About UsThe Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit association devoted to the study and enjoyment of numismatic literature. For more information please see our web site at coinbooks.org SubscriptionsThose wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page link MembershipThere is a membership application available on the web site Membership Application To join, print the application and return it with your check to the address printed on the application. Print/Digital membership is $40 to addresses in the U.S., and $60 elsewhere. A digital-only membership is available for $25. For those without web access, write to: Charles Heck, Treasurer AsylumFor Asylum mailing address changes and other membership questions, contact Chuck at this email address: treasurer@coinbooks.org SubmissionsTo submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com
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- WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM DECEMBER 6, 2020
- NEW BOOK: IMPERIAL LEGITIMATION
- NEW BOOKS: COINS OF ENGLAND 2021
- NEW BOOK: NEW ZEALAND MEDALS, THIRD EDITION
- MEDALLIC ART COMPANY ARCHIVES SITE LAUNCHED
- ANS COLLIER PRIZE IN ANCIENT NUMISMATICS
- VIDEO: THE ORIGIN OF THE DOLLAR SIGN
- VIDEO: FIRST MODERN COIN PCGS GRADED MS70
- 2021 FUN CONVENTION CANCELLED
- STACK'S BOWERS OPENS NEW COMPANY HEADQUARTERS
- PCGS PARENT COLLECTORS UNIVERSE PURCHASED
- FEIGENBAUM: COINS ECLIPSED BY SPORTS CARDS
- NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: DECEMBER 6, 2020
- MORE COINS IN LUCITE
- RENEWED QUERY: A ZERBE-HEEREN CONNECTION?
- VOCABULARY TERM: OPEN FACE DIE
- LIEUTENANT GEORGE CARPENTER ARNOLD (1868-1938)
- CHAPMAN ENVELOPES: FEBRUARY 12, 1880
- HARVEY STACK'S NUMISMATIC FAMILY, PART 84
- INTELLIGENT COLLECTOR INTERVIEWS BOB SIMPSON
- VISUALIZING SARAH SOPHIA BANKS' AFRICAN COINS
- ARCHIVES INTERNATIONAL AUCTION 63
- HOLABIRD DECEMBER 2020 SALE SELECTIONS
- NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: DECEMBER 2020
- BRITAIN TO UPDATE 1996 TREASURE ACT
- UNESCO'S DOCTORED PHOTOS AND DISINFORMATION
- 3D-PRINTED COIN FORGERIES
- ADVENT COINS: JOHN THE BAPTIST
- GOLD DROPPED IN CHICAGO SALVATION ARMY KETTLES
- LOUIS ELIASBERG'S BARBER HALF DOLLARS
- THE 1965 COMMEMORATIVE CHURCHILL CROWN
- PURPLE HEART COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT STATUS
- MEDALS OF THE GRANGE
- THE 1896 CHINA FERRACUTE PATTERNS
- DEL MONTE BANANA LABEL ERROR NOTE OFFERED
- COUNTERFEIT MONEY RING BUSTED IN VIETNAM
- LOOSE CHANGE: DECEMBER 6, 2020
- COIN STUCK IN NOSE FOR 50 YEARS
- FEATURED WEB PAGE: INDIAN BANKNOTE MYTHOLOGY
Content presented in The E-Sylum is not necessarily researched or independently fact-checked, and views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM DECEMBER 6, 2020
New subscribers this week include:
Howard Feltham,
Jeffery Struve,
and
Wesley Smith.
Welcome aboard! We now have 6,608 subscribers.
Thank you for reading The E-Sylum. If you enjoy it, please send me the email addresses of friends you think may enjoy it as well and I'll send them a subscription. Contact me at whomren@gmail.com anytime regarding your subscription, or questions, comments or suggestions about our content.
This week we open with four new books, a new numismatic website, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, and more.
