W.B.C.C. News 210

W.B.C.C.
Worldwide Bi-Metallic Collectors Club

WBCC Newsmail 210, Volume 5, August 18, 2000
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Composed with help from members of the
Worldwide Bi-metallic Collectors Club (WBCC)
and this week published by Paul Baker, UK,
WBCC Research Centre, 85@wbcc.fsnet.co.uk
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Dear WBCC members and non WBCC members,

Martin will be back from his vacation in the USA next week, so he will
compose the next WBCC Newsmail. I would like to thank you all for the nice news
you have sent to me about Bi- and Tri-metallics. I hope you enjoy reading
this week's (slightly early) WBCC Newsmail.

1. WBCC at the ANA..........by Martin Peeters, USA
While on my vacation in the USA, I had the opportunity to expose the
Worldwide Bi-metallic Collectors Club to United States collectors at this
year's World's Fair of Money 2000, organized by the American Numismatic
Association and held in the Philadelphia Convention Centre from August 9th
until August 13th. To give you an impression how big this event is: 22 Mints
had their display stands to present themselves to the collectors, 22
collectors clubs had their own booths, and more than 350 coindealers were
present to sell coins and banknotes. The World of Money was in an exhibition
hall about the size of a soccerfield !!
The WBCC could attend the ANA only because of the work of our member Ray
Lockwood. Ray did a great job in the last few weeks to make it possible
(thanks Ray !!). Special for the ANA, WBCC member Jack Hepler made a special
Encased Set with 4 coins in it: Australia 5 Cent 1999, Canada 1 Cent 2000,
USA 1 Cent 2000, and finally a Netherlands 25 Cent 2000. This has never
been done before !!

Thursday August 10th
Together with Jack Hepler, we drove from Richmond to Philadelphia, arriving
about 2 PM. Ray Lockwood had already set up the WBCC booth, combined with
the Central States Numismatic Society. The showcases with Bi-metallics from
Ray's own collection were already shining!! Beautiful to look at. WBCC
member David Schenkman visited the WBCC booth and showed me a special issue
of his book "Bimetallic Trade Tokens of The United States". This special
issue (only 25 pieces made) had a white hard cover instead of the standard
red one. Visitors to the WBCC booth included members Al Boulanger, Dan
Gosling (representing the Canadian Numismatic Association), Nicholas Cheung
of the USA, member and Bi-metallic coindealer Norm Bowers, and Bob Fritsch
also from the United States. After the first day of the ANA I was quite
happy to go to bed early !! (and dream about Bi-metallics)

Friday August 11th
Early in the second day, at 9 AM there was a " Breakfast WBCC meeting" in
the Clarion Suites Hotel (where I stayed) with WBCC members Ray (and Fran)
Lockwood, Al Boulanger, Norm Bowers, Jack Hepler and myself with my youngest
son Joost and his friend Ivo. The ANA opened at 10 AM and of course we were
on time before opening for the public. What a surprise to meet at the booth
Kyle Mutcher from Canada, and several potential WBCC members (read more
about it in WBCC Newsmail 211). Also at our booth was Peter Jencius, the son
of US coindealer and WBCC member Edward Jencius (who specializes in Vatican,
Italy and San Marino Bi-metallics).
In the evening after closing time, members Ray Lockwood (and his wife Fran),
Jack Hepler, Kyle Mutcher and myself had a cozy dinner in the Hard Rock Cafe
and you can image the subject: Yes, Bi-metallics !! What a great day again.

Saturday August 12th
This day there were more than 12,000 visitors at the ANA, amazing ! Member
David Webster visited the WBCC booth, and I was able to finally meet and
speak to our youngest (age 13) WBCC member David Shapiro; what a nice kid !
Also I had the chance to speak to representatives from several Bi-metallic
producers (Mints) and editors of US and Canadian coin newspapers.

Sunday August 13th
The last day was maybe a little disappointing because the show ended at 2
PM and the number of visitors was not as large as on Saturday. Finally at 2
PM I closed the WBCC booth.

Finally, I must say that this World of Money exposition organized by the
ANA was great. Even the Basel event which I attended earlier this year was
not this big. Although I didn't see any new Bi-metallic issues, this was
not as important to me as was exposing the WBCC. Since the club did get so
much exposure, for me it was a great success.

