Apr 19, 2018 | News
Discovery of a Lifetime!
A coin that a New England man originally thought was a counterfeit has been authenticated by NGC as only the fourth known 1854-S Liberty Head Half Eagle.
“It’s like finding an original Picasso at a garage sale. It’s the discovery of a lifetime: a previously unknown surviving example of one of America’s greatest coins,” said NGC Chairman Mark Salzberg.
The phrase “Discovery of a Lifetime” was noted on NGC’s certification label when it graded and encapsulated this previously unreported 1854-S $5 as NGC XF 45.
Mint records indicate that only 268 Half Eagles were struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1854. One surviving example is in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., another is owned by the Pogue family of Texas, and a third example has not been seen since it was stolen from industrialist Willis DuPont in Coconut Grove, Florida, in 1967.
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Apr 13, 2018 | ICTA/NCBA, News
A Minnesota federal grand jury has returned a 6-count criminal indictment charging coinCourter Barry Ron Skog with five counts related to the sale of counterfeit coins and one count of mail fraud.
According to the indictment filed April 10 in U.S. District court, the 67-year-old Skog owned and operated a business called Burnsville Coin Company, through which he devised a scheme, from June 2012 through October 2015, to advertise and sell counterfeit coins by fraudulently representing that the coins were genuine and worth hundreds of dollars.
The indictment describes how through his business Skog posted advertisements in Numismatic News, a nationally circulated hobby publication.
“When potential buyers responded to the advertisements, the defendant often mailed them, via the U.S. Postal Service, lists of additional available coins for purchase,” the indictment states. It notes that when Skog communicated with victims he would often represent himself as “Ron Peterson” and claim to be an employee of the Burnsville Coin Company, when in fact there were no owners or employees of the company other than Skog.
In addition to operating the Burnsville Coin Company, the indictment also states that Skog sold numismatic coins at a display operated in an antique store in Stillwater, Minn.
The indictment cites three victims by initials and lists five counterfeit U.S. coins sold by Skog as separate counts in violation of Section 485 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code. The coins include:
- A counterfeit 1844 Seated Liberty dollar
- A counterfeit 1853 Seated Liberty dollar
- A counterfeit 1873 Seated Liberty half dollar
- A counterfeit 1885 Seated Liberty half dollar
- A counterfeit 1875 Seated Liberty silver 20-cent piece
Violation of Sec. 485 of Title 18 carries a fine or imprisonment of up to 15 years or both.
In total, Skog is believed to have fraudulently obtained more than $80,000 from his victims.
Upon conviction of any of the five counts, the indictment seeks forfeiture of property including “approximately 3,000 numismatic and current U.S. and foreign coinage and tokens, and approximate 78 bills of collectible paper money.”
The grand jury charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Commerce Fraud Bureau and the Burnsville Police Department. Two members of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force assisted with the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Collectors Universe won a default judgment against Skog in April 2011 in which a federal court issued an order permanently enjoining Skog from manufacturing and importing counterfeit Professional Coin Grading Service holders. The order also enjoined him from selling any coin, real or counterfeit, in counterfeit PCGS holders. Collectors Universe is the parent firm of the PCGS.
The civil lawsuit was filed on Dec. 7, 2010, in the United States District Court, Central District of California, accusing Skog and his coin business of selling during the previous four years counterfeit rare coins not marked COPY and housed in counterfeit PCGS holders made to order from Chinese manufacturers.
The lawsuit alleged violations of the Hobby Protection Act, the Lanham Act, violation of RICO, common law fraud, conspiracy and violation of California’s unfair competition law. It cited an example of a North Carolina collector who purchased two Seated Liberty dollars dated 1851 and 1858 from Skog in April 2010 for $12,400. The coins and the PCGS holders in which they were encapsulated were determined to be counterfeit.
Apr 12, 2018 | ANA, News
The American Numismatic Association (ANA) presented competitive exhibit awards at the 2018 Irving National Money Show. Winners were announced at the exhibit awards presentation and reception on Saturday, Mar. 10.
Michael T. Shutterly received the Steven J. D’Ippolito Award for Excellence in Numismatic Exhibiting (best-of-show) for his exhibit, “Remember the Ladies: The Empresses of Rome’s Severan Dynasty, 193-235.” The second place Best-in-Show award was also presented to Mr. Shutterly for “Every Picture Tells a Story: Golden Portraits of Byzantium.” Third place was awarded to Simcha Laib Kuritzky for his exhibit “Medals of Puja (Worship): A Selection of Types.”
