Having “F.U.N.” at the Bourse!
by Mark Ferguson – MFRareCoins.com ……
Bonne année” – Happy New Year, as the French say it. And as usual, the 2013 New Year begins on a happy note in numismatics with the annual F.U.N. show in Orlando, January 9 to 13. The Florida United Numismatists show has the second largest “bourse” of the year, eclipsed only by the World’s Fair of Money, put on each August by the American Numismatic Association. While coin collectors and dealers frequently use the word “bourse,” or “bourse floor,” to refer to the actual trade show area of a coin convention, most people don’t know the origin of the word “bourse.” So in a spirit of “F.U.N.,” let’s take a look! Read more >>>>
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Amazing 1895-O Branch Mint Specimen Dollar to Highlight January 2013 Americana Sale
by Jim Matthews and John Pack – Stacks Bowers ……
Stack’s Bowers Galleries is delighted to offer a very rare Branch Mint Specimen example of the 1895-O dollar, a rarity in any high grade, but particularly so in this special format. The present coin is graded Specimen-65 by NGC. Most Branch Mint Specimens and Proofs are of the highest rarity and are represented by a few to perhaps 10 examples of a particular issue. Historic events were sometimes commemorated with these special strikings, and in some cases the coins remain long after the event has been forgotten. Read more >>>>
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Gold price to “explode” when Japanese pension funds increase holdings
By Aya Takada and Yasumasa Song – Bloomberg Buinessweek ……
Japanese pension funds, the world’s second-largest pool of retirement assets after the U.S., will more than double their gold holdings in the next two years as the new government pushes for a higher inflation target, according to an adviser to the funds. Assets held by Japanese pension funds in gold-backed exchange-traded products may expand to 100 billion yen ($1.1 billion) by 2015 from less than 45 billion yen at present, said Itsuo Toshima, who represented the Tokyo office of World Gold Council for 23 years through 2011. Read more >>>>
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BAD CHECK WRITER WANTED
By Numismatic Crime Information Center ……
The Paducah Police Department in Kentucky is asking for assistance in locating a suspect wanted for writing bad checks. The suspect identified as William Hill is writing checks for silver and gold to coin and antique shops. Hill is very knowledgeable and seeks to gain the confidence of his victims. The business name on the checks used by Hill is Southern Estate Antiques Gallery P.O. Box 720397 Atlanta, GA. Paducah Police advise that Hill has outstanding warrants in Louisiana, Nevada, South Carolina and Georgia. Losses are in excess of $30,000. Hill is described as a w/m, six feet tall and 170 pounds. Hill is reportedly clean cut, well dressed and well spoken. He is known to use multiple aliases – Ben Hill, Charles Woodruff, William Woodruff and Billy Hill.
Anyone with information about Hill is asked to call: Paducah Police Department at270-444-8550 or Doug Davis at 817-723-7231 [email protected] Read more >>>>
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Suddenly, Lots Of Influential People Are Talking About The Trillion Dollar Coin Idea To Save The Economy
By Joe Weisenthal – Business Insider ……
This is really thrilling. An arcane idea that started on finance blogs in the summer of 2011– that Tim Geithner should mint a trillion dollar platinum coin to avert the debt ceiling — is now seriously taking off. The premise of the idea is this: Although the Treasury can’t just create money out of thin air to pay its bills, there is a technicality in the law that says the Treasury has special discretion to create platinum coins of any denomination, and the thinking is that Tim Geithner could make the coin and walk it over to the Federal Reserve and deposit it in the Treasury’s bank account. Read more >>>>
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Ancient gold coins discovered in Iraq
Middle East Online ……
Iraqi archaeologists have found 66 gold coins that are at least 1,400 years old, officials said on Monday, adding that they hope to put them on display in Baghdad’s National Museum. The artefacts, which date back to the Sassanid era that extended from 225 BC to 640 AD, will be sent for laboratory tests in order to confirm their authenticity. They were discovered in the town of Aziziyah, which lies 70 kilometres (40 miles) southeast of Baghdad in Wasit province, according to Hassanian Mohammed Ali, director of the provincial antiquities department. Read more >>>>
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Things to Remember About Rare Coin Auctions
by Jeff Garrett from the NGC Weekly Market Report ……..
As I write this article, most rare coin professionals and many serious collectors are preparing for the upcoming Florida United Numismatists (FUN) show in Orlando, Florida. The show is highly anticipated, and is considered a bellwether event in the rare coin market. It is also one of the best attended shows in the country, with over 10,000 collectors expected to show up. The FUN organization runs a great show and does a wonderful job. Florida is considered by most to have one of the best concentrations of collectors in the country. The show also draws thousands of collectors from around the United States who are excited to soak up some sunshine in January. Read more >>>>
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What Can 1 Ounce Of Gold Buy?
by Tom Hendrickson | Mitre Media Corp. ………
One of the biggest limiting factors in gold investment is the sheer price of the metal; at roughly $1,700/oz. it can be quite expensive to own a substantial amount of the commodity. It can be easy to overlook the price tag on gold, but when you step back and take a macro look at gold, you get a better idea for why it is classified as a precious metal. Below, we show you all of the things that an ounce of gold could buy should you ever decide to cash in you holdings. Read more >>>>
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