Letters to the Editor (01/14/14)

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Don’t give up searching for circulation treasures

Having read a number of letters discussing circulating cents, I think I’ll throw my hat in the ring.

Beginning in 2007, I have searched through 8,450,000 cents all in bags of 5,000 from counting machines. Among the cents I have found are 33,235 wheats and 81 Indians. I didn’t keep track of Canadian cents as the Myrtle Beach area is a favorite destination for Canadian tourists; there are plenty of Canadian cents.

I average around 270 bags per year. I average 13-15 wheats per bag, not counting for large caches of wheats, which does happen occasionally. This number has not changed from 2007 to 2013.

These coins are brought into my bank by customers and counted into bags. After I go through the bags the coins are sent to the Charlotte branch of the Federal Reserve, so I don’t search the same coins.

My worst year was 2009 and my best was 2013. I haven’t detected any decrease in keepers as customers bring coins periodically to the bank from jars, pails etc., where they have been stored from months to many years.

I can see this continuing for years to come. I live in a fairly sparsely populated area and still many cents are brought in. I would guess that larger populated areas would produce greater numbers. Although I have not found any key dates in my sample, I did find a 1992-D close A-M memorial in AU-Unc three weeks ago. My advice is keep searching; don’t give up easily for there are still some diamonds in the rough.

Dr. Vic Figlar
Pawleys Island, S.C.

7-year-old enjoys ‘coin meetings’ with family

Lest the industry, or better said, hobby think that youngsters are not interested in coins, I (Robert S. Matitia) would like to submit the following article written by my son, Avrumy Matitia, age 7, on “coin meeting appointments” that he had this past weekend. Avrumy asked that I submit this to you at Numismatic News and to the ANA on his behalf.

“I had a coin meeting today Dec., 8, 2013, with my father and put nickels in my nickel book. We put a complete set of proof 1970 to 1979 nickels in my Dansco book. We also put in some regular earlier date nickels in my book, and did other coin stuff.

“I also had a meeting with my mother and taught her how to tell the difference between a gold coin and a copper round. I have a proof copper round that looks just like a Saint-Gaudens gold double eagle proof coin, but it’s really not gold. I also taught my mother what a ‘large cent’ 1 cent in the 1800s was by showing her my Braided Hair large cent. Also, I showed her my 1854 Seated Liberty dime and my 1936 Mercury dime and told her that back then dimes were made out of real silver until 1964. I gave her a nice BU Lincoln Memorial cent that I had put into one of my 2x2 card board flips with my special flat staple stapler as a present.

I also had a meeting today with my younger 3-year-old sister and showed her my coins and other coin stuff and gave her some stickers and coins that I had gotten and saved from the ANA coin show in Chicago that we went to in the summer.

Everyone liked my coin meetings and the presents that I gave to them, and I have already written down appointments for next week to have more coin meetings.”

Avrumy Matitia, Age 7
Address withheld

Order from Mint missing four rolls of coins

I placed an order to the U.S. Mint on Nov. 15 and received the order on the night of Nov. 29 by UPS.

I decided to open it about midnight to check if everything was sent or would there be a separate delivery. I noticed that one of the items where I ordered five rolls of the San Francisco Mount Rushmore quarters that there was only one roll. The box delivered by UPS was not tampered with. The invoice enclosed said five rolls were shipped.

I noticed the box said 7 pounds but I weighed the box, which included packaging and all items received, and it was only 4 lb 12 oz. The packaging alone weighed 10 oz. I then weighed the only roll of quarters received and it weighed 9 oz. The four rolls missing (4 x 9 oz = 2 lb 4oz) would have brought the total weight to 7 lbs.

I figured that after they weighed the box, someone removed four rolls and added more packaging. All five rolls would have fit in the box with the other ordered items if there were no packaging. The box they mailed my order in was too small for the complete order and packaging. I wonder what worker did that.

I wonder if the U.S. Mint contractor has security cameras because coins are high theft items. The person who packed my box could have been an extra hire for the holidays. The U.S. Mint sent me a form letter to fill out and send back. Where does the form letter go? It goes to their contractor in Plainfield, Ind., which puts them in charge of possibly investigating one of their own. I don’t believe anything favorable will happen. I already know the outcome. That’s like putting a fox in charge of another fox to guard the chickens.

In all the years I have been ordering from the U.S. Mint, this is the first time I have been shorted on my order. These rolls were to be Christmas gifts, but if I ever get the missing rolls it will be too late for Christmas. You can bet someone will have a Merry Christmas who works at Plainfield, Ind. I can hear the clerk packing the box now. One for him and four for me, ho, ho, ho!

Will I order from the U.S. Mint in the future? Only if I get my missing items.

Name Withheld
El Paso, Texas

Numismatist Gar Travis promoted collecting

It was only recently that we heard of the passing of our friend Gar Travis. He was an outstanding numismatist and worked very hard for the ANA in the Representatives Program for many years.

In 1995 he received the ANA’s Outstanding Regional Coordinators Award. In 1999 he received the ANA’s Glenn Smedley Memorial Award. As President, I (John) was honored to to give Gar a President’s Award in March, 2003.

We recall several shows where Gar had a bourse table and represented the ANA. At times we even shared an ANA table. He always promoted collecting and the numismatic hobby. We know that his knowledge and enthusiasm for collecting coins rubbed off on many of the young and old that he talked to. As an ANA recruiter he received the Century Club award in 2004. Not long ago we heard that his health was declining, and it was a very sad day when we heard he had passed away.

Gar had a great passion, love, knowledge and enthusiasm for numismatics and life which will be sorely missed by everyone who crossed this “Numismatic Luminary’s” path.

John and Nancy Wilson
ANA National Volunteers
Ocala, Fla.

Typo in NN Rushmore story irritates NN reader

Just when I thought it was safe I was astonished to see yet another typo, this time on the front page of the Dec. 3, issue.

In the article Rushmore quarter launches in South Dakota, the first sentence starts off with The last surviving “working,” which obviously should be “worker.”
Come on guys, there is no excuse for teaching our readers improper English.

Roy Yenoli
Address withheld

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