"There are just two more weeks until my 40% off all numismatic book/literature sale is over. More than 350 titles to choose from covering all numismatic interests."

"Here is a link to take you directly to the book section of the store:
https://www.ebay.com/str/Numismatics-with-Kenny/Numismatic-Books-Literature/_i.html?_storecat=29010782014

"About 10 years ago, I mentioned in The E-Sylum that I was putting together a collection of Joe Levine's Presidential Coin & Antique Company, Inc. auction catalogs to support my medal collecting interests. It's a decade later, and I've made great progress. I'm still looking (sort of) for the earlier issues, but I've all the ones from the mid 1980's to when Joe ceased issuing them after his 2016 sale. These later ones are to my mind the most useful because Joe expanded his use of detailed lot descriptions and photos during this period. If you're interested in American medals, these catalogs are a great educational resource.

"In assembling the catalogs, I had to buy a couple of lots that included duplicates of ones I already had. The extras consist of 42 catalogs from 1986 to 2016, most with a copy of the prices realized. Overall, they're in decent shape. A few have some cover tears, while others may have been kept in someone's basement, but they're all quite serviceable. Yes, I know that you can find all of these on the Newman Numismatic Portal, but isn't it fun to be able to study a physical copy while eating your breakfast or sitting on your front porch? I think so. I can provide a list by email.

"I would like to send these to a new home where they'll be appreciated, so here's the deal. If you'll offer me what you think they're worth, plus agree to pick up the cost of sending them to you via media mail (about 42 lbs.!), you can have them. My e-mail address is heathmacalpine@hotmail.com. Good luck, and I hope to hear from an E-Sylum reader soon."

"I read with interest the comment from Bruce Perdue about the Churchill crown in a Lucite holder issued by the Chartered Bank Rockefeller Center. In 1980-81 I was Manager of that branch of the bank, enjoying working in the centre of mid-town Manhattan. Our clients were mainly High Net Worth individuals from around the world and I devised a corporate gift for a few of them – this was a framed set of specimen notes issued by the Chartered Bank Hong Kong, where I had worked on a previous assignment. A few of these sets may still be hanging on an office wall or two somewhere in NYC. My next assignment was in Stuttgart, Germany, where I gifted a few more of these sets to deserving clients. I must admit I was not responsible for the Churchill crown in Lucite and I had not seen one before now, but it has certainly triggered a memory or two!"

"I really enjoy getting The E-Sylum every week. I first look at the new or reviewed books, of course. A nice blurb about Lucite items caught my eye. I have the obligatory cent cube on my sorting desk. I love that thing. All shiny new 1972 P's. It reminds me of my senior year in college. What a glorious time. Thanks for a great e-magazine."

"I decided to check the ease of the ordering process, in English.

"The Uzbekistan Central Bank does not have a buy-back price for the gold bars even though this is promised in the website. There are also many banks, in various cities of Uzbekistan, listed as dealers in these bars. When I checked several of their websites, none of them mentioned trading in this item.

"Short of calling the Uzbekistan Central Bank or some of these listed banks myself, I am skeptical that this endeavour is really so much of a success. What is mentioned on the Uzbekistan Central Bank website, however, is that undamaged mini gold wallets may be exported from Uzbekistan. I wonder if other countries will allow these items to be imported without being subject to import duties or other measures."

"I may be able to cast some light to amplify Stephen Olson's contribution regarding the 25 Mils coin struck in aluminum that enjoys the distinction of being Israel's first official coinage. During 1979 I was closely involved in on-the-spot investigation into that coin's creation along with the real instigator of the research, the late Stan Yulish of Cleveland, Ohio, once President of the American Israel Numismatic Association (AINA).

"We carried out an on-the-spot investigation during the 1979 AINA Annual Study Tour. We were given a very friendly reception by the present owners (Mechsav Ltd.) of the building in the Tel Aviv industrial suburb of Holon. Here we were introduced to the aged Yosef Gannoy, who had adapted a venerable cutlery-stamping machine produced in Bridgeport to strike coins in duraluminum, the only metal at hand.

"We met and interviewed Moshe Neudorfer, retired Israel Treasury official who as a young man in 1948-49 worked on innumerable projects of a new-born nation involved in total war. He told us that he was challenged by the coinage assignment, "the only thing I knew about coins was that the ghrush had a hole in it!" The ghrush was the Palestine 10 Mils... His job each morning was to hand-deliver one die to be fitted into the press for a day's coinage and retrieve it in the evening. With only one die on hand, the Treasury reasoned, creative "midnight minting" would be impossible. A small number of one-sided coins exists nonetheless...

