NUMISMATIC VOCABULARY: ANAGLYPTOGRAPHY PART 2

ANA - GLYPTA -WHAT? -- PART 2.

The illustration of the Second U.S. Mint appearing in last week's E-Sylum (discussed in Roger Burdette's excellent Journal of Numismatic Research of the engraving in Eckert and Dubois 1842 book) is from a medallion engraving as Roger describes.

The process is called anaglyptography. I have discussed this earlier in (see vol 13, no 48, article 12) under the title "Ana- GLYPTA -What?." That's the question I get from both numismatists and non-collectors when I mention the term. It's in the dictionary -- look it up.

I have written extensively on this subject. The entry on this runs about 1,850 words in my Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Technology. It is a method of making engravings -- or printer's plates -- from a coin or medal serving as a pattern by a device that Christian Gobrecht invented as a 29-year old watchmaker..

Trouble is -- it was in use for a very brief time (1831-1861). It was replaced by halftone printing plates made from photographs for the most part.

It is still not understood by most numismatic writers, however. Since it is called "medal engraving machine" or "medallion engraving machine" it is thought by some numismatists to engrave the dies not the printer's plates. One of these machines was illustrated in a recent book on tokens and medals.

The anaglyptic process reproduces line engravings of the modulated relief of a coin, medal, seal or cameo -- herewith called an anaglypt - but does not engrave the dies for striking these.

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
NUMISMATIC VOCABULARY: ANAGLYPTOGRAPHY (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n48a12.html)
REVIEW: JOURNAL OF NUMISMATIC RESEARCH, SPRING 2013 (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n52a06.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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