Current Currency with George S. Cuhaj

Historical Society Festival and Whatsit Identification Day
Posted by george

This past Sunday (The 4th Sunday of June) the Iola Historical Society held the annual stawberry festival.

The Society owns seveal hisotric buildings, a one-room schoolhouse, a old village hall, the Iola Depot of the Iola and Northern Railroad and a re-created, enlarged Iola Fire House with three early trucks.

As an added draw to this year's event the Historial Society took over something that KP formerly did - held an identification and evaluation day.

Experts from the company - both current and retired employees were brought toghter for a pleasant afternoon of looking over treasures which were brought in by the public. The historical society requested a contribution of $2 per item or $5 for three.

I did the coin and paper money table, and this year I got to see a 1909-D $5 gold piece which the owner received on Christmas as a little girl!

The coolest item brought in (to another table) was a 1876 print of a Gettysburg Battle, which was bases on one of those large cycle-o-rama paints which toured museums in that time (Beatuifully framed, with the identification chart)

It was a nice day spent sharing informaiton with community members.

George

6/23/2008 9:00:22 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Summer Project - 17th Century World Coins! Olmutz updated
Posted by george

With the Standard Catalog of World Coins 20th and 21 Century catalogs back from the printer, as well as our Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, Modern Issues and the U.S. Coin Digest, we have been busy working on other projects for fall 2008 release.

However, users of Numismaster will be noticing the changes as we editors progress.

One of these is now evident with Austrian States - Olmutz. Extensive re-organization and additional listings have casued it to be renumbered. (As well as re-priced).

Available on Numismaster, today! (as well as the other changes we make each day as we progress thru the production of the 17th Century book.)

George

World Coin Stuff

6/18/2008 2:38:29 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Standard Catalog of World Coins, 20th and 21 Century editions now available
Posted by george

The 2009 editions of the Standard Catalog of World Coins, 20th Century (36th edition), and Standard Catalog of World Coins, 21st Century (3rd edition) are now available.

This year, in addition to tremendously updated prices, improved discriptions and images you will receive in each book a DVD of the book, which you can then download onto your laptop and travel to shows lighter.

And for readers of this blog you can receive a 20% off-list-price discount if you use coupon code NB28 when you check out using the on-line bookstore at www.krausebooks.com

George

World Coin Stuff

6/17/2008 9:02:19 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

ANS move (again) makes the NY Times.
Posted by george

Well, it is done.

The ANS Coins were moved from their recent home on Fulton Street to their new home on Varick Street over the weekend.

The interesting article with photos was in today's NY Times.

They are expecting to have a 150th Anniversary exhibit opening in October, 2008.

George

6/16/2008 2:04:03 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Collections and flood waters, fire and other natural events.
Posted by george

Well, Iowa and Southern Wisconsin this past week have been hit very hard with rain, floods and wind.

Just time to reflect, perhaps, on collection storage.

Be aware of where your stuff is, is the bank vault in a building basement, in an old downtown by a river? Can it overflow? Or in a lower level of a house, like a basement. That location is good for tornado events, but bad for water events.

Security and safety of the items should of couse come second to secuirty and safety of family, but both need long term care.

George

6/16/2008 11:02:08 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Thanks for your service, David C. Kranz !
Posted by george

This Thursday is David C. Kranz’s last full day of employment here at Krause Publications. I wish him the very best, as I know where ever he goes in the future, he will give that employer the very best – in performance and attitude!

Many readers know him as the current editor of Bank Note Reporter.

D&amp;EKRanz007.jpg

Kranz joined the staff at the newspaper side of the Numismatic Division two-months after I did, so I felt a kindred spirit with him, both of us trying to learn the ropes and personalities of a large office routine, and with that turfdoms and egos.

Over the years, the changes David eased into the paper have been transparent to most readers. The subtle things which make the “look” – how the lines of text align with lines of photo captions, how poorly written stories (often mine) get a re-write into presentable English, or how poor photocopies from columnists manage to get a clean look in a finished paper. These things take effort behind the scenes, and David did them seamlessly. More often than not, it was done late into the night or on weekends to make them happen on time.

The company has changed a lot since he started. His titles changed infrequently, moving up the one rank from editorial staff to managing editor - after 8 years, and only finally being named editor after 13 years. It is a lot different than now when some staff members zoom right into an editorship after less than a year.

During his tenure, Bank Note Reporter was recognized by the NLG with several best issue awards, and Kranz received an ANA Presidential Award. Dave took the (infrequent, but deserved) recognitions in stride.

George

KP News | Paper Money Values | World Coin Stuff

6/11/2008 2:48:10 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

New on Numismaster
Posted by george

If you have not visited Numismaster lately, you may have missed a new item, lower prices.

The one month rate is now 9.95, and the annual rate 79.99. Check it out! Well worth it. Prices are updated often, so you can certainly chart our entry of new listings, in addition to editorial and price changes for the 17th century book which is now in production.

