The greatest coin club ever: The New York Numismatic Club, organized Dec. 11, 1908

DMWJR

I recently ran across a PDF version on-line of The New York Numismatic Club Year Book (1918-1921), and it was one
of the most entertaining reads I have had in awhile. An insight into serious coin collecting a century ago should not be ignored
by today�s collectors. I would recommend browsing through it. The full text can be found here: NYNC Year Book

The Club was organized at Keen�s Chop House on 36th Street, New York City, on December 11, 1908,
and incorporated on December 3rd, 1909. Club members during the first decade included such notable
numismatists as Augustus Heaton, FCC Boyd, Albert Frey, Wayte Raymond, Thomas Elder, Daniel Valentine,
David Proskey, Chapman Brothers, Virgil Brand, Ard Browning, John Clapp, Max Mehl, Lyman Low, Sidney Noe,
Hillyer Ryder, William Woodin, Farran Zerbe, and others. (You can read the entire list in the Year Book.)

The Club held regular meetings on the second Friday evening of each month at the Park Avenue Hotel, having dinner,
a business meeting, special features and exhibits of member collections, and addresses on numismatic subjects.
During the first decade, the club created several medals of its own design honoring some of the Club�s Presidents
and several others including the King of Italy (which was subsequently presented to him).

The Year Book includes detailed minutes of each monthly meeting, what topics were discussed, exhibits presented, etc.,
and apparently lively discussions about coins and other things. Most of the members would bring certain parts of
their collections to share and educate. One such discussion proves that collector views today are somewhat similar
to our own. During the June 1920 meeting, Proskey brought several groups of patterns with discussion
memorialized in the minutes:

By Mr. Proskey: The question having been raised as to the ability of our American die-sinkers to design
coins equal to those of other countries, this exhibitor endeavored to show that the United States Mint pattern
for coins in past decades indicate that our artists have equaled and excelled those of foreign countries of the
same periods, but our officials have not selected competent judges to select the best or most beautiful designs
from the many patterns made in the mint, as may be proved by our currency since about 1840, the ugliest
having always been selected, with very few exceptions. (p. 79)

The minutes further reflect one of the examples shown by Proskey as the trade dollar:

1873 Trade Dollars, set of six, from which was selected for currency the most stupid design for the obverse,
with a new �marvelous� eagle on reverse which the observer may have difficulty in determining
whether its breast or back is portrayed. (p. 81)



LOL. (Hear that TDN??)

If you want to see the entire six piece set they were looking at, go here: Six Piece Trade Dollar Pattern Set

All in all, the Year Book is a fascinating read, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Coinosaurus

The NYNC is one-of-a-kind. A really special group. They have two rules I think are really cool:

* Dress code is jacket and tie - and you better not mess with the dress code or you will get the evil eye, big time.

* There is to be absolutely NO coin business transacted at club meetings.

oreville

DMWJR:

I can imagine TDN's retort to be:

"what do those New Yorkers know about coins?"

keyman64

I really like this version of the trade dollar: J1315/P1458 ...although I would have removed the grains and fineness so as to lower the eagle and make him much bigger.

Cool Post about the NY Club!

ColonelJessup

I am curious as to what they considered to be modern. What if any reaction and response to the later exposure of Dora Doscher's (sic?) right nipple and aureola.

speety

I noticed Hesslein was also a member. So not all there members are so highly regarded Per Bowers:
"Hesslein, of New Haven, Connecticut, and, later, Boston, had a checkered numismatic career and ended it by decamping with coins belonging to others and with a string of unpaid obligations."

And I am personally a little bitter as I still cannot locate an example of his auction catalog containing the Boyd 1870-S S$1

Quite an impressive group none-the-less! The Cincinnati Coin Club had quite an original 35 "founders" as well, including such greats as: Zerbe, Chapman, B Max Mehl, Worsmer, and many greats in the obsolete bank note arena. Oh yeah, Hesslein was a charter memeber of the Cincinnati club as well

DMWJR

That's interesting. I'm sure there were a few interesting characters in the group. I would love to have attended one of the meetings and looked at the exhibits.

Brenner was also supposedly a member in the early years, but must have dropped out by 1918 as he faded from the scene. In 1910, the club sent a letter to Secretary MacVeagh to restore the VDB on the cent, with a sideways comment that the restoration of VDB would distinguish the artist from Charles Barber and preserve Brenner's integrity. LOL

EVillageProwler

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I found this: NYNC Archives at the ANS

I haven't been to a club meeting in years. Is it still active? (I hope so, since I still hold out hope that I will get to be a member.)

illini420

Here's a thread I posted about the club and their "show & tell" after reading through some old issues of The Numismatist from 1909...




LINK to previous thread

EVillageProwler

Thanks Michael.

This reminds me... Several years ago, I attended a NYNC meeting that had Mr. 1796, John Whitney Walter, in attendance. Nice guy, and very erudite (as were all the attendants except for maybe me). A lot of us younger guys peppered him with questions like he was a celebrity (which he was to us).

EVP

DaveG

Yes - the NYNC is still active.

