Walton Specimen - 1913 Nickel

RALEIGH, N.C. - A legendary coin born of clandestine creation, lost in tragedy and discovered decades later after a worldwide search is returning to North Carolina. A 1913 Liberty Head nickel valued at $3 million will visit the Tar Heel state for the first time since the death of its owner 45 years ago. The coin - one of only five in existence - disappeared when coin collector George Walton died in a 1962 car crash near Middlesex while on the way to a Wilson coin show. Now the American Numismatic Association plans to show the elusive nickel March 16-18 at the National Money Show in Charlotte - one of Walton's hometowns.

"Uncle George eventually wanted to open a museum," said Walton's niece Cheryl Myers, who now co-owns the nickel. "Since that never came about, this gives a good opportunity to show - especially in Charlotte - what the man was about. We're thrilled."

For four decades, the lost nickel confounded those in the numismatic scene. Hobbyists and experts scoured the earth, and some had combed the highways near Middlesex believing it may have been lost during the car crash.

Dallas, TX: A previously unknown die pairing in the 1806 Bust half dollar series has been discovered by Heritage Senior Cataloger Mark Borckardt. This new variety will be known as Overton-130 and is the first recorded combination of two previously known dies: the obverse is the same die found on Overton varieties 123, 124, and 128, while the reverse was previously known only on Overton-115. The new variety has been certified by NGC as VF30 and carries the additional “Discovery Coin” designation. The coin will be available for viewing at the Long Beach Coin Expo, and will be offered by Heritage in their Central States Numismatic Society Signature Auction, scheduled for St. Louis on May 9-12, 2007. Spirited attention from the many specialists in this series is expected for this unique discovery coin.

After searching for such a new variety for more than thirty years, Borckardt discovered the new 1806 variety while attributing half dollars from a consignment received by Leo Frese, the firm’s Executive Vice President. Borckardt reflected: “For any student of early American coinage, the ultimate experience is the discovery of a new die variety. The discovery of any new die variety, regardless of the series, represents a highlight of dedicated numismatic study. That it occurred in a series studied as extensively as the early half dollars is especially exciting.”

The changing face of $1 coins
U.S. Mint officials say they believe consumers are ready this time for an alternative to paper dollars, as well as for another collector's item
This time it's going to work, they swear. A $1 coin is the right piece of change at the right time, said the U.S. government, which will unveil the presidential dollar this week. Other attempts, such as the Eisenhower, Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea, were doomed to fail when $1 coins were deemed obscure or unnecessary. But with inflation, it's become inconvenient to lug around quarters: think parking meters, where one quarter buys about 10 minutes, or laundry machines, where handfuls are required for just two loads. "The timing is much different today than even six years ago," about the time when the Sacagawea golden dollar coins came out, said U.S. Mint Director Edmund Moy. But tell that to Chicago consumers like Derek Duman.

"I prefer as little change as possible," said Duman, 43, who works in sales. "We're becoming a cashless society, so I think it's a waste, personally." While Duman said he liked the idea of presidential coins, he pointed to his cup of Starbucks coffee to make a point. "I just bought this $2 cup with a credit card. I think the coins are cool, but I just don't know how much I'll use them."

New Washington Presidential Dollar

George Washington's birthday celebration will have a golden tinge this year. Millions of new gold-colored dollar coins bearing the first president's likeness are being introduced in time for the festivities. The question is whether people will reject them as they did the two previous $1 coins.

U.S. Mint officials are hoping they have overcome the problems that doomed the Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea dollars. Coin experts are skeptical.

The new $1 coins, the first in a series featuring four presidents a year, were to go into circulation on Thursday, just before next week's President's Day celebrations.

Learning from past mistakes, the Mint is making sure the coins will be widely available so people will not be disappointed when they show up at banks looking for the coins.

Washington at the Grand Central Event.

Coin enthusiasts and casual collectors lined up Thursday morning at Grand Central Terminal in New York for the first opportunity to get the $1 presidential coin - but the new coin's widespread adoption is far from guaranteed. The coin features George Washington and will be followed this year by coins featuring John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Four new coins will be introduced each year featuring presidents in the order they served.

Edmund Moy, Director of the U.S. Mint, compared the program to the popular state quarter series initiated in January 1999. "We have 140 million collectors of the state quarter," said Moy. "The more people collect, the more they will use it."

The last scheduled coin is Gerald Ford in 2016. None of the coins will bear the image of any living former or current President. Coins of deceased former presidents won't be made until two years following the date of death.

Each president will be honored with only one coin regardless of the number of consecutive terms they served. President Grover Cleveland, who served two non-consecutive terms, however, will be featured on two coins.

Canadian Cent

CTV.ca - 02-16-2007

Map Album of Quarters

CecilWhig - 02-16-2007

Prints of Cyprus euro coins

EU Observer - 02-15-2007

Cyrene Coin depicting a silphium plant seed

Slate- 02/14/2007

Delaware Online - 02/16/2007

Congressman Michael Castle has been committed to collectible coins as moneymakers since he had the bright idea for the popular 50-state series of quarters back in 1999. This week he's the man behind the debut of a dollar series from the U.S. Mint depicting deceased U.S. presidents, from George Washington on. Maybe he'll have the golden touch again.

Kiplinger - 02/16/2007

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - President Hugo Chavez announced Thursday that a new currency will be introduced into Venezuela next year in order to combat inflation. Chavez said three zeros will be stripped from the bolivar, and banknotes and coins for the "new bolivar" would enter into circulation in early 2008.

Numismatic News - 02/16/2007

Donald H. Kagin of Tiburon, Calif., announced that he will seek a third term on the American Numismatic Association board of governors. NN0220Kagin.jpgKagin, who followed his father into professional numismatics, said, “Four years ago I made a commitment to my father, family and the numismatic community to devote a full 10 years of service to the association that has been so good to my family and me,” Kagin said.

ICG - 02/14/2007

President’s Day 2007 marks the release date of the Presidential Dollar. These dollars are exciting to collectors of all ages and are unique in many ways. Perhaps most significantly, the mint mark, the date and the two mottos, “In God We Trust” and “E Pluribus Unum”, only appear on the edge of the coin. The position of these edge-incused inscriptions will vary with each coin. This is a break from the conventional positioning of these inscriptions, usually found on the obverse and reverse of the coin.