Radio City Music Hall (Photo by Ajay Suresh used under the CC by 2.0 license)
Continuing my collecting through rediscovering my past, I came across an aluminum medal for Radio City Music Hall.
Radio City, called the Showplace of the Nation, was developed along with Rockefeller Center in 1930-32 for the Metropolitan Opera. The construction of Rockefeller Center was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, headed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. When the opera backed out, Rockefeller negotiated with RCA to continue the construction of Radio City as a multimedia showplace.
My first visit to Radio City and Rockefeller Center was in 1968 during the winter break from school. My (late) mother, who grew up on Coney Island, understood that New Yorkers did not take the time to see the sights in their own city. To make up for the time she lost as a child to see New York, she took her children to play tourist during school breaks.
The trip to Manhattan was to see Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Rockefeller Center, including the ice rink, and then see a movie at Radio City. I do not remember the movie we saw, but my mother later told me that they showed three short movies, and it cost 25-cents for my brother and me (that’s $2 accounting for inflation).
Before going to the movie, we toured the main stage where the famous Rockettes performed. As part of the tour, we saw the Rockettes practice and visited with a few on stage. I remember being amazed at how long their legs were — which is not bad for an eight-year-old!
Many years later, I worked for NBC and visited Radio City often. When NBC was involved in a live production in Radio City, I used my connections within NBC Sports to watch the rehearsals from the production trucks. Before the final rehearsal, I was allowed into Radio City to see the performance. Later, I returned to my office on the 16th floor, two floors above David Letterman’s offices.
The aluminum medal is 40 mm in diameter. On the front is an image of Radio City and the reverse has a view of the main theater looking at the stage. It is a well-executed image that uses the unique design of the theater to give the image depth.
While taking another look at the medal, it reminds me of a Mardi Gras token.
As I keep finding these great collectibles, I have to develop a better way to store them. My current system cannot handle my recent expansion, especially when the tokens and medals are different sizes. I will report what I come up with.
USCGC Eagle from OpSail 2000. (Image courtesy of OpSail Inc.)
Coin collecting is a fun hobby, and while I have a nice collection, lately, I have become interested in collecting more personal numismatics. By expanding my collection to exonumia, I can find numismatics with ties to my past.
I recently searched the popular online auction site and came across a bronze medal that made me smile. I found a 1986 OpSail commemorative medal.
Operation Sail (OpSail) was founded in 1963 with the support of President John F. Kennedy to celebrate significant milestones in the New York Harbor. OpSail features tall ships of the past but welcomes all sorts of ships from around the world. The first OpSail was the 1964 World’s Fair Parade of Ships. All OpSail events are on July 4th.
The third OpSail was the 1986 Statue of Liberty Centennial, and it was a big year that would become a year-long party for New York City. The Mets started hot and ran away with the National League East, leading to a World Series victory in the fall. The Giants ended their 1985 season in great shape during January. While the Mets were winning the World Series, the Giants were putting their imprint on the NFL, which led to a Super Bowl victory the following January.
In 1986, I lived on Long Island and worked on Wall Street, enjoying life. My parents came to New York for a visit, and we had to go to OpSail. We piled into my car and drove to the Fort Hamilton neighborhood, and we parked and walked to the park area south of the Belt Parkway.
I do not know if the park area along the shore has a name, but we joined the throngs of other people milling around the park to watch the ships sail by. While the parents stayed in one area, the group of cousins walked closer to the Verazzano Bridge to get a better look at the harbor. We had a good view of the water show from the FDNY fireboats. Later, we drove back to Long Island for dinner and took the train into Manhattan to watch the fireworks.
We made our way downtown to the area just north of the entry to the Staten Island Ferry to watch the fireworks. When the fireworks ended, we walked up a few blocks, grabbed some drinks, and let the crowd lighten before taking the train back to Penn Station and back to Long Island.
I dropped my parents off at their hotel before returning to my tiny one-bedroom apartment. The last thing I remember was sitting in a chair drinking water before waking up a few hours later in the same chair.
Finding the medal brought back the flood of memories from that day, and I had to add it to my collection.
While looking for more information about the medal, I came across a 1986 story in The New York Times that described the medals produced for the Statue of Liberty Centennial.
The medal’s obverse is the logo used by OpSail ’86, representing the tall ships surrounded by a rope tied in a square knot. The initials “gd” are along the rim under the left loop of the square knot. The reverse shows a tall ship passing by the Statue of Liberty.
