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Montgomery County Coin Club

August 1997 Bulletin

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Next meeting: Tuesday, August 19, 1997 --- Armand Shank on Maryland Obsolete and National Banknotes

The Club will meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 19, 1997, at the Senior Citizens Center on Forest Glen Road in Silver Spring, Maryland. The featured speaker will be Armand Shank, who will discuss obsolete and national banknotes issued by Maryland banks. Armand is a well-known collector of Maryland notes, who last year helped the Maryland Historical Society write a book on the history of Maryland bankn otes.

Gifts for Young Numismatists and New Exhibitors

Every month, the Club will have special door prizes and gifts for Young Numismatists (YNs) who attend, and extra surprises for any who exhibit coins, medals, currency, or other numismatic objects. These awards are made possibly by the generosity of MCC C members, especially Mae Clarke. Other special awards will be given to new exhibitors, regardless of age.

Look around your collection and bring something in; it may be familiar to you, but it will be new to the rest of us! August 15, 1997 is the 50th Anniversary of the independence of India, and exhibitors may wish to bring in coins, currency, or other collectibles from the subcontinent for display.

July Meeting Roundup

MCCC President Ken Swab, wearing a Bowie Baysox baseball hat, called the meeting to order. In spite of the hazy, hot, and humid summer Washington weather, 44 members and visitors were present, including 7YNs. First-time visitors included:

Chuck Hansmann (who joined MCCC), a collector of Morgan dollars and other large silver;
Art Brown (elegant in coat and tie), whose concentrates on fractional currency and small silver; and
Janis Musselman, a young numismatist and enthusiastic collector of Lincoln cents.

MCCC Vice President William C. Massey announced the door prizes --- an 1865 bond receipt showing an engraving of a train, uncirculated 1963 and 1964 Canadian quarters, and a Bicentennial medal and First Day Cover.

July Exhibits: Hong Kong; Tamagotchis; Year of the Ox; Hellenistic replicas and more!

President Ken Swab introduced the exhibitors of a full case of fascinating material:

Jerry Grzenda exhibited Smithsonian Institution proof and uncirculated commemorative coins, and in honor of the Fourth of July displayed Libertas Americana medals (both original and silver Bicentennial restrikes) from the Paris Mint, American colonial coppers, and English coins struck under George III (Colonial America's last king);
Merle Zimmermann (a YN) showed and explained two Tamagotchis, the collectible "virtual pet" craze from Japan;
Jeff Crockett displayed five Hong Kong coins, in memory of that territory which recently was incorporated into China;
Herb Hall presented Year of the Ox USPS stamps;
Mike Dolnick exhibited six replicas of ancient Hellenistic coins recently acquired in Turkey for a few million Turkish Lira, and told of encounters with street vendors selling counterfeit ancient coins;
Simcha Kuritzky showed more feline- related material, including a 1 kilogram (32 troy ounce) piece from Gambia, plus a New Jersey $8 bill, an ancient coin, and a Hindu miniature statue copy related to themes of his Panther Rider presentation to be given at the ANA Convention;
Mae Clarke displayed a mounted silver certificate, silver dollar, and granular silver from the end of the era when U.S. currency was freely convertable into silver; and
Ken Swab showed something the U.S. Mint tried to keep secret, the designs, winning and losing, for next year's Black Patriots commemorative coin. The designs were reviewed in July by the Citizen's Coin Advisory Committee at a meeting closed to the public; they show Crispus Attucks, killed at the Boston Massacre of 1770.

July's Feature: The ANA Video on Coin Grading (Part II)

MCCC Board Member Don McKee introduced the second segment of the ANA videotape with J. P. Martin, senior numismatist of the American Numismatic Association Authentication Bureau, on Grading Mint State US Coins. (This videotape was kindly loaned to the MCCC by the ANA Library.)

Part II of the tape focused on three key aspects of grading uncirculated coins: luster, contact marks, and copper color. The ANA video explained these in detail, and illustrated them with excellent close-up photography of many coins. Due to time limitations, the remainder of Grading Mint State US Coins will be presented at a later MCCC meeting. Don McKee concluded the showing by cautioning novice collectors on the dangers of purchasing expensive coins without considerable personal knowledge of grading, particularly for "raw" (non-encapsulated) coins.

Other Announcements and Prizes

1998 Red Books will be available for sale at the special MCCC price of $7 next month, courtsey of Ed Russell.
The MCCC Charity Auction is coming in the Fall! Please start thinking about items to donate to this auction; proceeds go to benefit local Boys and Girls Clubs.
Scott Helmick's name was drawn for the Bison Chip, so he has the first of three legs needed to garner that prize. (Only members present at a meeting are eligible for each month's Bison Chip drawing. As often happens, several names of absent members were drawn and discarded before a winner was found. Come to the next meeting!)
Gil Cole won the 50-50 raffle.
Merle Zimmermann, Mark Zimmermann, Ken Huff, and John Pylypec captured door prizes.
Club auction bidding was heated, in keeping with the weather; auctioneers Don McKee and Jack Schadegg ran the proceedings briskly and well.