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 JUNE 16, 2019

New subscribers this week include: Gary Swartz, courtesy of Allen Pauly; Christian Thomsen, and 15 Fairfax Coin Club members courtesy of Daryl Haynor, including Gregg Coburn and Chris Robey. Welcome aboard! We now have 5,945 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.

Happy Bloomsday, Joyce fans! This week we open with three new books, two reviews, a numismatic job opening, and updates on the Newman Numismatic Portal and the parent of Krause Publications.

Other topics this week include catching counterfeiters, the 50 State Quarter series, early Chinese paper money, Walmart's coin department, the finest known 1856-S dime, a Nobel Peace Prize medal, a Harriet Tubman banknote design, the money art of Karl Lagasse, and the work of coin sculptor Don Everhart.

To learn more about the Early Paper Money of America, Mexican paper money, ancient Syrian coins, coin doctoring and disclosure, cuds, U.S. Large Cent collector A. Heistand Glatz, the Poultry Club medal, Joseph Merriam's counterstamp, the Pan American games medal, apothecary weights, and How the great Khan Caused the Bark of Trees, Made into Something Like Paper, to Pass for Money All over His Country, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

NEW BOOK: LE FRANC : LES MONNAIES, LES ARCHIVES

The Le Franc adventure began in 1995 and now continues with the publication this year of a new comprehensive book, Le Franc : les Monnaies, les Archives. Le Franc, Les Archives is a true history book offering a scientific approach – an encyclopedia of French modern numismatics.

This new publication is the fruit of extensive work by collectors, researchers and numismatists – be they French or foreign professionals or hobbyists – under the direction of CGB and Les Amis du Franc society (Philippe Théret, Christophe Charve, Xavier Bourbon and Franck Perrin, among others).

The recent digitization and study of more than 100,000 archive pages made it possible to establish a picture of today's knowledge, which had not been updated for more than a hundred years in such a detailed way. It revealed a mine of new information, which we would be glad to help you discover and share with you. Beyond the mere existence and price of each coin, so many historical events, political and administrative decisions, technical or artistic choices are worth knowing about. Getting to know and understand each coin's environment is exactly what Le Franc, Les Archives intends to do. Coins are thus considered in their specific context – historical, political, administrative, social, cultural and artistic. This is what coin collecting is all about, i.e. giving your collection its unique character.

After the success of Le Franc Poche's bilingual anniversary edition, this new encyclopedic version is exclusively in French. It offers more than 1,100 richly-illustrated pages with a whole host of archive documents, decrees, monetary orders, explanations, etc. The coin prices provided are those updated in 2016 for Le Franc Poche. Indeed, publishing a new price book was not the goal of Le Franc Les Archives. Prices are given only to complement the extensive research work carried out. Yet, their presentation has been thoroughly redesigned and many notes have been added to them.

The targeted public is wide and varied, and goes way further than the sphere of French modern coins collectors, i.e. the general public, beginner or seasoned or professional numismatists, antique dealers, anybody passionate about history, etc..

Author : Collectif
Publisher : Les Chevau-légers - CGF
Language : Français
Description : Paris 2019, relié, (16,5 x 24 cm), plus de 1100
pages, cotes en Euro
Weight : 2240 g.
Price : 59.00 €

For more information, or to order, see:
Le Franc : les Monnaies, les Archives (https://www.cgbfr.com/le-franc-les-monnaies-les-archives-collectif,lf2019,a.html)

BANKNOTE BOOK MEXICO CHAPTER PUBLISHED

We're very pleased to announce that the Mexico chapter is now available for individual sale and as a free download to subscribers.

Mexico (North America) This 58-page catalog covers notes issued by the Imperio Mexicano (Mexican Empire) in 1823, Tesorerías de la Nación (Treasury of the Nation) in 1823, Banco de México (Bank of Mexico) in 1866, Banco de la República Méxicana (Bank of the Mexican Republic) in 1918, Comisión Monetaria (Monetary Commission) in 1920, and Banco de México (Bank of Mexico) from 1925 to present. Revised 14.06.2019.

Currently 280 chapters of The Banknote Book have been published as individual high-resolution PDF files. This represents a total of 5,741 pages covering 52,631 types and varieties.

For more information on The Banknote Book, see:
http://www.banknotenews.com/banknote_book/banknote_book.php

NEW BOOK: FREEDOM'S DETECTIVE

Scott Miller writes:

"Freedom's Detective" by Charles Lane revolves around the fascinating figure of Whitley, whom President Ulysses Grant soon appointed to head the Secret Service, a federal agency created in 1865 to squelch counterfeit currency. Under Whitley, the agency also infiltrated and impaired the violent, politically motivated Klan. His story sharpens a paradox of the Reconstruction era. Whitley flouted ethics, curried partisan favor and violated civil liberties. At the same time, he promoted a more genuine American democracy.

A charismatic man with a goatee and intense blue eyes, Whitley reveled in skulduggery. As Secret Service chief, he employed small-time crooks to topple counterfeiting rings, reasoning that only underworld types could permeate these cabals. His style bore results: In 1871, he arrested Joshua Miner, the kingpin of a massive counterfeiting operation in New York City. Miner was also an esteemed Manhattan businessman with connections to Tammany Hall, the political machine of the Democratic Party.

In 1870 Whitley's outfit came under the new Department of Justice, and Attorney General Amos Akerman secured Grant's approval for a Secret Service team to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan.

"In all of American history," writes Lane, "there had never been a federal undercover operation to investigate civilians for alleged criminal violations of the constitutional rights of fellow citizens, much less whites' violations of African American rights." Whitley would serve as "spymaster, organizer, and supervisor of what amounted to a domestic anti-terrorism unit within the Secret Service."

Bolstered by deep research into government documents and press accounts, "Freedom's Detective" paints an illuminating portrait of Whitley, an intriguing representative of Reconstruction's feats and fiascos. It does not, however, always cohere as a work of narrative history. Lane jumps back and forth in time while his protagonist is battling counterfeiters and Klansmen, and it can be difficult to keep Whitley's life in order.

To read the complete article, see:
The Secret Service chief who embodied the best and worst of Reconstruction (https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/the-secret-service-chief-who-embodied-the-best-and-worst-of-reconstruction/2019/04/11/b3b8ad36-5632-11e9-9136-f8e636f1f6df_story.html)

To read the complete article, see:
‘Freedom's Detective' Review: The First War on Terror (https://www.wsj.com/articles/freedoms-detective-review-the-first-war-on-terror-11555269763)

How many words can you fit in a subtitle? For a slew of modern books, the answer seems to be as many as possible.

Blame a one-word culprit: search. Todd Stocke, senior vice president and editorial director at Sourcebooks, said that subtitle length and content have a lot to do with finding readers through online searches. "It used to be that you could solve merchandising communication on the cover by adding a tagline, blurb or bulleted list," he said. But now, publishers "pack the keywords and search terms into the subtitle field because in theory that'll help the book surface more easily."

Amazon allows up to 199 characters for a book's title and subtitle combined, making the word combination possibilities, if not endless, vast. Anne Bogel, host of the podcast "What Should I Read Next?," is not generally a fan of the trend. "I don't feel respected as a reader when I feel like the subtitle was created not to give me a feeling of what kind of reading experience I may get, but for search engines," she said. When Bogel asked author friends how they came up with their subtitles, several told her they can't even remember which words they ended up using.

That being said, sometimes titular long-windedness works. Bogel cites Julian Rubinstein's "Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts" as a winning formula. "When I see a subtitle like that, I'm intrigued," she said. "I think, how could all those things possibly go together? It makes me want to pick up the book or click on the link and find out more."

To read the complete article, see:
Book subtitles are getting ridiculously long. What is going on? (https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/book-subtitles-are-getting-ridiculously-long-what-is-going-on/2019/06/04/3150bcc8-86c3-11e9-98c1-e945ae5db8fb_story.html)

BOOK REVIEW: WEALTH AND WARFARE

Frédérique Duyrat, Wealth and Warfare: The Archaeology of Money in Ancient Syria. Numismatic studies, 34. New York: American Numismatic Society, 2016. Pp. xxvii, 596. ISBN 9780897223461.

Reviewed by Rebecca Dodd, Independent Scholar, University of Glasgow (rebecca.dodd.1@gmail.com)

This substantial and ambitious volume covers the full range of hoards and site finds of ancient Syrian coins from areas which today comprise modern Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and Turkey, and brings together these sometimes disparate finds with detailed and coherent discussion of coins as historical sources. While the main focus of this work is the Hellenistic period, the author gives attention to the pre-Hellenistic Phoenician issues and to the coins of Alexander, while acknowledging that future studies should include the Roman period (p. 23). Indeed, one of the most significant contributions that this work makes to our knowledge of Hellenistic coins is that it clearly demonstrates throughout that ancient Syria was ruled and occupied by many different peoples, whereas much modern scholarship has focused on the Seleucids. Categorising this book is challenging; its sheer size and the amount of material covered make it an excellent reference source for any and all of the topics covered, especially in terms of its detailed catalogue and tables. In addition, the discussion chapters are written in a lively and accessible style that will appeal to students and professionals alike.

The catalogue occupies just under half of this volume and is placed at the beginning rather than being relegated to a final appendix as is often the case. This novel structure serves to underscore the importance of the coins and hoards as the foundation on which the study's evidence is built. Each hoard or archaeological excavation is discussed in turn, and each entry contains its own bibliography in chronological order by publication date. This has the double effect of giving a clear demonstration of the current state of scholarship and of illustrating a frequent problem with numismatic research, namely that academic studies can be scattered across rare numismatic journals and more obscure publications.

Few criticisms can be offered. The author does use quotations from and references to modern, and especially French, literature and popular culture on occasion throughout the book, which some may find distracting from the main arguments. That said, these references may prove welcome in a teaching setting, for which this book is well-suited. The grayscale charts and diagrams contained within the text can occasionally prove difficult to read and are sometimes less visually compelling than could be desired. The legends within the charts, however, are clear and consistent, and the accompanying text more than compensates for any confusion created by the charts themselves.

The author makes a well-founded case for coin hoards and their value as historical evidence, while acknowledging the gaps in our knowledge. Many of the chapters and the sections within could serve as standalone studies, but they are all brought together admirably to create a full picture of coins and coin circulation (or the lack of same) in ancient Syria. While it is likely that some of the specifics of this work will become outdated in the light of the welcome addition of new archaeological finds, nevertheless the overall methodologies and concepts will doubtlessly always have value. This work is more than a scholarly monograph in that it can serve as a valuable resource with materials which will be useful for researchers, students, and teachers alike.

To read the complete article, see:
2019.06.17 Frédérique Duyrat, Wealth and Warfare: The Archaeology of Money in Ancient Syria. Numismatic studies, 34. (http://www.bmcreview.org/2019/06/20190617.html)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NEW BOOK: WEALTH AND WARFARE (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v19n36a06.html)

BOOK REVIEW: COINS FROM EXCAVATIONS AT SARDIS

Jane DeRose Evans, Coins from the Excavations at Sardis: Their Archaeological and Economic Contexts: Coins from the 1973 to 2013 Excavations. Archaeological Exploration of Sardis monographs, no 13. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press, 2018. Pp. xxi, 305 p., 19 p. of plates. ISBN 9780674987258. $90.00.

Reviewed by George Watson, Goethe Universität, Frankfurt am Main (watson@em.uni-frankfurt.de)

As befits Sardis's status as the birthplace of western coinage, the publication of coin finds from the excavations there counts among one of the best and most extensive of any site in the eastern Mediterranean. The volume under review here not only supplements three previous publications with new material,1 but also corrects and newly analyses finds that had already been published. The aim of the book is clear both from the title and from the introductory chapters: not simply to analyse the coins, but also to set them in context. This book will thus be of interest not only to numismatists but also to archaeologists and economic historians.

After editorial prefaces, summaries in English and Turkish, and a brief introduction, come two substantive chapters, followed by four appendices concerned with countermarks, monograms, reverse types of late Roman bronzes and statistical formulae, respectively. The lengthiest part of the book is the catalogue, which lists over 8,000 coins found during excavations in Sardis between 1973 and 2013; this is supplemented with a concordance between the catalogue and field numbers from the excavations. The nineteen high-quality plates contain illustrations of 118 coins, 11 maps and 14 graphs.

The catalogue is well laid out and easy to use. There are, however, some concerns regarding Evans' dating of the Roman provincial coins, which is either too precise or not precise enough. For coins without an imperial portrait, she pays no attention to magistrates' names, which often allow a far more precise dating than that which she gives. For the coins of Sardis, she gives a false impression of precision. For example, coin types 157–58 are dated in the text of RPC to "between 63 and 68", and in RPC's catalogue to "c. AD 65", which becomes for Evans simply "65 AD". This becomes particularly problematic when one of these coins is used to give a terminus post quem of a votive deposit.

Mistakes such as these diminish confidence in the book, and its conclusions, as a whole. This is greatly to be regretted, particularly considering that analysis of coin finds from excavations in the eastern Mediterranean lags so far behind that done on sites in northern and western Europe. That being the case, if this book, despite its faults, can stimulate more attempts to do more with excavation coins than simply list the material, it is to be welcomed with open arms.

To read the complete article, see:
2019.06.19 Jane DeRose Evans, Coins from the Excavations at Sardis: Their Archaeological and Economic Contexts: Coins from the 1973 to 2013 Excavations. Archaeological Exploration of Sardis monographs, no 13. (http://www.bmcreview.org/2019/06/20190619.html)

ANS SEEKS ASSISTANT CURATOR

The American Numismatic Society Seeks an Assistant Curator, American Department

The American Numismatic Society (ANS) seeks an energetic and creative assistant curator to oversee and lead its American Department. The successful candidate will be in charge of the collections of North and South American coins, currency, medals and related objects. Since its foundation in 1858, the Society has played a leading role in the field of American numismatics, and wishes to expand its audience while continuing its traditional role as one of the leading academic institutions in numismatics overall.

The successful candidate is expected to work on the ANS's exhibition program, regularly contribute to the quarterly ANS Magazine and online media, and do research in his or her own chosen field. S/he will have to be prepared to work on parts of the collection outside the American field, for which training will be provided. In addition, the successful candidate will be expected to devote considerable time to the ANS's recently acquired holdings of the Medallic Art Company (MACO), a large private US mint. Among other responsibilities, the successful candidate will be expected to build a program of publications, exhibitions and teaching programs around this MACO material. In general, all ANS curators are expected to participate actively in the Society's development, outreach, public relations, and fund raising initiatives, which includes seeking funding for projects through competitive grants. Curators also provide instruction and supervise students in the ANS's eight-week Graduate Summer Seminar and in classrooms elsewhere.

The successful candidate should hold a Ph.D. or have equivalent academic qualifications in North, Central or South American history or art history, in particular in areas in which coinage or currency contribute to the understanding of the period. An interest in coinage or currency is an advantage but not required. Reading knowledge of foreign languages will be an advantage. The candidate is expected to be or become a recognized expert in his/her field, through study, research, writing, and publication on American coinage, currency, and economic history. The position provides a competitive salary depending on the experience of the successful candidate and includes excellent benefits.

About the Society
The Society has a collection of c. 800,000, of which over 600,000 are recorded on its online database MANTIS. The US collection of coins and banknotes contains c. 35,000 objects , and 30,000 objects from Central and South America. The archives of the Society provide papers and archival material of many major collectors and artists, while the Harry W. Bass Library has the country's foremost numismatic collection of almost 85,000 volumes. For more information about the Society visit www.numismatics.org.

To Apply
Resume and cover letter via email to position@numismatics.org. Names and email addresses of at least three references are required; reference letters will be requested by the ANS for short-listed candidates. Applications should be received by 19 July 2019; interviews will be held in New York City in August-September.

EARLY PAPER MONEY OF AMERICA ON NNP

Early Paper Money of America on Newman Numismatic Portal

Eric P. Newman published five editions Early Paper Money of America, the standard reference for colonial paper money, from 1967 to 2008. The NNP Edition of this work is now available on Newman Portal, and combines Newman's fifth edition text with thousands of colonial paper money examples from the Newman collection. The web format allows for new features, such as hyperlinks in the Continental Currency section that link to the Journals of the Continental Congress and the legislation corresponding to each issue. Additionally, the sheer volume of images presented here would not be viable in a print format, as earlier editions contained representative images only.

The May 10, 1775 $20 illustrated here is one of the most iconic in the colonial paper money series. The marble edge was designed by Benjamin Franklin as an anti-counterfeiting measure, and the burst of color is immediately arresting. Franklin was further responsible for the emblems and mottos, chosen to inspire the colonists in the fight against Britain. The May 10, 1775 issue represented the inaugural printing of Continental Currency, and, while its ending is economically ignominious, the paper did what it had to do during the war and sufficiently greased the wheels of commerce.

Newman Portal intends to maintain Early Paper Money of America as a living document and invites edits and additional content from interested researchers and collectors.

Image: May 10, 1775 Continental Currency $20 note, CC-9, marbled border. From Newman VIII (Heritage Auctions, 11/2017), lot 28170, realized $26,400.

Link to Early Paper Money of America on Newman Portal:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/imagecollection/513468

VIDEO: YOUNG TEXAN NUMISMATISTS

It is the young blood that will make numismatists healthy into the future. Hear these three young men share how they got into the hobby of coin collecting and what it means to them.

This video is a highlight from Texas Numismatic Association held at its annual Coin and Currency Show in Arlington, Texas at the Arlington Convention Center from May 29-31, 2016. The TNA is a non-profit state organization for coin collectors chartered to promote education about numismatics. One way it promotes coin collecting is to hold one of the largest coin conventions in the state of Texas with hundreds of coin dealers from all over the country.

The entire interview is available on the Newman Numismatic Portal at:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/multimediadetail/522852

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

Young Numismatists Share How They Got Into Coin Collecting
May 29-31, 2019, VIDEO: 3:15.
Eric Barron, Isaiah Marquez, & Brandon Spiegl, Young Numismatists, David Lisot, Interviewer, CoinTelevision.com.

F+W MEDIA ASSET SALES UPDATE

Gregory J. Osberg, CEO of F+W Media, has announced today (June 7) that Penguin Random House's bid to acquire the book-publishing assets of F+W Books has been selected as the winning bid following the sale process in the company's chapter 11 case.

In a statement issued by Penguin Random House to the news media, we read, "Penguin Random House has acquired the book-publishing assets in the United States and the United Kingdom of F+W Books, a division of F+W Media, in an auction held Thursday (June 6) by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

"F+W's new titles and its backlist of more than 2,000 illustrated nonfiction books across a broad range of categories and brands will be published within Penguin Random House's Penguin Publishing Group division."

