Roman "Ides of March" Ancient Coin Sets Record at Heritage Long Beach Auction

A famous "Ides of March" silver denarius of Marcus Brutus fetched a record-shattering $546,250 on Sept. 7 at Heritage Auctions' World & Ancient Coins event, part of Heritage's $34 million total Long Beach Numismatic Auctions, at the Long Beach Convention Center. The immortal "Ides of March" Denarius coin, struck by Marcus Junius Brutus in 42 B.C. to celebrate the assassination of Julius Caesar, realized $546,250, the most ever paid at auction for a Roman silver coin, at the Heritage September Long Beach World and Ancient Coins Auction. Read the rest of Roman "Ides of March" Ancient Coin Sets Record at Heritage Long Beach Auction

Legend Acquires Dakota Collection for $2.5M, Sells Rare 1794 Silver Dollar

A 1794 Flowing Hair U.S. silver dollar, owned by collector Bruce Moreland and formerly owned by the Cardinal Collection Educational Foundation, now has been sold by Legend Numismatics, Inc. (www.LegendCoin.com) of Lincroft, New Jersey for "in the area of $1.5 million," according to Laura Sperber, Legend President. The coin is graded PCGS Secure Plus™ MS63+ and is CAC certified. Graded PCGS Secure Plus MS63+, CAC certified, this 1794 Flowing Hair dollar owned by Bruce Moreland and formerly in the Cardinal Collection has been sold by Legend Numismatics to a Wall Street executive for a price "in the area of $1.5 million." Photo credit: PCGS TrueView™ image. Only 1,758 silver dollars were recorded minted in 1794, the first year of production for that denomination at the United States Mint. PCGS CoinFacts estimates only about 150 survive today with less than a dozen in mint state. Read the rest of Legend Acquires Dakota Collection for $2.5M, Sells Rare 1794 Silver Dollar

US Mint Collector Gold Coins Poised for Deeper Price Cuts

Three of over a dozen U.S. Mint gold coins which are expected to have their prices reduced Wednesday. Volatile precious metals have already affected one category of coins issued by the United States Mint. The bureau on Monday suspended numismatic silver products due to plunging silver prices. And now, for a third straight week, the Mint on Wednesday is expected to implement price cuts on its collector gold coins due to plummeting gold prices. Since gold has fallen to such an extent, coin prices are likely to be cut deeper than normal. Read the rest of US Mint Collector Gold Coins Poised for Deeper Price Cuts

US Mint Suspends Numismatic American Silver Eagles and ATB 5 Oz Coins

The U.S. Mint suspended several collector coins and sets, including the popular American Silver Eagles. United States Mint numismatic American Silver Eagles, America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins, and several sets may become cheaper as a result of plummeting silver prices. The white precious metal has dived by more than $10 to below $30 an ounce since a week ago, and as a result the Mint on Monday initiated several product suspensions. Customers visiting the Mint's online store will see a message of "This product is temporarily unavailable for product repricing" on eight product pages.  Read the rest of US Mint Suspends Numismatic American Silver Eagles and ATB 5 Oz Coins

Coin collectors cash in at recent convention Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise Avid coin collectors, as well as those with a stash of spare change, had an opportunity to cash into easy money last week during an International Coin Collectors Association event. The week-long function enticed more than 80 individuals per day to come ... See all stories on this topic »

Presidential dollar coins not proving popular Chicago Daily Herald The hobby "has fallen quite a bit to the wayside because people need to buy necessities," McMahon says, "but people are still collecting." Some people look at coin collections based purely on the value of the gold and silver used to make the old coins. ... See all stories on this topic »

Legend Sells Cardinal Collection 1794 Dollar, Acquires Spectacular Dakota 20th ... CoinWeek He feels he has too many collectibles and doesn't want a huge collection of thousands of coins to be a future burden on his family. He's actually still collecting coins, but now he's building smaller sets." For additional information, contact Legend... See all stories on this topic »

Gold Prices Plunge $174 for Week, Silver Tumbles $10.73

U.S. gold prices plummeted nearly $102 toward $1,600 an ounce on Friday, capping the biggest weekly loss since February 1983. The daily drop was the largest since January 22, 1980. "The bull case for gold is on pause for the near term," Reuters quoted Adam Klopfenstein, senior market strategist for precious metals at MF Global in Chicago. "In the near-term, the flight-to-quality interest in owning gold is also out of the window as people are not interested in buying it even in the face of fears in the economy. Until it stabilizes, I'm staying out of this market." Read the rest of Gold Prices Plunge $174 for Week, Silver Tumbles $10.73

