As for the Treaty of Versailles medal by Chester Beach, the serpent signifying the losing side of the war was described in the original circular for the medal as the “fallen figure of destruction, whose torch is being trampled beneath the foot of Justice”.

With regard to the Actors Fund medal, the two comic heads on the obverse are more properly Comedy and Tragedy masks.

Finally, the Tweet by John Quincy Adams referring to medals as monuments…of the Vanity of human greatness reminded me of the resolution passed by the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society on April 27, 1865. As justification for authorizing a memorial medal for the late President Abraham Lincoln, the Society indicated that it was “the duty of this Society to perpetuate the memorials of historic greatness”.

Although this isn’t a coin, I was reminded of it when I read the comments on eccentric bimetallic coins in the last E-Sylum. It was issued for the 1904 Interstate Convention of Bituminous Coal Miners & Operators. The overall length is approximately 90mm, while the brass medal itself is 39mm. The four aluminum inserts are 13mm each; they depict the state seals of Indiana, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Ohio.

As a patent professional, I have to take exception to the statement regarding the Journal of Numismatic Research and the patent to the coining press. Although the publication in the Journal may have extensive commentary, it is not the "first publication" of the entire patent. It was published in 1896 and has been available to the public ever since. In fact, if you want a copy of it, just go to www.freepatentsonline.com, and you can download a PDF copy (free registration is required),

I agree, it would be interesting know where the producers acquired this piece. As the story of the silver dollar is told in the commercial, the grandfather's life was saved in the 1970's construction riots, when a nail gun nail was deflected by the silver dollar in his pocket. That is the cause of the indentation on the reverse of the coin.

"I was going through my Grandfather's coin collection and found a silver dollar from "The Million Silver Dollar " display booth from the Seattle World's fair. I found your article and your request for an image."

"I collect coins encased in plastic. Several years ago I exhibited parts of my collection at the CSNS Anniversary Convention. That exhibit included a toilet seat which has 13 dollar bills embedded in the lid and a wide variety of coins in the seat for those who like to sit on their money. These seats are available on eBay on a regular basis. The hinges tend to break away from the seat and lid when used."

"Those toilet seats, along with various desk items, were made in the early 1970s . They were sold in NY city, specifically Abraham & Straus department store in Brooklyn. Come to think of it, it was the early 1960s when I first saw those Lucite encased coin items. I still have somewhere a 1963 proof set square paperweight."