Unanswered question for April 2010

Every month, there is over a dozen question asked by my reader about coin, banknote, collection, item price and accessories that related to numismatic world. I cannot answer some of the question because I cannot find any information about it. I am sharing it in here for anyone to give answer for that question. Just make sure you don't spam me with unrelated link. I am editing some of this question to make sure it is relevant to this blog. Keep on giving me question to lunaticg@gmail.com. I will try to answered them.

Photo by Wikipedia: Japanese invasion money.

This month, only one unanswered question for April 2010. Navin asked me about Japanese propaganda money. I am not collecting this kind of banknote because I don't have enough information about them. I too want to know if there is any good books that will help me to understand this notes better. The Japanese dollar was one of several forms of Japanese invasion money issued throughout the then newly expanded Empire of Japan. Similar currencies were issued in Japanese-occupied Burma (as the Japanese rupee), the Dutch East Indies (as the Japanese guilder) and the Philippines (as the Japanese peso). Almost all of the notes contained the text (The Japanese Government “Promise To Pay The Bearer On Demand”).

Navin also asked about Malaysia specimen banknote. I know some of you are collector of this banknote, please share your information in here.

Question by Navin:

Hi,

I am currently doing some research on the Japanese propaganda banknotes. I have book written by Wong from Singapore as a reference for the time being. I have been also searching for this banknotes for some time but its not easy to find...Since you are more longer/experience in this field, i have some questions as below :

a) I only know the Japanese banknote $5, $10 , $100 and $ 1000 over printed as VJ victory is genuine although there are some fake ones. Do you know other type of over printing ( other stamp marks ) which is also genuine ( probably during communist time ? ) I have seen some Japanese banknotes over printed in different stamps in the Internet but not sure its genuine...

b) Probably i am not finding the notes in correct way....Do you think these VJ printing, banknotes with calendar of 1945 and 'Wang Jepun akan mati sama Jepun' is easy to find in market? Is the price stated in KN Boon or Steven Tan book is reasonable or too low?

c) Do you have some books which i can have as a reference regarding this banknotes?

d) Do you have these banknotes or you know other people who wanted to sell this banknotes?

e) Besides that, for Malaysian specimen banknotes, we dont have a price reference....Is it a buyer willingness or you have some price reference?

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Counterfeit New Zealand polymer money

Look like nowadays, polymer notes also cannot run from people counterfeiting it. This counterfeit New Zealand polymer money look like original, only the colour is a little bit different. The news about the fakes $100 and $50 New Zealand currency reported by almost every New Zealand news website yesterday were found in Wellington. Police are expecting more fake $100 and $50 notes to surface in Wellington after a man allegedly tried to use one in an inner-city convenience store.

Photo by The Dominion Post: Seized Counterfeit notes.

Three men have appeared in court on a range of charges after a shop worker noticed what appeared to be a counterfeit bill being used to pay for for a small item early on Monday morning. Tauranga police had warned on Sunday that counterfeit $100 and $50 notes were being used to make small purchases in the western Bay of Plenty so as to get legitimate money as change. A group would go into a store and distract shop staff as the counterfeit notes were handed over, police said.

Police believe the counterfeit notes may have been used elsewhere in the North Island. Detective Sergeant Martin Todd said the Wellington convenience store attendant realised the $100 bill was forged and called police, who arrested a man while he was in the store. From there two other men were arrested and several forged bills found on them and at a Wellington address.

"It would be nice to think we got them before they went too crazy.., but we anticipate there may be more calls to police (about the notes)," Mr Todd said yesterday.

"These fake notes vary in colour and texture to legal tender notes.

"My advice to retailers is to ensure any $50 or $100 bank notes.., are carefully checked to ensure they are the real thing."

In Wellington District Court on Monday, Brian Charles Henare, 21, was charged with attempting to use a forged $100 note and possessing three $100 and two $50 forged notes.

Whetu Williams, 18, was charged with having a forged $100 note.

Christopher Isitol Uritua, 26, unemployed, was charged with having under his control 41 forged $100 notes and two forged $50 notes.

He was also charged with possessing five forged $100 notes and using a forged bank note with intent to obtain property dishonestly.

All the charges relate to incidents in Wellington on Monday and no pleas were entered. The men, from Auckland, were remanded on bail until May 17.

Source: The Dominion Post

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Westminster Mint Tea Party Coin Design Contest

Westminster Mint Inc., of Minneapolis, one of the U.S.’s largest silver bullion dealers launches Inaugural Tea Party Coin Design Contest. The winning design will be the design of its new one-ounce .999 pure silver “Tea Party” Coin, to be unveiled in July 2010. The deadline for submitting a design for this 39-millimeter coin is 4 July 2010. The winning design will incorporate a variety of themes pertaining to Tea Parties, such as fiscal conservatism, protests, bailouts, taxes, healthcare and the national debt.

