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COIN MARKET INSIDER's REPORT takes the pulse of the numismatic marketplace and talks about the buys, the sells, and the trades that all collectors and investors are interested in.
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COIN MARKET INSIDER'S REPORT is the award-winning column that has run in COINage Magazine monthly since 1974. Its author is David L. Ganz, a New York City lawyer, who for more than 35 years has covered the numismatic marketplace. Besides practicing law, he is a past present of The American Numismatic Association, and served for a dozen years as general counsel to the Professional Numismatists Guild. Appointed by President Nixon to the 1974 Annual Assay Commission, he served (1993-1996) as a Clinton appointee on the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee. His latest book, "The Official Guide to America's State Quarters" is a Random House mass market paperback, due out this fall.
The column began with a premise that it could report, telegraph style, about what was going on in the numismatic marketplace and talk about the buys, the sells, and the trades that investors and collectors are interested in. It now includes the internet, and http:// addresses you can hyperlink to, easily. This is an expanded version of the column as it appears in COINage Magazine. The author can be reached at: davidlganz@ganzhollinger.com.
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Insider's Report
May 2001
by David L. Ganz
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Heading out from the U.S. MINT: Jay Johnson, who has served as director of a year under a Clinton Administration appointment... His notice of intent to resign was turned in May 11...Likely coming in: name most heard is Barbara McTurk, of Colorado, who was previously Superintendent of the Denver Mint and well-known to hobbyists.... Johnson will serve until a successor is named and confirmed... www.usmint.gov
New U.S. Treasurer will be Rosario Marin, of California... Her signature will go on all U.S. currency together with new Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill.... This will be a new series, 2001 for U.S. currency notes... www.ustreas.gov
Ken Bressett's book on State Quarters (St. Martins Press) is available at $4.95.... Les Fox has introduced a program for state quarters that encapsulates coins with signatures or other limited editions of the coin designers or conceptualists... These are the individuals behind the concept that Mint artists then engrave... The concept is really what state quarters are about...
New collector's mint medals available: Jay Johnson (Mint director) and Lawrence Summers, former Secretary of the Treasury... Summers portrait was done by Al Maletsky, Johnson's portrait by T. James Ferrell.... Large medals are $21; one-inch small examples are $1.25...
New state quarter finalist designs for 2002 went before the Fine Arts Commission April 19.... While this happens, Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois are moving along in the design process with their respective governors...The 2003 designs appear to all be of superior quality in presentation and would add a lot to the state quarter program....
Rhode Island quarters (including rolls and bags) go on sale May 21st... Jay Johnson, outgoing Mint director, says he will be attending the first strike ceremony.... Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Co., himself a native American, had honors for the first strike of the Indian-head silver dollar (buffalo nickel reverse) struck as a $1 commemorative in early May.... Attending: Barbara McTurk, representing the governor of Colorado...
A 2001-D Vermont quarter has entered circulation four months ahead of schedule.... There are all sorts of theories how this occurred since the "first strike" ceremony has yet to take place... Most likely, it came from a program in which the Mint is partnering with private enterprise and using coins... They get them "early".... Glenna Goodacre's specially burnished golden dollars (for which she obtained 5,000 pieces in payment of her professional services in designing the coins) are now being graded by PCGS and also ANACS... Deadline for Maine's coin design for the state quarter of 2003 is this May 11.... www.state.me.us/treasurer/homepage.htm
European currency (the "Euro") moves towards reality... 13 countries will use the Euro coins and banknotes starting January 1... Netherlands has issued the last Dutch guilder, which will circulate only until January 27, 2002... Details: Coins & Currency Institute, Box 1057, Clifton, N.J. 07014....
Scholastic Books has a wonderful state quarter program for kids... http://teacher.scholastic.com/arrow/march/50usquartersse.htm
Extraordinary book: "Classical Deception" by Wayne Sales (an objective book on counterfeits, forgeries and reproductions of ancient coins (Krause Publications, $25). It covers contemporary and modern "fakes" and is truly a must if you collect any of the ancient coins.... www.krause.com
Rob Van Ryzin's "Crime of 1873" (Krause, $34.95) is a 297-page book that makes the past come alive... Lavishly illustrated, expertly researched, Van Ryzin will either convince you that there was a Crime, or he won't, but the story has never been so well told in such a popular style....
From the Central States auction conducted by Heritage: Prices for the Warren D. Barton Collection of Texas National Bank Notes were especially strong.... a 1929 $5 Type One, Friedberg-1800-1, from the Melissa National Bank of Melissa, TX., which graded Choice-Gem CU and was estimated to sell for $1,500-$2,000 realized $4,255... A VF 1902 $10 Third Charter Plain Back (Fr-651) from the First National Bank of Santa Anna, TX brought $5,060, and a discovery 1902 $10 Third Charter Date Back (Fr-618) from the Seminole National Bank traded hands for $6,670.... www.Coins.HA.com
A 1914-S MS 65 Red PCGS Lincoln cent brought $14,375.... a fully lustrous 1919-S that PCGS certified as MS 66 Red sold for $19,550.... "The most interesting Lincoln cent in this sale was the error 1943 that was struck on a Curacao planchet," said Bob Korver, Heritage's Director of Auctions.... it realized $7,475. "William Dominick's 1916-D Mercury dime MS 67 Full Bands PCGS passed to a new owner for $128,800.... A 1918-D (MS-67 Full bands) brought $42,550...
The Heritage of Sasanian Iran: Dinars, Drahms and Coppers of the Late Sasanian and Early Muslim Periods.... A Conference in Honor of William B. Warden, Numismatist (1947-2000)... Sponsored by The American Numismatic Society, The Society for Iranian Studies, Sanford J. Durst, Counselor at Law...To be held June 8-9, 2001 at ANS, Audubon Terrace (155th and Broadway), New York, N.Y., N.Y. Registration: Student - $25. Early Non-Student (by June 1st) - $42. Late Non-Student (after June 1st) - $49.... www.amnumsoc.org
ANA's election goes to the mail ballot with 15 candidates for nine positions... Contested elections for president, vice president and board... Voting is in May and June,,, Switches hands at the ANA annual convention... www.money.org
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David L. Ganz
