One of the numismatic events of the spring season is the American Numismatic AssociationNational Money Show. The 2014 show is set to begin on Thursday at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta. Technically, I believe the area is in Smyrna, but the politics of Atlanta’s sprawl has areas around Atlanta but not in Atlanta calling themselves Atlanta. It is located at the northwest “corner” of the Perimeter where I-75 intersects the highway around the city. It is a nice area and the Cobb Galleria is a nice facility which should help make it a good show.
The Eagles (left to right): Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit
As much as I like the ANA shows, I will not be going. While I am in favor of moving the show earlier than May, when it was held in 2013, this weekend does not work for me. Aside from being my wife’s birthday, which of course is important, we also have tickets to the Eagles’ History of the Eagles Tour concert at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. No offense to the ANA, the Eagles announced that they will stop touring in 2015 and I want to see a concert before they retire. I missed my chance when we were younger, I want to go to one of their concerts at least once. After all, my “deserted island song,” the one song I would want to have if I was deserted on an island is ”Hotel California.” The acoustic version from the the Hell Freezes Over album is the most played song on my iTunes playlist.
But that’s my excuse, what about you?
Are you going to the National Money Show in Atlanta?
No, I do not have the time or other plans. (63%, 5 Votes)
Yes, I wouldn't miss it! (13%, 1 Votes)
I never go to the National Money Show (13%, 1 Votes)
Has Atlanta dug itself out of its snow, yet? (13%, 1 Votes)
Since learning to program computers in 1976, I have been a proponent of technology and its positive effects on the progresses we have made in many areas of our lives. This technology has progressed things we can see like the automated teller machine, quicker checkouts at the grocery stores, smartphones, tablets, and even all the gizmos in your car. If I look at the iPhone in my pocket and compared it to the Poly 88 that I first programmed or the IBM 360 that I submitted punch cards to, it would be like trying to compare a Roman Denarius to an American Silver Eagle.
For those not olde enough to remember, this is a computer punch card!
A lot has happened in the world of technology. In the more than 35 years I have been doing this professionally, I have kept up, adapted, and even embraced new technologies looking for ways to enhance whatever I am doing. Not only have I worked to make technology accessible but in the last 25 years I have been working to keep it safe.
I love what technology has done to enhance many aspects of our lives. And you do not have to be a user of technology to have it affect the way you live. Computers help with inventory control to ensure store shelves are stocked; manage traffic control both in the air and on the ground; and generally make the behind-the-scenes management of a lot of things easier including maintenance on this blog.
Since my response to Dennis Tucker, Publisher of Whitman Publishing LLC, I have received a mix of private email notes about one phrase: calling physical books ‘Dead Tree Editions.” In the first two hours after the post appeared, I received more than two-dozen email notes running slightly in favor of physical books. As of Wednesday afternoon, the score was 17-15 in favor of real paper.
I do not know the demographics of those who did not volunteer the information, but based on the comments like, “I have been collecting for umpteen years…” or “I was a teenager when clad coins were just beginning…” it does not take much to get a general idea of demographics.
Of the 17 who responded that they prefer paper books over e-book, I am guessing that 12 are like me, members of the AARP demographic (50 and over).
However, contrary to what some have written, I am not a techno-snob!
Scott’s 1974 Plymouth Gold Duster. No computers in this baby!! For more images of this car, click here.
I really understand that people have their preferences and that technology does not belong in certain areas. These people have a preference for the “old ways.” Whether they have a preference for books over e-books, classic rock over today’s pop, or a drive classic car whose closest computer is in the driver’s pocket, I have no problems with people opting for paper books over electronic edition.
My complaint is not with the preference but the availability of e-books that will allow me and everyone else to choose. I understand the need for choice because neither Whitman nor I will convince everyone to only read e-books.
However, if you look at the demographics of the ANA and its future, the next generation that are its future members, the so-called Generation X people, is the first generation of significant technology adapters and e-book readers. Gen X’ers are the first big wave of technology adapters who know of a connected world and have a vague memory of a world before Al Gore invented the Internet.
Right behind Generation X are the Millennials who grew up with the explosion of the Internet and probably have never read a newspaper cover-to-cover. While hobby publishers may have some time adjusting with Generation X, they will lose completely to the Millennials if they do not adapt.
