Student caught using fake RM50

A form four student caught using fake RM50 to pay a school canteen operator as reported by Sinar Harian. The student was caught using a fake RM50 to pay for a plate of chicken rice worth RM1.50. The canteen owner's daughter, Noor Azlinda Abdullah, 29, said the incident took place at 10.30am during recess.

“The counterfeit note was discovered by one of my employees, as primary school students rarely use RM50 to pay for food,” she said after lodging a report at Bukit Jenun police station.

Azlinda said the incident occurred during a break at about 10.30 am when an employee, Farizal Hanapi is selling rice and aware of money received from the students involved were counterfeit.

"I suspect because students rarely use the money to buy food with RM50 notes. My workers examined the money when given by the students concerned," she said after lodging a police report at the Police Station Bukit Jenun.

Azlinda Noor said he hoped the matter was taken immediate action by school authorities and police that the incident is not repeated.

"I hope the symptoms of students using fake money is not widespread because of this incident can be detrimental to traders who are not able to identify counterfeit money," she said.

Source: Sinar Harian.

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RM20 banknote will be back

Anyone realize that RM20 banknote will be back according to a Bank Negara (BNM) Statement regarding BNM announce Malaysia new banknote 2011? It has been 16-year hiatus, the RM20 banknote will be re-introduced by Bank Negara. It is part of a new design of Malaysian banknotes and coins which will be issued for circulation early next year in an exercise that is undertaken periodically every 12 years.

“The re-introduction of the RM20 banknote in the new currency series is primarily to function as an intermediary denomination to bridge the value gap between RM10 and RM50 for greater convenience in making payments,” Bank Negara told The Star in a statement yesterday.

With the new RM20 banknote, the central bank expects a reduction in overall demand for RM10 and RM50 banknotes. The old RM20 banknote was introduced during the second series in 1982 and was discontinued in 1995. It featured Malaysian traditional ornamental designs and the Bank Negara headquarters on its reverse side.

Source: The Star

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Indonesia Finance Minister signature on new banknotes

Indonesian Legislators approved the governments’ request to add Indonesia Finance Minister signature on new banknotes during the final debate at House Commission XI overseeing financial affairs on Tuesday. The government and the House of Representatives have finally agreed to pass the currency bill for final approval at the House plenary session next week, despite criticism from a central bank deputy governor. The finance minister will begin signing the banknotes on the 69th anniversary of the Independence Day on 17 August 2014. The currency bill has been delayed several times already due to prolonged debates on the additional signature.

Photo: Indonesia Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo

However, contrary to his institution’s stance, Bank Indonesia (BI) deputy governor for payment systems, Budi Rochadi, made a controversial statement on Monday, saying that the government would have to hold certain responsibilities if it signed the nation’s banknotes. BI is the nation’s monetary authority in charge of money circulation in the country, from designing and printing to issuing notes.

“The current concept of the currency bill has deviated, taking into account unimportant matters, for example the signing of the rupiah notes by the government through the finance minister,” Budi Rochadi said as quoted by detikfinance.com.

Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo, however, said the central bank’s bank note authority would remain the same and that the government’s signature would ensure its “guarantee” that it was indeed Indonesia’s money.

“The government’s signature implies that, if people do not believe, it is the guarantee that the money is official Indonesian money,” he told reporters before a meeting with House Commission XI, which deliberated on the bill with the government.

Budi, however, questioned the deliberation, as BI was never included despite the institution’s authority in issuing money. Answering Budi’s concerns, Agus said that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had officially assigned the Finance Ministry to deliberate on the bill with the lawmakers.

BI’s official stance, Agus added, reflected the government’s. “BI has confirmed something that has been agreed upon, for the government to represent it in the deliberation of the currency bill, because the Finance Ministry has been mandated by the President.”

“Pak Darmin [BI Governor] has issued a letter, saying that there is no problem in the bill. The only concern is about redenomination, which will be regulated in one specific, separate law,” Agus said, indicating that Budi’s statements did not match the central bank’s official stance.

