This page is a summary of recent PNNA president’s messages, as published in The Nor’wester. For older messages/complete messages, please see back issues of The Nor’wester. There is normally a president’s message in each quarterly issue. Thank you!
President’s Messages 2024 by PNNA President Rick Schulz
4th Q 2024
by PNNA President Rick Schulz (elected 2024).
Hello once again everyone. This issue of The Nor’wester highlights the 19th Annual PNNA Fall Coin Show, which runs October 4-6, 2024. For those of you who have a chance to read this before the start of the show, I hope you can join us. This show is one of the largest in the Pacific Northwest, drawing 85 to 100 dealers from across the country and the Northwest. For those of you who’ve picked up this copy at the show (or are reading this online), welcome! Our goal here at the PNNA is to support local clubs and collectors and to spread the joy we get from our hobby to the public. This fall show is one of the events we sponsor to do just that. We put on another show and convention in the spring, April 11-13, 2025. Mark your calendar.
There is a lot going on at the show. Across the hall from the show’s entrance is a room devoted to collector exhibits. This is a great way for collectors to share their knowledge and take pride in their collection. I encourage everyone to examine all the exhibits. You might just learn something new. And don’t forget to vote for your favorite exhibit. Also, I’d encourage anyone to put together their own exhibit for display at future shows. Competitive exhibits are judged, and awards are given by category. For information on exhibiting click on the “Exhibits” drop down menu on pnna.org.
ANACS, a grading service, will be at the show taking submissions for grading and slabbing. There will not be a grader on site. ANACS offers special show pricing (see back cover of The Nor’wester). If you have coins you’d like authenticated and graded, check them out.
Kids are always welcome at our shows. On Saturday and Sunday, they can participate in a treasure hunt on the bourse floor. As families move up and down the aisles of dealers, sharp-eyed kids look for special stickers identifying one of ten treasure hunt stops where they can claim the treasure, something to add to their collection.
Scouts have their own program. We offer a BSA coin collecting merit badge workshop on Saturday where scouts can satisfy requirements for their badge. For more information about our workshops go to “Scouting” on the pnna.org YNs drop down menu.
The PNNA has a penny press for making elongated coins. A new design is created for every PNNA show. These squished pennies make great show souvenirs that include the date and location of the show. If you are a collector of elongated coins, talk to us about other collecting opportunities.
PNNA shows are always a lot of fun. They are opportunities to find new items for your collection, meet people who share your interests and reconnect with friends. If you are not currently a collector, don’t be shy. There is history at every table, and folks on both sides of the tables willing to explain the significance behind most every piece. In fact, if you are a collector and plan to attend the show, bring a friend or relative along. The coin collecting mojo in the room can be catching.
Have a great time at the show and, if you happen to see me (I’ll be there all three days), please say hi, I’d love to meet you. And, as always, happy collecting.
PNNA Washington State Fair information:
https://www.pnna.org/wp/events/fair/.
PNNA Tukwila fall coin show information:
https://www.pnna.org/wp/events/fall/.
3rd Q 2024
Hello, my name is Rick Schulz, and I was recently elected president of the Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association. I’d like to take this time and space to tell you a little bit about me and how I came to be involved in this august organization.
I started collecting coins in the early 1960’s but set it aside after graduating high school to pursue higher education, military service, a career, a family, and other endeavors. I picked collecting again in the mid 1990’s. For the next fifteen years or so I joined and sat on the board of four local clubs. In 2010 I was asked by then PNNA president Lisa Loos if I would take over as coordinator of the association’s display at the Washington State Fair. I agreed and figured I probably should become a PNNA member. I am still our fair display coordinator along with co-coordinator and current PNNA vice president Kevin Charboneau. Shortly after joining the PNNA, I was elected to the board. For the past four years I’ve held the office of vice president.
