John Lennon £5 coin

A commemorative £5 John Lennon coin had been released by Royal Mint. The limited edition coin shows Lennon with long hair and sideburns and his trademark round glasses. It will have a face value of £5 and the coin is priced at £44.99. Only 5,000 will be offered for sale. Struck in sterling silver to Proof quality, the coin comes in a splendid display case complete with a Certificate of Authenticity guaranteeing the specifications of the coin and paying tribute to the genius of John Lennon.


Lennon won the Royal Mint's public vote for the next "Great Briton" to be immortalised on a limited edition coin. Other names on the shortlist were Jane Austen and John Logie Baird. The Beatles singer, assassinated in 1980, now joins William Shakespeare, Sir Winston Churchill, Charles Darwin and Florence Nightingale in the series.

Dave Knight, director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint, said: "It's entirely fitting that John Lennon has been chosen by the public in what would have been his 70th year.

"The massive proportion of the vote he received shows clearly just how much his untimely death still resonates with the nation.

"He ranks alongside, and even ahead of, some of the greatest names in history and the Royal Mint is proud to commemorate a genuine British legend."

Lennon fans launched Facebook and Twitter campaigns to ensure the Liverpudlian legend came out on top. A total of 27,874 people, 92% of those who voted, nominated Lennon for the £5 coin. Only 5,000 of the coins, issued as Alderney tender, have been minted. A one off 24carat gold version of the coin will be given to the John Lennon Estate.

Specification:
Denomination: £5
Alloy: .925 sterling silver
Weight: 28.28g
Diameter: 38.61mm
Designer (Reverse): Danuta Solowiej-Wedderburn
Designer (Obverse): Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS

Source: BBC, Yahoo News.

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Mr Chai were robbed recently

I am at Amcorp Mall Petaling Jaya just now. Someone informed me that Mr Chai,a coins and notes elderly dealer in Seremban (used to owned a bourse table in MNS auction) was robbed by three robber in his home recently.The robbers impersonate as potential buyers snatched and robbed three albums of Mr Chai's notes collection. There are replacement notes,Rm50,RM500,Rm1000 big bills as well.Worth many thousands. . If any of you come across someone selling a nice condition notes at a cheaper price, do beware, that items most probably a stolen item.


I think most of regular MNS auction visitor and maybe some of you Singaporean reader, knew him. He sell good item at a very considerable price. I don't remember if I had his photo in my collection. Mr. Chai, if you read this and don't want me to publish this news, please do email or called me at. If you can help send me the details of the items that had been stolen, I will sure help you put it in here. So everyone can read and alert if those items on sale online or offline. This is the only way that I can think to help you.

Please share this information among our friends, so this culprits can get caught. Who know if this items will be going out in website, forums, mudah.my or lelong.my. This guys maybe will be selling their items cheaper then market value. Will update if there is any new news later.

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I am on the way to Penang

I am on my way to Penang today. This is maybe the last hunting trip for this year or maybe not. For the start of my journey, a car rental service canceled my booking yesterday at around 5pm. They give a reason lack of stuff to send the car to Penang international Airport. Maybe that is true since Deepavali will be coming just around the corner. Its hard to find a budget car rental after office hour. Maybe will try my luck and find one when I arrived in Penang. I fly early morning around 6.50 am and should be arrived around 7.45 am. Well of course I am flying with Airasia, another budget transportation in Malaysia.

What do I expect in Penang? One thing, I need to find many items that had been asked by my customers and friends to find and hunt. Some item already found, I just need to confirm the grading and pay for them. Some item include Straits Settlements coins and banknotes, Malaysia coins and some tokens that already found by my runner. I also received a last minutes help request by a friends looking for Parliament coin series for denomination of 20 sen and 50 sen year 1969; 50 sen for year 1992,1993,1994,1995 for Bunga Raya series in at least Uncirculated condition. I know its hard to find but will always try my best.

Will be busy for the whole day today. As usual, I will be hunting around Jalan Chulia, Jalan Masjid Kapitan Kling, Komtar and if I am lucky enough to get a budget car rental, most probably will be hunting on the mainland as well. To anyone new in this blog, you need to read my old post for hunting trip label. Wish everyone a happy weekend.

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I meet Malaysia experts yesterday

I meet Malaysia experts in Numismatic yesterday night. I feel how my knowledge in numismatic is so small if I need to compare what he tell me last night. He want to keep anonymous for some reason but I will accept it. For me, he is a Malaysia Numismatic experts in Malaysia error coins and Malaysia counterfeits coins. When I said Malaysia in this post, its also means Straits Settlements, Malaya and Malaya & British Borneo. This is because he collect all of the coins and refer them as Malaysia.

Photo: Malaysia coins stamped with chinese character.

His explanation of the Malaysia error coins are very detail. He will explain to you what happen in the factory when the minting process of the error coins with as much detail he can. I am not collecting any error coin but I learn many thing about it from him yesterday. I can only wish, one day, he willing to sacrifice his time and money to write a book about Malaysia error coins for future generations readings. In Malaysia, numismatic books that had been written by Malaysian for Malaysia coins are something that hard to find. Many people don't have good knowledge about Malaysia Numismatic. If he cannot write a book, I wish at least he will write his knowledge in a blog. He asked me to write it and publish it in this blog but with so much details he is giving, people might mistaken me for an expert. One thing for certain, we have a same opinion about the price; If no Malaysia sifu put it in his book, your error coins will have no value.

