WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY OCTOBER 20, 2024, PART TWO

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V27 2024 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 27, Number 42, October 20, 2024, Article 25

As Tom noted, although a longstanding low-level pain issue didn't keep me from running the race, a visit to a foot doctor led to his recommendation that I no longer run. I was really bummed out to hear that. I was looking forward to future races. As an official Senior Citizen, the news had an ominous feel - "first they come for your running shoes, then they come for your car keys." It felt like my world was getting smaller, and a reminder that my life was getting shorter. But he said walking was fine for me, so thankfully I can still enjoy that. I didn't run fast anyway.

It was another great night of numismatic fellowship, but my adventure continued with a Newman Numismatic Portal meeting at the S&S Library in Chicago.

The S&S Library
I was back at Dulles airport Friday morning. I parked in the garage for a quick trip. I didn't even take my laptop with me, which is unusual. I traveled light with just a backpack. In addition to a change of clothes I carried a group of material I received from Ed Krivoniak of Pittsburgh. The folders of papers relating to Western Pennsylvania clubs and coin shows will be digitized by NNP.

I also carried a book to read, the new one by NNP friend and numismatic personality interviewer Greg Bennick. I had a couple chapters under my belt before the trip and was halfway thru when I got home. The O'Hare airport Dolly Parton poster echoes one of Greg's themes, the role of kindness.

My flight arrived around 9:30am local time and I took an Uber to downtown Chicago. I called Len Augsburger when I entered the lobby of the building housing NBS Board Member Shanna Schmidt's office. An elevator carried me up to the top floor and I joined the meeting in progress. Len was reviewing the history and relationship of the Newman Numismatic Portal and the S&S Library of ancient numismatics, which is shelved in Shanna's office and a separate loft a number of blocks away. Hundreds of books from the library have already been digitized by NNP.

Shanna took a meeting with a client visiting from out of town while the rest of us took a break for lunch. Afterwards we met up with Shanna again at the loft building. Here are some of my photos taken at both locations.

Views outside the downtown office and inside the loft, where the auction catalog section of the BCD Library is stored, now purchased and owned by the S&S Library.

When I entered the downtown office and sat down in the meeting, my eyes were immediately drawn to some familiar spines - S&S had purchased a number of items from the Kolbe & Fanning sales of my numismatic library, including the Life of Rittenhouse and binders from my numismatic ephemera collection.

One of my favorite items was this pamphlet with a Pittsburgh connection - a transcript of a trial involving a now-rare Civil War scrip note. I once owned what I believe is the only surviving specimen of the note, and wrote an article about it for the journal of the Western Pennsylvania Historical Society.

Before wrapping up our visit we were treated to a delightful piano performance by Shanna and Len. The NNP folks and I walked to a nearby bar for an outdoor Happy Hour discussion. After we broke up and went our separate ways I walked the neighborhood a bit and stopped in another bar for a sandwich and beer while I plowed thru the day's email on my phone. After another Uber ride I was at my hotel, the Crowne Plaza O'Hare Airport in Rosemont (where I'd stayed for this year's ANA convention). After breakfast their shuttle got me to the airport with an hour to spare.

It was a quick but rewarding trip. It was great to visit with everyone, see an absolutely overwhelming numismatic library, take care of some NNP business, and stroll down Memory Lane with some of my former library material. I'm happy they've found an illustrious new home - they're in good hands now.