TOM'S NUMISMATIC DIARY OCTOBER 20, 2024

Nummis Nova regulars had to wind our way through the antechambers of Ristorante Bonaroti, an excellent, family-run Italian Restaurant for the past thirty years, where you are treated like royalty and can have a normal, unhurried conversation with your dinner guests. Northern Virginia is quite near to Washington D.C., so that the common area was already stuffed full of famous politicians, former Speakers of the House, senator's wives, and lobbyists all dressed to the nines, whom we had to pass to get back to our exclusive private dining room. Heads must have turned wondering who this mysterious league of scruffy gentlemen in casual, comfortable clothing could be, carrying satchels and briefcases to dinner? We dress informally for fine dining like billionaires do, and not like mere millionaires who worry about making an impression in their stuffy formal attire, still scrounging for that next million. As we take our seats the waiters see us set up all sorts of penlights, tabletop magnifiers, ultra-violet lights, special lenses, analyzers, and assemble makeshift photo stages out of menus and appetizer plates. Perhaps they wonder if we are international diamond merchants?

 

Clockwise from the left are Steve, Robert, Mike, Daryl, (our sommelier standing), Roger, Jon, Lorne, Erik, and Julian with Wayne and Tom standing out of frame socializing and picture taking.

But then appear ancient gold coins, exotic foreign currency, fine cases holding strange old money, and arcane books with pictures of money on their covers. They must wonder whether we are comptrollers of foreign currency, clandestine Treasury operatives, or mysterious World Bank minions, but hopefully we tip well and not with funny foreign money. Surprise! It is just another Nummis Nova dinner.

To our surprise, Roger Burdette moonlights as an independent playwright, when not in the National Archives searching first-hand accounts of numismatic significance. He brought four of his new theater scripts for our perusal: Twenty-three Seconds, Gig Man, Son of the Morning, and Katz' Kosher Market. At least one of these plays include local references to sites, attractions, and newspaper events in the Washington suburbs of seventy-five years ago. It details how the suburban, mixed use landscape we see today in Montgomery County was once just a dream and far-fetched opportunity. Another of the Nummis Nova regulars knew a real-life land developer of the area who has a highway named after them, who might advise and add truthful color to how business deals were struck back in the day. Again, the waiters really must be wondering who we are, seeing us passing around and discussing thick play scripts and talking stage direction and land development amongst the funny money. We shared typical Nummis Nova dinner talk like how to foil HOA restrictions, meeting Jackie Kennedy at the nude beach, how Silver Spring got its name, the French hornswoggling the English twice for New Orleans, and oh yes, numismatics, including what coins are "Not Collectible" and what the heck am I looking at piling up on my menu including:

 

• Examples of Samar Province, Philippine Emergency and Guerilla Currency of World War II (Are these a study in ephemera or notaphily?)

• The new Maryland Token and Medal Society (TAMS) Journal - 45 Years Special Issue (1979 – 2024) with many reprints of the best articles

 

• Billetes Argentinos and Bonos Provinciales (Emergencia) de Argentina along with a binder of thousands of new Chachos having a neat ‘sun rising over mountains' security feature only seen under ultra-violet light in the image on the right

• Unpublished Theater Scripts for Two Act Plays – These are works of fiction, products of the author's imagination, with any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events being purely coincidental

• A Severus Alexander ‘City View' Bronze of Pontus Amasia

 

• A Leo III (the Isaurian) / Constantine V gold Semissis of Constantinople (737 – 741 AD)

 

• A gold Nine Siliquae (three eighths Solidus or one and a half Scripulum) of Constans Augustus from the Aquileia Mint (340 – 350 AD) – "This is the second known by the way"

 

• A 15th Annual "5K – 10K on the Runway" Dulles Airport Runners Medal, worn by this famous fellow who on advice from his doctor best make this run the culmination of his athletic running career. Congratulations!

 

• A 1904 B Edward VII (as King and Emperor) Straits Settlements Dollar in NGC MS-62

 

• Numismatic Archeology of North America – A Field Guide by Marjorie H. Akin, et.al.

 

• A WW-II trench art ‘Prisoner of War' bracelet made of 1938 Belgian ten centime pieces

 

• A George VI (King and Emperor) British India WW-II trench art ‘Prisoner of War' bracelet made of 1942 – 1944 quarter / half / one-rupee pieces

 

• A copper half penny inscribed with "William Richardson – Carpenter and Swan Appraiser – Newcastle Court – Temple Bar – Funerals Performed" once owned by Chris Eimer

• Other not pictured, finely inscribed gold and silver pieces, corps badges, and awards made from coins that may have been discussed in prior Nummis Nova dinner reports, but who remembers them, so ‘Wow, again.'

 

As the main course plates were empty and being licked clean (but in a high class manner using bread to sop up the juice), bussed and desserts arrived, I asked Mike how his Cannoli was and he said "It's like meeting God with my tongue." Holy Cannoli! This is fine dining needing no doggy bags, since no leftovers remain. May I highly recommend to you the Ristorante Bonaroti at 428 Maple Avenue East, Vienna, Virginia. Ignore all the famous hoi polloi at the door. Ask for seating in the private "Nummis Nova room" out back for the best fine Italian dining and perhaps you too will be visited by desserts manifesting a religious experience.

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