We meet monthly in downtown Chicago on the second Wednesday of every month at 6:45 pm. In April we meet at the Central States Numismatic Society (CSNS) convention at 1 pm on Saturday, in the Schaumburg Convention Center.
The program for most meetings includes a featured speaker. Here are the highlights of past meetings:
March 13, 2024 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - at the offices of
Shanna Schmidt Numismatics Inc, located in Suite 3600 of the
Willoughby Tower at 8 South Michigan Avenue; Chicago, Illinois
60603.
To attend in person, please RSVP the CCC Secretary before the
meeting day, to ensure space will be available for all attendees.
Featured Program:
Shanna Schmidt on
S&S Library: The Formation of a Numismatic Library
The favorite companion to any coin collection is owning books
that provide a solid understanding of the collection.
Any great numismatist over time had some semblance of a library
to reference coins, find pedigrees, or simply learn more about
their origin.
The S&S Library is the result of eight years of cooperation.
In this short talk, I will lay out the assembling of the library,
why it was created, and future ideas for its use.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
February 14, 2024 - 6:45 PM CST (UTC-06:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Featured Program:
Mark Wieclaw on
The American Arts Medallion program (1980-1984), Success or Failure
Mark will cover the reason for the program, the convoluted
order system, and the artists that appeared on each medal.
Mark will also add some personal experiences through his
tenure working behind the counter at Gold Dust Coins.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
January 10, 2024 - 6:45 PM CST (UTC-06:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Featured Program:
Dale Lukanich on
Ole’s Dream: The 1925 Norse Medal
In July 4 or 5, 1825, the vessel Restauration sailed
from Stavanger, Norway, for the United States, with 45
migrants aboard.
Ole Juulson Kvale was a Minnesota congressman of the
Farmer-Labor Party, and a proud Norse-American.
Kvale was a member of the Norse-American Centennial Commission,
which was to organize a 100th anniversary celebration of the
Restauration’s voyage.
Mr. Kvale’s dream was to make a medal that could last
long after the celebration was over in 1925.
These beautiful medals that were struck by the US mint are
often collected with the US commemorative coins.
Because they are not coins, they are not listed in the Red
Book.
This talk is intended to shed some light on a beautiful
piece of American art.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
December 13, 2023 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting
Capri Italian Restaurant, 12307 S. Harlem Avenue, Palos
Heights, IL 60463.
(reservations are required) - Featured Speaker:
Raymond J. Dagenais, Ed.D. on
United States Flowing Hair Half Dollars
The newly formed United States of America wanted passionately to be
looked upon as a sovereign entity.
One way to help establish the nation’s identity was to mint
its own coinage.
The Flowing Hair Half Dollar was the first half dollar produced to
address this challenge.
A cash bar, with hors d’oeuvres, will be available from 5:45-6:30pm,
followed by dinner and the meeting.
The cost is $45.00 per person ($40.00 if paid by December 5), and
reservations are required.
More
details,
including the menu,
are available in the December Chatter.
This meeting is in-person only.
November 8, 2023 - 6:45 PM CST (UTC-06:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Member Auction:
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 auction will be called from our in-person meeting
room, and all lots must be picked up when the auction
ends – that is when all accounts must be settled,
too.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
October 11, 2023 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Featured Program:
Marc Ricard on
Special and Limited Editions of A Guide Book of United States Coins
This talk will give some background information on the Special
Editions of the Red Book, the Limited Editions of the Red Book,
and other unofficial “Special Editions” that were
not published by Whitman Publishing as such, but were usually
over-stamped in gilt onto the front or rear cover of the current
year’s edition of the event or milestone.
The talk will also mention the approximate current value of
these editions, their relative rarity in the marketplace, and
anecdotal details from the speaker’s collecting and
selling these various editions over the past 30 years.
September 13, 2023 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Featured Program:
Robert D. Leonard on
When Princes Overpromise: “Latin” Imitations of Byzantine Gold Coins, Minted by Geoffrey II Villehardouin of Achaea (Plus Sutton Hoo and King Offa)
This is an expanded version of a paper Bob presented at the 16th
International Numismatic Congress in Warsaw last September.
It discusses a series of mysterious “latin” imitations
of the gold coins of Byzantine (Nicaean) Emperor John III
Vatatzes, 1222-1254, showing how they can be detected and
attributing them – on the basis of a hoard study and a
contemporary chronicle – to Geoffrey II Villehardouin,
Prince of Achaea.
Modern fakes of these coins are pointed out.
Two similar instances of princes overpromising and having to
resort to making imitations, the Sutton Hoo ship burial and the
papal gift of King Offa, are appended.
August 9, 2023 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Featured Program:
Arthur Schattke and Steve Mills on
Error Coins
This will be an overview of the minting process and the results
of malfunctions that occur during the process from molten metal
to a finished product.
These malfunctions are called errors!
They are what happened when something went wrong.
Things can go wrong in many ways and cause many interesting
“coins.”
Examples will be shown and explanations given on how certain
errors are produced, with emphasis on characteristics of genuine
mint products versus errors “manufactured” outside
of the mint.
July 12, 2023 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Featured Program:
Mary Lannin on
History of Collecting: Parallel Lives – Samuel Jean Pozzi and Fenerly Bey
Coins not only have an ancient history, but a modern one as well.
Two men in the early twentieth century, Samuel Pozzi and Fenerly
Bey, had important collections of ancient coins that have filtered
down to present-day collectors.
These prominent men were teachers of medicine and students of
numismatics, alike in their vocations and avocations.
From Paris and Constantinople in the early 1900s, their
collections were dispersed under unusual circumstances.
Some of the coins collected by Pozzi and Fenerly Bey now grace
the cabinets of noted institutions and collectors.
Other Pozzi and Fenerly Bey coins remain in commerce, many of
them separated from their pedigrees for lack of tickets.
Join us as we learn about tracing their paths.
June 10, 2023 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Featured Program:
Tyler Rossi on
The Two Sides of a Bosnian Bill: the Story of a Divided Country
After years of always vicious, often genocidal, fighting in which
no side escaped unharmed, Bosnia lay in ruins.
Finally, the Dayton Peace Accords were signed bringing together
the three warring groups – Serb, Croat, and Bosniak –
to create a new shared government.
In fact, BiH is still governed by the Dayton Accords, and to this
day remains the only country in the world to be governed by a
peace treaty.
The Accords split the country into two national entities: the
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srbska,
both of which would retain separate governments, police forces,
court systems, and customs services.
As a result of these combined ethnic tensions and monetary
inflation, it became clear that Bosnia needed a new currency.
This is the story of how a series of contentious post-war debates
led to a bifurcated currency!
May 10, 2023 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Featured Program:
Deven Kane on
Little Louis
The story of how a piece of small change sparked a fashion craze
and then an international scam.
In normal circumstances, the French silver coin of 1⁄12 Ecu
(equal to 5 sols tournois) would have remained an unremarkable
piece of small change.
However, a sudden fashion craze in the Ottoman empire created a
huge demand for the coin.
This gave speculators and a bunch of minor princes with minting
authority the arbitrage opportunity to make a lot of money.
The scam soon followed.
Join us as we follow the story of this little coin and the various
principalities that decided to join the party.
April 12, 2023 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Featured Program: James Davis on Events Leading to the Founding of the Denver Mint, and the First-Year Coinage of the Denver Mint
At the end of our regular April meeting in downtown Chicago, we will recess and reconvene at our CSNS meeting.
April 29, 2023 - 12:00 PM CST (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting - at the Central States Numismatic
Society (CSNS) Convention, which is held at the Renaissance Hotel &
Convention Center, 1551 N. Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Mark Wieclaw on
Docendo Discimus, We Learn by Teaching
Building on the Chicago Coin Club Latin motto, Docendo
Discimus, the presentation focuses on education and teaching,
a cornerstone of the Chicago Coin Club.
Mark will discuss how important Numismatic education and knowledge
sharing are to collecting and the hobby.
He encourages others to share their knowledge through speaking,
writing, or placing exhibits.
Mark will also share recollections of times he personally had an
impact on others in the hobby through his own sharing.
March 8, 2023 - 5:45 PM CST (UTC-06:00) - CCC Banquet Meeting
at Capri Italian Restaurant, 12307 S. Harlem Avenue, Palos Heights,
IL 60463.
(Please make reservations) - Featured Program:
Robert Leonard on
The Lasting Contributions of Honorees of the Chicago Coin Club’s Hall of Fame
In 2018 past president Robert Leonard suggested that the Chicago
Coin Club institute a Hall of Fame to commemorate its centennial
the next year.
This was approved, together with a group of 12 honorees, from
charter members to recently deceased, and Bob researched them and
prepared citations for review.
The final versions were released at a rate of one per month throughout
2019, and generated much favorable publicity for the club.
Since then, five more people have been inducted.
Bob will focus on their notable accomplishments and their service
to the Club over the decades, with some personal anecdotes not
included in the citations.
A cash bar, with hors d’oeuvres, will be available from 5:45pm;
the dinner will start at 6:30pm; and the meeting will start at 7:30pm.
The cost is $35.00 per person if paid by February 28 ($40.00 if paid
by March 2).
More
details,
including the menu,
are available in the March Chatter.
This meeting is in-person only.
February 8, 2023 - 6:45 PM CST (UTC-06:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Featured Program:
Eduardo Garcia-Molina on
Small Change, Big Change: Researching Seleukid “Bottlecap” Bronzes at the American Numismatic Society
This talk is an account of Eduardo’s experience at the American
Numismatic Society over the summer, as a participant in the Eric P.
Newman Graduate Seminar in Numismatics.
This will not only discuss his interaction with various aspects of
the ANS, but also the research he undertook there that reexamines
a peculiar numismatic phenomenon from antiquity: serrated, or
“bottlecap,” coins minted by Seleukid kings in the
second century BCE.
Their peculiar shape has largely been regarded as simply a stylistic
choice, but this talk aims to push against this notion and argue
that form is congruous with function.
He will discuss how his time at the ANS shaped his thinking when it
comes to these serrated coins, and how even small bronzes can be an
indicator of big change.
January 11, 2023 - 6:45 PM CST (UTC-06:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Featured Program:
Steve Feller on
Confederate Quartermaster Stagecoach and Railroad Scrip
The complexity of the American Civil War manifests itself through
the monies issued by the North and the South.
Numerous organizations had their own paper currency, including
the central and state governments, cities, banks, stores,
railroads, and insurance companies.
This talk is on the the Confederate quartermasters who issued
scrip for rides on mostly short-haul stages and trains.
The routes will be discussed, as well as interesting stories
related to these small reminders of our American Civil War.
December 14, 2022 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting
at Cooper’s Hawk Restaurant, 798 W. Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights,
(reservations are required) - Featured Speaker:
Mark Borckardt on
Handling Million Dollar Rarities: Another Day at the Office
In a 33-year numismatic auctions career, and in his 42nd year as
a full-time professional numismatist, Chicago Coin Club member
Mark Borckardt has handled many of the most fabled rarities of
our time.
A life-long collector, Mark will share many adventures (and the
occasional mis-adventure!) involving the highest end of
numismatics and the not-so-high end.
As the popular insurance commercial goes, Mark “has seen a
thing or two” in the coin business!
A cash bar, with hors d’oeuvres, will be available from 6-7PM;
the dinner and meeting will be from 7-9PM.
The cost is $65.00 per person ($55.00 if paid by December 2), and
reservations are required.
More
details,
including the menu,
are available in the December Chatter.
This meeting is in-person only.
November 9, 2022 - 6:45 PM CST (UTC-06:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Member Auction:
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 auction will be called from our in-person meeting
room, and all lots must be picked up when the auction
ends – that is when all accounts must be settled,
too.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
October 12, 2022 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Featured Program:
James McMenamin on
Select Guernsey and Jersey Coins
Let us take a numismatic journey to the bailiwicks of the Channel
Islands.
Jim will describe his fascinating travels from New Zealand to
Australia, Great Britain, and the Islands of Guernsey and Jersey;
all while collecting large and small “Coppers” of the
Channel Islands.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
September 14, 2022 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Featured Program:
Jeffrey A. Amelse on
Early Half Dollars: Overdates and Some Interesting Late Die State Varieties
“Early Half Dollars” include the flowing hair designs
of 1794-1795, draped busts of 1796-1807, and capped busts of
1807-1839.
This talk will focus some of the overdates and more interesting
late die state marriages of the capped bust halves.
Varieties are readily attributable from the pictures and
information on the BustHalfAddict’s Information website and
the pioneering book by Al Overton (later volumes co-authored
with, and now replaced by, Don Parsley).
I became interested in these due to my prior interest in Large
Cent varieties and die states.
Like Large Cents, there are a tractable number (several hundred)
of die varieties (die marriages).
However, they appear to be much less studied, mid grades are
available at more affordable prices, and mostly in better
condition.
Many have been cleaned over the years, as was typically done for
early collections.
In fact, my understanding is that some auction houses even
encouraged cleaning during the first half of the 1900s.
It surprises me that many are offered on eBay without die variety
attribution, so this series is ripe for cherry picking.
I have assembled a collection of over 200 pieces, including most
of the overdates, Red Book varieties, and other
interesting late die state varieties, and will share examples of
these.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
August 10, 2022 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Featured Program:
Lawrence Lee on
Indian Peace Medals at the Denver Museum
Between 1951 and 1968, Mary and Francis Crane travelled the
country visiting Indian reservations, trading posts, and museums
in search of high-quality artifacts that represented the finest
in Native American artisanship.
Join us to hear Lawrence Lee, PhD, describe the Cranes’
bequeathed collection of Native American “Peace Medals”
produced by the U.S. Mint and gifted to tribal leaders.
Dr. Lee will cover the provenance, journey, and making of the
book, Indian Peace Medals and Other Medals at the Denver
Museum of Nature and Science.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
At the end of our regular August meeting in downtown Chicago, we will recess and reconvene at our ANA meeting.
August 20, 2022 - Noon CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting
(In-person, supporting remote viewers) at the
American Numismatic Association (ANA) Convention, which is
held at the Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road,
Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for anything on Saturday.
Featured Speaker:
Gilles Bransbourg on
Inflation and Coinage in the Late Roman Empire
Inflation is a topic much in the news today, but it is hardly
“new.”
Join us at the World’s Fair of Money in Rosemont, IL to
hear a presentation by Dr. Gilles Bransbourg, Executive Director
of the American Numismatic Society in New York City, where he
will talk on hyperinflation during the late Roman Empire period.
In A.D. 170 the denarius was composed of 75% silver; by A.D. 270,
coinage silver had been reduced to a mere 5% and would shortly
convert to a bronze composition only.
July 13, 2022 - 6:45 PM CST (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Featured Program:
Roxana Uskali on
The German Taler: Enlightenment and the Birth of Modern Coinage
The cultural significance of the German Taler, or Thaler, cannot
be overstated – first minted in 1517, the Joachimstaler is
the origin of what we know today as the “Dollar.”
Roxana has particular interest in the so-called “Wildman”
Talers as well as Mining Talers, and will elaborate on these
distinctive variations.
Join us to hear speaker Roxana Uskali, Director of Numismatics
for Heritage Auctions’ Chicago office, discuss these
historic coins and their impact on modern coinage.
Remote participation in a joint in-person and online meeting
requires some advance work by both our meeting coordinator and
the remote attendees, especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
June 8, 2022 - 6:45 PM CST (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Featured Program:
Mark Wieclaw on
The Golden Age of U.S. Coinage
Discussing the circulating money of the early Twentieth Century
and President Theodore Roosevelt’s efforts to revamp
United States coinage, Mark will describe the times of sculptor
Augustus St Gaudins and his iconic Eagle and Double Eagle
designs.
America’s pocket change was redefined at the time by the
“Buffalo” nickel, “Mercury” dime and
other dynamic images.
Remote participation in a joint in-person and online meeting
requires some advance work by both our meeting coordinator and
the remote attendees, especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
May 11, 2022 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Featured Program:
Dale Lukanich on
Scrip Issued by Hiram Norton, a Self-Made Man
The term “Self-Made Man” is used to describe people
from time to time.
This is an appropriate description for Hiram Norton and his
numismatic connection to the early days of the Illinois and
Michigan Shipping Canal.
Orphaned at the age of 14, he later in life paid the highest
income tax in Will County.
His life story spans two countries.
Before his death, he owned a most successful business in
Lockport and Chicago, Illinois.
Tonight, you will see scrip issued by Norton & Company of
Lockport, Illinois.
Some of these pieces are unique, while others have at most two
or three known.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
April 13, 2022 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Member Auction:
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 auction will be called from our in-person meeting
room, and all lots must be picked up when the auction
ends – that is when all accounts must be settled,
too.
At the end of our regular April meeting in downtown Chicago, we will recess and reconvene at our CSNS meeting.
April 30, 2022 - 6:45 PM CST (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Central States Numismatic
Society (CSNS) Convention, which is held at the Renaissance Hotel &
Convention Center, 1551 N. Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Thomas Uram on
2021-22 Morgan & Peace Dollar 100th Anniversary Project: an “After-Action” Report
Morgan and Peace “Rendition” silver dollar coins were
welcomed by the numismatic community in 2021 and exist largely
due to the legislative lobbying efforts of Chicago Coin Club
member Tom Uram.
Attend the CCC meeting at the Central States Numismatic Society
convention on April 30 and hear Tom speak on the
“afterstory” of the issues: from pandemic-disrupted
supply chains in 2022 and dilemmas with how to properly catalog
the commemoratives to worldwide marketplace reactions.
March 9, 2022 - 6:45 PM CST (UTC-06:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Featured Program:
Deven Kane on
How Numismatics Helped Rediscover a Forgotten Empire
By the early 19th century, the British conquest of India was
almost complete.
As officials of the East India Company fanned out across India,
they discovered mysterious inscriptions, carved on rocks and
pillars all over India, that nobody could read.
The code to crack this mystery came from coins once issued
in the Northwestern parts of India and modern Afghanistan.
The rediscovery of these scripts enabled scholars to identify
the monarch who issued these edicts and rediscover a forgotten
Empire.
February 9, 2022 - 6:45 PM CST (UTC-06:00) - CCC Meeting (Online only) - Featured Program:
Rick Ewing on
Engraving Errors on Small Size U.S. Currency
Everyone is capable of the occasional mistake, and The
U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing is no exception.
Please join Chicago Coin Club member, current Texas
Numismatic Association President, and A.N.A. Summer
Seminar instructor Rick Ewing as he presents on known
engraving errors on small-sized U.S. currency.
January 12, 2022 - 6:45 PM CST (UTC-06:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Featured Program:
Jeffrey A. Amelse on
Barbarous Late Roman and Byzantine Coins
Barbarous coins were smattered throughout the Roman and
Byzantine empires.
Barbarous radiates became quite prolific between 268 and
about 274 AD, and it is likely that at least some of the
barbarous radiates were produced into the early 280s.
Their value was most certainly not equal to that of the
official issues.
They likely circulated locally and fulfilled the role of
token coinage during periods of acute coin shortages.
Examples of these will be shown, along with barbarous
Byzantine coins, and some extremely rare barbarous coins
produced in Sri Lanka.
It is believed that Roman traders brought demonetized and
worn small Roman coins from the Roman Empire (where they
had almost no value) all the way to Sri Lanka, probably in
the early 5th century.
When more coins were needed (but not available), local
imitations of these Roman coins were minted.
These are extremely crude, poorly made, and never found
well-struck or in high quality.
They are fascinating and unusual, showing stylized and
misunderstood Roman designs.
December 8, 2021 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting
at Maggiano’s “Little Italy,” 240 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook
(reservations are required) - Featured Speaker:
Cliff Mishler on
Unbridled Perspectives on the American Numismatic Association and its Community Connections
CCC member and ANA Governor Cliff Mishler will provide an
Insider’s view of today’s ANA.
Current Club members serving as officers and governors in
the ANA are invited to join Cliff at the podium for a
forward-looking discussion around maintaining a parent
organization that is vital and mutually beneficial.
A cash bar, with hors d’oeuvres, will be available from 6-7PM;
the dinner and meeting will be from 7-9PM.
The cost is $74.00 per person, and reservations are required.
More
details,
including the menu,
are available in the December Chatter.
This meeting is in-person only.
November 10, 2021 - 6:45 PM CST (UTC-06:00) - CCC Meeting (In-person, supporting remote viewers) - Featured Program:
Mark Wieclaw on
The Story Behind the “Official” 100th Anniversary Medals of the Chicago Coin Club
This presentation will explain the difference between the
“Official” oval shaped medal and the round
banquet medal.
The medal’s concept will be covered, as well as the
complete design and production process.
In addition, there will be background details about the
design features ( Chicago Water Tower and Buckingham
Fountain) and more details.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
October 13, 2021 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (Online Only) - Featured Program:
Richard Lipman on
John Miles Baker and the Magnificent 99 Company
In 1965 John Miles Baker started a company in California,
placing coins in small sealed envelopes with a story and
stamp on each one: a limited edition “First Day of
Issue” coin.
Join us at the online October meeting to learn more about
the 99 Company and the backstory of their novel efforts to
combine in a single product the most popular hobbies of
the day – collecting coins and stamps!
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
September 8, 2021 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (Online Only) - Featured Program:
Donald H. Kagin, Ph.D. on
Storming the Capitol – The Birth of Our Nation’s First Official Currency
A catchy title with no current political
ramifications which might upset anyone’s politics.
In fact, this storming of the Capitol happened more than
two centuries ago!
And, he has an historic and numismatic angle/story to tell.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
August 14, 2021 - Noon CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting at
the American Numismatic Association (ANA) Convention, which is
held at the Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road,
Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for anything on Saturday.
Featured Program:
Mark Wieclaw on
The Gun Money of James II, 1689-1690
James II was king of England, Scotland, and Ireland from
February 1685 until he was deposed in the Glorious
Revolution of 1688.
Determined to regain the throne, he sought assistance from
both France and Ireland.
An assistant suggested minting brass coinage with the
promise of exchanging the pieces for silver coins after he
was once again seated on the throne.
Any available brass objects (such as pots and candlesticks)
were melted.
This also included decommissioned cannons, thus the term
“gun money.”
This talk details the issuance of the various denominations
minted for regular use between 1689 and 1690.
We will try to make this a joint in-person and online meeting,
but remote attendees might not be able to fully participate.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
July 14, 2021 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (Online Only) - Featured Program:
Steve Zitowsky on
War, Romance, Numismatics: The Coins of German East Africa
This presentation will cover the 35-year history (and coins)
of the German East Africa Company and its evolution into the
Imperial German colony of East Africa.
Among the topics to be included are some of the interesting
characters involved, and how the debris of war became the
coinage made and used during the Great war.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
June 9, 2021 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (Online Only) - Featured Program:
Winston Zack on
Counterfeiting Fish Scales: Three-Cent Silver Counterfeiting from 1851 to 1862
Three cent silver coins are small, arguably artistically
uninspiring coins which primarily circulated in the US
from 1851 to 1862, and continued to be minted until 1873.
As such, this odd-denomination, short-lived coin often
gets overlooked within US numismatic research and
collecting.
However, this unsuspecting coin was one of the most
counterfeited of all US coins in the 19th century.
Join Winston to learn why such a small denomination coin
was counterfeited.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
May 12, 2021 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (Online Only) - Featured Program:
Madeline Rodriguez on
Observations Around the Composition and Changes to the U.S. 10- and 25-cent coins, 1794 to Present
Join us as CCC member Madeline Rodriguez speaks on changes,
over the course of 227 years, to the United States 10- and
25-cent coins.
Her original research commentary will include findings
from recent studies examining the cost of production
versus coin value, as well as interesting U.S. Mint
proposals regarding substitution of coinage materials.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
April 14, 2021 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (Online Only) - Featured Program:
Bob Van Ryzin on
The Chicago Coin Club’s Connection to the 1913 Liberty Nickel
Traditional numismatic lore places the timeline for
“the great reveal” of the 1913 Liberty nickels
at the 1920 ANA convention in Chicago.
Member Robert R. Van Ryzin, however, will provide his
fascinating background research that proves the coins were
actually examined by our own organization – the
Chicago Coin Club – one year prior, during our
inaugural year, 1919.
Bob is a past-editor of Coins magazine, Coin
Prices, and The Banknote Reporter.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
March 10, 2021 - 6:45 PM CST (UTC-06:00) - CCC Meeting (Online Only) - Featured Program:
Deven Kane on
National Women’s Month: “Liberty Marches Forth&rdquo
The inspiration for the symbol of “Liberty” on
coinage stems from the ancient Roman goddess of freedom,
Libertas.
CCC member Deven Kane will take us on a fascinating
exploration of the concept and varied portrayal of
Liberty on world coins, from antiquity to the modern age.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
February 10, 2021 - 6:45 PM CST (UTC-06:00) - CCC Meeting (Online Only) - Featured Program:
Steve Feller on
A Journey to and from the Santo Tomas Internment Camp through Numismatics: A Tragedy in Manila
As was the case of enemy civilian internees throughout World
War II, places needed to be found that were secure.
One such place, out of dozens in the Philippine Islands, was
the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.
Over four thousand people were interned there, and the
majority were Americans.
This program will tell stories through surviving camp
artifacts and other documents.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
January 13, 2021 - 6:45 PM CST (UTC-06:00) - CCC Meeting (Online Only) - Featured Program:
James McMenamin on
Latin Union and Disunion: An Overview of the Latin Monetary Union – from its creation in the mid 19th Century to its dissolution in the 1920s – from a numismatic perspective
The Latin Monetary Union, or LMU, was established by treaty
in 1865 between France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Italy.
These four founding states agreed to mint their gold and
silver coins according to the French standard, which had
been introduced in 1803 by Napoleon Bonaparte.
While each nation would be allowed to mint its own currency,
(French Francs, Italian Lira, and so on), each currency had
to follow a specific set of standards as to weight,
fineness, tolerance, and diameter; this bimetallic standard
fixed the silver to gold weight ratio of 15.5/1.
Almost immediately other nations petitioned to join or
attempted to standardize their currencies to match the LMU
model.
Countries as far afield as Venezuela and Colombia joined
in, while others such as Austria-Hungary, which rejected
the concept of bimetallism, standardized some of their
coinage in order to smooth trade with the new currency
bloc.
An overview of some of the many denominations, currencies,
and issuers of coins under the LMU standards will be
reviewed.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
December 9, 2020 - 6:45 PM CST (UTC-06:00) - CCC Meeting (Online Only) - Featured Program:
Carl Wolf on
Chicago Coin Club’s Impact on Early ANA Conventions
Since the American Numismatic Association (ANA) was
founded in 1891, Chicago Coin Club members played pivotal
leadership roles.
Over the 42-years since Carl Wolf joined the club, he held
close relationships with many senior members.
These people were “there” many years ago and
they shared personal knowledge and experiences of the
events of the day.
Most were happy to have someone listen to their stories.
They related many unique experiences and observations.
It was all verbal – it never appeared in club
minutes or newsletters.
Recently Carl saw how a group of stories fit together like
a jigsaw puzzle.
But senior members had inadvertantly left out a key piece
of information that they just assumed everyone knew.
Join this online meeting and come away with new insight
into club history, and you may even see how parts of this
story played a major role in the lives of their
grandparents and great-grandparents.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
November 11, 2020 - 6:45 PM CST (UTC-06:00) - CCC Meeting (Online Only) - Featured Program:
Michael Kodysz on
Halley’s Comet: A Visual Record on Coins of Elagabalus
This talk presents a selection of ancient Roman coins that
seem to form a visual record of the apparition of
Halley’s Comet in 218 CE.
Its appearance coincided with the rise of Emperor Marcus
Aurelius Antoninus (218-22), known to history as Elagabalus.
The coins discussed all feature star-like symbols, often
with elongated tails, as part of their designs.
Most collectors, dealers, and scholars follow the standard
numismatic references, which invariably describe these
symbols as stars.
Yet the historical record, astronomical data, and an
examination of the coins themselves all combine to point
to a revised understanding of their meaning as depictions
of Halley’s Comet.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
October 14, 2020 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (Online Only) - Featured Program:
Raymond J. Dagenais on
Liberty Nickels and the Development of a Nation
It took many years for the nascent United States to grow
from the original 13 states to the 50 states of today.
Prior to 1959 the United States consisted of 48 states.
It wasn’t so long ago that America had fewer than
48 states.
To put this notion into context, my mother was alive
before the last two states were added to the
“Great 48.”
This history can be chronicled through a study of the
coinage produced.
From 1883 through 1912, Liberty Nickels were minted for
circulation.
This presentation will tie together this useful piece of
coinage and the completion of the “Great 48.”
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
September 9, 2020 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (Online Only) - Featured Program:
Madeline Rodriguez on
US Coinage During and After World War II
With our current state in the world, many are remembering
the trauma and hardships we as a country and world faced
during World War II.
Short on both supplies and breadwinners, people had to
make do with what they had and found inventive ways to
get what they needed, from planting victory gardens to
rationing goods.
The need for certain materials for the war effort was
apparent in the everyday lives of Americans, including
that of their pocket change.
The penny, nickel, dime, and quarter went through changes
in both material composition and artistic renderings.
The coins went through various composition changes in
order to support the needs of the troops, or so the
American people were told…
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
August 12, 2020 - 6:45 PM CDT (UTC-05:00) - CCC Meeting (Online Only) - Featured Program:
Jeff Rosinia on
The Big Story of the Little Dime
Coins are a reflection of history and society.
In these days of a 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 is a direct
result of a President who was paralyzed by Polio, and his
efforts to battle the disease and find a cure.
The design of the Roosevelt dime has remained unchanged
since its introduction in 1946.