As users you can direcly make suggestions for editorial and price changes.

George

KP News | World Coin Stuff

6/9/2008 4:17:18 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Court ruling to force currency size issue?
Posted by george

The country size choice for currency production in 20th Centruy paper money seems to have deen determined by ease of production rather than other factors.

In European countries, the size of note was slightly larger - in width or height, and sometimes both, as the denominations inclreased in value.

These countries produced one denomination on each sheet of paper.

In the United States, starting in the colonial era and continuing thru the early large size note prodction era of the 1880s, the format many US printers used were notes of the same size, so that one sheet of four notes (as they were often printed) could mix and match denominations for the same issuer. So a note sheet may include a format of 1-1-3-5, or 1-1-5-10, or 1-5-5-10, or other formats.

The uncut sheets of Colonial and Continental Currency which are extant also show that several denominations were included on the same sheet of paper.

Thus, for ease of production, namely cutting, that the choice is made for same size currency.

(Granted since the larger format presses have been used, I know of no modern production facility which still mixes currency denominations on one sheet of paper).

So the size issue, is one of historical production convience.

Thus the court rule, as reviewed in the NY Times article, now puts the response to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, who, I must say is really on a learing curve, starting with the redesign of the currency since the 1990s with the "big head portraits", and now with color.

Sadly, I think it is still the vending machine industry in the United States which will keep us from getting different size currency.

George

6/9/2008 9:10:22 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Share your collection by exhibiting at a show
Posted by george

This week is the deadline for applications to exhibit at the ANA's World's Fair of Money, the National show, to be held this year July28-August 3rd in Baltimore at the Inner Harbor Convention Center.

Making an educational, competitive exhibit (Usually 4-7 all-state cases) on one theme is a bit of work, but it is eductational both for you the collector and the viewer.

Past ANA president, the late Stephen R. Taylor of the 1980s made it a point to travel and exhibit in all 50 states. He would say that "Half the fun of collecting was exhibitiing." Meeting other collectors, explaining what you had and what would be of interest that the collector had to share with others.

Background information and Numismatic Information are the two big point centers (65 out of a total of 100) in an competitive exhibit. So, one not only has to share the common knowledge stuff, but has to do a bit of leg work into background stuff.

When I placed my first ANA convention exhibit as a junior numismatist in 1976, I quickly was given pointers by several friendly judges, and with other opportunites of new exhibits and at that time 5 annual shows in the NYC area, with about 5 more in the Boston-Baltimore corridor, I was able to hone the skills and eventually was recognized with four first place awards (each in a differnet category) at the ANA National shows from 1979-1984.

I took a break and began to exhibit non-competitively for a few years, and sadly, I've been out of it for the past 20 years, just getting back into it last year with a non-competitive exhibit.

So try it. Learn about the stuff you have and share it with others.

George

6/6/2008 9:41:52 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

George's travel log - A beginning and an end.
Posted by george

A Circle of Life

The road trip which I’ve been highlighting during the last four postings have all been prelude to the excuse for the trip – the wedding mass and reception of one of my cousins son. My mom’s brother’s eldest daughter’s son.

On Saturday, the priest who married the bride’s parents, and baptized their daughter, said the mass for her marriage. The happy couple is now Ginger and Adam DiVincenzo. Their reception was held at Pittsburgh’s Oakmount Country club, site of the 1927 U.S. Open and proudly displays photos of that event (Bobby Jones) and many other top notch classics since. My mom and I had a great time catching up with my cousins and friends.

However, I am sure that in the back of all our minds were thoughts of the man missing from the event, my uncle, the grandfather of the groom, Stanley Petrow.

Sadly the past few have been rough on his wife Alice. She has been taking care of him in his slow decline with health issues and recently advancing Alzheimer’s. It has been only in past few months that he had been in a full care facility and not at home being taken care of by his wife of 64 years.

Most everyone made Sunday a travel day home, and on Monday morning the family got the word that Stanley had died. Yesterday and today family and friends gathered in Astoria, and at our home Church of the Most Precious Blood for another mass, and then a long drive out to Calverton National Cemetery for his burial.

Alice and Stan Petrow were about family. Both were products of large families, and they have five wonderful children. Alice and Stan were great dancers, and truly enjoyed family time.

George

6/5/2008 2:21:59 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

George's road trip part four - Dickens, Lind, Grant & Cuhaj
Posted by george

At one of the 2000+ foot peaks of the Allegheny Mountains along Route 22, is the town of Gallitzin, Penn.

The town is named for a Prince-Priest who was the first Catholic Priest fully trained in the United States under the guidance of Baltimore's Bishop (later Archbishop) John Carroll. Gallitzin traveled the Allegheny area as a Catholic missionary in the 1790s thru 1830s and a staue of him is in the vestibule of the Altoona Cathedral.

It is also the site of the Gallitzin tunnel, built in 1854 and expanded in 1904, which is on the PRR's main line and part of the same enginering acheivement as the Horseshoe Curve mentioned earlier in the travel log. It was so stratigic a point for railroad travel that there was a German atempt during WWII (which was foiled) to blow the tunnel up.

However, the most developed museum in the town is the National Park Services' Allegheny Portage Railroad. The 32 miles of this operation took canal boats riding on low rail cars over the mountains via a system of inclines.

The featured display at the site of incline number 6 is a re-creation on the excavation site of the steam power house. It also includes a segment of lift track, track mounted onto stone ties (called sleepers), a hillside of the old limestone quarry where the sleepers were cut from, and the two story tavern called the Lemon House.

In addition at the bottom of the incline is the "Skew Bridge" where the canal boats riding on railes passed under an existing turnpike road. The operation was in use from the 1830 thru the PRR opening in 1854. Many of the limestone sleepers are still in place and often are enountered during road excavations. They form many a roadside wall.

Charles Dickens wrote about it, Jenny Lind and U.S. Grant visited, and Cuhaj has returned to the site.

I last visited the site in the early 1980s. Since that visit (which I have photos of) the National Park Service has greatly expanded the exhibits at the visitor center, developed a great movie about the site and should you be traveling along Hwy 22, it is well worth the detour off-the-beaten path to get to it.

George

6/5/2008 12:06:37 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

George's road trip, part three - Railroader's Memorial Museum
Posted by george

Altoona RR Museum.JPG My third opportunity in Altoona was a visit to the Railroader's Memorial Museum.

This facility is housed in one of the few remaining buildings from the Pennsylvania Railroad's Altoona Works Shop complex. Located in the heart of downtown, across the tracks from the Altoona station, and along the street which was the PRR's 1854 main line.

The focus of the museum is the railroad worker - the laborer - the people who did the track work, the engineer, conductor, trainman, pullman porter, shop mechanic, machinest, tower operator, and hundreds of other positions. Not to say that the executives are downplayed, but, there is only one small room for them. Even the railroad's decline after World War II has a place in the displays. The 1950s goverment support of the Interstate road system and the airlines with tax free airport construction but they continued to tax the railroads for land. It is all explained well.

The exhibits also highlight shops, track work, train operation, in addition to the social aspects of employment - the fraternal dance halls, band, chorus and athletic events.

They have an outdoor display area of equipment built at the Altoona Shops - Observation cars, dining cars, freight cars. They are in the process of restoring the K-4 locomotive 1361, which formerly was the display engine on Horseshoe curve; in addition to building a roundhouse to better preserve the large equipment.

Three stories of exhibits, some hands on stuff, and a well stocked gift shop. A nice afternoon visit for both kids and adults.

George

6/4/2008 10:26:07 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

George's road trip report, part two. Familiar names in distant places
Posted by george

I often find it exciting to find sightings of the names of friends in distant places.

For a long time I have been assisting former KP president and board chairman, Clifford Mishler in finding postcards of the Mishler Theater located in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Now I have been able to visit the real thing.

When the opportunity came last week to spend some time in Altoona, I was very pleased to realize that not only is the theater still standing, but it was recently restored, and open!

They have done a wonderful job of preserving and restoring the detailed molded plaster decorations of the 1906 interior, and the city is proud to have preserved this part of its heritage. Productions in the space continue!

I was in Altoona to do some research on a PRR Heroic Service medal in my collection. That award was made in June of 1930, and in looking thru ads in the Altoona Mirror noticed that Will Rogers was in town and playing at the Mishler Theater for a few nights during that month.

George

6/4/2008 9:58:32 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

George's road trip report, part one - Milepost 246
Posted by george

Sorry for not posting for a while, I've been on a road trip - 1600 miles roundtrip to Pittsburgh and Altoona, Penn. for a research project and a family wedding.

As one whose grandfather and several uncles worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad at Sunnyside yards in Long Island City, NY, or on the NY-Harrisburg-Washington DC corridor, I was quite familiar with PRR heritage.

So, I made it a point while spending three days in Altoona to save a few hours touring the Railroaders Memorial Museum in one of the old shop buildings of the Altoona Works, and then driving about six miles outside of town to spend about two hours at the Horseshoe Curve National Historic Site. The curve was opened in 1854, and has been a highlight to travelers of that section of rail ever since. I had traveled over it many times, including trips to or from the ANA conventions in Houston and St. Louis which I attended via train.

It was a little bittersweet, as the locomotive at the apex of the curve is now a desiel, (until the mid-1980s it was a PRR K-4 steam locomotive), and the trains going around the curve were in Norfolk-Southern colors. However, it was wonderful to appreciate what the curve does - namely, allow the railroad to cross the Allegheny Mountains at a reasonable grade.

There is a 150th Anniversary token available at the Museum gift shop.

The Curve has also been featured on the reverse of at least one Pennsylvania G.A.R. Reunion Medal.

George

6/4/2008 9:50:43 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Free Updates

Navigation

Search

Archives

More Links