The E-Sylum v24n45 November 7, 2021

[The E-Sylum]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The E-Sylum
  
  An electronic publication of
  The Numismatic Bibliomania Society


Volume 24, Number 45, November 7, 2021
** WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM NOVEMBER 7, 2021 <#a01>
** NBS BIBLIOTALK PODCAST: TOP 100 LIBRARY <#a02>
** KOLBE & FANNING BUY OR BID SALE NUMBER 17 <#a03>
** NEW BOOK: FRANKLIN’S WORLD CARTOONS <#a04>
** NEW BOOK: ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PHYSICAL BITCOINS <#a05>
** LECTURE: BANK OF ENGLAND MONEY TALK <#a06>
** NNP: VINTAGE PUBLICATIONS OF Q. DAVID BOWERS <#a07>
** VIDEO: THE COIN MARKET WITH PATRICK PEREZ <#a08>
** VIDEO: ANS COAC 2021 <#a09>
** LINCOLN'S LEGACY: MONEY OF THE CIVIL WAR <#a10>
** WHITMAN FOLDER BANQUET PROGRAMS  <#a11>
** JEAN COHEN'S LINCOLN CENT BOOK <#a12>
** NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: NOVEMBER 7, 2021 <#a13>
** QUERY: HUMBLE OIL MEDAL <#a14>
** PHILADELPHIA LONGACRE NUMISMATIC FELLOWSHIP <#a15>
** STACK’S BOWERS GALLERIES IS HIRING <#a16>
** VOCABULARY TERM: GALLANTRY MEDAL <#a17>
** WILLIAM IDLER’S WILL <#a18>
** U.S. COIN DEALER ORGANIZATIONS <#a19>
** HARVEY STACK'S NUMISMATIC FAMILY, PART 108 <#a20>
** BETTS PERIOD OF DISCOVERY MEDALS <#a21>
** FRANK ROBINSON DECEMBER 2021 COIN AUCTION <#a22>
** NUMISMATIC NUGGETS: NOVEMBER 7, 2021 <#a23>
** WEXFORD EBAY MEDAL SELECTIONS  <#a24>
** JERUSALEM ESTATES COINS BUILDING NAMES <#a25>
** WEST NORFOLK MEDIEVAL GOLD COIN FIND <#a26>
** HARLEM HELLFIGHTERS CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL <#a27>
** HIRAM FLEMING'S BANK OF CAIRO NOTE <#a28>
** ARTIST BURNS CASH <#a29>
** FAMILY HOLDS SOLDIER'S KEEPSAKE FOR 106 YEARS <#a30>
** LOOSE CHANGE: NOVEMBER 7, 2021 <#a31>








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To comment or submit articles, reply to whomren at gmail.com





Content presented in The E-Sylum  is not necessarily researched or independently fact-checked, and views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.




WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM NOVEMBER 7, 2021





New subscribers this week include: 
Li Tiesheng of Inner Mongolia PRC.
Welcome aboard! We now have 6,733 subscribers.



Thank you for reading The E-Sylum. If you enjoy it, please send me the email addresses of friends you think may enjoy it as well and I'll send them a subscription. Contact me at whomren at gmail.com anytime regarding your subscription, or questions, comments or suggestions about our content. 



I went to the library to see if could check out a book on Pavlov's dogs and Schrodinger's cat.  The librarian said that it rang a bell but she wasn't sure if they had it or not.



This week we open with an new NBS podcast, a Kolbe & Fanning numismatic literature sale, two new books, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, and more.



Other topics this week include coin cartoons, physical bitcoins, Q. David Bowers publications, the 2021 Coinage of the Americas Conference, gallantry medals, U.S. coin dealer organizations, Betts medals, upcoming auctions, coin finds, and Hiram Fleming's banknote.



To learn more about Lo Linkert’s Cointoons, Empire Topics, Victor David Brenner, James Barton Longacre, Abe Lincoln and money of the Civil War, the misplaced 1804 dollar, the Travel Car Coin Museum, scrip payable in Confederate Treasury Notes, the Humble Oil medal, the California Coin Dealers Association, Edward the Elder, Jerusalem Estates, and
 the the Harlem Hellfighters, read on. Have a great week, everyone!



Wayne Homren 
Editor, The E-Sylum



 

 















NBS BIBLIOTALK PODCAST: TOP 100 LIBRARY



The latest episode of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society podcast is now available for listening. It's on the NBS web site but also available elsewhere. Vice-President/Secretary Len Augsburger provided this report. 
-Editor




NBS Podcast “A Top 100 Library, LIVE with Leonard Augsburger and Joel Orosz”





The latest episode of the NBS Bibliotalk podcast, “A Top 100 Library, LIVE with Leonard Augsburger and Joel Orosz,” is now available on the NBS website and other popular podcasting platforms such as Buzzsprout. In this episode, taped during the recent NNP Symposium, Len and Joel informally discuss the NBS Top 100 survey published in The Asylum in 2009. 



The “top 100” concept itself is explored, and the list is sliced in multiple ways, including the most challenging or most valued items. Len and Joel specifically evaluate the top ten items for content and scholarship, and along the way offer opinions on the collectability of various top-100 items. The NBS survey has gathered traction since its publication, with multiple collectors using the list as a collecting guide.






Link to “A Top 100 Library, LIVE with Leonard Augsburger and Joel Orosz” on the NBS podcast page"


https://www.coinbooks.org/resources/podcast.html




Link to the Top 100 list on the NBS website:


http://wiki.coinbooks.org/index.php/The_One_Hundred_Greatest_Items_Of_United_States_Numismatic_Literature


 




KOLBE & FANNING BUY OR BID SALE NUMBER 17



Numismatic Booksellers Kolbe & Fanning submitted this announcement of their seventeenth "Buy or Bid Sale" which closes on November 15, 2021. Good luck, everyone! 
-Editor






Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers have announced our latest “Buy or Bid Sale,” which begins now and will close on Monday, November 15, 2021. With hundreds of new additions, the sale focuses on modestly priced books, giving collectors an opportunity to add to their libraries at minimal cost.



The sale includes over 1600 works on ancient, medieval and modern coins, as well as general works, periodicals and sale catalogues. “Buy” prices have been kept low to promote sales. To further encourage participation, the firm is offering free domestic shipping to bidders spending at least $300; there is also no packing and processing fee for this sale. Again, please read the Terms of Sale before participating.






As the name of the sale suggests, customers may bid on items they wish to acquire or buy them outright at the published price. The Terms of Sale will give full instructions on how to participate: please read it carefully.



There is no printed catalogue. The PDF catalogue is available now for downloading from the Kolbe & Fanning website at 

numislit.com. Please send all bids to 

orders at numislit.com or use the bid sheet included at the end of the PDF catalogue.





 

 


 




NEW BOOK: FRANKLIN’S WORLD CARTOONS



In a Coin Update article, Dennis Tucker discussed numismatic cartoonists and the new book of cartoons by Claire Franklin.
-Editor





Language historian and numismatist Claire Franklin explores the humor of coins and the ancients in “Franklin’s World”—now published in a book.



You might not immediately think of cartoons when you think of coin collecting. But the hobby has had its share of humorists over the years, including cartoonists.






Edward C. Rochette—the late “Mr. ANA,” executive director emeritus of the American Numismatic Association, for whom its national museum in Colorado Springs is named—drew a cartoon called “Numispest” for Numismatic News, starting shortly after the newspaper debuted in 1952. Journalist Leon Worden quotes Rochette’s recollection of the first comic: “I think the very first one was a guy standing there cleaning his coins, and the acid was dripping down, eating his pant leg, and somebody was saying, ‘I think it’s a little too strong for coins’” (COINage Magazine, volume 42, number 5, May 2006).



Cartoonist Bill King (1922–2006) also drew a weekly editorial gag panel for Numismatic News for many years.



Krause Publications in 1966 released the 128-page A Coin Collector’s Selection of Cointoons: Selected Cartoons from the Pages of Numismatic News and Coins Magazine.



In 1979 Plainsman & Jolex published the similarly named Lo Linkert’s Cointoons, a collection of the German/Canadian gag cartoonist’s numismatic funnies.



And more recently we have the delightful and smart Claire Franklin.



Dr. Franklin (she earned her doctorate in classical philology at the University of Reading, England, with a thesis on “Studies in the Intellectual Milieu of Posidonius of Apameia”) has drawn hundreds of numismatic cartoons, regularly published at CoinsWeekly.



For more than 10 years, readers have enjoyed Franklin’s drawings, puns, jokes, wisecracks, and wordplay online. She mostly delves into the rich territory of Greek, Roman, and other ancient coins.



On Saturday, November 6, 2021, Franklin’s cartoons will finally debut in print form. Her book will be officially presented at a vernissage in the historic dining room of Emperor Maximilian I at Hasegg Castle in Hall, Tyrol.



After opening remarks by Joachim Stollhoff of Munzen & Medaillen GmbH (the book’s publisher) and CoinsWeekly founder and editor Ursula Kampmann, the cartoonist will talk about her “Franklin’s World” cartoon and the humor to be found in coins.



To read the complete article, see: 


Notes Published: A new cartoon book for coin collectors—“Franklin’s World”

(https://news.coinupdate.com/notes-published-a-new-cartoon-book-for-coin-collectors-franklins-world/)

 













NEW BOOK: ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PHYSICAL BITCOINS



We've often discussed physical bitcoins, tangible representations of the intangible electronic "coins" attempting to revamp the world financial system and replace physical coins and banknotes.  An article from CoinWeek alerted me to a book by Elias Ahonen on physical bitcoins.  I'd been unaware of this publication and it's not new (published initially in 2016), but I wanted to alert readers to its existence.
-Editor






This Encyclopedia explores the recent phenomenon of physical crypto-currency and the infrastructure that surrounds it.