Both the government and the House agreed last year to not include the central bank’s redenomination plan, which would cut several zeros from the rupiah, in the currency bill.

With the government’s signature on banknotes, concerns arose that if the central bank and government were ever at odds in a time of crisis, for example in printing more money for public circulation, potential debates would hamper the issuance.

“The government will respect the authority of the monetary regulator,” Agus assured.

Harry Azhar Aziz, vice chairman of Commission XI, said the decision was final and a plenary session had been scheduled for Thursday, May 31, to pass the bill.

Another notable point in the bill includes a life prison sentence for counterfeiters, he added.

Source: The Jakarta Post.

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Antoniniani roman coin found

Antoniniani Roman coin found in Colchester. The Hoard of Roman coins has been unearthed by archaeologists excavating a former barracks in Colchester. Two pots, one of them containing 1,247 coins, were discovered on the site of the former Hyderabad and Meeanee barracks, which are being redeveloped. The coins, known as antoniniani, date back to between 251 and 271 AD. Philip Crummy from the Colchester Archaeological Trust said the find would shed light on how people looked after their money in Roman times. The coins have been sent to the British Museum for analysis and will then be donated by developer Taylor Wimpey, which owns the land, to Colchester Museum.

Mr Crummy said: "What you're looking at is how somebody managed their savings, taking some out and putting some back in probably over a number of years.

"It does look as if there's no difference in terms of the dates of the coins at the bottom than at the top.

"In other words, the coins were probably put in the pot as one lump all at once.

"There was an identical pot right next to the one that was filled with coins which was empty.

"I think what happened here was it had coins in it and had been emptied and put back in the ground again in readiness for more coins."


The discovery is not the first example of buried coins to have been found in the Colchester area. More than 6,000 similar coins were found in the Gosbecks area of the town in 1983 and another stash of 600 was discovered in East Mersea in 1980. Mr Crummy explained the coins were originally buried at a time of public unrest and civil war.

He said: "Today we rather take banks for granted but in those days of course there were no banks, so they had a problem.

"If you kept it in your house it might get broken in to and stolen, so what many people did if they had lots of money was bury them in their garden or nearby field."

The coins are the latest significant finds to to be unearthed at the nine-hectare (22-acre) site. In April, the bones of two Anglo-Saxon soldiers were found and in 2005 the site of a Roman chariot circus was found in the gardens of the former sergeants' mess.

Source: BBC News

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BNM announce Malaysia new coin 2011

Today, Bank Negara Malaysia BNM announced Malaysia New Coins & Banknotes in 2012. After many people has been speculating about the new Malaysia currency release date and design. Some information that I get said that the new notes will have Sabah and Sarawak culture/motif as its main design. Whatever the new design is, let just hope it will look more beautiful then the current banknotes & coins that had been circulated since 1989.

Picture by Metro: Duit Syiling Malaysia baru.

You can read the details of the new coins at: Malaysia New Coin design 2012.

A new video had been released by BNM for these coins; Malaysia 3rd series coins Video.

Picture: Malaysia old coin design from Dickson book collection.

Here is the announce by BNM website:

Bank Negara Malaysia is pleased to announce that a new series design of Malaysian banknotes and coins will be issued for circulation in early 2012, an exercise that is undertaken periodically every twelve years. The theme of the design of the new currency series will include features that are distinctively Malaysia. It will also have enhanced security elements in line with the latest advancements in technology for currency notes.

The new fourth series design of banknotes will be featured in the denomination of RM1, RM5, RM10, RM20 and RM100. The current design of the RM50 banknote already in circulation since December 2007 to commemorate Malaysia’s 50th Anniversary of Independence will continue to remain in circulation. The new design coins are the third in the series for the denominations of 5 sen, 10 sen, 20 sen and 50 sen. This new series of banknotes and coins will co-circulate with the existing series until the latter are gradually withdrawn from circulation.