Whitman is not the only publisher that needs to better examine its use of technology. Krause Publications is not much better. Where Whitman lacks in vision, Krasue lacks in execution. Rather than embrace electronic publishing that is friendly to e-readers, Krause and F+W Media, its parent, is holding onto the old-style by offering its products using Portable Document Format (PDF) rather than using formats that are friendlier to e-readers.
Standard Catalog of World Coins CD set covering 1601-1900
I have purchased the Krause Standard Catalogues and the various antique guides from F+W on CD or DVD because that is what is available. I use them as part of my hobby and my new professional life in the collectibles business, but I wish I had real e-reader formats so that I can use the tools to bookmark and make annotations.
Even the venerable Numismatic News has stuck its publishing toe in the e-publishing waters by making one edition electronic. However, instead of embracing the newsstand formats that would be friendly to an iPad or Kindle e-reader, they are mailing PDF layouts of this publication. I hope you have plenty of space in your Inbox.
In the meantime, the American Numismatic Association is producing an e-reader friendly version of The Numismatist that is far easier to read than the PDF edition of Numismatic News emailed monthly. Since The Numismatist reader app works well, I stopped receiving the paper edition of The Numismatist opting for a Basic membership and to read the journal electronically. I do not miss the “Dead Tree Edition.”
It is not a demographic issue as it is a commitment to the hobby’s future. I am sure the people at Hemming’s Motor News have a similar problem with demographics as those faced by Whitman and F+W. If you read their publications, you will notice that their demographic skews to an older population. Yet, they have quietly embraced the technologies that some of their readers want while still publishing physical magazines. I recently subscribed to the digital version of Hemming’s Classic Car on my iPad and love it!
How could Hemming’s do this for the auto enthusiasts market but Whitman and F+W cannot do the same for numismatics?
Whitman and F+W have shown that they cannot be relied upon to be the leaders in producing the numismatic information in a way the future of the hobby will embrace. Since other markets have proven that it is possible to embrace technology to enhance the physical world, I can only emphasis my commitment to help the ANA build a better technology infrastructure because if we leave it to the market, they will fail the hobby.
In letter to the editor that will appear in the February 10, 2014 edition of Coin World (now available online), Dennis Tucker writes that the target of the American Numismatic Association website rebuild and acknowledging “’Young Numismatists are the future of the hobby’ are slogans to murmur approvingly, without logical reasoning.” He goes on to give his view of the market to target without recognizing facts of market forces.
For the record, Dennis Tucker is the publisher of Whitman Publishing, LLC whose books are widely read in the hobby. Whitman Expo, a division of Whitman Publishing, runs probably the three largest commercial numismatics shows in the country out of Baltimore.
Tucker, whose business is selling physical books, or what I would call “dead tree editions,” opines that it would be wiser and more productive to target those in the 50 and 60 year old demographic than 10 and 20 year olds. It is obvious that Tucker is looking at the issue from the spectrum of the business he is responsible for rather than the real future.
One problem with Tucker’s argument is similar to those in many other hobbies that rely on the collecting of physical objects: if the hobby cannot be translated to the younger demographic then the future of the hobby will be lost. As the final wave of the baby boomer generation celebrates their 50th birthday this year, empty chairs are becoming more prominent at meetings with fewer standing there to fill those chairs. There seems to be a smaller pool of people ready to join even though the population in the demographic that Tucker wants to target has grown.
Another problem with his argument is that it does not address how to reach this or any other demographic. Based on his company’s business model and his letter, Tucker is implying that even his target demographic is not using technology and cannot be reached using technology. Unfortunately, that flies in the face of researched facts.
Pew Internet and Lifestyle Study: For the first time, a third of American adults own tablet computers
One way to judge the acceptance and usage of technology is to look at the most cutting edge device and see who are its users. In 2013, the device still on the cutting edge is the tablet. Whether it is the iPad, Kindle, Nook, or any number of other manufacturer’s device, the tablet can be considered one of the most disruptive advances because it disrupts markets in so many areas. Tablets have created new markets for services as well as forced others, like traditional newspapers and magazines, to change the way they do business.
