The Buffalo News from Buffalo, New York • 107

The Buffalo NewsSunday ebruary 27 1983 Page 15 Sunday Pause The irst Olympic Silver Coins Are Rolling Off Minting Machines By UANIcL WEBSTER Knight News Service The early debate over private versus public marketing programs for Treasury issued coins and medals apparently has been resolved The Olympic coin program with its marketing strategy devised by McManus Masius Inc of New York is believed to have in clined the Treasury and its congres sional watchdogs to rely on private marketing In the wake of the sales figures for the Olympic coins which have been very high the Treasury has turned over the sale of another series the Gold Medallion series to Aaron Co of New York City That company is not ready to an nounce its plans for the series which will run through 1985 but will have its program ready early next month a spokesman said When Congress authorized the US Mint to strike medallions of one ounce and half ounce gold con tent beginning in 1981 it ended nearly a half century of a federal Coin Roundup prohibition on the sale of gold to US citizens The medallions were designed to honor American artists but were authorized by Congress in the hopes of competing with the Krugerrand Canadian Maple Leaf and Mexican gold pieces the lead ing sellers in the gold bullion market The medallion program did not however succeed in keeping US dollars inside the country one of the arguments for a US bullion sales program Some of the prob lems lay in the cumbersome order ing process some lay in the medals themselves The copper content in the medals reddened them so much that buyers felt they were not buy ing gold and wanted the words ounce stamped on the medals In the meantime the enormous interest in the Olympic gold coin had eclipsed the 1982 medallion offerings and with the 1983 series due the Treasury clearly needed help in marketing the remaining issues The first of the Olympic silver coins rolled off the minting ma chines in San rancisco this month after President Reagan called the Mint and said The first of the coins will be delivered in March and April Treasury spokesman Robert Nipp said surprised at the interest in the Olympic coins After all people are sending us money for coins which they have in hand for a year There is a tremen dous call for the gold Nipp said that by Jan 31 149430 of the $10 gold coins had been ordered and that orders for 362447 of the 1983 silver dollars and 317195 of the 1984 silver dollars also had come in The gross sale of the Olympic series stands at $61781000 of which $14268000 already has been turned over to the Olympic planning committees he said are tremendously pleased By GARY HAYNES Knight News Service Photographers accustomed to the portability of 8mm movie equip ment and the projection quality of film versus that of a television image have stayed away from video recorders Video cameras are bulky and need an umbilical connection to a videotape recorder They resemble movie cameras but the recorders with their motors heads and drives cannot as yet be made suffi ciently compact to become a part of the cameras As the video camera has become smaller and smaller the recorder still restricts movement because it needs either 110 volt house current or a battery pack that added to the already clumsy weight of the recorder Videotapes are played into a television set but the quality of the image cannot compare with that of an image projected through 8mm film That has kept many home movie photographers buying film instead of switching to video On two fronts the picture is changing and on both Sony Corp seems to be in the lead Sony has announced that in September it will expand its Betamax home video system with a one piece camera recorder called BetaMovie A proto type of this unit combines a camera and a video recorder that uses half Camera Angles inch tape into a self contained hand held device designed for home movies The unit will weigh 5 pounds including battery and the maxi mum recording time is 3 and one third hours using a standard (L830) videocassette at Beta speed Sony said The other Sony development is a dramatically improved resolution standard for television a develop ment that was demonstrated last year Adoption of a new national standard awaits cable systems will ing to devote a sufficient number of channels to high definition pro gramming or allocation of a new superhigh frequency for broadcast television giving each station suffi cient band width to carry the high resolution signal What does all this mean to the home video user? Indecision Small er and truly portable video cameras are going to be available soon and high definition images soon may rival the optical quality of film The smaller