Coin collectors everywhere may rejoice. The coins you handle are not going to give you diarrhea and they’re really not as dirty as your mother used to make you think.

Notes and coins are not nearly as dirty or germ-ridden as people think, a study has shown.

The research, conducted over a year, found low levels of common bacteria on the currency traded through food outlets in Australia and New Zealand.

However, the number of bacteria was so insignificant that it would be impossible for them to cause diarrhea, vomiting or the other gastrointestinal symptoms they are usually believed to cause.

Dr Frank Vriesekoop, of the University of Ballarat, who led the research team, said the study proved that fears about currency hygiene were unwarranted.

“There’s been so much hype,” Dr Vriesekoop said, “but, in fact, the chances of you picking something up from your cash are virtually non-existent.”

His team of researchers collected more than 800 coins and notes from outlets where shop assistants handled food and cash.

On the 20 cent and $1 coins and $5 and $20 notes, they found the extremely resistant spore bacillus, which causes gastroenteritis, and the opportunistic organism staphylococcus, commonly found on the skin.

The intestinal bacteria E. coli, which causes diarrhea, was present on some notes, and salmonella bacteria on a few coins.

Coins were far less dirty than notes, probably because some organisms cannot survive on metal.

The team said the Australian currency was marginally cleaner than that of New Zealand.

Researchers also found that credit cards had the same levels of bacteria as hard currency.

The research is part of an international study that is expected to prove that the polymer notes used in this part of the world are far less bacteria-prone than paper notes.

Early results from the Middle East, in particular, showed “extremely dirty paper notes”, but it was too soon to draw conclusions, Dr Vriesekoop said.

(via smh.com.au)

Nick Dorado e-mailed me with a problem: Too much money!

To be more specific, he literally had pounds and pounds of coins, collected and saved by his grandfather. He stored them in a safe-deposit box for years, always wondering if he had some rare penny or other collector’s item that would be worth far more than its face value.

Or perhaps he was paying storage charges on bags of coins that could be better spent on bus fare.

We decided to find out.

I arranged an appointment at Harlan J. Berk, Ltd., respected Chicago coin dealers, and members of the Professional Numismatists Guild (www.PNGDealers.com). Berk himself is a past president of the guild. Going to a reputable coin dealer is important because you’ll never know which coin might be the rare and valuable one – or if you’re getting paid an appropriate price for your coins.

Of course, you could use the annual “Guidebook of United States Coins.” But most people who inherit coins saved by family members don’t have any idea of what to look for in matching coins to the book illustrations. They all seem pretty much alike to an amateur, and coin prices can change frequently.

Berk’s company does not charge a percentage fee for an appraisal. He says that skews the appraisal process. Instead Berk charges $150 per hour. That gets you a written appraisal, which you can use for insurance purposes. There is no fee if Berk buys the coins or if you just want a verbal appraisal.

Nick arrived at the appointed hour, toting a satchel full of coins. They’d been stored for years in purple velvet Crown Royal drawstring bags, plastic containers and wilted brown paper lunch bags.

The “collection” also included some large-sized bills – paper money left over from an earlier era.

It was an impressive hoard – but would it be worth anything?

Berk, Nick and I discussed the possibilities, while Berk’s right-hand man, Bob Greenstein, started sorting the coins with amazing speed, and no apparent rhyme or reason.

The collection contained a lot of pennies, and Berk whetted our appetites by pointing out that a 1955 penny “double-die” from the Philadelphia mint could be worth as much as $1,500, depending on the condition. In that year, and at that mint, a number of coins were struck by a malformed die stamp – resulting in what looks like two separate images.

I could see the headlines already, but then Berk pointed out that the odds were a billion to one of finding such a penny.

What was piling up were “wheat” pennies, minted in 1958 before a change in 1959 that put the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse side of the penny in honor of the 150th anniversary of his birth. Today wheat pennies are worth about 1.5 cents each. And you thought a penny wasn’t worth much today.

