The Mint of Finland has issued a new 10 euro commemorative silver coin honoring the 100-year anniversary of Finnish writer Mika Waltari’s birth. Waltari was born in Helsinki on September 18, 1908. In the same city and day of this year, a celebration prepared by the Mika Waltari Association was held and the coin was launched.
Waltari is considered one the most prolific Finish writers from the 20th-century. He wrote an array of novels, plays, poetry and even fairy-tales that are enjoyed around the world and in many languages. He is perhaps best known for authoring The Egyptian. Read the rest of this entry »
A massive stock market rally on Tuesday and a firming U.S. dollar helped pressure New York gold and silver futures down by 0.3 and 4.4 percent, respectively.
The Dow rallied as much as 906 points, and finally closed 889.59 points higher for an advance of 10.9 percent — its second best day ever. The S&P gained 10.8 percent and the Nasdaq Composite added 9.5 percent.
December oil fell another 49 cents, or 0.8 percent, to close to $62.73 a barrel and continued at its lowest level since May of 2007. Crude touched $61. 61 in intraday trading. Having just announced on Friday a production cut of 1.5 million barrels a day beginning on November 1, OPEC may meet yet again to consider deeper cuts in an attempt to raise prices.
December silver fell 41 cent to settle at $8.79 an ounce.
January platinum gained $11.60, or 1.5 percent, to end at $808.80 an ounce. The precious metal reached a low of $752.10 Monday, which was its lowest price since November of 2003.
Gold for December lost $2.40 to close to $740.50 an ounce. The yellow metal has fallen in ten out of the past thirteen sessions, losing 7.3 percent last week alone.
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The US Mint on Monday released several cornerstone coins all within a single 2008 United States Mint American Legacy Collection®. The set features 15 popular proof coins "presented in unique and elegant packaging."
The collection includes proof versions of all 14 circulating coins for 2008, including the final five quarters of the 50 State Quarters® Program (Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii) and the four $1 coins from the second year of the Presidential $1 Coin Program (Monroe, Adams, Jackson and Van Buren). The set also includes a proof version of the Bald Eagle Silver Dollar.
The collection is priced at $100 each, with a household limit of 10 in place. There is a total limit of 50,000 sets.
The kicker for the collection is its packaging. While extremely attractive, all the coins may be purchased separately for a total of $70.90, making the packaging price an extra $29.10.
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(Fallbrook, California) – The last in a year-long, nationwide series of Professional Numismatists Guild "Share the Knowledge" educational seminars for collectors and dealers will be conducted at the upcoming November Whitman Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention.
PNG member-dealer Anthony Swiatek of Manhasset, New York will discuss, "What Are the Perspicacious Ways to Collect and Invest in Coins and Currency?" The program begins at Noon on Friday, November 21, 2008, in room 303 of the Baltimore Convention Center. A complimentary light lunch will be available for audience members.
"I’ll help collectors learn how not to lose, but rather make money, while enjoying our hobby. It will be an insightful look at reading between the lines of questionable advertised offerings, becoming more enlightened about numismatics, and learning how to detect counterfeit coinage – an apparently increasing problem with some merchandise being offered in online auctions," explained Swiatek.
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Four numismatic articles are referenced on CoinNews every Tuesday and Thursday. These articles are not authored by us, but we recommend collectors read them for their unusual or interesting content. Here are today’s articles:
By Gina Teel, Calgary Herald
Safe-haven investors are on a shopping spree for precious metals, snapping up gold and silver as an antidote to topsy-turvy markets — if they can find any, that is. Demand for physical gold and silver is gobbling up product at nearly every mint around the globe and in Canada has the Royal Canadian Mint allocating its supply among its distributors, who in turn are limiting the number of coins they sell to dealers, who sell to consumers.
Read ‘Mints struggle to meet metals demand’ »
By Richard Giedroyc, World Coin News
Members of the Federation Internationale de la Medal (FIDEM) have discussed for years the question regarding where to draw the fine line between when a free standing art medal is no longer a medal, but becomes a piece of sculpture. Perhaps a similar question should be asked regarding some non-circulating legal tender commemorative coins.
Read ‘Buyers Beware: Not All Coins are Money’ »
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American Numismatic Association Past President Adna Wilde received the inaugural Adna G. Wilde Jr. Award for Excellence in Colorado Springs on Oct. 15. The award, named in Wilde’s honor, was established by the Association’s Board of Governors in a unanimous vote during its meeting on Oct. 14. Wilde also received a Presidential Award from ANA President Barry Stuppler.
The award honors an ANA member who dedicates his or her time and resources to further the educational purposes of the Association and the hobby, and sets an example for others to follow.
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