WBCC Newsmail 39, Vol. 2, May 10, 1997

Dear WBCC members, the WBCC is still growing, we are now with 52 members.
In this week WBCC Newsmail very fine Bi-metallic news, so enjoy it again.

1.  A new member...................By WBCC Focal Point

Name:       Jesse McCann, USA (WBCC member #51)
E-mail:       ybco@okeefe.bestweb.net
Homepage: http://www.bestweb.net/~ybco

2.  Another new member.........By WBCC Focal Point

Name: Dean Neald, Canada (WBCC member #52)
E-mail: dneald@tansi.sifc.edu

3.  Profile of a member........By WBCC Focal Point

Name:        Ken Leitch, Australia
E-mail:       coins@ats.com.au
Homepage: http://www.ats.com.au/~coins.index.htm
Age:           69
Profession: Professional Numismatist
Hobbies:    Lawn Bowls. Fine food, good wine and great company.
Goal:         To be the Worlds best "vest pocket coin dealer".
Against:     People who try to convert you to their againsts.

4.  Algerian Bi-metallic 50 Dinar dated 1996...By Eugene Canham, USA

    In a recent shipment of Algerian Bi-metallics, I found one piece with a
new date. It was the Algeria Bi-metallic 50 Dinar, KM-126, Gazelle and
dated 1996

5. San Marino Bi-metallic 500 Lire dated 1997....By Fabio Guerrieri, Italy

     I have available now the new 500 Lire 1997 of  San Marino for all
member of the WBCC. If you have interest for this Bi-metallic please E-mail
me at: guerrif@iol.it

6.  Interesting Bi-metallic stuff.........By Cliff Anderson, USA

     I have some discriptions of interested Bi-metallics:

A. Metro-Dade (Florida) County Transit Token.
22mm, aluminum plug in a brass ring; three passengers boarding a bus, over
which is a commuter train; great detail including clouds, tree, and the
bus's windshield wipers

B. 1897 Bickford So-Called Dollar.
27.5mm, issued privately by Dana Bickford during the gold vs. silver
currency controversy. Wording on both sides of coin's copper plug:
"Republican Internat'l dollar."  Wording on obverse's aluminum ring: "This
combination coin will when adopted be good in all nations/heal all
differences between gold & silver men/and fully settle all financial
questions/approved by all gold business men." Wording on reverse's ring.
Here is shown the value of our dollar in the coin of different nations of
the world." Eight circles are linked together, showing "Sterling 4.2",
"Francs 5.20", "Kronen 3.80", "Gulden 2.8", "Marken 4.16", "Guilden 2.50",
"Roubel 9.65", "Yen 1.1" "Invented and protected by Dana Bickford."

C. Natalbany (Louisiana) Lumber Co. Trade Token.
19.5mm, aluminum plug inside brass ring; wording on obverse ring: "Good
only at company's store/not transferable." Wording in plug: "Natalbany
Lumber Company, Ltd./Natalbany, LA."  Wording on reverse ring:  "Good
for/in merchandise". Plug has numeral "5".

D. A catalog published in 1996 by Louis Crawford (also a WBCC member) and
Glyn Farber, titled Louisiana Trade Tokens, does not use the word
"Bi-metallic" to identify any of these Louisiana trade tokens. But the few
photographs in the book clearly show the Bi-metallic characteristics of the
Natalbany token. Three other tokens shown as Bi-metallic in that same
catalog are from the Fisher Lumber Corporation in Wisner (Franklin Parish),
LA; Ramos Lumber Co., Ltd., Swamp Store, in Ramos (unknown location), LA;
and W. R. Pickering Lumber Co., in Barham (Vernon Parish), LA. These
Bi-metallic tokens dated between the 1890s through the 1930s.

7.  Request from a WBCC member.......By David Shapiro, USA

    David Shapiro has a website and would like people to write articles on
Bi-metallics for him to put them up on his website. Check my site out at:

http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/6340/

Sign my guestbook, too!!  My site was just updated.

8.  Bi-metallic from Brunei......By Eugene Canham, USA

     From a supplier in Asia I have a report of a new Bi-metallic from
Brunei. I do not know yet if it is a ringed or non-ringed, I am pretty sure
it is in precious metals as the Wholesale dealer price to me is 225 US
Dollars! I will let you know further information on this piece when I
obtain it.

9.  Non-ringed German Bi-metallics...By Frans Woons, Canada

    I know 3 non-ringed Bi-metallic medals struck to commemorate the
unification of Germany in 1990:

A. Obverse: Map of Germany. Reverse: The German national anthem (in eight
lines). Mainly silver with map and surrounding field gold plated. Diameter:
50 mm. Weight: 50 g. Mintage: 5000 specimens.

B. As A. but the medal is made of silver with an in-laid disc of gold on
the obverse. Diameter: 50 mm. Weight: 44 g of silver plus 6 g of gold for a
total of 50 g. Mintage: 1000.

C. As A. but medal is made of gold with an in-laid disc of platinum on the
obverse. Diameter: 50 mm. Weight: 54.29 g of gold plus 8 g of platinum for
a total weight of 62.29 g. Mintage: 500 numbered specimens.