These are metal coins that reference various crypto-currencies of which Bitcoin is currently the most prominent. Many of these coins are funded with digital currency that can be extracted and used at will. Others are themed to celebrate the emergence of digital currency.



The new hobby of collecting physical Bitcoin and related crypto-currencies has created an expanding industry in which dozens of companies and individuals create and sell their coins to a growing market of collectors. This work covers 57 such manufacturers. There is also a thriving trade in pre-owned coins. Physical crypto-currencies have become rare objects with the highest value sale to date reaching one million dollars on the re-sale market.






This Encyclopedia provides the intrigued reader with an in-depth understanding of the subject and equips the collector with an excellent reference source.



Physical crypto-currency is worthy of study because it is evidence of the notable technological and social progress relating to the continued development of a new system of value. The concept of a digital currency that is based on mathematical principles is simply revolutionary, and will in one way or another eventually reshape the world and society in which we live.



These coins are the artifacts of that future.



Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cryptonumist; 

Revised, from Original Softcover ed. edition (November 18, 2016)

Language ‏ : ‎ English

Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 286 pages

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0995089922

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0995089921

Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.83 pounds

Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 0.94 x 11 inches



For more information, or to order, see:


Encyclopedia of Physical Bitcoins and Crypto-Currencies, Revised Edition

(https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Physical-Bitcoins-Crypto-Currencies-Revised/dp/0995089922/ref=sr_1_1)



To read the complete article, see: 


GreatCollections Offering First PCGS-Certified Casascius Physical Bitcoin

(https://coinweek.com/auctions-news/greatcollections-offering-first-pcgs-certified-casascius-physical-bitcoin/)
 


To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: 


PHYSICAL BITCOINS, BOGGS, AND EXPENSIVE PIZZA

(https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n42a07.html)







THE BOOK BAZARRE

 1946–2021: CELEBRATING 75 YEARS of the RED BOOK. 
The 75th edition of the Guide Book of United States Coins will release next week, April 7, 2021. Preorder now to reserve your copy—online
at 
Whitman.com
, or call 1-800-546-2995.









LECTURE: BANK OF ENGLAND MONEY TALK



Bank of England Museum curators are presenting a series of lectures which are free to the public.
-Editor



  
 
 


We are presenting a series of live online talks via MS Teams to delve into our history and current work. Our latest talk will be on Friday 12 November 12.30-1.30pm



Talking about money can be a taboo subject for some. Let our curator, Kirsty Parsons, ease you into these conversations through our collection. During the talk, we will explore some of the interesting stories behind money, how currency gained value, and much more!  








Join curator Kirsty Parsons for a free online talk as she eases you in to conversations about money through items in our collection.



Kirsty will share fun and interesting stories about money, explore how currency gained value, how money really can talk, and much more!



To register for the talk, see: 


Museum virtual talk - Talk Money Week - 12 November at 12.30-1.30pm

(https://kslink.me/f/41591058/127e/)




Don't forget to account for time zones!
-Editor






 

 







NNP: VINTAGE PUBLICATIONS OF Q. DAVID BOWERS



Newman Numismatic Portal Project Coordinator Len Augsburger provided the following report of a new online acquisition.
-Editor




Mint Master Covers Vintage Publications of Q. David Bowers 





The November 2021 issue of The Mint Master, issued by the Utah Numismatic Society, includes a feature article on vintage house publications of Q. David Bowers. Doug Nyholm writes, “Q. David Bowers began his numismatic career in the early 1950’s and in April of 1958 his Bowers Coin Company merged with the Triple Cities Coin Exchange to form the Empire Coin Company. Shortly thereafter the 1st edition of Empire Topics was published with the date of May-June 1958.” Empire Topics was continued by The Bowers Review and Empire Review. Later Bowers house organs include the long running Rare Coin Review, Numismatic Sun, and the little known Paper Money Review (2006), of which two issues were published. 






Nyholm recently asked Bowers if he might ever issue another hardcopy newsletter. Bowers felt not, as the Internet has completely changed the landscape for such dealer publications. Instead of eagerly snatching the latest Rare Coin Review from the mailbox, today’s collectors anxiously refresh web pages waiting for their favorite coins to appear.



Image: cover of Empire Topics, December 1958 - January 1959 issue



Link to The Mint Master on Newman Portal: 


https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/publisherdetail/533919


 

Link to Rare Coin Review on Newman Portal


https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/publisherdetail/512756







VIDEO: THE COIN MARKET WITH PATRICK PEREZ



These are selections from the David Lisot Video Library that feature news and personalities from the world of coin collecting. David has been attending coin conventions since 1972 and began videotaping in 1985. The Newman Numismatic Portal now lists all David’s videos on their website at:


https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/multimediadetail/522852




Here's one on the current coin market with Patrick Perez.
-Editor




Patrick Perez Offers Coin Market Insight and CDN Updates at ANA Coin Convention 2021. 

VIDEO: 9:16.





Patrick Perez, Editor, CDN Publishing, 

David Lisot, Interviewer, Coin Television.com.



Editor of the Greysheet, Greensheet, and Coin Dealer Newsletter, Patrick Perez shares his perspective of the first American Numismatic Association Convention in more then one year since the COVID outbreak.



An excerpt of the video is available for viewing on the Coin Television YouTube Channel at: 


https://youtu.be/FdnAK-NxPzQ







  
href="https://www.canadiancoinsandpapermoney.com/" target="_blank" 

 







VIDEO: ANS COAC 2021



In a November 1, 2021 email, the American Numismatic Society announced the availability of videos of their recent Coinage of the Americas Conference (COAC).
-Editor



  
 
 


Our first hybrid conference is now available to watch. The 2021 Coinage of the Americas Conference delved into famed sculptor Victor David Brenner to celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birth in 1871. Sponsored in association with the Resolute Americana Collection and the Stack Family, this was the first COAC since 2009.







Francis D. Millet and Victor Brenner: The Path to the Penny

Jonathan Kagan




Victor D. Brenner and the Medallic Art Company

Jesse Kraft




Victor D. Brenner and the Prince Henry of Prussia Medal

Peter van Alfen




Victor David Brenner's Society of the Cincinnati Medal in Context

Patrick McMahon




A Song to Brenner: Public Art and Sculpture in the Round

Taylor Hartley




A Trial List of Non-Medallic Sculpture by Victor D. Brenner

Scott H. Miller




Victor D. Brenner and the Painterly Influence of Joaquín Sorolla

Christopher J. Bach




New Discoveries in the Works of Victor D. Brenner

Jesse Kraft, Patrick McMahon, and Scott H. Miller

 













LINCOLN'S LEGACY: MONEY OF THE CIVIL WAR



At last month's PAN Show Abe Lincoln Interpreter Dennis Boggs teamed up with Rick Lank and Becky Rush for a program on "Abe Lincoln's Legacy: Money Matters of the Civil War™"   I was already on the road home and missed the event, but Rick kindly forwarded several photos.  Here they are with some text from the earlier article announcing the event.  Those of us who missed it can look forward to the video by David Lisot on the Newman Numismatic Portal.
-Editor



  
 
 


This special Living History Program couples an established Abe Lincoln Interpreter with Co-Authors of the recently released book, Minting, Printing & Counterfeiting in the Civil War.



According to Mr. McBride, Secretary of PAN and himself a highly-regarded living history interpreter representing statesman Benjamin Franklin,








"This is one of the first times PAN has leveraged the expertise of authors like Lank and Rush with our celebrity guest and living historian Abe Lincoln to produce an interactive program. This program will be great for kids...and as America's 160th anniversary of the Civil War begins in 2021 and runs through 2025, we intend to do even more programs about Abe Lincoln's Legacy: Money Matters of the Civil War."




  




 
 


Money Matters of the Civil War Tales with Abe Lincoln will include:


 1861-1864: Lincoln appeals to “Loyal Women” from the steps of the US
Treasury Building---Homefront “Sanitary Fairs” Raise Money

 1862, 63, 64: Lincoln Authorizes 3 new U.S. Branch Mints in the West to
make up for shortages of “small change”

 1862: Legal Tender Act - Lincoln authorizes US Greenbacks as legal
tender to pay for the war - Greenbacks open the door for “Treasury Girls”

 1865: Secret Service – Curtails Rampant Counterfeiting



  
 
 


To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: 


PAN TALK: MONEY MATTERS OF THE CIVIL WAR

(https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n43a08.html)

  



 

 







WHITMAN FOLDER BANQUET PROGRAMS 


  
 
PAN October 2021 Banquet Program
 


Dave Lange writes:


"I liked the PAN banquet programs made from Whitman folders. This is not a new thing, and I have similar items for the Racine Numismatic Society in 1942 and 1943, the first when R. S. Yeoman was its president. Something similar was done 50 years later for the Central States Numismatic Society when it met in Milwaukee in 1990 and again in 1995, but the folders were overprinted for the convention itself and did not function as banquet programs. The RNS folders date to Whitman's Second Edition of blue folders and are included in my book. The CSNS folders are from the Ninth Edition, which I ultimately omitted from the book, though I did produce a complete catalog for it.



"These four items differ from the PAN program in that they were prepared by Whitman using matching folders, while I suspect that PAN used whichever titles and editions were available."









