tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181778282009-11-26T00:01:00.196-05:00A Blog by a Coin Collector for Coin CollectorsScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.comBlogger549125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-92195976426023619682009-11-26T00:01:00.001-05:002009-11-26T00:01:00.248-05:00

Thanksgiving was first celebrated in 1621 by the settlers at Plymouth, Massachusetts to celebrate a successful harvest. It was a tradition that the Pilgrims brought with them from England. After the birth of the United States, President George Washington issued a proclamation honoring the Thanksgiving harvest during his presidency. The only other president to issue a Thanksgiving proclamation was

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-23384952782258117262009-11-20T15:00:00.001-05:002009-11-22T14:55:22.139-05:00

Do you tweet? Tweeting is what you do when you post a message on Twitter, the popular social networking website where messages are limited to 140 characters. Twitter hosts many very active communities discussing everything from politics to sports to news to technical support and everything in between. Interestingly, breaking news spreads faster on Twitter than on many news organization’s websites

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-45255209962548847462009-11-17T00:00:00.007-05:002009-11-17T12:17:20.254-05:00

With “Real Life” delaying the completion of my proposal to Reform US Currency, I wanted to take a brief moment to talk about the November 12th launch of the last of the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One Cent coins honoring Abraham Lincoln’s presidency.The reverse design is an image of the US Capitol as it appeared on March 3, 1861 when Lincoln was inaugurated for the first time. With the Civil War

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-39701861207489837122009-11-09T10:00:00.001-05:002009-11-09T10:00:01.421-05:00

My motivation for recommending the restructuring of the US Mint was when they announced that proof silver and gold American Eagle coins will not be produced in 2009. The logic of the decision in the context of what we know of the US Mint’s operations was unpalatable.Restructuring the bullion program is to first acknowledge that it is a profit center for the US Mint. Its sole purpose is the buy

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-20965288560514655552009-11-07T19:30:00.000-05:002009-11-07T19:30:00.215-05:00

We are going to take time off from restructuring the US Mint to look at coin news from the United Kingdom. While reading other news from the British Broadcasting Company, I found two interesting articles.In the first article, Are coin fairs the new investment clubs? BBC reporter Carolyn Rice attends a “coin fair” (coin show) last February following attendees who are more interested with coin

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-34978936202439614802009-11-06T10:00:00.000-05:002009-11-06T10:00:05.866-05:00

As part of the restructuring of the US Mint, the area of commemorative coins have to be a significant concern. With both the classic and modern commemoratives, congress could not help itself by using commemorative coins as a form of fundraising for pet causes. While some of the beneficiaries of the funds are worthy, others have caused significant controversy. Additionally, there were

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-35838886962352249782009-11-05T10:00:00.001-05:002009-11-05T10:00:03.365-05:00

Now that the US Mint has been reorganized, it is time to strengthen the product line. The US Mint’s primary product are the circulating coins that are sold to the Federal Reserve. At this moment, there should be no changes to the required denominations and composition. Although there have been recent issues with the rise in the costs of zinc and nickel that affected the seignorage of the one and

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-52524025089449305872009-11-04T10:00:00.002-05:002009-11-04T10:00:04.916-05:00

Yesterday, I called for reform in the coinage laws to remove congress from the operations of the US Mint. Before talking about coinage, the first act of reformation is a reorganization of the system. When a business is failing, the first thing they do is to reorganize. This is the purpose behind Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy laws.The first step to reorganization is that congress must change the

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-43387631513776517312009-11-03T10:00:00.002-05:002009-11-03T10:00:06.248-05:00

The Congress shall have power... To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;— US Constitution Article I, Section 8Since the ratification of the United States Constitution in 1788, congress has interpreted their Article I, Section 8 right to coin money beyond this sentence. Since the Coinage Act of 1792, congress has been heavily

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-38795470247718326492009-10-25T18:21:00.003-04:002009-10-25T18:26:04.903-04:00

I had the opportunity to give a talk on privacy issues to the wonderful people at United States Visitor & Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program. US-VISIT is part of the Department of Homeland Security that provides visa-issuing posts and ports of entry with the biometric technology that enables the U.S. government to establish and verify your identity when you visit the United

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-44968668978192295752009-10-21T10:10:00.000-04:002009-10-21T10:59:03.137-04:00

Jay Johnson, who served as the 36th Director of the US Mint, died of an apparent heart attack on Saturday, October 17. He was 66 years old.Johnson, a Wisconsin native, was a television commentator turned politician. He was elected to one term congressman from Wisconsin’s 8th District in 1996. In 1999, Johnson was nominated as Director of the US Mint by President Bill Clinton. He served a Mint

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-39698598773522602092009-10-19T08:00:00.000-04:002009-10-19T08:03:34.644-04:00

I am sure you heard that the US Mint has announced that they will not produce American Eagle gold and silver proof coins “[because] of unprecedented demand for American Eagle Gold and Silver Bullion Coins.” Is there really an unprecedented demand?What We Should Have LearnedIn an analysis posted here last April, production totals for 2008 showed that the US Mint experienced an extraordinary

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-11068767442134781162009-10-13T14:12:00.000-04:002009-10-13T14:12:00.589-04:00

