Hi everyone I will keep this short. I will ask the question in the title. Why do we as adult collectors need points? The answer is I see no reason. The kids are the ones who need points. They need them for monthly auctions and the big one in September. We are all equal. Were collectors. We read about coins we own or don't own and write about them.      ....So the ANA assigned these they must have a reason but I dont think anyone knows what that is I'm sure it was a good one. But times have changed.. The no points   goes for My Collections also. Its plural which according to the dictionary meany more than one. That's why the site is set up for many coins I made that mistake till someone pointed it out to me.  Also  no points. Were a community of people who have one thing in common. Coins . The history and the background  about that coin  or token or sets that made it come to be made.         Were here to show our knowledge of these coins. We don't need points  Its not a contest as to who has the most. Personally I dont care. If I'm first or last as long as I'm a collector respected by my peers. That's all I look for is respect. What more do we need to encourage us to write. As collectors we should  be willing to freely give all our knowledge about a coin or a set of coins. There are books and books. There is no shortage of information out there that you can't write a respected blog. So why points? I don't know.?   ....Its not a race but I believe points have turned it into that. We should be limited also so all can write a blog. Two a week from everyone would fill this site. Even one. There is no need for more than that. And people who look at our site will say that's a pretty good site the ANA has. We want respect. The N.G.C. Journal site . I was there for a while . I thought they had an anonynus place were you could voice your an opinion and not feel reprisal for it. Keeps everyone happy. This way the ANA would not have to monitor the site but get suggestions on how go improve it. Or if there having a problem with another writer. That happens. Were human. So what do you think ? Its a simple.yes or no! Give it a thouught Lets make this the best and most respected site there is. Remember we have some excellent bloggers. Lets step us as one to make it the best. To make it so people want to come to the ANA!! Mike

Hi everyone . I hope your doing well. This blog is about donations.  Now some of us have regular charities we donate to. The Wounded Warriors Project. St. Jude for children's cancer.  And the A.N.A.  Yes the site we use to better our knowledge and understanding of coins and a things to do with the hobby. They need donations.We all get the form letter thanking  us for our contributions to the hobby. But its a form letter asking for a donation.         Now all there asking for is what we can spare They never put a price because they understand that not all of us can make a donation. It doesn't have to be money. It can be coins for the education department. So the kids can have a monthly auction . There is also a scholarship program that sends kids to the A.N.A.  during the summer. This is terrific. They get to go to different classes and do projects. If my donation helps one kid I did my job!          You also have the option as to were your donation goes. Mine went to education. The kids. They get supplies for them to use. Now I donate when I have a little extra money. Its not thousands. Sometimes not even a hundred or seventy five dollars. I don't donate every month. So.times not for 10 months or a year. I said its what you can afford. And when you can afford it!          Why did I write this. Because they are grateful for every dollar they get. We use this site allot. And most pay the membership fee. And you get access to all they have to offer. In this day and age it cost more to keep a place like the A.N.A. open. Not less . So all I ask is that you do what you can. If you can't don't worry. Its when you have it.          When I received the letter from Miss Kiick it made feel well. That I have done something so big with a donation that was smaller than I wanted to send. So all I ask is to think about it. Were not talking pay checks here. Maybe some coins. You can send them to Sam.Just get the address. Or online with PayPal like I did or a credit card on this site.Believe me you will feel like you did so much. And its tax deductible. So you see its a win win situation. No one losses in this deal. Sometimes we forget that this great organization runs by itself. No it runs because of people like you and me. So think about it. That's all I ask. Lets keep the A.N.A. up and running g so we have a place to learn.Think of the thousands that learned about coins because they were here.Well that's all I have to say. I am proud of the small donation I made. And so will you!! Thanks Mike!

Hi everyone ! I hope your all ok! Now I don't know how many of you saw the show 'The Tudors '. It was a mini series based on the reign of the one and only Henry The V111. The Tudor monarchy. This series was based on fiction and nonfiction. They did this with most movies of that time period. Take  Braveheart. Were William Wallace who was real sacked York. The Vikings sacked York. And he only won one battle. Sorry to disappoint you guys. It was another movie made of fiction and nonfiction..             Now the token below is one of my favorites. The likeness of the Cardinal was done from a painting and put on copper.Its uncanny how good the engraver did this. I believe it was Wyon. I will check that. Since my blogs come from history. The gate was on the reverse was called Wolsey Gate. He was born in Ipswich Suffolk. His first name was Thomas. Born in 1475 and died in 1530. The same town as James Conder who started categorizing them. This token is a penny!!          Now it was said Henry ruled the Kingdom but Wolsey called the shots.  King Henry was very upset he could not get a divorce so he could marry again.  He was the Chancellor of England and had more going on than the King had. And that was allot. He had an illegitimate son who would travel with him when he went to collect taxes from the Abbeys and church's.  This money went to good use his charity's.          Now there was allot of rumor that King Henry disliked the Cardinal. This was not true. King Henry liked most of his fund raisers. He did get a divorce from Pope Clement V11. But not the one he wanted. Now this is were it starts to break up the close friendship. Orders went out that the Cardinal had to return to London for treason. Now the show would have you think he committed suicide in the Tower of London.      This also is not true.. Coming back to London the Cardinal became very sick .  He was in the town of Leicester and had to stop It was dysentery. It caused his death. He spoke at length on his death bed but the sentence most  remembered for is"If I treated My God as I did My King perhaps I would not have this gray hair"   ....So there is a short list of how he lived and died. He had many  beheaded. He stole all the money he could but was glorified in the series The Tudors. The token  was made.some two hundred years after his death. But it shows the impact one man had over a King and a Country. The detail in the gate is as I always say remarkable. His likeness also.  I sent it to NGC it came back Red brown MS 64. Please click on the pictures of the token on his face and the gate and see the work that went into it. I hope you enjoyed this little bit of history. I forgot his crest Most of those in the Monarchy had there family crest. It showed how.powerful you were.  In earlier days the crest stood for the family every family had one I have a family crest. Thanks and enjoy!!

Well I will try and keep this short. Simply because once I start writing about them I can't stop. Conder Tokens were made mostly in the 1700's in England. They did for the English what civil war tokens did for us. You see England was involved in many wars. The French the Spanish and us. This almost bankrupt the country.  So a gentleman named Matthew Bolton who owned the Soho mint began to make these tokens so they could be redeemed for basic items. That information was on the edge. Now not all had edge writing. They were  made in half penny's and pennys. Saint Michaels Cathedral below is very large that's a penny.