Swaledale Sheep Feature On £2 Commemorative Coin!

A pair of Swaledale sheep feature on a coin marking the 2015 Lunar Year of the Sheep.

Two Swaledales are pictured with their heads bowed towards each other, while the Chinese character for sheep – a pictograph of the head and horns of the animal – completes the design.

The British sheep breed was chosen because of the appearance of their smooth curled horns and the swirls of their wool coats, a contrast in textures that translates well into the intricate detailing of the coin’s design.

British Chinese artist and printmaker Wuon-Gean Ho designed the 1oz silver coin for The Royal Mint, as part of celebrations for the Chinese New Year.

“I recall observing sheep as part of the British landscape – in the grounds of Blenheim palace, on the hillsides of the Peak District and in the rolling Brecon Beacons,” said Ms Ho, who trained as a vet in the UK before becoming a printmaker.

“My memories of the lambing season and the close bond created between mother and child was particularly helpful in capturing the passion for company symbolised by the Year of the Sheep.”

The Swaledale sheep breed was developed in Yorkshire after the First World War. Farmers wanted a breed able to withstand the hardships of the British climate.

Herds can now be found across Britain in exposed or mountainous regions, but are mostly concentrated in Yorkshire, County Durham, the Lake District and the Cumbrian Fells.

The Royal Mint’s lunar coin series reflects the Shēngxiào tradition, linking each year to one of 12 animals and their traits, which are attributed to those born in a given lunar year.

The commemorative £2 coins, which are legal tender and start from £82.50, are the second in The Royal Mint’s Shēngxiào lunar coin collection.

Just 495 of the coins have been minted and they are available to order from www.royalmint.com.

http://www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/swaledale-sheep-feature-on-commemorative-coin.htm

CCAC Selects Designs for National Park Service Centennial Coin Program!

The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) recently held the first of two meetings–from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.–on Tuesday, June 16 at the United States Mint in Washington, D.C. 

 

It was CCAC member Mary Lannin’s first public outing as Committee Chairman, replacing outgoing Committee Chair Gary Marks, whose four-year term of service to the committee expires this year.

After introducing herself as the new chairman and passing motions to approve the minutes from the March and April meetings, Lannin promptly began discussion of the day’s topics.

First on the agenda was the 2016 National Park Service 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Program.

April Stafford, Program Manager of the U.S. Mint’s Office of Sales and Marketing, provided background on the matter, including program details and the intent of the authorizing legislation.

Betty Birdsong, Stakeholders Relations Program Manager at the Mint, and Donald Leadbetter, Partnership Coordinator at the National Park Service Centennial Office, also participated in the meeting.

As she did for each of the coins and medals on the agenda, Stafford next presented designs for the obverse and reverse of the $5 gold coin. 

While stating that the field of candidates for the gold National Park Service commemorative was the strongest from among all those submitted to the centennial program, Erik Jensen expressed concern that the CCAC and the Mint had given participating artists too narrow design parameters. 

The results, Jensen said, were bad designs–but it wasn’t the artists’ fault.

Jensen then went on to suggest that certain symbols, such as the famous arrowhead logo of the National Park Service, would serve better on the $1 silver coin, and recommended some gold designs be considered for the silver dollar.

http://www.coinweek.com/expert-columns/ccac-selects-designs-national-park-service-centennial-coin-program/

2015 Proof Silver Eagle Weekly Sales Hit 5-Week High!

For the first time in five weeks, weekly sales of 2015-W Proof American Silver Eagles jumped by more than 10,000. The number ordered, according to the latest United States Mint stats, came to 10,943. 

The Silver Eagle was also the best weekly seller of all the Mint’s collectible products. Its sales total is now at 423,222.

2015-W Proof Silver Eagle Coin

Other big silver product movers included 2015 Silver Proof Sets and 2015-W Uncirculated Silver Eagles. The sets, which have seven silver coins, added 5,516 after picking up 6,936 in the prior round. 

Orders of the uncirculated Silver Eagles amounted to 3,182 or double the number they scored previously.

Sales of 2015-P Kisatchie National Forest Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins declined for the first time since they launched on April 28. They lost 1,162, bringing their new total down to 16,446.

