WBCC Newsmail 172, Volume 4, November 27, 1999
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Composed with help from members of the
Worldwide Bi-metallic Collectors Club (WBCC)
and weekly published by Martin Peeters, Netherlands,
Focal Point of the WBCC, martinp@westbrabant.net
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear WBCC members and non WBCC members,

As usual every week you can read the WBCC Newsmail with news about
Bi-metallic from Great Britain, Hawaii, Singapore, New Zealand, France,
Austria and the USA. I hope you enjoy reading it!!

1. GB Bi-metallic 2 Pounds News..by Paul Baker, WBCC Research Centre

In the last week of October I began to hear rumours from a few directions
that there would be a 1999 dated, standard (technology) design, bi-metallic,
2 Pounds coin issued for circulation here in Great Britain. I sent a message
to the British Royal Mint via their website ( http://www.royalmint.com )
asking them to confirm or deny this rumour. Then at the start of November I
got my copy of "Coin News" (Token Publishing, U.K.) this confirmed the
rumour that I had heard and also reminded readers that the British
bi-metallic 2 Pounds with the standard (technology) design did NOT appear in
the 1999 year sets (neither the Brilliant Uncirculated sets nor the Proof
sets). Today I got my reply from the British Royal Mint.....

--Quote
The Royal Mint can confirm that both the reverse designs on the 1999 £2
bi-colour coin have been issued into circulation.
--Unquote

So all that I wait for now is to actually find one of these new pieces.

2. Bi-metallic from Hawaii...by Frans Woons, Canada

While browsing eBay I came across a Bi-metallic medal (item number
204780992) that was unknown to the WBCC. This medal was struck to
commemorate 200 years of Unification of the Hawaiian Islands. The medal
shows on one side a portrait of King Kamehameha I facing right and the
legend 200th Anniversary in English and Hawaiian while the reverse shows
Hawaiian artefacts. The piece was, I think, struck in 1995. The ring of this
piece is made of .999 silver while the centre is of .999 gold. The weight of
the silver is 1/8 of an ounce while the gold weighs 1/4 ounce. For an image
of this piece, see the WBCC homepage,
http://www.geocities.com/RodeoDrive/7513/wbcc/wbcc.html

3. Bi-metallic Singapore 5 Dollar 2000...by Martin Peeters, Netherlands

According the latest (November 1999) plamflet of the Singapore Mint they
offer the 2000 Hongboa Set (Bi-metallic 5 Dollar included) for a price of
14.40 Singapore Dollars. When you look in the WBCC Homepage
http://www.geocities.com/RodeoDrive/7513/wbcc/wbcc.html
you can view this Bi-metallic. New about this one is the latent 2000 and latent BCCS (Board of
Commissioners of Currency, Singapore) logo.

Order address
The Singapore Mint
20 Teban Gardens Crescent
Singapore 608928
Phone: + (65) 895 0384
Fax: + (65) 565 2626
Homepage: http://www.singaporemint.com.sg/

4. Bi-metallic Endeavour...........by Krish Khambadkone, USA

I attended the coin show at Palo Alto last Sunday (11/14) and guess what I
found. A coin that I had been hunting for and could not get a hold of for a
very long time. The exlusive Bi-metallic 50 cent "Endeavour" piece from New
Zealand. I had dug up a lot of documentation on this coin and all along I
found that it was offered only with mint sets. Hence, I presume that the one
I bought must have been from a broken set. Is this true or where there
issues that were released for general circulation. This one was dated 1994,
condition was AUNC with a light patina. This is a really lovely coin and is
certainly the most beautiful Bi-metallic I own.

5. Bi-metallics from France...Massimiliano Aiello, Italy

The "Monnaie de Paris" will issue the French 2000 Coins Set Bu and Proof
(both containing the Bi-metallic 10 Franc and Tri-metallic 20 Franc) on
January 2000. It will be possible to order them from the 1st of December
1999.
These are the prices:
France 2000 Coins Set, Bu, price FF 195,00 (Euro 29,73)
France 2000 Coins Set, Proof, price FF 595,00 (Euro 90,71)
Order form directly from:
Monnaie De Paris
11, Quai de Conti
F-75006 Paris
France
Homepage: http://www.monnaiedeparis.fr/

6. Bi-metallic from Austria...By Martin Peeters, Netherlands

According "Die Münze" of November/December 1999, the official Austrian Mint
magazine, the Autria Mint will struck 3 Bi-metallics in 2000. On April 6th
2000 the new Bi-metallic 50 Schilling, depicting Freud, will see the
daylight. 600,000 pieces as circulating coins and 100,000 as Proof coins.
End of October 2000 again a Bi-metallic 50 Schilling will be issued. The
design is unknown. Further on January 19th they issue a 100 Schilling
Bi-metallic piece (Masterpiece Millenium Collection), 34mm, 9.0g,
Titan/Ag/Cu, mintage 50.000 in proof only.

