President Obama on Thursday signed the Girl Scout Commemorative Coin Act into law, authorizing the Untied States Mint to strike up to 350,000 silver dollar coins to honor the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA).

The coins will be minted and sold in 2013, marking the end of Girl Scouts’ yearlong centennial celebration and kicking off a new century of leadership and service to girls.

The bill, H.R. 621, was introduced by Rep. Jack Kingston and easily passed by a voice vote on Oct. 13. Sen. Susan Collins sponsored a companion bill, S. 451. Instead of moving that forward, the Senate simply passed the House version on Oct. 19 by Unanimous Consent.

President Obama signed the bill at 3:15 p.m. ET during a ceremony at the White House that included Connie L. Lindsey, GSUSA National Board Chair, Laurie Westley, Senior Vice President, Public Policy, Advocacy & the Research Institute, and girls from the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital.

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Read the rest of Girl Scout Commemorative Coin Act is Law (313 words)

10:40p ET Thursday, October 29, 2009

Dear Friend of GATA and Gold:

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1879 Flowing Hair stella leads the way with $161,000; strong prices signal optimism in the market

DALLAS, TX — With a sell-through rate of 90% by lot and 88% by dollar value, and almost 3300 bidders, Heritage Auctions’ Oct. 23-24 Dallas Signature® U.S. Coin Auction soared to $8.7 million total. All prices include a 15% Buyer’s Premium.

The impressive tally is a good sign for the coin market and provides strong momentum as the numismatic world prepares for the January FUN auctions, long a solid indicator of the overall strength of the business and a benchmark by which to judge the coming year.

"We saw some very strong prices in some unexpected areas," said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions. "The rare coin market seems to be almost fully recovered in many areas, and perhaps even headed for record price levels next year."

A stunning 1879 Flowing Hair stella struck in gold, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, PR65 NGC was the top lot of the Heritage Auctions event, with a price realized of $161,000 for this international trade coinage pattern, which bears a Flowing Hair portrait of Liberty by Charles Barber. Demand for the issue is far greater than the supply; only a few hundred of the gold 1879 Flowing Hair stellas were minted and distributed, mainly to interested members of Congress.

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Read the rest of Heritage Auctions Realizes $8.7 Million in Dallas U.S. Coin Auction (698 words)

Two new bills, one in the U.S. Senate and the other in the U.S. House of Representatives, seek to introduce a maximum of 1,000 silver $1 coins in 2010 "commemoration of the opening of the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, each of which shall."

Observers of coin legislation will quickly ponder the lateness in introduction and the extremely usual 1,000 mintage limit. Yet that is exactly what is described in both bills, each named the International Civil Rights Center and Museum Commemorative Coin Act. If the legislation moves beyond their respective assigned chamber committees, expect limits to be more aptly applied.

The International Civil Rights Center and Museum is located at the site of the F.W. Woolworth’s store in Greensboro, North Carolina, where a sit-in movement began to protest private-sector segregation in the United States. On February 1, 1960, 4 African-American students of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University sat at a white-only lunch counter inside the store in a non-violent protest. By August of 1961, more than 70,000 people had participated in sit-ins and sit-down demonstrations in more than 60 cities throughout the Southeast.

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Read the rest of International Civil Rights Center and Museum Commemorative Coin Act (208 words)

The pride of Canadian coinage is the Maple Leaf gold bullion coin. The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) proudly produces these strikingly beautiful, one-ounce 24-Karat gold coins, and the Ottawa-based refinery and mint was the first in the world to offer 24-Karat bullion to the world in 1979. It wasn’t until 1982 however, that these modern bullion coins were massed produced. Before Maple Leaf gold bullion arrived on the scene, 22-Karat South African Krugerrands were the only available gold bullion in the world, and they weren’t immediately globally popular largely because U.S. citizens were forbidden to own gold during the early 70’s. South African’s own inhumane practice of apartheid was another major inhibitor of the Krugerrands’ initial global acceptance, while Canada’s ongoing legacy of robust, friendly ideals helps to promote the 24-Karat, iconic coin.