To read the complete article, see:
Penguin Random House Buys F+W Media's Books at Auction (https://publishingperspectives.com/2019/06/penguin-random-house-wins-bid-to-buy-fw-medias-list/)

To read the F+W bankruptcy legal docket, see:
F+W Media, Inc. Case # 19-10479 (https://dm.epiq11.com/case/FWM/info)

To read an earlier E-Sylum article, see:
F+W MEDIA ASSET SALES SCHEDULED (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n17a10.html)

HERITAGE LAUNCHES COIN IMAGE IMPROVEMENT

Heritage Auctions Launches New Web Feature to Offer Higher-Quality Photographs of World and Ancient Coins in Internet Auctions

Feature offers PCGS TrueView, NGC PhotoVision images from independent grading companies

Heritage Auctions, the world's leading coins auctioneer, has launched a new feature on its website that displays high-quality photographs of world and ancient coins taken by independent third-party grading companies whenever they are available for internet auction lots.

HA.com now displays the PCGS TrueView or NGC PhotoVision images whenever those photos are available for all internet auction lots. Previously, coins received just Heritage's in-house photos of the encapsulated coins.

The high-resolution photographs from PCGS and NGC are shot outside of the coins' protective cases, which produces a clearer and more accurate depiction of the coins' surfaces and toning while at the same time reducing glare or any marks that may be on the plastic holder.

PCGS takes TruView images for all of its world coins, and NGC will take PhotoVision photos of all world and ancient coins submitted by Heritage Auctions, at no added cost to HA consignors.

"This feature represents a significant upgrade in the quality of photographs our consignors and clients will see on HA.com," Heritage Auctions Executive Vice President Cris Bierrenbach said. "We estimate that within six months, as many as 50% of all lots in our weekly, monthly and Signature Internet auctions will have these exceptional high-resolution photographs, which only will increase bidders' confidence that they are pursuing exactly what they see on our website."

As all collectors and dealers know, not all coins at the same grade level are necessarily equal. The numerical grade assigned to each coin by the grading service remains an important feature, but the improved photographs on HA.com will allow collectors to make more confident, better-informed decisions about the bids they make, especially on high-quality coins that deserve a premium for the grade because of exceptional eye appeal.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE CULT ECONOMIST'S COINS

The 58 rare coins at the center of two federal lawsuits are exceptionally valuable.

Now a bankrupt company's receiver wants them.

And an antique dealer wants them.

And so does Martin Armstrong, a self-taught economist with a cult following who spent years behind bars for what the U.S. said was a $700 million Ponzi scheme and for allegedly hiding assets, including what may be those very same coins.

Armstrong's story is one of Wall Street's more bizarre tales -- and the newest chapter makes it even more absurd.

... Armstrong later spent another five years behind bars after pleading guilty to conspiracy. He wasn't released until 2011, when he returned home to southern New Jersey and began holding conferences for his followers.

At least for the coins, that's largely where matters stood until March 2014, when, according to court papers, a day laborer walked into a Philadelphia thrift shop operated by George and Andrew Antoniak and sold them a box of coins for $6,000. The laborer said he found them while clearing out a house in New Jersey, according to the Antoniaks.

The coins' value -- $2.5 million -- soon became apparent. One of them, a gold penny from the year 1257, is one of just five known to exist and is one of the rarest, most valuable coins in English history. The Scottish coins come from the mid-16th century, and the Greek coins date from 500 BC to 300 BC. The Antoniaks consigned the coins to a Dallas-based auction house, Heritage...

"None of those coins are replaceable, all are unique," Armstrong's lawyers claim.

In 2017, Armstrong, a lifelong collector, learned that Heritage planned to auction the coins, and he claimed them as his own. In turn, the Antoniaks sued Armstrong, saying they'd never heard of him before he sought possession and asking the court to declare them the rightful owners. Armstrong then filed his own suit in Pennsylvania.

To read the complete article, see:
Cult Economist Jailed for Hiding Rare Coins Says They're His Now (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-13/cult-economist-jailed-for-hiding-rare-coins-says-they-re-his-now)

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
ASBURY PARK GOLD CERTIFICATES DISPUTED (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n21a27.html)
ASBURY PARK 1882 GOLD CERTIFICATES (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n22a33.html)

NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JUNE 16, 2019

More on the Dr. J. E. Barrett Sale
Dave Hirt writes:

Images courtesy Newman Numismatic Portal

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
DR. CHARLES EDWARD FRASER, JR. (1850-1915) (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n23a19.html)

To read the full catalog on the Newman Numismatic Portal, see:
Catalogue of a collection of coins and medals ... [03/27/1879] (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/auctionlots?AucCoId=510776&AuctionId=515471)

An Elder Temperance Token

Dave Schenkman writes:

Pete Smith writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NUMISMATIC NUGGETS: JUNE 9, 2019 : New York Temperance Token (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n23a29.html)

Diana Song Lyric

Web site visitor Richard Hughes writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
MORE ON THE DIANA GAMES OF CHANCE TWENTY DOLLAR GOLD PIECE (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n25a14.html)

Coin Doctoring, Conservation, and Disclosure
On coin doctoring and conservation, Jeff Rock writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
ON NUMISMATIC DOCTORING AND CONSERVATION (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n22a11.html)
MORE ON NUMISMATIC DOCTORING AND CONSERVATION (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n23a14.html)

An Uncertain Brass Piece of 1677

David Powell writes:

Numismatic Literature Catalog Offer
Heath MacAlpine writes:

• Kolbe - The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Numismatic Library, Part One December 12, 1998
• Kolbe - The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Numismatic Library, Part Two June 5, 1999
• Kolbe - The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Numismatic Library, Part Three September 25, 1999
• Kolbe - The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Numismatic Library, Part Four June 10, 2000 December 12, 1998
• Stacks/Kolbe – John J. Ford, Jr. Collection Reference Library, Part I June 1, 2004
• Stacks/Kolbe – John J. Ford, Jr. Collection Reference Library, Part II June 4 & 6, 2004
• Bergman – The William and Elizabeth Wisslead Library September 19, 1992
• Bergman – An Interesting and Diverse Numismatic Library, The Property of Joe Der October 30, 1993
• Kolbe – The Dr. Ferdinando Bassoli Library January 10, 2009
• Kolbe – The Bassoli Library Part II & The Twinleaf Library Part II March 5, 2009
• Kolbe – Numismatic Literature Mail Bid Auction Sale March 10, 2001
• Kolbe – The John Frederick Bergman Numismatic Library, Part One October 6, 2001
• Kolbe – One Hundred Rarities of American Numismatic Literature October 6, 2001

HARVEY STACK ON THE 50 STATE QUARTER SERIES

I read to day the story and letter from Michael Castle, former chairman of the Finance and Monetary Committee of Congress. He, as you know, is no longer active in the House.

I wish to bring to reader attention that 2019 is an important Anniversary year for the STATEHOOD QUARTER PROGRAM. 25 years ago, I, with others, were witnesses at a hearing relative the the Mint's over charging for late issue commemoratives, especially with the HUGE EXTRA PREMIUMS THEY CHARGED, and at the same time promote many as an "INVESTMENT IN THE fUTURE." The series of commemorative issues, from 1982 to the period of 1995, (when a group of numismatists testified before the House Committee on Banking and Finance, when the birth of the 'STATEHOOD QUARTER WAS PROPOSED !

What brought this Congressional hearing to be called? The Coin Market had during the 1982-1995 period, listened and followed the promotional language by the U.S. Mint, but found after a decade of systematic assembling these coins, NO SECONDARY MARKET DEVELOPED, and those who tried to sell what they acquired could not find buyers at 50% of what their original cost was. Dealers were called "rip off" artists, and the public expressed no great shame of having followed the MINT'S ideas what was scarce and rare, and will grow in value. The industry sent complaints to Congress, and a special hearing was called.

The commemorative issue was approved thereafter, and l999 was the first issue of these commemorative Quarters (THAT WAS 20 YEARS AGO, and therefore a notable anniversary). In addition in 2009, a decade ago (making this the 10th Anniversary of this special series) the last of the STATEHOOD QUARTERS WERE ISSUED. So the acknowledged success of the program, by the Mint and the Public has much to celebrate.

EVENTS THAT OCCURRED AT THE CONGRESSIONAL HEARING TO HELP COLLECTORS

At that hearing in 1995, I, who represented Stack's, the collectors in toto, the PNG dealers who wanted to limit or stop the excessive premiums, that during my testimony I suggest to the HOUSE COMMITTEE, that a commemorative quarter, HONORING EACH STATE ENTERING THE UNION, be struck, and distributed each issue, (50 in all) at FACE VALUE , so the Entry Fee to start a collection of STATEHOOD QUARTERS could be gathered from change each year, with NO PREMIUM ATTACHED. The idea was accepted in full by Congressman Castle, and his committee and became a "SPARKPLUG TO INDUCE NEW COLLECTORS TO COLLECT"

When Congressman Michael Castle, interrupted me as I made my presentation, exclaiming " That is a wonderful idea , Mr. Stack, and since I represent the State of Delaware, which was the first State to sign the confederation, (indicating that his State would be the first to be commemorated) we all smiled and I continued my presentation.

The entire hearing, with full transcripts is in the Congressional Record, and I was fully acknowledged about being the "First to make the suggestion"

At the meeting representatives of the ANA and ANS were present and made some suggestions and commented on a "change of policy by the MINT"

To correct the statement made by Representative Castle in the last issue of The E-Sylum, he credited Beth Deischer with the initial suggestion, and did not acknowledge my idea. Beth did endorse the idea extensively in Coin World, David Ganz. representing the legal aspects of the idea, and Philip Diehl,, (then Director of the MInt) , felt it was a wonderful idea, however, the costs and distribution would have to be explored (a typical response from a government official). To be acknowledged as the one who made the first and initial suggestion is an HONOR I will always cherish.

So I write to you so all your reporting is exact, it can be found in the Congressional Record of the day, it can be confirmed in The E-Sylum, Volume 21, Number 26, Sept. 9, 2018 where I wrote a simplified story about the STATEHOOD QUARTER.

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
COINWEEK INTERVIEWS MIKE CASTLE (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n39a14.html)
HARVEY STACK ON THE 50 STATE QUARTER SERIES (https://www.coinbooks.org/v21/esylum_v21n36a12.html)
MIKE CASTLE ON THE 50 STATE QUARTERS PROGRAM (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n23a24.html)

CHINESE PAPER MONEY AT THE ROYAL SOCIETY

The Royal Society has many connections with Chinese scientific and historical institutions.

Our Foreign Secretary Professor Richard Catlow FRS, and Executive Director Dr Julie Maxton, recently went to China to visit our scientific colleagues, and just last week the Library team hosted several guests from the Qian Xuesen Library and Museum in Shanghai. They were here to research Qian Xuesen's visit to the United Kingdom in 1987, as the leader of a delegation from the China Association for Science and Technology. This provided an opportunity to show off some of our archival material, and to reflect on the long history of relations between the Royal Society and China.

One of the oldest Chinese documents we have is a Ming dynasty paper banknote, likely printed around 1400. Paper money is a Chinese invention, dating back to around the tenth century. A common practice among Chinese merchants was to store their coin with a trusted agent, and carry an early form of promissory note instead; these could be used in place of the coins themselves, and be exchanged for the money with the agent at a later time. The Song dynasty developed this practice further, and by the twelfth century it operated a number of printing factories, creating paper notes for use in particular regions of the Empire.

Kublai Khan adopted the practice when he conquered China and established the Yuan dynasty in 1271. The Italian merchant Marco Polo was so intrigued by the idea that he devoted a chapter of his book to the subject of ‘How the great Khan Causes the Bark of Trees, Made into Something Like Paper, to Pass for Money All over His Country'. The concept of paper money began to spread to Europe around this time, but it wasn't until the seventeenth century that the practice really took off in the West.

In Peking on 9 November 1748, Gaubil wrote a letter to Royal Society secretary Cromwell Mortimer, and enclosed two banknotes, one of which Mortimer gifted to the Society in 1749. It is a 1 guan, or one-string, note, meaning that the bearer could exchange it anywhere throughout the empire for a string of 1000 copper coins. However, the government did not set limits on how many notes could be printed, and the bills had no expiry dates; this led to huge levels of inflation, and by 1535 a 1 guan note was worth less than a third of one copper coin!

To read the complete article, see:
Cash in the archive (http://blogs.royalsociety.org/history-of-science/2019/06/11/cash-in-the-archive/)

VOCABULARY TERM: CUD

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/1977-cud-error-penny-value.198640/
https://dniewcollectors.blogspot.com/2014/12/major-die-break-cud.html

Cud. A raised lump or boss on a struck piece near the rim. There are two kinds of cuds: (1) on the face of the struck piece, as the result of a diechip breaking away from the surface of the die at the edge leaving a cavity that forms such a boss on each piece struck from that die; and (2) on the edge, where it is a result of a broken collar. The latter is called a collar cud by collectors. (A raised lump elsewhere on the face away from the rim of a struck pieces called a boss.) In either case it takes the shape of the area broken away from the mass of the die.

Cuds are the end result of a progression of events in the life of a die once it starts to deteriorate. It begins with a hairline crack at the point of greatest metal stress on the surface of a die. This is nearly always near the edge where steeped-pitched lettering, as legend, is located. Continued striking causes this hairline crack to grow. It widens and deepens into a diecrack. Two or more nearby diecracks may join.

With even more striking these diecracks may turn into a diebreak. The portion of the die that is dislodged may not yet fall away immediately being a retained diechip or until continued striking causes it inevitably to fall away. At this point the portion of the die that is missing has created a cavity, die cavity. It is these cavities that create the cud on all pieces struck from that die forever after.

It is a pressman's responsibility to halt and remove such broken dies during a production run. This is one reason pressmen continually inspect struck pieces with a magnifying glass. Any coin with a cud is reason to stop the press, to remove the impaired die, and to replace it with a fresh or satisfactory die.

In cataloging, the existence and position of the cud should be noted. It is not necessary to explain the shape but the length of the cud could be mentioned.

History of Cuds. The term cud was first used by Mort Goodman in his writings on mint errors in the 1960s. He first used the term "design cud." What was once a collector's term has now been accepted by the minting industry and the numismatic field for the type of mint error it describes. The concept is not that different from a cow's cud that is ruminated from one stomach to another. In coining the ruminated material is metal from the mass of the blank filling the cavity broken away from the edge of the die, or from the collar. See also broken die, collar break.

Reference:
NM11 {1979} Marvin and Margolis, The Design Cud.
NM19 {1991} Margolis: (on face) p 219-224; (on edge) 175-180.

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.

ABRAHAM HEISTAND GLATZ (1835-1894)

General A. Hiestand Glatz was an antiquarian and coin collector since boyhood in the 1840's. He later became Pennsylvania State Senator Glatz.

Abraham Heistand Glatz (1835-1894), was born November 3, 1835, a fraternal twin with his sister Margaret, son of Dr. Jacob Glatz (1803-1845), and Susan Hiestand (1802-1883), of Lancaster and Accomac (Glatz's Ferry), York County, Pennsylvania. After his father died his family moved in with his mother's family in Marietta, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

In 1850, he entered Princeton, then called the College of New Jersey. In 1854, he graduated Princeton.

He was elected to the Pennsylvania State House, 1858-1859.

He was a Brigadier General in the State Militia before the Civil War.

The 1860 U. S. Census lists him as a gentleman living with his mother.

On May 3, 1861, he enlisted as staff Quartermaster, 16th Pennsylvania Regiment, Jackson Guards.

He was elected to the state Senate, 1861-1868. After the Civil War he ran the family farm as his lifelong career together with politics.

The 1880 U. S. Census tells us he was living as a boarder in his aunt Sarah Wilson's boarding house.

There are several pieces of correspondence of Glatz to the Chapman Brothers beginning in the 1880's in the Lupia Numismatic Library.

On December 28, 1894, he died of apoplexy at his home 15 Beaver Street, York, Pennsylvania. He was 59 years old. His funeral was in St. John's Episcopal Church, York, Pennsylvania. He is buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery, York, Pennsylvania.

To read the complete article, see:
GLATZ, ABRAHAM HEISTAND (https://sites.google.com/a/numismaticmall.com/www/numismaticmall-com/glatz-abraham-heistand)

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 .

HARVEY STACK'S NUMISMATIC FAMILY, PART 46

In 1967 Stack's continued its active over the counter and mail order business, as well as offering exciting public auction sales. Collectors visited our shop to see what we might have added to our inventory, meet with other collectors on Saturdays and use our library for their research. Our monthly auction sales, which usually took place on the weekends, brought many to view lots and participate. Of course, our usual buying and selling over the counter kept us very busy, and usually one or two members of the Stack family, were on the road attending shows and visiting collectors.

We opened 1967 with the Robert Arnel auction featuring a type set, which had been assembled by a New Yorker during the previous decade by attending our sales or visiting us on a regular basis. This set was so nice that new records were established when we sold it. Along with a close friend, Bob also set about to see how many 11 piece commemorative gold coin sets could be assembled. It was a very popular series at the time, as were silver commemoratives. Because of their desire for quality, Bob and his friend only amassed 15 sets the first year. The early sets cost $325 to get, and by the time they got to 15 the last set cost them $595.

We next sold the Bernard Copeland Collection of U.S. gold, silver, and copper coins, which contained many choice early coins. That was followed by the Nicholson Family Collection featuring many early U.S. type coins that had originally been assembled by the father, and then continued by the son.

Also in this year a most unusual type collection was offered by Stack's: the celebrated Charles Jay Collection. Charles Jay had been collecting for about 15 years, and was a familiar face at Stack's auctions. He was introduced to Stack's by close friend and super photographer, Maurice Bauman, who had dedicated much of his time to building one of the finest collections of U.S. half dollars 1794 to 1947. Charles Jay, became enamored of type coins as he wanted to have a representative of each denomination, with each design so he would own an overall view of U.S. coinage, from colonials right through to the 20th century. He knew of Mr. Eliasberg's complete set and realized he could not build a collection of that size. In building his type set, Mr. Jay focused not only on quality and pedigree, but he also wanted to have very rare coins in his collection.

Charles' wish was possible, as between 1950 to 1967 many rare and unusual examples were sold by collectors who had built their cabinets in earlier decades. He acquired Mint State coins or Proof and Specimen examples. To give you some idea how vast his collection was, here are some of the rarities he amassed.

For Mint State coins he had:

Colonials: Birch cent, Continental dollar, Oak Tree Shilling
Half cents: 1793, 1794, 1796 Pole to Cap
Large cents: 1793, 1794, 1796
Half dimes: 1794, 1796, 1802
Dimes: 1796
Quarters: 1796, 1901-S, 1918/7-S
Half dollars: 1794, 1796 ?

His Proof and Specimen coins included:

Cents: 1856 Flying Eagle, 1864 "L"

Five cents: 1867 With Rays
Quarters: 1827
Silver dollars: Four different types and dates 1836-1839, 1866 No Motto, 1895
Gold dollars: Almost a full set, C and D Mint (He liked the small gold coins because of the quality available).
$3 gold: 1857, 1858, 1873, 1875, 1876, 1877
$4 gold Stella: 1879
$10: 1872, 1907 Wire Edge
$20: 1862, 1907 Flat Edge

The other coins that made up the set were very choice. We were so excited to offer this fabulous collection that a special cover was designed showing a walnut chest with flat display trays, that we shot and printed in color (one of the first color covers ever). The presentation of this collection attracted numerous collectors when we auctioned it.

