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Chatter

Minutes of the 1285th Meeting

The 1285th meeting of the Chicago Coin Club was called to order by President Melissa Gumm at 6:46pm CST Wednesday, February 11, 2026. This was an in-person and online meeting, with 14 members and three guests present at the CBA and 15 members online, for a total of 32.

Club Meeting Minutes

The January club meeting minutes were approved as published in the Chatter, both in print and on the CCC website.

New Memberships

Secretary Scott McGowan reported one membership application reading pending attendance by the applicant so reading tabled to a future meeting.

Treasurer’s Report

Treasurer Elliott Krieter presented the treasurer’s reports for October, November, and December 2025 as follows. October Report: Revenue of $310.00 (dues, banquet), Expenses of $438.00(Insurance), for period total -$128.00. November Report: Revenue $6,989.00 (Dues, banquet, auction, Gift), Expenses of $4,534.00 (Auction out, printing), for a period total of $2,455.00. December Report: Revenue of $1,025 (Dues, banquet), Expenses of $3,442.00 (Postage, printing, banquet, late fee insurance, Article VI) for a period total of -$2,417.00.

Elliott also explained the displayed CDs difference is interest of $171.00. Total assets at end of December, 2025 were $42,768.00.

Old Business

1. Committee Reports:
   1. Special Projects Committee: Lyle Daly reported that consultant Mike Bruno is in attendance at the meeting as he is assisting in developing improved AV systems. The committee will meet in early March to review the progress.
   2. Hall of Fame Committee: Deven Kane reported no update, but any club member with recommendations of nominations should please contact him.
   3. Legacy Project: No Report.

New Business

1. Melissa Gumm reported on highlights from the February 4, 2026 board meeting. An audit committee was formed with Bill Burd, Mark Wieclaw, Steve Zitowsky, Lyle Daly, and Treasurer Elliott Krieter to perform the annual club financial audit. Melissa also reported that Lyle Daly has accepted the offer to assume the treasurer’s position.
2. Noah Graf raised the point of discussion on the CCC Discord group about the current metals/bullion pricing and if we should set aside time to discuss as a club. Melissa responded that the topic was discussed at the board meeting and it was felt that a club group discussion on spot metal pricing would be better at the in-person-only meeting during the CSNS convention in April.

Featured Program

Richard Hathaway on A Century of Change: Coinage in France 1540-1640. Following the presentation, VP Deven Kane presented Richard with a CCC Speaker’s medal and an ANA Educational Certificate.

Show and Tell

Second Vice President Ray Dagenais announced the seven Show and Tell presentations for the evening. Ray reminded the club that in the summarizing of points for the annual Show and Tell awards, presenters receive an extra point per presentation after giving five presentations.

Upcoming Events

In addition to the upcoming events in the agenda, two more were mentioned by club members. Will County Coin Club Annual Coin Show, February 22, 2026, 9:00am-3:00pm, Joliet Junior College. Early American Coppers (EAC) Convention, April 29-May 03, 2026, Sheraton Charlotte Airport Hotel, Charlotte, North Carolina.

President Melissa Gumm reviewed upcoming numismatic events, then adjourned the meeting at 8:57PM CST.

Respectfully Submitted,
Scott McGowan, Secretary

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Show and Tell

Items shown at our Febuary 11, 2026 meeting,
reported by Ray Dagenais.

1. Noah Graf showed two bronze half-follis coins of Justinian, minted in Theopolis. Antioch was renamed by Justinian when it was rebuilt after a devastating earthquake in 529 AD; coins from this time until the Persian and Arab conquests in the early 7th century exclusively use some contraction of Theopolis for the mintmark.
   1. A coin 28mm in diameter, minted in 539/540AD, featuring a helmeted facing bust of Emperor Justinian, holding a globus cruciger with a cross in the right field. The reverse features a large K for the denomination of 20; VIII indicates the regnal year of issue, and ΘV is the mintmark. This fully-sized, very well-struck example, is from the year prior to a Persian sack of Antioch.
   2. An undated coin, probably from 542-565AD. At 25mm in diameter, it is much smaller than the earlier coins of this denomination. The obverse features the Emperor seated enthroned and facing, holding a long scepter and a globus cruciger, with a cross in the right field. The reverse features a large K as the denomination, a Γ officina mark, and a long cross dividing the mintmark text T / H / Є / UOP. This coin has slightly blundered legends (reversed S), and is weakly struck, implying that it comes from later in Justinian’s reign, perhaps quite a bit later, well after its recapture from the Persians. The enthroned motif is highly uncommon in Justinian’s reign – it appears exclusively on coins from Antioch – but is much more common in succeeding reigns.
2. What is an ounce of silver really worth? Robert Leonard showed four efforts from 1900 to 2010, offering values from $1.25 to $50!
   1. A 1900 Lesher Referendum Dollar, 1 ounce coin silver, bearing the value $1.25.
   2. A 2003 Liberty Dollar, 1 ounce .999 fine silver, bearing the value $10. A product of Bernard von NotHaus, supporting the NORFED group.
   3. A 2007 Ron Paul Liberty Dollar, 1 ounce .999 fine silver, bearing the value $20. (at 90, Ron Paul is still alive and living in Texas.)
   4. A 2010 (undated) private silver community dollar used in the Cabool, Missouri area, 1 troy ounce .999 fine silver, bearing the value $50 (sold to Bob at a 15% discount, because silver was not close to $50 then).
3. Josh Benevento showed two coins that are really telling one story: the legend of Phalanthos, the Spartan leader traditionally associated with the founding of Tarentum. According to the myth, Phalanthos was shipwrecked on his way to southern Italy and saved by a dolphin.
   1. A silver nomos coin of Tarentum with Phalanthos riding the dolphin on one side; the other side features a warrior on horseback.
   2. A coin from Brundisium, struck over a century later, after Rome had taken control of the region. It is interesting that the Phalanthos-and-dolphin type is still being used here. Ancient tradition says Phalanthos was buried at Brundisium, so this coin is actually pointing to a specific place tied to the legend.
   Putting the two coins together shows how a foundation myth started in Tarentum and stayed meaningful long after the city lost its independence.
4. Tyler Rossi showed three Latvian fantasy notes. He clarified the difference between imitation notes (trying to be something they are not) and fantasy notes (made-up, cannot be mistaken for anything real). The three shown notes were anti-Europe and pro-Russian propaganda issues of a right-wing party, circa 1988. The printed serial numbers are only for looks, with no attempt to pass these as real money.
   1. Two notes, bearing a denomination of 300 Latus, depicted women of that political party.
   2. A note denominated as 1000 Latus depicted Viktor Kalnberz, a respected Russian surgeon who was born in Latvia. He was also a hero of social labor and was involved in politics from 1975-1990. He wanted to build a stronger Latvia under Russian control.
5. Deven Kane showed privately minted token coins of Great Britain and France, issued in the late 18th century is response to the ongoing shortage of small denomination coinage.
   1. A copper halfpenny token issued by Henry Brownbill, a watch-maker and silversmith. Dated 1793, the obverse features a head and shoulders bust of Bishop Blaize (the patron saint of woolcombers) and the message SUCCESS TO THE YORKSHIRE WOOLLEN MANUFACTORY. The reverse features an exterior view of the Leeds Cloth Hall. The edge lettering is PAYABLE AT H. BROWNBILL.
