Toledo Arts Community Wins Coin Toss

The choice of a handsome Old West End building to house the American Numismatic Society's relocated museum from New York City shows a reassuring vote of ...

To read the complete article (subscription required), see:
Editorial: Arts community wins coin toss - Toledo Blade(https://www.toledoblade.com/opinion/editorials/2025/11/26/editorial-arts-community-coin-toss-numismatic-society/stories/20251127029)

1,069-Ounce S.S. Gairsoppa Silver Ingot

Few pieces of WWII-era bullion ever surface with the raw historical energy of the massive 1,069.5-ounce fine silver ingot recovered from the wreck of the S.S. Gairsoppa. On November 30, 2025, at 8:07:30 PM Pacific, GreatCollections will offer one of the most imposing artifacts of underwater numismatics: Ingot No. JZ459-5, a 99.9% fine silver bar weighing more than 1,057 troy ounces of pure silver (ASW), accompanied by its original Odyssey Marine Exploration certificate of authenticity.

Few pieces of WWII-era bullion ever surface with the raw historical energy of the massive 1,069.5-ounce fine silver ingot recovered from the wreck of the S.S. Gairsoppa. On November 30, 2025, at 8:07:30 PM Pacific, GreatCollections will offer one of the most imposing artifacts of underwater numismatics: Ingot No. JZ459-5, a 99.9% fine silver bar weighing more than 1,057 troy ounces of pure silver (ASW), accompanied by its original Odyssey Marine Exploration certificate of authenticity.

To read the complete article, see:
Historic 1,069-Ounce S.S. Gairsoppa Silver Ingot Surfaces at GreatCollections Auction(https://coinweek.com/historic-1069-ounce-s-s-gairsoppa-silver-ingot-surfaces-at-greatcollections-auction/)

Egypt Gold Mining and Processing Complex Found

According to a press statement issued by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the complex dates from as early as 3,000-years-ago during the Third Intermediate Period of Egypt.

This period is considered a time of decline and political instability characterised by state fragmentation. It coincided with the Late Bronze Age collapse, which saw the downfall of civilisations across the ancient Near East and Eastern Mediterranean, including the onset of the Greek Dark Ages.

SCA Secretary-General Mohamed Ismail Khaled, said: "Excavations revealed a 3,000-year-old gold processing complex, featuring grinding and crushing stations, filtration and sedimentation basins, and ancient clay furnaces used for smelting gold extracted from quartz veins."

Excavations also revealed an associated residential district which served as the home of gold miners and workers in the complex, as well as workshops, temples, administrative buildings, and bathhouses that date from the Ptolemaic era.

Architectural remnants from the Roman and Islamic periods indicate that the site remained active for at least 1,000 years, highlighting the regions historical significance for gold mining and processing among Egypt's various ruling cultures.

To read the complete articles, see:
Archaeologists reveal a 3,000-year-old gold processing complex(https://www.heritagedaily.com/2025/02/archaeologists-reveal-a-3000-year-old-gold-processing-complex/154621)
A 3,000-year-old Egyptian gold mine reveals a lost world(https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/a-3-000-year-old-egyptian-gold-mine-reveals-a-lost-world/ar-AA1RodsS)

A New BRICS Currency

The BRICS nations, originally composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, have had many discussions about establishing a new reserve currency backed by a basket of their respective currencies.

The creation of a potentially gold-backed currency, known as the "Unit," as a US dollar alternative is also under consideration by BRICS members. However, whether or not these countries can fully separate themselves from the ruling global currency is up for debate even amongst themselves.

At the 2024 BRICS Summit, the movement away from US dollar supremacy really came to a head when Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared on stage holding what appeared as a prototype of a possible BRICS banknote.

However, he soon backed away from his previous aggressive calls for de-dollarization, stating the goal of the BRICS member nations is not to move away from the US dollar-dominated SWIFT platform, but rather to deter the "weaponization" of the US dollar by developing alternative systems for using local currencies in financial transactions between BRICS countries and with trading partners.

To read the complete article, see:
How Would a New BRICS Currency Affect the US Dollar?(https://investingnews.com/brics-currency/)