Other topics this week include a new headquarters for Stack's Bowers, a new owner for PCGS, user queries, coins in Lucite, open face dies, dealer George Arnold, collectors Harold J. Bareford, Bob Simpson and Sarah Sophie Banks, upcoming auctions, 3D-printed coins, Eliasberg's Barber Half Dollars, the 1965 Churchill Crown, Purple Heart commemoratives, and mythology on Roman Imperial coinage and Indian banknotes.
To learn more about coins of England and the UK, New Zealand medals, the Medallic Art Company archives, the Collier Prize in Ancient Numismatics, the origin of the dollar sign, the January 2021 Florida United Numismatists (FUN) show, sports card mania, Thousand Dollar Road, the National Bureau of Engraving, Salvation Army kettle donations, the Olympic mule cart race, and the bringer of plague, read on. Have a great week, everyone!
Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum
NEW BOOK: IMPERIAL LEGITIMATION
SPINK Books has published a new title on the iconography of Roman Imperial Coinage. -Editor
Imperial Legitimation: The Iconography of the Golden Age Myth on Roman Imperial Coinage of the Third Century AD
by Graham Barker
With a Foreword by Richard Abdy and Sam Moorhead.
Hardback
240 x 152 mm
160 pages with colour illustrations throughout
ISBN: 978-1-912667-47-5
£30.00
NEW BOOKS: COINS OF ENGLAND 2021
SPINK has published the 2021 editions of the Coins of England & the United Kingdom books. -Editor
Coins of England and the United Kingdom 2021 Pre-decimal Issues 56th Edition
Hardback
216 x 138mm
632 pages with colour illustrations throughout
ISBN: 978-1-912667-51-2
£30.00
This historic reference work for British coins is still the only catalogue to feature every major coin type from Celtic to the Decimal coinage of Queen Elizabeth II, arranged in chronological order and divided into metals under each reign, then into coinages, denominations and varieties. All decimal coinage since 1968 is listed in a separate volume, available as an independent publication.
NEW BOOK: NEW ZEALAND MEDALS, THIRD EDITION
Martin Purdy submitted this information on updates to books on New Zealand commemorative medals from the Royal Numismatic Society of New Zealand. Thanks! -Editor
Following the launch of the first part of the new edition of the "Morel" catalogue of New Zealand commemorative medals prior to 1940 earlier this year, we've now completed and released the first chapter of the companion "MacMaster/Purdy" catalogue which is devoted to the post-1940 period. Part I covers the 2010-2019 decade. For both titles we're starting with the most recent chapters and working backwards - mainly because the majority of the new issues to be recorded are (logically) the newest issues in the case of the postwar series, and (perhaps surprisingly) the items made to mark the Centennial celebrations in 1939-40.
Work will continue on further parts of both titles in 2021, and they'll be added to the same web page. Don't worry, we won't announce every single chapter in this way!
The download link for the "2010-2019" chapter is the same as that provided previously. An updated version of the Centennial chapter can also be collected at the same time. Here's the release notice we're circulating today.
MEDALLIC ART COMPANY ARCHIVES SITE LAUNCHED
The ANS has announced a new website devoted to their recent major acquisition of the archives of the Medallic Art Company. Here's the press release. -Editor
ANS Launches MACO Archives Website The American Numismatic Society is pleased to announce the launch of the Medallic Art Company (MACO) Archives website. This website is designed to provide a glimpse into the MACO Archives and to serve as a location for updates about the collection as the ANS moves forward with the project. View the website at http://numismatics.org/maco/.
ANS COLLIER PRIZE IN ANCIENT NUMISMATICS
The ANS has announced the establishment of a new prize in Ancient Numismatics. Here's the press release. -Editor
The American Numismatic Society Announces New Prize in Ancient Numismatics
The American Numismatic Society (ANS) is pleased to announce the Collier Prize in Ancient Numismatics, given in memory of the late Professor James M. Collier. The Collier Prize in Ancient Numismatics is a substantial monetary prize that will be awarded biennially to the best single- or multi-authored book, catalogue, or online digital work in the field of ancient numismatics (650 BCE–300 CE).
