T he P lanchet- I . C. C. MARCH 2024

Issue# 652

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

Established 1939 and celebrating over 80 years of service
to the coin collector.

The next meeting will be M arch 18th, 2024
Monthly meetings of the Indianapolis Coin Club are held the third Monday of each month at
the Northside Events and Social Club 2100 E. 71st Street in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The Meetings consist of a business session, educational program, an intermission, and anumismatic auction.
Doors open at 6:00 pm, meeting will begin at 7:00 pm.
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MARCH, 2024

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

Th is M on t h s Edu cat ion al Pr ogr am Will Be:
March 18th, 2024
Meeting start time: 7:00 PM

Ken n edy Halves
by Gar y Selig

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Issue# 652

MARCH, 2024

A Few Words From Your Pr esident
by Sharon Bower
Now, we are in the month of March. Coming up, we will be celebrating St. Patrick?s Day,
March Madness, the Ides of March, and Women?s History Month.
Wh at is St . Pat r ick 's Day gold coin s f or ?
Gold Coins have become symbolic of St. Patrick's Day. Legend has it that if you can find theend of a rainbow there will be a Leprechaun sitting there with a pot of gold ... catch him andthe gold is yours.
Wh y do people gif t gold coin s?
Gold gift as a symbol of love, wealth, and prosperity
Very often, gold is given as a symbolic gift with a deeper meaning. The precious metal is acentral part of Diwali, the Indian festival of lights. It is closely associated with Lakshmi, theHindu goddess of fortune and prosperity, which is synonymous with gold.

An n ou n cem en t sRich m on d Coin Clu b Sh ow
On March 30th 2024 the Richmond Coin Club will be holding their first ever coin show. The time is
9:00am to 4:00pm.
The location is the Wayne County Fair grounds at 861 Salisbury Road, Richmond, IN 47374
There will be 72 dealer tables.
If you are able, consider taking a drive to help another club get there show off the ground.

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.

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Issue# 652

MARCH, 2024

Columbus and Isabella, Our First Three Commemoratives
by Mark Benvenuto
The number of commemorative coins the United States Mint comes out witheach year is quite impressive, and the quality of them is second to none. Likewise, anumber of other mints pound out some impressive commemorative coinage eachyear, including the Royal Canadian Mint, the British Royal Mint, the Austrian Mint, anda slew of others. It?s a pretty sure bet to claim that no one is out there collecting all thedifferent commems that are put on the market each year. To do so a person would
need both an enormous place to store them, and an equally enormous bank accountwith which to purchase them. But it wasn?t always that way.Back when the firstcommemorative pieces made it out of the gates at the Philadelphia Mint, there were
only three. Curiously, although many of us in the collecting community are aware that
the Columbus half dollar is the first of any U.S. coin to be issued to commemorate
anything, not as many of us know that there are really three offerings that were madeat the time.
The first of the half dollars
It was 1892, and the United States was ready to honor the 400th anniversary ofColumbus making his fateful, world-changing voyage. Or not. The Columbian
Exposition actually opened in 1893, and ran from May 1st all the way to October 31st .
Today it is also known as the Chicago World?s Fair. Since the plan was for it to remain
open for quite a while, there were 950,000 of the Columbus half dollars made dated
1892. That?s an interesting number, because like many commemoratives that were tocome after it, someone predicted wildly more of them would be needed or wanted
than actually were.

According to some of the numismatic references, these first half dollars weresold as souvenirs for $1 each ? a significant surcharge back then ? and the unsold
ones were later released through the banks and used in commerce. We can only
imagine how much that might have stung for the people who paid the extra for theirofficial souvenir.
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MARCH, 2024

Today there are so many of these first commemorative half dollars available
that a person can snag one for only about $30 in a lower mint state grade, such as
MS-60. The price jumps to about $175 if we want an MS-64 specimen, but that?s to be
expected.
Following up with a second half dollar
As mentioned, the Exposition actually ran through much of 1893, and the folks
running everything at the Mint managed to churn out another 1,550,405 that year,
making them even more common than their earlier siblings. Once again, a person has
to imagine that the excitement of the entire event had really grabbed hold of at least
some of the folks in charge, who were able to push this idea forward.

