Volume 21, Number 33, August 19, 2018
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Click here to access the complete archive Click here to unsubscribe (scroll down) To comment or submit articles, reply to whomren@gmail.com 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 AUGUST 19, 2018New subscribers this week include: Jeff Nelson, courtesy of Jim Contursi; Mike Barry, David Hoover, Joe Lang, Lee Minshull, Jim Paicz, Arthur Stephen Patrick, and Maryna Syntsya. Welcome aboard! We now have 5,786 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 (but let me know if they are located in the European Union). Contact me at whomren@gmail.com anytime regarding your subscription, or questions, comments or suggestions about our content. This week we open with convention musings from the NBS President, a hardcover catalogue offer, a future library sale, three new books, one excerpt and three reviews. Other topics this week include research into early silver coins of the U.S. Mint, the Pennsylvania First Defenders medal, the discovery specimen of the 1943 bronze cent, computer engraving, new U.S. coin designs, and Georgia currency. To learn more about American financial history, Charlton numismatic literature, Peace medals, Don Bailey, laws on defacing banknotes, jigsaw puzzle coin designs, the 5 Cent Forage and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, read on. Have a great week, everyone! Wayne Homren NBS PRESIDENT TOM HARRISON'S CONVENTION MUSINGSNBS President Tom Harrison submitted this note about the recently concluded American Numismatic Association World's Fair of Money. -Editor I want to share a couple of random thoughts and observations from the just completed Numismatic Bibliomania Society events at the ANA Convention in Philadelphia. This year we had over twice the number of donors to the NBS benefit auction as compared to 2017. There was an amazing variety of quality lots that sparked spirited bidding on many items. These donors, combined with twenty enthusiast bidders, raised over $9000 for the NBS!! This year we renewed our tradition of hosting a club table. The table provided an opportunity for literature enthusiasts to meet, enjoy a marvelous Chapman Brothers M.A. Brown Sale display, view Friday's auction items and purchase NBS souvenir mugs. I'd like to thank those who manned the NBS table and encouraged new members to join the club. This was another example of NBS members freely giving of their precious time to benefit the mission of the NBS. I sincerely appreciate each member's contribution to a great week of NBS fun and fellowship. ADAMS NUMISMATIC LIBRARY SALE HARDCOVER EDITIONSNumismatic booksellers Kolbe & Fanning are offering hardcover versions of the catalog of their recent sale of highlights from the John W. Adams Numismatic library. -Editor Kolbe & Fanning will be producing hardcover editions of the amazing John W. Adams Numismatic Library Sale. We will be producing a maximum of ten Deluxe Editions of the sale available for pre-order for $400 per copy. We are offering our regular hardcovers for a special pre-order price of $60. Copies sold after pre-orders close will be available for $75 through our website. Subscribers to
Kolbe & Fanning hardcovers will receive this edition for the regular subscriber price of $50. For more information, or to order, see: HOLABIRD OFFERS MINING AND FINANCE LIBRARYFred Holabird submitted this announcement of his upcoming sale of a landmark library of material on American Mining and Finance. -Editor Important American Mining and Finance Library Holabird's Western Americana announces the sale of one of the great private research libraries. This original source material library centers on several key and important categories: 1. American Mining History. Covers all facets of antiquarian mining in America, from c1770 to c1950. The library covers almost every American mining rush, from Maine and Newfoundland westward to California. 2. American Financial History. c1770-1945, including a number of early American key and important series where few are known today, c1780-1850 3. The History of Assaying and Metallurgy, as well as early mining history. Contains many exceptional rarities and early works back to c 1600. Includes: first English translation of Pliny, Agricola, both Pettus, etc. 4. History of Precious Metals, including numismatics. 5. American Directories. These are critical reference works to determine backgrounds of American businessmen. The collection numbers approximately 350 different directories, many used in the owner's published works. They center around the decade or two prior to the California gold rush period and beyond. Includes an important huge string of New York City directories, nearly impossible to replicate today. 6. Railroad history. From Poor's volumes to the volumes on Railroad Officers, etc. The contents of the library are so rare that in many instances the only copy ever seen for sale over a span of approximately 40 years was purchased, regardless of condition. The library's owner always cared about content, and was not a "cover" book collector, caring more for the quality of the work contained and presented by the original authors. Others still have been professionally restored. Many are from the libraries of important historical financial figures or men of science. The library will be offered in several parts now through December through Holabird's auction sales. For more information, please contact Fred Holabird, 775 851-1859, or fredholabird@gmail.com To visit the Holabird Americana web site, see: NEW BOOK: CHARLTON NUMISMATIC LITERATUREAlan Roy has published a useful 20-page free checklist of Charlton publications. Thanks! -Editor I did a talk, an introduction to collecting Canadian numismatic literature, at the RCNA convention and wanted to give the audience something to take home with them. So I created a "Checklist of Charlton Numismatic Literature". I'm hoping this will provide interest in some to begin collecting the most popular series of coin catalogues published in Canada. If anybody has questions or corrections, I can be reached at alroy477@gmail.com Here's an overview from the publication's Introduction. -Editor The Charlton Catalogue has been the true "standard" for Canadian collectors for over sixty years. James E. Charlton, the proprietor of Canada Coin Exchange, began publishing a pamphlet listing the values of Canada's coins. He wasn't the first; New York dealer Wayte Raymond had already issued a price guide to Canada's decimal coins and tokens. But Charlton began publishing his catalogue yearly, and it was well received. Whitman Publishing of Racine, Wisconsin began printing Charlton's catalogue in 1960. Many collectors are now familiar with these blue hard cover catalogues. Whitman's distribution system increased sales. After the Charlton catalogue returned to Canada in 1971, Whitman decided to produce a competing reference called Coins of Canada, by James Haxby and Robert C. Willey. A boom in the coin market prompted Charlton Publishing to make changes to the Standard Catalogue. It was split into several separate volumes covering coins, bank notes, government paper money, and colonial tokens. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, they began publishing the Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins twice a year to document the quickly rising prices in the coin market. Since the 1990s, Charlton sought to expand its scope by publishing catalogues on Canadian Tire cash bonus coupons, die varieties, medals, communion tokens, trade dollars, and more. To download a free copy, see: THE BOOK BAZARRENEW BOOK: THE PILLAR COINAGEAuthor Brad Yonaka shared this press release for his new book on pillar coinage. Thanks! -Editor A Variety Guide to the Pillar Coinage of the Guatemala, Bogota, Lima, Potosi, and Santiago Mints 1751-1772 by Brad Yonaka In 1728 a royal decree from Philip V mandated the manufacture of machine-struck coins in the Spanish colonial mints. However, the mints of Guatemala, Santa Fe de Bogota, Lima, Potosi, and Santiago were only able to fully comply, at the earliest, over twenty years later. The coins were dubbed pillars or ‘columnarios' due to the prominent rendition of the Pillars of Hercules flanking globes symbolizing the Old and New Worlds, united under the Spanish banner. They, along with nearly identical coinage already being produced in Mexico City, quickly became an international currency, trusted and traded around the world. This book, self-published in August 2018, is a detailed variety guide for all denominations (half, one, two, four, and eight reales) of the pillar issues from the mints of Guatemala, Santa Fe de Bogotá, Lima, Potosi, and Santiago. It is essentially a companion volume to a previous offering by the author entitled "A Variety Guide to the Fractional Pillar Coinage of Mexico City, 1732-1771". As such the layout is quite similar. The targeted audience is the collector of Spanish colonial coinage, and presumes the reader has a basic knowledge of 18th century minting processes. It draws from a database of nearly 4000 high resolution coin images gathered over a period of eleven years from online auctions and photographs of private collections. It has been over a decade since the last published accounting of die varieties for these series, and since that time, a significant number of previously unlisted design variations have been recorded by the author. Additionally, some speculative variety types and dates listed but unproven in past research are refuted by lack of current evidence, to the end of simplifying the task of the ardent variety collector. With over 550 black and white photos of full coins and close-ups of variety details, this book strives to provide collectors with the most descriptive tools possible in pursuit of this famous coin type, from the relatively abundant eight reales issues of Lima to the ultra-rare minors of Santa Fe de Bogota and Santiago. Full cross references to previous catalog numbers (if they exist) are given for each entry. The book also contains descriptive and historical information on the various mints, estimated rarities (based on the author's extensive auction database and comprehensive die pairing study), and pricing guide based on recent auction results. Price: $36, add $5 for shipping within USA. Overseas shipping please inquire. Order by sending personal check to: Agorocu Consulting Inc. To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: NEW BOOK: WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL LIBRARIESGetting away from numismatics for a moment to focus just on books, there's a new one sure to delight the bibliophile. Here's the description from Amazon. See the last article in this issue for selected photos I found on the Colossal blog. -Editor From the mighty halls of ancient Alexandria to a camel bookmobile on the Kenyan-Somali border, human beings have had a long, enraptured relationship with libraries. Like no other concept and like no other space, the collection of knowledge, learning, and imagination offers a sense of infinite possibility. It's the unrivaled realm of discovery, where every faded manuscript or mighty clothbound tome might reveal a provocative new idea, a far-flung fantasy, an ancient belief, a religious conviction, or a whole new way of being in the world. In this new photographic journey, Massimo Listri travels to some of the oldest and finest libraries to reveal their architectural, historical, and imaginative wonder. Through great wooden doors, up spiraling staircases, and along exquisite, shelf-lined corridors, he leads us through outstanding private, public, educational, and monastic libraries, dating as far back as 766. Between them, these medieval, classical, baroque, rococo, and 19th-century institutions hold some of the most precious records of human thought and deed, inscribed and printed in manuscripts, volumes, papyrus scrolls, and incunabula. In each, Listri's poised images capture the library's unique atmosphere, as much as their most prized holdings and design details. Featured libraries include the papal collections of the Vatican Apostolic Library, Trinity College Library, home to the Book of Kells and Book of Durrow, and the priceless holdings of the Laurentian Library in Florence, the private library of the powerful House of Medici, designed by Michelangelo. With meticulous descriptions accompanying each featured library, we learn not only of the libraries' astonishing holdings – from which highlights are illustrated – but also of their often lively, turbulent, or controversial pasts. Like Altenburg Abbey in Austria, an outpost of imperial Catholicism repeatedly destroyed during the European wars of religion. Or the Franciscan monastery in Lima, Peru, with its horde of archival Inquisition documents. For more information, or to order, see: BOOK EXCERPT: A NATION OF DEADBEATSPablo Hoffman forwarded a post from the Delancey Place blog with an excerpt from the 2012 book A Nation of Deadbeats by Scott Reynolds Nelson. -Editor During the first years of the existence of the United States, its economy had been boosted by supplying the combatants in the Napoleonic Wars in Europe, supported by credit made available by the First Bank of the United States. That bank's charter ran from 1791 to 1811 and was not renewed because of opposition from Democrats. But in the waning years of that bank's life, its services had favored New England shipping merchants, who were largely Federalists, and those merchants were tied closely to British interests. In part because of those ties, they had opposed the coming War of 1812 with England. It was that divided loyalty that helped doom the Federalists as a viable political force: "Dissolving the Bank of the United States in 1811 was a crucial step toward war. Congress destroyed an efficient financial machine but also -- most assuredly -- a political one. Some Democrats believed that dissolution of the bank would finally prevent Britain from corrupting the American legislature. Federalists worried that the bank could no longer quiet the rumblings of a war with England. Whatever it meant, the destruction of the bank can be seen as the first shot in what Americans would call the War of 1812. To read the complete article, see: BOOK REVIEW: PEACE MEDALSBarry Tayman writes: Readers may enjoy this article which includes very nice comments about the Gilcrease book on Indian Peace medals. Barry forwarded an article by Smithsonian Secretary David J. Skorton reviewing "Five Books That Expand the Definition of Art". Thanks! Below is a link to an earlier E-Sylum article about the book which includes contributions from a number of our readers including Barry, John W. Adams, Skyler Liechty, Tony Lopez and the late George Fuld. -Editor Peace Medals: Negotiating Power in Early America by Robert B. Pickering Stebich's next selection tackles significant questions for many museum goers: what makes something a work of art and how do curators decide which objects have both aesthetic and historic resonance. Exhibition catalogues, says Stebich, are often "the only lasting element of something that is, by nature, temporary." Fortunately she's had the opportunity to see many museum shows across the country, including a 2011 exhibition, Peace Medals: Symbols of Influence and Prestige, at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that has a catalogue that discusses the changing nature of art. Drawn from the museum founder's personal trove of silver and brass coins, the Gilcrease exhibition explores the historical and meaning of peace medals exchanged between explorers and Native American leaders, objects that weren't necessarily categorized as art in their time, but take on artistic meaning in the present. Starting with European settlers and continuing on through the founding of the United States, white leaders issued their Native American counterparts a kind of peace medal" to curry favor and build diplomatic alliances. Whether historical artifact or works of art, peace medals are not without controversy. Worn around the recipient's neck, they often incorporate Native American imagery, representing a pledge of peace. "Through the catalogue, viewers can see how the imagery changed over time through various presidencies and how the medals were valued by the recipients and incorporate portraiture of Native Americans, giving a sense of status to the sitter," says Stebich. To read the complete article, see: I found another review online from AnthroSource, published by the American Anthropological Association. -Editor To read the AnthroSource review, see: To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: BOOK REVIEWS: TOKENS OF KOREARay Bows submitted these reviews of Patrick O'Donnell's two companion books of South Korean tokens. Thanks! -Editor and TOKENS OF KOREA by Patrick R. O'Donnell by M/Sgt Ray Bows, US Army (ret.) As a military token collector I find it a pleasure to review the books UNITED STATES MILITARY TOKENS OF KOREA ($29.99) and TOKENS OF KOREA ($8.95) by Patrick R. O'Donnell (Raleigh and Wilmington North Carolina), having begun my own quest into the history of military tokens at the age of 22, some fifty years ago, and having issued two catalogs on the subject on Vietnam military tokens myself. Actually, I spent more time in South Korea than I ever did in Vietnam. First in 1963 and 1964 when most South Koreans were still living in mud huts with thatched grass roofs, and US Army units were still adhering to Korean War regulations. I returned again for two more years in 1978 through 1980, and was there during the period when President Pak-Chung-Hui was assassinated. While the entire country was placed off-limits and citizens were restricted to their homes during President Pak's funeral, from my quarters I witnessed Pak's caisson and his interment procession cross the Han River Bridge to its final resting place. Yet, my understanding of the country of South Korea and my knowledge of South Korean military tokens pales in comparison to Patrick O'Donnell's knowledge of the history of the Korean peninsula and its inter-connection with South Korean exonumia. I first met Pat O'Donnell when a group of us, stationed in Seoul, formed the Korean/American Numismatic Association in 1980. It was then that Pat's enthusiasm and knowledge about the tokens used by the military in South Korea first impressed me. I knew back then, that to be a cataloger of military related monies, one must have a background in insignia and heraldry, military lineage, order of battle, and boots on the ground knowledge of the locations that issued such pieces. Pat was eminently qualified in all of those areas. I realized that the monumental undertaking that he had laid out as his goal would not be an easy one, but 37 years later his 270 pages of research in two 8 by 10 volumes rose to the task, and is certainly a labor of love. Well over 1,000 tokens are listed in his UNITED STATES MILITARY TOKENS OF KOREA (2017) while several hundreds more used by civilian franchises are cataloged in his