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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: Jeff Dickerson, Treasurer Numismatic Bibliomania Society P. O. Box 578, Weatherford, TX 76086 Asylum For Asylum mailing address changes and other membership questions, contact Jeff 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 November 11, 2023, Workman's Books

 

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 12, 2023

New subscribers this week include: Julius P. Heitz, and Frank Szely. Welcome aboard!

Several readers noted that the full-issue links were incorrect in last week's short version. Sorry - my fault. I think we're good this time.

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 the retirement of numismatic bookseller George Kolbe, the opening of a new numismatic literature firm, seven new books, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, and more.

Other topics this week include Nicaraguan paper money, the Bristol Pound, counterfeit gold, Don Taxay's certificates of authenticity, Smithsonian and ANA numismatic exhibits, auction previews, my Whitman Baltimore Coin Expo diary, metal detecting, and the dealer who exposed thefts at the British Museum.

To learn more about Numismatisches Antiquariat Lang, the coins of Myconos, New Zealand medals, fake slabs, FIDEM, Ard Browning, David Schenkman, Dick Johnson, Taylor Swift, Mary Tyler Moore's Bulgari necklace, a Noe-1 Pine Tree Shilling, Dahlonega gold, and the Adventures of a Halfpenny, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

GEORGE KOLBE RETIRES FROM BOOKSELLING

GEORGE KOLBE RETIRES FROM BOOKSELLING

George Frederick Kolbe, numismatic bookseller and author, has announced his retirement from the partnership of Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers. The firm will continue to operate as Kolbe & Fanning under the ownership of David and Maria Fanning and will remain in their Gahanna, Ohio offices.

Kolbe began his career as a numismatic bookseller in May 1967 with the publication of his first fixed price list, a three-page typewritten compilation sent from Redondo Beach, California, to no more than two dozen potential customers. Subsequent lists grew in sophistication both of content and format, and in 1976 Kolbe (by now in Mission Viejo) held his first auction, a mail- bid sale of 763 lots. Three subsequent mail-bid sales were followed by Kolbe's first public auction, held in conjunction with the 1979 Convention of International Numismatics in Los Angeles.

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NUMISMATISCHES ANTIQUARIAT LANG LAUNCHES

We, Michael Lang and Alexander Riesner, are the Numismatic Antiquariat Lang . Newly founded in February 2023. We are an auction house specializing in numismatic literature and offer collectors and researchers a wide range of both rare and unique treasures as well as standard works from the world of numismatic literature. Based on a long-standing partnership with Solidus Numismatik, we are the German auction house specializing in numismatic literature.

Our goal is to promote enthusiasm for numismatics and to make numismatic literature accessible. We will therefore delight you with new auctions at regular intervals. If you can't find what you're looking for, please contact us at any time.

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NEW TITLES FROM SIATRAS BOOKS

Demetrius Siatras writes:

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NEW CHAPTER: NEW ZEALAND MEDALS - 1900S

This is part of a projected multi-volume series updating Leon Morel's Catalogue of Medallic Commemoratives of New Zealand, 1865-1940 (1996) and the Supplement published in 2000. This new edition marks a departure from previous RNSNZ catalogue projects in that it is being released electronically in the first instance, and in sections. In this way, parts of the book can be published as they become ready, and can also be regularly updated as new information becomes available.

The various sections of the catalogue will ultimately cover the whole of NZ's medallic history from the earliest issues associated with this country through to the Centennial events of 1940. More recent issues, from 1940 (not Centennial-related) to date, are being covered by a companion series, New Zealand Commemorative Medals since 1940, which is also being published in parts and in electronic form.

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NEW BOOK: BILLETES DE NICARAGUA 1937-1979

On behalf of my co-author, Francisco Orozco Icaza and myself, we are pleased to present a new work on Nicaraguan numismatics, Billetes de Nicaragua 1937-1979. It is the first of four volumes we have in mind, dividing the corpus of Nicaraguan paper money issues into its four principal periods.