He also keep almost a complete years for Malaysia counterfeit coins. Most of his collection of counterfeit, he get them for free from friends and family because people don't collect them. From his teaching last night, I sense that my experiment on Malaysia fake coins might be wrong. I maybe need to redo it or maybe will asked his guide on finding the counterfeit coins from all the 50 sen coins from the experiment.


Currently, he is looking for some information about bullet money. Some people called this Javanese etched iron ball-shaped charms. It maybe made in Surabaya from 1950s-80s. this bullet money of his come with Malay-Arabic inscription design. He told me that this coins are magical and good-luck charms. Searching a little bit information about it today, I found out that this money also had been used in Malaya before. Maybe will try to find some information about it later.


He also show me the trial coins sample for Malaysia. I think it is more beautiful then our Parliament coins. The design look like Singapore design and the 20 & 50 sen design have motif of deer on the reverse. Beautiful design but we are not lucky enough to get such beautiful design. He also show me his collection of silvers coins that had been stamped with Chinese character "Collection". Meant for coins that will not bee used, just for collection. In 1942 during the world war II, Japanese will destroy all the British coins if they can find them. To avoid that, they will stamped the coins with word "Collection".

We talk for almost 4 hours non stop. I almost forget to drink my tea, listening to his detail explanation about his collection. To this expert, thank you for your information. Wish one day, you will write and compile your information in one book. Please share your information with everyone in this world. Will be meeting him again next time.

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Coin Collecting vs Bullion gold

Which one is better Coin collecting or gold investment? You maybe had heard someone telling you that but is it true? One thing for sure, Numismatic collecting is a better investment than gold because of the historical value. The precious metal is a safe investment today but coins collecting will surpass the value of the gold investment, if you know what to collect and keep. I know many of you out there, already knew this but most of my reader keep asking about this. Many people who are still new in numismatic investment not really sure if the saying (coin collecting better investment than gold) is true. One of my collector friend selling almost all his collection (at a cheap price), just to join the race of gold investment. For me, that is a wrong decision that will makes him regret it later.

I am using Tunku Abdul Rahman Commemorative 100 ringgit gold coin price as a comparison to gold investment. The Tunku gold coin weight at 18.66 gram and.917 fine. I am comparing that gold coin with Malaysia own Kijang emas bullion one troy ounce price. Kijang emas bullion weight at 31.10 gram and at.999 fine. I am using the price from Steven Tan Standard Catalogue of Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei Coin & Paper money for Tunku coin (17th until 19th edition). For the history price of Kijang Emas bullion, I am using BNM Kijang Emas statistic price as a guide.Kijang Emas minted by Royal Mint of Malaysia and retailed by Maybank.


Price per grams for Tunku Coin.

• 2005-RM50.91
• 2007-RM88.42
• 2010-RM150.05

Price per grams for Kijang Emas.

• 2005-RM56.72
• 2007-RM76.69
• 2010-RM137.65

This market value prices are for five years time from January 2005 until January 2010. Both item had an increasing value each year but do mind though that Bullion value depends on International gold market price. While market value of gold coin depends on its rarity, mintage and how many items are in the market. I get the price per gram after dividing the price of gold to the total weight in grams. As you can see in the data, Tunku Abdul Rahman 1971 gold coin value surpassing the value of Kijang Emas bullion in price per grams. This comparison will not be correct 100% but this is just to show which investment got the best value.


People collect coins to keep while they can. People keep bullion as a hedge against inflation. When its time to invest on other investment they will sell their bullion. Numismatic people will not sell their precious coins easily because they know that it will hard to find that coins again in the future. For Kijang Emas, if you cannot get them on the same day, you can always be in Maybank waiting list. In coin collecting, there is no such thing as waiting list. If the price is right, just buy them or other people will buy them first. You can always negotiate with seller about the price of commemorative gold coin that you want to buy. But bullion gold price already fix according to International gold market price. That mean you can always buy coins at a price cheaper than market value for coin collecting.

If you are asking me, my choice will be coin investment rather than bullion investment . Maybe you will say because I know what to collect and where to find it. But have you ever think, what will happened if demand is much more than supply? The price will be bounce up incredulously. Right now many Malaysian who is not a collector already change their investment into coin collecting. Some commemorative coin already a scarce item and very hard to find. In another five years to come, the price of this 1971 Tunku Abdul Rahman gold coin will be four times its value today.

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Paying coffee with gold coin?

Paying your coffee with gold coin? It sound like a jokes but what if you accidentally paying your coffee with $100 gold coin? That's what happen to Kristine Friesen who may have bought the most expensive cup of coffee of all time. The Winnipeg resident and her husband thought nothing of their visit to a Tim Hortons location. She ordered tea and a bagel while Harry ordered coffee. The bill came to about $3, so Kristine reached into her purse, pulled out a toonie and a loonie and they sat down to enjoy their beverages.

Photo by Winnipegfreepress.com: Kristine Friesen (left) holds a shiny loonie while Tim Hortons worker Samantha Bell holds the gold coin.

