Chatter

Well… That Was Interesting!

We had no call for ANA convention trip reports in the last issue, so we have no reports in this issue. Local members who did not attend this year will have another chance in two years.

How was your convention? I was seldom away from the Collector Exhibit area, but people seemed to be busy on the bourse. We had a steady stream of visitors, and we could have fit another long table for even more exhibits. One exhibit case took a direct hit from a ceiling leak, staining paper inside. That exhibitor had other exhibits — one of which took first place in its Class, but that winning exhibit was not listed in the Exhibit Guide brochure. Another veteran exhibitor forgot to put the exhibit’s title in the first case — he brought the title with him — he left the title with his packing materials — and he carefully positioned the items within that case — all without realizing there was no title in the case. (On the judge’s scoring sheet, the title counts for 5 out of a possible 100 points.)

Looking forward to ANA in Philadelphia next summer, when we can be the relaxed visitors!

Prepare for Club Auction

The club auction is scheduled for the regular November club meeting; the auction will start at about 7PM, after the business session concludes. In the past few years, club related material (and Chicago area numismatic items) have had the best results.

Please consider using the club auction to dispose of the numismatic items you no longer need. Details will appear in the October Chatter, but it should follow the pattern from recent years.

Minutes of the 1112th Meeting

The 1112th meeting (Session I) of the Chicago Coin Club was held August 10, 2011 in the Chicago Bar Association Building, 321 S. Plymouth Court, Downtown Chicago. President Jeffrey Rosinia called the meeting to order at 6:45 PM with an attendance of 22 members and 1 guest, Sheila Tucker.

A motion was passed to accept the August Minutes as published in the Chatter. Treasurer Steve Zitowsky reported a detailed break down showing July income of $3,524.52, expenses of $286.60 and total assets of $19,263.49 held in Life Membership $1,910.00 and member equity $17,353.49. A motion was passed to approve the report.

It was reported that the copper medal commemorating the ANA Convention was on sale at the meeting for $20.00 each. It was announced that Volunteer applications were still accepted and even people who volunteer at the convention will be given a role. An announcement was made that golf shirts will be ready in time for distribution. President Rosinia reported the Club will issue a souvenir card for the Club meeting at the ANA Convention. The image will be the 1893 Columbian Exposition ticket.

Robert Leonard offered to buy from the Club the remaining 14 Numismatic Theatre medals to present as appreciation gifts to the ANA Committee Chairmen. An announcement was made that the Club will be the first stop of the Treasure Trivia game played by Young Numismatists. A motion was passed to give each participating YN the Club’s excess inventory of 1999 ANA Transportation Token. An announcement was made that Bill Burd will hold at his dealer table the Club’s digital projector, plus his own, to lend out to other clubs at the ANA Convention.

The featured program for the evening consisted of Carl Wolf sharing his experiences at ANA Conventions, lessons learned, and encouraged members to get involved in specialty clubs. He also showed members the new Android app of the ANA Convention. Carl then called various members to share their ANA Convention experiences. Members who participated were Mark Wieclaw, Phil Carrigan, Rich Lipman, Eugene Freeman and Robert Leonard.

Before exhibits began, Elliott Krieter was given a warm round of applause for finding a replacement bulb for the Club’s document viewer. Elliot introduced the ten exhibitors for the evening. ROBERT LEONARD: 8 coins carried by Crusaders during the First Crusade of 1095–1099. DAVID GUMM: a flour sack from the B.A. Eckhart Milling Co., Chicago, showing a Daddy Dollar imprint. KURT HYDE: an 1860 Indian Head Cent with documentation showing it was purchased from Don Taxay and a 1987 5-oz. silver medal struck by the Mexico City Mint honoring the U.S. Bi-centennial. NOEL RODRIGUEZ: 7 pieces of paper money including 3 sequentially numbered $100 star notes issued in 1934 and a $50 small sized National Bank Notes from Crown Point, IN. RICHARD LIPMAN: a large variety of coins and paper money made in candy form. BILL BURD: the story of the Nova Constellatio, a silver pattern of 1783. MARK WIECLAW: Last copper cent, a Golden Gate Bridge medal, and an octadrachm of Berenike II from 3rd century B.C. ROBERT WEINSTEIN: 17 coins and copies from Kushan Kings; DALE LUKANICH: 1936 set of Texas Centennial half dollars; and ROBERT FEILER: 6 restruck silver Swiss talers, replica silver Indian peace medal and a British silver proof piedfort.

The meeting was recessed at 8:40 PM and will reconvene Saturday, August 20, at the ANA Convention in Rosemont.

. . . . . .

