What’s in a name? Well, when it comes to the acronym CAFNE, I am hoping it will become top of mind for all numismatists. CAFNE stands for the Canadian Association for Numismatic Education. As stated on its website, the non-profit organization’s mandate includes: To educate the public about numismatics on the study of coins, currency,... Continue reading →
Lot 129 was this 1845 Bank of Montreal halfpenny (Breton 527), which realized $61,200 and set a new Canadian numismatic record.
Another 170-year-old token sold for more than $60,000 at the recent Fall 2015 Toronto Coin Expo, setting a new numismatic record for the highest-priced Canadian token sold at an auction. Altogether, the auction realized nearly $800,000 from some 950 lots of tokens, coins, medals and banknotes as part of Geoffrey Bell Auctions biannual Coin Expo... Continue reading →
Pictures do tell the story, and I received one by text on the first evening of the recent Geoffrey Bell sale as a reminder that live auctions are still popular. “Live auctions are alive and well,” the text accompanying the picture proclaimed. It shows the auction room, held at the downtown Toronto Reference Library, almost... Continue reading →
As I have written previously, we have been making a concerted effort in recent months to enhance our connection with Canadian coin clubs and affiliated organizations. As of this column, I have been invited to club meetings as a guest speaker. This not only provides me with the opportunity to speak about the history and... Continue reading →
s you read this we are in the last few days of public voting for the Canada 150 program. The program offers a rare chance for Canadians to participate in the design selection process, something I applaud. I’ve always been a fan of circulating commemorative coins, particularly programs. They get regular people looking at that... Continue reading →
I’m sure that most of you are the same as me; coins and numismatics just seem to pop up in all sorts of conversations. It happened again recently with a few friends who have never, ever, voiced an interest in coins of any sort. That in itself is unusual, because I’m sure 99 out of... Continue reading →