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About Us The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit association devoted to the study and enjoyment of numismatic literature. For more information please see our web site at coinbooks.org Subscriptions Those wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page link Membership There is a membership application available on the web site Membership Application To join, print the application and return it with your check to the address printed on the application. Print/Digital membership is $40 to addresses in the U.S., and $60 elsewhere. A digital-only membership is available for $25. For those without web access, write to: Jeff Dickerson, Treasurer Numismatic Bibliomania Society P. O. Box 578, Weatherford, TX 76086 Asylum For Asylum mailing address changes and other membership questions, contact Jeff at this email address: treasurer@coinbooks.org Submissions To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com BUY THE BOOK BEFORE THE COIN Sale Calendar Watch here for updates!

 

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 JULY 14, 2024

New subscribers this week include: Wayne Rose, courtesy Roberto Jovel; Mike McNeil, and Ed Sarrafian. Welcome aboard! We now have 7,266 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. Contact me at whomren@gmail.com anytime regarding your subscription, or questions, comments or suggestions about our content.

Many thanks to Garrett Ziss and our webmaster Bruce Perdue for minding the store while I was away last week. The issue was published on our website Sunday night as normal, and turned out great. But wouldn't you know it, that was the week our email provider changed something that kept the email notification from going out to everyone. I made a call to their support desk from a mountaintop in Switzerland, and Bruce was able to figure out what happened and get the email out in short order. Thanks!

This week we open with a numismatic literature sale, four new books, tributes to a colonial coin legend, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, and more.

Other topics this week include the banknotes of Curacao, notes from readers, portraits, interviews, numismatic exhibits, auction results, the San Jose wreck, exonumia, and another theft from the British Museum.

To learn more about coins in the Early Roman Provinces, the numismatics of the state of Los Altos, the art history of German Notgeld, Richard August, Eric Schena, Tom Sebring, counterfeit Walking Liberty half dollars, the 50 pence "œoffside rule" coin, North Carolina money, and the 2024 American Medal of the Year, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

LANG NUMISMATIC LITERATURE AUCTION 3

Dear collectors and lovers of numismatic literature,

We are pleased to inform you that the Numismatic Antiquarian Bookshop Lang will be holding its third literature auction on July 31, 2024.

• Date: July 31, 2024
• Location: Live auction via Auex - click here to register
• Time: Start at 17:00 CEST

Alternatively, you can also use the auction platforms Biddr and Sixbid to place your pre-bids. The platforms will be activated on Monday, July 15, 2024 at the latest.

Please note that this auction will take place on a Wednesday.

The auction contains 805 lots. It starts with general literature and works its way through ancient numismatics to the Middle Ages / modern times.

The auction will conclude with around 100 numbers commemorative publications, periodicals and auction catalogs.

There are only lots with an estimated price of up to 300.00 EURO.

Here is an insight into the highlights of the upcoming auction:

We look forward to welcoming you to our third auction.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at any time. The best way to reach us is by e-mail at info@numismatisches-antiquariat.de.

To visit the firm's website, see:
http://www.numismatisches-antiquariat.de/

To register to bid, see:
https://auktionen.numismatisches-antiquariat.de/Auktion/Onlinekatalog?intAuktionsId=1513

NEW BOOK: LOCAL COINAGES IN A ROMAN WORLD

Local Coinages in a Roman World, Second Century BC–First Century AD

A Catalogue of the Richard B. Witschonke Collection of Coins in the Early Roman Provinces

by Lucia F. Carbone

with Oliver D. Hoover, Suzanne Frey-Kupper, Clive Stannard, Sophia Kremydi, Federico Carbone, David Hendin, and Liv M. Yarrow, and with special contributions by Douglas Wong and Alice Sharpless

Volume 1: Text | Volume 2: Plates

The Richard B. Witschonke Collection of more than 3,700 coins, now in the collection of the American Numismatic Society, provides the historical and numismatic prologue to the study of Roman provincial coinage. Most of the specimens are of great historical and numismatic value, as explained in the historical introductions preceding each of the 38 sections of this catalogue. This collection offers a unique overview of the diverse ways in which the monetary systems of the Mediterranean basin responded to the Roman conquest in the second and early first centuries BCE and to the related necessity of interconnectivity. The book has been unofficially dubbed "RPC Zero," as it covers the local coinages of the Roman world during the Republic, which falls outside the scope of the Roman Provincial Coinage catalogues, and it is thus an important and critical reference work in its own right.

For any questions about the book please contact publications@numismatics.org, though orders should be placed directly with ISD or Brepols.

Price in U.S. - $325.00 (2-vol. set)
$228.00 with ANS member discount

Price outside the U.S. - € 327,00 (2-vol. set)
€ 228,90 with ANS member discount

For the member discount code, please contact membership@numismatics.org or (212) 571-4470 ext. 117

To purchase in the U.S., see:
https://www.isdistribution.com/BookDetail.aspx?aId=168761

To purchase outside the U.S., see:
https://www.brepols.net/products/IS-9780897224017-1

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NEW BOOK: LOCAL COINAGES IN A ROMAN WORLD (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n08a06.html)

NEW BOOK: NUMISMATIC HISTORY OF LOS ALTOS

NUMISMATIC HISTORY OF THE STATE OF LOS ALTOS IN THE CENTRAL AMERICAN FEDERATION, 1838-1840
Roberto Jovel

A new, bilingual, English/Spanish book on the numismatics of the short-lived State of Los Altos in the Central American Federation is now available. It describes medals and a number of counter stamped coins issued by the State of Los Altos, and the historical, political, economic and social conditions that prevailed at the time.

Since the XVIII Century and well into the XIX Century, the region of Los Altos in the western part of Guatemala sought independence from the State of Guatemala. This region was inhabited by cachikel Indians and Spanish descendants. These peoples resented the strict dominance imposed on them by the powerful traders located in Guatemala City, and the lack of adequate infrastructure to transport and export their products abroad. Just before independence in 1821-23, Los Altos formally requested recognition as a separate political entity. When the Central American Federation was formed in 1824, no decision was adopted to accept such a request. In 1838, the State of Guatemala was under political chaos, and the Los Altos peoples decided to secede and create its own State. Later in that year, the Central American Congress approved the Los Altos request to become a full member of the Federation.

Since then, the Los Altos government faced problems related to illegitimate Silver coinage, and decided to counterstamp those that were deemed to be legitimate, to assure its inhabitants and facilitate local and international trade. Many Silver coins from Latin America - including those minted under the Spanish Colony as well as those issued by independent republics - were counter stamped. In addition, in 1838 Los Altos sent a military Division to assist Guatemala and the Central American Federation in suppressing an uprising by the indigenous leader Rafael Carrera. The Los Altos Division was instrumental in defeating the Carrera rebels, and its members were distinguished with special military honor medals for their success. This military medal has only recently been identified together with the fact that they were produced in both Gold and Silver.

In January 1840, the State of Guatemala sent its army to Los Altos and recovered such territory to Guatemalan sovereignty. Several times afterwards the Los Altos peoples unsuccessfully tried to regain their independence, to no avail.

This book is in fact an expansion and updating of a chapter on the Los Altos counterstamps that was included by the Author in a book issued in 2001 under the title of Necessity Coinage of Guatemala, which even today is very much used to identify both Guatemalan and Los Altos necessity Silver coins. The expanded and updated information collected by the Author in recent years has enabled the production of this new book which, to facilitate the dissemination of its contents, has been published in both Spanish and English. Due to the great interest in Central American coinage in many parts of the world, it is believed that this book may become a widely used numismatic reference.

Roberto Jovel has conducted independent research on the numismatic history of his home country - El Salvador - and the neighboring Central American countries, and has published extensively on its findings over the past 25 years. His more common books include the three-volume Numismatic History of El Salvador, from Spanish Colonial times to the present, as well as other books and articles on the numismatics of neighboring countries.

The new book may be obtained from Librería Clásicos Roxsil in El Salvador that can send the books via regular or special postage. Quotation on book price and postage may be obtained by writing to the following email address: clasicosroxsil@yahoo.es.

Roberto Jovel may be contacted through his email address rjovel@jovel.org.

 

NEW BOOK: PAPER MONEY OF THE U.S., 23RD ED.

Seventy-one years after its introduction, the twenty-third edition of Paper Money of the United States, the standard reference book on American currency, is being released by the Coin & Currency Institute in July 2024. In 1953, the late Robert Friedberg (1912-1963) broke new ground when the Treasury Department granted permission for photographs of American paper money to be printed for the first time. The current edition's 336 pages feature notes from America's greatest currency collections, as well as most of the greatest rarities, all reproduced in color.

The inaugural edition of Paper Money of the United States also introduced other innovations never before attempted. The subject became standardized, and the book earned a permanent place on reference shelves. During the past four decades, it has been completely expanded, revised, and edited by Arthur L. Friedberg and Ira S. Friedberg.

The twenty-third edition of Paper Money of the United States, as any price catalog, is a snapshot in time - and as the new edition debuts, it shows that the market for paper money is stable or rising in all categories. Notes of great rarity or top quality are often establishing price records every time they are sold. All valuations in the new edition have been adjusted, mostly upward, to reflect market conditions. These prices are given in up to seven states of preservation from Very Good (VG8) to Gem Uncirculated (Gem65). A major addition is the expansion of the section on the Treasury Notes of the War of 1812 to include those issued from 1837 to 1860. There are also several other additions and revisions to the new volume, including notes never known to exist, making it a necessity for every collector and dealer of American currency.

