A BRIEF HISTORY
In 1985, members of the old Modesto/Turlock Coin Club, decided to reorganize the club to make it more manageable and friendly to the collector. After long debates and much discussion, a new set of by-laws was adopted and the Stanislaus County Coin Club was born. During these discussions, it was brought up that the club should produce an annual medal to foster the new kinship that the members wished to achieve. The medal was put on hold, however, until after the new club was firmly on solid ground. In 1986 the medal program finally came into being.
Again, numerous discussions resulted until it was decided that the medal would be struck in one ounce of pure silver and each silver medal numbered on the edge. The silver medal would be limited to a mintage of only 100. Metal #1 would go to the designer and Medals #3 and #100 would go to the club archives. The rest of the medals would be sold to the membership first, and then to the public if any remained. The initial set of medals would be sold to the members based or their membership numbers, the remainder by lot. It was also decided that once a member received a particular medal number, he/she could keep that number until he/she gave up the number or sold the medal to someone else. At that time the medal number would revert to the new member. The exceptions being Medals #1, #3 and #100, which were mentioned above. It was also decided to strike the medals in an “off metal” (non-silver), in quantities and material to be decided upon by the membership. Each person who purchased a silver medal would be allowed to purchase at least one “off medal” medal per silver medal purchased. Again, two of each of the “off medal” medals would be placed in the club archives.
The membership also decided that the obverse design would be decided by committee and remain constant. The reverse design would be decided by a vote of the membership during an open contest of club members. In addition, the reverse design would change yearly, again during an open contest of submitted designs by club members. After the vote of the first medal design, a motion was made and carried that the design of all future medals have a theme of some historical significance in relationship to Stanislaus County.
Since the medal program began, Lee Kuntz of Masterpiece Medallions, in Claremont, CA, has been producing the medals for the club. Mr. Kuntz also provided a set of rules, covering the designing of the medals, which the club modified and formally adopted in 1988.
What follows is a result of the foresight and thought of these members who contributed to this wonderful program. They include, but are not limited to, Sam Abid, Hal DeBoard, Les Fosterman, Ron Miller, Howard Wesely, Terry Woodward and Fred Ybarra.
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