An Open Letter to the ANA and its Members
This past weekend, the Newman Numismatic Portal (NNP) held an on-line symposium that was an extended Money Talks session via Zoom. Although using Zoom and the format took advantage of new technologies, it is something I have been trying to convince the American Numismatic Association to do for a long time.
On May 21, 2016, I wrote, “Now is the time for the ANA and any other organizations that provides educational sessions to consider adding online access to their shows.”
Since then, I have been trying to convince the Association that it could extend its reach beyond the Summer Seminar and the World’s Fair of Money by broadcasting the content on-line.
“There are technologies that can help support the bringing the lectures, courses, and other activities to an online community,” I wrote in 2016. “There are a number of web-based conferencing system that requires a minimal amount of technology to broadcast these activities to collectors everywhere.”
I wrote that before the creation of Zoom!
Unfortunately, the ANA President and Board of Governors ignored all previous work regarding online education, making the Association look like an also-ran. Although some of the Summer Seminar sessions appeared online, the NNP Symposium surpassed the reach of the Summer Seminar in both content and impact.
The NNP succeeded where the ANA has failed. The NNP took advantage of modern technology to deliver numismatic education while the ANA, whose mission is supposed to be education, has done very little.
Why?
Why has the ANA Board of Governors failed in its mission?
It is easy to lead when times are good. An extended period of good times allows organizations to sit on its laurels. They can point to incremental changes as progress.
Leadership means being able to lead during good times and know how to respond when a crisis occurs.
“What leaders have to realize is that when a crisis hits, you can’t just rest on your laurels and think that everything will move along normally,” says Ronald Riggio, Ph.D., a professor of leadership and organizational psychology at Claremont McKenna College in California. “You need to train, prepare and execute.”
The ANA did not plan. The ANA was not prepared. There was nothing for the ANA to execute. The ANA FAILED in its mission.
The Board was told that it needed to expand to online education. When I was asked, “Can’t the ANA use something like Zoom to create classes?” Not only did I say it was possible, but I also noted other services the ANA could have used.
When I learned that Robert Oberth was appointed the Chair of the Information Technology Committee, I had a conversation with him on Facebook as part of comments to a post on the ANA Facebook page. I used Facebook to keep the conversation open and allow any member interested in why the ANA has failed to meet its members’ obligations.
As part of the conversations, I provided the lines to my writing on the subject. Unfortunately, the conversation has little impact. The ANA is lagging behind everyone in providing online education.
Even though I am not on the IT Committee, it does have institutional knowledge. According to the committee membership list published on the ANA website, Governor Greg Lyon is also a committee member. In his sixth and final term as ANA Governor, Lyon has been involved with the committee since the beginning. Lyon was the original Board liaison to the committee.
Lyon has not said much about the committee and its work either to me or in public. Now, when the ANA could use guidance, where is he? There is an English proverb that says, “cometh the hour, cometh the man.” A term that is associated with Winston Churchill, who stepped up when his country needed him.
Hey Greg, the ANA needs leadership. Where are you?
It has been six months since the crisis began. Where is the Board of Governors? What are you getting accomplished in those “excruciating” Board meetings (your word, Steve)?
The ANA Board of Governors has failed the Association and its members. These are the people who need to resign TODAY and allow new leadership to be selected by ANA members:
- President Steve Ellsworth
- Vice President Ralph Ross
- Governors:
- Mike Ellis
- Muriel Eymery
- Mary Lynn Garrett
- Greg Lyon
- Cliff Mishler
- Rob Oberth
- Shanna Schmidt
Are there six people who will run for the Board of Governors? If there are, I will join you to make a slate of seven people whose only purpose is to lift the ANA from the morass created by the current Board.
My New Medal and a New Adventure
Source: Uploaded by user via CoinsBlog on Pinterest
Cool collectibles come in various forms from a number of sources. This week, I received a nice collectible just for doing something I like to do: talk!
I have been a member of the Washington Numismatic Society for about a year and wanted to become involved. During the Whitman Show and the Maryland State Numismatic Association Annual Meeting, I was approached by the bulletin editor who is also a member of my home club sort of cornered me and convinced me to be the November program. He did not have to twist my arm (much) to get me to talk about Maryland Colonial Currency.
