Author Archives: Jim Szeplaki

It was described as a choice wildcat note; a banknote from the 19th century era of free banking in the United States. Apparently the bank issued the notes for a different state than they could be redeemed. The gorgeous intaglio canal image five dollar note could only be redeemed in a small cabin in the... Continue reading →

My earliest recollection of having a fascination with coinage came in 1967 when I was four years old. So 2017 actually marks the 50th anniversary of my ‘obsession’. I did not begin actively collecting coins until 1971, however, at the ripe old age of eight. My collecting interests now include Canadian municipal and commemorative medals,... Continue reading →

As a collector, you’re probably aware of the many different numismatic items available to you. There is much to collect: Canadian silver dollars, one cent to 50 cent pieces, government or chartered banknotes, medals or tokens, for example. You may be inclined to assemble date sets – a complete run of Canadian one cent pieces... Continue reading →

nization founded in 1979 to support and promote the use and collecting of numismatic literature which includes books, periodicals, catalogues and other written or printed material relating to coins, medals, tokens, or paper money, ancient or modern, Canada or worldwide. In one issue, not so long ago, I read with interest a number of comments... Continue reading →

As coin collectors, we are reminded of our past more often than most other people. Every time we look at our collections; every time we pick up another numismatic treasure at a coin show; every time we read articles in Canadian Coin News, on our club Websites, or in any other numismatic publication, we are... Continue reading →

There is an old adage in coin collecting “buy the book before you buy the coin.” On the surface, it states that knowledge is important. The word book is there simply because at one time that was where coin knowledge usually resided. It seems hard to refute that statement, but it can also be a... Continue reading →

Many years ago, a dear collecting friend of mine, a former president of the Nipissing Coin Club, and a true collector, through and through – Bill Caesar – told me something that I have never forgotten. “We’re collectors and it is our duty to not only collect coins, but also to pass along our interest... Continue reading →