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LOOSE CHANGE: SEPTEMBER 22, 2024Here are some additional items in the media this week that may be of interest. -Editor Some unusual Korean coins I'd never seen before were featured in an article by Stack's Bowers Numismatist and Cataloger Gabriel Solares. -Editor 
In 1882, the state introduced a series of silver coins aimed at modernizing its trade. The coins came in three sizes denominated in Chon (or 1/10 ounce): 1 Chon, 2 Chon, and 3 Chon. Like the coins of its neighbors, these were produced to high standards of silver weight and purity. However, because Joseon lacked the sophisticated equipment needed to produce milled coinage, these new coins were cast. One side bears four Hanja characters, giving the coin's denomination read right to left, and Tae Dong ("Great East," an archaic name for Korea) read top to bottom. The opposite side displays only one character, Ho, as a mintmark. This central character was filled in at the mint by a glossy cloisonné enamel coating in black, blue, or green. It is this unusual trademark that sets this series apart from any other East Asian coinage. It is uncertain why the mint chose to employ this expensive and labor-intensive technique, which required each coin to be refired in order to melt and set the glass powder. If the objective was to make the coins appear more valuable, it may have worked too well; they quickly fell out of circulation as the upper-class Yangban population hoarded the intrinsically valuable silver coins. Since the coins did not have the desired effect, Joseon authorities quickly discontinued their production in 1883, only months after the coins were first minted. Fourteen years later, the Joseon Era itself came to a close with the proclamation of the Korean Empire.
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This Wall Street Journal article notes that some stock prices will soon be quoted in half cents. -Editor Stock prices in half-cents are coming soon to a brokerage near you.
SEC officials say the rule change will help lower costs for investors by narrowing bid-ask spreads—the difference between the buying and selling prices of stocks. Bid-ask spreads eat into investors' gains when they trade in and out of stocks. If the spreads are tighter, investors save money. For many stocks, such as Ford Motor and Snap, the bid-ask spread is often 1 cent—and it can't get smaller because of longstanding SEC rules that set the minimum price increments for most exchange-listed stocks at a penny. Now, the SEC is creating a two-tier system with two minimum price increments, or "tick sizes." Some stocks would continue to have 1 cent ticks, but others—those where the bid-ask spread is frequently stuck at around 1 cent—would have their minimum price increments reduced to half a cent. I'm old enough to remember when stock prices were quoted in eighths of a dollar, not decimalized to cents - that change happened in 2001. As a numismatist, I knew that an eighth of a dollar is one bit, from the Spanish dollar which was worth eight bits ("pieces of eight"). -Editor
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In the is-it-or-isn't-it-official department is this new one-ounce silver medallion. The website states, "This product is not manufactured, distributed or sold by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization or any of their respective affiliates or principals. JBCZ Group, LLC, the manufacturer and distributor of this product, uses the "Trump" name, image and likeness under paid license from CIC Digital, LLC, which license may be terminated or revoked according to its terms." -Editor
The item features 99.9% purity and a proof finish, marking it as the highest standard in collectible medals. It showcases a portrait of Trump on the front and the White House on the reverse. Each piece is encased in a premium custom felt pouch and includes a certificate of authenticity. "This is a 1oz .999% silver medallion and struck with a proof finish featuring our 45th President's profile on the obverse and the White House on the reverse," as described on the initiative's official website. The coin will be available for purchase starting September 25 and is not intended as a legal tender or an investment tool.
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To visit the coin website, see:
For more on the topic from Forbes, see:
Wayne Homren, Editor The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org. To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All Rights Reserved. NBS Home Page Contact the NBS webmaster 
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