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 final $5 Lincoln Freedom Collection installment featuring crisp notes representative of Federal Reserve Districts of Richmond, Atlanta, Chicago and Minneapolis will launch Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 9:00 AM ET, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) has announced.

The price for each is banknote is $29.95. The entire 12-note Series 2006 $5 collection is also available through the BEP’s Lincoln Freedom Subscription Program for $299.40. 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 »

US currency may get new designs to make them more identifiable to the blind and visually impaired, but implementing changes could cost billions of dollars, a new study reveals.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) announced that it initiated and has received a comprehensive report entitled Study to Address Options for Enabling the Blind and Visually Impaired Community to Denominate U.S. Currency.

"This study is the next step in providing meaningful access to currency for the blind and visually impaired," said Larry R. Felix, Director of the BEP.

The report, which the BEP received on July 28 and made available to the public on August 7, consisted of three phases: Read the rest of this entry »

The final installment of the "We the People" Series 2004A $10 Single Note Collection is now available from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP).

$10 notes representative of the Federal Reserve Districts of San Francisco, Richmond, Atlanta, and Dallas are available for $35 per note.

Features of the series include:

• Limited to 3,000 sets worldwide
• The lowest serial number available for each note
• The third denomination to be redesigned in the "Color of Money" series Read the rest of this entry »

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is now offering the second installment of its $5 Lincoln Freedom Collection featuring crisp notes representative of Federal Reserve Districts located in San Francisco, Philadelphia, Kansas City and St. Louis. The price for each is $29.95.

The entire collection is also available through the BEP’s Lincoln Freedom Subscription Program. For $299.40, each of the 12 Series 2006 $5 Notes will be shipped when available. Read the rest of this entry »

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) on Wednesday launched the second and final 2009 $2 Single Notes installment, featuring crisp banknotes representative of Richmond, Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis and San Francisco. The price for each is $7.95.

Ten notes in total are available this year. The first 2009 $2 Single Note installment in June included banknotes from Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Dallas.

To place orders, collectors can visit the BEP online page 2009 $2 Single Note Collection - Final Installment. Once there, customers are directed to download a PDF order form, complete the purchase information, and then e-mail (moneyfactory.sales@bep.treas.gov) or fax (1-888-891-7585) the order to the BEP. Orders may also be placed by phone at 1-800-456-3408. 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 »