Montgomery County Coin Club

June 1999 Bulletin

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In Times to Come: The July MCCC meeting will feature guest speaker John Lopez, Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives Coinage Subcommittee.  He will discuss "The Future of Money" --- a significant topic for numismatists!  Mr. Lopez serves Congressman Michael Castle (R-DE), and worked on the legislation authorizing the series of 50 commemorative quarter dollars, to be issued beginning next year, honoring every state of the Union.

• Guests: Welcomed at the May meeting was Joe Mallen, brought by MCCC member Ken Huff.  Mr. Mallen mainly collects U.S. coins.
• Treasury and Library Reports: Treasurer Simcha Kuritzky observed that the Club's finances are sound, with most 1998 dues received (pay up, if you haven't already!). Librarian Kermit Smyth said that two books are overdue at the moment (checked out by an embarrassed President Swab), and that anyone who needs a catalog may pick up a printed list of the over 300 volumes available to borrow in the Club's collection.
• Local Coin Shows: The Metropolitan Washington Numismatic Society will have its next conference in New Carrolton at the Ramada Inn on July 10-12.  (Note that the MWNS donated $750 to five area charities from its last show.  Please try to attend and help support their good deeds!)  The Atlantic Rarities convention in Baltimore was scheduled for May 15-17;  Simcha Kuritzky reported that he planned an exhibit on "Paleo-Hebrew on Coins and Medals" --- subtitled "Give Me That Old Time Alphabet!"
• Trees, Schools, and Coins: Joe Howard observed that elongated cents have recently been issued in celebration of 35 years of the Montgomery County Outdoor Education Program (thanks to MCCC Vice President William C. Massey for producing these elongateds!). Not long ago, Mr. Howard made a numismatic presentation at the New Market Middle School where he gave away coins to about 75 students.  Mr. Howard also noted that in the year 2000, the state of Maryland's commemorative quarter dollar will be issued by the U.S. Mint.  He suggested that the "oldest and largest White Oak tree in the U.S." (about 500 years old) would make an appropriate theme for Maryland's coin.  After some discussion, a motion was made, seconded, and passed to have Mr. Howard draft a letter on this subject for the MCCC to review and, if approved, send to Annapolis next month.
• Diamond Age:  Thanks to our charitable contributions, the MCCC is the proud sponsor of the "Purple People Eaters" baseball team of the Silver Spring Boys & Girls Club!  Note that MCCC member Walt Miller has already come to bat and made a donation for the 1998 Club charity auction; please join him and help make an early start on the MCCC's main charity project. (Mr. Miller has had to miss some recent meetings due to his wife's health; don't forget to keep in touch with him and aid him in whatever way you can.)
• Door Prizes: Vice President William C. Massey announced the give-aways this month: a 1968 Greek 10 drachmai, a 2034 (i.e., 1977) Nepal rupee, a 1976 Italian 100 lire, a 1961 USSR 5 kopek, and a 1917 Finland 5 pennia. Happy winners of these door prizes were President Ken Swab (was the drawing fixed?!), Mona Berch, Tom Hall (Happy Birthday!), Dave McGinness, and Jeff Crockett. The 50-50 Raffle was won by Guest Speaker Wayne Smith, and Martin Wender got his first leg toward the Bison Chip prize.



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• Herb Hall showed two new commemorative silver dollars, honoring the National Law Enforcement Memorial and the late Kennedy brothers.
• Ed Russell exhibited medals issued by the Franklin Mint in 1971, showing East African animals and promoting wildlife conservation.
• Richard Jozefiak shared copies of his article, "Introduction to Collecting 20th Century British Coins," which was published in FUN-TOPICS, Summer 1998 issue, pages 35-36. Mr. Jozefiak noted that British coins are fun and rewarding to study, as well as inexpensive. His article discusses different ways to collect them --- by type, by monarch, by series, and by Pre-decimal versus Decimal Period. He also exhibited a 1953 coronation coin set for Elizabeth II, and an 1844 British half penny bimetallic pattern coin --- a unique piece in its state of preservation, since early bimetallic experiments usually fell apart!

Mr. Smith began by joking that, unfortunately, "I now know more about the commemorative coin process than I ever wanted to!" But in spite of abuses and problems with the US Mint's commemorative programs, Mr. Smith said that the causes for which these coins are issued are generally honorable and worthy of our remembrance and support.

