What’s New This Week……….

Many retail coin dealers welcome consignments from collectors. It’s a great way to increase the size of a dealer’s inventory and is often an excellent source for dealers to place useful, fresh attractive coins to new or existing clients. Doug Winter lists some Tips on Selling Your Coins Via Dealer Consignment along with some of the questions you should be asking a dealer and what expectations you should have.

Professional Coin Grading Service (www.PCGS.com) will provide on-site authentication and grading services and showcase the first West Coast public display of the acclaimed, award-winning ESM Collection of early proof copper coins during the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo, September 23 – 25, 2010.

Heritage Auctions has announced that Arthur Blumenthal has been appointed Senior Numismatist by the company, working out of Heritage’s recently opened New York offices at 445 Park Avenue (at 57th Street). Blumenthal focuses his talents on all aspects of the coin business, from buying important collections, consigning great collections for auction

If you collect very rare or finest known coins, figuring out what to pay for an item that you need for your collection can be difficult. Doug Winter provides advise on How to Price Very Rare Coins. Here is a real-life example of how he came up with what he believes to be an accurate value for a one-of-a-kind coin.

Greg Reynolds 16th installment on Coin Rarities covers the Eliasberg 1795 Eagle, Gem Oak Tree Shilling and 1806 quarter of the rarest variety! “Yes, there are more rarities, available in Boston this month, which should be discussed. In my columns over the last two to three months, I have covered many important rarities that sold or appeared in Boston, especially coins in the Heritage, B&M and Stack’s auctions.”

Have you ever wondered what a coin collection might look like after it is pulled out of a house fire? The following is from the Numismatic Conservation Services (NCS) newsletter and shows the remarkable conservation of a cherished collection after a damaging fire.

Wayne Sayles provides commentary on Ancient Coins: The Freedom of Information Act and New Import Restrictions sought on Greek “Cultural Property”. “The Freedom of Information Act, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1966, was born from the notion that “the people” (as in each individual citizen) have a constitutional right to know how the government acts in their behalf. This is of course a democratic notion that nationalist governments do not share. One might wonder at times if it is a notion that the U.S. Government shares?”

The Royal Mint launches its limited edition Gold Series – an exclusive three themed set created in fine 22 carat gold only. Inspired by the Olympic motto Faster, Higher, Stronger, the ‘Faster’ Series is the first set to go on sale in celebration of the 30th Olympiad in London 2012.

One of the things that new collectors are often told is that if they build a set, the collective value of the coins will be greater than the individual value when it is time to sell. Is this correct or is it just clever marketing hype? Doug Winter offers up his perspective on Coin Set Premiums – Fact or Fiction.

The new Manhattan gallery and offices of Heritage Auction Galleries will open at 445 Park Avenue (at 57th Street) on Wednesday, September 1, 2010. The expansion of Heritage, the world’s third largest auction house, into the New York City market comes at a time when many major auction firms are contracting. The Dallas-based firm also opened a Beverly Hills, California gallery and salesroom earlier this year.

The recently concluded Boston ANA World’s Fair of Money provided CoinTelevision Producer David Lisot ample opportunity to discuss the current market conditions with a variety of dealers and numismatic personalities. Our first Video installment presents Ed Reiter, well known numismatic writer and current editor of Coinage Magazine.

There is no magic wand or crystal ball that can tell you when the coin market will turn red hot again or when prices will finally rise across the board. Until then, there are many areas you can explore that have awesome potential-and are actually completable. Laura Sperber of Legend Numismatics provides some thoughts on Building Sets in Coin Collecting.

NEW & UPDATED – Our coverage of rare coin and currency news has expanded with Austin Purvis taking over as Editor of Coin News Daily. This is a special section of CoinLink where we scour the web for items of interest related to numismatics and post a short excerpt and link to these “off site” resources.

We have also made changes to The Bullion Report with daily news and article updates, and a monthly analysis of the “Premiums Over Spot” for Gold and Silver Bullion products.

What’s New This Week……….

Greg Reynolds examines The rise in the number of collectors of rare U.S. coins and the importance of the PCGS & the NGC in his weekly Coin Rarities Column. “At various times since Sept. or Oct. 2008, a substantial number of collectors have stopped buying, not because of lack of interest, but rather because of their own personal financial circumstances. After all, in the middle of 2008, a rather severe recession began that negatively affected almost everyone. ”

Steve Roach Reports that Proof American Eagle gold coins have provided some sparks in the marketplace this past year, but the fast fall in prices over the past several weeks serves as a reminder that what goes up usually comes down. Some major buyers have stopped buying these and prices have fallen sharply.

Doug Winter presents Coin Profile: An Analysis of The Johnson-Blue Collection of Liberty Head Eagles. Every few years, an auction takes place that gives me a bad case of “Dinosaur Syndrome.” By this, I mean the coins bring so much more than what I bid that I think to myself that I’m a dinosaur and am out of touch with current Numismatic Reality. After I talk myself out of this and take a deep breath or two, I find that analyzing the sale is a useful tool for my bruised psyche.

