Gold and Silver Coins Celebrate 200 Years of the Dutch Central Bank

The Royal Dutch Mint has launched a series of coins which marks the 200th anniversary of the founding of the country’s Central Bank. Organized in 1814, one of King Willem I’s first official actions after assuming the new unified Dutch throne was to sign a Royal warrant setting up and establishing de Nederlandsche Bank (DNB). 

The King’s goal was to facilitate economic growth while ensuring financial stability. 200 years later, it is still DNB’s primary purpose especially since joining the EURO system of banking with the adoption of the Euro single currency in 2002. 

After two centuries, the functions of this esteemed institution focuses on three areas: monetary policy, payment transactions, and supervision. As the Netherlands prepares to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the official establishment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands next year, the bi-centenary of the establishment of the Dutch Central Bank is one of the country’s most important national anniversaries.

DNB 200 Years Gold Coin
The ‘de Nederlandsche Bank’ five & ten Euro coins are designed by Michael Guilfoyle, who designed last year’s “Three Kings” silver medallion issued by the Royal Dutch Mint on the occasion of the accession of King Willem-Alexander. 

The new commemorative coins feature several references to bank notes, including refined calligraphy patterns that used to serve as a security measure for earlier bank notes. 

In addition, the coin’s design includes micro-text, introduced in the latter half of the 20th century which was also used as a security feature on banknotes and more recently, on coins.
colored.

A special color set for the ‘de Nederlandsche Bank’ five euro coins contain three Silver Proof coins with color, as well as three colored silver miniature bank notes of 10, 25 and 50 guilders of the previous series, (c. 1968 to 1984). The coin colors correspond with the banknote colors. 

The obverse of the coins includes corresponding artwork from the reverse design depicting calligraphy around a smooth outline profile of HM King Willem-Alexander along with the text “WILLEM-ALEXANDER KONING DER NEDERLANDEN” and the year of issue “2014” below.

Denomination	Metal	Weight	Dimensions	Quality	Mintage
5 €URO	Silver-plate	10.5 grams	29 mm.	UNC	220,000
5 €URO	.925 silver	15.5 grams	33 mm.	Colour proof	3 X 1000 each
5 €URO	.925 silver	15.5 grams	33 mm.	Proof	12,500 pieces
10 €URO	.900 gold	6.72 grams	22.5 mm.	Proof	1,500 pieces

The 5 €URO coin are produced in two versions, the circulation- type example which is produced in silver-plated base metal and a sterling silver proof version. The circulation type coins are available in rolls of 20 pieces and in presentation coin-cards. The proof examples are available as a single item without color.

The three colorized coins are available in the set only and are housed in a custom wood presentation box limited to 1000 sets with numbered certificate. The 10 €URO gold coin is also available as a single item or product. 

For more information on these and other coins offered by the Royal Dutch Mint, please visit their website at: http://en.knm.nl/

http://news.coinupdate.com/gold-and-silver-coins-celebrate-year-of-the-dutch-central-bank-3182/

Silver Dollars Eclipse Bullion Coins

With the recent uptick in gold and silver prices, there has been a slight increase in the amount of bullion-priced gold and silver being liquidated by retail customers in the United States. At the same time, demand for physical gold in China continues to break the all-time records set last year.

On the other side, demand to purchase physical precious metals in the United States has softened. With more bullion items being liquidated and lower demand to purchase them, a wide range of gold, silver, platinum and palladium products are being sold back to wholesalers. 

 

Within the past week, there have been several opportunities to acquire selected coins or bars at lower than normal premiums.

Among silver items, the premiums for silver American Eagle one-ounce bullion coins and U.S. 90 percent silver coins are down. Sometimes, you can also find deals on silver bars and rounds.

 

In gold, some premiums have fallen for pre-2014 dated U.S. gold American Eagles and Maple Leaves, Mexico 50 pesos, Austria 100 coronas, and various sizes of gold bars. The bargains in platinum and palladium tend mostly to be bars of different sizes.

When I worked the floor at the American Numismatic Association National Money Show in Atlanta last week, I saw first-hand that demand for high-grade Morgan and Peace dollars and for somewhat better date Morgan and Peace dollars was even stronger than it was a month earlier at the Long Beach show.

Dealer inventories of such coins were much lower than I am used to seeing. More than one dealer told me that “everyone” seemed to be chasing the somewhat better date coins in Mint State condition. 

