The 2013 Argali-Ovis Ammon 500 togrog silver coin issued by the Bank of Mongolia is a beautiful coin. It just takes a mouthful to describe it. Hence, our nickname.

A part of the Mongolian Endangered Wildlife Series, the coin was released earlier this year. It follows the popular wolverine, owl and hedgehog coins of the series, all featuring .999 silver and Swarovski crystal eyes.

As compelling as they are, it’s easy to see why they’ve won Coin of the Year awards. The owl was named Most Popular Coin and the wolverine (properly named gulo gulo) was named the Coin of the Year in 2009.

Secondary market prices on eBay are impressive, but frankly these coins are two beautiful to sell. Some of us here at Krause Publications had talked about buying the wolverine when it first appeared, only to find them sold out before we could act. That’s not going to happen this time.

And we aren’t wrong in calling the animal a ram. The argali sheep are the largest species of wild sheep, even larger than the North American bighorn. At about 1-1/2 inches in diameter, the hefty size of the coin provides proper display for the regal ram.

For me, this is a coin to enjoy, displayed on a side table amid other family treasures.

Product Specifications
Year:  2013
Composition:  .999 silver
Denomination:  500 togrog
Diameter:  38.61 mm
Price:  $400

Check it out at ShopNumisMaster.

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Trouble is the clearance racks are usually out of my size, the brand of moisturizer I wear never goes on sale and I don’t care how cheap it is, I do not need a blanket with sleeves.

So when I first stumbled upon North American Coins & Prices, I couldn’t believe it contained all that it did for such a low price. Everyone loves a two-fer deal, but this is a three-fer.

The three for one mix is complete price listings for all coins from the United States, Canada and Mexico. But these aren’t just line listings, included are images for easy identification, multiple grades and details on weight, diameter and composition.

And with the new 2014 North American Coins & Prices, collectors now have three options for how they want to receive that information: a paperback book, a CD that pops into a PC or Mac computer or an e-book that can be downloaded on a smartphone, tablet or computer. Talk about choices!

Krause Publications has been publishing this triple package of coin values for 23 years. It’s a legacy of trusted information and market driven pricing.

Check out the book, CD and e-book today.

This is one bargain you don’t want to miss.

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I grew up in Racine in one of the first subdivisions. Our backyard butted the right of way of the North Shore Railroad. That’s where we made our forts, gathered cattails, played hide and seek and searched for critters.

The girls in the neighborhood liked to take the grass clippings from the lawn mower bag and make houses for bunnies under the bushes. The boys liked to catch snakes. Although the girls pretty much preferred playing with dolls, there’s no way we were going to let a wiggly snake scare us. Much.

My favorite snake of all time was a grass snake I named Frenchy because he had two blue eyes. I guess he seemed exotic. We made a little house for him in a box filled with grass, but after a day or so we let him go so he could be with his friends.

As I got older (like sixth grade) I totally lost interest in catching snakes. More hours were spent with my girlfriends learning to dance, putting on nail polish and shopping for clothes. The boys could chase snakes and baseballs.

So it is with a bit of nostalgia that I’ve been drawn to the latest coin in Australia’s “Deadly and Dangerous” animals series. A legal tender coin issued under the authority of the government of Tuvalu, it is a $1 silver coin in stunning blue and yellow. (Oh, Frenchy.)

Featured on the coin is the yellow- bellied sea snake, which I am relieved to say prefers the salt water off New South Wales. The only thing I want swimming in the water with me is my dog.

Personally, this coin is going to find it’s way to a special young man who will find it way cool. At least I’m pretty sure he’ll like it more than a new sweater for his birthday.

If you want to learn more about this colorful coin, check it out here.

No scaredy cats allowed.

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If you’re like me, you appreciate the conveniences of technology.

I can talk to my friends and family no matter where I am. I can even see my son, who is studying in Uruguay, thanks to Skype. (Honey, please shave the beard.) I can keep in touch with my 85-year-old uncle who lives in Utah thanks to Facebook.

And, I can access the latest information on United States paper money values before the definitive annual reference is published.