Using tablets as a barometer, we can look at the “Tablet Ownership 2013” report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project. In their study, Pew reports that through May 2013, tablet ownership has grown from May 2010, one month after the iPad’s introduction, the number of tablet users have increased from 3-percent to 34-percent. That is more than an 1100-percent increase in three years!
Further, Pew’s research found that the demographic with the most significant ownership are the age group of 45-54 with 38-percent ownership and 35-44 with 49-percent. The first is part of the market that Tucker wants to target while the latter is the market that should be next.
US Tablet Owner Demographics as of September 2013 (courtesy of marketcharts.com)
Pew’s research also looked at tablet ownership by income and found that 56-percent of adults that own tablets earn $75,000 or more per year. If Tucker’s goal is to target those with disposable income, just look at one of the fastest growing area of technology to understand where the markets are going.
Another study recently release by Pew notes that e-book readership has grown as the sales of e-readers have risen. While the study does not say people have not completely replaced their dead tree versions with electronic editions, there is anecdotal evidence that if more titles were available electronically, those with e-readers would take advantage of that.
In a broader look at the emerging online world, Pew Research provides trend data that shows that more people are using the technology in their daily lives. Not only are more than 60-percent of the 50-64 year old demographic using the Internet and associated technologies a large numbers, but e-reader ownership is increasing. It is also increasing in the younger demographics, including those in the 30-49 year old range who would be Tucker’s next generation of customers.
The ANA, like any business, has to adapt to new markets or they lose their relevancy. It is not enough to say to target one group over the other but you have to target the markets where they are moving. Even if the business is concentrated in one market, it has to adapt and diversify within its market or it becomes irrelevant. As a stark example, you can look at the downfall of Blackberry. Once the king of the smartphone, Blackberry, once called the Crackberry because its users were addicted to it like a crack addict was addicted to crack-cocaine, went from the most popular phone to the least popular phone because they ignored the trend set first by Apple then by Google’s Android.
Borders, a one-time success story, did not adapt to the changing market and paid for that failure.
History shows how significant technologies disrupt markets and those that do not adapt go the way of the buggy whip, blacksmith, telegraph, Kodachrome film, and the Motorola DynaTAC phone. If the ANA cannot reinvent itself by adapting technology to what its potential members are doing, the ANA will go the way of Blockbuster, Polaroid, and Borders Books.
Whitman and Tucker could help the ANA by looking at this future and target their books to this growing demographic. While the quality of Whitman’s books have improved, the companies selling tablets and e-readers are reporting increased sales of their products and an increased sales of content for those products.
Amazon is betting a lot on the tablet and e-reader market. They sell the Kindle nearly at their cost in order to lure customers into their dedicated markets. Amazon hopes to sell you a Kindle so that you buy their e-content which they make money by transferring bits. Not only has Amazon built in the infrastructure to transfer bits of information, but they are selling it as a service to others in order to reach the same markets. Amazon is betting that once you are in their market, they can sell you these bits, which are cheaper to store, package, and ship than dead tree edition books.
While the e-book market is growing, Whitman and other hobby publications are dipping their proverbial toes in this market. Although Whitman does offer a number of its books in e-reader format, they do not market that fact nor do they do any outreach in order to build that market. It is as if they publish this content so that when the topic comes up they could say that they do have e-books. They are checking the box, so to speak.
Kodachrome; You give us those nice bright colors; You give us the greens of summers; Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, oh yeah!
With its premier content, Whitman should be out front of the numismatic market for e-publishing. Tucker and his marketing department should be standing on the proverbial street corner marketing their e-book offerings. This will not only help the hobby but his own company by reaching out to the demographic that the ANA is targeting: the connected numismatist.
Growing the ANA is like growing a business; you have to look at what your target market’s demographics are and figure out how to reach them. For hobbies like numismatics, the new target is online where the current generation is moving and where the next few generations will be. Not adapting to those new markets can make both the ANA and Whitman as relevant as the Betamax and go the way of Woolworth’s or Pets.com.
I am glad the ANA is doing something to expand its market.