One dealer friend purchased a complete Morgan dollar set, including the proof 1895, near the start of the show and sold it all within 48 hours.

I anticipate that demand for the little bit scarcer Morgan and Peace dollars will continue to grow, pushing up prices no matter what happens to the spot price of silver. Also look for the prices of Mint State generic dates to gradually appreciate.

 

Although Mint State rolls of Morgan and Peace dollars have not been strong over the past few months – with Peace dollars actually dropping in price – it appears that this is more a case that the average quality of coins in such rolls is declining instead of prices being weak.

The Saddle Ridge hoard of gold coins has caught the public fancy.

Last week, the story about a discovery hoard of U.S. gold coins dated from the mid-to-late 1800s broke. The 1,427 coins discovered a year ago in Northern California had a face value of around $28,000.

 

Dubbed the Saddle Ridge Hoard after a nearby by geographical landmark, this is perhaps the largest face value discovery of buried gold coins in U.S. history. All the news reports repeated that the hoard could be worth as much as $10 million.

After I returned home last Saturday, I took my daughter to her indoor soccer game. As soon as I approached the stands, it seemed like almost all the other parents wanted to talk about the gold coins in the Saddle Ridge Hoard.

 

Fortunately, I had read a number of the articles about them and viewed some of the coins at the ANA Atlanta show. Therefore, I could discuss them intelligently. I hope every one of these coins finds a retail buyer. 

 

The media publicity about the Saddle Ridge Hoard is perhaps the greatest ever accomplished for any numismatic news story. Kudos go to Don Kagin and the Professional Coin Grading Service for excellent public relations work. 

 

Who knows how many new or renewed collectors will emerge because of all the coverage on this discovery hoard.

http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ad=article&ArticleId=27675

New stamp and coin to celebrate Royal tour

Two special stamps and a coin will be released by New Zealand Post to commemorate the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George.

The stamps depict a family portrait taken at the Middleton family home and the official portrait from Prince George's christening.

The limited edition 1 ounce silver proof legal tender coin illustrates the young couple in colour against the backdrop of Government House in Wellington.

Prince George will be with his parents when they touch down on April 7, and the family will base themselves in Wellington.

Along with the capital the Duke and Duchess will visit Auckland, Hamilton, Cambridge, Blenheim Christchurch, Dunedin and Queenstown.

New Zealand Post Head of Stamps and Coins Simon Allison says he is expecting interest in the stamps and coin to be high.

"Kiwis will be keen to get a glimpse of the young couple and future King while they're visiting. This special stamp and coin issue is a great way to celebrate and commemorate the visit," he said.

Queen Elizabeth has personally approved the images for use on the stamps and coin.

The Royal Visit stamps and coin are available for pre-order online (nzpost.co.nz/stamps) and will be available in PostShops and REAL Aotearoa stores from April 7.
 

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/new-stamp-and-coin-celebrate-royal-tour-5856485

2014 Canadian Silver Peregrine Falcon - Rolls of 25

After the wild success and spectacular gains from the six-coin series Wildlife Program of Silver coins, The Canadian Mint has just released a brand new "Birds of Prey" four-coin Silver series.  

The Birds of Prey series will feature different predatory birds found in Canada, including the spectacular first year of issue of the Silver Peregrine Falcon. Each Birds of Prey Silver issue will have a limited mintage of only one million coins.

We expect the 2014 Canadian Silver Peregrine Falcon to be a considerable performer in the coming years as first year issue are almost always the most highly sought after in any coin series.

Birds of Prey - Silver Peregrine Falcon
First Year Issue - The inaugural release of a brand new four-coin Silver series.
Limited Mintage - Strict limited mintage of only one million coins. Compare to the American Silver Eagle that saw a mintage of 40+ Million in 2013.
Excellent Track Record - While this is a brand new series, other similar series with limited mintages have performed exceedingly well, such as the Canadian Timberwolves.
Double Profit Opportunity - Modern Silver coins with limited mintages have shown that they can reduce downside risks while increasing overall gains compared to the movements in Silver itself.
Silver up 10% in 30 Days - Silver has proven to be the one of the best performing asset classes in 2014! 

Official Legal Tender

With a $5 denomination the Canadian Silver Peregrine Falcon are genuine legal tender coins. Making them easy to sell, trade, or barter with, anywhere in the world.