Dave sent these great photos.  Anyone have one of these in their collection?
-Editor



  



 
Racine Numismatic Society program covers 1942, 1943
 

  

Racine Numismatic Society program 1942
 

  

Racine Numismatic Society program 1943
 

  



 
Central States Numismatic Society souvenirs 1990, 1995
 


To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: 


WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: OCTOBER 31, 2021 : Tom Uram and the PAN Banquet Programs

(https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n44a18.html)

 



 









JEAN COHEN'S LINCOLN CENT BOOK



Dave Lange submitted these musings on Jean Cohen's 1969 book The Classification and Value of Errors on the Lincoln Cent.  Thanks!
-Editor



  


 
 




There was a recent discussion of the Howard Newcomb book on cents and similar publications that reproduced the author's handwriting rather than being typeset. This reminded me of something along that line that I meant to submit earlier.



A book I bought a few years ago is Jean Cohen's massive work on Lincoln Cent varieties that was published in 1969. While the text is in conventional printing, the book is illustrated with standardized line drawings furnished by error/variety specialist Mort Goodman and then meticulously drawn on by Cohen herself. There are over a dozen categories covered, most of them minor flaws of the sort that seemed to obsess collectors during the 1960s. Cohen drew exactly what she saw on the coins, producing thousands of illustrations that fill this 600-page book. A cloth-covered volume, it is quite heavy, and I had to pay more for the postage to ship it to me than the book cost!





  
 
 

  
 
 




All of the information has been superseded by later works or simply rendered irrelevant by time, so I did not acquire the book for its reference value. Instead, I just had to own something over which the author clearly spent so many hours drawings squiggles and blobs. The sample pages attached only begin to hint at the amazing variety and breadth of the illustrations.



I couldn't find out much about Jean Cohen. It doesn't appear that she belonged to the ANA; at least, I couldn't find a membership application for her. According to the NNP she did have some brief articles published in Coin World during the late 1960s, but I wasn't able to read them. About the only thing I can add to her story is the presentation letter found within my copy of the book. I can't say for certain who "Frank" is, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were Frank G. Spadone, who did so much to promote these same sort of minor errors and varieties. I couldn't locate any review from 1970, when the letter was written, but I did find one written by Alan Herbert in the August 1973 issue of The Numismatist.


  
 
 

  
 
 
 




 







NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: NOVEMBER 7, 2021



 You Misplaced WHAT?!
In a November 4, 2021 David Lawrence Rare Coins email blast, John Brush wrote:


"We’re also continuing to organize the D.L. Hansen Collection by de-accessioning some duplicates that have been upgraded over the past year or so. This process, while seemingly easy, is anything but. It requires a lot of sorting, reviewing coins, submissions to CAC, and finding pieces that may have been misplaced by accident. I’ve often left the collection thinking “Well, at least we’re closer to being organized”, but this time I left with “I even got the modern Roosevelt Dimes sorted”. In essence, I finished my current organizational projects and it should allow for us to proceed more efficiently in 2022 with de-accessioning pieces that are no longer part of the collections we are building. It’s an amazingly cumbersome project, but it’s also an amazing opportunity, and that is never lost on me. 



"One funny anecdote from the trip is that I hadn’t seen the 1804 Dollar in quite some time. And I thought that I should probably try to do a deep dive to locate it, if possible. Well, apparently it had been incorrectly filed. I managed to locate it, but not after having a few heart palpitations. "






Whew!
-Editor



  
 
 








 The Travel Car Coin Museum 
Carol Bastable writes:


"Here is another interesting postcard or souvenir card.  It is a traveling sort of museum with coins, stamps, and curios.  Attached to the outside of the vehicle are license plates.  If you enlarge the photo you will also see a number of circle shapes which are presumably the coins.  



"I wonder if the museum was all on the outside of the vehicle or if people could also enter.   Were the coins nailed on or glued on?  Preservation of the coins is a thought shared by numismatists when viewing something of this sort. 



"Sales of this souvenir card helped to fund the venture.  It must have been a very creative or eccentric person that dreamed up this idea.  The eBay seller dates the card from 1900 to 1920."




  
 
 



Neat item.  I don't recall seeing this postcard before. Carol found a second postcard on eBay and I bought that one for my ephemera collection.



Is anyone familiar with this venture?  I tried a search on newspapers.com, but the words are so generic I came up with nothing relevant. If we knew the name of the person behind it we might find more about it.  
-Editor




To read the lot description, see: 


World's Greatest Travel Car License Plates Coin Stamp Collection Card/Postcard

(https://www.ebay.com/itm/Worlds-Greatest-Travel-Car-License-Plates-Coin-Stamp-Collection-Card-Postcard-/353653919739)



 The First Buffalo Nickels 
  


 

Images from PCGS CoinFacts
 

Bob Van Ryzin writes:


"I found this in the same Chicago Coin Club meeting report where members reminisced about being the first to see the 1913 Liberty Head nickel, which was at the Dec. 3, 1919 meeting."





At the July 11, 1934 meeting of the Chicago Coin Club, as reported in the August 1934 issue of The Numismatist, Chicago Coin Club president J. Henri Ripstra "announced the recent death of Franklin McVeigh, former Secretary of the Treasury, and told of his presenting buffalo nickels to members of the Chicago Numismatic Society several months before they were issued for circulation."



Bob adds:


"I guess these would be true First Strike coins."





 Willard Hotel Tokens 
Regarding the Willard Hotel,
Dave Schenkman writes:


"My catalog of Washington, DC tokens includes three denominations from the Willard, used in the 1880s.



"There are two types of tokens, each having the same inscription on its obverse and reverse, and both types struck with incuse lettering on 29mm nickel planchets. I don’t know who struck the tokens, but several merchants in D.C. used the same type, and the common denominator is the fact that they were all in business in the mid-1880s. I’ve also seen many tokens of the same type from other cities."




  


 
 



Thanks - Dave kindly sent the above scans of images in his book.
-Editor




To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: 


GREENBACKS AND THE WILLARD HOTEL

(https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n44a13.html)



 Marika Somogyi Free-Standing Medal
Mel Wacks writes:


"Here is a picture of the free-standing medal by Marika Somogyi commemorating Allied Victory in WWII, made in 1994 and distributed by the Jewish-American Hall of Fame."




  
 


 



Thanks!
-Editor




To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: 


VOCABULARY TERM: FREE-STANDING MEDAL

(https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n44a11.html)





 Commemorative Legal Tender Coins Spent in the U.S.? 
Regarding the story about a British man who tried to pay for petrol with a £50.00 commemorative coin and was arrested by the police, 
David Pickup writes:


"I wonder if there are similar stories in the US?"






Great question!  I'm not aware of any.  Readers?  The market value of the piece would have to fall below the stated legal tender value for a commemorative coin to be worth spending at "face" value.
-Editor




To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: 


SPENDING LEGAL TENDER COMMEMORATIVE COINS

(https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n43a32.html)



 Georgia Railroad Scrip Payable in Confederate Treasury Notes 
Rebecca Rush of Talisman & Coiner Productions writes:


"The Georgia RR continued to accept these pieces of paper to help the paroled CSA soldiers ride rails on their journeys homeward. "




  
 
 



Thanks.  Rick Lank had used this image in his talk at last week's PAN show.  I'd remarked that I'd owned a note similar to this one at one time as part of my U.S. Civil War scrip collection.  The note is payable in Confederate Treasury Notes.
-Editor




To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: 


WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: OCTOBER 31, 2021

(https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n44a18.html)



 Holabird Numismatic Sales 
Fred Holabird writes:


"I continue to be happily amazed at our numismatic sections. We generate virtually hundreds of bidders all over the world, making many new collectors who discover the world of numismatic collectibles (we had almost 8000 registered bidders). If we have a weak spot, it's getting interest in the historic coin catalogs of the 19th century.



We love the competition, and I always try to make it fun for collectors. Of course we never know what is coming in the door, and half of it has no precedent in sales, so it's up in the air for value. We let the collectors set the values with their bidding, sometimes we have to drop well below the start price to get it going, but it always climbs back up. Folks want to know there is competition and value in the piece.



We still had almost 300 online Monday night at 7pm PST, after 5 days of selling!!"






Bibliophiles take note - examine Fred's offerings closely for numismatic literature and ephemera.  Another sale is coming up hard on the heels of this last one.
-Editor




To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: 


HOLABIRD AMERICANA 2021 AUTUMN AUCTION

(https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n43a20.html)


SELECTIONS FROM THE HOLBIRD 2021 AUTUMN SALE

(https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n43a21.html)



 The Roman Representation of a Peacock


Regarding this coin in an upcoming MDC Monaco sale, I asked Mike Markowitz, "Is that an animal on the reverse of this coin?"
-Editor




  
 
 


Mike writes:


"Yes - that is the conventional Roman representation of a  peacock, which is a common symbol on posthumous “Consecration” issue."





To read the complete lot description, see: 


Mariniane (254-258). Antoninien ND (257), Rome.

(https://www.biddr.com/auctions/mdcmonaco/browse?a=2096&l=2301008)



 "Authenticated" Counterfeit Coins
Jack D. Young writes:


"I have started a series of articles on third-party grader "authenticated" counterfeit coins.
 


"The topic is really controversial with the TPGs because they think it showcases their mistakes, but I think it adds to just how deceptive some of these fakes really are, and unfortunately many Hobbyists put so much faith in the TPGs' opinions...


 
"One of the main points beyond certified authentic by a paid TPG is that there must be differences to an authentic example and images to show the differences in each article.


 
"I am planning to develop the topic and types of counterfeits with each article, building on each one as they go.


 
"The 1st two have been published and can be viewed on CoinWeek."






