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About Us The 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 Subscriptions Those wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page link Membership There 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 Numismatic Bibliomania Society P. O. Box 2058, Bluffton, SC 29910-2058 Asylum For Asylum mailing address changes and other membership questions, contact Chuck at this email address: treasurer@coinbooks.org Submissions To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com BUY THE BOOK BEFORE THE COIN Sale Calendar December 11, 2021 WORKMAN BOOKS Watch here for updates!

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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 NOVEMBER 7, 2021

New subscribers this week include: Li Tiesheng of Inner Mongolia PRC. Welcome aboard! We now have 6,733 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.

I went to the library to see if could check out a book on Pavlov's dogs and Schrodinger's cat. The librarian said that it rang a bell but she wasn't sure if they had it or not.

This week we open with an new NBS podcast, a Kolbe & Fanning numismatic literature sale, two new books, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, and more.

Other topics this week include coin cartoons, physical bitcoins, Q. David Bowers publications, the 2021 Coinage of the Americas Conference, gallantry medals, U.S. coin dealer organizations, Betts medals, upcoming auctions, coin finds, and Hiram Fleming's banknote.

To learn more about Lo Linkert's Cointoons, Empire Topics, Victor David Brenner, James Barton Longacre, Abe Lincoln and money of the Civil War, the misplaced 1804 dollar, the Travel Car Coin Museum, scrip payable in Confederate Treasury Notes, the Humble Oil medal, the California Coin Dealers Association, Edward the Elder, Jerusalem Estates, and the the Harlem Hellfighters, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

NBS BIBLIOTALK PODCAST: TOP 100 LIBRARY

NBS Podcast A Top 100 Library, LIVE with Leonard Augsburger and Joel Orosz

The latest episode of the NBS Bibliotalk podcast, A Top 100 Library, LIVE with Leonard Augsburger and Joel Orosz, is now available on the NBS website and other popular podcasting platforms such as Buzzsprout. In this episode, taped during the recent NNP Symposium, Len and Joel informally discuss the NBS Top 100 survey published in The Asylum in 2009.

The top 100 concept itself is explored, and the list is sliced in multiple ways, including the most challenging or most valued items. Len and Joel specifically evaluate the top ten items for content and scholarship, and along the way offer opinions on the collectability of various top-100 items. The NBS survey has gathered traction since its publication, with multiple collectors using the list as a collecting guide.

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KOLBE & FANNING BUY OR BID SALE NUMBER 17

Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers have announced our latest Buy or Bid Sale, which begins now and will close on Monday, November 15, 2021. With hundreds of new additions, the sale focuses on modestly priced books, giving collectors an opportunity to add to their libraries at minimal cost.

The sale includes over 1600 works on ancient, medieval and modern coins, as well as general works, periodicals and sale catalogues. Buy prices have been kept low to promote sales. To further encourage participation, the firm is offering free domestic shipping to bidders spending at least $300; there is also no packing and processing fee for this sale. Again, please read the Terms of Sale before participating.

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NEW BOOK: FRANKLIN'S WORLD CARTOONS

Language historian and numismatist Claire Franklin explores the humor of coins and the ancients in Franklin's World—now published in a book.

You might not immediately think of cartoons when you think of coin collecting. But the hobby has had its share of humorists over the years, including cartoonists.

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NEW BOOK: ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PHYSICAL BITCOINS

This Encyclopedia explores the recent phenomenon of physical crypto-currency and the infrastructure that surrounds it.

These are metal coins that reference various crypto-currencies of which Bitcoin is currently the most prominent. Many of these coins are funded with digital currency that can be extracted and used at will. Others are themed to celebrate the emergence of digital currency.

The new hobby of collecting physical Bitcoin and related crypto-currencies has created an expanding industry in which dozens of companies and individuals create and sell their coins to a growing market of collectors. This work covers 57 such manufacturers. There is also a thriving trade in pre-owned coins. Physical crypto-currencies have become rare objects with the highest value sale to date reaching one million dollars on the re-sale market.

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LECTURE: BANK OF ENGLAND MONEY TALK

 

We are presenting a series of live online talks via MS Teams to delve into our history and current work. Our latest talk will be on Friday 12 November 12.30-1.30pm

Talking about money can be a taboo subject for some. Let our curator, Kirsty Parsons, ease you into these conversations through our collection. During the talk, we will explore some of the interesting stories behind money, how currency gained value, and much more!

