Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 7, Number 09, February 29, 2004:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2004, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.


SUBSCRIBER UPDATE

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mailing list this week. A query has been logged with our
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problem corrected soon. Our apologies to those
who recently requested address changes.


E-SYLUM EDITOR VISITS ANA HEADQUARTERS

Your editor visited the headquarters of the American
Numismatic Association in Colorado Springs the afternoon
of Wednesday, February 25th. In the Denver area for
business, I was able to squeeze in a side trip to visit old
friends and have meetings to plan for this summer's
convention in Pittsburgh. As General Chairman, there
are many details to be coordinated with HQ.

The first order of business was to meet with computer
and communications guru John Nebel, who comes to
headquarters weekly to (among other things) photograph
numismatic items for publication. The equipment and
software is superb, ensuring top-quality electronic images.
I had brought with me several Pittsburgh-area medals
to be imaged for publication in the club organ, Numismatist.

With that taken care of, next came lunch, with ANA Librarian
Nancy Green and ANA Researcher/Historian David Sklow
and his wife Sherry. We walked a few blocks to Paninos,
a local hangout with great food. It was fun to just sit and
chat and shoot the numismatic breeze. I rarely get to see
these great folks outside of conventions, when all of us are
busy and don't have much time to visit.

The rest of the afternoon flew by quickly with other meetings.
Dave Sklow introduced me to some of the new staffers,
including communications manager Jim Lucas and museum
collections manager Erik Heikkenen. Erik was busy with
three ANA volunteers who were helping to catalog paper
money in the museum collection.

Next, I spent time at Numismatist's Ground Zero, the large
office shared by Editor Barbara Gregory and Senior Editor
Marilyn Reback. Barbara and I discussed plans for articles
and membership news items (and the accompanying
illustrations) to be published in issues leading up to and
following this summer's convention.

Then, I had a nice meeting with Education Director Gail Baker
and Jim Lucas. We talked about special exhibits and events
for the convention with an eye toward both publicizing the
events to draw in the crowds, and making sure they had some
particularly interesting things to see when they arrived.

Unfortunately, Convention Manager Brenda Bishop had already
left for Portland, OR to coordinate next month's spring
convention. Brenda and I are in regular contact, however,
so there wasn't a lot we needed to discuss this week.

Between and following my meetings I squeezed in time to view
the ANA Museum and Library. Nancy Green gave me a
short guided tour of the library's rare book room. One of the
first things to catch my eye was a bound scrapbook that had
been assembled by George Rode, and early ANA officer who
was also a founder and Secretary of one of my local clubs, the
Western Pennsylvania Numismatic Society (founded 1878).
The scrapbook contained copies of the "Plain Talk" column,
(the early ANA journal), plus interesting items of ephemera
such as programs of the 4th and 5th ANA conventions.
Other highlights of the whirlwind visit included a beautiful
vignette book of the U.S.Bureau of Engraving and Printing,
the Coole research on Chinese coinage, and Cruikshank's
original pen-and-ink sketch for his famous 1818 "Bank
Restriction Note," created after he witnessed people being
hanged for passing forged Bank of England notes. See the
ANA web site for images: Images

By then it was past closing time and the lights were off in the
museum. But Barb Gregory came to the rescue and relit the
galleries long enough for me to make a quick tour of the
current Mexican coinage exhibit, the Colorado money exhibit,
and the new Harry Bass collection exhibit, all of which were
amazing. This was my first chance to visit headquarters since
the new expansion and renovation. Hats off to former ANA
Executive Director Ed Rochette, the ANA staff, the Bass
family, Dwight Manley and other donors for making it all a
reality. The ANA has a first-class space that all members
can be proud of.


BETTS MEDALS STILL RIPE FOR RESEARCH

Granvyl G. Hulse, Jr., Librarian, Numismatics International
writes: "John Adams is correct and therein lies a lesson to
all of us. Having had published a fair amount of material in my
life time, I have learned the hard way that "the first liar doesn't
stand a chance." My introduction to Roy Hawkins was through
a letter he sent to the Spinks Numismatic Circular, after they
had published something of mine purporting to be the last word
on modern Greek coins, pointing out that I had left out the
entire coinage of Otto I. We became good friends after that,
but it pointed out a lesson in that the first book on any subject,
no matter how thoroughly the author tries to make it accurate,
will never hold up under the light of later research.

