Visit our NBS Sponsors

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 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 OCTOBER 9, 2022

New subscribers this week include: Pacifico Diaz-de Rosa, courtesy Adrián González-Salinas; and Jim Myers. 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 four new books, the Charles III coins, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, a numismatic museum exhibit, and more.

Other topics this week include Morgan dollars, Canadian colonial tokens, Emergency Money, videos, documents relating to U.S. colonial money, marriage medals, Sylvester Sage Crosby, fixed price and auction selections, the 1930 Australian penny, women on Australia's banknotes, and the James Beard award medals.

To learn more about the Schwaab Stamp & Seal Co., coins and mints in Avignon, France, the making of the Red Book, sculptor Martin Jennings, John Dannreuther, Bill Dewey, the Ten Megs fantasy note, greeting cards of numismatic centenarians, cast coinage errors, numismatists dealing with Hurricane Ian, the Maastricht show, Confederate Treasury Notes, the Edouard Manet medal, the the Shire Post Mint, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

NEW BOOK: MORGAN SILVER DOLLARS, 7TH EDITION

Whitman Publishing will release the newly expanded and updated seventh edition of A Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars, by Q. David Bowers, for the 2022 holiday season. The 336-page book will be available in December from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide. In the meantime, it can be preordered (including online at www.Whitman.com).

The seventh edition's coin-by-coin retail values have been updated in a snapshot of today's rare-coin market, with detailed pricing in 11 circulated and Mint State grades plus 3 levels of Proof. The book includes hundreds of new images, with photographs of every date in the series plus new illustrations in the history chapters and appendices, and galleries of toned silver dollars and error coins. Analysis of certified-coin populations has been updated. The seventh edition includes an updated appendix on counterfeit Morgan dollars, based on the research of Beth Deisher, and a new appendix on the 1921–2021 centennial Morgan dollar coins. The index has been expanded for easy, comprehensive navigation of the book's contents.

Read more here

 

NEW BOOK: SCHWAAB STAMP & SEAL OBSOLETE DIES

Schwaab Stamp & Seal Co - A Catalog of Obsolete Dies

Long time token collector, Tom Casper, has written a book on the Schwaab Stamp & Seal Co. of Milwaukee, WI. The company was a major manufacturer of tokens, medals, and badges. The company was started in 1881 and they produced these pieces until the mid-twentieth century.

The book provides a history of the company as well as photos of 800+ Schwaab dies. Some of these dies produced exonumia not seen yet in the marketplace. The dies are in categories of Masonic Tokens, Trade Tokens, Transportation Tokens, Fraternal Organizations, and Miscellaneous Items. The dies struck pieces from 45 different states.

Read more here

NEW BOOK: CANADIAN COLONIAL TOKENS 11TH ED.

Canadian Colonial tokens, 11th Edition
C. Chapados-Girard, Editor
$43.95

In the 11th edition of the Charlton Standard Catalogue, Canadian Colonial Tokens, nearly 200 pictures have been added or improved. The previous simplification of the reference numbers to keep only the most relevant ones was continued. Many hundreds of minor issues were also improved.

Another major collection has entered the market, namely the Donald G. Partrick Collection, which was offered in two different sales in the spring of 2021. A U. S. based collector, Partrick had an impressive number of rarities. Many of those didn't see other hands than his for half a century. His Blacksmith tokens were particularly impressive and proved very helpful in showing the state of the market last year. Lots of realized prices were noted and some images were improved because of their resurgence through the Partrick Collection.

Read more here

NEW BOOK: COINS AND MINTS IN AVIGNON

Recherches et Travaux de la Société d'Études Numismatiques et Archéologiques (RTSÉNA) 10 : Monnaies et Monnayages en Avignon entre Provence et Papauté.

Proceedings of the colloquium of May 25-28, 2017 at the Calvet Museum – Avignon. Research and Works Collection in french of the Society for Numismatic and Archaeological Studies (SÉNA), n°10, Paris, 2022. The new opus of the SÉNA Research and Works collection is now available. This magnificent hardback book made up of 220 color pages in glossy paper contains the papers presented during the colloquium organized jointly by the SÉNA and the GNCP (Groupe Numismatique du Comtat et de Provence) in May 2017 in Avignon (France).

The cover, in the colors of the city of Avignon (yellow and red), represents a Provençal bouletée cross surrounded by coins and medals that you will find studied in this volume. Fifteen articles in french will be presented there, giving pride of place to the collections of the Calvet museum, but also to the Avignon treasure of obols from Marseille, to the Merovingian coins of Arles and Carolingian coins from Uzès, to the Provençal issues of the counts of Toulouse in the Middle Age, or token coins of the Fair of Beaucaire are represented there.