Standard Catalog of United States Paper Money, 32^nd Edition is set for release mid-August. The book is at the printer. But everything you’ll find in the book is available now on a CD.

The latest work of George Cuhaj and William Brandimore can be accessed on a CD that contains PDF files of the book, all in full color, searchable and with the ability to be enlarged 400 percent. It can also be downloaded to an iPhone or tablet. Pretty sweet.

So if you’re itching to get the latest information on U.S. paper money, check it out at http://www.shopnumismaster.com/standard-catalog-united-states-paper-money-cd.  It’s only $24.99. You can always order the print copy for your library next month.

Ah, just got a Facebook message from Uncle Robert. He just got home from the gym. Yes, at 85 he walks 4 miles a day and lifts weights. He wants to pass along some heart-healthy nutrition advice; he’s a retired doctor. Umm, I might be wise to listen to him.

Standard Catalog of U.S. Paper Money, 32nd Edition CD

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It’s Friday, so we’ll make the questions simple.
Do you collect U.S. coins?
Do you like reading about their history?
Do you want to know what they’re worth?
Do you like to put new cents into albums?
Do you want a bit more information about cleaning, storing or identifying coins?

If you answered, “Yes,” to more than one of the questions, have I got a deal for you.

The numismatics staff at Krause Publications has put together a package geared to the collector of U.S. coins. It includes a price guide, a monthly magazine, a coin folder and an online seminar recording. We decided it was just what today’s collector needs.

And then we put it on sale.

The U.S. Coin Collector’s Value Pack is on sale at shopnumismaster.com for $29.99. That’s almost half the retail price. The package contains:
• 2014 U.S. Coin Digest
• Coins magazine digital subscription
• Warman’s Lincoln Cent 1965-2015 coin folder
• Beginner Coin Collecting Online Seminar Recording

I’m not going for the hard sell here. I just want to tip you off to a great deal. Knowledge is power. This package will teach you a lot. And you know what they say, “But the book before you buy the coin.”

The post It’s all about knowing your coins appeared first on Numismatic News.

The book.

The bible.

The behemoth.

The 2014 Standard Catalog of World Coins 1901-2000, 41st Edition had just arrived. At 2,400 pages it was big and it was beautiful.

It is the annual testament to the work of Krause Publications editor George Cuhaj and market analyst Tom Michael who catalog the latest market values for hundreds of thousands of coins. With the help of contributors worldwide, they update coin prices, add new photographs and expand identification details.

This is the book that makes me proud. It continues the groundbreaking work of Chet Krause and Clifford Mishler to present to the collector of world coins a reference work unrivaled in its breadth or work.

My bookshelves are filled with numismatic literature. But every year, when this granddaddy of all price guides arrives, it sits on my desk, big, beautiful and bold. And it makes me proud.

Order yours at www.shopnumismaster.com.

SKU: U3134
Additional Feature: 50,000 Black & White Illustrations Paperback
Author/Editor: George S. Cuhaj & Thomas Michael
Trim Size: 8.25 x 10.88
Format: Book
ISBN: 9781440235672
Number of Pages: 2,400

The post Grandaddy of all price guides arrives appeared first on Numismatic News.

In a separate container were some fancier cents, at least they looked fancy to a child’s eye. They were Indian Head cents.

That started a shared hobby of sorting the coins, placing them in folders and searching through pocket change every weekend.

Those old folders now sit on my bookshelf, worth more in sentiment than cash. Or at least that’s what I thought until I checked out a price guide.

Numismatic News editor Dave Harper often gives the sage advice, “Buy the book before you buy the coin.” That also means “Buy the book before you sell the coin.”

None of my coins are slabbed, but I have a pretty good idea of their grade. Most are Very Good to Very Fine. No gems for sure. And for sentimental reasons I will never sell them. But I’m as curious as the next person as to their value.

So I picked up the new 2014 U.S. Coin Digest, 12th Edition to get an idea of what my collection might be worth. Frankly, I was impressed. My Grandpa did OK.