TOKENS OF KOREA (2016). Clear, sharp, color photos are on every page of both of his catalogs, which are enhanced by his complete descriptions and explanations. Not only are slot machine tokens and credit checks cataloged, but so are challenge coins and U.S., allied, and unofficial medals. Pat doesn't leave the collector in the dark about prices, as he devotes five pages to listing accurate evaluations. Historical descriptions are also abundant. One such example is: K-10/Chinhae Air Base Pat O'Donnell's footnotes, convey important military facts, such as that of Red Sox legend Ted Williams and his participation as a fighter pilot during the Korea War, which is the type of information that Pat weaves into his catalog. The book's dedication to Pat's long time friend CWO Leonard R. Weitzel, US Army 1912-2006 is both stirring and noteworthy. Readers will see the two books appear as 100% complete and 99% accurate. When I mentioned what I perceived as one minor error, ASCOM standing for Army Service Command, I contacted Pat explaining that in 1963, I knew ASCOM as Area Support Command. He graciously came back to me with documentation proving me wrong, which simply proves that on the ground - even in the day, terminology could be incorrect. In the military, confusion could often be created by GIs when an error in designation was made and picked up by the next GI and carried forward. Pat didn't grope in the dark for answers to such quandaries, but rather went to the documented source in each case, which makes his catalog so perfect. I can't say enough virtuous things about Pat O'Donnell's cataloging skills, but I don't have to. The highest compliment anyone could give about the two catalogs came from long time South Vietnam military token enthusiast Kevin Malloy, Tracy, California, who kindly put me back in touch with Pat after many years. Kevin's words were, "My interests have always been in South Vietnam military tokens up until now. That has changed for me since seeing the two O'Donnell catalogs. I am now on a new quest to collect South Korean tokens and have Pat O'Donnell to thank for that. He has brought our Korean War legacy, and that which has happened since, into clear numismatic focus. Ray Bows is the author of IN HONOR AND MEMORY: INSTALLATIONS AND FACILITIES OF THE VIETNAM WAR. It is an 800 page hardbound book which lists and tells the stories of 3,600 locations named during the war in Vietnam. It is available by contacting Bows through his website bowsmilitarybooks.com , or by calling Ray at 386-566-2089. Ray adds: The books are easily available at amazon.com. The UNITED STATES MILITARY TOKENS OF KOREA has 215 pages, all color photos. and is priced at $29.95; TOKENS OF KOREA has 53 pages, all color, and is priced at $8.95. DON BAILEY (1933-2018)Lou Golino published an article August 15, 2018 on Coin Update with news of the death of numismatic author Don Bailey. Here's an excerpt. -Editor On August 10 the numismatic community lost one of its pioneers, Don Bailey, a prominent dealer and specialist in Mexican numismatics, who worked tirelessly to expand interest in this area of the hobby over the past half-century. Born and raised in Michigan, Don left the state during the Korean War to join the U.S. Marine Corps. When he retired from the Marines, he was living in Yuma, Arizona, a state that borders Mexico. It was in Arizona that Don began his love affair with Mexican coins and the history behind them. He began studying and writing about Mexican coins in the 1960s, writing articles that eventually appeared in every major numismatic publication as well as several award-winning books, including The Whitman Encyclopedia of Mexican Money – a multi-volume history of Mexican coinage since the pre-Columbian era that he wrote with his wife Lois. He also wrote several books on Mexican coinage and contributed to various world coin reference books such as the tandard Catalog of World Coins and Standard Catalog of Mexican Coins – both published by Krause Publications. Don was not only active in several numismatic associations and groups but also started the United States Mexican Numismatic Association in 1997 and another organization in the 1960s. To read the complete article, see: RESEARCHERS PUT EARLY SILVER COINS TO NEW TESTSNewman Numismatic Portal Project Coordinator Len Augsburger provided the following report about new research sponsored by the Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society (EPNNES). Thanks. -Editor Early U.S. Mint Research Sponsored by Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society Before and after pictures of a 1795 O-105 Half Dollar. The center piece in the after picture was sent for ICP-AES analysis. At the John Reich Collectors Society meeting held August 15 at the ANA convention in Philadelphia, researchers David Finkelstein and Chris Pilliod presented preliminary results on composition testing of United States 1794 and 1795 coinage. At issue was the question of whether David Rittenhouse, Mint Director, sanctioned the manufacture of silver coinage outside the legal standard. The Mint Act of 1792 mandated an 89.24% standard, but Albion Cox, the melter and refiner, recommended a 90% standard, as coinage with a higher proportion of copper tended to turn black. Interestingly, the annual assay tests of 1795 and 1796 (for coinage for 1794 and 1795, respectively) are unrecorded in the archives. Finkelstein and Pilliod noted the shortcomings of XRF (X-ray fluorescence) testing, which supplies data that is only "skin deep" – about ten microns below the surface. Instead, they arranged for ICP-AES (inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy) testing of cut coinage samples. Quoting from Wikipedia, ICP-AES "is an analytical technique used for the detection of chemical elements. It is a type of emission spectroscopy that uses the inductively coupled plasma to produce excited atoms and ions that emit electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths characteristic of a particular element. It is a flame technique with a flame temperature in a range from 6000 to 10000 K. The intensity of this emission is indicative of the concentration of the element within the sample." Pilliod and Finkelstein tested eight silver pieces (one 1794 half dollar and seven 1795 half dollars). Due to the value of the coins, low grade and problem pieces