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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 $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 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 1/4/2025 - Workman's Books 1/8/2025 - Numismatic Antiquarian Bookshop Lang 1/25/2025 - Kolbe & Fanning

 

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 JANUARY 5, 2025

New subscribers this week include: Steve Kuhl. 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 two numismatic literature sales, an acquisition by Whitman Brands, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, notes from readers, the 2025 Inaugural Medal, and more.

Other topics this week include the founding of the U.S. Mint, the Osborne Coinage Company, Gerry Fortin, Shallie Bey, fixed price and auction offerings, Bust coinage, U.S. currency, coin finds, White House medal ceremonies, Humphrey Bogart's short snorters, and electronic waste processing at the Royal Mint.

To learn more about Camden's Britannia, Art and Ira Friedberg, Liberty Seated dimes, the 1792 Mint Act, the MCA Carl Carlson and Georgia Stamm Chamberlain awards, ascendant rays, the first African American superintendent of the Philadelphia Mint, the 1880 Silver Certificate, Postal Currency Envelopes, chopmarked Trade Dollars, the Medal of Freedom, Ken Burns, eating coins, the first coin of 2025 and numismatic information that time forgot, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

LANG NUMISMATIC LITERATURE AUCTION 5 REMINDER

The year 2025 starts with a special event for us: Our 5th auction will take place on January 8th, 2025 at 4 p.m. (CET) and will also mark our first auction of the new year. We cordially invite you to participate in this fascinating online auction, which will feature a wide selection of outstanding numismatic literary treasures and bibliophile rarities.

What can you expect?

Our 5th auction includes a careful selection of literature that will make collectors' hearts beat faster. Particularly noteworthy are an extensive number of bibliophile works that will delight lovers of historical literature. The works include not only classic numismatic literature, but also rare books that reflect the knowledge and history of numismatics in a unique way. In addition, you will once again find numerous books on ancient numismatics as well as on the Middle Ages and modern times. This time, the auction catalogs section is very well represented, including beautiful bindings and sought-after collections.

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KOLBE & FANNING JANUARY 2025 SALE ANNOUNCED

Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers are pleased to announce that we will be holding our next auction sale on Saturday, January 25, 2025.

This sale includes a wide variety of material, with something to appeal to all sorts of numismatic interests. The first half of the L.D. & I.P. Library is offered, most notable for its comprehensive runs of classic European auction catalogues. Of particular note are the catalogues of the Italian firms, with exceptional holdings from Michele Baranowsky, C. & E. Canessa, Vincenzo Capobianchi, C. & C. Clerici, Raffaele Dura, Mario Ratto, Rodolfo Ratto, Giulio Sambon, Giuseppe Sangiorgi, P. & P. Santamaria, Ortensio Vitalini and others. French auction houses including Feuardent Frères, Henri Hoffmann, Rollin & Feuardent, and Arthur Sambon are also included. These can be found both in the Ancient Numismatics section as well as under Medieval & Modern World Numismatics, depending on the focus of each catalogue. The second half of the L.D. & I.P. Library will be included in our next auction, and will feature catalogues of additional French firms, as well as German, English, Belgian and other catalogues.

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WHITMAN ACQUIRES FRIEDBERG BOOK TITLES

Whitman®, a leading publisher of numismatic literature, is proud to announce the acquisition of worldwide intellectual property rights to several iconic coin and currency reference works authored by renowned experts Art and Ira Friedberg. This acquisition includes globally recognized titles such as Gold Coins of the World and Paper Money of the United States, along with the universally respected Friedberg Numbering System™, the standard for cataloging, describing, buying, and selling gold coins and U.S. currency.

These enduring references are celebrated for their scholarly accuracy, depth, and practical value to collectors and researchers. Gold Coins of the World is an indispensable guide for exploring gold coinage from ancient to modern times, while Paper Money of the United States, widely regarded as the definitive currency price guide, has been a cornerstone of U.S. paper money valuation and study for over seven decades.

