It’s that time again… our one and only "blog" of the week. Don’t worry, you won’t hear what I had for breakfast…

For this Friday’s blog, I wanted to highlight coins - dimes and quarters specifically - and their value in solving problems. Yes, it’s a trip back to memory lane and a revisit to high school algebra!

If you enjoy math and problem solving, you’ll have fun with this video. If you don’t, well… you’ve probably already stopped reading.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend,

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Ottawa, Ontario, December 13, 2007  – The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) is crediting its patented multi-ply plating technology for a record year in its foreign circulation business line. The Mint’s Winnipeg, Manitoba facility has already set a new production volume record with one month left to go in 2007, having struck almost 1.2 billion multi-ply plated circulation coins for countries from around the globe.

“In an age of rising base metal costs, there is a compelling need around the world for a coinage solution which saves money without compromising quality,” said RCM President and CEO, Mr. Ian E. Bennett. “Only the Royal Canadian Mint can offer a solution to meet this need, which has led us to become one of the most innovative in the world.”

Among the countries which have recently adopted the Royal Canadian Mint’s multi-ply plating are Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Ghana, Oman, Paraguay, Barbados and the Bahamas. As well, RCM multi-ply plating is generating strong interest among other countries in the Caribbean region.

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As a quick reminder, the United States Mint started selling the 10th Anniversary American Eagle Platinum coins at noon (EST) today.

There’s definite interest in these coins. Several thousand CoinNews subscribers read our Nov. 28 article about the anniversary set, making it a top 5 for the month of December. Whether that napkin math analysis translates to buying power and the coins selling out, is entirely another question.

The anniversary set is priced at $1,949.95. There’s a limit of 30,000 total sets and one per household. At the time of this writing, 3:00 (EST), they’re still available to order.

The U.S. Mint ordering and information page for the special set is located here: 2007 American Eagle 10th Anniversary Platinum Coin Set.

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The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) was created to help in the recommendation and selection of new United States Minted coins and medals.

For anyone who loves art, designing, collecting or history, becoming a member of the CCAC could be a dream come true. And for two people, that dream could turn into reality as soon as February of 2008.

What does the CCAC do? Whether it’s:

• Circulating coins, like the 2008 state quarter designs recently announced
• Commemorative collector coinage, like the 2008 American Bald Eagle coins
• Or medals - even Congressional Gold Medals, like this year’s medals for the Dalai Lama

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(Irvine, California) — Hundreds of silver and gold coins, silver bars and specially-made gold $1 and $5 denomination gaming tokens that were stored for decades in the vault of a well-known downtown Las Vegas casino have been purchased by Spectrum Numismatics International of Irvine, California.

“These items are from the El Cortez Hotel and Casino that was built on Fremont Street in 1941 and are from the personal collection of well-known Vegas gaming pioneer, Jackie Gaughan, who has owned the historic hotel since 1963,” said Ronald J. Gillio, Numismatic Acquisition Coordinator for Spectrum who arranged the purchase.

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"One of the Most Popular of all Registry Sets"

(Santa Ana, California) — The PCGS Set Registry all-time number one finest set of modern U.S. proof coins from 1968 to the present will be exhibited by Professional Coin Grading Service during the Florida United Numismatists (FUN) convention (booth #138) in Orlando, January 10 – 13, 2008.

“The 361-coin set carries an incredible weighted grade point average of 70.22 out of a possible 70.28, and has been ranked the top set of its kind the past three years,” said BJ Searls, PCGS Set Registry Manager.

Known as the Erasmus Hall Collection, it was assembled by New York City physician and medical school professor, Dr. Lawrence S. Brown Jr., who says he owes his coin collecting passion to his love of history.

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Centerpiece of World Auction is “Carl F. Chirico Jr. Collection of World Pattern Coins”

IRVINE, Calif. – Bowers and Merena Auctions, America’s leading rare coin auction house, continues as Official Auctioneer of the Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention in 2008, with the next auction scheduled for February 27 to March 2, 2008.  For their first of three Baltimore auctions in 2008, Bowers and Merena will host a very special session of World coins, highlighted by the “Carl F. Chirico Jr. Collection of World Pattern Coins.”

The Chirico Collection will be offered in multiple lots and features more than 2,500 worldwide Proofs, Patterns, Essais, Provas, Pieforts, and Trial Strikes, including:

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by Hillel Fendel

(IsraelNN.com) More than a year after it was first announced, the Bank of Israel has issued a new 2-shekel coin on Sunday - the first change in Israeli currency in nearly 20 years. Children will undoubtedly introduce it into the popular Chanukah game of spinning a top called a dreidel, in which scores are often tracked with coins.

The new coin is 2.16 centimeters in diameter - smaller than the 5-shekel coin and larger than the dime-sized 1-shekel coin. As with other Israeli coins, the 2-shekel piece’s design is based on ancient Jewish coins. It depicts the “horns of plenty” filled with grapes and wheat, alongside a pomegranate, that were engraved into the coins of Yehochanan Hyrcanus over 2,000 years ago.

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The latest edition of Mint Error News Magazine is now available. The free magazine, published by Mike Byers, is an excellence resource for any collector - new or or experienced - who would like to know more about the very latest in minted error coins.

Aside from the magazine’s library of information, the latest edition provides an extensive 22-page price guide (put together by Al Levy of alscoins.com).

As a small example of the guide, if you’re curious about recent sales of error presidential dollar coins, the Mint Error News Magazine is the place to look.

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Friday, Dec. 14th, is the final day to purchase this year’s commemorative coins from the US Mint. The Jamestown 400th anniversary $1 silver and $5 gold coins and the Little Rock 50th anniversary silver dollar haven’t sold out.

However, the law mandating them states that the coins can only be issued during a one-year period. The Mint’s web site provides details:

The United States Mint American Legacy Collection™, Little Rock Central High School Desegregation Coins and the Jamestown 400th Anniversary Coins must be issued by December 31st. In order to meet these requirements, the United States Mint is only accepting orders for these coins until December 14th at 5:00 p.m. ET. Please note that all credit card and billing issues must be resolved prior to December 14th.

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