Paul Cunningham’s remarks concerning Robert Rhue’s article in The Numismatist on horse car transportation tokens are right on the money. It surprised me that the author states “In North America, only 32 types of horsecar tokens were issued by 25 horsecar lines.” Obviously there is no way to know how many types of these tokens were issued, and as Paul pointed out there is at least one type Rhue wasn’t aware of. There are possibly others; new discoveries are made from time to time.

More surprising, at least to me, is Rhue’s statement that “most, if not all” horsecar tokens were struck by Scoville (sic) Manufacturing Company of Toledo, Ohio. Scovill (note spelling) Manufacturing Company was located in Waterbury, Connecticut, not Toledo. The firm, one of America’s best known die sinkers, started striking tokens and medals in the late 1820s and was still going strong in 1952, when it issued a token marking “150 Years of Craftsmanship in Metals.”

Myself and several other hobo nickel collectors take exception to one statement made in the article on Paolo Curcio quoted in the last E-Sylum. The statement was "Barcelona-based artist creates etched homages to pop culture, illustrations of figures from literature, and most commonly: macabre portraits of skulls and death, probably the most prevalent theme in hobo nickel art."

We take exception to "probably the most prevalent theme in hobo nickel art." That is really not the case. However, recently on eBay, there have been a plethora of skull themed hobo nickels offered for sale which Bill Rosenblum may have seen. The most prevalent hobo nickel art theme continues to be depictions of men wearing hats like three of the five of Paolo's hobo nickels pictured in the article.

Regarding the Heath series, I have a Connecticut 7th edition, dated March 2005, in my library. It was extremely difficult to find - I doubt these were widely distributed. Mine is on standard 8.5 x 11 paper, with fairly crisp printing unlike that of a photocopy. I wonder if the format was changed since the ones Dick Johnson acquired, or if I simply have a photocopy blowup. From Bob's comments in the foreword, he seems to have been quite enthused in early 2005. I was saddened to hear he had passed the same year. In any case, there is a fair amount of "info" in the Foreword.

Is a person who hounds you to go through your loose change every day a numismapest?

This seems like the kind of question that only the experts of the E-Sylum can answer..... How many different denominations of coins has the US Mint struck from 1793-present? There are at least 18, if you include circulating denominations and bullion denominations. But what if you included coins struck for other countries? Patterns? Commemoratives? For the purposes of this question, I feel like we can say that a half dime and nickel (both 5 cents) are the same denomination. Likewise, the gold $1, silver $1, and clad $1 can all be considered the same denomination.

A medal celebrating the 110th anniversary of the Gasparilla Festival has been commissioned by the Tampa Bay Coin Club through a private Mint. Since the 50th anniversary token [HK-720a] struck in 1954, this event has never been honored with any other piece.