Thanks.  Follow the links below to Jack's articles.
-Editor



  
 
 


To read the complete articles, see: 


>From the Dark Corner: An “Authenticated” Counterfeit 1882 Great Britain Shilling

(https://coinweek.com/counterfeits/from-the-dark-corner-an-authenticated-counterfeit-1882-great-britain-shilling/)


>From the Dark Corner: An “Authenticated” Counterfeit Gold No Stars 1796 Quarter Eagle

(https://coinweek.com/counterfeits/from-the-dark-corner-an-authenticated-counterfeit-gold-no-stars-1796-quarter-eagle/)



 CloudCoin 


Dale Kreuger passed along links to books and information about the CloudCoin digital currency.  Thanks.  See also the article elsewhere in this issue on a book about physical bitcoins.
-Editor








The Theory of a Perfect Money

(https://2018.freedomfest.com/theory-perfect-money-sean-worthington/)




Beyond Bitcoin: The Future of Digital Currency

(https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Bitcoin-Future-Digital-Currency-ebook/dp/B076MQCRG6)




16 essential differences between grandfather Bitcoin and the agile CloudCoin

(https://medium.com/cloudcoinconsortium/16-essential-differences-between-grandfather-bitcoin-and-the-agile-cloudcoin-5b7876dfb51f)




Sean Worthington: Beyond Bitcoin

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ag1d_jEW0s)




Sean Worthington from CloudCoin talking to Kevin Harrington of Shark Tank || cloud coin

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6DofFxkfNk)




https://cloudcoin.global/




 Denver Mint Wooden Box 


This week a reader passed along a questionable eBay lot.  It's a modern wooden toy box with markings of a "U.S. Government Mint."
A 2013 Numismatic News article discussed these.
-Editor




I have a wooden box dated 1913 that says “Property U.S. Government Mint” and artwork of the Buffalo nickel on its side. Do you know who made it?
Readers came through on this question published in the May 7 issue. Tennessee dealer Gayle Pike writes: I used to have one. It came from a company called Service Merchandise, sort of a catalog/discount store. I got mine mid to late 1970s, maybe very early 1980s and bought it at the Service Merchandise in Memphis. Seems to me they were around $20. I remember thinking it was high for a wood box, but bought it because it had coins on it.



To read the complete article, see: 


Wooden box origins described by reader

(https://www.numismaticnews.net/archive/wooden-box-origins-described-by-reader)


  


 
 


Here's the eBay lot: 


Rare 1913 Vintage Buffalo Nickel Crate - Denver Mint, Coin Collector, US Gov’t

(https://www.ebay.com/itm/203689142125)
















QUERY: HUMBLE OIL MEDAL



Donna Moon passed along this question from a fellow Central Florida Coin Club via Peter Irion of the Token and Medal Society.  
-Editor



  


 
 





John  Catiller writes:


"I am attaching the scans of the mystery medallion.



"On the side with the oil man turning the crank it reads; To the men and women of Humble Oil & Refining Company Commemorating their production of one billion gallons of 100 octane gasoline at Baytown  refinery. Across the pipe at the bottom it reads: December 14th, 1944 Houston Texas



"On the side with the airplanes it reads; Your achievement in producing a billion gallons of 100 octane gasoline has greatly contributed to the gaining of air supremacy over our enemies.   There is a signature then General US Army Commanding General Army Air forces.



"Now here is the mysterious part - in addition to the medal being what appears to be pewter instead of bronze, "1995"  is stamped into the metal under the last line.



"I found that about 17,000 bronze versions of this medallion without the 1995 stamp were given to the men and women of the refinery in 1944 in appreciation to WWII.



"But I have not been able to find any references to a pewter version with the stamp. I suspect it might be a re-strike. 



"If anyone can help with the origin of this particular medal I would greatly appreciate it."






Nice medal. Can anyone help? 
-Editor


 














PHILADELPHIA LONGACRE NUMISMATIC FELLOWSHIP



Len Augsburger passed along this great opportunity for numismatic research at the  Library Company of Philadelphia.  Thanks!
-Editor




 
Numismatic Innovation Fellowship

Applications due March 1, 2022
 





The Library Company of Philadelphia welcomes applications for a new fellowship to explore the social and political history of the U.S. Mint and numismatics during the early 1840s to late 1860s as it relates to the political, economic, and social environment leading up to and immediately following the American Civil War.



The Numismatic Innovation Fellow will conduct research focused on the Library Company’s James Barton Longacre Collection containing 1,300 engravings, drawings, correspondence, diaries, daybooks, and forty die trials from the Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint from 1844 to 1869. Correspondence relates to topics, such as coin design, use of aluminum, Chilean coinage, and conflicts with Chief Coiner Franklin Peale (1795-1870). The Fellow will also have access to the Library Company’s vast collection of books, graphic arts, manuscripts, and art & artifacts.






Possible research topics surrounding the U.S. Mint include, but are not limited to: political, economic, and historical background including influence by the various Mint Directors and Chief Engraver Longacre on the creation, design, and materials used for die-trials, patterns, and medals during this period. Explore our holdings on our website or contact Linda August, Curator of Art & Artifacts, 

laugust at librarycompany.org for more information. An inventory of the Longacre Collection is available upon request.





Award

The Fellow will receive a stipend of $5,000 and lodging at the Library Company’s Cassatt House residence (1320 Locust Street) for four to eight weeks.



Requirements

The Fellow will be expected to commit four to eight weeks in residence at the Library Company. The fellowship will include the authoring of a series of blog posts or an online exhibition for the Library Company’s website that is based on their research and in consultation with Library staff. They will also participate in a public program, such as a lecture, to be hosted at the Library Company. The entirety of the project must be completed by summer 2023.



The Fellow will launch their project with an exploratory meeting, as well as toward the end of the residency share their research process and findings, with Founding Sponsor Kurt Brintzenhofe.



Eligibility and Evaluation

We welcome proposals from scholars from a range of backgrounds and at all career stages, including graduate students; contingent, junior, and senior faculty; as well as independent scholars; and curators and collections staff at cultural institutions.



To read the complete article, see: 


Numismatic Innovation Fellowship

(https://librarycompany.org/numismatic-innovation-fellowship/)

 















STACK’S BOWERS GALLERIES IS HIRING



Looking for a new career in numismatics?  With this booming market I'm sure nearly everyone is hiring right now.  Here's a notice Stacks Bowers published in their November 5, 2021 E-Newsletter (Vol. 10, No. 45).
-Editor



  
 
 


Take advantage of this exciting opportunity to make your hobby your career. Stack’s Bowers Galleries is seeking motivated, knowledgeable numismatists on both coasts to join our world-renowned staff of experts. Our firm is expanding and now is a great time to make numismatics your profession. In all cases, compensation will be commensurate with experience.






For our Orange County headquarters we are seeking qualified numismatists who have a solid base of knowledge in the areas of U.S. coins and paper money or world coins and paper money, and enjoy writing and research. The position in each specialty includes processing consignments and helping to prepare authoritative, interesting descriptions of rare coins, tokens, medals, and paper money for our auctions and other presentations. Send your resume, writing samples, and other information to 
Careers at StacksBowers.com.



For our new Philadelphia Gallery, we are looking for a motivated individual with a general, broad-based interest in numismatics. Strong interpersonal and communication skills are essential as the position requires interaction with the public. Responsibilities will include helping clients with purchases and sales, communicating with clients via phone and email, securing auction consignments, and assisting with paperwork and inventory security. Interested? Contact Mark Schimel by phone at 212-582-2580 or by email at 

MSchimel at StacksBowers.com.
















VOCABULARY TERM: GALLANTRY MEDAL



Here's another entry from Dick Johnson's Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Terminology. 
-Editor




 Gallantry Medal. 
A medallic item bestowed for noble and chivalrous behavior; early such medals were bestowed to knights, in modern times moreso to heroes of military action. Gallantry medals have followed the change in the definition of the word gallantry since the time of the crusades.






History of gallantry medals.  In feudal times gallantry meant the chivalrous actions of men toward women, as the knight who was charged with the protection of ladies (as during travel). This noble action was the basis for some early orders, societies of men whose purpose was civilized behavior. (Makes one wonder what uncivilized conditions existed during feudal times!) These orders (societies) sometimes took on a religious manner, in others a military nature. They were often organized by royalty. The lowest rank was the knight or chevalier, with as many as four to seven classes, the highest class would be that of the king.



The badges of these orders were considered gallantry medals and each class was more distinct than those below it. Thus the class of the badge indicated the rank of the recipient, differing by larger size, more elaborate design, more jewel encrusted, in more precious metal and such. These decorations were usually made by jewelers and employed much of the technology of medal making (diestruck blanks, enameling, goldplating, fabricating, suspension and such).



Modern gallantry medals.  In the middle of the 19th century medals were created and bestowed for gallantry – exceptional or brave action in military battle. England established the Distinguished Conduct in the Field Medal in 1854, the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal in 1855, the Sea Gallantry Medal and others as military actions dictated, or with a new monarch (the Victoria Cross bore the portrait of the queen and was a gallantry medal). With the introduction of air battles, a gallantry medal for the Royal Air Force was established. Other countries followed in similar fashion in Germany, France and most combative countries of the world.



In the United States gallantry medals include the Congressional Medal of Honor, Purple Heart. These are made at the U.S. Mint and by private medal manufacturers; here again using much of the same technology of medal making discussed in this encyclopedia.



Gallantry medal distinction.  To add distinctiveness (and exclusiveness) to a gallantry medal they are purposely designed with the full range of medal characteristics in mind. They are designed in unusual shape sometimes with exotic trimming, with openwork, sometimes with multiple enamel and enameling. Their suspension is more detailed, often with elaborate ribbons, headers and devices.



Since gallantry medals are the highest rank of a nation's decorations, they are purposely designed to look distinctive by shape and elaborate decoration. This is in contrast, say, with campaign medals or victory medals, which are both usually round and usually widely distributed to all who participated in a campaign or military service.



