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ANA (American Numismatic Association) Board of Governors 2013-15 Election Center

May 21, 2013 in ANA (American Numismatic Asociation), Clubs and Associations, Collecting, News, Numismatic Societies and Clubs, Numismatica, Numismatics

Link to Election Center Website

The Ballot (Links to candidate statements)

 

 

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Australian scientist plans to reveal, rewrite history behind ancient coins discovery

May 20, 2013 in Ancient Coins, Anthropology, Antique Coins, Archaeology, Australian Coins, Coins, History, News, Numismatica, Numismatics, Rare Coins, World Coins

ANI  |  Washington  May 19, 2013 (http://www.business-standard.com)

An Australian scientist is planning an expedition to the Wessel islands in July and will revisit the location where five coins and an old map might reveal findings recreating Australia’s history.

Professor of Anthropology at Indiana University in US Ian McIntosh plans to open up possibilities that the 1000-year-old coins may prove that explorers from distant countries might have landed in Australian shores much earlier than James Cook declared it ‘terra nullius’ and claimed it for the British throne in, The Age reports.

McIntosh and his team of Australian and American historians, archaeologists, geomorphologists and Aboriginal rangers say that the five African coins date back to the 900s to 1300s and are from the former Kilwa sultanate, now a World Heritage ruin on an island off Tanzania.

Australian soldier Maurie Isenberg had discovered a handful of coins in the sand during his stay at one of the islands and in 1979 he rediscovered his ‘treasure’ and found out from a museum that the coins proved to be 1000 years old. He marked an old map with an ‘X’ to remember where he had found them.

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Sales of the 2013 American Buffalo Gold Proof Coin Open May 23

May 20, 2013 in American Buffalo, Coins, Collecting, Commemorative, Gold, Gold Coins, News, Numismatica, Numismatics, Precious Metals, Proof Coins, US Mint, USA Coins

From UsMint.gov Press release

WASHINGTON - The United States Mint will open sales for the 2013 American Buffalo Gold Proof Coin on May 23, at noon Eastern Time (ET).  Pricing for the .9999 fine, 24-karat gold coin will be based on the bureau’s pricing policy for numismatic products containing precious metals located at http://catalog.usmint.gov/wcsstore/ConsumerDirect/images/catalog/en_US/PMPricingGrid.pdf

The designs featured on the obverse (heads side) and reverse (tails side) of the American Buffalo Gold Proof Coin are based on James Earle Fraser’s original 1913 Type I Buffalo nickel.  The obverse depicts the profile of a Native American, with the inscriptions LIBERTY, 2013, the initial “F” for Fraser, and the “W” mint mark for the United States Mint at West Point.  The reverse depicts the revered American Buffalo – also known as the bison – with the inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, IN GOD WE TRUST, $50, 1OZ., and .9999 FINE GOLD.

Each American Buffalo Gold Proof Coin is presented in an elegant hardwood box with a matte finish.  The coin is exhibited on a platform that can be positioned at an angle for display when the box is open.  A Certificate of Authenticity is included.

The United States Mint accepts orders at http://www.usmint.gov/catalog and at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).  Hearing- and speech-impaired customers with TTY equipment may order by calling 1-888-321-MINT (6468).  A shipping and handling fee of $4.95 will be added to all domestic orders.  There are no mintage or household order limits for this product.

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Rare trove of Viking coins discovered by amateurs

May 17, 2013 in Ancient Coins, Antique Coins, Archaeology, Coins, Collecting, Danish Coins, History, Numismatica, Numismatics, Treasure, Viking Coins, World Coins

PS May 17, 2013 (http://cphpost.dk) The Copenhagen Post

Thousand-year-old coins from the age of Harald Bluetooth were found in a field by three young men using metal detectors

A trove of 200 Viking coins that was uncovered in a field in North Jutland is considered to be one of the most significant archaeological discovery in decades.

A team of three amateur archaeologists, the youngest just 16 years old, found the silver coins using metal detectors last September in a field near the northern Jutland town of Strandby.

The coins date back to around the year 990 under the rein of Harald Bluetooth and include rare ‘korsmønter’, crossed coins, that are considered to be Denmark’s first national coin.

