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2009 News Archive

All of our Coins & Banknotes news stories from 2009 can be found here.

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The Editor’s Top 5 stories of 2009

There have been thousands of stories on the website this year – here I highlight my favourites

Posted: 1 January 2010
Happy Hogmanay!

Happy Silvester, Reveillon and Nochevieja for our overseas readers

Posted: 31 December 2009
US $3 gold coin stars in online auction

Indian Head gold coins are among the most collectible, and now one can be yours

Posted: 30 December 2009
The C13th Chinese silver coin

The $40k Yuan dynasty bow-tie leads auction ahead of a modern beauty

Posted: 26 December 2009
Merry Christmas!

Don't forget your free gift from Paul Fraser Collectibles...

Posted: 25 December 2009
Three Hong Kong banknotes could bring $58k

The 1860 banknotes are set to star in Spink's anticipated New Year auction

Posted: 23 December 2009
Gold Mary I medal achieves record price

The £276k piece was the top lot at a sale of historical medals

Posted: 22 December 2009
Paul Fraser Collectibles: one of the 100 best things about Bristol

With Banksy and Wallace and Gromit, we've been named among the Top 100 things to love about our home city

Posted: 22 December 2009
The Collections of Colonel E H R Green

The technophile, numismatist and philatelist

Posted: 21 December 2009
1927-D double eagle coin for sale at $1.1m

And its value is continuing to climb, with 20 days left for online bids at Heritage's Florida auction

Posted: 18 December 2009
Bids on US coinage's 'greatest mystery' reach $2m

The 1913 "Olsen" Liberty nickel is so famous it even starred in an episode of Hawaii Five-O

Posted: 17 December 2009
Specimen banknote fetches 10 times estimate

Four extremely fine Palestinian notes have gone under the hammer for £82k

Posted: 16 December 2009
Iraqi banknotes smash estimates at £673k auction

A King Ghazi specimen led Spink's hugely successful recent sale

Posted: 14 December 2009
Florida sale promises rare coins and militaria

From the auctioneers that brought you a $17k suit of Prussian armour and Elvis's $107.5k diamond ring...

Posted: 11 December 2009
Top collector's coins to shine at auction

Rare set of Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles swoop into Florida

Posted: 10 December 2009
Paul Fraser welcomes James Bly to the Expert Panel

Antique Expert and Fund Manager

Posted: 9 December 2009
Panama coin sells for over $54k

The 1915-S $50 Panama Pacific Round is today highly valuable, but it has a turbulent history...

Posted: 7 December 2009
Peter the Great's $50k coin

Rare Russian Shestak to head modern and ancient coins auction

Posted: 4 December 2009
Gold Eagle coin to bring $75k in New York today

Collectors eagerly await Bonhams' first sale of rare and exceptional coins and banknotes in New York

Posted: 2 December 2009
Renaissance medal to sell for over £65k

Hollywood actor's rarely seen collection of 2000 medals to go under the hammer

Posted: 2 December 2009
Dutch banknote worth £16k heads auction

Rare Spanish proof will also feature

Posted: 27 November 2009
Rare Henry VI coin quadruples estimate

Many lots exceed expectations at lively auction

Posted: 26 November 2009
The Collections of Malcolm Forbes

The cheerful multi-millionaire businessman, philanthropist and enthusiastic collector...

Posted: 26 November 2009
US TV star Reyne Haines joins Paul Fraser Collectibles expert panel

Here Reyne shows us that valuable collections aren't just confined to rare stamps or coins, classic cars, or wine cellars

Posted: 26 November 2009
A Spectacular 2,500 year old silver Tetradrachm from the Macedonian city of Akanthos (PT14)

It is a masterpiece of early die-engraving art of the very finest style.

Posted: 25 November 2009
Three-of-a-kind 1936 coin to sell in New York

When Edward VIII abdicated the throne, this Canadian coin became destined for legendary status

Posted: 24 November 2009
Fine and rare Elizabeth I coins to sell

Ancient and Early Modern coins on offer at London auction

Posted: 20 November 2009
Warren Buffett v Luxury Collectibles

You'd think there could only be one winner... right?