We concluded our 1967 public auction season by offering the Hall Park McCullough Collection, which had been formed over 50 years earlier. Once again it was a landmark collection that featured coins with excellent pedigrees.

As our sales of 1967 made clear, many of the collections we sold at public auction were built by collectors who were dedicated to finding the best coins, with the result that the sales were very successful. Buyers at the sales appreciated the rarity and quality that was offered, and used the opportunity to build their own quality collections. Stack's was proud to help appreciative numismatists build outstanding collections and then offer the opportunity for these important pieces to move into the hands of a new generation.

To read the complete article, see:
Harvey Stack Remembers: Growing up in a Numismatic Family, Part 46 (https://www.stacksbowers.com/News/Pages/Blogs.aspx?ArticleID=3406)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
HARVEY STACK'S NUMISMATIC FAMILY, PART 45 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n22a19.html)

CITECO ECONOMICS MUSEUM OPENS IN PARIS

Do consumers make rational choices? It might not sound like the title of an art exhibit, but it's one of the questions visitors can contemplate at France's first museum aimed at revealing the arcane theories and systems underpinning the global economy.

But the Citeco, housed in a sumptuous neo-Renaissance palace built by a banker in the 19th century, also takes up a tougher challenge: reconcile the French with a subject often viewed with a mix of suspicion and contempt.

"The idea is for people to better understand and grasp the economy, that its general mechanisms be laid out in one place, because the level of comprehension is not what we would hope," Philippe Gineste, the director, told AFP at the museum's inauguration on Friday.

The museum is banking on 130,000 visitors a year, including some 30,000 students as young as seven or eight.

The project was conceived after a visit by the former Bank of France governor Christian Noyer to the MIDE interactive economics museum in Mexico City, which opened in 2006.

Many of the exhibits are hands-on, including a contest where players compete to get to the beach fastest by figuring out how to make or trade for the sunglasses, hats and other things they'll need.

Visitors can also touch a gold bar or try their hand at making their own paper money, or admire a buffalo sculpture by the French scrap metal "alchemist" Christian Champin.

"There are plenty of things to look at, read and think about. Overall we offer around 12 hours of content, but the idea is that visitors just pick and choose what interests them the most," said the museum's curator Xavier Limagne.

And even if people don't leave with expert knowledge of the concepts of scarcity or utility, maybe they will have a better understanding of their own spending or the current trade battles by the US with Europe and China.

To read the complete article, see:
The art of money: New Paris museum puts economy centre stage (http://artdaily.com/news/114392/The-art-of-money--New-Paris-museum-puts-economy-centre-stage#.XQTnPIhKiAs)

THE ART OF THE PURSE

Monnaie de Paris, as a creator of coins, naturally takes interest in ‘treasure troves' which have fulfilled the role of containing money and sometimes various other objects throughout the ages. Features of everyday life and indicators of social status, purses, coin purses invite discussion surrounding societal life over the centuries, and more specifically the 19th century, as well as providing an illustration of ‘Parisian chic'.

Surprisingly, never in France has an entire exhibition been dedicated to purses. The aesthetic quality of these objects necessitates an approach which looks beyond their practicality. Henri Joannis-Deberne's collection has never before been exhibited. Covering the period 1830 to 1930, it will be shown for the first time alongside purses on loan from French museums and from leather goods and jewellery houses. These objects date from the 20th century, a period when the purse, much like the handbag, became a fashion accessory of major contemporary brands.

The over 200 different pieces which will be exhibited are made of various materials (tortoise shell, wood, ivory, mother-of-pearl, fabric, metal, shells, leather, etc.) and come from many different parts of the world (France, Austria, England, Italy, Russia, etc.) Many associated jobs and trades - fine cabinet makers, goldsmiths, jewellers - have gone through training to create this type of object. Finally, coins from the Monnaie de Paris collection will be presented alongside these purses.

For more information, see:
Chic and practical, the art of the purse (https://www.monnaiedeparis.fr/en/temporary-exhibitions/chic-and-practical-the-art-of-the-purse)

To read the CoinsWeeklyarticle, see:
Chic and Practical – The Art of the Coin Purse (https://coinsweekly.com/chic-and-practical-the-art-of-the-coin-purse/)

COIN SHOP COMPETITION PROPOSED

I think should be a competition to encourage coin shops to be more welcoming. Why not a prize for best shopfront, most helpful assistant and most informative dealer website? I recently travelled abroad and went to a coin dealer in a large city which came up first on an online site. Credit where credit is due. At least there were some coin dealers. Many cities in this country do not have any at dealers all.

However the shop was not attractive from the outside. The shop assistant did her best to be helpful but did not understand what historical medallions were and I was shown some worn tokens. There was little evidence of what they did in fact sell or anything to encourage collectors.

I realise there is a need for security and a camera controlled lock on the door is needed as well as internal CCTV, but jewellers and banks probably have higher levels of security and manage to be welcoming and informative. Even lawyers and dentists try to put people at their ease. You can still have good security systems and be welcoming.

I do not know but callers must include people buying presents for others, collectors who are knowledgeable with a specific interest, the idle curious, the general public who think they have found buried treasure and people who have acquired someone else's collection. It must be difficult catering for all tastes but any if you went to a shop linked to any other hobby you would see information and displays on the subject, magazines and notices about events and local clubs. At least there would be a chair to sit on.

WALMART OPENS ONLINE COIN DEPARTMENT

It's no secret that retail giant, Wal-Mart, has been investing very heavily on its e-commerce department — waging a full-scale attack on Amazon and eBay. It's not surprising then to see them enter the numismatic fray as well. Tucked away in their "Jewelry" category, you'll find many modern world issues, proof sets, and other retail-friendly items. Are better date coins next? Currently, APMEX and SD Bullion offer items on the site. I expect we will see more in coming days, especially as this launch appears to coincide nicely with the rising bullion market.

To read the complete article, see:
Wal-Mart Joins the Online Coin Market (http://blog.greysheet.com/wal-mart-joins-the-online-coin-market/)

To browse the Walmart Collectible Coins Department, see:
https://www.walmart.com/browse/precious-metals/collectible-coins/3891_4718514_9744854

DNW NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS PART II SALE

Dix Noonan Webb, the international coin, medal, banknote and jewellery specialists, are delighted to be selling Part II of The North Yorkshire Moors collection of British coins formed by Marvin Lessen. The auction will be held on Wednesday, July 3, 2019 at 12noon at their auction rooms in central Mayfair - 16 Bolton St, London, W1J 8BQ. This follows the success of Part I which sold in April 2018 for more than £300,000.

Mr Lessen was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1934. His family moved to Hazleton, Pennsylvania and thence to Albany, New York, where relatives still live. Graduating from the Moore School of Electrical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, he spent his career in the aerospace/defence industry, working in various technical locations in Europe and North America. A collector from an early age, of coins, stamps, arms and armour, his move to Scarborough in 1962 precipitated the interest to collect British coins on a serious basis.

By the time he had joined the British Numismatic Society in October 1964, and subsequently the Royal Numismatic Society and the American Numismatic Society, he was well-known to the principal London dealers of the day – Baldwin (Douglas and Peter Mitchell, and later Michael Sharp), Seaby (Frank Purvey and Alan Rayner), and in particular, Spink, where he enjoyed firm friendships with the late Douglas Liddell, then Patrick Finn, as well as with Douglas Saville and Howard Linecar in literature; also Corbitt & Hunter in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and other sources in the North-East. In the US there developed close connections with CNG (David Guest and Victor England), David Hess, Chris Blom, Joel Malter and Bill Castenholz, to name a few dealers in classical and medieval coins, as well as friends.

As Peter Preston-Morley, Specialist and Associate Director, DNW, explains: "This second sale of coins from the Lessen collection spans the half-millennium between Eadgar's coinage reform in 972/3, when mint names started to accompany those of moneyers on coins, and the death of Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth on 22 August 1485. Coins from over 50 different mint-towns from the period 973 to 1278 are represented in this catalogue, of which worthy of particular mention are the only penny of Lichfield available to commerce, excessively rare coins of Hythe and Pevensey and two issues from Gothabyrig, the West Country establishment whose exact location remains the subject of debate. Students of the later medieval period will be aware of Mr Lessen's particular interest in the coinages of Henry IV and V, and the period from 1399 to 1422 is very liberally represented in this catalogue".

The collection comprises 526 lots and among the highlights is an extremely fine and rare penny dating from the reign of Edward the Martyr (975-978) which is estimated at £4,000- £5,000, and an example of a very fine and rare groat, dating from the reign of Edward I (1272-1307) and a new denomination at the time, is also estimated at £4,000-£5,000.

For more information, see:
https://www.dnw.co.uk/

Mr Lessen has been a frequent contributor to the pages of The British Numismatic Journal, The Numismatic Chronicle and Spink's Numismatic Circular, as can be seen from the bibliography below. His favourite period of numismatic study centred on the mid-17th century – the coins, medals and seals of Oliver Cromwell and the early years of Charles II. It is no coincidence that his favourite numismatic author was the gifted youth Henry William Henfrey (1852-81), whose Numismata Cromwelliana, privately published in 1877, remains one of the truly significant pieces of numismatic work produced in Britain in the 19th century which is still essential for the student in the 21st. Henfrey died of TB at the age of 29, his proposed history of English country mints unfinished – a very sad loss to numismatics at the time.

