Please note that these articles are from electronic backup files and may not be exactly as the final printed versions.
I was browsing through a 40 year old volume of the CN Journal and chanced upon a brief essay that said some important things, in a way I, for one, know I couldn’t improve upon today. So from October of 1960, CNJ 5:10 I present;
Get Thee a Hobby,
By Arthur F. Giere, Galesville, Wisconsin
Today people enjoy a shorter working day than ever before. To most persons this means more hours of freedom – though one should not be indolent on that account: idleness pays no dividends and wasted hours produce no interests, mentally or physically – only disappointments. To loaf all the time can be dangerous to one’s health and well being: ask your physician about that. In fact, inactivity is truly harmful and in many cases prevents real happiness.
Industrialists in their wisdom during the last few decades have determined exact ages of retirement for their employees, but these same busy barons seem to have forgotten the preparation of faithful servants for enjoyment of their sunset days.
Retirement for many persons means loneliness, boredom and death unless a fresh creative activity is ready to occupy their time. Just consider how terribly true this can be – especially in larger communities.
To be content, one should use spare moments to their fullest extent. Learn to ride a hobby in good time, and enjoy yourself. Everyone needs a chum, and a hobby is always a patient and congenial friend. There are a lot of friendships, too, among people who ride the same hobbies. “A man with a hobby is never dull.”
Many an ailing person has heard the doctor say: “Get your mind off things that worry you.” A good hobby as recreation helps retain your mental faculties to the very last, because it does not permit them to rust or deteriorate. A philosopher tells us that he who never takes unto himself a hobby very often becomes a dolt – and you know what a dolt is!
An English poet once wrote, “Lord, keep my memories green.” Surely many an old hobbyist brightens when he looks over his collection and recalls the efforts, the times and occasions – and interesting places – wherein he discovered or acquired specimens.
So – young man, middle-aged or retired: Get thee a hobby in order that you may be happy and live long in the land which the Lord hath bestowed on thee.
Well, I was all set this month to write up a dandy old column when my dear friends Ken and Marvin were kind enough to send me some last minute items for the Journal. So instead of my meandering thoughts we are all lucky enough to have a few last minute announcements
TODD GEE ANNUAL LITERARY AWARD FOR NUMISMATIC WRITING
Marvin asked me to mention Todd Gee, a promising young numismatist, who was taken from us early in his numismatic career. Todd, at the age of 15 had already had articles published in the Canadian Coin News and the Journal. He had also received awards from the J. Douglas Ferguson Historical Research Foundation and Township of Maidstone.
In his memory, his parents authorized the establishment of an award to encourage young numismatists (under age 21) to try their hand at research and writing. Their article must have appeared in any numismatic publication. Full details will be published in the next issue of the Journal. Entries must be submitted to Dr. Marvin Kay, c/o C.N.A. by May 31, 2001.
Ken asked me to squeeze these notes to members into this months issue.
CHANGES OF ADDRESS
Members are reminded to send in their change of address as quickly as possible to the Executive Secretary at PO Box 226, Barrie, ON L4M 4T2. Our American members are requested to use this address also as this is the quickest method of ensuring your Journal will be mailed to the proper address. I would like to point out that it is now costing the Association over 50 cents US and 63 cents Canadian for every journal that is being returned. The Canadian Post Office no longer advise if the recipient is deceased or just moved so we have to remove the mailing plate immediately we receive a notification of non-delivery of your Journal.
COMING EVENTS
Clubs are again reminded that notices of coming events are to be sent directly to the Editor of the Journal by mail, fax or email at least 90 days in advance of the show date. Mailing the information to the Executive Secretary only delays notification to the Editor and this delay could mean that the show would NOT get the requested publicity in the Journal.
