WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM MARCH 21, 2010

Among our new subscribers this week are Zack Kaleky, courtesy of (and nephew of) Mark Lighterman, Ray Bows, courtesy of John and Nancy Wilson, Steve Acre, courtesy of Warner Talso, and Richard A. Grossmann. Welcome aboard! We now have 1,327 subscribers.

This week we open with an update from literature dealer Fred Lake, and a review of Atom Damali's new book on Ottoman coinage. New query topics this week include the RARCOA J.F. Bell sale and recommended reading for Red Book readers.

Other topics run the gamut from a numismatic-themed exhibit at the Harvard Art Museum, coin cabinets, and an artist's ceramic "coins". To learn about Rubens and numismatics, the paper siege money of Alhama de Granada, owls on U.S. coins, and North Korea's firing squad, read on.

Wayne Homren
Numismatic Bibliomania Society

LAKE BOOKS MAIL-BID SALE #102 CATALOG AVAILABLE

Lake Books announces the publication of its One-Hundred Second mail-bid sale of numismatic literature. The catalog features selections from the library of Nick Boccuzzi and among the 514 lots is an extensive listing of "Redbooks" and "Bluebooks" plus reference material on United States coinage, World and Ancient coinage, Tokens and Exonumia, Paper Money and an interesting assortment of miscellaneous topics. You can view the catalog at http://www.lakebooks.com/current.html

The sale closes on April 20, 2010 at 5:00 PM (EDT) and bids may be placed via email, telephone, fax or conventional mail. Remember to bid early as tie bids are won by the earliest bid received.

Lake Books
6822 22nd Ave. N.
St. Petersburg, FL 33710
727-343-8055
Fax 727-345-3750

NEW BOOK: THE NUMISMATIC LEGACY OF FRANK H. STEWART

Len Augsburger writes:

BOOK REVIEW: HISTORY OF OTTOMAN COINS BY ATOM DAMALI

Many scholars and collectors are aware of a recent, and very welcome, improvement in the physical appearance of numismatic publications coming from Russia. The new studies are fairly expensive, but the quality and mode of presentation of their content more than justifies their cost. Now I'm pleased to report that Turkey has joined this trend: a case in point is a superb new volume by Dr. Atom Damali, Osmanli Sikkeleri Tarihi/History of Ottoman Coins, I, five years in the making

This is the first in a projected series that will eventually comprise eight volumes, taking the story from the very beginning of Ottoman coinage under Osman Gazi (ruled AH699-724, 1299-1324CE) all the way down to the early twentieth century, and the end of the Turkish Empire itself. Dr. Damali's first volume covers almost exactly two centuries, from Osman Gazi down to Selim I (ruled AH918-926, 1512-1520CE).

The catalog portion of the work is prefaced by a general historical sketch; a detailed account of manufacturing techniques used in Ottoman coinage (of particular interest to me); valuable explanations concerning symbols and motifs appearing on the coinage across time; history of the various denominations introduced and superseded across the centuries; metrology of all sorts, lucidly presented; and useful information about the plethora of mints striking coinage for the Empire, scattered from western Africa all the way to the Persian Gulf.

The catalog itself is simply superb. Anyone dealing with early Ottoman coinage knows that it largely consists of small, poorly-struck pieces in silver of varying fineness. It's very difficult to decipher, unless you're an expert – or have an expert to assist. This book gives that kind of expertise: the coins are clearly photographed in color, depicted on average 2.5 times their actual size. Weights are given. Inscriptions and other data, including mint marks, are clearly laid out. Armed with this catalog, it will be virtually impossible not to find one's way through the centuries-broad maze of Ottoman coinage. This book will represent the standard text for the early period of the Ottoman Empire; and I have every expectation that Dr. Damali's upcoming volumes will do the same for all subsequent issues.

As with the new publications coming from Russia, this one is fairly expensive. It costs $160, post-paid. But in my judgment, the clarity of text and images, the sheer amount of information and the concise, easy-to-follow way it is presented – all make this book worth the price, if not more. And prospective purchasers may be interested to learn that a goodly percentage of the proceedings will be used by the Nilufer Damali Education Foundation for several worthwhile projects, including the purchase of books for primary schools and the provision of scholarships to sight-impaired students at no fewer than eight universities around the country. There, they can study anything they choose – including Numismatics.

