Coin Collectors News

Famous WWI Posters feature in Imperial War Museums Ingot Set

Jul 18, 2018 | Announcements

THE LONDON MINT OFFICE PARTNERS WITH IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUMS TO COMMEMORATE THE FIRST WORLD WAR CENTENARY WITH A SPECIAL INGOT SET

Some of the most famous recruitment posters of the First World War will feature in the first ever Official Imperial War Museums Ingot Set that launches a partnership between The London Mint Office and Imperial War Museums in the centenary of the end of the war.

The London Mint Office produces coins, medals and ingots to commemorate world events and historic milestones. IWM (Imperial War Museums) tells the story of people who have lived, fought and died in conflicts involving Britain and the Commonwealth since the First World War.

The partnership will help examine the context of these famous First World War recruitment posters through an exclusive set of commemorative ingots available in this centenary year. The emotive propaganda posters were carefully designed to strike a chord with potential conscripts in towns and villages across the land as well as overseas, appealing them to enlist, leave their homes and families, and serve their king and country.

Imperial War Museums has selected a number of these iconic posters to be reproduced in full colour on ingots that are to be issued in an exclusive collection by The London Mint Office. Each artist used their own individual approach in mobilising young men and women throughout the length and breadth of the country, sometimes whipping up patriotic fervour, sometimes appealing to their sense of adventure, whilst often reinforcing the social pressures faced in their daily lives.

Managing Director of The London Mint Office, Greg Prosser said: “We are excited to create a special collection of ingots that celebrates perhaps the most iconic images of World War I, which launches this exciting new partnership with Imperial War Museums in such a momentous year. The war posters were instrumental to the war effort as they called the nation to arms, and so our interpretations are a fantastic way to commemorate the end of the war.”

The set begins with the Official Imperial War Museums Silver Layered Ingot featuring the instantly recognisable image of Field Marshal Lord Kitchener. This now infamous image actually started life not as a poster but as the cover of London Opinion magazine in 1914. It was created by professional illustrator Alfred Leete and shows the then Secretary of State for War pointing an accusatory finger at the viewer, directly appealing them to enlist. The image has resonated through the decades, and is even used in US recruitment drives today.

Bureau of Engraving and Printing – The Monthly Production Report for June 2018 Has Been Posted

Jul 18, 2018 | Bureau of Engraving and Printing, News

The Monthly Production Report for June 2018 Has Been Posted.

Please click here to access the report.

NGC Grades New York Bank Hoard of 16,000 Morgan Dollars

Jul 18, 2018 | News

NGC has certified the New York Bank Hoard, a group of 16,000 Morgan Dollars that had been stored in sealed US Treasury bags for more than 50 years. The remarkably well-preserved hoard boasts a number of high-grade pieces, including 118 that were graded NGC MS 67.

Each canvas US Treasury bag in the New York Bank Hoard contained 1,000 Uncirculated Morgan Dollars of the same date and mintmark combination. Eleven different issues were represented, the earliest being the 1878-S and the latest being the 1889.

The hoard had been stored in a bank vault in New York since 1964, when the coins were purchased directly from the US Treasury. The bags went completely untouched for decades until they were submitted to NGC for certification with a special label and pedigree.

NLG 2018 Symposium to Focus on Attracting New Collectors Online

Jul 18, 2018 | Announcements, Shows & Conventions

(Philadelphia, PA) July 16, 2018 — The Numismatic Literary Guild (www.NLGonline.org), a nonprofit organization composed of hobby writers, editors and content producers, will conduct its 2018 NLG Symposium from 10 am to 11 am, Thursday, August 16, at the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money® (www.WorldsFairofMoney.com) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The group’s annual dinner and awards ceremony, known as “The Bash,” will be held that evening.

The symposium topic will be “Cultivating New Collectors with Online Blogs and Publicity,” and the symposium will be open to the public.

The award-winning speakers include blogger, author and CDN Publishing Editor Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez; CoinWeek Editor and podcast host Charles Morgan; NLG Acting Executive Director and former journalist and broadcaster Donn Pearlman; and blogger, author and former ANA Vice President Scott A. Travers.

: Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez

: Charles Morgan

: Donn Pearlman

: Scott Travers

“The internet has become an absolutely crucial part of daily communications for nearly everyone with WiFi access. Whether it’s using a tabletop computer or a small smartphone, the numismatic hobby as a whole must do more online to educate current collectors and attract new people to the hobby,” said Pearlman. “We’ll be discussing ideas at the symposium and certainly welcome participation by all collectors, dealers and the public.”

The one-hour symposium will be held in Room 117 of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch St. in Philadelphia’s Center City, site of the ANA convention.

Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, the Numismatic Literary Guild conducts an annual symposium and a separate awards ceremony (“The Bash”) at each ANA summer convention. Open to the public, the 2018 Bash will begin at 7:30 pm on Thursday, August 16, in Liberty Ballroom A&B of the Philadelphia Marriott Hotel, 1201 Market St. Admission is $15 at the door and includes a buffet dinner and dessert.

Sponsors and underwriters for the NLG Bash and awards are: Certified Acceptance Corporation, CDN Publishing, CoinWeek.com, Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society, Michael Fuljenz, Heritage Auctions, Ira and Larry Goldberg, Numismatic Guaranty Corporation, Professional Coin Grading Service and Stack’s Bowers Galleries.

For information about joining the NLG, visit www.nlgonline.org/membership.

Crème de la crème of SS Central America S Mint gold revealed

Jul 18, 2018 | News, Shows & Conventions

Public can see them for the first time at the ANA 2018 Philadelphia World’s Fair of Money®.

(July 16, 2018) — The latest recovery of sunken treasure from the legendary “Ship of Gold,” the SS Central America, includes six coins that now comprise the finest known “San Francisco Mint denomination set” for $1, $2.50, $3, $5, $10 and $20 gold pieces, according to the California Gold Marketing Group (CGMG).

The Double Eagle in the recently assembled set is graded PCGS MS67+, the highest grade ever given to any 1857-S $20 by Professional Coin Grading Service.

“It’s the King of Siam set of the SS Central America,” declared CGMG Managing Partner Dwight Manley, referring to the coveted special set of United States coins presented in 1836 to the King of Siam (now Thailand) as a diplomatic gift on behalf of President Andrew Jackson.

“Just like they assembled the crème de la crème of coinage from a youthful America for that presentation gift, this stunning San Francisco Mint type set from the California Gold Rush we’ve assembled from the sunken treasure is the greatest set of all the finest known coins. And they all were discovered during the most recent recovery expedition. Some were found securely wrapped inside a ship’s safe,” said Manley.

The six coins will be publicly displayed for the first time at booth #225 during the American Numismatic Association 2018 Philadelphia World’s Fair of Money®, August 14-18.

A total of 3,134 gold federal, private mint and world coins from the SS Central America were carefully retrieved from various debris fields and miners’ pokes on the Atlantic Ocean seabed during the last recovery expedition in 2014.

“We now know that dozens of those coins are either the finest known of their kind or tied for finest,” said Manley. “Among the best-of-the-best are five exceptionally special 1857-S coins and a stunning 1856-S that are the crème de la crème of all San Francisco Mint coinage, surpassing even the coins in the famous Clapp and Eliasberg collections.”

These are the six superlative San Francisco Mint coins recently examined and cataloged by CGMG and will be in the upcoming World’s Fair of Money display:

1856-S Type II Liberty Head $1, graded PCGS MS65+, the finest known.

The finest known 1856-S Type II Liberty Head $1, PCGS MS65+, will be part of the San Francisco Mint “gold denomination set” of recovered SS Central America coins on display at the 2018 ANA Philadelphia convention.
Photo credit: Professional Coin Grading Service www.PCGS.com.

1857-S Liberty Head $2.50, PCGS MS64+, tied for finest known.

