• Contents of this Issue
  • Notes
  • Minutes of the 1219th Meeting
  • The Big Story of the Little Dime
  • Exhibits
  • Minutes of the Chicago Coin Club Board of Directors
  • Upcoming Meeting
  • Important Dates
  • Chatter Matter
  • Share This Issue!
• Other Chatter Issues
  • Prior Issue
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• Contact Editor

Chatter

Editor’s Notes

We seem to be adjusting to our online meetings. A recent entry level PC should provide acceptable real-time video and audio – just remember, the newer the better. Also, acceptable performance will require a good network connection. Instead of guessing at a minimal data rate, I suggest you verify your device can play some online videos in real time. Our page of instructions, to participate in our online meetings, has links to YouTube videos on using the Webex service we will be using. If you have no problems with those videos, there is a good chance you will have no problems with our meeting.

An email will be sent to all members a day or two before our regular July meeting, containing an invitation (as a link) to participate in our July online meeting. If you received an invitation to a prior online meeting, you should receive an invitation to our September online meeting. If you did not receive an invitation to a prior online meeting, email the club secretary, at secretary.chicagocoinclub@gmail.com and request an invitation.

If you could not connect to a prior online meeting, please email the Club Secretary with as many details as you can remember. A club member will help you resolve the issue.

Paul Hybert, editor

Minutes of the 1219th Meeting

The 1219th meeting of the Chicago Coin Club was called to order by President Richard Lipman at 6:45 PM CDT, Wednesday, August 12, 2020. Due to the pandemic shutdown, the meeting was online, with 33 members and guests.

The July minutes were approved as printed in the August Chatter. Elliott Krieter gave the July Treasurer’s Report, showing $500 revenue and zero expenses. The report was approved.

Announcements:

• Marc Ricard: The virtual Numismatic Bibliomania Society Annual General Meeting will be on August 28, 11AM-1PM EDT. The literature auction will be offline, and will close on August 31.
• John Kent: Greater Chicago Coin and Currency Show, Tinley Park Convention Center, 18451 Convention Center Dr., Tinley Park, IL 60174, is still scheduled for September 17-19. The Illinois Numismatic Association Annual Convention, September 10-12, 2020, Tinley Park has been cancelled.
• Laurence Edwards: The Early American Coppers educational seminars will be presented online as part of the ANA Money Talks series.
• Mark Wieclaw: Pegasi Numismatics, Ann Arbor, Michigan, has closed.
• Upcoming club featured programs include:
  • September 9 – Madeline Rodriguez, The Effect World War II had on U.S. Coinage.
  • October 14 – Lawrence Lee, The Crane Collection of Indian Peace Medals (tentative as his book on this is going to press soon).
  • January 13, 2021 – James McMenamin, Latin Monetary Union of the 19th Century.

Lyle Daly introduced Jeff Rosinia, who gave the featured program Big Story of the Little Dime (The Polio Pandemic and the U.S. Dime). There were many questions and answers, plus shared experiences about the polio pandemic.

Second VP John Riley announced the evening’s 6 exhibitors.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:29 PM CDT.

Respectfully Submitted,
Carl F. Wolf, Secretary

Speaker’s Wor[l]d
The Big Story of the Little Dime

presented by Jeffrey J. Rosinia,
to our August 12, 2020 meeting.

Media reports contain daily infection and death numbers. Quarantines are ordered. Restrictions on public gatherings and travel are implemented and opposed. The virus affects urban and rural areas, rich and poor. Fundraisers are held to raise money for development of a cure. The health of citizens versus the health of economy is debated. The government scrambles to control the disease while doctors, scientists, and the medical community work on vaccines and therapy.

It is not the coronavirus of 2020 – it was Polio in the 1940s and 1950s. That is how Jeff started his presentation, and the similarities between then and now recurred throughout the presentation.

Coins are a reflection of history and society. In these days of global pandemic, we are reminded that changes in coinage have come about because of the health of our nation and leaders. The design and release of the Roosevelt dime was a direct result of a President who was paralyzed by Polio, and his efforts to battle the disease and find a cure for his ailing nation. The design of the Roosevelt dime has is unchanged since its introduction in 1946.

