WBCC Newsmail 220, Volume 5, October 28, 2000
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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
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Dear WBCC members and non WBCC members,

You can read now the 220th edition of the WBCC Newsmail. I hope you enjoy
reading it!!

1. Bi-metallic from the Philippines..by Wolfgang Schuster, Austria

According to the latest newsletter of the MRI (Monetary Research Institute)
the Philippines will replace their 10 Piso note with a bi-metallic 10 Piso
coin. A planned bi-metallic Millennium commemorative coin was mentioned.

2. Bi-metallic news from Australia........by Rod Sell, Australia

a. November will be a great month for Australian Bi-metallics.
The second coin in the Royal Australian Mint's Millennium Series "The
Present" will be released. This coin follows on the October 1999 issue "The
Past". The coins is the same size as the earlier issue Crown Sized 38.74mm
in diameter. It has a silver centre and gold (plated) ring. The image is
much the same as the earlier issue except the Continent has now been divided
into the 7 States and Territories and the Tree has grown with its stem
starting at the gold ring and the branches spreading to the ring at the top.
The mintage is again only 20,000 and will probably sell out within a few
weeks. I have an order in for these so members who would like 1 please let
me know. The cost including postage is about US$38.

b. The Perth Mint is producing 2 precious metal Bi-metallics.
The first is a $20 Centenary of Federation Coin it has a gold 7 pointed star
centre. The Queens portrait is on the obverse. The reverse shows the
Australian Coat of Arms in the gold star with the 7 State Floral emblems in
the silver ring. The mintage is only 7,500.

c. The second is a  $20 The Gregorian Millennium 2001 gold and silver
Bi-metallic. The ring is of 99.99 % gold and 99.9% silver centre. The Queens
portrait features on the obverse with the words (Elizabeth II . Australia .
20 Dollars) in the ring. The reverse shows a clock face with the hands on 8
AM which is the Perth time when Greenwich is midnight. The central design
shows an observatory with night sky. There are 3 globes of the world at 3, 6
& 9 positions which represent the earths orbit around the sun. The 3
position shows the Americas, the 6 position shows Asia & Australia and the 9
position shows Africa & Europe. The wording in the ring is (Gregorian
Millenniun 2001). Again the mintage is 7,500.

I hope to have scans of these items next week when my scanner should be
working again. Any member interested in these Perth Mint items should email
the Perth Mint at info@perthmint.com.au

3. Bi-metallic from Brasil cancelled...by Fabio Guerrieri, Italy

Refering to WBCC Newsmail 219, item 3, Álvaro de Oliveira Soares, Marketing
and Commercialization of Departament of the Brasil Mint did wrote that the
planned Brazil 1 Real 2000, 55th Anniversary Discovery is cancelled.

4. Bi-metallic from Croatia..........by Fabio Guerrieri, Italy

Refering to WBCC Newsmail 219, item 3 about the Croatia 25 Kuna 2000,
Millenium, Neven Radotic of the Croatian Mint wrote that this new 25 kuna
will be issued in December 2000.

5. The WBCC Bi-metallic Quiz Game (#220)...by Jack Hepler, USA

The Bauhinia is a variety of tropical tree which produces small nuts but has
a large and very attractive flower. The Bauhinia flower is featured on the
circulating $10 Bi-metallic coin of British Hong Kong. What color is the
Bauhinia flower?
a. Blue
b. Yellow
c. Red
d. Lavender
Please send your answer to me: mailto:heplerl@saic.com Next week you can read the
correct answer.

Answer to Bi-metallic Quiz Game question #219.
Animals are one of the favorite subjects for coins. One can find birds,
fish, mammals and reptiles. Which of the countries listed below has issued
a circulating bi-metallic coin designed with the image of an alligator?
a. Ghana
b. Jamaica
c. Kenya
d. Colombia
Answer b. Jamaica has the image of an alligator at the top of the crest.

