The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) has issued a new 10 yuan banknote sporting a design (shown below) commemorating the Beijing Olympics. The China Central Bank indicates a total of 6 million of the notes will be issued.

According to Chinese news reports, thousands of bank branches have already begun exchanging them to an anxious public willing to wait in lines for the chance at one.

In many world news stories, focus has been on the note’s Olympic design that has replaced the image of Mao Zedong, founding leader of communist China. Since 1999, the 50th anniversary of the Communist party taking power, Zedong’s face has appeared on all Chinese banknotes.

Read the rest of this entry »

US Mint Director Ed Moy revealed the design and a prototype of the commemorative Louis Braille Bicentennial coin at the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) annual convention in Dallas, TX on July 2.

Local Dallas NBC5 News was on hand to report on the ceremony and has released their video coverage, which is included below.

The 1 minute and 22 second video is short, but offers a unique perspective with a few comments from leaders and the public in addition to several Braille coin design close ups.

Read the rest of this entry »