Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin on Sale September 18
WASHINGTON – The United States Mint (Mint) will begin accepting orders for the America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin™ honoring Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve in the U.S. Virgin Islands on September 18 at noon EDT. The coin is priced at $178.25. Production of this coin is capped at 13,750 units. There is no household order limit.
The coin’s reverse (tails) depicts a red mangrove tree in an early stage of its life cycle, as it evolves from a very small plant to an adult tree. The design brings awareness to the park’s endangered mangrove forests and the unique and delicate nature of how the species reproduces in salt water. Inscriptions include “SALT RIVER BAY,” “U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS,” “2020,” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM.” The coin’s obverse (heads) features a 1932 restored portrait of George Washington.
Each encapsulated coin comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.
The Mint is currently accepting orders only at https://catalog.usmint.gov/salt-river-bay-national-historical-park-and-ecological-preserve-2020-uncirculated-five-ounce-silver-coin-20AL.html. Information about shipping options is available at catalog.usmint.gov/customer-service/shipping.html. To reduce the risk of employee exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace, the Mint’s sales centers are closed until further notice.
The America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins are also available for purchase through the Mint’s Product Enrollment Program. Visit us online at https://catalog.usmint.gov/shop/enrollments/ for details.
Note: To ensure that all members of the public have fair and equal access to United States Mint products, the United States Mint will not accept and will not honor orders placed prior to the official on-sale date of Sept. 18, 2020, at noon EDT.
ANA Members Recognized at Virtual Awards Ceremonies
Numismatics is the study and collection of coins, paper money, tokens and medals, but at the American Numismatic Association (ANA) it is the people who truly define the hobby. Several individuals were recognized for their service and commitment to numismatics during the virtual Membership & Literary Awards and Service Awards, Sept. 1 and 2. (To watch the recorded events, visit money.org/awards-2020)
The Elvira Clain-Stefanelli Memorial Award for Achievement in Numismatics honors women who have made significant contributions to the field. This year’s recipient was Dorothy C. Baber.
Born on May 1, 1920, three-and-a-half months before women were granted the right to vote with the ratifications of the 19th Amendment, Baber turned 100 this year and has witnessed a century of progress for women’s rights. An outstanding example of leadership herself, her lifelong commitment to the advancement of numismatics on both a local and national level was befitting the honor the award confers.
Baber has been an ANA member for 52 years. Since 1968, she has served on the Membership Committee, the Convention Committee and the Convention Task Force, and she was involved in the District Representative Program for 15 years. She also has worked as pre-registration chair, assistant general chair and patron chair for several San Diego ANA Anniversary Conventions. Furthermore, she volunteered at the Business and Information Center at ANA shows for 15 years, retiring in 2010 at age 90.
Baber has held a variety of offices in a myriad of other organizations. Notably, she’s held the position of president for seven organizations: La Mesa Coin Club (1974-77), San Diego Numismatic Society (1981), California State Numismatic Association (1987-91), Heartland Coin Club (1994095), Token and Medal Society (1995), California Exonumist Society (1995) and San Diego County Inter-Club Numismatic Council.
In addition to being actively involved with numerous clubs and conventions, Baber has created a tangible legacy. She designed a medal on behalf of the Token and Medal Society in recognition of the 1990 ANA World’s Fair of Money in Seattle, and she served as editor of the San Diego Numismatic Society Bulletin for more than 30 years, during which time the publication won accolades from the ANA and the Numismatic Literary Guild.
Baber’s previous awards number in the double digits. Some from the ANA include the Medal of Merit (1988), Glenn Smedley Memorial Award (1995), Farran Zerbe Memorial Award for Distinguished Service (1995), a Presidential Award (1997) and Lifetime Achievement Award (2003), the latter of which she shared with her family.
Each year, the Association honors an Outstanding District Representative who sets the standard for promoting the hobby and ANA-member clubs throughout the country. This year’s recipient was Gary Parsons.
Parsons has devoted years of service to the ANA and the Oklahoma Numismatic Association (ONA), the latter of which he has served as president and vice president several times. He has represented these organizations at coin shows across the state and has held officer positions for local clubs. He currently serves as the secretary and treasurer for the Indian Territory Coin Club located in his hometown of McAlester.
Parsons has been collecting U.S. coins, bank notes and exonumia for more than 60 years and also is an experienced dealer. In 1966 he earned a degree in business with a minor in history from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, and later served in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Parsons hopes that younger generations will take an interest in numismatics not only because the hobby has the potential to blossom into a good financial investment, but also because the study of currency reveals the history of our civilization.