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NNP: VINTAGE PUBLICATIONS OF Q. DAVID BOWERS

Mint Master Covers Vintage Publications of Q. David Bowers

The November 2021 issue of The Mint Master, issued by the Utah Numismatic Society, includes a feature article on vintage house publications of Q. David Bowers. Doug Nyholm writes, Q. David Bowers began his numismatic career in the early 1950's and in April of 1958 his Bowers Coin Company merged with the Triple Cities Coin Exchange to form the Empire Coin Company. Shortly thereafter the 1st edition of Empire Topics was published with the date of May-June 1958. Empire Topics was continued by The Bowers Review and Empire Review. Later Bowers house organs include the long running Rare Coin Review, Numismatic Sun, and the little known Paper Money Review (2006), of which two issues were published.

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VIDEO: THE COIN MARKET WITH PATRICK PEREZ

Patrick Perez Offers Coin Market Insight and CDN Updates at ANA Coin Convention 2021.
VIDEO: 9:16.

Patrick Perez, Editor, CDN Publishing,
David Lisot, Interviewer, Coin Television.com.

Editor of the Greysheet, Greensheet, and Coin Dealer Newsletter, Patrick Perez shares his perspective of the first American Numismatic Association Convention in more then one year since the COVID outbreak.

An excerpt of the video is available for viewing on the Coin Television YouTube Channel at:
https://youtu.be/FdnAK-NxPzQ

 

VIDEO: ANS COAC 2021

 

Our first hybrid conference is now available to watch. The 2021 Coinage of the Americas Conference delved into famed sculptor Victor David Brenner to celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birth in 1871. Sponsored in association with the Resolute Americana Collection and the Stack Family, this was the first COAC since 2009.

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LINCOLN'S LEGACY: MONEY OF THE CIVIL WAR

 

This special Living History Program couples an established Abe Lincoln Interpreter with Co-Authors of the recently released book, Minting, Printing & Counterfeiting in the Civil War.

According to Mr. McBride, Secretary of PAN and himself a highly-regarded living history interpreter representing statesman Benjamin Franklin,

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WHITMAN FOLDER BANQUET PROGRAMS

 

Dave Lange writes:

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JEAN COHEN'S LINCOLN CENT BOOK

 

There was a recent discussion of the Howard Newcomb book on cents and similar publications that reproduced the author's handwriting rather than being typeset. This reminded me of something along that line that I meant to submit earlier.

A book I bought a few years ago is Jean Cohen's massive work on Lincoln Cent varieties that was published in 1969. While the text is in conventional printing, the book is illustrated with standardized line drawings furnished by error/variety specialist Mort Goodman and then meticulously drawn on by Cohen herself. There are over a dozen categories covered, most of them minor flaws of the sort that seemed to obsess collectors during the 1960s. Cohen drew exactly what she saw on the coins, producing thousands of illustrations that fill this 600-page book. A cloth-covered volume, it is quite heavy, and I had to pay more for the postage to ship it to me than the book cost!

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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: NOVEMBER 7, 2021

You Misplaced WHAT?!
In a November 4, 2021 David Lawrence Rare Coins email blast, John Brush wrote:

 

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QUERY: HUMBLE OIL MEDAL

 

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PHILADELPHIA LONGACRE NUMISMATIC FELLOWSHIP

 

The Library Company of Philadelphia welcomes applications for a new fellowship to explore the social and political history of the U.S. Mint and numismatics during the early 1840s to late 1860s as it relates to the political, economic, and social environment leading up to and immediately following the American Civil War.

The Numismatic Innovation Fellow will conduct research focused on the Library Company's James Barton Longacre Collection containing 1,300 engravings, drawings, correspondence, diaries, daybooks, and forty die trials from the Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint from 1844 to 1869. Correspondence relates to topics, such as coin design, use of aluminum, Chilean coinage, and conflicts with Chief Coiner Franklin Peale (1795-1870). The Fellow will also have access to the Library Company's vast collection of books, graphic arts, manuscripts, and art & artifacts.

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STACK'S BOWERS GALLERIES IS HIRING

 

Take advantage of this exciting opportunity to make your hobby your career. Stack's Bowers Galleries is seeking motivated, knowledgeable numismatists on both coasts to join our world-renowned staff of experts. Our firm is expanding and now is a great time to make numismatics your profession. In all cases, compensation will be commensurate with experience.

