Dick Grinold's WWI "Machine Gun Corps" engraved Iranian KM-976 silver 5000 dinars has a brother. My example was made as a bracelet for a Corporal in the famed 8th battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Such pieces, in addition to being thought of as "trench art" or "love tokens" were far more important to the British soldiers who commissioned them during the Great War. These men, ever fearful that they would be killed in action and buried on the spot, had real concern for the disposition of their remains. Issued only with cardboard dogtags, they worried that if interred, the tags would rot away before their bodies could be exhumed and identified for proper burial - thus, the inclusion of their name, rank, unit and serial number (some bear their religion too). Many men purchased metallic ID tags in theatre, of differing forms, but most often seen as engraved, wearable coins.

I have a Symphonion three-disc Eroica Model 38B musical hall clock by Lochmann and the award medal Lochmann received.

Would any E-Sylum readers be familiar with this SCHEFFOLD token? The kreuzer denomination would seem to indicate Austria-Hungary or Switzerland. It is listed as number 44082 in the Unknown section of the Peter Menzel token catalog. The photo is from the Leipzig coin dealer Heidrun Höhn. Any help with identification and usage would be appreciated.

I'd like to ask E-Sylum readers for any information about Jules Fonrobert, the European collector of world coins, medals and tokens. His extensive collections were auctioned by Adolph Weyl of Berlin in 1878-79. The catalogs were probably written by Fonrobert himself, with detailed, even painstaking, descriptions.

I'm particularly interested in whether anyone has or knows of any U. S. or Canadian pieces with a Fonrobert provenance. There were 6205 lots, most or all of them individual pieces, in that part of the collection. Thank you.

Actually, that's the Quarterman reprint of Part 2 of the Adolph Weyl sale of the non-European collections of Fonrobert, consisting of his Mexican, central and south American pieces. Part 1 of his "overseas" collection contained his U.S. and Canadian pieces; part 3 were his Asian and Australasian pieces; both were sold by Weyl in separate auctions. I don't know how his European collections were dispersed.

I was so sad to hear of Ted’s passing. While I never met him we did correspond by email over the years. He was always quick to answer a question and help in any way possible. On a bit more personal note I remember asking him on one of my first emails if he was related to the Buttreys here in Montana. At the time I did not know he was from here. He replied that he was and that his grandfather started the company that was so famous here. I surprised him in my reply by telling him that his grandfather sold my grandfather his first house. He never knew that his grandfather also sold homes and said he learned something new about him that day. While he lived in England he always told me of his very fond memories of Montana.

I noticed the mention of Ted Buttrey's passing, which reminds me that I have not yet seen mention of Robert Thompson the noted specialist and prolific author of 17th Century British trade tokens. A particular achievement was the recording and cataloguing of the massive Norweb collection with Michael Dickinson.

Robert unexpectedly passed away in September, date uncertain due to very unusual circumstances.

It's a good design, but poorly struck. Lacks sharpness, as if it was cast. If so, not one made by one of the major medal makers.

As a medal attached to a plaque, it is probably uniface. There is nothing on the medal that is unique to numismatics. If this was produced by Galaxie Design, it may have been a stock medal ordered from some larger supplier. It might be possible to find the same medal on an award for something else.

Here's a couple of newspaper ads, taken from the Boston Advertiser, September 13, 1813. It looks like something was going on with the Cheshire Bank at the time.

I’m reaching out to our readers for some help. I’m planning to do an Exhibit in April for the Georgia Numismatic Association (GNA) regarding the Atlanta Branch of the Fulton Cooperative Association Labor Exchange. In order to explain some of the history leading up to the 1895 Atlanta Branch Notes (of which I’ve acquired five examples), I’ve acquired an 1833 Robert Owens’ National Equitable Labour Exchange note and some 1880 Absolute Money Notes. I’d really love to find an 1893 Atlanta Clearing House note; however, I’m having trouble locating any examples.

Here is an image of a receipt from the Fulton Co-op Association that has a rubber stamp impression on it using the same stamp used on the Labor Exchange notes.

As we age we inevitably end up going the doctor’s office more often, at least I do. When I remember I have been bringing a recent copy of The Numismatist with me, not to read while I wait for my appointment but to leave in the waiting room. The hope is that someone will view and possibly take up our fine hobby. It may never happen but it is a small effort to encourage a future numismatist.

We all lament at the fact that our collector base is aging and I suspect that the majority of ANA members are just tossing their month-old copy and not building a library so why not do so? If everyone made this small effort there would no doubt that it would have the desired result with some. It is certainly better than having your copy sit on your shelf never to be viewed again or automatically going to the recycling bin. If nothing else, think of it as your tiny effort for the upcoming Coin Week.