In preparation for the issuance of the new currency series, Bank Negara Malaysia will be working closely with financial institutions, businesses and cash handling vendors to ensure a smooth transition to the new series. Vendors of cash handling machines will be given six months to calibrate their machines to ensure public convenience for the use of the new currency.

As part of the effort to increase public awareness on the new currency series, Bank Negara Malaysia will issue the commemorative coins for the third series and unveil the new fourth series banknotes design in the third quarter of 2011.

Source: BNM.

I think everyone in Numismatic world will be waiting for the new Malaysia Coin & banknote 2011. No actual photo release has been published by BNM. Hopefully we can see it in a news tommorow.

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1800 British sovereigns gold coins?

Construction workers in Port city of Albany, Australia south west coast found around 400 pieces of 1800 British sovereigns gold coins. Police are trying to determine who owns a treasure-trove of gold coins unearthed from a building site on Australia's southwest coast. Initial reports said the sovereigns dated back to the year 1800, and were worth more than $500,000. Albany was the first settlement in WA, established in December 1826, even before the Swan River colony which led to the Perth's early development.

Western Australia state police spokesman Gerry Cassidy said workers found the 400 British sovereigns last week while digging a ditch in the port city of Albany. They handed them to the property owner who is claiming ownership. Cassidy said Wednesday police are checking law books to determine whether the property owner or even a museum is entitled to keep the coins, dated 1800 — 26 years before Albany was settled by Europeans.

"Police have got to work out exactly how they handle it," Cassidy said.

He said an appraiser valued one of the coins at 16,000 Australian dollars ($17,000) but did not have an estimate for all of the coins.

Brett Joins, chief executive of Wauters Enterprises, confirmed his construction company had given the coins to local businessman Paul Lionetti.

"An exhaustive search was completed of the site and no other items were found," Joins told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio. Lionetti could not immediately be contacted for comment Wednesday.

Police have no theories on how the coins came to be buried in Albany. Cassidy said the coins were found individually and did not appear to have been buried in a container.

Adrian Rose, of Paul Fraser Collectibles, said that British gold sovereigns were first minted in 1817, “so the 1800 date mentioned is a bit of a mystery - probably a misquote, I would think. There are also questions over the number of coins involved with some reports saying 300, others 400. Based on 400 coins the bullion value of the gold would be in excess of £86,000; the value of the coins on the collectors markets would be considerably more. The value of this find will depend on the exact date of the coin. For example a single 1817 gold sovereign sold for £340 at auction in the UK in February 2011, so the value of the whole collection could be over £100,000.”

Albany, which is around 400km south of Perth, was the first European settlement in Western Australia, and was established by the British in 1826 to try and prevent French forces from taking an interest in the area. Until 1900, it was home to the only deep-water port in Western Australia. British sovereigns were used in Australia until 1855, when the Sydney Mint started to produce its own version of the coins, featuring a unique Australian design.

Source: The Associated Press, BBC News, Herald Sun.

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Banknote forger ordered to give cash

Father and son, John and Craig Farrell were jailed after admitting producing counterfeit cash in Scotland. John Farrell, 53, from Glasgow, was sentenced to nearly six years in jail for producing fake banknotes. The convicted forger who ran a huge counterfeiting operation from a factory in East Kilbride has been ordered to hand over nearly £100,000. A confiscation order has been made against Farrell at the High Court in Edinburgh for £96,000, the Crown Office said.

Picture: John and Craig Farrell.

Following the hearing, Lesley Thomson, area procurator fiscal for Glasgow, warned dealing in counterfeit currency was "not a victimless crime".

She said: "It can cause hardship and misery, particularly in difficult financial times.

"It is our duty to ensure that no one trying to profit from crime should succeed.

"We are determined to pursue any financial benefits gained from illegal activity."