Mr. Smith observed that the United States is a truly great nation, and that his experiences growing up in Providence, Rhode Island, and serving during the Vietnam War let him meet and befriend people from many places, and gave him a personal appreciation of the spirit of sacrifice that America is all about. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, he feels, is among the most powerful and enduring symbols of that spirit. Mr. Smith started working with the Black Patriots Memorial several years ago, beginning when he was involved with a reenactment of the Battle of Rhode Island. Rhode Island had an all-Black regiment, the 1st Regiment, which fought in the Revolutionary War with great distinction. It was led by Colonel Greene, who was tragically wounded in New York.  When the British overran his position, Col. Greene and all those who stayed behind to defend him were killed.  Overall, Mr. Smith noted, more than 5,000 African Americans served with Washington's army, and fought for this country's freedom --- "the first and last fully integrated army until the Vietnam War."

"The Black Patriot's Memorial is not a Black thing, it is an American thing," Mr. Smith observed.  His hope is that the Monument and the associated commemorative coin will help encourage people, especially young people, to study more history, to learn more about our national heritage, and to appreciate our shared struggle to overcome adversity.  The U.S. Congress has given the Black Patriots Foundation authorization to build a memorial on the Mall, between the Washington and the Lincoln Memorials; now, the Foundation must raise the funds to do the job.

Mr. Smith said, "Coin collectors have been abused by the huge number of commemorative coins produced each year. But with the Black Patriots coin, we tried hard to bring a different approach. We spoke with Black and patriotic associations --- including the NAACP, the VFW, and the American Legion --- and their members are buying these coins. The AFL-CIO is going to send out mass mailings to union members asking them to buy these coins. Many other organizations, including an affiliate of Forbes magazine, are helping." The U.S. Mint, Mr. Smith noted, estimates that 26,000,000 people have seen promotional material about the Black Patriots coin. "The Foundation is trying not to be a burden to coin collectors."

The reverse side of the coin has been somewhat controversial, according to Mr. Smith. The Citizens Commemorative Coins Advisory Committee (CCCAC) at first did not approve of it, but the Foundation came up with a new design, showing a family welcoming a soldier come home from war. Treasury Secretary Rubin, President Clinton, Speaker of the House Gingrich, and former Senator Dole all have supported the project (with Mr. Dole donating $10,000 personally).

Responding to questions from the audience, Mr. Smith described the tortuous process of getting the coin approved. "I literally walked the halls of Congress daily," he said, getting signatures for the authorization bill --- finally reaching 248 co-sponsors.  "The process is pretty shameful," however, as at one point a single Senator held up the entire process until he got his way on an unrelated matter.  Finally, a compromise was worked out, the bill passed, and President Clinton signed it.  "One loses a bit of respect for our elected Congress," Mr. Smith noted with sadness in his voice.  He observed that, along the way, five other commemorative coin programs came to be attached to the Black Patriots coin bill.

In answer to other queries, Mr. Smith explained that the Black Patriots Foundation originally was told that the coin would be sold at the price agreed upon in 1996 --- but when the time came to actually produce it, that was not the case. The Mint issued it for a higher price, and now that the pre-release discount period is ended, it costs $37 for a proof specimen. "I'm disappointed at the way the Mint markets commemorative coins," Mr. Smith said. The Mint's direct mail sales list, with its focus on collectors, shows a lack of creativity. "The Black Patriots are not trying to depend on coin collectors!"

Mr. Smith went on to note that the mintage of the coin is limited to a total of 500,000 silver dollars --- which is not a terribly high number. The Black Patriots Memorial is estimated to cost $9,000,000 to build, and if all the commemorative coins sell, that will raise $5,000,000 (based on a contribution of $10 for each). In addition to the proof and uncirculated pieces, the 500,000 total mintage includes Young Collector sets as well as sets consisting of a coin and four stamps (including stamps honoring Salem Poor, Harriet Tubman, Benjamin Banneker, and Frederick Douglass).  Although the Foundation asked the U.S. Post Office to issue a First Day Cover for the coin, perhaps along with a stamp honoring Crispus Attucks, the Post Office declined.  The U.S. Mint also rejected a Foundation request to apply edge lettering to the coin, even though that would probably have added to the attractiveness of the piece.

Finally, Mr. Smith described his 1,200 mile odyssey last year, on bicycle, from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. With other American veterans, he met former enemy soldiers.  It was, according to Mr. Smith, a truly exciting experience, "a tribute to the soldiers who sacrificed, and to the spirit of forgiveness." NBC is reportedly going to run a two-hour prime-time special on Memorial Day about the trip.

• Jonetta Russell, as usual, organized and provided splendid refreshments (the rutabaga was great!).
• Don McKee & Jack Schadegg served as auctioneers for the live auction at the May meeting.
• Willy Massey ran the door prize and 50-50 raffle drawings.
• Simcha Kuritzky handled the auction accounting and the Bison Chip drawing.

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