Indianapolis Coin Club

January
2003

A.N.A. C-131170 - C.S.N.S L-600 - I.S.N.A. LM 243
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 30103, Indianapolis, IN 46230 Fax: 257-2220

As all members are probably
aware, the Indianapolis CoinClub will be having their own
show on March 16, 2003. The
show will take place from 9:00
AM until 3:00 PM, at the Ramada Inn at the corner of US 31
South and Thompson Road, justsouth of I-465 on the south sideof Indianapolis.

become a member of the club. Adult annual dues are $12.00 per year, junior membership dues are $5.00 per year.

educational nature are held for the benefit of our membership and the general public. All meetings are open to the public and there is no charge for attendance unless a person wishes to

The Indianapolis Coin Club is a non-profit, educational organization founded in 1939 for the purpose of educating people of all ages in the greater Indianapolis community about the coins theypresently own or may wish to collect. We hold eleven monthly meetings each year (presently at the Firemen’s Union Hall, 748 Massachusetts Ave.) during which various programs of an

THE MONTHLY PLANCHETICC Gearing Up For Spring Show

We will need volunteers to assist
in different capacities to insurethat the show is a success. Pleasefeel free to stop by The Coin Index to see Coz, who will furnish
you with show flyers that you
may post, and raffle tickets thatyou may sell. These items will
also be available at the February
24 meeting. The raffle tickets sell
for $1.00 each, and they will be
used in a drawing for $100 worthof instant lottery tickets.
We will also need volunteers towork at the show, either helping
dealers unload and load theirgoods and cases, working thewelcome table, or providing hospitality for the dealers who aremanning the tables. The welcome table duty includes providing information about the Indianapolis Coin Club to prospective
members, both in handout form,
and answering questions thatshow attendees might have. Hospitality duties would include relieving the dealers for a break(watching their table), or possibly bringing dealers a soft drink.
Tables are still available for theshow, but are going quickly. Ifyou, or anyone you know isinterested in having a table,please act soon.
If you are interested in having an
informational display at theshow, please contact Coz, also.
This is our chance to show theclub in a positive light to ourcommunity, and sign up newmembers. With all of the renewedinterest in coin collecting, ourclub membership may be able togrow considerably, and, with theadditional income, could provide
more informative and educational activities for everyone.
Please seriously consider donating some of your time on that
Sunday in March to help promote
our club. You may meet new
friends, or see some old ones you
haven’t seen in a while. No matter what, you will be serving
your community and the ICC!

Don’t Forget To Pay Your Dues and Renew Your Ads!
Send Payment to the Club Post Office Box!
Our next meetings are scheduled for Monday, January 27, and Monday,February 24 , at 7:00
PM at the Fireman’s Union Hall Building, 748 Massachusetts Ave. at College Ave.,
Indianapolis. Parking is available in the lot west of the building and on the streets northand south of the building.
Officers: President: Jim Luckey, Vice President: Jim Roehrdanz,
Secretary: Chris Clegg, Treasurer: Tom Ferverda, Sergeant-at-Arms:
Jim Warden. Past President: Vinton Dove
Editor/Webmaster: Gail Phillips

Directors: Karl Kreck, Lawrence Wisthoff, Donald Black,Coz Raimondi, Charles Alber, Allen Dove

InsideThis
Issue:
President’s Report2
Secretary’s Report2
Treasurer’s Report
2
Puzzle Page
3
Kid’s Page
6
Other News
4,5,7

Shop Amazon.com at: www.indianapoliscoinclub.org
1Treasurer’s Report

From Our
President
The Christmas Party was a real winner,music by the harpist, and good food fromthe caterer. All of this thanks to Tom andhis committee. It was a good ending to
2002. Looking forward to 2003, we startwith the January meeting on the 27th,
with our monthly coin auction. Each person can put up 3 groups, the group canbe of 1 or more coins. The auction will
last 30 minutes, with a rotating selection
from one to another, until time or groups
run out. Our meetings will start with business, after the pledge, then the auction,
and a speaker, last. If you have any suggestions for the meetings, agenda or
speakers, please come forward, as this is
your club. You have received tickets forour raffle at our Coin Show on March 16th;
please get out and sell them. Karl Kreckis counting on you so the show will turna profit. He will also be needing your help
for the Sunday of the show. Thank you
for your help last year, and I am looking
forward to a big and better year in 2003.
- Jim