Trend chart courtesy of the Pew Internet and American Life Project Data chart of the Pew Research courtesy of marketcharts.com Image of Borders closing is courtesy of PennLive.com. Kodachrome box image courtesy of Wikipedia. Kodachrome lyrics (image caption) by Paul Simon
The PNG-ANA Numismatic Trade Show will be Saturday through Monday, August 2-4, 2014. The World’s Fair of Money will be held Tuesday, August 5 through Friday, August 9, 2014.
Doing this eliminates PNG Day(s) prior to the World’s Fair of Money and will extend the entire show week to eight days.
It was my understanding the PNG Day was for PNG members to buy and trade amongst themselves to prepare inventory for future sales. Inventories were bolstered by wholesale dealers or dealers who would rather sell to other dealers rather than staff a table at the World’s Fair of Money. While it was closed to the public, it was possible to either buy your way into the PNG show or get an invitation from a PNG member dealer.
What may have been the driver of this decision is that it was getting easier to obtain an invitation from a PNG dealer. Citizens of some of the popular coin forums would be able to download an invitation posted by member dealers to use for PNG day. A friend who attended PNG Day in 2013 said that non-members clearly outnumbered members by a large margin.
Where I question the decision is that it makes the show eight days long—emphasis on long. While some dealers will not attend both shows, there are many dealers who will be there all week. Those of us who are buyers know that some dealers can get surly toward the end of a show like the World’s Fair of Money. Can you imagine how prickly these dealers will be by August 8?
With the show ending on a Friday, a day that will attract local attendees, will the long show, cranky dealers, and the inevitable empty tables turn the World’s Fair of Money into a bad showing for the ANA?
As part of the PNG-ANA show, there will be a daily give away of a Double Eagle gold coin that will be donated by a PNG member dealer. There will also be an auction by Stacks-Bowers Galleries.
There will be no similar give away for the World’s Fair of Money. Both Stacks-Bowers and Heritage Auctions will combine to be the official auction of the World’s Fair of Money.
Since Numismatic Guarantee Corporation is the official grading service of both organizations, they will be present for the entire week. Good luck keeping staff motivated!
This decision brings back the concept of a pre-show that was discontinued because it was poorly attended and made the week too long. It also has the possibility of up staging the ANA and the World’s Fair of Money.
Since most collectors work people outside of the numismatics industry and Rosemont is not exactly a destination location for families, this will increase the attendance during the weekend of the ANA-PNG show rather than during the week for what should be the premier show, the World’s Fair of Money. Casual collectors who have to arrange for travel and time off from work will be more attracted to the co-branded show on the weekend rather than the ANA show.
The ANA should not give up its premier status to share the stage with PNG.
While the ANA should work with PNG and other organizations, the ANA should not play second fiddle to any other organization regardless of the organization. If the ANA wants to be the premier numismatic organization, the one that anyone wanting to learn about and be about numismatics, this type of partnership that has been clearly driven by PNG is not the right way to be premier.
In a move that continues to be unexplained for reasons to be rumored to be grounded in personal issues rather than sound reason, American Numismatic Association Executive Director Jeff Shevlin was fired by the Board of Governors. Based on both public and not so public information regarding this firing, I believe that the ANA Board of Governors made a colossal mistake that proves that the Board is not up to the task of properly running the organization.
ANA Executive Director Kimberly Kiick
Rather than change the Board, the ANA elected a Board with the same issues that the previous Board and added Laura Sperber, a solid dissenting voice of reason. While I do not agree with some of Laura’s opinions or ways of doing things, her inclusion on the Board is probably the best second best choice that the ANA membership could have made—reserving the best choice would have been to elect me!
In a move to try to avoid controversy at the National Money Show in May, the Board rushed in to appoint longtime employee Kim Kiick as Executive Director. While her past experiences with the ANA questions as to whether the ANA made the best choice, her performance since her appointment shows that my opinion could be proven wrong. Time will tell.
Kathy McFadden, Executive Director of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets
For the commercial side of numismatics, the Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA) has made a number of positive changes. Well, not all of them positive as the ICTA wished long time Executive Director Eloise Ullman a happy retirement. Ullman was ICTA’s Executive Director for 23 years and her success in guiding that organization will be a tough act to follow.
Moving forward, Kathy McFadden was hired as Executive Director. McFadden has spent 18 years leading two different region associations of mechanical contractors with experience in legislative advocacy, public education, finances, public relations, etc. I had met McFadden for all of two-minutes at the Whitman Expo in November and look forward to working with her in my role with the Gold & Silver Political Action Committee.
