I freely admit that I am a numismatist - a collector of coins, medals, paper money, etc. Except I'm leery of collecting paper money because it's so easy to burn. And medals in this case are medallions and not the medals you wear on your chest. But the appeal of stamped or pressed pieces of metal have appealed to me since I found my first old coin, a 1916 penny. I remember the occasion clearly, too...
 
I was in Grade 7 so around 12 yrs old and I was walking to the bakery near our house in Winnipeg, Manitoba. As usual, I walked with my head down. Sometimes I read a book while
walking, but on this occasion I didn't have anything to read. Keeping my head own served 2 purposes. 
 
First, I didn't have to look at anyone walking toward me. This sounds silly now, but I was rather shy as a young girl and prayed I wouldn't pass anyone one the street. Sometimes I
did and then I never knew where to look because the sky would surely fall if I looked at them and they looked back at me. 
 
Second, I often found a penny or nickel when I walked along with my head down. And that's how I found my first old penny. It was a 1916 U.S. cent and I still have it in my collection. It was old instead of bright shiny new. But what intrigued me was that it was different from our Canadian maple leaf pennies. That foreign (to me) coin started my small collection which now includes tokens. 
  
About a month ago when we celebrated our 1000th blogpost here at the Inkwell, we decided each of us blog members would give out a prize from our locale. To me, it was a natural choice to give coins that were minted right here in my province, Saskatchewan. But they couldn't just be any coins or tokens, they had to be different. So my gift will include the two different tokens you see below.

Also called medallions, they have no dollar value like Municipal Trade Tokens because they weren't sold to raise money for municipal projects. Tokens were usually given free to celebrate an event which in this case was Saskatchewan's 50th anniversary as a province. 
 
Now look closely at the horse's tail in the top one and then the bottom one. As you can see, the bottom one doesn't have a tail. This token is an error. Generally, coins or tokens with errors are worth more than those without but it depends on which is rarer. 
 
So the winner of my little assortment of coins and tokens will receive one token with a tail and one without. 
 
That got me thinking about all the people who don't know they could be carrying error coins in their pocket change. It happens in every mint in every country and to prove it, I
wanted to show you a very small sample. 
 
Let's look at a 1937 U.S. 3-legged Buffalo nickel because that's the first one I remember noticing. Not that I ever found one. I wish I did, though because they're worth upwards of U.S. $500 since there are so few around.

The first 2 photos are taken of my own 1937 Buffalo nickel without a flash, hence the gray color compared to the more natural color on the 3 photo. 
 
Do you see the error on the buffalo side of the coin? Count the legs. 
 
The error is in the bottom photo where the front right leg is missing. This happened during minting when the die deteriorated and stopped pressing/punching that first leg. So it looks like a 3-legged buffalo.

If we stick to U.S. money for a moment, you can find many errors in the State quarter series.  They include:
- Minnesota: an extra tree (doubled die error)
- Nevada: poop on the horse's leg (die chip)
- Nebraska: Chimney rock with side boulder (die chip)
- Kansas: Weakly struck 'T' in Trust (struck through grease)
- Kansas: Tethered bison (die crack)
- South Dakota: Bumps on pheasants's beak, base of neck and back of head like an
antennae (die chips)
- South Dakota: Halo effect on pheasant's head (die dent)
- South Dakota: lower 8’s partially filled
- Wisconsin: Extra Leaf
And there are a lot more errors in this series.

Consider also the Presidential dollar series which is riddled in problems with the incused  writing on the rim:
- missing lettering
- upside down lettering
- double lettering
- Zachary Taylor with 2009 and at least one 2010 date 
This series has numerous cracks from deteriorating dies such as the die crack below Lady Liberty's chin and the die crack that makes and extra spike in Liberty's crown.

A similar die deterioration happened with the 24 quarters in the Canadian 1999 and 2000  millenium series. In fact, I have about 10 coins in a row where you can see the die deteriorate to such an extent that each stamping produced less of the design until part of it was missing completely. 

Other Canadian coins with errors are the $2 coins we call Twoonies. Here is a normal $2 coin. Look at the mountain ridge in the background... it's one smooth line. 

However, a die clash created an extra mountain as in this next photo. It is sometimes seen as a
smaller dark shadow as well.  
 
Another country with minting errors is France where there's an extra feather in the rooster's tail for one year of their coins back in the middle of the 20th century. For more errors, check your local library for coin books - American, Canadian and other countries. 
 
So what does all this mean? Absolutely nothing if you're not a collector because money is money by virtue of it's face value whether it has an error or not.

When you bring a $1.00 coin to the bank you'll receive 4 quarters for it. If you use your $1.00  coin to buy something for 50 cents at the store, you'll get 50 cents in change.
 
If you bring a 1937 buffalo nickel to the bank they'll take it as a nickel no matter how many legs that buffalo has on it. It's up to you to know if that nickel is worth 5 cents or $500. And if it doesn't matter to you, then that's fine too.
 
I once had a 1976 Canadian error nickel that I sold on eBay for $2 because it had a die chip that joined the top of the 6 to the stem of a maple leaf. That's a good profit. Yet I've missed that coin and wish I hadn't sold it. 
 
Why? Because it was flawed. It reminded me that even with money's power, it's not perfect. It may have a face value on it, but the design and content can make it more or less valuable that what it says. In other words, money can't be trusted and it'll let you down if you put your faith in it because it's not always what it seems. 
 
What do you think of the State Quarters, Presidential Dollar, Millenium Quarters, Olympic Coins and National Park series?

This post has also been posted at Inkwell Inspirations where there is more info in the comments section.

I'm hosting Biblical fiction author, Mesu Andrews, at Inkwell Inspirations today.

Mesu is sharing her testimony which includes her love/hate relationship with her mom, discovering the love of her life, finding her faith, and being baptized in the Jordan River. Lots of pics, too.

She's giving away a copy of her new release, Love's Sacred Song, to one person who comments on her Inkwell post before midnight, March 16th. The trailer below is about her giveaway.

If you'd like to comment but aren't sure what to say, here are some questions Mesu has offered for discussion:

 - What spiritual positives have evolved from hard circumstances in your childhood?

- If you could visit anywhere mentioned in Scripture, where would you like to explore?

- To which biblical character do you relate and why?

Comments to any www.inkwellinspirations.com post this week are eligible
 for our 4 winner prize bonanza
as the Inkwell celebrates its 1000th blogpost.

I'm blogging over at Inkwell Inspirations today about the 4th and final post in my Sleighs and Sleds series. You can find the other parts here:

Part 1 19th century adult and Santa sleighs
Part 2 19th century children's sleighs
Part 3 Royal Sleighs

It's a Manitoba scene which is the prairie province to the east of where I live in Saskatchewan. I'd like you to note the sled behind the dog team, because this is very unusual and more reminiscent of the sleds called carrivales of Quebec. Actually, the sashes a couple of the men are wearing around their waist were worn by the Metis who were descended from the unions of French fur traders and native women.

At the Inkwell, I'm also introducing the winter sports of snow canoeing, snow kayaking and snow cycling, although the latter one is more like a super kick sled, which I also talk about over there. 

So what do you think... would you like snow canoeing, snow kayaking or snow cycling to become Olympic sports?

My writer friends over at www.seekerville.net  are hosting a speed book (Speedbo) writing marathon during this month of March.  I'm not sure if it will become an annual challenge or not, but since I tend to write better with accountability, I'm doing the Seekerville Speedbo.

Of course, I would love to write the sequel to Emma's Outlaw this month, but I'm in the middle of a couple projects that can't be dropped. Or rather, if I drop them, I'll spend many hours trying to get back on track.

Therefore, my goals for March are to:
- complete 1st draft of Romantic Refinements novella
- revise Chap 1 Heart of Courage
- edit Romantic Refinements novella
- write Montana Christmas novella
- if time permits, edit Montana Christmas novella

Throughout March, the word meters on my Books Progress   page  will change as I go through my projects.

We'll see how I've done on April 1st. :)

Anita Mae.

I've received the ultimate accolade from the publishing world to date, because I got the agent call from
Mary Keeley of Books & Such Literary Agency!

I'd like to thank Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent, for her blopost entitled, What to Ask an Agent. I've had that shortcut on my desktop since Rachelle posted the list back on Aug 9th, 2010 and I've seen that icon every time I started my laptop.  No matter when I got the call, I was
going to be ready.

