Precious metals finished the week higher while oil, U.S. and European stocks moved lower. London gold finished 5.0 percent higher than last Friday’s close. Silver improved by 9.2 percent while platinum gained 5.9 percent. For the month, the Dow lost 8.8 percent, the S&P fell 8.6 percent and the Nasdaq dropped 6.4 percent.
New York crude-oil for March delivery closed to $41.68 a barrel on Friday, gaining 24 cents, or 0.6 percent. Oil lost 10 percent on the week and 14 percent for the month.
AAA said the average price for unleaded gasoline on Saturday settled to $1.855 a gallon compared to $1.618 a month ago and $2.988 twelve months back.
London silver ended at $12.51 an ounce, rising $1.05 since last Friday’s close.
London gold closed to $919.50 an ounce, gaining $43.75 for the week.
London platinum settled to $983 an ounce, climbing $55.00 since last Friday. Read the rest of this entry »
Collectors were more than eager to slap down $1,189.00 for the 2009 Ultra High Relief $20 Double Eagle Gold Coin during its first days of availability, with sizzling sales figures reported.
The United States Mint placed the modern day recreation of the famed Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ designed 1907 $20 Double Eagle gold piece on its online store January 22, 2009.
All indicators pointed to a first day Double Eagle meltdown. Initial online orders took an hour or more to place, and collector reports about Mint phone line back-ups were plentiful.
The one-ounce highly detailed coin is struck in 24-karat, .9999 fine gold and is limited to a single year of issue. Its smaller diameter of 27mm is more than 50 percent thicker than modern US Mint gold coins. Those features and more, made the coin a hit.
Numbers are now surfacing with Mint sales of 28,173 within the first day and 40,727 sold during the first four days. In terms of revenue, the Mint generated an impressive $33.5 million on day one, or $48.4 million through the first four days. Those are exceptional figures. But they came with some negative side affects as well. Read the rest of this entry »
INTERCEPT PRESERVATION PRODUCTS, LLC, THE MANUFACTURER AND DISTRIBUTOR OF THE INTERCEPT SHIELD™ PRODUCT LINE ANNOUNCES CORPORATE NAME CHANGE TO EPROTEC PRESERVATION, INC.
FAIRVIEW, NJ USA — Intercept Preservation Products, LLC is proud to announce the changing of its corporate name to Eprotec Preservation, Inc. along with its headquarters location move to 175 Bergen Boulevard, Fairview, New Jersey 07022 Telephone 201-941-0500 Fax 201-840-1993
This change became effective January 1, 2009 and will allow Eprotec to combine all of our Employees, Brands and Order Fulfillment into one facility.
Eprotec Preservation, Inc. will be announcing new additions to the Intercept Shield™ product line in early February 2009.
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Gold again stepped above the $900 barrier Thursday following two consecutive daily losses on the heels of Monday’s four-month high of $908.80. New York silver, gold and platinum futures gained 1.5 percent, 1.9 percent and 1.2 percent, respectively.
March crude-oil lost 46 cents, or 1.1 percent, to close to $41.70 a barrel. The average price for regular unleaded gasoline fell one-tenth of a cent to $1.843 a gallon, according to AAA.
March silver gained 18.2 cents to close at $12.145 an ounce.
April platinum increased by $12 to $974.90 an ounce.
Gold for February climbed $16.90 to settle at $905.10 an ounce. Read the rest of this entry »
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 Susan Headley, About.com Guide to Coins since 2006
The U.S. Mint released the first sales figures for the highly-anticipated Ultra-High Relief (UHR) Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle late this afternoon, and the numbers clearly reflect the fantastic popularity this coin is enjoying. The numbers are especially meaningful because they represent sales in a very bad economy.
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Two US Mint collector coins sold out since the last reported sales figures — individual 2008-W American Eagle Silver Uncirculated Coins and one-tenth ounce 2008-W Eagle Gold Proof Coins.
The former showed a zero increase in sales, as was the case in the last report and still noted as unusual. The latter gold proof coins expectedly rose. Sales increased by 2,503 coins, or by 18.4 percent compared to last week’s reported 16.4 percent increase.
Susan Headley from About.com: Coins wrote Tuesday of her finding from the Mint that Ultra-High Relief Double Eagle coin sold figures were at 41,664 (as of 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday), with 28,173 gone within the first day of the modern Double Eagle release. Reports were abound that sales were on fire, and that looks to be affirmed.
The 2009 Ultra-High Relief and remaining uncirculated 2008-dated American Eagle gold coins went up in price Thursday, in accordance with the Mint’s pricing policy and in line with recently higher gold prices. Prices increases were around 4 percent, ranging between $5 for the 1/10 oz eagle to as high as $92.50 for the four-coin set.
Here are the latest US Mint sales figures for the major American Eagle and American Buffalo collector products: Read the rest of this entry »
Sales of the 2009 Presidential $1 Coin Proof Set begin Tuesday, February 10, at noon ET, the United States Mint said in a statement Tuesday.
The Presidential Dollar Proof Set has now approached its third year of issue, with the first set released in 2007 when the $1 coin series began.
The annual 4-coin proof collection has proven to be popular with collectors, although the circulating $1 coin versions have had less success with a public who mostly prefers using dollar bills. The latest Mint sales figures indicate 869,202 of the 2008-dated sets — which will be discontinued with the release of the new sets — have been sold.
Each of the presidential coins has a common reverse while the obverse, or heads side, bears a portrait honoring a past President. The 2009 set includes four presidential proof coins featuring: Read the rest of this entry »
The Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) has certified and encapsulated the 1793 Strawberry Leaf NC-3, Rarity-8 variety that became the most valuable United States large cent when it recently sold in a public auction by Stack’s for a record $862,500 on January 5, 2009. It is graded PCGS VG-10.
"This is the finest of the four known Strawberry Leaf large cents. Three of them now are certified by PCGS; the fourth is in the collection of the American Numismatic Society (ANS) and not encapsulated," said PCGS President Don Willis.
Read the rest of this entry »
The very last of the 2008-W American Eagle Proof Coins dropped Monday from the Mint’s online shopping store. It withstood several days of delayed shipping notices, which has become a signal for a fast approaching end to 2008-dated coins.
The 1/10 oz coin had been the sole surviving option in the proof collector’s series after the 1/4 oz coin sold out back on Jan. 5.
According to the most recent Mint sales figures, 13,580 of the individual coins have been sold, plus the 13,072 within the 4-coin set. Read the rest of this entry »
The United States Mint is now offering 2009 District of Columbia Quarters in two-roll sets and coin bags.
The DC quarter is the first of six coins to be released in the 2009 District of Columbia and U.S. Territories Quarters Program.
The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands quarters will follow in equal intervals, approximately every two months.
The public can purchase the new quarters directly from the Mint’s online store. The two-roll set includes 40 commemorative quarters minted in Philadelphia with the "P" mintmark and 40 coins from Denver with the "D" mintmark. The price tag is $32.95. Read the rest of this entry »