Finally, 2014-P Great Sand Dunes Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins also pulled back, but not as drastically. Their numbers slipped 19 to 23,617.

http://www.silvercoinstoday.com/2015-proof-silver-eagle-weekly-sales-hit-5-week-high/1011112/

Gold, Silver Prices Dip on Low Demand, Weak Global Trend!

Gold prices declined by Rs 55 to settle at Rs 27,075 per 10 grams at the bullion market on Saturday due to ease in demand from jewellers at domestic spot market coupled with weak global cues.

Silver also softened by Rs 190 to Rs 36,910 per kg on reduced offtake by industrial units and coin makers.

Traders said besides weak global trend, low demand from jewellers and retailers mainly led to the decline in prices of both the metals.

Globally, gold fell by 0.06 per cent to $1,181.30 an ounce and silver by 0.44 per cent to $15.96 an ounce in New York in yesterday's trade.

In the national capital gold of 99.9 and 99.5 per cent purity fell by Rs 55 each to Rs 27,075 and Rs 26,925 per 10 grams, respectively. Gold prices gained Rs 20 yesterday.

Sovereign also eased by Rs 100 to Rs 23,300 per piece of eight gram.

Following gold, silver ready moved down by Rs 190 each to Rs 36,910 per kg and weekly-based delivery by a similar margin to Rs 36,595 per kg.

On the other hand, silver coins continued to be traded at previous level of Rs 54,000 for buying and Rs 55,000 for selling of 100 pieces.

Story first published on: June 13, 2015 15:24 (IST)

http://profit.ndtv.com/news/commodities/article-gold-silver-prices-dip-on-low-demand-weak-global-trend-771315

Belgium Mints Waterloo Coins Despite French Protests!

Belgium on Monday began minting €2.50 coins to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo after France forced it to scrap a planned €2 coin to commemorate the battle, warning that it could provoke an "unfavourable reaction".

Earlier this year, Paris objected to the minting of a coin in memory of French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte’s final defeat to British and Prussian forces, saying it would create tensions at a time when Europe's unity was under threat.

Belgium was forced to get rid of all 180,000 of the €2 coins that had already been minted after Paris sent a letter saying they could cause an "unfavourable reaction in France".

But Belgium this week sidestepped the French protests by using a rule that allows eurozone countries to issue coins unilaterally if they are an irregular denomination – in this case, €2.50.

Napoleon Bonaparte was forced into exile after his grand European ambitions were crushed by the Duke of Wellington's forces at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, which took place on what is now the outskirts of Brussels.

France said in its initial letter to Belgium that the battle "has a particular resonance in the collective consciousness that goes beyond a simple military conflict".

But Belgian Finance Minister Johan Van Overtveldt said the new coins – of which there will be 70,000 – were not being released in a deliberate bid to upset the French.

"The goal is not to revive old quarrels. In a modern Europe, there are more important things to sort out," he said on Monday.

"But there's been no battle in recent history as important as Waterloo, or indeed one that captures the imagination in the same way."

The €2.50 coins will be usable in Belgian shops, but collectors are expected to snap up many of them. Sold in special plastic bags priced at €6, they show the Lion's Mound monument that stands at the battlefield site as well as lines indicating the positions of the troops.

Several thousand copies of a specially minted silver coin – with a face value of €10 but sold at €40 – will also be released.

http://www.france24.com/en/20150610-belgium-mints-waterloo-coins-despite-french-protests

105 Coins To Be Offered In Pogue II Auction In September!

Stack’s Bowers Galleries‘ auction offering of the unparalleled D. Brent Pogue Collection of Masterpieces of United States Coinage continues on September 30, 2015 in New York City. 

The Pogue II sale will continue the offering of the D. Brent Pogue Collection of half dollars, focusing on coins of the Capped Bust type from 1807 to 1822.

The debut offering of silver dollars from the D. Brent Pogue Collection will bring to the market Flowing Hair dollars dated 1794 and 1795, with the Lord Saint Oswald specimen of the 1794 dollar the star attraction. 

Graded MS-66+ by PCGS and considered one of the finest 1794 dollars known, the coin surfaced in England in 1964 and was formerly included in the collections of Alfred Ostheimer and Jimmy Hayes.

