Coin and paper money collectors and scholars met in Chapel Hill to examine the history of money in North Carolina in a two-day symposium in celebration of the North Carolina Collection's exhibition "Hard Cash & Hard Times" and National Coin Week.
The emphasis on Saturday, April 17, was paper money. During a regional meeting of the Society of Paper Money Collectors, five experts made presentations on their specialties: Bob Sehreiner, the development and use of obselete paper money; Paul Homer, illegal paper money in North Carolina; Claud Murphy, Confederate and Southern States paper money; Larry Cotten, national bank notes; and Harry Corrigan; the economics of paper money in the US after the Civil War.
On Sunday, the focus turned to coins. Halbert Carmichael discussed the influence of English coinage on North Carolina and US colonial and national coinage; Alex Armstrong, the influence of Spanish coinage on our coins; Neil Fulghum, the private coinage of the North Carolina Bechtler family; David Boitnott, the Charlotte mint gold coinage; David Provost, the Roanoke half dollar commemorative; and Bill Robinson; the availability and condition population of Charlotte and Bechtler coins.
On each day, Gallery Keeper R. Neil Fulghum led a tour of the exhibition. Visitors brought coins and paper money for identification and informal appraisal. One guest brought a rare Missouri National banknote that had a reported population of only one--his was the second.
The event was intended to highlight the numismatic interests of the North Carolina Collection Gallery and Keeper Fulghum and his assistant, Laura Baxley. Fulghum hopes to increase the numismatic holdings of the NC Collection to a more complete representation of the use of money in the State. The North Carolina Collection's currency holdings are fairly strong with respect to obsolete, Confederate, and state issues, but they are decidedly weak in colonial paper and national bank notes--two areas where Keeper Fulghum would appreciate support and expertise from private collectors.
The event raised $1250 from five sponsoring organizations: the Society of Paper Money Collectors, the Blue Ridge Numismatic Association, the North Carolina Numismatic Association, the Raleigh Coin Club, and the Winston-Salem Coin Club. More than 70 visitors attended over the two days.
Halbert Carmichael presents a combined check from all the sponsoring groups to Keeper Neil Fulghum.
Four out of six panelists on Sunday were RCC members. Halbert Carmichael presenting on Sunday. The panel members are, left to right, Alex Armstrong, Neil Fulghum, David Boitnott, Bill Robinson, and David Provost.
Judith Murphy welcoming the Saturday audience while the panel waits. Left to right: Claud Murphy, Harry Corrigan, Larry Cotten, and Paul Horner. Not shown is Bob Schreiner, also a Saturday panelist.
Gallery Keeper Neil Fulghum (to left facing us in white shirt and dark tie) conducts a tour of the Gallery for Saturday participants.
Left to right: Halbert Carmichael, president of NCNA; Judith Murphy, president of BRNA, Neil Fulghum, Keeper of the North Carolina Collection Gallery; Bob Anthony, Curator of the North Carolina Collection; David Provost, president of the RCC.
Left to right: Gallery assistants Tiffianna and Virginia, Professor William S. Powell and his wife.