The newest edition of Mint Error News Magazine, issue #24, is now available for free viewing and download. The quarterly magazine is published by Mike Byers and is an excellent tool for collectors who want to know the very latest mint error and variety coin news.
The magazine is packed with outstanding coin photos, in addition to mint error information and the error coin price guide compiled by Al Levy of alscoins.com. Levy uses eBay to compile pages upon pages of recent error coin closing prices.
The coin photos, as often described here, are like guides in themselves. They’re superb in identifying coin errors and deepening error and variety coin knowledge.
Issue #24’s cover story discusses the unique and rare Walking Liberty Half Dollar mint error that was double stuck 50% off-center, and on a silver quarter planchet. The photos are amazing.
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PBS’ History Detectives is dedicated to exploring historical mysteries that will, on Monday, investigate whether a 1853 French Napoleon coin was split by sharpshooter Annie Oakley.
Annie Oakley was a superstar attraction in Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show who became famous by performing daring shooting feats.
Annie’s marksmanship skills dazzled audiences by edge-splitting playing cards, snuffing out candles, and, of course, shooting coins.
Legendary Native American and Sioux warrior Sitting Bull, also in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show in the 1880’s, called Annie "Little Sure Shot."
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Coin Websites, a new coin directory complete with 44 topic categories and 196 sites, was recently launched by Michael Zielinski. Collectors may already be familiar with the work of Zielinski, who provides a daily round up of coin collecting news from around the web via Coin Update.
Zielinski’s new coin directory looks to be promising. Unlike so many other Internet directories, Coin Websites is not clouded with a ton of other information.
It’s dedicated solely to quality coin sites and you don’t have to dig around to find them. The clean, simple website design makes it easy.
The directory spawned from what many collectors and dealers can relate to — trying to keep track of the many great coin related information resources on the Internet. On the subject, Zielinski commented,
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National Public Radio (NPR) had a segment Monday, May 19, discussing the legal battle between Spain and Odyssey Marine Exploration for the 17-tons of Colonial-era coins recovered from the ocean floor.
That legal dispute started back in May of 2007 when Odyssey discovered a 17th-century shipwreck, they code-named the “Black Swan”.
Spain filed legal claims contending the treasure is a part of their country’s cultural heritage and should be returned. Odyssey has said the treasure was found in international waters, and legally retrieved.
In the 4 minute NPR radio segment, Jim Goold, Spain’s attorney, contends that Odyssey’s recovery of the treasure was "immoral and illegal," and provided an analogy of someone taking personal effects from the pockets of those who died in the U.S.S Arizona at Pearl Harbor.
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Billy G. Crawford’s latest bi-monthly issue of Die Variety News magazine is now available online and for free.
The magazine’s May/June issue #13 sports, as its title suggests, a variety of interesting coin topics that are sure to please the collector. The numerous descriptive photos within the magazine are great in teaching new collectors about various coin die varieties while keeping experienced collectors well informed.
The magazine has started its third successful year in publication. This latest issue continues its tradition of top die variety news, including subjects on:
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An analysis of the 2004-D Roosevelt Dime
The cover story discusses an apparent double die resulting in "distinct and raised remnants" by Roosevelt’s ear.
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1988 Lincoln Cent Transitional Varieties
1988 Philadelphia Lincoln cents mated with reverse designs of 1989 cents.
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Wyoming State Quarter Double Die Reverse Varieties
Several interesting photograph examples are included that show the doubling found toward the center of some Wyoming quarters.
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Continuation of the Ocean-In-View (OIV) Reverse Doubled Die Nickel Series
A continuation from the Die Variety News Mar/Apr 2008 issue showing additional coin photos highlighting several doublings discovered in some 2005-P nickels.
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2006 Lincoln Cent Strange Reverse Specimens
Specimen examples of raised remnants in the Memorial bay area of the reverse of 2006 Lincoln cents.
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Presidential Varieties & Heavy Abrading
2007-P George Washington Presidential $1 coin examples highlighting "heavily abraded remnants" in the shoulder area of Liberty. Also, a 2008-P James Monroe dollar specimen.
In addition to the main article topics, the magazine includes its popular sections, “This & That” section, “World Varieties,” “Mint Error Showcase” and the “Variety Spotlight.“
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In stopping by Tom Michael’s blog, Big Ideas, Little World, he reminded readers of a 15% discount on Krause Publications™ Books through Wednesday, April 30.
Krause Publications, also known as "KP" for short, offers an excellent selection of numismatic books by industry experts. They have an assortment of books within the major numismatic categories of:
- World Coins
- Ancient Coins
- United States Coins
- United States Paper Money
- World Paper Money
The books are worth their face value, but saving a few bucks to help purchase that next coin is a welcomed announcement I’m more than happy to pass around.
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Like clockwork the latest edition of Mint Error News Magazine, issue #23, is now available. The free quarterly magazine is published by Mike Byers and is an absolute excellent resource for collectors who would like to know more or read about the very latest in minted error coins.
On top of the informative value of the magazine, it also contains an excellent mint error coin price guide compiled by Al Levy of alscoins.com. Levy uses eBay as a resource and lists pages upon pages of recent closing prices for various types of error coins.
While the content is first rate and the price guide valuable, what really places these free magazines over the top is the exceptionally high quality coin photos. The photos are like guides in themselves and are outstanding tools in identifying coin errors and building knowledge.
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NGC has introduced a new online resource, the NGC Coin Encyclopedia. The resource includes both US and world coin designs and sports a click and drill down menu approach to finding coin information and their images. The interface also includes a quick search feature.
The detailed content was developed by the NGC Research Department. A nice aspect to the online encyclopedia is the amount of information provided for each coin and the nice bevy of large coin images.
When selecting a coin to get more information, the results page includes its obverse and reverse image. Each of these images can be enlarged with a simple click.
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Imagine if you purchased a home, lived in it for several years and then discovered some old coins in the attic belonging to the previous owner. What would you do? Would you try to track the previous owner down and return the coins? What if that owner had passed away?
Personally, I believe the decision to find the rightful owner and return the coins would be one most coin collectors would make—even if there was no legal requirement to do so. More than anyone, coin collectors know the time, money and effort commitment, the history, and the joys and rewards of collecting.
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The CoinNews Saturday eNewsletter and the short post Sunday morning included information about the Sunday night 60 Minutes news segment titled, Should We Make Cents?
Morley Safer reports on how the penny and nickel are worth less than the U.S. government cost to manufacture them - the penny almost two cents and the nickel almost a dime.
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