Silver Coinage of the Latin Monetary Union
By Al Doyle for CoinWeek …..
As with the 20-unit gold coins issued by France, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium and other members of the Latin Monetary Union of 1865 to 1927, silver pieces of uniform size and weight denominated in various national currencies were struck to facilitate cross-border commerce. Budget-minded collectors who are priced out of obtaining U.S. silver coinage of that era will find that the LMU issues to be a somewhat more affordable option. The one-unit pieces issued by nations from around the world contains .1342 ounce of silver in an .835 fine alloy. That works out to just over 18.5 cents in U.S. silver, which means a fair number of smaller and larger denominations were also struck to Latin Monetary Union specifications. Read more >>>>
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PCGS’ Members Only Las Vegas Show Report
By William Shamhart – Numismatic Americana …….
The last major coin show of the year was held this past week in Las Vegas at the beautiful Cosmopolitan Hotel. Put on by PCGS, the Members Only Shows are attended by a small but dedicated group of dealers and collectors alike. Most serious collectors are starting to realize just how important this venue is and are starting to show up in greater numbers. Dealers in the know regularly attend. A lot happened this week in Vegas, some good, some bad, but I promise that what happened in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas. Read more >>>>
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Coin Rarities & Related Topics: 1792 Half Dimes, Part 1: Origins and Meaning
By Greg Reynolds – A CoinWeek Exclusive
In 1792, the French term “disme” was employed. The word “dime” had not become part of the English language. My purpose here is to discuss the nature and meaning of 1792 half dismes, with emphasis upon my theory that 1792 half dismes are patterns, not regular issues..
In the upcoming FUN Platinum Night event in Orlando, Heritage will auction the Floyd Starr piece, which is PCGS certified ‘SP-67.’ Later in January, in New York, Stack’s-Bowers will auction the Knoxville-Cardinal 1792 half disme, which is NGC graded “MS-68.” It seems that 1792 half dismes will be the leading topic of the new year.
In the second part of this series, I will discuss the physical characteristics and histories of the Starr and Knoxville-Cardinal pieces. Read more >>>>
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More News and Articles from Other Websites
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Future of Money? Solid Gold Bar you can Break Up
By Damien Gayle – Mail Online
Christmas sales of chocolate gold coins have no doubt soared as parents get ready to fill their little ones’ stockings with edible treasure. But wealthy individuals worried about what the New Year could bring are instead stocking up on gold chocolate bars. Swiss refinery Valcambi has been selling its CombiBar to private investors in Switzerland, Austria and Germany who are worried about a return of Weimar Republic-style hyperinflation. The gold bar that can be easily broken into 1g chunks to be used as payment in a crisis. Read more >>>>
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California teacher inherits $7 million in gold coins from reclusive cousin
A California substitute teacher inherits $7 million in gold coins from a loner cousin, and it seems nobody is more shocked than she is. The cousins were not close, and when he died he left no details about his estate or heirs. The Christian Science Monitor shared the details December 19 about this intriguing case.
According to The Christian Science Monitor, Walter Samaszko, Jr. was a bit of a loner who lived in a very modest house. When he passed away, a crew went to clean out his house and found $7.4 million in gold coins stashed in the garage. Read More >>>
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The Dichotomy Of Paper Vs. Physical Gold And Silver Markets
By Tim Iacono – Seaking Alpha
Recent developments in precious metals markets have offered another timely reminder that gold and silver prices are based on supply and demand in futures markets – not at coin shops or for exchange traded funds – as the paper market and physical markets continue to diverge. Despite rising demand for the physical metal, technically driven selling in futures markets has once again sent precious metals price tumbling and, unfortunately, that trend may continue. Read More >>>
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