Chatter

Call for Club Auction Lots
November 12, 2014

The club auction is scheduled for 7PM, near the start of the regular November club meeting. In the past few years, club related material (and Chicago area numismatic items) have had the best results. Some printed material also has shown good results. Please consider using the club auction to dispose of the numismatic items you no longer need.

You can place a reserve on each lot, and there is no commission charged to either the buyer or seller. Auction lot viewing will be held before the meeting starts, and again briefly before the auction starts.

The November Chatter will contain a list of all auction lots that are known to us by Tuesday, October 28. You can either e-mail your list to Paul Hybert by Tuesday, October 28 if you plan to bring your lots with you to the November meeting; or you can ship your items to Bill Burd by Tuesday, October 28.

If you have questions, Bill can be reached at 773-586-7666.

Minutes of the 1149th Meeting

The 1149th meeting of the Chicago Coin Club was held September 10, 2014 in the Chicago Bar Association Building, 321 S. Plymouth Court, Downtown Chicago. President Elliott Krieter called ed the meeting at 6:45 PM with an attendance of 18 members and 2 guests: Howard Kryse and Dr. Lawrence Lee.

A motion was passed to accept the August Minutes as published in the Chatter. Treasurer Steve Zitowsky gave a detailed report for the month of August revenue of $4,669.44, expenses of $11,091.66, net income of $-6,422.22, total assets of $24,054.91 held in Life Membership $2,110.00 and member equity $21,944.91. After several questions on the 95th Anniversary celebration and the ANA Convention, a motion was passed to accept his report.

The applications for membership of V. Kurt Bellman, Francis Hawks, John Thill, and Deven Kane received second reading and a motion was passed to accept them into the Club. The applications of Howard Kryse and Dr. Lawrence Lee received first reading.

William Burd announced a wrap-up meeting of the 2014 ANA Convention Committee to be held at Chicago Coin Company, 6455 W. Archer Ave., 6-8PM, Wednesday September 17. President Krieter announced plans to hold an Board Meeting first or third weekin October.

The featured speaker Dr. Lawrence Lee, Lincoln, Nebraska was introduced and spoke on Archeologically Recovered Coins from Fort Atkinson (1819-1827). Following a question and answer period, Dr. Lee was presented with an ANA Educational Certificate and an engraved Club medal suspended from a neck ribbon.

Second V.P. Marc Stackler introduced the evening’s 10 exhibitors. EUGENE FREEMAN: German POW money, Republic of Nueva Granda 1844 8 reales, and a Panamanian error 5-balboas coin; ROBERT FEILER: four medals from the die sinker of the Club 95th Anniversary medal, undated silver blank, and fantasy notes from Artic Territories; WILLIAM BURD: ANS first medal, struck in 1866 commemorating the death of Abraham Lincoln; STEVE ZITOWSKY: 1936-KN pattern shilling of British West Africa, and Hungarian 500 Forint; MARK WIECLAW: a Washington quarter he “walked” across the Potomac, pewter copy of Brasher Doubloon, a tetradrachm of Antoninus Pius (138-161 AD), and sterling silver medal Chicago Times/WJJD Quiz-Down; JAMES McMENAMIN: four coins showing the evolution of French 5 sols to 5 francs; DALE LUKANICH: four 19th century banknotes; JEFF ROSINIA: book from Chicago’s 1933 Century of Progress; MARC STACKLER: memorabilia from Sociedad Numismatica de Mexico; and PHIL CARRIGAN: 1884 68mm copper medal of Charles Anthon, and the ANA Presidential Award plaque presented to him at the recent ANA Convention.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:44 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
Carl Wolf, Secretary

Speaker’s Wor[l]d
Archeologically Recovered Coins from Fort Atkinson (1819-1827)

a presentation by Dr. Lawrence J. Lee,
to our September 10, 2014 meeting

Dr. Lee, a past curator of the ANA museum, started the program with an overview of research methods and how numismatic education could be presented as a rigorous discipline. Research usually follows one of two styles: the Quantitative Paradigm or the Qualitative Paradigm. We were quickly shown characteristics of each, but at the risk of over simplifying, repeatable results are from the quantitative side. Each field of research typically follows only one paradigm, with the fields of Education, Sociology, and History listed among those offering Qualitative degrees. Among the five qualitative research traditions, the Case Study — exploration of a bound system — is the best for numismatic research.

