New circulating type:

“50 livres 2006″

(image and information from Michael Reissner)

Submitted by World Coin News
New 50 cents commemoratives:
“40th Anniversary of the Moon Landing”
“Australia Day 2010″

New 1 dollar commemoratives:
“200 Years of Postal Services in Australia”
“Lunar Series #4 - Year of the Tiger”
“100 Years of Australian Coinage”

(information by Peter Kaminsky and Pabitra Saha)
LINK: Royal Australian Mint
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Submitted by Ancient Coin Cleaning And Restoration

I shot the attached coin photograph using a new lighting technique I have been experimenting with for a few weeks. I am sharing the photograph in hopes of getting some feedback. It is not unusual for an artist to ask for objective feedback and that is what I am [...]

New 50 cents commemoratives:

“40th Anniversary of the Moon Landing”
“Australia Day 2010″

New 1 dollar commemoratives:

“200 Years of Postal Services in Australia”
“Lunar Series #4 - Year of the Tiger”
“100 Years of Australian Coinage”

(information by Peter Kaminsky and Pabitra Saha)

LINK: Royal Australian Mint

As many knows, the US Mint’s public view of technology barely makes it to the end of the 20th century. While other government sites have used the change in administration to refresh their websites, the US Mint is now beginning a “study” as to what they should do. The way the US Mint’s administration manages themselves, it would surprise me if they change their website before the end of the

There once was a saying that you should not argue with someone who buys ink by the barrel. In this case, maybe Gary Marks of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee should consider how they deal with a blogger with an active blog. Mr. Marks commented on my response without understanding the point that if the CCAC had better communications outlets, we may not be having this discussion.Here is the

My last blog entry, CCAC Dropped the Ball… AGAIN! appeared on CoinNews.net and generated an interesting response from Gary Marks, a member of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. Mr. Marks writes:As a member of the CCAC, I read Scott Barman’s article, “America the Beautiful Quarters, CCAC dropped the ball again” with great interest.According to Berman, [sic] his opinion about the CCAC’s

January 25, 2010: US Mint Coin Production, Predictions on Gold, Rare Coin Market

January 25th, 2010

Welcome to Coin Update!

We provide a round up of the latest news and articles on coins and coin collecting from various sources around the internet! First, the decline in US Mint circulating coin shipments and seigniorage for the latest fiscal year. Also, the first 2010 Lincoln Cents reach circulation channels, predictions on 2010 coins and metals, America the Beautiful Quarters obverse, pictures of gold,  SS Central America gold coins and ingots, today’s rare coin market, and notable auctions. On to the links…

An examination of the steep decline in shipments of US Mint circulating coins for the 2009 fiscal year and the unit costs to produce each denomination.

The first 2010 Lincoln Cents have been encountered in circulation. This comes ahead of the official launch ceremony scheduled for February 11, 2010.

The latest installment of survey results from the Mint News Blog survey. Respondents provided predictions on 2010 coins and precious metals performance. The average prediction for the closing price of gold at the end of the year was $1,375,13.

For a more pessimistic view of gold, check out this Huffington Post article, which makes the case for lower gold prices.

A response to an article that was linked to last week, which explained that the CCAC backed down from a recommendation to put Theodore Roosevelt on America the Beautiful Quarters due to a lack of support from Congress.

Value trends for gold coins and ingots recovered from the SS Central America.

A collection of 37 photographs of people searching for, mining, rediscovering, celebrating, buying and selling gold. (Found via coinflation.)

Some perspectives on the size and scope of today’s rare coin market.

Coverage of the recent sale of the 1913 Liberty Nickel from the Sacramento Bee that starts out with some comparisons about how kids collected coins in years past and today.

And now for some notable auctions. Several eBay sellers have new Lincoln “Union Shield” Cents already in hand. Here are the current auctions for 2010 Lincoln Cent Rolls.

Next, the 2009 P & D SMS Bronze Lincoln Cent 8 Coin Set. This is one of numerous no reserve auctions from Modern Coin Mart this week.

Last, the popular 1918 Illinois Centennial Half Dollar, which depicts Abraham Lincoln on the obverse.

That wraps up another update!

Eagle Stampede or Last Gasp for Buyers?

The U.S. Mint had a good day of sales when the 2010 gold and silver American Eagles became available to the authorized distributors Jan. 19.

Buyers snapped up 2,440,000 silver American Eagles.

Gold American Eagle buyers took 49,000 of the one-ounce coins, only these were divided between old and new dates. The 2010 coins totaled 30,500 and the 2009 total was 18,500.

For a single day, these numbers are huge. Compared to final mintages for last year, they are tiny.

Trying to figure out where we go from here and whether we will get the proof versions back in 2010 and even the “W” mintmarked uncirculated version is basically a bet on whether you believe the Mint will be able to get ahead of the demand curve in the present 12-month period called 2010.

The Austrian Mint, no slouch in the world bullion coin market, said some weeks ago that demand for its gold coins would fall by 30 percent. A similar fall in gold American Eagles would take the 1,386,000 mintage of the 2009 gold Eagles down below a million pieces to 970,200. That would leave more than enough planchets available for any and all collector versions.

A demand decline would also allow the early return to the market of fractional gold American Eagles. In 2009 the market had to wait until December to get them.

Can demand for the silver American Eagles top the 2009 total of 29,134,000 coins?

There is little U.S. historical precedent from which to make a judgment. Look back at the mintages of the 1921 Morgans and 1922 and 1923 Peace dollars and you see mintage numbers of the same order of magnitude.

However, demand for silver dollars then was officially induced as they were replacements for the 270 million coins that were melted under the terms of the 1918 Pittman Act. The Treasury needed them to back Silver Certificates.

By 1928 the official demand ended and Peace dollar mintages were suspended until the economically unsettled years of 1934 and 1935 when President Franklin Roosevelt was trying any and every means to get the economy rolling.

Instead of a renaissance, the 1930s Peace dollar mintages were the last until an abortive 1964 attempt to revive them.

As with gold, any decline in silver Eagle demand in 2010 would hasten the return of the proof and the “W” uncirculated versions this year.

Once collectors have gotten used to the gap in their silver Eagle proof sets where the 2009 coins should be, they likely will climb back on the bandwagon and buy proofs at levels similar to or even higher than before.

Collectors who feel deprived of something often buy in greater numbers at their next opportunity. That could mean loads of silver proof Eagles in 2010.

So back to the results of Jan. 19: however you interpret the numbers, the salient fact is the Mint has generated sales of approximately $100 million in one day. That boggles my mind as I recall 1968 annual proof set sales of just $15 million.

Numismatically worthless is defined on this coin terms glossary page.