In July 2009 Farrell was sentenced to five years and eight months for producing counterfeit notes at EWM Solutions, in East Kilbride.When police raided the premises in February 2008 they discovered counterfeit Bank of Scotland £20 notes, fake Royal Bank of Scotland £20 notes and Bank of Scotland £10 notes and Royal Bank of Scotland £10 notes in various stages of completion. In total, police unearthed £185,000 of counterfeit money. Some of the counterfeit money had been used at a number of places in Newton Mearns and Glasgow. His son Craig, who also admitted making the notes, was jailed for two years and nine months.

Source: BBC News

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China largest coin auctioned

China largest coin auctioned by China Guardian Auctions Co Ltd for $1.18 million (7.70 million yuan) at an auction in Beijing. The Y2K Commemorative Gold Coin with a face value of 3000-yuan, weight at 10 Kilo of .9999 pure gold and minted in 2000; come with original package and certificate no.17. This gold coin is the biggest of its kind first appeared in the world’s modern coinage. Only 20 of this coins are minted. In 2000, this People's Bank of China 2000 Millennium commemorative gold coins, listed in World Guinness record book as the largest and heaviest gold coin.

The large coin was auctioned off by China Guardian Auctions Co Ltd after twenty-two rounds of bidding on Saturday. Minted in 2000, the coin is the heaviest gold coin minted ever since the Chinese government started minting gold and silver coins in 1949, said Guo Xueguang, manager with the philatelic items and coin department in Guardian Auctions. The coin is 99.99 percent gold, with a par value of 30,000 yuan. It combines both traditional and modern markings, making it highly valuable for collectors, he said.

Gold and silver coins have become more popular in recent years for their surging prices and ability to resist inflation. A 5-kilogram commemorative coin issued by China was auctioned for 10.30 million yuan in Japan last April, said Guo.

Source: China Daily

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Top 5 BNM currency story 2010

This post are about my blog Top 5 BNM currency story 2010. Many of you might had read the story but some of you most probably have not read them. The story rank are based on pageviews of the post and how many people link to the story. BNM or Bank Negara Malaysia is Malaysia central Bank that produces Malaysian currency. There are many rumours that BNM will be printing a new banknotes this year but no actual statement by BNM itself. If you have any information about New Malaysia ringgit banknote, please do share with me in here or email at lunaticg@gmail.com.

1. Bank Negara Malaysia Logo issue

Issue of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has been going on quiet a while now. Many people are discussing about it in forums or in their blogs. The main issue is whether the logo symbolize a Pharaoh dog or Barking deer. Most of their article are debating why the deer tail in BNM logo are longer then normal deer should be. There is no official statement by BNM about this but there is an email reply by BNM staff circulating in Internet stating that BNM logo idea suggested by the late Malaysia Bank governor Tun Ismail Mohd. Ali and come from Kelantan old coins.

2. Foreign Currency Trading Schemes; BNM advice?

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) release a press statement on 4 January 2010 about Illegal Foreign Currency Trading Schemes. In the statement, Bank Negara Malaysia inform public not to participate in any illegal investment or training programme on foreign currency trading offered by individuals or companies both domestic and foreign. No clear statement by BNM on this statement. Many people related it to forex trading but doesn't this statement sound like it also involve with coin, banknote selling and buying?

3. A suggestion for BNM Commemorative coin

These are some of my suggestion to Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) for commemorative coin that they should minted in the future. Why do I making this suggestion? Mostly because BNM produce low commemorative sets of design every year (only 3 this year, correct me if I am wrong). Some of their design is not even appealing to collectors. For me, some of the anniversary that they commemorate are not worth to collect. 125th Anniversary of Jabatan Ukur dan Pemetaan Malaysia (JUPEM) for example, its sound nice to educate public about the department contribution to Malaysia. But is it worth to put it on coins?

4. 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.