2. ANA show report.........by Dave Webster, U.S.A.
I went to the ANA Worlds' Money Fair in Philadelphia. I met Martin Peeters
and Ray Lockwood and his wife at the (WBCC) booth. I enjoyed that, my first
major coin event, very much. I picked up the 4 piece encased commemorative
set from the Basel & Phila events, and the WBCC bi-metallic from the Basel
show. Martin also gave me a planchet set but I forget what country it represented.
Krause Publications gave an encased 2000 cent to commemorate the occasion
of the fair. I met also for the first time several dealers I do business
with. I purchased the following:
    Portugal 100 Esc. 1999 UNICEF error coin "Portugusa"
    Mexico 1 Peso 2000
    Poland 2 Zlote 2000
I also collect holed and odd shape coins. I found a coin that eluded me for
several years, a holed coin from Nepal, KM-Tn2, 14 Paisa undated. Overall I
had a great time. There was a lot of free literature and also free coins
from the 12 mints represented. The "Ship of Gold" was ok but not what I
expected. Collectors' displays were extremely good. They did some excellent
work. My favorites were the Liberty Bell and Ben Franklin displays. The
Gallery Mint Museum was there and demonstrated how early coins were made.
They had hand presses and an electrified version of the first steam press.
They had the Quarter/Sacagawea mule on display, and the quarter struck on
the dollar planchet. I got Glenna Goodacres' autograph, the designer of the
dollar obverse. Martin, I'm sure will have enough for a very large
newsletter.

3. Some last minute finds at the ANA show by Kyle Mutcher, Canada
I found a few last minute coins when I returned to the show on Sunday,
including a set showcasing the different eras in Finnish history with coin
reproductions, the set included a 1557 and a 1864 1 Markka coin, and a
1990's design Bi-metallic 10 Markkaa coin (38.6 mm diameter). The obverse of
the 10 Markkaa shows a 1964 and 1864 1 Markka coins and an image of a 1410
coin with the respective dates on the ring. The coin medals are housed in a
brass medallion that screws together and is held in a wooden block that has
an interesting twist off top. I also found a Israeli piedfort set including
a piedfort 10 Sheqel.

4. "Electric Penny" encased..........by Cliff Anderson
The encased item on this week's WBCC webpage is marked "Electric Penny".
Yet the brass core is NOT a penny. It is 19mm, where as the penny is 18mm.
The aluminum outer ring is 31mm, not as large as the standard encasement for
"good luck" encased coins. You can tell from the wording that it is not a
good luck piece, nor is it a token. It commemorates the "4th Annual
Electrical Progress Exposition", but does not show a date or place. The
cartoon figure's body is holding an old style electric plug, but it doesn't
look like "Reddy Kilowatt". I would welcome any comment from members who
can add to the piece's description or background.

5. Greek EURO bi-metallic coin designs unveiled - Yousri Ahmad, U.S.A.
Following the announcement of Greece's entry into the EURO single currency
in June 2000, the Bank of Greece have just unveiled the designs for their
EURO coinage two of which are of course bi-metallics. Classical images, the
First President of Greece, a former Prime Minister and maritime travel all
feature on the new coins which will enter circulation in January 2002. All
coins will be struck in Greece and will carry the mintmark of the Mint of
Greece. For images and more information, please follow the link
http://www.bankofgreece.gr/en/euro/coins.htm

--Remark WBCC Research Centre: In case you do not have easy WWW access - I
can add that the Greek side of these coins are:- on the 1 Euro "an Owl
(design taken from an ancient Athenian 4-drachma coin)" and on the 2 Euro "a
scene from mythology - Europa being abducted by Zeus in the shape of a bull
(from a mosaic in Sparta)". The coins will be dated 2002 (Greece does not
usually have coins dated with odd numbered years - only even numbers). The
current issues of 2000 dated Greek-Drachma circulation coins will be the
last.

6. More variations in the bi-metallic Gibraltar 2 Pounds by Paul Baker
In each of two previous editions of the Newsmail I have detailed a variety
to be found on a certain type from the series "The Labours of Hercules"
which are all bi-metallic 2 Pound coins of Gibraltar, made by the Pobjoy
Mint. This week I have a final tale to tell of the varieties to be found on
these coins.
Since completing my collection of these pieces, (or rather the 10 pieces
that have been issued upto now) I have noticed that during the series the
appearance of the mintmark "PM" has changed. It seems that there are four
different guises of this mint mark, plus the "blundered" one which I
mentioned last week that appears only on one of the varieties of KM-758.
An image is now included on the WBCC website of these four styles. The
first style is small and thin and can be seen on KM-755, 756, 757 and 760.
The second style has letters of the same shape as on the first style, only a
little thicker. This second style can be seen on KM-758 (variety with "PM"
above the "S" in "POUNDS") and KM-759. The third style is generally larger
and thicker, with the "M" seeming to have been significantly stretched
horizontally. The third style can be seen only on KM-761. The fourth style
has letters of similar shapes to the third style, but these letters are
thinner and a little smaller. This fourth style can be seen on KM-762, 763
and 764. (KM-765 and KM-766 are still to be issued). Could anyone have
anything different to all of this ? Please let me know.