99.99% Fine Silver

Each Canadian Silver Peregrine Falcon contains 1 troy ounce of (pure .9999 fine Silver) making them one of the purest Silver Bullion Coins struck by any Mint in the World.

Magnificent Coin Designs

Many people will enjoy collecting Birds of Prey - 2014 Silver Peregrine Falcon for their beautiful designs.

http://www.austincoins.com/offer/2014-Silver-Canadian-Peregrine-Falcon-Coins-Rolls-of-25/16477

Austrian Mint’s Polar Bears at the Schönbrunn Zoo 5-Euro Commemorative Coin Debuts

The Austrian Mint has just issued Polar Bears at the Schönbrunn Zoo 5-Euro Commemorative Coin to celebrate the new Polar bear enclosure at Schönbrunn Zoo, scheduled to open in May 2014.

The delightful reverse was designed and engraved by the Mint’s Chief engraver, Thomas Pesendorfer. The foreground of the design shows a mother polar bear with her cub, along with a curious walrus taking in the scene. To the right is a sailing ship of the late 19th century working its way through the ice flows of the polar cap. The icy landscape of the Arctic is seen in the background, along with a soaring Arctic bird in the clear sky. This side of the coin also includes the words “Abenteuer Arktis”, or Arctic Adventure, as well as the year of issue 2014.

The obverse of the nine-sided coin is the standard 5-euro design, with the denomination encircled by the shields of the nine federal provinces of Austria. In the center is the face value of 5 euros. Mint engraver Helmut Andexlinger designed the obverse.

The Schönbrunn Zoo is the world’s oldest zoo founded in 1752. The zoo is a very active institution involved in education, research and animal conservation. The famous zoo is located on the grounds of Schönbrunn palace. The first elephant born in captivity of the world occurred at Schönbrunn Zoo in 1906.

The Polar Bear enclosure will be part of the area in the zoo known as “Franz Joseph Land”. Under the sponsorship of the Emperor Franz Joseph in 1873 an expedition of Austria-Hungarian explorers went north to the arctic to conduct early research in the polar regions of the world. An area of the Arctic honours this voyage of discovery to this day and is known as Franz Joseph Land. It is an area of islands that belongs to Russia today. The islands located north of the polar circle are uninhabited today. In the past there have been weather stations, research bases and even during the cold war a strategic Russian base was located here.

The voyage of exploration sailed on the ship Admiral Tegetthoff of the Austrian Navy and was stuck for a year on the ice flows of the area. During this year many explorations and research projects were conducted.

The charming Polar Bear, which always delights visitors to zoos with its playful antics, is today faced with global warming which is reducing this animal’s natural habitat. Thankfully, through global conservation efforts the population of Polar bears has increased to about 25,000 – a great improvement over the very small numbers of the threaten Polar bear during the 1960’s.

The landscape usually covered with snow and ice is a barren rocky land. Numerous channels and bays separate the islands. Many bird colonies are located on the various islands, as well as mammals indigenous to the north. In 1994, most of the area was declared a nature reserve requiring special permits to be allowed to visit the region.

The Polar Bears at the Schönbrunn Zoo 5-Euro Commemorative Coin, is a silver coin and has a diameter of 28.5 mm, contains 8 grams of fine silver and has a fineness of 800. The silver coin is available in special uncirculated quality and will have a maximum mintage of 50,000. Each of these coins is vacuum-sealed in a colorful and informative blister pack.

http://www.coinweek.com/german-coins/austrian-coins/schonbrunn-zoo-5-euro/

Hallmark Coins Reveals Why Coin Collecting Is Healthy For Your Bank Balance

With links to a vast database of British and world collectible coins, Hallmark Coins continues to keep customers up-to-date with the rarest and most in demand numismatic collections that match their requirements and exacting budget. But now they reveal that it’s not just turning a tidy profit that keeps collectors coming back for more. It’s the health benefits that have them hooked as well.

Don Pearlman, spokesman for the Professional Numismatists Guild indicates that coin collecting fosters both pride of ownership and personal accomplishment. These are both defining factors that health experts believe builds self-confidence, self-belief and a healthier more rounded individual.

Mr Pearlman went on to say, “Not only is coin collecting a way of stimulating the brain by learning about natural history, military history, government, political regimes, economies and religion, but it is also a social practice too. With people coming from near and far to gather in a central place and share their collections with each other.”