To read the complete Foreword, see:
https://www.dnw.co.uk/auctions/catalogue/foreword.php?auction_id=517&collector_id=351

NUMISMATIC NUGGETS: JUNE 16, 2019

1911 Poodle Club Medal

Poodle Club 1911 Medallion awarded to Count de Monte Cristo

To read the complete lot description, see:
Poodle Club 1911 Medallion awarded to Count de Monte Cristo (https://www.easyliveauction.com/catalogue/lot/
50e840325d2b2c75d4df21c1af20aed9/0af8d24542e81eb9357e7ef448a6646f/
the-late-cilla-langridge-coin-collection-including-a-lot-19/)

Poultry Club Medal

The Poultry Club Silver Medal (founded 1887) - c. 23g

To read the complete lot description, see:
The Poultry Club Silver Medal (founded 1887) - c. 23g (https://www.easyliveauction.com/catalogue/lot/
6c3d876b549726aab19568f100e1272b/0af8d24542e81eb9357e7ef448a6646f/
auction-of-antique-furniture-art-silver-coins-bank-lot-401/)

c1924 Labuk British North Borneo

20 cents tokens copper oJ (around 1924). Labuk British North Borneo. Polished plate, small scratch

To read the complete lot description, see:
20 cents tokens copper oJ (around 1924). Labuk British North Borneo. (https://www.teutoburger-muenzauktion.de/de/lose/9269-A123-793/)

1930 Royal Household Long and Faithful Service Token

Description: *Royal Household Long and Faithful Service Token, G.V.R., dated 1930, reverse officially inscribed ‘A. Waters', in original fitted case of issue by ‘Harold Stabler, 34 Upper Mall, London. W.6.', toned, practically as struck. Arthur Waters, in service at the Sandringham Estate, received his Royal Household Long and Faithful Service Medal in 1930, and his 30 years' service clasp in 1940. The book Royal Service Volume III, by D. Stanley, states that he exchanged his Long and Faithful Service Token for a Medal in 1930.

To read the complete lot description, see:
Lot 1461: *Royal Household Long and Faithful Service Token, G.V.R., dated 1930 (https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/-1-c-88F42D582F)

British North America Library of Coins Album

To read the complete lot description, see:
British North America Library of Coins (https://auction.auctionnetwork.ca/British-North-America-Library-of-Coins_i33591194)

WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: JUNE 16, 2019

Society of Medallists
My friend Tom Uram is a busy numismatic bee. They say that if you want a job done, give it to a busy person. Tom's picture should be next to that quote in the encyclopedia. He's President of the Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists (PAN), Chair of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC), an American Numismatic Association Exhibit Judge, and is currently running for ANA Vice-President.

An active exhibitor himself, Tom developed an award-winning exhibit of medals produced by the Society of Medallists. It's now on display in the lobby of the U.S. Mint headquarters in Washington, D.C. Here's Tom at the exhibit with former Mint Sculptor Don Everhart. For more information on Don, see this week's Featured Web Site.

Dinner with the Mint
Well, not the whole U.S. Mint, but some key players. On Monday June 3rd, 2019 I set my GPS for Scotts Restaurant in Washington, D.C., where Tom Uram had invited me to join him for dinner. I got there early, but recognized a familiar face at the bar and introduced myself to Don Everhart. "Tom sent me". With Don was U.S. Mint Design and Engraving Manager Ron Harrigal, who quickly introduced himself. His glass of red wine looked fine to me, so I ordered one of the same.

I told Don I'd seen him at the Welcome Banquet for the ANA's National Money Show in Pittsburgh earlier in the year. I'd also heard Ron speak at a U.S. Mint conference, but had met neither gentleman. It was a double treat. (And both are now E-Sylum subscribers!)

We had a nice conversation at the bar but soon Tom Uram arrived with his father Andy. Andy's 99, still getting around and looking good. Tom's from good stock.

We took to our table in the much quieter dining room. The waitress greeted our party like Norm from Cheers - these guys are regulars. She'd gotten interested in coin collecting and Ron instructed her to be on the lookout for the 2019-W quarters.

Our dinner conversation was maybe half numismatics, half everything else under the sun, from long commutes, restoring old houses, Pittsburgh and environs, and the benefit of a quiet restaurant where you can hear your own table's conversation.

On the numismatic front we discussed Tom's Society of Medallists exhibit, and he sent me the above photo of him and Don Everhart at the exhibit. He also kindly gave me an exhibit brochure he'd created, a nicely done 20-page compilation of the exhibit material and more (pictured at right).

Other topics included the Berlin World Money Fair, visiting PCGS to discuss recent Mint error coins, production issues at the West Point Mint, Joe Menna and the Chief Engraver position, John Mercanti, and Don's post-U.S. Mint career.

It was a great evening in a vibrant part of D.C., just down the street from Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum and other tourist attractions.

Andy Uram, Wayne Homren, Don Everhart, Ron Harrigal, Tom Uram

Nummis Nova June 2019
My next numismatic event was the monthly meeting of my northern Virginia numismatic social group, Nummis Nova. We met Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at Ristorante Bonaroti, an Italian place in Vienna, VA. Jon Radel was our host.

We were lucky to get a private room at no extra charge, and it was a very nice venue. It's a treat to have our own space. We could mingle like a cocktail party for a good while before sitting down to order our dinners. I spoke with Chris Neuzil, Tom Kays, Robert Hoppensteadt and others before grabbing a seat next to Dave Schenkman and across from Howard Daniel. It was a treat to see Howard. He and his wife Phung still have a condo in McLean, VA, but spend most of their time at their new home in Port St. Lucie, FL.

Other members present included Jon, Mike Packard, Roger Burdette, Wayne Herndon, Steve Bishop, Julian Leidman, and Eric Schena. I lent Dave a non-numismatic book I'd completed recently - Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the World, about the con man who stole millions from Malaysia and lived large with A-List celebrities. Dave had earlier lent me his copy of Life, the memoir of Rolling Stone guitarist Keith Richards.

See, some of us do have lives beyond numismatics. Dave Schenkman comes from a long line of musicians, plays banjo, and does a good worldwide business selling banjos. Tom Kays brought an old banjo with him for Dave to evaluate - it had been donated to his church. While not a rarity (or even particularly desired by today's players), it turned out to be worth about $1,000.

Tom Kays, Dave Schenkman, and the Banjo

In numismatics, Dave Schenkman roots out the best of the best in tokens and medals. Here are two of his display items that really floored everyone.

Joseph Merriam Counterstamp

I used to collect U.S. Merchant counterstamp avidly, but I never had one from famed Boston die sinker Joseph Merriam.

Dave adds:

Arctic Expedition Token

Dave writes:

Wow - I've never seen this. Beautiful piece.

Art Medal
Jon Radel asked the group a question: "How big does an art medal have to be before it's no longer a medal?" He displayed this nice (and heavy) item:

My take is that it's about proportion as well as size. Those gigantic gold "coins" from Canada and Austria are still recognizable as coins - they have the right proportion and shape despite their size. This is a nice piece of sculpture, but it's hard for me to call it medallic sculpture.

Eric's World Tokens
Eric Schena writes:

1. A plantation token dated 1890 from Asahan in Sumatra issued by Unternehmung (Company) Goerach Batoe and good for 1 dollar( Lansen/Wells 86a; Scholten 1059). This is an impressive 39 mm on each side and made of a cupronickel alloy that as you can see did not hold up well in the tropical climate.

2. A large aluminum 1895 calendar token from Cape Colony in South Africa issued by B. G. Lennon & Co., a large pharmaceutical company that was headquartered in Cape Town. The company was in business well into the twentieth century and is still in business in a way through Aspen Holdings, which had acquired the parent company, South African Druggists, in 1999. The great thing about it is that it lists all its branch offices throughout Southern Africa: Port Elizabeth, East London, Aliwal North, Beaufort West, Graaff Reinet, Bloemfontein (Orange Free State), Johannesburg (ZAR), Kimberley (Griqualand West), and Bulawayo (Matabeleland/Rhodesia).

3. A neat bronze token issued by Banco di Roma for use in Italian Eritrea in the 1920s from what I have been able to research. I have also seen this listed for Libya.

GROUP PHOTO. Clockwise from left: Dave Schenkman, Mike Packard, Robert Hoppensteadt, Tom Kays, Chris Neuzil, Roger Burdette, Wayne Herndon, Julian Leidman (obscured), Steve Bishop, Eric Schena, Jon Radel, Howard Daniel. (Image courtesy Wayne Homren)

END OF THE EVENING: From left: Wayne Herndon, Julian Leidman. In mirror: Mike Packard, Dave Schenkman. Back to camera: Tom Kays, Robert Hoppensteadt.

It's always a great time to just socialize and talk numismatics. 'Til next time!

S.S. CENTRAL AMERICA FIND: FINEST 1856-S DIME

The S.S. Central America, the famous "Ship of Gold" that sank in 1857 carrying tons of California Gold Rush-era treasure, continues to reveal astonishing numismatic surprises. The latest find is an extremely rare mint condition 1856 San Francisco Mint Liberty Seated silver dime that is now tied for finest known and described as a "miracle" coin by one of its discoverers.

Recovered in 2014 with thousands of other dimes in the ship purser's iron lock box but only recently examined and cataloged, the coin now has been graded PCGS MS65 CAC. It is one of only two known at that grade and with none higher.

