Following the April debut of the 2016-W gold Mercury Dime Centennial coin, the U.S. Mint will be releasing the next item in this celebratory series later this year: the gold Standing Liberty Centennial quarter-ounce coin.

Although the official release date has not been announced, this homage to Hermon A. MacNeils Standing Liberty Quarter design already is generating excitement. As part of its tribute to these legendary coin designs, all of which first appeared in 1916, the Mint also will be distributing a gold reproduction of Adolph A. Weinmans Walking Liberty Half Dollar in a half-ounce version. Stay tuned to Blanchard and Companys Web site for information on both of these new coins availability.

Dont forget to collect the originals: In the meantime, dont overlook the original classic coins on which these 2016 tributes are based. Blanchard and Company currently (as of June 14, 2016) has in stock a 1930 Standing Liberty Quarter with the high grade of MS67, bestowed by NGC, as well as a green CAC sticker of quality assurance. With a Philadelphia mintage of about 5.6 million, this silver quarter was produced in the final year of the series, which would be replaced in 1932 by the Washington Quarter, designed by sculptor John Flanagan for the presidents 200^th birthday.

A few changes to MacNeils original design occurred over the years in fact, the prototypes even includes two dolphins at Libertys feet, to represent the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, but they failed to make the final cut.

Nudity nixed in design update: Moreover, the original design showed Libertys right breast uncovered, and more than 12 million were issued before chainmail was added in 1917, either because of complaints about the nudity or as a sign of the times of World War I.

Lady Liberty herself was reportedly modeled after actress Dora Doris Doscher, although a model named Irene MacDowell also claimed the role an assertion that is not widely believed today.

The placement of the 13 stars on the coins reverse also varies according to year. The 1916-17 versions feature stars on either side of the eagle, while subsequent issues locate three stars underneath the eagle.

A few other variants occur, with the raised date on Libertys pedestal being recessed by 1925 because of the wear and tear on earlier versions, while the 1918/7-S overdate remains the rarest of these quarters.

Building a full set is very doable: As one of our most beautiful coin designs, the Standing Liberty quarter is very popular with collectors today, NGC notes. The series is collected in its entirety by date and mint or as part of a 20th Century type set. Unlike many other series, it is still possible to complete a full set in uncirculated condition a valuable treasure that very few people will have the pleasure of owning.

Blanchard and Company also has in stock (as of June 14, 2016) a 1941-D Walking Liberty Half Dollar certified at MS66 by NGC another classic Weinman image that formed the basis of todays silver American Eagle bullion coin design.

You can have the pleasure of owning an original Standing Liberty Quarter or Walking Liberty Half Dollar by calling Blanchard and Company for any that are currently in stock. For a look at all of the current collectible silver coins available, click on this link. And please check in with Blanchards investment professionals for the release date of the gold Standing Liberty Centennial collectible!

George Soros return to active investing, particularly his bearish bets against the market and bullish stance toward gold, has gotten a lot of press this month.

And he’s not the only wealthy financial guru bracing for the worst with gold. Two Barrons Roundtable members DoubleLine Capital bond guru Jeff Gundlach and Zulauf Asset Management head Felix Zulauf both see at least another $100 gain for the metal.

Gold could rally to $1,400, Gundlach said in Barrons midyear update, while Zulauf concurred, adding, I am bearish on equities and constructive on high-quality bonds. Also, I expect gold to rally this year to $1,400.

Very dangerous time, billionaire says: And Elliott Management chief Paul Singer just gave an interview in which he detailed his pessimistic outlook on the economy and the necessity of gold amid today’s imbalances.

The cure for the crisis for the debt crisis, the financial crisis has been deemed by the developed world governments to be more debt, Singer told Institutional Investor in May. There has not been a deleveraging. And after seven and a half years and counting of this mix of policies, at the moment were either in a stage of stagnation or rollover, possibly in the early stages of a global recession. So I think its a very dangerous time in the financial markets.

Noting that if the Federal Reserve raises interest rates without fiscal and governmental reforms, an instant recession would result, Singer likes financial insurance in his portfolio.

