Current Currency with George S. Cuhaj - Friday, April 18, 2008

The 21/21 Campaign for Brooklyn Tech, Reach with me...
Posted by george

Okay, perhaps some of you thought it humorous when in my last posting I wrote about being in NYC recently for various charitable works.

The real event was the activities focused around the Brooklyn Tech Foundatation, an organization on which I served on the board of, and was a officer in prior to 1994 and my relocation to the midwest. I remain active as their archivist. As such, I write articles for the newsletters, collect information and put together a display of school artifacts - photos and stuff in the school's 3rd floor gallery for the homecoming weekend visitors.

However, this year, we in the foundation lead off the weekend with the anouncement of the 21/21 Campaign for Brooklyn Tech - to raise 21 million dollars for the 21st century!

Tech alumni took the lead ten years ago when we raised 14 million on a 10 million dollar goal during the school's 75th anniversary. Now it is time to do more!

Sustaining Excellence is the theme, and the three goals for the campaign will focus on Curriculum and Facilities Enhancement, Faculty Support and Developemnt and a Tranformational Learning Experience for the students.

It is a very unique situation for the alumni of a public high school to show such unwavering support for their school, but the school was a special experience for most of the students who have attended, and remains a special place for the current students.

Just in case you wanted some stats: the school "plant" is 8 floors taking up a half city block, the current building built in 1930-1933 totals 660,000 square feet. The auditorium has 3,022 seats. Over 100 class rooms and labs. Current student body is just over 4,000.

George

4/19/2008 12:06:51 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Behind the scene at the ANS move.
Posted by george

Moving the ANS, something that should be easier each time, eh?

I was in NYC ten days ago and spent the better part of the week in charitable works.

For a half-day I visited with Joe Ciccone, the ANS archivist who asked me to come in and identify "people and event" photos in the ANS collection from the 1978-1988 era which covered my main years of activity - first as their photo clerk and later as their computer systems operator. Although in those later days I was the computer guy, I would get to photograph many of the public meetings of the day.

So, it was fun to see folks still active (but looking younger and thinner), or images of folks who have moved on to that great beyond.

Yes, I could name names, and not to disapoint, I will - William F. Spengler, Henry Grunthal, Colin Kraay, Marcel Jovine, Margaret Thompson, Pierre Bastian, R. Henry Norweb, Harry Bass, Jr., Harry Fowler, Norman Stack, Tony Hackens, Charles Hersh, William B. Warden, Jr., George Ewing, Jr., Robert Schonwalter, Edward Janus, Raphael Sollman.

Yes - a photo of George probably taken in the first year at the ANS's computer, 1982, doing data entry of coins from the Greek Collection. The terminal is one of three "dumb" terminals, and was hard wired into the ANS's Prime Computer system, which at the time sported some 300 MB of storage! (It was in a temperture controlled room, and there were 12 levels and 24 disc reading heads *(any of which could (and did) catch a speck of dust and crash the system). The 300 MBs took up 10 reals of 1/2 inch tape (and three hours) to do the system wide back-up).

But then there were the photos of the people behind the scenes at the ANS who made the place go each day - guards and staff (not all of whom have left this world): Photographers: E. Timothy Hansen, Frank Deak, Charles Badal, Michael DiBiase, Guards: Willie and Ed Owens, James Hayes; Staff: Rose Mangini, Florence Donnelly, Leslie Elam, JoAnne McCool, Orin Joseph, Marie Martin, Amelia Zalchman, William Metcalf, Michael Bates, Richard Doty, Persey Coronis, Marlene Rock, Lori Rubens, Tatyiana Feinberg, Sally Fried, Nancy Waggoner, Rose Chan Houston and plenty of others - John, Garfield, Oriestes, Margaret, Linda.

It was fun to see photos of the demolition of the 1958 west hall and installation of the 1983 exhibit - World of Coins into that space (I helped the exhibit design company place the coins, and was the first to break a key in the case locks on the opening day, after placing the last coin - a gold Maple Leaf!. The photos of those attending the parties and talks during the 125th Anniversary festivities were also nice to review.

The ANS needed the people identified, so, I gave it my best shot, and they will have some names to go with hundreds of faces, and perhaps you will someday see the images used in an article or on the website.

By the time I was in the city to visit, the ANS duplicate book sale had ended, and that main banking floor was filled with wheeled carts ready to move out much of the library to their new location. The collection to follow.

George

4/18/2008 2:26:20 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Behind the visit of Pope Benedict XVI, the bicentennial of four American Diocese.
Posted by george

Created in 1789, the Diocese of Baltimore had jurisdiction for the recently independent United States. It was in 1808, that the Baltimore was raised to an Archdiocese, and the Diocese of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and the first inland diocese located at Bardstown (KY) were formed. (Bardstown never took off as a financial center like the others and that area is now part of the Louisville Diocese).

This is one of the reasons that this papal visit is happening now. April was the time that the new dioceses were created, and celebrations are taking place in those locations throughout the last year. A visit to Boston was avoided due to the major clergy scandals of the last two decades, and so a large group of Bostonians and Philadelphians have been both invited to the Yankee Stadium or Washington D.C. events.

Medals played a part in three of the four centennials. 1908 saw Boston Centennial medal with a large portrait of the recently appointed Archbishop William O'Connell. The reverse featrues a commemorative legend and the Archbishop's coat-of-arms. The sculptor was by Bela Lyon Pratt, the designer of the then recently released Indian head $2-1/2 and $5 Gold coins (minted between 1908-1929).

New York's centennial medal obverse featrues Archbishop Farlery in the center of portraits of the previous Archbishops. It was designed by J. E. Roine. The reverse features St. Patrick's Cathedral, with additional renderings of original cathedral, and first church in NYC. Philadelphia's entry was a rather plan and less imaginative medallic commemorative - a large bishop's mitre within a wreath, with a reverse of a scroll with the names of the previous bishops. Bardstown is only commemorated much later on a small key chain fob.

In looking over the selection of Papal Visit trinkets available, there are plenty of holy cards, rosaries, postcards and bumper stickers, in addition to hats, t-shirts, and magnets, but only one die struck “medal” type item is available, and that is of a plain design - as it was translated from a great graphic made as a logo for the visit, but as with many good graphics, it does not translate well into sculpture.

Such is the case of modern medallic commemoratives in America.

George

4/16/2008 9:12:40 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Tommy Holmes, 91. Major League Pitcher, but first he lead Brooklyn Tech to a City Championship!
Posted by george

Tommy Holmes died earlier this week at the age of 91. In 1935 he was quite responsible for leading the Brooklyn Technical High School baseball team to the City Championships. During his time at Tech, he also pitched a no-hitter.

Yes, he would become well known as the Milwaukee Braves pitcher, and in the 1951-52 seasons their manager. He ended his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers. From 1973 to 2002 he was a community relations member for the New York Mets.

George

4/15/2008 6:36:44 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Great Britain to release new circulating designs for 2008
Posted by george

Great Britain has released the new designs for circulating coins, which will be released during the summer of 2008.

It is a full shield on the 1 pound coin, and portions of the shield on the lower denominations, so that they form a full shield. They are the same size and shape as the current coins.

Graphically, they are neet, pratically, I think it is silly, and that comes from a collector of British Coinage since 1974!

You can see the designs and story at the BBC.

The artist will receive over $60,000 for his efforts.

George

4/2/2008 4:33:32 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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New Color Fives hit small-town America !
Posted by george

Waupaca County already had examples of the color $5.00 bill on Monday, with tellers at the First National Bank office in the county seat of Waupaca ready to distribute examples to customers (me) who were requesting them. Those I received were from the IB block of the NYC Fed (B2), printed in Fort Worth from face plate 5, 6, and 7).

On Tuesday, I asked the tellers at the Iola branch of the Premier Bank. I received again (IB) block from (B2), and Face plate examples of 5, 6, 7, 8. However, looking at the range of serial numbers (and the abundance of zeros), I noticed that I was 1000 numbers away form a nice radar note. Sadly, the bank did not have it. So I have a note which is one (central) digit from being a nice radar.

Oh well. The bills are nice.

George

3/26/2008 10:47:45 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Time for a road trip - CPMX Show in Rosemont, Ill this weekend.
Posted by george

This weekend I will be attending the Chicago Paper Money Exposition in Rosemont, Ill. at the Crown Plaza Hotel, 5440 North River Road, across the street from the Dinner Theater and the Stevens Convention Center.

The Show is open to the public at the regular admission rate on Friday, Saturday, and early Sunday. Early Bird entrance at a premium fee is Thursday afternoon.

Usually more than 50 United States and 10 or so World Paper Money dealers are in attendance, and a major auction will be conducted by Lyn Knight Currency Auctions.

Meetings of several clubs will also take place during Saturday.

It is a great way to start the spring show season off. I am ready for the road trip.

See you there!

George

3/26/2008 10:16:50 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Numismatics and poetry, High School daze flashback
Posted by george

Each morning I get a subscription email from NPR called the Writer's Almanac. It is also played on many NPR stations at about 8:30.

Today it noted the birthdays of four important people - Robert Frost, Tennessee Williams, Joseph Campbell and A. E. Housman. The first three are generally well known, but it was the last that struck me.

Frost is known to poetry readers for the Yankee / New England viewpoint of things; his poem presented during the Kennedy inauguration, and the famous line of "a road less traveled." I have often been on those roads.

Joseph Campbell is known through the 1990s Mythology series with Bill Moyers which was presented on PBS. I knew about him earlier in the 1980s as he was a professor at Sarah Lawrence College, and my friend Michael Druck spoke about him on occasion.

Tennessee Williams wrote many classic plays, and Streetcar Named Desire is a favorite of mine. Not at first for the story, but the use of the streetcar. My first trip to New Orleans was as a teenager in the late 1970s, and I got to ride on those stalwart streetcars, as well as photograph the unrestored New Orleans Mint.

