The recent removal of Farran Zerbe's name from the ANA's service award was based on a number of accusations. One of these, that he committed fraud during the 1909 ANA election, has made the rounds in various forms, including his intended use of blank proxies. Although no evidence for any of the allegations has ever been provided, it's possible that a misconstrued term used in subsequent backbiting could explain the 'blank proxies' charge.

In February of 1908, ANA Local Secretary Mr. Frank G. Duffield's article was published in The Numismatist[1]. His question is more provocative than accurate, possibly to elicit a more energetic response from ANA membership. He actually questioned the proxy system, rather than the use of proxies. Specifically, he argues against the use of , or those where votes for officers were left blank.

Curiously, it's not the specific changes he suggests that are intriguing. It's the definition of the term that is important. Without proper context the term suggests a proxy left blank - devoid of a member's name as well as any votes for officers. If filled in with a member's name and votes, the use of such a ballot and proxy would constitute fraud.

However, it seems a could also be a 'ballot' from a member who simply left their vote for all officers This was Mr. Duffield's definition and likely the understanding of the general ANA membership at that time. The intent may have been to withhold their vote for officers and confer their vote on other matters that arose at the convention to the proxy's holder. In this context a or ballot was legitimate. Illegitimacy might be implied if any votes for officers were later filled in by the proxy's holder. However, in 1909 the ANA Constitution and By-Laws did not prohibit this during the convention.

A blank proxy-ballot used in 1909 could not be found. However, one from 1904 is shown as an example. It's presumed they were similar, since no relevant changes were made to voting requirements in the ANA Constitution revision of 1907. In 1909, the proxy-ballot could be mailed to the Secretary General or given to a designated member attending the convention. As a result of the 1909 election controversy, the ANA Constitution was changed to require the listing of nominees and subsequent mailing of the ballot and proxy to the Secretary General. The ballot and proxy used in 1916 are shown as an example.

According to David T. Alexander, Q. David Bowers related

Moreover, those remarks might not have been an accusation of wrong doing so muchas an indication of fact - only later becoming a misrepresented, indolent allegation repeatedad nauseam. Perhaps they were made in lamentation or anger; that the use of had cost them or their candidate the election in 1909. In any case, the conventionrecord indicates that Mr. Zerbe possessed 75 proxies, but does not indicate if any of themwere Everything else is conjecture, opinion or sour grapes.

Special thanks to Akio Liss, Librarian at the ANA's Dwight N. Manley Library, for his help in obtaining copies of the proxy-ballot documents.

[1] , by F. G. Duffield, The Numismatist, 1908, Vol. XXI, No. 2, pages 45 - 48.

[2] , by David Alexander, Coin Week, September 27, 2016.

To read the complete article, see:
ASYLUM SPRING 2022 ISSUE PUBLISHED(https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n08a02.html)

To read David Alexander's CoinWeek article, see:
Farran Zerbe: Numismatist - Promoter - Hustler(https://coinweek.com/education/farran-zerbe-numismatist-promoter-hustler/)