5. 50th years of Bunga Raya coins

Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abdin launched the 50th Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Bunga Raya as the National Flower coins at National Craft Complex, Jalan Conlay, Kuala Lumpur. The special coin issued by the Bank in collaboration with the Department of National Heritage and the theme song for the national flower hibiscus as Malaysia National flower was also launched. Also present were Minister of Information, Communications and Culture, Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim and Minister in the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon.

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Perth Mint Giant Panda 1oz Silver Proof Coin

Perth Mint has released a Giant Panda 1oz Silver Proof Coin in their 2011 Wildlife in Need series. The Giant Panda is the first release in this exciting new series. Forthcoming releases will be Orangutan, Polar Bear, Black Rhinoceros & Siberian Tiger The Perth Mint Giant Panda 1oz Silver Proof Coin is in 99.9% pure silver Proof quality with an extremely limited mintage of 5,000 pieces. The coin is struck by The Perth Mint on behalf of Coin Club Australia. By purchasing this coin, Coin Club Australia will make a donation of $1.99 to The WWF Australia on your behalf. The coin is issued as legal tender under the authority of the Government of Tuvalu.

The coin’s reverse features an adult Giant Panda and cub in colour, against a backdrop of a bamboo forest and a mountain. The lower reverse comprises a struck design showing a pair of supporting hands with a bamboo motif. The inscription WILDLIFE IN NEED – GIANT PANDA is incorporated into the design. Issued as legal tender under the authority of the Government of Tuvalu, the coin’s obverse depicts the Raphael Maklouf effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the 2011 year-date.

Technical Specifications:


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
Designer: Karen Hull

No more than 5,000 of these coins will be released and this coin is issued with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity. Each coin is housed in a display case with illustrated shipper. You can go to Perth Mint Website to buy your coin today.

This peaceful, bamboo-eating member of the bear family is native to China. It is easily recognised by the large, distinctive black patches around the eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. Known for its solitary nature, the Giant Panda has an acute sense of smell and can grow up to five feet in height. The lifespan of this bear in the wild has not been confirmed but the oldest captive animal lived to 37 years of age. The Giant Panda is listed as endangered and although estimations vary, it is thought that there are as few as 1,500 of these amazing creatures left in the wild.

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Royal Wedding gold kilo coin

The Royal Mint has been releasing a Royal Wedding gold kilo coin a day before the Royal Wedding ceremony on 29 April 2011. The 22 carat gold kilo coins, featuring a traditional portrait of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton, have been struck at its site in Llantrisant, South Wales. Each kilo coin is 10 centimetres in diameter, nearly four and a half times the size of a standard £1 coin. Produced individually and finished by hand, the Alderney coins have a face value of £1,000, which is five hundred times greater than the highest value coin in circulation – the £2 coin. The coin selling for £40,000, making them amongst the most expensive, rare and exclusive items to commemorate the Royal Wedding.

In addition, 200 pure silver kilo coins have also been produced. With a face value of £50 and selling for £1,650, the silver kilos also have a diameter of 10 centimetres. With such limited numbers of each being produced, they are destined to be added to the collections of royal enthusiasts around the world, by those looking to commemorate the special day with a genuinely remarkable souvenir.


Gordon Summers, the Royal Mint engraver behind the design said: “It’s a huge honour to be the designer of a coin commemorating the Royal Wedding, especially a limited edition kilo. I wanted to capture the couple in a formal portrait, seen side by side, with William in the foreground of the design. Because of the coin’s dimensions, I had the freedom to create an intricate backdrop. Portraying Westminster Abbey’s famous Rose window, the magnificent venue for the big day, was an instinctive choice.”

Kevin Clancy, Director of the Royal Mint Museum said: “A kilo coin is extremely rare and unlike any other coin created by the Royal Mint due to its size and weight, which are governed by law. Only very special events are therefore commemorated with a coin of this size.”


