House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515-0801
Mr. Harvey G. Stack
123 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019
January 8, 2009
Dear Mr. Harvey Stack,
I am writing to salute your contributions to both professional numismatics and amateur collectors.
For more than 60 years, you have been a guiding light for collectors of all ages. Again and again, you have offered quiet assistance to the Treasury and other branches of government, and provided testimony to Congress repeatedly in support of or in opposition to moves impacting numismatics.
It was at one of those hearings when I was a new chairman of the Domestic Monetary Policy Subcommittee on July 12, 1995, where you had a tremendous impact. The hearing was called to examine abuses of the Mint’s commemorative coin program, and you provided the first vision of what would become the 50-State quarter program, suggesting the Congress create circulating commemoratives honoring the first 13 states, in the order they became states. That appealed to me for the educational value of the idea, but also because my own state of Delaware was first to enter the Union.
In the months after that hearing, you worked with me and my staff to develop the idea. The resulting program can only be described as an overwhelming success. Since then, you have remained a valuable contact for me and my staff, giving freely of your time and expertise. Your contributions typify what is so great about the United States and our form of government: citizen involvement. If more people made the sort of effort you made, we all would be the better for it.
I regret that I cannot be with you tonight to salute your contributions in person, but I would like to commend you on your career and hobby well served.
Sincerely,
Michael N. Castle
Member of Congress
