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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 11/2/2024 - Kolbe & Fanning 1/4/2025 - 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 OCTOBER 27, 2024

New subscribers this week include: Jeff Pritchard. Welcome aboard! We now have 7,266 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 a numismatic literature sale, four new books and a periodical issue, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, two obituaries, and more.

Other topics this week include chopmarked coins, error coins, sample slabs, the rumored model for Liberty on early U.S. coins, U. S. Mint engraver Christian Gobrecht, collectors Fred Lakosky and Kellen Hoard, fixed price and auction previews, the Chew Valley hoard, the National Medals of Arts and Humanities, the Jewish-American Hall of Fame Medal series, and the new BRICS fantasy note.

To learn more about Anglo-Mexican proof coins from the Soho Mint, the coinage of Louis Ferdinand I, King of Spain and the West Indies, Richard Eliasberg, Johnny Heleva, early banking in Cincinnati, Sponsianus the Spewer, Civil War cardboard scrip, Fugio Cents, the Awakening of Egypt medal, tetragrammatons and suzerainty, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

K&F BCD LIBRARY SALE, PART 2 HIGHLIGHTS

Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers are looking forward to our second BCD Library sale, which will be held on Saturday, November 2. The online catalogue can be accessed at bid.numislit.com. and bidders from around the world have already begun placing bids in what promises to be another exciting sale from the most extraordinary private collection of material on the coinage of antiquity that we have ever handled. The sale features classic references, modern die studies of individual cities, descriptive catalogues of important collections, and much more.

Some highlights of this sale include:

 

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NEW BOOK: ANGLO-MEXICAN PROOF COINS

Las monedas prueba anglomexicanas de la Casa de Moneda de Soho, Reino Unido
Anglo-Mexican proof coins from the Soho Mint, UK
Author: Luna Herrera, Pablo Rodolfo

Publisher: Quintanilla Rodríguez María de los Dolores Francisca
Subject: Numismatics and sigillography
Target audience: General
Published: 2022-10-30
Edition number: 1
Number of pages: 208
Size: 17x23cm.
Price: $300
Binding: Softcover or paperback
Support: Printed
Language: Spanish
ISBN 978-607-8801-41-1

Pablo Luna Herrera's research addresses a problem that crosses several themes, to give a possible answer to the existence of proof-type coins produced in England at the Soho mint, Birmingham, between 1828 and 1838 for the mints of Mexico, challenging the regulation regarding the forms of production existing in this country in the 19th century, achieving a finer coin, but also challenging the provision that the coins, like the proofs, were made in Mexico.

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NEW BOOK: COINAGE OF LOUIS FERDINAND I

Amonedación de Luis Fernando I Rey de Hispania y de las Yndias
(Coinage of Louis Ferdinand I King of Spain and the West Indies)

Authors: Alejandro Martínez-Bustos, Emiliano Puga-Gómez & Gonzalo A. Varela-Parra

First Edition (April 2024)
Copies: 300
Pages: (3), (VI), (5), 186
WxHxT: 22.7 x 28.8 x 2 cms
Binding: Hardcover
Language: Spanish
Printer: Full Graphics, Mexico
Price: US$175

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NEW BOOK: J.D. BOWMAN COLLECTION OF CHOPMARKED COINS

The Catalog of the J.D. Bowman Collection of Chopmarked Coins
(The Chopmark Reference Series)
by Mr. William Taylor Leverage and Mr. Dan Huntsinger

Most chopmark collections assembled in the past have been broken apart without fanfare, even those that represent decades of dedicated effort. In retrospect, this isn't much of a surprise - chopmarked coins have been an awkward niche in the world of numismatics for years, and prices have remained low until relatively recently. Recent years have seen a rise in interest in chopmarks, but important earlier collections typically can't be recorded after they have be broken apart; the J.D. Bowman Collection represents one of the few instances where enough information is available that the set can be 'pieced together' retroactively, using a combination of the collector's own notes and more recent auction appearances.

The Bowman Collection was primarily assembled between 1984 and 1994, with a large proportion recorded in a series of handwritten inventories submitted to The Chopmark News; scans of these inventories form the basis for the catalog, including not only nationalities, dates, and denominations, but descriptions and drawings of specific chops. These detailed descriptions have allowed for specific coins to be attributed to the Bowman Collection as they have appeared on the secondary retail market and the auction circuit between 2016 and the present, even without any images from the original collection; more recent auction details and collector provenances are recorded where relevant. Additionally, more than 50 pieces traced back to Bowman have been photographed and are included in the catalog, including many key rarities.

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NEW BOOK: ED MURPHY COLLECTION OF CHOPMARKED COINS

The Catalog of the Ed Murphy Collection of Chopmarked Coins
(The Chopmark Reference Series)
by James Wemmick

Until relatively recently, chopmarked coins - currency countermarked by merchants in China and nearby regions, typically to confirm silver content - were thought to be damaged or at best, curiosities. Few pieces were considered important enough to be included in well-known numismatic collections, and fewer still were plated in public references. As a result, many chopmarked coins have lost their provenances with time; there are no comprehensive visual records of important chopmark collections such as those assembled by F. M. Rose and Hal Walls, apart from scattered pieces that were given pride of place in numismatic references or auction catalogs.

The Ed Murphy Collection, assembled over several decades through dealers in the Philippines and through the American auction circuit, is one of the largest collections of its kind ever assembled. Meticulously photographed and incorporating Mr. Murphy's personal attributions, the catalog is intended to showcase one collector's particular interpretation of what constitutes a chopmark, and to provide an ironclad provenance for future collectors conducting background research on specific pieces. The Murphy Collection's particular strength is the comprehensive range of its host types, representing over 500 crowns, minors, and contemporary counterfeits constituting several hundred years, each of which is illustrated.

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PERIODICAL: ERRORSCOPE NOV/DEC 2024

CONECA has released its November/December 2024 issue of its long-running magazine Errorscope featuring articles and photos on error and variety coins. The magazine comes out every two months and for its upcoming December 1st 2024 deadline for the January/February 2025 issue, the club is seeking contributions from collectors about error and variety coins.

This issue features articles on foreign error coins, an interview with researcher Shawn Tew about recent discoveries around 1910 cents and their reverses, information about the Buena Park Coin Show, and other articles on various error and variety topics.

Collectors interested in contributing articles can submit their ideas to minterrors@gmail.com for consideration by the club officers responsible for the magazine.

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RICHARD ARNOLD ELIASBERG (1931-2024)

On October 12, 2024, Richard Arnold Eliasberg, a resident of Admirals Cove in Jupiter, Florida, passed away from cancer at 92 years of age. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland; attended Baltimore City College and the University of Pennsylvania, graduating from the Wharton School in 1953; and served in the U. S. Navy, completing his service as a Lieutenant J.G. in 1955.

After briefly working as an insurance agent for Travelers Insurance Company at the Jerome Apple Agency, he helped found First Federated Life Insurance Company where he served as President and Chief Executive Officer until its sale in July 1983. He served as President of Coastline Insurance Company and Coastline Reinsurance Company from their inception until 1983; was a Director of Maryland National Bank from 1974 to 1991 and also participated on its Executive and Audit Committees; served on the Board of Security Trust Company, a subsidiary of MNC Financial; and was a Director of the Finance Company of America.

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JOHNNY HARRY HELEVA (1951-2024)

Johnny Harry Heleva
December 7, 1951 ~ October 15, 2024 (age 72)

We lost a notable man in the coin and currency business today. John Heleva of Sacramento, California, felt like a lucky man because he was always employed at something he loved - the coin business. He died peacefully in his sleep, something we all hope for. Johns family was in Sacramento 165 years. His wife, Dawn was born there. He was born in Wiesbaden Germany 12/51. His father was active in the Berlin air lift.

