Notable News (December 17-22, 2025)

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This week’s headlines include a new book about presidential inauguration medals, a mock funeral for the U.S. cent, the best 2025 British coin, and a metal detectorist’s discovery.

Author Jimmy Hayes will donate all profits from his upcoming three-volume reference, Each New Beginning, to the National Coin & Bullion Association (NCBA). Publishing in early 2026, the illustrated set chronicles U.S. presidential inaugurations through medals, ribbons, and documents, supporting numismatic scholarship and NCBA’s mission.

Photo: Heritage Auctions

Hundreds of mourners paid tribute to the U.S. cent during a mock funeral at the Lincoln Memorial on December 21. Several speakers honored the cent’s legacy, and pallbearers dressed up as Abraham Lincoln carried a symbolic casket, into which mourners tossed cents.

Photo: Getty Images/Ekaterina Chizhevskaya

The British Royal Mint is celebrating the end of the year by asking people to vote for their favorite 2025 British coin design. The Royal Mint released a wide range of coins this year, from the first silver sovereign to issues honoring legendary British musicians.

Photo: The Royal Mint

A Nova Scotia metal detectorist found a 300-year-old 1721 Spanish real near Halifax. Drew Wilson had spent decades searching before finally discovering the piece, worth a modest $50–$100 in worn condition, on a rocky beach.

Photo: Getty Images/repOrter