a l * ■ ■ ■' ! " - 1 1 - ■ - ■■ n =! ’ : ' =3* m The NOR’WESTER Published Quarterly by the Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association PNNA is a non-profit corporation registered in the State of Oregon. L A Joe Boling, Secretary P.O.Box 4718 Federal Way, WA 98063 Phone 253-839-5199 Fax 253-839-5185 e-mail joeboling@aol.com Dues are: Individual — $5. 00/year Life — $100.00 Family/Club — $7. 50/year Second Quarter 1997 April-May-June President’s Message, by J. Eric Holcomb The 1997 PNNA Convention, hosted by the Willamette Coin Club, is now only days away! (March 28-29, 1997, just before Easter.) Please come, bring an exhibit, and bring your want list, as there will be a good turnout of dealers to satisfy your collecting needs! There will be a PNNA board meeting and general membership meeting on Saturday morning at the convention following the breakfast banquet. See the article elsewhere on this page regarding the 1998 PNNA Convention. Clubs interested in hosting the 1999 and 2000 conventions should contact a board member as soon as possible. PNNA members are encouraged to submit specific proposals for educational activities to the board at or before scheduled board meetings. The PNNA has made significant progress in promoting numismatic education (for example, our distribution of ANA videos and our NCW awards). With your help, we can continue in this direction. National Coin Week — 20-26 April 1997 The ANA has announced the theme for this year’s NCW — “The Changing Face of Money.” Of course, there has been no changed face for US money since 1980, except for the $100 bill. One way to get people interested in coins and notes is to put a few strange ones into their hands, which seems to be the thrust that the ANA is suggesting (placing obsolete coinage into circulation). The PNNA will sponsor a competition in 1997 for member clubs, with the same prizes as last year — $100, $75, and $50. Member clubs are encouraged to promote NCW throughout the region, and to submit reports of their activities to Joe Boling for consideration for these awards. The ANA also provides a prize for the best NCW program conducted by an ANA member club. Consider submitting your reports to the ANA as well. 1998 PNNA Convention Dues are Past Due PNNA dues are assessed annually in January. If your mailing label is highlighted, please send your dues to the secretary, Joe Boling. An envelope was enclosed in the previous Nor’wester. Individual dues are $5; family groups and clubs are $7.50. Members not paid by convention time will not receive The Nor’wester after that date. PNNA Officers President 1st vice-pres. 2nd vice-pres. Secr./Treas. Past president Directors Dealer-director Eric Holcomb Tom Sheehan Betty Hoffman Joseph E. Boling Shannon Jones Del Cushing, Donald Farnam, Marge Farnam, Paul Longcrier, Scott T. Loos, Michael O’Hara, Alex Pancheco, Larry Rowe, Robert Steinegger, Steve Zieba Marc Bettinger (appointed) The ANA’s 107th anniversary convention will be in Portland in 1998. To avoid having two major shows there, and because the PNNA convention has been in Portland for the past three years, the PNNA convention will be elsewhere next year. We have requested member clubs to bid for the convention but have had no takers. We are therefore investigating the potential for associating the convention with the West Coast Coin Expo in Seattle in March 1998. This is a commercial show; the PNNA would conduct its exhibiting and education programs, but would not operate nor receive any profits from the bourse. Discussions with Teresa Darling, the owner of the West Coast Expo, were conducted at this year’s show by a committee appointed following the February board meeting (see the minutes elsewhere in this Nor’wester); the board will take final action on the committee’s recommendations at the convention board meeting. If you have an interest in the placement of the 1998 convention, communicate with a board member or attend the meeting in Portland. The Nor’wester — Second Quarter 1997 2 j Exhibits at the PNNA Convention Yes, there is still an exhibit program at the Portland convention, despite the Friday- Saturday format. Exhibits have to be in place by noon on Saturday to be eligible for awards, which will be announced at 4:00p.m. Of course, we would prefer to have your exhibits in place on Friday, so that visitors to the convention can view