John's love affair with coins began when he was bedridden in a body cast from age 5-7 for a degenerative hip disorder called leg perthis. His grandfather would bring him bags of coins to sort from the bank and he got hooked. In high school he made spending money buying and selling silver. John started with paper money in his early twenties when he says you could not give bank notes away. He bought them cheap and watched it become a market. He loved history and that naturally played into his interest in coins and paper.

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SAMPLE SLAB COLLECTORS RENEW NEWSLETTER

Sample Slab Collectors Renew Newsletter

After a several year hiatus, the Sample Slab Update newsletter is back with the latest developments in the field of sample slab collecting. For the uninitiated, grading service companies often issue one-off variants of their encapsulating plastic holders, typically in conjunction with a specific coin show or other event. These special edition holders become collectible in themselves, in addition to the value of any coin contained therein. Further, slab types that were used for only a short time are desirable. The August 2024 edition of the Update notes, for example, the NGC type 8 holder ("The Ocho" in sample slab collector parlance), among other scarce types.

The Sample Slab Update is published by David Schwager, who naturally has commissioned his own sample slab. Produced by NGC, this slab commemorated the David and Michelle Schwager wedding in July 2024. Each holds a George VI silver sixpence issued between 1937 and 1946, chosen for the wedding rhyme that ends "and a sixpence in your shoe."

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VIDEO: ANTEBELLUM BANKING IN CINCINNATI

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ACEF JOINS SHOP SAFE ACT COALITION

The Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation (ACEF) has joined a national coalition comprised of more than 20 major industries seeking legislation to make e-commerce platforms responsible for ensuring that vendors on their platforms do not sell counterfeits products.

"Current U.S. laws and law enforcement's ‘whack-a-mole' approach have proven to be no match for the sellers of counterfeit products on e-commerce platforms. It's time to join forces and use our collective efforts to bring about the changes needed to shut down criminal access to the U.S. marketplace," said ACEF President John Albanese. "ACEF enthusiastically endorses the SHOP SAFE Act coalition's efforts and we pledge to inform and enlist the coin industry and numismatic collector community's support for this important mission," Albanese added.

Read more here

 

NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: OCTOBER 27, 2024

Kudos to Steve Feller and The E-Sylum
Lee Lofthus writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
THE EARLIEST SURVIVING CONFEDERATE NOTE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n42a08.html)

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SAMUEL MITCHILL AND THE MODEL FOR LIBERTY

In December 1802, the "living encyclopedia" Samuel Latham Mitchill (1764–1831), was a freshman member of Congress residing in the new capital of Washington. Mitchill wrote a letter to his wife Catharine (née Akerly 1778–1864) back home in New York. Samuel and Catharine were still newlyweds, having been married in 1799 when Mitchill was teaching chemistry, botany, and natural history at Columbia College.

Mitchill, born in Hempstead, New York, graduated from the University of Edinburgh Medical School in 1786. An admired and enthusiastic know-it-all, Mitchill loved to pontificate on anything and everything. Familiarly known as Dr. Mitchill, he was a "chaos of knowledge," and to Thomas Jefferson he was the "Congressional Dictionary." Throughout his life, the national press considered Mitchill an authority whenever there was a question of science or natural history.

Mitchill wrote to Catharine that he had "an Anecdote to give" and then went on to describe a rumor he had heard about the identity of the model for Liberty on United States coins, the "effigy of this coy wood-Nymph" seen on "our Cents, Eagles, &c." He said the "Chief Engraver of the Mint, looked to his own Wife" and "made Copy from that Original." Since "Her face appeared to him beautiful enough to furnish a Model for ‘Liberty.'" Mitchill concluded, "They say she is well known in Philadelphia, tho I have never seen her."

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NOAH WEBSTER DECRIES PLANS FOR U.S. COINS

Connecticut Courant, April 30, 1792
For the CONNECTICUT COURANT.
Messieurs PRINTERS,

SOMETIME ago I was reading the debates in Congress on the Mint Bill. It was proposed by the Senate (that aristocratic Junto) that the coins of the United States should, on one side, bear the figure of the President, with a view probably to do honor to the head of the Executive, and to render the coins of some historical use in ascertaining the chronology of political events at a future day. But I see the House of Representatives discovered a snake in the grass. The head of the President on coins! Why monarchy, aristocracy, and despotism would follow such a measure, as sure as a gun! Thanks to the shrewd microscopic minds of our southern brethren, we have escaped the snare—liberty stands her ground, and defies machination itself! Now if a Nero, a Caligula, or a Commodus: that is, an Adams, a Jefferson, or a Jay, or some such man that the people should elect, should hereafter be placed at the head of the Executive, and our Mint should be going at the same time, why we shall not have our pockets and purses secreting the heads of those monsters; we shall not be obliged to stare them full in the face every time we take an Eagle or a dollar from our pockets. Thanks to Congressional foresight, our freedom is yet safe and snug!

But, Messrs. Printers, what are we to have on the face of our coins? Why on one side Liberty, and on the other an Eagle. Liberty is a good device undoubtedly; but the Eagle, the Roman standard, the famous military Ensign, which, from the rank of the bird, among fowls, denotes sovereignty, and from its significance and use among the Romans, denotes conquest and despotism! This is indeed well placed on the reverse of liberty! They stand opposed to each other like two boxers at fisty cuffs. Like the Lion and the Unicorn in the British arms.

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FAIRFAX CLUB HOSTS ERROR COIN SPEAKER

Board member Greg Bennick, from the error coin and variety club CONECA, will be offering educational sessions about error coins and how they are made. The first of these presentations will take place on the east coast for the Fairfax Coin Club. Mr. Bennick is available for coin club talks to groups nationwide.

In these presentations, Mr. Bennick will be showing photos of coins from his personal collection and talking about how these errors were made at the mint. By learning about the minting process, collectors can begin to determine for themselves if the coin they happen across is, or is not, a mint made error. This is helpful for collectors of all experience levels.

Failures in the minting process leave clear clues that can inform collectors about the authenticity of their coins and whether or not they are errors. Education is a main goal of CONECA.

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CHRISTIAN GOBRECHT GRAVE MARKER

Christian Gobrecht Grave Marker Unveiling

Christian Gobrecht, third Engraver of the United States Mint, died in office on July 23, 1844, and was succeeded by James Barton Longacre. Gobrecht was interred at Philadelphia's Monument Cemetery, at Broad and Berks Streets in North Central Philadelphia. By 1955, the burial grounds were dilapidated. With Temple University and the Philadelphia Board of Education wishing to acquire the land, the courts were petitioned for relocation of the cemetery. The following year, Gobrecht and family members were reinterred at Lawnview Cemetery in Rockledge, PA, a northeast suburb of Philadelphia.

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2024 C4 CONVENTION EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

Chris McDowell, President, and Jim Glickman, National Vice-President and Education Chair of The Colonial Coin Collectors Club (C4) are pleased to announce the schedule of education programs as part of the 2024 C4 Convention, to take place in Baltimore on November 14-16, 2024 in connection with the Whitman Baltimore Fall Show. The programs will appeal to collectors of various levels of experience with colonial coins and currency.

The schedule of programs starts off with two evening Eric P. Newman Lectures open to C4 members in person and to the public via livestream. The Newman Lectures will be given by Emily Pearce, Assistant Curator of Numismatics, Yale Art Gallery, and Kevin Vinton, noted colonial numismatic researcher and scholar. Videos of the Newman Lectures will be placed on C4's website, https://colonialcoins.org/ after the Convention. The programs also include two daytime lectures of a more introductory nature, open to the public to attend in person at the Whitman Baltimore Fall Show. The schedule of programs is as follows (all times are Eastern Standard Time):

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VOCABULARY TERM: PROOF FINISH, PART 1

Proof Finish. A very highly reflective metallic surface, mirror-like, produced by striking from specially treated highly polished dies and specially prepared polished blanks. Proof finish dates back to the 18th century (the first use of the term "proof" as applied to coins and medals is as early as 1762 in England). The concept was to display a perfect impression from a new die in all its sharp and fresh condition before any production run and wear was made from it. Even the name proof indicates – like a first copy of a print – the earliest and sharpest impression. Also called "specimen" or "master" coins in early US Mint documents and literature. The concept of mass produced "first impressions" did not occur until the 20th century with the boom of coin collecting.

Until the availability of reliable multi-strike presses in the late 1960s, all proof coins were made on a medal press using one blow from the dies.

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FREDERICK HERBERT LAKOSKY (1894-1968)

I was intrigued by an article in the Hollywood Herald of November 2, 1951. I was unfamiliar with Fred Lakosky. What could I learn of the collector and his collection?

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KELLEN HOARD INTERVIEW, PART THREE

GREG BENNICK: Nice. Very nice. Okay. So, coins are one part of it for you. Tell me about the political side of your reality because there's an intersection too, that we're going to talk about today.

KELLEN HOARD: There's an intersection. One of them, I don't know if it's one you're referencing is how I got started in politics. I was at Summer Seminar, in 2017. I was 13 years old. I was sitting at a small table with some old men who were coin collectors and we were talking coins. One of them turned to me out of the blue and conspiratorially tells me, "Did you know Obama personally owns nuclear weapons?" I was 13 at that time. I was like, "That doesn't sound right, but I'm not a hundred percent sure." So I went back to the dorm, I was saying at Google, "Does Obama own nukes?"

And obviously he doesn't own nukes. But in order to fact check that I started reading journals to figure out what was true and what wasn't. The more journals I read, the more hooked I got on it. This was in 2017 when there was a lot of political upheaval going on. I realized that what I was reading about was not only impacting just the world at large, but also me and the people I cared about. What I was reading in these pages in politics had pretty direct, substantive, tangible implications on my life and in my community. And not just at the federal level where a lot of people were looking, but the state level, especially. That's where the day-to-day stuff was happening.

Around that time, I got involved with March for Our Lives, when those walkouts were happening in schools. From there, there was a point at which I put my phone number into some kind of form, truly accidentally. And someone called me and said, "Hey, are you one of Manka Dhingra's interns?" Manka Dhingra was my State Senator at the time. And I said, "No, but tell me more." So, I ended up as one of her interns. From there on I got involved on the campaign side of politics.

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NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: OCTOBER 27, 2024

102951 | FRANCE. Rouen. Freemasons silver Medal. Restitution issue, circa 1920-1940. The Loge de la Parfaite Egalité (33mm, 15.56 g, 12h). Paris mint. Two skeletons—one crowned and holding scepter, the other holding crozier and level—standing facing one another; altar surmounted by open book between them; radiant tetragrammaton above; to left and right, pillars of the First Temple (Solomon's Temple), marked J and B (for Boaz and Jachin); at their bases, compass and carpenter's square // LOGE DE LA PARFAITE EGALITÉ O DE ROUEN, Square and Compasses: set of compasses joined with carpenter's square; within, radiant pentagram containing the letter G (representing geometry or the Great Architect of the Universe); intertwined sprigs of acacia (referring to the legend of Hiram Abiff) around. Edge: «cornucopia» 1 No. 126/500. Cf. Labouret 721 (for original issue). Extremely Fine Details. Cleaned, with some deeper toning beginning to reappear nearer the peripheries. Extremely appealing and interesting type featuring masonic and haunting imagery. $465.

Freemasonry in France began to grow in the early 18th century, with numerous lodges forming throughout the remainder of the century until the aftermath of the French Revolution caused the majority of them to close down briefly. Upon the formation of the French Empire under Napoléon I, many of these closed lodges opened again, further continuing their expansion. The Loge de la Parfaite Egalité at Rouen appears to have been initially formed on 9 March 1786 and, at the time of re-opening in 1803, had 37 active members. In 1806 it was reorganized, containing 60 members, while in 1857, it had 56 members and in 1881, 61 members. In 2012, the lodge was again reorganized and reopened.

To read the complete item description, see:
102951 | FRANCE. Rouen. Freemasons silver Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102951)

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DAVISSONS E-AUCTION 50

The late Eighteenth Century token series has been an important part of our business since we started issuing catalogs. My fascination with the series started with a few pieces I got from a dealer at a small show in the late 1970's — inexpensive and relatively high-grade examples of copper pieces nearly two centuries old at the time I began.

By the mid 1980's I realized that there was a problem finding the huge reference volume that had been published in parts in the teens (20th century, not 19th) and even the reprints were rare and not printed as clearly as the technology of the late 1980's allowed. So, I had both a good reason and a good excuse to spend time, energy, and money in an effort to not only reprint a higher quality edition of Dalton and Hamer but also to make an effort to find new varieties of the series.

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KUENKER AUCTION 417

Künker, Osnabrück
Auction 417
Osnabrück, 31 October 2024

Roma Universa: Part 9 of the Dr. W.R. Collection at Künker

Part 9 of the Dr. W.R. Collection will be offered by Künker as eLive Premium Auction 417 on 31 October 2024. The 682 lots cover the period from the time after Nero's death to the end of the Severan dynasty. As always, the Dr. W.R. Collection unites all fields of Roman numismatics. The collector was interested in gold, silver and bronze coins, in issues from the mint in Rome but also in local coins produced in the various municipal centers of the provinces. In doing so, Dr. W.R. always paid utmost attention to the quality of his pieces. But their historical background was also an important factor. Therefore, this collection contains numerous coins with interesting reverse depictions. The estimates of the individual lots range from the low 2-digit to the mid 4-digit segment.

We present a little selection of particularly interesting pieces.

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STEPHEN ALBUM INTERNET AUCTION 29

Stephen Album Rare Coins will be holding their Internet Auction 29 on November 4th and 5th, 2024 at their offices in Santa Rosa, California. Among the 1,800 lots in the auction is an extensive selection of World Coins, in addition to the usual Ancient, Islamic, Indian, and Chinese section. This is an opportunity to acquire items with starting prices ranging from $15 up through $850.

Some highlights from the sale are as follows:

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DR. BUSSO PEUS NACHF. AUCTION 439

All collectors and fellow dealers should make a note of this year's autumn auction in their calendars now!

The auction week begins on Monday, 4 November, an exception at Peus, and offers a particularly attractive selection of antique coins. Several entire collections have been included in the 1250 individual lots, some of which we would like to highlight here.

The Nummi Regnum Britonum (Coins of the Kingdoms of the Britons) collection focuses on the coinage of the ‘Celtic' tribal chieftains of the British Isles. It was built up between the early 1990s and the late 2000s with a focus on gold coinage and contains numerous rarities, many of which have not been offered for sale for many years. Ancient British numismatics, with its florid and sometimes local patriotic type designations such as ‘Gisleham Glory' and ‘Irstead Smiler', is a cosmos all of its own, into which the Nummi Regnum Britonum collection provides a fascinating insight.

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DR. BUSSO PEUS NACHF. AUCTIONS 440-441

Auction 440: The Collection - Mecklenburg

Ranges from the late Middle Ages to the loss of minting rights in 1918, with the Güstrow, Schwerin and Strelitz lines boasting 270 items and numerous rarities. In addition to the spectacular gold coins, talers and partial talers, small denominations and medals are not neglected. Both the specialist collector of Mecklenburg coins and the tasteful universal collector in search of selected rarities will find what they are looking for here.

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SEDWICK TREASURE AUCTION 36

This auction is one of our biggest to date, with many important rarities in coins, currency, and artifacts!

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SOVEREIGN RARITIES WORKMAN COLLECTION, PART 2

Sovereign Rarities of London UK are proud to present for auction on the afternoon of November 19th 2024 the Bernard Workman Collection of Bronze Penny Rarities 1860-1967 – a scintillating selection of forty of the most elusive pennies from the reigns of Queen Victoria to Queen Elizabeth II, including the only example in private ownership of the Edward VIII trial reverse with the modern dreadnought class battleship by Britannia that has never been auctioned before.

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THE CHEW VALLEY HOARD

It began with a speculative trip to a soggy field in south-west England by a seven-strong band of metal detectorists more intent on figuring out how to use some new kit rather than unearthing anything of great historical importance.

But the friends came upon an astonishing hoard of coins – 2,584 silver pennies – from the time of the Norman conquest, which has been valued at £4.3m, making it the highest-value treasure find ever in England.

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BIDEN AWARDS NATIONAL ARTS MEDALS

Joe Biden got several standing ovations as he presented the National Medals of Arts and Humanities, including a moment when he referenced the presidential race as he talked about the power of women.

"I know the power of women to get things done, and also help the next generation of pioneers, proving a woman can do anything a man can do and then some. That includes being president of the United States of America."

The remark drew large cheers and a standing ovation from the audience in the East Room, where Biden was joined by First Lady Jill Biden, National Endowment for the Arts chair Maria Rosario Jackson and National Endowment for the Humanities chair Shelly C. Lowe.

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JEWISH-AMERICAN MEDAL SERIES REBOOTS

Mel Wacks, Director of the Jewish-American Hall of Fame medals recently announced "the best news since we started issuing medals way back in 1969. There is going to be a Jewish-American Hall of Fame medal in 2024! Since we couldn't find a mint that could strike our medals in high quality at a reasonable cost, we turned to Jim Licaretz, who has been producing our plaques for a number of years (that are exhibited at the Virginia Holocaust Museum). Jim has made some wonderful cast medals in recent years, including Volodymyr Zelensky, winner of the prestigious 2023 award for the American Medal of the Year. For the Molly Picon medals, Jim made a 3-D printed model directly from Eugene Daub's plaster-of-paris original; he then cast medals in cold-cast bronze and hand-applied a handsome patina. Jim made over a half dozen different samples before finding the right finish."

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2025 MADISON COUNTY COIN CLUB MEDAL

The Madison County Coin Club of Huntsville, Alabama, is issuing a 2025 club medal. Daniel Carr, proprietor of the Moonlight Mint of Loveland, Colorado, will produce the piece. The main motifs mimic Bela Lyon Pratt's half eagle (gold $5) design, with additional obverse and reverse inscriptions around the rim that read MADISON COUNTY COIN CLUB / HUNTSVILLE ALABAMA and EDUCATION * PUBLIC SERVICE * FELLOWSHIP / FOUNDED 2001, respectively.

The medals will be available in silver for $100 and copper for $15. The silver has a mintage limit of 40 and the copper is 60. Please note that earlier, 20 silver and copper medals were reserved by club members as part of three-medal member only set, which contained an additional brass medal.

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THE NEW BRICS FANTASY NOTE

At the same time, today on the sidelines of the forum, an episode, although humorous, but very symbolic for the US and its European satellites, took place. Russian President Vladimir Putin was shown a "BRICS banknote".

What is characteristic is that the banknote depicts the flags of not only the direct members of the Commonwealth, but also other states, including Kazakhstan and Afghanistan.

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FEATURED WEBSITE: COIN PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO

This week's Featured Website is Canadian Denis Richard's Coin Photography Studio. His Coin Blog has some nice articles we'll be republishing with permission in future issues. There's also a fabulous compilation of artwork incorporating coins "featured in paintings by celebrated artists from Rembrandt to Rockwell." Check it out.

http://www.coinphotographystudio.com/