6. New Bi- or Tri-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

* Jersey 2000 5 Pounds
* Portugal 2000 200 Escudo
* Germany Cologne 1730 Jeton
* Portugal 20th anniversary of the "Clube Numismatico de Portugal" medal
* Portugal 4th National Numismatic Congresse in Lisbon in 1998 medal
* Algeria 2000  20 Dinars.
* Gibraltar 2 Pounds 2000 Last of the Labours of Hercules.

7. Mint Directors Conference...by Sean Moffatt, USA

I finally have time since getting back from Australia and the Mint Directors
Conference to sit down and collect my thoughts and notes. It was such a
privilege to be among the leaders of the worlds coinage suppliers. Not only
were the directors from all of the worlds major mints, government and
private, but all of the vendors to the minting industry were in attendance
as well. This includes companies like Schuler, Graebener, Deustche-Nickel,
and so on. Unfortunately Rod Sell and myself were unable to get together in
Sydney due to both of our schedules. Maybe next time.
The only new technology regarding Bi-metallic coinage was that Schuler had
developed a system that uses their current ring master Bi-metallic presses
to seperate Bi-metallic coins (at 850/min) in preperation for scrapping. I
know this goes against all that we as collectors stand for. But the mints
and national banks in the EU face the daunting task of scrapping all of the
national coinages after the release of the Euro in 2002. The mints will get
a much higher price for the scrap metal if the alloys are not mixed. What to
do with all of the old national coinages was the topic of several papers
delivered during the conference. The only Bi-metallic samples that were
given out were from the Polish State Mint. It was the year 2000 2 zlotych
with the latent image date, (which is already on the WBCC Homepage). On
Display in the coin competition was the 200 zlotych Tri-metallic coin, which
I voted for as the most technologically advanced gold coin, (it won the
contest for most technologically advanced gold coin). The Polish State Mint
also won most technologically advanced circulating coin with the 2 zlotych
with the latent image date.
As I stated earlier nothing new has come about in Bi-metallic presses. The
sales brochures from Schuler and Graebener looked about the same as last
years. A new player in the Bi-metallic press market is Joseph Rhodes Co. of
Wakefield England. They have developed the Rhomint press to compete with
Schuler 3 years ago, and just this year they introduced Bi-metallic
capabilities on thier machines. There are some new bonded alloys for coins
comming out later this year that are currently undergoing feasability
testing for Bi-metallic use, so keep your eyes open during the next year for
some previously unused metals in Bi-metallic coins. Unfortunately I am not
at liberty to divulge the metals because we are also looking into these
alloys. We hope to get a head start on our competition that was not at the
conference. I must say that one of the main hi-lites of the conference was
the tour of the Royal Australian Mint. All of the delegates and thier wives
(or husbands as the case may be) were treated to a wonderful lunch inside
the mint, courtesy of the RAM and Aramat S.A. (a brass and blank supplier
from Chile). At the conclusion of lunch Mr.Graeme Moffatt (we think we are
distant relatives), controller of the RAM opened the doors of the mint and
said enjoy yourselves. I was able to walk all around the RAM on the
production floor while legal tender coinage was being run. I was able to
speak at length with RAM staff members. I also was able to visit the proof
room where the Sydney 2000 Olympic silver coins were being struck and color
stamped. I need to get one of those machines. I was able to see the plaster
models for the new A$10 Bi-metallic coins "The present", although none were
being run at the time of the tour. I must highly commend the RAM and the
entire staff that put on the conference. There was a huge itenerary and the
whole thing went very well. I think that is all I have got together for now.
If you are interested I have a few pictures of the conference and inside the
mint, as well as the latest Bi-metallic coin (and de-coining) press sales
brochures that I can scan portions of. If any of the WBCC members have any
questions please feel free to contact me. E-mail: moffattandco@redshift.com
 
 

"See" you next weeks,
Martin Peeters, Focal Point of the
Worldwide Bi-metallic Collectors Club
martinp@westbrabant.net
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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@elderwyn.com
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 Developement Centre, Jack Hepler, USA, leslie.j.hepler@saic.com
WBCC Focal Point ANA 2001 Convention, Ray Lockwood, USA, sunray@comteck.com
WBCC Focal Point: Martin Peeters, Netherlands, martinp@westbrabant.net