INCOMECD matured 12/3
CD matured 12/27
Total Income$1280.12
3197.38$4477.50

EXPENSES
CD purchase 12/15
Printing
Postage
Total Expenses$5000.00
43.41
9.20$ 5052.61

Net Expenses$ 575.11

Balance in Checking as of 1/1/03 - $11,115.43

Secretary’s
ReportAs everyone is aware, our December meeting
was the Christmas banquet, in which we inducted our two new officers. I know it seems
like forever, but our next meeting will be January 27. If you haven’t paid this year’s dues,
they are due (no pun intended). Please do notforget to turn in the money for the raffle tickets; with everyone’s participation, we will havea successful show.
- Chris Clegg

STATE THEMES REPEATED on a number of the
20 semi-finalist designs for the 2005 California
quarter dollar include the Golden Gate Bridge,
natural wonders, agriculture, film making and thesea, the latter in a very stylized design. State
officials want Californians' opinions on the designs
in a nonbinding online poll.

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Name
these 5
coins anddo thepuzzlefor aprize.
Good
Luck!

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Constructed using Crossword Weaver

ACROSS
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MS bottled this beverage first5
Graceland's owner
6Type of LA cooking
9fourth 2002 quarter11
fifth 2002 quarter
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common element on TN flag and quarter
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MS state flower
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Number of stars on IN quarter
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Crazy festival in March
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MS, land of the _____ blues
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first 2002 quarter

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DOWN
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old astronaut
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third 2002 quarter
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Indiana state flower
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Ohio's claim to fame8
second 2002 quarter9
main device on TN quarter
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Land buy including Louisiana
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TN is the _________ state
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common element on LA flag and quarter15
Ohio is the _______ state“

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Gibraltar POW notes of WorldWar II by Marcus Turner
World War II saw the creation of hundreds of Prisoner of War Camps all
across the United States, Canada andGreat Britain, each with its own uniqueform of money. There was one smalltransient camp however, located at thesouthern tip of Spain whose money has
been elusive to collectors around theworld.
Gibraltar is the small British colony on
the extreme southern coast of Spain.
Only a 16 mile strait, on which Gibraltar sits, separates Europe from Africa,
and the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. The strategic importanceof Gibraltar, both in military and economic terms, is obvious. The small territory is approximately 5 kilometers (3miles) long and ½ kilometer (1/3 mile)wide, with a current population of approximately 30,000. The area was captured by Britain from the Spanish in
1704. Since then, the Spanish have tried
many times to recapture the tiny area,
but without success. Spain’s claim to
the British territory is still in dispute today.
At the beginning of World War II, thecivilian population of Gibraltar (largely
British) was evacuated and replaced bya very large and strong British air andnaval presence. The territory became astrategic Allied command center for activity in the Mediterranean as well as forlanding operations in North Africa.
Many allied POWs are known to haveescaped to Gibraltar over the course of
the war. The official Gibraltar government website confirms that there was a
POW camp located in Gibraltar during
World War II but offers few details.
Lance Campbell, author of Prisoner of
War and Concentration Camp Money ofthe 20th Century (1993), refers to thelocation as the Laguna Camp. It was atemporary holding area for German and

Italian POWs; mainly U-boat and aircrew captured by the Allied naval units.
From Gibraltar, prisoners were sent to
POW camps in the United Kingdom andpossibly to Canada and the United States.
The only known notes produced for thiscamp were in denominations of sixpence.
Campbell further reports that a “single
run of 2000 sixpence notes was ordered
under a government contract.” He further refers to the note, serial number
05001 (with a photo) as the only piece
known to exist. This note has the word
“Specimen” hand written across the faceof the note.
The first appearance of this “Specimen”
was on September 26, 1974 at the meeting of the International Banknote Society in London, England. On the cover of
the October 1974 edition of the Banknote
Reporter, the headline reads “Unknown
POW Scrip Shown to IBNS.” The article further states “A slide was shownof a previously unknown Prisoner of War
camp scrip for a denomination of a 6
pence issued in Gibraltar, with the word
“specimen” hand written across the note.
The note in question caused a great dealof interest. It is presumed that the note
was issued in a transit camp for German
and Italian prisoners being shipped toEngland, possibly from the African front.
The style indicated a World War II issue
dated between 1941 and 1944.” The note
was presented at the meeting by Yasha
Beresiner of London, England.
The second sighting of a Gibraltar Laguna POW note would not come until
2000. To everyone’s surprise, the reportcame out of Australia! The note was ofserial number 0488 and was publishedin full color in the catalog of paper money
dealer John Pettit, of Sydney, Australia.
Not only was it identified, but was available for sale! I immediately contacted
John and made arrangements to buy thenote. It now resides in my collection.

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The two existing notes were brought together for the first time at MPC Fest II
in February of 2001, Port Clinton, Ohio
and a second time in October that same
year at the IBNS Congress in London,
England. The above mentioned “Specimen” #05001 currently resides in the collection of Tom Warburton of Bolton, England. The side by side comparison revealed that the two notes were nothingalike. Tom’s “specimen” note was about
twice the size of mine measuring 99 x 88
mm. It was printed on a thin, pink paperwith printer’s notations “G.C. 2m. 4/42
(10203)” in the lower left margin.
Warburton reports “I would speculate
G.C. means Gibraltar Command and 4/
42 is a date April 1942 and one can further speculate there would be very little
need for POW holding facilities previous to this date.” The back was completely blank. The background patternsof the two notes were also completely different. My issued piece was printed ona heavy green card stock, measures 67 x
59 mm and has a 4-digit serial number(as opposed to Tom’s 5-digit). The backContinued on page 5Continued from page 4

Center’s Assembly Hall, 100 W.
Randolph St., in Chicago.
Mint officials confirmed as ofDec. 27, dignitaries to be in attendance at the 10 a.m. ceremonies will include U.S. Mint
Director Henrietta Holsman
Fore, Gov. George H. Ryan andChicago native actor-directorof my note contains the stamp of the Brit- Harold Ramis, who counts
ish Women’s Auxiliary. The role the among his credits acting in the
British Women’s Auxiliary might have movie Ghostbusters and directplayed in the POW process is completely ing the current film, Analyze
unknown to date. My theory is that That.
Tom’s “specimen” piece is not a speci- The ceremony is one of the last
men at all, but a trial design submitted official duties Ryan will preside
for approval by the Gibraltar Command. over as Illinois’ chief executive.
This would explain the differences in the The incumbent Republican isnotes, and why the “specimen” was leaving office, turning over the
printed on thin paper. It also explains administration to his Democratic
successor, Rod Blagojevich.
the high serial number of 5001.
Blagojevich will be sworn in as
Almost 30 years have passed since the the 40th governor of Illinois Jan.
initial report of the existence of the first 13.
Laguna Camp note. Since then only a Ryan presided over the selection
single issued piece supplements the re- process for the Illinois quartersearch effort. Although both pieces are dollar. He announced his final
absolutely unique, the search for more pick Oct. 8.
examples continues.

The design was inspired by artwork submitted to the governor
by Thom Cicchelli of Chicago.
Cicchelli says he plans to attend
the Jan. 6 event.
The Mint expects to have sufficient quantities of Philadelphia
and Denver Mint strikes of the
2003-P and 2003-D Illinois
quarters on hand for distribution at the ceremony.

Chicago Readies for
Launch of 2003
Illinois State Quarter- ‘Ghostbusters’ actor
among those at event- posted 1/2/03

By Paul Gilkes
COIN WORLD staff
ILLINOIS QUARTER depicts
Abraham Lincoln, the Chicago
skyline and state outline. Various dignitaries plan to attend
the Jan. 6 official launch ceremony for the coin in Chicago.
Officials planned to launch the2003 Illinois quarter dollar Jan.
6 at the James R. Thomas

The Illinois quarter dollar reverse design incorporates afarm setting and the Chicago
skyline along with a young
Abraham Lincoln superimposedon an outline of the state of Illinois. Also included is the stateslogan, LAND OF LINCOLN, aswell as 21 stars, 11 to the left
and 10 to the right, and the inscription 21ST STATE - CENTURY.

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AMONG THE THEMES illustrated by the six of the sevensemi-finalist designs for California, shown on this page,are Minerva and the grizzly
bear, both from the statearms, upper left. The Golden
Gate Bridge appears on several designs, as do prospectors (illustrating the state'sGold Rush history), naturalwonders and film making.

Mint History
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Historic Highlights - A Mint Timeline

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Introduction
It’s the 18th century, and the colonies are breaking
free from England. A new country! But what aboutmoney? How can they pay for their war against England?
In 1775, John Hancock suggests that Congress issue
bills of credit. People could exchange these paper
notes for silver Spanish milled dollars after the war.
Colonists already used lots of currencies. But if thecolonies win, should they use British pounds after the
war? Spanish milled dollars? ...Or invent a whole new
currency?
Congress set the other coins’ values to the Spanish
milled dollar. Jefferson says that should be our new
nation’s money. But in 1785, Congress invents a new
dollar—worth a Spanish milled dollar—and decides
which metals it will be made from. Now they just needsomeone to make it!

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BILLS OF CREDIT
COPPER CENTDOLLARHALF CENTHALF DIMEHAND PRESSMILLEDPEACE MEDALSILVERSPANISHSTEAM ENGINE

Making a Mint
Striking Out
1792:
The United States Mint is born! Congress passes
the Coinage Act, creating the Bureau of the Mint tomake gold, silver, and copper coins. The Mint builds
its own building in Philadelphia, the nation’s capitalat the time.
The first coins struck are “half dimes” made fromsomeone’s silverware—probably George and Martha
Washington’s. Harnessed horses power the coinstamping machines.
1793: President George Washington appoints David
Rittenhouse , scientist, as the first Director of the Mint.
The Mint produces its first circulating coins: copper
cents and half cents.

1799:
The Mint becomes an independent agency, no longer under the
Department of State.
1801: As the colonies did, the new United States begins making
large silver peace medals. Theses medals are given as signs ofpeace to American Indian chiefs and warriors. Lewis and Clarksoon use these medals on their trip.
1816: A steam engine is used for rolling the metal sheets. Before this, the rolling machines were powered by oxen, horses, ormen. When a hand press was used, it took a man and a boy about
two minutes to make one coin.

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Upcoming Coin Shows:Jan 19 Muncie
Coin & Stamp Show. Horizon Convention Center, 401 S. High St., Muncie.
Hrs.: 10 AM - 5 PM. Buy, Sell or Trade. Free Admission and Parking.
Jan 18-19 South Bend
Coin & Currency Show. Comfort Suites, 52939 S.R. 933 N. Sat: 10 AM - 5 PM;
Sun: 10 AM - 3 PM. Dave’s Collectibles, Dave Brody, POB 724, South Bend, IN
46624. 574-272-9198. TABLES: 12-15. FREE.

CONSERVATIONIST JOHN MUIR and Yosemite
Valley are depicted, top left, on one of 20 semifinalist designs for the 2005 California quarter
dollar. Images of prospectors appear on three ofthe designs, including the one shown at top right.
Other common themes include film making and
the Golden Gate Bridge, both illustrated by thedesign on the bottom.

Our 4th Quarter Amazon.com Affiliates revenues totaled$84.01 (if there are no returns!).
Don’t forget to link to Amazon throughour ICC website at
http://www.indianapoliscoinclub.org/resources.htm

Collecting U.S. Coins Since 1952

to shop for your Books, CDs, DVDs, Videos, and othermerchandise conveniently delivered to your door, and tohelp provide funding for the ICC!

This month’s educational program will be presented by Bob Nice on
Liberty “V” nickels .
Don’t miss it!
There will be a sign-up sheet at the January meeting for work assignments for our March show. Volunteers will be needed to assist in show
preparation, dealer setup and teardown, raffle ticket sales, info desk,and dealer relief, and other miscellaneous duties as necessary. This is
our big fund-raising event for the year, so we need you to participate tohelp keep the ICC in existence.
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