September 2011 - Ottawa Numismatic Society
Transcription
September 2011 - Ottawa Numismatic Society
Also in this issue: √ √ √ √ What’s the value? | Qu’elle est la valeur? The coins of the 1709 siege of Tournai Part 2 ANA’s Chicago convention and more... [September 2011] – 237 is the official publication of the Ottawa Coin Club. It is published ten times a year and aims to promote the hobby of coin collecting and the science of numismatics throughout the National Capital Region. Submissions are welcomed. Please submit text in Rich Text Format (.rtf) separately from images. The images must be of high resolution (minimum 300 dpi) and should be in colour. The preferred file format for images is jpeg (.jpg). Please consult the publ i c a t i o n s t y l e g u i d e a t < ottawacoinclub.com/style > before submitting an article. Les textes en français sont les bienvenus. Editor: Serge Pelletier <editor@ottawacoinclub.com> Assistant editors: Tina Bartolini, Ron Cheek, François Rufiange, Régent St-Hilaire, Steve Woodland Layout artist: Serge Pelletier Translator: Serge Pelletier, Steve Woodland ISSN 1922-4885 On the cover... In the “O” of moneta, the reverse of the Canadian 2011-dated niobium-silver “Hunter’s Moon” 5-dollar coin. Obverse of Manitoulin Island (Ontario) 2000 cents 2002, which honours the Canadian rescue workers that participated in the search of Ground Zero. 238 – [September 2011] Y ou may have noticed, on the cover of this issue and of the last one, as well as at the bottom of page 192, that we have won first place in the American Numismatic Association’s Outstanding Local Numismatic Publication contest. Needless to say your editorial team was ecstatic because it is a significant achievement. Why? Well, for two reasons. Firstly, at last count the ANA had some 470 local member-clubs. Secondly, because the judging was done by, among others, the staff of the ANA’s Numismatist, who produce an amazing publication. So, although I had not planed to attend this year’s ANA convention, the guys twisted my arm and convinced me to go accept the award in person. At the end of this issue you will find my attempt at describing one of the largest coin shows in the world. While we’ve been working on several stories, I’m sad to report that many are not complete yet so you’re stuck with mainly reading my work: Part 2 of my article of the pieces of the 1709 siege of Tournai and a search for the numismatic heritage of September 11, 2001. Thankfully, Steve is offering us an article that explains the various factors that affect the value of numismatic items. Il est encore temps de soumettre un article avant la fin de l’année mais, dépêchez-vous. Serge Copyright Notice All information herein, including the design, style, and format, are the property of the Ottawa Coin Club (OCC). All rights reserved. No part thereof may be reproduced in any form or medium, electronic or otherwise, without the express written consent of the OCC. Members of the OCC are entitled, as part of their membership privileges, to make one (1) printed copy of this issue and to store one (1) copy in electronic format. Further distribution is strictly prohibited. François © Ottawa Coin Club, 2011 I Image sour ces for this issue (page/figur e) sources (page/figure) Barbara Gr egory: 268/10 | www.coinar chives.com Gregory: www.coinarchives.com chives.com:: 261/21, 261/22 Heritage Auctions [[www.ha.com www.ha.com ]: 241/2, 241/3, 242/4, 243/5, 243/6, 244/7 www.ha.com]: Jean Elsen & fils [[www.elsen.eu www.elsen.eu ]: 240/1, 260/19, 260/15, 262/23, 263/24 www.elsen.eu]: www.911memorailcoins.com ]: 250/3, 250/4, 250/5 | Nationl Collector’s Mint: 252/7 Mitch Mendler [[www.911memorailcoins.com www.911memorailcoins.com]: New Zealand Mint [[www.nzmint.com www.nzmint.com www.mint.ca ]: cover www.nzmint.com]]: 271| Royal Canadian Mint [[www.mint.ca www.mint.ca]: Ser ge PPelletier: elletier: cover, 251/6, 253/8, 253/9, 253/10, 254/11, 254/12, 256/16, 265/1, 266/2, Serge 266/3, 267/6, 267/7, 268/8, 268/9, 268/11, 269/12, 269/13, 269/14, 270 United States Mint [[www.usmint.gov www.usmint.gov ]: 255/14, 267/4, 267/5 www.usmint.gov]: Wikipedia commons: 248/1, 249/2, 255/13, 256/15, 259/13 Happy birthday Marilyn! The Cook Islands issued two pieces to commemorate the 85th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s birthday: a silverplated copper 1-dollar coin and a silver 5-dollar coin. Both coins are 38.61 mm in diameter and share the same design. The big difference is that the 5-dollar piece has a diamond insert (as an earring). OTTAWA COIN CLUB since 1946 A utumn is upon us once more; the leaves have begun to show off their colours, the days have become cooler and shorter, the kids (and grandkids for many of us) are back at school, and the woodland creatures have begun their preparations for the upcoming winter. On the other hand, the numismatic community is experiencing a re-awakening after the conventions and the “dog days” of summer – club meetings have resumed after taking a break for July and August, shows are taking place in many areas, and collectors search anew in hope of finding those elusive items for their collections. En tant que président du club, je pense au programme d’activités pour les prochains dix mois, aux élections pour le Conseil d’administration du club, à trouver des nouvelles idées pour rendre les réunions plus intéressants et éducatives; comment attirer des nouveaux membres (surtout les jeunes) et à ce qu’on peut faire, en tant que club numismatique, pour améliorer notre passe-temps, soit au niveau municipal, régional, ou autre. Alors, je vous encourage à y penser et à me faire parvenir vos idées, car c’est votre club. As a club, we always need new ideas, new contributors, and new members. By attracting new people to join, we gain from their expertise and views about the hobby, and we make new friends. By offering up ideas and suggestions for club activities and enhancements, we improve our experience in numismatics, we make the club more attractive to others, and we have more fun. And by contributing actively to the hobby (writing an article, volunteering to organize an event, giving a presentation, serving on the executive, seting up an exhibit – how you contribute is only limited by your imagination!), you gain in experience, ability, and knowledge about numismatics. Étant donné que c’est notre première rencontre depuis l’été, je suis certain que plusieurs de nos membres auront des histoires à nous raconter au sujet de leurs expériences et de leurs acquisitions lors des derniers deux ou trois mois. Apportez-donc vos articles et vos nouvelles à la réunion mensuelle pour qu’on puisse en profiter aussi! Our next meeting is Monday, September 26 at the Heron Road site. Roger will speak to us about the metals used in making coins and medals and where they can be found in the world. As always, don’t forget to bring something for Show and Tell! À bientôt! Steve P.O. Box 42004, R.P.O. St. Laurent, Ottawa, ON K1K 4L8 Email: info@ottawacoinclub.com Website: www.ottawacoinclub.com The club meets every month, usually on the fourth Monday. The meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Theatre (on the 3rd floor) of the Heron Road Multi-Service Centre, 1480 Heron Road, Ottawa. Le club se réunit habituellement le quatrième lundi de chaque mois. La réunion ouvre à 19 h 30 dans le théâtre (au 3e étage) du Heron Road Multi-Service Centre, 1480 chemin Heron, Ottawa. Annual dues: $12.00 Frais d’adhésion annuel : 12,00 $ Your Club Executive: President: Steve Woodland <president@ottawacoinclub.com> Vice-President: Serge Pelletier <editor@ottawacoinclub.com> Secretary: vacant <secretary@ottawacoinclub.com> Treasurer: François Rufiange, FONA <info@ottawacoinclub.com> Appointed Officers: Webmaster: Barry McIntyre, FONA Privacy Officer: Jaime Flamenbaum <privacy@ottawacoinclub.com> [September 2011] – 239 What’s the value? Qu’elle est la valeur? by Steve Woodland par Steve Woodland “ « Mon grand-père m’a légué de vieilles pièces de My grandfather left me some old coins, are they monnaies, est-ce qu’elles valent beaucoup valuable?” ... “I have some old bank notes, do you d’argent? »… « J’ai de vieux billets de banques, en know what they are worth?” ... I often get asked questions like this, so I thought it would be useful to discuss connaissez-vous la valeur? » Voilà des questions qui some of the factors that affect the value of a numismatic reviennent souvent, j’ai donc cru bon de vous parler de ce qui influence la valeur d’un article numismatique. item. D’abord et avant tout, nous devons préciser ce Before looking at how it is determined, we que l’on veut dire par « valeur ». Dans need to define what “value” means. In l’excellent Dictionnaire canadien his excellent book, The Canadian de numismatique, Serge Dictionary of Numismatics, Pelletier précise qu’il y a pas Serge Pelletier defines no moins de sept types de less than seven types of valeur utilisée d a n s value employed in our notre passehobby, 1 including temps 1 y “catalogue (or compris la book) value,” « valeur au “market value,” catalogue » “trend value,” (ou « au “numismatic livre »), la v a l u e , ” « valeur du “intrinsic (or marché », m e l t ) la « valeur value,” selon les “extrinsic tendances », (or face) la « valeur value,” and numis“purchase matique », value.” For la «valeur the purposes intrinsèque » of this article, (ou « de h o w e v e r, I refonte »), la will use the « v a l e u r following extrinsèque » (ou definition: « faciale »), la “The value of a « valeur libératoire ». numismatic item is the Aux fins du présent article, amount a reasonable and nous définissons « valeur » knowledgeable seller (buyer) comme étant « le montant qu’un can expect to receive from (pay vendeur raisonnable et to) a reasonable and averti s’attend recevoir knowledgeable buyer 1. This silver denier of Septimus Severus, issued in 206, sells for less than $50. (seller) as influenced by ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- d ’ u n a c h e t e u r 1. Ce denier d’argent émis en l’an 206 par Septime Sévère se vend moins de 50 $. raisonnable et averti market trends existing at (et vice versa) selon les the time of the sale.” 240 – [September 2011] Using this definition of value, I will examine several factors that influence the value of a numismatic item. Supply and demand tendances du marché au moment de la transaction. » Voyons maintenant ce qui peut influencer la valeur d’un article numismatique telle qu’on l’a définie. L’offre et la demande First and foremost, a numismatic item’s Ce qui influence, d’abord et avant value is set by the traditional economic factors of supply and demand. This tout, la valeur d’un article numismatique c’est le bon vieux means that the fewer the number of a specific piece available principe économique de l’offre et la demande. Ce qui veut (low supply), or the greater dire que moins un article est the number of people seeking to own a piece disponible (offre réduite), ou plus l’article