By Jeff Fournier
Coin clubs and numismatic associations are the lifeblood of the numismatic hobby.
Many clubs have been around for decades, but a few will be celebrating significant anniversaries in 2016, including: the Ingersoll Coin Club (55 years); London Numismatic Society (65 Years), Moncton Coin Club (55 Years); Nickel Belt Coin Club (60 years); Peterborough and District Numismatic Society (65 years); Toronto Coin Club (80 years) and the Windsor Coin Club (65 years).
Below is an overview of each “anniversary” club.
Ingersoll Coin Club
The Ingersoll Coin Club is based in Ingersoll, Ont., – the centre of many large dairy farming operations. It was founded in December, 1961. The club’s first President was Bill Davis.
Membership in the club peaked in 1965 with 65
members, but declined until 1975 before settling out at 23 members. Since that time, however, membership has gradually increased.
The club has a long history of association with community charities and has made many donations to several including the Oxford County Tornado Relief Fund, the Salvation Army and the Easter Seal campaign for disabled children. To date, tens of thousands of dollars have been raised for this latter cause alone.
For more information contact about the club, contact: Thomas Masters, 823 Van St., London ON N5Z 1M8.
London Numismatic
Society
The London Numismatic Society (LNS) held its first meeting on Friday, April 27, 1951 in the old YMCA building in London, Ont. Fifteen collectors were in attendance. Byron Swayze was elected the club’s first president and Dr. Gordon Suffell became its first vice-president. A treasurer and three directors were also elected.
For the first 18 months of its life, the club met at the YMCA, but then relocated to the London Camera Club room on Dundas Street.
By the fall of 1954, the club decided to meet twice each month. By that year, the club had grown to 88 members.
Being one of the earliest clubs to form in southwestern Ontario, they were often involved in helping other clubs organize. They have also been the host of several CNA (Canadian Numismatic Association) and ONA (Ontario Numismatic Association) conventions, each time sponsoring a commemorative medal. The club has held many of their own annual shows as well.
For more information about the LNS, contact: Ted Leitch, 543 Kininvie Drive, London ON N6G 1P1; Email: Ted Leitch deleitc@attglobal.net.
Moncton Coin Club
The Moncton Coin Club, in Moncton, N.B, was founded in 1961 and became CNA club #4577. The club logo consists of a map of the Maritime provinces with Moncton featured in the centre of the three provinces. Moncton is known for its strategic position and has thus become known as the “Hub of the Maritimes”.
The club has issued several medals for the Atlantic Provinces Numismatic Association Convention, two depicting the Moncton Flying club (1969 and 1979) and one commemorating the official opening of the first branch line of the Intercontinental Railway.
As well, the Moncton Coin Club had the privilege of hosting the 1983 CAN Convention.
For more information, contact the Moncton Coin Club at: P.O. Box 54, Moncton NB E1C 8R9; E-mail: coincbnt@nbnet.nb.ca.
Nickel Belt Coin Club
In 1956, the Nickel Belt Club (NBCC) was formed in Sudbury, Ont. Chuck Martin was elected the first president of the Club. The club grew quickly and by the early 60s, membership numbered about 65. In the late 70s, the club became one of the largest clubs in Canada with a membership of 130. The club has also had as many as 26 junior members at various times. Presently the club has a membership of over 60 members.
The NBCC’s first coin show and banquet was held in 1967. In 1971, the club hosted the ONA Convention, which was a great success. In 2005, the NBCC was fortunate enough to get a return visit from the ONA, which proved so successful that the club hosted it again in 2008.
The club hosted it first coin show in decades in November, 2015. It was held at Dynamic Earth, home of the world famous Big Nickel monument.
In 2016, the NBCC is holding a coin design contest for its 60th anniversary show, which is being held at Dynamic Earth on Nov. 6, 2016. The cut-off date for submissions is May 1, 2016. The winner will receive an Award of Merit from the provincial and federal governments as well as the coin they designed for the event.
The NBCC can be contacted via their website at: www.nickelbeltcoinclub.com.
Peterborough
and District
Numismatic Society
The Peterborough Numismatic Association, which is now known as the Peterborough and District Numismatic Society, was formed in Peterborough, Ont. in 1951.
The association has been active in the communities in and around Peterborough. It has issued two medals, one featuring the world’s largest lift lock located in Peterborough. The lock was built to overcome a 65-foot difference in water levels on the Trent Canal which connects Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay and Lake Superiour.
The club had the privilege of hosting the ONA Convention in 1983, and again issued a medal featuring the famous Peterborough lift lock.
For more information, please contact: Don Hurl, 1331 Buckhorn Road, R.R. #1, Lakefield, ON K0L 2H0.
Toronto Coin Club
In 1936, Bob Robillard saw the name of another Toronto numismatist (Norman B. Mason) listed in the journal of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) , and contacted him. The two got together and set their sights on forming a coin club in the Toronto area.
At first, the club’s meeting was very informal with no recorded minutes, no elected officers and meetings which were held, usually, at the home of Robillard, who lived on Church Street in Toronto. Later, when it became too inconvenient for the club to meet in members’ homes, they began holding meetings at the Royal York Hotel.
Mason desired a more formal club and made efforts to this end. By July, 1939 the ANA’s journal reported the formation of a Toronto club, its first meeting being held on May 26 of that year. The executive consisted of Bob Robillard as president; William Williams as vice-president; J. Bruce Parker as secretary-treasurer and Mason as secretary pro tem. Ted Parson and John Sunden were also listed as being on the executive.
The Toronto Coin Club’s name was chosen at this meeting, with the York Coin Club of Toronto also being considered. A small donation auction was held, which provided the club’s first funds. Twelve charter members were signed up including Jim Charlton, Bert Peddie, Sam Snider, H.E. Roseborough, W.E. Marley, and Paul Barsos among others.
Robillard had a presidential chain of office made which featured a Macedonian tetradrachm of Alexander the Great which was adopted as the club’s logo. The official logo also includes a wreath and the words “TORONTO COIN CLUB / EST / 1936.”
The Toronto Coin Club hosted the first ever CAN Convention in 1954. For more information about the club, contact: Toronto Coin Club, 128 Silverstone Drive, Toronto ON M9V 3G7; E-mail: info@torontocoinclub.ca; www.torontocoinclub.ca
Windsor Coin Club
The Windsor Coin Club was formed in 1951. Its founder and first president was Bob Willey. The club met regularly at the “Willistead Manor” – the old home of the Walker family that was designed by the famous architect, Albert Kahn. The house is still a noted Windsor landmark.
From its inception, the club expanded steadily as the hobby grew in popularity.
The first newsletter “The Bulletin” was issued in March 1958 and noted that the membership had grown to 50 at this time. By 1962 the Club had attained its largest membership yet and hosted a two-day show at the famous downtown Norton Palmer Hotel that was attended by 1,200 persons. This was a huge success for its time. Since then, the club has held at least one show per year.
As the 1960s wore on, interest in numismatics waned somewhat and the club saw periods of good and bad times through the intervening years.
In 1997, the club hosted the ONA Convention at the Ramada Inn.
Beginning in 1998 and until recently, the club published a monthly newsletter, “The Collector” written and edited by Tom Clarke.
The club began to grow in number to its present active membership of 75 with a regular meeting turnout averaging 45 persons. In 2010, the Windsor Coin Club entered the digital age with the introduction of its new website www.windsorcoinclub.com, created and edited by club member and web master, Jody Filiault.
The Windsor Coin Club held its 50th anniversary dinner at the Caboto Club on Oct. 15, 2001, at which time CNA President Tom Kennedy and ONA President Mike Hollingshead were invited guests. All the surviving past presidents of the Windsor Coin Club were invited and recognized by the membership for their contributions to the club. This event was again hosted by the Windsor Coin Club in 2011.
For more information about the club, contact: Windsor Coin Club, 5060 Tecumseh Rd. E. Suite 505, Windsor, ON N8T 1C1, or email: info@windsorcoinclub.com.