Public voting for three designs for the official Virgin Islands territorial quarter ended Friday, June 13. The winning design “V.I. Beauty” received 6,882 votes or 52 percent. The “First in Freedom” and “Three Queens” designs garnered 4,553 and 1,887 votes respectively.

The “V.I. Beauty” quarter designs is a geographical rendition of the Virgin Islands, which includes the 3 major islands, the official bird of the Virgin Islands, the Yellow Breast or Banana Quit (Coreba Flaveola), and the official flower of the Virgin Islands, the Yellow Cedar or Yellow Elder (Tacoma Stans).

2009 quarter release schedule:

• The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
• Guam
• American Samoa
• The United States Virgin Islands
• The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

More information regarding these quarters, including the design process, may be read though the US Mint page, The District of Columbia and United States Territories Quarter Program.

Source: CoinNews.net

The United States Mint has chosen the nation’s largest coin show in Baltimore, Md., this summer to unveil the much-anticipated 2009 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle gold coin-a modern version of what many call the most beautiful gold piece ever created.  United States Mint Director Ed Moy will participate in the Opening Ceremony of the American Numismatic Association’s World’s Fair of Money on Wednesday, July 30, 2008, at 9:30 a.m. and then officially open the United States Mint exhibit.  The display at the United States Mint booth will show the development of this modern masterpiece-a one-ounce 24-karat (.9999 pure) gold Ultra High Relief Double Eagle.

Aided by advancements in technology, the United States Mint now can produce in quantity the ultra high relief coin envisioned, but never fully realized, by renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens in the early 20th century.  The collectible coin will be about 50 percent thicker than other United States Mint one-ounce gold coins to achieve the greater depth and relief to which Saint-Gaudens aspired.  Visitors will be able to feel the ultra high relief on a plaster of the coin that will be featured at the exhibit.

The World’s Fair of Money runs from July 30 - August 3, 2008 at the Baltimore Convention Center, One West Pratt Street - Baltimore, Maryland - 21201. Phone: 410-649-7000.

Read the rest of the press release at the U.S. Mint web site.

Coin legislation entitled NASA 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act (S. 2159) should receive the President’s signature in short order.

The Senate unanimously passed the act on Thursday, June 19, which follows unanimous passage by the House for the same named bill on July 30, 2007.

The legislation authorizes the United States Mint to issue:

• 300,000 silver $1 dollar coins from each of 9 designs, and
• 50,000 $50 one-ounce gold coins

The NASA commemoratives would be minted in “proof quality only.” The proposed nine various designs for the silver coins add an extra level of intrigue to these commemoratives that is sure to peak interest.

Source: CoinNews.net

District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty announced Thursday the winning Washington, D.C. quarter design featuring historical jazz legend, Duke Ellington. The Mayor officially communicated the selection to United States Mint Director Edmund Moy.

The voting was close across each, but the winning quarter design of Ellington won by 3 percentage points.

In a letter to Director Moy, Mayor Fenty could not help but bring up the Mint’s rejection of D.C.’s first inscription choice, “Taxation Without Representation.”

“As you know, the overwhelming majority of Washingtonians who participated in the entire process requested that the District quarter include the phrase “Taxation Without Representation” to help educate the country about our historical and continued status as unequal citizens.

We were disappointed by your decision to disallow this phrase, as it is a condition with which we live every day.”

2009 quarter release schedule:

• The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
• Guam
• American Samoa
• The United States Virgin Islands
• The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Source: CoinNews.net

Public voting ended Saturday for Guam’s commemorative quarter set for release in 2009. Just as Guam residents were asked to help create the quarter designs, they were asked once again by Governor Felix P. Camacho to vote for their favorite.

The original design narrative provided to the Mint for GU-01 was:

The outline of the island of Guam sits in the center of the coin. To the left of the outline of Guam is the phrase, “Guåhan Tånó I Man Chamorro.” On the right of the coin sits two distinct images, one on top of the other: the Latte and the Flying Proa.

