WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM JULY 14, 2013

New subscribers this week include James Motley and John Kroon. Welcome aboard! We have 1,661 email subscribers, plus 239 followers on Facebook.

Howard Cohen has been in regular contact with AOL for weeks on the issue of non-receipt of our newsletter. Thanks!

One AOL subscriber reported they've been getting their issues normally, but most others continue to report it's been weeks since they've received their E-Sylum issue via email. Some of these folks have given up on AOL and switched to another email provider.

I tried a workaround by forwarding a copy of last week's issue to all 199 AOL subscribers, but ran into a different problem with Gmail; it would only send the first 100. I sent the other 99 Wednesday morning, as they told me my sending privileges would be shut off for 24 hours. I'll break the list into smaller batches this week.

A number of readers have switched to other email addresses. Jeff Rock writes:

AOL headquarters is right down the road from my house. I should go over there and kick someone in the behind. Gary Niditch writes:

I'm not a regular drinker, but perhaps I should start. Anyway... This week we open with a reminder of the Kolbe & Fanning sale closing July 18th, three new books and a review. Other topics include numismatic libraries and bibliographies, J.V. McDermott and his 1913 Liberty Nickel, and the national Medals of Arts and Humanities.

To learn more about Communion Tokens, Laverne and Shirley, Bibliotheca Bibliothecarum, the Yap Island license plate, and the “Dr L. Roper.” countermark enigma, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

KOLBE & FANNING SALE #129 CLOSES JULY 18, 2013

Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers wish to remind their customers that their 129th mail-bid sale of important numismatic books closes this Thursday, July 18. The sale features selections from the library of renowned U.S. copper specialist Del Bland and other properties, and includes works on ancient, medieval, foreign and U.S. numismatics.

Among the 660 lots, which cover the entire range of numismatics, some highlights include:

—The complete Erbstein collection, bound with the rare 1911 Hess sale of Hermitage duplicates (lot 83)

—A complete set of Barney Bluestone catalogues (lot 253)

—The first numismatic article published in the U.S. on American coins (lot 483)

—Del Bland’s remarkably fine complete set of Stack’s catalogues (lot 556)

—A rare plated Chapman catalogue of the Simpson collection (lot 354), among many other plated Chapman catalogues including Earle, Jenks, Gable, Sargent and others.

—Mayer’s rare bibliography of Islamic numismatics (lot 132)

—Walker’s classic work on Arab-Byzantine and Umayyad coins (lot 219)

—The first plated U.S. numismatic auction catalogue (lot 363)

—Charles Elmore Green’s Deluxe, Photographically Illustrated Dunham Catalogue (lot 488)

—The Jack Collins research files on Peter Getz (lot 374).

Bids may be placed via mail, email, phone or fax. Phone bids will be accepted until 6 pm on Thursday, July 18 at (614) 414-0855. Voicemail, fax and email bids will be accepted until midnight. Faxes should be sent to (614) 414-0860; emails should be sent to df@numislit.com.

The catalogue may be downloaded in PDF form from the Kolbe & Fanning website at www.numislit.com. For full bidding instructions, please see the catalogue and read the terms of sale.

Thank you, and we look forward to your participation!

NEW BOOK: COMMUNION TOKENS

Communion Tokens: A Guide for Collecting Scottish, Canadian & United States Tokens.
Author: Michael S. Shutty, Jr.
ISBN-13: 978-1-60047-878-9
Format: 6 x 9 Trade Paperback
Pages: 137
Price: $14.95

If you are interested in Communion Tokens, you are not alone. However, it sure seemed that way when I started collecting them a few years ago. I found that most of the references are decades old except for the encyclopedic listing of communion tokens published by Lester Burzinski in 1999. Unfortunately, his tome is hard to come by, as only 250 copies were printed. Furthermore, there were no introductory guidebooks that provided an overview of the series to help collectors get started. Consequently, I decided to take on this challenge. The result is this book and a blog that I started on blogspot.

Communion tokens come in all sizes and shapes. There are over 7000 of them worldwide, but most come from Scotland where the Presbyterian Church became the established church of the land. Canadian tokens are also popular, whereas the American tokens are rarely encountered. Most collectors gravitate towards the Scottish pieces, as the variety is entertaining. Communion tokens are old too; they are available from the mid-seventeenth century onward. Personally, I find the old ones inescapably charming, as many of them are molded from handcrafted dies.

The tokens were part of the Presbyterian fabric until the first quarter of the twentieth century. They were passed out to selected parishioners prior to the communion service to allow admittance to the Lord’s Table. The minister, assisted by the church elders, examined all those requesting tokens to insure their probity.

As such, it was an honor to receive a token and a disgrace to be refused one. There are interesting stories about how some folks bartered to gain a token, and how others were called out by ever vigilant neighbors as they approached the table, only to have their token taken away for being a witch, thief or fornicator. Certainly, these were interesting times.

