Image of the week

 

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THE PROPOSED ROYAL ACADEMY MEDAL OF 1793

This doesn’t really answer your question about Sir Stephen Contrell, it is about medals and not coin designs.

From the British Numismatic Society, Laurence Brown’s book on British Historic Medals, Ashmolean Museum and my collection.

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ERROR COINS THAT ‘ESCAPED THE MINT’

Scott Sery writes:

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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: FEBRUARY 9, 2025

Counting on Girl Scouts Daisy Dollars
Susan Sims writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
GIRL SCOUTS USA DAISY DOLLARS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n05a15.html)

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STACK’S BOWERS ACQUIRED BY A-MARK

Dear Friends,

We are excited to share an important milestone in the history of Stack’s Bowers Galleries. We have entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by A-Mark Precious Metals. Under this agreement, Stack’s Bowers Galleries will continue to operate as a standalone, independently operated, wholly-owned subsidiary of A-Mark, a Nasdaq-listed company. We will join A-Mark’s portfolio of industry-leading brands, including JM Bullion, Goldline, LPM Group, and Collateral Finance Corporation (CFC).

For nearly a century, Stack’s Bowers Galleries has been recognized as a leading numismatic auctioneer, entrusted with the sale of some of the most historically significant and valuable rarities and collections, as well as tens of thousands of more modestly priced numismatic collectibles. In addition to our renowned auctions, we are also a premier wholesale and retail dealership, supplying rare coins, currency, and precious metals to other retailers as well as directly to collectors. This merger with A-Mark will provide us with the resources and scale to accelerate our growth and enhance the services we offer to our valued clients.

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MORE ON A-MARK STACK’S BOWERS ACQUISITION

A-Mark Precious Metals, Inc., a leading fully integrated precious metals platform, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the stock of Spectrum Group International, Inc. (SGI), the parent of Stack’s Bowers Galleries (SBG), one of the world’s largest rare coin and currency auction houses and a leading wholesale and retail dealer specializing in numismatic and bullion products, and the majority owner of Spectrum Wine (SW), a global auctioneer, retailer and storage provider of fine and rare wine.

The transaction is intended to complement A-Mark’s core bullion business by, among other benefits, increasing its reach into strategically adjacent luxury markets that are expected to offer higher margins and expanded customer bases.

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SOME A-MARK COMPANY HISTORY

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STACK'S BOWERS PROFESSIONAL NUMISMATIST PROGRAM

Throughout their 90+ year history in numismatics, Stack’s Bowers Galleries has had an unparalleled team of experts at the core of their business. Their current list of professionals is world renown in all areas of numismatics and among the best in the field. To continue this legacy, Stack’s Bowers Galleries is pleased to announce the 2025 session of their Professional Numismatist Program scheduled from July 20-25.

The program’s mission statement: To provide practical tools and build professional connections for the next generation of young adult numismatists. The lead instructor will be Devin Hipp, joined by industry leaders Greg Roberts, Jason Carter, John Kraljevich, John Pack, Kyle Ponterio, Peter Treglia, Aris Maragoudakis, and Dennis Hengeveld to name just a few. Covered topics will include advanced coin grading, wholesale trading and valuation, bullion trading, introduction to world numismatics, United States and world paper money, and an in- depth look at the entire auction process.

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2025 ANA CLUB PUBLICATIONS COMPETITION

Submissions Accepted for ANA's Club Publications Competition

The American Numismatic Association (ANA) is currently accepting submissions for the 2023 Barbara J. Gregory Outstanding Club Publications competition. Awards will be presented in four categories: local, regional, specialty and electronic. The contest is open to member clubs that are current with their ANA dues, and do not have an elected or salaried ANA officer as editor or assistant editor. Each publication may enter in only one category. If a publication qualifies for more than one category, such as local and electronic, the submitter may choose under which category to enter.

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VOCABULARY TERM: REFLECTIVENESS

Reflectiveness. The treated state of a metallic surface that allows light rays to be reflected from the surface in a variety of degrees from parallel rays of a mirrorlike surface to diffuse rays of a rough surface. The terms mirror, lustrous, medium, dull and dead reflectiveness express these degrees, which are created by the techniques listed on the adjacent chart.

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MORE ON ALAN KESSLER

Two weeks ago, I knew very little about Alan Kessler. Now with contributions from Julia Casey, Rod Widok and others, I can provide a reasonable biography.

Alan Harvey Kessler was born in New York on August 12, 1938.

The 1940 Census finds him living in Manhattan with his father Samuel (1898-1977), mother Rose (1897-1969) and brothers Charles, 14 and Howard, 12. His name is indexed as Allan and the handwriting shows the name Allan with a line through the second ‘l’.

For the 1950 Census, the family is at 215 Broadway in Norwich, Connecticut. His father was the owner and manager of an IGA store.

Kessler attended Norwich Free Academy. In his freshman year, he was president of the school’s newly formed Coin Club. His 1956 senior yearbook photo mentions his other interests. He wanted to be a rocket scientist even then, a year before the 1957 launch of Sputnik I.

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EXHIBIT HONORS EGYPT’S PIONEER NUMISMATIST

Amid the halls of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, where the secrets of ancient worlds whisper through gilded artefacts, a remarkable tribute has been unveiled.

A temporary exhibition shines a spotlight on the life and contributions of Dr Abdel Mohsen El-Khachab, Egypt’s pioneering numismatist, whose tireless dedication to preserving the country’s numismatic heritage continues to inspire people.

The exhibition, which runs until mid-February, chronicles the remarkable career of Dr El-Khachab who not only laid the foundation for numismatics in Egypt but also left behind an enduring legacy that has inspired generations of archaeologists.

"Dr El-Khachab wasn’t just Egypt’s first specialised numismatist, but he transformed how we study and protect coin collections, connecting the dots of historical narratives through them," Heba Sami, the supervisor of temporary exhibitions at the museum, told The Egyptian Gazette.

Born in Cairo in January 1906, El-Khachab had an unyielding passion for knowledge from a young age.

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NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: FEBRUARY 9, 2025

102934 | FRANCE. Rouen. Church of St. Ouen bronze Medal. Issued 1859. Most Remarkable Edifices of Europe series (59mm, 12h). By Jacques Wiener in Brussels and struck at the Geerts mint in Ixelles. ST OUEN À ROUEN / GRAND PORTAIL ET LES 2 FLÈCHES PAR L'ARCHIT: GREGOIRE 1847–1850, exterior view of the church from the southwest // COMMENCÉE 1318 PAR L'ABBÉ JEAN ROUSSEL / ROSES DU TRANSSEPT 1439. LA NEF ACHEVÉE 1491. GRANDE ROSE DE LA FAÇADE 1515, interior view down the nave looking eastward toward the altar/apse. Ross M223 (R1); van Hoydonck 171; Reinecke 44. PCGS SP-64. Extremely glossy and brilliant, with alluring brown surfaces that are seemingly a bit more attractive than the near gem designation would otherwise indicate. Compare to a somewhat inferior example in Stack's Coin Galleries (18 August 2009), lot 6127 (which sold for a total of $402.50) and a similarly-graded example in Stack's Bowers CCO (2 March 2023), lot 71220 (which sold for a total of $600). $545.

A former Benedictine monastic church, the current edifice was originally built as an abbey beginning in 1318, with completion coming some two centuries later due to cessations caused by the Hundred Years' War. Standing nearly 450 feet tall, its architectural style is a mix of Gothic and Flamboyant.

From what is today eastern Netherlands and western Germany, the Wieners were a Jewish family of exceptional medalists, especially known for numerous numismatic works throughout the Kingdom of Belgium. Eldest brother Jacob (Jacques), along with younger brothers Leopold and Charles, created some of the finest works of medallic art of the 19th century, and all are particularly noted for their work in the highly detailed and intricate work of architectural renderings.

To read the complete item description, see:
102934 | FRANCE. Rouen. Church of St. Ouen bronze Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102934)

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HERITAGE: ENCASED POSTAGE STAMPS

We have over 40 lots of Encased Postage Stamps in our upcoming Fractional Currency and Encased Postage Showcase Auction that closes on February 9, 2025. Seventeen different issuers are represented amongst the 1, 3, 5, 10, and 24 Cents denominations in this auction. We also see that there are five examples of the rarer Ribbed Frame encasements. The vast majority of the pieces are from a single collection. Opening bids range from $175 to $3,500. This offering should satisfy the tastes of not only new Encased Postage collectors, but advanced collectors as well.

For the uninitiated, Encased Postage Stamps were an emergency currency at the beginning of the Civil War. The banks suspended their specie payments and the populace hoarded all the coins in circulation. This acute coin shortage forced the use of Postage Stamps as money. However, stamps became dirty and/or wet fairly quickly. Enterprising individuals came up with several solutions during this period. John Gault hit upon the idea of encasing Postage Stamps. This Yankee entrepreneur filed for a patent in the summer of 1862. Gault then had to line up customers to put their advertising on the pieces, purchase Postage Stamps, and have the Scovill Manufacturing Co. produce the Encased Postage Stamps. "Gault’s New Metallic Currency" was produced for only a short time as the United States Government’s solution to the small change shortage was Postage/Fractional Currency. Gault’s idea faded from the scene rather quickly. However, numismatists started collecting the pieces very early, thus enabling collectors to enjoy them ever since.

Our cataloging numbers come from three different sources. The HB numbers can be found in The Standard Catalogue of Encased Postage Stamps by Michael J. Hodder and Q, David Bowers. The EP numbers are the numbers used in Paper Money of the United States 23rd edition by Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg. The Reed numbers were conceived by Fred L. Reed III for his Civil War Encased Stamps The Issuers and Their Times. We highly recommend all three references for enjoying the collecting of Encased Postage Stamps.

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MORE ON NUMISMATIC AUCTIONS LLC SALE 69

Steve and Lisa Davis proudly present their upcoming Numismatic Auctions L.L.C. Auction Sale #69, closing online in a live/timed format in four sessions over four days on Monday, February 17th through Thursday, February 20th, 2025. The auction clocks in at over 1700 lots with over 1200 lots of U.S. Coins, Currency and Exonumia along with Canadian, World Gold & World Crowns and Minor Coinage and more.

The sale is highlighted by early U.S. copper coinage by type and in series with sets and singles from Colonials through Morgan & Peace Dollars featuring key dates, some in multiples, Early Type Coinage, Proof Type, Errors, Shipwreck Coinage, Proof Sets, Classic to Modern Commemorative coinage in Gold and Silver as well as Paper Money, Tokens, Medals and beyond.

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HERITAGE: CONTINENTAL CURRENCY SIGNERS

Our upcoming March 9 Winter U.S. Colonial Showcase Auction features an exciting 60 lots of Continental Currency which include uncut sheets, counterfeit detectors, contemporary counterfeits, high-grade examples, and rarities. Amongst several examples of collector favorites, notable offerings include notes signed by Benjamin Levy and John Hart, two distinguished figures from Colonial America whose legacies continue to live on in both American and numismatic history.

Collectors interested in famous colonial signatures can expect to find two notes signed by Benjamin Levy, remembered to numismatists for being the only confirmed Jewish signer of Continental Currency. Looking beyond this signature, collectors might be interested to know that Levy and his family contributed importantly to early American and Jewish-American history. Benjamin’s father Moses Levy arrived in New York from England in 1695 quickly established himself as a successful trade merchant and real estate investor. Benjamin and his brother Samson both signed the Non-Importation Agreement of 1765, aimed at the repeal of the British Stamp Act implemented the same year.

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COINS OF THE FOURTH CRUSADE

Thanks to generations of intermarriage within a relatively narrow elite, almost everyone in the Byzantine ruling class of the 12th century was related to everyone else. As a result, politics took on the character of fratricide: the war of brother against brother. This was the background against which the catastrophic events of the Fourth Crusade (1202 – 1204) unfolded. We are unusually well-informed about this crusade because written accounts survive from participants on both sides–notably the French knight Geoffroi de Villehardouin (c. 1150 – 1213)[1] and the Byzantine official and chronicler Niketas Choniates (c. 1155 – 1217)[2].

In 1198, Lotario dei Conti di Segni, from a family that produced nine cardinals and four popes, became Pope Innocent III[3]. He proclaimed a Fourth Crusade on August 15 of that year. The purpose of the Crusades was to regain the holy city of Jerusalem from the Muslims, who had captured it in 1187. Preoccupied with their own quarrels, the rulers of Europe were reluctant to campaign in the East, and it took several years to organize an army of Crusaders. It was agreed that the first target would be the powerful Muslim Ayyubid dynasty in Egypt, and the army would assemble at the great maritime city of Venice.

On September 12, 1185, the brutal and unpopular Byzantine emperor Andronikos I Komnenos was overthrown by his cousin, the rebel Isaac II Angelos, who killed an imperial officer sent to arrest him. Isaac took refuge in the great cathedral of Hagia Sophia and appealed to the population of Constantinople for support:

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"DEVIL'S MONEY" CULT RITUALS

Archaeologists have unearthed a hoard of gold and silver coins offered as diobolgeldæ, or "devil's money", at a medieval cult site in the Netherlands, shedding more light on the rituals of pre-Christian groups in this part of Europe.

The Netherlands, northern Germany and Britain have yielded fewer cult sites compared to the Nordic world, whose pre-Christian rituals are much better understood.

Findings from pre-Christian pagan cult sites in the Nordic region don’t always apply to the rest of the Germanic-Nordic world. But the coin hoard found in Hezingen in eastern Netherlands provides valuable insights into cult rituals in the area, researchers say.

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COLLECTABLE COUNTERFEIT COINS, PART THREE

The final portion of this article is the collecting of counterfeit currency. One important note that any counterfeit modern currency that is either in circulation or your collection is illegal to possess. Therefore if for some reason you were given a fake $100 or any other denomination note you are mandated to turn it in to the Secret Service or bank and unfortunately you will not be compensated for its value.

The exceptions are Colonial Currency, Obsolete or broken bank notes, and Confederate Currency. There are quite a few examples of Colonial currency that are counterfeit and many have actually been certified. One interesting aspect of Colonial Currency is that many of the issues contain the statement "To Counterfeit is Death." Obviously this did not dissuade some counterfeiters.

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COLONIAL GEORGIA COLORED SEALS, PART 1

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1870 DOMINION OF CANADA $2 BANKNOTE

In what can only be described as a monumental moment for the world of numismatics, Stack’s Bowers Galleries has announced the sale of a historic 1870 $2 Canadian banknote, payable at Victoria, for an astounding $360,000 ($518,000 CAD). The note, previously considered lost, shattered pre-sale estimates, attracting a price that reflects its rarity and significance in the world of Canadian currency. It now joins the ranks of the most expensive examples of Canadian paper money ever sold.

The 1870 $2 banknote, issued by the Dominion of Canada, represents a true numismatic treasure. Graded Choice Very Fine 35 by PMG, this is the only known example of its kind, a discovery that excited collectors and historians alike. Its historical significance stems from its designation as "Payable at Victoria," a detail that has long been absent from records, with previous catalog entries simply listing this issue as "No Known Issued Notes." Now, thanks to this remarkable find, the Charlton catalog entry for DC-3e can be updated to reflect the existence of this incredibly rare piece of Canadian history.

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LEGAL WIN FOR TOMMY THOMPSON

Thomas "Tommy" Thompson, now 72, has been held in federal prison since 2015 after refusing to tell a judge — or his lawyers — where he stashed a trove of gold coins he recovered from a shipwreck.

On Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Algenon Marbley determined Thompson will continue to ignore court orders to provide the treasure's location and keeping him in prison would not change the result.

However, Thompson will remain in federal prison for another two years on a criminal contempt finding and face millions of dollars in fines when he is released. With Marbley's decision, Thompson will not be released from prison.

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THE 2025 CRYSTAL BALL

Our editor, Paul Kluth, asked for a few predictions for the upcoming numismatic year. I conferred with the crystal ball, which issued its top ten predictions. I am only reporting what was conveyed to me, so I take no responsibility for the accuracy of any of this.

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LOOSE CHANGE: FEBRUARY 9, 2025

The Birth of the Lincoln Cent

As the year 1909 approached, there was great pressure to honor the fallen President. But to place Lincoln’s image on a coin would be a real departure from our practice. Up until that point in time no actual historical figures, presidents or otherwise, had appeared on our coinage. The allegorical representations of Miss Liberty had dominated the obverse of our coins. Miss Liberty was our nation’s ‘role model,’ representing freedom and liberty to all of us.

But our President in 1908 was not one to let conventional wisdom make the rules. Theodore Roosevelt had complained loudly about the ‘Hideous Atrociousness’ of our bland coin designs. Roosevelt persuaded his good friend, Augustus-Saint Gaudens, to create coins that would make American coinage the envy of the world. Saint-Gaudens created two spectacular coins. He designed a $10 Gold Eagle coin with Miss Liberty wearing a Native American headdress and he also designed a $20 Gold Double Eagle which depicted Miss Liberty carrying the Torch of Freedom. Even more than 100 years later, they are regarded as some of the most beautiful coins in our history. But he was in poor health and died before he could redesign the one cent coin.

Teddy Roosevelt now had to find a great medallic sculptor to create this one cent coin, in Lincoln’s image. A Lithuanian sculptor, at age 19, came to America rather than being exiled to Siberia. Viktoras Baranauskas changed his name to Victor David Brenner.

To read the complete article, see:
The Birth of the Lincoln Cent (https://www.greysheet.com/news/story/the-birth-of-the-lincoln-cent)

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ABOUT THIS ISSUE: FEBRUARY 9, 2025

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