Read more here

 

THE MAKING OF THE RED BOOK

As you read these words, a crack team of more than 100 numismatic experts is hard at work developing the 77th edition of R.S. Yeoman's Guide Book of United States Coins. They hail from every nook of the nation—big cities and small towns, north, south, east, and west—and from every corner and calling within the hobby community. Some are famous coin dealers who buy and sell legendary rarities. Some are major bullion retailers who move millions of dollars of gold and silver. Some focus on rarefied specialties like early copper coins or branch-mint gold pieces. Others sell meat-and-potato collector coins in everyday grades, Fine to Uncirculated. Some aren't dealers at all, but are active collectors, researchers, and historians.

Each of them has the same goal at heart: To ensure the Red Book, as the best-selling annual guide is known, remains the most accurate, timely, and useful publication in the hobby, a role it's filled since 1946.

Read more here

 

DOES THE CHARLES III COIN BREAK TRADITION?

Chip Howell writes:

David Pickup writes:

"I guess there are three factors at play here: necessity, technology, and politics, rather than just a desire for profit:

"Necessity: I'm only guessing, but I assume on previous occasions there have been plenty of coins already in circulation, or a new issue for the year with the "old" monarch's effigy already planned or in production, so there has been no need to rush into production with the new effigy. We have that in NZ at the moment, with plenty of coins already in stock in our central bank, so there is no hurry to get coins with King Charles' effigy produced and out in circulation (there's some lobbying for us to do there!). The same applied in 1952, as I understand it. There was no coin shortage but a full run was made in 1953 for the occasion, and then some denominations weren't struck again until 1961!

"As for British coins, I have a shilling of George II dated 1727, his year of accession, his father having died in June that year, and guineas were struck for George I in 1714, for example, so it has been done in the past. A quick glance at the catalogue shows there are halfcrowns of George IV dated 1820, and various denominations issued under Anne in 1702 and James II in 1685, etc. Admittedly I had to go back quite a way for examples. Perhaps the need to get coins in circulation - which Britain lost sight of entirely for much of the 18th century - encouraged the Mint to get a move on in those years at least.

Of course, since the Queen died in September, coins dated 2022 bearing her effigy had already been produced for the UK, so the image has indeed been "retained" for the year in that sense.

"Technology: With digital systems and even advances in photography it's probably a much faster process now to get a die ready with the monarch's image. In 1936, Edward VIII abdicated before the year was out, but colonial coins bearing his name but no effigy were released with that date in Fiji, New Guinea and a handful of locations in Africa and India; as we know, portrait coins had been prepared in Britain during the year (in 1936 they at least had time from January to make a start) but weren't expecting to release them until the following year and so they were dated accordingly. The few 1937-dated nickel-brass threepence coins that were provided to machine makers for calibration, one or two of which accidentally slipped into circulation, must have been made before the end of the year.

"Politics: I make no secret of being something of a Charles fan, but acknowledge he has a few PR matters to deal with, and so - not unlike the practice of rushing coins into circulation in ancient times as soon as a new Emperor was proclaimed - it's probably no bad thing to get coins with the new effigy in people's pockets sooner rather than later."

To read the complete article, see:
The U.K. Royal Mint Has Unveiled Coins of the Newly Crowned King Charles III, Designed by Sculptor Martin Jennings (https://news.artnet.com/art-world/king-charles-mint-coin-2184321)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
KING CHARLES III COIN DESIGNS REVEALED (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n40a25.html)

KING CHARLES III COIN DESIGNER MARTIN JENNINGS

Less than a month after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the first coins featuring the official portrait of King Charles III have been released.

Each of the new commemorative coins bears the first coinage portrait of the King, designed by British sculptor Martin Jennings and personally approved by King Charles III.

"I was delighted to hear that the King likes the image," Mr Jennings told the Royal Mint.

Read more here

NNP ADDS THE EMERGENCY MONEY COLLECTOR

Newman Portal Adds The Emergency Money Collector

Read more here

 

VIDEO: 2022 SUMMER FUN SHOW WALKABOUT

Amazing Numismatic Walkabout at FUN Summer 2022 with David Lisot.

David Lisot, Host, CoinTelevision.com with Mike Bean, Bob Hurst, Lisa Venas, Dylan & Madison Wexler, Katie Williams, & Abigail Zechman.

