A short way into my search I found Bryan Ryker's website www.geocities.com/encased1 It was loaded with information about encased cents. I sent him an email with my idea and he encouraged me to go forward. With his knowledge of where to go and which questions to ask, we took on the task together. First I talked to him about what I had in mind. Then he prepared a design. It was beautiful and I was one happy camper.

Shortly thereafter, and after a few comical exchanges on eBay, I received an email from Cecil Starcher inviting me to join the newly formed ECI. That certainly sounded like fun and so I did.

In short time, January 2005, I suspended my eBay auctions and took off to vacation in Florida. I'd taken my laptop and was horrified to find an email from one of my eBay customers. She, known to me now as Rita Laws of Oklahoma, had not received her package. There was nothing to do but admit my error and promise to deliver the goods upon my return to NJ.

Rita Laws #296 was that patient customer. She was a teacher living in OK and so as many of us often do, we struck up an email conversation. Included in one of those conversations was her mention of a book she had written...would I be interested in seeing the manuscript? Of course! Rita was serving a 4-year-commission on the Citizen's Coinage Advisory Committee do to expires in February 2008. The committee advises the Secretary of the Treasury on the designs for all of the nation's coins and medals. In addition, Rita has several other published books to her credit, my favorite being Collecting Lucky Coins, Tokens, and Medals.

Her manuscript turned out to be pretty funny stuff so we decided to publish "This Explains A Lot." There was only one appropriate way to advertise her book and that was to use an encased coin design by Bryan. The electro-plated 2007 Sacagawea dollar advertising piece was a hit. It was produced by Penny Press Mint Master, Kelly Finnegan.

So, how does a gal from New Jersey meet up with a guy from Indiana, invited to join ECI by a fellow in West Virginia, who were then joined by a gal from Oklahoma and helped out by a guy in Utah? It's an ECI special!