2009 quarter release schedule:

• The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
• Guam
• American Samoa
• The United States Virgin Islands
• The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Source: CoinNews.net

The United States Mint announced a new program to ship circulating Presidential $1 Coins directly to retail establishments, financial institutions, and members of the public.

The $1 Coin Direct Ship Program provides individualized service to the financial community and other interested parties who wish to acquire $1 coins at face value in smaller quantities than currently available to financial institutions.

The circulating Presidential $1 Coins will be available in 25-coin rolls packaged in quantities of 10 rolls per box, priced at $250 face value.  The coins will not be separated by mint mark.  Customers may order up to 500 $1 coins (two boxes) within any given Presidential $1 Coin issuance period.

The United States Mint will pay shipping and handling fees on orders delivered via standard shipping methods.

• The United States Mint pays for standard shipping and handling of domestic orders. Any special handling will be paid by the customer.
• Orders are limited to two boxes ($500) per President.
• Specific coins are available only while supplies last.
• Please allow approximately 1-2 weeks for shipping.
• All sales are final.

Presidential dollar coins released to date:

• George Washington
• John Adams
• Thomas Jefferson
• James Madison
• James Monroe
• John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams dollars are currently sold out.

Read the rest of the press release at the U.S. Mint Web site.

With the popular 50 States Quarter Program ending this year and the new six quarter D.C. and U.S. Territories Quarter Program beginning and ending next year, the obverse or heads of the quarter-dollar coin was to revert to its original design of 1998.

America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008 (H.R. 6184) would feature new reverse quarter designs featuring national parks and sites and was introduced by Rep. Michael Castle [R-DE], Rep. Luis Gutierrez [D-IL], and Carolyn Maloney [D-NY].

Several key legislative statements would require:

• The quarter dollars series to begin in 2010
• Reverse designs emblematic of 1 national site in each State, D.C. and U.S. Territory
• Quarters issued in the order in which sites were first established as a national site.
• An issue rate of 5 new designs each year

The U.S. Mint would also have authorization to issue uncirculated, proof and silver versions of each quarter. Interestingly, there’s a clause that could extend the series further.

” SECOND ROUND AT DISCRETION OF SECRETARY- (i) DETERMINATION- The Secretary may make a determination before the end of the 9-year period beginning when the first quarter dollar is issued under this subsection to continue the period of issuance until a second national site in each State, the District of Columbia, and each territory referred to in this subsection has been honored with a design on a quarter dollar.

Source: CoinNews.net.

Note: The California state quarter shows conservationist John Muir, a California condor and Yosemite National Park’s Half Dome on the coin’s reverse.

I received this email from PCGS today:

New PCGS Bulk Submission Policies Effective July 1, 2008

BULK SUBMISSIONS

Effective July 1, 2008, only PCGS Authorized Dealers may submit coins under the Bulk Submissions program. Collectors Club members who wish to submit coins under the Bulk Submissions program must either become a PCGS Authorized Dealer or submit coins through a PCGS Authorized Dealer.

SPECIAL INSERTS

Effective July 1, 2008, special inserts (First Strike, 50 States Flags, Signature Series, Satin Finish, etc.) will be available only through the Bulk Submissions program and will not be available under any other service level.

These changes are being made to speed up and streamline processing and turnaround times at PCGS. Any bulk submissions received by PCGS or postmarked before July 1 will be processed under the old Bulk Submission program rules.

ACNS Member Gene Loeffler sends this link to a story about a Chinese Coin Counterfeiting Ring:

The photos in this gallery were taken inside a Chinese coin counterfeiting operation. This counterfeiting ring is suspected of putting thousands of fake coins onto the world and U.S. coin markets every month. These striking photos first emerged on certain Web-based coin discussion boards in Europe and the Far East. They came to my attention through a numismatic watchdog/satire blog called Biddle’s Bank. These are the same coins which are being put into counterfeit PCGS and NGC coin holders, although they are most frequently sold raw (non-slabbed.)

The sheer size, scope, and professionalism of this counterfeiting ring will astonish you. Although the working conditions often appear dirty and the minting equipment is old, this is obviously a well-funded enterprise that is run like a legal business in China. There is no law in China against making these “replicas” as long as they are sold as such.