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Six collectors in 1903 decide to form a coin club called the Chicago Numismatic Society...

BroadstruckBroadstruck Posts: 30,497 ✭✭✭✭✭
Late in 1903 six men met over dinner at the Union League Club of Chicago and decided that it was time to form a local numismatic group. They discussed the scope and purpose of their infant society and each pledged to bring one new member when they met again. A report from a January 1904 meeting does not indicate how many were present, but enough were there to give this group the courage to call themselves the Chicago Numismatic Society.

Five of the six men present at the earlier dinner meeting were elected as officers: President William G. Jerrems, Jr., Vice-President William F. Dunham, Secretary and Librarian Ben G. Green, Treasurer Enos C. Verkler and Censor Michael P. Carey. The sixth member, Walter McDonald, remained without office. Mr. Jerrems exhibited a number of silver and bronze Greek coins and Mr. Dunham exhibited hard times tokens with a discussion of our national, political, and financial development.

The Chicago Numismatic Society prospered for twelve years until 1915 and in that time attracted many numismatic notables such as Virgil M. Brand, Frank Duffield, Dr. George F. Heath and well known coin dealers B. Max Mehl of Fort Worth, Texas, Lyman Low of New York, S. Hudson Chapman of Philadelphia, Theophile Leonand of Chicago, and Jacob Hirsh of Munich Germany also honored the Society.

One other important member was J. Henri Ripstra, later ANA president and skilled medal designer and engraver. Ripstra in 1905 created this medal featuring a high relief Athenian Owl Tetradrachm of which the obverse design was adopted as the official seal for the Chicago Numismatic Society.

Here's a scarce example of the first year this medal was issued while William Forrester Dunham was President. This is a member issued medal which has a plain edge since all the not issued to a member medals are stamped "NOT ISSUED TO A MEMBER" such as the specimens in the American Numismatic Society museum. On the medals reverse each star symbolizing a member who joined in the respective year.

1905 Chicago Numismatic Society Medal, Bronze, 50.5mm Diameter, Dies by J. Henri Ripstra.

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To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!

Comments

  • TireKickerTireKicker Posts: 870 ✭✭
    Very nice write up, thank you. I often wonder what it would have been like to attend one of these meetings 100+ years ago.
    All the best,

    Rob

    image

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  • northcoinnorthcoin Posts: 4,987 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Very interesting. In the same city and during the same time frame Rotary was jelling with the informal "meetings" that started in 1901 formally forming a Rotary Club in 1905 - the first in the world. As per the attached link Rotary was the first of all the service clubs (Elks, Lions, Kiawanis etc.)

    Sociologically probably some significant shared forces that resulted in "clubbing" there in the Windy City at the turn of the Century.

    Chicago a Club Town
  • coindudeonebaycoindudeonebay Posts: 1,735 ✭✭✭
    Neat story Broady. Love the Owl design from the tetradrachm, always have always will.
  • BroadstruckBroadstruck Posts: 30,497 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Neat story Broady. Love the Owl design from the tetradrachm, always have always will. >>



    Thanks everyone! image

    coindudeonebay, Same here as the owl was on the cover of one of the first price guides I received as a kid and I've been fond of it ever since.
    To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!
  • ms70ms70 Posts: 13,946 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That's quite interesting. It's nice that their contribution to our hobby lives on, not only by the medal, but also by you spreading the history here. Thank you for sharing.

    Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.

  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thanks for the history Broadstruck, and the medal.... neat owl...Cheers, RickO
  • BroadstruckBroadstruck Posts: 30,497 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Cool bit of history their, on the obv what is with the RIP8TRA, Rest In Piece 8 xxx? >>



    It's J. Henri Ripstra last name...

    image
    To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!
  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,811 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Very cool coin club medal Broadstruck! I like the sharpness and relief of the piece as well as the history and association with membership. image

    It's too bad the Chicago Numismatic Society isn't still active, however the Union League Club of Chicago is still running strong. And interestingly, the Chicago Coin Club was organized in 1919.

    For classic coin club medals, it reminds me a bit of the 1873 Boston Numismatic Society medalet Bill Jones has.
  • sparky64sparky64 Posts: 7,025 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Beautiful, historic medal.
    Nice story too.
    Thanks.

    "If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"

    My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress

  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,811 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The Chicago Coin Club has a good history of the Chicago Numismatic Society which seems like it was prolific issuer of medals.
  • northcoinnorthcoin Posts: 4,987 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Very interesting. In the same city and during the same time frame Rotary was jelling with the informal "meetings" that started in 1901 formally forming a Rotary Club in 1905 - the first in the world. As per the attached link Rotary was the first of all the service clubs (Elks, Lions, Kiawanis etc.)

    Sociologically probably some significant shared forces that resulted in "clubbing" there in the Windy City at the turn of the Century.

    Chicago a Club Town >>




    Curious, if like Rotary, whether the Chicago Numismatic Society was the first of its type as well.
  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,811 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Very interesting. In the same city and during the same time frame Rotary was jelling with the informal "meetings" that started in 1901 formally forming a Rotary Club in 1905 - the first in the world. As per the attached link Rotary was the first of all the service clubs (Elks, Lions, Kiawanis etc.)

    Sociologically probably some significant shared forces that resulted in "clubbing" there in the Windy City at the turn of the Century.

    Chicago a Club Town >>




    Curious, if like Rotary, whether the Chicago Numismatic Society was the first of its type as well. >>



    There were a few numismatic societies before the one in Chicago. The Numismatic Society of Philadelphia was formed in 1858 followed by the Boston Numismatic Society in 1860. The BNS had a scheduled meeting for December 11th, 2012 but I can't find any meetings after that. Does anyone know if BNS is still running? These were predated by some clubs in Europe, including the Numismatic Society of London in 1836, which is still running today as The Royal Numismatic Society.
  • BroadstruckBroadstruck Posts: 30,497 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I just wanted to add these to this thread which I purchased early this year from the recent discovered Virgil M. Brand hoard of so called miscellaneous tokens & medals.

    To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!

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