This is the big story of the little dime.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
July 8, 2020 - CCC Meeting (Online Only) - Featured Program:
Dale Lukanich on
Joliet Currency (Hometown Cash)
June 10, 2020 - CCC Meeting (Online Only) - Featured Program:
Jeffrey Amelse on
The Visigoth Gold Tremisses Series as Illustrated Via Ruth Pleigo “Falsifications”
The Goths were barbaric German tribes that moved west.
The Visigothic Kingdom occupied what is now southwestern
France and the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th to the 8th
centuries.
Their coinage was mainly of small gold tremisses,
typically about 15 mm and 1.4 grams.
Several thousand die varieties of bonafide tremesses
were minted.
Since little information about them was available until
recently, they were easy to forge.
Thus, several thousand different forgery varieties also
are known to exist.
Both real and forgery varieties are listed in a recent
two-volume set by Ruth Pliego Vasquez of the University
of Seville.
It would now be impossible to put together a set of
real coins from all rulers because of both cost and
scarcity.
Jeffrey has assembled a collection of over 50
“falsifications” which represent most of
the rulers.
Most are catalogued in Ruth’s books and most
are pretty scarce themselves – he has a few that
are not even listed.
It is a neat series because many of the portraits are
abstract, comical, almost cartoon-like.
The Visigoths were pagans who converted to Christianity.
Only a handful of Visigoth churches survive; Jeffrey
will show pictures of a few which he was able to visit
in Portugal and just across the northern border, in
Spain.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
May 13, 2020 - CCC Meeting (Online Only) - Featured Program:
Robert Weinstein on
Coinage and History of the Apracas and the Indo-Parthians
The Indo Parthian Kingdom was founded in eastern Iran
by a prince of the powerful Parthian clan Suren sometime
in the last decades BC or early years AD.
His name was Gondophares and he would create a powerful
empire in northern India which, like so many in history,
collapsed and fragmented upon his death.
One of the most powerful contenders for the Indo Parthian
kingdom seems to have been a prince from another dynasty,
the Apracas.
The Apracas ruled a small kingdom in what is now northen
Pakistan.
The history of both of these dynasties is primarily
written in their coins.
Please join Bob Weinstein at our May meeting for a talk
on these two little-known kingdoms.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
April 8, 2020 - CCC Meeting (Online Only) - Featured Program:
Mark Wieclaw on
Dynastic Issues of the Roman Empire
Beginning with Octavius (Augustus Caesar), it was a
common practice to have the portrait of the current
emperor adorn the obverse of their coinage.
This practice would continue throughout the remainder
of the Roman Empire.
In addition, many rulers showed one or more of their
family members on either the obverse or reverse of
the coins.
These are referred to as dynastic issues.
Most famously would be an aureus (gold coin), issued
by Septimius Severus, 193-211 AD, that had his wife
Julia Domna and both sons, Caracalla and Geta,
appear on the reverse.
Due to time constraints, this presentation will
focus on the Imperial issues.
Provincial issues were so vast that it would be
overwhelming.
Participation in an online meeting requires some advance
work by both our meeting coordinator and attendees,
especially first-time participants.
Please plan ahead; reread the latest instructions
on the day before the meeting!
March 11, 2020 - CCC Meeting - Featured Program:
Jim Davis on
U.S. Fractional Currency
With gold and silver coins hoarded during the
Civil War, the Union government’s response
to the lack of small change was the issuance of
paper money in denominations of less than one
dollar – hence the name Fractional Currency.
This presentation will set the background, give
an overview of the issued and proposed designs,
and cover the later Shield showing 20 obverses
and 19 reverses.
February 12, 2020 - CCC Meeting - Featured Program:
Brett Irick on
The Art of Cherrypicking, and Ten Mistakes to Avoid When Buying
The best way to “cherry pick” – also
known as making a very good buy – is without
alarming the selling party and/or other auction bidders.
With over fifty years in the hobby, a number of
techniques have been learned and effectively executed at
auctions, coin shows, and in dealer show rooms.
Past American Numismatic Association president Bob Campbell
advised, in a talk on this subject, that “big sharks
swallow little sharks.”
Two years ago Central States Numismatic Society governor
Andy Kimmel developed a presentation on mistakes to avoid
when buying coins and other numismatic material that will
be presented as part of this talk.
The information shared in this talk and audience input will
sharpen your buying skills.
Exceptional examples of cherry picks will be shared with
those in attendance.
January 8, 2020 - CCC Meeting - Featured Program:
Deven Kane on
Six Kingdoms, One King – The Coinage of Alfonso the Magnanimous and the Crown of Aragon
Starting as a small landlocked kingdom in Northeastern
Spain inherited by an infant girl in 1137 CE, over the
next three centuries the Kingdom of Aragon acquired,
by marriage and conquest, an “empire” over
the Western Mediterranean.
Yet all these lands were not a united state, but rather
a personal union where the component realms were united
politically only through the common monarch.
This process reached its apogee during the reign of
Alfonso the Magnanimous, who could boast of being the
king of six kingdoms.
Each of these kingdoms maintained its own laws, tax
structure, and coinage.
The Crown of Aragon was overshadowed after Alfonso’s
nephew Ferdinand II of Aragon married Queen Isabella
of Castile and Leon and when the new composite Spanish
monarchy conquered the New World to become the superpower
of the 16th century.
However, the Crown of Aragon continued to exist until
dissolved in 1716 by the Nueva Planta decrees for
backing the wrong pretender in the War of the Spanish
Succession.
This talk will look at the accumulation of territories
of the Crown of Aragon and the varied coinage Alfonso
the Magnanimous issued in each of his realms.
December 11, 2019 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting
at Tom’s Steak House, 1901 West North Avenue, Melrose Park
(reservations are required) - Featured Speaker:
Mark Wieclaw on
The Thrill and Joy of Collecting … Anything!
In this presentation Mark will explain, to those not
interested in numismatics, why we collect.
Mark believes that everyone has a collection or great
passion for something.
If we can convince them to accept our passion for
collecting in the same way that they receive enjoyment
through music, nature, or even their collecting habits,
that would be beneficial to all.
Mark plans to incorporate the survey that he took of
members from three coin clubs.
He will also use information that he collected from
interviews of both collectors and non collectors.
A cash bar, with hors d’oeuvres compliments of
Chicago Coin Company, will be available from 6-7PM;
the dinner and meeting will be from 7-9PM.
The cost is $45.00 per person, and reservations are required.
More
details,
including the menu,
are available in the December Chatter.
November 13, 2019 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
See the November newsletter for a list of items consigned
by October 21.
October 9, 2019 - CCC Meeting - Featured Program:
James M. McMenamin on
Tokenism – A Fifty Year Adventure in Numismatics
In 1969, a young college sophomore and novice coin collector
travelled abroad to study in France.
The family with whom he lived, learning of his interest in
numismatics, gave him a small box of “jetons,”
as they called them.
The student had no idea what they were, why they were made,
or where they came from.
Some looked medieval; several were clearly from later
centuries.
What the young student learned over the course of the next
fifty years will be summarized in his presentation.
September 11, 2019 - CCC Meeting - Featured Program:
Deven Kane on
Journeys into Abstraction – The Evolution of Indo-Sassanian Coinage in Early Medieval India
From the 8th to the 11th centuries, well after the fall
of the Sassanid Empire, coins inspired by Sassanid coins
circulated in Western India.
These Indo-Sassanid coins were degenerates of Sassanid
drachms but acquired Indian characteristics in flan and
type.
Starting with the Kingdom of Gujarat, they circulated
through the Kingdoms of Malwa and Rajasthan, and for
centuries were one of the few drachm size silver coins
circulating in India.
August 13, 2019 - CCC Dinner Banquet - Featured Program:
Clifford Mishler on
Joining the Select Legacy Leadership Ranks of Enduring Numismatic Clubs
The presentation will offer reflections and observations
on the heritage and roles played by the local coin clubs
that have prospered and contributed to the growth and
development of organized numismatics from the late 1800s
to today.
What are the mileposts that have been achieved by those,
like the Chicago Coin Club, who have successfully
prevailed through the generations?
What are the prospects for the future?
Is there, or isn’t there a commonality where
success is concerned?
Through your membership, you’ve had the good
fortune to be on board to enjoy a measure of what has
certainly turned out to be an enjoyable ride for most.
Reception starts at 6PM, and dinner at 7PM; at Gibsons
Steakhouse, located across River Road from the convention
center in Rosemont.
The event has been sold out for weeks.
At the end of our banquet meeting in Rosemont, we will recess and reconvene at our Saturday meeting at the ANA convention.
August 17, 2019 - CCC Meeting - noon at the American Numismatic
Association (ANA) Convention, which is held at the Stephens
Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for anything on Saturday.
Featured Speaker:
Tom Uram on
Insights and Inner Workings of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee
Chicago Coin Club member Tom Uram serves as Chairman of
the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, established in
2003 by Congress to advise the Secretary of the Treasury
on themes and designs of all US coins and medals.
Eleven people serve on the committee.
By law one must be specially qualified in numismatics,
another on numismatic curating, one must be an expert in
medallic arts, one an American historian, and four
members recommended by the House and Senate leaders.
The remaining three are ordinary citizens.
Open to all convention goers, this meeting will provide
insight into the workings and discussions when selecting
a design.
Tom will specifically cover the recent committee
recommendation for the Mint to strike 500,000 one dollar
coins in 90 percent silver commemorating the centennial
of the Morgan and Peace dollar.
Those who attend will come away knowing how an average
coin collector can play a role in getting Congress to
support a new design popular with the numismatic
community.
July 10, 2019 - CCC Meeting - Featured Program:
Jeffrey Rosinia on
One Giant Leap
Mankind has been dreaming about space travel since
the beginning of time.
The rockets that eventually made space travel possible
date back to the Chinese in the thirteenth century.
In less than one century after the Wright brothers’
first flights, millions of people watched American
astronauts land on the moon.
The speaker will present highlights from his ANA exhibit
“One Giant Leap” celebrating the 50th
anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the Moon and the
Space Dreamers, Inventors, and Explorers who led to that
historic accomplishment on July 20, 1969.
June 12, 2019 - CCC Meeting - Featured Program:
Dale Carlson on
Flying Eagle and Indian Head Cents — The Journey to a Collection
While displaying his Flying Eagle and Indian Head
Cent collection, Dale will impart interesting facts
and history unknown to most people.
He will also talk about his journey to assembling
this collection, and the numismatist who he met
and became a good friend with along the way.
May 8, 2019 - CCC Meeting - Featured Program:
Robert Feiler on
Changed Coins and Numismatic Oddities
In addition to a wide variety of altered coins, medals, and
tokens, we will be treated to some numismatic oddities.
We will see Box Dollars (coins and medals containing engraved
messages, photos, historic scenes, and even watches), coin
knives, cigar clippers, pop-out coins, money clips, and more.
And more such as miniature paintings on coins, coin miniature
utensils made by prison inmates, enameled coins, and love
tokens.
The manufacturing methods will be covered briefly, and a few
reference books will be available for prusal before the meeting
starts.
A few of the items have been exhibited at previous meetings,
but many will be new.
April 10, 2019 - CCC Meeting - Featured Program:
John Riley on
The Die Sinkers of Chicago
In concert with Chicago Coin Club’s 100th anniversary,
John Riley will take a close look at old Chicago — the
City’s own numismatic history from the bustling industrial
age — along with the different individuals and firms who
struck trade tokens and medals in the City.
He will display many examples of their work and explain how the
information age has made the myriad of yesteryear’s
products considerably more identifiable and collectible.
At the end of our regular April meeting in downtown Chicago, we will recess and reconvene at our CSNS meeting.
April 27, 2019 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Central States Numismatic
Society (CSNS) Convention, which is held at the Renaissance Hotel &
Convention Center, 1551 N. Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Shanna Schmidt on
Depiction of Women on Ancient Coins
Women are beginning to gain an unusual amount of prominence
both in the workplace and privately.
This new generation of strong women is clearly evident in
the modern world, but what about women from antiquity?
How are women from the Greek, Roman and Byzantine (or
Eastern Roman) periods represented and remembered?
I will present how women are represented on coinage and
what can be learned about their lives aside from their
images.
Strong women such as Cleopatra, Livia, Julia Domna, and
Irene are remembered, but compared with their male
counterparts there is sadly little more than a handful
of names that stand out as iconic women from antiquity.
I hope to shed light on how women have been represented
on coinage and what we can learn about them from coins.
March 13, 2019 - CCC Meeting - Featured Program:
William Burd and Robert D. Leonard, Jr. on
The Objects of Coin Collecting
This was a paper read at the April 1905 meeting of the Chicago Numismatic
Society by Virgil Brand and printed in the May 1905 issue of The
Numismatist.
Virgil Brand (1862-1926) was a wealthy beer baron and prominent numismatist
from Chicago.
He served as President of the Chicago Numismatic Society, a predecessor
group of the Chicago Coin Club.
When the CCC was founded in 1919, Virgil was a founding member.
He began collecting coins in 1879 and continued until his death in 1926.
He acquired over 350,000 coins of all descriptions.
He was a hoarder par excellence and his holdings included many
super rare coins, wooden barrels filled with uncirculated Civil War tokens,
gold coins by the thousands, and more.
Much more!
At the end of our regular March meeting in downtown Chicago, we will recess and reconvene at our PCDA National Currency and Coin Convention meeting.
March 16, 2019 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the PCDA National Currency and Coin Convention,
which is held at the Hilton Rosemont/Chicago O’Hare, 5550 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Dave Frank on
An Examination of the Subject Matter, and the Process of Producing a Numismatic Book
Dave, one of the authors of of The Complete Book of World
War II USA POW & Internment Camp Chits — Prisoner
of War Money in the United States, will use the latest
edition of the book to tell us about the process of researching,
writing, and publishing a book.
February 13, 2019 - CCC Meeting - Featured Program:
Dale Lukanich on
The 2018 Canadian Viola Desmond Commemorative $10 Bill
The arrest and trial of Viola Desmond is credited with
publicly bringing to light the racial segregation
that existed in Canada.
This is the third (in the modern era) in the series of
commemorative bills issued by The Bank of Canada.
This talk will not only discuss the life of Viola Desmond
but also show the unique security features of this bill.
The 2018 $10 Viola Desmond bill has been nominated for
Bank Note of the Year by the International Bank Note Society.
January 9, 2019 - CCC Meeting - Featured Program:
An Extended Show and Tell
We ask that members bring one or two of their most beloved
and treasured pieces for an extended Show and Tell.
Try to include the history of the piece, under what circumstances
and when you acquired it, and why the piece is special to you.
December 12, 2018 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting at Grand Lux Café (reservations are required) - Featured Speaker:
Bill Bierly on
How and When “IN GOD WE TRUST” First Appeared on U.S. Coins
Most Americans automatically assume the IN GOD WE TRUST
motto always appeared on U.S. coinage.
However, it did not start until 1864 and did not come
about quickly.
The real story on how this occurred was not well documented.
This opened the door to much speculation and conjecture.
Bill Bierly researched this subject for years and searched
government archives, old letters, Civil War posters, and U.S.
Mint documents.
He assembled a history based on facts and put together a soon
to be published book.
Join the members at our Annual Banquet to hear this U.S.
history story.
Those who attend will also see images of beautiful pattern
coins, which are coins not approved for release, but created
for official design evaluation.
There is a full bar available for early arrivals, before 6:30,
and a private bar from 6:30 to 9:00 –
dinner is served at 7PM.
The cost is $60.00 per person, and reservations are required.
More details, including the menu,
are available in the December Chatter.
November 14, 2018 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
See the November newsletter for a list of items consigned
by October 28.
October 10, 2018 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Melissa Gumm on
Currency Backed by the Gold Standard
Have you ever looked at a Gold certificate and wondered what
the legends “redeemable in Gold on demand” or
“certifies that there have been deposited in the Treasury
of the United States … Dollars in Gold coin” meant?
I did.
My curiosity was piqued and I wanted to understand what
these legends mean, how the United States came to have paper
currency that was backed by Gold coin, and what made this
paper for gold concept possible.
September 12, 2018 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Bill Burd on
Chinese Chopmarks on World Coins
Bill will explain China’s great appetite for silver
and how European traders filled that need.
He will explain the types of chops and the changes over
the two centuries of use.
He will show what countries sent their coins to China
and the peculiarities of each.
He will touch on the opium trade, first Chinese dollar
size coins, shroffs, single whip tax system, and more.
August 8, 2018 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Paul Hybert on
Assayed at the Mint in 1818
In 1818, the US Mint assayed 16 types of large foreign silver coins
which had been received at the mint.
These coins were not among the usually-encountered coins in the US,
and they did not have legal tender status.
The weight and fineness of each coin is stated in the report and are
assumed accurate, but some of the stated names and descriptions do not
identify a unique type.
Paul has tried to assemble the listed coins; join us to see if you
agree with Paul’s opinions on which coins are listed.
July 11, 2018 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Elliott Krieter on
An Introduction to Key US Coins
This talk will cover what a key coin is, and why it is
important to know.
Specifically, Elliott will cover key US coins from 1877
to current, along with their population and price.
June 13, 2018 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Gerard Anaszewicz on
Aksumite Coins, an Introduction
Aksum, also known as Axum, was a kingdom that ruled ancient Ethiopia
from about 250 AD to about 700 AD.
Aksumite coinage is known for gold, silver, bronze and also gilded
silver and bronze coinage.
This presentation will introduce viewers to the history of the
Aksumite people, and introduce their coinage – showing pagan,
Christian, and Judaic characteristics.
May 9, 2018 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Mark Wieclaw on
Collecting Ancient Coins, an Introduction
Mark will discuss the Dos and Don’ts
(in his opinion) of collecting ancient coins from the Greek,
Roman Republic, Roman Imperial, and Byzantine periods.
This will be a very general overview.
He will also offer suggestions on various topics that
can be collected, and then show some coins that are of
interest both from a historic and artistic standpoint.
April 11, 2018 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Warren Schultz on
Using Coins to Date The Thousand and One Nights
Whether called The Thousand and One Nights or The Arabian Nights Entertainments,
or some other title, many people are familiar with the story collection known
in Arabic as Alf Layla wa-Layla.
The frame-story of princess Scheherazade telling stories every night
to prolong her life was first introduced to the wider world in 1704 CE,
when Antoine Galland published the initial volume of his French translation
and adaptation of the Nights.
These tales are quite old and emerge from several traditions,
and the earliest surviving manuscript fragment of what is recognizably part
of the Nights dates from the 9th century CE.
It consists of a single page, and is found here in Chicago
at the Oriental Institute Museum.
The next oldest surviving manuscript is much longer, containing 35 stories.
This manuscript was used by Galland, and is preserved in the French National
Library in Paris.
A case could be made, not entirely tongue-in-cheek, for calling it the holy
grail of Arabian Nights studies.
The date of this second manuscript, however, has been the subject of an
intense debate amongst scholars of Arabic literary and folkloric traditions.
The scholar who prepared a critical edition of this manuscript argued that
it was a 14th-century copy of a now-lost version written down in the 13th
century.
This date, however, has been challenged on the basis of numismatic
terminology found within the manuscript itself.
It turns out that two of the stories in the manuscript refer to a gold coin
called an Ashrafi dinar.
This talk will walk you through the textual evidence in the manuscript
and mesh that with the numismatic data of medieval Egypt and Syria –
including examples of actual Ashrafi dinars – to illustrate how the
later date is the only conclusion that stands up to scrutiny.
At the end of our regular April meeting in downtown Chicago, we will recess and reconvene at our CSNS meeting. (Although the club will have a table at the Chicago Coin Expo in downtown Chicago, we will have no meeting this year.)
April 28, 2018 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Central States Numismatic
Society (CSNS) Convention, which is held at the Renaissance Hotel &
Convention Center, 1551 N. Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Beth Deisher on
The Ongoing War Against Counterfeit Circulating Coins, Collector Coins, and Bullion Coins
The United States is experiencing a pervasive invasion of counterfeit
coinage at every level, including: circulating coins, collector coins,
and bullion coins.
As a Director of Anti-Counterfeiting at ICTA, Beth Deisher is on the
forefront of educating agents within Department of Homeland Security,
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Secret Service to better
enable them to bring counterfeiters and those who traffic in counterfeits
to justice.
Be sure to make time to attend this program and hear Beth give a
behind-the-scenes look at how the U.S. Government is dealing with these
criminal cases, how they are investigated, how ICTA assists, and how the
collecting community can also help.
Learn how the flood of counterfeiting flows with whatever collecting
coins are popular at the moment.
They also counterfeit the packaging, including plastic encapsulation,
labels, mint holders, etc.
Beth will explain the motive behind counterfeiting with ties to money
laundering, illegal drug trade, terrorism, and human trafficking.
With the turmoil in today’s world, almost certainly this problem
will increase.
We asked Beth to give a current up-to-date report, which means there
will not be a handout.
Be sure to bring a notebook and plan to come away with an eye-opening
understanding of the forces at work against our community.
Attendees will leave with an awareness that might very well save them
from making mistakes costing thousands and thousands of dollars.
March 3, 2018 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the PCDA National Currency and Coin Convention,
which is held at the Hilton Rosemont/Chicago O’Hare, 5550 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Frederick Bart on
U.S. Paper Money Errors
All collectors, even non-numismatists, find paper money errors fascinating.
Every time the subject was featured at the Chicago Coin Club, the meeting
was well attended.
The reason is that paper money errors are so obvious, a magnifier is not
needed.
It is amazing some of the notes ever got past inspectors.
Some errors include: mismatched denominations, mismatched serial numbers,
overprints, inverted overprints, etc.
Be sure not to miss this meeting.
Fred Bart is a recognized expert in the field, and author of
The Comprehensive Catalog of U.S. Paper Money Errors, now in its
fourth edition.
Those who attend are guaranteed to see some of the rarest currency errors.
At the end of our PCDA National Currency and Coin Convention meeting, we will recess and reconvene at our regular March meeting in downtown Chicago.
March 14, 2018 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Dale Lukanich on
Cut Coins
For many years, the fastest way to make change for a large coin
was with an axe – or maybe it was with a hammer and chisel.
Attend this meeting to learn about cut coins.
Maybe Dale will talk about the small cuts made to a coin so that
its inner metal was visible.
February 14, 2018 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert D. Leonard on
Lesher Referendum Dollars – The Chicago Connection
Joseph Lesher successfully defied the government by issuing
his own silver coins in 1900 and 1901, which are listed
in the back of the 2018 Red Book on page 419.
Bob will present a summary history of Lesher Dollars –
including a Lesher Dollar treasure story – plus information
on one of the issuers, an ex-Chicagoan who lived in Lake View
and whose wife lived on the near South Side and –
after he died – briefly in Austin.
This man had offices on State Street downtown before moving
to Colorado Springs.
Bob dug into the Chicago street renumberings of 1909 and 1911
and will explain a little about that.
All but forgotten today, except by a handful of eager collectors, Lesher Dollars are well worth hunting for. To disguise the fact that they were actually private coins, they are labeled as “medals” and “souvenirs” with a “price” for the value, so their true status may be overlooked by antique dealers and flea market sellers. About 1800 were issued, but only 602 are known today – where are the rest?
January 10, 2018 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Deven Kane on
Uncoined Money – A Survey of the Ethnographic Money of South East Asia
Located along the sea trade routes between India and China,
coins were not unknown in South East Asia.
Native coinage may have started as early as the first millennium
of the common era.
Coinage disappeared in the tumult caused by the arrival of new peoples
in the region.
When money returned approximately 500 years later, it was in the form
of exotic silver ingots with colorful names such as tiger tongue, leech,
boat, bullet, and bracelet money.
This continued until the introduction of regular coinage in the 19th century.
Further south in Malaya, tin money made its appearance in the form
of hat money and various animal shapes while also being coined
into the small tin pitis of the local Sultanates and the large tin
bastardos, soldos, and dinheiros of the Portuguese.
While the unusually shaped money of South East Asia is popular with many collectors, the coins and ethnographic money of the region deserve more academic attention – a process made tougher by its unfortunate history after the Second World War.
December 13, 2017 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting at Grand Lux Café (reservations are required) - Featured Speakers:
Stanley Campbell on
Collecting Cuba: A Travelogue for Numismatists
Mr. Stanley Campbell has been to Cuba seven times in the last twenty years,
and each time found the country changed, charming, and challenging.
He will talk about the latest ways Americans can enter (and leave) Cuba,
the challenges of finding collectibles, including coins, stamps, banknotes,
books and almost anything else.
Join Mr. Campbell as he enlightens and entertains us about his latest escapades
in the embargoed island.
There is a full bar available for early arrivals, before 6:30,
and a private bar from 6:30 to 9:30 –
dinner is served at 7PM.
The cost is $50.00 per person, and reservations are required.
More details, including the menu,
are available in the December Chatter.
November 8, 2017 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
See the November newsletter for a list of items consigned
by October 24.
October 11, 2017 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Brett Irick on
Building a Type Set of Mexican Coins
Coins have been minted in Mexico since 1535.
The first mint opened that year in Mexico City
and coins were produced there until 1983.
Attend this meeting to learn about the thirty or so
most important design types of Mexican coinage
that now span almost 500 years
and the interesting history behind them.
Importantly, most of these issues are relatively available
in higher grades with most at reasonable prices.
This topic was last presented by Richard A. Long,
a Mexican numismatic specialist and ANA Past President,
during the 2005 American Numismatic Association Summer Seminar
to less than a dozen students who were taking hand written notes.
This program was developed from my notes taken
during that presentation and modernized to PowerPoint.
Examples of many of the type coins and reference sources
will be shared with attendees.
September 13, 2017 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Melissa Gumm on
Love Tokens – Works of Art or Mutilation of Circulating Currency?
Since the beginning of time, people have looked for ways to show the world
affection for those they love.
One such way, going back to the 16th Century,
was through the designing, creation,giving, and accumulation of Love Tokens.
These gifts hold a key to the past;
every coin has a history and tells a story.
Attend this meeting to learn the history of love tokens,
how they evolved from crude to beautiful, how they are distinguished by collectors,
and where they stand today in the numismatic collecting realm.
August 9, 2017 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Dave Crooks on
The Shipwreck of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha and its Coinage
This talk will center on the history of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha
shipwreck, the salvage, and the coinage.
The Nuestra Senora de Atocha sank 34 miles southwest of Key West, Florida
in 1622 during a hurricane.
As the ship was blown into the reefs, the bottom was ripped out
and the cargo strewn over a square mile.
A second hurricane, the next year, obscured the wreck until it was discovered
by Mel Fisher in 1972.
The ship was carrying a $400 million cargo of silver coinage and bullion,
minted in the New World, as well as a significant amount of gold and emeralds.
The coinage primarily consisted of silver cobs (irregular hand-made coins)
minted in the reign of King Philip III, in denominations of 8, 4, 2, and 1
reales from the Potosi mint (then in Peru, now in Bolivia).
However, there were some Mexico City and Lima-minted coins as well.
A variety of assayers are represented in the 186,000 coins recovered.
Many of these assayers did not last long in their job,
making coins with these assayer marks rare.
Markings on both the obverse and reverse will be explained.
July 12, 2017 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Dale Lukanich on
Counterfeit British Bank Notes Produced in a German Concentration Camp
Operation Bernhard was the code name for the largest paper money
counterfeiting attempt to date.
The idea was to disrupt the British economy and to cast doubt
on the economic future of Great Britain.
This plan was so top secret that less than a dozen people knew about it
in all of the German government.
This talk will help shed light on the key players,
the conditions that they had to work under,
and how the end came about.
We will also discuss some of the differences between the genuine
and counterfeit British White notes.
June 14, 2017 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Shanna Schmidt on
Coinage of Syracuse, 5th - 3rd Century B.C.
Syracuse was one of the most powerful ancient Greek city-states
in the Mediterranean.
It was rich in commerce, culture, amphitheaters, and architecture.
Some ancient historians called it the most beautiful of Greek cities.
During this period the artistry of their die engravers was at
an all time high and they issued some of the most beautiful coins ever struck,
even by the standards of today.
Be sure to attend this meeting and hear the story of how the coins of Syracuse
evolved into a pieces of art and not just a means of commerce.
Shanna Schmidt’s love of ancient Greek coins
came at a very young age.
She grew up in a house where ancient coinage was an everyday topic.
May 10, 2017 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Jeffrey Amelse on
Medals of the French Patroness Marianne
Marianne is a national symbol of the French Republic,
and a portrayal of the Goddess of Liberty.
Her image is displayed in many places in France,
including town halls and law courts.
Her image was used on many commemorative medals produced
by prominent French artists to commemorate wars,
sporting events, and other contests.
Numerous examples will be provided in this presentation.
April 12, 2017 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Mark Wieclaw on
Aes Graves: Cast Bronze Coinage of Ancient Rome
Aes Graves coins are large cast bronze pieces issued by the Roman Republic
about 289-213 BC.
They issued these coins to facilitate commerce with other Italian cities
and foreign lands.
The invasion of Hannibal (218-201 BC) created a financial crisis
which resulted in a complete restructuring of Rome’s currency system.
Since Aes Graves coins were cumbersome and unwieldy to use,
they underwent a rapid series of weight reductions and were replaced
by smaller struck bronze coins.
Mark has collected this Roman series of coins for many years.
Those who attend will hear the story of Aes Graves
and see examples of the seven different sizes and weights.
At the end of our regular April meeting, we will recess and reconvene at our CSNS meeting.
April 29, 2017 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Central States Numismatic Society (CSNS) convention,
which is held at the Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center, 1551 N. Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg, IL.
Featured Program:
A Panel Discussion on
When to Dispose of Your Collection
The details are still being arranged,
but we hope to have three or four people, plus a moderator.