"The 1856-S dime has an incredibly rare mintage of only 70,000; a mere $7,000 in face value. In fact, the Professional Coin Grading Service Population Report indicates only 11 uncirculated 1856-S dimes that weren't put into circulation or melted! This example stayed pristine with full luster after a century and a half in the ocean environment," said Dwight Manley, Managing Partner of the California Gold Marketing Group (CGMG).

"It is among the crème de la crème, the best-of-the-best of coinage from this amazing sunken treasure," stated Manley.

CGMG acquired all the coins retrieved in 2014 from the fabled S.S. Central America as well as most of the coins found in 1980s recovery expeditions. The group took possession in January 2018 of the sunken treasure recovered in 2014, and a meticulous coin-by-coin, ingot-by-ingot examination has continued since then.

"We will publicly display this top rarity for the first time at the American Numismatic Association's 2019 Chicago World's Fair of Money, August 13-17, at booth 1615," announced Manley.

PCGS officials say it was a thrilling moment when the coin arrived there for grading.

"The recovered treasure from the S.S. Central America continues to put the PCGS grading team in awe. Seeing a silver coin that spent well over 100 years at the bottom of the ocean emerge in such incredible condition is a numismatic dream," stated Brett Chaville, President of PCGS which has certified all the recovered S.S. Central America coins submitted by CGMG over the years.

John Albanese, President and Co-Founder of Certified Acceptance Corporation (CAC), described the 1856-S dime as, "A beautiful frosty gem! Hard to believe it was on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean for 157 years!"

During the 2014 recovery expedition, two canvas bags were found in the bottom of the lock box, and one bag contained more than 8,000 dimes.

"It quickly became obvious that this was the ‘cash box' of the ship, a truly marvelous historical find," said Bob Evans, the chief scientist on the 1980's mission that first located and recovered a portion of the fabulous sunken treasure and who served in that same role and as a numismatist with the 2014 recovery.

"I saw the 1856-S after I already had examined around 4,000 other dimes from the purser's bag. That big bag sat in the dark, cold, swampy, anaerobic (lack of oxygen) interior of an iron safe for 157 years. But when I first saw it, I could see this dime was mint state," explained Evans.

"I saw the obverse first and assumed it was an 1856 New Orleans Mint or a Philadelphia Small-Date in high-grade, not uncommon among these dimes. I flipped it over expecting to see either no mint mark or an O. I remember my audible, ‘Well, at long last!,' somewhat stunned response to the S mint mark dime as I held it in my gloved fingers. It is truly a wonderful, miracle coin, and the fact that it is the only 1856-S dime from the S.S. Central America treasure makes it all that much more special," stated Evans.

A complete list of all the items recovered in 2014 will be published in an upcoming book, America's Greatest Treasure Ship: The S.S. Central America, by esteemed numismatic author Q. David Bowers and Manley.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n07a15.html (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n07a15.html)

CHICAGO COIN CLUB CENTENNIAL MEDAL

The Chicago Coin Club announces the release of a series of Medals celebrating the clubs 100th Anniversary. Weighing in at approx. 6 - 13 ounces depending on the which source metal. The series of 100th anniversary medals consists of four different medals of the same design all sized 3-1/4" x 2-7/16" x 1/4"

The medal design is a bi-directional Rotated Dies (ROT) oval medal with a landscape format obverse image of the Chicago's Clarence F. Buckingham fountain in Chicago's Grant Park and a portrait format reverse image of the famous Chicago Water Tower in downtown Chicago that survived the Great Fire of 1871 that is rotated 90° from the obverse. The obverse also contains the inscription "Chicago Coin Club, 1919 – 2019, A century of sharing numismatic knowledge." This combination of source metals, unusual die orientation and choice of iconic Chicago images marries up to create a beautiful 100th anniversary club medal that truly represents Chicago and adds to the club's long history of celebratory medals.

For more information on the Chicago Coin Club, see:
http://www.chicagocoinclub.org/

MOE BERG: THE SPY BEHIND HOME PLATE

Moe Berg Jewish-American Hall of Fame Medal

In May, Kempner released her latest one-of-a-kind story, The Spy Behind Home Plate. The movie tells the true tale of catcher and American patriot Moe Berg, nicknamed "the brainiest guy in baseball." The gloveman played for several teams between 1923-39, most notably the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox. He also held a law degree, spoke multiple languages, and worked for a time on Wall Street between seasons.

But it's his career after baseball that captivated Kempner. In 1943, Berg joined the U.S. government's nascent wartime intelligence service, the Office of Secret Services (OSS). This was the predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency. Before long, the polymath patriot, ballplayer, attorney, and linguist would prove to be an MVP of espionage, interviewing prominent Italian physicists who had inside knowledge of Hitler's atom bomb program.

"The players loved Moe," Kempner says. "The fans loved Moe. But it's what he did out of the limelight that helped us defeat Hitler at a critical moment in history. That was his biggest hit: a grand slam for America."

In fact, Kempner was blessed to gain access to 18 unseen interviews stored in a Princeton University archive. The footage had long ago been recorded for an unproduced film on Berg. Kempner uses the clips to great effect and offers a fascinating look at this athlete who spoke several languages and wrote a classicAtlantic essay on the catcher/pitcher pas de deux.

Humor is central to much of the work coming from this writer/director/producer. In one sequence, Kempner reveals how Berg, as a catcher playing for Princeton in 1919 (no easy feat for a Jew), gave audible signals to his pitchers in Latin. When asked to describe his plan B, should the opposition decode his calls, the catcher answered, "We'll switch to Sanskrit."

The Spy Behind Home Plate, inspired and financed by executive producer William Levine, opened in theaters nationwide in late May. For tour dates visit thespybehindhomeplate.org .

To read the complete article, see:
A most valuable player (https://michigantoday.umich.edu/2019/06/13/a-most-valuable-player/)

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
MOE BERG'S PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM (http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v19n35a33.html)
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: SEPTEMBER 11, 2016 : Moe Berg Jewish-American Hall of Fame Medal (http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v19n37a12.html)
WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: MAY 13, 2018 (http://www.coinbooks.org/v21/esylum_v21n19a27.html)
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JUNE 17, 2018 : Moe Berg Film Opens June 22, 2018 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v21/esylum_v21n24a10.html)

JOHN R. MOTT NOBEL PEACE PRIZE MEDAL

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE MEDAL
Nobel Peace Prize Medal Awarded in 1946 to YMCA Leader John R. Mott (1865-1955) for "His Creation of a Peace-Promoting Religious Brotherhood Across National Boundaries."

Nobel Prize Medal, struck in solid 23 carat gold, designed by Gustav Vigeland and manufactured by the Royal Norwegian Mint (Det Norske Myntverket) in Kongsberg, Norway. Obverse with bust of Alfred Nobel left, legend "ALFR• NOBEL • NAT • MDCCCXXXIII • OB • MDCCCXCVI", in field, right "MODEL • G • VIGELAND". Reverse with three standing male figures, arms united in brotherhood, legend "PRO • PACE • ET • FRATERNITATE • GENTIUM". Edge inscribed "PRIX • NOBEL • DE • LA • PAIX", and "JOHN R MOTT 1946". Weight, approx. 182 grams, 66 mm in diameter, housed in the original green morocco case. [With:] accompanying diploma (515 x 421 mm) on paper, Norweigan text partially engraved and completed in manuscript, engraved decorative border incorporating the lion of Norway with silver ax in hand, signed by the five representatives of the Norwegian Nobel Prize Committee, Oslo, 10 December 1946.

One of the most influential Protestant figures of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Mott was the long-serving leader of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), and worked to establish understanding and reconciliation among religions. He was a pioneer in the struggle against racial discrimination and for mutual respect and understanding among people of different faiths, a critic of the oppression of colonized peoples, and took part in both World Wars in relief work for prisoners of war. A founder of the Christian Ecumenical movement, he devoted his life to missionary activities and ecumenical work.

The Nobel Prize is widely considered to be the most prestigious award conferred in the fields of Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, Literature, and Peace, with the most famous of these being the Peace prize. According to Alfred Nobel's will, the Peace Prize was awarded to "…the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." It has only been awarded 99 times since the establishment of the prizes in 1895, compared to other categories such as Physics, which has been awarded 112 times thus far. Some of the best-known Peace Prize laureates include Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, the 14th Dalai Lama, Elie Weisel, and Malala Yousafzai.

Only four other Nobel Peace Prizes have been offered at auction: Sir Randall Cremer, 1903 (Sotheby's London, 1985), Carlos Saavedra Lamas, 1936 (Stacks Bowers, 2014), Auguste Beernaert, 1909 (Christie's, 2015), and Alfonso Garcia Robles, 1982 (Christie's, 2017).

To read the complete article, see:
Nobel Peace Prize Medal Awarded in 1946 to YMCA Leader John R. Mott (1865-1955) (https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2019/fine-books-and-manuscripts-online/nobel-peace-prize-medal-nobel-peace-prize-medal)

1959 PAN AMERICAN GAMES MEDAL

The interest in showcasing amateur athletes from all nations in the Americas of the Western Hemisphere led to the creation of the Pan American Games. First held in Buenos Aires in 1948, the games quickly became the venue in which future Olympic champions were given their first taste of international competition. The third edition of the Pan-American Games was held in the Chicago, Ill., during the summer of 1959. Eighteen nations participated, but the events were dominated by the U.S., which won a total of 236 medals to easily eclipse runner-up Canada's 48.

