MILWAUKEE NUMISMATIC NEWS

February 2014 — Our next meeting will be held February 20, 7 PM, at the Mayfair

Mall community room, lower level. This month’s program, presented by Brian

O’ Keefe of APT Security, will cover collection security. Brian formerly worked as a

police officer in Shorewood and New Berlin.

The Milwaukee Numismatic Society, founded in 1934, is the oldest and largest organization in Milwaukee devoted to the study of money. Meetings are held at 7:00 PM on the third Thursday of each month in the Community Room on the lower level of Mayfair Mall (W. North Avenue at N. Mayfair Road).

President:

Secretary:

Sgt. at Arms: Trustee ’14-‘16: Librarian:

Justin Perrault Joe Paonessa Stu Caddell Leon Saryan Joe Paonessa

Vice President: Treasurer: Trustee ’12-‘14: Trustee ’13-’15: Newsletter:

Jim Heinrich Lee Hartz Tom Dallmann Gary Bieringer Leon Saryan

Mailing address: c/o PO Box 241174, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53224-9028 Newsletter material: c/o PO Box 210313, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53221-8006 Web Site Address: www.milwaukeenumismaticsociety.com

February Coin of the Month

This month’s featured coin is a PCGS encapsulated MS65 1962 Roosevelt silver dime, donated by Derzon Coins. Bids open at $5 for this virtually flawless item.

February 2014 MNS President’s Message

As most of us have muddled through a record cold January here in Wisconsin, I cannot help but look ahead to the coming of spring, and the warmer weather and coin shows that will come with it. The annual Boy Scout Coin Collecting Merit Badge Clinic will be held this year in conjunction with the South Shore Coin Club’s show at the Clarion on the morning of April 5th. Leon has graciously agreed to chair the Clinic again this year, and we will be looking for volunteers to assist, so please keep your schedule open for that day.

At the next Club meeting on February 20 , Brian O’Keefe will speak to us on “Securing Your Collection”. If there is one presentation you might want to attend, this should be the one. Brian is currently employed with ADT Security Systems, and was formerly a police officer in the area and worked assets protection at a major department store. His talk should be very interesting and informative, providing us with insights on how to better protect ourselves.

Also, at the February meeting we will vote on the application for “new” member Jeff Gaffke. I say that because Jeff had previously been a member but is now coming back on board. Thanks Jeff for joining us again, and we hope that you enjoy the benefits of the Club. We also have a few openings for refreshments, coming up in March and April, so please consider signing up. It is always appreciated by all, and you are reimbursed by the Club up to $50 for your troubles.

Again this year we will be having a Fantasy Numismatics contest which is open to all members to participate. Please see Leon for the form which should be filled out and returned to Leon by the end of the February meeting. It is always fun to invest with play money and see how much you could have actually made with that gamble. Congrats to Darrell L. for winning the 2013 contest on his theoretical investment!

All the best and here’s looking forward to seeing you at the next meeting!

Happy Collecting,

Justin J. (perrauCt masters 1 122@yahoo.com

262.785.7663

Editorial Flash

Congratulations to MNS member and ancient coin expert Bruce Bartelt whose article on “Exotic Beasts on Roman Coins” appeared in the February 2014 issue of the Numismatist . Your editor had his views on “Rogue Coin Dealers” published in the Feb 18, 2014 issue of Numismatic News. Hopefully we’ll be able to reprint both of these articles in coming issues of our newsletter.

2014 Numismatic Events

MNS 2014

Schedule

Monthly meetings in 2014 are held at 7 pm

on the 3rd

Thursday of each month in the

Community Meeting Room in the lower level

of Mayfair

Mall. Visitors interested in

numismatics are welcome.

Monthly meeting programs

Dec 19:

Holiday Party

Jan 16:

New officer induction

Feb 20:

Brian O’Keefe presents “Securing Your Collection”

Mar 20:

Merit Badge Program

Apr 17:

Fred Borgmann presents “Wisconsin Military Medals”

May 15:

Spring Auction (Dave H)

Jun 19:

Non-numismatic hobbies

Jul 17:

Summer Outing?

Aug 2 1 :

Open

Sep 18:

Open

Oct 16:

Raffle drawing

Nov 20:

Auction (Dave H)

Dec 18:

Holiday Party

Annual Dues

Dues for 2014 are $10. They may be mailed to MNS, PO Box 241174, Milwaukee, WI 53224. Thanks to those who have paid.

Feb. 16, 2014

Feb. 23,2014

March 6-9

Oshkosh Show at Oshkosh Convention Center. 2 N. Main St. (9-4 PM) NOW/Racine Coin Show Racine’s Roma Lodge 7130 Spring St (Hwy C)

9:00 AM -3:00 PM CPMX Chicago Show Crowne Plaza, Rosemont, IL March 9, 2014 Waukesha Coin Club Show New Berlin Ale House 16000 Cleveland Ave.

9-4 PM ($2 admission)

April 3-5, 2014 SSCC Coin Show

Clarion Hotel, 5311 S. Howell Ave.