The second offering of the D. Brent Pogue Collection of quarter eagles will begin with the Parmelee-Mills-Eliasberg 1821, graded PCGS MS-66+ and continue to 1839, including superb examples of the first mintmarked quarter eagles from Charlotte, Dahlonega, and New Orleans.

Half Eagles from 1795 through 1807 include remarkable gems like the MS-66+ (PCGS) Pogue 1803/2 $5 and outstanding rarities like 1795 Heraldic Eagle $5 in MS-64 (PCGS).

The D. Brent Pogue Collection of early eagles offers an incomparable selection, from the wondrous Garrett 1795 $10 (PCGS MS-66+) to a superb 1804 in PCGS MS-63+. 

A total of 105 coins will cross the auction block, each hand selected and each among the finest extant. Join Stack’s Bowers Galleries as we make history again with the D. Brent Pogue Collection.

http://www.coinweek.com/auctions-news/105-coins-to-be-offered-in-pogue-ii-auction-in-september/

2015 Silver Proof Sets Win Sales Battle Again!

The most popular United States Mint product of the week, according to the latest sales stats from the agency, was again the 2015 Silver Proof Set. 

 

 This annual set from San Francisco received 10,201 orders during its second full week on the market. That gain pushed its cumulative total to 215,164.

 

2015 Silver Proof Sets

Other products composed of silver and experiencing significant increases were the 2015-W Proof American Silver Eagle and the proof 2015 US Marshals Service Silver Dollar. Between the two individually sold coins, the Silver Eagles won out. 

 

They added 4,120 to their sales total, now at 403,685, and the commemorative Marshals dollars jumped by 2,025 to 91,209.

http://www.silvercoinstoday.com/2015-silver-proof-sets-win-sales-battle-again/1011091/

Ancient Axes, A Bronze Age Ring, Silver Coins & Roman Pins: The Treasure Unearthed By Welsh Metal Detector Fans!

Enthusiasts with metal detectors have discovered archaeological riches dating back to the Bronze Age. The 14 finds are only those recorded by the British Museum as being “significant”.

There are likely to have been scores of smaller discoveries. In all but two of the cases, the amateur Indiana Joneses were allowed to keep their loot.

Hoarde of 16th & 17th Century Coins Found In Powys In August 2012

Bronze Age Axes:
The two discoveries acquired by museums were both of Bronze Age axes or axe heads dating back as far as 1100BC.

The discoveries span British history from those early axes found in Llangollen, Denbighshire and Colwinston in the Vale of Glamorgan to a trove of 25 silver coins dating back to the reigns of Edward VI, Elizabeth I and James I in the 16th and 17th Centuries.

The coins were found in August 2012 in Montgomeryshire, Powys, and include shillings and sixpences with motifs including castles, coronets and a portcullis.

Metal Detector Find:
Other finds included a copper alloy Roman pin from AD300-AD450 picked up by metal detector on July 14 last year in Llandeilo in Camarthenshire.

On May 1, 2014, another detector discovered a Medieval flail in Cilcain, Flintshire. It was eventually dated to AD900-AD1400.

On the very same day, in Wrexham in Denbighshire, A Roman toggle from AD100-300 was also unearthed.

Finds from 2013 included a Iron Age linch pin in Llandow, Vale of Glamorgan, as well as a whetstone of uncertain date found by someone with a metal detector in Rossett, Wrexham.

Iron Age Find From 300BC:

In 2002, on June 1 in Pwlheli in Gwynedd, a metal detector turned up a Iron Age copper strap fitting possibly dating back as far as 300BC.

And on January 20, a gold Bronze Age ring from 1000BC-800BC was found in St Donats in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Every year thousands are discovered, either by ‘treasure-hunters’ using metal detectors, or simply people walking or gardening.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, anyone who finds gold or silver objects or groups of coins more than 300 years old must report them under the Treasure Act 1996. Prehistoric base-metal objects found after January 1, 2003, also qualify.

A report has to be drawn up for a coroner, who then holds an inquest to decide whether the find constitutes treasure. If it does, the Crown is formally recognise as the owner and the object will usually end up in a museum. A reward will be paid based on the value of the treasure.

If the object is not classified as treasure it is generally returned to the finder.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/ancient-axes-bronze-age-ring-9360937