and learn from them. Use the form in the First Quarter 1997 Nor’wester to apply for exhibit space and exhibit cases. (Note: cases may no longer be available at this time; plan to bring your own.) The PNNA best of show winner will receive $200 in assistance to take the winning exhibit to the ANA anniversary convention, which will be in New York City in 1997 (30 July-3 August). ANA Board Nominations The nominating season is open for officers of the American Numismatic Association. At the February board meeting the PNNA officers voted to nominate A.M. Kagin for vice president and Robert Campbell for governor. PNNA members who receive ANA ballots are encouraged to vote for these individuals. We have received one additional request for nomination that will be considered at the board meeting at the convention. Wanted to Buy MEDALS Historic, Commemorative, or Artistic Also want old coin books, periodicals, and catalogues. Will travel to buy Tom Sheehan (206) 546-5599 P.O. Box 14 Seattle, WA 98111-0014 e-mail tsheehan@wolfenet.com Regional Club Meeting Listing The PNNA’s club meeting listing is included in this Nor’wester. If there is an error regarding your club, please call or write Joe Boling with the correct information. This listing is distributed widely at shows and fairs; it helps to have the right addresses and meeting nights. 1998 ANA Convention Advertising Woods We have acquired wood rounds to advertise the ANA convention in Portland in 1998 (the PNNA is the sponsoring local organization). If you need some woods for distribution in your area, write to Joe Boling and request them. If you would like a couple for your own collection, please send 420 in stamps (not a SASE — we have mailers for small quantities of woods). ANA Convention in 200? The PNNA and the Seattle/King County Convention and Visitors’Bureau will present a bid at the ANA spring convention in Cleveland, inviting the ANA to hold its summer convention in Seattle in one of the years 2004-2007 (the years through 2003 are already awarded). The ANA staff has shown a strong inclination to have another convention in Seattle, but the hotel costs during the summer are so high that the board may decline to award the convention to Seattle (we’re talking $175-190 a day in the hotels that are used as “convention HQ”). The bid is being made as this Nor’wester is mailed; we’ll keep you informed. Are You Also A Star Gazer? It’s not unusual for collectors who appreciate the beauty of coins to also appreciate the beauty in nature, including the night sky. If so, you’ll be interested to know that Comet Hale-Bopp is putting on an excellent show in our skies this spring, with the best viewing times just before and after the PNNA Convention. Contact Eric Holcomb at 206-850-2996 for more information. Deadline for submission of material for Third Quarter 1997 Nor’wester: June 15, 1997. Call Eric Holcomb at (206) 850-2996, or e-mail to EHolc48@aol.com Advertising rates are $7.50 (1/8-page), $10.00 (1/6-page), $15.00 (1/4-page), $25.00 (1/2-page), and $45.00 (full page). Send ad copy to Eric Holcomb, and payment to the PNNA secretary/treasurer. The Nor’wester — Second Quarter 1997 3 L J Minutes of PNNA board meeting — 9 February 1997, Vancouver WA The meeting was called to order by President Eric Holcomb at 2:05pm. Present were 1st Vice President Tom Sheehan, secretary/treasurer Joe Boling, directors Paul Longcrier, Alex Pancheco, Larry Rowe, Robert Steinegger, and Steve Zieba, and members Rob Retz and Larry Gaye. The minutes of the 2 November 1996 board meeting were approved as published. The treasurer’s report for the month closing 3 1 January was distributed and accepted subject to audit. The historian reported that the last portions of the Cushing collection of PNNA memorabilia have been housed in permanent holders and are ready for exhibition at future conventions. Tom Sheehan reported that all 100 copies of the ANA’s video “Money: History in Your Hands” have been distributed to libraries and schools in Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. He submitted a list of the recipients. Joe Boling reported that the PNNA exhibit rules have been modified as directed at the last board meeting and published. An abbreviated version went out in the last Nor’wester, following which no requests for the full version have been received. Eric Holcomb announced that he has agreed