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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 SEPTEMBER 8, 2024

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.

This week we open with a numismatic literature sale, six new books, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, and more.

Other topics this week include U.S. Civil War Store Card tokens, German notgeld, a Continental Dollar discovery, and a Cincinnati counterstamp.

To learn more about Zeppelin medals, all things S.S. Central America, elephant coins, and little ship shillings, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

ASYLUM AUTUMN 2024 ISSUE PUBLISHED

Welcome to The Asylum's Autumn 2024 digital edition.

In this issue:

• NBS Meetings at the 2024 ANA World's Fair of Money By Leonard Augsburger
• Report from the NBS Treasurer By Jeff Dickerson
• Attinelli Fellowship Visits S&S Library's New West Loop Location By Tyler Rossi
• Numismatic Bibliomaniacs Converge in Champaign, Illinois By Leonard Augsburger
• New Tom Elder Plate Discovered By David Fanning
• The Gene Gardner Collection Photo Books By Leonard Augsburger
• An Interest in the Country's Coinage By David Pickup
• Life After the ANS Library By Elizabeth Hahn Benge
• Numismatic Issues of The Franklin Mint, 1968–1974, Including Franklin Mint Limited Editions, 1975–1977 By Mike Costanzo

Message from NBS President Len Augsburger

Welcome to the Autumn 2024 issue of The Asylum. This year's ANA convention in Rosemont, IL proved as busy as ever, and numismatic bibliophiles were not far behind. A variety of meetings, get-togethers, and bourse happenings served to keep us engaged and hopefully more energized than exhausted! Announced during the convention, this year's ANA publication awards provided a two-fer for the NBS, with The Asylum winning third place in the specialty club category, while the E-Sylum took second place among the electronic publication contestants. Thanks to both of our editors, Maria Fanning and Wayne Homren, for their continued service to the club. A full ANA convention report appears elsewhere in this issue.

I'd like to acknowledge a pair of behind-the-scenes NBS supporters who deserve our appreciation. John Nebel has provided web hosting services for our club site, coinbooks.org, for many years. Through the courtesy of John, the site presents the NBS podcast, the E-Sylum archives, The Asylum index, and other features. In companion with site hosting comes the work of constantly adding and modifying content, and we are grateful to Bruce Perdue who serves as our indefatigable site administrator. Bruce engages with the site at least weekly, as each issue of E-Sylum pairs with updates to the site. Speaking of the E-Sylum, we welcome Garrett Ziss to the editorial team. Garrett is a former ANA YN of the Year and currently studies economics and accounting at the University of Pittsburgh. Each week, Wayne assigns several E-Sylum articles to Garrett, who then handles the editing and HTML-formatting tasks.

While most of us possess the collecting gene to one degree or another, here's hoping that we all focus more on reading than collecting our books. If you are reading these words, rather than rearranging your back issues of The Asylum, that's a good start! Enjoy this issue, and I hope to see you in person soon at one numismatic event or another.

Thanks to all contributors to NBS's award-winning publications! You are what makes them great.

NBS Membership Renewal Time!

Please renew your membership in the NBS to continue receiving The Asylum. Go to coinbooks.org to pay by PayPal or download a membership form today. Your current expiration date is printed to the right of your name on your subscription envelope, which should be arriving soon.

KOLBE & FANNING WEB SALE NUMBER 2

We will be holding the second of our new series of Web Sales of Numismatic Books on Wednesday, September 11, starting at 12:00 PM Eastern. Web Sale #2 focuses on inexpensive but useful books, catalogues and other publications on coins from all times and places. It will take place live online, in much the same format as our Premier Auctions, and all lots in the Web Sale will begin at a very low $10 opening bid.

Bidders may register for the sale, browse lots, and place absentee bids beginning immediately at bid.numislit.com.

Our Premier Auctions will continue to be held several times a year in the same format as usual. Customers who participate in those auctions will be able to register for our new Web Sales using their existing log-in information. New bidders will have to establish an account for online bidding by creating an account at bid.numislit.com or using the links to the app below.

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

Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers LLC is a licensed and bonded auction firm in the State of Ohio, and our sales are conducted by licensed auctioneers. For more information, please see the Kolbe & Fanning website at numislit.com or email David Fanning at df@numislit.com. To register for the sale, go to bid.numislit.com. We look forward to your participation.

To bid and view lots, see:
https://bid.numislit.com/auctions/1-9IUUV6/web-sale-2-of-numismatic-books

NEW BOOK: NEW JERSEY STATE COPPERS COMPANION

The Colonial Coin Collectors Club (C4) is pleased to announce the release of its latest book on American Colonial numismatics, the New Jersey State Coppers Companion (C4, 2024). The book is authored by the collaborative team of New Jersey experts Roger S. Siboni, John (Jack) L. Howes, and Buell Ish. It is 400 pages and illustrated in color. C4 President Christopher R McDowell says, It should not be confused as merely a second edition of the authors' previously published and wildly popular book on the same topic. According to McDowell, It contains original and largely updated information with many never-before-seen photographs of condition census coins. This census information is critical to collectors of all New Jersey coppers. McDowell adds, "This book is an absolute must-have for colonial coin collectors, specifically those interested in New Jersey coppers. C4 Vice President Jim Glickman informs collectors that C4 printed a limited run of this new title, which will sell out quickly like the Club's previous two publications on Machin's Mills and Connecticut copper coins. The book is available now for $85 plus shipping from C4's book distributors Kolbe and Fanning: https://www.numislit.com/ and Charlie Davis: https://www.numisbook.com/.

The Colonial Coin Collectors Club is a non-profit organization dedicated to the hobby of collecting American Colonial coins, tokens, medals, and paper money and spreading and sharing knowledge of the hobby. The Club's website is https://colonialcoins.org/.

NEW BOOK: U.S. CIVIL WAR STORE CARDS, 4TH ED.

The U.S. Civil War Store Cards- 4th edition (SC4) committee is proud to announce that the 4th edition of this great work will soon be available. As of this writing, the book is at the printers and is now available for pre-sale. We expect to take delivery in August.

The book committee consisted of Dave Schenkman, Tim Webb, Mark Gatcha, Larry Dziubek, Roger Lalich, Bill Luitje and myself. Steve Hayden helped with rarity changes and also some technical points. Jen Meers did an excellent job on layout and the book looks very professional. This book is the product of a lot of hard work and gathering of information for the last ten years and I am very proud of it.

Building upon the 3rd edition, this new edition features nearly 900 changes since publication of the 3rd edition, including new merchants, new listings, new or improved photos of many tokens, rarity changes, and corrections. This is a must have for all Civil War token collectors.

The 4th edition is scheduled to be 676 pages and retails for $100. It is available to CWTS members at $85 + shipping (yes, no price increase over SC3 that was published 10 years ago)! It is also available to dealers in cases of 6 books for $390 plus shipping (again, no price increase).

Update: Pre-orders are estimated to be shipped at the end of October 2024.

For more information, or to pre-order, see:
https://www.cwtsociety.com/books.shtml

For more information on the Civil War Token Society, see:
https://www.cwtsociety.com/

NEW BOOK: THE HUNAN TWENTY CASH COMMENTARY

The Hunan Twenty Cash Commentary: The Twenty Cash Coins of Hunan Province (Including the Hunan Soviet).
Michael Zachary

The definitive English-language guide to the twenty cash coins of Hunan Province, including those issued by the Hunan Soviet government. Covers 97 varieties, as compared to the 16 varieties in the Standard Catalog of World Coins and the 60 varieties in Duan's Chinese-language catalog.

Are you confused by the descriptions in the Standard Catalog? Do you have a coin that is covered by more than one Standard Catalog listing, or several coins covered by a single listing despite having clear design differences? This guidebook untangles these problems and clearly describes all of the different varieties covered by each Standard Catalog listing. For example, do you have the five varieties of Y-400.2? The six varieties of Y-400.7? The seventeen varieties of Y-400.10? Do you know the easy way to distinguish Y-400.9 from Y-400.10? The detailed text and photographs in this book, which meticulously describes all of the Hunan twenty cash varieties, will end your uncertainty (or come pretty close).

Detailed step-by-step identification instructions are included for all coins, with variety-comparison explanations and photographs. It also corrects the mintage dates found in the Standard Catalog, discusses the history behind the major design elements (the flags, the Chio-Ho wreath, and the Hunan Constitution commemoration), explains the different denomination designations, and provides the latest information about the countermarked coins of the Hunan Soviet.

Michael adds:

For more information, or to order, see:
The Hunan Twenty Cash Commentary: The Twenty Cash Coins of Hunan Province (Including the Hunan Soviet) (https://www.amazon.com/Hunan-Twenty-Cash-Commentary-Including/dp/B0DFGW41W1/ref=sr_1_1)

NEW BOOK: MRI BANKER'S GUIDE 101ST ED

The MRI Bankers' Guide to Foreign Currency

The 101st II-2024 Edition of the MRI BANKERS' GUIDE TO FOREIGN CURRENCY™ has just been released. Your most complete guide to all current and redeemable banknotes of every currency issuer in the world, it has 256 pages with 2,000+ color photos and descriptions of the banknotes of 200+ countries and territories, plus sections and indexes to help identify exotic notes. It is an indispensable tool for central and commercial banks, bureaux de change, fiscal printers, makers of banknote substrate, and everyone who deals with banknotes.

It is priced at USD85.00 per copy for United States addresses, and USD100 for other countries. Both prices include postage. Discounts are available for quantity orders. Custom editions with your logo and special content destined to your branches and/or clients are available at substantial discounts.

Please contact aefron@mriguide.com or call +1 713 827 1796 for additional information and quantity quotes.

To order, see:
https://mriguide.com/order/

To read the complete article, see:
(https://mriguide.com/mri-bankers-guide-to-foreign-currency-101st-edition-just-released/)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NEW BOOK: 2024 MRI BANKER'S GUIDE TO FOREIGN CURRENCY (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n04a06.html)

 

NEW BOOK: CATALOG OF CONGREVE STAMP PAPERS

Stamp Papers

The pre-printed impressed stamp papers issued by the British Indian Government were printed by the printer who printed the banknotes for many countries in the world. The paper on which the stamp papers were printed was manufactured by the same paper mills who manufactured the paper for banknotes for many countries in the world. The paper had similar security features as banknotes like watermark, complex engraving etc. The design of the stamp papers had an image of the ruling monarch of the time i.e. Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V & King George VI.

In early days, the manufacture and printing of the enormous quantities of postage and revenue stamps, stamped paper and documents used by the Government of India has been conducted in the United Kingdom under long term contracts with Thomas De La Rue & Co. The contract with Thomas De La Rue & Co. to print stamp paper expired at the end of 1924. A special committee with the object of investigating the possibility of manufacturing currency notes, stamps and stamped papers in India was established before that. After an exhaustive review, the committee suggested to establish security printing facility in India and further approvals were received and required expenditures were authorized.

It was decided to setup the new security printing press at Nashik Road. The reasons cited to select this site by the expert committee were that Nashik Road was on the Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company within a few hours of Bombay, is at an altitude of 2,000 feet and has a moderately cool climate, and is a convenient center both for the import of raw materials, via Bombay, and for the distribution of the finished products throughout India. The India Security Press, Nasik Road, earlier known as "Security Printing India" up to 1947, was established in 1924.

The contract with De La Rue & Co. was terminated and printing of currency notes, stamp papers, postage and revenue stamps were slowly transitioned to India Security Press at Nashik Road.

Congreve Printing Machine

Sir William Congreve (1772-1828) a pioneer in the military use of rockets, was a Member of Parliament. He developed a machine for printing complex patterns in two colors using interlocking compound plates (Patent No. 1820/4,521). The printing process was came to be known as the "Congreve Compound Plate Printing Process".

The Congreve machine was originally invented to be used to print secure forgery proof banknotes. But as it did not meet this requirement, so Bank of England did not adopt it for printing banknotes but was widely used for printing banknotes issued by provincial banks of England.

Mr. Bryan Donkin's company constructed the printing presses designed by Sir William Congreve. These were often known as Donkin Compound Plate Printing Presses.

The Congreve printing plate was formed by cutting a pattern of holes through a plate made of hard metal and pouring softer, molten metal on top to form the second plate. The required design was then engraved on the combined surface. To print from this the plates were separated, inked in different colours, and then combined again to produce perfect bicoloured designs.

To read the complete book, see:
Catalog of Congreve Stamp Papers Used in British India (https://foxly.link/Congreve)

To read the earlier books, see:
Catalog of Stamp Papers Used in British India (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F25jUbc1BPbNBcTMN67ZLDfcD_-xMJxI/view?usp=drive_link)
List of Stamp Papers Used in British India Sorted by Denomination (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MM7MrU3fgdhCqFFtoLuGg8MgDtvL0Q9n/view?usp=drive_link)
List of Stamp Papers Used in British India Sorted by Type (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IKJvzsO1q7h0qOCRMHBW6YrYCy-Ni0-Z/view?usp=drive_link)
Catalog of Hundis Used in India (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zn3RmywskAEfn0Ft6qPqIW9i7xVTZaJq/view?usp=drive_link)
Catalog of Savings Certificates (https://drive.google.com/file/d/16eK2T7LtaMZEIXKIL2dCm7DWcZ72alMo/view?usp=sharing)

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 : Catalog of Stamp Papers Used in British India (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n38a09.html)
NEW BOOK: CATALOG OF HUNDIS USED IN INDIA (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n15a07.html)
NEW BOOK: SAVINGS CERTIFICATES USED IN INDIA (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n04a07.html)

NEW BOOK: DEUTSCHES NOTGELD 1923

Arnold Keller
The emergency money of the German inflation in 1923 – German Emergency Money, Volume 7+8, REPRINT

Publisher: Battenberg Verlag
ISBN: 978-3-86646-257-1
Edition: 2nd edition 2024, reprint of the original edition from 1958
Dimensions: 14.8 x 21 cm
Type of figures: numerous black and white illustrations
Type of cover: Brochure
Number of pages: 1236

Even today, Dr. Arnold Keller's catalogs are indispensable for every collector of German emergency banknotes. Out of print for decades, they were only available second-hand with a lot of luck. With the reprint of the original edition from 1958 in the catalog series on German emergency money, the standard and reference work on emergency money from the German inflation of 1923 is now finally available to every collector. The emergency money issues from over 5,800 official and private issuing offices throughout the entire German Reich at the time are listed on over 1,000 pages. The most extensive area of ??German emergency money with the most banknote issues is nowhere else documented so comprehensively. A must for every banknote and emergency money collector!

For more information, or to order, see:
Das Notgeld der deutschen Inflation 1923 – (https://www.battenberg-gietl.de/produkt/das-notgeld-der-deutschen-inflation-1923-)

NNP ADDS A 1964 OFFERING OF EARLY AMERICAN PAPER MONEY

Courtesy of Joseph Daragon, Newman Portal has added a fixed price list from the Washington, DC dealer Ben. M. Douglas. This 1964 list included important examples of early American paper money, including seven Vermont notes and the always popular May 10, 1775 Continental $20, featuring a marbled edge. Douglas writes Once every 20 years or so there appears on the Numismatic horizon a truly choice and historical collection of Colonial & Continental Currency. We have just purchased such a collection…

Not surprisingly, the colonial paper money collector Eric P. Newman was not far behind, and his correspondence file lends additional context. Newman apparently traded with Douglas for some of the notes, and by mistake forwarded to Douglas an October 1, 1755 Pennsylvania one-shilling example, serial no. 6889. Newman reacquired the piece from Douglas, which later appeared in the Newman VI sale (Heritage Auctions, April 2015), lot 19530, and realized $1,527.50.

Martin Gengerke lists nine auction sales for Douglas, ranging from 1952 to 1956 and presented in the Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine. An additional six sales, 1957-1969, are listed for D&W Auctions, representing a partnership with the Baltimore dealer Thomas Warfield.

Link to Ben M. Douglas fixed price list on Newman Portal: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/641478

Link to Newman / Douglas correspondence on Newman Portal:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/521678

 

VIDEO: COUNTERFEIT US COINS MADE IN CHINA

Beth Deisher, editor of Coin World, has enlisted the aid of Susan Headley of the New York Times and Dr. Gregory Dubay, a serious collector, to help expose the flood of counterfeit United States coins that are being manufactured in China. These coins are being sold to unwary buyers all over the world.

In this presentation you will see and learn:

• That the Chinese believe they are not breaking Chinese law
• Why the quality of the coins is so good
• How even the experts are being fooled
• How to protect yourself buying coins on eBay
• Diagnostics for PCGS counterfeit slabs
• How you can tell a counterfeit using a magnet, magnifier caliper for measuring diameter and thickness and a scale using a kit assembled by Amos Press

Recorded at the 2009 FUN convention.

To watch the complete video, see:
Counterfeit US Coins Made in China (https://youtu.be/evcFgjj1dO8)

NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: SEPTEMBER 8, 2024

Internet Nostalgia
Paul Petch writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
THE E-SYLUM TURNS TWENTY-SIX (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n35a02.html)

Zeppelins and Zeppelin Medals
Daniel Fearon writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
OTHER 2024 ANA WORLD'S FAIR OF MONEY EXHIBITS : Zeppelins (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n35a22.html)

Doubloon Documentation Drought

Pete Smith writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: SEPTEMBER 1, 2024 : Mardi Gras Doubloons and H. Alvin Sharpe (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n35a10.html)

S.S. Central America on the History Channel
John Regitko writes:

COLLECTING GIFT CARDS

Following up on Mike Costanzo's query on whether anyone out there collects gift cards. Yes, I most certainly do, and must have hundreds upon hundreds (if not thousands) in my collection at this point. When I used to work at Target part-time they would commonly throw away all of the empty gift cards after a holiday season had passed; a nice selection of these would come home with me. When I worked the registers I frequently kept many from the shopper once they were fully redeemed, otherwise they would also hit the trash. Target gift cards have been my favorite throughout the years simply because they had so many interesting and novel designs. There were some containing actual Legos, ones that you record a message on to playback, and one year they even issued a metal coin to serve as the gift card. Lately it seems that they have moved to a simpler format, since these 3-D type cards were probably expensive to produce, relatively speaking. When they were remodeling some point-of-sale advertising in the store I was able to obtain a large cut out display piece that looked like a generic Target gift card.

Sometimes Starbucks issued visually appealing gift cards for the holidays, and I was able to obtain those from the in-store location. I have many gift cards from defunct department stores and other retailers (i.e. Marshall Fields, Sears, etc.). When it was recently announced that many Red Lobster locations were about to close, I picked up a few of the empty gift cards from a kiosk at my local grocery store. McDonald's also frequently has some pretty nice designs, and they usually never mind letting me have one if I ask for an empty example. It just so happens that the other day I visited our local Boy Scout Headquarters store for a new Coin Collecting Merit Badge book. Surprisingly enough they had gift cards there, so I obtained an example of each in anticipation of the upcoming "Boy Scouts of America" name change.

Gift cards typically cost pennies to produce and are not considered an inventory item. I once worked for a business where I was put in charge of locating a company to produce gift cards for us. That was fun, because it allowed me to get a nice selection of samples in the mail from the manufacturer to review their work product, which then all subsequently went into my collection. We bought from them and I was able to get some proofs. So yes, gift cards are a fun and inexpensive subset of my numismatic interests, and thousands can be stored in a very compact space.

Often considered disposable contemporary items, once these gift cards are gone then they are often simply forgotten about. I am happy to preserve as many as I can while they are still available and build a collection out of them, but who knows what will happen to them or if there will be any interest decades down the line when it comes time for me to disperse the collection. Maybe one day I will be so inclined to build an exhibit around them, I seem to recall someone at a CSNS or ANA show years back having just such an exhibit under the exonumia category. Until then, like everyone else, I will just keep on collecting!

To view more images of gift cards, see:
Collecting Gift Cards (https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBGuMe)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: SEPTEMBER 1, 2024 : Gift Card Collecting? (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n35a10.html)

REVIEW: CURSED GOLD: A SHIPWRECK SCANDAL

I will begin by stating that I am not unbiased, having given over 40 years of my professional life to the S.S. Central America, its remarkable treasure, and almost every aspect of its amazing story. So, readers may wish to consider this as they read my thoughts.

First, this three-part series (3 one-hour broadcast episodes, with commercial breaks) is far more about the "Tommy" Thompson story than it is about the S.S. Central America story, its treasure, or the many aspects that make the SSCA so compelling for the numismatic community. As a result, much of this review will address what the show is not, rather than what it is. It is entertaining television, but not really any more engaging than average episodes of "True Crime" TV shows.

It also contains some errors and misinformation, particularly for a detail-oriented community such as numismatists, "facts" that I feel obligated to correct.

Last year, I was solicited heavily to contribute to this story, but I declined. I told the producers that I had no interest in further advancing the Tommy Thompson story. Bear in mind, I have been deeply involved with the Central America since the fall of 1983, when Thompson, whom I knew as Harvey, asked me to take over much of the historical and scientific background research. I worked WITH Thompson for 9 years, then worked FOR him for another 8 years. During that time, I learned plenty about his dark side. When the treasure was sold to California Gold Marketing late in 1999, I followed it.

I have now worked on the SSCA entirely without Thompson for 24 years, curating, studying, and publishing its numismatic wonders, serving as a principal spokesperson and exponent for the treasure and story during the public outreach and marketing. I resumed my role as chief scientist during the return expedition to the shipwreck to recover additional treasures in 2014, 23 years after Thompson last left the site. The 2014 expedition is often attributed to Odyssey Marine Exploration, and that mischaracterization continues on this show. Tommy Thompson ran away from Federal Court in 2012, and a court-appointed receiver assumed control over his leaderless and insolvent company.

The receiver, Ira Kane, hired me to join my old company and help direct at-sea operations, along with Craig Mullen, a legend in deep-sea operations (Space Shuttle Challenger, lost airliners, military targets, etc.) Kane put out a request for proposals to every company in the world who could operate down 10,000 feet. Odyssey won the contract, and they were hired to explore, dig, and recover additional treasure. I worked at sea for 5 months in 2014. Odyssey brought in the A-Team for this one, because everyone wanted to work on the Central America. I have great admiration and appreciation for everyone involved. It was Odyssey's ship, equipment and crew, but it was Thompson's original company, now known as RLP-CX, that hired and directed the operations. Craig Mullen and I were at sea monitoring the operations, and participating as members of the expedition team, 24/7, mid-April through mid-September.