The Florida United Numismatists Summer Convention is not as large at the January convention, but it still has a lot to offer. David Lisot takes you on another Numismatic. Walkabout showing some of what Summer FUN 2022 has to offer. The video begins with the FUN Opening Ceremony with President Bob Hurst. The David speaks with Abigail Zechman and Katie Williams, two new personalities with the FUN organization. The walkabout includes the Spider Press, young numismatists and pages, a new Spanish language YouTube channel, and more!

22:26

David adds:

An excerpt of the video is available for viewing on the Coin Television YouTube Channel at:
https://youtu.be/imP52Eb3PNs

VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH JOHN DANNREUTHER, PART I

Read more here

EXHIBIT: DEFACED! MONEY, CONFLICT, PROTEST

Defaced! Money, Conflict, Protest (11 October – 8 January 2023) is the first major exhibition to present a world history of protest through currencies that have been mutilated as cries of anger, injustice, or despair from the last 250 years. Defaced! showcases a new collection of defaced coins and banknotes recently acquired for the Fitzwilliam by its curator Dr Richard Kelleher, complemented by important loans from private collections and museums.

Read more here

MORE ON DEFACED! MONEY, CONFLICT, PROTEST

An exhibition of defaced money mutilated as cries of anger, injustice or despair is to go on display, including a banknote featuring the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Cambridge's Fitzwilliam Museum will host the exhibition called Defaced! Money, Conflict, Protest from Tuesday.

Read more here

GREETING CARDS OF NUMISMATIC CENTENARIANS

William S. Dewey, 1905-2006: Bill celebrated his 100th birthday on December 5, 2005, and a few days before that sent out this very special Christmas card. He actually celebrated his 101st Christmas that year, doubtless forgetting the 1905 Christmas when he was only a few days old (that was the year that he WAS the Christmas present although he might have received a few of his own). Bill was the ANA's first librarian and served in other jobs too, including but not limited to preparation of the 1940 index to The Numismatist. He was a supervising engineer for the New York Telephone Company, volunteer chairman of his local water and sewer authority after he retired, and founder and president of several local coin clubs. The Ocean County Historical Society published two of his studies on local industries (the Bergen Iron Works and the Torrey brothers' railroad construction business, both of which issued exonumia). He wrote frequent stories on historical and numismatic topics, one together with me. He received the Krause Numismatic Ambassador award in 1987.

Read more here

NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: OCTOBER 9, 2022

On Photoshop As an Analytical Tool
Bill Eckberg writes:

Bob writes:

To read Bill's April 2017 Penny-Wise article on the topic, see:
Hubbed 1793 Obverse Dies (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/573707)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: OCTOBER 2, 2022 : Witness Marks and the Death of a Die (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n40a13.html)

Read more here

CONNECTICUT DOCUMENTS ON COLONIAL MONEY

A few weeks ago, fellow EACer Henry Hettger contacted me on behalf of another EACer, Jim Myers, who had purchased a group of historical documents which included some from the state of Connecticut. Jim, who was seeking documents related to family history, purchased them in an on-line auction for less than a hundred dollars. While he did not find any records of family significance, three Connecticut state documents caught his attention.

The state documents are signed by George Wyllys, the Secretary of the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut. Since each document contains the phase A true Copy of Record Examind By followed by Wyllys' signature, they are apparently the handwritten copies of the legislative record sent out for printing into public notices.

Read more here

THE NUMISMATIC SIDE OF HURRICANE IAN

As the storm moved closer, the trajectory began to change. Soon it appeared Tampa would be spared, and that the likely point of landfall would be the Bradenton-Sarasota area, south of Tampa. Preparations ramped up in that region. Certified Collectibles Group, which includes Numismatic Guaranty Co. and Paper Money Guaranty among others, based in Lakewood Ranch, announced closure on Tuesday afternoon with precautions in place.

Still, the storm drifted eastward, striking Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 28, at Cayo Costa Island as a Category 4 hurricane, tied for the fourth-largest storm to strike the United States. Packing winds of greater than 150 miles per hour, it blew onto the coast of Florida, through Fort Myers and Cape Coral, sweeping up the spine of the peninsula and dumping dozens of inches of rain on the land, ominously arriving at high tide.

Read more here

CDN PUBLISHING GLOBETROTS

Between September 22 and October 2 the CDN Publishing team was present in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Maastricht, the Netherlands, Stockholm, Sweden, and Long Beach, California. While the Greysheet is extremely well known in the United States, our flagship product is not nearly as well recognized in Europe. In 2020, we added The Banknote Book, the world's most comprehensive catalog of world paper money, to our offerings, and our team has taken to the road to promote these and all our offerings.

