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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 31, 2024

New subscribers this week include: Jason Elwell of the International Coin Club of El Paso; Chris Carter, via a Ron Guth YouTube video; and Michael DeYoanna. Welcome aboard! We now have 7,297 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 four new books, the Shekel Prize, one obit, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, Whitman Brands, and more.

Other topics this week include new banknote confusion, numismatic educational programs, conferences and symposia, the Dick Johnson collection and other auction highlights, Maundy money, marbled money, and that creepy book bound in human skin.

To learn more about early U.S. quarters, the Naseby Cup, Yehud coinage, Dated Coins of Antiquity, George Ohr's ceramic coins, the Pugilist Sower, slabbed coins, the legendary sneaker featuring printed money, Morse Code on Money, Islamic and Byzantine coinage, the Avery Library medal, a Bolen struck copy, the greatest coin robberies, the Dat So La Lee medal, people portrayed on both sides of the same coin, anthropodermic bibliopegy, and numismatic investment literature, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

 

NEW BOOK: U.S QUARTERS 1796-1838

Proudly presented to you is the 9th publication of a series of variety identification guides covering Early U.S. Coins. This book covers all of the currently known die marriages of the U.S. Quarters series from 1796-1838, including any newly discovered marriages not covered by any other guide. A complete list of all of the author’s previous publications to date are below, which are highly recommended:

1. U.S. Large Cents 1793-1814 (Early Date Large Cents)
2. U.S. Large Cents 1816-1839 (Middle Date Large Cents)
3. U.S. Half Cents 1793-1857 (Complete Series)
4. U.S. Half Dollars 1794-1807 (Flowing Hair and Draped Bust)
5. U.S. Half Dollars 1807-1826 (Capped Bust Halves, Vol. 1)
6. U.S. Half Dollars 1827-1836 (Capped Bust Halves, Vol. 2)
7. U.S. Half Dimes 1792-1837 (Flowing Hair, Draped, and Capped Bust)
8. U.S. Dimes 1792-1837 (Draped Bust and Capped Bust)
9. U.S Quarters 1796-1838 (Draped Bust and Capped Bust)

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NEW BOOK: THE NASEBY CUP

The Naseby Cup: Coins and Medals of the English Civil War
Benjamin D. R. Hellings

One of the most exceptional numismatic objects in the world, the Yale University Art Gallery’s Naseby Cup was commissioned by John and Mary Frances Fitzgerald, Lord and Lady of the Manor at Naseby, in Northamptonshire, England. It commemorates the Battle of Naseby on June 14, 1645, during which the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell and Sir Thomas Fairfax, defeated the Royalist army of King Charles I. Crafted by silversmiths Charles Reily and George Storer and completed in 1839, the intricately decorated Victorian cup stands more than two feet tall and features 72 coins, medals, badges, and counters from around the time of the English Civil War period (1642–51).

Many of these numismatic pieces are rare, such as a New England shilling from 1652 and a copy of an original 1644 Oxford crown of Charles I, which depicts the king on horseback and a view of the city. The cup is innovatively designed so that both the front and back of each piece are visible, one on the cup’s exterior, one on its interior. Integrating numismatics into the larger study of both art and history, this publication offers an in-depth look at the Naseby Cup and its many layers of meaning.

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NEW BOOK: THE YEHUD COINAGE

The Yehud Coinage
A Study and Die Classification of the Provincial Silver Coinage of Judah
by Haim Gitler, Catharine Lorber and Jean-Philippe Fontanille

This volume presents a die study of the provincial silver coinage of Judah in the late Persian, Macedonian, and early Hellenistic periods. It offers correct descriptions of the coins, their designs, and their inscriptions; enumerates the obverse and reverse dies identified for each of the 44 recorded types; and explains the probable sequence of the issues as deduced from iconographic associations and die links.

The iconography of the coin types is examined in depth, with comparisons to motifs in Greek, Persian, and ancient Near Eastern art, including other local coinages and sources in Judahite material culture. The monograph also analyzes data relating to the metrology, metal content, and circulation of the coinage. Overall, the study attempts to place the Yehud coinage in its historical context and to define its role in the economy of the ancient province of Judah.

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2024 SHEKEL PRIZE ANNOUNCED

Mel Wacks, President Emeritus of the American Israel Numismatic Association, has announced that the winners of the 2024 Shekel Prize are the co-authors of “The Yehud Coinage” - a comprehensive work weighing in at over 6 pounds and 832 pages. The die study was originally carried out by Jean-Philippe Fontanille, with commentary by Dr. Haim Gitler and Catharine Lorber. Gitler, Lorber and Fontanille are residents of Israel, the United States and Canada, respectively.

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BOOK REVIEW: DATED COINS OF ANTIQUITY, RELEASE 2

Dated Coins of Antiquity, Release 2 (DCA2), by Edward E. Cohen. Classical Numismatic Group, Inc., Lancaster, PA, 2023. Two volumes, hardbound. 907 pages. $195 from the publisher.

When Mr. Cohen’s Dated Coins of Antiquity originally was released in 2011, it was a monumental addition to numismatic literature. Ever since, its value has been proven worldwide among catalogers, dealers, curators, scholars, researchers and collectors who rely upon it to perform their work with accuracy and efficiency.

The release of DCA2 a dozen years after the original is an achievement on similar scale, if such a thing is reasonable to state. It’s not merely an update or slight revision, but a significant expansion of a work that most users might believe held little room for improvement.

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GORDON WELLS BERG (1936-2024)

This week I attempted to write a biography of Gordon Berg. I found there was a remarkable shortage of information. His name appears in the Newman Numismatic Portal about 960 times.

There are hundreds of references to the Baltimore show but there is little personal information. I did business with him and always enjoyed talking with him at shows in the 1980’s. I bought a large copper medallion from him that was featured in one of my exhibits.

Gordon was born on February 24, 1936. Census records show a Gordon W. Berg born in Ohio in 1936, the son of Rolland (1901-1947) and Sophia Berg. However, their connection to the coin dealer is unconfirmed.

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AN EASTER EGG HOARD

An Easter Egg Hoard

Did you ever discover coins during an Easter Egg hunt? The May 1956 Numismatic Scrapbook reported a find of Spanish silver coins, discovered in beach sand while planting eggs for an egg hunt. John Kleeberg picks up the thread in Numismatic Finds of the Americas (entry 433), which describes the contents as “Spain, Charles III, 2 reales (pistareens), 1780-1784 (6).” Kleeberg helpfully adds a reference to the New York Times of March 30, 1956, which reported “Charles Holland, a workman cleaning the beach preparatory to hiding the eggs, raked up a half dozen old Spanish coins…Beach officials posted a watch at the scene to prevent trampling on the sand before the egg hunt. A number of adults had appeared with digging equipment to seek more of the coins.” One can imagine their disappointment upon excavating a rotten egg instead of a Charles III pistareen!

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2024 NEWMAN GRANT DEADLINE NEARS

2024 Newman Grant Deadline Nears

The Newman Grant program, sponsored by the Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society (EPNNES), annually awards grants for the purposes of original research in numismatics. This year’s program was previously announced in the January 28, 2024 E-Sylum, and the deadline for applications is April 15. Applications may be found on the Newman Numismatic Portal at https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/archivedetail/530553?Year=2024 and should be submitted to NNPCurator@wustl.edu. Grant awards will be announced on May 25, 2024, coincident with the late Eric P. Newman's birthday.

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VIDEO: FUTURE OF THE ANA, APRIL 2005

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WHITMAN BRANDS IS BORN

As I mentioned in my last Editor’s message, towards the end of last year CDN Publishing acquired and subsequently merged with Whitman Publishing and their associated brands. At that time, we were still in the process of naming the new entity and trying to wrap our collective heads around the scope of the project. After careful deliberation and consideration, we landed on Whitman Brands. While there was an initial thought to create an innovative new brand name, it was recognized that the historic Whitman name had significant value. Thus, Whitman Brands was born. In the ensuing months, the personnel of the combined companies have been meeting with and learning about each other, in order to build a well-oiled numismatic publishing and data machine. From a personal standpoint, it has been invigorating to meet and work with new team members. I can feel that everyone has a singular focus to provide our hobby with resources to greatly enhance the collecting experience, and there has been much work done to this end.

Some of the earliest-ripening fruits of this labor will be both a refresh of long-appreciated titles and brand-new books for numismatists to enjoy. The team has been hard at work on the Sixth Edition of The Cherrypicker’s Guide, Volume 3. For those who may not be familiar, The Cherrypicker’s Guide is a reference book of United States coin varieties that have proven to be among the most popular, most widely collected, and most valuable. The third volume (of three) covers half dollar coins up through silver dollars, classic gold, modern Silver Eagles, and even U.S.-Philippines coinage. The sixth edition will feature all new updated coin values that are generated directly from our extensive pricing database. This will further represent a unification of pricing across multiple platforms.

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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: MARCH 31, 2024

George Ohr Coins at the Kirkland Museum
Ted Puls writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
GEORGE OHR: THE MAD POTTER OF BILOXI (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n05a21.html)
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: FEBRUARY 11, 2024 : George Ohr Works at the Kirkland Museum (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n06a13.html)

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SHOEMAKER'S CHANGE-MAKING DILEMMA

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“IMPORTANT” THINGS

I’m on the Sotheby’s promotion email campaigns so I get notice of all the big things Sotheby’s is offering for sale or auction. It used to be, years ago, when that venerable firm offered mostly old things with provenance and intrinsic value – antiques, paintings, coins, etc. “Important” is the term they applied to Louis XV ormolu-mounted girandoles. In that time, life was somewhat predictable and, well, language still had meaning.

So, I was shocked by an email notice of a March 26 Sotheby’s sale of “Important Sneakers and Modern Collectibles”. One word I do not associate with “sneakers” is “important”. Smelly, torn, fungus, stained, dirty, maybe. But not “important” by any stretch of the imagination.

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MSNS APRIL 2024 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

Newly elected ANA president Tom Uram will be coming to Michigan to speak at the MSNS Spring Convention. In addition to providing an update about ANA, he will also be doing a presentation titled “Morse Code on Money”. Having been involved in collecting since he was a child, he still loves to present to others sharing his numismatic knowledge.

Tom is an exceptionally good exhibitor and is well known in all areas of numismatics. He has been a delegate to presidential conventions since 1980. Extremely well connected, he was instrumental in having the legislation passed that enabled the passage of the circulating Morgan and Peace dollar in early 2021. During 2023, along with current CSNS vice-president Brett Irick, he was invited as a member of the public to the U.S. Mint Director’s Conference in Washington, D.C. He was chairperson of the CCAC- (Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee)- in addition to being the president of the Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists. In his professional life, he owns a investment/advisor company in Western Pennsylvania.

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PANEL: ISLAMIC COINAGE

THE INTRODUCTION OF ISLAMIC COINAGE IN 697-98: THE BEFORE AND AFTER
Friday, April 5, 2024
12:00 pm — 2:00 pm

Join the Circle for Late Antique and Medieval Studies for a panel discussion on Islamic coinage during the Byzantine and Sassanian Empires.

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CONFERENCE: FROM SOLIDUS TO STAVRATON

From Solidus to Stavraton: Coinage and Money in the Byzantine World
April 26-28, 2024

This three-day international conference, to be held at Princeton University will be the first ever devoted solely to Byzantine numismatics, and it will reunite renowned scholars and specialists from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the U.S.

The acquisition of the collections of Peter Donald and Chris and Helen Theodotou, totaling over 17,000 coins, has placed Princeton University at the forefront of institutions supporting research in Byzantine numismatics. Both of these purchases were made with the help of generous support of the Friends of Princeton University Library and the Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies.

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SYMPOSIUM: MONEY, WAR AND MORE

“The Money, War and More symposium examines the interplay between money, power and the capacity to wage war, starting in the ancient era and progressing through to the present,” explains Marina Fischer, curator of numismatics at Nickle Galleries at the University of Calgary. “It shows the crucial importance of economic power as the basic underpinning of all strategic considerations and strategies. This event hopes to draw attention to a connection between the history of war and money, an aspect of military power that is often ignored.”

The April 27-28 symposium offers ten numismatic presentations by several experts from across Canada. It also includes two workshops that will assist collectors in “Making Good Purchases” and better understanding “Tools for the Coin Collector.”

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VOCABULARY TERM: PHOTOGRAPHY

Photography. Creating continuous-tone graphic images of coins and medals for use to illustrate articles, catalogs, books, advertisements. Coin photography is a branch of macro photography – closeup photography. Factors of lighting, focus and sharpness of detail are important factors in this field of photography. The intent is to show detail, often that is not that apparent to the naked eye, but is not just a magnified image.

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A DICK JOHNSON BIOGRAPHY

Stack’s Bowers Galleries is honored to be offering the D. Wayne Johnson (better known as Dick Johnson) Collection of art medals, coins, non-art medals, tokens, numismatic art, and assorted exonumia in a series of sales in 2024, starting with the April 17 Collectors Choice Online Auction of Tokens and Medals.

Richard Wayne Johnson, known as D. Wayne Johnson or Dick Johnson, was a well-known collector of tokens and medals, author of numerous books and articles on art medals and associated terminology, numismatic terminology, and hobby news. He was a talented cataloger and numismatic historian who was a fixture in the world of art medals and the broader numismatic community for well over half a century. Additionally Johnson was active in numerous numismatic organizations over the course of his long and varied career.

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DICK JOHNSON COLLECTION SELECTIONS

Stack’s Bowers Galleries is pleased to present our first offering from the Richard Wayne (Dick) Johnson Collection. Johnson was the founding editor of Coin World and a noted expert on art medals along with a wide range of other numismatic topics and concepts. He spent the vast majority of his career in numismatics, working for the Medallic Art Company and operating his own firms that specialized in medals and art medals (a distinction in which Johnson placed great stock). He was well-known in U.S. numismatic circles, not least for his prolific contributions to a range of numismatic publications covering a wide range of topics.

This first presentation will feature medals struck by the illustrious firm Tiffany and Co. and includes scarce and esoteric types both vintage and modern. Medals in silver and bronze are represented in quantity and cover many topics, ensuring something of interest for nearly every collector. The collection as a whole provides a window into the medallic production of a firm that continues to operate today, and collectors will appreciate the opportunity to view it from a historical perspective.

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MDC MONACO AUCTION 14 HIGHLIGHTS

At MDC Monaco, we have the pleasure to announce our next numismatic auction n°14, which will take place at the Metropole Hôtel in Monaco, on Friday the 3rd, and Saturday the 4th of May, 2024. On this occasion, we will also present the collection of colonial coins from Jean Lecompte.

• First session, Friday the 3rd of May – 1h30pm – 7pm (Lots n°1 to n°689)
• Second session, Saturday 4th of May – 9:30am – 12am (Lots n°690 to n°1012)
• Third session, Saturday 4th of May – 1:30pm – 4:45pm (Lots n°1013 to n°1515)
• Fourth session, Saturday 4th of May – 5pm – 7pm (Lots n°1516 to n°1726)

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WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY MARCH 31, 2024

In his introduction to the list, Jeff writes:

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MAUNDY COINAGE THEN AND NOW

The first royal Maundy money ceremony took place when King Charles II gave people undated hammered coins in 1662. The distribution of coins to deserving citizens across the UK on Maundy Thursday continues today - Maundy coins have proven to be a rewarding, challenging and historic series of coins for collectors to acquire.

Many sources describe Maundy Thursday as the Christian holy day just before Good Friday, and that it commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles. The term “maundy” refers to the foot-washing ceremony that Jesus Christ originally performed on his disciples.