est désiré (high demand), the greater the value. (demande élevée), plus la valeur est élevée. To a numismatic collector, “supply” refers Pour un collectionneur de monnaie, « l’offre » to rarity, which can be c’est la rareté, ce qui estimated from available peut être estimé selon information about the l’information disponible number of items originally made (available from sur le tirage original de la pièce (cette information est various references and catalogues), the number that disponible dans les catalogues de référence), la quantité que are known to have been destroyed l’on sait avoir été détruite (tel que (e.g., official coin melt), and the lors d’une fonte officielle de regularity with which the item appears pièces) et la régularité à laquelle cet article for sale, i.e., its availability on the market est mis en vente, c’est donc dire sa (garnered from population reports, auction disponibilité sur le marché (selon les catalogues, and specialty reports). rapports de population statistique, Supply, or rarity, must also be les catalogues de ventes examined in conjunction with the aux enchères, les rapports demand for the numismatic spécialisés). piece; if no one wants it, then L’offre, ou la rareté, doit the price will be lower than être étudiée en fonction de if many people are seeking la demande pour cet to own one. Demand article numismatique. Si is more difficult to determine than supply, personne ne veut de cet and it fluctuates more article, la valeur sera frequently and can vary moindre à celle qu’il r e g i o n a l l y. F a c t o r s aurait si beaucoup de gens le désirent. Il est plus influencing demand difficile de déterminer la include the number of demande pour une pièce que collectors seeking the piece sa disponibilité. La demande (the collector base), the peut être influencée par divers importance attached to the piece by the collector community or the facteurs : le facteur géographique (l’article est plus facile à obtenir individual collector (is it noted as a dans une région qu’une “key date”, or a “must autre), le nombre de have” item? Does it have 2. Canada 1948 silver dollar – the “key” to the series. 3. Canada 1949 silver dollar – a collectionneurs historic or cultural popular commemorative featuring HMS Matthew reverse. intéressés dans le importance?), and the ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2. Canada, dollar en argent 1948 – la pièce clé de la série. 3. Canada, dollar en domaine, l’importance piece’s visual appeal argent 1949 – une pièce populaire à cause de son revers orné du HMS Matthew. [September 2011] – 241 4. United States, 1881 silver dollar (Liberty Head or Morgan type) with attractive rainbow toning. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------4. États-Unis, dollar en argent 1881 (type « tête de Liberté » ou « Morgan ») avec patine « arc-en-ciel » attrayante. (beautiful artwork, physical condition, and eye appeal). Given the above, you can see that supply is fairly straightforward and with some diligent research it can be determined with relative accuracy. Demand, on the other hand, is much more esoteric as it involves an analysis of information that is less readily available (number of collectors seeking a specific piece) and it involves personal emotions (how attractive is the piece to someone and how badly do they want it). To illustrate this, let us look at the silver dollars of two adjacent years, 1948 and 1949 (Figs. 2 and 3); fewer than 19,000 of the former were struck, while over 670,000 of the latter were produced. These numbers are reflected in their market price: an uncirculated 1948 dollar will cost you over $1500, while its 1949 colleague, which features what many consider to be one of the most beautiful and desirable reverse designs on Canadian dollars, the HMS Matthew, can be found in the same, or better, condition for less than $100. Given the above general understanding of the basic aspects of supply and demand and their impact on value in numismatics, let us examine some of the other factors that influence value of coins, notes, tokens and medals. Condition Pelletier defines condition as “the quality or level of preservation of ... [an item] compared to when it was produced. ... Usually, the better the condition, the more the item will be worth.” Determining the condition of a particular numismatic item is not a simple task, and collectors should learn as much as they can about evaluating the condition of the pieces they collect. Reference texts abound for both coins and bank notes and these should be consulted. However, the best source of learning is to practise, whenever you get the chance, by attending workshops, examining professionally evaluated coins at shows and auctions, and discussing the topic with more experienced collectors. As a rule of thumb, coins and medals that display less evidence of wear (ideally none) from circulation, have a 242 – [September 2011] attribuée à l’article (s’il s’agit d’une « date clé » ou d’un article « essentiel », si l’article a une importance historique ou culturelle), l’attrait visuel de l’article. Comme vous pouvez le constater, il est relativement facile d’établir, suite à quelques recherches, l’offre d’un article. Déterminer la demande pour un article est une tout autre histoire parce que les données requises à la détermination ne sont pas aisément trouvées et que les sentiments peuvent affecter le tout (la beauté de l’article, le désir qu’un collectionneur a pour cet article). Regardons un peu comment tout cela affecte la valeur de deux dollars en argent : ceux de 1948 et 1949 (fig. 2 et 3). Le tirage du dollar 1948 n’est que de 19 000 pièces, alors que celui du dollar 1949 est de 670 000. Une pièce de 1948 de qualité fleur de coin vaut 1500 $ alors que la valeur d’une pièce 1949 de même qualité n’est que de 100 $. Et ce malgré que le motif du dollar 1949 (qui représente le HMS Matthew) est considéré par plusieurs comme étant l’un des plus beaux motifs à jamais être utilisé sur une pièce canadienne. Voilà donc comment l’offre et la demande affectent la valeur d’un article numismatique. D’autres facteurs rentrent en ligne de compte. high lustre and a full strike, and possess few marks due to production (“bag” marks) are the most desirable and will have the highest value. For paper money, the highest value is associated with bright, rich colours (no fading), a crisp, unsoiled, unfolded note with no rubs, tears, or holes, and a design that is precisely centered on the paper. Eye appeal The Canadian Dictionary of Numismatics defines eye appeal as “the quality of a ... [numismatic item’s] attractiveness, distinct from any quantifiable measure of condition.” For coins, it is most often associated with toning. Coloured toning (Fig. 4), particularly when radiating symmetrically from the centre of a piece in a rainbow of colours, is highly desirable by many collectors, while others prefer a “blast white” coin with no toning whatsoever. Dark toning (grey or black), on the other hand, is viewed almost universally as undesirable, primarily because such toning can hide faults. Coins with beautiful designs, such as the United States 20-dollar gold coins designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, also demand a premium price for their attractiveness. For paper money, eye appeal is also associated with exquisite artwork and design, as well as the effective use of colour. It should be noted that the evaluation of eye appeal is not done in the same manner by all professional, third-partygrading services. Some allow for it in the grade they assign a coin or note, while others do not, preferring to grade solely on the piece’s condition and leave the assessment of eye 5. Newfoundland, silver 5 cents silver 1870 – much more affordable than its rare, yet modern 1946 companion. 6. Canada, cupro-nickel 10 cents 1969 Large Date variety – only a handful are known to exist. L’état de conservation Pelletier définit l’état de conservation comme étant : « La qualité ou le niveau de conservation d’une pièce, d’un billet, en comparaison au moment de sa fabrication… En général, plus une pièce est bien conservée, plus elle vaut cher. » Déterminer l’état de conservation d’un article n’est pas chose simple. Les collectionneurs devraient chercher à apprendre les facteurs considérés pour l’évaluation de l’état de conservation dans leur domaine de collection. Il existe de nombreux textes à ce sujet. Mais la meilleure façon d’apprendre est la pratique : en suivant un séminaire sur le sujet, en regardant de nombreux articles évalués par des services indépendants d’évaluation d’état de conservation, en discutant du sujet avec d’autres collectionneurs spécialisés dans le même domaine. En règle générale, les pièces ou médailles les plus désirables sont celles qui ont le moins d’usure ou de marques de circulation, qui ont un beau lustre et qui sont bien frappées. Conséquemment, elles seront celles dont la valeur sera la plus élevée. Pour les billets, les plus désirables sont ceux qui ont le moins d’usure ou de marque de circulation, dont la qualité du papier est à son optimum, qui ne sont pas souillés et dont les couleurs sont riches. L’attrait visuel Le dictionnaire canadien de numismatique définit l’attrait visuel comme étant la « description qualitative de la beauté d’une pièce, elle est distincte de la mesure quantifiable de l’état de conservation. Elle se rapporte habituellement à la 5. Terre-Neuve, 5 cents en argent 1870 – beaucoup moins dispendieuse que la plus rare, mais plus récente, pièce de 1946. 