It is truly one of the best parts of our work to come to these live shows and meet dealers and collectors in person.

Read more here

 

VOCABULARY TERM: MARRIAGE MEDAL

Marriage Medal. A medallic item issued on the occasion of a marriage or on the anniversary of a marriage. The most obvious design, of course, is portraits of the wedded couple. In addition to medals issued at the time of a wedding ceremony, anniversary medals have been issued on significant anniversaries. Most medallic companies offered stock medals for engagement, marriage and wedding anniversary themes. These dies could, of course, be engraved, or struck pieces inscribed to customize for any couple or occasion.

Read more here

SYLVESTER SAGE CROSBY (1831-1914)

In a recent article, I mentioned a photograph that Joseph Saxton took from a window in the U. S. Mint in 1839. It would be years before photos would be used to illustrate coin books. For the next 35 years, publishers used woodcuts, steel plate engravings and metal-ruled plates. It would not be until 1875 that the first photo illustrated book appeared.

The name of Sylvester Sage Crosby should be familiar to anyone with enough interest in numismatics to read The E-Sylum. Although parts of his story may be familiar, perhaps other parts are not.

Read more here

 

FALL 2022 PAN CIVIL WAR SHOWCASE

The Showcase this year will feature a return of General Sherman and Honest Abe to discuss matters such as Uncle Billy Sherman's early days in the Gold Days of California, when he was the Manager of the San Francisco branch of Lucas, Turner & Co. Sherman also recalled later in the War marching through Milledgeville, Georgia – where his troops burned 1,000s in State of Georgia notes. Lincoln and Sherman are slated to join Lank and Rush on Saturday for discussion about What was in your pockets, General Sherman & President Lincoln, taking a close look at coins, paper money, tokens, and talismans of the 1860s.

Read more here

NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: OCTOBER 2022

102167 | GERMANY. New Century silver Medal. Issued 1900 (38mm, 28.48 g, 12h). By C. Starck & O. Oertel in Berlin. Facing sphinx / ZUR / JAHR- / HUN- / DERTS – WENDE, Hora, in sheer, full-length drapery, standing slightly left, extinguishing one torch and holding another upright. Edge: 990. Strothotte 1900-3; Marienburg 7159; Heidemann 855; GPH 5082. Choice Mint State. Pleasingly toned. $245.

Offering great Neoclassical artistry, this piece was created for the dawn of the 20th century, seemingly featuring a mythological allegory for the passage of time, Hora. Here, she is depicted in a very sheer drapery, her apparent nakedness revealing the exploits of the previous century, yet her clothing at least obfuscating the events of the new century.

To read the complete item description, see:
102167 | GERMANY. New Century silver Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102167)

Read more here

COLLECTION OF AN ENGLISH DOCTOR, PART THREE

Sovereign Rarities are very proud to present the third and final part of The Collection of an English Doctor to offer for sale through our website www.sovr.co.uk at fixed prices. Formed by a very discerning collector of many years standing, this English collection formed diligently over the last few years, aims to illustrate the history of the English silver Penny, with the criteria being to collect as many mints and moneyers as possible in the time that was allowed. Continuing on chronologically from the recent parts one and two, this final part contains Plantagenet through the houses of Lancaster and York, the Tudors and the Stuarts to end with the last hammered issues of the Commonwealth - the total consisting of 145 coins. It can be difficult to pick highlight pieces especially when there are so many in such a large grouping, but the rarest and most unusual pieces are clearly the most interesting, a top tenas follows in reign and mint order:

Read more here

DAVISSON'S E-AUCTION 45

E-Auction 45, closing Wednesday, November 9th 2022, is online now! Print copies are being sent this week, if you are not on our mailing list and would like a copy please let us know.

This catalog is very much a story of consignors. Seven different collectors are represented in this sale, and their efforts and taste are an important part of what this catalog represents. We write the descriptions, the grading and the estimates, but the pieces themselves reflect what was important to the past owners.

Some of our consignors have small sections in this catalog reflecting adjustments to their current interests. Other consignments represent someone letting go. One such collection is a continuation of our offering of a large collection of crowns and crown size pieces—the US 1798 and 1846 dollars are his. Rather than offer his entire collection at once, we have been spreading it out over a few sales. We are also introducing coins from another consignor whom we have known personally for many years as a Minnesota collector who would often stop by our table when we used to attend local shows. He formed a particularly well-thought-out and appealing collection of Greek and Roman coins and 20 of his pieces are an important part of the ancient section of this catalog.