to be the exhibit chairman for the 1998 ANA convention in Portland. Rob Retz reported for the PNNA 1997 convention committee. Plans are on track; we may lose a couple of tables to the San Francisco International show the same weekend, but the committee does not feel that it will draw many away. A press release is ready and a media plan being developed. The theme of the educational programs of the convention will be “Coins of the Bible”; an exhibit will be prepared on this topic. Speakers who can address aspects of this subject are needed and should be put into touch with Rob Retz. A YN program is also being planned; “penny boards” and as many of the US Mint’s coin collector’s starter kit as can be rounded up will be distributed. No site for the 1998 PNNA convention has been selected yet. The Inland Empire Coin Club was invited to host the convention at their fall show in 1998, but they have not replied. They will be queried again. Other options are to hook up with the Willamette Coin Club’s Easter show again, or to develop a presence at the West Coast Coin Expo. Teresa Darling has expressed an interest in having competitive exhibits at her show, and is already scheduling educational programs. Boling was asked to contact the Inland Empire CC again about their fall 1998 show. Moved (Rowe), seconded (Sheehan) and passed that a committee be established to develop rules under which the PNNA would affiliate itself with a commercial show (such as Darling’s). President Holcomb appointed the following to the committee: McKivor (chair), Boling, Sheehan. Marc Duvall (an attorney member of the Seattle Coin Club) will be requested to assist. Larry Rowe reported the following appointments for the 1998 ANA convention in Portland: Larry Gaye, assistant general chairman; Rob Retz, education chairman; Eric Holcomb, exhibit chairman. Joe Boling is expected to be the chief judge. Still needed are chairs for pre-registration, registration, YN programs, and pages. Larry desires to spread these appointments to several local clubs and the PNNA, but is having trouble finding volunteers outside the Willamette Coin Club. The Inland Empire Coin Club has not replied to the board’s action at its November meeting establishing seed money for an educational seminar to be held east of the mountains. Moved (Boling), seconded (Sheehan) and passed that the 1996 incentives for National Coin Week promotions by PNNA clubs be extended to 1997 [awards of $100, $75, and $50]. Barring a conflict of interest, Larry Rowe will again be the judge. Clubs should also be encouraged to submit their programs to the ANA, which is also providing awards. The theme for 1997 is “The Changing Face of Money.” In a discussion of other educational programs that the PNNA could promote, the following was proposed: Sheehan — we could send coin week notices to the libraries that are now on our mailing list, encouraging them to show numismatic books in their temporary displays at that time. Moved (Boling), seconded (Rowe) and passed to appropriate up to $50 for this promotion. Sheehan to execute. Retz — has the PNNA considered offering scholarships to YNs for numismatic achievement? These would not be summer convention scholarships, but cash to be used for continuing education. Interested board members are requested to make a proposal at the next meeting, of the objectives and mechanics of such a program. After that report is accepted, funding methods can be investigated. Boling reported that the Seattle convention center wants to have the ANA convention return to Seattle at the earliest opportunity. Ruthann Brettell has expressed an interest in a west coast show in the 2004-2007 period, and states that California is not in the picture. However, a sponsoring club must make the proposal to The Nor’wester — Second Quarter 1997 Minutes of PNNA board meeting — 9 February 1997, Vancouver WA (continued) the ANA board at its 19 March meeting preceding the Cleveland early spring convention. Moved (Sheehan), seconded (Steinegger) and passed to appropriate airfare plus $200 to send a PNNA representative to the Cleveland convention to present the PNNA’s proposal to host an ANA convention in Seattle in the period after 2003. Requests for nominations from candidates for ANA officers’ positions were discussed. Moved (Boling), seconded (Steinegger) and passed to nominate A.M. Kagin as ANA vice