| Volume 62 No. 4 | April 2016 |
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Does anyone have experience making simple videos? If there is a simple way of making videos, the club could try recording our featured programs as well as the Show & Tell presentations. It is easy to make bad and boring videos — start with bad focus and an inaudible sound track, show the same text for two minutes while an off-camera voice reads it, and you are on your way!
We would like to learn from any group — it need not be a coin club — that has made interesting videos. Please let us know if you know of any such group, or if you know of any good reference guide. It would even be okay if you have first-hand experience. Just email me to start.
It should be easy to make a raw two-minute video using any of the new smart phones; we would need an editing app after the meeting to get it down to a one-minute smooth flowing video. That is the level of effort needed for one item at Show & Tell. A video of a complete featured program would require an effort thirty to sixty times as large, so my guess is a video of a complete program is years away. Maybe we can experiment this year with a few volunteers during Show & Tell. If we find the equipment and workers to do it. Does anyone know if other clubs have had success in recording part of a meeting?
Paul Hybert, editor
Session I of the 1167th meeting of the Chicago Coin Club was held March 9, 2016 in the Chicago Bar Association Building, 321 S. Plymouth Court, Downtown Chicago. President Elliott Krieter called the meeting to order at 6:45 PM with 22 members and 2 guests present, Nick and Steven Shultis.
A motion was passed to accept the Minutes as published in the Chatter with the addition that Mark Wieclaw gave every attendee one of the new quarters honoring Shawnee National Forest. Treasurer Steve Zitowsky gave a detailed financial report for February showing $161.46 in revenue and $169.95 in expenses, held in Life Membership $2,290.00 and Club Equity $25,295.62. A motion was passed accepting the report. William Burd reported an audit of the 2014 and 2015 financial records, found everything in order, and asked for a round of applause thanking Steve for all his work.
The Secretary announced Winston Zack submitted a Life Membership Application. Upcoming featured programs include:
President Krieter announced:
Mark Wieclaw, Chairman of the Club’s 100th Anniversary Exploratory Committee, reported a meeting with Bill Burd and Dale Lukanich. They intend to propose a list of committees and ask members to volunteer their time and talents.
A show of hands revealed six members plan to attend the August 9-13 ANA Convention in Anaheim, CA. Robert Leonard volunteered to contact Mark Anderson, President of the New York Numismatic Club, regarding a joint dinner.
Under National Coin Week (April 17-23) announcements:
First V.P. Richard Lipman introduced featured speaker Dale Lukanich who delivered a presentation A Historic Reign — The 2015 Canadian Commemorative $20 Bank Note. Following several questions, Dale was presented with an ANA Educational Certificate.
The Secretary announced the evening’s exhibitors. MARK WIECLAW: cut-out pendant of Mercury dimes and Standing Liberty quarter, antoninianus of Maximianus (286-305AD), and Roman Republic denarius of C.Caecilius Metellus Caprarius (125BC). RICHARD HAMILTON: American Banknote Archive Series Engravings, Blue Ridge Railroad $1000 Bond, and Willy’s Overland Stock Certificate. DALE LUKANICH: Bank of Washington, NC uncut sheet of $3, $4, $5, and $10 banknotes (1860). RICHARD LIPMAN: .5oz gold coin of First Spouse Pat Nixon, book Coin Collector’s Survival Manual by Scott Travers, and $20 National Bank Note, 1929 Series, Hershey, PA. ROBERT LEONARD: token from Green Mill Lounge, Chicago used to play “26 Game” 1945-1960. DARREN HOOPER: 1893-S Morgan dollarand 1877 Indian Cent. PHIL CARRIGAN: Calvary Church of Montreal medal in bronze (Leroux #1441) and Prince of Wales Typhoid Recovery medal in silver, 1872 (Breton #173).
The meeting was recessed at 8:22 PM and will reconvene at 1 PM, Saturday, March 19 at the Chicago Paper Money Expo, Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 N. River Road, Rosemont, IL.
