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 APRIL 14, 2019

New subscribers this week include: George Stand, and the following members of Sociedad Numismática de Monterrey, courtesy of Adrián González-Salinas: Raúl Martínez, Raúl I. Montalvo, Héctor Elizondo, Luis Flores, Hugo Garza, Pedro Cárdenas, Juan José de los Santos, and Salvador Arteaga-Garza. Welcome aboard! We now have 5,928 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.

As John Lupia reminded me, today is the 154th anniversary of Lincoln's assassination. This week we open with highlights from Kolbe & Fanning's 152nd sale, five new books, a new periodical issue, and newsletters from the U.S. Mint.

Other topics this week include Lindbergh's aviation medals, Cambodia's numismatic museum, 19th century collector Pierre Flandin, Del Bland, Clyde Hubbard, Christian Hartch, the 1923-D double eagle, and West Virginia's unclaimed Civil War medals.

To learn more about the Association of Banks for the Suppression of Counterfeiting, the 2019 IAPN book prize nominations, Norwegian paper money, Wright & Bale, fichas de hacienda, Chinese coin swords, hard rubber toilet brush tokens, Judo medals, and baseball schedule tokens, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

KOLBE & FANNING SALE 152 HIGHLIGHTS

Some highlights of the sale include:

Lot 48: Del Bland's archive of large cent collection inventories and correspondence

Lots 235 and 115

Lot 235: a complete set of hardcover George F. Kolbe numismatic literature catalogues

Lot 115: a well-preserved copy of Henry Chapman's catalogue of the George M. Parsons sale, with photographic plates, part of a consignment from legendary collector Reed Hawn featuring nearly every large-format plated Chapman catalogue

Lot 206: the first edition of Laban Heath's American Bond Detector

Lots 164 and 326

Lot 164: Allison W. Jackman's plated copy of Tom Elder's 1908 Gschwend catalogue

Lot 326: the second-day variant of the first W.W.C. Wilson sale, with seven original photographic plate

Lots 172 and 33

Lot 172: an exceptional plated copy of Felt's 1839 Historical Account of Massachusetts Currency

Lot 33: the first seven Annual Reports of the Association of Banks for the Suppression of Counterfeiting

Lots 252 and 310

Lot 252: Lawrence Lande's limited edition works on John Law and his monetary system

Lot 310: a unique archive of material relating to the foundation of the Numismatic Literary Guild, including early volumes of the NLG Newsletter

The printed catalogue of Sale 152 was mailed to active customers. A PDF of the printed catalogue has been posted to our main website at numislit.com for those who prefer that format. Bids placed via post, email, fax or phone must be received by Friday, April 26, the day before the sale, in order for them to be processed. Advance absentee bids may also be placed at any time online at bid.numislit.com; live internet bidding will be available during the sale itself through the same platform.

Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers LLC is a licensed and bonded auction firm in the State of Ohio. For more information, please see the Kolbe & Fanning website at numislit.com or email David Fanning at df@numislit.com.

Register early to bid online
Bids may be placed via post, email, fax or phone, as well as online. Kolbe & Fanning is using Auction Mobility as our third-party online bidding platform. Auction Mobility is an app-based platform allowing users the ability to participate in the sale through phones, tablets and computers. To register for the sale, bidders must go to bid.numislit.com and sign up. Once you have set up an account, you may browse lots, place advance bids, or participate in the live sale online. Those wishing to participate on their devices can download the new Kolbe & Fanning app through the Apple or Google Play Store.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
KOLBE & FANNING SALE 152 ANNOUNCED (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n13a03.html)

2019 IAPN BOOK PRIZE NOMINATIONS

Peter writes:

CALLAWAY, Jonathan and MURPHY, Dave. Paper Money of Scotland. The definitive guide to the paper money issues of Scotland from 1695 to the present day. 2 vols.
Pam West, Sutton, England, 2018.
ISBN 978-0-9543457-6-1, 978-0-9543457-7-8
Price: GBP 50. Order from www.britishnotes.co.uk or from www.spink.com

CHEEK, Jeremy. Monarchy, Money & Medals: Coins, Banknotes and Medals from the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen.
Spink, London, 2018.
ISBN 978-1-907427-91-6
Price: GBP 40. Order from www.spink.com

DANNREUTHER, John W. United States Proof Coins. Volume IV: Gold. 2 vols, casebound.
John W. Dannreuther Publishing, Fullerton, USA, 2018.
ISBN 978-0-9998968-0-8
Price: US $250. Order from www.orcararities.com or www.numislit.com

FISHMAN, A.M., and TODD, I.J., The Silver Damma. On the mashas, daniqs, qanhari dirhams and other diminutive coins of India, 600-1100 CE.
IIRNS Publications, Mumbai, India, 2018.
ISBN 978-81-938291-0-3
Price: US $107.95. Order from www.amazon.com

GATT, John A. Coins Minted by the Knights in Malta. A comprehensive catalogue 1530 to 1798.
John Gatt, Melbourne, Australia, 2018.
ISBN 978-0-646-98799-6
Price: €200. Order from jagatt@gmail.com; or US $220 from www.numislit.com Promotion: www.coinsofmalta.com/knights-of-malta-coins/coins-minted-by- the-knights-in-malta/

JANKOWSKI, Lyce. Les Amis des monnaies. La sociabilité savant des collectionneurs et numismates chinois de la fin des Qing.
Maisonneuve & Larose, Paris, 2018.
ISBN 978-2-37701-030-1
Price: €30. Order from www.hemisphereseditions.fr

KOGON, Aaron J., and FONTANILLE, Jean-Philippe. The Coinage of Herod Antipas. A Study and Die Classification of the Earliest Coins of Galilee.
Koninklijke Brill, Leiden, Netherlands, 2018.
ISBN 978-90-04-35961-1
Price: €102. Order from www.brill.com; or GBP 90 from www.amazon.com

KUNZMANN, Ruedi and WEISENSTEIN, Karl. Das Zürcher Probierbuch. Das Zürcher Probierbuch der Familie Stampfer dokumentiert Münzproben der Stadt von 1549 bis 1680.
Battenberg Verlag, Regenstauf, Germany, 2018.
ISBN 978-3-86646-164-2
Price: €85. Order from www.battenberg-gietl.de

LANSEN, A.J., and van der BEEK, M.L.F. Plantation Tokens of he Dutch East Indies. 3rd edition.
A.J. Lansen, IJsselstein, Netherlands, 2018.
Privately published - no ISBN
Price: €29.50. Order from ajlansen@caiway.nl

LORBER, Catharine C. Coins of the Ptolemaic Empire. Part I, Ptolemy I through Ptolemy IV. 2 vols.
American Numismatic Society, New York, 2018.
ISBN 978-0-89722-331-7, 978-0-89722-332-4
Price: US $325 ($230 to ANS members). Order from: www.numismatics.org

MARTIN, Sydney F. Saint Patrick Coinage [for Ireland and New Jersey].
C4 Publications, USA, 2018.
ISBN 978-1-5323-6625-3
Price: GBP 75. Order from www.spink.com

MILITKY, Jirí. Keltské Mincovnictví ve 3. a 2. Století Pred Kristem v Cechách [Keltisches Münzwesen im 3. Und 2. Jahrundert vor Christus in Böhmen].
Archeologick´y ústav AV CR, Prague, 2018.
ISBN 978-80-7581-009-0
Price: €60. Order from www.beier-beran.de

MOORE, Roger, ANDREWS, Eugene, and eight others. Contemporary Counterfeit Halfpenny & Farthing Families.
Colonial Coin Collectors Club, USA, 2018.
ISBN 978-1-64255-857-9
Price: US $73.95. Order from www.colonialcoins.org

MUES, Gunter and OLDING, Manfred. Die Medaillen der Preussischen Könige von 1786 bis 1870. Band I. Friedrich Wilhelm II, 1786-1797.
Battenberg Verlag, Regenstauf, Germany, 2018.
ISBN 978-3-86646-161-1
Price: €69. Order from www.battenberg-gietl.de

