December
1997

There were fourteen members present at the November meeting. Vince Chicarelli and I were absent as we were representing the club at the Smithsonian Institute on Friday and the Washington – Baltimore Suburban Coin Show on Saturday. Our trip was exciting as was expected and came off without incident; however it reminded me of Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians as the number of participants dropped one by one. The weather could also have been a little more cooperative but at least it didn’t snow! I wish to express my gratitude for the notes taken by Alex Armstrong in my absence without which this report would not have been possible.

During the officers and directors meeting it was decided to invite Charles and Carmen Morrison to our Christmas Party. They are the fine folks who take care of the Kiwanis Park Clubhouse and come unlock the doors for us every month. The arrival time for the Christmas Party at Don Murray’s Barbecue was set for 6:30 to 7:00 PM. It was also announced that the meal price would be $9.69 including tax and tip. These items were then communicated at the regular meeting.

One of the first items of business was the vote on the 1998 officers and the open director slot. The candidates for all positions were the current officers. There were no challenges and all were reelected unanimously and unopposed. Next Sam Kirby talked about his development of a web site for the RCC. He said he was preparing an article for the RCC Newsletter in the form of an outline of his proposal. It is printed on page 3 of this issue. He also spoke on forming a speakers forum, expanding our young numismatist efforts, the YN essay contest, and tying all these together with the annual Club Show.

Next Alex Armstrong highlighted his latest discussions with the North Carolina Museum of Art’s Curator of Antiquities. It was also announced that the editor of the ANA’s monthly magazine The Numismatist had requested permission to reprint portions of Dave Provost’s article last month "How Much is a Pedigree worth?". Permission was granted! It is nice to know someone outside the local membership reads our little newsletter. A letter of thanks from the ANA Library referencing our recent donation of $250 was also read to the members.

The meeting then took a break to socialize and enjoy the refreshments brought by Sam Kirby. Jason Siders agreed to provide the January refreshments. The meeting was then called back to order for Alex Armstrong’s informal presentation "Coin Identification." After which the raffle was held and the meeting adjourned.

The attendance at the October meeting was down considerably. We only had ten members a one guest Thursday night. We had scheduled an educational program on minting a coin, which was to include the actual striking of a coin at the meeting. We were sure this would be of much interest and really boost attendance. But I guess Dean Smith’s announcement that morning that he was retiring as head basketball couch at Carolina had placed the better part of the state into a "state or morning". Perhaps much of the membership was in shock and forgot the meeting. Whatever the reason those assembled continued on.

During the board meeting prior to the general meeting the slate of candidates for next year was finalized. They are the same as last year; Alex Armstrong for President, David Provost for Vice-President, Steve Pladna for Treasurer, David Boitnott for Secretary, James Gahrmann for Sargeant-at-Arms, and Halbert Carmichael for the three year director’s position he currently holds that expires at the end of 1997. The board decided to include a ballot in this issue of the RCC Newsletter to give those members not able to attend the November meeting a voice in the future of their club. This is why the newsletter is a week earlier this month. The board also finalized the donation of $250 to the ANA Library approved last month by a vote of the membership. The check is in the mail!

In the general membership meeting it was discussed and decided to go forward with the planned November Smithsonian visit. The timing was critical in order to align the visit with the Suburban Washington Baltimore Coin & Currency Show. The group will visit the Smithsonian on Friday and then the show on Saturday. Those interested in going please contact either David Boitnott or Dave Provost for more details (See announcement section).

The next item on the agenda was Dave Provost’s report on ways that the club could increase community awareness of Numismatics in 1998 while keeping with our non-profit education-driven charter. The items detailed in his report were (A) Purchase Numismatic subscriptions for the local libraries, (B) Purchase copies of the Red Book for local schools, (C) Make a charitable donation, and (D) Build a RCC coin collection. He gave detailed descriptions, pros and cons, and the purpose behind each proposal.

The discussion was next directed at the agenda for the December meeting. It was moved, debated, and approved that we again have our annual Christmas party / meeting at Don Murray’s Barbecue, 2751 Capital Blvd in Raleigh. It was also decided to continue the special gift exchange program we have enjoyed so much in previous years. Alex Armstrong has agreed to make all the reservations and arrangements.

Sam Kirby then spoke briefly to the membership about his efforts to create a club website through the ANA. He solicited the membership for material and/or ideas for the site. Anyone wishing to contribute to this project please contact Sam.

