Sunday, November 26, 2017

JR Newsletter: 26 November 2017 (371)

Garrett Ziss wrote:

I have some sad news to report this week. One of our long-time members, Robert Stark, passed away on November 18, 2017. In addition to being a JRCS member, Mr. Stark was also a member and Secretary of the Bust Dollar Club, which met from 1977 to 1980 at the home of its Chairman, Jules Reiver.  Bob Stark was also the Editor of the Bust Dollar Club’s newsletter, The Lettered Edge.  

Even though Bob Stark and I were both Wilmington Coin Club members, we didn’t officially meet until 3 years ago at David Perkins’ table at the Baltimore Whitman Expo.  I enjoyed listening to both of them discuss their shared passion for Early U.S. dollars. I am also fortunate to have obtained from Mr. Perkins, Mr. Stark’s copy of the Variety Identification Manual for United States Half Dimes, by Jules Reiver. The manual contains an inscription in the front cover that reads “To BOB STARKWITH THANKS FOR HIS ASSISTANCE, (signed) Jules Reiver 10/15/84.”  

After that initial meeting, Mr. Stark and I always got together to talk during social time at Wilmington Coin Club meetings.  Of course we usually discussed various Bust coin topics.  We also e-mailed from time to time, and our last correspondence was on August 17, 2017.  He wrote that he was happy to read in the JR Newsletter that I had met “a dear colleague of decades past, John McCloskey”, at the ANA World’s Fair of Money.   Mr. Stark went on to tell me that he recently gave slides from a presentation given by Mr. McCloskey many years ago, to a prominent Wilmington Coin Club member. This member has generously offered to show them to me, so I’m looking forward to seeing this piece of JRCS history. 

We actually have a Wilmington Coin Club Meeting this coming Tuesday (28th), so I’m sure various members will be sharing their memories of Mr. Stark. We will definitely miss seeing him at club meetings.

Garrett Ziss
JRCS #1465