The latest news and conversations from the American Numismatic Association American Numismatic Association http://money.org Wed, 12 June 2013 00:00:00 Wed, 12 June 2013 00:00:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/june/12/a-brief-history-of-elongated-coins.aspx Anyone who has been a tourist or who has children has likely at one point come across an elongated coin. If elongated coin does not sound like a term you are familiar with, perhaps you recognize such alias names as pressed pennies, squished pennies, smashed pennies or rolled-out pennies. Many who purchase elongated coins see them as small and inexpensive souvenirs commonly purchased at museums, amusement parks, historical sites, and other visitor locations. In fact, the Money Museum has an elongated coin-making machine in the front lobby. These coins are not just inexpensive souvenirs; they have a history and are collected by coin collectors around the world. This type of coin collecting is called exonumia or novelty coin collecting.   The history of elongated coins dates back to 1893, when the first elongated coins were created at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Immediately, the coins gained popularity and remained popular until 1916. From 1917-1932 the popularity decreased, but after 1932 they began to reclaim their popularity, which has only increased throughout the years. The long history of elongated coins has led the coins to be categorized in three classes: Colloquially (1893-1965), Modern Elongateds (1966-1985), and Contemporary Elongateds (1986-present).   (Elongated Coin from the Columbian Exposition in 1893)  Elongated coins are created when coins, tokens, medals or metal blanks are forced between two rollers that engrave on one or both sides of the roller and an incredible amount of pressure is exuded onto the metal. The average price to purchase a freshly created elongated coin ranges from 50 cents to $1.50. Rarer coins can be purchased from elongated penny dealers for $5-10. Additionally, private engravers make special elongated coins to commemorate historical events and personal highlights or celebrations.    A question that comes up often regards the legality of producing elongated coins. The answer is yes, at least in the United States. U.S. Code Title 18, Chapter 17, Section 331 prohibits the mutilation, diminution and falsification of United States coinage. However, the statute does not prohibit the mutilation of coins, if the mutilated coins are not used fraudulently or for profit from the base metal. Elongated coins are typically made as souvenir items, hence the mutilation is deemed as legal. When a business or location purchases an elongated coin machine, it must obtain a permit from the U.S. Mint.     (Small sign located on the Penny Pincher machine at the Money Musuem)   Elongated coins can be appealing to any age range from children to hardcore coin collectors. There are thousands of these coins to collect, click here to view. Stop by the Money Museum located 818 N Cascade Ave, Colorado Springs, Colo., to make a Money Museum elongate.        (Penny Pincher machine at the Money Musuem)                               http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/june/12/a-brief-history-of-elongated-coins.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/june/12/a-brief-history-of-elongated-coins.aspx Wed, 12 June 2013 00:00:00 Paul G. Lajoie http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/june/11/gold-star-mothers-trips-to-ww-i-battlefields-medals.aspx This month, in an effort to introduce the readers of this blog to some small mini collections of Statue of Liberty exonumia, I am featuring a three-piece set of medals presented by the United States Lines to the widows and mothers of men who gave their lives in the battles of World War I.               Shown above are three medals, dated 1930, 1932, and 1933. These medals have a common reverse which is represented by the fourth picture at the bottom.   Beginning in 1930, and continuing for three more years, the United States War Department sponsored a free trip to France for these women so that they could visit the battlefields and the graves of their sons and/or husbands. The Statue of Liberty is prominently depicted on the left side of the medal, and obviously represents the departure point of the vessels, to wit, New York City. The destination, France, is pictured by the Eiffel Tower.    In 1930 there were 3,653 numbered Tiffany & Co. medals given to the women in a box, also carrying the identical number, manufactured for the famous jewelry company, under the direction (I guess!) of the United States Lines, which transported the ladies to France. The numbering system is significant to collectors because it also helps to identify the 1931 recipients.   The reader will note that there are no 1931 dated medals, although there was indeed a trip that took place that year. Approximately 1,766 medals bearing numbers from 3654 to 5985, but dated 1930, were presented for the 1931 trip(s).  The 1932 trip sent 575 mothers, and the 1933 trip ended the voyages with 670 more, for a total of 6,654 medals.  The medals presented for the latter two years  were produced by the Dieges & Clust Company and are prominently marked with  that company's name.   The widows and wives were also given a "gold star medal" through the jewelry company, Bailey Banks and Biddle, which actually bore the dead soldier's name. This medal does not carry any reference to the Statue of Liberty. http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/june/11/gold-star-mothers-trips-to-ww-i-battlefields-medals.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/june/11/gold-star-mothers-trips-to-ww-i-battlefields-medals.aspx Tue, 11 June 2013 16:40:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/june/7/a-golden-opportunity-the-colorado-gold-rush.aspx Famed Spanish Conquistador Hernando Cortez once said, "We Spaniards know a sickness of the heart that only gold can cure." For centuries, gold has attracted the attention of individuals around the world. In the 19 th century two major gold rushes occurred in the United States, sparking the relocation of millions of Americans who traveled thousands of miles in hopes they would strike it rich. The first was the California Gold Rush in 1848; as the mines in California began to deplete of the precious metal, word spread of a new gold rush in Colorado, which started in 1859. This blog will focus on the Colorado Gold Rush, which is often considered the largest gold rush in American history.   William Green Russell was the first to discover a small placer gold deposit in 1858 near the South Platte River; his discovery sparked the Colorado Gold Rush, which was met with the theme phrase "Pike's Peak or Bust." The newest discovery of gold drew the attention of both coasts. Miners in California began to travel east to the Rocky Mountain region and easterners saw an opportunity to search for gold without having to make the extremely long and dangerous trip to California.     Mining towns sprung up nearly overnight. Their formation occurred so rapidly that there was no time for local town governments or law enforcement to be created. Exemplifying the fast growth of the boomtowns was Central City , which had a population of more than 6,000 by 1860. Life in the mining boomtowns was extremely rough and rowdy with saloons, gambling halls, brothels, and public hangings. Larger cities formed not far from the boomtowns, which included Denver City (originally named St. Charles), Auraria (now lower downtown Denver), and Fountain City (later to be named Pueblo).       Colorado was lucky the gold rush occurred at the moment it did. During the Civil War, Colorado was forced to make do with whatever money it could come up with on its own. Assayers, such as Clark, Gruber and Company, privately produced gold coins for local use. These coins were supplemented by paper currency issued by banks in larger cities such as those previously noted.     ($10 gold piece issued by Clark, Gruber and Company) In 1891, another major gold discovery was made in Colorado, this time around the area now called Cripple Creek . In 1900 the gold production in this area peaked at 878,000 ounces. After 1900, production decreased with the mine closing in 1962. A town that in the prime days of gold production boasted more than 35,000 residents dwindled to just 600 by 1990, according to the Hotel Nicholas, which is one of the long standing hotels in the Cripple Creek area.   In 1991 the state approved Cripple Creek as a low-stakes gambling town, helping to rejuvenate the local economy and increase the number of residents in the area. Additionally, gold mining resumed again in 1995 and continues today with the Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mining Company, which produces an average of 250,000 ounces of gold per year. Cripple Creek and a few other mining towns such as Fairplay, Georgetown and Breckenridge continued to exist after the mining ceased. Many towns became ghost towns, and the only remains are aged structures.   (Miners came from all around the country in search of riches) It seems there will never be a lack of interest in gold. That is why this year Fred Holabird will present twice on topics about gold during the ANA Summer Seminar. During session 1 of "Legends in Numismatics," Holabird will present, California Private Coiners of Territorial Gold: The Real Issue behind Supposed Purity Issues and Platinum . Also, during session 1 of "Light from Many Lamps: All-Star Numismatic Symposium," Holabird will be one of 16 presenters. His topic is titled, The Gold Behind Colorado Territorial Gold Coins: A Look at the Placer Gold Deposits of the Pikes Peak Rush of 1859-61 .   For those hoping to strike it rich in Colorado during their visit, try your luck in Cripple Creek. On June 22, the ANA is offering an optional tour that will shuttle Summer Seminar students (21 and older) to the Cripple Creek casinos. If you don't feel like gambling but wish to see the riches of Colorado, have fun descending 1,000 feet underground during the Gold Mine tour, which is offered June 23 and June 30. ANA Summer Seminar is filled with educational and entertainment opportunities. For a complete guide of all ANA Summer Seminar courses and activities go to  www.money.org/summerseminar .      (The Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine is America's only vertical-shaft gold mine tour) http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/june/7/a-golden-opportunity-the-colorado-gold-rush.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/june/7/a-golden-opportunity-the-colorado-gold-rush.aspx Fri, 07 June 2013 00:00:00 Daniel and Michael Bernzweig http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/june/5/add-to-your-coin-collection-with-a-metal-detector.aspx You could find some of the best antique coins around if you head out with a metal detector.  So, read on and learn from a pro how you can build your coin collection and so much more simply by going coin hunting with the right metal detector.   Selecting the Machine   Overall, the best metal detectors for finding coins are Very Low Frequency (VLF) style metal detectors; probably the most popular type on the market.  From here, it gets a little personal!  For example, you'll need to decide if you'd like the metal detector to be waterproof.  Some of the best coin caches have been found underwater after all and, if you're an experienced diver you can have even more fun (and possibly success) by selecting the best metal detector that's not just waterproof but also rated for diving.     A metal detector with a medium to large search coil is best for coin hunting as well because it will search more deeply into the ground than a machine with a smaller search coil.  Choosing the right weight machine for you and looking at other more customized features like this will further assist you in zeroing in on the best metal detector for you personally.     Learning to Use Your Metal Detector   Most metal detectors come with excellent user manuals to assist you in learning to operate that specific device.  You'll also enjoy reading metal detecting books and/or watching metal detecting videos to further hone your craft and increase your success rate.  Basically though it's just practice that will help you become more and more successful with your machine.   As for using your metal detector to find the best antique coins, you'll want to be sure to do a few things.  Concentrate on one specific area and sweep it with your metal detector slowly and with small motions several times, as opposed to simply walking the area doing large sweeps with your machine.  You see, the better coins are located deeper down in the soil because they're older.  As a result, you want to use your metal detector to search as deeply as it can.  These types of slow, concentrated motions will help you do that.   Choosing the Site   Now that you've got your metal detector and you know how to use it for coin hunting, you've got to figure out where to go.  Always check the local laws before metal detecting on any site. If it is a private location, be sure to obtain permission from the owner. Some ideas of good places to find antique coins include:   Old Public School Yards Public Parks Old Antique Home Sites (With Permission) Farms (With Permission) Sunken Ship Sites (With Permission) Public Boat Docks   Also if you do some research, you'll find more specific places in your area (or places you like to travel to) where you might find coin caches.  Look for old properties where people gathered like former commons, fair grounds, public train stations, etc.  You may also come across information on former garbage dumps that are now buried or other types of places like this that were active when these old coins were actually being used as currency but have since almost disappeared.   Then, once you find a place you'd like to go coin hunting with your metal detector, always be sure to find the owner and ask permission to metal detect on his or her property.  If you don't get permission, you can't go metal detecting there.  Also, metal detectorists are very keen on leaving a search site just as they found it.  This means filling in and covering back up any digging holes you make, as well as not damaging vegetation while searching, and packing out any and all trash you make or find.  We want people to keep letting metal detectorists onto their properties after all and only respectful behavior will help that happen.   At this point all that's left to do is head outside and start searching for coins!  While you're sure to find some trash targets, and some treasures you weren't counting on, you're also highly likely to find some unique coins that otherwise would have remained buried deep underground where no one could enjoy them.  However, if you equip yourself with a metal detector, you can not only enlarge and enhance your own coin collection, you'll be able to share these finds with other coin collectors, historians, and fellow metal detectorists too.   Michael Bernzweig manages  MetalDetector.com  in Southborough, MA. He has written on the subject of treasure hunting and medal detecting since the mid 1980s. He enjoys traveling with his metal detector and helping to educate others in the correct use of metal detectors in their explorations.   http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/june/5/add-to-your-coin-collection-with-a-metal-detector.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/june/5/add-to-your-coin-collection-with-a-metal-detector.aspx Wed, 05 June 2013 00:00:00 Andy Dickes http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/may/30/2013-national-coin-week-contest-winners-named.aspx Congratulations to Young Numismatist Garrett Ziss and the Nashua Coin Club (New Hampshire), grand prize winners in the ANA's 2013 National Coin Week activities. Ziss, a Pennsylvania native, receives a 2008 American Buffalo proof tenth-ounce gold $5 piece for winning the American Numismatic Association's Video Trivia Challenge. The Nashua won the same grand prize for winning the ANA's Buffalo Nickel Club Trivia Challenge. The theme for the 2013 National Coin Week, April 21-27, was "Buffalo Nickel Centennial: Black Diamond Shines Again," a tribute to the 100 th anniversary of the Buffalo nickel. Clubs & collectors across the country presented programs, exhibits and meetings to commemorate the Civil War and its money. The ANA provided buttons, bookmarks and educational materials to more than 75 clubs who registered. Congratulations to all of this year's contest prize winners, and especially to the six clubs that received a perfect score on the Club Trivia Challenge. Club Trivia Challenge   1st place: Nashua Coin Club, 2008 American Buffalo proof tenth-ounce gold $5 piece 2nd place: Pee Dee Area Coin Club, 2001 American Buffalo proof silver dollar 3rd place: Dallas Coin Club, 1999 Yellowstone National Park commemorative silver dollar 4th place: Twin Ports Coin & Currency Club, 2013 America the Beautiful quarters proof set 5th place: Cedar Rapids Coin Club, 2013 America the Beautiful quarters proof set 6th place: Cincinnati Numismatic Association, 2013 America the Beautiful quarters proof set Video Trivia Challenge 1st place: Garrett Ziss , 2008 American Buffalo proof tenth-ounce gold $5 piece 2nd place: Dave Welch, 2001 American Buffalo proof silver dollar 3rd place: Simcha Kuritzky, 1999 Yellowstone National Park commemorative silver dollar 4th place: Olivia Beauvais, 2013 America the Beautiful quarters proof set 5th place: David Engel, 2013 America the Beautiful quarters proof set Bonus Award: Terry Carver, 2013 America the Beautiful quarters proof set ANA President Moritz Wormser established National Coin Week in 1924, making this the 90 th  annual event.  The dates for 2014 National Coin Week are April 20-26. http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/may/30/2013-national-coin-week-contest-winners-named.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/may/30/2013-national-coin-week-contest-winners-named.aspx Thu, 30 May 2013 00:00:00 John and Nancy Wilson http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/may/23/thank-you-new-orleans-and-ana-participants-and-volunteers.aspx The American Numismatic Association National Money Show in New Orleans, La., May 9 - 11, 2013 was a well-run and successful convention. As past Governor's and longtime ANA National Volunteers, we see the many hours of work that goes into the management of ANA coin shows. Our personal thanks to ANA Convention Director Rhonda Scurek, Executive Director Kim Kiick and all the staff for their tireless work. Also, thanks to President Tom Hallenbeck and the board for their work on this convention. A HUGE thanks to General Chair Nick Lagattuta, his committee & volunteers, the host Crescent City Coin Club; and the National Volunteers for their exceptional work on this NMS.     A special thanks to the exhibitors, judges, speakers, PPI Security, the  numismatic press participants, Coin Television, participating coin clubs, the U. S. Mint & Post Office, the show sponsors & patrons, scout and kids zone activities, and especially the coin dealers who participated and finally Stacks-Bowers www.stacksbowers.com  for holding a highly successful official ANA auction. A well-deserved thanks to everyone who worked hard and contributed to the success of this convention. Make sure you go to  www.money.org  and the ANA Facebook and Pinterest  pages to view pictures taken at this years convention.  We look forward to the World's Fair of Money (WFM) in Rosemont, Ill., August 13 - 17.   http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/may/23/thank-you-new-orleans-and-ana-participants-and-volunteers.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/may/23/thank-you-new-orleans-and-ana-participants-and-volunteers.aspx Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/may/21/supporting-wwii-savings-bonds.aspx Carlton "Fred" Schwan will be instructing multiple courses and mini-seminars at this year's ANA Summer Seminar . One of the mini-seminars he will be instructing is titled, "Alphabet Soup: Collecting Savings Bonds Series A-K." Schwan believes bonds are usually unappreciated as historic collectibles, but that may be changing before our very own eyes. Schwan's mini-seminar plans to teach students about each series, A-K, with a focus on World War II issues. The lack of appreciation for bonds as historical issues sparked my interest in blogging about bonds, in particular, war bonds from the WWII era.   The roots of WWII war bonds began in February of 1935 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation that allowed the U.S. Department of Treasury to sell a new type of security called the U.S. Savings Bond. Thus, in March of 1935 the first series was issued, Series A, which was priced at about 75 percent of its value. Series B (1936), Series C (1938), and Series D (1941) followed.   When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor , forcing America to join the Allies in WWII, the U.S. government sought a way to finance the war. Just months after entering the war, Roosevelt announced another series, Series E. This new series was called the Defense savings bond - better known as war bonds. The first person to purchase a bond was Roosevelt himself on April 30, 1942; the following day the bonds were public. The bonds were virtually a loan to the government to help finance the war, but they were also an opportunity to remove money from circulation and reduce inflation.   The government wanted to make sure that everyone could help to finance the war, not just those who could afford war bonds. Hence, war stamps were introduced in 1942.   There were enormous advertising efforts to persuade Americans to purchase war bonds. The majority of the advertising used an emotional appeal to convince individuals it was morally right to have a financial stake in the war. War bond rallies occurred regularly, and celebrities endorsed the purchasing of the bonds. Celebrity endorsers included Lucille Ball , Judy Garland , Mikey Rooney , and many others. Sporting events held special games and matches in which the price of admission was a war bond.   In 194,4 Bob Montgomery and Beau Jack  battled each each other in a lightweight world championship bout. The bout generated the largest amount of gate receipts in boxing history, totaling  $36 million in war bonds. Artist Norman Rockwell's "Four Freedoms" painting also generated a large amount of war bonds sales, $130 million, when it toured department stores nationwide. Even schools raised money through small donations from students. Also, advertisements for war bonds were in comic strips, cartoons, movie theaters, and everywhere one looked.   As a result of effective advertising and support from millions of Americans willing to help their country financially, war bonds generated $185.7 billion by January of 1946. Even after the war, many Americans did not sell back their bonds; instead, many decided to purchase more. It was not until 1980 that the Series-E bond was eliminated when it was replaced with the Series-EE bond .   WWII savings bonds are just a small piece of the history associated with the United States bond system. That is why I would encourage anyone participating in this year's Summer Seminar to enroll in Schwan's mini-seminar; it will be taught on Sunday, June 23. For more information on registering for Schwan's mini-seminar and other educational opportunities at the 45 th annual Summer Seminar, go to www.money.org/summerseminar .   (Schwan has taught several military numismatics and War Bonds courses over the years) http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/may/21/supporting-wwii-savings-bonds.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/may/21/supporting-wwii-savings-bonds.aspx Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/may/17/paul-hollis-and-the-louisiana-legislature-welcome-the-ana-to-louisiana.aspx During the second day of the National Money Show in New Orleans, six members of the Board of Governors, a few select dignitaries and myself received a police escort to the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge for a special proclamation that had been arranged by Louisiana State Rep. Paul Hollis.    (A look at the Louisiana State House on May 10, 2013. Photo by Mark Lighterman)   For those who don't know, Hollis is a long-time ANA member, the owner of Paul Hollis Rare Coins and the author of " American Numismatist ," a fantastic book that blends U.S. history and numismatics. Hollis has long been a supporter of the ANA, which is why he invited the Board of Governors to be present when he introduced an honorary resolution to thank the ANA for bringing the National Money Show to New Orleans.    The resolution reads, in part:    "THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby welcome the American Numismatic Association to Louisiana and does hereby extend to the association heartfelt appreciation for bringing its annual convention and National Money Show to the city of New Orleans."     In attendance to accept the resolution were Vice President Walter Ostromecki; Govs. Greg Lyon, Cliff Mishler, Scott Rottinghaus, Mike Ellis and Wendell Wolka; Philip Diehl, the 35th director of the U.S. Mint; Diane Piret, the industry affairs director for the Industry Council for Tangible Assets; and Mark Lighterman, the ANA National Exhibit Coordinator who served as the staff photographer that day.      After a quick tour of the Capitol, we were taken to the Governors Mansion for lunch with Hollis. That's where Ostromecki was due to present Gov. Bobby Jindal with a 1991 ANA 100th Anniversary commemorative gold proof from the Pobjoy Mint, but since the governor couldn't attend, Hollis accepted on his behalf.      In return, Hollis presented each of us in attendance with a 2012 Louisiana Bicentennial Medal.    Following lunch, the group returned to New Orleans for the open session of the Board of Governors meeting.    Want to see even more pictures?   http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/may/17/paul-hollis-and-the-louisiana-legislature-welcome-the-ana-to-louisiana.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/may/17/paul-hollis-and-the-louisiana-legislature-welcome-the-ana-to-louisiana.aspx Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/may/9/join-us-for-a-livestream-of-the-ana-board-of-governors-forum-on-saturday.aspx This Saturday, at the National Money Show in New Orleans, all of the hopefuls for the 2013 Board of Governors elections will gather for a candidates' forum, which will be moderated by Barbara Gregory, editor of The Numismatist .    This will be a great opportunity to hear from the members who are running for the board, and it will hopefully help voters decide who should lead the Association for the next two years.    Unfortunately, there are several thousand members who can't join us in New Orleans this week for the National Money Show (and we really do wish all of you could be here - it's been a really fun show so far). That's why we're going to try to bring you live, streaming video of the event this Saturday.    