International coin rarities continued to assert their growing numismatic strength during the Aug. 11-16 Heritage Auctions Boston ANA World’s Fair of Money trio of auctions, realizing more than $8.6 million in Heritage Signature® World Coin Auction, part of the overall $46+ million total of the combined auction events.

Paper money as a form of art might seem the makings of a rather small exhibition, to judge from the modern bills of the United States and Europe. Bank notes, however, have constituted one of the dominant forms of visual communication for the past two centuries, and in many cases can be seen as works of art in their own right. Princeton University’s Numismatic Collection is featuring currency worth looking at in the exhibition “Money on Paper” on view in the August 30, 2010, through January 2, 2011.

New Coin Discovery: 1856-O Double Eagle Discovered in Ohio to Be Offered At Long Beach. This recently discovered coin made front-page news in the July 26, 2010 Coin World, with a headline proclaiming “1856-O gold double eagle surfaces in Ohio.” The double-decker headline added, “Rarest New Orleans Mint gold coin in family holdings.” Numismatic researcher John W. McCloskey relates in detail how this rare coin–one of about 20 to 30 1856-O twenties known–was turned over to him for evaluation as part of a “small accumulation of gold coins held by a family in Ohio for nearly 100 years

NEW & UPDATED – Our coverage of rare coin and currency news has expanded with Austin Purvis taking over as Editor of Coin News Daily. This is a special section of CoinLink where we scour the web for items of interest related to numismatics and post a short excerpt and link to these “off site” resources.

CoinLink Welcomes Steve Roach as a New Content Partner. Steve Maintains a Blog called “The Rare Coin Market Report” and we will be including many of his articles and observation in the coming months.

We have also made changes to The Bullion Report with daily news and article updates, and a monthly analysis of the “Premiums Over Spot” for Gold and Silver Bullion products.

What’s New This Week……….

Gold Shipwreck Bar Valued at $550,00 Stolen from Mel Fisher Museum. t was reported that two thieves entered a museum shortly after closing at 5PM and stole a 74.85-ounce, 11-inch (28-centimeter) gold bar which was inside a glass display case. Surveillance captures caught the faces of these two men, believed to be the suspects who walked off with the gold bar.

Heritage Auction Galleries’ Signature® Currency Auction, held Aug. 11-15, including the non-floor session held on Aug. 15, contributed more than $3 million to the $46+ million total realization of Heritage’s official ANA World’s Fair of Money auction in Boston, MA. One of the Auction highlights was a 1934 New York $5000 bill brings $103,500

Boston ANA Show Report by Bill Shamhart : “After months of anticipation and preparation, the ANA’s annual World’s Fair of Money in Boston is over. And while there are always little details that could use a little more attention,”

Recognized throughout the world for their superior quality, superb artistry and Government guarantee of weight and purity, the Perth Mint has unveiled it’s 2011 Australian Bullion Coin Program. These pure gold and silver coins are actives sought after by both investors and collectors.

ANA Coin Show Recap by John Feigenbaum: “Well, another ANA Show has come and gone. I think this was my 22nd consecutive ANA and they all have a similar flavor no matter what the outcome. In a word…”long”. They have always been too long because there have always been “pre ANA” shows the weekend prior with important auctions, so we’ve always attended both shows and stayed the duration.”

Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. today filed its Reply to Spain’s Response in the “Black Swan” case, currently pending in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta, Georgia. This is expected to be the last round of written pleadings at the appellate court level.

The Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) has announced the resignation of one member, the suspension of another and the hiring of legal council specifically in connection with allegations of “coin doctoring” against some PNG member-dealers.

Weekly Column by Greg Reynolds,Coin Rarities & Related Topics. “When people talk about an ANA Convention, they tend to emphasize the coins that they bought or sold, rather than about the overall impact of the event. At any first or second tier coin show, collectors with modest budgets can find appealing coins. Collectors can also socialize with other collectors at a wide variety of coin related events. ”

Global strategic branding firm Siegel+Gale announced the development of a new brand promise and identity for the United States Mint, a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury. The new brand promise, Connecting America through Coins, communicates the widespread influence the United States Mint has on Americans’ everyday lives — highlighting coins as not only a powerful link between American values and commerce, but the basis for everyday moments shared among us.

The American Numismatic Association urges its members to contact their members of Congress and ask to repeal a law that could significantly increase the paperwork burden on dealers and increase the risk of identity theft for all collectors who buy and sell numismatic material. Under Section 9006 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly known as health care reform legislation, businesses will be required to report all goods and services purchased in excess of $600 with an IRS 1099 form. As written, the law would, beginning in 2012, require all coin dealers to report on IRS form 1099 all goods and services

Dan Duncan of Pinnacle-Rarities.com looks at the year 1936 – The Crest of the Commemorative Coin Wave. “Historically, 1936 was not a great year for most Americans. The United States was deep into the Great Depression. There was an unemployment rate of 16.9%, banks remained unstable, and the dust bowl continued to devastate the plains states.”