6. Canada, 10 cents 1969 au gros millésime en cupronickel – une très petite quantité existe. [September 2011] – 243 7. United States, 1-dollar “radar” note. | 7. États-Unis, billet de 1 dollar à palindrome. appeal to the individual collector. In any case, whether incorporated into the grade or not, an item with strong eye appeal will command a premium when sold. Intrinsic value The value of the precious metals contained in an item is not usually a significant factor in determining its value, particularly in high-end pieces. For low-end pieces, however, strong upward fluctuations in the market, such as we are experiencing at present, may mean that the bullion value of low-end pieces rises beyond the established market value, and such pieces are then sold as “melt.” Emotional attraction This is the individual collector’s personal desire to possess a specific numismatic item – “I gotta have it to complete the set!” or “I want it because (insert your personal reason here), so I’ll pay a premium just to get it.” Collectors have many personal reasons to pay higher-than-normal prices to obtain specific pieces. The reasons may relate to completing a collection set, filling a gap in a theme collection, an attraction due to regional or local history, a connection to a family member or personal memory, or any imaginable personal reason. In this case, the increased value of the item is unique to the collector and will unlikely be evident to others. Pedigree Also referred to as provenance, the pedigree is the list of previous owners of a numismatic item. Such owners could include famous collectors (Pittman, Remick, Eliasberg, etc.), well-known personalities in the numismatic community (mint masters, past presidents or founding members of 244 – [September 2011] patine. » De nombreux collectionneurs apprécient particulièrement les pièces dont la patine émane symétriquement du centre de la pièce et dont la couleur varie telle celle d’un arc-enciel (fig. 4), tandis que d’autres préfèrent les pièces sans patine. Une patine foncée est généralement méprisée parce qu’elle peut cacher des défauts. Les collectionneurs sont souvent prêts à payer plus cher une pièce au motif attrayant, tel que celui de la pièce étatsunienne de 20 dollars d’Augustus Saint-Gaudens. La qualité des motifs et de la gravure des billets affectent également leur valeur. Il est à noter que certains services indépendants d’évaluation d’état de conservation considèrent l’attrait visuel d’un article dans l’attribution d’un grade. D’autres en font fi et n’attribuent un grade qu’en fonction des marques d’usure. La valeur intrinsèque La quantité de métal précieux contenu dans une pièce affecte généralement peu la valeur de cette dernière, surtout dans le cas de pièces de haute gamme (qualité). Mais il en est autrement pour les pièces de basse gamme, particulièrement lorsque le marché des métaux précieux est volatile comme il l’est aujourd’hui. C’est généralement pendant ces périodes que les pièces de basse gamme sont vendues pour la refonte. L’attrait émotif L’attrait émotif est le niveau de désir qu’un collectionneur peut avoir envers un article numismatique : « Ça me le prend pour compléter ma collection! », « Je me fiche du prix, ça me le prends absolument. » Un collectionneur peut avoir societies and associations, historic figures in numismatics, etc.), or autographed items (the artist, the author, the mint master, governor of the bank, etc.). Knowing an item’s pedigree attaches a personal touch, a historical record of the piece, and this could also include a noteworthy story linking it to a historical event or personality. Such historical collateral often adds a premium to the value of a coin, token, medal, note or book. Specialized Interest This broad category includes errors and varieties, which are found with both notes and coins, as well as many features unique to notes, such as serial number varieties (radars [Fig. 7], ladders, millions, solids), signature combinations, plate number sets, and more. While the number of collectors seeking such items of special interest is limited, it is nonetheless significant. Specialized clubs and associations exist for errors and varieties, and numismatic errors and varieties are “hot” commodities that often demand significant premium. Age Many non-collectors (and novice collectors) have the impression that older pieces are more valuable. Usually, such is not the case. The factors of rarity, condition, eye-appeal and others as noted above play a much more important role. To illustrate this point, let us take the example of an ancient Roman coin, which is over 1000 years old – such a piece can be found easily for less than $50 (Fig. 1). On the other hand, a Newfoundland 5-cent piece from 1946 is priced in the four-figure range; while a Canadian 1969 large date variety 10-cent piece (Fig. 6) will set you back five figures. Why the difference? Supply and demand – the Roman coins are readily available in quantity to meet the needs of the collector community, while the other two pieces are available in limited quantity (only a handful in the case of the large date 10-cent piece) and are highly sought after by many collectors. There you have it, a brief overview of some of the key factors that affect the value of coins, notes, tokens and medals in the numismatic arena. Next month I will look at where you can purchase your numismatic items and the impact this can have on the price you pay. Note: 1 Pelletier offers the following definitions of value used in numismatics in The Canadian Dictionary of Numismatics: • catalogue value (also book value) – The value of a numismatic item in the reference usually used for that specific series. Dealers will usually sell at Catalogue Value or Trend Value. • market value – Value of a numismatic item at which a collector can expect to sell it; usually less than the Catalogue Value or Trend Value. bon nombre de raisons pour désirer un article au point de payer très cher pour l’avoir. Ce peut être pour compléter une collection; pour combler un besoin d’une collection thématique; parce qu’il est relié à la région ou à l’histoire locale; parce qu’il a des liens familiaux. Dans un tel cas, la valeur ajoutée n’existe que pour le collectionneur. Les antécédents Une pièce qui provient de la collection d’un collectionneur célèbre (tel que Pitman, Remick, Eliasburg) ou d’une personnalité du milieu numismatique (maître de la Monnaie, membre fondateur d’une organisation, etc.) peu avoir une plus-value. Les antécédents d’une pièce lui convient une touche personnelle, une valeur historique et une plus-value. Attrait particulier Le collectionneur peut avoir un attrait particulier dans un type de pièces, telles que les pièces fautées, les billets à palindrome (fig. 7), les billets à numéro de série dit « solides », etc. Il existe même des organismes de collectionneurs qui se spécialisent dans de tels domaines. L’âge Mais il y a une chose qui ne donne pas de plus-value à un article – au grand désarroi des néophytes : l’âge. L’âge n’affecte aucunement les facteurs énumérés jusqu’à présent. Un exemple est une pièce romaine de plus de 1000 ans qui peut valoir moins de 50 $ (fig. 1). Un autre exemple est une pièce terre-neuvienne de 5 cents millésimée 1946 qui vaut quelques milliers de dollars tandis qu’une pièce canadienne de 10 cents 1969 au gros millésime (fig. 6) vaut dans les dizaines de milliers de dollars. Pourquoi? Encore une fois, l’offre et la demande. Voilà, c’était donc un bref aperçu des différents facteurs qui influencent la valeur d’une pièce. Nota : 1 Le dictionnaire canadien de numismatique contient les définitions suivantes : • valeur au catalogue – Valeur d’un article numismatique selon la référence appropriée. Comme cette référence n’est publiée que périodiquement, la valeur selon les tendances peut différée et est habituellement plus à jour. Syn. valeur au livre. • valeur du marché– Valeur à laquelle un collectionneur peu s’attendre de pouvoir vendre un article numismatique. Habituellement de 10 à 20% en deçà de la valeur au catalogue ou de la valeur selon les tendances. • valeur faciale– Valeur légale, conventionelle, d’une monnaie, telle qu’elle est libellée sur la pièce. Syn. valeur extrinsèque. • valeur intrinsèque– Valeur conférée à une monnaie par son contenu métallique. • valeur libératoire– Valeur qu’une monnaie, un billet, un jeton, a pour acquitter une obligation, une dette. suite à la page 271 continued on page 271 [September 2011] – 245 246 – [September 2011] Seen in Chicago! [September 2011] – 247 par Serge Pelletier, CD L e 11 septembre 2001 restera à jamais gravé dans la mémoire des témoins du monde entier et dans l’histoire. Qui peut oublier l’image des tours du célèbre World Trade Center qui s’effondrent comme des châteaux de cartes, qu’elle ait été vue « en direct » ou en reprise? En moins de deux heures, quatre avions de ligne se sont écrasése, dont trois utilisés comme des missiles pour attaquer les symboles de la « suprématie » états-unienne en matière de commerce et d’affaires militaires. Près de 3000 personnes perdent la vie. Mais elles ne sont pas toutes américaines, elles viennent de 42 pays différents, de tous les continents : 14 pays des Amériques, 13 pays d’Europe, 9 pays d’Asie, 5 pays d’Afrique et d’Australie. Certes, les Américains ont été les plus touchés par les évènements de cette journée fatidique puisque, pour la première fois, ils étaient attaqués à l’intérieur de leurs frontières continentales. Ces attaques en sol états-unien ont eu le même effet qu’une goûte qui tombe dans l’eau… les répercussions se sont vite propagées dans le monde entier. Il est triste à dire qu’on a perdu plus que des vies humaines ce jour-là, on a perdu le sentiment de sécurité. Depuis dix ans, lorsque nous sommes dans un endroit de grande affluence, nous regardons par-dessus notre épaule, nous analysons les gestes de tout un chacun, nous sommes méfiants. Pour ma famille et moi les évènements du 11 septembre 2001 ont grandement marqué nos vies. Ce fut la fin de l’innocence pour mes filles alors âgées respectivement de 7 et 10 ans. Ce fut un virage dans ma, carrière militaire. Ce fut une hausse marquée dans le poids des responsabilités parentales pour mon épouse… Depuis juillet 2000, nous vivions en banlieue de Washington et je travaillais au sein de l’armée états-unienne à moins de cinq kilomètres du Pentagone. Le World Trade Center m’était également très familier, car j’avais été détaché auprès de l’armée états-unienne de 1990 à 1993, mais, à cette époque, je travaillais en banlieue de New York, à moins de cinq kilomètres des célèbres tours, et les voyais tous les jours en allant au boulot. Outre la tragique perte des passagers des vols détournés et des employés et visiteurs du World Trade Center et du Pentagone, ce qui a marqué le plus la population américaine c’est la perte des quelque 400 secouristes, ambulanciers,policiers et pompiers, ces gens qui risquaient volontairement et régulièrement leur vie pour aider les gens en détresse, qui furent suite à la page 250 248 – [September 2011] by Serge Pelletier, CD T he date of September 11, 2001 will forever remain engraved in the memory of all of us, the world over, who witnessed that day’s tragic historical events. Who can forget the image of the towers of the World Trade Center, whether you saw it “live” or after the fact, collapsing like a house of cards? In less than two hours, four passenger jets had crashed, three of which were used as missiles to attack symbols of American “supremacy” in business and military operations. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives, but not all of them were American; they came from 42 different countries, from all continents: 14 from the Americas, 13 from Europe, 9 from Asia, 5 from Africa, and Australia. Certainly, the United States was the most affected by the events of this fateful day because, for the first time, Americans were attacked within their own continental boundaries. These attacks on American soil, not unlike a single drop into a glass of water, initiated a ripple-effect of repercussions that quickly propagated around the world. Sadly, we lost more than human lives that day; we lost our feeling of security. Since then, over the last ten years, whenever we are in a large, crowded space – we always check over our shoulder, we constantly examine each and every person’s actions, and we trust no one. The events of September 11, 2001 had a striking effect on the lives of my family and me: for my daughters, aged 7 and 10 years, the day marked the end of their “innocence.” For me, it triggered a significant change in my military career. For my wife, it meant a significant increase in the weight of parental responsibility. Why?...We had been living in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. since July 2000, and I was working within the US Army less than five kilometres from the Pentagon. The World Trade Center was also quite familiar to me because I had also served with the US Army in the New York area, from 1990 to 1993, and worked only a few kilometres from the twin towers, a landmark I saw each morning while heading to work. While the deaths of the passengers on the highjacked planes and the people working and visiting the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were tragic, what most affected the American population was the loss of more than 400 emergency workers – paramedics, police, and firefighters – heroes who risked, and lost, their own lives while attempting to save the lives of others continued on page 251 [September 2011] – 249 3. Médaille dédiée aux policiers et ambulanciers paramédicaux. 4. Médaille dédiée aux pompiers. 5. Médaille dédiée aux pompiers décédés le 11 septembre 2001 et arborant l’iconique image de Thomas Franklin. -----------------------------------------------------3. Medal dedicated to policemen and EMS technicians. 4. Medal dedicated to firefighters. 5. Medal honouring the firefighters who died on September 11, 2001 bearing Thomas Franklin’s iconic image. suite de la page 248 pris au piège lorsque les tours se sont effondrées. L’image des ambulances stationnées à la base des tours, portes ouvertes, gyrophares allumés, prêtes à se lancer une fois remplies de leur précieuse, cargaison, mais maintenant recouvertes d’une épaisse couche de poussière et dénudées de toute activité, me hante encore. Nous profitons donc de ce dixième anniversaire pour évaluer l’héritage numismatique de cette date fatidique. Hommage aux héros disparus Je mentionnais plus tôt que ce qui avait marqué le plus la population américaine c’était la perte des quelque 400 250 – [September 2011] secouristes, ambulanciers, policiers et pompiers, pris au piège lorsque les tours se s o n t e ff o n d r é e s . U n g r a n d n o m b r e d e m é d a i l l e s commémoratives leur a été dédié. Dans la majorité des cas, les fonds recueillis grâce à la vente de ces médailles (ou une partie) ont été remis à des associations de soutien aux familles des victimes. On peut regrouper ces médailles comme suit : celles dédiées aux pompiers (fig. 4 et 5), celles dédiées aux policiers (fig. 3), celles dédiées aux ambulanciers et secouristes (fig. 3), les patriotiques, les génériques. L’une des images les plus iconiques du 11 septembre 2001 et des jours qui suivirent est sans contredit celle de Thomas Franklin, photographe du journal The Record du comté de Bergen, au New Jersey, qui montre trois pompiers hissant le drapeau états-unien sur un mât englouti dans les décombres du Ground Zero (qui rappelle la célèbre photo suite à la page 252 Continued from page 249 when the towers collapsed. I am still haunted by the image of the ambulances waiting at the base of the towers, doors open, lights flashing, ready to transport injured victims to nearby hospitals, but now devoid of any activity and covered in a thick, black, and grey blanket of dust and ash. On this tenth anniversary of an event that changed our way of life, let us take some time to survey its numismatic heritage. Honouring fallen heroes I mentioned earlier that what most affected the American people were the deaths of some 400 emergency workers, tragically trapped in the debris when the towers collapsed. Many of the commemorative medals struck were dedicated to these heroes. In the majority of cases the proceeds from the sale of the medals, or at least a portion of them, were donated to associations and groups dedicated to the support of the families of victims. These medals can be grouped as follows: those dedicated to firefighters, those dedicated to police officers, those dedicated to the emergency medical services, patriotic medals, and general medals. Without a doubt, one of the most iconic images from that fateful day, and the days that followed, is that captured by The Record photographer Thomas Franklin of Bergen County, New Jersey, showing three firefighters raising the United States flag on a mast sticking out of the rubble in the area of Ground Zero (reminiscent of the famous photo of the Marines at Iwo Jima taken during the Second World War). It is not surprising therefore, that we find this and similar scenes on many of the medals (Fig. 3). Ground Zero site, it measures 115 × 92 mm. In fact, slightly more than 54,000 tons of steel were recovered from the site and sold to foreign companies. Prior to this large-scale export, however, a small foundry in the state of Georgia purchased several tons and produced these medals one-byone. The obverse depicts the New York City skyline (with the celebrated twin towers still intact) with a US flag in the background. The legend above reads GOD BLESS AMERICA, while the lower half comprises the date SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 and UNITED WE STAND in the exergue. As for the reverse, it is simply inscribed with the following text: PSALM 37 / IN MEMORY OF THOSE / WHO PERISHED / CAST IN THE USA / WITH STEEL FROM THE / WORLD TRADE CENTER / IAM / © 2003. Controversy To this day, much controversy surrounds many of the medals mentioned above, particularly with respect to the contributions to various funds by those who struck the medals – it seems that many of them failed to deliver on their promises. It goes without saying that the American public now sees these companies as “profiting from the misfortune of others.” There was a public outcry in 2004 when the National Collector’s Mint of Port Chester, New York, began selling a “Freedom Tower Dollar” from the Commonwealth of the continued on page 253 A relic medal One of the most impressive numismatic items related to September 11, 2001 is the relic medal shown in Fig. 4. Cast from the steel recovered from the 6. This relic-medal contains steel recovered from Ground Zero. ------------------------------------------------------------6. Ce médaillon-reliquat contient de l’acier récupéré de Ground Zero. [September 2011] – 251 suite de la page 250 Un des items numismatiques reliés aux évènements du 11 septembre 2001 les plus impressionnants est un médaillon-reliquat (fig. 6). Faisant 115 × 92 mm et 360 g, ce médaillon est coulé à partir d’acier récupéré sur le site du Ground Zero. En effet, un peu plus de 54 000 tonnes d’acier ont été récupérées du site et vendues à des entreprises étrangères. Toutefois, une petite fonderie de l’État de la Géorgie a acheter quelques tonnes avant l’exportation pour produire ces médaillons, un à un. L’avers montre la ligne d’horizon de la ville de New York (qui comprend la célèbre silhouette des deux tours) devant un drapeau états-unien. Au-dessus on peut lire GOD BLESS AMERICA (Dieu bénisse l’Amérique) et dessous SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 (11 septembre 2001) avec à l’exergue UNITED WE STAND (Nous sommes résolus). Pour ce qui est du revers, il est simplement inscrit : PSALM 37 / IN MEMORY OF THOSE / WHO PERISHED / CAST IN autres ». Des tollés se sont levés contre National Collector’s Mint de Port Chester (New York) en 2004 lorsque ce dernier mît en vente un Freedom Tower Dollar du Commonwealth des Mariannes du Nord soi-disant plaqué d’argent récupéré du World Trade Center. Ultimement, le procureur général de l’État de New York, Eliot Spitzer, logea une plainte contre le National Collector’s Mint citant que les inscriptions IN GOD WE TRUST, ONE DOLLAR et 100 MIL .999 PURE SILVER (« mil » étant un terme créé par cette compagnie pour désigner un millionième de pouce d’épaisseur de placage) étaient trompeuses. La Cour de l’État de New York émit une injonction citant que la publicité du National Collector’s Mint était « trompeuse » et « fallacieuse » et qu’elle cherchait à capitaliser sur « l’importance historique et émotionnelle des évènements du 11 septembre… » D’autres tollés contre le National Collector’s Mint se sont levés au début de 2011 lorsqu’il lança une publicité sur une médaille qui souligne le dixième anniversaire du triste jour (fig. 7). Bien qu’aucune injonction n’ait été émise, la compagnie ne vend plus les produits touchés par cette poursuite. THE USA / WITH STEEL FROM THE / WORLD TRADE CENTER / IAM / © 2003 (Psaume 37 / À la mémoire de ceux qui ont péri / Du côté militaire prise à Iwo Jima pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale). Il n’est donc pas surprenant que l’on retrouve une scène semblable sur bon nombre des ces médailles (fig. 5). Un médaillon-reliquat Moulé aux États-Unis d’Amérique à partir d’acier du World Trade Center / IAM / © 2003). Controverses Beaucoup de controverse a entouré, et entoure toujours, bon nombre des médailles ci-haut mentionnées particulièrement en ce qui concerne les contributions des émetteurs à des fonds : il semble qu’ils sont nombreux à ne pas verser les ristournes promises. Il va de soi que le public américain considère ces entreprises comme des gens qui « profitent du malheur des Dès le soir du 11 septembre 2001, les forces armées étatsuniennes furent mobilisées. Les seuls avions à sillonner le ciel pendant plusieurs semaines furent les avions militaires. La marine déploya des navires et porte-avions le long des côtes comme premier périmètre défensif. L’armée de terre fut mobilisée et se propagea partout, particulièrement aux aéroports qu’elle devait sécuriser afin de permettre la reprise des services aériens. Ce sont les soldats qui assuraient la sécurité des passagers, c’est l’opération NOBLE EAGLE. Une autre opération fut rapidement mise en branle, ENDURING FREEDOM qui vit des militaires de partout dans le monde se diriger vers l’Afghanistan pour combattre El Qaïda. Le patriotisme américain était à son plus haut depuis probablement la Deuxième Guerre mondiale et les suites de l’attaque sur Pearl Harbor, le 7 décembre 1941. Les militaires états-uniens ont une longue tradition numismatique, celle d’émettre des jetons d’unité qui sont échangés entre les militaires et offerts par les hauts gradés à titre de remerciement pour un travail bien fait. Ces pièces sont très souvent polychromées. Il n’est donc pas surprenant que les unités mobilisées et déployées suite à la page 254 7. Le National Collector’s Mint a fait face à la controverse une fois de plus lorsqu’il lança une publicité sur cette médaille qui commémore le 10e anniversaire des attentats du 11 septembre. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------7. Controversy was raised once again when the National Collector’s Mint started to market this medal that commemorates the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. 