Betts medals are a good example. Looking for something to
do, and being in the right spot at the right time, I set out to do
additional research on the medals he listed as awarded to
British soldiers in the American Revolution. My four articles
covering five medals were published over the years in ANA's
The Numismatist. While I was able to expand on his brief
explanations I would never be so bold as to say that what I
had done was even then the last word. Where we go wrong
is to hold any work in veneration as the final authority.
Marginal notes on books received by the NI Library are
indicative of the knowledge brought by others who happened
to have access to material the author did not have. I applaud
the work on updating Betts' work and look with anticipation
to the publishing of a revised edition."


ANTI-COUNTERFEITING MEASURES WORKING?

A recent article in USA Today suggests that counterfeiters
appear to be stumped (at least for now) by the new $20 bill.

"It's been four months since newly designed, color-filled $20s
began circulating, and early results suggest counterfeiters are
having a harder time faking them.

In the first four months, more than $1 million in fake new $20s
were accepted by businesses and later detected. That's more
than five times the $192,000 passed and caught in the same
period after the 1998 redesign, says the Secret Service, the
agency in charge of anti-counterfeiting efforts.

More money being caught, even if it was originally accepted,
suggests the new $20s are harder to fake because they are
easier to spot - the government's goal in the redesign."

"Police detectives say some counterfeiters have been successful
in mimicking the subtle colors on the new $20s.

"There's no such thing as a counterfeit-proof bank note," says
Bruce Townsend, deputy assistant director at the Secret
Service's office of investigations.

To read the full article, see: Full Article


SALMON P. CHASE INFO SOUGHT

Stefan Herpel of Ann Arbor, MI writes: "I am a lawyer and
graduate of Michigan Law School, and am doing research for
an article on Salmon Chase and the Legal Tender Cases.

I have been stymied in my search for a source of a particular
anecdote about Salmon Chase and the greenback notes that
were put into circulation in 1861, under his stewardship as
Secretary of the Treasury. I was wondering if you have any
ideas about where I should look.

Somewhere last year, I read that, after passage of the first
Legal Tender Act in 1862, Chase made the decision to put
his own portrait on the $1.00 note and Lincoln's on a higher
denomination note (I believe the $10.00 note), and that he
defended that decision by telling somebody that Lincoln was
of higher stature than himself. Since the $1.00 note circulated
more widely than the $10.00 note, the implication was that
Chase's real reason was to get name recognition to promote
a presidential run. Phelps' biography of Kate Chase suggests
that Kate perceived this benefit from his portrait on the $1.00
note.

I thought I had read about Chase's decision and his defense
of it in Arthur Nussbaum's book about the history of the dollar,
but I was mistaken. I have since searched long and hard for
the source of this information, to no avail. None of the three
20th Century biographies of Chase mentions it. I did not find
it in Burton Hendrick's "Lincoln's War Cabinet," or in Bray
Hammond's "Sovereignty and an Empty Purse." It is not
reported in Macartney's book about Lincoln's cabinet, or in
Umbreit's book about the chief justices, or in Mitchell's history
of the greenbacks. It is not in Fairman's long essay about the
Legal Tender cases in the Holmes Devise History of the
Supreme Court, and is not in his biography of Justice Miller,
or in Swisher's biography of Justice Field. It is not in Donald's
biography of Lincoln or in numerous other biographies of
Lincoln that I have looked at. I have not looked at Otto
Gresham's and Unger's books about the greenbacks, and will
try them.

Can you possibly suggest other books or articles that may
elaborate on this anecdote? Thanks for any help you can
provide."

[I'm not sure of the source of this anecdote, either. Can
any of our sharp-eyed readers help? -Editor]


VARIOUS QUERIES FROM DAVE BOWERS

Dave Bowers writes "In connection with various projects I
wonder if any readers can help with information in these
categories. Any assistance will be very much appreciated!

In connection with a monograph I am doing on the 1815
half eagle, if anyone has any obscure references to this coin,
pre-1900, I would be glad to learn of them. Walter Breen
(cf. p. 51, Early United States Half Eagles, 1966) states that
the Mint Collection specimen was acquired at auction on
December 4, 1885, for $299. What auction was this?