VIDEO: THE ORIGIN OF THE DOLLAR SIGN
The latest addition to the Newman Numismatic Portal is a new video on the origin of the dollar sign. Project Coordinator Len Augsburger provided the following report. Thanks. -Editor
New Video on the Origin of the Dollar Sign
In 1993, Eric P. Newman published the paper "Origin of the Dollar Sign" in the American Numismatic Society Coinage of the America Conference proceedings. This work traced the evolution of "ps" (Spanish abbreviation for peso) into the now ubiquitous "$." Newman located varying forms in both manuscript and printed documents, with manuscripts naturally predating printed usage. In this video, Lianna Spurrier neatly summarizes Newman's investigation, including interspersed video from Newman's presentation on the topic at the 1991 ANA convention.
VIDEO: FIRST MODERN COIN PCGS GRADED MS70
These are selections from the David Lisot Video Library that feature news and personalities from the world of coin collecting. David has been attending coin conventions since 1972 and began videotaping in 1985. The Newman Numismatic Portal now lists all David's videos on their website at:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/multimediadetail/522852
Here's one on the first modern coin graded MS70 by PCGS. -Editor
First Modern Coin Ever Graded MS70 by PCGS. June 1, 2016.
VIDEO: 3:26.
John Highfill, Founder, National Silver Dollar Roundtable,
David Lisot, Interviewer, CoinTelevision.com.
In 1986 when the America Silver Eagle dollar coin was introduced John Highfill saw a business opportunity. He ordered a quantity of the new coins and sent them to David Hall of the Professional Coin Grading Service for encapsulation. Learn about what happened next.
An excerpt of the video is available for viewing on the Coin Television YouTube Channel at:
https://youtu.be/bgADa9z_Zog
2021 FUN CONVENTION CANCELLED
The January 2021 Florida United Numismatists (FUN) show has been cancelled. Here's the press release. -Editor
2021 FLORIDA UNITED NUMISMATISTS CONVENTION CANCELLED
It is with great disappointment that the Florida United Numismatists (FUN) board of directors is announcing FUN 2021 is cancelled. Slated for January 7-10, 2021 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, the convention would have been the 66th annual event held by the Florida organization devoted to serving collectors of coins, paper money, medals, and tokens.
STACK'S BOWERS OPENS NEW COMPANY HEADQUARTERS
Here's the press release on Stack's Bowers Galleries new California headquarters. -Editor
Stack's Bowers Galleries Opens New Company Headquarters in Southern California
Stack's Bowers Galleries is happy to announce the opening of their new headquarters in
beautiful Orange County, California. Located at 1550 Scenic Avenue, Suite 150 in the city of Costa Mesa, the new
Stack's Bowers Galleries facility will serve as the production hub for their global numismatic operations,
coordinating their network of offices throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.
PCGS PARENT COLLECTORS UNIVERSE PURCHASED
Billionaire investor Steve Cohen has purchased Collectors Universe, parent of third-party grader PCGS together with sports card entrepreneur Nat Turner. The company says its headquarters will remain in Santa Ana, California. The deal takes the public company private again. It's unclear what operational changes are planned, if any, but its core businesses will likely be unaffected in the short term. -Editor
Cohen Private Ventures, which invests the personal capital of hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen, is teaming with Dan Sundheim's D1 Capital Partners and sports card collector Nat Turner to take collectibles-grading company Collectors Universe Inc. private for about $700 million.
FEIGENBAUM: COINS ECLIPSED BY SPORTS CARDS
Greysheet publisher (and E-Sylum sponsor) John Feigenbaum thoughtfully analyzed this week's Collector's Universe news in an article Friday. With permission, here's a lengthy excerpt. Thanks. -Editor
It is both shocking and somehow predictable that the news broke this week that Collector's Universe Inc (CLCT, parent company of PCGS) would be sold to a private investor group for an astonishing price tag of approximately $700 million. The financial details have been reported extensively elsewhere (Bloomberg) so I will reflect on the perspective from numismatics' diminished side of the table.