PASTRONE, Francesco. Monnaies Royales Françaises 1610-1792. 5th edition.
Editions Victor Gadoury, Monaco, 2018.
ISBN 2-906602-47-2
Price: €39. Order from www.gadoury.com

PLATT, Jerome J. "Here We Make Italy or We Die": The Medals of Giuseppe Garibaldi, the Risorgimento and Modern Italy.
Spink, London, 2018.
ISBN 978-1-907427-84-8
Price: GBP 50. Order from www.spink.com

RICHTER, Jürg. Die Schützentaler und Schützenmedaillen der Schweiz. 2nd edition.
Battenberg Verlag, Regenstauf, Germany, 2018.
ISBN 978-3-86646-162-8
Price: €85. Order from www.battenberg-gietl.de

TOFFANIN, Alessandro. Monete Italiane Regionali. Stato Pontificio II.
Edizioni Varesi, Pavia, Italy, 2018.
ISBN 978-88-99155-08-7
Price: €120. Order from www.varesi.it

YONAKA, Brad. A Variety Guide to the Pillar Coinage of the Guatemala, Bogotá, Lima, Potosí and Santiago Mints 1751-1772.
Agorocu Consulting Inc, Long Beach, USA, 2018.
ISBN 978-0-9986825-1-8
Price: US $36. Order from www.numislit.com

ZEITZ, Joachim. Badische Medaillen: Schaumünzen, Dokumentieren Dreihundert Jahre Oberrheinische Geschichte bis 1806.
Michael Imhof Verlag, Petersberg, Germany, 2018.
ISBN 978-3-7319-0400-7
Price: €99. Order from: www.imhof-verlag.de

For more information, see:
IAPN-Book Prize (https://www.iapn-coins.org/iapn/iapn-book-prize.html)

MORE ON THE IMPERIAL COINS OF ANNAM BOOK

Craig writes:

Monnies Imperiales d'Annam by Francois Joyaux

Toutes les monnaies d'or et d'argent de 1883 à 1945
All Gold and Silver Coins from 1883 to 1945

The book covers gold and silver coins/medallions and brass coins issued during the Nguyen Dynasty of Vietnam from 1883 until 1945. The text covers additional coins not included in Annam: études numismatiques by Albert Schroeder published in 1905 and from subsequent emperors until the last Emperor Bao Dai (1925-45). The author also included Vietnam War era fakes and fantasies that were previously published in the Numismatique Asiatique.

The text is in French with color illustrations that include size and weight. The book is approximately 6" x8.5" in size. The cost is €29 Euros plus €4 Euros for shipping to the United States for a total of €33 Euros. Payment by Paypal is easily done by clicking on button at the website with choice of location (choix du lieu d'exposition) for "Asia, America €33 Euros" and then pressing the "add to basket button" or "Ajouter au panier". The Paypal site will come up and you can pay through the Paypal site.

Orders and payments :
Click below to order:
https://sites.google.com/site/societedenumismatiqueasiatique/-9---serie-monnaies-d-asie

Catalogue complet, 700 ilustrations en couleurs
Complete Catalogue, 700 color illustrations, 197 pages

Références des ventes aux enchères, indices de rareté
Auctions references, rarity rating

La suite indispensable du catalogue Schroeder
The indispensable continuation of the Schroeder catalogue

29 € + port / postage (France : 7 €, Europe : 3 €, America Asia : 4 €)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NEW BOOK: IMPERIAL COINS OF ANNAM (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n14a03.html)

NEW BOOK: MEDALS OF AVIATION 1783-1945

Michael Joos
Medaillen, Plaketten, Abzeichen der Luftfahrt 1783 - 1945
(Medals, badges, badges of aviation 1783 - 1945)
Publisher: Battenberg Verlag
ISBN: 978-3-86646-168-0
Edition: 1st edition 2018
Hardcover: 644 pages
Format: 21 x 29.7 cm cm

Description
This book is the first attempt to depict the medals, plaques and badges of aviation until 1945 in their diversity and beauty. The reader will get the biggest rarities. At the same time, it opens up the technical development of the hot air balloon on the gas balloon and the motor-powered airship and - starting from the possibilities of the engine - up to the aircraft. 2100 objects and more than 3500 photos. A great book in a small numbered edition.

For more information, or to order, see:
Medaillen, Plaketten, Abzeichen der Luftfahrt 1783 - 1945 (https://www.battenberg-gietl.de/sammeln/buch/medaillen-plaketten-abzeichen-der-luftfahrt-1783-1945)

NEW BOOK: VICTORIA CROSS BIBLIOGRAPHY, 2ND ED.

Victoria Cross Bibliography
2nd edition

John Mulholland & Alan Jordan
With Foreword by Lord Ashcroft
Hardback, jacketed
ISBN: 978-1-912667-03-1

Many books have been written about the Victoria Cross and its recipients. The first published work on the subject appeared in 1857 - the same year as the first VC investiture.

John Mulholland and Alan Jordan's first comprehensive bibliography of the Victoria Cross appeared in 1999, representing the efforts of a team of researchers in the UK, Canada and Australia. This second edition completely updates their research, increasing the number of books listed, annotated and cross-referenced from 640 to around 1,400, and including all the Journals of the Victoria Cross Society.

The bibliography is an important contribution to Victoria Cross literature and an essential, up-to-date reference guide for anyone with an interest in the decoration.

'A wonderful asset for anyone who wants to take a serious look at the VC.' Lord Ashcroft

For more information or to order, see:
Victoria Cross Bibliography, 2nd edition by John Mulholland and Alan Jordan (https://spinkbooks.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=59&product_id=628)

NEW BOOK: WORLD PAPER MONEY MODERN ISSUES 25TH

Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, Modern Issues, 1961-Present Twenty fifth Edition
by Tracy L Schmidt (Editor)

ISBN-13: 978-1440248986
ISBN-10: 1440248982

Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, Modern Issues, 1961-Present, 25th edition, provides the most comprehensive and complete reference on the market to world bank notes issued since 1961. You'll be impressed to find all circulating paper money issued worldwide in this fully illustrated catalog with current and completely vetted pricing for 22,000 variety listings and more than 14,000 note images.

For more information, or to order see:
Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, Modern Issues, 1961-Present Twenty fifth Edition (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1440248982/)

NEW BOOK: NORWEGIAN PAPER MONEY 1695-2017

Kjell William Riibe:
Kjell William Riibe's Norske Seddelsamling 1695 - 2017
(Kjell William Riibes Norwegian banknotes collection 1695 - 2017)
904 pages, full color illustrations,
Size 21.5 cm x 27.3 cm, hard binding in leather with gold print with dust jacket.
Trondheim, 2018.
Price: 1290,00 NOK (about 130 Euro)
ISBN 978-82-691363-0-2

After some time in trading, he started to collect Swedish banknotes because they were comparatively cheaper than Norwegian ones. In the 1980s, he bought all the Swedish banknotes he could find. He bought many at Swedish coin dealers and at auctions all over the world. But even as he had already built the largest collection of Swedish banknotes worldwide, he still did not start collecting Norwegian banknotes because they were just too rare.

At that time, most of the rare Norwegian banknotes were in private collections. It took him five years to locate the seven largest collections of Norway, which together yielded the largest collection of Norwegian banknotes in the world.

Riibe was estimated to spend more than 80,000 hours building his Norway collection, which he documented in 2018 with a veritable heavyweight of numismatic literature. The edition should move around the only 150 copies.

For more information, or to order, see:
http://www.riibe.com/

To read the complete article, see:
Riibe's Norske Seddelsamling 1695 - 2017 (https://www.geldscheine-online.com/start/riibe-s-norske-seddelsmling-1695-2017)

To read the CoisWeekly article, see:
The Ultimate Catalog of Norwegian Paper Money (https://coinsweekly.com/the-ultimate-catalog-of-norwegian-paper-money/)

PERIODICAL: SCRIPOPHILY APRIL 2019 PUBLISHED

NEWS AND REVIEWS

• 18th Annual National Stock and Bond Show • Letters to the Editor...