Session II of the 1167th meeting of the Chicago Coin Club was held March 19, 2016 in conjunction with the Chicago Paper Money Expo, held at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare Hotel, 5440 N. River Road, Rosemont, IL. President Elliott Krieter called the meeting to order at 1:00 PM with 27 members and guests present.
A motion was passed to hold an abbreviated agenda. Second V.P. Marc Stackler introduced Roger Urce who delivered a presentation on China’s Post War Military Currency for Indochina Featuring Chinese Customs Gold Units. Following several questions, Marc presented Roger with an engraved Club medal and an ANA Educational Certificate.
Jeff Rosinia was introduced as the author of the meeting’s souvenir card on The Fort Dearborn National Bank of Chicago. Jeff spoke on the bank’s history while cards were passed out to everyone.
The application of Connor Falk received first reading. The Secretary announced that member window buttons were available for $5 at the Club table. 2016 membership cards were also available from the Treasurer.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:38PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Carl Wolf,
Secretary
a presentation by Dale Lukanich,
to our March 9, 2016 meeting
Queen Elizabeth II became Canada’s longest reigning sovereign on September 9, 2015. In recognition of this milestone, the Bank of Canada issued a commemorative bank note in Polymer. Dale started the presentation by showing the the predecessor versions of the $20. From 2004 to 2011, the paper bill included a polymer vertical stripe in which some security features were embedded. (Polymer is a type of plastic.) An entirely polymer bill was used from 2012 to 2015, and a clear vertical band (known as a window) contains holographic images of a building and of the Queen (which is in full color, and matches the bill’s large central vignette of the Queen). The commemorative bill issued in 2015 is based on the 2012-2015 issue, with changes made to the holographic images within the vertical window. The dominant color of all three of these bills is green, and they all feature a large current depiction of the Queen.
Why use polymer? The life of a polymer bill is estimated at 2.5 times the life of the predecessor cotton paper bill, and holograms can be printed onto a polymer. But the transition to polymer was not simple — the normal inks do not work on a polymer, so some time and effort were needed to perfect the ink. With the fundamentals worked out for the 2012-2015 issues of all denominations, the Bank of Canada used this issue of 40 million bills to try out some new things.
The holographic image of the Queen is based upon a photo taken in 1951 by Yousuf Karsh. The same photo was the basis for the image used on the 1954 Canadian Landscape series of bills. Her tiara was not used on the 1954 series, but it appears this time — this is the first Canadian bill to show Queen Elizabeth wearing any type of crown. The text under the Queen is A HISTORIC REIGN in both English and French, and appears both forward and reversed (a line that appears in reverse from one side of the bill appears forward from the other side).
Lower in the window are more colorful holographic symbols. (Some documents refer to the holographic images as metallic images due to their shiny appearance.) There is the St. Edward’s Crown, the Queen’s E II R monogram, and 13 maple leaves representing Canada’s 13 provinces and territories.
To the benefit of members who have not kept up with the features of the Canadian polymer bills, Dale then described the details that are common with the regular issue $20 polymer bill. The large portrait of the Queen is an engraving by Jorge Pearl of the Canadian Bank Note Company, and it is based upon a photograph commissioned by the bank and taken by Ian Jones. The transparent maple leaf is visible from both sides of the bill, and illuminating it with a laser pointer produces two instances of $20, arranged in a ring. For people with limited vision, a system of raised bumps on the top left of the front indicates the denomination; six bumps, arranged in two columns of three bumps, are in a group, and the presence of three such groups indicates a $20 bill. A $5 bill has one six-dot group, and a $10 has two six-dot groups. There are no serial numbers on the front of the bill — the number appears twice on the back.
The back of the bill features the Vimy Memorial in the center, with poppies on the far left and far right sides. The memorial honors the sixty thousand Canadians who died in WW I, and for more than eleven thousand Canadians, this is the only marker with their name. The poppies, now used as a symbol of remembrance, are another item with ties to WW I.
