Coin News for February 8, 2010

By Tim Shuck on Monday, February 8, 2010
Filed Under: Coin News Daily

1864 Medal for Black Civil War Troops
Numismatic News
Although the United States military has awarded special medals for bravery, notably the Medal of Honor, in the 19th century there was only one medal struck as an award to a body of troops for a particular battle. This was the highly sought-after 1864 “Colored Troops before Richmond” medal, which is an extraordinary reminder of the Civil War and the bravery of black troops in the Union Army.
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Iraq Planning Currency Redenomination
Radio Free Europe
The Iraqi Central Bank is planning to redenominate the national currency in an effort to ease transactions and allow people to carry less paper money, RFE/RL’s Radio Free Iraq (RFI) reports. Mudhhir Muhammad Salih, a member of a Central Bank advisory panel, told RFI that a plan has been made to remove three zeros from the currency and phase out the current banknotes late this year.
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Rounding Without Cents
Dave Harper’s Buzz
I conducted an experiment in rounding on Friday. I didn’t realize I was doing it until I was nearly done. Rounding is a concept that is pertinent to numismatics because it is the suggested remedy to abolishing the cent. Cash transactions that end with one or two cents get rounded down to arrive at the final total. Cash transactions that total three or four cents get rounded up to the next nickel amount.
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Coin Values Market Analysis
Coin World Coin Values
A 1907 Saint-Gaudens, High Relief gold $20 double eagle graded Proof 68 by Numismatic Guaranty Corp. realized $230,000. Unlike NGC, Professional Coin Grading Service does not recognize this particular issue as a Proof, and recently some NGC Proof 1907 High Relief double eagles have remained unsold when offered at auction.
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2010 Lincoln Cent Launch
U.S. Mint
The public and media are invited to the official launch ceremony for the Nation’s new Lincoln “Preservation of the Union” One-Cent Coin, which features a redesigned reverse that will appear on one-cent coins from this year forward. The coin’s reverse design is emblematic of President Lincoln’s preservation of the United States of America as a single and united country. The event will take place at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum on Thursday, February 11, at 9:30 a.m. Central Time (CT). Children 18 years and younger will receive a new 2010 Lincoln “Preservation of the Union” One-Cent Coin to commemorate the event.
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Poland Issues Notes for the 200th Anniversary of Chopin
National Bank of Poland
The National Bank of Poland will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of an eminent Polish composer and pianist Frédéric Chopin by issuing a collector note with the face value of 20 z?oty. The note will be issued at the turn of February and March 2010. It will be sold solely at an internet auction in the Kolekcjoner service. Participation in the auction requires prior registration of an account in the Kolekcjoner internet service. Detailed information on the NBP auction portal can be found at the website www.kolekcjoner.nbp.pl
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About the Author

Tim Shuck is a life-long Midwestern resident, and started collecting coins after finding an Indian Head cent on the ground at his childhood farm home. Additional encouragement came from looking through a collection of well-worn late 19th and early 20th century coins kept by his grandfather in an old leather coin purse. Current collecting interests include U.S. types from the Civil War era through the early 1930's, and Colonial and Early American coins.