Communion Tokens: A Guide to Collecting Scottish, Canadian & United States Tokens is available on the Wasteland Press website: Books123.org. For more information about the book or the tokens, check out the blog at communiontokens.blogspot.com .

NEW BOOK: CURRENCY LEGISLATIONS OF THE EAST INDIA COMPANY, 1772-1835

Title : The Sikka and the Raj: A History of Currency Legislations of the East India Company, 1772-1835.
Author : Sanjay Garg
ISBN : 9788173049705
List Price : Rs 1,495.00
First Published : 2013
Pages : 544
Edition : Hardbound

In the process of colonization of India by the British, currency proved to be a vital weapon as it directly affected almost every aspect of the economic life of the society. The book encapsulates the story of Indian currency during the early days of the colonial rule in India. It presents a comprehensive account of the currency policy of the British East India Company, which it pursued to establish a uniform currency in India.

The process of currency legislations enacted by the Company, the circumstances leading to the adoption of these legislations, as well as the effects of these legislations on the prevailing economic conditions in the country, have been analyzed with a view to establish a relationship between the stability of the currency vis-à-vis the economic colonization of India by the East India Company.

By integrating numismatic data with the archival sources, the book scrutinizes various internal and external forces which were at work in shaping the monetary structure during early days of the colonial rule in India, and presents a new insight about the role of currency in the colonization process of India.

The objective of this study is not merely to have a ‘cause and effect’ understanding of the currency reforms carried out by the East India Company, but also to delve into the often-overlooked or neglected prognosis of the ‘what and how’ of its process.

All related archival material – a series of 39 Regulations (1793-1833) and two Acts (1835) – has been incorporated in the appendices which makes this book a veritable tool for reference and further research.

DR. SANJAY GARG is a numismatist of international repute. He obtained his Ph.D. in History from the Jawaharlal Nehru University and Diploma in Archival Studies from the National Archives of India, New Delhi.

Author of several books and research papers, Dr. Garg was also a recipient of the Charles Wallace Fellowship at the University of Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum, U.K. (1998); Resident Fellowship at Centro Incontri Umani (Socio-Cultural Centre), Ascona, Switzerland (2009); Robinson Visiting Scholarship at the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, University of Oxford, together with the Kraay Visitorship at the Wolfson College, University of Oxford, UK (2010).

Dr. Garg has served at the National Archives of India for 24 years and is at present heading the Research Division of the SAARC Cultural Centre, Colombo. He is also the Executive Editor of the SAARC Culture and Editor of the Numismatic Digest.

Purchase the book, see: The Sikka and the Raj: A History of Currency Legislations of the East India Company, 1772-1835. (www.manoharbooks.com/BookDetails.asp?bookid=126970)

NEW BOOK: AMERICAN SILVER EAGLES, 2ND EDITION

Whitman Publishing announces the release of the updated, revised second edition of American Silver Eagles: A Guide to the U.S. Bullion Coin Program, by John M. Mercanti and Michael “Miles” Standish. The 176-page hardcover book is available online (including at www.Whitman.com) and from book stores and hobby shops nationwide. It retails for $29.95.

“If any numismatic book has earned the title of ‘runaway best-seller,’ it’s American Silver Eagles,” said Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker. “The first edition sold out in a few months, with tens of thousands of copies eagerly snapped up by enthusiastic coin collectors and investors.” Authors John Mercanti and Miles Standish promoted the book in late 2012 and early 2013 through social media and appearances including at the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Expo in Baltimore.

American Silver Eagles quickly earned praise from the hobby community, with reviewers calling it “invaluable,” “impressive,” and “a book that belongs in your library” (1) . . . “a real pleasure to read, especially because of the lavish illustrations and the coffee-table format” (2) . . . “beautiful” and “vitally informative” (3) . . . “three books in one” (4) . . . “an outstanding reference” and “a great value” (5) . . . and a “comprehensive guide to [the] silver bullion coin” with “possibly everything you ever wanted to know about the silver American Eagle.” (6)

In the second edition, the story of the American Silver Eagle is expanded to include new information on the U.S. Mint’s individual coins and sets of 2012 and 2013. Additional research and more photographs expand the coverage of earlier issues, as well. More historical photographs have been added to chapter 2 (Mercanti’s behind-the-scenes history of the American Silver Eagle). Certified coin populations are updated, as are the valuations seen in today’s sometimes volatile marketplace. Additional images and information bring the book up to date in chapter 4 (covering the Mint’s other silver, gold, and platinum issues, plus the Treasury’s report on palladium coins). And a new appendix explores the phenomenon of surface spotting on American Silver Eagles.

These additions and updates, building on the solid foundation of the first edition, make American Silver Eagles, second edition, an equally valuable reference for every collector’s and investor’s library.