Leaders of the American Numismatic Association, the Industry Council for Tangible Assets, Numismatic Guaranty Corporation, Professional Coin Grading Service, and the Professional Numismatists Guild have issued a joint advisory warning consumers of the millions of dollars spent on fake US coins from China. Counterfeit coins have been sold through online auctions, flea markets, and swap meets.“

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-1080621821383894682009-10-06T08:26:00.000-04:002009-10-06T08:26:00.150-04:00

Matthew Hinçman is what some people call a guerilla artist. Guerilla Art, sometimes called Street Art, is unsanctioned art that is developed and displayed in public places. Guerilla art is more than graffiti. It is art designed to surprise and make the public think and sometimes participate.One of Hinçman’s newest projects is the creation of Pomme de Terre (French for “Potato“) and Pomme en l'Air

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-16996720307500103252009-10-05T19:12:00.000-04:002009-10-05T19:12:00.108-04:00

Over the weekend, Mike Zielinski of the Mint News Blog posted a slide show of the candidates for the America the Beautiful Quarters program. Starting in 2010, the US Mint will release five quarters per year until 2020 and one quarter in 2021 honoring one National Park or National Historic Site in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and five insular territories.The first five quarters for 2010

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-42400416313220304202009-10-02T07:14:00.000-04:002009-10-02T07:14:00.594-04:00

Yesterday, the US Mint has announced that they are seeking applicants for two openings to the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC). The CCAC advises the Secretary of the Treasury and the Director of the US Mint as to the design of numismatic products produced by the US Mint. CCAC’s recommendations are submitted to the US Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) for final decision.“The CCAC is composed

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-61519977377014008032009-09-29T11:44:00.004-04:002009-09-29T12:14:35.023-04:00

Today, we wish a Happy Birthday to Enrico Fermi. If he was still alive, Fermi would be 108 years old.Fermi was a Nobel Laureate physicist who is commonly credited with harnessing the nuclear power. Fermi won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1938 “for his demonstrations of the existence of new radioactive elements produced by neutron irradiation, and for his related discovery of nuclear reactions

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-82774943942733646542009-09-28T21:55:00.002-04:002009-09-28T21:55:00.247-04:00

Over the last ten years, US coinage has seen many changes. Starting in 1999, the 50 State Quarters® Program and the DC and US Territories Coin Program has taught us about our country and entertained us with “interesting” designs. The Westward Journey Nickels, Presidential Dollars, and this year’s Lincoln Bicentennial One Cent Redesign have kept us examining our pocket change looking for something

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-33504138738904413262009-09-23T23:30:00.005-04:002009-09-24T02:01:46.896-04:00

The United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, Kentucky has been called the world’s most secure facility. Its construction was completed in 1936 in order to store the country’s gold supply away from the coast to keep it safe from potential attack by Nazi Germany. Fort Knox is so secure that only those who work there, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the President of the United States may

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-1994100607454637312009-09-23T12:00:00.000-04:002009-09-23T12:02:21.522-04:00

One of the more interesting aspects of writing this blog is to be able to look into various aspects of numismatics and being able to explain what I discover to my readers. Sometimes, this research allows me to use what I write as a teachable moment to others. While I certainly subscribe to Aaron R. Feldman’s recommendation to “buy the book before you buy the coin,” but sometimes it may pay to

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-58934497107291840462009-09-22T01:27:00.003-04:002009-09-22T01:32:00.133-04:00

In an attempt to try to boost their business, the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) has announced the launch of the “Everyman” category as part of their PCGS Set Registry competition. The main rule of the “Everyman” Collection are classic coins (mostly pre-1964) not grated higher than AU-58 by PCGS.PCGS has been running their Set Registry since 2001. The PCGS Set Registry will only accept

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-92015565745396693872009-09-20T18:16:00.003-04:002009-09-20T18:20:20.721-04:00

Thanks to an article that appeared in The New York Times, the case of Langbord v. U.S. Mint was back in the news. Apparently, the order [PDF] for the government to turn over the ten 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle coins to the Langbord family was posted to the website for the US District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania.In the order, Judge Legrome D. Davis, Jr. agreed with the plaintiff (Langbord

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-73243760263846191812009-09-16T00:08:00.002-04:002009-09-16T16:26:46.023-04:00

Heritage Auction Galleries, the third largest auction house in the country and probably the largest auctioneer of coins, is being sued by a former employee alleging that Heritage executives perpetuated a “massive auction scam.” The lawsuit charges that the Heritage used an undisclosed shill bidder at auctions to inflate the price. Co-defendants of the suit include Heritage executives Gregory J.

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-4995658209289871022009-09-12T09:26:00.000-04:002009-09-12T09:26:00.185-04:00

On Wednesday, the US Mint announced the America the Beautiful Quarter Series, a 56 quarter series to “honor” national parks in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and territories. As part of the announcement, the US Mint announced the schedule of the national parks and historic areas that will be depicted.According to the US Mint, a “restored” version of the 1932 portrait of George Washington

Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863085136731395910noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18177828.post-46924613113621199362009-09-09T07:25:00.002-04:002009-09-09T07:26:22.698-04:00

Henderson, North Carolina is a small town north of Raleigh. Henderson was founded in 1785 by Samuel Reavis, Sr. and named for North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Leonard Henderson. Reavis was a tobacco farmer and the town grew with the tobacco industry in North Carolina. When the Raleigh & Gaston railroad line was completed in 1835, Henderson became a regional trading area for tobacco,

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