As recently reported in Art Daily and E-Sylum, an extremely rare ancient gold coin was uncovered recently in the excavations of the University of Michigan and University of Minnesota at Tell Kedesh in Israel near its Lebanese border: Gold Octodrachm (Mnaieion) Coin Minted in Alexandria by Ptolemy V in 191 BCE Found In Israel

Doug Winter provides Some Observations About the 2010 Boston ANA Coin Show. “To be perfectly frank, I hate coin show reports. I hate to write them. I hate to read them. I don’t care what restaurants a dealer went to and what they ate and I don’t really care that Dealer X spent this much money on those coins at the show. That said, I also know that the ANA is the show that everyone who didn’t attend wants to know about. So, with these people in mind, I thought I’d share a few random observations about the ANA.”

THE BOSTON ANA SHOW – Market Report by Legend Numismatics. “We were wrong. This was NOT the incredible “blockbuster” we had expected. However, we will declare it was the next best thing: a GREAT SHOW! From the time we set up (within the first 15 minutes we had a serious crowd of buyers at our table) until the very last coin we sold Saturday afternoon (a six figure coins too), activity was pretty much non stop.”

NEW & UPDATED – Our coverage of rare coin and currency news has expanded with Tim Shuck taking over as Editor of Coin News Daily. This is a special section of CoinLink where we scour the web for items of interest related to numismatics and post a short excerpt and link to these “off site” resources.

We have also made changes to The Bullion Report with daily news and article updates, and a monthly analysis of the “Premiums Over Spot” for Gold and Silver Bullion products.

What’s New This Week……….

The results are in from Platinum Night at the Boston Worlds’ Fair of Money! Nearly $22.4 million of high quality rare coins changed in our Platinum Night festivities, with strong bidding being seen throughout. Overall, Heritage’s three Boston auctions are expected to realize over $40 million

The PCGS Coin Sniffer™, a process incorporating advanced technology for detecting foreign materials and other enhancements on a coin’s surface, will be used in two roll-out phases on all PCGS Secure Plus™ submissions with the first step beginning in September or October 2010.

In Doug Winter’s continuing series that has focused on the ten rarest coins in each denomination of United States gold coin struck from the late 1830’s to the early 1900’s, The next major denomination to discuss is the enigmatic Three Dollar gold piece.

Bowers and Merena Auctions realized an impressive $9.3 million at its Boston Rarities Sale on Aug. 7. The sale, conducted in two sessions with 1,750 lots, featured the rare condition census #4 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar, certified MS-64 by NGC, that sold for $1.2 million.

Greg Reynolds new article: Prooflike 1857-S Double Eagle Gold Coins from the Shipwreck of the S. S. Central America.”As far as I know, these fifty-seven are the only gold coins, of any type, that the PCGS has designated as Prooflike. and the ONLY DMPL Gold coins ever graded”

Official ANA World’s Fair Of Money Starts Today in Boston Featuring Amazing and Historically Significant Numismatic Exhibits. More than 1,100 of the nation’s best coin dealers with the best inventory of coins, paper money, medals, tokens and other numismatic items will gather in Boston August 10-14 at the Hynes Convention Center for the largest coin show in the world.

Weekly Column by Greg Reynolds Coin Rarities & Related Topics: 1794 Silver Dollar sells for $1,207,500, and More Auction News ” comment upon the prices realized for three rarities in the August 2010 B&M auction that I discussed in recent columns.

The United States Mint today announced that seven new artists have been selected to participate in the Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) as Associate Designers. The AIP began in 2003 to help enrich and invigorate the design of U.S. coins and medals.

The Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) presented its outstanding achievement awards for 2010 during the PNG Day banquet held in Boston, Massachusetts on August 9, 2010.
Patrick Heller of Liberty Coin Service in Michigan was given the Abe Kosoff Founders Award , David Hall, President of Collectors Universe, Inc. and a co-founder of Professional Coin Grading Service, received the PNG Significant Contribution Award……..

The United States Mint today announced that it will begin sales of the one-ounce >2010 American Eagle Platinum Proof Coin at noon Eastern Time (ET) on August 12, 2010. The 2010 coin features the second reverse (tails side) design in the six-year “Preamble Series” program introduced in 2009.

Greg Reynolds offers up the second part of his series on Dr. Steven Duckor’s All Time Finest Barber Half Dollar Collection. “Here in part 2, the historical and cultural importance of this set will be analyzed, with references to other landmark sets of Barber Halves.”

The United States Mint today announced that it will begin sales of the one-ounce 2010 American Eagle Platinum Proof Coin at noon Eastern Time (ET) on August 12, 2010. The 2010 coin features the second reverse (tails side) design in the six-year “Preamble Series” program introduced in 2009.

Doug Winter has posted the third part of a series titled San Francisco Double Eagles: A Date by Date Analysis. “In 1877, a third type of double eagle was created when the reverse valuation was changed from TWENTY D to TWENTY DOLLARS. Liberty Head double eagles were produced with just one interruption (1886) from 1877 through 1907. ”

NEW & UPDATED – Our coverage of rare coin and currency news has expanded with Tim Shuck taking over as Editor of Coin News Daily. This is a special section of CoinLink where we scour the web for items of interest related to numismatics and post a short excerpt and link to these “off site” resources.

We have also made changes to The Bullion Report with daily news and article updates, and a monthly analysis of the “Premiums Over Spot” for Gold and Silver Bullion products.