New Sale Dates for Cleveland and Philadelphia $2 Notes
Royal Mint £5 Coins Celebrate Prince Charles’ 60th Birthday
Gold Rallies to Largest Dollar Gain in More Than Two Decades
Royal Australian Mint Gnomes at Floriade
From Penny to Dollar, U.S. Coin Production Declines in 2008
U.S. Mint circulating coin production is down across the board based on a current pace that should see about 10.1 billion coins minted in 2008. That compares to 14.4 billion coins issued in 2007 and over 15 billion in years 2006 and 2005. In fact, at the current rate, 2008 coin output will end at its lowest level in at least the last ten years.
The Mint's first release of production figures for 2008 reported 3.2 billion coins struck through April. The newest figures indicated 6.7 billion coins were minted through August, or about 842 million coins on average per month. The comparison charts shown below provide the best visual evidence of the declines at both Mint facilities in Denver and Philadelphia.
Daily Numismatic Headlines for September 16, 2008
Gold, Platinum and Silver Fall with Crude, as Dollar Strengthens
Inflation Drops to 5.4%, Inflation Calculator Reflects Rate Change
Bulgaria Celebrates 100 Anniversary with Silver Coin
The Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) announced on Monday it had issued a silver coin celebrating the 100th anniversary since the country's independence proclamation. On September 22, 1908, Bulgaria proclaimed its independence from the Ottoman Empire and became a sovereign kingdom.
The issue is only the second in Bulgarian history to commemorate its independence. The first was in 1912 with the release of two gold coins. The newest commemorative incorporates some of the same design as the older coins.
According to BNB, the 100 anniversary coin has a face value of BGN 10, is composed of .925 silver, weighs 23.33 grams, and has a diameter of 38.61 millimeters. The coins are minted in proof condition, and limited to 5,000.
Sofia News Agency quoted Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev during the coin presentation ceremony as saying:
Five-Star General Coins in Clad, Silver and Gold Proposed
Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas introduced coin legislation to honor five-star Generals and the United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) for its service in educating the nation's military leaders since its founding in 1881.
The newly published bill, "Five-Star Generals Commemorative Coin Act, S. 3456," authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to mint 100,000 five dollar gold coins, 500,000 one dollar silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar copper-nickel clad coins for issuance in 2013.
The 50 cent clad, $1 silver and $5 gold coins would portray Five-Star Generals George Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower, Henry "Hap" Arnold, and Omar Bradley — each alumni of the CGSC, which was founded in 1881 at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.