were selected for destructive testing. The 1794 was particularly worn, what Sheldon would have called "basal state," and was donated by the Terry Brand estate, which recently sold a large group of 1794 half dollars through Heritage Auctions. The Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society (EPNNES) sponsored the acquisition of other coins. Each piece was sliced into three sections and polished, resulting in small mirrorlike fragments that were then subjected to ICP-AES. Complete statistical analysis is not complete, but preliminary results suggest that, with a high degree of confidence, 1795 silver coinage was indeed struck to a higher standard than that required by law. Chris Pilliod and David Finkelstein will publish full results in due course, and we look forward to studying the complete findings. Mint Director David Rittenhouse was a careful, precise, and rigorous scientist, and, and David Finkelstein likes to say, "there are no coincidences" in numismatic research. NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: AUGUST 19, 2018Query: Library Program Suggestions Sought I am taking over the Illinois Numismatic Association Library project in September. Currently ILNA sends out numismatic books to about 75 of the over 600 libraries in Illinois each year. ILNA has been sending out a variety of books purchased from Whitman. We have an inventory of 72 2010 Blue books which are so out of date that I intend to give them away at our show in September. We also have a number of history books by year that are not numismatic at all and frankly I doubt that libraries would shelve them. I am looking for suggestions on how to make the program more effective/useful to libraries and their patrons. My hope is that some of the E-Sylum readers might have a good idea. I am considering sending a new Red Book annually to all 600 plus libraries or if that proves too costly send half of the list a new Red Book every other year. I have spoken to several different libraries in my area and am soliciting their ideas as well. Great project - I wish more state and local numismatic organizations had programs like this. What do readers think? My two cents would be to include some books with a numismatic connection to local history. If Civil War tokens were issued there, donate an old edition of the storecard book; if National Bank Notes were issued, include one of those books. Just be sure to point out the connections to the local librarians. Maybe they'll let you prepare a slip to be inserted inside - "Check here for items of local interest." -Editor For more information about the Illinois Numismatic Association (ILNA), see: Ordering Chinese Book Editions Jon Radel submitted these notes on how to order your very own copy of the Chinese edition of Collecting World Coins. -Editor If you want to acquire a copy of 克劳斯世界流通硬币大全 (1901至今), otherwise known as the Krause World Circulation Coin Encyclopedia (1901 to present), it's really not that difficult to just import your own copy. Otherwise known as: You really shouldn't underestimate what Amazon can do for you. It's been a bit, but I've had no issue with ordering books from amazon.cn in the past. Books are frequently relatively cheap, but the postage can more than make up for that. There are a few minor wrinkles, particularly if you don't read Chinese. Unlike the European Amazon sites, your US Amazon login is not recognized at amazon.cn, so you have to open a new account there. Also my experience has been that the Amazon Marketplace vendors generally (always?) won't ship to the US, so you can purchase directly from Amazon only. But the layout of the site is similar to that of all the other Amazon properties, so between that and using Google Translate (or just use their Chrome browser that has translation built in) I've never been more than mildly confused. It looks like there's even an "In English" button on the site that's new since the last time I ordered a book, though only parts of the site are available in translation. Start at https://www.amazon.cn/dp/B07CPJZ37D/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1534132118&sr=8-1&keywords=9787547836712 To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: Query: Niagara Falls on British Token David Pickup writes: This is a new mystery for readers! I attach photos of an aluminium token with Ridgway of Staffordshire 1905 on it. The other side is blank apart from circles. What is the connection between Niagara Falls and a British pottery company? Great question! Can anyone help with this? Here's what I'm thinking, but I have no idea if this is right. A web search found plates by Ridgway with a Niagara Falls pattern. Is this token advertising a line of dinnerware? -Editor To read the complete eBay lot description, see: Query: Striking Pressure For U.S. Coins In the last issue of The E-Sylum, it states: "It takes between 35 and 200 tonnes of pressure to strike coins and this varies with each coin denomination and if it is a proof coin or a circulation strike," according to the Australian Mint. In the 1970s and 1980s, the pressure in striking coins at the Royal Canadian Mint in Ottawa was between 200 tons and 300 tons when "mechanical" presses were in use. The exact tonnage depended on the denomination, size, metallic content and quality. This information was provided to me by the then Vice-President - Manufacturing. Since the U.S. Mints and the Canadian Mint used the same presses, this would also have applied in the U.S. I don't know what it is today, because the Royal Canadian Mint is very tight lipped about questions I keep asking. Their response is usually that it is "proprietary information" even though I have found details on the world's best, although not most accurate, encyclopedia known as the Internet. Does anyone know what it is today in the U.S.? Great question. Does anyone know? -Editor To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: Georgia Numismatic Association Exhibits Thank you so much for helping out with my exhibit at this year's GNA. The image of the Fulton Co-Op receipt (Atlanta Labor Exchange) you sent me from Eric Schena's collection was a great addition for my new Atlanta Labor Exchange Exhibit. It helped me secure 3rd place (large category, > 3 cases) which is great for a first time exhibit entry. I also got a first place (small category, <= 3 cases), and