Who to call: Lifestyles Editor A.P. McCredie 985-2131 ( 113) umismatists carry coins werth a mint IT HAS been called the world’s oldest hobby. What is it? Numismatics, or in lay terms, the systematic collec- tion of coins, tokens, medals. bank notes and coin-making paraphernalia. By Layne Christensen Community Reporter Burnaby resident Ray Mah is a self-confessed numismatist. This mild-mannered retired locksmith’s face lights up when he reaches into his suit pocket and spills onto the table a fistful of rare and unusual coins. He holds in one hand a Chinese coin minted just after the birth of Christ, 6AD-8AD; and in the other, a 192i Canadian five-cent silver. Which is more valuable, he asks? Like a kid aching to reveal a secret, he is quick to divulge the answer. The two-millennium-oid Chinese bronze is worth merely $35 while the Canadian silver can fetch a high of $5,000 at an inter- national coin fair. “It isn’t necessarily the age that makes a coin valuable.” he coun- sels. “It's scarcity and condition.” Originally minted in silver but never issued, the five-cent silver was reninted in nickel in ‘22. The “21 silvers were melted down and only a few pieces escaped, later making their way into collectors” hands. Discovering rare coins is just one of the thrills of the “world of numismatics” says Mah, a found- ing member of the North Shore Numismatic Society (NSNS). which was established in ‘74. Another thrill is the meeting of like-minded numismatists. Coin collecting recognizes no borders. “Any major city in the world will have a coin club.” says Mah. “You make strong, good friends from throughout the world because of the hobby.” Some of these good friends are bound to turn up at the NSNS* fall Coin Fair Saturday, Oct. $5 and Sunday. Oct. 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Mickey McDougall Hall, 23rd and Lonsdale. North Vancouver, Admission is free, and mem- bers of the public are invited to bring coins for evaluation, sale or trade. Thirty dealers are expected to be in attendance. The NSNS holds meetings on the third Thursday of each month, at the Presentation House on Chesterfield in North Vancouver. For more information about the North Shore Numismatic Society. phone 530-7335. AN ABBREVIATED GLOSSARY OF NUMISMATIC TERMS Bag marks: small scratches or dents on otherwise uncirculated coins caused by the coins rubbing against cach other during shipment. Blank: the disc of metal on which a coin or medal is to be struck. After striking, the disc is called the flan or planchet. Cartwheel: a term for a very large coin, occasionally applied to the silver dollar. Die: a piece of hard metal, engraved with the design of the teverse of a coin or medal. used to stamp the design on the blank. Fish Scale: a silver five-cent piece. so called because of its small size. Jit: a nickname now rarely used for the Sive-cent piece. Reeded edge: the edge of a coin Indulge Yourse 0% on SELECTED DECORATOR § FABRICS Offer ends Oct 8th 0% %LEVOLOR off VERTICALS Offer ends Oct 29th E BETTER Specializing in Blinds and draperies for over 8 years 117-949 West 3rd St. 2370 West 41st Ave. Squamish 898-5252 984-4101 Vancouver 264-7255 Whistler 932-6617 which has been cut into parallel grooves. Two Bits: Still used in the West, this colloquialism for 25 cents is derived from the old Spanish divi- sion of the dollar into eight reales, or “bits.” — Courtesy of Robert C. Willey’s A Guide to the History and Collection of Coins. NEWS photo Mike Wakefield RAY MAH of the North Shore Numismatic Society (NSNS) dis- plays a collection of $3 bank notes. NSNS members were in Capilano Mall last week to promote their upcoming coin fair. Nee KRENEK ERY KE KEN PA 4 My COATINGS All in-store stock valued up to $39.98m “Members 33 1/3 OFF reg. Drice KAXKKKRXKAAKKK KKK ndteS RA A KERR KIRSCH & WRIGHTS « DRAPERY HARDWARE < SAX NY XE YR KR RY KY RE XK AR , DENNING & CHAMBRAYS All in-store stock "Members 40%-60% OFF reg. price c Mek RX ER AKA xD XK All in-store stock *Members 1/3 OFF reg. price FLANNELETTE 27°/70cm Diaper and 36°/90cm Solids and Prints “Members $1.79m-$2.29m