Dear WBCC members and non WBCC members,

For the 164th time you can read the WBCC Newsmail. As every week I hope you
enjoy reading it !!

1. Bi-metallic Australia 10 Dollar 1999......by Rod Sell, Australia

The Australian $10 Bi-metallic for 1999 is due to be distributed to the
Dealers on the 18th October. I hope they will be available soon after that
date and I will obtain enough for those who have expressed an interest.

2. Bi-metallics in an Auction...by Wolfgang Schuster, Austria

The following I could read in the catalog of the London Coin Auctions:

--Quote
London Coin Auctions
31, Reigate Way, Wallington, Surrey SM68NU, England
Tel.: 0181 6885297, Fax: 0181 6808071
offers in his 03.Oct. 99 - mail bid auction
lot 742: bimetallic collection (86 different) - Coins 1989-99 most UNC Hyams
Pattern Penny & Crown 1848 Ringed Farthing (2) one holed another USA Cent
1918 Sport Medal in silver 1915 & 2 Tokens F or better (estimate UK-Pounds
40.-)
--Unquote

3. New Bi-metallic images......by Rod Sell, WBCC Homepage Provider

This weeks new pictures in the WBCC Homapge:
(http://www.geocities.com/RodeoDrive/7513/wbcc/wbcc.html)

* US 50 Cent Trade Token from Evans' Bank Tail of Chicago Illinois
* US 50 Cent Trade Token from C.S. Paxton of Danville Illinois
* 2 pieces Great Britain Charles I Rose Farthing (1625-1649) with brass
wedge
* Great Britain 1684 Charles II Tin Farthing with copper plug
* Great Britain 1685 James II Tin Farthing with copper plug
* 2 pieces Great Britain 1690 Tin 1/2 Penny of William & Mary with copper
plug
* US 1$ Trade Token Gibraltar Coal Mining Co. of Brownie KY. This token is
the size of the normal 50 Cent Tokens
* US $1 Trade Token from C.S. Paxton of Danville Illinois
* US Osborne Mint Token
* Luxury Cruise Gaming Token
* US Token from Teller House Casino, Colorado

4. High speed press for Bi-metallics.... by Sean Moffatt, USA

Last week at the Hoffman Mint I met some people of Graebener press systems.
The most surprising news is that Graebener is still making high speed
production coin presses, and is gaining ground on their parent companys
(Schuler) market share. I found it odd that 2 companies with the same owners
would be competing against each other, but this is the case. Graebener has
just upgraded their MPU series high speed coining presses and they were kind
enough to leave me with sales brochures, and 2 video tapes showing their
machines in action. Of greatest interest to the WBCC is that all of the MPU
series are Bi-metallic capable, and run at speeds up to 850 coins/min (MPU
106). The model name of these presses is Graebener multiform-plus. The
amazing features of these machines is that they can also be used to make
Bi-metallic rings and center blanks from ordinary coin blanks with just a
change of tooling. The same press can then, with another change of tooling,
assemble the 2 pieces to make ready to use bi-metal blanks at up to 750
blanks/min. Or the same machine with yet another tooling change can actually
join & coin the 2 seperate pieces without first pre-forming the blanks at up
to the 850 coins/min. These machines can also run standard mono-metallic
coins and odd shapes at the same production rates. Unfortunately the
starting price for a mono-metallic only MPU 156 (150 ton) is about
US$510,000. with attachments for Bi-metallic production the machines start
at about US$700,000 plus options, shipping, ect. These presses are very
similar to the schuler ring-Master presses that supposedly do the same
things and cost roughly the same. I have a short sales flier on the
ring-master and a sales video tape for Schuler Bi-metallic presses but
nothing that went into much detail regarding blank assembly properties of
the ring-master.

5. TWOB 29............by Martin Peeters, WBCC Focal Point

The 29th edition of The World Of Bi-metallics catalog is ready. This week it
is send by snailmail or E-mail. This edition covers 760 Coins from 63
Countries, 188 Euros/Ecus from 19 Countries, 503 Tokens from 37 Countries
and also information on varieties, errors and related Numismatic Literature.

6. Collectors Universe article...by Martin Peeters, Netherlands

The following article I could read in Collectors Universe,
http://www.collectors.com/worldcoins/ , and it is written by WBCC member
Richard Giedroyc, USA.