It doesn’t matter if you’re new to collecting or you’ve been doing it for 30 years. It’s important to know the value of what you have. Sure, you can take some coins to a dealer, if you want to sell them, or you can send them to a grading company if you think they are truly valuable.

But even then, it’s good to have an idea of the value you have in hand.

I like U.S. Coin Digest because it’s in full color, has lots of different grades listed, is spiral bound so it lays flat when I’m using it, and it has the pricing determined by the market experts at Krause Publications.

So check it out. You can find it at major bookstores or at shopnumismaster.com. Here’s the direct link. The retail price is $17.99, but right now it’s on sale for $12.23. Definitely another good reason to buy the book.

The post Editor’s Pick: Buy the book before you buy the coin appeared first on Numismatic News.

And that’s a good thing, because there are lots of valuable coins floating out in circulation.

In addition to rarities, coins with errors on them keep popping up. The U.S. Mint has improved its quality control, but that doesn’t mean doubled die coins don’t slip through. And they are worth money to collectors.

The fourth edition of Strike it Rich with Pocket Change has just been released by Krause Publications. Ken Potter and Dr. Brian Allen give a thorough account of error coins that have been spotted in circulation. Each listing is accompanied by a clear photo and a price value.

We’ve heard from lots of collectors through the years about how  has made them money because it has taught them what to look for.

If you’ve got the spirit of a treasure hunter start checking your change. You may just strike it rich.

Check it out at here. 

The post Error coins can bring big money appeared first on Numismatic News.

Just in time for release of the movie “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” the New Zealand  Post has minted coins featuring the faces of Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf and Gollum.

And while they may be considered commemorative coins, since their face value of one to 10 New Zealand dollars, yet their retail prices, depending on size and composition, range from a low of $24 US to more than $3,000, these are are official legal tender coins.

The coins, which are inscribed with “Middle-Earth – New Zealand” in both English and Dwarvish, go on sale Nov. 1 at the Post website http://www.nzpost.co.nz/.

“We are the only country in the world with the rights to produce legal tender commemorative coins, featuring characters from The Hobbit Trilogy, and we are delighted to be involved and show support for the New Zealand Film Industry,” said Ivor Masters, head of Stamps and Coins at New Zealand Post.

Not to be outdone by the coin community, there will also be six stamps, special packs and a collection book featuring characters from J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic tale. The collection book will sell for about $314.

Frankly, I’m not a fan, so don’t get me one for my birthday.

The post Coins speak to ‘Hobbit’ fans appeared first on Numismatic News.

I was given the opportunity to join a San Francisco Mint tour for journalists on May 15. It was being held in conjunction with the Mint’s 75th anniversary. But I had a scheduling conflict, so the Mint folks were nice enough to show me around all by myself the following day. I kind of liked that.

It gave me the opportunity to talk with the folks who mint some of our most beautiful coins. Of special interest were the American eagle silver reverse proof coins that will be part of a special set that goes on sale June 7.

There was so much pride among the employees who handled them, from the quality control department ensuring that the blanks were the proper weight to the press operators checking each coin before it was sent for packaging.

My favorite part of the tour was seeing the American eagle silver reverse proof dies take shape. It is an art, and a true combination of skill and technology.

While the folks at the San Francisco Mint (and many of us around the Numismatic News office) call the it the 75th anniversary set, the official name is the 2012 American Eagle San Francisco Two-Coin Silver Proof Set. It contains one American Eagle silver proof coin and one American Eagle silver reverse proof coin.

The set is being minted to demand. Orders will be taken from noon June 7 until 5 p.m. July 5. During that time the sales will be tracked on a “sales odometer” placed on the U.S. Mint’s website. That way the public will know how many sets are being ordered.

I can tell you what I’ll be doing on my lunch hour June 7. I’ll be placing an order for the 75th anniversary set. Trust me. It’s stunning. And now that I’ve gotten to know some of the people who are making it happen, I want one even more.

• Subscribe to the NumisMaster Coin Price Guide for access to the web’s most comprehensive list of coin values
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