Both research paradigms use the same 5-point methodology, so for our numismatic research to be accepted by the researchers in other fields, it is best that we follow it, too. The five steps are:

• Statement of the problem.
• Review of the problem.
• Collection of data.
• Analysis of data.
• Conclusions and recommendations.

In the 1860s, numismatics was considered an observational science like geology, astronomy, and others. Since then, those sciences have developed around the world — but numismatics did not keep up in the US. By following the above five steps in the presentation of his research, Lawrence hopes to raise the appreciation of numismatics, as a science, among his colleagues in other fields. So, where was Fort Atkinson?

Soon after the War of 1812, to dissuade British fur traders operating out of Canada from establishing themselves on US territory, Fort Atkinson was established on the west bank of the Missouri River, at what is now the northern reaches of Omaha, Nebraska. The short life of the fort resulted from the increased trade to the southwest that was much larger than the trade to the northwest. The Santa Fe Trail trade route quickly grew in importance soon after Fort Atkinson opened; after some years, Fort Atkinson was abandoned in favor of forts along the Santa Fe Trail. During its short existence, the fort was the last large community encountered by travellers heading up the Missouri River.

In only one year, 1823, did the number of soldiers stationed at the fort fall below 400 — in total, the resulting community consisted of more than a thousand easterners. It was not just civilians who set up outside the walls of the fort; some of the fort’s storehouses, workshops, and residences were located outside the walls. There was never any military action at the fort; this was a base, from which soldiers did go on some missions. One of the patrols was a monthly trip to the town of Franklin to escort the payroll. The town of Franklin was on the Missouri River, located between St. Louis and what is now Kansas City; it is generally recognized as the eastern end of the Santa Fe Trail. Never heard of Franklin? That is because a Missouri River flood soon wiped it out.

Fort Atkinson was built near the edge of a bluff 20 feet above the Missouri River. today it is a good site for archeological searches because the river channel, years ago, moved far to the east, away from the fort. Built above ground mainly of cottonwood, the fort burned down soon after it was abandoned, and the area saw only light development in the following years. Years later, a farm house was built inside the old fort’'s footprint; pigs were raised, resulting in the pig burial pit that is shown among the sites identified by archeologists. We saw a photo of a brick lined cellar uncovered during a 1956 excavation; more excavations have been made over the years, as resources are available. We also saw photos of a reconstruction of the old fort, but it must have been built away from the old site so as not to interfere with the ongoing digs. Only a small part of the old site has been excavated. We saw maps showing old structure remnants as well as found articles, including something identified as Feature #34 Hoard which, although having a total face value of only $1.16¼, is the largest found grouping of coins.

No, there was no half of a Half Cent found — it was mostly Spanish Colonial coins and pieces, but it did have an 1805 half penny from Ireland as well as an 1821 US dime (the only one found so far in the fort). According to records, the fort’s monthly payroll arrived as United States Half Dollars. A soldier earned $5 each month, paid as ten half dollars. He did not keep the money for long — there were bills to pay and things to buy: a sutler (shop keeper) was there, and his one-year diary provides details to researchers; a laundress charged 6¼¢, so a new half dollar would be cut into eighths; and there were the usual diversions on a lonely outpost after payday. But soldier’s pay was not the only economy present; others that mixed and ran in parallel included the fur trade, where each animal’s pelt was its own denomination, as well as trade goods (which included Spanish silver coins).