At least one dealer, and one collector who has sold part of his or her collection,
to be on the panel.
Panel members could relate their experiences in selling,
and in deciding what to sell;
the panel will have experience in selling.
The moderator and audience will pose questions to the panel.
March 4, 2017 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the PCDA National Currency and Coin Convention,
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Dennis Lutz on
World Bank Note of the Year: Behind the Scenes
The IBNS Bank Note of the Year award is an initiative of the IBNS to recognize
an exceptional bank note issued each year.
Members nominate only those notes issued to the public,
and must have artistic merit, design, use of color, contrast, balance,
and/or innovative security measures.
Dennis Lutz is the current President of the IBNS and will cover the history
of this award that received recognition by Bloomberg Business Week Magazine
with a featured article, “New Money.”
Assisted by CCC Member and IBNS General Secretary Roger Urce,
Dennis will show the 19 specimens nominated for the 2016 award
and discuss reasons some are under consideration.
Everyone in attendance will receive a ballot that will be compared
with the IBNS member vote total.
Guests are welcome.
You do not need to be a member of the Chicago Coin Club or the IBNS to attend the meeting.
At the end of our PCDA National Currency and Coin Convention meeting, we will recess and reconvene at our regular March meeting in downtown Chicago.
March 8, 2017 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
John Wright on
U.S. Coinage of or Around 1857
In 1857 the five U.S. mints produced 50 million coins.
The coinage act of 1857 made two major changes to monetary law,
concerning foreign coins (no longer legal tender)
and copper coinage (cents and half cents).
Be sure to attend this meeting and hear John Wright
tell the numismatic history of 1857 and subsequent reforms
over the next 15 years.
The program listed in the March Chatter
has been rescheduled to our April meeting at the CSNS Convention.
February 8, 2017 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Deven Kane on
Coinage of the Western Kshatrapas of Gujarat
From 35-415 CE large parts of Western and Central India were ruled
by Indo-Scythian (Saka) rulers.
They adopted the title Kshatrapa (derived from the Old Persian title
viceroy or governor) and are today known as the Western Kshatrapas
to distinguish them from the “Northern Satraps” who ruled
around East Punjab and the area of Mathura.
The Western Kshatrapas issued an extensive coinage in silver, copper,
and lead.
For much of their almost four centuries of rule they were the only issuers
of silver coinage in India.
Their coins are also the first dated coins in Indian history
and the Saka Era is still used today as India’s official civil calendar.
Coinage derived from Kshatrapa silver coinage continued for 250 years
after the fall of the Kshatrapas.
January 11, 2017 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting at Marcello’s Restaurant (reservations are required)
We will try something new —
a program of brief talks on our non-numismatic collections.
Other members, visitors, and spouses would find this interesting.
We will probably limit this to just 5-6 talks,
so submit your subject idea as soon as you can for consideration.
Please do not bring more than one piece.
This idea is an outgrowth of Jeff Rosinia’s September presentation
on the coinage from the 1892 Columbian Exposition.
To accentuate the program Jeff showed a small, functioning, hand-operated,
Singer Sewing Machine carried by their traveling salesmen.
Jeff has agreed to bring to the banquet this amazing little machine,
which is sure to interest engineers, machinists, and anyone who used
a sewing machine.
Another member has proposed to speak on antique fountain pen collecting.
Submit your idea soon.
December 14, 2016 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
See the December newsletter for a list of items consigned by November 29.
November 9, 2016 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
John Riley on
World War II Numismatics on the U.S. Home Front
World War II lasted 1939-1945, but the United States did not enter until 1941.
Every aspect of American life was impacted by this conflict,
including our coinage and currency.
Attend this meeting and hear John Riley tell the story of why steel cents
were issued in 1943, the reason silver Jefferson nickels were minted 1942-45,
why some U.S. currency was overprinted or stamped with a special colored seal,
and about the “short snorters” made by U.S. soldiers.
John Riley is an aficionado of the WWII numismatic experience
and an attendee of the Military Payment Certificate Fest.
At the end of our regular November meeting in downtown Chicago, we will recess and reconvene at our PCDA National Currency and Coin Convention meeting.
November 19, 2016 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the PCDA National Currency and Coin Convention,
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Clifford Mishler, David Harper, and Joel Edler on
Remembering Chet Krause & His Contributions
Chester ‘Chet’ Krause passed away earlier this year
and will be forever remembered as one of the most influential figures in numismatics.
Chet’s contributions to numismatics, his community,
and the people who worked with him were more far reaching than many knew.
Attend this meeting and hear three people, who knew Chet well,
relate stories and tell of the impact Chet had on those around him.
At the conclusion, audience members will be asked to share a story
of how Chet’s work affected their numismatic or personal life.
October 12, 2016 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Tom Babinszki on
Enjoying Coin Collecting without Sight
Coin collecting assumes usable vision.
However, this hobby can be fully enjoyed without sight,
sometimes in non-conventional ways.
Tom was born totally blind and started collecting coins when he was six.
Collecting opened his view to history, cultures, and languages
which later determined his passions in life.
Be sure to attend and hear Tom discuss what it means to collect coins being totally blind,
the aspects of the hobby that can be enjoyed,
as well as a new initiative that can open perspectives for blind collectors
as well as elderly collectors who are losing their eyesight.
Make time in your schedule to attend this presentation which is guaranteed
to be unlike any numismatic program you have ever heard or even expected to hear.
Tom Babinszki built a center of entrepreneurship for blind and visually impaired people,
and is currently employed as an accessibility advisor by IBM.
This meeting is not to be missed.
September 14, 2016 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Jeffrey Rosinia on
Commemorative Coins from 1892-93 Columbian Exposition
The first US commemorative coins were the Columbian half dollar
and Isabella quarter.
Jeff Rosinia just returned from the Anaheim ANA Convention
where his exhibit on this subject received two high awards.
Be sure to attend this meeting,
hear the story of how the coins came to be and their promotion as fair souvenirs.
During this time Bertha Palmer,
the wife of Chicago real estate magnate Potter Palmer,
served as the chairwoman of the Board of Lady Managers.
Under her leadership they were charged with creating a pavilion
to celebrate the accomplishments of women around the world.
Jeff will tell the story of how Bertha Palmer,
as Chicago’s cultural leader, tastemaker, and de facto hostess
for the exposition, successfully petitioned for the Isabella quarter,
and how the reverse design is emblematic of women’s industry.
August 10, 2016 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Dale Lukanich on
Coin Grading Services
Dale Lukanich will tell the history of coin grading,
the evolution of slabs, the different services,
the counterfeit slabs, plus what is driving the market.
Members will also be able to view and offer an opinion
on 30 slabbed coins with tape covering the grade.
July 13, 2016 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Harlan J. Berk on
Civic Mint: Athens’ First Tetradrachms, 520-500 BC
For the first time, the first tetradrachms of the so called Civic mint
will be placed in order of creation and defined for why they where actually struck,
properly ordered and why the Civic mint never existed.
In 52 years, Harlan had only one of these exquisite coins — until now.
A Collection obtained in 1970 became available in a Munich auction and by private treaty.
When in hand, these coins finally gave him the inspiration to do
what is available now for the first time,
rather than looking at two plates of a 95 year old volume.
Be sure to attend and hear the story of the how experimental designs evolved
in 520-500 BC into what is the most recognized ancient coinage.
The Chicago Coin Club will be the first group to hear this presentation.
Do not miss it.
June 8, 2016 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Len Augsburger on
The Newman Numismatic Portal: What It Is, How It Works, and What It Can Do for Collectors
The Newman Numismatic Portal is the creation
of a comprehensive online numismatic reference library,
with a focus on American numismatics, and available to collectors
and the public on a free and forever basis.
Since June 2015 the project scanned over 6,000 documents
from two different scanning centers.
They also maintain databases of numismatic biography and terminology.
Numerous regional and specialty collecting groups have partnered
with the Newman Portal.
Back issues of their journals are now text searchable and their value
as research tools increases with the discoverability of the material.
Be sure to attend this presentation by club member and project coordinator
Len Augsburger — is a window into future numismatic research.
The Newman Numismatic Portal is available at
www.NewmanPortal.org
May 11, 2016 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Stanley E. Campbell on
Numismatics in Cuba Since the Trade Embargo of 1962
From his position with Rockford Urban Ministries,
Stanley Campbell obtained religious visas and traveled to Cuba
eight times since 1990.
During the visits he contacted local numismatists and discovered Cubans
were only allowed to “trade” coins, currencies, and collectibles,
not “buy-and-sell.”
Of course, every Cuban considered U.S. dollars as a fair and legal
“trade.”
Stanley also toured Havana’s Numismatic Museum showing Cuba’s numismatic eras
from the 16th century to date.
Mr. Campbell also has a collection of money substitutes/volunteer bonds
given to those who helped harvest sugar and coffee.
Diplomatic relations are changing and some members probably anticipate
traveling to Cuba soon.
Be sure to attend this meeting and hear Mr. Campbell relate
his numismatic experiences, tell where collectibles can be found,
what to expect, and how to survive.
April 13, 2016 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Deven Kane on
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.
At the end of our regular April meeting, we will recess and reconvene at our CICF meeting.
April 16, 2016 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago International Coin Fair (CICF),
which is held at the the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
Show up early and ask around — it appears our meeting will be across the street
from the convention Center, in the Convention Hotel,
the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Bruce Bartelt on
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.
At the end of our CICF meeting, we will recess and reconvene at our CSNS meeting.
April 30, 2016 - CCC Meeting - 1PM 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 on
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.
March 9, 2016 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Dale Lukanich on
An Historic Reign — The 2015 Canadian Commemorative $20 Bank Note
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 will tell the story and show images of the blending of colorful designs
with multiple portraits of the monarch and Canadian symbolism.
Then the latest in security features was incorporated, such as:
raised ink, metallic imprint that changes color, micro text,
hidden numbers, and more.
Those who attend this meeting will come away with insight
into the future of all bank notes.
At the end of our regular March meeting, we will recess and reconvene at our meeting at CPMX.
March 19, 2016 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago Paper Money Expo (CPMX),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Roger Urce on
China’s Post War Military Currency for Indochina Featuring Chinese Customs Gold Units
In 1945 Allied Powers divided Viet Nam at the 16th parallel.
Japanese forces in the south surrendered to the British
and in the north to China.
Chinese officials began preparing by over-printing
Central Bank of China bank notes with “Issued for Use in Viet Nam.”
However, the drop of atomic bombs accelerated the Japanese surrender,
leaving China with an insufficient supply of over-printed notes.
Instead, China used an already large supply of their bank notes
called Chinese Customs Gold units, notes which were used in the 1930s
to pay custom duties.
Be sure to attend this meeting as Roger Urce tells the story of these notes,
the resulting effect on northern Viet Nam,
the officials in this course of events,
as well as illustrations of the currencies involved.
Those who attend will come away with a deeper knowledge
of the economic quagmire experienced by Viet Nam
and their resentment of foreign intervention.
Souvenir Card:
Everyone attending our meeting at the upcoming CPMX
will receive a souvenir card about the Fort Dearborn National Bank of Chicago.
After distribution at the meeting,
the remaining cards will be sold for $5.00 each
($1.00 for postage if ordering by mail).
February 10, 2016 - CCC Meeting - Featured Program:
Marc Stackler on
Banco Revolutionario de Guerrero
Paper money from the Banco Revolucionario de Guerrero
is a popular but obscure series from the Mexican Revolution.
Surviving examples are scarce at best.
The bank was established in the State of Guerrero in October, 1914,
by a group of generals loyal to Emiliano Zapata.
It never got off the ground.
Less than six months after agreement was reached to establish the bank,
its currency was recalled.
Come to our February meeting to hear about this colorful,
short-lived series of paper money from the Mexican Revolution.
January 13, 2016 - CCC Meeting - Featured Program:
David and Robert Greenstein on
Anti-Money Laundering
Since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, September 11, 2001,
world cash transactions have come under intense scrutiny
by the banking system and federal regulators.
Combine this with the blurring lines between collectors and dealers,
and what you end up with is a lot of confusion.
Dave and Bob Greenstein work with Harlan J. Berk, Ltd.
and will give some straight talk about anti-money laundering issues,
the IRS Form 8300 (Report of cash payments over $10,000),
what is cash, other definitions of the question,
“Who is a dealer?” and much more.
December 10, 2014 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting at Marcello’s Restaurant (reservations are required) - Featured Speakers:
Mark Wieclaw and Jeff Amelse on
Porcelain Coins and Medals of Germany
Germany’s Meissen porcelain production has a history more than 300 years old.
Medal production began about 1820,
and went into regular production on Meissen’s bicentennial in 1910.
When hyper-inflation hit Germany after World War I,
Meissen’s factories began to turn out porcelain coins.
This subject is unfamiliar to many collectors.
Those who attend this meeting should be prepared to see numismatic pieces
rarely seen at meetings or coin shows.
In addition to numismatic history,
this program offers beauty, art history, and superb craftsmanship.
Bring your spouse and interested guests.
Everyone, including guests,
will receive a porcelain coin or medal compliments of Harlan J. Berk, Ltd.
A cash bar opens at 6 PM, salad is served at 6:45PM, and dinner is served at 7 PM.
More details, including the menu,
are available in the December Chatter.
November 11, 2015 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
See the November newsletter for a list of items consigned by October 27.
At the end of our regular November meeting in downtown Chicago, we will recess and reconvene at our PCDA National Currency and Coin Convention meeting.
November 21, 2015 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the PCDA National Currency and Coin Convention,
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Ray Lockwood on
History and Development of Polymer Banknotes
Polymer banknotes are made from a special polypropylene
and were adopted to thwart counterfeiting and stay in circulation longer,
thereby reducing production costs.
Collaborations and experimenting began in the 1960s,
and the first patent was filed in 1973.
Developing a suitable polymer that could be machine processed
was only half the puzzle to solve.
Scientists also needed to develop ink that would not smudge or wash off.
Finally in 1980 the country of Haiti issued the world’s first polymer notes.
Other countries followed and today nearly sixty countries use polymer or hybrid notes
(mix of polymer and paper).
As of 2014 at least eight countries were converted fully to polymer banknotes.
Using examples from his collection,
Ray Lockwood will tell the history and development of a new currency
that few would have predicted 50 years ago.
October 14, 2015 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Leo Courshon on
Different Grading Standards of Early American Copper Coinage
Early American Copper coins were produced using manually cut dies
and screw-press machinery.
This resulted in more strike qualities and grading ambiguities
than any other U.S. coinage series.
Over time, different grading systems developed and evolved.
Today, collectors of Early American Copper coins must be proficient
in three different grading systems:
Commercial/Dealer Grading, Slab Grading, and EAC Collector Grading.
Leo will tell how the systems evolved,
then explain their differences and inconsistencies.
He is a 30-year member of Early American Coppers club,
and specializes in their grading system.
Those who attend this program will gain insight
into a numismatic specialty where nearly every coin is unique
and each possesses its own beauty.
September 9, 2015 - CCC Meeting - Featured Program:
Extended Convention Reports and Show & Tell
There were many meetings and gatherings
at the recent ANA convention in Rosemont,
but no reports were submitted for the September Chatter!
This meeting is our chance to go on record
with what was fun, interesting, and remembered about the convention.
There were many dealers with a range of items in the large bourse hall,
so expect many new items to be brought to the meeting for Show & Tell.
August 15, 2015 - Saturday CCC Meeting - 1PM at the ANA’s World’s Fair of Money,
which is held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Dennis Tucker, Whitman Publishing on
2016 Guide Book of United States Coins, Deluxe Edition
The Red Book is the most popular and best-selling book in numismatics,
with more than 23 million copies sold since 1946.
The 2016 deluxe is an expanded edition —
with 1504 pages and over three times the size of the regular edition.
Be sure to attend this program and hear Dennis Tucker tell the story
of how Whitman Publishing decided to put together this encyclopedic edition
with more historical information, expanded grading instructions,
enlarged illustrations, and a 400-page section
featuring copper half and large cents.
July 8, 2015 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
François R. Velde on
The Beginning of Coinage: An Economist’s View
Dr. François R. Velde delivered this presentation
at “The Beginning of Coinage — New Discoveries and Research on Early Electrum Coinage,”
a symposium hosted by the American Numismatic Society, November 2013.
The significance of this numismatic event was the gathering
of eminent historians, economists, and numismatists discussing coinage made of electrum,
the alloy of gold and silver.
The first electrum coins stand at the beginning
of the numismatic history of the western world,
but historians and numismatists are still puzzled
by the who, what, and why of the economies and people that produced them.
Be sure to make this unique numismatic program.
Members will learn new insights and interpretations on the beginning of coinage
against a backdrop of electronic images of the outstanding electrum coins
from the ANS collection.
June 10, 2015 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Jeffrey Paunicka on
Currency Doctoring Detection
The popularity of currency collecting continues to grow.
Since the high-grade-banknotes command premium prices,
collectors need to become educated on how to distinguish
the genuine-high-grade-banknotes from the artificially-improved-banknotes.
Be sure to attend this presentation and learn the many ways
damaged and lesser-graded banknotes are passed on
without the buyer’s knowledge.
Jeff Paunicka has over 50 years of experience
as a currency collector and dealer.
His program includes ways to detect repair of damage caused by:
water, solvent, PVC, bleach, acid, pressing, starch, and more.
May 13, 2015 - CCC Meeting - With Two Featured Speakers:
Mark Wieclaw on
Peter the Great Beard Tax Tokens
Czar Peter the Great of Russia was convinced his country was backward
and needed to be more like western Europe.
To bring about modernization, Peter decreed in 1705
that men shave off their beards or pay a tax.
Peasants and clerics were exempt, but all other men
who wanted to wear a beard paid an annual fee
and needed to carry a token as proof of payment.
The tax was levied according to rank,
reaching a maximum of 100 rubles for wealthy merchants.
Peter the Great is one of history’s most fascinating people
and many books were written on his efforts to modernize Russia.
Those who attend this program will see examples and hear the history
of these unique numismatic tokens.
Steve Zitowsky on
Platinum “Coins” Found in The Field Museum Collection
Steve Zitowsky is a 20+ year volunteer at The Field Museum in Chicago.
Currently working in the Science and Education (Geology) Department,
he recently discovered they hold platinum coins in their collections.
Platinum was often discovered with gold ore,
but it took years for technology to develop so that the “useless”
metal could be efficiently refined, utilized, and valued as it is today.
Although there are some examples of platinum used by ancient cultures,
it was early 19th century counterfeiters in the Spanish colonies in the Americas
who began to “mint” coins of platinum.
This is a little-known era of numismatic history.
Be sure to join us and hear the story of platinum’s first coinage.
April 8, 2015 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Jeffrey Rosinia on
The Basics of Numismatic Exhibiting
The Chicago Coin Club motto, Docendo Discimus,
is Latin for “We Learn by Teaching.”
Our members clearly practice this, and it is the largest contributing factor
in our strong verbal exhibits at monthly meetings.
Putting together a case exhibit at a convention is another form
of numismatic teaching.
Jeff has plenty of experience with exhibiting,
and is the perfect person to explain the basics.
For years Jeff took notes on other winning exhibits
and researched the internet for tips and guidance.
This motivated him to build exhibits on Susan B. Anthony Dollars,
Kennedy Half Dollars, First National Bank of Chicago Memorabilia,
Coin Savers, March of Dimes Holders, etc.
Everyone can expect to leave with a handout which will serve as a map
to discover a new twist to “We Learn by Teaching.”
If you have never put together a case exhibit, then time to try it.
Remember — it is another form of numismatic teaching
to add to your list of qualifications.
At the end of our regular April meeting in downtown Chicago, we will recess and reconvene at our CICF meeting.
April 11, 2015 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago International Coin Fair (CICF),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
John Wright on
Roman Coinage of 238 AD — The Year of Seven Caesars
At the end of our CICF meeting, we will recess and reconvene at our CSNS meeting.
April 25, 2015, Saturday - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Central States Numismatic Society (CSNS) convention,
which is held at the Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center, 1551 N. Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Robert D. Evans, Chief Scientist & Historian of the S.S. Central America Project, on
Radiating Sun — The First U.S. Money Made in California — $50 Gold
The discovery of gold in California was perhaps the most significant event
in our nation’s economic history.
The massive amount of gold extracted from California’s hills and streams
during 1848-50 was overwhelming.
Local commerce quickly became a mess,
all coins were in short supply, and citizens used measured gold dust
to make everyday purchases.
In 1850 the Federal Government sent Augustus Humbert to San Francisco
to act as the United States assayer.
His order — begin to issue standardized gold coins
to stabilize the price of gold.
Attend this meeting and hear stories of the wondrous and tumultuous
Gold Rush Era.
Bob Evans has studied many high-grade specimens of these gold pieces.
A particular specimen in private hands,
where the reverse side is engraved, not struck,
might possibly be the “first” $50 gold piece made.
This program covers a unique era of American history,
discovery of gold and the issuance of large gold coins.
Be sure to mark your schedule.
You don’t want to miss it!
March 7, 2015 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago Paper Money Expo (CPMX),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Steve Feller on
WWII Civilian Camp Money of North America
The U.S. and Canada established many WWII civilian camps
to hold enemy aliens and citizens thought to be a threat.
Many camps had their own issue of money.
This talk will focus on the paper and token currencies of these camps.
Some of the more famous locations covered include Ellis Island (New York),
Crystal City (Texas), Alva (Oklahoma), Minidoka (Idaho),
and Bismarck (North Dakota).
Ray and Steve Feller are the foremost researchers of this numismatic field
and delivered many presentations regarding “Concentration Camp Currencies.”
This talk will focus on “Civilian Camp Currencies of North America.”
This field has not been well documented and those who attend
can expect to hear stories of new site discoveries, additional issues,
symbolism behind the designs, etc.
Everyone will leave with the knowledge that no matter how disparate the circumstances,
mankind always has the need for money.
Steve received the financial support of Central States Numismatic Society
to research the work on this subject.
At the end of our CPMX meeting, we will recess and reconvene at our regular March meeting in downtown Chicago.
March 11, 2015 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
David Greenstein on
Coin Grading in the Age of Plastic
Coin value is typically based on rarity and the grade.
Generations of dealers and collectors learned the skill of coin grading
by studying bare coins.
Over the past few decades third party grading,
encasement with stickers has led many to believe they no longer need
to know how to grade — it is already done for them.
While this is primarily in the American coin market,
it is becoming more common in world coins, paper money,
and even ancient coinage.
Join David as he tells the story of his journey of learning from masters
how to grade coins and how collectors must still grade coins encased in plastic.
February 11, 2015 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Marc Stackler on
Counterfeiting During the Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution took place from 1910 to 1917.
It was a devastating but transformative conflict for Mexico.
It started as a political revolution.
Then in 1913 there was a military coup and subsequent revolt to reestablish the rule of law.
In late 1914, after the defeat of the dictatorship,
what little cooperation that existed between the victors broke down into a civil war.
Two of the most iconic leaders, Pancho Villa and Venustiano Carranza,
could barely tolerate each other.
But the one thing they did even more than detest one another
was issue piles of easily counterfeited currency.
The result is a colorful journey through a turbulent time,
featuring gambling dens, Texas cattlemen, seedy bars, and much more.
January 14, 2015 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Eugene Freeman on
The Coins of New France
Join Eugene Freeman for a fascinating talk on French coins used in early North America.
These are coins used in the French settlements of eastern Canada, Louisiana,
Ohio River Valley, and the Mississippi River Valley which included Illinois.
These coins were royally authorized, referenced in official documents,
or found in hoards from that period.
None mention French Canada, French Louisiana, or even French North America.
At best, some of them say “French Colonies.”
December 10, 2014 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting (reservations are required) - Featured Speaker:
to be announced
The annual December Banquet will be held at
Rosewood Restaurant,
9421 W. Higgins Road, Rosemont, IL 60018.
A cash bar opens at 6 PM, and dinner is served at 7 PM.
More details, including the menu,
are available in the December Chatter.
November 12, 2014 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
See the November newsletter for a list of items consigned by October 28.
At the end of our regular November meeting in downtown Chicago, we will recess and reconvene at our National Coin and Currency Convention meeting.
November 22, 2014 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the National Coin and Currency Convention,
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Doug Davis on
Numismatic Crime: Developing a Tactical Mindset for Collectors and Dealers
Numismatic crimes are increasing.
Collectors and dealers who stay current in their education and awareness of security risks
can reduce the chance of becoming the next victim.
Doug Davis founded the Numismatic Crime Information Center with a mission
to serve as an international resource for collectors, dealers, and law enforcement
in the education, prevention, and investigation of crimes involving numismatic material.
Collectors will hear some of the latest methods criminals use
and learn of new technologies available to prevent crime and help investigators solve crimes.
We are fortunate to have Doug share his 30 years of experience
in law enforcement and the numismatic industry.
Those who attend will advance their education in crime prevention
and learn their role with an investigation when crime occurs.
Don’t miss this program!
October 8, 2014 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Dr. Leon Saryan on
Pre-Coinage Money in Armenia
Dr. Saryan is a leading expert on Armenian numismatics
and will report the results of his ongoing investigation
into bronze ring money used in ancient Armenia.
He regularly consults with antiquity authorities in Armenia
and published several in-depth papers on the subject.
Dr. Saryan will also cover various objects
believed to be used as a medium of exchange in Armenia
during this prehistoric period.
Dr. Saryan is the author of over 100 numismatic articles.
He is a member of the ANS, ANA, and the Society for Armenian Studies,
and an overseas member of the Republic of Armenia National Academy of Sciences.
This is a unique opportunity for our members.
Educational programs dealing with Armenia are rarely offered.
Armenians trace their culture to the 6th century BC.
Historically Armenia was bordered on the east by Iran and on the west by Asia Minor.
Over 2,700 years Armenia served as the battleground
for many invaders and contending empires including the Persians,
Alexander the Great, the Romans, Byzantium, the Arabs, Seljups, Mongols,
Tatars, the Ottoman Empire, Safavid Persia, and the Russians.
Yet the Armenian people developed a distinct culture, original architecture,
a national alphabet, and their own coinage.
September 10, 2014 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Dr. Lawrence J. Lee on
Archaeologically Recovered Coins from Fort Atkinson (1819-1827)
Fort Atkinson was the first U.S. government military post
west of the Missouri River in what is now Nebraska.
For a brief period it was the largest military post in America
and an important “beacon of civilization”
helping to open the Great American Desert.
With a more rapid expansion westward than anticipated,
the U.S. government was forced to reorganize their resources
and Fort Atkinson was abandoned in 1827.
Many years later, and after ten seasons of excavation,
over a hundred coins and coin bits were recovered from the site.
Dr. Lee’s numismatic study of these coins provides an insight
into life on the Western Frontier.
Be sure to attend this meeting and see numismatic artifacts that tell the story
of how 1,000+ Easterners created an interconnected economy
of fur trade and barter using coins from other countries,
U.S. coins shipped direct from the Philadelphia Mint,
and even a number of chopped U.S. coins apparently made under government sanction.
August 9, 2014 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the ANA’s World’s Fair of Money,
which is held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Bob Hurst on
Treasures from the 1715 Spanish Fleet
On July 31, 1715 a hurricane sunk 11 treasure-laden Spanish galleons
off the coast of Florida, near present day Vero Beach.
Over 1,000 people perished and a fortune in gold, silver, and jewels was lost.
Spain recovered some of the treasure, but a great deal was left on the ocean floor.
Coins are still recovered today almost 300 years later!
This program is for those who love stories of finding lost treasures.
Be prepared to see images of fantastic coins, and hear unbelievable recovery stories.
Bob Hurst is from Florida, and purchased and sold these treasure coins for 20 years.
His presentation includes photos of coins housed in the Florida State Museum Collection.
Mark your calendar and be prepared to be amazed!
At the end of our ANA meeting, we will recess and reconvene at our regular August meeting in downtown Chicago.
August 13, 2014 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
to be announced
July 9, 2014 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
David Greenstein on
Coin Conservation and Doctoring: Black, White, and 51 Shades of Grey
Coin conservation and doctoring is a controversial issue among collectors.
Be sure to attend this meeting and hear David Greenstein present
both sides of the issue.
Most members will probably agree with widely accepted practices
and generally unacceptable practices.
The controversy lies with the 51 shades of grey between.
Since “original” coins trade at big premiums
and “problem” coins trade at significant discounts,
some people are motivated to increase the grade of their coins
even if by deception.
Join us for an evening of learning some of the nuances
of detecting a coin with an altered surface,
understand how PNG defines “doctoring,”
and learn accepted blue ribbon coin care practices.
June 11, 2014 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Chester M. Donati on
Security for the Home & Business
Unfortunately we hear too often the news that a collector
or coin dealer was robbed.
Every collector should be concerned about security at home,
at a convention, and at work.
Many of the ways used to protect yourself 10-20 years ago are now outdated.
Be sure to attend this meeting and learn the new methods
on how to return home from a show, ways to protect your family,
what not to do, the importance of a police report, etc.
It is important every collector stay up-to-date on vulnerabilities,
security loop holes, and how gangs target their victims.
Chester Donati has a long history in law enforcement,
and is the President and Founder of the DMC Security Services
in suburban Midlothian.
Mark your calendar now.
This is a meeting not to miss.
May 14, 2014 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Richard Lipman on
Graffiti Twos: An Analysis of What People Have Written or Stamped on Two Dollar Bills
Rich Lipman has searched through thousands of $2 notes
and found unique serial numbers and even some printing errors.
However, he also found hundreds of bills with handwritten notes,
graffiti, drawings, or rubber stamps.
Like any good collector, Rich has categorized these notes.