On 16 December 1773, colonists protesting against British government taxation boarded a ship and threw large quantities of tea into Boston Harbor . The “Boston Tea Party,” as it came to be known, was a pivotal event in the growth of the American Revolution. More than 200 years later, a series of citizen gatherings called “Tea Parties” were organized in early 2009 to protest government spending, banking and automobile industry bailouts, and the economic stimulus package. Thousands of these events have been held across the country over the past year, including more than 750 on April 15, 2009. The inaugural National Tea Party Convention was held in Nashville , Tennessee , on Feb. 8, 2010, and many more “Tea Party” protests are planned for this year, especially following passage of the controversial healthcare reform bill.

“We’re seeing an increased demand for silver bullion as more and more people invest in silver and gold due to the state of the economy,” said Westminster Mint President Ian Clay.

“We’re also seeing numerous requests through our custom minting division for barter coins and tea party coins. We want to mint a silver bullion coin that speaks to the growing dissatisfaction among U.S. taxpayers, as manifested by the significant number of Tea Parties that have emerged in recent years. We believe that this coin design will draw more attention to these important issues.”

The contest is open to anyone living in the United States, designs must be submitted by mail to Westminster Mint, 3300 Fernbrook Lane , Plymouth , MN 55447. The grand prize for the winning design of the inaugural Tea Party Coin Contest will be $1,000 worth of .999 silver coins stamped with the winning design. The winner will also receive the first coin off the press, as well as the hand sculpts created by sculptor Phyliss Hamilton. Westminster Mint will then create coins featuring the winning design and sell them to the public, and will donate a percentage of the profits to local Tea Party Political Action Committees.

Source: Westminster Mint

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Ancient coin found in Egypt

Last week, Egypt Archaeologists found more than 2,250 years old coin. A news announced by Egypt culture ministry says that archaeologists have uncovered bronze coins bearing the image of ancient Egyptian ruler King Ptolemy III in an oasis south of the capital. The coins were found north of Qarun lake in Fayoum Oasis 50 miles southwest of Cairo. The coins weighed 32 grams (1.12 ounces) each, with one face depicting the god Amun and the other the words "king" and "Ptolemy III" in Greek along with his effigy.

Photo by AP News: King Ptolemy III coin

Founded by one of Alexander the Greats generals, the Ptolemaic Dynasty ruled Egypt for some 300 years, fusing Greek and ancient Egyptian cultures. The Ptolemaic dynasty ruled from around 330 BC to 30 BC and was Egypt's last Greek ruler before the country fell under Roman. Queen Cleopatra was the dynasty's final sovereign. Archaeologists unearthed 383 bronze coins dating back to King Ptolemy III who ruled Egypt in the 3rd century B.C. and was an ancestor of the famed Cleopatra, they were in excellent condition.

Photo by AP News: hoard of 2,000-year-old bronze coins.

Other artifacts were unearthed in the area included three necklaces made of ostrich egg shell dated back to the 4th millennium B.C., parts of a whale skeleton around 42 million years old and a pot of kohl eyeliner from the Ottoman Empire. The ministry said it was the first time Egyptian archaeologists had found necklaces made from ostrich eggshell at Fayum. The objects will all be displayed in the new Egyptian museum under construction near the pyramids of Giza.

Source: Associated Press.

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Safe deposit box unclaimed property auction

Do you know what happen after you don't claimed your item from safe deposit box that you rent from bank? In United States, it will be auctioned by The State Treasurer Office. In a news I found via masslive.com, State Treasurer's Office shows off abandoned property up for auction on eBay, beginning yesterday. The items up for auction are all unclaimed property found in safe deposit boxes that has been turned over to the state by various banks. When the rent on a safe deposit box lapses, the banks will open the lock and seek to return the item to the rightful owner. If the owner cannot be found, the property is turned over to the state treasurer’s office, which takes over the search.

Photo by Republican staff Michael S. Gordon: Beatles watch.

Some of the items that will be auctioned, what looked like a beat-up quarter with a hole in it, but was actually a George Washington funeral medal issued by the Boston Masonic Lodge upon the first president’s death in 1799. A Silver Beatles watch, a gold version sold for $230,000, this version is silver but still such a historical and rare item. Under the watchful eyes of two state troopers, members of the public could look over the several cases of rare coins and paper money, jewelry, watches, and assorted knickknacks that will be put up for auction. One case on display Thursday contained about $250,000 in gold and diamonds, and officials were hoping it would being in twice that at auction.

Photo by Republican staff Michael S. Gordon: Unclaimed paper money.

James F. Roy and officials with the abandoned property division had several cases on display in the lobby of the Western Massachusetts State Office Building, 436 State St, as part of a one day stopover. From Saturday through July 1, the state hopes to auction off 2,500 lots of abandoned property, ranging in value from a few cents to as much as $70,000. Roy would like to bid on the medal, but can’t. As tangible property manager for the state treasurer’s office, Roy is not permitted to bid on anything in the auction.