For more information, or to order, see: American Silver Eagle - A Guide to the U.S Bullion Program - Expanded 2nd Edition (www.whitman.com/store/Inventory/Detail/American-Silver-Eagle---A-Guide-to-the-U-S-Bullion-Program---Expanded-2nd-Edition+0794840302)

BOOK REVIEW: OXFORD HANDBOOK OF GREEK AND ROMAN COINAGE

21st Century Numismatics: The Oxford Handbook of Greek and Roman Coinage
Edited by William E. Metcalf
Oxford University Press, 2012
Review written by Roger Kuntz

This book represents an unprecedented innovation in numismatic literature and is becoming widely regarded as the best introduction to classical ancient coins. It is far more than a guide written solely for collectors. Instead, it was written to serve also as an introduction for graduate or post-doctoral students in the ancient cultures who seek training in classical numismatics. As a work in the renowned Oxford Handbooks series, this volume was written to offer an authoritative and annotated state-of-the-art survey of current thinking and research in the subject area. However, it is just that focus that makes it such a valuable text for serious collectors of ancient coins.

The book contains a collection of 33 essays, covering all aspects of Greek and Roman numismatics. Each chapter has been contributed by the authority having pre-eminent expertise in the topic under consideration. The presumption by all 33 of the contributors has been that readers would have no previous knowledge of any aspect of numismatics, thus keeping this volume accessible to readers at all levels.

It begins with a general introduction by the editor, William E. Metcalf. His article considers the role of scientific analysis in our discipline, explaining how numismatic research is done in the 21st-century. After that introduction, the following 32 chapters, each written in an easy prose-style, constitute an account of the history and evolution of ancient coinage. Each essay provides a systematic overview of the topic as well as a critical account of the progress of numismatic study, illustrating throughout the book how modern techniques such as die studies, hoard analysis, and mint-output data have advanced our knowledge of ancient numismatics.

This survey rightly begins with the electrum coins of Lydia. This innovation was followed some 80 years later by the introduction of a bi-metallic (silver and gold) monetary system. A prolific silver coinage was introduced at Athens with-in a generation, and it soon inundated the economies of the Aegean and the Near East. The type, featuring Athena and her owl, was struck over four centuries, becoming the first coinage accepted throughout the known world.

This was followed by a bewildering array of types struck to a plethora of standards that are well-described here. The typological diversity of these and the Roman Republican issues is well-illustrated. During Caesar’s monarchy, he was allowed the privilege of placing his portrait on his coins, thus resulting in the development of portraiture as the most powerful instrument of numismatic propaganda – an iconographic development that has persisted until modern times. The evolution of imperial titles under succeeding emperors is examined in detail. The development of reverse types in great variety stressed imperial achievements and the current events of their day. The interplay between metropolitan and provincial issues is ably illustrated.

By the beginning of the 3rd-century, monetary pluralism prevailed. While Roman coinage may appear to the casual observer to adhere over time to tradition, it was actually in a constant state of change. Each short-lived dynasty made significant alterations according to its own familial needs.

The use of female portraits as obverse types is explained in terms of dynastic propaganda. The reasons for the issuance of commemorative coins and the types proclaiming religious beliefs are discussed. Finally, the appearance of idiosyncratic types and unusual minting practices that made the later Roman coins so complicated is explained. The overall impression is one of stability during the first century followed by gradual decline in the later centuries.

The currency system established by Augustus collapsed during the third century and was replaced by a “Late-Roman” system based on the use of smaller base metal coins. The iconographic tradition of realistic portraiture inherited from the Greeks gave way to the use of idealized portraits in the decades before the introduction of Byzantine types.

William E. Metcalf is a former curator at the American Numismatic Society and currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Classics at Yale University and the Ben Lee Damsky Curator of Coins and Medals at the Yale Art Gallery. This volume contains 900 digital photographs of ancient coins that have been placed at the appropriate points within each essay. Each chapter is also accompanied by its own very extensive bibliography. This book is now being acclaimed as the most informative single-volume work on ancient coinage that has been published to date. As such, it belongs in the library of every collector who has a broad interest in all facets of numismatics.

For more information, or to order, see: The Oxford Handbook of Greek and Roman Coinage (global.oup.com/academic/product/the-oxford-handbook-of-greek-and-roman-coinage-9780195305746?cc=us&lang=en&)

For more information about the Rochester Numismatic Association, see: www.the-rna.com

THE IMPORTANCE OF NUMISMATIC BIBLIOGRAPHIES

Among the Library’s most recent acquisitions is George Kolbe’s new publication, The Reference Library of a Numismatic Bookseller, which was privately printed and limited to 150 copies. Although the topic may initially seem very narrow and focused, the book is an important reference tool for numismatic researchers and reminds us of the general importance and abundance of numismatic bibliographies. Bibliographies in general are particularly important to libraries as a way of identifying relevant works and assisting researchers. Well organized bibliographies, like Kolbe’s, can be particularly useful in guiding research.