Gold is under-owned, Singer confirms: Were very bullish on gold, which is the anti-paper money, of course, and is under-owned by investors around the world, he said. And we are very skeptical about markets. We hedge every equity position. Were not in the mood to be surprised surprised in the sense of losing large amounts of money ever, but in particular now with this extraordinary and unprecedented situation where the stability of financial markets is so dependent on confidence in policymakers and central bankers.

Soros has dabbled in gold throughout the years, and Singer and Zulauf have been consistently bullish in recent years. But as economic uncertainties grow, even former gold skeptics are turning to the metal for safety. Were getting a bit bullish, Charles Newsome of Investec Wealth told CNBC. Having been pretty nervous about it for the last two and a half years or so, we’ve seen a turnaround in the gold price, a bit more strength in it. We’ve looked at gold again. It has always been an insurance asset for us. But with so many fears around, starting with Brexit and on and on, competitive devaluations by major central governments of their currencies, and exchange control from the Chinese gives us the feeling that gold might be a good place to put a small part of your portfolio.

6 events that could pay off for gold: Mohamed El-Erian hasnt been a gold cheerleader, either, but in a recent Bloomberg column, the Allianz SE chief economic adviser (and former PIMCO bigwig) outlines 6 events that could make Soros a winner.

1. Brexit: A vote in favor of the U.K. leaving the European Union in the June 23 referendum could have a disruptive impact on markets, El-Erian writes.
2. Chinas debt bubble: A major slip by China as it tries to implement financial policies aimed at balancing liquidity support for the economy with the orderly management of a credit boom, soaring internal corporate indebtedness and excesses in the equity markets.
3. U.S. presidential election, specifically Donald Trump: Indications that the isolationist tone of the U.S. presidential primaries is more than just rhetoric and posturing, but signals a decisive change in decades of U.S. leadership for economic and financial globalization.
4. Currency volatility and manipulation: Large exchange rate moves that, by reflecting wider divergences in the worlds multi-speed economic and policy conditions, spread volatility to financial markets as a whole.
5. European banking woes: A renewed scare about the European banks that have lagged in raising capital and strengthening internal operating approaches and have yet to put behind them the legacy of a period of excessive risk-taking.
6. Reckless investing fueled by low interest rates: Greater risk aversion among market participants who acting on their confidence that central banks are prepared to continuously step in to ensure stability now have taken on significant mismatches of maturities, assets to liabilities, benchmarks or currencies in their search for higher returns. And this is occurring in markets that have tended to experience periodic bouts of relative ill-iquidity.

With gold at six-week highs and seemingly on the move back toward $1,300 as of Tuesday thanks to rising Brexit fears, investors should continue to brace for black swans as well as the potential risk events outlined above.

Two 19^th-century rare coins one gold, one silver from the New Orleans Mint together brought in more than a half-million dollars at a recent sale in California.

An 1856-O Liberty Double Eagle, certified at AU55 PCGS Secure and noted as a Variety 1, realized $364,250. A member of the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins compendium, the 1856-O is known as arguably the rarest coin minted at the New Orleans facility. Of just 2,250 produced, just a maximum are 30 are thought to survive.

The other top seller was another product of the New Orleans Mint: an 1895-O Morgan Dollar, certified at MS65+ by NGC and sporting a green CAC sticker, that was part of the Rev. Dr. James G.K. McClure Collection. It realized $258,500.

McClure apparently acquired the coin from a bank close to its issue date, and it had not seen the light of day since, according to a CoinWeek report.

The mint produced only about 450,000 of these, and this ones considered the third-rarest in Mint State, as well as tied for the finest specimen in CACs judgment. Its also special in the entire Morgan series because the Philadelphia Mint produced none that year except for about 880 proofs; only San Francisco also minted circulation-issue Morgans in 1895, making just 400,000.

