The topic of hundred-year-old numismatists comes up occasionally in The E-Sylum. Apparently,I have become the keeper of the list. I recently added another name that had previously beenoverlooked.

Purnie Estelle Doss was born in Adamsville, Alabama, on August 26, 1907, the daughter ofrailroad foreman John Wesley Doss and Olive Bradford Doss.

She was married in Alabama on June 4, 1927, to Earl Moore. He died of wounds in France onMarch 17, 1945, during World War II. They had no children. In 1954, Purnie was chapterpresident of Gold Star Wives and national parliamentarian in 1958.

She worked as a teller and vault clerk at the First National Bank of Birmingham from 1929 to1969. She Frequently spoke about coins to local organizations.

Purnie Moore was active with several civic organizations. In 1957 she was first vice presidentand in 1958 to 1959 she was president of the Birmingham Women's Junior Chamber ofCommerce. In 1956 she was treasurer and in 1959 she was elected president of the BirminghamSymphony League. She was treasurer of the Birmingham Chapter, American Institute ofBanking (1955-1956).

When has a coin collection became too large? Purnie reported that she kept her best coins lockedin a vault. The weight of another coin collection stored in her attic caused the kitchen ceiling tofall down.

She joined the American Numismatic Association as member 23161 in 1954 and was recognizedas a fifty-year member in 2004. She served the ANA as district representative (1980) andregional representative (1975) and received an ANA Medal of Merit in 1987. She converted tolife membership (LM-1722) in 1994. She was not noted as a sixty-year member in 2014. Therewas no obituary for her published in The Numismatist.

She was secretary (1957) and past president (1961) of the Birmingham Coin Club. She served asGeneral Chairman for the Alabama Numismatic Society shows 1961-1964. Then she was electedtreasurer (1964-1965) and executive secretary of the Alabama Numismatic Society promotingclub shows (1974-1996). Also on the board and president in 1987 was her cousin Clyde H.Fisher. She served on the U. S. Assay Commission in 1971 and was a member of the Old TimeAssay Commission (OTAC). In 1980 she was named a Numismatic News NumismaticAmbassador. She was also a member of the Society of Paper Money Collectors (SPMC).

Purnie Moore died at home at age 100 on May 3, 2008, in Birmingham, Alabama, and is buriedat Mount Zion Baptist Church Cemetery in Corner, Alabama.

She is an example of an active volunteer serving on a local or regional level who may not berecognized for service on a national level.