As bills go through ATMs and counters, scratches accumulate on the surface. These are especially noticeable on the security window. How will the grading services treat these hairlines? Dale ended his presentation with a short quiz: What was the first time Elizabeth’s likeness was used on a Canadian bank note? The $20 of the 1935 series showed Princess Elizabeth!
by Roger Urce,
presented to our March 19, 2016 meeting
What is now Viet Nam, Cambodia and the Lao PDR had been under French control since the mid-19th century. At the beginning of World War II in Europe, France was quickly defeated by Germany and the French Vichy government was established. Vichy sent new people to Hanoi and Saigon in 1940 and 1941 to replace those who were pro-Free French.
At the same time, the Japanese demanded the French stop allowing supplies to be shipped to China. As a result of this and other actions, the United States embargoed steel, oil, and other supplies from being exported to Japan or its allies. This ultimately led to the attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The Japanese agreed to an unconditional surrender on August 15, 1945.
Two to three years before the Japanese surrender, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt told General Chiang Kai Shek, then president of China and army commander-in-chief, that he wanted him to take the surrender of the Japanese in Indochina when the time arrived. Chiang would also be given control of Indochina to put the Vietnamese, Lao, and Cambodians on the path to their own independent governments free of the French.
The French complained after learning of Roosevelt’s plan, which resulted in Roosevelt having to take back most of what he had said to Chiang. But Roosevelt continued to go back and forth with the other Allies whether or not to allow the French to regain Indochina and Cochinchina as colonies. FDR’s vision was to have all of the former colonies in the world become their own independent countries.
Toward the end of the war, the United Nations voted to have the Chinese take the Japanese surrender north of the 16th parallel and have the British take the surrender south of that line and to return the Japanese back to their homeland. After those tasks were completed, they were to depart and leave the political situation to resolve itself. The British and Chinese favored the French coming back, which is eventually what happened.
The Chinese were slowly formulating plans for taking the surrender and occupying northern Indochina, because they expected the war to continue for two or more years. As a result of the surprise dropping of the atomic bombs and the sudden Japanese surrender, Chinese plans had to be accelerated. Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnamese independence on September 2, 1945 and the Chinese started overprinting in Chinese “Issued for use in Viet Nam” (some have translated to An Nam, the old Chinese name for Viet Nam), but they were not available in sufficient quantities.
These “Viet Nam” overprinted notes consist of the five, ten, and fifty Yuan notes from the Central Bank of China 1945 series, and are all of similar design. The front of the 10 Yuan piece shows a vignette of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen with the denomination to the right in the guilloche and in all four corners. The back of all these issues shows the denomination in English numerals in the corners and in a central guilloche. The notes are engraved both front and back and are the product of a Chinese printer.
On the face of these notes, under the name of the bank, are five Chinese characters which translate to: ISSUED FOR USE IN VIET NAM. The Standard Catalog of World Paper Money identifies the five Yuan as P269A, the ten as P272, and the 50 Yuan as P276. All denominations are quite rare and very few specimens and unissued pieces are known to exist.
According to Vietnamese, Chinese, and Overseas Chinese during the Chinese Occupation of Northern Indochina (1945-1946) by David G. Marr, Chinese divisions crossed the border into Indochina on August 20, 1945. An advance party of General Lu Han’s staff arrived in Hanoi on September 9. On September 14, the general flew into Hanoi along with a disciplined division of his Yunnan-based army.
The more bedraggled divisions had walked in northern Indochina and pillaged their way to their assigned locations. These units were in contrast, and appeared inferior, to the defeated Japanese army, as evidenced by their tattered uniforms and emaciated bodies. More and more Chinese military arrived and it is estimated they numbered over 100,000 before their ultimate withdrawal in 1946. Again, according to Marr, the influx tripled the number of resident Chinese in northern Vietnam.
General Lu Han, in short order, met with Ho Chi Minh, who had named himself provisional president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN). They discussed feeding the Chinese, repairing the infrastructure of the country, the size of the Vietnamese Army, and, most importantly, establishing the currency exchange rates.
