Unusual, Unprecedented Year Winds Down

The Fall of 2020, numismatic and otherwise, was quite fitting to what was unquestionably the most unusual, unprecedented year of our lifetimes. There was little that happened where events were concerned. While the occasional local, or level-three-show did come off around the country, none were nearby or drew my participation. Likewise, where club meetings were concerned, few came off as physical attendance exercises. A growing incidence of virtual Zoom and similar communication initiatives have developed in their stead. One physical meeting of the Wisconsin Valley Coin Club did materialize, of which I partook.

Now, as we head into the winter calendar and heart of the holiday season, the horizon appears to be brightening. Pandemic travel and participation lock-downs are generally moderating. The promised COVID-19 vaccinations are in the offing. Pent-up demands are pushing organizers of events of magnitude to forge their ways back to life. Down south, FUN ’21, the 66th annual edition, appeared to be a promising prospect to be the first major numismatic calendar event to draw the hobby community in since the ANA National Money Show in Atlanta closed out last February. But the plug was pulled just four weeks to the day before it was scheduled to get under way in earnest.

In the meantime, the hobby has not gotten sick. Really. Probably hasn’t even, broadly speaking, suffered serious sniffles. Mail order reports indicate that business is solid, even strengthening in some respects. The auction business appears to be moving ahead, largely unaffected. Club and organizational activities appear to be a mixed bag. Those venturing forth into the virtual world of Zoom and the like largely report substantial, even enhanced, participation, though personal interactions have been largely absent – and sincerely missed – regardless of the nature of the objectives one endeavors to pursue. Telephonic and e-mail