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Museum Showcase, World Mints Headline Los Angeles World’s Fair of Money

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by American Numismatic Association on July 10, 2009

The American Numismatic Association’s 2009 World’s Fair of Money® gives visitors the chance to see some of the world’s most beautiful and valuable coins, interact with top numismatists, and explore one of the country’s most exciting cities. The event will be held Aug. 5-9 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and will feature more than 1,100 dealers and vendors, world-class exhibits, 15 mints from four continents and education presentations for every age and interest level.

“This show promises to be the most spectacular numismatic event you’ll ever see,” said ANA President Barry Stuppler. “The exhibits will be the ANA’s best ever, the educational programs and events offer something for everyone, the dealer activity will be high, and the host city ensures great attendance and an exciting atmosphere.”

“This show promises to be the most spectacular numismatic event you’ll ever see,” said ANA President Barry Stuppler.

The Museum Showcase makes its inaugural appearance in Los Angeles, and will be a centerpiece of the convention. Among the rarities on display will be 20 coins from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Numismatic Collection, including the first (1849 pattern) and last (1933) double eagles ever produced, as well as a 1907 Saint-Gaudens ultra high relief pattern that President Theodore Roosevelt gave his daughter Ethel as a Christmas gift in 1907.

Also featured from the Edward C. Rochette Money Museum and private collections are the finest known – and possibly first minted – 1794 silver dollar; America’s first gold coin, the EB-on-breast Brasher Doubloon; an 1879 gold pattern four dollar “Stella”; four of the five known world-famous Liberty Head nickels; and a rare, 490-year-old original copy of the first illustrated, printed numismatic book, Illustrium Imagines (“Images of the Illustrious”).

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January 2010 George Frederick Kolbe Public Auction Sale: The Stack Family Numismatic Library

by CoinWeek
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On January 9th, 2010, George Frederick Kolbe/Fine Numismatic Books will offer for sale at public auction the remarkable numismatic library carefully assembled over seven decades by the New York numismatic firm founded by brothers Morton and Joseph and ably carried on by Norman, Benjamin, Harvey, Susan, and Lawrence Stack. For over fifty years, the fabled American portion of the library has resided in antique bookcases lining one wall of Harvey Stack’s office, and along the opposite wall as well. Other portions of the library were, for many years, located throughout the main floor of the firm’s New York City retail location

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The Ten Rarest Gold Dollars

by Doug Winter
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During the last year or so, I have been working on a series of articles that discusses the ten rarest individual issues in each of the Liberty Head denominations. I haven’t done one of these articles since October 2008 when I wrote about the ten rarest Liberty Head quarter eagles.

Gold dollars are a series that is on my mind right now, especially considering I am selling a wonderful group of Type Three Proofs known as the Tri-Star Collection. This seems like a good segue into this article.

The gold dollar coinage was produced from 1849 through 1889. These are the smallest gold coins struck by the United States mints, both in terms of value and size. Coins were produced at the following mints

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NGC Ancients Grades Armenian Rarity

by CoinWeek
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A box of “old coins” purchased for $28.25 at an estate sale near Burlington, VT held an unexpected surprise: its contents are estimated to be worth more than $15,000 because it included one of the most important Armenian coins in existence.

It was Richard Martineit’s good fortune to be at that auction in October, 2007, where more than 1500 lots were sold in two days. One that caught his eye was lot 1597, a group of 13 coins in a box labeled “Roman & Ancient pieces.” It contained a variety of silver and base metal coins issued from the 3rd Century B.C. to the 11th Century A.D. Highlights included a Roman silver denarius of 41 B.C. with the portraits of warlords Marc Antony and Octavian, and three coins struck by Greek and Roman rulers of Egypt.

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BOWERS AND MERENA AUCTIONS REALIZES MORE THAN $4.2 MILLION IN BALTIMORE IN JUNE

by CoinWeek
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Bowers and Merena Auctions, America’s leading rare coin and currency auction house, returned to Baltimore for the second time in 2009 to present the Official Auction of the Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention at the Baltimore Convention Center June 10-13. The auction of the nearly 2,500 lots realized a total of $4,225,995 over three live sessions, plus the inaugural online session of the official Baltimore auction.

The standout highlight of the auction was lot 757, an 1876-CC Twenty-Cent Piece in PCGS AU-58 with a fascinating history, which realized $207,000. Believed to be one of perhaps just 12 to 20 examples known, this specimen was acquired in Virginia City, Nev., by Gold Rush “Forty-Niner” John Seagraves Pick

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1870 $100 National Gold Note Highlights Currency in Official ANA Auction

by CoinWeek

More than 500 U.S. and world bank notes will be offered in the Official Auction of the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money® conducted by Bowers and Merena Auctions at the Los Angeles Convention Center and online, August 2 – 8, 2009.

1870 $100 Gold National Bank Note, San Francisco Charter #1741

One of the many highlights is an 1870 $100 Gold National Bank Note, San Francisco Charter #1741, The First National Gold Bank (Fr. 1162), graded PMG Fine 12 Net (restorations).

“This classic rarity is one of only eight notes of this type in private hands, and one of three of this Friedberg number. Those others are in strong hands and not likely to become available in the foreseeable future. In fact, only three examples have been offered for public sale in the last decade and the latest example, nearly identical to this one, sold for $258,700 in 2007,” said Steve Deeds, President of Bowers and Merena (www.BowersandMerena.com).

“With collectors holding tightly to the others, we’re not sure when there will be another opportunity to acquire such a rare and elusive note.”

Three other 1870 National Gold Bank Charter #1741 notes are also being offered, $5 (Fr. 1136) PMG VF 30, $10 (Fr.…

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Desirable, Appealing Ancients and World Coins & Paper Money in Official ANA Auction

by CoinWeek

Japanese undated (1860 – 1862) Manen obanA wide selection of rare ancient and world coins will be offered in Bowers and Merena’s Official Auction of the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money® at the Los Angeles Convention Center and online, August 2 – 8, 2009. Ponterio & Associates, Inc., a division of Bowers and Merena, will present the world sessions on Saturday, August 8.

One of the many highlights among the over 1,300 lots of desirable and appealing world coins is a Japanese undated (1860 – 1862) Manen oban (10 Ryo, 112.26 gms) with security edge (Fr. 7; JNDA-09-11; C24a2) in Extremely Fine condition.

“This is a beautiful specimen,” said Richard Ponterio, executive vice president of Bowers and Merena. “This Manen oban is the only type that was produced using machinery. Prior to this type obans were hand made. The use of obans halted shortly after the time of Commandore Perry forcing Japan to open its trade with the west in the mid 1800s.” (www.BowersandMerena.com).

Two other marquee coins in the ANA auction are a rare Year 3 (1911) “Long Whisker Dragon” Tientsin Mint China Pattern Dollar (L&M-28; Kann-223; KM-Pn-304), graded NGC AU-58, and a Macedonia Mende silver Tetradrachm (16.88 gms) ca. 425 B.C.

“This…

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Five Rare Date Gold Coins With Broad Appeal

by CoinWeek

By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com

As I’ve written before, I like coins with what I call “multiple levels of demand.” What this means is a coin that is sought by a number of different sorts of collectors. As an example, the typical Dahlonega half eagle is likely to appeal mostly to a Dahlonega specialist whereas a coin like an 1838-D half eagle might appeal to a broader range of collectors due to its status as a one-year type and a first-year of issue.

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There are not all that many gold coins that have such widespread appeal that they might be tempting to, say a Lincoln Cent specialist. But the coins that I am going to list below are pieces that in my experience have strong cross-collector appeal. I have sold a High Relief, as an example, to collectors who have never bought another St. Gaudens double eagle and probably never will. But I have never sold a rare date Saint (let’s say a 1929 in MS65) to a collector who specialized in Charlotte gold and wanted a rare date like the 1929 just “for grins.”

There are a number of rare gold coins with…

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Bowers and Merena Auction is Highlighted by Exceptional 1854 and 1855 Gold Dollars

by CoinWeek

Bowers and Merena Auctions, America’s leading rare coin and currency auction house, premieres its first of two official American Numismatic Association auctions for 2009 this March. The auction will take place at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, and begins with lot viewing Wednesday, March 11, to Friday, March 13, followed by the two-session auction on Thursday, March 12, at 6 p.m. PST and Friday, March 13, at 6 p.m. PST.

gold_dollars_bm_portland_030009The top lot in Bowers and Merena’s Official Auction of the ANA National Money Show™ is lot 1455, the Pittman Specimen of the Proof 1854 Type II Gold Dollar graded Proof-64 Deep Cameo by PCGS, an extraordinary rarity in the U.S. gold coin series with just four specimens known to exist. Two of the proof 1854 Type II Gold Dollars known are impounded in museum collections, and as such, only two specimens are available for private ownership, including this example being offered in Portland.

“This is one of the most rare and important proof gold offerings of all time from Bowers and Merena Auctions,” said Steve Deeds, president. “The collector who purchases this lot will be joining a highly select group of numismatists. Only…

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