2010 RCC Show a Success!

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1 R a l e i g h C o i n C l u b Established in 1954 July 2010 IN THIS ISSUE ARTICLES 2010 RCC Show a Success! US Mint Releases Popular Annual Sets in July NC Signers of Declaration of Independence Halbert C Wins 2010 People s Choice Award ANA World s Fair of Money Set to Educate British Royal Mint Celebrates Restoration of Monarchy REGULAR FEATURES President s Message Meeting Minutes Around the Web Club Notes Show Calendar METALS INDEX Spot Prices as of 12 July 2010 Platinum: $1516 (+ $5.00) Gold: $ (- $19.50) Silver: $17.94 (+ $0.53) 2010 RCC Show a Success! By Dave Provost Months of planning and preparation paid off once again as the 2010 RCC Coin, Currency and Stamp Show was a solid success against just about every measure. The show drew strong public attendance, especially on Saturday, and generated many positive comments from the dealers on the bourse. Multiple dealers offered unsolicited praise for the show and the turnout, with several exuberantly noting how it was their best show in many months. There was some concern among the club s leadership that this year s show might suffer a bit as it was scheduled for the same weekend as the large Whitman Expo in Baltimore and the always highly anticipated Memphis Paper Money Show. Though we did lose a number of dealers to those shows, we were still able to fill the bourse with over 100 tables of coins, paper money and stamps and draw a good crowd from our area. Show operations went smoothly throughout the weekend, from Friday s afternoon dealer setup and dinner right on through shutdown on late Sunday afternoon. Of course, it took the work of many club members to make it all happen and all of those who came down over the weekend to lend a hand deserve a hearty Thanks! (See David B s President s Message for more details.) An estimated 900+ attendees kept the bourse active for most of the weekend, with only mid-afternoon on Sunday experiencing a true slowdown. As mentioned above, those that attended apparently came to buy as reports of strong retails sales were heard throughout the bourse floor. A number of dealers also reported good buying opportunities from those collectors who came to sell. The buying and selling of gold and silver bullion was a little slow some noted, as precious metal prices were unsettled in the days leading up to the show RCC Show a Success continued on page 4 Page 1

2 Raleigh Coin Club PO Box Raleigh NC http// Established 1954 Club Officers President David Boitnott Vice President Jim Jones Secretary Richard Brown Treasurer Steve Pladna Sergeant-at-Arms Benjie Harrell Directors (Term Ending) Kent Woodson (2010) Paul Livingston (2011) Roger Beckner (2012) Newsletter Editor Dave Provost Club Affiliations American Numismatic Association Member #C Blue Ridge Numismatic Association Member #C3383 Eastern States Numismatic Association Member #0026 (Life) North Carolina Numismatic Association Member #C14 (Life) Contents Copyright Raleigh Coin Club 2010 The RCC grants permission to reprint for non-profit educational purposes only any articles not individually copyrighted by the author provided the RCC Newsletter is cited as the source. June Meeting Minutes The meeting was called to order by David B just after 7:30pm. There was a large turnout in June with 35 folks signing the attendance sheet plus several guests. Club Business Steve P gave the monthly Treasurer s Report; noting the income and expenses related to our upcoming show. Overall, the club s treasury continues to show a positive account balance. The business portion of the meeting was dominated by final discussions of and preparations for the upcoming RCC Show. Paul La reported that 99 tables have been sold, and that a few more sales are possible before the show opens. Paul stated that he will be arriving at the Kerr Scott Building by 2:00pm to confirm the bourse was set up properly and ready for the show. He indicated that dealers will likely begin arriving mid-afternoon and that he would need help from several club members throughout the afternoon; multiple members stated they would be there to help. Paul also noted that advertisements were placed in the News & Observer, Coin W orld, Numismatic News, and Lynn s Stamp News. Paul Li reported that everything was set regarding the food for the Dealer Dinner on Friday night; everything was scheduled to arrive between 5:00pm and 6:00pm. David B reported that the new show banners and RCC-branded table covers have arrived. Benji noted that volunteers were still needed for the Greeting Table as multiple time slots were open on each day of the weekend. After a brief discussion, it was decided that we would not have a drawing for a gold coin at the show as it provides little benefit to the club and it often misdirects our show attendee registration efforts. It was, however, agreed that we would once again hold an hourly drawing among those who registered for a $10 gift certificate good at any of the dealers on the bourse. Dave P agreed to make up the certificates. Richard B provided the refreshments for the June Meeting. Charlie T will bring refreshments for July. Dave P reserved the exhibit case for July. Show-and-Tell theme for the July meeting will be: Independence Day. Show-and-Tell Sanford S shared two beautiful Silver Coronation Medals, one for Charles II and one for George V. Meeting Minutes continued on Page 8 Page 2