In 1921, at the relatively advanced age of 39, Franklin Roosevelt contracted polio and lost the use of his legs. With the help of the media, careful event planning, and his Secret Service detail, Roosevelt managed to keep the entent of his disease out of the public eye. We saw two pictures which showed Roosevelt in scenes which most people at the time never saw: in an overhead view, we saw people standing around a large touring convertible, with Roosevelt in the back seat while a man held Roosevelt’s straight legs through an open door; in a porch scene, a small girl with a leg brace stands next to Roosevelt seated in a wheelchair. Roosevelt’s personal experience inspired him to better empathize with those handicapped by polio, and prompted him to found, when he was President, the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis – within a few years, this group was popularized as the March of Dimes.

Radio personality Eddie Cantor had a show called The March of Time. In radio broadcasts he encouraged a “March of Dimes,” based on the notion that almost anyone could afford to donate a dime. In January 1938, he and the President urged listeners to donate, and hoped to raise $100,000 to fight polio. Thousands of envelopes containing dimes were mailed to the White House which received 2,680,000 dimes, or $268,000.

Polio took 6 to 20 days to incubate, and stayed contagious for two weeks. The virus, which affects the central nervous system, flourished in contaminated food and water, and was easily transmitted.

Roosevelt was regarded as an effective communicator on radio, the modern medium at the time, and his Fireside Chats between 1933 and 1944 kept him in high public regard throughout his presidency. In his first 100 days in office, Roosevelt introduced legislation that instituted the “New Deal,” a series of programs, public works projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted between 1933 and 1939. Jeff’s uncle, Anthony Wayne Rosinia, wrote The New Deal Under a Microscope, a book about the effects of the New Deal on the American Economy.

After President Roosevelt’s death in 1945, the country wanted to honor the late President who served for twelve years through the Great Depression and World War II. The United States Government and mint quickly worked together to commemorate his life on a coin. The dime was selected in part because of President Roosevelt’s efforts to find a cure for polio. The Roosevelt dime was minted only months after the death of the President and first released on his birthday, January 30, 1946.

Collecting Roosevelt dimes is a good introduction to coin collecting. Roosevelt dimes fill our pocket change, making the coin a natural for novice collectors. Silver coins can be bought for a small premium. The 1965 Coinage Act changed the composition of the dime from 90% silver and 10% copper, to a pure copper inner layer between two outer layers of 75% copper and 25% nickel. Silver dimes and other coins disappeared from circulation as people hoarded them – however, Roosevelt dimes were produced in large enough quantities that they still are easily obtained today. Beautiful colorful toning is often found on silver Roosevelt Dimes.

The obverse design of the dime features FDR’s left facing bust and carries the initials of the designer. “JS,” the initials of the Mint’s Chief Engraver, John Sinnock, caused some controversy – some thought the initials signified Communist leader Joseph Stalin. The reverse of the dime displays a torch signifying liberty, with an olive branch on the left signifying peace, and an oak branch on the right representing strength and independence.

Collectors should know that the Key Coin is the 1949-S dime, with the 1949, 1950-S, 1951-S, 1952-S coins being the Semi-key Coins. Also look for a Doubled-Die Obverse of 1960, and Doubled-Die Reverses of the 1963 and 1964-D dimes.

Proof Coins were made without the ’S’ mintmark in 1968, 1970, 1975, and 1983, while the 1982 no mintmark error dime (minted in Philadelphia but without the ’P’ mintmark), is believed to have less than 15,000 existing. Special versions, made for collectors, include the 2015-P reverse-proof silver dime and the 2015 West Point proof silver dime. These coins were available only in a special silver coin set commemorating the 75th anniversary of the March of Dimes. The set also included a 2015 March of Dimes Proof Silver Dollar.

The 2015 March of Dimes Silver Dollar obverse design represents the past, depicting President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dr. Jonas Salk, two great leaders in the fight against polio. (On the 10th anniversary of FDR’s death, Dr. Jonas Salk had announced that a cure for polio had been found.) The reverse design, designed by Don Everhart, depicts a baby resting in the hand of a parent, representing the foundation’s dedication to the health of babies everywhere.