• MOAF • Cox Launches Third Edition • Directory update
... and more besides

COX'S CORNER

FEATURES

Hooves to Hams
by Max Hensley

Financing the British Empire 1589-1839
by Brian Mills

Charles T. Manley Popcorn Millionaire
by Dr. Roland Schmidt and Ross Fink

The Clergy Co-operative Association (Limited): A question in parliament as the Clergy goes commercial
by Fergus Hutchison

EVENTS CALENDAR

AUCTION NEWS AND REVIEWS

A one year membership in the IBSS is $32 (three issues and other benefits). Go to
https://scripophily.org/ to join.

U.S. MINT NEWSLETTERS ON NEWMAN PORTAL

If the Mint had an employee newsletter, what would be in it? Complete details of all Mint delicacies from dies to fantasy coins? Catalogs of the work of every engraver? Production records of each piece of equipment within the Mint? We can dream! But, apart from dreaming, we can actually answer this question, courtesy of John Graffeo, who scanned The Mint at Philadelphia, an internal Mint newsletter, for the period 1969-1971. These were located at the National Archives in Denver and scanned under the sponsorship of Newman Portal.

Much of the content is typical for such a publication - appeals for employee safety, lists of new employees and service anniversaries, notes on Civil Service and benefits program changes, etc. But, amid the quotidian chaff, there are a few gems. In the September 1971 issue, Engraver Frank Gasparro comments on his appearance on "What's My Line?," which aired in late 1971 or early 1972.

Gasparro notes "You certainly get coached on the show. You even have to sign a contract to verify the show is on the up and up. I thought the show would help in selling the Eisenhower dollar. The public is still not aware of the impact of the new silver dollar, nor are the people aware of the obverse and reverse design. When the panel and I discussed the reverse of our coins, like the penny, nickel, Kennedy-half and quarter, they were actually stumped as to what was on the reverses."

Also useful are notices of employee awards, which in some cases detail process improvements within the Mint, and retirement notices that lend color to the careers of Mint employees. In 1969, there is coverage of the (fourth) Philadelphia Mint opening, along with sentimental observations on the closing of the third Mint. The publication as a whole provides insight into the Mint as a workplace, a different perspective from collectors who are only interested in the end products. Additional employee newsletters will be found in box 5 of the Denver Mint archives group, Miscellaneous Correspondence and Memos 1897-1994, on Newman Portal.

Link to The Mint at Philadelphia on Newman Portal:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/545518

Link to Denver Mint Miscellaneous Correspondence and Memos 1897-1994 on Newman Portal:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/archivedetail/525861

VIDEO: CLYDE HUBBARD AND FRIENDS

Another great numismatic video has surfaced that will be posted on the Newman Numismatic Portal. In 2010 at the American Numismatic Association Convention David Lisot interviewed Clyde Hubbard of Cuernavaca, Mexico.

Clyde Hubbard and Friends at ANA Coin Convention March 26, 2010. VIDEO: 11:01 Interviewer: David Lisot, CoinTelevision.com with Clyde Hubbard and friends James P. Bevill, Gene Hinds, Pat Hyads, Mark Lighterman, J.R. Rollo, and Tony Tumonis.

At an American Numismatic Association Convention in Fort Worth, Texas, Clyde Hubbard talks with some of his friends about Grover Criswell, Bob Hendershot and much more. Clyde is one of the great numismatists of all time who is a renowned numismatic author and Mexican coin collector, He lives is Cuernavaca, Mexico and at the time of this interview was 94 years old.

An excerpt of the video is available for viewing on the Coin Television YouTube Channel at: https://youtu.be/HQEg63S9Hik

Numismatic Personality: Clyde Hubbard, March 26, 2010
Interviewer: David Lisot
ANA10-050
41:52

The entire interview is available on the Newman Numismatic Portal as part of the David Lisot Video Library at:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/multimediadetail/522852

MORE ON THE MYSTERY WB WREATH-WREATH MEDAL

Jeff Rock writes:

Jonathan Brecher replies:

Neil Musante writes:

Jonathan writes:

Jeff Rock writes:

To see the preview on Google Books:
Coins and Currency: An Historical Encyclopedia (https://books.google.com/books?id=UA-BCgAAQBAJ)

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: APRIL 7, 2019 : Another Wreath-Wreath Medal Mule (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n14a08.html)
BOOK REVIEWS SOUGHT: 'COINS AND CURRENCY: AN HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA' (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n25a06.html)

NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: APRIL 14, 2019

On Brummagems
Jeff Rock writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
VOCABULARY WORD: BRUMMAGEM (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n14a10.html)

WWI Prison Camp Money Collected in 1917
Dave Hirt writes:

Hunger Striker on Call the Midwife
Jeremy Schneider writes:

For more information on the series, see:
Call the Midwife (http://www.pbs.org/call-the-midwife/home/)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
SELINA MARTIN SUFFRAGETTE HUNGER STRIKE MEDAL (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n13a27.html)

Ancient Coin Image Search Feature

Shanna writes:

To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
ANCIENT COIN AUCTION INDEX WEB SITES (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v12n30a08.html)
EX-NUMIS ENABLES COIN AUCTION SALE SEARCH BY IMAGE (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v19n05a07.html)
EX-NUMIS DEBUTS ACTIVE PEDIGREE LINKS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n38a12.html)

Correction: 1960 Philadelphia Small Date Cent Strikings
Tom DeLorey writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
MODERN U.S. COINAGE MINTAGE ANSWERS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n13a13.html)

Historical Society of Pennsylvania Layoffs
Anne bentley of the Massachusetts Historical Society writes:

On Monday, April 8, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania announced the layoff of ten staff members, representing a 30% reduction in its workforce. The job loss is part of an action plan approved by the Board of Councilors to reduce operating expenses.

HSP will remain open to researchers and many services will be unaffected by the changes. Regular library hours will remain unchanged, and the reading room will continue to welcome researchers. Fellowships will still be offered, and grant-funded projects will continue as planned. The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, HSP's long-running scholarly journal, will maintain its regular publication schedule.

Some of HSP's programs and service will be put on hold until the organization is on stronger financial footing. Pennsylvania Legacies, HSP's biannual public history magazine, will pause publication after the Spring 2019 edition, which has just been released. Educational programming will be significantly reduced.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
HSP Announces Layoffs (https://hsp.org/news/hsp-announces-layoffs#.XKz1RftFQnU.email)

Coinhunting in Remote Mexico
Pablo Hoffman writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
WARNER CLYDE HUBBARD (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n14a07.html)

VIVA CLYDE HUBBARD!

Viva Clyde Hubbard!

That Spanish phrase means long live Clyde Hubbard, and he is doing just that!. The mists of time swirl in my head as I realize I first met Clyde at about age 20 back in California - a half century ago. Both my dad and I enjoyed Clyde's help in the mid-1960s when the fascination with Mexican coins was exploding in the USA. We were living in San Diego and Clyde would come into Los Angeles from time to time and we enjoyed some great visits. He was something of a legend in numismatics even then. He had been a long-time executive for a cosmetic company in Mexico.

This was just a few years after I started collecting Lincoln cents and had moved into Latin American crowns. My dad, Ed Beals, began collecting a full range of Mexican coins. I like to point out that I got him into collecting, not the other way around.

Clyde helped me with Numismatic Terms of Spain and Spanish America the 85-page Spanish to English coin terms dictionary I published in 1966. That was the year I went off into the U.S. Air Force and left collecting to some degree.

I was in contact with him in 2016 as I completed Numiscadero, the bi-lingual numismatic dictionary I created here in Spain. A real delight to find him still in the heart of Mexico and working on his collection and studies. He and other people like Erma Stevens were legends in the early Mexican coin collecting field.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
WARNER CLYDE HUBBARD (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n14a07.html)

To watch the complete video, see:
Clyde Hubbard: Socio fundador de SONUMEX (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG7uxiOfV1A)

LINDBERGH'S AVIATION MEDALS

Harry Waterson writes:

This is a bit of an op-ed piece.

Colonel Charles Lindbergh and Admiral Richard Byrd were contemporaries and vied for the success in the air. Both achieved many awards for their efforts in flight and exploration. Both men were flawed. Both were very concerned about their legacy.

Charles Lindbergh immediately received many awards, medals and trophies following his solo transatlantic flight, May 20-21, 1927.

Jefferson Memorial, St. Louis circa 1930

June 18, 1927 there was an exhibition of all Lindbergh's awards to date. This exhibition was briefly mounted the afternoon of June 18th in Jaccard's Jewelry Store in St. Louis. 1 The collection was then briefly stored in a bank vault until appropriate arrangements were made for its disposition. On June 25, 1927 Lindbergh agreed to a ten day exhibition of his medals at the Jefferson Memorial, Forest Park, St. Louis, MO. In June 1932, the collection was still on display.

Lindbergh Medal exhibit photo from December 17, 1927

Col. Lindbergh gave to the collection the Chinese Aviation Medal, authorized by the National Government Council of China, on June 21, 1932. It had been presented to Lindbergh by General Chiang Kai-shek, President of China on September 26, 1931 in Nanking, China in appreciation of his volunteer services in the cause of flood relief in China. Lindbergh was the first recipient of this Chinese Aviation Medal. It was the 126th medal placed among his other trophies in the exhibition. [2]

Admiral Byrd achieved his transatlantic flight June 29-30, 1927 although the flight ended in the shallow water just off shore at Ver-sur-Mer, France. President Coolidge awarded Byrd the Distinguished Flying Cross for this achievement.

Admiral Byrd kept all his awards in his possession and they were part of his estate when he died. His heirs consigned all his medals and memorabilia to Sotheby's in London in 1988 for sale at auction. London was chosen because the sale included the Byrd Congressional Medal of Honor. It was then illegal to sell a Congressional Medal of Honor in the United States. It still is.

Today the Missouri History Museum, St. Louis is the public repository of all the artifacts Lindbergh garnered in his extraordinary career.

Jefferson Memorial, St. Louis today

REFERENCES:
[1] Mrs. Lindbergh Sees Medals For First Time; The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, MO Jun.19, 1927 p5
[2] Another Lindbergh Medal; The Chillicothe Constitution, Chillicothe, MO Jun.29, 1932 p1

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
QUERY: LINDBERGH CHINESE AVIATION MEDAL (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n14a09.html)

CAMBODIA NUMISMATIC MUSEUM OPENS

The Preah Srey Icanavarman Museum

Cambodia's first national museum showcasing the Kingdom's economic and financial evolution was inaugurated on Monday, recounting the history of its money and economy from the first century to the present day.

Commissioned by the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), it is called the Preah Srey Icanavarman Museum, with the name chosen by Prime Minister Hun Sen.

King Icanavarman - who reigned from 616 to 637 - is a hero of the Chenla kingdom which would later become the Khmer Empire. He took Isanapura - present day Sambor Prei Kuk in Kampong Thom province - and issued the first gold coin to demonstrate his glory and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of his Kingdom, NBC governor Chea Chanto said.

Chanto said the museum's exhibits consist of 12 sections. Sections one to eight exhibit historical events related to currency and the economy since the first century Funan era to today. Sections nine to 12 illustrate the role of the monetary and banking systems in social and economic development. Each section has former coins and notes on display.

"The economic and monetary museum will play a major role in understanding the history of Cambodian currency and economics, which do not have much detailed historical documentation," Chanto said.

He added that visitors will learn about the development of the riel and be able to view currency from different Cambodian eras on display.

The Preah Srey Icanavarman Museum is housed in a two-storey building located next to the Cambodia Securities Exchange headquarters in Daun Penh district's Wat Phnom commune in Phnom Penh. Funding costs for the two-storey museum were not disclosed.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony on Monday, Prime Minister Hun Sen highlighted the important role of the national currency in economic development and recalled historical currency use in Cambodia.

During its peak from the Funan era to the Angkor empire, Cambodia used currency when trading with other nations but did not issue its own national currency, the prime minister said. It was in the early 16th century that King Srey Chetha Thireach Rama Thepday - known as Sdach Korn - issued the Kingdom's first ever national currency to strengthen the economy, politics and national territory.

To read the complete article, see:
First monetary museum opens in the Kingdom (https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/first-monetary-museum-opens-kingdom)

VOCABULARY TERMS: HANDCUT, HAND ENGRAVING

Handcut, Hand Engraving. Freehand cutting a metal surface or dies of any kind in the size required, by a human engraver. Hand engraving is in contrast to machine engraving, first developed in the 18th century and widely employed after 1900. Even with the development of diecutting machines, portrait lathes and various engraving machines, the need still continues for hand engraving and handcut dies. Cost and speed are two strong factors in favor of hand engraver, another is the ability to produce a die from a drawing without being required to have a three-dimensional pattern or model. Handcutting dies is the time honored way of diesinking - all dies were handcut in whole or in part prior to 1850 - the number steadily diminishing until only a small portion are handcut in the 20th century. See also ENGRAVING, How to tell Hand Engraving from Machine Engraving.

Handcut versus machine engraving. In some ways it is impossible to tell for certain if a struck piece was from dies that were hand engraved or if some form of machine engraving was used in their preparation. Some general guidelines may be offered but these may not be exclusive to either type of engraving. Thus the following can serve as guidelines only:

Handcut dies and pieces struck from such dies tend to have sharper lettering and detail. The devices appear well defined, the relief and lettering may have somewhat steeper sides (with steeper draft or bevel). The lettering is often produced by punches, thus similar letters may be from the same punch and be identical. The top of the lettering (from the end of the punch) may be flatter; there are sharper angles at the top and base of lettering and relief. There is a sharp juncture of the device and the background. Overall the appearance of handcut pieces is sharper, well defined images and lettering.

Pieces struck from modeled and machine cut dies are generally softer in appearance; there are no sharp angles present at either the top or at the base of lettering or detail, thus effecting the softer appearance. The lettering appears more rounded. The device appears to blend into the background or field, as there is no sharp juncture at the base. There is more modulated relief in the device, and indeed, the entire struck surface is formed from one continuous modeled plane of the three-dimensional plaster model. Portraits tend to appear more lifelike.

There are some technical reasons for the differences between the types of engraving. The most important of these is the shape of both the tracing point and the cutting point on the diecutting machine. If the tracing point cannot enter the crevice in the model it will not reproduce this in the die; also the bevel is limited to 15%, it cannot reproduce less than this angle of slope in the die, while a handcut die can accommodate as little as 5% bevel.

The two great limitations of handcutting a die are, of course, that it has to be cut the exact size and that it is difficult to correct a cut once it has been made. This corresponds to the great advantage of the oversize model for machine diecutting which can be carved and changed repeatedly before the final stage, a model can be reduced to any size die required, and any number of dies can be made from one bas-relief model (dieshell).

See engraving.

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/dictionary

Or 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.

PIERRE FLANDIN (1778-1863)

Pierre Flandin (1778-1863), was born in Lyons, Rhône, Rhône-Alpes, France, son of Noel Flandin and Suzanne Mathevot.

Flandin, a wealthy dealer, had three maids born in Ireland to manage his residence.

In 1823, he was a partner with Peter L. Van DerVoort, merchants, selling "Fancy & Staple Goods", in the firm of Vandervoort & Flandin, which was dissolved on March 22, 1823.

Flandin became a renowned New York City coin and art dealer. He was the art agent for John Trumbull, and John Lewis Krimmel.

Goldstein informs us : "Flandin's chief claim to fame was that one of his customers was Robert Gilmor, Jr., a Baltimore financier and the enthusiastic collector of not only old master paintings but also works by modern English and American artists. However, not all the pictures Flandin sold Gilmor had the pedigree that the dealer claimed for them. A "Holbein" for instance, eventually proved to be the work of Cornelius de Lyons, and a "Raphael" which Gilmor questioned even as he paid for it, the work of Jan Grossart."

He was an importer of art and antiques with a gallery on Broadway, New York City, New York. His residence was at 20 East 18th Street.

On June 6, 1855, he sold his coin collection at Bangs, Brother & Company. The Flandin collection comprised 230 lots of 1,195 coins.

He died at the age of 82 years on Thursday, October 8, 1863. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery, Long Island, New York.