3 President s Message It s July and we are closing the books on another successful RCC Coin, Currency and Stamp Show. Congratulations and thanks to all the members who made it happen. I always dread listing all the folks who helped because inevitably and regretfully I will leave someone out. But I think all would agree a big pat on the back is well deserved by our bourse chair Paul Landsburg. A special shout out to Halbert who helped with the dealer check in, David P. who did another fine job as exhibit chair, and everyone enjoyed the meal thanks to Paul Li s efforts. Benji anchored the greeter s table and was assisted by James G, Ron T, Ben P, Bruce S, Roger B, Roxanne B, Steve P, Richard B, Jim J and I am sure others I have missed. Many of the same names were seen helping dealers unload on Friday and load back up on Sunday. Thanks again to all who helped at the show and leading up to it. I wish I could say this year s show was an unqualified success but it was not. This is not a negative reflection on the effort that each of us made but a simple admission we were hampered by our date conflicting with two other major shows. This siphoned off some dealers and unfortunate circumstances caused the absence of a couple more. This year we only sold 101 tables compared to 121 last year. We were able to adjust our fixed costs somewhat by reducing the number of tables and chairs we rented along with the building. This also made the bourse look full to the public and hopefully most did not realize the dealer turnout was down. However, a few did ask where certain absent dealers were. We also were able to reduce the dinner cost as well. While the final numbers have not been tallied, we did not loose money; however, our profits were off by more than 55 to 65%! Did you notice in the previous paragraph I said two other major shows? That is because last year we set our goal to set the standard for July Meeting Notice DATE 20 July 2010 TIME 7:30pm WHERE Ridge Road Baptist Church PROGRAM A North Carolina Merchant s Cash Drawer Circa 1859 David Boitnott shows in North Carolina! and to make next year better than any previous show. We also discussed the possibility of jumping to a threeday show and of changing venues to the newer larger Expo Center on the Fairgrounds. Unfortunately, this was all quickly shelved as we learned of the conflicts with Baltimore and Memphis. A survey of the dealers last year supported and actually encouraged us to make the jump to three days. Opinion was varied on location. I would like to get this back off the shelf and into our planning but first we must deal with a familiar issue. The Fairgrounds routinely assumes and assigns long running events such as ours the same weekend the following year. Thus we are scheduled for Father s Day weekend again. The good news is that Memphis suffered due to Baltimore as well and moved their 2011 dates to the weekend before Father s Day. The bad new is Whitman s Baltimore show next year is also on Father s Day! In 2012 they are moving to the end of the month. We have been in contact with the Fairgrounds and are exploring the following options: Continued on page 4 Page 3

4 2010 RCC Show a Success! (cont.) Continued from page 1 The new branded table covers for the registration table and inside club area looked great and drew many compliments. The navy blue covers featured Raleigh Coin Club in large white letters along with an 11-inch image of the obverse of the Roanoke commemorative half-dollar featuring a portrait of Sir Walter Raleigh. New table covers also dressed up the exhibit area, giving it a much more finished look than in past years. Between the new table covers and new signage that was prepared for this year s show, the club once again demonstrated its commitment to continuous improvement and the staging of the best coin show in North Carolina! was a success though likely not to the same level as recent years when we were able to sell additional tables on the bourse. A complete run down of the show s financial metrics should be available in time for presentation at the July meeting. Plans are already in progress for next year s show, with discussions of expansion and a possible change in Fairgrounds venue taking place. What did you think of this year s show? Please share your thoughts and feedback at the July meeting! Until next month, Happy Collecting! Financially, it also appears that the show Keep our existing date and take on Baltimore using the Scott Building (Default will happen if we do nothing) Keep our existing date and take on Baltimore using the Expo Building Move to July 9-10 and take on Summer FUN in Orlando using the Expo Building Move to June 4-5 the week prior to Dot's Charlotte show using the Expo Building Negotiate a possible June date in the Scott Building (This was unsuccessful last year but we started much later) The Expo building is not available June It is available June but this conflicts with Dot s show in Charlotte. A couple of things are clear: 1) we must make changes and take some risk if we wish to grow our show, and President s M essage (cont.) Page 4 2) we must think and plan at least two years ahead to avoid conflicts with major shows whose dates can and do shift from year to year. We will have some post-show discussion and planning at our next meeting. Remember the show-n-tell theme for July is Independence Day so bring your favorite Fourth of July, Centennial and/ or Bicentennial coins, medals or notes to share with the membership. Remember show-n-tell items do not have to follow the theme your recent show purchase is just as welcome. Promote the hobby and the club recruit a new member there s points in it! See ya Tuesday at the meeting until then take care. David W. Boitnott, President