While a foot-washing ceremony will strike many non-Christians in the 21st century as being rather archaic, this passage of the Bible shows that Christ intended it to be a physical demonstration of the equality of all in the eyes of God - no man is so higher or lower than another that they cannot wash their brother’s feet, or have them washed:

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NEVADA STATE MUSEUM'S DATSOLALEE MEDAL

The Nevada State Museum unveiled a new medallion in honor of Women’s History Month on March 20, 2024.

The new medallion honors Dat So La Lee, the “Queen of the Basket Weavers.”

Dat So La Lee, or Louisa Keyser, was a prominent Washoe weaver at the turn of the last century. Her works of art are highly sought after to this day. The new medallion is second in the Women’s History Series; the first was Agnes Train, one of the first women curators to work at the Nevada State Museum in the 1940s.

The new design was composed by Museum Exhibits Preparator Jeanette McGregor and sculpted by U.S. Mint sculptor Tom Rogers. The half-ounce .999 fine silver medallions are struck on historic Coin Press No. 1. This working artifact is the original coin press which made United States currency from 1870-1893 when Carson City hosted a branch of the United States Mint.

The Datsolalee medallion concept was approved and completed in conjunction with the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California.

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MARBLED MONEY

Paper money was only the promise of value, so people had reason to be more skeptical of early banknotes. Creating a reliable cash currency has meant fighting against counterfeiters. Serial numbers, sophisticated plate engraving, special paper: central banks have used all kinds of techniques to create authentic banknotes that can be distinguished from fakes. One eighteenth-century option was marbling.

Marbling, the printing of a marble-like pattern on paper by floating dyes on a water bath, was a technique that had been developed in Persia and India before spreading throughout the Ottoman Empire. When it made its way to Europe, it appealed to both artists and London’s world of financiers, who used it on banknotes and bonds. As historian Jake Benson describes, the idea caught on fairly fast:

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CASHLESS NATIONAL PARKS DEBATE

Justin Perrault writes:

Three Americans are suing the National Park Service over the agency's refusal to accept cash payments to enter parks across the U.S.

The Americans - from California, New York and Georgia - filed the lawsuit earlier this month in federal court in Washington, D.C., saying that the park service is violating federal law by not allowing guests to pay cash to enter various parks, monuments and historic sites.

The lawsuit says the park service's police violates a U.S. law that says that "coins and currency ... are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes and dues."

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LOOSE CHANGE: MARCH 31, 2024

Seeing Double: Same Person on Both Sides of a Coin

A rare occurrence on coins from the United States, there are still a few examples of the same individual being portrayed on both sides of a coin. In our experience, the obverse is usually a portrait bust, and the reverse shows that an individual in some place or tableau is historically related to them.

The Lafayette dollar was struck in 1899 and is the first commemorative dollar coin issued by the United States. The coin features a jugate or accolated portrait of George Washington and Lafayette on the obverse, and a depiction of Paul Wayland Bartlett’s statue of Lafayette mounted on horseback on the reverse. Interestingly, this silver dollar is also the first appearance of George Washington on a U.S. coin. 50,000 coins were struck, with 12,000 being sent to France for sale. In France, the coin sold horribly, and 10,000 were returned. The Lafayette dollar found more interest from American collectors. In total, 36,000 coins were sold, and 14,000 were returned to the Mint and melted.

To read the complete article, see:
People Portrayed on Both the Obverse and Reverse of the Same Coin (https://coinweek.com/people-portrayed-on-both-the-obverse-and-reverse-of-the-same-coin/)

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HARVARD REMOVES BINDING OF HUMAN SKIN

Of the roughly 20 million books in Harvard University’s libraries, one has long exerted a unique dark fascination, not for its contents, but for the material it was reputedly bound in: human skin.

For years, the volume — a 19th-century French treatise on the human soul — was brought out for show and tell, and sometimes, according to library lore, used to haze new employees. In 2014, the university drew jokey news coverage around the world with the announcement that it had used new technology to confirm that the binding was in fact human skin.

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