KEN BRESSETT AND NENA NEWS

The New England Numismatic Association (NENA) got its start in the early 1940's and continues to thrive today. They send out a quarterly newsletter called NENA News and this year, 2024, marks the 75th anniversary of that publication. It is an important milestone for any type of magazine or newsletter – most don't last seventy-five years – but NENA News has never looked better in the hands of its current editorial staff.

The mantle of leadership for NENA News has been passed along from one capable member to another, but as we celebrate this year's important birthday, we can proudly point to one of the first NENA News publishers, and we can even ask him about that experience as well! Ken Bressett was the publisher of NENA News in the 1951-1952 era. Today, Ken lives in Colorado near the American Numismatic Association (ANA) headquarters where he has continued to write about, teach, and support the hobby of Numismatics into his 95th year.

Ken has spent his lifetime in Numismatics. He is probably best known as the Editor of A Guide Book of United States Coins, better known as the Red Book. Ken took over the editorship of the most prominent book in every coin collector's library when the originator, R.S. Yeoman, retired in 1971. He remained in that position until 2018 and today he is the Editor Emeritus of the current edition. But before, during, and after his tenure with the Red Book, Ken lived a life which can only be admired and envied by fellow numismatists everywhere.

Ken has written about numismatics, taught numismatics, assisted prominent collectors, reviewed thousands of coins including the Eliasberg collection, won every award available to numismatists, helped design new coins, and led the ANA, the largest coin organization in the world, in a variety of positions including President from 1995-1997. The timeline of his collecting life could be used as a checklist for every important event, position, award, and accomplishment that every numismatist should strive for.

Ken has taught at the ANA Summer Seminars since 1975. Today, he and Ken Hallenbeck are the roving instructors. The two Kens visit each classroom and answer any questions from students or instructors which may come up. Mr. Hallenbeck is only 92 years old, so that's a total of 187 years of numismatic experience roving the hallways of Summer Seminars, in addition to the greatest instructors available who are already teaching the classes.

It was at this year's Summer Seminars that I got a chance to meet with Ken Bressett and ask him if he would have the time to answer a few questions about his lifetime of experience, and especially his memories of those first days on the NENA News. Ken was most agreeable and politely asked if we could exchange emails to accomplish this goal as he was too busy that week during Summer Seminars. The following is the exact exchange with Ken's answers to my questions word-for word.

Ken Bressett in 2024 and in 1970'ish

Interview With Kenneth Bressett

Q - What is your first recollection about collecting coins when you were a child in Keene? How, why, where, did you get your start as coin collector? Did you have a mentor?

A - A neighbor gave me some foreign coins to play with and I found them fascinating. Later my parents and other friends gave me any Indian Head pennies or other odd coins they got in change. I was only 4 or 5 at the time and clearly remember seeing the date 1933 on new cents for the first time. By age six, I was a ‘serious collector.'

Born at the height of the Great Depression in 1928, the first 30 years of my life were spent in Keene, New Hampshire where I learned as much as I could about numismatics by reading and studying history, art, geography, and other related things. My big breakthrough came in 1948 when I first met Eric P. Newman and he became my mentor. We remained very close friends until his death in 2017 at age 106.

The second 30 years of my life were spend in Racine, Wisconsin where I worked at Whitman Publishing Co., under the direction of R. S. Yeoman (author of the Red and Blue books), and eventually took over as senior editor of all their numismatic products. Another 30-year part of my life brought me to Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 1982, to begin working at American Numismatic Association Headquarters, as Educational Director and head of ANACS, among other duties. After a few other short stops along the way, I am currently a free-lance author writing various articles for The Numismatist and other publications.

"One of the first coins for my collection was
the Mexican 1798 half real, given to me by my
grandmother who had carried it for years in her
purse. Ken Bressett

Q - How well do you remember the Keene Coin Club? Were you a charter member? How big was the club when you were a member? Do you know why it is no longer around?

