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About UsThe 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 SubscriptionsThose wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page link MembershipThere 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 $45 to addresses in the U.S., and $65 elsewhere. A digital-only membership is available for $25. For those without web access, write to: Jeff Dickerson, Treasurer AsylumFor Asylum mailing address changes and other membership questions, contact Jeff at this email address: treasurer@coinbooks.org SubmissionsTo submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com 
BUY THE BOOK BEFORE THE COINSale Calendar
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- WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM DECEMBER 29, 2024
- WORKMAN'S BOOKS SALE 7 SELECTIONS, PART FOUR
- NEW BOOK: COINAGE OF SRI LANKA
- NEW BOOK: DINARS AND DIRHAMS
- NEW BOOK: OSBORNE COINAGE CO. RECORDS
- BILL ECKBERG ON NNP DIGITAL IMAGES
- WORD OF THE WEEK: VASILOPITA
- VIDEO: COLOR HISTORY OF LARGE CENTS
- VIDEO: DAN HOLMES REMINISCENCES
- NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: DECEMBER 29, 2024
- FINDING MY 1794 S-28 LARGE CENT
- VOCABULARY TERMS: RAW EDGE, RAW MEDAL
- NELLIE TAYLOE ROSS (1876-1977)
- HERITAGE: THE ARTISTRY OF WALTER SHIRLAW
- HERITAGE: CONFEDERATE CURRENCY AT FUN 2025
- KUENKER AUCTION SALE 418, PART THREE
- PAKISTAN’S STATE BANK MONEY MUSEUM
- BELAGAVI, INDIA COIN EXHIBITION
- THE COINS OF GLADIATOR II
- MORE COIN FINDS AT EGYPT'S ABU QIR BAY
- H. B. WEST AND HIS TRAINED DOGS
- GOV. WES MOORE GETS HIS BRONZE STAR
- U.S. NAVY HONORS TOM CRUISE
- WILCOX BLUE-STAINED SECURITY PAPER
- NEW U.S. CURRENCY DESIGNS STARTING IN 2026
- PERPETUAL DUTCH BOND'S 400TH BIRTHDAY
- THE SUPERPOWER OF READING AND RESEARCH
- LOOSE CHANGE: DECEMBER 29, 2024
- ABOUT THIS ISSUE: DECEMBER 29, 2024
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 DECEMBER 29, 2024
We now have 7,253 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.
We managed to get the issue out on time this week after all! We open with a final group of selections from the upcoming Workman's Books numismatic literature sale, three new books, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, and more.
Other topics this week include digital numismatic images, Large Cents, paper money artist Walter Shirlaw, Mint Director Nellie Tayloe Ross, rare Confederate currency, Pakistan's State Bank Money Museum, the coins of Gladiator II, trained dogs, medals for Wes Moore and Tom Cruise, and the superpower of reading and research.
To learn more about military tokens, the coinage of Sri Lanka, Islamic coinage, the Osborne Coinage Company, vasilopita, Dan Holmes, Ed Fulwider, Claude Proulx, the First Wednesday Numismatic Study Group, another early Confederate States of America note, raw edges, new designs for the $5 through $100 bills, and the Standing Liberty Half Dollar, read on. Have a great week, everyone!
Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum
Image of the week
WORKMAN'S BOOKS SALE 7 SELECTIONS, PART FOUR
Here's a final selection of lots from Alan Workman's seventh numismatic literature sale, which closes January 4, 2025. The catalogs are available for download as a pdf or they can be purchased through Lulu for $15. -Editor
Lots 110 and 118
Lot 110: Calico, Ferran & Xavier Calico & Joaquin Trigo. MONEDAS ESPANOLAS DESDE JUANA Y CARLOS A ISABEL II 1504 A 1868. Gabinete Numismatico Calico, Barcelona. 1985. 4to. 544, (2) pages. original brown leatherette, photo plate device, gilt. b&w coin photos throughout. Spanish text. Some cracking along front and back edges of spine. Very Good. This book is a comprehensive illustrated catalog and price guide to the gold, silver, and copper coinage of the various monarchs and mints in Spain and Spanish America from 1504 to 1868. Lot weight: 3 lbs 10oz. Subject(s): Spanish, Spanish American Coinage.
To read the complete lot description, see:
Calico: Monedas Espanolas desde Juana y Carlos a Isabel II 1504 a 1868
(https://www.icollector.com/Calico-Monedas-Espanolas-desde-Juana-y-Carlos-a-Isabel-II-1504-a-1868_i54896645)
NEW BOOK: COINAGE OF SRI LANKA
Kavan Ratnatunga alerted us to a new book on the pre-colonial coinage of Sri Lanka. Thanks. Here's the Amazon description. -Editor
Coinage of Sri Lanka (Pre-Colonial Era)
by Eranda Adikaram
Through this book, I have attempted to provide numismatists with some insight into the coinage system of Sri Lanka.
The twelve chapters offer a detailed account of the coins of Sri Lanka, starting from the earliest times and continuing up to the Colonial Period. The three appendices give an overview of the development of world trade, politics and weight standards, as well as Sri Lanka's involvement during the ancient and medieval periods.
This paperback edition consists of 260 pages and features color photographs.
NEW BOOK: DINARS AND DIRHAMS
A new book has been published on the collection of Islamic coins formed by Nasser D. Khalili. It's available in the U.S. from Kolbe & Fanning, and in the U.K. on the Khalili Collections site. -Editor
Dinars and Dirhams: Coins of the Islamic lands
Part One: The early period
Aram R. Vardanyan
The Islamic coinage in the Collection is among the most outstanding in private hands, with some 14,500 issues in gold, silver and copper. The coins were issued across the Islamic world, from North Africa to Central Asia and India, in the 7th to the 20th centuries. Many series are represented in larger numbers and in greater variety than in any other collection. The entire collection will be published online, but in the meantime it was decided to publish a representative 2,100 of them, selected for their rarity, historical significance, clarity and overall numismatic importance in two volumes, of which this is the first.
The gold, silver and copper coins featured in this volume were issued between the 7th and the 13th centuries. They include many rare and hitherto unpublished specimens. Of special interest among the early gold coins is the group of Arab-Latin gold solidi from Spain and North Africa, as well as the first post-reform dinar of AH 77 (AD 696–7), the rare dinar of AH 105 (AD 723–4) which mentions
NEW BOOK: OSBORNE COINAGE CO. RECORDS
Bryan G. Ryker has written a catalog of the encased coin production records of the Osborne Coinage Company of Cincinnati, OH. It was published recently as a standalone supplement to the June 2024 issue of the TAMS Journal from the Token and Medal Society Inc. (TAMS Journal 35:6(2)). For background, we're republishing the catalog's Introduction here with permission. -Editor
WITH FANKHAUSER and REXDALE ENCASED COIN CATALOGS
by Bryan G. Ryker
In 2002 I learned that some encased coin production
records survived the purge of encased coin materials at the
Osborne Coinage Company. Recognizing the value of these
records, over many years I have worked to make them available
to the public.
While a listing of all 4,735 Osborne encased coin production records was far too large to publish in printed form, it was practical to create an online catalog of all the records, and print only this excerpt of just the Fankhauser records. The catalog of all of the Osborne production records can be viewed at tokenandmedal.org/Osborne.
TAMS published the first Catalog of Earl Fankhauser’s encased coins back in 1995. In the last twenty-nine years, more pieces have been discovered and new varieties have been found. The location of most of the remaining maverick pieces have been identified, and other pieces have been attributed to different cities than they were originally.
BILL ECKBERG ON NNP DIGITAL IMAGES
The latest addition to the Newman Numismatic Portal is a monograph on coin images by Bill Eckberg. Project Coordinator Len Augsburger provided the following report. -Editor
BILL ECKBERG ON DIGITAL IMAGES
Bill Eckberg has contributed a monograph examining imaging technology, as related to numismatics, and the limitations of digital images such as those found on the Newman Portal. From the NNP perspective, there are several considerations. First, there is always a trade off between quality and cost. Higher-resolution images take longer to create and are more expensive to process and maintain. When operating at large scale, these differences result in significant costs. Most NNP materials are scanned at 300 dpi, although our equipment is capable of scanning at greater resolution when needed. The state of the art is conveyed by our digitization of the Hart (1851) plate of colonial paper money, scanned on a Digital Transitions Titan copy stand. Note, this image file is over 500Mb and may take several minutes to download. Conversely, one will be able to zoom-in to the smallest details.
WORD OF THE WEEK: VASILOPITA
Newman Numismatic Portal Project Coordinator Len Augsburger also submitted this New Year's themed report. Thanks. Happy New Year! -Editor
Word of the Week: Vasilopita
According to Google, vasilopita is a sweet New Year’s Cake that is traditionally baked with a coin inside. Originating from Greek culture, the individual who receives the slice containing the coin is said to be blessed with good luck in the New Year. Newman Portal contains but a single mention of "vasilopita," from a November 1976 Danny Boy Enterprises mail bid sale. Loaned for scanning by Eric Schena, this run of sales featured terse cataloging, but conversely listed thousands of tokens and medals likely found cataloged nowhere else.
VIDEO: COLOR HISTORY OF LARGE CENTS
The David Lisot Video Library on the Newman Numismatic Portal can be found at:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/multimediadetail/522852
We highlight one of his videos each week in The E-Sylum. Here's one from 2009 with John Kraljevich speaking about the different shades of copper coins. -Editor
VIDEO: DAN HOLMES REMINISCENCES
The David Lisot Video Library on the Newman Numismatic Portal can be found at:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/multimediadetail/522852
The video in the previous article is worth listening to, but it was pretty dark. So here's a bonus one from 2009 with Dan Holmes speaking about his landmark Large Cent collection. -Editor
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: DECEMBER 29, 2024
San Francisco Mint Business Enterprise Token Hoard
Joel Anderson of JoelsCoins.com in Grover Beach, CA writes:
"Thank you for the plug about the San Francisco mint tokens in the latest E-Sylum.
"Got one order for a set already, hope I get more as I have a lot of the tokens. I wish I could get the kind of money they are asking in the auction for them. Here is a bit more information about my "hoard" of San Francisco Mint tokens:
"A few years ago, I obtained a bag of a few hundred of the tokens used at the San Francisco mint. It was a mixture of 5, 10 and 25 Cent tokens, all lightly circulated. The tokens had been saved by Ed Fulwider, who had worked for many years at the San Francisco mint. He retired in 1987 as the Senior Die Setter. An avid coin collector, he was active in San Francisco Bay Area coin clubs and the California State Numismatic Association. He passed in 2020."
Thanks for the background! -Editor
To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
SAN FRANCISCO MINT VENDING MACHINE TOKENS
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n51a25.html)
Other topics this week include more on the Half Eagle vignette, the First Wednesday Numismatic Study Group, s and the Standing Liberty Half Dollar. -Editor
FINDING MY 1794 S-28 LARGE CENT
Jeff Burke submitted this account of his latest coin acquisition. Thanks! -Editor
Last year, I sold my raw 1794 S-31 large cent in EAC 40/25 to help purchase several pedigreed colonial coins that I wanted for my modest collection. I bought the S-31 from Tom Reynolds in 2014. Even though I’m quite fond of my Massachusetts and New Jersey coppers, I really missed having a 1794 large cent in my U.S. type collection!
I decided that my goal would be to find a details or straight graded 1794 large cent in VF-EF. Several months ago, I began to examine hundreds of 1794 large cents online in grades ranging from AG 3 to MS 66, before picking out three finalists. The one that I ended up buying was my top choice.
VOCABULARY TERMS: RAW EDGE, RAW MEDAL
Here's another couple short entries from Dick Johnson's Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Terminology. -Editor
Raw Edge. The edge of a blank after it has been blanked and before it is upset. Raw edge blanks have burrs on one side from the shearing action of the blanking die and cutter plate (a small amount of debris forms on the edge on the side opposite the initial contact of the blanking die). Upsetting removes this raw edge, rounds the edge and makes the blank uniform for coining. See upsetting.
NELLIE TAYLOE ROSS (1876-1977)
E-Sylum Feature Writer and American Numismatic Biographies author Pete Smith submitted this article on U.S. Mint Director Nellie Tayloe Ross. Thank you. -Editor
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon read a proclamation on December 20 declaring that January 5,
2025, would be Nellie Tayloe Ross Day in commemoration of her inauguration as Wyoming
Governor. She joins our collection of articles about hundred year old numismatists.
She was born as Nellie Davis Tayloe in St. Joseph, Missouri, on November 29, 1876. She was the daughter of James Wynns Tayloe (1832-1920) and Elizabeth Bruce Green (1845-1889). Her maternal grandmother was a Davis.
Nellie learned to play the piano and gave music lessons before she graduated from high school. She had two years of teacher training and then taught kindergarten in Omaha, Nebraska, for four years.