president. Moved (Pancheco), seconded (Steinegger) and passed to nominate Bob Campbell as ANA director. Boling reported some statistics relating to the Florida United Numismatists (FUN), a regional organization nominally equivalent to PNNA. FUN has ten times our membership and over twelve times our assets — why? Flow can we expand our membership? Pancheco — we need some flyers or other materials that expound “What can the PNNA do for you.” Gaye — we need a mission statement. Sheehan — we need a statement of objectives and goals (what do we want to do and how do we expect to get there). Flolcomb — we need a publicity chair for PNNA. We’ll try to have a meeting covering these topics at the West Coast Expo in March. President Flolcomb adjourned the meeting at 4:45. Minutes prepared by Joseph Boling American Numismatic Association News 1997 National Coin Week — The ANA will lead collectors across the United States in celebrating the 74th annual National Coin Week, April 20-26, 1997, with the theme, "The Changing Face of Money." Utilizing as a springboard for presentations and exhibits the new designs appearing on our nation's paper money and the serious consideration given to a bill calling for new designs for 25- cent coins, the ANA plans to work with its members and other collectors in promoting the numismatic hobby during National Coin Week. ANA Education Director James Taylor said, "National Coin Week is the one time each year when everyone in this diverse, multi-faceted hobby comes together to show the world the wonders it offers. As those of us who already know the enjoyment of numismatics, it is an avocation that is second to none with opportunity." The ANA again is offering full scholarships to any future Summer Conference in Colorado Springs to the coin club and the collector who submit a report of the best and most innovative method of how they promoted National Coin Week. Entries are due May 31, 1997. For more information about NCW, contact the ANA’s Education Department, 818 North Cascade Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80903-3279; telephone 719/632-2646; Internet anaedu@money.org; http://www.money.org. ANA Budget — A budget totaling nearly $3.2 million for the ANA’s Fiscal Year 1997-98 will be considered by the Board of Governors when it meets in Cleveland. Proposed by ANA Executive Director Robert J. Leuver, the budget anticipates a surplus in revenue over expenditures by the end of the next fiscal year (April 1, 1997 - March 31, 1998). ANA Election Candidate Forum — A 90-minute question-and-answer forum for candidates seeking election to the ANA Board of Governors is scheduled for the ANA's National Money Show in Cleveland. Election ballots will be included in the June issue of The Numismatist, and must be returned by July. Those elected to the Board will be installed at the ANA's 106th Anniversary Convention in New York City, July 30-August 3, 1997. New ANA Correspondence Courses — The ANA has launched two new correspondence courses under one cover, illustrated with 34 pages of detailed, color photographs. Author James Wiles, Ph.D., wrote both correspondence courses — The Modern Minting Process and U.S. Minting Errors and Varieties — for the ANA and its School of Numismatics on the recommendation of minting and error expert J.T. Stanton. Wiles states, "There are several good, detailed studies of the minting process, and on errors and varieties. However, no one until now has summarized the field and illustrated the various errors and varieties with quality photos, which are the essence of this course.” Cost of the correspondence courses is $39.95 for ANA members, $69.95 for non-members. Call 719/634-4085 for info. ANA Money Museum Travels the Web — The ANA Money Museum is no longer anchored to its solid moorings in Colorado Springs, Colorado, but is hooked up to a "warp engine" that allows it to travel at light speed. Via the electronic medium of the Internet, specimens from the ANA's collection of United States paper money — the world's foremost collection — can now be seen in vivid color by anyone surfing the Association's World Wide Web site (www.money.org). "Money Talks" is a copyrighted production of the American Numismatic Association. Used by permission. African-Americans on Coins by Gerald Tebben Since February was Black Flistory Month, let me pose the following question: Who was the first