All of the found coins are considered to be lost items; the Feature #34 mentioned above was found near what was the paymaster office, so this is probably just a lost pouch of small change instead of a soldier’s life savings. Of the 130 coins found to date, none was gold and six were copper. Most of the silver was found as individual pieces, most likely lost through floor boards or other means. We saw two complete US half dollars dated 1817; that is not representative of the found items because only 10% of them are from the US, and six of them are pieces of half dollars. Virtually all of the others are from Spanish South America or Spain, with about a quarter of them cut. Cut by a chissel, axe, or knife, the resulting cut edge was sharp; put the piece in a pouch and after a while all the jostling results in a tear and lost coins.

Feature #34 also included some light weight tools originally identified as steelyard scale, hammer, chisel, and files. While most considered these to be just general tools, Dr. Lee saw more to them. The box of dirtly pieces did not look like much, but when he showed us a line drawing of a steelyard scale, with the individual components identified, we appreciated what they had found: the tools to create, measure, and adjust cut coins. In addition to showing us tables arranging the coins by weight or host coin, we also saw arrangments of the modified pieces by such characteristics as a cut coin’s source location on the original coin and details of the hole in holed pieces. There are characteristics unique to the production of drilled and punched holes, and the wear pattern of an enlarged hole provides clues as to how a holed coin was used. Were holed coins strung in bundles, or attached as ornaments to clothes and other objects?

Much more was mentioned and shown during the presentation, including a love token and acknowledging the assistance of the Central States Numismatic Society But you who did not attend our meeting are not out of luck; look for the book The Coins of Fort Atkinson by Lawrence J. Lee later this year. We will include ordering details when the book is available.