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VOCABULARY TERM: GALLANTRY MEDAL

Gallantry Medal. A medallic item bestowed for noble and chivalrous behavior; early such medals were bestowed to knights, in modern times moreso to heroes of military action. Gallantry medals have followed the change in the definition of the word gallantry since the time of the crusades.

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WILLIAM IDLER'S WILL

Last week I wrote about William and Robert Idler. As I was doing the research, Julia Casey sent me a copy of William Idler's will. It includes a couple of interesting provisions.

The will includes the typical legal boilerplate language found in a will. Idler directs that his bills should be paid and his property should be sold with the proceeds going to his heirs. Idler had five children and the estate should be distributed as five shares.

His oldest son, Jacob, died on November 24, 1900, and William's will was signed on the day of the funeral, November 28, 1900. William left one-fifth share to support his grandson, Lewis Idler. Another one-fifth share went to the children of his daughter, Mary Idler Brown. A third one-fifth share went to his daughter, Rosanna Idler Haseltine. Then the will gets interesting.

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U.S. COIN DEALER ORGANIZATIONS

American numismatic trade organizations go back at least to 1946. Some formed to conduct lobbying efforts related to state and federal regulation of the industry. Some promoted standards of conduct to inspire confidence in customers. The regional and state organizations are primarily in the business of promoting coin shows. Many regional organizations serve the same function but don't include coin dealers in their name.

American Coin Dealers Association, Inc. (ACDA)

They established a code of ethics for dealers but were criticized for loose grading standards. Horace Grant was president in 1946 with Aubrey Bebee as vice president. Frank Katen was secretary before he specialized in numismatic literature. Initial membership dropped off and they faded around 1950.

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HARVEY STACK'S NUMISMATIC FAMILY, PART 108

 

The year 1990 was one of renewed growth in the numismatic market. After the quick but major drop in the stock market in October 1987, it took until late 1989 into early 1990 for the market to regain what it had lost. Most businesses had been negatively affected and some had failed altogether. Some banks had failed, and many industrial stocks had difficulty surviving. However certain assets held their value or lost just a fraction of it. These were the tangible markets, such as precious metals, including jewelry. In a similar way the numismatic hobby was less affected than other businesses. It seemed those who had built collections, such as series of early federal issues and rare and unusual coins held on to their collections as a store of value, as well as a pastime they enjoyed and items they took pride in owning.

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BETTS PERIOD OF DISCOVERY MEDALS

 

In Stack's Bowers Galleries upcoming auction of the E Pluribus Unum Collection, Part 3, we will offer 36 Betts Medals, as listed in American Colonial History Illustrated by Contemporary Medals. These medals are interesting artifacts that document the past and allow us to relive history. As the Preface of the book states: "Medals are original documents in metal. In studying them we study history at its source. As contributions to the knowledge of the history of portraiture, dress and habits; as indices of then existing information in architecture, geography and the natural sciences; and as a means of restoring the knowledge of structures long destroyed, the aid of Medals is not to be over estimated." In short, C. Wyllys Betts thought that collecting medals as a source of historical documentation was important. As the E Pluribus Unum Collection, Part 3 approaches, we encourage you to consider the history that you can acquire. Not only are you purchasing a key medal for your collection, but you are purchasing original historical records of the past.

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FRANK ROBINSON DECEMBER 2021 COIN AUCTION

 

Dealer Frank S. Robinson will conduct his 117th mail and internet auction of Ancient and Early Coins with a closing date of December 7. The sale will include 538 lots, with low minimum bids, and bids to be reduced as competition permits. Robinson notes that reductions have averaged 15-20% in his recent sales. There is no buyer fee.

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NUMISMATIC NUGGETS: NOVEMBER 7, 2021

Ionia Ephesus Drachma

Ionie, Éphèse. Drachme ND (IIIe-IIe s. av. J.-C.).

Argent - 4 g - 17 mm - 12 h

Pour un magistrat au nom de //A?IO//. TTB.

To read the complete lot description, see:
Ionie, Éphèse. Drachme ND (IIIe-IIe s. av. J.-C.). (https://www.biddr.com/auctions/mdcmonaco/browse?a=2096&l=2300960)

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WEXFORD EBAY MEDAL SELECTIONS

1862 London International Exhibition Prize Medal

LISTING IS FOR A 1862- INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION PRIZE MEDAL, BRONZE, 77MM, BY L.C. WYON AFTER DESIGN BY D.MACLISE.

