From esylum at binhost.com Sun Jun 4 19:14:31 2023 From: esylum at binhost.com (The E-Sylum) Date: Sun, 4 Jun 2023 20:14:31 -0600 (MDT) Subject: The E-Sylum v26n23 June 4, 2023 Message-ID: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The E-Sylum An electronic publication of The Numismatic Bibliomania Society Volume 26, Number 23, June 4, 2023 ** WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM JUNE 4, 2023 <#a01> ** ASYLUM SUMMER 2023 ISSUE PUBLISHED <#a02> ** NBS BIBLIOTALK PODCAST WITH DAN HAMELBERG <#a03> ** KOLBE & FANNING JUNE 10, 2023 SALE HIGHLIGHTS <#a04> ** STEVE TANENBAUM LIBRARY SALES JUNE 2023 <#a05> ** CHERRYPICKERS' GUIDE, 6TH EDITION, VOLUME II <#a06> ** NEW BOOK: AUSTRALIAN DECIMAL BANKNOTES <#a07> ** SCRIPOPHILY MAY 2023 ISSUE PUBLISHED <#a08> ** NNP ADDS CATHOLIC MEDAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER <#a09> ** VIDEO: OHIO RARE COIN FUND SCANDAL <#a10> ** NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JUNE 4, 2023 <#a11> ** S.F. MINT SUPERINTENDENT STEVENS PHOTO SOUGHT <#a12> ** STACK'S BOWERS OPENS BOSTON LOCATION <#a13> ** VOCABULARY TERMS: MULE, MULING <#a14> ** CATHERINE ELIAS BULLOWA-MOORE (1919-2017) <#a15> ** RICHARD LOBEL INTERVIEW PART FIVE <#a16> ** NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: JUNE 4, 2023 <#a17> ** SOVEREIGN RARITIES AUCTION 9 MEDALS <#a18> ** KELLY CIVIL WAR SUTLER TOKEN HIGHLIGHTS <#a19> ** KUENKER JUNE 2023 AUCTION 387 <#a20> ** KUENKER JUNE 2023 AUCTION 388 <#a21> ** VILA RICA MOEDAS AUCTION 16 <#a22> ** HERITAGE JUNE 2023 HONG KONG SALE HIGHLIGHTS <#a23> ** WBNA OFFERS RARE IMPERIAL BANK OF PERSIA NOTES <#a24> ** TRADE DOLLARS RE-MONETIZED IN 1965 <#a25> ** COIN OF THE YEAR AWARDS MOVE TO ANA SHOW <#a26> ** ANS OLD NEIGHBOR HISPANIC SOCIETY REOPENS <#a27> ** COLORADO WAREHOUSE SHIPS TRUMP BUCKS <#a28> ** THE MAN WHO INVENTED THE TRILLION-DOLLAR COIN <#a29> ** ARTISTS' VISIONS OF TRILLION-DOLLAR COINS <#a30> ** BRITISH ARTIST CREATES MONEY SKULLS <#a31> ?? Click here to read this issue on the web Click here to read the thin version on the web Click here to subscribe Click here to access the complete archive 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 JUNE 4, 2023 New subscribers this week include: Michael Lang. Welcome aboard! 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. This week we open with two NBS updates, two numismatic literature sales, two new books, two updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, and more. Other topics this week include the Cherrypicker's Guide, Australian decimal banknotes, Catholic medals, the Ohio Rare Coin Fund, mules, tons of fixed price and auction previews, trade dollars, bastard coins, bundles of edelweiss, trillion-dollar coins and money skulls. To learn more about the NBS Board of Trustees election, highlights of Dan Hamelberg's library, scripophily, Gilroy Roberts, Tom Noe, Bernie Sanders, Catherine Bullowa, the Government Stock Bank, the Swiss Gratitude to America medal, sutler tokens, the Long-Whiskered Dragon Dollar, and quasi-janiform images, read on. Have a great week, everyone! Wayne Homren Editor, The E-Sylum ?? Image of the week ASYLUM SUMMER 2023 ISSUE PUBLISHED The Summer 2023 issue of The Asylum is on the way from our sponsor, the Numismatic Bibliomania Society. Maria Fanning edits our print journal, and she submitted this report. -Editor The Asylum Summer 2023 Issue In this issue: A Bookbinder???s Journey, Part 1: Jumping In By Jeff Dickerson Howard A. Daniel III (1941???2023) By Roger Urce ASSOCIATIONS: Autographs • Annotations • Inscriptions Charles Ira Bushnell???s Flandin???s Catalogue of Coins and Medals: Part IV, Installment 2: The Winslow J. Howard Sale, May 17, 1856 By Joel J. Orosz My First Red Book By Mike Costanzo On Whether to Buy New Coin Catalogues or How to Grow Old Gracefully By David Pickup Election time! It's time to vote for NBS Board of Trustees, as well as The Asylum awards. Please read bios of the candidates in this issue and vote by June 30 using the ballots enclosed with your printed copy or by visiting the link below. ?? Message from NBS President Tom Harrison NBS Meeting and Symposium Plans are being finalized for this year???s NBS events at the ANA World???s Fair of Money in Pittsburgh. We hope many of you will be able to join us to share your mania for numismatic literature. We are delighted to announce that our traditional Symposium will feature Harry Salyards discussing his recently published book titled Eagle Poised on a Bank of Clouds: The United States Silver Dollars of 1795???1798. Attendees will also have an opportunity to stop by the NBS club table to connect with fellow literature enthusiasts, view highlights from our charity auction and purchase an NBS commemorative coffee mug to support the NBS. NBS Charity Auction Our General Meeting will feature The Asylum author awards and our charity auction. We are grateful to David Fanning for graciously agreeing to accept and catalog items for the auction. While we appreciate all donations, we especially need items valued over $100. Please contact David at df at numislit.com before sending your donations. Donations can be sent to: David Fanning, 141 W. Johnstown Road, Gahanna, Ohio 43230 and should be received by June 30th. Thank you for your generous support of the charity auction that is vital to the financial health of the NBS! Fellowship Time We would like to invite members to bring a rare, obscure or whimsical item or two to share during an informal fellowship time at the conclusion of official business at the General Meeting. The goal is to provide time for members to get better acquainted and meet like-minded enthusiasts. Here is a list of the NBS schedule of events: Board Meeting Thursday August 10th from 11:30???1:00 in room 328 Symposium Thursday August 10th from 1:00???2:30 in room 328 General Meeting Friday August 11th from 11:30???1:30 in room 325 As the convention date draws nearer, please watch for any changes or updates in The E-Sylum. As I conclude my time as president, I want to share a heartfelt thank you to Vice President Len Augsburger, the Board of Trustees, Treasurer Chuck Heck, The Asylum Editor Maria Fanning, and The E-Sylum Editor Wayne Homren for their steadfast support. Also I want to extend a word of gratitude to the host of the NBS website, John Nebel, and webmaster Bruce Perdue, for all of their behind the scenes contributions. So please know whether you penned an article for The Asylum, contributed to the charity auction, hosted the club table, participated in a podcast or supported the NBS in any other way we are grateful for your support. My hope is that each member will join me in finding ways to give back to our fine organization. May your library provide investigation, discovery and, most of all, enjoyment. NBS Membership Renewal Time! Please renew your membership in the NBS to continue receiving The Asylum. Go to coinbooks.org to pay by PayPal or download a membership form today. Your current expiration date is printed to the right of your name on your subscription envelope, which should be arriving soon. ?? ?? ?? NBS BIBLIOTALK PODCAST WITH DAN HAMELBERG 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 Features Dan Hamelberg The latest episode of the NBS Bibliotalk podcast, ???Collection Highlights, with Dan Hamelberg??? is now available on the NBS website and other popular podcasting platforms such as Buzzsprout. In this episode, Dan Hamelberg speaks about a number of favorite items in his library, including Henry Phillips??? Historical Sketches with colonial currency examples, Breen???s working copy of Walter Breen???s Encyclopedia, Crosby???s copy of Early Coins of America, and many more. In between Dan adds any number of revealing stories, such as being stuck with a restaurant check by Walter Breen, visiting Eric Newman???s vault at the Mercantile Bank in St. Louis, and how Jack Collins missed an important plate in a Chapman catalog. The NBS podcast is produced every other month by Lianna Spurrier of Numismatic Marketing. I gave it a listen on Friday, and it's well worth spending some time with. While beginning numismatic bibliophiles may not recognize all the books and people mentioned, there's a lot we can all learn from Dan's great stories. -Editor Link to ???Collection Highlights, with Dan Hamelberg ??? on the NBS podcast page: https://www.coinbooks.org/resources/podcast.html KOLBE & FANNING JUNE 10, 2023 SALE HIGHLIGHTS Here's a final set of highlights in the upcoming June 10. 2023 Kolbe & Fanning numismatic literature sale. Good luck with your bidding! -Editor June 10 Kolbe & Fanning Auction Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers Sale 167 will be held on Saturday, June 10, 2023, and it promises to be a notable event. Featuring important offerings from the libraries of Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr., and Richard A. Eliasberg, along with other properties, the sale includes rare and out-of-print works on coins, medals, and paper money from antiquity to the present. Some highlights of the sale include: ?? ?? ?? ?? Lots 27 and 41 Lot 27: a handsomely bound copy of the 1901 first edition of Giovanni Dattari???s classic work on Roman provincial coins of Alexandria Lot 41: a complete set of the priced and plated editions of the Glendining catalogues of the Richard Cyril Lockett collection ?? Lots 51 and 90 Lot 51: Jacob Hirsch???s first catalogue (1898), from his personal library Lot 90: the important 1911 volume of the massive Louis De Clercq collection focusing on engraved gems ?? Lots 208 and 329 Lot 208: José Toribio Medina’s massive 1902 account of Chilean coinage, one of his most important numismatic works Lot 329: Louis Eliasberg???s copy of the rare 1892 original of Dr. Thomas Hall???s study of 1787 Connecticut coppers, in the original binding ?? Lot 128: an untrimmed copy of Johann Joachim Winckelmann???s 1760 catalogue of the Baron de Stosch collection of engraved gemstones ?? Lot 191: a volume of Latin-American works from the library of Lyman Low, with an 1886 letter from Benjamin Betts ?? Lot 331: a handsome copy of the magnificently produced 1869 American Bond Detector by Laban Heath, with exceptional plates ?? Lot 366: a September 1783 printing of the Treaty of Paris ending the American Revolutionary War, which was signed earlier the same month. Register early to bid online Bids may be placed via post, email, fax or phone, as well as online. Kolbe & Fanning use Auction Mobility as our third-party online bidding platform. Auction Mobility is an app-based platform allowing users the ability to participate in the sale through phones, tablets and computers. To register for the sale, bidders must go to bid.numislit.com and sign up. Once you have set up an account, you may browse lots, place advance bids, or participate in the live sale online. Those wishing to participate on their devices can download the Kolbe & Fanning app through the Apple or Google Play Store. The sale has also been listed on Biddr and NumisBids. The printed catalogue has been mailed to all active customers on our mailing list. As international mail speeds have been inconsistent, we encourage our foreign clients to consult the electronic catalogue in case their printed catalogue does not arrive promptly. A PDF of the printed catalogue has been posted to our main website at numislit.com for those who prefer that format. Bids placed via post, email, fax or phone must be received by June 9, the day before the sale, in order for them to be processed. Advance absentee bids may also be placed at any time online at bid.numislit.com. Live internet bidding will be available during the sale itself through the same platform. Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers LLC is a licensed and bonded auction firm in the State of Ohio, and our sales are conducted by licensed auctioneers. For more information, please see the Kolbe & Fanning website at numislit.com or email David Fanning at df at numislit.com. To register for the sale, go to bid.numislit.com. We look forward to your participation. To view the Catalogue PDF, see: https://numislit.cdn.bibliopolis.com/images/upload/kolbefanningsale167.pdf To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: KOLBE & FANNING JUNE 10, 2023 SALE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n21a02.html) KOLBE & FANNING JUNE 10, 2023 SALE HIGHLIGHTS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n22a02.html) ?? ?? STEVE TANENBAUM LIBRARY SALES JUNE 2023 As noted last week, Steve Hayden has been handling the dispersal of the numismatic library for the estate of token dealer Steve Tanenbaum. Several new lots are available for bidding on eBay under his seller ID "stevehayden". Here are some more selected items. In an email to clients last week, Steve H. wrote: "We have also returned to the Tanenbaum Library which we have been selling off and on for the last four years. For the rest of the summer look for many interesting books, auction catalogs and odd and ends from this extensive collection both at fixed price and auction." -Editor ?? 1852 3rd Edition New Varieties of Gold and Silver Coins by Eckfeldt & Du Bois Leather Bound 1936 Medals Awarded to North America Indian Chiefs by Jamieson ?? Great Locofoco Juggernaut by Malcolm Johnson 1971 35 Page Hardcover Banknote Washingtonia Hardcover Leather 1991 Ford Collection Price List by Jack Collins ?? Numismatic Guide to British & Irish Periodicals 1731-1991 Hardcover 449 Pages (27) Different Joseph Lepczyk Auction Catalogs 1977-1984 To view Steve's book offerings, see: https://www.ebay.com/str/stevehayden/Books/_i.html?store_cat=24750883014 To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: MORE STEVE TANENBAUM LIBRARY SALES (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n22a03.html) CHERRYPICKERS' GUIDE, 6TH EDITION, VOLUME II Dennis Tucker of Whitman Publishing forwarded this press release for the new edition of volume 2 of the Cherrypicker's Guide. Thanks. -Editor Whitman Publishing announces the upcoming release of the newest Cherrypickers??? Guide to Rare Die Varieties. The sixth edition, volume II, will debut in August 2023 at the American Numismatic Association World???s Fair of Money in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In the meantime, the 320-page spiralbound-hardcover book can be preordered for $39.95 online, including at Whitman.com. After the ANA show the Cherrypickers??? Guide will be available from booksellers nationwide. To ???cherrypick??? is to examine coins that appear normal at first glance, seeking those with unusual characteristics???overdates, repunched mintmarks, doubled and tripled dies, and similar features???that reveal them to be rare and valuable. The Cherrypickers??? Guide uses close-up photographs and text descriptions to show collectors what to look for. It includes rarity ratings and retail values in multiple grades. For the latest volume, Cherrypickers??? Guide coauthor Bill Fivaz and professional numismatist Larry Briggs coordinated edits and updates. They reached out to the hobby community for advice, recommendations, research, market analysis, and photographs. The new volume features more than 440 die varieties, including nearly 80 new additions. The book covers Capped Bust and Liberty Seated half dimes, dimes, and quarters; Barber dimes and quarters; Mercury dimes; Roosevelt dimes; twenty-cent pieces; Standing Liberty quarters; and Washington quarters, including the State, D.C., Territorial, and National Park series. Picking up from there, volume III of the sixth edition is slated to debut in 2024. It will cover Capped Bust, Liberty Seated, and Barber half dollars, plus Liberty Walking, Franklin, and Kennedy half dollars, trade dollars, Morgan and Peace silver dollars, modern dollar coins, gold coins (dollars through double eagles), classic commemoratives, bullion, and coins struck for the Philippines under U.S. sovereignty. Bill Fivaz, a coin collector since 1950, has earned recognition as one of the country???s most respected authorities on numismatic errors and die varieties. He is a longtime contributor to the Guide Book of United States Coins (the ???Red Book???), a past governor of the American Numismatic Association, and a past member of the United States Mint???s Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. With the late J.T. Stanton he published the first Cherrypickers??? Guide in 1990, launching the modern boom in interest in die varieties. Volume editor Larry Briggs is well known to the hobby community as a dealer, author, and educator. He was president of the American Numismatic Association???s Authentication Committee. A student of history and archaeology, Briggs served in the U.S. Air Force and worked for Ford Motor Company before launching his own business, Larry Briggs Rare Coins, in 1978. His specialties include error coins and die varieties, Liberty Seated coinage, and early American coppers. ?? # # # Cherrypickers??? Guide to Rare Die Varieties of United States Coins, sixth edition, volume II. By Bill Fivaz and J.T. Stanton; forewords by Kenneth Bressett and Q. David Bowers; edited by Larry Briggs. Publication date: August 2023. Retail $39.95. 320 pages, 6 x 9 inches, spiralbound hardcover. For more information, or to order, see: To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: NEW BOOK: CHERRYPICKERS' GUIDE, 6TH EDITION, VOLUME I (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v18n30a04.html) NEW BOOK: AUSTRALIAN DECIMAL BANKNOTES A new book by Michael Vort-Ronald examines Australian decimal banknotes and designs. Found in an email offering by Renniks. -Editor AUSTRALIAN DECIMAL BANKNOTES AND DESIGNS ?? 35 years since the last general decimal banknotes book, with 330 A-4 pages IN COLOUR (first after 163 previous publications). Over 800 colour images and 75 black and white images with many banknote designs privately published for the very first time. AUTHOR MICHAEL VORT-RONALD ISBN 9780645616255 $109.95 For more information, or to order, see: Australian decimal banknotes and designs catalogue (https://renniks.com/shop/australian-decimal-banknotes-and-designs/) ?? ?? SCRIPOPHILY MAY 2023 ISSUE PUBLISHED The latest issue of Scripophily magazine has been published by the International Bond and Share Society (IBSS). Here's the press release. -Editor The International Bond & Share Society (AKA IBSS ) is an association of people interested in Scripophily. The society was founded in 1978 as a non-profit organization with the goal to promote, encourage and develop all aspects of scripophily. The IBSS has members all over the world and is funded exclusively by the members. The society publishes a Scripophily Magazine three times a year. The Society is led by volunteers for the benefit of its Members, who have a mutual interest in educating, collecting and sharing information of bond, stock and share certificates and company histories. The Society provide a platform to interact with the academic community, museums, members and the general public to share the knowledge and history of these financial documents. The Society welcomes new and old collectors in its efforts to promote the hobby to current and future generations. Scripophily is the study and collection of stocks and bonds. Some people refer to scripophily as a specialized field of numismatics. Scripophily is an interesting area of collecting due to both the inherent beauty of some historical documents as well as the interesting historical context of each document. The latest Scripophily Magazine (May 2023 ??? Issue Number 121) is now available to members. Some of the articles include: $214,000 paid at Christies for one of a series of rare Franklin-signed and designed bonds securing French financing for the American Revolution; Report on the January 2022 convention of the National Stock and Bond Show in the Washington DC area; Stock and bond replicas printed on decorative objects like glasses, towels, pens and the like; The review of the Annual Washington DC show; Nineteenth century painting of Niagara Falls on stocks, bonds and paper money; The top sixty highest prices obtained by stocks and bonds at auction since 1978; Review of stock and bond auctions around the world and much more." Scripophily (scrip-ah-fil-ly) is the name of the hobby of collecting old stock and bond certificates. Certificate values range from a few dollars to more than $500,000 for the most unique and rare items. Over the years, tens of thousands of scripophily buyers worldwide include casual collectors, corporate archives, business executives, museums and serious collectors. Due to the computer age, more and more stock and bonds are issued electronically which means fewer paper certificates are being issued. As a result, demand for paper certificates is increasing while supply is decreasing. Scripophily gained recognition as a hobby around 1970. The word ???scripophily??? was coined by combining words from English and Greek. The word ???scrip??? represents an ownership right and the word ???philos??? means to love. Today there are thousands of collectors worldwide in search of scarce, rare, and popular stocks and bonds. A part of Scripophily is the area of financial history. Over the years there have been millions of companies which needed to raise money for their business. In order to do so, the founders of these companies issued securities. Generally speaking, they either issued an equity security in the form of stock or a debt security in the form of a bond. However, there are many varieties of equity and debt instruments. Each certificate is a piece of history about a company and its business. Some companies became major successes, while others were acquired and merged with other companies. Some companies and industries were successful until they were replaced by new technologies. The color, paper, signatures, dates, stamps, cancellations, borders, pictures, vignettes, industry, stock broker, name of company, transfer agent, printer, and holder name all add to the uniqueness of the hobby. The IBSS is the leading international organization for collectors, dealers and auctioneers in this field. Everybody interested in buying, selling and collecting Scripophily should become a member. Benefits include access to all of the online resources available to members including an online forum where you can contact experts to answer questions about your old stocks and bonds and build relationships with fellow collectors, galleries of rare and beautiful scripophily pieces, and news about the society. To find out more of becoming a member click here https://scripophily.org/membership/join/. For more information on Scripophily please visit https://scripophily.org, https://www.scripophily.com, https://www.oldcompany.com, https://rmsmythe.com, or call 1-703-787-3552 I wish all numismatic societies would send out press releases as nicely made up as this - I'd publish them all. -Editor To read the complete press release, see: Latest Scripophily Journal is Available to Members on International Bond & Share Society (IBSS) Website (https://www.einpresswire.com/article/636373224/latest-scripophily-journal-is-available-to-members-on-international-bond-share-society-ibss-website) NNP ADDS CATHOLIC MEDAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER The latest addition to the Newman Numismatic Portal is the Catholic Commemorative Medal Society Newsletter. Project Coordinator Len Augsburger provided the following report. -Editor Newman Portal adds Catholic Commemorative Medal Society Newsletter Loaned by Ken Berger, Newman Portal recently scanned a 7-year run (1967-1973) of the Catholic Commemorative Medal Society Newsletter. The precise organization of the Society is not clear; it may have been affiliated with the Franklin Mint. In any case, the first issue of the newsletter noted 1,800 charter members, who received series medals as a membership benefit. The strength of the newsletter is the engraver biographies that appear throughout the series. The first issue includes a piece on Gilroy Roberts and includes a list of his principal works. In addition to the newsletters, Ken Berger also forwarded correspondence with Society member Melvin Roland, which includes a prospectus for forthcoming medals, a membership certificate, and other marketing material. Image: Gilroy Roberts, from the April 1967 Catholic Commemorative Medal Society Newsletter Link to Catholic Commemorative Medal Society membership correspondence on Newman Portal: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/627172 Link to Catholic Commemorative Medal Society Newsletter on Newman Portal: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/publisherdetail/549933 VIDEO: OHIO RARE COIN FUND SCANDAL The David Lisot Video Library on the Newman Numismatic Portal can be found at: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/multimediadetail/522852 We highlight one of his videos each week in The E-Sylum. Here's one from 2007 about Tom Noe and the Ohio Rare Coin Fund scandal. -Editor ?? "Coin World" editor Beth Deisher is one of the best- informed observers of the U.S. coin market. This time she turns her attention to the headline-grabbing Ohio Coin Fund Scandal. Who was involved? What happened to the $50+ million investment? How did the liquidation of these coins impact the market? Get the answers in Beth Deisher's fact-filled program. This lecture only presentation includes: how Beth was called by Tom Noe and informed about a breaking news story in the Toledo Blade newspaper about Tom and his business Noe's political background with the state of Ohio difficulty of getting information about the rare coin fund from the government the confiscation of Noe's records and files by Federal officials from his coin shop details of the agreement that created of the Ohio Rare Coin Fund companies and coin dealers involved how during the trial it was revealed that records had been falsified, phony invoices created, and inventories fabricated Noe's conviction of 25 felonies and 4 misdemeanors that lead to his sentencing to 18 years in prison comparison of the performance of the other investment funds for the state of Ohio that the story is still unfolding Speaker(s): Beth Deisher. To watch the complete video, see: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/560271 ?? NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JUNE 4, 2023 A Similar Design to the Great Americans Medal Wayne Pearson writes: "I thought that Yo-Yo Ma medal looked familiar." ?? Interesting similarity, although an eagle is an eagle and there are only so many ways to pose an image of one. The Great Americans medal was launched in 2016; it was designed and sculpted by Welsh artist, engraver and graphic designer Michael Guilfoyle. The design Wayne found was published by the U.S. Mint in 2016 as part of the review process for 2018-2020 Proof American Platinum Eagle designs. Artist names are not revealed during the review process. I don't believe this design was chosen, but I could be wrong. Does anyone know who created it? -Editor The platinum coin image came from this article: 2018-2020 Proof American Platinum Eagle Candidate Designs Unveiled (Updated) (https://www.coinnews.net/2016/09/15/2018-2020-proof-american-platinum-eagle-candidate-designs/) To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: GREAT AMERICANS MEDAL AWARDED TO YO-YO MA (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n22a29.html) Eckberg on Image Fading Bill Eckberg writes: "My computer has images in several formats that date back to 2002. Earlier stuff was lost in a major disk failure. Most of the images are in JPEG, TIFF or PSD format, and I have not seen any evidence of fading of any of the images that I have checked. The images on my computer from decades ago have been copied to several different hard drives over the years, but never by opening and saving, which DOES result in image degradation, particularly of JPEG files. If some people are claiming that digital files can fade, I think it is up to them to provide both evidence and a mechanism. All digital files are represented by a long series of numbers and letters. There is nothing that resembles the original image until it is decoded by software. I can understand that digital files/images can get corrupted and no longer be readable, but I cannot imagine a way that they could ???fade??? or change absent repeated opening and saving. Leaving digital media in a hot car or in direct sunlight for a long time might well corrupt and/or destroy the disk, but I can???t imagine that it would change any image file. Digital files can become unreadable if they were created by software that is not compatible with current computer/software technologies. This relates to Huntoon???s three perspectives: 1. Fading of digital images is real. I say PROVE IT! 2. Fading is dependent on ???how long the image has been stored. Old images may well not be compatible with newer computer/software combinations. Incompatibility is NOT the same as fading. 3. Modern computers can copy stored images???However, what gets copied and checked is what remains of the original in storage at the moment it is copied. That is, of course, obvious, but the implication in the perspective is that the digital files change over time. Again, I say PROVE IT! As to the BEP scan looking washed out, is there any evidence it didn???t look like that when it was first created and saved? A lot of images posted on the web are of less than excellent quality." ?? So far no readers have reported seeing fading in old digital files. We're going in circles on the commentary, but I would welcome further review of Peter's problem. These images were scanned and stored by the Smithsonian, so perhaps their archivists can investigate. As a government agency, they in turn could reach out to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). -Editor To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: MORE ON THE FADING OF DIGITAL IMAGES (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n22a12.html) Harriet Tubman and Bernie Sanders Overstamps Bob Van Arsdell writes: "I just found a Harriet Tubman overstamp on a twenty. Reminds me of the Bernie Sanders overstamp on the one dollar bills" ?? ?? I never saw the Bernie one! And I don't think anyone has reported this particular Tubman stamp, either. This one's pretty crude. -Editor To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: CHURCH STAMPING ALL $20 BILLS WITH TUBMAN FACE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n23a37.html) EXHIBIT: DEFACED! MONEY, CONFLICT, PROTEST (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n41a12.html) Query: The Government Stock Bank of Ann Arbor, MI Lev Linkner writes: "I live in Ann Arbor and have notes from other obsolete banks here. I recently bought this Government Stock Bond of Ann Arbor. From 1851. I can't find any info on Google about this bank. I wonder if any of our readers can help me?" ?? ?? Fuggetabout Google - try the Newman Numismatic Portal. There are dozens of references to the bank. Some are auction listings for the bank's notes from Heritage and others, but there are passages regarding the vignettes on their notes (Zachary Taylor, a pair of quail), an "Unauthorized note from an unfinished plate stolen from the engravers", and "large masses of the bills of the Government Stock Bank lying about some in a trunk". The Bankers Magazine in 1852 reported that "a heavy run" on the bank had taken place. Here's one note image from NNP. -Editor ?? https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/imagedetail/598072 S.F. MINT SUPERINTENDENT STEVENS PHOTO SOUGHT Can anyone help researchers Rich Kelly and Nancy Oliver locate a photo of Robert Julius Stevens, Superintendent of the 1st San Francisco Mint? -Editor ?? Lithograph of the 1st San Francisco Mint Nancy and I have been searching, for several years now, for an image (photo or drawing) of a Mr. Robert Julius Stevens (who also went by Major, and sometimes Colonel R. J. Stevens). We have enough material to write a book about him, but lack the image. He was born in Rhode Island on Feb 18, 1824 and died on Christmas Day, 1889 in Seattle. We are perplexed on finding one since he held several important Federal positions, and have searched the internet, libraries, mint records, newspapers of the time, etc. to no avail. The following were his positions. In 1844 he was U. S. Consulate to Spain at 20 years of age. 1849 - manager of shipping company in San Francisco. 1853 - married the daughter of famous Colonel Edward D. Baker. 1861 - 1863 - Superintendent of 1st San Francisco Mint. 1864 - 1865 - Paymaster of the Union Army during the Civil War, and held the rank of Major. Resigned May of 1865. 1865 - appointed Secretary to the Committee on Appropriations in the House of Representatives in Washington, D. C. , and held that position for some 20 years. 1871, & 1872 appointed Assay Commissioner for the yearly Assay Commission test of U. S. Coinage. 1873 - sent by Treasury Department to investigate, as a Special Commissioner, Indian affairs on the Pacific Coast. 1873 - while still holding the Washington D. C. secretary position he was sent to investigate the west coast mints and assay offices, and he called himself, "Superintendent of Repairs", and sometimes a "Special Agent". 1884 - appointed U. S. Counsel to Canada and lived in Seattle, WA. 1889 - died at daughters' family home on Christmas Day while adorning the Christmas tree. STACK'S BOWERS OPENS BOSTON LOCATION Stack's Bowers recently opened a new location in Boston. Here's the announcement. -Editor ?? A wonderful time was had by all who attended our May 11th grand opening event in the new Boston Gallery. The local crew of Store Manager Stanley Chu, Head Numismatist Kevin Vinton, Chris Bulfinch and Asher Zelson were joined by Brian Kendrella, Christine Karstedt, and Mark Schimel to greet dozens of guests throughout the day. The ribbon cutting ceremony was hosted by Stan. Additional welcoming comments were provided by Abigail Furey, Senior Neighborhood Business Manager from the Boston Mayor???s office and Jim Glickman, Vice President of the C4 organization prior to Brian and Abigail cutting the ribbon. The gallery is located at 84 State Street facing onto Merchant???s Row, a stone???s throw from Faneuil Hall and in the heart of a historically important and very numismatic city. Whether you live in New England or are just visiting the area, please add the new Stack???s Bowers Galleries Boston location to your must-see list! The Colonial Coin Collectors Club (C4) submitted this further report on the event. Great occasion! Thanks. -Editor C4 Participates in Stack???s Bowers Grand Opening of Its Boston Store ?? C4 National Vice-President Jim Glickman The Colonial Coin Collectors Club (C4) participated in Stacks-Bowers Galleries??? gala grand opening of its new Boston Store on May 11, 2023. ??Stack???s Bowers??? recently-opened store is a stone???s throw from Faneuil Hall and the historic Quincy Market at 84 State Street in downtown Boston. ??Several C4 members attended the celebration, and a good time was had by all. ??C4 National Vice-President Jim Glickman was one of the speakers at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, congratulating Stack???s Bowers on its new presence in Boston, as well as recognizing long-time colonial friend and scholar Kevin Vinton, who is head numismatist at the store, and Stack???s Executive Vice-President Chris Karstedt, whom C4 recognized last year with an Honorary Life Membership. ?? If you are in the Boston area, this new store is a worthy numismatic destination. Walk in are welcome or you can call ahead 617.843-8343.??It is refreshing to see a new coin shop open for business. For more information on the Colonial Coin Collectors Club, see: https://colonialcoins.org/ To read the complete article, see: AN EXCITING GRAND OPENING FOR OUR BOSTON GALLERY (https://stacksbowers.com/an-exciting-grand-opening-for-our-boston-gallery/) ?? ?? VOCABULARY TERMS: MULE, MULING Here's another entry from Dick Johnson's Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Terminology. -Editor Mule, Muling. An obverse die mated with a reverse not originally intended. Also called hybrid. Muling takes place usually where a number of similar items are made at the same place and time. Obviously the diameters of both dies must be the same, and both dies suitable for the same press. Coins, medals and tokens have all been muled, some by accident (where the wrong die was inadvertently used). More often, however, it is done by later intent. In some instances a stock die, say the obverse, is used and a custom reverse die is made to mate with this obverse. (Two dies with original intent to be used together are called mated dies). The reasons for muling are several: (1) to create a new variety for collector demand, (2) a new variety for sale to public, (3) to lower cost by using a stock die instead of preparing a new die, and (4) by capricious action or accident. In the history of most mints and medal makers, examples of mules and muling are legion. Private mints are more apt to do muling than national mints, where more constraints are in force on their activity. Muling was rampant in England in the 1790s for halfpenny tokens produced by private mints; likewise muling was prevalent in the United States in the mid 19th century particularly for Civil War tokens and storecards. The medals of engravers of this period, John Adams Bolen and Joseph H. Merriam in particular, were widely muled. Cataloging mules. Numismatists usually need to examine a large number of specimens, or to have intimate knowledge of a series to recognize a mule. By studying the die varieties and die wear the astute cataloger can gain insight into the sequence of use of dies with different mates. Then it will be the cataloger???s duty to chart the relationships between the dies. The chart would identify pieces which are die-linked. In fact such a chart is called a die-link chart, or simply a die chart. A small number of die-linked specimens would form a simple chart. Illustrated here is an example of a chart that is quite complex as numerous obverse and reverse dies are mated more indiscriminately. When photographs are used to illustrate mated die specimens and mule specimens, it is not necessary to obtain new photos of the same design again and again. A composite may be used of an existing photo of that variety with another existing photo to indicate the mule example. Reference: NE42 {1992} Doty, p 222. To read the complete entry on the Newman Numismatic Portal, see: Mule, Muling (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/dictionarydetail/516366) CATHERINE ELIAS BULLOWA-MOORE (1919-2017) E-Sylum Feature Writer and American Numismatic Biographies author Pete Smith submitted this article on the first woman member of the Professional Numismatists Guild. Thanks! -Editor This week I asked myself a question, who was the first American woman coin dealer? I do not know the answer so I asked another question. Who was the first woman member of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG)? That one I could answer. ?? Catherine Elias Bullowa-Moore (1919-2017) She was born as Catherine Elias in Larchmont, New York, on July 21, 1919. Her parents were bank president Henry and Edna Elias. She attended Connecticut College and graduated in 1941 with a degree in zoology. She later credited her education for her ability to grade coins. ???That???s how I knew how to grade coins, from looking at things through a microscope and a magnifying glass.??? Out of college she taught physiology at the Long Island College of Medicine and later at Cornell Medical School. After Army service during World War II, David Marks Bullowa (1912-1953) bought the coin business of Ira Reed in 1946. David met Catherine Elias at the home of Hans M. F. Schulman in 1951 and he hired her to work in the store. They were married on May 3, 1952. Less than two years later, David died of Hodgkin Disease on September 12, 1953. Catherine took over the business to become a full-time woman coin dealer. Shortly after she married David, she applied for associate membership in the ANA and was given number 21166. In September of 1958, she converted to life membership LM 355. In 2006 she was inducted into the ANA Numismatic Hall of Fame. (The only woman dealer in the HOF) Catherine served on the executive committee of the International Association of Professional Numismatists (IAPN) from 1953 to 1971 and then as vice president 1972 to 1979. She was one of the founding members of the Professional Numismatists Guild and issued member number 003 on January 1, 1955. She served as their membership chairman for six years. She married Earl E. Moore (1914-2001) on June 27, 1959. Clearing out the Bullowa business, she shipped 3000 pounds of coins to Dan Brown in Denver. She also donated 21,531 world coins, medals, and paper currencies to the Smithsonian Institution. The donation was noted for 504 early German and Italian silver and copper coins and 62 Goetz medals. She worked briefly for Lester Merkin and continued to conduct business at coin shows. On October 27, 1961, she opened Coinhunter in Philadelphia. The firm conducted auctions from 1974 to 2007. Coinhunter was located in Room 1006 at 1616 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, an Art Deco historic landmark. On June 5, 1964, three gunmen came into the office on the twelfth floor, tied up the staff and raided the safe for about $120,000 in rare coins. Suspects were apprehended and charged. In 1965, she served on the United States Assay Commission. Still at 1616 Walnut Street, in 1984 she moved up into more space and Suite 2112. Her business expanded to include documents and autographs which were the special interest of Earl Moore. In 1997 she was honored by the PNG with their first Lifetime Achievement Award. She was inducted into the PCGS Coin Dealer Hall of fame in 2020. Catherine died at home on May 15, 2017, and is buried with Earl Moore at Arlington Cemetery in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. She had no children. This brings me back to my original question with several variations. 1. Who was the first American woman coin dealer? 2. Who was the first woman coin dealer who did not follow her husband in the business? 3. Who was the first woman to have a bourse table at an ANA convention? 4. Who was the first woman to conduct a numismatic auction? Do any E-Sylum readers have the answers to these questions or similar questions? All great questions! While there are prominent female collectors from the past (such as Sarah Banks and Emery May Norweb) and female dealers of today (such as Ingrid O'Neil and Shanna Schmidt), I'm not familiar with many women dealers of earlier eras, but I'm sure there must be a number of them in the U.S. and around the world. I can only think of one pre-WWII U.S. woman in the coin business. -Editor To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: CATHERINE BULLOWA-MOORE (1919-2017) (https://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n21a09.html) RICHARD LOBEL INTERVIEW PART FIVE Greg Bennick's latest interview for the Newman Numismatic Portal is with London dealer Richard Lobel. Here's the fifth part, where Richard talks about coin investing, the many coins he's had struck over the years, traveling, and the dealers he has known. -Editor ?? Greg Bennick: Amazing. So, what you don???t need to do is you don???t need to take investor money and compromise your ideals is basically what you???re saying. Richard Lobel: No. Because if I take the money -- if I sell you coins for £1,000 pounds as a collector, and you go and sell them back a few years later, and maybe you get £700 pounds. All right. But you still enjoyed them. That???s fine. I haven???t promised you anything. You may get £1,200 pounds, but more likely you???re going to get £700 pounds. Let???s be honest about that. Because if you want to start talking about Royal Mint and US Mint material, right???. We deal in Royal Mint material, and we???re probably one of the largest dealers in the secondary market. When you, as a wholesaler, are tired of what you bought from the mint and got screwed royally, because today for a crown, a £5 pound piece, 38 millimeters struck in sterling silver, not pure silver, they now charge £95 pounds for that. I mean, it???s an outrageous price. It is just, you know. So, I???ll wait until I can buy them for £30 pounds and I can sell them for £50 pounds. And that???s why the Mint and I have a love-hate relationship because they know I cut their prices. Greg Bennick: Yeah. I was going to ask you about this because in the United States, one of the, and there???s certainly a few measurable and numberable elements in the coin market, which have completely sapped collector dollars away over the years, in my opinion, is the Mint because they offer a consistent thread of products that the second they leave the proverbial lot, they lose value. Richard Lobel: Oh, they lose at least half. At least half. Greg Bennick: Right. Richard Lobel: We have, at the moment, a probate lot in with eight huge crates of coins we buy, luckily the man is dead. I don???t mean luckily, but he -- there???s one crate of gold, which is better, but it???s seven crates of silver coin, and I???m telling you he???s going to get a third of what he paid. That???s what it brings. Greg Bennick: I see this all the time in the United States where people will buy Mint product after Mint product, which are sold as numismatic delicacies and they???re sold with the hint, it???s a subtlety, that people are buying investment coins. And they???re simply not. And I think the levels of disappointment are so immense ultimately. And you???re saying that the Royal Mint is similar. I don???t want to condemn??? Richard Lobel: You know, it???s worse than that. Now they???ve bought 25% of sovereign rarities and they???re selling coins, numismatic coins, at outrageous prices. I mean, they are selling -- We just found in one of the safes, we just found 150, 1982 proof sovereigns. It turned out in -- four years ago I bought 400 of them. We must have sold 250. We found 150 of them. We???re going to sell them for £495 pounds each. The Royal Mint charges £720 pounds each for them. And the public will buy from them because they are the Royal Mint and therefore the price is right. It???s not right. We sell an Indian coin, I bought a bunch at auction, came up, George VI. It???s quite an interesting piece, BU, and I bought them for £2 pounds each. And I thought they???re really worth -- I charge £14.95. I thought that???s the right price because it???s George VI, and it is a scarce two year type. And then I see them on the Royal Mint website at £40 pounds each. Now, I mean, I think I???m expensive at £14.95, but I???m not outrageous. And also, what we???ve done as a deal. One of the authors on that book on British Indian coins. We bought Spink out of all the ones they had, so they knocked them out. And so, we now combine the coin with the book to try and get people interested and let them collect something else. But I think that the £40 pounds that the Royal Mint charge for that coin is outrageous. Greg Bennick: You know, it???s odd. Right? Because it???s not like the Mint here in the United States is buying back these products. They don???t do a market in these products. They just simply sell and continue to sell and push out into the world all of these products. And it just -- there there is no market for them. At least it doesn???t seem to me. Richard Lobel: If you call the Royal Mint, they???ll recommend Coincraft, believe it or not. I mean, that???s the most insane thing I???ve ever seen. The only -- there???s two marketing companies in London. Harrington and Byrne, and Hatton???s of London. And somebody bought a lot of gold coins from these people. They sell mostly gold. And they sold it through Steve Fenton???s auction, Knightsbridge Coins. And he actually put there the price that the people had paid. And on average, they brought 30% of what they paid. Gold. Gold we???re talking about. Greg Bennick: Wow. Richard Lobel: You know, I was looking through Krause???s Unusual World Coins the other day and I???ve got 165 listings there of things I???ve struck. There???s more, but they???re not all listed with my name because they don???t know I struck them. You know, I???ve done a lot of things over the years. But I???ve never charged what I think was an outrageous price for them. The first coin I ever struck was in 1965, it was the Cuban souvenir peso. I did it with Richard Margolis and Paul Weinstein. And we sold it in a case, silver, for $12.50 cents retail. They???re now slabbing them, bringing $800. I mean, this is crazy. I mean, I???ve got a friend of mine who collects them in New York and I ask him, ???Why???? I struck them! I know they???re not rare! Greg Bennick: Well, tell me about striking coins. I actually was unaware that you struck coins at any point. So, tell me about the process of striking coins and what did you strike and how did you decide what to create for the numismatic community? Richard Lobel: Well, the biggest thing I???m known for is Edward VIII. Because I???ve struck coins for 24 different countries for Edward VIII. And this was because Geoffrey Hearn, the gentleman I mentioned before, did the original Edward VIII piece, the series of five, well six because the Great Britain was done twice. And in those days, it was all under the table. He used to sell them to Hans MF Schulman in New York, and Foxy Steinberg. And in those days, in this country, the Mint would almost have you arrested for dealing in them. Because they were Edward VIII. At one point, if you cut a coin out, they???d have you arrested, defacing the -- But anyway, so the first one I got involved was with a Cuban souvenir peso, 1965. And the reason was I was at a show, and I think it was at Pittsburgh. I???m not sure. Anyway, Richard hired Paul to drive his coins because Richard had - I don???t know if you knew Richard Margolis??? Greg Bennick: No. Richard Lobel: He was dealing -- he was the one start that started the New York show, the one that comes in -- But he was pedantic to the nth degree and wooden cabinets, all his coins were in a cabinets, which in America was -- Richard turned out that his family owned one and a half miles on either side of the main Jersey road. So, they were very wealthy. But he and Paul had arranged to do this Cuban souvenir but because they were fighting because Paul had an???it was raining and he had an accident, and he turned the car over, and all Richard was worried about where are my coins they are all over the place. So, I got involved in that. And I was young, it was great. We had them struck by Louie of Fulton Street. These big, huge, guys with hairy arms, singlets, upstairs???but they did a beautiful job. And we did all right until the US government stepped in and thought we were counterfeiting a fantasy. I mean, this is???.and we sold as many as we thought we could sell, and we decided we weren???t going to fight the US government. Which was probably a good idea. Greg Bennick: Yeah. Fair enough. Richard Lobel: We didn???t realize they were going to be so terrific afterwards. And then it wasn???t till I moved to this country that I had things struck. I used Tower Mint at one point, Raphael Maklouf, but he was a problem. But I struck a pair of Coronation, sorry, a pair of investiture medallions, 1983 for the Prince Charles. When Prince Charles became Prince of Wales, I struck a pair of medallions for that. And then it just went on. I just decided something looked interesting. Charles and Diana got married. Terrific. Now it???s unsalable because you got to countermark Diana with Camilla. But all right. But at least the King is happy and God bless him and wonderful. I think that???s terrific. You know, and I just did things I wanted to do. And then there???s five, six pieces must be 30 years ago, 35 years ago, Christie???s had for sale some plasters from Humphrey Paget. I bought them, and I left them for years. And then Raphael ran short of money at one point and wasn???t willing to do things he wouldn???t normally do. And I had him make dies for them and I struck them. And one of them was turned out to be the George VI New Zealand dollar. Am I boring you? Greg Bennick: Not at all. Are you kidding me? This is fantastic. Richard Lobel: In other words, the Prince Philip pattern here and then there???s Bolivia. Anyway, I struck them so many in silver, and I sold???like, for instance, I sold the entire George VI New Zealand vintage to my late friend Bob Roberts in Australia, Sydney, Emma and Bob Roberts. He was fantastic. He was a dynamite guy. I mean, he was absolutely wonderful. You know, my wife and I, our hobby is traveling, and we have visited 115 different countries. Greg Bennick: Wow! Richard Lobel: And when I did a -- I used to do a quarter of a million kilometers a year flying around the world on coin business. And I made sure that I got to know the people and I got to know the dealers. I mean, like in Japan, it was Masamichi Oka from Taisei Stamp and Coin. And some people called him Mikie, but he was a gentleman and you could not call them anything but Masamichi. You had to call him Oka San. And it was wonderful. And I would go to Japan to see him or I???d go to you know, I???d go all over. But I got to know the people and I got to know Jacques Schulman in Amsterdam. I got to know Albert Del Monte in Brussels. But knew them very well. Han Schulman, when he had to leave New York, shall we say, and move to Spain???.but when he would come to London, we???d go for dinner, and we???d enjoy. And Hans actually, I have to admit, he saved my life one time. Greg Bennick: Really? Richard Lobel: I bought at an Glendening???s auction???.you know that Hans was the official agent for King Farouk of Egypt. Greg Bennick: That I didn???t know. I didn???t know that. Richard Lobel: Right. And he was big. He was big. And everyone dealt with him through -- King Farouk only dealt with him. And he bought -- Well, he bought the dies years later. He bought the dies that they used to strike some of the coins from King Farouk, but that???s another story. Greg Bennick: Sure. Richard Lobel: But I bought these German pattern five marks in gold. Because I figured it???s got to be King Farouk. I knew -- Anyway. And I sold them to a client in Bermuda for $25,000. Which was a lot of money at the time. There was five or six of them. And I told him they were King Farouk???s. And don???t you think he went out and bought a King Farouk catalog, and they weren???t there. Well, let???s say that being young, foolish, the $25,000 had long fled the office. So, I said, what can I do? You know? And I wrote to Hans who was living in Alicante at the time. And I explained -- I explained what had happened. You know, there???s no sense lying. And I said could they have been sold before the collection? You know, the auction, the big auction. Greg Bennick: Sure. Richard Lobel: And I enclosed a check for $200. You know, it wasn???t much, and the letter came back from Hans. He said, yes. I remember selling those. But give me full details so I can make sure I???m correct. He gave me a letter. And the man had to eat them. And it???s not nice, but you do what you have to do when you???re younger. Greg Bennick: Yeah. Well what I love about all of this, the story of you striking coins, and then just all the different things you struck and the approaches that you took and all of this leading up to the Farouk story. What I love about all this is that you are this renegade spirit all throughout. >From the moment you landed in London, you are a renegade spirit and just doing things on your own terms. Richard Lobel: Oh, absolutely. Yeah. I hope I???ve always been myself. Greg Bennick: Obviously, you certainly have been. And one thing I???m curious about in terms of being yourself, I know that you???re a multiple Guinness World Record holder. And I was wondering if you could tell me -- you mentioned before that you??? Richard Lobel: When the Guinness Book of World Record used to do coins and banknotes, I was listed 14 times. Greg Bennick: And now, you mentioned the Indiana Jones story and the largest number of banknotes and whatnot. What were the other things that you were listed for back in the day. Richard Lobel: For the 1954 penny, that was an interesting thing because the statute of limitation???s up, so that???s okay. At one point, you could not take more than £50 pounds a year out of this country. But as a dealer, you could get a license from???.I had a bank of England license. And Paramount in the States owned a 1954 penny and they wanted $40,000 or $45,000 for it. In fact, I think I bought it for $25,000 and I gave them a check for $40,000, and they gave me a check back for the difference, which was very useful. I was listed for the, let???s say the ???54 penny, the partial Edward VIII set until Larry???Ira Goldberg from Superior bought the entire set. Greg Bennick: Oh, wow. Okay. Richard Lobel: That was the only???the partial set was the duplicates of Mrs. R. Henry Norweb. Greg Bennick: Oh, wow. Okay. Richard Lobel: And Mrs. Norweb was known to never pay anything except out of interest. So, you only got paid twice a year. But Spink had the partial set, and I bought them with someone. It was a long story. And then they were sold to Educational and they were sold to Bowers and Ruddy then I bought them back. It was -- I???ve gotten into a few interesting things over the years lets put it that way. Greg Bennick: Well, you touched on Edward VIII. I wanted to ask you, I know that you???re a specialist in Edward VIII memorabilia and in coins and whatnot. Can you talk about that and why Edward VI is important to you and what stands out about him and his reign? Richard Lobel: Well, the truth is, I was young, I was just reaching puberty and I learned that man had given up the throne for the woman he loved and I was a romantic. I thought it was the greatest thing in the world. Now I know he was a bit of a shit, but that???s okay. But I collect -- I for 50 years, collected Edward VIII, and I have two collections. I have ephemeral which starts with his birth announcement in King George V???s handwriting in the newspaper in 1894 when he was announced. And I bought just recently his daybook from his valet, and it includes the day that he abdicated and it just says ???Fini??? on it. Now he got married at a chateau in France, and I bought the entire archives for the chateau including 63 handwritten letters from the Duchess of Windsor, hundreds of??? Now I have the second finest Edward VIII ephemeral collection in the world. The royal family has the best. There???s no question in the world. But then I go to medallions. And if you???ve ever seen Giordano???s book on Edward VIII, 80% of that is my collection. I have the finest collection of Edward VIII medallions in the world. Greg Bennick: Wow. I need to find this book. Tell me about the book because I want to look it up and I want to add it to my collection. Richard Lobel: It???s Giordano???s Views of a Prince I think it???s called. It???s a big thick book, but 80% of what he???s illustrated in there is mine. Greg Bennick: Fantastic. Richard Lobel: And he gave me two line intros sort of hidden at the front, a really nice guy. But I got back at him when he had to sell his collection at Spink to pay for the book. There were 225 lots, and I think I bought 190. I sat there in the first lot. I had £300 pounds to bid on it and I got it for £70 pounds. I said, it???s going to be a good day. Greg Bennick: That???s amazing. Amazing. So, let???s talk just briefly about The Standard Catalog of English and UK Coins. What was it like writing that and what is the most current and up to date edition just so that???. Richard Lobel: Oh, it hasn???t been done since 2000. It cost me to get into the book publishing business a quarter of a million pounds. I lost a quarter of a million pounds on it. It is a business I never want to go in again. I have no interest in it. I mean, I would publish a catalog of my Edward VIII collection, but only to sell it. In fact, I???ve got a museum at least interested in it, but it???s six and a half million pounds. So, we???re talking a lot of money. Greg Bennick: Yeah. Richard Lobel: But I mean, I???ve got things that???.let???s say, I???ve got the entire archives from the chateau in France. I???ve got hairs from Edward VIII???s head when he was one month old, and six months old. I have just -- because I bought his nanny???s collection. I bought -- I???ve just got incredible things. Greg Bennick: That???s fantastic. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. So, the catalog, though, even without going into the book publishing side of things, the catalog you authored. Right? Richard Lobel: Right. What happened was I looked at -- at that time it was Seabee???s book, now Spink publish it, and they do a much better job. I said, it???s not the way people collect. And I tried to do, I believe people will collect will collect a shilling, will collect the half crown, will collect - - And so I tried to put it that way. And I hired two people to actually do the work, three people, I should say. That???s how it cost me so much money. Alan Halestorm did the modern, Mark Davidson did the earlier ones, Elaine Caligas did the editing sort of. But yes. No. And I corrected -- there were all sorts -- If you can think of what you should not do to publish a book, I did it. It was -- I mean -- And it got to the point where, let???s say, a small dealer, bookshop would order three copies, but they would never pay you, and it wasn???t enough money to sue them. And then you had the big people Krause -- they were terrific. Krause distributed in the States. But WH Smith, which is a big chain of well, papers, you know, everything???we once late in delivery for 15 minutes, and they refused the thing because you were 15 minutes late. I mean, and people didn???t pay, you know, even WH Smith didn???t pay for six months. I mean, it was an interesting thing. And then I decided to accept advertising. And you then try to get the dealers to realize this is the best and it wasn???t expensive. They didn???t want to spend the money. Dealers in general, they don???t want to spend advertising money. They don???t want to do what they should be doing. Greg Bennick: Wow. Well, it???s relatable in a way. I played in bands for many years. And years ago, when we would press seven-inch vinyl records, and we were doing our own distribution. And we???d send out, say, 100 copies somewhere. We???d get paid for that 100 copies but then we would send out 20 packages, maybe of five copies each to smaller distributors. And I would say, whatever the proportion was, I don???t want to name a percentage, would not pay??? Richard Lobel: 80% I would guess. Greg Bennick: Am I going to go after somebody for five records for a total of $15 wholesale? I mean??? Richard Lobel: It doesn???t pay you. Greg Bennick: It doesn???t. It doesn???t. It absolutely doesn???t. Richard Lobel: Yep. The book business is a specialist business and one I don???t want to go into ever again. Although we did two years ago, we bought -- Spink sold us a lot of the books -- We bought, I don???t know, 12,000 books. We???ve got a warehouse elsewhere for them. But it???s great because we were able to buy a two volume set on medallions of the basically print -- the civil war over here with Charles I. And we were able -- they were sold for £175 pounds as a double volume set with a slip case, really nice. Lots of illustrations. We now sell them for £59 pounds a set, and we give you a free cannonball from the civil war. Greg Bennick: That???s amazing. Richard Lobel: Because what I -- I have found that -- we try and put something else in there to make it more interesting. About the Interviewer Greg Bennick (www.gregbennick.com) is a keynote speaker and long time coin collector with a focus on major mint error coins. Have ideas for other interviewees? Contact him anytime on the web or via instagram @minterrors. To watch the complete video, see: Richard Lobel of Coincraft Interviewed for the NNP by Greg Bennick (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/626832) To read the complete transcript, see: Richard Lobel of Coincraft Interviewed for the NNP by Greg Bennick (Transcript) (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/626831) To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: RICHARD LOBEL INTERVIEW, PART ONE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n21a08.html) RICHARD LOBEL INTERVIEW PART TWO (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n21a09.html) RICHARD LOBEL INTERVIEW PART THREE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n22a19.html) RICHARD LOBEL INTERVIEW PART FOUR (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n22a20.html) NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: JUNE 4, 2023 Jeremy Bostwick at Numismagram forwarded these four highlights from his most recent addition of new material. This upload has a particular focus upon award medals and medallic issues related to World War I. For all of this upload's new additions, please visit https://www.numismagram.com/inventory -Editor ?? 