7. Visiting a Coin show....Liu Jian, China

During the Nov 11-13, I visited Beijing International Coin Show, most of the
large offical Mint in the world (such as France, UK, Finland, Spain,
Netherland, Australia) attended the show, as well as some coin companys
worldwide. I bought many Bi-metallic coins, including some Singapore
mintsets (1998 and 1999) with $5 Bi-metallics, also I bought the new issue
Macao commemorative mint set with new type Bi-metallic 10 Patacas coin. I
found some other Euro Bi-metallic tokens on the show, but I am not
interested in them.
Also I found a very interesting medal from the Finland Mint table, it's
called 'The Millenium medal' including 4 medals-one type is Bi-metallic,
diameter is 38.6mm. The Finland Mint officer told me the price for this set
is about US$240, but they do not sell it now-maybe in 2000.

8. Bi-metallic Canada 2 Dollar....by Patrick Glassford, Canada

I have just added all the official information that was released in regards
to the Bi-metallic Two Dollar coin released in Canada. Also included is the
bulletin from the mint regarding the Two Dollar coins that fall apart.
Please check out:
http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/8139/1996d.html
This may also be a good time to review all the official mint information
contained on the site. Please direct any comment to: err@netcom.ca

9. TWOB 30............by Martin Peeters, WBCC Focal Point

The 29th edition of The World Of Bi-metallics (TWOB) catalog is ready. This
week it is send by snailmail and next week by E-mail. This edition covers:
* Section 1: WBCC Activities
* Section 2: 890 Coins from 70 Countries
* Section 3: 188 Ecus/Euros from 19 Countries
* Section 4: 402 Tokens from 31 Countries
Also information on varieties, errors and related Numismatic Literature.

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

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

* Hawaii 200th Anniversary Medal
* Singapore 2000 $5 with latent 2000 date
* Spain encased 25 Pesetas
* Poland encased 1 Grosz
* US Roosevelt Island Tramway Token
* 2 Euro Chocolates of France and Germany in Gold

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

The following article can be read in the November 22th Coin World issue

--Quote
North Carolina city offers limited-editions silver tokens
Bimetallic transportation tokens also available

The city of Charlotte, N.C., has issued a limited-edition silver Proof
collector version of the city's transportation token for the year 2000,
bearing a portrait of Queen Charlotte on the obverse and the city's crown
logo on the reverse. The silver commemoralive medals weigh one troy ounce
and have a purity of .999 fine silver. They will be limited to a mintage of
500 pieces. The medals are numbered on the edge from 001 to 500 and read
FS.999. The medal is encapsulated and boxed. The price is $19.95 plus
shipping and handling. Orders may be placed by calling Park It! at (704)
375-3177 or writing Park It!, 229 S. Brevard St., Suite 101, Charlotte, NC
28202.
SiIverTowne Mint in Winchester, Ind., is striking the silver commemoratives.
Clement Gibson, a Park IT! spokeswoman, said transportation token collectors
will also be able to obtain bimetallic examples of the $ 1 token bearing the
same designs that can be used in the city of Charlotte on the trolley bus,
parking decks and in parking meters. The tokens have a brass outer ring with
a magnetic stainless-steel insert. Gibson said the tokens, being produced by
the Roger Williams Mint in Attleboro, Mass., are expected to be available in
late November and can be obtained from Park It!. The obverse of the silver
commemorative medal and year 2000 token bears the image of Queen Charlotte
Sophia, for whom the North Carolina city was named. Charlotte Sophia
(1744-1818); from Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wrote a letter to her uncle,
Frederick III, pleading with him to stop his endless warring. Though her
uncle was unmoved by her letter; the English ambassador at Berlin was so
inspired that he sent a copy of the letter to the Princess of Wales, mother
of King George III. At age 17, Charlotte was married to Kin, George III and
they had 15 children, six daughters and nine sons. ©
--Unquote

12. Bi-metallic from Oman available...by Brian Sislbee, USA

Oman KM#82 100 Baiza 1991 Bi-metallic in Uncurciulated condition only $3.50
each plus postage. Can offer dealer discounts on 20 or more pieces, Have
well over 1000 pieces available all from an original bank bag of coins.
Please email me at
icssinc@dlogue.net for postage quotes. I also have other specials at my web
page http://www.hotyellow98.com/icurrency
I have been told  this are very hard to get and see they are not on most
dealers lists. I wanted to offer these to WBCC members at a reasonable
price.
 
 

"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