Unions furious at possible plans to sell off Royal Mint
by Martin Shipton, Western Mail
INDICATIONS that the Government is planning to privatise the Royal Mint have provoked an angry reaction from unions. Buried in the Pre-Budget Report published on Monday was a sentence saying there was an intention to “explore the potential benefits of alternative future models for the Royal Mint”. It is understood the UK Government may put the Royal Mint at Llantrisant up for sale as part of a programme to boost revenue in the wake of the global financial crisis. Other public sector agencies like the Met Office could also be privatised.
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United States Mint Releases Designs for Native American $1 Coin on Native American Heritage Day
US Mint
Today, Native American Heritage Day, the United States Mint is releasing the designs for the new 2009 Native American $1 Coin. Public Law 110-82 directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue the new $1 coin to recognize Native Americans for their contributions to the history and development of our Nation. The new coin, slated to be released into circulation in January 2009, will circulate along with the United States Mint’s Presidential $1 Coins.
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Obama Watch: Collectors Scorn Commemorative Coins
By WILLIAM WEIR | The Hartford Courant
Where there’s a history-making event, there is an entrepreneur looking to cash in. This has proved true once again in the weeks since the election of Barack Obama. Some of the products are pretty well-known: For instance, the big seller of the season is graphic designer Shephard Fairey’s “Hope” poster. If you want to go off the beaten path, though, go to eBay and you have a whole new world of Obama-related products
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Civil war coins sell for £36,000
BBC
Rare coins dating back to the time of Oliver Cromwell and Charles I have fetched nearly £36,000 at auction. The 15 gold and silver coins, minted in the 17th Century during the English Civil War, were built up by a Dorset collector as a financial investment. They had been expected to sell for about £10,000 but went for more than three times at much - £35,933 - at Duke’s auction house in Dorchester.
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Gold retains value, but not price
Financial Times
Gold is traditionally a safe haven for investors when markets are uncertain – which would suggest that the price should be robust in the current climate. But, this week, the gold price was just $815 – lower than it was before the market fallout of September and October. At the end of August it stood at $835.This seems at odds with reports that investors are still flocking to buy the physical metal. Last week, the World Gold Council said that demand for gold bullion was at a record high. Consumers bought 121 per cent more gold coins and bars in the third quarter of this year than they did during the same period in 2007.
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An Open Letter to the President-Elect
Coin Collectors Blog
Dear President-Elect Obama: I know you are busy and have a lot of other issues to deal with, but as a numismatist and blogger on numismatic topics, I am concerned with who you may ask to run the US Mint. In the recent past, the Director of the US Mint has been a political appointment whose experience was not in areas necessary to make the Mint a success.
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