As president I look forward to leading the PNNA and its mission into the future. My emphasis has been and will continue to be outreach. Our current outreach activities include two coin shows a year (the two largest in the Northwest), our display at the Washington State Fair, and every few years, Wash Jam, Scouting’s regional Jamboree. In conjunction with our shows, we hold seminars for Scouts to earn their coin collecting merit badge.
We also reach out to our local member clubs. Many of the clubs have their own coin shows and, when possible, the PNNA is there, often with our penny press.
One outreach activity that I feel is underutilized is giving talks to community groups. This is a great way to introduce the public to the joy of collecting. Also, there are a lot of folks out there who have collections they inherited and have no idea what to do with it. This is a great opportunity to help, it’s a great public service and one that fits well with our mission.
But the PNNA isn’t just about outreach. It is important that we continue to serve local and national dealers. We must continue to provide dealers with friendly and well-run shows so they can provide collectors with a vast array of numismatic items, and it is important that we continue to encourage collectors to trade with local dealers and those who set up at our shows. This is what the numismatic community is all about.
There. That’s who I am and some of my goals for the PNNA.
We have two big events coming up in the last few weeks of summer and early fall. First is the Washington State Fair which runs from August 30 to September 22. The Fair is our biggest outreach activity where we have the opportunity to show thousands of fair visitors the wonders of collecting. Since March, I’ve been recruiting volunteers to help out at our display in the Fair’s Hobby Hall. There are always shifts available, even beyond the opening day of the Fair. If you are interested in helping out, you can view the current schedule on our website, pnna.org, or you can call or email me with any questions. My contact info is also on our webpage. Whether you volunteer or not, I encourage you to come to the fair. It is one of the biggest in the nation and has something for everyone.
The Fall PNNA Show is coming up October 4-6 in Tukwila Washington. This is one of the largest shows in the Northwest and draws dealers from across the country. In addition to all the dealers and all their wares, there will be collector exhibits that compete for awards. If you are interested in exhibiting, information is available on our website. There will be a Scouting seminar for Scouts to earn their merit badge. There will be a treasure hunt Saturday and Sunday for kids. And hopefully, there will be programs in the numismatic theater.
I am very excited for the future of the PNNA and numismatics, and I’m proud to have the opportunity to lead our association for the next two years. I look forward to meeting as many of you as I can, either at a show or at local club meetings. If you have any questions for me, call or email any time. And finally, HAPPY COLLECTING!
Guests are always welcome to drop in on any board meeting – they are always open! The Board and Officers serve at your pleasure – please contact any one of us with your suggestions.
President’s Messages 2023-2024 by PNNA President Ed Fischer
2nd Q 2024
by PNNA President Ed Fischer.
There are many reasons a person goes into the field of numismatics. You can start at any age in your life, young, old or in between. The purpose you have will be a journey you take and may perpetually change as numismatics develop in your life.
I started with Lincoln Cents from my great grandmother, moved to the shiny coins and more recently history has intrigued me. That path had many twists as differing historic events have crossed my path.
My taste in what I have collected have evolved and changed. Most recently Malaysian Pirates started me on Straits Settlements (a former British crown colony situated on the Malay Peninsula of Asia), and an ANA Summer Seminar course fired me up about Spanish eight reales coins. What you collect is your combined purpose, history and path.
I started on a journey eight years ago that would end with being the president of this great organization. Many weird opportunities crossed my path, like converting to two coin shows in the Seattle area, a pandemic which shut down shows as we know them and restarting with a great team of knowledgeable partners.
We have enjoyed the company of many new faces that assisted the growth of PNNA. The old regulars have been a sturdy foundation, growing as the newbies entered the fold. Through it all numismatics came out on top, flourished and welcomed many new collectors.
I offer my sincere thanks for all the hard work these people provided during all the changes. Being president is part leading and part getting out of the way of the accomplishers.
This newsletter mailing will also have the ballots for the upcoming election. See the candidate statements on pages 20-21, and VOTE, VOTE, VOTE! The new PNNA Board of Governors will be sworn in at the membership meeting on Saturday evening during the spring PNNA coin show. Come down and meet your new Board.