The 1112th meeting (Session II) of the Chicago Coin Club was held August 20, 2011 in conjunction with the American Numismatic Association’s World’s Fair of Money, Room 5 at the Donald Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road, Rosemont, IL. President Jeffrey Rosinia called the meeting to order at 10 AM with only 45 in attendance due to many members working as convention volunteers.

A motion was passed to adopt an abbreviated agenda. Charlie Ricard’s son Marc commented on his father’s Honorary Chairmanship, his long-time ANA membership and presence at ANA Conventions.

Featured speaker, David Alexander, was introduced and delivered a program The Mysterious Demise of Art Medals in America. Following a brief question-and-answer period President Rosinia presented him with an ANA Educational Certificate and engraved Club speaker’s medal.

A souvenir card with the history and image of Chicago’s 1893 Columbian Exposition admission ticket was distributed to everyone in attendance.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:50 AM. The next meeting to be held 6:45 PM, September 14th at the Chicago Bar Association Building, 321 S. Plymouth Court, Downtown Chicago.

Respectfully Submitted,
Carl Wolf, Secretary

Speaker’s Wor[l]d
What to Expect at an ANA convention

moderated by Carl Wolf
at our August 10, 2011 meeting

Due to the death of our August speaker, the program became a discussion, moderated by Carl Wolf, of what to expect at the upcoming ANA convention. He started by quickly showing a smartphone app for the convention, and encouraged everyone to take advantage of the opportunities, to meet people, hear talks, and learn, that the week will provide.

Phil Carrigan is looking forward to the Numismatic Theatre, where he will be introducing speakers for two days, as well as the exhibits, as is Mark Wieclaw who will also attend club meetings to see what others collect and get new ideas. He showed a Stacks Bowers paper money auction catalog that features low numbered, uncut sheets of the Educational Notes from the late 19th century.

Eugene Freeman recommended the C4 (Colonial Coin Collectors Club) meeting, as well as the Numismatic International group. Others spoke up, but we forgot to remind people that about the Bureau of Engraving and Printing which brings their old spider printing press to print souvenir cards; the cards are very collectible, and, in years past, drawings were held for the right to purchase a souvenir card.

The NLG Bash (of the Numismatic Litearary Guild) is a wonderful social banquet replete with irreverant humor; the only problem is that admission is to members or guest of a member, so if you have a chance to attend, take it! Virtually all other meetings are open to the public, so there are many ways to have fun.

Speaker’s Wor[l]d
The Mysterious Demise of Art Medals in America

presented by David T. Alexander
to our August 20, 2011 meeting
-by David Simpson-

David T. Alexander noted that there is not much information published on art medals; his recent book, American Art Medals, 1909-1995, published through the American Numismatic Society, brings the story to a wider audience.

An early group of art medal collectors was the Circle of Friends of the Medallion, which issued medals from 1909 to 1915. In all it issued 12 medals, two a year. Mr. Alexander showed images of some of the medals, which were struck by Medallic Arts Company. Among the medals was a 1909 offering by John Flanagan with images of Henry Hudson and Robert Fulton, and a 1911 Victor D. Brenner medal on motherhood.

The Society of Medallists began in 1930 with two medals a year. Among designs Mr. Alexander showed were Hunters (1930) by Laura Frazer, Socrates (1964) by A. A. Weinman, and Creation (1990) by M. Jovine. At about that time Medallic Arts Company, which had produced the medals, went out of business. The society continued to operate with a successor mint for about five more years. Some of the medals were interesting, such as Staircase (1992), Adam and Eve (1993), The Fossil Collection (1994) and The Last Supper (1995). The last of these is said to be the longest medal ever struck. However, during these later years Mr. Alexander reports that customer service and communication were poor, and medals were heavily overpriced.

The society disappeared in 1995, and there has been no similar organization since. The Northwest Territorial Mint has dies for previous medals. Mr. Alexander expressed the hope that they would not restrike these.

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Show and Tell

Items shown at our August 10, 2011 meeting.