A pandemic is an outbreak of global proportions. Over the years, several infectious disease outbreaks have occurred and spread across the United States. These epidemics and pandemics have had serious effects on the United States.

• 1633-1634: Smallpox from Europe
• 1793: Yellow Fever from the Caribbean
• 1832-1866: Cholera in Three Waves
• 1858: Scarlet Fever Multiple Waves
• 1906-1907: “Typhoid Mary”
• 1918: H1N1 Influenza Pandemic
• 1921-1925: Diphtheria epidemic
• 1916-1955: The Peak of Polio
• 1957: H2N2 Bird Flu
• 2009: H1N1 Swine Flu
• 1980s to present: HIV and AIDS
• 2020: COVID-19 from China

Influenza during 1918-1919 killed more people than World War One. Between 20 and 40 million people died of the influenza during 1918-1919, more than were killed in World War One. More people died of influenza in a single year than in four years of the Black Death Bubonic Plague from 1347 to 1351. The pandemic infected 25% of the US and 20% of the world. Public health ordinances to were issued to restrain the spread of the disease. Public health departments distributed gauze masks to be worn in public; stores closed and funerals were limited, some towns required a signed certificate to enter, and railroads would not accept passengers without them.

Ordinary citizens bought silver, believing it could cure deadly diseases. Coming after the raw material needs of World War I had caused increases in commodity prices of 200% between 1914 and 1919, silver prices surged to over a dollar an ounce, more than face value of the coins.

Soon, commodity prices collapsed, and curtailed business activity resulted in the 1920-1921 depression, in which Americans hoarded their coins. This lack of demand for silver coinage created some of the greatest coin rarities of the entire 20th century in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. By 1922, the US Mint ceased minting silver coins entirely, except for the 1922 Peace Dollars. Coin Rarities as a result of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic include:

• 1921-D 50¢, 208,000 minted, is the rarest Walking Liberty Half.
• 1921-P 50¢, 246,000 minted, is the second rarest Walker.
• 1921-S 50¢, 548,000 minted, is the fifth rarest Walker.
• The 1921 quarter is the rarest year by date of the 20th century.
• The 1921 year is the rarest year by date of the Mercury Dime series.
• Canadian 1921 silver coins are rare.

Now in 2020, during Covid-19, with many businesses closed for months and customers concerned about spreading the coronavirus through cash, people are using coins less – leading to some shortages of cents, nickels, dimes, and quarters in circulation. (According to the Federal Reserve, the shortage has been caused by a “deceleration of coin circulation” rather than a decreased supply.) People are using credit and debit cards more, due to concerns about spreading the virus by handling cash. While the US Mint had some shut downs due to the virus, it has been operating at full production capacity, minting almost 1.6 billion coins during the month of June.

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Show and Tell

Items shown at our August 12, 2020 meeting,
reported by John Riley.