What about Malaysia, are abandon safe deposit box items in Malaysia will also be auctioned? Do anyone know about this? This kind of auctioned will certainly something that I will not missed. But selling them on eBay will bring up some competitor for the bid.

Source: masslive.com

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10 levs Silver Belogradchik Rocks proof coin

On 22 April 2010, The Bulgarian National Bank has issued a commemorative coin for the country’s top tourist attractions, the Belogradchik Rocks. The 10 levs Silver Belogradchik Rocks proof coin has a nominal value of BGN 10, and will be sold by the Bulgarian National Bank for BGN 54. Only 4,000 coins will be minted and circulated worldwide. The artistic image of the Belogradchik Rocks on the back of the coin has been authored by Vanya Dimitrova. This is the second commemorative coin issued by the BNB in 2010. The first one was dedicated to the 140th year since the establishing of the Bulgarian Exarchate.

Photo by Bulgaria National Bank: Belogradchik Rocks Commemorative coin.

The Belogradchik Rocks, located near the northwest Bulgarian town of Belogradchik, are miraculous sandstone and limestone rock formations of up to 200 m in height with various shapes resulting from erosion. They form a strip which is 30 km in length and 3 km in width in the northwestern part of the Stara Planina (Balkan) Mountain. Every single rock is named after a real object that it resembles. The rock range varies in color. The Belogradchik Rocks were declared a natural landmark in 1949. The ancient Belogradchik fortress is also located among the rocks.

Photo by wikipedia: Belogradchik Rocks.

The Belogradchik Rocks are spread over the western part of the Balkan Mountains and cover an area of 50 km2. They extend from the village of Rabisha in the west to the village of Belotintsi in the east. The central group of rocks is situated just to the south and adjacent to the town of Belogradchik. Located here are the most interesting and impressive formations: Adam and Eve, the Mushrooms, the Schoolgirl, the Bear, the Dervish, the Shepherd Boy, the Lion, the Camel, the Madonna, the Horseman, the Monks, the goddess Bendida, the Rebel Velko, and many other stone figures. In September 2008, Belogradchik was named as one of twenty finalists by the European Commission as a “European Destination of Excellence.” In January 2009, the Belogradchik Rocks were named as Bulgaria’s nomination in the campaign for the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

The obverse of the coin Features the BNB logo and the year ‘1879’ on the strip; the inscriptions ‘БЪЛГАРСКА НАРОДНА БАНКА’ (Bulgarian National Bank), ‘2010’ and the nominal value ‘10 ЛЕВА’ (levs) in circumference.

The reverse of the coin features a depiction of the Belogradchik Rocks and inscriptions ‘БЕЛОГРАДЧИШКИ СКАЛИ’ (Belogradchik Rocks) and ‘ПРИРОДЕН ФЕНОМЕН’ (natural phenomenon) in circumference.

Specification:

Year of issue: 2010
Nominal value: 10 levs
Type of metal: Ag 925/1000
Quality: proof
Weight: 23.33 g
Diameter: 38.61 mm
Edge: flat
Mintage:4,000
Minted in:Sofia, Bulgaria
Artistic design: Vanya Dimitrova

Source: Bulgaria National Bank, novinite.com.

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New US $100 dollar bill

US $100 dollar bill get a new face lift yesterday 21 April 2010. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke announced that the new notes will be issued on February 10, 2011. The best new security feature for the notes is its 3D Security Ribbon by Crane & Co. called Motion, containing up to 650,000 microlenses embedded in the printing which allows for an underlying image to shift when the bill is moved. The blue 3D Security Ribbon on the front of the new $100 note contains images of bells and 100s that move and change from one to the other as you tilt the note. The Bell in the Inkwell on the front of the note is another new security feature. The bell changes color from copper to green when the note is tilted, an effect that makes it seem to appear and disappear within the copper inkwell.

Photo by Wall Street Journal: New 100 dollar banknote.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke announced that the new notes will be issued on February 10, 2011. He also announced that when this new design $100 note is issued on February 10, 2011, approximately 6.5 billion older design $100s already in circulation will remain legal tender. US currency users should know they will not have to trade in their older design notes when the new ones begin circulating. Although less than 1/100th of one percent of the value of all US currency in circulation is reported counterfeit, the $100 note is the most widely circulated and most often counterfeited denomination outside the US.

Photo by newmoney.gov: obverse of $100 dollar.

Photo by newmoney.gov: reverse of $100 dollar.

The new design for the $100 note retains three effective security features from the previous design: the portrait watermark of Benjamin Franklin, the security thread, and the color-shifting numeral 100. The new $100 note also displays American symbols of freedom, including phrases from the Declaration of Independence and the quill the Founding Fathers used to sign this historic document. Both are located to the right of the portrait on the front of the note. The back of the note has a new vignette of Independence Hall featuring the rear, rather than the front, of the building. Both the vignette on the back of the note and the portrait on the front have been enlarged, and the oval that previously appeared around both images has been removed. Finally, the 2009 redesign marks the first time the signatures of the Treasury department executives are placed on one side, and that the signature of the Treasury Secretary is above that of the United States Treasurer.

This banknote sure is beautiful and will make it harder for forgers to make the counterfeit bill. Counterfeit $100 notes using 5 dollar bill will also be useless when this notes finally replace the old one. You can find more detailed description of the new redesigned $100 dollar note and its features by visiting www.newmoney.gov.

Source: newmoney.gov, Wall Street Journal, mashable.com, Wikipedia.

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Toronto TV wrong report on toonies

A wrong report by a TV station in Toronto regarding a fake toonies make everyone searching for information about it. A news reported by CBC News stated that the station reported Tuesday that it had obtained a couple of counterfeit two-dollar coins following a tip from a downtown Toronto merchant who said he "gets them by the truckload."A comparison of a 2008 two-dollar coin, left, and a coin from 1996 reveals a redesigned effigy of the Queen that is larger than the one featured on the older coin.

The next day the Royal Canadian Mint had issued the following statement:

Since 1996, Canadian two-dollar circulation coins have been produced with two different images of the Queen: a smaller crowned portrait (from 1996 to 2002) and a larger uncrowned portrait introduced in 2003 to update the image of Her Majesty on all Canadian coinage.

This last effigy has appeared on all Canadian circulation coins (one-cent, five-cent, 10-cent, 25-cent, 50-cent, one-dollar and two-dollar denominations) produced since June 2003. All circulation coins bearing these effigies are genuine and are to be accepted as legal tender in Canada.

If, for any other reason, there is suspicion of a non-genuine coin, Canadians are encouraged to contact their local law enforcement authorities.

The first-ever incident of known toonie counterfeiting took place in 2006, when the RCMP and Quebec police broke up a counterfeiting ring near Montreal that was manufacturing high-quality loonies and toonies.

As reported in the CBC News; Alex Reeves Royal Canadian Mint spokesman said the mint encounters fake Canadian coins "very rarely." Attempts to counterfeit Canadian currency traditionally focus on banknotes, where the payoff for the counterfeiter is much greater.

Preliminary figures for 2009 show that about 70,000 counterfeit bills were passed or seized in Canada last year. The most common counterfeit was the $100 bill (27,061), followed closely by the $20 note (25,776). The RCMP says more fake bills were seized in British Columbia last year than in any other province (21,259). An RCMP raid on a Surrey, B.C., home in May 2009 turned up $130,000 in fake Canadian bills.

In the last few years, the Bank of Canada has brought in a series of new security features for all Canadian banknotes — like holographic stripes, raised ink and watermarks — that have made it more difficult to pass fake bills. RCMP stats show the number of fake banknotes passed or seized has generally declined since 2004, when 650,000 phony notes were found.

Look like not only Malaysian who don't know their money very well. Its funny when a TV station doesn't do their research before release the news on air. For me. this is most probably a way to gain popularity for the TV. Since Toonies and Loonies will be change to a new metal next year, everyone want to make sure they can get a piece of it. By the way, that is a very good record on counterfeiting. The only news I can find about Toonies and Loonies counterfeiting is in 2006.

Source: CBC News, Royal Canadian Mint.

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Counterfeit toonies, do they exist?

A reader asked me how to check for counterfeit or fake toonies? She have some toonies with the center pop out from the coins. Is that fake or original and how to check? For information, many toonies in the first shipment of the coins were defective. It could separate if struck hard or frozen, as the centre piece would shrink more than the outside. This problem was quickly corrected by the Royal Canadian Mint. Toonie popping is a normal thing in a few month of its introduction. Some people are selling this as a mint defect and gaining profit from it. This Month, Canada Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty had announced that Loonie and Toonie would be change to steel in 2011. He didn't mention if the $2 coin will continue to be ringed and bimetal. The changes are definite, only the design have not been announced yet.

Photo by Coincommunity.com: original and fake toonies

However, the only story of large fake toonies being caught is in October 2006. Royal Canadian Mount Police (RMCP) and Quebec Police found a highly sophisticated counterfeit ring that was manufacturing fake loonies and toonies. RCMP Corporal Luc Bessette said the fake money can easily be mistaken for the real thing. According to experts, it would be really hard for a normal person to make the difference between the two. The counterfeit coins weighed the same as real currency.

RCMP stumbled on the operation by accident. On Sept. 14, police in Repentigny, a city northeast of Montreal, accompanied Revenue Quebec officials to a metal token manufacturing factory in an industrial park to carry out a search warrant for GST evasion. When officials entered the factory, located at 119 l'Écuyer, Suite 400, they discovered coin-making equipment, buckets of coins almost ready for circulation, and raw materials.