Not only have I posted articles about Maryland Colonial Currency (see this, this, that, and here), but I had published a full story in the Maryland Numismatist (Vol. 38, No. 1) that won the MSNA Article of the Year.
Since writing the article I had purchased a few notes and found more information. So I had taken the first presentation [PDF] I made to my coin club that inspired the articles and interest in Maryland colonial currency, and edited it for time and content.
After the presentation, I was presented with a bronze medal from WNS’s 75th Anniversary. WNS is the one of the oldest numismatic organizations in the area who celebrated their 75th anniversary in 2002. The medal is 38mm in diameter and 4mm at the thickest part of the design. It is nicely made by the Medallic Art Company of New York.
Doing this presentation not only reminded me that I have more research to fill in some of the details, but that I am missing notes in my collection. I also found a new group of collectors in the area to learn from, which is always good. I paid my dues for 2013 and hope to attend more meetings.
A Small Find From France
A 2012 one Euro cent pocket change find from France next to a 2012 Lincoln cent.
After doing an online search, I found that this is a 2012 coin from France.
As with all Euro coins, the reverse or common side depicts the same common Euro cent design that every country in the European Union uses and has used since Euro coins and currency were issued in 2002.
Le Triomphe de la République by sculptor Aimé-Jules Dalou at Place de la Nation in Paris features Marianne, the national emblem of France.
To the right of Marianne are the letters “R” and “F” for the République Française (French Republic). The design is surrounded by 12 stars symbolizing the the 12 nations in the European Union at the time of the design. It was designed by Fabienne Courtiade, an engraver from Monnaie de Paris (Paris Mint) whose name appears as “F COURTIADE” between the fourth and fifth star (assuming clock-like positions). This design is used on France’s one, two, and five Euro cent coins—all copper-plated steel coins.
If nothing else, I am a little ahead of the game since the coin is worth 1.3-cents at the current exchange rate. I hope you had a good Thanksgiving.
Image of the statue “The Triumph of the Republic” courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Thanksgiving 2012
1920 Pilgrim Tercentenary Half Dollar
After arriving in the New World in 1620, the Pilgrims celebrated their first harvest in 1621. The three-day even was attended by 53 Pilgrims and 90 Native Americans that lasted three days. The tradition of giving thanks for successes was a tradition that the Pilgrims brought with them from England. This three-day celebration in 1621 is considered the first Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving was celebrated during many different times within the colonies, mainly to give thanks for something that was honorable to the colony or the locality that observed the celebration. The first national recognition of a Thanksgiving celebration came when General George Washington declared December 1777 as Thanksgiving honoring the defeat of the British at Saratoga. As President, George Washington declared the first national Thanksgiving celebration on November 26, 1789. The only other president to issue a Thanksgiving proclamation was President James Madison. From then, it was up to the individual states to declare a Thanksgiving holiday.
As part of his attempt to maintain the union, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation that made Thanksgiving Day a national annual event on the last Thursday in November beginning in 1863.
Thanksgiving remained the last Thursday of November until 1939 when he declared Thanksgiving to be on the fourth Thursday of the month to give merchants more time to sell good during the Christmas shopping season. Congress passed a joint resolution in 1942 fixing Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of November.
In 1947, the National Turkey Federation has provided the President of the United State with one live turkey and two dressed turkeys. President Harry Truman is credited with pardoning the first turkey in 1947 but it did not become a tradition until President Ronald Reagan started in 1987 and continued by President George H.W. Bush in 1989. Since 1989, the pardoned turkeys have lived the rest of their lives at Frying Pan Park in Herndon, Virginia. Those pardoned by President Obama have gone to live at George and Martha’s old place in Mount Vernon, Virginia.
by Roger J. Robicheau
Our family, our friends, pure delight
A caring kiss with a gentle smile
Each tender hug lasts that country mile
The presence of love so fills the air
This gift of God brings our hearts so near
Reflections of past bring nurtured thought
Great visions come by, what life has taught
In thankful ways we embrace this day
And often think of loved ones away
Those serving us proud are often gone
But their spirit remains, closely drawn
Our Nation should praise each special one
For all we have is through what they’ve done
The freedom to have Thanksgiving Day
Keeps certain plates bare, please truly pray
Coin image courtesy of Coin Update
Assessing the Lame Duck
On November 6, two weeks ago, the United States held an election and it resulted in basically no change in the political structure. President Barack Obama was re-elected, the House of Representatives is still being lead by the Republicans and the Senate by the Democrats. Leadership in both chambers should not change.
