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ACCent
The
Award Winning
Monthly
Newsletter of the Anchorage Coin Club
Volume 7, Number 9 |
September 1994 |
|
September Membership Meeting | ||
Wed., Sept. 7, 1994 | Central Lutheran Church |
7:00 Open |
It's
showtime again, folks! Our most popular program each year is the fall and spring
coin and card shows. This is where we go out into the public to promote the
hobby, educate the public, and sell some coins and cards. But first, some old
business...
NEW BYLAWS ACCEPTED
With
eighteen members in attendance, it was finally time to vote on the new bylaws
for our club. Anyone wishing to review the new bylaws had ample opportunity to
request a copy for their inspection. In a unanimous vote, the new version was
accepted with no further discussion.
With
the new bylaws being accepted, the long road to incorporation is nearing the
end. The entire process will likely be completed by the time we meet for the
September meeting or shortly thereafter.
In a unanimous vote, the new club bylaws were accepted
SHOWS! SHOWS!
SHOWS!
Here's
the news we have all been waiting for: the fall show schedule. It is time once
again to reserve tables for any or all of the three shows in our fall lineup.
Two shows are scheduled in Anchorage, and the third in Eagle River. As always,
space will fill up very fast, and many
people that want tables will be disappointed.
That
duly noted, here is the show lineup:
OCTOBER
1-2, SEARS MALL, ANCHORAGE
The
Sears Mall has been the site of more club sponsored coin shows than any other
location. There is a constant stream of people walking through this mall, which
often results in sales being made before you even finish setting up and all
through the day.
The
show size will be fifty tables, of which about fifteen to twenty were snatched
up immediately at the meeting when the show was announced. At this time, all
tables have been filled, and a waiting list has been established. Cost is $20
per table, which includes your table, one chair per renter, and table skirting.
OCTOBER
15-16, EAGLE RIVER MALL, EAGLE RIVER
This
will be our second visit to the Eagle River mall, which is managed by one of our
club members. Several coin dealers reported that our first show in Eagle River
last winter was their best show ever. Several factors are coming together this
year that should help make this another successful venture out of Anchorage.
Tables
are $20 each, which includes a table and chair. Table skirting is not provided.
While skirting is not required, I can tell you from several years of experience
that it is nice to be able to pile your stuff under the tables without
displaying it to the world. This is especially true if you plan to store
valuable inventory under the table.
It's Show Time Again!
NOVEMBER
11-13 NORTHWAY MALL, ANCHORAGE
This
is another mall that is visited by us on a very regular basis, twice per year.
Tables are set up in islands in the courtyards in front of the major department
stores. The Christmas season is approaching at this point, and many people are
looking to start their shopping early, especially for the young ones. We had a
very successful show at this same time last year, and expect this to be a good
one again.
Space
is very limited here, with room for only 40 tables. Although the mall is large,
we are only allowed to set up in the three courtyards, not in the hallways, due
to fire code restrictions. As of this writing, reservations are not yet being
taken because we do not yet know exactly what the table fee will be. This mall
is more expensive to set up at than the other malls, but an exact figure must be
determined before reservations are taken.
When
the time arrives, Mike McKinnon will be taking names at the telephone numbers
listed on the front cover.
NOTES ABOUT SHOWS
The
members of the Anchorage Coin Club have built up a good reputation for putting
on a high quality show. Things are generally quite casual at the shows, but a
certain degree of professionalism is required. Each person having a table at the
show will be required to read and sign a one page list of rules.
The
rules are essentially common sense items, such as keeping kids under control, no
drugs/booze, no wheeling and dealing at other people's table, except with the
person behind the table, etc. Many of the rules are based on the guidelines that
the malls lay down for us. One thing that table renters should be on the lookout
for is people coming in off the street and "setting up shop" on a
nearby bench and attracting customers away from their tables. Several times
people have attempted to do this in order to take advantage of our promotional
activities without paying for a table. This activity is not allowed, and the
person should be asked to conduct business only with table renters.
SEMINAR TIME!
