Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2020 i World Coin News

ON FEB. 18, The South African Mint Company (RF) Proprietary Limited (South African Mint), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), announced the appointment of Ms Honey Mamabolo as its new Managing Director, effective from Feb. 1, 2020. She has 20 years’ experience across various industry sectors, including mining, retail banking, energy, development finance, and manufacturing. Before joining the South African Mint, Ms Mamabolo was the Chief Executive Officer of Thebe Unico, a leading manufacturer and supplier of automotive chemicals. In her early career, Ms Mamabolo was involved in high-impact, business change enablement retail banking projects. Her highlights during this time include being a business analyst for a banking platform at Nedbank and a project manager for the implementation of the National Credit Act at Absa’s Credit…

I CAN FIND most countries on an unmarked globe but Tajikistan I had to look up. I knew it was in Central Asia, and thought that it had a Russian border and an Afghan border (I was wrong) but that was basically it. I found that I didn’t even know anything about the Tajiks. I thought that they were some kind of Turks. They’re not. Tajikistan’s borders are with China, Afghanistan, Kyrgizstan, and Uzbekistan. There is no Russian border. The Tajiks speak a language related to Farsi, the language of Iran, and to Kurdish. The borders of Tajikistan were established after the Russian Revolution. It was first classified as an autonomous region of Soviet Uzbekistan (Uzbeks being Turkic) but the Tajiks claimed they were not Uzbeks, and wanted their own…

FOLLOWING UP ON several stories that have appeared in the first three issues of World Coin News for 2020, I noticed an interesting trend. Multiple ducats are dropping into the coin market like rain from the skies. In the March issue, in a review of the wonderful Künker Berlin Auction of Feb. 1, held during the World Money Fair, I noted that this powerhouse European firm offered over a dozen 10 ducat gold pieces of Austrian and German origin which sold for a combined hammer value of over $875,000. In the same issue I reviewed the Heritage World Coins Signature Auction of Jan. 12-13, focusing on a wide variety of world coins but neglecting to notice that the trend had been forming there. A closer look revealed that the Heritage…

GLOBAL LEADER IN precious metals, The Perth Mint, has joined with leading-edge technology specialists Security Matters Ltd to develop the world’s first mine-to-market ethical gold supply chain assurance solution, the firm announced in February. Titled trueGold, the initiative will lead the commercialization of a worldwide integrity application for gold mining companies, refiners, vault operators, depositories, mints, wholesalers, and retailers. The high-tech Australian innovation will provide everyone involved in or with the gold industry the surety that the metal they purchase has been ethically sourced and reliably tracked throughout its journey from the mine site to the marketplace. “TrueGold is a particularly significant development given the increasing focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices across the world pertaining to the gold supply chain,” Perth Mint Chief Executive Officer Richard Hayes…

MEDIEVAL COLLECTORS ARE always on the look-out for good coin sources. If they collect the period broadly, then they may have built connections for various countries, as we often see single pieces or small groupings being offered from the country of origin. In some cases, medieval coins may turn up where we least expect to see them. Sometimes these unexpected venues are the best places to find nice coins for your collection at reasonable prices. For example, most collectors of the medieval period will know to look at Davissons or Dix Noonan Webb auctions for small groupings and pedigreed collections of Celtic and British Hammered era coinages. However, in the Davissons E-Auction 34, which closed Feb. 5, we found two attractive VF Medieval silver pfennigs from Bavaria. The first is…

HAVE YOU EVER been annoyed that you got a Canadian rather than a U.S. coin in change? It might be worse if you live in Spain. The Spanish National Police have been recently warning that Argentine 2-peso coins are being used as a substitute for the €2 coin. Both coins are ringed bimetal issues that have a similar appearance if you don’t first look at the design on the coins. The Argentine 2 peso has a diameter of 24.5 mm and weight of 7.2 grams. The €2 coin has a similar diameter of 25.75mm and weight of 8.5 grams. An Argentine 2 peso has an exchange rate value of about 0.024 euros. According to the Jan. 29 issue of Euro Weekly News, “Investigators state that over the last few days…

THE ARAB AND the People’s Democratic Republics of Yemen merged into a single country in 1990. Since that time the Central Bank of Yemen has been the single banking authority for the nation, issuing rial-denominated bank notes. The central bank currently issues bank notes in denominations of 100, 200, 250, 500, 1,000, 2,000, and 5,000 rials. According to the most recent issue of MRI Bankers’ Guide to Foreign Currency, “Smaller notes [are] not listed because of [their] low value.” This includes coins in denominations of 1, 5, 10, and 20 rials that have been issued since 1993. Inflation is a problem, being at 14.7 percent during 2019. For this reason the MRI guide reports, “Hotel bills and airline tickets must be paid with convertible currency.” Any value exceeding $2,000 USD…