102197 | UNITED STATES & NETHERLANDS. Treaty of Commerce silver Medal. Issued 1782 (34mm, 13.90 g, 12h). By J. G. Holtzhey. FAVTISSIMO FOEDERE JVNCTÆ / DIE VII OCTOB MDCCLXXXII (by a most auspicious treaty), Fama (Rumor) seated right upon a cloud, trumpeting and cradling crowned coats-of-arms representing the Dutch Republic and the United States; club and lion skin of Hercules to left // JVSTITIAM ET NON TEMNERE DIVOS (learn justice and not to despise the gods), garlanded pyramidal statue with shield and crossed fasces, which a flying Mercury crowns to upper right; to lower right, basket of fruit set upon anchor; in background, French cock standing right, head left, crowing over the treaty; in two lines in exergue, S. P. Q. AMST. / SACRVM. Edge: Plain. Betts 605. PCGS SP-62. Attractively toned, with some hues of olive-argent and cobalt, along with a great deal of brilliance. Undoubtedly one of the finest examples of the type extant, and extremely rare as such. Far superior to the specimens in the Ford and LaRiviere collections, and much mo re difficult to find than the similar larger module of the design. $1,985. John Adams, the future first Vice President of the United States and second President, served as America's first ambassador to the Dutch Republic at a location in The Hague that became one of America's first embassies in the world. In 1782, he signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce, which strengthened economic ties between the two nations, as well as served as a way to cement America's status as a nascent yet burgeoning nation. To read the complete lot description, see: 102197 | UNITED STATES & NETHERLANDS. Treaty of Commerce silver Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102197) ?? 102414 | UNITED STATES. Philadelphia/Centennial Exposition bronze award Medal. Issued 1877 (76mm, 260.46 g, 12h). By H. Mitchell. Victory seated left on bricks, resting hand upon shield and extending wreath over implements of science, commerce, and learning; in border, thirty-eight stars and four medallions containing representations of the four quarters of the globe // INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION / PHILADELPHIA, MDCCCLXXVI, AWARDED BY / UNITED STATES / CENTENNIAL / COMMISSION in four lines within wreath. Edge: Plain. Julian AM-10; Harkness Nat-300. Gem Mint State. Deep red-brown surfaces, with intense luster in the fields; no rim bruises or scuffs that commonly plague the type. A charming and impressive issue, with a mintage of 12,000 pieces, though few survived this attractive and problem free. $325. The Centennial International Exposition of 1876 had the distinction of being the first such expo to take place within the United States, all while being held during the nation's 100th anniversary of independence. Nearly 10 million visitors viewed such novel inventions as the typewriter, the sewing machine, and the telephone. To read the complete lot description, see: 102414 | UNITED STATES. Philadelphia/Centennial Exposition bronze award Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102414) ?? 102403 | UNITED STATES & SWITZERLAND. Carnegie Hero Fund (Switzerland) bronze award Medal. Instituted 1911. Presented by the Swiss chapter (70mm, 186.78 g, 12h). By H. Frei. ANDREAS CARNEGIE DIE XXII MART MDCCCCXII, female figure advancing right, holding overturned cornucopia // VIRTVTI / DE VITIS HVMANIS / SERVANDIS / OPTIME MERITAE, male rescuing female from drowning in the ocean. Edge: Plain. Gem Mint State. Even brown surfaces, with a delightful matte nature. Includes original case of issue. $395. The Scottish-American steel magnate and philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, created the Carnegie Hero Fund in 1904 to honor and recognize citizens who performed acts of heroism and bravery in the United States. A few years later, he created a similar fund for other countries in Europe to serve a similar purpose. This piece, designed by Hans Frei, displays the elegant and soft beauty more commonly encountered in his numerous Swiss shooting medals. To read the complete lot description, see: 102403 | UNITED STATES & SWITZERLAND. Swiss Carnegie Hero Fund bronze Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102403) ?? 102419 | UNITED STATES & SWITZERLAND. Swiss Gratitude to America bronze Medal. Issued 1918 (39mm, 26.72 g, 12h). By H. Frei. Eagle, holding grain ears in talons, flying right over shoreline; above, clouds in the form of the American flag // TO THE PRESIDENT / AND PEOPLE / OF THE VNITED STATES / OF AMERICA / THE GRATITVDE / OF THE SWISS / FAMILIES / 1918 in eight lines; above, Swiss coat-of-arms between bundles of edelweiss. Edge: Plain. SM 215. Gem Mint State. Olive-bronze surfaces, with a great matte nature. $145. To read the complete lot description, see: 102419 | UNITED STATES & SWITZERLAND. Swiss Gratitude to America bronze Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102419) ?? SOVEREIGN RARITIES AUCTION 9 MEDALS The upcoming Sovereign Rarities sale offers a range of numismatic material including ancient and Byzantine gold coins, Anglo Saxon silver and gold, Newark seige pieces, British gold, and more. It also includes an interesting selection of art medals. Graham Byfield of Sovereign Rarities Ltd mentions some highlights. -Editor ?? There???s a lot of important numismatics out there, and some of it???s expensive. On the other hand there are some rare, interesting and undervalued commemorative medals which don???t always attract a crowd. Readers might consider looking at the modern art medals in our forthcoming auction. There are medals by Th??r??se Dufresne, who???s considered important in this area. There are medals by Kauko Rasanen, for example the three-part medal in the banner above, and other artists, which are genuinely sculptural. Some of these modern artists have large commissions in public spaces in their own country. Some background: Thérèse Dufresne (1937-2010), French artist, sculptor and medallist, whose large, heavy art medals comfortably illustrate the intrinsic link between medals and sculpture. Kauko Rasanen (1926-2015), was a prominent Finnish sculptor and medallist. He was awarded the Medal of Merit of the Finnish Sculptor Association, which was designed by Rasanen himself, and won the coveted Saltus Award in 1987 from the American Numismatic Society. Aimo Johan Kustaa Tukiainen (1917-1996) was a Finnish sculptor who chaired both the Artists' Association of Finland and the Association of Finnish Sculptors. His body of work includes portraits, medals, monumental and small sculptures. His best-known sculpture is the Equestrian statue of Marshal Mannerheim, in Helsinki. Erkki Kannostos best-known work is perhaps his Monument to the Red Prisoners, in Fellmans Park. There???s also a run of chunky, tactile (heavy mind you) medals from the national mints of France, Spain and Portugal. Thank you. Here are some lots that caught my eye. -Editor ?? Lot 257: Société Française des Amis de la Médaille, large bronze medal by F.J., undated, c.1950s, female figure by medal press, holding medals portraying the bust of Athena, SFAM, rev. collage of medals depicting the bust of Athena in the art deco style, 80mm. Extremely fine, scarce. To read the complete lot description, see: Lot 257: Société Française des Amis de la Médaille large bronze Medal (https://auctions.sovr.co.uk/index.php?option=com_bidding&view=timed&layout=details&id=755332) ?? Lot 259: Boston, high relief bronze medal, 1985, by Thérèse Dufresne (1937-2010), cityscape of Boston, signature lower right, rev. tall ship and doorway, 69mm. Extremely fine, scarce. Thérèse Dufresne (1937-2010), French artist, sculptor and medallist, whose large, heavy art medals comfortably illustrate the intrinsic link between medals and sculpture. To read the complete lot description, see: Lot 259: Boston by Th??r??se Dufresne (https://auctions.sovr.co.uk/index.php?option=com_bidding&view=timed&layout=details&id=755335) ?? Lot 288: Exposición Ibero-Americana de Numismática Medallistica de Barcelona, 1958, bronze medal, by FJ, issued by the FNMT, female figure seated left, rev. hands holding hammer and tongs, medal screw press, etc., 75mm; together with Lancashire and Cheshire Numismatic Society, Manchester Museum Exhibition, 1983, base metal medal; 50th anniversary of Krause Publications, 2002, silver or copper-nickel medal; 5th Annual Conference and Exhibition of the Numismatic Society of Calcutta, 1999, copper medal. Extremely fine. (4) To read the complete lot description, see: Lot 288: Spain Numismatics bronze Medals (4) (https://auctions.sovr.co.uk/index.php?option=com_bidding&view=timed&layout=details&id=755333) ?? Lot 251: Centenary of L. M. Ericsson, 1876-1976, bronze and silvered bronze, three-part medal, 1975, by Kauko Rasanen (1926-2015), male and female figures representing telecommunications seated vis-à-vis, rev. quasi-janiform image, a male and a female, incuse and in relief, talking and listening; within the outer parts a separate, silvered-bronze ovoid medal with reclining female nude, talking into a phone, and the facing head of a man also talking into a phone, L M ERICSSON 1876-1976, outer parts 70mm. Extremely fine, rare and very high quality. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, commonly known as Ericsson, the Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company, celebrated its centenary in 1976. Today the company sells infrastructure, software, and services in information and communications technology for telecommunications service providers, and its 150th anniversary will take place in just a few years time. Kauko Rasanen (1926-2015), was a prominent Finnish sculptor and medallist. He was awarded the Medal of Merit of the Finnish Sculptor Association, which was designed by Rasanen himself, and won the coveted Saltus Award in 1987 from the American Numismatic Society. We could be equally justified in describing a medal such as this, sculpture. For other medals on the theme of telecommunications see lot 289 To read the complete lot description, see: Lot 251: Centenary of L. M. Ericsson (1876-1976) (https://auctions.sovr.co.uk/index.php?option=com_bidding&view=timed&layout=details&id=755324) ?? Lot 254: 50th Anniversary of Aspo-Yhtymä Oy, 1979, bronze medal by Aino Tukiainen (1917-1996), image including shipping, rail freight, haulage and other elements of the logistic industry, rev. network or pipelines or conduits against a backdrop of storage containers, 78mm (National Museum of Finland SMM442010:25); together with Finland, Reino Lindroos, heavy bronze medal by Erkki Kannosto, 80mm. Extremely fine, both medals scarce. (2) Aspo-Yhtymä Oy was founded in 1929 and is part of the Aspo Group, which has interests in logistics, environmental technology, and industrial machinery. Aimo Johan Kustaa Tukiainen (19171996) was a Finnish sculptor who chaired both the Artists' Association of Finland and the Association of Finnish Sculptors. His body of work includes portraits, medals, monumental and small sculptures. His best-known sculpture is the Equestrian statue of Marshal Mannerheim, in Helsinki. To read the complete lot description, see: Lot 254: Finland 50th Anniversary of Aspo Yhtymä Oy 1979 (https://auctions.sovr.co.uk/index.php?option=com_bidding&view=timed&layout=details&id=755326) THE BOOK BAZARRE AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS: Are your books carried by Wizard Coin Supply? If not, contact us via www.WizardCoinSupply.com with details. KELLY CIVIL WAR SUTLER TOKEN HIGHLIGHTS In an email to clients on May 22, 2023, Stack's Bowers illustrated highlights of the June 2023 Whitman Expo Auction of the Bill Kelly Collection of Civil War Sutler Tokens. Great history! Some really interesting pieces, especially the colored troops ones. -Editor ?? One of the Finest and Most Extensive Collections Ever Offered More than 140 different varieties of unusually nice quality More than 40 Rarity-9 Tokens ?? ?? Lot 1119 Indiana. 69th Indiana Volunteers. Undated (1861-1865). Wm. Show. Five Cents. Schenkman IN-69-5B (IN-M5B). Rarity-9. Brass. Plain edge. AU-55 (NGC). To read the complete lot description, see: Indiana. 69th Indiana Volunteers. Undated (1861-1865) Wm. Show. 5 Cents. Schenkman IN-69-5B (IN-M5B), W-IN-340-005b. Rarity-9. Brass. Pl... (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1377ZT/indiana-69th-indiana-volunteers-undated-1861-1865-wm-show-5-cents-schenkman-in-69-5b-in-m5b-w-in-340-005b-rarity-9-brass-pl) ?? ?? Lot 1128 Maine. 6th Maine Battery. Undated (1861-1865). C.W. Bangs. 25 cents. Schenkman ME-6-25N (ME-A25N). Rarity-9. Nickel. Plain edge. AU Details (NGC). To read the complete lot description, see: Maine. 6th Maine Battery. Undated (1861-1865) C.W. Bangs. 25 Cents. Schenkman ME-6-25N (ME-A25N), W-LME-100-025J. Rarity-9. Nickel. Plai... (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-13782X/maine-6th-maine-battery-undated-1861-1865-cw-bangs-25-cents-schenkman-me-6-25n-me-a25n-w-lme-100-025j-rarity-9-nickel-plai) ?? ?? Lot 1129 Maryland. 2nd Regiment Maryland Infantry, Potomac Home Brigade. Undated (1861-1865). C. Gilpin. 25 cents. Schenkman MD-2-25B (MD-A25B). Rarity-9. Brass. Plain edge. EF-45 (NGC). To read the complete lot description, see: Maryland. 2nd Regiment Maryland Infantry, Potomac Home Brigade. Undated (1861-1865) C. Gilpin. 25 Cents. Schenkman MD-2-25B (MD-A25B), W... (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-137838/maryland-2nd-regiment-maryland-infantry-potomac-home-brigade-undated-1861-1865-c-gilpin-25-cents-schenkman-md-2-25b-md-a25b-w) ?? ?? Lot 1133 Missouri. 1st Missouri Artillery. Undated (1861-1865). J.W. LaForce. Five Cents. Schenkman MO-1-5C (unlisted in the first edition). Rarity-9. Copper. Plain edge. EF Details (NGC). To read the complete lot description, see: Missouri. 1st Missouri Artillery. Undated (1861-1865) J.W. LaForce. 5 Cents. Schenkman MO-1-5C (unlisted in the first edition), W-MO-100... (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-13784L/missouri-1st-missouri-artillery-undated-1861-1865-jw-laforce-5-cents-schenkman-mo-1-5c-unlisted-in-the-first-edition-w-mo-100) ?? ?? Lot 1152 Ohio. 4th Ohio. Undated (1861-1865). Charles Stevens. Five Cents. Schenkman OH-4b-5B (MD-B5B). Rarity-9. Brass. Plain edge. MS-61 (NGC). To read the complete lot description, see: Ohio. 4th Ohio. Undated (1861-1865) Charles Stevens. 5 Cents. Schenkman OH-4b-5B (MD-B5B), W-OH-220-005b. Rarity-9. Brass. Plain Edge. M... (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1378BC/ohio-4th-ohio-undated-1861-1865-charles-stevens-5-cents-schenkman-oh-4b-5b-md-b5b-w-oh-220-005b-rarity-9-brass-plain-edge-m) ?? ?? Lot 1165 Lot 1165 Ohio. 62nd Regiment Ohio Volunteer Militia. Undated (1861-1865). Hosmer & Crowther. One dollar. Schenkman OH-62-100B (OH-AA100B). Rarity-8. Brass. Plain edge. MS-63 (NGC). To read the complete lot description, see: Ohio. 62nd Regiment Ohio Volunteer Militia. Undated (1861-1865) Hosmer & Crowther. One Dollar. Schenkman OH-62-100B (OH-AA100B), W-OH-64... (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1378H1/ohio-62nd-regiment-ohio-volunteer-militia-undated-1861-1865-hosmer-crowther-one-dollar-schenkman-oh-62-100b-oh-aa100b-w-oh-64) ?? ?? Lot 1199 Pennsylvania. 155th Pennsylvania Volunteers. 1st U.S. Zouaves. Undated (1861-1865). Samuel Pollock. 10 cents. Schenkman PA-155-10R (PA-L10R). Rarity-9. Brown Hard Rubber. Plain edge. MS-62 (NGC). To read the complete lot description, see: Pennsylvania. 155th Pennsylvania Volunteers/1st U.S. Zouaves. Undated (1861-1865) Samuel Pollock. 10 Cents. Schenkman PA-155-10R (PA-L10... (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1378UX/pennsylvania-155th-pennsylvania-volunteers1st-us-zouaves-undated-1861-1865-samuel-pollock-10-cents-schenkman-pa-155-10r-pa-l10) ?? ?? Lot 1200 Pennsylvania. 172nd Pennsylvania Regiment S.M. Undated (1861-1865). John H. Gotshall. 10 cents. Schenkman. PA-172-10WM (PA-M10WM). Rarity-9. White metal. Plain edge. VF-35 (NGC). To read the complete lot description, see: Pennsylvania. 172nd Pennsylvania Regiment S.M. Undated (1861-1865) John H. Gotshall. 10 Cents. Schenkman. PA-172-10WM (PA-M10WM), W-PA-3... (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1378VF/pennsylvania-172nd-pennsylvania-regiment-sm-undated-1861-1865-john-h-gotshall-10-cents-schenkman-pa-172-10wm-pa-m10wm-w-pa-3) ?? ?? Lot 1202 Pennsylvania. Carlisle Barracks. Undated (1861-1865). Christian Inhoff. 50 cents. Schenkman US-PA CB-50C (PA-N50C). Rarity-7. Copper. Plain edge. MS-64 RB (NGC). To read the complete lot description, see: Pennsylvania. Carlisle Barracks. Undated (1861-1865) Christian Inhoff. 50 Cents. Schenkman US-PA-CB-50C (PA-N50C), W-PA-360-050a. Rarity... (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1378WC/pennsylvania-carlisle-barracks-undated-1861-1865-christian-inhoff-50-cents-schenkman-us-pa-cb-50c-pa-n50c-w-pa-360-050a-rarity) ?? ?? Lot 1216 Virginia. 15th Virginia. Undated (1861-1865). G.G. Sawtell. Five Cents. Schenkman VA-15-5B (VA-M5B). Rarity-9. Brass. Plain edge. AU Details???Reverse Scratched (NGC). To read the complete lot description, see: Virginia. 15th Virginia. Undated (1861-1865) G.G. Sawtell. 5 Cents. Schenkman VA-15-5B (VA-M5B), W-VA-320-005b. Rarity-9. Brass. Plain E... (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-13791E/virginia-15th-virginia-undated-1861-1865-gg-sawtell-5-cents-schenkman-va-15-5b-va-m5b-w-va-320-005b-rarity-9-brass-plain-e) ?? ?? Lot 1217 West Virginia. 11th West Virginia Regiment. Undated (1863-1865). Bare & Rauch. Five Cents. Schenkman WV-11-5Ba (WV-A5Ba). Rarity-8. Brass. Plain edge. EF Details (NGC). To read the complete lot description, see: West Virginia. 11th West Virginia Regiment. Undated (1863-1865) Bare & Rauch. 5 Cents. Schenkman WV-11-5Ba (WV-A5Ba), W-WV-100-005b. Rar... (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-13791T/west-virginia-11th-west-virginia-regiment-undated-1863-1865-bare-rauch-5-cents-schenkman-wv-11-5ba-wv-a5ba-w-wv-100-005b-rar) ?? ?? Lot 1225 United States. 117th United States Colored Troops. Undated (1861-1865). C.H. Smith. 50 cents. Schenkman US-117-50B (NL-W50B). Rarity-9. Brass. Plain edge. AU-50 (NGC). To read the complete lot description, see: United States. 117th United States Colored Troops. Undated (1861-1865) C.H. Smith. 50 Cents. Schenkman US-117-50B (NL-W50B), W-CI-140-05... (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-13795L/united-states-117th-united-states-colored-troops-undated-1861-1865-ch-smith-50-cents-schenkman-us-117-50b-nl-w50b-w-ci-140-05) ?? ?? Lot 1227 United States. 119th Regiment United States Colored Infantry. Undated (1861-1865). J.M. Longwell. 50 cents. Schenkman US-119-50WM (NL-S50-WM). Rarity-8. White metal. Plain edge. MS-61 (NGC). To read the complete lot description, see: United States. 119th Regiment United States Colored Infantry. Undated (1861-1865) J.M. Longwell. 50 Cents. Schenkman US-119-50WM (NL-S50... (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-13796I/united-states-119th-regiment-united-states-colored-infantry-undated-1861-1865-jm-longwell-50-cents-schenkman-us-119-50wm-nl-s50) KUENKER JUNE 2023 AUCTION 387 Here's the announcement for the first of Künker's four June 2023 sales. -Editor >From Taler to Mark and Beyond In June, Künker will hold four auction sales. This preview is dedicated to the public auctions 387-388 from 20 to 22 June. Among other things, auction 387 includes Swedish rarities from the Ekström Collection, another part of the Popken Collection with lösers as well as a small series on Mecklenburg. Auction 388 covers German coins from 1800 to 1918. >From 20 to 24 June 2023, Künker will hold their extensive Summer Auction Sales. In this preview, we will exclusively deal with the two public auction sales that take place from 20 to 22 June in Osnabr??ck. The two eLive Premium Auctions will be presented in a separate preview. Auction 387 starts with Swedish rarities from the Gunnar Ekström Collection, the most important private collection of Swedish coins and medals that has been compiled to date. This is followed by world issues with a focal point on the German States, including numerous high-caliber pieces. Moreover, auction 387 presents another part of the Friedrich Popken Collection with selected lösers and a small series with Mecklenburg issues. Auction 388 contains German coins from a North German private collection, which were minted between 1800 and 1918 and are of outstanding quality. The offer includes all rarities and, of course, the popular Frederick the Wise issue. Rarities from the Gunnar Ekström Collection Gunnar Ekström is a key figure of Swedish numismatics. Over several decades of active collecting, he compiled what is the most important private collection of Swedish coins and medals to date. His wife decided to sell the collection and use the proceeds to set up a foundation, which has had a profound impact on Swedish numismatics ever since. For example, it funds the professorial chair for Numismatics and Monetary History of the University of Stockholm as well as the numismatic research team that revolutionized what we know about Viking-age and other medieval finds of Northern Europe. Leading numismatists such as Britta Malmer, Kenneth Jonsson and Jens Christian Moesgaard were able to pursue their research thanks to the Gunnar Ekström Foundation. The example of this collector clearly demonstrates that a single individual certainly has the power to positively influence the development of the research landscape. The series of issues from the Gunnar Ekström Collection offered at Künker is from the possession of the Ekström Foundation, which had displayed it in a showcase at the former museum for Economic and Monetary History in Stockholm. Since the museum closed down and there is no space for this showcase in the new location of the Royal Coin Cabinet, the foundation board decided to offer the previously withheld rarities of the collection on the market to increase the foundation???s financial means. You can look forward to extremely rare coins and medals, including pieces that the Swedish King Gustav III himself gave as a present to his cousin Peter Frederick Louis, the later Duke of Oldenburg! ?? No. 12: Sweden / Pomerania. Charles X Gustav, 1654-1660. 2 ducats 1658, Stettin. From the Gunnar Ekström Collection, part 8, Ahlström auction 35 (1987), No. 161. Very rare. Very fine +. Estimate: 10,000 euros ?? No. 15: Sweden / Pomerania. Charles XI, 1660-1697. 1675 Reichstaler, Stettin. From the Gunnar Ekström Collection, part 8, Ahlström auction 35 (1987), No. 225 and Carl Pogge Coll., L. & L. Hamburger auction 36 (1903), No. 1186. Extremely rare. Extremely fine to FDC. Estimate: 15,000 euros ?? No. 19: Gustav III, 1771-1792. Gold medal of 27 ducats 1761, celebrating his 16th birthday, by Gustav Ljungberger. From the Gunnar Ekström Collection, part 8, Ahlström auction 35 (1987), No. 495 and the Grand Duke Frederick Augustus of Oldenburg Collection, Riechmann & Co. auction 26 (1924), No. 50. Very rare. Extremely fine to FDC. Estimate: 20,000 euros World Coins Coins and medals from all continents, minted between the Middle Ages and the recent past can be found in auction 387. No matter what field you are interested in: do not miss out on taking a close look at this catalog. It contains interesting objects from almost all numismatic fields. We will limit this preview to a few highlights that serve to illustrate the high standard of the offered issues. But do not be fooled! There are also numerous lots with three-figure estimates on offer. You see, there truly is something for everyone. Let us start with the chapter for fans of coins from Great Britain. Here we have an extremely rare pattern of the 2-guineas piece from 1777. It features the portrait of George III on the obverse and was graded PF63 CAMEO by NGC, a rarity par excellence that testifies to the British mint???s fruitless efforts of creating a multiple gold coin for circulation. The much-later minted and significantly more popular ???Una and the Lion??? issue served the same purpose. This pattern dates to 1839, i.e., to the beginning of the reign of young Queen Victoria. Künker is able to offer a specimen of this famous coin type graded PF61 CAMEO. Another, truly spectacular piece ??? for both friends of Russian numismatics as well as lovers of Prussian issues ??? is a perfectly preserved gold medal of which probably only this very piece exists in private possession. It is reminiscent of the treaty concluded by Prussia, Russia and Sweden in 1762. At the beginning of the year, the death of Elizabeth I had led to the accession to the Tsar???s throne of the Prussian admirer Peter III. Through a surprising change of alliances, he ensured the survival of the Prussian kingdom. This is commemorated by this medal. Legend has it that the Jewish Enlightenment philosopher Moses Mendelssohn came up with the idea for the design. However, this caused Peter to lose many sympathies at home, especially among the Russian military. Therefore, military officials did not hesitate to support Peter???s wife Catherine. Catherine, for her part, feared that Peter might divorce her due to her infidelity, among other things. Therefore, she and her lover launched an intrigue that had a lasting impact on Russian history. What would have happened if Peter III had actually managed to liberate the serfs like he planned? Would there have even been a Russian Revolution at all? We will never know. The medal offered at Künker is a captivating testimony to a crucial turning point in history. This catalog also offers numerous examples of Habsburg multiple gold issues. At least as exciting is the small series of medals ??? or, as the Dutch say, ???Historie-Penninge???. Our example is a crowded medal on the Peace of Breda in 1667. Let us round off this section with another medal that refers to a historical turning point. From the Princely F??rstenberg Coin Cabinet in Donaueschingen, Künker offers a contemporary silver medal commemorating the defeat of Mohacs and the death of the Hungarian King Louis II in 1526. The latter???s death cleared the way for the Habsburgs to take power. ?? No. 42: Belgium. Charles II of Spain, 1665-1700. 8 souverains d???or (ducaton d???or), 1694, Bruges. From the Caballero de las Indias Collection, part 2, Aureo & Calico auction 218 (2009), No. 950. Only 639 specimens minted. Extremely fine. Estimate: 60,000 euros ?? No. 123: Great Britain. George III, 1760-1820. Pattern of 2 guineas 1777, London. From the J. Halliburton Young Collection, Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge auction (1881), No. 446. Extremely rare. NGC PF63 CAMEO. Proof, minimally touched. Estimate: 100,000 euros ?? No. 127: Great Britain. Victoria, 1837-1901. 5 pounds 1839, London, ???Una and the lion???. Very rare. NGC PF61 CAMEO. Proof, minimally touched. Estimate: 100,000 euros ?? No. 182: Russia. Peter III, 1762. 1762 gold medal commemorating the Treaty of Hamburg concluded by Prussia, Russia and Sweden. Probably the only specimen in private possession. Extremely fine to FDC. Estimate: 100,000 euros ?? No. 293: Holy Roman Empire. Ferdinand II, 1592-1618-1637. 10 ducats 1632, St Veit. From the Kroisos Collection, Stack???s auction (2010), No. 483. Extremely rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 125,000 euros ?? No. 294: Holy Roman Empire. Tyrol. Archduke Leopold V, 1619-1632. 8 ducats n.d. (1626), Hall, commemorating his wedding to Claudia the Medici. From the Rudolf Scherer Collection (1912). NGC AU55 (Top Pop). Extremely rare. About extremely fine. Estimate: 100,000 euros ?? No. 295: Holy Roman Empire. Leopold I, 1657???1705. 10 ducats 1675, Kremnica. From Künker auction 214 (2012), No. 7520. Very rare. With incised face value ???10???. About extremely fine. Estimate: 150,000 euros ?? No. 681: Netherlands / Breda. Silver medal commemorating the Peace of Breda on 31 July 1667. Very rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 5,000 euros ?? No. 750: Hungary. Louis II, 1516-1526. Silver medal commemorating his death at the Battle of Mohacs in 1626. From the Princely Fürstenberg Coin Cabinet Donaueschingen, part III, Adolph E. Cahn auction 77 (1932), No. 765. Original strike. Very fine. Estimate: 12,500 euros ?? No. 754: China. Hsuang Tung, 1908-1911. 25 cents (1/4 dollar) n.d. (1910), Tientsin. Pattern with smooth edge. NGC PF 65 CAMEO. Extremely rare. Proof. Estimate: 75,000 euros Coins from the German States As always, Künker presents an extensive offer of coins and medals from the German States, including many gold and silver rarities. Within the Brunswick chapter, another part of the Friedrich Popken Collection of selected lösers will be sold. The varied designs of the coins are a delight to every connoisseur. And every coin enthusiast will find their special favorite. In addition to numerous rarities, experts will spot a small series with Mecklenburg coinage. It includes, for example, an extremely rare pistole of 5 talers, minted on the occasion of the visit of Grand Duke Frederick Francis I to the mint of Schwerin, which was under construction at the time. To demonstrate the power of the new machines, eight gold and twenty silver specimens were struck with this die. ?? No. 368: Brandenburg-Prussia. Frederick II, 1740-1786. Double Friedrich d???or 1753, Cleve. From the Achim von Thielau Collection, Schulmann auction 249 (1969), No. 1167. Extremely rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 50,000 euros ?? No. 446: Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Frederick Francis I, 1785-1837. 5 talers (pistole), 1828, commemorating the visit of the Grand Duke to the old mint of Schwerin. Only 8 specimens minted. Extremely fine. Estimate: 15,000 euros ?? No. 482: Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Johann Ernst VIII, 1680-1729. 2 ducats 1698, Saalfeld. The only known specimen. Very fine to extremely fine. Estimate: 30,000 euros ?? No. 484: Schwarzenberg. Josef Adam, 1732-1782. 10 ducats 1741, Vienna. Extremely rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 125,000 euros ?? No. 944: Brunswick. Augustus the Younger, 1635-1666. löser of 5 reichstalers 1666, commemorating his death, Zellerfeld. From the Popken Collection. About extremely fine. Estimate: 40,000 euros ?? No. 958: Brunswick-Calenberg-Hanover. George William, 1648-1665. löser of 6 reichstalers 1660, Zellerfeld. From the Popken Collection. Extremely rare. Very fine +. Estimate: 50,000 euros ?? No. 1096: Mecklenburg-Güstrow. Gustav Adolph, 1636-1695. Reichstaler 1668, Güstrow. Very rare. Very fine. Estimate: 10,000 euros ?? No. 1126: Osnabr??ck / Bishopric. Franz Wilhelm von Wartenberg, 1625-1661. Reichstaler n.d. (around 1637), M??nster. Very rare. Very fine. Estimate: 15,000 euros ?? No. 1215: Wallenstein. Albrecht, 1623-1634, Duke of Friedland. Reichstaler 1629, Jitschin. Very rare. Very fine. Estimate: 20,000 euros KUENKER JUNE 2023 AUCTION 388 Here's the announcement for the second of Künker's four June 2023 sales. -Editor Catalog 388: From Taler to Mark Collectors of German coins must also study catalog 388, which presents another collection of coins that were minted between 1800 and 1914. Künker dubbed this catalog ???From Taler to Mark???, and the contents were compiled by a North German private collector. The period between the turn of the century and the end of the First World War is one of the most fascinating episodes of the German past, both from the point of numismatics and history. This era saw the development of what we call the Federal Republic of Germany today. Many coins were created in the presence of the ruling prince at the time. They are a testament to the fact that rulers were highly interested in having an efficient monetary system. The credo of the economists of the time was that a German state without customs barriers be set up that had a currency that could be converted as easily as possible. They hoped that this would lead to progress following the British model. This required a shift from the self-sufficient subsistence economy of a peasant society to an industrial nation based on the division of labor. At the time, no one bothered about the collateral damage that would ensue from this progress, i.e., the destruction of livelihoods and the starving unemplo yed people. They also did not care about the fact that the trade war could turn into a real war at any time. Catalog 388 contains all the testimonies to that century: konventionstalers and special issues dedicated to mint visits, diligence medals and commemorative coins. Moreover, collectors will also find those rare issues of the German Empire of which only tiny mintage figures could be created during the First World War due to a shortage in precious metal, for example the Bavarian Wedding issues or those showing Frederick the Wise. It should also be mentioned that the collector paid attention to outstanding quality! ???Extremely fine???, ???Extremely fine to FDC???, ???First strike??? and ???Proof??? are the most common descriptions that you will find in this catalog. To order a catalog, contact Künker, Nobbenburger Straße 4a, 49076 Osnabrück; phone: +49 541 / 962020; fax: +49 541 / 9620222; or via e-mail: service at kuenker.de. You can access the auction catalogs online at www.kuenker.de. If you want to submit your bid from your computer at home, please remember to register for this service in good time. ?? No. 1553: Brunswick. Charles II, 1815-1830. Under the guardianship of King George IV of Great Britain, 1820-1823. 1821 konventionstaler (speciestaler). Very rare. About FDC. Estimate: 7,500 euros ?? No. 1599: Nassau. Frederick William of Weilburg, 1806-1816. Konventionstaler n.d. (1815), commemorating the visit to the mint in Ehrenbreitstein. Hybrid coin. Extremely rare. Brilliant uncirculated. Estimate: 25,000 euros ?? No. 1605: Oldenburg. Paul Frederick Augustus, 1829-1853. Double vereinstaler 1840 for the Principality of Birkenfeld. First strike, FDC. Estimate: 5,000 euros ?? No. 1664: Württemberg. Frederick II (I), 1797-1806-1816. Konventionstaler 1806, Hanau. Very rare. Very fine to extremely fine. Estimate: 7,500 euros ?? No. 1710: German Empire. Bavaria. 3 marks 1918. Commemorating the golden wedding anniversary of the Bavarian royal couple. Very rare. About FDC. Estimate: 40,000 euros ?? No. 1722: German Empire. Hesse. 2 marks 1876. Extremely rare in this quality. Proof. Estimate: 25,000 euros ?? No. 1798: German Empire. Saxony. 3 marks 1917. Frederick the Wise. The rarest silver coin of the German Empire. Proof. Estimate: 100,000 euros ?? No. 1892: German Empire. Mecklenburg-Strelitz. 10 marks 1873. Very rare, especially in this quality. Extremely fine to FDC. Estimate: 50,000 euros ?? No. 1927: German Empire. Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. 20 marks 1872. Very rare, especially in this quality. Extremely fine to FDC. Estimate: 100,000 euros VILA RICA MOEDAS AUCTION 16 Vila Rica Moedas of Brazil will hold an auction June 21-23, 2023. Here's the announcement and highlights. -Editor Vila Rica Moedas (www.vilaricamoedas.com) is a Numismatic company based in São Paulo, Brazil, and it is run by its two partners David André Levy and Hilton Lúcio, both authors of reference catalogs and accomplished numismatists. Vila Rica will hold its Auction 16 on June 20-22. The auction is internet-only and split over three sessions. It will offer a vast range of Brazilian coins from Colonial to Republican issues, in all metals, with a fine selection of gold coins including a few rarities such as 6400 Réis 1731 from Minas Gerais mint and the extremely rare and key date 1862 of the 20.000 Réis series. Featured in this auction will be a collection of military decorations of the Paraguay and Cisplatine Wars, a collection of 960 Réis overstrikes including a rare combination of 960 Réis struck over a Mexico pillar 8 Reales that has been used as host, and a fine set of coins of the Weimar Republic. The War of Paraguay was the deadliest and bloodiest inter-state war in Latin American history and lasted from 1864 to 1870. The war began because of a conflict between Paraguay and Brazil caused by the previous Uruguayan War. Argentina and Uruguay entered the war against Paraguay in 1865, and it then became known as the "War of the Triple Alliance???. As a result of the war, Paraguay was forced to cede disputed territory to Argentina and Brazil. Some highlights from the sale follow: ?? Lot 22 - Brazil, 6400 Réis, 1733M. Gold. AI O281. MBC. Removed from jewelry. Still attractive and well struck. A rarity from the elusive Minas Gerais mint. Overdate. Extremely rare in any condition. ?? Lot 41 - Brazil, 20000 Réis, 1862. Gold. AI O682. NGC AU50. Key date and the most important coin of the whole 3rd System series. Extremely rare. ?? Lot 135 - Brazil, 960 Réis, 1818R. Silver. Levy - UNLISTED (RRR); AI P428a; Lup 8A. MBC. Struck over 8 Reales Mexico 1766FM Carolus III ??? pillar dollar. Very rare. Not reported on Levy. It comes with a certificate of authenticity issued by Abibonds, with a complete description of the coin and the overstrike. Columnario overstrikes are among the most sought after and valued and very rarely they are offered at public auctions. The War of Paraguay was the deadliest and bloodiest inter-state war in Latin American history and lasted from 1864 to 1870. The war began because of a conflict between Paraguay and Brazil caused by the previous Uruguayan War. Argentina and Uruguay entered the war against Paraguay in 1865, and it then became known as the "War of the Triple Alliance???. As a result of the war, Paraguay was forced to cede disputed territory to Argentina and Brazil. ?? Lot 323 - Brazil, Military Decoration. Pedro I. Medal of Distinction of the Army of the South, also known as Medal of the Baron of Laguna, or Medal L??cor. 1823. Silver and gilded silver. 7.21g; 34x26 mm. Meili 10 (var); Chao page 72 (var). Very attractive. Extremely rare and of important historical significance - it is the First Decoration of the Empire of Brazil (for the historical context of this Decoration, read the article on Decorations of the Cisplatine Campaigns at https://www.vilarimoedas.com/artigos/). The cross is surmounted by a winged dragon representing the House of Bragan??a. On the obverse, the center is in blue enamel, engraved with an olive branch with five leaves, placed on the Serro de Montevideo; with the inscription MONTEVIDEO at the top and four stars at the bottom. On the reverse, the center in green enamel with the legend PETRUS / I. B. I / D., meaning Petrus Primus, Brasiliae Imperator Deedit (Pedro Primeiro, Emperor of Brazil, dedicates him), surmounted by a laurel wreath. On the arms are inscribed which of the years of the conflict the decorated person served; in the case of this example 1817, 1818, 1819, 1820, 1821 and 1822. The medal is accompanied by an original certificate dated July 20, 1823, and signed by the Viscount of Laguna himself, granting a silver cross (like the one offered here) to a Captain of the 2nd Militia Corps of S??o Paulo, José Bonifácio de Toledo for services rendered in 1818, 1819, 1820, 1821 and 1822. Fernando Chao at Premios y Condecoraciones in Territorio Uruguayo 1807-1830, Rosario, 2020 (also offered in this auction - see lot 397) lists 8 copies: Jacques Schulman 1924 (lot 24), Private Collection (sold at the 14th Vila Rica Coins Auction, lot 255), Revista da SNB 1938, Julius Meili (the same as in Jacques Schulman 1911), Museum Udaondo (former Enrique Penã Collection), Eugênio Teixeira Leal Museum Collection (Inventory of Banco Econômico da Bahia), another from Museo Udaondo (former Enrique Penã Collection) but with only two dates, and Ex Collection Marcelo Tibúrcio. The example offered here is almost identical to the one illustrated in Meili (see attached photo), and certainly produced by the same goldsmith. The two notable differences are the inversion of the centers in relation to the years engraved on the arms of the cross, and the orientation of the years 1821 and 1822 - in Meili they are horizontal, while in this example they are vertical. ?? Lot 324 - Brazil, Military Decoration. Pedro II. Uruguay Campaign. First Class Gold Medal 1852. 25.30g; 85mm (the set); 30mm (the medal). Meili 118 (in silver, not listed in gold). Instituted by the Imperial Decree of March 14, 1852, for the allied forces commanded by the Argentine general Urquiza, and by the Brazilian Caxias, who defeated the dictator Juan Manuel de Rosas. Complete with crown, ring, ribbon, suspender/bar. EXTREMELY RARE in such completeness. UNC, with some cleaning hairlines. No more than three known pieces, only two of which are complete with original crown, ribbon, and suspender. ?? Lot 329 - Argentina, Military Decoration. Battle of Pago Largo, 1839. Silver. 15.23g; 38x30 mm (without ring). Cunietti 109. Very attractive. Rare. Non-original hoop. Obverse with laurels around the coat of arms of Argentina at the top and above the text MARZO 31 DE 1839 / EL GOBIERNO DE LA / CONFEDERACION ARGENT.A / AL PATRIOTIMO Y / AL VALOR above palm and olive branch, all within a large wreath of flowers; Reverse with laurels around the text VALIENTE DEFENSOR IN LOS CAMPOS DEL PAGO LARGO DE LA LIBERTAD DE LA CONFEDERACI??N ARGENTINA Y DE LA INDEP?? AMERICANA above the flags, all within the wreath of flowers. The Battle of Pago Largo was an armed confrontation that took place on March 31, 1839, between the troops of the governor of Entre R??os, Brigadier General Pascual Echague (who was loyal to the provincial governor of Buenos Aires at the head of Argentina's foreign relations, General de Juan Manuel de Rosas Brigade) and those of the governor of Corrientes, Colonel Genaro Beron de Astrada, killed during the fighting. After his victory, Echague's army invaded the Banda Oriental (today Uruguay), but was repelled. Ironically, the cavalry of the province of Entre Rios was commanded by Colonel Major Justo José de Urquiza, lieutenant of Echague, who, years later, in 1852, would defeat Rosas in the definitive battle of Caseros, an event that would make him leave his long government and flee to the exile in England until his death. Urquiza became the first president of the Argentine Confederation, based in Paran??, and is still revered today in Entre Rios as a provincial hero. ?? Lot 333 - Brazil, Military Decoration. Pedro II. Gold. 12.7g; 25x20 mm (without ring). Meili 122. Light old cleaning. Very attractive. Granted to the garrison of Fort Coimbra when, in 1864 and during the Paraguayan War, 120 Brazilians resisted the attack of 3,000 Paraguayans. On the obverse ???VALOR E LEALDADE???, surrounded by a laurel wreath; and on the reverse "26.27.28. DE DEZEMBRO FORTE DE COIMBRA 1864???. With original Ring. Very rare. Gold medals were awarded to generals or other high-ranking officers. Given the size of the garrison, it is reasonable to assume that there would be no more than 2 or 3 high-ranking officials, making this, therefore, a very rare medal and of high historical importance. ?? Lot 337 - Brazil, Military Decoration. Pedro II, War of Paraguay. Surrender of Uruguayana, 1865. Gold. 9.83g; 33mm (the set); 20mm (the medal). With original ring. Meili 123 (in silver); Pratt CP 37. Only 2 or 3 known in gold and with original ring. Just a few light hairlines, and very attractive ?? Lot 340 - Paraguay, Military Decoration. Military Award, War of the Triple Alliance (Guerra do Paraguay), Batalla de Tataiyba, October 21, 1867. Silver. 14.52g; 30 mm. Pratt CP 12. Legend on the obverse: EL MARISCAL LOPEZ A LOS VALIENTES DE TATAIYBA. MBC/Sub. Pratt CP 12. Extremely rare in silver, and an important issue for collectors in Paraguay. All of them are regarded as unique pieces, as they were made by hand on the spot. A highlight in every collection of Paraguayan medals. ?? Lot 345 - Argentina, Military Decoration. War of the Triple Alliance against Paraguay. Award to those who finished the Paraguay Campaign, awarded in 1871. Gold. 11.23g; 28 mm. Cunietti 274. Pratt CP 43b. Hoop removed. Despite a light cleaning, it retains much of its original luster. Very attractive. Obverse: arms of Argentina, around EJERCITO ARGENTINO / DE OPERACIONES CONTRA EL PARAGUAY; Reverse with sun and rays, caption AL VALOR Y LA CONSTANCIA / * LA NACION AGRADECIDA *. Very rare. The auction will take place on June 20, 21 and 22nd. Registration for bidding can be done at https://leiloes.vilaricamoedas.com/. If you need help, please feel free to contact either David or Hilton through the email info at vilaricamoedas.com and they will help you with registration. Bids can also be accepted through the Sixbid platform. HERITAGE JUNE 2023 HONG KONG SALE HIGHLIGHTS Here's the press release for Heritage Auctions??? June 21-23 Hong Kong sale. Some great coins here. -Editor Elite selections from ancient China through the Qing, Republic and People???s Republic eras make Heritage Auctions??? June 21-23 HKINF World Coins Platinum Session and Signature® Auction - Hong Kong one of the strongest and most comprehensive ever assembled by the world???s leading auctioneer of coins and currency. ?? Lot 30031: Long-Whiskered Dragon Dollar Among the top attractions in the auction is a Hsüan-t’ung silver Specimen Pattern ???Long-Whiskered Dragon??? Dollar Year 3 (1911) SP63 NGC, which is among the famed Pattern issues of Luigi Giorgi that are so popular among collectors, many of whom consider them to be ???holy grails??? among Chinese numismatics. Tops among them are the Long-Whiskered Dragon dollars of 1911, produced during the final year of the Qing Dynasty. Giorgi is known best for his portraiture of the Republic???s first president, Yuan Shih-kai, immortalized on the 1914 issues utilizing the ???Plumed Hat??? and profile portraits like the Republic Yuan Shih-kai silver Specimen Pattern ???L. Giorgi??? Dollar Year 3 (1914) SP63 NGC that also is offered in this auction, but his most desirable design, according to historic auction results, remains the Long-Whiskered Dragon Dollar. ???The world-class lots that comprise this auction make it one of the finest we have seen in a single auction,??? says Cris Bierrenbach, Executive Vice President of International Numismatics at Heritage Auctions. ???The ???Long-Whiskered Dragon??? dollar is exceedingly popular, because the Dragon design eventually proved to be a trial concept that didn???t last very long, which sends desire soaring.??? ?? Lot 30064: Dragon & Phoenix 10 Dollars Year 15 Among the top draws from the provincial series are a pair of magnificent coins that have not come through Heritage Auctions in years and rarely come to market in gem preservations: a Shantung. Republic gold Pattern ???Dragon & Phoenix??? 10 Dollars Year 15 (1926) MS65+ NGC and a Shantung. Republic gold Pattern ???Dragon & Phoenix??? 20 Dollars 1926 MS64★ NGC. The 10 Dollar Pattern is an extraordinary example of the very rare Pattern issue by the colorful warlord, Zhang Zongchang, whose brief era of reign over his native Shandong was nothing short of tumultuous. The offered example possesses the highest awarded grade across PCGS and NGC. The now-iconic ???Dragon & Phoenix??? designs of the Republican issues are most attainable in silver, but those struck in gold for Shantung province at the behest of Zhang Zhongchang are nearly unheard of, a fact confirmed by their general paucity in recent auction listings and absence from numerous major collections. In the last 20 years, only a handful of these 20 Dollar Patterns have surfaced, the last at Heritage being the MS64 2014 Ultima specimen. The auction includes a gorgeous selection of coins celebrating the years on the Chinese calendar of various animals. Included among the highlights, in terms of desireability and sheer size, are one of just three certified examples (from a mintage of just 15) of the People???s Republic gold Proof Scalloped ???Year of the Monkey??? 10000 Yuan (Kilo) 2004 PR68 Ultra Cameo NGC, one of just 15 examples struck of the People???s Republic gold Proof Scalloped ???Year of the Rooster??? 10000 Yuan (Kilo) 2005 PR67 Ultra Cameo NGC and the finest certified People???s Republic gold Proof Scalloped ???Year of the Dog??? 10000 Yuan (Kilo) 2006 PR68 Ultra Cameo NGC, which also is from a mintage of just 15. ?? Lot 30044: Kuang-hsü silver Specimen Pattern 50 Cents A Hunan. Kuang-hsü silver Specimen Pattern 50 Cents ND (1898) SP55 NGC is one of just six known examples struck in 1898; most examples are held in advanced collections and unlikely to reach the open market any time soon. The auction includes several Kweichow ???Auto??? dollars, led by a spectacular Kweichow. Republic ???Auto??? Dollar Year 17 (1928) MS62 NGC that is tied for the second-finest of the type. Commissioned by governor Chow Hsi-chen to commemorate the completion of the first provincial highway in Kweichow, this issue departed from tradition by featuring the governor???s car as the centerpiece of its design, a declaration not only of the import of Chinese modernization efforts, but of their successful execution. Only one other example has reached this extremely covetable state of preservation. ?? Lot 30152: Victoria silver Proof Pattern Dollar 1865 A British Colony. Victoria silver Proof Pattern Dollar 1865 PR65 NGC belongs to a series of patterns struck at the Royal mint one year prior to the manufacture of the currency issues with the same design, which were minted at the Hong Kong branch during its inaugural year in 1866. This absolute rarity is one of only three examples certified and ranks as the finest among its peers. Another stellar British offering in the auction is a British Colony. Victoria 5-Piece Certified Proof Set 1866 NGC, which includes a magnificent set of Proof strikings from the first year of issue from this most coveted series: a Dollar PR61, KM10, Prid-1A; a 1/2 Dollar Proof Details (Stained), KM8, Prid-4A; a 20 Cents Proof Details (Stained), KM7, Prid-17A; a 10 Cents Proof Details (Corrosion), KM6.3, Prid-58, 11 pearl variety and a 5 Cents Proof Details (Stained), KM5, Prid-113A. Production of coins and currency for this small but historically important British colony lasted for nearly 150 years, but only those produced between 1866 and 1868 were true products of Hong Kong, making the desire for this group even greater. Other top lots in the auction include, but are not limited to: A Kuang-hsü gold Pattern Kuping Tael (Liang) 1907 MS61 NGC ?? Lot 30084: Sun Yat-sen silver Specimen Pattern 50 Cents A Republic Sun Yat-sen silver Specimen Pattern 50 Cents Year 25 (1936) SP63 PCGS ?? Lot 30036: Wang Yung Sheng Zuwen Yingbing A Shanghai. Wang Yung Sheng Zuwen Yingbing ("Pure Silver Cake") of 1 Tael Year 6 (1856) AU55 NGC Images and information about all lots in the auction can be found at HA.com/3108. ?? WBNA OFFERS RARE IMPERIAL BANK OF PERSIA NOTES This article from World Banknote Auctions highlights the rare Imperial Bank of Persia notes in their upcoming sale -Editor ?? Banknote collectors and enthusiasts have a unique opportunity to acquire rare specimens from the Imperial Bank of Persia in the upcoming World Currency Sale 43 of World Banknote Auctions. These classic rarities, known for their impressive size, original design, and historical significance, are highly sought after by collectors worldwide. The auction presents a chance to own a piece of Iran???s financial history and add a valuable item to one???s banknote collection. ?? Imperial Bank of Persia and Its Importance Established in 1889 by Baron Julius de Reuter, the Imperial Bank of Persia played a crucial role in Iran???s financial history. The institution was at its core a British company focused on profits. With a royal charter granted in Great Britain, the bank was established to support Iran???s economic development under the reign of Naser al-Din Shah. The Imperial Bank of Persia operated numerous branches throughout the country, with Tehran serving as the capital and the primary hub for note issuance. Each banknote indicated a specific branch where it could be redeemed. The bank had a total of 28 branches during the note-issuing era, making it a widespread financial institution in Persia at the time. The issuance of banknotes, along with loans and increased trade, contributed significantly to the country???s economic growth during that period. Banknote issuance took place from 1890 to 1932 and consisted of two distinct series. The first, issued until 1923, is the subject of this b log post. ?? The First Series of the Imperial Bank of Persia The banknotes of the Imperial Bank of Persia???s are among the most beautiful banknotes issued around the turn of the century. The front of the notes displayed the Lion and Sun motif, which was the official symbol of the royal house and later became the state symbol. A portrait of Naser al-Din Shah, who ruled Iran from 1848 until his assassination in 1896, adorned the front of each banknote. The back of all denominations also featured the Lion and Sun motif at the center. The notes were printed in England by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. and then shipped by Tehran, where they were finalized for issue, by applying the branch of issue, date of issue and an official seal from the Persian High Commissioner. Notes utilized a standard design, but grew progressively larger with each higher denomination, and the backs are in a variety of colors. ?? Unveiling the Rarity of Higher Denomination Issued Notes In this sale, the three highest denominations available are the 50 Tomans, 100 Tomans, and the exceptionally rare 500 Tomans. The extremely rare 1000 Tomans is the only denomination missing from the auction. Among the notes offered, the 50 Tomans were printed with three prefixes and had a total circulation issue of 39,500 notes. However, according to the final accounting of the first series in 1931, only 114 of these notes remained outstanding. Additionally, there were 122 notes listed as ???stolen,??? which should have likely been included in the count of outstanding notes. It is worth noting that the reported number of stolen notes may have been exaggerated, as the responsibility of the Imperial Bank of Persia was limited to paying the Iranian government for outstanding notes, excluding those reported as stolen. Nevertheless, it is evident that an issued 50 Tomans note is exceedingly rare, to say the least. Similarly, the 100 Tomans note is also very rare, with 27,500 notes issued, 90 reported as ???stolen,??? and 63 outstanding as of 1931. The rarity of the 500 Tomans is even more pronounced, as only 1,400 notes were printed for circulation, and there is only a single note outstanding. ?? ?? ?? Desirability for Collectors The banknotes from the Imperial Bank of Persia, particularly the Qajar series, are highly coveted among world banknote collectors. Their impressive size, classic design, and rarity make them favorites among enthusiasts. However, higher denominations like the 500 Tomans are exceptionally rare and infrequently appear in the market, making this auction a unique opportunity for advanced collectors to acquire these iconic pieces of history. The World Banknote Auctions sales featuring rare specimens from the Imperial Bank of Persia brings forth an exciting opportunity for collectors to acquire banknotes of immense historical and cultural value. With limited availability, these banknotes offer a glimpse into Iran???s financial past and the economic aspirations of the nation during the reign of Naser al-Din Shah. The following lots are available in World Currency Sale 43: Lot 44369: Persia ND (1890-1923) P-1as PMG Choice UNC 63 1 Toman (Specimen) Lot 44370: Persia ND (1890-1923) P-2s PMG About UNC 50 2 Tomans (Specimen) Lot 44371: Persia ND (1890-1923) P-2As PMG Choice Extremely Fine 45 3 Tomans (Specimen) Lot 44372: Persia ND (1890-1923) P-3s PMG Choice UNC 64 5 Tomans (Specimen) Lot 44373: Persia ND (1890-1923) P-4s PMG Choice UNC 64 10 Tomans (Specimen) Lot 44374: Persia ND (1890-1923) P-5s PMG Choice UNC 64 20 Tomans (Specimen) Lot 44375: Persia ND (1890-1923) P-6s PMG About UNC 53 25 Tomans (Specimen) Lot 44376: Persia ND (1890-1923) P-7s PMG Choice Extremely Fine 45 50 Tomans (Specimen) Lot 44377: Persia ND (1890-1923) P-8s PMG Extremely Fine 40 100 Tomans (Specimen) Lot 44378: Persia ND (1890-1923) P-9s PCGS Gem UNC 66 PPQ 500 Tomans (Specimen) ?? To read the complete article, see: World Banknote Auctions Offers Rare Specimens from the Imperial Bank of Persia (https://www.worldbanknoteauctions.com/featured/world-banknote-auctions-offers-rare-specimens-from-the-imperial-bank-of-persia/) TRADE DOLLARS RE-MONETIZED IN 1965 Last week we discussed Bill Cowburn's 2007 presentation on U.S. Trade Dollars. In the I'm-pretty-sure-I-used-to-know-this-but-probably-forgot department, this Stack's Bowers blog article by Chris Bulfinch notes that the coins were addressed in the 1965 coinage act. -Editor ?? Despite being created for international circulation, United States trade dollars circulated within the borders of the United States in the 19th century, causing such problems that they were demonetized three years after their introduction. Their lack of legal tender status after 1876 failed to dissuade employers and merchants from circulating the coins. Introduced in 1873 to compete with heavier world silver coins like the Mexican peso popular with merchants in China and throughout Asia, trade dollars initially enjoyed legal tender status in the United States in sums up to $5. As silver prices fell after 1873, the trade dollar???s intrinsic value fell below one dollar and workers and consumers were soon inundated with the coins. Merchants could make a profit having their silver coined into trade dollars (even if they had no intention of sending the coins overseas) and began circulating them domestically. Responding to widespread abuse, Congress demonetized trade dollars on July 22, 1876. Circulation strikes continued to be produced through 1878, though the Mint stipulated that the coins had to be used for international trade. Controls were lax and the coins, which circulated at a significant discount after demonetization, continued to be used in the United States. In 1883, a New York Times article denounced trade dollars as ???bastard coins.??? Less-than-scrupulous employers sometimes paid illiterate/unwitting workers with trade dollars even after they were demonetized. Beginning in 1879, only Proof coins were struck. Authority to coin trade dollars was officially repealed in 1887. The Coinage Act of 1965, which authorized copper-nickel clad dimes, quarters, and half dollars, remonetized trade dollars, though by that time workers would have been coming out ahead if they were paid with these coins at their face value. To read the complete article, see: DID YOU KNOW THAT TRADE DOLLARS WERE DEMONETIZED IN 1876 AND RE-MONETIZED IN 1965? (https://stacksbowers.com/did-you-know-that-trade-dollars-were-demonetized-in-1876-and-re-monetized-in-1965/) To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: VIDEO: U.S. TRADE DOLLARS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n22a11.html) COIN OF THE YEAR AWARDS MOVE TO ANA SHOW The Coin of the Year Awards will be held at the Pittsburgh ANA World???s Fair of Money this year. -Editor It???s a big year for the Coin of the Year Awards. Not only will the program celebrate 40 years, but it will also conduct an in-person awards ceremony after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic. In partnership with the American Numismatic Association, the ceremony will be held during the 2023 World???s Fair of Money® in Pittsburgh, Pa. The event is set for 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 9, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The Coin of the Year program is an internationally conducted competition presented by World Coin News to recognize and encourage outstanding coin design and innovation in coin production worldwide. This 40th program will honor coins dated 2022 in 10 categories of competition and one overall winner as decided by an international panel of judges ???As we mark Coin of the Year???s 40-year milestone of honoring the best of the best in coins from around the world, we are excited to be celebrating with an in-person ceremony,??? said Maggie Pahl, COTY co-coordinator. ???We welcome the World???s Fair of Money® as a sponsor and look forward to holding our event in conjunction with one of the world???s premier numismatics shows.??? ???The COTY awards are a wonderful opportunity for coin collectors to engage their interest in the finest modern coins produced worldwide,??? said Kim Kiick, executive director of the American Numismatic Association. ???The ANA is thrilled to host the COTY awards at our World???s Fair of Money® in Pittsburgh this August, which we see as the start of a beautiful collaboration.??? The COTY Nominee selection process began with 500 coins from 50 countries, with a judging panel of 100 experts from around the world voting to determine 10 deserving coins in 10 categories of competition. That same panel then narrows it down to 10 finalists: the winner of each category. A final vote determines one of those 10 coins to earn top honors, the Coin of the Year. ???We began with 25 percent more coins and 50 percent more nominators this year and produced a head-turning array of wonderful coinage for the 40th COTY 100,??? said Tom Michael, COTY co-coordinator. ???We???re pleased as can be to honor the 10 that rise to the top at this year???s World???s Fair of Money.??? ?? To read the complete article, see: Coin of the Year Ceremony Moves to World???s Fair of Money® (https://www.numismaticnews.net/world-coins/coin-of-the-year-ceremony-moves-to-worlds-fair-of-money-) ANS OLD NEIGHBOR HISPANIC SOCIETY REOPENS While the American Numismatic Society has long since moved from its upper Manhattan building, its neighbor on the plaza (and fellow beneficiary of the largesse of collector Archer M. Huntington) has recently been renovated. The Wall Street Journal published two articles this week with some background on the buildings. -Editor ?? The Hispanic Society Museum & Library The partial reopening of the Hispanic Society Museum & Library last week as part of a continuing renovation was an auspicious event. With one of the finest collections of its kind in the country, it offers both superb Old Master paintings and an innovative interpretation of literary and visual culture that was unique at the institution???s founding and remains impressive today. The Hispanic Society, established in 1904 by the American scholar and collector Archer M. Huntington as a center for the study of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American art and culture, is a little-known jewel located in New York???s Washington Heights. It is currently in the midst of an ambitious project to upgrade its three landmark buildings and restore Audubon Terrace, where it sits. Unusual for an institution reopening after a period of dormancy, the Hispanic Society has chosen not to display some of the foremost gems of its collection, paintings by El Greco, Velázquez, Zurbar??n and Goya. These recently returned from a lengthy ???Collection Highlights??? tour while the museum was closed, and are scheduled to be reinstalled on a selective, rotating basis beginning this fall. The connection to the ANS building comes in the second article about the Hispanic Society restoration. -Editor The Hispanic Society was founded in 1904 by Archer M. Huntington, whose family???s railroad fortune gave him free rein to indulge his love of Spanish art and literature. Believing that the public should have access to his private collection, he found a site at 155th Street and Broadway in New York???s then fashionable Washington Heights. There he built the superb museum and library that is one of New York???s triumphs of Renaissance Revival architecture. The vast architectural ensemble on which the Hispanic Society sits is itself somewhat accidental. Huntington built his museum and library as a freestanding object on a terrace, a jewel box in a park. But no sooner had he completed his museum than he was coaxing other institutions, on several of whose boards he sat, to join him. He would give them building sites on condition that they build within five years and on plans approved by him. The first two were built in 1909, the Numismatic Society to the west and the American Geographical Society across the terrace to the north. The Museum of the American Indian followed in 1916, adjoining the Hispanic Society to the east. The last to build was the American Academy of Arts and Letters, added to the far west of the terrace in 1921. It is perhaps the largest collection of learned societies ever to be shoehorned onto a city block. All of these buildings, except for the American Academy, were designed by Charles P. Huntington, Archer???s cousin. (He also designed Our Lady of Esperanza, built to give the complex a Catholic church in which Spanish was spoken.) They have an exquisite visual unity that comes from their construction in Indiana limestone, their continuous cornice height and the repetition of the colossal Ionic order. Arrayed on a monumental axis over 500 feet in length, they represent the urbanism of the City Beautiful at its best. Or rather would have, if the axis actually led somewhere. By the time Huntington realized he was building a cultural acropolis, developers had taken the parcel at the west end of his site. Rather than pointing majestically to the Hudson and the Palisades beyond, his formal ensemble leads to the 11-story Riviera apartments, at whose unlovely brick buttocks its heroic axis dies. Beginning in the 1980s, most of the cultural institutions pulled up stakes and moved elsewhere. But this presented the Society with an opportunity. It could now expand eastward into the former Museum of the American Indian (whose collections had been transferred to the Smithsonian). Here it will be able to display more of its permanent collection, the bulk of which is in storage, but also have room for temporary exhibitions. Google Maps has a few photos of the ANS building taken in 2022. Who owns the building today? -Editor ?? To read the complete articles (subscription required), see: Treasures From Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida and More at the Hispanic Society (https://www.wsj.com/articles/overlooked-treasures-from-a-rich-trove-fc602b90) The Hispanic Society Museum & Library???s Quiet Restoration (https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-modest-upgrade-for-a-grand-building-73e07ad5) To view the Google photos, see: https://goo.gl/maps/39Z8eK2eyLcCwKW97 https://goo.gl/maps/xMy6XRx7KXfnBBiCA THE BOOK BAZARRE BIBLE LORE AND THE ETERNAL FLAME ???Kenneth Bressett???s latest book is a numismatic and archaeological trip through Biblical times, a roadmap of the Old and New Testaments that explores history through coins. Beautifully illustrated and entertainingly written by a master of the craft. Order your copy online at Whitman.com , or call 1-800-546-2995. COLORADO WAREHOUSE SHIPS TRUMP BUCKS As the U.S. election season nears, we are going to see more and more articles about the candidates, and some of them will involve numismatic or semi-numismatic items like political overstamps on coins and paper money, or wholesale creations like these "Trump Bucks." -Editor ?? It???s definitely not the Denver Mint, but inside a Colorado warehouse, workers handle things like coins and bills that feature Donald Trump???s image. NBC News investigated the ???Trump Bucks??? marketing ploy in which companies use the warehouse in Aurora to distribute items like a ???$10,000 Trump Diamond Banknote??? that people can buy in bulk for hundreds of dollars. The report featured victims, including an Alabama grandmother who tried to cash in her ???Trump Bucks??? at a bank, only to be told she had been ???scammed.??? The investigation highlighted several companies that list the warehouse as an address and a place where people can send their purchases in for a refund. The warehouse located in the 19000 block of East 35th Drive is managed by ShipOffers, a company that serves as a fulfillment and distribution operation for the ???Trump Bucks??? companies and other entities that sell vitamins and supplements online. ?? The author of this article visited the warehouse but was not allowed to see any of the ???Trump Bucks??? by an onsite manager. Another ShipOffers manager reached by phone stressed that her company is a ???third-party company??? that does not make or sell the ???Trump Bucks.??? The manager declined to comment about the NBC News investigation. NBC News reported there is no criminal investigation into the companies and that there is no indication Trump himself is officially connected to the ???Trump Bucks??? marketing efforts. Since the network???s investigation, some of the websites that were selling the imitation currency have stopped working. To read the complete article, see: 'Trump Bucks' shipped out from Colorado warehouse (https://www.9news.com/article/news/investigations/trump-bucks-shipped-colorado-warehouse/73-ffa0d3d0-dc44-49da-9d53-7ef0565a63e9) THE MAN WHO INVENTED THE TRILLION-DOLLAR COIN Pablo Hoffman passed along this great New York Magazine profile of The Man Who Invented the Trillion-Dollar Coin. Thanks! -Editor About a dozen years ago, a pseudonymous commenter on a financial website, writing under the name Beowulf, presented an unusual solution for a debt-ceiling standoff: If the federal government was at risk of default, and Congress couldn???t agree to either cut spending or raise the borrowing limit cleanly, couldn???t it simply mint a trillion-dollar coin? Beowulf had come across a 1997 law that, in response to requests from coin collectors, gave the Treasury the power to mint platinum coins of any denomination. (Collectors had complained that even coins available at the time with the smallest face values were still too expensive to afford.) The law started as a way to make collectible coins cheaper, but unlike every other law regulating new coins, this one did not establish a specific face value or limit the number of coins produced. ???Congress screwed up,??? Beowulf wrote. By passing the law, it had given the president the authority to direct the secretary of the Treasury to mint a coin of any value ??? say, $1 trillion ??? and deposit it in the Federal Reserve, which would be legally obligated to accept it. Ultimately, the coin???s deposit would result in $1 trillion in government revenue or, with a coin of a different denomination, however much was needed to continue to pay its bills and avoid a default. ???The catch is, it???s gotta be made of platinum,??? Beowulf wrote. ???Ditto the balls of any president who tried this.??? In the time since, the idea has gained an unexpected acceptance among policymakers and economists. In 2013, Representative Jerry Nadler said that the idea ???sounds silly, but it???s absolutely legal.??? Shortly after, Paul Krugman asked himself in the New York Times if the president should be willing to mint the coin to avoid default. His response? ???Yes, absolutely.??? Phillip Diehl, a former director of the Mint and Treasury chief of staff who co-wrote the 1997 law, allowed that a coin with a specific denomination of $1 trillion was ???an unintended consequence??? but maintained that the possibility was always conceivable. ???In principle, there is nothing new,??? he has said. ???Any court challenge is likely to be quickly dismissed.??? In 2020, Representative Rashida Tlaib sponsored a plan to mint two coins to fund pandemic aid, and this year both Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell have faced questions about using the coin to end the standoff. Each registered objections, but neither would rule it out. As it turns out, Beowulf is not an economist or a professional policy wonk. He???s a Georgia lawyer named Carlos Mucha. ???Criminal defense, shareholder disputes, a little of everything,??? he told me recently. He???s a tinkerer ??? ???Jack of all trades, master of none,??? he says ??? and his frequent visits to the comments sections of a set of financial websites were a kind of hobby. ???What got me thinking about it was that I was reading that people were using their credit cards to buy tens of thousands of U.S. dollar coins from the Mint just to get the credit-card points,??? he said. ???At the time, the Mint had free shipping and handling, and since it???s from the government, the coins are tax free.??? They would charge $10,000, get ten thousand one-dollar coins, and use the coins to pay off their card. This really happened ??? one such dollar coiner told The Wall Street Journal that he took 15,000 coins straight from the delivery truck to the trunk of his car, to more easily drive them to the bank. ???You don???t have to do that too many times to get a free first-class ticket,??? Mucha said. A few savvy points hounds found a way to create free flights out of thin air. But Mucha was more fascinated by the other side of the transaction. ???The more interesting point is that after all the expenses and the shipping and handling, the Mint???s profit on every dollar coin was 80 cents,??? he said. The path of a coin from the Mint to your pocket goes like this: The Mint creates a dollar coin, then sells it to the Federal Reserve at its face value, which, in turn, sells it to a bank, where it enters the broader economy. In these transactions, the bank and the Fed spend a dollar to get a dollar. But the Mint receives a dollar for a coin that cost only about 20 cents to make. The difference between the face value of the coin and the cost of producing it, known as seigniorage, is 80 cents ??? revenue that would appear on the Mint???s books and could be sent to the Treasury to pay down the deficit. This is sometimes called making money by making money. Mucha???s coin would work on the same principle. ???You don???t think about it, but one of the powers of the government is to create money by the stroke of a pen, minting coins,??? he said. Mucha felt especially vindicated by the responses from Yellen and Powell earlier this year when asked about the possibility of minting a trillion dollar coin. Yellen simply said it was up to the Federal Reserve. ???It truly is not by any means to be taken as a given that the Fed would do it,??? she said. ???It???s up to them.??? A few days later, a reporter followed up with Powell to ask if the Fed would do ???whatever the Treasury directs??? to resolve a crisis, or if it would perform its own analysis first. ???All he said about it was that ???we are Treasury???s fiscal agent, and I???ll leave it at that,?????? Mucha said. ???That???s a very lawyerly answer. An agent works for a principal. So basically, he was saying, ???If they deposit money, we gotta take it.?????? It was an extremely diplomatic game of passing the buck, but the subtext was clear: The chairman of the Federal Reserve, the most powerful monetary official in the world, had been asked to reject an idea hatched by a pseudonymous blogger in 2010, and his sense of professional duty wouldn???t let him do it. To read the complete article, see: The Man Who Invented the Trillion-Dollar Coin An Atlanta lawyer was just spitballing on a financial blog. He didn???t expect Washington to listen. (https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/05/the-man-who-invented-the-trillion-dollar-coin.html) To read some earlier E-Sylum articles, see: FORMER U.S. MINT DIRECTOR MOY ON THE TRILLION DOLLAR COIN (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n02a22.html) FIRM MARKETS FANTASY TRILLION DOLLAR COIN (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n09a18.html) MORE ON THAT TRILLION-DOLLAR COIN (https://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n04a33.html) TRILLION-DOLLAR COIN SILLY SEASON AGAIN (https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n40a24.html) ARTISTS' VISIONS OF TRILLION-DOLLAR COINS Some artists have been having fun with the concept of a trillion dollar coin. -Editor ?? [T]he trillion-dollar coin may fade from memory. But the debt ceiling still exists, and Congress will be negotiating over it again in a few years. It???s likely the idea will reemerge as a possible work-around, picking up a new group of adherents. Because what really matters now is that the trillion-dollar coin has gone from the esoteric corners of finance-based internet to become a mythical beast imprinted in the minds of all policymakers. But given that it???s still just a figment of the populace???s imagination, there are as many different mental images of the coin as there are minds in the country. So we asked some of the best designers around???Fay Design, Order, Athletics, and Buck???to come up with some real designs. In a way, these are more than blueprints for a physical coin???they are the symbol of a creative, if controversial, approach to resolving an ever-returning financial dilemma. GET OUT OF DEBT FREE COIN BY FAY A play on Monopoly???s ???Get Out of Jail Free??? card, the Get Out of Debt Free coin questions: What even is money?! Does it hold any actual value? Is it just a political bargaining token? What???s another trillion when the U.S. is already (somehow) pushing up against its $34.1 trillion debt limit? The value of this coin is not displayed, as who actually knows what it???s worth, what it???s paying for, or how the U.S. has such a massive deficit to begin with. SOARING EAGLE BY BUCK The trillion-dollar coin serves as a visionary solution to the challenges posed by America???s debt ceiling. The design portrays a majestic bald eagle soaring above clouds and mountains. It symbolizes abundance, and a commitment to responsible stewardship of our wealth. It serves as inspiration to implement fiscal policies that safeguard our prosperity. The mountains give way to a recursive pattern, reinforcing the notion of growth and abundance. In the background, god rays evoke hope for a prosperous future. ?? CUBE BY ORDER An absurdly unimaginable and unfathomable number distilled into a single coin deserves an absurdly grotesque design, which Order is proposing with this trillion-dollar ???coin.??? It doesn???t go in your pocket, or purse, or any place that can slip down a drain, so its form is annoyingly chunky???a cube???an empty vessel of the economic construct we all live in. ?? To read the complete article, see: A trillion-dollar coin sounds unbelievable. Here???s what it could look like (https://www.fastcompany.com/90903322/what-does-the-trillion-dollar-coin-look-like) BRITISH ARTIST CREATES MONEY SKULLS Money is a perennial topic of artists. This article discusses a British artist's "Money Skulls" gold candy bars and a bloody ATM. -Editor ?? The British artist Imbue has shredded more than £1 million ($1.3 million) in cash to create a collection of money skulls as a form of protest against the cost of living crisis and the money power structure in the U.K. The skulls feature in an exhibition that opens today next to the Bank of England in the City of London, at a pop-up space at 5 Royal Exchange, as part of London Gallery Weekend. Taking its title from the two subjects said to be unavoidable, ???Death + Taxes??? features a new body of money-themed work by the pseudonymous artist, who often creates wry comments on aspects of contemporary society, from capitalism to religion. Among the highlights are 12 human-sized resin skulls, which contain shredded currencies in British pounds, U.S. dollars and Euro. The artist declined to reveal the sources of the cash used for the skulls, but organizations that mint and distribute currencies like the Federal Reserve do release money that has been shredded after it became too worn or damaged for circulation as souvenirs, as well as for ???artistic and commercial purposes.??? The show also includes a series of seven, 24-karat gold-plated packages of Freddo chocolate bars, a satirical work mocking the staggering inflation in the cost of everyday objects. The retail price of Cadbury???s frog-shaped chocolate bar has been cited by economists over the years as an indicator reflecting inflation trends in the U.K. Dubbed the Freddo Index, the price of the beloved kids??? treat has gone up by 400 percent since it first hit the shelves in the 1990s. The price of Brexit is another major theme of the show. The installation piece Brexit Bill is made from a receipt printer that spits out the real-time costs and financial damage following the U.K???s departure from the European Union. Visitors can also get their financial futures read by a Victorian fortune-telling machine. And an installation of a ???bleeding ATM??? reflects how everyday people feel about the current economic situation. The choice of staging an exhibition in a pop-up space next to the Bank of England, the U.K.???s central bank, rather than in a regular art gallery, aims to echo the show???s exploration of themes about money, the artist told Artnet News. The City of London, the U.K. capital???s historic financial district, is an area that traditionally represents special status and power over ordinary citizens. The show???s installation pieces are not for sale but related editioned works, including the skulls (in an edition of 50) and the golden Freddos (in an edition of 100), will be available for sale on the artist???s website 48 hours after the exhibition opens, priced between £95 ($119) and £1,000 ($1,253). The exhibition runs through June 11. To read the complete article, see: A U.K. Artist Filled Resin Skulls With $1 Million in Shredded Cash to Protest the Cost of Living Crisis. You Can Take One Home for $1,250 (https://news.artnet.com/art-world/cash-skull-uk-cost-of-living-2313755) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. For more information please see our web site at http://www.coinbooks.org/. There is a membership application available on the web site at this address: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_member_app.html To join, print the application and return it with your check to the address printed on the application. Membership is only $15 to addresses in the U.S., $20 for First Class mail, and $25 elsewhere. For those without web access, write to: David M. Sundman, Secretary/Treasurer Numismatic Bibliomania Society, P. O. Box 82 Littleton, NH 03561 For Asylum mailing address changes and other membership questions, contact David at this email address: dsundman at LittletonCoin.com To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, just Reply to this message, or write to the Editor at this address: whomren at gmail.com Those wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All past E-Sylum issues are archived on the NBS web site at this address: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_esylum_archive.html Issues from September 2002 to date are also archived at this address: http://my.binhost.com/pipermail/esylum -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From esylum at binhost.com Sun Jun 11 19:26:09 2023 From: esylum at binhost.com (The E-Sylum) Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2023 20:26:09 -0600 (MDT) Subject: The E-Sylum v26n24 June 11, 2023 Message-ID: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The E-Sylum An electronic publication of The Numismatic Bibliomania Society Volume 26, Number 24, June 11, 2023 ** WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM JUNE 11, 2023 <#a01> ** MüNZEN GUT-LYNT AUCTION 12 LITERATURE <#a02> ** NEW BOOK: BY WEIGHT, NOT BY COYNE <#a03> ** IAPN 2023 BOOK PRIZEWINNERS ANNOUNCED <#a04> ** STEPHEN L. BOBBITT (1950-2023) <#a05> ** MULTI-SPECTRAL IMAGING AT NEWMAN PORTAL <#a06> ** VIDEO: COUNTERFEIT DETECTION <#a07> ** 1905 SAINT-GAUDENS ACCEPTANCE LETTER FOUND <#a08> ** MACNEIL???S PEACE DOLLAR DESIGN <#a09> ** 1923 NYC AMERICAN SCULPTURE EXHIBITION <#a10> ** MORE ON COIN STORAGE BOXES <#a11> ** GARVAN FAMILY INDIAN PEACE MEDALS SOLD <#a12> ** NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JUNE 11, 2023 <#a13> ** THE STAR COIN BOOK JUNIOR <#a14> ** NLG 2023 AWARDS DEADLINE EXTENDED <#a15> ** 2023 ANA SERVICE AWARDS ANNOUNCED <#a16> ** ANS ANNOUNCES 2022 HUNTINGTON MEDAL AWARD <#a17> ** NEW ANS HUNTINGTON MEDAL DESIGN <#a18> ** VOCABULARY TERM: MULTIPART <#a19> ** U.S. WOMEN COIN DEALERS <#a20> ** RICHARD LOBEL INTERVIEW PART SIX <#a21> ** HOLABIRD JUNE 2023 SALE HIGHLIGHTS <#a22> ** M??NZEN GUT-LYNT AUCTION 12 <#a23> ** WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: JUNE 11, 2023 <#a24> ** ILLEGALLY EXCAVATED COINS RECOVERED IN ISRAEL <#a25> ** STACK'S BOWERS JUNE 2023 PHYSICAL CRYPTO <#a26> ** THE 1805 WASHINGTON MEDAL BY ECCLESTON <#a27> ** REPRODUCTION VICTORIA CROSS MEDALS <#a28> ** THE LIBRARIANS WHO FORESAW THE INTERNET <#a29> ** LOOSE CHANGE: JUNE 11, 2023 <#a30> ** THE MILLION-PENNY HOARD <#a31> ?? Click here to read this issue on the web Click here to read the thin version on the web Click here to subscribe Click here to access the complete archive 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 JUNE 11, 2023 New subscribers this week include: Alexander Udwari of Münzen Gut-Lynt GmbH, and Joey Lamonte. Welcome aboard! 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. This week we open with a numismatic literature sale, one new book, IAPN book prize winners, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, Hermon MacNeil's Peace Dollar design, and more. Other topics this week include the 1923 American Sculpture exhibition in New York City, T. James Clarke coin storage boxes, Indian Peace Medals, Mehl's Star Coin Book Junior, NLG, ANA and ANS awards, multipart medals, U.S. women coin dealers, auction sale highlights, my Baltimore Expo diary, physical cryptocurrency, and the million-penny hoard. To learn more about the Caprara Forgeries, Chopmarked Coins, Betts medals, Steve Bobbitt, Wendell Wolka, Multi-Spectral Imaging, Counterfeit Detection, the Hickory Bank of the U.S., the the Glyn, Mills hoard, a bag of 1933 $10 gold pieces, Liar's Poker, the Erie Canal medal, the Eccleston 1805 Washington medal, the the Penny Plunderer and Batman's Giant Penny, read on. Have a great week, everyone! Wayne Homren Editor, The E-Sylum ?? Image of the week MüNZEN GUT-LYNT AUCTION 12 LITERATURE Münzen Gut-Lynt of Toenisvorst, Germany is offering 487 lots of numismatic literature in their Auction 12 on June 24-25. Here are some selected lots. See the article elsewhere in this issue for more information on the full sale. -Editor ?? Lots 919 and 928 Lot 919: BEGER, L. (1653-1705). Observationes et conjecturae in numismata quaedam antiqua, Parergon Laurentii Begeri, ab Antiquitatibus & Bibliotheca. Lot 928: VAILLANT, J. Numismata Imperatorum Romanorum Praestantiora. A Julio Caesare ad Postumum usque. ?? Lots 932 and 935 Lot 932: HOBERMAN, G. The Art Of Coins And Their Photography. New York, 1982. 397 Seiten zahlreichen farbigen und schwarz-wei??en Abbildungen. Ganzleinen. II Lot 935: KLUGE, B. / ALRAM, M. Gold Giganten. Berlin 2010. 384 Seiten mit zahlreichen Abbildungen. I- ?? Lots 971 and 1023 Lot 971: KINNS, P. The Caprara Forgeries. RNS Special Publication 16 = IANP Special Publication 10. London/Basel 1984. 59 S., 8 Tfn. Ganzleinen. II Lot 1023: MATTINGLY, H. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum. Band II: Vespasian to Domitian. Nachdruck London 1966. ?? Lot 998 Lot 998: BANTI, A./ SIMONETTI, L. Corpus Nummorum Romanorum. 18 Bände, Firenze 1972-1979. ?? Lots 1103 and 1209 Lot 1103: DAVENPORT, J.S. German Talers 1500-1600. Frankfurt 1979. Lot 1209: DIETIKER, H. A. Böhmen. Katalog der Habsburger Münzen 1526 bis 1887. Einleitung und Zwischentexte Herbert Rittmann. M??nchen 1979 To view the numismatic literature lots, see: https://auktionen.gut-lynt.de/en-us/auctions/lots?$page=1&$maxpagesize=20&$sortby=lot_number&$sortdir=asc&s=numismatische%20literatur&part_id=103#19479 NEW BOOK: BY WEIGHT, NOT BY COYNE Taylor Leverage just published a new book on chopmarks, which I believe is just the third on the subject (after F. M. Rose's Chopmarks and Gullberg's Chopmarked Coins - A History). Here's the announcement. -Editor By Weight, Not by Coyne - An Introduction to Chopmarked Coins W. Taylor Leverage As the world opened up in the Age of Discovery, new trade routes were drawn across oceans, establishing the first truly global commercial networks. Luxury goods from China, European governments, and new trading powerhouses came together to lay the foundations for modern-day corporations and international politics. At the heart of this commercial revolution was silver, the only means of exchange that found acceptance at every port - massive quantities of the metal, taken from the Spanish American colonies and ports across the world, became the lifeblood of commerce around the globe, particularly in China itself. Much of the silver that made its way to Southeast Asia bears marks of its time spent there - chop marks, private countermarks indicating acceptable silver content. Long dismissed by many collectors as simple damage, chop marks have since gained a much more consistent following as artifacts of trade, and both the diverse range of host types and the unique histories associated with them - both of which are found in this book - make them a fascinating area for collectors. ?? Featuring more than 300 images, By Weight, Not by Coyne explores the history of foreign silver in China and the coins that were actually used in trade, covering more than 35 countries and hundreds of types. The commercial and political context of each type is paired with rarity ratings and auction appearances, which makes the book a useful tool to both the researcher and the collector in this traditionally overlooked area of trading history. ?? 269 pages Paperback ISBN: 9798378776290 For more information, or to order, see: By Weight, Not by Coyne: An Introduction to Chopmarked Coins (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C79L8GCT) IAPN 2023 BOOK PRIZEWINNERS ANNOUNCED Peter Preston-Morley of the International Association of Professional Numismatists (IAPN) passed along this announcement of the winner of their 2023 book prize. Thanks, and congratulations. -Editor There were 24 books entered for the competition, which was decided by vote of the membership of the IAPN at its 71st General Assembly in Marseille on 4 June. The winner of the 2023 IAPN Book Prize is Prashant Kulkarni, a numismatist and dealer from Nagpur, India, for his Archaic Coinage of Godavari Valley and the Deccan, published by Eternal Arts and Coins LLP, Nagpur, worldwide distribution of which is via Spink in London. Second prize went to Stéphan Sombart, senior numismatist at MDC in Monte Carlo, Monaco, for his Monnaies Royales Françaises de Louis XI à Henri IV, published by Éditions Victor Gadoury in Monaco. ?? ?? ?? ?? Third prize went to Christopher McDowell, a lawyer from Cincinnati, OH, the editor of JEAN and president of C4, for his The Early Betts Medal Companion, published by the ANS in New York. The value of the Prize is 1,000 CHF. The winner also receives a diploma and an IAPN medal, and it is hoped that these can be presented to him at a future IAPN function. For more information on IAPN, see: https://iapn-coins.org/ To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: NEW BOOK: ARCHAIC COINAGE OF GODAVARI VALLEY (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n42a09.html) NEW BOOK: THE EARLY BETTS MEDAL COMPANION (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n48a04.html) IAPN 2023 BOOK PRIZE NOMINATIONS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n13a14.html) ?? ?? STEPHEN L. BOBBITT (1950-2023) Former ANA public relations officer Steve Bobbitt has passed. -Editor A third-generation Colorado Springs native, Stephen Leslie Bobbitt was born at Glockner-Penrose Hospital on February 15, 1950, to Harry and Madeleine Bobbitt. His parents had served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and met at the Naval Air Station in Norman, Oklahoma. They married in 1944 and began a family not long after, soon settling in Colorado Springs. Steve was especially proud of his parents' WWII service, which later inspired him to explore the history of the period???especially military battles and personalities???through books, documentaries, film and museums. Steve attended Wasson High School in Colorado Springs, where he played French horn in the orchestra and marching band. His father opened an auto repair shop, Bobbitt's Car Clinic at 530 E. Kiowa St., in 1965, and Steve often helped out after school and on Saturdays. In his senior year, Steve accompanied his mother's sister, who was a French teacher in White Plains, New York, and her students to France, where he was enthralled by the magic of Paris and the bigger world that existed outside Colorado Springs. He graduated from Wasson in 1968, and at age 19 enrolled in Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1972, and in December of that year married Jacqueline Haines, whom he had known in high school and become closely acquainted with at Western. The couple returned to Colorado Springs, where, in August 1980, they welcomed the birth of their daughter, Samantha Hope. Steve established himself as a trusted and well-regarded journalist. He began as a reporter for the Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph, then served the Colorado Springs Sun as city editor. Following the 1986 closure of the latter, he was a reporter for the Rocky Mountain News and a correspondent for Colorado Business Magazine. ... Steve joined the staff of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) in October 1988 as public relations director, a position he held for 15 years. In 1999, Steve and his wife parted, and in 2002 he married Barbara J. Gregory, a magazine editor with whom he worked at the ANA. Their careers at the nonprofit, educational organization enabled them to travel to a variety of inspiring U.S. destinations, from Seattle to Boston, Chicago to New Orleans, making new friends along the way. Always high-energy and personable, Steve had a quirky sense of humor, and loved getting to know people and their stories. Although Steve enjoyed traveling and discovering new places, he never regretted making his home in Colorado Springs. He often said that the decision was fortuitous, for it was there that he married his first wife, Jackie, and shared many fun times; raised a lovely daughter; cherished his son-in-law and three wonderful grandsons; succeeded in the newspaper and public-relations business; and experienced 20 years of joy and adventure with his second partner, Barbara. No funeral service is planned; however, a celebration of life???in true Steve style???will be held on Thursday, June 29, in Colorado Springs. Friends, family, and former co-workers who benefitted from his knowledge and example, are invited to attend. For location, time and RSVPs, phone or text 719-321-2516. I was very sorry to hear this news. I've known Steve casually for many years, and often spoke with him at ANA events. He was proud of his rebranding of the annual ANA convention as The World's Fair of Money® to broaden its appeal from members to the wider general public. Great photo - that's how I remember him, always friendly, happy and smiling. -Editor Dennis Tucker writes: "When I met Steve Bobbitt it was through his wife, Barbara Gregory. When you meet spouses of hobby friends, there???s always the risk of that connection being entirely surface-level. There was no such risk with Steve if you spent more than a few minutes in his company. He was aware of the easy conversational trap of ???How are you? Good to hear it. See you later??? interactions. Meaningless. That wasn???t his style. I found his connection to be real, human, warm, good-humored. Steve sought true relationships. "Maybe it was his journalism and public-relations background. But I don???t think it was entirely something taught in school or honed through work. ???To have a friend you must be a friend,??? they say, and that???s something either baked into your personality or it???s not. For Steve it was natural. He and Barbara were fortunate to have each other, and I???m fortunate to have spent quality time with them and to get to know my friend???s husband as a unique and delightful person. As a hobby community we need to rally around Barbara and strengthen her in this time of sad loss." To read the complete obituary, see: Stephen Leslie Bobbitt 1950 - 2023 (https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/former-ana-public-relations-official-steve-bobbitt-dies) To read a Coin World article, see: Former ANA public relations official Steve Bobbitt dies (https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/former-ana-public-relations-official-steve-bobbitt-dies) MULTI-SPECTRAL IMAGING AT NEWMAN PORTAL The latest addition to the Newman Numismatic Portal is a Multi-Spectral Imaging capability. Project Coordinator Len Augsburger provided the following report. -Editor Multi-Spectral Imaging at Newman Portal The digitization lab at Washington University in St. Louis currently has access to a multi-spectral imaging system that we are making available to interested researchers. This technology allows for the recovery of obscured or illegible text in historical documents, which are scanned under lighting of varying wavelengths. Open access software (Hoku) is used to analyze the captured data. We???ve identified a copy of Frank Stewart???s History of the First United States Mint (1924), which bears an effaced inscription, for our initial testing. For further information, contact Len Augsburger, Newman Portal Project Coordinator, at leonard.augsburger at wustl.edu. VIDEO: COUNTERFEIT DETECTION The David Lisot Video Library on the Newman Numismatic Portal can be found at: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/multimediadetail/522852 We highlight one of his videos each week in The E-Sylum. Here's one from 2007 about Counterfeit Detection with Bill Fivaz. -Editor ?? Counterfeits continue to plague the hobby. How can you protect yourself from these bogus items? "Mr. Numismatic Education," Bill Fivaz, has the answers! He provides diagnostics for the genuine coins as well as describing resource books and counterfeit detection materials that are available. Investors, collectors and dealers will find this information invaluable. This lecture with slides seminar includes: the problem of counterfeit coins examples of genuine coins and their identification diagnostics including cents; Flying Eagle 1856, Indian 1877, Lincoln 1909-S VDB, 1914-D, 1922 "no D", 1931-S, 1943 copper, 1955 double die nickels; Buffalo 1916 double die, 1918/7-D, 1937-D 3 legged, Jefferson 1943/2-P dimes; Mercury 1916-D, 1921-P&D, 1942/1-P, 1942/41-D quarters; Standing Liberty 1918/7-S, Washington 1932-D&S dollars; Morgan 1889-CC, 1893-S, 1894-P, Peace 1928 gold $20 1907 "Omega" High Relief Speaker(s): Bill Fivaz. To watch the complete video, see: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/560272 ?? ?? 1905 SAINT-GAUDENS ACCEPTANCE LETTER FOUND Roger Burdette writes: "Scanning and examining documents at the National Archives is a little like searching through those "Mystery Bags" or "Grab Bags" that used to proliferate at coin shops and local coin shows. We paid a few dollars for a sealed bag or box, and took our chance of finding a valuable coin inside. Of course, most of these things contained coins as promised, but their value was less than the cost of the bag -- but it could still be fun for an occasional gamble. "Last Tuesday, I was digging into the vast mystery boxes of NARA at College Park, Md., and amid all the "lower value" finds was one, really unusual and numismatically significant letter. Tucked away in an innocuous file box was the original acceptance letter by sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens for the 1905 commission to redesign U.S gold coins. This letter is not a copy. It has the sculptor's original signature and is addressed to the Secretary of the Treasury. While there are other autograph Saint-Gaudens (and Theodore Roosevelt) letters in NARA files, this is the one that began the entire Renaissance of American Coinage period from 1905-1921." ?? Amazing find! Ya gotta play to win, and Roger's a playa. He's often up to his elbows in dusty old boxes at the National Archives and Records Administration. And that's what it takes to uncover new facts and information in U.S. numismatics. Congratulations! -Editor MACNEIL???S PEACE DOLLAR DESIGN Jim Haas authored a book on sculptor Hermon MacNeil, designer of the Standing Liberty quarter. He submitted these notes on MacNeil???s unchosen design for the Peace dollar. Thank you! -Editor ?? MacNeil???s Submission Cornell University Photos I saw the U.S. Coins Signature Summer Fun Auction notice featuring the Peace Dollar. While MacNeil submitted a design that I included in the catalogue of his works in my book, because it was not chosen, I wrote nothing about it. Since I was unfamiliar with events surrounding the coin, I did a bit of research and learned a lot. According to articles published in late December 1921, eight sculptors had been invited to submit models for the Peace Dollar. Slated to go into circulation in January 1922, the artists were Hermon Atkins MacNeil, Chester Beach, Victor David Brenner, Anthony de Francisci, John Flanagan, Henry Hering, and Adolph Alexander Weinman. They had but a few weeks to draw or to model their designs. Anthony De Francisci, who was awarded the commission, submitted his within two weeks. As winner of the contest, De Francisci was awarded $1,500; the other seven participants were awarded $100 for their entries. The two sets of photos show separate iterations MacNeil???s standing liberty on the obverse and eagle on the reverse. Based solely on its detail I believe the standing liberty with unsheathed sword was his initial offering. Adhering to established guidelines, the new coin had to have a representation of Miss Liberty that reflected post-war thinking and be different from the Morgan portrait. The unsheathed sword symbolic of bravery and leadership, the olive branch denoting peace and the liberty cap symbolic of freedom were all legitimate post-war metaphors. The second design, perhaps supplied upon request, has the figure wearing the same liberty cap. Swathed in acanthus, an ancient symbol of mourning, she holds a scepter, emblematic of authority and sovereignty. While the dove is more often associated with peace, both MacNeil???s Eagle and that of De Francisci perched on olive branches beneath which is the word Peace, look like the same American Eagle that had long adorned Am erican currency. Newspaper articles seem to indicate the new coin was not well received, and its launch not as well-planned as it might have been. De Francisci???s original design had been reworked, but original descriptions were still being used in reportage. Bankers complained that the coin would not stack, while others thought the coin to be unartistic. All things considered most were happy that any sort of a coin that would command a dollar???s worth in exchange was beautiful. The Harding Peace dollar, unlike any previous dollar contained exactly one dollar???s worth of silver. ?? Obverse and Reverse Sketches Photos courtesy of Cornell University The second set of images are the only ones I was able to locate. I am certain that Roger Burdette???s book contains significantly more information. It was a good design, a rework of the 1909 Architectural League of New York medal, and a preview of the 1926 NYC Tricentennial medal. As you know, Mac used figures striding forth in other medal submissions. I???ve mentioned before that I was working on an article covering his medallic wins, losses and rebirths. That idiosyncrasy was also present in a number of his sculptural efforts about which I might also write something. In one of the articles I found there was a sentence or two referencing the lack of artistry and lamenting the rush to complete the project. To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: NEW BOOK: HERMON ATKINS MACNEIL (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n43a02.html) ?? 1923 NYC AMERICAN SCULPTURE EXHIBITION Jim Haas submitted a second MacNeil-related item with additional numismatic connections (including a catalogue of interest to numismatic bibliophiles). Thanks! -Editor Needless to say, I especially enjoyed the article on the reopening of the Hispanic Society building. Of course, there???s a MacNeil connection. Hermon Atkins MacNeil was elected to a second term as president of the National Sculpture Society in January 1922. In that role it was his distinct pleasure a year later to write the catalogue introduction for the organization???s first major event since Buffalo Fine Arts Exhibition held in 1916. In that introduction MacNeil said the Society???s aim was to make the exhibition thoroughly national in scope bringing together the best work from all parts of the country as well as that of Americans living abroad. Set to open in mid-April, the Exhibition of American Sculpture would be held in a number of locations situated between 155th and 156th Streets. Called the American Acropolis, the multi-block area was home to the Hispanic Museum, the American Numismatic Society, the American Geographical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Museum of the American Indian. A year earlier, sculptor Adolph Weinman, designer of the 1916 dime, and others had tried to stage an exhibit on a lawn in Central Park, but protests were made and the effort went for naught. Aware of the Society???s need, millionaire art patron Archer M. Huntington, president and founder of the Hispanic Society of America, offered the use of his property, the plaza and adjoining galleries at 155th Street. The only condition he made was that all sculpture selected for display should be the best that American artists could produce. The Society concurred, and happily accepted Huntington???s offer. Seven months later, he married MacNeil???s former student, Anna Vaughan Hyatt. In addition to the outdoor displays of larger scale works, among them MacNeil???s two-ton Into the Unknown and models of his pylons destined for his Soldiers and Sailors Memorial for Philadelphia, the exhibition included smaller sculptures, one of the galleries devoted exclusively to plaques and medals. In all about eight hundred works were displayed during the exhibition that opened on April 14th and continued until August 1st, giving ample time for the people of New York to visit at will, and as often as they might wish. I am fortunate to have a copy of the 372-page exhibition catalogue and am attaching a number of photos of selected medals among them pieces by Anna Hyatt, James Earle Fraser, John Flanagan, Adolph A. Weinman, Baltimore???s J. Maxwell Miller and College Point???s Frederick E. Treibel (MacNeil???s neighbor - they were not friends). MacNeil displayed his Pan-American and Architectural League Medals along with the obverse and reverse of his Quarter. Beneath the photo of Into the Unknown was written "Figure for the Seal of the National Sculpture Society by Hermon MacNeil???. Following MacNeil???s death in 1947, Into the Unknown was donated to Brookgreen Gardens in Murrell???s Inlet, South Carolina founded by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington in 1931. ?? ?? ?? To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: ANS OLD NEIGHBOR HISPANIC SOCIETY REOPENS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n23a27.html) MORE ON COIN STORAGE BOXES I wasn't able to get this flurry of responses in the last issue - several readers responded to Bob Cassling's question about a box accompanying his purchase of a Bechtler $5 coin. Ron Guth suspected that it came from the collection of Waldo Newcomer via Colonel Green. Robert asked: If Ron is correct, this box likely belonged to either Green or Newcomer. If true, this would solidify the coin's provenance. Is there an Eric Newman expert out there who might have information? Do you know anyone familiar with these boxes in reference to Newcomer or Green? Do you know anyone familiar with the handwriting of Newman, Green or Newcomer? Some of the comments focused on the manufacturer of the box rather than the collector who owned and wrote on it. -Editor Mark Borckardt writes: "Those are definitely T. James Clarke produced boxes. The Territorials where in those boxes and went to buyers. There were multiple sizes." Mark provided a link to John Lupia's article on Clarke (link below). -Editor Tony Terranova agrees: "T. James Clark made those boxes. He was in the box business." ..as does George Cuhaj, who writes: "Yes. the box with the white label pad on the front is a TJ Clarke box. "They were used by the ANS and Smithsonian well into the 1980s when they stopped production. Most of the labels on the back were plain, the lined ones were probably an option as they were also making boxes for pills, and the lined options would be nice for identification and dosage information. Most coin folks did not get covers, but the pill box option must have had covers." Len Augsburger of the Newman Numismatic Portal writes: "It looks like a Newcomer coin box to me. Per my notes these boxes were produced by T. James Clarke. These boxes did pass through Eric???s hands and just because Eric had the boxes doesn???t mean he had all the coins. "The handwriting looks like Newman???s to me but I am not 100% sure. "We photocopied the colonial boxes -- https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/560901 " ?? Pete Smith submitted a letter from E.H.R. Green with examples of his handwriting. Closeups follow. -Editor ?? ?? ?? Pete also kindly provided images of another great piece of numismatic ephemera - a brochure from the T. J. Clarke Box Company. -Editor ?? ?? Thanks, everyone! The capital "B" and "C" are different and I would rule out E.H.R. Green as the writer on Bob's box. The circumstantial evidence seems to point to Newcomer. Here's Bob Cassling's response and follow-up. -Editor Thanks to all who responded to my question, especially Pete Smith who submitted the all important Clarke brochure and the Green letter. I was able to send the Green letter and Clarke box electronically to a handwriting expert who was pretty certain that they did not match, though the sample size was too small to be definitive. She was quite insistent on the need of a much larger sample. I even tried to contact his alma mater, Fordham University, for any of his writings, but have yet to hear back. I pulled this Eric Newman envelope from the Newman Portal and it doesn't seem to match very well to the box handwriting, though I haven't had it professionally analyzed. If there is a better handwritten note out there, that might be helpful. Another knowledgeable collector speculated that Eric Newman's secretary may have written on the boxes as well. Any information or writing of hers would be appreciated as well. ?? Though the style of the Newcomer cardboard boxes appears quite similar, these colonial boxes are all typewritten making me wonder if he typed all of his coin boxes. In addition, I have not been able to find any example of Newcomers handwriting, making this connection very difficult. If there is a handwritten Newcomer letter or a written coin box out there, I would love to see it. So, if anyone out there has any copies of Green's, Newman's, Newcomer's or Newman's secretary handwriting it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you everyone for your input. With your help, this mystery might just be solved. Len adds: "We have thousands of pages with Newman???s handwriting from his research files. The research files begin on this page: https://nnp.wustl.edu/Library/Archives?page=24&searchletter=E . Newman???s handwritten memoranda on the 1804 dollar, for example, can be found here: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/579673 . Newman???s coin envelopes may have been typed by a secretary, but handwritten annotations are in Eric???s hand. The envelopes from the Newman I sale are here: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/imagecollection/511786 . Interestingly, this group (lot 4058) includes a single Clarke box with Newman???s handwriting on the reverse side." ?? My Box, Eric Newman I Lot #4058 Bob adds: "Holy cow! That is the Eric Newman handwriting mother lode for sure. Thank you Len for pointing me in the right direction. "Lot # 4058 from the Newman I sale looks to be a match to my eye (especially the $ sign and the "5"). "Still interested in handwriting samples for EHR Green and Waldo Newcomer." To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: THOMAS JAMES CLARKE (1875-1952) (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n37a17.html) NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: MAY 28, 2023 : Bechtler $5 Wooden Box Owner Sought (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n22a14.html) ?? ?? GARVAN FAMILY INDIAN PEACE MEDALS SOLD Alan V. Weinberg submitted images of recent auction purchases. -Editor You missed the May Pook and Pook PA antique auction containing several silver IPMs which recently sold. Many consigned by descendants of the Mabel Garvan family who donated many rare numismatic items to Yale University, but apparently not all. The auction house labeled many of the medals as "20th century replicas" which scared many potential bidders off. They weren???t replicas. ?? The premier item was a 152mm oval 1793 engraved IPM in ext fine condition for which I was prepared to bid a solid 6 figures. I won it on the phone for $6500 hammer. The buy of a lifetime, and a duplicate for me. ?? I also won a well worn but genuine silver 1757 Duffield Geo II IPM overstruck, as are all, for $500 hammer, one of fewer than 15 known. Both were called modern replicas by the auction house. Other silver IPMs in same Pook & Pook auction included Lincoln, Tyler and Polk originals plus a Lincoln Magniadas 1865 bronze. ?? Edge views Here's the auction company blog post from April 23, 2023. -Editor ?? Indian Peace Medals The Garvan Family collection of Presidential Indian Peace medals, along with the George Washington medal from a U.K. collection, tell the story of westward expansion and European and Native American relations. Diplomatic gifts, Indian peace medals were intended to promote peace and friendship between European settlers and Native Americans. They were presented to Native American chiefs and dignitaries on significant occasions. While also struck by European governments and fur companies, the largest number were issued by the United States government between 1789 and 1889. The first medals created during George Washington???s term of office were engraved with figures of a Native American and Minerva, representing America. Later medals were struck by the United States Mint in Philadelphia, including the Jefferson medals Lewis and Clark famously took along on their 1804 expedition to the Pacific Ocean. These were the first to bear the image of an American president, with symbolic decoration on the reverse of clasped hands and a crossed tomahawk and peace pipe, with the words ???Peace and Friendship.??? The medals provide material evidence of the rhetoric of a succession of government administrations as they sought to appear to be dealing fairly with the Native Americans. As European settlers expanded across North America, in the full belief that their dominion was destined by God, harmony and equality were hollow words. With successive years of Westward movement, the Presidential Indian Peace medals depict the progressive terms of peace through their iconography, as artists made decisions how best to portray the ideal of peace. In looking at the medals, the story is told in the background scenes on the reverse. As noted by Klaus Lubbers, the compositional rhetoric of the medals changed along two paths. First, the previously symmetrical depictions of Native American and white subjects became imbalanced, the European American figure moving towards a central position and the Native American pushed to the periphery. Secondly, representations of European ideas of civilization and commerce began to crowd the background, denoting that the terms of peace had evolved from agreement between parties to capitulation to European ways. On only the second Presidential medal issued by George Washington, the symbolism begins on the Native American half of the background. Formerly blank, Beatrice Garvan notes ???Here the Indian is now on the white man???s ground??? as seen by the team of oxen plowing in neat furrows, showing a further step in the white man???s taming of lands and people.??? By: Cynthia Beech Lawrence Sources: Garvan, Beatrice, ???Philadelphia: Three Centuries of American Art,??? Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1976. Lubbers, Klaus, ???Strategies of Appropriating the West: The Evidence of Indian Peace Medals,??? American Art, Vol. 8, 1994. Nash, Stephen, ???Were Peace Medals the Price of Loyalty?,??? 5 October, 2017, SAPIENS.org ?? ?? ?? Indian Peace Medals Lot numbers: 389 and Garvan collection Lots 480A-480O To read the complete article, see: Indian Peace Medals (https://pookandpook.com/indian-peace-medals/) NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JUNE 11, 2023 On Slabbing and Coin Thefts Alan V Weinberg writes: "I have greatly enjoyed Greg Bennick???s interviews with Julian Leidman and Richard Lobel, both of whom I???ve known since we were young. "Julian said some things that struck me that I???ve not seen addressed in print before. First, how slabbing took away a lot of fun in the numismatic hobby, in my opinion, saying there ??? wasn???t as much opinion involved anymore in the rarity and the condition.??? "This is a major reason why I no longer collect ???rare??? coins and have re-directed my numismatic tastes to exonumia and early politicals which, except for Civil War and Hard Times tokens, have largely escaped slabbing. Slabbing was initially created to eliminate forgeries and clarify grading standards. It???s a whole different hobby world now, not requiring knowledge and creating absurd value differences grade point by grade point. "Secondly, leaving someone in the car to watch your valuables while you stop to eat or use a restroom doesn???t work. The ???follow home??? gangs smash a window, grab your bags and drive off in 15 seconds and, if confronted, use violence. I distinctly recall a major theft / robbery at a January FUN Orlando show perhaps a decade ago. Sal Napolitano, a prominent dealer, was parked at the entrance of a major nearby hotel loading up his van with his other employees at show???s end. An organized gang of thieves confronted Sal???s employees, exhibited weapons and grabbed Sal???s packed inventory which included an early 1840???s cased entire proof set. As I recall, there was even a violent struggle. "Very recently, at the Long Beach coin show, a dealer stopped to eat at a nearby restaurant and brought his briefcase of coins in with him, placing them by his feet at the restaurant table. Several men followed him in, created a physical disturbance at the restaurant register distracting the guests, and one swiped the dealer???s briefcase in a second and the group ran out of the restaurant to a waiting car, the dealer running out after them to no avail. "I know of no 100% proof way of getting one???s numismatic stock home safely other than FedEx shipping which is both expensive and still subject to theft on their routing. That???s the world we live in." To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: JULIAN LEIDMAN INTERVIEW, PART FOUR (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n22a17.html) JULIAN LEIDMAN INTERVIEW, PART FIVE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n22a18.html) Melvin Roland and the Catholic Commemorative Medal Society Regarding his NNP contribution of the Catholic Commemorative Medal Society material from Melvin Roland, Ken Berger adds: "I should mention that Melvin Roland was my uncle (mother's brother) & godfather." Thanks to both Melvin and Ken for saving and sharing the material. -Editor To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: NNP ADDS CATHOLIC MEDAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n23a09.html) Query: Hickory Bank of the U.S. Hard Times Satirical Note Ernie Nagy writes: "I recently came across an 1837 news clip which describes a satirical note in detail. Many of the expressions also appeared on Hard Times Tokens. I have searched the images of satirical notes included in Russell Rulau???s Standard Catalog of Hard Times Tokens, Q. David Bowers A Guide Book of Hard Times Tokens, and those listed on the Library of Congress website without finding a match. Are there any E-Sylum readers who might know of the existence of this note?" The clipping is from National Banner and Nashville Whig of Nashville, TN June 5, 1837. The elements of the note are familiar and common to the Hard Times era. Can anyone help? -Editor ?? ?? ?? Mutilated Counterfeit Clad U.S. Coins John Byars Jr. writes: "Here's an interesting article about a lawsuit involving mutilated counterfeit clad US coins being redeemed. Mentions China and over 400,000 lbs. in one deal. Page 4,5, & 8." ?? ??????Preliminary testing of the materials submitted by the Portland Mint has identified technical anomalies that have required additional, detailed testing to ensure they are appropriate for redemption. That testing is ongoing.?????? The response to Senator Wyden is not included in the public record before the court. In its second amended complaint, plaintiff indicates that Mr. Croft???s answer to Senator Wyden is ???demonstrably false??? because plaintiff???s entire ???shipment was accepted processed, and melted by the [U.S.] Mint,??? such that ???[t]here was nothing for the [U.S.] Mint to test,??? because ???there were no anomalies in the Portland Mint???s shipment,??? and because ???[i]f the Portland Mint???s shipment was determined to be counterfeit or in any way problematic, it would not have been melted at Olin Brass.??? (alterations added). Thanks. All part of the ongoing drama over the Mint's program of buying back and melting coinage. -Editor To read the complete legal filing, see: THE PORTLAND MINT, Plaintiff, v. THE UNITED STATES, Defendant. (https://ecf.cofc.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2020cv0518-77-0) To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: COUNTERFEIT KENNEDY HALF DOLLARS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n22a25.html) Wheelchair Segways In a 2020 submission, Numismatourist Howard Berlin wrote, "For those of us who need assistance getting around, there is this motorized wheelchair which is a combination Segway and wheelchair that zips along about 20 miles/hour. It was like sitting in the first row of a rollercoaster." -Editor Kavan Ratnatunga of Sri Lanka writes: "Perfect description of the wheelchair Segways myself and my wife found ourselves in trying to make a 1h 50m connection to Colombo which arrived in Istanbul from London 1 hour late." What a thrill! -Editor To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: THE NUMISMATOURIST IS BACK HOME (https://www.coinbooks.org/v23/esylum_v23n12a13.html) 1966 Kann Book Receipt Michael Zachary writes: "When I bought a copy of Eduard Kann???s Illustrated Catalog of Chinese Coins (1954 edition) many years ago, it came with a receipt from a prior owner???s purchase of the book. I used that receipt as a bookmark, but then forgot about it for many years. However, it came back to light when I used the Kann book in conjunction with the writing of my recent book, ???The Twenty Cash Commentary,??? which catalogs the Republic of China???s general issue twenty cash, two fen, two xian, and two cent coins from 1912 to 41. (My book is available on Amazon; the Kann book is a little harder to come by.) "Anyway, I thought your readers might be interested in the receipt and maybe someone has heard of either the buyer or seller. The buyer was Captain Paul Hermann of Summerville, South Carolina; the seller was the Great Southern Coin Exchange of North Decatur, Georgia, owned by Thomas B. Hamilton. The receipt is dated February 5, 1966." Interesting - does anyone know anything about the dealer or collector? -Editor To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: NEW BOOK: THE TWENTY CASH COMMENTARY (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n36a06.html) THE STAR COIN BOOK JUNIOR ?? Bruce Burton writes: "Having retired from my day job nearly three years ago, I continue with my numismatic book business, which I???ve done for 32 years now. My recent acquisitions included a copy of The Star Coin Book Junior of which I had never before seen an example. Of course I did a Google search, which is where I popped up your name, regarding this, published in The E-sylum many years ago. "You mentioned the pamphlet as being rare, and I certainly agree as this is the first one I have ever come across even though I???ve sold lots and lots of Max Mehl material through the years. As you can see from the pictures this little pamphlet is in excellent shape, and although it says the 12th edition on both cover and the title page, it is undated. The latest date of coin listed inside is 1907. "Have you found more copies of additional editions? Also, do you know which year of publication Mehl???s cover picture changed from the Flatiron building to his better-known, later building? Thanks in advance for your help." Wow - that is in great shape. No, I've never been able to acquire another copy. My copies are packed away at the moment, but here's what I wrote back in our July 20, 2003 issue: -Editor "One of Mehl's scarcest publications is The Star Coin Book Junior, a smaller version yet, priced at 25 cents. I have two examples in my library, both undated. The first is lacking the front and back covers, but the title page states "Sixth Edition." The second example is in superb shape, but presents a new mystery: the cover states "sixteenth edition" but the title page states "fifteenth edition." Does anyone have other editions of this little book?" I checked our archives and don't believe we've ever gotten a response to my question -- until now. This is why we put our archives on the open web - it can be many years later when someone types in a search query that a new connection is made. So Bruce's copy (12th edition) is different from either of mine (6th and 15th/16th editions). I illustrated the 15th/16th one in my June 19, 2016 Numismatic Diary. -Editor ?? By this edition the cover image had changed to show Mehl's Fort Worth building. I don't know when that first appeared. What can our readers add to the discussion? Who else has examples of The Star Coin Book Junior to report? -Editor To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: THE STAR COIN BOOK JUNIOR (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v06n29a10.html) WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: JUNE 19, 2016 (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v19n25a22.html) NLG 2023 AWARDS DEADLINE EXTENDED Our sister organization Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) is accepting submissions for their annual awards competition. NLG Executive Director Patrick Ian Perez sent along this announcement of an extension of the application deadline. If you're not already a member, now's a great time to join, especially if you've published a work you'd like considered for this year's awards. Good luck to all! -Editor Late last week we had an issue with the Guild???s website hosting service. While it took longer than we would have liked to resolve the issue, the website is now restored. As a result of this minor hiccup, we have taken the decision to extend the deadline for awards submissions to Monday, June 19. We will be switching hosting companies in the near future to avoid any potential problems in the future. Two additional clarifications: The submissions do not need a category number. The category title is sufficient for the entry form. The rules document has been updated accordingly. The Guild Paypal address is info at nlgonline.org. It was previously sent as ???.com??? Also, as a result of cleaning up the website hosting issues we discovered that the current hosting company???s webmail allowance is extraordinarily small. Thus, the mailbox was full and new incoming messages would bounce. The info at nlgonline.org email is now accepting new messages. Thank you for your continued support of the Numismatic Literary Guild! To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: NLG 2023 AWARDS COMPETITION ANNOUNCED (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n18a19.html) 2023 ANA SERVICE AWARDS ANNOUNCED Congratulations to NBS Treasurer Chuck Heck and all of this year's winners of the ANA's service awards. Here's the press release. -Editor ?? ANA Honors Distinguished Numismatists with Awards Every year, the American Numismatic Association (ANA) recognizes members who go above and beyond with their service and dedication to numismatics. The following awards, which are presented at the World's Fair of Money??, will be awarded during the Member & Awards Celebration, Thursday, Aug. 10 from 3-4:30 p.m. in Ballroom B at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA and during the 132nd Anniversary Awards Banquet, Friday, Aug. 11 from 7-10 p.m. in the Allegheny Ballroom at The Westin Pittsburgh. In honor of his extraordinary numismatic accomplishments, the ANA has bestowed its 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award on Wendell Wolka. Wolka has distinguished himself as an expert in the field of obsolete U.S. paper money. A member of the Society of Paper Money Collectors for more than 50 years, he has served the organization for about half of that time as an officer in several capacities, including four years as president. In the early 2000s, he (with Bill Kamb) revived the Ohio State Numismatic Association after a decades-long dormancy. His principal contributions to the field have been his comprehensive catalogs of Ohio and Indiana obsolete notes and scrip, which have become the standard references for paper money issued by those states. He also writes columns for Coin World and The Numismatist and has cataloged non-federally issued U.S. paper money for Heritage Auctions since 2013. Wolka has taught Summer Seminar classes for over 10 years on subjects such as obsolete U.S. paper money, Civil War numismatics, and a general paper-money overview. He has provided widespread numismatic education outreach as an exhibitor, speaker, teacher, and writer. Wolka is a prior recipient of the ANA's Glenn Smedley Memorial Award (2013) and has earned numerous first-place exhibit honors. The Adna G. Wilde Jr. Memorial Award for Exemplary Service recognizes hobbyists who are active at the regional and/or national level and work to advance numismatic knowledge among the general public. This year's recipients are Kathy Freeland, David M. Hunsicker, and Charles Heck. A retired educator, Kathy Freeland has spent 32 years serving a variety of clubs, including 8 years as president of the Flint Flying Eagle Coin Club. As an ANA exhibitor, she has won more than 30 awards. In 2014 BNR Press published Freeland's book, American Red Cross in World War II Collectors' Guide, which she co-wrote with three other authors. David M. Hunsicker has collected coins for more than 65 years. He spent 30 years working with his local Boy Scouts merit badge program and served as the editor of the Kettle Moraine Coin Club's journal for two decades. Hunsicker was named a Numismatic Ambassador in 1989. Charles Heck previously served as vice president and treasurer of Early American Coppers and is currently treasurer of the National Bibliomania Society. His book, Die States of 1794 United States Large Cents, has become the standard reference on the subject. THE BOOK BAZARRE OVER 500 NUMISMATIC TITLES: Wizard Coin Supply has over 500 numismatic titles in stock, competitively discounted, and available for immediate shipment. See our selection at www.WizardCoinSupply.com. ANS ANNOUNCES 2022 HUNTINGTON MEDAL AWARD The ANS has announced the winner of their 2022 Huntington Medal Award. -Editor The Trustees of the American Numismatic Society have awarded the 2022 Archer M. Huntington Medal Award to Dr. Wolfgang Fischer-Bossert in recognition of his outstanding contributions to numismatic scholarship. The award ceremony will be held on July 11, 2023 at 5:30 PM ET at the ANS headquarters at 75 Varick Street, Floor 11, in New York City. Following the ceremony, the event will feature the Silvia Mani Hurter Memorial Lecture by Dr. Fischer-Bossert, entitled ???Displaced People and Numismatics: Greek Exile Coinages???, and a reception. A renowned scholar in ancient numismatics and archaeology, Dr. Fischer-Bossert has published on a wide variety of subjects. He is well known for his studies of Sicilian and South Italian coinages, and his monographs, Chronologie der Didrachmenprägung von Tarent 510 ??? 280 v. Chr. (1999) and The Athenian Decadrachm (2008). Other recent monographs include Coins, Artists, and Tyrants: Syracuse in the Time of the Peloponnesian War (2017) and Bemerkungen zum griechischen Münzrelief (2020). In more recent years, he has turned his attention to early electrum coinage, where he has published several important articles. His current major project, ???Early Lydian Coinage and Chronology,??? will present a full study of early Lydian coinage and examine the historical and archaeological context of the earliest coins. Dr. Fischer-Bossert earned his PhD at the University of Bonn in 1994, and his master???s from the University of Tübingen in 1990. He has served as Research Fellow at the Austrian Academy of Sciences in the Institute for the Study of Ancient Culture since 2015. Previously, Dr. Fischer-Bossert worked at the German Archaeological Institute at Athens, and taught classics and ancient numismatics at the Free University of Berlin and at Vienna University. He is a regular speaker at conferences across Europe. On the award, ANS President Ute Wartenberg said, ???Dr. Fischer-Bossert is a scholar who does not shy away from the big subjects in our field, and his attention to detail and ability to handle mass data make his publications invaluable for other numismatic scholars. At the same time, his work is embedded in archaeological evidence and historical sources, which makes it critical to a wide group of disciplines.??? The Archer M. Huntington Award is conferred annually in honor of the late Archer M. Huntington, President of the ANS from 1905???1910, and was first presented to Edward T. Newell in 1918. A complete list of past Huntington Award recipients can be found at numismatics.org/huntingtonwinners . The event is free and open to the public; guests can register online here. To read the complete article, see: The ANS Announces 2022 Huntington Medal Award to Wolfgang Fischer-Bossert (https://numismatics.org/2022-huntington-wfb/) NEW ANS HUNTINGTON MEDAL DESIGN Eugene Daub has produced a new design for the ANS Huntington Medal. Here's the press release. -Editor ?? The American Numismatic Society (ANS) is pleased to announce that the Archer M. Huntington Medal Award for Excellence in Numismatic Scholarship will feature a new medal designed by Eugene L. Daub. The Huntington Award is conferred annually in honor of the late Archer M. Huntington, benefactor and President of the American Numismatic Society from 1905???1910. The original medal was designed by Emil Fuchs, and commemorated Huntington???s gift of a building to the Society which coincided with the Society???s 50th anniversary in 1908. The award was first presented to Edward T. Newell in 1918, and silver medals have been awarded to recipients up until 2021. In 2022, as stocks of the original medal were exhausted, the Society commissioned a new piece from Eugene L. Daub for future recipients. An accomplished sculptor, Daub received the 1991 J. Sanford Saltus Medal Award. His work is found in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institute, the British Museum, and the Ellis Island Museum, among others, and with many public-sculpture installations across the United States. His design for the Huntington Award features an open book symbolizing scholarship on the obverse and the outline of coins on the reverse. The ANS announced that Dr. Wolfgang Fischer-Bossert will be the recipient of the 2022 Huntington Award in a recent press release. Dr. Fischer-Bossert will be the first to receive the new medal created by Daub. Sometimes less is more. I like the new minimalist design and as a bibliophile I'm impressed with the obverse suggestion of an open book. The reverse suggests stacked coins or medals. Nicely done! For comparison, here's Edward Newell???s Huntington Award Medal given in 1918. -Editor ?? To read the complete articles, see: New Medal for the Archer M. Huntington Award (https://numismatics.org/pr-new-huntington-medal/) The Huntington Medal Award (https://numismatics.org/huntingtonwinners/) VOCABULARY TERM: MULTIPART Here's another entry from Dick Johnson's Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Terminology on multipart medals. In last week's issue we pictured this three-part Ericsson Centenary medal by Kauko Rasanen, whom Johnson credits with designing the first such medal. -Editor ?? Multipart. A medallic or numismatic item designed to be made in several parts which fit together to form a complete object. The separate parts can be attached (as hinged) or lie loose ??? often fitting together in an intricate way much like a puzzle. While it might be thought this would be impossible for coins, these were first issued in 1999, three decades following the first multipart medal. Multipart medals. Created in 1969, the first multipart medal was in two parts, Jonah in the Whale, by Finish medalist Kiko Rasanen, who developed multipart medals to distinct art form within the class of medallic objects. Obverse and reverse of his first such medal depict the whale, but the medal breaks apart in two horizontal halves to reveal a design of Jonah on the two inside surfaces. From this two-part medal it was a logical step, then, for artists, including Rasanen, to create medals of three or more parts or of joining the parts, often in intricate ways. Modeling for multipart medals requires planning and thought. The inner sides, called interface surfaces, may be mirror images of each other; in such case the two interface dies may be made from the same model, one in cameo and one intaglio. In other instances the two interface surfaces are not congruent, but two different designs, then extensive planning must be done by the designer, to effect cavities in one surface where relief exists in the corresponding congruent areas. Also there must be some form of KEYING ??? other than the design ??? the keying aids in positioning the parts back together again. Such keying may be notches at the edge of both interface surfaces, edge lettering or distinctive relief of the border. Ideally the two halves should easily ???seat??? together and remain so while lying flat. Multipart medals are usually struck from dies to maintain the close tolerances necessary for the separate parts to fit together. However, The American Numismatic Society issued a multipart cast medal in 1989; one part symbolized two fingers holding the Society???s seal as a small circular object, this fit into a base of no obvious symbolism. These were cast in silver with close tolerances, buffed and polished for the final finish. In 1999 appeared a ring medal, a medal inside ring, which were supported by pins at top and bottom. The pins allowed the separate pieces to swivel, even in opposite directions. This innovation in medallic art was first created for the millennium by the Medallic Art Company. Panel medals. Multipart medals may also take the form of panels, two or more, often of equal size or creating a newly formed shape when all the parts are correctly arranged or assembled. Chagal did a set of 12 panel medals that formed a stained glass window replica. The total medallic work composed of a number of panel components side-by-side is called by the same terms as in painting (as a tryptych on an altar). When two such panels exist for a single medallic item it is called a dyptych, three are a tryptych, more are a polyptych. See the entry panel which contains a box which lists the names up to ten such panels. Multipart coins. The first multipart coins were issued in 1999. They showed the Pacific basin, commemorated the year 2000 millennium, and were divided vertically at the International date line. Obviously these coins were not intended to circulate, but did bear a denomination and were a class of noncirculating legal tender. In English the word multipart is not hyphenated, while those terms with the number prefix are hyphenated, like two-part. To read the complete entry on the Newman Numismatic Portal, see: Multipart (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/dictionarydetail/516368) To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: SOVEREIGN RARITIES AUCTION 9 MEDALS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n23a18.html) U.S. WOMEN COIN DEALERS E-Sylum Feature Writer and American Numismatic Biographies author Pete Smith submitted this article on women coin dealers of the U.S. Thanks! -Editor ?? Women Coin Dealers This is a listing of fourteen women of some prominence as coin dealers. They include three women who continued a business after the death of their husbands and two secretaries who continued after the death of their boss. Catherine Bullowa-Moore (1919-2017) was the widow of David Bullowa. She was profiled in the June 4 issue of The E-Sylum. Helen Chapman (1873-1958) was born as Helen Collins. Her engagement to Henry Chapman was announced in The Numismatist in 1906. She married Henry Chapman and regularly attended ANA conventions with him. With Ella B. Wright, they ran the Chapman business after his death until Helen closed the shop in 1948. Although Helen was the owner, Ella was more of a dealer. Helen is buried with Henry at the Friends Southwest Burial Ground at Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. Mary Ellen Ferguson was born in Dallas as Mary Ellen Berry. She was married to Portwood Young Ferguson (1890-1963) and divorced. She was Executive Secretary to B. Max Mehl (1957- 1961) for forty years and continued in business after his death. She joined the ANA in 1958 as member # 30203. Dorothy Gershenson (1917-2010) was the sister of dealer Bernard Gimelson. She joined the ANA in 1961 as member #43327 while living in Philadelphia. She was affiliated with Coins & Currency Inc, until 1977 when she began under the name of Dorothy Gershenson, Inc. of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. She was honored as an ANA 50-year member a year after her death. Ruth Green (1898-1979) was born as Ruth Scrivner. She married Charles Elmore Green (1894- 1955) in 1926. She joined the ANA in 1938.They did business under the name of R. Green leading some to believe she was the dealer. After the 1955 death of Charles, she continued the business until 1959. Charmy Harker is married with two sons. Her interest in coins was sparked when she inherited a collection from an aunt. She does business as ???The Penny Lady??? from Irvine, California. She is known for an exhibit she prepared, ???Penny Potpourri - a Collection of Penny Creations??? with unusual items made from one-cent coins. She joined the ANA in 2000 and served as president of WIN from 2013 to 2022. Cynthia Lee Mohon was a partner in P&M Rare Coins after 1986. She joined the ANA in 1988, sponsored by Gloria Peters and was a 1992 member of WIN. She was a co-author with Gloria Peters of The Complete Guide to Liberty Shield Nickels. She is living at South Redlands, California. Ingrid O???Neal has been proprietor of Ingrid O???Neal Sports and Olympic Memorabilia since 1986. In the same time, she has conducted Ingrid O???Neal Auctions, Inc. She is not technically a coin dealer but deals in Olympic medals and all types of Olympic memorabilia. Gloria Elizabeth Peters (1929-2004) joined the ANA in 1980 as member #102942. She was a partner in P&M Rare Coins after 1986. A founding member of WIN in 1992, she served as editor of their newsletter for ten years. She and Cindy Mohon wrote The Complete Guide to Liberty Shield Nickels which may be the only numismatic book with women co-authors. Mary E. Sauvain was born as Mary Ellen Foutch. She married Richard Sauvain in 1964. She was employed with Kagin???s in 1979 to 1984 and joined the ANA in 1982. An authenticater/grader with the original ANACS from 1984 to 1990, this was followed by a period of self-employment 1990 to 1995. She was employed with various companies including Numismatic Services, Inc, Mary was one of the founders of Women in Numismatics (WIN) in 1992. She has taught grading and authentication at coin shows and the ANA summer Seminars. Shanna Schmidt is the daughter of Chicago dealer Harlan J. Berk. She is married with children and has worked as a dealer since 2005. She served on the board of International Association of Professional Numismatists (IAPN) and on the board of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) 2019 to 2013. She is not running for re-election. She is ANA member #3130326. Christina M. Smith is the daughter of Canadian dealer Ingrid Smith. She joined the ANA in 1986 while living in Toronto. She was originally a Canadian Dollar specialist. She was a member of WIN in 1992 listed in Winter Park, Florida. Laura Sperber joined the ANA in 1974 as a junior member #J77671 and is currently life member LM 4366. Her first firm was LSS RCI Inc. around 1990. She was a 1992 member of WIN affiliated with Keystone Rare Coin Gallery. Later she was a partner with Bruce Morlan in Legend Numismatics specializing in high end numismatics. She served one term on the ANA Board 2013 to 2015. She was named by Coin World as one of the most influential people in numismatics three times. Ella B. Wright (1877-1952) served as Henry Chapman???s secretary. She and Helen Chapman ran the Chapman business after the January 4, 1935, death of Henry Chapman and continued until 1948. On January 28, 1941, three armed men came into the Chapman store. and took $20,000 in coins. She died of pneumonia on July 13, 1952, and is buried in the Philadelphia Northwood Cemetery. ?? Auction Companies Auctions are an important part of the numismatic market. Several women have held important positions with auction firms. Catherine Bullowa-Moore ran Coinhunter auctions. Dorothy Gersenson ran sales under the name of Coins & Currency Inc. Ingrid O???Neal conducts auctions of Olympic memorabilia. Julie Abrams was president of Legend Rare Coin Auctions until 2022. She made the Coin World list of the most influential people in numismatic in 2020. Jessica Berkman succeeded Julia Abrams as President of Legend Rare Coin Auctions. She also rose to the Coin World list of most influential people in numismatics in 2023. Christine Karstedt is executive vice president for Stack???s Bowers Galleries. She was on the 2022 and 2023 Coin World list of most influential people in numismatics. ?? Others I am aware of women who were part-time dealers in my local market. There are probably many others. There is not much information on dealers who have not made it into the Newman Numismatic Portal. Thanks! Great list. Who are we missing? -Editor To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: CATHERINE ELIAS BULLOWA-MOORE (1919-2017) (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n23a15.html) RICHARD LOBEL INTERVIEW PART SIX Greg Bennick's latest interview for the Newman Numismatic Portal is with London dealer Richard Lobel. Here's the sixth and final part, where Richard talks about his company publications, staff, warehouse and hoards. -Editor ?? Greg Bennick: Fantastic. Now tell me about the Phoenix because I know that I???ve received the Phoenix in the past. I was on your mailing list. Richard Lobel: We sent you two copies of the Phoenix of two issues, and two issues of the Blue Card Flyer, which in some place, the post office are bad here and its worst in America. Greg Bennick: Well, I look forward to receiving them. Richard Lobel: Yeah. We published the Phoenix well, and the Blue Card Flyer, which the Blue Card Flyer only goes out to about 1,500 most active clients and it???s every three weeks. So, every three weeks, we do two publications. It is a treadmill and it???s -- I just had a fight with -- because I???m a week late in delivering, I said leave me alone. I own the company. Leave me alone. But the client who???s in today -- he said he loves it because it???s very personal in some ways. We tell it what it???s like. We may tell you that it???s the ugliest coin we???ve ever sold. But we???ve got it. We have two pages of rare British coins. We have four pages of banknotes. We have two pages of ancient coins, and then we have other interesting things. For instance, we???re selling at the moment the new king, I want to say Prince Charles because I grew up my whole life, it was Prince Charles, but it???s King Charles is gold sovereign and it???s selling very well, and also the silver one ounce. And it???s the first one with his portrait. And we???re selling those. And we???re not the cheapest, but those, unfortunately, the silver ones have 20% VAT on them. And there???s nothing you can do about that. So, it???s a killer. But we???re selling what we think people will be interested in. For instance, I mentioned to you that I did a medallion for the investiture of Prince Charles. Well, we???ve done them again silver plated and gold plated. And we put them in a nice case and we give you a first day cover of the five stamps for his investiture and the five mid stamps. And we put the whole thing together and we sell it for 18.95. So, we???re not trying to screw anyone. We???re trying to give you???we???d like to think we???re giving you value for money. Certain things the cheaper items, we have to be much more expensive because it???s cost of handling them. Greg Bennick: Of course. Of course. That makes sense. Richard Lobel: But we handle somewhere between 35,000 and 40,000 orders a year. Greg Bennick: Wow. Wow. There must be a staff of dozens or hundreds behind the scenes making this machine happen and -- Richard Lobel: We???ve got 20 staff. There???s 20 people full-time. I think they???re the best staff around, and they???re happy doing it. And we all, you know, we work at it. I went to the warehouse today, because I hadn???t been well for a while. And we were talking and two of the girls and one of the guys said they???d never been to Las Vegas. It???s the eighth wonder of the world. I love Las Vegas. So, I???ve been going there for 60 years. So, we all sat and talked about it, and they said, what hotels should I stay at? And I said, I???ve stayed at a lot of them because a friend of mine used to own three of them. But we stay at the Golden Nugget Downtown because you???re right on Fremont Street and at night it is the wildest place in the world. I???m still wild. Greg Bennick: I can tell. Richard Lobel: Older but wild. And so we sat down and we must have chatted for half an hour. But that???s okay. You know, that???s what the -- it???s a family business. It???s run like a family business should be run. Greg Bennick: So, you mentioned before, people being reluctant to spend money, coin dealers being reluctant to spend money on advertising, and you said they???re doing all -- they???re not doing all the things you should be doing as a coin dealer. In your opinion, what should people be doing as coin dealers? And what should people not be doing as coin dealers? What advice would you??? Richard Lobel: Well, I think the first thing they should do is try and to get more people interested in collecting. Too many of them are selling investments. It???s investment, look how it???s gone up. You can pay £95 pounds for a new £5 pound piece from the Royal Mint. Or you can buy from us and Edward I penny which ruled from 1272 to 1307 in nice condition for £60 pounds. Now, which would you rather have? I???d rather have a penny. Greg Bennick: Yeah. For sure. Richard Lobel: You know, this is a real -- because when Edward I reigned, the penny was the largest denomination struck. And it???s got a portrait on it. I mean, all right. It???s a bit you know, I think it was engraved with a paperclip. But okay. But that???s the way -- but that???s what they are, except for the type one C, which comes through beautifully. But the Phoenix wants you to be interested. I had one, he???s unfortunately dead now. He was an American ambassador to Egypt during the Six Day War, American. And he was wonderful. And he would buy very expensive coins. And then he said, oh, you???ve got this Bolivian coin at 3.95, I want one of those too. You know, that was a collector. That is a collect-- You buy what you enjoy, you buy what you want. I would say that we???ve been successful enough as I say, do we have this huge -- I mean, if you ever come over to London, please, I will show you. I mean, I can???t believe what we have. I really can???t. Greg Bennick: I would love to see the shop and the warehouse and everything, and I???ll make a point??? Richard Lobel: The shop is very nice. It???s very attractive. But the warehouse is unbelievable. Greg Bennick: That???s amazing. Richard Lobel: Row after row of shelving full of boxes and things. A friend of mine from Johannesburg -- do you know Gary Levitan? Greg Bennick: I know the name. I???m pretty sure. Richard Lobel: Yeah. And he was over. And he had never been so I took him to the warehouse. He just went. It???s row of silver sets and all the -- We love to own. And I mean, I???ve just bought 20 or 25,000 farthings. Well, they haven???t been made since 1956, and mostly the George V and George VI. I just think that I could -- I bought them for six pence each. I think they???re so cheap that they???re fantastic, they???re history. Greg Bennick: I love it. I think that you might have just given me the title with your permission, I might use it of my book on collecting someday. We love to own: an exploration of the mind of the collector??? Richard Lobel: But it???s true. I mean, if you look at the firms in America that have been in business for a while, if you look at Stacks before it was bought out, because years ago, I used to date a cousin of Stacks, and I would fly down from Boston to New York. I was so clever. They never had prices on them. I would always be able to buy US coins and make enough for the trip. And funny when I stopped dating, my brilliance went. Like Samson with the hair. It was gone. But the Stacks they told me a story once, was really wonderful that a guy had come in for 1796 quarter. So, they showed him and he said, um, so???they went downstairs and they took a wrench and they hit a pipe, they kept hitting it like they would strike it, and they came up and said here it is, but careful it???s still hot because they just had struck the coin. I mean, in the old days, the dealers had inventory. Today, they -- and as for slabbing, well, that is the worst thing in the world. Greg Bennick: Yeah. It???s been a challenging ride. It???s made a lot of people a lot of money. It has most definitely shifted the hobby in the last bunch of decades. So, your opinion on slabbing is that it???s not something that you enjoy. Richard Lobel: Funny, we just broke a beautiful George II crown out of plastic -- out of slab. Because it was just such a pretty coin. It just shouldn???t be in plastic so we broke it out. Yeah. I mean, I???ve been in coins since 1955. I know how to grade. Slabbing people don???t know how to grade. We find that they tend to over grade. They tend to be loose in the grading. I hate to say it. And is a 64 really worth four times what a 63 is worth? No. You know, I look at a coin, let???s say, a William III 6 pence of 1697, which is a common coin because it was part of the Glyn, Mills hoard. I don???t know if you ever heard of the Glyn, Mills hoard. Greg Bennick: No. Richard Lobel: Glyn, Mills was a big bank in this country, one of the bigger banks. And in the old days you had to keep so much money in cash on hand, well, they kept it in coins except the coins were William III, Queen Anne and George I. And in the 1930s when the depression was on, they decided they wanted to cash it in because it was no longer legal tender because the Currency Reform Act of 1816 made everything earlier no longer legal tender. So, they walked into Spink and they sold the hoard to Spink. Douglas Liddell, who used to be the managing director, told me once laughingly, we???re having a drink or two, lemonade or something like that. He told me that they bought the William III crowns uncirculated. Now they???re five shillings face. They paid them four and six pence each for them because they were no longer legal tender. And, I mean, this hoard was -- if you see a 1723 SSC shilling, it probably came to the Glyn, Mills hoard. If you see the 1708 Queen Anne shilling, it came from the Glyn, Mills -- 1697 6 pence, 1697 shilling or -- they had bags of these things. Bags of them. Because of the depression, Spink was the only one who had money to buy them. Well, them and Baldwins. But there???ve been more hoards come out of this country that I know somebody who bought a hoard of 1933 $10 gold piece, not the 20s, but the 10. They had a bag, an original bag of them. This was years ago. Now it would be worth many, many times that. They bought it from a Coutts bank because that???s one of my bankers. And after they -- Coutts started to complain, and the guy who had bought them said, fine. Let???s talk to the police because it was illegal for you to have them. Which was true in this country. And that shut them up. That was enough to shut them up. But no -- there???ve been incredible hoard. I mean, we have been lucky enough to buy a lot of banknote hoards here and some coin hoards. We have a philosophy when we buy a hoard, we sell what we can and we don???t dump the rest. We just -- it???s like an annuity. You can take it out every 6 months or a year, and that???s how Baldwin???s made its money originally. They were smart. They had some money, and they were smart enough to put stuff aside. Greg Bennick: So, just by putting stuff aside, you can always tap into that resource, basically. Richard Lobel: Right. But I think the coins, if you buy the right coin, they???re like fine wine. They???re going to increase. You know, I buy these farthings. Well, George VI, the last -- was 1952 and the George V go back to 1911 for 6 pence each. You know, it was the smallest denomination issued at the time. They???re wonderful. You know, they???re incredibly good value for money. That???s why I bought all those 1953 crowns because I could buy them at 3 or £3.50 pounds each. And I did sell 24,000 of them for £8.50 each. But then again, the people who bought them were charging £30 pounds. So, you know, good luck to them. Greg Bennick: Yeah. Exactly. Richard Lobel: Don???t ever object to somebody buying something from you and making a profit. Greg Bennick: Yeah. For sure. That???s good advice too. So, you mentioned currency, of course, but I wanted to touch on before we close, I wanted to touch on your other area of interest, antiquities. What sort of antiquities do you??? Richard Lobel: No. We stopped that. My daughter???s an archaeologist. She wrote a fantastic book on the Elgin marbles. It sold 20,000 copies, which I thought wasn???t very good. But now I understand it???s an academic book. There???s too many problems with antiquities now. We???ve stopped that. One, are they real? And we got stuck with a lot of them. Are they stolen? You know, are they from the country? So, we???ve decided that it just -- It???s not something we have the expertise -- We deal with ancient coins. Don???t get me wrong. Josh does a fantastic job. We have a large inventory. I???ve got Constantine the Great, I think I have 10,000 pieces in stock of his alone. Again, because it???s good value for money. I like value. If I buy value for money, I can sell you value for money. Greg Bennick: That???s right. That???s right. Richard Lobel: But no, we don???t deal in antiquities anymore because my daughter wouldn???t talk to me so I figured that was a good -- But she was right. We don???t have the expertise. And when I sell you something, I give you a lifetime guarantee as to its authenticity. Not that it???s going down, but it???s real. So, if I can???t say it???s real, I don???t want to sell it to you. Greg Bennick: That???s right. I was going to say from a coin???s perspective -- from a coin???s perspective, you know that it???s authentic or it???s not. From an antiquities perspective, it???s more difficult. And that???s why I was so curious about it. It just seems -- it???s close, antiquities, coins, and whatnot, but it???s different enough that I found it interesting. Richard Lobel: We used to have somebody who dealt in them and he had a reasonable knowledge, but not good enough because when he left, we had three very expensive antiquities sent back from Sweden which were not real. We gave them money immediately. We don???t want any hassle. You know, if we made a mistake, we admit it. Greg Bennick: Sure. Sure. Richard Lobel: Not everyone does that. Greg Bennick: Well, Richard, this has been incredible as an interview. I mean, just entertaining, enlightening. I love the idea of a young Richard just running wild through the city of London and then forming this incredible store with Coincraft and having that embody the values that you???ve brought not only to your own life, but to your own hobby. Just everything has come together and you???ve lived an incredible life thus far, and I look forward to many more years of stories from you. This is just tremendous. Richard Lobel: Thank you. Some might have to wait for the statute of limitations to expire. Greg Bennick: Well, then we???ll have to do another interview a few years out, and we???ll see if the statute is???. Richard Lobel: I love what I do. I can???t think of anything worse than hating going to work every day. I love it. What can I say? Greg Bennick: Amazing. All right. Well, let???s stay on for a few moments. I???ll sign off here for us and say to everybody that on behalf of the Newman Numismatic Portal, my name is Greg Bennick. I hope you???ve enjoyed this interview today. There are other interviews, and you can search my name and interviews under the Newman Numismatic Portal, and you???ll find a list of the interviewees I???ve spoken to. And Richard, thanks so much for your time today, and I look forward to hearing more stories in the future. Richard Lobel: My pleasure. And you???ll see the Phoenix and the Blue Cart Flyer. Eventually, the post office will deliver it. Greg Bennick: Great About the Interviewer Greg Bennick (www.gregbennick.com) is a keynote speaker and long time coin collector with a focus on major mint error coins. Have ideas for other interviewees? Contact him anytime on the web or via instagram @minterrors. To watch the complete video, see: Richard Lobel of Coincraft Interviewed for the NNP by Greg Bennick (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/626832) To read the complete transcript, see: Richard Lobel of Coincraft Interviewed for the NNP by Greg Bennick (Transcript) (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/626831) To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: RICHARD LOBEL INTERVIEW, PART ONE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n21a08.html) RICHARD LOBEL INTERVIEW PART TWO (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n21a09.html) RICHARD LOBEL INTERVIEW PART THREE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n22a19.html) RICHARD LOBEL INTERVIEW PART FOUR (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n22a20.html) RICHARD LOBEL INTERVIEW PART FIVE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n23a16.html) HOLABIRD JUNE 2023 SALE HIGHLIGHTS >From a June 8, 2023 email to clients, here are some numismatic highlights from the June 15-18, 2023 Holabird sale. -Editor ?? Lot 4216. Reno National Bank National Currency Note Signed by Geo. Wingfield, CH. 8424 ?? Lot 4221. Liar's Poker U.S. Currency Liar's poker is an American bar game that is played with the eight digits of the serial number on U.S. currency. This collection of U.S. currency will give you an advantage as each note has at least five of a kind in its serial number. ?? Lot 4314. 1882-CC Morgan Dollar ?? Lot 4429. Custom House Saloon Token, Tahoe City, c.1880s, Extra Rare This choice token dates from 1882, when Joseph B. Campbell took sole ownership of the saloon and billiard parlors. Built in 1872 on a pier opposite the Grand Central pier in Tahoe City, it was originally owned by Campbell and James O. Forbes. It was the fourth saloon built at Tahoe City, and soon became the "custom" to go there and all who came to town aboard the steamers, such as the Gov. Stanford, went through the swinging doors, including perhaps every major San Francisco financier, as Tahoe City is the closest point to the Central Pacific Railroad at Truckee. ?? Lot 4265. Coins, Coinage and Bullion Hardcover by Eckfeldt ?? Lot 4283. Popular Illustrated Guide to Canadian Coins Etc by Breton ?? Lot 4401. Erie Canal HK-1 in Original Box For more information, see: https://www.holabirdamericana.com/ M??NZEN GUT-LYNT AUCTION 12 Here's the press release for the Münzen Gut-Lynt Auction 12 closing later this month. See the article elsewhere in this issue for more information on the numismatic literature lots. -Editor Münzen Gut-Lynt, Auction 12 on June 24th and 25th 2023, 10 a.m. Berlin Time The Gut-Lynt Auction 12 offers you more than 3000 lots to be auctioned over two days. The first part on Saturday, 24.06.2023 at the usual hour from 10 a.m., includes a significant special section of banknotes as well as an offer of numismatic literature. On Sunday, 25.06.2023, also at 10 a.m., the second part, coins and medals from antiquity, Germany and all over the world, will continue. This large number of lots promises an extensive offer from the broad spectrum of numismatics, notaphily as well as the related and still important literature. The start of this weekend auction will be marked by approx. 900 lots of banknotes with numerous rarities. Among them is one of the rarest banknotes of the German Empire. In addition to paper money from Germany, there are many samples and numerous cash-fresh and sought-after notes from abroad. - Lot 29 : Belgian Congo, 100 Francs 7.02.1896, cancelled, rusty staple mark, IV - Lot 91 : Germany, 50 Mark Reichskassenschein 11.07.1874, Series V, Fol. 22, Lit.A. No 109844. This series unknown in the literature so far! Ros. 3. pick 3. grave. DEU-47. II / Extremely fine - Lot 106: Germany, occupation money of WW1, occupation Belgium, 20 Francs 10.07.1918, several small pinholes, I- - Lot 124: Germany, World War 1 occupation money, occupation France, 100 Francs o. D. (1915), Deichmann-Bon, I- ?? - Lot 155: Germany, Bayerische Notenbank, 100 Reichsmark 11.10.1924, undervalued, I - Lot 158: Germany, W??rttembergische Notenbank, 100 Reichsmark 11.10.1924, hand-signature, undervalued, slight middle bow, II+, Starting price 4800 Euro - Lot 258, 274, 276, 281, 287 Germany, Western Occupation Zone, series of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 DM 1948&1949, each with red overprint "MUSTER", zero number resp. from current series, I resp. I-II ?? - Lot 295, 296, 298, 300, 301, 302, 303, 304: Series from 10 DM to 1000 DM 1993/96 with serial number 1! Mostly nearly uncirculated - Lot 10: Australia, 1 Pound n. D. (1932), PMG 25 Very fine - Lot 482: Hong Kong, Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation, 50 Dollars 1.10.1930, Pick 175b, III-IV - Lot 536 Cameroon, 50 centimes n. D. (1922), pinholes, II-III ?? - Lot 582 Luxembourg, 20 marks 1.07.1900, repaired, Pick 4, IV-V - Lot 667 Dutch India, De Javasche Bank, 25 guilders 7.11.1938, I - Lot 730 Qatar, Qatar & Dubai Curreny Board, 10 Riyals n.D. Pick 3, I - Lot 846 Sudan, 500 Piastres 1884, Belgaerung of Khartoum, I-II - Lot 900: USA, 1 Dollar 1969, original signature John Lennon, with expertise of Tracks Ltd, Chorley, Lancashire, GB, III Immediately following the banknotes is the literature auction with around 500 lots. ?? - Lot 1029: Monographs, ROBERTSON, A.S. Roman Imperial Coins in the Hunter Coin Cabinet, University of Glasgow. 5 volumes, Oxford a.o. 1962-1982. cloth, Starting price 500 Euro - Lot 1067: Monographs, METCALF, D. M. Coinage of the Crusades and the Latin East in the Ashmolean Museum Oxford. London 1983, full cloth, Starting price 250 Euro - Lot 1133: Monographs, KIENAST, G. W. The Medals of Karl Goetz. Cleveland, 1st edition 1967. 284 pp. No 171 of only 500 copies with signature. Archival stamps. Full cloth with gold print. Starting price 300 Euro The second day starts with about 300 lots of Antique Coins with exciting, rare pieces or good qualities. Most of the coins come from an old stock and this is already the third part we are allowed to offer. - Lot 1417: Roman Republic, didrachm ca. 225-214 BC, very nice, Starting price 50 Euro - Lot 1439 Roman Empire, Caligula, drachm, undetermined mint on Crete (Gortyn?), with Divus Augustus, fine patina, small scratches, very fine-excellent, Starting price 250 Euro - Lot 1454 Roman Empire, Otho, denarius, almost very fine, Starting price 250 Euro - Lot 1464 Roman Empire, Domitian, Cistophor, undetermined mint in Asia Minor, Rv. Temple of the Capitoline Triad, Very fine, Starting price 200 Euro - Lot 1512 Roman Empire, Pescennius Niger, Denarius, Antioch, Rv. standing Minerva with shield at her feet (!), Rich 61 var., good very fine, Starting price 1000 Euro - Lot 1600 Roman Empire, Uranius Antoninus, Billon tetradrachm, Emesa, unknown reverse stamp, very fine, Starting price 500 Euro - Lot 1653 Byzantium, Constantinos IX Monomacho, Histamenon 1046/49, Excellent, Reserve price 250 Euro It is difficult to name a focal point for the large number of German coins and medals. There are medieval pennies and bracteates, small coins of numerous states, especially thalers from 1500-1800, an attractive series of Prussia and Westphalia from the time before the foundation of the German Empire in a wide selection. And this time, too, friends of Nuremberg numismatics will find interesting coins and medals from the 16th century onwards. ?? - Lot 1830 Bremen, Taler 1864, On the opening of the New Stock Exchange, slightly rubbed, tiny marginal defects, excellent, Starting price 200 Euro - Lot 1715 Brandenburg-Prussia, ?? Taler 1751 C Kleve, Nearly very fine, Starting price 200 Euro - Lot 1714 Brandenburg-Prussia, Taler 1751 C Kleve, Very fine, Starting price 280 Euro - Lot 1721 Brandenburg-Prussia, Taler 1764 C Kleve, Small reddish defect on the rim, Very nice, Starting price 250 Euro - Lot 1755 Brandenburg-Prussia, 1/3 Taler 1809 A, Small crocket flaw and scratch, fine patina, Good excellent, Starting price 200 Euro - Lot 1761 Brandenburg-Prussia, Taler 1816 A, Kammerherrentaler, Very nice, Starting price 250 Euro - Lot 1777: Brandenburg-Prussia: Double taler 1859 A, Old cleaned, Starting price 600 Euro - Lot 1783 Brandenburg-Prussia, Double taler 1867 C, very fine-excellent, Starting price 400 Euro - Lot 1778 Brandenburg-Prussia, Double haler 1861 A, perforated at the rim, very fine- excellent, Starting price 180 Euro - Lot 1851 Hamburg, Taler 1730, 200th anniversary of the handing over of the Augsburg Confession, mint, Reserve price 500 Euro - Lot 1853 Hamburg, 2 ducats 1806, slight weakness of minting, small marginal faults, Very fine, Reserve price 800 Euro ?? - Lot 1890 Cologne, archbishopric, Hildolf 1076-1079, Denarius, rare, ex collection Benrhard Schulten, Starting price 500 Euro ?? - Lot 1901 Cologne, city, Goldgulden o. J. (1475-1511), good very fine, Starting price 350 Euro - Lot 2004 Saxony, Taler 1535, fine patina, good very fine, Starting price 350 Euro - Lot 2060 Saxony, ?? Gesamttaler 1666, handle mark, fields slightly worked, almost excellent, very rare, Starting price 500 Euro - Lot 2135 Westphalia, ?? Franc 1808, slightly adjusted, good excellent, Starting price 250 Euro - Lot 2134 Westphalia, 2 Francs 1808, slightly adjusted, almost very fine, Starting price 150 Euro - Lot 2133 Westphalia, 2/3 Taler 1808, scratch, excellent, Starting price 100 Euro - Lot 2142 Westphalia, Ausbeutegulden 1811, Gl??ck Auf! Clausthal, slightly cleaned, almost excellent, Starting price 200 Euro - Lot 2140 Westphalia, Taler 1811, Mansfeld loot, very fine-excellent, Starting price 400 Euro - Lot 2141 Westphalia, Taler 1811, slightly adjusted, almost excellent, Starting price 200 Euro This is followed by a section of Imperial coins and the German medals: - Lot 2250 Prussia, 5 Mark Wilhelm II 1888, very fine-mint, Starting price 350 Euro. ?? - Lot 2274 Prussia, 3 Mark 1915 Mansfeld, mint, Starting price 450 Euro - Lot 2303 Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, 20 Mark 1896, small dents, excellent, Starting price 2500 Euro - Lot 2390 German East Africa, 15 Rupees 1916, NGC MS 61, Starting price 4000 Euro - Lot 2380 German East Africa, 2 Rupien 1894, very nice, Starting price 200 Euro - Lot 2370 Danzig, 5 Gulden 1923, Very nice, Tax 180 Euro - Lot 2373 Gdansk, 5 florins 1935, cog, scratch, edge flaw, very nice, Starting price 200 Euro The spectrum of foreign coins and medals ranges from Ethiopia to the USA, including an attractive series of Swiss coins, Habsburg coinage and some nice gold coins. - Lot 2457: China, 450 Yuan 1979, Year of the Child, proof, Starting price 1000 Euro. - Lot 2517 France, ?? Ecu aux huit L 1691 K, Bordeaux, unmarked mint!, good very fine, Starting price 100 Euro - Lot 2831 Mexico, Juana y Carlos, 4 Reales o. J. (1542-1548), good very fine, Starting price 150 Euro ?? - Lot 2945 RDR / Austria, Bronze medal 1892. 25.52 g. On the Gschnas-Fest / - Gschnasball "Gross- Peking" of the Genossenschaft der bildenden K??nstler in the K??nstlerhaus in Vienna on 29 February 1892, Excellent, Reserve price 120 Euro - Lot 2955 RDR / Austria, Olm??tz, Taler 1725, almost excellent, Starting price 250 Euro - Lot 3000 Switzerland, Bern, 2 Ducats 1727, waved, handle mark, very fine, Starting price 700 Euro - Lot 3092 Hungary, Sigismund, Gold florin o. J. (1431-1437), Chamber Count Johannes Siebenlinder, very fine, Starting price 300 Euro The auction day is rounded off with collections and lots. You will find all lots of the auction Münzen Gut-Lynt 12 from the end of May on our well-known auction platform www.auktionen.gut-lynt.de. Register in good time at www.gut-lynt.de. We wish you good luck. If you have any questions about the Münzen Gut-Lynt Auction 12, please feel free to send us an email info at gut-lynt.de or call us: (+49) 2156 4874819. Münzen Gut-Lynt is a joint venture of SINCONA Zurich, Switzerland and Dr. Busso Peus, Frankfurt, Germany. Our philosophy is to offer world class coins at affordable prices. Would you also like to benefit from our expertise and international network? We are always looking for consignments - entire collections or individual items that no longer fit into your collection. We offer fair conditions and personal service, from consignment to payment. In addition, a direct purchase or an advance payment on the expected proceeds is possible at any time. We look forward to hearing from you. This year you can expect many more exciting Gut-Lynt auctions in September and November, including another banknote auction, a order/decoration auction and more numismatic literature from an dealer???s library. With the Gut-Lynt Newsletter you can stay informed about the upcoming Gut-Lynt auctions. Sign up at: www.gut-lynt.de/newsletter. We also recommend the exclusive Instagram Gut-Lynt previews of selected pieces from each upcoming Gut-Lynt auction. Münzen Gut-Lynt GmbH, Kehner Weg 144, 47918 Toenisvorst, Germany; info at gut-lynt.de Phone: (+49) 2156 4874819, www.gut-lynt.de WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: JUNE 11, 2023 I spent Thursday afternoon and evening in Baltimore at the Whitman Coin Expo. The summer event is smaller than the fall and spring shows, but there were still plenty of people and activity. I took a number of photos, starting with a display at the Stack's Bowers table of upcoming lots from the Syd Martin collection. Sorry for the glare from overhead lighting. ?? ?? ?? ?? Great medals! While walking the floor I visited with E-Sylum advertisers Tom Caldwell and Chris Clements of Northeast Numismatics, Dave and Melissa Kahn, and Julian Leidman. Others like Wayne Herndon of Wizard Coin Supply and Harry Laibstain were busy with customers when I passed by their tables. The Whitman booth always had customers, too. I took some photos of the displays after running into Ray Williams of the Colonial Coin Collectors Club and talking for a bit. ?? At the Mid-American table I spoke with Mary Lynn and Jeff Garrett, who told me about the newly discovered Great Kentucky Hoard. Great find! ?? Here's some nice paper money at Julian Leidman's table. ?? ?? I had some time to kill midafternoon so I walked over to the Inner Harbor. I thought I might even try visiting the National Aquarium, which I hadn't seen since we took our kids there once many years ago. Then I saw the ticket prices. Plan B was much cheaper. I'd never been to the observatory atop Baltimore's World Trade Center building. Called Top of the World, it has great views of the Inner Harbor, Fort McHenry and the Baltimore skyline. Adult admission was $8 or $6 for seniors 60+. To my chagrin I qualify for the senior rate, and handed over a $20 bill at the ticket booth. I'm still scratching my head over why I was handed back $17 in change, but I wonder if anyone under 40 even knows how to count cash anymore. Anyway, the experience was worth it despite it being a hazy day due to the lingering Canadian forest fire smoke blanketing the city that day. The views are impressive, and there are nice exhibits commemorating the 9/11 terrorist attacks and famous Baltimore natives. ?? Back at the show I stopped to check out the numismatic ephemera at the lobby handout table. It's election season for the American Numismatic Association, and there were three different candidate flyers. members: don't forget to vote! ?? ?? John "JD" Dannreuther had a copy of his new book on proof nickels at his table, and he explained to me a bibliophile conundrum he's pondering. His work on proofs is being published in multiple volumes over several years. The books are numbered and bibliophiles purchasing complete sets naturally prefer having the same number across all volumes. But what if the volumes are produced in different quantities? The gold book was a big seller and the silver one likely will be, too. But fewer individual buyers are opting for the nickel volume and as shown in the large printout of the numbering plate, it will be limited to 150 copies. So here's the problem - What if someone assembling a set was say, the 175th to order the gold books? What sense would it make for the nickel book to say that it's number 175 of 150 copies? Have publishers run into this situation before? How did they handle it? At the West Coast Coins table I saw this notice for a new edition of Joe Cronin's book on error coins. I didn't get to speak with Tom Reynolds, but I took photos of two great trays of early copper at his table. Click on the images to see larger versions on our Flickr archive. ?? ?? ?? ?? At 5:30 the show switched to one-way traffic. I met up with Newman Numismatic Portal Project Coordinator Len Augsburger at Gerry Fortin's table and we headed out to dinner. We ended up at the nearby Kona Grill. I'd never been there, but had a nice meal and glass of wine. We had a nice long conversation about mostly NNP topics, including the NNP Symposia, web archiving, software development status, and the Newman Grants. It was relaxing to just sit and chat for a couple hours. Len had to head off to another appointment, and I pointed my car back home to Virginia. I'm looking forward to my next convention, the August ANA World's Fair of Money® in Pittsburgh. To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: NEW BOOK: MINT ERRORS TO DIE FOR, 2ND EDITION (https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n39a04.html) ?? ILLEGALLY EXCAVATED COINS RECOVERED IN ISRAEL Aaron Oppenheim passed along two articles about ancient coins recovered from a thief in Jerusalem. Thanks. -Editor ?? Police recovered dozens of ancient coins that were allegedly illegally excavated ??? among them a rare coin from the time of the last Hasmonean king of Judea over 2,000 years ago ??? during a search in East Jerusalem overnight, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Wednesday. The currency was recovered from the suspect???s home in the Silwan neighborhood and includes bronze coins ranging from the Roman period until the Muslim period. The IAA said in a statement that coins from the reign of Antigonus Mattathias II (40 BCE ??? 37 BCE) are the rarest finds among those minted from the Hasmonean period. Police questioned a man in his 30s, suspected of robbing the artifacts ??? likely by searching for them with a metal detector around Jerusalem ??? illegal possession of artifacts, and attempting to sell the items. IAA Director Eli Escusido said that finding the coins at their original site would have been more useful to their study. ???The removal of the coin from its archaeological site harms the ability to understand our historical puzzle,??? he said. Gabriela Bichovsky, a coin expert at the IAA, said a cornucopia is displayed on the coin, with a Hebrew inscription reading, ???Mattia Kohen Gadol,??? a reference to the Hasmonean king as a member of the Jewish priestly class. The opposite side of the coin was minted with a Greek inscription surrounded by a wreath, she said. ???Mattathias minted bronze coins in three denominations: large, medium, and small. The coin that was recovered is of the medium denomination and is rarer than the large, on which a pair of cornucopias appear instead of one,??? Bichovsky added. To read the complete articles, see: Looted rare coin from last Hasmonean king seized in raid on suspected thief (https://www.timesofisrael.com/looted-rare-coin-from-last-hasmonean-king-seized-in-raid-on-suspected-thief/) Ancient Israeli coins recovered from Jerusalem archaeology thief (https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-745520) STACK'S BOWERS JUNE 2023 PHYSICAL CRYPTO Stack's Bowers is holding another Physical Cryptocurrency sale on June 14, 2023. Here's the press release. -Editor Stack???s Bowers Galleries is proud to announce the Physical Cryptocurrency session of their June 2023 Showcase Auction???the firm???s seventh such offering since first entering this market in 2021. Presented is a thrilling selection of the most formidable crypto rarities, as well as collector-favorites that are making their live auction debut. ?? Lot 4004 Noteworthy is a 2013 Casascius ???Gold Rim??? 1 Bitcoin in silver that is tied for the finest known at PCGS with a grade of Proof-69 Deep Cameo. Also presented is its counterpart from the Lealana series: a 2013 Lealana ???Gold B??? 1 Bitcoin graded Proof-69 Deep Cameo (PCGS). An example sold in Stack???s Bowers Galleries??? April 2022 auction and set the company record for a 1 Bitcoin at $108,000. Perhaps a new record will be established by the end of the June sale. Other highlights from the Casascius series include a 2013 0.1 BTC in silver, MS-65 (PCGS) and MS-63 (PCGS) examples of the scarce 2013 0.5 BTC in brass, and a phenomenal selection of brass 1 BTC including virtually every major variety. The prized 2011 ???Casacius Error??? 1 BTC is represented by a gorgeous MS-67 (ANACS), followed by a trio of the underrated 2012 1 BTC, and a pair of Gem 2013 1 BTC coins including a MS-67 (PCGS) and a MS-65 (ANACS). ?? Lot 4014 The Lealana series is represented by a formidable four-coin set including the 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 and aforementioned ???Gold B??? 1 Bitcoin, as well as a three-coin set of the rare Buyer Funded, Black Address variety including the 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 Bitcoin. ?? Lot 4025 Among the collector-favorite BTCC series, there are several ???poker chip??? types as well as the rare 0.1 Bitcoin struck in Titanium. ?? Lot 4071 Satori coinage is represented by a great mix of Pre-Fork and Post-Fork types, and an original 50-coin roll with consecutive serial numbers that will be featured across several lots. Stack???s Bowers Galleries is also proud to present the first PCGS-graded examples from the Crypto Imperator series to be offered publicly. In addition to Bitcoin, there are significant rarities from the Litecoin currency including issues by Lealana, Cryptovest, and Genesis. The Non-Loaded category is marked by an extremely rare Redeemed 2011 Casascius Bitcoin Storage Bar and a Redeemed Casascius 5 Bitcoin. Non-Loaded Lealana highlights include a silver Unfunded 2013 Lealana 0.5 Bitcoin and several different varieties of the silver Unfunded 2021 ???Bitcoin Cent??? 0.01 Bitcoins. For questions on the Stack???s Bowers Galleries June 2023 Physical Cryptocurrency session or to consign your coins to a future sale, contact specialist James McCartney at JMcCartney at StacksBowers.com or call (800) 566-2580. To read the complete lot descriptions, see: https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/auctions/3-134QG6/june-2023-auction-session-4-physical-cryptocurrency-lots-4001-4168?limit=36 THE 1805 WASHINGTON MEDAL BY ECCLESTON Coin Update posted an article by Dave Bowers on the Eccleston 1805 Washington medal taken from the book 100 Greatest American Medals and Tokens. Here's an excerpt. See the book or the complete article online for more. -Editor ?? Among numismatically popular early medals associated with the life of George Washington, the Eccleston medal of 1805, from dies cut by Thomas Webb, is certainly the largest (76 millimeters), and it is among the most interesting. At first glance, this seems to be a satirical medal. Washington is encased in a heavy suit of armor, ???a singular conceit,??? noted W.S. Baker in his 1875 book on Washingtoniana. At the center of the reverse is an Indian (Native American) with the surrounding inscription, THE LAND WAS OURS. It seems that Eccleston, a highly eccentric Englishman, meant the medal as a tribute. According to his own account, Eccleston spent time in America in the late 18th century and was Washington???s guest at Mount Vernon. No confirmation of this has been found. Eccleston wrote to Thomas Jefferson in May 1807, and he enclosed a specimen of the Eccleston medal, which is in the collection of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation and is on display at Monticello: Sir, I beg your acceptance of a Medallion of your Great Predecessor in the high station which you at present so worthily fill, which I have lately had struck off to his memory, and request the favours of your forwarding a couple to the honourable Bushrod Washington [Washington???s nephew, a Supreme Court justice at the time], for himself, and Judge Marshall. Notwithstanding the Date on the Medallion, these are some of the first I have issued. I believe it is the largest medal, and in the highest relief that has been struck off in this country for some time. If it would not be occupying too much of your time, I should be glad just to be informed of the safe arrival of this small parcel and I am, Sir, Your assured friend, Daniel Belteshazzar Plantagenet Eccleston To read the complete article, see: Bowers on Collecting: American medals to the fore ??? the 1805 Eccleston medal (https://news.coinupdate.com/bowers-on-collecting-american-medals-to-the-fore-the-1805-eccleston-medal/) THE BOOK BAZARRE BIBLE LORE AND THE ETERNAL FLAME ???Kenneth Bressett???s latest book is a numismatic and archaeological trip through Biblical times, a roadmap of the Old and New Testaments that explores history through coins. Beautifully illustrated and entertainingly written by a master of the craft. Order your copy online at Whitman.com , or call 1-800-546-2995. REPRODUCTION VICTORIA CROSS MEDALS I noticed recently that the National Archives of the United Kingdom is selling full size replicas of the Victoria Cross medal. These wouldn't fool an expert, but be on the lookout for these in the marketplace. -Editor This reproduction Victoria Cross is made from lead-free pewter. It is supplied with ribbon in a clear medal wallet and colour header card. Please note these full size replica medals will not have the same weight, exact finish or detailing as original medals and are suitable for educational purposes, as souvenirs or as basic replacements for missing medals in a set. The VC was instituted by Royal Warrant on 29 January 1856 to acknowledge the bravery displayed by many soldiers and sailors during the Crimean War. Unlike its predecessors, the new award was open to all ranks and would only be presented for acts of supreme gallantry in the face of the enemy. The decoration takes the form of a cross patt??e, bearing a crown surmounted by a lion, with the inscription ???FOR VALOUR???. This was originally to have been ???FOR BRAVERY???. But it was changed on the recommendation of Queen Victoria, who thought that some might mistakenly assume that only the recipients of the VC were brave in battle. The VC is Britain's joint-highest award for gallantry. It was only equalled in status in 1940, when the George Cross (GC) was instituted for acts of conspicuous bravery not in the enemy's presence. There is no barrier of colour, creed, sex or rank. Indeed, VC recipients have come from all social backgrounds and from all over the British Empire and Commonwealth. The manufacturer of this item makes a donation from its sale to The Veteran Charities Consortium. The proceeds from this item made by The National Archives go towards supporting the work of The National Archives in preserving the nation???s history including the preservation of military records. To read the complete sale listing, see: Victoria Cross: Full Size Replica Medal (https://shop.nationalarchives.gov.uk/products/victoria-cross-full-size-replica-medal) THE LIBRARIANS WHO FORESAW THE INTERNET Much of numismatics is online today, like the newsletter you're reading. Bibliophiles and researchers may enjoy this article about a group of 1970s college librarians who foresaw today's world of distributed knowledge and research, and designed tools to search it. -Editor ?? Throughout an unusually sunny Fall in 1970, hundreds of students and faculty at Syracuse University sat one at a time before a printing computer terminal (similar to an electric typewriter) connected to an IBM 360 mainframe located across campus in New York state. Almost none of them had ever used a computer before, let alone a computer-based information retrieval system. Their hands trembled as they touched the keyboard; several later reported that they had been afraid of breaking the entire system as they typed. The participants were performing their first online searches, entering carefully chosen words to find relevant psychology abstracts in a brand-new database. They typed one key term or instruction per line, like ???Motivation??? in line 1, ???Esteem??? in line 2, and ???L1 and L2??? in line 3 in order to search for papers that included both terms. After running the query, the terminal produced a printout indicating how many documents matched each search; users could then narrow down or expand that search before generating a list of article citations. Many users burst into laughter upon seeing the response from a computer so far away. As part of a telephone survey afterwards, participants were asked to provide two or three words describing the experience. Of the 78 total words provided, 21 were the same adjective: ???frustrating???. Participants had trouble signing on to the system and experienced unpredictable failures, ???irrelevant output??? and, most of all, not knowing ???what words to use in a search???. Yet they also found the system intriguing and exciting (???fun???, ???thorough???, ???I dig computers???), and 94 per cent said they would use SUPARS (the Syracuse University Psychological Abstracts Retrieval Service) again if it were available. Several offered to keep the experiment running past its deadline by asking their departments to contribute funding to the project. This group of academic guinea pigs, mostly graduate students in education, psychology and librarianship, were part of a radical online search experiment run by the Syracuse University School of Library Science. SUPARS was one of many ambitious information-retrieval studies that took place between the late 1960s and mid-1970s on US university campuses. A number of factors led to the surge in this research. Developments in computer-processing capability for speed and storage had allowed academic databases and catalogues to be digitised and moved online. Computer terminals were newly modular and could be placed around campuses for decentralised access to mainframes. And military and industry funding for computer-based research was more abundant than it had ever been. Given the opportunity, academic librarians took advantage of the chance to explore this expensive new technology. In turn, universities offered unclassified environments for collaborations with corporate technology firms and military groups; SUPARS was sponsored by the Rome Air Development Center, the laboratory arm of the US Air Force. It???s easy to see why librarians of the 1970s set out to revolutionise search. Work across the academy was expanding to such a degree that, soon, there would not be enough human librarians to support all of it. Yet, to get the information they needed, researchers would face a time-consuming, physically involved process that required librarian intervention. While academic researchers could browse new issues of journals in their field, for a focused search of all that had come before they still had to consult with a reference librarian to look up the correct Library of Congress subject headings within a multivolume manual. Armed with a set of subject headings, the researcher would then search across the library catalogue for books and in citation indexes for journal articles, including subscription databases such as the Science Citation Index as well as hand-built bibliographies created by their university???s subject librarians. Finally, they would physically track down the c orrect books and bound periodicals that included articles they thought might be relevant ??? if the volumes happened to be on the library shelves. ?? It???s no wonder that SUPARS participants found the system compelling, despite its limitations. And given how familiar university librarians were with the challenges of search, it makes sense that the system they designed bypassed subject headings and citation indexes. What???s more surprising is that, of all the online search experiments that took place during this period ??? including commercially focused search systems like Lockheed???s Dialog, which has since become an enterprise product ??? SUPARS mimicked contemporary web search more closely than any other, prefiguring several primary features of web-search protocols we rely on more than 50 years later. SUPARS and other largely forgotten systems were the forerunners of the contemporary search engines we have today. While the popular history of the internet valorises Silicon Valley coders ??? or, sometimes, the former US vice president Al Gore ??? many of the original concepts for search emerged from library scientists focused on the accessibility of documents in time and space. Working with research and development funding from the military and industry, their advances can be seen everywhere in the current online information landscape ??? from general approaches to ingesting and indexing full-text documents, to free-text searching and a sophisticated algorithm utilising previous saved searches of others, a foundational building block for contemporary query expansion and autocomplete. Indeed, these and many other approaches developed by campus pioneers are still used by the multibillion-dollar businesses of web search and commercial library databases from Google to WorldCat t oday. To read the complete article, see: Ingenious librarians (https://aeon.co/essays/the-1970s-librarians-who-revolutionised-the-challenge-of-search) LOOSE CHANGE: JUNE 11, 2023 Here are some additional items in the media this week that may be of interest. -Editor The Road to Germany's Common Currency An article on the Künker site reviews Germany's path to a common currency. Here's an excerpt - see the complete article online. -Editor ?? 1835 Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Duke Ernest I Konventionstaler In the years between 1800 and 1914, Germany developed from an agricultural patchwork of countless separate territories into a unified industrial nation. If you are interested in German history, you will be familiar with the major steps of this development: from the student protests after the Congress of Vienna to the failed revolution of 1848, Prussia???s three ???wars of unification??? and the founding of the German Empire. So, was the German nation-state the result of patriotic sentiment combined with Prussia???s high ambitions as a military power? That would be too much of a simplification, after all, economic factors also played into this. Customs barriers and the different currencies that circulated in a myriad of small states hampered trade and were increasingly considered medieval by citizens. Countries such as France and Great Britain had long become unified economic areas and were discussing free trade agreements. Germany still had a long way to go. Therefore, German politicians in the 19th century endeavored to facilitate the exchange of goods and to harmonize currencies. Coinage treaties gradually paved the way for the common currency that was introduced in the new German Empire. We will illustrate this development with the coins of the Double Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, of which some rare and outstandingly preserved pieces can be found in K??nker???s auction 388. The sale will be held on 22 June 2023 and present a North German private collection under the title ???Taler and Mark???. ?? 1872 German Empire 20 Marks To read the complete article, see: >From Taler to Mark: The Long Road to a Common Currency (https://www.kuenker.de/en/information/presseinformationen/aktuelle-mitteilungen/491) Batman's Giant Penny Something I stumbled across this week is Batman's Giant Penny. Can anyone fill us in on the backstory of the penny and the Penny Plunderer? Is one really big penny better than a million little ones? -Editor ?? When a criminal who called himself Penny Plunderer started operating in Gotham City, Batman deduced that he would strike at the local coin exhibition. The Plunderer was obsessed with Pennies and in the exhibition, there was a giant-sized penny, which was the Plunderer's target along with the first one-cent stamp in history. Batman confronted the Plunderer and used the giant penny to defeat the criminal and his henchmen. It is yet unrevealed how exactly Batman acquired the Penny, but after his victory over the Plunderer, Batman took the giant coin to the Trophy Room of the Batcave, where it has become one of the main features of the place. ?? To read the complete article, see: Giant Penny (https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Giant_Penny) The Joan Rivers Card Catalog The bibliophile/librarian in me appreciated this non-numismatic story about the 65,000 cross-referenced gags in the Joan Rivers card catalog of jokes. -Editor When Joan Rivers died in 2014, ending one of the greatest careers in modern comedy, several groups were interested in acquiring her archives, which included a meticulously organized collection of 65,000 typewritten jokes. Her daughter, Melissa Rivers, recalled a conversation with a representative from the Smithsonian Institution who wanted the catalog of jokes but said it would not be on permanent display. Her mind instantly went to the final tracking shot of ???Raiders of the Lost Ark,??? in which the golden Ark of the Covenant is locked inside a crate and placed in a vast warehouse with hundreds of other crates. Instead, Rivers is donating the extensive collection to the National Comedy Center, the high-tech museum in Jamestown, N.Y., joining the archives of A-list comics like George Carlin and Carl Reiner. Rivers, who wrote gags at all hours, paid close attention to setups and punchlines, typing them up and cross-referencing them by categories like ???Parents hated me??? or ???Las Vegas??? or ???No sex appeal.??? The largest subject area is ???Tramp,??? which includes 1,756 jokes. ?? To read the complete article, see: A ???Crown Jewel of Comedy???: The Joan Rivers Card Catalog of Jokes Finds a Home (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/08/arts/television/joan-rivers-archive.html) THE MILLION-PENNY HOARD Rich Bottles passed along this story about a couple who found a stash of about a million cents while cleaning out a parent's home. -Editor ?? Having more money than you know what to do with is usually a good thing, but for one California family, it???s a little bit more complicated than that. John Reyes, a realtor from the Inland Empire area, is trying to figure out what to do with more than 1 million pennies he and his wife discovered in her father???s former home in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles. The pennies were found in a crawlspace way back in the basement of the home last year while the family was cleaning out the home that once belonged to John???s father-in-law, Fritz. Fritz and his brother, both German immigrants, lived in the home for decades until Fritz passed and his brother moved away. In the years since, John, his wife, Elizabeth, her sister, her cousin and their spouses, have been cleaning out the historic home with plans to renovate it for the next generation. ???They kept everything,??? Reyes told KTLA, adding that it???s taken several years with their busy schedules to get the place clean and ready for renovations. He says their cleaning job became a rescue mission one day last year while cleaning out the home???s basement. The crawlspace was tight, literally requiring members of the family to get on their knees to reach the deepest corners. At first, they stumbled upon some loose pennies, the paper rolls disintegrated from years of basement dwelling. Loose pennies led to crates, which led to boxes, which eventually led to the discovery of dozens of bank bags filled with an undetermined amount of pennies from decades ago. ???Some of the banks don???t even exist anymore,??? Reyes said. The discovery was exciting, but also led to the realization that they were stuck with hundreds of thousands of pennies, each bag weighing several pounds and needing to be pulled from the crawlspace and brought into the light for the first time in years. They did some rough mathematics, weighing the bags of pennies and determining how much each bag held, and then stopped once they felt comfortable with an estimate: at least 1 million. Next came the question that still rings true for Reyes and his wife???s family: what exactly do you do with a million pennies? The immediate thought was cash out and be done with it. ??????We???ve got to take these to Coinstar,'??? Reyes recalled thinking at the time, but they quickly changed their minds. ???We didn???t want to pay 8%, and there???s no way we can take these all the way [home] to Ontario.??? They began calling around banks in L.A. to see if any of them were interested. One Wells Fargo branch said it was just too many pennies for them to take in. ??????I don???t even have the room in my vault,'??? Reyes recalled a bank manager telling him. ??????Don???t bring them here.'??? Their local bank didn???t want to take the pennies either, urging Reyes and his extended family to go through them and search for any rarities. Reyes begrudgingly agreed. ???You see all these stories of people finding pennies worth $2 million,??? he said. It only takes one rare coin to change everything, and they had ample opportunity to get lucky. But they???ve already invested years into cleaning out Fritz and his brother???s old home and they???ve spent months dealing with the pennies. The family is ready for someone else to finish the journey, but they want to get a fair value for the possibility the pennies promise. Reyes listed the coins on OfferUp, a popular resale app and website, asking for $25,000. If their estimate of 1 million pennies is accurate, that???s more than double the $10,000 value in normal currency. They???ve received piecemeal offers from people interested in a portion of what treasures may be found in the depths of the bank bags, but no offers to take them completely out of their hands. One person offered the copper value, but that proved to be impractical and resource-heavy. If you have the means, the desire, and an optimistic spirit, Reyes and his family are listening to offers. Although, you???ll probably have to figure out how to transport them yourself. The story quickly went viral. Thanks also to Len Augsburger, Howard Berlin, Michael Kodysz, Dick Hanscom and Aidan Work, who forwarded other publications of the story. -Editor Aidan writes: "This is even better than those stories about people trying to pay fines in protest with only 1 Cent coins." Hmmm, maybe they could trade up with the folks who stole those two million dimes... -Editor To read the complete articles, see: Family finds 1 million copper pennies while cleaning out Los Angeles home (https://www.abc27.com/national/family-finds-1-million-copper-pennies-while-cleaning-out-los-angeles-home/) Family finds 1 million copper pennies while cleaning out Los Angeles home (https://wgntv.com/news/family-finds-1-million-copper-pennies-while-cleaning-out-los-angeles-home/) Family finds 1 million copper pennies while cleaning LA home (https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/family-finds-1-million-copper-pennies-while-cleaning-out-los-angeles-home/) Family finds 1 million copper pennies while cleaning out Los Angeles home (https://pix11.com/news/family-finds-1-million-copper-pennies-while-cleaning-out-los-angeles-home/) US couple struggle to bank huge haul of pennies (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65839799) To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: TWO MILLION DIMES STOLEN (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n16a34.html) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. For more information please see our web site at http://www.coinbooks.org/. There is a membership application available on the web site at this address: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_member_app.html To join, print the application and return it with your check to the address printed on the application. Membership is only $15 to addresses in the U.S., $20 for First Class mail, and $25 elsewhere. For those without web access, write to: David M. Sundman, Secretary/Treasurer Numismatic Bibliomania Society, P. O. Box 82 Littleton, NH 03561 For Asylum mailing address changes and other membership questions, contact David at this email address: dsundman at LittletonCoin.com To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, just Reply to this message, or write to the Editor at this address: whomren at gmail.com Those wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All past E-Sylum issues are archived on the NBS web site at this address: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_esylum_archive.html Issues from September 2002 to date are also archived at this address: http://my.binhost.com/pipermail/esylum -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From esylum at binhost.com Sun Jun 18 19:23:09 2023 From: esylum at binhost.com (The E-Sylum) Date: Sun, 18 Jun 2023 20:23:09 -0600 (MDT) Subject: The E-Sylum v26n25 June 18, 2023 Message-ID: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The E-Sylum An electronic publication of The Numismatic Bibliomania Society Volume 26, Number 25, June 18, 2023 ** WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM JUNE 18, 2023 <#a01> ** NBS BOOKBINDING DEMO AT THE ANA <#a02> ** SOLIDUS LITERATURE AUCTION JUNE 2023 <#a03> ** NEW BOOK: THE COINAGE OF GORDIAN III <#a04> ** NEW BOOK: CHERRYPICKERS' GUIDE, 6TH EDITION, VOLUME II <#a05> ** NEW BOOK: TRANSPORTATION TOKENS 8TH EDITION <#a06> ** NEW BOOK: MINT ERRORS TO DIE FOR, 3RD EDITION <#a07> ** NEW BOOK: SILVER ART BARS & ART ROUNDS, 7TH ED. <#a08> ** MCA ADVISORY SPRING 2023 ISSUE <#a09> ** BOOK REVIEW: THE GALLOWS POLE <#a10> ** MAKING OF MORGAN SILVER DOLLARS, 7TH EDITION <#a11> ** NNP ADDS COIN SHOW PODCAST ARCHIVES <#a12> ** VIDEO: FUN WITH PAPER MONEY <#a13> ** EXHIBIT: TYRANTS OF THE THAMES 2.0 <#a14> ** MORE WOMEN DEALERS <#a15> ** NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JUNE 18, 2023 <#a16> ** EMIL FUCHS AND HERMON MACNEIL <#a17> ** THE GREAT KENTUCKY HOARD <#a18> ** VOCABULARY TERM: MULTIPLE BLANKING <#a19> ** WARREN ANTHONY LAPP (1915-1993) <#a20> ** HUNTER HICKS' CASH REGISTER <#a21> ** MARK SALZBERG ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT <#a22> ** CAC GRADING SERVICE LAUNCHING <#a23> ** 2023 AMERICAN MEDAL OF THE YEAR AWARDS <#a24> ** THE CRAGG VALE COINERS <#a25> ** ATLAS NUMISMATICS SELECTIONS: JUNE 18, 2023 <#a26> ** NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: JUNE 18, 2023 <#a27> ** KUENKER JUNE 2023 AUCTION 389 <#a28> ** KUENKER JUNE 2023 AUCTION 390 <#a29> ** SYDNEY F. MARTIN COLLECTION JUNE 2023 SALE <#a30> ** GEORGE WASHINGTON COPPERS <#a31> ** D-DAY DICKIN MEDAL HERO PADDY THE PIGEON <#a32> ** SURVEYS SHOW SEATTLE INCREASINGLY CASHLESS <#a33> ** THE CURRENCY OF SLOWJAMISTAN <#a34> ** LOOSE CHANGE: JUNE 18, 2023 <#a35> ** POLICE OFFICER SWALLOWS BANKNOTES <#a36> ?? Click here to read this issue on the web Click here to read the thin version on the web Click here to subscribe Click here to access the complete archive 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 JUNE 18, 2023 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. This week we open with some NBS news, a numismatic literature sale, five new books, a new periodical issue, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, and more. Other topics this week include transportation tokens, mint errors, silver art bars, counterfeiting, Tyrants of the Thames, Warren Lapp, Hunter Hicks, Mark Salzberg, CAC Grading, fixed price and auction previews, a Dickin medal winner, and a new micronation's currency. To learn more about bookbinding, the coinage of Gordian III, the MCA Advisory, the Betts Novi Orbi medals, Morgan silver dollars, the 1663 Petition Crown, Una & the Lion, Ruth Bauer, Elizabeth Coggan, Yvette Haas, Pamela West, Emil Fuchs, Hermon MacNeil, multiple blanking, Pennywise, Jim Licaretz, the Cragg Vale Coiners, the 1783 Unity States Cent, and the currency of Slowjamistan, read on. Have a great week, everyone! Wayne Homren Editor, The E-Sylum ?? Image of the week ?? NBS BOOKBINDING DEMO AT THE ANA The Numismatic Bibliomania Society table at this summer's American Numismatic Association World's Fair of Money® will feature a special live demonstration. -Editor NBS Bookbinding Demo at the ANA The NBS will host a bookbinding demo during the ANA convention, at the NBS club table, on Wednesday, August 9. Being book collectors, we should learn a bit about how they are constructed! All supplies will be furnished for those who wish to participate, including unbound pages for a new, unpublished work. Prior to the convention, we will reveal further information on this volume, copies of which will not be otherwise available until after the convention. Our bookbinding term of the week is cambric. The cambric is a mid-grade, woven fabric used as a spine reinforcement material in book making. This provides connective tissue for the loose boards within the covers. The cambric is glued in underneath the front and rear pastedown pages. If you take apart a hardbound book (just don???t tell anyone you did so!), you may notice this at the spine. For more information on the Numismatic Bibliomania Society, see: https://www.coinbooks.org/ SOLIDUS LITERATURE AUCTION JUNE 2023 Solidus Numismatik of Munich is holding a numismatic literature auction on 25 June 2023 featuring auction catalogues, many of the 19th century and from important auction houses. Here's the firm's announcement. -Editor 12th auction of numismatic literature at Solidus on 25 June 2023 The literature auction 121 of Solidus on 25 June 2023 is entirely dedicated to selected auction catalogues. The spectrum of the 862 lots ranges from early catalogues of the mid-19th century to entire series of catalogues by renowned firms of the 21st century. Among the pre-1945 auction catalogues are numerous sought-after and rare collections, including the collections of Gnecchi, Prospero Sarti, Rhousopoulos, Kneist, Imhoof-Blumer, Hauswaldt, Hermitage St. Petersburg, Welzl von Wellenheim, and Meyer-Gedanensis. Also represented are many well-known auction houses, such as Cahn, Hess, Helbing, Hamburger, Ratto, Santamaria, Baranowsky, Schlessinger, Naville, Riechmann, Rosenberg and M??nzhandlung Basel. Among the auction catalogues after 1945 are series of catalogues by Peus, K??nker, Gerhard Hirsch, Numismatica Ars Classica and Kolbe & Fanning. Numerous Highlights include the following lots: ?? Lot 204: Collection Graf Heinrich Stecki. 1873-1875 1) Hamburger, Leopold, Frankfurt a.M. Auction 3 of 17 November 1873: Collection Graf Heinrich Stecki. Poland (Nos. 642-2374), coll. Bursio, coll. v. Vogelstein. Middle Ages, thalers with Gothic script (incunabula). 4573 nos., 1 pl. Bound with: Hamburger, L. u. L., Frankfurt a.M. Auction 1 of 25 October 1875. Collection of medieval and modern coins and medals of Hauptmann v. Löhr, Darmstadt. Collection of Polish coins of Count Heinrich Stecki (II. Dept.), as well as coins of Italy, the Popes, the Order of St. John, beautiful proof coins etc. of Henri Regnault. Bound in one volume. Half leather. ?? Lot 5: Collection Welzl von Wellenheim. 1845-1847 2) „Verzeichniss der Münz- und Medaillen-Sammlung des kaiserl. königl. Hofrathes und Mitgliedes mehrerer gelehrter Gesellschaften, Herrn Leopold Welzl von Wellenheim.“ Auctions of 10 February 1845, 7 January 1846 and 1 February 1847. Complete series. Bound in 3 uniform volumes. Full cloth, bumped and scuffed, partly foxed, book block of volume 1 somewhat loose. ?? Lot 318: Collection Meyer-Gedanensis. 1894-1895 3) Hess, A. Frankfurt am Main. Auctions 61, 62 and 63. „Münzen- und Medaillen-Sammlung Adolph Meyer-Gedanensis, Berlin.“ First and second sections and the numismatic library. Bound in one volume. Half linen. Splendid copy. ?? Lot 583: Numismatica Ars Classica. 2013-2021 4) Numismatica Ars Classica, Zürich. Series of auction catalogues. Auctions 70 - 112, 114 - 120, 124 - 127 from 2013 - 2021. Orig. paperback and cardboard. We hope you enjoy browsing through the wide range of numismatic auction catalogues with a variety of collections and that there will be something for your library again this time. You can access the auction via AUEX: https://solidus-numismatik.auex.de/Auktion/Onlinekatalog?intAuktionsId=1369 The auction is also available on Sixbid: https://www.sixbid.com/de/solidus-numismatik/10829 The website of Solidus Numismatik can be found here: www.solidus-numismatik.de NEW BOOK: THE COINAGE OF GORDIAN III A new book by Roger Bland has been published by SPINK for the Royal Numismatic Society. -Editor The Coinage of Gordian III from the Mints of Antioch and Caesarea Roger Bland Royal Numismatic Society Special Publication 60, 2023 This book presents a detailed die-study of the issues of the mints of Antioch in Syria and Caesarea in Cappadocia from the reign of Gordian III (AD 238-44). The coinage of Antioch consisted of two series of radiates with Roman legends and four series of tetradrachms and 3,818 coins of Antioch and 1,312 silver and bronze coins of Caesarea are included in the die-study. All the dies are illustrated in 100 plates. The study shows how to distinguish the radiates of Antioch from those of Rome and examines the relationship between radiates and tetradrachms of Antioch. The former coins have traditionally been classed as `Roman imperial' and the latter as `Roman provincial'. The dies for the coinage of Caesarea were also produced by Antiochene engravers, which had not been noticed before. Further chapters examine chronological problems, the metal content of the silver coins of Gordian's reign (over a hundred analyses are published here for the first time), the evidence for their circulation in hoards and site finds and the historical events of Gordian's reign. These findings are summarized in the conclusion, which sets the coinages of Antioch and Caesarea in their historical context. Roger Bland is President of the Royal Numismatic Society. He retired in 2015 as Keeper of the Department of Britain, Europe and Prehistory at the British Museum. 548 pages + 100 plates, 1,414 illustrations in text. ISBN 978-0???901405???39???6 £80 (£60 to Fellows of the RNS) Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout. For more information, or to order, see: The Coinage of Gordian III from the Mints of Antioch and Caesarea | Roger Bland (https://spinkbooks.com/products/the-coinage-of-gordian-iii-from-the-mints-of-antioch-and-caesarea-roger-bland) ?? NEW BOOK: CHERRYPICKERS' GUIDE, 6TH EDITION, VOLUME II Dennis Tucker of Whitman Publishing forwarded this press release for the new edition of volume 2 of the Cherrypicker's Guide. Thanks. -Editor Whitman Publishing announces the upcoming release of the newest Cherrypickers??? Guide to Rare Die Varieties. The sixth edition, volume II, will debut in August 2023 at the American Numismatic Association World???s Fair of Money in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In the meantime, the 320-page spiralbound-hardcover book can be preordered for $39.95 online, including at Whitman.com. After the ANA show the Cherrypickers??? Guide will be available from booksellers nationwide. To ???cherrypick??? is to examine coins that appear normal at first glance, seeking those with unusual characteristics???overdates, repunched mintmarks, doubled and tripled dies, and similar features???that reveal them to be rare and valuable. The Cherrypickers??? Guide uses close-up photographs and text descriptions to show collectors what to look for. It includes rarity ratings and retail values in multiple grades. For the latest volume, Cherrypickers??? Guide coauthor Bill Fivaz and professional numismatist Larry Briggs coordinated edits and updates. They reached out to the hobby community for advice, recommendations, research, market analysis, and photographs. The new volume features more than 440 die varieties, including nearly 80 new additions. The book covers Capped Bust and Liberty Seated half dimes, dimes, and quarters; Barber dimes and quarters; Mercury dimes; Roosevelt dimes; twenty-cent pieces; Standing Liberty quarters; and Washington quarters, including the State, D.C., Territorial, and National Park series. Picking up from there, volume III of the sixth edition is slated to debut in 2024. It will cover Capped Bust, Liberty Seated, and Barber half dollars, plus Liberty Walking, Franklin, and Kennedy half dollars, trade dollars, Morgan and Peace silver dollars, modern dollar coins, gold coins (dollars through double eagles), classic commemoratives, bullion, and coins struck for the Philippines under U.S. sovereignty. Bill Fivaz, a coin collector since 1950, has earned recognition as one of the country???s most respected authorities on numismatic errors and die varieties. He is a longtime contributor to the Guide Book of United States Coins (the ???Red Book???), a past governor of the American Numismatic Association, and a past member of the United States Mint???s Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. With the late J.T. Stanton he published the first Cherrypickers??? Guide in 1990, launching the modern boom in interest in die varieties. Volume editor Larry Briggs is well known to the hobby community as a dealer, author, and educator. He was president of the American Numismatic Association???s Authentication Committee. A student of history and archaeology, Briggs served in the U.S. Air Force and worked for Ford Motor Company before launching his own business, Larry Briggs Rare Coins, in 1978. His specialties include error coins and die varieties, Liberty Seated coinage, and early American coppers. ?? # # # Cherrypickers??? Guide to Rare Die Varieties of United States Coins, sixth edition, volume II. By Bill Fivaz and J.T. Stanton; forewords by Kenneth Bressett and Q. David Bowers; edited by Larry Briggs. Publication date: August 2023. Retail $39.95. 320 pages, 6 x 9 inches, spiralbound hardcover. https://whitman.com/cherrypickers-guide-volume-ii-6th-edition/ To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: NEW BOOK: CHERRYPICKERS' GUIDE, 6TH EDITION, VOLUME I (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v18n30a04.html) NEW BOOK: TRANSPORTATION TOKENS 8TH EDITION A new edition of the standard work, The Atwood-Coffee Catalogue of United States and Canadian Transportation Tokens has been published by the American Vecturist Association. Thanks to Yosef Sa'ar for passing along the information. -Editor AVA Publications Chairman Rich Mallicote writes: We now have printed Eighth Edition catalogs available for shipment. The company we used for the Seventh Edition is no longer in business and it took a long time to find another qualified printer and negotiate a reasonable price for the books. The price for the new book is $37, ppd to anywhere in the US. For anyone outside the US that wants a book shipped to them, please contact me and we will figure out what the postage will be ??? the book weighs almost five pounds. The price is a little higher, because it is larger than the previous edition and postage has increased. To order a hard-bound eighth edition, please send a $37 check ??? made out to AVA ??? to Rich Mallicote, 1039 Arbor Drive, Lakemont, GA 30552. To request a PDF copy of the catalogue, send an email to rmallicote at comcast.net. For background, here is the text of the book's Foreword. -Editor Transportation tokens were first catalogued by themselves in 1920 when Mr. F.C. Kenworthy typed up a list of his collection and in other collections he had seen. This earliest "check list" was passed around and copied by the few collectors of Mr. Kenworthy's acquaintance. Kenworthy's list employed a rather crude listing method whereby cities were arranged alphabetically without regard to their states, and reverses were indicated by code letters. In March 1925, Kenworthy passed the job of compiling a listing of transportation tokens to Mr. R.W. Dunn who, in 1932, had his check list mimeographed. This was the first printed listing of transportation tokens anywhere in the world and it included both foreign and U.S. tokens. Shortly after publishing his listing in 1932 Mr. Dunn passed the mantle to Roland C. Atwood. Mr. Atwood had an extensive correspondence with other collectors and travelled throughout the United States and Canada annually in search of tokens and their collectors. His Hollywood address became a kind of central clearing house of information on transportation tokens, and the result of this was a rapid growth in the size of the transportation token check list. Early in 1942 the publisher of Keim's Hobby News, a mimeographed monthly, obtained a copy of Atwood's check list and, without Atwood's permission, proceeded to run it serially in his hobby publication. Meanwhile both Mr. Dunn and Ray B. Cooper of Chicago had printed updates of Dunn's list. Beginning in January, 1943, the Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine published serially a Check List of U.S. Transportation Tokens compiled by Mr. Bernard Morganthau of New York City. This was completed in September, 1944, and shortly thereafter published in book form. It was of limited value to collectors, however, because it contained no information about the metals or sizes of the tokens, or their center devices, nor did it give full reverse inscriptions. Nevertheless, Morganthau's brilliant and witty articles in the Scrapbook and in the Numismatist, under the rubric "The Story Behind the Token" enhanced the popularity of transportation tokens as a separate hobby in their own right. In 1948 Mr. Atwood arranged to have his Check List published by the American Numismatic Company of Los Angeles. The result was called the National Check and Premium List of All U.S. Transportation Tokens, published loose-leaf and now arranged for the first time by states. Meanwhile, increasing interest in collecting transportation tokens as a separate hobby induced a San Francisco collector, Mr. R.L. Moore, to begin publication of a monthly mimeographed news-letter called the Fare Box. The first issue was published in July, 1947, and was mailed to about 100 collectors from a list given to Moore by Roland C. Atwood. The subscription rate was one dollar for twelve monthly issues mailed by first class. In December, 1948, Mr. Moore was forced to give up publishing the Fare Box and he turned it over to the newly formed American Vecturist Association. The A.V.A. continued to publish the Fare Box as its official organ under the direction of editor John Coffee who succeeded Mr. Moore. The American Vecturist Association itself was founded on October 31, 1948, in the office of Max M. Schwartz in New York City. Chief impetus for founding the new society had come from editorials in the Fare Box by Mr. Moore, so we have the interesting situation causing the birth of the Association which then took over publication of the news letter. Mr. Schwartz, founding father of the A.V.A., was a veteran numismatist but a novice transportation token collector. He brought a vigorous organizing talent to the hobby and served as first President of the Association, and later as its Secretary. The word "vecturist" in the title of the Association was coined by Mr. Moore as "vecturalist", derived from the Latin "vectura" which means "passage money". In proposing a name for the new association it was agreed to shorten "vecturalist" to "vecturist", and so it has remained. The word is listed in Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, and has even been one of the questions on "Jeopardy" on tele vision. Yosef adds: "At present it is only available to members of the American Vecturist Association. The digital PDF version is free to members around the world, and the printed work is US$ 37 postpaid within the USA. A worldwide digital membership in the AVA is only US$ 10." ?? The American Vecturist Association (or AVA) is an organization of transportation token collectors in the United States and Canada, as well as worldwide. Members of the AVA receive the Fare Box, the monthly newsletter of the AVA. The Fare Box contains advertisements, stories, and information about various tokens, as well as resources to buy, sell, and trade tokens. AVA members are also eligible to join the New Issue Service, which mails new transportation tokens to its members for a nominal fee. For more information about the American Vecturist Association, or to join, see:: https://vecturist.com/ NEW BOOK: MINT ERRORS TO DIE FOR, 3RD EDITION Joe Cronin has published a third edition of his book on error coins. -Editor I am proud to announce the 3rd Edition of my book, Mint Errors to Die For. The book is over 270 pages, 8.5 by 11 inches, and printed on thick, glossy, high-quality paper; the cover is soft-cover with a nice plastic coating. Loaded with large HD photos including close-ups. I have added many new examples of error types, added some edits and updated information, and even included a few new error types. I not only showcase, explain, and analyze dozens of error types, I also include information on how to detect altered coins, 100% counterfeits, and examples of damage that can mimic genuine errors. Bits of collecting advice, recent sale prices to help determine values, fun trivia, and some U.S. History are also sprinkled throughout. Most importantly, it's written in plain language so a beginner/novice can understand the reading, but yet it's comprehensive and detailed enough where it won't bore experienced collectors. ?? The direct sale price is $110 plus $8 to ship anywhere in the U.S. (it's $135 plus $6 shipping on eBay). I accept Venmo and PayPal (Friends and Family), but any transaction fees must be made up by the buyer. I can also accept money orders and personal checks in some cases (per references). Order yours today! Email me at josephcronin at protonmail.com ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? For more information, or to order, see: Mint Errors To Die For 3rd Edition, by Joe Cronin ~ 280 page book on Error Coins (https://www.ebay.com/itm/185801767455) Mint Errors to Die For, 3rd Edition (Cited from: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/mint-errors-to-die-for-3rd-edition.402055/) (https://www.cointalk.com/threads/mint-errors-to-die-for-3rd-edition.402055/) To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: NEW BOOK: MINT ERRORS TO DIE FOR, 2ND EDITION (https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n39a04.html) ?? ?? NEW BOOK: SILVER ART BARS & ART ROUNDS, 7TH ED. I wasn't familiar with earlier editions of this book. While not directly a numismatic topic it's close enough for The E-Sylum. These are a form of bullion pieces and medals, with a diverse array of sizes, styles and designs to interest collectors. -Editor SAC 7th Edition Guide Book of Silver Art Bars & Art Rounds Continuing the Incredible Tradition of Archie Kidd, Silver Art Collectors Introduces the New "7th Edition Guide Book of Modern Silver Art Bars & Art Rounds" This comprehensive guide is a must for all silver art collectors alike. Providing detailed in formation of the Modern Art Bar & Round Mints from 2007-2020 and the many beautiful pieces produced. Sadly, Archie passed away and now with a collaboration with his son, Stephen SAC Silver Art Collectors we are please that the Archie Kidd's tradition and legacy will go on. ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? For more information, or to order, see: SAC 7th Edition Guide Book of Silver Art Bars & Art Rounds (https://www.ebay.com/itm/124124948218) ?? MCA ADVISORY SPRING 2023 ISSUE The latest issue of the MCA Advisory has been published by the Medal Collectors of America. -Editor It???s here!! The Spring 2023 issue of the award-winning MCA Advisory has been published, packed with entertaining, scholarly, and fascinating articles on all manner of medals! We???re thrilled to share the cover and table of contents with you here, but in order to read everything - and read it now - the best course of action is to join the MCA today! Electronic memberships start at just $41.50 for a year at medalcollectors.org. Spring 2023 Table of Contents: President???s Message Editor???s Message Letters ???John J. Ford: a Remembrance??? by John Adams ???No. 421. 1759. Quebec Taken Medal??? by Christopher McDowell ???Pirckheimer and Erasmus, in search of a perfect cast??? by Lev Tsitrin ???A few thoughts on the medals of Mehmed II??? by Lev Tsitrin ???The Underappreciated and Occasionally Maligned Edwin Bishop??? by Julia Casey ???Brief Additions to the Betts Novi Orbi Medals??? by Peter Olav Pleuss For more information on the Medal Collectors of America, see: https://www.medalcollectors.org/ BOOK REVIEW: THE GALLOWS POLE See the article elsewhere in this issue about the BBC drama The Gallows Pole based on this 2017 novel by Benjamin Myers. Here's an excerpt from an old book review published by The Guardian. -Editor Benjamin Myers???s new novel is about the Yorkshire poor in the 18th century, a time when the theft of a handkerchief or a loaf of bread could lead to the gallows. Small wonder, then, that smuggling and coining ??? the manufacture of fake money from melted-down clippings ??? was rife, and that the gangs were protected by local populations. Today the Cragg Vale Coiners and their chief, David Hartley, who ran a successful coining business and protection racket from his moorland home in the 1760s, are commemorated in a Calderdale museum. Myers???s retelling of their desperate rise and fall is interspersed with the fictional prison journal of ???the greyt King Dayvid Hartee A farther a husban a leeder a forger a moorman of the hills and a pote [poet] of werds and deeds???. One of the first images presented is of a man hanging in chains: ???He who had poached and butchered a nobleman???s stag ... Hunger then it was that had led this poor soul to the gallows steps ??? a hunger for warm meat rather than cold-blooded murder. Not greed but necessity.??? King David, however, is more Pablo Escobar than Robin Hood, and this is the ancient tragedy of social injustice spawning monsters. Hartley???s gang suppresses all dissent. ???Those that speak against the Cragg Vale Coiners will be lambs to the abattoir cleaver,??? his brother declaims. No one is spared intimidation, not even children. The scenes of torture and brutal humiliation are stomach-churning, not to mention the fate of a travelling Cumbrian labourer turned into ???bubblinmeet??? for wandering into the wrong pub and drunkenly thinking aloud about informing for money. One long lyrical scene portrays the simultaneous journeying of 30 or 40 ???men of stone and soil ??? poor men, proud men??? to a gathering at their chief???s house. ???Men,??? Myers adds, ???who made myths of their own mad delusions.??? And yet, while pointing out the moral complexity of the situation, he subtly colludes with the myth. In reality Hartley was an entrepreneur, a shrewd businessman lining his nest while his followers did most of the hard work. Myers presents him as a mighty orator, a poet, a visionary and mystic. I wish Myers had delved more deeply into these characters. Did no one ever agonise or reflect? Hardly at all, it seems. I???d also like to have seen more of the women. Grace, Hartley???s wife, is the only female character, and she serves mainly as a recipient of seed and bearer of ale. Women were involved in the gang???s doings and a woman was among those charged over the pub atrocity. Where are they? To read the complete article, see: The Gallows Pole by Benjamin Myers review ??? murder on the moors (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/may/25/the-gallows-pole-benjamin-myers-review) For more information, or to order on Amazon, see: The Gallows Pole Paperback ??? October 15, 2019 (https://www.amazon.com/Gallows-Pole-Benjamin-Myers/dp/0997457856) MAKING OF MORGAN SILVER DOLLARS, 7TH EDITION Dennis Tucker of Whitman Publishing submitted this article on the back story of the newest edition of the Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars. Great story and hobby history. Bibliophiles and researchers can use this article as a checklist of books published on various aspects of this classic American coin. -Editor ?? The Back Story of Q. David Bowers???s New Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars The seventh edition of Whitman Publishing???s best-selling Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars, by Q. David Bowers, is on sale now, available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide. Here, Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker discusses the new volume in the context of the hobby???s fascination with these historic coins. Ask collectors to rank the coins of the United States by popularity, and the famous Morgan silver dollar will always emerge at the top of the list. At Whitman Publishing we???re immersed in the coin???s universal appeal. Hobbyists buy thousands and thousands of albums, folders, and other holders to store and display their Morgan dollars. We get emails, letters, and phone calls about the hefty old coins. At coin shows, collectors, dealers, and investors are always talking about them. As we work on each year???s edition of the Guide Book of United States Coins (the ???Red Book???), we hear plenty of Morgan dollar observations and market analysis from coin dealers around the country. Meanwhile, outside the active hobby community, this is one of the ???rare coins??? that even non-collectors know about. They see them tossed in the air in a Hollywood Western, or for sale in a magazine ad, or nestled in Grandma???s purse. If Grandpa had a cigar box of old money, it likely included a Morgan dollar. Once this coin entered the American consciousness nearly 150 years ago, it never left. It???s a hard-money classic that sparks our imagination. Given this widespread interest, it???s easy for a publisher to answer the question, ???Why make yet another book about Morgan dollars???? In my opinion, America???s most popular coin deserves as many good books as the hobby community can read and enjoy. From observing the book market over the past 20-plus years, I believe that a rising tide lifts all ships when it comes to Morgan dollars. Because of the hobby???s longstanding interest in these coins, each new Morgan dollar book starts out with the potential of a built-in audience. If the book is fun to read and gives valuable information, it will create even more excitement around its already popular subject. It???s kind of like the Treasury Department???s sale of its warehoused hoards of Morgan dollars in the 1960s and ???70s. Far from glutting the market and depressing prices, the mountains of coins were eagerly bought up, enthusiasm skyrocketed, and values began to rise. Dave Bowers Creates a New Best-Seller Q. David Bowers???s Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars, billed as ???A Complete History and Price Guide,??? is the popular standard reference in the field. The first edition was published almost twenty years ago, in 2004. Of course, by then Bowers was widely recognized as a subject-matter expert (not just for Morgan dollars, but across all aspects of U.S. numismatics). His published work on these coins goes back decades; a short list includes the Comprehensive U.S. Silver Dollar Encyclopedia (1992) and the hugely popular two-volume Silver Dollars and Trade Dollars of the United States: A Complete Encyclopedia (1993), not to mention numerous chapters, essays, and articles published in other books and in hobby newspapers, journals, and magazines. The second edition of this guide book followed in 2005 with updated pricing and certified-coin population data. A new appendix studied the Morgan dollar patterns of 1878. ?? In 2007 Whitman published the third edition. By this time the modern renaissance in numismatic publishing was well under way. Black-and-white photographs were no longer acceptable to the hobby community; the third edition was published in full color. Again the book???s coin-by-coin pricing was updated, reflecting the active market, and certified populations captured the latest data. New research was incorporated into the manuscript???Morgan dollars are a popular field of study with frequent new discoveries. We improved the book???s layout and typography to make it as pleasantly readable as possible and easy for the reader to navigate. The fourth edition came out in 2012. Again fully updated and revised, the new edition added an illustrated appendix of misstruck and error Morgan dollars, showcasing some truly remarkable coins including double strikes and off-centers, along with advice to guide smart purchases. What did the hobby community think of Morgan dollars at this point? The fourth edition???s updated pricing reflected continuing enthusiasm. Many common dates had increased in retail price by 50 percent or more since the book???s first edition debuted eight years earlier, and rare dates and varieties had doubled???or more???in value. The Morgan dollar remained the King of American Coins. Other New Morgan Dollar Books By the time the Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars established itself as the coin???s modern standard reference, other Whitman books had joined the party. In late 2009 (with a copyright date of 2010) we published Carson City Morgan Dollars: Featuring the Coins of the GSA Hoard, by Adam Crum, Selby Ungar, and Jeff Oxman. ???This book begins with the accidental discovery of gold in California in 1848,??? we announced at its release. ???The struggles of adventurers in the Gold Rush . . . the Nevada silver boom of the late 1800s . . . the creation of the Carson City Mint . . . these are some of the rich historical veins that Crum, Ungar, and Oxman mine in Carson City Morgan Dollars.??? Carson City Morgan Dollars was expanded and revised in a second edition released in 2011, then updated to a third edition that debuted at the American Numismatic Association???s National Money Show held in Atlanta in March 2014. Even with its specific focus on a subset of Morgan dollars, there was plenty of new material to enhance the new edition. It was updated with additional historical photographs, revisions from ongoing research, new coin values and certified-coin populations, and fresh market commentary. A fourth edition was published in 2018, expanded by 24 pages with a photographic gallery of the Carson City Mint, a review of other coins minted there, a study of Morgan dollar values in the late 1940s, and other updates and additions. In November 2012 (copyright date of 2013) Whitman published The Private Sketchbook of George T. Morgan, America???s Silver Dollar Artist, a remarkable new book made in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution. ???Today most collectors know Morgan as the father of this legendary silver coin,??? we noted. ???Some specialists are familiar with his designs for commemoratives and medals, and his significant work in U.S. pattern coins. But who exactly was George T. Morgan? Karen M. Lee, a curator of the National Numismatic Collection housed at the National Museum of American History, finally answers that intriguing question. Introducing Morgan???s never-before-published personal sketchbook, and with unique access to family photographs and documents, Lee reveals the man behind the coins. The Private Sketchbook of George T. Morgan is an eye-opening immersion into what Lee calls the designer???s ???life of art and labor.?????? This book, like the others mentioned herein, went on to win literary awards. Next, in 2014, a new Whitman book was published, authored by Michael ???Miles??? Standish assisted by the research/writing team of Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker. In Morgan Dollar: America???s Love Affair With a Legendary Coin, various sections discuss the United States during the Morgan dollar era; the anatomy of the coin???s design; a market study going back to 1946; a year-by-year analysis of the series, including Philadelphia, New Orleans, Carson City, Denver, and San Francisco coins; and Morgan dollar Proofs. An Exciting Development, and a Fast Sellout! The fifth edition of Bowers???s Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars debuted in September 2016. It featured the requisite updated pricing, a useful new index, fresh illustrations, and exciting news of a startling discovery: information never before published, the story of the 1964 Morgan dollar. This made national headlines, stirred up the hobby???s imagination, and got people talking. (Would we expect anything less from the wonderful and legendary Morgan dollar?) Until the fifth edition of the Guide Book was published, the hobby community was unaware that dies, hubs, and models for a 1964 Morgan dollar exist deep in the vaults of the Philadelphia Mint. We featured a hub for the 1964 Morgan on the cover of the book, with more photographs and details of the bombshell discovery inside. This discovery was announced in late August 2016, and demand for the new book skyrocketed even before it debuted in September, causing a temporary sellout. We ordered thousands of more copies to be shipped from our printer for distribution that October. In 2019 the sixth edition continued the ongoing exploration, conversation, and fascination with these classic coins. We dramatically expanded our coverage of the 1964 Morgan dollar, and increased the scope of the index (a helpful tool for navigating the book). A new appendix described a serious threat to the hobby: counterfeit coins. And again we updated the coin-by-coin catalog with current pricing and new certified-population data. The Newest Edition of Bowers Today Dave Bowers???s Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars is in its seventh edition. This latest version has been expanded by 16 pages, to include more (and larger) illustrations of circulated and Mint State grades; a gallery of toned coins; a new appendix on counterfeit Morgan dollars based on the work of retired Coin World editor Beth Deisher; a new appendix on the 1921???2021 anniversary coins; an expanded index; and a completely updated portfolio of date-by-date coin photographs. The pricing and certified-population data in the coin-by-coin chapter was again updated in a snapshot of today???s market. George T. Morgan???s classic dollar coin continues to capture the imaginations of collectors, investors, dealers, and everyday Americans. Readers of the Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars will find much to learn in this new edition of Dave Bowers???s popular study. ?? # # # A Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars, seventh edition By Q. David Bowers; foreword by Jeff Garrett ISBN 0794849164 · 6 x 9 inches, softcover, 336 pages, full color · Retail $24.95 U.S. URL: https://whitman.com/guide-book-of-morgan-silver-dollars-7th-edition/ To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: NEW BOOK: MORGAN SILVER DOLLARS, 7TH EDITION (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n41a02.html) BOOK REVIEW: MORGAN SILVER DOLLARS, 7TH (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n45a05.html) ?? ?? NNP ADDS COIN SHOW PODCAST ARCHIVES The latest addition to the Newman Numismatic Portal is Coin Show Podcast. Project Coordinator Len Augsburger provided the following report. -Editor Newman Portal Adds Coin Show Podcast Archives Through the courtesy of Mike Nottelmann and Matt Dinger, Newman Portal has added the Coin Show Podcast archives to our multimedia content. Launched in 2010, the Coin Show podcast is about as ???inside baseball??? as it gets, as Mike and Matt bring years of retail coin shop experience to each episode. Future generations wanting to get a snapshot of the early 21st century numismatic milieu will do well to absorb these recordings. For those not familiar with the Coin Show, it is roughly the numismatic equivalent of sports talk radio, with a pair of experts slicing and dicing the coin business in just about every way you can imagine. Being on the retail front lines, Mike and Matt bring a public-facing perspective that is sometimes lost among advanced collectors and dealers who trade primarily among themselves. Running segments such as the ???sponsor of the week,??? original music, and high production values lend a professional air to the podcast, which is highly recommended by this writer. The video version, first produced in 2020, adds graphics to the podcast, along with a video feed featuring the hosts. Link to The Coin Show home page: https://coinshowradio.com/ Link to Coin Show Podcast on Newman Portal: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/multimediadetail/550188 Link to Coin Show Podcast (video version) on Newman Portal: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/multimediadetail/550189 VIDEO: FUN WITH PAPER MONEY The David Lisot Video Library on the Newman Numismatic Portal can be found at: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/multimediadetail/522852 We highlight one of his videos each week in The E-Sylum. Here's one from 2007 with North Carolina numismatist Dennis Beasley discussing paper money. -Editor ?? North Carolina numismatist Dennis Beasley has addressed several FUN conventions on a wide range of subjects. Dennis shares with the audience how to get the most enjoyment possible from their paper money collecting endeavors and the different ways to collect. In this lecture with show-and-tell presentation you will learn: books and publications to help learn about small sized paper money different ways to collect serial numbers on notes notes in circulation worth more than face value Speaker(s): Dennis Beasley. To watch the complete video, see: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/560275 EXHIBIT: TYRANTS OF THE THAMES 2.0 Here is the press release for a new-and-improved display of English coins from the Tyrant Collection at the August ANA. -Editor ?? Hundreds of historic English coins from the extensive and unprecedented Tyrant Collection (www.TheTyrantCollection.com) will be displayed at the American Numismatic Association???s 2023 Pittsburgh World???s Fair of Money®, August 8-12 (www.WorldsFairofMoney.com). The 300-coins exhibit will include a rare surviving example of England???s first gold coin as well as one of the few known 1656 Cromwell 50 Shillings pattern gold coins, and the only privately-owned complete King Edward VIII pattern proof set produced in 1937 by the Royal Mint. It will be only the second time this set has been shown in public in the United States. ???English coins from the Tyrant Collection were displayed for the first and only time five years ago in California. However, there are many new, superb-condition additions since then, so the new name for the upcoming display is ???Tyrants of the Thames 2.0??? to reflect the significant update,??? explained Ira Goldberg President of Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, Inc. (www.GoldbergCoins.com) in Los Angeles, California. Goldberg is one of the numismatic professionals providing guidance in assembling the wide-ranging Tyrant Collection of superb quality, historic U.S., world, and ancient coins. Described as the world???s most valuable rare coin collection in private hands, the unparalleled collection is owned by Southern California collector Dan O???Dowd. ???The finest collection of English coins outside of Great Britain -- and possibly the finest English collection in private hands anywhere ??? will be in the exhibit at the ANA convention. Insured for $30 million, these are superbly preserved examples of portrait coins minted in the Thames Valley over the last 1,400 years,??? said Goldberg. ???There is an example of every portrait coin denomination issued by English monarchs since the early 7th century.??? The exhibit will range from early Anglo-Saxon to hammered ???Heavy Weight??? ???Light Weight??? Nobles varieties to modern era coins. Highlights of the Tyrants of the Thames 2.0 exhibit include: • The finest privately held example of the gold Thrysma issued by Eadbald, King of Kent (616 ??? 640 AD), London Mint, S-758, graded PCGS MS64. This was the first English coin to carry the name of the issuing king. ?? • Anglo-Saxon pennies including one of only seven known surviving examples of what researchers describe as the first gold coin of England, a superb condition Henry III 1257 gold penny graded NGC MS63. ?? • Edward III, Plantagenet King (1327 ??? 1377), gold Double Leopard, S-1476, third coinage (1344 ??? 1351), graded PCGS MS62. There are only four known examples of this historic coin, and two are in museums. It is described as perhaps the most important English coin in The Tyrant Collection. • Henry VIII, Tudor King (1509 ??? 1547), gold Fine Sovereign, second coinage (1526 ??? 1544), S-2267, graded PCGS MS63. The largest coin issued during Henry VIII???s turbulent reign. This example is believed to be the finest known. • Elizabeth I, Tudor Queen (1558 ??? 1603), gold ???ship??? Ryal, sixth issue (1583 ??? 1600), S-2530, graded PCGS MS61. This specimen is one of the finest known and features a fabulous design emblematic of the English navy???s historical importance. • One of the 12 known 1656 Oliver Cromwell 50 Shillings pattern gold coins. A century ago, this historic coin depicting one of the most important figures in British history was in the vast collection of Chicago beer baron Virgil M. Brand. ?? • An example of the rare 1663 Petition Crown created by Thomas Simon in an effort to persuade King Charles II to consider Simon???s designs for English coinage. Graded PCGS SP53, it was once part of the legendary Norweb Collection. • Charles II, Stuart King (1660 ??? 1685), proof or presentation gold 5 Guineas dated 1670, S-3328, graded NGC PR64 and one of the great treasures of The Tyrant Collection. • George III, Hanover King (1760 ??? 1820), pattern proof gold 5 Guineas by Tanner dated 1770, S-3723, graded PCGS PR63. This is one of the rarest coins of this denomination in the English series, and another of the great treasures of the collection. • George IV, Hanover King (1820 ??? 1830), gold proof Pound dated 1826, S-3797, graded PCGS PR65+ Cameo. Unlike most other 1826 issues, this magnificent cameo specimen is not marred by marks or hairlines. ?? • Victoria, Hanover Queen (1837 ??? 1901), graded PCGS PR64 Deep Cameo, this is one of the finest known examples of the world-famous Una & the Lion gold 5 Pound piece, which was obtained by the Tyrant Collection as part of a pristine original complete set of Proof 1839 coins issued for Victoria???s coronation. It is considered to be one of the world???s most beautiful coins. • Gem condition, complete proof sets from King George II in 1746 through Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, including the only privately-owned 1937 Edward VIII proof set, considered the most valuable item in English numismatics. ?? On December 11, 1936, Edward VIII abdicated his throne to marry ???the woman I love.??? Edward VIII then became known as the Duke of Windsor, and during his lifetime he was never able to acquire even a single English coin bearing his image. Three of the four known complete Edward VIII proof sets are owned by the Royal Mint, with one of the Mint???s two sets on long-term loan to the British Museum. A fifth set, lacking gold coins, was broken up over the years and the coins were sold off separately. Visitors to the exhibit at the ANA convention can receive a free, illustrated educational booklet about this amazing display. Detailed catalogs with information and illustrations about each coin in the Tyrants of the Thames 2.0 exhibit will be available for $10 each. For additional information about the 2023 Pittsburgh World???s Fair of Money, visit www.WorldsFairofMoney.com. To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see: TYRANT COLLECTION AT FEBRUARY 2018 LONG BEACH (https://www.coinbooks.org/v21/esylum_v21n02a22.html) BOOK REVIEW: THE TYRANT COLLECTION (https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n46a05.html) ?? ?? MORE WOMEN DEALERS As I expected, Pete Smith's article on women coin dealers of the U.S. generated some interesting and useful follow-up submissions from readers. -Editor Bob Steinberg writes: "Here are a few more names of women of numismatics: Margaret Amstell, London, England - I think she worked for B.A. Seaby (not sure of that), specialized in British Sylvia Hurter, Zurich, Switzerland - worked for Bank Leu, specialized in ancients Ruth Bauer, Philadelphia, PA - partner with Harry Forman; she might have been a member of PNG, not sure Elvira Kurth, Redhead Coins, Detroit, MI - used to have tables at midwest shows back in the 70s-80s (I think) Frank Sternberg's daughter (can't remember her first name) - she dealt in ancients in Zurich, Switzerland after Frank's death Sabine Bourgey, Paris, France - still active today, specializes in ancients and French coinage" Mark Borckardt writes: Elizabeth Coggan: "The list of Women coin dealers should include Elizabeth Coggan who entered the coin business as a staff member for Bowers and Merena, later operated J.J. Teaparty, and now operates Elizabeth Coggan Numismatics." Ralph Langham writes: "Helen Carmody was more a collector than a dealer but her contributions outshine all those listed." Cindy Wibker writes: Micky Shipley : "If paper money dealers count, you can add Micky Shipley? She's a paper money dealer out of Minnesota. I enjoyed reading that article!" Alan V. Weinberg writes: Yvette Haas : "The list of female coin dealers, past and present, did not include a prominent 1950-60???s NYC dealer Yvette Haas of Haas Coin Company. She both advertised in the Numismatic Scrapbook and Numismatist and set up bourse tables in the NY area, and possibly at national conventions. I visited her office where she ran the firm with her son. She was an attractive blond lady in her 40-50???s when I dealt with her. "Yvette was active around era of Isadore Snyderman, Herb Tobias, FK Saab, Bob Batchelder, ???Hawk??? Shapiro, Dan Messer, and early QDB, the latter about the only living coin dealer who???d remember her. But I do. "There was a really old lady who worked with a really old man who ran a 2nd floor dark eerie coin shop in Newark NJ which I visited just once around 1958. I never learned their names and only visited once." CORRECTION: In last week's article the last name of dealer Ingrid O'Neil was misspelled. Sorry - we've corrected our archive. -Editor Ingrid O'Neil writes: "I also had auctions and price lists of Historical Medals in the 1980's and 1990's, my last medal auction was Daniel Friedenberg's Jewish medal collection. "I used to share a table , or being next to her, with Catherine Bullowa since the early 90's at the NY International Show, and sometimes at the ANA. I still attend the New York International Show in January every year with my historical medals!" Steve Hill of Sovereign Rarities submitted these thoughts on the topic. -Editor I read with interest in The E-Sylum the discussion about women dealers in numismatics and of course it has concentrated on USA based dealers so far like Cathy Bullowa who we all knew well. Of course there have been other women dealers active around the world in all of this time including the UK and I wanted to send you the link below, where I was pleased to see online at the Newman Numismatic Portal the 1976 anniversary edition of the Seaby Coin and Medal Bulletin which celebrated Seabys 50 years as a London coin dealer. Listed here are H. A. Seaby???s memories of the story of Seaby and mentions his sister Mildred Seaby helping him start up from 1926. The joining of Margaret Eccles in 1933 who later dealt war medals and was with him till 1968. His own daughter Pat Seaby joining to deal coins at the family firm from 1943 till marriage took her overseas in 1949. Mrs Emmy Cahn joining to help on ancients from 1945. Monica Bussell who I know some of the older English trade remember as the lady who dealt in English copper who joined in 1952 but later died in a house fire in 1972. The most senior lady dealer in the English trade at this time of the 1976 publication though was Margaret Amstell who joined Seaby in 1956 and was in charge of gold by the time of this anniversary and she was a board director of the firm since 1973 ??? she carried on dealing independently later in life once Seaby was over and I still remember dealing with her not long before she died in 1997. You will see at the link below names of other lady dealers at the firm in 1976: Jennifer Loosely since 1970, Donna Hills since 1969, Judith Marks since 1973, Linda Dillon (accessories) since 1965, Barbara Burns since 1974 as well as Muriel Seaby wife of Peter Seaby. Other independent lady dealers I have known of were Eva Hardy who was based in London dealing from 1960s till emigration to Australia in 1970s, and was still going down there until the 1990s ??? she came into Spink London once around 1998. There was also ???Neddy??? Allen who died not long before covid who dealt in medallions for many years and was the widow of Peter ???maundy??? Allen, such a nice lady. There was also a dealer in the 1960s called Valerie coins but only older people in the UK trade will be able to tell you about her and her business partner. Thinking of Spink where I used to work there was a lady in the gold department there called Judith Spear who I believe got married and moved to Canada in the late 1970s ??? I met her once when she visited Spink in the 1990s. We of course had May Sinclair who worked at Spink 1972 ??? 