With not enough overprinted Chinese notes available for use in Viet Nam and Laos, the Chinese had to quickly find other notes. There were many Chinese Customs Gold Units dated 1930 in the Central Bank of China vaults, and it was decided they would be used in both northern Viet Nam and northern Laos. These notes, all engraved, were produced by the American Bank Note Company.
Customs Gold Units valued at 10 and 20 Cents and one, five, and ten CGU were issued in May of 1930 but only used for paying customs duties. The importer had to use gold or a hard currency to buy the CGUs, and then use the CGUs to pay their import duties. This allowed China to pay off their many foreign bonds that were sold in many countries around the world.
Ho wanted the exchange rate based on the American Dollar, but that was rejected by Lu Han. He set the rate at 1.5 Piastres to one CGU. Other information places the exchange rate at par. This, along with the main goal of taking the Japanese surrender, was to acquire as many Piastres as possible because they could be used on the international markets whereas the CGU could not. Goods and property were also purchased from the Vietnamese using CGU. This overvalued the Chinese currency, and devalued the Piastre, and, according to US Army Col. Archimedes La Patti, who was the American Liaison officer (OSS–CIA) in Vietnam at the time, the Chinese currency “became one of the tools for the financial exploitation of Viet Nam.”
Marr goes on to say that the DRV, fearful of the Chinese buying rice with inflated bank notes, led Ho to promise that his government would supply the Chinese with rice and grain in an effort to keep the peace and keep the Chinese from involving itself with the new DRV government which was still in its infancy. There were a number of incidents where Chinese troops had seized rice and food stuffs, taken money from local merchants, and intimidated not only the Vietnamese but the resident Chinese population. Ho had little choice but to let these incidents pass and to cooperate with Lu Han and his occupying army fearing that in not doing so, the Chinese could help pave the way for the return of the French.
According to Chinese Banknotes, the notes represented, as the name indicates, a quantity of gold, at first equivalent to US$ 0.40. For 11 years, they were not allowed to circulate, but in early 1941, they decided to make the 10 cents through 10 CGU notes legal tender at a rate of 1 CGU to 20 Yuan, but eventually it climbed to 40 Yuan. Twenty and 50 CGU notes were also issued at that time.
The main vignette on the face of the Customs Gold Units is that of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen (1866-1925). During the late 1800s and early 1900s, he traveled the world promoting a revolution against the Imperial Qing Dynasty, which had ruled China since the mid-17th century. Sun wanted China to become a republic and to modernize the country. He was the leader of the 1911 Revolution, which did overthrow the imperial government and was elected as the first president of the Republic of China.
Centered near the bottom of the note is a multi-colored guilloche. For the 10 and 20 cent notes, the character at the top right translates to “Customs House” while the character below on the right is the symbol for gold. The two characters on the left denote the denomination. The denominations are also printed in all four corners.
These notes have letterpress serial numbers in red on both the face and back of the note: the ten cent note, measuring 58x118mm, is a purple in color while the 20 cent note, which is larger, 66x128mm, is green. Serial numbers on all of these issues are on the back, except for the fifty CGU where it is on the face of the note. Again the color, size, and style of the guilloche are different.
Beginning with the one CGU piece, the notes become larger in size and the characters are all in vertical format. The five, ten, and 20 CGU notes follow the same format on their faces with two exceptions: the serial numbers are only printed on the back and the characters in the guilloche are in a single column and read from top to bottom. The top character again translates to “Customs House” with the second character the symbol for gold. The denomination is next followed by the symbol for yuan or dollar. The colors change with the denominations.
The main vignette on the back of the notes is, fittingly, the Shanghai Customs House. The original structure was constructed in the late 17th century by the Qing Dynasty and was known as the Grand Customs House and was located outside the Shanghai city gate. Over the years the original building was replaced and relocated in Shanghai and ultimately, in 1927, the building pictured on the note was constructed and remains a customs house to this day. Below the framed vignette of the building is the obligation: PROMISES TO PAY THE BEARER ON DEMAND AT ITS OFFICE HERE. Below is the denomination noted in customs gold units. At bottom, in the frame, is “SHANGHAI 1930”
On April 1, 1942 the 100 CGU was placed into circulation. In January 1947, Central Bank of China released the brown 250 and blue 500 customs gold units. This was about six months after the last of the Chinese military left Laos and Viet Nam and returned to China.
