This morning while listening to NPR then ran a story that on Friday, November 21 (Tomorrow) the Museum of American History will re-open after a multi- year renovation.

Old Glory is now displayed flat on a small rise, no longer hanging as in the former display.

The nues was all excited about Dorothy's ruby red slippers, Julia Child's kitchen and several other well know items of the 3 million, but no mention of the numismatic collection.

If I remember stories from when the museum closed the collection display, that numismatic items will be shown in context within other displays. That, of course, give little opportunity for a room of gold, as the Lilly collection was formerly displayed. Oh well.

George 

This month thru December 15th I will be doing updates to the data base of World Paper Money, Modern Issues.

If you are interesting in making sure that special correction gets made this year, I would rather that five people tell me about it rather than no one.

Don't expect me to know everything, and if you do not tell me, I don't expect you to critize the book.

Email your concerns to me at george.cuhaj@fwmedia.com

Thanks

George

The Saturday before Thanksgiving at first light I will start hearing multiple rifle shots echoing from the woodland and fields surrounding our small village. For the past few weekends, hunters have been in the woods participating in the “bow” hunt or setting-up and preparing their tree-stands for the opening weekend of the “gun” deer season. To cull the heard, our area participates in the “earn a buck” program – before a hunter shoots a stag, he has to shoot an anterless deer.

I find it interesting that the hunt takes place just after the rut. Shoot them just after they have had sex. Something very warped there.

As I live on the last street of town before a wooded area, I often have deer bedded down in my backyard, or in the summer nibbling at the hosta plants around the house. The season sometimes is year around, when one of these deer decides to bold across the road, a state highway in early morning, and it taken out by an auto. Not a pleasant site to find a carcass on your sidewalk in the morning. Not pleasant for the owner of the car either, as often it leads to over $1,500. in damages - a very expensive venison experience.

I’ve been told that there are two kinds of drivers in Wisconsin, those that have hit a deer and those that will.

Numismatically, there have been two types of hunting commemoratives. The first Society of Medallists issue from 1930 is titled Steady, and is a tribute to the bird hunter. It was sculpted by Laura Gardner Fraser. The second type of commemorative is the religious medals which honor St. Hubert, bishop of Leige, patron saint of hunters. His vision story is that while hunting a majestic stag, as he was about to shoot it with an arrow, the stag turns and Hubert sees a vision of a cross between his antlers and hears a message from the Lord. Very exciting stuff.

As one who spent a lot of time in the woods camping as part of the scouting program, I found that story interesting. I’ve also made the leap of good vs. evil to the modern movies in that Harry Potter’s patronis animal (protection spell) image is that of the stag, and the event where it first appears happens at a wooded lake.

Have a safe hunt.

George

Medallic Exhibit at American Philatelic Center
Opening, Seminars & Reception Saturday, November 8

From 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday, November 8 an exhibition of nearly 100 items from 30th Congress of the International Federation of Medallic Art will open at the American Philatelic Center , 100 Match Factory Place , Bellefonte , Pennsylvania .  This exhibition (which includes two Cuhaj created medals) is supplemented by works of six additional Pennsylvania medallic artists:  Richard Bonham, William Davis, Eugene Daub, Helen Gorsuch, Jim Licaretz, and Jeanne Stevens-Sollman.

As part of the opening a Demonstration, Lecture and Reception will be held on Saturday, November 8.  From 10:30 am to noon artist Jim Licaretz will provide demonstrations in Cold Cast Bronze.  At 3 pm collector and historian Donald Scarinci  will present "Art that can't be licked"  Understanding Contemporary Medals."  The opening reception will be held from 4 pm to 6 pm.  All events are free and open to the public.

The exhibition will remain on display in the American Philatelic Center , home of the American Philatelic Society, the nation's leading organization for postage stamp collectors, through January 15.  Regular hours are 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.

For directions call 814-933-3803 or visit the Society's website.

Greetings.

Well, it is election day. Please take the time to vote.

George

Friday October 31 will be the last day of service to the Krause Publications Numismatic Department for Colin R. Bruce, II, Senior Editor; Randy Thern, Numismatic Catalog Supervisor and Sally Olson, Book designer. Amongst them a total of over 90 years of service to the numismatic line by those folks.
 
Colin is familiar to many as the longest serving member of the department joining the staff for the second edition of the Standard Catalog of World Coins series, and expanding that project back to 1600. He also championed development of the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, as well as Unusual World Coins.

Randy Thern was for about half his time here part of the numismatic advertising division. Actually, it was by me placing ads for Stack’s that my relationship with the company grew. In the late-1990s when KP bought the Minkus Stamp product line, I moved over to the stamp division and Randy moved into a spot in the numismatic book area, where he has remained. Responsibilities included working with our stable of outside authors such as David Ganz, Wayne Sayles, Ken Potter, Eric P. Newman and Scott Lindquist.
 
Sally Olson has been with the company since high school. She has been in the book production department, being our last connection to the days when the Standard Catalog was a paste-up production book and all 17,500 velox images has to be moved from the old to new pages for each new edition. She made the transition to electronic pagination, and has been ably producing our current line of books and DVDs.
 
I thank them for lending their expertise to the KP world of Numismatics, and I wish them the very best of success in the future.
 
George

This offering will be a Public Auction sale at Coinfest in Stamford Connecticut. You can check out the lots at the Stack's website, www.stacks.com or you may call the offices at 212-582-2580.

George