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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 can go to the following web page Subscribe You may Unsubscribe Here 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 October 29, 2025 Lang Kolbe-Fanning October 22, 2025

 

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 OCTOBER 19, 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 numismatic literature sales, five new books, three periodicals, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, notes from readers, and more.

Other topics this week include copper coin circulation in India, medallions, medallic artist Victor Huster, sample slabs, and World Food Day.

To learn more about Baron Von Steuben medals, Hobart's Denver Mint booklet, rounded edges, a new type of 1804 dollar replica, fixed price and auction offerings, the "Hunger Taler", numismatic "fossils", Siege Currency, and the El Salvador Zig-Zag test mark, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

CHARLES DAVIS NEW NUMISMATIC LITERATURE STOCK

Numismatic literature dealer Charlie Davis writes:

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LANG NUMISMATIC LITERATURE AUCTION 8 SELECTIONS

We would like to remind you of our upcoming 8th auction for numismatic literature, which will take place on October 29, 2025.

You can look forward to an extensive and diverse selection: in addition to a comprehensive library on ancient numismatics, you will find numerous well-preserved works from the Middle Ages and modern times, as well as extensive series of auction catalogues.

• Details:
• Date: October 29, 2025
• Location: Online at Auex.de
• Start: 4:00 p.m. (CET)

Please remember to register in good time to participate in the auction. You can find our current PDF catalog at the link below. You can also find it on Auex.de and on our homepage.

Take this opportunity to get an overview of the diverse range of items on offer and place your favorites as advance bids.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

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NEW BOOK: MONEY OF THE MASSES

Money of the Masses: Copper Coin Production and Circulation in India, 1500-1900
Jan Lucassen, Editor

Until very recently, the daily usage of coins by important parts of the population constituted an important indicator for the economic and social character of the society. Small denomination coins were produced and circulated primarily for the payment of wages, and of small purchases in market places and shops, where artisans and peasants offer their products. Frequent usage of small denomination coins thus allows us to characterise market societies as deeply monetised. This volume demonstrates that from the mid-sixteenth century Indian society was deeply monetized and in this respect it was not different from other major civilizations across Eurasia – from Western Europe via the West Asia to East Asia and back.

In order to reach these conclusions, a detailed study of the production of small denominations (mainly copper) is offered here, which will interest coin collectors and numismatists; next comes the circulation of this small change, important for monetary historians; and finally, the daily use, which points to social relations, their possibilities and restrictions, which is important for social and general historians. In addition, selections from contemporary archival records have been included in this volume which may serve as source material for future research.

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NEW BOOK: COINS, RICHES, AND LANDS

A collection of academic papers studying how coins, riches and lands were gained and distributed among the soldiers, warriors, and mercenaries in the Antiquity and Early Medieval times.

Land was the ideal store of wealth in the ancient Mediterranean world. It brought social respectability, and its possession allowed participation in the politics of the cities governed by landowning elites. Crucial defense of the interests of a given polity through armed services often involved the distribution of lands to laborers still not integrated in these societies. Mediterranean urban dynamics also involved paid labor and were always in need of short-contract manpower, including skilled soldiers and warriors. For short-time military services, lands were not always available so soldiers and warriors were paid with coins and riches.

Because of their superior development, urban economies in the Mediterranean were able to attract migrant paid labor. When returning home, the migrant warriors carried coins and riches that would enable them to maximize the return that a homecoming entailed. Although difficult to prove whether these men were paid in advance or when discharged, it is an important issue as it shows the strength of one contractor over another and helps to better understand the construction of statehood in ancient and early medieval times.

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NEW BOOK: PRO RE. FESTSCHRIFT FOR BERNHARD PROKISCH

The Austrian Research Society for Numismatics and the Society for Regional Studies and Monument Preservation of Upper Austria have joined forces to dedicate this Festschrift to Dr. Bernhard Prokisch on the occasion of his retirement. The title reflects one of the fundamental tenets of his professional and academic life—always PRO RE (always for the cause). The numerous and diverse contributions document his scholarly interests and work.

Teachers, companions, colleagues and students of the honoree gathered for the presentation and acknowledged Bernhard Prokisch's extensive work.

The book is now available from the Austrian Research Society for Numismatics.

CONTENTS

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NEW BOOK: MEDALLIONS: POLITICS AND GENEROSITY

Medallions: The Art of Politics and Generosity
By: Dumbarton Oaks

Medallions are among the most exquisite examples of Roman art from late antiquity surviving today. Distributed as gifts at imperial celebrations, they demonstrated an emperor's generosity at moments of personal, political, and military triumph. Their images and inscriptions acted as propaganda to bolster the imperial regime and advertise its strength, success, and virtue. They also show us what emperors thought people expected of them. For their recipients, medallions were a mark of social status and imperial favor. Displaying medallions received from the emperor asserted one's loyalty and place in the Roman hierarchy. As expressions of celebration and politics, favor and generosity, medallions offer us a glimpse of the intersection of art and empire at the end of the classical world.

Although they are neither medals nor coins, medallions share some features of both those objects. They were given out during great state celebrations against a backdrop of imperial pageantry. Medallions functioned as gifts, signifying imperial generosity, and as art, spreading state propaganda. Generosity was an important imperial trait, and gift giving was both a symbol of this quality and a chance to reward and bind power groups to the emperor and his family. Medallion designs, almost always featuring an imperial portrait on the obverse and a reference to an event, imperial virtue, or other family members on the reverse, were exquisite examples of the engraver's art designed to capture the majesty of the emperor's person and the benefits of his rule.

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NEW BOOK: VICTOR HUSTER CATALOGUE RAISONNE

Catalogue Raisonné 1972 to 2025
Edited By: Ursula Krauss

The catalogue raisonné comprehensively documents the work of medallist and mint master Victor Huster over more than five decades. It lists over 1,400 works and systematically records all catalogue numbers. The different stages of coin minting in particular invite closer inspection.

Each individual motif is described in detail – both obverse and reverse – including technical details such as dimensions, materials, minting process and mintage. Where possible, the illustrations are reproduced in their original diameter and convey an authentic impression of the works.

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PERIODICAL: ILNA DIGEST FALL 2025

Bruce writes:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Words from President: John Kent
• Bicentennial Silver Dollar: William Birk
• Bourse Chairman Report: Steve Harrison
• Secretary/Treasurer Report: Jim Ray
• The 1992 XXV Olympic Half Eagle : Kevin Dailey
• Affordable Proof Mercury Dimes?: Mark Benvenuto
• In Memoriam
• Treasurer Report
• Interview With Nate Leonauskas: Cam Scheirer
• Local Meetings
• Board Minutes
• Archived Article: Seated Liberty Dime
• Citizens Bank [Continued]: Lucas Alan
• Webmaster/Editor: Bruce Perdue
• Advertising & Merchandise
• Upcoming Shows

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PERIODICAL: LOVE LETTER JUNE-AUGUST 2025

CONTENTS

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PERIODICAL: SAMPLE SLAB UPDATE NEWSLETTER 44

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WORLD FOOD DAY

World Food Day, October 16

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. World Food Day is an international day celebrated every year worldwide on October 16 to commemorate the date of the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 1945.

The FAO launched what would become the FAO Money and Medals Programme (MMP) in 1968. FAO issued collector art medals in various series to bring attention to FAO's goals and missions. This program was responsible for over a hundred medal designs issued to the collecting public. Eric P. Newman collected these pieces and over time accumulated a thick file of related materials.

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VIDEO: MONEY SHOW OF THE SOUTHWEST

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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: OCTOBER 19, 2025

More on Carl Schwenker
Jim Sandy of the Greater Houston Coin Club writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
VIDEO: LOOKING AT A DOLLAR BILL (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n41a10.html)

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QUERY: HOBART'S DENVER MINT BOOKLET

Edwin L. Hobart's Denver Mint Booklet

According to a letter of July 10, 1914 Denver Mint Watchman E[dwin] L. Hobart prepared a booklet describing mint processes. He intended to sell the booklet to mint visitors and had talked with the Superintendent's personal secretary about the booklets. No one told him that employees were prohibited from selling pamphlets or souvenirs at the mint. He had 1,000 copies printed plus an advertising flyer, and was preparing to sell booklets when he was advised to get permission from mint director George Roberts.

Hobart wrote to Roberts who replied to Denver Mint Superintendent Thomas Annear that he would grant Hobart permission to sell the booklet ––

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C5 COLONIAL GROUP HOLDS OCTOBER 2025 LUNCH

The gray heads had a meeting of C-5 (Colonial Coin and Currency Club of NJ and PA) on October 16, 2025, at the Town and Country Diner in Bordentown, NJ. In attendance from left to right around the table were: Leo Shane, Ray Williams, Bill Liatys, Wayne Shelby, Mike Brooks, John Louis, Don Hartman, Roger Siboni, and Roger Moore. After a brief period of exchanging condolences on our latest medical challenges, we moved on to showing interesting coins, etc.

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NOVEMBER 2025 WHITMAN BALTIMORE SHOW

Whitman Expos™ proudly announces the return of the Winter Coin Expo, taking place November 6–8, 2025, at the Baltimore Convention Center. Recognized as one of the leading coin and collectibles expos in North America, the Whitman Expos Winter Coin Expo consistently draws collectors, dealers, and enthusiasts from across the country for three exciting days of buying, selling, trading, and discovery.

Open to the public with free admission (photo ID required), the Expo offers a welcoming environment for seasoned collectors, families, and newcomers alike. From valuable rarities to everyday treasures, visitors will explore an unparalleled selection of coins, paper money, and collectibles guided by independent dealers and numismatic experts.

Auctions and Special Features

Stack's Bowers Galleries, the renowned numismatic dealer founded in 1933, and who held its first auction sale in October 1935, will display lots from their upcoming Showcase Auction, the Official Auction of Whitman Expos, as well as highlights from future sales. A newly discovered specimen of the 1804 dollar, the "King of American Coins" with a pre-sale estimate of $4-5 million, will be on view, along with other historic and valuable properties including:

• Two of the largest United States gold coins ever made, the famous Gold Rush-era $50 slug, and the rare octagonal 1915 $50 gold coin that commemorated it.
• The faceplate of a gold ingot from the California Gold Rush, salvaged from an 1857 shipwreck and whose original weight would have contained over $1 million worth of gold at today's prices.
• Historic Maryland paper money, including issues from local banks and the rare 1775 "Gunpowder" note that was Maryland's first Revolutionary money ever.
• Rare Maryland colonial coins struck in the 1600 and 1700s.
• Historic American medals, including a medal made in 1801 for presentation to Indian chiefs by Lewis and Clark and another given to a pilot who saved Antarctic explorers in 1935.
• An example of the first American silver dollar worth more than $3 million, and a very rare 1969-S Doubled Die Obverse cent found in a bag of cents, that is worth $20,000.

On Friday, November 7 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Dr. Fred Bart and Bianca Bart authors of United States Paper Money Errors, 5th Edition, will host a book signing at Booth #135. The newly revised and expanded reference—now in full color—includes more than 550 photos, detailed grading and pricing information, the Friedberg Numbering System™, rarity guides, and exclusive data on production errors within the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Copies will be available for purchase at the show.

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ANCIENT COINS DONATED TO UNIVERSITY

At the end of a talk for the American Numismatic Society on using coins in the classroom, History Assistant Professor Jane Sancinito made an appeal to collectors who find fakes mixed in with real coins they have bought at auction.

"Please remember your local universities," Sancinito said. "Many of us would love to have replicas that we could bring into classrooms and hand to students, because replicas are usually the right weight, they're the right size, and they have all the decoration of the originals."

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VOCABULARY TERM: ROUNDED EDGE

Rounded Edge. The edge of a medallic item without sharp corners forming an arc between the two sides. Small medals can be diestruck with such an edge, but generally these are turned on a lathe to remove the corner angles. Although the rounded edge is somewhat more pleasing to the eye, such edge treatment does make the medal more difficult to hold and handle with human fingers. It should never be done on a medal larger than four-inch diameter. See edge, polished edge.

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A NEW TYPE OF 1804 DOLLAR

I ended my article last week with a list of terms for the 1804 dollars. This week I will propose a new term.

Three items sold on eBay last week that got my attention. They were listed under the title of "1804 UNITED STATES LIBERTY TRADE DOLLAR RARE SILVER COIN." The three listings used the same photos and same PCGS certification numbers. The PCGS type number is not valid. The serial number was assigned to an MS-69 Silver Eagle.

Two of these sold on October 8 with the third selling on October 9. Each sold for $9.99 which is probably a fair price considering the cost of production in China. If it was silver, the melt value would be around $45.

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TREASURE TALK WITH BOB EVANS, EPISODE 8

Almost all the SSCA gold was stained, encrusted, or even enclosed with rust and limestone. These minerals were stable only where they formed, at the bottom of the ocean. Once brought into different conditions at the surface they became unstable and began to flake and spall off gold coins and ingots in unattractive ways.

So, the decision was made to remove all the unstable minerals obscuring the beautiful gold, except in a very few instances. This also allowed the coins to be third-party graded and encapsulated, and for the ingots to be handled without a rusty mess ending up on the handlers' skin and clothing.

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NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: OCTOBER 19, 2025

102717 | NETHERLANDS. Amsterdam. Surgeon's Guild cast brass Toegangspenning (Admission Token). Issued 1654, and used for the passing of the surgeon's exam/admission to the medicinal garden (45mm, 29.30 g, 12h). Skeleton (Grim Reaper) standing facing, holding scythe and resting hand upon hourglass on base to right; flowers at feet // Civic coat-of-arms of Amsterdam; below, field left blank for engraving; all set upon decorative cartouche, with skull at the bottom. Edge: Plain. Koning p. 46, 6.2; Dirks I.5.7; cf. Brettauer 5198. About Uncirculated. Brassy-olive surfaces, with a few stains noted near the rims. A rare and interesting medicina in nummis type. Compare to a similar example (also unengraved) that realized a total of $2,640 in the Stack's Bowers October 2021 CCO (lot 72539). $1,965.

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STACK'S BOWERS: LATIN AMERICAN COINS

MEXICO. 8 Escudos, 1760-Mo MM. Mexico City Mint. Charles III. NGC AU-55. Fr-25; KM-153; Onza-740 ("muy rara"). Two-year type. The first year of Charles III coinage, designed with the order around Charles III's neck extending below his bust. Attractive throughout, this piece shows centers that are evenly presented and sharp legends that are accompanied by dappled copper-orange tone in places. Very few individually mentionable marks appear for the grade. Altogether, far exceeding most seen, with its second-finest-graded status further validating the quality.

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HERITAGE: MEDALS AND TOKENS SHOWCASE

Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Anton Ulrich silver "Elisabeth Christine - Journey to Spain" 1707-Dated AU53 NGC, Brockmann-360. Diademed bust of Elisabeth Christine right // Three-mast ship sailing out to sea, with horse and EC monogram at stern. NGC Top Pop.

Elisabeth Christine, granddaughter of Anton Ulrich, was engaged to the future Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, from the age of 13. Her travel to Spain was intended as the date inscribed, though was delayed until the following year. They wed in August 1709, in the midst of the War of Spanish Succession. Charles VI would be crowned Emperor in 1711, and Elisabeth Christine would prove the longest serving Holy Roman Empress. She would become the mother of Empress Maria Theresa, and grandmother to Marie Antoinette, and two Holy Roman Emperors, Joseph II and Leopold II.

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WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: OCTOBER 19, 2025

I left the house about 7am Wednesday and pointed my car toward Pittsburgh, where I would attend the Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists (PAN) show on Thursday and Friday. Wednesday was a travel and fun day. After arriving in Monroeville, having some lunch and checking onto my hotel, I decided to get in a walk before meeting my sister for dinner.

I hadn't planned this, but something told me to go to an old stomping ground - North Park, where I walked a five-mile trail around the lake like I'd done in my younger days living in Pittsburgh. It was a beautiful fall day and I took this photo shortly after setting out.

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THE EL SALVADOR ZIG-ZAG TEST MARK

Roberto writes:

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BUSINESSES ADJUST TO PENNY'S DEMISE

Earlier this year, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that it was winding down the production of the penny, which long ago began costing more to make than it's worth. Several Federal Reserve Bank sites around the country, which distribute the coins to banks and credit unions, have already stopped fulfilling orders for pennies.

This is putting some retailers in a bind, especially when customers don't have exact change for transactions that are not rounded to the nearest nickel.

This month, a consortium of retail groups, including the National Association of Convenience Stores and the National Grocers Association, wrote to members of Congress urging clear guidelines on how to proceed. The groups called for legislation to round transactions to make it easier to give exact change, and to facilitate check cashing at stores.

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2026 MADISON COUNTY COIN CLUB MEDAL

The Madison County Coin Club of Huntsville, Alabama, is issuing very special club medals to commemorate their 25th anniversary in 2026. The club has commissioned renowned engraver and artist Daniel Carr, proprietor of the Moonlight Mint of Loveland, Colorado, to produce the pieces. The medals' main motifs mimic Robert Scott's early 19th century coins featuring a draped bust obverse with heraldic eagle reverse. The medals have additional obverse and reverse inscriptions around the rim that read MADISON COUNTY COIN CLUB / HUNTSVILLE ALABAMA and EDUCATION * PUBLIC SERVICE * FELLOWSHIP / 2001-2026 25th ANNIVERSARY, respectively.

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SYRIAN BANKNOTES TO FEATURE BRAILLE

Hasriyeh said on Wednesday, October 15, that "in a long-overdue humanitarian step, we decided to include raised (embossed) printing on the new Syrian currency so that blind and visually impaired individuals can recognize denominations easily and independently," adding that the issue has personally concerned him as a "citizen" who cares about inclusion and the rights of persons with disabilities.

Qabawat: Braille on currency is a humanitarian demand

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FUN 2004 FIREFIGHTERS EVERYDAY HEROES NOTES

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STAMP COLLECTION KERFUFFLE

A Floridian widow is demanding that a Manhattan auction house return her husband's stamp collection, which is reportedly worth up to $2 million.

Shelley Entner wants the collection back because she claims some stamps are missing.

Her late husband, Stanley Marks, started collecting stamps in 1937, when he was just 16 years old, the New York Post reports. He continued amassing the stamps until his death in 2016 at the age of 89. The collection was then turned over to Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, which describes itself as the "world's leading auctioneer of US and worldwide stamps" on its website.

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THE BIBLIOMANIA

Dr. Alois Pichler was almost always surrounded by books. In 1869, Pichler, originally from Bavaria, became the so-called "extraordinary librarian" of the Imperial Public Library in St. Petersburg, Russia, a prestigious position that gave him a salary three times higher than the average librarian: 3,000 rubles.

While many librarians have a deep appreciation for books, Pichler was afflicted with a specific irrepressible illness. A few months after Pichler took his position at the library, the staff discovered that an alarming number of books were disappearing from the collection. They suspected theft. Guards noticed that Pichler had been acting strangely—dropping books by the exit and hurriedly returning them to the shelves, refusing to remove his large overcoat, leaving the library several times within a day—and started paying close attention to him.

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FEATURED WEBSITE: CASH IS FREEDOM

This week's Featured Website is CashIsFreedom.uk, passed along by Kavan Ratnatunga.

https://www.cashisfreedom.uk/

ABOUT THIS ISSUE: OCTOBER 19, 2025

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