5 US Mint Releases Two Popular Annual Sets in July WASHINGTON - Two of the United States Mint's most popular annual sets will be available for purchase in July. The 2010 United States Mint Uncirculated Set, priced at $31.95, will be available on July 15; and the 2010 United States Mint Proof Set, priced at $31.95, will be available on July 22. Both sets include the first five commemorative quarter-dollar coins in the America the Beautiful Quarters TM Program, honoring Arkansas Hot Springs National Park, Wyoming s Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park in California, Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, and Oregon s Mount Hood National Forest (Oregon). The sets also include four Presidential $1 Coins, honoring Presidents Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan and Abraham Lincoln; one Native American $1 Coin; one Kennedy half-dollar coin; one Jefferson 5-cetn coin; one Roosevelt dime coin; and one Lincoln one-cent cent. lenses to showcase and maintain their exceptional finish. A Certificate of Authenticity is included with each set. Sales for these sets will open at noon Eastern Time (ET) on the specified release dates. Orders will be accepted at the United States Mint's Web site: or at the toll-free number, USA-MINT ( ). All orders will be assessed a shipping and handling fee of $4.95 per order. Customers may also acquire the United States Mint Uncirculated Set and the United States Mint Proof Set through the Online Subscription Program. For more information about this convenient ordering method, please visit The United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set includes two folders, each containing 14 coins from the United States Mint facilities at Denver and Philadelphia. The coins are struck on special presses using greater force than circulating coins, producing a sharp, intricately detailed image. The satin-finish coins are displayed in a folder that includes a Certificate of Authenticity. The United States Mint Proof Set contains 14 coins that bear the "S" mint mark of the United States Mint at San Francisco. The coins are manufactured using specially prepared, highly polished dies. The coins are extraordinarily brilliant, with sharp relief and a mirror-like background. A frosted, sculpted foreground gives these coins a special cameo effect. The coins are sealed in three protective 2010 Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar Page 5

6 NC Signers of Declaration of I ndependence By Dave Provost In the years leading up to the 1976 US Bicentennial, the Franklin Mint was very active in the production of bronze, silver and gold medals commemorating various aspects of US history. Some medals were offered individually, but the majority of those issued were part of an ongoing series that featured monthly releases over the course of two or more years! One such series was a 56 medal collection honoring the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The series was launched in 1972 and was completed in Collectors had the option of purchasing the medals as full-size 39mm sterling silver pieces, or (in 1976) as mini medals of 12.5mm in either sterling silver or 24 karat gold. The 39mm silver pieces originally sold for $9.50 each, with the small silver medals going for $2.50 and the small gold pieces selling for $ (Source: North Carolina s signers were Joseph Hewes, William Hooper and John Penn. New Jersey born and Princeton educated Hewes was a successful merchant based in Wilmington, NC. He made a large fortune in the shipping industry and would later serve as our nation s first Secretary of the Navy; he would also make his ships available to our fledgling Navy. Hooper and Penn were both lawyers. Hooper was born in Boston and educated at Harvard, he initially practiced in Wilmington, NC but later moved to Hillsborough. Virginia-born Penn was educated privately, became a lawyer while still in Virginia and continued to practice law after moving to Williamsboro, NC in (then) Granville County. The obverse of the medals for Penn (top), Hooper (middle) and Hewes (bottom) are shown at right. The reverse of each includes a quill and ink well along with a facsimile of the signer s signature. Page 6