The ANS Library reference section contains more than 700 books, many of which are bibliographies, which can be as broad as Dekesel’s mammoth works (Bibliotheca Nummaria series) that aim to include all numismatic literature published by century, starting with the 16th century, to as narrow a bibliography as that of a single author, such as Carl H. Schaible’s 1952 Bibliografia de José Toribio Medina. Even the ANS Library’s online catalog, DONUM, serves as its own electronically published numismatic bibliography, containing more than 180,000 records of items in the collections, with each record containing not only location information, but essential bibliographic information that can assist any researcher.

Numismatic bibliographies have been compiled for centuries although interest really increases after the appearance of the earliest works of numismatic literature by Guillaume Bude and Andrea Fulvio in the early 16th century. The earliest book to contain a numismatic bibliography appeared in 1579, written by Antoine Le Pois. The introductory pages of his book, Discours sur les medalles et graveurs antiques, principalement romaines, include about 5 pages of bibliographic discussion that mentions other 16th century authors such as Fulvio, Erizzo, and Goltzius, among others, as part of his larger scholarly study on Roman coins and antiquities.

But the earliest official numismatic bibliography (as a work of its own) can be traced back to Philippe Labbé (1607-1667), a Jesuit priest, who published his Bibliotheca Bibliothecarum in 1664 in Paris. Labbé’s bibliography adopted an alphabetical arrangement by first name of the author and appeared in several editions between 1672 and 1695. This was notably followed by Burckard Gotthelf Struve’s Bibliotheca numismatum antiquiorum (1693), Anselmo Banduri’s Bibliotheca nummaria (1718), Franz Ernest Brückmann’s Bibliotheca numismatica (1729), and Johann Christoph Hirsch Bibliotheca numismatica (1760), which lists more than 1500 works arranged alphabetically by author or title and includes a beautiful frontispiece depicting a numismatic library

DAVE BOWERS' FINAL WORD ON JOHN J. FORD

Dave Bowers writes:

In my July 15 column, I discussed John J. Ford Jr. and his discoveries of hitherto unknown varieties of Western gold coins and ingots. John was viewed as America’s leading authority on counterfeits, alterations and forgeries, and was recognized as such by the American Numismatic Association, the Professional Numismatists Guild, and by many collectors and dealers.

Coming to the rescue of John was Dr. Donald Kagin, whose book, Private Gold Coins and Patterns of the United States, was published in 1981.

Many if not most of John’s new discoveries were included in the book. John said that Kagin had done extensive research, had unimpeachable credentials on the subject of Western numismatic Americana, and had independently verified the coins and ingots, thus settling the matter once and for all.

John made a special arrangement for my company to receive and offer for sale discounted copies of the book. He wanted it to be as widely distributed as possible. Finally, his name had been cleared by a third party.

However, upon study, for me many of the illustrations raised further questions. Pictured were items made by the U.S. Assay Office of Gold in San Francisco that were marked as .999 pure (999/1000ths).

How could that be, I wondered, when at the time, the assay office had problems refining gold to even .900 pure, the federal standard?

Some years ago, I began writing reminiscences of Ford as part of some autobiographical notes.

Karl Moulton, a researcher who became interested in the controversy, learned of this and wrote to me stating that he had acquired copies of many of John’s papers from the disposal of his estate, had done other studies, and was going to write a book.

He asked me to be a copy editor, and I agreed. Others contributed as well.

Now in print, John J. Ford, Jr., and the “Franklin Hoard” — containing extensive Ford correspondence, invoices and other material — reveals that Ford created many fabrications — saying one thing about the pedigree or origin of a newly discovered item to one buyer and something different to another buyer.

The John J. Ford Jr. delineated by Karl Moulton is not the John that I thought I knew.

I still like to think that John was very good to me over a long period of time. He helped me with much research in Colonials, early American coins, tokens and other specialties. And, without question, his New Netherlands catalogs were and are magnificent. Let me suggest that he was 90 percent good for the hobby and 10 percent negative and self-destructive.

The Moulton book is more than 900 pages in length, color illustrated, hardcover and on fine paper. It is available if you send $250 to Karl Moulton, P.O. Box 1073, Congress, AZ 85332.

To read the complete article, see: John J. Ford Jr. fabrications (www.coinworld.com/articles/viewarticle/2807)

To read an earlier E-Sylum article, see: BOOK REVIEW: JOHN J. FORD AND THE FRANKLIN HOARD (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n28a06.html)

VIDEO: DAVID FANNING ON NUMISMATIC LIBRARIES

To view the video, see: David Fanning Talks About the Importance of a Numismatic Library (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzwsIJacNE4)

MORE ON THE 1864 STONEWALL JACKSON MEDAL

Harold Levi writes:

Peter Bertram writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: THE 1864 STONEWALL JACKSON MEDAL (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n28a25.html)

ERIC P. NEWMAN'S M. L. BEISTLE HALF DOLLARS

I've been attributing Eric P. Newman coins since getting back from the ANA Seminar, and there are countless amazing specimens. Most of these are ex: "Colonel" E. H. R. Green and are so noted on the labels, which are themselves special printings for the Newman Collection. I'm doing variety attributions, not the provenances. Those are already established.