1. Lyle Daly showed a wide range of metal money.
   1. A lightly circulated 2013-D Roosevelt dime with curious raised horizontal lines on the reverse – appeared to have been produced by the die.
   2. Pondering the question of whether to watch three hours of Finding Bigfoot on TV or to “restore” some ancient coins, Lyle chose the latter. He showed one result, a personally conserved Roman coins: a 19mm bronze follis of Constantine II (AD 316-337), noting on the reverse his subordinate rank of Caesar to his father, Constantine the Great (AD 307-337).
   3. A one DALER piece of Swedish copper plate money, measuring about 4½ x 5¼ inches. This was dated 1745 and was issued under Frederick I.
2. John Riley showed a curious item of exonumia, a 1904-dated souvenir spoon in plated silver and carefully fashioned from a 1903-S U.S. Philippines 38mm silver One Peso coin made into the concave bowl. On the reverse of the spoon’s handle is engraved “Cavite 1904.” This is a souvenir from the then-U.S. Navy base at Cavite on Manila Bay. As both the Philippines and U.S. Navy are separate collecting interests of John, he mentioned how an internet search engine can locate multiple areas of collecting interests represented in a single item, and next showed a 1907-era picture postcard that captured five of his separate collecting interests: A (1) Japan temples scene mailed from (2) the Philippines by a sailor onboard the (3) U.S. Navy battleship (4) Kentucky to an address in (5) Chicago.
3. Deven Kane showed three Islamic coins and translated their legends.
   1. A silver dirham, 27mm in diameter and weighing 2.7 grams, of the Sabur mint and issued by Abd al-Mlik ibn Marwan of the Umayyad Caliphate. Dated. AH 82 (AD 701/2). The approximate obverse translation is “There is no god but God alone, He has no associate.” And the reverse is, “Muhammad is the messenger of God who sent him with guidance and the religion of truth that he might make it supreme over all other religions, even though the polytheists may detest it.”
   2. A silver dirham from Umayyad Spain, issued by Abd al-Rahman I (756-788), dated AH 154. The obverse legend translates as, “in the name of God this dirham was struck in al-Andalus the year four and fifty and one hundred” with the reverse field as, “God is One, God is Eternal, He does not beget nor is he begotten and there is none like unto him.”
   3. A gold tanka of Humayun Shah Zalim (the cruel), 1458-1461, dated AH 862. The obverse legend is, “The One who relies on God, the Powerful, the Rich, Father of the campaign” with the reverse legend, “Nobility of the world and the faith Humayun Shah son of Ahmad Shah son of Ahmad Shah The Guardian of the Bahmani.” Compared to other states such as Bengal and Malwa, Bahmani coinage is relatively scarcer and the ones from the short reign of Humayun are scarcer still.
4. Rich Lipman showed four Dutch Colonial notes, each with a different style.
   1. A 1 Roepiah note dated 1943, with a Queen Wilhelmina portrait, of the Netherlands East. Indies (Indonesia following WWII) and printed by the American Bank Note Company – there was some discussion about the wartime use of these notes as the country was overrun by the Japanese. The notes are frequently found as souvenirs from wartime Southwest Pacific Service and are believed to have been introduced to circulate by the government-in-exile into the liberated areas.
   2. An Indonesian 1 Rupiah note dated 1956. The back has a Coat of Arms.
   3. An Indonesian 5000 Rupiah note dated 1958 with a portrait of Prime Minister Mohammad Hatta.
   4. A 100 Guilders of Suriname, dated 1 Juli 1986. It has a portrait of Anton De Kom, resistance fighter and author.
5. Mark Wieclaw showed two non-numismatic items acquired in a recent bulk collection purchase:
   1. A battery-powered halogen light produced by “Smart BBQ” and intended for use attached to a grill for nighttime use. However, it is ideal for hobby use – a nice size and it can be easily positioned as desired.
   2. A “Liebert Smoke Ring” (1968) – a patented coin sized/shaped device designed to be fitted on a cigarette to pull heat and reduce the amount of tar to be inhaled. Some discussion ensued as to the true medicinal value and effectiveness of the (discontinued) device.
6. Jeff Amelse showed a photo tour of the Iberian Peninsula, mixing photographs of ancient Celtic and Roman sites with photographs of selected early coins. Four examples of Celtic Premoneda or “Ring Money” of Portugal, 6th-3rd Century B.C., all in lead. Their diameters (and weights) were 29mm (34.7 grams), 24mm (9.8 gr), 33mm (45.5 gr), and a huge 55 mm piece (96.8 gr). Each features a simple design of rosettes on the obverse or concentric circles. Jeff’s final exhibit was a later example from Augustus’ reign, similar in design with concentric circles.

Reminder: You can email to John a description of what you will show at a meeting, to give him a start on this write-up. Send it to johnrriley@yahoo.com.

Minutes of the Chicago Coin Club Board

August 19, 2020

The Chicago Coin Club Board met August 19, 2020 via web hosted video conference. President Rich Lipman called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM with every Board member present.