It is 10 years after the 2014 expedition, and as far as I am concerned, Tommy is old news, like an ex-spouse from decades ago. But, because I spurned the advances of BBC Productions, they rather successfully managed to keep me out of the story. However, I guess I am unavoidable in any rendition of the SSCA Project. I show up in many of the video scenes and pictures, the strains of my synthesizer/piano waft into one of the clips about relaxation aboard ship, and even my parents and brother show up in the scene showing our arrival in Norfolk with the gold in 1989.

I will say that the production and execution of the documentary is first-rate, except for their pathetic gold props (see below.) They found some very credible contributors for interviews, including some of my former crewmates who were critically important to our success. John Moore is a world-class ROV pilot and mechanic. Alan Scott is the incredibly brilliant electrical engineer, programmer and mathematician who served as our navigator during operations. Captain Bill Burlingham was, well… the Captain. Obviously important, he served as Alan's backup among the five-man control room crew, as well as running the ship, and directing the deck operations during launch and recovery. I didn't at first recognize John Lettow, who was on the Mike Williamson (also appearing) sonar team, because John has lost a lot of weight. (I congratulate him for this; he looks great.) I feel that his role was given disproportional attention by the production, given that he was only at sea during sonar operations in 1986 and 1987. But John is a wonderful guy and a great character, and author Gary Kinder loved his accounts and antics. So, that carries through into this show. It made me smile to see these old colleagues, now a bit older.

Another key individual is absolutely ignored, and the implication is that Tommy, in his "genius," somehow determined the search area, moving numbers around on a gridded page. Tommy Thompson began the gathering of historical accounts, the initial library research. I took charge of this in late 1983, augmenting that research until Thompson and I turned it over to Dr. Larry Stone, the world's leading expert on the mathematical theory of optimal search. This employs Bayesian probability calculations, and 10,000 experiments were run through Larry's computer algorithms to create the probability map. It was not Tommy Thompson scrawling on a page.

I would refer readers to the ESPN FiveThirtyEight 19-minute video, In Deep Water. You can find it at: https://vimeo.com/126835368

Our project's attorney Rick Robol recounts the complicated legal machinations around the admiralty law case that ensued. There is an attorney who represented plaintiffs suing Thompson, so there is some balance here. Former company treasurer Paula Steele provides some inside look into the early years at the corporate office. Sandee Butterworth, Thompson's sister, provides the family perspective. There are representatives of Thompson's investors as well, with mixed opinions about the result of the project. So, there is some give and take in the telling. I think the apologists for Thompson got more play than his detractors, so the overall feeling is "poor Tommy." But there is at least some lip-service paid to balance.

This series claims up front to be based on a New York Times Bestseller, and so it is a reworking of material from Gary Kinder's 1996 book, Ship of Gold: In the Deep Blue Sea. Kinder is interviewed extensively throughout the series, so it is very much his own spin on the Tommy story. There is another reporter "expert" who appears a lot here as well: Dylan Taylor-Lehman, who wrote an article around the time of Thompson's state court trial in 2019. I guess that makes someone an "expert."

There are a half dozen (at least) other key individuals who receive no mention here.

The early years of the project involved multiple at-sea seasons, various pieces of equipment, and different leased work vessels, until the project purchased its own ship in 1988. Footage from the different seasons is mixed, edited, and conflated with the story to make something like a cohesive whole. Because I was there, I found this distracting, jolting from year to year, back and forth. The "blowing" scene depicting 1988 used footage from 1990. I know, because I planned that 1990 dive and watched in wonder as we uncovered the second ton of gold, implied here as the first ton found two years earlier. Others will not find such discontinuities as distracting, since they don't know what I know. But some details are missed or misrepresented. The scene where the crew is supposed to be looking at the newly discovered treasure is, in reality, a meeting with biologists discussing the animals we were finding on the shipwreck.

Personally, I found the third and final episode to be the most interesting part, since it deals with the manhunt after Thompson ran away from Federal Court, which included some details of the story I didn't know.

Misinformation:

This show brings no new knowledge to the world of numismatics. The title explains the creators' thesis; it is about a curse and a scandal. It plays loose with details, using old facts from 35 years ago, data that refuses to die no matter how many times I have corrected it.

So, here we go again: the shipwreck is approximately 7,200 feet deep (2200m), not 8,000 feet.

We did not recover 3 tons of gold. To date, if reckoned in tons, it is approximately 2.3 tons. This still makes it the greatest lost treasure in United States history, now found. It is beyond comparison, and there is no need to inflate the numbers. The arena of public press and media like to deal with superlatives. Higher numbers are better than lower. And so, figures like these get bandied about in a few loosely fact-checked publications, and they are written in cyber-stone. I want to assure the detail-oriented community of numismatists that the real numbers are absolutely known.

There is a segment of this series where the former treasurer of the company refers to seeing "undocumented" gold. This is simply not true. It may have been undocumented as far as she was concerned, and even as far as the company treasurer's records were concerned. And it wasn't even stored the way she says it was. Anyway, I and my department had complete documentation on each and every piece, from the time it was recovered from the shipwreck site on the seabed, to the time it arrived in my lab aboard ship, to the movement records after recovery, until the sale and acquisition by California Gold Marketing Group in 1999. Then, intellectually attached to the treasure, I followed it on its journey into the public sphere, continuing to track everything as its curator until it was delivered to PCGS or the market.

Thompson was very secretive about the treasure inventory throughout the 90s, and so a lot of innuendo and conjecture crept into the numismatic conversation. And he never wanted to be corrected. The culture of secrecy and the "need to know" was pervasive throughout the company as well. So, as far as many within the organization were concerned, Tommy's information was the real information, and it stayed that way: 8,000 feet and 3 tons.

I reported to Thompson. What he did or did not do with the information was not my bailiwick, and, while I worked for him, I did not share information with any others unless directed to do so. And so, whatever he chose to share with the treasurer of his own company was not my concern. Annually, I travelled to secure storage facilities with an outside forensic accountant for annual audits. These consisted of opening randomly selected sealed, numbered containers, and comparing the contents with what our records said should be in that container. Records of all examinations, movements, and displays were signed and witnessed. All activities in laboratories were videotaped. If Thompson wanted treasure to show someone, he asked me to get it for him. So, he never had physical or informational control over any of the gold.

I cannot stress this enough: there is not, and there never was, any undocumented gold. There has always been a record. I always maintained a record of everything. Always. A full record.

In 2012, during the receivership hearing, I testified that I would be willing to consider working for such a court-appointed receiver. I had always advocated for an eventual return expedition to the SSCA site, since there obviously was still a lot of gold down there. Over $90,000 (1857 value) remained from the listed commercial shipment, to say nothing of the enormous amount that was carried by passengers, an amount widely reported to match the $1 million – plus commercial shipment.

The series correctly refers to the missing 500 gold coins as commemoratives, which they are. The press has botched this in the past, saying that they were coins "from the treasure." They were struck using the original 1855 Kellogg & Co. $50 design, transferred from the original dies, using gold derived from some of the larger Kellogg & Humbert ingots from the treasure. I found it strange that they did a terrible job with props simulating those coins, as well as a similar amateurish simulation of gold bars from the shipwreck. There are actual examples of those wonderfully executed relic commemorative restrike coins out there, and there are real ingots too, if not to buy for the production, then at least to photograph and film. The prop pieces they concocted for this show would only convince those who have never seen actual gold coins and bars. And the scene with the coins: no PCGS holders, no sophisticated packaging, handling the raw, unslabbed coins crudely, thumbing and grabbing the "struck" surfaces, (although these actually look more like cast chocolate.) You can see these in the title graphic at the beginning, and they appear later as well. In my opinion, they could have done a much better job with this.

But my biggest disappointment is that the whole series treats the SSCA and its treasure as a black box, simply a vehicle for the story about the inventor "Tommy," and the treasure "he" found, and all the trouble it brought him. The special aspects of this particular treasure are little emphasized, and, in this way, it is reduced to just any old vast sum of wealth that people argue over and go insane about.

As for my own feelings about Harvey Thompson, these are very complicated. I love the project he welcomed me into 40 years ago, all the subjects and fields it allowed me to study and pursue, and all the discoveries I was a part of. Once he was my good friend. Early on, I enabled his activities and his style in many ways, and for this I harbor some regrets. Some of these actions, very secret, may have emboldened him to try more extreme actions and secrecy. But I kept records, and I had limits. These led to disagreement, cooling and distancing, and it ushered in the period when I say I worked for him rather than with him. Around this time, I decided that my allegiance should center on the SSCA and its treasure rather than on Thompson and whatever he might do with his company.

Once the treasure was acquired by California Gold Marketing Group, I followed it, maintaining my role as the curator. I was free of Thompson's operations and its stifling secrecy, and I launched into the curating and exposition of the gold with enthusiasm. CGMG's manager, Dwight Manley, who is never mentioned in this show, produced all the outreach magic through which numismatists now know the treasure, including the Ship of Gold traveling exhibit, and the massive Q. David Bowers book, A California Gold Rush History: featuring the treasure of the S.S. Central America.

I had very little contact with Thompson in the 2000-aughts. He was involved in some of the numismatic marketing through the first couple years, but nothing much after that. It wasn't really his area of interest or expertise.

Ultimately, that may be the lesson of the "Tommy" Thompson story. It is possible, even likely, that someone who is a genius in one field is utterly deficient in others. When the business and legal pressures mounted on him, Thompson froze, unable to make the decisions that could have led the company and its operations to more financial success. In my opinion, he should have focused on engineering and left the business decisions to others in the tremendous business community he had tapped for investment. But Tommy could delegate some things, and some things he could not. I believe he was the kind of guy who never wanted to get his final grade unless it was an A+. He let the perfect be the enemy of the good (or whatever similar proverb you may wish to apply.) Whatever you believe about his motivations and intentions, he was manifestly unequal to the business management task he faced.

My own opinion of Thompson is extremely conflicted. I will be forever grateful to him for involving me in the SSCA Project, and I hate like hell what he did with our project, the clouds he cast over the technical triumph of our operation, and the taint with which he has smeared the historical legacy of this superlative American treasure.

In 2005 and 2006, when a couple major investors and a group of sonar techs asked for an accounting, he obfuscated for 6 years, until a federal judge ordered him to appear in court and provide that accounting. Unable to face this reality, for whatever reason, he fled and remained in hiding for 2 1/2 years. It is hard to believe that this was the action of someone completely innocent.

I believe that many viewers will find this series entertaining. But I object to the premise implied in the title "Cursed Gold: Shipwreck Scandal." This is the hyperbole of sensationalist reporting.

It was a hurricane that sank the S.S. Central America, not a curse.

And, in large part, whatever curse or scandal sank Tommy Thompson was his own doing.