Join us this upcoming Wednesday night as Rich shows a selection of these notes
and offers an analysis on the use of currency in professions of passion,
political punditry, personal polemics, plus people, places, and paeans!
All on two dollar bills.
April 9, 2014 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Bruce Perdue on
Encased Coins
An “encased coin” is a coin forcibly inserted into a metal
(usually aluminum) ring, then placed into a press that squeezes the ring
to hold the coin tight.
On one side, the press adds advertising slogans
like “Keep Me and Never Go Broke.”
On the other side, advertisers place their name and address.
For 10 years, Bruce Perdue studied encased coins
and collected over 650 different pieces.
Normally numismatists see only encased Lincoln cents inside a round disk.
However, members who attend this talk will see a variety
of encasement shapes including bears, bells, chamber pots, and arrowheads.
His collection also includes encased large cents, Buffalo nickels,
quarters, half dollars, and even a silver dollar!
At the end of our regular April meeting in downtown Chicago, we will recess and reconvene at our CICF meeting.
April 12, 2014 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago International Coin Fair (CICF),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Constantin A. Marinescu on
Transforming Victory from Pagan Goddess to Christian Symbol
Romans frequently put the allegorical figure of Victory on their coinage.
Her winged figure appears holding a wreath, a palm, and sometimes a shield.
Constantin Marinescu will trace the development of Victory inscribing a shield
in Roman coinage and art.
He will tell the story of how Romans employed the shield to fine tune
the message of victory, how it changed as Roman military victories decreased,
and became more focused on civic commemorations.
Constantin will show the appearance of the Victory motif into the Christian era
where she increasingly becomes associated with Christian symbolism despite
her pagan origin.
This paved the way for the introduction of the angel, a truly Christian image.
Constantin is a professor of art history and collector of ancient coinage.
Everyone attending this unique presentation will come away enlightened
to the interrelationship of art, history, religion, and numismatics.
At the end of our CICF meeting, we will recess and reconvene at our CSNS meeting.
April 26, 2013, Saturday - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Central States Numismatic Society (CSNS) convention,
which is held at the Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center, 1551 N. Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speakers:
Donald H. Kagin and David McCarthy on
The Saddle Ridge Hoard
Rare coin experts Kagin’s Inc. brought to collector’s attention
the recent treasure find of over 1,400 U.S. gold coins with a face value
over $28,000!
The hoard was discovered on private property in California’s gold region
and is believed to be the greatest treasure ever unearthed in the U.S.,
with an estimated value in excess of $10 million!
Kagin’s Inc., the nation’s oldest family owned numismatic firm,
was chosen to conserve and market this unique treasure.
Be sure to attend this meeting and hear Donald Kagin and David McCarthy
tell the story of how and when they came to be introduced to this hoard.
One seasoned numismatist called it
“… one of the best stories in the history of the hobby!”
Set aside the convention dates of April 24-26 and visit the show.
Arrangements are being made to display a portion of the hoard
at the Convention and you want to be sure to see it.
March 8, 2014 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago Paper Money Expo (CPMX),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Roger Urce on
Culion Leper Colony Currencies
For millennia people incorrectly believed leprosy was a contagious disease
and segregated anyone who suffered from it.
So it was that the Philippine Government created in 1904
one of the largest leper colonies in the world on the remote island of Culion.
No matter the circumstances, mankind has a need for money
and the Culion Leper Colony was no exception.
The colony no longer exists, but the coins and paper notes issued for the inhabitants
remain with us today.
Join Roger Urce as he tells the story of the Culion Colony
and shows their unique coins and paper notes that were never allowed
to circulate among the general population.
Leper colonies existed worldwide,
and those who attend this program can expect to hear stories
and see examples of their currencies also.
At the end of our CPMX meeting, we will recess and reconvene at our regular March meeting in downtown Chicago.
March 12, 2014 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Dale Lukanich on
Shopping for Ancient Coins in the Holy Land
Dale Lukanich just returned home after spending 11 days touring Israel.
He traveled to Jerusalem, Tiberias, the Dead Sea, Bethlehem, and many places in between.
Throughout the trip Dale found a number of shops and peddlers selling coins.
Be sure to attend this meeting and hear Dale’s perspective
on their ancient coin market, the condition and availability of coins,
merchandising, negotiating a purchase, etc.
February 12, 2014 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Eugene Freeman on
Love Tokens: Their History and Collectability
A Love Token is a coin with a smoothed flat side(s), then hand engraved.
Most tokens were engravings of initials;
names and dates were also popular and the most scarce were sayings, prayers, and pictures.
The coins were made as keepsakes and mementos from the giver to the recipient.
Some bronze love tokens exist, but the silver coins,especially the 10 cent size,
were most popular, probably because the engravings would oxidize and make the design stand out.
Eugene Freeman and his wife LuAnn have collected love tokens for many years.
Be sure to attend this meeting and hear the story of when love tokens first began,
and how their use as an expression of love became very popular during the Victorian Era.
Gene promises to show a great assortment with beautiful and artistic designs.
January 8, 2014 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Jeffrey A. Amelse on
Collectibles from Chicago’s 1893 Columbian Exposition
Chicago’s 1893 Columbian Exposition commemorated the 400th anniversary
of Columbus’ discovery of the New World.
During the event’s six month run, 27.5 million people were lured
to see its glittering showcase of architecture, culture, technology,
and people from around the world.
The event was also a bonanza for collectors!
Be sure to attend this presentation as Jeff Amelse explains the collectability
of entrance tickets modeled after fractional currency
and printed by American Bank Note Company;
the first U.S. commemorative coin, the Columbus half dollar;
the first U.S. coin with the portrait of a woman, Queen Isabella I quarter;
plus numerous medals and tokens that fill several books.
Elongated coins were also introduced.
Back then, fair goers handed over their own coin which was elongated.
Although most of the coins were U.S. of small value,
there are examples of U.S. silver halves and dollars,
international coins are also found, and, although they are scarce,
elongated U.S. gold coins also exist!
Jeff invites members to bring to the meeting their Columbian Exposition material.
This doesn’t have to be your main exhibit.
Just lay the material out on your table and when called upon stand up
and briefly describe what you have.
If you can, please make a list and submit it to the Secretary.
This is not to be published with your name,
but the ANA Convention Committee might decide, if we have enough,
to put together several exhibit cases at this summer’s ANA Convention.
December 11, 2013 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting (reservations are required) - Featured Speaker:
Mark Wieclaw on
Brookgreen Gardens: Art, Nature, Numismatics?
Located just south of Myrtle Beach, SC,
Brookgreen Gardens is the world’s largest statuary garden
with well over one thousand pieces of art.
Founded in the 1930s by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington,
the gardens are a wonderful combination of Art and Nature
covering several thousand acres.
Among these incredible pieces of art are statues
designed by many of the talented artists
who also designed our U.S. coinage.
Works by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, James Earle Fraser,
Laura Gardin Fraser, Adolph A. Weinman, and many others
are prominent throughout this beautiful outdoor museum.
This presentation will show examples of both coins and sculptures
of these talented artists.
The annual December Banquet will be held at
foodlife Restaurant,
on the Mezzanine level of Water Tower Place,
835 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60611.
Our room opens at 6 PM, and there is a cash bar.
More details, including the menu,
will be available closer to the meeting.
November 13, 2013 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
See the November newsletter for a list of items consigned by October 29.
At the end of our regular November meeting in downtown Chicago, we will recess and reconvene at our International Currency and Coin Convention meeting.
November 23, 2013 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the International Currency and Coin Convention,
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Mark B. Anderson on
The Swedish Private Bank Note Era 1824 to 1906, with Observations on its Influence on the Creation of the United States Federal Reserve System
The Nation of Sweden has a long and rich economic and numismatic history.
Mr. Anderson’s tale begins with the massive natural deposits of copper
found in the Stora Kopparberg mine, proceeding to the famous “plate money”
made from those deposits and the Palmstrych notes inspired by their inconvenience,
the world’s first true bank notes.
Despite the failure of the Palmstrych Bank, paper money as an instrument did not fade away,
and Sweden experimented with a variety of approaches,
including the country’s unsuccessful first effort
to centralize money issuance and control.
The ensuing period of 1824 to 1906,
during which 31 regional banks’ currency issues flourished and then end
is illustrated with notes from the speaker’s collection.
Lastly, an interesting connection to the 1913 creation of the Federal System
in the U.S. is detailed.
October 9, 2013 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Gerry Anaszewicz on
Pictorial Images on Islamic Coinage
Most Islamic coins show only elaborate calligraphy
as traditional Islamic belief forbids iconography.
For 20 years, Gerry Anaszewicz has collected
the few Islamic coins with pictorial images.
Coins in his collection show images of animals,
especially horses, birds, reptiles, flowers, signs of the zodiac, etc.
Since die engravers worked under restrictions,
whenever they created a pictorial scene,
every ounce of their artistic talent was poured into their numismatic creation.
There are also Islamic coins modeled after images and figures
seen on the coins of ancient Greece and Rome.
Join us for an evening of viewing coinage rarely seen at Chicago Coin Club meetings.
September 11, 2013 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speakers:
Eugene Freeman and Robert D. Leonard, Jr. on
Selling on EBay and Buying on EBay
Eugene has actively traded on EBay since 1997.
Today he is a full-time coin dealer with a retail store on EBay.
Gene will cover the first part of this program
and relate how to sell on EBay with consideration of terms,
strategies, and EBay policy.
Robert has actively traded on EBay since 1999
and has a 100% positive feedback.
Robert will relate stories on how he found bargains
because they were incorrectly listed in the wrong category
or a misspelled description.
He will also share his knowledge on spotting scams and counterfeits.
August 17, 2013 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the ANA’s World’s Fair of Money,
which is held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Kevin Brown, on
Serial Numbering on U.S. Paper Currency
We are fortunate to have as our featured speaker, Kevin Brown,
Manager of the Marketing Division for the BEP since 2002.
Kevin will give an in-depth explanation on the creation of Serial Numbers
that appear twice on the face of all U.S. currency.
Serial Numbers are not a group of numbers randomly assigned.
Every Serial Number is a deliberate and unique combination
of numbers and letters.
Everyone attending will gain an understanding of:
Be sure to make this program. This is also a great opportunity to interact with a BEP official and receive answers to questions you have always wanted to ask about their operation.
July 10, 2013 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert Wheelhouse on
Difficulties at Assembling a Collection of U.S. Silver Three-Cent Pieces, 1851-1873
The silver three-cent pieces are the smallest of the U.S. silver coins.
Unfortunately they had relatively small mintage numbers,
plus their issue coincided with bad economic times
and coin hoarding brought on by the Civil War.
In 1873 the Government melted nearly the entire production of non-proof
coins from 1863-1872.
Today, this coinage series is a popular, but difficult, collecting series.
Be sure to attend this meeting and hear Rob Wheelhouse
share stories and detailed information that make collecting
this U.S. coin series a struggle.
June 12, 2013 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Alexander Basok on
Russia’s Copper Coinage System, 1723-1810
After signing a Peace Treaty with Sweden
and the discovery of huge copper ore deposits in Siberia,
Russia’s Peter the Great introduced a copper coin in 1723.
The coin would reflect changes in Russia’s economy and trade,
withstand the challenges of constant wars,
but remain the same for almost 90 years.
Be sure to attend this program as Alex tells
how 18th century Russian way of life was dramatically changing,
which contributed to this change in their monetary system.
May 8, 2013 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Elliott Krieter on
Virtual Money
“Virtual Money” is digital currency first described in 2008.
It is a peer-to-peer electronic cash system
becoming popular among Internet merchants
who want to reduce costs associated with credit card payments.
With more and more people connected 24/7 and tied to an electronic device,
this development was inevitable.
What is it?
Will it affect the issuance of coins and paper currency?
Will it eventually affect our hobby and businesses?
Elliott is one of our members with many years of experience
in electronics, computer networks, and the internet.
He has witnessed many new electronic concepts come and go.
Be sure to attend this meeting and begin to learn more
about the arrival of this new concept — virtual money.
Victor Hugo (1802-1885) wrote,
“One resists the invasion of armies;
one does not resist the invasion of ideas.”
Are we witnessing such an idea?
April 10, 2013 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Tim Kyzivat on
Series 1929 National Bank Notes From Towns Along U.S. Route 66
In November 1926,
U.S. Route 66 was established connecting Chicago to Los Angeles.
This famous road started a few blocks from where the Club meets …
on Michigan Avenue between Adams and Jackson where an historical plaque stands today.
The road ran through eight states and served as the main thoroughfare
for people migrating west during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl.
Towns along the Route included St. Louis MO, Joplin MO,
Tulsa OK, Amarillo TX, and Albuquerque NM.
Tim Kyzivat assembled a collection of National Bank Notes issued in this era
by banks along Route 66.
Be sure to attend this meeting and see banknotes
that now serve as reminders of a watershed era in American history
when millons of desperate people traveled across America’s heartland
in search of better life.
Maybe our CCC Glee Club will entertain us with a rousing version of
Get Your Kicks on Route 66, a popular rhythm-and-blues song
composed in 1946 with lyrics that follow the path of the highway.
First recorded by Nat King Cole,
today over 50 artists have recorded the song, including:
The Rolling Stones, Brad Paisley, John Mayer, and The Manhattan Transfer.
At the end of our regular April meeting in downtown Chicago, we will recess and reconvene at our CICF meeting.
April 20, 2013 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago International Coin Fair (CICF),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
David Michaels, Director of Classical Coins, Heritage Auction Galleries, on
Adlocutio: The Emperor & His Army on Roman Coinage, 50BC - 450AD
Adlocutio in ancient Rome was an address by the Emperor to his massed troops.
This was a frequent custom as witnessed by the large variety of coins
that bear this reverse image.
Generally the ceremony was performed when Roman forces
were leaving on a campaign or returning after a victory.
Adlocutio coin images carried strong symbolism
and it was important that the Emperor’s style of uniform appealed to his troops.
Those who attend will see the adlocutio image evolve between emperors
from Julius Caesar through the fall of Rome.
This program will prove memorable,
with David addressing the Club dressed as a Roman centurion
to further emphasize the importance of the relationship
between a Roman Emperor and his professional army.
At the end of our CICF meeting, we will recess and reconvene at our CSNS meeting.
April 25, 2013, Thursday - CCC Meeting - 2PM at the Central States Numismatic Society (CSNS) convention,
which is held at the Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center, 1551 N. Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Special education seminar, moderated by Mark Borckardt(of Heritage Auctions), on
Lost and Found: the Walton 1913 Liberty Head Nickel
One of the ultimate American numismatic story coins
is the George Owen Walton specimen of the 1913 Liberty nickel.
Walton had a special holder made for his prized nickel,
the same holder that contains the coin today,
and he proudly displayed the coin at conventions throughout the 1950s and into the early 1960s.
He was traveling to a coin show in Wilson, North Carolina on March 9, 1962,
when he lost his life in a terrible automobile accident 20 miles from his destination.
All of his coins, including his 1913 Liberty nickel,
where recovered in the brief case that held them through the accident.
They were not scattered about the highway.
That is a tale that grew in the telling.
The coins were eventually sold for his estate,
but the Walton 1913 nickel was returned to the family in 1963 as an altered date.
Four decades later, the previous decision was reversed as a team of experts
declared the coin to be the genuine 1913 Liberty Head nickel.
Mark Borckardt, Senior Numismatic Cataloger for Heritage Auctions will moderate the program.
Reminiscing about their experience will be publicist Donn Pearlman,
retired Coin World editor Beth Deisher,
and Paul Montgomery, vice-president of American Precious Metals exchange,
who was president of Bowers and Merena in 2003 when the nickel was rediscovered.
Joining them will be George Walton’s nephew, Ryan Givens,
Walton’s niece, Cheryl Myers, and her husband Gary Myers.
Upon conclusion of the program, members can move to the auction room
where they may witness a new price record for a minor (non-precious metal) coin.
April 27, 2013, Saturday - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Central States Numismatic Society (CSNS) convention,
which is held at the Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center, 1551 N. Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Mark Borckardt (of Heritage Auctions) on
The 1913 Liberty Nickel
Mark Borckardt will present an extension of the Thursday afternoon program,
including the results from the auction.
The Chicago Coin Club holds the distinction of holding the first exhibit
of a 1913 Liberty Nickel.
It happened at the December 3, 1919 meeting.
Then all five nickels were first displayed at the 1920 ANA Convention
in Chicago at the Hotel Sherman, at the northwest corner of Randolph and Clark Streets.
Two specimens rest in museums and three are in private collections.
Don’t miss this program dealing with one of numismatics
most desired and mysterious U.S. issues.
The opportunity may never present itself again.
March 9, 2013 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago Paper Money Expo (CPMX),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Joseph E. Boling on
Building a National Currency - Japan, 1868-1899
The last Shogun relinquished power in 1867.
Emperor Mutsuhito, a teenager with experienced advisers,
began to address many national problems.
His reign would be known as the Meiji Era.
Previously paper money was issued by clans, money changers,
merchants, pawnbrokers, and village cooperatives, among others.
In addition, the financial policies of the Western powers
had stripped Japan of the gold that was needed for international trade.
Attend this program to see how Japan developed a new monetary system
to address her objective of remaining an independent state.
At the end of our CPMX meeting, we will recess and reconvene at our regular March meeting in downtown Chicago.
March 13, 2013 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Jeff Amelse on
Iberian Coinage of the Greco-Roman Period, 450 BC-37 AD
The Iberian Peninsula (Spain & Portugal) held much mineral wealth and agricultural lands.
Phoenicia, Greece, Carthage, and Rome all traded with the Iberian tribes.
The peninsula’s position between Africa and Gaul
also made it a lynchpin for military invasions.
This point was not lost on Carthage’s most famous military commander.
Accompanied by a herd of war elephants,
Hannibal launched his invasion of Italy from the Iberian Peninsula.
Following his defeat, this region became a Roman province.
Jeff Amelse will take us through 5 centuries of Iberian coinage,
from early Greek colony coins of 460 BC into the coins of Roman Imperators
(Augustus through Claudius, 41 - 54 AD).
Those who attend can expect to see large bronze coinage
with incriptions changing from one ancient script to another.
Over the 500 years,
many new mints came about and the artistic style evolved from archaic Greek to Roman styles.
February 13, 2013 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Marc Stackler on
Coinage of the State of Oaxaca: 1915-1916
In 1915 during the Mexican revolution,
the State of Oaxaca declared itself “free and sovereign”
in defiance of the revolutionary government.
During the ensuing 9 months of “independence,”
the state issued well over 100 varieties of coins,
not to mention paper money, both state- and private-issued.
This talk will focus just on the state coinage
of this short but rich numismatic legacy.
January 9, 2013 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Eugene Freeman on
Mint Marks of the Spanish-Colonial Mints
The New World was discovered in 1492 and with it came the awareness of vast
silver and gold deposits.
In Bolivia a virtual mountain of silver was discovered!
Spain quickly took advantage of this new found wealth
and began to mint coins as early as 1498 from the Island of Hispaniola.
Over the next 322 years and from 12 or more mints,
Spain issued shiploads and shiploads of silver and gold coins,
in uniform styles.
This series of Spanish Colonial coinage makes for a wide,
rich collecting series,
which strongly influenced the early coinage of the United States.
Numismatists who collect coins from any (or every) country in the Western Hemisphere
need to attend this program.
Often, collectors have difficulties identifying the different
Spanish mints.
Eugene will discuss the different mint marks
and their corresponding Spanish Colonial mints.
We are returning our December banquet meeting
to the traditional Wednesday evening.
December 12, 2012 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting (reservations are required) - Featured Speaker:
Robert Wallace on
A Coin-Collecting American Boy in Rome
Robert Wallace’s father worked for the Baltimore Sun newspaper
and in 1962 accepted a transfer to Rome.
Bob was 12-years-old, already a coin collector,
and Rome became his playground to explore.
The open marketplaces, especially,
held many wonders including pails of ancient coins unearthed by local farmers.
Today, Bob is a Professor of Classics at Northwestern University
and a visiting professor at several Italian universities.
We are fortunate he will be in Chicago this December,
as he divides living arrangements between Chicago and the south of France.
Make your reservation early, guests are welcome,
and be ready for a program that will take everyone back 50 years!
The annual December Banquet will be held at
Marcello’s Restaurant, 645 W. North Ave., Chicago, 60610.
A cash bar opens at 6 PM, and dinner is served at 7 PM.
More details, including the menu,
will be available closer to the meeting.
November 10, 2012 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the National Coin & Currency Convention,
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Fred N. Holabird on
The Casa Grande Improvement Co. and the Arizona Land Fraud
The stock fraud of the Casa Grande Improvement Co.
is among the greatest of American business frauds!
The story is largely forgotten,
but dwarfs many recent financial scandals when measured in today’s dollars.
James Addison Reavis (1843-1914) created a giant fraud
that gave the illusion he owned the northern half of Arizona
and part of New Mexico!
He created official looking documents
and cleverly inserted them into original Spanish land record archives in Seville, Spain.
He married a purported descendent of the Peralta family,
the land’s original claim recipient,
and concocted a false claim of title
which allowed him to garner exorbitant fees from railroad interests
and the largest mining companies in Arizona.
On the strength of his fabricated image,
Reavis became the “Baron of Arizona.”
He put all his interests into a corporate shell
called Casa Grande Improvement Co.
He made even more profit with the sale of company stock.
His fraud was revealed in 1889 with the discovery of suspicious documents.
Many lawsuits followed which clouded thousands of land titles into the 1890s.
Be sure to attend this meeting and hear the fascinating story of James Reavis,
his creation of fraudulent documents, his assumed image,
and how his claim collapsed.
Fred Holabird is a respected scripophily authority
and well-versed in Western historical exonumia.
He is a principal in the highly regarded Holabird-Americana firm
that specializes in purchasing, selling, appraising,
and auctioning U.S. western Americana.
At the end of our National Coin & Currency Convention neeting, we will recess and reconvene at our regular November meeting in downtown Chicago.
November 14, 2012 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
See the November newsletter for a list of items consigned by October 30.
October 10, 2012 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Gerard Anaszewicz on
Russian Wire Money, circ. 1380-1533 AD
Russia was slow to accommodate commerce with a common form of money.
In the late 14th century,
ruling princes in many cities
began to issue a form of coinage we call “wire money.”
These small crudely struck coins were Russia’s first widely accepted coinage.
Gerry has collected and studied these coins for 40+ years.
Be sure to attend and hear the story of how the coins
started out as rolled copper and silver wire,
then cut into sections, annealed, and finally struck into coinage.
Irregular shapes are the rule in this coin series
and the Cyrillic legends are rarely complete.
These coins seldom appear at shows and everyone at the meeting
can expect to see some of the finest examples of this coinage.
September 12, 2012 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Darrell Luedtke on
Wonderful World of Wooden Money
Darrell Luedtke has collected wooden money for nearly 40 years
and built an award winning exhibit to educate collectors
about this unique collecting specialty.
Members who attend will see wooden money examples,
such as Chinese tally sticks, Mexican hacienda tokens,
German notgeld, and U.S. depression scrip.
Be sure to be at this meeting
and hear Darrell tie together
the creation of wooden money
against the background of historical events and individual stories.
Darrell currently serves as President
of the International Organization of Wooden Money Collectors
and in 2010 authored Guide Book of Wooden Money.
August 8, 2012 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Quentin Burrows on
New Laws Affecting Coin Dealers and Collectors
Municipalities across Illinois and other states are beginning to pass laws
regulating the operation of coin dealers.
Provisions may include requiring sellers to present identification,
dealers to photograph the purchased material,
up load the images onto the Internet,
holding periods before the material can be sold, etc.
Quentin is a member of the Club and a lawyer
who is closely following this new development.
Be sure to attend and hear just how these laws
will affect collectors’ ability to buy and sell coins.
July 11, 2012 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
David Greenstein on
The Role of the Coin Dealer in the Digital Age
Without exception and on a daily basis,
the Internet is affecting the lives
of every member of the Chicago Coin Club.
It has also affected the coin business.
Numismatic information is readily available.
Auction records, price guides, etc can be found
with a few clicks of the computer mouse.
There is so much information,
the results can be misleading and problematic.
Join us when David Greenstein delivers a PowerPoint presentation
on how coin dealers and collectors can make sense
and manage the mountain of numismatic information in the digtal age.
There is more than one way to use digital technology in numismatics.
June 13, 2012 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Andy Rieber on
Box Thalers
Box thalers originated in Europe.
The thick German thalers were hollowed out
to smuggle drugs, secret messages, covert maps, etc.
Over time the hollowed out coins also became mementos
and hand colored pictures connected by hinges were added,
sometimes a short story was included.
Government spies, however, continued to use hollowed out coins into the 20th century.
In 1955, a paperboy discovered a hollow coin accidentally spent by a Russian spy.
Oops!
The film inside the coin provided enough information
to collapse the entire network.
Come hear the fantastic stories.
Come view numismatic material you’ve never seen and may never see again.
Box thalers rarely appear on the market and sell quickly when they do.
The artistry and fine workmanship in miniature
used to create these historical souvenirs
will give a new appreciation to numismatics.
May 9, 2012 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
David Simpson on
Crowns & Ryals of the Stuart Monarchs
The history of England’s House of Stuart
can be seen through their coinage.
However, before they became English Kings,
they first were Scottish Kings.
David Simpson’s 30 year collecting specialty
is the coinage of the Stuarts as Scottish Monarchs.
Be sure to attend and hear stories of political intrigue
against a backdrop of England’s rise as a world power
as seen through the evolution of their coinage
from Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1567),
James VI (1567-1625) of Scotland who became James I (1603-1625) of England,
through Queen Anne (1702-1714).
April 11, 2012 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Bill Bierly on
“In God We Trust” on U.S. Coinage
“In God We Trust” on U.S. coinage
came about during the Civil War
when both the Union and Confederacy claimed God was on their side.
Join us as Bill tells the story of the motto,
how it evolved into its final form,
and the citizens and government officials who campaigned for its adoption.
To illustrate the story he will show U.S. pattern Half Dollars (silver and copper)
and $10 Eagles (copper) from 1861 when the motto first appeared and began to evolve.
He will also show transitional pattern coinage from 1863-65 that display the motto.
The U.S. circulating coin where “In God We Trust”
first appeared was the 2-cent piece of 1864.
Visitors are welcome.
At the end of our regular April meeting in downtown Chicago, we will recess and reconvene at our CSNS meeting.
April 21, 2012 - CCC Meeting - 1PM 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:
Walter Ostromecki on
Paranormal Images on Coins & Currency
Many numismatic issues show images dealing with the supernatural.
Be sure to attend this meeting as Walter Ostromecki
takes collectors on a numismatic tour of paranormal creatures
and shows vampires, dragons, angels, devils, etc. on coins and currency.
He will also explain why dragons depicted on bank notes in the eastern culture
are depicted as benevolent, kind, friendly and often associated with good luck.
Western culture, however, portray dragons
as fierce fire-breathing, man-eating forces of evil and destruction.
Attendees will also relive some of the legends and lore
associated with paranormal forces seen in Saint George slaying the dragon,
Count Dracula, Transylvania, the grim reaper, demons, ghosts, angelic hosts, etc.
some vividly portrayed on Notgeld issues.
The public is invited to attend.
At the end of our CSNS meeting, we will recess and reconvene at our CICF meeting.
April 28, 2012 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago International Coin Fair (CICF),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Program:
The Story of Krause Publications’ Standard Catalog of World Coins
Putting together the Standard Catalog of World Coins
is a giant project and a challenge.
Gathering information is becoming more and more difficult.
Editors of this catalog will share how they gather a massive amount of data,
track down, and identify new issues.
New discoveries are made every year with small issues from far away countries.
In some cases the editors pass judgment if the issue is to be put into the catalog or not.
The public is invited to attend.
March 10, 2012 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago Paper Money Expo (CPMX),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Neil Shafer on
Scrip from the Financial Panics of 1893, 1907, and 1914
The collapse of railroad overbuilding
set off the financial Panic of 1893.
A failed attempt to corner United Copper Company stock
triggered the Panic of 1907.
The outbreak of World War I
brought about a minor financial panic of 1914.
In every instance,
stock market prices plunged which set off a chain reaction.
All funds were withdrawn from banks which led to their failure.
Citizens hoarded coins and currency which closed many businesses.
In response, business and individuals created scrip
to keep commerce moving until consumer confidence returned.
Neil Shafer is fond of saying
“When a government cannot or will not supply enough currency to meet demand,
then people step in and make it themselves.”
Neil is a respected author
and is currently researching this subject for a book now in progress.
Join our membership at this educational program
open to the public and hear the stories behind these financial emergencies
and see examples of the resulting scrip.
At the end of our CPMX meeting, we will recess and reconvene at our regular March meeting in downtown Chicago.
March 14, 2012 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Clifford Mishler on
Irradiated U.S. Dimes from the 1950s & 1960s
The American Museum of Atomic Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee,
created a unique numismatic collectible during the 1950s & 1960s.
Visitors to the museum presented a silver dime which was exposed to radiation.
The radioactive silver had a 22 second half-life
and the radioactivity decayed rapidly.
After the dimes passed under a Geiger counter to register the radiation reading,
they were put into plastic encasements,
and given back to the visitor.
All this was done to provide Americans with a demonstration
on the principle of neutron activation.
The irradiator went to the 1964 New York’s World Fair
where visitors received their dime back in a special blue plastic encasement
with an atomic logo.
Some estimate the number of dimes exposed to radiation at 250,000 or more.
Be sure to attend this program
and hear Cliff tell the story of this unique collectible
and dispel some of the theories and claims
that have circulated in recent years.
