Coin News Daily February 25, 2009

By CoinLink on Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Filed Under: Coin News Daily

United States Mint Resumes Shipment of 2009 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle Gold Coins
US Mint
The United States Mint is pleased to announce that it will resume shipping the 2009 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle Gold Coin the week of February 22, 2009. However, because of production problems with the product’s Companion Book, the agency expects some customers to receive only the coin and presentation box at this time.For customers who ordered the 2009 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle Gold Coin between January 22 and February 23, 2009, the United States Mint expects shipment by April 24, 2009. For customers who ordered on February 24, or who place orders after that date (and up until March 24, 2009), the United States Mint expects to ship the coin by May 24, 2009.
[ Read Full Article]

Memo Bans Chinese Coin Import
By David L. Ganz, World Coin News
On the 30th anniversary of entering into diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, the outgoing Bush Administration announced Jan. 14 that it had entered into a memorandum of understanding with the PRC that will make illegal the export from China, or third countries into the U.S., certain cultural properties more than 250 years old. Import restrictions were imposed on specific categories of archaeological material from “The Paleolithic Period Through The Tang Dynasty,” as well as “Monumental Sculpture and Wall Art at Least 250 Years Old.”
[ Read Full Article]

DC celebrates release of Duke Ellington quarter
Associated Press
Jazz musician Duke Ellington has become the first black American to be prominently featured on a U.S. coin in circulation with the release of a quarter honoring the District of Columbia. U.S. Mint and D.C. officials celebrated the release of the coin Tuesday during a ceremony at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. “Like many great Americans who succeed in what they love doing, Duke Ellington was equal parts talent, hard work, passion and perseverance,” U.S. Mint Director Ed Moy said.
[ Read Full Article]

Frenzy over 2009 cents
By Al Doyle for COIN VALUES
Rather than wait for banks to obtain a supply of the first of four commemorative 2009 Lincoln cents, impatient collectors are bidding prices on today’s modest supply to incredible levels. EBay became the source for numerous 50-piece Brilliant Uncirculated rolls shortly after the Feb. 12 ceremony honoring Lincoln’s 200th birthday and a limited release of the new cents. Prices varied widely from lot to lot, but even buyers at the lower end of the spectrum paid dearly for their coins.
[ Read Full Article]

Beware of 2009 Penny Scams!
By Susan Headley – About.com
The new 2009 pennies still aren’t circulating anywhere, judging by the research I conducted yesterday. I called 21 banks around the country Tuesday afternoon, talking mostly to supervisory tellers and assistant bank managers (whoever handles the currency and coinage inventory), in an effort to discover whether any of them have seen the new Log Cabin pennies yet. None of the banking outlets, (which include a mix of national chains, regional credit unions, and local banks) had received the new pennies yet, as far as they knew.
[ Read Full Article]

All 1922-D No D cents are not equal
By Paul Gilkes for Coin World
Lincoln cent production at the Denver Mint in 1922 yielded coins that included a regular strike with full D Mint mark, a weak D Mint mark or the D completely missing.Of the three major die pairs known for the Weak D and No D varieties, the pairing that generates the highest premium is the 1922-D Lincoln, No D, Strong Reverse cent, or the Die Pair 2 issue.
[ Read Full Article]

Muled Medal Confuses the Adams
By Ken Potter, Numismatic News
A beginning collector had the find of his short hobby career when in January he purchased a muled First Spouse bronze medal as part of a four-piece set. Michael Descamps wrote Jan. 31 to say that he purchased a 2007 First Spouse set of bronze medals from eBay in which he later found an Abigail Adams medal with a reverse appropriate to the Louisa Adams medal. Abigail was the wife of our second president, John Adams. The medal honoring her was first released in 2007 within four-piece sets packaged as shown here and as a single medal. Louisa was the wife of our sixth president, John Quincy Adams (who was the son of John Adams), and her medal was released in 2008 in sets or as single medals.
[ Read Full Article]