The absence of Letters to the Editor in this week’s issue of Coin World is not an intended change. It is simply a reflection of the volume of letters received — zero.

For the first time in more than three decades the mail boxes — both U.S. Postal Service and email — contain no Letters to the Editor, and the holdover file is also empty.

Typically the six-week period from early June through the middle of July is a light period for mail, especially Letters to the Editor. But in 2011 it appears there is a drought. We don’t know if this is a temporary condition or one that will be sustained for much of the summer as collectors turn their attention to vacations and other activities that tap their time and focus.

Since the space allotted to the Letters to the Editor page is entirely reader driven, we will assess on a weekly basis whether the Letters to the Editor page will be published in the issues of the regular Coin World.

With the launch of the June Coin World Special Edition we elected not to publish a Letters to the Editor page in the 12 monthly issues. However, no changes were contemplated regarding Letters to the Editor in the 40 regular weekly issues of Coin World.

Throughout its 51 years of publishing, Coin World has provided forums for readers to express their opinions and to share ideas. And during this time the Letters to the Editor forum has been not only the most popular participation forum, but also the most widely read.

Publication of a particular letter does not indicate that Coin World supports or condones the statements made. To publish only statements or opinions with which a particular editor agrees would constitute a form of censorship. A philosophy deeply held within Coin World is that those who may espouse an unpopular opinion should be given no less consideration than those who agree with the majority. For such is the essence of a free press in a democracy.

Coin World does not publish anonymous Letters to the Editor. An idea or opinion is important, but so, too, is the identity of the person who offers it. The writer’s location (city and state) may be withheld from publication, upon request, for security reasons.

Suggested length for a Letter to the Editor is 200 words.

The Postal Service mailing address is Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 150, Sidney, OH 45365-0150. Letters may also be emailed to cweditor@coinworld.com.

We await your letters! ¦