World's largest gold coin; Million-dollar coin

On May 3, 2007, the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) unveiled a Gold Maple Leaf coin by artist Stanley Witten, with a face value of $1 million Canadian dollar. The weight of the coin is 100 kilograms, and measures 50 cm in diameter by 3 cm thick. The coin is mainly a promotional product to give the RCM a higher international profile. The 100-kilogram coin was conceived as a showpiece to promote the RCM's new line of 99.999 percent pure, one-ounce gold maple leaf bullion coins. The coin is made only to order and so far five have been produced. It is not 'struck' like a conventional coin, but is instead cast then machined to the right size and shape.

Big Phil coin Photo by: financialcryptography.com

Weighing in at 100 kilograms (220.5 pounds), the limited edition coin easily dwarfs its closest rival, the 31 kg (68 pound) "Big Phil", which was made to honour the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, a €100,000 gold coin, worth about C$153,000. The Austrian coin is 37 centimetres across and weighs 31 kilograms. It is minted by the 800-year-old Austrian Mint, each with a face value of 100,000 euros and bearing a replica of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra's famed hall on one side and orchestral instruments on the other. (Hence the nickname Big Phil). With only 15 of the coin minted so far. The Big Phil were introduced in 5 October 2004.

Photo by: FunAndFunOnly.org

In October 2007, the Million Dollar Coin was certified by Guinness World Records to be the world's largest gold coin. The coins are manufactured at the Mint's Ottawa facility, where the Mint operates world-class gold and silver refineries, securely stores gold bullion and mints all Royal Canadian Mint gold bullion products and collector coins. The reverse features an elegant, hand-polished maple leaf design by Royal Canadian Mint artist and senior engraver Stan Witten, and the obverse bears the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by celebrated Canadian portrait artist Susanna Blunt. The coins are both adorned with a maple leaf and boast 99.999 percent purity, a notch above previous purity peaks of 99.99 percent.

Specifications:

Face value: $1,000,000
Composition: 99999 fine gold
Weight (in troy oz.): 3215
Weight (kg): 100

Source: Reuters, Wikipedia, Royal Canadian Mint, financialcryptography.com

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1983 new pence, two pence that worth £500

Yesterday, I read a news about a Weston couple hoping to make thousands from two pence. Brian and Penny Drury, of Palmer Street, stumbled across the rare find in a collectors' pack bought 26 years ago. Brian, aged 43, ordered the souvenir pack from a national newspaper and it has been hidden away and forgotten about since. But when Penny, also aged 43, was told last week that a 1983 two pence coin with new pence written on was valuable she told her husband who confirmed they did have one in their drawer. Brian has put the coin on eBay and is hoping to be able to clear his overdraft with the money he raises from the sale. I try to find this couple auction on eBay but cannot find them.

Photo by: Weston & Somerset Mercury

The British decimal two pence (2p) coin – often pronounced "two pee" – was issued by the Royal Mint on 15 February 1971, the day the British currency was decimalised. In practice it had been available from banks in bags of £1 for some weeks previously. As of December 2005 there were an estimated 6,421 million 2p coins in circulation. The coin was initially minted from bronze, but since 1992 it has been minted in copper-plated steel except for a few months in 1998 when bronze was used again. As copper-plated steel is less dense than bronze, post-1992 coins have been slightly thicker. The original reverse of the coin, designed by Christopher Ironside, is the Badge of the Prince of Wales: a plume of ostrich feathers within a coronet, above the German motto ICH DIEN ("I serve"). The numeral "2" is written below the badge, and either NEW PENCE (1971–1981) or TWO PENCE (from 1982) is written above.

Many people have two pence in their drawer like this couple but only 1983 2 pence with the word new pence on it consider as rare. One website states that the odds of finding a 1983 'new pence' coin are around one in 14,000,000. Consider yourself lucky if you found one of this coin. If you're intended to sale your coin, the price on eBay is between £500 to £700. If you need my advice whether to sale or keep this coin. Keep them for at least 5 years, most probably it will worth five time their current price after that. By the way, it only have a two pence face value. Why do you need to rush selling them? The price will go up every year.