From the first year of Federal paper money, 1861, to the present, the fronts and backs of all classes and types of currency, from 3 cents to 10,000 dollars are illustrated. These are accompanied by text listing, describing, and pricing every variety of paper money ever issued, more than 10,000 prices in all. With close to 1,000 color photographs, the result is a complete pictorial, descriptive and numismatic history of the currency of the United States. There are supplemental sections on Continental and Colonial Currency (notes issued from 1680 to 1788), Treasury Notes from 1812 to 1861, considered by some to be the first national currency, a comprehensive listing by type of the issues of the Confederate States of America, and sections devoted to paper money errors, postage envelopes, a section on postal notes, and encased postage stamps. The latter three, along with Fractional Currency, were created to alleviate the shortage of change needed for commerce during and after the Civil War. The listing in the Appendix of the 14,348 National Banks that existed from 1863 to 1929 also shows the number of large size and small size notes known to exist for each note-issuing bank. The Appendix also includes information on uncut sheets of small-size notes, including the modern issues sold by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing,

Paper money collectors depend on the Friedberg Numbering System™, a uniform method of cataloging bank notes that is the international standard for American currency. This numbering shorthand, along with the hundreds of photographs, enables anyone to instantly locate a specific banknote, and allows a dealer to advertise a note without need of extensive description. A distinguished panel of acknowledged experts on paper money has assisted the authors, enabling them to establish accurate and up-to-the minute valuations for all issues.

Paper Money of the United States has been an invaluable asset to currency collectors and numismatists for generations. It possesses an appeal and value of its own, not just to lovers of Americana and of the fine art of engraving, but to students of American history, finance, and economics. It is recognized as a landmark work and is the undisputed standard reference on American currency - internationally acknowledged as the most comprehensive and universally quoted guide on the subject. Banks in America and throughout the world will find this book especially useful in that it makes possible the immediate identification of all obsolete but still legal tender paper money, while simultaneously giving the collector's value of each note. It is a book which belongs in every library, public and private.

Sample pages from the 23rd edition may be seen on the book's website, www.PaperMoneyoftheUS.com. The 8½ x 11-inch book is available in two printed and two electronic versions: A hard cover with sewn binding (ISBN 978-087184-723-2) is $69.95 and a soft cover one (ISBN 978-087184-523-8) is $48.95. Free shipping is included in the U.S.A. There are also two E-book options for $29.95 each. A USB stick (PC only), and a downloadable version at https://www.ebookshop.coin-currency.com/us/ that can also be purchased as a daily rental for $4.99.

Paper Money of the United States is available from bookstores, coin and paper money dealers, and from internet book sellers once trade orders are fulfilled. It may also be ordered from the publisher, Coin & Currency Institute, P.O. Box 399, Williston, VT 05495, toll free 1-800-421-1866 or online at www.PaperMoneyoftheUS.com.

NEW BOOK: EMERGENCY MONEY

Emergency Money: Notgeld in the Image Economy of the German Inflation, 1914-1923
by Tom Wilkinson (Author)

A landmark art historical study of German Notgeld, the emergency money produced during World War I, and the hyperinflation that followed.

Emergency Money is the first art historical study of Germany's emergency money, Notgeld. Issued during World War I and the tumultuous interwar period, these wildly artful banknotes featured landscapes, folk figures, scenes of violence and humor, and even inflation itself in the form of figures staring into empty purses or animals defecating coins. Until now, art historians have paid Notgeld scant attention, but Wilkinson looks closely at these amusing, often disturbing, artifacts and their grim associations to cast new light on the Weimar Republic's visual culture, as well as the larger relationship between art and money.

 

As Wilkinson shows, Germany's early twentieth-century economic crisis was also a crisis of culture. Retelling the period's gripping story through thematic investigations into prevalent Notgeld motifs, Wilkinson illuminates how the vexed relationship between aesthetic value and exchange value was an inextricable part of everyday life.

A landmark contribution to our understanding of twentieth-century Germany, Emergency Money brings together art, economics, critical theory, and media theory to create a book for our own inflationary moment, as the world's new materialisms confront the specter of this older, more fundamental materialism.

For more information, or to order, see:
Emergency Money: Notgeld in the Image Economy of the German Inflation, 1914-1923 (https://www.amazon.com/Emergency-Money-Notgeld-Inflation-1914-1923/dp/0262546809/ref=sr_1_1)

BANKNOTE BOOK CURACAO CHAPTER PUBLISHED

To read the complete article, see:
Curaçao chapter now complete (https://banknotenews.com/?p=44516)

RED BOOK IMPROVEMENTS TARGET MISINFORMATION

Recently, the new owners of the "Red Book" hosted a multi-day summit to discuss ways to improve the Guide Book of United States Coins (Red Book). One of the topics included a discussion about including more detailed information and illustrations referencing coin grading. There are plans to more fully explain the vast jump in prices for coins from one grade to the next.

Also, we will include information about ultra-grade coins and why they bring so much. The Red Book has a tremendous amount of information for those unfamiliar with the hobby. The reference will need to include a robust section about misinformation.

Probably the most prolific topic we receive emails about are error coins, or what people think are error coins. The below pictures are examples of the sort of inquires we get almost daily. We usually tell people we do not handle error coins, but this is just trying to be kind. Many individuals become confused by damage on coins, so they believe it to be a mint-caused error. The value of minor mint errors is grossly overestimated by the general public.

Experts are often sent photos like these by people who believe they might have a rare error coin.

We receive dozens of calls and emails each week about recent vintage coins and mint errors. Everyone in my company tries to be helpful and educate people about the true value of what they have. It can be a difficult task, as not everyone likes what you're telling them and so they become distrustful.

One important tip for anyone who seeks out information about the value of something: Do not argue with the experts. This can lead to confrontation or being hung up on. Be patient and trust the experts who have been doing this for decades.

To read the complete article, see:
Jeff Garrett: Fake News and Misinformation in Numismatics (https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/13113/)

RICHARD AUGUST (1940-2024)

Jim Rosen writes:

Mike Packard writes:

Jeff Rock writes:

Roger Siboni writes:

Bruce Smith writes:

Chris Salmon writes:

Swamper Bob writes:

David Menchell writes:

Ed Sarrafian writes:

David Gladfelter writes:

Stan Stephens writes:

Dennis Wierzba writes:

Jim Rosen adds:

GREG BENNICK INTERVIEWS ERIC SCHENA

Eric Schena, a well-known fixture in the numismatic research fraternity, specializes in "off the beaten path" material, with an emphasis on numismatic items of the mid-Atlantic region. He is especially focused on merchant tokens and scrip, which are often the only surviving artifacts of long-forgotten commercial enterprises. Given the geographical area, there is significant crossover with coal mines and related company stores.

Unlike the U.S. Mint, which centralizes information related to federal coinage, token researchers have to cast a wider net, with the Ingle-Schierloh records being one important source of information. This firm manufactured tokens for hundreds, if not thousands of firms, and some of their records survive. These confirm the low mintages of many issues, and it is not uncommon that examples survive to the extent of ten or fewer pieces. Unlike federal coins, however, these can often be acquired at remarkably low prices.

Schena also looks to old business directories, many of which he has on microfiche. Few researchers can claim to own their own microfiche reader, and Schena takes his place among this elite group. Ebay contains its own needles in a haystack, and Eric discusses the lucky acquisition of a 19th century bank minutes book.

Newman Portal acknowledges Greg Bennick, who has now contributed ten interviews, capturing stories of collectors past and present. Coin collectors are in many ways historians, and even those not involved in the research side of the hobby act as curators and stewards for the next generation of those to come.

Link to Eric Schena interview audio on Newman Portal:
Eric Schena Interview (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/639081)

Link to transcript of Eric Schena interview:
Eric Schena Interview (Transcript) (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/639095)

Link to Ingle-Schierloh Company records:
Ingle-Schierloh Company (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/archivedetail/531624)

Link to Greg Bennick Interviews on Newman Portal:
Greg Bennick Interviews (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/multimediadetail/548505)

VIDEO: TRIBUTE TO TWO HEROIC SHIPS

A coin struck in 2004 commemorated the Australian cruiser Perth and the American cruiser Houston. Both were sunk in a sea battle in 1942 by the Japanese. Learn the survivor's' fate after being taken prisoner as well as:

• Overview of the start of WWII Story of the sea battle
• The cruel treatment of the prisoners
• Salvage of the ships

From the 2005 American Numismatic Association summer convention.

Speaker(s): Tom Sebring.

To watch the complete video, see:
Numismatic Tribute to Two Heroic Ships (https://youtu.be/NXfhe9H9yVA)

CELLINI DIES FOR POPE CLEMENT VII MEDAL

Although I read every newsletter as released, I seldom find articles upon which to comment. The one on the Bargello is different in that I recently contacted them with an inquiry about certain Renaissance dies created by Benvenuto Cellini. I first emailed the Vatican collections to ask if the dies created by Cellini for medals honoring Pope Clement VII were in their collections. They promptly responded that the dies are held in the Bargello collections and upon an email to their curator photos were sent to me of the two main dies in question .. obverse and reverse of a medal commemorating the Treaty of Cambrai which ended the conflict between Spain and France fought in the Italian states.

My interest in these was due to a recent CNG Electronic auction containing a restrike example if the original medal using Cellini s original dies . Attached are images of the CNG example and of the two dies as well. Even greater was my delight to find how promptly my inquiries were answered by two such large institutions.

It is interesting to see the side and rear views of the two dies. The size difference suggesting the obverse die was placed in the press and the reverse die striking from above.

I should mention that the close up of the reverse shows Cellini's signing of the die. The reverse shows a standing female personification of Peace and in front of the temple of Janus in the Roman Forum is a chained image of War or the god Mars himself.

A very precise description of the reverse of the medal is in the Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini. My copy is a translation by John Addington Symonds published in 1927. The passage is in the end of chapter LXX and the start of LXXI.......

"I went home and set myself to finishing the medal which I had begun, with the head of Pope Clement and a figure of Peace on the reverse. The figure was a slender woman, dressed in very thin drapery, gathered at the waist, with a little torch in her hand, which was burning a heap of arms bound together like a trophy. In the background I had shown part of a temple, where was Discord chained with a load of fetters. Round about it ran a legend in these words: Claudunter belli portae."

