US Mint will issue 3 iconic coin designs

The United States Mint announced today that it will strike and issue coins to commemorate the 100th anniversary of three iconic coin designs first issued in 1916: the "Winged Liberty" dime, "Standing Liberty" quarter, and "Walking Liberty" half-dollar. All three coins will be manufactured from .9999 fine, 24-karat gold.

To approximate the 1916 coin dimensions, the "Winged Liberty" dime will contain one-tenth troy ounce of 24-karat gold, the Standing Liberty quarter will contain one-quarter troy ounce of 24-karat gold, and the Walking Liberty half-dollar will contain one-half troy ounce of 24-karat gold.

The "Winged Liberty" dime, designed by Adolph A. Weinman, features a portrait of Liberty facing left and wearing a winged cap on its obverse (heads side). The design became known as the Mercury dime because of its resemblance to the Roman god, Mercury. The coin's reverse (tails side) includes a Roman fasces and an olive branch, representing America's military readiness and, simultaneously, its desire for peace. Additional inscriptions to the originals will include "AU" (the symbol for gold), "24K," and "1/10 OZ."

The Standing Liberty quarter, designed by Herman A. MacNeil, depicts Liberty on its obverse. She is holding a shield and an olive branch as she steps through an opening in a wall bearing 13 stars. The reverse shows an eagle in flight flanked by 13 stars. Additional inscriptions to the originals will include "AU,' "24K," and "1/4 OZ."

The Walking Liberty half-dollar, also designed by Weinman, portrays Liberty on its obverse as she strides toward the sunrise, carrying branches of laurel and oak in her arms to symbolize both civil and military glory. Liberty wears a Phrygian cap on her head and an armored plate on her chest over her gown, with the American flag behind her. The reverse features an eagle rising from its mountaintop perch. Additional inscriptions to the originals will include "AU," "24K," and "1/2 OZ."

Details about mintage levels, on-sale dates, and pricing will be announced next year.

Source: US Mint

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Seized gold coins again under court review

US federal appeals court is again weighing the fate of 10 rare 1933 double eagle gold coins possibly worth $80 million or more that the government says were illegally taken from a Philadelphia mint and wound up in a jeweler's hands.

A lawyer for jeweler Israel Switt's heirs told the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday that authorities gave up any right to the coins when they failed to respond to the family's seized-property claim within 90 days.

The Treasury Department insists the $20 Double Eagles were stolen from the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia before the 1933 series was melted down when the country went off the gold standard.

They argued the heirs, Joan Langbord and her sons, cannot lawfully own the coins, which she said she found in a family bank deposit box in 2003. The government regained possession of the coins when the family brought them to the Secret Service to be authenticated.

So far in the decade-long battle, both sides have been declared winners.

In 2009, a judge ruled that the government improperly seized the coins and denied the family due process when officials at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia decided to keep them after the family asked that they be authenticated. Two years later, a jury found the seizure had been legal because the coins hadn't been circulated and must therefore have been stolen.

A three-judge appellate court flipped the result again in April, ruling 2-1 in favor of Switt's family. Read; Family win back 1933 double eagle.

Federal prosecutors then asked for another shot before the full appeals court, leading to Wednesday's hearing. No timetable for a ruling was given.

The coins are being held at Fort Knox, Kentucky, for safekeeping.

The Mint struck nearly a half-million of the Double Eagles in Philadelphia in 1933 but never released them. They were melted into gold bars after President Franklin D. Roosevelt abandoned the gold standard.

Sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens designed the Double Eagle with a flying eagle on one side and a figure representing liberty on the other.

One Double Eagle, once owned by King Farouk of Egypt, sold in 2002 for $7.6 million, then a record for a coin. Its later owner, a London coin dealer once jailed by the U.S. over it, split the proceeds with the U.S. Langbord lawyer Barry Berke brokered that deal.

The Langbords offered the government a similar split but were rebuffed.

Source: Associated Press

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Whitman releases guide book of Barber Silver Coins

Whitman Publishing will be releasing a Guide Book of Barber Silver Coins, 1st Edition by Q. David Bowers. You can start your pre-order for the 384 pages book today for US$29.95, the book shipping will start on September 22.

Volume #20 in Whitman’s best-selling Bowers Series covers three classic U.S. coin denominations: the dimes, quarters, and half dollars designed by Charles E. Barber, chief engraver of the U.S. Mint. These classic silver coins were first made in 1892, and their production lasted to the eve of America’s entry into World War I.

In this colorfully illustrated book, the workhorses of late-19th and early-20th-century American commerce are given the famous Q. David Bowers treatment: insightful study, rich historical background, and detailed data analysis. Bowers—the “Dean of American Numismatics” and the most published numismatic author of all time—lays out everything you need to know to be a smart collector: how to evaluate quality, determine value, understand the market, and make good purchases. You’ll learn the backstage goings-on that led to the coins’ creation, why they barely made a splash when first issued, and why they weren’t mourned when they passed into history. In recent years the scene has changed—Barber’s silver coinage is among the more popular of U.S. series, with many enthusiastic collectors and students.