7 Halbert C Wins 2010 People s Choice Aw ard Six exhibitors mounted eight nicelypresented educational exhibits at this year s RCC Show and once again made the exhibit area a show highlight. The exhibits filled twenty cases and covered a wide range of numismatic topics: current and obsolete paper money, US and World coins and US medals and tokens were all on display. As in past years, show attendees were asked to vote for their favorite exhibit. Balloting was active again this year with several exhibits rising to the top as attendee favorites. Halbert C., a long-time award-winning exhibitor at the local, state and national level, mounted two exhibits at this year s show: The Birds of the Antipodes and The Evolution of the English Penny. Both exhibits garnered favorite votes from show attendees, but it was the English Penny exhibit that received the most votes overall and was awarded the 2010 RCC People s Choice award. Congratulations Halbert! This year s exhibits were: The Evolution of the English Penny (Halbert C) The Birds of the Antipodes (Halbert C) A North Carolina Merchant s Cash Drawer Circa 1859 (David B) Panama Pacific International Exposition State Fund Dollars (Ben P) Toned Coins (Ben P) British Banknotes (Bruce S) US Currency Signed by Azie Taylor Morton (Sherrod G) Commemoratives of the Pony Express Centennial (Dave P) Thanks go out to each of this year s exhibitors! ANA World s Fair of Money Set to Educate The annual American Numismatic Association World s Fair of Money will be held in Boston this year and will feature dealers and mints from around the world. The show will be held August 10 th through 14 th at the Hynes Convention Center and once again promises to be the highlight of the numismatic calendar. In addition to the large bourse (the ANA expects over 1,000 dealers) for buying and selling, the show will also be host to many educational exhibits and programs. Of special note are the ANA Museum Showcase and the famous Ship of Gold display. The ANA Museum Showcase is a special display of numismatic rarities. Among the exhibits to be presented will be Gold as Gold: Page 7 America s Double Eagles prepared by the Smithsonian Institution. The exhibit will feature the first double eagle an 1849 pattern coin and the last, an example of the infamous 1933 issue. Also on display will be an exhibit from the Banco de Mexico titled Mexico, 1810 and 1910: Coins of the War of Independence and the Revolution. These are just two of the special exhibits that will be part of the Museum Showcase, see for more information. The Ship of Gold exhibit presents Gold Rush-era sunken treasure from the 1857 shipwreck of the SS Central America. Highlights Continued on page 10

8 Meeting Minutes (cont.) Continued from Page 2 Gene F had three British 6 pence coins, two of George V (1914 and 1932) and one of George VI (1947); Gene made note of how the composition of each had a lower silver content than its predecessor. Dave P shared a silver example of the official UK 1935 George V Jubilee medal; he also passed around a 2003 UK 2 silver bullion coin featuring an image of Britannia. Charlie T had 3 Canadian proof coins. Roger B had an 1887 pound of Queen Victoria. Steve S showed a 2 pence Cartwheel of George III and a P W.W.II Commemorative half dollar YN Dave had a Bank of Canada $10 note, a 10 Bank of England note, an 1888 Morgan Dollar and a $2 US Federal Reserve Note Paul Li had three Canadian coins. Show-and-Tell Case Bruce S had the exhibit case and displayed an attractive grouping of Bank of England notes, and also displayed three 20 Bank of England notes showing with new anti counterfeiting devices. British Royal Mint Celebrates Restoration of Monarchy The British Royal Mint (BRM) recently celebrated the 350 th anniversary of the crucial episode in British history when in 1660 Cromwell s republican rule was abandoned in favor of a restored monarchy under Charles II. It was a milestone that led to the great constitutional monarchy that survives to this very day. The event was marked by a series of commemorative coin releases. The commemorative 5 coin is available in three versions: cupro-nickel, fine (sterling) silver and 22 carat gold. All three versions are 38.61mm in diameter and feature the same design elements and inscriptions. Educational Program The June program was presented by Halbert C who offered up an illustrated tour of the development of the English Penny over a period of spanning more than 1220 years. Halbert discussed the progression of the penny from a coin of high silver content to one struck of copper, how the coins were struck in local mints scattered throughout the country and the meaning of the various inscriptions and design elements used on the coins. Halbert illustrated his talk with coins from his collection and presented the history and social circumstances surrounding each. It was a great presentation by a very knowledgeable collector and the many compliments it received were well justified! The monthly prize drawings followed the program and the meeting was adjourned just after 9:30pm. Reverse of the 2010 Commemorative 5 coin The commemorative design features a crown symbolizing the monarchy above a spray of oak leaves and interlinked C s symbolic of the coinage of Charles II. Visit for more info. Page 8