252 – [September 2011] 8. “Commander’s coin” struck for the U.S. Army’s 257th Transportation Battalion (Movement Control) for Operation NOBLE EAGLE. 9. “Unit coin” of the U.S. Air Force’s 40th Expeditionary Wing, based in Diego Garcia as part of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. 10. Generic medal struck for Operations NOBLE EAGLE and ENDURING FREEDOM. -----------------------------------------------------------8. « Jeton du Commandant » frappé pour le 257e Bataillon de transport (contrôle des mouvements) de l’armée de terre états-unienne pour l’opération NOBLE EAGLE. 9. Jeton d’unité de la 40e Escadre expéditionnaire de l’armée de l’air états-unienne basé à Diego Garcia dans le cadre de l’opération ENDURING FREEDOM. 10. Médaille générique frappée pour les opérations NOBLE EAGLE et ENDURING FREEDOM. continued from page 251 Northern Mariana Islands, allegedly plated in silver recovered from the World Trade Center. Ultimately, New York State Attorney General, Eliot Spitzer, lodged a complaint against National Collector’s Mint, stating that the inscriptions IN GOD WE TRUST, ONE DOLLAR and 100 MIL .999 PURE SILVER (“mil” being a term created by National Collector’s Mint to designate one millionth of an inch of plating thickness) were misleading. The New York State Court issued an injunction stating that the publicity by National Collector’s Mint was “deceptive” and “disingenuous” and it sought to capitalize “on the emotional and historical significance of the events of Sept. 11th…” Further outcry against National Collector’s Mint was heard at the beginning of 2011 when the company advertised the release of a medal commemorating the 10th anniversary of this tragic day. Although no injunction has been issued, the company no longer sells products related to this lawsuit.. On the military side The US military was mobilized on the evening of September 11, 2001. Military aircraft were the only planes permitted to fly the skies over North America for several weeks. The Navy deployed ships and aircraft carriers all along the US coasts as a first defensive perimeter. The Army continued on page 255 [September 2011] – 253 suite de la page 252 déterminée par le secrétaire de la Défense. » Bien que, selon le décret, je ne qualifie pas pour ces médailles, n’étant pas un membre des Forces armées étatsuniennes, elles m’ont été présentées par mon commandant de l’époque – à titre de souvenir – puisque j’ai participé tant à des opérations qu’à des expéditions pour combattre le terrorisme. un peu partout dans le monde aient émis un jeton d’unité pour l’occasion (fig. 8). Certains font même référence directement au 11 septembre 2001 (fig. 9). On peut regrouper ces jetons comme suit : ceux d’unités de la marine (y compris les Marines), ceux d’unités de l’armée de terre (fig. 8), ceux d’unités de l’armée de l’air (fig. 9), ceux des forces armées – c’est-à-dire génériques (fig. 10). On peut même compter dans ce type de pièces Enfin quelque chose d’officiel! toutes celles émises par les troupes canadiennes en Bien que de nombreux projets de loi ont été proposés Afghanistan. depuis 2002 pour la frappe de monnaies ou médailles Le 12 mars 2003, visant à rendre le président George hommage aux W. Bush a autorisé v i c t i m e s l’attribution de deux américaines du médailles militaires 11 septembre créées suite aux 2001, un seul vit évènements du le jour, la 11 septembre N a t i o n a l 2001 : la Global S e p t e m b e r 11 War on Terrorism Memorial & Expeditionary M u s e u m Medal (Médaille de Commemorative s e r v i c e Medal Act of 2010 expéditionnaire de la (Loi de 2010 guerre contre le terrorisme) sur la médaille et la Global War on Terrorism commémorative des Service Medal (Médaille de monument commémoratif et service de la guerre contre le musée nationaux du terrorisme). 11 septembre). Cette loi, Selon ce décret du autorisée par le président Bush, la Global président Obama le Wa r o n Te r ro r i s m 6 août 2010, prévoit Expeditionary Medal la frappe de ( f i g . 11 ) « s e r a 2 millions de décernée aux médailles en membres des Forces argent contenant armées des États1 oz. d’argent Unis qui servent ou chacune. ont servi au sein L’avers de cette d’expéditions militaires médaille, disponible pour combattre le terrorisme, depuis le 1er septembre telles que définies dans les dernier, montre Mlle Liberté 11. Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. règlements d’exécution appropriés, le 12. Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. tenant la Lampe du Souvenir avec, en ou après le 11 septembre 2001, et avant arrière-plan, deux faisceaux lumineux une date de conclusion à être déterminée par le secrétaire se dressant ver le ciel. La légende est ALWAYS REMEMBER de la Défense. » (rappelez-vous à jamais) et 2001-2011. La Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (fig. 12) Le revers montre un aigle éployé devant une cascade. À quant à elle, « sera décernée aux membres des Forces armées l’exergue on lit HONOR / HOPE (honneur / espoir) en deux des États-Unis qui servent ou ont servi au sein d’opérations lignes. militaires pour combattre le terrorisme, telles que définies Les médailles, frappées par les ateliers de Philadelphie dans les règlements d’exécution appropriés, le ou après le et de West Point (et arborant la marque d’atelier appropriée), 11 septembre 2001, et avant une date de conclusion à être suite à la page 256 254 – [September 2011] 13. Two beams of light representing the former Twin Towers of the World Trade Center rise into the sky above the New York city’s skyline on September 11, 2004, during ceremonies marking the third anniversary of the faithful day. 14. The recently issued silver medal of the U.S. Mint. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13. Deux faisceaux lumineux représentant les tours jumelles du World Trade Center s’élèvent vers le ciel au-dessus de la silhouette de la ville de New York lors de cérémonies commémoratives le 11 septembre 2004. 14. Médaille en argent récemment émise par la Monnaie états-unienne. continued from page 2253 was deployed throughout the country, particularly to secure airports so regular air traffic service could resume. Under the name of Operation NOBLE EAGLE, soldiers were employed to ensure passenger security. Another operation, called ENDURING FREEDOM, was also mounted quickly, assembling military forces from around the world and directing them toward Afghanistan, with the goal of eliminating Al-Qaeda’s base of operations there. American patriotism reached the highest levels since December 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor during the Second World War. The military forces of the United States have a long numismatic history of issuing “challenge coins” that are exchanged between military members and presented by senior personnel as a reward for “a job well done.” These pieces are often colourized. It is therefore not surprising that units deployed throughout the world have produced and issued “challenge coins.” Some even refer directly to September 11, 2001. We can group these “coins” as follows: those of Navy and the Marine Corps, those of the Army, those of the Air Force, and general military ones. One can also add the pieces issued by Canadian units in Afghanistan. On March 12, 2003, US President George W. Bush authorized the creation of two military medals: the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary continued on page 257 [September 2011] – 255 15 C’est une image comme celle-ci (15 15), montrant un pompier entouré de débris et de 16 fumée, qui a inspiré le dessin de ce jeton municipal de l’île Manitoulin (16 16). -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15 It is an image like this one (15 15), showing a firefighter amid rubble and smoke, that inspired the design of this Manitoulin Island municipal trade token 16 (16 16). suite de la page 2254 font 39 mm de diamètre, ont une tranche lisse et sont de qualité épreuve numismatique. [Pour de plus amples informations consultez le site Web de la Monnaie étatsunienne au www.usmint.gov] Un hommage canadien Au printemps 2002, alors que les fouilles se poursuivaient encore au Ground Zero, le Club Lions de Little Current (Ontario), émetteur de jetons municipaux pour l’île 256 – [September 2011] Manitoulin depuis 1969, me demanda de les aider à produire un « jeton de l’amitié » pour souligner les liens d’amitié qui existent depuis des décennies entre les habitants de l’île Manitoulin et les Américains et en guise de solidarité. En effet, l’île est un endroit de villégiature particulièrement prisé et apprécié des Américains. De nombreuses familles américaines y ont un chalet où ils se rencontrent d’année en année. Inspiré des nombreux secouristes canadiens qui ont ratissé le site du Ground Zero dans l’espoir d’y trouver des survivants, le jeton montre, en silhouette, un chien, un pompier, un policier, un militaire et des travailleurs – hommes et femmes. Ces silhouettes sont flanquées par les drapeaux canadien et états-unien, émaillés aux couleurs appropriées. À l’exergue ont lit : IN MEMORIAM SEPT. 11, 2001 / TOGETHER WE STAND / FOR FREEDOM (In Memoriam 11 sept 2001 / Ensemble nous nous battons pour la Liberté). L’utilisation de « 2000 cents » plutôt que 20 dollars veux dire 2000 fois merci aux secouristes. Les jetons ont été frappés sur des flans bimétalliques (cœur de bronze-aluminium et couronne de cupronickel) qui font 38,6 mm de diamètre, pèsent 23,3 g et ont une tranche suite à la page 257 continued from page 255 Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. According to the Bush decree, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (Fig. 11) “... shall be awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States who serve or have served in military expeditions to combat terrorism, as defined by such regulations, on or after September 11, 2001, and before a terminal date to be prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.” As for the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (Fig. 12), it “... shall be awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States who serve or have served in military operations to combat terrorism, as defined by such regulations, on or after September 11, 2001, and before a terminal date to be prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.” While it is clear from the decrees related to these two medals that they are only to be awarded to members of the US armed forces, they were both presented to me by my commander at the time – as a commemorative gesture – because I had participated in both operations and expeditions to combat terrorism as part of my duties while serving with the US Army. Finally something official! While numerous bills to strike coins or medals to commemorate and honour the victims of September 11 have been proposed since 2002, only one has managed to see the light of day and become law – the National September 11 Memorial & Museum Commemorative