February 8, 2012 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert Leonard on
Banker’s Marks Throughout History — Five Episodes From Antiquity to the 20th Century
From ancient times,
bankers and merchants have examined the authenticity and value
of the money they handle.
At times, test marks have been made on coins, and at others,
coins have been marked to confirm their worth.
Examples will be shown from five episodes,
including a portrait denarius of Julius Caesar,
a rupee of Shah Jahan (builder of the Taj Mahal),
and a U.S. Trade Dollar.
Ancient silver cons from India to Rome
are often found with small marks
in the form of symbols or monograms.
Byzantine coins of Anastasius that were accepted
at half their face value,
after the weight of the copper coins was doubled.
Ducats of western Anatolia of the mid-15th century
occasionally occur with a variety of small test marks,
all unpublished.
Indian Shroff marks on silver and occasionally gold coins,
from circa 1300 A.D. to the mid-19th Century.
Chinese and other chop marks on silver dollars and other silver coins,
from the late 18th Century to 1935.
January 11, 2012 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Eugene Freeman on
The Little Half Sisters: U.S. Half Cents 1793-1857
Half Cent coins hold two records among U.S. coinage:
they were one of the first coins struck
and they were the lowest value coin struck.
All were produced at the Philadelphia Mint
from hand cut dies giving collectors a number
of die varieties to find.
Member Eugene Freeman will tell the story of US half cents,
the four major types,
and the commercial purpose they served.
He will also explain why numismatists
find it a challenge to collect all 8 business strikes
of the Braided Hair type,
even though the coin was issued from 1840-1857.
Last year’s Saturday night banquet
was so successful that we will hold it on Saturday this year.
December 10, 2011 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting (reservations are required) - Featured Speaker:
Michael Gasvoda on
The Hunt Brothers’ Incredible Ancient Coin Collection
This is an entertaining and enlightening look
at one of the greatest ancient coin collections
to ever cross the auction block.
The story is full of large personalities and truly special coins.
Join Mike as tells how the collection was formed,
the eventual sale and recent appearances of select coins at recent auctions.
Mike will also share stories he was unable
to do at the recent ANA Convention.
The annual December Banquet will be held at
Marcello’s Restaurant, 645 W. North Ave., Chicago, 60610.
A cash bar opens at 6 PM, and dinner is served at 6:45 PM.
The cost is $40.00 per person.
More details, including the menu,
are available online in our
December newsletter.
November 9, 2011 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
See the November newsletter for a list of items consigned by October 25.
At the end of our regular November meeting in downtown Chicago, we will recess and reconvene at our ICCC meeting.
November 12, 2011 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the International Currency and Coin Convention,
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Pierre Fricke on
History of Collecting Confederate Paper Money, 1865 to Date
Pierre Fricke authored the award-winning book
Collecting Confederate Paper Money,
which some call the most important Confederate paper money book
published in the last 90 years.
Fricke received input from over 150 collectors
in putting together this book that systematically covers
side-by-side comparisons of genuine versus counterfeits,
grading and rarity.
Respected numismatists claim collectors who read the first 100 pages
will know more than the average casual collector or paper money dealer.
Do not miss this meeting —
it is an absolute must for every member
even if you have no Confederate paper money in your collection.
Fricke will sign books brought to our meeting.
September 14, 2011 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Mark Wieclaw on
Fort Knox Gold Mine, Fairbanks, Alaska
Attend this meeting of the Chicago Coin Club
and see a video of the Fort Knox Gold Mine,
Fairbanks, Alaska.
Mark’s niece, a geologist at the mine,
supplied Mark with the video showing its current operation,
mining the ore, crushing the rocks, and refining the gold.
August 10, 2011 - CCC Meeting
Just days before the convention starts,
Mark Wieclaw and Carl Wolf will lead a discussion
and call on specific members to share
their past experiences at ANA Conventions
and share how members can make the most out
of the experience.
Also, bring some cash!
The medal struck by the Chicago Coin Club to commemorate
the ANA Convention will be on sale for $20.00 each.
At the end of our regular August meeting in downtown Chicago, we will recess and reconvene at our ANA meeting.
August 20, 2011 - CCC Meeting - 10AM at the ANA,
which is held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
David T. Alexander on
The Mysterious Demise of Art Medals in America
The high point of American art medals was between 1909 and 1995.
During the early 20th century the Beaux-Arts movement
brought medallic art design to high prominence among American sculptors.
Organizations formed, sculptors joined,
diverse art styles were submitted from classical to modernism
and a panorama of beautiful American medals were issued.
The list of artists who made up the organization rosters
included every major American medalist of the era
and several from other countries.
However, the organizations ceased to exist in 1995
and took with them an 86 year tradition of creating unique American art medals.
Join the members of the Chicago Coin Club
as David Alexander tells the story of these organizations,
showcases some of their fabulous medallic works
and tells the story of their mysterious demise.
David authored American Art Medals, 1909-1995,
a 294 page book published in 2010 by the American Numismatic Society.
July 13, 2011 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
John Baumgart on
Respectable Coin Photography
Be sure to attend this meeting of the Chicago Coin Club
and learn how to take quality digital coin photographs
to sell on EBay,
keep for insurance records,
or submit with articles for publication in numismatic journals,
and without spending more than $200 on equipment.
The program begins with a coin photo that is out-of-focus,
has bad color,
unsightly reflection, etc.
In a series of steps the cause of each bad feature is explained,
then corrected using simple techniques
that are available with most very inexpensive cameras.
Finally, John will spend time on lighting,
the single biggest hurdle coin photographers must overcome to produce good photographs.
Expect to hear how different lighting is required for worn coins,
bronze or silver coins,
proof coins,
slabbed coins, etc.
John is a semi-professional coin photographer in suburban Chicago.
June 8, 2011 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
three club members on
Numismatic References & Books for Some Collecting Specialties
Each collecting specialty has its current reference works,
its somewhat outdated works,
and its no-longer-useful works.
The references of three collecting specialties
will be reviewed by three experienced CCC members:
Indo-Scythian Coinage by Robert Weinstein,
U.S. Paper Money by Noel Rodriguez,
and Ancient Roman Coinage by Mark Wieclaw.
May 11, 2011 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Eugene Freeman on
Encased Postage: Stamps as Money
Encased postage was issued by several companies during the American Civil War,
but it was also issued as emergency money by other countries,
in various forms, during the 20th Century.
For prolonged use, protection of the stamp was important.
Different issuers have used different means to accomplish this.
April 13, 2011 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Marc Stackler on
The Currency of the Mexican Revolution - The Constitutionalists
In 1910, soon after the centennial celebration
of Mexico’s War of Independence,
the Mexican Revolution began.
The 30-year dictator was forced into exile in 1911,
and the leader of the revolution was elected president.
In 1913, a military coup forced out the president and assassinated him.
The northern state governors as well as other parties
rose up against the military dictatorship.
One of those governors, Venustiano Carranza,
became the self-appointed leader
of this second phase of the revolution.
He issued the first currency of the revolution
in the name of the constitutional government,
about 5 million pesos.
The presentation will cover the various issues of Carranza
and the events surrounding them,
ending with the collapse of the Mexican currency in 1916.
At the end of our regular April meeting in downtown Chicago, we will recess and reconvene at our CICF meeting.
April 16, 2011 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago International Coin Fair (CICF),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Daniel Frank Sedwick on
Colombian Republic Gold Coins
Join Daniel Frank Sedwick as he tells the story of how his father, Frank Sedwick,
assembled a world-class collection of Colombian Republic gold coins.
Over two decades, Frank methodically put together a collection of coins
with the highest grade possible.
Drawing on his professorial and scholarly background,
he kept meticulous notes and discovered previously unknown rarities and varieties.
Collectors found the history of Colombian gold coinage complicated.
Frank removed much of the mystery when he published his findings in
“Colombia and Its Gold Coinage”
in January 1982 The Numismatist magazine
and in the 1991 book The Gold Coinage of Gran Colombia.
Daniel Sedwick worked in partnership with Frank Sedwick until his death in 1996.
Daniel is a dealer specializing in colonial coinage of Spanish America
as well as shipwreck coins, and is a regular dealer at the Chicago International Coin Fair
and contributing editor to various numismatic journals.
At the end of our CICF meeting, we will recess and reconvene at our CSNS meeting.
April 30, 2011 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Central States Numismatic Society (CSNS) convention,
which is held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Wendell Wolka on
How German Electors Broke with the Holy Roman Empire as seen through 16th Century Coins & Medals of the Reformation
Wolka is considered an expert on the political climate and intrigue
of this transitional era of world history.
Over the years, he has collected over 1,000 numismatic pieces
from this historical period.
Most often coins “reflect” history,
but those who attend this program will come away
with a new perspective on how coins “made” history.
Mark your calendar to attend this not-to-be-missed program.
Wendell Wolka is one of the hobby’s more entertaining speakers
with an uncanny ability to reduce complex issues into simple terms.
His programs are sprinkled with an appropriate amount
of humor delivered with superb timing.
March 9, 2011 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert Weinstein on
19th Century Chicago Exonumia
In 1845,
little more than a decade after Chicago’s founding,
the first two merchant tokens were struck.
Through the remainder of 19th century
a great variety of exonumia would be produced.
Many were struck in Chicago by two
of the nations major producers of tokens.
Join Bob Weinstein for a look at the merchant tokens,
medals and tokens struck for exhibitions
and other events in 19th century Chicago.
At the end of our regular March meeting in downtown Chicago, we will recess and reconvene at our CPMX meeting.
March 12, 2011 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago Paper Money Expo (CPMX),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Joseph Boling on
Official Counterfeiting of Paper Currency
Joseph Boling will cover part of the history
of state-sponsored counterfeiting of paper currency,
usually issued during war-time.
Those who attend will see photographs of actual counterfeit specimens
and learn different printing techniques and security devices
including their illegal replication.
Boling presents an expanded five day program on this subject
at the ANA Summer Seminar and this will be the first time
this topic is presented at a coin club/convention program.
Joseph Boling is an ANA Governor and co-author of
World War II Remembered: History in Your Hands, A Numismatic Study.
February 9, 2011 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Zoujun Dai on
Coin Collecting in China
A survey of numismatics in China that will cover a wide range of topics,
from the popularly collected coins,
the shops and shows where collectors buy coins,
to the available resources that include internet forums,
local coin clubs as well as the China Numismatic Society,
reference books, and journals.
The coins displayed in Chinese museums will also be mentioned.
January 12, 2011 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Paul Johnson on
The Coinage of Roman Egypt
Beginning with the transition from coinage of the Ptolemys to that of Augustus,
we will see the introduction to the denominations
that lasted for three hundred years.
We’ll discuss their unusual manufacturing process.
Next, a survey of some of the reverse types
that make these coins so popular with collectors.
Some show the blend of Greek, Ancient Egyptian, and Roman themes.
Others show themes that resonate with us today,
like the signs of the zodiac.
We could not reserve a spot on our usual second Wednesday of the month,
so the banquet is on a Saturday night.
December 18, 2010 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting (reservations are required) - Featured Speaker:
John Riley on
Manila Bay’s Sunken Treasure
Prior to the Japanese capture of the Philippines in World War II,
the Central Bank evacuated 73 tons of gold and silver coins
to the U.S. Mint in San Francisco.
However, 15.7 million silver coins (U.S. $7.85 Million) remained.
For ten days in April 1942, crews dropped into Manila Bay
thousands of boxes, each containing 6,000 silver pesos!
Under the direction of their Japanese captors,
Prisoner-of-War crews officially recovered only 2.5 million pesos.
At the War’s end, the U.S. and Philippine Governments raised
another 10.3 million pesos.
To this day, there are approximately 2.5 million pesos unrecovered.
Reader’s Digest first published this story in 1959,
then Hollywood released it in the 1979 movie Pacific Inferno.
Be sure to attend John Riley’s presentation and hear the story
of a large treasure only partially recovered to this day.
The annual December Banquet will be held at
Marcello’s Restaurant, 645 W. North Ave., Chicago, 60610.
A cash bar opens at 6 PM, and dinner is served at 7 PM.
The cost is $40.00 per person.
More details, including the menu,
are available online in our
December newsletter.
November 10, 2010 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
See the November newsletter for a list of items consigned by October 26.
October 13, 2010 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Dr Patricia Okedengbe, Northwestern University Librarian on
Cowry Shell Money
Dr Ogedengbe is Nigerian and traces her ethnic heritage
to two groups in the Niger delta region,
a region rich in natural resources.
The region has changed dramatically since the mid 20th century when oil was discovered.
Dr Ogedengbe will speak on the historic trade and commerce of the region
and the use of cowry shells as money.
September 8, 2010 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Mark Wieclaw on
Gold, a Precious Metal with a Size and Shape for Everyone
Since ancient times gold has been used as a store of wealth.
Many people wear it, others use it as decor,
and most hold it as a hedge against inflation and hard times.
While this presentation will feature some ancient gold,
the majority of pieces will pertain to current times
beginning with the South African Krugerrand.
The K-rand was introduced in 1967 as the first truly bullion piece
and has spurred several other countries and private mints
to produce various shaped and sized coins
priced to fit most economic ranges.
August 11, 2010 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Jeffrey Amelse on
Byzantine Bronzes: Basics and a Bit Beyond, Including Barbaric, Brockages, and Bashed (Errors)
The number of bronze varieties is pretty vast,
so this will stick to a few basics such as
denominations,
set of the Anonymous Folles Varieties with a depiction of Christ,
comparison of some barbaric issues to official issues,
and a few brockages and error coins.
July 14, 2010 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert D. Leonard Jr. on
French Billon Coinage in the Americas
Beginning in the Middle Ages, France had an extensive coinage in base silver (billon),
and from 1640 through the 18th century certain issues were made
specifically for use in New France and the West Indies.
Two series in particular are listed in both the Canadian coin catalogs
and the Red Book, 25th through 64th editions,
and Walter Breen devoted 15 pages of his Encyclopedia to these issues.
Some have been recovered from Indian sites in Illinois.
Later issues were countermarked in many Caribbean islands
for use during the waning years of piracy.
Bob will discuss these issues and the references on them,
and display a number of examples.
June 9, 2010 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Michael S. Gasvoda on
Medallic Works of Giovanni da Cavino & Other Paduans
Italian medalist and goldsmith Giovanni da Cavino (1500-1570)
derives his fame from engraving dies and striking pieces
that closely imitate ancient coins,
particularly ancient Roman sesterces.
His clever imitations still fool modern collectors.
Cavino spent his entire career in Padua, Italy
and many Pauduan artists copied his artistic style.
Be sure to make this meeting as Mike Gasvoda
tells the story of Giovanni da Cavino,
shows examples of his medals
and offers comparison to genuine coins.
May 12, 2010 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Jeffrey Amelse on
Trier, Germany: The Roman City and Roman Mint
Trier is Germany’s oldest city and was founded by Augustus about 16 BC.
The Roman Empire was divided in 293 AD and the Caesar in the west,
Constantius I, took up residence in Trier.
His son Constantine I, who would go on to become Constantine the Great,
also built a grand palace in Trier before becoming Emperor
and moving the capital to Byzantium which later became Constantinople.
A mint operated at Trier 294-395 AD, 408-413 AD and 430 AD.
As an adjunct to business travel,
Jeff Amelse spent several weekends in Trier,
touring the coliseum, baths and bridges built by the Romans.
Be sure to make this meeting and step back in time
as Jeff shows photos of Trier’s Roman ruins,
the coinage produced there and recovered even today around the city.
April 14, 2010 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speakers:
Phil Carrigan, Marc Stackler & Don Dool on
Standard Numimismatic Literature from Specialized Fields
Three speakers, 10 minutes each,
all speaking on the standard numimismatic literature
dealing with their collecting specialty:
Barber Coinage & John Reich early silver Capped Bust half dimes,
Mexican War of Independence (1810-21) & Mexican Revolution (1910-17),
and International copper coinage (1481-1850).
At the end of our regular April meeting in downtown Chicago, we will recess and reconvene at our CICF meeting.
April 24, 2010 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago International Coin Fair (CICF),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
John Burns on
International Numismatic Literature
March 10, 2010 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert Wallace on
The Origin of Coinage in Ancient Greece
An illustrated presentation discussing why electrum coinage was
invented in east Greece and Lydia in the late seventh century BC,
then (ca. 580?) silver coinages spread in Greece,
and then (ca. 560?) electrum coins vanished in favor of silver
(or silver and gold bimetallic) coinages.
At the end of our regular March meeting in downtown Chicago, we will recess and reconvene at our CPMX meeting.
March 20, 2010 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago Paper Money Expo (CPMX),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Lawrence Falater on
Stock Certificates from Frauds, Scandals & Famous Bankruptcies
February 10, 2010 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Eugene Freeman on
Colonial Coinage by Location
The program will be an overview of the collecting of U.S. Colonial Coins.
We will cover some of the basic history, general types and
sources of the coins, methods of collecting, and grading criteria.
January 13, 2010 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Paul Johnson on
Canadian Colonial Tokens
Britian did not supply copper coins to its colonies,
creating a need for the six colonies that became Canada to create their own.
From the 1810s to the 1850s, these colonists had minted in Britain,
the US, and in Canada itself, a fascinating assortment of tokens.
These reflected both important events, like the War of 1812 and the Revolution of 1837,
as well as the everyday life of farming and commercial fishing.
Come discover why this once very popular, but now rarely collected, series is fun to collect.
December 9, 2009 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting (reservations are required) - Featured Speaker:
Dr. Jennifer Tobin on
The Coinage of Mithrapata of Lycia: Evidence of Dynastic Struggles in the Fourth Century B.C.
The region known as Lycia, located in the SW
corner of modern day Turkey, had a reputation in antiquity
for fierce independence.
Although conquered by Persia in the mid-6th c BC,
Lycia maintained local autonomy thanks to the efforts of a dynasty,
the Kherigans, who ruled from the city of Xanthus.
During the nearly two-century rule of this family,
Lycia was for the first time united politically,
and a cultural identity emerged,
recognized today in the numerous inscriptions in the unique Lycian language,
in its singular architectural styles,
and in its specialized system of coinage.
During the early 4th century BC, however,
the dynasty began to falter and Lycia fragmented,
ruled temporarily by several small-time dynasts in various parts of the region.
Ultimately this divided rule allowed stronger Persian control of Lycia.
One of these dynasts was Mithrapata,
who for a time ruled the eastern portion of Lycia.
The Art Institute of Chicago’s recent acquisition of a coin of
this leader provides a window into these troubled times.
This talk presents the coin in its historical and art historical context,
in order to ascertain who Mithrapata was,
what were his aims and why his coins bear the type of images they do.
The annual December Banquet will be held at
Marcello’s Restaurant, 645 W. North Ave., Chicago, 60610.
A cash bar opens at 6 PM, and dinner is served at 7 PM.
The cost is $35.00 per person.
Refer to the December Chatter for more
details.
November 11, 2009 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
See the November newsletter for a list of items consigned by October 27.
October 14, 2009 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert Kool, Senior Curator, Coin Department, Israel Antiquities Authority, on
Coins Recently Excavated at Crusader Castle Vadum Iacob
The Crusader castle of Vadum Iacob (Jacob’s Ford)
was built by the Knights Templar and destroyed within eleven months
(Oct 1178 AD - Aug 1179 AD).
The final attack, under the command of Saladin himself,
left 800 crusaders dead and 700 taken prisoner.
According to Muslim and Latin chronicles
the castle was leveled and permanently abandoned within days.
Over eight hundred years later archeologists excavated the site.
Due to the castle’s history,
every item found can be accurately dated.
Among the material uncovered are coins which Robert Kool has examined.
Although his findings are yet unpublished,
he identified coins previously thought minted after 1179 AD.
Be sure to attend this meeting.
Come hear the fascinating story of the Vadum Iacob,
its destruction, excavation and the numismatic history it is slowly revealing.
For more information, go to http://vadumiacob.huji.ac.il
and read about this research project,
view photographs and computer reconstructions of the castle and its last days.
September 9, 2009 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Curtis Clay on
The Sun God Elagabalus on the Roman Coins of the Emperor Elagabalus
Ancient coins are not merely illustrative of
ancient history as known from ancient literary works and
surviving inscriptions, but are themselves a primary source
for ancient history, preserving for us many facts that would
otherwise be unknown.
To deduce history from coins, we have to
know their chronology. For Elagabalus as for most emperors
up to the mid third century AD, the original chronology of
the coinage can be reconstructed on the basis of the datable
imperial titles that are named on some coins, the
progression of obverse titles and reverse types, and the
relative volumes of issue of the various types, which may be
deduced from the numbers of specimens that occur
in several large published hoards.
The emperor Elagabalus (218-222 AD) is
notorious for transporting the sacred stone of his sun god
Elagabalus from Emesa to Rome and for trying to make
Elagabalus the supreme god of Rome, while he himself served
as the god’s chief priest, until he and his mother were
murdered by the Praetorian Guard after a reign of less than
four years.
The goal of my paper is to show what the
coins tell us about the establishment of Elagabalus as the
chief god of Rome and about the emperor Elagabalus as chief
priest of that god, compared to what we learn about the same
matters from the ancient historians, chiefly Dio Cassius,
Herodian, and the Historia Augusta.
August 12, 2009 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert Feiler on
Odd Denomination Currency
A collector of this material for 25 years,
Bob will deliver a PowerPoint presentation
on some of the pieces from his collection.
Those who attend will see currency with a stated value of
$1.25, $2.50, $1.75, 100-cents, etc!
There’s a story behind each piece of currency
and Bob will tell the story and share the financial curcumstances
at the time the piece was issued.
July 8, 2009 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Steve Feller on
The Most Curious Dr. John Leonard Riddell of New Orleans
Dr. John Leonard Riddell was a science lecturer, botanist, geologist,
medical doctor, chemist, physicist, professor at Tulane,
microscopist (the inventor of the binocular microscope),
numismatist and melter at the New Orleans mint,
an original owner of the Confederate half dollar when it was minted in 1861,
Postmaster of New Orleans under Union and Confederate control,
and once again, Union control, issuer of his own post office scrip and his own postage stamps,
politician, a founder of the New Orleans Academy of Sciences, and science fiction author!
Above all he was involved in various plots and nefarious schemes until the day he died in 1865.
In this talk Steve will review the numismatic life of this Yankee transplant to antebellum New Orleans.
June 10, 2009 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speakers:
a panel discussion on
Numismatics as a Profession
Members from a range of numismatic businesses will form a panel
that will start by answering some questions posed by the moderator.
Etiquette, dos and don’ts, and buy-sell spreads
will be some of the starting points,
sure to lead into stories and anecdotes.
Questions will be accepted from the floor,
either expanding on the current point or starting a new point.
At the end of our regular June meeting we will recess and reconvene at our MidAmerica Coin Expo meeting.
June 27, 2009 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the MidAmerica Coin Expo,
Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center, 1551 Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg, IL 60173.
(That is on the east side of Meacham Road, just north of I-90; no interchange there, so check a map.)
Show parking is free.
No admission charge for our meeting;
check signs for the meeting room.
Featured Speaker: A. Ronald Sirna on
Toning on Coins
The unrivaled beauty and variety of toned coins amazes many collectors.
Oftentimes, vibrantly toned coins command a premium.
How did the color occur?
Why did it form?
Can toning be faked?
Can collectors tell the difference between natural and fake toning?
Should collectors care about artificial toning on the coins they buy?
Answers to these questions will be covered at the 1 PM meeting.
Join Ron Sirna as he shares information on the naturally occurring toning process.
He has studied toned coins for many years and will share his knowledge,
experience and lessons learned on the subtle nuances of toned coins.
He will also explain the primary motive behind induced toning —
it covers surface flaws!
Bring coins from your collection,
come with questions and leave with an increased working knowledge
on this numismatic specialty.
At the end there will be a drawing for Robert Campbell’s video cassette
How to Tell Artificial Toning on Coins,
donated by Sirna.
May 13, 2009 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Brenda Bishop on
Hosting an ANA Summer Convention
Be careful for what you wish, for you might just get it.
Now that the club will be the host club for ANA in 2011,
Brenda, the ANA's Meeting Services Director (Convention Organizer),
will be here to tell us what has changed since we last hosted in 1999,
and to listen to our ideas.
We will answer her questions, and she will answer our questions.
Join Bob Leonard, the convention's general chairman, as we learn
about the available opportunities.
April 8, 2009 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Jerry Nelson on
What’s New at the Federal Reserve Bank
He last spoke to us about the Federal Reserve System in September, 2005,
when he also distributed some Fed pamphlets and shredded money.
This time, he will no doubt touch upon the recent events in the economy
and discuss the expansion of the money supply.
After providing a brief introduction to the Federal Reserve,
he is planning on spending most of his time fielding questions.
Some hard money proponents will raise a few points.
Please come prepared to ask questions; be prepared for a lively exchange.
At the end of our regular April meeting we will recess and reconvene at our CICF meeting.
April 25, 2009 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago International Coin Fair (CICF),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Elizabeth Hahn, Librarian of the American Numismatic Society, on
Homer’s Thrinakia: The ANS Library, Sicilian History and Early Numismatic Literature
This talk will use Homer’s mention of the island “thrinakia,”
identified as the island of Sicily, as a starting point to discuss the
attraction of Sicily and in particular the numerous ancient sites that
are preserved throughout the island.
Like the three promontories of Sicily,
this talk will have three points that discuss the ANS Library collections,
Sicilian history, and early numismatic literature.
Examples of early Sicilian numismatic literature will be drawn from the ANS
Library in an effort to emphasize the rich and varied nature of the collections.
At the end of our CICF meeting we will recess and reconvene at our 90th Anniversary Banquet meeting.
April 25, 2009 - 90th Anniversary Banquet Meeting - 6PM Cash bar and reception, 7PM dinner, at Giannotti Italian Restaurant, 4926 N. River Road, Schiller Park (about 5 blocks south of the site of CICF). Reservations Required, $38 per person. Meal is family style — chicken, beef, and mostaccioli, plus salad and dessert.
March 7, 2009 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago Paper Money Expo (CPMX),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speakers:
Tom Casper and Fred Schwan on
U.S. Government Bonds
At the show, Tom Casper will have a 7-case exhibit of U.S. Bonds and related material
from the Spanish-American War period to the present time.
Tom will talk about Liberty Bonds (WWI) and, if time permits,
advertising methods to sell Bonds during WWII.
Fred will focus on a different area.
Following this presentation by Tom and Fred,
Tom will lead a sort of guided tour of the exhibit.
At the end of our CPMX meeting, we will recess and reconvene at our regular March meeting in downtown Chicago.
March 11, 2009 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert D. Leonard Jr. on
The Currency of Syria in the Seventh Century A.D.
The bloody seventh century saw the assassination or execution of three emperors,
two Persian kings, and three caliphs.
In 601, the currency of Syria (including the modern countries of Syria, Lebanon,
Israel, Palestine Authority, Jordan, and the Hatay region of Turkey) consisted
of coins portraying the Byzantine emperor and featuring Christian crosses
as part of their design.
By 700, they had been replaced by coins bearing only inscriptions giving the
declaration of faith of a religion that did not even exist in 601.
During this period, Syria was swept by three wars, and its change in status —
incorporation into Dar al-Islam — still affects us in 2009.
Bob will show historical maps, coin catalogs, and coins of the Byzantines,
Sasanians, Sasanian-occupied Syria, crude copies of Byzantine coins issued
under Arab occupation ("Pseudo-Byzantine"), Arab-Byzantine coins with Greek
and/or Arabic inscriptions, coins showing the caliph,
and finally reformed coins issued beginning in 697 with religious inscriptions only.
Some of these issues have only recently been studied and are not fully described
in the standard English texts.
A handout giving a chronology of the seventh century, with numismatic bibliography,
will be distributed.
February 11, 2009 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Warren Schultz on
A Numismatic Mystery from Mandatory Palestine
The noted scholar of Islamic Art, L. A. Mayer,
whose personal collection forms the basis
of the museum now bearing his name in Jerusalem,
was one of the curators of coins for the Palestine Archaeological Museum
(now known as the Rockefeller Museum) during the British Mandate in Palestine.
In that role, he was in the process of compiling
a catalogue of coins of the Mamluk Sultanate (1250-1517) when the 1948 war broke out,
and Mayer was separated from the museum and his manuscript.
The subsequent history of the manuscript and the coin casts
for the plates is rather interesting,
and offers a neat case of forensic numismatics.
January 14, 2009 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Mark Wieclaw on
The Bank Notes of the Central Bank of Brasil, Cruziero Issues 1942-67
Brasil has been plagued by rampant inflation for decades.
This presentation deals with the period from 1942 to 1967,
when the notes were valued in Cruzeiros.
What is interesting is the variety of hand signed and machine signed notes,
twelve denominations, three different printing companies, and a few other oddities.
Emergency issues at the beginning of this period,
as the Mil Reis was on it's way out,
and emergency issues toward the end when the New Cruzeiro was being introduced,
make for challenging collecting.
December 10, 2008 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting & Election of Officers (reservations are required) - Featured Speaker:
Ronald Guinazzo on
Treasure Hunting in England
Ron Guinazzo is a semi-professional treasure hunter
and estimates finding over 100,000 coins over the past 25 years!
He has traveled to Mexico, Greece and Italy looking for artifacts
and this October he will make his 8th trip to England
to explore and investigate the lands around Colchester,
2 hours northeast of London.
Colchester is the oldest recorded city in Britain
and was the capitol of England until the Romans invaded around 43 AD.
During these visits Ron has found Celtic gold coins, Roman Bronzes,
hammered silver coins (sceats) from King John, a partial bronze axe (850 BC),
plus various buttons from the Tudor Era.
