Award-winning numismatic author, acclaimed researcher, well-known dealer, Q. David Bowers, chairman of Stack’s and numismatic director of Whitman Publishing LLC, visited FOX 29’s studio Thursday to talk about coin values and the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Philadelphia Expo.

Bowers visits with Mike Jerrick, co-host of Good Day Philadelphia. They discuss several circulation finds and their values — 1909-S Lincoln Cent, 1971 Kennedy Half-Dollar, State Quarters, Susan B. Anthony Dollar, Sacagawea Golden Dollar, and even a Chucky E. Cheese token, which Bowers humorously comments "might be worth a hamburger." Read the rest of this entry »

DLRC Internet Auction #412 is now accepting bids for the over 1,100 lots offered in the Summer Sunset Collection.

This sale will run for two weeks with the bidding ending the evening of Monday, September 21 between 8-11 pm EST. DLRC Auctions has special financing available and welcomes trade-ins.

This massive collection contains many copper and silver series. A strong run of Liberty Seated, Barber and Standing Liberty Quarters as well as a great run of Bust, Liberty Seated and Barber Halves. Read the rest of this entry »

The United States Mint today announced the design themes for the next 56 US quarters and the massive commemorative silver bullion coins that will be issued between 2010 to 2021.

It also formerly introduced the name of the new series, calling it the United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters™ Program. (Coin collectors will note the name excludes the words "parks" or "sites," as the upcoming series had most often been described till today.)

"These new quarters will honor some of our most revered, treasured and beautiful national sites — majestic and historic places located throughout the United States and its territories that truly make us ‘America the Beautiful,’" said US Mint Director Ed Moy.

During the next 11 years and at a rate of 5 per year, the reverse or tails side of each quarter will feature a design emblematic of a national park or site in each state, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.

The five America the Beautiful Quarters for release in 2010 will honor the following national sites: Read the rest of this entry »

The desire and rush to the get the latest 2009 Lincoln Penny depicting Lincoln’s formative years in Indiana (the "Rail Splitter" cent) was exceptional.

The cent launched Thursday in the Lincoln State Park at the Lincoln Amphitheatre to a crowd of around 3,000 people who were more than willing to spend a major portion of their day waiting in shoddy weather to pay $3 for six-rolls of the latest pennies. Of course, they also were a part of a once in a lifetime experience.

In the meantime, those who were unable to make it to Indiana spent up to an hour waiting through the US Mint’s online store to enter their order for up to five of the two-roll sets for $8.95 each. The demand was exceedingly strong, and the online store was backed up — just like the lines in Indiana. Read the rest of this entry »

A wealthy Nebraska father who didn’t trust banks and believed an American collapse was just around the corner, hid nearly two tons of silver and gold coins "under our beds, in the kitchen cupboards, up in the attics, in the bottom of dresser drawers, in holes in the ground," writes daughter Alison Johnson.

Alison tells her true life story in a book called "The Eleventh Hour Can’t Last Forever."

She recounts how her father hid more than $1.5 million worth of coins and how "his blind absorption in amassing wealth" created an array of family problems.

A glimpse into her father’s obsession is gleaned in listening to Alison talk to Nebraska’s 6 News. Read the rest of this entry »

A dig site where 22 ancient coins inscribed with Cleopatra’s name, an alabaster mask fragment resembling Mark Antony, and 10 mummies were discovered suggest Cleopatra’s lost tomb may be within reach, according to Egypt’s chief archeologist, Zahi Hawass.

Archaeologist found the coins and mask last year when excavating a 2,300 year-old temple built by Ptolemy II. The recent cemetery discoveries led to underground radar revealing three “important anomalies.”

The evidence has convinced Hawass that someone important is buried within temple, and possibly the famous lovers.

"We think this is really a perfect place for Cleopatra and Mark Antony to be hidden," Hawass said.

Read the rest of this entry »

Rick Mercer, Canadian satirist and TV personality, throws his brand of humor into the mix as he tours the Royal Canadian Mint in Ottawa.

Watch Rick as he walks through the Mint’s gold vault, checks out the gold refinery process, the Mint’s rolling room and finishes the tour by handling several gold coin blanks and striking some special coins.

He has trained with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, has gone sky diving with the Canadian Forces and has hit the pool with Olympic silver medalist Alexandre Despatie – and on November 12th, Rick Mercer came to the Mint in Ottawa to tape a segment for his hit TV show “The Rick Mercer Report”. Read the rest of this entry »

A Utah woman who tried paying for Walmart groceries with $20 Gold Double Eagles was apparently turned away, and then exchanged 14 of them at a nearby bank for face value, according to one of the most unusual coin stories ever relayed in the media.

In a further twist, the bank’s teller apparently realized the uniqueness of the coins, bought them for what he paid the lady, and later learned of their value from a coin dealer.

As the story continues, we discover the teller was fired and a search for the woman is in progress. Read the rest of this entry »

The Odyssey discovery of the "Black Swan" 17-ton gold and and silver coin treasure, its recovery and legal battle with Spain over it will air Thursday, April 2, on the Discovery Channel’s "Treasure Quest."

The episode is likely to be the most fascinating of the season, and on Tuesday, excellent background and a preview of what to expect was provided by the TODAY show.

In May 2007, Florida-based deep-sea shipwreck exploration firm Odyssey Marine Exploration recovered the discovered treasure trove at a site the company code-named the "Black Swan." Soon after, a legal battle erupted in Federal court over the ownership of the Colonial-era coins. Read the rest of this entry »

The first 2009 Lincoln cent launch and the remaining three penny designs were captured today by a 49 second video clip from the Associated Press.

The new cents commemorate the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, which is today, and the 100th anniversary of the first issued 1909 Lincoln cent.

The embedded video provides a detailed 3D-view of each coin, offering an unparalleled perspective. Read the rest of this entry »