MSNS SPRING 2026 SPEAKERS AND MEETINGS

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V29 2026 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 29, Number 14, 2026, Article 14

Here are the speakers and meetings lined up for the Spring 2026 Michigan State show. Great topics! -Editor

Michigan State Numismatic Society is pleased to announce its lineup for the Spring Convention, held from April 17-19, 2026. Below is the schedule for speakers and meetings for Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18.

SS Pewabic 1865 Shipwreck Notes By Dave Gelwicks 1:00 p.m.

Dave Gelwicks and Lev Linkner The 1865 Lake Huron shipwreck between the sister steamships PEWABIC and METEOR sent the Pewabic, and 125 souls, to the lake bottom in minutes. Reports of $160,000 of copper ingots and $50,000 in the safe drew many divers and speculators to the wreckage in 185' of cold water east of Alpena, Michigan. In 1974 the Busch Oceanographic Equipment team, complete with proper Michigan give permits, recovered both the safe and many copper ingots. This presentation highlights the various mining scrip and national currency recovered from the rusty safe.

Civil War Soldier Identification Discs (Dog Tags) By Lev Linkner 2:30 p.m.

Lev has been collecting coins for 70 years. From the blue Whitman penny books to special interest in Type coins, U.S. Patterns and Trial pieces, Civil War tokens, and presently an obsession with tokens made by the Civil War era engraver Joseph Merriam, he has enjoyed the numismatic hobby. This presentation will focus on Civil War Identification Discs (we now call Dog Tags). These rare historic pieces were worn by soldiers at that time. There will be a "show and tell" as well as a PowerPoint presentation.

Michigan Token, Medal and Paper Money Society meeting 4:00 p.m.

Join the discussion as we try to finalize awards and other items of necessity for the new society!

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Young Numismatist Program, Lunch & Auction

Join us as we celebrate our youth with pizza, auction bucks, and a great auction with lots of items. A scavenger hunt is also available as youth talk to our dealers to find answers to questions!

Estate Planning for Collectors by Gerald Bagazinski, JD MBA 1:30 p.m.

Join Jerry as he helps us understand how as collectors we need to plan for our future and how to take care of our collectibles!

Jerry is from the Detroit Area. He graduated from Albion College with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Management and Political Science. He earned his Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting and Finance from Wayne State University. He attended the University of Detroit School of Law where he earned his Juris Doctor degree. He also served as an adjunct professor at University of Detroit teaching Client Counseling and Negotiations to third year law students. He is a co-founder of "Ask the Lawyer" a legal clinic which provides advice to senior citizens regarding Elder Law issues.

This presentation will be an overview of the denominations, designs and context of US Coins from the early 1800s until the twentieth century. Using a collection assembled in a Dansco United States Major Coin Types album, the talk will delve into stories which have been told over the years about changes in material, art, legends and mottoes seen on these coins.