2010 Native American Dollars, Bickford $10, Atocha Shipwreck Coins

Welcome back to Something About Coins! Here are a few coin topics that have recently been circulating on the internet.

The U.S. Mint's Direct Ship program now includes the 2010 Native American $1 Coins with their new reverse design. The article relayed the price of a single box of ten 25-coin rolls is $250, and shipping is free. The household limit is 20 boxes. Also worth noting, the Mint is selling boxes of the 2001 Sacagawea Golden Dollars in their Direct Ship program, yes that's 2001,but it has a household limit of 2 boxes.

CoinLink.com presented another Heritage description, this time it's the gold 1874 Dana Bickford $10 coin, and it is being auctioned at FUN on Jan. 7. The history behind the coin, its conception, and its pedigree are all named. By the way, a Heritage blog said this coin is more rare than the 1913 Liberty Head Nickel and the 1927-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle coins.

A rare collection of shipwreck coins from the Nuestra Senora de Atocha will be displayed in Cape Coral, FL this month for two days only, Jan. 16 & 17. Cape-Coral-Daily-Breeze.com reported the coins were discovered by Mel Fisher off the Florida Keys in 1985 and donated to the Cape Coral Historical Museum by Lou Tilley. A presentation about the wreck's discovery will be given by Scott Murray, a former diver of Fisher's, on Saturday, the 16th at 10 AM. The coins will be unveiled immediately afterward. The article said visitors will be able to hold the coins in their hands. The event is free and open to the public.

Northern Ireland retailers are having trouble with fake pound coins, BBC News reported. Shopkeepers were warned that fake pounds didn't have a ring of dots near the edge of the coin, but some genuine 2008 and 2009 pound coins do not have any dots. The Royal Mint provided more factors of fakes, such as the lettering, the color, and the alignment of the obverse and reverse designs. An earlier BBC article warned that some Isle of Man fake coins rattle.

Scott Barman colorfully described the 2010 U.S. Mint coins in his blog after Christmas. I love his passion for numismatics. In the article, he gave his opinions and predictions of the new Lincoln Cent, Washington Quarters, and First Spouse gold coins, to name a few. He ended by saying he hopes 2010 sizzles. So do I!