Obverse-BRITANNIA SEATED RIGHT, RECEIVING GIFTS FROM KNEELING FIGURES. THREE FEMALE FIGURES STANDING TO RIGHT, THE BRITISH LION CROUCHED IN FOREGROUND.

REVERSE- INSCRIPTION WITHIN CLOSED WREATH "1860/ LONDINI/ HONORIS/ CAUSA" (/PRESENTED/ AT LONDON BECAUSE OF DISTINCTION) UNAWARDED- NO ONES NAME IS ENGRAVED ON THE EDGE, PER THE CUSTOM FOR THIS PRIZE MEDAL. BHM 2747-EIMER1553

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JERUSALEM ESTATES COINS BUILDING NAMES

A Coin Is Worth More Than A Thousand Words

As we approach the Yom Tov of Chanukah, we've been taking a closer look at one of the historical Jewish coins in our collection. This incredible coin hails from the time of the Chashmonaim, and is called the coin of Matisyahu Antignos - the last king of the illustrious dynasty that fought for the preservation of Torah under oppression. The coin depicts the klei hamikdash, including the beautiful golden menorah that was lit every night by the Kohen Gadol.

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WEST NORFOLK MEDIEVAL GOLD COIN FIND

 

A hoard of early medieval gold coins discovered by two people with metal detectors is the largest of its kind ever found in England, reports Nadia Khomami for the Guardian.

Buried in what is now West Norfolk around 600 C.E., the trove of 131 coins and 4 gold objects is larger than a cache famously found at Sutton Hoo in 1939. (Earlier this year, the Netflix movie The Dig drew renewed attention to the excavation, which unearthed a purse containing 37 gold coins, 3 blank gold discs and 2 gold ingots, among other rare artifacts.) The region where both hoards were found—now eastern England—was once part of the Kingdom of East Anglia.

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HARLEM HELLFIGHTERS CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL

 

Last month Congressman Tom Suozzi attended a White House signing ceremony in the Oval Office as President Joseph Biden signed legislation to award the Harlem Hellfighters a long-overdue Congressional Gold Medal.

It is never too late to do the right thing. When I first met with the Willett family and listened to their stories, I knew we had to get this done and today, with the president's signature, the Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal Act is now law, Suozzi said. Awarding the Harlem Hellfighters the Congressional Gold Medal ensures that generations of Americans will now fully comprehend the selfless service, sacrifices and heroism displayed by these men in spite of the pervasive racism and segregation of the times. I am grateful to the many people who helped see this long-overdue recognition come to fruition, including Senator Charles Schumer, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Adriano Espaillat.

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HIRAM FLEMING'S BANK OF CAIRO NOTE

 

Here at the Cape Girardeau County Archive Center in Jackson, assistant archivist Lyle Johnston often regales me with examples of atrocious spelling and cheap prices in files from the county's probate court, in the 1800s. Most of these are on the inventory and valuation taken for the deceased's estate auction, where "chizzles" and a "fawling leaf table" went for such staggeringly low prices that it's a wonder there were any proceeds to speak of. But these loose papers with their bare facts and scrolled handwriting hold a wealth of information.

Let's take the file for Hiram Fleming. Born in 1804, he was one of nine children of Revolutionary War veteran Mitchell Fleming. Hiram married twice, and had a daughter, Martha, with his second wife, Margaret Stephenson. Martha died at age 3, in 1846. He was only 38 when he died in 1843.

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ARTIST BURNS CASH

 

An anonymous artist is celebrating the anniversary of Satoshi Nakamoto's famous Bitcoin white paper publication in a novel way: by burning a whole lot of cash.

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FAMILY HOLDS SOLDIER'S KEEPSAKE FOR 106 YEARS

 

A Palestinian family has presented an Ottoman soldier's keepsake to Turkey's mission in Jerusalem after handling it with exceptional care for over a century.

During World War I, an Ottoman soldier who was transferred to another front wrapped all of his money in a piece of cloth and entrusted it to the Palestinian Alul family's forefathers before moving on to his new assignment.

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LOOSE CHANGE: NOVEMBER 7, 2021

Antiquities Regulation Update
 

To read the complete article, see:
EP136: Peter Tompa updates antiquities regulations and its effect on numismatists (https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/cwpod_ep136)

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