I'm particularly taken with the early half dollars, as these are nearly all Green coins and thus also ex: M. L. Beistle, author of the first variety book devoted to half dollars. Beistle sold his half dollar reference collection to Green en bloc during the summer of 1928, and this transaction is documented in my forthcoming book on The National Coin Album and related products.

Of course, the National Album was originally created by Beistle in 1927 as the Unique Coin Holder, and he housed his own collection in these pages for easy comparison while writing his reference book. The coins were acquired by Green still mounted inside Unique Coin Holders, hundreds of which he had already purchased from Beistle earlier that year for his other coins. I've reproduced much of this correspondence in my book, yet more remains within The Beistle Company Archive for the interested researcher.

Bidders who are successful in acquiring ex: Green halves during November's auction in NYC should keep in mind that they are also possessors of coins that may be traced directly to M. L. Beistle, author and inventor of the first coin album product.

NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JULY 14, 2013

Didier Vanoverbeek Located

Last week, Roberto Jovel asked about an article by Didier Vanoverbeek on the 1904 issue of El Salvador Pesos or Colones at the Hamburg Mint. Gar Travis located an email address for Vanoverbeek. Roberto writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JULY 7, 2013: Query: Article on 1904 El Salvador Pesos Sought (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n28a11.html)

Island of Stone Money License Plate

Regarding Yap Stone money, Tom Sheehan forwarded the following images.

Tom writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: DAVID O'KEEFE AND YAP STONE MONEY (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n28a21.html)

Rich Hartzog On Token And Medal Books Yet To Be Published
Rich Hartzog writes:

Ron Ward adds:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: DICK JOHNSON ON TOKEN AND MEDAL BOOKS YET TO BE PUBLISHED (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n28a20.html)

Ferracute Chinese Cash Coin Identified
Ken Spindler writes:

Thanks. Here's the corrected image.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: THE FERRACUTE MACHINE COMPANY (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n28a26.html)

More on Modern Spanish Coin Dating
Ken Spindler writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: FEATURED WEB PAGE: DATES ON MODERN SPANISH PESETA COINS (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n28a35.html)

The Two-Masted Ketch
Yossi Dotan writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: ARTICLE PROFILES CANADIAN COIN DESIGNER JOHN HORTON (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n28a29.html)

2012 Finland 5 Euros Wildman Catalog Number
Regarding Bob Knepper's question about the Finland "Wildman" coin, Pabitra Saha writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: QUERY: CATALOG NUMBER FOR 2012 WILDMAN COIN SOUGHT (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n28a13.html)

More on the Erlanger Jungle Inn Token
Regarding Harold Levi's Kentucky token, Jerry Schaeper Jr. writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: QUERY: KENTUCKY HORSESHOE TOKEN INFORMATION SOUGHT (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n28a18.html)

MORE MEMORIES OF J.V. MCDERMOTT

Barry Stallard writes:

Tom Casper writes:

John Dirnbauer writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: J. V. MCDERMOTT AND HIS 1913 LIBERTY HEAD NICKEL (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n28a15.html)

THE “DR L. ROPER.” COUNTERMARK ENIGMA

“How many coins are known with a pedigree to Lewis Roper?” That was the e-mailed question I received on the evening of May 13, 2012. I immediately thought, “I wish there was even one.”

Dr. Lewis Roper (ca.1805-1850) was a pioneering numismatist whose coin collection—back in 1851—was the first in the United States to be sold at public auction. A total of 2,383 coins and medals crossed the block during that two-day sale, but those were early days in the U.S. coin hobby. Few of the collectors who so eagerly purchased Dr. Roper’s coins recorded the source, and mid-19th century coin dealers tended to omit provenance information from their catalog descriptions, so the Roper pedigrees were soon lost. Therefore, my response was succinct: “None.” However, It was a safe bet that my correspondent, John J. Kraljevich Jr. had some additional knowledge up his sleeve, so I invited him to tell me more!”

John has a remarkable knack for locating distinctive and significant coins, medals and notes from the colonial and early national periods of our nation’s history. But to think that he had found a coin actually pedigreed to Dr. Lewis Roper! Even for John, that would be a very tall order, akin to an astronomer finding cosmic material that could be traced directly back to the “Big Bang.”

Amazingly enough, John had done just that. He shot back a message with the subject line: “Sometimes a piece has a collector’s name written all over it…” The photo attached depicted the obverse of a 1791 Washington large eagle cent. Sure enough, between the data and the truncation of Washington’s bust, there was a neat countermark reading “Dr L. Roper.” As I stared at the screen, it occurred to me that, after 161 years, one of Lewis Roper’s coins had finally been found!

