First Spouse Gold Coins Get No Respect

 

2012-W Alice Paul Specimen Coin

When, in 2007, the Presidential Dollar coin made its debut, it was greeted with considerable enthusiasm by coin collectors and the public in general – not as a replacement for the lighter, foldable dollar bill, as the Treasury Department had hoped, but as a new and interesting coin series.  The new dollar coins were the same size and color as the already familiar Sacagawea dollars.  Neither the Sacagawea/Native American nor Presidential Dollars achieved the hoped for wide circulation to replace the more expensive dollar bills.  Still, a great many people were interested in this new coin series honoring past United States Presidents.

 

Many casual and serious numismatists have been collecting Presidential dollar coins since the first George Washington coins were released.  But the new coins never became widely circulated among the general public.  Hundreds of millions of these coins are still languishing in warehouses, waiting for public demand that may never come.  In 2011, as part of a Federal government cost cutting initiative, the Treasury Department stopped minting Presidential Dollar coins for circulation.  Today, Presidential Dollars are minted in smaller numbers for the numismatic market.  Many collectors and investors remain enthusiastic about each new issue.

That same level of interest has been decidedly lacking for the Presidential Spouse gold coins.  This is in part attributable to the much higher cost of adding First Spouse gold coins to a collection.  Current prices for a number of First Spouse coins are in the $1,750 - $2,000 range.  Examples of the 2009-W Julia Tyler with a PCGS certified grade of MS-70, currently the most costly coin in this series, demand around $2,400 - $2,600.  This premium pricing is heavily influenced by how few coins were minted and sold for some issues.  In the case of the Julia Tyler coins, many collectors had already bought the Letitia Tyler coin, and didn’t budget for the coin honoring President John Tyler’s second wife. While the first year of issue, 2007, started out strong, with total sales in the 17,000 - 19,000 plus range for each of the four spouse coins issued, these sales levels were never again approached.  In the most recent years, some coins have sold-out with total sales less than 3,000 – by any standard, this assures that many of the Presidential Spouse gold coins will be rare in future years.

Each coin is minted of one-half troy ounce of pure gold (99.99% pure).  The face value of $10 means that Presidential Spouse coins are United States legal tender, which may have implications for how these coins are viewed in an investment portfolio.  First Spouse coins are minted in a proof strike and a special collectors’ uncirculated strike (a “specimen” coin).  Experience since 2007 has been that proof coins minted and sold exceed specimen coins for each issue.  While the proof coins are considered by many to be more attractive, this makes the specimen coins more valuable over time, since fewer are available.  The specimen coins have a beautiful, satin finish that we find very attractive. 

If you decide to collect these rare, U. S. legal tender gold coins, don’t overlook the coins in MS-69 and PR69DCAM condition (Mint State 69 for specimen coins and proof 69 deep cameo for proof strikes).  The price appreciation for the 69 grade coins is strong, as well, and one can build a complete set for significantly less than an all 70’s set.  We wouldn’t invest in anything graded less than 69, and, perhaps it goes without saying, we would be sure to avoid any coins that have not been graded by one of the reputable large, third-party grading & certification services.  (A good rule of thumb is, if ebay doesn’t recognize a grading service, neither will we.)

We believe that Presidential First Spouse gold coins are an under-appreciated and often overlooked opportunity for building a valuable United States series coin collection.  The prices are influenced somewhat by the precious metals market prices for gold.  However, since these are rare, numismatic quality coins, they do not move in lockstep with the gold market.  Just as prices for rare Lincoln cents have no relationship to the market price for copper or bronze, rare numismatic gold coins will generally have little in common with the spot price for gold bullion.  In our opinion, First Spouse gold coins have all the ingredients for continuing price appreciation without regard to the precious metals market for gold bullion.  This may make these coins a super investment for the longer term.

