New UK QEII Jubilee Coin Issue finally confirmed by the Royal Mint

The Royal Mint has publicly confirmed that a new United Kingdom £5 coin will be issued to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

Following in the footsteps of seminal coin issues from her reign that were struck for her Silver Jubilee and Golden Jubilee celebrations, this will be the first ever UK coin to be minted for a Diamond Jubilee of any monarch.

Due to be officially unveiled in October 2011, Coin Portfolio Management will endeavour to ensure that clients will be some of the very first people to be able to view this coin design around the world.
What however has already been confirmed is that the new design will be the work of Sculptor Ian Rank Broadley FRBS, who created the common United Kingdom obverse design that has featured on our coins since 1998.

The obverse will feature a unique portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, whilst the reverse will feature a brand new design, inspired by the official Royal Mint medal that was issued for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897. Moreover, the £5 coin will no doubt be minted in a variety of metals and finishes to appeal to collectors and enthusiasts at all levels.

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Rare French Canadian banknote could float to $15,000 in Detroit

The collectible currency will go under the hammer alongside a fine example of 'card money'

Notaphilists are certain to enjoy Ponterio's upcoming World's Fair of Money auction in Detroit, as nearly 250 of the 700 lots are rare paper currency with some truly exceptional pieces on offer.

In particular, there is a particularly exciting range of Canadian banknotes on offer, with three in particular standing out.

Firstly, there is ahighly prized piece of 'card money' that circulated nearly 30 years with this piece showing the first year of issuance.

Worth more than the last card in a Royal flush: the Canadian card money

The note is signed by Beauharnois and Hocquart with the aforementioned signature being quite bold and the latter only slightly faded. Three stamped seals are seen which attribute themselves to the signing officials.

This denomination was cut at the corners creating an eight-sided truncated rectangle which was meant to more quickly identify the denomination. One of the more pleasing of the scant few in private hands, this valuable asset is expected to sell for up to $8,000.

Another remarkable piece is a Bank of Canada $1,000 note from 1935. This is naturally the highest denomination for this popular series. The auctioneer says they handled a Gem example in their 2009 ANA sale where it brought $19,550.

They've listed this one at up to $15,000, which is hardly overoptimistic as it carries a grade of Gem Uncirculated 65 EPQ.

From the same year, lower in face value but perhaps its equal in covetability is a Banque Du Canada $50 note.

This French text $50 note is a rarity in all states of preservation and terrifically rare in uncirculated grades (this one is Choice Uncirculated 64 EPQ). A scant 32,500 were printed for the catalogue number and most were redeemed.

Fresh, fine and French: the Banque du Canada banknote

It is among the scarcest of small size Canadian notes and surely missing from even comprehensive collections. The note has no previous auction history being safely tucked away with others of this series offered in the same sale.

Vivid inks are immediately noticed which resulted from a strong impression of the design. Deeply embossed overprints are also welcomed and easily noticed when looking through the PMG holder.

When microphones were magic... the note's reverse

The striking allegorical vignette laid to the back shows 'Modern Inventions' with a radio microphone and faint outline of a globe making up the background. Also well centred which makes this impressive note also border on a Gem state, it is expected to achieve up to $15,000.

Ponterio's auction will take place in Chicago on August 16 courtesy of the ANA.

For Banknote / Currency Albums and Holders & Supplies go to www.boscastlesupplies.com

Source: http://www.paulfrasercollectibles.com/section.asp?catid=76&docid=7737

A penny stolen could be a felony

A penny saved may be a penny earned, but in Texas, a penny stolen is about to become a felony.State lawmakers passed a bill this session increasing the penalties for metal theft, a crime that has become a growing problem statewide.

Under current law, it is a state jail felony to steal anything worth less than $20,000 if the item is at least 50 percent copper.