2004 before a consultancy for many years after and is now happily retired in Scotland who dealt in British tokens and English hammered coins. I worked happily with her for 15 years. Also when I started at Spink in 1990 I worked with Julie Franklin who became bona fide specialist in world coins from around 1994 and stepped back from it around 2000. There was also a lady called Judith Doel who worked on war medals from 1980s to c.2000 and was the daughter of Brian Carter who himself had once worked on ancient coins at Spink. We also had Sandra Ferguson (now Mrs Conway) who worked on gold bullion and who with Linda Ainsworth started ATS Bullion Ltd when Spink let their bullion department go in the e arly 2000s but both retired in the last ten years. Two ladies running a bullion dealers is/was most unusual though it was backed by another bullion house. Frances Simmons is an active coin and medal dealer with husband Howard in London still today and can be fond here Home - Simmons Gallery but has been going strong since the 1980s. We also have banknote dealer Pamela West who has been full time since the 1990s and well known to paper money people in the USA www.britishnotes.co.uk Emily Reid who worked with me at Spink 2001-2005 has since gone on to work with Mark Rasmussen and now with Morton and Eden. A continental coin firm run by women whom I know well is Hohn in Leipzig Germany ??? started by their late mother Heidren in 1990 the firm is run by sisters Christina and Saskia Hohn with their Farther Manfred but the girls are the numismatists Homepage - Hoehn - Coin Shop & Auction House Leipzig (leipziger-muenzhandlung.de) Christina did a work placement with me at Spink in 1999. There have of course been many other ladies who have come into the business since the year 2000 and have current positions in other firms. An excellent example of this is the British Royal Mint where most of the leading people including the Chief Executive Ann Jessop are all women. I nearly forgot to mention Clare Lobel wife of Richard who you have featured the interview of recently who works at Coincraft running the banknote department ever since the 1980s ??? possibly late 70s. Also recently deceased from South Africa was Natalie Jaffe who took over her husbands coin business about 1971 after he was killed in a boating accident and ran ???City Coins??? for decades and latterly a South African representative for Noonans. Lastly thinking of Australia I know Jill Pearson well since the 1990s who runs the Melbourne office of Noble Numismatics and is the daughter of Ray Jewell who originally ran that office and passed away in the early 1990s when it used to be Spink Australia. There are also a number of ladies working at Kunker in Germany, Marion Kuenker is wife of founder Fritz Rudolf and Alexandra Elflein has been there since about year 2000 Customer Service of the Highest Quality - Kuenker (kuenker.de) I am sure there are many more! But will leave it at that. I am sure there is a lot more scope for further discussion on The E-Sylum and I hope some of the women who work in the industry contribute to you further themselves. To read the Seaby's Coin and Medal Bulletin article, see: Seaby's Coin and Medal Bulletin: July 1976 (https://archive.org/details/seabyscoinmedalb1976base_s6e9/seabyscoinmedalb1976base_s6e9) Thanks, everyone! Pete wrote and continually updates American Numismatic Biographies, and his article focused on U.S. dealers. But the international names are welcome additions to the conversation. -Editor To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: U.S. WOMEN COIN DEALERS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n24a20.html) NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JUNE 18, 2023 Hermon MacNeil Plaque: Elizabeth Tony Terranova passed along an image of a 6 1/4 by 4 1/4 inch plaque by Hermon MacNeil. Thanks. -Editor ?? To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: MACNEIL'S PEACE DOLLAR DESIGN (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n24a09.html) On the Dislike of Slabbing Alan V. Weinberg writes: "I noted Richard Lobel???s dislike of slabbing as I and most other ???oldtimers??? in the hobby do. We enjoy the ??? tactile feeling??? of holding both aesthetics and history. With many decades in the hobby, often specializing in numismatic fields, we know how to discern a forgery and we know how to grade. And frankly, we could care less if a coin is MS-65 or 66 or the ??? top pop??? absurd allegation, often changing from month to month. "More often than not, I crack out numismatic items from their slabs. Large or small, you don???t have to smash the slab with a hammer, great risk to its contents. Simply have someone brace the slab upright over a rug or blanket, hold a flat head screwdriver on the upright slab seam, hit the screwdriver with a hammer twice and the slab will neatly split in 2 halves, most often leaving the contents stable in its flexible inner ring, easily manually popped out. "At a Long Beach coin show, I personally witnessed prominent dealer Harlan White, so furious at a grade given to his $50 gold ??? slug???, he stood up, raised his arm above his head, and angrily smashed the slab down to the concrete bourse floor. The slab shattered and the $50 gold slug flew out, bouncing against the concrete! Inevitably, losing significant grade points. Temper, temper." To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: RICHARD LOBEL INTERVIEW PART SIX (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n24a21.html) The National Money Show Regarding her late husband Steve Bobbitt, Barbara Gregory writes: "Thanks for including Steve's announcement in The E-Sylum. I have received many kind responses from numismatic friends. "I wanted to offer a minor clarification, just for the record. The ANA "World's Fair of Money" was the brainchild of Steve's co-worker Diane Betts; Steve was responsible for rebranding the ANA's Midwinter/Early Spring Convention as the "National Money Show." Sorry - that was my poor recollection of a conversation with Steve. Thanks for setting the record straight. We're all very sorry for your loss. -Editor To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: STEPHEN L. BOBBITT (1950-2023) (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n24a05.html) Henry Chapman Coin Boxes John Lupia writes: "Henry Chapman used to sell different size coin boxes to clients. The large size red box was for $20 as per George H. Anders order for some in 1911." Thanks. -Editor To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: MORE ON COIN STORAGE BOXES (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n24a11.html) On Numbering Sets of Books John "JD" Dannreuther writes: "Thanks for putting in my question about how to handle the nickel Proof leather bounds. "However, it was a little confusing, as the question is: "How do I handle the higher numbered gold Proof leather bound books that I sold (you put 175 out of 150 and that is not exactly my problem). "I sold 150 numbered gold books. I have a little over 50 nickel leather bounds sold, so anyone with a number under 50 (or 60 or 70 that I might eventually sell) gets the same number as their gold book. However, if you have number 88 gold, you might get number 42 nickel (or 65, or whatever is the next number that is not reserved). "It would look strange to say you got number 88 of a limited edition of 50 (or 60 or 70). "It is a conundrum! "I don't even know how to correctly phrase the question!" To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: JUNE 11, 2023 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n24a24.html) Searching the "Million Penny Hoard" Regarding the "Million Penny Hoard", Chris Fuccione writes: "If I had the space, I would love to buy this lot and spend the next year searching through it." To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: THE MILLION-PENNY HOARD (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n24a31.html) Benjamin Rush and America???s First Plague Gerry Tebben writes: "Batman and coins, what could be better! Now I've got to find a copy of World's Finest Comics #30. "The weekend edition of The Wall Street Journal had a review of the book America's First Plague by Robert P. Watson that might interest your readers. The yellow fever epidemic of 1793 had a profound impact on the fledgling U.S. Mint. I don't know if the book mentions the mint, but it apparently gives ample space to Benjamin Rush, who served as mint treasurer in the years after the plague. "The review notes: Among the doctors who struggled to cope with a disease they couldn???t cure, Mr. Watson rightly emphasizes the polymath Benjamin Rush. A signer of the Declaration of Independence, Rush incarnated both the humanistic best and medical worst of the early republic. Although his treatments were widely accepted, they were disastrous. He believed dogmatically in violent purges, forced heat to blister the limbs and above all bloodletting. He bled his patients of as much as 10 ounces a day, probably killing more of them than he saved. When he himself fell ill, he subjected himself to the same brutal regimen but survived to persist in his malpractice." To read the complete article (subscription required), see: ???America???s First Plague??? Review: Attack of the Yellow Jack (https://www.wsj.com/articles/americas-first-plague-review-attack-of-the-yellow-jack-3cb1eb4e) To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: LOOSE CHANGE: JUNE 11, 2023 : Batman's Giant Penny (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n24a30.html) Piggy Bank Cartoon ?? Still and mechanical coin banks are featured here on occasion. Here's a piggy bank cartoon from Bizarro that I came across this week. -Editor For more Bizarro, see: https://www.bizarro.com/ EMIL FUCHS AND HERMON MACNEIL James Haas, author of Hermon Atkin MacNeil: American Sculptor in the Broad, Bright Daylight submitted these thoughts on artists Emil Fuchs and Hermon MacNeil. Thank you! -Editor I have always had an interest in the trajectory taken of the artists whose lives paralleled that of Hermon Atkins MacNeil. The E-Sylum never fails to rouse my curiosity, case in point Emil Fuchs. Six months younger than MacNeil, Fuchs was born in Vienna, Austria on August 9, 1866; MacNeil on February 27, 1866 in Everett, then called Malden, in Massachusetts. Fuchs had his early training in Europe; MacNeil had his in the Massachusetts Normal Art School, and then, having been awarded the first Rinehart scholarship in sculpture in 1895, in Rome. As his years increased, so too did the number of his trips to Europe. The same held true for Fuchs who made annual visits to America, usually business related, from 1906 through 1915 when he decided to become an American citizen. ?? Fuchs was at heart a European artist, a medalist, painter and sculptor of significant talent. His patrons and subjects were members of the British aristocracy and nobility, notably Queen Victoria and Edward, the second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Among his works was a medal in her honor modeled in 1900, another to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1902. In that same year appeared a one penny stamp with a profile of the new king. Never before had English stamps had the picture of a man???s head on them. ?? When in America Fuchs occupied a studio in Manhattan???s Bryant Park, there executing portraits of many New York City doyennes and socialites. He also designed the medal to commemorate the city???s Hudson-Fulton???s 100 th anniversary celebration commissioned by the American Numismatic and Archaeological Association. MacNeil was a through and through champion of American art at first lauded for modeling the American Indian and in time, also for producing statues and groups; medals, a famous coin, memorials, large and small, portrait busts and paintings, too. Fuchs had John Singer Sargent as his teacher; MacNeil, William Bourgerau and Jean-Léon Gérôme. Other than their taking part in the National Sculpture Society???s 1923 exhibition there appear to be no instances where their names appeared together. Both men were multi-faceted artists whose works were celebrated. Articles indicate they enjoyed giving lectures, and taking part in exhibits, large and small. Men of wit and humor, Fuchs once said ???I like every part of my work such, that I cannot decide my favorite, so I compromise and give lectures. My cracks, wise and otherwise, are the joy of my life.??? MacNeil, when asked to comment on converting his community???s unused, unattractive, and outmoded water tower as a WWI memorial, he replied with tongue planted firmly in cheek, ???Without any intention of throwing cold water into the tank, it is my firm conviction the location is totally inadequate.??? Two deaths were reported on January 14, 1929. One, the passing of Babe Ruth???s wife who had perished in a house fire while visiting friends in Massachusetts. The other, that of Emil Fuchs who, having been diagnosed with cancer some years earlier, had taken his own life. In a note written to his sister Renee he said ???You can see as well as I can that I am going down every day. There is no help for me. I???m taking the only way out. I beg you will forgive me for what I am doing.??? MacNeil lived on until October 2, 1947. I suspect they would have enjoyed each other???s company. ?? Emil Fuchs sketch of Queen Victoria on her deathbed To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: NEW BOOK: HERMON ATKINS MACNEIL (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n43a02.html) NEW ANS HUNTINGTON MEDAL DESIGN (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n24a18.html) THE GREAT KENTUCKY HOARD A post on the NGC website describes the recently discovered ???Great Kentucky Hoard??? of (mostly gold) coins. Here's an excerpt - see the complete article online for more. -Editor Numismatic Guaranty Company® (NGC®) was honored to recently certify an incredible cache of rare Civil War-era coins found in the Bluegrass State. ???The Great Kentucky Hoard??? (as it had been designated) includes a group of finest-known 1863 Double Eagles and hundreds of US Gold Dollars dated 1850 to 1862, as well as a small number of silver coins. Several interesting varieties and errors were also discovered. During the American Civil War, the state of Kentucky played an important role, as it bordered Union states in the north and Confederate states in the south. Situated as such, tensions were high from the beginning of the nation's unrest, and when the war began in 1861, Kentucky Governor Beriah Magoffin asserted the state???s neutrality with the ???Kentucky Declaration of Neutrality.??? ?? Despite the Declaration of Neutrality, the Civil War was a time of great turmoil in Kentucky. Many families were pitted against one another, and Kentucky saw much conflict. The Great Kentucky Hoard may have been a result of this conflict, with the coins lost for over 150 years, until they were unearthed in a cornfield. Details of the location and finder will remain confidential. Rare coin dealer Jeff Garrett, a leading expert in US coinage, was contacted to handle the newly discovered group of coins. ???While I???m always excited when someone calls asking for advice about a rare coin discovery, the opportunity to handle the Great Kentucky Hoard is one of the highlights of my career,??? he said. ???The importance of this discovery cannot be overstated, as the stunning number of over 700 gold dollars represents a virtual time capsule of Civil War-era coinage, including coins from the elusive Dahlonega Mint. Finding one Mint condition 1863 Double Eagle would be an important numismatic event. Finding nearly a roll of superb examples is hard to comprehend.??? The coins will be available in the coming months. Each is encapsulated with a special NGC Great Kentucky Hoard certification label, enhancing their display and presentation. Before the coins were graded, the NGC affiliate Numismatic Conservation Services™ (NCS™) performed the challenging task of conservation. ???From first hearing about the hoard, to seeing the raw coins and through to viewing the coins attributed, graded and encapsulated, it has been an amazing experience,??? said David Camire, NCS President and NGC Finalizer. ???While assisting in conserving the hoard, I was able to examine each coin in detail. This yielded some interesting varieties and errors.??? The first variety discovered was the 1862 Gold Dollar with a doubled die obverse. This is a known variety and attributed as FS-101. The doubling is quite evident in most of the lettering, and the feather detail of the portrait. There were just three of these among all of the gold dollars in the hoard. NGC has graded a total of 23 in all grades. This trio was followed by a handful (11 coins) of 1861 Gold Dollars that had medallic alignment in error, instead of the normal coin alignment. The last variety found was quite significant as it turned out to be an unlisted variety of a re-punched date and was assigned a new NGC variety number of VP-002. The date was re-punched into the die a second time lower than the first. This resulted in a double image to the date. Only two of these discovery coins were found among the hoard. To read the complete article, see: NGC Certifies the 'Great Kentucky Hoard' of Pre-1865 US Gold Coinage (https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/11795/kentucky-hoard-civil-war-coins/) ?? VOCABULARY TERM: MULTIPLE BLANKING Here's another entry from Dick Johnson's Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Terminology. I added an image of skeleton scrap from a Coin Community thread. -Editor Multiple Blanking. The process of producing several blanks with a single stroke of the blanking press. A multiblanking head is required with a matching plate containing the same number and pattern of openings as the number and pattern of blanking punches. Such multiple blanking is highly suitable for coin blanks of thin gauge metal and small size blanks, as under one inch diameter. The first multiple blanking had two blanking heads, and was called dual blanking. History has not recorded who developed this concept, but we do know that multiple blanking was done at the Royal Mint London by 1888. It was blanking silver shillings two at a time, and copper blanks ??? farthings and halfpence ??? five at a time. As blanking presses developed, and became more powerful, additional blanking heads were added (with corresponding apertures in the blanking plate). The most modern multiple blanking presses can blank as many as thirty blanks with each cycle of the press. Wider strip is required and an elaborate blanking pattern is used. The advantage of multiple blanking is two fold: it lowers the cost of the blanks and slightly more blanks can be cut out of the strip (leaving as little as 30% to 35% unblanked, as skeleton scrap). Multiple blanking can create a number of errors from imperfect advancement of the rolled strip. Also portions of the skeleton scrap have been inadvertently struck, these mint errors are unusual shape. The most dramatic of such is the BOW TIE, struck on a piece of scissel from the metal formed between two dual blanking dies. `Leonardo da Vinci???s drawing (circa 1500) for a proposed press had, in effect, a blanking and a striking press back-to-back. Perhaps it could also do double blanking on the same strip (since these were completely separate of one another da Vinci could be credited with the concept, despite the fact there is no record this press was ever built). See blanking. NNP Project Coordinator Len Augsburger adds: I???ve seen the leftover part also referred to as ???webbing.??? http://www.lincolncentresource.com/sitebuilder/images/header32-962x194.jpg To read the complete Coin Community thread, see: Is This A Piece Of Scissel? (https://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=248264) To read the complete entry on the Newman Numismatic Portal, see: Multiple Blanking (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/dictionarydetail/516369) WARREN ANTHONY LAPP (1915-1993) E-Sylum Feature Writer and American Numismatic Biographies author Pete Smith submitted this article on Penny-Wise editor Warren Lapp. Thank you! A great life. -Editor I have never met a movie star who collects coins. I have met a couple of notable early copper collectors who have been portrayed in movies. One of them was the creator and first editor of the Early American Coppers journal, Penny-Wise. I know I am getting old when I realize he has now been dead for thirty years. ?? Warren Anthony Lapp (1915-1993) The Early American Coppers Club was founded in 1967 by Herbert A. Silberman (1916-2001). He recruited Dr. Warren Lapp, EAC Charter Member 33, to edit a club newsletter, which Lapp did from the issue of September 15, 1967, through March 15, 1986. A January 1986 heart attack forced him into retirement after 113 issues and 5440 pages. Penny-Wise grew from modest beginnings into a great resource for copper collectors. Doctor Sheldon???s book, Penny-Whimsy, was published in 1958 and through the popularization of variety collecting, became quickly out of date. One of the missions of Penny-Wise was to gather resources for the eventual update of Penny Whimsy. Warren Anthony Lapp was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois, on April 5, 1915, and grew up in Norwood, Ohio. His parents were Reuben Roy Lapp (1886-1952), a manager for Socony Oil Company, and Gertrude Caroline Hacker (1888-1982). Warren attended Ohio State University and received an M. D. in 1939, trained as an obstetrician and gynecologist. He did an internship in Brooklyn 1939 to 1941. He married Emma Katherine Beard (1916-1993) on January 25, 1941, then continued with his residency 1941 to 1944. He was commissioned as a first lieutenant and army doctor and served in Europe during 1944 to 1946. Dr. Lapp delivered the first child born to a military dependent in Europe after the war. On December 9, 1945, the 1938 Cadillac in which General George S. Patton was riding collided with an Army truck near Manheim, Germany. Patton received a paralyzing spinal cord injury and died on December 21, 1945. One of the attending doctors was Warren Lapp. Lapp was a script consultant for the 1986 television movie, ???The Last Days of Patton.??? Lapp was portrayed by actor Michel John Paliotti. Lapp received a Bronze Star in April 1945 and left the Army as a major. After the war, Lapp returned to Brooklyn as attending physician at Kings County Hospital. After that he was director for OB-GYN at St, Johns Episcopal Hospital in Brooklyn. Later he was an Associate Clinical Professor at the State University of New York after 1955. He was president of the Kings County Medical Society in 1959 and president of the Brooklyn Gynecological Society in 1960. He was a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and Councilor of the New York State Medical Society. Lapp contributed an important article to The Numismatist. ???The Yellow Fever Epidemics in Philadelphia and Their Effect on the First U. S. Mint??? was published in the issue of April 1971. It won a 1972 Heath Literary Award for Lapp in 1972. His collection of items made from large cents was the basis for an article, ???Uses and Abuses of U. S. Large Cents??? published in The Numismatist in August 1971. Lapp joined Herbert Silberman to edit the anthology, United States Large Cents 1793-1857, published by Quarterman in 1975. Among his collecting interest were oddities made from large cents and things named Pennywise. His interests outside numismatics included membership in the Long Island Historical Society and Rotary International. He enjoyed fishing, swimming and boating on a private lake near his vacation home in New Jersey. In May of 1983, I met Dr. Lapp at the annual EAC convention in Queens, New York. I took his photo in my role of EAC Historian. The quality is not good, but it is the only one I have. After his 1981 retirement, he moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. Lapp was in poor health and died at home there on May 20, 1993. He is buried at Oakwood Cemetery at Raleigh, North Carolina. He was survived by his wife, two sons and five grandchildren. Katherine died seven weeks later on July 8, 1993. As I was doing research on Lapp this week, the most comprehensive source I could find for him was the obituary I contributed to the July 15, 1993, issue of Penny-Wise. I would have trouble doing as well today. ?? Getting back to characters in movies. Pennywise is a character in the Stephen King 1986 novel It. This was made into a movie. Pennywise was portrayed by Tim Curry in the 1990 television adaptation and by Bill Skarsgard in the 2017 film adaptation. The American punk-rock band, Pennywise, is named after the character. Numismatics isn't so scary. But enjoy the summer movie season and keep an eye open for fun numismatic connections. -Editor ?? HUNTER HICKS' CASH REGISTER PCGS 2023 Summer Seminar Scholarship winner Hunter Hicks published an article about his collecting interests on the PCGS site. -Editor I???m Hunter Hicks, a 19 year old from Northern Virginia. I started collecting coins about 10 years ago, when a shiny 1943 Lincoln Steel Cent at an antique shop caught my eye. Beyond thinking that the coin was pretty, I left with a fascination about how the world interacts with money. Since I first started collecting, I have been just as intrigued by coins as I am with the ways they arestored and transacted. In addition to collecting U.S. type and Lincoln Wheat Cents, I used to browse the various U.S. Mint packages on eBay before I could afford the actual coins. As I became more involved in the hobby, I joined the local Alexandria and Fairfax Coin Clubs. Later on, I started attending the American Numismatic Association Summer Seminars and then added Witter Coin University to my summer plans. When I turned 16, I began working at Wayne Herndon Rare Coins. Working for a coin dealer gave me a different perspective on the relative rarity of various coins. Many times, the coins are not as rare as the means with which they were stored. Beyond old coin folders and albums, the history of the hobby of course includes PCGS memorabilia. While I am still desperately hunting for a PCGS double-row ???rattler??? box, I am proud to own every other regularly issued box design and color. Collectors often talk about all the stories a coin has gone through, and I want to bring that idea to life. While I am working on a 140-coin Lincoln Cent Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1909-1958) PCGS Registry Set, I recently expanded my collection to include some of the mechanisms with which coins were transacted. In addition to a series of mechanical coin-op machines and change counters, my passion project is to fill my 1916 National Cash Register Company with period-correct coins, including VF/XF Barber silver coinage, Black Eagle banknotes, and eventually some pre-1933 gold coins. Recreating the appearance of an active, vintage cash register is a great way to gain an interactive historic perspective of how coins were once used. I also like that this is an open-ended project with no overt completion guidelines. I can always increase the quality of the coins in the register or perhaps buy a few dozen uncirculated 1916 Lincoln Cents, all with the same surface appearance, to replicate a bankroll that may have recently been cracked open. I recently began my freshman year of college in Northern California. From attending local coin shows to buying coins for my cash register, to joining local Peninsula and Cupertino Coin Club meetings ??? and occasionally interning at Witter Coin in San Francisco ??? I am enjoying the constant reward the hobby provides as I get settled in. To feel at home, one truly needs a community, and I am so fortunate that the coin community is everywhere. To read the complete article, see: Young Numismatist Goes from Coins to Cash Registers (https://www.pcgs.com/news/young-numismatist-goes-from-coins-to-cash-registers) To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: PCGS 2023 SUMMER SEMINAR SCHOLARSHIPS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n16a16.html) 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. MARK SALZBERG ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT A post on the NGC website announced the retirement of Mark Salzberg. Here's an excerpt - see the complete article online for more. -Editor Mark Salzberg, one of the world's most respected collectibles experts, has announced that he will retire at the end of June 2023. His retirement is the culmination of a nearly four-decade career with the Certified Collectibles Group® (CCG®), during which Salzberg made numerous highly impactful contributions to the world of collectibles. Salzberg joined the Certified Collectibles Group in 1988, when it was just NGC®, a coin grading startup, and immediately recognized that the expert and impartial services NGC offered would change the collecting landscape ??? from a niche hobby to a robust industry. A decade later, it was clear that third-party certification had revolutionized the collecting hobby. Recognizing the ability to scale to other classes of collectibles, Salzberg partnered with CCG CEO Steven Eichenbaum in the late 1990s to expand the company???s services. Utilizing NGC???s proven platform, they established CGC® as the world???s first comic book grading service. CGC quickly grew into a powerhouse in its category, and remains the industry leader with more than 10 million pop culture collectibles certified. Meanwhile, CCG continued to expand to paper money, stamps, trading cards, memorabilia and more, and opened offices around the globe. The industry grew significantly larger as people from all walks of life gained confidence in collectibles as an asset class. Today, the CCG companies have certified more than 80 million collectibles. ???While the ???Wild West??? early days were exciting, seeing where the business and industry are now is beyond rewarding,??? Salzberg notes. ???I do not take for granted how lucky I am to have been able to do something I absolutely love and have made it my profession.??? Steven Eichenbaum comments, ???The collectibles industry has been forever impacted by Mark Salzberg???s vision, innovation and hard work. He is excellent at cultivating meaningful relationships and carrying big ideas from concept to completion.??? ???Mark has a unique combination of collectibles expertise, business acumen and vision,??? says Max Spiegel, President of CCG. ???It has been incredibly impactful to my own career???s development to learn how he identifies an area of the market that is underserved and then works with such great passion and intensity to build a best-in-class solution.??? Salzberg is well-known for his strong leadership, particularly in the mentorship of up-and-coming numismatists. He has mentored dozens of graders at the Certified Collectibles Group, taught many classes at the American Numismatic Association (ANA) Summer Seminar and published numerous educational pieces for numismatic journals. ???A big reason that I came to NGC from PCGS in 2002 was Mark Salzberg,??? says Rick Montgomery, NGC President and Finalizer. ???I have very much enjoyed the years that I have spent with Mark in the grading room, not only seeing some incredible coins but also establishing a bond of mutual respect. The NGC Grading Team that we've built these past 20 years benefits from this shared passion, culture and real commitment to numismatics.??? Working in the coin grading room for most of his 35 years with CCG, Salzberg has graded virtually all of the world's most high-profile coins. He is widely credited for his central role in standardizing and promoting the use of today's highly precise grading scales, an essential component of the collectibles industry's development. An ANA Life Member, Salzberg was named Numismatist of the Year by the ANA in 2006 and received the ANA's Presidential Award in 1998. He is also a member of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG). Education is a passion of Salzberg???s, and he helped create the US Mint's H.I.P. Pocket Change Program, designed to educate and spark youth interest in collecting. His own captivation with coins began at the age of 7, and by 11, he was already working at a coin shop. Watch this video to learn more about his fascinating career from Salzberg himself. To read the complete article, see: Mark Salzberg Announces Retirement (https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/11816/salzberg-retirement/) CAC GRADING SERVICE LAUNCHING In other third-party grading news, the new CAC Grading service launch date approaches. Here's an update from David Kahn, published in his David Kahn Rare Coins News and Newps email newsletter for June 2023. -Editor There is significant news regarding CAC Grading (henceforth CACG). They began accepting submissions from their investor-partners last week. We sent in a selection of coins - some raw, some PCGS/NGC slabbed without stickers and some slabbed with stickers - so that we could begin to understand how this will all work in practice. And, we'll probably send some additional coins in this week. We hope to be able to have some new CACG coins with us at the ANA's World's Fair of Money this August in Pittsburgh. Just one more reason to consider attending that show. CACG has been very busy getting up to speed. Their website has been greatly expanded and updated with a new online portal, the coin catalog has been created, many die variety attributions have been added to the catalog, submission forms have been made available, and actual coin-processing operations in Virginia Beach have begun. We were able to spend a little bit of time with a couple of the senior grader/finalizers at Baltimore - Bill Shamhart and John Butler - and we've been assured that the intensive preparatory work has been completed. Yet there is plenty more to do, and there will surely be kinks and bottlenecks in the various systems to be worked through, but that is why they have yet to throw the switch on accepting submissions generally. That will come in time. John Albanese and the entire staff at CACG wants to get it all right from the start, and we are completely confident they will do just that. There is CAC Stickering news as well. The economy tier, which had been paused for many months, has now re-opened. But be sure to check the details before you send coins to New Jersey, as the prices, tier structure and other details have changed quite a bit. For example...collector accounts used to pay $0 for coins that didn't sticker while dealers paid in full for such coins. Going forward, all accounts will now get a 25% rebate for a coin that does not sticker, and costs are higher to begin with. Still, we are happy to be able to send cheaper coins again. To read the complete DKRC newsletter, see: Baltimore in June... (https://mailchi.mp/9fd956fa2315/david-kahn-rare-coins-news-and-newps-june-2023) A short Greysheet article by John Feigenbaum provides a link to a recent Coin Shop Podcast about the CAC launch. -Editor ?? A lot of folks are curious about the new CAC grading service and many questions are being asked about details. Kenny Duncan, Jr. and Matt Duncan, of The Coin Shop Podcast spent a few minutes with founder, John Albanese, to get some answers as the "launch date" approaches. To read the complete article (with a link to the video), see: John Albanese of CACG Discusses the Launch of New Grading Service with The Coin Shop Podcast (https://www.greysheet.com/news/story/john-albanese-of-cacg-discusses-the-launch-of-new-grading-service-with-the-coin-shop-podcast) To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see: HARRY LAIBSTAIN ON HOBBY'S PAST AND FUTURE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n51a16.html) CAC BECOMES A THIRD-PARTY GRADING COMPANY (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n42a20.html) 2023 AMERICAN MEDAL OF THE YEAR AWARDS Jon Radel forwarded this announcement from the American Medallic Sculptors Association. Thanks. -Editor ?? The American Medallic Sculptors Association (AMSA) has announced that Jim Licaretz has won the 2023 American Medal of the Year (AMY) award, for medals created in 2022, for his timely work in honor of Volodymyr Zelensky. This is the second medal in a series honoring world icons. The first honored civil rights leader John Lewis, a runner-up in the 2022 AMY competition. The original is made with a 3-D printer, then a mold is made and the 3??? medals are cast in bonded bronze; finally, Jim applies a wax patina by hand. The edition is limited to 200 pieces. They can be ordered for $165 from the non-profit Jewish-American Hall of Fame by calling 818-225-1348. 100% of the profits will be contributed to charities helping Ukrainian victims. This year the jurors honored two other medals as finalists: ???Days of Silence ??? Nights of Song,??? by Jeremiah D. Welsh, the 2022 Brookgreen Medal, struck in bronze, in the long-running series issued by Brookgreen Gardens as a membership benefit, and ???Hydroponic??? by Jeffrey Briggs, a uniface 5??? by 23???4??? medal cast in marble with a bronze patina. The latter is available from Jeffrey for $90, contact him at jeffrey at briggssculpture.com . ?? Days of Silence ??? Nights of Song obverse ?? LEFT: Days of Silence ??? Nights of Song reverse RIGHT: Hydroponic All 42 AMY entries, by 26 artists, will be pictured in the next full color issue of AMSA???s Members Exchange. Art medal collectors and designers are invited to learn about and join the American Medallic Sculpture Association at www.amsamedals.org. The new chair of the AMY committee, Jon Radel, is honored to be taking over for the founding chair, Mel Wacks, who has stewarded the award since its founding in 2014. He remarked, ???I???m thrilled at the broad representation by artists this year, both those well known to all who collect American medals, as I do, but also relative newcomers who deserve broader exposure.??? Nice medals, and congratulations and good luck to Jon in his new role! -Editor For more information on the American Medallic Sculpture Association, see: https://amsamedals.org/ To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: 2022 AMERICAN MEDAL OF THE YEAR AWARDS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n16a28.html) THE CRAGG VALE COINERS The Guardian published an article about an 18th-century counterfeiting gang and tourists visiting the site of their operation today. Here's an excerpt - see the complete article online. See also the article elsewhere in this issue for a review of the novel the series was based on. -Editor ?? Heptonstall village where the BBC drama The Gallows Pole was filmed Associations with 18-century counterfeiters can be seen across Calderdale, where The Gallows Pole tourism has mainly been welcomed Anyone who has watched the BBC Two drama The Gallows Pole could be forgiven for thinking of Cragg Vale and its surrounding villages in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, as bleak and unforgiving. But a surge of visitors captivated by the true story of a village???s illegal coin-minting operation in the 1700s are finding it is anything but. The nearby large village of Mytholmroyd and, in particular, the smaller Heptonstall, where most of the Shane Meadows series was filmed, are already experiencing an increase in tourism thanks to the popularity of the three-parter. The series tells the story of the Cragg Vale Coiners, who were said to be so successful that they devalued the pound by 9% before their counterfeit operation came crashing down around them. Clues of a proud association with the gang are scattered everywhere in Mytholmroyd ??? in the Coiners restaurant, Coiners Wharf and a bar called Barbary???s, after the pub in the story. In Heptonstall, cakes in the window of the Towngate tearoom have chocolate coins poking out of the top. Outside the tearoom, Amy Schofield, a local resident, said tourism to the area tended to increase as the summer began but that over the last week there had been a noticeable boost. Schofield said most residents were delighted that the Coiners??? story had grabbed so much attention, but that the repeated periods of filming had caused a few disruptions, which had led to complaints locally. She also mentioned another problem: ???People here don???t like it [the story] because it puts a negative light on the area and they say it makes it look bad.??? A passerby interjected: ???It hasn???t put people off, though, has it???? Benjamin Myers, who wrote the book that inspired the series, said so many people had contacted him after its publication in 2017 to say they were visiting that it led him to produce a map. The Gallows Pole has sold thousands of copies, said Myers, ???so for seven years there has been a regular stream of walkers visiting the real-life (and sometimes fictional) locations???. These maps are still in regular use, said Lisa Thwaites, the owner of the Blue Teapot, a vegetarian cafe in Mytholmroyd. She had been forced to binge-watch the series because customers were coming to the cafe and talking about it. Thwaites said: ???The first episode, I thought it wasn???t for me, the second I was getting into it and by the third I loved it.??? St Thomas the Apostle church sits at the top of Heptonstall, on a hill that drops off into a breathtaking valley. It is known to literary fans as the resting place of the US poet Sylvia Plath, but it is also where the 25-year-old ringleader of the counterfeiters, ???King??? David Hartley, is buried. He was hanged for masterminding the operation. Hartley???s grave, in the cramped and uneven older part of the graveyard, was dotted with modern coins placed there in tribute to the man who brought desperately needed wealth to a place so deprived that children were starving. ?? Modern coins are left on the gravestone of David Hartley Lyndsey Place, a bar worker at the Cross Inn, said: ???I don???t want it to get touristy.??? A fireplace in the bar was the scene of a real-life murder, where a man who was prepared to snitch on the Coiners died after having hot coals put down his trousers. A local antiques collector said he had some counterfeit Portuguese coins from the operation that he had bought before the story was well known. But its newfound popularity meant you couldn???t ???get Coiner stuff any more???, he added. To read the complete article, see: ???Definitely a lot busier???: TV show lures visitors to coin gang???s Yorkshire home (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jun/16/tv-show-the-gallows-pole-visitors-coin-gang-yorkshire-village) ATLAS NUMISMATICS SELECTIONS: JUNE 18, 2023 Atlas Numismatics has updated their website with 218 new coins, medals, and tokens at fixed prices. Selections include the following items. -Editor ?? Klippe 10 Ducats of Salzburg ?? 1074993 | AUSTRIAN STATES. Salzburg. Maximilian Gandolph von Küenburg. (Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, 1668-1687). 1668 AV Klippe 10 Ducats. NGC MS62. 34.94gm. * MAXIMIL : GANDOLPH9 D : G : ARCHIEPS : SALISBVRG : SED : AP : LEG : S : R : I : PR :. Cardinal's hat and tassels above shield of arms; divides date / * SS : RVDBERTVS • ET • VIRGILIVS • PATRONI • SALISBVRGENSES •. Two saints seated facing each other with croziers, church in foreground. KM 204; Fr.-798; Probszt 1597; Z??ttl 1922 (Type 5). Exceedingly rare. Currently the finest known at NGC as of May 2023 $155,000 To read the complete item description, see: https://atlasnumismatics.com/1074993/ ?? Attractive Danish West Indies 12 Skilling ?? 1075718 | DANISH WEST INDIES. Christian VI. (King, 1740 - 1849). 1740-(heart) CW AR 12 Skilling. NGC AU58. Royal Danish Mint. D . G. REX . DAN . | NOR . VAN . G . . Crowned double C6 monogram / XII. SKIL. DANSK. FOR. DE. DANSK. AMERIC. INSULER. Ship within inner circle. KM 4. Attractively toned. $1,950 To read the complete item description, see: https://atlasnumismatics.com/1075718/ ?? Cameo Proof Württemberg 4 Ducats ?? 1075783 | GERMAN STATES. Württemberg. Wilhelm I. 1841 AV 4 Ducats. NGC PR62 Cameo. By Voigt. Stuttgart. Laureate head, left; signed below truncation / City goddess with staff and shield of arms; cherub supporters to either side with cornucopia and fasces; date in exergue. KM X-1; Fr.-3615; KR-86; AKS 119; Jaeger 75; cf. Hermann 469; Divo 232. Commemorative Coinage. 25th Anniversary of Reign. Superb eye appeal for the grade assigned; mirrored fields and frosty devices. Very rare as a proof striking. $19,500 To read the complete item description, see: https://atlasnumismatics.com/1075783/ ?? Choice Ferdinand VII Mexico 8 Reales ?? 1074636 | MEXICO. Ferdinand VII. 1809-Mo TH AR 8 Reales. NGC MS63. Mexico City. FERDIN ?? VII... Armored laureate bust right / IND ?? REX... Crowned shield flanked by pillars. KM 110; Calico 1308. Attractively toned; some minor natural annealing flaws in planchet. $1,950 To read the complete item description, see: https://atlasnumismatics.com/1074636/ ?? Gem 1871 Switzerland Pattern 20 Francs ?? 1075866 | SWITZERLAND. 1871-B AV Pattern 20 Francs. NGC PR65. Edge: Reeded. Shield within sprigs, date below / Value within wreath. KM Pn17; Fr.-491; HMZ-2-1225a, Divo Proben-9; Varesi 634. >From a reported mintage of just 25-30 pieces. $36,500 To read the complete item description, see: https://atlasnumismatics.com/1075866/ Updates to their online inventory are issued monthly. For more information and to sign up for the firm???s monthly newsletter, visit: atlasnumismatics.com NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: JUNE 18, 2023 Numismagram's Jeremy Bostwick sent along these four highlights from his most recent addition of new material. For all of this upload's new additions, please visit https://www.numismagram.com/inventory -Editor ?? 102426 | FRANCE. Philippe II, Duke of Orléans bronze Medal. Dated 1715 (though likely issued circa late 18th century). Commemorating the beginning of the Duke's regency for King Louis XV (41mm, 40.65 g, 12h). By J. Duvivier & J. Dollin at the Paris mint. PHILIPPUS DUX AVRELIANENS FR ET NAV REGENS, bare head right // PAR VIRTVS ONERI (the strength shall meet the burden), Atlas right, bent to one knee, bearing celestial sphere (with zodiacal band separating the stars) upon his back. Edge: Plain. Divo 6. Choice Mint State. Deep brown surfaces, with some light rub upon the highest points and some brilliance in the fields. $295. Upon the death of the "Sun King" (Louis XIV), the throne passed to Louis XV, the great-grandson of the former. However, at the time, the younger Louis was not yet 6 years old. As such, in keeping with custom, a regent was appointed to effectively rule in the place of the boy-king until he reached his majority, which was the age of 13. Philippe II, the Duke of Orléans, thus served as the Regent of France from 1715 until the 13th birthday of Louis XV on 15 February 1723. On this medal, the weighty role as chief decision maker in the kingdom is expressed through Atlas bearing the celestial sphere upon his back. To read the complete lot description, see: 102426 | FRANCE. Philippe II, Duke of Orléans bronze Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102426) ?? SWITZERLAND. Basel. Dog Show gilt bronze Award Medal. Issued 1901 for the 2nd International Dog Exposition from 19???21 October (45mm, 40.44 g, 12h). Five different hounds below radiant Swiss cross; 1901 on garnished cartouche below // II. INTERNATIONALE HUNDEAUSSTELLUNG BASEL 19. 20. & 21. OCT. 1901, basilisk left, head right, holding garnished coat-of-arms of Basel. Edge: Plain. Choice Mint State. A few light marks, one of which occurs above the head and left wing of the basilisk; otherwise highly brilliant and prooflike. $195. Despite sometimes being referred to as a dragon, the mythical creature on the reverse of this medal (along with many of Basel's coins) is that of a basilisk. The origin of such mythical creatures is from ancient Greece, with it said to have had the head of a rooster and wearing a crown, all with the body of a serpent. By medieval times, this iconography had changed somewhat to having a body more akin to that of a wyvern, with the basilisk and the cockatrice essentially being the same. What remained throughout lore was the fact that the gaze of the basilisk, just like Medusa, was said to be lethal. It is not fully certain as to why the basilisk became symbolic with Basel, whose name in Roman times was Basilea, though the punning nature of the city's name and the mythical creature is quite likely. To read the complete lot description, see: 102420 | SWITZERLAND. Basel. Dog Show gilt bronze Award Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102420) ?? GERMANY & ENTENTE POWERS. Carriers of Culture cast bronze oval Medal. Dated 1914. "Kulturtr??ger???Die Verbündeten im Weltkrieg"—on the allies' use of native colonials (90mm x 58mm, 12h). By K. Goetz in München. KVLTVRTRÆGER, crowned and mantled busts of Nikolai II of Russia right and George V of the United Kingdom left; between them, facing bust of Raymond Poincaré (President of France), with hands on the monarchs' shoulders; in between (from left to right), busts with heavily caricatured features of African, Central Asian, Indonesian, and Asian soldiers, all held together Poincaré's "group hug" embrace; in two lines in exergue, VERBVENDETE / IM WELTKRIEG // ZVR SCHANDE / SEI ES LAVT GESAGT, / ZVM SPOTTE ??? / ER WIRD IN EVCH NAGEN, / DASS IHR DIE WILDEN HORDEN / JAGT AVF JENE ??? / DIE, KVLTVR NACH FERNSTEN / LANDEN TRAGEN (Let it be said out loud in derision, "For Shame"??? It will gnaw on you that for you the wild hordes hunt on those who carry culture to the furthest lands) in eight lines. Kienast 140. NGC MS -62 Brown. $645. Here, Goetz very directly alludes to allied use of colonial soldiers in the war effort. While sticking to rather benign, non-caricatured depictions of the three leaders, he heavily delves into racialized tropes with the non-Caucasian representations. This visual stereotyping is present in a contemporaneous issue satirizing Japan in Germany's colonial outpost in Chinese Kiao Chau (Jiaozhou), and later during post-WWI issues pertaining to the occupation of the Rhineland and the supposed harassment of German women by French colonial troops from Africa. A larger issue than those generally issued by Goetz at the time, and in the highly unusual oval (rather than circular) format. To read the complete lot description, see: 102284 | GERMANY & ENTENTE POWERS. Carriers of Culture cast bronze oval Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102284) ?? SWEDEN. Alfred Nobel silver Medal Issued 1926. Commemorating the 30th anniversary of his death (45mm, 45.72 g, 12h). By E. Lindberg for the Swedish Academy of Sciences. ALFRED NOBEL, bust left in frock coat // Pallas-Athena standing left, spearing tri-headed serpentine Hydra to left; in three lines in exergue, MALA • CORPORIS • ANIMIQVE / SCIENTIA / VINCET (may knowledge conquer the maladies of both mind and body). Edge: SILVER 1926. Ehrensvärd 268. Mint State. Light graphite gray hues, with a tremendous matte nature to the surfaces. A very rare and desirable issue paralleling the Nobel nominating committee medals, which were also done by Erik Lindberg. From a mintage of just 150 examples. $1,095. Known for inventing dynamite and bequeathing his fortune in order to fund what would become the Nobel Prizes, Alfred Nobel was a prolific inventor who held over 350 patents. In 1864, he founded the Nitroglycerin Aktiebolaget (Nitroglycerin Corporation), the world's first manufacturer of nitroglycerin (which was vital in his patenting of dynamite a few years later). As for the artist of this medal, Erik Lindberg was tasked early on with the creation of the Nobel Prize medals in 1901???the Nobel institution for the awarding of these prizes having been newly established. Outside of the Peace Prize (presented instead in Oslo) and the Economics Prize (created much later by the Sveriges Riksbank and not considered part of the Nobel canon), Lindberg's renditions continue to be used for the prize medals to this day, as well as the medals presented to the respective nominating committees. This medal, with its very small mintage of just 150 examples, comes in a larger format of 45mm (rather than 26mm for the nominating committee medals, which continue to be made and awarded). The bust style is also slightly modified from that of the nominating committee medals, and it features a reverse with the same Neoclassical flair as the Nobel Prize medals themselves. To read the complete lot description, see: 102454 | SWEDEN. Alfred Nobel silver Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102454) KUENKER JUNE 2023 AUCTION 389 Here's the announcement for the third of Künker's four June 2023 sales. -Editor A Saxon Wedding, Jewish Everyday Life and Roman Gold The highlights of K??nker???s upcoming eLive Premium Auctions 389 and 390 are Saxon coins from the Kemlein Collection, Jewish medals, a series of coins from Bremen and Verden and part seven of the Salton Collection, including Roman aurei at favorable prices. Immediately following the two public auction sales 387 and 388, on 23 and 24 June 2023 K??nker will hold two eLive Premium Auctions. In addition to world coins and medals from antiquity to present times, numerous special collections are on offer. They include the Dr. Walter Kemlein Collection of coins and medals from Saxony, a special collection with coins from the Duchies of Bremen and Verden, an important collection of Jewish medals from all over the world, part seven of the Salton Collection with Roman coins at favorable estimates and an extensive series of Italian issues as well as coins and medals from the German States. Catalog 389: World Coins and Medals Ancient coins, world coins and medals and, of course, the German States: If you are looking for new acquisitions to add to your collection, auction 389 provides you with the perfect opportunity. Estimates range from low two-digit starting prices to some four-figure estimates. The focus is on issues of the German States. After all, two extensive special collections are presented at once: Bremen and Verden as well as Saxony. However, the small series with Mecklenburg issues should not be neglected either. ?? No. 2056: Russia. Aleksey Mikhaylovich, 1645-1676. Jefimok 1655, overstrike on a 1637 reichstaler of Saxony, John George I, Dresden mint. Rare. Very fine to extremely fine. Estimate: 1,250 euros ?? No. 2249: Mecklenburg. Frederick Francis I, 1785-1837. 2 talers 1797, Schwerin. Extremely fine. Estimate: 750 euros An Extensive Special Collection Focusing on Bremen and Verden Only a few bracteates represent the Catholic past of the Diocese of Bremen, which was merged with the territories of the secularized Bishopric of Verden in the Peace of Westphalia, to come under Swedish rule as an imperial territory. Therefore, coins minted in Stade under Swedish rulers are the main batch in this special collection on Bremen and Verden, which contains about 100 lots. However, it should be mentioned that there are many more coins behind these 100 lots because especially fractional coins were often grouped into carefully arranged multiple lots. This collection was assembled with great attention to detail and has something to offer for everyone who is interested in this field. Although there are no rarities of top quality, connoisseurs can look forward to coins of above-average quality with fine patinas. ?? No. 2127: Bremen-Verden. Charles X Gustav, 1654-1660. 4 marks 1660, Stade. Rare. Beautiful patina. Very fine to extremely fine. Estimate: 600 euros ?? No. 2136: Bremen-Verden. Charles X Gustav, 1654-1660. 4 marks 1668, Stade. Extremely rare. About extremely fine. Estimate: 600 euros ?? No. 2198: Bremen-Verden. Charles XI, 1660-1697. Reichstaler 1692, Stade. Very rare. Very fine to extremely fine. Estimate: 3,000 euros Catalog 389: The Kemlein Collection It was one of those typical German fates that encouraged Dr. Walter Kemlein to collect the coins and medals of his old Saxon homeland. Born on 24 October 1927, he was one of the last two cohorts that were conscripted into the army shortly before the end of the Second World War. Good luck and helpful fellow men saved him from being held as prisoner in Russia for a long time. Instead, the just 18-year-old could return home and escape to Erlangen three years later, where he started to study medicine. During his many years of service as a trauma surgeon and chief physician at the surgical clinic of the Johannes Hospital in Bielefeld, Dr. Walter Kemlein never forgot his roots. He remembered his old home by assembling an extensive collection of coins and medals that related to Saxony, which will now be entering the market once again. A special focus is on the city of Dresden. More than 250 lots are offered in this auction sale. Dr. Walter Kemlein acquired a particularly large number of medals, including some pieces that commemorate the Wedding of Frederick Augustus and Maria Josepha in 1719, the so-called ???Wedding of the Century???. ?? No. 2301: Upper Lusatia. Vladislaus II of Bohemia, 1158-1173. Bracteate, Bautzen or Görlitz. Extremely rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 3,000 euros   No. 2382: Saxony. 1676 silver medal by E. C. Dürr commemorating the heightening of the tower of Dresden Castle. Very rare. Very fine +. Estimate: 1,500 euros ?? No. 2421: Saxony. Frederick Augustus I, 1694-1733 (Augustus the Strong). Silver medal by Chr. Wermuth, commemorating his son???s wedding in 1719. Very rare. About extremely fine. Estimate: 2,500 euros ?? No. 2427: Saxony. Frederick Augustus I, 1694-1733 (Augustus the Strong). Hexagonal reichstalerklippe 1719, Dresden, prize of the Schnepper-Gesellschaft for the shooting competition on the occasion of his son???s wedding. Very rare. Minor traces of mounting(?). Estimate: 2,000 euros ?? No. 2471: Saxony. Frederick Augustus III (I), 1763-1806-1827. Silver medal by Chr. J. Kr??ger commemorating the founding of the Kingdom of Saxony in 1806. Extremely rare. Extremely fine to FDC. Estimate: 2,500 euros Catalog 389: Jewish Medals Actually, the largest part of the collection of Jewish medals should have also been included in the chapter on the German States because a wealth of issues from the 19th century are from there. They reflect how proud German citizens of the Jewish faith were on their new synagogues, which they were finally allowed to build ??? in some cases against the resistance of local authorities. Be it Erfurt or Frankfurt, Cologne or Munich, Mainz or W??rzburg, numerous synagogues were erected at the time, just to be demolished by the Nazis a few decades later. However, these medals also recount other stories. They tell of wise rabbis and how the Jewish communities came to develop a new pride in their past in the second half of the 20th century. ?? No. 2599: Denmark. 1888 gold medal for the 60th jubilee of Abraham Alexander Wolff as Chief Rabbi of Denmark. Probably unique in gold. Extremely fine. Estimate: 10,000 euros ?? No. 2604: France / Strasbourg. 1898 bronze medal for the consecration of the new synagogue in Strasbourg. Very rare. Extremely fine to FDC. Estimate: 1,500 euros ?? No. 2635: Hungary / Szeged. 1903 silver medal for the consecration of the new synagogue in Szeged. Very rare. Very fine to extremely fine. Estimate: 1,000 euros ?? No. 2674: Habsburg hereditary lands. 1745 silver medal on the expulsion of the Jews form Bohemia and the successful protest against it, minted on behalf of the Jewish communities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. In silver probably the only specimen on the market. Extremely fine. Estimate: 20,000 euros ?? No. 2697: Germany / Munich. 