We'll be streaming the forum on the ANA's YouTube channel , at NationalMoneyShow.com , and as a hangout on Google+ . If you can't join us for the live stream, you'll be able to watch it after the fact on the ANA YouTube channel .    But what fun is a candidate forum if you can't ask questions? If you have a question for the candidates, you can ask it on any of our social media channels ( Twitter , Facebook , Google+ or with a comment on the YouTube stream ), leave a comment below, or you can email your questions to me at jsherlock@money.org . You can ask your question now, or you can ask your question during the forum.    http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/may/9/join-us-for-a-livestream-of-the-ana-board-of-governors-forum-on-saturday.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/may/9/join-us-for-a-livestream-of-the-ana-board-of-governors-forum-on-saturday.aspx Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/may/8/who-was-john-law-learn-all-about-him-at-the-museum-showcase-in-new-orleans.aspx At the National Money Show in New Orleans, May 9-11, the ANA Museum Showcase will feature an exhibit dedicated to John Law and the Mississippi Bubble. Law is infamous for his financial and economic tactics, which helped France's economy boom, then subsequently bust. The story of John Law and the Mississippi Bubble is typically summed up in thick historical textbooks and documentaries. The purpose of this blog is simply to acquaint the audience with who Law was and the basics of the Mississippi Bubble.     (John Law often used his mathmatical brilliance to win card games)   Law, a Scottish economist, was born April 21, 1871, into a family of bankers and goldsmith. At the young age of 14, Law began to study banking and finances. By the age of 18, Law moved to London. While there, Law was involved in a confrontation with Edward Wilson, which stemmed from the two men competing for the affections of an unnamed woman. The two men engaged in a duel, resulting in the death of Wilson and the arrest of Law. Law was sentenced to death; however, he was able to escape prison and shortly thereafter lived in Amsterdam.   Upon his returned to Scotland he revealed his idea of establishing bank notes which were backed by land, gold, or silver. His idea was rejected by Scotland; shortly thereafter, he left the country.   During this time-period, France finished multiple wars that left its economy in terrible financial shape. In 1715, King Louis XIV died and his sole heir to the throne was a minor, hence the Duke of Orleans became regent of France.   Law was a close acquaintance of the Duke and saw an opportunity. The Duke was aware of the financial and economic savvy Law possessed and regularly took his advice.   In 1716, Law convinced the French government to allow him to open a bank that would issue bank notes (paper money) to be supported by gold and silver. The idea was that it would generate an increase in money circulation and increase commerce. Yet, most importantly he believed the bank notes would revive France's trade and economic power. His proposal to open a bank was granted, resulting in the Banque Generale.   As a result, overseas commerce increased by 60 percent and the number of French ships drastically rose from 16 to more than 3,000.   In 1717, Law acquired what would later be known as The Mississippi Company, a trading company, which he decided to merge with the Banque Generale. To fund the Mississippi Company's projects, he chose to sell shares of the company in exchange for cash or state bonds.  Those who invested in the Mississippi Company saw their shares prices skyrocket. It was then that the term millionaire was coined in France due to many individuals quickly gaining large amounts of wealth. In order to fund the purchases of shares in the company, Law made a critical mistake when he opted to print more bank notes. This contributed to inflation, which reached a monthly rate of nearly 23 percent in January of 1720.     Law then decided to devalue the shares in the company and the value of the bank notes was reduced to half of face value.   Shares that had peaked so high now fell at an alarming rate. In September of 1721, they decreased down to 500 livres, which is where they originally began.    The rise and rall of the Mississippi Company became known as the Mississippi Bubble. The French government would not reissue paper money for 80 years.   To learn more about John Law and the Mississippi Bubble, stop by the ANA Showcase at the National Money Show. If that doesn't quench your thirst for knowledge on this subject then attend Money Talks on Friday, May 10, where Erin Greenwood, curator and historian at The Historic New Orleans Collection, will lead the topic discussion, "The Rise and Fall of John Law."     (Token issued in 1720 satirizes Laws' critics as being envious of his success)   http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/may/8/who-was-john-law-learn-all-about-him-at-the-museum-showcase-in-new-orleans.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/may/8/who-was-john-law-learn-all-about-him-at-the-museum-showcase-in-new-orleans.aspx Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/28/watch-adam-leech-give-a-talk-and-demonstration-on-hobo-nickels-during-national-coin-week.aspx Adam Leech carves hobo nickels. We invited the Colorado Springs native to give a demonstration of his craft as part of the open house for National Coin Week, and Adam certainly didn't disappoint. We set him up in the conference room, but the audience spilled out into the hall on several occassions.    Check out Adam's work on his website .      http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/28/watch-adam-leech-give-a-talk-and-demonstration-on-hobo-nickels-during-national-coin-week.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/28/watch-adam-leech-give-a-talk-and-demonstration-on-hobo-nickels-during-national-coin-week.aspx Sun, 28 April 2013 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/20/heres-what-the-museum-showcase-looks-like-at-the-georgia-numismatic-association-convention.aspx Doug Mudd sent us the following snapshots he took of the Museum Showcase at the Georgia Numismatic Association convention. The ANA's presence at the GNA show was part of the ANA Road Show initiative.      http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/20/heres-what-the-museum-showcase-looks-like-at-the-georgia-numismatic-association-convention.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/20/heres-what-the-museum-showcase-looks-like-at-the-georgia-numismatic-association-convention.aspx Sat, 20 April 2013 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/20/honolulu-coin-club-celebrates-national-coin-week.aspx The Honolulu Coin Club has been busy preparing for National Coin Week, securing two different official proclamations.      (Deputy Managing Director for the city of Honolulu, Georgette Deemer, presents the official National Coin Week proclamation to members of the Honolulu Coin Club. Photo(s) by Bob Rock, City and County of Honolulu)     (Members of the Honolulu Coin Club pose for a photo with the Honolulu City Council)   Good job getting those proclamations. You should celebrate with some Buffalo Tunes .  http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/20/honolulu-coin-club-celebrates-national-coin-week.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/20/honolulu-coin-club-celebrates-national-coin-week.aspx Sat, 20 April 2013 00:00:00 Kendra Johnson http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/19/the-ana-library-has-a-sad,-empty-spot-in-our-membership-card-hearts.aspx The ANA library archive is seeking items important to complete a special collection that will preserve a piece of the Association's history. Currently the library has an extensive collection of ANA membership cards dating back to 1909 (The oldest known membership card in existence today). The library would love to have a complete collection, which can be made possible from our members.   Currently we are missing the years 1910-1918 (Which will be more difficult to locate) and 1989 through 2010. If you happen to have your membership card from any of these years and are willing to part ways with it so it can forever be preserved as part of this collection, the library would be grateful for the contribution. If you're interested in donating a past membership card to the library, please contact me at (719) 482-9848 or email kjohnson@money.org .   http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/19/the-ana-library-has-a-sad,-empty-spot-in-our-membership-card-hearts.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/19/the-ana-library-has-a-sad,-empty-spot-in-our-membership-card-hearts.aspx Fri, 19 April 2013 00:00:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/19/zachary-taylor,-a-mexican-american-war-icon.aspx Many historical and well-known figures have been associated with the city of New Orleans . However, one of the most historical figures to be associated with the city is Zachary Taylor. Taylor is best known for two reasons. First, he was a well-decorated and admired United States war general during the Mexican-American War . Second, he served as 12 th President of the United States.   (Gen. Taylor's victories earned him comparisions to George Washington and Andrew Jackson) Taylor was not born in New Orleans; he was born in Virginia and raised in Kentucky. In 1808, he became an officer in the U.S. Army. After he married Margaret Mackall Smith , he settled in Louisiana and assumed command of the fort at Baton Rouge. Quickly, Taylor became very popular in the Louisiana and New Orleans areas and gained fame across the country as an "Indian fighter."   When the Mexican-American War began, Taylor found himself in the middle of many of the battles. He won battles at Palo Alto , Resaca de la Palma and Monterrey . However, his finest hour came during the Battle of Buena Vista . Prior to the battle, a large number of Taylor's soldiers, mostly veterans and regulars, were ordered by President James Polk to join General Winfield Scott's campaign in Vera Cruz and Mexico City. Mexican General Santa Anna got word of Taylor's depleted forces and saw an opportunity to quickly defeat Taylor's group of 6,000 with his troops, which numbered nearly 20,000.    Taylor was informed of the advancing Mexican troops and quickly moved his soldiers into the mountain pass near Hacienda Buena Vista. Taylor refused to surrender. By the time the battle was finished, Santa Anna lost 3,400 of his men compared to the 650 Taylor lost.   Due to his historic efforts, in 1848 the city of New Orleans issued a medal to Taylor to commemorate his victories in the Mexican-American War and particularly for the battle of Buena Vista.   Needless to say, Taylor had an immense amount of popularity after the war, which helped him to win the 1849 U.S. Presidential election. His presidency was short-lived; he died only 16 months after his election.   May 9-11, New Orleans will host the ANA National Money Show , and the ANA Museum Showcase will feature medals commemorating Taylor's accomplishments.   "This year our showcase is going to highlight the history of Louisiana and New Orleans with items seldom seen by the public," ANA Money Museum curator Douglas Mudd said.   Included in those items will be silver and bronze examples of the medal awarded to Taylor in 1848. As you have read in this article, there is a high level of historical significance associated with this medal. If you plan on attending the National Money Show in New Orleans, be sure to visit the Museum Showcase to get a look at the silver and bronze Zachary Taylor medal examples. (Above: Zachary Taylor Silver Medal example: Obverse) (Zachary Taylor Silver Medal example: Reverse) Zachary Taylor Bronze Medal example: Obverse) (Zachary Taylor Bronze Medal example: Reverse) http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/19/zachary-taylor,-a-mexican-american-war-icon.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/19/zachary-taylor,-a-mexican-american-war-icon.aspx Fri, 19 April 2013 00:00:00 Benjamin Mielke http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/18/some-new-research-on-1977-d-kennedy-half-dollars.aspx Special thanks, so far, to CoinTalk user Caleb for giving me some information on a previous edition of the CPG, CoinTalk user atrox001 for helping with the ANACS population reports and Collectors Society member jerseycat10 for helping me out with the NGC population reports.  I am indebted to your assistance.   Here's what I've come up with so far:   I decided last night to do a little research into the availability and history of the 1977-D Kennedy half dollar. As you may know, this is a new entry to the Cherrypicker's Guide to Rare Die Varieties - so new, in fact, that the corresponding entry is missing almost all the information normally included with each entry.   There is no rarity scale, interest scale, liquidity factor or pricing information. "The 77-D Kennedy half dollar CONECA DDO-001 was listed earlier in the Cherrypickers' Guide as the FS-17.0.  For some reason, it was omitted from the Fourth Edition Volume II in the main text but was still in place on page 445 of the "Appendix: Fivaz/Stanton Number Cross-Reference Chart." (Caleb)   As an example, the 1974-D, a rather common DDO for Kennedy Halves (I have found 10 in rolls in the last 6 months), is listed as URS-10 (251-500 pieces, although I would guess the actual number of surviving coins to be much higher than this). It is also listed as an I-3 for moderate interest and L-2 for Liquidity, meaning it "might sell in a moderate amount of time, maybe at a discounted price." The coin is listed in the CPG at $40 in MS63, $200 in MS65, $450 in MS66, and n/a in MS67.   However, if you are like me, and you find a 1977 D DDO (FS-101), you will find none of this information. What you will find is helpful information to diagnose your find - a clear photo, a description, "Light to strong doubling is evident on IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY, and the date; it is strongest on TRUST", and comments "The specimen shown here is a late die state. Earlier die states will show more pronounced doubling." The PUP (pickup point) is TRUST.         (Highlight of TRUST on my newest 1977 D DDO FS-101) Imagine my excitement, then, as a roll-searcher, when I found my first example of this coin. Over the past 6 months, I have actually found 5 examples. Three of these coins were sent in to NGC with a batch of other coins; the grades received were AU58, UNC Details (Obverse Scratched), and MS62. I was tremendously excited, especially about the MS62 - to find a scarce variety, and an uncirculated one, to boot, for face value? - until I tried finding an approximate value for these coins.              (My NGC MS62 example of the 1977 D DDO FS-101)   I started doing some research into the Population Reports of the three major TPG - ANACS, NGC, and PCGS. What I learned was more exciting - and more frustrating, because the TOTAL graded population of this variety, throughout all three major TPG, is only 27 coins. Here is a breakdown of what's out there as of April 14, 2013:   ANACS: XF40-45 (1) AU50 (1), AU53 (1), AU55 (2), MS60 (1), MS62 (1), MS63 (2), and MS64 (3)   NGC: AU58 (1), UNC Details (1), MS62 (1) - so far, all my coins - MS63 (1), MS64 (1), MS65 (2)   PCGS: AU50 (1), AU53 (1), AU58 (1), MS62 (1), MS63 (3), MS64 (1)   That shows a total of 18 graded uncirculated examples, including my UNC Details coin, and nine circulated examples. When looking at the NGC Registry sets for Kennedy Half Dollars, 1964-date, including varieties, at least half of the top ten sets are missing this variety (the #1 and #3 sets are obscured.)   Pricing is even more difficult. The variety is not well-known enough to be listed in the Red Book, Coin Prices, Coin World, or Numismedia online catalogues. The Cherrypicker's Guide lists only N/A for each grade. To find an approximation of value, it is necessary to search recent auction listings. An MS65 example is listed on David Lawrence Rare Coins as "sold," with an estimate of $635 but no selling price listed. Teletrade sold a PCGS MS62 for $280 in July of 2012, and eBay has the only four remaining examples of completed and active auctions: an NGC MS64 for $560.50 BIN/BO (still active), an ANACS AU55 for $125 BIN/BO (still active), a PCGS AU Details that sold for $89 in January of 2013, and a PCGS AU50 that also sold for $89 in December of 2012.    I have to admit - I had two of my examples (the AU58 and UNC Details) listed on eBay until I discovered just how scarce this variety can be to find. They have since been pulled, and the two newest finds will be sent to NGC as soon as I have enough coins needing certification to warrant the invoice and shipping costs. I would estimate the two new finds to be in the mid to high AU range, although one is borderline MS (it will be an exciting submission.) In all, I have paid $2.50 (plus grading fees) for these five coins - a price anyone would be ecstatic about.              (My most recent 1977 D DDO FS-101 roll-searching find.) In conclusion, I hope that this article has shed some light on what I would consider an elusive and exciting variety within an under-appreciated series - one that is still within the reach of new collectors due to the quantity of coins being stored in banks and reserves. Exciting finds are still out there waiting to be bought for face value.     http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/18/some-new-research-on-1977-d-kennedy-half-dollars.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/18/some-new-research-on-1977-d-kennedy-half-dollars.aspx Thu, 18 April 2013 00:00:00 Tony Swicer http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/17/southeast-coin-clubs-prep-for-national-coin-week.aspx Editor's note: Tony Swicer produces the ANA Region 4 Club Newsletter, which serves Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. In an effort to better share ideas for membership drives, programming and activities, The Exchange will re-publish club news from his newsletter that will be of the greatest interest to other clubs across the nation. To subscribe to Swicer's full newsletter, email him at swicer@comcast.net   Would you like to share your own club news on The Exchange? Contact Editor Jake Sherlock at jsherlock@money.org .      April 21-27 th is National Coin Week, what is your club doing to celebrate?   ALABAMA Madison County Coin Club  had Bob Jaques speak on "NORFED Money".   FLORIDA Brandon Coin Club had 40 members at its last meeting. Its first show of the year was March 30.   Casselberry Coin Club will be competing in National Coin Week. Its program was "Evolution of the American Dollar Coin" by Bob Hawes.   Central Florida Coin Club has a booth at the Central Florida Fair for two weeks. The Spring show is April 5-7. YN Spencer Kahn will be going to the ANA Summer Seminar for winning the FUN YN scholarship. BJ Neff presented "It is a Double Die, is it Not?, Part 2".   Daytona Beach Coin Club had David Strckikowski speak on "Mystery of the 1928 $10 Bill." Bob Hawes exhibited early Washington coins and tokens, mostly from the late 1700s.   Ft. Lauderdale Coin Club had a program on "The Magic Thaler" by Stan Klein. He told how the thaler evolved into today's dollar/crown size coins. Harvey Bastacky spoke on "Franklin Half Dollars" and how to assemble a nice collection.   Ft. Walton Beach Coin Club had 69 present at its meeting. The program was "Scarce American Gold Coins," such as the $50 slug, Pan-Pac $50 and a brief history of gold in the U.S.   Gold Coast Coin Club went over "US Mint errors & varieties"  and "Detecting Counterfeit & Altered US Coins."   Greater Jacksonville Coin Club had a club "Mini-Show" on March 11. ANACS accepted coins for grading at this meeting. The YN meeting featured the Buffalo nickel.   North Lake Coin & Currency Club had Robert Haire of Masters Numismatic Services speak on "Grading Coins," followed by a raffle, 50/50 drawing, and the auction.   Ocala Coin Club had Tom Palmer speak on "The History of Morgan Dollars."   Palm Beach Coin Club had Richard Spencer exhibit and speak on "MS-65, Full Bell Line Franklin Halves." Eighty-five people attended the meeting.   Sarasota Coin Club had 53 at its last meeting. The Spring coin show was a big success. The March meeting was a dinner meeting at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse. Ben Todd presented "What was Hot & What was Not."   South Brevard Coin Club opened the doors early for a mini-bourse. Tim and Stan spoke on Morgan Dollars followed by a grading exercise. Two members brought in GSA Carson City Dollars to show. Jack Lane is working on a new flier to promote club membership and highlight what the club has to offer.   Tallahassee Coin Club is preparing for its coin show April 26-27. The club is expecting more than 40 dealers from the surrounding states. There will also be a silent auction at the show. Contact hemanth.vasanthaial@gmail.com for further information.   Titusville Coin Club had a report on the foreign coin challenge from the YNs.  The club had an all-silver raffle, pizza, and the auction.   Treasure Coast Coin Club had its annual Awards Banquet at River House. Guest speaker Bob Leneve spoke on "Coins of the Southern Confederacy."   Venice Coin Club had 27 members in attendance. Bart Bartanowicz and Neal Burnett did a program on "Grading Washington Quarters" along with type B Washington Quarters. The night concluded with the auction.   West Hernando Coin Club had Brian Vaile, co-author of "Collectible IKE Varieties, Facts, Photos, and Theories." He spoke on IKE varieties and had books for sale.   GEORGIA Augusta Coin Club had Arno Safran present a program on "US Coins of 1860." There were two show-n-tells, a 17 th century medal and a 2013 proof set of National Park quarters.   NORTH CAROLINA Lower Cape Fear Coin Club had a show-n-tell, and 21 people were present at the meeting. Final preparation is under way for the Azalea Festival Coin Show in April.   SOUTH CAROLINA Stephen James CSRA Coin Club elected new officers as follows: President, Steve Kuhl; VP, Pat James; Secretary, Jim Mullaney; Treasurer, Chuck Goergen; Sgt-at-Arms, Jim Sproull. Eight members presented show-n-tells.   http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/17/southeast-coin-clubs-prep-for-national-coin-week.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/17/southeast-coin-clubs-prep-for-national-coin-week.aspx Wed, 17 April 2013 00:00:00 Ralph Ross http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/16/join-ross-family-coins-in-celebrating-2013-national-coin-week,-april-21-27.aspx (Ralph Ross will be celebrating the anniversary of the Buffalo nickel during National Coin Week)     Sugar Land, Texas  - The 90 th annual National Coin Week is being celebrated April 21-27, with the theme, "Buffalo Nickel Centennial: Black Diamond Shines Again." Events and activities will focus on the Buffalo/Indian Head nickel (1913-1938). Black Diamond was the name of the bison that likely served as the model for the coin's iconic reverse. Ross Family Coins is celebrating National Coin Week with the following events:   * Proclamation for National Coin Week from the Mayor's office * Numismatic display at the First Colony Library during the month of April * Coins for A's flyers * Special 90 th annual National Coin Week wooden nickels * Westward Journey 2005 Buffalo Nickels * Numismatic Games and lots of Give-A-Ways   There will be a presentation Thursday, May 2, 2013 at 4:30 PM, First Colony Library, Meeting Room A. The discussion will be on the celebration of 100 years of the Buffalo Nickel in the United States. How the North American Buffalo brought numismatics into the mainstream of historical studies will also be discussed.   Ross Family Coins, an ANA member club, is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to advance numismatic knowledge through educational, historical and scientific means; to assist in bringing together persons interested in numismatics; to promote greater popular interest in numismatics; to aid its members through the study, acquisition and exhibition of numismatic material and to assist or encourage other worthy numismatic causes.   For more information about Ross Family Coins, call 281-980-0971 or email: coinmanross@windstream.net .   National Coin Week is sponsored by the American Numismatic Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and encouraging people to study and collect money and related items. The ANA helps its 28,000 members and the public discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of programs including its education and outreach programs, museum, library, publications, conventions and seminars. For more information, call 719-632-2646 or go to www.money.org .   http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/16/join-ross-family-coins-in-celebrating-2013-national-coin-week,-april-21-27.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/16/join-ross-family-coins-in-celebrating-2013-national-coin-week,-april-21-27.aspx Tue, 16 April 2013 00:00:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/15/rarity,-not-metal-content,-make-olympic-medals-special-collector-items.aspx The winter and summer Olympic games captures the world's attention unlike any other sporting event. Nations come together to cheer on those who wear their nation's colors in hope that their athletes will achieve Olympic glory.  For years Olympic athletes train at a grueling pace and make sacrifices with the hope that they will have a gold, silver or bronze medal placed around their necks before the Olympic closing ceremony.   Surprisingly, the highly sought after Olympic gold medal is not pure gold. Nearly a century ago the last pure gold medal was earned in the 1912 Olympic games in Stockholm, Sweden. According to Dr. Anne Marie Helmenstine, the gold medal typically is composed of 92.5 percent silver and coated with a minimum of 6 grams of gold.  The designs and composition of the medals are decided by the host country, yet there are specific minimum standards that must be met for the medals, including:   Gold and silver medals must be 92.5 percent silver. Gold medals are plated with at least 6 grams of gold. All Olympic medals must be 3 mm thick and at least 60 mm in diameter.   Typically, the medals' content is not what is important to the athletes. I had an opportunity to speak with Kelci Bryant , the 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist for Team USA Diving. I asked Bryant what it meant to her to have such a valuable medal hanging around her neck. She replied, "The metallic value really doesn't change what it means to me; the worth of the medal is a lot like an analogy."   I also asked Bryant if she had any long-term plans for the medal or if she has ever thought about selling her medal? Bryant had no plans for selling the medal, sorry medal collectors. For now she said, "I do a lot of public speaking and I like to take the medal with me to show it to people in hopes that it will inspire them."   (1896 Olympic Participation Medal) Even though Bryant's medal will not be on the market any time soon, medal collectors should beware of what they purchase, as with any collector item there are plenty of fakes. The best way to identify a fake is to weigh and measure the medals. Click here to compare authentic Olympic medals with counterfeit and reproduced medals.   If you are interested in learning more about Olympic medals, the ANA Summer Seminar is offering an exciting new mini-seminar titled, "U.S. Olympic Committee Medal Designs and Tour of the Olympic Training Center," which will give students an opportunity to enhance their knowledge of Olympic medals and tour the United States Olympic Training Center . Additionally, the students will enjoy a meal in the same cafeteria that Olympic icons such as Michael Phelps , Andre Ward , Apollo Anton Ohno , and Rulon Gardner dinned in as they prepared for their moment in the Olympic spotlight. To register for the mini-seminar go to www.money.org/summerseminar .      (USA Olympic Training Center - Colorado Springs)   http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/15/rarity,-not-metal-content,-make-olympic-medals-special-collector-items.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/15/rarity,-not-metal-content,-make-olympic-medals-special-collector-items.aspx Mon, 15 April 2013 00:00:00 Barbara Gregory http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/9/yn-literary-awards-encourage-young-writers.aspx The ANA presents annual awards to encourage young writers and ensure a corps of future numismatic ­authors and ­researchers. Whitman Publishing, LLC, of Atlanta, Georgia, has joined forces with the ANA to ­offer significant prizes. The Young Numismatist (YN) Literary Award categories are named in honor of Whitman ­authors dedicated to educating the next generation of numismatists.   Bill Fivaz Young Numismatist Literary Award Ages 8-12 Article should display basic knowledge of a numis­matic topic. Creativity and original conclusions are encouraged. Suggested length: 450-900 words   Q. David Bowers Young Numis­matist Literary Award Ages 13-17 Article should display advanced knowledge of a numis­matic topic. Logically presented facts and original conclusions are encouraged. A bibliographic list of sources is recommended, but not required. Suggested length: 900-1,800 words   Kenneth E. Bressett Young Numismatist Literary Award Ages 18-22 Article should display in-depth knowledge of a numismatic topic. Logically presented facts and original conclusions are required, as is a bibliographic list of sources. ­Inclusion of charts, graphs, tables or other illustrations  is encouraged. Suggested length: 1,800-3,600 words   Award Structure The following prizes will be awarded in each of the three age categories:   First place - Plaque and $500 cash prize, plus a $500 voucher to help build a personal library of numismatic books produced by Whitman Publishing.  Second place - Certificate, plus a $200 book voucher. Third place - Certificate, plus a $100 book voucher.   Participants must be YN members of the ANA. Deadline for receipt of submissions for the 2013 Young ­Numis­matist Literary Awards is May 27. Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of judges, including numismatic authors Bill ­Fivaz, Q. David Bowers and Ken Bressett. Awards will be presented in Colorado Springs at the ANA's 2013 Summer Seminar, June 22-July 5.   Send entries to the Publications Department, 818 N. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903; or via e-mail to  magazine@money.org .  http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/9/yn-literary-awards-encourage-young-writers.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/9/yn-literary-awards-encourage-young-writers.aspx Tue, 09 April 2013 00:00:00 Hemanth Vasanthaiah http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/8/tallahassee-numismatic-club-to-host-first-annual-show.aspx The  Tallahassee Numismatic Club  will be hosting its first annual 2013 coin show on April 26-27. The event will be held at The  Marzuk Shrine Temple , which is located at 1805 North Monroe Street in Tallahassee, Fla.    The show will be open to the public from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Friday (April 26) and 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday (April 27). Raffle tickets will be sold and there will be hourly drawings. Apart from that the club will be having a silent auction and an exhibit display at the show. There is no admission charge and parking is free.     Forty-plus dealers from Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Louisiana will be on hand to buy, sell and trade coins, currency and other numismatic items. Free appraisals and identifications will be available on site as time permits.   As always, we appreciate your support and participation and look forward to seeing you in Tallahassee.   Additional information may be obtained by contacting Bourse Chairman William Lane and others at the following numbers:   Residence:  478-986-9795  (leave a message), Bill's Cell:  478-955-0724 , Kathys Cell:  478-955-0725 or Hemanth Vasanthaiah (Kumar) @  850-322-4647 Email:  hemanth.vasanthaiah@gmail.com   President, Tallahassee Numismatic Club (Estd. 2010)   More information about the show can be found on the  club's website . http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/8/tallahassee-numismatic-club-to-host-first-annual-show.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/april/8/tallahassee-numismatic-club-to-host-first-annual-show.aspx Mon, 08 April 2013 00:00:00 Norman Carnovale http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/march/28/new-club-founded-in-mississippi.aspx Collectors founded a new club for world and U.S. coin collectors in South Mississippi in September of 2012, the South Mississippi Numismatic Association.    After just six monthly meetings, the club has passed the 25 paid-member mark and continues to grow as collectors return to the area.  Meetings include member presentations on grading, key dates, U.S. coin series, bullion, etc.  Additionally, the club will be co-hosting a new show in Biloxi on June 29-30.    Kudo's to the organizers of the club for bringing collector excitement back to the Gulf Coast after the devistating effects of Hurricate Katrina. http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/march/28/new-club-founded-in-mississippi.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/march/28/new-club-founded-in-mississippi.aspx Thu, 28 March 2013 00:00:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/march/22/manilla-money-a-rich-numismatic-history-in-africa.aspx One of the most popular items used as money in Africa, particularly in West Africa, was the manilla. This item characteristically was used for large transactions that included slave trade , funeral payment and dowery. Thus, manillas were a symbol of wealth.   The history of the manilla dates back to the 15th century when Portuguese merchants began to use Venetian-made copper bracelets in the West African trans-Saharan gold trade. In this time period, gold was the preferred metal of trade for slaves. However, in the 15th and 16th century, manillas increasingly became Europeans' standard to purchase slaves, ivory and pepper in West Africa.      Manillas typically were made with copper or brass, often combined with lead, tin and iron. During the 19th century, Birmingham, England, became the heart of manilla production. In this time period, various styles and sizes began to be produced. In West Africa, large manillas began to be produced, which were dubbed king, queen or prince based on their size.    (A Traditional Manilla) Manillas were used until the 1940s, but in 1948 there was a recall, dubbed "Operation Manilla," to replace them with British West African Currency . Individuals were allowed to keep up to 200 manillas for burials and marriages, but in 1948 they no longer could be used as legal tender.   Today, manillas are still produced, but solely for tourist purposes - they are no longer legal tender. Their designs still hold a strong resemblance to traditional manillas but are generally made with aluminum. A great way to learn more about traditional African money and other continents' traditional money is to visit the History of Money exhibit in the lower gallery at the Money Museum , 818 N. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs, Colo, 80903. http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/march/22/manilla-money-a-rich-numismatic-history-in-africa.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/march/22/manilla-money-a-rich-numismatic-history-in-africa.aspx Fri, 22 March 2013 00:00:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/march/15/why-does-black-diamond-shine-a-look-at-the-bison-that-may-have-been-the-model-for-the-buffalo-nickel.aspx Its is believed by many that most famous living American buffalo in the United States is Ralphie , the live buffalo mascot for the University of Colorado . Nearly every Saturday during the college football season, cameras zoom in on the massive buffalo and the handlers who lead the university's football team onto the gridiron (full disclosure: I'm a student at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and a big fan of CU athletics).      Even with Ralphie's prestigious accolades as college football's best mascot, the question of the most famous American buffalo of all-time remains up for debate. Ralphie's top-ranked competitor is none other than Black Diamond.     Black Diamond was given to the Central Park Menagerie (now the Central Park Zoo ) by the world-renowned Barnum and Bailey . Once the buffalo became full size, 6 foot tall and 2,000 pounds, it was claimed to be the largest buffalo in captivity, according to the New York Times. Many painters used the buffalo as the subject of their art work. Artist and sculptor James Earl Fraser was tasked with designing a new United States nickel. His plan was to design a coin that would be 100 percent American, and the buffalo fit perfectly into that design. (1913 Buffalo Nickel) Black Diamond is alleged to be the buffalo model on Fraser's Buffalo nickel design. However, some have argued Black Diamond is not the true model; the horns on the buffalo's head are noticeably different than those on the coin design. Additionally, Fraser was quoted that the buffalo he used was from the Bronx Zoo; however, Black Diamond was never a resident of the Bronx Zoo - he resided in the Central Park Zoo, which was noted in the December 1915 issue of The Numismatist . Some believe the coin was truly modeled after Bronx, the buffalo who was the bison herd leader at the Bronx Zoo.   Black Diamond remained at the Central Park Zoo until 1915, which is when the zoo put him up for auction. Since nobody purchased the aging buffalo, Bill Synder, the buffalo's keeper, decided to sell Black Diamond to August Sliz, a New York City butcher, for $300. Synder sold the buffalo for business purposes: He preferred to sell the buffalo to the butcher rather than allow it to die on his grounds, which would cost the zoo $25 to cart him away.   The New York Times reported Silz's stood to make $1,725 off of the meat, head and hide of the buffalo. Buffalo meat was scarce in New York City, which allowed Silz to sell the meat for the lofty price of $2 per pound. The hide was turned into a 13-foot automobile robe and the head was placed in Sliz's office.   Whether or not Black Diamond is the true model for the buffalo nickel or not, the fame the buffalo gained from the coin, paintings and notoriety as the largest buffalo in captivity was unprecedented for any buffalo at that time.    Nearly 98 years since Black Diamond was butchered, it is difficult to declare who the all-time most famous buffalo is, Ralphie or Black Diamond. But my guess is that during National Coin Week from April 22-27, there will be no dispute - Black Diamond will shine above all else.        http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/march/15/why-does-black-diamond-shine-a-look-at-the-bison-that-may-have-been-the-model-for-the-buffalo-nickel.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/march/15/why-does-black-diamond-shine-a-look-at-the-bison-that-may-have-been-the-model-for-the-buffalo-nickel.aspx Fri, 15 March 2013 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/march/7/if-you-get-a-call-about-housing-for-an-ana-convention,-that-call-is-not-from-the-ana.aspx Over the last two years, the ANA Convention Department has received numerous complaints about third-party companies that contact ANA dealers and members with offers to book hotel rooms for them at the National Money Show SM and the World's Fair of Money SM . These companies have no affiliation with the ANA, and booking accommodations through them is risky to you and detrimental to the Association in a number of ways.   According to an article in MeetingsNet, a trade publication for the event-planning industry, these third-party companies have become a menace to associations across the country. At worst, the article reports, travelers who book through these companies show up for an event to find they have no hotel room and that the fly-by-night company has, in fact, flown the coop with the traveler's credit card number. At best, the company books you in a room at the conference hotel outside the official room block and rarely with a dime saved. Or you could find yourself  at another hotel site that is miles away from the event.   ANA staff members have investigated a few of the companies that have contacted members with hotel offers, and they've found  that most of them have low scores and a high number of complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau. The Convention Department has heard from ANA dealers that some of these callers misrepresent themselves as ANA staff or as employees of a company hired by the ANA to make these calls. Neither is true. There are only two ways to reserve rooms in the ANA block and to receive the discounted room rate: register by phone or on the hotel's website. (Links are featured at nationalMoneyShow .com and worldsFairofMoney.com.)   Knowing how many hotel rooms to reserve in a block is one of the many challenges that face ANA convention planners. ANA Convention Manager Rhonda Scurek has the task of trying to determine that number. Not reserving enough rooms means those attendees who bookrooms closer to the convention might have to pay full price (assuming non-block rooms are even available), while reserving too many puts the ANA at risk of picking up the tab on empty rooms.   "Every time an attendee books a room outside the contracted block, the ANA could lose thousands of dollars," explains Scurek. "The ANA is contractually required to fill a certain number of rooms. Reservations outside the ANA block do not count towards this obligation."   This problem can have a long-term impact as well.  A history of unfilled room blocks makes it harder for associations to negotiate the best room rates and book the top convention centers on the most popular dates. Groups that draw a large attendance get preferential booking the next time around.   When it comes to reserving hotel rooms, the safe bet is always to initiate the contact. If the "hotel" or some other entity calls or e-mails you with offers, you're essentially being asked to give your credit card number to a total stranger. If you wouldn't walk up to a stranger on the street and hand him your card, why would you give that number out over the phone to someone you've never met?   So, call the hotel directly or book your accommodations using the links provided by the ANA. It's safe for you, and it helps ensure that our Convention Department can continue to find the best rates, dates, cities and facilities for ANA shows.   This article first appeared in The Numismatist. http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/march/7/if-you-get-a-call-about-housing-for-an-ana-convention,-that-call-is-not-from-the-ana.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/march/7/if-you-get-a-call-about-housing-for-an-ana-convention,-that-call-is-not-from-the-ana.aspx Fri, 08 March 2013 00:00:00 Tony Swicer http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/march/6/southeast-ana-clubs-engage-in-bevy-of-presentations.aspx Editor's note: Tony Swicer produces the ANA Region 4 Club Newsletter, which serves Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. In an effort to better share ideas for membership drives, programming and activities, The Exchange will re-publish club news from his newsletter that will be of the greatest interest to other clubs across the nation. To subscribe to Swicer's full newsletter, email him at  swicer@comcast.net   Would you like to share your own club news on The Exchange? Contact Editor Jake Sherlock at  jsherlock@money.org .    ALABAMA Madison County Coin Club had a program by Charles Cataldo titled, "State of the Coin Market."   FLORIDA Ancient City Coin Club had a program on "German Notgeld" by Travis Bucci. Membership is at 61 regular members and 3 YN's.   Brandon Coin Club had a program on Lincoln Campaign Medalets by Bill Jones. The club's essay contest ends Feb. 28 with the winner going to the ANA Summer Seminar. The next club show is March 23 at the Brandon Elks Club.   Casselberry Coin Club had an attendance prize of a silver eagle. All members had to do was be present to win. There was also a show-n-tell from the FUN show.   Central Florida Coin Club 's own Donna Moon was general chairman of the January FUN show. She came up with the theme, "Buffalo & Hobos - A Centennial Celebration." She also came up with the décor and the unique items that were given away at the show. The club will once again have a booth at the Central Florida Fair, Feb. 28 though March 10. Thirty-six club members volunteered at the FUN show.   Ft. Lauderdale Coin Club had Stan Klein discuss, "The Magic Thaler," and how it evolved into the dollar/ crown size coin of today.   Ft. Walton Beach Coin Club had 67 members at its last meeting. Dave Parenteau had a program on "US Mint Medals," and he displayed his collection.   Gold Coast Coin Club  discussed the ANA program, "Grading Coins Today" and "The Modern Mint Process."   North Lake Coin and Currency Club  heard a program on "Fractional Paper Currency."   Ocala Coin Club 's coin show was a huge success with more than 1,100 visitors attending. John and Nancy Wilson signed up eight new members for the ANA.   Palm Beach Coin Club  had a 218 lot Estate Auction #20. More than 100 members attended. Bruce Ollis won the club's essay contest and will be going to Summer Seminar with all expenses paid by the club. Bud Hirsh and Tony Swicer gave a program on, "Numismatic Reminiscing," a talk about their experiences in the 1980s and '90s.    Sarasota Coin Club had 59 attendees at its last meeting. The clubs 50 th anniversary is this year.   South Brevard Coin Club sold 30th anniversary ½ oz. silver club medals at $30 each. The ANACS grading service was at the December coin show and will be at the March show. ANACS will accept 10 coin minimum at $9 per coin, plus $25 shipping. There were four show-n-tells, including a VF-20 PCGS 3-legged Buffalo and a brass peace jubilee medal from 1869.   Tallahassee Coin Club had a show-n-tell, discussed the annual coin show in April, possible club name change, and possible meeting change.   Treasure Coast Coin Club watched a DVD on "Engravings on Early Colonial Paper Money" by Gerald Kochel. The January coin show was a big success.   Venice Coin Club had 25 members, five guests, and signed up two new members. Bart Bartanowicz and Neil Burnett did a program on "Grading Coins," the first in a series of programs on grading. The auction followed.   GEORGIA Augusta Coin Club member Jim Berry showed a Roman coin from Gallus, 251-254 A.D. Arno Safran had a presentation on, "Coins of 1950." The club show is May 10-11. Forty-six members and five guests attended the meeting.   South West Georgia Coin Club is a new ANA member club. Members shared their finds from the Perry, Ga., coin show. Mike Ellis had a question-and-answer session.   NORTH CAROLINA Lower Cape Fear Coin Club discussed the FUN show. Club medals are available for $7 (member) and $10 (non-member).   SOUTH CAROLINA Stephen James CSRA Coin Club had a program by David Amey titled, "The Anatomy of a Banknote." Jim Barry and Arno Safran had show-n-tells. The next club show is Sept. 7.  http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/march/6/southeast-ana-clubs-engage-in-bevy-of-presentations.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/march/6/southeast-ana-clubs-engage-in-bevy-of-presentations.aspx Wed, 06 March 2013 00:00:00 Jim Majoros http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/march/1/ocean-county-coin-club-recovering-from-hurricane-sandy.aspx Members of New Jersey's Ocean County Coin Club met four months after Hurricane Sandy. It wasn't its usual meeting location as that was hit with more than three feet of water throughout the entire firehouse location in Point Pleasant Beach. Although five blocks from the ocean, high tides and waves brought much of the ocean inland on the barrier island of New Jersey. Much of the material within the firehouse was destroyed, including a portion of the club's cabinet that contained its library and items for club use at the meetings.   Due to the destruction of the firehouse and an anticipated repair time of 4 to 8 months before it can be used again, club President Dennis Berube and his staff made temporary arrangements with officials in the neighboring town of Brick to meet in the recreation room at the Brick Civic Center once a month rather than the two monthly meetings the club regularly has in Point Pleasant.   The turnout was excellent for the club's first meeting in four months. Sixty-three adults and seven YN's came out and were very pleased with the temporary location. There was a 45-minute YN meeting to kick-off the agenda, followed by a discussion over the club's situation that necessitates moving the meetings to Brick.   The winners of the gold- and silver-metals contest were announced with Val Weiss and Vin Maloney winning the gold and silver (respectively) awards of 1-ounce silvers for their guesses as to the price of gold and silver on Dec. 14. The YN's had their own contest with Mike Johnson winning both gold and silver. He took home two half-ounce silvers. Second-place winners received $10 gift certificates for purchases from club dealers. A total of 35 entries were received, said Jim Majoros, who conducted the contest.   The club also voted to pay its annual meeting fee of $500 to the firehouse although it will not have use of the firehouse during this period. It was determined that the funds could also assist the fire company in its rebuilding.   The club's next meeting is scheduled for 6-9 p.m. March 21 at the Brick Civic Center at 270 Chambersbridge Road. The meeting will include a YN program and an auction.   http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/march/1/ocean-county-coin-club-recovering-from-hurricane-sandy.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/march/1/ocean-county-coin-club-recovering-from-hurricane-sandy.aspx Fri, 01 March 2013 00:00:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/february/28/philip-sheridan-a-lost-war-hero-of-the-civil-war.aspx Every U.S. history student will eventually open a book to a chapter that reviews the American Civil War. Years later, they will remember the names such as President Abraham Lincoln and General Ulysses S. Grant.  However, there are a large number of individuals from the Civil War era that are not discussed or are quickly forgotten.  One example, Civil War icon Philip Sheridan, was highly touted by Gen. Grant and had a significant role in the surrender of General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army.    After he graduated from West Point Military Academy, he quickly moved up in military rank. When Grant was promoted to General-in Chief of the Union Army, it allowed Sheridan to be appointed the commander of the Potomac's Cavalry Corps.     Sheridan participated in numerous battles, but his campaign at Shenandoah forever would define his legacy. Shenandoah Valley was a vital area to the Confederacy; it was the breadbasket of the South and served as an important transportation route.  Before Sheridan arrived to the valley, two other major campaigns occurred there; both ended with the Confederates forcing Union forces to retreat.   In the Shenandoah Valley in September 1864, Sheridan defeated Lieutenant General Jubal Early's troops at Third Winchester and Fisher Hill. Soon after, he would begin his " scorched earth " tactic, setting more than 400 square miles ablaze. The campaign would later become known as "The Burning."   Early's Confederate troops nearly found success in the Shenandoah Valley when they sprung a surprise attack on Sheridan's troops at Cedar Creek. Sheridan, who was located at Winchester, 10 miles away, heard the artillery fire and raced to Cedar Creek in time to rally his troops and fend off the Confederates.  The loss was demoralizing to Early's Confederate troops and some speculate the victory assisted Lincoln in his bid to win the re-election in 1864.    Sheridan proved to be critical in Robert E. Lee's surrender. Sheridan pursued Lee's forces; eventually, Lee's lines of support where cut off by Sheridan at Five Forks, forcing Lee too evacuate Petersburg, Va . Sheridan would also capture close to one-quarter of Lee's army at Slayer's Creek. Eventually, Sheridan's forces blocked Lee's escape route and forced him to surrender at Appomattox .   After the war, Sheridan went on to be a military governor of Texas and Louisiana. After he was relieved of that duty by President Andrew Johnson, he was placed in charge of getting the Plain's Native Americans into reservations.  He also had a critical role in establishing Yellowstone National Park. His final accolade came in June 1888 when he became the General of the United States Army.  However, soon after, August 1888, he died after a series of massive heart attacks.    Soon after his death, he was featured on the series 1890 and 1891 $10 notes.  Additionally, the series 1869 $5 silver certificate featured a portrait of Sheridan.   People, events, and places may be left out of history books.  Nevertheless, that does not diminish their historical importance.  To learn more about the Civil War, including people, events, objects and places, visit the Money Museum exhibit, " A House Divided: Money of the Civil War ," located at 818 N. Cascade Ave., in Colorado Springs, Colo.   http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/february/28/philip-sheridan-a-lost-war-hero-of-the-civil-war.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/february/28/philip-sheridan-a-lost-war-hero-of-the-civil-war.aspx Thu, 28 February 2013 00:00:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/february/26/confederate-coinage-the-story-of-four-unique-coins-struck-at-the-new-orleans-mint.aspx This May, the National Money show will be hosted by the city of New Orleans . The city was founded in 1708 by the French. Due to it being a port city, New Orleans has been a historically significant city, especially during times of war. During the Civil War, New Orleans made a mark in the history books for another reason.   