Bowers provides a wealth of information on each issue: mintages, existing populations, grading standards, values, auction records, keys to collecting, and more. Historical background sets the coins in the broader context of American life from the 1890s through the mid-teens. Hundreds of full-color images, thoughtful study, and Bowers’s engaging narrative make this book a treat for anyone interested in our nation’s Gilded Age and Progressive Era.

You can start ordering your book at Whitman Publishing website; Guide Book of Barber Silver Coins, 1st Edition.

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Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge Quarter Launch

Officials from the United States Mint and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will launch the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge quarter Friday, Sept. 18, 2015, at 10 a.m. Eastern Time (ET). The ceremony will be held at the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Smyrna, Del.

Invited guests include U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, Congressman John Carney, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe, former U.S. Congressman Michael Castle, sponsor of the legislation that created the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program, and United States Mint at Philadelphia Plant Manager Marc Landry.

The public will have the opportunity to exchange their cash for $10 rolls of newly minted Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge quarters after the ceremony.

The event will be broadcast live at:
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/refuges/index.html.

A live stream of the quarter launch will be available at:
http://original.livestream.com/bombayhookquarter.

The evening before the launch ceremony—Thursday, Sept. 17, 6–7 p.m. (ET)—the United States Mint will host a coin forum at the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, 2591 Whitehall Neck Road, Smyrna, DE 19977. The coin forum is an opportunity for the public to express their views about future coinage, and to learn about upcoming United States Mint coin programs and initiatives.

The Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge quarter is the 29th release in the United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters® Program, a 12–year initiative to honor 56 national parks and other national sites authorized by Public Law 110–456. Each year, the public will see five new national sites depicted on the reverse (tails side) of the America the Beautiful Quarters. The United States Mint is issuing these quarters in the order in which the national sites were officially established.

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British Error Coins offered by Spink

Bill Snyder Collection of British Error Coins will be offered by Spink as part of Spink's Collector Series auction, September 24-25, 2015, in New York. The collection ranging from Charles II to Elizabeth II, the collection of over 100 lots features a number of important and dramatic errors, highlighted by a stupendous 1872 Gothic Florin diecap.

With the florin's obverse inset in a raised cap of over 6mm, it presents as a stunning "die-dish" error. Toned a pearly white and uncirculated, the exceedingly rare and possibly unique Gothic diecap (lot 263) is estimated at $9,000 to $12,000.

Other highlights include a lovely James II (1686) Halfcrown struck 20% off center (lot 172) and a George IV 1826 Shilling Obverse Brockage double struck with the second strike 50% off center (lot 245).

Rich in brockages - both obverse and reverse - double strikes and multiple strikes, the collection features errors on Farthing to Crown denominations, Maundy issues, and even an off-metal 1692 Guinea die triple struck on a Halfpenny planchet.

"Generally, the Royal Mint was rather good at catching errors," said Spink USA Senior Numismatist Gregory J. Cole, "thus this collection represents a sizeable offering of solid collector error coins."

The Spink's Collector Series auction features World and U.S. coins, paper money, exonumia, autographs, historical documents and stocks and bonds. Included in the Collector's Series' Sale is an important 1876 Mauritius "Life-saving" Medal in Gold for the rescue of the survivors from the ship 'Strathmore' wrecked on the Crozet Islands, a fractional currency presentation book of Spencer M. Clark, a specialized Chinese banknote section, and a fine collection of Palestine and Judaica stocks & bonds.

For further information, please visit Spink website (www.spink.com).

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Auction of D. Brent Pogue coin collection could fetch $20 million

A New York auction of D. Brent Pogue coin collection from 1792 to the 1830s could bring as much as $20 million. The 105-coin sale on Sept. 30 is the second of five auctions by Stack's Bowers and Sotheby's of federal coinage from the D. Brent Pogue Collection.

Among the stars of the sale is a 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar, known as the Lord Saint Oswald specimen, estimated between $3 million and $5 million. The coin was acquired in Philadelphia after its mintage by British author and House of Lords member William Strickland. It remained in the possession of his descendants until a 1964 auction. Among its previous owners was former Louisiana Congressman Jimmy Hayes.

Other highlights in the sale include a 1795 Capped Bust Right Eagle, also known as the Garrett Eagle, worth $10 when it was minted. It is considered the single finest surviving U.S. gold coin struck in the 18th century.

"It's undoubtedly the most valuable $10 gold piece in existence and may also set a new record for any pre-Gold Rush United States gold coin," said Stack's expert numismatist John Kraljevich.

Its pre-sale estimate is $750,000 to $1.2 million. The current record is $2.35 million for a quarter eagle worth $2.50 when it was struck in 1808. It sold at the first Pogue collection auction in May.

The 1795 coin was once owned by T. Harrison Garrett, a Baltimore banker, and later his sons, who donated it to Johns Hopkins University in 1942. It was later sold at auction.

Pogue, a Dallas property developer, spent decades amassing 650 early American coins. Valued at $200 million, it is believed to be the most valuable rare coin collection in the world.

In May, the two auction houses sold 128 coins from his collection for $25.3 million. Top coin for the auction is a 1808 quarter eagle sold for $2.25 million.

The remaining Pogue coin auctions are scheduled for 2016, on Feb. 18, May 19 and Sep. 22.

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