News

Counterfeit Japanese 500-yen coins have been in the news recently, this being a continuing problem due to the high purchasing power of the coin. The 1982 to 2000 coin make a good case study in why mints need to ensure a coin about to be introduced to circulation isn’t too similar to another coin already in use.

More than 42 % of mint staff is aged 55+. This means that a lot of change is about to happen. Especially numerous senior executives will retire. In this way a lot of knowledge is at risk of being lost. Therefore passing knowledge from one executive generation to the other assumes a truly existential significance. We asked senior executives about how they ensured that the necessary knowledge transfer took place.

We are working on an encyclopedia of technical terms used by the coin producing industry. Help us by doing so! Today’s definition is dedicated to the term "passivation".

You don’t have necessarily to go far away if you want to learn about the Romans. Did you know that the only completely reconstructed Roman Imperial villa is located in Germany, more precisely in Saarland? Follow us on our tour through a Roman high-end home.

The Perth Mint presents an array of new products released in August among them the second coin in the Australian Opal series and a FIFA World Cup silver and gold coin.

Palau continues its successful ‘World of Wonders’ series. The Coin Invest Trust has created six splendid, colourful coins for the Micronesian island nation, capturing in silver a selection of awe-inspiring sites from Ireland to Japan.

Whitman Publishing announces the release of the new fifth edition of the Guide Book of United States Currency, by Kenneth Bressett. The book covers large-size, small-size, and fractional paper money.

On October 31, 2012 Geneva University in cooperation with the Swiss Office for Culture proposes a study day ‘Campaign against illegal art-trade.’ The event focuses on those who work in museums and the cultural scene, and art dealers.

The British numismatic network Money & Medal offers now a section with audio and video material on numismatics. From August on there will be also a monthly podcast.

A cup made of pure gold and inspired by Celtic art has troubled the press for quite some time. A Swiss entrepreneur tried to gain one billion Euro from the ‘Holy Grail’ – and failed miserably. Now he has been condemned by a court.