Each coin contains one full kilogram of gold (35.27 ounces) but weighs a total of 1096g because although the coin needs other metals to complete the alloy. Each silver coin contains a full kilogram of silver and weighs 1000g as it contains just silver. The kilo coins are issued by Alderney and are legal tender only on that island.

The kilos will be available on a first come, first served basis, from the Royal Mint website. To see the full range of wedding products go to www.royalmint.com/royalwedding

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Where to sell your gold coins?

The Gold price has been breached USD $1500 an ounce for the first time last month and it will continue to goes up. It will not be hard to sell your coins when the price is going up since many people willing to buy them if you know where to put them for sale. Where to sell your gold coins? Not everyone knew where can you sell your precious metal. Here are some tips from me on where can you sell your gold coins in Malaysia.

1. Among other collectors.

Networking among other collector is an important thing if you want to sell your items in the future. Without any friends, people will be afraid to deal with you since nobody know you. Most people afraid that they will get scam with a fake golds or scammer who just want to offer cheap gold price. Try joining a group in Facebook, register with Malaysia Numismatic Society or any other numismatic group you can find. Collectors will give you the highest price from other type of buyers.

2. Sell them online

You can try to sell them online yourself in Mudah.my or eBay Malaysia. Its not hard to start. What you need is just register your ID and post your item for sale. make sure you give the best pictures for your coins; obverse and reverse pictures. You also need to give as much details as you can. If your item is proof coin, it will be easy to find the details since you have the card with you. If you don't have the details, try search them in Google. If you're newbies, try to avoid buyer from oversea. Most of the time, a scammer will try to contact you if you sell any gold online. If the buyer want to do meet up to collect its item, make sure you bring along a friends.

3.Jewelry/coin shops

Most shop will buy your gold 70% from the gold value. Try to asked around on the same day for best price before you decide to sell them to the shops. Most of the time, they offer you a low value first. Make sure you knew your gold coin carat. Most gold coins is in 21K or .917 fineness but they're some coin with 24K gold. Also check if your coin a rare. A rare coin have a high value if you're selling them in a coin shop but jewelry shop will just offering you a scrap value.

4. Gold Investment Company

Most people don't know that Gold Investment company like Publicgold and Nubex buy your gold coins. Sometimes their prices are higher then Jewelry/coin shops. If you want to sell, make sure you check PublicGold PublicDinar website, they will buy 70% from the gold value according to their PublicDinar buy price and check Nubex website under sell your gold tab.

5. Pawnshops

You can find any pawnshop near your area but not all pawnshop will buy gold coins. They'll test your gold for authenticity and then offer a price. This is not the best place to sell your coins but when nobody want to buy, they always have no problem buying it from you. You also have an option to pawn your gold coins before you sell it to them.

Any of you knew other places that we can sell our gold coins in Malaysia?

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Algeria New 2000 Dinar banknote

The Bank of Algeria has issued a banknote of two thousand (2000) dinars elements with the most current in design, reliability and security. The Algeria new 2000 Dinar Banknote said to have the latest security features. It has been released last week on 28 April 2011. On the obverse, it has a Figures: "2000" positioned vertically on the right side of the sticker and horizontally on the bottom left of the thumbnail. With Science and technology pictures. On the Reverse, it has a Figures: "2000" positioned vertically on the left side of the ticket, and a guilloche on the bottom of the band filigree. With picture of vectors of endogenous development.

As part of improving the circulation and security of banknotes, the Bank of Algeria had already brought upon issuance of the final cut, the elements of art security, including:

• the watermark,
• the safety wire to window
• micro-printing,
• the guilloches,
• impressions invisible under natural light, but revealing under ultra-violet (UV) and in infrared (IR)
• show through,
• the band holographic
• tactile elements, for easier recognition for the blind.

Nevertheless, and given the recent introduction of reproductive material and computer forgery attempts have been discovered. If these counterfeit products are quickly identified by professionals (Agents of Banks and post Algeria, security services and merchants ...), it is not always the case of users 'general public' do not take enough precautions to verify the existence of the security features yet sufficiently apparent, including: the watermark, security thread and hologram. To overcome this situation, almost universally, the Bank of Algeria, for its part, decided in order to better knowledge of signs Recognition and safety by the general public, to provide even the main elements which are elements of authentication.

In addition, this new issue of a banknote from 2000 dinars will allow:

1. Increase the supply of fiat money.
2. Enrich the range of banknotes passing five denominations (100 AD, 200 AD, 500 AD, 1000 AD and 2000 AD)
3. Strengthen refreshing the cash.
4. Modernize the ticket as the series of cuts in circulation back in the 90,
5. Strengthen the fight against counterfeiting,
6. Provide a break in tune with technological developments in this field.

In addition, the new banknote, includes security features such as:

• Security Fund on the front and the back up of geometric figures, guilloche patterns, micro-printing, graphic and numismatic. The bottom safety covers on both sides of the thumbnail area and band filigree
• Watermark
• Wireless Security
• Holographic Strip.

This new note will include other additional elements of security on board.

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Oldest shipwreck in the Caribbean

A chance encounter with a fisherman has led one team of treasure hunters to discover what they believe is the oldest shipwreck in the Caribbean. After only diving the site (located off the Dominican Republic coast) a handful of times, the team at Deep Blue Marine has unearthed some serious treasure. At the last count Captain Billy Rawson and his crew had uncovered 700 silver coins that could be worth millions, jade figurines and even a mirrored stone that was possibly used in Shamanic rituals. Everything was in pretty good condition, despite dating back to the 1500s.

Picture by Daily Mail UK: Silver coins & ancient Mayan jewellery.

"We only started diving last autumn and haven't gone down that much because it's been the winter," said Randy Champion, vice president of the Utah-based company.

"We have just scratched the surface," he added. "All of the stuff we've found is just from mucking about really."

Although the team haven't officially confirmed which ship they are diving, Mr Champion said they had a pretty fair idea - but were keeping quiet for now.

"If it's the ship we think it is, she probably went down in a hurricane," Mr Champion said.

"We have looked at the prevailing currents and wind directions in archives and found a cannon and ballast stone on the wreck that was all going in the wrong direction. 'That suggests it was probably a hurricane as winds go counter clockwise."

The Blue Water Marine team believe this ship was heading back to Spain with a haul of newly minted coins. It would have been quite small, around 50ft to 60ft, with 25 to 45 people on board, Mr Champion said. There were almost certainly a few dignitaries on board hitching a lift, and they wouldn't have made the journey all the way back to Spain with just 700 coins.

"There are thousands and thousands down there," Mr Champion added.

Most of the coins don't have dates on, so the team have been busy cleaning them up and trawling through reference books to identify them.

"These coins could be worth just $1,000," Mr Champion said. "But then one similar to ours sold for $132,000 the other day. 'They could be worth millions. But they aren't worth anything unless someone buys them."

One set of coins could be worth $1million on its own. The crew won't know whether they have it until the clean up operation is complete. The pre-Columbian carved jade figurines, all approximately 2in to 3in high, could be 500 years older than the wreck itself. Mr Champion said some had holes in the back side suggesting they could have been part of a head piece. This also suggests the crew of the 1500s ship probably weren't altogether that straight laced and almost certainly stole a lot of their booty.

Picture by Daily Mail UK: Coins with no dates.

"They had to satisfy the king's request, but would have taken other things too," said Mr Champion.

The crew also found what were thought to be mirrors made out of iron pyrite, but Mr Champion isn't convinced.

"Mirrors weren't common at the time," he said. "They could have been used in a Shaman-type ritual."

Deep Blue Marine are contracted by the Dominican Republic to search and uncover treasure from the wreck. They then split the proceeds 50/50. They had been surveying 42 miles of coastline with high-tech equipment in an effort to find the wreck. But they got lucky after the chance encounter with a local fisherman who sold them an old coin he had found while diving. To their astonishment the team discovered it was one of the oldest coins ever minted and knew they had found what they were looking for.

