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Coin News for March 16, 2010
History of the New York Numismatic Club
The E-Sylum
Over the last couple weeks I’ve read major portions of An Island of Civility – The Centennial History of the New York Numismatic Club 1908/09 – 2008/09 by John Kleeberg and David T. Alexander. The 437-page book is limited to 150 copies (not 125, as previously reported here). The book is arranged in four main chapters. The first is a chronological history beginning with the club’s founding in 1908. The next chapter is a topical overview, focusing on key individual aspects of the club throughout its’ long history. The third chapter is a catalogue of medals issued by the club and related organizations and individuals. The final chapter is comprised of biographical sketches of all the club’s members from 1908 through 2009.
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The Legend of Lt. Dixon’s Gold Coin
Friends of the Hunley
To keep her sweetheart safe from harm, Queenie gave George Dixon a gold coin, as a good luck charm. Again, according to the legend, George kept the coin with him always, in his pocket, rubbing it with his thumb while he dreamed of the day when he and Queenie would be reunited. During the Battle of Shiloh, George was shot point blank. A bullet ripped into the pocket of his trousers and struck the center of the gold coin. The impact was said to have left the gold piece bent, with the bullet embedded in it. Queenie’s good luck gift had saved his life.
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Good Time to Mentor a Young Collector
Numismaster
I’ve been thinking about the low number of young people involved with this hobby. It’s not really that surprising an observation, but there are very few collectors in the 12 to 30 age group. I’m sure most of you have noticed this. By contrast, most of us older collectors began collecting while we were in that age group. It was usually the result of a job such as peddling papers or clerking in a mom and pop store when we discovered this neat hobby where we could collect things for free. We could put an item away for its face value, and many times the item would be worth a dollar or two.
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Rare 1911-D Indian Quarter Eagle With Double Provenance
Heritage Blog
This coin is being sold as part of The Atherton Family Collection, Part Two, but before that, it was part of two of the most esteemed collections of the 20th century. The Norweb Collection was built to its full splendor over nearly half a century by Emery May (Holden) Norweb and her husband, Ambassador R. Henry Norweb. When this 1911-D quarter eagle was sold in the late 1980s, it landed in the hands of Harry W. Bass, Jr. His researcher-collector approach to early American gold made him famous, but his eye for quality extended across the entirety of U.S. gold coinage. The Norweb provenance was front-and-center when this coin was sold at auction at the end of the 1990s, along with other Bass Collection coins outside his core holdings.
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Commemorative Coins to Mark the 70th Birthday of Denmark’s Queen
The Royal Mint Denmark
There is a longstanding tradition in Denmark to issue commemorative coins to mark special events in the Royal Family. The Queen’s 70th birthday on 16 April 2010 will therefore be marked with the issue of a commemorative coin in three different versions. A 1,000 krone gold coin is minted in 900 o/oo gold (Au) with a diameter of 22 mm and a weight of 8.65 g. A 500-krone silver coin in 999 0/00 fine silver (Ag) with a diameter of 38 mm and a weight of 31.1 g. The 20-krone ordinary circulation coin in aluminium bronze will be issued in an edition of 1.2 million. Furthermore a 20-krone coin will be minted in a very fine proof quality.
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Swedish Republicans Want to Abolish Royal Images on Coins and Currency
M&C
Sweden’s small but vocal Republican Association said Tuesday it wants to see the profiles of kings disappear from on new Swedish coins and banknotes. ‘The portraits of kings are not in step with the times,’ the association said on the eve of a meeting of the central bank’s General Council to review the designs of future banknotes and coins. The Republican Association suggested that current banknotes such as the 500-kronor (71 dollars) one featuring King Charles XI (1655- 1697) should be replaced, citing that he hailed from an era of autocratic monarchy.
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About the Author
Tim Shuck is a life-long Midwestern resident, and started collecting coins after finding an Indian Head cent on the ground at his childhood farm home. Additional encouragement came from looking through a collection of well-worn late 19th and early 20th century coins kept by his grandfather in an old leather coin purse. Current collecting interests include U.S. types from the Civil War era through the early 1930's, and Colonial and Early American coins.