A - I organized and founded the first coin club in Keene in 1950 and named it the Cheshire County Numismatic Society. I believe it was the first ever in New Hampshire, and it started with a half dozen or so local collectors who were eager to get together and share their interest in coins. A close friend, Charles Nims, was particularly helpful in unifying and expanding the group. By 1953 the club had grown to about thirty members who met monthly in the Keene library.

After I moved to Racine in 1959, I was only able to attend a few of the Keene meetings or events but stayed in touch with many of the members at least until sometime around 1975 when they celebrated their 25th anniversary. I am unsure of how, when, or why the club eventually disbanded, but suspect it may have been in deference to some of the newer and larger nearby coin organizations.

Q - Do you recall when you joined the New England Numismatic Association (NENA) and also, when you took over as Publisher of the newsletter (NENA News)? What were the differences between Editor and Publisher as far as general duties were concerned? Other than Newsletter Publisher, did you hold any other offices or functions for the club? Do you remember any other NENA personalities from back in the late forties/early fifties? Do you have any funny or interesting stories about them? When did you move away from New England? Did you stay in touch with any of the members who were still active in the club?

A - The early beginnings of the New England Numismatic Association go back to sometime around 1941 when Shepard Pond proposed organizing such a group. A few ‘Annual Conferences' were held prior to 1947 when the name NENA was established, but little else was done prior to 1957 when the 13th annual conference was held at the Sheraton Plaza Hotel in Boston.

I became a member of the American Numismatic Association in 1947, and occasionally went to some of the NENA events and meetings of the Boston Numismatic Society. I remember going to my first ANA convention in Boston in 1948, and meeting many of the leading numismatists of the day at that show. From that time on, I became well acquainted with many of the founders and officers of NENA and tried to take an active part in that organization. It was my pleasure to have known James Ford Clapp, Earl Tuttle, June Pond, Max Khuner, Harold MacIntosh, Maurice Gould, Harold Whiteneck, and Henry Schulmacher. Especially close friends were Cliff Howe, John Kitteredge, and Charles Dupont, an early Editor of NENA News, who encouraged me to become the editor in 1951. While working as a printer in Keene, I was able to write, edit and publish several editions of NENA NEWS.

Front page of NENA News from September
1952, listing Arthur R. Moore as Editor and
Kenneth E. Bressett as Publisher.
(Photo supplied by Bill Harkins.)

Perhaps the most colorful, entertaining, and cherished friend of those halcyon days was Sam Jillette, a coin collector and dealer from Turners Falls, Massachusetts, who later moved to Greenfield and was an avid collector of both large and small size U.S. cents. Because of his close proximity to Keene, he was a frequent visitor to our coin club and both he and his wife Valery soon bonded as family friends with me and my wife.

Ken's good friend and fellow numismatist Sam Jillette
from the early days in Keene. Sam was the father of Las
Vegas Magician Penn Jillette, of Penn and Teller fame.

When they were expecting a child, Sam wanted to name her Penny, however it was a boy, so they named him Penn. As our families grew throughout the years, we visited frequently, and our children often played together. Yes, Penn is the person you know today as the famous magician Penn Jillette of the Penn and Teller show in Las Vegas.

I still read every issue of NENA News and enjoy it very much. Don't know if they recognize any difference between being an editor or publisher, or if there really is much difference in the way that affects the content. I only see that the magazine seems to get even more professional and entertaining with every issue."

Author's Note: I enjoyed Ken's answers very much, but especially the last line regarding his current opinion of the NENA News getting better with every issue. At 95 years of age, he has the memory, energy, and the willingness to answer questions about his long past but also still has the forward thinking optimistic attitude of a much younger man. Congratulations Ken, for a long lifetime of Numismatic Greatness.

The Pine Tree Shilling was made by me for the
Cheshire County Numismatic Society in 1952. Ken Bressett.

To see all the back issues on the Newman Numismatic Portal, see:
NENA News: Periodical of the New England Numismatic Association (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/publisherdetail/529533)

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web