The E-Sylum:  Volume 5, Number 38, September 22, 2002, Article 6

POSTAGE CURRENCY PATTERN SOUGHT

  David Cassel, researcher and author of "United States Pattern
  Postage Currency Coins", is seeking the owner of Stack's
  Bareford1863 Postage Currency 10 cent pattern that was
  recently auctioned by Stack's on September 10, 2002 as
  lot 566.

  He writes: "A coin that I had long believed to be a
  mis-attribution is from Stack's Harold Bareford Collection,
  October 1981, lot 286.   This was the cataloging by Stack's:
  "1863 Postage Currency. J.325a. Silver. Plain edge.  Thin
  Planchet. 24 1/2 grains."   If the coin was silver, J-325, and
  the weight indeed was 24.5 grains, then this coin was a
  previously unknown weight for this silver coin.

  The attribution that was in conflict with my research work
  was that Postage Currency 10 cent coins of 24.5 grains do
  exist, but, the coins are not silver.  They are either tin alloy
  or they are billon.

  The coin finally emerged from obscurity after twenty-one years
  as Lot 566 in Stack's September 2002 catalog. What I needed
  to confirm my belief was a weight computation and a SEM-EDX
  test.  A Specific Gravity test would have also been valuable.  I
  contacted Stack's asking to borrow the raw coin for 24 hours
  so that I could perform a SEM-EDX analysis (at my expense)
  and have the coin's weight verified and either confirm or
  disaffirm the prior attribution.  I was unsuccessful in reaching an
  accommodation with Stack's prior to the auction.

  If per chance the buyer of this coin reads this, please contact me
  at DavCassel at aol.com so that we can arrange to have your
  coin scientifically tested at my expense."

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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