Was anyone around at the 1977 ANA when Pres. Criswell talked trash about Eva Adams in a speech with

Longacre

I was reading the QDB Washington Quarters book. Just the “inside info” that he provides is well worth the purchase price of the book (and I don’t even collect Washington quarters!).

I think that most people have heard the story about Mint Director Eva Adams and how she blamed collectors for the coin shortages in the mid 1960s. Later, it seems that Adams found religion and determined that it was not coin collectors who were responsible for the shortage, but regular moms and pops who were hoarding coins looking to make a quick buck. Therefore, in the late 1960s, Adams became active in the affairs of the ANA again and served on the board of governors from 1971 to 1975. In the book, QDB writes about the following events:

“In 1975, Adams sought election as ANA vice president, but was beaten by Grover Criswell. Criswell became president in the 1977 election. During his inaugural speech at the ANA Convention banquet in August 1977, with ex-director Adams in attendance, Criswell excoriated the Treasury Department and Adams on their actions against and attitudes concerning coin collectors in the 1960s. Many on hand were uncomfortable with the remarks and felt that the forum was inappropriate.

Trying to soothe hurt feelings, at an open meeting with the ANA board held the next day, certain members present offered up a resolution that the board extend a formal apology for Criswell’s remarks. In Criswell’s opinion, however, he had simply spoken the truth, for indeed there had been a “war” against coin collectors. Those with memories extending back to 1964 and 1965 undoubtedly remembered when collectors were made scapegoats for the coin shortage. However, by 1977 that unpleasant situation had been forgotten by some, and relations with the Bureau of the Mint and Treasury Department had improved greatly. President Criswell stood by his remarks and called for each member of the board to vote by mail [on the resolution]. The resolution died from lack of support. Obviously, the board agreed with what Criswell had said.”

*************************************************

Was anyone present during this speech? How uncomfortable was it to be in the audience while Criswell was lambasting Adams? Was it as bad as being at a wedding and watching your drunk uncle get on stage to sing “Hold Me Now” by the Thompson Twins, in front of the crowd? Or was it a worse train wreck?

guitarwes

I was born in 1977. so nope

CaptHenway

I was there, as an employee of Coin World and an ANA Life Member, and it WAS damned embarassing. There was much talk the next day about how out of line Grover was.
TD

Mark

I was not there because, by that time, I had stopped collecting coins. I collected in the early to mid 1960s and well remember Ms. Adams' very negative attitudes toward collectors. I stopped collecting in the later 1960s. When I started collecting again in the 1990s, I was quite surprised to learn that Ms. Adams had served on the ANA's Board of Governors. Does anyone know how or why her attitudes changed?

Mark

WoodenJefferson

I was not there, I just started to collect in 65, just after the Treasury Dept/Mint decided to go from 90% silver to 40% silver...economics was the reason, but I do remember reports of her comments about hoarding, whether or not they can be substantciated is a whole new ball game.

Series 1 82-11/II/1 U.S. Mint Material

This series contains papers and material generated and collected by Eva Adams as Director of the U.S. Mint from 1961-1969. U.S. Mint photograph albums are stored separately. A folder list is provided for this series.

BOX 14

II/1/1 Mint, official. 1958-1959.

II/1/2 Press releases, Mint appointment. 1961.

II/1/3 Biographical material, Eva B. Adams.

II/1/4 Newspaper clippings, Mint. 1961-1969.

II/1/5 Government publications. 1962-1967.

II/1/6 Speeches, statements. 1965; 1967.

II/1/7 Batelle Report (incomplete). 1965.

II/1/8 Miss Adams' Exceptional Service Award. May 19, 1966.

II/1/9 Director of the Mint congratulations, etc. Sept.-Oct. 1966.

II/1/10 Mint marks. 1968-1975.

II/1/11 Mint study. 1969.

II/1/12 Foreign friends. 1969-1976.

II/1/13 Miss Adams personal chron. (correspondence).

II/1/14 Resignation, routine correspondence. 1969. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< interesting

II/1/15 Meeting of the Joint Coinage Committee. May 12, 1969.

II/1/16 Speeches - "The Golden Coins." Article - "The Law of the Mint." 1974. BOX 14

II/1/17 Mint memorabilia.

II/1/18 Annual Assay Commission proceedings. 1967.

Printed material loose in box. Series 2 82-11/II/2 Scrapbooks 2 cu. ft.

This series consists of scrapbooks created by Eva Adams representing her years as Director of the U.S. Mint. The scrapbooks contain news clips, photographs, invitations, greeting cards, letters, awards, certificates, and memorabilia.

PhillyJoe

Testimony of Eva Adams, Director of the Mint, before the Subcommittee on Legal and Monetary Affairs, Washington, D.C. July 2, 1964.

She blamed collectors and dealers for hoarding the silver coins and disrupting the normal flow of things. She hinted that maybe Congress might make it illegal to sell coins over their face value. She didn't like the fact that people could buy $100 of silver coins and sell them them the same day for a profit. The banks were asking for coins faster than the Mint could make them and the Mint was paying excessive amounts of overtime to meet demand. The only solution to stem the hoarding was a combination of 1964 dated coins being made into 1966, clad coinage, discontinuing proof sets, and no mint marks.

Her testimony covers over 60 pages in the 1964 Annual Report of the Director of the Mint. If you would like to have a copy of the testimony, just give me your address in a PM.

