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HomeNewsCoinWeek Weekly Coin & Currency News Roundup – April 15, 2016

CoinWeek Weekly Coin & Currency News Roundup – April 15, 2016

wrapup

By Coinweek ….
For this week’s coin and currency news roundup, we focus on several updates of news stories we’d covered in previous roundups – as well as continue to explore a few general trends in numismatics and culture-at-large.

Of course there’s some new stuff as well, so let’s get right to it.

Brain Food

1.) A History of Kiwi Money

Bank of New Zealand one-pound note

1870s: Depiction of Māori on Bank of New Zealand one-pound note. Courtesy Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand

A little over a month ago, we posted about a pictoral history of Irish coins on men’s mag website Joe.ie. This week, it’s New Zealand’s turn to deliver the goods.

A History of NZ Money

2.) Dollar Origami

Hawaiian artist Won Park does wonders with dollar bills and the Japanese art of folding paper (origami). Coin Update recently published a little write-up that features a handful of his pop-culture-influenced designs.

A Look at the “Dollar Origami” of Won Park

The Future Is Now

3.) The Cashless Society

A lot of people are wary of the idea of a “cashless society”, where commercial transactions involved the shifting of bits in electronic ledgers and physical coins and currency are a thing of the past. This article by Sarah Jeong for The Atlantic does nothing to alleviate those concerns.

How a Cashless Society Could Embolden Big Brother

4.) Stealing Elections with Bitcoin

Speaking of the cashless society, this article from Bloomberg Businessweek highlights one of the many troubling possibilities of using a decentralized electronic currency.

Good thing the people in charge of regulating our monetary policy are stalwart guardians of democracy…

How to hack an election using bitcoin

How to Hack an Election

Crime & Punishment

5.) Australian Artist’s Coin Goes Missing

A coin belonging to the family of important “Australian impressionist” Tom Roberts was recently donated to the Primer Minister’s Office for a public collection.

It changed hands twice and went missing.

The family heard about it second-hand three months later.

Tom Roberts’ Great-Granddaughter Disappointed after Coin Gifted to Prime Minister’s Office Disappears

6.) Pony Express Charges Dropped

80-year-old Missouri resident Richard Follet was arrested and arraigned earlier this month for the alleged theft of six gold coins from the Pony Express Museum in Saint Joseph. Now, surveillance footage from a local store has proven that Follett was shopping there with his wife at the time of the theft.

All charges have been dismissed.

The real thief remains at large.

Charge Dismissed in Museum Coin Theft

Counterfeit Cavalcade

7.) NORFED Liberty Dollars Being Passed

Police in Oneonta, New York are warning businesses to be on the lookout for counterfeit coins with denominations of $10 and $20.

Apparently, someone is trying to pass NORFED “Liberty Dollars” as real currency. These actions belie Liberty Dollar creator Bernard von NotHaus’ defense in court of his motives for producing these particular silver bullion rounds, for which he was ultimately convicted of counterfeiting (among other related charges) and sentenced to three years probation in 2014.

Police Warn Against Phony $10 and $20 Coins

Current Events

8.) Panama Papers & the Art World

Last week, we talked about the leak of the so-called “Panama Papers” of the law firm Mossack Fonesca (actually based in the British Virgin Islands; the Panamanian association is one of many attempts to keep the focus of the story off the real criminals).

This week’s update on the Panama Papers is all about the shady business practices of the art world, and with the ever-growing investment potential of rare coins and other numismatic items, many worthwhile parallels can be drawn between the two markets.

Explosive ‘Panama Papers’ Highlight Art’s Role in Lives of Tax-Dodging Superrich

Chinese Auction House King Named in Panama Papers

How Offshore Firm Helped Billionaire Change the Art World Forever

9.) TD Bank Follow-Up

And in another follow-up to last week’s roundup, the TD Bank coin counting machine saga continues, with TD Bank removing all of its Penny Arcade coin counting machines from active service.

Bank Pulls Coin Counters After Accuracy Is Questioned

10.) Japan Prints More ¥10,000 Notes

The hoarding of coins and currency has bedeviled central governments and other economic policy makers for ages. The latest to take action against the problem is the Japanese finance Ministry,which plans to print new ¥10,000 banknotes to compensate for the fact that more and more people are holding on to their cash instead of spending it.

Japan to Print Additional ¥10,000 Bills as People Stash Cash

Upcoming Auctions & Events

  1. Numismatica Scaligera New Fixed Price List
  2. EBW Nashua Third Sunday Coin Show: April 17
  3. Philatetic and Numismatic Association of Bologna XXIV Spring Congress: April 22 and 23
  4. Pre-Publication Offer on David W. Lange’s Library of Coins Book
  5. Sincona AG World Coin Auction: May 18-20

 

CoinWeek
CoinWeekhttps://coinweek.com
Coinweek is the top independent online media source for rare coin and currency news, with analysis and information contributed by leading experts across the numismatic spectrum.

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