This division includes both modifi cations that have value to collectors – and those that don’t. I needed a couple of divisions to cover other things that happen to coins to aid in cataloging them. This avoids the false conclusion that an unlisted coin is quite rare, when the exact opposite is more likely to be the case.

Collectible modifi cations after strike (V-A)

This section includes those classes having to do with deliberate modifi cations of the coin done with a specifi c purpose or intent which makes them of some value to collectors. Quite often these pieces were made specifi cally to sell to collectors, or at least to the public under the guise of being collectible.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has made an appeal for people to use more of their coins and refrain from allowing them to gather dusts at home.

BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said that the habit of some Filipinos to leave their coins either in "piggy" banks, in their lockers, or anywhere where they lay unutilized is creating an artificial shortage of coins.

The central bank has been receiving requests from banks for huge volume of coins, when in fact there are already too many existing coins. Many of them are simply not circulating because some people do not like carrying coins, which are much heavier than notes.

Minting coins entail expenses for the BSP, Guinigundo explained. If more people will use coins, the requests from banks for the BSP to mint new coins will be reduced. As a result, the BSP's expenses will also be reduced.

"If we can get more coins circulating, the BSP may mint less coins, thus reducing its expenses. If this happens, the BSP can improve its income, and pay more taxes and remit more dividends to the national government," Guinigundo said in a press briefing.

The current economy and rising inflation have investors looking for ways of diversifying their portfolios and they are flocking to gold in drones.

Gold as an investment has stood the test of time and will continue to do so far into the future.  The precious metal acts as a hedge against inflation, which it explains its rise in value when the dollar goes down.

The supply of gold has always been constrained.  This helps the metal hold its value over the long haul.  The supply of gold increases at a very slow pace.

Investing in gold is not difficult.  Many folks think that to invest in gold you need a super safe installed in your home to store all of your loot.  That is not the case at all.  In fact, most people that invest in gold never actually see or touch it, although that option is available.  Most gold investors buy and sell their gold through an exchange-traded fund (ETF).  An ETF is similar to a mutual and you can trade it just as you would a stock.  An example of a well know EFT is iShares Comex Gold Trust (GLD), which trades on the American Stock Exchange.

Here are some randomly selected U.S. coin facts and trivia which may be of interest to collectors.

1. A foreign coin was the main coin in use for decades in the American colonies. The Spanish milled silver dollar, commonly known as the "pillar dollar" or "piece of eight" was legal currency in the U.S. until 1857.

2. The word "dime" is derived from the Latin word "decima", which means the "tenth part".

3. The Kennedy half dollar has been issued in three different mettalic composition varities, namely: .900 Fine Silver in 1964, .400 clad silver from 1965 and 1970, and cupro-nickel clad copper since 1971.

4. The motto IN GOD WE TRUST first appeared on a U.S. coin in 1864, during the Civil War. In particular, the two-cent piece, first minted in that year, was the first coin with the slogan.

5. The smallest monetary denomination coin ever issued in the U.S. was the half cent, minted from 1793 through 1857.

U.S. Customs agents refuse to return 23 ancient coins they seized unfairly - some from Cyprus, where coins were minted by Alexander the Great, the Ancient Coin Collectors Guild claims in Federal Court. The Guild says Customs unfairly and arbitrarily applies import restrictions on historical coins, which have been traded for centuries and are of moderate value because there are so many of them.

Of the 23 coins seized, Customs reported that three were knife-shaped, seven were from Cyprus and 12 from China.

The Guild says Customs seized the coins because it could not "establish a chain of custody beyond receipt from a reputable source."

"Historical coins have actively been traded for at least 500 years as collectibles. Due to their usual modest value and the huge numbers extant, historical coins are typically traded without any provenance information or documentary history as to where and when they were found," the Guild says.

The general manager of the Chilean mint has been dismissed after thousands of coins were issued with the name of the country spelt wrongly.

The 50-peso coins - worth about 10 cents (6p) - were issued in 2008, but no-one noticed the mistake until late last year.

Instead of C-H-I-L-E, the coins had C-H-I-I-E stamped on them.

The coins have since become collectors' items and the mint says it has no plans to take them out of circulation.

Numismatists' delight

The BBC's Gideon Long, in the Chilean capital Santiago, says people have been hoarding the coins in the hope their value rises.

A design by a West Yorkshire teenager has been chosen from more than 3,000 entries to become a new 50p coin inspired by the Olympic Games.

Theo Crutchley-Mack, 16, from Halifax, said it was "absolutely amazing" that his picture of a cyclist in a velodrome was chosen by the Royal Mint.

His design was also seen and approved by the Queen.

Up to three million of Theo's coins will be released into circulation later this year.

"Just the thought of my design going throughout England and millions of people seeing my design, that's just absolutely amazing, I can't think of much better than that," Theo said.

Dave Knight, head of commemorative coins at the Royal Mint, explained the judges' choice.

"It's a very good design, irrespective of Theo's age, it is very good," he said.

"It is technically very proficient, and he has really captured the essence of speed and cycling in general," he said.

Unless you’re rich, you’re probably tightening your belt these days, reducing the extras. Financial types call it the “latte factor,” the little stuff that eats at your budget.

Looks like the federal government has a latte list all its own.

Every president has suggestions of what can be trimmed, and when President Barack Obama unveiled his proposed 2011 budget last week, all the major stuff made headlines: $3.8 trillion in spending that would deepen the deficit by $1.3 trillion. More money for education and health. The death of upper-income tax breaks and the manned-moon program.

Yet, in all the print and verbiage, no mention was made of saving money on two-sided copying, or getting rid of paper pay stubs, or finally minting pennies that cost less than 1.8 cents to make.

Each is detailed in a 124-page budget addendum that spells out ways the Obama administration proposes to save about $20 billion of taxpayers’ money.

Some of the ideas are huge:

•Terminating production of a C-17 military transport aircraft, $2.5 billion savings.

•Terminating production of Joint Strike Fighter alternate engine, $465 million.

•Terminating Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, $197 million.