A provision of the new bill that takes effect Sept. 1 strikes out the 50 percent threshold, meaning that the theft of any item with any amount of copper could be considered a state jail felony. All pennies consist of at least 2.5 percent copper, according to the U.S. Mint.

Shannon Edmonds, director of governmental relations for the Texas District & County Attorneys Association, has jokingly pointed out the new "penny punishment" at meetings he has been holding around the state to educate prosecutors about laws approved in this year's legislative sessions.

Edmonds said he doesn't expect any prosecutor to charge someone with a state jail felony for stealing a penny. But he added that it shows how lawmakers often change current law without fully realizing the consequences.

"In their zeal to get after some of these scrap-metal scavengers, they really swung the pendulum pretty far to the other side," Edmonds said.

Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, was a lead author of the metal theft bill. His spokesman, Kelvin Bass, said that going after penny thieves was obviously not the bill's intent. "We're going to rely on the reasonable discretion of the prosecutors in bringing those cases forward," Bass said.

Penny coin albums available from Boscastle Supplies

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/08/06/3273846/a-penny-stolen-could-be-a-felony.html#ixzz1UTLy7aJL

Man Fights U.S. Treasury over $80 Million in Rare Coins

A Philadelphia jeweler’s heirs are fighting the U.S. government over the ownership of gem mint “Double Eagle” gold coins, worth a total of, perhaps, $80 million or more. Treasury officials say the coins were stolen from Philadelphia’s US Mint in 1933, and the case is set to go to trial.

Most of these coins were destroyed when the United States went off the Gold Standard in 1933. Two are kept at the Smithsonian, but occasionally others come onto the market under uncertain circumstances. Here’s where this case gets really interesting: The jeweler who had these coins was actually stopped by government officials boarding a train, where they seized dozens of Double Eagle coins; but that was in 1933. The family had wanted to keep that information out of this case, but the judge ruled that it could be admitted.

It’s the kind of story, one of intrigue around the tremendous value in coins that had been sitting untouched for decades, that lures people into coins as an investment. Coin dealers like Goldine and Numis Network, which is actually a multilevel marketing outfit that deals in coins, tout the financial benefits of coin collecting.

And in a way it makes sense: What could be better than collecting money?

But here’s the reality: With the exception of exceptionally rare coins in excellent condition, they have generally proven to be an unremarkable investment. And, as About.com’s coin expert warns readers, the more hyped up a coin is, the worse of an investment it will tend to be. One piece of advice: Please, please, please stay away from the “modern commemorative” coins — a series of “rare” coins produced by the US Mint beginning in 1982.

These are made to be collector’s items and so everyone who wants them buys them and keeps them in mint condition. It’s unlikely that a powerful secondary market for them will ever develop (see, for instance, collectible plates).

The story of this lawsuit will likely be used by more than a few coin dealers hocking the dream of a family fortune from rare coin investment. But most of the value in coins comes from dealing them to unsophisticated buyers, not from buying them.

Protect your coin collection with quality coin collecting supplies from www.BoscastleSupplies.com

Read more: http://moneyland.time.com/2011/07/07/man-fights-treasury-over-80-million-in-rare-coins/#ixzz1RSdcvYKc

Canadians Get Pumped for Launch of Plastic Currency

America's northern neighbor is the latest to ditch the cotton-based paper money

Canada is taking a progressive step forward economically, finalizing its plans to join the likes of Australia and 30 other nations by ditching cotton-based paper money and introducing plastic-based bills.

Traditionally money such as the U.S. dollar and Euro (European Union) bank notes are printed on paper fiber. But there's been growing pressure to switch to plastic bills, due to their advantages.

Plastic bills are more durable that cotton fiber ones as they resist crinkling and creasing. This aids in automated vending schemes. Further, plastic bills are lighter, thinner, and (reportedly) more hygienic (as they absorb less bacteria). The new polymer currency is fully recyclable at its end of life. Cost wise, they are significantly more expensive than traditional bank notes, costing twice times as much to make. However, they're estimated to last 2.5 times as long, so the investment is expected to pay off in the long run.

Julie Girard spokeswoman for the Bank of Canada cheered the move stating, "Our mandate at the Bank of Canada is to make sure Canadians can use these notes with confidence. It's not meant to go through the wash and it's not meant to go through the dryer, and it's certainly not meant to be ironed, but it should withstand the occasional mishap."

The new polymer $100 bill will launch in November, followed by the $50 in March, and the $20 in late 2012. The launch will be completed in 2013, with the introduction of the $5 and $10 bills.

The new bills also allow Canada to implement unique anti-counterfeiting measures, such as transparent windows tattooed with color changing ink designs. The current bill design features two such windows -- one designed in the shape of a small maple leaf. The bills also have a number of other security features, such as raised ink in the numerals and the featured portrait.

The Bank of Canada will be working with financial institutions and other businesses this fall to inform them of how to check the new bills for authenticity.

Looking for a banknote album? Try going to www.boscastlesupplies.com

Source: http://www.dailytech.com/Canadians+Get+Pumped+for+Launch+of+Plastic+Currency/article21977.htm

Rare coins part of collectors show in Rock Hill

A group of coin collectors are in Rock Hill this week for the International Coin Collectors Association show. The event runs through Friday at the Hampton Inn on Tarbor Drive near the Galleria, giving local folks a chance to browse the association's collection of vintage currency and sell their own treasures.

The collectors are looking for rare items such as coins and paper currency issued prior to 1965, gold items included class rings, mismatched earrings, broken necklaces, gold coins and bullion. The ICCA has recently uncovered some rare coins including a 1894S Barber dime that sold for a $1.9 million and a gold coin collection from a small town in North Carolina that went for $120,000.

Buyer Blake Beyer inspects coins Wednesday at the International Coin Collectors Association show in Rock Hill.

To protect your coin collection check out the coin supplies available at www.boscastlesupplies.com

Read more: http://www.heraldonline.com/2011/05/19/3081912/rare-coins-part-of-collectors.html#ixzz1MpuGjijM

USA Market Study to Test the Waters for American Eagle Palladium Coin

The American Eagle palladium coin is on the verge of being released. Everything is set for takeoff. 

The Palladium Bullion Coin Act of 2010, Public Law 111-303 has been set into law, the obverse design of the coin has been chosen to be Winged Liberty Head dime while the reverse will be the American Institute of Architects gold medal--both designed by sculptor Adolph A. Weinman.
According to U.S. Mint sources however, there is yet one major step that either speed up or stall the whole process. The is based on the requirement of the enabling act that a study must first be performed by an independent and reputable third party to determine the level of public demand for the American Eagle palladium coin. The coins will only go into circulation if it passes this popularity acid test.
To this end, the US mint is now seeking the services of potential contractors who are required to submit possible competitive solicitation for the marketing research. The contractors will be expected to determine the demand for American Eagle palladium coin through marketing and the US has given up to June 17 for potential contractors to respond in order to have the chance of being considered.

To increase their chances of being considered through competitive solicitation for the American Eagle palladium coin market research, contractors must submit a work statement consisting of a detailed structured and comprehensive study with adequate credentials to support the claim for independence and reputation. The selected contractors must meet performance standards which are both specific and measurable.

Should the American Eagle palladium coin passed the stringent popularity test, treasure Sec. will be mandated by law within a year of submission of the study report to issue .9995 fine palladium bullion with a face value of $25 of both Proof and Uncirculated versions of the coin in addition to bullion coins. Both versions will then be available on sale to the general public.

Proof and Uncirculated coins would both be considered numismatic products to be directly sold to the general public.

permits the finish of the to be changed annually in subsequent years following the inaugural release.
coins could be minted and issued at no net cost to taxpayers

According to the April 13 RFI, once the contract has been awarded, it is anticipated that it will take no longer than 90 days to complete the study.

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