In The Lead – High Risk Offenders

http://www.kitco.com/ We start this morning with pop-quiz and a telling image (hint: it is not Ben Bernanke's EKG when he announced "Operation Twist"). So, can you name the asset whose volatility is shown below and would you place a large chunk of your estate into it? The answer will be available at the end of this article. Selling of commodities intensified overnight after a brutal day on Thursday. Gold prices fell by more than $50 per ounce as they penetrated previous "must-hold" support numbers at the $1,702-$1,705 area, and traded as low as $1,683.00 during the early morning hours. Read the rest of In The Lead – High Risk Offenders

Gettysburg National Military Park 5 Oz Silver Uncirculated Coin Launches

The U.S. Mint began selling the Gettysburg National Military Park 5 Oz Silver Uncirculated Coin on Sept. 22. After patiently waiting all year, collectors finally got their chance to buy a 2011-P Gettysburg National Military Park Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin. The United States Mint launched the uncirculated coin at noon Eastern Time Thursday, September 22, 2011 for $279.95. It is the first 2011-dated five ounce collector issue, and the sixth overall in the America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin™ series.  Read the rest of Gettysburg National Military Park 5 Oz Silver Uncirculated Coin Launches

US Mint Sales: Sets Active, Bullion Silver Eagles Top 30 Million

United States Mint numismatic product sales rebounded last week, led by sets and Silver Eagles. According to the latest Mint figures, 52 numismatic products outperformed their prior weekly gains as compared to 11 in the previous report. United States Mint sales of its bullion Silver Eagles topped 30 million for the year on Monday Silver Eagles were in the news due to the September 15 release of the uncirculated versionfollowing a two year hiatus. Demand was strong, with debut sales at 184,967. That translates to nearly $11.2 million in revenue in the first five days. Read the rest of US Mint Sales: Sets Active, Bullion Silver Eagles Top 30 Million

Rare 1880 Australian Gold Imperial Sovereigns Offered in Salisbury Auction

Lot 703 - Australia, Victoria, Sydney Mint, Sovereign, 1880, the V of Victoria an inverted Woolley & Wallis, the Salisbury (U.K.) Fine Art Auctioneers, who are including an increasing number of coins and medals in their sales, are to offer three extremely rare gold Imperial Sovereigns struck at the Sydney Mint in Australia in 1880. During one of their regular Valuation Days the auctioneers received a consignment of 150 coins dating from 1843 to 1887. Outwardly they appeared to be a fairly standard group, but on examination three of the 1880 coins display an error by the Mint in spelling the Queen's name VICTORIA — an inverted 'A' has been used in place of the 'V'.  Read the rest of Rare 1880 Australian Gold Imperial Sovereigns Offered in Salisbury Auction

2011 Uncirculated Silver Eagle Sales Debut at $11.18 Million

Demand proved strong for the 2011-W Uncirculated American Silver Eagle during the opening days of its release. The United States Mint reported five-day sales of more than $11 million between its Thursday, September 15 launch and Monday, September 19. At its $60.45 price, the exact sales total was $11,181,255.15. The unit total came in at 184,967 for a daily sales average of 30,827 coins, although the bulk of the uncirculated Silver Eagle orders were likely placed during the first and second day. Read the rest of 2011 Uncirculated Silver Eagle Sales Debut at $11.18 Million

2011 RCMP Gold Bullion Coin Announced

The Royal Canadian Mint announced the scheduled September release of a 2011 RCMP gold bullion coin honoring the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Details of the bullion coin were provided along with an announcement of the 2012 Cougar silver bullion coin, the third in a chain of six coins in its Canadian Wildlife series. 2011 RCMP Gold Bullion Coin - Click Image to Enlarge Read the rest of 2011 RCMP Gold Bullion Coin Announced

Heritage Long Beach World and Ancient Coins Auction Realizes $20.5M+

Led by the $6.8 million Norman Jacobs Collection, featuring an absolutely stellar 1909 set of Korean gold coins that realized a total $1,391,500, Heritage Auctions' Sept. 8-9 Signature®World and Ancient Coins Auction at the Long Beach Coin, Stamps & Collectibles Expo realized more than $20.5 million, a record total for a single auction since the category's inception at Heritage 11 years ago. A small sampling of many highlights from the Heritage September Long Beach World and Ancient Coins Auction. (Larger images below. Read the rest of Heritage Long Beach World and Ancient Coins Auction Realizes $20.5M+

2011-W Uncirculated American Silver Eagles Launch

On Thursday, September 15, 2011 at noon Eastern Time, the United States Mint launched the 2011-W Uncirculated American Silver Eagle for $60.45. The United States Mint sent the above 2011-W Uncirculated American Silver Eagle image in an e-mail reminder to customers about the coin's release. The uncirculated Silver Eagle is reappearing after a two year absence. High demand for the bullion Silver Eagle was listed as the reason for not minting an uncirculated 2009 or 2010-dated strike. Read the rest of 2011-W Uncirculated American Silver Eagles Launch

US Mint Trims Collector Gold Coin Prices

The collector Lucy Hayes coins shown above were among the U.S. Mint products to have their prices cut. The United States Mint on Wednesday cut prices for its range of collector gold coin products, marking the second straight week it adjusted prices on them. The Mint uses a coin pricing system which predominantly relies on a weekly average of gold — from the previous Thursday to current Wednesday, and how that fits into a ranged grid of prices. Read the rest of US Mint Trims Collector Gold Coin Prices

Gold Prices Remain Above Platinum, Silver Advances 2.4%

U.S. gold prices rebounded 0.9 percent Tuesday, recovering a portion of their previous day losses. The yellow metal also closed higher than platinum for a fourth straight session. Gains in gold were attributed to bargain and safe-haven buying. "The debt crisis of euro-zone peripherals remains the dominant issue," Daniel Briesemann, an analyst at Commerzbank AG in Frankfurt, said in a report cited on Bloomberg. "Gold should remain in demand as a safe haven." Read the rest of Gold Prices Remain Above Platinum, Silver Advances 2.4%

September 2011 Long Beach Coin Expo Buoyed by Gold, Bourse Floor Plan

A busy opening day bourse floor crowd, September 8, 2011, at the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo. (Photo credit: Donn Pearlman. All rights reserved.) The hot gold bullion market helped propel the recent September 8 – 10, 2011 Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo. "Gold started climbing again during dealer set-up on Wednesday, September 7, and continued a strong upward move the next day, the opening day of the show. There was a lot of buying and selling of gold coins and jewelry during the September Long Beach Expo," said Ronald J. Gillio, Expo General Chairman. Read the rest of September 2011 Long Beach Coin Expo Buoyed by Gold, Bourse Floor Plan

Stack's Bowers Realizes $57.7M in August U.S. and World Coin and Currency Auctions

Stack's Bowers Galleries (www.stacksbowers.com), numismatic auction house and subsidiary of Spectrum Group International, Inc. (spgz.pk), announced that live U.S. and world coin and currency auctions held in August realized a combined total of $57,733,927. An intricately bound set of three First Educational uncut sheets, from the collection of the late Harry W. Bass, Jr., sold for an astonishing $1,265,000, making it the most ever paid at auction for a single U.S. currency lot. Read the rest of Stack's Bowers Realizes $57.7M in August U.S. and World Coin and Currency Auctions

2011 American Eagle Silver Uncirculated Coin Price and New Launch Date

2011 American Eagle Silver Uncirculated Coin The United States Mint published an official press release announcing the revived availability of the 2011 American Eagle Silver Uncirculated Coin and its price. The uncirculated strikes will launch at 12:00 noon Eastern Time on Thursday, September 15, 2011 for $60.45, and there will be no household limits. News of the coin's return was recorded in early August when the U.S. Mint updated their online Product Schedule page with a date for the launch. That date has since been moved up by two weeks. Read the rest of 2011 American Eagle Silver Uncirculated Coin Price and New Launch Date

September 11 National Medals Gets Special NGC Label

NGC announced it will affix a new label to holders of graded September 11 National Medals. Grading service company Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) has announced that it has created a special label designed specifically for September 11 National Medals which debuted earlier this summer from the United States Mint. The two silver September 11 Medals were released on June 20, 2011 in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. and will raise money and awareness for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center. Read the rest of September 11 National Medals Gets Special NGC Label

