Status: U Return-Path: Received: from web5201.mail.yahoo.com ([216.115.106.95]) by strange.mail.mindspring.net (Earthlink Mail Service) with SMTP id tcroo4.c45.37kbi0u for ; Fri, 6 Apr 2001 11:38:44 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <20010406153838.25860.qmail@web5201.mail.yahoo.com> Received: from [205.188.200.27] by web5201.mail.yahoo.com; Fri, 06 Apr 2001 08:38:38 PDT Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 08:38:38 -0700 (PDT) From: MPCgram Subject: MPCGram 302 To: MPCGram@yahoo.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii ==================================================== MPC Gram ==================================================== Covering the Entire World of Military Numismatics ---------------------------------------------------- Series 002-Number 302 Friday, April 6, 2001 W1LLIAM EDWARD BENSON February 25, 1923- March 1,2001 William E. "Bill" Benson, a past president of the International Bank Note Society and of Numismatics passed away on Thursday, March 1,2001. A memorial service was held Tuesday, March 6 at the Midway Hills Christian Church in Dallas, Texas. Bill was a pioneer in world numismatics in the United States. He had been a coin collector since the tender age of 13. His collection started when he traded some postage stamps for a few large Canadian cents. When few others were collecting foreign paper money, in the 1940s, he was scavenging coin and antique dealer's boxes o build a world-class collection. Bill was also a charter member of the International Bank Note Society which was formed in 1961. He made major contribution over a period of 40 years and held the position of president in that organization for the years 1974-1979. He was still on the board of Directors at the present time. In July 1964, he was one of a small group of collectors that founded Numismatics International (NI), a non-profit educational organization devoted to the collection and study of foreign coins and paper money. The organization now has members in 35 countries. Bill was continuously active in NI for 36 years, during which time he held numerous offices and positions including President of the organization in 1970. In 1999 Bill became curator of NI's paper money collection. Collecting was a major part of Bill's life. He not only collected paper money, but ancient, medieval and modern coins, certificates of exchange, primitive and odd and curious money, and old maps. Especially in later years Bill tied his numismatics and cartographic studies to England, the country of his ancestors. In every endeavor, Bill lent a high level of professionalism and a great air of sophistication. On a personal level Bill was ever helpful and considerate to beginners and those less knowledgeable than him One of our recent new members told me that the first time he attended a local NI meeting he sat at the back with Bill and Bill made him feel so welcome that it insured his return. He also stated that any time he asked Bill any numismatic question he always got a "solid" answer and if Bill did not know the answer he would find out and get back to him. That new member is now President of Numismatics International. Bill will be sorely missed by the organizations for which he worked so diligently, but those who will miss him most are those of us who knew him personally. Unsigned obituary (but apparently by Gordon Robinson) adapted from April 2001NI Bulletin. ==================================================== Editorial ---------------------------------------------------- Bill Benson was president of the IBNS when I first served on its board of directors so I got to know him fairly well. Our collecting interests did not intersect very much, but he did provide one tidbit of information for World War II Remembered. Somewhere along the line, Bill gave a presentation on Scottish notes, one of his specialties. During the talk he mentioned that during World War II Scottish provincial bank notes were made legal tender. Years later when we were working on the book, I called him to inquire about details of the legal tender status. He was astonished that I had remembered that detail from his presentation from years before. He could not add anything, and the detail is not reflected in any way on the notes, but it is an important tidbit and it was included. =================================================== Mail Call Dear Gramsters, Joe Boling's article about E.H. "Hank" Barton brought back many, many fond memories of him. I was introduced to Hank in 1980. It took only a few minutes for me to learn he was a very serious and detail-oriented numismatist. There was not the smallest thread in, or ink on, a piece of paper money that was unimportant to him. I was very much a generalist, but it did not take him long to convert me, and to especially forget high grades during the buying process. Hank was not in the best of health when we met, and his health was steadily deteriorating. For him to attend any shows, I had to drive him to them, and especially Memphis. As a result of those trips, we made some very strong bonds, and we had nine years of fantastic numismatic fellowship together. He also became very much a grandfather figure to me. When he became bedridden, I visited him about every other day by myself. It was very difficult for my wife to see him dying, so she would accompany me only once every two weeks. This made Hank's wife very unhappy and she felt my wife should always be with me. I could not convince her it was too difficult for my wife, and her telephone calls to my wife resulted in a complete break with Hank's wife. During my last visit with him, I had to tell Hank I had to choose between my visits to him and my wife. He gave me a nod of understanding, and I held his hand for the last time. It still bothers me that I could not be with him on his last day here. Very few numismatists know of Hank's many, many contributions to paper money research, and I believe there should be some numismatic recognition of him. Is there anyone out there who will assist me in creating this recognition? Howard "Trung Si" Daniel Hi Fred, Just wanted to add a few reminiscences about my long-time friend Hank Barton. I first saw him at a meeting in late 1955 of the Washington (DC) Numismatic Society when he got up and started talking about some Morgan silver dollar varieties he had discovered. He was in his sergeant's uniform and was very much absorbed in what he was trying to say to the group. I introduced myself to him after the meeting since I was also very much interested in pursuing and writing about these dollar varieties. (I did so, in 1964.) We got together and found that we had a number of other numismatic interests in common as well, namely foreign coins made in the US and world paper money. I was just a bare beginner at that time and had a very small collection, but he was miles ahead of me especially in the areas mentioned by Joe. Through the years we were living in that area (1955-1962 for me) we spent lots of time going over many things. I would go over to his place and look over the many notes he had and discuss them at length. Joan was always a great hostess too, even though she could not have cared less for anything we were talking about. Hank was in my opinion a very fine numismatist, and it was with a great deal of sorrow that I saw him starting to suffer from emphysema (he had smoked a lot), when he had to use a machine to help him breathe. I am glad that Joe and the Gram wrote now about him, because he was a pioneer in many ways and is well worth remembering as a numismatist and a fine man. Neil S. =================================================== Departments --------------------------------------------------- WWII numismatics seminar at ANA Summer Seminar 2001 --------------------------------------------------- Not only does the scholarship fund have an official identity but also has a bank account! Any further donations should be paid to the order of "Military Numismatists Scholarship" and sent to: Military Numismatists c/o Marcus Turner 8103 East US Highway 36 Suite 163 Avon, IN 46123 THE UPDATED LIST OF SCHOLARSHIP BENEFACTORS 3/22/01. These folks have generously provided money or material to finance scholarships to the ANA WWII Numismatics seminar. Your contributions will help promote collecting WWII material and be greatly appreciated. Many donations were received at CPMX and MPCFest. Mr. Anonymous Donor, Mike Cummings, Sue and Keith Bauman, Ed B., Doug Bell, Tom Denly, Denly's, R. A. Medina, Harold MPCKid Kroll, Leo "Paymaster" May, Mrs. R.C. Matherne, Bill McNease, Mel and Jeremy Steinberg, Marcus Turner, Larry Ski, Guido, Fred, PK6, Joel Shafer, World Wide Ventures, Pam West, John and Nancy Wilson, Neil Shafer, W. E. Yanchick, Mark Watson, Al Glaser, Phil Goldstein, Rod Hardy, Wesley Hardy, Gary Hicks, Jack Lippincott, Ian Marshall, Kevin Maloy, David SeelyeNick Schrier, Elmer Smith, Dan Swartz, Tom Warburton, Dick Freyser, Tim Kyzivat ==================================================== Post/Base Exchange (PX/BX/NEX) Dump your dupes! Your classified advertisement for items for sale will be run here for free. Send your ads to the gram. This service is for everyone, most humble dealer or most advanced collector. The point is to make the gram more interesting. Send in a list of items for sale and we will list them here in the gram. In all cases confirm your order via email first. Nicole for sale! MPC Series 641 5¢ ten consecutive Gem Unc notes, $75. Contact fred@papermoneyworld.com. WANTED Collectors may submit lists of items wanted for their collections for listing here. Dealers and collectors who have these items are then encouraged to list them for sale in the above section. This is a trial, if you like it, send your list. =================================================== Staff: publisher and editor: Fred Schwan - fred@papermoneyworld.com; assistant editor - Phil Goldstein IWANTMYMPC@aol.com critic: Harold Kroll - MPCKid@papermoneyworld.com; index manager: Ed Beaman webmaster & technical advisor: Doug Bell - (Wiz): doug@papermoneyworld.com; The Boss: Judy Schwan ===== MPC Gram is published by BNR Press and papermoneyworld.com as a free service to the community of military money collectors. Your suggestions, criticisms, complaints, editorial contributions, letters, and even praise are very welcome. The entire contents including linked illustrations are copyright protected by the publishers. 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