Shows are very labor intensive and require lots of support from the members. Assistance can be very simple like sitting in the hospitality room giving the host a break, greeting at the front desk or cranking out a few squished cents on the Penny Press. Volunteers make the event a success in all the areas. If you see Kevin Charboneau or I, stop us to see where you fit in.
One more time, it has been my pleasure to serve you and the PNNA.
Ed Fischer, PNNA President, edoregon@comcast.net
See www.PNNA.org for current up-to-date show information. And there are other private shows listed also.
1st Q 2024
New call for Volunteers. Happy New Year to all. At this reading you will find yourself jumping into 2024 with both feet. A year filled with the hope of discovery and numismatic fellowship.
2023 brought back a bit of normalcy to the coin world. Goodbye pandemic restrictions and hello to the big shows in the Northwest that are dear to our heart. Winter finds us in the middle of the show season and recent enthusiasm is gangbusters.
The Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association is an active part of our community driven by its membership and leadership. It is time again to reset the PNNA Board of Directors for another election cycle. Don’t forget to get your ballots in. (Ballots will be included with the 2nd Quarter edition of The Nor’wester. Nominations are being accepted now.) This entails the board, event coordinators and volunteers for everything we plan and do. Some of the areas currently in need are a third person to assist at
the Washington State Fair, general board members and also a chairperson for the Tukwila fall and spring shows. They come with plenty of guidance. Volunteers and fresh ideas are what make the world go round.
The next major shows are on the horizon will be Boeing Employees (January 20-21) and Tukwila (April 12-14). Other local shows include the Olympia Coin Club show (January 27), McMinnville Coin Club (February 17-18) and Springfield Coin Club (March 3) shows. Please attend or volunteer to help for their success.
Happy 2024 from your President in Idaho.
4th Q 2023
Here it is the day after my left hip replacement, and I go off on a tangent of upgrades. We all do it in the numismatic community. Searching for a better grade, nicer eye appeal or finally biting the bullet of that key date we haven’t purchased. What do you do with the items you removed?
I was one of the folks I called a “hoarder.” A person who placed the coin in a safe place, but never came back to look at it. It wasn’t until we downsized our home that I found six Rubbermaid containers took up way too much square footage. They were mostly Wheat Cents. This is when I decided to become a pocket dealer. This freed up cash to upgrade and gave access to the dealers on the show floor for filling my wish list. I became much more involved as a volunteer and board member because I decided to get more deeply involved in the numismatic community. The friends, knowledge, resources and exposure to rarities or provenance stories all proved to be valuable.
Summer months are winding down and the show season is gearing up. Here are a few of the shows and events that will have great dealers and numismatic resources:
Washington State Fair is a great way to give back to the coin community and meet fellow collectors. We have a booth in the Hobby Hall from September 1st to the 24th. The fairgrounds are located at 1109 9th Ave., Puyallup Wash. Contact Rick Schulz at Richard53@yahoo.com or call him at 253-535-0690 to fill a slot. (Too late for this year? — put it on your calendar early for 2024!)
If you want to travel to southern Oregon, the Cave Man Coin Club has its show on September 16th and 17th at the Josephine County Fairgrounds. It’s a good-sized regional show.
On October 6th to the 8th is our very own PNNA Fall Coin Show located in the Tukwila Community Center at 12424 42nd Ave S., Tukwila, Wash. It features many dealers from out of town with QUALITY material. The PNNA board meeting is on the show weekend, and everyone is welcome to sit in. We are always looking for fresh ideas.
The Polk County Coin Club is having a great one-day show October 15th at the Polk County Fairgrounds, Bldg. B, 520 S. Pacific Hwy., Rickreall, Ore.
The Willamette Coin Club is hosting their show November 4th and 5th at the Monarch Hotel at 12566 SE 93rd Ave., Clackamas, Ore. Last year was their first time at this location. I attended and the bourse floor was rocking.