For numismatists, there will be one change in the 113th Congress with the retirement of Ron Paul (R-TX) who is currently Chairman of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology, the subcommittee that oversees the U.S. Mint. There will also be a change on the leadership of the Financial Services Committee itself with the retirement of Barney Frank (D-MA), the Democrats will have to select a ranking member. There is no speculation as to who will replace these two retiring representatives.
In retrospect, after worrying about Paul becoming chairman of this subcommittee, the Financial Services Committee was able to maneuver around Paul’s usual intransigence by taking on legislation at the committee level rather than rely on the vetting of the subcommittee. In fact, because of Paul’s attempted run for the presidency, his absence made it easy for the committee to bypass his subcommittee.
There is still work for the 112th congress to do aside from the “fiscal cliff” and sequestration. H.R. 5977, the Collectible Coin Protection Act, still needs to be acted upon. The Collectible Coin Protection Act will allow collectors, dealers, and grading services to bring legal actions that are much more effective, with much stronger remedies than previously existed. It will allow those harmed to work with the Justice Department to bring criminal actions, where appropriate.
Now that congress is in their lame duck session, the only way H.R. 5977 can become law, is to have it considered under suspension of the rules and force an up or down vote. In order for the bill to be considered under suspension of the rules will be to have members of congress co-sponsor the legislation. At the time of this writing, there are 11 co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle. I urge all of my readers to support H.R. 5977 by asking their representative to co-sponsor H.R. 5977. If you can help, read the information I wrote for the posting “ANACS Revelation Shows We Continue to Have Counterfeit Problems” that describes how to contact your member of congress.
Bibiana Boerio was nominate to be the Director of the U.S. Mint.
An issue that will probably be deferred to the 113th congress will be the report to congress that is required under the Coin Modernization, Oversight, and Continuity Act of 2010, (Public Law No: 111-302 [Text] [PDF]). The law requires the U.S. Mint to produce a report about the metals used for coinage and alternatives two years from enactment. Since the law was signed by the president on December 14, 2010, the U.S. Mint is required to submit their report by December 14, 2012.
Adolph A. Weinman’s Winged Liberty Head “Mercury” Dime effigy to be used on the new palladium bullion coin.
Although there is no report from the U.S. Mint as to the status of either report, it would be reasonably certain that the U.S. Mint will submit both reports by December 14. However, it would also be reasonably certain that the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology will leave it for the next congress’s agenda.
Twain Would Be Amused
Mark Twain in his gown (scarlet with grey sleeves and facings) for his D.Litt. degree, awarded to him by Oxford University
When the bill becomes law, the Twain commemorative will be in 2016 to sell 100,000 $5 gold coins and 350,000 silver dollars whose designs “shall be emblematic of the life and legacy of Mark Twain.” There will be the usual $35 surcharge for the gold coin and $10 for the silver dollar that will be distributed evenly to:
- Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, Connecticut
- University of California, Berkeley for the benefit of the Mark Twain Project at the Bancroft Library
- Elmira College, New York, to be used for research and education purposes
- Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri
After looking at the list, I could not imagine why Elmira College is on the list until I discovered the Center for Mark Twain Studies. Twain was married in February 1870 to the former Olivia Langdon in Elmira. While Twain and his family lived in Hartford, Connecticut, he summered at Quarry Farm in Elmira, the hole of Susan Crane, Olivia’s sister.
Twain would be amused by the commemorative. While he had a love for science and technology, Twain did not embrace his celebrity as much as some do today. Even after he faced financial troubles from bad investments and the depression from the death of his daughter Susy of meningitis, friends pushed Twain to the lecture circuit. His lectures were humorous bordering on an early form of stand-up comedy full of self-deprecating humor. Part of his talks marveled how people would pay to hear his speak or seek him out for advice.
Samuel L. Clemens stamp, 1940
Mark Twain, or Samuel Longhorne Clemens as he was born, was an interesting character in United States culture. It would be interesting to see if the design of his commemorative would honor his humor and character or go the safe route by honoring his writing. Using Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn as themes would be safe designs. Basing a design on his humor would be more daring and fun.
Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
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