Show-N-Tell was next, followed by socializing over refreshments provided by Dave Provost. This was followed by Alex Armstrong’s presentation on the striking of a coin. Alex had prepared both obverse and reverse dies especially for the occasion. He explained how early coins were struck with only a single die and a hammer backed up by a piece of wood resulting in a uniface coin. He demonstrated this technique using pieces of aluminum from a soda can for planchets. He showed how crude this method could be although the results of his strikings were better than expected. He next turned the discussion to the development of the two-die system – a striking die and an anvil die. He again demonstrated the technique as he described it. This time he struck coins on planchets made of lead from fishing weights. The results were stunning! After concluding the formal portion of the program Alex prepared planchets for striking and allowed all interested in trying their hand at striking a coin the opportunity. The present ation was a resounding success!

The raffle was held next. The bid board was finalized and the meeting adjourned.

I was unfortunately in California on business and unable to attend the September meeting. I was informed that I missed an excellent presentation by Tom Gregg and great meeting overall. I am indebted to Dave Provost whose excellent notes made this report possible.

There were nineteen members and one guest present last month. Two items of old business were discussed. First was the discussion of the club donation to the ANA library. Originally brought up by Bob Schreiner at the July meeting it was motioned to give a $250 donation to the library. It was seconded and approved by unanimous vote by the members present. Second was the "School Essay Contest." It was announced that a Chairman for this program was needed. Dave Provost offered to lend assistance, but indicated that he could not serve as chairman. Sam Kirby indicated that he would consider the position, and report his decision at the October meeting.

Next came some news about two of our members. First the bad, James Hearn was injured recently. The injury required a stay in the hospital, and a trip to the operating room. A "Get Well" card was passed around for member signatures. On a more pleasant note Jim Gahrmann announced that he was a second-time father -- Justin David is the baby’s name. He was born on August 29th, and both Justin and his mother are doing well.

Bob Schreiner was officially nominated by the club for the NCNA "Numismatist of the Year" award. Bob’s nomination letter was read to membership, and his nomination was passed by unanimous vote.

Next a discussion was put forth regarding ways in which the club could live up to its educational charter, and use some its funds to promote the hobby. Possibilities included: (1) Buying subscriptions to Coin World for the Wake County high schools. (2) Making a donation to the Cancer Fund. (3) Donating Red Books to local schools. Dave Provost offered to check into available discounts for Coin World and other numismatic publications, and prepare a list of possible choices by next month’s meeting.

Dave Provost gave an update on the club’s purchase of Volume I of the John J. Pittman auction catalog; the catalog should be available at the October meeting. No members present at the meeting expressed an interest in bidding on coins in this volume, but indicated an interest in Volumes II and III.

Alex Armstrong discussed the recent Smithsonian trip. RCC members Alex Armstrong, Harry Corrigan, and Sam Kirby along with guests Dwayne Perry & his wife made the August trip. Our group was well received, and the Smithsonian is looking forward to our return trip in November.

After socializing over refreshments provided by Alex Armstrong the meeting was called back to order for the educational presentation. Tom Gregg presented a very good program on small size currency that discussed both the collecting and investing aspects of the series.

Finally the drawings for the door prize and raffle prizes brought the meeting to an end. The bid board although sparsely populated was successful in that all coins sold.

August was our annual Summer Social. This mid summer tradition is in part a celebration of our just completed annual show. It is a chance to unwind and just have fun over a catered barbecue dinner with fellow members and guests. As such there is no official attendance taken, a very brief business session, and no raffle tickets are sold (they are all free – members and their guests). The only regular meeting holdovers to this years social where Show – N – Tell and the Bid Board.

As previously stated their was no official headcount; however, there was an excellent turnout. Many members and guests were present and no food was wasted! President Alex Armstrong, Sam Kirby, and Harry Corrigan were on a club trip to the Smithsonian and The Rarities Show in Baltimore and were unable to attend. This left the business meeting to Vice-President Dave Provost. Dave kept it brief since everyone was restless smelling the food being setup in the back of the room. The membership was given the monthly Treasurer’s Report by Steve Pladna, updated on the show’s success, and informed of Jack "The Penny Man" Amariglio’s letter of resignation from the club. This was followed by Show – N – Tell, which is highlighted elsewhere. Then the important part began – eating!

The meal catered by Lancaster’s BBQ Inc. consisted of pork barbecue, fried chicken, baked beans, potato salad, slaw, cornbread sticks, and iced tea. It was all excellent and plentiful.

After dinner the raffle was held. All items were donated by Daryl Rogers of Daryl's Coins in Durham and raffled off using the free blue tickets as no tickets were sold! In addition to the numismatic items, three large bags of leftovers were also raffled off.

After the raffle the Bid Board transactions were settled. Five of Eight items on the Bid Board did sell. More socializing ensued during cleanup.