Join us for a wonderful and entertaining program filled with stories of finding lost treasures!
Ron promises to bring enough of his English finds to fill two exhibit cases!
Please make reservations as early as you can so we can plan for an appropriate room size.
The annual December Banquet will be held at
Marcello’s Restaurant, 645 W. North Ave., Chicago, 60610.
A cash bar opens at 6 PM, and dinner is served at 7 PM.
The cost is $35.00 per person.
Refer to the December Chatter for more
details.
November 12, 2008 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
See the current newsletter for a list of items consigned by October 28;
many club items are included.
October 8, 2008 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Sharon & Kevin Blocker on
Cuban Coinage, 1980-Present
In 1962 Fidel Castro instituted a communist government in Cuba.
The resulting embargo by the U.S. contributed to a shortage of hard currency.
In the 1980s the Havana Mint raised money for the national coffers
by producing a large variety of coinage designs for collectors.
Krause’s Standard Catalog of World Coins
shows page-after-page of one, five, ten, twenty and fifty peso coin designs.
Members of the Cuban Numismatic Society, the Blockers hold a large collection of these coins.
Attend this program and give your opinion on the quality of engraving art by Cuban engravers
and weigh in on how well the designs appeal to collectors.
September 10, 2008 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Eugene Freeman on
Metal and Porcelain Notgeld, 1917-1930
Notgeld means “emergency money” in German. Following World War I inflation
escalated in Germany and in quick order the country was awash in emergency money
issued by local governments and companies. Most issues were on paper, but metal
issues of iron, zinc and aluminum were also produced. One respected source lists over
622 municipalities that issued metal notgeld. Member Eugene Freeman began collecting
this material over forty years ago. This numismatic field is so vast the program will be
limited to metal and porcelain issues only. A list of books and resources will be
distributed for those who wish to learn more about the subject.
August 13, 2008 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Dennis Ciechna on
U.S. Paper Money Errors & Unique Notes
Error bank notes can be broken down into 24 categories.
Member Dennis Ciechna does not have examples from every category,
but over 30 years he has built a large collection of these unique notes.
Many were found at the Lawndale National Bank
and Dennis purchased some from his grandfather’s great friend,
I.T. Kopicki, an early member of the Chicago Coin Club (member 124 and President 1947-48).
Those who make the time to attend this meeting will see notes from $1 - $100
with errors such as print omissions, upside down printing, misprints, etc.
and are sure to come away fascinated by this collecting specialty.
July 9, 2008 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert J. Leuver on
U.S. Government’s Tryst with a Plastic Substrate for Currency
A former director of the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP)
will take us behind the scenes and discuss the BEP’s flirtation
with a plastic substrate for U.S. currency, in place of Crane rag paper, 1978-1981.
Consideration of two forays into plastic was realistic and serious.
It will be interesting to speculate if the BEP can resume such tests
after Rep. Silvio Conte’s (R-CT) “legislation” that the substrate
for U.S. currency be produced by a U.S. manufacturer.
At the end of our regular July meeting we will recess and reconvene at our MidAmerica Coin Expo meeting.
July 12, 2008 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the MidAmerica Coin Expo,
Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center, 1551 Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg, IL 60173.
(That is on the east side of Meacham Road, just north of I-90; no interchange there, so check a map.)
Show parking is free.
No admission charge for our meeting,
which will be in the Utopia D room on the second floor of the convention center.
Featured Speaker:
Ron Sirna on
Indian & Flying Eagle Pattern Cents
James Longacre designed the Flying Eagle cent as a pattern coin in 1856
and the next year the U.S. Mint put it into circulation.
Officials soon discovered the eagle’s head and tail relief would not strike up fully
because they were directly opposite the wreath on the reverse.
This set off a five year transitional period at the U.S. Mint
where they experimented with different designs and metals.
Sirna will show examples of the many pattern coins and tell the story
of how the bronze Indian Head cent evolved from the copper-nickel Flying Eagle cent.
Attend this program and understand how the 12-piece set (11 patterns and one regular issue)
became so popular with collectors that the Mint reissued the patterns at various times,
resulting in even more varieties.
Sirna is also the Legal Counsel for the American Numismatic Association
and will discuss some of the legal apects so prominent in the news for the last year.
June 11, 2008 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert Feiler on
Changed Coins
They started life as a coin,
but have been changed into a wide range of articles.
From the simple buttons, love tokens, and advertising counterstamps,
to the more complicated lockets, knives, and scissors,
Bob will show us examples from the dozen or so categories of items he has collected.
May 14, 2008 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Donald H. Dool on
The Bronze Coinage of the French Feudal States
Louis XIV ruled France from 1643-1715 and transformed the government into an absolute monarchy,
a foremost power in Europe and elevated French culture to a golden age.
In the years just before this period twelve French States existed, each with its own coinage.
Donald Dool collected their coinage for 15 years and wrote a number of articles on it
and published in World Coin News.
Join this meeting and see bronze coinage from these minor kingdoms
with portraits of their kings and symbolism just prior to their envelopment into France.
Principalities covered will include Dombes, Cugnon, Rethel, Orange, Montgelliard, Lorraine,
Nevers & Rethel, Chateau-Renaud, Bouillon & Sedan, Phalzburg & Lixheim
and Boislbelle & Henrichemont
April 9, 2008 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
David Gumm on
History of U.S. Large Cents, 1793-1857
Cents and half cents were the first coins struck for circulation under the authority of the U.S. government.
Large cents were coined every year from 1793 to 1857 with the exception of 1815
when the availability of copper prevented production.
Large cents made up the back bone of mint production and in the first year
three separate designs were created.
Attend this meeting and learn about the people responsible at the mint,
the problems they experienced hiring quality workers,
how malaria outbreaks closed the operation during August-September several times
and the quest for quality refined copper that would hold up during the coinage production.
At the end of our regular April meeting we will recess and reconvene at our CICF meeting.
April 26, 2008 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago International Coin Fair (CICF),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Bruce Smith on
Marco Polo’s Account of 13th Century Asian Money
When he was 17, Marco Polo (1254-1324) traveled to China and returned to Venice 24 years later.
The account of Marco’s travels, published late in life, gave Europeans a firsthand view of Asia
and stimulated trade with this far away land.
Marco’s detailed description of what he saw comprises the most amazing chapters in anthropology,
geography and natural history ever penned by a traveler.
Included in this great travel narrative, Marco recounted the local money in use
and how much was required for goods and services.
He wrote that the currency of the Mongol realm was paper money
made from the inner bark of mulberry trees and was universally accepted
throughout the empire under penalty of death for refusing to accept it.
Bruce Smith lived in China, traveled there numerous times
and studied Chinese history and numismatics for 35 years.
Come to this meeting and see numismatic illustrations
from the 13th century that circulated in the lands traveled by Marco Polo.
Tradition tells that Marco Polo’s last words were “I have not told half of what I saw.“
When this presentation finishes, members will know that Bruce Smith
has not told half of what he knows about Asian numismatics!
March 12, 2008 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Lyle Daly on
The Numismatic Legacy of Augustus Saint-Gaudens & Theodore Roosevelt
U.S. coin designs changed dramatically under President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09).
His collaboration with the premier designer of the time, Augustus Saint-Gaudens,
set into motion design changes across the spectrum of U.S. coinage.
A licensed architect, Daly holds a deep interest in design and studied this era for many years.
He will deliver a PowerPoint presentation that encompasses the story of preceding years,
political atmosphere, the resistance of the U.S. Mint and the lingering aftershocks.
In addition to Augustus Saint-Gaudens,
Daly will cover the coin designs of Bela Lyon Pratt (Quarter & Half Eagle 1908),
Anthony de Francisci ($1 1921),
Adolph Weinman (50¢; 1916),
James Earle Fraser (5¢; 1913),
Hermon MacNeil (25¢; 1916)
and Victor David Brenner (1¢; 1909).
Those who attend this meeting will come away a better understanding
of how much energy and political determination it took
to bring about a new era of coin designs
that some numismatists consider the most beautiful ever issued.
At the end of our regular March meeting we will recess and reconvene at our CPMX meeting.
March 29, 2008 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago Paper Money Expo (CPMX),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Steve Feller on
Silent Witness: Civilian Camp Money of World War II
Germany’s Third Reich developed camp scrip in 1933 for its first political prisoners.
The Nazis forced prisoners to exchange their money for scrip created specially for the camp.
The scrip held no financial backing and was worthless except for use at the camp’s canteen.
As Nazi power spread across Europe so too did the number of internment camps,
each with its own scrip.
Some issues were given as a reward for extra work allowing inmates to barter for additional food.
The scrip’s grotesque images and designs testify to the Nazis’
efforts to humiliate and dehumanize their victims.
The 500,000 people imprisoned in the Warsaw Ghetto developed a secret underground currency,
separate from the Nazi’s camp money.
Designed and printed by the prisoners this secret currency relied heavily on Zionist symbolism
and probably were printed from linoleum plates.
After many years of research and collecting, Steve Feller wrote
Silent Witnesses: Civilian Camp Money of World War II.
The 168-page catalog issued in 2007 includes 775 color illustrations.
In addition to Ghetto and Concentration Camp money,
this book also covers scrip issued for Internment Camps and Displaced Persons Camps
from Axis and Allied countries.
Those who attend this program will come away with a sense of awe
that some form of monetary exchange was a part of life, even in the darkest of times.
February 13, 2008 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Steve Zitowski on
A Millennium of Coins from the Papal States
In a survey of coins from the Papal States over the last thousand years,
Steve will show how the coins describe the Western world of that age
in the areas of economy, industrialization. and art.
January 9, 2008 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Mark Wieclaw on
Roman Minting Errors
Error coins hold a special attraction to collectors.
Currently minted U.S. coins make up the majority of errors seen at coin shows.
Mark Wieclaw, however, has a collection of ancient Roman error coins.
On two occasions in 2007 he exhibited several showing brockages,
double-strikes, off-center strikes, etc. much to the enjoyment of members in attendance.
Be sure to attend this meeting to see more of these error coins
and hear Mark explain how they came to be made.
December 13, 2007 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting (reservations are required) - Featured Speakers:
Leonard Augsberger and Joel Orosz on
Images of the First Mint: The Numismatic Legacy of Frank H. Stewart
In 1792, the newly formed American government commissioned its first
building — the United States Mint on Seventh Street in Philadelphia.
Over one hundred years later, Philadelphian Frank H. Stewart purchased the now
worn out property, attempted to preserve it as a historical site, and in the
end bowed to the interests of commerce and razed the building in order to
erect a functional factory for his rapidly expanding electrical business.
But Stewart was not a mercenary businessman hell bent on destroying history
in order to progress the future.
In the wake of the first mint excavation Stewart left behind a thoughtful
trail of images and artifacts, which until now have never been thoroughly investigated.
In this presentation we revisit the iconography and relics that Stewart not only preserved
but promoted with much vigor, greatly desiring that the history of the first
mint be shared with future generations, reflecting the vision of the
Founding Fathers in creating this, the first building of the United States.
The annual December Banquet will be held at
Marcello’s Restaurant, 645 W. North Ave., Chicago.
A cash bar opens at 6 PM, and dinner is served at 7 PM.
The cost is $25.00 per person.
November 14, 2007 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
NEW LOCATION !!!!
At the Chicago Bar Association, 321 S. Plymouth Court.
Plymouth Court is a small side street,
extending south from Jackson, between State and Dearborn streets.
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
See the current newsletter for a list of items consigned by October 30;
many items traced to J. Henri Ripstra are included.
October 10, 2007 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Stuart Kleven on
Pre-Coinage Currency and Ancient Scale Weights
The presentation addresses the development of weight standards that lead to the use of coinage.
Weight standards take on many forms and many different materials.
Numerous photos of different weights will be shown.
The relationship of weights to commerce and trade will be reviewed.
September 12, 2007 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Dennis Ciechna on
National Banknotes & Memorabilia from the Lawndale National Bank
Dennis Ciechna recently rejoined the Chicago Coin Club.
As a youth Dennis was introduced to coin collecting by his grandfather,
a close friend of I.T. Kopicki, a primary Club official for forty years.
Kopicki was an officer of the Lawndale Bank,
signed some of their National Bank Notes and is credited with giving the Club lifetime free checking.
Kopicki also mentored young Ciechna, allowing him to come into the bank and examine rolls of coinage.
Join Ciechna as he shares old photos of the Bank’s interior, the employees and its National Bank Notes.
August 15, 2007 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Marc Stackler on
Coinage from the Mexican War of Independence, 1810-1821
Father Miguel Hidalgo initiated an insurrection against Spain on September 16, 1810.
Independence was finally achieved in 1821
by General Agustin de Iturbide who became Mexico’s first emperor.
When the war began the Mexico City Mint was the only mint in what is modern-day Mexico,
but as insurgents began to cut the roads royalists were forced
to open provincial branch mints to meet the needs of commerce.
Insurgent forces issued their own coins which begin to show images reflecting a genuine Mexican culture.
Marc Stackler has collected a wide range of Mexican coins for over 10 years and is a student of Mexican history.
Join Marc as he tells the story of Mexican independence through their coinage
and explains the significance of Mexico’s passage from a colony into an independent nation.
July 11, 2007 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
John Riley on
Pre-World War II Token Issues from Shanghai
Following the Spanish-American War, American financial interests expanded into Asia.
Shanghai became the center of an international community of businessmen, profiteers and mercenaries
who tapped oil wells, pursued cheap labor, ran gambling houses, etc.
Shanghai was a city of extremes with untold extravagance and abject poverty
with a rapidly darkening specter of war about to wipe away their free-wheeling system.
A student of Asian numismatics for many years,
John Riley will share the history and tokens with U.S. connections issued during this era.
June 13, 2007 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Mike Gasvoda on
The Propaganda Coinage of Augustus, 27 BC - 14 AD
Mike Gasvoda is a respected collector of ancient Roman coinage
and has put together a new presentation dealing with Roman Emperor Augustus
and his propaganda coinage.
Those who attend the meeting will hear how Augustus dominated
Roman politics through coins that promoted his name, his titles,
his divine right to rule, his military victories,
buildings and temples he held sacred, etc.
This propaganda was so effective it influenced coinage designs for centuries.
Members will come away with an insight into this watershed period of Imperial Roman coinage.
At the end of our regular monthly downtown meeting we will recess and reconvene at our MidAmerica Coin Expo meeting.
June 23, 2007 - CCC Meeting - 11AM
In the Mr. Lincoln Room of the DoubleTree Hotel
which is across the street from the MidAmerica Coin Expo,
which is held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Paul A. Cunningham on
U.S. Military Tokens: Civil War - Current
Military tokens have existed for as long as armies gathered and fought.
With each war the primary use of tokens evolved.
During the Civil War, military tokens purchased food,
but by the time of the Viet Nam War, soldiers used tokens for gambling.
Paul Cunningham is the leading authority on military tokens
and authored three books on exonumia including the two-volume Military Tokens of the U.S.,
published in 1998.
May 9, 2007 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert Wallace on
Archaic Silver Coinages of the Thracian Tribes, ca. 550-480 B.C.
For nearly a century down to the mid-fifth century BC — and then abruptly stopping —
several Thracian tribes (the Bisalti, the Edoni, the Orrescii, and the Derrones,
in modern day Macedonia and Bulgaria)
issued a large number of spectacular and extremely large silver coins:
octodrachms and dodekadrachms, among the largest silver coins issued in the ancient world.
A significant number of these coins have been found in hoards of Egypt and the Near East.
The question for the evening is, why did these tribes strike these massive coins,
but very few smaller ones, and why did the coins travel so far?
April 11, 2007 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Eugene Freeman on
U.S. Standing Liberty Quarters, 1916-1930
Gene Freeman has collected and studied the Standing Liberty Quarter series for 30+ years.
Designed by Hermon MacNeil, the coin’s first year of issue raised a moral problem due to Liberty’s exposed breast.
The date also wore off quickly and was adjusted in 1925.
Join Gene as he tells the story of this coin oftentimes overlooked by collectors.
Gene will show examples of the major types, mintmark varieties, and the striking characteristics of the series.
At the end of our regular monthly downtown meeting we will recess and reconvene at our CICF meeting.
April 28, 2007 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago International Coin Fair (CICF),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Chuck Jacobs on
Japanese One Yen Silver Pieces & Trade Dollars, 1870-1914
Chuck Jacobs will present a visual exploration of the history of Japanese crowns —
one yen silver pieces and trade dollars — tracking their origin
from monetized Mexican 8 reales pieces used along side primitive coinage
during the late-feudal Ansei era (ca 1859), through domestically-minted,
modern silver crowns in the Meiji and Taisho eras (from 1870-1904).
The talk will showcase each coin — as well as its iconography —
in the context of Japanese culture and history.
The lecture will also delve into the various patterns, variations, and counterstamps.
Along the way, learn how to date these coins, the significance of their imagery,
and how to tell the “obverse” from the “reverse.”
March 10, 2007 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago Paper Money Expo (CPMX),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speakers:
Clifford Mishler & Chester Krause on
Wisconsin Paper Money
Chester Krause collected Wisconsin paper money for over 50 years
and assembled an impressive collection in excess of 1,500 pieces.
His collection will make up a 170-case exhibit at this summer’s
American Numismatic Association convention in Milwaukee.
Never before has such a large currency collection from a single state gone on exhibit anywhere.
Everyone attending this meeting will hear Chet Krause show
and discuss some of Wisconsin’s rarest issues
and relate stories on building a single state collection second to none.
At the end of our meeting at CPMX we will recess and reconvene at our regular March meeting.
March 14, 2007 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
David Baeckelandt on
Chicago Financial Firsts
Despite its brand as the “Second City,” Chicago is, in fact,
the birthplace of a vast array of financial innovations including modern accounting,
modern investment banking practices, modern underwriting due diligence,
and modern stock evaluation techniques.
Chicago has spawned innovations in insurance, investment management theory and IPO's;
personal finance and pensions; capital markets, charting, and commodities;
and much more.
At one point, in the early 1930s, Chicago’s dominance in practical and innovative finance
was such that press reports cited serious discussions to relocate the NYSE to Chicago.
Illustrating his arguments with certificates and financial documents from his collection,
David Baeckelandt will chronicle the evolution of Chicago’s Financial Firsts.
February 14, 2007 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Paul Robertz on
Distinguishing Fine Differences of Lower Grade Coins
Paul Robertz is a serious student of grading for many years
and will cover the fine points of the lower grades.
Although collectors are told to buy coins in as high a grade as they can afford,
they still hold more lower-grade coins in their collections than Mint State grades.
This is particularly true with collections of early American coinage.
Robertz will use Barber coinage and Liberty Head nickels
to illustrate the different degrees of wear and characteristics that assign a grade to a coin.
January 10, 2007 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Rich Hall on
U.S. Type I Liberty Head $20 Gold Coins
Type I $20 gold coins are also known as “No Motto” double-eagles.
Minting for general circulation began in 1850 as a direct result of the California Gold Rush
and ended in 1866 at the end of the Civil War when the motto “In God We Trust” was added to the reverse.
Rich will tell the diverse role this coin played in history and include stories from the California Gold Rush,
shipments lost at sea, the “Panic of 1857,” and the Civil War.
He will cover some of the minting varieties and other items of interest to collectors.
December 13, 2006 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting (reservations are required) - Featured Speaker:
Clifford Mishler on
2007 Milwaukee ANA Convention
Cliff Mishler is a Club life member and deeply involved in the hobby for over fifty years.
He is the General Chairman of the 2007 Milwaukee ANA Convention.
Expect Cliff to take everyone on a nostalgic visit to the past
when the ANA first visited Milwaukee in 1950
and take a glimpse at what the future holds for the upcoming convention.
The annual December Banquet will be held at
Marcello’s Restaurant, 645 W. North Ave., Chicago.
A cash bar opens at 6 PM, and dinner is served at 7 PM.
The cost is $25.00 per person.
November 8, 2006 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
October 11, 2006 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Andrew J. Donnelly on
Tetrarchic Mint Control, 284-324
This will be an updated version of his paper at the 41st International Congress
on Medieval Studies, May 4, 2006, benefitting from comments expressed during
the question and answer session and further discussion with his advisor.
At first glance, the coins of the Tetrarchy are hard to distinguish by emperor —
they all seem to portray the same individual — but Donnelly’s studies of
Roman Imperial Coins, (RIC, the standard catalog of the series)
showed subtle differences in favored deities, depending on which ruler controlled the mint.
This program should add greatly to our knowledge and appreciation of these common pieces,
found in every collection of Roman coins.
September 13, 2006 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Mark Wieclaw on
How to Distinguish Different Precious Metals
The ability to identify preious metals has always been important,
especially now with the increase in prices.
Join us as Mark shows the commonly performed tests as well as what to look for.
August 9, 2006 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Winston Zack on
2006 ANA Summer Seminar
Club member Winston Zack was awarded a scholarship to attend one week of the ANA’s
Summer Seminar in Colorado Springs in early July.
It is not just five days on one topic;
learn about the other special programs and educational opportunities
available for two weeks in early July at ANA headquarters.
July 12, 2006 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Steve Feller on
A Numismatic Look at German Occupied Guernsey and Jersey
The British Channel Islands of Guernsey and Jersey were the only bits
of the British Isles to be occupied by Germany during WWII.
The islands were occupied from 30 June 1940 until the day after VE day, May 8, 1945.
This talk will focus on the various German and British currerncy issues in circulation during the occupation.
Four distinct issues of money will be discussed.
Original data from contemporary sources will be used.
The presentation will be based, in part, on a research visit to the islands during February 2006.
June 14, 2006 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Philip J. Carrigan on
Charles Barber and His Coins
Son of and successor to William Barber, Charles became the sixth chief engraver of the US Mint in 1880.
He is well known for producing Barber dimes, quarter dollars and half dollars
and less so for designing the Barber five cents.
Born in London and trained there under British engravers,
he continued in the style of his father perpetuating the British flavour of mid nineteenth century US coins.
Charles Barber is also responsible for making manufacturing corrections to the Saint Gaudens $10 and $20 gold coins.
Additionally, he designed the Hawaiian 1883 coinage, several commemorative silver and gold coins and over fifty medals.
This presentation will emphasize the Barber circulating coins and current numismatic interest.
At the end of our regular monthly downtown meeting we will recess and reconvene at our Mid-America meeting.
June 24, 2006 - CCC Meeting - 11AM
In the Mr. Lincoln Room of the DoubleTree Hotel
which is across the street from the MidAmerica Coin Expo,
which is held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Jeff Garrett on
The Smithsonian’s U.S. Gold Coins
Jeff Garrett is the co-author of the recently published book
Encyclopedia of U.S. Gold Coins - 1795-1933: Circulating, Proof, Commemorative and Pattern Issues.
Published by Whitman Publishing
(http://www.whitmanbooks.com),
the book is receiving rave reviews from the collecting community.
Every photograph is expertly photographed and some coins haven’t been publicly seen in more than two decades.
Be sure to mark your calendar to attend this unique program.
Jeff’s talk will concentrate on the gold issues in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC.
Jeff Garrett owns Mid-America Rare Coins in Lexington,
KY and is president of the Professional Numismatics Guild, Inc..
He is considered the top coin grader in the country,
based on his winning the Professional Coin Grading Service World Series of Coin Grading
in July 2005 during the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money in San Francisco.
Garrett used those skills to provide grades for the entire Smithsonian gold coin collection.
Extra copies of the 650-page book that sells for $69.95 will be made available.
May 10, 2006 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Eugene Freeman on
Money for Texas
This will be an overview of the numismatic issues related to Texas,
including the Spanish, Republic of Texas, and Confederacy periods.
The numismatic issues include coins, such as the 1817 and 1818 half reales (jolas) of San Antonio.
They also include the paper money and bonds of the Republic of Texas,
and the scrip of the Confederate State of Texas.
April 1, 2006 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago International Coin Fair (CICF),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Mike Gasvoda on
Roman Imperatorial Coinage, Julius Caesar to the Naming of Augustus — 49-27 BC
This presentation covers the early part of Mike’s collecting specialty,
the coinage of the twelve Caesars.
Some members might know Mike for his articles in the Celator magazine.
At the end of our CICF meeting we will recess and reconvene at our regular monthly downtown meeting.
April 12, 2006 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Steve Zarlenga on
The Lost Science of Money
In his recently published book,
The Lost Science of Money,
Steve tells the story of how money was discovered, lost and rediscovered through history.
It is a pattern that keeps repeating itself even today.
March 8, 2006 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
John Riley on
U.S. Military Decorations
John’s interest comes from his older brother, David,
who, in addition to writing
Uncommon Valor
on the medallic issues of the U.S. Navy & Marine Corps,
was the longtime webmaster for the Orders & Medal
Society of America.
As a Navy officer 1985-89, John found it an asset to be able to
identify the more obscure awards and insignia that
service members were entitled to wear.
Most coin collectors are familiar with A.A. Weinman’s
“Mercury” dime and Walking Liberty half;
we have known James Earle Fraser’s buffalo nickel
since we were kids.
Those two and the U.S. mint were central figures in the design
of several classic U.S. military medals.
Examples of medals done by most of them and good reference material
will be presented,
along with some background perspective from George Washington’s
clumsy cloth “Purple Heart” in 1782 to the service medal
issued for the War on Terrorism.
At the end of our regular March meeting we will recess and reconvene at our meeting at CPMX.
March 11, 2006 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago Paper Money Expo (CPMX), which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL. No admission charge for our meeting.
February 8, 2006 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert D. Leonard Jr. on
Coin Collector Gone Bad: The Numismatic Frauds of Mark Hofmann, the Morman Murderer
He was a Boy Scout who started collecting coins in the 1960s by searching through rolls.
A former Mormon missionary, he was a married man with four children.
He had an I.Q. of 149.
He contributed an article to the TAMS Journal.
Yet he started altering coins to make rarities as a teenager,
then went on to making fake mint errors (one of which realized $48,300 in a Goldberg auction in 2003,
having previously been handled by Heritage), fantasy tokens, and counterfeit Mormon notes.
When he overreached himself in his business of selling forged documents,
he murdered two people with bombs and is now serving life without parole.
Bob Leonard will present details of the numismatic frauds of Mark Hofmann,
gleaned from eight books written by those who knew him,
his own article in the TAMS Journal, and the comments of John Ford and others.
A list of known fakes will be distributed to those in attendance.
January 11, 2006 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Dr. Andy Plioplys on
Silver Currency Ingots of Northern Europe
At the April, 2004 meeting, Dr. Andy Plioplys gave an outstanding exhibit on the silver bars,
called kapas, used as money in Lithuania from 1100-1300 AD.
Since then, he has uncovered more information on this little known numismatic subject.
With the help of the curators at the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture,
the American Numismatic Society, the Smithsonian Institution, and private collectors,
Andy received new information on other silver ingots that circulated 800-1450 AD
throughout the Baltic region and along the Volga River area into Russia.
He has also acquired what might be the only true Russian ingot in a private collection.
Since his last featured talk before the club in August (Temporary Currencies of Lithuania),
Andy gave a numismatic talk at the Balzekas Museum that resulted
in an invitation to give a numismatic presentation at the 150th anniversary
celebration of the Lithuanian National Museum in Vilnus, Lithuania.
The event will be in April, 2006 and will include four days of talks dealing with Lithuanian numismatics.
Part of Andy’s PowerPoint presentation will include information on Dr. Alexander Rackus,
a Charter Member of the CCC and Past-President (1928).
Dr. Rackus’ collection of Lithuanian numismatics makes up a large portion
of the numismatic exhibits in the Balzekas Museum and the Ciurlionis National Art Museum in Kaunas, Lithuania.
December 14, 2005 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting (reservations are required) - Featured Speaker:
Leonard Augsberger on
The Baltimore Gold Hoard of 1934
In the fall of 1934, two poverty stricken teenagers discovered
a hoard of thousands of U.S. gold coins buried in the cellar of an east Baltimore tenement.
The coins, struck between 1834 and 1856, no doubt represented a Civil War era collection.
Suffering the effects of the Great Depression, the city immediately broke forth
in a wave of speculation and intrigue amid the lure of the buried treasure,
including many who came forward to stake their claim and take away the treasure from the impoverished boys.
Leonard Augusburger has conducted extensive research into this story and has an upcoming book on the subject.
Join the Club at their annual banquet (reservations required) and hear of the families involved,
the inevitable legal battle, the rumors surrounding the discovery and the sale of the gold pieces.
The annual December Banquet will be held at
Marcello’s Restaurant, 645 W. North Ave., Chicago.
A cash bar opens at 6 PM, and dinner is served at 7 PM.
The cost is $25.00 per person.
November 9, 2005 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
October 12, 2005 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
David MacDonald on
Overstruck Ancient Greek Coinage
David MacDonald has collected and studied overstruck ancient Greek coinage for at least 15 years.
These unique coins were struck from 360 B.C. - 1 A.D. and can be found
in the coinage of Massalia (France) on the west to the Indo-Greek empires of the east.
It’s believed the coins were overstruck to increase their marketplace value
and because it was cheaper than going through the entire process of melting the old coins.
Little written material is available on this subject
except for a few articles that appeared in obscure academic journals.
MacDonald has published some 6-7 articles and has authored
for publication a 220-page manuscript listing 156 overstruck coins.
September 14, 2005 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Jerry Nelson on
What’s New at the Federal Reserve Bank
Nelson retired from the securities brokerage business 13
years ago and began working at the Fed as a tour guide.
First working two-days a week, then three days and finally drafted to work five days per week.
Nelson is now in his ninth year as a full-time employee.
The Fed used his talents in publications, database management and now in Public Relations.
