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http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002/01/29/statues.htm
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Mint condition it can bring $1000.00. The better the flash, the higher the cash.

One could argue that it's in Very Fine condition by today's more lenient standards, but some dealers will grade it as a lower-tier Fine or Fine+

Sorry to not have replied earlier. This was a drive by that caught my eye. How be yea?

Thanks for your message. For me, things could be worse, although they could be much better.
There's a coin show coming up in Tokyo this weekend. If I'm not too tired (and that's a big IF), then I might check it out if for nothing else than to get a feel for the current trends in the rare coin and precious metals markets.

Right now at least, there seems to be renewed interest in gold, and silver to a much smaller degree.

We hear less and less about that. More and more on the Yen, Japan's debt, and the slowing Japanese economic numbers.

Silly season has returned as the (s)election process is in full swing.

Pundits are spouting numbers on gold and silver going into the fall, nothing changes, everything changes.

Looking at the PM market, I'm wondering if there isn't a rotation going on out of bonds into gold via euro (de)investors?

Good to hear from you.

there might be some rotation out of the bond (euro) market, and I have read analyses that make that claim, although September is usually a good month for precious metals anyway. Pundits can write anything. There aren't any I follow "religiously", but I do tend to take the musings of pundits who were barely out of diapers during the '79-80 market with a somewhat larger grain of salt.

As far as Fukushima goes, I will send you a PM about that when I have some time.

$5 "Educational" note, series of 1896

and the proper Bostonians seem to have beaten the New Yorkers to the punch on this one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_Series

"The naked breasts of the female figures on the $5 Silver Certificate reportedly caused some minor controversy when several Boston society ladies took offense to the design. Some bankers reportedly refused to accept the notes in transactions, and the term banned in Boston allegedly originates from the $5 Silver Certificate.[2][3] In response the Bureau of Engraving and Printing prepared a "draped" bosom $5 vignette design for a proposed 1897 series. The redesign also included a highly modified front face but was never utilized."

Even one in well-worn condition can cost a thousand dollars or more.

the art on the education series is truly beautiful... why can't we get back to a culture that realizes that art is our legacy for the ages and the soul of our civilization? Does anyone know if they make prints of these?

For example, here is a company that is offering reproductions

http://www.ioffer.com/offer_transactions/show/1jnwhqt

I've never dealt with them, so I can't say yea or nay about their service.

that once a breast was the only thing between them and starvation.

the vagina is criminal and the breast is a miss demenor.

Nice coin though.