David Crenshaw, Chief Operating Office of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets
Another positive addition for ICTA is the addition of David Crenshaw to fill the role of the newly created Chief Operating Officer to ICTA. For the last nine years, Crenshaw has been general manager of the largest and best privately run coin shows in the country, Whitman Coin & Currency Expo. Crenshaw took over as the general manager after Whitman bought the Baltimore show from its original owners. Since then, the show has expanded and improved to even survive the recent economic downturn.
The ANA’s changes were shrouded with turmoil and the ICTA changes are a celebration for an organization that is thriving. Certainly an interesting juxtaposition.
Nearly two months into the nomination process for American Numismatic Association Board of Governors, I decided to throw my proverbial hat in the ring and run for the ANA Board of Governors. Even though I lost, it was a humbling experience and I appreciate those who supported my candidacy. I continue to believe in the issues I campaigned on and will continue to work to improve the ANA in whatever way I can.
I continue to work with the Technology Committee helping the ANA modernize its technological presence.
I have not decided whether I will try again in 2015. However, I will renew the domain names I bought (vote4scott.info and vote4scott.org) because I think they are just too cool to let go back into the wild world of domain naming.
Last year I reviewedThe Official 2013 Blackbook Price Guide to United States Coins I received as an e-book from the publisher. In that review I was surprised as to the quality information that was in the book including articles that were written by numismatists sharing their expertise with the collecting public. Unfortunately, some of the information seemed dated and needed updating. Apparently the editors agreed and worked to update information.
Based on the review, the editors turned to a numismatist whose experience with computers, the Internet, and writing for the collector who could add the information about using technology to enhance the collecting experience.
This is where your favorite blogger enters the picture.
The Official 2014 Blackbook Price Guide to United States Coins has an new chapter, “Using Technology to Enhance Your Collecting Experience.” Written in plain language for the collector, the chapter discusses what numismatic-related resources are online.
The chapter opens with a brief history of how computers and the Internet has advanced my collecting experiences. This includes a brief history of the Internet from its birth as ARPAnet through the invention of the birth of the World Wide Web and the services we now take for granted. I wrote it so that when you hear something Internet and web history in the news you have the background to understand why it is important.
Following the introduction are sections that helps you find the information you want online. These sections are titled:
Online Price Guides
News and Blogs
Mobile Computing
E-books
Social Media
Buying and Selling Online
Auctions (Established auction houses and their online options)
Looking into the Future
Your Security Online
If nothing else, the section “Your Security Online” may be worth the price of the book. It is something I have written in many forms, in many places, and have lectured about locally. These are general awareness tips that everyone should follow.
To their credit, the editors Mark Hudgeons, Tom Hudgeons Jr., and Tom Hudgeons Sr. read my review and updated the 52nd Edition of The Blackbook to address many of my concerns outside of my chapter. It is a better reference than in the past and worthy of a place in your numismatic library!
Autographs For Education
After autographing my first copy of the book I decided that rather than give away my autograph I want to use it to help raise money for numismatic education. For every autograph, I am asking for a minimum donation of $25 to the American Numismatic AssociationFlorence Schook School of Numismatics to be used to further all numismatic education.
You can either mail the check yourself to the ANA and show me that you donated or give me the check and I will mail all of them together. Checks given to me should be made payable to the “American Numismatic Association” (NOT ME!) with a note on the memo line saying “For The Florence Schook School of Numismatics.”
For your donation, I will autograph the first page of my article above the title and give you recognition here on the blog. Since the ANA is a not-for-profit organization, your donations are tax deductible to maximum allowed by law.
Of course scheduling conflicts do arise, but let me know you if you will be looking for me at a show.
Post Script
Collectors of paper money, world coins, and stamps will be happy to know that the chapter will be adopted for the Blackbook covering those areas in 2015. I will also update the the current chapter since the online world has changed a little since it was written (e.g., Google shutdown the Reader service).
The 2013 American Numismatic AssociationWorld’s Fair of Money will be a show I am not likely to forgot. Even though I was only able to attend three days there was a lot to do, a lot to see, and work to be done.