Medal Act of 2010. Signed by President Obama on August 6, 2010, this Act authorizes the striking of two million silver medals containing 1 oz. of silver each. Available since September 1, the medal’s obverse features Lady Liberty holding the Lamp of Remembrance, with two beams of light shining up into the sky in the background. The legend reads ALWAYS REMEMBER and 20012011. The reverse depicts an eagle, with wings spread wide, in front of a waterfall and the words HONOR / HOPE in two lines on the exergue. Struck by the mint facilities at Philadelphia and West Point, these medals (with their appropriate mint marks) are 39 mm in diameter, have a plain edge, and are struck in proof finish. [For additional information, visit the website of the US Mint at www.usmint.gov] A Canadian commemorative In the spring of 2002, while searches were still ongoing in the area around Ground Zero, the Lions Club of Little Current, Ontario, issuer of municipal trade tokens for Manitoulin Island since 1969, asked me if I would assist them to produce, as a gesture of solidarity, a “friendship token” to highlight the ties of friendship that have existed for decades between the residents of Manitoulin Island and the Americans. The island is, in fact, a popular vacation spot favoured by American visitors, many of whom have family cottages where they return year after year. Inspired by the many Canadian rescue workers who raked through the debris at Ground Zero, searching in the hope of finding survivors, the token depicts, in silhouette: a dog, a firefighter, a police officer, a military member, and various workers – both men and women. These silhouettes are flanked by the Canadian and American flags, appropriately coloured in enamel. The exergue reads: IN MEMORIAM SEPT. 11, 2001 / TOGETHER WE STAND / FOR FREEDOM. The tokens, struck on bimetallic planchets (bronzealuminum core and cupronickel ring), are 38.6 mm in diameter, weigh 23.3 g, and have a plain edge. Mintage was limited to 1,000 pieces. The denomination “2000 cents” instead of “20 dollars” is a way of saying 2000 “thank yous” to the emergency workers. A portion of the profits realized from the sale of the tokens was sent to one of the firefighting brigades in New York to support the families of the victims. This has been a quick overview of the numismatic heritage of September 11, 2001. Sadly it is not the only inheritance of that tragic day. References: Pelletier, Serge. “Attentats du 11 septembre : Héritage numismatique,” Monnaie Magazine, 36 (septembre 2004), pp. 36-38. Strack, Jeff. “9-11 The Day the World Changed,” Coin World, Septembre 5, 2011. http://usmilitary.about.com/od/medalsanddecs/l/blwotmedals.htm [201109-07] http://www.publicsafety.net/coins_main.htm [2011-09-07] http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/medals/?action=911NationalMedal [2011-09-07] 11 SEPT — suite de la page 256 lisse. Le tirage a été limité à 1000 exemplaires. Une partie des profits réalisés ont été envoyés à l’une des brigades de pompiers de New York pour les familles des membres disparus. Voilà donc un bref survol de l’héritage numismatique du 11 septembre 2001. Dieu sait qu’il ne s’agit malheureusement pas du seul héritage de cette journée. Références : Pelletier, Serge. « Attentats du 11 septembre : Héritage numismatique », Monnaie Magazine, 36 (septembre 2004), pp. 36-38. Strack, Jeff. « 9-11 The Day the World Changed », Coin World, 5 septembre 2011. http://usmilitary.about.com/od/medalsanddecs/l/blwotmedals.htm [2011-09-07] http://www.publicsafety.net/coins_main.htm [2011-09-07] http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/medals/?action=911NationalMedal [2011-09-07] [September 2011] – 257 258 – [September 2011] by Major (Ret’d) Serge Pelletier, CD [ED: In the first part of this four-part story, we looked at the historical background on Tournai, the War of the Spanish Succession, and on this 1709 siege. Now we will delve into the obsidional coinage issued by the besieged Lieutenant-General de Surville.] F aced with a shortage of coinage, M. de Surville spoke with the Parliament of Tournai on July 3: It was said that M. le marquis de Surville declared that he intended to strike silver and copper coinage, and that it was therefore necessary to hear the gold and silversmiths as well as the melters, and see appropriate working places. The gold and silversmiths having been heard, it was determined that the ‘grande sale de la conchiergerie’ [sic] would be used to work the silver coinage and that the ‘lieu de marquage des Eschevinages’ [sic] to work the copper coinage. (Cocheteux 1856, 137. Quoting the recto of folio 116, register #233 of the Parliament of Tournai) De Surville had decided to strike a silver 20patard—yes patard, not sol, contrary to most references—that was forced into circulation by an edict of the Parliament of Tournai dated July 13, 1709, and copper 8- and 2-patard, equally forced into circulation by an edict of July 20. I would like to remark on the fact that, for well over a century now, these pieces have been misrepresented as 20, 8, and 2 sols. I believe that this misrepresentation is based on Lieutenant-Colonel Prosper Mailliet’s Catalogue descriptif des monnaies obsidionales et de nécessité avec atlas [Descriptive catalogue of obsidional and necessity coins with atlas] published in Brussels in 1870. This work has long been considered THE standard reference on the subject. In it, Mailliet lists all Tournai 1709 pieces as being denominated in sol. (Mailliet 1870, 443-445) However, Mailliet based his 18. Tournai Cathedral. The Encyclopedia Britannica, Eleventh Edition (New York: The Encyclopedia Britannica Company, 1910) [September 2011] – 259 19. 2 patards struck on a reformed Liège liard of Maximilian Henry of Bavaria. 20. 2 patards struck from a new blank. listing on Lieutenant Charles Cocheteux’s detailed article entitled “Du Marquis de Surville et des monnaies obisidionales frappées à Tournai en 1709” [Of Marquis de Surville and the obsidional coins struck at Tournai in 1709] published in the May 1856 issue of the Mémoires de la Société historique et littéraire de Tournai. In it, Cocheteux cites both the July 13 and July 20 edicts of the Parliament of Tournai that clearly states that the pieces are denominated in patards: July 13, 1709 […] The Court has ordered and orders that the aforementioned pieces recently struck at a weight of a quarter écu worth three livres and twelve sols of France, bearing the inscription M. de Surville around a bust, will be accepted by the public during the duration of the siege for the price and value of 20 patars [sic] or 25 sols of France; forbids anyone to refuse them, under threat of a fine of fifty florins distributed one third to the informant and the remainder to the poor of the city. (Cocheteux 1856, 149) The 2-patard piece July 20, 1709 […] found it necessary to produce two copper [coins] of lower value, to help the troops pay for the foodstuffs that they need, of which coins the first will be worth two patars [sic] bearing the inscription Tornaco obsesso around a tower, and the other worth eight, showing on one side the arms of said marquis de Surville, and on the other side the inscription: moneta in obsidione Tornacensis cusa, […] (Cocheteux 1856, 142) Let us now return to the pieces issued by de Surville. 260 – [September 2011] The 2-patard piece is uniface, made of copper, 25 millimetres in diameter and is described as follows: TORNACO – OBESSO [during the siege of Tournai] A tower with portcullis. Above the value: 2. Below, the date 1709. (Mailliet 1870, 445 and Duby 1786, 110 for translation of Latin inscription) Cocheteux identified three varieties of this piece. Some were struck on new copper blanks (fig. 20), others on reformed liards (fig. 19). The 8-patard piece The 8-patard piece, also made of copper, is 28 millimetres in diameter and is the only one struck on both sides. Cocheteux identified two varieties that were described by Mailliet as follows: In the field, the crowned arms of marquis de Surville, in an obsidional crown, accosted14 by the value: 8-S. [Fig. 21] Rev. – In the field, the chronogram: MONETA – IN – OBSIDIONE – TRONACENSI – CVSA [coin struck at Tournai during the siege}. (Mailliet 1870, 444 and Duby 1786, 100 for translation of Latin) Similar to No. 15 [previous], from another die, with the difference that the crown is smaller and that the value 8 is below the arms. (Mailliet 1870, 445) [Fig. 22] I believe that the description of the first piece is somewhat incorrect. Given that the July 20 edict defined it as an 8patard piece, I believe that the ‘S’ is more correctly a second ‘8’ that was made from an ‘S’. Indeed, this ‘S’ on all specimens I have observed is closed off (but then again, that is true of the S’s on the reverse as well). Mailliet simply followed Cocheteux’s description that states in part “The crown that surmounts the shield is accosted by the sign 8S, giving the value of the piece.” (Cocheteux 1856, 144) This description is, I believe, the source of the mislabelling of the pieces as sols. The ‘de Surville coin’ The last piece was, as we saw, the first one approved: the silver 20 patards. A uniface klippe,15 it is described as: M DE SVRVILLE. Laurelled bust, left. Above, the value: 20. Below, a small tower, mintmark of Tournai. (Mailliet 1870, 443) [Fig. 23] This piece is commonly known as the ‘de Surville coin’ because it bears his name. The general view then, and indeed often today, is that the effigy is also his. This statement does not immediately raise concern with today’s collectors. However, 300 years ago, such a thing would have constituted 21. 8 patards of the so-called “8-S” variety. 22. 8 patards with 8 below the arms. [September 2011] – 261 royales des inscriptions et médailles) 23. 20 patards showing a laurelled bust and the name of Monsieur de Surville. a lèse-majesté—an insult to the king—Louis XIV at that, who did not take very kindly to those matters. Indeed, word reached the French court that de Surville had struck coins with bearing his own likeness. Even worse, this likeness showed him as a Roman emperor! Of course, most of the Court saw in this a violation of the king’s rights. The matter was sent to the Académie royale des inscriptions et médailles. 1 After reviewing the matter, the Académie exonerated de Surville of the so-called lèse-majesté crime stating: […] that the pieces called obsidional coins could not be called coins, because they were really mere tokens, public pledges and obligations contracted by a besieged governor; that these pieces had no legal value; that posterity would see in them medals struck for the need of the time while glorifying forever the prince [presumably de Surville], honour his troops and the one the king chose to command them in the defence of a most important place, and finally, that these pieces could in no way prejudice the indisputable right to strike coinage, which is the sole right of the king, etc., etc. (de Crazannes 1854, 63-64. Quoting the Académie 262 – [September 2011] The case was closed and it was never brought up again. So the presumption that the effigy was de Surville’s continued, as is recorded in many documents of the 19th century. But French numismatist, Baron Chaudruc de Crazannes, challenged that presumption in his 1854 article Sur la monnaie obsidionale de Tournai, dite de Surville [On the so-called de Surville obsidional coin of Tournai]. De Crazannes bases his belief on the many discussions he had w i t h a f r i e n d , Vi c o m t e d e Vanderbourg, who was a member of the Académie des inscriptions et des belles-lettres. 