Katie Couric, CBS Evening News anchor, today discussed in her "Notebook" commentary the costs to mint pennies and nickel, and the recently passed House legislation to make these coins from steel.

Although nothing new was offered in her commentary that hasn’t already been discussed in similar numismatic articles, like

• Current and 2007 Costs to Mint Pennies and Nickels, and
• House Passes Bill For Steel Cent and Nickel

Couric also very briefly broached the subject of eliminating the penny completely. Again, while not new, it’s nevertheless interesting to hear perspectives from the mainstream media.

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(Fallbrook, California) – An Atlanta area high school freshman, Dustin Reynolds, 15, is this year’s winner of the Professional Numismatist Guild’s (PNG) Young Numismatist Scholarship.  The PNG scholarship covers tuition for a one-week session at the American Numismatic Association (ANA) annual Summer Seminar, airfare, meals and six nights of dormitory accommodations on the campus of Colorado College, site of the ANA headquarters.

“I was pretty excited,” said Reynolds, recalling his reaction when he was informed of the scholarship.

Dustin began collecting coins at the age of 13. At that time he was intrigued by Morgan dollars.

“The dollars had belonged to my grandfather and I always enjoyed looking at them.  I bought a ‘Red Book’ (A Guide Book of United States Coins) at Barnes & Noble. My Father (Ed Reynolds) and I would visit local flea markets to buy coins. 

In July of 2006 my Mom and I attended a coin show in Dalton (Georgia). The show exposed me to coins at a whole new level, and I was very intrigued with the dealers that I met at the show.  Now I’m also selling coins, and I really like it,” Reynolds explained.

He had a bourse table at a recent Georgia Numismatic Association show in Dalton.

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To attract new stamp collectors and assist novices who may be confused by a huge number of complicated, nearly-identical, minor varieties, Professional Stamp Experts (PSE) has created a simplified system explained in a free booklet offering, “A Guide to U.S. Design Numbers (USD).”

(Newport Beach, California) – A popular way to collect coins is the basis for a new system to attract new stamp collectors and assist novices who may be confused by a huge number of complicated, nearly identical varieties. 

Professional Stamp Experts (PSE) of Newport Beach, California, a sister company of Professional Coin Grading Service, has created a simplified system for building a basic type set of U.S. postage stamps.  PSE is offering a free, 56-page booklet that explains the new system.

Entitled, “A Guide to U.S. Design Numbers (1847 – 1947),” the new collection-building structure focuses on building a “type set” of 435 regular-issue U.S. postage stamps. 

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A commemorative Boy Scouts silver coin just moved closer to becoming reality. On May 15, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5872, an act "To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the centennial of the Boy Scouts of America, and for other purposes."

They did so with strong bipartisan support similar to their very recent passage of the palladium Saint-Gaudens double eagle coin legislation. Although 8 Democrats voted against the bill, they were easily overwhelmed with the support of 215 Democrats and 186 Republicans.

Legislation must now pass in the Senate and then get signed by the President to become law.

H.R. 5872 is officially entitled the Boy Scouts of America Centennial Commemorative Coin Act and calls for 350,000 silver $1 coins to be minted in 2010. The collector coin would contain 90% silver and 10% copper.

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On May 15, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5614, an act “To authorize the production in palladium of Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle coins as ultra-high relief numismatic coins and bullion investment coins in order to provide affordable opportunities for investments in precious metals, and for other purposes.”

Palladium is a silver-white precious metal that is directly above platinum and to the left of silver in the Periodic Table of Elements. Generally speaking, the price of palladium is half that of gold.

The template for the coins is that of the 1907 ultra-high relief Augustus Saint-Gaudens $20 Double Eagle, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful gold coins made in the history of U.S. coinage. The Treasury authorized issuance of a one-ounce gold version of this coin in 2009.

The passage of the bill occurred without public contention and with full bipartisan support — voting by roll call for H.R. 5614 were 225 Democrats and 188 Republicans. An easy majority with only 18 House members not voting. In short, a unanimous decision.

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