To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
BOB EVANS ON THE LATEST S.S. CENTRAL AMERICA ARTICLE (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n19a26.html)
BOB EVANS ON THE DISPOSITION OF THE S.S. CENTRAL AMERICA TREASURE (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n16a32.html)
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS BOB EVANS' RETURN TO THE SS CENTRAL AMERICA (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n19a25.html)
SS CENTRAL AMERICA SALVAGE: THEN AND NOW (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n45a08.html)
SS CENTRAL AMERICA CASH BOX FINDS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n07a15.html)
VIDEO: SS CENTRAL AMERICA SILVER COINS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n36a10.html)
CURSED GOLD: A SHIPWRECK SCANDAL (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n33a16.html)

FOURTH EMERGING MEDALLIC ARTISTS COMPETITION

• 1st Prize: Robin and Frederic Withington Award Sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Withington $1,000
• 2nd Prize: David Simpson Memorial Award:Statements of Concern Sponsored by the Simpson family $500
• 3rd Prize: Innovative use of Technique/Material Award Sponsored by Medialia Gallery $350
• Ann Shaper Pollack For the American Artist Sponsored by the Pollack family $350

Collector's purchase awards:

• Masaharu Kakitsubo Award: the Most Imaginative work $250
• Mary N. Lannin: Award for the Coin Design $250
• Roslyn and Scott Miller Award: Excellence in Bas-Relief $250
• Ira Rezak Award: Theme of A Current Political Comment $250
• Donald Scarinci Award: Figurative Subject $250
• Stephen Scher Award: Portrait Medal $250

Submission Regulations

Eligibility: Artists born after 1985; proof of the age required.

Work Regulations: Maximum of four submissions (obverse + reverse of a single medal counts as two submissions)

Size:

• Single medal: Maximum height x width: 100 x 100 mm; Depth: Less than half the shortest side of the medal
• Multiple part medals: Maximum of 100 x 100 x 100 mm
• Coin submission: 50 x 50 x 10 mm

Material:

• Any single material or combination of materials, excluding organic materials
• Edition: Work should be able to be reproduced in limited edition or in variation.

Submission Deadlines:

• Digital entry submission: by November 15, 2024
• Jury notification of accepted and awards: by December 15, 2024
• Submission work received: by January 31, 2025

Work Exhibition Duration

• February 2025 case exhibition Jersey City Heights, NJ, USA
• On going digital exhibition at www.medialiagallery.com

Contact: newapproach.competition@gmail.com

 

VOCABULARY TERM: PRIVATE ISSUE

Private Issue. A numismatic item issued by an individual, firm or organization not of a public or government nature. An item without government or official authority, but often produced with sanction at a national mint. These items are of course, in contrast to the official work – the coins and medals that are the prescribed work of a national mint.

History of private issues. The practice of doing private minting work at government mints is widespread throughout history. Often a country's national mint is the only source for such items being produced as most national mints have somewhat of a monopoly of engraving talent, diemaking equipment and striking facilities. The rise of the private mint – beginning in Great Britain with Matthew Boulton's Soho Mint in Birmingham in 1782 – provided a source were private organizations could have coins, medals, tokens and other numismatic issues struck. The custom minting of such items is now available in dozens of private plants in many countries.

United State Mint. Private medals were struck at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia as early as 1805 (the Sansom Washington and Franklin medals, or early 1790s if the J. Ricketts Circus Medal was indeed struck at the mint). This continued for over 150 years, until as late as 1948. Of all the medals listed in the book by Robert Julian, Medals of the United States Mint: the First Century, 1792-1892; half are of a private issue (283 of the 573 listed). These include nearly half of the commemorative medals, a few marksmanship medals & life saving medals, and all of the personal medals; school medals; agricultural, mechanical, scientific & professional medals; religious & fraternal medals; and the unclassified medals.

For a long time in the United States, perhaps as late as the 1890s, private industry just did not have the presses capable of striking large medals and the U.S. Mint was the only such source for national – or private – medals to be produced in the United States. Well into the 20th century the Mint was still striking medals for private organizations, although at the end it was for organizations for whom they had done this in the past and the Mint had existing dies.

Private medal manufacturers, notably Medallic Art Company of New York City and its president, Clyde Curlee Trees, mounted a campaign in the mid-1930s for the U.S. Mint to direct more and more of the work to private industry but the Mint continued to do this until 1948.

Unless it is an outright order for a government – domestic or foreign – all items struck by a private mint or medal manufacturer are of a private issue. Thus the only place where this term comes into play is to distinguish private versus national medals struck by a national mint.

To read the complete entry on the Newman Numismatic Portal, see:
Private Issue (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/dictionarydetail/516544)

ROGER BOYE

Sometimes I start a project and get distracted before it is completed. I am probably not the only one with that problem. Earlier this year I started to compile a list of writers who provided coin columns for local newspapers. Since my subject for this week is still living, the information I include will be a little different from my typical biography.

Roger Boye was born in Nebraska in 1948. His parents were Arthur John Boye (1915-1969), a pharmacist, and Matilda Jean Boye (1919-1997). Both served in the U.S. Army in World War II.

Roger began collecting coins as a Cub Scout to meet an elective requirement. He soon joined the Lincoln Coin Club. In 1964, he was given a class assignment to interview someone outside his family and not affiliated with the school. He arranged to interview John Gabarron who was a founding member of the Lincoln Coin Club, former ANA Librarian and sergeant-at-arms. His high school article was reprinted in The Numismatist in July 2009. Roger graduated from Lincoln (NE) High School in 1966.

He then enrolled in the University of Nebraska School of Journalism. In 1966 his first articles appeared in the Lincoln Journal and in 1969 he was editor-in-chief of the Daily Nebraskan, the university's student newspaper. In 1970 he enrolled in the masters' program at Northwestern University, graduating in 1971.

That same year he began teaching part time at Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism and full time starting in 1985. For nearly 20 years he was assistant dean and director of undergraduate studies at Medill and has been a Northwestern professor for nearly 40 years. He also directed the Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute since 1985 and is faculty chair of Northwestern's Communications Residential College.

His first coin collecting column appeared in the Chicago Tribune on March 24, 1974. He got the job after submitting sample columns and at first earned $25 for each one published. That weekly column continued until September 1980. In some weeks he received more than five hundred letters from readers.

In 1992, Roger won the Maurice M. Guild Memorial award for best coin column in a non-numismatic newspaper from the Numismatic Literary Guild. He had also received the award previously.

Roger's coin columns in the Chicago Tribune, numbering nearly a thousand, are archived on the Newman Numismatic Portal. Also, from 1983 to 1999 he wrote the numismatic articles for the Encyclopedia Britannica Book of the Year, a job he inherited from Glenn Smedley, a former ANA governor and editor of The Numismatist.

He became life member LM-1535 of the American Numismatic Association in 1974. (Glenn Smedley signed his application for membership). In June 1989 he was listed on the Editorial Advisory Board for The Numismatist with other prestigious names of Eric Newman, Donn Pearlman and Edward Rochette. In 1996 he was appointed chair of the Publications Committee. Since then, he has been a contributing editor to the publication.

Mr. Boye reviewed a draft of this article and added valuable comments.

 

CARL SUBAK AND THE HEBERDEN COIN ROOM

Last year the Ashmolean Museum’s Heberden Coin Room received a legacy gift of $5 million from Carl Subak, an American coin dealer whose collaboration with the coin room spanned many decades. Carl died at the age of 103 in Chicago, his adopted home after fleeing Nazi persecution in Austria as a teenager.

Professor Frédérique Duyrat and Professor Chris Howgego from the museum tell us about the man whose love of coins continued into his tenth decade and share the lasting impact his donation will make on the world of numismatics.

Carl was a precocious coin collector and by his teens was already attending some of the great pre-war auctions in Vienna. His passion did occasionally outstrip his means, however: he became so excited during one visit to a London dealer that he chose many more coins than he could afford to buy. Happily, he was allowed to take them all away and pay later — a kindness he never forgot.

In 1938, when Carl was 19, Nazi Germany annexed Austria. He fled the country and, after waiting many months in Latvia, had the good fortune to receive a visa to the United States. His US backers were a family from Boston who he had met by chance while at a holiday camp in England.

Carl worked in Boston as a plumber's assistant, chauffeur and bookstore clerk, before being recruited into a special programme at Camp Ritchie that trained native German speakers to return to Europe and take part in various missions. As one of the ‘Ritchie Boys', Carl worked as an interpreter for a US army colonel and was stationed for many months in the American zone in Berlin. While overseas, he finished his undergraduate degree at Harvard University in Geography.

At the close of the war, Carl joined his sister who had moved to Seattle from Boston after escaping from Vienna via Italy. He began an import-export business with his brother-in-law, which eventually became a stamp wholesale enterprise and coin dealership. In 1949 he relocated to Chicago, where he and his wife Eileen built one of the region's most successful coin and stamp shops.

Carl travelled the world for his work and it was a chance meeting at a train station in England in the 1960s that sparked a decades-long relationship with the Ashmolean Museum.

The man Carl had bumped into was Michael Metcalf, then Keeper of the Heberden Coin Room. Professor Chris Howgego, who later held the same role, also came to know Carl well, describing him as incredibly intelligent and savvy, yet modest. ‘He didn't have a big ego; he wouldn't impose his own ideas but was instead interested in how things would actually work,' Chris says.

Carl was a generous supporter of the coin room during his lifetime, helping with the acquisition of several major hoards, including the Watlington Hoard and the Chalgrove Hoard — the latter of which turned out to be extraordinary for its inclusion of a coin revealing the ‘lost emperor' Domitianus.

To read the complete article, see:
The coin collector's legacy (https://medium.com/oxford-university/the-coin-collectors-legacy-b41a50584481)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
CARL H. SUBAK (1919-2022) (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n08a05.html)

ARNO SAFRAN INTERVIEW, PART ONE

Thanks for tuning in. This is Greg Bennick with the Newman Numismatic Portal. In this interview, I interview Arno Safran.

The interview was conducted over the phone, so the quality isn't…perfect, but it's great, because you get to listen to Arno Safran. So, if you're willing to forgive just the slight variances between absolutely perfect recording and just a great conversation that was recorded between two people interested in coins, then I think you'll really appreciate this interview. So, sit back for the next half hour and enjoy this conversation with Arno Safran.

GREG BENNICK: I am here with Arno Safran and I wanted to ask some questions today, and just get to the bottom of who you are as a collector and as a researcher and a presenter and as a coin club enthusiast. And I guess Arno, what I'll start with is this: I've reviewed a whole bunch of your PowerPoint presentations and there are so many presentations that you have given over the years to your coin club and I am just going to ask, where did the inspiration come from to present so much and so often?

ARNO SAFRAN: I was a professor of music when I was called into Trenton, New Jersey College, at the time it was called something else, not what it's called today. But I was a professor from 1965 all the way to 1992, and I resigned at that time. I was not quite 60. My wife, Wilma Christian, was a professor at a high school, actually. She taught the gifted and talented up at a northern New Jersey school. A beautiful woman, very, very charming, very intelligent. Not a musician but appreciated my musical work. And I also was a composer.

I had a few pieces performed. But it's very hard as a musician to get people to do your music, especially when some of your own colleagues are very much in their own world. They don't want to help you out at all. So that's where I was at that time, between 1965 and 1992. And then I went off. I started collecting during the bicentennial. That's how far back I go. And I remember, like everyone else in numismatics, bought you know, rolls of Ben Franklin halves. I didn't know a damn thing about bell lines or anything of that nature back then.