Another penny, a 1943 steel cent, was worth about a nickel. And there were some Morgan silver dollars in the collection, worth about $9 each. The values were literally piling up.

Among the paper money was a $1 silver certificate overprinted “Hawaii” during World War II. A bill with this wording could automatically become de-monetized should the U.S. lose the Hawaiian Islands in the war. Today the bill is worth upwards of $10. A 1928 dollar bill was the first series to replace the large size bills previously issued, and was worth about $10.

While we were talking, Nick’s eyes kept wandering to Bob’s sorting job. Bob was now using a small calculator to total up the values of the separate piles.

When all was said and done, Nick’s collection was worth $754.50, far more than his wildest dreams. Nick was ready to sell.

I stopped him and asked what he planned to do with this “found money?”

Nick said he’d probably just deposit it in the bank. I made a suggestion. We’d been looking at some U.S. gold coins in the nearby case. I pointed to a U.S. $20 gold piece from 1923. At that day’s gold price, it would cost $725.

I gently suggested he might consider turning his old coins to gold – true alchemy. Nick took the suggestion, bought the coin, and pocketed the change to buy lunch after stashing his new gold coin in the now-empty safe-deposit box.

Nick Dorado. His name means Gold. It seemed like fate. Nick did find gold in those dusty bags of coins. And he’s hanging onto it. That’s the Savage Truth.

(via Chicago Sun Times)

I ran across a site called Coinsmith, where a man by the name of Charles Larson has created replicas of ancient Greek coins as well as more modern (but still old) Mormon coinage. The site is rather sparse so I wasn’t able to figure out how to purchase a replica or even how much one costs assuming they’re for sale. The FAQ says it’s coming soon, but it’s been over a year since the page was modified so it may be a while.

He’s also written a few books about Numismatic Forgery and making coins in general and it looks to be a fascinating look at how early coins were made.

I hope he adds more information to the web site eventually, and maybe he’ll undertake a few more replica projects, perhaps an 1804 Silver Dollar?

Coin collecting can be fun in and of itself, but associating with others who have the same interest can enhance your enjoyment of the hobby. It’s also a great way to learn from others and share what you know with them.

Another benefit is that you can meet local coin dealers, who often attend club meetings. It gives you a chance to become involved in your community by helping out with coin shows and other club activities.

So, if you’re a beginning collector and want to learn more about the hobby of kings, or you’re a seasoned collector who would like to share your knowledge with others, or if you’re somewhere in between, a coin club is a great place to go.

The best resource I know of (if anyone has any other resources, please let me know) is the ANA Club Directory, where you can find the closest club to you by state, zip code, club name or club specialty.

And if there isn’t one close by, you can always start your own!

WASHINGTON - The Senate gave the green light Thursday to a proposal to have the Treasury Department issue a half-million $1 commemorative coins in 2009 to honor the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.

The measure had more than 70 Senate sponsors, including Illinois Democratic senators Dick Durbin and Barack Obama. It now heads to the House, where another Illinoisan, GOP Rep. Ray LaHood, is among the sponsors.

The proposal is part of a package of plans prepared by the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission established by Congress to organize the observance of the anniversary of the birth of the nation’s 16th president.

“Abraham Lincoln is a true American hero, and his life can provide inspiration to Americans of any age and background,” said Durbin, a commission co-chair, along with LaHood. “Lincoln demonstrated enormous courage and strength of character during the Civil War and throughout his life, ensuring that the United States remained one nation, united and inseparable.”

Supporters of the martyred Republican president say the special series of dollar coins will pay tribute to the former Illinois resident’s life and work.

The design for the coin would be determined by the secretary of the Treasury Department, after consultation with the Commission of Fine Arts and the bicentennial commission. It also would be reviewed by a citizens’ coinage advisory committee.

Last year, the Congress approved plans to issue a series of one-cent coins in 2009 to honor the anniversary of Lincoln’s birth.

(via belleville.com)