Mr. Shutterly also was the recipient of the Radford Stearns Memorial Award for People’s Choice, which is determined by votes from convention attendees, for “Remember the Ladies: The Empresses of Rome’s Severan Dynasty, 193-235.”
The National Coin Week Award was presented to Rod Frechette for “World Funny Money: Some Holed & Multi Sided Circulated Coins of the 20th Century.” He will receive a full scholarship to a future ANA Summer Seminar, an award endowed by John Albanese. The theme for National Coin Week 2018 is “Connecting Cultures: From Many, One.”
National Coin Week exhibits are intended to be suitable for display in libraries and schools, so there is a $250 limit on the value of the materials in this competition. Second place in this category was awarded to Jeffrey J. Rosinia for “Sealing the Deal of the United States E Pluribus Unum: The Great Seal of the United States.” Third place went to Hills Howard for “Sacagawea $1 Coin.”
Radford Stearns Memorial awards were also presented in six classes. This year, 23 competitive and two non-competitive exhibits were displayed in the Collector Exhibits area by 15 exhibitors.
Class winners are as follows:
Class 1: History and Politics (exhibits dealing with historical or political events)
- First place: Michael T. Shutterly, for “Remember the Ladies: The Empresses of Rome’s Severan Dynasty, 193-235.”
- Second place: Jerry Fochtman, for “The Evolution of Postage and Fractional Currency.”
- Third place: David Swann, for “A History of the United States Five Cent ‘Nickel’ 1866-Present.”
Class 2: Economics (exhibits dealing with monetary and financial systems or economic events such as panics and inflations)
- First place: Simcha Laib Kuritzky, for “Boy for Sale? Middle Eastern Ingots for the Redemption of the Firstborn Son.”
- Second place: Carl Moulton, for “United States Gold Dollars 1849-1889.”
- Third place: John Wilson, for “Guatemala, 5 Pesos Issue, 1895-1915.”
Class 3: Geography (exhibits that describe natural or cultural assets, the distribution of populations, or exploration)
- First place: Simcha Laib Kuritzky, for “Medals of Puja (Worship): A Selection of Types.”
- Second place: Eugene Freeman, for “Selected Early American Coins: Collecting on a One Per State Basis.”
- Third Place: Jeffrey J. Rosinia, for “The Philadelphia Story of the Franklin Half Dollar.”
Class 4: Common elements (exhibits showing material linked by design, such as elephants or bridges, or by theme, such as a world’s fair)
- First place: Nancy Wilson, for “Santa Claus Obsolete Notes and Vignettes.”
- Second place: Michael T. Shutterly, for “Watch Your Head! Helmets From the Late Bronze Age to the Space Age.”
- Third place: Eugene Freeman, for “Selected Leper Colony Coins of the Americas: Collecting on a One per Location Basis.”
Class 5: The Arts (exhibits that explore any aspect of fine or applied arts)
- First place: Michael T. Shutterly, for “Every Picture Tells a Story: Golden Portraits of Byzantium.”
- Second place: Jeffrey J. Rosinia for “Sealing the Deal of the United States E Pluribus Unum: The Great Seal of the United States.”
- Third place: Simcha Laib Kuritzky, for “Israel & Currency: Her Innovative Approach to the Question of Idolatrous Money.”
Class 6: Science (exhibits dealing with theoretical or applied science, including the technology of manufacturing numismatic items)
- First place: Eugene Freeman, for “Changes to the Alloys of U.S. Coins Due to World War II: A Type Set of Affected Denominations.”
- Second place: Hayden Howard, for “My Favorite Errors on Lincoln Cent.”
- Third place: Edward T. Arrich, for “Proof Franklin Half Dollars.”
The application deadline is June 15 to exhibit at the 2018 Philadelphia World’s Fair of Money®. The convention begins Aug. 14 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, located at 1101 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA. For an application or for additional information, call 719-482-9849 or email exhibits@money.org.
The American Numismatic Association is a congressionally chartered, nonprofit educational organization dedicated to encouraging the study and collection of coins and related items. The ANA helps its 25,000 members and the public discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of instructional and outreach programs, as well as its museum, library, publications and conventions. For more information, call 719-632-2646 or visit www.money.org.
