MORE ASSOCIATION ITEMS

This week I present another article on association items. I will mention a few I gathered to commemorate a meeting with someone.

In 1983, the ANA convention was at the Town and Country Hotel in San Diego. The bourse and meetings were in town and the rooms were out in the country. That is, my room was in a building detached from the main hotel.

One evening I was walking back to my room and saw two men talking in the driveway. I walked up and introduced myself to Ken Bressett and Walter Breen. We chatted briefly and I walked on. At the time I was not prepared to ask either one for an autograph.

As I came back the next morning, I looked around for something to commemorate the event. I picked up a couple of stones from around a landscape planting. I marked their names on each stone so I would not get them confused.

In December 1984, I flew to the Big Apple to participate in the first ANS Coinage of the America's Conference. That Saturday evening Mr. and Mrs. R. Henry Norweb invited the speakers and other special guests to their apartment for dinner.

I was very impressed with the apartment. What may be even more impressive is that this was not their primary residence. It was just a convenient place to spend a few nights when they were in town. This little get-away spot had a dining room that would seat more than twenty people.

Dinner was served by uniformed waiters. I convinced one of the waiters to give me his boutonniere at the end of the evening. This was not for me to remember an individual but rather to remember the event.

During the 1991 ANA 100th Anniversary Convention in Chicago, I was interviewing people for the original edition of American Numismatic Biographies. On the morning of August 15, 1991, I sat outside the show talking with John J. Ford. He had great stories to tell and I could put just a small fraction in the book.

I saved the pencil I used to take notes and put his name on it.

Krause Publications invited visitors for "A Day in Iola" following the Chicago convention on Monday, August 19, 1991. This was not far out of the way for my return trip from Chicago to Minneapolis.

We were waiting for a tour to start when John Wilson came by. He took a picture of me standing next to Ruthann B. Brettell. I had never met her before that and had little contact after that. I did not collect any memento of that meeting.

One of the optional activities was a boat cruise on the "Chain-O-Lakes" in Waupaca County about sixteen miles south of Iola. For part of the trip, I sat next to John J. Pittman. He had some good stories and I wanted to commemorate the meeting.

I looked around and could not find anything to save. There were no ticket stubs. There were no loose paper wrappers thrown on the deck. When I got home. I took off my socks and put them in a marked envelope. I haven't worn them since that day in 1991.

And now for something completely different.

In August of 2025, I attended the ANA World's Fair of Money in Oklahoma City and the Rittenhouse Society breakfast on Saturday, August 23, 2025. I asked all the people attending to sign an autograph card as a record of the event.

Later when I picked up the cards, I found one for the elusive numismatic author and cartoonist, Lincoln Vanderblat. I hadn't realized he was there. For years I have tried to pin him down for an interview but never found the opportunity.

So now, I don't have a souvenir to remember someone I met, but rather I have documentation from someone I failed to meet.

To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
WILLIAM WOODIN ASSOCIATION ITEMS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n51a16.html)
ANA CONVENTION BADGES AND RIBBONS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n52a12.html)
NUMISMATIST MIRRORS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v29/esylum_v29n07a17.html)

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