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GREG BENNICK INTERVIEWS GERRY FORTIN

GREG BENNICK INTERVIEWS GERRY FORTIN

This interview with Gerry Fortin, conducted by Greg Bennick for the Newman Numismatic Portal, explores Fortin's journey as a coin collector and expert on Liberty Seated dimes die varieties. Fortin recounts his early fascination with coins during his youth, a hiatus during his teenage years, and a rediscovery of his passion in 1987, sparked by receiving a roll of Morgan dollars. This rekindled his interest, leading him to specialize in Liberty Seated dimes due to their historical significance and ties to the Civil War era. Leveraging his engineering background in semiconductor technology, Fortin developed meticulous research methods and became the leading authority on the series. He also highlights his transition from collector to researcher and dealer, underscoring his dedication to preserving and understanding the history and varieties of these coins.

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FORGING A NATION U.S. MINT EXHIBIT

FORGING A NATION EXHIBIT OPENS AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

The exhibit Forging a Nation: The Founding of the U.S. Mint, 1792 is now open at Washington University in St. Louis and will run through the end of June 2025. With documents loaned by Dan Hamelberg, the exhibit conveys the legislative evolution of the U.S. Mint from its conception under the Articles of Confederation through the 1792 Mint Act passed by the second Congress. The highlight of the exhibit is the Thomas Jefferson-signed copy of the April 2, 1792 Mint Act (ex. Swann Galleries, April 8, 2014), which is, as far as we know, the only such signed copy.

This exhibit is located in the Declaration chamber on the first floor of Olin Library on the Washington University main campus. This space also hosts the Eric P. Newman copy of the Declaration of Independence, an early broadside copy produced by Solomon Southwick in Rhode Island, shortly after receiving the first printed (Dunlap) version. This is one of seven known examples of the Southwick broadside.

Image: Forging a Nation exhibit case in Olin Library at Washington University

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VIDEO: SILVER COINS OF 1809

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2024 MCA AWARD MEDALS

Medal Collectors of America will be presenting the winners of the Carl Carlson and Georgia Stamm Chamberlain awards for 2024 at the January 2025 New York International Numismatic Convention (NYINC). Congratulations to Robert Lewis Fagaly for earning the Carl Carlson award, and to Robert Rodriguez for the Georgia Stamm Chamberlain award. NYINC will be held January 16th to 19th, at the Intercontinental New York Barclay, 11 East 48th St, New York City, NY 10017.

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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JANUARY 5, 2025

Johann Strauss Father and Son Coin
Ken Spindler writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
THE COINS OF GLADIATOR II (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n52a19.html)

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2025 TRUMP INAUGURAL MEDAL

I found this proposed 2025 Trump Inaugural Medal by sculptor Jurek Jakowicz. Jurek designed the reverse of the 1997 Clinton/Gore "Bridges to Tomorrow" inaugural medal. He is offering examples of the 2025 Trump medal on his Facebook page. As Trump fumbled the ball with his 2017 medal, I wonder if he is considering this beautiful design.

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VOCABULARY TERM: RAYS

Rays. Lines on numismatic or medallic items indicating beams of light, as sun rays or radiant light. Rising rays are said to be ascendant; falling rays are descendant; rays from a center going outwards in all directions are radiated. Rays that fill a large segment of the design is said to be radiant, they radiate from a central point (which may be outside the design). Radiant or diving light around the head or body of a sacred person when expressed as rays is a nimbus or aureole (while the more common halo is usually a ring). See glory.

Rays have been used in medallic art since the Renaissance and designers of coins and medals have made liberal use of them ever since. The lines are usually raised in the design and are of various thickness, some are tapered, some alternated between long and short. The termination or ends of rays are noted as pointed or blunt, particularly in describing numismatic items. In American colonial coins particularly thick rays are termed club.

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THE OSBORNE COINAGE COMPANY

On December 15, 2024, Wayne Homren wrote to suggest I might write about the various private mints that struck medals. Shortly after that I got the TAMS publication Encased Coin Production Records of the Osborne Coinage Company. After months without Coin World, I got the December issue with an ad for the Osborne Mint, "The Oldest Privately Held Mint in the USA." Then the December 29 issue of The E-Sylum had an announcement of the TAMS book. I decided to write my first article on Osborne.

The company traces its origin back to 1835 and Z. Bisbee Co. a/k/a Bisbee Stamp Cutting Shop in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Cincinnati city directory for 1849-1850 lists the location on the south side of Canal Street between Race and Elm in Cincinnati. This was not a private mint.