Toonies exist since the withdrawal of $2 bills in 1996. You need to realize the fact that it has been over 10 years, someone already knew how to make a fake toonies. Normally, people don't check for fake coins because their value is so small. You can check the sound of fake and original coins by dropping them one at a time on a hard surface like wood but it will be time consuming. Especially if you have hundreds of them. Other way is by looking at the centre piece, the metal is not well bonded to the coin. You might pop up the centre with a little bit force using your thumb. I wish that can be any help. Will try to update if I found any story relating to this.

Source: CBC News, Coin Community.com, Wikipedia.

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1979 Malaysia 50 Cents Extra Dot variety

A reader asked me about where is the dot on Malaysia 1979 50 cents -extra dot variety? I am telling him that the extra dot is on the smaller Parliament building. There is a tiny group of dots not far from the extra dot. Promise him to post a picture if I can find any. I am also telling that reader, that I am not Malaysia rare, error or extra variety coin collector. I will only buy it if the seller sell them at a cheap price. I received many e-mail asking about coins and banknotes. I am not an expert numismatist, just an ordinary coin collector who love to share what I find in the Internet, I will always try my best sharing what I know with anyone.

Photo by: eBay kenlynn74

Before I am talking about this coin, this is just some notice to all reader who try to e-mail me. Some of your email do come with viruses and I will not open or reply to that email. Please make sure that any of your attachment already scan with your anti virus software. Normally I will reply to your e-mail in one or two days, if I don't reply within that time, most probably your e-mail is in my spam box. Try to e-mail me again with no attachment sent together with the email. Some of you asking me about my collection, I am not like other collector who love to share their collection with anyone, sorry on that. I will most probably share it for numismatic purposes but not to show what I have in my collection.

Back to that question about that Malaysia 1979 50 cents extra dot. I search the Internet for that coin and I found it from one of the long time seller in lelong. I found him selling his coin in eBay. Still remember him because he always sale his hard to find coins at a very attractive prices. Kevin Wan or kenlynn74 have that Malaysia 1979 50 cents extra dot coin for sale. He is a trusted seller, I stop buying from him since I can't find him in lelong. Last item I bought from him is 2 pieces of Queen Victoria Straits Settlements 50 cents. The price for this item currently; RM30 for very fine, RM80 for extremely fine and RM120 for Uncirculated. Its hard to find uncirculated condition for this item and the price maybe will be going up again for this coin.

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Australian Commonwealth Silver Coinage 1910-2010 1oz

This commemorative issue celebrates the 100 anniversary of the introduction of Commonwealth silver coins in Australia. The history of Commonwealth silver coins in Australian coinage were started in 1901 when, under the new Constitution, control of Australia’s currency was vested in the Commonwealth. Subsequently, the Coinage Act of 1909 saw the replacement of British gold, silver and bronze coins with the Commonwealth’s own coinage, beginning with the 1910-dated Australian florin, shilling, sixpence and threepence depicting King Edward VII. However, British coins continued in use until 1910, when Australian silver coins were introduced. Australian pennies and half-pennies were introduced into circulation the following year.

First Australia Commonwealth Silver Coinage: Australia 1 shilling. Reeded Edward VII obverse: EDWARDVS VII D:G: BRITT. OMN: REX F: D: IND: IMP: Design by: George William de Saulles Reverse: 1908 coat of arms of Australia (with ADVANCE AUSTRALIA on ribbon) Design by: W.H.J. Blakemore The coin’s coloured reverse portrays King Edward VII and a collection of Australia’s florin, shilling, sixpence and threepence coins issued in 1910. Incorporating The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mint mark, the design is encircled by the inscription CENTENARY OF AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH SILVER COINAGE 1910 - 2010. This coin issued as legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965, the coin depicts the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the 2010 year-date on the obverse. Technical Specifications: Silver Content (Troy oz) 1 Monetary Denomination (AUD) 1 Fineness (% purity) 99.9 Minimum Gross Weight (g) 31.135 Maximum Diameter (mm) 40.60 Maximum Thickness (mm) 4.00 Designer Darryl Bellotti

This coin is available online and no more than 7,500 of these magnificent sets will be released by The Perth Mint. Accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity, each coin is housed in a presentation case and blue box shipper depicting a coloured image of King Edward VII and Australia’s first silver coins. This commemorative issue is struck from 1oz of 99.9% pure silver in proof quality.

Source: Perth Mint, Wikipedia

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British Columbia Coat of Arms gold coin

Royal Canadian Mint had been releasing British Columbia Coat of Arms gold coin for 2010. Only 500 pieces of this $300 dollars will be minted by the mint for worldwide circulation and it will be shipped at the end of April 2010. The original Coat of Arms of British Columbia was granted to British Columbia by a Royal Warrant of King Edward VII on March 31, 1906. This is a fifth issue in this series of 14-karat gold bi-annual coins. Coats of arms originated in the Middle Ages. They could only be granted by the king, a tradition that led to an intriguing story for the Coat of Arms of British Columbia (BC). While the province requested a coat of arms in 1897 and a Provincial Shield was granted in 1906, the official arms were not granted until 1987, some 90 years later.

