The E-Sylum:  Volume 11, Number 4, January 27, 2008, Article 16

DIANE WOLF REMEMBERED

David L. Ganz writes: "Here's a little known personal
story about Diane Wolf.  In the 1980's, at Long Beach,
I was at the Hyatt with my wife and then young son, Scott,
who must have been about five or six, and is now 26.  As
kids are wont to do, he was running around the lobby as I
registered, slipped on the tile, fell, and started crying.
Diane was also registering; she knelt with one knee on the
floor, leaned over Scott, and said things would be all right,
calming him.  I knew her only as Commissioner and a coinage
redesign advocate, finding out only later about her advanced
degree in education.  That day, she was Scott’s (and my) hero."

Dick Johnson writes: "I remember Diane Wolf. She often came
to New York City coin shows and she stopped by our booth a
time or two. She also came to my little office in Danbury
in the late 1980s. I don't know what influence she thought
I could have for her cause of redesigning American coins,
but perhaps she was trying to gain supporters one person
at a time.

"The opinion of her I created in my mind at that time is
confirmed by the biography recently published on her death.
I surmised she was a rich girl with lots of free time in
search of a cause. Self appointed, she chose changing the
design on circulating coins.  A harmless cause, perhaps
it was one she must have thought was obtainable.

"My belief at the time was that all five coins bore
portraits of famous Americans. People are interested
in people, ergo, I thought that the existing portrait
coin designs were satisfactory. I was certainly a candidate
for Diane Wolf to convert. But she never changed my mind
to her cause.

"At our office meeting she appeared overdressed, as always,
in designer clothes. Perfect makeup and coiffure, with
ample jewelry. Her band-box appearance tended to reinforce
her wealthy status. How out-of-place she was in our workroom
office of rolled up sleeves for medal cataloging. I was
polite, however, listened to her pitch and received her
literature. As a lobbyist, I thought, she was more show
and less substance.

"She was quite knowledgeable, though, about coin design
limitations, but not so about coin designers. I think we
chatted about Victor Brenner and what she would like to
see on the cent.

"After years of such activity, with Congress, the Treasury
Department and apparently anyone who would listen, I believe
she realized continued effort was futile. She seemed to drop
from the numismatic scene."

 U.S. COINAGE REDESIGN ADVOCATE DIANE WOLF 1954-2008
 esylum_v11n03a06.html

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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