Today’s RSS Coin News Feeds - Breaking Headlines

The United States Mint launched John Quincy Adam $1 coins into circulation yesterday, May 15. The dollar coin marks the sixth released since the Presidential $1 Coin Program began in 2007, and the second for this year.

United States Mint Acting Deputy Director Dan Shaver commented,

"$1 coins are great for use in everyday transactions, and the John Quincy Adams Presidential $1 Coin is also an educational tool,” said United States Mint Acting Deputy Director Dan Shaver. “As Americans use the coin in commerce, we hope it prompts them to learn about this President’s contributions to our great Nation.”

John Quincy Adam’s life was one of distinction and commitment to public service.

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A steamship that sank off the Louisiana coast during an 1846 storm has produced a trove of rare gold coins, including some produced at two largely forgotten U.S. Mints in the South, coin experts say.

Last year, four Louisiana residents salvaged hundreds of gold coins and thousands of silver coins from the wreckage of the SS New York in about 60 feet of water in the Gulf of Mexico, said David Bowers, co-chairman of New York-based Stack’s Rare Coins.

“Some of these are in uncirculated or mint condition,” Bowers said, predicting the best could bring $50,000 to $100,000 apiece at auction.

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Last Minute Amendment Could Have Shut Down Precious Metals Coin Dealers

ICTA recently helped defeat an 11th hour proposal that would have put precious metals dealers under the jurisdiction of the CFTC which may also have led to federal licensing and further regulation of the industry.

In late April, during Senate consideration of the 2008 farm bill (HR 2419), a section was added to reauthorize the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and amend the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA).

The House Agriculture Committee marked up similar legislation, so the two CFTC bills were both being considered by the joint Senate/House Conference Committee that would recommend the final bill.

A last minute amendment was introduced at the Conference Committee by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) that would have expanded the CFTC’s jurisdiction beyond the futures markets to include the cash markets.

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Japan will issue a new colorized Hokkaido commemorative silver coin featuring Japanese red-crowned cranes, a symbol of Hokkaido, flying above Hokkaido’s Lake Toya.

Japan’s Finance Minister, Fukushiro Nukaga, made the announcement Tuesday in a press conference after a cabinet meeting. Mr. Nukaga said a 1,000-yen Hokkaido commemorative coin would be issued this July in time for the Group of Eight summit, which will be held in Hokkaido.

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WASHINGTON - The United States Mint paid tribute to the Nation's sixth President by releasing the John Quincy Adams Presidential $1 Coin into general circulation on May 15, 2008.  John Quincy Adams had a long and distinguished public service career.  After his Presidency, Adams served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 17 years. 

The National Stroke Association has announced it will join the U.S. Mint in celebrating the launch of the new John Quincy Adams Presidential $1 coin on Thursday, May 15.

One of the great values in coin series with ongoing themes and multi-year designs, like the Presidential $1 coins, is the educational value they can provide.

The release of the John Quincy Adams coin this month honors his life, and just as importantly, is a learning opportunity. Like now. What many people may not know is that John Quincy Adams suffered a stroke on the floor of the House of Representatives in 1848. He died from that stroke two days later.

How many people knew or remembered that from their day’s in high school? Likely, few. But now more can.

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Collectors Universe, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLCT), recently announced their third fiscal quarter financial results for 2008. In year to date comparisons, their revenue totals increased by 6% over the same period of the prior year — $31.7 million for the nine months ended March 31, 2008, compared to $29.8 million.

At March 31, 2008, the Collectors Universe had working capital of $32.7 million and no long-term debt.

Collectors Universe reported net revenues of $10.9 million for the quarter and a loss from continuing operations of $966,000, or $0.11 per diluted share compared to net revenues of $11.1 million and a loss from continuing operations of $68,000 or $0.01 per diluted share for third fiscal quarter in 2007.

While there are many numbers to digest within the financial results, an interesting aspect was the Company reporting of lower coin trade show revenues of approximately $950,000.

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The Austrian Mint celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of Herbert von Karajan, a 20th century musical giant, with a new nine-sided silver commemorative coin minted in Special Uncirculated and Circulation quality.

This year Herbert von Karajan would have celebrated his 100th birthday. He was born on 5th April, 1908, in the city of Salzburg. To commemorate this great Austrian conductor the Austrian Mint in Vienna is issuing a 5 Euro silver coin on 7th May, 2008.

On the occasion of his death in 1989 the New York Times characterised Karajan as “probably the world’s best-known conductor and one of the most powerful figures in classical music.”

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One of the pleasant side affects of the Coin Modernization and Taxpayer Savings Act of 2008, which would change the metallic composition of pennies and nickels to steel, is the revelation of current and past costs in minting coins.

Figures of coin production expenses are interesting in themselves, but charting their trends is another reminder of the volatility of metals within coins, like that of copper, zinc and nickel.

The cost of minting each penny and nickel today are:

• Penny at 1.26 cents
• Nickel at 7.7 cents

As a side note, the U.S. Mint also provided recent costs to mint the dime, which is 4 cents, the quarter at 10 cents and $1 coins at 16 cents each.

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The United States Mint 2008 New Mexico Official First Day Covers went on sale Thursday, May 8. The coin cover is 47th in the series released.

The limited edition covers include two New Mexico state quarters that were minted on the first day of production.

Each quarter has the state’s "Zia sun symbol” design with one manufactured from the Mint’s facility in Denver while the other from Philadelphia. The respective mint marks of "D" and "P" are on each.

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The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) has announced that the new 2008 Dallas $2 Single Notes are available today, May 12, 2008.

The Dallas banknotes are the fifth $2 collector bill released in 2008. The Atlanta $2 single notes were first off printing presses in January followed by the New York $2 notes in February, the San Francisco $2 notes in March and the Chicago $2 notes in April.

Interested collectors should purchase early since previous $2 notes sold out almost within hours of their availability.

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The American Numismatic Association’s School of Numismatics offers the opportunity to improve coin grading skills with their ‘Fundamentals of Grading U.S. Coins’ course by instructor Lane J. Brunner, Ph.D.

The American Numismatic Association’s School of Numismatics will offer its Fundamentals of Grading United States Coins, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 8-9 during Coinfest in Stamford, Conn.

Students will learn and understand how U.S. coins should be graded according to the latest ANA and market standards during this highly enriched two-day seminar. Participants will gain confidence in evaluating surface marks, strike, luster and eye appeal through interactive discussions, group activities and individual study of hundreds of coins from the ANA grading set.

"A well-rounded education is the foundation of any successful collector," said ANA Executive Director Larry Shepherd. "Courses like Fundamentals of Grading United States Coins can teach hobbyists skills and information that will save them thousands on the bourse floor."

Summer Seminar instructor Lane J. Brunner, Ph.D., will teach the course.

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IRVINE, Calif. – Teletrade, America’s largest fully automated Internet auction company for certified coins and currency, will auction “The Green Holder Collection” on Sunday, June 1, 2008, in online Auction #2536. The auction will be live at www.teletrade.com from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. eastern time and will include more than 1,500 certified coin lots.

The complete catalog will be viewable on the Teletrade website beginning Friday, May 23. Highlights from “The Green Holder Collection” will be on display at the Long Beach Expo May 29-31 at table 427.

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A fixture in Beverly Hills for over 75 years, GEARYS reaffirms its place as the preeminent retailer of luxury dinnerware, jewelry and wedding gifts with the launch of a newly redesigned website. Offering a unique blend of time honored classics and cutting edge contemporary, GEARYS has assembled a world-class assortment from the most sought after brands. This extensive assortment includes award winning pieces from Penny Preville, an expanded collection of stunning Ritmo Mvndo timepieces, and a host of extraordinary writing instruments from the fine manufacturers at Faber-Castell. (PRWeb May 9, 2008)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/gearys/beverly/prweb933184.htm

The House debated on the legislation and finally voted yesterday to change the metallic composition of the penny and 5-cent nickel to a less expensive copper-colored steel.