One of the most interesting -- dare I say "humbling" -- aspects of this sale is that rare coins are clearly taking a back seat to sports cards. Numismatics has always felt like the mature parent at the teenager birthday party watching over less mature collectibles like baseball cards, or even paper money (much smaller). But the handwriting has been on the wall ever since Joe Orlando took over as President/CEO of CLCT back in October 2017. He'd been at the card side (PSA) of the company for 18 years when he was promoted to the top job, so the Board of Directors clearly knew where the future potential lay for certified collectibles.
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: DECEMBER 6, 2020
More on Dr. Gregory Brunk
Eric Hodge writes:
"I was sad to read of the death of Greg Brunk in your latest issue of The E-Sylum. I have never met Greg in person but have communicated by email. In 2014 Harry Manville asked Greg to contact me regarding any updates to Greg's book on world Countermarks, for the chapters concerning UK merchant countermarked dollars. This we did throughout 2015. He was such a gentleman and not only received my input with great thanks but also supplied me with thousands of scans and copies from his files of UK merchant countermarked dollars. Nothing was too much for him, though he always seemed to be having computer problems. His eyesight too created difficulties for him but he soldiered on regardless. His work output was prolific, it will be a sorry state of affairs if his updates were lost to numismatics. I am honoured to have known him, even for such a short time."
To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
MORE ON THE "MODEL ARTIST'S" THEATER
(https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n21a10.html)
BRUNK MERCHANT COUNTERMARKS PUBLISHER SOUGHT
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v21/esylum_v21n35a08.html)
GREGORY G. BRUNK (1949-2020)
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v23/esylum_v23n48a07.html)
Other topics this week include early digital photography in numismatic publications, frozen dates, money and numismatic-themed street and place names, and more. -Editor
MORE COINS IN LUCITE
Dave Lange writes:
"I'll add something to the growing gallery of Lucite-embedded coins, though I believe you ran these images several years ago. I have a lucite paperweight from 1960 commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Beistle Company, maker of novelty paper products and, of course, the National Coin Albums."
Dave's correct - we ran these images in November, 2014. Well worth revisiting. -Editor
RENEWED QUERY: A ZERBE-HEEREN CONNECTION?
Bill Hyder submitted this question for our readers, building on an earlier unresolved query. -Editor
Robert Jesinger posed a query in the July 8, 2018 E-Sylum about an enigmatic medal he had acquired that seemed to be a Bryan related piece tied to Farran Zerbe and the Heeren Bros. of Pittsburgh.
I have included two images. The first is a Bryan/Zerbe medal I just bought, the second is the Bob Jesinger piece. Both are cast white metal, mine is bronzed.
THE BOOK BAZARRE
VOCABULARY TERM: OPEN FACE DIE
Dick Johnson submitted this entry from his Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Terminology. Thanks! -Editor
Open Face Die. A striking die used without collar or restraining ring. Open face dies are suitable for multiple striking and are shaped like the diestock from which they are cut, their image being engraved into the smoothed flat top of the diestock cut to proper size; the image occupies the central portion of the die's top surface with a wide margin surrounding the design.
LIEUTENANT GEORGE CARPENTER ARNOLD (1868-1938)
John Lupia submitted the following information from the online draft of his book of numismatic biographies for this week's installment of his series. Thanks! As always, this is an excerpt with the full article and bibliography available online.
This week's subject is Rhode Island coin dealer George Carpenter Arnold. I've added images of the front and back covers of the 12th edition Arnold Numismatic Guide from my numismatic ephemera collection. -Editor
Lieutenant George Carpenter Arnold, (1868-1938), Businessman and Coin dealer. 1st Residence : 238 Adelaide Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island; 2nd Residence : 156 Adelaide Street, Providence, Rhode Island; 3rd Residence : 109 Mathewson Street, Providence, Rhode Island.
He was born July 31, 1868, son of William Rhodes Arnold (1839-1912) and Sarah Hill Carpenter Arnold (1843-1920). He married Flora Etta Richards (1870-1960), on December 14, 1892, and they had three children : Lincoln Richards Arnold (1893-1981); Philip Rhodes Arnold (1895-1969); George Carpenter Arnold, Jr. (1896-1989). He was educated at the Episcopal Military Academy of Cheshire, Connecticut and graduated in 1887.