Source: Weston & Somerset Mercury, Wikipedia

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Nigerian Black Money Scam

I received dozen of black money scam email a day. This scam usually begins with a letter or e-mail purportedly sent to a selected recipient but actually sent to many, making an offer that would result in a large payoff for the victim. The e-mail's subject line often says something like "From the desk of Mr. [Name]", "Your assistance is needed", and so on. The details vary, but the usual story is that a person, often a government or bank employee, knows of a large amount of unclaimed money or gold which he cannot access directly, usually because he has no right to it. The money could be in the form of gold bullion, gold dust, money in a bank account, blood diamonds, a series of cheques or bank drafts, banknote and so forth. Many operations are professionally organized in Nigeria, with offices, working fax numbers, and often contacts at government offices.

Photo by: The star.com.my

This kind of scam also called among other, as the Nigerian Letter (also called the 419 fraud, Nigerian scam, Nigerian bank scam, or Nigerian money offer, the Spanish Prisoner, the black money scam as well as Russian/Ukrainian scam (also extremely widespread, though far less popular than the former). The so-called Russian and Nigerian scams stand for wholly dissimilar organised-crime traditions; they therefore tend to use altogether different breeds of approaches.

Photo by: The star.com.my

In Malaysia, the scam has been started since 1998. Most of these con artists enter the country on a social visit pass which allows them to stay up to 30 days. They tend to enrol in local colleges, some even reputable ones, just to obtain student visas so that they could extend their stay here. These so-called students are believed to pay off college staff to mark their attendance.

Photo by: The star.com.my

In the Black Money scam, victims are told about a stash of bank notes which had been dyed black to avoid Customs detection. The money was supposedly kept in a safe somewhere and the victim should purchase a type of chemical to wash off the dye which would then unveil “genuine” US dollars. con men, upon meeting their target, would produce a small vial of washing liquid called “Universal Automatic Washer” and ask the victim to select any black bank note at random. The black banknote would be washed but with a sleight of hand,the con man would substitute it with a real note. Victims are given the “washed” bank notes and are encouraged to verify their authenticity at a money changer.

Photo by: the hindu.com

This is just an alert for everyone for such a scam. Don't be fuelled by your greed, someone might taking advantages of them. This Nigerian conman also use local women to carry out their deception, targeting single mothers or college students and using their bank accounts to conduct their shady business. Just make sure your friend and family doesn't fall into their trap. If an offer is so good to be true and most probably its a scam. Any of you receive the similar e-mail lately?

Source:Wikipedia, the star.com.my, hindu.com

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London 2012 Olympic Games 50 pence coin designed by 9 years old

Congratulations to nine-year-old Florence Jackson from Bristol who has made history by becoming the first child to design a reverse for a legal tender United Kingdom coin. Yesterday Royal Mint announced her winning design for the Blue Peter Design-a-50p Competition - chosen from over 17,000 entries - celebrates Athletics and will take its place in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games 50p collections, a collection of 29 coins with special reverses designed by the nation.


Launched in January 2009, the Blue Peter Competition gave the children of the UK the chance to design a 50 pence coin to mark the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The competition was open to children aged between six and 12 and was to focus on the sport of Athletics. A record-breaking 17,000 entries were received at the Royal Mint. They were split into three age groups and a selection from each group was chosen by a panel of judges made up of independent experts, representatives of the Royal Mint, the BBC, London 2012 and the International Olympics Committee. Selected entries were then put before the Royal Mint Advisory Committee and the chosen winning entry was then approved by the Treasury and Her Majesty The Queen.

Florence was joined by Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis and Blue Peter presenter Andy Akinwolere at the Royal Mint to strike her first coin and looks forward to seeing her winning design on millions of 50p coins next year.

"It was amazing to visit the Royal Mint and see my picture turned into a coin. I can’t wait to see it in my pocket money!". She will also receive a gold Proof 50p coin featuring her own artwork.

Florence chose to show a high jumper because "I had watched it on TV before and thought it looked fun".

Denise Lewis was pleased to help Florence celebrate her win: "Florence has done all Olympians and Paralympians proud. Her design is simple and effective and I’m honoured to say I saw it first. Florence is a very deserving winner and her coin is a great illustration of how everyone can be a part of London 2012".

Florence’s winning design is the first in a series of 29 officially licensed London 2012 50p designs by the nation that will act as lasting mementoes of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the UK’s most significant sporting event for this generation. The remaining 28 designs - the result of the Royal Mint’s biggest ever competition for the public to design the UK’s coinage - will be revealed early next year. Each coin will represent one of the 29 sports scheduled to take place at London 2012.

Denomination: 50 Pence
Composition: Alloy Cupro-nickel
Weight: 8 gms
Diameter: 27.3 mm
Designer: (Reverse) Florence Jackson

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Canada maple leaf scam

I am looking for a story about how people make a replica of a coin and its resulted finding this story of Canada Maple leaf scam. This can be happening to any coin collector around the world and a great read to make use aware of this kind of scam. This Maple Leaf scam happened in the United States. They're called as a "million-dollar gold coin scam" involving counterfeit versions of the Royal Canadian Mint's famous one-ounce Maple Leaf coin.

Using a few genuine Maple Leaf gold coins and hundreds of fakes, the suspects are alleged to have enticed jewelry store owners into buying significant numbers of counterfeit coins. Merchants were typically offered a cut-rate deal for a large shipment of coins after being given one or two real ones for authentication. In March, a jeweller in Red Bank, N.J., was drawn into a deal to acquire 100 of the Canadian coins, that have a symbolic face value of $50 but are currently selling for about $1,000 each. The jeweller was given a single Maple Leaf coin for testing and agreed to pay cash for the entire collection, which the seller claimed he'd received as an inheritance.

A week after the initial meeting, the seller and an associate arrived to complete the transaction, but when the jeweller questioned the authenticity of the 99 other coins delivered by the pair, one of the suspects "pulled out a black handgun and demanded the cash," according to an account of the heist released by New Jersey prosecutor Robert Bianchi. The pattern was repeated at various jewelry stores in New Jersey, and investigators discovered similar attempts at executing the Canadian coin "confidence scam" in New York and Maryland.

Three suspects who had been under surveillance were arrested on Sept. 19 at a shopping mall in Kinnelon, N.J. The car in which the three had driven to the mall was searched by police, who found 200 counterfeit Maple Leaf gold coins. Three men in their 50s — David Bell, William Gary and Hakim Shaheed, all New Jersey residents — face initial charges of theft by deception and conspiracy.

Source: Vancouver Sun

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Sea Life Coin: 1/2oz Silver Proof Lionfish

Perth Mint has been releasing another stunning coins celebrating five fascinating reef dwellers from the amazing Australia sea life coin series. The first coin is the Lionfish coin. The future releases in this series depict a Leafy Sea Dragon (November 2009), Clownfish (January 2010), Seahorse (March 2010) and Moray Eel (May 2010). The coin is struck by The Perth Mint from 1/2oz of 99.9% pure silver in proof quality.

A Lionfish is any of several species of venomous marine fish in the genera Pterois, Parapterois, Brachypterois, Ebosia or Dendrochirus, of the family Scorpaenidae. The lionfish is also known as the Turkey Fish, Dragon Fish, Scorpion or Fire Fish. They are notable for their extremely long and separated spines, and have a generally striped appearance, red, green, navy green, brown, orange, yellow, black, maroon, or white. Australian waters host some of the most famous reef systems in the world. From spectacular tropical corals to towering forests of kelp, these dynamic environments are teeming with aquatic life.

The lionfish is one of the most venomous fish on the ocean floor. Lionfish have venomous dorsal spines that are used purely for defense. When threatened, the fish often faces its attacker in an upside down posture which brings its spines to bear. However, a lionfish's sting is usually not fatal to humans. If a human is envenomed, that person will experience extreme pain, and possibly headaches, vomiting, and breathing difficulties. A common treatment is soaking the afflicted area in hot water, as very few hospitals carry specific treatments. However, immediate emergency medical treatment is still advised, as some people are more susceptible to the venom than others.

Reverse: The coin’s reverse portrays a Lionfish in colour. Covered in red to black bands, the Lionfish has very long pectoral and dorsal fins. The dorsal fin comprises an array of extremely venomous spines, which are used for protection against predators. Growing to around 35cm in length, the Lionfish can be found in tropical waters around the west, north and east coasts of Australia. The coin’s reverse also incorporates The Perth Mint’s historic ‘P’ mint mark.

Obverse: Issued as legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965, the coin bears the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the 2009 year-date on the obverse.

Technical Specifications:


Silver Content (Troy oz) 0.5
Monetary Denomination (AUD) 0.50
Fineness (% purity) 99.9
Minimum Gross Weight (g) 15.573
Maximum Diameter (mm) 36.6
Maximum Thickness (mm) 2.3

This coin is not available online and no more than 10,000 Lionfish coins will be released by The Perth Mint. Each coin is housed in a presentation case which comes in a colourfully illustrated box-shipper. When lined-up in release order, the shipper illustrations form a linked image depicting all five reef creatures. Each coin also accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

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Sierra Leone-Remember Michael Jackson 1958–2009 Coin

The sudden death of superstar Michael Jackson in June 2009 shocked the world and the Bank of Sierra Leone has released a coin to honour the life of one of the world’s greatest performers. The remembering Micheal Jackson Silver proof and cupro nickel coin are minted by Pobjoy Mint and not intended for sale in the United states. Pobjoy Mint is a minting company based in Kingswood park, Southern England. The Company has been deeply involved in the development and manufacture of coins, medals and tokens for the past 100 years.

Michael Jackson started performing at the age of six as part of ‘The Jackson 5’ with his four brothers. He went on to become one of the best-selling musical artists of all time and his 1982 album ‘Thriller’ is still the most successful album of all time, having sold 110 million copies worldwide. A global icon for over four decades, Michael Jackson was as famous for his dancing and trademark clothes, including the solo white glove and hat, as he was for his singing.

In March 2009, he announced that he would be doing a number of concert dates at the O2 arena in London, called ‘This is it’ during July and August and they were a sell-out. Unfortunately, on 25th June 2009, Michael Jackson suffered a heart-attack at his home in Los Angeles and never regained consciousness. He has left behind a legacy of music that still sounds as fresh and relevant as it did twenty years ago.

The reverse design of the coin features a portrait of Michael Jackson with the wording ‘1958 Michael Jackson 2009’ in the surround. The obverse of the coin features the Republic of Sierra Leone’s Coat of Arms and is available in Cupro Nickel, Proof Sterling Silver and Proof 999.9 Gold. You can buy this piece of pop history at Pobjoy Mint website.

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Malaya & British Borneo one dollar banknote-duit kerbau 1 ringgit

First of all, sorry to all my reader for missing posting an article for this past few days. My broadband service provider is giving me a headache with unstable connection for this past few days since the tsunami and earthquake in Sumatera and Padang, Indonesia. A 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck off the city of Padang on Indonesia's Sumatra island, killing at least 75 people and trapping thousands under rubble. I like to express my gratitude to all the victims in Indonesia, wish everything will be recovering soon.

Today post is about a Malaya and British Borneo one dollar banknote (duit kerbau seringgit). This is a replica of the Malaya and British Borneo 10 dollar banknote. One of my buyer is asking me to find this item a few month back (missing his phone number, sorry friend). He told me that he want to find this banknote for "menurun" or "panggil nombor". It is a ritual, where people who want to buy toto or 4D number will bring this item and asked a bomoh (Shaman) to do the "menurun nombor" ritual. People will see a number on this piece of old item they bought. This 4 digits number will be bought continuously for at least 3 times in any 4D number shop that been told by the bomoh.

This banknote is at least 30 years old and also have the same design with the original duit kerbau. Its also have a tiger watermark. the size is slightly smaller then the original 10 dollar duit kerbau; 6.5 cm x 12 cm. I found two colour of this banknote, red and black colour. Beside the "menurun nombor" ritual, I don't sure why this banknote is printed during that time. Maybe this is some kind of counterfeit money for duit kerbau. Item already "Sold", you can visit my sale page to check my other item on sale.

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