In an effort to recognize the most important collectors, scholars and hobby professionals of all time, the American Numismatic Association maintains the Numismatic Hall of Fame (HOF) at its headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Individuals are recognized annually, with “modern” numismatists inducted in odd years, and “historic” personages in even years. This year, the ANA welcomed to this elite group a notable numismatist, Augustus B. Sage.
Best remembered today for his medallic series, Sage was born in Connecticut in 1842. At 17-years-old, he set forth to educate readers of the New-York Dispatch by contributing numismatic articles.
In 1858, he was one of a small group of men who decided to form an “Antiquarian Society” in New York City for the study of coins and medals. This Society would subsequently be renamed to the American Numismatic Society.
Inspired by the work of George H. Lovett, Sage decided to start assembling a collection of numismatic medals. The intent was to illustrate current events as well as memorialize people and places from the past. The first series referred to the Crystal Palace, the second to the Sugar House and the third depicted Paul Morphy, famous international chess champion.
In 1859, Sage produced four different auction catalogs – more than any other individual in the hobby up to that time – and remained in the profession until early 1861, after which he joined the Union Army in the Civil War as Captain in the New York Infantry Volunteers’ 170th Regiment.
In 1866 the American Numismatic Society launched the American Journal of Numismatics, to which Sage contributed by writing about the “good old days” of the late 1850s.
The American Numismatic Association is a congressionally chartered, nonprofit educational organization dedicated to encouraging the study and collection of coins and related items. The ANA helps its 28,000-plus members and the public discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of educational and outreach programs as well as its museum, library, publications, and conventions. For more information, call 719-632-2646 or visit www.money.org.
Whitman Publishing Releases ‘A Guide Book of Collectible Postcards,’ by Bowers and Martin
New Book Will Appeal to Coin Collectors and Other Hobbyists
(Pelham, Alabama) — Whitman Publishing announces the release of A Guide Book of Collectible Postcards, by Q. David Bowers and Mary L. Martin. The 432-page book will be available for preorder Labor Day weekend, 2020. In mid-September it will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide and online (including at www.Whitman.com) for $39.95.
Postcard collecting has been a popular American pastime since the hobby’s Golden Age (the 1890s through World War One). For today’s collector, postcards offer historic photography, snapshots of pop culture and everyday life, colorful works by famous artists—and the thrill of the hunt while building a collection.
The Guide Book covers the hobby from the earliest postcards of the 1870s to the modern chrome cards found on store racks today.
Leonard A. Lauder, in the book’s foreword, wrote, “Together, Mary Martin and Dave Bowers have raised the bar for the serious recognition of the postcard as one of the most important forms of mass media in history.”
The Guide Book includes:
- more than 1,500 illustrations
- Real Photo Postcards (RPPCs), linens, chromes, signed artist cards, sets and series, hand-colored cards, error cards, composites, mechanicals and novelties, and more
- Christmas, Halloween, comics, and other popular categories
- famous artists like Charles Dana Gibson, Winsor McCay, Alphonse Mucha, and many others
- history of the hobby and postcard production methods
- advice for smart buying and collecting
- valuation charts for hundreds of card types
- grading instructions
- check lists for sets and series, to keep track of your collections
- high-resolution images of more than 1,300 example postcards
- a comprehensive appendix describing more than 2,000 historic postcard manufacturers and distributors
- extensive indexes for further research
“Collectors and dealers have been waiting for a full-color overview and in-depth reference to this fascinating hobby,” said Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker. “The Guide Book of Collectible Postcards is a one-stop resource for newcomers and experienced collectors alike.”
Coauthors Bowers and Martin.
Coauthor Mary Martin grew up in the postcard business when her parents were among the nation’s leading dealers. She is recognized as an organizer of collector shows, a prolific researcher and author, and one of the field’s most active buyers and sellers.
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- Collectors of coins, tokens, medals, and paper money also find postcards to be an appealing hobby.
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- Various United States Treasury facilities pictured on vintage postcards.
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- Beautifully embossed and colored U.S. and world coin images.
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- The Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and U.S. postage stamps, shown on old postcards.
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- Banks are a popular postcard theme, with crossover appeal for numismatists.
By Q. David Bowers and Mary L. Martin; foreword by Leonard A. Lauder
ISBN 0794847374
Softcover, 8.5 x 11 inches
432 pages
Full color
Retail $39.95 U.S.
https://whitman.com/a-guide-book-of-collectible-postcards/
United States Mint and Royal Mint Collaborate on Mayflower Anniversary Coins and Medals
WASHINGTON–The United States Mint (Mint) and The Royal Mint (United Kingdom) have collaborated to create two limited-edition sets marking the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage.
