WBCC Newsmail 23, Vol. 2, January 18, 1997 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear members of the Worldwide Bi-metallic Collectors Club (WBCC), in this week WBCC Newsmail some nice stories from several members. The WBCC competition is over, we have a winner, so read it now. 1. And the winner is.............By Martin Peeters Well members of the WBCC, we have a winner in our competition "Who will get the FIRST 1997 Bi-metallic?" The winner is Frans Dubois from the Netherlands and he has now the title "The most fanatic WBCC hunter". Frans has the 1997 mintset of the Dutch mint, and in this set there is a Bi-metallic Medal called "Province of Gelderland". Congratulations Frans. 2. Profile of a member Name: Kyle J. Mutcher, Canada E-mail : kmutcher@mb.sympatico.ca Age: 26 Occupation: Central Office Technician for Manitoba Telecom Service Hobbies: Coin and Paper Money Collecting, Travel, Hiking, Down Hill Skiing, Internet 3. Members report............By Kyle Mutcher, Canada Current Focus: Bi-metallic Coins General Info: My first two hobbies compliment each other really nicely. In the past 18 months I've been lucky enough to do a lot of traveling and collecting. I've been to the Canadian Numimatic Association Annual show in Calgary (July 95) then to England (Fall 95). But 1996 was even more exciting. On the spur of the moment I went to the Chicago International Coin Fair and had a great time. In October of 1996 I took a whirl wind 2 week tour of Europe that took me to London once again where I attended the Saturday afternoon coin market near Charing Cross Underground Station (Ask for directions before you go!). Then it was off to Paris where it seemed every second shop had coins :). I found a great little shop just off Rue Montmarte where I bought a few coins and was shown some beautiful rarities. I had to use my poor French as the owner of the shop spoke no English. We had fun talking to each other (I think I amused him). When I paid for my coins in my change were a number of different commerative 1 and 5 franc coins that I had hoped to find in the shop. Paris was great. Next was Germany Nice place, lots of fun, yukky coins. Then I went to Poland where we were taken all over the south by an Italian race car driver at mind numbing speeds on tiny highways which were crowded with very large trucks. I wish I had a video camera. My next trip just came out of the blue, this week I'm off to Hong Kong to meet an Internet pen pal from Australia. I plan to see all of Hong Kong, Macau, and a little of China. Who knows, I might get close enough to get a '97 Singapore $5 piece and win the contest :). I'll let Martin know when and if I get one. PS, Check out my website, , I hope to have everything working when you visit but if not E-mail me and let me know if you liked it. 4. Coin World article...By Joel Anderson, USA Here is the text of the article on the Hungary Bi-metallic coins that appeared in Coin World Jan 13 issue. Rich Giedroyce of Coin World is the author of these articles, not me. I just supply him with a steady stream of coins and ideas for articles. In return I get a some free publicity. He does the hard work of writing the articles. Hungary joins nations producing ringed Bi-metallic coins during 1996. Hungary has joined an ever expanding ring of nations issu ing ringed Bi-metallic coins for circulation. A 1996 100-forint coin recently appearing in circulation has the BP Mint mark of the Budapest Mint. The 23.8-millimeter diameter coin veighs 8 grams. It has a steel center and nickel-iron ring. The edge is reeded on the Uncirculated version and has a pattern on the Proof. The Proof mintage is limited to 3,000 pieces The obverse depicts a crowned shield with date below and legend MAGYAR KOZTARSASAG. The reverse has the denominational numeral at center with Mint mark above, an open wreath and forint below. The coin replaces a brass 100 forints issued between 1992 and 1995 for circulation, with siniilar design elements. The coin was 'Itck each year in both Uncirculated and in Proof. No business strike 100-forint coins were issued for circulation by the People's Republic Hungary of 1949 to 1989 . Non-circulating legal tender commemorative coins in thisdenomination have been issued periodically since 1961. The Hungarian monetary system is currently based on loo filler equal to one forint. This includes Magyar Nemeti Bank paper notes in denominations ranging from 100 forint to 10,000 forint. The monetary system was introduced in 1946 to replace the pengoe system that had been eroded by spiraling inflation after World War II. The 1996 100-forint coin is not available in Mint sets, according to a U.S. spokesman for the Hungarian Mint. The Uncirculated version is available at $4 postpaid through Joel Anderson, P.O. Box 3016, Merced, Calif. 95344. The Proof version is available at $12.50 postpaid through The Coin and Currency Institute, P.O. Box 1057, Clifton, N.J. 07014. 5. Different types Mexico 5 N.Peso 1992........By Kyle Mutcher I have found a second type of 1992 Mexico Bi-metallic 5 Peso (KM 552). On the side with the denomination (n$5) there are differences in the head dress at the bottom of the coin. * Type 1: the Balls are well attached to the Headdress and have a line across each one. * Type 2: the balls are just touching the headdress and there are no lines across the balls. There is also less detail in the headdress. 6. Usefull tip.........By Larry Friemel, WBCC Helpdesk I do not know about you, but I have my paper coin list I take to shows, my computer inventory list and a bunch of other lists depending upon whom I am corresponding to relative to trades, buys, wants. It all gets somewhat confusing. Well this weekend hopefully I have found a way around some of this mess. I went out and purchased one of those little $89 hand held telephone/memo/calculator data devices from Sharp. It has 128K of storage and the capability to maintain 3 different telephone directories and a memo pad plus the other normal calculator stuff. The memo pad has become the home for my coin trade list and my current want list. The first phone book, I am using for my business phone numbers and addresses. However, phone book number two is the location for all of my coin related addresses and phone numbers. Now I can find addresses easily without digging through my pile of mail. Plus all of the coin dealers and mints I have written to have also been added. But in phone book number 3, I have begun entering the entire bi-metallic catalog. I am identifying those I have and those that I need. The way I have set it up is as follows: * In place of a persons name, I input the name of a country. If that country produces multiple coins then I enter the country name and the coin denomination, such as, France 10f. * When it asks for the phone number, I enter the coin denomination and its catalog number; such as, 10 francs KM163. * When it then asks for the address, I list those coin dates I have and those I still need. Such as Have:92, 93 on one line and Need: 94, 95 on the next line.It also allows me to enter other information such as type or design. After I have done this I can call it up at my next coin show or anywhere else (like work) and sort through the list to see everything that I have and I can keep it in my shirt pocket or brief case. I am about 2/3s of the way through my data entry which is the hardest part. It also says it has the capability to plug into a PC and upload/download the data, but once I get it in I don't think it will be much of a problem updating my master list and my little carry along device. If I would have splurged, I could have bought for about $300 one with a simple Microsoft compatible Excel and Word capability that I could have used directly. But that was more than I wanted to spend, since I am saving up for a new computer for home if Uncle Sam at Tax time does not take it all. I though I would pass this along to you because I think it is "neat". Everything in one place and portable such that I can always have it at my finger tips. 7. Coin World...By Harry Newton, USA Brad Reed writes a monthly column "Coins on Line" for "Coin World".Any information about coins and the internet please send to him via e-mail to: (1) cwbook@amospress.com or (2) reedonly@aol.com Checking with The American Numismatic Association for books in their library about bi-metel coins only one book about Bi-metallic tokens.No titles about Bi-metallic coins.Any club member knowing titles (in English) about Bi-metallic coins please let me know via the WBCC Newsmail or e-mail to: harry.newton@chrysalis.org "See" you next week and happy Bi-metallic hunting, Martin Peeters, Focal Point of the WBCC