This week’s Coin Chat Radio has Numismatic News Editor Dave Harper’s interviewing the newly elected president of the American Numismatic Association, Cliff Mishler, an ANA member since 1956.

Mishler described a cautious outlook towards future plans after he takes office the first week in August. He would like to see new programs carefully considered before they are introduced in order to provide the support needed.

One upcoming change is that admission will begin to be charged at ANA conventions, starting with the World’s Fair of Monery in LA. A benefit to ANA members is that their admission to the conventions will be free. Read the rest of this entry »

Tumbling oil prices and a stronger U.S. dollar helped reduce gold’s appeal as the yellow metal, along with silver, fell for a second straight week. Platinum plunged for the fifth week.

Oil dropped below $60 a barrel, recording the biggest weekly loss in six months. The Dow, S&P 500 and major European indexes closed lower for their fourth straight week and the Nasdaq declined for the third of four weeks.

In London weekly declines, gold slid 2.1 percent, silver plunged 6.0 percent, and platinum plummeted 7.6 percent. Precious metal figures follow:

Silver closed Friday to $12.63 an ounce, falling 81 cents this week after declining 82 cents the week prior.

Gold was fixed at $913.00 an ounce, a drop of $19.50 for the week.

Platinum plunged to $1095.00 an ounce, slipping $90.00 for the week. Read the rest of this entry »