I’m a big fan of the Wikipedia project, a free, community-run online encyclopedia and I just discovered that they have quite a bit of useful information about coins. The first one I came across was the nickel, which gives a great overview (replete with images) of the history of the United States Nickel.

The United States Mint is announcing today that it will develop a program to manufacture 24-karat (99.99% fineness) uncirculated gold bullion investment coins in early 2006. This will mark the first time that the United States Mint will produce 24-karat gold coins. Upon completion of a successful test strike, the designs, specifications, quantities and denominations will be considered. Possible themes for the images on the 24-karat gold bullion coins will be presented by teleconference at the April 28, 2005 meeting of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee at the United States Mint in Washington. The potential global market for 24-karat gold bullion coins is estimated at $2.4 billion.

“The United States Mint intends to match and exceed world class business practices with this new 24-karat gold bullion coin,” said Director Henrietta Holsman Fore. “There is a demand, both here and abroad, for 24-karat gold coins. We want to meet this demand by providing the highest quality and most beautiful coins in the world, the standard that investors and collectors have come to expect from the United States Mint.”

It is expected that the program will have two phases, starting with an investor-grade uncirculated 24-karat gold bullion coin, followed by a 24-karat numismatic collector proof coin. The Treasury Secretary would approve the designs, denominations and quantities of the coins.

The United States Mint is currently the world’s largest manufacturer of 22-karat (91.67% fineness) gold bullion investment coins, as well as silver and platinum bullion coins. The United States Mint’s 22-karat American Eagle gold bullion program will continue. The 22-karat American Eagle is the world’s top gold bullion coin with 95% of sales occurring in North America. However, there is an international market for a 24-karat coin, which is becoming the industry standard.

The United States Mint intends to produce the new 24-karat gold bullion coins for both domestic and foreign investors, coin and precious metal dealers, banks, brokerage firms and other companies, who would obtain them through authorized purchasers. The United States Mint approves authorized purchasers after ensuring that they have met rigorous standards.

Purchases of foreign-minted 24-karat gold coins represent almost a third of all gold bullion coins purchased annually in the United States market. Currently, 60% of all global bullion sales are of 24-karat gold products.

(via US mint)

Here’s an interesting story I came across. A coin dealer is going to put into circulation $4,000 worth of rare coins. I wonder how long it will take to unearth the coins.

Here’s an excerpt from the article (for the full article, use the link at the bottom).

Dropping a coin in the “Leave a Penny/Take a Penny” tray next to the cash register might be the smallest charitable act there is. But Monday, leaving one cent could cost someone two grand.

Jeffrey Angello, owner of American Coin & Stamp Co. on Main Avenue, is going to spend a rare penny worth $2,000 at a store somewhere in Passaic, Bergen or Essex counties.

Throughout the day, he and his family are going to shop and put back into circulation 107 coins with a total value of about $4,000.

Angello’s generosity is his way of celebrating American Coin & Stamp’s 50th anniversary.

“It’s kind of a way to give back and promote the hobby,” Angello, 41, said last week of his plans to give away the coins.

The entrance to Angello’s store is nondescript, secured by a buzzer. Behind the door, the Angello family’s precious coins, which took 50 years to amass, lie under glass, shining through small plastic bags and nestled in felt cases. Despite the care Angello has taken to acquire the coins and maintain the business he took over from his late father, he wants to release some of the collection for diligent numismatists to unearth.

(via bergen.com)

This evening it was brought to my attention that a site I had linked to on the coin collecting links had the content switched. It used to be a helpful site related to coin collecting, but was later changed. This is a tactic, referred to as a bait and switch, is often used by unscrupulous webmasters. I sincerely apologize to anyone who may have inadvertently visited that extremely unpleasant site.

I have reviewed the rest of the links on the links page to make sure there weren’t any similar problems. In the process, I found several links that had changed or were no longer as relevant, so I’ve cleaned those up as well. If you happen to find any other sites that I link to where the content has changed and is no longer relevant, please let me know. It’s hard to keep track of all the links on the site so your help is very much appreciated.

Lastly, if you know of really useful coin collecting web sites, I’d love to hear about them. Just include the URL in a comment and I’ll check it out and possibly add a link. If the site is especially impressive, I will probably write an article about it to share it with others.

Thanks for your continued support and readership and happy collecting!

The April 12 launch of the Minnesota state quarter drew thousands to the State Capitol in St. Paul.

State celebrities and politicians, including Gov. Tim Pawlenty, joined with U.S. Mint Director Henrietta Holsman Fore in the celebration.

“The images on your quarter beckon us to Minnesota,” Fore told the crowd. “We see a loon gliding on a tree-lined lake as two friends fish nearby. This is the first of the 50 state quarters that celebrates fishing, and many of us would like to be in that little boat, baiting our hooks, listening to the haunting call of the loon.”

After the launch, coin collectors of all ages exchanged paper bills for rolls of Minnesota quarters.

School children were treated to programs on history, science, math and reading-oriented learning activities, as well as a play about the importance of saving money.

A coin collectors forum was held on the eve of the launch. Fore discussed with attendees what could be done to improve America’s coinage.

The quarter celebrates the state’s nickname, “The Land of 10,000 Lakes.”

Gov. Pawlenty chose the design recommended to him by the Minnesota Quarter Dollar Commission. Other designs under consideration were the “State with Symbols” design, which included a snowflake, a loon and a plow, and the “Mississippi River Headwaters” and the “Fisherman/Lake Recreation” themes.

(via collect.com