Department of the Treasury February 9, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States Mint is increasing the prices for purchases of American Eagle silver and gold proof coins because of recent increases of the cost of silver and gold. Pursuant to the authority that 31 U.S.C. 5112(f)&(i) grants to the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue silver and gold coins, and the authority that 31 U.S.C. 5111(a)(3) grants to the Secretary of the Treasury to prepare and distribute numismatic items, the United States Mint mints and issues 1-ounce silver proof coins known as ``American Eagle Silver Proof Coins,'' and 1-ounce, \1/2\-ounce, \1/4\-ounce, and \1/10\-ounce gold proof coins known as ``American Eagle Gold Proof Coins.'' The United States Mint is changing the price of these coins to reflect the increased costs of their precious metal content. Accordingly, effective February 2, 2006, the United States Mint will commence selling these coins according to the following price schedule: Silver 1-ounce ($27.95); gold four-coin set ($1,350); gold 1-ounce ($770); gold \1/2\-ounce ($385); gold \1/4\-ounce ($200); gold \1/10\- ounce ($100).

As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network invites comment on a proposed renewal, without change, to information collections found in regulations requiring futures commission merchants, introducing brokers, banks, savings associations, credit unions, certain non-federally regulated banks, mutual funds, and broker-dealers, to develop and implement customer identification programs reasonably designed to prevent those financial institutions from being used to facilitate money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities. This request for comment is being made pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A).

The OTS, Board, FDIC, NCUA, and OCC (collectively, the ``Agencies''), have finalized the Interagency Advisory on the Unsafe and Unsound Use of Limitation of Liability Provisions in External Audit Engagement Letters (``Advisory''). The Advisory informs financial institutions'' boards of directors, audit committees, and management that they should not enter into agreements that incorporate unsafe and unsound external auditor limitation of liability provisions with respect to engagements for financial statement audits, audits of internal control over financial reporting, and attestations on management's assessment of internal control over financial reporting.