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Show and Tell

Items shown at our Sep 10, 2014 meeting,
reported by Marc Stackler

1. Eugene Freeman talked about 3 coins:
   1. A photo of a Dulmen, Germany POW camp (WWI), 1 mark made of iron. The coin was meant as currency within the camp for Allied prisoners. Eugene just sold this particular specimen to a customer in Australia, whose grandfather had been imprisoned in this camp.
   2. Colombia (Republic of Nueva Granada), 1844 8 reales, silver, with assayer initials of RS.
   3. Panama, error coin, 1975 5 Balboas. The design is that of the Franklin Mint, which would have struck 5 balboas in 0.925 silver. However, the contract went to the Royal Canadian mint, which struck the coin in copper-nickel, but neglected to remove “LEY 0.925” from the reverse die.
2. Bob Feiler showed these items:
   1. Four sample medals from the die sinker of our 2014 Ferris Wheel (95th anniversary) club medal.
   2. Undated silver eagle blank, slabbed by IGC.
   3. Artic Territories “fantasy” notes in denominations of 1½, 3½, and 12 Polar dollars — cold hard cash, indeed.
3. Bill Burd brought the first medal issued by the American Numismatic Society. The medal was issued in 1866 to commemorate the life and death of Abraham Lincoln. The obverse Latin inscription “SALVATOR PATRIAE” translates to “Savior of his Country.” It was struck in bronze and white metal by Emil Sigel, a die sinker in NY City who also produced many civil war tokens. Mintage is unknown, but believed to be about 100 pieces. In a paper read by Andrew Abriskie at ANS on Dec. 6, 1900, he stated that only 19 bronze medals were struck before the die broke. Another die was made with minor changes in wording. Bill’s bronze medal is one of the original 19, and is from the John J. Ford Jr. Collection.
4. Steve Zitowsky brought 2 items:
   1. 1936-KN Penny, British West Africa, Pattern Shilling (Pn7), in nickel-brass (vs. tin-brass for the coins for circulation). Given the even wear on both sides of the coin, this coin must have circulated.
   2. Hungary, 500 Forint, 2002 BP, “The Turk, Farkas Kempelen’s Chess Machine.” The chess machine is from the late 18th century and was exhibited as a mechanical device that played against (and beat) human chess players. In fact there was a person inside, who was able to interpret the opponent’s moves and most often win.
5. Mark Wieclaw displayed 4 coins:
   1. 1967 Washington Quarter, which Mark walked across the Potomac (crossing a bridge, not on the water), to commemorate the tale of George Washington’s having thrown a silver dollar* across the river. *(Most likely a Spanish colonial 8 reales.)
   2. Pewter copy of the Brasher Doubloon, struck at the 2014 ANA convention.
   3. From Roman Egypt, a Tetradrachm of Antoninus Pius, 138-161 AD. On the reverse, the goddess Isis is sailing towards the lighthouse located on the island of Pharos off of Alexandria. The lighthouse was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and the only one ever alluded to on a Roman coin.
   4. Sterling silver medal from the Chicago Times: WJJD Quiz-Down. WJJD was a radio station. In 1948 the Chicago Times merged with the Sun to form the Chicago Sun-Times. The medal is most likely circa 1930s-40s.
6. Jim McMenamin brought 4 coins that he talked about.
   1. 1642 A (Paris Mint) 5 Sols, silver. Obverse: portrait head of Louis XIII. The “Sols” was derived from the Roman solidus. The French eventually pronounced and spelled it “sous.” The other interesting characteristic of the coin is that it is an early example of French milled coinage.
   2. 1935 (Paris mint) 5 francs, nickel, 31 mm. diameter. This and the next 2 coins, from a period of ten years, are virtually the same size and design, while the metals and weights are different.
   3. 1940 (Paris mint) 5 francs, nickel-bronze.
   4. 1945 (Paris mint) 5 francs, aluminum. On the reverse is a small cornucopia, which served as a mintmark for the Paris mint.
7. Dale Lukanich showed 4 nineteenth-century notes:
   1. 1836 $1 obsolete note from Buffalo, NY, with vignettes of the Erie Canal and a train. This from a company that ran a stage line.
   2. 1826 $3 obsolete note from the Merchants Bank of New York.
   3. Two notes, $5 and $10, issued by the Chambersburg & Bedford Turnpike Road, 1819. These were given in payment for goods.
8. Jeff Rosinia brought in a book from the 1933 Century of Progress exposition in Chicago, and reminded us that, as the event marked by the fourth star in the Chicago flag, the 2015 convention medal from the ANA will show some aspect of that expo.
9. Marc Stackler brought club memorabilia from the Sociedad Numismatica de Mexico (SNM):
   1. September 11, 2014 is the 62nd anniversary of the Society. The first item was a book chronicling the first 35 years of the Society, written by Gustavo del Angel Mobarak. In May 1986, the author became the first Mexican YN to receive a scholarship to attend the ANA Summer Seminar, where he was instructed by Q. David Bowers and Ken Bresset, among others. This book copy belonged to Florence Schook (a past ANA president) and was inscribed thanking her. Florence had presented the scholarship to the author at the May 1986 SNM Convention.
   2. The SNM’s Numismatic Bulletin from April-June 2000, which included a tribute to the late Jose Tamborrel, one of the founders of the SNM. The tribute was written by Clyde Hubbard, another of the founding members. A photo of Tamborrel and Hubbard was shown.
   3. A silver commemorative medal featuring the 1947-48 5 Pesos Cuauhtémoc design.
   4. A 1969 1 peso note, overprinted with an advertisement for the 1978 SNM Convention. On the front it was signed by Duane Douglas, another active member of the SNM who is a dealer in Mexico City and has been holding auctions at SNM conventions since the 1970s.
   5. A “calling card” from Miguel Munoz, past president of the SNM and author. Among his many writings is an article on the history of the Mexican Peso, included in the Chicago Coin Club’s Perspective in Numismatics. The “calling card” is a 2x2 plastic flip with the author’s contact information and a cocoa bean. Cocoa beans were traditional money — means of exchange from Aztec times until the early 1900s (in some sections of southern Mexico and Central America.)
10. Phil Carrigan showed three items
    1. A large 1884 bronze medal of numismatist Charles Edward Anthon, by the ANS.
    2. All five catalogs of the auction of the Anthon collection. He cataloged his own collection, but he died after the third of five sessions.
    3. His 2014 ANA President’s medal.

Our 1150th Meeting

Important Dates

Unless stated otherwise, our regular monthly CCC Meeting is in downtown Chicago on the second Wednesday of the month; the starting time is 6:45PM.

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CHICAGO COIN CLUB
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