"Production was slow and overall quality disappointing since the metal on hand was little better than scrap. Gannoy brought a number of coins with him and seemed aware that he had been a key figure in an historic assignment but had profited little from his involvement. The owners of the historic building manufactured appliances including small refrigerators, hampered by the Labor government's strictures on "luxury goods." The Holon coins are all dated 5709 (1949). Examples dated 5708 are far more scarce and according to somewhat garbled recollections of Israeli numismatists were struck in Jerusalem with dies attributed to one Moshe Munro about whom little is known. The story as published by Sylvia Haffner in "Israel's Money and Medals" is sketchy and by no means definitive."

"I have a witty New York tennis friend who is also moderately interested in numismatics (and is very linguistically talented). When I sent him your latest newsletter about Jack Stuef finding the recently deceased Forrest Fenn's treasure in Wyoming, his instant reply to me was: "Good Stuef!"

"My friend and I both know how to pronounce this name in the original German. But I'm sure Mr. Stuef's family gives it an anglicized pronunciation that's close enough to "stuff."

"As a one-time Detroiter, I'm pleased a Michigander found Mr. Fenn's buried treasure. It's clear from the photo that Mr. Fenn thought it couldn't have gone to a nicer guy.

"And now America can dispense with the latest conspiratorial nonsense swirling about, with regards to Mr. Fenn's actions, intentions and motives. He was a good man raised during the Great Depression, apparently was a successful businessman, and clearly was happy to "go out" with a bang rather than a whimper. He knew the magic of the term "buried treasure" for people everywhere.

"Mr. Fenn was thoughtful enough to want to share his modest but not inconsiderable fortune during these tough times for many in this country: medically, emotionally, financially and politically. He couldn't take it with him, as the Egyptian pharaohs tried to do. Good for Mr. Fenn. May there be many more Americans like him who leave this great but complex culture with comparable reminiscences. That's a worthy epitaph for an unusual American Everyman.

"Now that we know about Mr. Stuef, perhaps someone in the very active Michigan collector or dealer community could find out (1) what he and Mr. Fenn discussed, (2) what the inventory of the chest was, and (3) what impressions Mr. Stuef came away with about Mr. Fenn. How fortunate the chest was found just before Mr. Fenn passed away – and that Mr. Fenn remained fully in command of his senses right up until the end of his life."

"The photo of the Seventh Presbyterian Church, neighbor to the Philadelphia Mint, got me looking through my library for another image. The attached photo was reproduced in the book Nineteenth-Century Photography in Philadelphia by Kenneth Finkel, and it shows an interior view of the church's 1862 General Convention attendees. I imagine the war was a pretty hot topic during that event."

"I saw in your recent newsletter, the comment on the movie "The Million Pound Note". There is a really good movie on You Tube (in case newsletter subscribers want to watch) titled "5 Fingers" with James Mason. Even though the movie is an American Spy Film. It's the ending is really hilarious. Good movie to watch during this COVID-19 lockdowns.

"Another movie on a banknote theme is "The Counterfeiters"

"I wonder what other films are out there that have a banknote as its principal theme."

"For those who could not attend, here's a link to the recording of the Webinar. I found it somewhat numismatically interesting but maybe not for the collector community."

"Here's something I literally found behind a cabinet yesterday. It is my membership card from when I joined Richard Upton's Emergency Money Society in 1968. The Emergency Money Society was later merged into Numismatics International of which I remain a member. I am not suggesting that it has been behind the cabinet for quite that long: it was probably at the bottom of a box that fell down some ten years ago."

"The last thing I need is more books, but Dave Fanning had such good prices in his 50% off sale, I bought a half dozen.

"A note on W. E. Woodward: I was reading some of his lot descriptions in his 96th sale, a sale of books and literature. One statement he made was quite interesting, and a surprise to me.

"WEW stated "At the sale of my library in 1857." I had no idea that he had consigned a library for sale that early in his career. I pulled my copy of the McKay work on American Book Auctions off the shelf, and found two 1857 sales held at Bangs, that could possibly be the sale WEW referred to: March 9, Bibliotheca Americana, 2237 lots, or May 26, Splendid library of richly illustrated books, 2278 lots.

"I wonder if either of these sales mention who the consigner was."