The story of the Mayflower is one that connects multiple communities, cultures, and countries. This transatlantic voyage brought 102 Pilgrims and migrants from Europe across the Atlantic and established a new foundation for governance in the New World.
The United States Mint and The Royal Mint have produced a joint two-coin gold proof set and a silver coin and medal proof set that will be released for sale this fall. The coin and medal designs come together to tell the story of the Pilgrims, the Mayflower‘s journey, and the impact the Pilgrims’ arrival had on the native Wampanoag people.
The 24-karat gold set features a one-quarter ounce proof U.S. $10 coin and a one-quarter ounce proof U.K. £25 coin. The silver ounce-proof £2 coin and medal set are struck in .999 fine silver.
The reverse of the U.K. coins and the U.S. coin and medal contained in the sets were designed by Chris Costello, who used multiple stylistic elements to tie them together. These include the choice of font and North Star on the U.K. coin, which connects to the image of the sun in the U.S. coin, symbolizing a new day. That symbolism is also a reference to the Wampanoag people who inhabited the region, and were known as the “People of the Dawn.”
“I am extremely proud of these coins and medals,” said United States Mint Director David J. Ryder. “These designs are yet another chapter in the long history of the United States Mint’s commitment to producing stunning medallic art. These sets are tangible representations of our longstanding friendship and alliance with Britain.”
Clare Maclennan, Director of Commemorative coins for The Royal Mint, said: “We are delighted to have created two unique sets which commemorate such a pivotal moment in our combined history. Chris Costello has beautifully retold the Mayflower story through numismatic art, while also highlighting important themes which continue to resonate with us in the U.K. and U.S. today.”
About the Designs
The British and American coin designs come together to tell the story of the departure and arrival of the Mayflower. The story begins on the obverse of the British coin depicting Queen Elizabeth II and the Monarchy. The reverse depicts a dynamic and exciting image of the Mayflower in the early stages of the voyage, guided by the North Star, carrying the hopes and dreams of the Pilgrims and their life in the New World. The story then continued on the obverse of the U.S. gold coin depicting a Wampanoag family watching from their world as the Mayflower arrives from foreign shores.
U.S. 24K Gold Coin Obverse
- Depicts a Wampanoag family from the border of the design as the Mayflower arrives from foreign shores. A young boy steps on the border, representing the intersection of the Wampanoag people in their Patuxet homeland and the Mayflower passengers. Inscriptions are “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “PATUXET,” and “$10.”
U.S. 24K Gold Coin Reverse
- Depicts portraits of a Pilgrim man and woman, representing the beginnings of a transition from a monarchy to democracy. The dual portraits symbolize a democratic organization, with their resolute expressions focused on a self-determined future. A pair of mayflower blossoms flank the design. Inscriptions are “1620,” “PLYMOUTH,” “2020,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” “AU 24K ¼ OZ.” and “UNITED STATES of AMERICA.”
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U.K. 24k Gold Coin Obverse
- All U.K. currency features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse, designed by Jody Clark.
U.K. 24k Gold Coin Reverse
- The coin depicts the Mayflower bursting out of the frame as it sails through the rough seas.
- This dramatic interpretation of the ship on its journey to the New World represents the determination of the passengers and crew to find a new way of life.
Silver Medal Obverse
- Features a Mayflower family bracing against the cold and windy weather, foreshadowing their coming hardships, while the ship is anchored in the harbor. A pair of mayflower blossoms flank the design. Inscriptions are “A CIVIL BODY POLITICK,” “1620-2020,” and “MAYFLOWER COMPACT.”
Silver Medal Reverse
- Depicts a Wampanoag man and woman employing a planting technique used to grow several crops that were staples for the Wampanoag people. This method helped keep the soil healthy, maintaining the resources for annual plantings and successful harvests. The inscription “SUSTAINERS OF LIFE” recalls not only this sustainable planting technique, but also the critical skills the Wampanoag people afforded the Pilgrims by teaching them how to successfully plant and harvest the land. The additional inscription is “PEOPLE OF THE DAWN.”
Images
The Royal Mint and the United States Mint retain copyrights © on all images, as appropriate. These may only be used for editorial purposes and cannot be sold or used for other marketing purposes without the permission of The Royal Mint or the United States Mint, as appropriate.
About The Royal Mint
The Royal Mint has an unbroken history of minting British coinage dating back over 1,100 years. Based in the Tower of London for over 500 years, by 1812 The Royal Mint had moved out of the Tower to premises on London’s Tower Hill. In 1967, the building of a new Royal Mint began on its current site in South Wales, U.K., to accommodate the minting of U.K. decimal coinage.
Today, The Royal Mint is the world’s largest export mint, supplying coins to the U.K. and overseas countries. The Royal Mint has also diversified into a number of other complementary businesses, building on the values that have been at the heart of the organisation throughout its history – authenticity, security, precious metals, craftsmanship, and design:
Precious Metals
Throughout history, The Royal Mint’s name has been synonymous with precious metals and bullion. The organisation trades physical and digital precious metal worldwide and has a global network of distributor partners.
Consumer coin division
The organisation runs a thriving commemorative coin business, gifting, and a collector services division retailing historic coins, an authentication and valuation service and secure storage.
The Royal Mint Experience
The Royal Mint entered the tourism business in 2016 when it opened its popular visitor centre, The Royal Mint Experience, at its home in Llantrisant, South Wales. The attraction welcomes around 100,000 visitors a year.
Highest Awards Given to Numismatists Making a Difference
American Numismatic Association to Honor Recipients Virtually
The American Numismatic Association (ANA) is honoring several numismatists who not only lead by example, but pave new avenues within the numismatic hobby. Recognized for their dedication, hard work, passion and contributions, these recipients will be acknowledged during the ANA’s virtual Membership & Literary Awards and Service Awards on Sept. 1 and 2 at 12 p.m. MT.
Those being recognized are:
- Garrett Ziss for the Young Numismatist of the Year
- Walter A. Ostromecki Jr. for the Farran Zerbe Memorial Award for Distinguished Service
- Mark Borckardt for Numismatist of the Year
- Tom DeLorey for the Lifetime Achievement Award
Garrett Ziss: Young Numismatist of the Year
The American Numismatic Association recognizes that the future of the hobby depends on the recruitment and education of young numismatists. The Young Numismatist of the Year award honors young collectors for outstanding contributions to the hobby and industry. Receiving this year’s award on Sept. 1 is Garrett Ziss. He is an active member of ten numismatic organizations, including the Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC), Wilmington Coin Club and the Currency Club of Chester County.
Already an accomplished author, he has written eight numismatic articles over the span of four years that were published in the John Reich Journal, the official publication of the John Reich Collectors Society (JRCS). He also creates Excel spreadsheets that simplify the organization of U.S. half-cent and large-cent collections, which he shares with Early American Coppers (EAC) for members to use.
Since July 2019, Ziss has been organizing an oral history project, which includes interviewing and videotaping members of the JRCS and LSCC to preserve club history for future generations. He coordinated the EAC table at the 2019 World’s Fair of Money in Chicago, headed a successful YN Benefit Auction during the 2019 ANA Summer Seminar and volunteered with the ANA Kids Zone. He also organized a JRCS video projected entitled “Early U.S. Silver Coins and the JRCS” to attract new club members and gives yearly presentations at the Wilmington Coin Club Show’s kids program.
Ziss has prepared a number of exhibits, include a six-case display titled, “The Face and Stories Behind the Treasury Signers of U.S. Paper Money.” He’s also presented many programs to local clubs and given talks at national numismatic shows.
Ziss received several first-place honors in the ANA’s YN Literary Awards between 2013 and 2017.
Walter Ostromecki: Farran Zerbe Memorial Award for Distinguished Service
In six-and-a-half decades following his first West Valley Coin Club meeting in 1955, Walter Ostromecki has worked tirelessly to further the ANA’s mission by advancing education initiatives in numismatics. His efforts have earned him the highest honor conferred by the Association: the Farran Zerbe Memorial Award for Distinguished Service. He will be recognized on Sept. 2.
With over 40 years of service as an educator and administrator for Los Angeles schools before his retirement in 2009, Ostromecki continues to use his talents as an educator to promote numismatics to young people. He enjoys sharing the hobby with grade school youngsters through games like “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” and “Treasure Trivia.”
Ostromecki became an ANA member in 1975 at the ANA convention in Los Angeles. Since then, he has served on various committees, the first of which was tasked with the creation of the Club Representative Program and national coordinator position.
First elected to the ANA Board of Governors in 2005, he went on to become vice president and then president in 2015-17, before finishing his final term.
Always teaching, Ostromecki is a volunteer leader, Coin Collecting Merit Badge counselor and Executive Committee member for the Boy Scouts.
His accolades are many, but some of which he is most proud include several top honors, such as the Numismatic Association of Southern California’s Richard P. Goodson Memorial Award (1995), the Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association’s Bob Everett Memorial Award (2007) and the Nina Nystrom Memorial Goodwill Ambassador Award (2011). He also received the International Coin Club of El Paso’s first Life Membership Award (2018) and the Central States Numismatic Society’s Mitch Ernst Sower Award (2019), along with many awards from the ANA.
His numismatic interests include paranormal currency (money depicting the supernatural, including dragons, witches, vampires, etc.), elongates, world currency featuring women, Biblical coinage and “dumb” coins (those issued without a country name or denomination). He has a complete collection of 1870- to 1893-CC half eagles (gold $5) graded Fine to Uncirculated and is constantly adding to his 12,000-plus collection of 1976 bicentennial $2 bank notes postmarked by various cities and states.
Mark Borckardt: Numismatist of the Year
The Numismatist of the Year, first presented in 1995, was established to recognize individuals within the numismatic community who have demonstrated long-term leadership and impact in the field. Their accomplishments should have a significant impact on the numismatic community.
This year’s Numismatist of the Year is Mark Borckardt. His contributions as a researcher and writer are almost too numerous to list. He has discovered at least one new variety of Bust half dollar, rediscovered a major large-cent variety that was believed not to exist, and was part of the team of numismatists who confirmed the authenticity of the Walton 1913 Liberty Head nickel.
Borckardt has contributed to various important numismatic texts, including A Guide Book of United States Coins (the “Red Book”), 100 Greatest U.S. Coins and Walter Breen’s Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents, 1793-1814. He is the author of Coinage of the Confederacy, and he co-authored Million Dollar Nickels with Paul Montgomery and Ray Knight. He also has written many articles for The Numismatist and other publications.
Borckardt served in the U.S. Army, Ohio National Guard, and in 1986 graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Findlay College (now University of Findlay). He and his father operated a coin shop in Findlay, Ohio, throughout most of the 1980s, until a fire destroyed the building. In 1989 he was hired as a cataloger for Bowers and Merena Galleries and later became vice president of the company. Borckardt joined Heritage Auctions in 2004. He currently is a senior numismatist and acts as sole cataloger of over a dozen major collections. During his long and illustrious career, he has cataloged numerous varieties and handled some of the greatest United States coins ever struck.
Borckardt is a life member of the ANA, Early American Coppers (serving as the club’s historian) and Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG). He also has been a member of the Rittenhouse Society since 1994 and participates in other hobby organizations. He has been recognized with many numismatic awards, including an ANA Presidential Award (2018). He also received the NLG’s highest recognition, the Clemy Award (2016), among other literary and merit honors.
His award will be formally presented on Sept. 2 during the virtual Service Awards.
Tom DeLorey: Lifetime Achievement Award
The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to an individual, family, firm or judicial entity that has made outstanding contributions to organized numismatics.
Tom DeLorey, recipient of the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award, has been passionate about numismatics since childhood. He will be recognized for his efforts on Sept. 2.
“My favorite subjects in school were history and geography, which are particularly useful in numismatics, though I did not plan it that way,” DeLorey recalled in a 2009 interview.
His career has centered around the “Hobby of Kings” ever since 1973, when he began a five-year stint as a writer for Coin World. Subsequent jobs include an authenticator at the American Numismatic Association Certification Service (1978-84), numismatist at the Rare Coin Company of America (RARCOA, 1984-88) and senior numismatist for Harlan J. Berk, Ltd. (1989-2010).
DeLorey previously collected medals and tokens of Thomas Elder and coins of Honduras, and he wrote articles on both topics for The Numismatist in the 1980s. Past honors include the Numismatic Literary Guild’s Writer of the Year (1978) and Clemy Award, the organization’s highest honor (1999); and the ANA’s Numismatist of the Year (2009). He also has earned six ANA Literary Awards.
DeLorey also is a respected numismatic editor and researcher. He served as editor of the Token and Medal Society’s TAMS Journal in 1981 and was technical editor of the Comprehensive Catalog & Encyclopedia of U.S. Coins.
Notably, he discovered the 1857 Flying Eagle cent clashed with a Seated Liberty half dollar, which he called his “greatest discovery” in the field of coin varieties.
An ANA life member, DeLorey also holds memberships in many other prestigious organizations, chief among them the American Numismatic Society, Professional Numismatists Guild, Numismatic Literary Guild, Token and Medal Society, Liberty Seated Collectors Club, Chicago Coin Club and Michigan State Numismatic Society.
The American Numismatic Association is a congressionally chartered, nonprofit educational organization dedicated to encouraging the study and collection of coins and related items. The ANA helps its 28,000-plus members and the public discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of educational and outreach programs as well as its museum, library, publications, and conventions. For more information, call 719-632-2646 or visit www.money.org.
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