WBCC Newsmail 69, Vol. 2, December 6, 1997 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Composed with help of several members of the Worldwide Bi-metallic Collectors Club and published by Martin Peeters, The Netherlands, Focal Point of the WBCC, martinp@concepts.nl -------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear WBCC members, For the 69th. time in a row, you getting this week again news about Bi-metallics and I can tell you I find it very interesting. This week I can also announce that we have now 75 members worldwide. So I hope you enjoy it !! 1. New members.......By Martin Peeters, WBCC Focal Point We have 2 new members: Name: Michael Doran, USA (WBCC number #74) E-mail: No Internet connection Age: 25 Profession: Salesman, part-time Coindealer Hobby: Collecting Bi-metallic Coins Goal: Promote the WBCC in the USA Name: Hans Verbaan, Netherlands (WBCC number #75) E-mail: nedmunt@netland.nl Hobby: Collecting Bi-metallics from the Netherlands 2. Pictures of several Bi-metallics.......By Frans Dubois, Netherlands When you look into the WBCC Homepage http://www.geocities.com/RodeoDrive/7513/wbcc/wbcc.html you can see now the pictures of: * 2 Euro of the French City Millau, 2 pieces with oppisite colors. MTT from 25 june to 5 july 1997. * 2 Euro of the French City Morester, MTT from 29 june till 25 july 1997. * 1 Euro 1997 of the Italian City Fiesole-Pontassieve. * St. Nicholas, Medal from the Dutch mint dated 15 november 1997 for the celebration of St. Nicholas in the Netherlands. * Finland, 25 Markkaa 1997. 3. Bi-metallic Celebration of 'Sinterklaas'...By Frans Dubois, Netherlands One of the most populair festivals in the Netherlands is the celebration of "Sinterklaas" (Nicholas, Spanish Bishop) on the fifth of December. In the weeks before this date the festivities already start. Around the second or third week of November there is the entry, the so-called 'Intocht' Sinterklaas arrives by boat and the Spanish Bishop and childfriend starts the festivities around his birthday. This year the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands issued a Bi-metallic token to commemorate the Entry this year. At one side is a drawing of Sinterklaas and at the reverse is the building of the Dutch Mint in Utrecht. I will try to get some of these tokens at the Mint. If you are interested contact me: dubois.f@wxs.nl 4. Very good thinking........By Martin Peeters, WBCC Focal Point From our new member Michael Doran I've got a letter (he has no Internet connection) with a very good idea, to go to his Local Library who has an Internet connection: --Quote I recently went to the local library to use the Internet, and saw the WBCC Webside, very impressive. I also printed WBCC Newsmail #67, to get the latest Bi-metallic News. I'm looking for Bi-metallic Coins, Unc only. My address is: Michael Doran P.O. Box 1038 Bourbonnais, IL 60914-7038 USA Phone: (815) 932-0294 --Unquote 5. A new Bi-metallic??.....By Paul Baker, UK (non WBCC member) Have I found a Bi-metallic piece that is new to the WBCC? All my main coins are organised and sorted as I get them, but paranumismatica (tokens etc...) get left behind a little. In a packet with such pieces in it from 7/MAY/94 I have found a Pobjoy Mint promotional piece. The piece I have promotes the fact that the Pobjoy Mint won the Queen's Award for Export Achievement in 1990. The diameters of the inner and outer are very similar to those of the Italian 500 Lire coins we are all familiar with. However the alloys used do seem different. The inner parts of the two quite are two quite different yellows. Also the outer part of the Italian piece is magnetic, the outer part of my "new discovery" is non-magnetic, though both outers are a slightly similar colour. Also the edge on my piece is plain, Italian 500 Lire pieces have an interupted milled edge. As for the legends on my piece:- (First side - outer) Pobjoy Mint Sutton Surrey England 081-641 0370 (Other side - outer) THE QUEEN'S AWARD FOR EXPORT ACHIEVEMENT. Designs (First side - inner) Pobjoy Mint logo (Other side - inner) logo of the award and date "1990" beneath. The "PM" mintmark does not appear anywhere on the coin. Has anyone got one of these already, or even seen one? The piece I have is the only one that I have seen. --Remark WBCC Focal Point: In this article mentioned Bi-metallic "Pobjoy Mint Token 1990" is already listed in the cataloque "The World of Bi-metallics" in section 5, page 17. 6. Coin World Article (1).........By Martin Peeters, Netherlands In the American Coinpaper Coin World of November 3, 1997, I saw the following article: --Quote Coin World Staff By Richard Giedroyc A vending machine industry "electronic signature" problem has postponed the launch of Great Britain's £2 coin into circulation. According to an Oct. 7 press release from the British Royal Mint, "The government has decided to change the launch date of the £2 circulating coin because of a potential problem with the `electronic signature' of the coin in vending and other machines. "As the extent of the problem is not yet known; it makes sense to allow more time for the Royal Mint to work with the vending industry to identify a solution to the problem and to ensure a smooth introduction of the coin into general circulation". The first British ringed bimetallic coin to be released into circulation had been scheduled for Nov. 3; but has now been postponed to March 1998. An exact date had not immediately been confirmed, but a spokesman for the BRM refered to it has injustment in the time table." According to BRM representative Michael Sedgwick, plans are still in place to