December 19th 2021.
Next club meeting Monday 10th January 2022.
- Subject - Short Talks by Members
Be aware that if the situation with omicron worsens, this may be a ‘zoom’
meeting as may future meetings.
Notices
·
John asked for volunteers for short
talks by members for the January 2022 meeting. Four volunteers put their names forward but more are sought. If interested
please contact the Hon Secretary.
·
Please continue thinking about Auction lots for March.
All lots should be given to Ian, preferably at the January meeting or the February
meeting at the very latest.
·
Apologies were received from John, Michael
and Tony.
December Meeting
The
Club meeting in December was a members evening: buying and selling, a buffet
supper, a quiz, and presentations by members about interesting coins.
The
buffet supper was organised once again by Henry and was much appreciated by the
20 or so members attending the meeting. There were five displays this year.
John’s display was a set of
Irish coins from 1928. For background, he described how whilst acquiring his
collection, he upgraded his coins leaving him with many duplicates (problem
one!). There was also a glut of ‘special’ birthdays amongst family and friends
(problem two!). An idea occurred to solve both of these
– create year sets and gift them as presents!
This particular
set was put together for John’s uncle’s 90th birthday a few
years ago – Irish coins due to the family’s Irish heritage. Sadly, last year
John’s uncle passed, and whilst clearing the house, his cousin found this set
and kindly gifted them back to John as a treasured memory.
Will’s display was two-part –
firstly was a Silver proof set of four £1 coins of the
Bridges series – these were a gift from his father to celebrate Will’s graduation
as an engineer. Second was a silver proof New Zealand $1 from the Hobbit series
depicting a mountain scene with Smaug the dragon – the mountain in the image is
one that Will has done a lot of walking on during his time living in New
Zealand!
Stuart’s display was a
selection of Russian coins of Nikolai II – the last of the Romanovs. There were
five silver one ruble coins
and a gold five ruble. The gold coin was purchased
from a pawnbroker in Reading, and a quick Google later they agreed that Stuart
had made a very good purchase at approximately £100 below numismatic value!
Neil’s display was a medalet that had been dug up in a garden in St Germans in
Cornwall. It celebrates the 1932 International Exhibition for Artist
Photography in Lucerne. The obverse is a beautiful art deco script naming the
event, the reverse a lake (Lake Lucerne?), and what Neil believes to be a
telegraph pole (possibly signifying the ‘international-ness’
of the event) and a light house (unsure of the symbolism here!). A lovely art
deco find for sure!
Gavin’s display was also in
two parts – firstly an iron (possibly steel) advertising ticket for Best Value
Cycle Co. of Coventry from circa 1913 when a bicycle could be purchased for
£3-17-6 (about £430 in today’s money). The second piece appears at first glace to be a Henry II or III short-cross penny – however
the reverse quickly dissipates this illusion with the legend “BRAINTREE CHARTER”!
This was struck to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the Market
Charter of Braintree being signed in 1190 under Richard I.
Members
thanked John, Will, Neil, Stuart and Gavin for their
most interesting presentations.
Gavin
devised the quiz – the winner being Neil with nine correct answers out of 20
questions. The answers to follow next month.
Gavin’s Quiz (answers
in the next issue)
- When was BRITT.OMN
dropped from British coins?
2.
What is a Bawbee?
3. Give
the English translation of S.R.I.A. T ET E. Clue: It is the abbreviation
in Latin of one of George III’s titles
4. Which Country
uses Laris?
5.
What was the first country to own plant for coining by steam?
6. What
is the connection between the 18th Century surgeon William Hunter
and Numismatics?
7.
When did New Zealand start to issue its own 1d and 2d?
8.
What is the French equivalent of Pfennig and Penny?
9.
Until what year were French titles and arms retained on English
coins?
10. Who
modelled for St George on Pistrucci’s crowns
of George III?
11. Which
British Monarch issued coins in 1510?
12. Which
modern English coins have a George and Dragon facing left on the reverse?
13. What
change was made to the florin after 1867?
14. Name
three towns issuing Civil War Siege Pieces in England.
15. Which town
used the mintmark D on French coins?
16. A bust
of a bare headed man appears on which modern British coins?
17. When
and where were “Hard Times Tokens” issued as temporary currency or political
cartoons?
18. Where
have cents been used other than in USA and British colonies or former
colonies?
19. Which
modern coin has a thrift plant on the reverse?
20. Who
issued coins with a VOC monogram?
Thank you once again to Gavin for setting a splendid quiz.
Future Events.
- Midland Coin Fair - National
Motorcycle museum – 9th January
Past Events
- The December meeting has traditionally been the Xmas party.
Finally a Merry Christmas and a
Prosperous New Year to All Our Members.
Club Secretary.