Welcome to the Tarnished Truth. YOUR newsletter. Coins and history are of the same tightly wrapped fabric in that they tell of events and celebrate personalities our civilization deems important enough to celebrate. Travesties and tragedies like we have witnessed recently however are seldom displayed on minted coin, at least directly. We might with the printed word speak and ponder evil and its doings but shy away from minting permanence to the acts on a metal coin. A person involved, or thing, such as a ship, a mountain, a building, might be the coins motif, but an act of mans cruelty towards their fellow man is seldom coined. History will not allow such acts be given even the slightest bit of credibility. Of course it is the winners who write history, and decide what is unconscionable acts and what is justice. I firmly believe that the entity that created the world and man kind, no matter by what name you address him honors a life given to save another out of love, but has nothing but disdain for a life given for the service of hate.

Joseph Pietro Luigi Garbarini, Age Ancient ,Wife Imelda Hartrz Garbarini (50 years on 2-18-02), 3 sons, 3 daughters, 8 grandsons, 2 granddaughters. I Can be found on eBay as (joe jigar) where I offer a little at a time (as energy permits) all of a sizeable 58 year accumulation of US coins. Started collecting in 1943. First purchase 1909-S VG Lincoln Cent @ $1.75. Coin desired - strong strike MS 64+ Red 1927-S Lincoln Cent.

My personal experiences were limited by low funds availability and family needs. I was auctioneer for the Memphis Coin Club in the early 1950s and a highlight was being lent a 1913 Liberty Nickel by J. V. McDermott to promote an auction to benifit the building fund for the St. Jude Childrens Hospital in Memphis. That was a Danny Thomas sponsered project and I have a letter of thanks from him.

While serving in many official positions in the 8th Federal I eventually became the First Vice President and Chief Operations Officer and for 5 months served as acting President which meant attending Open Market Committee meetings where among other issues the Discount Rate is set. Also at another time I was on loan for 6 months to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as Assistant Secretary and as Secretary to the Board Member with the duty of Chairman of Federal Reserve Committee on Federal Reserve Bank's Operations.

As the officer in charge of Govt. Securities activities and also currency and coin operations I was an appointed member of several, and eventually Chairman of the Comittee on Currency and Coin which interacted with the Treasury, The Bureau of the Mint and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Also I was a member and eventually Chairman of the small group appointed by then Chairman Arthur Burns to find a way to prevent future thefts of currency scheduled for destruction that took place at the Phil Bank. In that effort I was very involved for about ten years in the first and second generation development, production and operation of High Speed Currency Processing Equipment. I was one of several folks asked to comment to Treasury officials re consideration of what became the Anthony Dollar. I was an original member of the Group chaired by Kay Ortega, Treasurer of the U.S. assigned by President Ronnie to develop a currency less prone to counterfiiting by all means including advanced copy machines and computers. Some of my experiences still should not be discussed but others may.