My home club, the Salem Numismatic Society, is having its annual show on December 2nd and 3rd at the Oregon State Fairgrounds. Columbia Hall is located at 2330 17th St NE, Salem, Ore. This a huge building with lots of coin and stamp dealers.
The next planned PNNA Board meeting will be at the Boeing Employees Coin Club show, January 20th and 21st held at Kent Commons, 525 4th Ave. N, Kent, Wash.
See https://www.pnna.org/wp/events/event-calendar/ for a complete list of all the shows and contact information. The list includes private shows, non-member clubs and some shows outside our region. Lots of opportunities to hoard and collect.
You can also find clubs on the PNNA and/or ANA websites. Find a club and get involved.
Whether it is a coin, a car or a hip. We can take pride in upgrading the parts of our lives. The improvement can entail the search and discovery of new collectables that come with stories that enrich our lives. I’m not sure how many groupings I have collected, finished, sold and moved on to another interest that was piqued along the way. History is fascinating and usually travels side by side with numismatics. Collecting and fellowship in the numismatic community is full of enrichment.
3rd Q 2023
Summer Fun! As we hit July 1st, I reflect on my new environment. The mornings start out with a bit more warmth, the yard needs more water, and the people of Boise are very welcoming to an out-of-stater. Neighbors have been helpful in finding great restaurants, contractor hints for the new home and meeting new numismatists … they are very open-armed.
The Southern Idaho Coin Club has been very welcoming—whether it was participation at the club meetings or accepting my volunteer labors at their annual show. They returned to having a show after a two-year hiatus and it was quite the success. Of course, I did my part in spreading the world about PNNA. I met and had some great conversations with collectors. They are planning to use Mother’s Day weekend as their regular show date.
The spring and fall coin shows organized by the PNNA are returning to pre-Covid levels and are evolving into something that may be even better than before. Thank you to the committee. It takes the whole team of organizers, volunteers and dealers to make it the happening event. As always, if you are looking for a table contact Scott Loos to reserve. If you are on the other side of the table, you are needed too. Memories of those exchanges will create stories for years to come. The next show in Tukwila is Oct. 6-8: https://www.pnna.org/wp/events/fall/.
Our next big event that requires volunteer participation is the Washington State Fair. Join your club to fill all the shifts for a day, pair up with a friend or contact Kevin Charboneau or Rick Schulz. Find the link to the Fair signup page under the website event page. It goes for almost the entire month of September and creates a great opportunity to grab a scone or corn dog.
We recently dipped back into using video conferencing for our summer Board meeting. It really is the easiest way to get business done when the Board is located all over the Northwest. We were able to include a few more folks who wouldn’t have been logistically able to attend a sit-down in the back of a restaurant. We are blessed to have a wide variety of skills on the Board that make things run smoothly.
My presidency is running down to an end. I will pass the gavel next spring. The election process has begun, and the Board is always looking for outsiders who may have differing points of view. It keeps us fresh, current and educates us to things we overlook. Consider contacting a Board member to ask questions about our quarterly meetings, or to request to attend one of these meetings.
Please visit pnna.org (Info and Events) for show and club meeting times in the greater Pacific Northwest.
2nd Q 2023
Changes!!
This last year has been full of life-altering events and a few serious stressors. I love some numismatics, but I have to say that it has taken a back burner. And I publicly apologize to all the amigos, clubs and contacts for the lack of attention paid to each. I am hoping soon to be through to the other side and back in the saddle of new adventures. Life altering events included retiring, selling our house, moving to the Boise area, spending the last year in MANDATE work mode and filing for Social Security/Medicare. Needless to say, I missed a few club meetings.
Not one of these was a simple process of making a decision and being done. Leaving my home base of the Willamette Valley clubs will leave a hole for me. I am hoping to find a great group of scholarly coin collectors and help local numismatics grow. PNNA will have its name dropped at every opportunity. Boise Coin Club, here I come. If you are in the Boise vicinity and looking to share your knowledge, reach out.
