I wanted to let you know how much I enjoy The E-Sylum. It is ALWAYS a great read, and it actually inspired me to join NBS. I've made some great additions to my library based upon articles in The E-Sylum and The Asylum, and I am putting up an exhibit at the ANA next month which itself was directly inspired by what I've learned through my membership in NBS, and it includes some of the books I've acquired due to E-Sylum and The Asylum. So thank you for all that.

Regarding the metal detector find of the four George Washington buttons - there are several errors and/or misconceptions in the article. While the buttons are obviously genuine, having the Dept. of the Interior "authenticate" them is meaningless. You might as well have them authenticated by your auto mechanic.

Also, the value quoted of $7500 each is ridiculous. I presently have a beautiful example for sale at under $5000. The value of an average "nice" condition dug piece is more like $1500.

Finally, the comment that one of these buttons would cost six months salary for an average person back in 1789 is patently silly. An unskilled laborer averaged around 40 cents a day, say $125-150 a year. Skilled labor and artisans made double that amount, and teachers were in the range of $400 a year. While I don't know the cost of one of these buttons at the time, I would guess that they were no more than a dollar or two.

I agree totally with Rex's comments on the value of these GW Inaugural buttons. They are actually quite common with multi-hundreds known. They often come up for sale or auction.

There are also highly deceptive spark erosion-produced forgeries known. Even the experts can be momentarily fooled. I was one.

Alan Weinberg and I discussed the engraved San Francisco Vigilance Committee medal, and we both agree that it's a worthless fantasy.

The Vigilance Committee issued membership certificates in 1851, but no medals. The engraved 1851 medals are fantasies and have been around for some time now. Engraved gold medals were made for San Francisco alderman and one of these is on the Newman site. Michael Wehner (an avid collector of the 1856 medals) and I have an article slated for the December issue of The Numismatist that deals in part with the Committee of Vigilance medal and an 1861 Civil War political medal issued in San Francisco.

Reports on the demise of the John S. Davenport library have been greatly exaggerated. While some of his books kept in an outside storage shed did perish, many others survived in excellent condition and were sold in Kolbe Sale 87, March 22, 2002. Comprising lots 767 to 1070, the consignment was billed as “The John S. Davenport Library & Numismatic Research Archives.” Many featured Dr. Davenport’s bookplate and a number were inscribed to him and/or were signed by him.

Highlights included a set of Brause-Mansfeld’s classic work on siege coins; Lyman Low’s interleaved and annotated 1878 Fonrobert collection catalogue of South American coins and medals; Madai’s famous 1765–1774 “Thaler Cabinet”; a set of Tentzel on “Saxonia Numismatica”; and numerous other 18th and 19th century classics. Over two dozen numismatic publications written by and belonging to Davenport were featured in the library. A number were interleaved, many were extra-illustrated by Davenport, and a goodly number were greatly enhanced by his annotations.

Additionally, Davenport’s photographic archives were sold as a single lot, comprised of “tens of thousands” of illustrations of European crowns and talers, and various other world coins.

In that vein, years ago I traveled to Tampa, Florida, to buy a library potentially worth tens of thousands of dollars. I bought barely enough to pay for the trip, and a number of the books I purchased only marginally passed the smell test. Most of the books had been subjected to extreme heat, humidity, and insects. It was depressing to see wonderful classic numismatic works mouldering away.

In contrast, when I purchased the library of Thomas Faistauer in Cambuquira, Brazil, the books were kept in his temperature and humidity controlled home and were generally in excellent condition.

The San Bernardino Mountains may be a bit off the beaten path but Crestline is an extremely good place for books.

I’ve written a dozen articles about the Semiotics of Celtic Coins in Britain. Several of the articles talk specifically about the Dobunnic emblem.

It’s too easy to look at the abstract images and see anything you want to see - like looking at clouds and seeing bunnies.

Celtic coins, as any others, carry crafted messages from rulers to the people. Expect complexity - the subject of interpretation requires an approach to match.

All the articles are on my website (Homepage/Numismatic Articles on the vertical Navbar). They can also be found in the list of Semiotics articles in the catalog (Background/Semiotics on the horizontal Navbar).

Although the articles are tailored to the British Celtic series, the underpinnings lie in the work of Umberto Eco. The principles involved are applicable to any kind of numismatic imagery.

The Bibliography, now over 125 pages long, can be found in the catalog under (Appendices/Bibliography on the horizontal Navbar). It includes much of what has been written on the subject of British Celtic numismatics

It was a treat to again see the 1806 O-108 half dollar in The E-Sylum. I was delighted when it came across my desk for attribution and grading by NGC, and I had it photographed prior to encapsulation. This rare coin is now a star at NGC's VarietyPlus website.

I have some of the Morgans housed in mint boxes, I will dig up some info. My recollection is the coins were on display at the Old San Francisco Mint, and when the display came down they sold the coins. There were a few hundred of them. The mint sent letters to some subscribers to see if they wanted them. I think this was in the mid-1990’s.

I like the description of the John Ward Dunsmore "Washington Inspecting" painting: "As history, however, the painting is pure bunk, depicting, as it does, a group of people who mostly never visited the Mint, attending a ceremony that never occurred, all set in a Mint building that did not exist in 1792." This historical inaccuracy didn't seem to bother the Mint too much as they used that work on the U.S. Mint Bicentennial Medal issued in 1992. I recently sold an example of this medal on eBay still in the sealed plastic protection; stuffed in the box of issue was the Mint press release concerning this medal.

If I remember correctly, this society was the precursor for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The United States Agricultural Society was founded during a convention. Twelve different states in the country had agricultural societies. They decided to become one unit, creating the USAS. It was the started at time when there was no Department of Agriculture in the United States government, before Abraham Lincoln established an independent Department of Agriculture... The Society held its annual meeting in Washington DC and held exhibitions in other cities in the United States. It was powerful body with the ability to influence Congress and was able to influence the Congress to bring in enactments the Land Grants Act and creation of Department of Agriculture in 1862 can be attributed to it.

I am not certain if one wants this magician coming into a coin show. Dealer stock could disappear and the crowd would love it: