U.S. Mint Announces Designs for Commemorative Silver Dollar Honoring Disabled American Veterans

Proceeds will help fund the National Memorial to Disabled Veterans

The United States Mint today announced the designs for the 2010 American Veterans Disabled for Life Silver Dollar at the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) National Convention in Denver. United States Mint Director Ed Moy unveiled the designs. Under the American Veterans Disabled for Life Commemorative Coin Act (Public Law 110-277), the agency will mint and issue commemorative coins in honor of veterans who became disabled for life while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

The coin's designs, approved by Secretary of the Treasury Timothy F. Geithner on July 30, 2009, are emblematic of the service of our disabled veterans who made enormous personal sacrifices defending the principles of our democracy. The obverse (heads side) design depicts . . .

Full story at: PR-CANADA.net

MSNBC TV asks: Should the motto "In God We Trust" be removed from U.S. currency?

Take the MSNBC poll and let them know where you stand on this issue. Do you think "In God We Trust" should remain on our currency?

So far, over 15 million have responded. See what they said.

Vote and checkout the results at: MSNBC

How 6 people accidentally found a fortune

(Mental Floss) -- We've all been there: a week until payday, the rent is due, and you're rummaging in your parents' attic to find Dad's Mickey Mantle rookie card.

If you're in need of some quick cash, here are six stories of people who found a fortune when -- and where -- they least expected it.

1. Lose a hammer, find a horde

In November 1992, a farmer living near the village of Hoxne in Suffolk, England, lost a hammer in one of his fields, so he asked Eric Lawes to use his metal detector to search for it.

While looking for the hammer, Lawes happened upon something else of interest -- 24 bronze coins, 565 gold coins, 14,191 silver coins, plus hundreds of gold and silver spoons, jewelry, and statues, all dating back to the Roman Empire.

As required by British law, the so-called "Hoxne Hoard" was . . .

Full story at: CNN

Largest Ancient Coin Hoard Ever Reveals New Secrets

(ANSA) - Naples, August 12 - The largest haul of ancient coins ever found has revealed new secrets thanks to the painstaking work of a team of Italian experts. Specialists at the Italian National Research Council (CNR) have just concluded a two-year project involving the analysis and restoration of the cache of Roman coins, which was discovered by accident in Libya nearly 30 years ago. ''As well as the number of coins, this haul is exceptional as it sheds new light on so many areas,'' said Salvatore Garraffo of the CNR's Cultural Applied Technology Institute.

''It provides information about the . . .

Full story at: ANSA.it

2009 Lincoln Professional Life in Illinois Cent Launched

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Aug. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United States Mint launched the third 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One-Cent Coin today on the grounds of Springfield's historic Old State Capitol. The new coin, placed into circulation today, bears a reverse (tails side) design that honors Abraham Lincoln's professional life in Illinois.

"The professional life design--Lincoln speaking in front of the Old State Capitol--sums up his Illinois experience," said United States Mint Director Ed Moy. "Illinois is where Lincoln evolved into a successful lawyer and politician. His service in the state legislature and Congress, and his debates with Stephen Douglas, paved the way to his election as President."

United States Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and Springfield Mayor Tim Davlin joined in the ceremonial launch of the Lincoln professional life one-cent coin.
. . .

Full story at: PRNewswire.com

$80 Million Group of 1933 Double Eagles Lawsuit goes against the Government

In round one of the David vs. Goliath litigation classic, Langbord family vs. Uncle Sam, over the rights associated with 10 1933 double eagles found in what the court termed a "family" safe deposit box, the United States of America came up the decided loser in the results of cross-motions for summary judgment decided July 28 by U.S. District Court Judge Legrome D. Davis.

The U.S. government improperly seized the double eagles and must win a forfeiture case to keep them, Davis ruled.

The collection could be worth $80 million or more. The family had previously asked for the coins' return or a settlement of up to $40 million.

Joan Langbord, the daughter of . . .

Full story at: Numismaster.com

NGC Announces Details Grading to Begin September 1, 2009

Starting September 1, 2009, NGC will begin encapsulating coins with detrimental surface conditions using details grades and descriptions of their impairments. This service will be provided automatically for all NGC grading tier submissions at no additional service charge. The authenticity of details graded coins will be covered by the updated NGC Coin Grading Guarantee, and coins graded under this program will be encapsulated with a distinctive purple NGC Details Grading label.

Coins that previously would have been returned ungraded by NGC, as so-called "No Grades," will now be . . .

Full story at: NGC Collectors Society

One-Kilo Gold Coins Generate Excitement

The largest public display in the U.S. of large format Chinese gold coins will generate excitement at the ANA World's Fair of Money.

The largest public array ever assembled in the United States of huge, modern, certified Chinese gold coins, ranging in size from five ounces to one kilo (32.15 ounces) each, will be displayed at the American Numismatic Association’s World’s Fair of Money® convention in Los Angeles, August 5 – 9, 2009. The presentation comes with an education lesson from the exhibitor, Nicholas Brown of Majestic Rarities in Chicago: “Protect your coins! Protect yourself!”

“There will be over 300 ounces of large, low-mintage gold. It will be the most amazing display of modern Chinese coins ever seen in the United States,” said Brown.

Many of the rare coins in the planned display . . .

Full story at: ngccoin.com

Diver's Recover $22 Million Treasure from Shipwreck

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Divers have concluded a mission to retrieve 9.5 tons of unrefined gold and silver worth nearly $22 million from a shipwreck off southern Argentina.

A border police officer on duty in the city of Rio Gallegos confirmed to The Associated Press that the effort to recover the Polar Mist's valuable cargo ended Sunday.

The refitted Chilean fishing trawler sank Jan. 18, two days after . . .

Full story at: Comcast.net News

Why some low mintage coins have low prices

It's so easy to forget that what really matters in the price of a coin, other than the demand, is not the number that were made but rather the number that survive to the present day in a certain grade. It is repeated over and over again in the case of coins that are less available than we might expect. . . . However, this works the other way as well. Take the 1938-D Jefferson nickel. The 1938-D today, in the minds of those who study mintages, has to be called a . . .

Full story at: Numismaster.com

The History and Coins of Sealand

(Susan Headley: Coins.about.com) Sealand is a nation which is built on a scrap heap - literally! Perhaps the most fascinating of the so-called "micro-nations," Sealand has beautiful coins! But its monarch, Prince Roy, is more pirate than prince...

Full story at: Coins.about.com

U.S. Currency Designs are "Plain Vanilla" Compared to other Countries

Paper money came to America during the early 1860s, when Congress authorized the U.S. Treasury to issue bank notes to help finance the Civil War. Until then, hundreds of different kinds of currency were created by private banks. The first U.S. dollar bill was . . .

Full story at: The Atlantic