia Collection far exceeds the hundred or so coins presented within this book, however; it is with nearly a century’s worth of cumulative collecting effort and skill that this astonishing array of over a thousand numismatic treasures have come to light.