Fun Activities for Coin Club Meetings
Numismatic trivia can turn a coin club meeting into a friendly competition while giving collectors a fun way to test their knowledge and learn something new.
Two weeks ago, I described an assignment that a teacher gave to her class back in the 1960s. This challenge could be a fun and educational activity in a classroom today—and also as an activity in a coin club meeting.
That sparked in my mind additional activities that could be fun and challenging at coin club meetings, such as:
- Have a contest to see who can identify all the different U.S. coins that depict George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, or any other person.
- See which attendee can name the greatest number of actual people who have been depicted on U.S. paper money issues.
- See how many members can name all the denominations of U.S. coinage and/or currency.
- Who can name the most states/territories in which privately issued gold coins were struck?
- Which person can name the greatest number of countries for which the U.S. Mint has struck coins?
- Can anyone name all the banks in your town or county that issued U.S. National Currency?
- Who can identify the greatest number of U.S. coin designs that were quickly changed for any reason (this would include switching from the chain to the wreath reverse on the 1793 Large Cent)?
- How many members can name all the cities for which a U.S. mintmark appears on coins?
- In what years did the U.S. government stop redeeming U.S. currency for gold or silver?
- Who can name the most nations that currently use “dollar” or “peso” for their monetary unit?
- Pass around a Bicentennial Eisenhower Dollar and ask each person to name one different feature on that coin (United States of America, One Dollar, the date, reeded edge, Eisenhower, initials, other design elements, etc.).
- Which attendee can identify the gross weight of the various denominations of currently circulating U.S. coins?
- Who can name all the U.S. presidents who have not yet appeared on U.S. coins or currency?
- Have the club president ask a numismatic trivia question, then the first person with the correct answer gets to ask the second numismatic trivia question, and so forth to see how many questions you get through in ten or 15 minutes. Did anyone ask a question to which no one else knew the answer?
- Who can identify the most people from a list of names as to their significant numismatic involvement (such as U.S. Mint director, U.S. coin designer, American Numismatic Association founder, numismatic author or researcher, famous dealers, famous collectors, and so forth).
- Go through the America the Beautiful Quarter series to see who can name the greatest number of themes depicted on these coins.
- Who can name the most different current world monetary units?
- How many world coins can people name that have three sides, four sides, five sides, and the like?
- Or ask attendees how many different coins they can name that are bi-metallic or have holes in the center.
- Which attendee can name the greatest number of nations that now use polymer or plastic instead of paper for printing their currency?
There are obviously many more kinds of numismatic trivia that could be presented at a coin club meeting in a manner that encourages group participation. Yet even those present who might have the least numismatic knowledge can have fun broadening their horizons. When you can combine numismatic education and fun, don’t be surprised if a coin club attracts more members.
Last column’s numismatic trivia question.
Last time I asked, what was the first U.S. platinum coin? In 1814, the U.S. Mint issued a pattern Half Dollar struck in platinum. The design was the same as that year’s Capped Bust Half Dollar. Two surviving specimens are known without any punchmarks, cataloged as Judd-44 in United States Pattern Coins. One of these is in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution. There is also a third surviving example where a “P” punchmark has been counterstamped onto the coin 33 times. This piece is cataloged as Judd-44a and was certified by the Professional Coin Grading Service in Extremely Fine-40 condition. Its last auction appearance was in a Heritage sale in August 2022, where it sold for $138,000.
This column’s trivia question.
Here is this column’s question. What was the most recent national currency to officially collapse and be abandoned? Come back next week for the answer.
Patrick A. Heller was honored as a 2019 FUN Numismatic Ambassador. He is also the recipient of the American Numismatic Association 2018 Glenn Smedley Memorial Service Award, the 2017 Exemplary Service Award, the 2012 Harry Forman National Dealer of the Year Award, and the 2008 Presidential Award. Over the years, he has also been honored by the Numismatic Literary Guild, Professional Numismatists Guild, National Coin & Bullion Association, and the Michigan State Numismatic Society. He is the communications officer of Liberty Coin Service in Lansing, Michigan, and writes “Liberty’s Outlook,” a quarterly newsletter on rare coins and precious metals subjects. He now volunteers with the National Coin & Bullion Association as its Industry Issues Advisor. Past newsletter issues can be viewed at www.libertycoinservice.com. Some of his radio commentaries, "Things You ‘Know’ That Just Aren’t So,” and “Important News You Need To Know,” can be heard at 8:45 a.m. Wednesday and Friday mornings on 1320-AM WILS in Lansing (which streams live and becomes part of the audio archives posted at www.1320wils.com).
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