Several other coins broke into the $100,000-plus range, including a 1921-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar, certified at MS66 by NGC, which commanded $188,000; an 1804 Capped Bust Quarter Eagle, certified at AU55 PCGS, which brought in $146,875; an 1822 Capped Bust Quarter Dollar, MS65 PCGS, which sold for $108,687.50; and a 1794 Flowing Hair Dollar, graded as VG10 by NGC, which came in at $105,750.

The market for top-quality coins, such as those listed above, continues to be strong in 2016.Lesser coins, however, are seeing some valleys. As the market continues to decline for some series, it looks like dealers and collectors are heavily pursuing CAC and + graded coins, Numismedia recently noted.

If youre looking for coins with similar high-quality characteristics, search Blanchard and Companys rare coin inventory for the best numismatic selection available anywhere.

Stocks pain was golds gain Friday after a new survey showed that odds are rising of a Brexit as United Kingdom voters prepare to go to the polls June 23.

Gold was trading near $1,275 on Friday afternoon, having gained about 2.7% for the week. Meanwhile, investment giant BlackRock noted a major surge ($5.4 billion) into gold ETFs in May.

The metal is now firmly above $1,260 and on its way to test the $1,300 level again, probably as early as next week, Secular Investor researcher Nico Pantelis told MarketWatch. Gold prices are responding towards slowing economic activity, meager company results and monetary tensions on the rise again.

Golds upswing is sending a warning signal about stocks and the loss of faith in central banks, UCX co-funder Jack Bouroudjian told CNBC. It may have started out as a reinflation trade, but right now it is turning into that flight to quality and flight to safety. It is one of those things that is more than likely going to stop any kind of a move in equities.

Silver surges as ETFs near record: Silver enjoyed an even better week than gold, gaining more than 5% to trade near $17.29 on Friday for its best weekly advance since late April. Not only are silver American Eagle coin sales still selling at a record clip, with more than 24 million purchased this year, but holdings in silver ETFs are nearing an all-time high.

When silver sells off, it sells off faster than gold, but when it rallies, it rallies so much more, RJO Futures strategist Phil Streible told Bloomberg. The physical demand for silver is quite high. And if theres a slump in production, we might see some short squeezes come into play.

With inflation expectations falling ahead of the Federal Reserves crucial policy meeting next week, investment strategist Jim Rickards told CNBC on Thursday that the Fed wont be lifting rates anytime soon quite the contrary. The Feds gotta ease up; theres no way theyre going to raise, at least for the rest of the year, he said.

NIRP supernova to explode: The UKs Brexit referendum also is putting a bid behind gold, with one Reuters headline reading, London appetite for gold bars, coins rises on Brexit nerves.

And the European Central Banks foray into corporate even junk bond buying Wednesday prompted condemnation from several quarters, with Janus bond guru Bill Gross tweeting, Global yields lowest in 500 years of recorded history. $10 trillion of neg. rate bonds. This is a supernova that will explode one day. Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank blasted the ECBs desperate negative-rate policy, saying it would destroy the European Union.

Icahn echoes Soros bearishness: But perhaps the biggest sign that all is not well with the global economy came as The Wall Street Journal decided to profile billionaire George Soros return to active investing after a long hiatus.

Worried about the outlook for the global economy and concerned that large market shifts may be at hand, the billionaire hedge-fund founder and philanthropist recently directed a series of big, bearish investments, it reported. Gold and gold mining stocks have been among Soros most lucrative bets since his return, it noted. Soros concerns especially center on Chinas debt problems and the disintegration of the European Union.

Fellow billionaire Carl Icahn seconded Soros concerns about inflated stock values, telling CNBC, I dont think you can have [near] zero interest rates for much longer without having these bubbles explode on you. You need fiscal stimulus from Congress.

Hedge fund predicts $1,400 gold: And Soros isnt the only hedge-fund manager who is betting on bullion. Citrine Capital Management is bullish overall on gold because the global economy is pretty poor with China as an issue, founder Paul Crone told Bloomberg. Gold could go as high as $1,400 an ounce.