cameras should be on the market later this year But it may be five years before high definition TV is widely available at the quality of the Nipp said think when the coins are delivered and collectors can show them we will have another surge of Nipp said that international sales of the Olympic coins will begin in March and that the Treas ury will be looking at proposals from agencies seeking to market the coins internationally hope to find one big agency which can do it he said ever if we we may have to find agencies for regions Europe Southeast Asia and so on We plan to sell 42 percent of the total issue (50 million silver coins 2 million gold) outside the country have not tried bulk sales yet either We have thought about selling through Sears or through banks There are many Questions I have two copper one cent pieces 1840 and 1846 TS In average condition these pieces catalog for $9 each I have three United States proof sets which I purchased from the US Mint in San rancisco They feature the bicentennial coins 1776 1976 I was wondering if these have increased in value? ARV San rancisco Calif The three piece bicentennial silver set has not increased in value Congress mandated the mini mum number that could be pro duced and this figure has yet to be reached You can still buy them through mail order from the mint Camera vs Recorder ighting a War on 2 ronts By MICHAEL BLANCHET Chicago Tribune a stylish derivation of Breakout is the best effort to date from Telesys a small but innovative California software company Ram It is a war fought on two fronts The player is repre sented by a laser wielding Ramroid which is sus pended like a yo yo on a line running down the middle of the playfield Stacks of bars rest on both sides of the Ramroid When the game begins the bars start growing at random The object is to repel the growth of the bars before the bars on the east side meet the bars on the west side in the center of the screen This is I done by firing at them Since the bars grow on both sides of the board I you must shift your attention from one side of the screen to the other Since the bars are generated at random the element of surprise something not found in many video games is preserved A joystick is used to pilot the Ramroid along the central axis Much to my surprise I found the standard Atari joystick better suited for playing Ram It than the super responsive DiscWasher Pointmaster You only have to move the joystick North and South so a custom joystick offers no edge in maneuverability Each advancing bar is shortened one section at a time by the Ramroid's laser blasts It takes a number of shots to clear the entire board but worry about hand fatigue The Ramroid has rapid fire capability Just hold down the fire but ton and it wall send out a constant stream of bullets Each of the 32 hostile bars plays a different musical note when hit This haphazard sound track is cute and provides a welcome relief from the morbid sound effects generated by most shoot 'em up games A complete game of Ram It can be lengthy Video Games once the player learns the tricks necessary to clear the board At the outset of each contest the player is given three game lives If all the bars are wiped out in any one round the player receives an addi tional game life Each life will last a total of 50 seconds This period is monitored by the bonus timer at the bottom of the screen which begins at 5000 and shrinks by 100 point increments To buy additional time (and points) the player can shoot a flashing bar Once hit a flashing bar disappears completely The bonus timer value is simultaneously credited with anywhere from 400 to 1300 points depending on the size of the bar in question requently the bar opposite the freshly killed flashing bar will suddenly spring out to wards the center of the playfield This occurence is referred to as a in the instruction booklet My only complaint is that the most difficult set tings of Ram It are too easy I a gamer of only average ability had little trouble reaching 100000 points a feat that took a good 15 to 20 minutes to accomplish I managed to score over 50000 points consist ently after playing the game only twice Not that this game isn't challenging it is It is also enter taining and a true treat for the senses But the serious gamer may max this one out a little too quickly I do recommend Ram It to the younger audi ence since it is easy to learn and simple to play Ram It is a shoot but the characters are generic in appearance and personality This should calm the apprehension felt by many parents worried about violent video games that glorify death and destruction Save the Whales Says Grenada By SYD KRONISH Associated Press Whales have been fascinating people ever since Jonah was swal lowed by one Moby Dick was a whale of a tale and killer whales can be found performing their acro batics in most seashows from Cali fornia to lorida The latest whale display how ever can be found on two new sets of stamps from Grenada and Grenada Grenadines Both have released four stamps with a souve nir sheet The Grenada stamps emphasize the the campaign The 15 cents shows a killer whale the 40 cents a sperm whale the 70 cents a blue whale and the $3 a pair of dolphins The souvenir sheet illustrates the humpback whale with other similar types along the border The Grenada Grenadines stamps depict of the The 10 cents pictures a pilot whale the 60 cents a dall porpoise $110 a humpback whale and the $3 a bow fin whale The souvenir sheet fea tures two spotted dolphins with Stamp News A innnitrin 1 Si The 6 cents shows a long snouted crocodile The 31 cents depicts a rainbow lizard The 50 cents illus trates a river turtle The 1 Leone stamps and depicts native birds The 3 cents shows the glossy swift which exists in large numbers around the island The 4 cents has the imperial pigeon found in the forest area The 10 cents pictures a thrush and the $2 a goshawk which nests near the top of rain forest trees A special collection of 529 com memoratives definitives and air mails spanning a period of 50 years is now available for pur chase from the US Stamp Collec tors Society Included with the col lection is the US Postal Service booklet to Stamp Col The stamps are available for $1995 from US Stamp Collec tors Society PO Box 480655 Los Angeles CA 90048 Scott Publications has released its 1983 US Specialized Catalog which includes United States pos sessions Confederate States and the United Nations It sells for $18 or the first time Scott lists issued by airlines which offer expedited delivery Ryukyu listings which entered the catalog in 1982 have been ex Crossword Puzzle EDITED BY HERB ETTENSON RELATIVITY By Louis Sabin ACROSS 1 Protected 5 Pepper berry 10 Garments for Indira 15 amily member 18 Toward the mouth 19 Lend (attend) 20 City in Belgium 21 Biblical patriarch 23 Man with a scythe 25 US artist 27 Shade tree 28 Bridle 29 Port or fix preceder 31 Lumberman's tool 32 Chew the scenery 34 Portion 35 Apple shaped orange 36 Gumbo Ingredi ents 38 Himalayan guide 40 Things owned 43 Big house 45 Seasons: 46 Triplets 47 Observe 48 White House name 49 Ohio city 51 String toys 52 My (Eddie isher hit) 53 SST reading 54 lub 55 Kept secret 56 aux pas 57 Morse Code sounds 59 Puzo character 61 creator 62 Major end 64 Modish: pref 65 Hebrew letter 66 Seek fame 68 is of inven tion" 73 MDS 76 Comic Mort and family 77 An estate 78 Come on 79 80 Est religion 81 requent 62 Caste member 83 Goldman or Lazarus 84 leming or Smith 85 Log rolls 86 Gun sound '4)7 Supplication 89 Church figure 91 Blends 93 the 94 Legendary chalice 95 Arbor 96 Tucker the singer 98 Stage areas 100 alana and Montez 101 North Sea hazard 102 Even If for short 105 auntleroy for one 107 airytale baddie 110 Hawser 111 Application 112 Uncanny 113 Meat 114 High degree 115 Unofficial vote 116 Patrick or George 117 Chl chl DOWN 1 Parlor piece 2 Macaws 3 Title for Edison 4 Old English letter 5 Mark of omission 6 rees 7 Stay home 8 Greek WWII movement 9 (Supreme Court book) 10 Winged fruit 11 Without assistance 12 Decays 13 Somewhat: suff 14 Acquired family members 15 EPA concern 16 ilm with Martin Sheen 17 Tree trunk 22 Artful 24 Unevenly notched 26 Gamers 30 Gabs 33 Boor ingredient 34 Isolate 35 Constellation 36 Group of eight 37 Eucalyptus lover 39 Judeon ruler 40 Actor Richard 41 Indian home 42 Show eagerness 44 Indian com grass 46 Kind of bag 50 Wellington 51 Bumpkin 52 over (studied) 55 Pipe parts 56 canto 58 Walking stick 60 will build me 61 the wrong tree 63 BSA units: abbr 66 Savory jelly 67 Mlles of the movies 68 Sign off word 69 Gossips 70 Slight pain 71 Depend 72 30 74 Small part 75 Noted Liver pudlian 77 Oral 81 Showy flower 82 Pesters 83 acile 85 Identify 86 Key letter 88 irst name of75D 90 Pressed 91 Humidity problem 92 Intercede 95 Caspian feeder 97 Visored headpiece 98 Govt dept 99 Support 100 Ananias 101 Half a disease 103 Ardor 104 Paris airport 106 White House monogram 108 Social affair 109 Govtagcy Answer on Page 13 12 3 it is mrnrp in lu is Brc Bn Bi 26 HP 33 Ifrp! 41 42 Uj IM4t I "TO1 52 Ijj I 74 75 nBH fT hnir Hr I I br I TBlOl 103 104 HOB I io? "pos Ld Birr Bnr Lk Bm Bml bj similar types along the border These whale adhesives are avail able at your local dealer rom whales to reptiles is our next move on the stamp scene Sierra Leone has honored the 100th anniversary of the death of Charles Darwin by issuing a set of four stamps and a souvenir sheet featuring reptiles commonly found in this west