by Dave Provost

I had vowed that I wouldn't do it. I had promised myself that I would stay away from them. I had convinced myself that they were entirely unnecessary and far too expensive. But there I was writing out a check that required more ink than a rational person would consider proper to a dealer on the ANA bourse floor for a few pieces of 60-year old paper. Not just any paper, of course, but paper nonetheless.

Lest you think that I've branched off into some relatively sane hobby pursuit such as U.S. or world currency, let me set you straight. None of the paper items that I purchased could get me a single glass of sweet tea in any restaurant in Raleigh (unless, perhaps, the owner suffered from the same affliction that we do - numismatics!) No, friends, currency is not what I spent my hard-earned money on. I went in a completely opposite direction, actually, to paper that not only was never a negotiable instrument but was merely intended as a protective wrapping! I stand before you now a proud (?) collector of U.S. commemorative ephemera. (You know, the paper items that were used to hold the coins when they were originally sold.)

My first purchase at the ANA show was the holder for the Roanoke half dollar. I figured since I had committed to supplying the Roanoke half dollar for the RCC's club exhibit for the upcoming NCNA show, it would make a nice, historical, seldom-seen addition. Thus, I almost felt justified in spending $65.00 for a 3.5-inch x 6-inch piece of paper and cardboard with a few historical notes about "America's First Colony" printed on it. If I had stopped there, it would have been fine. I didn't, it isn't.

A few days later, I came across a dealer with about a half dozen assorted pieces. I looked through his stock, passed on the small 2-inch x 3-inch Panama Pacific Expo envelope he offered me for a mere $75.00, and settled on the holders for the 1936 Albany and 1936 Delaware commemoratives. They were both in very nice shape, with the Delaware piece even coming in the original shipping envelope from the Delaware Swedish Tercentenary Commission!

Both the Albany and Delaware pieces are essentially the same as the Roanoke holder in terms of size and style, as were several others from this era. The holders can accommodate five half dollars on an inside panel opposite a few paragraphs of historical background information about the place or event being commemorated. If you've ever heard or read about a commemorative piece that displayed "tab toning" it is likely a piece that was kept in one of these holders for an extended period of time. (I'll bring the holders to our September meeting so you can see for yourself how such toning would occur.)

Thus, for somewhere around $200, I walked out of the ANA convention being able to claim title to three pieces of paper that most early collectors threw out when they purchased their coins. Funny how perceived value can change over time, isn't it?

Until next month, Happy Collecting!

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