John then brought me back to earth with a few thoughtful observations. “The host coin,” he wrote, “is certainly genuine, and the countermark looks as if it was made in the first half of the 19th century. There is every indication that this was one of Dr. Roper’s coins.” But then, John threw down the “coin geek” gauntlet: “Of course,” he said, “’highly probable’ is not the same thing as ‘proof.’ After all, I bought the coin, via e-Bay, from a person in Traverse City, Michigan. Can someone prove that this was Dr. Roper’s coin?”

It was a challenge that I had to accept, and the quest for evidence took me down research pathways that led to surprising numismatic discoveries, but—did I find the “smoking gun”—did I prove that this countermarked Washington cent had once belonged to the celebrated Dr. Lewis Roper?

I wondered how John managed to find the coin, and where it currently resided. Joel wrote:

I responded:

Joel responded:

For more information about The Numismatist, published by the American Numismatic Association, see: www.money.org

QUERY: DEAR OLD CHICAGO MEDAL INFORMATION SOUGHT

Michael Sanders of Beaverton, OR writes:

DENNIS TUCKER'S 2013 ANA SUMMER SEMINAR REPORT

Dennis Tucker of Whitman Publishing writes:

In today's ANA Summer Seminar course (with Robert Hoge, Kenneth Bressett, and Beth Deisher) we focused mainly on writing for numismatic periodicals --- weekly, monthly, and quarterly newspapers, magazines, and journals: the different kinds of publishable numismatic writing; what editors look for; the best way to approach an editor and pitch your article concept; how long an article or column should be. Do numismatic periodicals pay for submissions, and if so, how much? The importance of writing-style guides, like AP and Chicago Manual of Style, and which is preferred by various publications. Legal issues such as libel and copyright. Deadlines. Fact-checking (whose responsibility is it?). Tips on managing a club newsletter or journal.

Our students are great --- smart, talented, and eager to take their writing, editing, and publishing to the next level. They asked sharp, intelligent questions and really picked our brains.

Tomorrow: more of the same! We'll review tonight's homework ("Write a 200- to 300-word query letter to an editor, to pitch your writing concept"). We'll discuss more topics in writing for periodicals. We'll talk about BOOK proposals and start to get into some of the fundamentals of book publishing.

= = =

Wow --- we covered a huge amount of territory in today's ANA Summer Seminar class. First we critiqued and discussed last night's homework (write a 200- to 300-word query letter to an editor, pitching an article idea). We talked about protection and expiration of copyright, how to write and submit a book-manuscript proposal, public domain and "fair use," ways to improve your writing and your creative process, online resources for numismatic writers and researchers, tracking changes in MS Word, using social media, and more. I think we have the best students in the 2013 ANA Summer Seminar!

= = =

In the "Legends in Numismatics" class I taught with Ken Bressett, Bob Hoge, and Beth Deisher at the ANA Summer Seminar, these were some of the students' goals:

• to learn how my writing can improve my coin club
• to learn how to find and develop content for my club newsletter
• to improve my numismatic writing
• to hear the gossip and behind-the-scenes stories that go with the territory in numismatic publishing!

= = =

July 2, 2013: Day 3 of our ANA Summer Seminar course. We covered "How People Collect"; identifying a target audience for your numismatic writing; the possibility of being a proponent of a new segment in the hobby community (e.g., Fred Schwan's pioneering of Military Payment Certificate research and collecting); the traditional arc of a coin collector's development; the difference between long-term collectors and short-term collectors; the average age of coin collectors, according to various sources; "How many coin collectors are there in the United States?"; membership levels of different hobby organizations; the most popularly collected coin series, and how that has changed over the years; non-circulating legal tender (NCLT); learning about, and writing about, world coins; the American audiences targeted by various world mints; readership and membership demographics of coin clubs, and how to run surveys; and the definition of "libel" and why it's important to understand as a writer (including the five factors a plaintiff must prove to successfully claim libel).

Co-teachers Bob Hoge and Ken Bressett played a version of Dr. George French's "Old Cent Whist" (described by William Sheldon in Penny Whimsy), using beautiful ancient coins from their personal collections. We taught the class how a professional copyeditor uses the "Track Changes" function in MS Word. And Beth Deisher recounted a famous Coin World libel case that backfired and led to the downfall of a huge multi-million-dollar scam operator. It was a wonderful day of conversation, knowledge-sharing, and fun!

= = =

July 3, 2013: Day 4 of our ANA Summer Seminar course ("Legends in Numismatics," taught by Beth Deisher, Ken Bressett, Bob Hoge, and myself). We explored club newsletter topic ideas, including the most popular features and sections as identified by David Crenshaw, longtime numismatic newsletter editor-in-chief; Ken and I discussed the "History of the Red Book" (including the early years of Whitman-Hammung and Western Printing Company, R.S. Yeoman, the 10 millionth Red Book, an amusing visit to Whitman by U.S. Mint Director Eva Adams, behind the scenes at the Red Book, errors and misprints, valuable varieties, and more); and Ken discussed the phenomenon of "virtual coin collecting."