African nation portrays a chameleon The souvenir sheet displays a royal python Christmas Island a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean is a favorite of collectors who wish to get the postmark at Christ mas time and to purchase their annual Christmas set But the little island containing only 52 square miles issues stamps all year round The latest set contains four panded to include imprint blocks first day covers Amami overprints Miyako provisional revenues unem ployment insurance stamps speci mens and proofs The US postage issues are com plete through the 1982 Christmas issues Due to the economic down turn many of the 2535 price changes in the US section show decreases There Is a Right Time to Move Nearly 200 years ago the greatest statesman of his era gave this advice to aspiring diplomats: too much Bridge players might well take it to heart Suppose you make the opening lead and find 10 of trumps in the dummy behind your De clarer wins the first trick and leads the jack of trumps through your queen If you're the average player you play the queen first and regret it later Or you carry on so obvious a debate with yourself that you might just as well take the queen out of your hand and show it to declarer If an expert you notice the trumps as soon as dummy ap pears and you prepare to play a low trump smoothly when the right time comes Often enough declarer plays king of trumps and you can begin to breathe again The principle is the same when you have of trumps with de clarer at your left Dummy has three low trumps and declarer leads one of them through you If you pick this time to be active by playing the king or queen declarer has no problem The expert plays low His part ner may have the singleton jack or ace Or declarer may have A 9 of trumps If you play high de clarer loses only one trump trick If you play low he finesses with the nine and loses to your ten Much the same is true when you have of trumps With A in the dummy declarer leads a low trump to the ace and returns a low trump through you If you play the queen or jack you will surely get only one trump trick If you play low declarer may mistakenly play the king and you get two tricks Playing is not the best course however when there is no possible doubt that declarer plans a deep finesse or example today's South took the ace of spades and began a standard safety play by cashing the king of hearts and lead ing a low heart toward dummy South's intention was unmistak able but West foolishly played low South thereupon finessed with nine of trumps This deep finesse limited trumploss to one trick no matter how the trumps were divided When East showed out of tramps declarer drew a third round with By ALRED SHEINWOLD On Bridge ace and then made a standard safe ty play in clubs If declarer began with the ace or king of clubs he might find that the wrong opponent had all four clubs To guard against this danger de clarer began the clubs by leading a low club from dummy When East followed suit South finessed with the nine If West could win the trick only two clubs would remain out and South could later capture them with the ace and king When West actu ally showed out South was safe When it was all over West saw that he could have defeated the contract by putting up the ten of hearts on the second round of trumps Dummy would take the ace and return the nine to force out the queen Then West would lead a dia mond to the ace and East would return a low club West would get his ruff and East would still get a club trick A difficult defense and a slim chance but better than no chance at all South's unusual method of playing the trumps made it quite clear that he was going to finesse with nine and West gain by playing 'possum South dealer Both sides vulnerable NORTH KJ5 S2 A94 10 7 4 2 WEST98764 S2 10 8 5 10 8 5 3 None EAST 10 23 A9762 J86 SOUTH A3 S2KJ762 4 A 9 5 3 South West North East 1 S2 Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 3 82 Pass 4 82 All Pass Opening lead 9 ollow the Buffalo Sabres with Dick Johnston in the BUALO NEWS Home delivery WANTED OR IMMEDIATE PURCHASE! BETTER US GOLD COINS SILVCR DOLLARS 4 TYPf NOW PAYING 25 ABOVE JULY 1982 BUY PRICES 6343700 SAGE ALTERNATIVES BY APPT ONLY 5820 MAIN ST WU1AMSVUE NY 14221 WORLD WIDE STAMP 0INSH0W Prtnnti th limn STUW 4 COM Sot A Sun Mordi 4 6 1983 Sot 10 AM 7 PM Sun 10 AM tn 6 PM CLUB 1581 4493 Genete Street Cheektowoga NY 14225 Aereo from Holiday Inn and WMhnahoMta i AMKSMi Z5 MALEKS I tEE PIMOC 3 BUYING GOLD KRUGERRANDS ANTIQUES COIN COLLECTIONS SILVER BARS OLD GOLD DIAMONDS LAKOIST Of ALU GOLD SILVER INVESTMENT SEMINAR WED MARCH 2 7 00 PM REE ADMISSION RESERVATION REQUIRED JACK HUNT COIN BROKER 2746 DELAWARE 4 VE (CORNER KENMORE) 874 6660 i i.