Our 2022 group made their return as did two new members resulting in 8 people attending on the day.
The group discussed what its aims were for 2023 and agreed the 2022 format of “show and tell” was a key element to the success of the group and should be retained. In addition more use will be made of various coin channels on YouTube, particularly the PJ’s Coin Capers channel. One of our members has been in contact with PJ with the offer and likely acceptance, of coming to Benalla as our group’s guest speaker. PJ ‘s Coin capers has a huge internet following and is something to look forward to. The audience may be broadened to involve other community interest groups, conditional on availability of a meeting venue and insurances.
A large magnifying light will be brought along to meetings for members to see their coins up close.
A coin of the month segment will be introduced that will invite members to bring along their oldest, most unusual, colorful, valuable, ugly, largest, smallest, etc. coin, with the Coin of the Month voted on the day.
The Group agreed that the sessions were about self-education, enjoyment of the hobby and networking to build coin our collections.
Members were reminded that the free mobile phone app Coinoscope was an excellent and quick tool to self-identify your coins, particularly foreign coins.
Discussion was had on sourcing coins for noodling from local banks and that latest releases were often available at Benalla Post Office and on special milestones occasions through Woolworths Benalla.
In our show and tell session, circulated around the table, we saw:-
- Coins from Hong Kong, Norway, India, England, Norway and Saudi Arabia
- Tokens from Wrest Point Casino, Tivoli token Denmark, 1980 Telstra Tower entry token.
- PNC card of Vegemite coins including a colored $1
- 2023 RAM Mint set
- Silver commemorative coins of QE2 and King Charles 3
- Bronze medallion of Walter Burley Griffin (1876 -1937)
- 2022 $2 colored red poppy presented to one of our group for his 75th birthday. Extremely rare as only 66,000 were minted and highly sought after by collectors.
Our next meeting will be on Monday 27th March.
Doug Smith