4th Quarter 2007

In Memoriam — Don Farnam

The PNNA regrets to announce that longtime PNNA life member Don Farnam passed away on September 21. Don’s wife, Marge, passed away in April of 2006. Both were very active in the hobby and we will miss them.

World’s Fair of Money®

This ANA event, the biggest of the year, was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 8-12, 2007. You can read more about this event on the ANA website (www.money.org).

At the convention, the new ANA Board of Governors was installed. As reported by Numismatic News, voted into office were seven newcomers led by veteran hobby publisher Clifford Mishler (4,609 votes); followed by Chester L. Krause (4,518 votes); Edward C. Rochette (3,541 votes); Joseph E. Boling (3,442 votes); Radford Stearns (3,073 votes); Walter Ostromecki (2,882 votes), and Wendell Wolka (2,850 votes). Running unopposed (with vote totals not reported) were President Barry Stuppler and Vice President Patricia Jagger Finner.

Ostromecki, who conducts popular Young Numismatist programs here in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere, was removed from the previous ANA Board on a questionable breech of confidentiality charge. Many PNNA members are pleased to see Walt back on the board!

PNNA Fall Convention Scrip

We are pleased to announce that PNNA member Steve Cox has once again designed “convention scrip” in $1 and $5 denominations for use at the PNNA fall convention (mini-con) in Portland. Steve began designing scrip for the Seattle Numismatic Society annual banquet a few years ago, using high-quality graphics and special paper, and first accepted the PNNA’s invitation to design scrip for the 2005 fall convention. The designs shown in The Nor'wester were prototypes; we’ll see the actual final designs in color at the convention!

Production quantities will be very limited, about 50 serially-numbered $1 notes and 30 $5 notes, similar to last year. We cannot guarantee to reserve any notes in advance, however you can submit a request to secretary Eric Holcomb by e-mail at Eric@Holcomb.com. Notes are sold at face value, and are redeemable at the convention, although we’ve never had any notes redeemed — they are always collected instead! Eric plans to update the PNNA online memorabilia catalog (http://www.pnna.org/catalog/index.html) to include the 2005-2007 souvenir scrip, as well as wooden nickels and tokens from the annual spring convention.

3rd Quarter 2007

PNNA Board Casts Its ANA Ballot

This year, there are 16 candidates running for 7 American Numismatic Association (ANA) Board of Governor positions (not including President and Vice President, who are running unopposed). If you have been reading the numismatic press, you know that this is the most contested election in recent ANA history. A number of important issues have been raised by the “reform” candidates, including:

• Secrecy and confidentiality — currently board members are required to sign a confidentiality agreement, and some board deliberations and votes are conducted in secret rather than in open forum.

• Budget — currently the ANA budget is only “balanced” by drawing from endowment income, while the ANA is trying to raise $40 million for new museums.

• Staff — many former ANA staff members have been “let go” in just the past couple of years.

• Bylaws — the ANA has recommended that the Board adopt a total rewrite of the ANA Bylaws, including the manner in which Board of Governor candidates would be selected in the future.

As an ANA member club, the PNNA has one vote in the ANA election. The PNNA Board has collaborated and decided to cast its ballot for the following candidates:

Joseph E. Boling
Walter A. Ostromecki
Clifford Mishler
Chester L. Krause
Anthony Tumonis
Edward C. Rochette
John R. Eshbach

Of course most of you will recognize Joe Boling as our longtime former secretary / treasurer / exhibit chief judge, who is also an internationally-recognized expert in several fields of numismatics. Walt Ostromecki, who just received the PNNA’s Everett Award, was elected to the ANA Board two years ago, but was then unfairly removed, in the opinion of many PNNA members.

Some of the other candidates are also big names — Mishler and Krause of Krause Publications fame, and Ed Rochette, in whose honor the ANA Money Museum is named. Tumonis is less well-known, but is a former ANA Regional Coordinator who has been very supportive of local clubs and the PNNA. Eshbach, along with Boling, is well-known to numismatic exhibitors at the national level. All of these are among the “reform” candidates.

Whatever you do, if you are an ANA member, please vote in this election! The official ballot must be returned by July 19, 2007. There is a line on the ballot for your ANA member number for verification purposes — please copy this number accurately from the envelope in which you received your ballot, as the formats of some member numbers have changed. Return the ballot to the accounting firm in the envelope provided, and any comments on the Bylaws to the ANA using the separate comment form enclosed.

1st/2nd Quarter 2007

PNNA Convention Token – The PNNA is pleased to once again offer custom designed and struck “tokens” for its 2007 annual convention. This year the design is expected to include a Gallery Mint replica of a US coin design for the first time! The following sets are only available on a pre-order basis: Four-token set (gold, silver, copper and pewter) for $100. Three-token set (silver, copper and pewter) for $15. Both versions are housed in Airtite holders and collector boxes. Pewter strikes will be given to collectors attending the show (while supplies last). Shipping and insurance will be $3.00 for the three token sets and $4.00 for the four token sets – no charge if the sets will be picked up at the convention. Sets will be available for delivery shortly before the convention.

PNNA Scholarship Program – Many thanks to all those who submitted applications for the PNNA Scholarship Program. Two full scholarships (one adult valued at $1,000, and one YN valued at $1,050) will be awarded to attend the 2007 ANA Summer Seminar in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Applications were due on March 23, and the winners will be announced at the convention and on the PNNA website.

PNNA/Willamette Coin Club 3rd Annual Fall Convention – The PNNA/WCC are pleased to announce their third annual fall convention/coin show. The show will take place the weekend of October 13-14, 2007 at the DoubleTree Hotel at Lloyd Center in Portland, OR. The fall show has many of the same features as our spring convention – an outstanding bourse of local, regional, and national dealers; a numismatic theater; a YN program; and an exhibit area. Dealer applications will be going in the mail shortly and additional information will be published in The Nor’wester as it develops. Dealers interested in a table should contact Scott Loos, Bourse Chairman at PO Box 2210, North Bend, WA 98045. Phone: 425-831-8789, e-mail: scottloos@msn.com.