"I thought that Yo-Yo Ma medal looked familiar."

Interesting similarity, although an eagle is an eagle and there are only so many ways to pose an image of one. The Great Americans medal was launched in 2016; it was designed and sculpted by Welsh artist, engraver and graphic designer Michael Guilfoyle. The design Wayne found was published by the U.S. Mint in 2016 as part of the review process for 2018-2020 Proof American Platinum Eagle designs. Artist names are not revealed during the review process. I don't believe this design was chosen, but I could be wrong. Does anyone know who created it? -Editor

"My computer has images in several formats that date back to 2002. Earlier stuff was lost in a major disk failure. Most of the images are in JPEG, TIFF or PSD format, and I have not seen any evidence of fading of any of the images that I have checked. The images on my computer from decades ago have been copied to several different hard drives over the years, but never by opening and saving, which DOES result in image degradation, particularly of JPEG files.

If some people are claiming that digital files can fade, I think it is up to them to provide both evidence and a mechanism. All digital files are represented by a long series of numbers and letters. There is nothing that resembles the original image until it is decoded by software. I can understand that digital files/images can get corrupted and no longer be readable, but I cannot imagine a way that they could fade or change absent repeated opening and saving. Leaving digital media in a hot car or in direct sunlight for a long time might well corrupt and/or destroy the disk, but I can't imagine that it would change any image file.

Digital files can become unreadable if they were created by software that is not compatible with current computer/software technologies.

This relates to Huntoon's three perspectives:

1. Fading of digital images is real. I say PROVE IT!

2. Fading is dependent on …how long the image has been stored. Old images may well not be compatible with newer computer/software combinations. Incompatibility is NOT the same as fading.

3. Modern computers can copy stored images…However, what gets copied and checked is what remains of the original in storage at the moment it is copied. That is, of course, obvious, but the implication in the perspective is that the digital files change over time. Again, I say PROVE IT!

As to the BEP scan looking washed out, is there any evidence it didn't look like that when it was first created and saved? A lot of images posted on the web are of less than excellent quality."

So far no readers have reported seeing fading in old digital files. We're going in circles on the commentary, but I would welcome further review of Peter's problem. These images were scanned and stored by the Smithsonian, so perhaps their archivists can investigate. As a government agency, they in turn could reach out to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). -Editor

"I just found a Harriet Tubman overstamp on a twenty. Reminds me of the Bernie Sanders overstamp on the one dollar bills"

I never saw the Bernie one! And I don't think anyone has reported this particular Tubman stamp, either. This one's pretty crude. -Editor

"I live in Ann Arbor and have notes from other obsolete banks here. I recently bought this Government Stock Bond of Ann Arbor. From 1851. I can't find any info on Google about this bank. I wonder if any of our readers can help me?"

Fuggetabout Google - try the Newman Numismatic Portal. There are dozens of references to the bank. Some are auction listings for the bank's notes from Heritage and others, but there are passages regarding the vignettes on their notes (Zachary Taylor, a pair of quail), an "Unauthorized note from an unfinished plate stolen from the engravers", and "large masses of the bills of the Government Stock Bank lying about some in a trunk". The Bankers Magazine in 1852 reported that "a heavy run" on the bank had taken place.

Here's one note image from NNP. -Editor