Tied for finest known, this 1857-S Liberty Head $2.50, PCGS MS64+, will be one of the crème de la crème of recovered San Francisco Mint SS Central America coins exhibited in Philadelphia at the 2018 ANA convention.
Photo credit: Professional Coin Grading Service www.PCGS.com.

1857-S Indian Princess $3, PCGS MS67, the finest known of all San Francisco Mint $3 gold coins.

The finest known of all San Francisco Mint $3 gold coins, this 1857-S Indian Princess, PCGS MS67, can be seen with other recovered SS Central America sunken treasure at the 2018 ANA Philadelphia convention.
Photo credit: Professional Coin Grading Service www.PCGS.com.

1857-S Liberty Head $5, PCGS MS66, finest known.

Recovered from the legendary SS Central America, this 1857-S Liberty Head $5, PCGS MS66, is the finest known and will be exhibited with other crème de la crème San Francisco Mint coins at the ANA 2018 Philadelphia World’s Fair of Money®.
Photo credit: Professional Coin Grading Service www.PCGS.com.

1857-S Liberty Head $10, PCGS MS64+, finest known of all San Francisco Mint No Motto variety Eagles.

Retrieved from the fabled “Ship of Gold” sunken treasure and now ready to be exhibited by the California Gold Marketing Group at the 2018 ANA Philadelphia convention, this 1857-S Liberty Head $10, PCGS MS64+ is the finest known of all S Mint No Motto Eagles.
Photo credit: Professional Coin Grading Service www.PCGS.com.

1857-S Liberty Head $20 Spiked Shield variety, PCGS MS67+, with an original, gorgeous red glow luster, and the finest known of any Liberty Head Double Eagle.

Exhibiting original, gorgeous red glow luster, the finest known of any Liberty Head Double Eagles, this 1857-S $20 Spiked Shield variety, PCGS MS67+, will be one of the highlights of the SS Central America sunken treasure to be displayed at the 2018 ANA Philadelphia convention.
Photo credit: Professional Coin Grading Service www.PCGS.com.

“If we’d seen just one gem 1857-S $20 in the 1970s, it would have been the talk of the coin show! The SS Central America treasure is probably the greatest numismatic discovery of all time,” asserted PCGS Co-Founder and Collectors Universe, Inc. President David Hall. “All of these finest knowns and the rarities galore are one of the greatest things to happen in the coin market.”

In addition to the San Francisco Mint gold denomination set, CGMG will exhibit other SS Central America treasure, including historic assayers’ ingots as well as California Gold Rush era Fractional and Territorial coins recovered during the 2014 expedition.

Bob Evans, the chief scientist on the 1980’s mission that first located and recovered a portion of the fabulous sunken treasure and who assisted with the 2014 recovery, will be at the exhibit each day during the show to meet with visitors. At 11 am on Friday, August 17, he will present a lecture, “The Many (and New) Treasures of the SS Central America: Revelations & Stories from the 2014 Recoveries,” in room 121B of the convention center.

“This certainly will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many people to see an important portion of America’s greatest sunken treasure,” said Manley.

The SS Central America was a 280-foot long, three-masted side-wheel steamship carrying tons of California gold that had been shipped from San Francisco to Panama when she sank in a September 1857 hurricane during a voyage from Aspinwall (now Colón), Panama to New York City. The loss of the gold cargo was a major factor in the economically devastating financial panic of 1857 in the United States.

PCGS Co-Founder David Hall and California Gold Marketing Group Managing Partner Dwight Manley hold the finest known Liberty Head Double Eagle, an 1857-S recovered from the SS Central America and now graded PCGS MS67+. It will be publicly displayed for the first time at the 2018 ANA Philadelphia World’s Fair of Money®.
Photo credit: Donn Pearlman

The California Gold Marketing Group LLC of Brea, California acquired the 2014 treasure from Ira Owen Kane, Receiver for Recovery Limited Partnership and Columbus Exploration, LLC in a court-approved transaction in November 2017. In 1999, the group acquired all of the available treasure that was recovered in the 1980s.