Maple Leaf gold bullion coins’ obverse design is one of Canada’s most recognized symbols, as well as the coin’s namesake. The design is the work of the RCM’s master engraver, Walter Ott, and artist, Arnold Machin created the reverse design, which portrays the profiled image of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, facing to the right. These 1-ounce coins are also minted in varying, smaller denominations like ½-ounce, ¼-ounce, and 1/10-ounces, to fit a wider range of budgets. Gold investment is the current economic trend, as spot prices continue to rise, while U.S. dollar values continue to flirt with ambiguity. Investors are encouraged to evaluate their finances, and then to contact one of our friendly specialists, who offer institutional discounts to household investors like you.

Danny Burns

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Heritage Auction Galleries
Oct. 26, 2009

Legislation seeking to recognize and celebrate the establishment of the Medal of Honor was approved in the U.S Senate Thursday by Unanimous Consent. The bill, H.R. 1209, passed in the U.S. House of Representatives back on May 14, 2009.

Following a procedural clearance step, the Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin Act of 2009 will make its way to President Obama who is expected to sign it into law. That will authorize the United States Mint to strike up to 500,000 $1 silver coins and 100,000 $5 gold coins in proof and uncirculated conditions in 2011.

H.R. 1209, which was introduced by Rep. Christopher Carney, calls for gold and silver coin designs to be "emblematic of the traditions, legacy, and heritage of the Medal of Honor, and the distinguished service of its recipients in the Nation’s history."

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Read the rest of Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin Act Passes Senate (173 words)

Four numismatic news or coin blog articles are referenced on CoinNews two seperate times a week. These articles are not authored by us, but we recommend coin collectors read them for their unusual or interesting content. Here are today’s coin articles:

The Great Branch Mint Gold Popularity Contest of 2009
Doug Winter | RareGoldCoins.com

I realize that the title of this blog sounds like an outtake from the Dukes of Hazzard but I thought it might be an interesting topic to take each branch mint and analyze it in terms of its popularity. Then, for the icing on the proverbial cake, I thought it would also be interesting to name the five or so most in-demand issues from each mint. Just as an FYI, I am not including Denver among the five branch mints as it is relevant only to 20th century issues and this article is primarily focused on 19th century gold coinage …

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Read the rest of Coin News: Branch Mints, WASP Medal, Hobby Shape? (314 words)

What’s New on CoinLink ……..

2,200 high grade samples of mostly scarce, rare or unique specimens from Spain, her colonies and empire ranging from the Visigothic era to the present were sold Oct 21-22 by Aureo & Calico in Barcelona Spain. The Caballero de las Yndias collection is stunning representation of all of the mints that struck coinage for all of the Spanish dynasties throughout all of the rulers and respective types.

The United States Mint announced today that it will begin accepting orders for the one-ounce 2009 American Buffalo Gold Proof Coin at noon Eastern Time (ET) on October 29, 2009.

The Brackley Hoard Of Silver Groats Coins to be Sold – In the summer of 1465, as the Wars of the Roses raged, an unknown person hid his worldly wealth in a secret location in a Northamptonshire field and went into hiding. He never returned to claim his money.

Bowers and Merena Auctions, America’s leading rare coin and currency auction house, will bring more than 6,000 lots of fine coins and currency to Baltimore, Md., for the Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo scheduled for November 10-14, 2009.

Stack’s eagerly invites you to take part in our 74th Anniversary Sale, held this year in Baltimore, MD November 9-11, 2009. Stack’s is proud to celebrate our 74th year in the auction business by holding a star-studded auction event, replete with dazzling rarities at every turn.

By Doug Winter – The Great Branch Mint Gold Popularity Contest of 2009 – I realize that the title of this blog sounds like an outtake from the Dukes of Hazzard but I thought it might be an interesting topic to take each branch mint and analyze it in terms of its popularity.

Drivel Control - Commentary by Wayne Sayles – The twitter around the cultural property nationalist blogs at the moment is that a rare tribal octadrachm of the Bisalti has been seized from an auction firm in Switzerland.

Goldline International, Inc., a leading gold and precious metals trading company, was recently ranked the 32nd largest privately-held company in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal.

Former television news anchor and Congressman Jay Johnson has died from an apparent heart attack at his home in suburban Washington, DC

Stunning Smithsonian Coins Exhibit in PCGS Video – The acclaimed, new traveling exhibition of the Smithsonian’s National Numismatic Collection, “Good as Gold – America’s Double Eagles,” now can be seen on a free, new video available online courtesy of Professional Coin Grading Service.Stunning Smithsonian Coins Exhibit in PCGS Video

Legend Numismatics Mid October Rare Coin Market Report – The coin market seems to be doing just fine-and maybe even gaining a little strength. Last week we were knocked down pretty much by illness in the office. It was a bigger deal for us to lift our heads than any coins.