--Quote
Titanium Comes To Numismatics
Richard Giedroyc - September 24, 1999
Gold, silver, bronze and copper are standard metals used in the manufacture
of coins. Clad compositions and even ringed bimetal compositions have been
produced in more recent years. Experimental metals have been used, even some
plastics. One of the leaders in new metal technology is the privately owned
Pobjoy Mint best known for its many commemorative coins struck for the Isle
of Man. The Pobjoy Mint, based in England, has recently announced it has
begun striking coins in titanium for the first time.
Titanium itself is something of a mystery metal. Titanium was first isolated
in 1887. It is prized for jewelry and is renowned for changing color when an
electrical current is passed through it. This change gives titanium the
colors of the rainbow.
Titanium is a lightweight metal normally of silver-gray color widely used in
manufacturing aircraft and jet engines, golf clubs and tennis rackets due to
its weight properties.
Well, move over--titanium is now a coinage metal, courtesy of the Pobjoy
Mint and its innovative staff.
The first titanium composition coin belongs to Gibraltar and was struck
under contract with the Pobjoy Mint. The 5-pound coin dated 1999 is special,
a commemorative marking the new millennium. The obverse depicts the crowned
bust of Queen Elizabeth II facing right. The reverse depicts a number of
items in quartered sections representing time, all superimposed on the face
of a clock.
The individual time pieces depicted on the reverse are a sundial from about
1500 B.C., a clock candle from A.D. 890 that burns down to markers at
one-hour intervals, a clock with faces representing the first mechanical
time pieces from the mid-14th century and a digital clock face as used today
in our age of computerization.
Not to be outdone by Gibraltar, the Isle of Man commissioned the Pobjoy Mint
to strike the world's first ringed bimetal titanium composition coin. This
1999 half crown coin has an outer ring composed of .9999 fine gold and a
center of titanium.
The reverse of the IOM coin depicts the 24-hour world time clock
highlighting the time in London, Tokyo and New York when the clock strikes
midnight in Greenwich (United Kingdom), the Home of Time, on Dec. 31,
1999/Jan. 1, 2000. The obverse of the IOM coin depicts the crowned bust of
Queen Elizabeth II facing right.
The Gibraltar coin is also struck for collectors in virenium, silver and in
gold. Virenium is another metal only used in coins produced at the Pobjoy
Mint.
The mintage of the Gibraltar 5-pound titanium coin is only 25,000 pieces.
The ringed bimetal IOM half crown is limited to 10,000 pieces. These low
mintages could be aimed at creating a secondary market for the coins.
Pobjoy Mint has been in the headlines in recent years due to other
technological developments it has initiated, including the holographic
device on coins as a security device. The private mint also strikes
circulation coins under contract for a number of mints in addition to the
commemoratives that normally grab the headlines.
The Pobjoy Mint maintains a marketing office in the United States in
Rosemount, Minn., through which collector coins are sold.
--Unquote

7. Pobjoy's Bi-metallic offer..by Martin Peeters, Netherlands

This week I received Pobjoy Newsletter #002 and the following I could read:

--Quote
[...] Snip
The Isle of Man Government is proud to announce the World’s First Bi-metal
coin containing fine 999.9 Gold in the outer ring and Titanium in the centre
(see picture attached). The coin depicts the 24 hour world time clock on the
reverse while the obverse depicts H M Queen Elizabeth II and portrays the
new effigy designed by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS FSNAD. The stunning contrast
of the rich gold against the cool titanium makes this legal tender half
crown a very unique and beautiful bi-metal coin.
Titanium is a lightweight metal a of silver-grey colour and is widely used
in the manufacture of aircraft and jet engines but is known for its
lightweight use in Tennis rackets and golf clubs. Although not rare, the
metal is extremely difficult to strike and is also a very expensive process
to produce as it is never found in its pure state.
Approved by Buckingham Palace, this coin is dated 2000 and is a very worthy
memento of our entry into the new Millennium. There is no better way to
celebrate such an historic world event than a coin that shows the exact time
around the world when the clock strikes midnight in Greenwich, UK, Home of
Time. The coin highlights the time in London, Tokyo and New York, arguably
the world’s major financial centres on a 24 hour clock. Time is measured
throughout the world from the Prime Meridian, which is based at the Old
Royal Observatory in Greenwich and at the precise latitude 0° and the three
highlighted cities, represent the way in which the world now transacts
business around the clock.
Each coin bears the official Greenwich Meridian 2000 Logo which is a
trademark of the National Maritime Museum and is used under official license
by Pobjoy Mint Ltd. The Meridian line is also depicted on the coin and is
shown running from Greenwich, the official home of time through the world
thus making this unique coin so relevant to the Millennium theme.
Specification
Denomination: 1/2 Crown
Diameter: 32.25 mm
Overall weight: 11.00 gms
Metal: Fine 999.9 Gold (9 gms)
990 Titanium (2 gms)
Year Date: 2000
Issue Limit: 10,000 Worldwide
Special priority collectors price of only £200 (plus postage and packaging).
This coin is so new it is not yet on our website.
Regards, Charles Pobjoy
Head of Internet Sales charles@pobjoy.com
--Unquote

--Remark WBCC Focal Point: It was already announced in WBCC Newsmail 163,
item 3, and a picture can be seen in the WBCC Homepage
http://www.geocities.com/RodeoDrive/7513/wbcc/wbcc.html

8. My Bi-metallic duplicate page ....by Brian Silsbee, USA

It is located at http://hotyellow98.com/icurrency/bimetal.html
Pages are still under construction. But anyone can email me and ask
questions. I provide discounts on mutiple coins of 5 of more pieces. I
will also consider trading pieces I update pages weekly. I am going to
list many of my other items I am selling as well. This is an experiment
for me. I am seeing how well this works. I will be getting better
computer and better web building software in the near future. I
specialize in the countries that prohibit ther coins and currency from
being exported.