7. Queen Mother multi-national series features bi-metallics....by Paul Baker
An update to the site of the British Royal Mint this week saw the addition
of details of "The Queen Mother Centenary Silver Collection". This
multi-national series comprises twelve crown-sized coins some of which are
Silver Proof "crown-sized" coins. The reverse images trace the remarkable
life and times of the Queen Mother, the Mother of Queen Elizabeth II. It
seems that most of the pieces are bi-metallic "crowns" with their outer
rings plated with fine gold. This will no doubt be in just the same way as
the silver proof versions of the G.B. 2 Pound coins have gold-plated-silver
outer rings and silver inner cores. The British coin in this series is a 5
Pounds coins but this is not a bi-metallic. The only other country that can
be definitely identified as having a coin in this series is Solomon Islands
with a bi-metallic 10 Dollar coin. The reverses of two other bi-metallics
can be seen but there is no way of knowing which country either of these is
for. Unfortunately a list is not given of the countries "represented" in
this series.
To find the page about all of this on the site of the British Royal Mint
go to http://www.royalmint.com/ , then select your ""location"", then
select the "SHOP" tab, then follow the link to "The Queen Mother Centenary
Silver Collection".

8. Coin World article..........by Paul Baker
The Sacagawea dollar is very much talked about in the U.S.A. by collectors
and here is another reason why......

--Quote
Holed Sacagawea may be struck on ringed bimetallic
By Paul Gilkes, Coin World Staff

California collector Dennis O'Reilly purchased a Sacagawea dollar showing
the designs from dies for a 2000-P Sacagawea dollar struck at the
Philadelphia Mint imparted to the outer ring from a foreign bimetallic coin,
or possibly a washer.
The mystery is from what country and coin was the ring intended to be, if
it is indeed a ring from a bimetallic coin. The ring is silver gray in
color, and is possibly copper-nickel or a similar alloy.
The Royal Canadian Mint has been helping to burnish manganese-brass clad
Sacagawea dollar planchets for the U.S. Mint for several months, resulting
in several Sacagawea dollars being struck on foreign planchets or foreign
coins that inadvertently became mixed in with finished Sacagawea dollar
planchets.
One such error was a 2000-P Sacagawea dollar struck at the Philadelphia
Mint on a struck 2000 Barbados dollar that was originally produced at the
Royal Canadian Mint's circulating coinage production facility in Winnipeg.
The finished dimensions of the error coin shown here match the
26.5-millimeter diameter of the Sacagawea dollar, but none of the known
bimetallic coins that fit that diameter - the 2000 Russian 10 rubles,
Algerian 20 dinars and Bahrain 500 fils - are struck by the Royal Canadian
Mint, according to a spokesman.
The finished error coin illustrated on Page 1 could have had an originally
smaller diameter for the ring, and the metal could have flowed upon striking
to fill the recesses of the Sacagawea dollar die designs.
--Unquote

9. The WBCC Bi-metallic Quiz Game (#210)...by Jack Hepler, USA
In 2000, Poland issued a 2 Zlote bi-metallic coin containing security
measures on the reverse. The center portion shows 2000 interchangeable with
2001 depending on lighting and orientation. The ring is also security
engraved. How many stars show on the reverse security ring of the Poland 2
Zlote, 2000?
a. 3
b. 4
c. 5
d. 6
Please send your answer to me: mailto:hepler@saic.com Next week you can read the
correct answer.
Answer to Bi-metallic Quiz Game question #209.
In 1997, Italy released a new 1000 Lire coin with a map of Western Europe.
It was quickly revealed that there was a mistake in the drawing of the map.
Which of the following are considered errors in the map.
a. Eastern German Border drawn inaccurately.
b. No border between Belgium and the Netherlands
c. Luxembourg missing
d. No border between Germany and Denmark
All of the answers are correct. There have been at least four boundary
inaccuracies identified.
Summary of answers to Quiz Game Question #209: 100% correct

10. New Bi- or Tri-metallic images....by Rod Sell, WBCC Homepage Provider

This week's new pictures in the WBCC Homepage:
http://www.geocities.com/RodeoDrive/7513/wbcc/wbcc.html

Russian Medal from the Soccer in Moscow set.
Greece 1 Euro and 2 Euro designs
Encased US Medal - "Your Electric Penny Buys More"
Gibraltar - Different PM initials on the Labours of Hercules series.

Don't forget - Martin will be back with the next edition of the Newsmail.
So from me, thanks again and "See" you !
Paul Baker,
Worldwide Bi-metallic Collectors Club - Research Centre
85@wbcc.fsnet.co.uk
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The Worldwide Bi-metallic Collectors Club
was established September 14, 1996 and is the very first Worldwide
Collectors Club using the Internet. Goal of the WBCC is exchange
Bi-metallics and exchange knowledge about Bi-metallics
WBCC Organisation:
WBCC Homepage Provider: Rod Sell, Australia, Rod.Sell@elderwyn.com
WBCC DoCu-Centre: Frans Dubois, Netherlands, dubois.f@wxs.nl
WBCC Public Relations: Cliff Anderson, USA, chander@mciworld.com
WBCC Research Centre: Paul Baker, UK, 113076.167@compuserve.com
WBCC Developement Centre, Jack Hepler, USA, leslie.j.hepler@saic.com
WBCC Focal Point ANA 2000 Convention, Ray Lockwood, USA, sunray@comteck.com
WBCC Focal Point: Martin Peeters, Netherlands, martinp@westbrabant.net