I give this book my highest recommendation.

(Dr. Atom Damali, Osmanli Sikkeleri Tarihi/History of Ottoman Coins, I [Istanbul 2010], pp. v + 439, ill. ISBN 978-975-93279-3-4.) For ordering information, go to www.niluferdamalivakfi.org, or contact Dr. Demali directly: atomd@superonline.com.

To read the complete article, see: NEW BOOK: HISTORY OF OTTOMAN COINS BY DAMALI (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v12n51a06.html)

EXHIBITION AT HARVARD ART MUSEUM EXPLORES RUBENS' NUMISMATIC INSPIRATION

"Rubens and the Baroque Festival"
March 19–August 28, 2010
Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Floor 4

Rubens's oil on wood sketch of Neptune Calming the Tempest in the Fogg collection is a preparatory study for the left wing of the Stage of Welcome, a temporary stage built in honor of the triumphal entry of the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand into Antwerp in 1635. This small installation juxtaposes the sketch with an engraving of the final stage and with Renaissance prints, drawings, and ancient coins (from the Harvard and MFA Boston collections) that informed Rubens's design. Organized by Anna Knaap, Theodore Rousseau Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Paintings, Sculpture and Decorative Arts in collaboration with Carmen Arnold-Biucchi, Damarete Curator of Ancient Coins.

On April 17, there will be a symposium "Art, Music, and Spectacle in the Age of Rubens". The event is free and open to the public (for details, http://www.harvardartmuseum.org/calendar/detail.dot?id=27895). The program will examine the art, architecture, music, theater, and festival books associated with the entry. List of speakers: Jonathan Israel (Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton); Peter Miller (Bard Graduate Center); Bart Ramakers (University of Groningen); Anne Woollett (J. Paul Getty Museum); Michael Putnam (Brown University); Carmen Arnold-Biuchhi (Harvard Art Museum); Frank Fehrenbach (Harvard University); Caroline van Eck (Leiden University); Louis Grijp (Meertens Institute, Utrecht University).

The exhibition's organizers, Drs. Knaap and Arnold-Biucchi, are greatly interested in information on Rubens as a collector and student of ancient coins and would welcome information about the contents of his collection and its eventual disposition (and whether any coins known to have been in Rubens' collection are extant today). Dr. Knaap can be contacted at antien_knaap@harvard.edu.

ANS LIBRARY CATALOG NAMING CONTEST UPDATE

Elizabeth Hahn, Librarian of the American Numismatic Society writes:

QUIZ ANSWERS: NYNC MEETING OF NOVEMBER 12, 1909

QUICK QUIZ: Who can name the numismatists in this
photo of the November 12, 1909 meeting?

Pete Smith writes:

Jim Duncan of New Zealand writes:

Dave Hirt writes:

Head table, left to right: Unidentified bearded man at extreme left, possibly Charles Leopold Podhaiski or J. A. Clarke; Joseph C. Mitchelson, Elliott Smith (goatee), Daniel R. Kennedy, Albert R. Frey (mustache), Frank C. Higgins (mustache), Edgar H. Adams (mustache), D. Macon Webster (goatee), Thomas L. Elder.

Seated at the left of the front table, left to right: Wayte Raymond (glasses and cigar), Victor D. Brenner (bearded), Elmer Sears, Stephen K. Nagy, Bauman L. Belden (bearded, appears to have a water jug on his head)

Seated at the right of the front table, right to left: George H. Blake, William H. Woodin (mustache, holding cigar), John H. Clapp, and on the extreme right, partly cropped off, William R. Weeks.

George Cuhaj adds:

Dick Johnson adds:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: BOOK REVIEW: CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK NUMISMATIC CLUB (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n11a03.html)

QUERY: RECOMMENDED READING SOUGHT FOR GUIDE BOOK UPDATE

We're preparing the second edition of the Professional Edition Red Book, and I'd like to put a call out to the E-Sylum's readers.

Each of the book's denomination introductions has a list of "Recommended Reading" --- standard references for the collector, investor, and researcher interested in that particular denomination.