“Korsmønter aren’t something that are found every day and the enormous quantity is also exceptional,” Sidsel Wåhlin from Vendsyssel Historisk Museum told Radio24syv. “We have never uncovered such a large find from the period in northern Jutland.”

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Why The Federal Government Is Going After Bitcoin, But Amazon Coins Are Safe

May 16, 2013 in Bitcoin, Currency, Investing, Virtual currency

By Alyssa Rosenberg on May 15, 2013 (http://thinkprogress.org)

Amazon Coins

Amazon Coins

Bitcoin

Bitcoin

As Washington Post tech blogger Tim Lee reported this morning, the federal government has moved to shut down—or at least restrict—the online currency Bitcoin. The Department of Homeland Security and US District Court for the District ordered a seizure of the funds in Dwolla account owned by the currency exchange Mt. Gox, and Dwolla has stopped processing payments into and out of the account, making it impossible to buy and sell Bitcoins.

As Lee explained:

For years, Bitcoin supporters have touted the currency’s potential to resist government surveillance and censorship. They point to the example of Wikileaks, the whistleblower Web site whose access to funds dried up after the federal government applied informal pressure to intermediaries such as PayPal to cut off payments. The Bitcoin network is fully decentralized, so there is no one with the ability to monitor the network and block illicit transactions. If Wikileaks had funded itself through the Bitcoin network, the government wouldn’t have had such an easy time freezing its funds.

That’s a feature for people concerned with press freedom, but it looks more like a bug for government officials charged with enforcing the nation’s drug, gambling, counter-terrorism, and money laundering laws. The government relies heavily on financial institutions to help them monitor their customers’ financial activities and flag or block potentially illegal transactions. The lack of intermediaries makes Bitcoin an attractive technology for those who want to evade government scrutiny. It was only a matter of time before authorities started to give the technology some unwelcome attention.

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Coins tell a story

May 16, 2013 in Coins, History, Nickel Coins, Pennies, USA Coins

Posted by Compmanager on May 15, 2013 (http://www.tuscolatoday.com)
May is a rather difficult month for me for several reasons.

First off, I was born in May. As the years have passed, celebrating that day isn’t as much fun as it used to be. A bigger breath is needed to blow out all of the candles before the fire department is called to attend the blaze.

Chuck, my oldest son was born in May, and he was also killed shortly after his 28th birthday while serving in Iraq. Then, there is Memorial Day to honor fallen soldiers.

While I’ve always had a great respect for those who serve their country, it wasn’t until my son was killed that the meaning of Memorial Day really hit home.

Over the last eight years I’ve visited Chuck’s grave several times and noticed a variety of coins on his headstone and on the graves of other soldiers. I never really thought about it much or that it had a special meaning.

A few months ago a letter was sent to me explaining the meaning of the coins left on a soldier’s grave who gave their life while serving in Armed Forces.

A coin left on a headstone or at the gravesite is meant as a message to the deceased soldier’s family that someone had visited the grave to pay respect.

Each coin left has a distinct meaning depending on the denomination of coin: Leaving a penny at the grave means simply that someone visited.

Leaving a nickel indicates that the visitor and the deceased trained at boot camp together, while a dime means the visitor served with the soldier in some capacity.

A quarter left at the grave tells the family the visitor was with the soldier when he was killed.

According to tradition, the money left is left at graves in national cemeteries and state veterans cemeteries is eventually collected, and the funds are put toward maintaining the cemetery or paying burial costs for indigent veterans.

According to the letter, leaving a coin became common during the Vietnam War because of the political controversy in the country over the war. Leaving a coin was seen as a practical way to communicate that a person had visited the grave rather than contacting the soldier’s family, which could become uncomfortable argument over politics relating to the war.

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The Rise and Fall of Anonymous Bitcoins

May 16, 2013 in Bitcoin, Currency, Digital Currency, Investing, Money, News, Virtual currency

Bitcoins have been embraced as real money by the Treasury. But can they survive legitimacy?

By Richard Satran May 14, 2013 (http://money.usnews.com)

Is there a bitcoin in your future?

It’s the digital currency that claims to be completely anonymous, non-inflationary and more secure than Fort Knox. Its largest backer, Bitcoin Foundation, says the virtual money “cannot be manipulated by any government, bank, organization or individual.”