There were seventeen members and one guest present at the July meeting. In the first order of business Aaron Bass distributed the award certificates for the exhibits at the show provided by David Provost. To recap first place went to David Provost, second to Bob Schreiner, third to Sam Kirby, and Peoples Choice to Bob Schreiner.

The proposed essay contest for young numismatists was discussed at length. David Provost presented an outline of the proposed rules. These included number of words, age group divisions and awards. There were a couple of motions made and discussed concerning the contest. It was suggested that the winning essays be featured in the RCC Newsletter and be displayed at the next show. James Gahrmann suggested that the winners be invited to the annual Christmas Party and have the awards presentation there. There was also much discussion as to how wide an area to accept essays from. A motion was made to limit it to just Wake County.

Jack "The Penny Man" Amarigilio reported on his trials, tribulations, and frustrations on ordering a set of auction catalogs for the John J. Pittman sale. A set of hardbound catalogs would have cost $240 - $290; however, Jack was able to get a softbound set for $100.

Steve Pladna gave the monthly treasurer’s report and a preliminary profit loss statement for the show. The record keeping for petty cash during the show was discussed as there was a small (under $20 I believe) discrepancy in the accounting. The discussion on the show also included ideas to improve next years. Bob Schreiner suggested that we print and give out a one-page program at the next show and inquire into getting an educational speaker such as Richard Doty from the Smithsonian to talk at the show.

After a break to socialize over refreshments provided by Alex Armstrong, David Provost gave an interactive presentation titled "Coin Investment Time Capsule". Everyone was given a sheet with thirty collector coins listed and asked to pick the top fifteen in price appreciation over the last thirty years. David then gave everyone the 1967 value, the 1997 value, and the delta or gain. Everyone then added up their "profit" on their fifteen coins and Jack Dinger was declared the winner. He had a "profit" on his selections of $6164 out of a maximum of $7829 (78%).

There was no bid board this month and the meeting was adjourned.

There were nineteen members and two guests at the June meeting. Much of the business portion of the meeting centered on the June Coin Show. Halbert Carmichael reported that 55 tables had been taken as of the June meeting. Members were again encouraged to sign up to man the club table Saturday and Sunday during the show.

Halbert Carmichael made a motion that the club library purchase a copy of the three volume set of catalogs for the upcoming auctions of the John J. Pitman Collection for $125. The motion was seconded and agreed to by the membership.

The next item of business before the club was the application of Charles Gray for membership. His application was accepted without any objections.

Steve Pladna then gave the monthly treasurer’s report which is on file in the secretary’s archival notebook should any member care to review it.

Jack "The Penny Man" Amariglio proposed that the club sponsor an essay contest and was willing to contribute to the prizes. After much discussion the membership agreed adding provisions for age categories to the plan. David Provost and David Boitnott agreed to work on the rules and applications. They hoped to have them ready in time for the show. Unfortunately due to other professional concerns the time could not be found to work on this project in time for the show.

After Show-n-Tell the members socialized with refreshments provided by Larry DeBellis. Then David Provost and Sam Kirby gave a hands on presentation on Coin Photography. Although the presentation was titled Coin Photography 101 no test was given at the end but members were encouraged to try what they had learned by photographing coins they had brought with them for this purpose. I had hoped to get copies of these photographs for inclusion in the Show-n-Tell Highlights section but unfortunately they were not available in time for publication.

There were eight coins on the bid board this month unfortunately none sold. The bid board will not be at the July meeting but will be up during the August Social so remember to bring your duplicates and support this club activity.

There were thirteen members and 3 guests at the May meeting. Despite the low turnout we had a productive meeting. Much of the business portion of the meeting centered on the June Coin Show. Halbert Carmichael reported that 29 tables had been taken as of the May meeting. Members were encouraged to sign up to man the club table Saturday and Sunday during the show. A sign up sheet was placed on the greeter's table. If you did not sign up in May you’ll have another chance this month. Charles Gray, Alex Armstrong, and James Gahrmann volunteered to help with dealer registration Friday evening. David Boitnott and Vince Chicarelli volunteered to come in around noon on Friday and assist Secretary’s Report:

Halbert with the show set up. James Gahrmann also agreed to meet with Halbert the Tuesday before the show to print and assemble the dealer ID badges. Alex will be taking photographs at the show so hopefully we can do something special in next month’s newsletter.

After Show-n-Tell the members socialized with refreshments provided by Bob Schreiner. After which David Boitnott filled in for David Provost and gave a informal presentation on the joys of numismatic exhibiting and the judging rules involved. The group had a good general discussion on the subject.