During the Civil War, in February 1861, the New Orleans Mint was taken over by the Confederates and renamed the Confederate State Mint.  The Confederates had the idea of starting their own coinage, but that plan quickly failed. Nevertheless, the Confederate State Mint did strike four extremely collectible coins.   Three mints in the South were taken over by Confederates shortly after the Civil War began in 1861. The mints in Charlotte , N.C., and Dahlonega , Ga., were relegated to office status due to a shortage of bullion.   The New Orleans Mint continued to operate. In 1861, the mint produced coinage for three governments: the United States, the state of Louisiana during the time the mint was taken over by the state, and the Confederate States of America.   Christopher Memminger , Confederate treasury secretary, had the idea of the Confederate states minting its own coinage.  He approved a half-dollar design with the obverse displaying was the standard federal seated Liberty figure; on the reverse side was a new confederate coat of arms surrounded by cotton and sugar cane.    (Obverse Side: 1861 Confederate half dollar) (Reverse Side: 1861 Confederate half dollar) With the design approved, minting could begin. Except, there was one major issue: The price of silver was rising so high that it made it impossible to obtain.  Memminger spent more time thinking about producing the Confederate coinage; ultimately, he believed that producing the Confederate coinage would be futile for his government.    Four Confederate half-dollars were minted. It is presumed that the recipients were Southern President Jefferson Davis , University of Louisiana Professor John L. Riddell, Dr. E. Ames of New Orleans, and Chief Coiner of the Confederate States Mint B.F. Taylor.    With its remaining bullion, the New Orleans Mint produced standard federal coinage until it closed in April 1861. The mint reopened its doors 18 years later in 1879.   In 1861, between all three governments, the New Orleans Mint created 2,532,633 half-dollars.     The die from the Confederate half-dollar was sold and ended up in the hands of J. Walter Scott, who used the die to create restrikes.  Original restrikes can be valued at $4,000 to $10,000.  However, the most valuable and collectible half-dollars are not the restrikes, but the original four Confederate half-dollars.   To learn more about numismatics of New Orleans, plan a trip today to the  National Money Show this May and experience the unique culture and rich numismatic history associated with the city. http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/february/26/confederate-coinage-the-story-of-four-unique-coins-struck-at-the-new-orleans-mint.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/february/26/confederate-coinage-the-story-of-four-unique-coins-struck-at-the-new-orleans-mint.aspx Thu, 14 February 2013 00:00:00 Tony Swicer http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/february/8/southeast-ana-clubs-hold-show-and-tells,-host-coin-shows,-and-more.aspx Editor's note: Tony Swicer produces the ANA Region 4 Club Newsletter, which serves Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. In an effort to better share ideas for membership drives, programming and activities, The Exchange will re-publish club news from his newsletter that will be of the greatest interest to other clubs across the nation. To subscribe to Swicer's full newsletter, email him at swicer@comcast.net   Would you like to share your own club news on The Exchange? Contact Editor Jake Sherlock at jsherlock@money.org .  FLORIDA   We had 25 club members at the Coin Club Get Together. Club members enjoyed a buffet lunch, 10 door prizes and a discussion on improving coin clubs. In attendance were the FUN president, vice president and treasurer, along with ANA Executive Director Jeff Shevlin and ANA National Coordinator Oded Paz. The next club get together will be at summer FUN.   FUN had a new exhibit category this year called "Clubs." First place went to Palm Beach Coin Club for its exhibit, "Items Used to Promote Our Coin Club." Second place went to Florida Tokens Society for "A Collection of Merchants Tokens Belonging to Our Members." Third place went to West Hernando Coin Club for "Brother Against Brother, The Civil War." Bob Russell from Central Florida Coin Club won the People's Choice Award for "Coin Jewelry - The Latest Novelty". Zackary Lauer from CFCC & Casselberry Coin Club won first place in the YN category for "Four Different Ways of Collecting Morgan Dollars."   Ancient City Coin Club - is meeting at "The Meeting Room," Ponce de Leon Mall, 2121 US 1 South, St. Augustine, Fl 32086.   Brandon Coin Club - had 61 members at its last meeting. Members are now meeting at the Brandon Elks Lodge, 800 Centennial Lodge Dr, Brandon, FL 33510.   Casselberry Coin Club - had several members attend the FUN show. Members will have a show-and-tell on what they purchased at the show. The attendance prize is a silver eagle, you just have to be there to win, if your name is picked.   Central Florida Coin Club - gathered 94 Toys for Tots in December. The club honored Paul Bricker for his years of service to the club with an engraved Lucite plaque and a certificate of appreciation. BJ Neff presented "It is a Double Die, is it Not?"   Daytona Coin Club - had a talk on "Allied Military Invasion Currency." The club displayed a "Short Snorter" and an exchange check from the U.S. Consulate General in Mexico City dated 1880.   Ft. Walton Beach Coin Club - had 80 members at its December meeting.   Gold Coast Coin Club - discussed "Introduction to Numismatics" at a recent meeting. The club's first show at the new location, Mardi Gras Casino, was a success, and now the club is expanding to 70 dealer tables.   Greater Jacksonville Coin Club - finished the year with 231 members. The club is having a Logo and Design Contest. The bus to FUN had 43 members on it.   North Lake Coin & Currency Club - is discussing moving its meeting location.   Ocala Coin Club - is having a "Hobby Night Auction" with 50 percent of the items numismatic-related and the rest can be any collectible except guns. The bus to FUN had 36 on it.   Palm Beach Coin Club - had 46 members on the bus to the FUN show. The club discussed the FUN show at its second meeting of the month.   Sarasota Coin Club - had 48 members attend the last meeting. The bus to FUN had 44 on board.   South Brevard Coin Clu b - had eight members with perfect attendance for the year. The club sold 30th anniversary medals in January.   Tallahassee Coin Club - had show and tells. Some members attended FUN and gave a report. One member brought his Presidential Dollar errors to show.   Titusville Coin Club - talked about the FUN show and the 90,000 silver eagles arriving at the show Saturday morning. The club's silver raffle was a 2013 Eagle, Panda, and Elephant.   Treasure Coast Coin Club - had a show-and-tell and prepared for its annual show Jan. 19-20. The show was a great success. The club showed a FUN DVD at the meeting, "Engravings on Early Colonial Paper Monet" by Gerald Kochel.   Venice Coin Club - had a successful coin show with great public turnout. Bart Bartanowicz presented "Canadian Large Cents" followed by an auction. There were 31 members in attendance.   West Hernando Coin Club - had 40 members on its bus to FUN.   NORTH CAROLINA Lower Cape Fear Coin Club - had 35 members at its Christmas dinner at the Boat House Restaurant.   SOUTH CAROLINA Stephen James CSRA Coin Club, Aiken  - heard a presentation by Arno Safran on "Collecting US Coinage by 25 years, series1" One guest and four members presented show-and-tells. Several members attended the FUN show. http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/february/8/southeast-ana-clubs-hold-show-and-tells,-host-coin-shows,-and-more.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/february/8/southeast-ana-clubs-hold-show-and-tells,-host-coin-shows,-and-more.aspx Fri, 08 February 2013 00:00:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/february/8/who-was-the-native-american-model-for-the-buffalo-nickel-thats-a-matter-of-debate.aspx James Earle Fraser  used a buffalo and an indian head as his design for the Buffalo nickel to ensure that the coin would never be mistaken as anything but an American coin. Production of the Buffalo nickel stopped 75 years ago.  In 1938, the United States decided to make a switch to the Jefferson nickel, which is the nickel that is still used. Today, Buffalo nickels are collected by coin collectors and displayed in museums, such as the Money Museum in Colorado Springs.   Nearly 67 years after 1938, a Buffalo re-emerged as a design on an American coin when it was minted on the 2005 Kansas state quarter.  One year later, a pair of buffaloes appeared as the design of the 2006 North Dakota State Quarter.     The first Native American image to appear on a United States coin since the Buffalo nickel came in 2000 with the Sacagawea dollar .  In 2009, the United States began minting a  $1 Native American Coin Series to commemorate the history and accomplishments of Native Americans through history.    ($1 Sacagawea Dollar)   Fraser claimed that the portrait of the Native American on the buffalo nickel was a composite of three Native Americans chiefs from different tribes.  Those chiefs included Iron Tail (Lakota), Two Moons (Cheyenne) and John Big Tree (Seneca).    (Native American design on the 1913 Buffalo nickel) Chief Iron Tail is considered by many to be the most famous Native American of his day.  He is known for his lead roles in the world famous "Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show." Iron Tail was one of many well-known individuals who traveled in the show, which included Sioux warrior Sitting Bull  and sharp shooters Annie Oakley and Lillian Smith .  Iron Tail and William Cody , otherwise known as Buffalo Bill, were close friends and even took hunting trips together. They worked together until 1913. For the next three years, Iron Tail joined "The 101 Ranch Wild West Show." However, in May 1916, due to pneumonia, Iron Tail died at the age of 74.    Cheyenne Chief Two Moons first made his name when he participated in three battles that included the  Battle of the Rosebud , Battle of Little Big Horn and Battle of Wolf Mountain . In January 1877 at the Battle of Wolf Mountain, he surrendered his Cheyenne band to Gen. Nelson A. Miles .  Two Moons would later enlist as an Indian Scout for Miles. Two Moons was friendly and well-liked by the soldiers he worked alongside.  Therefore, Miles appointed him head chief of the Cheyenne Northern Reservation. Two Moons never stopped serving the Cheyenne; later in his life he served the Cheyenne Northern Reservation by traveling to Washington, D.C. on several occasions to discuss and fight for the future of his fellow Native Americans. During the Woodrow Wilson presidency, Two Moons was invited by the president to discuss the future of Two Moon's people.  In 1917, he died in his Montana home at the age of 70.   The final Native American who can lay claim to being the model of the coin was John Big Tree. Not only did he claim to be one of the models of Fraser's design, Chief John Big Tree claimed to be the only model.  John Big Tree also made claims that he was the model for Fraser's  "End of the Trail" work. Big Tree also played roles in several Hollywood films. Additionally, he appeared on the cover of the March 1964 edition of Esquire Magazine .    The debate over the models for Fraser's Native American design will continue and leave us with unanswered questions and unknown facts. http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/february/8/who-was-the-native-american-model-for-the-buffalo-nickel-thats-a-matter-of-debate.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/february/8/who-was-the-native-american-model-for-the-buffalo-nickel-thats-a-matter-of-debate.aspx Thu, 07 February 2013 00:00:00 Paul G. Lajoie http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/february/4/defunct-newspaper-the-new-york-daily-mirror-issued-medals-for-sporting-events.aspx   These medals came to my attention as the result of my unending search for material that depicts the Statue of Liberty . It turns out that in this newspaper's masthead (The Daily Mirror) the words defining its name are separated by a very small, even tiny, Statue of Liberty.   Two sizes appear to have been created: One for men and another for women. The men's medals, awarded in both sterling silver and bronze, measure 33.5 by 20 mm (1 5/16 by 13/16 inches), and the women's medals are reduced to 30 by 19 mm (1 3/16 by 3/4 inches).   An orange/white/blue drupe or ribbon supported by a pinback mechanism held the medals secure.    So far, I have located only 10 or so medals. The earliest medal dates to 1945, and the most recent date is 1958.  The men's medals honor recipients of basketball, track, horsehoes, tug-of-war, and swimming.    The women's medals located are predominantly basketball, track or tennis.  Most of the medals have a date on the reverse, either by itself, or within a small scroll.  All of these medals appear to have been manufactured by the medalists at Dieges & Clust, New York, as evidenced by their imprint.    One of the larger, undated, medals honored Little League Baseball players and was named for the "Little Fellas League." Another medal, smaller and also undated, for women's basketball carries a sort of clip. In addition the the Dieges & Clust imprint it also has the word "ANSON." This company was/is a famous jewelery company, so this was likely meant as some sort of lapel pin.    I welcome any questions or comments, and in particular, information on new finds. http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/february/4/defunct-newspaper-the-new-york-daily-mirror-issued-medals-for-sporting-events.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/february/4/defunct-newspaper-the-new-york-daily-mirror-issued-medals-for-sporting-events.aspx Mon, 04 February 2013 00:00:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/31/the-roots-of-coinage.aspx Historians love to talk and write about ancient Greece because of its rich history involving wars, mythology, architecture, culture, art and much more. Embedded in that vast array of historic art were some of the first and most beautiful coins ever produced in the world.   It is believed that the Greeks originally got the idea of coinage from the Lydians of Asia Minor. However, it was the Greeks who expanded coinage throughout the Mediterranean region and established the basic principles of coins. Ancient Greek history is important to understanding the roots of what and why we do many of the things we do today. That is why I chose to write this week's blog about the roots of coinage, which started in ancient Greece.   The idea of coinage in Greece was adopted around the closing years of the 7 th century B.C. During those times Greece was characterized by the polis, which were city-states, several hundreds of which existed. These city-states shared the same language and culture, worshiped the same religious gods, and at times banded together to go to war. However, the city-states each had their own customs, governments and laws, and at times they would go to war with each other. It is easy to see that even though these city-states had commonalities, they also were very different from one another and wished to display their individuality and independence from one another. When coinage was first introduced, many city-states created their own specific coinage, which became associated with civic pride and political independence. This led to nearly every Greek city and colony producing coinage.    The Greek cities established the basic principles of coinage that are still used today including how they should look, the information they should have engraved on them, and how they should be used. Much like our coins today, the coins were used as a mode of communication of religious devotion, civic pride, and expression of art that reflected historical portraits of objects such as people, temples, and important buildings. Take a moment to look at the U.S.  State Quarters to see how they communicate religious devotion, civic and state specific pride, and the expression of art for each state.    The Greeks would pass on their coinage ideas to the Romans, and through the years changes have occurred with coins. Nevertheless, if you look at coinage today, you will see striking comparisons to that of Greek coinage. Hence, Greece is credited with developing the roots of coinage.   If you are interesting in Ancient Greek coinage and want to learn more, then consider enrolling in ANA Money Museum curator Douglas Mudd's Summer Seminar course, "Ancient Greek Coinage: An Overview of the World's First Coins."  Or, if you just want to see a display of the coinage, then plan a visit to the Money Museum in Colorado Springs and check out the History of Money exhibit .    http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/31/the-roots-of-coinage.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/31/the-roots-of-coinage.aspx Thu, 31 January 2013 00:00:00 RyAnne Scott http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/29/star-turn-ana-member-to-appear-on-pawn-stars.aspx American Numismatic Association member Greg Schenewerk and his bronze Carnegie Medal for Heroism are ready for their close up. When both appear on an upcoming episode of The History Channel's popular series "Pawn Stars," the ANA's Summer Seminar will be the likely beneficiary of the taping. It all started when Greg picked up the bronze medal in a Bakersfield, Calif., pawn shop. The back of the medal Greg purchased is inscribed to "John L. Bell/who helped to save/Arthur E. Rivers/from drowning/Swansboro, N.C./August 13, 1931."     The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission issues medals to people who perform heroic acts in civilian life and provides financial help to those disabled because of their heroism. Steel baron Andrew Carnegie started the fund after hearing inspiring rescue stories following a mine disaster that killed 181 people. Since the fund's inception in 1904, there have been more than 9,500 honorees. The medals have become popular collector items.   (Photograph: ANA member Greg Schenewerk will try to sell this Carnegie Medal for Heroism on the History Channel show, "Pawn Stars.")   While in Las Vegas last November, Greg stopped by the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop made famous by the TV series. He showed the Carnegie medal to an employee, who took it to the back of the shop to let owner Rick Harrison examine it. Returning with the medal, the employee took a picture of it and told Greg that she would pass along information to producers at The History Channel. "I got the call the next day," said Greg, a professional photographer who lives in San Diego. "I couldn't film that week, so I set up an appointment for the next time I was in Vegas for work."    Yesterday, Greg spent two hours filming a segment. He plans to donate all the proceeds from the medal's sale to the ANA's Summer Seminar YN Scholarship Fund - and he's got plans to maximize the amount of money from the sale. See, this isn't the first Carnegie medal Greg as sold. He previously purchased a silver Carnegie medal for $100 and sold it for $1,500 at an auction. The buyer was one of the country's biggest Carnegie medal collectors, who just so happens to live in San Diego. Recently, Greg showed the collector his latest find. So when Greg walked into the Las Vegas pawn shop, he had an offer of $350 for the medal. "Since I already have an offer, I figured I could drive a hard bargain at the shop," Greg said. While Greg has never attended Summer Seminar, his son, Cole, has attended several times and benefited greatly from it. "Based on what my son has learned at Summer Seminar, I'm happy to support the program," he said.   (Photograph: Greg Schenewerk with his son, Cole, who has attended the ANA's Summer Seminar for several years.)   Did Greg sell his medal at the Las Vegas shop? Check back in a few weeks, and we'll have details on when Greg's "Pawn Stars" episode will air. Interested in attending Summer Seminar? See the full course catalog here . http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/29/star-turn-ana-member-to-appear-on-pawn-stars.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/29/star-turn-ana-member-to-appear-on-pawn-stars.aspx Tue, 29 January 2013 10:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/29/ana-websites-are-going-to-be-down-tonight-for-some-repair-work.aspx The ANA websites will be either totally offline tonight or functionality will be limited starting at about 10 p.m. Mountain time.    This will affect not just Money.org , but also WorldsFairofMoney.com , NationalMoneyShow.com , Dealers.Money.org , and ANAPreShow.com .    The total outage should last from 10 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. A few other features might be effected as well, including the Dealer and Club directories, online registration for New Orleans, and some of the features in the Members Only section.    Sorry for the inconvenience.  http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/29/ana-websites-are-going-to-be-down-tonight-for-some-repair-work.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/29/ana-websites-are-going-to-be-down-tonight-for-some-repair-work.aspx Tue, 29 January 2013 00:00:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/25/the-entangled-connection-between-buffalo-nickels-and-hobo-nickels.aspx The buffalo nickel has been a hot topic recently around the Money Museum. Much of the talk about buffalo nickels  surrounds the fact that National Coin Week is only three months away and the ANA staff is working hard to prepare for the eventful week.   When one discusses the buffalo nickel, it is not long before the topic of the hobo nickel quickly enters the conversation. The buffalo nickel is celebrating its 100-year anniversary, hence the hobo nickel itself is celebrating its 100-year anniversary. This week's blog will examine the history behind the hobo nickels and explain why buffalo nickels were typically used by artists to design creative and artistic hobo nickels.    A large majority of hobo nickels were designed during the Great Depression. With a lack of employment during this era, many individuals were forced to venture to other locations to find work.    Those with an artistic ability saw the buffalo nickel as a way to demonstrate their artistic craft and a way to create an item that would hold trading value. Buffalo nickels were created from 1913-1938, therefore, during the Great Depression they were in abundance. These coins provided a large, thick planchet and high-relief profile for artists to work on, allowing for fine detail work. Furthermore, the coins were small and convenient for travel, thus becoming a canvas for traveling artists.     (1913 Buffalo Nickel) Both sides of the coin were used to create various sculptures. Some of the most popular designs using the Indian head were bearded men with bowler hats, clowns, women, other Indians, famous people and self portraits. On the reverse side, the Buffalo was used to create donkeys, turtles, elephants, hobos with backpacks and boxcars.                                                        (Indian head carved into a man with a bowler hat and beard)   For many drifters who carved hobo nickels, they traded them for a meal, sweater or place to sleep.    Bertram "Bert" Wiegand and George Washington "Bo" Hughes  are two carvers who stood above all others in their era of carving. The fine detail in their work made them exceptional artists.    Hobo nickels can be classified into three categories.   Classic: Buffalo nickels carved from 1913 into the 1950s Modern: Coins carved since the 1950s Hobo tokens: modern, struck versions of hobo nickels   Today, hobo nickels are collector items. Yet, hobo nickel carvers still exist today and the number of carvers has increased in recent years. Some of that increase has to do with Joe Paonessa and Ron Landis - both are hobo nickel carvers who teach courses on how to carve hobo nickels at the annual ANA Summer Seminar .   When I observe a Hobo nickel, I still am baffled how artists were able to create such interesting and detailed designs on coins. If you have never seen a hobo coin or just want to get another chance to view them, take a trip to the Money Museum at 818 N. Cascade Ave. in Colorado Springs, Colo.   http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/25/the-entangled-connection-between-buffalo-nickels-and-hobo-nickels.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/25/the-entangled-connection-between-buffalo-nickels-and-hobo-nickels.aspx Fri, 25 January 2013 00:00:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/17/a-renaissance-of-beautiful-us-coinage.aspx As I began to take a look at my previous blogs, I realized all of the Money Museum exhibits I have written about thus far are from the first floor in the Money Museum. Therefore, I figured this week I would take a trip to the lower gallery of the museum to find what would pique my interest.   There were plenty of numismatic items on display that were interesting enough to write about, but ultimately I had to choose only one item to focus on. To no surprise, the 1907 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle grabbed my attention. This coin is widely recognized as the most beautiful coin ever minted in the United States.     (1911 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle)   The coin was created by world renowned artist and sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens . In 1905, the United States was growing into one of the premier countries in the world. President Theodore Roosevelt was an admirer of Greek coins by reason of their beauty. Consequently, he wished to change the coinage in the United States to enhance the beauty of American coins and reflect the glory of his great nation.   Roosevelt could think of nobody one better than Saint-Gaudens to complete this honorable project. The first coin he designed was the 1907 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle. Every American coin would later be redesigned, in what would become known as the Renaissance of U.S. Coinage with the cent (1909), Buffalo nickel (1913) , dime (1916), quarter (1916), dollar (1921), and quarter eagle (1908); all coins reflected the optimism and growth of the nation.     Saint-Gaudens was only able to complete the designs for the eagle and double eagle before he died in August 1907. His works and remaining coinage designs were finished by other illustrious sculptors.   The coins created out of the Renaissance of U.S. Coinage did not last long. Due to the Great Depression , minting of gold coinage ended in the 1930s to protect the gold reserves. In 1933, the minting of the Double Eagle ceased. At this time, the coinage changed to what many of us are accustomed to today - historic-looking coinage that reflects the portraits of former prominent United States leaders.   Long gone is the circulation of the beautiful Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle. It has been an awfully long time since the coinage designs have fully been changed.   As a result, it begs the question, is it time to redesign American coinage? If so, should we redesign them to reflect beauty such as the 1907 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle once did?    Tell us what you think in the comments.   http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/17/a-renaissance-of-beautiful-us-coinage.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/17/a-renaissance-of-beautiful-us-coinage.aspx Thu, 24 January 2013 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/12/notes-from-the-board-of-governors-meeting-at-the-fun-show.aspx I received a few dispatches from Kim Kiick, one of the longtime managers here at the ANA, from the Board of Governors meetings at the FUN Show. Here is what the Board of Governors have been working on:    Motion by Governor Lyon, second by Governor Adkins, to engage the firm of Survey and Ballot Systems, using their proposed hybrid web and mail ballot option, to conduct the 2013 ANA election. Passed. Motion by Governor Rottinghaus, second by Governor Ellis, to accept Wednesday through Sunday as the official show days of the World's Fair of Money. After discussion, President Hallenbeck tabled the motion, to be taken up at the New Orleans National Money Show board meeting.  Motion by Vice President Ostromecki, second by Ellis, to confirm the Presidential appointment of Hollie Wieland, of Karp Neu Hanlon, P.C., as General Counsel.   http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/12/notes-from-the-board-of-governors-meeting-at-the-fun-show.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/12/notes-from-the-board-of-governors-meeting-at-the-fun-show.aspx Sat, 12 January 2013 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/11/donation-will-create-new-exhibit-award-for-us-commemoratives.aspx   (Photo by Mark Lighterman)   Anthony Swaitek, representing The Society for U.S. Commemorative Coins, passes a check for $11,000 to ANA Executive Director Jeff Shevlin during the FUN Show in Orlando earlier today.   The society announced at the World's Fair of Money in Philadelphia earlier this summer that it was donating $7,500 to endow an exhibits award for the display of U.S. commemorative coins at the ANA summer convention. The society also donated $3,500 to the ANA Library Fund as well as 50 copies of the "Encyclopedia of the Commemorative Coins of the United States" to the Dwight N. Manley Numismatic Library.   Swiatek, a past ANA president, authored the book. It's currently being sold at the Edward C. Rochette Money Museum store at $89.95; all proceeds from the sale go to the Library Fund.   "The Society for U.S. Commemorative Coins, which is disbanding after 30 years, has always felt that the ANA is the most important numismatic organization on the planet," Swiatek, the society's president, told The Numismatist in the December edition. "When the decision was made to dissolve the club, our board felt it ­appropriate to give what we have to the ANA to support the library and numismatic research. Endowing the exhibit award also provides a lasting remembrance of our society."   And speaking of past ANA presidents, they're all over the place at the FUN Show, apparently. Here's a picture of Cliff Mishler, William Horton and Barry Stuppler at the show, taken earlier today (they're holding chocolates in the photo, which they no doubt received from the always-sweet Myrna Lighterman, who also took the picture):       (Photo by Myrna Lighterman) http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/11/donation-will-create-new-exhibit-award-for-us-commemoratives.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/11/donation-will-create-new-exhibit-award-for-us-commemoratives.aspx Fri, 11 January 2013 00:00:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/11/a-totally-american-coin-the-buffalo-nickel.aspx National Coin Week is a few months away; the celebration will start April 21 and end on April 27. This year the National Coin Week theme is the Buffalo nickel. For that reason, this week I wanted to get a jump start on National Coin Week by writing about the Buffalo nickel, which this year is celebrating its 100 year anniversary. Even though the coin was only struck between 1913 and 1938, there is a great amount of history and interesting facts surrounding this coin.    The Buffalo nickel was created during the renaissance of U.S. coinage. During this time, all the U.S. coin designs were replaced in part because of  President Theodore Roosevelt's wish to beautify U.S. coinage. James Earle Fraser , a former assistant to famed sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens , was tasked with the challenge to formulate a new design for the nickel that would replace the Liberty Head, which was designed by Charles E. Barber . Fraser explained his thought-process for the design of this coin when he stated, "I felt I wanted to do something totally American - a coin that could not be mistaken for any other country's coin. It occurred to me that the buffalo, as part of the western background, was 100 percent American, and that our North American Indian fit into the picture perfectly."   (1913 Buffalo Nickel) There has been controversy over the years as to who the Indian head and buffalo were modeled after.  Fraser has said the Indian head was a composition featured after multiple Native Americans. However, Chief John Big Tree , a Seneca, claimed the coin was modeled after him.   The buffalo design is widely recognized as being the model of Black Diamond  (Black Diamond will be the topic of one of my upcoming weekly blog). However, some have questioned the buffalo design being modeled after Black Diamond because his horns did not match that of the design on the coin. Some have stated it could have instead been modeled after Bronx, a bison who was the herd leader at the same Central Park Zoo  that Black Diamond resided.    In 1912, Fraser's design was approved, but it was met with resistance by Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint Charles E. Barber and the Hobbs Manufacturing Company, producer of vending machines. Despite these objections,  Treasury Secretary Franklin MacVeagh ordered the coins to be struck and issued.    Immediately, it was recognized that the coins were susceptible to wear, in particular within two areas. These two areas included the date and exergue that displays the coins' worth (5 cents).  Due to these problems, Charles E. Barber was permitted to modify the design to reduce the wearing on the exergue. This change in design provided two varieites in 1913, known as Type I and Type II.    This was not the only change he made; he also smoothed out the bison and Indian head, which took away from the artistic work Fraser had originally designed. Despite the modifications made by Barber, the coins were still prone to wear, which led to the coin being replaced by the Jefferson nickel in 1938.   The Buffalo nickel has not been produced in 75 years, but it remains a well-known coin in part due to Hobo nickel designs.  Fraser's design was also adapted for the 2001 commemorative silver dollar and in 2006 the Mint began striking American Buffalo gold bullion pieces using a modified version of Fraser's Type I design.      (1916 Hobo Nickel "Classic Man in  a Bowler Hat")   To get a closer look and to learn more about Buffalo and Hobo nickels, visit the Money Museum located on 818 N. Cascade Ave. in Colorado Springs, Colo. http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/11/a-totally-american-coin-the-buffalo-nickel.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/11/a-totally-american-coin-the-buffalo-nickel.aspx Thu, 10 January 2013 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/9/ana-staff-sponsors-surgery-for-child-born-with-deformity.aspx     Meet Dr. Sunil Richardson, a surgeon, a numismatist and a family man. He was profiled in The Numismatist for the July 2012 issue (find it on page 107). You may also recognize his name as one of the Collector Exhibits winners from the Denver National Money Show last year - he took second place in the best-of-show category.     Richardson also works with Smile Train, USA , a charity that helps children born with a congenital deformity known as a cleft palate. Here's a look at one of the children that Smile Train USA has helped with corrective surgery.      According to the Smile Train, USA website, cleft palates are a major issue for children in developing countries. A cleft palate effects a child's ability to eat properly and speak well. Further, children with cleft palates face a tough road socially - in many cases, they can be barred from attending school or holding a job.    Richardson started working with Smile Train back in 2004. The simple surgery, which has been around for decades, doesn't cost much by U.S. standards, so charitable donations can go a long way.    Each year at Christmas, the ANA staff comes together to make a charitable donation in the spirit of the holiday. After hearing about Richardson's work, the staff donated the $250 needed to sponsor the surgery for one child. Richardson himself performed the surgery.    "My medical practice has two sides - one for profit, the other for charity. My wife, Shweta, and I run Richardsons Dental and Craniofacial Hospital and treat the whole gamut of facial and dental problems," Richardson told  The Numismatist  in the July 2012 profile. "As only about 20 to 30 percent of the population can pay for such selective and elective cosmetic surgeries, many patients cannot benefit from my services. That is why I approached Smile Train, USA, to help me help people, particularly children, who require cleft lip and palate repair. Since my association with the international nonprofit in late 2004, I have completed around 5,000 surgeries, all totally free for needy patients."   If you'd like to help a child with a cleft palate, you can do so by making a donation to Smile Train, USA .   http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/9/ana-staff-sponsors-surgery-for-child-born-with-deformity.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/9/ana-staff-sponsors-surgery-for-child-born-with-deformity.aspx Tue, 08 January 2013 00:00:00 Oded Paz http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/8/newsletter-whats-going-on-at-the-ana.aspx Oded Paz is the ANA's National Coordinator for the Club and District Representatives Program. He writes a regular newsletter for clubs that highlights activities going on within the ANA. This is his newsletter for December 2012 and January 2013.  What's going on at the ANA? - December 2012 - January 2013   Welcome to another edition of "What's going on at the ANA?"   I hope you had a wonderful holiday season, and started your new year with a few positive New Year's resolutions that include numismatic progress and enhancing the relationship between the ANA and your fellow numismatic collectors.   BREAKING NEWS-For the first time, we will have an ANA Clubs & District Reps meeting at the FUN show (see http://www.funtopics.com/fun-convention.html for additional info).   The meeting will be held on Saturday morning, 8-9 a.m., in room S331A. I hope to see as many of you as possible. Please note that the meeting start time has been moved to 8 a.m. instead of 8:30 a.m., since some members have other functions that start at 9 a.m.   As I did in previous newsletters, I will continue with the advantages of being a member of the ANA. This month's advantage: Discounted Krause Publications Subscriptions   By being a member of the ANA, you can save up to 83 percent off newsstand prices for Bank Note Reporter, Coins, Coin Prices, Numismatic News and World Coins News subscriptions.   You can also sign up for an annual or monthly subscription to the www.numismaster.com online database of U.S. and world coin and paper money price guides and save 25 percent off the regular price.   So, what else is new & exciting? Please see the following: • The 2012 Money Talks lecture series is available on DVD. More than 50 titles have been filmed in high definition and professionally edited to create the perfect way for collectors to learn more about the numismatic hobby. These DVDs make great gifts or can be used to increase attendance at coin club meetings. Price for each DVD is $24.95 plus $5 shipping and handling. ANA member special: Buy 2 DVDs, and get the 3rd free. For a full list of 2012 Money Talks titles and descriptions, email david@coinvideo.com .   • Big Easy Money - the ANA marches into New Orleans. With a big bourse fit for the Big Easy, the best education in numismatics, the signature Museum Showcase, and so many more activities going on by day, and the famed night life of New Orleans available after the show closes, you'll want to make your plans early to attend the 2013 National Money Show. Check out NationalMoneyShow.com for regular updates on all of the exciting numismatic events that will be happening May 9-11 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.   • Nominations for the ANA Board of Governors must be received by March 1. Stop by the ANA Elections Center at Money.org/Elections now to download the nomination forms. Candidates must secure the nomination of 25 members, 25 member clubs or a combination of the two to be put on the ballot.   • Nominate a deserving numismatist for an award - ANA Service Awards is an opportunity to recognize those collectors who support and uphold the association's mission. Nominations are currently being sought for the following service awards: ► Farran Zerbe Memorial - The ANA's highest honor, it is given in recognition of numerous years of outstanding, dedicated service to numismatics. ► Medal of Merit - This award honors individuals who have dedicated numerous years of service to the association and promotion of the hobby. ► Glenn Smedley Memorial - This award recognizes individuals who have devoted their efforts to the betterment of the ANA. ► Lifetime Achievement - This award is presented to an individual, family, firm or judicial entity that has made outstanding contributions to organized numismatics. ► Numismatic Art Award for Excellence in Medallic Sculpture - A lifetime achievement award. ► Adna G. Wilde Award for Excellence - The award honors an ANA member who dedicates his or her time and resources to strengthen the hobby and further the educational mission of the ANA, and sets an example for others to follow. ► Harry J. Forman Dealer of the Year - The award honors a professional numismatist who shows uncommon dedication to strengthening the hobby and the ANA, and displays exemplary ethical standards as a numismatic dealer. ► Exemplary Service - The award recognizes an individual or entity (club, corporation, firm or association) that has performed services on behalf of the ANA that are "above and beyond" the call. ► Adult Advisor - This award is presented to an individual who has devoted their efforts to recruiting young numismatists and aiding in the development of intermediate to advanced young collectors. ► Young Numismatist of the Year - This award honors young collectors for outstanding contributions to the hobby and industry.   • The latest blog posts at The Exchange -The Exchange is the ANA's member blog. Here are some recent headlines from The Exchange: ► Weekly Money Museum item: The second-to-last Canadian penny ► Video interview with ANA Executive Director Jeff Shevlin on the ANA Road Show initiative ► The history behind postage currency   Read more at The Exchange .   For additional information and details on many of the items listed above, you can always go to the ANA's website and read the Press Releases .   I repeatedly encourage you to send me any and all ideas, requests, kudos and constructive criticism, so please write to paz@money.org .   Oded Paz ANA National Coordinator Club & District Representatives Program   http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/8/newsletter-whats-going-on-at-the-ana.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/8/newsletter-whats-going-on-at-the-ana.aspx Mon, 07 January 2013 00:00:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/4/an-historic-look-at-the-congressional-medal-of-honor.aspx This may come as a surprise to many, but last month was the 151 st anniversary of the first Congressional Medal of Honor. The medal was first established in December of 1861. There is a great deal of history behind both the medal and those who have received one.   For anyone who is unaware of the award, the Medal of Honor is defined by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society as: "the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States."    The medal has a long and interesting history.  It was first introduced by Iowa Sen. James Grimes , who first introduced the idea of "medals of honor" for the Navy. Shortly after the idea was raised, President Lincoln signed the bill that started the Navy Medal of Honor on Dec. 21, 1861. Soon after, in February 1862, the Army Medal of Honor was signed into effect by President Lincoln.    R.T.G Winkler, an employee of William Wilson & Son Company in Philadelphia, created the design for the Navy Medal of Honor. It was then sculpted by the Philadelphia Mint's Anthony Paquet. A few months later the Army's Medal of Honor design was created. To this day each military branch has a different design. The Navy Medal of Honor continues to use the 1861 design and is awarded to members of the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. The Army Medal of Honor used today is a wreath version designed in 1904. The final Medal of Honor version is the altered wreath version for the Air Force which was designed in 1963 and adopted in 1965. (Photograph: Today's Army Medal of Honor)   During the initial years that the medal was awarded, the criteria to receive a medal was not as stringent as it is today. Awards were given out to soldiers for simply performing their duties, or they were given out as personal awards to friends and relatives. Due to a large number of requests in 1890,  President McKinley directed the Army to establish new regulations.      In 1916, a Board of Generals reviewed past award recipients and removed 911 awardees from the honor roll. Included in that list was William F. Cody , better known as Buffalo Bill, who had received the award as a scout after participating in the Indian Campaigns. The other prominent name stricken was Dr. Mary E. Walker , who volunteered during the Civil War as an assistant surgeon. She participated in campaigns including Bull Run and Chickamauga , and she was held prisoner by Confederates. She had been the first woman awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor. Both of these historic figures were stricken from the honor roll due to their civilian status.   It was not until 1977 that the Medal of Honor was restored to Walker by President Carter. Today, Walker remains the only woman who has received the award. Years later, in 1989, William Cody and 5 other civilian scouts had their medals restored.    The Congressional Medal of Honor has been awarded to more 3,400 recipients. Leslie Sabo Jr. was the last recipient of the award in May of 2012, but as we all know, it is certain that he will not be the final recipient of the award.   If you wish to view the Congressional Medal of Honor and other historical military medals and artifacts, visit the Money Museum at 818 N. Cascade Ave. in Colorado Springs, Colo. http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/4/an-historic-look-at-the-congressional-medal-of-honor.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/4/an-historic-look-at-the-congressional-medal-of-honor.aspx Fri, 04 January 2013 00:00:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/3/ana-staff-brings-in-new-year-with-greek-tradition.aspx The 2013 year is officially under way. For the ANA and Money Museum staff, Jan. 2 marked the first workday of the new year. The staff started the year unlike any year before, by participating in the Greek tradition of cutting a Vasilopita .   A Vasilopita is considered a New Year's cake or rich bread. According to Greek tradition, when one cuts a Vasilopita it blesses and brings good luck to the house or building for the New Year. Additionally, a coin is baked into the cake and the person who finds the coin in their piece of cake is considered blessed for the new year. Carey Hardy, ANA membership director, discovered the coin in his piece of cake. Hence, Hardy is the blessed staff member for the 2013 year.      (Money Museum Vasilopita Cake Coin - a 2012 Silver Eagle Bullion Coin)   The historical story behind the Vasilopita celebration has slight variations depending on who is telling the story. However, all versions involve St. Basil of Caesarea and the most popular version, according to the Holy Ascension Church of Norman, Okla ., tells of a heavy tax burden being placed on the people of Caesarea. St. Basil saw the hardship it placed on the people and courageously called the emperor to eradicate his tax, which the emperor obliged. The coins and jewelry that had already been collected by the emperor were given to St. Basil to distribute back to the people. St. Basil had no way of knowing which items belonged to which person. To resolve the issue, he had items baked into breads and cakes. The people of Caesarea were given a piece of the baked goods and were fortunate to receive their exact share they had given in taxes.    This ancient tradition is not only celebrated by those from the Greek culture, but also many other countries throughout Europe celebrate a very similar tradition. This celebration tradition is quickly becoming popular in workplaces, clubs, companies, and various other societies.    The staff may not have cut into a traditional Vasilopita. Rather, the museum staff substituted chocolate and tres leches cakes. Nevertheless, the staff hopes that 2013 will be an exceptional year for the organization and all ANA members.   http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/3/ana-staff-brings-in-new-year-with-greek-tradition.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/3/ana-staff-brings-in-new-year-with-greek-tradition.aspx Thu, 03 January 2013 00:00:00 Luis Ramos III http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/3/why-you-should-attend-a-local-coin-show.aspx Over the past few years I have attended many coin shows in California that range from the large Long Beach Expo to the tiny Visalia Coin Show, which has about 10 tables. Among them is my home show, the Fresno Coin Show, organized by the Fresno Numismatic Society.   With just over 30 tables the show, is not impressive in size. When compared to the coin shows of the Bay Area or L.A. it does a fraction of the business, but that is not what is important to me. For myself, the show represents a homecoming. It is a chance to see my whole club come together and work hard. After the work is done, the event ran like clockwork.   With only one meeting a month, the coin show is as big of a business event as it is a social event. While I did do a surprising amount of business between the two dealers I was helping and my own business, the social aspect was most important. I loved helping members of my club find coins and examine what they had purchased.   Normally I see a few members at shows that require traveling, but many were here and excited for the show. Many had saved up for the year's big purchase and were happy to show it off after they bought it. Many exhibits that members had spent countless hours preparing were being shown for the first time. Seeing everyone at once and so excited was a wonderful site.   This excitement is not exclusive to this show. Most clubs have a coin show like this one, and although it may be small it is a chance to meet new people from your area. Local coin shows need people to attend to keep the dealers coming and for the shows to stay alive.   These interactions can not happen over the Internet. Although it is a powerful tool, the Internet is not a replacement for a coin show. The personal element of interacting with dealers, the learning, and the negotiations are best experienced in person. It is a great opportunity to hold coins and see them in hand before purchasing them.   Local coin shows may be small in size, but they offer much enjoyment. http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/3/why-you-should-attend-a-local-coin-show.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2013/january/3/why-you-should-attend-a-local-coin-show.aspx Thu, 03 January 2013 00:00:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/28/grant-looms-large-in-civil-war-history.aspx "Money of the Civil War" is one of the major exhibits in the Money Museum. Therefore, it is only fitting that one of the first displays visitors see is that of Ulysses S. Grant . Grant is primarily known for being the General of the Union Forces and leading troops to a victory over Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army.    Grant began his military career by graduating from West Point Military Academy. During the Mexican-American War , Grant carefully studied under Gen. Zachary Taylor and Gen. Winfield Scott . It was in the Mexican-American War that Grant distinguished himself and was promoted twice for bravery. In the years following the war, he relocated frequently. During this time, he began to develop a drinking problem. With the possibility of being punished for his heavy drinking, Grant resigned from the Army in 1854.    When the Civil War began, Grant volunteered and was assigned to command the 21st Illinois volunteer regiment. Grant's victories along the Mississippi quickly gained him fame. Some of his most well-known victories included the battles of Shiloh , Vicksburg , Chattanooga and his Overland campaign . In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln promoted Grant to commander of all Union Armies. On April 9, 1865, General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia; essentially ending the Civil War.    Grant was assigned to oversee the post-war reconstruction. In 1868 Grant was elected the 18 th President of the United States at age 46. At the time, he was the youngest president ever elected. Grant had some success as president. However, his two terms were marked heavily by corruption from those in his administration. Overall, his presidency is deemed by a majority of historians as unsuccessful.    Even with the issues he had as president, many people still had a favorable view of Grant. History will always remember him first as a great war general. Military historian J.F.C Fuller described Grant as, "the greatest general of his age and one of the greatest strategists of any age." Grant has been honored for his accomplishments with his portrait being placed on the 1922 commemorative Grant half dollar and, since 1913, on the $ 50 bill . Recently, there have been attempts to remove Grant's portrait and replace it with a portrait of former President Ronald Reagan. Before Grant's death in 1885, he wrote his autobiography " Personal Memoirs ," which, published by Mark Twain , became extremely popular and now is considered a historic piece of american literature.  (1922 Commemorative Grant Half Dollar)   ($50 Bill Featuring Former President Ulysses S. Grant)   To learn more about Ulysses S. Grant and others historic figures in the Civil War, visit the Money Museum at 818 N. Cascade Ave. in Colorado Springs, Colo.  http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/28/grant-looms-large-in-civil-war-history.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/28/grant-looms-large-in-civil-war-history.aspx Fri, 28 December 2012 03:00:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/13/in-god-we-trust-—-a-little-history-in-everyday-pocket-change.aspx December is the most popular shopping month of the year. It is not difficult to realize this, especially if you are like me and your shopping money is going quickly.    In today's technology-driven world, many of us walk up to the check-out register to finalize a purchase and pull out a little plastic card to make the payment. The days of using paper money and coins for payment are slowly vanishing.  Recently, I made a small purchase and the total came out to $7.49.  To my surprise, I actually had enough in my wallet that there was no need to use my credit or debit card.   I quickly counted out my $7 in cash, and then I reached into my pocket to gather the remaining amount in pocket change. As I pulled the coins out my pocket I took a moment and looked at the coins. What stood out at me was the phrase, "In God We Trust." This may have been because I remembered looking at the "In God We Trust" display at the Money Museum. This is what led me to choosing my blog topic for this week, which will be to shed a little light on this historic phrase.   During the Civil War, many Americans were seeking comfort and assurance in religious faith. One man, the Rev. Mark Watkinson, wrote a letter to Secretary of the Treasury  Soloman Chase  expressing his concern that "recognition of the Almighty God" had been overlooked on the United States coins. Chase wasted little time reacting to the letter. He personally wrote to U.S. Mint Director  James Pollock  and requested a motto be created that would be used to express the country's trust in God and that could possibly be demonstrated on future coins.    On April 22, 1864, Congress passed an act that changed the composition of the 1-cent coin to read "In God We Trust," and it also authorized the minting of the 2-cent coin. In that same year the first "In God We Trust" appeared on the 2-cent coin.               (1865 2-Cent Coin)                  (1865 2-Cent Coin) Today the motto appears on all denominations of currency. Even paper money had the phrase printed on it starting in 1957. Yet, there have been times where the phrase has disappeared from currency. For instance, it was taken off the 5-cent coin in 1883 and did not reappear until it was placed on the Jefferson nickel in 1938.   Over the years there has been much controversy over the phrase and its placement on all currency. Some have claimed it violates the United States Constitution and church-state separation principles. Despite the debates that have spilled over into the courts, the phrase, "In God We Trust," remains on all United States currency.   The next time you have the unique opportunity to pay for something with cash or change, take that opportunity to observe the motto and realize that the change in your pocket is much more then metals; rather, it is a reflection of this country's history.   http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/13/in-god-we-trust-—-a-little-history-in-everyday-pocket-change.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/13/in-god-we-trust-—-a-little-history-in-everyday-pocket-change.aspx Wed, 12 December 2012 06:00:00 Michael Rae http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/12/the-fine-art-of-enameled-coins-and-tokens.aspx   Enameled Coins are very unusual and most delightful pieces of Victorian jewelery, usually made from a silver coins of Queen Victoria. The amount of time and quality of craftsmanship that went into making these pieces is incredible, since before being enamelled the coin had to be hand-engraved and the reverse design cut out. These recesses were then filled with paste made from ground-up glass that was then heated in a kiln until the glass melted and fused. These brooches were fashionable for a time during the turn of the 19th century.   Love tokens have been made since Medieval Times. In the 18th and 19th centuries, coins were still used as Love Tokens. They were hand made, created by young men to give to their sweethearts and in some instances were given by soldiers and sailors before the went abroad in case they were to die.   Love tokens vary in size and all types of coins are used. Each token is unique; no two are alike. In Victorian times, they were fashionable to both men and women. They were suspended by necklaces, bracelets and watch chains, some were carried in purses and pockets as a remembrance of love and wealth.The poorer class made tokens from copper or bronze coins until a silver coin could be acquired. The wealthy man chose a silver or gold coin to make his.   These tokens were simple to make, although a highly decorative piece was usually achieved. The coin is rubbed until one or both sides are flat; the maker then engraved or stamped their own words, pattern or initials onto the blank side.   When considering that most men who did this were low-skilled and illiterate, some of the results are quite remarkable. This interesting note was taken from an Ebay auction of johnmenc: "Wonderful High Grade 1834 Enamel Coin. SUPERB.There seems to be a little confusion as to the origin of enamelled coins, and the subsequent artists who created and designed them. The craft sprang from the Victorian love of unusual jewellery. Enamel buttons were popular, and the skills of enamelling could be transfered to coins. Being decorative and not funtional, these could feature elaborate designs. The main year of production was 1887, Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, "The magic year of enamelling."   The year saw a huge growth in the demand and production for royal memorabilia. The majority of enamelled coins are based on the existing design of the original coin. The first task in the production process was to take out all the background of the coin, leaving the letters and pattern in. In some cases the letters and design were even removed.   The enamel was then applied in layers, fired and then ground down to enable the colors to come through in varying shades. This process was often done in more than one stage to enable the intricate colors and painted effect to be perfected. It was most usual to enamel on just one side of the coin, but some coins are enamelled on both sides.   These are considerably rarer, and leaves the question: How did they get the enamel to flow on the second side without the first side dropping off? It was assumed that all enamel would fuse at about the same temperature. The art has now disappered, so we cannot answer this question.   Popular designs included leaves and flower, coats of arms, Britannia and of course Queen Victoria. In some, the bust of the monarch are completely removed and replaced in enamels. The coin pictured above by an unknown designer features many of the popular designs in one coin. The rarest enamel coins are those of gold. Few examples can be seen today, and those that do exist are mainly made from dated sovereigns.   Two of the finest coin enamellers were William Henry Probert and the Steel family. The earliest enamelled coins were thought to have been produced by William Henry Probert in his Birmingham workshop. His initial designs were very plain with no more than three colors used. However, the coins were expertly engraved. As the coins became more popular, his designs became more colorful and elaborate.   Pictured above is an early coin by William Henry Probert. Edward Steele, was a well known engraver and enameller, who started a venture in his own name designing enamelled coins. His son Edwin and later Edwin's son Henry carried on the business of manufacturing coin jewellery. Edwin's enamel coins are thought to be the finest, with engraving under the enamel to enable light to filter through the enamel. This created superb variations to the reflections.   Pictured above is an enamelled coin featuring Queen Victoria by Edwin Steel. http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/12/the-fine-art-of-enameled-coins-and-tokens.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/12/the-fine-art-of-enameled-coins-and-tokens.aspx Wed, 12 December 2012 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/11/brian-sparks-the-pennyman-wins-the-holiday-craft-contest.aspx Congratulations to Brian Sparks, the winner in our Holiday Craft Contest . His creation, 'The Pennyman,' was apparently enough to scare off the rest of the competition, as we had no other entries.      Brian will receive the first-place prize pack, which includes:  A 1962 silver proof Franklin Half Dollar A 2012 ANA special edition of "A Guide Book to United States Coins" (the Red Book) with an error on the cover (the type is doubled on the cover). A copy of Paul Hollis's book, "American Numismatist." A copy of David Akers's book, "United States Gold Patterns."    The second- and third-place prizes will go back into the prize vault, but will no doubt resurface soon. Follow us on Twitter or Like us on Facebook to stay up to date with the latest giveaways.    http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/11/brian-sparks-the-pennyman-wins-the-holiday-craft-contest.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/11/brian-sparks-the-pennyman-wins-the-holiday-craft-contest.aspx Tue, 11 December 2012 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/11/major-update-on-the-future-of-the-penny-and-nickel-scheduled-for-this-week.aspx The U.S. Mint is scheduled to deliver its long-awaited report to Congress this week that is expected to address recommendations for the future of the penny and nickel.    As you probably know, the cost of minting these two coins is more than double what they're worth. Given the current state of the economy and the national debt, there's not much of an appetite by the public or politicians for continuing to lose money on these denominations.   So what's going to be in the report? What will the Mint recommend to Congress? I tried to pry that out of Richard Peterson, the acting director at the Mint, this summer during an open forum he held at the World's Fair of Money in Philadelphia . Unfortunately, Peterson wasn't biting - he politely declined my invitation to provide ANA members in attendance with a preview of what would be in the report.    So, until the report hits, all we can do is guess what will be in it. Do you have a guess? Let us know in the survey below what you think will be in the report.        http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/11/major-update-on-the-future-of-the-penny-and-nickel-scheduled-for-this-week.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/11/major-update-on-the-future-of-the-penny-and-nickel-scheduled-for-this-week.aspx Tue, 11 December 2012 00:00:00 Paul G. Lajoie http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/6/statue-of-liberty-and-related-medals-and-exonumia.aspx We will begin with what is reported to be the first medal issued to commemorate the building of the Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World.  This was issued in 1876 when the Statue was presented to the United States people by the people of France.  It was manufactured by the Monnaie de Paris, also known today as the Paris Mint.   In his seminal work on this subject, John J. Gabriel produced a catalog in 1982 which he titled, "Exonumia Of Liberty Enlightening The World ."  His entries are recognized in the numismatic world by "G" numbers.  Thus the very first entry in his work is known as GO-1.     The "G" refers, of course, to Gabriel, the "O" designates the medal as before 1900, and the 1 is obviously medal number one. In similar fashion, my catalog will itemize medals according to his basic plan, but will be marked "L," thus this medal will become known in this future publication as LO-1.     1876 United States Centennial Medal       Obverse:  Statue of Liberty on a six sided base, inside Fort Wood's eleven sided bastion walls; the Hudson River, and the New Jersey and New York shores are in the background, on a slightly raised panel, with visitors, ships, and sailboats in the river; above:  COMMEMORATIVE • MONUME // NT • OF • AMERICAN • INDEPENDENCE;  thirty-eight six-pointed stars circle below the legend; in the exergue:  A. BARTHOLDI.  STATUAIRE, (this is the French word for Sculptor); a dotted border surrounds the inside of the rim.   Signed:   TASSET.       Reverse:   IN / REMEMBRANCE / OF • THE • OLD • FRIENDSHIP / BETWEEN / THE • UNITED • STATES • AND • FRANCE / BY / PUBLIC • SUBSCRIPTION / AMONGST • THE • CITIZENS / OF / BOOTH (sic.) • NATIONS / 1776 • 1876; a dotted border surrounds the inside of the rim.   Edge:   Paris Mint Mark / Bronze (Bee mark in use from 1860 to 1879).   Designer:   Ernest Paulin Tasset.   Maker:   Paris Mint.   L0-01     51mm Bronze    (2 inches)   G0-01 From John J. Gabriel's seminal catalog titled " Exonumia Of Liberty Enlightening The World,"  published in December 1982, by Bellmore Books, Box 411, Belmore NY. http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/6/statue-of-liberty-and-related-medals-and-exonumia.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/6/statue-of-liberty-and-related-medals-and-exonumia.aspx Thu, 06 December 2012 00:00:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/4/the-history-behind-postage-currency.aspx With the holiday season in full swing, many of us will take a trip to the post office or use some other form of mail delivery service.  When I hear the word mail, the first thought that comes to my mind is a stamp.  That is why for this week's blog I chose to take a closer look at the Money Museum's postage currency display.    As the Civil War began, many people started to stockpile their money, causing a serious shortage of coin currency. To replace the shortage of coins, people began to use postage stamps as currency. John Gault came up with the idea to "encase" the stamps in order to provide extra protection for them.    Even with this case around the stamps, the stamps could be taken out and used as normal postage. US Treasurer  Francis E. Spinner  recognized that people were using postage stamps for currency; he recommended to Congress that a new paper money series should be produced.                                                                                                                         In August of 1862,  fractional currency , otherwise known as postage currency, was developed. The design for the postage currency was based off the design of 5-cent and 10-cent stamps. This form of money was printed in 5-cent, 10-cent, 25-cent and 50-cent denominations. Postage currency was short-lived: It existed from August 1862 until May 1863 and was replaced by fractional currency. Fractional currency, which was used until 1876, was not only a different design and size, making them easier to distinguish, but it was also difficult to counterfeit.                                                                    (Postage Currency) This holiday season, if you use mail, take a moment to think about the stamp and its history during the Civil War era.  If you want to take a real life glimpse at postal currency, schedule a trip to the Money Museum and escape the busy holiday season for a few hours.                                                                  (Encased Postage)  http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/4/the-history-behind-postage-currency.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/4/the-history-behind-postage-currency.aspx Tue, 04 December 2012 00:00:00 Numismatic Crime Information Center http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/3/from-the-numismatic-crime-center-burglary-in-chestertown,-md.aspx The Numismatic Crime Information Center issued the following press release this morning:    The Chestertown, MD Police Department is requesting assistance regarding the following residential burglary.   On 09/08/2012 at 18:47 hours, the Chestertown Police Department received a report of a burglary and theft of gold and silver coins.The coins were stolen from a private residence. These coins were stolen while the resident was out of town.The resident left on 8/31/2012 and returned on 9/8/2012.    Three green plastic "monster boxes" is a green plastic box from the United States Mint which contained either gold or silver coins was stolen. Also several tubes of silver coins missing out of another monster box.    The following items were stolen:    One monster box of United States Gold Eagles (coins) Two monster boxes of United States Silver Eagles (coins) One monster box containing twelve 1/10 oz Gold, and ¼ oz Gold     Anyone with information on this offense should contact:   PFC Howard Eveland Chestertown Police Department Phone#  410-778-1800 Fax#  410-778-1828 or Doug Davis 817-723-7231 Doug@numismaticcrimes.org http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/3/from-the-numismatic-crime-center-burglary-in-chestertown,-md.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/december-2012/3/from-the-numismatic-crime-center-burglary-in-chestertown,-md.aspx Mon, 03 December 2012 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/30/a-map-to-track-gold-coins-that-show-up-in-salvation-army-red-kettles.aspx Each year around this time, various gold coins find their way into Salvation Army kettles. As we get closer to Christmas, there will be more and more stories showing up of generous individuals who make the anonymous donations.    Last year, whenever I'd come across such a story, I'd share it on the ANA's Twitter and Facebook feeds. This year, I thought it would be fun to try something new - I'm going to map the donations using Google Maps, which will give us an opportunity to see where the most donations are taking place. Each map marker (I'm using a South African Krugerrand as the map icon, since that's the type of gold coin most often dropped in the kettles) includes information on the donation and a link to the original story.    We'll keep sharing the stories on Twitter and Facebook as well. If you see or hear of a story that we haven't shared, you're always welcome to tweet us about it @ANACoins, post it on our Facebook page or drop me a line at jsherlock@money.org .    And now, the map, as it stands today:        http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/30/a-map-to-track-gold-coins-that-show-up-in-salvation-army-red-kettles.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/30/a-map-to-track-gold-coins-that-show-up-in-salvation-army-red-kettles.aspx Fri, 30 November 2012 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/30/the-ana-road-show-debuts-in-houston-this-week.aspx The ANA Road Show is a new initiative to bring the best parts of ANA shows to other regional coin shows across the nation. That initiative kicked off on Thursday with the Money Show of the Southwest in Houston. Here's ANA Executive Director Jeff Shevlin discussing the new initiative in a video interview with David Lisot of CoinTelevision.        We hope to have more dispatches from Houston here on the blog and also on our Twitter and Facebook feeds.  http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/30/the-ana-road-show-debuts-in-houston-this-week.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/30/the-ana-road-show-debuts-in-houston-this-week.aspx Fri, 30 November 2012 00:00:00 Brandon Ortega http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/29/weekly-money-museum-item-the-second-to-last-canadian-penny.aspx Correction: The Canadian penny was first introduced in 1858. This blog has been updated to correct that fact.    My name is Brandon Ortega; this is my first blog entry of what soon will become a regular weekly blog.  The subject of this blog will vary from week to week, but the emphasis will be on what are some of the most interesting artifacts, people, and coins that I see displayed in the Money Museum. My weekly entry will give a brief historical background of the item chosen for that week and I will further explain why I personally found the item interesting.  I hope you as the reader enjoy my weekly blog entry as I explore and learn more about everything the Money Museum has to offer.   While  walking around the museum I saw a lot of items that I thought would be interesting to write about, but there was one item in particular that grabbed my attention.  That item was the second-to-last Canadian penny. Due to the rising cost of copper, the cost of production for pennies raised. Hence, the penny lost its practical value, which led to the final Canadian Penny being produced on May 4, 2012. The loss of value in that coin is what fascinated me about this item, especially since the United States nickel and penny are in a similar situation. We soon will find out the fate of those two American coins ( Click here for information on the US nickel and penny ).       The Canadian penny had a rich history, which started when it was introduced in 1858. The entire design was created by famed Royal Canadian Mint engraver Leonard Charles Wyon . Because of time, only a small portion of the coins ordered in 1858 were actually struck that year, a majority of the initial order were struck in 1859. Initially, one-cent pieces were unpopular; to get them into circulation it was not rare to see them discounted up to 20 percent. Interestingly, in the final years the pennies were produced, they again were becoming quite unpopular. A 2007 survey found that only 37 percent of Canadians actually used pennies.   Over the years, the design and faces on the coin changed. Famous kings and queens have been pictured on the coin: Some of them include Queen Victoria, King George V, Queen Elizabeth II, and many others.  It is not uncommon to hear a variety of names for the coin including "penny," "cent," "cenne," "cenne noire," "sou," "sou noire."   The second-to-last Canadian penny was donated to the Money Museum by the Royal Canadian Mint. The coin on display was produced the same day as the final Canadian penny, May 4, 2012. I would encourage everyone to take a trip to the Money Museum and take a look at this historical coin.       http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/29/weekly-money-museum-item-the-second-to-last-canadian-penny.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/29/weekly-money-museum-item-the-second-to-last-canadian-penny.aspx Thu, 29 November 2012 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/27/we-have-our-first-entry-in-the-holiday-craft-contest-meet-the-pennyman.aspx Here's the first entry in our Holiday Craft Contest. This is The Pennyman, created by Brian Sparks of Fort Dodge, Iowa.      Here's Brian's note that he sent along with his entry:    A snowman reminds me of winter and the holidays, so I created The Pennyman. This gave me a chance to go down to my local bank and pick up a box of pennies to go through. I found 18 wheaties.   The Pennyman is able to see through Indian eyes and has a smile worth of rosie dimes. His base is made of 95 percent copper pennies, just like his buttons. His copper coated zinc body is kept warm only by a $4.00 hat. Although his arms are throwing up the peace sign, they are weak and fragile, like the $1.00 Federal Reserve notes they are made of.    The Pennyman currently is on display at the local coin store in Fort Dodge, Iowa. More collectors can enjoy him there, instead of sitting in my living room. I will auction him off the weekend before Christmas and donate all the money to the local coin club.   Kudos to Brian for finding a way to support his local coin club. And keep those submissions coming, because we have some great prizes:    Prize packs   First place: A 1962 silver proof Franklin Half Dollar A 2012 ANA special edition of "A Guide Book to United States Coins" (the Red Book) with an error on the cover (the type is doubled on the cover). A copy of Paul Hollis's book, "American Numismatist." A copy of David Akers's book, "United States Gold Patterns."    Second place:  A 2012 United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set from the Denver Mint.  A 500-piece jigsaw puzzle of depicting Lute Player on a 1685 German silver 3 thaler, from Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel A copy of Paul Hollis's book, "American Numismatist." A copy of David Akers's book, "United States Gold Patterns."    Third place:  An uncirculated roll of 2012 one-cent euros A copy of Paul Hollis's book, "American Numismatist." A copy of David Akers's book, "United States Gold Patterns."   http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/27/we-have-our-first-entry-in-the-holiday-craft-contest-meet-the-pennyman.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/27/we-have-our-first-entry-in-the-holiday-craft-contest-meet-the-pennyman.aspx Tue, 27 November 2012 00:00:00 Numismatic Crime Information Center http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/26/from-the-numismatic-crime-information-center-burglary-in-saratoga-springs,-ny.aspx The Numismatic Crime Information Center recently released this information regarding a robbery in Saratoga Springs, NY.  Investigators with the Saratoga Springs, New York Police Department are investigating a burglary involving bullion and jewelry.  The following bullion was stolen: 50 - 10 oz. silver bars 10 - 1 oz. gold Krugerrands  5 - 100 oz. silver bars (Engelhard or Johnson Matthey)  6 - 1 oz. gold American Eagles 60 - Swiss francs 10 - 1/2 oz. American Eagles Anyone having information on this offense should contact:    Inv. Christopher Callahan Saratoga Springs Police Dept. ccallahan@saratogapolice.org  Office  518-380-9884 or Doug Davis 817-723-7231 doug@numismaticcrimes.org http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/26/from-the-numismatic-crime-information-center-burglary-in-saratoga-springs,-ny.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/26/from-the-numismatic-crime-information-center-burglary-in-saratoga-springs,-ny.aspx Mon, 26 November 2012 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/22/board-of-governors-holds-special-teleconference-meeting.aspx The Board of Governors convened for a special teleconference meeting on Tuesday afternoon. The meeting included two substantial pieces of news regarding future National Money Shows.   Dallas was chosen as the site for the 2016 National Money Show, which will be held March 3-5, 2016, at the Dallas Convention Center. The success of the recently completed Dallas National Money Show this fall was cited by many board members as their No. 1 reason for returning to the Lone Star State.   The other major announcement is that the host clubs have been chosen for the 2014 National Money Show in Atlanta. The Georgia Numismatic Association will work in conjunction with the Metropolitan Coin Club of Atlanta to host the show, which is scheduled for Feb. 27-March 2, 2014.      http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/22/board-of-governors-holds-special-teleconference-meeting.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/22/board-of-governors-holds-special-teleconference-meeting.aspx Wed, 21 November 2012 00:00:00 Oded Paz http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/15/the-whats-going-on-at-the-ana-newsletter-for-november.aspx Oded Paz is the ANA National Coordinator for the Club and District Representatives Program. He writes a monthly message for ANA Clubs. Here's the November edition:    What's going on at the ANA? - November 2012 Welcome to another monthly edition of"What's going on at the ANA?"   Last month I attended the National Money Show in Dallas, Texas. The show was good for me, as I was able to purchase a few good finds, although I heard from friends and dealers that is was a rather slow show.   We scheduled a last-minute Clubs & District Representatives meeting on Saturday morning, but due to the last minute, it was not on the schedule, and only a handful of participants attended the meeting.   After the above mentioned meeting, Sandy Pearl, Cary Hardy and I sat for a while and discussed a few issues regarding the plan of action for the advisory committee that was formed in Philly by Executive Director Jeff Shevlin.   I repeatedly encourage you to send me any and all ideas, requests, kudos and constructive criticism, which will be discussed by this committee.   As I did in previous newsletters, I will continue with the advantages of being an ANA member. This month's advantage: The ANA's Young Numismatists Program.   Do you know of any youngster who likes money. Does this youngster like history? Is the youngster's age 22 or younger? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then YOU can sign up a new Young Numismatist (YN) to become a member of the ANA and discover how much fun coin collecting can be!   YN Programs offer a variety of opportunities for young collectors to become engaged in numismatics and learn more about the hobby. Becoming a YN ANA member is fun, affordable, and provides many benefits.   Young Numismatists can sign up to receive Your Newsletter, an electronic publication by and for young numismatists, complete with updates on projects, events & activities. Your Newsletter is available to anyone interested in coins, paper money, tokens or medals by request to education@money.org.   For more info, go here .    So, what else is new & exciting? Please see the following:   Atlanta & Portland were selected for future National Money Shows Atlanta was selected as the host city for the 2014 National Money Show and Portland, Ore., will be the location for the 2015 spring show following votes by the American Numismatic Association Board of Governors during an Oct. 20 meeting in Dallas.   The board voted to permanently move the spring show back to March, with some flexibility. This change begins with the Atlanta show, which will be held Feb. 27 to March 1 at the Cobb Galleria Centre.   The Portland show runs from March 5-7 at the Oregon Convention Center. The Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association and Willamette Coin Club were selected as host clubs.   Apply for the ANA's Visa Credit Card This card is a great way to get the most from every purchase, because you'll earn one reward point for every $1 in net purchases spent with the card. Use your ANA Visa Signature Card for everything from gas and groceries to dining and travel, and watch your points add up! You can redeem your points for valuable rewards including cash back, air travel, merchandise, gift cards, and many other options. Rewards start at just 1,500 points! 0% Intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for twelve billing cycles, and after that a variable APR, currently 9.99% - 21.99%. Apply today .   Australian Holey Dollar Returned to ANA Money Museum The 1813 Holey dollar was returned to the American Numismatic Association's Edward C. Rochette Money Museum on Oct. 23. The Holey dollar is an 1813 Australian coin struck on a 1788 Spanish-American real piece of Charles III from Mexico City. It has a large hole punched out of it; around the hole is an added legend "NEW SOUTH WALES 1813" on the obverse and "FIVE SHILLINGS" on the reverse. Australia's first domestic coin, around 350 Holey dollars survive today.   The Spanish real was widely used by many countries as international currency because of its uniformity and milling characteristics. Some countries, like Australia, countersigned the Spanish dollar so it could be used as their local currency. The Spanish dollar remained legal tender in the U.S. until the Coinage Act of 1857.   Additional security measures The ANA upgraded its security and surveillance systems following the theft, and continues to enhance security measures. In the coming months, the museum also will hire additional part-time staff to catalog and photograph the ANA's museum collection and make museum resources available online to members. "This project will take several years, but it is intended to secure this valuable ANA resource," said Jeff Shevlin.   Earliest Known Membership Certificate From 1894 Donated to ANA by Dwight Manley The earliest known surviving ANA membership certificate, dated July 1, 1894, has been acquired by California real estate developer and long-time coin collector, Dwight Manley, and donated to the ANA. Manely's donation also includes 16 other documents and materials dating back to the early years of the association that was founded in 1891 by Dr. George F. Heath of Monroe, Michigan. The 1894 ANA membership certificate was originally sent to Joseph Potichke of Massachusetts, and it reads: "Membership No. 196. Waltham, Mass. July 1, 1894. This is to certify, that, Mr. Joseph M. Potichke, was admitted to membership in the American Numismatic Association on the first day of July 1894. In witness whereof we have set our hand and seal." It is signed by then-ANA President Heath and ANA Secretary O.W. Page with a red wax seal affixed to the paper next to their signatures.   One of the Last Canadian Cents on Display at Money Museum A new display at the Edward C. Rochette Money Museum marks the end of an era and a major milestone in the history of money. The second-to-last Canadian cent ever produced by the Royal Canadian Mint was donated to the ANA and is on display at the Colorado Springs museum through 2012. Canada recently retired its one-cent piece, 154 years after its introduction in 1858. The last Canadian cents were struck during a May 4, 2012 ceremony. This exhibit incorporates a two-minute video about the final day of cent production at the Royal Canadian Mint in Winnipeg, along with examples of previous Canadian cent designs, the second-to-last cent struck and a special presentation letter from the Royal Canadian Mint.   For additional information and details on many of the items listed above, you can always go to the ANA's website and read the Press Releases .   I always enjoy hearing from you so please write to paz@money.org .     http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/15/the-whats-going-on-at-the-ana-newsletter-for-november.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/15/the-whats-going-on-at-the-ana-newsletter-for-november.aspx Thu, 15 November 2012 00:00:00 John Siteman http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/12/exhibiting-is-an-excellent-way-to-educate-and-compete.aspx   Today, I am going to talk about exhibiting and how to make an exhibit. I am a seasoned exhibitor in both the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association and American Numismatic Association. Some of the awards that I have received for my exhibits in the past would include the James E. Charlton Junior Exhibit Award, James L. Betton Memorial Exhibit Award (YN-World Coins) and the Derek Pobjoy Award for the Best Exhibit of Modern Circulating Commemoratives.  Exhibiting can be a rewarding experience for anyone, whether you want to exhibit to educate the public about a type of material that you collect or whether you want to exhibit for the competition aspect (maybe even both.).    The ANA holds a competitive exhibit competition at the World's Fair of Money in the summer and the National Money Show in the spring. Each exhibit is judged by a group of three judges who evaluate the exhibits based on many factors, including information, attractiveness, creativity and condition. There are 18 categories that are open to all exhibitors and seven categories that are only open to Young Numismatists. From all of the exhibits in the show, there are awards for Best of Show, Best Circulating Commemorative Exhibit, Peoples Choice, Best New Exhibitor as well as the Women in Numismatics Award. The YN division's first-place winners are also evaluated for the YN Best of Show Award, which comes with a scholarship to a future ANA Summer Seminar. There is always a wide variety of material in the exhibit area and there always is room for more.   When it comes to creating a Numismatic Exhibit, I can give a few suggestions. When picking the type of material and information for your exhibit, try not to pick something that would confuse the general reader of your exhibit. If you do that, you will not get very many points from the judges. The other major thing that I can say is to put a lot of effort into making the exhibit look good. If you don't take the time to carefully make the cards that your information is printed on, it will make your exhibit not look as good. It is also a good idea that when you are preparing an exhibit and are able,  try to borrow a case or make a case the same size as the type of case that will be at your show. It will help with staging your exhibit to see how it will look when it is put on the table as well as help you be able to set it up easier once you get to the show. If you look for feedback on your exhibit before the show, it is a good idea to talk to any seasoned exhibitor. It will help because you will see things that you may not see as harmful to getting a good score    Before I finish my article, I want to specifically talk to any Young Numismatist who is reading this. At the World's Fair of Money this year, there were 21 possible exhibit awards for YN's, of which only four were awarded. All of those were first-place awards. That meant that any YN that would have just tried and earned more than 50 points from the judges could have won a competitive exhibit award. There are so many opportunities in the ANA that are helped through exhibiting and the ANA convention is one of the best places to try exhibiting. As I mentioned earlier, the YN Best of Show wins a scholarship to the ANA Summer Seminar, which is a reward that can really help you in your numismatic career. I would hope that more YN's would give exhibiting a try because as young people, we are able to show material that adults don't normally display.    In conclusion, I would encourage any numismatist, old or young, to try exhibiting. It gives you an opportunity to show material that we put pride in showing to others as well as giving information to educate the type of person that does not know about a certain type of material. If you want to learn more about how to create an exhibit or improve an existing exhibit, there is a course that was at the 2012 ANA Summer Seminar that could help. The course "Creating a Winning Numismatic Exhibit" was taught by 2011 Radford Sterns Award winner Lawrence Sekulich that went in depth on every aspect of how to create an exhibit including design, information, judging and materials to make the exhibit look attractive.  Hopefully, this course will be offered for students when the 2013 Summer Seminar course list comes out. I hope that you will be encouraged to try exhibiting and I look forward to seeing some new exhibits at shows in the future. http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/12/exhibiting-is-an-excellent-way-to-educate-and-compete.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/12/exhibiting-is-an-excellent-way-to-educate-and-compete.aspx Thu, 15 November 2012 00:00:00 Numismatic Crime Information Center http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/9/from-the-numismatic-crime-center-fugitive-sought-in-florida.aspx Christopher Glenn Hearne, a fugitive wanted for a $100,000 burglary of a coin dealer in Louisiana, was identified as a suspect in a theft of coins that occurred in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Hearne was driving a silver Mercury and possibly headed toward Orlando. Hearne is in the company of a female identified as Aime Ainsworth. Hearne has family in Orlando and may attempt to sell the coins at local shops. Anyone with information should contact: Doug Davis 817-723-7231 Doug@numismaticcrimes.org http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/9/from-the-numismatic-crime-center-fugitive-sought-in-florida.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/9/from-the-numismatic-crime-center-fugitive-sought-in-florida.aspx Fri, 09 November 2012 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/8/tons-of-rare-artifacts-donated-to-the-ana-by-dwight-manley.aspx The ANA published a press release Wednesday announcing the donation of several historical ANA documents by Dwight Manley. He bought the documents during an auction Oct. 6 that was conducted by David Sklow Fine Numismatic Books (that would be the same David Sklow who serves as the ANA's historian and secretary).    So which lots did Manley win? Let's take a look:      This is the earliest-known surviving ANA membership certificate, which Manley has requested be put on display in the Dwight N. Manley Numismatic Library. This particular speciman is dated July 1, 1894, and is co-signed by ANA Founder Dr. George F. Heath and Secretary O.W. Page. The member's name on the certificate is Joseph M. Potichke of Waltham, Mass. He was member number 196.    I know what you're wondering: Did Potichke get a receipt? Yes. Yes he did:    He also got a letter. Be sure to note the really cool letterhead they were using in 1894:    And now, a look at a few more of the items donated:        This is what a membership card looked like in 1909.      Above two photos: The front and back of a postcard to George Heath from Karl W. Hiersemann.         Above three images: The envelope and a letter to Heath.    The official return envelope used by The Numismatist. The postmark is 1899.      In 1905, The Numismatist cost $1 to receive for an entire year.    Want to subscribe? Here are two subscription forms and the envelope they would have gone into.      The front and back of the greeting message from the 1962 convention.  http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/8/tons-of-rare-artifacts-donated-to-the-ana-by-dwight-manley.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/8/tons-of-rare-artifacts-donated-to-the-ana-by-dwight-manley.aspx Wed, 07 November 2012 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/7/attention-crafty-numismatists-heres-a-chance-to-win-some-cool-prizes-and-show-off-your-artist-ability.aspx During the 2011 holiday season, in between conducting the day-to-day business of keeping the ANA up and running, ANA staff members competed in a gingerbread house contest. Sponsored by the Crowne Plaza in Colorado Springs, the contest challenged businesses, museums (that's where we came in) and other nonprofit organizations to put together a gingerbread house that best reflected what their organization was all about.    As you can see from the accompanying photo, the ANA staff did a nice job of putting together a numismatic-themed house that reflects what goes on at the Money Museum and captures the spirit of the holidays. Now, for the upcoming season, we'd like to give members a chance to stretch their creative muscles and win some great prizes in the process. Here's how it works.    The canvas : Let's not limit ourselves to gingerbread houses - feel free to make any decoration that reflects the holiday season. Think Christmas tree ornaments, banners, stockings, menorahs, New Year's party hats, gift bags and baskets, fruit cakes, wall decorations, or any other object that is normally associated with Christmas, New Year's, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa.    Numismatic theme : This is where contestants will really get to show their creativity. Do you incorporate something ancient or something modern? Something from the U.S. Mint or from a world mint? A mix of all of the above? The possibilities really are endless.    Picking the winner : This is the fun part - you get to pick the winner. To enter, email your submission to  jsherlock@money.org  by the submission deadline of Friday, Dec. 7. On Monday, Dec. 10, we'll post a gallery of all submissions for you to vote on here at The Exchange. The top three vote-getters will receive the first-, second-, and third-place prize packs we've put together (see below for what's in each prize pack). Voting will close at 5 p.m. Mountain Standard Time on Friday, Dec. 14. We'll announce the winners on The Exchange on the morning of Monday, Dec. 17. We'll also get those prize packs in the mail that morning so that the winners receive them before Christmas.    What to include in your submission : First and foremost, a good photo of your project will be paramount to winning. So send along something that's high-resolution and large. Multiple angles of your project are a good idea as well. Also, be sure to include your full name (we'll post your name with the photos of your entry), a short description of why you made what you made (also for publication), and your contact information (not for publication, but so I can let you know if you won).    So, pull together your arts and crafts kit, brainstorm some ideas and have fun. In the end, you'll have yourself a new decoration for the holidays, and you may even win a prize, too.      Prize packs   First place: A 1962 silver proof Franklin Half Dollar A 2012 ANA special edition of "A Guide Book to United States Coins" (the Red Book) with an error on the cover (the type is doubled on the cover). A copy of Paul Hollis's book, "American Numismatist." A copy of David Akers's book, "United States Gold Patterns."    Second place:  A 2012 United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set from the Denver Mint.  A 500-piece jigsaw puzzle of depicting Lute Player on a 1685 German silver 3 thaler, from Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel A copy of Paul Hollis's book, "American Numismatist." A copy of David Akers's book, "United States Gold Patterns."    Third place:  An uncirculated roll of 2012 one-cent euros A copy of Paul Hollis's book, "American Numismatist." A copy of David Akers's book, "United States Gold Patterns." http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/7/attention-crafty-numismatists-heres-a-chance-to-win-some-cool-prizes-and-show-off-your-artist-ability.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/november-2012/7/attention-crafty-numismatists-heres-a-chance-to-win-some-cool-prizes-and-show-off-your-artist-ability.aspx Mon, 05 November 2012 00:00:00 John Siteman http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/29/a-trip-to-the-2012-worlds-fair-of-money.aspx When I first entered the bourse of the World's Fair of Money taking place in Philadelphia, all I could say was, "wow." As this was my first ANA convention, I was amazed just at the vast size of the bourse. To compare in size, the bourse of the largest show I had been to up to that point was about 100 tables. In this article, I am going to tell you about some of the highlights for me from attending the 2012 World's Fair of Money.   I first arrived at the World's Fair of Money on the last day of the ANA/PNG Pre-Show to set up my exhibit. Just going through the vast rows of tables of dealers preparing for the next week of buying and selling made me amazed. As I mentioned in an earlier blog post,  I had attended the "Creating a Winning Numismatic Exhibit" course at the 2012 ANA Summer Seminar to prepare for this convention. I had thought about how good the exhibits would be but once I got there, the reality of the competition really set in. All of the exhibitors prepared excellent exhibits and it would be really tough to get an award. After setting up my exhibit and helping my mom with hers, we left for the day.   The next few days were the start of the best part of the convention. I was up at the convention center right for the opening ceremonies. After ANA President Tom Hallenbeck, along with some other important dignitaries conducted their official duties, the bourse was opened for the day to a packed crowd of eager numismatists. Once I got through into the bourse, my first stop was to go see the Royal Canadian Mint, who had a limited-edition set that was made just for the convention. With the fact that the Canadian one cent coin (the penny) was being taken out of circulation, it would be a very sought-after set. The staff from the mint had met me at many other events and were happy to see me. After that, I went to the ANA Area to take part in the YN Treasure Trivia. The Treasure Trivia is a "trivia scavenger hunt" through the bourse, talking to participating dealers to get the answers to numismatic questions. As I went through, the dealers gave me an opportunity to guess before they helped me get the answer.  I could say that I did pretty well, finishing with 28 correct answers out of 29 questions.    All through the convention,  I got to go through the bourse and buy a few new items for my collection. Meeting with many dealers, I bought many different items including a few items that were "close to home" for me. Some of the highlights included an 1890 Morgan dollar in (AU-55),  an 1883 U.S. 5-cent coin (No Cents: F-12), a few ancient coins and a whole bunch of other small items. The dealers are really good with all of the kids that they see on the floor, often giving them special deals or giving them a low-priced coin for free.   This convention had excellent programs for the YNs to take part in. Including the Treasure Trivia event, YNs could take part in the activities run by the staff at the Kids Zone, attend educational sessions and learn how to exhibit. The best part was the YN Breakfast and Auction held on the Saturday of the convention. During the auction, young numismatists get to bid on a wide variety of coins and paper money using dollars earned from being active in the hobby. This year, the auction had a lot of excellent items such as Morgan Dollars, mint sets and 1800s foreign coins. Brad Karloff (the auctioneer for the event), along with Rod Gillis (ANA Numismatic Educator) run the program, ensuring that everyone had fun and got a lot of items during the auction. It was a great time and I am already  preparing for a trip in the future.    In conclusion, the World's Fair of Money was an awesome event. I would encourage any of you who are reading to consider attending. There is something for everyone, including the educational presentations, the bourse, the exhibits and the fellowship with other numismatists. I am already preparing for a trip to the 2014 event being held in Chicago.    The writer with ANA Governor and Summer Seminar instructor Mike Ellis   A view of the bourse   There was buying and selling everywhere on the floor.   A drawing for a spot in the Cash Cube.   ANA President Tom Hallenbeck and Executive Director Jeff Shevlin accept the 2nd last Canadian One Cent piece for the Edward Rochette Money Museum from Royal Canadian Mint Chairman James Love.   A view of the bourse from above.   The writer being presented the Derek Pobjoy Award for Best Exhibit of Modern World Commemorative Coins from ANA Vice President Walter Ostromecki.   The preperation for the start of the YN Auction.    2009 YN of the Year Cole Schenewerk contemplating his next move at the YN Auction.   http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/29/a-trip-to-the-2012-worlds-fair-of-money.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/29/a-trip-to-the-2012-worlds-fair-of-money.aspx Mon, 29 October 2012 00:00:00 Rick Snow http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/25/cherrypickin-at-its-best!.aspx As a Indian Cent variety expert, I usually am usually shown great varieties that some other collector found or cherrypicked. I usually don't find them myself. There are very few instances where a rare coin lays waiting for anyone to come by and buy it well below its true value.    In early October, 2012, I had a spare moment and dropped in on eBay and search for auctions that were just listed. The first auction I spotted was just put up by a dealer of "junk" coins. Here is his image:   Do you see the rare coin? It is the 1888 Indian cent. Due to the die break at 9:00 on the edge, I can tell that it is the very rare 1888/7 Snow-1 in VF condition. It is a $10,000 coin!    So, I am all giddy that I discovered this coin. I place a small bid of $20 on the auction and then go to a "snipe" site and register an automatic bid for well over $5,000 set to go off 5 seconds prior to the close of the auction. I then spent the next few days in anxiety waiting for the auction to finish. Would someone else see it? Quite probably, yes. It might cost me a few thousand to acquire the coin. What if the owner removed the coin from sale - perhaps at the instgation of some side-offer? The chance of getting the coin was 50-50.    On the Sunday afternoon when the auction ended, I was off with the family out of internet range. When I finally got back to a town, I looked up the auction - and held my breath.    $47.00!   A few bidders tried to grab it at the end, but the high bid other than my "snipe" bid was only $46. I got it! After paying instantly, I waited for days for my prize! On the Monday before leaving for the Dallas ANA show, it came - first class with signature confirmation. Clearly a low value package!    The coin was submitted to PCGS at the show and they graded it VF-35. It sold instantly to another dealer for close to $10,000. It is the biggest percentage gain I have ever had on a cherrypick.  http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/25/cherrypickin-at-its-best!.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/25/cherrypickin-at-its-best!.aspx Wed, 24 October 2012 04:00:00 Kendra Johnson http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/25/archives-farran-zerbe-discovery.aspx As the ANA's Dwight N. Manely Numismatic Library continues to restructure its archives, many significant numismatic artificats are uncovered. Among these items, I have stumbled upon personal correspondance regarding Farran Zerbe selling The Numismatist . These letters, dated during the late months of 1910 and early months of 1911, bring insight into Zerbe's relationship with the ANA, his sale of The Numismatist , as well as the state of some of our earlier members. Below is a contract regarding the sale of The Numismatist , dated October 27, 1910, it is signed by Howland Wood and W.W.C. Wilson.      http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/25/archives-farran-zerbe-discovery.