Dive into the fascinating world of coin collecting with Newton County teenager Avery McGee, whose passion for rare and valuable coins has sparked a journey of discovery and learning. In an engaging article by Michelle Floyd for The Newton Community Magazine, Avery’s journey unfolds as he delves into the intricate world of numismatics. From uncovering rare error coins to exploring the vibrant atmosphere of coin shows, Avery’s enthusiasm for collecting is palpable. With his father Adam by his side, Avery navigates through conventions and club meetings, immersing himself in the rich history and artistry of coins. Join Avery on his captivating quest as he shares insights, experiences, and the joy of bonding over a shared interest. Read the full article here, and witness the enduring allure of coin collecting through the eyes of a dedicated young collector.
The Metropolitan Coin Club of Atlanta is delighted to announce the successful celebration of esteemed numismatist Bill Fivaz’s 90th birthday at their recent club meeting on February 17. The event, organized by the club where Bill serves as a member and on its board of directors, was a memorable occasion filled with camaraderie, reflections, and heartfelt tributes.
Cheers to 90 Years! Metropolitan Coin Club members gather around Bill and Marilyn Fivaz, joined by their loving family, to celebrate Bill’s remarkable milestone birthday. (Photo by Barry Inman.)
The celebration, which took place during the club meeting, deviated from the usual agenda to mark this significant milestone in Fivaz’s life. Attendees were treated to a delightful spread of refreshments provided by club newsletter editor David Crenshaw and club secretary Marvin Dudek, ensuring a festive atmosphere for all.
Among the highlights of the celebration was a sumptuous vanilla sheet cake with fudge icing, complemented by other snacks and sodas. Plastic champagne glasses filled with non-alcoholic sparkling white grape juice cocktail were raised in a special toast to honor Fivaz.
Dudek enhanced the culinary experience with a selection of savory treats including turkey, ham, and roast beef, along with a fresh fruit platter and a cheese party tray. Other members also contributed additional snacks, and several contributed monies to help cover the expenses. The venue was adorned with birthday decorations, creating a joyous ambiance fitting for the occasion.
The evening’s program included heartfelt remarks about Fivaz, delivered by Crenshaw, followed by a toast to honor him.
Bill and Marilyn Fivaz share a special moment with emcee David Crenshaw (left) and their cherished family members Jeanne, John (back), Diane, and Jake, amidst the joyous celebration of Bill’s 90th birthday. (Photo by Barry Inman.)
Bill Fivaz beams with delight as he admires his birthday cake, exclaiming, ‘Hey, the baker spelled my last name correctly!’ A sweet moment captured during the celebration of Bill’s 90th birthday. (Photo by David Crenshaw.)
John Phipps presents a surprise to Bill Fivaz, a specially labeled wooden nickel holder commemorating the occasion. The holder, approximately 8″ x 8″, showcases the most recent MCCA wooden nickel with a grade of MS-90, adorned with five-star stickers symbolizing quality. Bill’s trademark red ink pricing is visible in the corner, but as Bill says, ‘There is quality in every grade.’ Even with his discount sign reading ‘10% off price as marked,’ Bill remains truly ‘priceless’ to the Metropolitan Coin Club of Atlanta. (Photo by David Crenshaw.)
“I was deeply honored last night at our coin club (MCCA) meeting to have the members participate in celebrating the 50th anniversary of my 40th birthday, complete with a (non-alcoholic) toast, a food spread that was absolutely 5-star, and a delicious birthday cake. It was so nice to see everyone, even several that came from over a hundred miles away, join in the festivities. I thank everyone involved in the party and shall have very fond memories of it forever,” commented Fivaz.
A special surprise organized by board of directors member and YN director, John Phipps, added to the excitement of the celebration.
Attendees had the opportunity to join in the festivities by raising their glasses in a collective toast to Fivaz, expressing gratitude for his immense contributions to the numismatic community. The celebration culminated in a group picture capturing the moment before the lighting of the “90” candles on the cake and a rendition of Happy Birthday to commemorate this milestone.
Fivaz’s wife, Marilyn, daughter Diane and her husband John, and daughter-in-law Jeanne, and grandson Jake were also in attendance, adding to the warmth and joy of the celebration.
Crenshaw, in his remarks to the club members, highlighted the significance of Fivaz’s contributions to the world of numismatics, emphasizing his dedication, expertise, and enduring impact on the hobby. Crenshaw led a heartfelt toast, celebrating Fivaz’s achievements and wishing him continued joy and fulfillment in his 90th year.
“I am proud to see our members come together to honor Bill Fivaz on his 90th birthday. His dedication to numismatics has left an indelible mark on our club and the entire numismatic community,” said Tom Youngblood, president of the Metropolitan Coin Club of Atlanta.
The Metropolitan Coin Club of Atlanta extends its sincere thanks to all who attended and contributed to making Fivaz’s 90th birthday celebration a memorable success. Let us continue to celebrate the life and legacy of a true icon in the world of coins.
Embark on an exciting journey into the world of coin collecting by joining the American Numismatic Association’s Young Numismatist (YN) program – the globe’s largest coin club for young enthusiasts!
As a YN member, you’ll unlock a treasure trove of benefits, including the chance to earn real coins through engaging educational activities. Immerse yourself in the fascinating realm of numismatics, where learning is not only fun but also rewarding. Discover the joy of connecting with fellow young collectors, making lasting friendships within our vibrant community.
But that’s not all! Act now, and you could receive a free package of delightful collectibles with your membership, available while supplies last! Imagine the thrill of adding these unique items to your collection.
The YN program offers exclusive activities where you can not only expand your coin collection but also learn valuable skills, participate in auctions, and stay updated with the latest in numismatic news. The ANA Executive Director even shared insights from a recent YN e-newsletter, providing a sneak peek into the exciting world of youth engagement activities.
Parents, educators, and coin enthusiasts alike, help the ANA spread the excitement! Encourage young minds in K-12 to explore the wonders of numismatics with their families and communities. The ANA is committed to providing exceptional youth activities, and they invite all those interested to join as a Young Numismatist. Let the adventure begin!
CDN Publishing, LLC, the prominent numismatic data company that publishes the wholesale-pricing Greysheet and other resources, is pleased to announce it has acquired Whitman Publishing, the leading firm in numismatic book-publishing. Included in the acquisition are storied Whitman brands including H.E. Harris & Co. (stamps), Cowens (supplies), and the Whitman Coin and Collectibles Expo. The deal was inked at Anderson Press headquarters in Florence, Alabama, on October 31, 2023. Management and staffing of both companies will remain in place, with main offices in Alabama and Virginia.
The acquisition is expected to bring fast growth to Whitman’s expansion in the digital arena. The combined companies will deliver even more data-driven resources to coin and paper-money collectors, dealers, and researchers.
“CDN has established the Monthly Greysheet and CDN Exchange as the industry standards in wholesale pricing and dealer-to-dealer buying, bidding, and selling rare coins and currency,” said president and CEO John Feigenbaum. “Since 2015 we’ve expanded our business in monthly and quarterly publications and other print and online resources. As we continue to grow, it makes perfect sense to move into the world of numismatic book-publishing and there’s no company in that field that compares to Whitman.”
Whitman Publishing president Mary Burleson said, “Anderson Press has nurtured and grown Whitman since 2003, building on the Official Red Book brand and creating hundreds of new books and products with leading authors and experts. We’re proud of the growth our team has encouraged in the collecting community. Now Whitman is in good hands with CDN Publishing, and we foresee continuing to thrive and innovate.”
CDN Publishing, previously branded as Coin Dealer Newsletter, has published Greysheet coin pricing continuously since 1963. Today its products cover colonial, U.S. federal, and world numismatics with print and digital access.
Whitman Publishing is the world’s leading producer of numismatic reference books and supplies to display and store coins and paper money. Whitman is the Official Supplier of the congressionally chartered American Numismatic Association. Feigenbaum and Burleson and their associates will be available to answer questions at the Winter 2023 Whitman Baltimore Coin and Collectibles Expo in November.
Certified Acceptance Corporation is a Far Hills, New Jersey third-party coin certification company started in 2007 by coin dealer John Albanese. The firm evaluates certain numismatic U.S. coins already certified by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation or Professional Coin Grading Service. Coins that CAC deems high-end for their grades receive green stickers and coins that are under graded and would receive at least a green sticker in the next highest grade are bestowed gold stickers.
CAC founder John Albanese recently announced that the company will switch to a grading service starting early next year. Current CAC members received the following official letter announcing the switch.
There have been many rumors swirling about the possibility of CAC becoming a traditional grading service and I believe it is time to address them. Technically speaking, the transaction has not been completed yet. However, I am extremely confident that the transaction will close by the end of 2022. If everything goes according to plan, we anticipate a “soft opening” in the first quarter of 2023. The new company, CAC Grading, will have the same logo and will be located in a 29,000 square ft. facility in Virginia Beach.
We will keep our Bedminster, NJ office for stickering and customer service. Your CAC member number will remain the same but there will be a new application and submitter agreement as it will be a different corporation. We will also be adding approximately 100 new partners, many you are familiar with. I will be heavily involved as the president and CEO, signing a 10-year contract and spending at least one week per month in Virginia Beach until our team of 3 world class graders morphs into an interchangeable unit. In addition, I will be available 24/7 for tiebreakers if our team can’t come to a consensus.
We’ve already spent weeks collaborating with our grading team and I’m happy to report that we have slight differences of opinion in less than 2% of the coins. CAC stickering will continue through 2023, but our goal is to drastically reduce demand with a new pricing structure. Our loyal collector members will be entitled to submit 20 coins annually at the current normal tier rate and will only be charged for coins that sticker. After the 20-coin limit, the new rate will apply. Applicants that are currently on our waiting list will qualify for this service, as well.
It is very likely stickering will continue into the year 2033, but we do expect to eventually phase out the stickering service. Ultimately, collector members will determine the longevity of this service.
We will of course introduce a user-friendly registry program featuring two new registries. Our most popular registry will include NGC and PCGS coins, stickered or not, and the new CAC-holdered coins. We realize that there are many coins, especially from 1792-1807, that are virtually impossible to collect exclusively in CAC quality, so this registry has potential for broader inclusion. However, the CAC stickered and holdered coins will score higher than the non-CAC examples. The second registry, “CAC exclusive,” will consist solely of NGC-CAC, PCGS-CAC and CAC encapsulated coins. When you submit to us your coin information, your CAC coins will populate and be showcased on both registries.
In order to keep our backlog under control the new company, CAC grading, will continue our current waiting list policy into the foreseeable future. Our goal is to provide top-notch customer service and turnaround times and I don’t believe this could be accomplished with unfettered growth. We aim to be the most consistent premium grading service, not the largest.
As many of you know, we have suspended our economy tier and it is highly possible this may be permanent with the exception of the 20-coin limit mentioned above. If this creates a hardship, please E-mail me at AlbaneseCoins@aol.com and we will try our best to accommodate.
We understand you may have questions at this time. We are in the process of building a comprehensive FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section regarding the transition, so please follow the link below to submit your questions or refer to the other questions and answers therein. Your questions and answers will help other members find what they need as well.
www.CACcoin.com/forums
We appreciate your support and business through this time of change and are working hard to clear our submission backlog.
Watch the CDN Publishing exclusive interview with John Albanese on CAC grading company launch.
