Cent’s end or gold topics?

I can’t make it a headline, but I think I can safely say that the numismatic hobby has returned to normal as far as its day-to-day existence is concerned.

Who am I to say such a thing?

Well, it probably is a bit presumptuous, but since the middle of September, the usual seasonal cues that I get from readers as Numismatic News editor were a little off.

The volume of letters to the editor that I received in both email and handwritten form tailed off beginning in the middle of September. I wondered why. Usually, a decline occurs during the summer when so many of us hope to get away for a little rest and recreation.

During the period from the middle of October to the middle of November this decline became even more pronounced.

In informal chitchat among the staff, we speculated that it might be due to renewed worries about the economy or the distraction of the election campaign. And we even joked that the Mint must finally have its act together because so few readers were complaining about its actions.

But how could we know for sure what the cause was? Perhaps the papers we were putting together weren’t up to par.

Now I am happy to report that reader responses seem to have bounced back.

So if the drop was due to the economy – that must mean good times ahead.

If it was the election – well, it’s over now.

If it was substandard newspapers – well, I guess we’ve overcome it and are back in the game.

And the Mint? Well, what would collector life be like if we didn’t have the Mint to kick around?

Now if the Congress would abolish the cent or the dollar bill, that would really make my inbox overflow.

So would $2,000 gold or $50 silver.

Buzz blogger Dave Harper is editor of the weekly newspaper "Numismatic News."