my kids snagged a 2nd and 3rd place in the Junior category... E-Sylum readers are always glad to help. Here are some photos Clay included, and for a look at Clay's Georgia paper money collection, see this week's Featured Web Site article. -Editor Clay and Youngest son at GNA awards dinner Left: Barrineau Family exhibit award plaques Right: Clay's oldest son with award plaque To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: THOUGHTS ON MICRO-ENGRAVED BANKNOTESRon Haller-Williams submitted these thoughts on the micro-engraved £5 and £10 banknotes. Thanks. -Editor I think it might be worth taking a close look at what is actually called the Currency and Banknotes Act 1928, specifically Section 12: 12 Penalty for defacing bank notes. The penalty was changed to 25 pounds by s.31(5) & (6) of the Criminal Law Act 1977, and to 200 pounds by s.37 and s.46(2) of the Criminal Justice Act 1982. So this is a very specific type of defacement, but something handwritten (e.g. slogans - or numbers representing how many notes are still in the group, as I remember used to be the habit of sellers) is NOT covered by this. And it could be argued that even machine engraving, or something "written" with a computer-driven plotter, is equally not covered by this, since it isn't "printing or stamping, or impressing by any like means", therefore not an offence (under THIS Act, at any rate). I AM NOT A LAWYER, but do I feel confident in stating this, even though the Bank of England claim, at "It is illegal to deface our banknotes, for example by printing or writing on them. This is an offence under the Currency and Banknotes Act 1928." with a link to the section of the Act, at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo5/18-19/13/section/12 This was reiterated by "a Bank of England spokeswoman" at "Under the Currency & Banknotes Act 1928 it is illegal to deface banknotes by printing, writing or impressing upon them words, letters or figures." https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1791046 has a variety of comments, some less authoritative than others: "... you often see money with bits of writing on them. I think there's a limit but a name or a few words is fine." "Bank clerks regularly write on piles of notes after counting a load off." "Have you never received a note with writing on it? Where the shop keeper has scribbled numbers, or names. I received a note before with a poem written on for Caroline..." "I work in a shop and I think nothing of taking notes that have been written on, and I think everyone (my managers included) would think I was a bit of an idiot if I attempted to refuse them." While checking this, I also found: A "Spocked" Canadian $5 at https://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/81372000/ jpg/_81372893_b_ivlqbu0aesbph.jpglarge.jpg and the rather interesting saga at https://fatprosemattrose.wordpress.com/tag/writing-on-money/ and too many more for this piece to hold. Of course, Robert Burns' "Lines Written on a Banknote" was done in 1786, long before any such Act! http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/robert-burns-lyrics/pdf/lines-written-on-a-banknote.pdfhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03zspxb http://www.robertburns.org/works/125.shtml Wae worth thy power, thou cursed leaf! As it says at "He had planned to flee his debts and abandon Jean Armour by going to the West Indies to oversee work on a plantation, and had actually recorded his feelings in Lines Written On A Banknote in 1786. Instead he went straight to Edinburgh, where he was hosted by all the gliterati and nobles of the time, including the Select Society of which he became a member." There is also a reasonable amount of useful info (including that it was a Bank of Scotland 1 guinea note) at By the way, I'd very much like to know it that banknote, or an image of it, survives! That would be amazing! Readers - is anyone aware of the existence of the Burns note? -Editor To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: ARTIST GRAHAM SHORT GOT BANK OF ENGLAND OK (http://www.coinbooks.org/v21/esylum_v21n32a30.html) THE BOOK BAZARRERegarding the Pennsylvania First Defenders medal, Gary Greenbaum writes: I would expect that Oliver Bosbyshell, Superintendent of the Philadelphia Mint from 1889 to 1894, was involved with the medal (struck on a double eagle), which was produced in 1891. He was one of the First Defenders, and was very active in the post-Civil War veteran organizations such as the Grand Army of the Republic. He also at one time sold a large collection of pattern coins accumulated during his earlier term as Chief Coiner, and knew which end of a coin was up, numismatically. At the very least, he'd be able to get his hands on an 1861 double eagle, and know who to approach among Philadelphia's private engravers and jewelers to have the work done. Thanks. Gary also provided this link to a Wikipedia article on Bosbyshell. -Editor Bosbyshell was born in Mississippi. His parents were of old Philadelphia stock, and he was raised in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. After briefly working on the railroad and then studying law, Bosbyshell enlisted in the Union cause on the outbreak of war. Following a brief period of service in the 25th Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment, he joined the 48th Pennsylvania, remaining in that regiment for three years. He saw action in such battles as Second Bull Run and Antietam. To read the complete article, see: To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: This press release from NGC concerns the discovery specimen of one of the top U.S. coin errors, the 1943 bronze cent. We discussed this piece last month; see the earlier E-Sylum articles for additional context. -Editor Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) has certified the most famous of all mint errors: the Don Lutes, Jr. Philadelphia 1943 Bronze Cent. This legendary coin was the first discovery of a 1943 bronze cent, which is considered by many to be the King of Mint Errors. The Lutes specimen is now graded NGC AU 53 BN and will be on display at the ANA World's Fair of Money in Philadelphia, August 14-17, 2018. All 1943 cents were supposed to have been struck on zinc-coated steel planchets to save precious copper for more critical wartime production needs. In prior years, cents were