   2. A 1793 ½d trade token of the Birmingham Mining and Copper Company. The formation of this company was part of the reaction in the Midlands against the monopolistic practices of the Anglesey and Cornish copper mining interests. The obverse features a female seated on large rock, holding fasces, while the reverse features a stork standing on a cornucopia.
   3. A French 5 sols token, featuring a seated Hercules breaking fasces. This was part of a set of 1, 2, and 5 sols tokens struck in Birmingham at the Soho Mint using a steam-powered mechanical press, beginning at the end of 1791. These were ordered by the Monnerons, a Parisian family of merchants who owned many shops in the principal French cities. Despite government decrees banishing private monies, Monneron tokens remained in circulation until late 1793 and early 1794.
   4. A 1792 Monneron 5 sols featuring an allegiance scene – a large public ceremony held on July 14, 1790, on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, where general La Fayette, Louis XVI, and Talleyrand pronounced the oath of fidelity: “We swear to always be faithful to the nation, to the law and the king, to uphold the constitution as far as it is in our power decreed by the National Assembly and accepted by the king.”
6. Mark Wieclaw showed a range of items.
   1. Two shards of brick from the old Hickory Pit restaurant, formerly located at 2801 S. Halsted Street in Chicago; it was demolished in April, 2003. It was the site of the CCC annual banquets 1995-1997, along with some Board and planning meetings.
   2. An electrum 1⁄96 stater from Ionia, Phokaia circa 625-522 BC. This coin is by far the rarest and smallest denomination. At 4mm diameter and 0.14 gram weight, these coins could easily be lost. This completed his denomination set of the electrum coins of Ionia. Other denominations are the Stater, 1⁄6th Stater, 1⁄12th, 1⁄24th, and 1⁄48th. A photo of this coin resting on a Lincoln cent was used to illustrate its diminutive size – it easily fits above the date, on the field in front of Lincoln.
   3. A sestertius of Faustina Sr., circa after 141AD. Instead of being ejected after the first strike, the coin was flipped over and struck a second time. This created a coin with the central images of Faustina (obverse) and the roman goddess Vesta (reverse) on both sides at about a 180 degree difference. Mark observed that the remarkable part is the size of the coin. At 33mm and 23.4 grams, it is the largest flip over double strike error that Mark has ever seen. Most such errors occur on coins weighing 1.0 to 3.0 grams.
7. Zach Filis showed the changing color of the British gold sovereign. The Royal Mint has decided to depart from using “Rose Gold” starting in 2026, ending over two hundred years of tradition. Rose gold contains copper as its main alloy, thus giving it a reddish appearance – the 2026 sovereigns will have a more yellow appearance.
   1. The early Sydney Australia sovereigns (1855 to 1868) used silver as the main alloy, giving them a yellowish appearance. They became popular in India and China partly because of their appearance. In 1868, the Sydney Mint was ordered to adhere to the strict protocols of the Royal Mint, and to mint their sovereigns using the British standard. Zach displayed images of Australian sovereigns dated 1868 having a yellowish (silver alloy) and a reddish (copper alloy) appearance.
   2. It has been discovered and recently published by Howard Hodgson that the Royal Mint not only changed Queen Victoria’s effigy for her golden jubilee, but to also pickle the 1887 sovereigns, a practice the Royal Mint had ended in 1870. Pickling solved the discoloration that sometimes resulted from annealing the blanks before the sovereigns were struck. Sulfuric acid removed the copper from a thin top layer of the blank yielding a less-red appearance. But after some circulation wore off the top layer, a somewhat unattractive surface resulted. The Royal Mint once again ended pickling after the 1887 mintage. Zach showed images of 1887 and 1888 Great Britain sovereigns, and the 1887 coin appeared much more yellow in color.
   As for the 2026 sovereigns, it is possible that the Royal Mint will achieve the more yellowish color by reducing the amount of copper and increasing the amount of silver or other light colored alloy.

Reminders:

• You can email to Ray a description of what you will show at a meeting, to give him a start on this write-up.
• Send it to cccshowandtell@gmail.com
• After a meeting, all members who viewed the meeting should email him their scoring sheet – a listing of each exhibit number followed by a score (from a low of 1 to a high of 10) is all that is needed.

Minutes of the Chicago Coin Club Board

February 4, 2026

The first CCC Board meeting of 2026 was called to order by club president Melissa Gumm at 7:03pm CST and was an online-only meeting.

In attendance were Melissa Gumm, Deven Kane, Ray Dagenais, Elliott Krieter, Scott McGowan, Paul Hybert, Bill Burd, Carl Wolf, Steve Zitowsky, Mark Wieclaw, Tyler Rossi, and John Riley.

Old Business

Melissa reported that Lyle Daly from the Special Projects committee has been working with consultants on the AV technical needs that support our hybrid meetings. This includes the need for an update on a PC laptop purchase and wireless microphone/speaker as approved at a prior board meeting. The key concern seems to be online participant viewing of items during show and tell using the overhead document viewer.

Secretary Scott McGowan reported that the membership survey technical kinks have been fixed and he will send the link to the board for their review, edits, and approval before sending to the membership.

Scott McGowan reported on the December holiday banquet at the Des Plaines Elks Club; that it was well received, 45 people attended, and financially the club ended up with approximately $264.65.

Elliott Krieter reported a review of financial receipts for 2025-2026; advertising found one advertiser payment still outstanding. The club secretary will reach out to that advertiser.

The board discussed the identification of six CCC members, all from 2025, whose names did not appear on the membership list on the shared Google Drive. After checking live during the meeting, it was found that the six members are now on the list. Paul however questioned the membership numbers of several new members, thinking that two members may have the same membership number. Secretary Scott McGowan said he would research and report back.

Scott McGowan reported that he would complete the paperwork for the CCC to become an affiliate member of the Ancient Coin Collectors Guild as approved by the membership in June. New Business:

Old Business

Scott McGowan reported that he is completing the paperwork for the CCC booth at the CSNS convention in April. The four registered booth holders will be Carl Wolf, Steve Zitowsky, Ray Dagenais, and Scott McGowan. The club meeting has been set for 12:00pm on Saturday, April 25, 2026. No speaker has been identified. Carl Wolf recommended we ask for a larger room for the meeting, and also to inquire about a microphone.

The board appointed an audit committee for the annual financial audit as per the club by-laws. The committee will be Bill Burd, Mark Wieclaw, Steve Zitowsky, and Treasurer Elliott Krieter. During this discussion Melissa Gumm reported having spoken with Lyle Daly, and he has agreed to take over the position of CCC Treasurer. Lyle’s name was also added to the Audit committee.

Carl Wolf reported on the Medal of Merit (MoM); that our last purchase of the 2½” medals was for five medals costing $70 each in 2021. In contact with the mint, Carl was told the die had been destroyed. Upon pushback by Carl, he found that the mint is now offering a 3½” MoM at $95 each and is not making the 2½” version any longer. Carl will get the larger medal image to share with the board. After acquiring new MoM inventory, Mark Wieclaw arranges the engraving and Bill Burd holds the inventory of medals.

Deven Kane suggested a time at a CCC meeting to discuss how Bullion pricing is affecting coin collecting. Melissa offered some insight about how the pricing is affecting the process with a backlog at refiners.

The board discussed the recommendation of a donation to the Numismatic Crime Information Center (NCIC) and, citing past donations, the board approved a $250 donation.

Scott reminded board members that after the last meeting there was informal discussion about each board member outlining their areas of responsibility with respect to club property in their possession, access to databases, accounts, etc., and to submit same to the secretary for a master list along with a list of emergency contacts for each board member should access be required.

In a post-adjournment email Scott McGowan contacted the board through email to ask about sponsoring an ad in the CSNS convention program again. The 2025 ad was a half-page for $350. Board members responded by email and approved the ad for 2026.

The Meeting was adjourned by Melissa Gumm at 7:56pm CST.

Respectfully Submitted,
Scott A. McGowan, Secretary

Next Board Meetings:
May 6, 2026; 6:00pm at Connies Pizza.
August 5, 2026; 7:00pm Online.
November 4, 2026; 6:00pm at Connies Pizza.

Our 1286th Meeting

Important Dates

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

Chatter Matter

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Club Officers

Correspondence

All correspondence pertaining to Club matters should be addressed to the Secretary and mailed to:
CHICAGO COIN CLUB
P.O. Box 2301
CHICAGO, IL 60690
Or email the Secretary at Secretary.ChicagoCoinClub@GMail.com
Payments to the Club, including membership dues, can be addressed to the Treasurer at the above street address.

Payments

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

• The Club has registered the Treasurer.ChicagoCoinClub@GMail.com address with Zelle™ to receive payments.
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• Be sure to fill out the “What’s this for?” field – e.g., “Dues 2026” or “Dues 2026 & 2027” to pay for two years
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