The World Coin News club show and commercial events calendar is a guide to events with a focus for world-coin collectors. Abbreviations used: “A” – Admission charge; “T” – number of tables; “F” – Table fee; “N/A” – not available. Other data required for submitting a listing: name and address of show site, and name and address of bourse chairman or other contact person. APRIL Apr 3-4 AL, Gadsden. Northeast Alabama Coin Show. Gadsden Mall, 1001 Rainbow Drive. SH: 10am - 6pm. SP: Rainbow City Coin Club. A: Free. F: $100. Blaine L. Smith, 635 Gate 5 Road, Alexandria, AL, 36250. PH: 256- 820-9691 or blainelsmith@cableone.net. Apr 3-4 PA, Gettysburg. Spring National Battlefield Coin Show. Eisenhower Hotel Ballroom, 2634 Emmitsburg Road. SH: Fri. 9am - 6pm, Sat. 9am - 3:30pm.…

Who issued the first Islamic coins? In 640 CE, the Caliph Umar issued short, thick kernel-shaped coins weighing 3.36 grams that mimic the coins of Persia. This is 18 years after the Hegira or flight to Mecca by Mohammed. I recently read there was a coinless period in early Russia towards the end of the Grand Duchy of Kiev and the rise of Moscow. What would have been used during this period? Kiev struck a very limited coinage during the 10th and 11th centuries, but chose to use foreign coins, silver ingot ‘grivna’ bars, and squirrel pelts during the interim period until independent city-states began issuing their own coins about 250 years later. What was the function of a scyphatetype coin? You can’t stack them. These concave or cup-shaped coins…

IF, LIKE ME, you have always had an interest in the more unusual corners of numismatics, you might appreciate the recent Dix Noonan Webb auctions of Jan. 23 and 29. DNW’s main focus is, of course, on British coinage, but this is an area with plenty of nooks and crannies where oddities can be found. For instance, if you have an interest in trade, you might like to check out the full set of East India Company Portcullis coinage sold in DNW catalogue 165. All four denominations are present in separate lots, but you don’t often have the opportunity to see a full set together like this. Portcullis coinage gets the name from the central element of its reverse design. These particular examples have carefully detailed provenance, which is important…

THE POBJOY MINT released a new Preserve the Planet Coin on behalf of the government of Niue. The effects that the fires in Australia have had are numerous. Since July of last year, nearly 30 people have lost their lives, over 2,500 homes destroyed, and about 1.25 billion animals have perished, including over 8,000 koalas. The coin displays hope and integrity by depicting a map of Australia alongside the national flag with a koala superimposed over the country. The inscription on the coin “Preserve Planet Earth” emphasizes the belief that climate change is the main cause of these recent events. This special coin has been issued to help raise much-needed funds and raise awareness to help the Australian nation recover from the destruction that these fires have wrought. Fifteen percent…

SET FOR AN end of September release, the 2020 Hungarian 2000 forint will be the second issue in the “Hungarian sheep and hunting dog breed” series. The first coin issued for this series, the Hungarian Vizsla, sold out immediately last fall, so we wanted you to have an early heads-up on this one. The mintage is again set for 10,000 pieces and the coin will be struck in proof-like quality using copper, nickel zinc planchets of 34 mm in diameter. The issue price is projected to stay at $19.95. The Komondor is a shaggy looking dog, with mop-like hair perfect for blending in with the sheep this work dog minds. The corded fur also protects this breed during extreme weather conditions and from the sharp-toothed predators of the sheep and…

ON TUESDAY, APRIL 14, The Collectors Club of Boston, the Boston Numismatic Society, and the Currency Club of New England are hosting a special lecture given by David Wray entitled “Women, Power, and Magic in 13 Artifacts.” The event will be held at New Light Korean Church on 730 Main St. (Rt 20) in Waltham, Mass. David is retired from his career as Program Manager in early internet companies. He also is one of the founders of the Writing Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is a prize winning author and lecturer. He now pursues his interests in numismatics, history, and archeology. He is the author of The Secret Roots of Christianity: Decoding Religious History with Symbols on Ancient Coins. David is showing 13 artifacts from his collection…