Enough
about shows... the big news for the month of September is the coin seminar
taking place in the middle of the month featuring commemorative specialist
Anthony Swiatek. At this time, 18 people have agreed to attend, with four more
needed to reach the break even point. The final push is on to recruit those
final few people needed to move us into the black.
FIRST BID BOARD
The
first attempt at a bid board was not quite the landmark success many of us were
hoping for, but the mood of those participating was upbeat. About 50 lots were
put up for sale, of which 5 to 10 actually sold. The low percentage was
attributed to our traditional low mid summer turnout. Bargains were abundant,
with many lots sporting minimum bids well below the current Greysheet bid level.
There
was enough interest and positive comment concerning the new auction format that
it will definitely be tried again. The next bid board is scheduled for the
October meeting. All ready, ten lots have been submitted by member Bill Fivaz
(see the listing of these lots later in the newsletter).
The
same rules will be observed for the next bid board, as everything seemed to run
quite smoothly.
PICNIC RESULTS
Much
to the surprise of the people that did show up for our annual picnic, the
turnout on that sunny Saturday afternoon was very limited. About half of the
expected fifty people showed up to enjoy a substantial feast of all of the usual
picnic goodies.
It
seems that we always end up with about 25 attendees at these picnics each year,
come rain or shine. Next year, we will probably just plan on about thirty people
showing up and hope that there is enough to go around.
PRIZES
The
August meeting started out with member Ben Guild giving away two error medals
struck at the Anchorage mint where he is working on weekends for the summer.
The
medals were given out in two separate contests open to the YNs only. The first
contest was simply a guess the number arrangement, which was won by Robin
Sisler. The second contest involved having each of the three YNs in attendance
that evening examine the error medal and try to determine what the error was.
Robin won again by being the first to notice that the medal had been struck
using coin alignment (180 degrees) instead of medal alignment (360 degrees).
In
other prize action, Mr. Doug Williams won the door prize of a US proof set.
Member #112, who was not present, would have won the kitty prize had they been
present.
SPEAKING OF PRIZES...
Here
is a contest for all of you collector-investors out there. It is based on a
contest that has been held in Coin World several times.
winner.
Specifics of this contest are as follows:
Start with $1000
and see how much you have in six months
Start
with $1000
Select
up to 10 different coins, but you may have as many of each coin as you like. For
example, you may have 500 of a particular coin that is listed at $1. This will,
of course, use up half of the starting kitty, but it will only count as one of
your ten allowed selections.
Prices
will be determined using Coin World's trends listing, using the September 12,
19, and 26 issues. Final values will be determined using the March 20, 27, and
April 3 issues. Any coin that has an actual value listed in Coin World's US
trends is eligible to be included in the hypothetical portfolio. This includes
listed varieties, coins listed as being worth face value, rolls, commemoratives,
etc. Selections may not be made from the box labeled precious metals prices.
Your
selections will be published in the newsletter. Monthly updates of each
participant's portfolio value will be listed so that we can watch progress over
the six months.
There
is no cost to enter. Entries are due at the October 5 meeting, and should be
turned in to your editor. Anybody that does not plan to attend the meeting may
mail in their entry to the club's post office box (listed on the front cover),
although your entry must reach us here in Anchorage by Monday October 3rd.
The
prize for the winner has yet to be selected, but it will be worth much less than
the real prize: the right to gloat all you want!
Member Notes
BEN GUILD GOES NATIONAL
It
seems that your editor is no longer the only person from Alaska running
advertisements in the Numismatic press any more. Club member Ben Guild has run
his first ad in the Collectors Marketplace section of Numismatic News. His ad
appears in the August 23 edition on page 33, and features type coins, early
circulated material, BU modern singles, and proof sets.
Also
included in the ad are coins from Mike McKinnon and Mike Orr. Good luck with the
ad, folks!
MINI SHOWS
Is
anybody interested in setting up a mini show of one or two people? If so, Skip
Stiglich, manager of the Eagle River mall, has extended the invitation to any
club members that would like to set up in that mall. Just give him a call at the
numbers listed below, and find out what weekends are available.
