T he P lanchet- I . C. C. APRIL, 2019

Issue# 598

A.N.A. C-131170 - I.S.N.A. LM 243 - C.S.N.S. L-600

Established 1939 and celebrating over 75 years of service
to the coin collector.

The next meeting will be M onday, Apr il 15th, 2019
Meetings of the Indianapolis Coin Club are held the third Monday of each month at
the Northside Knights of Columbus 2100 E. 71st Street in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The Meetings consist of a business session, educational program, an intermission, and anumismatic auction.
Doors open at 6:00pm, meeting will begin at 7:00pm.
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Issue# 598

A Few Words From Your Pr esident
You may have noticed that our ICC website was down for a few days near the end of March and the
beginning of this month. That issue has now been resolved. The Club has taken possession of thedomain indianapoliscoinclub.org and it is now fully under our control. You may know that Matt
Dinger with Lost Dutchman has been paying for our domain for several years, and we will continue
to give him a free ad in Th e Plan ch et for a time to thank him for his generosity. The down side isthat this will now have to be paid for by the Club, but that is well worth the expense for the
exposure that we receive from the website. I urge you to browse the site at your convenience, as
there are many worthwhile items and links to be found, including our constitution, back issues ofTh e Plan ch et since January of 2001, and auction sheets and membership forms, to mention just a
few.
Call f or a volu n t eer : We are in need of a volunteer to sit at the table near the door of our room at
our April meeting to greet members and guests, have them sign in to the attendance sheet, handout door prize tickets, sell 50-50 tickets, etc. That person would need to be set up by 6:30 p.m.
before our 7 p.m. meeting begins. If you would like to do so, please let me know in the lounge
beforehand and I will give you the necessary items at that time. This is a one-time request, so please
give it some thought.
I will not be able to attend either our May or June meetings. Vice-President Andy Nahrwold will be incharge of running those meetings. We have some good educational programs on tap for thosemonths, so be sure to keep those dates on your calendar.
The Central States show is coming up next week, which will be held on at the Schaumburg
Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center, located at 1551 North Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg, IL
60173. Hours are Wednesday, April 24, 3 p.m. - 6 p.m., Thursday, April 25, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., Friday,
April 26, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., and Saturday, April 27, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. There is a $5.00 daily admission
fee. This is the largest annual show in the Midwest and is one that many of our members lookforward to attending. Go to https://www.centralstatesnumismaticsociety.org/convention for
additional information. This is the show's 80th anniversary convention.
I hope to see each and every one of you at tonight's meeting, and be sure to spread the word about
our Club and our meeting to your fellow collectors or those that may be only casually interested innumismatics. Of course, bring along any visitors and/or guests that might be interested inattending. Thanks for being an ICC member, and as I said last month, please consider running for aposition on the ICC Board of Directors later this year.

Jim Su k u p, Pr esiden t
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Issue# 598

INDIANAPOLISCOINCLUBEDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
This month?s Educational Program will be:'Br eaking the Code of Scottish
Groats'by
L ouise Boling
Next Month?s Meeting Date & Program:'Coins with Stories'
by Brad Karoleff
Monday May 20th, 2019

As hopefully all of our members know, the ICC has a library that is free to use for it's members. The
current list of library books is available on the ICC website. Jim Sukup usually brings a few books
each month but we want to make sure that everyone is aware of the books that are available.
Email Jim prior to the meeting and he will bring your selection if it is available.

jsukup@rpiratings.com

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Issue# 598

Th e Best an d t h e Cheapest? A Qu ar t et of Am azin g Silver Halves
By M ar k Ben ven u t oOnce before in these pages we?ve talked about great silver, and focused on someamazing silver dollars. Right now let?s shift the focus a bit, and look at what just might
be the best four half dollars of the twentieth century. We?re going to see what it?sworth to us to get just one of each. And we?ll concentrate on getting the best a person
can, while at the same time spending as little as we can. Here we go!
A st ellar Ken n edy h alf
The United States Mint made quite a splash a few years back when the Kennedy half
got to its fiftieth birthday, issuing a gorgeous version in gold. It remains debatable
how many people bought one, but the media hype was certainly there. Yet theearliest Kennedy half might arguably be the best when it comes to adding just one toa collection of four halves. The 1964 proof Kennedy was the only one of thesefifty-cent pieces to be struck as a silver proof until 1992.