Like clockwork, the annual report for the Royal Canadian Mint landed on my desk this week, just in time for the May Journal. RCM sales in what they classify as Canadian Numismatic Coin Revenues were down slightly to 69.5 million dollars (1999 - 76.2, 1998 - 43.5 , 1997 - 40), millennium issues sales were 24.5 million as compared to over 36 million dollars in sales in 1999. Total Canadian numismatic coins sold were 17.4 million coins compared to 25.1 million coins in 1999 and 4.1 million in 1998. It should prove interesting when these 33.5 million millenium coins begin to return to the secondary marketplace. Bullion sales at the RCM were off by 48.4%, resulting in 2000 sales being off significantly from 1999. Total revenues for 2000 were $302.6 million with a net income of $5.6 million for the year.
Cumulative Canadian Circulating Coinage (000’s)
|
Dated |
2000 |
1999 |
1998 |
1997 |
1996 |
|
$2 |
29,847 |
25,130 |
5,309 |
16,942 |
375,483 |
|
$1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
17,101 |
|
50¢ |
559 |
496 |
308 |
387 |
458 |
|
25¢ |
434,087 |
258,190 |
- |
- |
28,106 |
|
10¢ |
159,125 |
222,470 |
203,514 |
43,126 |
51,814 |
|
5¢ |
108,514 |
104,206 |
156,873 |
27,354 |
36,686 |
|
1¢ |
761,970 |
949,400 |
999,267 |
549,868 |
445,746 |
Canadian Numismatic Coinage
|
Dated |
2000 |
1999 |
1998 |
1997 |
1996 |
|
Platinum Coin Set |
510 |
495 |
661 |
616 |
675 |
|
Proof Platinum 1/10 oz. |
- |
999 |
664 |
740 |
910 |
|
.99999 Gold |
1,506 |
1,990 |
1,999 |
-- |
-- |
|
$200 Gold |
6,284 |
6,510 |
7,149 |
11,610 |
8047 |
|
$100 Gold |
9,767 |
10,242 |
11,120 |
14,775 |
19,744 |
|
Silver Aviation #9/#7/#5/#3/#1 |
|
14,173 |
14,711 |
16,440 |
18,508 |
|
Silver Aviation #10/#8/#6/#4/#2 |
|
14,138 |
15,237 |
18,414 |
27,163 |
|
Silver Lunar Cameo |
88,634 |
77,791 |
68,888 |
- |
- |
|
$1 Proof (925 Ag) |
114,130 |
126,435 |
130,795 |
184,965 |
133,779 |
|
$1 Brilliant Uncirculated |
60,100 |
67,655 |
81,376 |
155,252 |
58,834 |
|
Proof Set |
90,921 |
95,113 |
93,632 |
113,647 |
112,835 |
|
Specimen Set |
81,581 |
97,987 |
67,697 |
97,595 |
62,125 |
|
Uncirculated Set |
182,298 |
202,864 |
145,439 |
174,692 |
120,217 |
|
Baby Unc. Set |
78,468 |
67,694 |
61,927 |
55,199 |
56,618 |
|
Oh Canada! Unc Set |
101,969 |
82,754 |
84,410 |
84,124 |
31,083 |
|
Fifty Cent Proof (Disc Nature) |
106,940 |
83,423 |
133,310 |
184,536 |
206,552 |
|
Fifty Cent Proof (Sports) |
48,130 |
52,115 |
56,428 |
- |
- |
|
Fifty Cent Proof (Transportation) |
44,367 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Year of the Dragon 2000 $150 |
8,851 |
|
|
|
|
|
Desjardin 10¢ silver |
66,336 |
|
|
|
|
|
Voltigeurs 5¢ silver |
29,243 |
|
|
|
|
|
Millennium Souvenir Set |
859,061 |
1499,973 |
- |
- |
- |
|
Millennium Comm. Set |
35,501 |
60,245 |
- |
- |
- |
|
Millennium Sterl. Silv. Pf. 25¢ |
76,956 |
115,344 |
- |
- |
- |
|
Nunavut Gold $2 |
4,114 |
4,298 |
- |
- |
- |
|
Nunavut Proof $2 |
39,549 |
39,873 |
- |
- |
- |
|
Chinese Dragon Comm. Set |
6,868 |
6,877 |
- |
- |
- |
|
SE 2000 - 25¢ Celebration |
24,949 |
|
|
|
|
|
SE 2000 - 25¢ Pride |
49,399 |
|
|
|
|
Like the old Bob Dylan tune, it seems the times will soon be a changing. The summer brings the annual convention, and with every second convention, it’s normally election time. However this year as you can see on page 235, the entire slate of officers were elected by acclamation this year. Without an election, the membership unfortunately doesn’t have much of an opportunity to meet or read about the candidates as most of their platforms and promises are outlined only during their election campaign. So for those members, who know Geoff only as our CNA librarian, or from the Coin Cabinet, I present a few lines plagiarized from Geoff’s announcement of his candidacy for Canadian Numismatic Association President for the term 2001 - 2003.