Skip
can be reached at the following numbers:
Home
694-6970
Card
Store 696-2273
Work
384-2208
ERRATA
Jim
Walston's telephone number was given incorrectly in last month's newsletter. If
you want to speak to Jim about submitting coins for ANACS slabbing, he may be
reached at 248-9540.
DUES REPORT
The
following report comes to us from secretary/treasurer Paul Wheeler:
Four
of our category 1 members failed to pay their dues in the last month so we will
be sending out four fewer newsletters this month, that's 24 fewer in the last
two months. I know that some annual turnover is expected but we are now losing
some of our long term members. Come on members, has coin collecting become that
uninteresting to you that you do not even want to read about it? I understand
that budgets are tight these days, but that's what you do when times are hard
and you can not afford to buy coins, you read, study, and research so that when
your budget allows you can purchase as a more informed buyer.
Category
1
Over
three months behind who will receive no newsletter next month:
#19
- Tom Taylor
#116
- Brad Young
Category
2
Between
one and three months behind:
#30
- Walt Fournier
#51
- Greg Durocher
Category
3
Currently
due:
#81
- Michael Greer
#82
- William Preston
#98
- Kaye Dethridge
#120
- Daniel Gross
Category
4
Due
next month:
#37
- Debbie's Old Coins
#39
- Hal Wilson
#58
- David Wilson
#85
- Billy McGinnis
#86
- Bill McGinnis
#87
- Cirino Scavone
Paul
H. Wheeler
Treasurer
A
Fool And His Money
Submitted by Bill
D'Atri
Imagine
a numismatic marketplace where no matter what you offered, it was snatched up in
seconds, at prices 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 times the most current price guide available.
Just for sh--s and giggles pretend common date Peace Dollars are going for
$29.00 in PCGS AU-58, or $39.00 in PCGS MS-60. Try to picture selling common
date Morgans for $58.00 in MS-61 or 62., and having them gobbled up in under one
minute!
Common date Peace dollars:
PCGS-58 for $29
PCGS-60 for $39
In
a similar scheme, your editor found this advertisement in a non-numismatic
magazine. Note that the prices are per set.
Name
a common grade, common date for most any denomination, and offer it to the
drooling, gibbering goards for two to three times what any coin dealer would
sell it to you for at full retail. Watch it disappear in less than sixty
seconds!
Try
to conjecture flocks of these sheep that extend from the Atlantic Seaboard to
the shores of the Pacific. Imagine their imbecilic reactions as they salivate
over these incredulous deals. Smile and warn them that there are only a limited
number of these treasures, and they'd better be quick with their money or be
left out.
Now
to really crank things up, picture yourself telling the assembled flock that
these are rare, and that you feel privileged to be able to offer these
treasures. Let them know that you are truly sorry that you don't have 10, 20, or
even 100 of each lot, as you feel like you're letting people down.
I
wish I could go on, but I'm starting to disgust even myself. I really wish that
I could sit here and tell you that this is all just a bad dream, but it's not!
Believe
it or not
what
I've just described
is
reality!
The
fact of the matter is that I watched this exact scene play out in the privacy of
my own living room. Next time you are channel surfing on a Tuesday night, try
landing on channel 33 between 5:00 and 8:00 PM Alaska Standard Time. Bring
popcorn, and don't forget to wear your seatbelt, because the ride can be
downright scary.
If
this is what marketing to the masses is all about, I'm seriously worried. I
could not, and still cannot, imagine where in this country that many numismatic
idiots can exist.
I've
been blessed in having the support that the Anchorage Coin Club offers. The
participants of this home shopping scheme obviously don't, but they assuredly
can use it. If the ANA is really looking for new members, maybe they can access
the phone records of this show, and do a targeted membership campaign directed
at folks who really can use the help.
In
closing, I'm assuming that what these marketing people are doing is legal, but I
find it incredibly distasteful. The coins are not being blatantly
misrepresented, nobody is being forced to call in and surrender their money.