Today the price range for the 1964 Kennedy half as a proof is extreme. In a grade suchas PF-67, which is hardly going to be an ugly duckling, the coin costs less than $50. In
something like PF-69DC ? the latter part meaning ?deep cameo? ? the price skyrockets
to over $2,000. While it would be wonderful to nab one of these in that higher grade,it?s pretty obvious that most of us will probably gravitate to the lower price, and thus
the slightly lower grade.
A pr oof Fr an k lin h alf
Onward to the Franklin half dollar series, we find there are plenty of proof pieces
from which to choose. But the Franklins are one of those series with a tiny difference
that sometimes translates to big price differences ? the full bell line. What are called?FBL? specimens, for fully delineated bell lines on the Liberty bell of the reverse, meanthat specimen will cost more, whether it is a proof or not.
There were proof Franklin halves made through almost all of the series. They started
in a relatively modest way in 1950, crossed over and above the 1 million mark in 1957,
dipped a bit in 1958, then jumped over that million mark again in 1959 and stayed4

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Issue# 598

there annually. Curiously, most major price lists do not contain prices for theFranklins as PF-69 coins. Apparently, few have survived in that state of preservation.
Yet the PF-67 grade is listed, and the last four years of issue ? from 1960 to 1963 ? allof them are quite affordable. Something like $100 will land a high grade proof. It
might not have the FBL designator, but and PF-67 piece is going to shine, and thus bean excellent second coin to add to our growing half dollar collection.

On e am azin g Walk in g Liber t y h alf
As we go backwards in time to Mr. Weinman?s Walking Liberty half dollar design,
most collectors know we will be taking a step up in price. It really doesn?t have all thatmuch to do with rarity, as there are plenty of common dates among the Walking
Liberty series, and plenty of good looking, mint state specimens that have survived.
It?s simply that we as a collecting fraternity appear to have a continuous love affair
with this design, and that keeps the prices strong.
Now, while the Walking Liberty half dollar series does have some years in which
proofs were made, they are small in number compared to the entire series. Only the
years 1936 ? 1942 saw proof production, and the numbers were always much smaller
than those for the Franklin or Kennedy series. These older proofs are available, and at
about $500; some folks might even say they are affordable. That price tag isconnected to the PF-65 grade, and is actually a bit higher than the rather odd grade of
PF-63. This lower proof grade is assigned and tracked, at least when it comes toWalking Liberty halves, because over the course of time some of these proofs havesuffered a bit of neglect or abuse.
If the just-mentioned price is simply too rich for your tastes, there are still some
excellent Walking Liberty halves which qualify as mint state, which were made forregular circulation, and not to be proofs. In a grade such as MS-65, they can beobtained for as little as $100. Admittedly, they are not proof specimens. But an MS-65
coin is still a jewel, and worth considering for what we are trying to build.

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Th e best Bar ber w e can get
The final fifty-cent piece we?ll consider is the Barber, which was minted as thenineteenth century waned and the twentieth was born. In general, there were neveras many Barber halves minted in a single year as there were for the Walking Liberty,
the Franklin, or the Kennedy halves. But that doesn?t mean they are all particularly
rare, either. They are all old enough though that the idea of landing a proof Barber
half to fill out this quartet is going to be costly. There were a limited number of proofs
made each year ? limited just because there were very few collectors back then.
Today a specimen that grades as PF-63 will still cost something like $1,200. Likewise,mint state versions will be costly. If we want to pare off a lot of that cost, we?ll find thatsomething like $200 can land a Barber half in a grade like EF-40. While this is quite astep down from the proof and mint state coins we have mentioned, this can still be agood looking addition.

All things considered, it doesn?t take a huge expense to build a quartet of twentiethcentury half dollars. Hunting down the best specimens, and keeping the costs undercontrol are the twin challenges involved in assembling such a group. But for any of us
who try, enjoy it ? enjoy the challenge!

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I decided to include the following because of the discussion at our March meeting. There seemed to
be a lot of interest in this developing story. - Editor