9 Around the Web: News, News and More News July Raleigh CoinHawks Meeting I nformation Ever crave a numismatic news fix between issues of Coin W orld or Numismatic News? might just be what you need to make things right! The site is both an information-rich content provider as well as a portal to information contained on other sites. For example, the site s Home Page offers immediate access to current news stories hosted on the site, while at the same time providing access to the complete PCGS Coin Price Guide via a few simple menu selections. And it s all presented without ever leaving While the site s roster of current US and World numismatic news stories is certainly a strength, its archive of new stories the site currently has hundreds of news stories available dating back more than three years to the summer of 2007 is equally attractive. The site also includes a number of easy-touse, interactive tools for collectors to determine bullion-related coin values, returns on investment for coin purchases and conversion values between world currencies. CoinNews.net also includes a small but interesting group of coin-related videos covering US and international topics. Lastly, the Home Page of the site also features one-click access to featured coin auctions (mostly commonly traded US and World bullion coins). Each of the auction links runs a pre-defined search on ebay and presents the results from within the on-line auction site. Let the bidding begin! If you re a news junkie, this site s for you! Page 9 The Raleigh CoinHawks the RCC s club for young collectors and their parents will be meeting once again in July at 6:45pm (prior to July s regular RCC meeting.) The July meeting will feature a program titled Coins, Medals and Tokens: What s the Difference? The talk will discuss what makes each a different type of collectible, and will feature a nice selection of each for close-up inspection! All young collectors are encouraged to attend and to bring an item or two from their collection to talk about with their fellow young collectors. CoinHawk Bucks will be earned for attending the meeting and for bringing showand-tell items. Keep your eyes open for me! I will enter circulation on July 29 th! July Show-and-Tell Theme The Show-and-Tell theme for July is Independence Day. Show your patriotic side and bring in a coin, medal or banknote featuring a design related to American Independence! Show your red, white and blue and earn your bonus points!

10 Mid-Year Check-in on the Numismatist of the Year Points Contest With 2010 half-way gone, it s time to take a look at the NOTY points leaders several RCC members made big jumps in the standings in June as a result of their contributions to our annual show. If you re not at the top of the standings, don t despair! With half the year remaining, there s still time to make your move! Maximize your points by bringing in show-andtell items, writing articles for the RCC Newsletter, bringing in the monthly refreshments, or volunteering to head up a special club project! As of 1 July 2010, the current NOTY points totals are: 1) Dave P 355 points 2) Bruce S 195 3) Halbert C 155 4) Roger B 100 5) Ben P 85 6) Paul Li 70 7) Noah C 70 Show Calendar ANA World s Fair (cont.) Continued from page 7 include a Kellogg & Humbert ingot the largest surviving gold ingot of the California Gold Rush, 13 octagonal $50 gold pieces produced by the U. S. Assay Office of San Francisco and the remains of a wooden cargo box still containing approximately 110 double eagles. Not to be missed! It s not too late to make plans to attend the show! See the ANA web site at for all the details. Page 10 Jul Jul Club Notes 1. The July Show-and-Tell theme is Independence Day. What patriotic numismatic treasures are lurking in your collection? Find them and bring them in for July Show-and-Tell and earn bonus points in the 2010 Numismatist of the Year (NOTY) program! 2. As always, all Show-and-Tell items are welcome! If you don t have something that fits this month s theme, bring in something else! It s always fun to share your collection with fellow collectors! 3. Dave P has reserved the mini-program exhibit case for July. 4. Charlie T will be bringing the July meeting refreshments. 5. The Raleigh CoinHawks will be meeting at 6:45pm ahead of the regular RCC meeting. Young collectors and their parents are welcome! 6. Help grow the RCC! Bring a friend to the July meeting! New Bern, NC Coin & Currency Show Riverfront Convention Center 203 S. Front Street Hours: Sat Sun Tables: ~35. Free Rocky Mount, NC Coin & Currency Show Moose Lodge Family Center 521 Country Club Road Hours: Sat Sun Tables: ~35. Free 10:00am to 6:00pm 10:00am to 4:00pm 10:00am to 6:00pm 10:00am to 4:00pm Additional local show information can be found at: