How would you like to belong to an exclusive numismatic group — one with fewer than 200 members? Further, how would you like to belong to an exclusive numismatic club with fewer than 200 members that issues a color-illustrated newsletter several times a year?
I could go on, but the object of my attention is the Medal Collectors of America. This group, which publishes the MCA Advisory, is one of the most dynamic organizations to which I belong. The editor is none other than John W. Adams, a fine friend who was recently recognized by the American Numismatic Society as this year’s recipient of the Archer M. Huntington Award, a high medallic honor. A special reception was held for John at the Massachusetts Historical Society in which ANS dignitaries came from New York and those in Massachusetts, where John lives, gathered as well. Over 50 people were in attendance, some from as far away as California.
As part of the program, John gave a discussion of his life in numismatics. He was born in 1936. When he was nine years old his mother gave him a Whitman folder to fill with Lincoln “pennies.” The rest is history. John went on to be a distinguished scholar in many fields, ranging from large copper cents to tokens of America and England. He was one of the founding and guiding lights of the Medal Collectors of America some years ago. After the recognition at the ANS ceremony the attendees went to the Brookline Country Club and were treated to a fine dinner with Dr. Joel J. Orosz acting as the witty master of ceremonies.
The typical issue of the MCA Advisory consists of a message from the president, comments from the editor, and several articles. A recent issue contained “A Tribute to Dr. George J. Fuld, 1932-2013,” by Tony J. Lopez; “The Indian Peace Medals of George II,” by John W. Adams and Warren Baker; “Natasha Ratcliffe’s Mask Medals,” by Ruth Britt; “The Lafayette ‘Companion of Washington’ Medal is by Moritz Fürst,” by Chris Neuzil; “Leroux 300-G Peace Medal or Indian Peace Medal?” by Joe Foster and, for good measure, “Jewish-American Hall of Fame Medal Honoring Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” by Mel Wacks. A Letters section rounds off the issue. There are color illustrations throughout.
Although I have been there and done that in American numismatics for nearly all of my life, and while I find medals one of the most interesting fields, each issue of the MCA Advisory contains information of which I knew little or nothing before. If interested, the dues of $55 (printed newsletter) or $25 (electronic edition) is money well spent. After all, this amount is not much more than a common-date Morgan silver dollar would cost. You can get more information and a membership application at medalcollectors.org. Say that I sent you!
