Imagine selling your home and the buyer comes to the closing toting a 30 pound briefcase containing $400,000 in South African gold Krugerrand coins. That’s exactly what happened in Sarasota, Florida.

In the residential purchase contract, the buyer and seller — both Americans — agreed to the gold transaction for a $1 million home.

In a HeraldTribune.com article entitled Guess this buyer saw a golden opportunity, writer Tom Boyles quoted Realtor Kim Ogilvie as saying,

“This was a first,” Ogilvie acknowledged, adding in Realtor fashion: “It really shows you the depth to which buyers will go to use their resources to acquire properties they think are well-priced.”

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Legislation passed in the House of Representatives and now pending before the Senate would create a $1 silver coin commemorating the battle of Baltimore that inspired the national anthem.

On May 19, the House passed H.R. 2894, an act “To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the bicentennial of the writing of the “Star Spangled Banner” and the War of 1812.”

The bill was first introduced by Rep Ruppersberger, C. A. Dutch [D-MD] in June of 2007. Although nearly a year went by without solid action, in the end it easily passed with 298 cosponsors.

“From VFW and American Legion halls across the country to Little League baseball games to Presidential inaugurations, we play the national anthem to bring Americans together and honor our nation.

Today in honor of past, present, and future veterans, we salute their service and sacrifice with a Star-Spangled Banner Commemorative Coin. This coin is for all of our veterans.

It is a wonderful way to honor the courage and dedication of military personnel of today and yesterday,” said Ruppersberger.

The bill calls for 350,000 commemorative $1 silver coins to be issued in 2012, the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.

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