Elsewhere, it has been suggested that this is the unsold Bispham
Collection (Chapman brothers, February 1880) coin later sold
by private treaty to the Mint. In any event, the coin is specifically

mentioned in A.M. Smith's Visitor's Guide to the Mint,1885.
Does anyone have an up-to-date listing of known examples?
Does anyone have any details on how the specimen in
Sweden got there?

In connection with a study of very early numismatic
commentaries on large copper cents, does anyone have
print-outs or copies of Jeremiah Colburn's series in the
Boston Evening Transcript? This may be the earliest detailing
of die varieties, etc.

Does anyone have any specific information on the circa 1883
go-around involving the Mickley gold collection, to W.S.
Appleton, to John Schayer (other than what I have put in print
in recent times)?

Does anyone have any obscure information on Waterman Lily
Ormsby other than that in his book (1852) and monograph
(1862) and what has appeared in the Essay-Proof Journal?
Did he print any "UNIT SYSTEM" currency other than the
$1 of the Carroll County Bank of Sandwich, NH, and his
"Security Bank" advertisement of the same style? He did
"scenic" notes, as for the Drovers Bank of Salt Lake City,
but these are not "unit" system as the denominations are in
separate vignettes, not integrated. I realize this is a rather
arcane inquiry, but E-Sylum readers are well known for
helping with such things!

Thanks, and to all, a happy good night!
Dave Bowers
c/o American Numismatic Rarities
Box 1804
Wolfeboro, NH 03894
or personal e-mail at: qdbarchive at metrocast.net

[QUIZ QUESTION: Can anyone tell us about John
Schayer's line of work outside of numismatics? -Editor]


ATCHISON SEEKS HUDSON'S BAY INFORMATION

Darryl Atchison writes: "Once again I need to ask our readers
for some help.

Firstly, if anyone has access to the following two "Anonymous"
articles in Mehl's Numismatic Monthly I would be grateful if
they could photocopy them for me.

1. "Issues in gold for the Hudson?s Bay Company". ?
MNM : Vol. 10, no. 9 (Sep. 1919).

2. "Hudson Bay Company tokens - their value in trade". ?
MNM : Vol. 10, no. 11 (Nov. 1919)


Secondly, I am desperately trying to find a copy of a sale
which was held by Bowers & Merena in 2001 as follows:
Cabinet of Lucien M. LaRiviere : part III ? Wolfeboro, N.H. :
Bowers & Merena, May 21 -23, 2001

If anyone has a duplicate or available copy I would dearly
love to hear from them. My email address is atchisondf at hotmail.com


LITERARY DEPOT LOGO

Pete Smith writes: "I own one 19th Century merchant token
(PA 590) bought long ago. It was issued by M. P. Morse in
Pittsburgh. The obverse includes a lamp sitting on a stack of
books. I suspect Dick Johnson would like to see this adopted
as a logo for the Numismatic Bibliomania Society. If we took
it from an 1845 era token, no one could accuse us of taking it
from another numismatic organization.

The reverse refers to Morse's Literary Depot. My question:
What was a literary depot? For those NBS members who
collect library tokens or bookseller tokens, do you include
this in the scope of your collection?

With its connection to literature and to Pittsburgh, I may try to
use an image of this token to promote our meeting at the 2004
ANA convention."

[As a Pittsburgh bibliophile, I have long had an example of
this store card in my collection. It is not rare. The "Lamp of
Knowledge" theme is of course very similar to the logo recently
forsaken by the American Numismatic Association. Somewhere
in my files, from my early days as an NBS officer, there are
examples of proposed NBS logos that were solicited from
members by President P. Scott Rubin. These were discussed
at one of our board meetings but other matters took precedence
and an official logo was never adopted.

I've not done any research on the token, but imagine a
"Literary Depot" was a bookstore and/or newsstand.
-Editor]


BARBER AND H.H. ZEARING

Relating to last week's mention of a letter to H. H. Mr. Zearing
by mint engraver Charles Barber, Bob Leonard writes: "Mr.
Zearing, a Chicago artist, was the creator of the portrait of
Columbus that Charles E. Barber was told to use for the 1892
Columbian half dollar, according to a letter in the James W.
Ellsworth incoming correspondence archived at the Chicago
Public Library (Ellsworth was a member of the Board of
Directors of the World's Columbian Exposition, held in
Chicago in 1893):

"[Box 3, C] 54. June 30, 1892; typed letter signed, 1 p.
[William Eleroy] Curtis thanks Ellsworth for forwarding the
Van Dyke article and assures him it will not be quoted in any
way until the Century article is published. Curtis writes that he
will only abstract the article for the Catalogue of the U.S.
Government Exhibit at the Columbian Historical Exposition in
Madrid, where the Lotto portrait will be on exhibit. He further
states he will insure the painting for $5000.00 before it is
shipped to Madrid.

