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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 Kolbe & Fanning August 27, 2022 Workman October 22, 2022

 

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 AUGUST 21, 2022

New subscribers this week include: Rich Perilloux of the Ancient Coin Club of Los Angeles (ACCLA), Welcome aboard!

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 a report on NBS events at this week's ANA convention, numismatic literature sales, the NLG awards, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, and more.

Other topics this week include the Joel J. Orosz numismatic library, an eye-popping exhibit of Massachusetts silver, the trilobite coins of Vermont, limiting guides, collector William Wetmore, dealer Shanna Schmidt, auction previews, more from the ANA convention, Wildman thalers, new Canadian coins, coin-pushers and bank robbers.

To learn more about the George Fredrick Kolbe Lifetime Achievement Award, Attinelli's Numisgraphics, Maris's Varieties of the Copper Issues of the United States Mint in the Year 1794, American Banknote Company vignettes, NLG's 2022 Book of the Year, Clifford Mishler's numismatic career, the Penn-New York Auction Company, the Numismatic Poet Society, Ranger Industries, the 1792 Copper Disme, and what a nine-year old girl asked President Lincoln, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

NBS 2022 ANA CONVENTION REPORT

The ANA World's Fair of Money opened to the public Tuesday, August 16th at 1:00 PM. Again this year, the NBS hosted a club table to promote the benefits and enjoyment of building a numismatic library. The table was strategically located next to literature dealer Charles Davis's booth. The table afforded convention goers the opportunity to purchase a NBS commemorative coffee mug to support the NBS, view highlights of Friday's charity auction and connect with fellow literature enthusiasts.

This year there was an outstanding nine-case literature display titled A Select Numismatic Literature Collection. Examples displayed in the award-winning display included rare items authored by Dickeson, Ormsby and Beazel.

Read more here

MORE KOLBE & FANNING 2022 SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS

Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers are holding our Summer Americana sale on Saturday, August 27, 2022. Featuring highlights from the Cardinal Collection Library of American numismatic auction catalogues, the Bourne Library of U.S. numismatic periodicals, and the Jim Neiswinter Library of works on U.S. large cents, the sale promises to be one of the most important of the year.

Some highlights of the sale include:

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WBNA OFFERS RARE BANKNOTE VIGNETTE BOOK

World Banknote Auctions has now launched Live Sale 30 at www.worldbanknoteauctions.com. Live Sale 30 starts on August 25, 2022, with live bidding that day at 1 PM Eastern / 10 AM Pacific. Please note that Sale 30 is divided in two parts, each selling on a different day. The first live sale with 547 lots takes place on August 25 at 10 AM PST. The second timed sale with 471 lots starts to close on August 28 at 3 PM PST (special bidding rules apply for the timed sale, please see our website for details). Our bidding platform can be accessed directly by going to bid.worldbanknoteauctions.com or through our mobile apps.

One of the most interesting and unique items in the sale is a presentation book of vignettes produced by the American Banknote Company, most likely sometime in the late 1860s or 1870s. The book, offered as lot 30004 in the sale, contains 74 individual vignettes, many which appear on banknotes from the United States, Canada and South America. The book has the name Joseph Lesley on the front cover, and appears to have been presented to him. Intact books such as this are extremely rare, and we are aware of just a few intact books that have sold publicly in the past three decades. The book was carefully produced, with gilded edges, and while it does display some wear (as would be expected from a book of this age) it is completely intact and no individual plates appear to be missing.

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2022 NUMISMATIC LITERARY GUILD AWARDS

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THE JOEL OROSZ NUMISMATIC LIBRARY TOUR

The Joel Orosz Numismatic Library Tour

On July 14, 2022, Len Augsburger and Lianna Spurrier visited the Joel Orosz library with the idea of presenting a video tour of the library highlights. Produced by Lianna Spurrier, this video premiered at the Numismatic Bibliomania Society (NBS) meeting at the ANA convention on August 19. Joel walks us through the library highlights, including antebellum literature related to numismatics, numismatic association items, the NBS archives, and more. Thanks to Joel Orosz for hosting this event and allowing us to share his library with a wider audience.

Link to Joel Orosz Library Tour on Newman Portal:
https://archive.org/details/OroszLibraryTour

NUMISMATIC NOTABLES: CLIFFORD MISHLER

Numismatic Notables: Clifford Mishler

Newman Portal is pleased to present an in-depth, two-part interview with Clifford Mishler, who, along with Chet Krause, led Krause Publications for many years. In the first episode, Cliff discusses how he got involved in numismatics and his early days at Krause Publications, leading up to the first edition of Krause's Standard Catalog of World Coins. In part two, Mishler discusses the IT behind the Standard Catalog of World Coins, succession planning at Krause Publications, and the American Numismatic Association governance. Interviewed by Joel Orosz and Len Augsburger, this video was produced by Lianna Spurrier of Numismatic Marketing.