Posted: 20 November 2009
Capped Head Left Half Eagle sells for $241k

Two exceptional silver dollars also sold at Baltimore Auction

Posted: 16 November 2009
$3m coin to be key lot at Florida sale

Olsen 1913 Liberty Head Nickel up for auction

Posted: 12 November 2009
Silver Tetradrachm Rhodes coin with Facing Head of Helios in superb condition (PT15)

The Silver Tetradrachm coin from Rhodes is the very pinnacle of the ancient die-engraver's art.

Posted: 8 November 2009
Ancient Jerusalem coins found in cave

An amazing haul of 120 gold and silver coins from the anti-Roman revolt has been discovered

Posted: 6 November 2009
A Tudor Oddity

The only serious attempt to introduce a silver UK trade coinage

Posted: 3 November 2009
Paul Fraser welcomes John Bly to the expert panel

John Bly is an antiques dealer, author, after-dinner speaker and broadcaster who is best known from the BBC Antiques Roadshow

Posted: 3 November 2009
6,000 coins for sale in Baltimore, US

The Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore expo is near, and promises to be their biggest yet

Posted: 2 November 2009
1879 $4 Flowing Hair sells for $161k

Star coins at Heritage's US signature sale also included a $149k 1925-S Double Eagle

Posted: 27 October 2009
How to buy rare collectible coins

Here are the Top 10 Tips to help you ensure that your rare coin collection is top-dollar

Posted: 27 October 2009
$71k 1799 US coin leads post-auction sale

As Heritage's Signature US Coin Auction draws to a close, it isn't too late for you to get involved

Posted: 23 October 2009
1879 $4 Flowing Hair leads online coin sale at $135k

With a $105k 1925-S double eagle just behind it, Heritage's live coin auction has entered its final day

Posted: 21 October 2009
$150k of rare coins stolen in New Jersey

The 1925-S is among the Golden Eagles and other coins snatched from a collector's car

Posted: 20 October 2009
Banknotes found in a drawer sell for £400k

Yorkshire man's accidental find includes one of only two £20 notes of its kind known to exist

Posted: 16 October 2009
$80k 1925-S Double Eagle leads online coin auction

And bids are continuing to rise in Hertige's online numismatic sale, due to close next week

Posted: 15 October 2009
Nine-year-old designs Olympic coin

A competition winner has become the youngest-ever designer of a rare collectible 50p piece

Posted: 14 October 2009
US Mint cancels Gold and Silver Eagles

Here's a letdown for collectors: the Mint has stopped making its 2009 Proof and Uncirculated coins

Posted: 13 October 2009
Scottish £1 banknote sells for record £9k

Clydesdale bank's World Heritage notes auction raised over £112k for charity

Posted: 9 October 2009
Coins millionaire bankrupted by a $1.2m music box

Numismatics made this Florida collector rich, but another obsession led to his downfall

Posted: 7 October 2009
£400k banknotes found in pensioner's home

'He simply didn't know they were there... The world is full of hidden away treasures,' says auctioneer

Posted: 6 October 2009
$1m in coins and treasures to be sold online

Rare Mexican and Panama coins and shipwreck gold and silver appear in Internet auction

Posted: 5 October 2009
Collectibles investments are booming, says The Times

'High net worth individuals are increasingly turning to alternative investments,' reports the respected UK newspaper

Posted: 24 September 2009
Perth Mint makes profits of $38m

Gold prices reach near-record levels as investors look for secure investments

Posted: 1 October 2009
Egyptian coins 'from the time of Joseph' discovered

Incredible discovery could give, 'scientific evidence against the claim that coins were not used in ancient Egypt,' say experts

Posted: 27 September 2009
Priest sells his $0.5m coin collection

And, in a final act of dedication, Reverend O'Connor has donated all the money to numismatic research

Posted: 27 September 2009
Indian jewellery prices undented by gold

The rising cost of gold isn't deterring jewellery sales in India

Posted: 25 September 2009
100,000 gold coins to be saved from shipwreck

Deep-sea hunters and the UK Government will work together to rescue sunken 18th treasure

Posted: 24 September 2009
Hawaiian bank note sells for $54k

This 1882 $5 has 'outstanding eye appeal' say numismatic experts

Posted: 24 September 2009
Romanian coins worth €85k handed over to police

The treasure is believed to come from the 1st century BC, and is a highly valued part of Romania's national heritage

Posted: 22 September 2009
'Finest haul' of Viking silver goes on display

Coins and jewellery delighted experts at the British Museum - and a new expo is set to cause more fascination

Posted: 17 September 2009
Man vs US government in $60m gold coin ownership dispute

The authorities claim that a stash of ultra-rare 1933 'double eagle' coins found in family's basement belongs to them

Posted: 16 September 2009
Three rare coin auctions combine to net $18.4m

US, Portugese and Brazilian coins sell for $100k or more in a big numismatic blast to end summer 2009

Posted: 16 September 2009
The $1.27m copper coin...

One cent coin with double claim to fame sells for record amount

Posted: 15 September 2009
Charity finds rare British 20p coin...

Local Age Concern finds a rare coin and quadruples their takings

Posted: 11 September 2009
Good news: collectibles improve your mental health

They can reduce stress, add years to your life and 'people with hobbies are healthier and happier,' says a new study

Posted: 11 September 2009
Unique bank note issued in Hong Kong

'Unique, one of its kind' note celebrating bank's 150th year could be a shrewd investment for collectors

Posted: 11 September 2009
Largest ever cache of Jewish coins discovered

'Excellent condition' coins, pottery and weapons from Third Jewish-Roman War found in a cave in Israel

Posted: 10 September 2009
China pushes its citizens to buy silver and gold

New government TV advert could prompt massive coin, jewellery and watch price rises – and see China overtake India in gold investing

Posted: 9 September 2009
3,000 coins to display at Prague National Museum

Coins date back to the 15th century, from all over Europe

Posted: 8 September 2009
Exceptionally rare US gold coin to auction in US

'The 1920-S is one of the prime rarities in the entire 20th century U.S. gold series,' says leading coin author

Posted: 4 September 2009
Rare US 'flowing hair' coin heads up auction

$250k coin amongst range of fine examples in US coin sale

Posted: 3 September 2009
Is this the biggest presentation ever in American numismatics?

So says the buzz surrounding a $2m collection of Hawaiian coins and currency, for sale in New York

Posted: 2 September 2009
Metal detector finds £1.1m

Hugely valuable Viking stash uncovered in Harrogate field

Posted: 27 August 2009
Firefighters’drive receives unusual donation

Rare gold coin appears amongst gifts for charity

Posted: 25 August 2009
$6.5m worth of coins and banknotes sold

Vast amounts of currency changed hands at an event in honour of a sunken ship

Posted: 20 August 2009
Coin collectors’ 50th anniversary

It started small, but this weekend enthusiasts of many kinds will come from far and wide

Posted: 20 August 2009
America's $10m coin

Should the second most expensive US coin have easily been the first?

Posted: 19 August 2009
Silver bars worth $1.2m to appear at travelling roadshow

This show travels 300,000 miles and purchases over $15m of collectible items each year

Posted: 19 August 2009
Murder suspect wants $600,000 worth of gold back

A man charged with killing his partner of 20 years has filed a lawsuit against the victim's mother over gold coins and bars

Posted: 18 August 2009
Dime that's worth a mint

A Canadian coin with a unique feature may be worth thousands of times its face value

Posted: 14 August 2009
Coin museum goes on road trip

Vast collection of coins, medals and banknotes to be shown in travelling exhibition

Posted: 7 August 2009
Royal Mint doubles production to meet demand...

Production doubles as people return to traditionally safe investment

Posted: 6 August 2009
Rare coin auction banks more than US 'top grossing movie'

Coin collectors outshone Hollywood at the weekend when an auction made more than tinseltown's most popular film

Posted: 5 August 2009
Visit the greatest coin show on Earth...

This exhibition includes the world's most valuable coin and 'the single most important coin in American numismatics'

Posted: 4 August 2009
Coin dealers accuse eBay and the ANA of 'conspiracy'

Judge orders ongoing court case involving eBay and the American Numismatic Association (ANA) to California

Posted: 28 July 2009
Bonhams appoints director for new 'Coins and Banknotes Department'

Paul Inho Song, discoverer of 'one of the greatest rarities of 20th century numismatics' joins the auction house

Posted: 27 July 2009
Rare coin appears in a collecting bowl

Donation turns out to be more generous than it was probably intended

Posted: 16 July 2009