CHAPMAN ENVELOPES: FEBRUARY 12, 1880
Several weeks ago John Lupia suggested a new way to generate ideas for E-Sylum articles - picking a random date to choose items from his massive archive of Chapman Brothers correspondence - nearly every day is represented from 1878 to 1948.
So for grins I took him up on it this week, randomly choosing February 12, 1880 as a starting point. Here's what he came up with from his files, all dated on or close to that date. -Editor
HARVEY STACK'S NUMISMATIC FAMILY, PART 84
The latest article in Harvey Stack's blog series discusses the 1981 Harold J. Bareford sale of U.S. and English coins. Thanks, Harvey! -Editor
As I wrote in my article covering 1978, Harold J. Bareford was a connoisseur of premium rare coins. He was willing to wait until he could find the proper example that pleased his discerning eye and passed his personal evaluation. During the decades he collected, he looked for the finest, and when he found it, he competed heavily to add each special coin to his collection. He owned many coins with lengthy pedigrees, for he felt that those who collected before him, who cherished beautiful, and rare coins as he did, also shared his goal of purchasing superior examples. Quality, rarity, strike, magnificent toning, and great eye appeal were the guideposts he set for his cabinet. He was successful, as shown in his December 1978 sale, and he would be even more so in the second sale of his collection, which we at Stack's were pleased to present in October 1981. His greatest rarity was his Class I silver dollar, the "King of American Coins," known as the Dexter-Bareford specimen.
INTELLIGENT COLLECTOR INTERVIEWS BOB SIMPSON
The Winter 2020-2021 issue of Intelligent Collector from Heritage Auctions has a great interview with collector Bob Simpson, whose amazing U.S. coin collection is being sold. Reprinted with permission from The Intelligent Collector magazine. ©2020 Heritage Auctioneers & Galleries Inc. (HA.com). Thanks. -Editor
1792 Silver Center cent
Bob Simpson's Sweet Spot
CO-OWNER OF THE TEXAS RANGERS FINDS NOW IS THE TIME TO RELEASE ONE OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST COIN COLLECTIONS
By Robert Wilonsky
VISUALIZING SARAH SOPHIA BANKS' AFRICAN COINS
Earlier this year Erica Y. Hayes and Kacie L. Wills published this article about their project, Visualizing Sarah Sophia Banks' African Coins, where they examine how the famous collector assembled, organized and thought about her collection. Here's an excerpt - see the complete article online. -Editor
Sarah Sophia Banks (1744-1818), sister of Sir Joseph Banks, famed botanist and President of the Royal Society, was like her brother, an avid collector. Born on October 28, 1744, 1.5 years after her brother, Sarah Sophia spent much of her childhood and teenage years on the family's estate at Revesby Abby, Lincolnshire, where the Banks family grew up collecting antiquities and objects of natural history (Leis, Sarah Sophia Banks: Femininity, Sociability and the Practice of Collecting).
While her brother's collections focused on specimens of natural history, Sarah Sophia collected printed ephemera and contemporary coins, tokens, and medals from around the world. Her collections, amassing to more than 30,000 objects, were presented to the British Museum upon her death in September, 1818, by Sir Joseph's wife, Lady Dorothea Banks. After working through her sizable collections, the curators at the British Museum donated 2,000 out of the 9,000 combined coins, medals, and tokens to the Royal Mint Museum, and a portion of her books and printed ephemera to the British Library.
ARCHIVES INTERNATIONAL AUCTION 63
Here is the announcement for the December 9-10, 2020 sale by Archives International Auctions. See last week's article (linked below) for additional selections. Lots of great material in this sale. -Editor
ARCHIVES INTERNATIONAL AUCTIONS OFFERS HUNDREDS OF U.S. AND WORLD BANKNOTES, SCRIPOPHILY, COINS & HISTORIC EPHEMERA AT PUBLIC AUCTION DECEMBER 9 & 10, 2020 IN RIVER EDGE, NEW JERSEY
The auction will be held by Archives International Auctions at their offices in River Edge, N.J.