issue 1997dated coins. Sedgwick said a worst case scenario could possibly, incIude coins having to be remanufactured, in which case coilectors who already own 1997 £2 coins in Proof and Mint sets would have something special since only 1998-dated coins would be released to circulation. Sedgwick told Coin World Oct.13 that the electromagnetic recognition of the coins in vending machines appears to be a problem, but for unidentified reasons. There is some question regarding how close the vending machine industry has set the tolerances in machines designed to accept the new coin. He said the Mint made the decision to delay the launch of the coin to allow the problems to be identified and corrected. It is possible the industry has set the tolerances in vending mechanisms too tightly. Sedgwick emphasized that at this time there are no plans to redesign the ringed bimetallic £2 coin. The BRM is awaiting recalibration of vending industry equipment before determining if any such decisions wil be necessary. The 28.4 millimeter diameter coin has a white-color center and a yellow-color outer ring. The obverse depicts the Raphael Maklouf crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The reverse depicts a Bruce Rushin design representing technological development, configured in concentric circles with a latent image security device that changes with the angle at which the coin is held. The coin also has a lettered edge. CW --Unquote 7. Coin World article (2)...By Martin Peeters, Netherlands The following article I saw this week in the Homepage of the American Coinpaper Coin World. --Quote Silver Center Cent The first actual record of "coins" struck in the U.S. Mint can be found in Chief Coiner Henry Voigt's account book on Dec. 17, 1792. In actuality, the coins were patterns. They were cents made by putting a silver plug worth three-fourths of a cent into a copper blank worth one-fourth of a cent. The Silver Center cent patterns represent an interesting attempt to produce a smaller coin, yet maintain its intrinsic value at one cent. The obverse depicts a female bust with flowing hair and the date 1792. The reverse has a laurel wreath and ONE CENT in the center. Only a handful of genuine specimens exist, with numerous counterfeits known. The cost of making the blanks revealed the project's impractical side. -- Unquote 8. Coin World article (3)..........By Ray Heuer, USA Coin World article of December 8, 1997 reports that the 1000 Lire 1997 are taken out of circulation as fast as they are issued. The tokens are a success with collectors, at least. 9. Exchange Bi-metallics..By Rasmus Rynne, Estland (Non WBCC member) I have few Bi-metallic coins to exchange. You can look at my doubles on my Homepage: http://www.ttu.ee/users/rasmus/vahetus.htm 10. Tradinglist Coin Invest Trust Vaduz..By Martin Peeters, Netherlands From the Liechtenstein firm "Coin Invest Trust Vaduz" I've got the November/December 97 Newslettter. In this list I saw the following Bi-metallics for sale: * Austria, 50 Schilling 1997, Wiener Secession, Unc, Price 11.00 Swiss Francs * Finland, 25 Markkaa 1997, 80th. Anniversary of Independence, 20.2 grs, 35 mm, Unc, price 20.00 Swiss Francs. * Italy, 1000 Lire 1997, regular, first issue, Unc, Price 5.00 Swiss Francs (not yet in stock) * Italy, 1000 Lire 1997, divided Germany, Unc, Price 10.00 Swiss Francs (not yet in stock) * Netherlands, 200 Euro 1997, Luxemburg Chairman of the European Union, Proof, Silver with Kinegram, Price 350.00 Swiss Francs * Netherlands, 200 Euro 1997, London Chairman of the European Union, Proof, Silver with Kinegram, Price 350.00 Swiss Francs * San Marino, 1000 Lire 1997, Lion, Unc, Price 5.00 Swiss Francs Available at: Coin Invest Trust Vaduz P.O. Box 125 FL-9490 Vaduz Leichtenstein Phone: + 4175-2326454 Fax: + 4175-2320317 E-mail: coin@pingnet.li --Remark WBCC Focal Point: Strange is that Coin Invest Trust Vaduz offers 2 different Bi-metallic 1000 Lire 1997. I have ask them to clear this. The answer was that they don't have both in stock yet, so couldn't explain me if there is a difference. 11. Tradinglist EMK..............By Martin Peeters, Netherlands From the German firm EMK I've got the "December 97 Kundenliste". In this list I saw the following Bi-metallics for sale: * Italy, 1 Euro 1997, Test-Euro, Bra/Cu, Unc, Price 23.50 German Marks * Germany, 1 Euro 1997, Gadebusch-design, Proof, 50 pieces made, Price 360 German Marks * Andorra, 20 Dinar 1993, St. George, Non ringed Bi-metallic, Unc, made 5000 pieces, 156.00 German Marks * Netherlands, 5 Ecu/Euro, Konrad Adenauer, Unc, made 10.000 pieces, Price 12.90 German Marks Available at: EMK - Erftstadter MunzKabinett Postfach 2108 D-50355 Erftstadt Germany E-mail: R.Barthel@t-online.de Phone + 2235-9273747 Fax: + 2235-9273748 12. Message in RCC Newsgroup...By Martin Peeters, WBCC Focal Point The following message I saw in the RCC Newsgroup: --Quote I would like to swap by Bi-metallic coins. For your duplicates from World Wide I can send you my ones from Russia, including Red Book and others. Yury Bochkaryov E-mail: fliper@dkd.ot.lt P.O.Box 11 LT-4761 Visaginas 1 Lithuana --Unquote 13. Lost a member...By Martin Peeters, WBCC Focal Point We have lost a member. Please delete him from your mailinglist: Mike Kahlke (ex WBCC member #15) 14. The World of Bi-metallics cataloque...By Martin Peeters This week I have completed the December 97 issue of "The World of Bi-metallics" cataloque. I have already posted them, so next week you find it in your mailbox. "See" you next week Martin Peeters, Focal Point of the Worldwide Bi-metallic Collectors Club martinp@concepts.nl