Struck On 2013 American Silver Eagles
The Combined Organizations Of Numismatic Error Collectors Of America is kicking off its 30th Anniversary Celebration with a limited-edition medal struck on a 2013 American Silver Eagle! It features CONECA’s logo on the obverse — an outstretched eagle with a ribbon in its beak which boasts CONECA’s motto, “Knowledge Through Education”. The reverse features a stylized 30th Anniversary motif and conveys the fact that CONECA was formed in 1983 and is still going strong in 2013.
In a departure from its previous 20th and 25th Anniversary medals in 2003 and 2008, it was decided that no normal strikes would be made this year and they would be struck on 2013 dated American Silver Eagles.
According to Ken Potter, who arranged to have them struck, each Silver Eagle was hand fed into a press so that a full date and portions of the lower design can be seen on the obverse of the Silver Eagle, while portions of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA can be seen on the reverse. Many of the overstrike medals are similar, but every one of them is different in one way or another due to them being hand fed into the press.
CONECA’s Medals Program was the brainchild of its 2003 Board of Directors not only to celebrate its anniversaries but as a way of raising funds for the club with the specific purpose of preventing a raise in its membership dues.
In 2003 CONECA’s annual dues were $20 and it was demonstrated that they needed to be raised to $30 if the club was going to continue to exist. A compromise was hammered out with annual dues only raised to $25 with several Board Members committing themselves to projects to help defer the necessary funds to keep the club running without raising dues again the next year. To date, CONECA has never had to raise dues again, a large part due to the profits made from medals sold in 2003 and 2008.
The medals will be available to members and nonmembers alike and will be struck though 2013. No additional medals will be struck after 2013. CONECA’s initial order was for 100 pieces. CONECA has typically sold somewhere between 50 to 100 of most of its past silver issues.
It should be noted that due to the sharp contrast between the satiny finish of the Silver Eagles v.s. the proof finish from the CONECA dies that a special photographic technique had to be used to light up both the Silver Eagle and the CONECA overstrike. This prevented the photographer from being able to show the deep cameo effect to best advantage. According to Ken Potter, who was first to see the medals, “they are stunning with deep cameo devices on highly reflective mirror-like fields contrasted against the satiny finish of the host coins.”
They may be ordered at $65 each, plus $4 postage for the first medal and $1.50 each postage for any additional medals ordered beyond the first. Foreign buyers should check with program coordinator, Al Raddi for postage rates to their country.
Checks and Money Orders should be made out to “CONECA” and sent to: CONECA Medals Program, c/o Al Raddi, 591 Tower Ridge Ct., Milford, MI 48381.
CONECA will also have a club table at the American Numismatic Association’s, World’s Fair Of Money this August in Chicago where the dies will be on display and medals for sale. They may also be ordered from the club’s web site via PayPal by going to: www.ConecaOnLine.org.