I can't help but feel like the good shepherd, and if I could just get my hands on their phone numbers....
1800
TO 1809:
TEN YEARS IN HISTORY
Editor's note:
This is part two of what may be a series that continues up through the current
time in ten year increments. Part one was published in the August 1994 edition
of ACCent.
The decade started with a presidential election that can be called chaotic at
best. In the early days of our government, the laws were not specific enough to
account for every possible contingency. As with almost every process, a
significant amount of refining had to take place.
The
Republicans put Thomas Jefferson on their ticket for president and Aaron Burr as
vice president. The opposing Federalists had current president John Adams
running for reelection with his vice president of Charles Pickney.
As
detailed in part one of this series, the individual that receives the greatest
number of electoral votes is elected president and the second place person
becomes vice president, no matter what party they are running for. In the
election of 1800, Jefferson and Burr both received the same number of electoral
votes! Even though Burr had been running for the office of vice president, he
refused to give up the possibility of being president, since there was a tie for
the job.
Finally,
the House selected Jefferson to be president and forced Burr to accept the
position of second in command. The whole mess resulted in the twelfth amendment
to the constitution providing for separate balloting for the offices of
president and vice president. It was too late to help in the election of 1800,
and Jefferson never forgave Burr for trying to steal his job.
The
election was one of the high points in the new country's history. As pointed out
in Jefferson's inaugural address on March 4, 1801, this was the first time that
a new party was taking over.
What
made it unique was how smoothly the transition took place - there was a complete
transfer of power without any assassinations, riots in the streets, or any other
form of violence.
International
events were top on Jefferson's agenda upon taking office. Napoleon Bonaparte had
acquired the Louisiana territory (now the entire gulf coast and Midwest) from
Spain in 1800. His grand scheme was to organize a trading triangle between
France, the French West Indies, and Louisiana at New Orleans.
Napoleon Bonaparte's plans
for world trade conflicted with
the plans of Thomas Jefferson
This
caused Jefferson great distress because he had determined that the United States
must control New Orleans in order to make effective use of the land west of the Appalachian
mountains.
Jefferson
got lucky, and a conflict was not necessary, as things were not working very
smoothly for Napoleon. Part of his plan included using Santo Domingo as a
stopping off port for the North American corner of his triangle. However, the
natives on that island revolted against his forces, putting this corner in
jeopardy. At the same time as this was going on, he was also preparing to go to
war in Europe again.
In
an example of excellent timing, Jefferson ordered the minister to France, Robert
Livingston, to offer Napoleon a much needed $10 million for New Orleans and
western Florida. By the time the offer crossed Napoleon's in basket, he had
given up on the trading triangle for the time being and needed the money to
finance his campaign against Europe.
Livingston
was able to quickly negotiate the purchase of the entire Louisiana territory for
$15 million in October 1803
One
hundred years later, this huge land transfer was commemorated in one of the
United States first commemorative coin issues. Two gold dollars were issued, one
with Jefferson on the obverse and the other with recently deceased William
McKinley. Both shared a common reverse bearing the dual date 1803-1903, the
denomination, and a piece of foliage. All designs were by Charles E. Barber. For
anybody interested in acquiring one of these coins, they are readily available,
selling for around $300 in XF/AU condition and $900 in MS-63 for either design.
Similar to today's commemoratives, only 15% of the total authorized mintage was
actually sold.
In
these days, before detailed maps existed of many parts of the world, Napoleon
did not really know what he had sold to the United States, and Jefferson was
equally clueless concerning what he had just purchased!.
It
was necessary to find out what was out there, so Jefferson asked congress to
appropriate $2500 for an exploration of the area. He appointed Merewether Lewis
and William Clark to lead the expedition into the new territory.
Napoleon did not know
what he had sold,
and Jefferson did not know
what he had purchased
Lewis
and Clark gathered up the necessary equipment and hired 48 assistants. The group
spent the winter of 1803 to 1804 training for the trip. In spring 1804, they
left Saint Louis, Missouri and made it as far as Fort Manden, North Dakota by
fall.