The present work covers the issues from 1937 to 1979, basically from the beginning of the Somoza dynasty until the fall of the Somoza regime in 1979. Choosing to begin with this date range came naturally because it represents the most stable period in Nicaragua's financial history, with the best availability of reliable documentation, and with excellent availability of banknotes in collections to illustrate the work.

We begin with the authors' Acknowledgements, among whom I would like to highlight Davide Oldrati in Italy for his magnificent work of researching, cataloging, and illustrating signatures on banknotes from many Latin American countries, and whose work on Nicaraguan banknote signatures is extensive and excellent. We are also indebted to the distinguished researcher of engraving art and vignette history, Mark D. Tomasko, whose several books on the subject and direct contributions helped us a lot.

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NEW BOOK: VALUE BEYOND MONEY

A new book called Value Beyond Money promises to tell the full story of the failed Bristol Pound experiment.

The Bristol Pound, which was launched with great fanfare in 2012 and lasted until 2021, was the first local currency to have digital and paper money from the outset, and the first to enable the payment of local taxes in the local currency, with former Bristol mayor George Ferguson even accepting his entire salary in Bristol Pounds.

Its aim was to raise awareness of the importance of localisation of trade, building community wealth by trapping money in the local economy, but to its detractors it was no more than a glorified voucher system.

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MORE ON MINIATURE NUMISMATIC BOOKS

More on Miniature Numismatic Books

Following up on the E-Sylum note of November 5 discussing miniature books, it's worth noting that Julian Edison (1929-2017), a brother-in-law of Eric P. Newman, was among the foremost collectors of miniature books. Today, Washington University in St. Louis holds a group of over 3,500 miniature books from the Julian and Hope Edison Collection, a selection of which is currently on exhibit at Olin Library. Another group from the Edison collection was donated to the Houghton Library at Harvard University in 2019.

The Newman library sale (Heritage Auctions, November 2018) included a copy of the miniature Adventures of a Halfpenny, a moral tale for children decrying the adulteration of copper coins. The work was marketed along with a series of little books aimed at children. This volume was reprinted in the August 1997 Colonial Newsletter with annotations by Charles W. Smith, and further discussed by Andrew Wager in the Conder Token Collector's Journal in March 2000. The Newman copy sold for $456 on November 7, 2018.

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VIDEO: A TALE OF TWO NUMISMATIC FUTURES

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MICHIGAN STATE SHOW NOVEMBER 17-19, 2023

MICHIGAN STATE NUMISMATIC SOCIETY TO HOST ANNUAL FALL CONVENTION

The Michigan State Numismatic Society is excited to share information about its upcoming convention, held on a new date and in a new location! The dates of the new show are Friday, Nov. 17-Sunday, Nov. 19 at the Radisson Hotel in Southfield! We have some excellent speakers presenting all kinds of topics for us, ranging from Notgeld coins to Fake Slabs and hints for starting a local coin club. Please see the schedule below.

We are also excited to be welcoming some new dealers to our show – since it's not on Thanksgiving weekend, new dealers have signed up to come and visit us in the Detroit area! We will also have a great line-up of exhibits for you to view, as well as a YN program for all the youth to attend on Saturday!

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KUWAIT'S POLICING OF COUNTERFEIT GOLD

I was surprised to read that platinum was once regarded as a cheap heavy metal used to produce counterfeit gold coins. Today, of course, as you write, platinum is regarded as an expensive precious metal, although no longer as pricy as gold on the global spot market based in London.

While living in Kuwait before Saddam Hussein's invasion in August 1990, I and other foreigners enjoyed visiting the local gold souk to buy coins, jewelry and other items beautifully displayed in the shop windows. Those of us interested in gold coins and bars were early on made aware by veterans to watch out for coins and bars that looked right but might really be gold-plated counterfeits.

The cheap heavy metal of choice, we learned, was usually wolfram (tungsten), which apparently is very similar to gold in its properties. The wolfram fakes would then be plated with gold to snooker the unwary.

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TAXAY CERTIFICATES OF AUTHENTICITY

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XXXVII FIDEM 2023, FLORENCE, ITALY

The 37th FIDEM Congress and Exhibition of Modern Medallic Art was held October 10-14th in Florence, Italy. The congress meetings, lectures, and closing dinner was held at the Grand Hotel Baglioni, and the exhibition of some 600+ contemporary medals were on display at the Biblioteca Nazionale The public exhibition continued until November 9th. Valeria Vettorato, the Italian delegate organized the exhibition and catalog.

The congress format included thirty-five lectures divided into morning and afternoon sessions, some running concurrently in different rooms. All will be published in the proceedings Medallies. The opening session was chaired by FIDEM president Philip Attwood. A special after hours tour of the Bargello Museum was available to view their collection of numerous Michelangelo and Donatello sculptures.

In addition congress attendees has an opportunity to visit the minting facility of Picchiani & Bartacchi (who in recent years purchased both the Colombo and Stefano Johnson private mints (deciding to continue operating them under their individual names).

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VOCABULARY TERM: ORIENTATION

Orientation. Adjusting or rotating a numismatic or medallic design so the horizontal and vertical planes are appropriate to the viewer. This is required at several times; when the artist designs the piece, of course, when the pressman prepares his setup for striking – DIE ALIGNMENT – and when an illustration is prepared for publication. This is mostly a problem for illustrations of round coins and medals so they won't look tilted.

How to orientate round coin and medal illustrations. When coins or medals are designed, artists use obvious and subtle hints to give the viewer a perception to which way is up ... or down ... on a round design. Obvious hints are horizon lines, water lines, bases and sides of buildings and such. In numismatics we have a very often used element – the base line – which separates the design from the exergue. If a base line is present it is easy to orientate a numismatic illustration.

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STILL MORE ON ARD BROWNING

Julia Casey responded to my previous article with some comments on the mother's side of the family and city directory listings. These provide a little more insight into Browning's early life.

Ard's parents were William Harrison Bolinbaugh (1839-1906) and Mary Virgil (1844-1897). Mary's parents were Baptist minister Almon Virgil (1799-1890) and Almira Stone (1815-1866). In addition to Mary, they had three children, Charles S. Virgil (1835- ), Dr. Thomas S. Virgil (1836-1899) and Almon Kincaid Virgil (1842-1921). Charles is untraced after 1850. Thomas was a prominent Indiana physician. Almon was a music teacher. It is Almon with the greatest connection to Ard Browning.

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DAVID SCHENKMAN INTERVIEW, PART TWO

Now, getting to the tokens. Around 1961 I guess, I started working part time for a man in Norfolk, Virginia, where I lived, who had a coin shop. He was a retired Navy officer and I would do whatever he wanted me to do with coins. And one day he gave me a box of Indian head cents and said he wanted me to attribute them and pack them up for sale. So, as I was going through them, there was a half dozen of these coins that were not Indian head cents, they were different. They had advertisements on them and some of them resembled Indian head cents. And so, I asked him what they were and he said they were Civil War tokens.

I was fascinated by them because there was so much more diversity than there was with the cents which were the same except for the dates. He gave them to me, and I started collecting Civil War tokens. And I was a member of a couple of local coin clubs. And I would pester everybody for tokens and people would bring in tokens because very few people were interested in them, at least where I lived. And I got to the point where I had probably about two hundred Civil War tokens, and what I started seeing were duplicates of everything that I had. When I'd see something else, like I wasn't picking up anything new, so I sort of assumed that I probably had them all. And then somebody gave me a copy of George Fuld's book on Civil War tokens, actually two little black books. And my bubble burst because he listed about 7000 varieties. So, I realized I didn't know a whole lot about these, but I had a book! So now I could at least find out which ones were rare and which ones were common. And so that really spurred my interest. And from there I branched out to other types of tokens and obsolete paper money and to a certain extent, coins also. And eventually I went in the coin business full time. I did that for a number of years. I'm no longer doing that, but I still have as much interest in coins as I always did.

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EXHIBIT REVIEW: REALLY BIG MONEY

Recently I learned that the Smithsonian has a new accessible exhibit, called Really BIG Money. And you know me, I just need to check things like that, so I used the excuse that flying home from Cincinnati there was no direct flight and I had to switch flights in Washington DC. Layovers are where good things happen.

I contacted Jennifer Gloede, who put me in touch with Ellen Feingold, who set up a meeting with me, and was very kind to work with my schedule so I could visit the exhibit on my way home.

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ANA MONEY MUSEUM RECEIVES AWARD

The American Numismatic Association's (ANA) Edward C. Rochette Money Museum, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, was the recipient of the Mountain Plains Museum Association's (MPMA) 2023 Award for Museum Technology. The MPMA Technology Competition recognizes museums for innovative and effective use of technology to serve the needs of their audience. This is a juried competition with a minimum of three judges selected from among museum and media professionals with expertise in media and technology programming, production and content development.

 

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WBNA WORLD CURRENCY SALE 51

We have had so much demand for European paper that we divided our current auction European Session to close a day ahead of the remaining notes.

Within the European session I am partial to a 50,000 Lire note in amazing Gem 68 EPQ condition. Although note the highest denomination of the series, its image of Leonardo DeVinci has made this an iconic note.

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NOONAN'S NOVEMBER 2023 WORLD BANKNOTES

An Iraq specimen note that was printed in India during the Second World War is expected to fetch at least £70,000 when it is offered at Noonans Mayfair on the first day of a two-day sale of World Banknotes on Wednesday, November 29, 2023.

Described by Andrew Pattison, Head of Banknote Department at Noonans: As most exciting banknote to come to market anywhere in the world this year, the Iraq 100 Fils specimen was printed by the Nasik Press in India during the Second World War and given to the Director-General of Finance, Abraham Elkabir.

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DAVISSONS E-AUCTION 48

Welcome to E-Auction 48

Our first print catalog published the summer of 1973 included an opening note. Since then, I think the record is pretty much unbroken—opening comments, about the catalog or related issues. In a print catalog, each bit of space represents some real estate that might be used to offer things for sale. So, clearly, communicating with you has always been a high priority for us.

Everyone here has focused for many weeks on putting this catalog together. So, for us this note is a wrap-up. For you the reader it provides an overview before you start to turn the pages or change the screen.

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NUMISMATIC NUGGETS: NOVEMBER 12, 2023

Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius Denarius

Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius (ca. 81 BC). AR denarius (19mm, 3.82 gm, 7h). NGC Choice XF? 5/5 - 5/5. Uncertain mint in northern Italy. Diademed head of Pietas right; stork standing right at right / IMPER, oenochoe right (on left) and lituus left (on right); IMPER in exergue, all within laurel-wreath with berries. Crawford 374/2. Sydenham 751. Caecilia 44. Wonderful cabinet toning throughout with hues of cerulean blue hugging the devices.

To read the complete lot description, see:
Ancients: Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius (ca. 81 BC). AR denarius (19mm, 3.82 gm, 7h). NGC Choice XF? 5/... (https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/roman-republic/ancients-q-caecilius-metellus-pius-ca-81-bc-ar-denarius-19mm-382-gm-7h-ngc-choice-xfand-9733-5-/a/61347-22094.s)

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WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: NOVEMBER 12, 2023, PART 1

On Thursday November 9th I left my office around 12:30, grabbed some lunch and headed to the Whitman Baltimore Coin Expo. After signing in and getting my dorky nametag I was spotted by my fellow Nummis Nova member Mike Packard who was having lunch in the lobby. He waved me over and we chatted for a bit, but I let him finish his meal and headed in to the bourse.

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WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: NOVEMBER 12, 2023, PART 2

Taylor Swift
No, Taylor wasn't at the Whitman show, but hey, she's still single and maybe one of the unattached numismatists I know will bring her one day. Her name came up when I explained a family trip I'm planning next July. Our daughter and her best friend are Swifties and had trouble getting concert tickets. She asked if she could go to a show in Switzerland if they could get tickets. Figuring that's unlikely, I said yes. Guess what - they scored floor seats and now we've got plane tickets to Zurich.

Len had great fun with that news - "flying to Zurich for a Taylor Swift concert" was absolutely the last thing he ever thought would come out of my mouth. Me too. But now we're planning a two-family trip with the two girls, two sets of parents and a brother. The ladies have the floor seats and the menfolk are in an upper section of the stadium. With a beverage in hand I expect to frame the experience as kind of like a Super Bowl, with a really long halftime show.

But it's a great opportunity to bond with my daughter while she's home from college for the summer. I've already shared with her a Spotify playlist of my own favorite female vocalists, and she flooded the zone by adding a bazillion Taylor Swift songs.

Meanwhile, I discovered that Taylor has at least one coin in her collection.

Who can come up with another numismatic Swift connection?

For those who've had their head in coin books too long and haven't heard of Taylor Swift, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylor_Swift

To read the complete article, see:
Taylor Swift Has Finally Been Sent the Symbolic Dollar She Won in Court (https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2017/12/former-dj-david-mueller-says-he-sent-taylor-swift-dollar-payment)

Winston Zack and Jeff Rock
Before leaving JK's table I had a nice talk with Winston Zack and Jeff Rock Jeff is a longtime E-Sylum contributor. Zack's specialty is contemporary counterfeit coins, and we discussed his next book project.

 

An Unusual Star Note
Later on in the afternoon I caught up again with Mike Packard back at John Kraljevich's table, and told John about my little game of "Who's the First Numismatist" I'll run into at a coin show. When I said Mike was today's "winner", John asked, "What did he win - what's the prize?" So I had to scramble and checked my wallet looking for a dollar bill I'd noticed earlier in the week. Turns out it was still at home on my scanner. But I promised to bring it to him at our next Nummis Nova dinner - "a very unique 'star note'.

Looking at this again now, I noticed that the scribbler had also blacked out the letter "F" at the top, making this an equally unusual "EDERAL RESERVE NOTE". I also spotted a third scribble I'll leave as an exercise for readers.

Yesterday I came across another unusual 'star' note, a photo of Sotheby's London staff hanging Andy Warhol's "Silver Certificate, 1962".

Having veered into the topic of numismatics in art, here's another work that caught my eye this week - Howard Finster's "1902 Liberty Penny" in Slotin Auction's Fall Self-Taught Art Masterpiece Sale. From: ArtDaily Newsletter: Tuesday, Nov 07, 2023.

To read the complete articles, see:
The Hidden Costs of Working in the Art World (https://hyperallergic.com/855272/the-hidden-costs-of-working-in-the-art-world-arttable/)
'Masterpieces' find new homes in Slotin Auction's Fall Self-Taught Sale (https://artdaily.cc/news/163838/-Masterpieces--find-new-homes-in-Slotin-Auction-s-Fall-Self-Taught-Sale)

Closing Out the Day
I did a lot of running around toward the end of the afternoon. I stopped to say hello to literature dealer Charlie Davis who was closing up his table after a long day, then ran into Chris MacDowell who invited me to stop by the Colonial Coin Collectors Club event.

Kerry Wetterstrom and Dennis Tucker
I had to beg off our conversation to catch up with Dennis Tucker, who reported that kickoff meetings with John Feigenbaum and CDN Publishing were going very well. I only saw John from a distance and didn't get a chance to speak to him, but he was understandably quite busy having just announced CDN's acquisition of the iconic Red Book publisher.

The two of us chatted with Kerry Wetterstrom on multiple topics, including other collectible fields (yes, there are people who are the Q. David Bowers of outboard motors). Retirement was another topic - I'm getting closer to retirement from my day job, and Kerry's longtime association with Classical Numismatics Group has many people thinking he still works there despite having retired two years ago.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
CDN PUBLISHING ACQUIRES WHITMAN (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n45a09.html)

Stack's Bowers, Vicken Vegparian and Dan Freidus
Around the corner from my conversation with Kerry and Dennis was the Stack's Bowers table, where I enjoyed a look at displayed lots from future sales. Forgive the poor photos - it's always a challenge to avoid glare from overhead lighting.

At the Stack's Bowers table I spoke with Vicken Vegparian about the Indian Peace Medals and getting scans of the inventory book for the Millholland Collection, that century-old cabinet Stack's Bowers recently sold. We'll look forward to adding this to the Newman Numismatic Portal for future researchers.

Longtime NBS member Dan Freidus joined us for a bit and we learned about one of his retirement side projects - locating old Jewish cookbooks not already in the extensive collection of the New York Public Library.

Other folks I spoke to on the bourse included Julian Leidman, Terry Hess and Dan Sedwick. I also ran into or saw Bruce Smith, Dennis Hengeveld and Jeff Garrett, but didn't get a chance to talk.

After the bourse closed I looked in the show program for the location of the colonial coin group event, but couldn't find it listed anywhere. I remembered one of these being in the Sheraton hotel in the past, so I walked over there. When I saw a group of grey-haired folks hoofing it up a stalled escalator I followed them to a ballroom and recognized a number of folks including Jeff Rock and NBS Board member Roger Siboni.

I was only there to mingle and spoke briefly with Chris McCawley, Julia Casey and others before heading back out. I walked over to the Fogo de Chão restaurant where I had a relaxing dinner with Len Augsbuger and friends.

While colder weather was on the way, the evening was still warm as I headed back to my car from the restaurant. I'm glad I was able to get to the show and see so many great friends - I only wish I'd had time to do more.

Dick Johnson
At home on Friday for the Federal Veteran's Day holiday observation, I gradually caught up with some lingering to-dos cluttering my desk, and was delighted to see a group of photos Dick Johnson's widow Shirley sent me of their 2004 visit to our home in Pittsburgh. Our boys were little and our daughter had just been born. We went out to dinner at a small neighborhood restaurant and came back to show Dick my library/office, where I also shared with him how I create The E-Sylum each week. A delightful visit with the founding editor of Coin World and our most prolific contributor.

Whew. That's all for this week. Thanks for following along with my little adventures.

ANGLESEY METAL DETECTORIST INTERVIEWED

By day, marine geologist Dr Michael Roberts explores the underwater history of the Irish Sea. After work, his explorations take him underground in search of Anglesey's past.

Armed with a metal detector, his latest discovery was a medieval silver coin from the time when Wales was being shackled by King Edward I's ring of iron. So much history, he notes, lies buried beneath our feet.

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DEALER WHO EXPOSED BRITISH MUSEUM THEFTS

ITTAI GRADEL, an academic–turned–gem dealer in Denmark, was trawling eBay a decade ago when he thought he had stumbled across a gold mine.

On his screen, Gradel saw a seller called Sultan1966 advertising a glass gem from the 19th century. Gradel immediately recognized it as something much more valuable: an agate Roman Medusa cameo from the second century, featuring the mythical Gorgon with snakes as hair. He snapped it up for £15 plus postage, then turned around and sold it to a collector for a couple of thousand pounds.

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LOOSE CHANGE: NOVEMBER 12, 2023

Thoughts on the CDN Acquisition of Whitman

To read the complete article, see:
CDN Acquires Whitman: What Does This Mean for the Coin Market? (https://new.coinsweekly.com/news-en/cdn-acquires-whitman-what-does-this-mean-for-the-coin-market/)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
CDN PUBLISHING ACQUIRES WHITMAN (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n45a09.html)

Read more here