HERITAGE: THE ARTISTRY OF WALTER SHIRLAW
Heritage Auctions will be hosting their FUN Currency Signature Auction from January 14 through 17. The original design of the $5 Educational Series note by Walter Shirlaw will be sold in this auction and is discussed below, as described in their December 26, 2024 Heritage Currency News email. -Garrett
It is impossible to deny the resounding, intrinsic links binding US paper currency and American art history, and nowhere is this relationship more clearly exemplified than in our upcoming FUN Currency Signature Auction, scheduled for January 14-17.
Next month we are offering a "Sepia Photograph" of Walter Shirlaw's original design for the $5 Educational Series note, today considered by many to be the most beautiful banknote in US history. Not only does this offering reveal the preliminary sketch of an iconic banknote design, but it also provides invaluable insight into the creative process of one of the most prolific American artists of the nineteenth century.
Born in 1838, Shirlaw had early admiration and aptitude for art, however his parents discouraged his interests, fearing the financial instability that often comes with being an artist. After learning of the benefits of a career in engraving, Shirlaw began training and by 1852, he was a skillful engraver at the American Bank Note Company in New York. He could not, however, shake his desire for a formal art education, and in 1861, he accepted a position at the Western Bank Note Company in Chicago where he would work to save money for school in Europe. At this point, Shirlaw was already considered "one of the country's most expert men in his line."1 After three years in Chicago, Shirlaw went to study art in Munich before eventually returning to New York in 1878.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing commissioned Shirlaw, alongside muralists Edwin Blashfield, and William H. Low to design nominations for a series of neoclassical silver certificates referred to as the "Educational Series." By that point, all three artists had already completed works for US government buildings and represented the United States in international competitions. The Bureau's chief, Claude M. Johnson, intended for the series to highlight the country's artistic and industrial strengths while encouraging a sort of celebratory nationalism. Low's $1 design featured a vignette of History Instructing Youth, while Blashfield's $2 design was entitled Science Presents Steam and Electricity to Commerce and Manufacture. Finally, Shirlaw's vignette of Electricity Presenting Light to the World, remains one of the most recognizable today.
HERITAGE: CONFEDERATE CURRENCY AT FUN 2025
Heritage Auctions will be selling many rare Confederate notes on January 16 as part of their FUN Currency Signature Auction. Select items are discussed below, as described in their December 26, 2024 Heritage Currency News email. -Garrett
Our Confederate rarities. Many of these pieces have been off the market for years or even decades, being tightly held by serious collectors. This impressive grouping includes multiple sets of the renowned Montgomery issues, as well as many other rare types, such as the T19 and T35. Good quality, scarcer Confederates are only becoming more elusive as collectors snatch them up for record-setting prices. Let's delve into a small selection of the remarkable types we have available for acquisition at this auction.
T1 $1,000 1861 PMG Choice Very Fine 35
THE BOOK BAZARRE
KUENKER AUCTION SALE 418, PART THREE
On 29 January 2025, Künker will kick off the numismatic year in Germany with a bang. 701 lots with a total estimate of 10 million euros will be auctioned in the context of the World Money Fair. But remember: from 2025, Künker’s Berlin auction will no longer take place on the Thursday, but on the WEDNESDAY before the World Money Fair! -Garrett
World Rarities in Gold and Silver
No matter what field you are interested in, auction 418 features the very coin that could become a centerpiece of your collection. The offer ranges from Charlemagne to Elizabeth II of England. There are treasures from the German States, Europe, Asia and the United States of America, all of which have just two things in common: they are extremely rare and of above-average quality.