Letter also refers to the design of the Columbian half dollar,
and reports that a profile of Columbus' head must be used.
The Director of the Mint has reported that only the H.H.
Zearing (a Chicago artist) portrait, in Curtis' collection, would
be appropriate for the mechanical requirements of the coin."

Clearly Barber was writing to Zearing about a medal to be
produced in conjunction with the World's Columbian
Exposition, or possibly the U.S. Government exposition in
Madrid in 1892. This sounds like at least semi-official U.S.
Mint business, but I suppose a charge that the letter proved
illegal moonlighting increased its value in the eyes of the
cataloger.

Swiatek and Breen, Silver & Gold Commemorative Coins
1892 to 1954, p. 58, mention W. E. Curtis. Curtis
commissioned a Washington, DC, sculptor, U.S.J. Dunbar,
to model a bust of Columbus for the Columbian half, but
Barber rejected it. They do not mention Zearing's connection
with the design. Perhaps more research has been done since
1981?"


UNITED STATES MINT ENGRAVERS MOONLIGHTING

Although Bob Leonard makes a good case for this particular
instance being government work, the question remains about
whether mint engravers could perform outside work. Dick
Johnson writes:

"Charles Barber was no different from other engravers at the
U.S. Mint. They were all allowed to do non governmental
medal jobs both in and outside the Mint with the proviso
?that it did not interfere with their required Mint duties.?

The date of the Barber letter mentioned in last week's E-Sylum,
1891, was at a time when engravers at the Philadelphia Mint
were still using their old Hill reducing machine (acquired from
William Wyon September 1867). Mint engravers would use it
only for making device punches, however, not for the entire
model. It was not until 1906 when the Philadelphia Mint
acquired their first Janvier die-engraving machine that the Mint
was equipped to make a full coin or medal die or hub entire
from a metal pattern.

The Bureau of the Mint requested Henri Weil (later to own
Medallic Art Co with his brother Felix) to instruct Barber and
other Mint engravers how to use the Janvier when they
acquired this modern ?reducer? in 1906. (Mint officials had
purchased the Janvier die-engraving pantograph from New
York City's Deitsch Brothers who imported it from the Janvier
company in Paris. Henri Weil had been trained by Victor
Janvier himself in Paris; Henri worked for the Deitschs at
the time operating their Janviers. The manuscript papers of
his brother, Felix, tells this story, even Barber's attempt to
sabotage work on the Mint's new machine.)

And even then it was not until 1920, after Barber's death in
1917, that we can document that Mint engravers finally used
the Janvier to reduce a complete model, for Anthony de
Francisci's silver Peace dollar. Previously, new coin models
from outside sculptors whose models included lettering and
all ? St-Gaudens? 1907 $20 and $10 gold coins, Pratt's $5
and $2 ½ gold, Brenner's 1909 Lincoln cent, Fraser's 1913
Buffalo nickel, Weinman's 1916 Mercury dime and Liberty
Walking half dollar and MacNeil's 1917 Liberty Standing
quarter ? were all reduced intact from the sculptors? original
models, not by mint engravers, but by that same technician
who tried to train them, Henri Weil, in his tiny plant in New
York City, then known as Medallic Art Company..

Barber's request in 1891 for an oversize model ?three or four
inches larger than the medal required? proves he would
reduce this on the Hill machine. His further statement
?requiring considerable labor to finish? meant that he would
add lettering by hand with punches. He amplified on this
technique in his report on the engraving department published
in the 1896 ?Annual Report of the Director of the Mint.?
Barber never changed from this routine right to the end!

Incidentally, the recipient of that letter was Henry H. Zearing,
who was working on his first medal, for the Colombian
Exposition, at that time he wrote Barber.

