Ms. Spurrier's video about the Nova Constellatio series was just wonderful. I hope she decides to pursue, at least as a sidelight, production of other numismatic themed videos. She is very talented and her production work on the video was outstanding.

I read Dale Seppa's remembrance of Holland Wallace with great appreciation. There are a few Whitman "old-timers" (from the 1950s and 1960s) still with us, and it's interesting to hear their recollections and stories. It's a significant loss to the hobby when one passes away.

There's something that needs correction or clarification in Dale's commentary, though. He says that "After the sale of Whitman to Western Publishing Holland moved to California and became a dealer specialized in Latin American coins." Whitman was never sold to Western Publishing. It was a subsidiary of Western Printing & Lithographing Company (later called Western Publishing Company) since it was formed in 1916. (Western was sold to Mattel in 1982, but Dale's narrative places Holland Wallace's leaving the company at some time pre - July 1980.)

Sorry to say that I have no recollection of precisely when Holland left Whitman. I'm pretty sure it was in the late 1970's, probably around 1978.

While threatening a crank like Paine or Thomas Spence with hanging was no crime, it would have been treasonous to suggest such a thing for King, royalty in general and the high ranking government officials. The token skirts awfully close to the edge of the law, but since it does not name Pitt there would have likely been enough wiggle room if anyone bothered to prosecute the matter. What is interesting though is that on the obverse are conjoined faces of a demon on one side and an unnamed man on the other -- the human in the pair may well be a portrait of Pitt - a slightly later engraving is attached.

The piece is listed by Dalton & Hamer as their Middlesex 1092. The "Even Fellows" obverse comes with 8 different reverse dies (including one that depicts two other busts -- this time King George III and an ass, which are labelled "Odd Fellows") and was clearly something made for collectors of the day as most exist in nice condition today.

I have two of the 2018-S silver ones and plan to visit Block Island. I have visited Cumberland Island (GA) by boat and it's beautiful too. I am a fisherman from Maryland...and part time numismatist.

LOVE the Oklahoma State Quarter bit! Almost as good as finding the devil in Queen Elizabeth’s hair.

Here is a picture of me with some of the collectors attending the Sunday morning collectors’ meeting at the Art Museum in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) on November 18, 2018. It is good to be back with old friends for the next 45 days.

This morning's collectors’ meeting did not happen at 9AM at the Fine Arts Museum at 97A D Pho Duc Chinh, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam because of a typhoon. The eye of the storm came within 14 miles of the city center. We were in our Sedona Suites serviced apartment on the 32nd floor and watched it hit the city. There was a ton of rain and it is still sprinkling this Monday morning. If a philatelist or numismatist is visiting Ho Chi Minh City on a Sunday morning, they are very welcome to attend the meeting. Walk through the main gate and then left about 100 feet to a café. Just before the café are some outside tables and chairs and the collectors will be there until about noon.

This is amusing. While the coin may or may not be based on the famous photo of Buzz Aldrin on Apollo 11, the image being used for the packaging is not from Apollo 11, but from Apollo 15! There are no mountains on the Sea of Tranquility which is why they landed 11 there. For 15 they got more daring. But the guy saluting is Jim Irwin, eighth man on the moon; the photo was taken near the end of the second extravehicular activity (EVA) on August 1, 1972.