Today, if we?d like an 1893 version of the Columbus half dollar to go along withthe 1892, it will cost us about $30 for an example in MS-60. If we opt for a betterlooking piece, well, $125 is the ballpark for an example in MS-64.
The oft-forgotten quarter
As mentioned, the Exposition actually ran through much of 1893, and the folks
running everything at the Mint managed to churn out another 1,550,405 that year,
making them even more common than their earlier siblings. Once again, a person has
to imagine that the excitement of the entire event had really grabbed hold of at least
some of the folks in charge, who were able to push this idea forward.
Today, if we?d like an 1893 version of the Columbus half dollar to go along withthe 1892, it will cost us about $30 for an example in MS-60. If we opt for a betterlooking piece, well, $125 is the ballpark for an example in MS-64.
The oft-forgotten quarter
Along with two years of commemorative half dollars, the Mint produced what is
now known as the Isabella quarter in 1893. Columbus did the heave-ho work ofgetting himself, his men, and three ships all the way to a new world, but it was his
queen who was the driving force to make this voyage come to pass. The quarter isdated 1893, sports a portrait of the queen on the obverse, and has a figure on the5reverse said to be the personification of women?s industry. Also, the legend aroundthe figure is something of an advertisement, stating, ?Board of Lady Managers.?

This legend around the reverse of the Isabella quarter bears a bit of explaining,since it may seem to be a bit out of synch with our modern time. The Board of Lady
Managers had a big hand in bringing the Columbian Expo to fruition, and managed to
get ?The Woman?s Building? constructed as part of it. Among other events, itorganized and sponsored the World?s Congress of Representative Women at thebuilding, where there ended up being almost 100 events held, all focused on what
were then called ?women?s concerns.? Knowing this, it is perhaps not a big surprisethat this group also petitioned for some kind of souvenir recognizing their work. The
Isabella quarter was the result.
Quite unlike the two half dollars, the quarter was not made in some extremely
high number. Perhaps the bloom was off the rose, as it were. When the mintage wascomplete, there were 24,214 of this commem made. As just about any collector would
surmise, the price for one today will be considerably higher than either of theColumbus half dollars. But what?s worth noting is that in MS-60 the cost is really only
about $400. This is definitely not a cheap piece of our history, but it is much less acost than we might think, especially for a classic, United States silver coin with so low
a Mint tally.
Gathering a trio?
As mentioned, landing either or both of the Columbus half dollars should not
be too much trouble. They also should not be too much of a strain on our wallets,
unless we opt for some very high grade mint state specimens. The Isabella quarter
will always cost significantly more. But it seems that this coin is either undervalued, orthe collector base for it has remained thin for quite some time.Whatever the casethough, assembling a trio of our nation?s earliest commemoratives might be a fun andeducational undertaking.

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Issue# 652

MARCH, 2023

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!

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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MARCH, 2024

March 2024 Auction Lotsfor 3/18/2024
Description

Grade

Additional Notes

Starting Price

Nothing submitted thismonth in time forpublication.

Your auction lots could be listed right here.
Any active ICC member can put lots in to our monthly auctions.
Send them to the editor by the Thursday before each months meeting.

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MARCH, 2024
M in u t es of t h e ICC M eet in g on Febr u ar y 19, 2023

Open - The meeting was held at the Northside Events and Social Club, 2100 E. 71 St., Indianapolis, Indiana, which
was called to order at 7:02 p.m. by ICC President Sharon Bower. The At t en dan ce Pr ize was a 1965 Canada silver
dollar donated by Jerry Coraz. There were 29 people in attendance.
The Secr et ar y 's Repor t sf or November 2023 and January 2024 were accepted as published in the Planchet, by aduly made motion that was seconded and passed by the membership. The Tr easu r er 's Repor t for January 15th
through February 19 was accepted as published in the Planchet, by a duly made motion that was seconded andpassed by the membership.
Visit or s? There were no visitors at this meeting.
Repor t s of Com m it t ees? Jim Sukup from the Library Committee reported that attempts are ongoing in regard to
retrieving library books that are outstanding and that some progress is being made.
Old Bu sin ess? There was no old business that was reported on.
New Bu sin ess? There were several topics of new business that were discussed at this meeting.
·Chris Bower announced that the ANA is running a membership special through March 31, 2024 for a one-year
introductory rate of $5.00 for a Gold (digital) membership. He also noted that very few articles are being
submitted for inclusion in The Planchet. Please consider submitting an article that you find interesting for an
upcoming edition, as it will be enjoyed by our members and also help with the load that the editor undertakes to
produce each issue.
·The Planchet will begin accepting enhanced listings, which may include a more detailed description of an item
along with a photo, for a $5.00 fee. Please contact Chris Bower for more details.
Nu m ism at ic Fin ds an d Not es of In t er est : Bill Smith reported on finding a ½ dollar and other material in a
Coinstar machine. Joe Boling passed around a counterfeit and original Notgeld with watermark which he recently
purchased. Helmut Richter displayed Super Bowl XXXIII and XXXVII medals that were purchased at those Super
Bowl venues, with one being a replica of the medal that was used for the coin toss, and the other was probably asouvenir rather than a replica medal. Steve Howery had some coins in off-brand holders that he sent to PCGS.For
example, one silver dollar graded MS-63 came back MS-62+, and another graded MS-64 came back as AU-55.
Edu cat ion al Pr ogr am : Craig Johnson gave the Educational Program talk titled ?Technology for Numismatic
Imaging.? Craig gave a rundown on some of the most important aspects of creating images for reproduction innumismatic publishing, both online and in print. Both PCGS and NGC have high standards for their online
offerings, which would be beneficial to duplicate for publication purposes. Image brightness, contrast and astandard of 600 dots per inch (DPI) are most critical in obtaining the best resolution for your images. Several
different software programs are available for use, and images can be saved in many different formats, such as
jPeg, Photoshop, Paintshop Draw, Corel Draw, among others. Some older scanners can be used for creating
images that do not have some of the limitations of newer scanners.
Au ct ion - There were 14 auction sheets, with $14.00 going to the Club.
Fif t y-Fif t y Dr aw in g: The prize for the 50/50 drawing totaled $90.00, with the club receiving $45.00 and thewinner $45.00. The At t en dan ce Pr ize was also awarded.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:37, and our next regular meeting will be on Monday, March 18, 2024.
Respectfully submitted,
Jim Sukup, Secretary(jsukup@rpiratings.com)

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Issue# 652

MARCH, 2024

Tr easu r er 's Repor t f or Febr u ar y 2024:
My treasurer 's report is as follows: The club currently has $26,006.83 in its checking account. The checkfor room rental for our March meeting was sent a few days ago. That's my report.

Jerry C.

$3827.44

Th e 2024 In dian apolis Coin Clu b
Of f icer s an d Boar d M em ber s:

Wildm an Coin s

President
Sharon Bower
Vice-President
Don WraySecretary
Jim Sukup
Treasurer
Gerald Coraz
Newsletter Editor
Christopher Bower
Past President
Jim Sukup
Sgt-at-Arms
Jim Warden
Board Member 2023-2024
Vinton DoveBoard Member 2023-2024
Andy Nahrwold
Board Member 2023-2024
Jim Roehrdanz
Board Member 2024-2025
Louise Boling
Board Member 2024-2025
Jeff Bercovitz
Board Member 2024-2025
Steve Howery

Christopher Bower
ANA# LM7017
Specialist in World Coins,
Tokens, and Medals

443-786-6584
ch r isb8626@m sn .com

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Issue# 652

MARCH, 2024

In dian apolis Coin Clu b
2024 M eet in g Dat es & Edu cat ion al Pr ogr am s
January 18, 2024 - ?Proposed Indiana Tax Legislation ?-by Donn Wray
* Prize sponsor: Gerald Coraz
February 19, 2024 - 'Technology for Numismatic Imaging??- by Craig Johnson* Prize sponsor: Crag Johnson
March 18, 2024 - 'Kennedy Halves' - by Gary Selig* Prize sponsor: Gary Selig
April 15, 2024 - 'Confederate Currency? - by Steve Howery* Prize sponsor: Steve Howery
May 20, 2024 - 'There is a House in New Orleans' - James Warden* Prize sponsor: James Warden
June 17, 2024 - 'T. B. D.? - by T. B. D.
* Prize sponsor: T. B. D.
July 15, 2024 - 'T. B. D.' - by James Roehrdanz* Prize sponsor: James Roehrdanz
August 19, 2024 - 'T. B. D.? - by T. B. D.
* Prize sponsor: T. B. D.
September 16, 2024 - Exhibit Night* Prize sponsor: I. C. C.
October 21, 2024 - 'T. B. D.' - by Christopher Bower* Prize sponsor: Christopher Bower
November 18, 2024 - ?The Annual State of the Hobby Address?- Mark Eberhardt* Prize sponsor: T.B.A.
Tuesday, December 3, 2024 ? NO MEETING - I.C.C. Holiday Banquet* For 2024 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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Issue# 652

MARCH, 2024

Th e Coin Hu n t

317-500-3779
7172 N Keyst on e Ave,
Su it e F
In dian apolis, IN 46240

Closed M on day
Tu e-Fr i 10:30AM -5:30PM
Sat 10AM -2PM

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Issue# 652

MARCH, 2024

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