9. Coin World article....by Martin Peeters, Netherlands

In US coinpaper Coin World of September 27, 1999, I could read the
following:

--Quote
Editorial Opinion
Coin collectors need to speak out
Beth Deisher
Congress is back in session. For collectors of U.S. commemorative coins,
that translates to it's time to be vigilant and it's time to comrnunicate
directly with the people who make decisions about the coins we collect
When Congress recessed in early August, the U.S. Senate had just approved
S.1468, the United States Capitol Visitor Center Commemorative Coin Act of
1999, a massive proposal authorizing a three-coin program for 2000 designed
to raise mega bucks in surcharges from the sale of commemorative coins to
help fund the construction of the Capitol visitor center.
The legislation calls for 200,000 bimetallic $ 10 coins made of gold and
platinum, 500,000 silver dollars and 750,000 clad half dollars. Should the
U.S. Mint be unable to produce the bimetallic $10 coin, up to 100,000 $5
gold coins could be minted. Mandated surcharges are $50 for the bimetallic $
10 coin, $35 for the $5 gold coin, $10 for the silver dollar and $3 for the
clad half dollar. Sellout of the program including the bimetallic issue
would generate $ 1725 million. Using the $5 gold option would produce $
10.75 million. Isolated, S.1468 may seem plausible on its merits. However,
when we look at Congress' previous use of commemorative coins to fund its
own projects and the reform laws it has put on the books in the past decade,
this proposal uncloaked reveals the most grievous abuses we've yet
witnessed.
Current law limits any entity from being the recipient of surcharges more
than once in a decacle. S,1468 would avvard the Capitol two commemorative
coin programs within six years (three within 11 years). The previous
programs -1989 Bicentennial of Congress and the 1994 U.S. Capital
Bicentennial - raised close to $20 million in surcharges, most of which
remains in accounts eaming interest rather than having been spent for the
purposes espoused at the time the programs were approved.
Current law requires the recipient organization to raise matching funds from
private sources to be eligible to receive commemorative surcharges. There is
no provision for "private" funding other than the coin program itself.
Current law limits the number of commemorative programs to two per year. The
Library of Congress bicentennial program has already been approved for the
year 2000. The House of Representatives has approved and the United States
has committed to a Leif Erickson program that is to be a joint issue with
Iceland in 2000. Seemingly, the choice is to renege on the U.S.-Iceland
joint issue or shatter the two-program-per-year limit, which was put in
place to restore confidence to an abused U.S. Marketplace. S.1468 also
mandates that the Capital coins be the first U.S. commemoratives issued in
the year 2000. While not illegal, such a mandate is selfish and unethical on
the part of Congress. Before their expected Oct. 29 adjournment, leaders of
the 106th Congress will be loolang for a compromise, a way to get around
most of the problems we've cited. One solution, moving the program to 2001,
would solve some problems, but not all. Members of Congress, especially the
leaders, need to know whether collectors will support this program. Write
and let them know your views: Speaker J. Donnis Hastert, Majority Leader
Richard Armey, Majority Whip Tom DeLay, Minority Leader Richard Gephardt,
and Minority Whip David E. Bonior. Correspondence should be addressed to
them individually at United States House of Representatives, Washington, DC
20515. ©
--Unquote

--Remark WBCC Public Relations: I wonder what the WBCC members do think of
the above article. Please send you opinion to: chander@mciworld.com

"See" you next week,
Martin Peeters, Focal Point of the
Worldwide Bi-metallic Collectors Club
martinp@westbrabant.net
--------------------------------------------------------------
The Worldwide Bi-metallic Collectors Club
was established September 14, 1996 and is the very first Worldwide
Collectors Club using the Internet. Goal of the WBCC is exchange
Bi-metallics and exchange knowledge about Bi-metallics
WBCC Organisation:
WBCC Homepage Provider: Rod Sell, Australia, Rod.Sell@hlos.com.au
WBCC DoCu-Centre: Frans Dubois, Netherlands, dubois.f@wxs.nl
WBCC Public Relations: Cliff Anderson, USA, chander@mciworld.com
WBCC Research Centre: Paul Baker, UK, 113076.167@compuserve.com
WBCC Focal Point: Martin Peeters, Netherlands, martinp@westbrabant.net