Kid Time
Last Saturday morning December 10, 2016 I left home midmorning to go to the Annandale (VA) coin show and help run our regular kids program. I'd done some prep work the previous Tuesday when Ivisited Wayne Herndon's Wizard Coin Supply office and spent a couple hours organizing materials for the event - auction lots, auction dollars, giveaways, and all sorts of donated coins, medals,tokens and paper money.

When I arrived my fellow Nummis Nova members had everything well in hand. Nummis Nova is my Northern Virginia numismatic social group. Jon Radel was signing in late arrivals, auction lots anddisplays were in place, and Tom Kays and Joe Esposito were seated at the front behind the auction table.

At 11am I welcomed everyone and explained the format of the event - a short program with questions & answers, some prize drawings and quiz questions, followed by a break to review auction lotsbefore holding the auction itself. Here's a picture I took of the smiling group before we started.

Our program was a panel session, with each of us talking a few minutes about how we got started in collecting, what interests us and how our collecting journey has changed. It seemed to work welland we got good questions from the audience.

Several kids came up to look at the lots before the auction. the room was quite crowded, but we made do. Here's a shot of Jon Radel calling the auction, with Tom Kays seated behind.

I acted as the auction runner for most of the sale, taking lots to the winner and collecting their auction dollars. I excused myself and took an early leave with many things left to do at home onweekend when our kids had three basketball games and our daughter had a chorus concert. Somehow I managed to produce The E-Sylum in between it all.

Party Time
Tuesday December 13, 2016 was the annual Nummis Nova holiday dinner. Spouses are invited and we keep numismatic talk to a minimum. Dave Schenkman and Brandenburg were our hosts, and they choseGadsby's Tavern in Alexandria, VA. Consisting of two buildings (a circa 1785 tavern and the 1792 City Hotel), the establishment at 138 N. Royal Street hosted meetings and social events; among itsguests were George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison & James Monroe. Washington frequently visited the tavern, and twice attended the annual Birthnight Ball held there in hishonor.

I arrived a little early but guests were already starting to trickle in. Only one table was occupied, and I sat down next to Eric Schena, whose wife Heather was home sick. Also at my tablewere Gene and Amelia Brandenburg, Dave and Joanne Schenkman, and Joe and Hope Esposito. Gene kindly bought a round of champagne and wine. Joe took this shot of our table showing Amelia, Gene, andEric Schena.

Other attendees were Joe and Alice Levine, Wayne and Karin Herndon, Howard and Phung Daniel, Julian and Fran Leidman, Jon Radel, Aaron Packard, Steve Bishop, Lenny Goldberg and his guest DaleBrown, and Tom and Dot Kays.

Joe Esposito writes:

We had a lot of great conversations. At my table topics ran the gamut from our families to DC-area resident billionaires Paul and Bunny Mellon. I tried to get up and mingle a bit, but stilldidn't manage to see everyone. Just one numismatic display to report - an unusual Peace Dollar brought by Joe Esposito.

Here are a couple photos by Eric Schena. Thanks. Remember, we were dining in the 18th century style - by candlelight.

U.S.S. Marblehead Peace Dollar

Joe writes:

As always, it was a great night of fellowship. I ducked out a bit early. My wife had taken our son to his basketball practice, and it was my job to pick him up. I managed to get there with 15minutes to spare. But my belly was full. The Chicken Cordon Bleu was so large I commented that it might really be an ostrich. Thanks again to Gene and Dave for organizing the event.