The few shows I have been able to attend have gone over like gangbusters. Saturday crowds have been up and the dealers I talked with were pleased with the busy numbers. People are out paying for quality U.S. type material and bullion has been moving despite the high premiums. Still a lot of uneasiness about inflation and where bullion will go. Silver dollars have gone crazy because of the history and silver weight of this big blob of metal.
An invitation is always open to any numismatist to come to our spring Tukwila membership (after show) or board (before show) meetings on April 15th. The Spring Show will open on the 14th and close April 16th. PNNA is now presenting both fall and spring shows. That’s two big shows being held in the Tukwila Community Center. Dates of the fall show are Oct. 6-8, 2023.
There so many people who make numismatics happen in the Northwest. At any show and/or club meeting someone steps into the gap to smooth operations. They will go unnoticed because they don’t do it to search out recognition, or the group just got busy. In the long run you are noticed. In the membership meeting at the spring Tukwila show, I plan to hand out awards. There is no way to recognize everyone, but the folks who are recipients have been noticed.
One year left in my presidency and it has not been normal. We joked about how I was the president who shut down the coin shows; it was COVID actually. The entire team has merged together to get our regular events back on par and tweaked a few to evolve. We now have two shows in Tukwila, we are back to the full run of the Washington State Fair and scouts seem to be gathering their merit badges in mass. Just to mention a few. Meetings were held via messenger and business was running in the background. Events are happening successfully and mostly because of the volunteers in the Pacific Northwest. Thank you, all!
1st Q 2023
Winter of the Pacific Northwest — I heard at the recently concluded Salem Numismatic Society coin & stamp show that concern was had by those traveling great distances to attend. One dealer had 18 inches of snow to overcome to get to Salem. He was smart enough to travel one day earlier. Others dealt with frosty roadways Saturday morning. Sunday morning it started to snow and put quite a stir in the conversations. It stopped soon and we carried on with a great show. In the back of their minds, dealers started to pack up early to avoid the road hazards of Sunday evening. Overall, the show was well attended, and dealers seemed to be happy. Such is the drama of winter coin shows in the Pacific Northwest.
The local Portland and Wilsonville shows have great numbers of collectors attending. The new Portland location worked out spectacularly, with people two deep at some dealers. The Portland (Willamette) club put
on a great show and as a person on the collector side of the table, I saw no glitches to take away from the experience. Keep up the good work.
Call to business. The Board would like to discuss the many awards and rewards that PNNA has to offer. First, we do have Summer Seminar scholarships ready to be given out. Also, we are really trying to recognize those who have impacted numismatics. Know someone who has gone the extra mile—send me a note. It could be a volunteer, a person who has put on educational seminars at a club, or someone behind the scenes organizing club or show business. I NEED YOUR HELP!
Our next Board meeting is at the Boeing Employees’ Coin Club show, Jan. 21-22, 2023, in Kent, Wash. The evening of the 21st, right after the show closes, we will have our quarterly PNNA board meeting. This is a great opportunity for local numismatists to air their concerns and suggestions. We don’t know unless people talk to the Board about improving the hobby. Always looking for fresh insight.
On a personal note, I in recent years have been collecting 8 Reales of the 1st through 2nd Republic. I’m putting together a Mint and Assayer combination collection. I was really intrigued with the history of all the regions of Mexico and their mints. Some very interesting regional dynamics and international influence. Dies were often produced in Mexico City with their thumb of approval to mint in the various silver regions.
What I have found is that over the last two years there has been a huge uptick in demand for these pieces and the prices have accelerated too. This makes it more difficult to obtain the 1,100 or so PCGS examples for the Registry Set. The top collector is “only” at about 350 specimens. I just love the “Cap and Rays” design!
Onward I go and we will meet on the floor during our exploring. May your discoveries be many!
For older messages, please see back issues of The Nor’wester.