There were thirteen coins on the bid board this month with all of them selling. The board seems to be doing great. So remember to bring your duplicates and support this club activity. 

There were twenty-two members at the April meeting. This has been the best turnout so far this year. The weather was nice and there was no conflicting sporting events to compete for our membership’s time.

The status of the negotiations with the NC Museum of Art for the possible relocation of the RCC were discussed. Nothing definite has been determined yet. John Page suggested that perhaps the RCC could offer to give a series of talks that would benefit both the Art Museum and us. They could be a series of "Spring Numismatic Lectures" perhaps during National Coin Week next year where the RCC could invite nationally known speakers as well as utilize the expertise of our membership to give the presentations. A lot depends on whether the Art Museum insists on charging us a high rent.

The status of our upcoming show was discussed. Halbert reported that to date we had 10 dealers and 17 tables under contract. He felt confident that as the show date (June 28th and 29th) approaches we will meet our targets. Halbert explained from past experience that contracts drag in slowly. The call for exhibits for the show was also issued and this month’s presentation is on building a Numismatic Exhibit.

The next topic of discussion was what to do about those who were past due on their membership dues. There was a motion made to publish the names of members that are past due in the RCC Newsletter. The motion was seconded, hotly debated, and voted down by the membership. It was left to the discretion of the officers on how to proceed. In a follow up meeting the officers came to a decision on how to handle it and there is an entry in the Notices, Reminders, etc.......... column detailing that decision.

After socializing over cookies and cold drinks supplied by Jack "The Penny Man" Amariglio and his wife Prince the members were treated to an excellent presentation by Sam Kirby on The Birth of the Argentine Republic through its Coinage at Potosi 1813 and 1815.

After the presentation and raffle drawing the first bid board was completed. The turnout was good as there where 19 items put up for sale. Of these 17 SOLD! Lets keep the momentum going by bring even more items to the May meeting.

Hope to see everyone at the May meeting. Our presentation on Coin Exhibiting should prove both informative and interesting. Speaking from personal experience having put together an exhibit for the first time last year the work involved is more than repaid in the enjoyment of the show and the new people you meet through the exposure. I highly recommend participating this year. 

There were sixteen members and two guests at the March meeting. The meeting date conflicted with the opening round of the NCAA basketball tournament and the UNC game which might account for the low turnout.

The reactivation of the club auction in the form of a bid board was discussed at the officers / directors meeting and then presented and debated in the general meeting. There have been subsequent meetings of the committee organizing the bid board to hammer out the rules which will govern this activity. These rules are published elsewhere in this newsletter and will be posted at the bid board starting at the April Meeting.

The PAGE program was discussed along with a lively and interesting show-n-tell session before the meeting took a break for refreshments. After socializing over cookies and cold drinks supplied by Sam Kirby the members enjoyed an excellent presentation by Halbert Carmichael on English History & Coinage before 1066.

Hope to see everyone at the April meeting. We have another excellent presentation planned and were launching the Bid Board so it should be an interesting meeting.

The February meeting was sparsely attended due to the threat of inclement weather; however, eleven members did brave the elements to attend.

A board meeting was held prior to the general membership meeting in which several items of business were taken care of. Sean Gilsenan has relinquished the post of Treasurer . Steve Pladna has volunteered to take on the duties of Treasurer for the remainder of Sean’s term. I accordance with the RCC Constitution and By-Laws the board officially voted him in. The subject of giving some form of recognition to Sean for his excellent job in straightening out the Treasurer’s office after the untimely death of the previous Treasurer Wayne Brooks was discussed. The board also voted to install James Gahrman as Sargeant-at Arms to fill that vacancy. These actions were then reported to the membership during the regular meeting.

After a report from the Treasurer, President Alex Armstrong reported on the progress for locating a better meeting site. Alex reported that The North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) on Blue Ridge Road was very interested in working with the RCC. Some of the features offered by the NCMA are rooms and an auditorium for meetings, luncheons and refreshments available so long as the NCMA is the supplier, after hour meetings are alright provided the RCC pays for the security, and the NCMA would give the RCC publicity. The NCMA wants to work with us and would like our help with many of their exhibits. These include one opening in April entitled Life of Women in Ancient Times as well as other Ancient coin exhibits and Early English exhibits. They also see us as an extension of the educational aspect of the museum. The only identified negative to date is that the NCMA currently does not have space to store the RCC library. Things look good; however nothing is official and other avenues are still being explored. More on this perhaps next meeting.

Other highlights from the meeting were show and tell, the addition of a new member, a survey of members interests, and James Hearns presentation on Peruvian Coinage all of which are detailed in this month’s newsletter. The February meeting despite the low turnout was a success.