African-American to appear on a United States coin? In 1946, the U.S. Mint began an eight-year run of commemorative half dollars honoring Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver. Booker T. Washington was born a slave in 1858, and he rose to become one of this nation's great educators. The founder of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama was enshrined in the Hall of Fame for Great Americans in 1946 — an event the U.S. Mint marked with a commemorative coin. The front of the silver coin shows Washington — and the reverse side shows the slave cabin where he was born, and the Hall of Fame, with the inscription "From Slave Cabin to Hall of Fame." The coins were sold for a dollar, with the profits going to the memorial and other Black charities. In 1951, Congress authorized another commemorative coin — featuring both Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver. Carver was another former slave who became an out-standing scientist and educator. He devoted himself to the propagation of crops that would flourish on the cotton-depleted soil of the South. The reverse side of this coin features a map of the United States. The coin was released during those bizarre days of McCarthyism, when people were whipped into a frenzy of fear that Communist agents were lurking on every street corner. Congress specified that the profits from the sale of the coin would be used to oppose the spread of Communism — but no one knows just how the coins' profits actually were spent. While no African-Americans appear on any regularly circulating U.S. coins, there's been considerable discussion lately of honoring Martin Luther King on a coin, possibly the nickel. Backyard Buried Treasure: English Coin Hoards by Dennis Marr How would you like to dig for buried treasure? What if you could find a pile of ancient coins . . . and it was, literally, in your back yard? Believe it or not, this happens in England on a fairly regular basis. During its early history, England was the scene of many invasions. Vikings, Norsemen and various Celtic tribes struggled among themselves until the Romans came in and established a kind of peace. In ancient England, people often had no choice but to bury their family treasure to keep it from the invaders. Should the owners be killed, or forced off their land — their buried treasure could be lost for the ages. Lost, that is, until some lucky person later happens upon it while digging in his back yard. This was the good fortune of Eric Lawes. In November of 1992, Mr. Lawes was searching in his back yard with a metal detector. Instead of finding the lost tool he was looking for, he happened upon one of the largest hoards of buried coins ever found in England. The press called it "the find of the century." What Lawes discovered was a hoard of more than 14,000 ancient coins. Most were silver, but more than 500 Roman gold coins were found, too. From the portraits of the emperors on the coins, we know they were buried around the year 425. The find was declared a "treasure trove" under British law. That means the British Museum had the right to buy any coins it wanted at a fair market price. All coins not purchased by the museum became the finder's, to do with as he wanted. It's estimated that Lawe's back-yard treasure was worth several million dollars. The chances are slim that anyone in the United States will ever dig up a hoard of buried Roman treasure in their back yard. It's almost enough to make you want to move to England, isn't it? The Bland-Allison Silver Purchase Act by Bill Jones Silver dollars are easily the most popular U.S. coin among collectors. They're big, impressive, and they remind people of the "Old West." Not only were they backed by precious metal, but they were made of precious metal. Why, then, are many of these popular silver dollars inexpensive today, especially when you compare them with the price of other coins from the same period? The answer lies in the laws, politics and public attitudes of the 19th century. In the 1870s, vast quantities of silver were discovered in the western United States. The most famous of these discoveries was Nevada's fabulous Comstock Lode — described as, "a river of silver." This abundance of silver brought down its value — and, as you might guess, prompted the mine owners to seek government help. That help came with the passage of