In Honor of Pope Benedict XVI

On April 19, 2005, a puff of white smoke emerged from a chimney of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, announcing the election of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, the 265th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. To honor the new Pope, we are offering a new U.S. legal tender 2005 Kennedy half dollar which has been inspirationally colorized by our artists.   The half dollar has a full color image of Pope Benedict XVI in prayer permanently fused to the surface of the coin. This Brilliant Uncirculated coin comes in an individual crystal-clear air-tight protective capsule, and a handsome black plush display box is also available, at a small additional charge.

In Remembrance of Pope John Paul II

We have offered coins of John Paul II in our catalogs for several years, and in the short time since his passing we have had many requests from customers who would like to acquire them for gifts or keepsakes, so we are now offering them once again. These are genuine legal tender 2005 American Eagles from the U.S. Mint, containing exactly one ounce   of 99.93% fine silver— the largest and heaviest U.S. silver coin ever minted. These silver Eagles have been beautifully enhanced with full color images permanently fused to the surface of the coin. One design depicts His Holiness in profile, bowing his head in prayer, along with a smaller image of the Pope wearing his miter and extending his right arm in blessing. The other design features a serene and dignified portrait of Pope John Paul II in the vestments of his holy office. Each Brilliant Uncirculated coin comes in its own crystal-clear air-tight protective capsule, and handsome black plush display boxes, highly recommended for gift-giving, are available at a small additional charge. A wonderful inexpensive memento . . . Pope John Paul II Four-Coin Portrait Set During Pope John Paul II's 26-year reign he traveled more than any other pope in the history of the Church. On his mission to unite the world in peace, he journeyed to 129 countries, many of which had never before received a papal visit. In 1980 he became the first pope to travel to the Republic of the Congo, where he left an indelible impression. To commemorate the 25th anniversary of that historic visit, the Republic of the Congo issued a special coin set in 2004, consisting of four 1-Franc coins. On the obverse of all four coins is a proud African lion standing below the legend, REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO, with the date below. On the reverse of each coin is a portrait of the Holy Father at different stages in his life. The first coin shows Karol Josef Wojtyla as he looked when he was ordained as a young priest on November 1, 1946, and bears the legend, PERE WOJTYLA (Father Wojtyla). The second coin commemorates his consecration as Cardinal Wojtyla in the Sistine Chapel by Pope Paul VI on June 28, 1967.   The reverse of the third coin celebrates his election as the 264th Pope, John Paul II, by the College of Cardinals on October 16, 1978. On the fourth coin is the Pope as he appeared in 2004, with the legend, VISITE LE CONGO ET 128 AUTRES PAYS, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Pontiff's visit to the Republic of the Congo and a lifetime of travel to 128 other countries. The four coins are in Brilliant Uncirculated condition, and are enclosed in a special vinyl protective folder. On one side are the coins, each in its own pocket, and on the other side is a four-color card with a photo of the Pope blessing a huge crowd of people on his visit to the Congo. To the left is the Vatican coat of arms and a photo of the Holy Father holding the "bent cross" Papal staff. These inspirational four-coin sets make wonderful, inexpensive gifts, and since our supply is limited, if you wish to have one or more of the sets, we urge you to order quickly.