The cataloger of that A.L.S. mentioned in last week's
E-Sylum didn't know that outside medal work was permitted
by the Mint. The fact that for nearly 100 years there was no
press in America to strike large medals. Any American medal
over two-inches HAD to be struck at the Philadelphia Mint
(or be struck in Europe). Thus U.S. Mint engravers did
private medals with full sanction and blessing of their Treasury
Department bosses. They did this for a large number of clients
from circa 1792 (Rickett's Circus) until 1948 (for even such
private medals as a wedding anniversary medal, Julian PE-5,
and dog show medals, UN-19, UN-20).

In the 20th century, however, U.S. Mint engravers built
studios in their home and sent models of their private jobs to
Medallic Art Company or other medal makers. John R.
Sinnock was the first to do this in 1926, the year after his
appointment as U.S. Mint Chief Engraver. This had the
appearance at least of not conflicting with his Mint duties.

Every chief engraver since then did private medal jobs which
were struck y American medal makers. Gilroy Roberts even
modeled medallic portraits of Clyde C. Trees, his successor
William Trees Louth, both as president, and all the directors
of the board of Medallic Art Company over a 30-year period.
(The relationship between Roberts and Medallic Art was
quite close, until Joe Segel hired Gilroy away from the
Philadelphia Mint to work for Franklin Mint.)

American medal companies began forming in 1892 (thank
you, Colombian Exposition!) and had full medal making
capability by 1910, even for large-size medals. During
depression years of the mid 1930s, however, Clyde Trees
was attempting to keep his little company afloat by obtaining
any medal job possible. It irked him to see private medals
being struck by the U.S. Mint in direct competition. He
mounted a campaign for the U.S. Mint to stop accepting
such commissions. He insisted these should go to private
American industry.

Trees beat this drum constantly in the 1930s and 1940s,
but it was not until 1948 that the mint stopped this practice
for any new private medals. Even so, those private jobs, as
award medals already in yearly production, did not run their
course until 1962, when the last private medal was struck,
two years after Trees had died.

The fact government employees doing private work on
government time and equipment might even still exist. When
I was in the military service in 1953 I became active in the
founding of the Middle Atlantic Numismatic Association (with
Walter Breen, Eldridge Jones, Ed Rice, Arthur Sipe, Joseph
French Maley, Roger Cohen and many others). I had type
set and I printed for secretary Jones the MANA dues notices
in the print shop where I worked in a super secret spy
factory in Washington DC. Wow! By admitting that now I
hope the statute of limitations has run out after 50 years!
[I also set type there for an advertisement I ran in the
?Antiquarian Bookman Yearbook? near that time to purchase
any out-of-print books on ? what else? ? numismatics!]"


SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM CURRENCY RESEARCH

Howard A. Daniel III writes: "I am searching for financial and/or
economic articles and references with the first and last dates of
issue for all Vietnamese coins, paper money, collector coins,
foreign exchange certificates, and all other financial instruments
issued from 1975 to date. There are some years shown in the
standard catalogs, but I am looking for the day, month and
year for each piece for my Socialist Republic of Viet Nam Coins
& Currency catalog. If anyone knows of even one date in an
article or reference, please contact me at: Howard at SEAsianTreasury.com

My research has already found about twenty new varieties of
pieces, and almost ten new pieces that will be described in
the catalog. My research support is coming from numismatists
and others in Viet Nam, China, Singapore, Thailand, Australia,
Germany, Finland, England, Canada and the United States.
Without this support, it would be impossible to produce a
comprehensive catalog about Viet Nam's modern issues."


FIRST COIN COLLECTOR?

Regarding our discussion of the first collector, Jørgen Sømod
of Denmark writes: "In 1820 was in Hemselynge in Halland
in the present Sweden found a double hoard of 9.413 coins
of which the 83 coins was a collection ended in the beginning
of the 1330's. All the coins went to the Royal coin cabinet in
Stockholm. I am working on an article about this medieval
collection including a catalog of the coins, which all were
Danish coins from 13th and 14th century."


BURT'S U.S. COIN BOOK

Vincent Alones writes: "Regarding Neil Shafer's request for
information on Burt's United States coin book: I also have a
copy of the book, but I have also a blue and silver dust jacket.
I bought the book in 1935 while still in high school. That is all
I know other then I was told by a person working in publishing
plant in Garden City, New York that it was printed there "


ROMAN COIN OF MYSTERY EMPEROR FOUND

Gar Travis forwarded a link to an article about a recent find
of a bronze coin of Emperor Domitianus, "a mystery emperor
who ?ruled? Britain for a matter of days."