To read the complete article, see:
FLANDIN, PIERRE (https://sites.google.com/a/numismaticmall.com/www/numismaticmall-com/flandin-pierre)

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 .

DEL BLAND MEMORIAL EVENT AT 2019 EAC SHOW

Early American Coppers (EAC) and American Numismatic (ANS) will hold an event to remember specialist and friend Del Bland

On Friday, May 3, 2019, at the Early American Coppers (EAC) Convention in Dayton, Ohio, EAC and ANS will host a get-together to allow the many friends and colleagues of the late Del Bland to remember, celebrate, and honor this extraordinary man. He passed away on October 16, 2018.

Delmar Norris Bland, born in 1933, first became interested in coins around the age of 17, filling slots of Whitman albums from rolls he got at the bank. Before long he was laying out what was for him real money for the coins he most wanted-among them the United States large cents that would demand his attention for the rest of his life.

Del became a full-time coin dealer in 1969, specializing in early US copper coins. Four years later he began serious research into those coins, a pursuit that more than a quarter century later, in 2000, led to the publication of the widely respected provenance and condition census published in Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents, 1793-1814. It included over 4,000 coins and more than 25,000 individual entries.

Several months prior to his death, the ANS purchased Del's vast archive of research data, compiled over 50 years with meticulous information on the condition, sale prices, and ownership of large cents. This huge, largely unpublished reference work weighs over 900 pounds, and occupies 40 feet of shelf space. The Society is deeply grateful to members whose contributions made this purchase possible.

The EAC Convention will be held from Thursday, May 2, to Sunday, May 5, 2019. The memorial will be held in the evening of Friday, May 3, and ANS Librarian David Hill will be among the speakers. Additional details will be made available soon. For more information on the convention contact Convention Chairman: Jack Young (jyoung5050@aol.com) Dayton Convention Center (DCC) 22 E. Fifth Street Dayton OH 45402 (937) 333-4700 / (937) 333-4711.

To read the complete article, see:
ANS + EAC Remembers Del Bland (http://numismatics.org/eac-bland/)

YOUNG COLLECTOR CHRISTIAN HARTCH PROFILED

A high school senior from Greenwich is bringing a very modern approach to the ancient pastime of coin collection.

Christian Hartch, 18, was given a small collector's book for pennies by his father, Greg, when he was five. He's been obsessed with numismatics, the study of coins, ever since, and brought his enthusiasm to thousands of followers on YouTube.

It was the humble one-cent penny that started Hartch on his path as a coin collector.

"That got me really interested," he recalled. "The hobby stuck with me. ... There's a lot of different aspects to it, learning about it is fun, there's history, and different trends. And they're valuable, so you have to understand the market, and what makes it valuable."

Hartch was watching YouTube a few years ago when he had a revelation - why not shoot his own videos on coin-collecting? Since August of 2017, Hartch, a senior at Brunswick School, has been posting dozens of hours of footage, and his "Treasure Town" series has attracted some 18,000 subscribers. He discusses various coin series, runs a trivia contest, addresses questions from viewers and talks about common mistakes in the field of collecting.

"It's a way to connect, and it gets more people into coin collecting," the high school senior said. "And it's a fun community."

For his own collection, Hartch is a fan of U.S. classic commemorative silver half-dollars, which were minted from 1892 to 1954 and offer a window into the nation's past. "The art on these coins is outstanding. Nice relief, they've been well struck, they stand out from your average coinage," the young collector said.

Hartch is well-read on the subject of numismatics, and he's also gained plenty of first-hand knowledge in the business side of the field. He was the very first customer through the doors at The Happy Coin in Cos Cob when the coin shop opened in 2014.

The owner of the store was pleasantly surprised to welcome an adolescent coin-collector to the shop.

The young scholar will be attending Princeton University this fall, and he is interested in studying the subject of ancient and medieval coins. From his start as a collector of shiny one-cent pennies, he wants to delve ever more deeply into the intersection of wealth, beauty, history, archaeology and economics that are all tied up in one little metal package.

"There's that indescribable thing," he said, "that you can't put your finger on."

To read the complete article, see:
Young Greenwich coin collector puts new shine on old hobby (https://www.greenwichtime.com/local/article/Young-Greenwich-coin-collector-puts-new-shine-on-13763823.php)

F+W MEDIA MAY LAY OFF 66 AT KRAUSE PUBLICATIONS

The owner of Krause Publications may lay off 66 people and shutter its Stevens Point office if they can't find a buyer in the next few months.

The notice from F+W Media, based in New York, to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development on April 1 comes as the company looks to sell off the various media properties it owns owns amid a Chapter 11 bankruptcy it filed in March. The potential layoff targets employees at Krause Publications, formerly of Iola.

Krause Publications relocated to office space on Joerns Drive in Stevens Point last spring after the Iola Car Show acquired its historic building, according to Krause's Numismatic News and Old Cars Weekly.

F+W laid off 41 people in January 2018. The layoffs were a part of F+W's 2017 out-of-court reorganization deal with lenders to forgive the company's debt for a $15 million cash infusion and control of the company.

This month's notice from Gregory Osberg, CEO of F+W Media, says employees could still lose their jobs if the company finds a buyer. The bulk of the jobs in Stevens Point include editing, graphic design, design and advertising positions.

The company acquired Krause Publications in 2002.

To read the complete article, see:
F+W Media may lay off 66 people, close Krause Publications' Stevens Point office (https://www.stevenspointjournal.com/story/news/2019/04/05/krause-publications-stevens-point-may-close-f-w-media-may-lay-off/3368539002/)

To read about another longtime publisher going under, see:
Johnson Publishing Company, the ex-publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines, files for bankruptcy (https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/04/10/johnson-publishing-company-which-produced-ebony-jet-magazines-files-bankruptcy/)

To read an earlier E-Sylum article, see:
KRAUSE PUBLICATIONS PARENT FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n11a07.html)

SMITHSONIAN: MONEY AND THE MILITARY

This week the National Numismatic Collection is celebrating National Coin Week with a series of blog posts and an Objects out of Storage program on April 19, 2017, from 1-3 p.m. in the museum's Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza. The theme of National Coin Week is Conflict and Courage: Money and the Military, commemorating the entry of the United States into World War I. Money funds militaries, of course, but money also conveys messages, which may influence and impact both allies and enemies. We've selected a few such objects that range from antiquity to World War II to share with you today.

War in Antiquity
Political propaganda was integral to warfare in the ancient world. The method of mass-marketing the cool, calm, and collected rulers who came in and out of power needed to be far-reaching and overt-something akin to the modern convenience of television, radio, even billboards. The farthest reaching artifact of antiquity was coinage.

Tetradrachm, Alexander the Great, Thrace, 300-281 BCE

Alexander the Great and his generals launched perhaps the greatest and most widespread use of coinage as propaganda. Coins of Alexander promote an image of him as a divine, beautiful, and powerful ruler. His coins don't just depict him as one divinity-sometimes he is adorned with horns as the son of the Egyptian god Ammon, sometimes he wears a lion skin denoting Hercules, and sometimes he dons an elephant headdress displaying his prowess in battle against the Persians!

18th-Century Spiritual Warfare

Chinese Coin Sword, China, 18th century

The daggers and spears of men are not the only concerns of soldiers. The coin sword, an art unique to south China, is believed to hold power that can drive away evil spirits. It is a charm still used by some in China, predominantly as an element of feng shui. Coin swords are made by fashioning threaded coins around one or two iron rods.

Traditionally, the coins used in a sword's construction must all be from a single emperor's reign, and the cord or wire which binds them together must be red. It takes at least 100 cash coins to create these swords, as they span about two feet in length. These swords are hung on the walls of houses as a warning to evil spirits. The older the coins, the more effective the sword!

To read the complete article, see:
Money and the military: How numismatics aided and affected war efforts (https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/money-and-military)

NUMISMATIC NUGGETS: APRIL 14, 2019

1656 Oliver Cromwell Gold Broad

Oliver Cromwell (1656-58), Gold Broad of twenty shillings dies by Simon, issued 1656 and minted in Pierre Blondeau's Drury house, London mint. Laureate head left,

To read the complete lot description, see:
1656 OLIVER CROMWELL GOLD BROAD (https://www.baldwin.co.uk/product/1656-oliver-cromwell-gold-broad/)

Hard Rubber Toilet Brush Token

449 (lion holding shield inscribed incuse: LIONITE) / FLORENCE MFG. CO / FLORENCE, MASS / TOILET BRUSHES / MIRRORS BUTTONS & ORNAMENTS // 1776 (monogram: USA) 1876 / Centennial, black vu rd 38mm x 4.4mm thick.

1958 Judo World Championship Medal

Description: Double sided round judo medal, E.J. Mede named engraved on back, Tokyo Japan. In original velvet frame holder (backing is missing). Medal in great condition.

To read the complete lot description, see:
Lot 30: 1958 Judo World Championship Medal (https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/-1-c-6BA463E835)

WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: APRIL 14, 2019

Tuesday April 9, 2019 was the monthly dinner meeting of my Northern Virginia numismatic social group Nummis Nova. Robert Hoppensteadt was our host, and we convened at Delia's in Alexandria. Eric Schena was waiting outside as I looked for parking. After finding a spot in a public garage I found Eric and Dave Schenkman at the hostess station and soon we were seated at our table for the evening. Other members quickly followed. I was seated across from Eric and Dave, and between Steve Bishop and Mike Packard. Other attendees included Chris Neuzil, Tom Kays, and Julian Leidman.

Dave brought along a copy of the new edition of the Civil War Token Society's Patriotic book.

Gabriel Wacht Five Minutes Work Token
Eric Schena picked up from me the bug of collecting Labor Exchange currency, and he's made some great finds. He showed us a great eBay purchase of a nickel-sized token I'd never seen or heard of before. It's 21mm in diameter and made of aluminum.

Obverse: MEDIUM OF EXCHANGE FOR FIVE MINUTES WORK ***** (map of the Western hemisphere)

Reverse: MAY BE REDEEMED ON RETURN TO GABRIEL Z. WACHT * (map of the Eastern hemisphere)

Eric's research turned up the crazy story of a related token by the issuer being found in, of all places, the stomach of a shark. Yes, I was already enjoying a glass of wine by this point in the evening, but it's true and Eric has a newspaper clipping to prove it. See his article later in this issue for more.

Toned Morgans and Teddy's Smile
Steve Bishop brought along some nice toned Morgan dollars, one of his many specialties. But the holders were the main thing of interest to me.

Steve also brought this cool Teddy Roosevelt piece: "Teddy's Smile."

Baseball Schedule Tokens
In keeping with the spring season Dave Schenkman brought along some rare baseball schedule tokens. Click on the image to find higher-resolution images on our Flickr archive.

1. In 1994 the Birmingham Barons were in the limelight when ex-basketball superstar Michael Jordan was assigned to the team. The token is brass, 38mm.

2. The Sacramento Wolves was a minor league team. Charles F. Doyle, who issued the token, was a dealer in cigars, tobacco, etc. Brass, 38mm.

3. The Kansas City Blues, a class AA minor league team, was part of the American Association. The White Eagle Oil and Refining Company was located in Kansas City, Missouri, with a branch in Wichita, Kansas. The 41mm token is steel.

In conversation I recalled a great exhibit from a coin convention with medallic baseball season tickets. The talk put me in a receptive mood for this New York Times article found via the April 9, 2019 News & Notes email from the Society of Paper Money Collectors (SPMC)

To read the complete article, see:
Does Anyone Collect Old Emails? (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/05/opinion/memory-collections.html)

It had been another great evening of numismatic fellowship. Next week I travel to New York City for a conference for my day job. There won't be much time for numismatics, but one never knows. Have a great week, everyone.

WACHT AND HIS FIVE MINUTES WORK TOKEN

One of the various "less well traveled" numismatic paths that I have taken a great liking to of late have been scrip issued and used by the various branches of Giovanni DeBernardi's Labor Exchange. The Labor Exchange movement was a progressive collective movement in the 1890s that spread throughout primarily agricultural and rural areas of the United States and used the concept of bartering goods for labor, a direct response to the bimetallism question and the Panic of 1893. The Labor Exchange largely died out by c. 1905, but left behind a number of numismatic artifacts behind, primarily in the form of standardized series of paper scrip denominated in hours of labor and fractions thereof.

A recent listing on eBay intrigued me considerably, an aluminum token good for 5 minutes of work. The token was ostensibly associated to the Labor Exchange, so I bid and subsequently won the piece. The token is an aluminum piece 21mm in diameter and has a delightful representation of the globe on both sides. The obverse legend reads MEDIUM OF EXCHANGE FOR FIVE MINUTES WORK ***** and has a map of the Western Hemisphere while the reverse reads MAY BE REDEEMED ON RETURN TO GABRIEL Z. WACHT * and has a map of the Eastern Hemisphere.

I have been researching this piece to get further details on Wacht as well as if it really was a part of the Labor Exchange, but have only come up with some rather intriguing but unfortunately non-definitive tidbits. Gabriel Zacharias Wacht was born sometime in 1833 most likely in Stockholm, Sweden and emigrated to the US, apparently to Northampton County, PA. He also served in the Civil War, joining in Jan.25, 1865 then mustered out on July 27, 1865. Details are sketchy, but he seems to have moved around a bit, before settling in San Francisco in the late nineteenth century, then finally in Sawtelle, then an independent city near Los Angeles.

Sometime in the 1880s, he joined the Free Love movement headed by Moses Harman centered in Valley Falls, KS. Harman was a freethinker and suffragist who desired to see women's emancipation from sexual slavery and published a radical underground newspaper called, Lucifer the Light-bearer. Wacht, then living in Boston, wrote a letter of support in the 3 December 1886 issue of Lucifer indicating his desire to enter into a marriage along the lines of the Free Love model. By 1891 Wacht moved to San Francisco where he himself wrote a pamphlet, Catechism on the Science of a Universal Religion, which was distributed through Harman's publishing houses (I have not been able to locate a copy, unfortunately). Wacht made a living as a watchmaker in San Francisco at least according to 1891 and 1892 city directories. In 1910, Wacht was very much still a part of the Free Love movement and even placed the following personal ad in a 1910 issue of The Humanitarian Review:

It is not known if he found his companion; Wacht died on 30 December 1911 and is buried in Los Angeles.

One fascinating postscript to the Wacht story comes in the form of an article in the Madera, Cal. Tribune on 12 March 1923 headlined "Big Mystery for Devil Dogs." The newspaper had received a query from some U. S. Marines - "Devil Dogs" - stationed in San Francisco. One of the Marines, Sgt. Harry Ervin, found a "small medal" in the stomach of a shark that was harpooned off the coast of Mazatlan in Mexico in 1914. While the article does not mention what the medal was made of, it does describe it:

The very last paragraph says it all and the questions remain as valid now as they did in 1923:

At least one other Wacht medal or token is known. In the "Mavericks" column of the April 1971 TAMS Journal, the following piece is described:

The reverse legend likely is supposed to read EVIDENCE OF CLAIM TO ONE HOUR'S SERVICE given the similarity to the medal found in 1914 and the token I recently bought off of eBay.

Given Wacht's association with the social progressive movements of the nineteenth century, there is a possibility he had some sort of association with the Labor Exchange. More research is certainly required into this wonderful token. I would love to hear from other collectors and researchers who might have more information on Wacht or similar tokens.

JEFF BURKE'S SAINT-GAUDENS DOUBLE EAGLE QUEST

Introduction
Learning more about Saint-Gaudens double eagles has sparked the bibliophile in me! My ongoing fascination with Saint-Gaudens double eagles (SGDE) started with reading books about the 1933 double eagle. I had the privilege of seeing the 1933 Farouk double eagle specimen at the New-York Historical Society in August 2013 (see my "Star of the Show: A 1933 Double Eagle," in The Nebraska Numismatic Association Journal, vol. 57, issue 4 (October/November/December 2013), pp. 16-19, for more details).

