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The E-Sylum: Volume 11, Number 33, August 17, 2008, Article 18

NUMISMATIC LITERATURE EXHIBITS AT THE 2008 BALTIMORE ANA CONVENTION

There were two exhibits in the Numismatic Literature class at the recent 2008 Baltimore convention of the American Numismatic Association. I spent some time looking at all of the exhibits together with Joel Orosz on Thursday, July 31. Here are their descriptions from the convention exhibit guide.

Artistic Illustrations
"Artistic Illustrations" compares hand drawn picture illustrations in numismatic books to the actual coin that the illustration is meant to portray. When an artist creates a coin illustration by hand the opportunity for individual expression presents itself. Obciously some illustrations are better than others. Since the exhibit is about numismatic books, I have selected just one illustration from each book. The actual coin in the illustration is exhibited. How dies it compare? Did the artist do the coin justice or perhaps even improve it? Look them over and see for yourself.


The multi-case exhibit included several numismatic books, including
  • Newcomb, U.S. Copper Cents
  • Valentine, Modern Copper Coins of Muhammadan States
  • Crosby, Early Coins of America
  • Wehl, Sammlung uberseeischer Munzen
  • Quiggin, Survey of Primitive Money


A Swiss Pair
Hensler and Frey were two nineteenth Century Swiss authors. Hennseler's catalogs on the works of Swiss sculptor Antoine Bovy made many references to Frey's work, a goldmine of useful numismatic information. This is the story of these two books.


I enjoyed both exhibits. Congratulations to the exhibitors for tackling such interesting topics.

I think my favorite exhibit overall was not on books, but medals, though it included a rare and interesting numismatic book. It opens with the book Numismata Londinensis. Medals Struck by the Corporation of London to Commemorate Important Municipal Events 1831-1893 by Charles Welch, London, l894.

Medals Issued by the Corporation of London (City of London Medals)
This group of historical and commemorative medals, commonly called The City of London Medals, constitutes a series struck by the Corporation of London to celebrate the accomplishment of their most notable public works, or to commemorate events of national and civic importance. The medals were issued from 1831 to the present time. Most of the City of London medals were struck in numbers between 350 and 450. In general, the medals are considered to be among the finest works of medallic art of the 19th century, as they were executed by some of the most accomplished medalists of the period.


Having spent last summer in London, I could appreciate some the landmarks and events depicted on the medals. The exhibit was very well done, and the medals were stunning. I was especially glad to see the Removal of the Temple Bar medal, one of the rarest of the series, which we discussed in The E-Sylum recently.

Some of the other exhibits I noted included
  • Hawaiian School Tokens
  • The Art of Gilroy Roberts
  • Russia's Experiments with Circulating Platinum Coinage
  • A Type Set of the Coinage of Maryland
  • Alan Weinberg's noncompetitive exhibit of Massachusetts silver


Again, my thanks and congratulations to all the exhibitors.



Wayne Homren, Editor

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