F+W M edia m ay lay of f 66 people, close
Kr au se Pu blicat ion s' St even s Poin t of f ice
The owner of Krause Publications may lay off 66 people and shutter its Stevens Point office if they
can't find a buyer in the next few months.
The notice from F+W Media, based in New York, to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce
Development on April 1 comes as the company looks to sell off the various media properties it owns
owns amid a Chapter 11 bankruptcy it filed in March. The potential layoff targets employees at
Krause Publications, formerly of Iola.
Krause Publications relocated to office space on Joerns Drive in Stevens Point last spring after the
Iola Car Show acquired its historic building, according to Krause's Numismatic News and Old Cars
Weekly.
F+W laid off 41 people in January 2018. The layoffs were a part of F+W's 2017 out-of-court
reorganization deal with lenders to forgive the company's debt for a $15 million cash infusion andcontrol of the company.
This month's notice from Gregory Osberg, CEO of F+W Media, says employees could still lose theirjobs if the company finds a buyer. The bulk of the jobs in Stevens Point include editing, graphic
design, design and advertising positions.
The company acquired Krause Publications in 2002. Krause focuses on antique collector
publications.
F+W owns more than 50 specialized periodicals covering arts and crafts, writing, design and theoutdoors. Notable publications includes Outdoors, Sky and Telescope, Popular Woodworking
magazine and Writer 's Digest.
F+W's bankruptcy filing comes after the company went deep into e-commerce as print revenue andcirculation fell. The pivot to e-commerce failed, Osberg wrote in court filings. F+W's revenue in 2018
was $67.6 million compared with its $105.5 million in debt, according to bankruptcy court filings.
To read the full story please visti:

https://www.stevenspointjournal.com/story/news/2019/04/05/
krause-publications-stevens-point-may-close-f-w-media-may-lay-off/3368539002/
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Issue# 598

March 2019 Auction Lotsfor 3/18/2019
Description

Grade

Additional Notes

Starting Price

1885-O Morgan $1

BU

30.00

1886 Morgan $1

BU

30.00

1922 Peace $1

BU

25.00

1 oz Silver Round

15.00

1 oz Silver Round

15.00

Your items could be listed right here. It is free for members to put items in
the auction and have them advertised in the Planchet.

PLEASE try to have correct change, or at least use
smaller bills, to pay for auction items that you win.
Especially troublesome are $50's and $100's whichquickly drain the change that is available. That change ispersonal money, and it will be greatly appreciated by thechanger and auction assistants to make giving changeeasier and more efficient.

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Issue# 598

M ar ch 18, 2019 ? M in u t es of t h e In dian apolis Coin Clu b M eet in g
Call t o or der . President Jim Sukup called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. We met atthe Knights of Columbus Hall (North) located at 2100 E. 71st St., Indianapolis, IN.
At t en dan ce Pr ice. The attendance price for the month of March (2019) was a 2010
Yosemite PF69 Silver Quarter, which was donated by Jim Sukup.
Repor t of Secr et ar y. The Secretary?s Report for February, 2019 was published in thecurrent month?s Plan ch et . There was a motion made, which was duly seconded toaccept the report as published. The motion passed.
Repor t of Tr easu r er . The Treasurer ?s Report for February, 2019 was published in thecurrent month?s Plan ch et . There was a motion made, which was duly seconded toaccept the treasurer ?s report as published. The motion passed.
Visit or s. None.
Repor t s of Com m it t ees. None.
Old Bu sin ess. There was no old business.
New Bu sin ess. Donn Wray spoke about the sudden closure of the PCGS Currency
grading service and what might be in the ?works? regarding a new grading service
company that could take its place. Donn also discussed other interesting facts andshared his thoughts on the matter and there was a general discussion amongst theclub members.
There was a reminder that the 9th Annual Civil War Show would be held Friday, March
22, from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the
Beech Grove High School Gym. Harvey Warrner gave his talk titled ?Confederate
Currency, Bonds & Civil War Tokens? last October.
It was also reported that F+W media filed for bankruptcy (chapter 11) protection,
which is the parent company that publishes many well know periodicals, including
Numismatic News, and others.
Cu r r en t In t er est in g Fin d. Joe Boling talked about getting a 10 Cent ?Emergency Note?,
which of course, was a forgery. It was printed on the wrong type of paper; it was ofpoor quality, and the dates were wrong. It had the erroneous date of 1914 on it. Jeff
Bercovitz was the successful bidder on a counterfeit obsolete $5 bank note fromGreencastle circa 1850?s. Jeff bid $22 and the lot estimated for $60. Lastly, Jim Sukup,
while in El Salvador, obtained well ?worn? U.S. $1 coins as they are used there forcurrency. Even the letter edging was well ?worn?.
Edu cat ion Pr ogr am . Chris Bower spoke and gave an informative talk andpresentation with numerous slides on ?British Provincial Tokens.?
Br eak . A break was held around 7:30 p.m. for about ten (10) minutes.
50/ 50 dr aw in g. There was a $71 in total with the winner (Chris Bower) receiving $35.
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At t en dan ce Pr ize Dr aw in g t ook place. Sharon Bower was the winner.
Au ct ion . The auction was conducted by Joe Boling and assisted by many others. The
Club received $10.00 from 10 auction lot sheets at the meeting.

