The E-Sylum:  Volume 10, Number 31, August 5, 2007, Article 11

NUMISMATIC GLASS SULPHIDES AT THE CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS

Dick Johnson writes: "Chick Ambrass learned about glass coin
weights on his visit to the Corning Museum of Glass reported
in last week's E-Sylum. On my last visit there I learned about
another numismatic sideline: sulphides!

"Not all that well known to either numismatists or glass
enthusiasts, sulphides are ornamental glass objects that use
medals -- yes medals! -- for their copied relief designs.
Usually portraits, and only seldom incorporating the legends
or inscriptions found on the medal pattern, sulphides employ
a technique in their manufacture called 'cameo incrustations.'
- cameo like the relief on a medal.

"A wide range of glass objects can be found that used medals
as their patterns. This includes paperweights, glass plaques,
tumblers, goblets, cups, plates, flasks, vases, obelisks,
candlesticks, and a wide range of bottles. Even buttons. The
medallic design on these can be clear, white, silvery or in
full color depending upon how they are made.

"A lot of famous glass manufacturers made sulphides, including
the famed French firm of Baccarat, which has made sulphides
from mid-nineteenth century to the present. Also French firms
Clichy and Saint Louis, and the John Ford Company in Scotland
(no relation to the John J. Ford of numismatic fame).

"For numismatists the fun of collecting sulphides is locating
and matching up the medal from which the relief was taken.
Because the glass relief must be the same size as the medal
relief, size is the first clue. The design, obviously, is the
second and most important clue. This is not only a 'crossover'
of two collecting topics, but a 'leapover' as one of the many
uses of medals.

"To make a glass sulphide object, a plaster cast of the medal
was made. A special clay-glass paste was used to form a positive
cast from this mold. The clay would then be trimmed around the
relief desired, and here is where lettering would be eliminated.
The clay can be slightly bent. That's how you get a flat medal
design to form the round side of a bottle or cup.

"The surface of the clay is treated for the color and transparency
of the incrustation. If it was to be clear it would be coated with
molten glass; if silver was desired it would be coated with silver
dye. If the glassmaker did nothing, it would take the color of
the clay.

"If the object was anything but a flat button, paperweight or
plaque, several parts of a glass mold would be required. Then
molten glass would be poured into this assembled mold, when
cooled the parts of the mold disassembled, and the object removed.
The clay would be broken away and discarded. That is an
oversimplification, but you get the general idea of sulphides.
I viewed many of these at Corning.

"If you have a further interest, get a copy of 'Sulphides, The
Art of Cameo Incrustation' by Paul Jokelson. Page 93 illustrates
some sulphides made from medals with lettering intact."

[Many thanks to Dick Johnson for a submission on yet another
fascinating numismatic sideline.  -Editor]

For images and more information on the art of cameo sulphides, see:
paperweights.cristallerie-hartwig.com/history.html

 GLASS COIN WEIGHTS AND THE CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS
 esylum_v10n30a16.html

Responding my call for examples of numismatic trading cards,
Al Roy writes: "I have a few trading cards produced by Jim
Charlton's company in the early or mid 1960s.  They were promos
used by Lever Potato chips.  According to Mr. Charlton, this
series of cards (called series 'A') included 100 numbered cards
each with a different Canadian coin.  There wasn't a series
'B'.  Here is an example:

flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=977660600&size=o

"I also recently obtained 2 lenticular cards from the Royal
Canadian Mint.  One features a 2006 'Lucky Loonie'.  As it's
tilted, you see the reverse, obverse, and the RCM logo, along
with a figure skater, hockey player, and skier.  The second
features the 2006 breast cancer quarter (reverse / obverse /
RCM logo), and a breast cancer survivor / her daughter /
granddaughter. The women are named on the back of the card.
The cards are numbered '1' and '2' respectively.  I don't know
if any more were or will be made."

Mike Paradis noticed the following item (#130137610059)on eBay
- Les Fox is (or was) selling a set of promotional posters for
the new Upper Deck card series.  The item has been withdrawn
from sale.
tinyurl.com/2s3jlt

 UPPER DECK NUMISMATIC TRADING CARDS DEBUT
 esylum_v10n30a17.html

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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