MANY ANCIENT AND medieval coins originating from what is today Jordan can no longer be imported as of Feb. 5 without detailed provenance documentation that does not exist for most coins. A Memorandum of understanding between the United States and Jordan also covers numerous antiquities and cultural objects “from the Paleolithic period (beginning around 1.5 million BC) to the middle of the Ottoman period in Jordan (AD 1750),” according to the summary appearing in the Federal Register, Volume 85, No. 26 dated February 7, 2020 (Rules and Regulations 7207, Federal Register. A section of the Feb. 7 publication titled Department of the Treasury, 19 CFR Part 12 [CBP Dec. 20–02] RIN 1515–AE51, Import Restrictions Imposed on Archaeological Material From Jordan includes a laundry list of coins no longer able to…

IT IS NOT often that a small child becomes ruler of a country but it happens on occasion. King Alfonso XII of Spain died in 1885, a short time before his son and heir Alfonso XIII was born. That child became king the moment of birth but in the Russia of 1740 Ivan III was two months old when he became ruler of that vast empire. He remained on the throne little more than a year and was deposed in a palace coup at the age of 14 months. The story of Ivan III, in some ways, actually began decades earlier. Russian Czar Fedor had inherited the throne from his father Alexis in 1676 but died childless six years later, leaving two brothers and a sister. The best suited for…

CLASSICAL NUMISMATIC GROUP held the Triton XXIII auction in January in conjunction with the 48th annual New York International Numismatic Convention. The sale was divided into four sessions containing; Greek coinage, Greek and Roman Imperial coinage, Roman Imperial and World coinage, and finally World coinage with British coinage and medals. With over 300 lots in each session (1,453 lots total), this sale is always a big attraction, particularly for collectors of ancient coinage where the main focus lies. For our quick review here, I have limited the scope to Greek coinage and centered in on some examples which surprised the catalogers by rising well over their estimate by the time the final hammer fell. Greek coinage accounted for well over 500 lots of the Triton XXIII sale or close to…

IN CONJUNCTION WITH a four-day visit of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to Islamabad, Pakistan has issued a new copper-nickel 40 rupees circulating coin. An example of the coin was presented to Guterres on the day of issue, Feb. 17. The reverse of the coin presents the anniversary 40 Years within a wreath surrounded by a legend reading INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE above and AFGHAN REFUGEES IN PAKISTAN below. This 2020-dated coin is the first 40 rupees denomination for Pakistan and to the best of our knowledge; it is Pakistan’s first issued coin of the year. “Despite its own challenges, Pakistan has sheltered and protected Afghan refugees with limited support from the International community,” said Guterres in a speech given on Feb. 16 from the capital, to open an international conference focused…

TO CELEBRATE WHAT is set to be a historic year for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, the International Cricket Council (ICC), the Royal Australian Mint, and retail partner Woolworths have teamed up to release a limited edition $2 coin, the firm announced in a Feb. 19 press release. The coin, created by The Royal Australian Mint, is the first time a female cricket player will feature on Australian coinage and the design captures the strong and dynamic spirit of the women’s cricket team. Two million of the limited-edition $2 Australian legal tender coins will be released exclusively through Woolworths registers from Feb. 19, and customers are encouraged to look out for the coins in their change. The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is the ultimate celebration of women’s cricket…

THE EIDGENÖSSISCHES SCHÜTZENFEST 2020 will take place this year in Lucerne, Switzerland from June 12 to July 12. This Federal Shooting Festival is the largest sporting event held in the country, drawing more than 100,000 visitors over the four-week period. While the Federal event is held only every five years, a smaller Shooting Festival takes place annually and is always in a different canton of Switzerland. Gold and silver coins are produced in honor of each festival. Called Shooting Talers, these coins are denominated as 50 francs in silver and 500 francs in gold. They are sold at the event and also through a select few distributors prior to the festival. In the United States this year’s Lucerne Shooting Talers can be purchased through Coin & Currency Institute. Consult their…

OH BROTHER! BIG Brother is now watching you, just as it was prophesied in the novel 1984 by George Orwell. The dystopian novel was actually written in 1949, about the time the Communists were taking control of China. The novel, written in Scotland, focuses on government overreach, totalitarianism, repression, and the subsequent behaviors in society. Scotland does not appear to have become such a society as the society in the book, but in the Peoples’ Republic of China the role a new currency system anticipated to soon be in place appears to be Orwellian. Baidu, one of the largest Internet companies in the world, is a Chinese multinational technology company specializing in selling goods and services as well as artificial intelligence. On Jan. 30 Baidu published a report indicating the…