Link to Clifford Mishler interviews on Newman Portal
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/multimediadetail/529486?Year=2022&take=50

THE 1942 ANS EXHIBIT OF MASSACHUSETTS SILVER

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VIDEO: WHAT A GIRL ASKED PRESIDENT LINCOLN

What Would a Nine-Year Old Girl Ask President Lincoln?
VIDEO: 7:11.

Allisa Dyer, Young Numismatist,
Dennis Boggs, Abraham Lincoln,
David Lisot, Video Producer, CoinTelevision.com.
May 20, 2022.

There was a young lady who came to the Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists Coin Show and worked as a page. While there she decided to interview President Abraham Lincoln. What she asked him was extraordinary.

David adds:

An excerpt of the video is available for viewing on the Coin Television YouTube Channel at:
https://youtu.be/kSEATo6FAe8

 

NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: AUGUST 21, 2022

The Penn-New York Auction Company
Dave Hirt writes:

To read the catalog on NNP, see:
PENN-NEW YORK COIN CO. (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/auctionlots?AucCoId=511479&AuctionId=529023)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
THE FIRST BOWERS AND RUDDY PUBLIC AUCTION (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n33a18.html)

Read more here

THE TRILOBITE COINS OF VERMONT

The Trilobites of West Rutland, Vermont

Julia writes:

Read more here

 

RANGER INDUSTRIES

An expression of appreciation, camaraderie, and accomplishment

Ranger Industries is an industry leading resource for high quality Emblematic, Medallic and Custom Award & Recognition products, with offshore options that also provide cost-conscious solutions to meet your budget requirements.

Read more here

VOCABULARY TERM: LIMITING GUIDE

Limiting Guide. A design element on a medallic piece to position additional work, as the focus to drill a hole, or for piercing; to affix a foot or hanger; to apply a jewel or appliqué, or such.

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WILLIAM WETMORE'S TRAVELING DESK

William Wetmore was born in New York on December 7, 1849 to Samuel Wetmore and Sarah Boerum. Great-great-grandson of Capt. William Boerum, of Revolutionary Army; Great-grandson of Col. Jackson Browne, of British Colonial Army, who served in the Barbadoes, W. I.; Grandson of Capt. William Boerum, U. S. N. in battles of Hornet and Peacock; Hornet and Penguin.

Cadet at West Point Military Academy, July 1, 1867, to June 14, 1872, when he graduated and was promoted in the Army to Second Lieutenant 6th Cavalry.

He served at the Military Academy as Assistant Instructor of Ordnance and Gunnery, July 5-29, 1872, and of Field Telegraphing, July 29 to Aug. 31, 1872; on graduation leave of absence, Aug. 31 to Dec. 12, 1872; on frontier duty at Fort Reilly Kansas, Dec. 13, 1872, to Feb. 1, 1873,; Fort Wallace Kansas to July 10, 1873, — and at River Bend, Colorado to Oct. 3, 1873, being engaged on Sep. 10, 1873 in a hand-to-hand encounter with a band of desperadoes attempting to rob the Paymaster, he shot the chief of whom was the notorious ex Captain Graham; as Aide-de-camp to Bvt. Major-General Pope Oct. 3, 1873, to Sep. 4, 1875, at Headquarters of Fort Leavenworth Kansas as Acting Aide-de-Camp, Aug. 1 to Dec. 1, 1874, to Bvt. Major- General Miles, commanding Expedition to Indian Territory, being engaged, Aug. 30, 1874, in the Action of Red River, for which he was recommended to be brevetted First Lieutenant and Captain; on leave of absence, to make a tour around the world, Sep. 4, 1875, to Oct. 4, 1876. - Resigned, Dec. 1, 1876.

Read more here

ANS ANNOUNCES RESOLUTE AMERICANA CHAIR

The American Numismatic Society (ANS) is pleased to announce the naming of the curatorial position in American numismatics as the Resolute Americana Chair of American Numismatics. Thanks to a generous donation by ANS Life Fellow Robert L. Rodriguez, a longtime researcher and collector of Colonial and early United States coinage, the endowment to support this curatorship has now grown substantially.

The chair's new name honors one of Mr. Rodriguez's outstanding achievements, the assemblage of his Resolute Americana Collection, which includes coins and medals ranging from the beginning of the colonial period in the Americas to the earliest days of the United States Mint. Notable among them are some of the finest examples of Massachusetts silver coinage from 1652, the most complete collection of Continental dollars, and among the finest sets of 1792 mint pattern coinage ever assembled. Mr. Rodriguez chose the name Resolute for several reasons, among them his belief that the word aptly describes his own personal nature. He noted that the name also evokes the HMS Resolute, a British ship that has its own unique ties to American history.

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NAC AND SHANNA SCHMIDT FORM NAC USA

With the founding of NAC USA, Numismatica Ars Classica and Shanna Schmidt are forming a strategic partnership to improve NAC's services for American customers. Thanks to NAC USA, American customers can buy and sell via NAC as though the European auction house were located in the United States.

Read more here

STACK'S BOWERS SUMMER 2022 AUCTIONS

Stack's Bowers Galleries is thrilled to present an exceptional selection of United States coins and Numismatic Americana in their Summer 2022 Global Showcase Auction. This will be remembered as a historic milestone in numismatics, highlighted by the finest known Proof 1825/4/1 half eagle offered as part of the Mocatta Collection. Graded Proof-67 Cameo (PCGS) CAC, this specimen is one of just three known and can be traced to before 1864, through the cabinets of such luminaries as Parmelee, Eliasberg and King Farouk of Egypt. It is accompanied in the Mocatta Collection by numerous other rarities including a pair of 1796 Stars and No Stars $2.50 quarter eagles, a lovely 1879 Flowing Hair $4 Stella, Wire Rim and Rolled Rim Pattern 1907 Indian $10 pieces, a Gem Proof 1887 Liberty Head $20, and many others.

Read more here

STACK'S BOWERS SUMMER 2022 U.S. CURRENCY

Stacks Bowers Galleries is thrilled to present an important offering of United States Currency in their Summer Global Showcase Auction. The firm's first showcase currency sale since their Spring 2022 Auction, it features many rarities and advanced collections. Given the strong prices realized in their Spring 2022 Auction, another record-breaking sale is anticipated.

Read more here

MORE FEISEL AUGUST 2022 TOKEN HIGHLIGHTS

Bidding on the auction has picked up substantially by the delivery of the print version of "Talkin' Tokens," the monthly publication of the National Token Collectors Association (NTCA). Increased viewing activity of some of the auction lots has also been noted on the photo hosting site accessible at:
https://collector-ca.smugmug.com/Tokens-Exonumia/2022-AUGUST-MAIL-BID-SALE/

And as a reminder, when submitting your bids be sure to use the lot number rather than the image number from this site.

Should still need a full listing of the auction lots, please let me know and I'll send you a PDF color copy.

If you have not yet submitted your bids, now is the time to do so!

This auction offers a wide variety of better exonumia items including:

Read more here

 

HOLABIRD AUGUST 2022 SALE SELECTIONS

Lot 4065: Iwo Jima Bronze Plaque

This plaque is the Iwo Jima flag raising made famous by AP photographer Joe Rosenthal. It is cast bronze about 7in. in diameter with two mounting hole from the back. Appears to be new and never mounted.

To read the complete lot description, see:
Iwo Jima Bronze Plaque [152590] (https://holabirdamericana.liveauctiongroup.com/Iwo-Jima-Bronze-Plaque-152590_i45935866?t=HEBAug10)

Read more here

LARRY SWICK PEACE MEDAL COLLECTION

The Larry Swick Peace Medal Collection, Pine Ridge Reservation: A Collection of 84 Peace Medals with Notes of Provenance in Lakota and English

Read more here

NUMISMATIC NUGGETS: AUGUST 21, 2022

Edward Lloyd Halfpenny Token

London, St. James's, (Westminster). Edward Lloyd AE Halfpenny nd. Building / Triad, denom. (N 8900; D 2522A; BW. Uncertain 50; Berry, BNJ 1982, pp.158-60). About Very Fine, good patination.

Ex. Baldwin's.

Edward Lloyd was a ‘sutler' (provisions provider) supplying food and drink to soldiers of the 1st or Royal Regiment of Foot Guards, newly formed in 1665, which devolved later into the Grenadier Guards. The first quartermaster of the regiment was a John Lloyd, appointed on 15 July 1665, who held the post until 3 August 1667. The style of the token, although undated, would date it almost exactly to this period.

To read the complete lot description, see:
LONDON, ST. JAMES'S, (WESTMINSTER). EDWARD LLOYD AE HALFPENNY (https://www.baldwin.co.uk/product/london-st-jamess-westminster-edward-lloyd-ae-halfpenny/)

Read more here

2022 ANA CONVENTION DIARY

The annual ANA convention is a highlight of the annual numismatic calendar, and the combination of people, coins, and get-togethers is hard to beat. Preparation always starts early for me, and I build a detailed spreadsheet to keep track of everything.

Literature Dealers
Charles Davis was set up with his usual array of significant numismatic literature. Kolbe & Fanning were at the show but could not commit to setting up as it was unclear, until the last minute, when they would have to take their son (who is starting the University of Cincinnati) to school. As it turns out they were able to come to the ANA but did not bring inventory. From Charlie I purchased a copy of the 1992 M. N. Daycius circular that promoted a bogus sale of numismatic literature, in addition to a nicely bound copy of the Breen/Gillio work on fractional gold pieces.

