This photo, courtesy PCGS, is of a genuine war nickel.

[LOS ANGELES]  Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced that Abraham Lew Berlin has been charged with nine counts of grand theft for selling counterfeit rare coins on an Internet auction site.

iGoldline™ also features precious metals news and commentary, industry articles, press releases, executive interviews, videos and more. It also offers easy access to live and archived shows from The American Advisor, Goldline’s national weekday talk radio program on precious metals, the economy, politics and more.

For those interested in researching precious metals products, the app allows users to browse through Goldline’s extensive product catalog which includes detailed coin pictures and product descriptions. Goldline’s Account and Storage Agreement and risk disclosure booklet, Coin Facts for Investors and Collectors to Consider, are also available.

To connect with other precious metals investors and Goldline clients, the app has one-click access to Goldline’s lively social media sites, including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Lastly, the app allows current and potential clients to contact Goldline easily for more information or to make an acquisition.

To download the free iGoldline app, visit http://www.goldline.com  or go directly to the Apple iTunes Store.

Well, we do, and you can.

We’ve been pretty quiet about it. OK, I’VE been pretty quiet about it. That’s because the social media updates are my responsibility, and I’m honestly still learning the ropes. I’ve been in print for more years than I care to admit. I prefer to spend my time at the office putting together the best monthly coin magazine possible.

But we recognize the need to evolve, and now  it’s time to further spread the word. There are a few months’ worth of posts on the COINage wall, and COINage tweets go back to February. Take a minute to register, if you haven’t already. Read through our pages. “Like”  or follow us. Offer suggestions. Interact.

Coin collecting is a hobby. Sure, you might start out doing it alone. But sooner or later, you’re going to want to share your knowledge with and learn more from other hobbyists. So join us as we continue to evolve.

It’s not called “social” media for nothing.

Well now that option has passed. Yesterday afternoon the U.S. Mint removed the uncirculated dollar from its online store, officially moving it to its “No Longer Available” list. You can still order the proof coins at www.usmint.gov, or through the Mint’s toll-free number 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).

As of Sunday, April 25, 107,292 uncirculated coins were purchased, but collectors will have to wait until the middle of next week to learn how many were sold. That number is likely to shift—up or down—by several thousand by then.

In fact, it’s possible there won’t be any left by the time this is posted.

But that’s OK. A very quick search of one of the most utilized online auction sites shows 613 results listed for “2010 boy scouts.” Those results include certified coins, coins in Mint packaging, coins in “custom” covers, sellers with multiple coins and so on.

So don’t worry. There are at least 613 Boy Scouts coins available—if you’re the lucky bidder.

The North County Times ran this story about one teacher’s patriotic banners. I grew up in the Poway Unified School District, so this is of particular interest to me.

A federal judge has ruled that the constitutional rights of a Westview High School math teacher were violated by Poway school district officials who ordered him to remove classroom banners containing patriotic messages that referred to God.

Read Gary Warth’s entire story here.

First, let me just say that not every gold dealer or Internet gold buyer is dishonest.

With that out of the way, I’ve been seeing more and more television ads from businesses that want to buy your unwanted gold, silver or platinum jewelry.

Then I saw that one of these businesses was offering to pay “20% more cash” until July 4, 2009. That made me wonder what will happen after July 4. Is this particular company going to shut its doors completely or file for bankruptcy protection?

A quick search turned up several negative articles about some of these companies, some of them bordering on libelous. But it also turned up something that, even though it’s a press release, offers some good advice. Here’s the link: http://tinyurl.com/ldq3sf.

So remember that most Internet gold buyers, gold dealers, or coin dealers are honest. But caveat venditor if you’re thinking about selling your scrap, especially in today’s economy.