West Newsmagazine 12-16-20

they contain. A small premium is added to this to cover
ECONOMIC manufacturing DOWNTURN
and sales costs.
WITH GOLD & SILVER
Precious metals
SEMI-NUMISMATIC
can help you limit such losses next time.
A
December
sub-category of
16,
coins
Precious metals can offer a hedge 2020
are known as semi-numismatics.
against inflation and
24 I As WEST you might NEWSMAGAZINE
guess, these are coins that exhibit both
today’s volatile bullion markets. and They numismatic are time-honored traits. Generally, stores they are of bullion
value that can also coins provide that have a a legacy limited for mintage your loved (total number ones. produced)
and are attractive to collectors. Collectors’ interest include
the coin’s design, special features, form factor, or overall
series popularity.
While in production, a semi-numismatic coin can be
purchased at a reasonable premium over the spot price of
the metal. It might be slightly higher than a pure bullion
coin but not by very much. Once the production is
Gold and Silver
a Present spot tends to Day increase. Hedge
Against Economic Unrest
completed and mint inventory sells out, the premium over
VALUE you buy from a reputable OF dealer at a fair price), we
encourage our customers to consider semi-numismatics
when deciding what coins to buy.
THEIR
HARD-EARNED
SAVINGS.
1-833-476-1567
HedgeMetalsUSA.com
Keep in mind hedgemetalsusa.com the premium is the portion • of 7722 the purchase Big Bend Boulevard, Saint Louis, MO 63119
price that is higher than the spot price. The spot price is
Hedge the Metals current value USA of the provides coin’s metal if a you better were to melt way it to
down. Once all inventory is depleted, semi-numismatic
purchase coins investment become available only grade on the secondary physical market. precious And
metals. that Delivered happens only when right the original to your purchaser doorstep. decides to
sell it. Depending on supply and demand, the numismatic
factors (discussed earlier) impact the coin’s premium.
Call Hedge Metals USA today and speak
with a There Gold is no guarantee and Silver that any particular specialist coin or TODAY!
series will
exhibit this semi-numismatic behavior. Nor is there a
formula to calculate what the premium appreciation will
become over time. There are clues, however, to help
UNDER you identify NEW which coins OWNERSHIP
are more likely to become
semi-numismatic.
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33 years serving our area
By SUZANNE CORBETT
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) located in Atlanta, Georgia,
wasn’t exactly what I considered a
must-see destination when I was brought
on a tour two years ago. After all, I hated
science class and the thought of touring
a place filled with test tubes wasn’t my
idea of fun. I was wrong. The tour wasn’t
through the center’s research labs. Instead,
it was a visit to the David J. Sencer CDC
Museum, an associate of the Smithsonian
that was established in 1996.
The CDC museum presents a variety of
material and collections that blends science
and history with a healthy shot of
popular culture. It’s a successful mix that
creates an engaging experience even nonscience
geeks like me can dig, and it’s why
the museum annually attracts over 90,000
guests.
The standout exhibit two years ago documented
the centennial of the 1918 Spanish
Influenza pandemic. As CDC Museum
Curator Louise Shaw recently explained, it
was a teaser exhibit for a larger exhibition
that had been planned for 2020 entitled
“Influenza: Complex Virus, Complex History.”
Ironically, the opening of that exhibit
collided with the COVID-19 pandemic,
forcing a postponement until the latest pandemic
becomes history.
“Major exhibits take a couple of years to
develop,” Shaw said. “We had planned for
“Influenza: Complex Virus, Complex History”
to open this past May. Little did we
know during the planning that a pandemic
would create a delay. However, we have
installed the exhibition; so as soon as we
get the green light to reopen, we’ll be ready
to greet the public.”
With COVID-19 proving to be among
the most deadly pandemics experienced in
modern history, I asked Shaw if the Influenza
exhibit has been revamped.
“We actually did draw some parallels
and called out COVID-19 in some very
specific places. But Heather Rodriguez,
who curated the exhibit, was clear that we
didn’t want to turn this into a COVID-19
exhibit,” Shaw said. “We did bring in parallels
in popular culture in regard to how
influenza captured the imagination and
responses of artists and filmmakers. Needless
to say, there will be a lot of parallels
we’ll be able to draw in (any) major exhibit
about COVID-19 that we develop after the
current pandemic resolves itself.”
In the wake of the devastation left by
the 1918 pandemic, many who were
affected were reluctant to share their
feelings or experiences. The exhibition
@WESTNEWSMAG
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Up close and personal at the
David J. Sencer CDC Museum
explores how some used culture to reckon
with the massive loss of life. Included in
this area of the exhibit is a mural based on
a 1918 watercolor by John Singer Sargent,
an American expatriate artist who was
known for his evocations of Edwardianera
luxury, a stark contrast to the losses of
the pandemic.
Throughout “Influenza: Complex Virus,
Complex History,” scientific advances are
interwoven with recollections of influenza’s
social and cultural impact to illustrate
a complex global story in which each of us
plays a unique, ever-changing role. Highlights
of the exhibition include a three-foot
wide influenza model and a timeline of epidemics,
pandemics and scientific advancements,
set alongside historic world events.
When asked if she had a personal favorite
among the advancements, Shaw noted a
1918 jar of Vicks VapoRub.
“Vicks came out of North Carolina in the
late 1890s. During the 1918 pandemic, the
medical community didn’t realize it was a
virus and thought it was a bacterial infection.
They were looking at treatments that
addressed the symptoms and found Vicks
made people feel better. Vicks VapoRub
really took that and ran with it,” Shaw said.
“It became popular. It’s still used today as a
remedy for colds and other maladies.”
“Influenza: Complex Virus, Complex
History” is just one of the many exhibits on
display that visitors can explore once the
CDC museum is able to reopen. Climate &
Health, another timely temporary exhibit,
looks at the story of climate change and
health through photographs and dramatic
maps that tell representative stories about
the intersections of climate, health and the
effects of ongoing heatwaves, California
forest fires and Midwest flooding.
Counted among the CDC’s permanent
exhibits is the popular Global Symphony.
A multiscreen, multi-media installation
featuring 150 media vignettes and four
videos about the CDC’s role in preventing
and controlling polio, Legionaries’ disease,
obesity and Ebola. Another must-see
exhibit, which Shaw recommends, is the
gallery dedicated to the history of HIV and
the AIDS epidemic.
When the David J. Sencer CDC Museum
reopens to the public visitors will be able to
view all the exhibits and on-site programs
free. No need for advance reservations for
self-guided tours for groups of 10 guests
or less.
Until the CDC is able to reopen its
museum, Shaw and the entire CDC staff
have a request: Follow the CDC guidelines
during this time of COVID-19 and stay
safe and well.