Break out the family treasures

Shaun Treanor with his treasured James Lawler DSM. For display, not for sale. Photo: Daniel Hines.

Dig out those manky old forgotten coins, banknotes, medals, badges and stamps from the socks and undies drawer. It's an opportunity to capitalise – it's the Tauranga Stamp and Coin Fair tomorrow.

'People come to our fair with coins they've accumulated over the years,” says Shaun Treanor, secretary of the Tauranga Numismatics Society. Numismatics - the study or collection of currency, coins, tokens, paper money, postcards and related objects. Throw in medals and badges.

'Many have pounds and pence that could have belonged to relations, forbears, they're wanting to dispose of.” There are lots of items out there - rare and worth a lot of money. Like New Zealand's best known banknote, the old cherry red 50 pound note. They're worth $50,000 nowadays, and, according to Shaun, it's unlikely one will be sighted at the Stamp and Coin Fair at the Wesley Methodist Centre, 100 13th Avenue between 10am and 3pm tomorrow.

'I would love to find one,” says Shaun. 'But on the other hand I would hate to pay that sort of money for it.”

Shaun Treanor's passion for coins and medals and badges stems from a boy's romantic notion of war. 'I had a grandfather who was shot and wounded during WW2. The fascination for a young boy was to see his wounds.” From there grew a fascination for family history, New Zealand history and medals and coins.

Shaun will be putting the medal displays together for the fair. 'One of those medals will be just one of seven issued to New Zealanders during WW2.” It's a DSM – Distinguished Service Medal – which was awarded to James Lawler, a Kiwi who served with the Royal Navy aboard the minesweeper Lord Landsdowne, for service over time.

'I can't remember how much I paid for it, but how much it is worth is probably between five and ten thousand dollars.” It is not for sale tomorrow - display only. 'It's an attraction for some people to come and see the coins or medals in the flesh, because the opportunity to see these things is just not there, unless a museum is showing them.”

Shouldn't an artefact like James Lawler's medal be in a museum? 'Museums probably have their own medals,” says Shaun. 'But whether they choose to exhibit them is another thing.”

There may be a rare Waitangi Crown on display… may be. It was a small mintage, just 1128 in 1935.

It has a face value of five shillings in the old currency. 'But it would be worth between $8000 and $10,000 today.”

On the obverse is a crowned and draped bust of King George V and on the reverse is Chief Tamati Waka Nene shaking hands with Captain William Hobson. The Waitangi Crown was struck after the New Zealand Numismatic Society suggested the Government mint a new coin to mark the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. But because the issue was limited and the Government charged more for each coin than their face value, they were purchased as souvenirs and didn't circulate. Buy they did appreciate.

But no word on who owns it, where they live and even if it definitely will be at the Tauranga Stamp and Coin Fair. Security issues of course.

Shaun's not only after buyers and sellers and enthusiasts at the fair, he wants new members for his 40 strong society. 'Collecting is an older generation thing, so a lot of clubs like ours are suffering. We are always looking for new blood.”

Perhaps a sniff around the free Stamp and Coin Fair at the Wesley Centre 100 13th Avenue on Saturday between 9am and 4pm, and a firsthand experience with some rarities, will be just enough to kick start a new collecting interest.

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