President's Message by TLCC president Todd Hughes (2017-)

"Hello and welcome to the Tacoma–Lakewood Coin Club. We are currently in our 60th year and would love to have you join us. We meet the 3rd Tuesday of the month – all the directions are here on the website (calendar page). We also invite you to our bi-annual Coin Club Shows – Fun for all – Keep on Collecting!" - Todd, TLCC President. [The most recent version of Todd's message is posted on the homepage.]

President's Message by TLCC president David F. Schmidt (1994-2016).

The photo below was taken at the 1999 TLCC board meeting/party at Dave's house.

January 2015 — Yes, folks, it's almost the New Year and your President is again honored to send you messages of good cheer. We know some of you have been naughty but the year is almost over and forgiveness will be ringing loudly into your ears in the forthcoming days and months. Of course your President also knows that some of you were nice, very nice, and you deserve applause and prizes. It is also known that those that gave you gifts of praise could be fellow members of our club, so there. Just thank everyone, that way you won't get into any trouble down the road.

Now for the great New Year news! The TLCC is being rebranded. You know what that means don't you? New Year, new meeting site in February, exciting and worthwhile speakers - but let's get specific. First off, our last regular meeting, slated for January 6th, is at the very reliable and comfortable Greater Lakes Mental Health Care building in Lakewood. It has been our home for the best part of ten years. Mary Herem, our current treasurer, has been the "insider" - She has worked there even longer than our club has resided there. She came to know the club when her teenage daughter, now 30+, developed an interest in coins and her mother followed in her footsteps. How is that? Pretty good, eh! A huge thanks to Mary for being our matron as well as sgt. at arms protecting us from all harm. But now Mary is retiring and the club needs a new nest. ... And most of your know - The New Tacoma Elks Lodge, located at 2013 South Cedar, right next to the Allenmore Golf Course and just one block east of where the old Tacoma Elks resided for years is it. The facility is brand new and we will have our first meeting there on February 10th at 7 p.m. But wait, the doors will open at 6 p.m. as there is room for up to eight club members to share four tables and that makes for a mini-bourse until the gavel crunches the front table at approximately 7:15. Cost will be assessed in the amount of $10.00 per member. See your President if you have interest! Now hear this - the first speaker at our new location will be none other than Tacoma's own Todd Imhof, currently the Executive Vice-President of Heritage, Inc. - Dallas, Texas. He always has an interesting time entertaining us - new purchases for a Heritage auction, or perhaps he will take us on a world tour as he is invited by holders of various treasures for a look-see, prior to moving their holdings down the road. You will enjoy the evening. We will be meeting at the Pavilion which is located straight up from the street entrance, on the east side of Cedar Street. There is room for all our members and then some, as the room seats 100 easily. We want to fill it up! This meeting will be held on February 10th, the second Tuesday of the month as will all the monthly meetings (except July when we are dark).

...and, there is more! Yes, C.R. Roberts, Business editor of the Tacoma News Tribune will be our speaker at the March meeting - March 10th - Mr. Roberts graced us with a lively performance a few years back at our annual TLCC banquet following our spring show that year. C.R., as he is known, was a member of the Tacoma Coin Club in the early 1960's, predating any current member of the Tacoma-Lakewood Coin Club. Another history tidbit!!!

Meanwhile, my computer is showing signs of silliness and is starting to talk back so I will exit when I can. See you real soon - next Tuesday.

May 2014 — Once again it is time for the President's Message, a monthly task that your President enjoys! First off, congratulations to all who participated in National Coin Week by seeking out children who would like to participate in gaining knowledge from our members in the area schools and other sites where kids gather. To reward you for your efforts, the club is giving you one year "free" membership in our club - your 2015 dues have been paid in full. You will also have the opportunity to pass on a summary of your experience to the club at our upcoming meeting, scheduled for May 6th, at our usual meeting place.

In other news, the club will be moving to a new location! Where, you ask? Not yet known, but start looking. Out loud thoughts include some of our past locations, to include the Lakewood Library and the Fircrest Recreation Center. Why will we be moving? Our worthy Secretary is "retiring" from the Greater Lakes Mental Health Clinic. She is not going anywhere, as she has promised to be a faithful and active member in our club! Thankfully, we have a few more months, through January 2015, to find that new place.

In other news, at our May meeting, we will be announcing two new life members of our club. We trust that these selected individuals will be present for this tribute. In our club, the bylaws call for active membership based on merit, not money. These individuals were screened and selected at the recently held Board meeting on April 15th.

We are also pleased to announce that there were three recipients of scholarships to worthy individuals who applied. As there were three applications, all three were worthy and will receive funds from the club to attend coin shows or other coin-related institutions as requested. Two will be attending a future Long Beach show, while the third will be travelling to Baltimore and New York City for numismatic visits. Congratulations all three. Your President will announce the names at the May meeting. So, all you numismaniacs, we'll see you real soon. President Dave

January 2013 — Hello Fellow members of the TLCC in 2013! Our club has lots of action planned for 2013 and we start by conducting our January 8th meeting with guest speaker Dick Billings, a familiar figurehead from PNNA-land and other clubs to the north (Editor Rick will go into more details, I trust!). Also at the January 8 meeting, we will be auctioning off of the MS-67 Morgan Silver Dollar, donated by the well-known and respected Heritage Auction Company of Dallas, Texas. Bidding will start at $300.00 and the sky is the limit. Remember, only those present at the 2012 banquet are eligible to bid. Good luck to you and me! Proceeds will go toward the general fund of the club.

...and how about your personal numismatic goals for 2013...

• thinking of selling some, or all of your holdings?
• thinking of selecting out your favorites for now and selling the rest?
• thinking of buying while gold and silver are "down"?
• thinking of putting your name in for a numismatic seminar in Colorado Springs?
• thinking of attending the annual ANA Convention this year in Chicago?
• thinking of attending all TLCC shows and meetings this year?
• thinking of doing a club program for all to hear?

Well - let's hear from you! Our club has great resources and you are one of those resources. Step right up and act now! This message brought to you by ... President Dave.

September 2012 — Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Your President is again on "roam", this time to Salt Lake City for the Annual Token and Medal Society (TAMS) convention. Last time I went it was in Fargo! So, email me with your token and medal lists and I'll see what I can do! And onward - to give special thanks to the Boy Scout helpers - lead by Rick "the bear" and Kevin, the tenderfoot. Both, plus a few of our own TLCC scouts, including at least Todd and Ron - made the Boy Scout Jamboree a rousing success. Ask Kevin about his tent raising skills at the meeting on Tuesday. And talk about our TLCC coin show held last weekend! Wall to wall people for most of Saturday with Sunday sales exceeding expectations for many of our dealers. Many thanks to the door attendants too! Kevin sold out the house! Thank you Kevin. At our coin show an anonymous person donated several Canadian dollars to a lucky "junior". Be sure you attend the next meeting!

So - fall is in the air and the Fair is starting up shortly. See Rick about signing up for a slot at the PNNA booth. He'll appreciate it! and, finally, bring all your Norse Medals for our September meeting. I know you've got them! The speaker, I've heard, will tell you even more about them than you can imagine! See you Tuesday.

September 2011 — Welcome to fall, TLCC members! We have just completed another fine coin show! Were you there? If you were, we thank you for your presence, as well as those of you who volunteered your services. There were lots of opportunities to help. Kevin, our bourse chair, displayed his usual cheerful and exuberant spirit as he announced the drawing winners, and Ron, our stabilizing force, laid down the wires for power as silently as usual. Many of the front desk volunteers assisted newcomers to the various dealers as well as handing out drawing tickets and collecting entry dollars. In total, it was a very successful show - which means that the scholarship potential is extended to new heights, per qualified recipient. Your President thanks you for the use of scholarship funds to attend the largest coin show in the history of anyone's memory, the ANA's World's Fair of Money held this year in Chicago. Ye Old President will report on the activities of the show at the September meeting, a most willing requirement for receiving funds.

July 2011 — Greetings from your President! Recently having returned from the Summer Baltimore Show and a quick visit to the Federal Reserve Bank Museum in New York, your President is slated to attend, and actually put on his dealer face, for the annual Northwest Token and Medal Society convention and show in Vancouver WA on July 9-10. So, what wares will those folks have for sale? Well -tokens, for sure, especially those that say "Good for 5 cents", or maybe even "Good for $l.00." The rare ones are given the insignia R-8, R-9 and R-10 (a measure of rarity. R-1 is common, R-10 means, it's unique, or only one example is known to exist). Frequently the token is a "merchant token", with the name of the business, the city and the state indicated (sometimes territory!). If those indicators are missing, it may be called a maverick! At around 4pm on July 9th, the NWTAMS organizer for umpteen years, Mike Patton, will conduct an auction of the scarce tokens as offered by many of the dealers and collectors from around the country. Bidding is fierce - the rules? No holds barred. Some civility is present, however, so you won't have to brandish your six-shooter.

But how about those medals, what are those? We'll, again, there are many. All kinds of themes, from birth medals from prominent folks from the "world" to "death" medals, commemorating those who reached a bit of wealth or glory during life can be seen. Many are beautifully done, by world-class artists, and are reasonably inexpensive, as compared to commemorative coins of like manner. Are there any "series" of medals you may ask? Of course, and they, for the most part, are around for your collecting pleasures. Most of you have heard, and seen, So-Called Dollars, but not so often seen, So-called Half Dollars! How about those Belgian medal folks, the Wiener's, and their cathedral medals? Have you ever browsed through John Dean's text, "National Commemorative Medals of the United States Mint", or seen the booklet "Medals of the United States Mint" issued by the Department of the Treasury? How about the Heraldic Art Medal folks from the sixties, and their half-dollar size silver and gold medals? By now you can see how much there is to learn about the vast field of exonumia. If you can get down to the NWTAMS convention you'll be well on your way to further your education.

Meanwhile, have a pleasant summer and remember, we are "dark" in July - no meeting! We'll see you all at the 2nd of August meeting at our usual stomping grounds.