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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 JULY 28, 2024

New subscribers this week include: Jonathan W. Marker. Welcome aboard! We now have 7,260 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 NBS events at the ANA convention, a numismatic literature sale reminder, three new books, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, notes from readers, and more.

Other topics this week include the Mughal coins of India, Black Women on money, the Carson City Mint, the Huntington Award, ANA exhibits, author Leander McCormick-Goodhart, collecting U.S. colonial coinage, fixed price and auction selections, paper money toilet paper, and the origins of money.

To learn more about California Pioneer Fractional Gold, Eric P. Newman, coins and medals of the Counts of Wertheim, gold eight escudos, dealer Geoffrey Bell, the First Female President, James Mease, Dwight Manley, museum security, four dollar Stellas, precision casting, the Brutus Denarius, and electoral coins, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

2024 NBS CHARITY AUCTION AND ANA EVENTS

Numismatic Bibliomania Society 2024 Charity Auction

The NBS 2024 Charity Auction sale catalog is now available. Compiled by David Fanning with layout by Maria Fanning, the catalog includes 50 lots donated by NBS members. The sale will take place Friday, August 9, 11:30AM at the ANA convention (room 12). Mail bids may be submitted to David Fanning through August 8.

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LANG NUMISMATIC LITERATURE AUCTION 3

We would like to remind you that the third auction of the Numismatic Antiquarian Bookshop Lang will take place next Wednesday, July 31, 2024.

• Date: July 31, 2024
• Location: Live auction via Auex - click here to register
• Time: Start at 17:00 CEST

Alternatively, you can also use the auction platforms Biddr and Sixbid to place your pre-bids.

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NEW BOOK: COINS AND MEDALS OF THE COUNTS OF WERTHEIM

Almost 150 years after Ferdinand Wibel's work, the editors have presented a new catalogue. A project spanning more than five decades has come to an end.

Based on the study of available sources and literature, market observation, evaluation of auction events from around 1860 as well as personal visits to private and public coin collections, the number of recorded coins/medals can be almost doubled to 981 numbers compared to Wibel (501 numbers).

With a few exceptions, all pieces were available in their original form and are reproduced in color and in their original size. The coins minted by the Franconian district mint in Wertheim for foreign minters were also included. The work concludes with a list of the documented minting personnel in the various mints and other appendices.

The coin catalogue (hardcover, thread-stitched, approx. 600 pages) is available for subscription until March 31, 2024 at the greatly reduced price of €99. To do so, order the volume from the office of the Wertheim Historical Society at info@hv-wertheim.de or 0151/59 97 96 99.

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NEW BOOK: OCHO ESCUDOS, 2ND EDITION

The newly released second edition of Los Doblones de a Ocho Escudos by Ignacio Gutiérrez Delgado is a comprehensive work in two volumes written in Spanish on all eight escudos, including a through investigation into their history and relevance in the world of collecting and investment. This iconic gold denomination - struck across hundreds of years in both the Old and New Worlds - stands as a paramount coin in the commerce of many nations.

Through extensive research and expert interviews, dedicated numismatist Ignacio Gutiérrez Delgado has written the premier reference work on the 8 escudos. This work contains over 681 pages filled with detailed, full-color images to illustrate the many different countries, mints, dates, and varieties represented across the denomination. Delgado's research delves deep into the minting process and the meaning behind all elements of 8 escudos designs across the ages. Expert numismatists from around the world were consulted to provide in-depth analysis across the different types of 8 escudos as well as the motivations involved in collecting this denomination. Current market and auction results along with rarity and grading guides are offered throughout the work to assist both new and experienced collectors of 8 escudos. Even non-Spanish readers will find this work to be a bountiful reference guide to 8 escudos coinage.

This hardcover set is housed in a presentation box and each set is individually numbered out of a total print run of just 350 sets.

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NEW BOOK: CORPUS OF MUGHAL COINS OF INDIA, VOL 4

Corpus of Mughal Coins of India, Volume 4: Silver & Gold Coins in the names of Aurangzeb, Azam Shah, Kam Bakhsh, Shah Alam Bahadur I, Azim-ush-Shan, Jahandar Shah and Farrukhsiyar (1658-1719)

Nilesh Gada
Dilip Rajgor

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GEOFFREY BELL (1942-2024)

Geoffrey Goodwin Bell, 82 of Moncton and formerly of Shediac, passed away peacefully with his family by his side on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. He was the son of the late Dr. Barnes and Evelyn (Goodwin) Bell.

Geoffrey’s life was deeply rooted in education. After attending Moncton High School, he pursued further studies at NB Teachers College and the University of New Brunswick. This educational journey set the foundation for a distinguished career in education, during which he served as principal at five different schools in the Moncton area. Geoff was a natural educator, always sharing knowledge whether in a school setting, out in the community, or in personal conversations.

Geoffrey's passion for numismatics began at the tender age of five. A neighbor down the street had one of the few televisions in the neighborhood, and Geoff would visit to watch hockey games. During intermissions, they would look at coins, sparking a lifelong interest. This passion eventually led to the opening of a local coin store in 1986, followed by the founding of Geoffrey Bell Auctions in 2008 alongside his son Brian and daughter-in-law Dawn. Geoffrey's commitment to family was central to his business beliefs, reflecting his deep belief in the importance of familial bonds.

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NNP ADDS BLACK WOMEN ON MONEY

Newman Portal Adds Black Women on Money

Harcourt Fuller, Associate Professor of History at Georgia State University, has produced a short film, Black Women on Money, which is now posted on Newman Portal. The short features Black women on American money, including Maya Angelou, Bessie Coleman, and Harriet Tubman. Fuller includes commentary from Ernestine "Tina" Martin, 3x-great grandniece of Tubman, as well as discussion of portraits of Black women on world paper money. Harcourt Fuller further covers his Black Money Exhibit. This work was produced in part with support from the Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society, via a 2024 Newman Grant for numismatic research.

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VIDEO: PEOPLE OF THE CARSON CITY MINT

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ANA HONORS JAMES MEASE, DWIGHT MANLEY

The American Numismatic Association (ANA) is presenting its Chester L. Krause Memorial Distinguished Service Award and Hall of Fame honor to those who have left indelible marks within the numismatic community. The recipients will be recognized during the World's Fair of Money® in Chicago, August 6-10.

Eminent philanthropist Dwight N. Manley is the recipient of the 2024 Chester L. Krause Memorial Distinguished Service Award, the ANA's highest honor. Inspired by a pivotal experience at the ANA's Summer Seminar in 1981, Manley launched his career fresh out of high school in 1984. By 1990 he opened a dealership, Spectrum Numismatics. His business burgeoned and eventually handled major rarities, including the King of Siam 1804 proof set and two of the five 1913 Liberty nickels.

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METCALF WINS 2024 ANS HUNTINGTON AWARD

The Trustees of the American Numismatic Society (ANS) have selected Dr. William E. Metcalf to receive the 2024 Archer M. Huntington Award in honor of his tremendous contributions to Roman and Byzantine numismatics. A reception will be held on October 19 at the ANS in New York City at 4:00 PM ET, followed by the award ceremony at 4:30 PM ET where Metcalf will provide the Silvia Mani Hurter Memorial Lecture on "The Making of Roman Provincial Coinage (X)."

William E. Metcalf received his degrees from the University of Michigan (A.B. in Latin with distinction and highest honors in 1969, A.M. in Classical Studies in 1970, and Ph.D. in Classical Studies in 1973). He joined the ANS as Assistant Curator of Roman and Byzantine Coins in 1973, and, following promotions to Associate Curator and Deputy Chief Curator, became Chief Curator in 1979, a position he held until 2000. In 2002, he became Curator of Coins and Medals at the Yale University Art Gallery and Professor of Classics (adj.) at Yale University. From 2007- 2014, he served as the Ben Lee Damsky Curator of Coins and Medals and has been appointed Visiting Professor or Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, Princeton University, University of Padua, Bryn Mawr College, Rutgers University, and New York University.

Metcalf is the author of several books, including The Cistophori of Hadrian (ANS, 1980), The Silver Coinage of Cappadocia: Vespasian-Commodus (ANS, 1996), and The Later Republican Cistophori (ANS, 2017), as well as dozens of articles and reviews. He is also the editor of The Oxford Handbook of Greek and Roman Coinage (Oxford University Press, 2012). Metcalf has served on the editorial boards of Lexicon Mythologiae Classicae, American Journal of Archaeology, American Journal of Numismatics, Schweizerische Numismatische Rundschau, the advisory board of Bryn Mawr Classical Review, and on various committees for the American Philological Association (now the Society for Classical Studies) and the Archaeological Institute of America. He was a member of the Bureau of the International Numismatic Commission from 1991-2003.

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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JULY 28, 2024

More on Richard August
Dennis Tucker writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
RICHARD AUGUST (1940-2024) (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n28a09.html)
MORE ON RICHARD AUGUST (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n29a13.html)

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AFRICA & BYZANTIUM EXHIBIT

Michael Kodysz writes:

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2024 ANA COMMEMORATIVE COINS

To celebrate the Chicago World's Fair of Money, the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and Minted Assets will provide the first ever decimal denominated legal tender coin during the show. Attendees that visit booth 730 on the bourse floor can receive a free base metal commemorative coin (limited quantity) with designs reflecting this year's convention. About 200 coins will be handed out per day (around 1,000 total), from August 6-10.

The obverse design on the commemorative coin shows an allegorical figure of NOMISMA, which is the Greek word for "money." She is shown holding the World's Fair of Money logo. E Pluribus Unum graces the legend as a tribute to the show's mission of bringing people in the hobby together for the convention.

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ANA EXHIBIT: FOUR DOLLAR GOLD STELLAS

The finest set of "Stella" $4 denomination gold coins in the PCGS Set Registry® will be displayed for the first time anywhere by Tangible Investments of Laguna Beach, California (www.TangibleInvestmentsInc.com) at the American Numismatic Association 2024 Chicago World’s Fair of Money (www.WorldsFairofMoney.com).

The registry lists the historic, low-mintage pattern coins as the current finest set with a weighted grade point average of 66.75, and each of the four coins has cameo quality.

"Of all the world-class rare coins I’ve been fortunate to handle over the past 40 years, this set tops everything," stated Tangible Investments Founder and President Silvano DiGenova.

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SAINT-GAUDENS DOUBLE EAGLES AT ANA SHOW

Described by researchers as "one of the most important recent discoveries in 20th century American numismatics," the finer of the two known 1921 Satin Finish Proof Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles along with the unique Experimental Finish Proof 1910 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle will make only their third public appearance together.

Insured for $10 million, they will be a featured exhibit in the Museum Showcase area (booth 434) at the American Numismatic Association 2024 Chicago World’s Fair of Money® (www.WorldsFairofMoney.com), August 6-10, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois.

These two multi-million-dollar coins will be displayed courtesy of Brian Hendelson, president of Classic Coin Company of Bridgewater, New Jersey.

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VOCABULARY TERM: PRECISION CASTING

Precision Casting. A type of investment casting which produces finely detailed casts. The process utilizes a wax pattern, which is melted away, thus it is a modern development of lost wax, cire-perdue or waste wax. It is a fairly expensive method of casting, particularly for long runs, yet it is the best method for complex and detailed designs, and it can use "medallic" alloys – gold, silver, bronze – creating an excellent surface.

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LEANDER MCCORMICK-GOODHART (1884-1965)

I don’t like to make mistakes, but I enjoy correcting mistakes that come to my attention. This week I had to correct the listing for Leander McCormick-Goodhart in American Numismatic Biographies (ANB). He was the author of a reference on Admiral Vernon medals.

When Leander McCormick-Goodhart died, an obituary was carried in papers around the country.

The (New York) Daily News for Saturday, December 18, 1965, reported on page 21:

The Detroit Free Press for Sunday, December 19. 1965, reported on page 56:

The Philadelphia Inquirer of Saturday, December 18, 1965, reported on page 10:

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STAN KESSELMAN INTERVIEW, PART SIX

GREG BENNICK: Okay. Were there other dealers from back in the day that you connected with? You know, you mentioned Abe Kosoff and other people as well. Were there other dealers from that era that you remember having interactions with that you liked?

STANLEY KESSELMAN: That's an excellent question you ask. And I'm going to tell you why. For some reason, I became a hoarder. And what did I hoard? Correspondences. I have letters, invoices, from people from 1957 through modern times.

GREG BENNICK: Wow.

STANLEY KESSELMAN: I put them in suitcases and did not open the suitcases for 40 years.

GREG BENNICK: Wow.

STANLEY KESSELMAN: So, I finally opened one suitcase, and I found 25 letters from Superior, Ted Naftzger, Harry Bass, and David Bowers. Abe Kossoff, Saul Kagin, not Saul Kagin, A.M. Kagin, and his brother, Paul Kagin. I have letters going back. So, I called Julian up, what to do with them. He told me to send them to the Newman Archive.

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ERIC SCHENA INTERVIEW, PART THREE

GREG BENNICK: I love it. This is why when we met, I knew we were kindred spirits, even if you're collecting things I don't necessarily collect. I’ve had a growing interest in counterstamps over the last year. In collecting counterstamps, you'll find a merchant who issued some counterstamps and that name was stamped by that merchant on that exact coin. And then you find ancillary things relating to that counterstamp. Maybe it's a photo, if it's a photographer or a piece of silver, if it's a silversmith, and then you learn about maybe who owned that or whose photo was taken by the photographer who stamped the counterstamp coin. And this is hours of entertainment and legacy building and you know like you said, stewardship of history.

ERIC SCHENA: That is exactly what it is. It continues that story down the line. We are fortunate in America that there is so many places that where we can do that. There is such a rich history with scrip and tokens that a lot of people don't know about. I mean, a lot of people just say, "Who cares? It's just the paper money in your wallet or the coins in your pocket." But 150 years ago, that was not necessarily the case. And even 120 years ago, 80 years ago, tokens are still being used. There are people today that still remember using tokens. Heck, I remember tokens in D.C. Because I went to high school in North West D.C., and the students there, if you're a D.C. resident, you could go to the D.C. Metro and get a roll of tokens that you would use on the bus or on the Metro. Mainly the bus. And I remember those tokens. And I remember the students that had them getting the rolls because they would all have to go to Metro Center. That's where you bought them. And you had to have a valid student ID to do that.

So, that kind of thing disappears in time. Because a lot of people just don't think much of it. It's just part of daily life. Going to, if you live in a coal camp, going to the company store to go buy a bucket of coal for your furnace or mining equipment or a five-pound bag of flour. Because you had to buy all of that at the company store. It was just way of life. That's what you did. And then when the towns closed up shop, that just vanished from memory. And in coal camps, that's a risk. That did happen.

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SUMMER 2024 ROSA AMERICANA FIXED PRICE LIST

Which sounds better to you: the worst of one grade level or the best of another? The quality-price disparity is even more striking with coins that are technically just two points apart, an AU58 and a MS60, where just the faintest bit of rub (often nothing more than oft-noted cabinet friction over a couple centuries of storage by collectors) can equate to tens of thousands of dollars difference in pricing, yet that cheaper 58 coin will always look better than the 60 one does.

Collectors of a certain age had a shorthand term for this kind of quality: "a Robert Martin coin." Robert, who passed away far too soon, had a legendary appetite for pieces that had the right look. A Robert Martin copper coin was a nice even brown, smooth and hard surfaces with a bit of gloss, and a wholesome, natural appearance that had not been "improved" by anything other than a dollop of Coin Care. A coin could have clips or planchet flaws – which were of course there before the coin was struck, but whether the coin graded VG or AU, it would be free of unsightly damage. Collector Jerry Bobbe has called that sort of damage "HIPS" – Human Impairment, Post Strike. The problem most collectors face is that there aren’t all that many pretty colonials out there – most of them do have some sort of HIPS. For many varieties, in every series, there might only be a couple coins that are choice and the rest have varying degrees of problem – and for some varieties, the ONLY survivors may all be ugly. Do you eschew those unattractive coins, knowing you will never get close to a magic number if you do (think 300 Connecticut coppers or 100 New Jersey copper varieties)?

Robert Martin was actually one of the first collectors of the modern era to get to the 300-variety mark for his CT coppers, but his eye for quality made him dislike some of the pieces in his own collection which were not up to his standard. So he did what was right for him – he sold those pieces off, knowing he would never be able to get to that variety count again (and making less-picky collectors quite happy, as those discarded coins put at least two others over that 300 mark in one fell swoop). A look at the Stack’s Bowers offering of Robert’s frontline collection shows the result of his quest, and there are few coins that even the pickiest collector wouldn’t happily welcome into their own cabinet today (though he did buy some less attractive secondary coins that fit into his provenance collection – Painted Die Varieties, or with paper envelopes and tickets from earlier famous collections).

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ATLAS NUMISMATICS SELECTIONS: JULY 28, 2024

1079229 | GREEK. PTOLEMAIC KINGS OF EGYPT. Berenice II. (Queen, 267/266-221 BC). Struck circa 224-221 BC. AV Mnaieion or Octodrachm. NGC Ch. AU (Choice About Uncirculated) Strike 5/5 Surface 3/5 Fine Style, Light Marks. Alexandria. 27mm. 27.81gm. Veiled, diadem and draped bust, right; beaded circle border / ????????S ??S???SS?S. Cornucopia bound with royal diadem; beaded circle border. Svoronos 1113; SNG Copenhagen 169; CPE 895.

Ex Nomos Auction 13 (7 October 2016) Lot 241.

$89,500

To read the complete item description, see:
1079229 | GREEK. PTOLEMAIC KINGS OF EGYPT. Berenice II. AV Mnaieion or Octodrachm. (https://www.atlasnumismatics.com/1079229/)

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LYN KNIGHT WORLD CURRENCY HIGHLIGHTS

Lots can be viewed and bids made for July 2024 WKL at www.lynknight.com. Knight Live will run this auction on Wednesday, July 31st @ 10 AM CDT.

Here is the schedule:

Wednesday July 31st @ 10 AM CDT - Afghanistan - Zimbabwe + Miscellaneous Countries - pre-bidding ends on July 31, 2024 @ 10:55 AM EDT

And here are some highlights from the first part of the alphabet. Bermuda and Brazil are two terrific collections in this section (see a few selections below).

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HERITAGE ANA U.S. SELECTIONS

Just because something is an error does not mean it is not in high demand.

Consider the case of the 1794 S-28 Head of 1794 Cent, MS66 Brown NGC, a magnificent double-struck early large cent that will be up for grabs when it crosses the block in Heritage’s ANA US Coins Signature® Auction August 13-18.

"Double-strike errors are exactly what they sound like: a coin that has two (or more) images because the planchet was impressed (at least) twice," says Todd Imhof, Executive Vice President at Heritage Auctions. "This example is breathtaking, and exceptionally rare in this grade, as one of just four S-28 cents that Del Bland grades MS60 and are tied for the finest examples of the S-28 pair. The double strike is important, exceeding its census position as one of the four finest existing S-28 cents. The combination of the two strikes, both of which are off-center showing the date, and the remarkable MS66 NGC grade make this a fantastic error coin."

"When our consignor, Dr. Robert A. Schuman, showed me this coin in 1996, I was astounded," says Mark Borckardt, Senior Cataloger at Heritage Auctions. "I elected to use a photograph of this coin to introduce the error chapter of Walter Breen’s Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents, 1793-1814, which I was editing at the time. Now, nearly 30 years later, the opportunity to catalog this amazing piece ranks among the highlights of my career."

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WERE CELTIC TREASURE COINS MELTED?

Investigators looking into the theft of hundreds of ancient gold coins from a German museum have found lumps of gold that appear to have resulted from part of the treasure being melted down, but still hold out hope of finding the rest intact, officials said Thursday.

Four suspects were arrested on Tuesday over the Nov. 22 break-in at the Celtic and Roman Museum in the Bavarian town of Manching in which 483 Celtic coins discovered during an archaeological dig in 1999 were stolen.

The coins date to around 100 B.C.

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ELECTORAL COINS

IssueVoter is a nonpartisan, nonprofit online platform dedicated to giving everyone a voice in our democracy. Make a donation of any amount to IssueVoter from this page to get an Electoral Coin of your choice in the mail — a collectable reminder of the true power behind every single vote. Your support will help our message reach every corner of the country.

Our Electoral Coins are divided into two commemorative sets: ?

The 2022 set consists of the Gun Laws Coin, Environment Coin and the Marijuana Legalization Coin. They commemorate the coin flip of ‘22, which decided the election of a Mayor in Kentucky. ?

The 2023 set consists of the Immigration Coin and the Book Ban Coin. They commemorate the last coin flip that happened in 2023, electing a Mayor in the state of North Carolina.

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UKRAINIAN AMERICAN'S MEDAL OF HONOR

Baldwin’s Auctions brings to sale an extremely rare Congressional Medal of Honor, to be offered in a single-lot auction on Thursday 8 August at 399 Strand, London. The only such medal ever to have been granted to a Ukrainian American soldier, it was posthumously awarded to Nicholas Minue following a brave attack against the Germans in Tunisia, Africa, during which he lost his life on 28th April 1943.

The project is being led by Mark Smith, a medals and militaria specialist often seen on the Antiques Roadshow as well as at Baldwins.co. The auction house is working with charity United 24 to help fund Ukrainian humanitarian relief efforts. The item is expected to sell for £250,000–300,000.

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RUSSIA BANS RUBLE TOILET PAPER

A Moscow court has banned the sale of toilet paper with printed patterns of 1,000-ruble bills, the independent news website Vyorstka reported Thursday, citing the court’s ruling.

The decorative toilet paper was deemed to "offend religious feelings" since the 1,000-ruble banknote depicts Yaroslav the Wise, an 11th-century Kyivan Rus’ prince who was made a saint and, in 2016, canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.

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THE CANADIAN PREMIERS BUCK

Earl Brown arrived in Vancouver on Friday on a journey more than half a century in the making.

He travelled more than 1,000 kilometres southwest from his home in Fort Nelson with one goal — to get B.C. Premier David Eby to sign his $1 Canadian bill.

"I've been working for 53 years now, to make this happen," Brown said of getting all 13 premiers in that time span to sign his currency.

The now-defunct $1 bill was only missing Eby's signature. Brown, 67, arranged to travel to Vancouver to meet up with Eby at Canada Place.

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THE ORIGINS OF MONEY

As an anthropologist who’s made discoveries of ancient currency in the field, I’m interested in how money evolved in human civilization – and what these archaeological finds can tell us about trade and interaction between far-flung groups.

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