To read the complete entry on the Newman Numismatic Portal, see: 


Gallantry Medal

(https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/dictionarydetail/515975)






  

 







WILLIAM IDLER’S WILL



American Numismatic Biographies author Pete Smith submitted this 
article on the will of coin dealer William Idler.  Thanks!
-Editor




Last week I wrote about William and Robert Idler. As I was doing the research, Julia Casey sent
me a copy of William Idler’s will. It includes a couple of interesting provisions.



The will includes the typical legal boilerplate language found in a will. Idler directs that his bills
should be paid and his property should be sold with the proceeds going to his heirs. Idler had five
children and the estate should be distributed as five shares.



His oldest son, Jacob, died on November 24, 1900, and William’s will was signed on the day of
the funeral, November 28, 1900. William left one-fifth share to support his grandson, Lewis
Idler. Another one-fifth share went to the children of his daughter, Mary Idler Brown. A third
one-fifth share went to his daughter, Rosanna Idler Haseltine. Then the will gets interesting.






William Idler left two shares, each one-fifth of his estate, to his second son William Idler, Jr. He
left nothing to his third son, Robert. Although he left nothing to Robert, Robert and William
were named co-executors of the estate.



The will makes no specific mention of coins. They would have been included in personal
property to be sold for the benefit of the estate. Traditional numismatic lore says that some rare
coins passed from William Idler to his son-in-law, John W. Haseltine. However, William Idler’s
will gives nothing to John W. Hazeltine and one-fifth share to Haseltine’s wife. There may have
been an agreement within the family that Haseltine would sell the coins for the benefit of the
estate, but this is only conjecture.



Robert Idler was not in the coin business before the death of his father. He may have joined
Haseltine as a partner, but had little financial assets to put into the business and he presumably
would have received nothing when Haseltine sold his father’s coins.



As a legal document, Idler’s will spells out his intentions in black and white. However, the actual
application of the will leaves some puzzles unsolved.




Thanks!
-Editor




To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: 


WILLIAM AND ROBERT IDLER

(https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n44a12.html)















U.S. COIN DEALER ORGANIZATIONS



Dave Lange's mention of the RCDA (Retail Coin Dealers Association) inspired
Pete Smith to submit this great 
article on U.S coin dealer organizations.  Thanks!
-Editor




American numismatic trade organizations go back at least to 1946. Some formed to conduct
lobbying efforts related to state and federal regulation of the industry. Some promoted standards
of conduct to inspire confidence in customers. The regional and state organizations are primarily
in the business of promoting coin shows. Many regional organizations serve the same function
but don’t include “coin dealers” in their name.


American Coin Dealers Association, Inc. (ACDA)



They established a code of ethics for dealers but were criticized for loose grading standards.
Horace Grant was president in 1946 with Aubrey Bebee as vice president. Frank Katen was
secretary before he specialized in numismatic literature. Initial membership dropped off and they
faded around 1950.






Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG)



Aubrey Bebee was one of the founding members of the PNG in 1955. They had stricter
standards for membership than the ACDA and remain active in 2021.





Retail Coin Dealers Association (RCDA)



The RCDA was organized around 1960. They conducted annual shows 1964 to 1974. Wilson F. Walters served as president and later as executive director.



National Association of Coin and Precious Metals Dealers (NACPMD)



This was founded in April 1981 as a lobbying organization. Burton S. Blumert was a director
and executive director of the organization. They faded away around 1984.



Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA)



ICTA was formed about 1983 with Luis Vigor as chairman. It supports lobbying efforts for
legislation related to commercial numismatics. The name was changed to The National Coin and
Bullion Association in 2021.



National Coin and Bullion Association (NCBA)



NCBA is the new name for ICTA as of 2021.



State and Regional Organizations



Some organization names might raise suspicion. There is a dealer who advertises as past
president of a dealer organization but that organization does not show up on a search of the
Newman Numismatic Portal.



California Coin Dealers Association was incorporated in 1970.



California Professional Numismatists Association was incorporated in 1975. They stopped
advertising in 1981.



Capital District Coin Dealers Association conducted shows in Albany, New York, 1974 to
2020.



Coin Dealers of San Diego County was noted only in 1981.



Dallas Coin Dealers Association (DCDA) was organized June 4, 1978. They conducted
shows into 1984.



Hawaii Stamp and Coin Dealers Association was founded in 1982 and active up to 2020
(pre-Covid).



Minnesota Organization of Numismatists (M.O.O.N.), was formed about 1963 and conducted
annual shows for more than fifty years. They announced that the October 2021 show would be
their last show.



The Lehigh Valley Retail Coin Dealers Association changed their name to Pennsylvania
Retail Coin Dealers Association, Inc. in 1975. Then they disappeared.



Professional Coin Dealers Association of South Florida conducted shows 1983 to 1992.



Retail Coin Dealers Association of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana held their first convention in
1961, and apparently their last.



Texas Coin Dealers Association (TCDA), organized in 1980 for Texas bullion dealers.



Utah Retail Coin Dealers Association left little trace in numismatic media.



There are probably other similar organizations that have not been mentioned.




  Thanks to Pete for this great compilation!  Many many years of hobby history.  Can anyone add to this list?  Were any of our readers an officer or member of any of the obsolete organizations?  Tell us more!  How did they come about?  What happened to them?  Did they issue any publications?  Would anyone have a file or archive of papers tracing their history?  If so, could we scan them for the Newman Portal?
-Editor




To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: 


QUERY: RETAIL COIN DEALERS ASSOCIATION

(https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n20a17.html)


MORE ON THE RETAIL COIN DEALERS ASSOCIATION

(https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n21a18.html)


HANK BIECIUK AND THE RETAIL COIN DEALERS ASSOCIATION

(https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n22a12.html)


NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: OCTOBER 31, 2021 : Query: Maryland Dealer William Bromley

(https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n44a08.html)
















HARVEY STACK'S NUMISMATIC FAMILY, PART 108



The latest article in Harvey Stack's blog series sets the stage for the 1990 auction season.
Thanks, Harvey! 
-Editor



  
 
 


The year 1990 was one of renewed growth in the numismatic market. After the quick but major drop in the stock market in October 1987, it took until late 1989 into early 1990 for the market to regain what it had lost. Most businesses had been negatively affected and some had failed altogether. Some banks had failed, and many industrial stocks had difficulty surviving. However certain assets held their value or lost just a fraction of it. These were the tangible markets, such as precious metals, including jewelry. In a similar way the numismatic hobby was less affected than other businesses. It seemed those who had built collections, such as series of early federal issues and rare and unusual coins held on to their collections as a store of value, as well as a pastime they enjoyed and items they took pride in owning.






Assisting in this stability were the efforts that had been taken by the ANA and others to establish grading standards and increase accuracy by using a numerical grading system. While there were differences of opinion about this in the professional dealer community, it did make things clearer for those entering the hobby. Likewise, the establishment of PCGS and NGC in the second half of the 1980s provided a greater level of confidence to collectors that they were getting the product they were paying for. This confidence meant more and more people entered numismatics, which was good for everyone.



Stack's continued to provide wide ranging numismatic services, both in the New York store and through auctions and conventions. However, the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the next decade had some challenges to the Stack family and the business. I and my cousin, Norman, both were diagnosed with cancer (me with lymphoma and Norman with prostate cancer). This meant that we were not able to work as much as we had in the past, either in the store or on the road. We did stay involved, and I continued to work as much as I could. Norman continued to catalog from his house in Long Island, which was only a few blocks from my home and that of my son, Larry. We would drop things off in the evening and pick up what he had completed. Our staff provided wonderful support, often working into the night and on weekends so we could continue to grow and maintain our position in the hobby. The teamwork was exceptional and highly appreciated.



After more than 50 years in the business, Stack's was well established and maintained a client base of both buyers and sellers, as well as good support for our auctions. Stack's received enough consignments and collections to maintain our active public auction program and the market prices seemed advantageous to the sellers. Even with the challenges that the firm faced at this time, we were pleased to be able to present 11 separate auction catalogs that featured a number of prestigious collections and important pedigree coins. We opened the year with another offering from the important James A. Stack, Sr. Collection and the sales would continue throughout the year and include our 55th Anniversary Sale in October. In my next article I will give more details on the important events that made up our 1990 auction season.



To read the complete article, see: 


Harvey Stack Remembers: Growing up in a Numismatic Family, Part 108

(https://www.stacksbowers.com/News/Pages/Blogs.aspx?ArticleID=harvey-stack-remembers-108)



To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: 


HARVEY STACK'S NUMISMATIC FAMILY, PART 107

(https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n43a15.html)

  













BETTS PERIOD OF DISCOVERY MEDALS



An article on the Stack's Bowers blog illustrates the first 33 Betts Medals.  Here are some excerpts - see the complete article online.
-Editor



  
 
 


In Stack's Bowers Galleries upcoming auction of the E Pluribus Unum Collection, Part 3, we will offer 36 Betts Medals, as listed in American Colonial History Illustrated by Contemporary Medals. These medals are interesting artifacts that document the past and allow us to relive history. As the Preface of the book states: "Medals are original documents in metal. In studying them we study history at its source. As contributions to the knowledge of the history of portraiture, dress and habits; as indices of then existing information in architecture, geography and the natural sciences; and as a means of restoring the knowledge of structures long destroyed, the aid of Medals is not to be over estimated." In short, C. Wyllys Betts thought that collecting medals as a source of historical documentation was important. As the E Pluribus Unum Collection, Part 3 approaches, we encourage you to consider the history that you can acquire. Not only are you purchasing a key medal for your col
 lection, but you are purchasing original historical records of the past.