As with every World’s Fair of Money nearly every national organization held their annual meeting during the show. These organizations cover the gamut of interests that fall under the category of numismatics. For me, it was the first time I attended the American Israel Numismatic Association annual meeting. After a few years of conversing with President Mel Wacks via email, we were able to me in person for the first time.
AINA President Mel Wacks (R) presents an Award of Appreciation to David Hendin for his talk at the AINA Annual Meeting
The highlight of the meeting was an illustrated lecture by David Hendin, curator at the American Numismatic Society and author of several books on ancient Jewish coins, on the discoveries made while examining ancient coins. His work is based on examining thousands of coins some as small as 10-15 millimeters in diameter. David presents an interesting case for the continuing study of these coins and how “common knowledge” can be challenged with new evidence.
We also heard from the director of the Holy Land Mint about their plans for future coins and medals.
Because I was at the AINA meeting, I missed the meeting of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society, another organization which I belong. I really wanted to go to their meeting not only because I am a member, because as a blogger and soon-to-be publisher (my book is almost done), I want to work with the community on the best way to move forward with the concept of e-books. Not only should there be more e-books but there should be some way to preserve older books electronically.
In the news…
Here are some of the stories out of Chicago for the week:
Thursday evening I attended the part of the closed Board of Governors meeting that involved the Technology Committee and the new web infrastructure for the ANA. While I am a proponent of opening as much of the ANA business to the membership at large, I will say that there were discussion about the pending contract for the work that qualified for this discussion to be done in private. The meeting was productive in that the Board has an understanding what was being proposed and provocative in that the dissenting voices will ensure that the project does not fly off the proverbial rails.
At the open Board Meeting on Friday there was a lively discussion on the website, the costs, and the future. This is something I will comment on at another time. However, in a motion by then Vice President Walt Ostromecki, a motion to approve the contract with Riser Media to build the new ANA website and Euclid for their ClearVantage association management software. The motion was passed with a 9-0 voice vote.
During the open forum, a discussion was put forth by then Governor-elect Laura Sperber about the positioning of the auction companies and other non-dealers by the entrance to the bourse floor. Apparently, there has been a lot of angst amongst the dealer community about something referred to as the “star system” used to allow dealers, donors, and others to gain advantages to their position at the shows. As a collector, I agree with Ms. Sperber in that I would rather see the dealers than the auction companies and the other huge booths that are pushed up front.
This year, the World Mint Pavilion was the first set of tables you came to when you entered the bourse floor. In front was the booth for the Holy Land Mint who was showing off their new coins including a lot of gold. Near by were the Royal Australian Mint, the Bank of Russia with their Socci 2014 coins, the Pobjoy Mint, Royal Canadian Mint, and others. I was disappointed that the Royal Mint was not present.
At the end of the aisle was the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and next to them the U.S. Mint. Rather than being apart, the two money manufacturing bureaus under the Department of the Treasury were side-by-side. I was told by someone from the U.S. Mint that this was done on request of both bureaus and that there may be some co-sponsoring of collectibles and events.
It was in this area where I saw United States Treasurer Rosie Rios. Treasurer Rios, whose autograph appears on U.S. currency, is a regular attendee at ANA shows. She is very approachable and an interesting person. You can also tell that Rios still gets a kick out of her celebrity status within the numismatic community and will gladly sign a Federal Reserve Note with her printed signature on it (Series 2009).
The World’s Fair of Money is unique in that it is the center of the numismatic universe for the week. This brings out many different types of dealers of all types of collectibles. Not only were there coins, but there was artwork that was credited to the designers of coins but there were other collectible and ancient artifacts for sale. There were also four different book dealers, three supply dealers, auction companies other than the “official auction house” Stacks-Bowers, and dealers of all types of coins and currency.
One difference I noticed from last year is that silver was more popular than gold. A few dealers said that silver dimes and silver dollars were very popular. On Saturday when the scouts attended in force, the dealers were reporting better than average sales of silver Roosevelt and Mercury dimes.
Friday night I attended the ANA Banquet. I had the pleasure of sitting next to Gerald Kwok from Honolulu, Hawaii. Kwok is a collector of Hawaiian coins and I later found out a recognized expert in that area of numismatics. He also received his 50th anniversary pin for his service to the ANA. I hope he had a good trip back to Hawaii and I look forward to seeing him again next time.
