Coin News Daily June 17, 2009

By CoinLink on Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Filed Under: Coin News Daily

COLLECTING STRATEGIES FOR CLASSIC COMMEMORATIVES
By Pinnacle-Rarities
Between 1892 and 1954, there were 50 different silver commemoratives authorized by Congress: 48 Half Dollars along with a single Quarter and Dollar. Because many of these were issued for multiple years, were struck at the Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco Mints, and were issued with subtle design variations, there are a total of 144 different silver coins that constitute the Classic Silver Commemorative category.
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Time to pinch pennies
By Glenn Ickle – Daily News Tribune
Did you know that the management of the U.S. Mint, which hammers out the coins that pile up on our dressers and fill jars and boxes on our shelves, is proposing the establishment of a Strategic Coin Reserve? I didn’t until I read about it in “Coin World,” a weekly numismatic newspaper.The Strategic Coin Reserve would be made up of coins struck beyond the amount needed to meet current Federal Reserve orders.
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Despite arrests, some local merchants still accepting Liberty Dollars
By Dan Shaw
At one time, Terry Eickhoff had accepted Liberty Dollars at his gun store near Cynthiana, Ind. A poster on his wall had proclaimed him a “Liberty Merchant,” one among a small group of business owners willing to exchange goods and services for silver, gold and copper coins meant as alternatives to U.S. currency. But Eickhoff, whose store is called the Red Ghost Gun Shop, stopped using the “private voluntary bartering system” about five years ago.
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Coin Commentary – Our Opinions on All Things Numismatic
Coin Rarities Online
In our last Coin Commentary (gee, time sure does fly around here) we reprinted a review of the new Whitman Encyclopedia of Colonial and Early American Coins by Wayne Homren. Since then, we’ve read a lot of comments about the book in chatrooms and have heard a lot of people discuss it at shows – and frankly a lot of what we’ve heard has been pretty critical in the following areas:
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Most Valuable Major Mint Error INdian Head cent Struck on a $2.50 Gold Planchet
By Mike Byers – MintErrorNews
Issue 27 of the MNint Error News magazine has just been published by Mike Byers and it contains an article entitled ” Most Valuable Major Mint Error”, a 1900 Indian Head Cent struck on a Gold Quarter Eagle Planchet. This rare and world-famous Gold Indian Cent, which was just authenticated and certified by PCGS as a Gem Mint State 65 with an exceptional pedigree, certainly meets the criteria for being the world’s most valuable mint error. Only 3 or 4 are believed to exist. The earliest known purchase for one of these was the 1900 in the Dewitt Smith collection that was purchased by Virgil Brand in 1908.
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GEORGE FREDERICK KOLBE AUCTION SALE 110 RESULTS
GEORGE FREDERICK KOLBE
Some highlights from the June 11th, 2009, George Frederick Kolbe/Fine Numismatic Books auction follow.
The virtually unobtainable first two issues of Q. David Bowers Rare Coin Review, issued under the Hathaway and Bowers Galleries banner, were estimated at $750 and, after spirited bidding, each brought $3,450 [prices cited include the 15% buyer premium]; the very rare original Frankenhuis catalogue of World War I medals was hotly contested for, selling for $1,265 on a $350 estimate; the first work on Civil War Tokens, published in 1863, sold well at $1,897
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Affordable Barbers
By Tom LaMarre, Coins Magazine
A recent column mentioned some inexpensive Barber dimes and their stories. Here are some more examples for your collection. One of them is the 1892 dime, valued at $5 in Good-4. It was the first Barber dime and was not exactly a hit. “The new coins out from the mint this year have run against various objections based on aesthetic grounds, expecially the dime,” the March 24, 1892, issue of the Olean Democrat said.
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