More News at a Glance – August 30, 2010

By CoinLink on Monday, August 30, 2010
Filed Under: Coin News Daily

Pinnacle Rarities Trades Finest Known Walking Liberty Half
Pinnacle Rarities
Pinnacle Rarities is proud to announce the private treaty sale of the finest known 1921-S Walking Liberty half. The coin is graded MS66 and is the single finest graded at PCGS. The 1921-S is by far the rarest Walking Liberty half in the uncirculated grades, and is very elusive in the top gem grades. Most of the early Walkers are tough, especially in gem or better. With the end of WWI, the early twenties saw a decrease in demand for circulating coinage. As such, the mintage figures for 1921 are low.
[ Read Full Article]

Viewpoint: Don’t Reveal Detection Secrets
Numismaster
If you were a football coach would you make your “play book” available to the opposing team? The answer is obviously “no” as that would enable the opposing team to better compete against you. As crazy as the above scenario may seem, that is exactly what the numismatic community is doing each time it makes information available that enables counterfeiters to produce a better product.
[ Read Full Article]

Banknote Signed by Bill Dana Could Bring $5,000
Paul Fraser Collectibles
One lot in Regency Superior’s upcoming October space sale should appeal to space memorabilia collectors, autograph hunters… and perhaps even numismatists. The item in question is a an original “Short Snorter” $1 bill signed by each of the original Mercury Astronauts: Alan Shepard (later a Moonwalker with Apollo 15), Gus Grissom, John Glenn, Scott Carpenter, Wally Schirra, Gordon Cooper and Deke Slayton.
[ Read Full Article]

Ancient Coin Found in Roman-Era Mosaic
The E-Sylum
We’ve had a number of stories about buildings featuring coins as design elements or embedded in floors (or bars). Here’s a story from the U.K. about a recently uncovered Roman mosaic and a coin. It’s unclear from the article though, whether the coin was embedded in the mosaic as part of the design, or was simply lost until found there by archaeologists.
[ Read Full Article]

Amazing What an Old Nickel Can Do
Numismatic News
For bringing back fond memories of my hobby past, I find that nothing beats Jefferson nickels. This isn’t because I love the nickel beyond all other denominations, it is simply a function of being the one denomination that consistently sees older coins in circulation in my experience. I ascribe this to the fact that it is the least changed of the denominations in the eyes of average Americans.
[ Read Full Article]

ANA Auction Tests High End Barber Market
The Rare Coin Market Report
The advanced markets for Barber dimes, quarter dollars and half dollars have usually been the realm of specialists, as many collectors stop after they get what they need for a type set.That quality examples of Barber half dollars are more expensive than Barber quarter dollars or dimes serves as a factor to limit broad interest in the set; although the absence of wallet-busting rarities like the 1901-S Barber quarter dollar makes Barber half dollars a worthy challenge.
[ Read Full Article]