Apr 12, 2018 | News, U.S. Mint
David J. Ryder, the 39th Director of the U.S. Mint
Ryder previously held the position of Global Business Development Manager and Managing Director of Currency for Honeywell Authentication Technologies. Ryder also served as CEO of Secure Products Corporation, which Honeywell acquired in 2007. In addition to his time at the Mint, Ryder’s prior government service includes appointments as Deputy Treasurer of the United States, Assistant to the Vice President, and Deputy Chief of Staff to Vice President Dan Quayle.
As Mint Director, Ryder will lead an organization of almost 1,700 people who are employed with responsibilities ranging from securing the assets entrusted to the Mint, to the design, manufacturing, and distribution of circulating, precious metal and collectible coins, and national medals. The Mint operates six facilities across the United States: Headquarters in Washington, D.C.; production facilities in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Denver, and West Point; and the U.S. Bullion Depository at Fort Knox.
Ryder was born in Billings, Montana and raised in Boise, Idaho. He attended Boise State University and is married with two children.
Apr 12, 2018 | News, U.S. Mint
Latest quarter honors the beaches, sea caves, and lighthouses of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin
RED CLIFF, WI – The United States Mint (Mint) joined the National Park Service today to celebrate the release of the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program coin honoring Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin. The coin is the second of five America the Beautiful Quarters coins to be issued in 2018, and the 42nd release in the series.
The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore quarter design marks the 100th new reverse (tails) of this coin denomination since 1932. This latest design depicts the sea caves at Devils Island with the lighthouse in the background and a kayaker paddling in the foreground. Inscriptions on the reverse are “APOSTLE ISLANDS,” “WISCONSIN,” “2018,” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM.” The obverse (heads) design depicts the 1932 restored portrait of George Washington by John Flanagan. Inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “QUARTER DOLLAR.” A digital image is available here.
“Just as the guiding light beacons from the Devils Island lighthouse-as it has done for decades-the Apostle Islands Quarter will serve as a shining example of the inherent value of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, and the people who protect it and frequent it…shedding light on its splendor, beauty and purpose, for future generations to follow,” said Marc Landry, Acting Associate Director of the Mint’s Numismatic and Bullion Directorate.
More than 500 people, including 200 schoolchildren, gathered in the nearby Legendary Waters Resort for the festivities that included performances by the Bayfield High School Choir, Red Cliff Veterans of Foreign Wars, Wiigwamm Express, Red Cliff Youth Drum Group, and the Washburn High School Jazz Band.
Former Bayfield mayor Larry MacDonald served as master of ceremonies. Guest speakers included Rick Peterson, Tribal Chairman of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa; Mike Wiggins, Tribal Chairman of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa; Henry Buffalo, Elder of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and descendant of Chief Buffalo; and Bob Krumenaker, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore superintendent. The ceremony, which culminated with a public exchange of $10 rolls of new quarters, included special recognition of United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program designer Richard Masters, creator of the coin’s design.
The United States Mint is offering products featuring the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore quarter at its online catalog. Click here for details.
Public Law 110-456 authorized the 2009 launch of the America the Beautiful Quarters Program. It is a 12-year initiative that honors 56 national parks and other national sites. Each year until 2020, the public will see five new national sites depicted on the reverses of the America the Beautiful Quarters coins, with a final coin scheduled for release in 2021. The Mint is issuing these quarters according to the date each location was designated a national site.
Apr 11, 2018 | News, PNG
Andrew Blinkiewicz
“The PNG will pay for tuition, meals and five nights of dormitory accommodations so Blinkiewicz can attend one of the six-day sessions of the 2018 American Numismatic Association (www.money.org) Summer Seminar on the campus of Colorado College, site of the ANA headquarters, in Colorado Springs, Colorado,” explained PNG Executive Director Robert Brueggeman.
A member of the Kalamazoo Coin Club and currently the Secretary of the Michigan State Numismatic Society (www.michigancoinclub.org), Blinkiewicz said he “caught the collecting bug” at the age of 13 from his grandfather. Today he enjoys collecting Walking Liberty half dollars and Swiss shooting medals among other numismatic items.
Blinkiewicz wants to eventually become a professional coin dealer, and during the summer of 2017 he worked as an intern at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.
“Summer Seminar provides me with another step toward a full-fledged career in numismatics,” he stated. He plans to take the advanced coin grading class during the 2018 ANA Summer Seminar.
“This is the 14th consecutive year of PNG YN scholarships for the popular, annual ANA educational programs. The money to pay for the annual scholarship is administered from the PNG’s Gerald Bauman Memorial Fund. Bauman, who died in 2001, served for many years as a prominent coin dealer with Manfra, Tordella & Brookes in New York City,” explained PNG President Barry Stuppler.