One of the members of my coin club was invited to attend a meeting/join the club (not sure which) in the past year or so.

They still meet for dinner at a NY restaurant, so attending a meeting is not exactly an inexpensive evening. I don't know if they still require a suit and tie.

EVillageProwler

Thanks, Dave. The two times I went, they met at the old Armory. Dinner was nice. Very nice, in fact. No, not cheap, but I can see myself going a couple of times a year.

EVP

DaveG

EVP,

If you're in New Jersey, you should come to the New Jersey Numismatic Society.

We meet on the third Monday of the Month at 7:30 pm at the Madison Public Library.

We have several members who are well known in the numismatic community and our members have a wide mix of interests - we have several World and Ancient collectors in addition to those of us who are more interested in US coinage.

EVillageProwler

Thanks, Dave. At one point, I was thinking of joining both NYNC and NJNS but life intervened and I did neither. I work in lower Manhattan again, so that's why I started to think about the NYNC. Despite my living in NJ, Madison is actually not close to me. I'll need to look at a map and do some planning. Dave Lange said many nice things about NJNS to me many years ago. I believe several folks are members of both.

EVP

Zoins

I just read that John Nicholas Joseph Lupia, III called the founders the "Dirty Dozen" here:

https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v19n14a08.html

THOMAS LINDSAY ELDER (1874-1948)

He was among the "dirty dozen" founders of The New York Numismatic Club on December 11, 1908, at Keen's Old English Chop House located on 36th and 6th Avenue. These were all die-hard numismatists and collectors each one a notable figure critical to the history of American numismatic history.

Also of note is that 4 of the 6 people listed as Numismatic Knights of the Round Table are in the OP list, all except Elliott Smith and J.M. Swanson. Was, or is, this group part of NYNC?

Zoins

@DMWJR said:
The Club was organized at Keen's Chop House on 36th Street, New York City, on December 11, 1908, and incorporated on December 3rd, 1909. Club members during the first decade included such notable numismatists as Augustus Heaton, FCC Boyd, Albert Frey, Wayte Raymond, Thomas Elder, Daniel Valentine, David Proskey, Chapman Brothers, Virgil Brand, Ard Browning, John Clapp, Max Mehl, Lyman Low, Sidney Noe, Hillyer Ryder, William Woodin, Farran Zerbe, and others.

What a numismatic Who's Who. Are current members as illustrious?

Zoins

Here's the NYNC 2004 medal showing David T. Alexander as the new president.

https://www.coinarchives.com/w/results.php?results=100&search=elliot

ricko

I do not go into the city.... Though it is just 100 miles south of my location. I was there several times in my younger days and did not lose anything there. No need to go back. Not even to join such an illustrious coin club. Cheers, RickO

tokenpro

The NYNC Charter Members - DeLorey 53

BillJones

When I was living in New Jersey and belonged to the New Jersey Numismatic Society, a New York Club member invited me to go to a meeting. I never got to take him up on it because I moved to Massachusetts not to long after that.

It's my understanding that you have to be invited by a member to attend one of their meetings.

blu62vette

I have been to one meeting as a member invited me when i was in New York. Brought a suit just for the occasion. If you ever get and invite, go. It is not like a normal coin club meeting, definitely a whole new scale of knowledge and enjoyment.

yosclimber

from @barndog's post on
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/871062/my-numismatic-hero-is-daniel-webster-valentine-so-the-question-is-does-anyone-here-know-much-about

Stella

@Zoins said:

@DMWJR said:
The Club was organized at Keen's Chop House on 36th Street, New York City, on December 11, 1908, and incorporated on December 3rd, 1909. Club members during the first decade included such notable numismatists as Augustus Heaton, FCC Boyd, Albert Frey, Wayte Raymond, Thomas Elder, Daniel Valentine, David Proskey, Chapman Brothers, Virgil Brand, Ard Browning, John Clapp, Max Mehl, Lyman Low, Sidney Noe, Hillyer Ryder, William Woodin, Farran Zerbe, and others.

What a numismatic Who's Who. Are current members as illustrious?

Perhaps not, as I am a current member and have never thought of myself on the same list as Virgil Brand and Farran Zerbe.

Yes, @BillJones you would need to be a guest of a current member to attend a meeting.

If someone has a question, feel free to PM me.

Zoins

@Stella said:

@Zoins said:

@DMWJR said:
The Club was organized at Keen's Chop House on 36th Street, New York City, on December 11, 1908, and incorporated on December 3rd, 1909. Club members during the first decade included such notable numismatists as Augustus Heaton, FCC Boyd, Albert Frey, Wayte Raymond, Thomas Elder, Daniel Valentine, David Proskey, Chapman Brothers, Virgil Brand, Ard Browning, John Clapp, Max Mehl, Lyman Low, Sidney Noe, Hillyer Ryder, William Woodin, Farran Zerbe, and others.

What a numismatic Who's Who. Are current members as illustrious?

Perhaps not, as I am a current member and have never thought of myself on the same list as Virgil Brand and Farran Zerbe.

Don’t sell yourself short! Not all original members were of the same caliber!