Maryland Numismatic Society Vice President Bill Miller writes:

MD TAMS journal editor Jane Sears writes:

The first time I recall speaking to Ed Craig was at the Baltimore ANA show in 2008. He was the generalchairman. I inquired about some other token collectors I knew from Baltimore. At the time, MD-TAMSwas giving a one-year free membership to ANA members who signed up at the show. I was impressedwith the catalogs of Maryland tokens that had been published by MD-TAMS.

I attended the National Token Collectors Association (NTCA) show in Fargo in 2010. The first night Isaw Ed sitting in the lobby, I think we talked for a couple of hours. I recall that he had an interest inpickers and packers tokens. The next morning my roommate and I walked into breakfast and saw Edsitting alone. We joined him and had another good conversation. I attended several other shows inBaltimore but I don't recall other conversations with Ed.

Edward Lee Craig was born on October 25, 1946. His parents were Edward Callow Craig (1920-2000)and Eleanor Evelyn Arnick Craig (1923-2019). His father was an engineer with Bethlehem Steel.

He graduated from Loyola College and served with the Maryland National Guard, Other than a posting inHawaii 1981 to 1984, he lived in Dundalk, Maryland, most of his life. He had the same address in 2000 ashe had in 1950. It appears that he bought his parents' house in 1993.

In 1972 there was an announcement of the engagement of Antoinette V. Chiazza to Edward Lee Craig.She married someone else eight months later in 1973. It is believed that Edward Craig never married.

As Edward Lee Craig, he joined the ANA in 1989. He later became life member LM 6091.

White living in Hawaii. Craig developed an interest in school lunch tokens. Living in Maryland fueledhis interest in pickers, packers and canners tokens.

Ed Craig was a regular volunteer at the Baltimore shows. He became the president of Maryland Tokenand Medal Society (MD-TAMS) in June 1996, following the resignation of Greg Ruby. His leadership haskept MD-TAMS going through a period of declining membership. He wrote articles for the journalresurrecting a project to catalog Maryland wooden nickels and published regular updates. Craig is astrong believer in documenting exonumia as it is produced. An example is a catalog of Maryland foodstamp change tokens. Craig mentioned in a 2008 interview that the club had produced twenty listings bythen.

He was president of the Baltimore Coin Club and the president of the Maryland State NumismaticAssociation (MSNA) in 2003-2005. Craig served as executive director and bourse chairman for theBaltimore Area Numismatic Coalition 1997 to 2007. He was also an active member of CWTS (LM),EAC (LM), NTCA, TAMS (LM) and TEC.

Craig retired from employment with the U. S. Defense Department in 2008 after 40 years of service.When asked about his work, friends commented that he never talked about it.

For the 2008 ANA Convention, Craig produced a 39 mm brass personal medal. It identified him as a"MARYLAND AND HAWAII EXONUMIA COLLECTOR. He also produced elongated coins for theoccasion.

He returned to Hawaii for a visit in 2016 for the 75 th (Diamond) Anniversary of the attack on PearlHarbor. Craig commissioned two medals to commemorate the occasion. One obverse has KingKamehameha III based on the 1847 Hawaii cent. The other obverse features a fantasy 1891 dollar struckin England by Pinches & Co.

The common reverse mentions the USCGC Taney Baltimore - Maryland and The medals were struck in red bronze, yellow brass and white silverplate.

Edward Craig had been ill and died on April 3, 2024.

To read his online obituary, see:
Edward L. Craig(https://www.ruckfuneralhomes.com/obituary/edward-craig)