16 According to de Vanderbourg, who was quite familiar with the piece, Monsieur de Surville’s grandson, and his good friend, “never admitted that the head depicted on the coin was that of his grandfather.” (de Crazannes 1854, 68) But if it was not de Surville’s effigy, why did he not just come out and say it? To understand why, we need to know more about Monsieur de Surville. LouisCharles de Hautefort, Marquis de Surville, was born of an old family in the Périgord. He grew up as a page17 of the king’s great stable and quickly embraced the profession of arms, joining the Flemish army as a volunteer. He was named colonel of the régiment de Toulouse in 1684. At the head of this regiment he distinguished himself in battle at Fleurus and Steinkerque. These faits d’armes led to his promotion to brigadier and his assignment to the régiment du Roi as lieutenant-colonel [sic]. During the War of Spanish Succession, de Surville fought under the Duc de Bourgogne, contributing to the victory over the Dutch at Nijmegen. Promoted to lieutenant-general, he served in Germany at the Battle of Speyer where, leading the King’s Regiment, he defeated seven enemy battalions. This led to the eventual rout of the entire Imperial Army. He participated in the defence at the siege of Landau (1704) and served under Maréchal Boufllers at Lille in 1708, where he was wounded. The following year, he was tasked with the defence of Tournai. He later retired to Paris, where he died on September 19, 1721, at the ripe old age of 63. (Weiss 1826 and Cocheteux 1854, 133) So we have a gentleman who grew up understanding aristocracy and, obviously, was not a stranger to discipline 24. Lille, 10 sols 1708 showing the arms of Maréchal de Boufflers on the obverse. and respect, since he served in his king’s regiment. It is therefore somewhat illogical to believe that de Surville would willingly do something to insult his king. Furthermore, obsidional coins were nothing new. They had been around since the 13th century and were quite common in this war. Indeed, they had been issued both at Landau and at Lille, sieges at which de Surville had served. De Surville was therefore familiar with them. A comparison between the 8-patard piece issued by de Surville in late July, and the pieces issued by Boufflers at Lille, upon which he had set his arms [Fig. 24], does show a resemblance in design. De Surville was the first to put an effigy on a coin— hence the unfavourable attention at the French court—but why? Coming back to a question raised earlier: if it was not de Surville’s effigy, why did he not just come out and say so, to clear his name? Understanding military ethos, I believe that de Surville was quite satisfied with letting the matter rest, and that he felt raising it could potentially offend his king, which I believe he did not want. Next issue, we will search for the ‘owner’ of the effigy on the 20-patard piece. 17 Young nobleman placed with a king or a lord to learn the profession of arms. Sources cited: Cocheteux, Ch. (1856). “Du Marquis de Surville et des monnaies obisidionales frappées à Tournai en 1709,” Mémoires de la Société historique et littéraire de Tournai, Tome 4. Tournai: Malo & Levasseur, May 1856. pp. 125-152. de Crazannes, Chaudruc (1854). “Sur la monnaie obsidionale de Tournai, dite de Surville,” Revue de la numismatique belge, 2e série, Tome IV. Brussels: Librairie polytechnique d’Aug. Decq. pp. 59-70. Duby, Tobiesen (1786). Receuil général des pièces obsidionales et de nécessité. Paris: Debure. Mailliet, Prosper (1870). Catalogue descriptif des monnaies obsidionales et de nécessité avec atlas. Bruxelles: Fr. Goddaerts. Weiss (1826). “Louis-Charles de Hautefort, marquis de Surville,” Biographie universelle, ancienne et moderne, Tome 44e. Paris: L. G. Michaud. p. 235. Notes: 14 Heraldic term meaning “flanked on either side.” 15 Rectangular or square piece of metal bearing the impression of a round coin. 16 Created under Colbert in 1663, the role of the Académie royale des inscriptions et médailles [Royal Academy of Inscriptions and Medals] was to establish the inscriptions and mottoes of the monument and medals in the glory of King Louis XIV. To do so, it studied the medals and other rarities, ancient and modern, in the king’s cabinet as well as ancient monuments in France. It was later renamed the Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres. [September 2011] – 263 264 – [September 2011] by Serge Pelletier T he American Numismatic Association (ANA) - the world’s largest numismatic organisation - held its annual convention at the Donald E. Stephen Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois (a few minutes from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport) from August 14 to 20, 2011. Dubbed the “World’s Fair of Money,” this show, one of three now held annually by the ANA, stood out among all previous ones not only because it was the association’s 120th anniversary convention, but also because it had the largest bourse in ANA history, with more than 450 dealers present. It is hard to summarize such an event, but I will do my best. Arriving a few hours after the official opening, on August 14, I made my way to the convention centre and was greeted, as I walked in, by a labyrinth of velvet ropes that led to a huge registration booth that could accommodate up to ten greeters. Luckily for me, there was no lineup at the time. So I proceeded to register and purchased the official convention “badge” as well as a “passport” to the world mints. While this passport was really aimed at young collectors, I saw many adults who, like me, enjoyed visiting the various booths of world Mints. Ten countries are presented in the passport: Australia, Austria, Canada, China, France, the Isle of Man, Israel, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and, of course, the United States. Each country has a page dedicated to it, which gives a very brief history of the country, followed by an historical overview of the institution present on the “Mint Promenade,” and two lines each for the monetary system, circulating coins, circulating bank notes, and the institution’s website. The idea is to visit the various booths on the “Mint Promenade,” get the passport stamped, and receive a coin from that country. In the centre of the 13.5 × 19.75 cm booklet is a plasticized page with 18 pockets in which to store the coins. Since neither the Royal Australian Mint nor the Monnaie de Paris (French Mint) were present, the passport came pre-stamped and “pre-populated” with Australian 5-cent and French 1-eurocent coins. The other coins one could collect are: an Austrian 2eurocent, a Canadian 5-cent, a Chinese 1-jiao, a Manx 1-penny, an Israeli 10-agorah, a Japanese 5-yen, a Mexican 10-cent, a South African 20-cent, a Taiwanese 1-yuan, a Thai 1-baht, a British 1-penny, and an American Glacier Park 25-cent piece. All were, naturally, dated 2011. Armed with my passport, I entered the bourse floor to head to the “Mint Promenade” to fill it before I did anything else. My breath was simply taken away when I walked 1. The obverse of the ANA convention medal into the gigantic room where the shows a Potawatomi warrior and recalls the bourse was being held… The LBattle of Fort Dearborn in 1812, while the reverse shaped room covered some 20,439 shows Capt Heald and Fort Dearborn, inspired by the Henry Hering statue Defense. This medal was square metres (220,000 square designed by Jamie Franki, whose designs also grace some U.S. coins. [September 2011] – 265 2. The World Mint Passport includes information on each country featured. The centre of the passport hold a plasticized page in which one stores the coins received at the various mint booths. 3. A smiling Jennifer Curtin, of the Perth Mint, proudly displays the special “Little Aussies” set produced for the ANA convention. Limited to 2000, the set sold out during the convention. feet), and I was in the smallest portion of the room (the base of the L). I could not believe the size of it. So, I pulled out the floor plan to gain a better understanding of the layout and determine where to go from there to reach the “Mint Promenade,” which, in this case, was the outer perimeter of the largest portion of the room. Along the “Promenade” I came across some old friends. One of them was Mr. Ed Harbuz, CEO of GoldCorp Australia and the Perth Mint, whom I had the pleasure of meeting in Europe almost a decade ago and, of course, my many friends at the Royal Canadian Mint. These two Mints were the only ones that offered souvenir mint sets made specifically for this ANA show. The Perth Mint was offering a “2011 Australian Little Aussies” set that bears the mention “American / Numismatic / Association / ANA World’s Fair of Money / Chicago 2011” on the front. The postcard-sized set holds two encapsulated coins: an Australian Koala containing 1/10 oz. of .999 silver and an Australian Kangaroo containing 0.5 g of .9999 gold. Only 2,000 such sets were made. As for the Royal Canadian Mint, it offered a “Commemorative Canadian Coin and Medal Set,” which contains 1-cent, 10-cent, 25-cent, 50-cent, 1-dollar, and 2dollar uncirculated coins. The 5-cent coin was replaced by a copper medalet that features the Mint’s corporate logo on 266 – [September 2011] the obverse, while the reverse bears the legend AMERICAN NUMISMATIC ASSOCIATION and the inscription in the centre CHICAGO / ILLINOIS / 2011, in three lines. Three maples leaves at 6 o’clock complete the design. Only 500 of these sets were produced and each one is numbered. At the end of the “Mint Promenade” I came upon the booth of the New Zealand Mint with its brand new Star Wars series. I was now free to roam around the gigantic bourse floor to hunt for some items for my collection. But wait… immediately behind the New Zealand Mint’s booth was a series of table of various coin clubs. One was that of the local Chicago Coin Club, where I met Steve Zitowsky, a great soul, who introduced me to his club and all its activities. On display was a simple, yet beautiful, medal issued by the club to mark the presence of the ANA. The obverse features 4. This “facing Jefferson” design found on the obverse of the U.S. 2006-dated 5-cent coin was designed by Jamie Franki. 5. The “American bison” design found on the reverse of the U.S. 2005-dated 5-cent coin was also designed by Franki. 