Letters to the Editor (July 11, 2017)

Paper money show a success in new city

The 41st Annual International Paper Money Show was held at the Sheraton Crown Center and Convention Center located in Kansas City, Mo., June 8-11. For the last 40 years this event has been held in Memphis, Tenn., which is called the “Show-Me State.” As it turns out this new venue “showed” everyone that the change, which was part of the show theme, was great.

The other part of the show theme was, “Money 2017 will soon be off and running with the theme of the Past, Present and Future of Money.” Everyone we talked to was pleased with the location and how the show was run. The 100 dealers at 140 tables all appeared to have had a very good show. Most of the grading services had a table. Bank Note Reporter (www.banknotereporter.com) had a table and distributed samples of its many publications. They are part of Krause Publications and F+W Media (www.fwcommunity.com/community/numismatics).

Attendance was higher than most of the Memphis shows we attended (we only missed two). We commend show owner Lyn Knight, along with Show Chairman Doug Davis, not only for the free American Numismatic Association (www.money.org) table near the entrance, but also for running a very professional and educational event.

We were able to sign up 10 new members for the association and received a $50 donation from Michael Dougherty, who lives in Texas. We talked to many visitors about the educational values of being a member of the ANA.

Lyn Knight Currency Auctions (www.lynknight.com) held five floor sales, including one coin-only, during the run of the show. Many important world and U.S. currency items were sold. After the show ended and over the next week, Lyn Knight had six more sessions of currency cross the block.

Besides the Knight auctions, the show featured 10 educational programs on Friday and Saturday. All of these important programs were videotaped by David Lisot of CoinTelevision.com.

Several coin clubs also had meetings and educational programs during the event. Bob Moon and Martin Delger handled the numismatic exhibits for the show and reported that they had 26 exhibitors and 31 exhibits totaling 91 cases.

The Society of Paper Money Collectors held its 56th Anniversary Breakfast at Harvey’s at Union Station. The society announced the 2017 Class of the SPMC Hall of Fame. Joseph Boling, Judith Murphy, Chuck O’Donnell, Fred Schwan and Daniel Valentine received the honor.

The show also had an excellent program, and the security was excellent. The show had many fine restaurants in the area, along with many other attractions including a nearby 10th Federal Reserve District and military museum. With many outstanding restaurants, along with the 10th Federal Reserve District and many other things to do it, is an outstanding location.

Yours in Numismatics,

John and Nancy Wilson
ANA National Volunteers
Ocala, Fla.

Error coin misidentified as Mercury dime in NN

Page 17 of the June 13 issue shows a picture of doubled die error of a 1954 Mercury dime. Someone messed up on editing that page. I have not found any 1954 Mercury dimes my whole life. Haha. I like your monthly magazines.

Rusty Ansinelli
Address withheld

Editor’s note: We didn’t find any 1954 Mercury dimes in change either. Thanks for spotting the mistake.

Book store trip yields all 2017-dated coins in change

Great day at Half Price Books. And guess what I got in change? All 2017 coins! A few 2017-D Douglass quarters, a 2017-D dime and a few 2017-D cents.

Ginger Rapsus
Chicago, Ill.

Letter-writer’s thoughts on dime name clarified

In his June 27 missive, “FSB dime respondent doesn’t get quote correct,” Mr. Frank S. Robinson accuses me of “chiding” him “... for wrongly calling it a ‘Mercury’ dime rather than winged liberty head.” I did no such thing. On the contrary, I concluded my commentary by stating: “Again, preference is a matter of one’s choice, so I have no reservations if Mr. Robinson wants to call said dimes “Mercs.” It would appear that it is Mr. Robinson who has misconstrued my quote.

Sam Lukes
Visalia, Calif.

Heritage shouldn’t be expected to donate services

Several readers have posted letters against Heritage charging a church auction fees for their services for disposal of high-value coinage. Why wouldn’t they charge the church the fee? Should all suppliers of goods and services give away their product to churches? I am sure the church has to pay its electric bill, pay for the hymnals and choir robes and all the other day-to-day expenses. Churches do not pay taxes, but they are fully expected to pay their bills just like any other organization. Heritage is not a charity, they are a business. I am fine with them giving a discount or free service if they choose (and reap any tax benefits due them), but to expect provision of free services to a church is wrong.

Rich Carlson
Buckeye, Ariz.

Reader wants to see more on circulated coin condition

I’d like to see someone more knowledgeable than myself write an article on circulated coins. I can’t afford and could care less about most MS coins. I know enough to recognize a cleaned, dipped or buffed coin, but what I really want to know is when is a scratch really a scratch or when is a ding large enough to distract from a coin’s general appeal and value? I may be wrong, but it seems to me a lot of third party graders give quite a bit of leeway to key coins in lower grades like G-4.

Adam Gloeckner
New Port Richey, Fla.

Improved designs, more coins equal more collectors

In response to your letter to the editor published in Numismatic News on June 13, I would have to agree that better designs and more coins (in different denominations) would most likely “produce” more collectors.

A while back, this newspaper asked people’s opinion on eliminating the cent and nickel from circulation. Yes and no: yes for the cent, no for the 5-cent coin. The cent is a coin of the past, it has no real purchasing power and is practically useless, except for taxation in sales where applicable.

After being on the front of a coin for 100 years or more, it is time to “retire” Mr. Lincoln. Five years ago, Canada dropped their cent coin and are getting along rather nicely without it, rounding to the nearest five cents. And that is the reason a 5-cent coin (nickel “half dime?”) is needed but with different designs on both obverse and reverse.

Most certainly, the dollar bill and $2 bill should be dumped for coins of the same monetary value. Except, instead of a $2 coin, bring back the quarter eagle (a $2.50 coin) as a bimetallic piece like the Canadian “toonie.” Yes, the days of gold and silver as circulating coins are gone and should be reserved for collectors’ rounds (NCLTs). Maybe a 40 percent silver double eagle ($20 face value) could be in the works.

The dollar coin needs to be one design, not in several different genres as it is now. Sacagawea is fine for the dollar coin.

Perhaps produce the new $2.50 piece in the continuing Native American Heritage coin. The new half eagle ($5) coin could bear Frank Gasparro’s 1977 proposed design for the small dollar coin.

Many of the world’s countries have switched from paper to polymer bank notes. A paper note lasts only a few months depending on its use, whereas a polymer note will last longer. The polymer note is also less prone to counterfeiting than its paper counterpart. With a see-through window in the polymer note, it can’t be reproduced on a copy machine like a paper note can. Countries who have made the switch have reported a significant drop in the counterfeiting of their bank notes.

New money, new designs will bring new collectors (and perhaps “old” collectors’ renewed interest) in the hobby.

Bill Tuttle
Cleveland, Ohio

More Collecting Resources

• Keep up to date on prices for Canada, United States and Mexico coinage with the 2017 North American Coins & Prices guide.

• Is that coin in your hand the real deal or a clever fake? Discover the difference with U.S. Coins Close Up, a one-of-a-kind visual guide to every U.S. coin type.