10.  Canadian Bi-metallic 2 Dollars.........By Kyle Mutcher, Canada
 
     I have a chance to get some 1997 specimen $2 coins from the specimen
sets that a dealer has broken up. They are of the highest quality coins
from specially struck blanks. I can sell these for $5 CDN. Last week I was
able to visit the R.C. Mint in Winnipeg and there I managed to get some
circulation 1997 $2 coins. These will cost $3 each. For all the members:
e-mail me if you are interested. If anyone wants both types let me know,
and I'll be sure to get enough for every one.

Specimen $2 = $5CDN
Circulation $2 = $3CDN
$1CDN = 1.35 Guilders, 1180 Lira, 0.74 US$
Postage will be $1.50 for packages up to 100 grams.

11. Canadian Bi-metallic 2 Dollar variety.......By Kyle Mutcher, Canada

     Last week I was able to sell a couple of the "extra mountain" variety
of two dollar coins that I had found. It was a coin dealer that was looking
for it to include in a set of two dollar coin varieties. He was very happy
to get them and he put them in his set right away. If you are interested I
have one that I can send to you. If you want it you can send me $50 cdn
(the coin dealer gave me $60 each) or return it if you don't, no problem. 

12.  Non ringed Canadian Bi-metallic....By Kyle Mutcher, Canada

     Another interesting item I found at the Mint was a non ringed
Bi-metallic. A copper medallion with a nickel inlay. The design is as
follows: 

36mm in diameter, 5mm thick,
Side-1 Copper Ring - Maple leaves, Nickel Inlay- enlarged polar bear design
from $2 coin (identical)
Side-2 All copper- Around the rim - "ROYAL CANADIAN MINT  MONNAIE 	ROYALE
CANADIENNE". On the center of the coin it has "PRESIDENT - PRÉSIDENTE,
Danielle V. Wetherup" and the RCM logo.

I have a few of these and I can get more so if anyone wants one please let
me know. Cost- $7CDN

Medallion =$7CDN
$1CDN = 1.35 Guilders, 1180 Lira, 0.74 US$
Postage will be $1.50 for packages up to 100 grams.

13  My wantlist................By Kyle Mutcher, Canada

     I'd be interested in trading for some of the following coins:

Syria 25 pounds
Hungary 100 Forint
Austria 50 Schillings
Morocco 5 + 10 Dirhams
Algeria 10, 20, 50, 100 Dinars
Ghana 100 Cedi
Cape Verde 100 Escudos
Equador 1000 Sucres
Australia 1994,96,97 $5
Singapore $5 all dates
Poland 5 Zlotych 1995
Czech 50 Korun all dates
British penny models

Or for any other coins shown in the catalogue that I don't have. Please
send e-mail first and let me know what you have for trade. 

14. Bi-metallic Gaming Tokens.....By Martin Peeters, Netherlands

     If you want to know more about the Bi-metallic Gaming Tokens
(officially called: Nevada Silver Premium Gaming Tokens), look at:

http://home.earthlink.net/~mweaver/index.html

There you can read that Marv Weaver from the USA  has written a Price Guide
about the Nevada Silver Gaming Tokens, and his website has lots of useful
information.

15. Joel Anderson Bi-metallic selllist.........By Joel Anderson, USA

Finland, set of 2 Bi-metallic 5 Euros: First World Air Games, shows
airplanes, balloon, sky surfing, US $39

Netherlands, Bi-metallic 1997 Mint Medal for the 300th anniv. of Peter the
Great's visit to Holland US $3.00

Thailand, 10 Baht 1996 Bi-metallic Kings Anniv. US $4.00

Please include postage. CA residents please add 7 1/4% sales tax. 3 week
returns.

Joel Anderson
P.O. Box 3016
Merced, CA 95344
Phone/Fax (209) 722-5426,
E-mail JAcoins@aol.com

16. Obtaining Bi-metallics....By Steve Andrews, USA

     I was able to locat the Irish Bi-metallic 5 ECU, and the Austrian
Bi-metallic 50 Shilling from Lauren Benson Inc. The firm just got in a new
shipment of the Irish coins, but had the 50 shilling in stock.

17. Mexican Bi-metallic dated 1996.......By Luis Wulschner, Mexico

     On page 88 of World Coin News, May 1997, World Coin Roundup Section;
1996 Bi-metallic coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 pesos are listed and they
announce that this information was supplied by Banco de México. In WBCC
Newsmail 34 I published the official list of Mexican Bi-metallic coins
struck from 1992 through 1997. This information was supplied by a high
official of El Banco de México.

When I read the note in World Coin News (WCN), I called the bank official
again and he told me that what was published in WCN is a mistake, because
the striking of 5, 10, 20 and 50 pesos dated 1996 was never authorized;
besides, 1996 mint sets will be released soon and they will contain only
the 5, 10, 20 and 50 centavos and the 1 and 2 pesos. Thus, the WCN note is
definitely in error. 5, 10 and 20 peso coins were not struck.

"See" you next week,
Martin Peeters,
Focal Point of the WBCC