Many have been expecting the government to crack down on the currency because it has been used for illegal activities ranging from drug purchases and money laundering to avoiding sanctions in Iran.

Instead, the U.S. government has embraced it by recognizing bitcoins as a currency and saying it would not halt their use in e-commerce. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, says virtual currency has the status of real money and should be regulated as such. The Bitcoin Foundation calls the FinCEN ruling a “positive first step toward regulatory acceptance.”

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Amazon launches its own virtual currency called Coins and gives ‘tens of millions’ away for free to US Kindle owners

May 15, 2013 in Digital Currency, News, Virtual currency

Amazon Coins

Amazon Coins

  • One Amazon Coin is worth one US penny
  • Coins can be bought in batches of 1000 and Kindle Users have been given 500 Coins for free
  • Plans to launch Coins in the UK and for non-Kindle users have not yet been announced
By Victoria Woollaston 14 May 2013 (http://www.dailymail.co.uk)

Amazon has launched its own currency called Amazon Coins.

It’s currently only available in the States for Kindle Fire owners, but the Coins can be used to pay for games, apps and in-app purchases from the Amazon Appstore. 

One Amazon Coin is worth one US penny, and Kindle Fire owners are getting 500 Coins ($5) for free as part of the launch.

The Coins will also be able to be used on the company’s retail site when they become more widely available.

Amazon has not yet confirmed when the scheme will be launched outside of the US, or if it will be available to non-Kindle users.

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New York Mint Introduces The Perth Mint Gold Koala Proof

May 14, 2013 in Australian Coins, Coins, Collecting, Gold, Gold Coins, Numismatica, Numismatics, Precious Metals, Proof Coins, World Coins

New York Mint Announces U.S. Exclusive 2013 High Relief 2 oz. Gold Koala Proof

Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) May 13, 2013

New York Mint®, a leading source and direct marketer of high-value collectible coins, is The Perth Mint’s exclusive U.S. distributor for the 2013 2 oz. High Relief Gold Koala Proof set in 99.99% gold weighing in at 62.215 grams. The Perth Mint, the leader in creating high relief coin products, has designated New York Mint as the exclusive distributor for the High Relief 2 oz. Gold Koala Proof since the coin’s first release in 2008. The Gold Koala was first introduced in 2008 in response to overwhelming collector desire for an Australian gold coin series depicting the Mint’s popular Koala design theme. The demand for the 2 oz. Gold Koala High Relief Proof has remained strong – each of the releases from 2008 to present time has sold out at The Perth Mint!

The 2013 2 oz. High Relief Gold Koala will have a mintage of only 250 of which 200 are being sold by New York Mint to U.S. coin collectors. New York Mint sent its 200 Gold Koalas directly to one the top grading services, Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and the coins were encapsulated and certified perfect Proof 70 (PF70), Proof 69 (PF 69) and Gem Proof. This legal tender coin includes a Koala on the branch of a Eucalyptus tree on the reverse and on the obverse, adorns Queen Elizabeth II with the $200 Australian denomination. The 2 oz. High Relief Gold Koala Proof includes a Perth Mint numbered certificate of authenticity.

New York Mint and The Perth Mint have been working together since 1995 to secure The Perth Mint’s most renowned coin pieces for New York Mint customers. “It is a distinct honor to be the exclusive U.S. distributor of the 2 oz. High Relief Gold Koala coin by The Perth Mint again in 2013. The Koala product is one of the most admired and celebrated numismatic coins in the world, and it is a privilege to offer this exclusive product to New York Mint customers,” said New York Mint President Bill Gale. New York Mint and The Perth Mint are continuing to work together on future Perth Mint product releases in 2013 and beyond.

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Theodore Roosevelt and the Renaissance of American Coinage

May 14, 2013 in Coins, Collecting, Commemorative, Design, Education, Gold, Gold Coins, History, Numismatica, Numismatics, USA Coins

May 13, 2013 (http://www.kirotv.com)

Theodore Roosevelt Presidential 1 Dollar Coin (2013)

Theodore Roosevelt Presidential 1 Dollar Coin (2013)

Back in December 1904, three years after he took office, Theodore Roosevelt sent a famous letter to Treasury Secretary Leslie Shaw that ushered in a new age of American coinage.

