In conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the first lunar landing, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Edwin E. ‘Buzz’ Aldrin, Jr., Michael Collins and Friendship 7 commander John H. Glenn, Jr., will be awarded Congressional Gold Medals honoring their historic achievements.

President Obama on Friday signed into law the New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal Act authorizing the gold medals and national bronze duplicates struck by the United Sates Mint and offered for sale to the public.

"The Apollo 11 mission inspired a generation to pursue careers in science and engineering, and to believe in the power of America," commented Rep. Alan Grayson, who introduced the House version of the act that passed on the 40th anniversary of the moon landing. "In that moment, these astronauts represented America’s destiny, a destiny shared by the thousands of men and women who worked to make it happen."

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The US Mint on Thursday launched the 2009 Letitia Tyler First Spouse Gold Coins. The 24-karat, $10 denominated commemoratives are available in two options — proof for the price of $629 and uncirculated for $616. A bronze medal bearing a likeness of the gold coins is also available for $3.50.

The coins are the tenth in a series and the second issued in 2009 to honor American First Ladies.

Having suffered a stroke two years prior to her husband becoming President in 1841 (due to the death of President William Henry Harrison), Letitia Tyler assumed all but the ceremonial duties of First Lady — at least for a short several months. Letitia suffered another stroke in 1842, and passed away peacefully on September 10 at the age of 51. Read the rest of this entry »

The first in the series for release in 2009 and the 9th overall, Anna Harrison First Spouse Gold Coins will go sale Thursday, March 5, the United States Mint said in a press release Wednesday.

The 24-karat, one-half ounce coins struck in proof and uncirculated conditions will be available from the US Mint at noon ET, with launch prices set Wednesday.

If the average price of gold continues its trend below $950 an ounce, the proof will be listed for $629 and the uncirculated for $616. Or, $25 less than current 2008-dated spouse coin prices.

The total mintage across both coins is set at 40,000. Read the rest of this entry »

OTTAWA, ONTARIO - The Royal Canadian Mint has proudly produced the medals for the upcoming 2009 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. This spectacular sporting event, which will play host to 10 countries, will take place in Ottawa from December 26, 2008 to January 5, 2009.

"The Mint is delighted to be taking part in what has become a holiday tradition of cheering on Team Canada, which this year has even more significance, as they are going for gold for the fifth consecutive year", said Ian E. Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. "Each medal has been skillfully crafted at the Mint’s Ottawa facility, which is very proud to be a part of the tournament’s host city".

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Martin Van Buren’s Liberty First Spouse gold coin and a bronze medal replica are now available from the United States Mint. The 1/2-ounce gold proof and uncirculated versions are priced at $549.95 and $524.95, respectively. Both have a face value of $10, are composed of 24-karat gold, and have an overall mintage limit of 40,000.

A bronze medal bearing the likeness of Van Buren’s Liberty coin is also available for $3.50.

Dubbed "The Red Fox of Kinderhook" for his red hair, political acumen and birthplace in New York, Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States. America was prosperous when Van Buren took office, but less than three months later the panic of 1837 occurred and was quickly followed by a five-year depression. Van Buren was voted out of office, making him the third president to serve only one term.

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The Perth Mint marks the discovery of HMAS Sydney II after a mystifying 67-year wait with a magnificent commemorative coin.

Disappearing in November 1941 following a deadly engagement with the German raider Kormoran, the famous Royal Australian Navy cruiser was lost with all hands in the Indian Ocean. Her fate proved baffling until the Finding Sydney Foundation announced on 16 March 2008 that it had located the wreck approximately 207km off the Western Australian coast.

Perth Mint Chief Executive Officer Ed Harbuz said the enormous historical and cultural significance of HMAS Sydney II meant the discovery warranted a special numismatic tribute. "It is a project that The Perth Mint has been exceptionally proud to undertake," he said.

Issued as legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965, the superb tribute coin is struck from 1oz of 99.9% pure silver in proof quality.

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Legislation honoring Native American Indian ‘Code Talkers’ with medals was signed into law Wednesday, October 15, by President Bush.

H.R. 4544, or the Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2008, honors Indian soldiers who used their languages to develop codes for the U.S. military during World Wars I and II.

The act authorizes the recognition of every Code Talker with a Congressional Gold Medal for their tribe and individually with a silver medal duplicate. Bronze medal duplicates will be available to the public through the United States Mint.

The legislation identifies members of the Assiniboine, Chippewa and Oneida, Choctaw, Comanche, Cree, Crow, Hopi, Kiowa, Menominee, Mississauga, Muscogee, Sac and Fox, and Sioux tribes as potential recipients of the award.

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John Quincy Adam United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin and Louisa Adams First Spouse Medal Sets are now available and priced at $7.95 each.

The set was released Wednesday, September 3, and includes an uncirculated John Quincy Adam Presidential dollar coin and a bronze medal bearing the likeness of the Louisa Adams First Spouse gold coin.

According to the Mint website,

The coin and medal are held in a durable plastic card enhanced with beautiful representations of the President and first spouse’s portraits, with issuance information on the back.

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Exhibit will be replaced by “Money of the Civil War” in October

"The Medal Is the Message: Global Ideas in Handheld Sculpture," an innovative exhibit at the Edward C. Rochette Money Museum, is closing on Sept. 15, and will be replaced by "A House Divided: Money of the Civil War," opening on Oct. 9.

"Global Ideas in Handheld Sculpture," which opened in Sept. 2007, features more than 1,400 works of art created by artists from 32 countries. The exhibit was made for the International Art Medal Federation (FIDEM) Art Medal World Congress, which was hosted by the American Numismatic Association in Colorado Springs. It was the first time in 20 years the prestigious event took place in the United States.

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Jackson Liberty First Spouse gold coins will be available from the United States Mint on Thursday, August 28. The 1/2-ounce proof and uncirculated versions are priced at $619.95 and $599.95, respectively. Both versions have a face value of $10, are composed of 24-karat gold, and have a total mintage of 40,000.

The current prices are the same as the Louisa Adams and Elizabeth Monroe spouse gold coins, even though gold has come down in price recently. (See live spot bullion prices.) Ironically, the 2007 Dolley Madison proof and uncirculated versions are still available and priced at $529.95 and $509.95, respectively.

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