WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY NOVEMBER 24, 2019

On Tuesday November 19, 2019 I left my office and arrived at J. Gilbert's steakhouse in McLean, VA around 6pm. Roger Burdette was the host for our Northern Virginia numismatic social group Nummis Nova. Dave Schenkman had been the first to arrive and I took a seat next to him in the lobby. Eric Schena arrived soon afterward and before long a small group of us was led back to a private room. Others attending included Roger, Steve Bishop, Wayne Herndon, Mike Packard, Jon Radel, and Chris Neuzil. Jonas Denenberg was my guest.

Bad Metal: Copper and Nickel Circulating Contemporary Counterfeit United States Coins by Winston Zack

Book business had been brisk at the recent Baltimore show. David Kahn sold 60 or 70 copies of Winston's book at the show, and I think Charlie Davis sold out of all the copies of Roger's book he brought to the show.

Dave's Unlisted Explosive Control Tokens
Ever since a flea market find as a kid, I've enjoyed the "Good for One Exploder" and "Good for One Stick Dynamite" type tokens from the U.S. mining industry. Dave Schenkman brought two unlisted explosive control tokens and kindly provided these images.

Steve's Beauties
Steve Bishop's collecting taste spans a wide range. He provided these photos and descriptions of his recent acquisitions. Thanks!

The 1757 1 kopeck is one of the few Russian coins that can be found struck over a coin of another country.

The 1796 5 kopeck reoverstriking is usually found dated 1793.

Virtually all of the GSA hoard dollars were Carson City. Other mints were packaged in the soft flat pack

The 1887 Morgan just has amazing blue toning on the reverse

The 1940 World's Fair medal is unusual in that the vast majority of medals awarded were dated 1939 and had a slightly different design. Very few of the 1940 version were made.

It can be hard to see details and color in restaurant lighting. Photos can really bring out the best in a coin or medal.

Gettysburg Address
We hadn't realized it when planning this meeting, but it was held on the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. I mentioned this, and Steve began reciting it from memory. In honor of this short but powerful speech, I'll reprint it here.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

The meeting had largely broken up by 9:30. I sat talking for a while with Wayne Herndon and learned some of his numismatic origin story. He was a collector as a kid and one day their postman delivered someone else's copy of Coin World by mistake. He returned it, but kept one of the postcards he found inside and bought his own subscription..

It was another great evening of numismatic fellowship. It's always fun to see fellow collectors, look at some interesting numismatic items, and shoot the breeze about everything within and beyond the world of numismatics. 'Til next time.