Coin News Daily – August 18, 2009

By CoinLink on Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Filed Under: Coin News Daily

Brasher Doubloon at the center of lawsuit
LA Times
The Brasher Doubloon is steeped in historic reverence and mystique. It dates to Colonial America and the dawning of the new federal government, when Spanish gold doubloons circulated alongside other foreign gold and silver as part of New World commerce. The coin takes its name from Ephraim Brasher, a respected New York City gold- and silversmith who lived next door to George Washington. In 1787, Brasher began making gold coins, presumably to be used as currency for the soon-to-be-formed republic. Seven of them remain and are sanctified as the first truly American gold coins. That fact, along with their distinctively American design and Brasher’s friendship with Washington, attached a permanent legacy to the coins.
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United States Mint Unveils Designs for New Commemorative Coin Honoring American Disabled Veterans
US Mint
United States Mint Director Ed Moy will unveil designs for the 2010 American Veterans Disabled for Life Silver Dollar on August 22, 2009, at the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) 2009 National Convention in Denver. The ceremony will begin at 8:30 a.m. Mountain Time (MT) at the Sheraton Hotel Denver. The Honorable Erik K. Shinseki, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, will attend the unveiling.
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NGC-Certified Russian Coins Featured in UBS Auction 83
NGC
A select group of NGC-certified coins will appear in the semi-annual UBS sale. UBS Auction 83, to be held in Zurich on September 8-10 2009, features exceptional ancient and world coins including a small group of Russian coins that have been certified by NGC. Among the NGC-certified highlights are a popular commemorative 1841 ‘Wedding’ Rouble and a 1902 Gold 37.5 Rouble – the largest gold coin of the era and one of only 225 minted.
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A Half Disme Memory
by John Dale – Heritage Blog
Back in 2001, at the World’s Fair of Money held that year in Atlanta, Georgia, I was the 16-year-old headliner on one of the five teams participating in the year’s World Series of Numismatics, grown-up edition. (There was also a Young Numismatists edition, but I’d signed up for the adult version first, and that was where I stayed.) My goal going in was not to embarrass myself, and at the time, I didn’t; by getting third place out of five teams, at a minimum I acquitted myself. As for not embarrassing myself now – not so much.
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Having a Great Attitude Pays Off in the Coin Market
PCGS
Some of the best things about coins are the stories behind them, and the stories about the individuals who owned or sold the coins. Recently I was told a true-life story I thought was wonderful. It’s about a long-time coin dealer who goes out of his way to make his customer happy. Years ago, there was a collector at a local Long Beach coin show who was going around and purchasing coins from several dealers at that show. In reality, he was a wealthy collector who was actually testing the dealers to see who he would like to do business with.
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The Story of the Phantom Banks of 1893
By Peter Huntoon, Bank Note Reporter
Bob Hearn and Bob Kotcher, both serious New Jersey National Bank Note aficionados, made a pilgrimage to the Smithsonian to study the New Jersey proofs in March 2001. They thought they had found a sorting error when they came upon a Series of 1882 Brown Back proof on The First National Bank of Perth Amboy. It was mixed in among the New Jersey proofs in the 4000 charter number range, and both knew the bank was charter 5215.
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