The bronze medal is part of an official three-medal set issued for the celebration. The gold and silver medals contain one troy ounce of the medals. The one-ounce gold medal sold for $595 ($1524 in today’s funds), the one-ounce silver medal sold for $34.95 ($89), and the 51 mm 1.75 ounce bronze medal sold for $19.95 ($50).
The “gd” initials are likely for the Green Duck Mint of Hernando, MS, who struck the medals for OpSail ’86. Maranatha Holdings of Jersey City sold the medals for the organization.
Now that I know there are gold and silver medals for OpSail ’86, I have to find them to complete the set.
The New York Times article said that the Statue of Liberty Foundation issued 11 medals featuring different reverse themes. Frank Gasparro designed the medals. He retired as Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint in 1981.
There was a lot of numismatic-related news this week that collectors should note.
Negro Leagues Baseball Proof Silver Dollar Coin and Jackie Robinson Silver Medal Set \ (Image courtesy of the U.S. Mint)
The U.S. Mint announced that the end of the pre-sale of the Negro Baseball Leagues Commemorative Coins is on Monday. As part of the reminder, they announced that the proof silver dollar with the 100th Anniversary Privy Mark has sold out, and other options are reaching their sales limit.
At the same time, the U.S. Mint announced the pre-sale for the Negro Leagues Baseball 2022 Proof Silver Dollar Coin and Jackie Robinson Silver Medal Set. The Jackie Robinson 1 ounce silver medal is currently only available as part of this set.
In a separate announcement, the U.S. Mint also declared that they reached the limit on the number of pre-sale coins for the proof and uncirculated American Silver Eagle collector coins. The announcement shows that the American Silver Eagle continues to be the U.S. Mint’s most popular collector coin.
On February 6, Queen Elizabeth II celebrates the 70th anniversary of her ascension to the throne of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Relm. While the country celebrates the Platinum Jubilee, it is a solemn day for the Queen because it marks the 70th anniversary of the death of her father, King George VI.
While Queen Elizabeth took private time to remember her father, the Royal Mint released a good deal of coins to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee. The current lineup includes gold and silver coins ranging from one-ounce to 10-kilo gold coins.
The Royal Mint and Royal Canadian Mint announced a two-coin silver set with coins designed to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee earlier today. The Royal Canadian Mint will sell the set.
At some point, the U.S. Mint will release the 2022 National Purple Heart Hall of Honor that will include a colorized silver dollar. That will be exciting.
What happened to money if a European country went broke in the 17th century? And how did a bizarre coin lead to the introduction of paper bills, as well as central banking systems? → Read more at scandinavianarchaeology.com
The Underground Railroad, the famous network of safe houses and secret routes that helped enslaved people of African descent escape to freedom in Canada, is the subject of the Royal Canadian Mint's latest issue in its ongoing Commemorating Black History coin series. → Read more at prnewswire.com
The year 1776 was obviously a big year for the United States. But before the Declaration of Independence was signed, another sign of freedom was created by Continental Congress. → Read more at wearethemighty.com
THE Fugio cent minted in 1787 has long been enjoyed by coin collectors. We explain what you need to know about the rare coin, which is also called the Franklin cent. → Read more at the-sun.com
I have not talked about my favorite news of January, and I waited until I received a numismatic collectible to go along with the news. In case you have not heard
After Georgia’s 33-18 victory over Alabama to capture our first National Championship in 41 years, my fingers sprinted to the Georgia Bookstore website to place a significant order. Included in my order was the obligatory numismatic item to add to my collection
The Highland Mint has limited production to 5,000 medals. It is a 39 mm gold-plated masterpiece that has me excited.
The Dawg Nation has been celebrating for the last three weeks. We are ecstatic and will continue to celebrate for the next few months. In the meantime, I may go to the Highland Mint’s website to see what else I can add to my collection. HOW BOUT THEM DAWGS!
Earlier this month, the Coin Collectors Blog passed 10,000 email subscribers. More than 10,000 people receive an email notification every time I publish an article. It is amazing!
I started this blog with a post on October 31, 2005. When I published the post, I did not know how long I would write about collecting, the market, my thoughts on the hobby, and anything else that came to mind. I did not think that I would still be doing this more than 16 years later.
The Coin Collectors Blog is a labor of love, and I enjoy the hobby so much that I want to share it with everyone. I seek out stories in the non-numismatic media to share with people on Twitter and collect news releases to publish on the Coin Collectors News site to give collectors a place to find the latest news.
Whether you are new to the blog or have been with me for many years, THANK YOU! Thank you for joining me on my numismatic adventures.
