>From one of the local rags:
http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,5078933%255E2862,00.html
Disgust over coin offer
By KAREN COLLIER, consumer reporter
September 12, 2002
COIN dealers are cashing in on the World Trade Centre tragedy.
Australia's biggest coin dealer is selling silver and gold coins it
claims were recovered from fireproof vaults beneath the Ground Zero
rubble.
The firm was yesterday accused of bad taste for advertising the coins
on the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Memorabilia hunters have already spent more than $300,000 snapping up
the pieces.
Downie's & Sherwood said it had sold more than 1000 Silver Eagle
coins and about 100 Australian gold nugget coin sets unearthed from
the disaster zone.
The $US1 Silver Eagle coins cost $129 and each set of three
Australian coins is $1895.
The company said the coins were part of a $364.8 million stash of
precious metal that was dug up from basement vaults beneath the twin
tower ruins.
Collectors are told the coins honour those who died in the
devastation and also help those left behind, because some of the
proceeds go to a victims' fund.
Australian-American Association executive director Tony McAdam said
the timing and the tone of the promotion was insensitive.
"It is remarkably bad taste," Mr McAdam said.
But Downie's & Sherwood marketing officer, Amanda Betteridge,
defended the firm's actions.
"If we hadn't bought the coins someone else would have," she said.
"As awful as the terrorist attack was, this is memorabilia.
"A lot of collectors want to remember events, whether they are tragic
or a celebration."
Ms Betteridge said the coins were retrieved from vaults belonging to
a US bullion house, COMEX Banking System, and were authenticated by
US valuers Collectors Universe.
Downie's & Sherwood said 20 per cent of the amount it had paid a
distributor for the coins had been donated to a fund designed to help
victims' families.
Herald Sun
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