Table of Contents

President's Message

Editor's Desk

Using a great design again, and again-the Buffalo nickel
by Mark Benvenuto

The Libertas Americana medal
by Malcolm Johnson

The ICE Man-Accumulator?
by Rob Throckmorton

A quick guide to Civil War coinage
by Matt Campbell

Counterstamps: Window into the past
by Greg Bennick

The great gold heist of 1933: A lesson in power and pretext
by Blaine Schiff

Fall Show schedule

The 1930 Buffalo nickel-good value?
by Andy Wedding

The commoditization of coins
by Matt Campbell

PAN KidZone flyer and auction lots

PAN News

PAN Member Club News

With the fall issue of The Clarion, I'll have been editor for two years. This issue, with the most articles from many talented writers, is the best yet. Everyone who contributes to the magazine had extra motivation, as The Clarion was recognized by the American Numismatic Association at the 2025 World's Fair of Money with the 2024 Barbara J Gregory Outstanding Regional Publication award. The Clarion took first place, building on awards received during Richard Jewell's editorship (see page 38). The ANA considers publications on a variety of factors, and we always strive to present informative, inspiring, and useful articles to get that simmering passion for numismatics boiling. I hope reading The Clarion gives you ideas and motivation, and arms you with the information to assemble a fine collection affordably. That's an edifying combination. Thanks to 2024's contributors: Harry Waterson, Mark Benvenuto, Brett Irick, Pat McBride, Malcolm Johnson, Michael Hicks, Paul and Loretta Schultz, Greg Magee, Scott Schechter, and Patrick Hipple.

In this issue, PAN member Rob Throckmorton contributes "The ICE Man-Accumulator?" In this enjoyable piece, he distinguishes between a thoughtfully assembled collection and a hodgepodge accumulation of stuff. Both are virtuous in their own way, and Rob is always refreshing-he should be dubbed "The Joyful Collector." On the opposite end, I explore numismatic Big Business in "The commoditization of coins." Ultimately, our beloved classic coins are too unique to be widgetized for investment funds.

Longtime contributor Mark Benvenuto writes about James Earle Fraser and the iconic Buffalo nickel design in "Using a great design again, and again-the Buffalo nickel." It's wonderful to see the designs of classic coins be resurrected on modern gold or silver coins, where the artists' designs can be rendered in a proof strike. Andy Wedding from GreatCollections coincidentally picks out a Buffalo in "The 1930 Buffalo nickel-good value?" He highlights a superb sample with a strike from an early die state and contrasts it with another example from a later die state.

In a similar vein to Mark's piece about the various incarnations of the Buffalo nickel design, Malcolm Johnson explores an iconic piece in "The Libertas Americana medal." While few collectors can obtain an original strike, Malcolm shows us there's opportunity to include this design in our collections through restrikes.

I also kicked off a practical series with "A quick guide to Civil War Coinage." People often like to collect coins from certain historical events, and this article simply lays out the dates to look for to assemble a set most affordably and bypass tougher dates. In a future issue, I'll look at 1812.

PAN life member and assistant bourse chairman Blaine Schiff shows us while the singer may change, the tune stays the same in "The great gold heist of 1933: A lesson in power and pretext." And, Greg Bennick writes about counterstamped coins, an ingenious method of free advertising, in "Counterstamps: Window to the past." He will be a guest lecturer at the PAN show Friday, October 17.

A theme that emerged across numerous articles this issue concerns strike of circulation coins. The US Mint has always been a factory with production targets to meet. Often, the Mint used worn dies, or struck coins with less pressure to extend the life of dies, creating coins with mushy detail. Three walking liberty halves are shown below to illustrate the point. The 1937 proof captures all of the glory of Weinman's design and the 1938-D (center) at MS67+ is an incredible business strike. The 1919-D, MS-64 CAC, was described by Stack's Bowers as a "severe strike rarity." Coins of that issue exhibit flat strikes, and there are less than 20 coins in MS-65 and MS-66 between NGC and PCGS. With grading, there's always more to learn!

For more information on the Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists (PAN), see:
https://pancoins.org/