We took a short side trip to visit Ken Hopple and his Carson City Mint setup, and to strike our own "Black Diamond" souvenir medals. Then another exclusive highlight of the class: a behind-the-scenes visit to the editorial offices of The Numismatist, where we picked the brains of the magazine's award-winning editors and photographer. (Kudos and thanks to Barbara Gregory, Jerri Raitz, Robert Kelley, and Janine Hall-Conrardy!) We toured the ANA's Dwight N. Manley Numismatic Library, including the Rare Books Room, and reviewed the library's periodicals collection. Another information-packed day of learning and fun for numismatic writers, editors, and researchers.

= = =

July 4, 2013: Day 5 of our ANA Summer Seminar course on writing, editing, research, and collecting. Bob Hoge gave a sterling presentation on famous collectors and collections of the past, going back to ancient times and up to the modern day. We discussed self-publishing (today's print-on-demand technology, as well as yesterday's "vanity press" or subsidy publishing). We looked at the web sites of the Library of Congress and the American Numismatic Society, as case studies in research and image-gathering. We talked about web sites, social media, and promotion of your numismatic writing. And I gave away the ten Whitman Publishing books that we'd looked at throughout the week, including several new releases.

This concluded our formal lessons. That evening: the Summer Seminar's second-session banquet, and presentation of the 2013 Young Numismatist Literary Awards. One of the winners was a student in our class!

= = =

CONGRATULATIONS. . . .

Each year the ANA recognizes young writers through the Young Numismatist Literary Awards, which are funded by Whitman Publishing. Awards are given in three age groups. First-place winners receive a plaque, a $500 cash prize, and a $500 voucher to build a personal library of numismatic books from Whitman Publishing. Second place receives a certificate and a book voucher for... $200, and third place receives a certificate and a $100 book voucher.

Ken Bressett and I presented the 2013 awards at the ANA Summer Seminar banquet last Thursday, July 4th.

The honorees for 2013 include:

Bill Fivaz Young Numismatist Literary Award (Ages 8-12)
First — Garrett Ziss, “Presidents & Their Coins”
Second — Isaac Matittia, “Silver Coinage Usage & Significance: From Ancient Early Times of the Bible to Modern Times”
Third — Benjamin Mous, “The Inspired Collector”

Q. David Bowers Young Numismatist Literary Award (Ages 13-17)
First — Olivia Beauvais, “The Struggle for Recognition: The 1909 VDB Cent”
Second — Danial Usvyat, “On the State of the Modern Cent”
Third — Matt Draiss, “10,000 Tokens: Their Story, Their Variety, Their Fun”

Kenneth E. Bressett Young Numismatist Literary Award (Ages 18-22)
First — Ermin Chow, “Canadian Tire Money as a Numismatic Collectible”
Second — Erik Elbieh, “Making Cents of Circulating U.S. Money”
Third — Luis Ramos, “Inflation in the Roman Empire Due to Incorrect Coinage and Fiscal and Monetary Policies”

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THESE AWARD-WINNING NUMISMATIC WRITERS!

For more information about ANA programs, see, see: www.money.org

MORE ON INSCRIBED TAXAY BOOKS ON COUNTERFEITS

Last week George Kolbe wrote:

Joel Orosz writes:

George reports:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: QUERY: INSCRIBED TAXAY BOOKS ON COUNTERFEITS SOUGHT (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n28a12.html)

MORE JOHN J. FORD TOKENS AND MEDALS COMING TO AUCTION

Brian Kendrella writes:

Dave Bowers writes:

To view the online auction catalogs (once available), see: http://stacksbowers.com/

THE 1768 ROYAL ACADEMY MEDAL DESIGN SOURCE

Francois Velde writes:

To read the 1717 book, see: Annales de la Monarchie Françoise: M. de Limiers (books.google.com/books?id=Yfu-mXJdiUMC&pg=RA2-PA123)

To view the Pierre Drevet engraving, see: Minerve montrant à Louis XV le temple de la gloire (gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8408424b)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: QUERY: 1768 ROYAL ACADEMY MEDAL DESIGN SOURCE SOUGHT (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n28a14.html)

2013 NATIONAL MEDALS OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES

President Barack Obama Wednesday honored luminaries of the arts, including Star Wars creator George Lucas, praising his special effects for freeing movies from "planes in space" with visible strings.

Obama presented National Medals of Arts and National Humanities medals to a group also including musician Herb Alpert, rhythm and blues legend Allen Toussaint, author Joan Didion and sportswriter Frank DeFord.

"The arts and the humanities aren't just a source of entertainment, they challenge us to think and to question and to discover, to seek that inward significance -- and that helps us grow and to change and to reach new heights," Obama said at a White House ceremony.

The president went off script when he came to pay tribute to Lucas, praising him for making "it look like those planes in space are actually flying."