This week, we are featuring the first 33 Betts Medals, as listed in C. Wyllys Betts' original book. These first 33 medals are considered the Period of Discovery and cover the dates of 1556 to 1631. The medals shown here are historical auction records from past auctions at Stack's Bowers Galleries.



  
 Betts-3 





​1559​ Philip II, King of the New World, Peace of Cambrai​​​​​ 
 



  
 Betts-13 





1581 Spain As The Mistress 
 



  
 Betts-16 




 
1596​ American Commerce, Commerce of West Frisia and Holland
 



  
 Betts-21 




 
1602​ Holland Rivals Spain for the New World​
 



  
 Betts-23 




 
1628​ Capture of the Spanish Treasure Fleet in the Bay of Mantanzas, Cuba​
 



  
 Betts-26 




 
1628​​​ Capture of the Spanish Silver by Peter Heyn​
 



To read the complete article, see: 


An Archive of Betts Medals Reviewed in Advance of the E Pluribus Unum Collection

(https://www.stacksbowers.com/News/Pages/Blogs.aspx?ArticleID=stacks-bowers-historical-archive-betts-medals)



To view the sale, see: 


https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/auctions/3-TWME2/the-november-2021-baltimore-auction-session-1-the-e-pluribus-unum-collection-part-3-peace-medals-washingtoniana-colonial-copies-lots-10001-10355

 














FRANK ROBINSON DECEMBER 2021 COIN AUCTION



Here's the press release for dealer Frank Robinson's December 7, 2021 sale.
-Editor



  



 


Dealer Frank S. Robinson will conduct his 117th mail and internet auction of Ancient and Early Coins with a closing date of December 7. The sale will include 538 lots, with low minimum bids, and bids to be reduced as competition permits. Robinson notes that reductions have averaged 15-20% in his recent sales. There is no buyer fee.





  


 
 


Highlights include several very Choice classic Athenian “owl” tetradrachms; an AEF Baktrian Tetradrachm of Eukratides I, dynastic pedigrtee issue with busts of Heliokles and Laodike; a rare Elymais Tetradrachm with conjoined portraits of Kamnaskires III and Queen Anzaze; a Choice VF archaic Kaulonia stater; and a rare Parthian Tetradrachm of Mithradates I, Sellwood 13.2 in VF, as well as a VF drachm of Phraates and Musa.


  


 
 


Among Roman coins there is a choice grade Julius Caesar elephant denarius; an AEF/VF Nerva sestertius; and a Choice EF large bronze of Jovian.
This sale will also feature offerings from Robinson’s personal collections of early Spanish and English coins, a selection of early Chinese coins, mostly in group lots.


  



 


The auction further includes Byzantine and other early coinages, other group lots, literature, and a section of items offered at fixed prices.


  


 
 


      Robinson holds about three auctions annually, and tries to offer a broad range of material for advanced collectors as well as bargain hunters. Catalogs are free; contact Robinson at Box 8600A, Albany, NY 12208; phone/fax 518-482-2639; e-mail 

frank at fsrcoin.com. The full catalog is at his website, 

www.fsrcoin.com.

 













NUMISMATIC NUGGETS: NOVEMBER 7, 2021



Here's a selection of interesting or unusual items I came across in the marketplace this week.  Tell us what you think of some of these.
-Editor




 Ionia Ephesus Drachma 






Ionie, Éphèse. Drachme ND (IIIe-IIe s. av. J.-C.).



Argent - 4 g - 17 mm - 12 h



Pour un magistrat au nom de //AΔIΩ//. TTB.




>From MDC Monaco's E-Auction 1.
-Editor




To read the complete lot description, see: 


Ionie, Éphèse. Drachme ND (IIIe-IIe s. av. J.-C.).

(https://www.biddr.com/auctions/mdcmonaco/browse?a=2096&l=2300960)









 1700 Nuremberg 1/8 Ducat 






Nuremberg (ville de). 1/8 ducat ND (1700), Nuremberg.



Fr.- ; Or - 0,43 g - 13,5 mm - 12 h



Très rare. Fantôme du mouton au revers. Superbe.




Interesting and rare gold piece. Also from MDC Monaco's E-Auction 1.
-Editor




To read the complete lot description, see: 


Nuremberg (ville de). 1/8 ducat ND (1700), Nuremberg.

(https://www.biddr.com/auctions/mdcmonaco/browse?a=2096&l=2301028)


 Edward the Elder Penny 






Wessex, Edward the Elder (899-924), 'Two Line' Penny, Circumscription Cross Type, Gundbert, + EADVVEARD REX, cross pattée, rev. GVND | BERT MO in two lines, separated by a row of cross pattées, pellet above and below, 1.47g, 3h (SCBI 26, 141; SCBI 29, 437; North 649; Spink 1087),




A crude but interesting hammered medieval piece.  From SPINK.
-Editor




To read the complete lot description, see: 


WESSEX, EDWARD THE ELDER (899-924), 'TWO LINE' PENNY, CIRCUMSCRIPTION CROSS TYPE, GUNDBERT

(https://live.spink.com/lots/view/4-452RH7/wessex-edward-the-elder-899-924-two-line-penny-circumscription-cross-type-gundbert)



 1851 Great Exhibition Award Medal 






101847  |  GREAT BRITAIN. Great Exhibition bronze Award Medal. Issued 1851 and awarded to members of the council [here unawarded] (88mm, 12h). By W. Wyon & J. F. Domard (after H. Bonnardel) at the Royal mint in London.



BHM 2461; Eimer 1455. Gem Mint State. Deep red-brown surfaces, with a great glossy nature and delightfully problem-free fields and rims. A very rare offering of this medal presented to members of the council, with just 174 such pieces awarded, and this example assuredly standing as one of the finest and most problem-free.




A majestic piece from the expo held in the Crystal Palace in London's Hyde Park.
Sorry - this one's already sold.  From Jeremy's Bostwick's Numismagram site.
-Editor




To read the complete lot description, see: 


101847 | GREAT BRITAIN. Great Exhibition bronze Award Medal.

(https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/101847)


 Cut-Down "Copperhead" Cent 








1854 US Large Cent



Coin has been shaved down to Half Cent size. Coin weight = 6.16 grams.



Used for secret identification by the "Copperheads" during the US Civil War.



>From the internet: Copperheads (Peace Democrats) began to use the portrait side of copper coins as badges and tokens for identification and promotion of their cause during the early years leading up to the Civil War. They were considered "snakes" ("Copperheads") by the Unionists/Northerners.




>From Bob Merchant's eBay stock.
-Editor




To read the complete lot description, see: 


1854 US Large Cent, Shaved Down To Half Cent Size, "CopperHead Cent", Civil War

(https://www.ebay.com/itm/133920236662)



 WWI Liberty Loans Relic Medal 






Obverse: Victory Liberty Loans (eagle and building pictorial). Reverse: Awarded / By / The U.S. Treasury / Department / For / Patriotic Service / In Behalf Of The / Liberty Loans. Made From Captured German Cannons. 1" diameter, holed for suspension. Nice patina on this World War I collectible.




I was unaware of the U.S. relic medal.  From the November 20, 2021 Holabird sale.  Can anyone tell us more?
-Editor




To read the complete lot description, see: 


 World War I Liberty Loan Medal Made from German Cannons [134163]

(https://holabirdamericana.liveauctiongroup.com/World-War-I-Liberty-Loan-Medal-Made-from-German-Cannons-134163_i43490728?t=HEBNW2)


 Football/Soccer Medal 









The auction listing has no further information, but I liked this high-relief sporting image.
-Editor




To read the complete lot description, see: 


Lot 1013: Vintage Medal

(https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/Vintage-Medal-1013-c-0174838B83)















WEXFORD EBAY MEDAL SELECTIONS 



Rich Jewell's Wexford Rare Coins and Medals eBay store features a number of great medals along with other numismatic items.  He's a new advertiser, so click on his ads to check out the latest offerings.  Here are some that caught my eye this week.
-Editor




 1862 London International Exhibition Prize Medal
  


 



LISTING IS FOR A 1862- INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION PRIZE MEDAL, BRONZE, 77MM, BY L.C. WYON AFTER DESIGN BY D.MACLISE.



Obverse-BRITANNIA SEATED RIGHT, RECEIVING GIFTS FROM KNEELING FIGURES. THREE FEMALE FIGURES STANDING TO RIGHT, THE BRITISH LION CROUCHED IN FOREGROUND.



REVERSE- INSCRIPTION WITHIN CLOSED WREATH "1860/ LONDINI/ HONORIS/ CAUSA" (/PRESENTED/ AT LONDON BECAUSE OF DISTINCTION) UNAWARDED- NO ONES NAME IS ENGRAVED ON THE EDGE, PER THE CUSTOM FOR THIS PRIZE MEDAL. BHM 2747-EIMER1553






To read the complete lot description, see: 


1862- International Exhibition, London, Prize Medal, Bronze, 76mm, 221 grams

(https://www.ebay.com/itm/194456148569)



 1891 Homage to Medalists Medal
  


 



LISTING IS FOR A 1891 ALPHONSE LECHEVREL,SC., "HOMAGE TO MEDALISTS" PLAQUETTE, SILVER, 48 X 66 MM, MONNAIE de PARIS. OBVERSE: NUDE FEMALE, SEEN FROM BEHIND, WRITES THE NAMES OF IMPORTANT MEDALISTS ON A SCROLL (SOME OF THE NAMES INCLUDE OUDINE, J.C. CHAPLAIN, ROTY, CHAPU, BOTTEE, DUPUIS); TO THE LEFT , MEDAL MAKING EQUIPMENT. REVERSE-LAUREL BRANCH. SIGNED BY LECHEVREL BOTTOM RIGHT OF TREE.



THE PLAQUETTE IS NOT COMMON IN BRONZE, BUT IT IS RARE IN SILVER!
FORRER, VOL. 3, PP357-362, ILLUSTRATED P. 360




The medal collector's medal.
-Editor




To read the complete lot description, see: 


Alphonse Lechevrel, Sc.-1891, Homage to Medalists Medal, Silver, 48 x 66 mm

(https://www.ebay.com/itm/194389049636)



 1920 Dammann 'Feriam Sidera' Medal 
  


 



LISTING IS FOR A 1920 PAUL MARCEL DAMMANN,SC., BRONZE MEDAL, 50 MM, "FERIAM SIDERA". OBVERSE- A NAKED WOMEN IS TYING HER WINGED SHOES TO HER FEET. A LONG FLOWING SCARF IS BLOWING IN THE WIND BEHIND HER. LEGEND: "FERIAM SIDERA" IS IN THE  FRONT FIELD. THE SCULPTOR HAS SIGNED THE PIECE TO THE BOTTOM RIGHT M. DAMMANN.



REVERSE- TWO CRANES ARE IN FLIGHT FROM THEIR NEST WHILE TWO REMAIN.
MEDAL IS NOT LISTED IN FORRER




Nice, spare design.
-Editor




To read the complete lot description, see: 


1920- Paul Marcel Dammann, Sc., Feriam Sidera Medal, Bronze, 50 mm

(https://www.ebay.com/itm/194389077247)



 1945 Rene Chambellan Iwo Jima Flagraising Medal
  


 



LISTING IS FOR A 1945- SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS, # 31, RENE CHAMBELLAN,SC., 73MM, MACO, .999+FINE SILVER. OBVERSE-FLAG RAISING ON MOUNT SURIBACHI, IWO JIMA. REVERSE- TRUNCATED SWORD WITH HILT UP AND VICTOR'S PALM BEHIND. A GREAT HISTORICAL MEDAL AND IN FINE CONDITION, TOO! ONE OF ONLY 60 ISSUED!!!!




Classic WWII image in an excellent contemporary medallic rendering.
-Editor




To read more about the iconic image, see: 


Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raising_the_Flag_on_Iwo_Jima)



To read the complete lot description, see: 


1945- Society of Medalists, # 31, Rene Chambellan, Sc., .999+ Fine Silver, 73mm

(https://www.ebay.com/itm/194449183879)



 1956 Porcelain East German Olympics Medal
  


 



1956-EAST GERMAN COMMEMORATIVE PORCELAIN MEDAL, MELBOURNE, 16TH OLYMPIC GAMES, WHITE MEISSEN PORCELAIN, PARTIALLY COLORED, 53MM. OBVERSE-COLOR RINGS WITHIN OLYMPIC MOTTO



REVERSE- 6-LINE LEGEND OF THE EAST GERMAN NOC. 



THE GERMAN TEAM INCLUDED ATHLETES FROM EAST & WEST GERMANY. 
HOUSED IN ITS PRESENTATION CASE. A VERY NICE PIECE FOR YOUR OLYMPIC COLLECTION!




Unusual item - I wasn't aware of a porcelain Olympic medal.
-Editor




To read the complete lot description, see: 


1956-East German Commemorative Porcelain Medal, 16th Olympic Games, Melbourne

(https://www.ebay.com/itm/194455553944)



 1985 NSS Henry Herring Memorial Medal
  


 



LISTING IS FOR A 1985- ALBINO MANCA, Sc.- NATIONAL SCULPTURE SOCIETY, HENRY HERRING MEMORIAL MEDAL AWARDED TO FRANK ELISCU ON MAY 14, 1985. IT IS GILT BRONZE, 76.5MM,MACO. AWESOME MEDAL DESIGN




I agree - this is an impressive medal.
-Editor




To read the complete lot description, see: 


1985 NSS Henry Herring Memorial Medal Awarded to Frank Eliscu Gilt Bronze,76.5mm

(https://www.ebay.com/itm/194449032807)



To view all current lots, see: 


https://www.ebay.com/str/wexfordrarecoinsandmedals/


 





THE BOOK BAZARRE
RENAISSANCE OF AMERICAN COINAGE: Wizard Coin Supply is the official distributor for Roger Burdette's three volume
series that won NLG Book of the Year awards for 2006, 2007 and 2008. Contact us for dealer or distributor pricing at www.WizardCoinSupply.com.









JERUSALEM ESTATES COINS BUILDING NAMES



Aaron Oppenheim reports that a  real estate project in Jerusalem decided to name each of the thirteen buildings for a historic coin.
-Editor




A Coin Is Worth More Than A Thousand Words



As we approach the Yom Tov of Chanukah, we’ve been taking a closer look at one of the historical Jewish coins in our collection. This incredible coin hails from the time of the Chashmonaim, and is called the coin of Matisyahu Antignos - the last king of the illustrious dynasty that fought for the preservation of Torah under oppression. The coin depicts the klei hamikdash, including the beautiful golden menorah that was lit every night by the Kohen Gadol.





  
 
 


The unique location and character of Jerusalem Estates meld naturally with the historic context of Yerushalayim, and especially with the historic coins which constitute a living testimony to the Jewish life which once flourished at this very spot.



It was for this reason that the architects of Jerusalem Estates decided to name each of the thirteen buildings for a historic coin, to bring the site full circle and connect it to our contemporary lives, as we long for those same days of glory.


  
 
 


The coins which have accompanied the Jerusalem Estates flagship project throughout its development were cast in three periods: the time of the Chashmonaim, the Great Revolt, and the time of Bar Kochba.They give expression to proudly proclaimed beliefs, like the inscription “ירושלים הקדושה”, as well as fervent hopes for a better future, such as the inscription “לגאולת ירושלים” from the Bar Kochba period.



Many more of these ancient artifacts remain under the surface, just waiting for our nation to return and settle the land once more.



Aaron adds:


"It's a real estate project in Jerusalem that has been developing for seven years now... it's built on the famous Schneller compound which has quite a history."



 

For more information, see: 


Schneller Orphanage

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schneller_Orphanage)















WEST NORFOLK MEDIEVAL GOLD COIN FIND



Arthur Shippee passed along this Smithsonian piece about a medieval gold find in England.  Thanks!  All I ever dig up are dirt and worms...
-Editor



  
 
 


A hoard of early medieval gold coins discovered by two people with metal detectors is the largest of its kind ever found in England, reports Nadia Khomami for the Guardian.



Buried in what is now West Norfolk around 600 C.E., the trove of 131 coins and 4 gold objects is larger than a cache famously found at Sutton Hoo in 1939. (Earlier this year, the Netflix movie The Dig drew renewed attention to the excavation, which unearthed a purse containing 37 gold coins, 3 blank gold discs and 2 gold ingots, among other rare artifacts.) The region where both hoards were found—now eastern England—was once part of the Kingdom of East Anglia.






Prior to the newly publicized cache’s discovery, the largest known coin hoard from the early medieval era (around 410 to 1066 C.E.) was a purse with 101 coins found at Crondall in Hampshire in 1828. According to Michel Shutterly of CoinWeek, the so-called Crondall Hoard was either lost or hidden between 635 and 650. The majority of the coins were gold pieces known as thrymsas. A separate hoard found in Staffordshire in 2009 constitutes the largest trove of precious metal from the period, but it contains no coins.



According to the statement, most of the coins are Frankish tremisses, a small gold coin minted in what is now France during the Late Antiquity period (around 284 to 700 C.E.). The cache also contains nine gold solidi, a larger coin from the Byzantine Empire worth about three tremisses.



To read the complete article, see: 


See the Largest Trove of Early Medieval Gold Coins Ever Found in England

(https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hoard-of-gold-coins-is-englands-largest-early-medieval-find-180979022/)






Kavan Ratnatunga passed along a BBC article on the find.  This one has some closer images of coins.  Thanks.
-Editor

 


To read the complete article, see: 


Largest Anglo-Saxon gold coin hoard found in Norfolk

(https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-59151380)















HARLEM HELLFIGHTERS CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL



This article from the Long Island Weekly discusses the recent legislation for a Congressional Gold Medal for the Harlem Hellfighters.
-Editor



  
 
 


Last month Congressman Tom Suozzi attended a White House signing ceremony in the Oval Office as President Joseph Biden signed legislation to award the Harlem Hellfighters a long-overdue Congressional Gold Medal.



“It is never too late to do the right thing. When I first met with the Willett family and listened to their stories, I knew we had to get this done and today, with the president’s signature, the Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal Act is now law,” Suozzi said. “Awarding the Harlem Hellfighters the Congressional Gold Medal ensures that generations of Americans will now fully comprehend the selfless service, sacrifices and heroism displayed by these men in spite of the pervasive racism and segregation of the times. I am grateful to the many people who helped see this long-overdue recognition come to fruition, including Senator Charles Schumer, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Adriano Espaillat.”






Espaillat, of Harlem, is one of the lead co-sponsors of the legislation.



The Harlem Hellfighters’ Congressional Gold Medal represents only the 179th ever awarded to institutions, people or events, since the American Revolution.



The Harlem Hellfighters were an African American infantry regiment in WWI that spent 191 days in combat, more than any other American regiment. In 1918, the U.S. Army decided to assign the Hellfighters to the French Army for the duration of American participation in World War I because many white American soldiers refused to perform combat duty with African Americans. The U.S. Army refused to issue the regiment weapons. They were instead issued French weapons, helmets, belts and pouches, although they continued to wear their U.S. uniforms.