The macroeconomic outlook is weak and the potential for recessions in some economies remains high, he added. China in our view is much worse than people continue to think. We remain concerned that there will be lots of bankruptcies in China.

Early stages of a new bull market: Though not wildly bullish, Swiss investment bank UBS thinks the downside for the gold price is limited over a 12-month horizon, wrote its chief investment officer, Mark Haefele, citing three reasons.

Thats in stark contrast to Sarhan Capital CEO Adam Sarhan, who argues that the entire commodity complex is on the verge of a new supercycle as the dollar weakens.

We are open to any outcome, but until we see any meaningful selling in commodities … we are in the early stages of a new bull market for commodities, he said.

Some $5 and $10 Indian Head gold coins were the highest-priced stars of a recent numismatic sale, with the top seller commanding almost $900,000.

Designed by the renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, the star of the show was minted in the infamous year of 1933, before President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued his executive order calling for Americans to turn in their gold. The 1933 $10 Indian Head Eagle, certified at MS66 by PCGS and featuring a green CAC sticker of quality assurance, realized $881,250 with added buyers premium. Although 312,500 were originally minted, a maximum of only 40 are thought to have survived the government melting pots. Only one other $10 Eagle of this year is graded at MS66, rated by NGC.

Unlike the 1933 Double Eagle, the surviving Indian Eagles are legal for Americans to own, having been minted and released before Roosevelt’s executive order. Thus, they’re free of the litigation and prosecutions that have been associated with the famed 1933 Saint-Gaudens $20 gold pieces.

The second-biggest seller featured the famous incuse design of Bela Lyon Pratt: a 1909-O $5 Indian Half Eagle, graded at MS65 by PCGS and called a condition rarity in higher grades by CoinWeek. With only 34,200 minted, just 1,416 are thought to have survived, with mint-state examples very rare. This coin is among the top-three finest survivors and thus realized $517,000 one of the highest prices paid for any 1909-O.

The third-highest-priced Indian was another Saint-Gaudens, a 1907 $10 Eagle with Rounded Rim, certified at MS65 by PCGS and sporting a CAC sticker. The Rounded Rim coins were produced after the 1907 Wire Edge Eagles, but the Mint wasn’t quite satisfied and melted all but 42 of the pieces. Thus, this example achieved $376,000 at the sale.

Several other important and gorgeous $5 and $10 Indians broke through the $100,000 barrier, while a host of others sold for proportionately impressive prices. If you’re looking for high-quality Indian gold, Blanchard and Company currently (as of June 8, 2016) has quite a few in stock, for example:

1. A 1910 Indian Quarter Eagle certified at PR67+ by PCGS and carrying a CAC sticker. This coin is one of just about 492,000 originally minted at the Philadelphia Mint. Lower grade examples are very easy to purchase, but in Gem condition the date becomes quite rare, NGC’s site says. Less than 175 coins have been certified at that level. Superb examples are almost non-existent with only a dozen certified as MS 66 (11/12).
2. A 1911 Indian Eagle certified at MS66 by NGC and bearing a green CAC sticker. One of 505,500 produced in Philadelphia. The 1911 Indian Head $10 makes a great type coin, as most are well struck, with minimal marks, NGC notes.
3. A 1911-D Indian Quarter Eagle graded at MS63 by NGC. This product of the Denver Mint is one of just 55,680 produced that year in Colorado. This date is the undisputed KEY to the series, the NGC site notes. Because of its low mintage and survival rate, this date brings a healthy price in circulated condition. The 1911D Indian Head Quarter Eagle has by far the lowest mintage and it seems that surprisingly few were saved.
4. A 1913 Indian Eagle certified at MS65 by PCGS and sporting a CAC sticker. One of 442,000 such coins originally minted in Philadelphia.
5. A 1911-D Indian Quarter Eagle graded at MS61 by NGC. Another example of this small run of just 55,680 coins produced in Denver.

These are just a few of our current offerings featuring the iconic images of the American Indian. In addition to Indian Head coins, our latest numismatic inventory also features numerous Indian Princess gold pieces of various years and denominations.