However, it was the mention of poet A. E. Housman that struck me most. It was in speach class as a sophomore in Brooklyn Technical High School that I became familiar with his work. We were assigned a project to recite a poem. I decided to choose one which had a numismatic connection, and as a collector of British type coins at the time (I exhibited coppers of George III at the NY ANA in 1976, yikes that was a traumatic experience). I fell into Houseman's "When I was one and twenty" which includes the lines: "When I was one-and-twenty / I heard a wise man say, 'Give crowns and pounds and guineas / But not your heart away. / Give pearls away and rubies / but keep your fancy free. / But I was one and twenty / no use to talk to me."

Many of those lines I could still recite today.

Written in the last part of the 19th century, I knew that crowns and pounds were coins, but the guinea did not exist as a coin after the 1820s. But it continued in use as a measure of account, usually to make expensive items sound cheaper. (The guinea is 21 shillings, the pound is 20 shillings). Thus houses, cruises and other items were rendered often in guineas rather than pounds.

I was leaning economics as well as poetry.

George

3/26/2008 9:36:10 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Tibet on our mind.
Posted by george

With one of the largest religious fest days in the Christian calendar just past, I've been drifting to another part of the word which has been in the news - Tibet.

Prior to the Chinese occupation, this independent country had a great heritage of banknote and coin production. Here is an example of a 100 Sarang note from the 1942-1959 period, and is listed at #11 in the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, General Issues volume.

It is beautiful in its complexity, yet simple in production - Wood Block printing on hand made paper. No portraits of the Dali Lama.

The colors are quite traditional too.

Beautiful stuff from beautiful people.

George

3/24/2008 6:38:44 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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New color $5 Federal Reserve Notes had first spend March 13th
Posted by george

The new color $5 Federal Reserve Notes, featuring a larger portrait of Lincoln, a circle of stars, along with two different 5 watermarks and a large purple 5 on the back have been released March 13th.

The first spend event was at the gift shop at the recently restored cottage that Abraham Lincoln used as a "summer" White House on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in northwest Washington DC.

The new bills will eventually work their way into the banking system, and you should be seeing some soon.

George

3/14/2008 9:19:09 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Courtesy Signatures, be careful out there.
Posted by george

The term courtesy signature for banknote collectors has a special connotation. It is a bank note that has the real signature of the Secretary of the Treasury or the Treasurer of the United States, on the note above their printed signatures.

I’m sure folks have been doing it for a long time. They are known with some Secretary of the Treasury officials going back to the beginning of federal currency in the 1860s. (Actually some of the early notes have real signatures anyhow).

Often the officials had an opportunity to purchase the low serial numbers, and would then autograph them and present them to friends. This probably started in a major way with the introduction of the Large Size Federal Reserve Notes in 1917.

But what I’m showing today are two examples of the signature of Mary Ellen Withrow, Treasurer on the 1993-1999 series Federal Reserve notes.

When one has a real signature, the person signing never can really sign twice. There are subtle difference in the flourishes and the length of the signature.

Politicians since the late 1950s have had access to a machine called the autopen. It produces a signature on any document. It follows a template. Thus at the start and stop of words, there is often a larger dot of ink than that formed when writing by hand. In addition, there is often waviness in the strokes of tall letters and descending letters like t’s, l’s and g’s or y’s.

If you write by mail, most often these days you will get an autopen, especially if it is from the Secretary of the Treasury. It is always best to get them in person, and thus you should also have nice new bills handy, with a pen of your choice!

Know what a real signature looks like, be careful out there.

George

3/12/2008 9:34:26 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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ANS Selling More Stuff - Duplicate Books this time, so they do not have to move them again!
Posted by george

The American Numismatic Society is selling duplicate (and in some cases triplicate) library books so they do not have to move them again. The material is at the current location of 140 William St.

Here are the details and links to avilability lists:

The dates and times of the sale are as follows:
Saturday 8 March 10am-4pm
Wednesday 12 March 10am-4pm
Thursday 13 March 10am-4pm
Friday 14 March 10am-4pm
Monday 17 March 10am-4pm
Tuesday 18 March 10am-4pm

Visitors to the sale will also have the opportunity to purchase any remaining journals and auction catalogues from the lists currently posted
on the ANS website (see updated links below).

Two lists of duplicate sales catalogues have been created. One contains details of sales catalogues produced by US-based dealers, the other of those dealers based outside the US. A list of journals is also posted. While we have made every effort to ensure that the lists are accurate at time of issue, this has been a substantial task and we ask for patience with any errors that may emerge. Likewise, we will do our best to maintain an accurate list of available volumes on the website, but there will inevitably be cases where sales listed are no longer available. We apologize in advance, and suggest that if there is something you really want, then you send in your order early.

Orders should be addressed by email only to orders@numismatics.org , as should any enquiries.

Prices. There is one price for all catalogues: $2 per volume, with a minimum order value of $20. Shipping will be added at cost.

Payment is accepted by check or credit card.

Please bear in mind when ordering that you are not just acquiring books for your own library; you are also contributing to the future of that of
the ANS.

List of U.S. based catalogues - in pdf format (updated 2.26.08)

List of non-U.S. based catalogues - in pdf format (updated 2.26.08)

List of Journals - pdf format (updated 2.29.08)

3/10/2008 6:03:03 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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