One of the highlights of the '59 Games was certainly the U.S. Men's Basketball team. Composed of all the best college players around the country, Team USA featured two future NBA superstars, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West. Robertson led the way, averaging 16.5 points per game as Team USA ran through six nations, beating each one by a 40-point margin on their way to the Gold Medal. Robertson, West and several other Pan-Am Games teammates would form the nucleus of the squad that would take gold at the 1960 Rome Olympics a year later.

Featured here is the Gold Medal presented to Oscar Robertson following his team's triumph at the '59 Pan-Am Games. The obverse reads "THIRD PAN AMERICAN GAMES" around the top with a map of the Western Hemisphere and a silver star marking the location of the Games. At the bottom is "CHICAGO 1959" in raised letters and numbers with a ciircular design of the U.S. Olympic team emblem surrounded by "City of Chicago Incorporated March 1837". The reverse depicts a torch and laurel wreath with "1st - BASKETBALL - MEN."

Made of gold-plated Sterling silver (hallmarked on the reverse with "STERLING" at the bottom), the medal measures 51mm in diameter and 3mm thick and weighs 70 grams. The rim and edge show some wear and tarnishing, but overall it remains in very fine condition. A shining example of Oscar Robertson's first foray into international competition when his legend was just getting started. Includes LOA from Oscar Robertson.

To read the complete article, see:
Lot #20: OSCAR ROBERTSON'S 1959 PAN AMERICAN GAMES (CHICAGO) USA MEN'S BASKETBALL 1ST PLACE WINNER'S GOLD MEDAL (ROBERTSON COLLECTION) (https://catalog.scpauctions.com/oscar_robertson_s_1959
_pan_american_games__chicago-lot42149.aspx)

BEAUTIFUL AND UNUSUAL MONEY

North Dumpling Island Currency

Hong Kong One Cent Note

Two Scruples Apothecary Weight

To read the complete article, see:
Show Me the (Most Beautiful and Unusual) Money! (https://community.atlasobscura.com/t/show-me-the-most-beautiful-and-unusual-money/18193)

BEP PREPARED HARRIET TUBMAN FACSIMILE DESIGNS

Extensive work was well underway on a new $20 bill bearing the image of Harriet Tubman when Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced last month that the design of the note would be delayed for technical reasons by six years and might not include the former slave and abolitionist.

In fact, work on the new $20 note began before Mr. Trump took office, and the basic design already on paper most likely could have satisfied the goal of unveiling a note bearing Tubman's likeness on next year's centennial of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. An image of a new $20 bill, produced by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and obtained by The New York Times from a former Treasury Department official, depicts Tubman in a dark coat with a wide collar and a white scarf.

That preliminary design was completed in late 2016.

A spokeswoman for the bureau, Lydia Washington, confirmed that preliminary designs of the new note were created as part of research that was done after Jacob J. Lew, President Barack Obama's final Treasury secretary, proposed the idea of a Tubman bill.

The development of the note did not stop there. A current employee of the bureau, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, personally viewed a metal engraving plate and a digital image of a Tubman $20 bill while it was being reviewed by engravers and Secret Service officials as recently as May 2018. This person said that the design appeared to be far along in the process.

Within the bureau, this person said, there was a sense of excitement and pride about the new $20 note.

In a separate statement released on Friday afternoon, Len Olijar, the director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, said the bureau "was never going to unveil a note design in 2020," adding that doing so this far in advance of going into circulation would aid counterfeiters. He described the image obtained by The Times as a "facsimile" that contained no security features, and he echoed Mr. Mnuchin's argument that it was too early to develop an integrated concept or design until security features are finalized.

To read the complete article, see:
See a Design of the Harriet Tubman $20 Bill That Mnuchin Delayed (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/14/us/politics/harriet-tubman-bill.html)

MONEY ART OF KARL LAGASSE

One Dollar - Gold
Aluminum sculpture - One of a kind original artwork
8" x 20" x 4" (20cm x 50cm x 10cm)
available
20" x 8" (50cm x 20cm x 1cm)
available

One Dollar - Turquoise
Aluminum sculpture - One of a kind original artwork
12" x 39" x 10" (30cm x 100cm x 25cm)

To read the complete article, see:
Karl Lagasse (https://www.belairfineart.com/en/artist/2/artist/all/overview/)

MARION STOKES VIDEO ARCHIVE DIGITIZED

Matt Wolf's documentary Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and is set to play at more festivals throughout the summer, ruminates on this modern phenomenon via a fascinating, previously little-known figure.

The film's press materials describe Marion Stokes in perversely appealing terms: "a radical Communist activist, who became a fabulously wealthy recluse archivist." The reality wasn't quite so straightforward, and the film paints a picture of a prickly, fiercely intellectual woman driven by forces that at first seem confusing. Stokes started out as a librarian, and she and her first husband were devoted left-wing activists. Later she began hosting a Philadelphia public affairs show with the wealthy John Stokes, who became her second husband. Stokes's money gave her the luxury of time, and she took on a project that became her life's work. In 1979, during the Iranian Hostage Crisis, Stokes began recording the news on VHS tapes around the clock. She kept at this until her death in 2012 — in a tragic sign of the times, her final recordings captured coverage of the Sandy Hook school shooting. Altogether, she recorded 70,000 tapes.

Recorder finds poignancy in Stokes's obsessive mission, rather than look at her as an oddity. The film becomes a treatise on the power of archival work. With the advent of streaming and the shift away from physical media, it's easy to assume that everything exists online somewhere, and will remain there indefinitely. This is patently untrue.

Many TV networks likely don't have much of the material Stokes recorded in their proprietary archives. Archiving is often given short shrift. Media companies tend to focus on the future, and the budgeting of corporate overlords doesn't usually leave much room for things that might uncharitably be referred to as "old." The Internet Archive's digitization of Stokes's collection is the culmination of her socialist mission. She wanted information to be accessible, and she wasn't discriminating in what she recorded. The ephemeral material on her tapes — commercials, forgotten local stories, jingles, lo-fi graphics, newscasters with bad hair — might be the most compelling stuff of all.

While Recorder is fairly conventional in structure with its incorporation of talking heads, it makes creative use of the archival riches its subject collected. The snippets of tapes we see are grainy and often soothingly banal, the textured stuff of the past. It's not all nostalgia, though. Wolf places Stokes's recordings in context. In one particularly effective sequence, he creates a grid of news channels in the moments leading up to 9/11. The footage starts calmly, with a sinking feeling setting in as each show receives word of the event. Without any commentary, Wolf succinctly shows us a moment in which the world shifted.

To read the complete article, see:
The Woman Who Recorded Decades of TV News on 70,000 VHS Tapes (https://hyperallergic.com/503528/recorder-marion-stokes-documentary/)

POSTER MUSEUM OPENING IN NEW YORK CITY

The United States has niche museums for almost every subject, from trains and boats, to UFOs and conspiracy theories, but it's never had a museum celebrating the art and history of the poster. That will soon change with the opening of Poster House in New York City.

The 15,000 square-foot museum, located on West 23rd Street in Chelsea, Manhattan, includes three exhibition spaces, interactive displays in its hallways, and a children's area. The new museum already boasts a permanent collection of 7,000 historical posters collected from around the world and 1,000 contemporary posters that will be shown in future exhibitions.

To read the complete article, see:
The First Poster Museum in the United States Will Open its Doors in New York City (https://hyperallergic.com/502846/the-first-poster-museum-in-the-united-states-will-open-its-doors-in-new-york-city/)

LOOSE CHANGE: JUNE 16, 2019

Sports Card Doctoring and Conservation

A scandal in the world of baseball card collecting threatens to undermine the value of a long-established card grading system, has put into question the legitimacy of a prominent marketplace and has raised concerns that some collectors overpaid for expensive cards.

Millions of dollars' worth of cards are at stake as collectors question purchases and wonder whom they can trust.

The controversy centers on the authenticity of sports cards. To verify their condition, cards are sent to a grading company, which scores them on a scale of 1 to 10. Grading sets the value of the cards and is considered a prerequisite for selling them on an auction platform like eBay.

Cards in pristine condition are highly valued by collectors and can fetch thousands of dollars more than similar cards with scuffs or worn edges. Sellers can improve the appearance of a card by trimming its edges or removing residue, but collectors believe any alterations make a card less authentic, and cards that are known to have been doctored are often worth considerably less.

And card alteration can lead to federal fraud charges, which happened in 2013 when a seller admitted to trimming a Honus Wagner card, one of the most valuable baseball cards in the world.

To read the complete article, see:
Retouching the Mona Lisa Is Restoration, but a Mickey Mantle? Collectors Cry Fraud (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/14/your-money/sports-card-alteration-fraud.html)

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
ON NUMISMATIC DOCTORING AND CONSERVATION (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n22a11.html)
MORE ON NUMISMATIC DOCTORING AND CONSERVATION (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n23a14.html)

The Clearing House Upgrade

The way we move money around in the U.S. is slow by global standards. Write someone a check or send them an ACH transfer through your bank, and it can take well over a day for the cash to show up in the recipient's bank account.

While that might not be a big deal when you're paying your roommate for rent, small businesses have to factor that delay into their everyday decisions.

Part of the problem: running a small business often means having to rely on some pretty ancient forms of payment.

Payments have to be cleared by clearinghouses to make sure the transactions are secure and legitimate. For ACH transfers, that job is done by the Federal Reserve and The Clearing House, a company that processes $2 trillion worth of transfers per day.

But The Clearing House is now pushing a new service, called Real-Time Payments, where transactions clear instantly, on any day and at any time.

To read the complete article, see:
Moving money around is a glacial process. That could change. (https://www.marketplace.org/2019/06/12/faster-money-transfers/)

FEATURED WEB SITE: DON EVERHART

doneverhartsculpture.com