Those who attended the banquet were given a set of three elongated cents, a reproduction menu from a past ANA banquet in Chicago from the 1950s, and a copy of David Lange’s Coin Collecting Boards of the 1930s & 1940s. If you missed the banquet and want a copy for yourself, Dave is selling them at half-off ($20, plus $5 for shipping+handling) at his website.
I spent a lot of time schmoozing rather than buying. Wearing my newly purchased red sports jacket as a representative of the Maryland State Numismatic Association and a new video name tag that captured a lot of attention, I wanted to talk more than buy. I did buy some items, but meeting people and talking about collecting, coins, currency, and the ANA was a lot of fun, too.
Aside from the various free items like elongated coins, the 2013 F.U.N. convention medal, I was able to fill in the some of the holes in my Canadian nickel and dime collection. I found a few tokens including the addition of another New York City Subway token with an error, which I thought was going to be the neat find of this trip until I found something even better.
While flipping through a box of tokens and medals I stumbled on a little medal that is 13 mm in diameter with a hole in it that looks like someone used it as a charm. On the obverse is an image of the Brooklyn Bridge with the legend “Brooklyn Bridge” across the top and dated 1883 when the bridge opened.
What makes this token unusual is that the reverse has the entire The Lord’s Prayer as it occurs in Matthew 6:9-13. The lettering is so small I had to use a 16x loupe to read the text.
Obverse of the 13 mm Brooklyn Bridge Medal showing an image of the bridge and 1883, the year the bridge opened.
Reverse of the Soley Brooklyn Bridge medal has the text of the Lord’s Prayer.
This mini-medal was produced by George B. Soley, a die sinker who ran a shop on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. In 1875, Soley bought the first steam-powered press that was used by the U.S. Mint after it was take out of commission. Soley exhibited the press around the country striking medals of his design to the delight of the crowds.
Soley displayed the press at the Centennial Exposition in 1876 and used it to strike commemorative medals. In 1883, it appeared at the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Southern Exposition in Louisville. Soley brought the press to the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo in 1891, and the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. During these events, Soley struck 13 mm medals with the something resembling the official logo on one side and The Lord’s Prayer on the other that sold for 25-cents.
The medals Soley produces were made of bronze and holed at the top to use as a charm. There are referenced to gilt and medals that were not plated.
It is difficult to tell whether the medal was struck at the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge or a re-strike made during the Columbian Exposition. According to an article that appeared in the December 12, 1894 edition of The New York Times, the Secret Service asked Soley to stop making the “History of the Philadelphia Mint” medals that he first struck in 1876. It suggests that he was re-striking medals at these various fairs. In either case, the medal is 120 or 130 years old!
The steam press that Soley used was acquired by the Franklin Institute from his widow in 1927. It was reconditioned, motorized and moved to the museum in 1933 to strike aluminum tokens for visitors. On March 23, 2000, the press was moved from the museum to the rotunda to celebrate the 164th anniversary of its first usage by the U.S. Mint. Later that August, the press was part of a special exhibit at the World’s Fair of Money in Philadelphia. Following the show, the Franklin Institute has since loaned the press to the ANA Museum in Colorado Springs where it is displayed at the entrance behind protective glass.
As you could tell from my first day report, I unapologetically had a good time and highly recommend everyone attend the World’s Fair of Money.
One of the great things about going to a show like the World’s Fair of Money is seeing a lot of people. If you like to meet people, talk numismatics, and see lots of interesting items, you should attend one of these shows.
The convention center is across the street from several hotels connected by a walkway where you do not even have to walk outside. Inside the convention center, the hall and the meeting rooms are on the same level almost side-by-side. Inside the entrance to the bourse floor is the World Mint Pavilion and you come right to the booth for the Israel Coins and Medals Corporation, who now calls themselves the Holy Land Mint.
Unless you have no interest in foreign coins, you are immediately drawn to that area. Amongst the mints represented includes the China Gold Coins Company, the group that produces the popular Panda coins; the private Pobjoy Mint that serves smaller countries in the Commonwealth Realm; the Austrian Mint and the Australian Mint that are next to each other and makes for an interesting tongue-twister. The Royal Canadian Mint is here, too.
