Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2021 i World Coin News

Had you been a common laborer living in Jerusalem during the transition period between when the city was controlled by the Sunni Abbasid caliphate and the Shiite Fatimid dynasty one gold dinar would likely be the equivalent to a month’s salary. Four of the coins would likely be the monthly salary for a minor official. Finding four such coins today in a small pottery jar while excavating to install an elevator at Jerusalem’s Western Wall would be a delight to Israel’s archaeologists. Such a discovery was announced November 8. The Jewish Quarter Development Corporation had started building an elevator to make the Western Wall Plaza more accessible to visitors when the jug was encountered. Construction plans include an elevator and underground passageway between the Jewish Quarter of the Old City…

The world has its newest and largest trading block. Along with this new trading block comes the possibility the 15 countries involved may consider using a common currency. On November 15Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea joined the 10 Association of Southeastern Asian Nations or ASEAN members to form the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. The ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Each of these 15 countries has its own independent currency—for now. The trading block already enjoyed low tariffs. These tariffs will become even lower through the RCEP. The United States pulled out of an 11-nation trans-Pacific trade deal involving most of these countries about three years ago. India can join the RCEP if it meets market opening requirements,…

It’s a little bit early to start previewing the New York International Numismatic Convention auctions, but for world coinage these are the next offerings of high quality material to be anticipating. Heritage World Coin Auctions is cataloging their consignments for the NYINC sale every day in anticipation of their event set to take place in Dallas and online of course and these are some of the highlights I have been noticing at this early phase. Some of the most dazzling coins for a Mexican collector are Royal Presentation strikes. We call these simply Royals. They were produced at the same time as the crudely struck cob coins, produced from pieces of silver or gold cut to the proper weight and stuck with hastily constructed dies. Royals, on the other hand,…

The French Excellence series has been a true hotbed of creativity in coin design and manufacture. These collaborations between the Monnaie de Paris and many different houses of fine French craftsmanship have produced wonderful technological and artistic solutions resulting in many unique coin designs. For this year’s French Excellence program the Monnaie de Paris has teamed up with Berluti, famous for its patinated leather shoes. Berluti Maison has built up a tremendous amount of expertise and a fine reputation over its 125 years of leather shoe creation. To create this very special coin in the series, Joaquin Jimenez, General Engraver at Monnaie de Paris and winner of the 2019 Lifetime Achievement in Coin Design, immersed himself in the history of the Maison and its identity and came out with this…

I’m new to coin collecting. Just how good an investment is it? You used collecting in one breathe, then investment in another. These are two different subjects. A collector collects. This may be due to pride in ownership, the desire to assemble a collection of something, or because the person enjoys his own private museum. An investor is into real estate, the stock market, coins, or whatever strictly to make money. The investor has no love for what he invests in, simply using it as a vehicle through which he will reach his goal. Coins can be either, but I would not suggest trying to accomplish both jointly for the average person. Why would you say the average person shouldn’t attempt to invest in and collect coins at the same…

On November, 15, 2020, in Norwich a unique gold stater of Caratacus was sold by Elizabeth Cottam of Chris Rudd Ltd for a record-shattering £88,000 (hammer price £71,000, estimate £30,000). “This is the highest price ever paid for any Celtic coin anywhere in the world,” says Liz, “and considering the historic importance of Caratacus – Britain’s first famous freedom fighter and first national hero, and considering the uniqueness of the coin – the one and only gold coin of Caratacus ever found – I believe it’s the biggest bargain we’ve ever sold. In my opinion Celtic coins are still widely undervalued. If the Caratacus stater had been a Roman coin of similar rarity and similar importance it would unquestionably have realised well over £1 million, like that aureus of Brutus…

Perhaps the total number of numismatic objects illicitly in the hands of terrorists, smugglers, or other individuals trying to keep one step ahead of the law is not as large as some publicity suggests. Nonetheless the problem is real. One such example was recently touted on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website. In an October 30 statement ICE announced, “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Assistant Director for International Operations Patrick J. Lechleitner, returned two 9th century Italian manuscripts and a Roman coin, a contorniato, during a repatriation ceremony at the Italian Embassy in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. In addition, Ambassador Armando Varricchio for the Italian Embassy in the United States and Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Mary Royce renewed a…

Australia has issued a new circulating commemorative $2 coin that comes roaring onto the numismatic scene like a wildfire. That’s because the coin marks the recent wildfire season by honoring the firefighters in Australia who risk their own lives to save the lives and properties of others. According to Royal Australian Mint General Manager Mark Cartwright, “‘The Mint is immensely aware of the bravery and sacrifice that goes into being a firefighter. Providing some financial benefit back to the firefighting community is a tangible way for us to assist these critical organizations to prepare for the summer ahead.” Cartwright continued, “‘These coins serve as an everyday reminder of the ongoing commitment of our firefighters and emergency service personnel to protect our lives and property.” It is the everyday reminder part…