(Disclosure:  We collect Presidential First Spouse golf coins for our personal collection.  We also sell First Spouse gold coins through our online stores at www.okranchcoins.com and www.coinsjewelrymore.com as well as direct to customers that contact us via email to okranch1@yahoo.com .)

New Commemorative Coins Celebrate the Royal Baby!

Photo courtesy of the Perth Mint
Commemorative Silver Dollar

The Royal Baby – His Royal Highness Prince George

 

Both the Royal Canadian Mint and the Perth Mint (Australia) are releasing legal tender[1] commemorative coins in honor of the birth of Prince George. 

We are expecting our first shipment during the last week of August, with a few more to follow later on.  Each of the several designs is a charming and heartwarming tribute not only to the royal baby but to every baby.  Here is a brief description of the coins for sale soon at www.okranchcoins.com and www.coinsjewelrymore.com.  To be notified when these coins are available for purchase, contact us by email to shop@coinsjewelrymore.com and we’ll notify you as soon as they arrive:

 

Perth Mint Coin:

Under the auspices of Clarence House, The Perth Mint proudly unveiled Australia’s official silver commemorative coin in honor of the birth of His Royal Highness Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge.  Their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, became proud parents of their first child on 22 July 2013 at St Mary’s Hospital in London, with millions of people sharing in their joy. 

 

Proof Quality 99.9% Pure Silver - The HRH Prince George 2013-dated coin is struck by The Perth Mint from 1oz of 99.9% pure silver in proof quality.

 

Australian Legal Tender - Issued as Australian legal tender, the coin’s obverse depicts the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the monetary denomination.

 

Stunning Reverse Design - The reverse of the coin depicts a beautifully sculpted portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge cradling and gazing lovingly at their newborn baby.  The image is encircled by a sculpted ribbon tied in a bow supporting a delicate bouquet of acorns and fleur-de-lis – symbols from the Duke and Duchess’ Coats of Arms. The inscription IN CELEBRATION OF THE BIRTH OF HRH PRINCE GEORGE, the birth date and The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark are also included in the design.

 

Beautiful Packaging and Numbered Certificate - Accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity, the coin is housed in a presentation case and beautifully illustrated shipper. 

 

Limited Mintage - The Perth Mint will release no more than 10,000 of these HRH Prince George 2013 1oz Silver Proof Coins.  We have been allocated only a few of these precious new coins.    

 

Royal Canadian Mint Coins:

Two individual coins and one three-coin set have been minted to celebrate the birth of HRH Prince George.

 

Commemorative 2­5-cent Legal Tender Coin - This special oversize 25-cent coin is struck in cupronickel with a plain edge, and a diameter of 35 mm.  It portrays the special relation Canada maintains with the Royal Family.  The design celebrates the joy and wonder of those precious first months with a newborn!  Each coin comes with a beautiful folder that offers unique commemorative pictures of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.  It has been richly printed using silver foil adding a wonderful touch.  A unique printing technique on the coin, using spot UV coating, brings out specific elements (such as the baby rattle) and gives it a 3D effect!  For royalty watchers and expectant parents alike, this 25-cent coin folder is an outstanding baby shower gift or a thoughtful added gift for any occasion.  A maximum mintage has not yet been announced.

 

Commemorative $5 99.99% Pure Silver Coin with Selective Gold-plating -   The Royal Canadian Mint has followed the finest tradition of celebrating Royal events with this spectacular commemorative coin.  This coin is beautifully crafted in 99.99% pure silver with a diameter of 36 mm.  The design portrays the unique relation that Canada maintains with the Royal Family.  Each coin is protected in a richly printed beauty box with silver foil that adds a wonderful touch as a beautiful keepsake for yourself, or as a gift for someone you know.  A unique printing technique was used that brings out specific elements such as the baby-rattle and with a 3D effect!  With a limited mintage of 15,000 coins worldwide, this prestigious and original keepsake will easily become a cherished heirloom passed down through the generations to mark the arrival of each first-born - starting with 2013 babies.  One replica of these coins will be completely gold plated and offered to the Royal couple by Canada's Prime Minister.