Kristine went to bed early that night but when she got up the next morning, she found out Harry had been up late looking high and low for a gold coin he had left with his change on the coffee table the day before. After retracing their steps, she realized with some horror that she had likely used the $100 gold coin at Tim Hortons.

"I thought the loonie looked kind of shiny but I didn't really think about it. It stuck in my mind through," she said.

The wayward coin nearly made it into general circulation as change for a subsequent customer but an alert cashier noticed it and brought it back to Greg Mikolajek, owner of the store. Mikolajek, a novice coin collector, regularly rounds up the non-Canadian money the shop brings in and buys it for himself. He uses the U.S. change on trips south of the border and he puts coins from other countries, such as Mexico, Cuba or even Europe, in a box.

At first, he thought the coin was a special edition loonie, like the one celebrating the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. On closer inspection, he knew that couldn't be the case because the coin was minted in 1976. The Royal Canadian Mint didn't start producing loonies until 1987.

"It's the exact same size of a loonie. You'd never know the difference, it's just a little heavier," he said.

Mikolajek immediately thought about getting it back into the hands of the owner but realized that would be impossible unless somebody came forward on their own.

"If I said we have a lost $100 coin, we'd have 3,000 people here to collect it," he said.

Abe Nuss, manager of A.B. Coins & Collectables, said from the description of the coin, he believes it's worth about $350. He said the Mint produced two gold $100 coins in 1976, a 14-ounce version that's about the size of a loonie and a 22-ounce piece that's a little bigger and thicker than a nickel. The latter is worth about $700. The Mint continues to make the $100-gold coin to this day, although the gold content is lower than it used to be.

One of Mikolajek's employees came into the back of the store and asked if anybody had turned in a $100-coin. Mikolajek went to the front counter and found Harry Friesen brandishing a small protective case where the front plastic piece was compressed with an outline of a coin.

"It was the Cinderella story, the slipper fit," Mikolajek said. "I told him I had it at home but if he came back (Friday) he'd be a very happy guy."

Harry was ecstatic at the news and happy to have the coin back. He doesn't want to take the chance of it getting mixed up with regular change again so he's going to put in a safety deposit box.

Source: Winnipeg free press.com

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Frome Hoard Campaign by Art Fund

Everyone of you must had been remember about 52,503 Roman coins found by Dave Crisp last April stuffed into a giant pot bellied jar, buried in a field near Frome. The largest coin hoard ever found in a single container in Britain has been valued at £320,250 after hours of debate and conflicting opinions from three experts. Art fund had lunched a campaign to save the Frome Hoard for Somerset museum in Taunton. Including five exceptionally rare silver coins minted for "the forgotten emperor" Carausius, who ruled Britain for seven years until he was murdered by his finance minister in 293 AD.

Photo: CHRISTOPHER PLEDGER-telegraph.co.uk

The fund will give an initial £40,250 to kick start the appeal, and will then match every pound given by the public up to a further £10,000. The British Museum will also give 50p from every copy of a new book about the find written by its experts. Most of the coins are comparatively low value, but include the largest collection ever found of Carausius coins, including some in fabulous condition, better than the British Museum's examples.

Stephen Deuchar, director of the Art Fund, said: "We're extremely excited to be part of Somerset's campaign to acquire this extraordinary treasure. To think that this pot packed full of coins lay buried beneath the soil for almost 2,000 years - it really is incredible."

T. Sam N. Moorhead, British Museum advisor for Iron age and Roman coins, is convinced it was an offering never meant to be retrieved, not a giant piggy bank, and the the weight was the point: the gods liked metal and plenty of it. The people gave the greatest weight they could accumulate, and coins were the easiest source when they couldn't get their hands on the bronze axe heads or swords and shields their ancestors had buried or thrown into rivers.

Photo by Guardian.co.uk: rare silver coins minted for "the forgotten emperor" Carausius.

Years of work remain on the coins but Steve Minnitt, of the Taunton museum, said: "We are determined to keep the hoard together and in Somerset". Some will be on display at Frome Library next Saturday morning, with Dave Crisp in attendance - a repeat event after more than 2,000 people queued for hours the first time.

The Art Fund will launch a special website for the hoard later this week, but donations can be offered now through savefromehoard@artfund.org.

Source: Guardian.co.uk.

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Couple arrested for securency case

A couple were arrested at a London airport for Securency case on 16 October. They were questioned by investigators from the elite British corruption buster, the Serious Fraud Office, about their links to about $1 million wired to overseas accounts by RBA polymer banknote maker Securency. It is believed the husband and wife, both British citizens with connections to Britain's Conservative Party, were questioned about alleged dealings with high-ranking Nigerian officials on behalf of Securency.


Securency's British based former head of global sales, Hugh Brown, was arrested last week. He is still employed by Securency in a non sales role and has not been charged. Malaysia's Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) last month arrested three businessmen who were questioned, but released without charge, about allegations that Securency paid multimillion dollar bribes to prominent Malaysian politicians or officials in return for receiving bank note supply contracts.

Details of the London couple arrests comes amid the Gillard government's continuing refusal of a broad inquiry to investigate growing evidence about the role of the Australian government's trade agency in Securency's allegedly corrupt conduct. Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) and Securency worked closely in several countries where corrupt dealings are alleged to have occurred. The government trade agency not only helped the RBA firm select many of its agents but helped court some of the foreign officials suspected of having received bribes.

