Free Republic

A "very rare" ancient gold coin found recently in the mountains of central Norway could be lost cash that once belonged to an early monarch, according to Norwegian officials. The gold coin was discovered by a metal detectorist in Vestre Slidre, a rural city known for skiing, in Norway's south-central Innlandet County. Technically called "histamenon nomisma," the coin was first introduced around 960 C.E. and used as standard Byzantine currency, the Innlandet County Municipality said in a news release. That means the artifact would have traveled more than 1,600 miles from its origin site to the spot where it was...

Switzerland has minted the smallest gold coin the world has ever seen, state-owned Swissmint announced Thursday. The 2.96-millimeter (0.12-inch) gold coin, weighing only 0.063 grams (¹⁄500th of an ounce), is so small the viewer needs to squint closely to see world-famous physicist Albert Einstein sticking his tongue out. The coin has a nominal value of ¼ of a Swiss franc (26¢, €0.23) and can be ordered online. According to Swissmint, 999 of the coins have been made, and a single coin will be sold for 199 francs and accompanied with a special magnifying glass so owners can see Einstein. …

The U.S. Mint has unveiled a commemorative $100 gold coin that features an image of Liberty as a black woman. The 2017 American Liberty 225th Anniversary Gold Coin shows the woman’s head in profile with a crown of stars. […] The mint says it’s the first in a series of 24-karat gold that will also depict Liberty in designs representing Asian-Americans, Hispanic-Americans and Indian-Americans. …

An exceptionally rare gold coin emblazoned with the face of the Roman Emperor Nero dating back to around A.D. 60 has been discovered by archaeologists working on excavations on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. The coin, which archaeologists say most likely came from a Jewish home, was found in the ruins of wealthy villas from the first century A.D. and according to the archaeologist Shimon Gibson "belonged to the priestly and aristocratic quarter located in the Upper City of Jerusalem". Gibson, who is an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and part of the team carrying out...

Hello all, I was gifted a couple gold coins a few years ago -- just basic, 1 oz American Eagle coins, no special edition or date or anything like that. I kind of forgot I had them, but recently decided to sell one of them off to finance my conspicuous consumption of .22 ammo, and came a bit of a cropper, as our British cousins might put it. Simply put, aside from selling the thing at a pawn shop for pennies on the dollar, how are you supposed to sell the damn thing? What research I've done seems to indicate...

ISIS is now issuing its own currency referred to as the ‘Golden Dinar,’ with engravings bearing the words “Islamic State.” The coins, currently being released in limited quantity, are to primarily be used by traders in the oil industry in areas under Islamic State control, according to reports on jihadi online forums. Activists in Deir ez-Zor, Syria reported oil traders have been ordered to use the new Dinar when purchasing from ISIS-held oil fields. Reports from the Iraqi city of Mosul have indicated the Golden Dinar is being introduced to the currency market as part of a serious attempt to...

A valuable hoard of American gold coins has been unearthed in an east London garden — one of Britain's most curious treasure finds. Buried hoards are discovered every so often, but their Anglo-Saxon, Viking or Roman owners were themselves interred long ago. Whoever hid the 80 coins from the 19th and early 20th centuries may be alive. Why they chose the garden of a residential block in Hackney is a mystery. Archaeologists more used to deciphering which Roman emperor is depicted on a coin have been taken aback by the find — gold $20 “Double Eagle” pieces dating from 1854...

Archaeologists say they have uncovered the heaviest and most valuable gold coin ever found in Israel. The 2,200-year-old coin weighs an ounce (28 grams) and was found at the Tel Kedesh site near the Lebanon border on June 22, according to Wednesday's statement from the antiquities authority. It said this coin is six times the weight of most others from that era. Donald Ariel, head of the antiquities authority coin department, said the coin dates back to the rule of the Iraq-based Seleucid Empire, though it was minted by the rival Egyptian Ptolemies. Ariel said the coin's image may represent...

The Canadian Press VANCOUVER — SNIPPET: "Khaled Nawaya, a flight instructor, was arrested by Canada Border Services agents when they found $800,000 in gold coins and other currency in his car and pockets on Oct. 6, as he crossed into Surrey, B.C., near Vancouver." SNIPPET: "He'd been living in the U.S. since he was 17 and had gained approval for permanent residency in Canada. Besides the gold, Canadian agents found a ring bearing the insignia of Hezbollah, which has been listed as a terrorist organization by the Canadian government since 2002. They also seized 9/11 conspiracy theory-themed DVDs and a...