Highlights: This series of 14-karat gold coins provides a unique portrait of Canada, made all the more collectible with a limited mintage of just 500 coins for this latest issue. With a fascinating history and unique status as the first provincial arms to include the Royal Crest, this coin is an absolute must for collectors.

Reverse: A faithful reproduction of BC’s Coat of Arms, the first arms to be granted the Royal Crest. It appears above the Shield with one distinguishing mark; the lion features a garland of dogwoods, BC’s floral emblem. Below the Crest is the golden helmet of sovereignty with other heraldic elements. The elk and bighorn sheep represent the former colonies (Vancouver Island and mainland respectively) while the wavy lines in the Shield reflect BC’s location between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains.

Specification:

• Mintage: Limited to 500 coins worldwide
• Composition: 14-karat gold (58.33% gold, 41.67% silver)
• Finish: proof
• Weight: 60.0 g.
  
• Diameter: 50 mm.
  
• Edge: serrated.
• Certificate: serialized.
• Face value: $300
• ArtistRoyal: Canadian Mint engravers (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse).

British Columbia Coat of Arms Symbolism:

Crest:
The crest is the Queen's royal crest (a gold lion statant gardant—standing on all fours and facing the viewer—wearing the royal crown), difference with a garland of Pacific Dogwood, the provincial flower.

Shield:
The shield features a Union Flag in chief, with a crown (known heraldically as an antique crown) at its centre. In base it has the sun setting into the ocean, representing the province's location on the Pacific.

Compartment:
The compartment is a garland of Pacific Dogwood.

Supporters:
The supporters are an elk stag and a bighorn sheep. The wapiti of Vancouver Island and the bighorn sheep of the mainland of the province symbolize the union of the two colonies which united to form British Columbia in 1866.

Motto:
The motto Splendor Sine Occasu, is written in Latin and essentially means "splendour without diminishment" or "beauty without end."

This coin is available online at The Royal Canadian Mint website.

Source: Royal Canadian Mint, Wikipedia.

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Fake 50 ringgit in Desa Setapak

A news in Malaysia Star reported about three hawker stalls and one newspaper vendor were cheated in the past two weeks by customers who paid using forged notes at their shops in Desa Setapak, Kuala Lumpur. The victims were paid the RM50 notes during peak business hours and they did not have the time to check. The news reported that the notes are made using half a RM50 note and the other half printed and pasted on paper. What I heard is that they used two paper and glue it together so the the security thread look realistic.

Photo by Star: Chan showing fake RM50 notes.

“There were so many customers at my shop so when I received the RM50, it never occurred to me to check. I only realised it was fake at the end of the day when I was counting the day’s collection. The particular note felt different,” said hawker stall owner Chan Kam Wii.

Coffee shop owner Tan Poh Teng said his workers also received two fake RM50 notes during a busy period.

“I took the money to the bank and then only then found out about the fake notes.”

The victims highlighted the matter to MCA Wangsa Maju chairman Datuk Yew Teong Look.

“Forgery is a serious offence and I will report this to the police. I advice the public, especially those conducting businesses, to look out for these culprits,” he said.

Yew said notices on the forged notes would be placed in the Desa Setapak area to alert the public.

Photo by Kosmo: Ko Oong showing 4 of the fake notes.

Forgery is an offence but without a good enforcement team, people will keep on going making counterfeit banknotes. Forgery happen in so many country. Even United States have problem with fake notes but they have a very good enforcement team. Putting notices will not helping since not everyone know how to check for fakes notes. For me, that is just a political way to settle people complaint. In the end, that place will be vandalize with new ah-long advertisement "Awas! Wang Kertas palsu RM50". Wish that notice will come with a phone number.

Source: Star.com.my, Kosmo.com.my

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Tungsten coin advertisement?

Today I found an advertisement from a Chinese website that claimed they can produce a tungsten gold coin; found it via kitco.com forum. After I knew about tungsten can be a good substitution alloy for gold, whenever I found any news about it, I will read and try to understand. I been told that there is no evidence of a tungsten coin been proven yet. The only proven thing about tungsten replacing gold so far is in one old video from Germany. This advertisement maybe will alert us that one day, tungsten gold coin in your bullion coin maybe will exist. If they can find a good cheap way to produce them.

Here is what the company claimed can do with Tungsten:

Why tungsten alloy is used as gold substitution?

In theory, as its density is 19.1g/cm3, which is approximately 70% denser than lead, uranium could be used as material of making fake coin. However, it is weakly radioactive and not as dense as gold, so it does not appear to be a practical method.

Then people have discovered that tungsten is environmental-friendly, durable and hardness, the most important is that its density of 19.25g/cm3 is just about the same density as gold (19.3g/cm3), which bears the similar specific gravity. These advantages make tungsten enjoys the superiority to be the best substitute for the costly metal of gold or platinum. It is necessary to tell that alloying gold with tungsten would not work for several reasons but a coin with a tungsten center and gold all around it could not be detected as counterfeit by density measurement alone.
The appliances for tungsten alloy as gold substitution:

Nowadays, tungsten alloy is increasingly used in some field relevant to gold or platinum substitution, such as: jewelry, e.g. ring, ear ring, necklace, wrist chain, etc. Also, it is widely adopted in making souvenir coins, such as memorial crown and other application such as watch band.

Since tungsten alloy bears a special property of longevity and high durability, when it is utilized to make jewelry, it always implicate the love between lovers or couple could be everlasting. Its hardness makes it ideal for rings that will resist scratching, are hypoallergenic, and will not need polishing, which is especially useful in designs with a brushed finish.
Chinatungsten offer tungsten alloy as gold substitution:

We are well accustomed to exploit more innovative applications of tungsten products. Gold-plated tungsten is one of our main products.

In details, pure tungsten, in the forms of round disc, plate, sheet, ring, and etc., can be perfectly coated with gold layer with clinquant shine, to replace gold or platinum merchandise except its currency function.

If you are interest in this information, please feel free to contact us. Any questions or enquiries about tungsten alloy products will be welcomed by email.
Tungsten Alloy Coin Tungsten Ring
Notice: Chinatungsten Online (Xiamen) Manu.&Sales Corp. is a very professional and serious company, specializing in manufacturing and selling tungsten related products for more than two decades. Our gold-plated tungsten alloy products are only for souvenir and decoration purpose. Here we declare: Please do not use our gold-plated tungsten alloy products for illegal purpose.

website: tungsten-alloy.com

The issue here is that this company advertising their product with a picture of Australian Gold coin without Queen Elizabeth II head. That is just maybe a marketing strategy but that really make people wondering if they can really produce fake gold coin filled with Tungsten. What I understand it is very hard to put an image on tungsten since there is no machine that can accurately produce same image as on the coin yet. Most probably the fake coins will not have the same image as the original one. Their weight also will not have the same exact weight as original. The fake tungsten gold bullion coin is still hard to produce but there is a possibility it will be exist one day.

Currently, this company is just selling gold plated tungsten paper weight but who know they just saying that to cover their customer. If you were selling fake items to anyone, do you want to tell everybody that you supply that kind of thing to the rest of the world? Fake and imitation item is a big business in China. I am not saying this company produce fake item, just sharing that the probability of fake tungsten coin is still possible. Just make sure you buy from a reputable dealer not some cheap gold bullion seller from the Internet.

Source: Kitco.com forum.

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Australia 2010 World Heritage Sites coin

The Perth Mint’s celebrate Australia $1 2010 coins to commemorate stunning Australian landscapes and marine environments inscribed on the World Heritage List. The coins are available individually, the coins can also be acquired in special five-coin pack. The coin sets celebrate 5 of Australia famous heritage sites; The Greater Blue Mountains, Great Barrier Reef, Heard Island & McDonald Islands, Shark Bay and The Tasmanian Wilderness. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that is on the list that is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.

Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000, the Greater Blue Mountains just to the west of Sydney consist of more than one million spectacular hectares of sandstone plateaux, escarpments and gorges dominated by temperate eucalypti forest. The coin’s reverse depicts the Three Sisters rock formation from Echo Point in colour. The design includes a Blue Mountains Tree Frog, an inhabitant of the region’s rocky rivers and streams.

Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981, the world’s largest coral reef system abounds with marine life including 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish, 400 species of sponges and beautiful marine mammals such as whales, dolphins and dugongs. The coin’s reverse depicts a representation of tropical corals in colour. The design includes a green sea turtle, one of six species of protected marine turtle that occur in Australian waters.

Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997, the pristine ecosystem of these sub-Antarctic islands in the stormy waters of the Southern Ocean 4,000 kilometres south-west of Perth is largely unaffected by human activity or introduced species. The coin’s coloured reverse represents the Islands’ rugged landscape. The design includes macaroni penguins, one of several species that breed there.

Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1991, Shark Bay, an area of 2.3 million hectares on the most westerly edge of the Australian continent, is the remarkable meeting point for tropical, desert and temperate climatic regions. The coin’s coloured reverse symbolises sea grass in Shark Bay’s sun-warmed waters. The design includes a dugong, a wonderful inhabitant of an area teeming with marine life.

Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982, the Tasmanian Wilderness, a rugged landscape shaped by glaciers, comprises parks and reserves representing one of the last large temperate wilderness regions in the Southern Hemisphere. The coin’s coloured reverse symbolises a waterfall in a primeval Tasmanian forest. The design includes an Eastern quoll, a marsupial considered to be extinct on mainland Australia.

Obverse: Issued as legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965, the coin bears the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Technical Specifications: Monetary Denomination (AUD) 1 Maximum Gross Weight (g) 13.80 Maximum Diameter (mm) 30.20 Maximum Thickness (mm) 3.10 Designer Ryan Vanderwiel

This coin is available online at The Perth Mint website. The coin is housed on an eye-catching presentation card which has a fold-out stand for upright display.

