The call for national park quarters grew louder with progress in the House and introduction in the Senate.

The joint quarter-dollar legislation seeks to:

"provide for a program for circulating quarter dollar coins that are emblematic of a national park or other national site in each State, the District of Columbia, and each territory of the United States."

Senate bill, S. 3214, is nearly identical to House version, H.R. 6184. They both, in fact, bear the same name: America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008.

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Gordon R. Donnell, Jim Majoros and William G. Rau will receive American Numismatic Association Medal of Merit awards at the World’s Fair of Money® in Baltimore, July 30-August 3.

The annual award is presented to individuals who have dedicated numerous years of service to the Association and to promoting the hobby.

Gordon R. Donnell

Gordon R. Donnell of Oakland, Calif., is always willing to share his love of the hobby and actively recruits new collectors.

A member of many local, regional and national clubs, he served as president of the Pacific Coast Numismatic Society, San Francisco Coin Club, Alameda Coin Club, Northern California Numismatic Association and International Organization of Wooden Money Collectors; and as vice president of the Liberty Numismatic Society and Diablo Numismatic Society.

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Philadelphia artist Jim Licaretz is the 2008 recipient of the American Numismatic Association’s Numismatic Art Award for Excellence in Medallic Sculpture. He will accept the honor on Aug. 2 at the ANA World’s Fair of Money® in Baltimore.

A medallic artist at the U.S. Mint since 2006, Licaretz was a sculptor/engraver there from 1986 to 1989. He spent a year with The Franklin Mint and was a master sculptor for Mattel, Inc. for five years.

In between, he taught life modeling and figure sculpture at Philadelphia’s Fleischer Art Memorial, and was a member of the faculty at Otis-Parsons School of Design in Los Angeles (1992-94) and Academy of Art University in San Francisco (1995-2000).

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Pennsylvania collector Sam Deep will receive the American Numismatic Association’s Exemplary Service Award Aug. 2 at the Baltimore World’s Fair of Money®.

The ANA presents the award annually to recognize an individual or entity (club, corporation, firm or association) who has performed services on behalf of the Association that are "above and beyond" the call of duty.

An ANA member since 1980, Deep is a regular convention exhibitor and exhibit judge. He prepared his first exhibit for an ANA show in 1987, won the Rodger P. Hershey People’s Choice Award in 2004 and took top honors with the Howland Wood Memorial Award for Best-in-Show Exhibit in 2002.

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A commemorative Nelson Mandela "Madiba" five rand (R5) coin was introduced today by the South African Mint and Reserve Bank to celebrate Mandela’s 90th birthday.

Five million bi-metallic coins featuring a smiling Mandela have already been minted and will be released into circulation as part of his official birthday cerebration on Friday, July 18. The R5 coins are legal tender and have a circulating value of about 65 cents (US) each.

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