Coins and Currency Weekly
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Coins and Currency Weekly
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Coins and Currency Weekly(c) is Published by Alan Cohen See bottom of message for unsubscribe instructions March 21, 1999 Issue #14 Y2K Mania If you've read a recent issue of a numismatic magazine, you'll notice more and more attention on the Y2K issue. While I believe that there is some real threat for disruption of services, I believe this will be a disruption, not the end of mankind. I'm actually much more concerned about December 1999 than January 2000. I plan on buying lots of groceries to avoid the mania we will certainly face in December, instead of the possibly problems of January 2000. The advertising in numismatic magazines have really been playing into the fears of people. I saw one ad that had items with dollar amounts crossed off, and different gold coins used. Yeah, right. Like the average person would even know that a sovereign has gold in it. Maybe an eagle or a maple leaf, but the dollar amount guaranteed is so low on those, that is not the way to go either. There was another full page ad stating all the possible bug that might happen (i.e. 9/9/99) - It's a waste of space, and annoying! I guess anything for a buck, the thing that puzzles me is that the vast majority of readers are at least somewhat savvy with coins, as compared to the general public. Carson City Coins A reader wrote asking about Carson City dollars. Due to vast silver finds in Nevada, a mint opened up in Carson City, and silver dollars were produced. I found a couple of good web sites with more information on that, in case anyone is interested in finding out more, check out these two sites: http://rarecoins.org/html/carson_city_mint.htm http://www.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/MUSEUMS/ST/mus-prs1.htm Guest Articles Keith M. Waugh, Sr. Has written a few guest articles that will appear in upcoming newsletters. The first couple are listed here. He can be contacted at keithwaugh@email.com with any questions or comments. Article submissions are most welcome by readers. Steam Locomotive Buffs by Keith M. Waugh, Sr. keithwaugh@email.com During the early half of the 20th Century, China s Bank of Communications issued more than a dozen notes depicting trains. A popular and readily available issue is the 1914 5 Yuan note (P-117). It is colorful and a beautiful piece of art worthy of framing. On select on-line auction sites the price varies from $3.35 to $12.65 in AU condition. Other trains of note are P-111(A and B), P-116, P-119, P-120, P-122 thru P-124A, P-128, P-132, P-148, and others. Sailing ships are also popular during this period and with this bank. Most of these notes where printed in the U.S. or Great Britain and are of superior quality and detail. Noteworthy News by Keith M. Waugh Sr. keithwaugh@email.com Celebrity Bank Notes According to the U.S. Dept. of Engraving and Printing: Defacement of currency is a violation of Title 18, Section 474 of the United States Code. Under this provision, currency defacement is generally defined as follows: Whoever mutilates, cuts, disfigures, perforates, unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, Federal Reserve Bank, or Federal Reserve System, with intent to render such item(s) unfit to be reissued, shall be fined not more than $100 or imprisoned not more than six months, or both. Defacement of currency in such a way that it is made unfit for circulation comes under the jurisdiction of the United States Secret Service. But… Currency notes bearing the portraits of well-known personalities, whether movie stars or religious figures, are for the most part found to be genuine United States currency. Private businesses produce these novelty items by purchasing new currency notes from banks and subsequently apply the picture of the well-known personality over the engraved portrait on the bill by means of a pressure-sensitive adhesive. These businesses then charge their customers premium prices. The United States Secret Service maintains currency regulations dealing with defacing , reproducing, and counterfeiting. They have determined that this practice does not violate Federal statutes prohibiting defacement of currency as long as the paste-on photograph can be removed without damaging the original note. Until Next Time, Alan Cohen Distribution Coins and Currency Weekly(c) (CCW) is published by Alan Cohen. It is a weekly newsletter devoted to coins and currency - Current news, viewpoints, and other collecting information. This newsletter is distributed free of charge, and available two ways. 1) On-Line on the World Wide Web. The address is: http://www.coinmall.com/ccw - All back issues are archived at the web site. 2) Direct e-mail. Send a message to: ccw@coinmall.com If you wish to unsubscribe from CCW, you need to send a message to the following address: ccw-request@ListService.net In the Body of the Message: address, just type UNSUBSCRIBE