The Society of Paper Money Collectors

SPMC News

SPMC at the 50th Anniversary Convention of the Blue Ridge Numismatic Association

On Saturday morning, August 22, 2009, a regional membership meeting was hosted for SPMC by SPMC Governor Pierre Fricke. An audience of eleven gathered to hear a presentation on North Carolina Colonial Currency. There were eight members, two prospective members, and an ANA governor (Walter Ostromecki). The presenter was Bob Schreiner, from his home in the Raleigh area. This was an interactive event in which we could see the notes on a large screen, and talk with Bob, ask questions, make comments. This was facilitated by Tom Carson and Dennis Schfluetzel, and I do thank them for their efforts on our behalf. We expect we will do more meetings like this; check the web site for a membership meeting near you. Our thanks to Blue Ridge Numismatic Association for picking up any associated expense, thus furthering their and our education mission. --submitted by Judith Murphy. Photo of Austin Sheheen and Judith Murphy, two past presidents of SPMC, by Helen Baker.

Awards and New SPMC Officers at Memphis 2009

Awards

  • Nathan Gold Award—John and Diana Herzog
  • Founders Award—Bob Moon
  • Nathan Goldstein Award (for recruiting)—Jason Bradford
  • Forrest Daniel Award for Literary Excellence—Peter Huntoon
  • Wismer Award (best book)—Pierre Fricke, Collecting Confederate Money—Field Edition
  • Literary Awards of Merit (Wismer runners-up)—Ed and Joanne Dauer, Johann Kodnar and Norbert Kunstner, Richard Doty
  • Awards of Merit—Tom Denly, Mark Anderson, Judith Murphy
  • Literary Awards (for best articles in Paper Money) -- First Prize
    • Fred Reed, "Did Lincoln’s image on Money Affect his Public Perception?"
    • Steve Feller, "A Survey of Nearly 1000 Type 64 CSA $500 Notes"
    • Barbara Bither, "Picturing President Lincoln"
    • Donn Perlman, "Operation Bernhard Notes"
    • Keith Littlefield, "The Conway, Gordon and Garnett National Bank"
    • R. Logan Talks, "The $100,000 Errand: Banking in 1941 Washington, DC"
  • Literary Awards (for best articles in Paper Money) -- Second Prize
    • Michael McNeil, "The Pros and Cons of Self-Publication"
    • George Tremmell, "CSA Monetary Panic of 1862: One Bank Customer's Experience" and James F. Morgan, "A Civil War Sidelight: Confederate Notes Back Cherokee Scrip" (tie)
    • Frank Noll and Gene Hessler, "Chronological Inventory of U.S. Public Debt Issues, 1775-1898"
    • Peter Huntoon, "Low Number Italian Allied Military Currency"
    • Matt Hansen, "Uncovering the Mystery of Nebraska''s Wood River Hoard"
    • Derek Moffitt, "Bank Signatures on Small-Size Federal Reserve Bank Notes"
  • Exhibit Awards
    • Best in show: "United States Interest Bearing Notes"—John Jackson
    • Honorable Mention
      • "Fractional Satirical Notes"—Jerry Fochtman
      • "Fractional Currency Payable, Look-a-like and Mimics"—Benny Bolin
    • Julian Blanchard Award: John Jackson

Bain Raffle Sponsors

SPMC thanks its sponsors of the Tom Bain Raffle: Kagin's, Heritage, Spink-Smythe, Robert Kravitz, Mark Anderson, Benny Bolin, Pierre Fricke, Larry Schuffman.

New President and Officers

Mark Anderson was elected President of SPMC at the Memphis board memeting, June 27, 2009. Governors: Wendell Wolka was re-elected. Mike Scacci and Shawn Hewitt were newly elected. Larry Schuffman was appointed by the President to replace Bob Cochran, who had to resign. See details in the Memphis Board Meeting Minutes.

Tennessee scrip project wins 9th Wait Award

(from the May-June 2009 issue of Paper Money)

Dennis Schafluetzel's and Tom Carson’s work in progress Tennessee Obsolete Currency has won the 9th annual George W. Wait Award for paper money research leading to a book-length publication. The award carries a $500 stipend.

The Society of Paper Money Collectors is chartered "to promote, stimulate, and advance the study of paper money and other financial documents in all their branches, along educational, historical and scientific lines." The George W. Wait Memorial Prize is available annually to assist researchers engaged in important research leading to publication of book length works in the paper money field.

The new Wait winners issued Chattanooga Money, a CD book, in 2003, which covers all areas of numismatic material (obsolete bank notes, merchant scrip, depression scrip, coupons, national bank notes and tokens) from Chattanooga. The CD contains 1000+ color images of nearly all known material from the city, including items from the authors' collections, museums and material from two dozen leading collectors and dealers. Extensive research was included on each subject to provide the background of the issuer and the people involved. Their work also includes census information of Chattanooga obsolete bank notes and national bank notes.

The new effort is intended to supplement and supercede Paul Garland's The History of Early Tennessee Banks and Their Issues, published in 1983. Schafluetzel credits Garland with sparking his interest in Tennessee obsoletes.

According to the author's Wait application proposal, their new book will include all obsolete Tennessee notes including bank notes in both print as well as in electronic format. Their approach will be to continue to build the reference on a website that SPMC members can access, and solicit members to access the partly completed reference, contribute historical information, color images and listings of the scrip for inclusion. A CD version will be continuously updated.

Research on this new book commenced several years ago when the authors discovered a copy of Charlie Sedman's collection of Tennessee merchant scrip in 2003, containing a listing and photocopies of 279 notes. Sedman agreed to let Schafluetzel and Carson use it as a starting point to publishing a reference on Tennessee merchant scrip. Since then they have gathered images and information on 600+ pieces of scrip that had not been documented. Images of these notes and also all the scrip notes that were listed in Garland’s book have been researched and published on a restricted access website (open to all SPMC members and other researchers; the website is located at www.schafluetzel.org). The site has approximately 1,043 scrip notes listed, 800 high quality color images, and research on most issuers.

They "have been waiting to publish until after the historic Schingoethe sales are complete to assure we include the wealth of their material. Since the last sale is schedule for June 2009 in Memphis we plan to begin the effort to publish after that sale," the authors stated.

Five individuals and one group have previously been awarded the George W. Wait Memorial Prize. Each received the maximum award. 1st annual Wait winner was Robert S. Neale for a book on antebellum Bank of Cape Fear, NC, The Bank of Cape Fear of Wilmington, North Carolina; a history of North Carolina's first antebellum bank and its paper money, branches, key personnel, and local impact (1999). The 2nd went to Forrest Daniel for a manuscript on small size War of 1812 Treasury Notes, published in the Sep-Oct 2008 issue of Paper Money. Gene Hessler was honored for a book on international bank note engravers that was published as The International Engraver's Line (2005). Honorees also have included R. Shawn Hewitt and Charles Parrish for their book on Minnesota obsolete notes which was published as A History & Catalog of Minnesota Obsolete Bank Notes and Scrip (2006), Michael Reynard for The Complete Guide to Check Collecting (2006), and Matt Janzen for a work on Wisconsin nationals. Twice, no awards were made.

Memphis 2008

Awards

  • Nathan Gold Award—Austin Sheheen
  • Founders Award—Gene Hessler
  • Nathan Goldstein Award (for recruiting)—Jason Bradford
  • Forrest Daniel Award for Literary Excellence—Gene Hessler
  • Dr. Glenn Jackson Award—Mark Tomasko
  • Wismer Award (best book)—Hugh Shull, Southern States Currency
  • Literary Awards of Merit (Wismer runners-up)—Ronald Bernice, George Tremmel
  • Awards of Merit—Stack's, Larry Schuffman
  • Literary Awards (for best articles in Paper Money)
    • Clifford Thies, "Murder and Inflation: The Kentucky Tragedy"
    • Peter Huntoon, Doug Walcutt & Robert Kvederas, "$5 Series of 1882 Circus Poster National Bank Notes"
    • Terry Bryan, "Art & Commerce Intersect"
    • Barbara Bither, "The Stylish Secretary"
    • Harold Don Allen, "Final Decade of Canadian Chartered Bank Circulation"
  • Exhibit Awards
    • Best in show: "Heaths Counterfeit Detector Microscopes"—Jerry Fochtman
    • Honorable Mention
      • "Banknotes of Mali" —Weldon Burson
      • "The Liberty Loan Bonds of WWI and its Aftermath"—Larry Schuffman
    • Julian Blanchard Award: "Jocelyn, Draper, Welsh & Co." —John Jackson

Board of Governors Update

    Bob Cochran
    Jamie Yakes
    Pierre Fricke—appointed by President
    Neil Shafer—appointed by President

SPMC thanks its Sponsors of the Tom Bain Raffle: Kagin's, Dave Berg, Fred Bart, Heritage, Hugh Shull, John and Nancy Wilson, Gene Hessler, Don Kelly, Spink-Smythe, Robert Kravitz, Robert Moon, Mark Anderson, Benny Bolin, Larry Schuffman

SPMC Breakfast and Tom Bain Raffle--Memphis '08

The SPMC will have its annual breakfast and Tom Bain Raffle at 7:30am on Friday, June 27. The Society's major service awards will be announced and then auctioneer Wendell Wolka will take over in his ever-entertaining role for the Tom Bain Raffle. The event cost is $20 this year due to a change in menu to a continental style fare. Checks for the event can be sent to Wendell Wolka, PO Box 1211, Greenwood, IN 46142. Due to limited seating, advance ticket purchases are encouraged. Anyone who wants to donate items to the raffle can contact any board member or send them to Benny Bolin, SPMC President, 5510 Bolin Rd, Allen, TX 75002. All donations are tax deductible and everyone donating over $100 will be eligible for a drawing for a free ad in the Nov/Dec edition of Paper Money. Also, the SPMC is looking for a couple of volunteers to work the Thursday set up to be the legs of our dealer liaisons getting promised donations from dealers. Other SPMC events scheduled at Memphis are the annual authors forum, a general membership meeting with additional awards and an educational presentation by Larry Schuffman on Liberty Loan Bonds and the annual board meeting. (Apr 14, 2008)

Call for Nominations

The Society of Paper Money Collectors is seeking nominations for its two highest service awards. The Nathan Gold award is awarded for service to the hobby and is the Society's Lifetime achievement award. The Founder's Award is awarded for outstanding achievement during the past year. Anyone wishing to nominate an individual for either award should send their nomination and reasons to SPMC President Benny Bolin , Vice President Mark Anderson , Governor Judith Murphy , or Treasurer Robert Moon. . Click here for USPS addresses. (Mar 3, 2008)

NLG Honors SPMC Governors

The Numismatic Literary Guild's Annual Writers' Competition for 2007 awarded SPMC Governor and past Paper Money editor Gene Hessler with the Clemy Award, their highest honor. Paper Money editor/publisher Fred Reed won a prize in category Best Article or Series of Articles, U.S. Commercial Numismatic Magazines for "Thomas Jefferson: Jefferson Portraits on Notes Offer Tangible Evidence of This President, Inventor, Planter and Raconteur," which appeared in Paper Money Values. (Aug 17, 2007)

