Every once and a while, I come across something completely unexpected as I walk a coin show bourse. One of these pleasant surprises is the circa-1930s coin holder shown below. While it is clearly intended to store US commemorative half-dollar coins (note the circular openings), it was the image of the reverse of the 1925 Norse-American Centennial medal that caught my eye and caused me to purchase it.
The holder is the sane basic design as the black leatherette holders used by the sponsors of the Cleveland and Cincinnati commemorative coins. It features a celluloid slide to protect the stored coins; nothing is printed on the back of the holder.
I asked the dealer from whom I purchased the holder if he had any knowledge of its history, but he could not provide me with any. Once I got the piece home, I began doing a bit of research and came to learn that Elias Rasmussen was a coin dealer in Minneapolis, Minnesota that aggressively promoted US commemorative coins during the 1930s and early 1940s - " his frequent advertisements in the
ANA's
The Numismatist attest to him being a "player" in US commemoratives. I've included an image of one of his dealer advertisements from 1936 below.
Interestingly, Rasmussen was also a Reverend in the Lutheran church. During the 1925 Norse-American Centennial celebrations, he led the opening prayer at a liturgical service arranged by the Young People's Luther League. I have not found his name, however, among the membership lists of the celebration's various committees, so it would appear his participation in the organization of the event was minimal.
The 1925 Norse-American medal appears to have been a particular favorite of Rev. Rasmussen as he featured the Norse-American medal prominently is in his coin advertisements and went so far as to produce a commemorative coin holder featuring its likeness. I would speculate that Rasmussen used the holder as a vehicle for delivering commemorative half-dollars to his customers - whether local or long-distance (i.e., mail order). He may have also used it as a giveaway to promote his business even without a purchase.
I liked the piece the first time I saw, and continue to be intrigued by its link to the classic US commemorative series. Hope you enjoy having a look!
Rasmussen Commemorative Coin Holder - Front
Rasmussen Advertisement That Appeared in May, 1936 Issue of The Numismatist 
1925 Norse-American Centennial Medal - Obverse
1925 Norse-American Centennial Medal - Reverse
Additional information about the Norse-American medal can be found in my previous post here:
http://goccf.com/t/120080 Read More: Commems Collection
Posted 12/22/2012 2:26 pm