Nicknamed “Hommes de Bronze” (Men of Bronze) by the French and “Hollenkampfer” (Hellfighters) by the Germans due to their tenacity, the Hellfighters were the first unit of the French, British, or American armies to reach the Rhine River at the end of the war. The unit earned 11 French citations and a unit Croix de Guerre and 170 soldiers were awarded the French Croix de Guerre.



The Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the United States Congress, to honor those, individually or as a group, “who have performed an achievement that has an impact on American history and culture that is likely to be recognized as a major achievement in the recipient’s field, long after the achievement.” The practice of issuing gold medals to honor recipients from the military began during the American Revolution.



The Congressional Gold Medal will be designed and struck by the United States Mint and displayed at the Smithsonian Institution and at events associated with the Harlem Hellfighters. Bronze versions of the medals are struck for sale by the U.S. Mint, and may be available in both larger and smaller sizes.



There have been only two other Congressional Gold Medals awarded to distinguished African American military groups: the Tuskegee Airmen in 2007 and the Montfort Point Marines in 2011, both from World War II.



To read the complete article, see: 


President Signs Harlem Hellfighters Bill: Regiment Earns Congressional Gold Medal

(https://longislandweekly.com/president-signs-harlem-hellfighters-bill-regiment-earns-congressional-gold-medal/)

 













HIRAM FLEMING'S BANK OF CAIRO NOTE



It's always nice to see mainstream publications mention and illustrate numismatic items.  Here's a story from the Southern Missourian about the discovery of an obsolete banknote.
-Editor



  
 
 


Here at the Cape Girardeau County Archive Center in Jackson, assistant archivist Lyle Johnston often regales me with examples of atrocious spelling and cheap prices in files from the county's probate court, in the 1800s. Most of these are on the inventory and valuation taken for the deceased's estate auction, where "chizzles" and a "fawling leaf table" went for such staggeringly low prices that it's a wonder there were any proceeds to speak of. But these loose papers with their bare facts and scrolled handwriting hold a wealth of information.



Let's take the file for Hiram Fleming. Born in 1804, he was one of nine children of Revolutionary War veteran Mitchell Fleming. Hiram married twice, and had a daughter, Martha, with his second wife, Margaret Stephenson. Martha died at age 3, in 1846. He was only 38 when he died in 1843.






His file is typical in some respects: his heirs are listed; a complete inventory of items sold at his estate sale is included, as is a list of buyers; one page is marred by an inkstain. Overall, for papers that are close to 200 years old, they're in remarkably good shape.



A particularly unusual find in this file, though, is a piece of cash currency. A dollar bill from the Bank of Cairo at Kaskaskia, Illinois, is nestled in among these documents. Neither Lyle nor I had come across this before -- cash money was fairly rare in the 1840s in Southeast Missouri. 



To read the complete article, see: 


Hiram Fleming's banknote

(https://www.semissourian.com/story/2916167.html)

  













ARTIST BURNS CASH



A London artist burned a hundred $100 bills.
Found via News & Notes from the Society of Paper Money Collectors (Volume VII, Number 20, November 2, 2021)
-Editor



  
 
 


An anonymous artist is celebrating the anniversary of Satoshi Nakamoto's famous Bitcoin white paper publication in a novel way: by burning a whole lot of cash.






The controversial new art series will be launched via OpenSeas.io (a non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace) on Halloween. Fiat's on Fire is a collection of NFT videos showing the burning of more than $10,000. It all kicks off with a hundred $100 bills being burned from various angles until they are all reduced to nothing more than ash.



The collection is part of a wider, combustion themed series, designed to highlight the growing inequities within our current financial systems.


  
 
 


For more information, see: 


Fiat's on Fire

(https://opensea.io/collection/fiats-on-fire)



To read the complete article, see: 


Anonymous Artist Burns over $10,000 in Cash - NFT Week Begins Early

(https://bywire.news/articles/anonymous-artist-burns-over-dollar10000-in-cash-nft-week-begins-early)










 




FAMILY HOLDS SOLDIER'S KEEPSAKE FOR 106 YEARS



Kavan Ratnatunga passed along this interesting story of a family's long-kept promise.
-Editor



  
 
 


A Palestinian family has presented an Ottoman soldier's keepsake to Turkey's mission in Jerusalem after handling it with exceptional care for over a century.



During World War I, an Ottoman soldier who was transferred to another front wrapped all of his money in a piece of cloth and entrusted it to the Palestinian Alul family's forefathers before moving on to his new assignment.






The family handled the keepsake with care for 106 years before handing it over to Turkey's Consul General in Jerusalem on Thursday.



Ragip Hilmi el-Alul, a family member, told Anadolu Agency that the story dates back to 1915, when the soldier gave his money to Sir Rusdu, a well-known shopkeeper in Nablus, saying, "I will take it back if I can return."



The soldier, whose identity was unknown to the family, never returned, and the grandchildren of Sir Rusdu continued protecting his keepsake, expecting that the soldier or one of his relatives would come to claim it.



The family presented the keepsake to Turkey's Consul General in Jerusalem, Ahmet Riza Demirer, in a ceremony held in the Nablus Governorate.



The soldier's or his heirs' names are unknown, Demirer said, adding Turkey will protect the keepsake as finely as the Alul family. "We promise that this keepsake will be a symbol of this friendship, this history," he added.



Wishing the keepsake will be handed down to an heir if one appears, Alul said: "We want this keepsake's story to be protected at a Turkish military museum."



To read the complete article, see: 


Palestinian family protects Ottoman soldier's keepsake for over century

(https://www.aa.com.tr/en/life/palestinian-family-protects-ottoman-soldiers-keepsake-for-over-century/2412824)
















LOOSE CHANGE: NOVEMBER 7, 2021



Here are some additional items in the media this week that may be of interest.
-Editor




 Antiquities Regulation Update


In the latest Coin World podcast, Peter Tompa updates antiquities regulations and their effect on numismatists.
-Editor



  
 
 


To read the complete article, see: 


EP136: Peter Tompa updates antiquities regulations and its effect on numismatists

(https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/cwpod_ep136)









 Coin Found in Holding Cell for Gladiators


This Smithsonian article discusses finds in a former holding cell for Roman gladiators.
-Editor






Nearly 2,000 years ago, Roman gladiators, doomed prisoners and wild animals anxiously awaited their fate in a small room at the Richborough amphitheater in southeastern England. Now, reports Jack Malvern for the London Times, archaeologists have identified the ruins of this ancient carcer, or holding cell.



In addition to the amphitheater, archaeologists have discovered the ruins of a triumphal arch and other structures in and around Richborough. Made of chalk and turf, the amphitheater was large enough to seat 5,000 spectators. It would have hosted public spectacles and entertainment, such as wild animal hunts, executions and gladiatorial combat.



Researchers have discovered a trove of artifacts during the dig, which began in mid-September and is set to conclude this month. Finds include butchered animal bones, coins, personal items, pottery fragments and the skeleton of a cat.



To read the complete article, see: 


Holding Cell for Gladiators, Doomed Prisoners Found at Roman Amphitheater in England

(https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/holding-cell-for-gladiators-and-doomed-prisoners-found-at-dig-site-in-england-180978996/)


 Derbyshire Iron Age Hoard Declared Treasure 


Arthur Shippee passed along this article about the Derbyshire Iron Age gold coin hoard.  Thanks.  Found via The Explorator newsletter. To subscribe to Explorator, send a blank email message to: 
explorator+subscribe at groups.io. 
-Editor



  
 
 


Five rare Iron Age gold coins found in a field in Derbyshire have been declared as treasure.



The coins, which have stylised wreath and horse patterns, were found in a farmer's field near Whitwell in 2019.



Chesterfield Coroner's Court heard they dated to the 1st Century BC and may have been produced by the Cornovii tribe.



The coins will now be valued before any reward is divided between the landowner and finders.



To read the complete article, see: 


Derbyshire Iron Age gold coin hoard declared as treasure

(https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-59177436)


 Fake Banknotes Imported to Japan 


This article from Japan discusses fake banknotes imported by two Vietnamese nationals.
-Editor



  
 
 


Two Vietnamese nationals working in Japan who have been indicted for circulating counterfeit currency were served fresh arrest warrants by Tokyo police on Nov. 4 on suspicion of importing counterfeit old 10,000-yen (about $88) notes with a portrait of the 6th-7th century Japanese prince Shotoku Taishi printed on them.



In relation to the latest arrests, the pair are suspected of working with third parties in around early September to hide 400 bogus 10,000-yen bills in international mail, and importing them by sending the package from a post office in Vietnam to Narita Airport in east Japan's Chiba Prefecture. Some 530 counterfeit 10,000-yen notes have been confiscated from the suspects' home and elsewhere.



To read the complete article, see: 


2 Vietnamese nationals suspected of importing fake Japanese banknotes arrested again

(https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20211105/p2a/00m/0na/007000c)


 Lebanese Carry Worthless Stacks of Cash 


Merchants in Lebanon are attempting to deal with the worst inflation in decades.
-Editor






Restaurant owner Antoine Haddad has been in business for over 35 years but says he is running out of hope as Lebanon struggles with one of the deepest financial crises of modern times.



The Lebanese pound lost around 90% of its value in the past two years, propelling three quarters of the population into poverty.



Pub-owner Moussa Yaakoub is also taken aback by the amount of cash he needs to run his business.



"I have never before held in my hands this amount of money," he said as he counted some 10 million pounds, worth $6,600 at the pre-crisis rate but now less than $500 at the market rate.



That much money used to cover a pub's operation for months, but now only pays a couple of bills, he said.



To read the complete article, see: 


Lebanese carry 'worthless' stacks of cash after currency crash

(https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/lebanese-carry-worthless-stacks-cash-after-currency-crash-2021-11-03/)










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