SUPPLEMENT TO Numismatic News World Coin News Bank Note Reporter INTRODUCTION Welcome to the 2021 Coin Show & Auction Guide. This special supplement to Numismatic News, World Coin News and Bank Note Reporter features the hobby’s most complete listing of coin shows and auction firms. The guide is divided into three separate sections. First, the Auction Guide pages provide an alphabetical listing of auction firms. Next, the Show Guide section provides geographical details about numismatic shows scheduled for the year. Finally, for a chronological listing of coin shows, turn to the Showdex section. Auction Guide  The Auction Guide section provides an alphabetical listing of auction firms. AAA Historical Americana - World Exonumia, P.O. Box 4143, Rockford, IL 61110; (815) 226-0771; fax (815) 301-9696; email hartzog@exonumia.com; website www.exonumia.com. B. Ahlstrom Mynthandel…

In our last issue we provided a preview of the 80th Auction presented by Heidelberger Münzhandlung Herbert Grün. This sale offered a stellar selection of 19th Century German Talers alongside a fabulous collection of the coins of Nuremberg. We focused primarily on the Talers, but would like to provide a recap of some of the best post-auction highlights in both areas. Among the many standout German Talers Auction 80 offered are a handful which created some very hyper-active bidding. Lot 538, a Bavarian Convention Taler of 1802 realized $75,250 on an opening bid of just $15,175. That’s a head spinning climb and must have caused a great deal of excitement for all involved. My excitement comes in that I am uncertain if this very rare type has ever been entered…

The World Coin News club show and commercial events calendar is a guide to events with a focus for world-coin collectors. Domestic events scheduled up to 10 weeks in advance of the issue date and foreign events up to six months in advance are listed. 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. PO Box 44, Magnolia, DE, 19962. John, PH: 610- 937-0332 or Ed, PH: 215- 275-1569 or johnbach@ comcast.net. JANUARY Jan 3 IL, Collinsville. 62nd Annual Coin Show. American Legion Hall, 1022 Vandalia Ave.. SH: 9am - 4pm. SP: Dupo Coin Club. A:…

The headline of a July 31, 2018 Forbes magazine article read: “Rampant Antiquities Theft Threatens Cultural Heritage Around the World.” The article addressed Europol’s Pandora III operation cracking down on the illegal antiquities trade. According to the article, “The operation resulted in the arrest of 59 individuals and the recovery of more than 18,000 cultural objects, including Greek and Roman coins, a 15th-century Bible, and a Mesopotamian crystal cylinder seal.” Just how much of a problem is the trade in illicit coins and other items of cultural value? One of the main arguments for the repatriation of antiquities, including coins, to the country of origin is due to the black-market trade in these objects. While some countries want these objects returned to their place of discovery using the argument the…

Should we be politically correct? Should we replace Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman on the U.S. $20 Federal Reserve note? Jackson is viewed as having been pro-slavery while Tubman represents the opposition. Jackson’s views on slavery were to a different standard at another time in history. Those standards have changed, yet at the time this is being written Jackson remains on the $20 bank note. Jackson’s vignette continues to appear more out of tradition rather than due to any change in attitudes towards the former president or what he might represent. We can learn about our past using numismatics as our medium. Perhaps Jackson will yet be replaced with Tubman on a bank note, but that doesn’t mean there will be a book burning where all notes on which Jackson…

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Nov. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Collectors Universe, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLCT) (“Collectors Universe” or the “Company”), a leading provider of value-added authentication and grading services to dealers and collectors of collectibles, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement under which an investor group led by entrepreneur and sports card collector Nat Turner, D1 Capital Partners L.P., and Cohen Private Ventures, LLC (the “Investor Group”) will acquire all of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock for $75.25 per share in cash. The transaction represents a premium of approximately 30% over the Company’s 60-day volume-weighted average price ended on November 25, 2020, the last full trading day before today’s announcement. The transaction, which was approved by the Collectors Universe Board of Directors, represents fully diluted…

Today’s interconnected world has blurred the boundaries of trade and innovation between one country and the next. However, there were some surprising intersections of coinage technology between the East and West even in the late 1800s. What do the US Mint, the state of New Jersey, and the government of Szechuan, China, have to do with one another? The answer is the Ferracute pattern coinage of the late 1890s. In 1896, the Imperial Government of China was in need of modernizing the Chengtu mint in the province of Szechuan. Current technology was inefficient and large-scale, western-style production was impossible, so the search began for a company to supply new minting equipment and dies. The British Royal Mint was contacted first. They made a few pattern coins and submitted a bid…