The Perth Mint has released commemorative gold, silver and bronze coins celebrating the Australian Olympic Team’s participation at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Authorised by the Australian Olympic Committee, the suite includes a prestigious 10g coin struck from 99.99% pure gold in proof quality. The coin’s reverse depicts the Australian ‘Flags and Rings’ Olympic logo in colour surrounded by stylised representations of the Sydney Opera House and the Beijing Olympic Stadium.

The suite also includes an impressive 1oz coin struck from 99.9% pure silver in proof quality, which features the coloured ‘Flags and Rings’ logo and a stylised athlete intertwined with an image of a traditional Chinese dragon.

Housed in red presentation display cases, the coins are restricted to limited mintages reflecting the auspiciousness of the number ‘8′ in Chinese culture. No more than 2,008 pure gold coins and a maximum of 8,808 pure silver coins will be released.

Read the rest of this entry »

The United States Mint is showing they’re extremely proud of their 2008 American Eagle Platinum Proof coins with premiums running between 58.7% and 79.1%.

The price of platinum has taken a beating as gloomy car industry data continues to take its toll. About half of the global platinum supply is used in vehicle catalytic converters, and U.S. car sales slipping to a 16-year low is no good news for platinum’s demand.

Today, New York platinum futures dropped to $1,563 an ounce, or another 5.6%, to a fresh six-month low. The metal has been giving up ground since the middle of July.

With such a southerly, multi-week turn, expectation would lead platinum coin buyers to expect lower prices too. That hasn’t been the case. At least not for the U.S. Mint’s 2008 American Eagle Platinum Proof coins.

For whatever reason, the Mint seems content in selling coins that once had premiums marked in the 30% range, but are now marked up between $124-$1,700. The following tables reflect prices and premiums.

Read the rest of this entry »

The United States Mint will begin circulating the latest Presidential $1 coin featuring Andrew Jackson on August 14, 2008.

The Mint has announced that a ceremonial introduction of the dollar coin will occur at The Hermitage, the home Jackson built and lived in near Nashville, Tennessee.

Over 15 million people have visited The Hermitage since its opening as a museum in 1889. Visitors on Aug. 14 will experience a once in a lifetime event as the seventh coin in the Presidential $1 coin program is officially released.

Read the rest of this entry »

Goldline International, Inc. today announced the acquisition of 1, 700 "first strike" one ounce 2008 Canadian Maple Leaf gold coins designed and minted by the Royal Canadian Mint.

The exceptionally attractive gold coins feature the Canadian national symbol of a maple leaf on the reverse or tails side and a portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse or heads side.

Each coin is struck from .99999 fine gold. They are among the purest coins struck in the world, and were first introduced by the Mint in 2007. Gold Maple Leafs were issued prior — starting in 1979 — but not to the 24 karat purity level.

The coin’s denominated (legal tender) face value is $200. However, their gold content alone is worth about $900 in today’s market. There is a premium normally associated with the collectible value for each as well. Their face value, gold content, and purity are guaranteed by the Canadian Government.

Read the rest of this entry »

(Baltimore, Maryland) – Two prominent rare coin dealers jointly bid a total of $12,650 (including buyer’s premium) to have lunch with Heritage Auction Galleries Co-Chairman, best-selling author and acclaimed numismatic authority, Jim Halperin. 

Conducted in conjunction with Heritage’s official auction of the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money® convention in Baltimore on "Platinum Night," July 31, 2008, all proceeds of the winning bid and commission will be donated to ANA education programs.

The highest bid came from Anthony Terranova of New York City and Laura Sperber of Legend Numismatics in Lincroft, New Jersey.

Read the rest of this entry »