Memphis 2007

SPMC Board Meeting Minutes, July 7, 2007

Awards

  • Nathan Gold Award—Q. David Bowers
  • Founders Award—Bob Schreiner
  • Honorary Life Membership—Roger Durand
  • Nathan Goldstein Award (for recruiting)—Tom Denly
  • Forrest Daniel Award for Literary Excellence (inaugural award)—Fred Reed
  • Wismer Award (best book)—Q. David Bowers—“Obsolete Paper Money”
  • Literary Awards of Merit (Wismer runners-up)—Shawn Hewitt; Dr. Wallace Lee; George Tremmel, Bob Schreiner and Tom Carson
  • Awards of Merit—John and Nancy Wilson; the Liana Foundation; Eric Newman; Ray Lockwood/CSNS; Cindy Wibker/FUN; R. M. Smythe
  • Literary Awards (for best articles in Paper Money)—
    • Benny Bolin and Martin Gengerke; George Tremmel; Pricilla Rhoades; Lee Loftus; Mohanad Hussein; Joaquin Gil del Real; Loren Gatch
  • Exhibit Awards
    • Best in show—Serial #1 Red Seals—Jesse Lipka
    • Honorable Mention
      • Varieties: Catalog #s as footnotes—Doug Murray
      • Short Snorters—Neil Shafer
    • Julian Blanchard Award—Process of Engraving Progressive Proofs—Mark Tomasko

Board of Governor Election Winners

    Robert Kravitz
    Fred Reed
    Matt Jantzen
    Robert Vandevender

Special Note to readers—Watch the SPMC website soon for an announcement of new committees established at Memphis that will need non-board members to be on.  The SPMC needs you!

Memphis Programs Announced

(May 22, 2007)

See Events for details.

New Librarian

(Feb 3, 2007)

SPMC has named Jeff Brueggeman as SPMC Librarian. Requests for books and other materials should be addressed to:

Jeff Brueggeman
711 Signal Mountain Rd.
# 197
Chattanooga, TN 37405

SPMC Award Winners 2006

(June 17, 2006)

Awards of Merit

  • David Harper
  • Michelle Orzano
  • Memphis Coin Club
  • Mart Delger

Honorary Life Memberships

  • Milt Friedberg
  • Chet Krause
  • Bob Cochran

Nathan Goldstein Recruitment Award

  • Tom Denly

Nathan Gold Memorial Award

  • J. Roy Pennell, Jr.

Wismer Award for best book

  • Pierre Fricke

Dr. Glenn Jackson Award for best article in any medium related to proofs, vignettes, specimens

  • Mark Tamasko

Literary Awards (listed first and second places)

Federal Paper Money
  • Don Kagin
  • Francis X. Klaes
Confederate Notes
  • Michael McNeil and W. Crutchfield Williams III
  • Pierre Fricke
Obsolete Currency
  • Q. David Bowers
  • J. Roy Pennell, Jr
National Currency
  • Peter Huntoon, Bob Liddell, James Hughes
  • Bob Cochran
Foreign
  • Joaquin Gil del Real
  • Albert Irizarry
Miscellaneous
  • Jim Noll
  • Forrest Daniel

Exhibit Awards

Stephen Taylor Best in Show
  • Jim Lippincott
  • Honorable Mention -- James Simek and Benny Bolin

Julian Blanchard Award for best exhibit depicting proofs, specimens, vignettes

  • Mark Tomasko

Election Results

(June 17, 2006)

All candidates were unopposed and re-elected for a three year term.

  • Mark Anderson
  • Benny Bolin
  • Judith Murphy

Note—Ron Horstman decided not to seek re-election, so there is a vacancy on the board which will be filled ASAP by a Presidential appointment. 

Earlier News

(June 18, 2005)

The following awards were presented by the Society of Paper Money Collectors during the Memphis International Paper Money Show.

Literary Awards

Literary Awards are presented for original articles appearing in Paper Money magazine, the official journal of the Society of Paper Money Collectors, during the preceding calendar year. Awards were presented in the following six categories for 2004:

U.S. Small Size Notes
  • 1st: Peter Huntoon – "How 12-Subject Plates were Made and Why $5 Micro Back Plates 629 and 637 Were Saved" – September/October Issue.
  • 2nd: Mike Abramson – "The Charm, excitement, costs & rewards of Collecting Paper Money "By the Numbers" – March/April Issue.
National Bank Notes
  • 1st: Thomas Minerley / Robert Moon – "A History of The National Banks of Troy, New York" - May/June Issue.
  • 2nd: Peter Huntoon – "Oklahoma Was Too Uncivilized to Host a National Bank" – March/April Issue
Confederate Paper Money
  • 1st: Austin Sheheen – "Blockade Runners of the Confederacy" – March/April Issue.
  • 2nd: Jason W. Bradford – "Even Circulated Notes Have Stories to Tell" – November/December Issue.
Obsolete Paper Money
  • 1st: Q. David Bowers – "Waterman Lily Ormsby, Idealist" – July/August Issue.
  • 2nd: Ronald J. Benice – "J.R. Powell’s Multi-State Notes" – March/April Issue.
World Paper Money
  • 1st: Harold Don Allen – "A High-Tech Top Value – Canada’s New $100.00" – November/December Issue.
Federal Currency
  • 1st: Al Munro – "In 55 Years, You Can Assemble a Unique Paper Money Collection…I know, Because I did It" – September/October Issue
  • 2nd: Benny Bolin – "Fractional Currency Manuscript Notes" – March/April Issue.

Awards of Merit

  • Gene Hessler for his book, U.S. Essay, Proof and Specimen Notes
  • Robert Lidell and William Litt for their book, National Currency - An Analysis with Values

D.C. Wismer Award

Awarded to the author of the best new paper money book written during the preceding year. This year’s winner is Wendell Wolka for his book A History of Nineteenth Century Ohio Obsolete Bank Notes and Scrip

Nathan Gold Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award

Established and formerly presented (1961-1970) by Numismatic News, now by the Bank Note Reporter. Presented to a person(s) who has made a continuing contributions toward the advancement of paper money collecting over a period of years. This year’s winner is Judith Murphy, former President of SPMC and member of the Board of Governors, who continues to serve the Society in a number of ways including heading up the Society’s regional meetings program.

Founders Award

This new award is to be given annually for outstanding achievement during the preceding year. The inaugural winner of this award is Wendell Wolka who, in 2004, authored the Society’s catalog on obsolete paper money from the state of Ohio. He also served the Society in several other roles, including Advertising Manager and Tom Bain Raffle organizer.

Dr. Glenn Jackson Memorial Award

This award is for an outstanding article about bank note essais, proofs, specimens, and the engravers who created them. The award this year is presented to Gene Hessler for his article "Intended Back Design for 1st U.S. Small Size Notes" which appeared in Paper Money, November/December, 2004 issue.

Julian Blanchard Memorial Exhibit Award

Awarded to the exhibit in Memphis which best typifies the relationship between proofs, specimens, essais, and bank notes and other syngraphic items. This year’s winner was Mark Tomasko for his exhibit "The American Bank Note Picture Engraving Department circa 1910"

Stephen R. Taylor Best-in-Show Exhibit Award

Awarded to the best exhibit at the International Paper Money Show in Memphis. This year’s winner was Bill Brandimore for his exhibit "Selected 25 Cent Notes of the Fractional Currency Series 1862-1876"

Nathan Goldstein Top New Member Recruiter Award

Given annually to the person who recruits the most new members during the previous year. This year’s award winner is Tom Denly, who recruited 29 new members during the year. The second place recruiter was Wendell Wolka, who recruited 22 new members. The Society of Paper Money Collectors continues to place great importance on recognizing the efforts of writers, researchers, exhibitors, and persons willing to serve both the hobby in general and the Society in particular. Many times, the efforts of these people are overlooked, and the Society’s awards program is one way in which it attempts to provide such recognition.

New Board Members Elected

(June 18, 2005)

The three people elected to the SPMC Board are Gene Hessler, Tom Minerley, and Jamie Yakes.  Wesley Duran was appointed to the board seat held by Robert Moon, who resigned as a board member.  Moon continues as treasurer.

New officers

(elected by the Board)

  • President - Benny Bolin
  • Vice President - Mark Anderson
  • Secretary - Bob Schreiner
  • Treasurer - Robert Moon

If you have SPMC news which you would like to share with others on this page, please contact Bob Schreiner.

If you would like to have a regional meeting in your area, contact Judith Murphy.




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