The phrase suggests the temple of Janus in the Forum whose doors on opposite ends were open whenever Rome was at war and only closed in times of peace (a rare occurrence in both Republic and Empire).

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF BARGELLO (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n27a14.html)

 

NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JULY 14, 2024

More on Ceylon Banknotes

Owen Linzmayer published a new edition of the Banknote Book Ceylon Chapter expanding the section on banknotes issued before 1885 from 2 pages to 32 pages in collaboration with Kavan Ratnatunga, using the information and images compiled by him in http://notes.lakdiva.org

See the announcement at https://banknotenews.com/?p=44427

The New edition now has all of the known notes issued before 1885 by the Dutch VOC from 1785 to 1796, the Government of Ceylon Treasury from 1801 to 1856, and the Various Private Banks in Ceylon from 1844 to 1884 which were considered wrongly by Pick and subsequently by Krause SCWPM as specialized issues.

Also added were the few Ceylon essays that were printed like banknotes on both sides with dates 1938-7-1, 1951-1-20 with King George VI, and 1972-5-22 with Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaika, which were never issued, increasing the number of notes in this category in the Ceylon Chapter of the Banknote book from 3 to 10.

If anyone has a Ceylon Banknote not listed now in the new catalog or my website http://notes.lakdiva.org please let Owen and kavanr@gmail.com know with 300 dpi images for inclusion in the Banknote book Ceylon Chapter and my website.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
BANKNOTE BOOK CEYLON CHAPTER PUBLISHED (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n27a03.html)

More on the Metis People
Regarding the article on Metis scrip, Joseph Zaffern writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
STACKS BOWERS: CANADIAN METIS SCRIP (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n27a25.html)

On the Sen. Leverett Saltonstall Mystery Badge
Julia Casey writes:

To read the complete object record, see:
https://beverlyhistory.pastperfectonline.com/Webobject/EB512110-8FA9-496E-AA32-077577654685

To read the complete article, see:
ASSOCIATIONS, CLUBS, FOUNDATIONS AND SOCIETIES (https://newtonfreelibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Associations__Clubs__Foundations_and_Societies_7th_Ed-2024.pdf)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JULY 7, 2024 : Sen. Leverett Saltonstall Mystery Badge (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n27a13.html)

Counterfeit Walking Liberty Half Dollars
Fred Liberatore writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
LOOSE CHANGE: JULY 7, 2024 : TPG-Certified Counterfeit 1921 Walker (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n27a29.html)

TAMS "Ask the Experts" ANA Forum
TAMS President Jim Brokamp writes:

NUMI V2.0 COIN IDENTIFIER & SORTER

I finally have an update to share with readers on the next iteration of Numi.

After playing around with AI coin grading for half a year, I've started to sour on the idea. I think Technical Grading will eventually be accurate enough to be useful, but I don't think the market will accept it. PCGS, NGC, and CAC are just too dominant. People want and trust the judgment of these companies. I just can't see AI grading taking off in a big manner.

But...after testing AI's computer vision capabilities over a thousand times, I noticed that it's extremely accurate in identifying coins 99% of the time. Specifically identifying the series, year, and mintmark. [For US and World Coins, not medals or tokens. Nor varieties/errors]

I've transitioned Numi to be a coin-sorting robot that uses AI to intelligently identify and sort coins. Imagine a reverse Coinstar that spits back out valuable coins.

After a lot of tinkering and coding, I built the initial alpha prototype and flow for Numi v2.0. The prototype can capture images on both sides of a coin, send an API request to GPT-4o for analysis, and display results identifying the coin's type, country of origin, and year.

Tech Specs

• Computer: Raspberry Pi 5
• Cameras: 2 x Arducam IMX519
• Software Language: Python Code
• Physical System: Lego Build Hat peripheral and Lego technic parts
• AI Model: GPT-4o & OpenAI API

Below are some of the problems encountered, lessons learned, and what I plan for the next iteration.

Problems

• Maintaining consistent lighting is a major issue. Lighting is the #1 determinant for accurate results. I am struggling to find a powerful light source that can connect directly to the Raspberry Pi that lets me control both light intensity and color.
• The total time for a coin to go through from placement to results is around 30 seconds. This is too long. It takes around 12 seconds for the API call to complete with the rest for the coin to manually move through the system.
• An API call to the GPT-4o model takes around 1 cent per coin analyzed. Costs can add up fast if you're sorting thousands of coins.
• The AI is struggling to identify mint marks. I suspect this is due to inconsistent lighting as I know that GPT-4o can identify mint marks just fine when I upload close-up photos from my phone.
• Finding the right camera has proven extremely difficult. Most Raspberry Pi cameras have major limitations. It's surprisingly difficult to find a camera that can capture clear images within 50cm of an object, has autofocus, AND zoom functionality. My IMX519 camera requires the coin to be at least 5cm away, it does have autofocus, but no zoom so I have to manually adjust the cameras.

Lessons Learned

• Initially, I thought writing the software was going to be the biggest challenge, but instead, it was the mechanical engineering and building the machine itself
• Linux's permissions setup for folders is the bane of my existence.
• Building with Lego pieces never gets old

Plans fir the next Iteration

• Mechanism to sort coins based on certain parameters
• Goal of reducing run time to 25 seconds per coin

Based on lessons learned, I've already designed what the second iteration should look like. The Lego parts are being mailed and I aim to build the next iteration in a few weeks.

My goal at the moment isn't to sell Numi or convince others that it's valuable. But rather use it as a tool to understand the needs of collectors and dealers and see if AI can make numismatics more approachable.

If any readers have thoughts or feedback they would like to share, they can always email me via DanscoDude@gmail.com or follow my progress on my Instagram @Dansco_Dude

Will keep you updated!!

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
NUMI: AI-POWERED COIN IDENTIFICATION APP (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n47a10.html)
UPDATE: AI-POWERED APP NUMI (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n52a12.html)
REVISITING NUMI (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n16a09.html)
REVISITING NUMI, PART TWO (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n20a10.html)

 

THE OFFSIDE RULE 50 PENCE

Come on England!

The England football team is in the Euros Final tonight playing Spain. Fans of the game have dreamed about winning a major title since the 1960s. There are many different world coins which feature sports and football but thirteen years ago the Royal Mint issued a coin which does not relate to a competition but highlights a rule in the game.

Football's "offside rule" is explained on a 50 pence coin dating from 2011. It is one of scarcer 50p commemorative coins with a circulating mintage of 1,125,500. One site lists it as very scarce.

The coin was designed by Neil Wolfson, a sports journalist, who saw an advertisement for a competition by the Royal Mint for a football themed 50p piece for the London 2012 Olympics. Neil Wolfson was only 26 at the time.

He was quoted as saying "The offside rule is always a talking point so I wanted to create something original to reflect that. It's a case of lateral thinking, so to speak... It will be interesting to see how the design looks in relief and I hope it provokes discussion."

Dave Knight, the Royal Mint’s director of commemorative coin, said: "Every one of the winners is making history... Their coins will become treasured mementos of the biggest sporting event [the Olympics] to happen on UK shores for over half a century and we hope will encourage a new generation of collectors. "The Royal Mint is immensely proud to be part of London 2012 and we're thrilled that this competition has enabled the general public to play a part too."

The designer reflected that, "as a natural extension of what I do and this design itself was a case of lateral thinking, I sent it off and here I am"¦I'm a football fan, I've followed the Premier League since its inception and if I had fifty pence for every time someone asks what the offside rule is then I would be a rich man.

He had the idea to tackle the offside rule and given the size of the fifty pence coin face it had to be visual rather than wordy so he came up with an idea for shapes: a circle for the ball, triangle for the attacking team and square for the defending team and the words also seemed to choose themselves. "The fiddly bit was trying to get the proportions right."

In the lead up to the Olympic Games in London, a series of commemorative coins were issued by the Royal Mint referring to twenty-nine different sports. Perhaps other countries should issue coins referring to the quirks and idiosyncrasies of their favourite game.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JULY 8, 2018 : Penalty Shootout Coin Proposed (https://www.coinbooks.org/v21/esylum_v21n27a13.html)

VOCABULARY TERM: PORTRAITS AND PORTRAITURE

Portraits and Portraiture. The image of a human being showing enough characteristics - usually the face - to identify that person, and the study of these images on coins and medals in history. If the most important function of coins is to serve as a medium of exchange, the second most important aspect of coins and medals is their contribution to portraiture. We can observe portraits made centuries ago (and certainly before photography existed to record their exact images) to reveal images of human beings of the past.

These likenesses reveal the features of people of history, some obscure, some most prominent. Statues and paintings were created as image-recorders of the past, but not one Greek portrait painting has survived and most early statues are disfigured or have crumbled in time. Coins and medals have a greater capacity for survival, over longer time, than does any other medium of recording the personal image!

We learn from a coin struck during the time of Cleopatra that she was not the raving beauty of an Elizabeth Taylor, or from a contemporary medal we observe the rugged sea-hardened features, the elations and disappointments in the face of Columbus. Portraiture adds personality to a name in a history book. This does, however, place a tremendous burden on the artist to document that personality, to preserve the nature - to record the lifelike characteristics - of that person. A portrait on a coin or medal preserves a permanent image frozen for centuries.

With such immortality one would expect that kings and queens, while they were alive, would exert such an influence on the artists that only flattering portraits would be created. Why then, do we have such coins and medals bearing ugly portraits? If his monetary portrait is a flattering image of Peter the Hogmouth, what then did he really look like? Or did they venerate ugliness in his generation?

Coin and medal portraits are important, not only for their historical study, but also for their iconography. They preserve, perhaps like no other media, what the person really looked like in a miniature portrait in metal. Museums preserve coins and medals for their miniature portraiture, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, for example, preserves bas-relief medallic portraits alongside paintings, statues, photographs and other pictorial media.

Portrait techniques. Techniques, both of engraving and as a style of art, have a considerable bearing on coin and medal portraiture. Realism, it appears, has been dominant throughout history. Artists have attempted to employ any method possible to achieve more realistic portraits. Portrait technicians have used life masks, death masks, drawing frames and the cameograph of the 20th century. All these have proved futile for preparing a portrait.

What is far more important is to filter the features of the person through the mind and creative expression of the artist. Not only must the artist make his portrait a close physical resemblance of the person, but he must also give it life. He must vivify his portrait even if his subject is no longer alive!

Portrait bias. There is a bias, however, evidenced in coins and medals as in all forms of art, perhaps, that the artist may introduce subtleties of his own likeness in his portraits. Considered inevitable, it is visible in the work of all sculptors, particularly in portraits of cross cultures. Medals of the Apollo astronauts who walked on the moon were created by artists all over the world. Gyokuho Onodera created a three-portrait medal struck by the Toyko Mint. The American astronauts have oriental facial characteristics!

General portrait characteristics. Portraits are the most difficult of any bas-relief form to create. The artist must capture the "essence" or personality of the person. An engraver must create this lifelike representation by carving in steel (or the modeler in clay or plaster). He must decide the position of the head or the bust and how best to present it; then he must prepare the image that reflects that person in a most reliable way.

Side-view profiles are far more popular in coin and medal portraiture because of the beneficial way a profile fits the contours of a circle. Perhaps as few as fifteen percent of all portraits use a full face or a head turned slightly, so popular is the other 85 percent of all coins and medals with portrait in profile. Right facing profiles are about thirty percent more popular than left facing (the symbolism or meaning of facing right is looking ahead, progressing forward in western culture, facing left is looking backwards, ideal, say, for a historian).

Early coin portraiture. Engraved portraits and painted portraits evolved in Greece about the same time (painting perhaps 100 years before the first human form appeared on a coin or engraved gems in 360 bc). Portraiture on Greek coins rose to spectacular heights due to the Greek aptitude for art. Portraits have appeared on coins (and later medals) to document individual representations ever since.

Portraits on Roman coins fell in artistic quality, but increased in the number of persons entitled to appear on coins. Thus we can observe wives and family members of Roman leaders, as well as Caesars and senators. Portraiture deteriorated further after the decline of Rome.

Coins bore only the crudest linear detail, a cartoon of the portrayed ruler, as only kings' portraits appear during the Middle Ages. Hammered coins did less to improve numismatic art and coin portraiture declined even more if that was possible. During this 700-year period, portraits appeared of these obscure leaders, but the stick-face portraits on coins reveal little of their proprietor's personality.

Hand engraved portraits. Greek and Roman portraits were engraved entirely by hand. Their closeness to engraved gems is obvious in that coin dies were engraved intaglio (negative) as gems were engraved cameo (positive) in approximately the same size. Cameos were sometimes cut in shell, softer than the iron of coin dies. If the engraver had the talent to do one, he could easily do the other. But the coin engraver always had to work in steel to cut a portrait about the size of a fingernail.

In the middle ages portraits (if you could call them that) were made by punches. Lines and arcs and dots were combined to form an outline form of a face in a die. Not much of a chance to express any personality in these punchmarks.

It wasn't until the coin or medal could be struck in a press (replacing hammer coinage in the 16th century) that hand engraving became employed once again, to create more realistic portraits. Greek coin portraiture served as models as engravers in the 1500s created more realistic portraits. As difficult as it was to hand engrave a likeness of a person, some magnificent portraits emerged thereafter.

New technologies influence coin and medal portraiture. Two inventions dramatically influenced coin and medal portraiture: First was the development of the die-engraving pantograph (following its invention in 1766). The second was the development of photography (in the 1830s) with the first portrait made in 1839.

The die-engraving pantograph allowed medallists to create a bas-relief model - often a portrait - (in soft clay or easy-to-model plaster) in a size larger than what was needed in a die.

Cast this design into hard metal, then reduce it on a pantograph which cuts a die (or a reduction punch) to the size required. What took days of tedious labor engraving in tiny bites, smoothing the surface, and taking constant proof impressions of this hand engraved die to check the state of that die, was replaced by the artist making an easy model, then rendering this in one or more correct size dies, each in a matter of hours.

Coin and medal engraving, once the exclusive work of diesinking hand engravers, passed to sculptors, who could model designs and portraits with far greater ease oversize and in more realistic nature. Often mints would commission sculptors just to produce more lifelike portraits that mint engravers could employ, in turn, to make dies of an attractive design.

The United States Mint commissioned sculptors like Salatheil Ellis in 1848 and Ferdinand Pettrich as early as 1842 to prepare portraits (Ellis did over a dozen including Abraham Lincoln, Milliard Fillmore and James Buchanan). Their bas-relief portrait would be rendered into a cast pattern (or electroformed shell) that would be reduced on the pantograph and a reduction punch made. Mint engravers, then, would hub the reduction punch in a die block and add the lettering afterwards with letter and figure punches.

The Royal Mint in England commissioned William Wyon to do portraits for important coins and medals. His medallic portrait of Queen Victoria in 1838 was so appealing (and notably realistic!) that the image was used on medals for several purposes. This medallic portrait was even used as the model for the Penny Black stamp of 1840 (drawn by Henry Corbould). It remained on British stamps until the queen's death in 1901. Medals often become a logo or trademark, the use of this medallic portrait is a classic example!

Photography's influence. Photography allowed artists to model from photographic prints rather than require the person to sit for a portrait where the artist sketches the sitter's features. Ideally an artist would prefer a profile photograph or two and prints of the head and face from several angles. Sculptor-medallist Jo Davidson preferred motion picture film to learn the likeness of the face and the traits of the person in action. He often commissioned film to be made especially for him to study when he worked on a portrait.

So important were the early photographs that in 1850 the U.S. Mint gave credit to the photographers! The Meade Brothers produced a Daguerreotype which engraver Charles Cushing Wright used to model the portrait on the Daniel Webster Medal (PE-37). Wright signed the medal on the obverse and placed MEADE BROS. DAG. on the reverse.

Portraits painted in miniature - and engraved prints - rapidly became superseded by photography. Thus this new visual technique rapidly enhanced coin and medal portraiture.

Self portraits. Medallic art is an ideal medium for artists to preserve their own portrait and many have. Forrer illustrated many of these in his lengthy work on medallic artists' biographies. Three were included in the 1910 International Exhibition of Medallic Art at American Numismatic Society: Americans Victor David Brenner, Roger Nobel Burnham and German Hans Frei. Brenner's self portrait was reissued by Presidential Art Medals on the centennial of the artist's birth in 1971 (along with Brenner's famed Lincoln portrait).

Every artist should be encouraged to do a self portrait, preferably well into the artist's career when he is totally competent in his chosen medium. Because of the permanency of medallic art, this is particularly true for the medallic artist. One artist's organization - American Academy of Arts and Letters - makes this a requirement of admission, and this can be in any form, any medium. Bas-relief portraits are highly accepted.

Cataloging portraits. Not only must the cataloger of a coin or medal identify the portrait - who was it? - but also, if possible, the artist. To describe the portrait the cataloger must know what is "normal" and if the portrait is different in any way.

A normal portrait is in linear perspective. If a different perspective is employed by the artist, this must be mentioned by the cataloger. An FAO medal by Chester Martin, then an engraver at the U.S. Mint, was a view from above. The position of the head should be noted, full face, or how far turned, and to which side.

The normal portrait has no facial hair, no headgear, the skin is smooth texture. Beards, therefore, must be noted in a catalog description, so should the kind of hat or headgear, if present, adornments on the head (as crowns or wreaths) if present, the fact the skin has texture if this technique was used by the artist. Clothing should be identified, or is the figure nude?

The place where the body ends, particularly for a bust, is called the truncation. It can be erased or couped. Every pictorial aspect of the portrait must be noted by the serious cataloger.

To read the complete entry on the Newman Numismatic Portal, see:
Portraits and Portraiture (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/dictionarydetail/516528)

STAN KESSELMAN INTERVIEW, PART FOUR

STANLEY KESSELMAN: So, the last story I want to tell you.

GREG BENNICK: Yeah, please do. I'm just glad Harry Bass started to talk to you again. That's great.

STANLEY KESSELMAN: Oh, we were very friends. He went out with me on the first date I was with my wife.

GREG BENNICK: Really?

STANLEY KESSELMAN: Yeah. And the story with that is a personal story. I'm at 62nd Street and Park Avenue walking my first date back to her place. And she says she has to go to the bathroom, which women do a lot. And I said, we're at 62nd and Park. There's a Regency hotel. I have one of my employees stay in there. We can go up to his room and use his bathroom. And she says, all right. And she says, "I can use the bathroom in the lobby." And I said, "Yeah, go up to the room. Don't worry." So, I get on the house phone. I said, "Harry, we're coming up. I'm with this girl. She wants to use the bathroom." He says, "Come on up." So, we go up to Harry's room. The Regency is a high-class hotel. He's wearing a cashmere bathrobe. She goes and uses the bathroom. It's the first bathroom I've ever seen with a telephone in it on the wall. And comes out. I said, "This is my employee. Her name is Sharon. I'm Harry Bass." He was so sophisticated. They were talking back and forth. He knew she was not my employee. He figured that out in five minutes. I mean, he had so much more money and so much sophistication than I did.

GREG BENNICK: Yeah.

STANLEY KESSELMAN: So, we all went to Maxwell's Plum to get something to eat. And then I walked her home.

GREG BENNICK: Amazing.

STANLEY KESSELMAN: Yeah. So, he was with me when I had my first date with my present wife.

GREG BENNICK: That's great. That's great.

STANLEY KESSELMAN: And we were all very friendly for a long, long time. My last story that I can tell is when Mike Brownlee and Johnny Rowe were in St. Louis. And we're staying in a hotel that was built 100 years ago. And how they got my bed into the room was an act of physics. The bed was the size of the room. And the hotel was in a very bad neighborhood. So we go to the auction. And Brownlee and Rowe say to me, why don't we split the auction up instead of bidding against each other?

So, one of us bought the coins. And at the end of the auction, we put all the coins in a paper bag. And whatever you pull out of the paper bag is yours.

GREG BENNICK: Wow.

STANLEY KESSELMAN: So, they said, "Stanley, you go first." I said, "Fine. No big deal." I put my hand in there. I pull out a coin. All right. That's my coin. Mike Brownlee goes next. He puts his hand in the bag and pulls out a coin. Then Johnny Rowe puts his hand in the bag and pulls out a coin. I said, "Wait a second here. You guys are getting two coins for my one coin." I said, "That's not fair." And they said, "Stanley, you really figured that out, didn't you?" So, they started to laugh. And we split the bag, you know, 50-50.

GREG BENNICK: That's great.

STANLEY KESSELMAN: And then Mike Brownlee says to me, "You know, everybody's watching us at the auction. They saw us buy all the coins. You better be careful tonight. You better lock your door in the room. And we'll meet for breakfast tomorrow morning." OK. I go to the room. I have half my coins. And at 2.30 AM, there's a knock on my door. I say, "Who is it?" He says, it's the water that I ordered for my party, ice water. And there's a bottle of champagne in it. And I said, "Listen, I wasn't going to open that door for anybody at any time."I said, "Listen, I have a gun in here. I'm going to count to three. I'm going to open the door then. I'm going to shoot first and then see who you are." I'm scared out of my wits.

GREG BENNICK: Yeah.

STANLEY KESSELMAN: So, I count one. I count two. And I hear footsteps going away. So, five to 10 minutes later, I get the courage to open the door. And there's no champagne, but there's melted ice water in a big bucket.

GREG BENNICK: Wow.

STANLEY KESSELMAN: And I said, "Wow, I am so smart." Scared the hell out of me. So, I go down to breakfast, 9 in the morning. I meet Michael. And he says to me, how's my night go? I said, "Michael, you're a genius. They tried to come and get me and get my coins." And Michael says, "Do you mean the boy with the ice water that I sent?" He sent them. Scared the hell out of me, let me tell you.

About the Interviewer
Greg Bennick (www.gregbennick.com) is a keynote speaker and long time coin collector with a focus on major mint error coins. Have ideas for other interviewees? Contact him anytime on the web or via instagram @minterrors.

To watch the complete video, see:
Stanley Kesselman Interviewed for the NNP by Greg Bennick (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/638521)

To read the complete transcript, see:
Stanley Kesselman Interviewed for the NNP by Greg Bennick (Transcript) (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/638520)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
STANLEY KESSELMAN INTERVIEW, PART ONE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n25a06.html)
STANLEY KESSELMAN INTERVIEW, PART TWO (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n26a13.html)
STANLEY KESSELMAN INTERVIEW, PART THREE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n27a11.html)

 

ERIC SCHENA INTERVIEW, PART ONE

GREG BENNICK: Hi everybody, my name is Greg Bennick with the Newman Numismatic Portal, and I am here today with Eric Schena and his cat Mischief, appropriately named [the cat walks across the screen]. This interview really is with Mischief. Eric is just supplementary to that, but Eric, thanks for being here today. I appreciate it very much.

ERIC SCHENA: Thank you, Greg.

GREG BENNICK: Awesome. Well, just a little background, everybody. Eric and I met last year at the ANA show. Is that right? Yeah, I think it was at the ANA.

ERIC SCHENA: That is correct.

GREG BENNICK: Yep, at the ANA show. So, we struck up a conversation because we had a connection through the Token and Medal Society, both an interest in tokens and metals, but also a literal connection, a person, Dave Schenkman, through the Token and Medal Society, and we started chatting. Well, within the first five minutes of chatting, from my side of the conversation, as I was asking Eric, as I often ask people, "What do you collect? What are you interested in?" Eric had given me a list of things, and where normally somebody will say something that I can relate to, collect, or I'm interested in, the list of things that Eric was absolutely fascinated by were either things I'd never heard of, things I never imagined collecting, and I was immediately interested. So, I said, let's do an interview, and this can be almost a 101 for people like me who have no idea about some of the things that you find interesting. So, I'm really glad that we get a chance to talk today.

ERIC SCHENA: I am too. Thank you for having me on.

GREG BENNICK: Absolutely. So, let's put ourselves back at the ANA. We're standing on the bourse floor, and you don't have to remember word for word, but I ask you, so Eric, I mean, you're on the Board of Directors, the Board of Governors, is it, of TAMS, or Board of Directors?

ERIC SCHENA: Board of Governors.

GREG BENNICK: Board of Governors.

ERIC SCHENA: It's technically Board of Governors, but we're basically Board of Directors.

GREG BENNICK: Yep. So, you're on the board at TAMS, and you've won a number of awards, a Mishler Cataloging Award. You've won, I think, is it named after Dave Schenkman, the Dave Schenkman Literary Award?

ERIC SCHENA: Yes. I won a Dave Schenkman Literary Award, as well as the bronze version of that as well.

GREG BENNICK: I love it. So, there you go. So, I've got that much of a background. We're standing on the bourse floor, and I ask you, so Eric, "What do you collect?"

ERIC SCHENA: Oh, I collect basically the items that are off the beaten trail. The path less traveled would probably be the best description for it. My primary hobby is, my primary focus in collectibles, is the numismatic history of the Mid-Atlantic region, which is primarily Virginia, which is the state that I call "my adopted home,"Maryland, D.C., Delaware, North Carolina, and West Virginia. Those are my core states.

And by numismatics of those states, I am talking about the early paper money, colonial paper money, fiscal instruments, tokens, store scrip, picker's checks, all sorts of things of that kind, and including foreign coins that circulated here in the Mid-Atlantic prior to the establishment of the U.S. Mint. So, I run the whole gamut, and a little bit of national currency, and a little bit of national bank notes. Though, that sometimes gets a little bit out of my price range, so I don't have that many from my area.

GREG BENNICK: So, of that list, where do you think your main focus or area of expertise is in particular? Is it each and all of those things, or is it one in particular or a few in particular?

ERIC SCHENA: I would have to say it is probably store tokens, general store tokens and coal scrip, mining scrip. That is my primary area of expertise, with a side expertise in pre-Civil War paper money as well. And when it comes to pre-Civil War paper money, that is almost exclusively in relation to the state of Virginia, including the counties that now comprise the state of West Virginia.

GREG BENNICK: Did you work on the Virginia Tokens book with Dave Schenkman?

ERIC SCHENA: I did indeed, the second edition. I helped him with the cataloging there as well as doing the layout and arranging it and going around out in the field trying to find some new tokens to list and also photographs of some of the stores and other related artifacts. One of the things that I find particularly fascinating with store tokens is, unlike, say, a 1909 VDB penny, store tokens, you can pretty much tell exactly where it was used and, in some cases, who used the token. Like, you could put names to these people.

And I like to go and try and get some of that history because a lot of it is what an architecture person would call vernacular. It wasn't meant to last. It was purely utilitarian. And a lot of that history has disappeared, in particular with general stores and coal mining camps. You will find with coal mining camps, especially, they're ghost towns. Now the famous ghost towns are all out west because of the gold and silver rushes and things like that. But there are ghost towns in the east, too. And they vanish and no one will have any kind of notion that it was even there, except, in many cases, the tokens.

GREG BENNICK: That's pretty amazing.

ERIC SCHENA: Yeah, it's really kind of interesting. If you don't mind me doing a little bit of show and tell here.

GREG BENNICK: Please do and if you can add a slight bit of light to you, as you do, we might be able to see things better.

ERIC SCHENA: Yeah, let me see what I can do about that.

GREG BENNICK: There you go. Now, I noticed that Mischief walked away as soon as we started talking about coins. Is that representative of Mischief not enjoying coins or"

ERIC SCHENA: Yeah, she's probably bored stiff. It's all right. Yeah, she's got a cat bed up on my desk. I actually have several cat beds. My wife and I both have a bunch of rescue cats. So, we've taken care of them. But, yeah, one of the things I wanted to show was about general stores out here is, like, for instance, this is a town called Henry. And Henry is in Mineral County, West Virginia. I should say was in Mineral County, West Virginia. There is quite literally nothing there now. It was a coal camp that lasted maybe about 15, 20 years or so. And there are no tokens from Henry, but this is a book of coupons that were used at the company store, just like the coal scrip. And no one would even know where Henry, West Virginia was if it wasn't for something like this and people trying to preserve that history.

And so, part of what I did for Dave was go around and look for some of the store buildings and identify them and photograph them before they were gone. And in one case in particular, the store did in fact, disappear not long after I took photos of it, and it was in the, and it's in the book now, it was a store in a place called Rileyville, Virginia, which is in Page County. It butts up against what is now Shenandoah National Park or Skyline Drive, and it was a store building that was not long after I took photos of it, it got paved over for a church parking lot.

So, that's the type of thing that's important to go around and document and that's one of the reasons why I specialize in this type of thing with tokens and scrip, is many of these buildings they disappear and the history just disappears with them.

About the Interviewer
Greg Bennick (www.gregbennick.com) is a keynote speaker and long time coin collector with a focus on major mint error coins. Have ideas for other interviewees? Contact him anytime on the web or via instagram @minterrors.

To watch the complete video, see:
Eric Schena Interviewed for the NNP by Greg Bennick (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/639081)

To read the complete transcript, see:
Eric Schena Interviewed for the NNP by Greg Bennick (Transcript) (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/639095)

 

NORTH CAROLINA MONEY DISPLAYED AT UNC

Schreiner is the curatorial specialist for the exhibit of North Carolina money inside Wilson Library at UNC Chapel Hill.

"But to, to just see how much different things were in the past than they are in the present is sort of the essence of history. And we learn to some extent to compare what we do today with what was done in the past," Schreiner said.

He explained colonies controlled by Great Britain weren't allowed to make their own money before the Revolutionary War.

"The object was to have all of the money. And at that time money meant coins of gold and silver and copper of intrinsic metal value. It wasn't money unless it as an object was worth something," Schreiner said.

It meant in order to buy something from Great Britain it had must be paid for in coins of intrinsic value.

"So that meant our flow of coins went to Great Britain, and we never had enough money here. Great Britain would let the colonies produce paper money, which everyone hated, because everyone wanted coins of intrinsic value," Schreiner said.

North Carolina then produced about 25 different issues of paper money, the images on the money in that time helped people accept the money, because it was attractive and had images they recognized.

"If they didn't know that it was good, it looked good and might be good enough to let them accept it and transaction," Schreiner said.

In 1799 gold was discovered in North Carolina and changed the way money was thought of again.

"Some private entrepreneurs set up a mint in North Carolina. They were jewelers and goldsmiths from Germany originally. And they produced coins from what miners brought to them," Schreiner said.

To read the complete article, see:
UNC exhibit shows history of North Carolina-made money (https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2024/07/08/north-carolina-money-museum-)

EXHIBIT: MONEY TALKS

Exploring the place of money in our world through different artistic lenses.

Money Talks will reveal how currency and art come together in design and culture to promote or challenge our views. It will feature works by some of the best-known artists, from Rembrandt to Warhol.

Most of the imagery on our currency begins its life as art, before being mass produced on coins and notes. It has a dramatic impact on what and who we imagine is valuable.

Money itself is a popular theme in art - artists have long explored and commented upon the balance between power, wealth and plenitude through using money artistically in novel ways.

The exhibition will feature over 100 objects, including work from artists Andy Warhol and Grayson Perry, and from Banksy and Paula Stevens-Hoare, who use money itself as a medium for political commentary and satire.

Alongside these artworks is a range of money including Roman, Chinese and Islamic coins, Art Nouveau banknotes, and the artwork for the currency featuring Kings Edward VIII and Charles III, on display for the first time.

With other remarkable international objects and items from the Ashmolean's collections, including NFTs, the exhibition will uncover many fascinating interactions between art and money, as well as explore the role of physical currency in 2024.

To read the complete article, see:
MONEY TALKS ART, SOCIETY & POWER (https://www.ashmolean.org/exhibition/money-talks-art-power-and-society)

STEPHEN ALBUM RARE COINS AUCTION 49 RESULTS

Stephen Album Rare Coins held its Auction 49 on June 13-16, 2024, at its offices in Santa Rosa, California. Solid prices were realized, with the total coming to $2.80 million (including buyer's fees) on an estimate of $2.17 million. The sell-through rate was 90.6%.

A few highlights from the auction follow (prices include buyer's fees):

LOT 1608: CHINA: HONAN: Kuang Hsu, 1875-1908, brass 10 cash, ND (1905), Y-108A.3A, CL-HON.12, CCC-520, Duan-2586, a very rare pattern struck at the Ferracute Mint, New Jersey, USA, with dies engraved by Charles Barber, the then-chief engraver of the U.S. Mint, a wonderfully toned specimen example! PCGS graded Specimen 64, RR. The Ferracute Machine Company was founded in Bridgeton, NJ in 1863. The company manufactured metal forming presses for a variety of purposes, from producing cans and automobile parts to minting coins. Among its customers were the United States Mint and the historic Casa de Moneda of Potosí, Bolivia, as well as the Chinese provincial mints of Szechuan (in Chengdu, Sichuan) and Honan (in Kaifeng, Henan). Estimated at $5,000-$7,000. Sold for $33,600.

LOT 1408: NEPAL: Girvan Yuddha Vikrama, 1799-1816, AV 4 mohars (duitola asarphi) (23.11g), SE1720 (1802), cf. Rhodes-727/730, struck circa 1849 for the visit of Jung Bahadur Rana to London the following year, a historically significant example of the highest rarity! PCGS graded Specimen 63. Estimated at $18,000-$22,000. Sold for $26,400.

LOT 967: GREAT BRITAIN: Victoria, 1837-1901, AR crown, 1847, KM-744, S-3883, ESC-288, Bul-2571, 'Gothic' type, UNDECIMO on edge, beautiful multi-color toning, a choice example of this popular type, PCGS graded Proof 63. The ever-popular joint engraving collaboration by William Wyon and William Dyce, the Gothic design marked a stylistic departure for Wyon. Dyce claimed that the idea for the coin was his and suggested that important elements of the design, such as Queen Victoria's headwear and dress, were copied directly from his drawings, as well as the arrangements of the shields. However, although Dyce and his work served as inspiration for the design, this was Wyon's artistic triumph. The Gothic crown reflects the Gothic Revival artistic trend as these influences found their way into Wyon's work. The coin's lettering resembles medieval calligraphy, whilst Queen Victoria's hairstyle - long plaits that encircled her ears - along with her crown are other notable characteristics inspired by this period that are evident in the portrait that appears on the obverse. Estimated at $15,000-$20,000. Sold for $24,000.

LOT 655: AFGHANISTAN: DURRANI: Shah Shuja', 2nd reign, 1803-1809, AV mohur (11.03g), Rikab, AH1219, A-3120, KM-742, Whitehead-979 (same dies), with his normal couplet on the obverse, used at all mints except Bahawalpur and Kashmir // mint and date; there is no regnal year; the mint is the military Court mint with the formula zarb-i mubarak-i rikab, "the fortunate mint of Rikab"; Rikab means "stirrup" and refers to the horses used in the military advances; wonderful bold strike, choice XF, RRR, ex Spink Auction 12027, lot 607 (December 2012). There is only one other example filed on CoinArchives, sold twice in 2016 and 2017, but an example of lower quality than this magnificent piece. Estimated for $10,000 to $15,000. Sold for $20,400.

LOT 807: INDIA: FRENCH: Louis XV, 1715-1774, AR 2 fanon (3.93g), Pondichery, ND, KM-49, Lec-28, pattern issue, an attractive lustrous mint state example! PCGS graded MS62, RRR, ex Charles W. Lueders III Collection. A magnificent example of this rare type! Estimated at $4,000-$6,000. Sold for $19,200.

LOT 665: INDIA: KUSHAN EMPIRE: Huvishka, ca. 155-187 AD, AV dinar (7.98g), G-332 (same dies), Donum Burns, ANS Kushan, diademed and crowned half-length bust left, holding mace and elephant goad, clouds below, flames over shoulder // Rishti standing right, holding spear in right hand and resting left hand on grounded shield, tamgha to right, PIÞTI to left, obverse struck with typical worn die, lightly lustrous, Choice AU, RRR. This is the first example of its type to appear at a public auction. The identity of the goddess Rishti (or Rishto) is uncertain, though it's extremely similar depiction to Athena/Minerva strongly suggests a Kushan adoption of the Greco-Roman goddess. Estimated at $15,000-$20,000. Sold for $15,600.

LOT 47: ROMAN EMPIRE: Aelia Verina, empress, 457-484, AV solidus (4.49g), Constantinople, 468-473, S-21465, RIC-607 (Leo I), AEL VERINA AVG, diademed and draped bust right, crowned by Manus Dei // VICTORIA AVGGG, Victory standing left, holding long jewelled cross, star in right field, small dent on reverse, some surface roughness, Choice VF, RRR. Estimated at $7,000-$10,000. Sold for $9,600.

Founder Steve Album was pleased with the results. "Prices were strong this time, with the World and Chinese segments doing especially well. And once again, the internet sessions and group lots brought good prices."

The firm is now taking consignments for future auctions. For more information, see www.stevealbum.com .

WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: JULY 14, 2024

OK. very little numismatics this week, but a number of you have asked about my trip to Switzerland, so here's a quick update with a smattering of coin stuff. Overall, it was a wonderful trip. Switzerland is a very pretty country. We walked all over Geneva the first day, and for our wedding anniversary on the 7th we all went over to Annecy, France, which was lovely - a beautiful town near a beautiful lake. There were nine people from two families in our group. We stayed three days in a house in Grindelwald and visited Interlochen, too. We saw Lusanne on the way to Zurich.

Seven of us went to the Taylor Swift concert. The girls and their Moms got in line around 8:30am and ended up just a couple standing spots away from the central stage. The menfolk had VIP tickets near the far end of the stage. We didn't have to arrive so early, but we went anyway as a support crew for the women. We brought them food and souvenirs while they held their spots in line. The crowds were insane, but well-behaved. Despite the long day, the girls loved the concert - "Best night ever".

Here are some trip photos. I've got hundreds more - we walked and walked for miles, up and down hills and mountains, riding gondolas, mountain carts, climbing up to waterfalls, boating around lakes, ducking onto shops, cathedrals, museums, restaurants and supermarkets. I tell everyone that the best part of the trip is that "after this, every other trip we take will seem dirt cheap in comparison." Switzerland is one of the most expensive places in the world to visit, but we had a grand and memorable time.

Coin shop window, with some numismatic literature on display.

Another coin shop, and the pocket change I flew home with.

This sign greeted us upon arrival at our Zurich hotel.

Words cannot describe the waiting line. Here's a small section - by the time they opened the gates it stretched for what seemed to be a couple of miles.