Nelson has addressed community banking conventions in the five-state region,
represented the Fed at numerous municipal, state and federal functions
and hosted central bankers from other nations, including China and Saudi Arabia.
August 10, 2005 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Sharon Blocker on
Polymer Banknotes
Polymer note issue is rapidly growing with more countries joining the list of issuers.
There are over 30 countries that issue the notes with the largest being Australia.
The earlier notes are tougher to obtain,
but a full set of polymer banknotes is within most collector’s budget.
They are colorful, sturdy and fun to collect.
Some countries are now completely using the polymer notes
and the paper issues are becoming an item of the past.
Banknotes printed on Tyvek&tm; were first used in the early 1980s with unsatisfactory results.
Then in 1988 Note Printing Australia developed the world’s first polymer plastic banknote.
Many countries (30 at last count) soon converted their paper currency to this new material.
The polymer is made of a non-porous plastic with a specially developed protective coating.
The notes stay cleaner and resist moisture and result
in an average lifespan of 4-5 times longer than paper banknotes.
The polymer material allows for a see-through window
that foils counterfeiters from using photocopiers and scanners.
Sharon will share her collecting experiences with polymer banknotes.
July 13, 2005 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Don Dool on
German States Coins from the Kipper Era (1617-1623)
This program deals with the German coinage issued during the 30-Years War (1618-1648).
Soldiers needed to be paid and large quantities of coins
were issued at overvalued prices that was further complicated by mass forgeries.
Then in 1619 rulers of larger states joined in the fraud with resultant inflation.
In order to establish a coin’s worth it was laid on a specially made scale (Wippe) by a "tipper."
If the coin was of full value, the Wippe tipped (German: kippen).
Kipper money was outlawed in 1622 after Austria and later the Holy Roman Empire of German Nations rose up against it.
June 8, 2005 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert Weinstein on
Small Change: Epidemic Counterfeiting in 4th Century Roman Britain
At the end of our regular June meeting we will recess and reconvene at our meeting at the MidAmerica Coin Expo.
June 25, 2005
1pm in the Mr. Lincoln Room of the Double Tree Hotel,
5460 N. River Road, Rosemont
(across the street from the 24th Annual MidAmerica Coin Expo
held at the Donald Stevens Convention Center).
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
David Sundman on
19th Century 3-D Slides of the U.S. Mint
Stereo photography was a popular way to view images during the 19th century.
It consisted of two separate photos that gave a 3-dimensional effect
when superimposed and viewed through special glasses.
David Sundman acquired a selection of stereophotos showing
the U.S. Mint during the 1800s and has converted them into a slide program.
David Sundman will lead this educational tour back through time
when the Mint was striking Indian cents, Shield nickels, and Seated Liberty coinage.
Those who attend will be given a special pair of viewing glasses and,
while supplies last, a bag of popcorn.
May 11, 2005 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Chuck Jacob on
Die-Struck Copper Coinage of China
China issued cast coinage in base metals for many centuries before the Christian era,
but die-struck coins didn’t appear until 1888.
Chuck’s presentation will concentrate on the 10-cash copper pieces.
They were issued into the 1930’s and were equivalent to 1-cent.
The central mint wasn’t the only issuer of the 10-cash coins.
Many of China’s 35 provinces also issued these coins.
Many varieties exist, with different dating systems and different dragon images.
Those who attend will also see the coin’s design evolution
as China went through the Boxer Rebellion (1900),
the decline of the Ch’iang dynasty and the rise of the republic.
April 13, 2005 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Alex Moulinas on
Coin Grading Perspectives
Professionally involved in numismatics since 1988,
Alex Moulinas recently joined the international coin department at Harlen J. Berk Ltd..
Previously, Alex graded coins at the Numismatic Guaranty Corp (NGC) in Florida.
Members attending this presentation will receive a greater understanding of the technical aspects in coin grading
and how it equates to the retail market.
Alex will explain what professional grading services look at and how they weigh each factor in a grade.
General comments on strike, luster and cleaning will also be covered.
At the end of our regular April meeting we will recess, and reconvene at our meeting at CICF.
April 23, 2005 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago International Coin Fair (CICF),
which is held at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare, formerly the Holiday Inn O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Clyde Hubbard on
The First Coinage of the Americas, Mexico City 1536
With the rapid increase in commerce of New Spain after the conquest, the
need for a mint became urgent. It wasn’t until May 11, 1535, however, that a
royal cédula was issued, and the mint began operation the following year.
Silver reales and copper maravedies, in eight denominations, were minted in
the name of Carolus et Johanna (Charles I of Spain and Joan the Mad) as late
as 1556. Mr. Hubbard will illustrate obverse and reverse of the major types
and issues, and describe hoards of these coins, including a recent find in
Cuba. Mr. Hubbard co-authored A Guide Book of Mexican Coins, co-authored the
definitive study of 1824 eight reale coins and published in 1967 his first
paper on the coinage of 1536.
Of interest to collectors of primitive money, every attendee receives a replica of Togo Stone Money accompanied by an original article giving the story of this little-known and fascinating currency. Since 1989, the CCC issued a primitive money souvenir with an original article to commemorate their CICF meeting. This 16th issue is written by CCC and IPMS member Robert Leonard.
March 9, 2005 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Douglass F. Rohrman on
Exciting Changes at the American Numismatic Society
The American Numismatic Society (ANS) was organized in 1858 in New York City
and has evolved into a preeminent national institution advancing the study of numismatics.
Recently, the ANS moved to 96 Fulton Street in Lower Manhattan.
The 35,000 square foot former bank building encompasses
the world’s largest numismatic library (100,000 volumes)
located on two full floors and a numismatic collection estimated at 800,000 pieces.
Admission is free and the library and coin cabinet are open for research by appointment.
Chicago attorney Douglass Rohrman sits on the Board of Trustees, the ANS governing body.
Attend this presentation and hear about the new plans and programs on the ANS agenda.
At the end of our regular March meeting we will recess, and reconvene at our meeting at CPMX.
March 19, 2005 - CCC Meeting - 1PM at the Chicago Paper Money Expo (CPMX),
which is held at the Holiday Inn O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Mark Anderson on
Hard Times in a Small Town Bank
The First National Bank of Grantsburg, Wisconsin was founded in 1905 by Swedish immigrant H.A. Anderson, Mark’s grandfather.
Join this presentation and hear the story of this bank,
its relationship with Wisconsin’s agrarian economy
and Anderson’s struggle to survive hard times and persevere with competing banks.
Mark’s presentation will show rare numismatic souvenirs and family photos.
Collectors attending this program will come away with a perspective
and appreciation that every bank note has a unique history and a story with real people.
February 9, 2005 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Mark Wieclaw on
The Tetradrachms of Roman Egypt
The reverse designs will be emphasized during this program.
Coins beginning with Nero and up through Numerian will be shown.
January 12, 2005 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Greg Goodrow on
Vietnamese Cash Coinage, 968-1945
Greg Goodrow has collected Vietnamese artifacts since 1980;
nine years ago he began to specialize in collecting their coinage.
His talk will cover the beginnings of Vietnams cash coinage, types of cash coins,
influences from China and the historical significance surrounding different rulers.
Greg will also offer clarification on the many tributary names assigned to the country.
Contemporary counterfeits on the market and current literature will also be covered.
December 8, 2004 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting (reservations are required) - Featured Speaker:
Thom Cicchelli on
The Illinois State Quarter Story
Thom Cicchelli, a local graphic artist, submitted the artistic concept for the design stuck on the Illinois State Quarter.
Join Thom at the Chicago Coin Club Annual Banquet on December 8, 2004
and hear his story of the concept design and his experience in seeing it struck.
Those who attend will come away with a greater understanding of the work that goes into a coin design from concept,
all the steps of production and finally struck and issued into circulation.
The annual December Banquet will be held at
Alpine Banquet Haus, 11141 W. Roosevelt Road, Westchester.
A cash bar opens at 6 PM, and dinner is served at 7 PM.
The cost is $25.00 per person.
November 10, 2004 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
October 13, 2004 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
John vander Weit on
Coins of Alexander the Great
September 8, 2004 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Richard Hartzog on
Countermarked Coins
August 11, 2004 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Tom DeLorey on
The Debate Over Modern Double-Die Coins
July 14, 2004 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Saul Needleman on
Use of Jehovah on Coins and Medals
Dr. Needleman collected and researched for 25 years coins and medals that show Jehovah in Hebrew script.
He discovered most were struck during a narrow time frame in history
and were issued more for propaganda purposes than religious reasons.
Dr. Needleman cataloged nearly 1,000 specimens and in 2002 published the only book known on this subject.
Join us for an evening rich in the history Europe as it emerged from the Dark Ages
and began a new course in their relationship with God.
June 9, 2004 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
William Bierly on
U.S. Pattern Coinage
Pattern coinage is comprised of those pieces proposed for
adoption as a regular issue, but not approved.
The Coinage Committee of Congress must approve all
coinage designs and many people believe that some of the
finest works of our mint engravers was rejected.
Join us for this fascinating numismatic talk on "what
might have been."
Member Bill Bierly will cover the history of pattern
coinage through slides of famous patterns and
reference books.
Bill Bierly will also speak on his specialty: the "God
Our Trust" and "In God We Trust" motto transitions on
pattern coinage from the Civil War era.
A handout will be provided for those who wish to learn
more.
At the end of our regular June meeting we will recess and reconvene at our meeting at the MidAmerica Coin Expo.
June 26, 2004
3pm in the Mr. Lincoln Room of the Double Tree Hotel,
5460 N. River Road, Rosemont
(across the street from the 23rd Annual MidAmerica Coin Expo
held at the Donald Stevens Convention Center).
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured program:
Face to Face with Famous Numismatists - Recollections by Q. David Bowers
Bowers is the author 40+ numismatic books and is the recipient of numerous literary awards.
He served as president of the American Numismatic Association and the Professional Numismatists Guild
and was bestowed with their highest awards.
He has lectured at Harvard University and appeared on numerous television networks
discussing his lifelong interest in rare coins.
May 1, 2004 - 85th Anniversary Banquet, 7pm at the Chicago International Coin Fair (CICF),
which is held at the Holiday Inn O’Hare, 5440 N. River Road, Rosemont, IL.
Dinner is buffet style; banquet tickets are sold on a reservation basis and are available at $39.
Featured speaker:
Scott VanHorn on
Coinage of the Late Roman Empire Seen Through it’s Portrait Type, 300 - 400 AD
Roman coinage portraits began to change with Constantine the Great.
A study of the coins issued over the next 100 years shows subtle yet remarkable differences.
Scott VanHorn will cover this historical era, point out changes in clothing,
diadems, laurel wreaths, etc. and explain what each signifies.
Those who attend will come away with an appreciation of the stories that can be told
through observation of the small details on coinage.
VanHorn holds Master’s Degrees in ancient history and Latin
and is near completion of his doctoral degree in Classical Studies at Chicago’s Loyola University.
He is an ANS Summer Seminar Graduate, has presented papers at several international conferences,
including the 13th International Numismatic Conference in Madrid, Spain.
VanHorn joined the Classical Numismatic Group in January, 2003 and works with electronic auction lots.
May 12, 2004 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert J. Greenstein on
The Coins of the Palestine Mandate, 1927-1947
The Palestine Mandate was born out of League of Nations
agreements ending the First World War.
It resulted in Great Britain receiving administrative powers
over Palestine, in addition to other countries.
The Palestine Currency Order of 1927 created a standard of
currency based on the Palestine pound, divided into one thousand mils.
The League of Nations mandate required the name of "Palestine" appear
in three languages: English, Arabic and Hebrew.
Coins were issues in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 mils from 1927
through 1947, but not struck with all possible year dates.
In all, there were 59 different combinations of dates and denominations.
The Palestine Mandate ended May 1948 with the creation of the
State of Israel, but the coins remained legal tender through
September 1948.
In the Gaza Strip and Jordan they remained legal through 1951.
Robert Greenstein is a life member of the American Israel
Numismatic Association and has been employed in professional
numismatics for over 30 years.
Those who attend this program will come away with a snapshot
view of a part of the world reaching from Biblical times
through centuries of invasions and rule by nearly every
major European and Asian empire.
April 14, 2004 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker: Andy Plioplys on The Early Coinage of Lithuania, 1100 - 1400 AD
March 10, 2004 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker: John Connelly on $1.00 U.S. Coins from Eisenhower to Sacagawea
February 11, 2004 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Mark Wieclaw on
The Silver Drachms of Parthia
The ancient Kingdom of Parthia covered lands of what is today western Turkey,
much of Syria and all of Iraq and Iran.
The Parthian Kings issued coinage from the 2nd century B.C.
through the 3rd century A.D.
Mark Wieclaw has collected this series of ancient coins since 1981
and will cover the story of Parthian imperial portraits that imitated Roman coinage
and how the reverse types are consistent with the Greek Seleucids who they displaced.
At the end of our regular February meeting we will recess, and reconvene at our meeting at CPMX.
February 28, 2004 - CCC Meeting - at the Chicago Paper Money Expo (CPMX),
which is held at the Holiday Inn O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL.
Featured Speaker:
Allen Mincho on
Illinois National Bank Notes
January 14, 2004 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert D. Leonard, Jr. on
Crusader Gold Coins, 1096 to 1450 AD
This presentation will begin with a review of the history of the
Crusades and the Crusader states throughout the Levant, then discuss the Islamic
coins that served as prototypes and their Crusader imitations, still bearing the
anti-Christian Muslim profession of faith!
(These imitations were later banned by the Pope.)
The curious cut gold series -- no complete coin is known, only
cut pieces -- will be described, as will copies of later Western coins,
including a newly-recognized series of imitation Byzantine coins issued at the time
of the Latin Empire.
Many of the actual coins discussed will be shown.
December 10, 2003 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting (reservations are required) - Featured Speaker:
Dr. Susan Solway, Professor of Art History, DePaul University on
Roman Coins Beyond Rome: Numismatic Passages into Medieval Art and Material Culture
Dr. Solway’s slide illustrated talk will cover the survival of Roman Coins
in the Middle Ages and their numismatic "afterlife" in medieval art
and material culture.
Small, portable, virtually impervious to decay, mass-produced and
widely distributed over the Roman Empire, whose territory became
the realm of the medieval world, Roman coins served simultaneously
as vehicles for the persistence of the classical tradition and
as raw material for physical and functional transformation
into artifacts of medieval culture.
Dr. Solway will cover such topics including coin ornaments and jewelry,
traditionally considered outside the realm of medieval art history
and numismatics; the "reuse" via fashioning and refashioning of coins
into Christian sacred objects; numismatic sources of medieval iconography;
reverence of ancient coins and their medieval imitations as Christian
relics, talismans and/or amulets;
and pictorial translations of imperial profile portraits as political
and propagandistic stamps of authority.
Everyone who attends Dr. Solway’s talk will come away with a new
appreciation of the intersections between numismatics and art history!
The annual December Banquet will be held at
Marcello’s Restaurant, 645 West North Avenue, Chicago.
A cash bar opens at 6:30 PM, and dinner is served at 7 PM.
The cost is $45.00 per person.
November 12, 2003 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
October 8, 2003 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert Weinstein on
Indo-Sasanian Coinage
Indo-Sasanian coins were first issued about 550 AD by the Gujuras, a Hun tribe.
Robert Weinstein will show these coins struck in Northern India
for several hundred years and derived from a Sasanid Persian prototype.
Designs were copied and the copies were copied,
resulting in a rapid degradation of design.
Some varieties are barely recognized when compared to the original type.
September 10, 2003 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Richard Hamilton on
Stock Certificates from Illinois Railroads
The art of scripophily as shown on the stock certificates of Illinois railroads
will be highlighted during this presentation.
Mr. Hamilton has collected stock certificates for over twenty years
and will show and discuss certificates from the Chicago Great Western Railroad,
Chicago St. Paul Minneapolis & Omaha Railway,
Chicago Rock Island & Pacific Railroad,
the Burlington Northern,
and the Chicago Burlington & Quincy.
August 13, 2003 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Mike Metras on
Early Trains on Obsolete Currency
The first steam engine in the U.S. ran on Christmas Day in 1830
in Charleston, S.C..
Mike Metras will show the early development of steam engines as
reflected on obsolete currency vignettes and other period pictures.
July 9, 2003 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Don Dool on
Numismatic Finds of San Martin
Don dool recently returned from Argentina.
While visiting, he acquired over 30 additional numismatic San Martin items.
San Martin is a popular revolutionary,
and is the Liberator of Argentina, Chile, and Peru from Spanish rule.
Join Mr. Dool as he tells the story of San Martin
through medals, numismatic catalogs, photos of monuments,
catalogs, and newspapers.
June 11, 2003 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Steve Feller on
Newly Discovered Facts about Confederate Coinage
For years numismatists thought they knew everything
there was to know about Confederate coinage.
But over the last decade new records have revealed that
the Confederate government was in possession of dies
and were striking U.S. coins.
Feller has been a student of this coinage for many years
and will tell this interesting story.
At the end of our regular June meeting we will recess and reconvene at our meeting at the MidAmerica Coin Expo.
June 28, 2003 - 11am at the MidAmerica Coin Expo,
which is held at the Donald Stevens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road, Rosemont, IL.
No admission charge for our meeting.
Featured Speaker:
Mark Borckardt, V.P. at Bowers & Merena Galleries on
First Issues of the U.S. Mint
Mark is a leading authority on the issues of the first U.S. Mint
and has served as an instructor at the ANA Summer Seminars.
Details about this talk will be added here by June 11,
but do plan on attending this presentation,
just days before he teaches a one-week course
in this area at ANA headquarters in Colorado Springs.
May 14, 2003 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Clifford Mishler on
Fifty Years of Perspectives in Numismatics
Under his leadership at Krause Publications for forty years,
Clifford Mishler has been at the very center of the hobby.
Join him at this club meeting as he tells what the hobby was like
when he started fifty-three years ago,
how it evolved through the years,
some of the notable people he came to know
and what they taught him.
Expect him to wrap up the talk with where he thinks our hobby is headed.
April 9, 2003 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
John Wright on
300 Years of Portraits of the Caesars as shown on Sestertii Coinage
John Wright is known for his collection and knowledge
of U.S. Large Cents.
But many don’t know that for over twenty years
he has been collecting and studying Roman bronze coinage.
Join him as he shows portraits of the Caesars
as reflected on sestertii coins from Julius Caesar (44 BC)
through Postumus (268 AD).
The talk will include the history of how each came to the throne,
what they did for/to the empire, and how each met his end.
At the end of our regular April meeting we will recess, and reconvene at our meeting at CICF.
April 26, 2003 - 1pm at the Chicago International Coin Fair (CICF),
which is held at the Holiday Inn, 5440 N. River Road, Rosemont, IL.
Featured Speaker:
J. Graham Esler, Retired Chief Curator, Bank of Canada’s Currency Museum, on
The Canadian Silver Nuisance, 1865-1870
By 1865 in Canada, U.S. silver coins traded everywhere at face value,
except at banks and government offices. This is the story of
how unscrupulous traders shipped large quantities of silver coins into
Canada, traded them at full value, only to buy the coins back later from a
government agency at a discount! Canadian citizens were paid in U.S. silver
coins, only to have their bank deduct a percentage when it was deposited.
Join Mr. Esler as he relates the details of this little known story, the
hardships it caused the average Canadian and how the circumstances lead
to the creation of Canadian’s first national currency.
March 12, 2003 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Louis Jordan on
Role of Hogge Money in the Formation of the Sommer Islands Economy
One of the first coinages in the New World was issued
showing a hog as the primary image.
They were struck in 1616 in England for circulation
in the Sommer Islands.
For many years these extremely rare coins were thought
to be tobacco receipts.
But in the past 15 years more examples have been
uncovered with metal detectors.
Further study is beginning to reveal that they were
a token coinage for the Sommer Island Company.
They circulated for about 10 years in a very
primitive island economy and were replaced
by tobacco because of its intrinsic value.
February 12, 2003 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speakers:
Phil Carrigan and Carl Wolf on
Building and Maintaining A Numismatic Library
Many collectors will buy a $2,000 coin,
but pass on the purchase of a reference book
even if it was written by the dealer selling the coin.
This presentation will develop an approach to establishing
a numismatic library based on the individual’s collecting interests.
It consists of having current reference books,
but should include subscribing to auction catalogs
and fixed price lists, both current and earlier issues.
Just as important is maintaining the collection of books
and protecting it from damaging environmental effects and poor storage.
Discover the biggest culprits to your library
and learn how to make custom covers for your magazines and rare books.
At the end of our regular February meeting we will recess, and reconvene at our meeting at CPMX.
February 22, 2003 - 1pm at the Chicago Paper Money Exposition (CPMX),
which is held at the Holiday Inn, 5440 N. River Road, Rosemont, IL.
Featured Speaker - Douglas Ball on
Role of State Bonds on the Economic Development of the United States, 1800-1900
Through much of the 19th century the United States
experienced a dramatic increase in its population
that required the building of massive public works
and infrastructure projects. Many banks were chartered
and state governments issued numerous bonds to underwrite
the building of canals, turnpikes and railroads.
Join Mr. Ball as he shows examples of these bonds,
tells how they originated and explains how they played
a significant role in the building of the country.
January 8, 2003 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Kevin Dailey on
French 20 Francs, the First Euros
After reviewing the various French rulers that appear on the coins,
Kevin will examine the similar-sized gold coins that it spawned in other countries,
including the United States.
December 11, 2002 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting (reservations are required) - Featured Speaker:
Mark Wieclaw on
Chinese Snuff Bottles
This presentation will take a look at snuff bottles produced in the
middle to late 19th century.
We will see a variety of materials, from Agate to Jade to Rhino horn,
along with the incredible designs carved into each of the bottles.
The annual December Banquet will be held at the
Alpine Banquet Haus, 11141 W. Roosevelt Road, Westchester.
A cash bar opens at 6 PM, and dinner is served at 7 PM.
The cost is $20.00 per person.
September 11, 2002 - CCC Meeting - Featured speaker:
Dr. James McCormick on
Microscopic Images of Coins and Paper Money Produced by J.B. Dancer
In the late 1800s, J.B. Dancer produced microscopic images of many items;
using them as sales aids for his microscopes.
Dr. McCormick’s research has resulted in a book about J.B. Dancer and his work.
Join us for this most unusual and entertaining talk
and slide presentation.
August 14, 2002 - CCC Meeting - Featured speaker: Alex Basok on Steps of the Investigative Numismatist
July 10, 2002 - CCC Meeting - Featured speaker:
Andrius Plioplys on
Lithuanian Banknote Proofs from the 1920s
In anticipation of an impending war,
a briefcase containing proof material was secreted behind a masonry wall.
Join us for the intriguing story of their discovery in the 1990s,
and how the items made their way to Chicago.
June 12, 2002 - CCC Meeting - Featured speaker:
Mark Wieclaw on
An Almost Complete Perspective on Numismatics
Different people bring different goals and perspectives to our hobby.
Join us as a past president of our club
looks at the hobby from his views as a collector,
coin dealer, club officer, and a show organizer.
May 8, 2002 - CCC Meeting - Featured speaker:
Bruno Rzepka on
The Art of Steel Engraving
From picking up paper money overseas to make a short snorter
(signed by Jack Benny and Carol Landis) while in the U.S. Navy,
to many years first as a tool and die maker and then inspector,
to his collaboration with Jim Grebinger on the error section
of Donlon’s book on small size currency,
Bruno has the experiences to make a wonderful talk.
Join us!
April 6, 2002 - Session 1 of the 1000th CCC Meeting at 1pm at the Chicago International Coin Fair (CICF),
which is held at the Holiday Inn O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont.
Admission to the meeting is free, but admission to the show is $5.
Featured Speaker:
Steve Album on
The Development of Islamic Coinage, 650 - 1250 AD
Today newspapers and television showcase many Islamic history programs. But what
most coin collectors don’t know is that Islam did not strike distinctive religious coins
during its early years. For the first seventy years Islamic coins imitated the Byzantine and
Sasanian coinage. Everyone is invited to attend the meeting and hear Album tell the story
of this unique time in history.
He published A Checklist of Islamic Coins, now in its
second edition, and is currently a senior fellow at Worchester College, Oxford,
England and in this position he began publishing the first of ten volumes of a Sylloge of
Islamic Coins in the Ashmolean (Museum) in 1999. Volume 2 of this impressive work
has just been printed and is now available.
For the fourteenth successive year the Chicago Coin Club will also present every
attendee with an educational card dealing with some area of primitive money. Researched
and written by Robert D. Leonard, Jr., the 2002 issue will cover Gold Dust Currency
and each souvenir card will include genuine gold dust. History is sprinkled with stories of
gold dust being used as money including California in the 1850s, Georgia in the 1830s
and as recently as the 1980s in the Amazon Rain Forest in Brazil. Perhaps the most
enduring example is the gold dust system used for over 1,000 years by the Ashanti tribe
in Ghana, Africa. Only 150 copies printed and extra copies will be sold for $5.00 + $1.00
for postage.
April 6, 2002 - Session 2 of the 1000th CCC Meeting at the Chicago International Coin Fair (CICF),
which is held at the Holiday Inn O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont.
Featured Speaker:
Dr. Ute Wartenberg, Executive Director of the American Numismatic Society, on
Owls to Athens - The Dollar of the Ancient World
Formerly the Assistant Keeper and Curator of Greek Coins at the British
Museum, Wartenberg wrote the book After Marathon - War, Society and Money in Fifth-Century
Greece. In it she describes the political and economic world of ancient Greece,
under the leadership of Athens, as reflected in their coinage. Athenians referred to their
coins as "owls" because of the common reverse design showing an owl, the symbol for
Athena the patron goddess of Athens. Those who attend this presentation will enjoy the
slides of these magnificent and miniature masterpieces from the British Museum and the
ANS cabinet.
Banquet tickets are sold on a reservation basis and are available at $45.
A cash bar will open at 6 PM, and the banquet will start at 7 PM.
March 13, 2002 - 999th CCC Meeting - Featured speaker:
Sharon Blocker on
I’ve Been Working on the Railroad
Although her railroad collection started about 20 years ago
with paper items such as postcards, books, and other exonumia,
the collecting bug bit again when
Sharon encoutered railroad themed world currency at a currency show.
She has since started a
collection of world currency and coins with railroads on them.
Sharon will
take you around the globe and show you her examples of railroadania.
The title "I’ve been working on the railroad" means that this collection is still a work
in progress.
March 2, 2002 - 998th CCC Meeting at 1pm at the 8th Annual Chicago Paper Money Expo (CPMX),
which is held at the Holiday Inn O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont.
Admission to the meeting is free, but admission to the show is $5.
Featured Spaker:
Fred Schwan on
New Discoveries in Military Payment Certificates
Originally published in 1980, Fred Schwan’s
Comprehensive Catalog of Military Payment Certificates
just had its fourth edition released.
So many new discoveries have been uncovered that it includes 108
additional pages over the third edition.
Join us as Schwan will reveal new research and tell stories of these new findings.
He is also donating three copies of his new book to be used as door prizes.
For the seventh consecutive year, the Chicago Coin Club will present everyone in
attendance with a souvenir card dealing with Chicago numismatic history. This year the
National Bank Notes of the First National Bank of Chicago will be covered.
February 13, 2002 - 997th CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Paul Hybert on
Learning from U.S. Mint Reports
What were some of the big and small concerns of the Mint during its first hundred years?
The original documents are available in a number of forms.
This talk will start by introducing some of those forms,
and then, by using some of those reports,
show both the results of some decisions and the information
that would influence later decisions.
For example,
we all know the Large Cents were replaced by the small copper-nickel cents in 1857;
want to see an annual tally, from 1857 until 1863, of how many Large Cents
ended up back at the mint for melting?
(Oops, maybe that is a poor example.)
January 9, 2002 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker: Philip Carrigan on An Overview of Canadian and Maritime Numismatic Entities
December 12, 2001 - CCC Meeting - Annual Banquet Meeting (reservations are required) - Featured Speaker:
Reid Geisler on
Error Coins
The annual December Banquet will be held on the 56th
floor of the Bank One Plaza Building
(formerly the First National Bank Building) at the "Mid-Day Club."
Hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar open at 6 PM, and dinner is served at 7 PM.
The cost is $44.00 per person.
November 14, 2001 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
October 10, 2001 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Mark Wieclaw on
Morgan Type Carson City Morgan Dollars
September 12, 2001 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Harlan J. Berk on
Some Medals of the Roman Empire
Some examples of gold and silver medals were passed around
while Harlan gave background on each and a general overview
of Roman medals.
(The scheduled speaker could not attend.)
August 8, 2001 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Donald Dool on
General José San Martín, Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru, as Depicted in Numismatics and Philately
A review of the life and achievements of one of the leaders of the Spanish American Revolutions.
July 11, 2001 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert Leonard on
American Fruit Picker Tokens from Coast to Coast
This covers the history of
fruit picker tokens and tickets from the 1850’s until very recently,
including the economic reasons why they were issued and the political reasons
why they had to be discontinued.
Bob has been
collecting fruit picker tokens in a small way, off and on, since the early
1970’s.
There are far too many tokens and
tickets to show so the program gives the
historical and economic basis for use in each state, illustrated by the most
unusual and interesting tokens from it.
Naturally, there is a great deal about the role of American railroads in the
development of fruit growing, which led to the need for fruit picker tokens.
If you have the least interest in railroading,
labor legislation, immigration to America, or even agriculture, you
will find this interesting.
June 13, 2001 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Tom DeLorey on
1943 Bronze Cents and 1944 Steel Cents
It is the talk he gave at the ANS’s
Coinage of the Americas Conference in Baltimore on March 17.