And I gradually got into it more seriously when I met some of the guys in the EAC, Early American Coppers. And these were wonderful gentlemen. They really helped me get into it. I started collecting large cents and half cents. And that was my favorites back then. And I also got early…I started collecting early stuff…which was only a thousand bucks then, the early dollars. The early, 1795, not the ‘4's, as they were too expensive, but you know, the various coins of that period.

And, you know, I got them when they were still cheap compared to what they are today. I mean, a thousand dollars then, is five thousand dollars now. So, you know, after I got to be a certain age - my wife died five years ago - I started to do something; I kept more collections online. And I also did some things with the Heritage Auctions online. But I've seemed to stop. The last two or three years, I have really not gotten anything new because I don't know how long I have to live. And I don't want to make it more difficult for my kids. So, I haven't bought anything really.

But what I have is mostly finishing what they call sets, date sets. Most of them are without the gold because the gold is, you know, adds a lot more expense to it. But that's what I write articles on a lot. A lot of them, on date sets.

GREG BENNICK: Yeah, I noticed quite a few articles on transitional dates, meaning a coin or a date where a coin in a series ends that series and another starts. 1938 Buffalo Nickels versus 1938 Jefferson Nickels.

ARNO SAFRAN: Exactly. And of course, I gave a program, both in New Jersey, but even more of them are here in Georgia. And I also attended a lot of what I did that, you know, when my wife and I came down here back in 2000, I think in 2002, we went to our first FUN show. And that is incredible. It's a seven-hour drive from where I live in Evans, Georgia, which is part of Atlanta. It's about 200 miles east of Atlanta in South Carolina.

It was a wonderful show. I mean, I picked up a lot of good stuff back then. Like 1950s stuff, that kind of thing. Rare stuff. But now, you know, it's very different. I started buying online. But as I said, lately, I haven't really gotten more because I've got to think about my kids and they know about the hobby and they know all about it. They don't know really enough about numismatics.

So eventually I picked up a fellow named Vicken, who was a young man at 14 when I lived in New Jersey. And he lived in Ocean County at a show at a meeting we had. And he now works for Stack's Bowers.

GREG BENNICK: Yeah, I know Vicken. Vicken's wonderful.

ARNO SAFRAN: He's a wonderful guy. So, I'm going to send all my stuff to Vicken and maybe another six months. If I'm still healthy, I'll send it out to him.

GREG BENNICK: Wonderful. I'm sure he'll take great care of you. And I know that John Kraljevich also speaks very highly of you and enjoyed meeting you as well years ago.

ARNO SAFRAN: Two young guys, absolute princes of numismatics. Brilliant young men. And now of course, mature people. I think he's just changed his job again. He's going to work for another company.

GREG BENNICK: Yeah, that's right. That's right. He'll be working for Stack's Bowers. Yeah.

ARNO SAFRAN: Right. Well, Stack's Bowers….Dave Bowers is probably one of the greatest numismatists of all time. He's a tremendously charming man. He's also like me. He's getting up in age. But he doesn't show it. And his articles have always been great. I have a lot of his books. I really think that guy, I worship him. He's a wonderful man.

GREG BENNICK: That's wonderful. Well, I have a question. So, let's take maybe one step back in terms of your music and teaching music and whatnot. I'm curious about that, too. I mean, of course: I'm curious about coins and your connection to coins. But I love the idea that you're a music teacher and I'm just curious about your approach to music and what approach you took with your students and where your focus was and composing and all that sort of thing.

ARNO SAFRAN: I was lucky. Because the music of the 1970s and 80s, the rock was the best ever, better than the stuff that came before it in the 60s. In other words, the end of the Beatles, going straight through to many of the rock composers and into the early 90s. And so I could use that music as a kind of a base for the students and then play Stravinsky's "Petrushka", for example, which has certain melodical and rhythmic things that are similar to the rock of the 20, 40 years later, which is…they loved it.

I even had the little kids in the second grade when I showed some of the teachers to be what it's like. They were marching around to one of these musical marches in "Petrushka" by Stravinsky. I don't know how much you know this stuff, but I would combine the two. And I do the same thing with music, with coins, I try to make it more than just what the value is, but also, you know, what the fun is of trying to see what's going on in the country at the time, especially U.S.

I used to collect Latin American, but I sold all that in 2013. I had some wonderful Chilean works and beautiful coins. I got a lot from David Amey. I don't know if you know that name. I think he's getting pretty old right now himself. He used to sell that stuff to me.

GREG BENNICK: So when you say, did you combine rock and classical at the same time or that you used the rock music to..?

ARNO SAFRAN: You know, when I heard Stravinsky, he had certain rhythms that sounded like some of the same qualities of some of the rock music, I would play back and forth. And I also would give what they call rhythm band instruments to second graders in this particular situation, because I also taught elementary school music before I did college. And they would march around playing things to Stravinsky's music. Well, that kind of thing. And then also the Beatles at the at other tines.

So, there was, I was trying to show that the music is good, no matter who writes it, if it's good to begin with. And even if it's popular or whether it's a classical, you know, you can enjoy it from both ends. My wife knew a lot of popular music, all the words and everything going back to, you know, the 1930s. And even though she was born in ‘32 like I was. I mean she had a wonderful knowledge of her popular music. And so you know we had; I mean she didn't like Hindemith for example too much. Or even Schumann's quartets, they're too esoteric for her. But she loves you know Prokofiev, she loves Stravinsky as well as Mozart and Beethoven.

GREG BENNICK: This is fantastic and it's fantastic because I love hearing about people's depth, beyond just coins and learning where their passions lie. It sounds like you certainly have and have experienced a lifetime that's filled with a passion for music.

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:
Arno Safran Interviewed for the NNP by Greg Bennick (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/641275)

To read the complete transcript, see:
Arno Safran Interviewed for the NNP by Greg Bennick (Transcript) (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/641274)

WHITMAN PUBLISHING PRESIDENT MARY BURLESON RETIRES

Mary Burleson has retired after more than 23 years of distinguished service as President of Whitman Publishing, capping a remarkable 38-year career with the Anderson companies.

A native of Haleyville, Alabama, and an Alabama football fan for life, Burleson earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Alabama. She began her career with the Anderson News Company in 1986, rising through the ranks to lead Whitman Publishing in 2001. She played a crucial role in the recent acquisition of Whitman Publishing by CDN Publishing, ensuring a seamless transition and operational continuity for associates in Florence, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia.

Throughout her tenure, Burleson expertly steered Whitman through several significant milestones, including H.E. Harris' acquisition of Whitman Publishing from St. Martin's Press, the relocation of company headquarters, the purchase of the formerly named Baltimore Coin Show, and navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, she oversaw Whitman's acquisition by CDN Publishing in November 2023.

Mary accepts the 2016 Elvira Clain-Stefanelli Memorial Award for Achievement in Numismatics alongside Jeff Garrett, Senior Editor of the Red Book.

In a heartfelt message to her colleagues, Burleson reflected on her time at Whitman: "Thank you for letting me be a part of your lives for the last 38 years. It has been a wonderful journey… I appreciate the years of support during the highs and lows of the business and leave with a heart overflowing with wonderful memories." She added, "…words like gratitude, thankful, happiness, indebtedness come to mind, but none can fully express how I feel about my years at Whitman."

Under Burleson's leadership, Whitman released over 500 new titles and maintained the continuous updating and record-breaking sales of key standard references like A Guide Book of United States Coins and Handbook of United States Coins. She also played a pivotal role in establishing the Whitman Coin & Collectible Expo, now Whitman Expos, as North America's premier coin and currency show producer. Burleson was a familiar and respected presence at regional and national conventions and worked tirelessly with the American Numismatic Association, the U.S. Mint, and various organizations, writers, and researchers to advance the field of numismatics.

John Feigenbaum, President and CEO of Whitman Brands, expressed his gratitude for Burleson's leadership, stating, "Mary has been a rock and leader for Whitman for so many years. We can't thank her enough for her love and dedication to the organization and its people. One of the things I noticed and admired very early on was the fact that Mary treated every associate like family." He added, "Congratulations on a very successful career!"

In recognition of her contributions, Burleson was honored with the 2016 Elvira Clain-Stefanelli Memorial Award for Achievement in Numismatics and was named one of Coin World's 100 Most Influential People in Numismatics in 2022.

As she embarks on the next chapter of her career, Burleson will rejoin the Anderson family in a leadership role at American Promotional Events, Inc. and continue her role as co-owner of KA Display Solutions, LLC. with her husband Bob Burleson. About Whitman Brands

Formed from the 2023 merger of the numismatic publishing powerhouses of CDN and Whitman, Whitman Brands™ combines the revered titles of Red Book, Blue Book, 00 Greatest, Cherrypicker's Guides, and an expansive line of folders, albums, and supplies, that have long dominated the retail landscape with the pricing and data-rich expertise of Greysheet, Greensheet, CPG, CDN Exchange, and the Banknote Book.

Whitman Brands offers a comprehensive and rich coverage of collectibles, literature, cataloging and pricing, which embraces the heritage of numismatics and seeks to enrich the lives of all coin and paper money enthusiasts. As North America's leading producer of coin and currency shows, Whitman Expos and its three industry leading events in Baltimore further enhance the brand portfolio and expand the company's national reach.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
WHITMAN PUBLISHER DENNIS TUCKER RETIRING (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n06a07.html)

ANA HONORS NANCY WILSON, BOB CAMPBELL

Two long-time collectors were celebrated during the Chicago World's Fair of Money®, August 6-10 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois. Their contributions to the numismatic community have made waves over the years, earning them recognition during the 133rd Anniversary Banquet on Friday, August 9.

The Elvira Clain-Stefanelli Memorial Award for Achievement in Numismatics is presented annually to a woman who has made significant contributions to numismatics through her research, leadership, and/or mentorship, and who has demonstrated a longtime commitment to the betterment of numismatics. This year's recipient is Nancy Wilson.

Wilson is a diamond-level Heath Society charter member and an ANA past governor (1987-2005). A recipient of many ANA honors, Wilson, along with her husband John, has sponsored over 2,000 ANA members. They have been so successful in their recruitment efforts that the ANA named its annual member booster award after the outstanding duo.

An ANA donor, certified judge, and exhibit best-in-show winner, Wilson holds life memberships in a plethora of organizations and has served as a president or board member of several clubs. She has served as an ANA national volunteer for decades and has represented the ANA at its conventions and countless other coin shows from coast to coast. An engaging and enthusiastic collector herself, she has given hundreds of numismatic talks and written numerous articles.

A professional numismatist for over 44 years and a collector since age six, Bob Campbell has received the ANA's Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication to promoting the hobby and being a driving force behind its advancement. He and his wife, Carol, own All About Coins in Salt Lake City and work hard to improve the hobby through education and participation. The couple has been giving out coins instead of candy to kids at Halloween for over 50 years. Campbell formed his first coin club at age 11 and has been active at local, regional, and national levels ever since. He is a past president of the ANA and of every Utah coin club.

An instructor for 30 years at the ANA's Summer Seminar, Campbell possesses specialized knowledge in counterfeit detection, grading, and detection of artificial toning on coins. He has assisted government officials and law enforcement with helping to protect citizens from the threat of counterfeits. He has taught seminars on the subject to several federal agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service, FBI, and Homeland Security. An author and generous ANA donor, Campbell also shares his knowledge by giving presentations to Scouts (he has been a Scoutmaster for over 40 years), schoolchildren, and other groups. He has held multiple offices in the ANA's District Representative program, and he completely revamped the system to increase its effectiveness during his tenure as national coordinator.

PCGS HALL OF FAME ADDS GILLIO AND KARSTEDT

Images courtesy PCGS show awardees Gillio and Karstedt flanked by SBG President Brian Kendrella and PCGS President Stephanie Sabin.

Stack's Bowers Galleries is pleased to announce that two of the firm's leaders, Ronald J. Gillio and Christine Karstedt, have been inducted into the PCGS CoinFacts Coin Dealer Hall of Fame. This group honors coin dealers past and present who have shaped the coin hobby through their dedication, expertise, innovation, and commitment to making "the hobby of kings" something millions can enjoy. Begun in 2010 with the induction of the first six "all-time greats" – Q. David Bowers, S. Hudson Chapman, Henry Chapman, B. Max Mehl, Wayte Raymond, and W. Elliot Woodward – each year additional numismatic "giants" are added to the PCGS CoinFacts Coin Dealer Hall of Fame.

During the PCGS event, held August 8 during the annual ANA World's Fair of Money, PCGS President Stephanie Sabin invited Brian Kendrella, President of Stack's Bowers Galleries, to the podium to introduce Karstedt and Gillio. Regarding Karstedt's contributions to numismatics, he commented, "Chris' nearly 40-year career is a testament to her unwavering dedication to our clients and passion for the auction business. Her success is driven by her ability to forge lifelong relationships with collectors and their families and her pursuit of excellence on their behalf, defining her legacy and setting new standards in our industry." In praise of Gillio, Kendrella stated: "Ron is a true titan of numismatics, whose pioneering spirit has not only opened new markets and forged monumental deals but has also enriched the entire field with his unwavering dedication and integrity."

Christine Karstedt began with Bowers and Merena in 1989, learning the auction business from the ground up. Over the past four decades she has played a pivotal role in the sale of dozens of famous collections, including working personally with the Eliasbergs, the Norwebs, the Bass family, Charles and Joel Anderson and the Pogue family. Her personal approach to consignors meant that she was not only dealing with their coins and banknotes, but she was invited into their homes, got to know their families, and forged lifelong connections that endure to this day.

Her commitment to the future of the hobby is exemplified in her nurturing of the next generation of numismatists. She is never too busy to sit down with a young enthusiast at a convention, surprising them with a box full of books to ignite their passion and expand their knowledge.

Chris is a member of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) and a life member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA). In 2017 PNG presented her with the Art Kagin Ambassador Award honoring those who provide distinguished service as advocates of numismatic goodwill.

Ron Gillio has always been a pioneer of numismatics, with accomplishments and contributions far too numerous for a simple list. He was at the forefront of opening the world to numismatic trade from the United States to South America to Europe to the Far East. His accomplishments include starting an auction company doing business in Hong Kong and consummating several of the largest coin deals in history, including the Wells Fargo Hoard. Over time he has purchased hundreds of thousands of U.S. gold coins worth billions of dollars, and in the process of repatriating these coins, has saved countless numismatic rarities from the melting pot. He continues to run his retail store in Santa Barbara, California — Gillio Rare Coins & Fine Jewelry, a division of Ronald J. Gillio, Inc. — one of the largest buyers, sellers and importers of rare coins in the United States.

Alongside his business success, Ron has made many contributions to the hobby. He is general chairman of the popular Long Beach and Santa Clara, California Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expos on behalf of the shows' owner, Collectors Universe, Inc. He is an official appraiser to the State of California and has served as an auctioneer for the United States Marshall's Office.??? A respected member of the most esteemed numismatic associations, Ron is a past president of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG), as well as the recipient of the Founders Award, the highest honor of that organization. He is a Life Member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), has been a member of the International Association of Professional Numismatists (IAPN) for more than two decades, and is founding charter member No. 11 of the ?Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS). In 1984, he became a contributor to the 37th edition of A Guide Book of United States Coins (The Red Book), and has appeared as such in every subsequent edition. He has been a contributor to the Standard Catalog of World Coins, the Official ANA Grading Standards for United States Coins, and the Coin World Almanac.? He co-authored the standard reference on California Fractional Gold Coins, which is currently being updated and will be published by Stack's Bowers Galleries in the upcoming year.

To read the complete PCGS article, see:
PCGS Inducts Numismatic Luminaries To Coin Dealer Hall Of Fame (https://www.pcgs.com/news/pcgs-inducts-numismatic-luminaries-to-coin-dealer-hall-of-fame)

PNG'S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: RON GILLIO

Stack's Bowers Galleries is pleased to announce that Ronald J. Gillio was presented the Harvey G. Stack Lifetime Achievement Award at the Professional Numismatist Guild's annual meeting at the recent American Numismatic Association's World's Fair of Money. This prestigious award is presented to someone who has shown extraordinary devotion to numismatics and significantly contributed to the hobby or profession.

"The PNG Lifetime Achievement Award could not go to a more deserving individual than Ron Gillio, as his many decades of commitment to the PNG is unparalleled." commented Greg Roberts, CEO of Stack's Bowers Galleries and one of the presenters of the award. "I have called Ron Gillio the "Ambassador" for as long as I can remember, and this nickname has stood the test of time. I bought my first gold coin from Ron at the FUN show in 1981, and we have been friends and business partners for over 30 years. Ron's commitment to Stack's Bowers Galleries has made the company a much better organization. We congratulate Ron on receiving such a significant and well-deserved honor."

Ron's involvement in numismatics and his dedication to the betterment of hobby span 60 years. He is a past president of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG), as well as the recipient of the Founders Award, another of that organization's highest honors. He is a Life Member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and just received his 60 year pin. He is a member of the International Association of Professional Numismatists (IAPN) and founding charter member No. 11 of the ?Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS).

Well known for his writing and research in the field, Ron collaborated with Walter Breen on the new standard reference book California Small Denomination Gold. In 1984, he became a contributor to the 37th edition of A Guide Book of United States Coins (The Red Book), and has appeared as such in every subsequent edition. He has also been a contributor to the Standard Catalog of World Coins, the Official ANA Grading Standards for United States Coins, and the Coin World Almanac.? He has conducted nearly 80 multi-million dollar auction sales in the United States, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore.

"Ron Gillio's receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award was long overdue as he is one of the great "pioneers" of the rare coin industry," stated Kevin Lipton, another of the award's presenters. "Starting in the early 1970s, Ron was among the very first coin dealers to venture to Europe and Asia, creating lifelong relationships that led to some of the greatest coin hoards being brought home to America. With his incredibly diverse numismatic knowledge and experience, Ron will go down as one of the greatest ‘coin diplomats' and deal makers in history."

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
RON GILLIO INTERVIEW, PART ONE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n41a11.html)
RON GILLIO INTERVIEW, PART TWO (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n42a17.html)
RON GILLIO INTERVIEW, PART THREE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n43a18.html)
RON GILLIO INTERVIEW, PART FOUR (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n44a14.html)
RON GILLIO INTERVIEW, PART FIVE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n45a20.html)

ANA NUMISMATIST OF THE YEAR, AND MORE

One long-time numismatist, one budding collector, and five enthusiastic and highly involved hobbyists were recognized with American Numismatic Association (ANA) awards for their devotion to the hobby. The Numismatist of the Year was awarded during the Chicago World's Fair of Money® 133rd Anniversary Awards Banquet. The Young Numismatist of the Year was presented during this year's Summer Seminar event. The Glenn Smedley Memorial Awards were presented during the Chicago World's Fair of Money Member Awards and Donor Celebration.

The Numismatist of the Year award recognizes collectors at the regional and/or national level who have demonstrated outstanding leadership within the hobby and the ANA. The 2024 recipient is numismatic author and U.S. gold coin expert Doug Winter.

A member of the ANA since 1973, Winter has published over a dozen specialty guides and essential references for collectors. He founded Douglas Winter Numismatics in 1989 after years of researching, buying, and selling rare U.S. gold coins. By 1992 his company was recognized as one of the leading specialized numismatic firms in the Pacific Northwest. Winter has taught classes at the ANA's Summer Seminar and is a member of many numismatic organizations, including the Numismatic Literary Guild, Numismatic Guaranty Company, and Professional Coin Grading Service. He is a longtime supporter of the ANA and continues to publish articles and newsletters about collecting U.S. gold coins.

The Young Numismatist of the Year is Ross Koenig. Koenig has written articles for the ANA's The Numismatist and the Reading Room and has given talks on the topics of AI coin grading and modernizing numismatic businesses. He served as a volunteer while he attended the 2023 Summer Seminar. Koenig has almost completed an 1800-to-present U.S. type set and hopes to assemble a complete issue of fractional currency.

The ANA has recognized five exceptional individuals with a 2024 Glenn Smedley Memorial Award. These highly involved hobbyists demonstrate positivity, cooperation, dependability, and strong communication skills.

 

Steven Bieda designed the reverse of the 1992 Olympics half dollar and had a major role in selecting the design of Michigan's state quarter and upcoming innovation dollar. A 14-year veteran of the Michigan legislature, Bieda used this political acumen to initiate successful legislation for the 2004 Thomas Edison commemorative.

Members may know Dennis Boggs better as his celebrity look-a-like—Abraham Lincoln. Boggs travels coast to coast to bring the story of America's 16th president to rapt audiences of all ages. He averages 250 performances a year. His presentations at ANA conventions provide a popular historical context for numismatics.

Founder and president of the Numismatic Crime Information Center Doug Davis has over 40 years of experience in law enforcement. In 2019 he was appointed director of anticounterfeiting for the Anti-Counterfeiting Education Foundation. He conducts classes and workshops to educate the numismatic community on the threats that fakes pose.

Donna Moon has been volunteering in the hobby for about 30 years. She holds leadership roles in several organizations, including the Florida United Numismatists, Token and Medal Society, and Central Florida Coin Club. The latter's coin shows owe much of their success to their dedication and hard work.

From presentations at club meetings to workshops at conventions, Phil Vitale lives and breathes numismatic awareness. An eminent member of the Albuquerque Coin Club, Vitale's passion for spreading the joy of the hobby extends far beyond New Mexico—he also serves as the ANA's outreach program coordinator for the entire nation.

 

JEWRY ON MEDALS

Jewry Reflected, Refracted, and Recorded on Medals

This exhibition presents artifacts that were a part of Jewish lives, have survived, and have a story to tell. Coins, medals, and related items, like books and prints, are replicated and disseminated to achieve a wide distribution. Coins are exclusively the prerogative of sovereign governments, so their imitative successors—medals, tokens, and badges—retain an aura of authority.

Coins are an official means of monetary exchange. Tokens circulate as coin-like objects issued by local entities—towns, communities, institutions, even private merchants—so their circulation is only valid regionally. Medals resemble coins, but need not be small and are textually and pictorially free to present a wider range of subject matter. Medallic sponsors may be communal, institutional, commercial, even individual. Medals often function as rewards for personal achievement—military, academic, communal, scholastic, athletic—or to commemorate dedications, or religious and other noteworthy occasions. Medals honor both the living and the dead and may serve as proof of personal participation in group events or as souvenirs of private experiences. Insignia, worn externally, serve to indicate and project status and affiliation. Amulets worn individually offer protection, displaying biblical texts and images.

Except for a very brief period two thousand years ago, until the foundation of Israel in 1948 there were no Jewish national governments and consequently no official Jewish coins. But medals, tokens, insignia and amulets have been used extensively by Jews for centuries.

For more information, see:
https://www.cjh.org/visit/exhibit-info/jewry-reflected

NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: SEPTEMBER 8, 2024

102643 | GREAT BRITAIN. Westminster Abbey bronze Medal. Issued 1855. Most Remarkable Edifices of Europe series (59mm, 12h). By J. Wiener in Brussels & Elkington and Co., and struck at the Geerts mint in Ixelles. WESTMINSTER ABBEY, exterior view of the abbey building from the west-northwest // Interior view of the Henry VII chapel from just to the right of the center aisle centerline looking toward the altar; in three lines in exergue, ST. PETER'S CHURCH FOUNDED ABOUT 612 / REBUILT AND ERECTED AN ABBEY / 958 AND 1049-1066; in four lines to left, THE PRESENT CHURCH CONSTRUCTED / 1220-1285 / RESTORED END OF THE / XVII CENTURY; in four lines to right, WESTMINSTER HALL BUILT 1397 / THE CHAPEL OF HENRY VII / COMMENCED 1503 / RESTORED 1809. Edge: Plain. Ross M189; van Hoydonck 142; Reinecke 35; Taylor 8b; BHM 2592; Eimer 1506. PCGS SP-63. Rich red-brown surfaces, with a great glossy nature. Undoubtedly one of the most attractive and intricate—if not the most intricate—medals in this ambitious series. Compare to a similar example, also a PCGS SP-63, though a bit less brilliant, that realized a total of $600 in the recent Stack's Bowers Global Showcase Auction (23 August 2024), lot 47930. $595.

To read the complete item description, see:
102643 | GREAT BRITAIN. Westminster Abbey bronze Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102643)

102738 | ITALY. Vittorio Emanuele II/Pantheon bronze Medal. Issued 1878 for the king's interment in the Pantheon (68mm, 143.09 g, 12h). By F. Speranza at the Rome mint. VITTORIO EMANUELE II RE D'ITALIA, head right, wearing oak wreath // L'OPERA A CUI CONSACRAMMO LA NOSTRA VITA È COMPIUTA, frontal view of the Pantheon; in two lines in exergue, XVII GENNAIO / MDCCCLXXVIII. Edge: Plain. Forrer V, 599. Choice Mint State. Deep brown surfaces, with a pleasing, lustrous nature. $435.

To read the complete item description, see:
102738 | ITALY. Vittorio Emanuele II/Pantheon bronze Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102738)

102735 | FRANCE. Nièvre. Contract Lawyers of Clamecy octagonal silver Jeton. Issued circa late 19th century (32mm x 32mm, 13.68 g, 12h). By A. Borrel. Female personification of Justice seated facing on throne, holding scales, tablet of laws, and Hand of Justice; implements of agriculture and commerce to left and right // NOTAIRES DE L'ARRONDISSEMENT DE CLAMECY / NIÈVRE, tablet of laws over scales; all within oak wreath. Edge: «cornucopia» ARGENT. Lerouge 97. PCGS MS-64. Extremely lustrous, with some hints of burnished toning at the peripheries and with immense frosting upon the devices. The only such example of the type in the PCGS census. Ex Collection "PL." $195.

To read the complete item description, see:
102735 | FRANCE. Nièvre. Contract Lawyers of Clamecy octagonal silver Jeton. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102735)

102884 | GERMANY. Poodle Club uniface bronze Medal. Issued circa 1920 for the German Poodle Club situated in München (80mm, 128.35mm, 12h). By E. Friedmann in Frankfurt. DEUTSCHER PUDELKLUB e. V. SITZ MÜNCHEN, poodle standing left // Blank except for maker's mark near bottom. Edge: Plain. Mint State. Deep brown surfaces, with a slightly matte nature. A very rare and interesting dog-related type featuring a breed that is seldom encountered in medals. $275.

To read the complete item description, see:
102884 | GERMANY. Poodle Club uniface bronze Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102884)

THE LITTLE SHIP SHILLING

Bloody Flag and Scheepjesschelling

On 27/28 September 2024, Künker will auction off part 2 of the Beuth Collection with Dutch coins in collaboration with Laurens Schulman. This important collection includes numerous rarities. But it also contains affordable coins with two-digit estimates that are just as fascinating as their unique and extremely rare counterparts, as we will prove in this article.

On 9 November 1670, the States of Holland and West Frisia decided to introduce a new coin. In addition to all the low-value shillings that circulated in the domestic market, they wanted to create a reliable currency for foreign trade. After all, a coin's fineness and weight were all that mattered abroad. So if you wanted to create a coin for long-distance trade, you would always use the same alloy and only allow the weight to vary slightly.

But the politicians of the States of Holland and West Frisia were not only smart economists. They also knew a lot about propaganda. Just how cleverly they approached this matter is illustrated by the coin type they decided to produce on 9 November 1670.

Netherlands / Gelderland. 1734 scheepjesschelling (6 stuivers), Harderwijk. Very fine to extremely fine. Estimate: 100 euros. From Künker 414 (27/28 September), No. 4149.

The Scheepjesschelling

The coin depicts an impressive sailing ship with the wind blowing in its sails. Given the fact that the Netherlands was a major player in overseas trade, this motif seems rather straightforward from today's perspective. For contemporaries, however, the image was quite unusual. The Netherlands would normally rely on motifs that symbolized unity and / or freedom. Just think of the Phrygian cap or Scilurus' bundle of arrows. A realistic depiction of a ship was something new and different.

The motif was to give the shilling its name. It is called scheepjesschelling, which translates to ‘little ship shilling'. Scheepje or little ship sounds like a harmless holiday boat. But what we can see on these shillings is anything but harmless. While today we struggle to distinguish early modern merchant ships from warships, people in the 17th century certainly knew the difference. They saw more than just the elegant sleek hull and the fluttering sails. They saw the cannons. Any contemporary looking at this motif would associate this type of ship with the fight for life and death.

Netherlands / Holland and West Frisia. Pattern for the 1670 scheepjesschelling. Very rare. Very fine. Estimate: 200 euros. From Künker 414 (27/28 September), No. 4447.

A very rare pattern of the scheepjesschelling without mint mark and face value on the obverse gives us another clue as to how this depiction should be interpreted. If you take a closer look at the flag at the stern of the ship, you will see that it is not the Prinsenvlag with the orange, white and blue stripes. It is a different flag, and the appearance of it is difficult to interpret without prior knowledge. It shows something that could be mistaken for a cross-shaped motif with a displaced center. But if you know what it is supposed to represent, you will be able to identify a blade held vertically that widens upwards, and a hand holding the hilt of the blade.

And this brings us to the bloody flag. It shows a muscular arm holding a cutlass against a bloody red background. Cutlasses were closely associated with seafaring. They were used for hand-to-hand combat on deck. These arms originated from the machete, a broad knife used for harvesting sugar cane, for example. The short, sturdy blade was ideal for dealing deadly blows in confined spaces. Therefore, it was the perfect weapon for anyone trying to board a ship.

Naval battle near Elseneur. Painting by Peter van de Velde, created between 1670 and 1679, at the same time as the first scheepjesschellings.

Knowing about this weapon helps us understand the purpose of the bloody flag. It was used as a signal. It was hoisted to show that things were about to get serious. The bloody flag signaled an attack, whether in battle or in a duel on the high seas. In other words: a coin devised for foreign trade depicting a ship with a bloody flag sent a clear message. But why was this necessary?

The Historical Background

Although the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands had asserted its independence with the Peace of Westphalia, this did not guarantee a peaceful existence. Dutch politicians were particularly concerned about the events in France. Philip IV of Spain died in 1665, leaving a three-year-old successor. Louis XIV of France seized the opportunity to expand his empire. He argued that his marriage to a daughter of the deceased gave him a claim to part of the inheritance. Naturally, the Spanish regent rejected his claim. But it was no use. The young and ambitious King of France went to war. After all, he had an expensive standing army, a strategic innovation at the time. And he wanted to use it. So, he invaded the Spanish Netherlands 1667. Spain was unable to react. France would have experienced a perfect victory had it not been for other states who wondered what France's growing power meant for them. This led to England, Sweden and the Netherlands forming an alliance in 1668. The Netherlands, which had traditionally sided with France due to their shared enmity towards the Habsburgs, broke a treaty.

Louis XIV was furious. He had expected the Netherlands to uphold their alliance with France. In the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, Louis XIV had to tone down his demands and return some of the conquered territories. This gave him a clear idea of whom he would wage his next war against: the Netherlands.

Privateers and the Dutch Fleet

Louis XIV started to close in on the Netherlands both militarily and diplomatically. He broke their alliance with England and Sweden, and made treaties with neighboring princes. Of course, this did not go unnoticed in the Netherlands.

And this is where we come back to our scheepjesschelling. The coin reminded everyone of the true strength of the Netherlands – and that was not a standing army with countless soldiers, but all the ships that sailed the world's oceans. The coin served as a reminder that any Dutch ship could potentially be turned into a warship.

This applied to the Dutch States fleet, of course. But it also applied to the many merchant ships scattered across the seas. As privateers, they could wreak havoc on the trade of enemy nations. Privateers were not pirates. They were private war entrepreneurs who could prove with a letter of marque and reprisal that their ship was sailing on behalf of the state. This was important because pirates were executed on the spot – privateers, on the other hand, were subject to martial law and became prisoners of war if defeated.

In return, privateers had to obey certain rules. If they saw a merchant ship, they had to give it the opportunity to prove that it was a neutral ship whose cargo (at least in theory) could not be touched. Only if the merchant ship refused to turn around would the bloody flag be hoisted and the ship boarded.

Netherlands / Holland and West Frisia. Off-metal strike in gold of 2 ducats from the dies of the 1727 scheepjesschelling, Dordrecht. Very rare. Extremely fine to FDC. Estimate: 2,500 euros. From Künker 414 (27/28 September), No. 4384. While the flag at the stern shows the Prinsenvlag, you can see the bloody flag at the mast top.

Show Your Strengths

The ship with the bloody flag thus represented the greatest strength of the Netherlands: every single ship that was prepared to fight for its country. Although the inscription of the coin invokes God – it translates as "Remain vigilant, trusting in God" – the Dutch preferred to rely on their wooden vessels.

But Louis XIV was not interested in the sea. He invaded the Netherlands as early as in 1672, initially with great success. But the fleet prevented worse. Its victories gave Stadtholder Willem III the arguments and room for maneuver to take diplomatic action himself. In 1673, the Netherlands made a treaty with the Habsburg emperor and the King of Spain against Louis XIV. This forced Louis XIV to fight a costly war on several fronts. Only a year later, England withdrew from the war due to the high economic damage caused by Dutch ships. In 1678, with the Treaties of Peace of Nijmegen, the Dutch were the big winners. Not only did they get all their territories back. Louis XIV also wooed them with a trade treaty that abolished all customs duties for them in his empire.

Netherlands / Zeeland. 1754 piedfort of a scheepjesschelling (6 stuivers), Middelburg. Rare. Extremely fine. Estimate: 250 euros. From Künker 414 (27/28 September), No. 4676.

Many Different Flags

By this time, the coin type of the scheepjesschelling had already established itself on foreign markets as a popular trade coin, regardless of its political message. As a result, others were soon minting coins following the model of the scheepjesschelling. Therefore, we find a wide variety of flags on later issues.

The piedfort shown here presents a slightly modified form of the bloody flag. The cutlass was replaced by the coat of arms of Middelburg. As the Maritieme Musea describes in its online catalogue, the various cities added identification marks to the bloody flags of their ships so that others would even know during a battle where the ship came from. Ships from Vlissingen also used a bloody flag. The flag depicted the Jacoba jug in the form that can still be seen on the city's coat of arms today.
https://www.maritiemdigitaal.nl/index.cfm?event=search.getdetail&id=110001168

The "bloody flag" recalls a basic rule of numismatics: you have to look very carefully if you want to tell the exciting story of a coin. Another basic rule is that you do not have to be rich to acquire fascinating objects. Estimates for the scheepjesschellings in the Beuth Collection start at 50 euros.

CONTINENTAL DOLLAR DISCOVERED IN U.K.

Wotton Auction Rooms, an auction house based in Gloucestershire, England, recently came across an old coin when evaluating items brought in from a private vendor.

Auctioneer Joseph Trinder said the coin is a continental dollar measuring 38 mm across and is made of pewter, minted in 1776, according to SWNS.

"This coin represents a discovery that is in the top five of my career to date, and the sort of thing every auctioneer up and down the country hopes they'll find," Trinder also said.

With its rarity top of mind, the coin was taken back to the United States for authentication by the Numismatic Guaranty Company based in Sarasota, Florida — and confirmed to be real.

"It was examined by a committee of specialists and X-rayed and put through other scientific tests, and we were delighted to receive a notification a few days ago to tell us that it is genuine," Trinder said to SWNS.

The coin was one item found in a bin of knickknacks, such as jewelry, carved stone and fossils, SWNS reported.

"We had a jolly good look through and made sure we got to the bottom of everything inside," he said.

He added, "There were some really interesting pieces like gold coins and some other valuable items — but languishing at the bottom of this tin of treasures we found this amazing continental dollar coin."

The coin will go up for sale at Wotton Auction Rooms on Oct. 3.

To read the complete article, see:
Rare coin from 1776 found in bottom of toffee tin to sell at auction (https://nypost.com/2024/09/03/lifestyle/rare-coin-from-1776-found-in-bottom-of-toffee-tin-to-sell-at-auction/)

He noted that collectors believed for many generations that the Continental Dollar was made in the US in 1776.

"Extensive research in the last few years by my friends Erik Goldstein and David McCarthy has suggested somewhat conclusively that these coins were minted in the UK, potentially as souvenirs!" said Bennick.

The Continental Dollars previously racked up a high price tag, with one selling at an auction record of $230,000 in 2009.

"This is a very controversial coin, especially for those who paid $100,000 and up for an example years ago," said the expert.

More recently, one of the coins sold for $39,600 in August this year.

Bennick estimated that the coin would sell for $26,000 to over $39,000 at the auction in October.

"This is because the coins' originality as a piece of numismatic Americana have been in question since the Goldstein/McCarthy articles came out," he said.

Greg adds:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
COLONIAL CLASH Exact date on ‘controversial' coin found inside toffee tin could make it sell for $39k in auction expert predicts (https://www.the-sun.com/money/12359418/controversial-coin-toffee-tin-continental-dollar-exclusive/)

On the Google Colonial Coins group, Jeff Rock wrote:

NOTES ON THE ORIGINS OF THE CONTINENTAL DOLLAR (https://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n41a16.html)
CONTINENTAL DOLLARS REVISITED (https://www.coinbooks.org/v21/esylum_v21n14a13.html)

To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
GOLDSTEIN AND MCCARTHY ON THE CONTINENTAL DOLLAR (https://www.coinbooks.org/v21/esylum_v21n21a21.html)
NEXT STEPS FOR CONTINENTAL DOLLAR RESEARCH (https://www.coinbooks.org/v21/esylum_v21n28a19.html)

ODE TO A CINCINNATI COUNTERSTAMP

The Joy of Collecting Counterstamps

This 1833 large cent bears stampings that read: J.G. JOSEPH / CINt. As Joseph was working as a silversmith between 1834-44, this possibly unique piece appears to be a Hard Times issue. The dating comes from Beckman's study of Cincinnati silversmiths. Joseph also worked as an optician, jeweler and a watch and clock maker. His shop in Cincinnati was located at 169 Main Street.

The heavy wear on this cent and its stampings suggests it may have served as Joseph's pocket piece. His tiny stamp, being under 2mm high, may have been applied to spectacles or watches. To date, this writer has been unable to locate any products bearing his stamp.

Joseph's advertisement, shown right, appeared in the Liberty Hall & Cincinnati Gazette on June 21, 1836. Like many early silversmiths, it appears that Joseph found there to be more profit in the pursuit of retailing.

Bill Groom

Bill adds:

THE ALEXANDER AGASSIZ MEDAL

In 1911, the National Academy of Science announced a $6,000.00 trust fund under the control of Sir John Murray to establish a gold medal to be awarded to men of science from any part of the world for original contributions to the science of oceanography. It was established to honor his friend Alexander Agassiz, Academy president from 1901 to 1907.

One of those invited to submit preliminary sketches was Hermon MacNeil. He submitted several of the reverse and then, upon request, submitted another in which "a figure of science is receiving the treasures of the sea." He also included a projected cost figure of $1,350.00, $1,000.00 for his work to the striking point, and $350.00 for the cost of the 3" medal struck in gold. With gold selling at $25.00 per ounce, he indicated that a medal of this size averaged close to 14 oz. Known records do not contain a request for sketches of an obverse.

One year later in April, the Academy announced the name of the winner, French sculptor and medalist Theodore Spicer-Simpson. His medal was 3" in diameter, one eighth of an inch thick and weighed about 9 1/2 ounces in 24 carat gold for which he was paid $1,000 to prepare the dies and furnish the first copy.

For a variety of reasons, my opinion is that it all came down to dollars.

Spicer-Simpson was often referred to as being British, but according to other records, he was born in France. Maybe his father was a diplomat.

SCHOOL ART LEAGUE SAINT GAUDENS MEDAL

A dear friend, Mrs. Carole Sofronas Paquette, mentioned to me that she had graduated in June 1957 from Flushing High School south of our hometown, College Point in Queens, NY. In addition to her diploma, she was awarded the Saint-Gaudens Medal. Knowing nothing of the award, I did some research and learned that the Saint-Gaudens Medal was endowed in perpetuity by Helen Foster Barnett (1852-1920) in honor of American sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens. It was to be awarded by the School Art League to a senior in each New York City high school who completed an art program with excellence in fine draughtsmanship and art.

The medal designed by sculptor Chester Beach was cast in bronze by the Medallic Art Company and its first recipient was Helen Q. Hurley, a graduate of Girls High School in Brooklyn, class of 1917. In 1921 she earned an art degree from the Pratt Institute, became a New York City art teacher in 1923 and died in 1934. Eight medals were awarded in 1918, seven to Brooklyn high school graduates; one to a graduate of Jamaica high school in Queens. Over the decades to come many more young men and women would be awarded the medal and become teachers.

Carole kept the medal on her desk through four years at New Hampshire University from which she graduated with a degree in Fine Arts. While she did not pursue a teaching career, in her post-college career, Paquette worked often in oils, but mostly in watercolor and pen and inks, and was fortunate to sell many of her works in New York-area galleries. The medal is still awarded today, but the image is not that of the one awarded in 1957. It is still in her possession, exact location as yet unknown.

Helen Foster Barnett, 1852-1920, was the widow of James Parker Barnett, a Brooklyn physician who died in 1886. They had three children, one of them landscape painter Leroy Barnett. In the early 1900s she took on the role of patron of the arts and in 1908 awarded Robert Aitken the first ever $100.00 prize for the best piece of sculpture by an American artist under age thirty. This was followed in 1907 with the award going to Chester Beach. She awarded monetary prizes, of $50.00 and $100.00 frequently until her death in 1920, two months after that of her artist son Leroy. From the turn of the century on she supported the National Academy of Design, the National Association of Women Painter and Sculptors, the Brooklyn Zoo, the Brooklyn Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Society of Etchers along with numerous other Brooklyn institutions and endeavors. Shortly before her passing, she became a member of the American Numismatic Society.

For more on the School Art League Student Medals, see:
School Art League Student Medals (https://schoolartleague.org/student-medals-for-artistic-achievement)

LOOSE CHANGE: SEPTEMBER 8, 2024

Elephant Coins

The ancient world of the Mediterranean region had initially only come into contact with the tusks of the elephant, and not with the animal itself. As early as the Mycenaean period (ca. 1580 - 1200 BC) -- that is, long before Pliny -- the Mycenaean Greeks were familiar with ivory, which they acquired through trade in Asia Minor with the Hittites.

The Greeks did not learn about the animal from which this ivory came until the fifth century BC. Herodotus (c. 490-430 BC) used the word eléphas for both ivory and the elephant. However, it was not until the late fifth to early fourth century BC that Ctesias of Knidos provided his fellow countrymen with more detailed information about elephants. He was a physician at the court of the Persian king, and was one of the first Greeks to see Indian elephants in the flesh and write about them. We know of his work only from the quotations of later writers.

Alexander the Great was the first Greek to be confronted with Asian war elephants. In the Battle of Gaugamela/Arbela (in present-day northern Iraq) on 1 October 332 BC, the Persian King deployed 15 Indian war elephants, but they were unable to prevent his own downfall and the triumph of Alexander, who managed to capture some of the elephants alive. For the Macedonian King, however, this was only the beginning of his encounters with elephants.

To read the complete article, see:
Elephant Coins: 1. Greeks and Asian Elephants (https://www.kuenker.de/data/mitteilungen/0010_Kuenker_Exklusiv_2024_29_ENG.pdf)

Visiting Spain's Segovia Mint

The first thing every visitor sees is the large entrance gate. In the 16th century, this was the only entrance to the secure area, which was surrounded by high walls. To the left of the entrance was the guardhouse, which was manned day and night. This prevented unauthorized persons from entering the mint. If worst came to worst, the guard could use the jail right next to the guardhouse. Caught offenders could be imprisoned there.

Incoming goods were transported through the gate into the large complex of buildings on the right side. This was where the smelter and the assay furnace were located. Experts checked the purity of the incoming metal before it was taken to the scales. A clerk was in the room to record exactly who had brought what and how much. Once the silver had been accounted for, it could be locked away in the room next door.

To read the complete article, see:
Numismatic Museums Around the World: The Segovia Mint (https://www.kuenker.de/data/mitteilungen/0009_Kuenker_Exklusiv_2024_29_ENG.pdf)