HOLABIRD DECEMBER 2020 SALE SELECTIONS
Here are some items that caught my eye in this month's Holabird sales. -Editor
Lot 1043: Addenda Silver & Gold Mining Company Stock
Incorporated in 1878. Cert. #318, issued to T. B. Smithson, Tr. for 50 shares. Signed by Sam'I Dixon, vice president, and T.J.C. Dixon, secretary. No vignette, but fancy monogram logo at left. Black border on tan paper. Printer: Bunker & Lester, S.F. Uncancelled. 4 x 8.25." Datelined San Francisco. Volume 28 of the Engineering and Mining Journal (July-Dec. 1879, pg. 28) states, "This mine is looking well." And the California Journal of Mining and Geology, 3rd Annual Report of the State Mineralogist (June 1883, pg. 92) notes that the Addenda Mine is at the 500' level.
NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: DECEMBER 2020
Numismagram's Jeremy Bostwick forwarded these highlights from his most recent December upload of new material. In addition to the mix of items below, one will find a particular concentration in Art Nouveau and Art Deco medals, as well as a few items relating to the early days of space exploration. To view all of these new medals, please visit numismagram.com/inventory . -Editor
BRITAIN TO UPDATE 1996 TREASURE ACT
In Britain, the government is considering expanding the definition of Treasure to include valuable items not made of precious metals. This may not have much of an effect on coin hoards, as finds of 10 or more bronze coins over 300 years old are already considered Treasure. -Editor
The government plans to change the official definition of "treasure" to cover more rare and precious archaeological finds so that such artefacts can be saved for the nation rather than sold to private collectors.
Under the 1996 Treasure Act, objects are designated as treasure trove if found to be more than 300 years old and made of gold or silver, or found with artefacts made of precious metals.
UNESCO'S DOCTORED PHOTOS AND DISINFORMATION
An E-Sylum reader writes:
"I imagine you have already seen this piece concerning the dishonest and deceptive promotion issued by UNESCO.
"This certainly relates to coins. Because such vast numbers of coins were exported from their "points of origin" in the past, when there was little interest in attention or obligation to preserving information on the sources, most numismatic items now in the hands of museums, collectors and dealers lack provenance, sad to say. Personally, I have known dealers and even collectors who deliberately discard accompanying documentation so as to obscure from others (or to avoid recalling) what they paid for items. Yet I would not be surprised to know that these same characters would not want archaeological sites and contexts to be ruined or even disturbed. It is a conundrum.
"Today, there are certain elite circles that seem to want to curtail and regulate all private "collecting" under the guise that it leads to criminal looting, destruction and trafficking, whereas they would probably do nothing to stop the practices of governments that destroy archaeological sites for the sake of their politics or improving their infrastructures (or of not offending certain influential parties). There does seem to be a movement underway today to acknowledge considerably higher values for items that have a long documented provenance, which is as it should be, in my opinion. Maybe this tendency will convince destructive renegades not to keep to their nefarious practices."
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The article by Kate Fitz Gibbon was published November 23, 2020 on the Cultural Property News site. Here's an excerpt. See the complete article and more on the group's website. -Editor
3D-PRINTED COIN FORGERIES
Dr. Kavan Ratnatunga of Sri Lanka writes:
"The new forgery will come from 3D-Printing. I was shown a few 3D printed copper VOC Duits which I or other dealers in Colombo couldn't visually say were not real"
THE BOOK BAZARRE
ADVENT COINS: JOHN THE BAPTIST
David Pickup submitted this second article in his series of four for the season of advent, featuring coins or tokens with a link in some ways to the Christmas story. Thanks! This one is about John the Baptist. -Editor
Last week we looked at a king's designs on other thrones and using a religion to add weight to his claim. This week we have a story not about a king or but a rather unusual man. John the Baptist was the sort of person you might cross the road to avoid. He ate scraps, wore rags and lived rough in the desert; but he had a key role in the bible story. He was the cousin of Jesus. Unlike last week's rather special and pricey coin, these featuring him are easier to collect.
GOLD DROPPED IN CHICAGO SALVATION ARMY KETTLES
Len Augsburger passed along this Chicago Tribune article about Salvation Army kettle donations to me and Tom DeLorey, knowing Tom handled these coins from time to time while working at Harlan Berk. -Editor
The Salvation Army got a few glimmers of hope this past weekend as it faces unprecedented need and dwindling donations.
A gold coin and a gold bar were anonymously donated at separate red kettles Saturday, according to Salvation Army spokeswoman Katie Heinz Pfingsten. A $50 American Gold Eagle coin was donated at a Jewel in Bartlett and the gold bar was dropped in a kettle outside a Jewel in Mundelein. Each is valued at $1,800 to $1,900.
LOUIS ELIASBERG'S BARBER HALF DOLLARS
Ron Guth's latest blog post publishes the first part of the results of his investigation into the current whereabouts of the coins once owned by collector Louis Eliasberg. Great project! -Editor
THE 1965 COMMEMORATIVE CHURCHILL CROWN
Jonathan Moscoso Briceño of Chimbote Peru recently published an article on the 1965 commemorative Churchill crown for the International Churchill Society. With permission, we're publishing an excerpt here. Thank you. -Editor
The Royal Mint in May 1965 authorized the issuance of a sterling currency series in 16 denominations. One of which was the "British Crown" coin in honor of Sir Winston Churchill who died on January 24, 1965.
PURPLE HEART COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT STATUS
Bill Van Ornum, retired professor from Marist College, writes from the Hudson Valley:
"This bill's sponsor is from around here and the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is nearby me in New Windsor, and very close to the United States Military Academy, and the Mint located there."
Thanks - here's an excerpt from the article. This Act has been in the wings for several years. -Editor
The House of Representatives has advanced Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney's (D, NY-18) bill, the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act with unanimous support. The bill now awaits the president's signature to become law.
MEDALS OF THE GRANGE
On Friday I read in The Writer's Almanac that it was the date of the founding of The Grange. In line with this theme, here are a few Grange medals I found online. -Editor
"It was on this date in 1867 that Oliver Hudson Kelley founded the Order of the Patrons of Husbandry, also known as The Grange. It's the oldest national agricultural advocacy organization. Kelley was born in Boston in 1826, and moved to Itasca, Minnesota, to become a farmer when he was 23. After the Civil War, President Andrew Johnson sent him to the Southern states to report back on the condition of the farms there.
It was during this trip that Kelley began to think about a fraternal organization, similar to the Freemasons, that would work to improve conditions for farmers and bring the North and South back together in a common cause. So he formed the Order of the Patrons of Husbandry for this purpose, and his organization was unusual for the time in that it encouraged women and teenagers to participate. In fact, the charter required that four of the elected positions must be held by women. The Grange represented the interests of farmers in disputes with the railroads, it established free rural mail delivery, and it helped farmers improve their lives through research-based education. It also championed non-agricultural causes like temperance and women's suffrage."
THE 1896 CHINA FERRACUTE PATTERNS
I'm getting caught up on a backlog of news that didn't make it into last week's issue, Here are a couple of press releases from Heritage, This one is about the 1896 China Ferracute Patterns. -Editor
Szechuan silver brass specimen Ferracute pattern
East Meets West With the Ferracute Patterns
Today's interconnected world has blurred the boundaries of trade and innovation between one country and the next. However, there were some surprising intersections of coinage technology between the East and West even in the late 1800s. What do the US Mint, the state of New Jersey, and the government of Szechuan, China, have to do with one another? The answer is the Ferracute pattern coinage of the late 1890s.
DEL MONTE BANANA LABEL ERROR NOTE OFFERED
Remember that great "Del Monte Note" error we discussed earlier? It's up for sale again. Here's the Heritage press release. -Editor
Unpeel the Famous "Del Monte Note," Accidentally Printed With a Banana Sticker!