struck on planchets made of bronze (95% copper and 5% zinc). Before long, rumors circulated that Ford Motor Company would offer a new car in exchange for a copper penny dated 1943. This bit of whimsy had an unanticipated effect: in 1947, a newspaper reported that someone had indeed found a 1943 cent coined in bronze: 16-year-old Donald Lutes, Jr. of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Lutes, a coin collector himself, had found his example in change from the school cafeteria. While the numismatic community debated the merits of the Lutes report, the placement of another 1943 bronze cent at the 1958 ANA convention auction (this one discovered by Marvin Beyer sometime after the Lutes discovery) received nationwide attention. The interest only increased after Beyer pulled his coin from the sale at the last minute, which resulted in a lawsuit. This media attention prompted Lutes to seek confirmation of his coin's genuineness. He loaned it to prominent numismatic researcher and authenticator Walter Breen in 1959, and Breen declared unhesitatingly that the cent was real. Over the years since 1947 the legend of Lutes' 1943 bronze cent has only grown. It was never offered for sale, and the numismatic community was not able to see this amazing specimen until recently. Now elderly and living in a nursing home, Lutes has finally decided to pass on his prized discovery coin to a new owner: the coin, now certified by NGC, will be sold by Heritage Auctions. A lustrous and glossy brown, the Lutes Discovery Specimen is just faintly worn and is among the more attractive of the 17 Philadelphia 1943 bronze cents that have since been confirmed. The NGC certification label features the pedigree "Don Lutes, Jr. Discovery Specimen," preserving this coin's important place in numismatic history. "Like so many other young coin collectors growing up in the 1970s, there was always the dream of finding a 1943 copper cent," said David J. Camire, NGC Grading Finalizer and a mint error expert. "This coin, for me, is certainly the 'Holy Grail' of mint errors. Rarely today does a discovery piece come to market, after all these years, still in the possession of the original owner. A 'dream coin' to many, soon someone will become only the second owner of this legendary rarity." To read the complete article, see: To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: BEARDLESS BREEN ON RADIO WITH 1943 BRONZE CENT (http://www.coinbooks.org/v21/esylum_v21n30a08.html) Dick Johnson submitted this entry from his Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Terminology. Thanks. -Editor Hired in 2005, Joseph Menna was the first artist employed by the U.S. Mint as a computer specialist for its engraving staff. Computer Engraving. Creating an image in varying depths digitally on a computer which establishes the controls for the milling of these depths in a die or hub. While computer engraving is a new tool in the hands of the coin and medal engraver the computer will not design a coin or medal. But like a burin in the hand of the engraver, it will aid the engraver to enter the design in MODULATED RELIEF by determining the amount of depth each point should cut into the die or matrix. Mints and medalmakers around the world were eager to accept the new technology, the most recent step in replacing the tedious act of hand engraving dies, as old as coins themselves. The advantages of computer engraving is not only "fast and cheap" but also its versatility to alter a design, to modify it, to test a new concept, to hone the relief to a satisfactory image. As such it is ideal for quickly developing a design in contrast to previous "clay and plaster" technology. Computer engraving language. Like any specialized methodology, engraving by computers has its own terminology. While sculptors create three dimensional relief design by carving and modeling computer engravers design with X, Y, and Z coordinates. The term for computer relief, as well as this class of engraved dies, is called "3D" for the rise and fall of the modulated design in three dimensions. New terms describe similar previous methods. What the hand engraver or modeler called PROVING the computer artist, for example, calls digital elevation model (DEM). Here are the most used digital terms. Computer Engraving Terms 2D – Two dimension, FLAT ENGRAVING Computer engraving technique.The computer engraver starts with a scan of a flat drawing, a CARTOON, or creates this on the screen. At each point on the two-dimensional design, called a pixel, X and Y coordinates are determined by the computer. The operator chooses the depth at this point, the Z coordinate. This fixes the sculptural or dimensional effect, the depth of the relief – to form the height in the die – the depth of the Z coordinate. An individual move to lower this point is called a "hammer blow." All three coordinates for that point are stored in the software, forming a bitmap. A visual image is shown on the screen of the CPR at all times. The operator moves through the design creating the modulated relief using a special tool, a touch-probe digitizer. A rapid phototype (RP) image can be obtained at any time. The finished and approved design fixed in the software will then be transferred to a milling machine which does the cutting as controlled by the digital file. Afterwards, burrs and rough corners from the milling tool must be worked as with any other TOUCHUP of dies. Status. Not all sculptor modellers have embraced the new computer engraving technology. Perhaps like the reaction of hand engravers to machine engravers when these were introduced in previous years, it took time to prove a new technology. Critics of computer engraving cite three shortcomings: micro modelling with the computer, portrait realism, and crispness of detail. Modellers in clay or wax can apply larger areas of a design at one time, while computer modelling is limited to a single point. Critics say computer generated portraits are stiff, frozen and lifeless. They would still prefer sculptors working in clay or wax to vivify a portrait making it more realistic and lifelike. In art vivify means "give life to." Since most viewers prefer highly detailed designs with sharp edge relief, this can be obtained in both old and new methods, However it requires repeated cutting a second or third time with finer cutting points in the milling operation, somewhat more difficult with the new method. Both technologies, however, have their place in the field and will continue to be employed in the minting industry. But most important it can be said: just as the old
technology did not replace the artist, neither will the new. Looking for the meaning of a numismatic word, or the description of a term? Try the Newman Numismatic Portal's Numismatic Dictionary at: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/dictionaryOr if you would like a printed copy of the complete Encyclopedia, it is available. There are 1,854 terms, on 678 pages, in The Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Technology. Even running two a week would require more than 19 years to publish them all. If you would like an advance draft of this vital reference work it may be obtained from the author for your check of $50 sent postpaid. Dick Johnson, 139 Thompson Drive, Torrington, CT 06790. TRUMAN BISHOP DISNEY (1829-1884)John Lupia submitted the following information from the online draft of his book of numismatic biographies for this week's installment of his series.
Thanks! As always, this is an excerpt with the full article and bibliography available online. This week's subject is Cincinnati coin collector Truman Disney. -Editor
Truman Bishop Disney (1829-1884), was born on April 29, 1829, son of William Disney (1781-1850), and Julia Flint Thatcher (1782-1831), at Cincinnati, Ohio. In the Williams Cincinnati City Directory of 1853 he is listed as a commercial merchant and partner in E. B. Townsend & Company with B. T. Edmund, 18 West Front Street, Cincinnati. In 1856, he married Laura Rebecca Tift (1833-1921). They had two children : a daughter Cora Thatcher Disney (1857-1873), and a son William Bishop Disney (1859-1890). From 1859-1884, he served as the Clerk and Collector of the Board of Directors of the University of Cincinnati. Disney was one of Cincinnati's well noted coin collectors and is listed in the Centennial History of Cincinnati. There are several pieces of correspondence between Disney and the Chapman Brothers in the Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, The Chapman Family Correspondence Archive. He suffered a protracted illness and died on August 24, 1884, at Cincinnati. He is buried in Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio. To read the complete article, see: The entire inventory of the Lupia Numismatic Library is for sale. Individual items will be available before the remaining archives are broken up into parcels sold at philatelic auctions in the U. S. and Hong Kong. Check NumismaticMall.com frequently as dozens of new items with estimates will be posted daily until everything is sold.All inquiries will be given prompt and courteous attention. Write to: john@numismaticmall.com .The Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) issued this press release on their 2018 annual awards banquet. Congratulations to the award winners! -Editor President of Donn Pearlman & Associates in Las Vegas, Nevada, he has helped generate positive national and international headlines about the hobby and profession for almost five decades. A collector since the age of eight, Pearlman serves as the PNG's publicist and is a former member of the American Numismatic Association Board of Governors. Here are the other 2018 PNG awards and winners announced at the banquet. The Robert Friedberg Award for an outstanding book or other literature was presented to author Don C. Kelly for Obsolete Paper Money – A Guide With Prices, published by The Paper Money Institute, LLC, Oxford, Ohio, 2018. The Sol Kaplan Award, which recognizes efforts and contributions in combatting crimes against the numismatic community and is jointly presented by the PNG and the Lewis M. Reagan Foundation, was given to Richard Weaver of Delaware Valley Rare Coin in Broomall, Pennsylvania. Weaver's crucial work with the Industry Council for Tangible Assets' Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force, Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led to the successful apprehension of a suspect in New Jersey who was allegedly involved in the illegal importation and sale of counterfeit coins and ingots as well as counterfeit certification service holders. It is estimated that if the now confiscated items had been sold to unsuspecting retail customers they would have had a value of more than $48 million. Terranova and McFadden Accepting Awards ICTA Executive Director Kathy McFadden received the Significant Contribution Award. It is given to those who have made exceptional, beneficial efforts over the years on behalf of PNG and the profession and added to the hobby. McFadden is a national leader in seeking fair legislative and regulatory authority in the marketplace as well as in the fight against counterfeits. Anthony Terranova of New York received the Art Kagin Ambassador Award. This award is named after a former PNG President who provided distinguished service as an advocate of numismatic goodwill. Charles "Charlie" Browne of New Hampshire, who passed away in May, was posthumously honored with the Abe Kosoff Founders Award. The Kosoff Award is presented to a PNG member-dealer with steadfast dedication to the entire numismatic community and who has made a significant contribution to the Guild or to the numismatic fraternity. Seven veteran dealers were recognized for 25 years of membership in the PNG: Kathleen Duncan; Richard K. Duncan, Sr.; Michael Fuljenz; Todd Imhof; Dwight Manley; Maurice Rosen; and Glenn Schinke. To visit the PNG web site, see: The U.S. Mint published this press release August 14, 2018 announcing the 2019 America the Beautiful Quarter designs. I added images from the Mint web site. -Editor Designers in the Mint's Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) created the new designs which will be displayed on the reverse (tails side) of quarters honoring Lowell National Historical Park (Massachusetts), American Memorial Park (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), War in the Pacific National Historical Park (Guam), San Antonio Missions National Historical Park (Texas), and Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness (Idaho). The designs were sculpted by the Mint's Sculptor-Engravers. Lowell National Historical Park
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