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GERRY FORTIN INTERVIEW, PART ONE

GREG BENNICK: Hi, everybody. This is Greg Bennick once again with the Newman Numismatic Portal, and I am here tonight with Gerry Fortin, noted coin dealer and expert on Liberty Seated Dime varieties. I'm really excited to have this conversation because there are many things I don't know as much about as other topics. Liberty Seated Dime varieties is one of them.

I am currently the owner of one Liberty Seated Dime error coin in my collection, and the coins that Gerry has in his collection far surpass in unlimited description what I have in my one coin. So, I'm very excited to dive in today, hear about Gerry, hear about his collection, his experiences as a dealer and researcher, and we're going to dive right in. Gerry, thanks for being here tonight.

GERRY FORTIN: Well, Greg, thank you for staging this interview. I think it's going to be a lot of fun.

GREG BENNICK: Awesome. I'm very glad. So, tell me, how did you get your start in coin collecting?

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PHILADELPHIA MINT SUPERINTENDENT SHALLIE BEY JR.

"Well, this is a proclamation from the U.S. Treasury Department," said Shallie Bey, pointing to a framed document.

This proclamation stands as a testament to the strides Fort Worth resident Shallie Bey Jr. made as the head of the United States Mint in Philadelphia from 1978 to 1981, from introducing the Susan B. Anthony coin to improving plant safety and leading the production of billions of coins.

"But none of that could have happened unless he had the confidence to say, 'I'm gonna give you the chance to do it,'" said Bey.

President Jimmy Carter was the one who gave him that chance.

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NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: JANUARY 5, 2025

102772 | LOW COUNTRIES & AUSTRIA. Reception of the Salzburg emigrants silver Medal. Issued 1733 (48mm, 46.13 g, 11h). By Martin Holtzhey. BELGIUM FOEDERATUM, Belgia (female personification of the historical region) seated right on ship, holding pole surmounted by phrygian cap and resting elbow upon shield; grain field in background; to left, ox reclining right // PERFUGIUM MISERIS, Belgia standing facing, head slightly right, protecting the emigrants with her shield and stretching out her right hand towards an altar (around which the personifications of Faith and Mercy stand); to inner left, lion reclining left, holding bundle of arrows; in three lines in exergue, DCCC SALISBURGENS IB' / SEDES ASSIGNATÆ / MDCCXXXIII. Edge: Plain. van Loon II, 80; Whiting 473; Opitz 2953; Zöttl 2723. PCGS SP-58. Intense brilliance in the fields, with some scattered marks and irregular toning; a few trivial marks on the edge are noted merely for completeness. A fairly rare and desirable type, and the only representative observed in the PCGS census. $965.

In 1731, the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, Leopold Anton von Firmian, issued an expulsion edict to drive out the remaining Protestant population. Over the next few years, this led to their subsequent resettlement in more religiously-friendly areas of Europe, such as the Dutch Republic (as recounted on this medal), and even in the American colony of Georgia.

To read the complete item description, see:
102772 | LOWLANDS & AUSTRIA. Reception of the Salzburg emigrants silver Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102772)

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HERITAGE BUST COINAGE SHOWCASE

Bust coinage covers a crucial period in early American numismatics, with silver issues minted in denominations ranging from half dimes through dollars. Notable types such as the Draped Bust and Capped Bust designs prominently feature the classical depiction of Lady Liberty on the obverse, which was a popular motif symbolizing the young nation's ideals. Explore these coins through our January 6 Showcase Auction of Bust Coinage, with bidding taking place now through the live session at 7PM CT on Monday, January 6.

Bust coinage is often collected by variety, most notably the half dollars by Overton variety. However, specialists in other denominations love their varieties as well, and will pay nice premiums for rare varieties. This auction features a rare Browning variety, an 1836 B-5 Bust Quarter graded VF20 by PCGS. This rare variety shows a diagnostic die crack running from the rim through star 1 and into Liberty's neck, where it joins an equally heavy die crack from the rim through the curl near 6 in the date. At a high R.6, B-5 is, by a wide margin, the rarest 1836 die marriage. A rising crack through STATE on the reverse confirms the late die state. This coin is plated in the Rea-Koenings-Haroutunian Census.

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HERITAGE FUN US CURRENCY AUCTION

Newnan, GA - $50 1882 Brown Back Fr. 513 The First National Bank Ch. # (S)1861 PMG Very Fine 20. A wonderful Georgia rarity, this is one of only three $50 Brown Backs reported for the entire state and the only one of the three to have ever appeared at public sale. Two of the three reported notes are from this Newnan bank, while the third is from a bank in Macon, but, as mentioned, only this Newnan $50 has ever made a public appearance. That lone occurrence was when we auctioned this note as part of The Rome Collection in our 2004 FUN auction. It is a pleasing, well margined piece with sharp ink colors and bold pen signatures. PMG has noted a sprinkling of pinholes but they are a mere trifle when considering the extreme rarity of this Georgia trophy note. With the other two Georgia $50 Brown Backs tied up in long-term holdings, it may be many years before any opportunity to acquire this rare type and denomination presents itself again.

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JORDAN VALLEY FIND YIELDS KING JANNAEUS COINS

A rare collection of ancient coins was discovered last week by Israeli researchers, who called the find an "archaeological Hanukkah miracle."

The coins are more than 2,000 years old and believed to belong to King Alexander Jannaeus, the second ruler of the Hasmonean dynasty that presided over Judea in the final centuries leading up to the common era, according to the University of Haifa in Israel.

Archaeologists found the hoard of about 160 of the coins during ongoing excavations in the Jordan Valley, which runs between the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the eastern border of Jordan. The project is headed by researchers at the University of Haifa and the Zinman Institute of Archaeology, the university said in a news release translated from Hebrew.

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THREE VIKING GRAVES YIELD DISTANT COINS

The graves belonged to three women who lived during the early Viking Age, in the first half of the 9th century.

At that time, there was a large farm at Skumsnes. It probably belonged to a local or regional king in western Norway.

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ROYAL AUSTRALIAN MINT FIRST COIN OF 2025

2025 was only a few hours old when it brought "lucky" 25-year-old Daniella Vido something she'd always wanted — the chance to strike the world's first coin for the new year.

The lifelong coin enthusiast's parents first began collecting coins when she was a baby, and she's now continued the tradition herself as an adult.

She estimates she now has hundreds of coins at home.

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CHOPMARKED TRADE DOLLARS

In the U.S., the Trade Dollar holds the distinction of being the heaviest of the American silver dollars at 27.2 grams (or 420 grains, as noted on the coin's reverse). Thanks to considerable confusion over the type's legal tender status and its practical value in the United States, the Trade Dollar was also the only coin to be demonetized by an act of Congress, in July 1876; however, they continued to be minted as business strikes designed for export to the Far East until 1878, and in proof format for years after.

In China, the Trade Dollar had a rather different experience, enjoying some commercial success as evidenced by the presence of chop marks on many surviving examples. As part of a practice dating back to the 17th century, Chinese merchants placed chop marks on many types that were commonly used in global trade. These private countermarks, used to verify a coin's silver content and acceptability, were utilized until as recently as the early 20th century. The great majority of Trade Dollars that received these chop marks ended up in Chinese melting pots where they became bullion, typically sycee ingots. The relatively small proportion of chopmarked Trade Dollars that survived U.S. government redemption and destruction for their silver content, spanning a variety of conditions, have become highly collectible and sought after by those who are entranced by the exotic history of these coins.

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2024 PARIS OLYMPIC MEDAL DETERIORATION

Two swimmers have become the latest athletes who took part in last summer's Olympics to complain about the state of their bronze medals.

France's Clement Secchi and Yohann Ndoye-Brouard both revealed the condition of the medals on social media, almost five months after they finished third in the 4x100 metre medley relay.

The issue first emerged before the Games had even finished after skateboarder Nyjah Huston shared images showing his medal had already appeared to tarnish.

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BIDEN AWARDS PRESIDENTIAL CITIZENS MEDALS

President Joe Biden on Thursday awarded the second highest civilian medal to Liz Cheney and Bennie Thompson, leaders of the congressional investigation into the Capitol riot...