 

Commemorative Three-coin Set – A trilogy of parental delights:  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge may have centuries of royal traditions behind them, but as they welcome their first-born into their arms, their love, devotion and aspirations will be universally linked to the thoughts and emotions that have defined parenthood throughout the ages and around the world.  Each coin is encapsulated and encased in a maroon clamshell, lined with black flock at the top and bottom. The case is protected by a uniquely designed beauty box and accompanied by a serialized certificate.

 

Each $20 legal tender coin has been struck using one full troy ounce of 99.99% pure silver.  Only 7,500 of these sets were minted – so we expect a rapid sell-out.  With a large 38 mm format, the designs are vivid, touching scenes of life with a new infant.  The three designs are:

 

Sweet dreams: Days and nights revolve around sleep and feedings as baby's every need becomes paramount. No room has ever commanded as much careful planning as the nursery, where baby's joy and comfort in this special space fall second only to the room's outward expression of a parent's adoration, care and love.

 

Tender bonds:  Little babies are irresistible; the desire to comfort and connect through touch—and the delight when a tiny hand wraps around one's finger.  "Holding hands" will never be the same. With baby, it is far more powerful; a vessel for nurturing the love between parent and child, child and parent, husband and wife, family.

 

A hopeful future:  Every parent struggles with hope and worry when welcoming a newborn. While preparing a child for a future role as monarch may be a daunting task, the open and carefree way babies embrace every new experience serves as a compelling reminder of the unconquerable power of life itself.

 

 

---

[1] Various private, non-government mints may issue medals and other items commemorating the royal baby.  However, unlike legal tender coins, such items are usually difficult or impossible to sell, are generally worth far less than what one pays for them, and do not gain value with the passage of time.  Legal tender commemorative coins have a robust worldwide market, are almost always in demand by collectors and investors, and often gain significant value over the months and years following their release by a government affiliated mint.

Is ebay Stealing from Sellers?

We were just ripped off by ebay for $338.76 - unbelievable!!!!!

We sold and shipped coins to a customer in India, UPSP Priority Mail International with tracking and delivery confirmation.  We purchased the postage in the ebay system, so the tracking number was automatically uploaded to the ebay system.  The customer has not yet satisfied the Customs Service in India.  Rather than work it out with the Indian Customs Service, he disputed the transaction with us.  Despite the fact that the United States Postal Service tracking number (on record in the ebay system) shows that the coins are still being processed through Customs in India, ebay took the money out of our account and refunded it to the customer!!!!!!  So now the customer gets to keep the coins when they finally clear Customs, AND he was given his money back by ebay!!!!!

We will be filing suit against ebay to recover the money that they, in our opinion, stole from us.  If you or anyone you know has been ripped off by ebay in a similar manner, please contact us.  Perhaps a class action suit will be needed to stop similar abuses by ebay.

If you sell on ebay and ship internationally, you may want to reconsider whether you will allow sales to India.  The customer acknowledged to us that his problem was not with us but with the Customs Service in India (of course, that didn't stop ebay from taking $338.76 of our money and giving it to the customer).  He also told us that the Customs Service in India is notoriously corrupt, which ebay also knows.

We've blocked sales to India.  But that won't stop ebay from pulling the same scam again with shipments to any other international destination. 

We are actively seeking other sales channels to continue to de-emphasize ebay and eventually stop selling on ebay altogether.  If you have positive experience with moving your business off ebay, we would love to hear about your experience.  As more ebay sellers find alternatives to ebay, perhaps someone in senior management will wake up and realize that without us sellers, there is no ebay.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Silver $2 Coin Niue Legal Tender

The newest coin in our Royal Australian Mint at Perth collection is a commemorative with color (or colour, as they write in Her Majesty's realms).  It celebrates the 50th anniversary of the popular BBC television series, Doctor Who.
Doctor Who is the world's longest running science fiction television series. Produced by the BBC, the program portrays the adventures of a time travelling alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in his TARDIS, an extraordinary ship which is bigger on the inside than the outside and has the appearance of a 1960s British Police Box.  Along with his succession of companions, the Doctor faces a variety of adversaries as he works to save civilizations, help people, and right wrongs across the cosmos.
Doctor Who was first aired in Britain in November 1963 and has since become an icon of British popular culture.  Today, the program is a cult television favorite as it continues to captivate audiences around the world.
The new coin is a legal tender $2 coin in the island nation of Niue (about which, more later).  The reverse is a color image of the famous TARDIS, Doctor Who's all purpose time machine and conveyance.  While the coin is spectacular, the packaging may be even more so. The anniversary coin is packaged in a special presentation case in the shape of the iconic TARDIS – the Doctor’s travel machine – within a BBC branded shipper.  The doors of the TARDIS open to the familiar ‘vworp vworp’ sound to display the collectable and a numbered Certificate of Authenticity and the coin.
Under official license of BBC Australia & New Zealand, the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who 1oz. coin is issued by the New Zealand Mint.  The New Zealand Mint will issue no more than 10,000 of these Doctor Who 50th Anniversary 2013 1oz. Silver Proof Coins in special TARDIS style packaging.  The coin has been minted by the Royal Australian Mint at Perth for the New Zealand Mint.
About Niue
This coin is legal tender in the nation of Niue.  It was minted under license from the BBC and owners of the Dr. Who copyright.  The Royal Australian Mint at Perth minted this coin for the Royal New Zealand Mint. Niue (NEW-ay) is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, 2,400 kilometres (1,500 mi) northeast of New Zealand and within the triangle formed by Tonga (to the southwest), the Samoas (to the northwest) and the Cook Islands (to the southeast). Its land area is 260 square kilometres (100 sq mi) and its population, predominantly Polynesian, is around 1,400.  They commonly refer to the island as "the Rock", a reference to the traditional moniker "Rock of Polynesia".
The United Nations itself recognizes Niue as one of two states in the world (the other one being the Cook Islands) that, as of 2013, are neither member States nor observer States of the UN.  Both Niue and the Cook Islands are, however, full members of UNESCO, FAO, UNCLOS, and UNFCCC, among other international organisations and UN specialised agencies.

Niue is in free association with New Zealand, and most of its diplomatic relations are conducted by New Zealand on Niue's behalf. All Niueans are New Zealand citizens, and Queen Elizabeth II is Niue's head of state in her capacity as Queen of New Zealand. 90–95% of Niuean people live in New Zealand, along with about 70% of the speakers of the Niuean language.  (Source: Wikipedia)

Random Buzz - Barnes & Noble's Nook Causing Frustrated Customers

Defective Nook software may be costing Barnes & Noble millions of dollars in sales.  Nook owners attempting to buy e-books are frustrated by B&Ns failure to address a problem with credit card authorization.  An hour or two after buying and downloading a Nook book, users receive a message from B&N telling them that there was a problem with their credit card, and their recent purchase was decline by their card issuer.  The Nook book is frozen, preventing the buyer from continuing to read it until B&N re-submits the purchase to the card issuer a week later!  Can you hear the sound of thousands of Nooks being tossed out of windows?

When contacted, card issuers tell customers that the problem isn't with their credit card, it's with Barnes & Noble.  This problem has been simmering away for months.  The Nook, rather than being the future of B&N, may turn out to be the undoing of this once popular brand.  Why B&N hasn't fixed the problem remains a mystery.  Could it be that this once solid company no longer has the resources to save itself?  Bloggers have been talking about this problem for a very long time.  It seems unlikely that B&N would just ignore the cost in lost sale and lost customers IF they had the wherewithal to fix it. 