"A man with a metal detector has unearthed a Roman coin so
rare it bears the face of a mystery emperor who ?ruled? Britain
for a matter of days.

Brian Malin, a father-of-one from Oxfordshire, unearthed the
bronze coin in a field in Oxfordshire bearing the face of Emperor
Domitianus.

It is only the second coin in existence to bear the image of the
self-proclaimed ruler of Britain and France in 271AD.

A similar coin was found in France 100 years ago but until now
its uniqueness had meant both Emperor Domitianus and the coin
were dismissed as a hoax.

Historians say the British discovery confirms the French find
is genuine and Domitianus existed."

To read the full article, see: Full Article

A web search found another article in The Guardian:
"Domitianus is now believed to have been a rebel emperor
from the Gaul region, who may have seized power in 271 AD
in the short lived "Gallic empire", and ruled for less than a
year before he was toppled."

"Mr Abdy said there were only two brief references to
Domitianus in historical sources. Both refer to him as a
high ranking army officer, and to his being punished for
treason by the emperor Aurelian - but neither records that
he became emperor.

The coin is on display in the Buried Treasure exhibition at
the British Museum until March 14."

To read the full article, which includes an illustration of
the coin, see: Full Article
Arthur Shippee forwarded links to several other articles
about the discovery, as reported in The Explorator newsletter.

Additional Article
Additional Article
Additional Article
Additional Article
Additional Article
Additional Article
Additional Article


STAMPS PICTURING MEDALS

Regarding our question about medals pictured on U.S. coins,
Joe Boling writes: "The Medal of Honor was on a stamp a few
years ago (in three versions), and the SW Asia Service Medal
appeared on a stamp commemorating Desert Storm. I'm sure
there are others."

Pete Smith writes: "This is in response to your question about
the Purple Heart appearing on a stamp and the question about
any other medals pictured on stamps.

Medal collectors put the Purple Heart in the category of "orders
and decorations" and would not call it a medal.

When I was briefly the editor of the "MCA Advisory," the U.S.
Post Office issued a stamp showing the Nobel Prize medal.
(2001) I used that stamp to mail the next issue of the newsletter.
Perhaps that qualifies as the first usage of a medal stamp to mail
a medallic numismatic publication. The Nobel Prize medal also
appears on several stamps issued by foreign countries."

Steve Carr writes: "There may have been earlier medals on
stamps, but the Congressional Medal of Honor was featured
on a stamp in 1982 or 1983. The stamp featured the CMoH
for the three services (Army, Navy, Air Force)."

Mike Greenspan writes: "Not sure about any others, but I
know the Medal of Honor was depicted on a U.S. 20¢ stamp
in 1983, and I believe the Hispanic Americans 20¢ issue of
1984 depicts a Marine, front-and-center, proudly wearing
the MOH."

David Klinger of San Diego writes: "In reference to the question
about military medals on stamps, there are many examples. The
most extensive series I know of is the Soviet medal series shown
at the following web address: Soviet Series



STAMPS PICTURING MEDALS?

Pete Smith adds: "If the question of medals on stamps is
appropriate for The E-Sylum, how about stamps on medals?
Can you name examples of stamps appearing on coins or
medals? I believe there are several.

The example that comes to my mind is the Isle of Man "Penny
Black" crown issued in 1990. I recall voting for it at an ANA
convention to win the "Coin of the Year" award.

I don't think the COTY gets a special medal. Otherwise that
would be an example of a stamp on a coin on a medal."


EARLY U.S. COINAGE AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM

Saul Teichman writes: "I have a listing of the early U.S.
coinage in the British Museum. This should interest some
of the Esylumites - is there such a word ??

Descriptions are sparse but the weight of the coins is shown
as is the metal. It appears alloy in the descriptions
means copper as silver and gold seem to be well defined."

[To get a copy of the listing, contact Saul at
SAUL.TEICHMAN at ey.com. -Editor]


U.S. MINT ARTISTS CHOSEN

Dick Johnson sent the following Associate Press article
about artists chosen by the U.S. Mint to submit coin
design ideas. He writes: "Interestingly, only one of these
artists mentions that they create in bas-relief and only one
is a medallic sculptor! Yet more than half a dozen are
graphic designers and flat illustrators. Look for more
flat coin designs.

