Coin News Daily April 14, 2009

By CoinLink on Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Filed Under: Coin News Daily

Is there any gold inside Fort Knox, the world’s most secure vault?
Times Online
It is said to be the most impregnable vault on Earth: built out of granite, sealed behind a 22-tonne door, located on a US military base and watched over day and night by army units with tanks, heavy artillery and Apache helicopter gunships at their disposal. Since its construction in 1937 the treasures locked inside Fort Knox have included the US Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, three volumes of the Gutenberg Bible and Magna Carta. .
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New penny’s slow start in circulation increases value
USA Today
The penny, often picked on for its piddly value, has found some self worth in 2009. The 2009 Lincoln cent — slow to spread into consumers’ pockets — is being sold for big bucks. Single coins have fetched more than $1 each. Fifty-cent rolls have frequently ranged from $2 to more than $50 at online auction websites.
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Sculpting The Digital Dollar
NPR (National Public Radio)
John Mercanti’s title at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia is chief engraver, but it’s a little inaccurate. For one thing, no human at the Mint has actually engraved anything for years. This is a time of transition for the design and sculpture department at the Mint, where centuries-old techniques are slowly — and not always easily — giving way to incredibly sophisticated computer technology.
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The Tale of Two Shows
By Mark Ferguson for COIN VALUES
Big spenders and low-budget collectors alike frequently ask the same question: How is the market doing? The sheer size of the U.S. coin hobby means no single response will cover every segment. Two recent shows illustrate how expectations and knowing what customers want can make all the difference in how the market is perceived.
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Rumors Move Markets
By Patrick A. Heller, Market Update
In the financial markets, quick access to accurate information can often magnify profitable trading opportunities. Often, however, the earliest versions of information cannot be independently verified at all or at least not until the information is available far and wide. I call these rumors. Rumors affect traders in all financial markets more than the general public might like.
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District of Columbia Official First Day Coin Cover Available April 24
US Mint
The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for the District of Columbia Official First Day Coin Cover on April 24, 2009, at noon Eastern Time (ET). Production is limited to 25,000 units. Priced at $14.95 each, the District of Columbia Official First Day Coin Cover features two District of Columbia commemorative quarter-dollar coins, one each bearing the mint mark from the United States Mint facilities at Philadelphia and Denver.
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Pattern Recognition
Heritage Blog
One of the most exotic realms of American numismatics is pattern collecting. In this case, the term “pattern” refers to a coin – most often a mock-up of a proposed design – sometimes in the metal that would be used in actual production (such as a silver dollar being struck in… wait for it… silver), sometimes in a different metal (the same silver dollar design struck in copper).
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Harassment Is Said to Persist at a Mint Branch
Wall Street Journal
Female employees say little has changed three years after the Denver branch of the U.S. Mint agreed to make its work environment less hostile toward women, according to a filing Monday with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
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