Curious to learn more about these fabled coins, I read Selling America's Rarest Coin: The 1933 Double Eagle, David Alexander, 2002; Illegal Tender: Gold, Greed and the Mystery of the Lost 1933 Double Eagle, David Tripp, 2004; Double Eagle: The Epic Story of the World's Most Valuable Coin, Alison Frankel, 2006; and Striking Change: The Great Artistic Collaboration of Theodore Roosevelt and Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Michael F. Moran, 2007. I also devoured A Handbook of 20th-Century United States Gold Coins: 1907-1933, David W. Akers, 2008; A Guidebook of Double Eagle Gold Coins, Q. David Bowers, 2004; Renaissance of American Coinage: 1905-1908, Roger Burdette, 2006; and Collecting and Investing Strategies for United States Gold Coins, Jeff Ambio, 2008.

Possessing a large disk of Saint-Gaudens gold has always been visually appealing to me. I previously had a 1922-S PCGS MS 63 double eagle and a 1910-D NGC MS 64 double eagle in my collection. I traded these double eagles for other coins and hadn't owned a Saint-Gaudens $20 since 2015. To my surprise, I really missed owning one! Perhaps owning a gold coin makes me feel special. I also love the design.

Conducting Research
After contemplating the possibilities, I decided to pursue a better date SGDE in a higher grade. My focus narrowed to an examination of 1923-D double eagles: "A choice or gem specimen is usually a treat to behold, the very definition of eye appeal!" (David Bowers, in reference to the 1923-D double eagle, A Guidebook of Double Eagle Gold Coins, p. 266). I discovered that 1923- D double eagles are plentiful, but have a much smaller population compared to common date SGDE. Here is another reason why I chose this particular coin: "...As most examples (1923-D) are boldly struck and show radiant luster, this date (and mintmark) is often chosen to represent the type if just a single coin is desired." (Jeff Garrett, Description & Analysis for the 1923-D Saint-Gaudens double eagle, NGC Coin Explorer).

The next step was to order and read Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles: As Illustrated by the Phillip H. Morse and Steven Duckor Collections, by Roger Burdette, ed. by James L. Halperin and Mark Van Winkle, published by Heritage Auctions in 2018. Despite not having a table of contents or index for quick reference, it was a joy to read! My favorite portions were "Background" about United States International Gold Shipment and the engaging Chapter Six - "Lost and Found - Survival of U.S. Gold Coins." It took Burdette five years to research this masterpiece and another year to write it. (See Wayne Homren's review of this volume in The E-Sylum, vol. 21, Number 28, July 15, 2018, for more information). This tome is well worth the money!

I learned "...it is estimated that out of 70,290,930 Saint-Gaudens double eagles manufactured between 1907 and 1933, only 2,966,565 coins, or four percent, survive in all states of preservation." (Burdette, Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles, p. 612). The 1923-D is the last mint marked coin in the Saint-Gaudens $20 series readily available to collectors before surviving populations dwindle and prices escalate. (Burdette, p. 397). The 1923-D saw extensive shipment overseas. "Most pieces seemed to have been preserved in foreign holdings, most likely in Argentina or Brazil (accepted as legal tender), where it was common practice to leave U.S. gold untouched in its original bags." (Burdette, p. 397).

Making the Purchase
I worked through my old 2007 list of 31 favorite coin dealer websites and other numismatic websites to examine 45 to 50 specimens of 1923-D double eagles. After perusing numerous dealer websites on the Certified Coin Exchange, e-bay and other sites, I kept returning to a 1923-D NGC MS 65* Star Designation double eagle that I saw on the Northeast Numismatics online inventory. Unfamiliar with the NGC Star notation, I conducted some research. According to the NGC Census as of March 21, a total of 1,389 SGDE are listed with the Star Designation, which is 0.14% of SGDE graded by NGC.

Tom Caldwell founded Northeast Numismatics in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1964. "Tom is a firm believer that an educated collector is necessary to a strong and sustainable coin market, and has taken great efforts to teach youngsters (and elders) the essentials of coin collecting." (Northeastcoin.com). Providing numismatic education can help collectors learn more about their collecting interests and encourage others to explore the wonders of our hobby.

I am thrilled to own this beautiful coin! Did it spend decades in Brazil or Argentina? I wanted to keep this 1923-D double eagle next to me forever so I could admire it at my leisure. Reluctantly, I put it in a bank safe deposit box for safekeeping.

Note: Chris Clements of Northeast Numismatics kindly provided obverse and reverse images of my double eagle to accompany this article. Thanks also to Paul Sandler for fielding my questions about Saint-Gaudens double eagle NGC Star Designation coins.

Tom Caldwell writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NEW BOOK: SAINT-GAUDENS DOUBLE EAGLES (https://www.coinbooks.org/v21/esylum_v21n28a03.html)

MEDALS OF THE JACOBITE REBELLION

The Young Pretender

The last Stuart monarch had been dead for three decades and the Hanoverians were on the British throne. James ("The Old Pretender"), son of James VII and Mary of Modena had been unsuccessful in an attempt to gain the throne in 1715 and install himself as James III. His son Charles ("Bonnie Prince Charlie") launched yet another effort to establish a Stuart ruler, landing on an island in the Hebrides in July 1745. He built an army of highlanders that was successful in taking over Edinburgh by September.

But the English throne was the goal, and after some initial invasion successes the English responded by bringing the commander of the English army in Flanders back to England. The Duke of Cumberland, son of George II, led a dominant force north, taking back Carlisle on his way. Arriving in Aberdeen in late February, he led his army north and east and at Culloden, just east of Inverness, the two forces met. Superior leadership, forces, and weaponry brought about a devastating defeat of the Jacobite army. Cumberland followed his successful defense of England with persecutions and reprisals. This became the last of the long string of Scottish battles with the English, a bloody history marked by a long series of finely produced medals by the English marking the events.

Carlisle Recaptured, Jacobite Rebels Retreat to Scotland

The siege and capture of Carlisle was an important event of the Jacobite uprising. Forces loyal to Bonnie Prince Charlie captured the city of Carlisle and Carlisle Castle on 14-15 November 1745. But Charles was not strong enough to hold it, and the Hanoverian army under the Duke of Cumberland besieged and took back Carlisle in December. The prisoners, the so-called Manchester Regiment, were held in a dungeon in terrible conditions until they were brought out for execution.

Battle of Culloden

Culloden was the last battle of the Jacobite Rebellion on British soil, and it took place on April 16th, 1746 on Drummossie Moor above Inverness, Scotland. A strong army of King George II led by his son the Duke of Cumberland easily beat Charles's forces. The battle only lasted one hour, and the Jacobites who survived the battle were hunted down and killed, earning Cumberland the title 'Billy the Butcher.' Charles evaded capture by traveling disguised as an Irish maid, and went into exile in France for around 40 years. Culloden was the final confrontation of the Jacobite Rebellion, and ended the claim of the descendants of James II to the British throne.

Battle of Culloden

For more information on the sale, see:
https://davcoin.com/

WEST VIRGINIA'S UNCLAIMED CIVIL WAR MEDALS

In 1866, the West Virginia legislature passed a resolution authorizing the distribution of medals for officers and soldiers who were honorably discharged, killed in battle or who had died of causes related to battle wounds. The medals were "a slight testimonial of the high appreciation, by the State, of your Devotion, Patriotism and Services," as West Virginia's first Governor, Arthur Boreman, wrote in a letter to a veteran in 1867. And the war was particularly important to West Virginians, as it only became a state in 1863, after a two-year effort launched by Virginians who wanted to stay in the Union.

The state authorized the minting of 26,000 medals to honor the men who fought in its regiments. But, of that number, there are 3,392 that haven't been claimed yet.

Now, with the help of new technology, the state is making an effort to see that those medals get to the descendants of those who served. People who believe they have ancestors who served in West Virginia can search the list of names of medal recipients on the website for the state's archives and apply to prove that they are related.

