NEW BOOK: RIDDELL MONOGRAPH IN COLOR

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V27 2024 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 27, Number 8, February 25, 2024, Article 5

Author Winston Zack is creating a tribute edition of J. L. Riddell's classic 1845 Monograph of the Silver Dollar by collecting modern color images of the coins pictured within. What a great idea! The book is an extensive listing of genuine and contemporary counterfeit silver dollars and silver half dollars of the United States and Mexico. The new publication is a work in progress that can be viewed online, and readers are encouraged to help complete the project by supplying any needed images. Here's the project description. -Editor

INTRODUCTION

monograph of the Silver Dollar in Color book cover

In 2015, I started a project to document as many contemporary counterfeit Capped Bust half dollar varieties, as documented by Riddell in his 1845 Monograph, that still exist today. By 2019, that project expanded to all counterfeit 8 reales varieties Riddell documented. Currently, over 50% of the Riddell counterfeit varieties have been documented as still existing today.

The goal of this project is to photographically document as many Riddell counterfeit varieties that still exist today and create a modernized version of his 1845 publication. In order to effectively and efficiently complete this project (to the greatest extent possible), I am requesting participation from the wider numismatic community to provide me with images of Riddell counterfeit varieties. This project is meant to be collaborative and fun, while also challenging, but ultimately worth the effort to complete.

REQUIREMENTS
In order to efficiently, effectively and accurately complete this project, participants will need to accurately attribute varieties to Riddell #s and provide me with images of any of the missing counterfeit Riddell varieties; inaccurate attributions will be refused.

Images should be the highest-quality possible; I encourage having pieces professionally photographed.

I am willing to photograph pieces. The only expense to the owner would be mailing costs both ways. Please contact me via email to discuss further.

Please note, as this project evolves, higher-grade examples and higher-quality images may gradually replace lesser examples.

PARTICIPATION
If you'd like to participate, collaborate, and contribute to this project, please contact me, Winston Zack, at Winston.s.zack@gmail.com. A digitized version of the original Riddell Monograph from 1845 can be found on the Newman Portal (and elsewhere) at the following link: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/528985.

PROJECT PUBLICATION
This project is located on my website at https://www.badmetalcoin.com/current-research. Anyone can download it for FREE. If you're feeling generous, please consider a PayPal donation by clicking the following link https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=UUNEPQ6GD7Q8U. All donations go towards project improvements, especially improving photographs, and will be recognized in the Riddell publication. Updated versions of this publication will replace older versions. Most of the color images will be 50% larger than those Riddell published.