Heritage Auctions will be offering a unique and oddball $20 bill in the January Paper Money Auction #3581. This intriguing note was accidentally printed with a Del Monte banana sticker obstructing part of the design and has been nicknamed "The Del Monte Note." Most obstructions fall off shortly after printing, leaving behind a blank area of paper lacking the design, but errors with objects that "stick" to the note and enter circulation are very rare. A few objects seen on other obstruction errors include a band-aid, paper fragments, scotch tape, and wood shavings.
COUNTERFEIT MONEY RING BUSTED IN VIETNAM
Howard Daniel writes:
"My wife Phung found this article and forwarded it to me. It is a little old but has the materials in the photograph included in the article to create the notes. Interesting that the authorities would do this."
Thanks. The article was published on July 4, 2020. -Editor
Police in the southern province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau have broken up a large-scale ring of making, storing and consuming counterfeit money that operates across several southern provinces and cities.
As many as 13 people involved in the ring have been prosecuted, of whom 12 have been arrested while a fugitive is being wanted, Colonel Le Ba Trung, head of the provincial Department of Police's security and investigation unit, said on Saturday.
LOOSE CHANGE: DECEMBER 6, 2020
Here are some additional items in the media this week that may be of interest. -Editor
Reynolds Reviews Connecticut Coppers
Greg Reynolds is publishing a multipart series about Connecticut Coppers on the Greysheet site. The first two parts are available online. -Editor
In 1785, the State of Connecticut authorized a private firm to mint copper coins for circulation, and these date from 1785 to 1788. The theme here is that it is not very difficult to assemble a complete general set in a reasonable amount of time without spending a lot of money.
Before the U.S. Constitution was adopted, the highest laws in the United States were the Articles of Confederation, which authorized individual states to mint their own coins. Moreover, the Articles of Confederation made it very difficult for a national coinage to be viable. Later, the U.S. Constitution allowed for a national mint to be established by passing a law; a special procedure was not required.
Interestingly, the U.S. Constitution prohibited individual states from minting their own coins, which is why there are no State Coppers dated after 1788, though some were likely to have been backdated and minted after 1788.
To read the complete articles, see:
CONNECTICUT COPPERS, PART 1: BACKGROUND AND MEANING
(https://www.greysheet.com/news/story/connecticut-coppers-part-1-background-and-meaning)
CONNECTICUT COPPERS, PART 2: Contents of a Logical & Affordable Set
(https://www.greysheet.com/news/story/connecticut-coppers-part-2-contents-of-a-logical-affordable-set)
Other topics this week include the Coin Metal Modification Act, and the ill-fated Library of Louvain. -Editor
COIN STUCK IN NOSE FOR 50 YEARS
In the buy-and-hold-investing department, Len Augsburger passed along this article about a Russian man who had a one kopeck coin stuck in his nose for 50 years. -Editor
A man has finally had a coin removed from his nose after it was stuck for more than half a century.
The 59-year-old unnamed Russian man was aged just six when he wedged the money into his right nostril. He was 'too scared' to tell his 'strict' mother about it and then later 'forgot,' local media reported.
The man apparently managed to live for the next fifty years unimpeded by the blockage until recently started complaining he could not breathe at all in his right nostril.
He went to hospital and was given a scan which showed the unexpected object in the nasal passage.
FEATURED WEB PAGE: INDIAN BANKNOTE MYTHOLOGY
This week's Featured Web Page is a Mintage World blog article on the mythology of early Indian banknotes.
In the distant past, however, before any sciences existed, the beginnings of the world and of society were explained by MYTHOLOGY. Mythology is a common topic of expression through artwork. Not just dance; painting, sculpting, the mythology is a way of expression during many facets of day to day life. Even on Indian coins, stamps, and banknotes Mythology is featured with distinct concepts. The blog covers the topic: Mythology Featured on Early Indian Banknotes.
https://www.mintageworld.com/blog/mythology-featured-on-early-indian-banknotes/
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