The PNG is a nonprofit organization composed of many of the top rare coin and paper money dealers in the United States and four other countries. PNG member-dealers must adhere to a strict Code of Ethics in the buying and selling of numismatic merchandise. For additional information about PNG or the PNG Promoting Numismatic Growth internship program, visit online at www.PNGdealers.org or call (951) 587-8300.
Apr 5, 2018 | News
NGC has been named the official grading service of the National Silver Dollar Roundtable (NSDR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the knowledge and collecting of US silver dollars.
The NSDR was founded in 1982, and it counts some of the hobby’s top experts as members. Mark Salzberg, chairman of NGC, is a Life Member.
NGC has long been a leader in silver dollar certification. More than 4 million vintage US silver dollars have been graded by the third-party grading service since it was established in 1987.
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Apr 5, 2018 | News, U.S. Mint
WASHINGTON – Mr. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has informed the Acting Deputy Director of the United States Mint that he intends to step down from the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) due to increasing personal obligations. He was appointed to the CCAC in January 2017 as a member representing the interests of the general public.
Abdul-Jabbar is a renowned former professional basketball player who is an avid coin collector. He became interested in numismatics through his love of history and his study of Alexander Hamilton. Abdul-Jabbar has agreed to remain on the CCAC until a successor is appointed, and remains committed to advancing numismatics, especially among minorities.
David Croft, United States Mint Acting Deputy Director, said, “It has been an honor to have Mr. Abdul-Jabbar on the CCAC this past year, and we appreciate his work in reviewing the projects that went before the committee during his tenure.”
Apr 5, 2018 | Auctions, News
The finest known 1932 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, graded PCGS Gold Shield MS66+, ex. Duckor and Akers, is part of the A&A Saints Collection (www.SaintSet.com) now being offered in an eBay auction through Sunday evening, April 8, 2018. (Photo credit: Mint State Gold by Stuppler.)
The auction started on March 29 and will end at 6 p.m. Pacific time on Sunday, April 8, 2018 on eBay. Information about the collection, including images of each coin, and information about bidding can be found at www.SaintSet.com.
The collection includes the finest known 1932 Double Eagle, graded PCGS Gold Shield MS66+ and formerly in the famous collections of Dr. Steven Duckor and David Akers.
“The amazing A&A Saints Collection is ranked as the fourth all-time finest in the PCGS Set Registry with a remarkable weighted grade point average of 65.77 and a GPA with ‘Top Pop’ bonuses of 66.13,” explained Barry Stuppler, President of Woodland Hills, California-based Mint State Gold by Stuppler (www.MintStateGold.com), who is representing the anonymous seller.
“Twenty-one of the collection’s 52 coins are either the finest known or tied for the finest known. Ten of these historic coins previously belonged in the most renowned collections assembled over the decades by the country’s most respected collectors. This is the largest set of its kind ever offered on eBay,” said Stuppler.
The seller will donate a portion of the auction proceeds to three nonprofit organizations, the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, the ALS Association, and the Anti-Counterfeiting Education Foundation.
The anonymous collector is described as the owner a Midwest manufacturing company who plans to invest other profits from this auction to purchase additional items for his diverse collection of U.S. coins.
Because of the collection’s overall outstanding grade point average, and the historic pedigree of many of the individual coins, Stuppler estimates its value to be more than $7 million.
“The winner of the auction for this collection of America’s most beautiful gold coins will join the ranks of the most respected collectors today,” stated Stuppler, President of the Professional Numismatists Guild and a former President of the American Numismatic Association.
Apr 2, 2018 | News
It has come to our attention that many NGC members recently received an email purportedly from an “Alisha Hornsby” at NGC. This is not an authentic NGC email, and no such person is or has been employed by NGC. If you received this email, please do not reply to it.
It does not appear that any of our records have been compromised. This is an email where someone “spoofed,” or copied, an NGC email address to make it appear that the email was sent by NGC. Again, this email was not sent by NGC, and we are currently investigating its source.
As a reminder, NGC and its independent affiliates, which include NCS, PMG, CGC, CCS and ASG, will never ask you for your credit card number or password by email.
If you have any questions, please contact NGC Customer Service at service@NGCcoin.com or 941-360-3990.
Sincerely,
NGC
A coin that a New England man originally thought was a counterfeit has been authenticated by NGC as only the fourth known 1854-S Liberty Head Half Eagle.