The three menfolk in our party had tickets to the VIP floor section, but that doesn't mean we were dancing with Selena Gomez and Blake Lively. It just meant we could pick up a swag bag and not have to wait in line so long. Don't ask me what was in the swag bag - my wife and daughter confiscated it after the show and I haven't seen it since.

Me waiting for the warmup act to start, with my concert shirt, the bracelet my daughter made me, and 50,000 of my new BFFs.

Here's my view of the stage. If you squint you can see Taylor Swift. But here are the money shots, taken by the womenfolk who were very close to the main section of the stage - performer eye contact territory.

Back to sort-of-numismatics - chocolate coins in the Zurich airport gift shop.

The trip and concert were great. Despite catching a cold the second day I still managed to more-or-less follow along with people 20, 30, and 40 or more years younger than me. Just slower. A lot slower. Standing for hours at the concert was brutal and I walked out before Taylor was halfway through. But we got our daughter to the show she dearly wanted to see, and I celebrated with a Carlsberg beer at the concession stand. Success!

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM JULY 7, 2024 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n27a01.html)

THE LEGENDARY SAN JOSE WRECK

The Legendary San José Wreck 1708: A Tale of Treasure, Tragedy, and Deceit

1708: The San José, flagship of the Spanish Treasure Fleet, was returning from the New World under the Count of Casa Alegre, General José Fernández de Santillán. The fleet had 3 warships and 14 merchant vessels. Despite warnings the British were lying in wait for them, they sailed from Portobello, Panama, to Cartagena, Colombia. Just south of Cartagena, a British squadron of 4 ships under Commodore Charles Wager attacked. The two exchanged fire. Then, after nightfall, while 200 feet away, the San José’s powder magazine suddenly exploded, sending her 2,000 feet below the surface. Of 600 souls, only 11 survived. Though her manifest is lost, she supposedly carried 7 to 11 million pesos of silver, gold coins, and emeralds. However, extra smuggled bullion was often up to 100% more than manifests listed.

1979: Jim Bannigan and Jim Maloney, New York stockbrokers, founded the Glocca Mora Company (GMC) to search for the San José.

1979 or 1980: Colombia’s Directión General Marítima signed a 50/50 agreement (some say 65/35) with GMC to search a 425 square mile area off Cartagena for wrecks.

1980-1985: GMC discovered six wrecks using a surface side-scan sonar and a deep ROV (remotely operated vehicle).

1981: GMC announced they discovered the San José (the Economist said 1982). Some say they found a cannon. They sent the submarine Piccard to video a shipwreck 660 feet below the surface. Analysis of a wood sample showed it was consistent with a late 1600s galleon. They gave the coordinates as 10º 10’ 17” N-76º 00’ 20” W.

1982: Colombia reneged on the GMC agreement, reducing their offer to 25%. GMC refused. They then said there had been an error in the listed coordinates. When Piccard’s crew recovered a transponder, ready to shut down the operation, the Colombian government tried to arrest them.

1984: GMC sold out to Sea Search Armada (SSA), a Delaware-registered company. SSA raised $10 million through about 100 investors to salvage the wreck. Though Colombia had agreed to honor the transfer, she later reneged and passed a law reducing SSA’s rights to 5% with a further 45% tax!

1989: SSA’s CEO Jack Harbeston sued Colombia. His legal battle continues to this day!

1994: Colombia hired Tommy Thompson to re-explore SSA’s given coordinates but found nothing. However, SSA disputed his credibility, noting he was jailed for concealing $2 to $5 million of treasure from the SS Central America.

1997: The Circuit Court of Barranquilla (a Colombian Appellate court) ruled SSA and Colombia should split the salvage 50/50, despite an earlier 65/35 agreement.

2001: The UNESCO Convention on Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage agreed to prevent plundering underwater shipwrecks over 100 years old. But Colombia, with hundreds of valuable wrecks in its waters, never signed that agreement, signaling her interest in salvage over archaeology.

2007: The Colombian Supreme Court awarded a 50/50 split to Colombia and SSA, saying the treasure did not count as cultural patrimony, reaffirming Colombia’s salvage rather than archaeology interests.

2010: Columbia threatened military action against SSA if they tried to salvage the San José.

2011 and 2015: US courts dismissed SSA’s case on technical grounds, declaring the wreck Colombian property.

2013: Colombia passed a law allowing private contractors to salvage wrecks and keep 50%, further signaling her interest in salvage rather than archaeology.

2014: Roger Dooley (see pictures at end of article) came across the San José’s details at Seville’s Archives of the Indies. He later discovered her pilot’s derrotero (a handwritten book of mariner’s directions) in the British Library. He tried first to persuade the Colombian government, then wealthy Latin Americans to bankroll exploring the San José. But he had no success. So, he teamed up with Anthony Clake, a wealthy English hedge fund partner at Marshall Wace. Dooley and Clake (who loved shipwrecks) then formed MAC (Maritime Archaeology Consultants) in Britain. Within months, Dooley presented Colombia’s President Santos with a 1729 map showing Islets off Cartagena labelled Bajo del Almirante, perhaps a reference to Commodore Charles Wager. Intrigued, the President facilitated a meeting with his culture minister.

2015: Colombia soon hired Dooley, who engaged the Wood’s Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI), discoverer of the famous Titanic wreck. Using their AUV Remus 6000 (an autonomous underwater vehicle with side-scan sonar), Dooley led WHOI’s discovery of the San José’s wreck at an estimated cost of $70-$100 million. WHOI found bronze cannon showing decorative dolphins, confirming the identity of the wreck just 12 miles off shore (within her territorial waters). Colombia soon declared the SSA’s 2007 Colombia Supreme Court decision irrelevant, as their coordinates were wrong. SSA’s CEO Jack Harbeston claimed Dooley had worked for him on another project and had stolen the San José’s true coordinates from SSA’s computers. Dooley pointed out SSA’s first coordinates reflected a different ship, at a different depth, several miles away, but SSA refuted that. A Spanish journalist, Jesús García Calero, suggested MAC had a dubious reputation, alleging Tony Blair conspired with President Santos in the MAC deal.

2016: Photos released of the site showed changes since 2015, suggesting salvage had begun.

2018: UNESCO told Colombia not to salvage the vessel. But Colombia never signed the UNESCO agreement and has a right to the wreck if it lies within its territorial waters.

2019: Spain protested Columbia’s salvage of the San José, citing the 570 Spanish lives lost on board.

2020: Colombian Vice President Marta Lucía Ramirez declared all San José’s contents “objects of cultural interest.” This backpedalled Colombia’s previous interest in salvage rather than archaeology and meant the coins could not be sold. However, it defies logic to say so many millions of coins are unique!

2022: SSA sued Colombia for $10 billion in the UN’s Permanent Court of Arbitration.

2023: In November, Colombia’s president announced plans to salvage the San José. With a term ending in August 2026 and low approval ratings, the left-leaning President Gustavo Petro hopes to complete the salvage quickly.

2024: In May, the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History announced a “protected archaeological area,” saying they were exploring the wreck with an ROV, despite no deep-water experience. They plan an archaeological survey costing $4.5 million over two years, but likely will need much more money, more time, and foreign help. Culture Minister Juan Correa still insists the focus is on archeology, not salvage. They claim they will only salvage treasure to establish a museum and not sell anything. But more likely, salvage has already started before a proper archaeological survey, and salvaged items will end up in the pockets of Colombia’s well-connected. Given Colombia's history of reneging on deals, there remains skepticism about their intentions and the fate of any salvaged items.

eaa

To read the complete article, see:
https://www.booksoncoins.com/

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
SAN JOSE GALLEON FOUND: THE HOLY GRAIL OF SHIPWRECKS (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v18n49a26.html)
SPAIN CLAIMS OWNERSHIP OF SAN JOSE GALLEON TREASURE (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v18n50a37.html)
COLOMBIA PLANS TO SALVAGE THE SAN José (https://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n28a25.html)
COLOMBIA STAKES CLAIM ON SAN JOSE WRECK (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n22a27.html)

EXONUMIA

Here's a word you don't hear very often: exonumia. While it sounds like one of those weird names given to new drugs, exonumia is actually a subset of coin collecting. It's a name for the category of tokens, medals and scrip that are not currency but serve rather as promotional or "good for" exchanges. There are hundreds of different types from badges to medallions, tags to challenge coins, souvenir pennies to wooden nickels. It's an interesting category of numismatics and one that generally involves a modest investment to get started. Let's spend a few minutes to see what it's about.

Although the practice of exonumia collecting goes back to well before the Civil War, the name itself is relatively new. The word was coined by collector Russell Rulau in 1960 and its Greek roots translate roughly into "other than coins." In England, the equivalent word is "paranumismatica," but you won't hear that much around here. Anyway, Rulau has long been the reigning authority, and he's authored a number of books on the subject. He describes the category as having three broad components: tokens used in commercial exchange, those commemorating a place or event and those of a personal nature. Given the untidy nature of exonumia as a whole, that's as good a framework as any.

Online sites like eBay are chockablock with commercial or "good for" tokens, and many are interesting. During the Civil War, a scarcity of U.S. coins (especially pennies) prompted many private concerns to issue tokens as placeholders for government coinage. While their usage as currency was outlawed in 1864, they were widely circulated until then, and it is estimated that some 25 million such tokens were minted. There were literally thousands of varieties, nearly all of which represented the equivalent of one U.S. cent. Patriotic tokens also circulated during that time, as did those promoting large retailers. All are catnip for collectors.

To read the complete article, see:
Antiques: Exonumia are coins that aren't really coins (https://www.desertsun.com/story/life/history/2024/06/30/antiques-exonumia-are-coins-that-arent-really-coins-palm-springs-area/74208671007/)

ANS AWARD WINS AMERICAN MEDAL OF THE YEAR

The American Medallic Sculptors Association (AMSA) has announced that Eugene Daub won the 2024 American Medal of the Year (AMY) award, for medals created in 2023, for his award medal commissioned by the American Numismatic Society (ANS). The American Numismatic Society confers the Huntington Award annually in honor of the late Archer M. Huntington, benefactor and President of the American Numismatic Society from 1905-1910, and commissioned this medal when stocks of the previous medal ran low.

In response to winning the AMY, Daub said,

"This award has raised my spirits. It's interesting that the Award is for an Award. In this case, honoring people who have done extraordinary work. This dovetails with much of the work I do, creating medals to honor extraordinary people.

"There is nothing in the world I would rather be doing than creating artwork for that purpose.

"I am grateful to Peter Van Alfen and the ANS Committee for giving me the opportunity to create this medal. It was a tough act to follow, replacing the Fuchs medal that was such a beautiful piece of medallic art.

"Originally, I thought I would be doing a Portrait of Huntington, but the committee wanted more of a symbolic piece. This forced me to dig deeper into an approach that symbolized Scholarship -- the book and the medal, my two favorite things -- and render their sculptural essence. Because of its simplicity, I feel it compliments whatever medallic images that it is paired with, as in the recent photo composition by Emma Pratte of the ANS Award to Dr. Pliego."

The medals were struck in silver at Medalcraft of Green Bay, WI and are 69 mm in diameter.

This year two medals tied for second place: "One Man's Terrorist is the Next Man's Freedom Fighter" by long-time AMSA member Michael Meszaros, and "Oak Leaves" by new member Tracy Mahaffey. These two medals truly demonstrate the breadth of subjects that medals can capture, from provocative political statements to intimate views of nature. Meszaros has twice won the AMY in the past, while this is Mahaffey's first entry.

Meszaros' medal is in bronze and 99 mm in diameter. The artist says, "Both sides are the same, except for the inscriptions and the symbols on the shoulders of both shooter and victims. The effect on the victims is the same. Your view as to which is villain and which is hero depends on which side you support." The medal is available for $375, including shipping, from the artist at meszaros.sculptor@gmail.com.

Mahaffey is a professional stone carver from Rhode Island who specializes in headstones and memorials. "Oak Leaves" is her first bronze medal, uniface, and 4.5 in. in diameter. The artist says, "I love focusing on the mundane, these are the things that bring me relief from all the stress of the day - telephone poles, clothes pins, pinecones, these are all grounding for me."

All AMY entries, by 24 artists, will be pictured in the next full color issue of AMSA's Members Exchange. Art medal collectors and designers are invited to learn about and join the American Medallic Sculpture Association at www.amsamedals.org. Previous year's winners may be viewed at https://amsamedals.org/eventsamerican_medal_of_the_year_award/.

Artists resident in the U.S., or members of AMSA, are invited to submit medals they create in 2024 to next year's competition. See AMSA's website, or contact Jon Radel, chair of the committee, at amy.admin@medal.museum, for details.

For more information on the American Medallic Sculpture Association, see:
https://amsamedals.org/

BREAD PICTURES NEW JAPANESE NOTES

Japan began issuing its revamped banknotes, the first redesign in two decades, on July 3. The new bills feature the portraits of business luminary Shibusawa Eiichi on the ¥10,000, educationalist Tsuda Umeko on the ¥5,000, and Kitasato Shibasaburō, a pioneer in treating infectious disease, on the ¥1,000.

To commemorate the occasion, a gift shop in Kita, Tokyo, dedicated to Shibusawa launched a line of snack breads created in the image of the banknotes. The Shibusawa Ippinkan Tsunagu Marche, which is located in an area of the capital with deep connections to the Meiji-era capitalist, spent more than six months developing its realistic osatsupan, or “banknote bread.”

Ouei, the operator of the shop, came up with the idea for the snack bread to celebrate Shibusawa, who lived out the last decades of his life in the area, and to draw attention to Kita’s connection to banknotes as the home of the National Printing Bureau’s Tokyo Plant. The ¥10,000 osatsupan went on sale in April, with the versions bearing the likenesses of Tsuda and Kitasato added later to round out the collection.

The snack breads measure 7-by-16 centimeters and are 1 cm in thickness—the equivalent of a 100-sheet bundle of ¥10,000 notes. The outer brioche pastry is made with domestically produced wheat and butter, with each bill featuring a different filling. The Shibusawa version is stuffed with sweet potato paste—the word for the tuber in Japanese, satsuma imo, being a play on satsu, or banknote. The ¥5,000 osatsupan features a blueberry jam and peanut filling and the ¥1,000 note offers a combination of cream cheese and apple.

To read the complete article, see:
Gift Shop "Mints" Snack Bread in Image of New Japanese Banknotes (https://www.nippon.com/en/news/p01976/)

ARTIST SNATCHES BRITISH MUSEUM COIN

A little after noon on Tuesday, June 18, Brazilian artist Ilê Sartuzi entered Room 68 of the British Museum and secretly replaced a silver coin minted during the English Civil War with a replica. Sartuzi then left Room 68, walked downstairs, and deposited the real coin in the museum’s donation box. The action was the culmination of more than a year of preparation, involving legal consultation, study of architectural plans, and dozens of visits, all condensed into a single, split-second legerdemain.

Titled “Sleight of Hand,” the project is part of Sartuzi’s MFA presentation at Goldsmiths, a constituent college of the University of London, and is on view through July 16 in the school’s Ben Pimlott Building. Through a two-channel video installation, museum display with two fake coins, and a text, the exhibition documents the theft and return of the object.

In response to Hyperallergic’s request for comment, a British Museum spokesperson characterized Sartuzi’s action as a “disappointing and derivative act that abuses a volunteer-led service aimed at giving visitors the opportunity to handle real items and engage with history.”

The coin was part of a group of objects reserved for educational purposes, including hands-on sessions with visitors.

“Services like this rely on a basic level of human decency and trust, and it would be a shame to have to review the provision of these services due to actions like this,” the spokesperson said, noting that the museum will be alerting police to the incident.

Sartuzi bases his defense on Section 11 of the Theft Act of 1968, which states that “any person who without lawful authority removes from the building or its grounds the whole or part of any article displayed” is guilty of an offense, and the British Museum’s policies, which state that visitors “must not touch any collection object on open display, including sculpture or stonework, except as part of our organised events, which include Touch tours and object handling desks.”

As Sartuzi’s interaction with the coin occurred in the context of one such “object handling desk,” and since he technically didn’t remove the object from the museum, Sartuzi and his lawyer argue that no laws or policies have been broken.

Sartuzi told Hyperallergic that he believes the work “opens a discussion around theft and looting in both a historical context and from a neocolonial perspective within contemporary cultural institutions,” observing, for instance, how the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa exponentially increased the painting’s renown.

Sartuzi told Hyperallergic that he believes the work "opens a discussion around theft and looting in both a historical context and from a neocolonial perspective within contemporary cultural institutions," observing, for instance, how the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa exponentially increased the painting's renown.

To read the complete article, see:
Brazilian Conceptual Artist Steals Historic Coin From the British Museum (https://hyperallergic.com/933746/brazilian-conceptual-ile-sartuzi-artist-steals-historic-coin-from-the-british-museum/)

LOOSE CHANGE: JULY 14, 2024

5 Things You Never Knew About U.S. Currency

Tracing the development of a nation's currency can provide a unique glimpse into the nation itself. But currency is complicated "” its history often defies a simple straight-line narrative, and there are countless technicalities along the way that threaten to glaze over the eyes of anyone without a degree in economics. So let's take a look at some of the most interesting moments in the history of U.S. currency, and leave the rest to the economists.

The first national paper currency for what would become the United States of America was issued by the Continental Congress in 1775. Known as Continental currency, it was intended as a way to fund the Revolutionary War. Though the currency started strong, a lack of adequate revenue sources (and mismanagement by the government) resulted in its quick depreciation. To make matters worse, Great Britain counterfeited the 1777 and 1778 issues of Continental currency in an act of wartime economic sabotage, and did so to such an extent that Congress was forced to recall both printings. As the currency's value continued to plummet, Congress stopped printing new Continentals altogether in 1779; though the bills continued to circulate, they were worth only 1% of their face value by 1781.

To read the complete article, see:
5 Things You Never Knew About U.S. Currency (https://historyfacts.com/us-history/article/5-things-you-never-knew-about-u-s-currency/)

U.S. Mint Planning DC Comic Coins

Your favorite DC superhero could soon make their way to an official collectible coin. Earlier this week, the United States Mint announced a new collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, which will honor DC's crop of characters on a series of commemorative coins and medals. This three-year deal will begin in the summer of 2025 with Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman honored as the first three heroes. From now until Sunday, August 11th, fans can vote on six additional characters who will earn their own coins in 2026 and 2027. The survey includes twelve established DC heroes for fans to vote for "” Aquaman, Batgirl, Black Canary, Blue Beetle, Cyborg, The Flash, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Robin, Shazam!, and Supergirl.

The partnership, which is being billed as the first of its kind for the U.S. Mint, will have characters depicted on 24-karat gold coins, .999 fine silver medals, and non-precious metal (clad) medals. The art direction for the coins is spearheaded by United States Mint Chief Engraver Joseph Menna.

"For me, the real gift of creating coins and comic book collectibles is how happy they make people. With that incredible honor comes great responsibility. Nothing beats bringing joy to peoples' lives," said Menna. "Comic books are my greatest inspiration. Comic books taught me how to draw, to dream, and got me through some of the most challenging times in my life. I am really looking forward to celebrating the impact of comic art through coins and medals. I see this as an opportunity for me to combine all the worlds I love together, bringing to the American people what I hope will be the greatest collectibles of all time."

To read the complete article, see:
DC and U.S. Mint Letting Fans Vote on Character Coins (https://comicbook.com/comics/news/dc-us-mint-fans-vote-character-coins/)