Last week's issue (6/24/18) of The E-Sylum was a wonder to read. So many interesting things given life, numismatic news, and just plain fun stuff. Also, a shout out and welcome to Peter Preson-Morley to the E-Sylum community. Wayne, a magnificent job of editing a great edition, and thanks so much to all that have contributed.

Haraszthy’s winery was Buena Vista, founded in 1856/57, in the town of Sonoma, California. It’s still producing wine today!

I hadn't realised that was her orientation. In 2014 I gave a paper on Women in Numismatics I referred to Christina, and I understood that she left Sweden with her collection when she decamped for The Vatican. It’s nice to see something in writing – even though it does not mention a collection. I also understood that she had each piece in her collection stamped with a tiny crowned C. Be grateful to know which is fact and fiction!

So far I have received a number of responses to the article and most have been very positive. I am trying to improve knowledge and interest, and it looks like that is happening. I will continue to use CoinTalk to create interest and report updates and the comments there were all positive. Several of the comments noted your newsletter as their source so you are making a difference.

The only questions I received related to research that did not show up in any search and we will update the web site when we have information of interest.

Very observant! However, there are justifiable reasons for such disparities in the various applications.

As we know, Borglum was employed by the Atlanta UDC chapter, of which Mrs. C. Helen Plane at age 86 was the driving force. A coin act necessitated passage through Congress requiring great finesse given Northern opposition and heavy GAR lobbying. The theme was modified to recognize the courage of the Southern soldier, rather than paying honor to the Confederacy, thus Pres. Jeff Davis was excluded. It was Borglum who designed the resulting coin for presentation to the Commission of Fine Arts for approval, on which Daniel Chester French was a prominent member and former chairman.

Borglum’s initial design was rejected as too complicated for minting and required several modifications before accepted. Borglum’s ego, his conflicting commissions and lack of knowledge of numismatic design caused several months delay.

Borglum only completed Lee’s head before being terminated by the SMCMA, which resulted in the withdrawal of support by the Atlanta UDC, who in turn mounted an aggressive, negative campaign against the Association. Their efforts was so successful that it had a major impact on the sale of the nearly one and a half million minted coins critical to financing the carving on the mountain.

A new sculptor was hired and a new design was created for carving, which easily explains the variations in the deviation in appearance of the coin and mountain surface.

I was living in Annapolis about 2003 when a coin popped out of the soil in the historic downtown and found its way into the news. Soon thereafter, I got to sit down with Wendi Winters for a cordial interview that led to a little feature piece on me and the weird world of numismatics. I didn't know her well, but she was a gifted storyteller and clearly loved what she did: introducing Annapolitans to their neighbors. Wendi was killed today in the Annapolis mass shooting.

Will Mumford had always heard there were Colonial coins under 10 Cornhill St. in Annapolis. But apparently no one had ever tried to find them until the home's current owners began renovating their basement this past summer and gave Mumford permission to excavate it.

In nearly 25 years of amateur excavations, Mumford had never found a coin. "I didn't expect I was going to find them," he said.

But last month, the retired Anne Arundel Community College economics professor found a threepence coin minted by John Chalmers, an Annapolis politician who made some of the country's first coins in 1783.