Collectors are eagerly awaiting the first sale of rare and exceptional Coins and Banknotes to be presented by Bonhams New York. Taking place on December 3rd, the sale consists of over 400 lots ranging from 1692 to the early 21st Century. 

Amongst the most coveted lots will be an exceptionally rare 1796 $10 AU50 NGC (pictured, above). Bright green-gold with warm honey and orange highlights, the coin’s intense mint bloom glows broadly in the fields and within the protected design areas. The obverse is of the Turban Head type with stars to both sides. The reverse motif, also used on the contemporary half eagle, depicts the national bird solidly perched on a branch of palm, holding aloft a victory wreath without any olives or berries.

The die work is excellent being BD-1, Breen-6832, Bass-3174, Taraszka-6, R.4, the only known die pairing for the year. From the earliest years of the regularly issued coinage of the United States which started in 1796, this highly important and elusive issue is estimated at $65,000-75,000. Read the rest of this entry »

The American Numismatic Association Bebee Collection of paper money, one of the finest collections of United States paper money ever assembled, is available to view in an exciting new online image gallery. The collection, consisting of more than 800 notes, was donated to the ANA by Aubrey and Adeline Bebee in 1988.

To view the Bebee Collection online gallery, go to www.money.org (select "Visit the Money Museum," then select "The ANA Bebee Collection of U.S. Paper Money/View the Collection") or go to www.ana-museum.org. Additional educational information, including introductions explaining the cross-referenced components of the notes, will be added in the coming months.

The gallery is the work of longtime ANA members John Nebel and Susie Nulty. The collection was scanned seven years ago using the highest quality scanner, enabling minute details to be shown. The original files have been reduced to a practical size for web viewing, but small details are shown in high resolution through pop-up windows. Read the rest of this entry »

IRVINE, Calif. — Ponterio & Associates, a division of Bowers and Merena Auctions, will bring 1,250 lots of world paper money to Baltimore, Md., as part Bowers and Merena’s Official Auction of the Whitman Coin and Collectibles Baltimore Expo scheduled for November 10-14, 2009.

The auction will take place at the Baltimore Convention Center and includes an impressive world catalog presented in four sessions.

Currency highlights include more notes from the popular "East Bay Collection" set to cross the auction block. One of the notable countries with an impressive variety is Iran, which will be illustrated by many Imperial Bank of Persia issues, always sure to garner considerable attention. One of the highlights of the Iranian notes is a 20 Tomans 1925 Pick-15 in a strikingly original Very Fine grade. Read the rest of this entry »

The US government printed less money for the third consecutive month, according to the agency responsible for manufacturing US currency.

Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) figures released Wednesday shows that the government produced fewer total notes in August than in July.

The BEP again exclusively printed $1s, $20s and $100s. Added together, 435,200,000 banknotes were manufactured during the month. The total dollar value of those notes, however, was slightly higher with additional $20s making up the difference. August came in at $16,345,600,000 versus the $16.3 billion in July.

Spread across the 31 days in August, the BEP averaged 14 million notes per day with a total daily value of about $527.3 million. Read the rest of this entry »

The US government cut back currency production in July, newly released Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) figures reveal.

Fewer notes — in denomination and amount — were printed in July versus June. The BEP focused on $1s, $20s and $100s. Added together, 438,528,000 banknotes were produced with a value of $16,303,360,000. In contrast, the BEP printed 558 Million notes worth $17.1 billion in June.

Spread across the 31 days in July, the BEP averaged 14.1 million notes per day with a total daily value of about $525.9 million. Read the rest of this entry »

Heritage to Present 3400+ Lot Signature® Currency event, Sept. 9-13

Dallas, TX — One of the largest offerings of Continental currency and Colonial paper money to be auctioned off in decades will highlight the Official Currency Auction of the September 2009 Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo conducted by Heritage-Currency Auctions of America, Sept. 9-13, at the Long Beach Convention Center, 100 S. Pine Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802.

The auction will consist of four floor sessions along with one online-only session. The lot viewing will take place in Room 104A and the auction itself will be held in Room 103C.

"We have four fine collections anchoring this auction," said Dustin Johnston, Currency Consignment Director at Heritage, "all of which, taken together, offer an excellent survey of American Currency from the Colonial era through current Federal Issues. We’re quite excited to offer these great examples."

The Midnight Ride Collection includes an extensive quantity and variety of Colonial material, including many rare pieces. Read the rest of this entry »

(Irvine, California) – A 1907 Rolled Edge Indian Eagle, a gorgeous and conditionally rare representative of this classic issue in the 20th century gold series, will be offered in Bowers and Merena’s Official Auction of the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money® at the Los Angeles Convention Center and online, August 5-8, 2009, with lot viewing August 1- 8.

The auction will also spotlight one of the most important California Gold Rush-era coins produced in San Francisco, the unique Kellogg and Company specimen $20 territorial gold piece personally owned by former U.S. Assayer Augustus Humbert.

Listed in the auction catalog as 1907 Judd-1903 (Judd-1775), Pollock-1997, Rarity-5, Rolled Edge, it is described as "a bright, satiny piece" with a strike that is "characteristic of the issue, meaning that it is bold-to-sharp elsewhere yet noticeably soft in the center of the obverse." The example boasts a Condition Census MS-67 Grade from NGC with a combined PCGS and NGC Population of just 6, 0 finer. Read the rest of this entry »

The US government increased the variety of banknotes but did not print as many in June compared to May, Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) figures released Thursday show.

In comparing the months, while the agency added $10s and $50s to its June production, quantities were limited on top of the fewer $1s, and $20s. The production level of $100s remained unchanged.

558,080,000 banknotes were printed last month valued at $17,128,320,000. In contrast, the BEP printed 620.8 M notes worth $17.3 billion in May. Read the rest of this entry »

Legendary 1876-CC Twenty-Cent Piece with Five-Generation History Realizes $207,000

IRVINE, Calif. — Bowers and Merena Auctions, America’s leading rare coin and currency auction house, returned to Baltimore for the second time in 2009 to present the Official Auction of the Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention at the Baltimore Convention Center June 10-13.

The auction of the nearly 2,500 lots realized a total of $4,225,995 over three live sessions, plus the inaugural online session of the official Baltimore auction.

The standout highlight of the auction was lot 757, an 1876-CC Twenty-Cent Piece in PCGS AU-58 with a fascinating history, which realized $207,000. Believed to be one of perhaps just 12 to 20 examples known, this specimen was acquired in Virginia City, Nev., by Gold Rush "Forty-Niner" John Seagraves Pick and has been kept in the Pick/Jurgensen family for the last 133 years. Read the rest of this entry »

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (Bureau/BEP) will exhibit at the American Numismatic Association’s (ANA) World’s Fair of Money, August 5 – 9, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center (West Hall A), 1201 S. Figueroa Street – Los Angeles, CA.

The Bureau will proudly showcase its "Billion Dollar Exhibit" which features more than one billion dollars of rare and antique currency including sheets of $100,000 currency notes, Treasury Bonds, and Gold and Silver certificates. Also, the Bureau will have on display an exhibit featuring two currency face plates from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, a Series 1934-C 12-Subject $1,000 plate and a Series 1934-C 12-Subject $10,000 plate.

Additionally, the Bureau will have an antique (19th Century) Spider Press at this convention. A technical expert on currency production will conduct printing demonstrations on this Abraham Lincoln-era press and answer questions. There will also be live demonstrations by a member of the Bureau’s Office of Engraving and a member of the Mutilated Currency Division.
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