Bell is well known to Canadian collectors having served as President 1983 - 85, Librarian 1990 to the present and Chair of the CNA Strategic Planning Committee completed in 2000. Bell has been a fervent supporter of the hobby and stanch backer of CNA.
He was awarded the Royal Canadian Mint Medal for numismatic education in 1993, the J.D. Ferguson Gold Medal in 1987 for outstanding contribution to Canadian numismatics and was made a Fellow of CNA in 2000. He has served on several RCM design committees, Coin Week Canada committees and participated in numerous educational forums. Bell chaired 3 national conventions in Moncton, N.B. in 1983, 1993 and 1997.
Bell says the "strategic plan implementation first developed in 2000 is priority #1. Membership and finances are also at the top of the list of priorities."
Well, I think Geoff is going to be a busy guy, and well deserving of your support. Please take a moment to look back at your January/February issue of the Journal (page 34-35) and take a look at the strategic plan. You’ll agree we’ve accomplished a few things, but there’s a long way to go. If you think you can a make a difference I’m sure you can...get involved. Why not get real involved, there are a few seats open for directors as well.
Speaking of being involved don’t forget to book your rooms and make your plans for Québec City this summer. Québec City and the north shore make a great holiday destination. You’ll enjoy it, but you’ll enjoy it more if you have a hotel room. (Personal experience, two summers ago, five hours of driving from Tadoussac to Montreal) until we could find a room. Be smart - book your room today. The convention activities, the bourse, the meetings are much more enjoyable if you don’t spend the night sleeping your car.
J.E. Charlton, Coinman to Canadian, by H. Don Allen, is a landmark book for many reasons.
In every hobby there are a few giants who are able to put their mark on their time, and numismatics is no exception. Jim Charlton – who also happens to be the Honourary President of the CNA – is one of those individuals.
Jim not only had the pleasure of turning his avocation into his vocation, he also made modern Canadian coin collecting truly his own.
In 1952, he published the first edition of the Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins, and continued to put out editions until 1980. Today, the company that bears his name still continues to produce what many collectors call the bible of Canadian numismatics.
More than that, he is still a presence at Canadian coin shows. His appearance on the bourse floor almost immediately starts a buzz.
It is not just that Jim created an outstanding coin reference, and a number of other books, he has had front row seats to some of the most spectacular years of Canadian numismatics as well. When Jim started his book, coin collecting was just coming into its own as a popular recreation. Once a hobby limited to the well-to-do, coin collecting has become affordable and popular with the common person. Jim helped popularize the hobby, and brought coin collecting to more Canadians than anyone before or since. He also helped popularize Canadian numismatics outside of Canada.
Allen has worked years on this reference, with the able collaboration of Jim.
In addition to being a biography, the book includes appendices highlighting many historic events in Canadian numismatics, and a 50-year price history of selected coins. More than 60 photographs lead the reader through 20th century coin collecting.
This reference is long overdue, not only as a tribute to an outstanding collector, but also as a record of an important period of Canadian numismatics.
Published by Charlton Press (2040 Young St. Suite 208, Toronto, ON M4S 1Z9, www.charltonpress.com), the 5.5 by 8.5 inch softcover book (192 pages) is priced at $19.95.
Charlton will be at the CNA Convention (Quebece City July 26-29) to autograph the book.
Are famous numismatists heroes?
Recently while entering auction catalogue information into my inventory database it made me wonder about the impact that collectors have on our lives. I like to take with me to important numismatic events such as local and major coin shows and conventions, educational courses and seminars, my inventory of coins, paper money and numismatic literature.
After entering the collector’s names associated with the Bowers and Merena auction catalogues that I have received over the years, I paused to imagine who these collectors really were? How much research did they conduct? Did they contribute to local and national collector associations? How much did they share their knowledge with new and experienced collectors alike? What impact did their collecting have on the hobby and the general public?
The fireman who rescues the family from the burning building is a hero to all of us. The quarterback who scores the winning touchdown is a hero to some. Our founding fathers through their actions have greatly influenced our daily lives and certainly fit the definition of hero.
James E. Charlton, according to Bret Evans, has helped popularize the hobby and brought coin collecting to more Canadians than anyone before or since. He also helped popularize Canadian numismatics outside of Canada. Most collectors can only hope that in their lifetime they are able to contribute a fraction of what he has.
Was he a hero? I guess it depends on your point of view. To me a hero is someone who gives of themselves for the benefit of others. Think for a moment of all the famous numismatists. Their combined contributions of research and identification in addition to donations of time and money have greatly enhanced the enjoyment of our hobby for all. If you consider yourself a serious numismatist, who knows, you could even become famous. Someday, someone might even think of you as a hero.
Lost But Not Forgotten
Our American members and friends are very important to the Canadian Numismatic Association. We want to send a collective word of sympathy to the United States members after the recent carnage in New York and Washington.
Fifteen flights were diverted from Europe to my home town where the citizens opened their homes and hearts to the tired and confused passengers and crews. Many lasting friendships were forged during those three days. Of course, the tragedy touched many nations and Canada lost somewhere between 40 and 75 citizens. Indeed, our thoughts are with all these people in their hour of suffering.
Numismatics is a great stress release, a time when one can get his or her mind off the daily problems of life. It is also a great place to put your money in times of economic unrest. You get the double benefit of both enjoyment of our hobby and the stability of your investment. One also develops so many lasting friendships, that may be its most beneficial result.
I encourage each member to take a moment to write, phone or e-mail a friend in the United States and express your thoughts. It is very therapeutic to both you and your friend. In the meantime, let’s keep all the victims families in our thoughts and in our prayers.
I received an e-mail this morning from a long time member asking a simple question. What is required to have an article considered for publication in The CN Journal? The answer was quite simple, nothing. Just send it in. Why is that you ask. The Journals only source of articles are you the members. If it’s important to you, it’s important to us. The Journal is the key to communication to and between our members. If you have questions, send us a letter. If you have information to share, write a story about it. If you have an opinion (preferably about numismatics), share it, we’re always looking for incisive commentary.
What do we need most? Stories on Canadian coins, colonial tokens, coin and paper money preservation, your experiences, coin grading, stories about our members, counterfeit detection, Canadian script and paper money, collecting strategies. Oh, there’s so many opportunities.
What don’t we need right now? More book reviews, we have lots on file. We also don’t need another President’s Message, we’re only allowed one President at a time. The mints have dedicated publicists who have our e-mail address and large picture files, so we get lots of mint releases.
Can we guarantee printing your article? Sorry, no we can’t. All we can do is to guarantee to try. If a similar story has just run, or the story is outdated for some reason, we probably will have to hold it for a while, or possibly not use it. If your article, commentary, or opinion is libelous, defamatory, or in just plain bad taste, we probably won’t be able to run that either. If we can’t use it, we’ll let you know.
How do you submit an article? You can fax it to (905) 646-0995, please be sure to mark it clearly as Attention: CN Journal. You can mail it to CN Journal, c/o 202-103 Lakeshore Rd., St. Catharines, ON L2N 2T6, or easiest yet you can e-mail it to: fiocca@trajan.com. If you e-mail it, please save it as aasci text or a Word file. Please do not embed photos, they do not have enough resolution to print well after we crack them back out of the document. All photos must be 300 dpi minimum, .tif, .gif, or .jpg formats and attached separately.
To make a better Journal, we need you.
I look forward to seeing your articles.
Thanks and a very merry Christmas to all