Joe

CaptHenway

<< <i>I was not there because, by that time, I had stopped collecting coins. I collected in the early to mid 1960s and well remember Ms. Adams' very negative attitudes toward collectors. I stopped collecting in the later 1960s. When I started collecting again in the 1990s, I was quite surprised to learn that Ms. Adams had served on the ANA's Board of Governors. Does anyone know how or why her attitudes changed?

Mark >>



Eve Adams changed her mind about coin collectors because Margo Russell, then Editor of Coin World, sought her out and became her friend and drew her into the coin community. She did the same with the next Mint Director, Mary Brooks. If Margo had not done this, it is possible that the U.S. would not have had the Bicentennial coinage, or any later modern commemorative. You can decide for yourselves if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

Adams and Brooks later got into a big feud when the story came out about the 1974 aluminum cents that leaked out during the Brooks administration, and she tried to deflect the hoo-hah by dredging up the hoo-hah over the 1964 Peace dollars that leaked out during the Adams administration. The feud got quite vicious, and when Margo's eldest daughter got married a few months later Margo invited both of them to the wedding and held her breath. David T. Alexander, now of Stack's, and I were specifically delegated by Margo to keep an eye on the ladies during the reception and to pull them apart if necessary. Of course they were both perfect ladies, and nothing happened. Eventually the feud faded away.

TD

kranky

This is an anecdote I had never heard before. Good stuff!

denga

I was at that convention but did not attend the banquet. Having seen Adams' dislike of collectors at first-hand in 1963, my opinion is that the Criswell remarks were well-founded but in the wrong forum and at the wrong time.

Denga

Shamika

<< <i>She hinted that maybe Congress might make it illegal to sell coins over their face value. >>


Can you imagine if this had occurred? We'd all be dealing in the black market!

CaptHenway

<< <i>I was at that convention but did not attend the banquet. Having seen Adams' dislike of collectors at first-hand in 1963, my opinion is that the Criswell remarks were well-founded but in the wrong forum and at the wrong time.

Denga >>



Exactly.
TD

CoinRaritiesOnline

Man, someone should be capturing these posts for posterity. Great info that can't be found in books.

mrearlygold

Grover Criswell was a good man and a true Southerner.

Conder101

I keep forgetting was it Adams or one of the later Mint directors who had decades and decades of internal mint records destroyed to keep them out of the hands of collectors and researchers undr the argument that there was no possible reason why people would have a need for those records, and even accused a noted researcher of possibly being a front for counterfeiters because he had requested them?

WoodenJefferson

Freedom of Information Act was enacted for these same kind of reasons. Our leaders were, still are clueless at times...but somehow we manage to pull it all off and remain the greatest nation on earth.

PerryHall

<< <i>

<< <i>She hinted that maybe Congress might make it illegal to sell coins over their face value. >>


Can you imagine if this had occurred? We'd all be dealing in the black market! >>



Senator Allan Bible introduced legislation to ban coin collecting but it never got very far.

TavernTreasures

As a young lad those days (1960's) her actions really took some of the fun out of coin collecting. Young collectors today are very lucky with all that is coming out of the mint.

richbeat

Conder:

Stella Hackel did the bulk of the "damage" but Adams also destroyed records. The noted researcher was R.W. Julian.

oreville

The Federal Reserve was actually very consumer friendly back in the 1960's and early 1970's. They actually catered to the coin collector! The US Mint couldn't be bothered and treated us with contempt. I remember the 1965 SMS strictly as a concession since Congress were getting thousands of phone calls as to the posible elimination of the proof sets.

In fact, I sat in the office of NY Senator Jacob Javits (Republican) in November 1964 with a bunch of tearful fellow Boy Scouts (I was 11 years old!) while he personally called the US Mint Director to demand the 1965 Special Mints Sets as a concession! He even got Robert F Kennedy to join him on the phone call in the form of a conference call as Kennedy (Democrat) had just been elected as New York's junior senator just a few weeks before. I suspect the Kennedy name helped our cause a great deal in that phone call as the Mint Director really listened to him!

Senator Robert F. Kennedy may have been the key link to saving the collector set for 1965.

Back then, Republicans and Democrats worked together!!

True story!

CaptHenway

<< <i>The Federal Reserve was actually very consumer friendly back in the 1960's and early 1970's. They actually catered to the coin collector! The US Mint couldn't be bothered and treated us with contempt. I remember the 1965 SMS strictly as a concession since Congress were getting thousands of phone calls as to the posible elimination of the proof sets.

In fact, I sat in the office of NY Senator Jacob Javits (Republican) in November 1964 with a bunch of tearful fellow Boy Scouts (I was 11 years old!) while he personally called the US Mint Director to demand the 1965 Special Mints Sets as a concession! He even got Robert F Kennedy to join him on the phone call in the form of a conference call as Kennedy (Democrat) had just been elected as New York's junior senator just a few weeks before. I suspect the Kennedy name helped our cause a great deal in that phone call as the Mint Director really listened to him!

Senator Robert F. Kennedy may have been the key link to saving the collector set for 1965.

Back then, Republicans and Democrats worked together!!

Now THAT is a great anecdote!!!
TD

True story! >>

Trime

What a fascinating and informative thread. Thanks for the insights from such knowledgeable forum members.