Last week we mentioned the medal Tom Uram created for the upcoming U.S. visit of Pope Francis. Mel Wacks forwarded this press release
about a commemorative counterstamp he created for the event. Thanks. -Editor
Mel Wacks Produces First Counterstamped Coins in Over 30 Years
Commemorating Visit of Pope Francis to the United States
From 1976 through 1984, Mel Wacks designed and counterstamped more than ten thousand coins for over 20 occasions including the Los Angeles
Olympics, Reagan’s Inauguration, Freedom for the American Hostages, Pope John Paul II’s visits to Mexico and the USA, etc. A catalog of these
counterstamped coins was published in the TAMS Journal (March-April 2011) and appears on their web site; and they are sometimes offered for
sale on eBay. Now, for the first time in over 30 years, Wacks is producing new counterstamped coins. These will commemorating Pope Francis’ historic
first trip to the United States from Sept. 22-27, when he will visit Washington DC, New York and Philadelphia.
In the letter accompanying the first counterstamped coin sent to Pope Francis, Wacks wrote “I have been inspired by your messages in
behalf of the earth and the poor. A portion of the profits will be given to an appropriate Catholic charity.”
No more than 500 Brilliant Uncirculated 2015 Kennedy Half Dollars (both “P” and “D”) will be counterstamped with the Coat of Arms of
Pope Francis with his personal motto below: Miserando atque eligendo (Latin for "By giving mercy and by choosing”).
Pope Francis’ Coat of Arms displays three emblems. In reference to Francis being a Jesuit, the uppermost emblem--a radiating sun, within
which is the IHS christogram (a monogram of the Holy Name of Jesus--is that of the Society of Jesus. Below the Jesuit emblem is an
eight-pointed star, which is a long-standing symbol of the Virgin Mary, and a spikenard (or nard flower) representing Saint Joseph.
External ornaments include the Papal miter above and the crossed keys of Saint Peter with cords.
The circumferential inscription reads: ‘POPE FRANCIS VISITS USA/SEPT. 22-27, 2015, and Mel Wacks’ initials “MRW” are below the shield.
Examples of these limited edition Pope Francis counterstamped Brilliant Uncirculated 2015 Kennedy half dollars are available for $39.50
postpaid from Mel Wacks, 5189 Jeffdale Ave., Woodland Hills, CA 91364 or call 818-225-1348. Mention that you read about it in The
E-Sylum and take a 25% discount.
For further information email numismel@aol.com or call (818) 225-1348.
Mel also provided an image of his 1979 counterstamp for the visit of Pope John Paul II. Thanks! -Editor
To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
MEDAL TO COMMEMORATE POPE FRANCIS' VISIT TO AMERICA
(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v18n32a26.html)
WAYNE’S NUMISMATIC DIARY: AUGUST 16, 2015
(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v18n33a15.html)
Wayne Homren, Editor
The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization
promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.
To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor
at this address: whomren@gmail.com
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