No. 204: German States / Hamburg. Portugalöser of 10 ducats n. d. (1578-1582). Very rare. About extremely fine. Estimate: 75,000 euros
No. 229: German States / Nuremberg. 6 ducats, 1698, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Peace of Westphalia. Very rare. Extremely fine to FDC. Estimate: 100,000 euros
No. 233: German States / Paderborn. Hermann Werner von Wolff-Metternich zur Gracht, 1683-1703. 6 ducats, 1694, Neuhaus. Extremely rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 125,000 euros
No. 351: HRE. Leopold I, 1657-1705. 10 ducats, 1690, Kremnica. Minted with the dies of the reichstaler. Probably the only specimen on the market. Extremely fine to FDC. Estimate: 100,000 euros
No. 447: Carolingians. Charlemagne, 768-814. Denarius, Besançon. Extremely rare. Of great historical and numismatic importance. Extremely fine. Estimate: 30,000 euros
No. 458: France. Louis XV, 1715-1774. Pattern for the écu au bandeau, 1740, Paris. Very rare. NGC PF62 CAMEO. Proof. Estimate: 125,000 euros
No. 671: Switzerland. Basel. 10 ducats, 1741, minted with the dies of the half taler. Extremely rare. PCGS MS63PL. Extremely fine to FDC. Estimate: 175,000 euros
No. 695: China. 1 dollar n.d. (1908), Tientsin. Very rare. NGC MS66 (Top Pop!). FDC. Estimate: 75,000 euros
Russian Treasures
Collectors of Russian coins will find an interesting selection of extremely rare pieces. There are 64 lots to choose from, ranging from issues of Peter the Great to that of Tsar Nicholas II. Many of the pieces are of particular historical interest, for example a "Trubetskoy ruble", created after the model of the 1825 Constantine ruble for the Russian consul in Marseille. Trubetskoy is said to have tried to sell these rubles as genuine Constantine rubles at the time. At least as exciting is a gold medal commemorating the landmark peace with Persia in 1828, which led to the establishment of an Armenian district under Russian rule. Thousands of Armenians from the Iranian and Ottoman Empires found a new home there.
No. 600: Russia. Peter I, 1682-1725. 1712 ducat, Moscow, Red Mint. Very rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 100,000 euros
No. 642: Russia. Constantine I, 1825. Trubetskoy ruble, silver medal n.d. (with engraved 1873 on the rim). Extremely rare. Extremely fine to FDC. Estimate: 25,000 euros
No. 650: Russia. Nicholas I, 1825-1855. 1828 gold medal of 50 ducats by V. Alexeev commemorating the peace with Persia. Extremely rare. Extremely fine to FDC. Estimate: 75,000 euros
Please note that, unlike previous years, the auction will not take place on the Thursday before the World Money Fair, but on the Wednesday, 29 January 2025!
To order a catalog contact Künker, Nobbenburger Straße 4a, 49076 Osnabrück; phone: +49 541 / 962020; fax: +49 541 / 9620222; or via e-mail: service@kuenker.de. You can access the auction catalogs online at www.kuenker.de. If you want to submit your bid from your computer at home, please remember to register for this service in good time.
To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
KUENKER AUCTION SALE 418, PART ONE
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n50a19.html)
KUENKER AUCTION SALE 418, PART TWO
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n51a21.html)
PAKISTAN’S STATE BANK MONEY MUSEUM
This article highlights the State Bank (SBP) Museum and Art Gallery, Pakistan's only museum dedicated to money. Found via News & Notes from the Society of Paper Money Collectors (Volume X, Number 28, December 24, 2024). -Garrett
Nestled in the heart of Pakistan’s commercial capital of Karachi, the State Bank (SBP) Museum and Art Gallery stands as a testament to the region’s monetary history, with an extensive collection of artefacts like ancient coins, currency notes and rare documents, including cheques signed by the nation’s founding father.
The museum — housed in the hundred-year-old building of the former Imperial Bank of India on Karachi’s I.I. Chundrigar Road — takes visitors through a journey of the evolution of finance, from ancient barter systems to sophisticated financial instruments available today.
Notable exhibits displayed at the museum include the first cheque issued at Habib Bank from the personal account of Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and his original account-opening form.
"This State Bank Museum is the first and only specialized money museum of Pakistan which covers the theme of the evolution of money, starting from barter trade till e-banking," museum official Jibran Ali told Arab News.
"One of the specialties of this museum is the coins ... Starting from the 6th century BC up to the coins of Pakistan today, we have all of the different dynasties’ coins available in this museum."
BELAGAVI, INDIA COIN EXHIBITION
Next door in India, local clubs hosted a coin and currency exhibition, according to this Times of India article. -Editor
The Rotary Club of Venugram and the Rotaract Club of Venugram, Belagavi, in association with Birla International School, will organize a coin and paper money exhibition on December 28 and 29 at Mahaveer Bhavan in Tilakwadi. The exhibition features a 65-year collection by noted numismatist Arun Kamule from Belagavi. Entry is free for school children.
The exhibition will showcase coins from India dating back to 600 BC, as well as foreign coins. Day one will focus on Indian coins and foreign currencies, while day two will feature commemorative coins, Indian paper money, and other items.
