It was 'back-to-school night' at the September Nummis Nova dinner with sixteen folks in attendance. We commandeered a long table in the Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar at the Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, Virginia.

Julian Leidman presides at the East head of table with Julian's guest Erik Douglas, Wayne Herndon's guest Evan Saltis, Steve Bishop, Eric Schena, Dave Schenkman, Wayne Herndon, and Mike Markowitz disappearing in the distance on the left.

Lorne LaVertu presides at the West head of table with Jon Radel, Chris Neuzil, Wayne Homren's guest John Kraljevich, Daryl Haynor, Tom Kays (presently invisible), Wayne Homren, and Mike Packard on the left.

With so many high caliber coin folks in one place, the numismatic excellence of 'show and shares' was simply overflowing, nearly never ending, and blinding with luminous objects of high interest. Highlights in the order I saw them (many photographed under restaurant mood lighting) include:

With a crowd of this size, many simultaneous numismatic and otherwise conversations took place in unison, lending a babble of fine talk at a cozy venue with great American food that lasted well past some of our bedtimes, but it was well worth it. In my vicinity we discussed the Museum of Victorian Mourning at the Old City Cemetery in Lynchburg, Fairfax Coin Club Quizzes, Nummis Nova guests who recently moved to Northern Virginia (NOVA territory) and their impressions of Fairfax, books we ought to write, Tobacco Lord John Glassford, relic hunting along the Bull Run, and Chinese counterfeits, among other genteel topics of dinner conversation. When you have a super-majority of numismatists in the room, discussions like these are just the tip of the iceberg. No telling what transpired down table to the ends of the east and west.

Julian Leidman examining 1792 Half Disme replica as Evan Saltis observes.

Another group shot during dinner. Clockwise from far left: Lorne LaVertu, Jon Radel, Chris Neuzil, John Kraljevich, Daryl Haynor, Eric Schena, Dave Schenkman

Tom Kays took this photo of my haul of ephemera from the 2024 ANA World's Fair of Money®. In my hand I'm still clutching the shrinkwrap I'd just taken off my new copy of the Naseby Cup book.

Hiram Birth's Legal Paper
Perhaps my favorite of all the items I saw at dinner was this strange scrip note brought in by Dave Schenkman.

Dave writes:

Far less famous than San Francisco's eccentric Emperor Norton, Hiram Birth's scrip is even more rare - this is the first I've seen or heard of him. The article mentions a $1.25 denomination with different text. Is anyone aware of other examples or denominations? Are these cataloged anywhere?