Elliot Basker, Online Business Manager, Hallmark Coins, echoes the sentiment saying, “In the five years that we’ve been in business, we’ve seen a rapid increase in communities of gold and silver coin collectors meeting regularly to buy, sell and discuss their collections. And at the same time, expand their intellect.

“Our customers enjoy the social side to collecting coins, attending community fairs and conventions, meeting like-minded collectors and hobbyists, but at the heart of it all, simply getting out and about. And we’re proud to be a facilitator of that.”

For older adults, hobbies such as coin collecting can contribute to healthy aging, says Julie Bach, assistant professor of social work and chair of the gerontology certificate programme at Dominican University in River Forest.

Professor Bach says, “The model of successful aging is continuing engagement with life. If they’re going to places where coin collectors gather, that’s getting older people out and sharing ideas.”

At Hallmark Coins, we believe this to be a sought after practice that stimulates mind, body and soul, and points toward the future of numismatic trading receiving a clean bill of health.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1751967

Exclusive Interview With Perth Mint's Zeus Silver Coin Designer Tom Vaughan

TOM: We produce many high relief coins here at The Perth Mint, a number of which I have designed myself. I’m particularly proud of the Australian Lunar and Australian fauna series. 

 

In this case, the increased relief of the 2oz rimless coin presented an additional challenge in terms of visualising how the design would best be displayed in this new format. Antiquing is a finishing technique which creates a great impression of depth to a coin. 

 

Knowing this, I needed to create a design that was quite bold, yet offered subtle layers in order to capture the best effect – this was a challenge from a design perspective. Sculpting the figure was also a challenge to our engraving department, and I think they pulled it off with considerable aplomb!

 

GC: What sort of technical challenges did the Perth Mint encounter during the die making process and the minting of the coin?

TOM: Our Manufacturing team advised that the minting of this coin was unique because it is splash minted rather than struck in the conventional fashion. This was the first time that 

 

The Perth Mint manufactured an ultra-high relief rimless coin so it was a challenge to determine the ideal metal flow. A range of new tooling had to be developed, and a number of prototypes had to be made, to ensure the optimum relief was achieved.

GC: How long did this project take, from the first team meeting deciding on the concept, to the final product?

TOM: The project was developed at a concept meeting in September 2011.

 

 

GC: This is a very different art style from the Lunar Horses. Last time we talked, you mentioned that you thought that your knowledge of anatomy was one of your strong suits. It seems to have stood you in good stead! What would you call your style for this coin?

TOM: Thank you. I was aiming for a sort of heroic realism, typified by the dynamic larger-than-life poses and compositions of ancient Greek statuary. The Elgin marbles were an inspiration, as were the hieroglyphic-looking designs on ancient Greek earthenware.

GC: Where did you draw your inspiration for such a striking design? What sort of research did you do?

TOM: I researched ancient Greek art, statuary, friezes and domestic design, as well as the symbolism and mythological histories of the Gods in question. It was exciting – those Gods got up to a lot of hijinks!

GC: The more I look at this coin, the more things I notice. What would you say you like most about the coin, now that it’s finished?

TOM: I enjoy the way the antiqued finish brings out the subtler details of the engraving and sculpting. I’d like to give credit to one of our finest engravers, Joseph Tilli, who contributed to a first class sculpt on the figure. 

 

It was great to be given a chance to use the antique finish. I’ve always appreciated the way it brings out the three-dimensional feel of the design.

GC: Which coin is next in the Gods of Olympus series? Poseidon and Hades have been mentioned. Will there be any more coins besides those? Perhaps Aphrodite or Ares?

TOM: All I can say for now is watch this space!

GC: Our art department would like to know which designer tools would be hard for you to live without.

TOM: It would be very hard to live without our digital drawing tablets! They provide a similar experience to drawing by hand, while giving you all the tools of the digital desktop.

GC: Finally, what coin would you design, if given free rein?

TOM: I have suggested another rimless series at a concept meeting we held last year. For the particular theme I presented, the artistry would be very colourful and varied in design, and would present beautifully in the right packaging. I’d love to see them in production one day.

GC: Thanks again for taking time to chat! We can’t wait to see what your next design will be!

http://www.coinweek.com/people-in-the-news/exclusive-interview-zeus-coin-designer-tom-vaughan/