Those receiving the Medal of Arts included Alpert, philanthropist Lin Arison, dancer Joan Myers Brown, singer Renee Fleming, author Ernest Gaines, painter Ellsworth Kelly, scriptwriter Tony Kushner, Lucas, comedian Elaine May, architect Laurie Olin, Toussaint and the Washington Performing Arts Society.

National Humanities Medal recipients were author Edward Ayers, economist William Bowen, historians Jill Ker Conway and Natalie Zemon Davis, Deford, Didion, political scientist Robert Putnam, writer Marilynne Robinson, poet Kay Ryan, book critic Robert Silvers, actress Anna Deavere Smith and writer-photographer Camilo José Vergara.

To read the complete article, see: May the Medal be with you: Obama honors Lucas (uk.news.yahoo.com/may-medal-obama-honors-lucas-194918222.html#eF6tpAB)

ARGENTINE EVITA 100-PESO NOTES ARE LEGAL TENDER

Argentina's central bank has warned businesses to stop rejecting commemorative bank notes bearing the image of Eva Peron to mark the 60th anniversary of the iconic former first lady's death. President Cristina Fernandez, whose fiery speaking style often prompts comparisons with that of “Evita” unveiled the 100-peso bills emblazoned with her profile a year ago.

But publicity surrounding the newly-minted notes was not wide enough to overcome doubts from small businesses where cashiers have rejected the bills for being unfamiliar and with printing errors. So the central bank this week launched a hotline for people to report those who refuse to accept the bills, threatening to fine those who keep turning them away.

“The 100-peso bills with the image of Maria Eva Duarte de Peron are legal tender and must be accepted by all retailers and financial institutions,” the central bank said in a statement this week.

Each is worth about 18.5 US dollars according to the official exchange rate. Even if the bills are not widely accepted, Evita's image is very much alive in Argentina's political life six decades after she died of cancer at the age of 33.

To read the complete article, see: “Evita” 100-Peso bill are legal tender and must be accepted, warns Argentine central bank (en.mercopress.com/2013/07/10/evita-100-peso-bill-are-legal-tender-and-must-be-accepted-warns-argentine-central-bank)

A 3D PRINTED BOOK OF TEXTURES AND RELIEFS

This is my first iteration of a 3D printed book. I have been thinking for some time how it would be nice to produce a book of textures and reliefs. To publish and distribute all the wonderful architectural patterning and decoration we enjoy here in Chicago and beyond.

The impetus for this project was a call for submissions from the Center for Book and Paper here in Chicago at Columbia College. The exhibition calls for both "print on demand" and "photographic" books. This "publication" is my response.

The subject matter for this book is derived from 3D scans made of sculptures and reliefs, found at The Art Institute of Chicago and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The scans were all produced using a regular DSLR camera and a software package called 123D Catch. By taking multiple digital photographs of a subject, the user is able to create a lifelike 3D scan of an object, person or architectural feature."

Tom's book is available as a free, downloadable shapefile on Thingiverse.

To read Cory Doctorow's Boing Boing article, see 3D printed book of textures and reliefs (boingboing.net/2013/07/11/3d-printed-book-of-textures-an.html)

To read the complete article, see: Orihon (Accordion Book) (www.thingiverse.com/thing:110411)

ULTRA HIGH RELIEF GREAT PYRAMIDS COIN

Egypt’s Great Pyramids are one of the world’s most beautiful and awe-inspiring sights and an amazing and technically unique coin issue on behalf of the British Virgin Islands brings these amazing structures to life.

The Great Pyramid at Giza has stood at the end of the desert, to the west of the River Nile, since the 26th Century BC, when it was built for Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops). Two later kings of the 4th Dynasty – Khafre (Chefron) and Menkaure (Mycerinus) – built pyramids of their own close by and together these three monuments form one of the world’s most familiar group of structures. The Great Pyramid stands 137m/450ft high and is constructed of more than 2.25 million blocks of limestone which weigh more than 2.5 tonnes each.

As a tribute to these amazing structures, this stunning new coin has been issued in ultra high relief with the highest point of this amazing coin standing at approximately 4.5mm to 5mm above the main face of the coin. When viewed from the side, the true genius of the coin comes to life, featuring not just the three-dimensional pyramids, but also the flowing sand dunes at Giza that create the irregular desert landscape. In addition, sand brought back by Pobjoy Mint’s Managing Director, Taya Pobjoy, from the site of the Great Pyramids has been encapsulated into the coin making this one of the most unique coins in the world.

Available in 1oz Fine Silver, the obverse of the coin carries an effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS. Each precious metal coin has been struck to the highest quality and each coin has been beautifully handcrafted to give this final stunning effect. The coin is presented in a gold coloured triangular box in keeping with the coin.

To read the complete article, see: Coin celebrating the great Pyramids at Giza (www.coinsweekly.com/en/News/4?&id=2110)

FEATURED WEB PAGE: GLASGOW SQUARE COMMUNION TOKENS

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common-tokens-can-be-great-glasgow.html