Biden awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal to 20 people in a ceremony in the East Room, including Americans who fought for marriage equality, a pioneer in treating wounded soldiers, and two of the president's longtime friends, former Sens. Ted Kaufman, D-Del., and Chris Dodd, D-Conn.

"Together, you embody the central truth: We're a great nation because we're a good people," he said. "Our democracy begins and ends with the duties of citizenship. That's our work for the ages and it's what all of you embody."

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BIDEN AWARDS MEDAL OF FREEDOM

Vogue editor Dame Anna Wintour, U2 frontman Bono and billionaire George Soros are among those who have received America's highest civilian honour from outgoing President Joe Biden.

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined actors Denzel Washington and Michael J Fox as they also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony on Saturday.

Nineteen people received the honour this year, spanning the worlds of culture, politics and activism.

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HUMPHREY BOGART'S "SHORT SNORTERS"

Most of you are familiar with so-called "short snorter" notes, which were signed by various individuals, primarily military, during World War II. I have been collecting these for some time, mostly looking for interesting stories or notes signed by famous personages. I have enough of these to fill a year's worth of Banknote Reporter articles. Still, for this month, I thought you might be interested in seeing and learning about not one but two notes that I have found over the years autographed by the legendary and well-known actor Humphrey Bogart! His performances in classic Hollywood films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart as the greatest male star of classic American cinema.

Now, let's look at some of the notes. The first I will show you is an Italian 50-lire note of the type of Pick #64, issued March 31, 1943. I found this note about 25 years ago at a coin show in Syracuse, New York. A well-known currency dealer in that area had quite a few boxes of world currency, and as I perused them, I came across this note priced at $5. This seemed cheap for the note at the time (little did I realize that almost no one collects Italian currency), but then I noticed that the identifying sticker on the holder indicated "writing" (hence the low price). I turned the note over to find just one pen signature on the back. It didn't take me long to decipher it as "Humphrey Bogart." Naturally, I bought it.

Why was Bogart's signature on a 1943 Italian bank note? Well, during part of 1943 and 1944, Bogart went on USO and War Bond tours accompanied by his then-wife Mayo Methot Bogart, enduring arduous travels to Italy and North Africa, including Casablanca. It is likely that Bogart signed this note when he was in Italy during this time. A United States soldier or officer may have grabbed whatever paper was on hand, in this case, a 50-lire note, and shoved it at Bogart for an autograph.

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LOOSE CHANGE: JANUARY 5, 2025

The Port Phillip Patterns

So much has been written about Australia's numismatic items that I often forget evidence can sit in plain sight for decades without being noticed or appreciated.

That reality smacked me in the face earlier this week when I was researching a few of the sixpence and shilling patterns from the Port Phillip Kangaroo Office.

While doing a search on my laptop for the spreadsheet I store these records in, I came across a reference to a paper written by a collector named AF Bassett Hull, who was perhaps the first Australian numismatist to write about the Port Phillip pattern sixpence and shilling. A lot of this material is now being digitized, so I was able to re-read the paper via the State Library of NSW website.

Basset Hull dates the milled-edge patterns to 1855, which means they were struck before the Kangaroo Office was closed in 1857. He states the plain edge patterns were struck in 1860, which does mean they were struck after the Kangaroo Office closed, but still well before Taylor and / or his sons re-struck a whole lot of material several decades later.

Now, this "evidence" has been in print for some 152 years, so it is hardly "news"!

To read the complete article, see:
Evidence In Plain Sight - AF Bassett Hull and the Port Phillip Patterns (https://www.sterlingcurrency.com.au/blog/news-research/proclamation-and-colonial-coins/evidence-in-plain-sight-af-bassett-hull-and-the-po/)

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ROYAL MINT RECYCLES GOLD ELECTRONIC WASTE

For more than a thousand years, the primary purpose of Britain's Royal Mint has been to make coins. It has forged into metal the likeness of England's kings and queens from Alfred the Great, the ninth-century king of the West Saxons, to King Charles III. But as the use of cash steeply declines, the mint is undergoing a vast transformation to avoid becoming obsolete.

Its new purpose: recovering precious metals, like gold, from electronic waste. And turning that metal into jewelry. Here's how.

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ABOUT THIS ISSUE: JANUARY 5, 2025

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