From the Editor

Hello everyone,

Here we are with another issue under our belts and the transition to a new season beginning. Others who have been in the hobby for longer than I have tell me the cooler parts of the year are when it is more active (though I find if you are as addicted to it as I am, the pace remains the same year-round) and we certainly have a lot of shows in September, October, and November here and in Illinois you can find at the back of this issue, and, this brings me to my two housekeeping matters.

1. In previous publishing, I experimented with only listing shows closest to that issue’s release (i.e., you would not see a September show posted in the physical newsletter before the fall issue) and putting in further off ones if someone put in a paid ad. After, I heard a wave of feedback saying this was not the business, and so that concept is gone. To be clear, no ill will was intended and it was more so just seeing what I could shift around with this.

2. It is never ideal when these happen, but, we do have a CORRECTION to announce. In the last issue, the postal code on the back cover of the printed booklet was incorrect. It is listed as 54445 but should be 54455. We regret the error and apologize for any inconvenience which occurred as a result.

To paraphrase Porky Pig, that’s all for now folks. Normally I would mention what is ahead in this issue, but, for a change, I’ll leave that up to you to discover, assuming you did not read the table of contents. Be well and collect wonderfully!

Evan J. Pretzer
Aug. 15, 2023

This issue’s front features a bullion Canadian Maple Leaf coin issued in 2017 to mark the Thanksgiving holiday. With a face value of $5, it is 99.99 percent silver with elaborate colorization and some rose gold plating and weighs about an ounce. I selected this to comment on the coming season and holidays where we gather to gorge ourselves and have not seen any American coins like it just yet.

Welcome to the Numismatists of Wisconsin!

BRIEF HISTORY

N.O.W. was established in 1960 by a small group of Wisconsin collectors including facilitator Chet Krause. Their objective was simple; to encourage and promote interest in numismatics, to cultivate friendly relations between Wisconsin collectors and local coin clubs, and to educate and assist new hobbyists.

It was decided to formally organize N.O.W. that summer at an open house in Iola at the offices of Krause Publications. On July 8th, 1960 a large crowd attended, nominations of officers were set forth and elections were made. By day’s end, N.O.W. had been formally established and the membership roll had reached nearly 100. As Chet put it, “From that day on, collectors of the state had one more element of common ground to talk about, for the idea of a state organization had come to reality.”

And, as they say, the rest is history... N.O.W. has not changed its objectives and is still going strong some 60+ years later.

ORGANIZATION

The N.O.W. board of governors meets three times yearly to discuss organizational issues for the betterment of the club. These meetings are held at predetermined sites throughout the year, usually in conjunction with one of the many state local coin shows. One of these shows is designated as the annual N.O.W. show, which is co-sponsored by a host club and N.O.W. The yearly general membership meeting is held at this show.

NOW NEWS

What started out as the organization’s excellent newsletter, has become an award-winning quarterly club journal/magazine. Recognized by the American Numismatic Association as an Outstanding Club Publication, NOW NEWS aims to continue the long-established tradition of publishing original articles written by N.O.W. members, as well as interesting items from outside sources around the world of numismatics.

WEBSITE

Our website is designed so visitors can get a feel for the organization. Here you can see some photos, learn about local shows, read a select few of our award-winning articles, and of course, join N.O.W.

So, after checking out this site, I urge you to join our state club, get involved, and start enjoying all the perks of membership asap!