Heritage’s upcoming 2009 October Signature US Coin Auction, taking place at the Dallas headquarters of Heritage on October 22-24, presents an interesting opportunity to look at the contrasts of Collecting styles between two of the Featured Collections.

Continuing with News across the web, we have a new posting of – Coin News Daily – providing short excerpts and links to other news across the web that we have found, and which you may find of interest. We also provide Daily Updates on Precious Metals in The Bullion Report, with Charts, Video Headlines and News.

You can access ALL the News Here

What’s New on CoinLink ……..

Olympic Medals – As unique as the world’s top athletes and their awe-inspiring performances, every medal won at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will be a one-of-a-kind work of art.

NGC recently certified the unique Ecuador 1862 50 Francos struck in gold. This classic rarity of 19th-century South American coinage is an experimental denomination that conforms to the European coinage standards of the era. It is graded NGC AU 55.

Unusual Items: Lowest Graded Half Eagle Gold Coin to be Sold by Heritage – The mantra in almost all areas of collecting is Quality, Quality, Quality! High end coins are always in demand, regardless of the series.

The American Numismatic Association Board of Governors has approved a balanced operating budget for the 2010 fiscal year (November 1, 2009 to October 31, 2010), signaling the continued financial turnaround in fiscal performance for the Association.

1810 Half Eagles By Doug Winter - In a recent blog about undervalued early gold issues, I mentioned that the half eagles of 1810 were confusing enough (even to a specialist such as me) that this tends to suppress values for some of the rare issues that are known from this year. Let’s take a more in-depth look at the various 1810 half eagles.

CoinLink is always on the lookout for new sites related to numismatics, and especially ones that have the potencial to offer valuable new information to the collecting community. A recent article in the NGC Newsletter caught our eye. They profiled Coin Society, a new site which just released an open beta at www.coinsociety.com.

A new series of informative and entertaining educational videos, “Spare Change: Coin Collecting Guide,” is available free at the recently-launched website, www.CoinsTV.com.

Coin Dealer Julian Leidman Victim of Vehicle Burglary. Reward Grows to $156,000. The Township of Montville, New Jersey police department is investigating the October 11, 2009 auto burglary of coin dealer Julian Leidman. Mr. Leidman was en route home after participating in Coinfest Coin Show held in Stamford Connecticut.

Ponterio & Associates, a division of Bowers and Merena Auctions, will bring 1,250 lots of world paper money to Baltimore, Md., as part Bowers and Merena’s Official Auction of the Whitman Coin and Collectibles Baltimore Expo scheduled for November 10-14, 2009.

Stella Coin News (SCN) is very pleased to announce their latest online reference book, The Complete Guide to Certified Barber Coinage, written in 1999 by John and David Feigenbaum.

PNG – Millions Lost From Coin Fakes, Hobby Leaders Warn – Chinese-made counterfeit coins pose a significant financial threat to unsuspecting consumers, according to leaders of five of the country’s most influential rare coin organizations. They warn the public is spending millions of dollars on fake U.S. coins offered in online auctions and elsewhere, such as flea markets and swap meets.

On September 29th, Spink held a sale in London of A Superb Set Of The 1913 – 1914 Commonwealth of Australia Banknotes. The notes were found in a chest of drawers in the North Yorkshire home of an elderly man when his home was being cleard out for an estate sale.

PCGS - An informative video news report about the rare coin market has been posted by CNBC on its web site. PCGS Co-Founder David Hall is prominently featured in the story.

Laura Sperber Market Report – First, we’d like to congratulate and thank Jon Lerner (Scarsdale Coins) putting on one of the BEST shows there is! Jon fought a nasty cold and made sure everything was “just right” for everyone. We also would like to offer a huge thank you to John Albanese and his team over at CAC for donating their time and effort to offer free submissions for the collectors who attended.

Continuing with News across the web, we have a new posting of – Coin News Daily – providing short excerpts and links to other news across the web that we have found, and which you may find of interest. We also provide Daily Updates on Precious Metals in The Bullion Report, with Charts, Video Headlines and News.

You can access ALL the News Here