West Virginia wasn't the only state in the Union to authorize these medals, but it was among the earliest and its process of distributing medals is unique. The same year West Virginia authorized its medals, Ohio ordered medals from Tiffany & Co. for Buckeyes who had signed up to fight and re-enlisted. Around the 40th anniversary of the Civil War, the New Jersey legislature signed off on three medals. And similar to West Virginia, Massachusetts - which authorized medals in 1906 - has a collection of more than 800 unclaimed "Minutemen" medals, but no plans to distribute them. (Brigadier General Leonid Kondratiuk, Director of Historical Services for the Massachusetts National Guard, cites lack of resources, and says he has seen only a few cases of descendants coming forward in his last 20 years in the job.) Representatives of the Ohio, New York and New Jersey historical military records divisions told TIME that they don't have a stash of unclaimed medals.

"I've never seen any other state [besides West Virginia] have a notice out saying 'we have medals still,'" says Robert J. Wolz, historian for the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. "Most of them were issued when the veterans were alive."

By his count, there were about 409,000 Union veterans alive in the 1890s, just under 250,000 by around 1900 and about 34,000 in the 1920s.

The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), which was the preeminent organization of Union veterans, advertised the medals. But the more veterans that passed away, the more likely it became that knowledge of these medals has been forgotten in families. In the case of the West Virginia medals, there was an uptick in interest in 1963, around the 100th anniversary of statehood - but generally, the claims have come in dribs and drabs, according to Randolph Marcum, who carries out the medals program at the West Virginia State Archives and is a veteran himself.

But as genealogy websites have grown in popularity, so too has awareness of these unclaimed medals.

Jerry Holley, 49, discovered his great-great-grandfather Andrew J. Halley's name on the list of West Virginia medal recipients through MyHeritage.com in 2017. (The spelling of their surname name changed in the intervening years.) The Israel-based genealogy and DNA-testing service helped Holley, who lives in Thornville, Ohio, polish his family tree and track down U.S. Census documents he needed to prove the medal belonged to his family. Halley even discovered that his great-great-grandfather had fought against one of his other great-great-great grandfathers, Anderson J. Bradley, who was on the side of Confederate Virginia - not so surprising a phenomenon, given the history of the separation of the two states.

Making a claim can be a long process. Birth, death and marriage records can be searched on the West Virginia State Archives website, but only up to a point. When West Virginia was part of Virginia, the counties weren't required to keep records of births and deaths until 1853, so the research is hard when it comes to tracing people who were born prior to the split - which was the case for the men who served in the Civil War. In addition, U.S. Census records before 1850 just listed the head of household by name, and use tick marks to count off other members of the family. That means people making a claim may have to dig for other types of verification, such as records of a will, land ownership, marriage announcements in newspapers or obituaries that list family members who survive the deceased. Many medal recipients also scattered and moved out West after the war, making them harder to trace.

To read the complete article, see:
West Virginia Is Looking for the Descendants of Civil War Veterans Who Never Claimed Their Medals (http://time.com/5567482/civil-war-medals/)

GIANT PCGS CURRENCY SHIPWRECK NOTE SLABS

The Italian ocean liner Andrea Doria sunk off Nantucket in 1956. In 1981, divers recovered a Banco di Roma safe and the currency inside. The salvagers sandwiched some of the notes in large lucite holders. In 2008, PCGS Currency certified the notes, applying their seals and labels.

These are the largest slabs of which I know, weighing over three pounds. They measure 9" by 6" and all come in presentation boxes. Shipwreck coins exist from several well-known wrecks, but when did you last see shipwreck currency?

These come in four varieties: Italy 1000 lire (the most "common"), US $1 silver certificates (the most popular), and Italy 50 lire and 100 lire (the scarce types). If you look on eBay or other online resources, you will see sales of the 1000 lira and $1, but I can find no comparables for the 50 and 100 lire. They are the scarcest of the Andrea Doria relics.

David Adds:

LOOSE CHANGE: APRIL 14, 2019

Book Bound in Wood From Roman Times

It was made for an 1875 first of Lapidarium Septentrionale: or a Description of the Monuments of Roman Rule in Northern England, a work edited by John Collingwood Bruce for the Society of Antiquities of Newcastle and published by Bernard Quaritch.

The work itself is illustrated with plates and maps, but it is the binding of this copy that marks it out.

It is "formed of wood used in the foundations of the Roman Bridge built over the Tyne at Newcastle… by the Emperor Hadrian, AD120 and was made for Collingwood Bruce at Alnwick Castle."

To read the complete article, see:
Binding made of wood from Roman bridge (https://www.antiquestradegazette.com/print-edition/2019/april/2387/auction-reports/binding-made-of-wood-from-roman-bridge/)

How the Greenback Came About

In 1861, Congress needed to find a practical way - a currency that didn't rely on gold or silver - to pay for the Civil War and its soldiers. So the United States was introduced to the first government-regulated paper bills, also called "demand notes."

Many would think the $1 would be the first paper bill, but the first bills were the $5, $10 and $20.

The bills were also called "greenbacks," a name Civil War soldiers came up with. The color - used to print the back of the bill - had a purpose. To prevent people from counterfeiting, or printing fake money, the government turned to science.

"What chemists were looking for was a way to create an ink that could not be erased," Noll said. "And so one chemist in the 1840s came up with this ink that couldn't be removed and has a special chemical layer. It happened to be green."

To read the complete article, see:
U.S. currency has a rich history (https://www.msn.com/en-us/kids/people-places/us-currency-has-a-rich-history/ar-BBVvHQ0?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=HPDHP17)

Revisiting the Dutch Tulip Craze

Right now, it's Bitcoin. But in the past we've had dotcom stocks, the 1929 crash, 19th-century railways and the South Sea Bubble of 1720. All these were compared by contemporaries to "tulip mania", the Dutch financial craze for tulip bulbs in the 1630s. Bitcoin, according some sceptics, is "tulip mania 2.0".

Why this lasting fixation on tulip mania? It certainly makes an exciting story, one that has become a byword for insanity in the markets. The same aspects of it are constantly repeated, whether by casual tweeters or in widely read economics textbooks by luminaries such as John Kenneth Galbraith.

Tulip mania was irrational, the story goes. Tulip mania was a frenzy. Everyone in the Netherlands was involved, from chimney-sweeps to aristocrats. The same tulip bulb, or rather tulip future, was traded sometimes 10 times a day. No one wanted the bulbs, only the profits - it was a phenomenon of pure greed. Tulips were sold for crazy prices - the price of houses - and fortunes were won and lost. It was the foolishness of newcomers to the market that set off the crash in February 1637. Desperate bankrupts threw themselves in canals. The government finally stepped in and ceased the trade, but not before the economy of Holland was ruined.

Yes, it makes an exciting story. The trouble is, most of it is untrue.

To read the complete article, see:
Tulip mania: the classic story of a Dutch financial bubble is mostly wrong (https://theconversation.com/tulip-mania-the-classic-story-of-a-dutch-financial-bubble-is-mostly-wrong-91413)

On Modern Monetary Theory

Historian Stephen Mihm recently argued that based on his reading of the monetary system of colonial Massachusetts, modern monetary theory (MMT), which he cheekily referred to as PMT (Puritan monetary theory), "worked - up to a point."

One can forgive him for misunderstanding America's colonial monetary system, which was so much more complex than our current arrangements that scholars are still fighting over some basic details.

Clearly, though, America's colonial monetary experience exposes the fallacy at the heart of MMT (which might be better called postmodern monetary theory): the best monetary policy for the government is not necessarily the best monetary policy for the economy. As Samuel Sewall noted in his diary, "I was at the making of the first Bills of Credit in the year 1690: they were not Made for want of Money, but for want of Money in the Treasury."

While true that colonial governments controlled the money supply by directly issuing (or lending) and then retiring pieces of paper, their macroeconomic track record was abysmal, except when they carefully obeyed the market signals created by sterling exchange rates and the price of gold and silver in terms of paper money.

MMT in the colonial period often led to periods of ruinous inflation and, less well-understood, revolution-inducing deflation.

To read the complete article, see:
MMT Is a Recipe for Revolution (https://aier.org/article/mmt-recipe-revolution)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
HOW COLONIAL MASSACHUSETTS CREATED MONEY (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n11a29.html)