Chatter

See You at ANA in Rosemont/Chicago

We have no trip reports from the ANA Summer Seminar, so maybe no member went there this year (I was beach camping in Canada.) Maybe you were preparing for the ANA Convention? I welcome, for the September Chatter, reports from any of the events, meetings, or presentations that you attended — report on the details, atmosphere, or whatever struck you. The ANA will return here for the next two summers, and our local volunteers would like to know what worked well and what you think should be changed.

Minutes of the 1135th Meeting

The 1135th meeting of the Chicago Coin Club was held July 10, 2013 in the Chicago Bar Association Building, 321 S. Plymouth Court, Downtown Chicago. President Elliott Krieter called the meeting to order at 6:45 PM with an attendance of 28 members.

A motion was passed to accept the July Minutes as published in the Chatter, with the correction that the joint dinner with the New York Numismatic Club is August 14, not August 13th. Treasurer Steve Zitowsky gave a detailed report showing June revenue of $4,434.63, expenses of $3,319.34 and total assets of $21,985.78 held in Life Membership $1,910.00 and member equity $20,075.78. A motion was passed to approve the report.

Mark Wieclaw, Host Chairman of the 2013 ANA Chicago Convention, announced the next Committee Meeting Wednesday July 17, 2013, 6 pm, Offices of Harlan J. Berk, 77 W. Washington, Suite 1320, Downtown Chicago.

The following motions passed supporting decisions by the Club Board:

1. Set the cost of the August 14 joint dinner with the New York Numismatic Club at $90.00
2. Accept the invitation of the ANA to host the 2014 & 2015 World’s Fair of Money.
3. Endorse William Burd as Host Chairman of the 2014 World’s Fair of Money.

First VP Rich Lipman introduced the evening’s featured speaker, Robert Wheelhouse, who spoke on The Difficulties at Assembling a Collection of U.S. Silver Three-Cent Pieces, 1851-1873. After a question and answer session, Rich presented Rob with an ANA Educational Certificate and an engraved Club medal. President Krieter also welcomed Rob as the most recent Life Member and presented him with an engraved brass membership card.

Second VP Marc Stackler introduced the evening’s 14 exhibitors. EUGENE FREEMAN: Type 1 U.S. three-cent piece and three 18th century copper coins; MELISSA GUMM: 4 love tokens with one or both of her initials; MARK WIECLAW: calendar medals, Philippine 1 piso struck on Kennedy half dollar planchet and a recent Mercury dime find; DAVID GUMM: 1810/09 U.S. large cent & an 1822 large cent stamped on foil; DALE LUKANICH: bank notes from Coal City, IL and Cumberland, MD; PHIL CARRIGAN: 1873 two-cent piece with closed “3”; ROBERT FEILER: article “Bank Hammered Cancelling of Old Bills,” and a variety of bank notes showing this style of cancelation; STEVE ZITOWSKY: an encased 2003-D counterfeit Lincoln cent; JIM DAVIS: 1862 60-cent note, Richmond, VA printed on paper from broken bank notes, 1908 50th meeting Chicago Numismatic Society medal, 1969 Club Golden Anniversary bulletin; HAROLD ECKARDT: book The Authoritative Reference of Three-Cent Silver Coins, by Kevin Flynn and Club member Winston Zack; BILL BURD: 1902 ANS medal designed by V.D. Brenner commemorating the visit of Prince Henry of Prussia & a silver medal issued by Tivo Johnson in the 1960s using the same reverse design of Mercury; RICH LIPMAN: U.S. currency pop quiz followed by actual currency specimens; ROBERT WEINSTEIN: Chicago elongates and tokens; and DARREN HOOPER: Smart, a money based poem by Shel Silverstein.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:43 pm with the announcement that the next meeting will be held 1 P.M. Saturday, August 17 at World’s Fair of Money, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL. The scheduled speaker is Kevin Brown, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, speaking on Serial Numbering Used on U.S. Currency.

