Final Lincoln Bicentennial One-Cent

Yesterday The United States Mint launched the fourth and final 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One-Cent coin. A ceremony was held at the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial which is below the west front of the U.S Capitol Building. The reverse of the coin depicts a partially built U.S. Capitol dome. United States Mint Director Ed Moy said, "The image of an incomplete U.S. Capitol symbolizes the unfinished business of a nation torn apart by slavery and the Civil War." The familiar portrait of President Lincoln by sculptor Victor Brenner will grace the obverse of the coin. The inscriptions on the obverse read: IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY and 2009. This year has now seen the launch of four One-Cent coins with reverse designs honouring the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth and the centennial of the first issuance of the Lincoln Cent.

New Australian Coin Designs

The Royal Australian Mint has unveiled designs for 2010 $1 and 20 cent coins honouring the 150th anniversary of the Burke and Wills expedition. The coins highlight the beginning and the end of the expedition. Sculptor Wojciech Pietranik was responsible for the designs, which were revealed today at the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne. Assistant Treasurer Senator Nick Sherry who was present at the ceremony said, "It is fitting to launch these coins in Melbourne as the Burke and Wills expedition departed almost 150 years ago from a site not too far from where we stand today." Modern day explorer Jesse Martin was also in attendance. The Burke and Wills expedition sought to cross Australia and investigate the interior of the country, much of which was unknown at the time to non-indigenous European settlers.

Commemorative Coin of Indian Saint

The South Indian Bank (SIB) based in Kerala will be distributing, via its branches a commemorative Rs five coin which will feature Saint Sister Alphonsa, India's first woman Catholic Saint. The Indian born nun was made a saint by Pope Benedict last year.

Austrian 100 Euro Gold Coin (Ducat Quality)

The Austrian Mint has released the second 100 Euro coin in the gold series called "Crowns of the House of Habsburg." The new coin, designed by Helmut Andexlinger is in proof quality and is 986 fine gold (Ducat quality). The maxium mintage will be 30,000 pieces.

RBI Wants Coins But Gets Criticism

The Times of India reports that The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) wants to obtain coins for it's monetary museum. The RBI lacks coins from practically every period in India's rich history and has consequently issued an appeal for help from India's coin collectors and dealers. However experts have criticized the RBI for leaving it too late to embark on a procurement drive and have pointed out that in recent times there has been a huge rise in the popularity of Indian coins, with much of the renewed interest coming from players based overseas. Leading Indian coin collector Farokh Todywalla said, "I think the RBI has missed the bus. Its bureaucrats are not aware of the scenario of the market of historic coins."

Ashmolean Reopens

The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford (UK) reopens today after a redevelopment project costing £61Million. The Heberden Coin Room within the museum houses a collection of approximately 300,000 coins and medals and has 7 academic staff. As a result of the redevelopment works the coin room now boasts a new Money Gallery and a state of the art coin store. There is also a seminar room.

U.K. Coin Fairs

Forthcoming UK coin fairs: 4th Nov CLICKCOLLECT (Banknotes, Coins, Stamps, Cards) Stowmarket Football Club, Bury Road, Stowmarket. 7th Nov CORNUCOPIA FAIRS (Coins, Stamps, Postcards) Queens Cross Church, Albyn Place, Aberdeen. 7th Nov THE LONDON COIN FAIR (Ancient and Modern Coins, Paper Money, Medals, Tokens, etc) Holiday Inn, Coram Street, Bloomsbury, London. 8th Nov THE MIDLAND COIN FAIR (Coins, Medals, Banknotes) National Motorcycle Museum, Bickenhill, Birmingham. http://www.midlandcoinfair.co.uk/ 11th Nov CLICKCOLLECT (Coins, Banknotes, Stamps) The Maltings, Ship Lane, Ely, Cambridgeshire. 14th Nov PHOENIX FAIRS ( Coins, Stamps) Victoria Methodist Church Hall, Station Road, Weston-Super-Mare. 14th Nov EAST GRINSTEAD FAIR ( Coins, Stamps, Medals, Postcards, Books, etc) Large Parish Hall, De La Warr Road, East Grinstead. 15th Nov NORTH OF ENGLAND COIN FAIR ( Coins, Banknotes, Tokens, Medals, Militaria ) The Park Hotel, Tynemouth, Newcastle Upon Tyne.