1826 silver medal for the consecration of the synagogue in the presence of King Ludwig I and Queen Therese. Very rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 6,000 euros To order a catalog, contact Künker, Nobbenburger Straße 4a, 49076 Osnabrück; phone: +49 541 / 962020; fax: +49 541 / 9620222; or via e-mail: service at kuenker.de. You can access the auction catalogs online at www.kuenker.de. If you want to submit your bid from your computer at home, please remember to register for this service in good time. To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: KUENKER JUNE 2023 AUCTION 387 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n23a20.html) KUENKER JUNE 2023 AUCTION 388 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n23a21.html) ?? KUENKER JUNE 2023 AUCTION 390 Here's the announcement for the last of Künker's four June 2023 sales. -Editor Catalog 390: The Salton Collection The following eLive Premium Auction 390 wonderfully ties in with the collection of Jewish medals, because it contains the seventh part of the Salton Collection, the fate of which we have already recounted on several occasions. Therefore, we will only mention a few key events here. Mark Salton used to be called Max Schlessinger before moving to the United States, and was a descendant of a long line of German coin dealers. His parents, Felix and Hedwig Schlessinger, died in the Holocaust. Max managed to escape. After the end of the Second World War, he moved to New York, where he met his future wife Lottie. The two of them built up a second life there. This life obviously included the coins they collected. And their collection was typical of the pre-1970s era, as they paid more attention to rarity than to quality. Therefore, the Salton Collection contains both pieces of excellent quality and issues that we would describe as ???very fine??? today. This enables collectors of Roman coins to consider bidding on an aureus this time, given that estimates start at 2,000 euros. Although, of course, the selection of denarii and bronze coins with estimates starting in the two-digit range is also quite extensive. Be it Roman Republic or Roman Empire, many historically important rarities of very fine quality can be found in this catalog. The material will provide those who are rather interested in history than in coin grades with plenty of opportunities to dream about the past. But there are also coins for lovers of high-quality pieces. Have a look at the denarii by Hadrian: there are numerous coins with nice portraits whose quality is better than extremely fine. The Saltons were especially interested in this travelling emperor who, despite his love of peace, mercilessly crushed the Bar Kochba uprising. But there are also rarities of attractive quality in the section of the soldier emperors and the tetrarchs. Please also take a look at all the carefully compiled multiple lots that are definitely worth to be viewed! ?? No. 3065: Roman Republic. Caesar. M. Mettius. Denarius, 44, Rome. Very rare. About extremely fine. Estimate: 2,000 euros ?? No. 3187: Hadrian, 117-138. Denarius, 121-123. Extremely fine. Estimate: 300 euros ?? No. 3216: Marcus Aurelius, 161-180. Aureus, 161-162. Very fine to extremely fine. Estimate: 2,500 euros ?? No. 3224: Faustina II. Aureus, 161-176. Very fine. Estimate: 2,500 euros ?? No. 3229: Commodus. Aureus, 178. Very rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 12,500 euros Catalog 390: World Coins with a Focus on Italy and the German States The Salton Collection is a universal collection, which is why many European coins will be on offer as well, including numerous pieces of the finest quality. However, once again, the Saltons paid more attention to rarity than to quality, which is why you will find a comprehensive offer of historically important and rare pieces of very fine quality. Particularly noteworthy is a series of coins and medals from Italy, which tells of the great love of the Saltons for their third home country. It contains numerous rarities of the finest style, some of which in extremely fine quality. And there are also many beautiful pieces from the German States. Submit your bids as the money will go to charitable organizations working for reconciliation and the remembrance of Jewish history! ?? No. 3512: Italy / Ferrara. Alfonso I d???Este, 1505-1534. Testone n.d. Very rare. Very fine to extremely fine. Estimate: 2,000 euros ?? No. 3519: Genoa. 2 scudi 1682. Very rare. Very fine +. Estimate: 2,000 euros ?? No. 3618: Sicily. Ferdinand III, 1759-1816. Oncia (30 tari) 1791, Palermo. Rare. Very fine to extremely fine. Estimate: 3,000 euros ?? No. 3946: German States / Lippe. Hermann Adolf, 1652-1666. Reichstaler 1658 (minted in 1659), Detmold. Rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 2,000 euros ?? No. 4033: German States / Saxony. Vereinsdoppeltaler 1841 G. Diligence medal of the Freiberg mining academy. Only 200 specimens minted. Proof. Estimate: 2,000 euros ?? No. 4122: German Empire. Waldeck-Pyrmont. 5 marks 1903. Extremely fine to FDC. Estimate: 2,000 euros To order a catalog, contact Künker, Nobbenburger Straße 4a, 49076 Osnabrück; phone: +49 541 / 962020; fax: +49 541 / 9620222; or via e-mail: service at kuenker.de. You can access the auction catalogs online at www.kuenker.de. If you want to submit your bid from your computer at home, please remember to register for this service in good time. To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: KUENKER JUNE 2023 AUCTION 387 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n23a20.html) KUENKER JUNE 2023 AUCTION 388 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n23a21.html) SYDNEY F. MARTIN COLLECTION JUNE 2023 SALE Stack's Bowers published this article about their upcoming sale of additional coins from the collection of Syd Martin. -Editor ?? The June 27, 2023 Collectors Choice Online Auction of Selections from the Sydney F. Martin Collection Tuesday, June 27, 2023 • 9:00 AM PT ?? Lot 92008 1723 Wood???s Hibernia Farthing. Silver. Martin 3.2-Bc.10. AU Details (PCGS) ?? Lot 92072 1723 Wood???s Hibernia Halfpenny. MS-62 BN (PCGS). Ex William Wood Estate ?? Lot 92109 1773 Virginia Halfpenny. Newman 5-B. MS-62 BN (PCGS) ?? Lot 92218 1739-R Sou Marque. Vlack-177. Rarity-7. MS-64 (PCGS) ?? Lot 92260 1742-Y Sou Marque. Vlack-220. Unique. EF-40 (PCGS) ?? Lot 92327 1739-C Half Sou Marque. Vlack-299. Rarity-7. AU-58+ (PCGS) ?? Lot 92365 1788 Massachusetts Half Cent. Ryder 1-A. AU-50 (PCGS) ?? Lot 92372 1787 Massachusetts Cent. Ryder 3-G. AU-53 (PCGS) ?? Lot 92388 1788 Massachusetts Cent. Ryder 6-N. AU-53 (PCGS) ?? Lot 92410 (ca. 1793-1795) Kentucky Token. LANCASTER Edge. MS-64 BN (PCGS) ?? Lot 92415 1794 Talbot, Allum & Lee Cent. Without NEW YORK. VF Details (PCGS). Ex Norweb ?? Lot 92426 1794 Talbot, Allum & Lee / Birmingham Halfpenny Mule. MS-65 BN (PCGS) To view all lots or bid, see: June 2023 Collectors Choice Online Auction - Selections from the Sydney F. Martin Collection - Lots 92001-92441 (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/auctions/3-13HCOQ/june-2023-collectors-choice-online-auction-selections-from-the-sydney-f-martin-collection-lots-92001-92441) To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: SYDNEY F. MARTIN COLLECTION PART ONE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n29a21.html) SYDNEY F. MARTIN COLLECTION PART TWO (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n38a15.html) SYDNEY F. MARTIN COLLECTION WASHINGTONIA (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n39a17.html) SYDNEY F. MARTIN COLLECTION PART III (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n11a20.html) GEORGE WASHINGTON COPPERS Michael Garofalo published the first installment of a multipart article for Greysheet on coppers depicting George Washington. Here's an excerpt - see the complete article online. -Editor ?? Washington 1783 Draped Bust Copper IN THE LATTER PART OF THE 18th CENTURY, George Washington was a Colossus in Americans??? minds. This wealthy farmer from Virginia was a surveyor, fought admirably in the French and Indian Wars, and when the newly-formed nation looked for a leader, Washington went willingly to the forefront. The British army and navy were vastly superior, perceived as the best in the world at that time, yet Washington inspired farmers and tradesmen to leave their plows in the fields and their workshops unattended and defend the idea of an American nation based on liberty. His accomplishments were legendary. After forcing the surrender of one the Great Britain???s greatest generals, Lord Charles Cornwallis, in August of 1781 in Yorktown, Virginia, effectively ending the American Revolutionary War, to being named President of the First Constitutional Convention, he was a man of mythic proportions. The Coinage Act of 1792, establishing a United States Mint, positions for coin minters and even for American coinage itself was still a decade away when both coin designers, minters and other entrepreneurs began to create ???coins??? for use in the American nation of colonies. The strong central government was still some time away, but the need for an American coinage was great. Coins from many foreign countries circulated in America at that time as there was no substitute. Entrepreneurs began to strike copper medals and ???coins??? as some even bore denominations on them, in hopes of their designs catching the eye of the new government officials and perhaps becoming coinage. Some of these pieces bore Washington???s likeness, which he publicly frowned upon. Washington didn???t want America???s coins to remind people of Britain???s coins, bearing a portrait of the king. Washington wanted allegorical representations of Liberty to grace our coinage. Nevertheless, a number of copper pieces bearing portraits of George Washington were struck and they all were intended to honor the legend of George Washington. Many of these ???coins??? circulated as coinage, as evidenced by the large number of them that display over two centuries worth of healthy wear. Whether they were struck as potential coinage for America, as a tribute to Washington, or as part of the British series of Conder Tokens, portraying personages and historical events, they form a unique collection of historical Americana. We will examine not only the history of these coins but how assembling a collection of them is such a worthwhile task for those of us who love American history. ?? Washington 1783 Unity States Cent To read the complete article, see: The Copper Coinage of Our First President, Part I (https://www.greysheet.com/news/story/the-copper-coinage-of-our-first-president-part-i) THE BOOK BAZARRE BIBLE LORE AND THE ETERNAL FLAME ???Kenneth Bressett???s latest book is a numismatic and archaeological trip through Biblical times, a roadmap of the Old and New Testaments that explores history through coins. Beautifully illustrated and entertainingly written by a master of the craft. Order your copy online at Whitman.com , or call 1-800-546-2995. D-DAY DICKIN MEDAL HERO PADDY THE PIGEON Dickin Medals are awards given to animals for bravery in wartime. Dogs, horses, and even pigeons have been recipients. Here's a new article on Irish Dickin winner Paddy the Pigeon, published on the anniversary of the World War II D-Day landings. I added images from earlier articles. -Editor Paddy the Pigeon, who was hatched in Co Antrim, was the fastest of the flock when he was released on June 6, 1944, to deliver the news of the successful D-Day landings back to England. Paddy battled through bad weather and avoided the falcons released by the Germans as he made his way back to his home loft at RAF Hurn in Dorset, England with a coded message attached to his leg. Having traveled some 230 miles (368km) in four hours and 50 minutes, Paddy beat off the other 31 pigeons to claim the honor of handing over the first message from Normandy, flying his way into history. For his flying feat, Paddy was awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal "For the best recorded time with a message from the Normandy Operations, while serving with the RAF in June, 1944" on September 1, 1944. The Dickin Medal is the highest award any animal can receive whilst serving in military conflict that is recognized worldwide as the animals??? Victoria Cross. His medal went up for auction in 1999 but was bought by businessman and racing pigeon enthusiast Kevin Spring, who was determined to keep this fascinating piece of Irish history in the country. "Paddy was the last pigeon to be let go by the Americans in Normandy and he was the first one home," McMullan said at the time. "He was the best of the lot, the best of thousands." To read the complete article, see: The Irish pigeon that played a vital role in World War II's D-Day landings (https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/paddy-pigeon-dday-landings) To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: DICKIN MEDAL-WINNING PIGEON PADDY HONORED WITH PLAQUE (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v12n38a27.html) DICKIN MEDAL WINNER PADDY THE PIGEON (https://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n31a34.html) D-DAY DICKIN MEDAL HERO PADDY THE PIGEON (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n23a35.html) SURVEYS SHOW SEATTLE INCREASINGLY CASHLESS The switch away from cash continues. Here's an excerpt from a Seattle Times article discussing the rise of cashless transactions in the greater Seattle area. -Editor How many times did you use cash to buy something in the past week? If you said ???none,??? you???re hardly alone. A survey from Pew Research Center found 41% of Americans didn???t use cash for any purchases in a typical week last year. Only 14% used cash for all, or nearly all, of their purchases. ?? ?? ?? The survey also showed the majority (54%) of adults between the ages of 18 and 50 don???t worry about whether they have cash on hand when they go out. The increasing prevalence of cashless transactions, bolstered by smartphone payment apps, has enabled a growing number of businesses in the Seattle area to stop accepting paper money. ?? For folks who don???t have access to a credit card or bank account ??? typically poor people ??? this is a problem. The Metropolitan King County Council is currently considering legislation to require restaurants, store and shops to accept cash, a move supporters say would ensure residents without access to banking services can still make purchases. The measure would only apply to unincorporated areas of the county. A vote on the proposal was delayed Tuesday as it appeared it may not have enough support to pass. Pew data shows 59% of people nationwide with a household income of at least $100,000 never use cash in a typical week, compared with just 24% of people with a household income less than $30,000. Meanwhile, the use of ???digital wallet??? apps for in-store purchases has surged. About 41% of King County residents say they???ve made purchases using Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay in the past three months. ?? Found via News & Notes from the Society of Paper Money Collectors (Volume VIII, Number 52, June 13, 2023) -Editor To read the complete article, see: Data shows Seattle area is becoming increasingly cashless (https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/data/data-shows-seattle-area-is-becoming-increasingly-cashless/) THE CURRENCY OF SLOWJAMISTAN Micronation money pops up every now and again in The E-Sylum. Dick Hanscom alerted me to The Republic of Slowjamistan. Thanks! -Editor ?? A San Diego man got so tired of living in a regular country that he founded one in the California desert. Randy Williams, the self-appointed sultan of Slowjamastan, told CNN that he had visited every UN-recognized county in the world: "I ran out of countries, so I created my own," he said. The micronation is an 11.07-acre plot of desert land off Southern California's Route 78. Its official name is the Republic of Slowjamastan, named for its leader's love of slow jams. CNN reported that Slowjamastan ??? which has its own flag, currency, and national anthem ??? declared its sovereign status and seceded from the US proper on December 1, 2021. ?? It even has its own timezone, Slowjamastan Standard Time, and 12 states within the 11-acre space, including Dubl??ndia, the capital. Williams told CNN that he had visited at least one other micronation: the Republic of Molossia, a similarly sized micronation in Nevada that supposedly seceded from the US in 1998. Inspired by his visit, Williams went home and bought the land in California in October 2021 before declaring the country independent three months later. Whether the independence of Slowjamastan is recognized is debatable. Williams told Insider that President Joe Biden had yet to acknowledge his micronation's secession via email and social media. The country's website says it's recognized by "The Sultan's mom" but does not list formal diplomatic relations with other nations. "When he's not ruling over the world's newest nation, our Dear Leader hosts an internationally syndicated radio show called 'Sunday Night Slow Jams,' currently heard on over 200 radio stations across America," Williams' bio on Slowjamastan's website reads. Despite being the supreme leader of the so-called land of slow jams, Williams wrote in his bio that he still spent "most of his time outside of Slowjamastan." That's around 70 miles away, where he works as a radio DJ at the San Diego stations Magic 92.5 and Z90. "I visit as often as I can ??? working mostly out of our American Consulate here in San Diego, California, United States of America," Williams said. "It's here where I enjoy the luxury of electricity and running water. And a roof." To read the complete articles, see: A San Diego man got sick of living in a regular country so he founded a nation of his own called Slowjamastan and crowned himself its sultan (https://www.insider.com/san-diego-man-crowns-himself-sultan-of-micronation-slowjamastan-2023-6) DJ who's visited all 193 countries sets up his own 11-acre MICRONATION called Slowjamastan in California desert where prospective citizens are banned from wearing CROCS (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12183809/California-man-creates-MICRONATION-called-Slowjamastan-desolate-Golden-State-desert.html) To visit the official Slowjamistan website, see: https://www.slowjamastan.org/ LOOSE CHANGE: JUNE 18, 2023 Here are some additional items in the media this week that may be of interest. -Editor Retail Workers Rant About Making Change While cash ain't dead yet, it does rile up those who aren't so used to handling it. But these TikTokers have a point - asking a business to change a $100 bill early in the morning is a questionable activity. -Editor If you???ve ever worked in retail, you???re familiar with a certain type of person who always pays in large bills. No matter how small the total, some people will decide to address their total with a $50 or $100 bill, emptying your register before the day???s even started. Now, a user on TikTok has sparked discussion after calling out customers who do this. In a clip with over 214,000 views as of Friday, TikTok user Jay (@pressed_possum) simply asks, ???Why do old people treat businesses like banks???? ???Ma???am it is 9:30 am,??? they add in the text overlay. ???I do not have change for a $100 in my till for your $7 order.??? ???One time my FIRST THREE customers paid with 100s,??? a user recalled. ???I was giving back change in ones at that point.??? ???I had to break a $100 bill for a 97 cent seltzer once,??? another shared. While I do use Walmart for an ATM on occasion, I refrain from using anything larger than a $20 anymore. There was a time before the pandemic when I started carrying fifties to cover restaurant tabs for my family, but we don't go out as much anymore and when we do, I usually pay with a credit card. I took some $100s on vacation recently but luckily didn't get the side eye trying to spend any of them. -Editor To read the complete article, see: ???I do not have change for a $100 in my till for your $7 order???: Papa John???s worker calls out ???old??? customers who treat restaurant like it???s a bank (https://www.dailydot.com/news/papa-johns-old-customers-banks/) More on the Oily Penny Pile Story Remember that Georgia autobody shop pile-of-revenge pennies story from 2021? Len Augsburger passed along this follow-up. Thanks. -Editor A man who paid a former employee???s final paycheck in oily pennies has been ordered [to] pay the man and eight other former employees over $39,000. A consent judgment against Miles Walker and A OK Luxury Autoworks ordered the company to pay former employee Andreas Flaten and several other employees $19,967.09 in back wages as well as the same amount in ???liquidated damages.??? The total sum is $39,934.18. Walker paid Flaten???s final paycheck in nearly $1,000 in oily pennies in May 2021. In an interview with Atlanta News First at the time, Walker said ???It doesn???t matter. He got paid, that???s all that matters. He???s a f*****g weenie for even bringing it up.??? In addition to paying Flaten, A OK and Walker must remove ???all photographs of and references to former employee Andreas Flaten, and is permanently enjoined from posting photographs of or references to Mr. Flaten on [their website] or any other website or social media site.??? To read the complete article, see: Man who paid former employee in oily pennies ordered to pay nearly $40K (https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2023/06/16/man-who-paid-former-employee-oily-pennies-ordered-pay-nearly-40k/) To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: THE 500-POUND POMADED PENNY PILE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n13a35.html) PENNY PILE PRECIPITATES PROSECUTION (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n02a31.html) The destruction of the Hanlin Library For bibliophiles, here's an article about the sad destruction of the Hanlin Library in Beijing. -Editor ?? The most famous ???World???s Greatest Library??? ever consumed by fire is that of Alexandria over 2,000 years ago (thanks, Caesar)???we don???t know exactly what was lost but we know that it was a lot. This, perhaps, is what makes such a conflagration particularly tragic: we are tantalized by the eternally unknowable, those lost documents of human genius that may have???that surely!???held the key to wisdom, that would have shown us the way if only they hadn???t been destroyed??? And so it is with the destruction of the Hanlin Library, which at the time was certainly in the conversation for ???World???s Greatest Library.??? Part of the Hanlin Academy, an institution of learning founded in the 8th century in what is now Beijing, the Hanlin Library???and the accumulated wisdom therein???was lost to us in a fire on this day (June 24) in 1900, the result of clashes in the Boxer Rebellion during ???The Siege of Peking.??? The Hanlin Academy, a sizable complex of buildings, had the misfortune of sitting adjacent to the quarters of the British Legation, which is where the Brits had consolidated their people???including Chinese Christians???in the face of the Dowager Empress???s ill-fated rebellion. Operating under the assumption that the Chinese would take extra care in their assault???out of veneration for the thousand years of cultural accumulation sitting right next door???the Brits were shocked to see the whole area go up in flames. But things get a little murky when it comes to responsibility: the Brits claimed the Chinese torched the place (as had been their approach to parts of the city abandoned by the colonizers during the rebellion), and the Chinese claimed the Brits set fire to the library as an act of cultural hostility??? Whatever the case, the library was destroyed. Unlike the great Library of Alexandria, we do have some idea of what was lost in the Hanlin fire, despite the fact that no known records of its contents survived. Renowned among its innumerable volumes was a massive 15th-century encyclopedia commissioned by the Ming Dynasty emperor Zhu Di in 1403. Called the Yongle Dadian, the encyclopedia contained some 22,000 sections, into which were crammed 370 million(!) words covering topics as varied as agriculture, drama, geology, medicine, art, history, and literature. To get a sense of the scope of the project, if you stacked every word in the Yongle Dadian one upon the other, they would reach the moon (do not attempt this by yourself). To read the complete article, see: On the destruction by fire of the greatest library in the world you???ve never heard of. (https://lithub.com/on-the-destruction-by-fire-of-the-greatest-library-in-the-world-youve-never-heard-of/) The New Antiquarians New York Magazine published a review of a new book on young collectors of antiques called The New Antiquarians. -Editor New Antiquarians, a book by the art historian Michael Diaz-Griffith, features the homes of 22 antiques collectors from the United States and England, filled with Shaker chairs, Regency furniture, Indian textiles, and 19th-century tapestries. As you write in the book, there???s been a noticeable shift in how younger generations are approaching collecting and antiques, and it wasn???t what the industry expected. I???m seeing a widespread recognition in the art and design worlds that a revival of interest in antiques is happening. It???s a reversal of how the market was perceived. Post-recession, all that antiques dealers see is decline. 9/11 is a marker used in the antiques world to describe the beginning of a waning of interest. And then it really falls off after 2009. The news in the antiques world was, Young people are finished with this stuff, they???re never gonna like it again. We???re screwed. We???ve got warehouses full of material that we???ll never sell, we???ll never make our money back on. It was an apocalyptic time. It was hard to point to what was happening in the antiques world for the simple reason that millennials started off on the wrong foot economically. As they came of age, they had less buying power than previous generations. And collecting is not a young person???s game. It never has been ??? except for a lucky few. At the same time, millennials were obsessing over color and pattern and old things and Sofia Coppola films. And this is when Lady Gaga appeared on the scene. I could see that the sort of ingredients that were contributing to this generation???s taste were not minimalism, or, at least, not solely minimalism. My peers weren???t high modernists. They didn???t think that it was wrong to have old things around. They didn???t have an almost ideological narrative about the goodness of modernism and the badness of traditional things. It was a much more well-rounded sense of taste. And what do these new collectors look for? Is it the same stuff as in previous generations? Younger people are going to inevitably be interested in different things than previous generations. That???s always been the case. You???ll go through a period in which Victorian furniture is reviled, and then in the 1930s, there???ll be a Victorian revival, and then the stuff will go back out again, and then comes back again in the ???70s. To read the complete article, see: Why Young Collectors Are Buying Fussy Antiques (https://www.curbed.com/2023/06/new-antiquarians-book-michael-diaz-griffith.html) POLICE OFFICER SWALLOWS BANKNOTES In the you-just-can't-make-this-stuff-up department, a Columbian police officer on the take swallows extorted money when confronted by other officers. -Editor A Colombian police officer has been admitted to hospital after swallowing a wad of banknotes he extorted from a businessman. The officer had demanded payments in return for not arresting his victim on trumped-up charges ??? but did not know that the businessman had already reported the shakedown to Colombia???s anti-kidnapping and extortion unit. When anti-corruption investigators arrived the officer gobbled up the cash in the hope of erasing the evidence but quickly realised he had bitten off more than he could chew when the notes got lodged in his throat, blocking his airways and sending him to an emergency clinic. Videos showed the grey-faced officer pleading his innocence while in a police van after he had swallowed the nine notes in Soacha, a sprawling suburb on the edge of the capital, Bogotá. ???I have received nothing, absolutely nothing, I don???t know what they are talking about,??? the officer can be heard saying while recoiling and gasping for breath. ???We???ll have to take him to hospital to get him cleaned,??? one anti-corruption officer can be heard saying, as he gives the choking officer medical attention. Doctors managed to remove the notes ??? which amounted to 500,000 pesos (£95) ??? and the officer was hospitalised to treat his stomach. To read the complete article, see: Colombian police officer in hospital after swallowing extorted banknotes (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/15/colombia-police-swallow-money-extortion) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. For more information please see our web site at http://www.coinbooks.org/. There is a membership application available on the web site at this address: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_member_app.html To join, print the application and return it with your check to the address printed on the application. Membership is only $15 to addresses in the U.S., $20 for First Class mail, and $25 elsewhere. For those without web access, write to: David M. Sundman, Secretary/Treasurer Numismatic Bibliomania Society, P. O. Box 82 Littleton, NH 03561 For Asylum mailing address changes and other membership questions, contact David at this email address: dsundman at LittletonCoin.com To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, just Reply to this message, or write to the Editor at this address: whomren at gmail.com Those wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All past E-Sylum issues are archived on the NBS web site at this address: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_esylum_archive.html Issues from September 2002 to date are also archived at this address: http://my.binhost.com/pipermail/esylum -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From esylum at binhost.com Sun Jun 25 19:18:15 2023 From: esylum at binhost.com (The E-Sylum) Date: Sun, 25 Jun 2023 20:18:15 -0600 (MDT) Subject: The E-Sylum v26n26 June 25, 2023 Message-ID: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The E-Sylum An electronic publication of The Numismatic Bibliomania Society Volume 26, Number 26, June 25, 2023 ** WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM JUNE 25, 2023 <#a01> ** NBS BOOKBINDING DEMO: CURVED NEEDLE <#a02> ** WORKMAN'S BOOKS ANNOUNCES SIXTH BID SALE <#a03> ** NEW BOOK: GUIDE BOOK BARBER SILVER COINS 3RD ED. <#a04> ** JOURNAL OF EARLY AMERICAN NUMISMATICS V6N1 <#a05> ** U.S. COLONIAL CURRENCY GREENSHEET <#a06> ** VIDEO: MAUNDY MONEY <#a07> ** UNLEASHING THE POWER OF PAPER MONEY <#a08> ** WOMEN COIN DEALERS PAST & PRESENT <#a09> ** NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JUNE 25, 2023 <#a10> ** MODERN U.S. ENCASED POSTAGE STAMPS <#a11> ** R.S. YEOMAN ON RUNNING A COIN SHOW <#a12> ** PASSINGS: ERWIN SCH??FFER, LARRY CASEY <#a13> ** VOCABULARY TERM: MULTIPLE STRIKING <#a14> ** JULIUS ???JULES??? REIVER <#a15> ** STACK'S BOWERS BOSTON OFFICE HIGHLIGHTED <#a16> ** WBNA OFFERS VARIK COLLECTION OF BAHAMAS <#a17> ** TOM'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: JUNE 25, 2023 <#a18> ** STAR LOCK WORKS COUNTERSTAMPED LARGE CENT <#a19> ** DEALER ITALO VECCHI ARRAIGNED IN NYC <#a20> ** "MILLION PENNY HOARD" SOLD <#a21> ** INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY TOONIE DESIGNERS <#a22> ** GOLD MORGAN COMITIA AMERICANA MEDAL DISPLAY <#a23> ** JEFFREY BRIGGS ANIMAL ALLEGORIES <#a24> ** LINDLEY BRIGGS RELIEFS & MEDALLIONS <#a25> ** NEW MEDAL OF NUMISMATICS PATRON ST. ELIGIUS <#a26> ** TOMMY THOMPSON'S LEGAL LIMBO <#a27> ** EAGLES ON WORLD BANKNOTES <#a28> ** MEN PRINTED ??12 MILLION FAKE BANKNOTES <#a29> ** LOOSE CHANGE: JUNE 25, 2023 <#a30> ** KOREA'S COIN BREAD <#a31> ** FEATURED WEBSITE: ERROR-REF.COM <#a32> ?? Click here to read this issue on the web Click here to read the thin version on the web Click here to subscribe Click here to access the complete archive 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 JUNE 25, 2023 New subscribers this week include: Jonathan Baffi, courtesy Andy Singer; and Dan Vial. Welcome aboard! 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. This week we open with NBS news, a numismatic literature sale, a new book, two periodicals, Maundy money, and more. Other topics this week include U.S. colonial currency, Barber coinage, modern U.S. encased postage stamps, Jules Reiver, R.S. Yeoman, banknotes of the Bahamas, medallic work of Jeffrey and Lindley Briggs, St. Eligius, Tommy Thompson, eagles on banknotes, and Korea's coin bread. To learn more about bookbinding, Albion Cox, the Nova Eborac Coppers, Auctori Plebis tokens, backed colonial notes, more women coin dealers, Albert W. Ault, Multiple Striking, counterstamped coins, growing to the size of your own fishbowl, the Indigenous Peoples toonie, FUBAH coins, and that that "million penny hoard", read on. Have a great week, everyone! Wayne Homren Editor, The E-Sylum ?? Image of the week NBS BOOKBINDING DEMO: CURVED NEEDLE As noted last week, the Numismatic Bibliomania Society table at this summer's American Numismatic Association World's Fair of Money® will feature a special live bookbinding demonstration. -Editor NBS Bookbinding Demo at ANA Convention ?? Our bookbinding word of the week is Curved Needle. A curved needle is useful for sewing thread behind signature knots, as depicted here. A straight needle requires that the entire needle be pulled behind the knot, a tight space at the spine. The curved needle makes this more navigable, as only a small part of the needle is behind the knot at any one time. We???ll be set up at the NBS table on Wednesday, August 9, with all necessary supplies on hand. For more information on the Numismatic Bibliomania Society, see: https://www.coinbooks.org/ To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: NBS BOOKBINDING DEMO AT THE ANA (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n25a02.html) ?? WORKMAN'S BOOKS ANNOUNCES SIXTH BID SALE Alan Workman has announced his latest numismatic literature sale, which will close on November 11, 2023. -Editor ?? Selections from A Latin American Numismatic Library and other Consignments: Sale 6, closing November 11, 2023 | Mark Your Calendars! Workman's Books' sixth bid sale of rare and out-of-print books, auction catalogs, journals, and fixed price lists is currently being cataloged! The sale will close on Saturday, November 11, 2023 and will include many lots of rare and hard-to-find items on Latin American numismatics, ancient, U.S. and world numismatics, orders & decorations, militaria, shipwrecks, sunken treasure, lost treasure, treasure hunting, lost mines, and treasure in the American West. This bid sale is being held through the online venue iCollector, and all registrations, approvals, and bids will be handled there. For this bid sale the lots will be closing on a timed interval with extensions for any bids placed within 5 seconds of closing. If you already have an iCollector account, you still must "GET APPROVED" to bid for each sale by entering and confirming your information for this bid sale, like reviewing your shipping information and choosing your preferred way of payment. Even though the sale is months away, now is the perfect time to get approved and register, as any registration issues can certainly be accommodated more easily in advance. Registration is always FREE (no extra fees or percentages for bidding online). Once you are registered and approved, you will receive notices by email closer to the date of the sale once the lots are uploaded and ready for bidding. For more information, watch this space: Selections from A Latin American Numismatic Library and other Consignments Sale 6 (https://www.icollector.com/Selections-from-A-Latin-American-Numismatic-Library-and-other-Consignments-Sale-6_a61457) To sign up for email announcements, see: Workman's Books Mailing List (https://tinyurl.com/c4w5ax6n) NEW BOOK: GUIDE BOOK BARBER SILVER COINS 3RD ED. Whitman will soon release a new edition of the Guide Book of Barber Silver Coins. -Editor Whitman Publishing will release the updated third edition of the Guide Book of Barber Silver Coins, by Q. David Bowers, in August 2023. The 400-page book is volume 20 in the popular Bowers Series of numismatic references. It will debut at the American Numismatic Association World???s Fair of Money in Pittsburgh, August 8???12. After the show, the new book will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and online (including at www.Whitman.com). The subject of the book is the silver coinage???dimes, quarters, and half dollars???designed by U.S. Mint chief engraver Charles E. Barber and minted from 1892 to 1916. These were ???workhorse??? coins of American commerce. They circulated for decades, and could be found in pocket change into the 1950s. Today Barber???s silver coins are among the most popular classic U.S. series, with many enthusiastic collectors. The Barber Coin Collectors Society (BCCS, online at www.barbercoins.org) is one of the hobby???s most active and fastest-growing specialty groups. Updates in the third edition include a grade-by-grade comparison of historical and current market values for every Barber silver coin; new historical photographs; Barber coin love tokens; research on the 1894-S dime; and more. BCCS president John Frost and other members of the Society reviewed the second edition and contributed new research on die varieties, estimated field populations, and other areas. In the Guide Book of Barber Silver Coins Q. David Bowers shares insightful study by date and mintmark for every issue of the three denominations (277 major varieties), in-depth historical background, and detailed data analysis. His text is illustrated by more than 800 photographs, engravings, and other images. Bowers???the ???Dean of American Numismatics??? and the most prolific numismatic author of all time???tells collectors how to evaluate quality, determine value, understand the market, and make smart purchases to build significant collections. He takes the reader on a journey through the Barber coin years???what he calls ???the most interesting and evolutionary period in American history,??? from the Gilded Age through the Progressive Era. Bowers provides a wealth of information including mintages, illustrated grading standards, date-by-date estimates of the total number of pieces existing for circulated and Proof issues, values in up to 12 grades, and keys to collecting based on availability and sharpness of strike. Year-by-year historical background details the landscape of American life (and the state of the coin-collecting hobby) in the time of the coins??? design and production. The book includes ???A New Look at Charles Barber,??? by John Frost, which publishes Barber family photographs and other archives recently revealed. This information corrects many popular misconceptions about Charles Barber, his personal life, and his relationships with George T. Morgan and President Theodore Roosevelt. Bowers also explores the mints, Mint directors, and Mint superintendents responsible for Barber coinage; and off-center Barber coins and other rare and valuable errors. Professional numismatist Jeff Ambio contributed an illustrated history of ???The Real Story of the 1894-S Barber dime,??? a legendary rarity, of which only 24 were minted. And medallic-arts historian Dick Johnson shared a richly detailed five-page catalog of United States medals and related work by Charles Barber, including Assay Commission medals, Indian Peace medals, Presidential medals, military medals, and many others. Kenneth Bressett, Editor Emeritus of the Guide Book of United States Coins, calls the book ???a landmark account touching on every aspect of Charles Barber???s fascinating coins.??? A Guide Book of Barber Silver Coins, 3rd edition By Q. David Bowers; foreword by John Frost. ISBN 0794849156 · 6 x 9 inches, softcover, 400 pages, full color · Retail $29.95 U.S. To read the complete article, see: New third edition of Q. David Bowers???s Guide Book of Barber Silver Coinage will debut at the 2023 ANA World???s Fair of Money (https://news.coinupdate.com/new-third-edition-of-q-david-bowerss-guide-book-of-barber-silver-coinage-will-debut-at-the-2023-ana-worlds-fair-of-money/) ?? ?? JOURNAL OF EARLY AMERICAN NUMISMATICS V6N1 The latest issue of the Journal of Early American Numismatics (JEAN) has been published. Editor Chris McDowell shared this summary. Thanks. -Editor Make your favorite beverage, sit in your reclining chair, and indulge in JEAN???s semi-annual serving of numismatic catnip. This issue is brimming with excellent articles, making it difficult to pick a favorite???they each have attributes that set them apart. However, in this issue, there is one article that I unabashedly favor, ???The Life and Character of Albion Cox,??? by Gary Trudgen. While I may have missed one of Gary???s past articles, it is safe to say that I have read nearly everything he has written on colonial numismatics. The Cox article is, in my opinion, the best monograph he has ever produced. Indeed, it is one of the top ten numismatic articles I have read. I placed it first in this issue so it is easy to locate. If you don???t read anything else, read Gary???s article on Albion Cox, a skilled assayer intimately involved in minting New Jersey coppers and integral to the production of America???s first specie coins at ???Ye Olde Mint.??? Gary has two articles in this issue. His second offering, ??????Honest Industry??? and the Nova Eborac Coppers,??? is much shorter but should not be overlooked???good things come in small packages. Gary has uncovered compelling contemporary documentation relating to John Bailey???s workshop in New York City. I have run out of superlatives for Gary and the corpus of his lifetime of work on colonial numismatics. I highly recommend both of Gary???s articles. The third article in this issue is exceptional, as well as being particularly timely. A general rule of numismatics is that as the price of coins and medals increases, many people begin to explore other areas for intriguing numismatic bargains. This truism has remained constant throughout my collecting lifetime. My good friend Bruce Smith showed me his collection of sewn, pinned, and backed colonial notes a half-dozen years ago. Ye Editor was fascinated. At first glance, they were unimpressive???appearing to be something more akin to an assemblage of damaged notes than a sophisticated collection???but upon closer examination their pragmatic handiwork and diversity of backings draws you to a world where good old-fashioned Yankee know-how and pragmatism extended the longevity of notes through every means possible. I was particularly drawn to the backed specimens. Each backed note is a historical time capsule waiting to be opened. While I was able to dodge the siren song of these numismatic treats and keep from crashing on the rocks of another series, I began helping Bruce by notifying him when I saw them on eBay. Initially, they sold for prices reflective of their first blush appearance as torn and damaged notes, which they technically are. But soon enough, savvy collectors began to take note of their inner beauty, and the prices started increasing, eventually overtaking the prices for undamaged notes. My good friend apparently got in on the ground floor of a trend. Timing is everything. Recently, the Colonial Coin Collectors Club (C4) began having table discussions at our convention in Baltimore, where colonial coins, medals, and notes are shared and studied (we call the event a ???Happening???). Last year the topic of backed notes came up for discussion. I discovered that more people than I expected were interested in the subject, and there was great enthusiasm to include backed notes as part of our Happening. While we could not include backed notes last year, it will be a Happening topic at C4???s November 9-11, 2023 convention. Bruce Smith is the ???table captain??? for this topic. Anyone who is a member of C4 and wants to participate in this first-ever backed notes Happening should watch C4???s website to reserve a seat at the table???come and share your notes and learn from people with a similar interest. With all that said, I am sure some of you are asking, ???What???s a backed note???? The answer to that question and why they are the ???new thing??? in colonial numismatics is answered by Joseph Daragan and Julia Casey in their superb article ???Scraps from Yankee Doodle???s Wastebasket: A Look Back at Colonial Currency.??? I am sure this article will spark even more interest in these items. JEAN???s editors and contributors strive to embrace the essential Spanish colonial coinages into each of our issues. I am pleased that Philip Ellsworth has contributed an invaluable article on South American assayers for this issue. As my numismatic interest turns to medals produced in Central and South America, I have come to a greater appreciation of the importance and difficulties in researching these Spanish colonial coinage topics. Philip???s article is essential for those interested in learning more about the New World???s first mints. Roger Moore has produced a delightfully offbeat and entirely refreshing article on alcohol in pre-federal America. Although the piece has a numismatic connection, it is designed for readers interested in the specifics and designs of the money in circulation in early America and also in the daily lives of those who minted and spent the coins we collect. Like it or not, our ancestors were heavy drinkers. The history of alcohol is the history of modern man. In eighteenth-century Europe, drinking water was a risky undertaking. One can only imagine the putrid stench that hung in the urban air emanating from open sewers draining directly into streets and waterways. America was different. It was an unspoiled wilderness of fresh flowing streams. Nonetheless, our forefathers only grudgingly drank water, and then only because they lacked a ready supply of the good stuff from Europe. The rise of alcohol consumption tracks closely with the rise of American cities, commerce, and industrialization. But it was not all wassail and toddy. The fact of the matter is that many of our Revolutionary ancestors spent much of their day in a state of slight to moderate inebriation. What impact did this have on the production of coins? Roger helps answer this question in this high-spirited article. The last, but not least, of our feature articles, comes to us from our good friend Jeff Rock. This is the conclusion of his series on Auctori Plebis tokens. Jeff brings the topic to a close with a bang. JEAN exists to publish articles like this. Numerous numismatic themes are unsuitable for a book, too complex for a short C4 Newsletter article, and too long for placement in other numismatic periodicals. If it were not for JEAN, these articles would go unpublished, unexplored, and perish. I am pleased to preserve Jeff???s wisdom for posterity on these pages. Our readers love Jeff???s writing style, and his many followers will not be disappointed with this piece, which corrects generations of errors and finally and conclusively resolves the mysteries behind these tokens. There is no doubt that Jeff???s articles on the Auctori Plebis series shall be THE seminal work in this area for generations. JEAN has published book reviews in the past, and we plan to make them a regular feature. This issue concludes with a review prepared by Dr. Jesse Kraft, a man of great discernment, outstanding taste, and trusted numismatic wisdom. We are living in the Golden Age of colonial numismatic research and writing. Future generations will look back on us with envy and wonder. We have yet to reach the apex of what is possible. ?? CONTENTS Editor???s Preface The Life and Character of Albion Cox Gary A. Trudgen ???Honest Industry??? and the Nova Eborac Coppers Gary A. Trudgen Scraps from Yankee Doodle???s Wastebasket: A Look Back at Colonial Currency Joseph Daragan and Julia Casey The First Spanish Colonial Assayers in South America Philip C. Ellsworth Alcohol in Pre-Federal America: A Cause for Minting and Printing Errors? Roger A. Moore The Mysterious Auctori Plebis Tokens, Part Two: The Evasion Coppers Jeff Rock Book Review The Early Betts Medal Companion: Medals of America???s Discovery and Colonization (1492???1737) (Christopher R. McDowell) Jesse Kraft To subscribe, see: https://numismatics.org/store/jean/ ?? U.S. COLONIAL CURRENCY GREENSHEET A new price guide for U.S. Colonial Currency is now available from CDN Publishing, home of the Greysheet and Greensheet. -Editor The U.S. Colonial Currency Greensheet We're thrilled to offer a new product that is an absolute necessity for dealers, investors & serious collectors of U.S. bank notes. The collecting of United States Colonial paper money goes back more than 150 years and presents collectors with an extraordinarily diverse field to study and research. This genre covers all paper money issued by the 13 colonies and other state legislators, in addition to the Continental Congress. In the modern era, the interest and market for Colonial paper money has expanded significantly. The first modern, comprehensive reference work written by Eric P. Newman in the 1960's opened the field up to a much larger audience, who could now collect in a much more methodical way than ever before. Fast forward another 30 years and the advent of third-party currency grading made collecting these notes safer and more trustworthy. In step with the wider field of paper money, this increase in the collector base and demand has caused Colonial paper money to steadily increase in value. Prior to this Greensheet Colonial Supplement, there was no regularly updated price guide for these notes. Dealers and collectors can now access market relevant pricing data on our site, in our app, and in this print publication rather than relying on books that may have been published years ago. This supplement covers all officially issued notes from the Continental Congress, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia. For more information, see: U.S. Colonial Currency Greensheet (https://www.greysheet.com/publications/greensheet-colonial) VIDEO: MAUNDY MONEY The David Lisot Video Library on the Newman Numismatic Portal can be found at: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/multimediadetail/522852 We highlight one of his videos each week in The E-Sylum. Here's one from 2007 with collector Don Charters talking about Maundy Money. -Editor ?? Michigan collector, Don Charters, is a recognized expert and lecturer on the coinage of Great Britain. He turns his attention to the popular and historic Maundy Money coinage. This program is a must for world coin enthusiasts and British collectors. This lecture with show-and-tell includes: how Maundy money evolved from the Christian tradition washing the feet and donating clothing creation of the first Maundy coins in 1660 specifically as money to be given to the poor the different denominations examples of different monarchs on Maundy coinage Speaker(s): Don Charters. To watch the complete video, see: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/560276 UNLEASHING THE POWER OF PAPER MONEY Garrett Ziss submitted these notes on comic book numismatics, specifically Batman's Penny Plunderer and the Spectre's Dollar Bill Onslaught. Thanks! -Editor Regarding the question about the Penny Plunderer???s backstory in the Batman series, his real name is Joe Coyne. He sells newspapers but is fired from his job for pitching pennies in the office. His lack of employment leads him to rob a cash register, but it only yields him pennies. Joe then decides to embrace this failure and lives a life of crime as the Penny Plunderer, focusing on illegal penny-themed capers. His first appearance is in World???s Finest Volume 1 #30 (September 1947), where Batman resourcefully uses a giant cent to defeat the Penny Plunderer. In another numismatic/comic book connection, paper money is prominently featured in issue No. 7 (December 1968) of a comic book called The Spectre. My father bought this specific issue when he was very young and recently handed it down to me because of its numismatic content. As seen in the Batman series, The Spectre also uses a numismatic item to thwart evil doers and save the day. In this case, the numismatic weapon of choice is a one-dollar Federal Reserve note. When bank bandit Frankie Barron repeatedly tries to rob the Gateway City Bank, superhero Spectre brings the villain to justice by unleashing the power of paper money. The pyramid, eagle and numbers all leap off a $1 note to forcefully attack and subdue Frankie Barron. ?? ?? These specific two comic book issues have starkly different monetary values. According to the 51st edition of the Overstreet Comic Book price guide, World???s Finest Volume 1 #30 is valued at $1700 in near mint condition. Conversely, my issue No.7 of The Spectre, which is in well-loved condition, is worth about $12 (vs. $110 if it was near mint). However, what my issue of The Spectre provides that an issue of World???s Finest Volume 1 #30 cannot, is a priceless family pedigree. Very cool. Stories of the dollar's demise are undoubtedly premature. -Editor To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: LOOSE CHANGE: JUNE 11, 2023 : Batman's Giant Penny (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n24a30.html) ?? ?? WOMEN COIN DEALERS PAST & PRESENT Here are some additional reader contributions on women coin dealers. -Editor Tom Caldwell writes: "In regards to your article on women coin dealers past & present, I would think several others will get mentioned by other readers. One that comes to mind is Katie Duncan who is married to Danny Duncan from the northwest. Their company Pinnacle numismatics was in business for sometime up until recently. Katie recently semi retired & I believe is now dealing only with past clients or former contacts. "Also Matt Deroma's a dealer from New Jersey that passed away a few years ago. His wife sets up at some area shows with remaining inventory of Matt's. "There is another woman whom I don't really know her name, from the mid Atlantic area, that sets up in Baltimore against the wall on the right." Bill Rosenblum writes: "Sylvia Haffner in the 1960s and early 1970s was a specialist in Israeli coins and who wrote the best book ever on the subject around 1970 or 1971. She was from the San Diego area but later worked with NASCA whe Herb Melnick ran that company. Ironically she sold her collection to World-Wide Coins in Atlanta rather than NASCA. If I remember correctly she wanted to sell it outright rather than auction it. My Dad and I made an offer for the collection but were outbid by World-Wide. I then bought most of the collection after it was in a fire. Some rare Israeli and Palestine banknotes were very crisp. "Also another woman coin dealer who also dealt in Israel (and other) coins was Aldona Davis who operated The Very Most Shop in Pittsburgh and before that in Chicago I believe. I bought my first big group of coins and notes from her when she was retiring in 1971 or 1972. "I believe Frank Sternberg's daughter is Claudia. "Francisca Bernheimer has run Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger for many years. "There was a woman in western Canada who sold world coins. Her name was Christina B------. I can't remember her last name but I think it was an eastern European name. I believe that Gorden Dickey who either worked for her or was her partner came to shows in the US. This was in the 1970s and perhaps the early 80s. "Tom and Anna Sluszkiewicz of British Columbia ran (still run?) ATS notes a mostly mail order business. I used to see them in Chicago at the Chicago International Coin Fair." Thanks, everyone. -Editor To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: MORE WOMEN DEALERS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n25a15.html) NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JUNE 25, 2023 Clip a Bright Guinea David Powell writes: "Those who find the modern renderings of the David Hartley story too over-dramatized for their likings may wish to try and find a second-hand copy of John Marsh???s ???Clip a Bright Guinea: The Yorkshire coiners of the eighteenth century??? {pub.1971}, which is much more down to earth. I have had a copy for many years, but unfortunately the online book websites seem to suggest that it has become quite rare. "I have had cause to visit the area on holiday several times and, whilst out walking, have seen both Hartley???s tombstone in Heptonstall churchyard and the Cragg Vale buildings from across the valley." I once had a copy of this book myself, but alas, I sold it off to recover shelfspace at one point. -Editor To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: THE CRAGG VALE COINERS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n25a25.html) Corrections: Mint Errors to Die For We have a couple minor corrections to last week's piece on the 3rd Edition of Mint Errors to Die For. -Editor Author Joe Cronin writes: "The 3rd edition is 266 pages. The book is $135 on eBay, but $110 if you buy direct and shipping is included within the 50 states. I can be reached at josephcronin at protonmail.com." To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: NEW BOOK: MINT ERRORS TO DIE FOR, 3RD EDITION (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n25a07.html) 2000-P Washington Dollar Elongated Ray Update On a related topic, Tom Koolick writes: "As you know, I've been laser focused on the 2000-P Washington Dollar Elongated Ray variety. Here's my dilemma: There's someone out there with the highest graded 2000-P Washington Dollar Elongated Ray (MS66) and I'd like to track them down. Not to purchase the coin, just to collaborate with them and find out how they acquired or found the coin. I even contacted ANACS, asking them to pass my e-mail address to the submitter of this coin. They were afraid of a conflict of interest, so they weren't able to help me. "The person who found it, graded it or bought it, obviously knows what they're looking at. I'd like to get the word out that I'd like to talk to them. I can be reached at tjislander at yahoo.com ." ?? Do you own this piece, or know who does? Help Tom connect if you can. -Editor To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: 2007-P WASHINGTON DOLLAR ELONGATED RAY (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n14a25.html) NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JUNE 26, 2022 : 2007-P Washington Dollar Ray Variety Certified (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n26a09.html) On Eating Banknotes Former head of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing Bob Leuver writes: "Ha, ha! I knew banknotes printing was bad for your health, toxic chemical and hearing loss due to high decibels of the intaglio presses, but eating and digesting banknotes? That is a whole new dietary concept. What does one serve or drink with this dish?" To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: POLICE OFFICER SWALLOWS BANKNOTES (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n25a36.html) How to Learn to Grade Coins Alan V. Weinberg writes: "It???s been brought to my attention that disliking slabbing may be an acceptable opinion by ???old timers??? in the hobby who feel confident in their examination and opinion of prospective purchases. But what about those collectors who are new to the hobby or have minimal years collecting? "Good question. My answer would be do what the ???old timers??? did before slabbing. Educate yourself by attending shows, examining numerous items both raw and in slabs in both dealers??? cases and in auction lot viewing. Ask questions. Read and view auction catalogues and read their narratives too. Today???s major numismatic firms issue and post online auction catalogues much more informative than in ???yesteryear???. Buy the published references issued in your chosen specialties, be it Morgan dollars or colonial coins. "Gradually, you will become more expert in recognizing true rarity and grade. And really appreciating numismatics above and beyond ???slab grade??? and market value." Amen, brother. -Editor To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JUNE 18, 2023 : On the Dislike of Slabbing (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n25a16.html) A Bit of Iceland - Coins Steve Luftig writes: "Thank you for your terrific weekly compilation, so interesting to read each Monday. "I just returned from a vacation trip which included visits to two cities in beautiful Iceland, Akureyri and Reykjavik. In both cities the local refrigerator magnet souvenir shops also sold these jars of older Icelandic coins. The instructions read "Take the coins in your hands at least once a month to refresh your memories from Iceland". At an exchange rate of 150 Icelandic krona to the dollar, there's no better practical use for the old small denomination bronze coins, "eyrir"and "aurar" anymore. Even a few one krona coins are in the jar." ?? Interesting use for old coins! Thanks for sharing this. -Editor George Heath Used Vulcan Salute Ted Banning submitted this interesting observation from a 1903 issue of The Numismatist. -Editor In checking my references for a book I'm trying to finish, I smiled when I came across the last line of this passage in The Numismatist vol 16, no 2 (February 1903), p 60: ?? Wikipedia tells me that the "live long and prosper" greeting associated with Star Trek's Spock originated in George du Maurier's (1894) novel, Trilby, and it appears that George Heath picked up the expression long before Theodore Sturgeon scripted it for Spock. May we all live long and prosper! -Editor Books on Eight Reales Sought Brad Porter writes: "I have been a subscriber for a few years. I am trying to build my collection of books on Spanish and South American 8 Reale coins. Can you suggest anyone I should contact regarding this, or a place I should look?" Can anyone help? This is outside my area of interest, but I know there are quite a number of titles in this area. Which are the best of the bunch for collectors today? Here's a title on the counterfeits. -Editor To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: NEW BOOK: COUNTERFEIT PORTRAIT EIGHT-REALES (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n37a08.html) ?? ?? ?? ?? MODERN U.S. ENCASED POSTAGE STAMPS Dick Grinolds submitted these notes about modern U.S. encased postage stamps. Thank you. -Editor ?? I recently acquired the "modern" (1940's & 1950's) encased postage inventory and accumulation of the late Rockford, Illinois dealer Rich Hartzog. I'm aware of your soft spot for Civil War era encased postage so I thought this group of second generation U.S. encased postage might be of interest to others as well. Most of the encased of this era were made by two individuals, Albert W. Ault, a Cincinnati, Ohio coin & stamp dealer and R.H.Rosholt, a Round Lake, Illinois coin & medal collector. Ault produced encased postage mostly for other coin dealers and collectors including Sol Kaplan of Cincinnati, Max Schwartz and Harvey Dolin of New York City, C.A. Brownell of Clearwater, Florida, A.N.A. President Nelson Thorson of Omaha and more. According to Max Schwartz, the price from Ault was $40 per 100 pieces which could be broken into groups of 25 with different stamps and/or metal frames. Ault often used 5c & Xc stamps cut from the 1947 CIPEX souvenir sheet. ?? Rosholt catered more to collectors and dealers in the greater Chicago area including B.E. Brown of Viroqua, Wisconsin, Ernest Jonas of Chicago as well as the Chicago Numismatic Roundtable and his own personal encased postage cards. His encased postage tended to be a larger 38mm size with embossed backs of various metals, paper, leather and other materials. An October 1977 TAMS Journal article by Donald Thrall gives more background and lists 17 issuer and metal varieties of modern encased postage known to him. The Hartzog group includes at least 45 different issuer, stamp & metal varieties plus patterns, trials, duplicates and a few dozen European metal and celluloid encased postage which I will be auctioning on eBay over the next several weeks under the user name celluloid. ?? ?? Dick adds: "I've never handled or seen a comparable group in 50 years & couldn't find any previous discussion in the archives. Here is the link to the TAMS article mentioned above: https://archive.org/details/tamsjournal17n5toke/page/209/mode/1up " Good luck to bidders in the sales. This is a great opportunity for collectors of these items. -Editor ?? R.S. YEOMAN ON RUNNING A COIN SHOW Dennis Tucker of Whitman Publishing passed along this excerpt from Ken Bressett's book about R.S. Yeoman, the Red Book founding editor. Thanks. -Editor ?? ???Profit of the Mind??????R.S. Yeoman on How to Run a Good Coin Show Kenneth Bressett???s memoir A Penny Saved: R.S. Yeoman and His Remarkable Red Book celebrates the life of his mentor, hobby legend Richard S. Yeo (known as R.S. Yeoman), and the longevity of the Guide Book of United States Coins (the ???Red Book???), first published in 1946. The 352-page hardcover volume is available from bookstores and hobby shops and online (including at Whitman.com). This excerpt is from chapter 5, wherein Bressett shares a number of Yeoman???s writings. It was first published in the February???March 1964 issue of the Whitman Coin Supply Merchandiser. Yeoman talks about the importance of coin shows, the camaraderie they foster, and how to balance their objectives. He put these thoughts on paper 60 years ago???but they could have been written with equal wisdom today. Whatever observation we make about the trend of coin collecting, the desire to assemble in large groups is clearly the most evident. Any week of the year, with a few obvious exceptions, there are one to ten coin shows in as many communities throughout the United States and Canada. It is a good trend, and those of us who supply the necessary accessories for arranging, protecting, and pricing coins, should encourage this kind of togetherness to the utmost. The primary objective of the convention has been and probably will continue to be the selling and buying of coins. These gatherings are basically bourses, and most dealers derive an added benefit from making contacts with new and old customers. The sale of a coin folder or Blue Book to a novice collector is often the start of a long-term dealer-client association. ?? The future of the coin show or convention, however, rests on more than the bourse, and it is encouraging to see how some local club sponsors are keeping a happy balance between the dealer???s bourse, the auction, and the educational features. The show chairman is on the right track when he emphasizes exhibits and announces well in advance that handsome trophies or plaques will go to the winners. He knows that newcomers to the numismatic ranks are quickly brought into the show when the local newspaper, radio, and TV announces a free exhibit of rare coins. We have noticed that the best attendance comes to those coin shows that have a modest or free registration, accessible display room, cordial committee members to answer questions, and a place to rest when the feet start to tire. One feature in particular has been offered by only a few conventions, and that is a special educational forum. Sometimes a panel of two to four well-informed individuals can do more to further the hobby than all the coin investment plans ever devised. There ought to be more of this kind of thing. Our hobby can be torn apart very thoroughly if the profit motive continues to be over-emphasized to the exclusion of educational features. Competitive displays, authoritative lectures, mind-stimulating forums, and displays of available numismatic literature are convention attractions that can strengthen and perpetuate the ranks of the coin collecting fraternity. Let us have both school and marketplace, but in the right proportion. Perhaps we can plan our conventions this year with more emphasis on profit of the mind. Yep - solid advice. -Editor A Penny Saved: R.S. Yeoman and His Remarkable Red Book By Kenneth Bressett; foreword by Jeff Garrett. ISBN 0794849016. Hardcover, 8.5 x 11 inches, 352 pages, full color. Retail $39.95 U.S. https://whitman.com/a-penny-saved-r-s-yeoman-and-his-remarkable-red-book/ To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see: NEW BOOK: A PENNY SAVED (https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n16a02.html) R.S. YEOMAN AND HIS REMARKABLE RED BOOK (https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n18a07.html) ?? ?? PASSINGS: ERWIN SCH??FFER, LARRY CASEY Readers reported the passing of two fellow numismatists this week. Sorry to hear the news. -Editor Erwin Schäffer, 1937-2022 ?? Yosef Sa'ar writes: "Sadly, I must report the death of the numismatic author and researcher Erwin Schäffer of Bretzfeld, Germany. Herr Schäffer wrote several catalogs of the tokens of Romania, the standard works on the subject. He died on 8 July 2022, four days short of his 83rd birthday. "I see the E-Sylum also reviewed his book on Romanian pattern coins. "Erwin Schäffer, Romania - Designs, Pattern Coins and Catalogue of Issued Coins. Vol II. Guttenbrunn 2015. 