1. Robert Leonard showed eight coins similar to those carried on the First Crusade, of 1095-1099. The seven locations on a map of Pope Urban’s recruiting trip through France, based upon a contemporary historian, correspond to the sources of these low-denomination coins: Poitou, Chartres, Le Mans, Lucca, Valence, Melgueil, and Le Puy. Each of the two coins coins from Le Puy is worth only half of any of the other six coins. Some of these coins might have been carried on the crusade: Bob acquired one from a Mideast collection, another from a hoard found in Aleppo (dated to after the crusade), and two from a hoard in Turkey.
2. David Gumm showed an item found in a house sale — a 100 pound flour sack. From the B.A. Eckhart Milling Company of Chicago, the main design element is a large daddy dollar — similar to a U.S. silver dollar, and bearing E Pluribus Unum.
3. Kurt Hyde showed two pieces:
   • An 1860 small cent graded MS65, purchased from Don Taxay. When he bought it in 1979, it came with a certificate of authenticity dated October 17, 1979, and signed by Don Taxay. Comments were made: the certificates are collectible in their own right, and that date is cloase to when Don dropped out of sight.
   • A five ounce silver piece from the Mexico City Mint. Kust bought it with part of a bonus from work, back when silver was selling between $13 and $15 per ounce. Franklin, Washington, and Hamilton are featured on this piece issued for the 200th anniversary of the U.S. constitution. Why those three people? Kurt does not know, but he noted that their features closely match the way they are pictured on U.S. paper money.
4. Noel Ridriguez showed a range of paper items:
   • A Pancho Villa wanted poster, and a 25 centavos note bearing Villa’s name.
   • Some Bonny and Clyde wanted posters, for which he is looking for a 1934 note to accompany them.
   • Three pieces of 1862 U.S. Legal Tender: two $1 notes and one $2 note.
   • A 1929 $50 note of the First National Bank of Crown Point, Indiana, with a serial number of E000067A.
   • Three consecutive $100 Federal Reserve Note star notes from the series of 1934, followed by another $100 star note from the same series.
5. Richard Lipman showed confectionary numismatics — many examples of candy, mimicking all types of items. For currency, we saw hundred dollar mints and Euro denominations. For coins, red raspberry dollars and foil covered pieces. Medals and exonumia were shown, as well as candy bars such as Payday and Hundred Grand.
6. Bill Burd showed pictures, from books and catalogues, of the silver 1783 Nova Constellatio pattern coins. These were the first use of a decimal system here, with the bit at 100, a quint at 500, and a mark at 1000. Two types of the quint were produced, and only one example is known of each denomination/type; the auction histories of the four pieces were covered. The type 2 quint will be shown at the upcoming ANA, at table 1306, and brochures detailing that coin were passed out.
7. Mark Wieclaw showed a wide range of items:
   • His badge from the 1999 ANA convention here.
   • A roll of copper cents from assorted years 1959-1982 from a company named the International Mint, sold to mark the last copper cents. And for people interested in buying gold, a brochure from that same company, pushing their gold-plated cents.
   • A 1971 dated piece containing 100 grains of sterling silver, marked on one side as the “William G Dudman Private Treasury.” A bust of Benjamin Franklin appears on the other side of this product of the Franklin Mint.
   • A 6 and 3/4 ounce piece, in 999 silver, commemmorating the 25th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge, 1937-1962.
   • A gold octodrachm of Ptolemy III, issued under the name of Berneke (3rd century BC).
   • A gold octodrachm of Ptolemy II.
8. Robert Weinstein showed copper tetradrachms of Kushan kings, along with imitations produced either by neighboring peoples or within the kingdom during hard times. The Kushan displaced the Sakas in what now is northern India.
   • Attributed to king Kujula Kadphises, the obverse is an imitation of a Greek coin, the reverse shows Herakles, and the coin weighs 10 grams.
   • Fairly well executed copies of above, but weighing 4-6 grams.
   • A coin of king Huvishka from late 2nd century AD, showing the king seated on a throne.
   • The above type was extensively copied, sometimes crudely, with the last imitation reduced to only stick figures.
   • An original from the same king, but with crossed legs; Shiva on the reverse.
   • An initation of the above, but both sides use Shiva in the legend.
   • Another original of Huvishka, with the king riding an elephant; weighs 15 grams.
   • A fairly well executed copy of the above.
   • A poorly made copy weighing only 2 grams.
   • An original of king Vasu Deva who is shown making a sacrifice at an altar on the obverse, with Shiva on the reverse.
   • A late coin from this king — it is hard to tell poorly made official strikes from poorly made copies.
   • A cast piece, showing a rough representation of the king on both sides, without legends.
9. Dale Lukanich showed a 1936 Texas Centennial half dollar set of pieces from the three mints. In most sets that you encounter, the coin from the Denver mint is probably the nicest — there are high grades known from that mint, and the shown D coin grades MS67. On the coin, Sam Houston and Steve Austin flank a winged victory figure.
10. Bob Feiler showed some European coins:
    • A 1983 British one pound proof on a double thickness planchet, a piedfort.
    • A group of six restrikes of old Swiss talers. These were privately made in the 1960s or ’70s, possibly of silver.

Our 1113th Meeting

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Chatter Matter

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CHICAGO COIN CLUB
P.O. Box 2301
CHICAGO, IL 60690

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