If anyone has any updates or additions to recommend, they can email me at dennis.tucker@whitmanbooks.com

E-SYLUM CHARACTER SET TEST

We're still having difficulty displaying certain characters. We don't have a separate test email list, so I'm conducting a live test with this issue. Below are examples of some of the characters several readers are having trouble seeing in their E-Sylum email. You know who you are - please let me know if these characters render properly for you this week. Thanks.

Left double quote     “
Right double quote     ”
Right single quote     ’
Left single quote     `
long dash     —
capital E accent     É
Euro sign     €

PETE SMITH ON DR. PAUL RYNEARSON

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: BOOK REVIEW: COLLECTING ANCIENT GREEK COINS BY PAUL RYNEARSON (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n11a04.html)

MORE ON COIN CABINETS AND WOOD AS A STORAGE MATERIAL

Craig McDonald writes:

John Adams commented last week that "Storage in wood can be death to coins.". While it is true that certain types of wood should NEVER be used for storing coins (e.g., pine, oak, or cedar just to name a few), mahogany, because of its chemical stability, is recognized as one of the safest species to use for this purpose. For this reason, along with its aesthetic qualities, mahogany has been used for upwards of two centuries to house some of the finest collections of coins ever formed, especially among European collectors and museums. Hence the familiar phrase, ."...from the cabinet of....". Most if not all of us have seen coins advertised as having "cabinet toning".

The "death" Mr. Adams is referring to is possibly the result of coins having been stored in cabinets made of a wood other than mahogany. Even today, you see cabinets and/or trays advertised as "mahogany FINISH" (emphasis added). This means that the wood used is probably a less expensive species such as pine or maybe oak. Here we have two problems: first, the use of a wood that isn't suitable to begin with; and second, the use of a stain (probably oil based) to impart the mahogany color. The chemicals given off by either or both of these two substances can have detrimental effects on coins stored in them.

For this reason, I use only solid mahogany, and absolutely no stains or dyes of any kind on my cabinets. The sealer I apply is water based, and is used simply to seal the surface of the wood for protection from staining by oils on the skin when handling the trays.

And regarding a somewhat related post by Mr. Adams: I loved the image of the George Bullock medal cabinet, although it is orders of magnitude beyond my woodworking capabilities. I have started "collecting" images of antique coin/medal cabinets, so if anyone has any or ever comes across one, I would love to see it. I can be contacted at: CabinetsByCraig@aol.com

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: MORE ON COIN CABINETS BY CRAIG MCDONALD (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n11a13.html)
MEDAL CABINET BY GEORGE BULLOCK C1816-1818 (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n11a14.html)

MORE ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COPPER, BRONZE AND BRASS

Joe Boling writes:

Philip Mernick writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: MORE ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COPPER, BRONZE AND BRASS (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n11a09.html)

MORE ON SHIRJIEH PUBLISHERS AND COPYRIGHTS

Fred Schwan writes:

Joe Boling writes:

Ian A. Marshall writes:

Regarding the book by Aldo Basso & Chenby Publishers, Ken Berger writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: QUERY: SHIRJIEH PUBLISHERS (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n11a08.html)

CONNECTIONS OF THAT SYDNEY COVE MEDALLION

Further, to the featured web page in the last E-Sylum, and leaving aside the recent release of a high-relief silver dollar by Perth Mint that recreates the Sydney Cove medallion design, a number of matters concerning that original are worthy of note.

1. Wedgwood commissioned his good friend Erasmus Darwin to compose some verse to celebrate the new medallion. The opening lines are inscribed on the new Wedgwood plate packaged with the new dollar by Perth Mint:

2. Wedgwood and Darwin were both Lunaticks, members of Birmingham's Lunar Society that met in the homes of both Erasmus Darwin and Matthew Boulton of Soho Mint fame.

3. Wedgwood's son Robert married Darwin's daughter Emma. One of their children was Charles Darwin. Wedgwood's money helped bankroll Charles' studies of natural history.

4. Wedgwood did not make the medallions with his own hands. He simply ordered staff to. The design is by Henry Webber, Wedgwood's chief sculptor, with the final mould finishing done by William Hackwood, Wedgwood's principal modeler. The Wedgwood Museum site describes the medallions as having a caneware ceramic body with an ornamented and sprigged decoration.

5. Three different clay types were sent to Sir Joseph Banks from Sydney. All were passed to Wedgwood. The Mitchell library reports that the medallions were produced in three distinct colors: pale cream, brown and black depending on the clay used.

6. Replicas exist. The originals Sydney were impressed on the reverse with a backstamp "MADE BY IOSIAH WEDGWOOD OF CLAY FROM SYDNEY COVE." This stamp does not appear on later issues.

7. Measurements of surviving medallions vary. Three in the Mitchell collection are catalogued as 56 mm across and two as 67 mm. It is unclear if these measurements are of external diameters or of that of the internal bounding rim

8. While Wedgwood entitled the medallion, "Hope encouraging Art and Labour under the influence of Peace to pursue the employments necessary to give security and happiness to an infant settlement", his family referred to it simply as by the "The Botany Bay Medal", showing they were geographically-challenged.

9. Below the neo-classical figures is the legend ETRURIA 1789. Etruria was the name given by Josiah Wedgwood to his factory in 1769 in honour of the ancient Etruscans whose ceramic art had so inspired him. At the time polite society regarded the Etruscans as the ultimate Noble Savages.

10. Webber's design provided the inspiration for first Great Seal of New South Wales, as approved by King George III in 1790. The design can be seen today in the 1892 door panel in the Chief Secretary's Building in Sydney. A more recent used was for a commemorative plaque marking the opening of the Opera House in Sydney in 1986. And it has long been the symbol of The Wedgwood Society of New South Wales.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: FEATURED WEB PAGE: THE SYDNEY COVE MEDALLION (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n11a26.html)

NICHOLAS VEEDER'S 1885 COMETALLISM PAMPHLET AVAILABLE ONLINE

Bibliographic information about the original work: worldcat.org/wcpa/oclc/3783724 .

A link to the online version of that work: www.archive.org/details/cometallismplanf00veedrich .

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: MORE ON NICHOLAS VEEDER'S 1885 COMETALLISM PAMPHLET (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n11a07.html)

THE EARLIEST PAPER MONEY ISSUED DURING A SIEGE

I'm replying belatedly to the claim made in the February 21 issue:

There is at least one earlier instance of paper money issued during a siege, almost a century before the Leyden example.

The town of Alhama de Granada, in southern Spain, was taken by the Christians in 1482; sometime between 1483 and 1485 the Muslims besieged it, and the commander, the count of Tendilla, issued paper money in different denominations with a promise to redeem the notes after the siege, a promise he apparently kept. The story is told by a contemporary, Fernando del Pulgar who was secretary of the Catholic King Ferdinand.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: QUERY: TERM FOR PAPER PRESSED INTO COIN FORM SOUGHT (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n08a14.html)

QUERY: 1872 J.F. BELL PROOF EAGLE LOT DESCRIPTION SOUGHT

Pete Smith writes:

THE EMERGENCY MONEY COLLECTOR, VOL. 1 NO. 3

This issue increases the size of the publication from 8 to 10 pages. There are hopes to eventually increase to 24 pages. As a result, effective immediately, all future subscriptions will be entered at the rate of 25 cents per copy and $1.00 per year.

There is a long discussion regarding foreign subscribers and advertisers. I image transferring and converting currency was an issue at the time. Alrie again calls for the creation of an Emergency Money Collectors Club. He offers this publication as the official organ of the club. He offers to print membership application forms, membership cards, etc.

The Question Box: Has the United States Government ever issued emergency money? Answer: Yes. The Demand Notes and Fractional Currency of the Civil War were both emergency issues. More recent are the 1943 steel cents and the 1942-45 composition five cents piece. (One assumes the Boise Idaho cardboard one cent piece did not qualify since it was not an USG issue.)

There is an article on the "Emergency Wooden Money of Tenino , Wash. " by Emil Di Bella. The first issue of wooden money to make an appearance in the U.S. was during the "bank holiday" of 1931 (actually, the FDR-mandated bank holiday was March 6, 1933-Warrner.) Many bank depositors found their assets "frozen" and there was an acute shortage of currency to carry on normal daily business. The Chamber of Commerce in Tenino, Washington, devised a unique scrip plan. They issued scrip made from wood slices of the Sitka tree. A total of $11, 582.50 worth of scrip was issued in 1931, 32, and 33. The system is credited with keeping trade moving in Tenino.

The feature article is entitled "Russian Emergency Paper Money" by WladimirOushkoff. (This is the first installment of a series.) Paper money existed in Russia since 1769. A few local issues, printed on paper or leather appeared in the 19thCentury, but were considered too few to be discussed here. Emergency issues, as discussed here, did not appear until late 1917.

Coins, made of precious metals at the time, disappeared as a result WWI and the civil war which began in 1918. This catalog lists all the notes and local issues made in Russia from 1769 to 1948. Noteworthy were local issues in Alaska made of walrus hide, prior to the sale to the U.S. in 1867. A major advertiser appears to be Charles Klander of Cincinnati , Ohio . He advertises many kinds of obsolete paper money for sale.

Arlie notes that there was no Fall issue of 1948 nor Winter issue for 1949. He could not find a printer. His temporary solution is a local newspaper that lets him use their printers in off hours. A very resourceful man!

To read the previous E-Sylum article, see: THE EMERGENCY MONEY COLLECTOR, VOL. 1 NO. 2 (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n11a16.html)

ARTIST BERIAH WALL'S CERAMIC "COINS"

For more than 30 years now, sharp-eyed New Yorkers have been finding them on ledges, windowsills and store counters - poker-chip-size coins that reveal themselves to be something far more mysterious than loose change.

The inch-wide ceramic discs, painted in iridescent colors, have the rough, weathered feel of ancient treasure. Each is embossed with a short, cryptic message, a year and two humble letters: "bw."

Those, it turns out, are the initials of Beriah Wall, a Brooklyn artist who estimates he has knocked out hundreds of thousands of these handmade tokens since the late 1970s, quietly dropping them in public places or the hands of bewildered strangers. His latest batch, minted over the last few months, carry the message "Stuck in Brkln."

They are anything but. Mr. Wall, 63, said his homemade currency had shown up all over the world. He has passed many of the pieces to friends and relatives, who have scattered them from California to Africa and from the Caribbean to Tibet.

In the realm of the coin, Mr. Wall is a sovereign, producing anonymous art that is encountered in random, intimate moments. The phrases he stamps on the front and back include wordplay like Flee/Flea and Real/Good and political statements like Bush/Gush and Palestine/Israel.

"My work has been in millions of hands," he said. "It's a little free object that sort of floats around. It's about small endeavors, the edge of meaning or significance. If you'd like some to take wherever, I got a carload for you."

Mr. Wall was a potter in Vermont when he conceived the idea of giving away small chunks of ceramics. He was manning the parking lot at a crafts fair, charging $2 per car. The fee did not go over well with customers, who wondered why they had to pay anything to park in a field.

"I sliced out little pieces of clay squares and gave them to people," he said. "And they all liked it. They smiled. It was immediate. So, bada-bing, I ran with it."

Now semiretired from plastering, Mr. Wall continues to strike his coins - he can make 2,000 in a week - in the basement studio of his Red Hook home. Little clay blanks rest in a bucket on the table, where a plank is splattered with green and yellow streaks of paint. A kiln that looks like a coffee maker on steroids is off to the side. When he has something new to say, he carves his message into a cup-shaped plaster mold, then stamps each clay disc by hand.

Upstairs, coins are piled into buckets and bowls, all the easier to grab on the way out the door. Words peek out from the pile: Bling, Made, Good, Real, Pro, To Have, To Hold. Somehow, he said, they add up to one big statement.

To read the complete article, see: Statements by an Artist, for the Palms of Strangers (www.nytimes.com/2010/03/17/nyregion/17coins.html)

NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS MARCH 21, 2010

Dave Lange writes:

Dave Bowers writes:

Rich Mantia writes:

David Fanning writes:

MORE ON THE COINS OF THE BIBLE BY JAMES ROSS SNOWDEN

Last week you asked as to whether any readers have a copy of James Ross Snowden's The Coins of the Bible and Its Money Terms book. In our family library we have a copy. It too is the second "enlarged" edition from 1866, however our copy has a red-brown binding whereas the one depicted in the E-sylum page is green.

Also, the image of the green copy appears that the center oval is void of words or decorations. The copy that we have is embossed in the oval like the field surrounding it with "PRESBYTERIAN" at the upper edge from 10 to 2 o'clock, "BOARD OF PUBLICATION" from 9 to 3 o'clock at the lower edge and both lines read left to right. In the center on an unrolled scroll it states "SERIES FOR YOUTH". This is the same decoration on both the front and back covers.

Our particular copy was a gift and is signed from Snowden to his daughter Louise on July 22, 1871 with a personal inscription for her. It is a great little book that is a short read with well done line drawings. It was a nice choice for you to bring with for the discussion.

You can only find this pleasure by turning the pages of an open vintage book and seeing a personal note from the author who held it in their hand. You'll never have that from an E-Book!

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: MARCH 9, 2010 (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n11a20.html)

PETER F. VOTTIMA: 1976 U.S. ASSAY COMMISSION MEMBER

Peter F. Vottima, 91, of Springfield, Delaware County, a retired bank vice president and coin expert, died of heart failure Friday at home.

Mr. Vottima graduated from South Philadelphia High School, and served in the Army during World War II. He saw action in the Pacific and rose from private to captain, his daughter Joyce Jeuell said.

He was a talented cartoonist and an enthusiastic gardener, and had an eye for color and design, Jeuell said. He often accompanied his two daughters when they shopped for clothes, including their wedding gowns.

To read the complete article, see: Peter F. Vottima, 91, banker and numismatist (www.philly.com/philly/obituaries/87745222.html)

BIBLIOPHILES SHOULD LOVE THE ABIGAIL FILLMORE FIRST SPOUSE COIN

The Abigail Fillmore coin features the First Lady's portrait on the obverse designed by Phebe Hemphill. The reverse, designed by Susan Gamble, features an image of her shelving books at in the White House Library that she established. Abigail Fillmore was the First Lady during the Presidency of her husband Millard Fillmore.

To read the complete article, see: Abigail Fillmore First Spouse Gold Coins (mintnewsblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/abigail-
fillmore-first-spouse-gold.html)

BRITISH MUSEUM DISPLAYS UNIQUE GOLD EID MAR COIN

A unique gold coin celebrating the assassination of Julius Caesar, which may have been worn as a boastful talisman by one of the emperor's killers, will go on display at the British Museum tomorrow – the Ides of March, marking the 2,054th anniversary of his death.

The British Museum was first shown the coin in 1932 but couldn't afford to buy it. Many private owners later, it has now been loaned to the museum, and will be displayed for the first time.

Caesar was struck down at the Senate, stabbed 23 times, in 44BC. The coin was among those issued by Caesar's former friend and ally, Brutus, leader of the conspirators, after they fled to Greece.

Although 60 surviving examples of the silver version are known, including several in the museum's coins and medals collection, there were only believed to be two in gold. Experts now believe one of those is a fake, making the newly displayed treasure unique.

The coin shows the head of Brutus on one side and, on the other, two daggers and the date, Eid Mar, the Ides of March, which would forever after be regarded as unlucky. The daggers flank a pileus, a freeman's hat, symbolising the conspirators' insistance that in killing Caesar they were toppling a tyrant who threatened the future of the Roman republic.

The coin was punched with a hole shortly after it was minted, probably so it could be worn – certainly by a supporter, conceivably by one of the conspirators.

The swaggering imagery displayed on the coin was already famous in antiquity. In the second century AD, the Roman historian Cassius Dio wrote: "Brutus stamped upon the coins which were being minted in his own likeness and a cap and two daggers, indicating by this and by the inscription that he and Cassius had liberated the fatherland."