480 p., color illustrations throughout. Hardcover. Thread stitching. 21 x 30 cm. ISBN 978-973-0-19455-5. 65 euros." To read the complete online obituary (in German), see: ERWIN SCHAEFFER (https://www.trauerundgedenken.de/traueranzeige/erwin-schaeffer) Lawrence "Larry" Richard Casey Judy Blackman passed along news of the passing of New Jersey numismatist Larry Casey. Here's a short excerpt from his obituary. -Editor Larry was a memorable character. You could recognize him by his unique way of speaking, extensive vocabulary, and quirky sense of humor. He forged lifelong friendships with some but shared equally deep bonds with others he had known for far fewer years. Having heard of his exploits, even people who never met him felt as if they knew him. Larry was an avid numismatist and collected Castro-era Cuban banknotes. He enjoyed sharing his albums and expertise and had hoped to write a catalogue one day. To read the complete online obituary, see: Lawrence "Larry" Richard Casey | 2023 | Obituary (https://www.therossifuneralhome.com/obituary/lawrence-larry-casey) To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: NEW BOOK: ROMANIA TOKENS, TAGS AND CHIPS (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n02a06.html) BOOK REVIEW: ROMANIA TOKENS, TAGS AND CHIPS (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n04a04.html) NEW BOOK: ROMANIAN COINS (1989 TO 2014) (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v19n02a06.html) VOCABULARY TERM: MULTIPLE STRIKING Here's another entry from Dick Johnson's Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Terminology. Unfortunately, the planned photographs were not added to the manuscript. -Editor Multiple Striking. Using more than one blow to form a piece by striking in a press. Some coin relief items ??? coins or medals ??? are intentionally double struck, struck twice in a coining press engineered to perform a double blow. This is done without disturbing the blank so the register is perfect for the second blow. Should the blank be twisted between the first and second blow it will exhibit both images and will be called double struck image. Proof surface items are often double struck on these special coining presses to effect a better strike, to impart a sharper image, with full angle edges at the rim/edge junction, and, of course, the highly reflective proof surface. Art medals, on the other hand, are always required to have as many blows as necessary to bring up the relief intended by the artist; such multiple striking alternates with annealing (softening) of the struck blanks to relieve the work hardened metal. After each blow the partially struck up pieces are removed from the press, heat treated in a separate department, and returned to the pressroom to be placed back another time in the press for a subsequent blow; placing the partially struck blanks in the press is critical, the register must be perfect, or again a double struck image will appear. The physical characteristics of most metal alloys used for coins and medals are such that any metalworking process, particularly striking, causes stress in the metal and the piece becomes work hardened ??? the molecules arrange themselves in such a way that further work will not easily alter their configuration. The piece must be annealed ??? by heating and rapid cooling ??? to soften the metal and allow the molecules to flow easily again; this is particularly true of bronze and silver, the most popular composition for coins and medals. Thus art medals are struck a number of times necessary to fill every cavity in the die to be fully struck up. See heat treating, work hardened. Here is an instance where the same term has two meanings in numismatics, in this case whether it is a coin or a medal. They are given separate entries in this Encyclopedia and so numbered. Also to further explain this the process -- Multiple Striking ??? is listed above. Multiple Strike. (1) The intended multiple striking, as a high relief medal, to bring up the full design relief intended by the artist. This obviously is done only in a medal press and can occur from two to twenty or more times. See multiple striking, process set. CLASS 06.5 4840-(000)06.9 This mis-struck cent was struck three times before being ejected. The coin???s outer edge began to wrap around the edge of the die forming the raised edge. the final strike was off center and it started to wrap the die. Photo: Fred Weinberg. Multiple Strike. (2) A mis-struck piece intended to be struck only once, but which has come between the dies two or more times by mechanical accident or human caprice. See DOUBLE STRIKING, MIS-STRUCK. CLASS 06.9 4990-(003)04.6 To read the complete entry on the Newman Numismatic Portal, see: Multiple Striking (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/dictionarydetail/516375) JULIUS ???JULES??? REIVER E-Sylum Feature Writer and American Numismatic Biographies author Pete Smith submitted this article on collector Jules Reiver. Thanks! -Editor This week is the second installment of numismatists portrayed in movies. Jules Reiver's exploits during the Battle of the Bulge were grossly exaggerated in the movie, but he was a legitimate American hero. ?? Julius ???Jules??? Reiver Julius Reiver got his name in the newspaper during his service in World War II. He came to the attention of combat reporter Ernie Pyle who reported several times on Reiver???s exploits. Pyle devoted a chapter in his book Brave Men to antiaircraft batteries and to ???Reiver???s Retrievers.??? During the Normandy invasion, Captain Reiver was in command of Battery ???D???, 110th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion. As reported in the Wilmington Morning News on August 25, 1944, Reiver told his story of the Normandy landing in a letter. ???We???ve really been lucky. We were supposed to be the first heavy anti-aircraft ashore in D-Day, but nothing left our beach so we couldn???t land. That night we were bombed as we lay offshore taking on wounded. The bombs just missed, and the ship jumped a foot or two in the air. We decided that since it was damned near impossible to dig fox holes in the steel deck, we would be ashore the next day if we had to swim. We didn???t know it then, but we were the only battery to get ashore and set up. and on D plus one night, we were the only AA protection against high flying planes. We got two that first night ??? the first crashed in flames and was the first plane shot down by AA guns in France. All in all, we???ve been very lucky. I just hope it keeps up.??? Reiver received a certificate of merit for action on the second day of the invasion. Ernie Pyle spent two days and two nights with the unit and bunked with Reiver. The first night there was little action but the second night they had greater success, guided by radar and firing at planes they could not see. Reiver commented, ???The last night Pyle was with us, our men put on a real good show. They shot down seven planes.??? Reiver said of Pyle, ???He was such a nice little guy. None of us had heard of him before but inside of a couple of hours he was one of us. The fellows really got to liking him.??? The Morning News related another letter written to his wife. ???He said that his unit came into one town which had been deserted by the Germans and previously bypassed by the Americans, so that his men were the first Americans to appear there. The French townspeople gave them a great welcome, brought their babies out to be kissed by the G.I.???s, showered them with flowers, and brought them gifts of wine. The captain pressed one of the flowers and sent it to his wife. He also sent some French coins and paper money and some of the invasion money used by the Americans.??? In December of 1944, the Germans launched a counteroffensive now known as the Battle of the Bulge. They broke through American lines and pushed west against little resistance. The Germans knew they did not have enough fuel to complete their assault but counted on capturing fuel from the Americans. An advance German column pushed north out of La Glieze toward the First Army headquarters at Spa. The Americans had a fuel depot with 2.5 million gallons of gasoline in five-gallon Jerry cans. Reiver???s battery was split into two groups and pressed into service to protect the fuel and delay the German advance until reinforcements could be brought up. As Reiver was moving into position, one of the guns was mired in the mud and the tractor attempting to pull it out also got stuck. Time and effort were spent getting the gun free and the tractors pulling revved up their engines and made a terrible noise. Reiver commented on their mistakes and how that may have been an advantage. The Germans hearing the noise may have assumed it was a much larger and more threatening tank force. His story was told in The News Journal of April 28, 1945. ???Monday morning, they came and Dog Battery saw its first infantry and anti-tank action. We fired at them and they fired at us for about 10 to 15 minutes; then they turned their column and ran away. They got to within 75 yards of the gasoline dump, but not a drop of that gas did they get. A cannon shell killed one GI, but all of our men were okeh. We???re really lucky.??? Reiver received a bronze star for the battle. The story was told in the 1965 movie, The Battle of the Bulge. Some reports suggest that Reiver was portrayed by Henry Fonda. This isn't quite correct. The November 17, 2002, issue of The E-Sylum had this report. ??????after the war, the role of ???Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Kiley???, which was modeled after Reiver, was played by Henry Fonda in the 1965 film, ???Battle of the Bulge.??? The Hollywood version bore only a slight resemblance to reality, but ???That???s Entertainment.??? The article further stated, ???First, understand that when aimed horizontally, anti-aircraft guns make dandy anti-tank guns.??? Other reports state that the guns were on a hill and the barrels would not depress beyond horizontal and were useless in the fight. Getting your name and address in the paper can have a downside. While he was deployed, someone broke in to burglarize and ransack his house on December 12, 1944. I had the opportunity to ask Reiver about his role and the historical accuracy of the movie. He confirmed that he was there defending the gasoline dump but it was not like the scene in the movie. In a memorable scene from the movie, Americans roll drums of burning gasoline downhill toward the advancing German column. This scene is total fiction. Jerry cans don???t roll well. Reiver said that his description of a firefight may have been misinterpreted by an overly creative writer. I got to know Jules through the Early American Coppers Club. Others knew him through the John Reich Collectors Society. His contributions to both could be a topic for another article. ?? - - - - - ?? Footnote: Sometimes sources give inconsistent information. When the Reiver wedding was announced, the location was Temple Beth Shalom. When they celebrated fifty years of marriage, the location was given as St. Matthews Cathedral. As I noted in the earlier article, I visited with Jules and his wife Iona on many an evening back in the 1990s while traveling in Wilmington on business, and those encounters are among my most pleasurable hobby memories. -Editor To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: JULES REIVER'S WARTIME EXPERIENCES (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v05n46a18.html) STACK'S BOWERS BOSTON OFFICE HIGHLIGHTED Stack's Bowers recently opened a new location in Boston. The local CBS affiliate ran a segment about it earlier this month. -Editor ?? Stack's Bowers Galleries has been dealing in rare coins and currency for 90 years and now they have a shop in Boston. Stanley Chu is the manager of the branch. He got his love for coins and currency while working in his parents' bakery in the city. "My job was to roll up coins to prepare for the next day's deposit for the store and anything that was interesting, I got to keep, like wheat back pennies, silver coins," he told WBZ-TV. His interest has never stopped. In our visit to the gallery, he gave us a little show and tell, including a close up look at some rare cash. ?? "There are a lot of people looking for these $500 and $1,000 bills. We have in house auctions just on $500 and $1,000 bills," Chu said. To read the complete article, see: 'Hobby for kings,' Inside a rare coin and currency dealer in Boston (https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/rare-coin-currency-dealer-collector-auction-boston-stanley-chu-stacks-bowers-galleries/) To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: STACK'S BOWERS OPENS BOSTON LOCATION (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n23a13.html) ?? WBNA OFFERS VARIK COLLECTION OF BAHAMAS World Banknote Auctions is offering a headline collection of paper money of the Bahamas. -Editor ?? World Banknote Auctions is thrilled to announce the inclusion of the highly anticipated Varik Collection of Bahamas in its upcoming sale, World Currency Sale 45 (Session 2) The auction is scheduled for three sessions that take place from June 28th to July 2nd, 2023. The Varik Collection offers an unparalleled opportunity for collectors and enthusiasts to acquire a remarkable selection of 58 lots of banknotes from the Bahamas, spanning from the 1930s to 2009. The Varik Collection is renowned for its exceptional quality and rarity, attracting the attention of banknote enthusiasts from around the world. This unique assemblage of Bahamian banknotes has been curated meticulously, representing a fascinating journey through the monetary history of the Bahamas. ?? Portrait Notes of King George V ?? The Bahamas??? government assumed banknote issuance responsibilities following the collapse of the private Bank of Nassau in 1917. Authorized by the Currency Act of 1919, a new series of banknotes was introduced, exemplified by the 4/- Shillings note offered in lot 45281, graded Choice Very Fine 35 by PMG, originally circulated in the mid-1930s. This exquisite piece stands out as one of the finest examples known, boasting strong original paper, vibrant color, and a scarcity surpassed by only two finer specimens according to the PMG population report. ?? The next denomination is the 10/- Shillings, offered in lot 45282 and graded Very Fine 30 EPQ by PMG. This is an elusive note to find with such original paper and eye-appeal. Finally, the highest denomination issued was the 1 Pound, offered in lot 45283, which is graded Extremely Fine 40 EPQ by PMG. This note???s grade represents a rarity impossible to surpass. Introduced in 1930 and extensively circulated during the nascent stage of the Bahamas??? tourism industry in the 1930s, this classic Caribbean type remains a highly coveted addition for collectors. While lower-end grades are relatively common, this note???s condition rarity at this grade level is evident. Its remarkable original paper, vibrant colors, and light, even circulation establish it as the ultimate exemplar of this captivating classic in the realm of world paper money. ?? ?? King George VI Issues ?? The King George VI issues in the Varik Collection include all four denominations issued and a variety of grades and signature combinations. While these are generally considered to be relatively common types some signature varieties had limited print runs and are challenging in better grades. Highlights include the single finest example of the 4/- Shillings with Heape ??? Taylor ??? Moore signature combination (lot 45284, graded Gem UNC 66 EPQ by PMG) and the single finest example of the 10/- Shillings with Stewart ??? Latreille ??? Moore signature combination (lot 45289, graded Choice About UNC 58 by PMG). Also included are both varieties of the 5 Pounds, which was the highest denomination issued and a banknote that had tremendous purchasing power at the time of issue. ?? ?? Pre-Decimal Notes of Queen Elizabeth II ?? When Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1953 the existing design was updated with her portrait, although the main design elements remained the same. The Varik Collection includes uncirculated examples of each of the four denominations issued prior to the introduction of the Bahamian Dollar and a variety of different signature combinations. Like the King George VI issues numerous signatures exist for each issue, some more difficult than the others. The Queen Elizabeth II pre-decimal issues of the Bahamas are widely collected and while most collectors are satisfied with a high-grade type set, some collectors attempt to assemble a complete signature collection in high-grade, which is not an easy task as some varieties are quite difficult to find in better grades. ?? ?? Banknotes of the Bahamian Dollar: Collector???s Favorites and Modern Rarities ?? For many collectors, the banknotes of the Bahamian Dollar, introduced into circulation in 1965, are a favorite in world paper money. A series that is filled with modern rarities, these banknotes form a formidable challenge, and even though these are often considered ???modern??? banknotes the series is extremely challenging to complete. This section of the Varik Collection is particularly strong, with high grade notes as well as rare varieties that are seldom offered for sale. The first series is dated 1965 and was issued by the Government of the Bahamas. This series was initially issued with two signatures. Then in 1967, for a brief period, several denominations were issued with three signatures. These would be issued for only about a year before an updated series dated 1968 was issued by the Bahamas Monetary Authority. The undisputed highlight of the Varik Collection is lot 45315, which is the $50 from this series with three signatures, graded Very Fine 30 EPQ by PMG. One of just three examples of this rarity that we are aware of this note represents one of the key banknotes in a modern Bahamas collection. Other highlights include various other $50 and $100 notes from the Bahamas. Up to and including the 1996 series notes of those denominations are difficult to locate in uncirculated condition. They were often issued outside of tourist areas (where the US Dollar typically would circulate, thanks to its parity to the Bahamian Dollar) and only limited numbers made it to collectors in uncirculated condition. The Varik Collection includes a 1965 $100 in PMG Choice UNC 63 EPQ (lot 45316), a 1974 (ND 1984) $50 in PMG 66 EPQ (lot 45331) and a 1974 (ND 1992) $100 in PMG 66 EPQ (lot 45333). Most lower denominations in the Varik Collection are represented by high grade examples that presents collectors with a welcome opportunity to add high quality examples to collections of Bahamian paper money. All lots in the Varik Collection can be seen on the World Banknote Auctions website: The Varik Collection of Bahamas. Live bidding for session 2 takes place on the firm???s website and in its mobile apps on June 29 at 1 PM EDT / 10 AM PDT ?? To read the complete article, see: World Banknote Auctions offers the Varik Collection of Bahamas (https://www.worldbanknoteauctions.com/news/world-banknote-auctions-offers-the-varik-collection-of-bahamas/) TOM'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: JUNE 25, 2023 Tom Kays penned this account of Tuesday's meeting of our Northern Virginia numismatic social group, Nummis Nova. Thanks! The photos are all Tom's as well. -Editor ?? June 2023 Nummis Nova Dinner Notes from the Far Side of the Table Unidentified Nummis NoVa grouping of ???Not so Grumpy Old Men??? interrupted by a camera-wielding interloper, amid an Afghan feast of epic gustatory perfection ?? Nummis NoVa eats again! This time at Aracosia, an Afghan Restaurant in McLean, Virginia. The menu selections were expansive and the food fantastic since they revive classic recipes that bring the wholesome wisdom of our ancestors to table with kabobs, aromatic meats, ancient spices and saffron aplenty (even in the mock-tails) all without GMOs, preservatives, MSG, hormones, microwaves or ???thermo-nuclear cooking methods??? so prevalent today. Isn???t it time to form your own ???Nummis Elsewhere???-dinner group, in your fair city, especially when you live too far away to commute to ???NoVa???? Why not maintain and expand your enjoyment of numismatics goings-on, like these happy folks do each month? We would love to correspond with new numismatic dinner groups to share our secrets of eternal engagement and education in the hobby of coin collecting. Nummis NoVa has met each month since October 17th, 2007, a total of 188 such dinners and counting. We must be doing something right for folks to keep coming back for more, and you can do it too! Don???t let stacking coins turn you into a lonely miser, unable to share your numismatic triumphs and tragedies with others who don???t get it. Some of us do, and you may find numismatists who can make acceptable dinner conversation. When you assemble a group having both faculties-in-one, let the dinner parties begin! Many amazing show-and-share items circulated up and down our table. Here are candid snapshots of a few, seen in poor restaurant lighting and indifferent ???in-the-plastic packaging??? arrangement. Everything from modern medals showing perspectives of New York City, ancient Egyptian monuments, and Daybreak/Nightfall (think breakfast in the fry pan) to superb ancient coins made the rounds. Counterstamps also held sway at dinner with these three fine examples passing round. ?? Large Cents with counterstamps (Blanchard House (Saloon) of Monmouth Ill on 1847 host / ???WC??? (William Cleveland?) on 1798 host / ???Eagle??? Patented May 1854 on 1856 host) ?? Well-centered tetradrachm of Attica, Athens (165-142 BC) with head of Athena and Owl standing on Amphora to left of Asclepius, all within a wreath ?? ?? ?? Intriguing Scrip includes a 1911, (about uncirculated) 25 Cent Note from the Ideal Mercantile Co., of Aguilar, Colorado, an 1817 Jefferson County Bank, 75 Cent Note from Adams, New York (formerly in the Eric P. Newman Collection), and an 1838 ???dual denomination??? One Shilling /Twelve-and-a-half cents demand note from Port Byron, New York. ?? Modern medal depicts monument scenes in Ancient Egypt shown in fine perspective ?? Just your usual (MS-64!) 1859-O Seated Dollar seen through protective plastic ?? Case of typical coins mostly unworthy of discussion or a second glance at Nummis Nova dinners. (Sheesh - what a tough crowd.) Here are assorted English, French, Dutch, Swedish, Latin American, and early Federal coins ranging in dates from 1585 to 1849. Nothing to see here. Move along. Dinner discussion topics at the far end of the table ranged from Wayne Homren's numismatic library and ephemera collection, how to deaccession an advanced (eclectic) coin collection using vetted and trustworthy agents, Wyman the Wizard and Ventriloquist, numismatic poetry written by Artificial Intelligence, development of Quantum Computing hardware using Helium Crystals, outsourcing the Tooth Fairy, collecting nuclear weapon artifacts, and where one finds rare transportation tokens such as digging in one???s garden. In other words, it was a typical night of dinner talk for the Nummis Nova crowd. Wishing you were there to freshen up the conversation and talk about something more interesting? Host the first ???Nummis Elsewhere??? dinner in your town or village. Let us know how it goes. Bon appetit! Clockwise from left, the attendees were: Jon Radel, Eric Schena, Dave Schenkman, Robert Hoppensteadt, Julian Leidman, Roger Burdette, Steve Bishop, Wayne Herndon, Lorne Lavertu, Wayne Homren, and Tom Kays. Thanks to Jon for a great restaurant pick - the place was packed on a Tuesday night, and the food and service were excellent. I was floored by the virtually flawless 1859-O dollar but of course loved every other numismatic item that came my way. Every month is an education. -Editor ?? STAR LOCK WORKS COUNTERSTAMPED LARGE CENT Steve Bishop submitted this great research piece on the 1856 large cent counterstamp pictured in Tom Kays' article on our Nummis Nova dinner this week. Thanks!! Nice work. -Editor ?? AN 1856 COUNTERSTAMPED LARGE CENT ??? THE REST OF THE STORY BY STEVE BISHOP Numismatics can open up a window to the past, and in certain circumstances, reveal a story behind a numismatic item. I recently bought a counterstamped 1856 large cent on eBay from Steve Hayden. It features a beautifully detailed eagle counterstamp along with the legend ???Patented May 1854???. ?? There is no indication of the issuer of this counterstamp, but researcher and eBayer Bill Groom (thanks, Bill!) sent the following comment along with two images of a trunk lock. "Conrad Liebrich was a locksmith and inventor from Philadelphia. As you may see by the attached pics, the coin's c/s matches that on his brass lock(s)." ?? CONRAD LIEBRICH BRASS TRUCK LOCK ??? KEY INSERTED ?? CONRAD LIEBRICH BRASS TRUCK LOCK ??? KEY REMOVED Star Lock Works, founded in 1836 by Conrad Liebrich in Philadelphia, made a variety of nice brass trunk locks for trunk makers. McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory for 1863, listed Conrad Liebrich at 110 S. 8th Street as a lock manufacturer, with his residence listed at 128 S. 8th Street. The same business and home addresses also list Philip Liebrich, presumably his son. The brass trunk lock has the name C. LIEBRICH on the left side, PHILADA on the right side and PATENTED MAY 1854 on the top. The lock is a 2-piece set, the top part fits into the bottom and locks with a key. When the key is removed from the lock a brass sliding door moves to the right (spring loaded) and covers or hides the key hole from view. The patent referred to on the lock and the counterstamped 1856 large cent is U.S. Pat. No. 10,862, issued May 2, 1854. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the patent drawing shown below, the lock consists of an upper body part A hinged to a lower hasp part B. The key feature of the claimed invention, as set forth in Claim 1, is the provision of a leaf spring between the body part A and the lower hasp part B. Upon turning the key to release the hasp, the spring automatically projects the hasp outwardly from its opening in the lower lock plate attached to the wall of the trunk. The spring also keeps the hasp elevated away from the wall of the trunk so that it is easy to open. ?? As a professional patent searcher and fan of the history of technology, this counterstamped coin is of particular interest to me. It is a prime example of how a numismatic item can have a hidden story that may be revealed by a little digging. THE BOOK BAZARRE AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS: Are your books carried by Wizard Coin Supply? If not, contact us via www.WizardCoinSupply.com with details. DEALER ITALO VECCHI ARRAIGNED IN NYC Dick Hanscom passed along this Daily Mail article with an update on the "Eid Mar" case. Thanks. -Editor An Italian coin dealer was arraigned in Manhattan on Wednesday for possession of stolen coins worth one million dollars - after one he gave to his colleague sold for $4.1million. Italo Vecchi was charged with one count of grand larceny in the first degree, two counts of conspiracy in the fourth degree and second degree criminal possession of stolen property, among other charges. The 75-year-old worked with British coin dealer Richard Beale, who was charged in March over the fraudulent $4.1 million sale of the 'rarest and most valuable' coin in the world. ?? He arrived at criminal court at 3 p.m. handcuffed and with a cane, and was released within a half hour - leaving alongside his lawyer, Withers international law firm defense attorneys Georges Gilbert Lederman and Wendy Dickieson. The District Attorney's office agreed to his release on his own recognizance. Between 2013 and 2014, Vecchi, who is Italian citizen living in the United Kingdom, allegedly sold two rare coins to Beale without provenance. One of the coins was referred to as the 'Eid Mar' coin, referring to an ancient Roman gold coin minted in 42 B.C. to celebrate the assassination of Julius Caesar on March 15 of 44 B.C. But Beale, 38, allegedly falsified the coin's ownership history documents, known as its 'provenance', to make it more valuable and allow him to fetch a higher price for it. The other coin, known as the 'Sicily Naxos' coin, was created in 430 B.C. and is one of the 'rarest and most prized ancient coins in the world,' according to the complaint. Vecchi has allegedly been selling illegal coins for decades, according to court documents. In 1992, the defendant was detained by United States customs officials for attempting to smuggle undeclared ancient Greek coins into the United States in his briefcase. And then in 2012, the defendant also falsified provenance for a 4th B.C.E. silver coin, called an Akragas Dekadrachm, which was being sold for one million dollars at the annual New York International Numismatics Convention. To read the complete article, see: Dealer of the 'world's most expensive coin' which 'fraudulently sold' for a record $4.1M after its ownership records 'were falsified' is charged with grand larceny in NYC (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12224073/Dealer-worlds-expensive-coin-sold-4-1M-charged-grand-larceny-NYC.html) To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see: RICHARD BEALE OF ROMA NUMISMATICS ARRESTED (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n11a16.html) IAPN STATEMENT ON FALSE PROVENANCES (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n12a13.html) "MILLION PENNY HOARD" SOLD Leon Saryan passed along this follow-up about that "million penny hoard" found in California. -Editor ?? More than a week after capturing the interest of the entire nation, a California family???s bounty of 1 million copper pennies has officially changed hands. John and Elizabeth Reyes, who discovered the massive cache of precious metal coins in the home that previously belonged to Elizabeth Reyes??? father, say they???ve completed a sale for the pennies. Since first speaking with NewsNation affiliate KTLA, the Reyes??? story went viral and they received no less than a thousand offers. John Reyes said he was so inundated with inquiries that many interested parties were left without an answer, their messages forever lost as social media requests and unread mail in his inbox. ???There were some people that were legit, bonafide, really good prospects that I had just completely missed,??? he said. ???Because of the influx of messages that I received, it was just overwhelming.??? But despite not being able to respond to every interested party, he said his family is happy with the person who ended up making the purchase. A major prerequisite was a desire and ability to actually see the potential of the coins rather than simply their face value. ???We wanted to make sure that it was somebody that was going to have genuine interest in the find,??? John Reyes said. Although the value of the coins themselves was only about $10,000, the couple was asking for more than twice that, hoping that a collector or investor might be willing to buy a lottery ticket in the form of thousands of pennies. He wouldn???t disclose the final sale price ??? non-disclosure agreements were a key part of the transaction ??? but he admitted that his family was ???more than satisfied??? with the number. He said anonymity was a frequent request with the majority of the prospective buyers, many wanting to avoid a media firestorm like the one the Reyes family just experienced. To read the complete article, see: Sold! California family sells 1 million pennies found in relative???s home (https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/sold-california-family-sells-1-million-pennies-found-in-relative-s-home/ar-AA1cR5Jw) To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: THE MILLION-PENNY HOARD (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n24a31.html) INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY TOONIE DESIGNERS Here's an article from CBC News about the artists behind the Royal Canadian Mint's Indigenous Peoples Day coin. -Editor ?? Artwork created by three Indigenous women will now be in the hands of millions, on the first Canadian coin to feature the collaborative work of multiple artists. In Ottawa on Tuesday, the Royal Canadian Mint unveiled a commemorative toonie to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day. Megan Currie, a Dene woman from English River First Nation in Saskatchewan who lives in Regina, said having her work featured is "quite an honour," especially to share the space with two other Indigenous women. "It's a circulation coin so to know it's going to be in the hands of all Canadians is quite fantastic and is hopefully an opportunity to have them sit and reflect on everybody's role in reconciliation," Currie said. The other artwork on the coin was made by Jennine Krauchi, a Winnipeg Métis artist, and Myrna Pokiak, who is Inuvialuk from Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T. Currie said the Royal Canadian Mint reached out to her over a year ago, inviting her to put forward different designs for the coin. She put forward three concepts and one was chosen. "Central to the design is a blooming flower representing a new day but within that flower is a representation of a person holding up a child and that represents that there is hope for our future," she said. Attached to the middle flower there are two other blossoming flowers which Currie said represent the sun, a new day and a new beginning. ?? To read the complete article, see: Indigenous Peoples Day toonie features message of hope, artist says (https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/commemorative-toonie-megan-currie-design-1.6885566) GOLD MORGAN COMITIA AMERICANA MEDAL DISPLAY The unique gold Comitia Americana medal for Daniel Morgan at Cowpens is on display at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. Here's the press release. -Editor ?? A unique gold medal celebrating the Revolutionary War victory by Brigadier General Daniel Morgan over British Army forces in the 1781 Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina is making its first appearance since it sold at auction for $960,000 in April 2022. It apparently also is the first time it is available for general public viewing since its creation in 1839. The winning bidder in the Stack???s Bowers auction, Brian Hendelson, president of Classic Coin Company (www.ClassicCoinCompany.com) in Bridgewater, New Jersey, has loaned the historic Daniel Morgan at Cowpens medal and its original red leather and purple velvet presentation case to the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia (www.AmRevMuseum.org). Insured now for more than $1 million, it is a featured part of an exhibit entitled ???At War with a South Carolina Regiment, 1779-1782??? that is now on display at the museum. ???I???ve collected early Americana for many years, including historical treasures from the Revolutionary War period. Adding the Daniel Morgan at Cowpens gold medal to my collection certainly is a tremendous honor. It commemorates an important event in early American history and honors a Revolutionary War hero who often is overlooked today,??? said Hendelson. ???After 182 years hidden away with previous owners, I???m delighted to loan this national treasure to the museum so it now can be seen and appreciated by many people,??? he explained. The medal is cataloged as Betts-593, Julian MI-7, Loubat 8. Morgan led his Continental troops in a decisive victory over British Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton on January 17, 1781 at what is now the Cowpens National Battlefield in Gaffney, South Carolina. The Museum???s description of the battle states: ???The Battle of Cowpens turned the tide of the war in the South. While British forces still held the coastal cities of Charleston and Savannah, the Revolutionaries gradually reclaimed control of the countryside.??? In March 1781, Congress authorized the creation of a large gold medal to honor Morgan. Struck in Paris by the French engraver Augustin Dupre, it measured 56 millimeters in diameter and weighed 4.8 troy ounces. Morgan received the medal in 1790. He died in 1802 and his one-of-a-kind gold medal was among the items stolen in a burglary at the Pittsburgh Farmers and Mechanics Bank 1818. It was never recovered. Morgan???s grandson, Morgan Lafayette Neville, was an executive of the bank. In 1819, he began efforts to get a replacement medal, including writing to former President Thomas Jefferson who carried the original medal with him when he returned from Paris in 1789 to become the first U.S. Secretary of State. Eventually, in July 1836, Congress approved "An Act to renew the gold medal struck and presented to General Morgan, by order of Congress, in honor of the battle of Cowpens." But the grandson died three years later in March 1839 before the medal was created. Finally, in December 1839, based on the design from Paris used to create the stolen and missing medal, the Philadelphia Mint struck a single Morgan at Cowpens medal weighing 4.79 ounces of fine gold. It was subsequently presented in 1841 to Morgan???s great-grandson Morgan Lafayette Neville, Jr. and it remained in the family until 1914. Since then, it has been privately owned by others including the family of banker, financier, and philanthropist John Pierpont Morgan Jr. Known as the Comitia Americana (Latin for American Congress) series, Congress authorized only seven gold medals for heroes of the American Revolution. However, apparently only six were actually made for individual recipients and the Morgan medal is the only one now privately owned. The six who received medals were General George Washington, General Horatio Gates, General Anthony Wayne, Gen. Nathanael Greene, Captain John Paul Jones (whose original medal has not been seen since his death in 1792 and may have been melted), and General Daniel Morgan. A medal authorized for General Henry Lee apparently was never stuck. The nonprofit Museum of the American Revolution is located at 101 South 3rd St. near Independence Hall in Philadelphia. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission tickets can be purchased by calling 215-253-6731, obtained for a $3 discount online at www.AmRevMuseum.org, or purchased at the museum???s front desk. For additional information about Classic Coin Company, visit www.ClassicCoinCompany.com or call 908-725-5600. To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: GOLD MORGAN COMITIA AMERICANA SURFACES (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n09a34.html) JEFFREY BRIGGS ANIMAL ALLEGORIES Last week sculptor Jeffrey Briggs was named as a runner-up for the 2023 American Medal of the Year. Here are some interesting works by him that I came across on the website of Briggs Sculpture. See the next article in this issue for some works by his wife Lindley. -Editor A SERIES OF BAS RELIEFS PORTRAYING ANIMAL / HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS ?? I have always believed that art should contribute to the moral and spiritual elevation and social betterment of its audience. The series of bas reliefs in this exhibit highlight themes and questions related to humankind's relationship to animals. Of particular concern to me is the loss of animal species due to our continuing destruction of the environment. . The future course of the Earth's biosphere will be determined by our actions, and as a fellow human and artist, I seek to contribute to the decades-long effort to make people aware of the effects of our choices on the environment and the animals around us. ?? ??Affinity?? Animal Kinship I believe the way that we treat animals, reflects on our ability to become true stewards of the earth. The intention of this series of wall reliefs is to make the viewer more conscious of the ethical and psychological attitudes he or she may have inherited. As an artist, I want to use the strength of the pictorial image to raise awareness of the paradoxical attitudes we hold toward animals. My hope is that the awareness of these paradoxes will advance the changes necessary for us to better manage the earth's resources. ?? ??Demigod?? Worshiping Animals For more information, see: A Series of Bas Reliefs Portraying Animal / Human Relationships (https://briggssculpture.com/JeffreyBriggsReliefs/BasReliefs/Reliefs.html) Animal Allegories: a collection of Bas Reliefs Portraying Human/Animal Relationships Paperback ??? July 4, 2015 (https://www.amazon.com/Animal-Allegories-collection-Portraying-Relationships/dp/1514833980/ref=sr_1_12) To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: 2023 AMERICAN MEDAL OF THE YEAR AWARDS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n25a24.html) LINDLEY BRIGGS RELIEFS & MEDALLIONS Here are some works by sculptor Lindley Briggs that caught my eye. -Editor ?? Aurora Head ?? Nothing Left but to Live Happily Ever After ?? Souls in Flight For more information, see: LINDLEY BRIGGS SCULPTURE RELIEFS & MEDALLIONS (https://briggssculpture.com/LindleyBriggs/reliefsmedallions/rm1.html) To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: 2023 AMERICAN MEDAL OF THE YEAR AWARDS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n25a24.html) NEW MEDAL OF NUMISMATICS PATRON ST. ELIGIUS Frank Galindo submitted this item about a medal celebrating St. Eligius. Thank you. -Editor New Medal Designed by Renowned Italian Sculptor Sergio Pasetto has recently announced his new medal design honoring St. Eligius the Patron Saint of Numismatists. This issue will be a limited number of pieces. The medal was originally created in 2022 and only three were made. He was encouraged by a collector of St. Eligius medals to make a few more to be available to collectors of St. Eligius medals. ?? The medal???s text reads from the top then continuing to the right reads ???ST. ELIGIUS NUMISMATIST BROTHERHOOD U.S.A. FOUNDED IN SAN ANTONIO TEXAS 1995,??? There are four coins which are two French and two Swiss pieces around the medal enhancing the design. The central figure is St. Eligius wearing a miter and striking coins. In the background there is a furnace. At the left is a basket with his working tools. Also, to the left on a ledge a cat observes his friend using his hammer, which is a symbol associated with the Saint. On the right side above the word BROTHERHOOD is amphora dropping water on a plant, which is a symbol of faith. The octagon-shaped medal???s dimensions are approximately 5 1/5 x 6 1/4 Pasetto is a distinguished artist and sculptor from Verona, Italy. He is a prolific sculptor, and has sculptures in both the Vatican and in the White House. The beautiful work of art that is at the White House is titled ???The Pyramid of Hope.??? A big panel of ???Juliet &Romeo??? is in Russia. Mr. Pasetto???s works of art are listed in auctions on the internet. For all details concerning the medal price, etc., or for ordering his new St. Eligius medal, please contact Albert P. Pasetto. His contact information is the following e-mail address: postalby at gmail.com. Frank Galindo can be reached at karfra1 at netzero.net if you are interested in more information about the St. Eligius Numismatist Brotherhood, USA. -Editor TOMMY THOMPSON'S LEGAL LIMBO There's nothing new to report here (at least not yet), but in case you were wondering, Columbus Monthly published an article about the legal limbo of S.S. Central America figure Tommy Thompson. -Editor ?? Tommy Thompson with lawyer As the video stream blinks to life, the bearded inmate appears, sitting impassively as he waits for his virtual hearing to begin. Thomas ???Tommy??? Thompson, wearing a short-sleeve brown shirt, his graying hair in a ponytail, occasionally glances to his right, scratches his beard and sips from a plastic cup. It???s April 14, 2023, Thompson???s 2,677th day behind bars for keeping a secret. The road leading to this moment stretches back decades, to the day in 1988 when Thompson, then a Battelle scientist, made one of the biggest discoveries of sunken deep-sea gold in history. Heralded as a genius at the time, he???s a legal oddity today as he sits in a cell in a federal penitentiary in Milan, Michigan, unable???or unwilling???to reveal the location of 500 coins cast from some of that gold. For his refusal, he???s been declared in contempt of court by Columbus federal judge Algenon Marbley and held for more than seven years, racking up $2.7 million in fines???and counting. Sept. 11 marks the 35th anniversary of the day in 1988 that Thompson, a research scientist and inventor, located the S.S. Central America, known as the ???Ship of Gold.??? The gold rush-era ship sank in a hurricane off South Carolina in 1857 with thousands of pounds of gold aboard, contributing to an economic panic. A few weeks after the ship???s discovery, a high school marching band played ???When You Wish Upon a Star??? and other songs, and hundreds later cheered Thompson as he sailed into Norfolk, Virginia, aboard a ship laden with gold coins and bars. ???Part of our American heritage, this was history in the form of a national treasure. And we had found it,??? Thompson wrote in ???America???s Lost Treasure,??? his account of the find. His jubilation was short-lived. The very day that Thompson sailed into Norfolk???Oct. 4, 1989???39 insurance companies sued Thompson in federal court, claiming they had originally insured the gold that sank with the S.S. Central America. The treasure, they contended, belonged to them. Exacerbating Thompson???s legal woes, a handful of his investors sued in 2005, arguing they paid him $12.7 million to find the ship but never saw any money. As his troubles mounted, Thompson moved into a mansion in Florida, refused to use his real name on utility bills and paid his rent with moldy $100 bills. In 2012, federal judge Edmund Sargus ordered Thompson to appear in court in Columbus to disclose the whereabouts of the 500 coins minted from the ship???s gold. Instead, Thompson disappeared. Three years passed before U.S. marshals tracked him down to a hotel near Boca Raton, where he was living with his longtime companion, Alison Antekeier. As recounted in court filings, the pair had taken numerous steps to avoid detection, counting ???How to Be Invisible??????a book about evading law enforcement???among their possessions. v In April 2015, Thompson pleaded guilty to failing to appear in 2012 and was sentenced to two years in prison and fined $250,000. Thompson???s criminal sentence was then delayed until the issue of the gold coins was resolved. (Even if Marbley released him tomorrow on the contempt charge, Thompson must still serve those two additional years.) Thompson???s plea deal required him to answer questions in closed-door sessions about the whereabouts of the coins, which the government says are worth about $2.5 million. Importantly, he had to ???assist??? interested parties in finding the coins under that deal. Despite that arrangement, including an hours-long interview in fall 2015, lawyers representing those suing him contended his responses weren???t forthcoming. On Dec. 15, 2015, Marbley found Thompson in contempt of court and ordered him to stay in jail???and pay that $1,000 daily fine???until he responded. In the years that followed, in hearing after hearing, Thompson would maintain there was nothing more he could say. ?? Federal law typically prohibits jailing defendants on contempt charges longer than 18 months. But such incarcerations can run much longer, with Thompson???s tenure behind bars equaling a handful of others nationally. In each of those cases, judges ultimately released the individuals, ruling that further incarceration wouldn???t change their minds. Recent developments suggest Thompson may, too, finally see the light of day. Beginning in September 2022, Marbley hinted he was feeling conflicted about the situation. ???Though the court has not found sufficient merit in Mr. Thompson???s motions, the court does hold its own concerns about the duration of Mr. Thompson???s incarceration,??? Marbley wrote in a court order. The government is also ready to relent. In a May court filing, Glenn-Applegate said it was time to lift the contempt order and force Thompson to serve his two-year criminal sentence. He???d already said as much at the April 14 hearing. Meanwhile, the legend of Thompson???s discovery continues to grow. In January 2022, the largest S.S. Central America ingot ever offered at auction, an 866.19-ounce find known as a Justh & Hunter ingot, sold for $2.16 million through Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. And on April 14???the same day as Thompson???s latest hearing???National Geographic and BBC Studios??? Documentary Unit announced the development of a three-part limited series, Lost Gold, that will tell Thompson???s story. Next May, a 20th-anniversary edition of Gary Kinder???s definitive history of the S.S. Central America discovery??????Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea??????will be released by Grove Atlantic Books. Marbley will likely rule later this summer whether Thompson might celebrate that release free from his contempt charge, though still facing more time for the criminal conviction. To read the complete article, see: Tarnished Treasure: Will Shipwreck Hunter Tommy Thompson's Legal Limbo Finally End? (https://www.columbusmonthly.com/story/lifestyle/features/2023/06/20/treasure-hunter-tommy-thompsons-legal-limbo-may-finally-end-gold-coins/70337309007/) ?? EAGLES ON WORLD BANKNOTES A nicely illustrated article on the PMG site features eagles on world banknotes. Here's an excerpt - see the complete article online. -Editor ?? The eagle is a symbol of strength and freedom throughout the world, and it can be seen soaring on banknotes from many different countries. National Bald Eagle Day is a day dedicated to celebrating and raising awareness about the bald eagle, the iconic national bird of the United States. This day is observed annually on June 20, in celebration of the day when the Second Continental Congress selected bald eagles as the national symbol of the United States in 1782. The bald eagle is just one of the many kinds of eagles featured on banknotes from around the world. Here are ten examples. ?? Czech Republic 1993 1000 Korun To read the complete article, see: Collection Inspiration: Eagles (https://www.pmgnotes.com/news/article/11766/collection-inspiration-eagles/) MEN PRINTED ??12 MILLION FAKE BANKNOTES This article from Kent, England discusses a counterfeiting scheme foiled by a Bank of England investigation. -Editor ?? Three men involved in a conspiracy to supply over £12 million of counterfeit banknotes must give up the real money they earned from their crimes. Phillip Brown, John Evans and Nick Winter were all jailed following an investigation in 2019 by detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate. As part of the officers??? enquiries they carried out the largest face-value seizure of fake currency in UK history following a raid at a printing press in Beckenham. It is believed the defendants profited from their conspiracy by selling the counterfeit money to other criminals, with the Bank of England having removed notes with a total face value of over £1.9 million from UK circulation. An investigation into the group???s activities began when the Bank of England identified a new counterfeit paper £20 note had entered general circulation. The note appeared to have been produced using the type of specialist equipment that would normally be associated with a company printing large volumes of magazines or leaflets. Enquiries established parts and materials associated with the production of fake currency on a commercial scale had been ordered and were linked to a printing press owned by Winter in Kent House Lane, Beckenham. A search warrant was carried out and inside officers found Brown and another man surrounded by printing equipment and large piles of counterfeit £20 notes, later confirmed as having a total face value of £5.25 million. In the months that followed, further large amounts of counterfeit currency believed to have been printed by the group continued to be discovered. To read the complete article, see: Men who printed £12 million fake banknotes in Kent told to pay back money from their crime (https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2023-06-24/men-who-printed-12-million-fake-banknotes-told-to-pay-back-crime-money) LOOSE CHANGE: JUNE 25, 2023 Here are some additional items in the media this week that may be of interest. -Editor FUBAH coins: fouled up beyond all hope A Coin Update article by Michael Bugeja discusses coins "fouled up beyond all hope." -Editor ?? Many coins fall into the FUBAH category, including ones with scratches or environmental damage; the most irritating ones are stained. These may seem like restoration candidates at PCGS or NGC. However, chances are they will be returned in their original ungrade-worthy condition because dipping ??? removing a thin layer of a coin???s surface ??? may be the only removal method, and even in those cases, the stain will remain, and the specimen will be permanently damaged. I have written in the past about cleaning coins using MS-70 detergent or Jewel Luster (e-Z-est coin cleaner) dip. The former may remove light PVC damage or verdigris. The latter strips surface metal. True, some coins are candidates for a dip. Expert numismatists know which coins and what percentage of dip and water, etc., to use. (I can???t share formulas here.) But in almost every case, this devalues the coin, earning a details grade from major holdering companies. To read the complete article, see: FUBAH coins: fouled up beyond all hope (https://news.coinupdate.com/fubah-coins-fouled-up-beyond-all-hope/) Library Patron Returns Book Borrowed in 1958 The Multnomah County Library is a fine-free library, and a patron just returned a book borrowed 65 years ago. -Editor A patron in Oregon recently returned an overdue book 65 years after its check-out date. In a social media post, the Multnomah County Library said that someone recently returned a first-edition copy of "1984" by George Orwell. It was originally checked out in 1958. The MCL provided a picture of the book, as well as a note the patron left with it. The note reads: I meant to return this book in 1958 when I was about to graduate from PSU, but somehow never got around to doing it. After re-reading, I realize that, more than ever, this book should be put back in circulation. Significant parts are as relevant today as they were 65 years ago. (e.g. the opening text on page 207: Simply add the words internet and social media, and you are reading about 2023.) Sorry to be so tardy. At age 86, I wanted to finally clear my conscience. To read the complete article, see: Library patron returns 65-years-overdue first-edition copy of '1984' (https://komonews.com/news/offbeat/library-patron-returns-65-years-overdue-first-edition-copy-of-1984-multnomah-county-library-george-orwell-library-association-of-portland-cleared-conscience) Interior Design Tips for the Struggling Bibliophile In another item for bibliophiles, here's an article offering some interior design tips. -Editor ?? Where once a library might have been a way to signal status to visiting society, today, a room full of books tells us a story about us: Where we came from, how we have struggled, what has lifted us, what we know for sure. You can love everything about books and book culture but still feel a sense of overwhelm when faced with packed shelves. That???s why I often find myself counseling people on how to rethink their displays. Here are some ways that you can integrate a love of books into a life while acknowledging a range of human desires for beauty, balance, and space. One place book lovers who have become book collectors can start is by letting their existing space dictate how many books they allow themselves to have. In other words: be a goldfish that only grows to the size of your own fishbowl. Interesting concept, but I know most numismatic bibliophiles aren't so disciplined. The books are the boss. But one good piece of advice I'd heard from John J. Ford was, "When you buy something cute, sell something less cute." And I did take that to heart over the years, gradually deaccessioning things that were no longer core to my interests, although I did often daydream about building an addition to the house. While I had great fun assembling collections of different editions and binding variants of Evans's mint books, Mehl's guidebooks, U.S. Mint Reports etc., etc., once I was flat out of new shelfspace I consigned them for sale. And with my primary focus on U.S. numismatics, I couldn't justify forever keeping the sets I'd accumulated through various library purchases, such as Coole on Chinese coins, or Davenport's books on talers. Off they went for resale. -Editor To read the complete article, see: What to Do If Your House is Overflowing with Books (https://lithub.com/what-to-do-if-your-house-is-overflowing-with-books/?) THE BOOK BAZARRE BIBLE LORE AND THE ETERNAL FLAME ???Kenneth Bressett???s latest book is a numismatic and archaeological trip through Biblical times, a roadmap of the Old and New Testaments that explores history through coins. Beautifully illustrated and entertainingly written by a master of the craft. Order your copy online at Whitman.com , or call 1-800-546-2995. KOREA'S COIN BREAD Stephen Pradier posted a link on our Facebook page to this article from South Korea about local baker making bread loaves with coin designs. You can have your money and eat it too! -Editor ?? Makers of Gyeongju's "10-won bread," a popular street food shaped like a Korean 10 won coin, are facing pressure from the Bank of Korea (BOK) to change its design. According to relevant authorities, Thursday, the BOK requested makers of the treat stop using the coin's design for their bread. "We are in discussions with the manufacturers of the 10 won bread about making design changes within legal boundaries, in order to ensure the continued operation of their local business," the BOK said in its official statement. Gyeongju's 10 won bread is a pastry based on the design of Korea's smallest-denomination coin, featuring an image of Dabotap, a stone pagoda from Korea's ancient Silla Kingdom located in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. Since one vendor started producing it in 2019, the bread has become a regional specialty. Currently, it is sold by 17 entities within the region, and its reach has expanded to Seoul via franchising. Under the current regulations, the BOK permits public use of monetary designs under certain conditions, including nonprofit purposes. However, it does not allow for-profit use, arguing that "imprudent commercialization of monetary design could undermine trust in the monetary system." Central bankers are a stuffy bunch. But it sounds like they'll work with the bakers to identify similar but acceptable designs. -Editor To read the complete article, see: BOK wants '10-won bread' to stop looking like money (https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/biz/2023/06/602_353461.html) FEATURED WEBSITE: ERROR-REF.COM This week's Featured Web Site is Error-ref.com, the Error-Variety Ready Reference. Error-ref.com is a comprehensive illustrated glossary of every conceivable defect associated with the minting process. It will contain detailed illustrated descriptions of hundreds of basic error types, numerous subtypes, and assorted effects associated with them. It is not designed to cover compound errors and multiple errors, as these occur in an infinite number of combinations and permutations. It is also not intended to be a catalog of specific coins and dies. The Ready Reference is built upon a framework provided by a 22-page Comprehensive Error-Variety Checklist that was compiled by Mike Diamond some years back and that he continually updates. The checklist is available on this website. http://www.error-ref.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. For more information please see our web site at http://www.coinbooks.org/. There is a membership application available on the web site at this address: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_member_app.html To join, print the application and return it with your check to the address printed on the application. Membership is only $15 to addresses in the U.S., $20 for First Class mail, and $25 elsewhere. For those without web access, write to: David M. Sundman, Secretary/Treasurer Numismatic Bibliomania Society, P. O. Box 82 Littleton, NH 03561 For Asylum mailing address changes and other membership questions, contact David at this email address: dsundman at LittletonCoin.com To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, just Reply to this message, or write to the Editor at this address: whomren at gmail.com Those wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All past E-Sylum issues are archived on the NBS web site at this address: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_esylum_archive.html Issues from September 2002 to date are also archived at this address: http://my.binhost.com/pipermail/esylum -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: