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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 Watch here for updates!

 

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 MARCH 17, 2024

New subscribers this week include: Nick Economopoulos. Welcome aboard! We now have 7,308 subscribers.

Thank you for reading The E-Sylum. If you enjoy it, please send me the email addresses of friends you think may enjoy it as well and I'll send them a subscription. Contact me at whomren@gmail.com anytime regarding your subscription, or questions, comments or suggestions about our content.

This week we open with two numismatic literature sales, five new books, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, notes and submissions from readers, and more.

Other topics this week include Croation coins and banknotes, Hundi scrip, the 1913 Liberty Nickel, the state of stamp collecting, fixed price and auction previews, Scottish coin design, replica Pine Tree Shillings, Nini terracotta portraits, Animals in War and Peace medals, and the Crane papermaking museum.

To learn more about Bernt Ahlström, the Cherrypickers’ Guide, the bamboo money of Suzhou, the next NNP Symposium, the Roman Republican Die Project, pewter, chemistry on coins, coin club literature, Peter Mougey, Professor R. Edward Davis, the Mond Nickel Company, Brazilian Gold Bars, and France's Josephine Baker coin, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

 

 

BERNT AHLSTROM NUMISMATIC LIBRARY, PART 1

The Bernt Ahlström Numismatic Library, pt. 1

The Online Auction House Münzen Gut-Lynt is pleased to offer on the opening day of the Gut-Lynt auction weekend from April 6 to 7, 2024 (encompassing Gut-Lynt 15, Coins and Medals, and Gut-Lynt 16, Numismatic Literature) the first part of the numismatic library of an equally illustrious and interesting numismatic "global player" as well as comprehensive connoisseur.

About Bernt Ahlström, 1936–2019 (Author: Arne Kirsch, numismatist of the SINCONA Group, Honorary President of the IAPN)

You will hardly find a dealer in the numismatic world who is completely unfamiliar with the name Bernt Ahlström. When I picked up my first coins as well as books on coins and medals in Schleswig-Holstein in 1978, he was already a regular guest in the far north of Germany, bringing both consignments and stories with him.

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ERIC NEWMAN PAPER MONEY CORRESPONDENCE

Eric P. Newman’s fascination with paper money led to a lifetime of scholarly research and prolific writing on the subject. His correspondence files are now offered unreserved in Heritage’s Showcase Auction #63247, closing Monday March 25, 2024, at 7:00 P.M. CDT. Decades of documents include letters between Eric and other legendary currency specialists from “A” to Wismer. Many of the lots contain priceless artifacts that will open avenues for further study and enjoyment.

Below are some “vignettes” that will provide intriguing insights into Eric’s perspectives on paper money:

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CHERRYPICKERS' GUIDE SECOND PRINT RUN ARRIVES

Whitman® announces the release of a second print run of the Cherrypickers’ Guide to Rare Die Varieties: Volume II, 6th Edition. The wait is finally over for this highly anticipated reference, which originally debuted at last year’s ANA World’s Fair of Money in Pittsburgh.

“The Cherrypickers’ Guide was one of our best book sellers of the entire year,” said Whitman vice president of sales Dawn Burbank. When it released at the show, “collectors and dealers bought every advance copy we had. We couldn’t keep them on the shelves, and overall, we sold the entire print run of over 7,200 copies in just under four months.” Burbank added, “We expect the second print run to sell just as fast, based on pent-up demand for the wildly popular title.”

The 320-page spiralbound-hardcover Cherrypickers’ Guide can be ordered for $39.95 online now at whitman.com, Whitman’s Ebay Store, Amazon, and will be available in bookstores, hobby shops, and other online retailers nationwide later this month. Ask your favorite coin dealer for a copy!

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NEW BOOK: CAMEO AND BRILLIANT PROOF COINAGE

The long-awaited revised edition of my 1991 book “Cameo and Brilliant Proof Coinage of the 1950 to 1970 Era” is coming through our doors any day now! The original Cameo book was a groundbreaking addition to numismatic collectors- new and veteran collectors alike. Rick Montgomery, former President of PCGS and the current President of NGC, wrote a truly fantastic foreword for this revision:

There is no one more closely associated U.S. cameo proof coinage than Rick Tomaska. No one even close. When the first edition of Cameo and Brilliant Proof Coinage of the 1950 to 1970 Era was published in 1991, it was clear that Rick was ahead of his time. Although these coins were comparatively recent issues, Rick recognized that a world of difference could exist between any two examples. For example, on 1967 Special Mint Set Kennedy half dollar might be uncommonly rich, thickly frosty, almost jewellike, while another could be comparatively flat and pedestrian. No one else, it seemed, understood the significance of these differences.

Starting from a framework of knowledge he had garnered as a dealer specializing in Prooflike and Deep Prooflike Morgan dollars, he began to explore this more-modern coinage. He approached it technically, learning about the minting process, techniques, and die life. That explained, to Rick, why these coins existed in the first place and why they existed in varying degrees of quality. At the same time, as a market-maker of cameo proof coinage, he learned precisely what was uncommon, what was scarce, and what was truly rare. His keen eye allowed him to differentiate one coin from another that, although similar, had vastly different market values. All of this research led to the first edition of this book.

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NEW BOOK: CROATIAN COINS AND BANKNOTES

Borna Barac: Kovanice and Novcanice Republika Hrvatska 2023/24, Dodatak 1: Kovanice and Novcanice 1918 – 1945.
(Coins and banknotes of the Republic of Croatia 2023/24, Appendix 1: Coins and banknotes 1918 – 1945).

192 pages, hardcover, color illustrations throughout, format 17 cm x 24 cm, Zagreb 2024.

Price: 20.00 euros.
ISBN: 978-953-6388-18-9

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NEW BOOK: MONETARY BAMBOOS OF SUZHOU (1875-1949)

The Monetary Bamboos of Suzhou (1875-1949)
By: François Thierry

We know, since Marco Polo, that the Chinese invented paper money, but we know less that they also used other supports for money, such as fabric, wood, rubber and bamboo. Bamboo coins mainly circulated in the lower Blue River valley at the end of the Empire and the beginning of the Republic, and particularly in the Suzhou region in Jiangsu province. Until now, these bamboo coins had hardly attracted the attention of historians and numismatists, even in China where there is little work on the subject.

This work, the first in a Western language devoted to these objects and their history, therefore fills a void: it is a synthesis which reveals the circumstances of their appearance and the reasons for their success, explains the monetary system in which they are inserted, describes the environment of traders and entrepreneurs who issued them, and studies the different types. Accompanied by a rich, largely unpublished iconography, this book studies in detail more than 350 monetary bamboos preserved in public and private collections in Europe and China and thus immerses the reader in the daily life of a Chinese province.

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NEW BOOK: HUNDIS IN PRINCELY STATES OF INDIA

Anil writes:

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MAY 2024 NNP SYMPOSIUM ANNOUNCED

The Newman Numismatic Portal today announces the next NNP Symposium, which will take place May 2-4, in conjunction with the Central States Numismatic Society convention in Schaumburg, IL. Sessions will be available to in-person show attendees and will be livestreamed for those wishing to view remotely.

The NNP Symposium is a free event that brings together a variety of numismatic speakers and covers a wide array of numismatic subjects. Featuring approximately twenty presentations, attendees will easily note topics of interest. This is the eighth such event, which was launched by the Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society in fall 2020 in response to the pandemic.

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NEWMAN ON THE 1913 LIBERTY NICKEL

The Eric P. Newman Files on the 1913 Liberty Nickel

The story of Eric P. Newman’s acquisition of the five 1913 Liberty nickels from the estate of Colonel E.H.R. Green is the stuff of legend, and Newman’s extensive paper trail on this iconic coin is now offered for sale through Heritage Auctions. Presented as lot 52032 in Selections from the Eric P. Newman Correspondence Files, the files reveal Newman playing detective and working toward a presentation similar to his 1962 publication The Fantastic 1804 Dollar. Newman pursued multiple research topics, not all of which were published, and this file represents a project that did not reach fruition. Still, Newman’s status as owner of all five known examples (jointly, with Burdette G. Johnson) lends a unique perspective to perhaps the most famous of all American rarities.

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VIDEO: DONALD KAGIN AS COLONIAL MAN

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ROMAN REPUBLICAN DIE PROJECT UPDATE

Another batch of Roman republican coin types has just been released to the Roman Republican Die Project (RRDP). The new release significantly expands the time period of issues that have been processed, since it includes early republican didrachms, as well as late republican aurei of Octavian and Antony.

The didrachm RRC 15/1 had already been processed in RRDP but was revised as part of the current release so that all specimens in CRRO have now been analyzed and appear in the die pages.

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ON THE STATE OF STAMP COLLECTING

Fred Liberatore writes:

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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: MARCH 17, 2024

Chemistry on Coins
David Levy writes:

To read the complete Numista entry, see:
10 Drachmai old lettering (https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces559.html)

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SCOTT MILLER’S COIN CLUB BOOKLETS

Scott Miller was kind enough to loan me some coin club literature at our February 2024 meeting of the New Jersey Numismatic Society. These booklets and pamphlets included examples from “The Chautauqua Coin, Stamp and Curio Club” (1946, ex F. Gordon Frost); “Albany Numismatic Society” (November 1943, ex F. Gordon Frost); “Ninetieth Anniversary Celebration 1860-1950 Boston Numismatic Society”; “Papers Presented At Meetings of the Brooklyn Coin Club” (1941); “Prospectus of the British Numismatic Society” (Second Edition, 1903); and “A History of the Royal Numismatic Society 1836-1986.”

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VOCABULARY TERM: PEWTER

Pewter. A high tin content white metal alloy, usually very soft and infrequently used for striking medallic items. The finest pewter is alloyed with antimony or copper (sometimes alone, sometimes in combination), most pewter, however, is alloyed with lead. In numismatic literature any item described as pewter is suspect, its true composition may be any of several white metal alloys or pure tin! Thus items described as pewter may be tin, or tin items may be called pewter, it is difficult to ascertain any white metal alloy by inspection alone.

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PETER MOUGEY (1842-1908)

Peter Mougey was not well known as a coin collector. It was only after his death that the high quality of his collection was revealed.

Pierre Nicolaus Mougey was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on February 23, 1841, the son of Desire Mougey (1807-1879) and Felicite Clement Mougey (1815-1882). His parents came from France and were Ohio farmers. In numismatic references, his name only appears as Peter Mougey.

He was married in 1871 to Josephine Fieber (1848-1923) and had three sons and two daughters.

Mougey and his partner, F. M. Boyer were partners in Colter & Company wholesale grocers at Sixth and Main streets in Cincinnati. They acquired the firm after the 1880 death of founder Aaron A. Colter.

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2023 CHICAGO COIN CLUB HALL OF FAME

The Chicago Coin Club announced two new inductees to the clubs Hall of Fame at their December 2023 Banquet. The CCC Hall of Fame was created in 2019 to recognize a select group of prominent numismatists that made significant contributions to numismatics on the local, state, regional and/or national level. The original 12 inductees of 2019, one per month, were individuals who were no longer living. Since then, Hall of Fame inductees have included living and/or deceased members.

The 2023 class of Inductees are Mark A. Wieclaw and Professor R. Edward Davis (1878 – 1940)

Since 1919 the CHICAGO COIN CLUB has nurtured, educated and supported coin collectors of the greater Chicago and suburban areas. Celebrating over one hundred years of continuous monthly meetings the CHICAGO COIN CLUB lives by the motto Docendo Discimus “We Learn By Teaching”

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WHAT KIND OF COLLECTOR ARE YOU?

Have you ever wondered what drives one collector to collect one thing and another collector to pursue another thing? In the world of numismatics, collectors are greatly varied from coins to paper money and U.S. to ancient and foreign. Then there are the token and exomunia collectors. We fall into the exonumia field with love tokens. Yet even within our field, the options to collect are vast.

You collect what Strikes You: You do not have a specific plan or direction in your collecting. You are not building on any direction to your collecting or checking anything off of a list when you make a purchase. In fact, you probably do not have a formal want list. You are governed by what jumps out at you and grabs your attention. Often this is how many collectors start out. After being immersed in collecting for some time, you may hone your interests more.

You collect for reasons of Sentiment: You are collecting love tokens that remind you of people or things in your life. You may have assembled a family tree of initialed love tokens representing your family or you may purchase initialed love tokens and names for gifts, pairing the love token to the person. You may have a cat or dog so you want love tokens with those designs. I did a lot of roller skating in my teens and twenties. I even met my husband (now divorced) at the roller skating rink. Roller skating was a big part of my life. When I moved from the north to Florida, the roller rink was where I went to meet new friends. It would be no surprise that I have a love token (1883 Seated dime) with a roller skate on it.

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NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: MARCH 17, 2024

102056 | GERMANY. Nürnberg. Copper Rechenpfennig Issued circa 1580-1610. (27mm, 5.43 g, 12h). By H. Laufer. DEN KVMPT DER DODT GIBT DEN LON, skeleton standing left within a graveyard and wielding a spear; in background, church to right // ARBEIT VND TVGENT MACHT EDEL, infant Christ standing slightly left, raising hand in benediction and holding orb. Neumann 32331; "Aspects of Death and Correlated Aspects of Life in Art, Epigram, and Poetry," p. 567. Choice Very Fine. Tan-brown surfaces, with a lighter nature on the higher points. A very rare and haunting type, and the first of the type that we have seen. $695.

Rechenpfennigen, German for "accounting pennies," are similar to other tokens or jetons that could serve reckoning, gaming, or even semi-numismatic functions. In particular, the rechenpfennigen were made famous by their various manufacturers in Nürnberg (Nuremberg) from the mid-late 16th century to the early 18th century, with a host of themes used as subject matter. These topics included history, mythology, contemporary political affairs, and even satire. Though many were intended as aids in accounting and bookkeeping (with an accounting board and these tokens taking the place of an abacus or sliderule), they were also useful in other functions, such as in the world of gaming—as poker chips—or in commerce and monetary transactions—as a substitute for harder currency.

To read the complete item description, see:
102056 | GERMANY. Nürnberg. Copper Rechenpfennig (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102056)

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VILA RICA MOEDAS AUCTION 20

Vila Rica will hold its Auction 20 on March 19th and 20th. The auction is internet-only and split over two sessions. It will offer a vast range of Brazilian coins, from Colonial to Republican issues, and rare Literature, featuring:

• A selection of gold coins; among them we highlight the 1000 Réis 1726MMMM in exceptional condition, 1600 Réis 1767B UNC and 800 Réis 1728/7 M also in exceptional condition;
• Among the Silver coins, highlights include the rare 160 Réis 1813R with inverted reverse and 1821B with Bahia reverse (much rarer than the one with Rio reverse); 640 Réis 1822R, 2000 Réis 1863 very rare with inclined reverse;
• 200 Réis 1871 NGC MS64* featuring Proof Like surfaces - a piece with exceptional coinage quality produced with technology not available at the Brazilian Mint at the time. Possibly a presentation piece and as such extremely rare. Ask for the video so you can see how extraordinary the quality of this piece is;
• A very rare 10000 Réis 1840 assay in silver. Dom Pedro II Admiral on the obverse and the unapproved reverse with the monogram and imperial crown. The piece retains all of its original luster;
• We bring you some more rarities from the Cláudio Schroeder Library, including the famous Brazilian Gold Bars - Guilherme Guinle Collection, 1949. A very rare numismatic publication, this being from the Kurt Prober collection, with his notes reviewing, reclassifying, and correcting technical errors in the descriptions. The lot is accompanied by a set of letters between Guinle and Prober;
• Among the copper coins, two X Réis PPPP from 1694 and 1697 stand out, and an incredible set of 37 1/2 Réis de Minas from the Empire.

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DAVISSONS AUCTION 43 SCOTLAND HIGHLIGHTS

The Leland Scott Collection of the Coins of Scotland presents the first high quality, well-pedigreed collection of Scottish coins to come to the market since the LaRiviere sale in 2006. It anchors our 2024 major annual sale of some of the best coins we have come across in the past year.

This beautiful and historic series contains a fascinating array of designs that chronicle the tumultuous winds of Scottish history, and presents a major departure in style and beauty from both the English and Irish coinage series.

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NOTES ON SCOTTISH COIN DESIGN

Scottish coinage began during the Anarchy and Stephen’s reign (1135-1154). After the death of Henry I in 1135, Stephen of Blois, despite an oath to Matilda, Henry I’s daughter, seized the English throne. The next year, David I moved south to support Matilda, his niece. Capturing the mint at Carlisle resulted in the first coinage that is considered “Scottish.” Malcolm, David’s twelve-year-old grandson came to the throne in 1153 but coinage continued in the somewhat irregular pattern that had marked David’s reign, not unlike the irregular coinage of the Anarchy in England.

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KUENKER AUCTIONS 403-405

Popes, Mainz, Regensburg and Löwenstein: Special Collections at Künker

Once again, Künker presents numerous special collections at their Spring Auction Sales. You can look forward to papal coins and medals, issues of the Mainz mint, Regensburg as well as Löwenstein-Wertheim. Moreover, a plethora of world coins and medals is on offer with a focal point on German issues.

As many as four catalogs with coins and medals from medieval and modern times alone will be presented in Künker’s Spring Auction Sales, taking place from 18 to 22 March 2024 in Osnabrück. Auction 403 contains papal coins and medals from the estate of a south-west German entrepreneur; auction 404 offers the second part of Mainz coins and medals from the Prof. Dr. Eckhart Pick Collection; auction 405 deals with an important special collection of coins from the bishopric and the imperial city of Regensburg; and general catalog 406 does not only include world coins and medals but also a special collection with issues of the counts and princes of Löwenstein-Wertheim. Moreover, an extensive selection of Habsburg talers and ducats is on offer.

In short: 3,240 lots with a total estimate of 4.3m euros eagerly await their new owners. There really is something on offer for everyone. Estimates start in the low two-digit range, although this preview will obviously focus on the more expensive pieces. Look forward to a rich offer of exquisite world issues!

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KUENKER AUCTION 406

Auction 406: Issues from Medieval and Modern Times
More than 1,800 lots with coins and medals from medieval and modern times are offered at Künker’s auction 406. No matter what you are interested in, browsing through this catalog is a must. Be it world coins, medieval rarities, issues from the German States, the German Empire, ducats or talers. This catalog contains countless interesting offers, including several special collections.

No. 3524: France. Philippe VI, 1328-1350. Ange d’or n.d. (1341). Very rare. About extremely fine. Estimate: 15,000 euros

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STACKS BOWERS OFFERS NINI TERRACOTTA PORTRAITS

In American numismatic auctions, Nini is well known for his 1777 and 1779 terracotta portrait medallions of Benjamin Franklin. Richard Margolis wrote an in-depth study of this small series titled Benjamin Franklin in Terra Cotta, published in 2015. Upon consignment, we anticipated a collection of the Franklin portraits, but were delighted to see that Margolis had collected Nini’s works more broadly. Including a nice selection of Franklin medallions, we will present more than two-dozen Nini profiles dating from the 1760s to 1785. As far as we are aware, this is the first presentation of this speciality in an American numismatic sale. A selection of highlights is featured here.

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VANCOUVER ISLAND GLEN GREEN'S ORCA COIN

A new Royal Canadia Mint silver coin features the artwork of a Vancouver Island-based artist.

The coins, a part of the This is Canada collection, depict various species that can be found across the country. This year’s theme is Wondrous Waters and one of the collectable coins features a pod of orcas.

Created by artist Glen Green, the orcas are travelling in the water near a rocky island. Mint adds in the background that large forests and mountains line the shore.

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REPLICA PINE TREE SHILLINGS AT CSNS

Visitors can see $100 million of historic money and buy and sell rare coins, paper money, and gold and silver bullion with hundreds of professional dealers from the Midwest and across the country at the Central States Numismatic Society convention, May 2-4, 2024. The annual show will again be held at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center, 1551 North Thoreau Drive, in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Illinois.

“At this year’s convention, you can watch souvenir replica coins struck on a hand-operated, century-old rolling mill press,” said Central States President Mitch Ernst.

Specially crafted pewter replicas of the 1652-dated Pine Tree Shilling, one of Colonial America’s most famous rare coins, will be struck during the convention and available for $1 each while supplies last. A limited number also will be struck in .999 fine silver by engraver Joe Paonessa of The Root River Mint in Racine, Wisconsin with their price based in connection with the spot price of the precious metal.

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2024 ANIMALS IN WAR & PEACE CEREMONY

Distinguished Members of Congress participated in the recent Fourth Annual Animals in War & Peace Ceremony to celebrate seven extraordinary canine heroes in recognition of their courage and sacrifice to the United States and their significant contributions in both times of war and peace.

The Animals in War & Peace Medal of Bravery recognizes animals that have served in past conflicts and current working or retired military canines representing various branches of U.S. military services, service animals, and First Responders. The 2024 Animals in War & Peace Medal of Bravery recipients:

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CRANE MUSEUM PAUSES LOCATION SEARCH

The Crane Museum of Papermaking has indefinitely paused its search for a permanent location and shifted its focus to a pop-up museum model.

The nonprofit organization searched for a location for two years but was unable to find one it liked. However, a successful pop-up museum last summer at Arrowhead got its leaders rethinking its operations.

It is currently unclear if it will reignite the search in the future, but at the moment, the museum's Director Jenna Ware is focusing on the summer season, educational programming, community events, and collaborating with other organizations in the area.

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LOOSE CHANGE: MARCH 17, 2024

Women on France's New Euro Coins

France is redesigning its 10, 20 and 50 euro cent coins to honour women who have marked the country's history. The faces of national icons Simone Veil, Josephine Baker and Marie Curie will appear on coins set to go into circulation from the middle of 2024.

The new coins were designed by the French mint's chief engraver Joaquin Jimenez and feature the "three exceptional women".

Their profiles face in the same direction as "The Sower", the stylised female figure representing liberty that has been seen on French coins for the last 120 years.

The French side of the one and two cent coins, which feature oak and olive branches within a hexagon, was last redesigned for the 20th anniversary of the euro in 2022.

To read the complete article, see:
Veil, Baker and Curie: acclaimed women to appear on new French coins (https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20240310-veil-baker-and-curie-acclaimed-women-to-appear-on-new-french-coins)

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