Given the pending release of the new Presidential Golden Dollars, 2007 could be one of the most exciting years for collectors. Others, however, already have resolved to dislike the coins. This will be the third effort by the U.S. Mint to create and promote dollar coins as part of everyday circulating currency. The Sacagawea golden dollar was released with much fanfare in 2000. It came on the heels of the Susan B. Anthony dollar released between 1979 and 1990. The Anthony was reviled because it bore too much resemblance to the standard quarter.

The optimism behind the new presidential dollars rests heavily on the unbridled success of the 50 State Quarter Series. Since their inception in 1999, billions of the quarters have been collected. The Mint has established that more than 130 million people in the U.S. now collect coins, and much of that interest is attributed to the quarters.

Financing collectibles purchases now is easier. In an unprecedented new program offered by Collectors Finance Corporation (CFC), collectors and dealers now can obtain loans on certified rare coins, paper money, stamps, sports collectibles, diamonds and colored gem stones as well as get free, secured storage of the collateral. CFC is a division of Collectors Universe, Inc. of Santa Ana, California (NASDAQ: CLCT).

"CFC can finance new purchases and provide loans against existing items, and we'll pay the storage fees at First State Depository Company of Wilmington, Delaware. It's a combination of services never before available to collectors and dealers," explained Mike Lewis, President of Collectors Finance Corporation. "Usually, a borrower must pay the depository fee to have collateral held during the term of the loan.

Under this unprecedented new program, CFC will pay the fees to First State Depository as the approved custodian for the collateral on loans CFC makes to finance certified collectibles." First State Depository is a private depository company offering a full range of specialized custody, shipping and accounting services to commercial firms and individuals.

An 1858 Hong Kong banknote with a face value of $25 sold for HK$782,000 ($100,145) at a Hong Kong sale of Chinese paper currency, said auctioneer Spink. The final price, including 15 percent buyer's commission, compares with Spink's pre-sale estimate of between HK$650,000 and HK$750,000. The unissued black-and-white banknote by Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London & China is one of about 600 items that fetched more than HK$8 million combined, the London-based auction house said in a statement. Chartered Mercantile changed its name to Mercantile Bank in 1892 and was bought by HSBC Group in 1959.

The most contested item was an 1884 HK$25 note from Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corp., which Spink said is ``almost certainly'' the only example remaining. Before the auction, Spink estimated the note would fetch as much as HK$280,000. It sold for HK$736,000, including commission.

``The prices were surprisingly high,'' said Otto Lam, a 13- year banknote collector who wrote a doctoral thesis on Western banking in 19th-century China and bid in absentia. ``Many people have spare cash because of the strong stock-market performance.''

John Kutasi had the number one finest set of Indian $10 gold coins, “Circulation Strikes (1907-1933)” in the registry of the Professional Coin Grading Service. This set, and other gold coin coins from Kutasi’s collection, all PCGS certified, were auctioned by Heritage in its mammoth FUN auction extravaganza in Orlando, which totaled around $75 million. Kutasi’s collection alone realized $7.79 million. The topic here is Kutasi’s set of Indian eagles, though the collection included Saint Gaudens $20 gold coins as well.

The rarest Indian $10 coin is the 1933. Kutasi had one of only eight that have been PCGS graded MS-65, . Though PCGS has never graded one MS-66, one of the early PCGS MS-65s, the Kruthoffer example, was later graded MS-66 by the Numismatic Guaranty Corp. It is the only one so certified. The Kruthoffer piece was auctioned by Stack’s in October 2004 for $718,750 and is clearly finer than the Kutasi 1933, and could be the finest known.