To read the complete article, see: Beware the Ides of March: 'Medal' for killing Caesar shows at British Museum (www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2010/mar/14/julius-caesar-coin-british-museum)

STOLEN VALOR: AN EDITORIAL

Across the country, police are rounding up a growing class of felons: valor thieves. With two wars, valor has become a valuable commodity for individuals who want to skip enlistment and combat and go directly to the hero adoration stage. Under the Stolen Valor Act of 2005, it is a federal crime to claim unearned military decorations or medals. While widely popular, these prosecutions raise constitutional questions of free speech. From judges to admirals to bank employees, citizens are facing accusations of felonious bravado.

When President Bush signed the act into law, he was probably thinking of people such as Steve Burton. Burton, of Palm Springs, Calif., appeared at his high school reunion in 2009 in the uniform of a Marine lieutenant colonel supporting enough medals to make a Soviet general blush. Unfortunately for him, he ran into a former classmate who is a real Navy commander, and she reported the possible fraudulent medals, including a Purple Heart, Bronze Star and the Navy Cross. His claim to have fought in Afghanistan and Iraq also drew suspicion.

Burton actually works in a bank. He is one of many people who struggle to reinvent themselves in a more heroic image with the help of Internet sites selling uniforms, medals and ribbons. They are the modern-day Walter Mittys - bank tellers and office workers who want to snatch notoriety from the jaws of mediocracy.

From 2005 to 2009, federal prosecutors charged 48 people under the Stolen Valor Act.

While most people, no doubt, share the anger and disgust with people claiming such honors, the question is where to draw the line between free speech and criminal conduct. Citizens have a right to burn an American flag as a form of protected speech. However, if they do so while wearing a single falsely claimed medal, they can be prosecuted. If Congress can criminalize such claims, it could make half of the pick-up lines used in bars across the country crimes. It could theoretically criminalize other false claims from architects to accountants to anthropologists.

To read the complete article, see: Stolen valor is offensive (www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-03-09-column09_ST_N.htm)

NEW BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM EXHIBIT: A DECORATION AND A SAFEGUARD

A special display opens today at our Museum of the Month marking fifty years since the Queen appeared on a banknote.

Although monarchs' heads have long adorned our coinage, it wasn't until 1960 that a youthful Elizabeth II's portrait was printed on the £1 note. This operated both as jolly royalist decoration, given the Bank of England had just been nationalised, and to foil forgers who weren't as adept at portraiture as the first designer, Robert Austin.

There have been 5 banknote portraits used to date. Austin (1960), Reynolds Stone (1963), two from Harry Ecclestone (1970 & 1971) and the latest by Roger Withington (1990). The new display features a combination of previously unseen sketches and artwork from the Bank's collections, including pencil drawings and rejected designs, printing plates and engraved woodblocks, beautifully detailed examples of lettering by successive designers and early unissued banknotes as well as letters and material relating to the five portraits of The Queen.

Twenty years on, is it high time for a new and gracefully aged representation of her Maj? Or is the Bank holding out for younger, sexier subjects?

"A Decoration and a Safeguard - The Portrait of the Monarch on Bank of England Notes" is at the Bank of England Museum, Bartholomew Lane EC2R until 4 June. Admission: Free of charge to all visitors. Open 10am-5pm, Monday to Friday.

To read the complete article, see: Bank Of England Museum: A Decoration And A Safeguard (londonist.com/2010/03/bank_of_england_museum_a_decoration.php)

ARABIC BANKNOTE CALLIGRAPHER MOHAMMED AL MANDI

Not many artists can say their work is owned by millions. Mohammed al Mandi, however, is among those select few.

He is one of the only master calligraphers in the Middle East. His angular designs can be found on every banknote in the UAE and Bahrain, as well as the passports of the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.

Whether it is through banknotes, passports or live shows, becoming a publicly accessible artist is the realization of a dream for the father of four.

"I never wanted to be an artist who only worked on commission for clients," he said. "I wanted as many people as possible to see my work. Now every person has my art in his pocket."

Al Mandi, 50, is known for his distinct style of overlapping words on canvas. He also teaches calligraphy at the National Theatre as part of a project run by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage.