Kangaroo in Outback – Latest Arrival from Royal Australian Mint, Perth

A very limited supply of the superb new “Kangaroo in Outback” Australian silver
dollar coin is now on sale through Coins Jewelry & More and OK Ranch on ebay.  Both online stores are operated by OK Ranch Land and Cattle Company.  (www.coinsjewelrymore.com & www.okranchcoins.com)  With an extremely low mintage, this coin sold-out quickly when it was offered for sale by the Mint.

 

Each coin contains 1 troy ounce of fine silver (99.9% pure).  Adding interest for collectors and investors, each coin bears the “F15” privy mark, identifying it as one of the “Fabulous Fifteen” premier silver coins in the world.  The Perth Mint is widely recognized as a premier world mint - and this coin does not disappoint.

 

This silver proof Australian legal tender $1 coin displays one of Australia's most recognizable icons: the kangaroo, bounding across the landscape of the Australian outback, its shadow beneath it.  A windmill is pictured in the distance.  The obverse side displays the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley; as well as the words "ELIZABETH II," "AUSTRALIA 2013" and the face value of "1 DOLLAR."

 

The “Kangaroo in Outback” silver dollars are presented in a Royal Australian Mint clamshell case protected within an outer Mint box.  A serial numbered official Certificate of Authenticity from the Perth Mint accompanies each coin.  Several of the coins offered by OK Ranch bear serial numbers in the low 100s, indicating that they are from the earliest strikes in this ultra-low mintage.

 

OK Ranch offers fine collectible and investment coins, fine and fashion jewelry, and other gift items exclusively through its two online stores:  Coin Jewelry & More (www.coinsjewelrymore.com) and OK Ranch on ebay (www.okranchcoins.com).  For more information, contact shop@coinsjewelrymore.com .

 

Unique colored coin marks milestone 60th anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation!

Press Release

 

Lewisville, Texas – The year 2013 marks the 60th anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.  To commemorate this special occasion, we are proud to present this beautiful colored coin.  The coin is an artful addition to any collection—or a perfect gift for followers of all things royal.

 

The special features of this coin include:  a stunning full color portrait coin commemorating the Coronation of Her Majesty; an oversized quarter with a specimen finish plus color; a very limited mintage of only 15,000 coins.   Taken together, these special features have resulted in a “must have” coin for serious collectors, and for all of the many admirers of Queen Elizabeth II.

 

This colored cupronickel coin captures the spirit of Canadian artist Phil Richards’ 2012 official portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, in celebration of Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee.  The reverse also features the engraved word “CANADA,” the date “2013” and the face value of “25 CENTS.”  Each coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded maroon clamshell case, lined with flock and protected by a black sleeve.  This coin is a unique way to mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation.

 

Coin Specifications

Mintage -15,000

Composition - cupronickel

Finish - specimen with color

Weight (g) - 0.5 

Diameter (mm) - 35

Edge - plain

Certificate – serialized (each coin has a unique serial number imprinted on the Certificate of Authenticity that accompanies it.)

Face value - 25 cents (While not intended for circulation, this is a legal tender Canadian coin.  (Legal tender coins, unlike “novelty coins” produced by private mints, are highly collectible and may increase in value due to rarity, quality, and worldwide demand.)

Artists - Diamond Jubilee Portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Phil Richards (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)

 

This unique tribute to Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee is available now from Coins Jewelry & More and OK Ranch on ebay – the two online stores operated by OK Ranch Land and Cattle Company.

Find Coins Jewelry & More at www.coinsjewelrymore.com

Find OK Ranch on ebay at www.okranchcoins.com

OK Ranch Land and Cattle Company offers fine collectible & investment coins, fine and fashion jewelry, and gift items exclusively through its online stores.  OK Ranch has thousands of coins from the United States Mint, the Royal Canadian Mint, and the Perth Mint (Australia). The OK Ranch selection of Canadian coins is among the best in the United States.  Contact shop@coinsjewelrymore.com for more information.