Straight to the back is the Bureau of Engraving and Printing where they have a number of their products for sale, a display of currency, and the spider press. When I walked up to the spider press, Treasurer of the United States Rosie Rios was talking with the gentleman who runs the spider press. Rios, an Obama appointee, is very personable and loves to talk with the public. She even allowed me to take a picture while she was looking at an intaglio print while listening to an explanation of the process.
Next to the BEP is the U.S. Mint. Even though the U.S. Mint takes a lot of floor space, they really do not show much. We have heard reports that they do have a quite a collection of numismatic items but they rarely take it out for the public to see. It would be nice for the U.S. Mint to do more than they do. I saw reports that Deputy Director Richard Peterson who is also filling in as the acting director is here. If I see him I will ask about bringing out some of their archival materials.
After that, the floor is big with a lot of dealers. Since I came without a real plan I started to wander based on what catches my eye. First, I started with the row of book sellers in the back of the room. While I am a proponent of electronic books, there are physical books that are not available electronically. I found a few books that I purchases.
Although I will discuss my purchases when I return home, I will say that I spent more on books than other numismatic items.
While looking though the booth of contemporary supplies and books, I found a really nice book about coin collecting for kids. It looks like an excellent book for kids to learn about coin collecting. I thought it was so cool that I will buy a copy for my niece who has shown interest in coin collecting.
I did attend the American Israel Numismatic Association meeting for the first time since becoming a member. I have been a member for a number of years but never was able to attend an AINA meeting. It was great to meet the people of that organization and hear an interesting lecture about ancient Judean coins and about what is coming at the Holy Land Mint.
Being able to meet and talk with different people is both a lot of fun and a small curse. It is fun because coin collectors are fun people. It is a small curse in that I missed a number of talks that I wanted to attend. But I cannot complain because meeting the people are a lot of fun. I figure out how to get the information from the missed lectures another time!
After the bourse closed, it seems that a lot of people “ran” to the Stacks-Bowers auction for the free food. The food was okay but I was there for the auction. While it was Rarities Night, I was interested in the currency auction which was going on concurrently in an adjoining room. But I didn’t realize the two auctions were separate and missed bidding on Maryland colonial currency I was interested in.
I did leave absentee bids for some Maryland colonials in the John J. Ford collection. I did not receive an email saying that I won, so I will have to check with Stacks-Bowers to see if I did. Some how, I doubt I won.
My time at the convention center end after attending the Board of Governors closed session with the Technology Committee. It was a productive meeting and worth talking with the Board of Governors about the issues. Members interested in what the future has in store for the ANA and technology should attend the open board meeting on Friday.
That’s it for now, Watch for more on Twitter and Pinterest on Friday!
Come on, Baby don’t you wanna go
Hidehey, baby don’t you wanna go
Back to that same old place
Sweet home Chicago
Few things make me happier than music. I have been listening and playing music since I was young and learned to play the clarinet in elementary school. This was before I learned about collecting coins. As I get ready to fly to Chicago for this year’s World’s Fair of Money I keep hearing the Blues Brothers singing “Sweet Home Chicago!”
I don’t care what the critics say, the Blue Brothers is one of my favorite guilty pleasure movies!
While you have image of Jake and Elwood Blues dancing on the stage at the Palace Hotel with the Chicago Police and the Good Ol’ Boys looking for justice and revenge, I am on my way to the Windy City to join other American Numismatic Association members in this year’s convention.
Over the next few days, I will be tweeting from the convention center. You can either follow @coinsblog on Twitter or use the widget on the right side of this page. I will also be adding pictures to Pinterest on the board I set up for this show. I will also try to provide a daily update here.
In the mean time, did you know that Augustus Saint-Gaudens, the designer of the last $20 gold double eagle and $10 eagle coins made for circulation also created statues that are in Chicago?
Abraham Lincoln Monument by Augustus Saint-Gaudens in Lincoln Park, Chicago (Credit: Public Art in Chicago)
General John Logan Memorial by Augustus Saint-Gaudens in Grant Park, Chicago (Credit: Public Art in Chicago)
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