News

The new Canadian banknotes arose strong criticism. According to botanists instead of the national emblem, the sugar maple leaf, they show a Norwegian maple leaf. The Bank claims the leaf to be a stylised mix of various maples. However, this discussion would have been avoided if design had been subordinated to meaning.

Crane Co., a diversified manufacturer of highly engineered industrial products, has signed an agreement to purchase 100% of the equity interests in MEI, a leading provider of payment solutions for unattended transaction systems, from Bain Capital and Advantage Partners.

In 2011 a company sold on its own initiative 9/11 coins calling them ‘exclusively authorized’ – without having been authorised at all. The Federal Trade Commission has now reached a $750,000 settlement with the company.

A senator introduced a bill to stop the $1 Presidential Coin Programme. There is, however, no apparent reason. In 2011 the same senator fought against the waste of resources when an overproduction of Presidential coins for circulation created costs. Now, these coins are only collector items.

Professional Coin Grading Service has created a special symbolic and colorful ‘Canadian Gold Reserve’ insert for Royal Canadian Mint hoard gold coins submitted to PCGS for grading and certification.

The American Numismatic Society held its 2013 Annual Gala event on 10 January honoring Roger Siboni, who retired as ANS President in October 2012, as well as Richard B. Witschonke and Rosemary Lazenby.

Kevin Foley, General Chairman for the Central States Numismatic Society’s 74th Anniversary Convention, has announced the availability of convention sponsorships for the event.

Heritage Auctions announces the publication of The Draped Bust Half Dollars of 1796-1797, by Jon Amato, and edited by Jim Halperin and Mark Van Winkle.

A board game that’s sold more than 275 million copies, Monopoly, and a movie franchise worth more than one billion dollars, Transformers, are the two latest additions to the NZ Mint collectable coin family.

In 2013 the Norwegian 5-kroner coin will celebrate its 50-year anniversary, but perhaps more famously, the 10-kroner nickel silver coin will celebrate 30 years since its introduction in 1983.