Although the prices of copper, zinc and nickel metals in coins have declined in recent months, the penny and 5-cent nickel still cost more to make than what they’re worth—resulting in a reported loss of about $100 million every year, or $1 billion over a decade.

It now costs about 1.26 cents to make the penny and about 7.7 cents to make the nickel.

House bill “H.R. 5512, the Coin Modernization and Taxpayer Savings Act of 2008” would seek to change those manufacturing costs by using copper-colored steal, which could cut the cost of making pennies down to about 0.7 cents each. But its recent passage in the House is no guarantee it’ll make its way to the White House for signing.

H.R. 5512 must still go through the Senate and then the President, and not everyone is happy with the current legislation.

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Numismatist Daniel Frank Sedwick featuring Treasure Auction #3 with over 1100 lots, including a rare astrolabe, gold cobs, silver coins, Chinese porcelains and other artifacts.

Winter Park, FL - Numismatist Daniel Frank Sedwick is releasing a Treasure Auction, among the items on the numismatic market today are gold cobs, particularly from the Spanish 1715 Fleet off the east coast of Florida, and this sale features dozens of them, all carefully selected for quality and eye-appeal.

There will be also some small gold ingots and nuggets from the Espadarte wreck of 1558 off Mozambique," commented Daniel Sedwick,

"We offered the first part of this unique collection of gold pieces in our Treasure Auction #1 a year ago, and they were well received. This time we are certain of the shipwreck name, which should boost their interest even further."

Another early important shipwreck find in this auction is the Michael Goldston collection of silver “tumbaga” ingots from a still-unidentified wreck of ca. 1528 off the Bahamas.

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Dallas, TX. A pair of 1794 silver dollars and three Continental dollars are among the rarities included in the catalog for the Official Auction of the May 2008 Long Beach Coin Expo. The auction, being held in California May 28-30, is now posted by Heritage Auction Galleries on their HA.com website.

Signature catalogs for the auctions of both U.S. and World Coins & Ancients have been posted.

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A Florida man has sued U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson with the goal of recognizing 10 men he says were president before George Washington. He wants Paulson to add these men into the Presidential $1 coin series.

Stanley L. Klos of Palm Beach, Florida would like everyone to know and recognize the men who were Presidents of the United States in Congress Assembled—leaders after the Articles of Confederation were adopted in March of 1781 and prior to Washington’s presidency in 1789.

The men Klos speaks of are Samuel Huntington, Thomas McKean, John Hanson, Elias Boudinot, Thomas Mifflin, Richard Henry Lee, John Hancock, Nathanial Gorham, Arthur St. Clair and Cyrus Griffin. Men, he says and talks about in his book, President Who? Forgotten Founders, who not only held top positions in U.S. history, but signed national documents as the President.

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The New Mexico First Day Coin Cover is now on sale!  Here is your chance to own quarters from the first day there were released to the public!

President Harry S. Truman was born this day in 1884.  The United States Mint honors this great man with a beautiful bronze medal.

Universal Coin & Bullion announces their contribution to ILA (Institute for Legislative Action) at this year's Annual Meetings and Exhibits to be held at the Kentucky Exposition Center and the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky from May 16-18, 2008. (PRWeb May 6, 2008)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/05/prweb919734.htm

WASHINGTON - Beginning May 13, 2008, the United States Mint is shining the spotlight on its Presidential $1 Coin products.  Here's what collectors can expect.

The 2008 American Eagle Platinum Proof Coins are now on sale!  Buy these four coins individually, or purchase the entire beautiful collection as a set!

WASHINGTON - The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for the 2008 American Eagle Platinum Proof Coins at 12:00 noon (ET) on May 5, 2008.  This year's coins feature the final design in the three-year series entitled, "The Foundations of American Democracy," celebrating our Nation's Judicial Branch of government.