By Coinweek ….
CoinWeek News Wire for July 22, 2016
Brain Food
On a cool, cloudy Tuesday morning … a coin collector stops by the Laxmi Narayan temple in Basantapur, looking for a coin minted during the reign of Prithivi Narayan Shah. There he finds an old man, seated on a chakati, surrounded by coins of all sorts. The man … whips out an old, rare and rusty coin….
2.) Challenge Coins – Each one has a Story Behind it
Soldiers who go beyond the call of normal duty to perform at headquarters or in the field are considered for an official award or medal. But they are also often handed out with a challenge coin by the commander as a personal token of appreciation for their hard work…
3.) Nostalgic Germans hoarding billions of Deutschmarks
[A]round five percent of the old currency is still lying around somewhere in people’s homes or safes…
4.) Chink of old coins brings coin lovers together, both young and old
Minted in the format of Eastern Chalukya Pagoda, the unpublished Gold Pagoda of Raja Raja Chola I with circular punches across its face flaunts a sitting tiger with a long tail at the centre, as seen in antique Chola fanams. One of the scintillating items at display in All India Coin Fair Nanyadarshini, 2016, Bangalore, this one is the only proof to a historical marriage alliance between the Cholas and the Chalukya kingdoms of South India…
5.) 37.9% of Latvian lat coins and 95% of lat banknotes now out of circulation
At the end of June, a total of 343.9 mln units or 790 tons of lat coins remained un-exchanged. [Bank of Latvia spokesman Janis] Silakalns said that at the end of December 2013, there were a total of 450 mln units or 1,100 tons of lat coins in existence…
6.) How to shrink a quarter with a high voltage electromagnet
How an 8000V electromagnet can be used to shrink a quarter…
“Good News, Everyone…”
7.) Coin collection will help Nepalese children
Five youngsters at a Newark school have collected around 11,500 copper coins to help children in Nepal get an education…
8.) Primary school children receive coin to mark Queen’s birthday
The town council agreed to pay for the gift, which is worth £2, and has been produced exclusively for schools and authorities by Tower Mint, of London. It is made of brass and features the Queen’s head on a Union flag background with a crown and laurels on the reverse…
9.) Park Ranger Receives Replacement Coin in Surprise Ceremony
[Betty Reid] Soskin, 94, the oldest park ranger in the U.S., was attending a ceremony at Concord Naval Weapon Station to honor those who lost their lives during a deadly explosion back in 1944 and commemorate the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial when she was surprised with the coin.
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell was on hand to present Soskin with the coin…
Under the Radar
10.) 1 oz. Pure Silver Coloured Coin – Landscape Illusion: Salmon
This brief animated video from the Royal Canadian Mint highlights the optical illusion on the Mint’s latest Landscape Illusion coin, designed by Julius Csotonyi and featuring a salmon swimming upstream.
11.) On the money
A Hay River artist’s work will soon be featured in coin collections across [Canada].
Nature photographer Adam Hill recently received word that one of his images would be featured on a $10 coin celebrating Canada’s 150th anniversary…
12.) SBP starts work on design of Edhi commemorative coin
The work on design of Rs 50 commemorative coin in memory of late Abdul Sattar Edhi has been started, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said Sunday…
13.) Why Australian gold coins are about to become a lot more colourful
The Royal Australian Mint has released five coloured AUS$2 commemorative coins to capture the Olympic spirit ahead of Rio.
The five coins, available [July 19], will feature the different colours of the Olympic coloured rings, blue, yellow, black, green and red…
Treasure News
14.) Chhattisgarh farmer unearths British era coins
A cache of 255 silver coins, dating back to 1862 British era with Queen Elizabeth’s [sic] image embedded on them, has been discovered by a farmer while ploughing his fields on Thursday in Surajpur district of North Chhattisgarh…
15.) Local Farmer finds artefacts of Indus Civilization in UP & some gold coin
The rumour spread like a wildfire that a treasure was found at Harinagar Village. The rumour took root that the farmer had also chanced upon gold coins. A larger treasure may still be lying buried in the field of a farmer…
16.) Odyssey Marine Exploration (OMEX): A Shipwreck of Titanic Proportions
* Important Disclosure: The owners of TheStreetSweeper hold a short position in OMEX and stand to profit on any future declines in the stock price…
Bullion & Precious Metals News
17.) CFTC Smartcheck
CFTC SmartCheck gives you easy access to free tools to check the background of financial professionals and stay informed on the latest fraud schemes – directly from those who regulate financial professionals. It only takes a few minutes. Better safe than taken, right?…
18.) Infographic: Who Has All the Gold?
[Karus Chains] designed this map that shows how 88% of the total gold reserves are held by 20 countries…
Medal & Token News
19.) Cornwall Gold to produce commemorative coin
Supporting the Cornish Mining World Heritage Sites Tinth [sic] anniversary events taking place this summer, two versions of a commemorative token, also known as Cornish Pennies will be made…
20.) Will voters flip for Cincinnati firm’s two-headed coin featuring Trump, Clinton?
Long-Stanton Manufacturing dubbed it the “Indecision 2016” campaign coin. That’s a reference to the notion that this year’s election might come down to the flip of a coin for voters not partial to either Trump or Clinton…
Numismatic Crime
21.) NCIC Crime Bulletin
From the Numismatic Crime Information Center (NCIC):
Large Collection Stolen
A large collection of US gold, Roman and Byzantine coins was stolen from a residence in Los Angeles CA.
Click here for a list of stolen items
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Anyone with information about the case above can contact the NCIC’s Doug Davis at (817) 723-7231 or [email protected]
The Numismatic Crime Information Center is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation. P.O. Box 14080 Arlington, Texas 76094.
22.) Cheyenne Police still actively investigating The Coin Shop homicides
A total award of up to $11,000 might be available for anyone with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person who committed the crime.
If anyone has information about this crime please call the Cheyenne Police Department at 307-637-6510 or Silent Witness at 307-638-TIPS…
Counterfeit Cavalcade
23.) Australian businesses receive counterfeit $50 notes
Businesses are being warned to be on the lookout for counterfeit money after numerous businesses in Logan City reported receiving suspect [AUS]$50 notes.
The suspect notes have been used on at least ten occasions during July in the region. Three times in Browns Plains, twice in Loganholme and Logan Central, and once each in Springwood, Crestmead and Beenleigh…
24.) Italian counterfeiters ‘crank out new €20 note’ in Naples
A gang of counterfeiters in southern Italy were caught red-handed as they printed fake €20 bills – a new banknote reputed to incorporate the latest tricks to defeat forgers…
Mint News
25.) Ronald Reagan: California Politics & Presidential Race
His acting career was just the beginning. He may have moved to California to pursue movie stardom, but by the time he left, Reagan had become a renowned political activist and a leader of the American conservative movement…
[Be sure to check out CoinWeek IQ’s recent coin profile on the 2016 Ronald W. Reagan Presidential $1 coin. —CW]
26.) Fourth Stop on the U.S. Mint’s Road Trip: Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Roosevelt’s time in the West proved to be a transformative experience for the politician — it was here that his opinions about nature conservation took hold. Over the course of his presidency, Theodore Roosevelt protected nearly 230 million acres of public land through his conservationist policies…
Museums & Exhibits
27.) Photo exhibition of ancient coins
[T]he coins give details of the administration over various periods who ruled Hampi in the present-day Karnataka. The exhibition is open during day hours till July 21…
28.) Constantius: York’s Forgotten Emperor
The life of the Roman emperor who reconquered Britain and briefly made York one of the centres of the Roman World will be told at the Yorkshire Museum this summer. The new Spotlight exhibition will feature coins from the Beaurains Hoard on loan from the British Museum, including the famous medallions, some of the largest Roman gold coins to survive. These show the emperor raising Britannia from her knees…
29.) Banknote Museum of the Ionian Bank at Corfu
The Museum’s Collection includes the complete series of all the paper money that was circulated throughout the history of the Greek State: banknotes, coin notes and related material, spanning 180 years of history…
Auction News
30.) Rare Bar Kochba shekel offered for sale
Winner’s prepares to auction off rare coin from fourth year of Bar Kochva revolt, expected to fetch $28,000 to $32,000…
31.) Shivaji-era silver coin fetches Rs. 10.5 lakh
A rare one rupee silver coin, minted in commemoration of the coronation of Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji in 1674, went for Rs. 10.5 lakh at an auction…
32.) Goof-up at mint makes for the most expensive coin
Interestingly, the most expensive coin sold gets its value from a goof-up at the mint. The is an official restrike, that is, not struck from the original die but from a similar one at a later date. When this William IV Gold Mohur was being restruck, or copied, someone mixed up the front (observe) and back (reverse) faces. The front is from an 1835 die and its back, from an 1840 one…
Worthy Additions to Your Library
33.) The official letters of the mint master of Kongsberg 1781-1786
Why do I introduce a book here that most of the readers (unfortunately) will never be able to read? Very simple, it is because I want to stress again how important it is to access the sources particularly when it comes to numismatics of early modern times. Only through these sources we can get a clear picture of how mints worked during the 18th and 19th centuries…
34.) Whitman Publishing Releases New Bowers Book on Modern Dollar Coins
The Bowers Series is a popular Whitman Publishing library of numismatic books, each covering a different segment of the hobby. Volume 22 explores the full range of modern U.S. dollar coins: Eisenhower, Susan B. Anthony, Sacagawea, Native American and Presidential. These coins, the successors to the silver Morgan and Peace dollars of yesteryear, have been minted from 1971 to the present day in various sizes, alloys, and themes…
Upcoming Auctions & Events
- Noble Numismatics Important Australian & World Coins, Medals, Tokens & Banknotes – July 26-28
- Classical Numismatic Group (CNG) Electronic Auction 379 – closes July 27
World of the Weird
35.) Seagull covertly flies away with a bag full of coins
A sneaky seagull stalked a ferry in England for perhaps some tasty leftovers, but ended up flying away with what could have bought him a pretty decent meal…
36.) Remembering Rogers: The strange story of Coin Harvey
Entrepreneur William Hope “Coin” Harvey thought civilization was doomed, so in 1926, he started building a pyramid at Monte Ne[, Arkansas] to preserve the history of civilization. An amphitheater seating 1,000 was built to prevent erosion of the rock on the north side of the pyramid. The project is know as “the pyramids” by local folks…
William Hope “Coin” Harvey is best remembered in numismatic circles as a 19th-century sound money advocate. Click here for a charming presentation of his classic Coin’s Financial School (1894).
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