But his proudest achievement was his art that was ingrained into public life, he said. He started designing money in 1999 with a Dh50 silver coin, released to mark the 30th anniversary of Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

In 2005, he was approached on behalf of the Central Bank to design the Arabic script for the new Dh200 note. Soon after, he would add his mark to the rest of the country's paper money, and was commissioned to do the same for Bahrain's currency, as well as the 200 and 1,000 Syrian pound notes.

Al Mandi was drawn to the art form as a teenager. "I remember seeing [it] for the first time in a textbook when I was 15 years old. It was like looking at a picture, not letters or words. I was fascinated by its beauty."

He began reading stories about famous ancient calligraphers and buying books on the art.

"I began to absorb as much information as I could about calligraphy," he said. "I studied the proportion of the letters, which is the most important thing because you have to follow measurements for the writing to turn out correctly." Following in the footsteps of the living masters of the art at the time, al Mandi left the UAE after high school and enrolled in the Arabic Calligraphy Improvement School in Cairo.

To read the complete article, see: The artist in everyone's wallets (www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100320/NATIONAL/703199794/1041)

MOVEMENT TO REMOVE ROYAL IMAGES FROM SWEDEN'S CURRENCY

Sweden's small but vocal Republican Association said Tuesday it wants to see the profiles of kings disappear from on new Swedish coins and banknotes. "The portraits of kings are not in step with the times," the association said on the eve of a meeting of the central bank's General Council to review the designs of future banknotes and coins.

The Republican Association suggested that current banknotes such as the 500-kronor (71 dollars) one featuring King Charles XI (1655- 1697) should be replaced, citing that he hailed from an era of autocratic monarchy.

The association in 2007 made a similar call suggesting that the late author Astrid Lindgren or Lindgren's well-liked fictional character Pippi Longstocking should feature on the 1-krona coin instead of current King Carl XVI Gustaf.

The 20-kronor banknote depicts author Selma Lagerlof (1858-1940) who won the Nobel Literature prize 1909, the 50-kronor banknote features 19th century singer Jenny Lind while the 100-kronor bill features Swedish natural scientist Carl Linnaeus.

Read more: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/314371,swedens-republicans-want-to-abolish-royal-images-on-coins-notes.html#ixzz0irXQhBPq

To read the complete article, see: Sweden's republicans want to abolish royal images on coins, notes (www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/314371,swedens-republicans
-want-to-abolish-royal-images-on-coins-notes.html#ixzz0iRdpe8hV)

NORTH KOREAN OFFICIAL EXECUTED FOR BOTCHED CURRENCY REFORM

Loren Gatch writes:

North Korea has executed a senior official blamed for currency reforms that damaged the already ailing economy and potentially affected the succession, a news agency in South Korea reported today.

Pak Nam-gi was killed by firing squad last week, said Yonhap, citing multiple sources. The Workers party chief for planning and the economy had not been seen in public since January.

The 77-year-old was put to death as "a son of a bourgeois conspiring to infiltrate the ranks of revolutionaries to destroy the national economy", the agency said.

But it reported that many North Koreans did not believe the explanation, citing one source who said: "The mood is the leadership has made Pak Nam-gi a scapegoat."

The International Crisis Group (ICG) described the currency revaluation as "disastrous" in a report released this week.

The reform appeared to be aimed at reasserting state control over the economy, curbing inflation and tackling corruption.

Although people were allowed to exchange currency – at a rate of 100 to one – only a small amount could be changed. That wiped out the savings of slightly better off North Koreans who had managed to put aside money through trading.

Food prices soared as uncertainty over contradictory policies led to hoarding, the ICG said. By mid-January there were reports of rising deaths from starvation, thought to have prompted the release of emergency food supplies.

To read the complete article, see: North Korean finance chief executed for botched currency reform (www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/18/north-korean-executed-currency-reform)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: ANGRY NORTH KOREANS BURN BANKNOTES IN PROTEST (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v12n49a16.html)

FEATURED WEB PAGE: BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF LARGE CENT PERSONALITIES

This week's Featured Web page is recommended by John and Nancy Wilson of Ocala, FL. They write: "We found it looking for information on Joseph Mickley." Part of Jon Alan Boka's Provenance Gallery of the Year 1794 site, the page features "390 biographical sketches of large cent personalities."

www.1794largecents.com/1794/bios.htm