Austrade has released some documents, which show a UK based company engaged by Securency in 2005-06 to act as its Nigeria agent had a net worth of just two pounds. The documents show the company, Global Secure Currency, was owned by businessmen Benoy Berry and Mike Harding. Mr Harding is related to the couple arrested in London. Dr Berry is a London based businessman who was implicated in a separate corruption scandal in Uganda while working with Securency.

Source: The Age

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80 US gold coin found in Hackney

80 pieces of US rare gold coins had been found in Hackney. An inquest at St Pancras Coroner's Court announced the find and set a deadline of 8 February 2011 for the coins' owner to come forward. Details of how and where they were found are being kept secret to prevent false claims. If nobody claims the coins they could be declared as treasure and become the property of the Crown. The coins are due to go on display at the British Museum in central London on Tuesday.

Dr Roger Bland, head of portable antiquities and treasure at the museum, said: "It's a unique discovery, nothing like this has been found before.

"There is a fascinating story behind it, but we don't understand what it is.

"It's a mystery who put them in the ground, how they got hold of them and why they never came back to collect them."

The coins, found in Hackney are "Double Eagle" $20 pieces which were minted between 1854 and 1913 and are estimated to be worth a six figure sum. While Roman coins are often found buried, it remains a mystery why the American hoard was hidden in the garden. Some news reported that the hoard are believe to be found by two friends while gardening in Hackney. If no one claim the treasure, the item will most probably be auctioned.  

Source: BBC News

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Iraq Dinar Scam is back

Iraq Dinar scam is back following a rumour that Central Bank of Iraq has announced their plans to redenominate the Iraqi Dinar. This is in order to increase the strength level of the Iraqi currency, which will allow people to carry less paper money. By the end of 2010, they intend to drop three zeros from the nominal value of bank notes. That means that 1,000 IQD (pre-redenomination) and 1 dinar (post-redenomination) will both be worth the same amount in US Dollars. Haven't you heard that Iraqi Dinar revalue soon?

Iraq Dinar speculation has been around since a new Dinar has been introduced in 2003. Speculator will sell their item in bulk with a statement from Iraq news that Iraq Dinar value will be going up one day. One of the reason most of this speculator will be saying is that Iraq is the second largest oil reserve holder in the world. 95% of Iraq revenue come from oil export. They were saying that Iraq will gain its independence one day and Iraq economy will be bounce back. At that time, all Iraq Dinar holder will gain profits by trading their Iraq Dinar. The news that the speculator reported as a good news for Iraq Dinar, they're no single source or link that come from Iraq government or any news agency (some quote a news by reuters in Wikipedia, but the link is from a website: radio free Iraq?).

Where do you sell your Iraq Dinar? The truth is, there is no legitimate market that will buy any of your dinar outside Iraq. Some people suggest that we can trade Iraq Dinar via online banking? Do you know that you cannot trade it via banks or money changers outside Iraq? Buying Iraq Dinar will be easy but selling them will be a big problem. Most of the Iraq Dinar trader in US registered with the U.S. Treasury as a Money Service Business.

Some speculator even show the historical value of the Dinar. They were speculating that Independence might help Iraq to gain its value near its historical value before gulf war. Is that for real? I think to anyone who want to believe anything about that should read this statement by CNN money expert in 2004, Walter Updegrave:

"The economic prospects for a country that determine the future value of its currency, not the price it trades at now or the price it traded at in the past. And no matter how low a value a currency reaches, it can always go lower." Source: CNN

The only people who really gaining profit from this speculation is the first person who started this Iraq Dinar trading. Before you invest on anything, make sure that you can sell them. Unless there is a legal way to sell your Dinar, this speculation will always be one of the biggest Internet scam.

Should you invest in Iraq Dinar? Many people said Iraq Dinar is a good investment but before you start investing, you might want to read this post here; Iraq Dinar Investment.

I had been reading about Iraq New Currency for years now. They said three zeroes will be remove for the new dinar.

Source: Wikipedia

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Cheng Ho the first explored Africa

A finds by Professor Qin Dashu maybe can be an evidence that Cheng Ho is the first explored Africa. Professor Qin Dashu from Peking University and a joint team of Kenyan and Chinese archaeologists found the 15th Century Chinese coin in Mambrui; a tiny, nondescript village just north of Malindi on Kenya's north coast. In barely distinguishable relief, the team leader Professor Qin Dashu from Peking University's archaeology department, read out the inscription: "Yongle Tongbao"; the name of the reign that minted the coin some time between 1403 and 1424.

"These coins were carried only by envoys of the emperor, Chengzu," Prof Qin said.

"We know that smugglers would often take them and melt them down to make other brass implements, but it is more likely that this came here with someone who gave it as a gift from the emperor."

How did a coin from the early 1400s get to East Africa, almost 100 years before the first Europeans reached the region? The answer seems to be with Zheng He, also known as Cheng Ho; a legendary Chinese admiral who, the stories say, led a vast fleet of between 200 and 300 ships across the Indian Ocean in 1418. It is now believed that China's Zheng He reached East Africa long before any European explorer.


A few years ago, fishermen off the northern Kenyan port town of Lamu hauled up 15th Century Chinese vases in their nets, and the Chinese authorities ran DNA tests on a number of villagers who claimed Chinese ancestry. The tests seemed to confirm what the villagers have always believed that a ship from Zheng He's fleet sank in a storm and the surviving crew married locals, meaning some people in the area still have subtly Chinese features. It was then that Peking University organized its expedition to try to find conclusive evidence. The university is spending $3 million (£2 million) on the three-year project.

Ancient texts told of Zheng He's visit to the Sultan of Malindi; the most powerful coastal ruler of the time. But they also mentioned that Malindi was by a river mouth; something that the present town of Malindi doesn't have, but that Mambrui does. The old cemetery in Mambrui also has a famous circular tomb-stone embedded with 400 year old Chinese porcelain bowls hinting at the region's long-standing relationship with the East. In the broad L-shaped trench that the team dug on the edge of the cemetery, they began finding what they were looking for.

Mohamed Mchuria, a coastal archaeologist from the National Museums of Kenya, unearthed a stunning fragment of porcelain that Prof Qin believes came from a famous kiln called Long Quan that made porcelain exclusively for the royal family in the early Ming Dynasty. The jade green shard appears to be from the base of a much larger bowl, with two small fish in relief, swimming just below the surface of the glaze.

Source: BBC News

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Prince William engagement coin 2011?

Prince William will be marrying Kate Middleton? The Royal Mint has made preparations to begin production of a commemorative coin to celebrate the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, fuelling speculation that they are poised to announce their engagement. As reported by the Daily Mail on Sunday, it has been told that a plaster mould of the special coin has been made, the first step in the manufacturing process. The project is so secret that staff at the Royal Mint’s plant at Llantrisant have been banned from talking about the coin, but insiders have confirmed that the initial design work has been done.

One source said: ‘I have seen the plaster model from which they will cast the die. They are ready to go. All they are waiting for is the date.’

Last night Clarence House said it was unaware that the Royal Mint, which is a Government-owned company operated by the Treasury, had prepared for production of the coin. In the case of a Royal engagement, Prince William would first need to seek the Queen’s permission. Her private secretary would then inform the Government ahead of a public announcement, made by the Prince’s aides at Clarence House. While Press officers at Clarence House refuse to speculate on a wedding date, a senior aide yesterday appeared to confirm that a wedding was in the pipeline, saying: ‘We don’t know the date, only William and Kate know. I don’t expect we’ll be told until the last minute. William plays his cards very close to his chest, that’s his nature. Prince William and Kate have been together for nine years and 'are as good as engaged' - but there has been no official annoucement

"We weren’t aware that a coin is being made, it sounds like a case of forward planning. You would imagine that given the very name Royal Mint, this coin would require some form of authorisation from the Palace, at least for the use of the image of the Prince. We cannot police every time an image of the Prince is used, but I’m guessing Royal Mint would need authorisation for this."

The coin, which will go on sale once the couple’s engagement has been announced, is expected to be minted in both gold and silver. It will bear portraits of the couple, although no details of the design have been released. It is thought that the initial work was completed by a small in-house design team, meaning knowledge of the project could be confined to only a handful of people. There are several windows for the couple to marry next year and 2011 is said by aides to be the opportune year for a Royal wedding. Not only is it the Duke of Edinburgh’s 90th birthday in June, it would have been the late Princess of Wales’s 50th birthday in August and it is the 30th anniversary of her 1981 wedding to Prince Charles on July 29.

Source: Daily Mail UK

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2010 heritage orchids of Singapore coin

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on 13 October 2010, launched the 2010 Heritage Orchids of Singapore $5 Silver Proof Coin. This is the final set of coins in the series issued in tribute to the Heritage Orchids of Singapore. Orchids are a significant feature of Singapore’s heritage and the orchid coin series have proven to be very popular with coin collectors. The 2010 Heritage Orchids of Singapore Coin Set features two local hybrids - Aranda Noorah Alsagoff and Aranthera Anne Black. The obverse of the coin bears the Singapore Arms with the year-date 2010. Two types of NETS Flashpay Cards featuring each of the two orchid species will also be issued together with the coin set. The coins and cards will be available in collectible sets on Wednesday, 13 October 2010.

(i) Aranda Noorah Alsagoff
Aranda Noorah Alsagoff played a major role in putting Singapore on the orchid breeders' map and contributed significantly to an export industry worth as much as $16 million per annum during the 1970s and 1980s. It was first grown in 1972 by Syed Yusof Alsagoff, a leading orchid hybridizer in Singapore. The orchid was named after his daughter.

(ii) Aranthera Anne Black
Aranthera Anne Black is the first VIP orchid of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. It was named after Lady Black, the wife of the former Governor of Singapore, Sir Robert Brown Black. With its unique scorpioid shaped flowers on a long spray together with long extended vase-life, this popular cultivar is still on the list of cut-flower orchids for export.

The details of the coin and card sets are as follows:

a) 2-in-1 $5 Silver Proof Coin Set
This coin set consists of two pieces of 999 fine silver coins with colour application. Each coin weighs 20 grams and has a diameter of 38.70mm. Each set is accompanied by two certificates of authenticity with the same serial number. Mintage of 8,000 sets only.

b) 2-in-1 NETS Flashpay Card Set
This card set consists of two types of NETS Flashpay cards featuring the two orchid species. Both cards in the set have the same serial number. Mintage of 3,000 sets only.

c) $5 Silver Proof Coin & NETS Flashpay Cards Set
The coin and card set consists of two pieces of 999 fine silver coins with colour application and two NETS Flashpay Cards. Each set is accompanied by two certificates of authenticity with the same serial number, which is also featured in the cards. Mintage of 1,000 sets only.

Source: Singapore Mint

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BNM 125 Anniversary of JUPEM's coin

Bank Negara Malaysia is issuing three types of commemorative coins to commemorate the 125th Anniversary of Jabatan Ukur dan Pemetaan Malaysia (JUPEM). The commemorative coins were launched by YAB Tan Sri Dato' Haji Muhyiddin bin Mohd. Yassin, Deputy Prime Minister, at Dewan Perdana FELDA, Jalan Maktab, Kuala Lumpur. The coins are available in three versions of gold, silver and Nordic-Gold.

The Obverse Side of the Coin, the centre of the coin illustrates a surveyor of JUPEM carrying out measuring works with the theodolite, a device used to measure angular values in a traverse or network between survey marks. It is also used for defining the direction of lines of sight. The name "Jabatan Ukur dan Pemetaan Malaysia" appears on the lower circumference of the coin, whilst "125 Tahun" appears at the top of the coin.

The Reverse Side of the Coin, the centre of the coin features the official logo of JUPEM. At the upper circumference, the words "Bank Negara Malaysia" appear as the issuing authority of the commemorative coins. The years "1885-2010" appear below the logo and the denomination is at the lower circumference of the coin.

Technical Specifications:

Type: Gold Proof.

Alloy: Gold (Au999.9)

Face Value (RM): 100

Selling Price(RM): 1,200

Mintage Quantity (piece/set): 150

Diameter (mm): 22.00

Weight (gram): 7.96

Shape: Round with milled edge


Technical Specifications:
Type: Silver Proof

Alloy: Silver(Ag92.5)

Face Value (RM): 10

Selling Price(RM): 150

Mintage Quantity (piece/set): 300

Diameter (mm): 35.70

Weight (gram): 21.00

Shape: Round with milled edge


Technical Specifications:
Type: Nordic Gold (B.U.)

Alloy: Cu89 Zn5 Al5 Sn1

Face Value (RM): 1

Selling Price(RM): 10

Mintage Quantity (piece/set): 10,000

Diameter (mm): 30.00

Weight (gram): 8.80

Shape: Round with milled edge

These commemorative coins are also available in a set of 3 and a set of 2. The Set of 3 consists of the gold, silver and Nordic gold proof coins. It will be sold at RM1,450 per set with only 250 sets available. The Set of 2 consists of the silver and Nordic gold proof coins. This set will be sold at RM200 per set with only 200 sets available.

These commemorative coins are minted and distributed by Bank Negara Malaysia and will be available for sale from 15 October 2010 at Bank Negara Malaysia's headquarters and its branches located in Pulau Pinang, Johor Bahru, Kuala Terengganu, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.

Source: Bank Negara Malaysia.

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New 50 pence 2012 olympic coin

Yesterday, a new 50 pence for 2012 London Olympic coin had been released by The Royal Mint, UK. The last coin for the London 2012 Olympic series designed by a man from south Warwickshire. After months of debate and consultation the final 29 coin designs were chosen anonymously by a panel made up of independent experts, representatives of the Royal Mint, London 2012 and the International Olympic Committee. The new and last 50 pence will be showjumping (equestrian) designed by Thomas Babbage.

Photo by BBC News: Thomas Babbage and his winning design.

"The horse one was the one they decided was good to put on a coin. It's quite small but the image of a horse jumping over fences is not entirely how you might expect it to. They've used the crosshatching from my drawing in the 3D casting so it's quite unusual," Thomas said. 

Art graduate Thomas Babbage, originally from Tredington near Shipston-on-Stour, saw the advert for the competition on the internet and decided to submit a number of designs for the different sports in a variety of styles. 

"It's strange but nice to know you've done something that will go into people's pockets. But I'm keeping my feet on the ground!" He added.

From nearly 30,000 entries submitted, Mr Babbage was one of just 29 winners. All the winning designs had to obtain final approval from the Treasury and The Queen. Mr Babbage's design will eventually be found on three million 50p coins, starting to be seen in general circulation from 13 October.

Dave Knight, the Royal Mint's Director of Commemorative Coins, said: "Every one of the winners is making history. Their coins will become treasured mementos of the biggest sporting event to happen on UK shores for over half a century and we hope will encourage a new generation of collectors.

Visit www.royalmint.com to view all 29 coins, learn more about the series and the designers and start your collection. This coins can be found in your pocket change by now. The winners (winning design) come from a diverse range of professions, backgrounds and locations across the country, including a policeman from Manchester, a delivery driver from Reading, a radiologist from Stoke, a bank clerk from Preston, a part time chef from Cornwall, an agronomist from Yorkshire and a 75 year old retired social worker from Derby.

Source: BBC, Royal Mint UK.

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King of Siam coin

A reader asked me "What is King of Siam coin"? He heard a friends is selling his King of Siam coin at adorable price but the coin is a 1804 United States coin not Thailand (Siam). Is this some kind of fake or a scam or is this for real? How much is the value? To that particular reader, I suggest you search anything you want to buy at a high price like that in the Internet first before making any decision. Its not that hard to do some research about anything nowadays. Just go to Google and type what information you want to search. Yes.., that coin a fake. 1804 silver dollar is very rare and you can only see them in museum or private collections. Real 1804 silver dollar is worth millions dollars, fake only cost you few hundreds ringgit. 

In 1804, United States Mint records indicate that 19,750 silver dollars were struck. However, in keeping with common Mint practice at the time, these were all minted from old but still-usable dies dated 1803, and are indistinguishable from the coins produced the previous year. Silver dollars dated 1804 did not appear until 1834, when the U.S. Department of State was creating sets of coins to present as gifts to certain rulers in Asia in exchange for trade advantages. The U.S. Government ordered the Mint to produce "two specimens of each kind now in use, whether of gold, silver or copper". Since the silver dollar was still in use, but had last been recorded as produced in 1804, Mint employees struck several dollars with an 1804 date. Due to the cost-cutting measures of the US Mint in its early history and the reuse of 1803 dies, this act led to confusion.

The first 1804 silver dollars minted in 1834 were presented as gifts to Rama III, King of Siam and Said bin Sultan, Sultan of Muscat and Oman. The other five were dispersed under unknown circumstances after Ambassador Edmund Roberts died en route during the voyage. One was retained in the US Mint Coin Collection. In 1842, numismatists first learned of the 1804 dollar through a book displaying an illustration of the 1804 dollar from the Mint Cabinet. These silver dollars are known among numismatists as “original” or Class I 1804 dollars. Eight of these coins are known to exist. One currently resides in the Smithsonian Institution, one is in the American Numismatic Association museum, and the other six are in private collections.

Popular legend states that the rare coin given by King Rama IV of Siam to Anna Leonowens, as seen in the story of “Anna and the King of Siam” and the movie The King and I, was indeed the same 1804 silver dollar produced in 1834 as a gift to Siam. This coin was kept in Anna’s family for several generations, until in the 1950s it was sold by a pair of British ladies claiming to be Anna’s descendants. This coin was displayed as part of the “King of Siam” collection at the Smithsonian Institution in 1983, where it was given the name “the King of Coins.” It was purchased by an anonymous collector in 2001, who purchased the entire set of coins from the King of Siam collection for over $4 million.

Value:  1.00 U.S. dollar

Mass Class I:  26.96 g 

Mass Class II: 24.711 g 

Class III: 27.15-27.41 g 

Diameter:   39-40 mm 

Edge Class I:  Lettered - HUNDRED CENTS ONE DOLLAR OR UNIT

Class II: Plain

Class III: Lettered - HUNDRED CENTS ONE DOLLAR OR UNIT

Composition:  90.0% Ag 10.0% Cu

Years of minting:  Class I - 1834; Class II, Class III - 1858-1860.

Obverse: Design Bust of Liberty facing right

Designer:  Robert Scot

Design date:  1804

Reverse: Design Heraldic representation of the Great Seal of the United States with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the rim.

Designer:  Robert Scot

Source: Wikipedia

There is no easy money in numismatic world nowadays. If that deal is too good to be true, most probably they're trying to selling fake items. I got so many phone call or sms like that. But some people do get lucky finding treasure in their own backyard.

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How to spot fake sen

Do you know how to spot fake sen? The sen I am talking about in here is the 50 sen coins. At first, I thought that a fake 50 sen coins are increasing at an alarming rate but I try to make a test with changing 200 ringgit to 50 sen. The result show that Malaysia 50 sen counterfeit coins are not in alarming state. I took the coins from 4 different place/people in Klang; A friend, Bank, Market and my own collection. This is to make sure that I get those coins from various places. From 400 pieces of the 50 sen coins, I can only found two fake.

Why I am doing this test? Because of the old news about the fake 50 sen coins that say counterfeit 50 cents are in alarming rate. In my opinion, that most probably because they don't collect their 50 cents at random from other different places. People in the news received the fakes from their buyer. That's mean they only station in one place. I also heard many story about counterfeiting factory in Malaysia but I never read in newspaper that factory is busted by the authority.

I am also chatting with some of my regular reader about this matters, some agree that this 50 sen fake is in alarming state. While most people don't know anything about it since they don't collect fake. Maybe my test is not that accurate since I am checking those coins alone but this is what I found out from the test. I am only focusing on 50 sen since it will be expensive to fake other denomination and it will not be worth it and this is the highest Malaysia denomination coin at the moment. You need to compare your coin between the suspected fake and original.

How to spot or detect fake 50 sen.

The coin weight is always lighter for the fake then the original but the different is only a miligram. The original weight around 9.34gram and the fake normally weight around 9.27gm-9.30gm.

Details of the coins are not the same as the original and it will be blur under 10x magnifying glass. Some of the details are missing too, even if its in lustre and shiny condition.

The easiest way to detect the fake from the original is that it is plated. The coins appear to be shiny or look like it had been polished. Try to peel of the outer layer. If you can peel it of and the color of the inner layer is totally different (dark in colour etc), that is fake.

The wording on the obverse (BANK NEGARA MALAYSIA), might not properly struck. That mean the words might be appear a little bit blur or not as sharp as what we can see on the original. This is because of weak struck or worn die.

Lettered edge for $1 London Mint.

Don't look at the lettered edge because all the original do have different lettered edge. It will not look the same even for the same year.

The fake always come with rotated die error. the degree of rotation is vary from 5 to 180 degrees. Thats mean the design on the obverse and reverse rotated a little bit.

Those 50 sen planchets that can attracted to magnet are considered as rare pieces. Not easy to find one nowadays. Mostly are recycle brass planchets plated with tin. It was rejected by parking machine due to its lighter in weight and sometimes can be attracted to magnet.

Source: Dickson.

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New US 100 dollar delay

New United States 100 dollars bill production will be delay. The postponed of the launch due to production problems as reported by Federal Reserve in their statement. The issue date of the new bill that features anti-counterfeiting technologies, was initially set for February 10, 2011. The Federal Reserve said that the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, which produces dollars, discovered a problem with "sporadic creasing" of the paper during printing of the 100 dollar note. The technical glitch means that there will not be enough of the new bills to begin distributing them as planned.

Photo by Wall Street Journal: New 100 dollar banknote.

"This new design incorporates cutting-edge, anti-counterfeiting technologies and the Federal Reserve imposes strict quality controls to ensure that users of US currency around the world receive the highest quality notes," the central bank said.

The 100 dollar note is the largest denomination currently printed. Bearing a portrait of Benjamin Franklin, one of the nation's founding fathers, on the front, the bill is a favorite among counterfeiters. The remake of the 100-dollar bill was unveiled on April 21. The US Government had been aggresively educate public awareness about this new 100 dollars and their security features. 3 podcast had been release by them in their website www.newmoney.gov.

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.

Source: AFP

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3 arrested in Malaysia for Securency case

Malaysian's anti-corruption agency said it has arrested three individuals over an Australian banknote supply contract scandal, as an international probe into the case deepened. Malaysia's Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said the trio were arrested last month after claims emerged that the Melbourne-based Securency International offered bribes to officials in Malaysia. They were arrested in Putrajaya when they went there to give their statements.


"I can only confirm that the MACC has arrested three persons to assist in the investigation. We arrested them about a month ago," MACC investigation director Mustafar Ali told AFP. The arrests were not reported previously.

Mustafar said the three were released after being held for questioning and none of them has been charged in court yet. He declined to elaborate on their alleged role in the scandal. He also declined to confirm whether the trio included a businessman who according to reports paid 11.3 million ringgit (3.65 million dollars) to lobby Malaysia's central bank and government officials to use the polymer banknotes. The Australian press has reported that the businessman was hired by Securency International and another banknote company Note Printing Australia between the late 1990s and 2007.


"The investigation is still ongoing," Mustafar said, adding that the probe is in its final stages. The investigation papers will be forwarded to the relevant authorities for further action.

Securency won currency printing contracts in Malaysia for the RM50 Commonwealth Games commemorative note in 1998 and the RM5 polymer note in 2004. The Malaysian businessman was chairman of several local companies but probably remembered for the problems that besieged the listing of a fast rising company in 1996. He had reportedly also been a broker for a Pakistani government-linked weapons-making factory and was the second arms trader to have been used as an agent by either or both Securency and NPA.

Source: Malay mail, AFP

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International raids for Securency case

International raids were launched in several countries last night in connection with the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) bribery and corruption scandal that has also implicated a Malaysian corporate figure of receiving a RM11.3 million. The operations were to uncover evidence of corruption and bribery involving RBA subsidiaries banknote firms Securency International and Note Printing Australia (NPA). Securency is a joint venture between the Australia central bank and Innovia Films, which helps design and produce plastic-style polymer banknotes known for their durability and for being hard to counterfeit.

Yesterday, two men were arrested in raids by Australian, British and Spanish police. British and Australian police said they carried out 15 coordinated swoops on Wednesday, with another two in Spain. Two men were arrested in Britain and are being questioned. The Age investigative reporters Richard Baker and Nick McKenzie said six houses across Melbourne were raided. This involved several middlemen who helped Securency win a multi-million ringgit deal with Nigeria's central bank live in or near London, while the firm's global director of sales lives in Hampshire. The Age reported the raids would put fresh pressure on the Australian government to back a broader inquiry into Securency's dealings and the extent to which they involve failings by the RBA and agencies such as Austrade, which helped select some of the middlemen.

The AFP operation began in May 2009 after The Age revealed Securency had wired millions of dollars to offshore accounts linked to dubious middlemen, including some previously implicated in corrupt dealings. Early this year, an audit discovered more than RM150 million had been paid between 2003 and 2009 to overseas middlemen.

Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) has been helping the AFP trace the RM11.3 million that was paid by Securency International, a polymer currency company, to its Malaysian agent. Securency and NPA engaged the Malaysian agent, against advice, in the late 1990s. The Australian companies won currency printing contracts in Malaysia for the RM50 Commonwealth Games commemorative note in 1998 and the RM5 polymer note in 2004. The Malaysian was chairman of several local companies but probably remembered for the problems that besieged the listing of a fast rising company in 1996. He had reportedly also been a broker for a Pakistani government-linked weapons-making factory and was the second arms trader to have been used as an agent by either or both Securency and NPA. Securency had also used an arms dealer suspected of supplying guns to Latin American drug gangs as its agent in Paraguay.

Source: The Malay Mail, AFP

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