Read more here

NUMISMATIC NUGGETS: OCTOBER 9, 2022

Mexican 8 Reales with Wedding Chop

MEXICO. 8 Reales, 1879-Pi BE. San Luis Potosi Mint. PCGS Genuine--Chopmark, VF Details.

KM-377.12; DP-Pi66. With red tape chop character "xixi" (double happiness) on the obverse.

To read the complete lot description, see:
MEXICO. 8 Reales, 1879-Pi BE. San Luis Potosi Mint. PCGS Genuine--Chopmark, VF Details. (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-YVNF5/mexico-8-reales-1879-pi-be-san-luis-potosi-mint-pcgs-genuine-chopmark-vf-details)

Read more here

BYZANTINE COIN FIND IN ISRAEL

Archaeologists in Israel say 44 pure gold coins dating to the 7th Century have been found hidden in a wall at a nature reserve.

Weighing about 170g, the hoard found at the Hermon Stream (Banias) site was hidden during the Muslim conquest of the area in 635, experts estimated.

They said the coins shed light on the end of the Byzantine rule in the area.

Read more here

THE 1930 AUSTRALIAN PENNY

A rare 1930 Australian penny that was never meant to be minted has sold for just under $60,000 at auction.

The 1930 penny was sold at a national online auction last night for $59, 415 to a Western Australian bidder, who intends to pass the coin on to his grand children.

Auctioneers believe it is a record sale price for a circulated Australian penny in 'good/fair' condition.

Read more here

WASHINGTON FUNERAL URN MEDAL IN GOLD

Washington funeral medals were produced in several varieties in Newburyport, Massachusetts by well-known engraver Jacob Perkins and are believed to have been distributed at or for the civic funeral procession held in Boston. However, there were numerous civic processions arranged for nearby cities, and these medals might well have figured into more than one official event, as numerous die combinations are known suggestive of a fairly large output. Most were made in silver, holed for suspension. Gold strikes are extremely rare.

Read more here

THE SHIRE POST MINT

We are Shire Post Mint, a small, family-run coining operation located in Arkansas, USA. We specialize in licensed fantasy coinage, but we make lots of other things too.

Shire Post Mint began in 2001 when Tom bought his first antique coin press. He had a passion for coin collecting since his childhood and his years of knife-making gave him metalworking knowledge that he used to start making coins. The techniques used of hand-engraving steel dies and pressing one at a time are the same used in the 1800s and earlier. After a few years of research, refinement and building a small following online, his work caught the eye of George R.R. Martin, who was interested in having coins made from his new series of books, A Song of Ice and Fire.

Read more here

 

AUSTRALIA'S WOMEN ON BANKNOTES

In May 1990, when the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) announced plans to replace Caroline Chisholm with the Queen on a new $5 note, the decision stoked growing republican sentiment and unleashed a fiery backlash about the representation of Australian women on banknotes.

Paul Keating called the decision a national disgrace. Historian Manning Clark described it as deplorable and retrograde. The mauve-coloured fiver was the first of a series of new polymer banknotes to be issued between 1992 and 1996 and there were concerns about what it might mean for the designs of the remaining notes, which had yet to be revealed.

Read more here

LOOSE CHANGE: OCTOBER 9, 2022

Australians Petition To Replace Queen on Currency

Debate over which famous faces should appear on the country's currency has reignited, with two dedicated fans campaigning in a desperate attempt to get one Aussie icon into our wallets.

Principal petitioners Vincent Wu and Kirby Miles have started two separate petitions in a bid to feature crocodile hunter Steve Irwin on the $5 note.

Their goal is to have the Australian conservationist, wildlife expert and TV personality's portrait feature on the lowest value note opposed to that of King Charles III.

And their hopes may become a reality after Assistant Treasury Minister Andrew Leigh revealed that the new king may not necessarily replace his mother on the $5 note in the way new coins will feature him.

The endless possibilities of who could replace the Queen on the note has amassed discussion online, even attracting international attention.

Hi I'm American, can we replace Andrew Jackson on our money with Steve Irwin? We love him too, one international fan tweeted.

To read the complete article, see:
Australians petition to put Steve Irwin on new currency, replacing Queen Elizabeth (https://nypost.com/2022/10/02/australians-petition-to-feature-steve-irwin-on-new-5/)

Read more here

FEATURED WEBPAGE: JAMES BEARD AWARDS

For foodies, this week's Featured Webpage is the James Beard Awards. Entries and recommendations for the 2023 awards can be made through November 30, 2022.

https://www.jamesbeard.org/awards