Source: Perth Mint, Wikipedia

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Largest world currency collection?

A Monetary Museum in Purbalingga, Central Java claimed has a complete collection of currencies from 183 countries, largest world currency collection as reported by Jakarta Post. Inaugurated by Purbalingga Regent Triyono Budi Sasongko six months ago, the museum broke the country, or even the world, record as the museum with the largest collection of foreign currencies. The award was presented by Paulus Pangka from the Indonesian Records Museum (MURI). The Museum has been open since 18 December 2008.

Photo by albumphotodeni.blogspot.com: Museum money collection.

This museum is located in the same complex as three other museums in Kutasari village, Kutasari district, only about 4 kilometers north of the heart of the capital of Purbalingga regency. The other museums are the Reptile Museum, the Wayang (Puppet) and Archeology Museum and the Museum of Science and Technology. The three museums, along with a nearby reptile park, were inaugurated at the end of 2009.

Prayitno, a spokesman for the Purbalingga administration, said the Monetary Museum was built on an idea from the regent, who will retire soon. “His term will end in April. He had a huge collection of foreign currencies, so the museum was constructed so that the public could enjoy his collection too,” he told the Post.

Prayitno said that Regent Triyono had collected the international currencies when he traveled to other countries. “He said every time he left the country, he would change some money and bring it home for his collection. He did it a long time ago, when he was an employee at the Home Ministry.”

Photo by Jakarta Post: A visitor looking at the collection using magnifying glass.

Triyono acknowledged that the money at the museum was his private collection. He started to collect foreign currencies more than 15 years ago. The regent, who is currently in the post for his second term, hoped that after his term ended, the currency collection could become his memorial and an educational resource for people, especially Purbalingga residents.

“I can say that the museum has the largest collection in Indonesia, and maybe in the world. That’s why it has received an award from the Records Museum (MURI) as the museum with the largest currency collection,” Triyono said recently.

He said whenever he traveled overseas he would buy foreign currency at the airport before he left for home. “I always bought foreign currency. I bought it with my own money. I enjoy collecting currency from various countries, including old coins. As my collection grew, I do not know where to keep it all, so I make the best of it by building a monetary museum,” Triyono said.

He hoped the existence of the museum would improve the tourism potential in Purbalingga.

“Before the museum was built, the number of tourists in 2008 and 2009 had reached more than 1 million in a year. Hopefully, there will be more tourist arrivals in the future,” Triyono said.

Photo by albumphotodeni.blogspot.com: Museum money collection.

Photo by albumphotodeni.blogspot.com: Museum antique and vintage item collection.

This is one museum I certainly want to visit. I am looking for other information about this museum but cannot find any. Look like this museum is allowing their visitor to take picture of their collection. I has seen many blogger posted their photo in the museum. It is certainly a big different in Malaysia since most museum in this country doesn't allowed photo taken in their premise. Maybe they afraid of theft and break in or just don't want to hire a reliable security guard.

Source: Jakarta Post, albumphotodeni.blogspot.com

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Famous Ballets 1oz Silver Proof Set

Another beautiful silver coin by Perth Mint, Famous Ballet 1oz pure silver had already been released last month. Ballet is a formalized type of performance dance, which originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century. To treat devotees of dance, Perth Mint introduced the coins in magnificent set symbolise five of the world’s favourite ballets. The coloured ballet coins combine characters and symbolic imagery representing Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Cinderella. Each coin is struck by The Perth Mint from 1oz of 99.9% pure silver in proof quality. With each of the coin reverse incorporates The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mint mark.

Five Favourite Ballets:

The reverse of the Don Quixote coin depicts Kitri dancing in a marketplace surrounded by imagery of her village and a windmill.

The reverse of The Sleeping Beauty coin depicts Prince Florimund and Princess Aurora at their wedding surrounded by imagery of thorny ivy and a castle.

The reverse of The Nutcracker coin depicts Clara dancing with the Nutcracker prince and a winter scene comprising snow covered trees in the background.

The reverse of the Swan Lake coin depicts the dying swan surrounded by imagery representing a lake in the forest.

The reverse of the Cinderella coin depicts the heroine dancing with a straw broom and fairytale imagery of pumpkins and a pumpkin carriage.

Obverse: Issued as legal tender under the authority of the Government of Tuvalu, each coin depicts the Raphael Maklouf effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the 2010 year-date.

Technical Specifications (each coin):

Silver Content (Troy oz) 1 Monetary Denomination (TVD) 1 Fineness (% purity) 99.9 Minimum Gross Weight (g) 31.135 Maximum Diameter (mm) 40.60 Maximum Thickness (mm) 4.00

This coin is available online and no more than 2,500 of these magnificent sets will be released by The Perth Mint. Each set is housed in a charcoal-coloured presentation case with a shipper featuring foiled illustrations of ballet dancers. Each set is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

Source: Perth Mint, Wikipedia

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