WHAT WAS THE FIRST JUNIOR COIN CLUB?

This week I worked on revising the history for my local coin club, the Northwest Coin Club. I came across a clipping that claimed credit for formation of the first junior coin club. I wonder if that claim is correct.

The Northwest Coin Club was organized in Minneapolis on February 10, 1934. Almost immediately, the club applied for membership in the American Numismatic Association. General Secretary Harry T. Wilson sent a card acknowledging the application on May 22, 1934. The club became member #4517.

At the 1935 ANA Convention in Pittsburgh, invitations for the 1936 convention were presented by Detroit, Hartford, Philadelphia and Minneapolis. The infant Northwest Coin Club of Minneapolis was selected to host the 1936 convention.

The August 19, 1936, article in the Star Tribune reported on the formation of the first junior coin club in the United States. President of the senior club at the time was Oce Curtis, owner of the Curtis Hotel. He knew how to get his name and photo in the paper to promote the upcoming national convention.

It is interesting that three of the four junior members shown had the same last name. Robert Dailey was the oldest son, Thomas was the middle child and Marie was the youngest. The Minneapolis Junior Coin Club installed an exhibit of foreign coins at the 1936 ANA Convention.

I have not found any other reference to the Dailey family or the Minneapolis Junior Coin Club in the club archives after 1936. A new Minneapolis Junior Coin Club was admitted to the ANA as member 24645 in 1955. I have not found records for them either.

Was this a legitimate attempt to form a junior coin club or just a promotional stunt? I don't know. Is there any junior club that can claim an earlier beginning?

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web