THE COINS OF GLADIATOR II
CoinWeek published Mike Markowitz's article about the coins of the Roman Emperors portrayed in the recently-released movie, Gladiator II. Here's an excerpt - see the complete article online. -Garrett
Gladiator II, Ridley Scott’s long-awaited sequel to his film Gladiator (2000), was released to nearly universal derision by classicists. Put bluntly, the history in the film is a hot mess. However, while few people go to the movies to learn ancient history, the appearance of another Hollywood sword-and-sandal epic may stimulate greater interest in the actual Roman rulers represented so inaccurately on the screen.
The brothers Caracalla and Geta–and their successor Macrinus–are major characters in the 2024 sequel. The extensive coinage of their reigns helps us to understand the dramatic events of the early third century.
To start, "Caracalla" was not his name. His troops gave him this nickname and it has stuck for almost 2,000 years. A caracallus was a colorful hooded cloak worn by the Celts of Gaul where Septimius Bassianus was born on April 4, 186 CE. Young Caracalla grew up among these people and adapted some of their customs (such as wearing a caracallus) while his father, the future emperor Septimius Severus, served there as the Imperial governor. Elite Romans could change their names as easily as they changed togas, and in homage to the revered late emperors Antoninus Pius (ruled 138-161) and Marcus Aurelius (r. 161-180), the young man was renamed Marcus Aurelius Antoninus–names that would one day appear on his coins.
His younger brother Geta was born about a year later. From early childhood, the two boys hated one another (in the film, they are incorrectly described as twins).
MORE COIN FINDS AT EGYPT'S ABU QIR BAY
Aaron Oppenheim passed along this article about ancient artifacts and coins found by thieves in Egypt. Thanks. -Editor
Egyptian authorities have arrested two men for attempting to steal hundreds of ancient artifacts from the bottom of the sea, the country’s interior ministry said in a Monday statement.
The men took the artifacts from the sea floor of Abu Qir Bay, near the port city of Alexandria, the ministry said. When confronted by authorities, the men said that had planned to traffic the items, according to the ministry. The men obtained all of the antiquities by diving to the bottom of the sea, it said.
H. B. WEST AND HIS TRAINED DOGS
Scott Miller shared his article from the American Numismatic Society's Pocket Change blog, which covers H. B. West and his Trained Dogs. -Garrett
I recently came across a listing for a small, 28 mm brass medal I had seen many times but never really thought about. On one side is a depiction of a man in a carriage drawn by two dogs, identified as H. B. West’s famous trained dogs, Tray and Troy. The other side bears a view of New York’s Crystal Palace and the date 1853. Charles Ira Bushnell listed this piece in his groundbreaking 1858 book An Arrangement of Tradesmen’s Cards, Political Tokens, also, Elections Medals, Medalets, &c. Current in the United States of America in the Last Sixty Years. Bushnell placed it as number 83, under New York Tradesmen’s Tokens. At least four other medals exist with the H. B. West obverse, though these appear to be mules, struck in very limited numbers for collectors, and have no real relation to West.
To date, there has been virtually no reliable information published about Mr. West, or his famous trained dogs. There have been a few suggestions that his act might have appeared at the Crystal Palace as part of the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations, even though it was not known as a venue for popular entertainment. In March 1918, H. G. Bennett of Louisville, Kentucky wrote a letter to the editor of The Numismatist asking for information about the H. B. West token. The inquiry specifically asked if the dogs were exhibited at the Crystal Palace or of the building was simply used on the token, and if it was actually issued in 1853. It seems that Mr. Bennett never received a reply.
The American Numismatic Society has four examples of this medal in its collection, one of which was donated by an early member, William Leggett Bramhall, in 1859 (Fig. 1).
Figure 1. Small brass medal of H. B. West and his famous trained dogs, Tray and Troy.
Apart from the depiction of the Crystal Palace, there is no real reason to associate this medal with New York City. A look at the New York City Directory for 1853 reveals four people who might fit the bill for H. West, but none have an occupation that would suggest a match to the person on the medal. There is, however, at least one contemporary reference to West and his act. A notice in the Washington [D. C.] Sentinel of November 16, 1853, under the column "Local and Personal" was a single paragraph describing how "A Deformed Man, occupying a small carriage, drawn by two black dogs, is exciting not a little attention from the passers-by on the public thoroughfares, and drives a pretty brisk trade, when he is not driving his dogs, by the sale of medals of two kinds, the metal resembling gold." The article continues to describe one of these medals as the Crystal Palace piece. The other is a 21 mm temperance medal bearing an eagle on one side with the motto Honesty is the Best Policy, and a reverse "Dedicated to the cause of virtue, honesty, and temperance" (Fig. 2). West also sold a miniature book on the history of the Mexican Mustang Liniment, priced at 12 ½ cents.
GOV. WES MOORE GETS HIS BRONZE STAR
In a recent ceremony, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore received a belated honor - a Bronze Star. -Editor
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore received a Bronze Star Friday evening for his deployment to Afghanistan 18 years ago, a belated honor bestowed after a roiling controversy that blemished his rising political career.
Moore’s close friend and former commander, Lt. Gen. Michael R. Fenzel, who had recommended Moore for the medal, on Friday pinned the Bronze Star for "meritorious service" onto the governor’s chest during an emotional private ceremony at the governor’s mansion in Annapolis.
Moore — dressed in the blue suit of a politician and not the uniform of a soldier — beamed.
U.S. NAVY HONORS TOM CRUISE
Moving from fact to fiction, this week U.S. Navy honored actor Tom Cruise with the Distinguished Public Service Award. It was was presented to Cruise Tuesday at the Longcross Film Studios in Chertsey, Surrey, where he's working on his next film Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning, due for release in May 2025. -Editor
Tom Cruise has been awarded the US Navy's highest civilian honour for "outstanding contributions" to the military with his screen roles.
Cruise's lead role in the 1986 smash hit Top Gun shot him into celebrity status, and the film's record-breaking success spiked military enlistment.
The Distinguished Public Service Award was presented to Cruise during a ceremony on Tuesday at the Longcross Film Studios in Chertsey, Surrey.
The 62-year-old star expressed his gratitude for the "extraordinary acknowledgement".
WILCOX BLUE-STAINED SECURITY PAPER
Stack's Bowers Currency Specialist & Lead Currency Cataloger Bradley Charles Trotter published an article about the blue-stained security paper of the Wilcox Company. -Editor
This blog is the result of a recent interaction I had on a post I made elsewhere. That post detailed a note that had been previously mounted at some point in the distant past. The mounting was quite subtle yet detectable with a close visual examination. However, those who responded failed time and time again to even acknowledge the evidence of that mounting and instead kept referring back to the scattering of fibers found in the Wilcox Security Paper that was used through 1880.
Answers ranged from incredulous explanations such as "horsehair" or even a fault in the production process, while a number of posters specifically mentioned the fibers without any context. And so, I would like to highlight the Wilcox Security Paper and set the record straight on this short-lived albeit appealing technical distinction that once stood at the forefront of anti-counterfeiting methods during the 19th century
NEW U.S. CURRENCY DESIGNS STARTING IN 2026
The U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) plans to introduce new designs for the $5 through $100 bills, beginning in 2026 and ending in 2034, to combat counterfeiting. -Garrett
The U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) has announced a strategic timeline for the introduction of redesigned dollar bills, with the $100 bill set to debut in 2034. This initiative, detailed on the BEP's official website, underscores the agency's commitment to bolstering security measures against counterfeiting, a challenge that evolves with technological advancements. The Advanced Counterfeit Deterrence (ACD) Steering Committee collaborates with the BEP and the Federal Reserve to develop designs that are increasingly difficult to replicate fraudulently.
According to the published schedule, the redesigned $10 bill will be the first to enter circulation in 2026, followed by the $50 bill in 2028, the $20 bill in 2030, and the $5 bill in 2032. The culmination of this effort will be the introduction of the new $100 bill in 2034. The BEP has clarified that existing bills will remain legal tender, ensuring that there is no need for exchange once the new designs are released. This policy applies to all Federal Reserve notes issued since 1914, maintaining their validity for commercial transactions.
PERPETUAL DUTCH BOND'S 400TH BIRTHDAY
The world's oldest bond, a Dutch bond from 1624, just celebrated its 400th birthday. It's current owner, the New York Stock Exchange, just received an interest payment of almost £ 300. -Garrett
Four hundred years ago — on New Year’s Day in 1624 — drifting ice on the river Lek in the Netherlands smashed up a dike outside Utrecht. This was a pretty big problem in a country that is roughly one-third below sea level.
Soon, the region was flooded, with even Amsterdam threatened by the water. The locals eventually managed to staunch the flood, but they still needed to do a full, durable rebuild — which would be extremely expensive.
Fortunately, the Dutch were brilliant, sophisticated financial pioneers, and had developed the era’s most vibrant bond market. The local water authority — called Hoogheemraadschap Lekdijk Bovendams — swiftly sold over 50 bonds that raised about 23,000 Carolus guilders to finance the repairs.
Of these bonds the only surviving one is a 1,200 guilder bond sold on December 10, 1624, to a wealthy woman in Amsterdam called Elsken Jorisdochter. In return for her money, the water board promised Jorisdochter, her descendants or anyone who owned the bearer bond 2.5 per cent interest in perpetuity.
Remarkably, this bond is still alive and pays €13.61 of interest a year. Yesterday, the current owner — the New York Stock Exchange — collected £ 299.42 of owed interest for the bond’s 400th birthday, which FT Alphaville was able to attend.
THE SUPERPOWER OF READING AND RESEARCH
Reading and research are central to The E-Sylum. This short article clearly summarizes why we enjoy them - they're superpowers. -Editor
It’s a magical thing. A superpower, if you think about it.
No mortal can raise the dead. No one can bring back someone who has left this world.
Except, of course, through art.
LOOSE CHANGE: DECEMBER 29, 2024
Here are some additional items in the media this week that may be of interest. -Editor
Economist JP Koning has been following Bitcoin from the early days, and he recently blogged about how his views have changed over the years. Here's an excerpt - see the complete article online. -Editor
What follows is an essay on how my thinking on bitcoin has changed since I began to write on the topic starting with my first post in October 2012. Since then I've written 109 posts on the Moneyness Blog that reference bitcoin, along with a few dozen articles at venues like CoinDesk, Breakermag, and elsewhere...
I was relatively open to Bitcoin for two reasons. First, I like to think in terms of moneyness, which means that everything is to some degree money-like, and so I welcome strange and alternative monies. "If you think of money as an adjective, then moneyness becomes the lens by which you view the problem. From this perspective, one might say that Bitcoin always was a money," I wrote in my very first post on bitcoin. Second, prior to 2012 I had read a fair amount of free banking literature—the study of private money—so I was already primed to be receptive to a stateless payments system, which is what Bitcoin's founder, Satoshi Nakamoto, originally meant his (or her) creation to be.
A lot of bitcoin-curious, bitcoin-critics and bitcoin-converts were attracted to the comments section of my blog, and we had some great conversations over the years. My bitcoin posts invariably attracted more traffic than my non-bitcoin ones, all of us scrambling to understand what seemed to be a newly emerging monetary organism.
To read the complete article, see:
After twelve years of writing about bitcoin, here's how my thinking has changed
(https://jpkoning.blogspot.com/2024/12/after-twelve-years-of-writing-about.html)
Other topics this week include a coin find in Italy. -Editor
ABOUT THIS ISSUE: DECEMBER 29, 2024
Thanks to Jan Monroe for letting us know that the NBS membership prices listed at the top of the E-Sylum were outdated; Bruce Perdue quickly corrected them for this issue. Sorry!
Christmas Eve was a holiday for me, and it was a busy one at home. In the morning I finished wrapping presents - nothing like waiting until the last minute. Then I tackled my email, handling chores and correspondence that had piled up in recent weeks, including some Newman Portal, E-Sylum, and local club business. By mid-afternoon I was able to get an early start on this week's issue with a clean, uncluttered office, desk and inbox.
My sister had gifted us Omaha Steaks and my wife expertly cooked them for dinner. Our son Tyler was off at another dinner, but when he returned home we had a traditional Christmas Eve family game night, playing bingo for prize bags my wife had assembled. Catchphrase of the evening: "Cheesecake makes me gassy."
At dinner I mentioned that I had come close to one of my goals for the year - using up all the gift cards I'd gotten since last Christmas. I've got one and a half left. I hadn't been saving the expired ones, but maybe I should start - they could be a companion to my credit card collection.
After Christmas we spent a few days in the Pittsburgh area visiting relatives. I worked a bit on The E-Sylum from our hotel, but only for a few hours or so. Nothing numismatic to report, but I did take the accompanying photo of a "Bitcoin Depot" machine at a rest stop McDonald's just off the Bedford exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I've seen the machines, but have yet to see anyone actually using one.
Happy New Year, everyone! -Editor
To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
COLLECTING GIFT CARDS
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n36a13.html)
Editor Wayne Homren, Assistant Editor Garrett Ziss
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