I've been grazing in numismatic fields. Images of a Phanes stater, the first coin with an inscription, are attached. Ephesus late 7th century electrum. Literally, "Of Phanes I am". Who Phanes is, is not otherwise known.

Thank you for the post and for the kind words in the last E-Sylum. I'm looking forward to working with everyone on our shared interests. And keep up the great work. As someone who struggles to come up with something just four times a year for our magazine, I don't know how you find so much of interest to post every week!

The subject of Edgar Allan Poe in numismatics is a fascinating one – I wrote an article about the various medals honoring him, and include the Grolier and Landry pieces, as well as several others, concluding with the ANA’s 2008 medal for the World’s Fair Of Money in Baltimore.

The article appears in the Dec. 21, 2009, issue. I’d be delighted to send a copy to anyone sending a SASE to me at Amos Media, P.O. Box 150, Sidney, OH 45365.