Rittenhouse Medal
By Wednesday the Liberty Seated Collectors Club table was a beehive of activity. John Frost had brought for exhibit a group of medals from the Charles Barber estate. My favorite was the MT-1, featuring a bust of David Rittenhouse, engraved by William Barber. The American Philosophical Society has an 1871 letter of transmittal from Barber, presenting them an MT-1 Rittenhouse medal that was patterned after a Rittenhouse bust in their collection. Later in the week John Lundsten exhibited his nearly complete set of Seated dollars at the LSCC table. Among the visitors to the LSCC table was Tom Bender, who was presented with the 1870-S half dime table skirt printed for the 2019 Seated Fest II exhibit in Baltimore.

Read more here

BLONDEAU'S COMMONWEALTH PATTERNS

Peter (Pierre) Blondeau was brought to London to improve the coinage of the Commonwealth. First minted in 1649, it was a coinage by committee with a design that expressed a puritan dislike for anything ornamental. Realistic portraits, ornate shields, and Latin inscriptions gave way to a coin with a simple shield on the obverse—St. George's cross, a repeat of the shield along with an Irish shield on the reverse, and a simple legend in English to replace the Latin phrases of the Stuart coins. It was produced under Thomas Simon, Master of the Mint, who probably was not particularly happy with it, a view widely shared by the public. No one knows who actually designed the coin.

Read more here

 

THE WILDMEN

One of the more popular collecting aspects within world coins, and especially within German coins, is the wildman motif often associated with the Duchy of Brunswick-Luneburg and its various subdivisions. A 1916 article in The Numismatist by Moritz Wormser relates that the wildman …is a descendant of the Greek Satyr and the Roman Faun. Owing to the duchy's location among the Harz Mountains, and the mountains' rich deposits of silver (among other metals), the idea of the wildman was meant to evoke fear among those who steal from the mines. In this sense, the wildman had a role in folklore as a local protector, and even made his way into the coats-of-arms of the various towns within the area.

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CANADA'S NEW OSCAR PETERSON COIN

Montreal pianist and jazz musician Oscar Peterson is being honoured with a commemorative coin, released today.

Peterson, who died in 2007, was one of Canada's most decorated musicians and is remembered as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time.

The Royal Canadian Mint is issuing the $1 commemorative circulation coin to honour Peterson's "extraordinary talent and enduring musical legacy," it said in a statement.

Read more here

CANADIAN COIN FEATURES METIS BEADWORK

The Royal Canadian Mint has released the second coin in the series entitled Generations, which focuses on Indigenous Canadian art. An additional element of the series celebrates the passing on of traditional knowledge from one generation to the next, preserving overall Indigenous culture and heritage through art as well as the spoken word. The latest coin features the artwork of the Red River Métis and the tradition of their beadwork, which is a distinct and unique expression of Métis culture and identity, and an exercise in visual storytelling.

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GEORGE LESLIE, KING OF BANK ROBBERS

George Leonidas Leslie led a double life: By day, he was a distinguished architect who hobnobbed with New York City's elite denizens; by night, he was one of history's most prolific bank robbers.

Unlike other heisters of his time, Leslie's approach was academic rather than brutish. He studied the anatomy of locks, drafted up blueprints of banks, and invented mechanical safe-breaking devices.

During his career, authorities estimated that his exploits accounted for 80% of all bank robberies in the entire US during his active years of 1869-78.

Altogether, he stole at least $7m ($200m in today's money), much of it pilfered from the bank vaults of America's wealthiest titans.

Read more here

 

FAUX WHAT IT'S WORTH

The Tshwane metro police confiscated counterfeit money with a face value of R3.5 million during an operation in Pretoria on Friday.

The operation was part of an investigation into a syndicate involved in money laundering and counterfeit money.

During the operation, officers followed a convoy of vehicles, including a red Range Rover, two Mercedes-Benzes and a Toyota Corolla, said Tshwane metro police spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba.

Read more here

REAL AND FAKE COIN-PUSHER VIDEOS

I decided to do something ridiculous that cost a whole bunch of money. So I bought a coin pusher.

Coin pushers are amusement games filled with coins and sometimes prizes (including cash). Players drop coins of their own into the machine and onto a platform that constantly moves backward and forward. The aim is to set off a chain reaction that will push coins or prizes off a second, stationary platform and into a payout tray below. Although the machines are legal under federal law, coin pushers that offer cash prizes are outlawed in a number of states.

Read more here

FEATURED WEBSITE: ANCIENT COIN CLUB OF LOS ANGELES

This week's Featured Web Site is the Ancient Coin Club of Los Angeles (ACCLA).

http://www.accla.org/