My congrats to Joe Boling on receiving his honorary PhD in Numismatics. A good friend certainly deserving the diploma. Nice going Joe.

As for my honorary doctorate in numismatics, I have felt since they were introduced a few years ago that it was not really appropriate for ANA, which is not a degree-granting institution, to be calling such recognitions "doctorates." My wife, Louise, suggests that perhaps they should be called "titles" rather than "degrees." I suppose I could go along with that. In any event, it's nice to be recognized, but I'll never use the title "Dr." with my name based on this tongue-in-cheek award.

One of my sarcastic grandsons recently asked me: If a YN is a Young Numismatist, does that make you a GN? [Geezer Numismatist]

In the Journal of the European Union, the council of the European Union published a set of rules for euro coins intended for circulation, namely standard coins and 2 euro commemorative coins. Basically, in these rules there is nothing new.

Issuing countries that do not comply with the rules (not showing the country's name e.g. Germany; showing the denomination on the national side, e.g. Austria; not showing the stars as they look on the flag e.g. Luxembourg) - they have "to update their national sides of regular coins in order to fully comply by 20 June 2062."

So they have 50 years from this year to do so - yes, 2062 is not a typing error!

I would like to know more about the Society of Bearded Numismatists, for two reasons. First, I have a beard, and I am an exonumist, a (sometimes) acknowledged subset of numismatics. And, second, because I founded the Sanctimonious Order of the Beard in 1969. In fact, I am still the Lord Most High SOB. I would be interested in expanding my horizons with the SOBN if they succeed in reviving the group. Here’s the wallet card for our SOBs: