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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;kaparthy, post: 4037879, member: 57463&quot;]Before the invention of Roger Burdette, Barbara Gregory suggested that I write an article for <i>The Numismatist</i> about Peace Dollars. It was just an assignment to me. I considered the coin inferior to the Morgan Dollar, just an example of &quot;modern junk.&quot; I was surprised to discover that people of the time - the collectors, the numismatist - felt the same way. They hated the coin. Later, researching a different assignment, I found the same negative comments in the numismatic press about the Walking Liberty Half Dollar. </p><p><br /></p><p>Today, the Peace Dollar is enjoying a reevaluation. The criticisms of the Walker were guickly forgotten, certainly once the series stopped and Franklins came in. Once the Walking Liberty Half became a closed set, it became a collectible. </p><p><br /></p><p>Also, the Morgan Dollar was such a success for two reasons. The newspapers loved it. But I think that they did because the design was perfect. Poor George Morgan spent years making useless patterns while the Barbers father and son hogged all the work. (And, personally, I think that the Barber coins were cheap knock-offs of little artistic value then or now.) Anyway, George Morgan got in a lot of practice and it paid off.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Well, there is no accounting for taste. But I agree that for me, the attraction in numismatics is the nature of money. (You can find &quot;Francisco&#039;s Money Speech&quot; online.). I am not a sports enthusiast. Clearly, the hobbyist pursuit of objects must be supported by some special interest - if not love - for the subject matter. </p><p><br /></p><p>Some people think that the demise of circulating monetaria media in the wake of electronic payments will hurt the hobby of numismatics. I disagree. If anything, it will make the material all the more alluring. But that applies to baseball, as well. I think that it is a touching and eloquent element in the <i>Deep Space Nine</i> storyline that Commander Sisko loves the game even though no one plays it any more. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Personally, I agree with you. I have argued long (and unsuccessfully) against people who claim that &quot;bogos&quot; are collectible, or that &quot;true numismatists&quot; have &quot;black cabinets&quot; of fakes that they pursue and study. But I argued in vain. People collect Becker forgeries, Rosa forgeries, Slavej forgeries, and the fakes of 1876 from Montroville Dickson. Even John Jay Ford&#039;s known fake &quot;Western Assay Bars&quot;&nbsp; were auctioned off.&nbsp; It seems that you and I are out in the cold on this.</p><p><br /></p><p>And it is not just coins, of course. A couple of weeks ago, I head yet another NPR story about fake fine art. It is a known problem. Museum collections have been condemned. </p><p><br /></p><p>But think about &quot;stolen valor.&quot; The idiots parading in glory they did not earn does not stop other people from volunteering for the military. At some level, you have to pursue your own values by your own standards.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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