Customs Gold Units in another series of denominations were released starting in 1947. This included the only two pieces in horizontal format, P-333 (100 CGU) and P-334 (500 CGU). Although released in 1947, some of the notes were actually printed in 1930 and these appear without the 1947 date on the back. The denominations range from 100 to 10,000 CGU. The last series issued in 1948 with the date at the bottom on the back of the note had denominations ranging from 2000 to the highest denomination in the series of 250,000 CGU. As with many currency issues, counterfeits and spurious pieces exist.
Besides those printed by ABNC, the remainder of the notes were printed by seven other printers: three Chinese printers (as determined by the number of Chinese characters at the bottom on the face of the notes), Thomas De La Rue of London, Security Bank Note Company, the Chung Hua Book Company, and Waterlow and Sons.
In addition to use by the occupying Chinese army in Vietnam, there are unconfirmed reports that CGU were used to pay The Flying Tigers, the US pilots and enlisted personnel who operated in the China-Burma Theater and fought with the Chinese Air Force in 1941 and 1942.
Smith/Matravers remarks: “From a design standpoint, this series has little to be said for it. The original notes were hardly inspired and later issues are, except for 301-20 and -23 [the horizontal pieces], routine copies. Other than size and color, the only point of difference lies in whether the view of the Shanghai Custom House is from the left, right or dead center.” It can be said that Smith/Matravers makes a valid point, however, as with many currency issues modified or otherwise changed due to conflict, these notes tell an interesting story.
Bibliography
| CSNS Convention | Chicago Coin Company |
| PCDA Convention | Harlan J. Berk, Ltd. |
Items shown at our March 9, 2016 meeting,
| Date: | April 13, 2016, First session |
| Time: | 6:45 PM |
| Location: | Downtown Chicago
At the Chicago Bar Association, 321 S. Plymouth Court, 3rd floor meeting room. Please remember the security measures at our meeting building: everyone must show their photo-ID and register at the guard’s desk. Nearby parking: South Loop Self Park, 318 South Federal Street; that is two short blocks west of our meeting site. Note: Their typical rate of $33 is reduced to $9 if you eat at the Plymouth Restaurant, 327 S. Plymouth Court (next to our meeting site at the CBA) — show the restaurant your parking ticket, and ask for a parking voucher. The restaurant offers standard sandwiches, burgers, and salads for members who want to meet for dinner. Members start arriving at 5pm. |
| Featured Program: | Deven Kane
— Bull and Horseman Jital Coinage of 750AD-1300AD
In eastern Afghanistan about 750AD, coins appeared showing a strong design of a humped bull lying on the ground on one side and a horseman with a spear on the other side. Initially minted from high purity silver, the coins were popular and accepted far and wide. Over the next 600 years this design would spread to northern India and eventually as far away as Persia. Join Deven as he covers this unique series of coinage, called Jitals, from its origins to its adoption by the Turks, Mongols, and Islamic kingdoms. Everyone attending this program will come away with insight into cultural diffusion and shall see the bull and horseman design on these coins evolve to satisfy the iconoclastic urges of religion until the coin was eventually replaced. |
| Date: | April 16, 2016, Second session |
| Time: | 1:00 PM |
| Location: | At the Chicago International Coin Fair (CICF), which is held at the the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 North River Road, Rosemont, IL. No admission charge for our meeting. |
| Featured speaker: | Bruce Bartelt
— Wild and Exotic Beasts: Animals on the Coins Celebrating Rome’s Millennium
Romans celebrated the 1000th anniversary of their city in 248 AD. Emperor Philip staged lavish spectacles including the display of wild and exotic beasts brought to Rome from all corners of their vast empire. Examples of this menagerie are depicted on a series of Roman coins struck to commemorate the games that marked the beginning of a new era. Be sure to attend this meeting as Bruce provides an examination of these coins and the animals they portray. Everyone will gain insights into the propaganda efforts that promoted the accomplishments of Emperor Philip, plus the historical and cultural context in which Romans viewed animals as a source of entertainment. |