Mary's call came at the pre-arranged time of 2pm on Thurs, February 16th. That date was special to me already because it's my Finnish grandmother's birthday. She was never referred to as a writer, but before she went to heaven, she wrote her memoirs which I'm  posting as a series on my Author Memories blog.

Between Mary's information and my questions from Rachelle's list, we managed to get a fair bit of business cleared. By the end of the phone call, Mary offered representation.

Rachelle's list encourages writers to wait a few days and think about it before giving their final decision. But, I'd begun praying - and my church had been praying - for discernment in making the right decision since I received the email that made the appointment.  Unless I felt misgivings during our conversation, I was fairly sure I'd accept.

And I did. I couldn't not accept because Mary was what I'd been waiting for - an agent who was 'fired up' about my writing. What a blessing!

Mary said the paperwork is on the way. And while I'm very good at keeping secrets and was going to hold onto this news until I'd signed the actual papers, I've been welcomed to the agency by email and have received agency news and invites. It seems like it's a go. :) 

I waited patiently for the LORD;
   he turned to me and heard my cry.
Psalm 40:1  NIV

Hallelujah!
Anita Mae.

My first anthology proposal has been submitted! This is just a proposal, so it doesn't mean it's being published - yet - but the fact that it's in the submission process is a relief and joy.

Half a year ago, Valerie Comer presented me with a project about a generational anthology set in Montana. Since I'm a historical writer, she wondered if I wanted to try the lead-off 1908 novella. I've never written anything set in that era, but it's fascinated me for years, so I said, yes, I was very interested.

Her enthusiasm carried me forward although nothing was done until the week before Christmas when Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss signed on. With all three of them being published authors, I was the only one required to write the first chapter of my novella to prove that I could, indeed, write.

I was already busy with the festive season and trying to finish my proposal elements for a separate anthology proposal set in 1860. Taking one project at a time, I finished my requirements for the 1860 one and sent it off to the team leader just a few days before the New Year.

The deadline for the proposal elements for my 1908 Montana anthology was Jan 9th. Yikes! I'd known about this project for months and yet I hadn't been able to get a clear picture of my characters or  their goals and conflicts until that point. I've always maintained that I do my best plotting on the long drive to and from the city and on a late December day, an idea came to me and by the time we pulled into our farmyard an hour later, my novella outline was in place.

I won't go into details here because it could be changed before it's - hopefully - published. Once my chapter was written, I sent it to my team and then the fun began as their critques came back. Our self-imposed Jan 9th deadline came, but I was one critique short. Tricia realized that with all 3 of them critting at once, no one was looking at the final product and since she has the most books published among us, she became the last hurdle. By the time I received all the crits and made the appropriate changes, the consensus was that the the hero's pov was memorable, but my heroine's scene which starts the novella, was only okay.

With Val chomping at the bit - this project was her baby, after all - I took a few days to dwell on the beginning scene. Dare I say it took another trip to the city?

On Jan 14th, we drove our daughters to the airport. Yes, they'd been visiting and yes, I'd spent the days in my office as usual. It wasn't all bad on my part though, because they needed time with their dad and siblings, too and we had some great times alone and in the evenings. So after the girls flew off to Calgary and Vancouver, we began the hour's drive home and wouldn't you know it... I got an idea of how to fix my first scene. It meant rewriting a good portion of it, but I didn't have anything to lose.

It took a couple days and then I sent it off to Val. She made some observations - mainly  in the continuity between the new scene and the hero's pov, but overall she liked it. I fixed it up and sent it off again. This time Ocieanna took a boo at it and came back with more observations and suggestions. Best of all, she really liked this new version compared to the last. Great - 2 hurdles down. Off it went to Tricia.

To say I was worried about Tricia's crit would be very true.  I hestitated at the sight of it in my inbox with good reason. But her crit was sound. And yes, she liked this version much better than the original. Taking her observations and suggestions into consideration, I worked on my chapter. After several reads, I emailed it to the team.

Yesterday, Tricia submitted the proposal to Janet Grant since Janet represents both Tricia and Ocieanna. Hopefully, the next thing I'll read is that Janet submitted the proposal on our behalf.

