Now, of the two that aren’t already in privat= hands, or held by private institutions, the most pristine will be a feature= lot in Heritage’s May 31 Long Beach World Coin Auction. It is estimated at $60,000-$80,00=. It is officially listed as a Carlos III Pillar 8 Reales 1770NR-VJ, KM39 (Da=e Unlisted), Calico 1000, Cayon Unlisted, MS64 NGC.

“The amazing thing about this Pillar Dollar,&=8221; said Cristiano Bierrenbach, Director of International Sales at Heritage, “is that we can actually trace it to the very day and place of its minting. The entire history of this coin, and the reason for which it was created, is right on its face.”

Few world crowns demand as much numismatic interest=as the Columnarios, or Pillar Dollars, that were struck from 1732 to 17=3 in numerous Spanish mint houses throughout the Americas. By the second half=of the 18th century, the Pillar Dollar had truly become “world currency,&=uot; finding wide use both in Europe, the United States (where it was legal tend=r) and the Far East. Both old and new worlds are depicted on the coin’s obvers= and are crowned between the two pillars of Hercules with legends “VTRA=UE VNUM” (both are one). On the reverse, the arms of Castille and Leon ar= displayed under the Spanish crown with the denomination “8″ to th= right, assayer initials to the left.

Of all the Pillar Dollars minted, the pieces struck in Santa Fe de Bogota, Nueva Granada (today Colombia) at the Nuevo Reino mint are perhaps the most desired among collectors and numismatists worldwide. This is one such coin. They were only struck in 1759, 1762 and 1770 – all are extremely rare with very few specimens known.

Spanish tradition says that when the first foundation stone is laid it is blessed and, in specific cases, the stone is carved and coins are placed inside. Inside this particular Bogota stone were more than 100 coins, mostl= cob 2 Reales, a few gold cobs, and numerous circulated Pillars from Mexico. Since there are no previous records of 1770 Nuevo Reino Pillars, it is like=y that these pieces were struck specifically for the ceremonies at the=Nuestra Senora del Pilar Church.

All of the coins found have been sold to private collectors and museums in Colombia and Spain. The original purchaser of the coins kept the two highes= quality coins for himself, and the piece Heritage is presenting is one of t=ose two. With an incredibly strong and sharp strike, most – if not all – of the original luster is remaining.

For more information on this lot, to view the other=lots in the Long Beach auction and to read detailed descriptions and download fu=ly enlargeable, hi-res images, follow this link.

To discuss consigning ancient or world coins to Long B=ach or another upcoming auction, please call C=istiano Bierrenbach at 800-872-6467 Ext. 1661 or Warren Tucker at Ext. 1287. <=o:p>

Heritage Auction Gall=ries is the world’s third largest auction house, and by far the largest auctioneer of rare collectibles, with annual sales over $600 million, and 400,000+ registered online bidder-members. For more information about Heritage’s auctions, and to join and gain access to a complete record of pr=ces realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please vis=t www.HA.com.

media contact:

Kelley Norwine=/p>

1-800-872-6467 Ext. 1583

KelleyN@HA.com

Heritage Auction Galleries, <

3500 Maple Avenue, 17th Floor

Dallas, TX 75219

Please direct photography reques=s to:

Cindy Brenner

1-800-872-6467 x 1289=/span>

The U.S. Mint has received its 16th and 17th Hammer Awards from Vice President Gore’s National Partnership for Reinventing Government (NPR). The Mint has received more Hammer Awards than any other Treasury agency over the past eight years.

The U.S. Mint and its union, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), are the first federal agency, and perhaps the first at the state or local level, to fully negotiate, in partnership, an agency-wide labor management agreement.

In addition, the entire 6th National Partnership Agreement was negotiated in just 90 days versus the standard one-to-two years in federal government. The completed document was created using interest-based bargaining and is transformational in its content and impact on the ongoing success of the Mint.

The cost of negotiating the 6th National Partnership Agreement was one-quarter of the historical norm, an estimated saving of $125,000 during direct negotiations. Thanks to efforts by Manufacturing Excellence Teams – cutting edge units of the Partnership – $4.7 million in cost reductions were achieved in FY 1999. And, savings over the next five years will compound because of the nature of the contract negotiated between the two parties. Most importantly, the five-year contract calls on partners to discuss issues, keep each other informed, explain and jointly explore issues as opposed to justifying positions.

The Golden Dollar was recognized as an achievement highlighting unpredented collaboration between a monetary authority and the populace in creating a new coin. The result is an extraordinarily popular design and a coin program of unparalleled success.

More than one billion Golden Dollars have been struck and released into circulation since the Golden Dollar was released at the end of January 2000, surpassing the 920 million Susan B. Anthony Dollars that went into circulation over 21 years. In addition, the American people will reap the benefits with more than $800 million being deposited in the U.S. Treasury General Fund.

Contact:
Press inquiries: Michael White (202) 354-7222
Customer Service information: (800) USA MINT (872-6468)