the Bland-Allison Act, which required the federal government to purchase large quantities of silver and make it into dollar coins — even if neither the Mint nor the public wanted the dollars. Although the cowboys of the "Old West" liked silver dollars, most Americans didn't. The public viewed the silver dollar as a heavy, cumbersome coin that literally wore holes in their pockets. And despite the public's rejection of the silver dollar, Congress required the Mint to continue producing the unneeded — and unwanted — coins — even though there were severe shortages of lower-value coins. So millions of silver dollars sat in government vaults, and were available at face value until the early 1960s. In the 1970s, the government sold its remaining stock of old silver dollars. Many of these dollars were made at the legendary Carson City, Nevada Mint. Today, if you'd like an inexpensive example of these attractive mementos of our past, just stop by your local coin dealer. The Nor’wester — Second Quarter 1997 6 COIN SHO W CALENDAR To list a club show contact Del Cushing; P.O. Box 88984, Seattle, WA. 98138; Phone (206) 244-1596 1997 MARCH 28-29, 1997 PACIFIC NORTHWEST NUMISMATIC ASSOCIATION 48TH ANNUAL CONVENTION LLOYD CENTER RED LION, PORTLAND, OREGON APRIL 6 BELLEVUE COIN & COLLECTIBILES SPRING SHOW; Bellevue Inn, Bellevue, Wa. APRIL 12-13 KENT- VALLEY COIN SHOW; Kent Commons, Kent, Wa. APRIL 12-13 VANCOUVER NUMISMATIC SOCIETY COIN SHOW; Oakridge Auditorium, 41st and Cambie, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. APRIL 13 FENWICK STAMP & COIN SHOW; Eagles #1, Corson Ave. & Michigan St., Seattle, Wa. APRIL 19-20 NORTHWEST COIN DEALERS, INC.; San Juan Room, Seattle Center, Seattle, Wa. APRIL 19-20 BELLINGHAM STAMP & COIN SHOW; Best Western Lakeway Inn, 714 Lakeway, Bellingham, Wa. APRIL 26 OLYMPIA/SOUTH SOUND COIN SHOW; Aladdin Best Western Inn, 900 So. Capitol Way, Olympia, Wa. APRIL 26-27 SPRINGFIELD COIN CLUB SHOW; Masonic Lodge, 2777 Centennial Blvd, across from Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Or. APRIL 27 COWLITZ COIN CLUB 3rd ANNUAL SPRING SHOW, AWPPW Hall, Longview, Wa. MAY 3-4 KENT- VALLEY COIN SHOW; Kent Commons, Kent, Wa. MAY 18 NORTHWEST TOKEN & MEDAL SOCIETY; King Oscars Motel, So 88th & Hosmer, Tacoma, Wa. MAY 24-25 SALEM COIN & STAMP SHOW; Black Angus Restaurant, 220 Commercial St S.E., Salem, Or. MAY 24-25 GREATER TACOMA COIN SHOW; Sherwood Inn, So. 84th & 15, Tacoma, Wa. JUN 7-8 NORTHWEST COIN DEALERS, INC.; San Juan Room, Seattle Center, Seattle. JUNE 8 FENWICK STAMP & COIN SHOW; Eagles #1, Corson & Michigan, Seattle, Wa. JULY 12-13 NORTHWEST TOKEN & MEDAL SOCIETY 12TH ANNUAL CONVENTION, Marshall Recreation Center, Exit 1C, Vancouver, Wa. JULY 19-20 COOS COUNTY COIN CLUB ANNUAL SHOW; Bay Area Convention Center, Coos Bay, Or. JULY 20 BELLEVUE COIN & COLLECTIBILES SUMMER SHOW; Bellevue Inn, Bellevue, Wa. AUG 10 FENWICK STAMP & COIN SHOW, Eagles #1, Corson & Michigan, Seattle, Wa. AUG 23-24 WASHINGTON STATE 18TH ANNUAL COIN SHOW; Sherwood Inn, Tacoma, Wa. AUG 30-31 OREGON STATE 4TH ANNUAL COIN SHOW, Sheraton Hotel-Portland/Airport, Portland, Or. SEPT 13-14 NORTHWEST COIN DEALERSJNC.; San Juan Room, Seattle, Center, Seattle. SEPT 21 NORTHWEST TOKEN & MEDAL SOCIETY; King Oscars Motel, So 88th & Hosmer, Tacoma, Wa. SEPT 20-21 CAVEMAN COIN-STAMP & SPORTS CARD SHOW; Josephine County Fairgrounds, Redwood Highway, Grants Pass, Ore. SEPT 27 BELLEVUE COIN & COLLECTIBLES FALL SHOW, Bellevue Inn, Bellevue, Wa. OCT 11-12 KENT- VALLEY COIN SHOW, Kent Commons, Kent, Wa. OCT 12 FENWICK STAMP & COIN SHOW, Eagles #1, Corson & Michigan, Seattle, Wa. OCT ?? NORTH SHORE NUMISMATIC SOCIETY COIN EXPO.; No. Vancouver Recreation ??Center, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. NOV 1-2 TACOMA-LAKEWOOD COIN CLUB SHOW; Elks Lodge, 1965 So. Union, Tacoma, Wa. NOV 8 OLYMPIA/SOUTH SOUND COIN SHOW, Aladdin Best Western Inn, 900 So. Capitol Way, Olympia, Wa. NOV 15-16 EVERETT COIN CLUB 35TH ANNUAL SHOW; Normanna Hall, Everett, Wa. NOV 22-23 THE HOLIDAY COIN & COLLECTIBLE SHOW; Sherwood Inn, Tacoma, Wa. DEC 7 NORTHWEST TOKEN & MEDAL SOCIETY; King Oscars Motel, So 88th & Hosmer, Tacoma, Wa. DEC 13-14 NORTHWEST COIN DEALERS, INC.; San Juan Room, Seattle Center, Seattle, Wa. DEC 14 FENWICK STAMP & COIN SHOW; Eagles #1, Corson & Michigan, Seattle, Wa. DEC 20-21 KENT- VALLEY COIN SHOW, Kent Commons, Kent, Wa.