American Numismatic Association 2021 Anniversary Convention
Rich Lipman reported correspondence with Kim Kiick, ANA Executive Director. Brianna Victor is the new Convention Director, and the Club will hear soon regarding the 2021 Convention. The Secretary reviewed the past records and announced that on November 20, 2019, the Board unanimously passed a motion to recommend to the ANA Convention Department the appointment of Elliott Krieter as Host Chairman. Steve Zitowsky expressed interest in the role of Assistant Host Chairman.

Chicago Bar Association
Carl Wolf reported email correspondence with Michele Spodarek, Chicago Bar Association. She announced the CBA building is closed and everyone is working from home, with no clear plan for opening for the staff or outside meeting groups. Jeff Rosinia suggested the Board remain open for another safe meeting location.

Hall of Fame Committee: Proposed Policy and Attachments
All Board members had a copy of the five page report from the Hall of Fame Committee, Lyle Daly (Chairman), Bill Burd, and Deven Kane. Many commented on amazing quality of work put into the project. Following a discussion, a motion was passed to give the award “the highest honor the Club can bestow on a member for their contribution to numismatics.” Lyle announced the committee will recommend Alden Scott Boyer (President 1919-1927) for induction in 2020.

Past President’s Medal
Every Board member had a copy of a proposal to strike a Past President’s Medal.

• Committee members: Bill Burd, Mark Wieclaw, and Bob Feiler.
• Proposed medal .999 silver, 5 troy ounces.
• Quantity: 10 medals (should cover 20-30 years).
• Designer Alex Shagin.
• Struck at North American Mint, Rochester, NY.
• All costs covered by a club member.
• The Board unanimously agreed that the committee should proceed. The only comment asked the committee to double check the design area where the name will be engraved.

November Auction Meeting
Discussed the infeasibility of the Club holding an online auction. Everyone agreed to delay the auction until the Club begins to hold in-person meetings, which could be earlier than November, 2021. Since much of the upcoming auction is from the Phil Carrigan estate, the Secretary was instructed to inform the Carrigan heirs of the delay.

December Awards Banquet and Election of Officers Meeting

• President Lipman appointed a Nomination Committee of Steve Zitowsky, Bill Burd, Mark Wieclaw, and Melissa Gumm to put together a proposed slate of 2021-2023 Officers and Board.
• Board Members expressed an interest in slating a well-known speaker for the evening. Mark Wieclaw and Jeff Rosinia agreed to work on recruitment.

In-Person General Meetings

• Everyone agreed how much they miss regular face-to-face general meetings.
• A discussion was held on the future possibility of holding a meeting with social distancing and while adhering to pandemic guidelines issued by the Governor of Illinois and Mayor of Chicago.
• Several locations were suggested, including outdoor open-air venues.
• The Board was informed we should expect meeting sites to require the Club to sign an agreement absolving the location of any COVID-19 infections and the Club accepts full responsibility of all health risks.

The next Board Meeting is scheduled for November 18, 2020.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:25 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
Carl F. Wolf, Secretary

Our 1220th Meeting

Important Dates

Unless stated otherwise, our regular monthly CCC Meeting is online during the Covid-19 isolation era on the second Wednesday of the month; the starting time is 6:45PM CT.

Chatter Matter

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Correspondence

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
Payments to the Club, including membership dues, can be addressed to the Treasurer and mailed to the above address.

Payments

Renewing Members Annual dues are $20 a year ($10 for Junior, under 18). Annual Membership expires December 31 of the year through which paid. Cash, check, or money order are acceptable (USD only please). We do not accept PayPal. Email your questions to Treasurer.ChicagoCoinClub@GMail.com Members can pay the Club electronically with Zelle™ using their Android or Apple smart phone. JP Morgan Chase customers can send payments to the Club via Quick Pay. To see if your Bank or Credit Union is part of the Zelle™ Payments Network, go to https://www.zellepay.com Please read all rules and requirements carefully.

• The Club has registered the Treasurer.ChicagoCoinClub@GMail.com address with Zelle™ to receive payments.
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• Be sure to fill out the “What’s this for?” field – e.g., “Dues 2020 & 2021”
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