The holy grail for collectors of historical American medals has been for years the authentic silver Indian peace medal, and no sale of them has been as eagerly anticipated as Stack's part XVI of the John J. Ford, Jr. collection, sold on October 17, 2006, in New York City. Ford (1924-2005), a legendary dealer and collector, had amassed more peace medals than anyone before or since and was one of the great all-time numismatic dealers and collectors. He began in the late 1930's when he was just 15 years old, working for J.B. and Morton Stack. In 1950 he joined Charles Wormser at New Netherlands Coin Co. With the help of Walter Breen, he built it into the premier coin auction house of the 1950's. After he left New Netherlands in 1971, Ford continued as an independent dealer. All who knew him said his knowledge was encyclopedic. His collection has so far encompassed 16 sales at Stack's with perhaps another five to go.

The richness of the collection impressed even seasoned veterans. Paul Bosco, a top New York City numismatist, wrote prior to the sale, "Today I viewed the Ford sale. Hard to believe what was in my hands, all in a single day."

Peace medals were issued to Indian chieftains and warriors by the U.S. beginning in the late 1780's as the government sought peace with the Indians. (Curiously, Stack's tried to dodge the controversy about what to call the recipients—Indians or Native Americans—by subtitling the catalog "Medallic Distinctions Awarded to First Peoples.") The first peace medals were large oval silver plaques engraved by the leading silversmiths of the day.

ANS Dupes

Numismatic News - 1/23/2007

China Olympic Gold

World Coin News - 1/23/2007

Northwest Territorial Mint

eMediaWire - 1/22/2007

Chet Krause

Numismatic News - 1/22/2007

Pre -NYINC Auction

World Coin News - 1/22/2007

Heritage Auction Galleries’ sale of world and ancient coins that ended Jan. 8 in New York City, in conjunction with the New York International Numismatic Convention, realized $5,084,532 for the 3,112 lots offered, although after-auction sales were still ongoing as of the World Coin News deadline and were expected to push the final total even higher

Coin Values - Jan.23, 2007

Some hobbyists, including some collectors and a few dealers, frown on talk about using rare coins as an investment. They believe coins are collectibles to enjoy and are nothing else. However, the fact of the matter is that thousands or even millions of people have reaped handsome profits from rare coins. It can't be denied that their prices change up and down, but historically mostly higher over time. Thus it's normal for collectors to hope that they can sell their collections of coins for more than they paid.

US Mint Press Release - Jan.23, 2007

WASHINGTON – The United States Mint today announced that the 2007 United States Mint 50 State Quarters Proof Set and the 2007 United States Mint 50 State Quarters Silver Proof Set both will be released January 23, 2007, at noon (ET). The 2007 United States Mint 50 State Quarters Proof Set, which is priced at $13.95 this year, compared to $15.95 last year, features proof versions of the commemorative quarter-dollar coins from each state honored this year in the United States Mint’s 50 State Quarters® Program – Montana, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming and Utah.

Coin Values - 1/23/2007

Superior Galleries realized $2,050,569.15 from an offering of more than 700 lots of mostly U.S. coins, with a collection of Cuban coinage, in the firm's Elite Coin Auction Jan. 2 and 3 in Orlando, Fla. Prices include the 15 percent buyer's fee.

The Chosun Ilbo - Jan.22, 2007

Some 200 people waiting for new banknotes spent the night in tents in front of the Bank of Korea for the third consecutive day Sunday. With new W1,000 (US$1=W936) and W10,000 bills debuting Monday, the money fans are queuing to be among the first to get the bills.

Stockton Record - Jan.22, 2007

Funny money is no joke to law enforcement. But several agencies have reported that people have passed or attempted to pass counterfeit bills around San Joaquin County in the past couple of weeks. On Jan. 9, someone tried to pass a fake $20 bill to attendants at the Taco Bell in the 2300 block of North Tracy Boulevard in Tracy. Assistant manager Kajo Fernandez said people try to do so all the time.

Black Enterprise - Jan.22, 2007

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- After months of inquiries and a hotly debated, in-depth position paper by its economic research unit, Blanchard and Company has learned that the International Monetary Fund has adopted a landmark accounting change to the way Central Banks account for their gold loans, giving this sector of the commodities market more transparency than it has ever had, the precious metals market leader announced today.