Submitted by Stepper Camilleis
There were 24 attendees present at the May 22 meeting. Scott and Mary were unable to attend. We kicked off the meeting with some social discussions such as home air conditioning systems, the recent riots at Hampton and Revere Beach, and Paulo attending that day’s Red Sox game. Paulo sat in the bleachers where the sun was beating down uncomfortably, but by the 4th inning he was able to move to the much shadier 3rd base side where he joined some of his friends. Joe M gave a recap of the 5/21 hunt in Coventry, RI sponsored by Dirt Fishing Adventures, where two incredible finds were made – a Draped Bust half dollar and a Morgan dollar! This segued into a discussion of other sites in Rhode Island where stupendous finds were made, such as Beau Freund’s 1652 Tree coin, and Bill Ladd’s great finds and related videos.
When the meeting got underway in earnest, the prime topic of discussion was the club hunt and barbecue planned for Sunday, August 7 at Salisbury Beach. We will meet at the Pavilion that morning, and a seeded hunt will begin at 10:00 am in a sectioned-off area of the beach. There will also be games, such as corn hole, Left-Right-Center, canjam and frisbee. Anyone can feel free to bring soda and snacks, and the hunt is open to family members.
Paulo gave a recap of the coin show he attended in Nashua, where he bought a full ration of coins for the fall hunt … 550 Mercury dimes, a roll of Standing Liberty quarters, some 40% silver halves, war nickels and a couple of silver dollars. He also purchased some defunct denominations such as an 1855 half cent, an 1853 half dime graded AU-58 by NGC, and an 1875-S 20-cent piece graded VF30 by PCGS. Paulo topped the display off with an encased group of six US proof sets date 1955, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1961 and 1962, as a single prize. What great coins to win, all around!
Paulo also discussed the possibility of hosting another farm hunt sometime this fall after the harvesting season has ended. Paulo also reached out to the club again for anyone in need to have the member contact him via email with details.
Don and Dan agreed to institute a new provision, such that an outstanding find that didn’t get enough votes to place in the Find of the Month contest should still be recognized to the tune of a special prize awarded to the finder. This was done for the first time, as this month, newcomer Mike Z found an 1877 Indian Head cent, which is the rarest date of the entire series. This is a really welcome addition to the Find of the Month, because it frequently happens that one or two items just blow everything else away in terms of voting strength. Thanks to Don and Dan for reaching out with this thought.
RAFFLES
Peace dollar – Bob O’Neil Morgan dollar – Rick Smith 50/50 ($50) – Sandi Gilardi
FIND OF THE MONTH
Pre-1900 Coin:
1st – 1853-O Liberty Seated half – Stepper Camilleis
2nd & Best of Show – 1809 Classic half cent/inverted “9” error – Glenn Godwin
1900-Later Coin:
1st – 1908-O Barber half & 1945 Mercury dime – Mike Zelinski
2nd – 1958 Franklin half – Mary Jane Tsiakalis
Jewelry:
1st – 1919 Victory (over WW I) celebration brooch – Danielle Suarez
2nd – 18K wedding band – Kent Blethen
3rd – Antique gold bangle bracelet – Stepper Camilleis
Relic:
1st – 1700s crotal bell – Danielle Suarez
2nd – c. 1850 Jenny Lind traveling show button – Stepper Camilleis
3rd – c. 1820 Haitian Phoenix button – Judi Batchelder