It is the history of the two related transitional errors, plus a
previously unreported 1942 trial cent.
May 9, 2001 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Steve Feller on
Bank Notes From the Vault
In this presentation banknote enthusiast Steve Feller will tell of every
collector’s dream phone call.
It went something like this from the Coe
College business office,
"We were searching the vault and came across a
tattered envelope with some old bank notes in it.
Would you be interested
in seeing them?"
Was he?!
After ascertaining that the first note in the
bunch was a Continental Currency note of 1778 issued in Baltimore
Steve’s appetitie was whetted.
There were over a dozen interesting notes which
will be described.
They came from around the world.
The rest of the story
will also be told in which a folded letter in the vault from B. Max Mehl in
1932 led to the identity of the collector and his most interesting
relationship to the college.
April 11, 2001 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Louis E. Jordan on
Recent Discoveries on John Hull and the Massachusetts Mint
In May of 1652 Massachusetts Bay passed legislating authorizing the
coining of silver three pence, six pence and shilling coins and
appointed John Hull as mint master.
In some hitherto unpublished
ledgers John Hull made several entries concerning the mint.
This new
information provides insight on the location of the mint, gives
information on various aspects of coin production including the
"turn around time" to produce coins from silver, the actual weight of
newly minted coins and how mint charges were calculated.
At the end of our regular April meeting we will recess, and reconvene at our meeting at CICF.
April 28, 2001 - 1pm at the Chicago International Coin Fair (CICF),
which is held at the Ramada O’Hare Hotel, 6600 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont, IL.
Featured Speaker - David Hendin on
Biblical Coins: 1st Century BC - 2nd Century AD.
March 3, 2001 - 1pm at the Chicago Paper Money Exposition,
which is held at the Ramada O’Hare Hotel, 6600 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont, IL.
Featured Speaker - Chet Krause on
The Mining Scrip of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
At the end of our CPMX meeting we will recess, and reconvene at our regular monthly meeting venue.
March 14, 2001 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker: Harlan J. Berk on The New Issues of Croesus and A Discussion on Signed Greek Coins
February 14, 2001 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Drew Michyeta on
Franklin Mint Issue of Silver First Day Covers from the Period 1971 through 1975
Drew would like to make his feature presentation more of an open discussion
and forum, encouraging the membership to participate during his talk to share
reminiscences about events which were occurring during the same time period.
January 10, 2001 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Dennis Fuller on
Civil War Tokens and Related Items
Mr. Fuller has been actively collecting the tokens on and off dating back to
1971
when the items were affordable.
An active member of the Oak Park Coin Club since 1977, Hillside
Coin
Club since 1996, and joined the Chicago Coin Club in 1997, he tries to attend as
many Civil War shows as he can in the Chicagoland Area as well as the Annual
Show in Mansfield, Ohio and Gettysburg, Pa during Fourth of July weekend.
He has visited many Civil War Battlefields, including Gettysburg, Pa.,
Federicksburg, Va., Chancelorsville, Va., Manassas, Va., Antietam, Md. and
Spotsylvania, Va.
He received his B.S. Degree in Accounting from Loyola University.
December 13, 2000 - CCC Annual Banquet (reservations are required) - Featured Speaker:
Steven Zitowsky on
Love Tokens.
The annual December Banquet will be held on the 56th
floor of the Bank One Plaza Building
(formerly the First National Bank Building) at the "Mid-Day Club."
Hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar open at 6 PM, and dinner is served at 7 PM.
The cost is $35.00 per person.
Love tokens are coins that have been hand-engraved with a name(s),
initials and/or dates. A hole was usually made so it could be added to a
piece of jewelry and most often was a gift a man presented to the love of
his life. This might be his fiancee, wife or daughter.
Love tokens probably started in England during the 1700’s, but reached
the peak of popularity during the Victorian Era. Most were produced on
smaller silver coins like the dime, but some are found on larger silver and
gold coins.
Early love tokens were probably engraved by the giver himself, but over
time certain groups emerged as engraving specialists. This would be jewelers
and county fair artists. A man parted from the woman he loved and with
plenty of time on his hands oftentimes engraved elaborate tokens for his
love. This was particularly true of soldiers waiting to be shipped out or
hospitalized soldiers recuperating from wounds.
The Chicago Coin Club has secured a number of slides and examples of
"Love Tokens" to present a program at the Banquet. If any member has
examples to add, please bring them secured in a 2X2 or flip to show your
table mates during dinner.
Members who bring "the love of their life" to share this romantic
numismatic topic will be presenting them with an evening to remember.
November 8, 2000 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
In the past few years, the material that generated the
most interest was either related to the club or to
Chicago-area numismatics.
Now is a good time to consider consigning to the auction;
details will appear in the October Chatter.
We will be able to accept lots shipped to Chicago if
that would be convenient for you.
October 11, 2000 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Tom DeLorey on
A Workshop for Their Gain? - Modern Errors, Accidental or Not
What is going on at the mint?
Not only does it seem that a new error piece hits the market
every few weeks, but look at those errors.
These are things that haven’t happened here before!
Or have they?
Join Mr. DeLorey as we try to understand what is happening at the mint.
September 13, 2000 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Cliff Priest on
Stocks and Bonds Depicting Buildings and Scenes in Chicago
Will have stock and bond certificates that depict buildings and scenes in
Chicago. Some are buildings that were envisioned and not built as depicted,
while some are as they actually were. Several will be companies that rented
space in a building BUT hinted they owned the building. Others will be
scenes in Chicago.
August 9, 2000 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Saul Needleman on
Chicago Century of Progress in Elongated Cents
Review some local history with us as we remember
the World’s Fair held in Chicago in 1933,
which was the one-hundredth anniversary of the
founding of Chicago.
July 12, 2000 - CCC Meeting - Featured Event:
Kevin Dailey presents The Numismatic `Jeopardy’ Game
Similar to the television show, and similar to the
World Series of Numismatics at the ANA annual convention,
this evening should entertain as well as educate you
(unless, of course, you know everything already).
Teams will be formed at the meeting.
June 14, 2000 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert Weinstein on
The Coinage of the Sakas
Saka was the name by which the Scythians refer to themselves.
These were a nomadic people who are first mentioned in history in
the 8th Century BC as raiders and plunders of Greece,
Persia, Egypt and Assyria.
They were held together by a common language and culture that reached
from Eastern Europe to the borders of China.
Within numismatics perhaps the most commonly known Scythian
subgroup was the Parthians.
Join Mr. Weinstein as he shares with members examples of the diverse
coinage from these people (300 BC - 300 AD) and gives an
update on the latest research in Indo-Scythian numismatics.
May 10, 2000 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert Feiler on
Odd Denomination Notes and Scrip from the United States
Join us as Bob talks about a full range of odd
denomination items from a $3 bill to ...
April 8, 2000 - 1pm at the Chicago International Coin Fair,
which is held at the Ramada O’Hare Hotel, 6600 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont, IL
Featured Speaker - David L. Vagi on
Some New Perspectives on Ancient Roman Coins.
The coinage of the ancient Romans is under constant reappraisal, as history,
archaeology and numismatics are living sciences. New perspectives are fueled
not only by archaeological discoveries, but also by the critical
re-examination of existing knowledge. Having recently finished the
two-volume book Coinage and History of the Roman Empire, David Vagi will
share some of the most interesting perspectives of recent years. A variety
of topics will be explored, including the Julio-Claudians, coin
denominations and the purchasing power of coins in ancient times.
At the end of our regular meeting we will recess and reconvene at our usual meeting location on April 12.
April 12, 2000 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Don Dool on
X-Ray Analysis as Applied to the Composition of Coins
Mr Dool will give a brief technical talk on the x-ray analysis of coins
and the equipment used.
He had coins suspected of being contemporary counterfeits and had them
tested under that method.
Join the members for his resulting analysis and gain insight into
identifying counterfeits in your own collection.
March 8, 2000 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speakers:
Bob Vandevender and Jim Hodgson on
Small Size US Currency.
After an introduction and explanation of Grading Standards,
we will show examples of the different grades of notes.
The main presentation will discuss the various types of small size currency
(silver certificates, United States notes, etc.) and varieties such as mules,
blocks, etc..
The talk will start at a midlevel discussion but
can get as detailed in the subjects as listeners desire.
February 9, 2000 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Allen H. Meyer on
Theft of Valuable Coins: Impact on Innocent Collectors.
This presentation is in response to Mr. Eric Newman’s summary of the ANS’s
position on the theft of their coins, as he spoke to the ANA Convention in
August. During and after that meeting, the concern of many of us collectors
had to be the impact of the innocent purchase of coins or other objects of
art which may have been stolen. Stolen not by the person from whom you
purchased, but by some unknown person earlier in the chain of title.
While not debating Mr. Newman’s presentation, which he considers fair and
reasonable, Mr. Meyer’s purpose is to explore the role of an innocent buyer
in this unfortunate mess and how it impacts upon us as collectors in
Illinois.
At the end of our regular meeting we will recess and reconvene at the CMPX on Saturday, February 19.
February 19, 2000 - 1pm at the Chicago Paper Money Exposition,
which is held at the Ramada O’Hare Hotel, 6600 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont, IL
Featured Speaker - Wendell Wolka, of Dublin, Ohio on
Obsolete Bank Notes from the State Bank of Ohio
The State Bank of Ohio was chartered in 1845 and grew to forty-one Branches.
The Bank prospered throughout its existence and unusual (for the time)
safeguards assured that note holders never lost a single dollar.
Three branches were closed and two withdrew from the bank in an orderly fashion.
By 1864, all but two of the remaining thirty-six had converted to National Banks.
The bank left behind a rich history that can be seen via its bank notes.
Wendell Wolka has researched the bank’s history at the Ohio State Archives for over five years.
He has discovered long forgotten letters and documents that aided the maddening
process of solving such diverse mysteries as the identity of the portraits on later issues
and the number of bank notes that were printed, issued, and destroyed for each branch.
This information also revealed interesting problems the Bank had with one of its
printers as well as all of the original printing contracts.
Mr. Wolka has been a student of Ohio’s banking history and
its diverse note issues for many years and will share a look
at many excessively rare genuine, counterfeit, and altered bank notes.
Join us for this in-depth talk that is certain to be entertaining and informative.
January 12, 2000 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Mike Metras on
Modern Ethiopian Coinage
Ethiopia introduced European style coinage in an effort to show themselves
as a member of the modern world community at the end of the last century.
This presentation reviews the coinage they introduced and how well it met
that goal. You will also see other coinage and tokens used in Ethiopia since
that introduction. These include the colonial coins of Italy and the East
African
Currency Board along with the ever-present and dominating Maria Theresa
Dollar.
Notgeld emergency money was produced from the beginning of the first World War to the end of 1923. In general, Notgeld was issued by various German cities as a means of raising money. The majority of issues were on paper in bright colors and depicting various scenes and designs. Notgeld was also maunufactured on substances other than paper. Mr. Wieclaw will show many examples of these including leather, rubber, coal and silk. This is a unique area of numismatics covering an historically important period of time. The events in Germany that lead to the issuance of Notgeld were also the events that caused Adolph Hitler to become involved in politics. Be sure to join us for this exceptionally interesting talk.
November 10, 1999 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
October 13, 1999 - CCC Meeting
After the scheduled speaker had to cancel,
an extended show and tell session was planned.
September 8, 1999 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Dr. Saul B. Needleman on
Use of God’s Name, Jehovah, on Coins, Medals, Tokens and Jetons
Starting in 1517, European countries began to use "Jehovah" written
in Hebrew on their coinage.
It was a purely Christian concept with underlying political and
economic motivations that culminated in the Thirty Years War (1618-1648).
Ruling monarchs tried to invoke the name of God to fit their
own agenda and when it was over the face of Europe had changed completely.
Dr. Needleman has been studying this subject for fifteen years
and has completed a compilation of over 850 coins,
medals and tokens issued between 1517-1817 that fit
into this little known area of numismatics.
Those who attend will see examples of these coins and come
away with a new historical and numismatic perspective from the Age of Reformation.
August 14, 1999 - CCC Meeting held in conjunction with the
American Numismatic Association Convention
in Room 4 of the Rosemont Convention Center at 1 pm. Featured Speaker:
Eric P. Newman on
The Sheldon U.S. Large Cent Theft
Dr. William H. Sheldon, considered by many as the foremost expert
on early U.S. cents, did research at the American Numismatic Society (ANS)
in New York City during a period beginning over fifty years ago while preparing
his books on the subject.
He died in 1977.
It has been determined by the Superior Court of Los Angles,
California and the California Court of Appeal (subject to further
possible appeals) that Dr. Sheldon stole many early U.S. cents
from ANS in a switching scheme, leaving inferior examples
of the same variety in the place of stolen coins.
By using data recently made available to the public,
Eric Newman will relate some of the exciting details
of Sheldon’s life and clandestine activities.
July 15, 1999 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker: Mark Wieclaw on
June 9, 1999 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Louis Jordan on
The Numismatic Collections of the University of Notre Dame Libraries
Louis Jordan, Librarian and Director of Special Collections at the
University of Notre Dame, will speak on the University’s numismatic
collections in general, and specifically on colonial and early US coppers.
We will have a computer with an internet connection at the meeting
to help view the on-line collections.
The on-line collections start from the URL
www.coins.nd.edu
and a peek before the talk is encouraged!
May 12, 1999 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Warren C. Schultz on
Ugly Mamluk Silver
Warren Schultz is an Assistant Professor of History at De Paul
University.
Extending from the 13th to the 16th centuries AD,
the Mamluk Dynasty ruled the lands around the western Mediterranean.
The large silver coins from this era will be shown,
and some ideas of their usage in the Islamic world will be given.
April 10, 1999 - CCC Meeting held in conjunction with the
Chicago International Coin Fair at the Ramada O’Hare Hotel at 1pm.
Featured Speaker:
ANA Museum Curator, Bob Hoge on
Coins of a Flying Tiger, Marlowe Wegner
Mr. Wegner started collecting Chinese coins, from ancients
to moderns, while serving in China with the Army Air Corp
during World War II.
His extensive collection has been donated to the ANA Museum.
Join us as the Museum’s curator illustrates Chinese
numismatics with this beautiful collection.
March 10, 1999 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Robert Leonard on
U.S. Postage Stamps Used as Money
Postage stamps have been used as money in place of coins
chiefly in Gold Rush California, during the Civil War,
and during the Great Depression.
Some of these were issued in little encasements
by a variety of businesses for advertising purposes
as well as to make change - among them the Tremont
House in Chicago, one of whose proprietors later
founded the Drake Hotel.
Stamp money from all three periods,
including rare encased stamps, will be displayed.
February 10, 1999 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Alex Basok on
Coins of The Hermitage
Formerly the Russian Winter Palace but now a museum,
The Hermitage in St. Petersburg is famous for its
extensive and exquisite collections.
Included among the numismatic items is a set
of US coins presented by the US government in the
eighteenth century.
Plan to attend this meeting and learn much more
about this fascinating collection.
At the end of our regular meeting we will recess
and reconvene at the CMPX on Saturday, February 20th.
February 20, 1999 - CCC Meeting reconvenes at the Chicago Paper Money Exposition held at the Ramada O’Hare Hotel at 1pm. Featured Speaker: Art Kagin on A 70 Year Retrospective of Collections, Dealers and Numismania
January 13, 1999 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Tim Kyzivat on
Chicago Broken Bank Notes
A slide retrospective of bank notes from former banks in the city,
and from towns incorporated into Chicago.
Box thalers originated during the middle of the sixteenth century and were pricipally manufactured in the Augsberg and Nuremberg area of Germany. They were created by artisans who would hollow out these large size silver coins so that the sides would unscrew or snap open like a box. The interior could be used for a variety of purposes and would hold portraits, snuff, secret documents, personal mementos, etc. Robert Feiler has been collecting these unique and cleverly crafted pieces for a number of years and has a number of very attractice pieces to show. Recently he acquired a box thaler where its contents are a series of hand paintings on transparent mica. One is a full portrait of a lady and the rest are different parts of her wardrobe that fit perfectly over her - like a modern paper doll. His presentation promises to be particularly entertaining to our guests who are not numismatists. He’ll also show pieces from his collection of changed coins, which for the most part are a spin off of the box thalers.
November 11, 1998 - CCC Meeting - Club Auction
There will be no exhibits and no featured speaker
due to the auction.
October 14, 1998 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Dr. Joel J. Orosz on
Early U.S. Coin Collectors (Pre-1840’s)
One of the earliest numismatic sales in the U.S. was held November 1, 1858.
More than one book refers to this date as the beginning of our hobby in this country.
They do not know that numismatists had already been active for more than a century.
Dr. Orosz has researched these early collectors through historical periodicals
and journals and has uncovered many fascinating stories of people
like Rev. Andrew Eliot, Boston; Pierre Eugene Du Simitiere, Philadelphia;
Rev. John Christopher, New York City; and Robert Gilmor, Jr., Baltimore.
His well-written papers on this subject have received numerous awards due in
large part to his ability to extract relevant information that is pertinent
to today’s coin collectors.
September 12, 1998 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Jack Huggins, Jr. on
Building a Numismatic Exhibit
A case exhibit is another way to share numismatic information
with other collectors and the general public.
With the American Numismatic Association convention coming
to Chicago next year, many members are expressing
an interest in building exhibits.
Jack Huggins has won a number of exhibit awards including
Junior Best-of-Show at two consecutive ANA conventions and Adult
Best-of-Show from Central States Numismatic Society.
Presently, he is in charge of the exhibits for the Illinois Numismatic
Association and the Central States Numismatic Society.
He’ll share from his wealth of experience and tell what constitutes a good exhibit.
He’ll also have a handout spelling out how exhibits are judged.
If you want to know the who, what, where, why and how of exhibiting,
then this is one talk you can’t afford to miss.
August 12, 1998 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Alexander Basok on
Russian Coinage of the 1980 Olympics
During the late 1970’s collectors were bombarded with promotional
advertisements trumpeting the fantastic investment opportunity of the
Russian coinage for the upcoming 1980 Olympics. Advertisements
promised twenty-eight uncirculated and twenty-eight proof coins.
Eighteen years later evidence has uncovered many discrepancies
including indications that over 150 different coins were issued and
some with improper mintmarks. Mr. Basok has been assembling this
story for his upcoming book on Soviet coinage and his presentation
and story telling promises to entertain and educate. His original
belief that there was more to this promotion than was meeting the eye
and the way he went about gathering the information is an approach
that all collectors can apply to their own areas of collecting.
July 8, 1998 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Dave Denis on
U.S. Type Sets - Half Cent through the Nickel
Since nearly everyone in the Club started collecting U.S. coins, this
meeting should be a special treat. For nearly sixty years Mr. Denis
has been assembling and upgrading a type collection of U.S. coins.
Complete type sets will be shown of the half-cents, large-cents,
small-cents, two-cents, three-cent (nickel only) and the five-cent
pieces (nickel only). Mr. Denis will cover the history of each
coinage change and share some of his buying experiences in assembling
this testament to U.S. coinage.
June 10, 1998 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Bruno Rzepka, on
U.S. Paper Money Errors
Last year the Bureau of Engraving and Printing produced over 10 billion pieces of paper money with only a
.5% error ratio. Although today’s advanced technology has curbed the number of printed errors that reach
the general public, years ago many slipped past inspectors and are quite collectible. Bruno Rzepka has been
collecting error notes for over forty years and at one time amassed a collection of nearly 1,300 pieces.
Join him as he shows a selection of errors that include: paper flaws, ink streaks, overprints, double
denominations, blank sides, misalignments, mismatched serial numbers, etc. He’ll also cover the literature
available to collectors of this material.
May 13, 1998 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Steve Feller, Ph.D. on
Monies of WWII Concentration Camps
No matter what his circumstance, modern man has an inherent need for a medium of exchange.
This was also true of the Nazi-ruled camps and ghettos during World War II.
A least thirty camps are known to
have issued their own scrip.
The local ruling authority created some issues, and in others, the prisoners
themselves designed and produced their own emergency currency.
Mr. Feller has researched this subject
for over twenty years,
has studied the records in the archives of the United Nations and at the National
Holocaust Memorial Museum and is considered a foremost authority of Holocaust money.
Join him when
he tells the story of this money and shows slides and examples
of the diverse issues that include bank
notes, coins, small change chits and food coupons,
some printed on magazine scraps, post cards and other
odd bits and pieces of paper.
Those who attend his unique talk will leave with insight into this little
known numismatic footnote from one of history’s most infamous events!
April 8, 1998 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Jimmy Kaczor on
Illinois-Michigan Canal Bank Notes
During the 1830s government and business interests of the
United States campaigned for big infrastructure improvements.
Connecting Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River through a
canal system was one of the projects that received widespread
support.
The canal’s eastern terminus was in Chicago, on the South Branch
of the Chicago River, while the western terminus was
in Joliet, on the Illinois River.
Competition from the Railroads in the 1870s put Canal
traffic into a steep decline. By 1880 it was operating at a very
low level and by 1890 parts were filled in and returned to
farmland. However, during its construction and operation, the
Canal Company with the backing of the State of Illinois issued
four different series of bank notes that were used to pay for
materials and labor. Join Mr. Kaczor as he tells the story of the
Illinois-Michigan canal and shows a complete set of their bank
notes.
March 14, 1998 - CCC Meeting at the CICF (1pm starting time) at the
Merchandise Mart Expo Center, 350 N. Orleans St., Chicago, IL
Featured Speaker:
Jane I. Guyer, Ph.D. on
"Primitive Money" in 19th Century Equatorial Africa
As an anthropologist, Dr. Guyer took up the study of African primitive currencies to better
understand social and economic conditions. She is not a numismatist, but by studying how
currency and the transaction process played a role in the relationships between people, Dr.
Guyer drew insights into the local and regional social structure in the era before colonial rule.
Equatorial Africa is one of the most complex regions of the world for scholars of indigenous
currency systems. The many different societies of this area created their own copper, iron,
raphia-cloth and shell monies, and European traders imported yet others. Dr. Guyer’s studies of
the iron spear currency of Southern Cameroon included museum work and interviews with
elders about manufacture and use in the past. Further questions about regional circulation led
her to the comprehensive currency collection in the Royal Museum of Central Africa in
Tervuren, Belgium. Those who join Dr. Guyer for this informative program will hear a program
on primitive money told from a perspective rarely heard in numismatic circles.
February 21, 1998 - CCC Meeting at the CPMX show (1pm starting time) at the
Ramada O’Hare Hotel, 6600 N. Mannheim Road,
Rosemont, IL
Featured Speaker:
Douglas Ball, Ph.D. on
U.S. Continental & Colonial Currency, 1690-1786
Continental and Colonial currency evolved in a chaotic fashion.
Join Douglas Ball as he tells the story of how the international economy of our country
developed with only modest cooperation of the thirteen different governments each
issuing their own currency.
A colony’s proximity to unfriendly Indian Territory had the largest single impact on a
local economy with heavy military spending and resultant inflation.
Those who attend this talk will leave with the knowledge of how the economic
peculiarities of that time and its resulting impact is still with us today
and is reflected in our Constitutional provisions and the NYSE.
Douglas Ball is Vice-President and director of Research of the R.M. Smythe & Co., Inc.,
dealers of paper money, stocks, and bonds since 1880.
January 14, 1998 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Mark Wieclaw on
Photography with a 35mm Camera
Good photographs of coins cannot be achieved through the
simple "point-and-shoot" method. Only by employing special
techniques, plus having the right lens, the correct film,
and proper lighting can you get good results. Mark Wieclaw has
been taking coin photographs for ten years and delivered a
program on this subject five years ago. Since then he has
refined his techniques and developed new processes, especially
in photographing coins in plastic housing. Those who attend
will leave with a better appreciation of the narrow requirements
needed and will gain the knowledge of how they can do it
themselves. A handout will be available.
November 12, 1997 - CCC Annual Auction
This is the evening of our annual auction and there will be no
exhibits. We have been promised that a large collection of past
club medals will go up for sale, and if last year’s auction was
any indication, the bidding could get pretty exciting. Please
bring in your material or send a list as early as possible so we
can begin to accurately catalog it. Turn your material or list
over to either Carl Wolf or Bill Burd. This is also a great time
for you to donate material with the proceeds going to the Club.
October 8, 1997 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Leon A. Saryan on
Medieval Coins of Cilician Armenia, 1080-1375 AD
For most of the 13th century, Cilician Armenia was a
primary trade center of the Middle East.
During this period the Armenians played an important
role in the Crusades.
Dr. Saryan has studied and collected the coinage of
this period for over twenty years,
has traveled to Armenia four times and used historical
manuscripts of the era to research his findings.
Join him as he shows the copper, silver, and gold
coins from this medieval culture and explains their
historical background and significance in relation
to the times.
September 10, 1997 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Paul R. Hybert on
Numismatists on the Internet
Each week more coin dealers, auction houses, and private numismatists
are added to the Internet.
Join us as we go for a ride on the net visiting
different sites including our own club’s home page,
the American Numismatic Association, the American
Numismatic Society, plus some of the current auctions and
fixed price lists being offered by coin dealers.
If time warrants, we’ll also visit the sites of
private collectors who have a specialized interest.
One site even offers a bibliography and critical review
of numismatic literature.
We’re fortunate that our meeting room is equipped to
display an enlarged image of the computer screen on the wall,
so there won’t be any need to crowd around a small display.
Those who attend will leave with a handout of popular
Internet addresses and will learn how to quickly retrieve
in-depth and unfiltered information to keep abreast of
current events.
August 13, 1997 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Bruce W. Smith on
Knife and Spade Coins of Ancient China
Best guesstimates put the beginnings of Chinese knife
and spade coins as early as 900 BC, making them the
earliest money manufactured by man.
Chinese authors have written about these unique numismatic
antiquities for over 1000 years,
but gained little notice from western collectors until
the late 1800s.
Bruce Smith has been a serious student of this subject
for 30 years, has traveled to China several times and
lived there for a year.
Join him as he shows examples from his collection
and shares with members the inscriptions on these
coins and how they fit into a system of weights
and denominations.
July 9, 1997 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Michael S. Gasvoda on
The Mount Vesuvius Atonement Series of Roman Coinage
Mount Vesuvius erupted August 24, 79 A.D. and buried the cities of
Pompeii, Stabiae, and Herculaneum.
Convinced this was a result of their gods’ anger, Romans
instituted a number of programs to appease them.
This included a series of eleven coins struck under Emperors
Titus (79-81 A.D.) and Domitian (81-96 A.D.).
Mr. Gasvoda will show the coins from this series that marks one
of the greatest natural disasters of all time and explain the
symbolism and significance of each.
June 11, 1997 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
John D. Wright on
Collecting U.S. Large Cents
Large cents were minted from 1793-1857 and were among the first coins
struck under authority of the United States Government.
As a foremost expert in this field, Mr. Wright will tell the
history of large cent collecting, cover how the series is broken
down into three groups, show fascinating pieces and varieties
within each group, and discuss some of the methods of collecting
these unique pieces of American history.
Here
is what he said eleven years ago on the topic.
May 14, 1997 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Anthony Swiatek on
Artificial Toning of Coins
Beautifully toned coins in high grade can be highly desirable
and often times they command higher prices. But, what you
don’t know can hurt you, especially if the toning is hiding
something. The most common reason artificial toning is added
is to disguise surface damage, a lower grade, etc. and therefore
the coin’s value is falsely increased. Using slides Mr. Swiatek
will share his many years of experience and show us the difference
between original and artificial toning.
April 5, 1997 - CCC Meeting at the CICF show (1pm starting time)
at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers,
301 East North Water Street.
Featured Speaker:
William Spengler on
Cowrie Shells as Money in Asia & Africa, & Their Imitations
Cowrie shells began their use as money thousands of years ago
and they continued to be used well into the nineteenth century.
They were a primary means of exchange in Asia and Africa,
particularly in those countries bordering the Indian Ocean.
Mr. Spengler will cover these unique money forms and tell just
how their values varied.
Cowries have been so popular that imitations also have been
manufactured for thousands of years, and Mr. Spangler will
show examples of imitations made of gold, silver, bronze,
bone, ceramic, and sea shell.
March 12, 1997 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker:
Mike Metras on
Axum Coins and Places.
Those attending this talk will see coins of ancient Ethiopia
tied into archeological sites of today.
This will be an augmentation of Mr. Metras’ talk
four years ago, but through video, with
observations on this communication medium.
February 15, 1997 - CCC Meeting at the CPMX show (1pm starting
time)
at the Ramada O’Hare Hotel, 6600 N. Mannheim Road.
Featured Speaker: Ian A. Marshall on
Replacement Notes of the World.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing replaces defective
currency with
Star Notes.
Different security systems are employed by other countries
to account for their replacement currency.
Mr. Marshall will discuss this unresearched area of paper money
collecting, show examples of world replacement notes,
and list many rarities unknown to collectors.
The Chicago Coin Club will be presenting to everyone in attendance
a printed sheet showing bank notes issued in 1852 by the Bank of
Chicago.
This collector’s item will be serial numbered and will include
the history of the Bank of Chicago.
January 8, 1997 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker: Herb and Martha Shingoethe on Obsolete Bank Notes
November 13, 1996 - CCC Meeting - Annual Club Auction
October 9, 1996 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker: Bob Leonard on M. A. Abrahams and His Tokens.
September 11, 1996 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker: Saul Needleman on Non Judaic Use of Hebrew Words on Coins.
August 14, 1996 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker: Bob Weinstein on Ancient Indian Coinage.
July 10, 1996 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker: Brian Stubbs on Primitive Money.
June 12, 1996 - CCC Meeting - Featured Speaker: Harry Flower on The Saga of Gold.