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/25/archives-farran-zerbe-discovery.aspx Wed, 24 October 2012 00:00:00 William D. Hyder http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/24/a-visit-to-the-ana-library.aspx I recently had the opportunity to spend a week at ANA headquarters researching Thomas Elder medals. Most of my time was spent in the library immersing myself in numismatic literature of the early 1900s.   I realize that many ANA members will likely never make a trip to headquarters, but they should not hesitate to contact the staff with their research questions. As an ANA member, I have made use of my borrowing privileges and find the service to be a valuable benefit of membership. I have not personally made use of the research services the librarians offer (for a small fee), but I probably will in the future. Nothing, however, beats an in-person visit.   I made arrangements ahead of my visit so staff knew I was coming and knew my research goals. While visiting with the members of the library staff, I was pleasantly surprised to see they had work notes posted next to their computers and my research topics were noted along with other daily tasks. I must say that made me feel welcome.   Most of the time, I worked at a table behind the library circulation desk, Kendra Johnson's workstation. We chatted about my interests in the early history of U.S. numismatics and her Master's thesis on Nazi counterfeiters. She also shared her enthusiasm over the Frank Gasparro papers she was preparing for public exhibit at the Dallas National Money Show. What a special treat to be able to examine a new donation as it was being prepared for public presentation. If I had to identify one drawback to working in the library, it would be the many distractions so readily at hand for a numismatist.   Despite the distractions, the staff (Amanda, Kendra, and Natalya) helped keep me focused. I serve on the ANA IT Advisory Committee, so I took the opportunity to meet with staff working on the web and other IT projects while in Colorado Springs. When I would return to my research in the library after taking breaks, I would find a stack of new references Kendra had located and pulled for my use while I was gone. Our chats helped her understand my research goals, and she used that knowledge to help me cover more ground by finding material that I might not have had time to find on my own.   While the circulating library is a great asset, one has to make a personal visit to realize the depth of the library resources. For example, the rare book room houses materials too fragile or valuable to circulate. Items can be used in the library one at a time with various restrictions based on how fragile they might be. Elder's monthly publication and auction catalogs were there for my use. I have managed to acquire a few issues for my own library over the years, but the rare book room contained an extensive collection invaluable to my research.   The ANA auction catalog collection is equally impressive, although an index is not yet available on the web. An Excel file can be searched on site or one could ask the library staff to search the file for any specific auction catalog you might need. They are working to make the index available on the web, so watch for that valuable resource in the future.   Kendra also introduced me to the ANA archives, another great resource that proved valuable for my research as well. Again, a lot of work remains to be done to catalog the materials and I suspect that will not be done any time soon, but the librarians are familiar with the resources and can perform searches and scan materials for nominal fees. Following my visit, she located letters associated with Farran Zerbe and The Numismatist that are related to my research interests. She will be sharing the letters in a separate blog entry soon.   I returned home after a week in Colorado Springs with more than enough material to keep me busy for the next several months. I had a good idea of what I could accomplish in the library, but I learned so much more than I expected about the ANA resources by visiting in person.   I realize that many ANA members will likely never make a trip to headquarters, but they should not hesitate to contact the staff with their research questions. I found the staff to be the most valuable library resource and they helped make my visit a pleasant experience as well as a productive research trip. http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/24/a-visit-to-the-ana-library.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/24/a-visit-to-the-ana-library.aspx Tue, 23 October 2012 00:00:00 John Siteman http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/22/summer-seminar-in-the-eyes-of-a-yn.aspx This summer, I had the opportunity to attend the ANA Summer Seminar in Colorado Springs for the second time on a YN Scholarship.  There were a lot of different things that made this year's Summer Seminar really amazing.  From the new classes that the ANA added this year to the YN Auction and many more, all of it made the experience of attending Summer Seminar again awesome and in this article, I want to tell you a bit about my trip as well as a bit on Summer Seminar.     The journey to Colorado Spring began early in the morning on Friday, June 29.  Flying from Halifax, via Chicago O'Hare into Colorado Springs, I got there in the late afternoon. Once I arrived, I met up with a representative from the ANA, Daniel "Tiny" Cross, and another YN before going to the dorms on a short shuttle ride.  After unpacking in my room and meeting my roommate, who happened to have been there last year, we headed off for an off-campus dinner at HuHot Mongolian Grill, where we met the old and new friends that we would be living with for the next week and have the ground rules laid out for our behaviour while at the Summer Seminar.  We had the opportunity to explore the immediate area around the dorms, getting to visit Hallenbeck's Coin Gallery, the Edward C. Rochette Money Museum as well as attend the Colorado Springs Coin Show.   During the next few days, I got to take part in one of the many classes at Summer Seminar.  This year, I took the "Creating a Winning Numismatic Exhibit" course taught by award winning exhibitor and former Radford Sterns Award winner Lawrence "Larry" Sekulich. All throughout this class, we took a look at everything it takes to create a winning exhibit.  Everyone in the class were veteran exhibitors, which meant that we would be able to learn as much from each other as well as from Mr. Sekulich.  In the end, we could all say that we were more confident exhibitors and it gave us the tools to succeed in future exhibitions.      On Wednesday night, my favourite part of the week took place. The Young Numismatist Scholarship Auction, which raises money to send young collectors from around the United States and Canada back to Colorado Springs year after year.  This event is even tough to describe because of how much fun it is.  All through the week, the Young Numismatists attending the Summer Seminar take donations for the lots, make a catalogue of all the lots and run everything on auction night.  There is not many rules on what should happen but there is one.  As Sonny Henry, our auctioneer always says, "Bid High, Bid Often".  During our auction, the highlight of it was a Roman Empire gold coin that went for $11,250.  We ended up raising a total of $30,207.50, topping the total set by the Session 1 auction.     The experience of attending Summer Seminar once was awesome. Getting to go again made it even more special.  Whether it was the people that you would meet, the things you would learn or even just being in Colorado Springs, the experience of attending Summer Seminar was very rewarding for me.  I would encourage any young person that has an interest in numismatics and wants to become more knowledgeable in a certain field of numismatics to apply for the seminar.  Next years session's go from June 22 nd to the 28 th for Session 1 and June 29 th to July 5 th for session 2.              http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/22/summer-seminar-in-the-eyes-of-a-yn.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/22/summer-seminar-in-the-eyes-of-a-yn.aspx Mon, 22 October 2012 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/20/in-the-kids-zone-presidential-vote,-its-lincoln-in-a-landslide.aspx We have the final tally from the Kids Zone vote on who is the favorite president who appears on coins, and Abe Lincoln won the vote in a landslide.    The final vote tally:    Lincoln, 57 percent of the vote George Washington, 23 percent Franklin Roosevelt, 13 percent Thomas Jefferson, 7 percent   That makes two victories in a row for Mr. Lincoln, who also won a similar vote held at the World's Fair of Money in Philadelphia. The final tally also marks a remarkable turnaround for Washington, who made a late surge to climb into second place - same place he finished in Philadelphia.  http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/20/in-the-kids-zone-presidential-vote,-its-lincoln-in-a-landslide.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/20/in-the-kids-zone-presidential-vote,-its-lincoln-in-a-landslide.aspx Sat, 20 October 2012 00:00:00 Mike Ellis http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/19/teaching-a-course-at-an-ana-show-has-the-same-flavor-as-teaching-at-summer-seminar.aspx Whenever I get to attend an ANA event, I am thrilled and life at home is re-energized. That being said, I thoroughly enjoy the privilege of representing you on your Board of Governors. So you might surmise that ANA Shows are a very special time for me. The primary mission itself, of the ANA, is the part I love the most and that is our responsibility to educate the public on all things numismatic.   Every year I am honored to be invited back to teach at the ANA's Summer Seminar in Colorado Springs, Colo. It is unquestionably my favorite activity every year. Attendance at an ANA Seminar shaves years off the learning curve of your areas of interest.   There are also times when I have been invited to regional coin conventions to teach a two- or three-day seminar of which the class environment is virtually identical to that of the Summer Seminar. Out of class, it usually does not have the Summer Seminar flavor but you get to enjoy a great coin show in the same location for a few days.   Until this week, I had never taught a class for the ANA prior to an ANA-sponsored event. I did not think any of these ways could come close to the bargain that Summer Seminar is. I am happy to report that the class I taught with ANA Numismatic Educator Rod Gillis this week made me realize that attending one of these two- or three-day classes in conjunction with an ANA show is nearly as great of a bargain as the Summer Seminar. For around two or three hundred bucks you get much the same high-quality educational event that you get from Summer Seminar. You can immerse yourself into ANA events nearly the same as you can at Summer Seminar.   The bottom line here is that these class offerings give you a more affordable opportunity to learn what you learn at Summer Seminar itself. And you get an opportunity to attend an ANA Show at the same time. It makes for a wonderful week of all things numismatic, and that is what I love. I hope I get this opportunity over and over and over, and if you ever try it, I believe you will like it about as much as I do. It is not Summer Seminar but they both have an independent component that makes them different from the other. Both fun ways to experience the educational opportunities the ANA has to offer.   Do yourself a favor if you can and try it both ways. I'm glad I did.   Check out some photos of the class in action:      http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/19/teaching-a-course-at-an-ana-show-has-the-same-flavor-as-teaching-at-summer-seminar.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/19/teaching-a-course-at-an-ana-show-has-the-same-flavor-as-teaching-at-summer-seminar.aspx Fri, 19 October 2012 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/19/technology-committee-report-for-the-board-of-governors.aspx On Saturday morning, I'll have the pleasure of delivering the Technology Committee's report to the Board of Governors during the board's Town Hall meeting at the Dallas National Money Show.    I'm also the guy who generally live tweets the Board of Governors meetings. And since it's a little hard to give a report and live tweet it at the same time, I thought I'd post my report here to start and update tomorrow with any interesting discussion that comes out of the meeting.    My report is twofold - what we've accomplished since our last report to the board in Philadelphia and what's on the horizon.    What we've done since Philly The new blog : If you're reading this, you're already well aware that The Exchange, the ANA blog, is now up and running. Members can leave comments on posts by simply logging in to the Members-Only section of the site. We've built in some social media integration for easy sharing, and we're starting to get a stable of bloggers together who will be able to blog about the various aspects of numismatics.    (This seems like a good spot to remind everyone that we're always interested in having members contribute to The Exchange. Email me at jsherlock@money.org if you'd like to share your research, expertise or opinions on numismatics here.)   The new search bar : There's a lot of info on Money.org, and it's not always easy to find. But the new search bar will do wonders to solve that problem. If you haven't used it yet, just check out the box in the top-right corner of this page. Everything on Money.org will index here, including posts on The Exchange.    Re-writing our verification site : In order for ANA members to take advantage of their ANA benefits, we need a system that will allow our vendors to easily verify that yes, you are an ANA member, and yes, you are entitled to a particular benefit. Without getting too technical, we are currently re-developing our verification site to make it easier for our database to talk to other databases, which means our vendors can spend less time verifying your membership and more time helping you take advantage of your membership.    Re-writing and expanding the Dealers-Only section : Currently, our dealers-only section doesn't have much to it. We're hoping to turn this into a site that ANA-member dealers can use for finding out info on upcoming shows, securing a table, checking their account statuses, etc. etc.    What's next Our next big projects will be to bring back and further develop the Money 'Musements website, a place for kids to learn about coins through interactive games. Rod Gillis has developed a tremendous Choose-Your-Own-Adventure story that we hope to have online ahead of Christmas Break for YN's to enjoy over the holiday season.    We've also been recording the Money Talks presentations that were held in Philadelphia and Dallas, and we hope to have those edited into vodcasts (visual podcasts) by the end of the year. Those will be made available in the Members-Only section of Money.org.    But the biggest of the future initiatives is the continued development of a new Money.org. We're still in the planning initial planning phases of the site, so we're still looking for feedback from members on what types of features they'd most like to see on Money.org. We hope to have some major news to announce on the website development soon.    If you're in Dallas and want to attend the Town Hall, come to Room 174 at the Dallas Convention Center. If you're not in Dallas but want to follow along with the news, follow the live tweets on Twitter .  http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/19/technology-committee-report-for-the-board-of-governors.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/19/technology-committee-report-for-the-board-of-governors.aspx Fri, 19 October 2012 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/18/check-out-what-the-elongated-collectors-brought-to-the-dallas-national-money-show.aspx Want a free commemorative elongate from the Dallas National Money Show? You're in luck, because The Elongated Collectors are giving away these at the show this week:        Stop by Booth 546 to pick one up.    TEC is also offering either of the above designs on a coin of your choice (penny, nickel, dime or quarter) for $6. The group is also selling limited-edition badges, also for $6.    Here's the TEC crew in action:     The Elongated Collectors: John Wooten; Oded Paz, TEC President; Nancy Wooten, TEC board member and Historian; Don Berry, smasher extraordinaire and maker of silly faces. http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/18/check-out-what-the-elongated-collectors-brought-to-the-dallas-national-money-show.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/18/check-out-what-the-elongated-collectors-brought-to-the-dallas-national-money-show.aspx Thu, 18 October 2012 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/18/in-the-kids-zone-race-for-the-presidency,-its-lincoln-by-a-mile.aspx Update with Friday's results:   Lincoln is still the leader by a wide margin with FDR taking control of second place. Washington and Jefferson are trailing FDR.    Original:   Marilyn Reback is the senior copy editor for The Numismatist, but she also doubles as the person in charge of the Kids Zone at the National Money Show and World's Fair of Money.    This being an election year and all, Marilyn had the idea to let kids vote for their favorite president who appears on U.S. coins. The ballot for the kids attending the Dallas National Money Show includes George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.    Well, Marilyn just brought over the exit polls, and so far Honest Abe is trouncing the competition. Jefferson and FDR are running neck-and-neck for a distant second, and George Washington isn't getting much love at all.    The last time this vote was run in Philadelphia at the World's Fair of Money , Lincoln edged out Washington by 39.3 percent to Washington's 36.1. But from the looks of the early exit numbers, Washington is going to need a major effort to vault out of last place and back into competition. Maybe he can promise each voter a cherry tree of their own to cut down?   Voting in the Kids Zone is open through Saturday, and we'll bring you daily results here on The Exchange.    But hey, why should the kids have all the fun? Who would you vote for in this race? Hit the comments and let us know.  http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/18/in-the-kids-zone-race-for-the-presidency,-its-lincoln-by-a-mile.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/18/in-the-kids-zone-race-for-the-presidency,-its-lincoln-by-a-mile.aspx Thu, 18 October 2012 00:00:00 Kendra Johnson http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/16/mobile-archives-debuts-in-dallas-with-artifacts-from-frank-gasparro,-10th-chief-engraver-of-the-us-mint.aspx The American Numismatic Association is currently taking on the endeavor of restructuring our library archives. As this process continues to take shape, we'd like to share with our members some exciting numismatic artifacts.   As some of you may know (or will soon see) we are taking some of our archives to you. Starting Thursday at the National Money Show in Dallas, you will be able to view items in the museum's collection through our mobile archives.  At this convention, you will be able to see the personal papers and sketches of the 10th chief engraver of the U.S. Mint, Frank Gasparro.    Our mobile archives include personal correspondence and a variety of sketches, including those of Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and other historic personalities.    Gasparro, who is best known for his work on the Susan B. Anthony dollar, the Eisenhower dollar, and the Lincoln Memorial cent, also contributed his artistic skills to the WPA (Works Progress Administration) before working at the mint as well as private companies after his retirement from the mint in 1981. http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/16/mobile-archives-debuts-in-dallas-with-artifacts-from-frank-gasparro,-10th-chief-engraver-of-the-us-mint.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/16/mobile-archives-debuts-in-dallas-with-artifacts-from-frank-gasparro,-10th-chief-engraver-of-the-us-mint.aspx Tue, 16 October 2012 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/12/the-pen-president-kennedy-used-to-sign-the-ana-charter.aspx     That's not just any pen. That's the pen that President John. F. Kennedy used to sign the ANA's amended federal charter on April 10, 1962. It will be part of the Museum Showcase at the National Money Show in Dallas, along with several other Kennedy-related numismatic artifacts.    The ANA's original federal charter was signed on April 23, 1912, by President William Taft. The amended charter that Kennedy signed allowed for a larger board of governors.    Here's another Kennedy-related numismatic artifact we'll have on display in Dallas: An ANA commemorative to celebrate the first lunar landing.    http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/12/the-pen-president-kennedy-used-to-sign-the-ana-charter.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/12/the-pen-president-kennedy-used-to-sign-the-ana-charter.aspx Fri, 12 October 2012 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/10/well-have-live-coverage-of-the-board-of-governors-meeting-on-twitter.aspx   If you can't make it to the Board of Governors meeting in Dallas, join us for live coverage on Twitter. The meeting starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 20. Follow us @ANACoins and tweet us with any questions you have for the board, or leave a comment below with any questions and I'll ask them on your behalf.    Here's the agenda:    American Numismatic Association Open Session Board Meeting October 20, 2012 at 10 am to noon Dallas Convention Center Room 174  Agenda President Hallenbeck calls the meeting to order President's Update - Tom Hallenbeck   Committee Reports Resolutions - John Wilson   Technology Advisory Committee - Jake Sherlock   Convention Month to Schedule the ANA Spring National Money Show - Vice President Ostromecki   Motion by Vice President Ostromecki, second by _____________: to move the Spring ANA National Money Show from May to March beginning in 2014.   Discussion on 2014 and 2015 National Money Show Site Selections - Rhonda Scurek   Motion by _____________, second by _____________: to select Atlanta, Georgia as the host city for the 2014 National Money Show to be held February 26 through March 3, 2014.   Motion by _____________, second by _____________: to select Portland, Oregon as the host city for the 2015 National Money Show to be held March 2 through 9, 2015.   Discussion on 2016 National Money Show and World's Fair of Money Site Options - Rhonda Scurek   Finance Smithsonian - Clifford Mishler   Motion by Mishler, second by Ostromecki, to commit to a $100,000 pledge to the Smithsonian Institution Museum of American History "Gallery of Numismatic History" exhibit development, payable in annual installments of $25,000 each commencing with fiscal year 2013 (Nov. 1, 2012). (Flier Attached)   Treasurer's Update - Larry Baber   ANA 990 for 2011 - Carol Shuman   Motion: by ___________________, second by _____________________, to accept the 2011 990 as prepared by BiggsKofford.   ANA Budget for Fiscal Year End 2013 - Carol Shuman   Motion by ___________________, second by _____________________ to accept and approve the fiscal year 2013 budget as submitted and recommended by the Finance, Budget, & Audit Committee.   Awards Hall of Fame document amendment - Clifford Mishler   Motion by Mishler, second by ___________, to amend the Hall of Fame document Section III-b by changing "even numbered years" to "odd numbered years," and amend Section III-c by changing "odd numbered years" to "even numbered years."   Discussion Discussion on Past Governor Michael Fey's proposal for World Numismatic Association   Executive Executive Director Update - Jeff Shevlin   Legal General Counsel Update - Ron Sirna     http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/10/well-have-live-coverage-of-the-board-of-governors-meeting-on-twitter.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/10/well-have-live-coverage-of-the-board-of-governors-meeting-on-twitter.aspx Wed, 10 October 2012 00:00:00 Jake Sherlock http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/10/welcome-to-the-exchange,-a-blog-for-ana-members-to-exchange-ideas.aspx   Welcome to The Exchange, a blog for and about ANA members. It's a place for collectors like you to exchange ideas, research, commentary and other information with each other here at Money.org.    The success of this particular blog will depend greatly on those who wish to start discussions -- i.e. we're looking for a few good writers to get the ball rolling in sharing ideas, research, commentary and other information.    If you're interested in blogging here at Money.org, drop me a line at jsherlock@money.org or leave a comment below so I can get you set up.    When it comes to blog topics, the sky is truly the limit. Numismatics is a wide field, and this blog will reflect that. I've gotten the ball rolling with a few topic areas (i.e. categories), but I've probably missed several along the way. But that's the great thing about blogs: They're always growing. It only takes a second to add a new category.    So if you want to blog on any particular collecting area, we'd love to hear from you.    Maybe your niche in numismatics has more to do with research. Maybe you'd like to share some good research avenues for other collectors. We'd love to hear from you, too.    Or maybe your thing is education. I've long admired the efforts made by members of our association to ensure the hobby continues to grow for future generations - nobody takes care of the young numismatists like ANA members. If you'd like to blog about your educational efforts, recruitment drives or other local activity, we would love to hear from you, too.    Or maybe you're really into the news of numismatics. Maybe you like to read and comment on auction lots, or you like to report on bills before Congress that will affect the hobby. You guessed it - we want to hear from you, too.    Or maybe you're not the type who wants to start a conversation, but you'd like to comment on something someone else wrote. That's easy to do as well - just hit the "comment" button and let us know what you think. All we ask is that you keep the conversation civil and refrain from using swear words and resorting to name-calling. In other words, if you wouldn't say it in front of your mother, don't say it in a comment either.    Welcome to The Exchange. Now, let's start sharing some ideas. What do you want to see here? Hit the comments and let me know, please. http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/10/welcome-to-the-exchange,-a-blog-for-ana-members-to-exchange-ideas.aspx http://money.org/blog/posts/2012/october-2012/10/welcome-to-the-exchange,-a-blog-for-ana-members-to-exchange-ideas.aspx Wed, 10 October 2012 00:00:00