Capital Treasures

Poppy quarter’ behind spy coin alert

An odd-looking Canadian coin with a bright red flower was the culprit behind a U.S. Defense Department false espionage warning earlier this year about mysterious coin-like objects with radio frequency transmitters, The Associated Press has learned.

The harmless “poppy coin” was so unfamiliar to suspicious U.S. Army contractors traveling in Canada that they filed confidential espionage accounts about them. The worried contractors described the coins as “anomalous” and “filled with something man-made that looked like nano-technology,” according to once-classified U.S. government reports and e-mails obtained by the AP.

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[ Herald Tribune Article ]

The silver-colored 25-cent piece features the red image of a poppy — Canada’s flower of remembrance — inlaid over a maple leaf. The unorthodox quarter is identical to the coins pictured and described as suspicious in the contractors’ accounts.

The supposed nano-technology actually was a conventional protective coating the Royal Canadian Mint applied to prevent the poppy’s red color from rubbing off. The mint produced nearly 30 million such quarters in 2004 commemorating Canada’s 117,000 war dead.

“It did not appear to be electronic (analog) in nature or have a power source,” wrote one U.S. contractor, who discovered the coin in the cup holder of a rental car. “Under high power microscope, it appeared to be complex consisting of several layers of clear, but different material, with a wire like mesh suspended on top.”
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3M was so sure that their Security Glass was unbreakable. They put up stacks of money in it and fitted the thing at the bus stop and ask every passerby to kick that thing.  3M was so sure their Security Glass was unbreakable, they put a large stack of cash behind it and shoved it in a bus stop. Now, it was only $500 of real currency stacked on top of fake money, and people could only use their feet to try to break it. Also a security guard was present to make sure no one broke the rules and that people couldn’t get to keep the money if they broke it.

[Via Gizmodo]

You can easily pick up a penny in your loose pocket change and end up with something worth $15-$20. During early 2000, the mint produced a batch of pennies that ended up causing quite a stir in the collecting community. Both trade papers ran front page stories concerning this new variety of 2000-P Cent.

This variety has been designated a “Type 2 Reverse”

The recent discovery of two different types of 2000 Lincoln Cents created a flurry of excitement in numismatics. The difference between the two types is readily apparent. Type 1 (known as the “Regular Business Strike Reverse”) shows the A and M of AMERICA almost touching. On Type 2 (known as the “Proof Style Reverse”), the A and the M are well separated.

The Type 2 variety is considerably rarer than the Type 1 since Proof dies represent a fraction of the dies used to strike 2000 Lincoln Cents. Proof dies were intended to strike Proof coins, not coins for circulation.

John Wexler, a noted numismatic author, researcher, and error-variety specialist advised Coin World: “The use of distinctive reverse dies resulted in two different die varieties of 2000 Lincoln Cents”.

“One variety was struck on the standard reverse die used for circulating cents since 1993. The other variety was struck on a die previously used exclusively for Proof Cents since 1993,” Wexler wrote.

Coin World advised in the May 14, 2001 issue that readers have reportedly located 360 of the Proof-Style (Type 2) Reverse Cents out of approximately 104,000 coins examined. That is about 1/3 of 1 percent! Based on search of over 30,000 coins, this variety is much scarcer than first thought.

Since the 2000 Cents have been in circulation for over a year, it would seem logical that most “finds” would grade Almost Uncirculated or less. Gem examples could be truly rare! As with any new variety, it cannot be determined how many will eventually be discovered, or what the future value might be. However, this could be a “ground floor” opportunity to obtain a certifed coin at a reasonable price!

The Type One (Normal) Reverse has the “AM” in “America” almost touching. The Type Two Reverse has the “AM” showing a clear separation similar to the 1858 Flying Eagle Cent.

The Designer’s initials “FG” are closer to the Memorial on the Type Two.

Capital Treaures launches.

Building a collection can be a valuable way of sharing history and experiences as well as an enriching way of having fun. Whether you are in it for the hobby, strive to develop a die-hard type set or you have an accumulation of items that are of personal interests and heritage; consider building a unique collection over time so you can create something of value that one can admire as well as share with family and friends.

With the resources available on the internet it is not difficult to find the information needed to make the best decisions on where to allocate your time and money. Whether you are a serious collector or an accumulator of artifacts, Capital Treasures is available as a resource to inform, educate and connect individuals interested in collecting.