Respectfully Submitted,
Carl Wolf, Secretary

Speaker’s Wor[l]d
The Difficulties at Assembling a Collection of U.S. Silver Three-Cent Pieces, 1851-1873

by Robert Wheelhouse,
presented to our July 10, 2013 meeting

When I got into the coin business in 2007, I had no experience in the world of numismatics. I had collected various toys, comics and movie items as a kid — even managed to hold on to some of them — but knew little to nothing about coins. When I started working in a coin shop, I was immediately struck by how beautiful a coin could be and began to acquire what I call an “eclectic” collection — a mish mash of eye appealing/rare pieces. While fun, it was not particularly rewarding — both as a collection and in an educational sense.

Until The Milwaukee CSNS show. That was when I saw an MS-68 example of the three cent silver piece. It was more gem than coin, with a mix of blue and red toning. I was hooked. I started assembling a collection in mint state, starting with the first year of 1851. I added pieces to the set as quickly as my budget would allow. This became a true educational experience.

The first challenge to collecting the Three Cent Silvers, or “Trimes,” is availability. This series was unpopular during its time and the majority of business strikes were destroyed by the mint. The coin is very small and could be easily lost. Also, I believe, this series was overlooked by collectors because of its short run (1851-1873), its small size, and the availability of proof strikes for the serious collector. I find that many collectors find it sufficient to have one coin, or one of each of the three types made. This lack of interest may have kept interest in saving and preserving them low. Another reason for a lack of eye appealing trimes is the fact that any problem — the tiniest scratch, the smallest spot — can really detract from the coin.

You would think these factors may help in finding affordable pieces, but that’s not the case. The second reason these are getting tough to assemble is that there is a small but dedicated group competing to get these. Legend Numismatics is assembling two of the finest sets right now. When a new coin comes to market, they are willing to pay multiples of market price. When this new coin joins their client’s #1 set, the duplicate goes to another collector. Another dealer, Jon Lerner, is also a three cent specialist building these sets. When a “fresh” coin comes to auction, there can be a lot of interest. Unfortunately, the secret is out about these little gems, and buyers with very strong hands are snapping them up.

But there are some ways to find them. Dealers who may not be familiar with the series or do not have a client collecting them will usually let them go at a discount. Keep an eye on website inventories. Coin shows are great place to find them, but you do have to get there early — and buy them early. Auctions are the best place to find them. I highly recommend viewing the auction lots at any show. It’s a great way to get your eye sharpened, and you can see what dealers are paying for and why. Hot tip: Many of these little guys were undergraded in the first few years of PCGS and NGC — look for older holders, particulary NGC, which obscure the coin a bit and can hide a bright, nice coin.

These coins have character, usually come with great color, and are an interesting addition to any collection. But they are more than a type oddity. This is a unique coin made for a specific time in American history. It looks like no other coin — make sure to buy a pair of “cheater” glasses to make sure you can see it all.

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Show and Tell

Items shown at our July 10, 2013 meeting,
reported by Marc Stackler

1. Eugene Freeman showed 4 coins:
   1. 3-cent 1851-O. This is a scarce coin. It is the only year the 3-cents were minted in New Orleans. It also represents the first time that a US silver coin contained less than its face value in silver.
   2. British “evasion” copper, with the motto “ENGLANDS GLORY,” ca. 1770-1780s. These were privately minted during a time when England had no official low denomination, copper coins, to meet demand for small change. To circumvent counterfeiting laws, they barely resembled official coins and had obvious differences both in design and motto. The name around the “king’s” portrait varied; in the case of the one Gene showed, it was a Latinized version of WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.
   3. Connecticut Copper (ca. 1786?) and NOVA CONSTELLATIO, 1785. These were found in a large lot (nearly 80 lbs.) of otherwise common “foreign” coins.
2. Melissa Gumm brought in four examples of “love” tokens, which are coins where someone has rubbed off one or both surfaces and then engraved initials and/or a design:
   1. Canadian 25-cents, late 19th century, with the letter “G.”
   2. Canadian 5-cents, Edward VII 1901-1910, with the letters “MG.”
   3. 1875 Liberty Seated dime with the letter “M.”
   4. 1853-55 Liberty Seated dime with the letter “M.”
3. Mark Wieclaw showed several interesting items:
   1. 1945 Mercury Dime, found at a gas station where the rubber meets the road.
   2. 1970 1 Piso (not Peso), Philippines, struck on a Kennedy half-dollar blank.
   3. Five silver calendar medals from Medallic Arts et al.
4. David Gumm presented:
   1. A photo of an 1822 Large Cent (rarity R6), and then a piece of aluminum foil that had been stamped with an 1822 Large Cent.
   2. 1810/09 overdate Large Cent.
5. Dale Lukanich brought 2 beautiful bank notes:
   1. $5 Allegany County Bank, Cumberland MD, 1860, printed by the American Bank Note Company.
   2. $5 National Bank Note: The First National Bank of Coal City, Illinois, 1912. The bank issued a relatively few number of notes, and all but $450 was redeemed.
6. Phil Carrigan presented:
   1. 1873 2-cents, open 3, graded PF15. This is a proof-only date. It is most likely the coin circulated.
7. Bob Feiler brought in several items about cancelling bank notes:
   1. July/August 2013 Society of Paper Money Collectors (SPMC) magazine article, “Bank Hammer Cancelling of Old Bills.”
   2. $1 State Bank of Illinois, 1840, hammer cancelled. Hammer cancelled means a sharp metal piece with a design such as a cross was hammered (tearing/punching) into the note.
   3. $2.50 State Bank of Illinois, 1840, hammer cancelled. (The vignette includes a cross-eyed buffalo.)
   4. 25-cents Atlanta Western & Atlantic Railroad, 1862, punch cancelled. Punch cancelling would remove a larger portion than the slim cuts of hammer cancelling.
   5. $50 1863 bill, punch cancelled COUNTERFEIT.
   6. $1 Traders Bank, Newport RI, ink-stamped COUNTERFEIT. The ink contained iron oxide, which burned through the paper.
   7. $1 Bristol City Bank, Taunton MA, ink-stamped COUNTERFEIT.
8. Steve Zitowsky brought a “counterfeit” coin:
   1. An encased lucky penny: 2003-D “Lincoln” cent. Abe resembled Eddie Munster. The motto: IN GOD WE TRUSI.
9. Jim Davis brought in 3 interesting items:
   1. 60-cent bank note dated April 14, 1862, Richmond VA. They used paper from broken bank notes to print the new 1862 notes.
   2. Copper medal, Chicago Numismatic Society 50th meeting of March 6, 1908. The medal was designed by J. Henri Ripstra.
   3. Chicago Coin Club Golden Anniversary Bulletin from 1969.
10. Harold Eckardt presented a book in line with our featured speaker:
    1. The Authoritative Reference of Three Cent Silver Coins, Kevin Flynn and Winston Zack. The book was signed by the authors.
11. Bill Burd talked about these items:
    1. A very handsome, silver medal struck for ANS in 1902: visit of Prince Henry of Prussia. Victor D. Brenner was the designer. On the obverse was the prince’s portrait; on the reverse was a depiction of the god Mercury.
    2. A silver medal issued by Tivo Johnson in the 1960s with the same Mercury design.
    3. A flyer announcing the issuance of the above 1902 medal for sale at $10.
12. Rich Lipman conducted a pop quiz on US Currency.
13. Robert Weinstein presented several Chicago-related items:
    1. Elongate Cent, Riverview Park, Chicago.
    2. Nickel token, Riverview Park, Good for 5-cents.
    3. 1947 Encased cent “Lucky Horseshoe,” Riverview Park, Rabbit Races.
    4. 1934 Encased cent, Abrahms Department Store, Chicago.
    5. Wooden Scrip, Koin-X-Change Shop, Rollo Gillmore, 35 South Dearborn, Chicago, Good for 5 cents.
14. Darren Hooper talked about some items he presented at past meetings, and then read a money-themed poem by Shel Silverstein entitled “Smart.”

Minutes of the 2013 Chicago ANA Convention Committee

July 17, 2013

The 12th and final meeting of the 2013 Chicago ANA Convention Committee was called to order by Host Chairman Mark Wieclaw at 6 pm, Wednesday July 17, 2013 in the offices of Harlan J. Berk, 77 W. Washington, Suite 1320, Downtown Chicago.

The following members were present: Steve Zitowsky, William Burd, Eugene Freeman, Dale Lukanich, Sharon Blocker, Robert Feiler, Elliott Krieter, Quentin Burrows, Phil Carrigan, and Carl Wolf.

1. Although Harlan was absent, the committee gave him a warm round of applause for hosting the meeting, and providing dinner from Reza’s Restaurant and parking vouchers for those who drove.
2. Committee Reports:
   • Carl Wolf, Volunteer Committee Chairman
     • The latest volunteer total is 78
     • Eight Floor Captains are recruited, most working every day
   • Eugene Freeman, Scout Committee Chairman
     • Planned a conference call with several scout councils, but the connection failed.
     • Asked for area councils to put the ANA event on their calendar.
     • The Saturday Merit Badge Clinic has 19 boys and 3 girls enrolled.
   • Dale Lukanich, Money Talks Chairman
     • Expecting to hear soon from the ANA on who is on the agenda.
     • A list of names will be submitted to Carl Wolf for engraving on the nickel-silver CCC medal for presentation to each speaker.
   • Marc Ricard, Exhibit Chairman
     • Mark Wieclaw reported in Marc’s absence.
     • There are 56 competitive exhibits and 8 ANA traveling exhibits, for a total of 256 cases.
   • Rich Lipman, Co-Chairman Page Committee
     • Reported 16 have enrolled through the ANA
     • Discussed the possibility of buying extra supplies
3. Restaurant Guide
   • Early printing samples available for committee to review.
   • Rich Lipman pointed out incorrect page assembly
   • Mark Wieclaw will bring it up to Harlan the next day.
4. Convention Promotion — Mark Wieclaw
   • Rhonda sent to Mark the following planned advertising schedule
     • Most ad buying will be on WGN
       • Package that includes new-block buys
       • Timeslots include morning, midday, evening, late night, plus weekend show and Cubs v. Reds game
       • Planning 500,000 impressions on WGNTV
     • Ad buying on WBBM
       • Morning news buys
       • Banner advertising on their website
     • Patch website buys on some of the 67 Chicago area sites
5. Volunteer Shirts — Carl Wolf
   • Reported an agreement a jewel toned jade shirt with white imprint
   • Showed 3 planned imprints
     • Club imprint on left breast
     • World’s Fair of Money imprint left sleeve
     • Harlan Berk advertisement on back yoke
6. Miscellaneous — Mark Wieclaw
   • Reported on a recent visit to Rosemont with Bill Burd and Carl Wolf
   • Regarding questions on the ribbon cutting ceremony, Mark would check with Rhonda on who should be present.
   • Club President, Elliott Krieter is prepared to assist in welcoming the different specialty clubs when there are concurrent meetings.
7. Final Reports and Thank You Dinner
   • Asked committee chairman to write short reports for the 2014 committee
   • Asked everyone to save the date of September 18 for a thank you dinner

Meeting adjourned at 7:19 pm.

Respectfully Submitted,
Carl Wolf, Secretary
Chicago Coin Club

Our 1136th Meeting

Important Dates

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

Chatter Matter

All correspondence pertaining to Club matters should be addressed to the Secretary and mailed to:

CHICAGO COIN CLUB
P.O. Box 2301
CHICAGO, IL 60690

http://www.ChicagoCoinClub.org/

Club Officers

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