| Date: | April 30, 2016, Third session |
| Time: | 1:00 PM |
| Location: | At the Central States Numismatic Society (CSNS) Convention, which is held at the Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center, 1551 N. Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg, IL. |
| Featured speaker: | Mark Borckardt
— Discovery of the Reverend Dr. James McClure Coin Collection
James McClure began coin collecting as a boy circa 1860 and maintained his interest up until his death in 1932. The collection lay untouched in Chicago safety deposit boxes for 84 years and in January came to the attention of Heritage Auctions. The Reverend Doctor James Gore King McClure was born in New York in 1848 and relocated to Lake Forest, Illinois in 1881. He served as a pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Lake Forest until 1905 when he accepted a position as president of Chicago’s McCormick Theological Seminary. Highlights from his impressive collection include a 1794 silver dollar, 1796 and 1797 half dollars, 1836, 1838, and 1839 Gobrecht dollars in Proof-63 and Proof-64 grades, a Gem 1895-O Morgan dollar certified MS65+, a 1921-S half dollar certified MS66, and many more exquisite pieces any collector would be proud to own. His collection also held a substantial collection of Civil War storecards including a couple hundred red and brown gem examples. Heritage will auction the collection in June at the Long Beach Expo. Be sure to attend this program and hear Club Member Mark Borckardt tell the story of the collection’s discovery, the rarities it holds, and how the collection remained in the same holders and coin trays assembled by Rev. McClure. This promises to be a fascinating presentation and those who attend will look inside a numismatic time-capsule and come away with insights into what coin collecting was like 84 years ago. This is an opportunity not to be missed. |
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.
| April | 13 | CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker - Deven Kane on Bull and Horseman Jital Coinage of 750AD-1300AD |
| April | 15-17 | 42nd annual Chicago International Coin Fair (CICF) at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 North River Road, Rosemont, IL. Admission is $5 for Friday and Saturday; free on Sunday. For details, refer to their website, http://www.cicfshow.com. |
| April | 16 | CCC Meeting - 1pm at the CICF host hotel,
the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL,
which is across River Road from the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center,
the site of the CICF bourse and auction.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker - Bruce Bartelt on Wild and Exotic Beasts: Animals on the Coins Celebrating Rome’s Millennium |
| April | 28-30 | 77th Anniversary Convention of the Central States Numismatic Society at the Schaumburg Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center, 1551 North Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg, IL. Free public admission. For details, refer to their website, http://www.centralstates.info/conv.html. |
| April | 30 | CCC Meeting - 1pm at the CSNS Convention,
which is held at the Schaumburg Convention Center.
Featured Speaker - Mark Borckardt on Discovery of the Reverend Dr. James McClure Coin Collection |
| May | 11 | CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker - to be announced |
| June | 8 | CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker - to be announced |
http://www.ChicagoCoinClub.org/
All correspondence pertaining to Club matters
should be addressed to the Secretary and mailed to:
CHICAGO COIN CLUB
P.O. Box 2301
CHICAGO, IL 60690
| Elected positions (two-year terms): | |
| Elliott Krieter | - President |
| Richard Lipman | - First Vice President |
| Marc Stackler | - Second Vice President |
| William Burd | - Archivist |
| Directors: | Steve Ambos
Melissa Gumm Dale Lukanich Mark Wieclaw |
| Appointed positions: | |
| Jeffrey Rosinia | - Immediate Past President |
| Carl Wolf | - Secretary |
| Steve Zitowsky | - Treasurer |
| Paul Hybert | - Chatter Editor, webmaster |
| Robert Feiler | - ANA Club Representative |
chatter_editor@yahoo.com
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