The only part of the proposal that looked bare was the empty spot beneath my name where an agent's name would go. But since I put my writing career in God's hands all those years ago, I have faith that's the way it's supposed to be at this point.

And now... back to my other regularly scheduled projects.

Anita Mae.

This is Part 3 of my Inkwell Inspiration series on sleighs:

          • Part 1 is about 19th century adult and Santa sleighs.
          • Part 2 is about 19th centurychildren's sleighs.

Today's post is about 18th and 19th century royal sleighs with a token humorous nod to the 20th century.

Take this Russian royal sledge for example:

This sleigh is housed in the Kremlin in Moscow, where we find the oldest of the royal Russian conveyances. It is from the 18th century and was one of many to carry the royal court from city to city.

For example, when Catherine the Great (1729-1796) made her trip from St. Petersburg to Moscow for her coronation, she did it in 13 days in a sleigh similar to this.

According to the book, Russian Imperial Style, by Laura Cerwinske, Catherine’s sleigh was a "palace on runners! It contained a salon, library and bedroom all warmed by porcelain stoves. It had six windows and was wide enough for 8 people to pass abreast! Behind her sleigh was a procession of 19,000 horses and 14 large sleighs and 184 smaller ones carrying the royal court."


The questions for discussion over at the Inkwell today are:

- Have you ever visited a foreign museum?
- Which one and why?
- Which one would you like to visit if you had a chance?

I hope you enjoy your visit.

Anita Mae.

As the new year starts, I’m looking at what I’ve accomplished in the old one. I’ve set aside revisions for my Mountie story to work on 2 anthology projects. Both projects are blessings by how I became a member, as well as because of the people involved:

1.      The PE anthology: This was offered to me by my Inky sister, Gina Welborn when she realized she couldn’t participate. I’m grateful the other team members accepted me as Gina’s replacement. Because I’m unpubbed at this time, I’m required to submit a chapter so the proposed editor can ascertain if I can write and therefore fulfill my obligations. The status of this project: After writing, revising and rewriting, my chapter and synopsis is with the other team members awaiting critiques.

2.      The MT anthology: My friend, Val Comer talked about this when we were at the ACFW conference together last Sept in St Louis, MO. I think she even asked me before that, but the team members weren’t confirmed until a week before Christmas. And with a Jan 8th date for submission, this project is moving fast. Set in Montana, this anthology also requires me to submit a chapter and synopsis. which I’m in the process of completing.

By next week I’ll have a choice: go back to revisions on my Mountie story, or start something new.

My Mountie story, The Key to His Heart, is a success of 2011. I belong to 2 writing groups who recognize writers for completing a book:

1.      FinishTheBook is part of the Faith, Hope & Love (FHL) chapter of the Romance Writers of America (RWA) writing group. They offer a free 1 chapter critique to anyone finishing a book in that year. Last year, I won a free critique by Laurie Alice Eakes for finishing Emma’s Outlaw the year before. I used the free critique by sending the beginning of my Mountie story. The critique I received from Laurie Alice was sound advice which helped me in my contest placements. I’m waiting to see which author I’ve ‘won’ this year.

2.      NovelTrack and NovelTrackEditing are part of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) group. Because I used both NT and NTE while writing my Mountie story, I was able to submit my name with the rest of the finishers, into a draw for a free registration (approx. $500) to the next ACFW conference. (Held in Dallas for 2013).
I’m eagerly awaiting the results.

My Mountie story did very well on the contest circuit this year:

2011 ACFW's Genesis: Semi-Finalist
2011 Fool For Love: 2nd place
2011 Duel on the Delta: 3rd place 
2011 Daphne du Maurier: 5th place 

On the agent front, I’m still waiting for an offer of representation although I’m in the process of wooing an agency. The word is that I’m on their ‘short list’ but that seems to be on hold. The current trend is for agents to ignore your query if they aren’t interested. But since I’ve been on hold for months, I’m beginning to wonder about my status. At the last ACFW conference in St Louis, Steve Laube of The Steve Laube Agency said there are some writers who produce good manuscripts, but he puts them aside – on a pile beside his desk - when a better manuscript comes along. He doesn’t want to reject the writer, but he doesn’t want to offer representation, either. So the file sits there. I’m beginning to think I’ve fallen onto that pile.