Along
their trip, Lewis and Clark gave assorted presents to the native Indians that
they met along the way, including small medals depicting a theme of peace. These
medals are now extreme rarities, and bring a substantial price on the rare
occasions that they come up for sale, usually only in large auctions.
Again,
100 years later, a commemorative gold dollar was issued in honor of the
expedition. The coins were minted for distribution at the Lewis and Clark
centennial exposition in Portland in 1905. The proceeds (now surcharges) were
used to erect a bronze memorial to Sacagawea, the Indian guide that led the
group across the Rocky mountains. The designs, again by Charles E. Barber, show
one of the explorers on each side of the coin. Two dates are available: 1904 and
1905 and both are scarce. A person wishing to add one of these to their
collection can currently expect to pay $400 for an XF/AU specimen and $2100
(1904) to $2900 (1905) for a MS-63 piece.
Other
less famous expeditions followed, but Lewis and Clark are the most famous as
being the first to do a fairly comprehensive survey. One other notable
expedition was led by Zebulon Pike of Pike's Peak fame which explored the
Colorado area.
Back
to politics. For the election of 1804, Jefferson did not support vice president
Aaron Burr for reelection, remembering what happened in 1800. The apparently
quick tempered Burr was furious and tried to get the New England states to break
away and form a new country. Of course this did not work, and Burr was made to
look foolish in the press. Much of this ridiculing came from secretary of the
treasury Alexander Hamilton.
Hot
headed Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel and won, mortally wounding Hamilton.
In the end, Jefferson was reelected, with George Clinton as vice president. Burr
attempted to get several western states to break away from the United States in
1807. Jefferson had him tried for treason, but he was found to be not guilty.
The
remainder of the decade was relatively quiet. In 1808 James Madison was elected
president with George Clinton remaining in his post as vice president. In 1809,
part of the Indiana territory split off to become the Illinois territory.
Two
notable inventions were tested out in the second part of the decade. In 1807 the
first steamboat was used to travel up the Hudson river in the northeast. In
1809, John Thompson built the first experimental railroad in Pennsylvania.
Coming in October:
the 1810's
BID BOARD SUBMISSIONS
The
following coins will be available for purchase at the October meeting's bid
board. The dollar amounts listed are minimum bids:
1
cent
1915
AU-50
31.00
1
cent
1928-S
MS-60
2
cents 1864
LM
EF-45
20.00
5
cents 1945-S
MS-65
10
cents 1941-D
MS-64
10
cents 1945
AU-50 Partial split bands
27.00
25
cents 1936-S
AU-58
15.00
50
cents 1875-CC
AU-58
375.00
50
cents 1935
MS-63
32.50
Dollar
1884-S
EF-45
25.00
Please
note that the grades given above are those assigned by the consignor, not by the
consensus of a panel. The buyer is encouraged to examine each coin before
purchase.
The Anchorage Coin Club
Meetings:
Membership meeting - First Wednesday of the month, 7:30 PM
E-Board meeting - Third Wednesday of the month, 7:00 PM
Meetings held at the Central Lutheran Church, at the corner of 15th
and Cordova
Club Officers
President-
Mike McKinnon
Days: 786-7490
Eves: 248-0955
V. President-
Mike Orr
Days: 258-9100
Treasurer-
Paul Wheeler Days:
563-3910
Eves: 694-0962
Sec./Editor-
Mike Nourse
Any: 344-9856
Board of Directors
Robert Hall- Days: 265-8782
Roy Brown-
Eves: 563-6708
Larry Nakata-
Days: 269-5603
Eves: 563-1729
DUES
Life Membership
$250
Regular Membership
$25/year
Associate Membership
$10/year
Junior Membership
$5/year
To
save cost, members not responding to renewal notices within three months will be
considered inactive.
The Anchorage Coin Club is a non-profit organization formed
to provide information, education, and a meeting place for individuals having an
interest in numismatics.
Correspondence Address: PO Box 230169 Anchorage, Alaska 99523