I read with interest Bill Groom’s submission about Edward Hulseman in last week’s edition of The E-Sylum. I have written an article about Edward Hulseman which is to be published in the August, 2015 issue of The Colonial Newsletter (CNL-158 The American Numismatic Society, Oliver D. Hoover, ed.). In my article I quote from and reprint the New York Morning Herald article referenced by Mr. Groom.

I also have some questions regarding the attribution of Hulseman as the designer of the 1847 Hawaiian Cent. From my research this connection began with Walter Breen (Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins, 1988). Do the readers of The E-Sylum have any additional information about the source of this attribution?

The Castorland pieces were the subject of more speculation and false information than any other Colonial era issue. There is no evidence of any serious intent to circulate a coin in this desolate and remote frontier area. Most likely, these were "Jetons de Presence" given to the colony's Commissioners, meeting in far-off Paris to discuss progress of the colony. Most of the Commissioners fled during the Revolution, others were not "hung" as noted in the E-Sylum story but decapitated by the guillotine.

The crown worn by Ceres is not all that "unusual." It is what we call in heraldry a Mural Crown that was proper to city goddesses and the occasional non-monarchical government such as the Second Spanish Republic of 1931-39. As to the late Bill Anton's description and pricing for his purported original, it should be noted that he was never one to let inconvenient facts impede the flow of his narrative.

I am sure this is not the earliest reference, but the Hogmouth is mentioned in the Coin Collector’s Journal, vol X, 1886. In “A Numismatic Tour of Europe” by Hector E. Kirkwood, an entry on p. 51 describing a coin of Leopold notes “This is the emperor who from a strange protrusion of the lower lip received the unenviable pseudonym of ‘hog-mouth’.” Obviously, this is not the earliest reference, but at least it is a starting point.

I knew Bill Anton Senior and Jr since 1959. Anton Senior was into real estate development and I worked for him at a construction site around summer 1961- I still have my "Anton scar" on my right wrist from putting my hand thru a window pane. Anton Sr. was a serious numismatist and is pictured in some photographs of mid-late 50's NY coin club dinners.

Bill Anton Jr,, very proud of his disappearing Assyrian ancestry, sold me my first colonial coin in 1960 at an Atlantic City boardwalk coin show. A blazing mint red thick flan God Preserve London elephant token for $600 when the going rate for brown Uncs was $100+. That started me in colonials and during my college years Bill and I talked often long distance on the phone and he'd mail me choice examples on approval of classic extremely rare colonial rarities like pattern Confederatios, usually in the range of $3,000. One summer when I was home from Ohio college Bill took me to a New Jersey restaurant and in candlelight he spread out SEVEN genuine Higley threepences, ranging from Good to Very Fine. I picked a nice, unmarred fine Axe Higley for $3750.

Bill Jr was a big friendly guy- he'd once been a champion bodybuilder in the 50's which he attributed to his stooped posture late in life due to early-on use of steroids (which was acceptable practice back then). But two stories can reveal two sides to his personality - much like our mutual friend John J. Ford, Jr.

In the early 60's a customer came into Howard Hazelcorn's 44th St NYC coin shop and sold Howard a "gem proof" 1776 Continental dollar, which were around back then in Gem Prooflike at approx $1200. The next day Howard showed it to me and priced it quite reasonably but I was hesitant due to the extraordinary quality and knowledge that restrikes of sorts existed. So I called my good friend and mentor Bill Jr and described it to him. "Don't buy it- it's a fake". The next day I learned from Howard that Bill visited Howard's shop and bought the coin.

On the opposite side of his personality: Bill and I had attended the December 1983 Stack's John Roper's magnificent colonial coin auction in New York City - Roper had often gone head to head with Don Partrick at auctions. Less than a week later in NYC Doyle Galleries' was auctioning Loye Lauder's splendid colonial coin collection ( Loye, sister of cosmetics baron Estee Lauder and their brother, a famed rare stamp collector ) . I wanted the mint state Lauder 1792 silver center cent, which I stopped by at Doyle to examine, but was unable to remain in NYC for that auction as I lived in Southern California. Bill offered to bid for me. I gave him a bid of $77,000 "all in". Doyle conducted the "Dutch auction" the following Wednesday and the 1792 pattern opened at the $70,000. estimate no bids. $60K, no bids, $50K no bids. $40K and Bill raised his arm. It was immediately hammered down to him with other prominent dealers at the auction caught sitting on their hands. "All in" $44K. Bill asked for a $200 check for his trouble - gas , parking, dinner, etc - so generous. He could have easily held me up for a lot more.

There are many more stories about both sides of Bill who, like JJF, had an almost split personality. I know Bill Jr's son Bill III fairly well and he's a serious numismatist. Bill Jr had magnificent American colonials , including the unique Garrett/JHU white metal 1792 Birch cent, great silver Indian Peace medals and other really rare American medals. He had previously sold his Puerto Rican currency and Alaska currency.

This has been my belief and practice for decades on green corrosion spots:

Bright green means the corrosion is still active. Dark green means the corrosion is stable and unlikely to spread further. For dark green, I recommend a tiny drop of Coin Care (blotting the excess) on the green corrosion to prevent further oxidation. Attempted removal or reduction of the crusty green corrosion will further impair the coin. On bright still-active corrosion, I use a pin head drop (actually use a pin head) of highly diluted muriatic acid on the spot, monitoring its fizzing with a glass, blot it with a Q-tip and apply a drop of water w/baking soda on that spot, rinse and blot dry. Green corrosion gone. In some cases the "green corrosion" is not at all corrosion but soft green "leather wax" from storage in a leather pouch. That is easily removed with a Q-tip and Coin Care - and should be.

Regarding Amazon selling coins, not everything is certified and graded by NGC. Check this entry out.

1) Let's see them try to "Spock" these!
2) Remind me, Mahmoud--what does the tiny "V.D.B." mean?
3) Wow, that Amazon Prime same-day delivery really works!
4) And they said nothing good would come of all the looting & killing...
5) Great! Maybe now we can get that "magic fingers" machine in the motel to work!
6) You gotta admit, this is WAY better than the Susan B. Anthony Dirham.
7) Hope one of you brought some shears, 'cause that coffee's gonna set you back 1/64th of a dinar.
8) I love the way the mirrored background brings out the murderous glint in my eyes.
9) Hold it by the RIM--the RIM! Dammit, Ahmed, we can't have nice things!
10) NOW do you believe in the Tooth Fairy? See? It doesn't even have to be YOUR teeth, as long as you BELIEVE.

What's funny to me is, these "Islamic" coins all bear names (dinar, dirham, fils/fulus) derived from pre-Islamic, European words. AND they use the decimal system: How "Age of Enlightenment" of them!