By Coinweek ….
CoinWeek News Wire for July 29, 2016
Brain Food
1.) Deciphering history through coins
Another prized possession is the one with an imprint of Alexander [the Great] on the face of the coin. “It belongs to 327 B.C. and there is also a story that Alexander married an Indian tribal woman. I have the coin minted by the third descendant of the family. On one side an olive tree is found and on the other a Greek God on a chariot is printed,” says Rajarajan. He also has a coin with the portrait of Seleucus Nicator, the trusted general of Alexander the Great…
2.) Only $250 Worth Of Gold In Rio Olympic Medal
Surprisingly … the coveted prize, created by the Brazilian Mint, barely has any gold in it and is almost entirely made of silver.
According to Victor Hugo Criado Berbert, production manager of the Olympic medals at the mint, the medals are only about 1.2% gold…
3.) A Beginner’s Guide to Collecting Chinese Gold Panda Coins
Perhaps no series of modern Chinese coins is more important and more misunderstood than Chinese Gold Pandas. Many people still think that gold Pandas are bullion coins, or coins that are essentially substitutes for gold bars. A glance at the value of a set of gold Pandas shows how off base this is…
4.) Millions of dollars of forgotten coins retrieved from junked cars
Even coins that have been fed through a shredder and are ‘battered beyond recognition’ still have a value, according to Shahar. He buys them in bulk, predominantly from China where coins are meticulously sorted by hand instead of immediately being run through multi-million-dollar recycling systems…
The Future Is Now
5.) Narita installs currency machine to convert travelers’ coins into e-cash
The machine accepts dollar, euro, yuan and yen coins and converts them into 12 kinds of e-cash…
Current Events
6.) Cash, crime and large denominations
The 500 euro bank note had become a favourite among criminals, money launderers, terrorists and corrupt elements, as is generally the case all around the world with large denomination notes. In Pakistan, the Rs5000 note is considered a godsend by those indulging in corruption. And it’s easy to see why…
Under the Radar
7.) In Faridabad, massive confusion about Rs 10 coin
The people of this town have been confused for the past two weeks about whether [the] Rs 10 coin is legitimate. While some shopkeepers are accepting it, others are rejecting it outright. That’s because of a rumour circulated by some people on social media that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has declared the Rs 10 coin invalid…
8.) Public Asked for Help in Selecting New Croatian Coin
The Croatian National Banks (HNB) are seeking input from the public to help select new new commemorative 25 kuna coins…
9.) Fixed-Price List of Summer Edition of the Classical Numismatic Review
The summer edition of the Classical Numismatic Review offers 163 selected coins at a fixed price…
10.) Derek Wicks designs ‘Lucky Loonie’ for Royal Canadian Mint ahead of Summer Olympics
For [Derek] Wicks, who has previously designed commemorative coins for the Royal Canadian Mint, this will be his first circulation coin…
“Good News, Everyone…”
11.) Gold coins discovered at Daventry valuation day ‘gift from late husband’
A woman discovered the brass coins she found in a drawer were really a collection of 22 carat gold sovereigns…
Treasure News
12.) Celtic coin hoard gives up more secret treasures
A BAG of gold and silver bracelets is the most recent treasure to be discovered in Jersey’s Celtic coin hoard.
The team, which has been working for months to take apart the collection at La Hougue Bie, recently removed the 51,000th coin but also spotted a mysterious piece of material…
But then there’s this, from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC):
13.) Celtic coin hoard count ‘overestimated’
The world’s largest Celtic hoard has thousands fewer coins than the 70,000 originally predicted, according to the man responsible for studying it.
Neil Mahrer, senior conservator at Jersey Heritage, has led a team removing the coins from the large mound one by one for two years.
He said he expected it to be a “few thousand fewer”…
14.) £44,000 appeal to keep Roman coin hoard in York
The Yorkshire Museum needs to raise £44,200 in the next four months to keep the hoard of more than 1,800 Roman coins discovered in the region, which date back to 307AD.
A metal detectorist found the coins near Wold Newton, East Yorkshire, in 2014, which depict Constantius and are the first to proclaim his son Constantine “Augustus” after he was made emperor in York…
15.) Labourers strike silver, flee with Victorian-era coins
A clay pot full of silver coins belonging to Victorian era was discovered in the dug up basement of a shop in Cheenigram locality of Farrukhabad district, on Saturday. Most of the coins were looted by labourers who were working in the shop in Kirana Bazaar of Cheenigram area.
The police could recover only 16 coins…
16.) Is there ancient treasure to be found on our coasts?
The Oregon coast is encrusted with vacationers this time of year, many of them beach combing for items ranging from Japanese fishing floats and tsunami debris to exotic driftwood and agates. Few might expect to find authentic treasures there, but two recent discoveries are enough to fire up the imagination…
Crime & Punishment
17.) Man arrested for reportedly stealing $100,000 worth of gold bars and coins
The victim reportedly came home to find his security system disarmed, and his coin collection and gold bars missing from his safe. The victim estimated the worth of the stolen valuables at more than $100,000…
Banknote News
18.) Spectacular Valais ‘bisse’ to feature on new banknote
The bisse d’Ayent – one of the historic irrigation channels unique to the canton of Valais – will be depicted on the new 100 franc note, the Swiss national bank (SNB) has decided…
19.) Central Bank of Liberia to Introduce New Liberian Bank Notes
One of the major improvements in the CBL attempt to handle the currency situation is the introduction of a new denomination – the LD$50 single banknote.
The new denomination will in one way or the other help in meeting some of the requirements of good money-its portability…
20.) Can Canada’s currency printer thrive as ‘cashless society’ looms?
Canadian Bank Note Co. has been the government’s currency printer of choice for more than a century. But now the Ottawa firm faces an epic battle against Apple Pay and a slew of other electronic payment apps. Associate business editor James Bagnall examines the forces producing cash’s decline and how Ottawa’s bank note printer will adapt…
Exonumia
21.) 50 lionfish = 1 extra lobster
To get the coin, a picture of 50 lionfish can be sent to [email protected] with a piece of paper next to the fish that includes the name of the harvester, the date harvested and the harvester’s signature with the mailing address in the email…
22.) Pins, coins designed for 15th anniversary of Sept. 11
A Virginia company has designed a commemorative pin and coin for the upcoming 15th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
C. Forbes Inc. of Richmond has designed a lapel pin and challenge coin with the theme of “United in Memory”…
23.) The Cloisters acquire late medieval medal connected to Jean Duc de Berry
Renaissance and Baroque medals from the collection of Sir Timothy Clifford, former director of the Scottish National Gallery, sold for £82,872 (US$117,844) in a specialized sale of coins and medals at Morton & Eden in London on June 13, 2016…
24.) ‘It Creates a Brotherhood’: Police Swap Commemorative Challenge Coins During DNC
Walters said he’s already collected about a dozen different challenge coins during the DNC, from agencies including the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Marshals, Federal Air Marshals, specialized units like his own, and the Philadelphia Police Department’s Marine Unit, Counter-Terrorism Operations, Highway Patrol and 22nd Police District…
Mint News
25.) U.S. Mint Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Design Competition
The United States Mint is pleased to announce a public competition to design the 2018 Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coins. This competition is open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are at least 18 years of age or older.
During Phase One of the competition, which will be open from August 1 – October 17, 2016, artists are encouraged to submit their contact information and three to five work samples using the online form…
Museums & Exhibits
26.) Farewell celebration for Hortensia von Roten
For more than a quarter of a century, Hortensia von Roten managed the coin collection of the Swiss National Museum and was responsible for the biggest collection of Swiss strikings world wide. But Hortensia von Roten was more than just a curator of a coin cabinet: She has deeply influenced the numismatic world domestically and internationally…
27.) First glimpse of Devon’s Roman treasure hoard
Visitors to Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery will soon see a first glimpse of a few of the coins from the Seaton Down Hoard.
The Hoard of almost 23,000 Roman coins, which was discovered in East Devon, has just been purchased by the museum, thanks to donations and grants…
28.) Rare coins, currency on display at the Back Mountain Memorial Library in August
Max Cigarski, 9, son of Robert and Audrey Cigarski of Shavertown, will display his rare coin and currency collection at the Back Mountain Memorial Library in August.
Max has been collecting rare coins and currency for three years. “I think they are interesting. I have almost 700 items in my collection,” Max said…
Upcoming Auctions & Events
29.) Pasco Coin Club Coin & Stamp Expo
The Pasco Coin Club Coin & Stamp Expo will take place on July 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the New Lakes Regency Park Civic Association, 8330 Civic Drive in New Port Richey[, Florida]. There will be coins, currency, bullion and jewelry bought, sold and appraised. Guests can register to win a one-ounce Silver Eagle. Admission and parking are free…
30.) Event marks anniversary of ‘In God we Trust’ motto
A Mindenmines business, In God We Trust LLC, will hold an event Saturday to mark the 60th anniversary of President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s signing of a law establishing “In God we Trust” as the national motto of the United States. The phrase appears on all U.S. coins and currency…
31.) Rare penny coin set to fetch £115k at auction in ‘once in a generation opportunity’
In 1933 the Royal Mint had no plans to produce any new penny coins as there were already plenty in people’s pockets.
But a small number – believed to be seven – were produced following special requests for a commemorative coin to mark the year…
Worthy Additions to Your Library
The book combines two purposes: On the one hand it’s a perfect catalog, a standard reference, which anybody who works with Württemberg paper money now should be quoting. On the other hand it also is a wonderful reading book, which can be consulted in order to get to know more about the exciting topic of banknotes – which is why the book is not only interesting to collectors of Württemberg currency…
World of the Weird
33.) “Stinky Cheese” Recovered From 17th-C. Swedish Shipwreck
Divers led by Lars Einarsson of the Kalmar County Museum have recovered a diamond ring, gold coins, and a black tin pot containing a thick, gooey substance that may be cheese from the Kronan, the seventeenth-century flagship of the Swedish navy…
We can see it now…
Reporter: Say, what’s that? Next to the coins?
Diver 1: That? That’s, uh… that’s cheese.
Reporter: Cheese?
Diver 1: Oh yeah, it’s cheese alright.
Diver 2: It’s good, too. Try some! …
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