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About Us The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit association devoted to the study and enjoyment of numismatic literature. For more information please see our web site at coinbooks.org Subscriptions Those wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page link Membership There is a membership application available on the web site Membership Application To join, print the application and return it with your check to the address printed on the application. Print/Digital membership is $40 to addresses in the U.S., and $60 elsewhere. A digital-only membership is available for $25. For those without web access, write to: Jeff Dickerson, Treasurer Numismatic Bibliomania Society P. O. Box 578, Weatherford, TX 76086 Asylum For Asylum mailing address changes and other membership questions, contact Jeff at this email address: treasurer@coinbooks.org Submissions To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com BUY THE BOOK BEFORE THE COIN Sale Calendar Watch here for updates!

Content presented in The E-Sylum is not necessarily researched or independently fact-checked, and views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.

WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM MARCH 11, 2025

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, six new books and two periodicals, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, notes from readers, and more.

Other topics this week include a visit to London, relic medals and coins, PCGS, auction previews, Vera Rubin's quarter, Tom Sampson's Lifesaving medal, Lord Ashcroft's Victoria Cross collection, Walter Breen's manuscript on the Stepney hoard, and banknotes in Japan and Iran.

To learn more about Zlatko Pleša, Paul Manship, Private and Pioneer Gold Coins, the coinages of Carausius and Allectus, stock certificates, John Harper, and the Washington Cents, American Bank Note Co. reports, ausbeutemunzen, 1907 Panic scrip, the colored seal notes of colonial Georgia, Pancake Day certificates, and paperbush plants, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 
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ZLATKO PLESA NUMISMATIC LIBRARY

Literature on Numismatics and Archaeology: The Zlatko Pleša Library

On 20 and 21 March, Paul-Francis Jacquier is offering an important library with books on numismatics and archaeology. It contains the 1,402 lots of the Zlatko Pleša Library with monographs, magazines and auction catalogues on numismatics and archaeology.

Zlatko Pleša was one of the friendliest coin dealers you could meet at a coin show. Born in 1952 in Zemun, Serbia, he opened his coin shop in Frankfurt am Main, where he also dealt in ancient objects. Zlatko Pleša died unexpectedly on 2 November 2022 in the south of France. He left behind an extensive and well-maintained library, which he had assembled over many decades. Paul-Francis Jacquier is now offering the books in his 54th auction. It is a final service to a dear friend with whom he sat side by side at coin shows for many years.

The library consists of three parts: First, there are the books bought by Zlatko Pleša himself. In the late 1990s, Zlatko acquired the library of the late Munich numismatist Marcus Höllersberger. Shortly before his death, he purchased the books of his long-time friend, the Frankfurt antiquities dealer Bernd Gackstätter, who died a few months before him. This explains why there are so many books on archaeology and art history.

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NEW BOOKS IN WHITMAN RED BOOK SERIES

 

Whitman Brands™ proudly announces the latest editions of two best selling reference guides, Washington Quarters & Shield and Liberty Head Nickels, as well as a new addition to the Red Book Series™ lineup, Private and Pioneer Gold Coins.

Washington Quarters, 3rd Edition

Washington Quarters, in a fully updated and expanded third edition, is an in-depth study of our nation's most popular modern coin series, including the silver coins of 1932 to 1964 and all modern quarter types, Bicentennial through American Women Quarters. Packed with over 850 listings and all new issues since 2017, it now features updated market values based on Collector's Price Guide (CPG®) Retail pricing and Greysheet Identification (GSID?) catalog numbers.

Washington Quarters includes the detailed and colorful historical research that readers expect from Whitman, including a biography of the United States' first president, the early years of the quarter dollar, and the history of the series. A year-by-year analysis is featured for the quarters from 1932 to 1998, and a comprehensive section is focused on the last 25 years' worth of modern programs.

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NEW BOOK: ROMAN IMPERIAL COINAGE VOL. V.5

 

Roman Imperial Coinage Volume V Part 5: Carausius and Allectus
by Sam Moorhead

£195.00

It is almost 100 years since the coinages of Carausius and Allectus were covered by Percy Webb in Roman Imperial Coinage Volume V, Part 2. Since then Volume V of the series has been re-divided into five parts, with this brand new Part V covering these coinages during the period AD 286-296. It comes in two volumes, with a new organisation of the material reflecting our better understanding of the structures of the coinages.

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NEW BOOK: A DOOR IN TIME

A Door in Time: What People in Lower Canada did for Money in 1837-38
by Christopher Faulkner

£75.00

The years 1837-38 in Lower Canada were defined by two crises, one political and the other financial. The political crisis led to armed Rebellions against the authority of the colonial government with the aim of establishing a Quebec state independent of the British Crown. An international credit crisis brought on by British uncertainty about the liquidity of American debtors led to a full blown Depression in the United States that became known as the Panic of 1837. The fallout for Lower Canada was the refusal of its banks to pay out silver and gold in redemption of their notes. This financial crisis, coupled with the absence of legal tender copper, was the direct cause of what precipitated a severe shortage of small change.

This book is about the copper tokens and low denomination paper scrip that appeared in Lower Canada in 1837-38 in response to the shortage of an everyday medium of exchange brought about by the crises of those years. The majority of copper tokens are known as bouquet sous from the motif of plants that appears on their obverse. Some were issued by the Bank of Montreal and the Banque de Peuple and approach the weight of legal tender halfpennies; most were lightweight, mass produced imitation sous illegally imported into Lower Canada from New Jersey. The scrip comprised nothing more than so many paper chits, issued by various merchants who promised to redeem them against non-existent shillings, reales, and half dollars. This makeshift currency was emergency or necessity money, and it was readily accepted by a needy populace under trying circumstances. A Door in Time constitutes the most thorough study of the background and description of the bouquet sous to date.

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NEW BOOK: STOCK CERTIFICATES

Imagine holding a piece of financial history in your hands — a beautifully engraved stock certificate from a long-defunct railroad company, or a bond signed by a financier of the American Revolution. This is the captivating realm of scripophily, where collectors hunt for these paper treasures that tell the stories of bygone eras and economic booms and busts.

While there may only be about 40,000 enthusiasts worldwide, this niche hobby packs a punch when it comes to intrigue and visual appeal. Think of it as a time machine that transports you through the annals of financial history, all while admiring exquisite artwork that adorned these financial instruments.

From the lavish Art Nouveau designs of Alphonse Mucha to the sleek Art Deco motifs of the Roaring Twenties, these certificates are more than just financial documents — they are miniature masterpieces. And let's not forget the thrill of owning a piece signed by a titan of industry like John D. Rockefeller or a certificate from an infamous scandal like the South Sea Bubble, or John Law's Mississippi Company.

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JOURNAL OF EARLY AMERICAN NUMISMATICS V7N2

Table of Contents

Editor's Preface

The First Numismatic Artwork in Puerto Rico Arises From Sedition An Investigation Into "LIGHT" Countermarked 8 Reales (1795)
by Ángel O. Navarro Zayas, Ph.D.

Grenada's Bitts: A French Creation Due to the Independence War (1780)
by Jérôme Jambu

The 1787 Standing Indian / New York State Arms Cent Pattern A Census of Known Specimens
by Jeff Rock

John Harper, J.G. Hancock, and the Washington Cents
by Julia H. Casey

Four Eighteenth-Century Stamp Acts and the Differing Political Responses to Them
by Roger A. Moore MD

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PERIODICAL: THIRD SIDE OF THE COIN

Coins were first issued in northern India at least as early as the 4th century BC, and their purpose was to make payments. By the end of the 1st century BC, their efficiency caused them to spread to all levels of society and to the rest of India and the surrounding countries. Because of their religious designs and integral value, coins began to hold a unique place in Indian culture, quickly entering spheres other than simple payment--conjuring up mythologies of magical powers and inspiring art. They have been used as religious offerings, royal gifts and as personal ornaments for over two thousand years. And when real coins couldn't be used, imitations of coins began to be used as substitutes from the 1st century AD—whether as copies of Roman coins in southern India or down to today's Diwali gift coins and coin jewellery. Rather than focus on their archaeological or economic value, or use them to determine chronologies of monarchs, this volume explores how coins create, and mobilise, an aura of the sacred and the precious.

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BREEN MANUSCRIPT ON THE STEPNEY HOARD

 

Walter Breen Manuscript on the Stepney Hoard

The Stepney, CT hoard of approximately 200 high-grade Connecticut and Vermont coppers and British halfpence was discovered in 1950 and announced to the numismatic community by Walter Breen in the January 1952 Numismatist. Facts regarding the exact location of the find and circumstances of its discovery are scarce, leading to varying opinions – was the hoard a modern concoction, or did it represent a legitimate contemporaneous deposit? In the August 1998 Colonial Newsletter, Phil Mossman concluded that the hoard was indeed closed in 1788.

We recently received a research request for the 1951 Walter Breen manuscript on this topic. At the time, Breen worked for Stack's, who handled the hoard. The Breen manuscript was transcribed and published by Phil Mossman in the afore mentioned Colonial Newsletter. While our researcher was aware of the transcribed copy, good research practice demands examining original documents whenever possible. After some searching, a photocopy of the Breen manuscript was located in the Walter Breen papers at the American Numismatic Society library.

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VIDEO: 2009 LOS ANGELES ANA CONVENTION

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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: MARCH 11, 2025

Tiffany Dewey Medal Master Hub
Eric Schena writes:

 

 

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NEW BOOK: U.S. NAVAL AWARDS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n09a06.html)

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TOM URAM VISITS LONDON

 

This past Friday I had the opportunity of receiving an invitation from Carlos Kearns who has a working relationship in London. He invited me to this very formal dinner.

Of course, I could not pass up the opportunity to promote the ANA. Probably against protocol, however without creating any international incident, I was able to make several presentations.

   

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VOCABULARY TERM: RELIC METAL

Relic Metal. A numismatic or medallic item formed from metal or other material which was previously an artifact of a different form. Relic material is usually salvaged from its previous state, reformed to be part of a new coin or medal, the new item bearing an inscription indicating its relic status (often this says "made from" and collectors call these items made froms because of this).

Five types of relic items exist: (1) the entire composition is of relic status; (2) a small amount of relic metal is added to a larger mixture during alloy formulation, (3) the relic material is made into a plug and inserted in a frame or opening in a medallic item, (4) a small piece of relic material is laid on the planchet – or struck medal before the final blow – and impressed into the surface, or finally, (5) made into a drop hung from a header or pendant medal, or attached by some other method of mounting.

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THE 1888 SAMPSON LIFE SAVING MEDAL

This story is told through quotes in newspapers and excerpts from Statutes at Large with additional commentary. Life Saving medals were authorized by an 1874 Act of Congress.

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PCGS EXPANDS HEADQUARTERS

Professional Coin Grading Service (www.PCGS.com) recently unveiled its new headquarters in a move that greatly increases office area for the third-party grading firm. The new PCGS Headquarters includes more than 100,000 square feet of floor space and creates new and expanded areas for coin and banknote grading, encapsulation, customer service, and other operations.

"We are excited to open the door on the next chapter of our nearly 40-year journey," says PCGS President Stephanie Sabin. "Moving into our significantly larger headquarters opens up so many opportunities as we continue improving turnaround times for our customers, increasing our efficiency, and expanding the number of services we provide," Sabin comments. "The next months and years bring continued growth not only domestically but internationally. We want to ensure PCGS Headquarters offers our team every resource necessary to continue being the best at what we do."

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ARCHIVES INTERNATIONAL SALE 100 1907 SCRIP

Oakland, California, 1907. $1 Issued Certificate from the "Clearing House Committee of the Associated Banks of Oakland California", S/N 38962, Black print with orange-brown underprint. Ornate brown design on back. Fine condition. Printed by the Union Litho Co. San Francisco. This certificate was issued as a result of the Panic of 1907, a financial crisis caused by a significant drop in the New York Stock Exchange and a subsequent run on banks. Clearing House Scrip Notes such as this would be issued in place of paper money due to the crisis.

To read the complete item description, see:
Oakland, California, 1907. $1 Issued Certificate from the "Clearing House Committee of the Associated Banks of Oakland California". (https://auction.archivesinternational.com/CA-Oakland-Clearing-House-1907-Issued-Panic-Currency-Banknote_i55814359)

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MUENZEN GUT-LYNT ONLINE AUCTION 20

Münzen Gut-Lynt, online auction 20
Saturday, 29 and 30 March 2025, 9/10:00 am (Central European Time) each day

The fifth business year of the auction house Münzen Gut-Lynt starts again with a weekend of two full auction days and a record-breaking 3500 lots. On offer will be coins from the ancient world, numismatic literature, banknotes and coins and medals from the modern era.

The Gut-Lynt Auction 20 will start on Saturday, 29 March at 9:00 a.m. (Central European Time), as is tradition, with the Ancient World coins. In addition to Roman and Byzantine issues, the focus will be on Greek silver coinage from an old collection at moderate estimated prices. Approximately 900 lots will be auctioned.

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FAIRMONT HOARD: AN APPRECIATION

 

In case you've spent the last five-plus years in Numismatic Siberia, you've no doubt heard of this accumulation of coins.

It's huge. Likely well into the hundreds of thousands of coins. The value is likely in the area of $1,750,000,000 (this is figuring 500,000 coins at an average value of $3,500).

The hoard contained half eagles, eagles and double eagles produced from 1834 through 1932. Coins from all mints were represented: Carson City, Charlotte, Dahlonega, Denver, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. It was marketed and sold by Stack's Bowers beginning around 2018 and extending to the present.

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THE VERA RUBIN U.S. QUARTER

Vera Cooper Rubin, M.S. '51, a pathbreaking astronomer whose life's work included procuring the scientific evidence to prove the existence of dark matter, is being featured on the 2025 batch of the American Women Quarters Program.

According to Cornell history expert Corey Ryan Earle '07, Rubin is believed to be the first Cornellian ever depicted on a circulating U.S. coin.

Rubin's fellow honorees for 2025 – the program's final year – are athlete Althea Gibson, Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low, disabilities activist Stacey Park Milbern, and journalist and suffragist Ida B. Wells.

The five designs will be circulated throughout the country over the next several months.

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PIGEON TOMMY'S DICKIN MEDAL DISPLAYED

The Dickin Medal – considered the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross – was awarded to the pigeon Tommy VC, from Dalton, in recognition of his vital work delivering a message from the Dutch Resistance about the location of a German arms factory, which allowed the planning of a successful bombing raid.

The Dickin Medal has only ever been awarded to 75 animals, including 38 dogs, 32 pigeons, four horses and one cat.

Tommy's Dickin Medal was successfully acquired at auction in January by the Furness Maritime Trust on behalf of the town's Dock Museum, operated by Westmorland and Furness Council.

Tommy's medal now takes pride of place in a new display at the Dock Museum honouring the area's war heroes, alongside the medals awarded to Barrow's most decorated World War Two hero James (Jimmy) Freel.

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VENUES VIE FOR ASHCROFT VICTORIA CROSSES

 
Lord Ashcroft at the exhibit

War medals awarded to British battlefield heroes could be permanently displayed...in Australia.

The previously unthinkable move comes after the Imperial War Museum [IWM] said it was closing The Lord Ashcroft Gallery, home to 230 Victoria Crosses and a smaller number of George Crosses from his personal collection, from June 1.

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COLONIAL GEORGIA COLORED SEALS, PART 6

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KANSAS PANCAKE DAY CERTIFICATES

IN THE CHRISTIAN LITURGICAL CALENDAR, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, the period leading up to Easter when Christians commemorate the forty days that Jesus spent fasting and praying in the wilderness with their own acts of sacrifice. The days preceding Ash Wednesday are known as Shrovetide, when Christians prepare for the Lenten season through rituals of self-reflection and repentance (the term derives from the verb "shrive", which means to receive absolution through confession). The last day before Lenten season begins is called Shrove Tuesday and is traditionally marked by acts of indulgence in those culinary pleasures that believers will abstain from during Lent. Among English speaking Christians in particular, Shrove Tuesday is commonly known as Pancake Day, since pancakes are made of rich ingredients like eggs, milk, and sugar that need to be used up before the Lenten period of sacrifice begins.

In England, one variant on Pancake Day celebrations takes the form of pancake races, a practice that is traced back to the town of Olney, Buckinghamshire, in the mid-fifteenth century. There, it is said that a tardy housewife busy making pancakes once ran to Shrovetide service at the sound of the church bells with her frying pan (and pancake) still in hand, a story which became the basis for Olney's centuries-long tradition of pancake racing. Since 1950, a version of this race has been practiced as a good-natured transatlantic competition between Olney, England, and Liberal, Kansas, a city just shy of 20,000 people that serves as the seat of Seward County.

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NEPAL PAPERBUSH BECOMES JAPANESE NOTES

The path from shrub to bill begins at the foot of the Himalayas in Nepal, near towns that have long been famous not for their agriculture but as gateways to Mount Everest.

Here, every spring, hillsides erupt in yellow – the flowers of the mitsumata plant, also known as argeli or paperbush, native to the Himalayan range. Its bark has long, strong fibers that are perfect for making thin yet durable paper, according to the Kantou website.

It used to be grown domestically in Japan, but production has been slowly dwindling for years, said Matsubara. It's hard work tied to the countryside, and people are increasingly moving from rural areas to big cities like Tokyo in search of jobs – leaving shrinking villages and dying industries.

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IRAN RELEASES NEW 200,000 TOMAN BANKNOTE

 

Iran's Central Bank announced on Friday the release of a new series of banknotes with a face value of 200,000 Toman (1.9 USD current price).

According to the bank, the new design features an image of the Mosque of Ruhollah Khomeini in Isfahan on the front, while the back displays a painting of "Chogan" by the artist Mahmoud Farshchian.

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LOOSE CHANGE: MARCH 11, 2025

One of the featured exhibits at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History is "The Value of Money," which provides visitors with educational experiences that include unique forms of money.

Recently, Wayne Fournier, current Thurston County (Washington) Commissioner and former mayor of Tenino, had the opportunity to visit the display, where he was re-acquainted with a familiar initiative.

The exhibit features Tenino's 2020 COVID wooden money alongside the original wooden currency printed in 1932, demonstrating how an innovative, community-driven solution from the Great Depression was revitalized to address the challenges of the 2020 pandemic. The initiative received national and international attention, symbolizing not just local economic action, but also the power of community leadership in times of adversity.

To read the complete article, see:
Former Tenino mayor views historic wooden money display (https://www.coinworld.com/news/paper-money/former-tenino-mayor-views-historic-wooden-money-display)

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ABOUT THIS ISSUE: MARCH 11, 2025

 
Editor Wayne Homren, Assistant Editor Garrett Ziss

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