MNS Merit Badge Clinic CICF Chicago Show Crowne Plaza, Rosemont, IL

April 5,2014 April 10-13

April 24-26 June 21-26 June 28-July 3 August 5-9 Oct. 5, 2014

CSNS Show Schaumburg Conv. Ctr.

ANA Summer Seminar Session I

ANA Summer Seminar Session II

ANA World’s Fair of Money Rosemont IL Conv. Center MNS Coin Show Serb Hall, Milwaukee

Refreshment Schedule

Jan:

Dave Herrewig

Feb:

Don Kaminski

Mar:

Open

Apr:

Open

May:

Stu Caddell

Jun:

Open

Jul:

Pam Talmadge

Aug:

Open

Sep:

Open

Oct:

Open

Nov:

Leon Adraktas

Dec:

Holiday Pizza Gang

PLEASE NOTE:

MNS is a volunteer organization. We always need new and interesting programs, activities, helpers to work at events, and someone to bring refreshments for the meetings. We are also looking for ideas for club outings. MNS reimburses refreshment expenses up to $50. Please contact Justin Perrault at 262.785.7663 or Jim Heinrich at 262.796.1814 to volunteer. Thanks to all who have stepped up by volunteering their time and talent to make this club a success. VOLUNTEERS ARE ALSO NEEDED FOR THE APRIL 5 SCOUT MERIT BADGE CLINIC.

Milwaukee Numismatic Society

Minutes

January 16, 2014

President Justin Perrault called the 943rd meeting of the MNS to order at 7:00 pm on Thursday, January 16, 2014 at Mayfair Mall’s lower level community room. There were 3 1 members and 2 guests in attendance. President Perrault led the membership in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Door Prizes were won by:

Howard Thorpe Ed Fymys Josh Whitehall

Bruce Bartelt Jim Heinrich Roger Lick

Tom Casper Rick Stenglein Elroy Gillis

Don Kaminski Bob Burlingame

Coin of the Month

Coin of the month was a classic GB Packers pinback button, won by Ed Fymys for $5.50

Minutes

The minutes for December were accepted as printed.

Treasurer’s Report

The club took in $10.00, and spent $335.70, for a loss of $325.70

Correspondence

We received the latest issue of the Numismatist.

Newsletter: Leon requests that you update your mailing address if you move.

Vice President:

Still looking for refreshment providers and speakers. Also looking for members to help with the merit badge clinic at the SSCC show in April.

Membership: Dues are due if you haven’t paid yet. Former member Jeff Gaffke is reapplying for membership.

Webmaster

Photos and show calendar have been updated. New and interesting information is always desired. Also, added ANA summer seminar schedule and MNS form for summer seminar scholarship.

Old Business

Club officers were sworn in.

New Business

Last year’s fantasy numismatics was won by Darrell Luedtke. Pam Talmadge is looking for interest in putting on a Kid’s Coin Camp this summer similar to a merit badge clinic.

Upcoming shows

Oshkosh - Feb 15. Racine/NOW - Feb 23. ANA Atlanta - Feb 27 to Mar 2. Elgin - Jan 26. SSCC - Apr 5

Exhibits

Tom Casper showed a new Pope Francis I medal and Lee Hartz had a Euro counterfeit. Neil Shafer showed some of his Gallery Mint pieces while Pam Talmadge brought more counterfeits of the Morgan and Lincoln varieties. Leon Saryan’s ancient Armenian coins were next, followed by Dave Hunsicker with a good portion of miscellaneous. Howard Thorpe had a 1984 Olympic silver dollar to show and Tom Dallmann reported on the FUN show. Jeff Gaffke had 2 coins, Joe Paonessa a 1975 quarter fantasy piece, and Tom Ralston rounded out the evening with a cracked peace dollar.

A motion to adjourn was made and meeting was adjourned at 8:44pm.

Respectfully submitted by Secretary Joe Paonessa.

Scott Gunther

I was saddened to learn of the passing of my friend and fellow numismatist Scott Gunther, who succumbed to lung cancer on February 4, at the age of 63 (see obituary in this issue). I met Scott soon after moving to Milwaukee’s East Side in 1975, and often visited the Shorewood Coin Shop on North Oakland Avenue where he worked and which he later owned. Scott regularly held tables at the MNS and South Shore coin shows. He always had something that would enhance my collection, but most of all I will miss his friendly demeanor, fair dealing, and helpful, trustworthy advice. In the late 1970’s, friends and I often would visit his store, which we thought of as the “Shorewood Social Center.” We were always greeted with pleasant numismatic conversation and a cold soft drink. In 1989, Scott tipped me off to a Paul Bosco auction sale which included two extremely rare Armenian gold medals, which I was unfortunately unable to procure. During the 2007 ANA convention, a member of the public asked for my assistance in selling a nice group of Wisconsin commemorative half dollars. Scott sealed the purchase with a fair and generous offer after numerous other dealers at the show had given low-ball offers for the coins. Rest in Peace, my friend. -- Leon Saryan

2

A Blast from the Past

It’s always fun to find old newspaper clippings tucked into the pages of an old book. The article below, originally printed in the Milwaukee Journal August 26, 1976 issue, was found between the pages of an old Red Book. It reports the discovery of “1907 $20 Indianhead gold piece,” a double eagle stated to be worth an estimated $1 million! Since no coin of this description was ever released for circulation, I was initially skeptical, and thought the newspaper had made an error. A little research, however, revealed that a unique double-eagle size pattern (J-1776) bearing the design of the $10 Indian Head eagle does exist. The pattern presently reposes in a private collection in the Northeast. According to PCGS, the current owner has reportedly turned down an offer of $15 million for this artistic masterpiece.

THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL Thursday, August 26, 1976

WORTH $1 MILLION — Steven Markoff of the Mark Coin Co., Beverly Hills, Calif., held a 1907 Indianhead $20 gold piece, said by coin experts to be the most expensive single coin in history. The “double eagle” is valued at $1 million.

Scott R. Gunther was longtime Shorewood coin dealer

By Steve Schultze

(abridged from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , Feb. 9, 2014

Scott R. Gunther, a history and literature buff, spent his entire adult life as a coin dealer. For the past 40 years, Gunther either worked at or operated the Shorewood Coin Shop, a fixture on N. Oakland Avenue since its founding in 1974.

Like many kids, Gunther got the coin-collecting bug young, when he was about 7, after discovering a box of old coins hidden in a laundry chute in his grandfather's basement. Unlike most, Gunther made coins his profession. Gunther died at age 63 last week, after a bout with lung cancer.

For the past 20 years, Gunther owned the Shorewood shop, buying and selling rare coins and jewelry but just as often simply talking politics or history with an extended community of friends. Jeff Skaros, who initially was Gunther's boss at the Shorewood shop, said Gunther was a steady presence from the earliest days — even when he wasn't being paid. "There were times I couldn't afford to pay him, but he still showed up," Skaros said. Gunther became well-versed in obscure coins and tokens, including Civil War tokens used in lieu of currency and bar tokens from the early 1900s, Skaros said. Gunther was good at putting customers at ease, Skaros said.

Gunther was patient and welcoming to people with limited social or intellectual skills, when they would come to the shop, said daughter Keona Jacobs. She got to see that side of her father while working with him one summer when she was in college, Jacobs said. "He treated them special."

Gunther was a Milwaukee native and Brown Deer High School graduate, who studied English literature for two years at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. With a low draft number and the Vietnam War raging, Gunther volunteered for service in the Army Reserve. That was a strategy that kept him stateside working as a cook, said his daughter Dream Gunther-Nettesheim. He used to joke about getting promoted and demoted seven times while in the service. On one occasion, Gunther barked at someone he glimpsed who had come into his kitchen without a hat on. Gunther told him to "put your (expletive) hat on when you're in my (expletive) kitchen," she said, repeating a story she heard from her father. The visitor to the kitchen turned out to be a three-star general, and Gunther's wisecrack earned him one of his demotions.###

WHEN MILWAUKEE HONORED LINDBERGH

By Tom Casper

World famous aviator, Charles Lindbergh, nicknamed Lucky Lindy and the Lone Eagle, made his historic flight on May 20-21, 1927. His famed solo, non-stop flight left New York City and landed the following day in Paris, France. His single-seat, single-engine Spirit of St. Louis flew a distance of 3,600 miles.

After returning home, he embarked on a three month flying tour in the Spirit of St. Louis to all 48 states, visiting 92 cities and giving 147 speeches. He arrived in Milwaukee on August 20, 1927 for a dinner reception in the Fem Room of the Pfister Hotel. A program booklet from that reception listed the dignitaries that were present; Mayor Daniel Hoan, Rev. Gustav Steams, Common Council President Cornelius Corcoran, Milwaukee Association of Commerce President Philip Koehring, and Postmaster Col. Peter Piasecki. They dined on filet mignon with all the trimmings. On August 22, 1927 he flew out of Milwaukee headed for Madison, WI. Shown here is the front cover of the program.

Lindbergh attended UW Madison from 1920-1922 but dropped out of the engineering program to attend a flying school in Nebraska. In 1924 he joined the U.S. Army Air Service. He finished first in his class earning a commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Service Reserve Corps. He then joined the 110 Observation Squadron, 35th Division of the Missouri National Guards where he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant. By 1928 he rose to the rank of Colonel.

He made numerous trips to Germany prior to WWII. He attended the 1936 Olympic Games as their guest and was awarded the Service Cross of the German Eagle which he wore despite protests by an appalled American public. President Roosevelt criticized Lindbergh’s views on neutrality as being those of a defeatist and appeaser... The press labeled him as a Nazi sympathizer. Three days later he resigned his commission in April, 1941. After Pearl Harbor he supported the war effort. President Roosevelt refused to reinstate his Colonel commission. He went to work for private aircraft companies as a consultant helping to improve our military aircraft... As a civilian and volunteer he flew 50 combat missions in the Pacific Theater. In 1954 Lindbergh was re-commissioned in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and appointed a Brigadier General by President Eisenhower.

Also shown here are two medals picturing Lindbergh. The brass medal shows Capt. Lindbergh, his rank at the time of his historic flight while the silver medal shows him later as Colonel Lindbergh.