'We said to this guy: "If you show us where you found the coin you can come and work for us",' said Mr Champion.

The team are planning another dive in two weeks but it is a gruelling process as the wreck is covered in sand and coral. It takes them 12 hours to sail around the island to the dive site. They then drop anchor and take smaller boats out to dive from. It's a 6am start and the team often don't return until 8pm. They can be out there for weeks at a time.

And it's not without its dangers. "There are just as many pirates right now as there were then," Mr Champion said.

The crew have been fired upon by the Dominican Republic's Navy - 'a case of mistaken identity' - and have even been pillaged by a gang of thieves who boarded their boat in the middle of the night. They made off with thousand of dollars worth of diving equipment - despite an armed guard, provided by the government, being on board. Sharks too are always in the back of their minds, Mr Champion said, as are the treacherous diving conditions, waves and being crushed by rocks.

News by: Daily Mail UK

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25 Euro Silver Niobium Coin 2011

The Austrian Mint has launched its new Niobium and Silver Bimetallic coin featuring robotics. The new 25 Euro Silver Niobium coin launch in March 2011. It is not only its interesting theme and exceptional artistic quality that make this coin so special, but also the innovative combination of silver and niobium involved in its production. The technology used is totally unique to Austrian silver-niobium coins: the colour of the niobium depends on the exact thickness of the oxide layer, which is only razor thin. In this case the niobium is Mars red.

The obverse of the coin depicts a modified version of Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, in which a robot typifies ideal human proportions instead of a human being. The lower half of the coin depicts a binary code for the digital coding of information, as well as three gearwheels. These illustrations symbolise the cooperation between electronics and mechanics, which is fundamental in robotics.

The other side of the coin shows a Martian landscape with a mountain range, craters and rocks in the reddish niobium core. In the foreground a Mars robot deep drilling system explores the Red Planet.

The outer silver ring is designed as a starry sky in which the Earth can be seen to the right, where the niobium core and silver ring also show a coordination system.

Technical specifications:

Diameter: 34 mm.

Fineweight: 9 gram silver 900, 6,5 gram Niobium

Condition: Special uncirculated

Mintage: max 65,000 pcs.

Price: 51,70 EUR

You can visit Austria Mint website to order this coin. Austria has won a Most Innovative Coin last year with their 2008 Niobium Bimetallic coins in 2010 coin of The year award.

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10 years of the Euro Design Competition

The European Commission has launched a "10 years of the Euro Design Competition" that will be circulate among all 17 euro-area Member States. aimed to celebrate the 10 years of the euro. The competition open to all eurozone citizens to design a commemorate €2 coin to be issued in all 17 eurozone member states to mark the tenth anniversary of the introduction of the single Euro currency. In January 2012 it will be 10 years since euro banknotes and coins were introduced and the euro became a physical reality for citizens. To celebrate this, all 17 euro-area Member States have decided to issue a commemorative 2-euro coin intended for circulation with a common design on the national side.

If you are a citizen of an EU Member State whose currency is the euro and you are or will be at least 12 years old by the end of 2011, you can submit your design proposal via this website between 29 April and 20 May (for more information go to Submit your design).

People who are citizens of, or who live in, an EU Member State whose currency is the euro will be able to vote for the winner from a selection of entries chosen by a professional jury.

If your design proposal wins, you will see the design you created, and your initials, on millions of euro coins that will circulate in all euro-area Member States from next year. In addition, you will be awarded a high-value collector's set of euro coins.

Source: Competition Website.

Congratulations to eurozone citizens for almost 10 years of a single currency. If you read the history of euro, its not easy to start a single currency among many nations but they make it happen. It will be an honor if your design win because over 330 millions people in 17 euro countries will be using that coin. Good luck to everyone who want to participate in this competition.

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