Several news stories touted the collecting of coins and said that coins are a great teaching tool.
A Chicago Sun-Timesarticle suggested that parents use national coin storage to teach their kids history and economics. Coins have images of presidents, and presidents represent history. For example, the 50 State Quarters and America the Beautiful Quarters can help teach geography and history. Even though the Ohio quarter has a hanging astronaut, a parent can use it to explain aviation history.
From Ghent, New York, Ralph Gardner Jr. asks if coin collecting is making a comeback? Gardner admits that regular coin collecting is not a good investment. The opportunity for change hunting is limited, and the regular collector market is dominated by graded coins that are out of the reach of ordinary collectors. But there continue to be opportunities for someone who likes coins to find something interesting to collect.
Finally, a New York Times print edition published an editorial cartoon that compared coin collecting to cryptocurrency. The gist of the cartoon was to show that while there may be investment opportunities in the cryptocurrency market, if something happens in either market, the coins are a tangible asset.
Recently, I received emails from people looking for information about buying collectible coins. Most have said they were participating in the crypto markets but were worried about its volatility. The number of messages increased this past week during a decline in the crypto market. The crypto investors with the capital are looking for a safe haven and choosing collector coins for their investment.
As a result, the collector and investor market appears to be strong. The only problem is understanding what everyone wants to collect.
My children’s questions were about the monetary value coins hold, and the American values our country has branded onto coins’ heads and tails for centuries — both values now becoming outdated. → Read more at chicago.suntimes.com
This is just one of the stories from our “I’ve Always Wondered” series, where we tackle all of your questions about the world of business, no matter how big or small. Ever wondered if recycling is worth it? → Read more at marketplace.org
A DOLLAR coin said to be the first ever struck by the US Mint has sold for a whopping $12million. The silver dollar coin features the year of 1794 with Liberty’s head staring towards the top right on the obverse. → Read more at the-sun.com
A small part of the writer’s wheat penny collection. Wheat pennies, Buffalo nickels and silver quarters still bring a thrill when discoved in ordinary pocket change. → Read more at berkshireeagle.com
Exaggerated headlines are not new to journalism. Depending on whose depiction of history you read, it dates to the work of Joseph Pulitzer and New York World and William Randolph Hearst in the New York Journal. The battle between the two raged into the 1890s and earned the name of Yellow Journalism.
The tradition continues on the Internet. Instead of Yellow Journalism, it is called clickbait. In the old days, editors used the headlines to sell newspapers so readers could see the advertising. Today, the headline writers want you to click the links to display advertising. It is the same principles even though the medium is different.
Some people do not like overly dramatic headlines and avoid those links. But there is one set of numismatic-related stories whose headlines you should not ignore.
The Sun is a UK-based tabloid newspaper owned by Ruppert Murdock. While the newspaper is known for yellow and tabloid journalism, the paper has well-written stories that are not sensational or salacious. With the power of the Internet, they brought The Sun to the U.S. using the same formula to get page impressions.
One of the story formulas The U.S. Sun uses is to lure readers is to watch eBay coin auctions as a basis to write about different coins. Once they find something interesting, the articles produced are well written, informative, and readable to the average collector.
A journalist explained that these are formula stories. A formula story is written based on a publisher-defined style so that any writer can fill in the details and maintain standards. Writers who earn their pay by the story will create story formulas to publish as many stories as possible.
Given The U.S. Sun‘s ability to publish well-written stories about the coins they cover makes it an excellent educational read for all coin collectors regardless of knowledge level. Follow @coinsblog on Twitter for when I find these stories.
More exists to challenge coins than the simple design of them. Business owners must pay attention to a variety of things like plating, shape, size and cost. → Read more at vervetimes.com
Our government just dropped a hot new quarter featuring Maya Angelou with her arms dramatically aloft, posed before a bird’s giant wingspan. It’s the first of a series, each depicting women on the back. → Read more at nymag.com
An extremely rare Henry III gold penny discovered in a farm field in England could fetch more than $500,000 at auction this month. Spink & Son → Read more at smithsonianmag.com
Coin collecting is one of the most popular hobbies in the world. As with any hobby, it's important to know how to collect coins so that you can avoid making mistakes and start building a strong collection. Here are six things about coin collecting you should know before starting your collection! → Read more at bbntimes.com
A new internal report depicts the United States Mint as an institution rife with internal tumult over allegations of racist behavior. → Read more at nytimes.com
THE Henning quarter is arguably one of the most fascinating coins in American history – but some are wondering if they should add it to their collection. Often times with coins, they will gain their rarity off a low mintage, an error, or another unique element. → Read more at the-sun.com
In the past two weeks, the U.S. Mint announced the presale of the Negro Leagues Baseball Commemorative Coin program. The program is a belated celebration of the centennial of the Negro Leagues, with the proceeds paid to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City.
They also announced that they began to ship the first coins in the American Women Quarters Program. The first quarter honors Maya Angelou. Angelou was a writer, performer, and social activist who rose to prominence by the publishing of her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in 1969.
These releases are only the beginning. The U.S. Mint will be releasing four additional quarters, American Innovation Dollars, American Eagle coins, the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coins, and others. Do not forget about the continuing of the Morgan and Peace Dollar programs.
With all of the new releases available, I ask…
What 2022 US Mint coins are you going to add to your collection?
Morgan and/or Peace Dollars (23%, 23 Votes)
American Eagle Coins (21%, 21 Votes)
National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin (12%, 12 Votes)
The deaths of Harvey G. Stack and Muriel Eymery and other events in my life have me thinking about our legacy on the hobby. All of us will leave a legacy, and whether it is with our family or the hobby in general, sometimes we need to take stock in what that legacy will be.
Although they were of different ages, Stack and Eymery had similar philosophies. Both wanted to bring advancement to the hobby by expanding what people collected. Stack was one of the people who advocated for the 50 State Quarters program, and Eymery was an advocate for international collecting for collectors from all over the world.
It was not enough for both to look beyond their primary interests. Stack could have made a good living from his New York City store selling rare coins, holding auctions, and serving a high-end community without being involved in areas that would help the average collector. Eymery took her passion and made a career in several countries, including the United States and Hong Kong. She became an ANA Governor overcoming xenophobia because she spoke with an accent even though she was a U.S. citizen.
Both stepped beyond their comfort zone to help the hobby and should be role models for all of us. Stack and Eymery went beyond their self-interests to grow the hobby. They had their business interests, but they could think beyond an alleged correct way to collect for the sake of the hobby.
What will your legacy be? Are you going to leave the hobby static or grow it by creating a legacy that collecting is fun and does not have to be limited by plastic-encased coins or printed albums? Or will you embrace everything that the hobby offers, including areas you do not collect?
For the memory of Harvey Stack and Muriel Eymery, we should commit to leaving a legacy of progress and inclusion in the hobby that all of us want to grow and thrive.
Famous author and noted civil rights leader Maya Angelou became the first African American woman featured on the 25-cent coin. The U.S. Mint began shipping the quarters on January 10. Reportedly, the Angelou coin is the first in a series designed to celebrate the accomplishments of American women. → Read more at spokesman-recorder.com
A coin collector shows the commemorative coin, released by the Colombian Central Bank, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Colombian independence. → Read more at marketwatch.com
Being called “two-faced” by someone today would most likely “breed a quarrel,” as the old saying goes. However, if one were to go back just two centuries to classical Rome, that same depiction might elicit a very different response. → Read more at theday.com
A badger has led archaeologists to a hoard of more than 200 Roman coins that had been hidden in a cave in Spain for centuries. The animal had burrowed into a crack in the rock inside the La Cuesta cave in the Asturias region of northwest Spain, and dug out coins that were later discovered by a local man, Roberto García, according to a paper on the find published in December. → Read more at cnn.com
The numismatic community lost a bright young star with the announcement that Muriel Eymery died this week. Eymery served as an ANA Governor from 2019-2021.
Eymery advocated expanding numismatics worldwide as a member of the Board of Governors and in her career. Eymery worked for Spink and Sons and was Vice President of International Business Development at PCGS. She also worked for the French Mint that taught her the global market dynamics.
While considering running for the Board of Governors in 2021, I spoke with Eymery about our shared ideas about the hobby. We found a common interest in expanding numismatics beyond the basics to include the world community and other collectibles. Eymery was a bright light in the future of the numismatic community.
Stan Chu of Boston Rare Coins and Collectibles wrote on Facebook that Eymery’s sister Carol said that Muriel had battled lung cancer for the last six months. She “passed away peacefully and painlessly in her [sister’s] arms.”
As a memorial to Muriel Eymery, I will make made a donation in her memory to the ANA. Please consider doing the same.
January 28, 2022
→ Read more at 
Earlier this month, the Coin Collectors Blog passed 10,000 email subscribers. More than 10,000 people receive an email notification every time I publish an article. It is amazing!
Loading ...