6. Franki proudly displays the large version of the convention medal, which he designed. He is wearing the three “badges” he designed for the ANA. 7. This copper medal was issued by the Chicago Coin Club for the ANA convention. “Standing Lincoln,” a statue by famed coin designer Augustus Saint-Gaudens that stands in Chicago’s Lincoln Park at North Dearborn Parkway. Behind Lincoln is the legend. The reverse features the inscription AMERICAN / NUMISMATIC / ASSOCIATION / CONVENTION / CHICAGO / 2011 in six lines. Only 250 of these medals were struck in antique copper. I just had to get one! The ANA had its own area where it had activities for young collectors and where one could meet different authors and coin designers throughout the show. That is where I met Jamie Franki the designer of the convention medal, which was available in three formats: a 70 mm antique bronze medal, a set that contains one 38 mm medal in bronze and one in .999 silver, and the aforementioned “badge” that is a 38 mm medal that hangs from a ribbon. Only 125 of each were produced. Franki, an art professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a former master designer in the U.S. Mint’s Artistic Infusion Program, was commissioned to design this year’s convention medal as well as those of the 2013, 2014, and 2015 conventions, which will also be held in Chicago. Franki explained to me that since he had been commissioned to design four medals, he took his inspiration from Chicago’s flag, which has four stars, each representing an important aspect of the city’s history. The first star represents Fort Dearborn, a U.S. fort built on the Chicago River in 1803. The second star represents the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. The third and fourth stars represent two World Fairs held in Chicago, in 1893 and 1933-1934. Using Fort Dearborn as the topic of the 2011 medal, Franki chose to portray an historic battle from the War of 1812 – the Battle of Fort Dearborn. On Augst 15, 1812, the Fort commander, Captain Nathan Heald, evacuated the fort with his troops, on orders from General William Hull, and headed for Fort Wayne (Indiana). A band of [September 2011] – 267 Outgoing ANA president Clifford Mishler (right) presented Serge (10 10) the 10 certificate of “First Place in the Outstanding Local Numismatic Publication” 8). One of the contributing authors – Dr. Ursula Kampmann, from Germany (8 9). (left) – was present during the award ceremony and rejoiced with Serge (9 11. Serge sat with Chet Krause (right) at the Krause Publications booth, to reminisce about their last meeting, at the Canadian Numismatic Association’s convention in Québec City, in 2001. Potawatomi warriors ambushed the group 2 kilometres south, killing 38 men, two women and 12 children. The Battle of Fort Dearborn is commemorated on the fort’s site with a monumental sculpture by Henry Hering called Defense, which adorns the Chicago River’s Michigan Avenue Bridge. Franki ingeniously uses both sides of the medal to commemorate both sides of the battle. The obverse features one of the Potawatomi warriors and the reverse features the fort and Captain Heald, both of which were derived from Hering’s monument. Franki’s other numismatic work 268 – [September 2011] includes the American bison reverse of the 2005 5-cent coin, which received the Coin of the Year award for Most Popular Coin; the obverse of the “Jefferson 1800” 5-cent piece of 2006, which shows forward-facing portrait of Jefferson; the 2007 ANA National Money Show medal and the 2008 and 2010 ANA World’s Fairs of Money medals. In addition to the great number of tables upon which the dealers displayed their goods, there were booths for authors and publishing houses. I was fortunate enough to catch up with the legendary Chet Krause, founder of Krause Publications, at that publisher’s booth. We had a good laugh while talking about the last time we had met, at the Canadian Numismatic Association convention held in Québec City in 2001. At another booth I was fortunate to meet Joel Orosz and Leonard Augsburger, authors of The Secret History of The real star of the show was moneta – the book: 12. Sabrina Duchesne, of the Royal Canadian Mint, has a look at her picture in the story that related the success of the R.C.N.A. convention in St. John, New Brunswick. 13. Tze Ling Chen, of the Perth Mint, was proud to see many of the coins they produced had been featured in moneta. 14. An employee of the United States Mint was quite surprised by the quality of our publication and pleased to see reports on some of their pieces. the First U.S. Mint, a book that won the coveted Book of the Year Award of the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG). Speaking of the NLG, it was one of dozens of associations that held meetings during the convention. The NLG also held its annual bash during which 476 awards were given. I had the pleasure of accepting one on behalf of our friend and Ottawa Coin Club member Ron Cheek for the “Best Token & Medal Article published in a World Coins Magazine.” Congrats again Ron! Another meeting I attended was that of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society, whose attendance list read like a who’s who of American numismatics: David T. Alexander, Q. David Bowers, Harvey Stack, David Sundman, etc. But the greatest part of this convention for me was to accept the award for first place in the Outstanding Local Numismatic Publication competition. For more information about the American Numismatic Association, visit its website at www.money.org. [September 2011] – 269 Canadian trial pieces on display in Chicago Des essais canadiens en montre à Chicago by Serge Pelletier par Serge Pelletier awk-eyed collectors visiting the Royal Canadian Mint’s booth at the American Numismatic Association’s “World’s Fair of Money” held in Chicago on August 16-20, may have spotted, in the last two days of t h e s h o w, a collection of a different kind. Indeed, there in one of the d i s p l a y counters, was a group of five niobium-silver 5-dollar coins that were somewhat different. The coins, which feature the “Hunter’s Moon” design, bore niobium i n s e r t s o f various colours – orange, light blue, light green, pale yellow, and dark purple. None of these colours will be used for the actual released coin, on which the niobium insert will be copper brown. The Hunter’s Moon coin is the second in the series announced in June 2011. The announced series uses two of the colours present in these trial pieces: pale yellow and light blue. The other pieces are copper brown and magenta. The colouring of niobium is achieved through anodizing. These 5-dollar coins are ringed bimetallic with a centre of niobium and an outside rin of sterling silver. Royal Canadian Mint spokesperson Alexandre Reeves confirmed that the coins are first struck with the niobium insert and then anodized. Niobium is a rare, soft, grey, ductile metal found in the minerals pyrochlore and columbite. Discovered in 1801, it was initially called columbium. The current name was officially adopted in 1949. Some 44,500 tonnes of niobium were mined in 2006 in Brazil (90 %) and Canada (10 %). Austria was the first country to use niobium in coinage, in 2003, in bimetallic (silver-niobium) 25-euro coins. e kiosque de la Monnaie royale canadienne à la World’s Fair of Money de l’American Numismatic Association, tenue à Chicago les 16-20 août derniers, c a c h a i t dans ses comptoirs, pendant les deux derniers jours de l’évènement, une collection d’un autre genre… un groupe de cinq essais de l’une des pièces de 5 dollars en niobium et argent. Ces pièces, au motif de la « lune du c h a s s e u r » , arboraient des c œ u r s d e niobium de couleurs diverses : orange, bleu pâle, vert pâle, jaune et violet foncé. Couleurs différentes de la pièce qui a été lancée, sur laquelle on retrouve le cœur de niobium est de couleur cuivrée. La « lune du chasseur » est la seconde pièce de la collection lancée en juin dernier. Cette collection utilise deux des cinq couleurs retrouvées sur les essais : le jaune et le bleu pâle. Les deux autres étant le brun cuivré et le magenta. La teinte du niobium est obtenue par oxydation anodique. Ces pièces de 5 dollars sont des pièces bimétalliques concentriques avec un cœur de niobium et une couronne d’argent sterling. Alexandre Reeves, de la Monnaie royale canadienne, a confirmé que les pièces étaient d’abord frappées avant d’être partiellement anodisées. Le niobium est un métal rare, ductile, mou et de couleur grise que l’on retrouve dans le pyrochlore et la columbite. Le nom actuel a été adopté en 1949. On a extrait quelque 44 500 tonnes de niobium en 2006 au Brésil (90 %) et au Canada (10 %). L’Autriche fut la première à utiliser le niobium dans son monnayage, en 2003, dans la frappe de pièces de 25 euro. H 270 – [September 2011] L T he New Zealand Mint will has launched its first series of silver 2-dollar and silver-plated copper 1-dollar coins dedicated to Star Wars. The silver coin series are packaged as two unique sets of four coins. One will be the Darth Vader head, representing the dark side . The coins feature a fullcoloured image of Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, Death Star, and a Stormtrooper. The coins representing the Rebel Alliance are presented in the Millennium Falconship. Its coins feature your favourite character duos from the side with The Force: Luke Skywalker/ Princess Leia, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Yoda, R2-D2/C-3PO, Han Solo/Chewbacca. Both series are limited to 7,500 sets each. The silver-plated copper 1-dollar coins are sold individually and features characters of the movies: Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, R2-D2, C-3PO, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Darth Vader, and Emperor Palpatine. VALUE —continued from page 245 > FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.NZMINT.COM < VALEUR — suite de la page 245 • valeur numismatique – Valeur conférée à un article par ses qualités numismatiques et non par sa valeur intrinsèque. Syn. valeur au catalogue, valeur selon les tendances • valeur selon les tendances– Valeur d’un article numismatique selon les tendances. Référence : Pelletier, Serge. Le dictionnaire canadien de numismatique, 1ère éd. Ottawa : Eligi Consultants Inc., 2008. • trend value – The most current Market Value, based on the average derived from recent auction results, dealer advertisements, price lists and other sources. numismatic value – Value of a numismatic item to a collector. • • intrinsic value (also melt value) – Value conveyed to a numismatic item based on the value of the metal it contains. • extrinsic value (also face value) – Value of a numismatic item based on its denomination. • purchase value – Value of a numismatic item to settle an obligation or debt. Reference: Pelletier, Serge. The Canadian Dictionary of Numismatics, 1st Ed. Ottawa: Eligi Consultants Inc., 2008. [September 2011] – 271 272 – [September 2011]