US Mint Ends Numismatic Gold Coins Suspensions, Coins Re-Priced Higher

This 2011 Proof American Eagle was one of 14 U.S. Mint numismatic gold coins taken off sale for re-pricing. The United States Mint is again selling its range of numismatic gold coins, but at higher prices. The bureau had taken more than a dozen products off sale Friday when volatility rocked the precious metals market and gold traded above $1,880 an ounce. If it needs to, the United States Mint normally and briefly halts the sale of collector gold coins each Wednesday in order to re-price them lower or higher. Read the rest of US Mint Ends Numismatic Gold Coins Suspensions, Coins Re-Priced Higher

BEP Offers Series 2009 $1 Uncut Currency Sheets from Philadelphia Bank

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) on Tuesday, September 6, began offering Series 2009 $1 Uncut Currency Sheets featuring the signatures of United States Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and United States Treasurer Rosie Rios. Each uncut currency sheet includes crisp, uncirculated $1 notes of varying quantities that range in price from $16.25 to $61.00. The Series 2009 $1 notes have a Federal Reserve Bank designation of Philadelphia. Read the rest of BEP Offers Series 2009 $1 Uncut Currency Sheets from Philadelphia Bank

August 2011 Sales of American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins Shatter Record

American Eagle Silver bullion coins registered sales in August that continue to uphold the old adage of "records are made to be broken." United States Mint sales figures list the total number ordered by its network of authorized purchasers at 3,679,500 for the month of August 2011 — a level higher than the same time a year ago, better than July 2011, and lifts 2011 to the second best Silver Eagle sales year. Read the rest of August 2011 Sales of American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins Shatter Record

ANA World's Fair of Money in Chicago: 9,113 Attendees, 61 Exhibit Awards Presented

The ANA World's Fair of Money show in Chicago reached an impressiveattendance of 9,113, which included 5,341 members and 3,772 public visitors. The show, held from August 16-20, offered a record number of tables, according to the ANA. It also featured 45 exhibitors with 72 exhibits. 61 of them were given awards. Read the rest of ANA World's Fair of Money in Chicago: 9,113 Attendees, 61 Exhibit Awards Presented

US Mint Precious Metals Products Taken Off Sale as Gold and Silver Prices Soar

Three of the many United States Mint products taken off sale following volatile precious metals prices. More than a dozen gold and silver products have once again been halted by the United States Mint — the victim of soaring precious metal prices. The bureau indicates that a total of eighteen different gold and silver products have been affected by the suspension. The suspension announcements, released by the Mint earlier Friday afternoon, include a total of fourteen gold coins and four silver sets. As of this posting, only the collector grade coins have been impacted, leaving the gold commemorative coins intact. Their prices have more cushion as they recently received a price increase based on rising gold prices and a newcommemorative gold coin price guide. Read the rest of US Mint Precious Metals Products Taken Off Sale as Gold and Silver Prices Soar

GreatCollections' August 2011 Coin Auctions Realize $828,000

The 1876-CC Liberty Double Eagle (left) and the 1905 Liberty Quarter Eagle (right) are among the Anacapa Collection of U.S. gold coins that realized $202,178 in the GreatCollections auction on August 21, 2011. (Click image to enlarge.) Internet coin auction company, GreatCollections, sold over $828,000 in certified coins during August, setting numerous company records with almost 2,000 coin auctions sold. One of the many highlights of the month was the Anacapa Collection of U.S. gold coins, which realized $202,178 with a sell-through rate of 96%. This collection included several U.S. rarities, notably the 1866-S Liberty Eagle No Motto NGC AU-55 and 1907 Saint-Gaudens High Relief NGC MS-64.  Read the rest of GreatCollections' August 2011 Coin Auctions Realize $828,000

ANA Seeks Numismatic Presentations and Invites Exhibitors to Pittsburgh National Money Show

ANA members are being encouraged to deliver Numismatic Theatre presentationsand exhibit their collections and research at the 2011 Pittsburgh National Money Show which will be held October 13-15 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Press statements from the ANA follow for each request:  Read the rest of ANA Seeks Numismatic Presentations and Invites Exhibitors to Pittsburgh National Money Show