Here’s what he said:

 I think our coinage is artistically of atrocious hideousness. Would it be possible, without asking permission of Congress, to employ a man like Saint-Gaudens to give us a coinage that would have some beauty?

Roosevelt’s strong words are not surprising coming from a man of great passion and conviction who rarely did anything by half measure. The Saint-Gaudens referred to in the letter is, of course, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, a Roosevelt family friend who would go on to design the $10 and $20 gold pieces that are still beloved by collectors today.

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From Legend Numismatics

May 13, 2013 in Coin Shows, Coins, Collecting, Market Report, News, Numismatica, Numismatics

A new Market Report and Hot Topics from Legend Numismatics are posted

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Aruba Coins Celebrate Accession of King Willem-Alexander

May 13, 2013 in Coins, Collecting, Commemorative, Gold, Gold Coins, Numismatica, Numismatics, Precious Metals, Proof Coins, Silver, Silver Coins, World Coins

May 10, 2013 By Michael Alexander (http://news.coinupdate.com)

The Centrale Bank van Aruba have launched  two new coins which celebrate the accession of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander who assumed the title of King on the 30th April. The Prince of Orange became both the Dutch and Aruban head of state upon the official abdication of his mother Queen Beatrix on that day. Willem-Alexander became Aruba’s second head of state as an independent nation which was attained in 1986.

The two coins, one gold and one silver, are struck at the Royal Dutch Mint and have denominations of 10 and 5 Florin respectively. The two coins share the same design on obverse with the new King facing towards the right in contrast to the former Queen facing to the left as is Dutch tradition with the portraits on coinage.

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Gold Rate on Akshay Tritiya: Gold Rates in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore

May 13, 2013 in Gold, Gold Bullion, Gold Coins, Investing, Precious Metals, World Coins

May 13th, 2013 by Rakesh (http://www.aegindia.org)

Mumbai: Akshay Tritiya has become one of the prominent festivals for Indians.  Indians believe that purchasing gold on this day is very auspicious and it grows multifold.  Special Pooja is performed for Goddess Lakshmi on this day.  This is one of the two auspicious days in the year to purchase gold.  The other is Dhanteras which falls in November month.

Every year jewelers gear up for the festival in advance.  Even banks sell pure gold coins and bars.  Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange also extend their trading hours to sell goldexchange traded funds.  The price of gold was steadily increasing since last few years.  But this year the price is down since April.  It is expected that this will boost the sales of gold on Akshay Tritiya day by at least 40%.

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600-yr-old rare Mandu manuscripts, mandu, on display

May 13, 2013 in Ancient Coins, Antique Coins, Archaeology, Art, Coins, Currency, Education, History, Money, Numismatica, Numismatics, World Coins

DNA | May 12, 2013 (http://daily.bhaskar.com/)

Indore: The pictures of rare yet little known manuscripts Mandu (Dhar), presently kept at British Museum (London) would be exhibited by Academy of Indian Numismatics and Sigillography in the city under an exhibition which gets underway from Sunday.

Talking to DNA, coordinator of the academy, SK Bhatt said that people know about majestic architecture of Mandu- a well known historical site in Dhar- but very few know about 600-year-old rare manuscripts of that place.
“During the 16th century, Mandu was a prominent centre for knowledge and learning in the country and three manuscripts Nimatnama (on cookery), Mistafuzla (dictionary of 187 words) and Azab-e-Sana (wonders of world) were scripted in that era,” said Bhatt.
Nimatnama was based on the art of cooking and it contained 303 folios (pages) which elaborated on art of cooking of those times, utensils used, earthen stoves, recipes etc.
The fort which is known as Asharfi Mahal was the university at Mandu. Noted scholar Aristotle used to call learned person as ‘Man of Gold’ which was called Asharfi in Persian, Bhatt said.
The ardent historian, Bhatt, had clicked snaps of these manuscripts at British Museum (London) in 1986.
In a bid to unravel other mysteries, the exhibition would display pictures of four-faced Brahma statue from Mandsaur.
The exhibition would also shed light on ancient forms of currency, which was prevalent before introduction of formal coins. This includes proto money mentioned in Rig Veda which narrates the journey of stone money to coins.
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