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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 upcoming auctions

 

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 JUNE 29, 2025

New subscribers this week include: Ashley Wickens-Rumble, courtesy Steve Hill; and Jared Goldfarb. Welcome aboard! We now have 7,228 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 three new books, the 2025 IAPN Book Prizes, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, notes and submissions from readers, and more.

Other topics this week include paper money errors, small sized paper money of the Great Depression, Ron Landis, James Jarvis, the 1907 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle, fixed price and auction selections, new Canadian coins, the Franklin Expedition rescue token, the Army Rangers Congressional Gold Medal, Continental Currency, and the Bank of England.

To learn more about Australian coins, Bianca Bart, numismatics of the Spanish Caribbean, Medieval Pennies, Canadian Decimal Coinage, Louisiana sculptor Angela Gregory, Emperor Maximilian's final request, an AI-powered coin identification app, the Complete Electronic Numismatic Trading Systems, the Dead Sea Scrolls of Online Numismatics, Confederate Currency, and the Case of the Bloody-Nosed Counterfeiter, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

NEW BOOK: AUSTRALIAN COIN & BANKNOTE VALUES

Renniks Australian Coin & Banknote Values 33rd Edition
By: Michael Pitt

This comprehensive guide to Australian Coin & Banknote Values contains over 4,900 unique images and countless thousands of valuations. This book is a must for all collectors, whether you are just a beginning or an advanced collector. The latest information is compiled using weighted averages to assist pricing accuracy. Quality reproduction of photos makes it easy to identify items. Covered are copper, silver, gold, nickel, and all coins and notes used in Australia from 1800 to the present. Subjects include Pre-Decimal and Decimal currency and privately issued banknotes, war issues, and privately issued tokens. Also included are the latest Royal Australian Mint, Perth Mint & Australia Post Numismatic Covers.

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NEW BOOK: UNITED STATES PAPER MONEY ERRORS

United States Paper Money Errors, 5th Edition
By: Dr. Frederick Bart and Bianca Bart

Whitman Brands is proud to unveil the long-awaited fifth edition of United States Paper Money Errors—a richly illustrated and fully revised guide to one of the most exciting areas of paper money collecting. Authored by the expert father-daughter team Dr. Fred Bart and Bianca Bart, this cornerstone title—originally published by the Coin & Currency Institute under the stewardship of Art Friedberg—has officially joined the Whitman family as the flagship title of its new Professional Series™.

"We're honored to continue the legacy of this essential book under the Whitman name," said John Feigenbaum, President and CEO of Whitman Brands. "As the market for paper money grows, especially in errors, this fifth edition couldn't come at a better time."

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NEW BOOK: DOCUMENTS OF THE HISPANIC CARIBBEAN, VOL 3

All the documents in this documentary book, VOLUME III, belong to the National Historical Archive of Madrid. With this documentary collection, we have tried to emulate the efforts and honor the memory of great Puerto Ricans of the 19th century, such as Don Alejandro Tapia y Rivera, Don Román Baldorioty de Castro, Don José Julián de Acosta y Calbo, Don Ramón Emeterio Betances, and Don Segundo Ruiz Belvis, who together in 1851, formed the Society for the Collection of Historical Documents of the island of San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico (Sociedad Recolectora de Documentos Históricos de la Isla de San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico).

That first significant effort made by these honorable men to transcribe primary sources in the archives in Spain about Puerto Rican history was the cornerstone of Puerto Rican historiography. That is why, in honor of these illustrious human beings and following the furrow of the path traced by them, I contribute my grain of sand with transcriptions of manuscripts, but in this case, on the subject of the use of currency in Puerto Rico and the economic aspect. The whole book is in Spanish.

Sobre cantidad a que asciende el situado que cobra la isla

El gobernador don Salvador Meléndez acompaña documentos de la Contaduría justificativos de la cantidad a que asciende el situado que cobra la isla y que no se ha modificado desde la R. O. de 27 de junio de 1784 (1811).

However, the first document to which we refer is from the beginning of the 19th century (1811), in which Governor-General Don Salvador Meléndez accompanies documents of the Accounting Office justifying the amount of the situado (Mexican Subsidy) charged by the island, which had not been modified since the Royal Order of June 27, 1784.

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2025 IAPN BOOK PRIZES ANNOUNCED

Peter Preston-Morley writes:

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CAN YOU FIND THIS FRANKLIN MINT MEDAL?

Can You Find a Franklin Mint Medal?

This week the West Baton Rouge Museum in Port Allen, LA contacted us in search of a medal by the Louisiana sculptor Angela Gregory. Dick Johnson's Databank lists 14 medals for Gregory (1903-1990), including the 1972 ANA convention medal. The museum is currently developing an exhibit that will feature Gregory's work.

The elusive piece is Gregory's 1965 Civil War Centennial medal, engraved for Franklin Mint's National Commemorative Society series. This medal is no. 13 in the series, and an example resides in the American Numismatic Society (1965.338.1). Franklin Mint records indicate a production of three pieces in platinum and 5,249 examples in silver. No doubt many of these were melted in the 1970s as silver prices spiked toward the end of the decade. Can E-Sylum readers locate an example for sale?

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VIDEO: DEPRESSION SMALL SIZE PAPER MONEY

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MORE ON RON LANDIS

1857 $10 Vaquero Reproduction
Cary Bown writes:

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MORE ON JAMES JARVIS

Ray Williams writes:

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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JUNE 29, 2025

German, not French

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
Numismagram Medal Selections: June 22, 2025 : 103192 | BELGIUM. Art Deco bronze Medal (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n25a15.html)

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VOCABULARY TERM: RIBBON DRAPE

Ribbon Drape. Folded and sewn ribbon from which a medal is suspended. Ribbon drapes add color, suspend a medal providing a means to wear it, and are attached to some means of fastening to a garment or uniform. The medal is usually looped by integral loop – made at the same time as the striking of the medal – or by a soldered loop, attached after it is struck and finished, or by a lug which is a part of the medal and is drilled to provide the opening for a ring.

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A COMMENTARY ON AWARDS

For two weeks I was planning another article for the week, but that collapsed on Thursday morning. I am falling back on a project I worked on earlier in the week.

In 1995, ANA President Ken Bressett appointed me chair of the ANA Awards Committee. I have maintained an interest over the years. I try to post the awards to the individual entries in American Numismatic Biographies.

Each year the ANA sends out a request for award nominations. Many of the awards are for service to the ANA. Often a retiring board member will get a Glenn Smedley Memorial Award, if nothing else.

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EMPEROR MAXIMILIAN'S FINAL REQUEST

Last month I walked through the halls of Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City. Portraits of Maximilian and his wife Carlota still hang in the rooms where they once lived. Standing there brought to mind two coins we are offering this August in our Summer Global Showcase Auction.

• MEXICO. 20 Pesos, 1866 Mo. Mexico City Mint. Maximilian I. NGC AU 55
• MEXICO. Peso, 1866 Pi. San Luis Potosí Mint. Maximilian I. NGC MS 61

Both coins were struck during Maximilian's brief reign in Mexico (1864 – 1867). Seeing where he once ruled, and understanding the history behind these coins, gives a deeper appreciation for them.

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HOW LARRY BRILLIANT BUILT THE INTERNET

Before the internet took over the world, psychedelic rock band The Grateful Dead were among the first – and most influential – forces at the dawn of online communication.

[T]he Dead shaped far more than rock, psychedelia and '60s drug culture. Thanks to a group of music-loving tech enthusiasts, the Dead popularised what some call the first real online community. Generations later, the ideas formed in this pioneering digital space still reverberate through our daily lives.

Fans of the Dead, known as "Deadheads", were inspired by the band's embrace of all things technological, from their pioneering sound systems to their immersive multimedia visuals. Many fans were technologists and engineers themselves, working in Silicon Valley or at universities around America with access to early internet technology – which they were using by the late 1970s to swap hot commodities like Grateful Dead setlists and illegal drugs.

In the 1980s, years before the World Wide Web, a virtual online community emerged called the Well (the Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link). Centered on the San Francisco Bay Area of California, the Well not only thrived in its own right, but proved to be one of the most influential factors in the birth of the internet as we know it today. And its long life was in large part thanks to fans of the Grateful Dead.

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NUMI V3: AUTOMATED AI COIN SORTING PROTOTYPE

Numi v3: Automated AI Coin Sorting Prototype

Last summer, I shared my journey of building an AI-powered coin sorting robot, Numi v2. After several months of development, I paused the project because AI technology wasn't quite ready. However, by March, AI advancements convinced me it was time to pick it back up.

The past two months have been an intense sprint to complete Numi v3, just in time for the Colorado Springs Coin Club Show and the ANA Summer Seminar. I'm thrilled to announce that after hundreds of hours of work, Numi v3 is ready for its public prototype debut!

I'll be demoing Numi at:

• Colorado Springs Coin Club Show [June 27th–28th]
• ANA Summer Seminar [June 28th–July 3rd]

If you can't attend, check out this video demo!

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1907 UHR DOUBLE EAGLE AT OKLAHOMA ANA

The 1907 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle, designed by acclaimed sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens and later presented to his widow on behalf of President Theodore Roosevelt, will be displayed at the American Numismatic Association 2025 Oklahoma City World's Fair of Money® (www.WorldsFairofMoney.com).

On loan courtesy of California collector Dan O'Dowd, owner of the legendary Tyrant Collection (www.TheTyrantCollection.com), this historic, famous coin is graded PCGS Proof 68 and will be a highlight in the ANA's Museum Showcase exhibits at the convention, August 19-23.

Described by many experts as America's most beautiful coin design, O'Dowd acquired the famous $20 denomination gold piece for $2,115,000 in 2015. It is now insured for $5 million, and this will be only the third time it has been publicly displayed in a decade.

"I am excited about this coin," stated O'Dowd.

"It is not only the most beautiful coin America has ever produced, but it also rivals anything created by any other country. Saint-Gaudens admired ancient Greek style and wanted to create something America would be proud of after President Roosevelt asked him to help redesign early 20th-century U.S. coinage," explained O'Dowd.

The coin has inverted edge lettering of the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM and the designer's initials, ASG.

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ATLAS NUMISMATICS SELECTIONS: JUNE 29, 2025

1082842 | GREEK. PTOLEMAIC KINGS OF EGYPT. Ptolemy III (posthumously struck under Ptolemy IV). (Pharaoh, 246-222 BC). Struck posthumously under Ptolemy IV, 219-217 BC. AV Mnaieion or Octodrachm. NGC Ch. AU (Choice About Uncirculated) Strike 5/5 Surface 4/5 Fine Style. Alexandria. 26mm. 27.79gm. Bust of deified Ptolemy III right, wearing radiate diadem and aegis, ornate trident over left shoulder, the central tine ornamented with lotus finial; dotted border / ?TO?EMAIOY-BASI?EOS// ?I below, dotted border. Cornucopia bound with radiate royal diadem, containing grain ear, pyramidal cake, and pomegranate, grape cluster hanging from left side of rim. CPE 888 (same obverse die); Svoronos 1117.

Ex Heritage Auctions, Auction 3037 (5 January 2015) Lot 30940.

$44,500

To read the complete item description, see:
Posthumous Octodrachm of Ptolemy III (https://atlasnumismatics.com/1082842/)

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STACK'S BOWERS: JULY 2025 CONFEDERATE CURRENCY SALE

T-5. Confederate Currency. 1861 $100. PMG Very Fine 30. No. 1559. Plate B. A product of the Southern Bank Note Company out of New Orleans. This evenly circulated and rather original T-5 $100 is a particularly eye appealing sight and features no endorsements on the verso. Estimate: $1,250 - $1,750.

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STACK'S BOWERS JULY 2025 WORLD PAPER MONEY SALE

BELGIAN CONGO. Banque du Congo Belge. 100 Francs, 1.2.1929. P-11f. PMG Very Fine 30. Without place of issue. While we are no stranger to rare Belgian Congo notes, we have only offered this variety twice before, with this being the finest example offered by us to date, despite some minor restoration that, if anything, has only helped improve the appearance of this piece. Equal in appearance, if not better, than the piece from the Scott Lindquist collection, which we sold in May of 2023 for $16,800 (that piece was graded PMG Very Fine 25 with a 'stained' comment). We will keep our estimate for the present piece at a modest level, but don't be surprised if a similar figure is needed to bring this rarity home. PMG Comments "Minor Restoration". Estimate: $5,000 - $10,000.

To read the complete item description, see:
BELGIAN CONGO. Banque du Congo Belge. 100 Francs, 1.2.1929. P-11f. PMG Very Fine 30. (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1K02TU/belgian-congo-banque-du-congo-belge-100-francs-121929-p-11f-pmg-very-fine-30)

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NUMISMATIC NUGGETS: JUNE 29, 2025

Prints of 1970 Menconi Ohio's Aerospace Pioneers Medal

After Ralph J. Menconi (American, 1915-1972)
Ohio's Aerospace Pioneers, 1970
Photographic print on paper mounted on board
Signed in plate to lower edge of one

To read the complete lot description, see:
Prints After Ralph Menconi "Ohio's Aerospace Pioneers" Bronze Medal, 1970 (https://www.ebth.com/items/14162964-prints-after-ralph-menconi-ohio-s-aerospace-pioneers-bronze-medal-1970)

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CANADIAN MURANO MONARCH BUTTERFLY COIN

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CANADIAN MOON SKY RAVEN COIN

If you loved anything holographic when you were a kid, Canada's new coin will certainly have you mesmerized.

The Royal Canadian Mint released the Moon Sky: Raven — 1 oz. Fine Silver Coin that showcases the Raven, which plays a central role in many Inuit legends. It's the Mint's only holographic coin in 2025.

The holographic effect was created by striking 3D embossing micro-textures into the coin's surface during the minting process. According to the Crown corporation, the colours on the hologram may appear iridescent, shifting between hues like blue, green, yellow, or red, depending on the lighting and the angle from which it's viewed.

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1852 FRANKLIN EXPEDITION RESCUE TOKEN

A rare Arctic rescue button was sold at auction on Tuesday for £6,000, which was 10 times its pre-sale estimate.

Auctioneer Brian Goodison-Blanks, of Bearnes, Hampton and Littlewood in Exeter, said only three other examples of this type of button were known to exist in the Smithsonian Institute and private collections.

The Arctic rescue button was part of a 19th Century expedition.

The rare piece of Arctic and Naval history attracted international interest in the specialist maritime sale.

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WWII RANGERS GET CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL

More than 80 years after they took part in D-Day, the largest naval, air and land operation in history, members of the all-volunteer World War II Ranger battalions were honored with the Congressional Gold Medal.

"They were America's best," Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson said during a June 26 ceremony on Capitol Hill as two World War II Rangers listened in person and three more tuned in virtually. "The Rangers led the way as America and the Allied Powers clawed back the continent of Europe, and in their courage, all Americans found something to be proud of, and the free world found a reason to hope."

The June 6, 1944, D-Day invasion saw over 150,000 Allied troops land on the beaches of Normandy, France, and it was a key turning point that enabled France's liberation from Nazi control and the eventual defeat of Germany in the spring of 1945. Over 9,000 Allied troops were killed or wounded, according to an Army webpage.

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ON CONTINENTAL CURRENCY

Here is a discovery that I thought would interest readers. By way of background, Peter Schreiner, 1853-1937, was born into one of College Point's oldest and reputable families. He became an architect and builder and built many of the buildings in the community, some that still stand today.

While many readers may know about the history of paper money in America, I admit to being totally unaware that such a thing as a four dollar bill had ever existed, I did some research and learned much. The four-dollar bill was issued by the Continental congress between 1775 and 1779 along with bills in denominations of one, two three, five, six, seven, eight and twenty dollars. The basis of this money was in Spanish milled dollars and two million dollars were issued in 1775.

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BUILDING THE BANK OF ENGLAND EXHIBIT

13 June marked the birthday of Bank architect Herbert Baker, and we celebrated it in the best way we could think of - by announcing a new exhibition!

Opening 16 September 2025, our brand new exhibition Building the Bank will uncover the dramatic transformation of the Bank of England's iconic Threadneedle Street site.

In the lead-up to the exhibition, there'll be a whole host of events to get involved in, including:

• Curator-led talks exploring Baker's vision and legacy
• Architecture walking tours tracing 300 years of Bank history

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LOOSE CHANGE: JUNE 29, 2025

American Gold Eagles

Next year will be the 40th anniversary of the American Gold and Silver Eagles. This anniversary is sure to draw considerable attention to an already-popular segment of the hobby. The US Mint will most certainly be issuing special coins to celebrate the milestone, as well. NGC will offer a host of special labels for the 40th anniversary, similar to what they have done in the past.

A set of American Silver Eagles is affordable and can be completed with a modest cash outlay. Silver Eagles have been produced since 1986, with coins struck in Uncirculated and Proof. The mint has also sold several special finish coins for collectors, including Reverse Proof and Enhanced Uncirculated. A more recent innovation has been coins with special privy marks, such as the ones struck to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the US Army. Upon their release last week, the coins quickly sold out.

The American Silver Eagles contain one ounce of pure silver and have an impressive physical appearance. With silver bullion selling for around $36 per ounce, the issues are attractive for collectors of limited means.

These contrast sharply with the American Gold Eagles series. These coins range in size, and are produced in weights of 1/10 ounce, 1/4 ounce, 1/2 ounce and 1 ounce. The Mint began producing these in 1986, in accordance with the Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1985. The coins are guaranteed by the US government to contain the stated amount of gold and are required to contain gold sourced in America.

The obverse features a modern rendition of the Augustus Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle design that was first used in 1907. Coins struck from 1986 to 1991 are dated with Roman numerals. In 1992, the Mint switched to Arabic numerals. The reverse design of a family of eagles was created by Miley Frost and features a male eagle carrying an olive branch above a nest with a female eagle and hatchlings. In 2021, the reverse was updated to feature a close-up portrait of an eagle. The new design was created by Jennie Norris. These bullion coins are legal tender and carry face values of $5, $10, $25 and $50.

To read the complete article, see:
Jeff Garrett: American Gold Eagles (https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/14200/)

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ABOUT THIS ISSUE: JUNE 29, 2025

 

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