They must be trained to think, dream, create, sketch
and model in modulated relief before they can create a
coin design."

From the Associated Press article:
"Two dozen artists were chosen to periodically submit designs
for circulating coins for the U.S. Mint. They also will be asked
to submit designs for non-circulating commemorative coins
and medals.

The Mint said that the "master designers" are:

Leonard E. Buckley, Damascus, Md., former currency
designer at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, now doing
watercolor painting and calligraphy.

Stephen M. Clark, Post Falls, Idaho, wildlife painter, freelance
designer and medallic sculptor.

Thomas S. Cleveland, Houston, Texas, commercial graphic
designer.

Charles Danek, Los Angeles, photographic producer.

Joe Fitzgerald, Silver Spring, Md., computer graphics,
woodcuts, pastels and oil paintings.

Jamie Franki, Concord, N.C., illustrator, associate professor,
University of North Carolina, Charlotte.

Sharon Fullingim, Socorro, N.M., sculptor in bronze,
limestone and marble.

Susan Gamble, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., graphic
designer and illustrator.

Howard Koslow, Toms River, N.J., painter and illustrator.

Bill Krawczewicz, Severna Park, Md., currency designer,
Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

Justin Kunz, Sandy, Utah, contemporary realist painter
and graphic designer.

Michael Leidel, Marietta, Ga., graphic designer, acrylic
and oil painter.

Richard Masters, Appleton, Wis., illustrator, associate
professor, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh.

Erik Must, Lakewood, N.J., illustrator.

John Nordyke, West Hartford, Conn., graphic designer
assistant professor, University of Hartford.

Garland "Neal" Taylor, Durant, Okla., western and historical
illustrator in oils and sculpture.

Joanne C. Wasserman, Silver Spring, Md., commercial
designer and calligrapher.

Mary Beth Zeitz, Marlton, N.J., graphic designer and illustrator

The "associate" designers are:

Rebecca Armstrong, illustration major, Virginia
Commonwealth University.

Analee Kasudia, graphic design major, Columbia College,
Chicago

Joseph LiCalzi, Bas-Relief study, Fleischer Art Memorial,
the Frank Gasparro Studio, Philadelphia.

Amy Mortensen, photographic illustration major, University
of Connecticut, Storrs.

Patrick J. Quill, marketing and art studio double major,
University of Notre Dame.

Georgina Smigen-Rothkopf, painting, drawing and illustration,
The School of Art Institute of Chicago."


CIVIL WAR CHAT ROOM SET UP

Chris Fuccione writes: "The Civil War Token Society is having
their second online chat this Friday March 5th at 9:00PM.
Here is the link to our message board: 

Civil War Token Society Message Board

If anyone wants more information or wants a transcript of the
first chat they can contact me at chrisfo1864 at lycos.com.


CURRENCY WEBSITE FEATURED ON DRUDGE SITE.

Dick Johnson writes: "Robert Drudge (Matt's father) operates
a fantastic website -- refdesk.com -- and today (Saturday, 28
February 2002) he featured The Currency Gallery in his "Site
of the Day."

I clicked over and found it colorful and modestly interesting.
Really basic stuff on American paper money. It is sponsored
by the Currency Gallery and Research Foundation of
Melbourne Florida. But their section "About Us" drew a solid
black screen. I can understand their hiding behind a post office
box to conceal their street address, but why the black curtain
over who they are?

currencygallery.org

[Are any E-Sylum readers familiar with this site? -Editor]


STUPID COIN TRICKS

Len Augsberger writes: "A Canadian two dollar coin was the
subject of a "Stupid Pet Tricks" segment on the Late Show
with David Letterman this past Thursday evening. Featured
was a poodle which retrieved a "twonie" from its owners
purse and then proceeded to deposit said coin in a glass
piggy bank, accompanied by much cajoling from the anxious
owner."


FEATURED WEB SITE

This week's featured web site is a section of the Notre Dame
numismatic web site recommended by John and Nancy
Wilson of Ocala, FL. They write:

"While trying to find some paper money information on
Google, we came across the following site. It is a great site
that deals with Colonial and Continental Paper Money,
along with some other related items It has great
information regarding the Colonial and Continental Notes.
The photos are very well done.

Colonial and Continental Notes


  Wayne Homren
  Numismatic Bibliomania Society