Standard Catalog of World Coins 1801-1900

The first phase of work towards next years updating of the 1801-1900 Standard Catalog of World Coins 6th edition is under way. What is the first phase you might ask? My friend and coworker Deb McCue runs a vast selection of printouts from a request sheet I spill out of our contributor files. My friend and coworker Sharon Rustad runs mailing labels. Then I pack each contributors printouts, afix their mailing label and ship out all the packages going to U.S. addresses. For addresses outside the U.S., Deb fills out a customs form and then they too get shipped out.

We are almost finished sending out all these printouts, so all of our loyal contributors should be receiving their packages by the end of the year. If you were expecting to contribute to the 6th edition of the 1801-1900 SCWC and have not received your country printouts by the first week in January 2009, please drop me an email.

I think we must have shipped out about 200 packs of printouts over the last six weeks! It's a big job to get this large project rolling, but doing it early helps contributors to have enough time to complete all the adjustments and updates in time for our book production period, which begins in May, 2009. The first two weeks in May is our dealine for the 6th edition. All materials for updating must be in my hands by, or before, May 15th.

Some of our contributors have been using the suggestion system on NumisMaster to send in updates, images and additional data. This has been working pretty well and I hope we can expand the online input capabilities at some point in the future. Until then however, we will have to keep printing and shipping, a tedious task, but one which helps to keep the SCWC series a vital part of our shared hobby.

Early Paper Money of America - Also Available

The 5th edition of The Early Paper Money of America book, by Eric Newman is now in stock and available through our KP Bookstore online. You should also be able to find this new edition of the old classic at most, if not all, numismatic book dealers.

The new edition offers some excellent improvements, including many color images, countless text revisions, updated and expanded note values from Stuart Levine encompassing the highest grades currently available and more. This nearly 500 page hardcover is essential to any numismatic library for it's comprehensive coverage of American Colonial Paper Money. The cover price is $95.00 and it's worth every penny.

Kudo's really need to be extended to all the folks involved in bringing this 5th edition to market. It was a massive task that carried on for several years and we have these people to thank for it's completion:

Eric P. Newman - for his enthusiasm and expansive research and updates

Stuart Levine - for his vast and highly accurate updating of market values

Kara Grundman - for her outstanding efforts at designing a comfortably flowing reference work

George Cuhaj - for his expert assistance in acquiring and processing color images

and last, but not least,

Randy Thern - for his dedication and perseverance in guiding this book project through several years of internal company changes

Thanks for bringing a great new edition of this classic reference work back to the Early American market!

Belarus Coins - Part Two

A few weeks back I posted about the rising demand for Belarus coinage and promised a follow-up with more information. Low mintages on many Belarus coins are making for tough acquisitions for new collectors. Both of these elements combined mean high prices.

The one ounce 1996 20 Roubles silver proofs, KM#13 and KM#14, both went up from $225 to $250. These two Olympic commemoratives each had a mintage of only 1,000, so it is likely that as the market expands, their values will continue to go up. Keep an eye out for them.

The 50 Roubles gold pieces are, of course, on the move also. These types sport animal designs and have cross-collecting appeal as a result, allowing their higher mintages of 3,000 pieces each to be readily absorbed. The KM#145 gold piece, with a pair of Swans, rose from $350 to $370, while the Herring Gull type, KM#123 went from $325 to $350. All of these animal gold 50 Roubles were struck in 2006, but this Belarus market eats up its new issues voraciously, forcing collectors outside the homeland to struggle in quick developing secondary markets.

More example of Belarus value increases include:

50 Roubles Bison, 2006, gold proof, KM#143 from $300 up to $400

100 Roubles Ballet Dancers, 2003, large silver proof, KM#58 from $600 up to $750

20 Roubles, Soviet Order of the Patriotic war, 2004, silver proof, KM#72 from $60 up to $100

20 Roubles, Freestyle Wrestling, 2003 silver proof, KM#120 from $30 up to $50

Tom's Recommended Film of the Week

City of God or Cidade de Deus

I've now watched City of God twice in a week, once by myself and once with my eldest son. This is a great film, well worth your time and effort. A true story, filled with real violence and told in a superbly crafted manner. City of God is a film you will not forget and one which will engage you long after viewing.

City of God, where the story takes place, is an lost souls slum of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The story involves many people, but centers on the teller, a boy growing in the midst of a virtual war zone of gangland violence. Based on Paulo Lins novel and directed with consumate skill by Fernando Meirettes, this film is truely a masterpiece.

Warning - City of God is a gritty story, filled with violence, foul language and some sex. This all comes in the context of the story and does not seem at all gratuitous to me, however, some may be offened, so be aware. Set in Brazil, the cast is speaking Brazilian Portuguese, so read the english subtitles quickly to keep up with the ever evolving plot.

If you can stomach it, City of God is a stunning film and one you will never forget.