The meeting adjou r n ed at 8:44 p.m.

Respect f u lly su bm it t ed,

Gar y M . Selig, Secr et ar ygselig14@gm ail.com

Edit or ?s Not e:
The views expressed in any article aresolely those of the author and do not
represent the views of the ICC, nor does
the ICC endorse any advertiser.

Trivia:Who is the 17th Century Mexican nun and writerfrom the Spanish Golden Age, who appears on
Mexican 1000 peso coins dated 1988-1992?
Answer is at the bottom of the treasurer 's report.

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Issue# 598

In dian apolis Coin Clu b
2019 M eet in g Dat es & Edu cat ion al Pr ogr am s
January 21, 2019 - ?Numismatic Literature?- by Eric L. Lindseth* Prize sponsor: Christopher Bower
February 18, 2019 - ?The Perth Mint Lunar Series? - by Greg Gordon* Prize sponsor: I.C.C.
March 18, 2019 - ?British Provincial Tokens?- by Christopher Bower* Prize sponsor: Jim Sukup
April 15, 2019 - 'Joan Clark Murray: Breaking the Code of Scottish Groats' by Louise Boling* Prize sponsor: Louise BolingMay 20, 2019 - 'Coins with Stories' - by Brad Karoleff* Prize sponsor: T.B.A.
June 17, 2019 - 'Coins of Mary, Queen of Scots' - by Paul Vaughn* Prize sponsor: Paul Vaughn
July 15, 2019 - 'T.B.A.' - by T.B.A.
* Prize sponsor: T. B. A.
August 19, 2019 - 'Coin Collecting to the Fullest' - by Andy Nahrwold* Prize sponsor: Andy Nahrwold
September 19, 2018 - Exhibit Night* Prize sponsor: I. C. C.
October 21, 2019 -T. B. A. - 'Cleaning/Conservation' by Matt Dinger* Prize sponsor: T. B. A.
November 18, 2019 - ?Annual State of the Hobby Address?-by Mark Eberhardt* Prize sponsor: I.C.C.
Tuesday, December 3, 2019 ? NO MEETING - I.C.C. Holiday Banquet* For 2019 we are continuing the 'Attendance Prize' drawing at each monthly meeting as an added incentive
for all I.C.C. members to attend as many meetings as possible and to encourage new membership. Everyone
attending each regular monthly meeting will receive a prize ticket when they arrive at the meeting and sign inat the greeting table. The prize each month will be a 90% silver U.S. Half Dollar (or equivalent value coin, $5 ormore) The I.C.C. Board members and officers as well as several I.C.C. members chose to act as sponsors anddonate the monthly prizes rather than funding them from our budget. You'll find the monthly prize sponsor
listed below each monthly meeting date above. You'll just have to show up to see what you may win!
Please keep this in mind each month; regardless of who is giving the monthly program and/or the topic, we owe it tothat person and the membership to remain quiet and pay attention during the program. It?s important that we
respect the knowledge that is being shared with us as well as the time and effort the speaker is donating to our club.
The same rules should apply to our monthly auctions; please remain quiet and pay attention. Thank you.

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Tr easu r er ?s Repor t 2019
Not available at time of publication.

Trivia Answer: Juana de Asbaje (aka, Juana Inés de la Cruz)
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Adver t ise in t h e In dian apolis Coin Clu b
New slet t er !
Th e cost is on ly $35.00 f or a bu sin ess car d size adf or 11 issu es!

Th e 2019 In dian apolis Coin Clu b
Of f icer s an d Boar d M em ber s:
President
Jim Sukup
Vice-President
Andy Nahrwold
Secretary
Vinton Dove
TreasurerMark Eberhardt
Newsletter Editor
Christopher Bower
Past President
Michael White
Sgt-at-Arms
Jim Warden
Board Member 2018-2019
Gerald Coraz
Board Member 2018-2019
Paul Vaughn
Board Member 2018-2019
Jim Roehrdanz
Board Member 2019-2020
Donn Wray
Board Member 2019-2020
Jeff Bercovitz
Board Member 2019-2020
Steve Howery

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Issue# 598$$$$ ?ALWAYS BUYING? $$$$PAYING TOP PRICES FOR ALL
U.S. COINSDON?T SELL WITHOUT GETTING OUR OFFER!!!

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ANA, ISNA-LM, CSNS-LM(317) 852-8458

Specialist in World Coins

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APRIL, 2019

Issue# 598

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