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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 $45 to addresses in the U.S., and $65 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 1/4/2025 - Workman's Books 1/8/2025 - Numismatic Antiquarian Bookshop Lang 1/25/2025 - Kolbe & Fanning

 

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 JANUARY 5, 2025

New subscribers this week include: Steve Kuhl. Welcome aboard! We now have 7,260 subscribers.

Thank you for reading The E-Sylum. If you enjoy it, please send me the email addresses of friends you think may enjoy it as well and I'll send them a subscription. Contact me at whomren@gmail.com anytime regarding your subscription, or questions, comments or suggestions about our content.

This week we open with two numismatic literature sales, an acquisition by Whitman Brands, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, notes from readers, the 2025 Inaugural Medal, and more.

Other topics this week include the founding of the U.S. Mint, the Osborne Coinage Company, Gerry Fortin, Shallie Bey, fixed price and auction offerings, Bust coinage, U.S. currency, coin finds, White House medal ceremonies, Humphrey Bogart's short snorters, and electronic waste processing at the Royal Mint.

To learn more about Camden's Britannia, Art and Ira Friedberg, Liberty Seated dimes, the 1792 Mint Act, the MCA Carl Carlson and Georgia Stamm Chamberlain awards, ascendant rays, the first African American superintendent of the Philadelphia Mint, the 1880 Silver Certificate, Postal Currency Envelopes, chopmarked Trade Dollars, the Medal of Freedom, Ken Burns, eating coins, the first coin of 2025 and numismatic information that time forgot, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

LANG NUMISMATIC LITERATURE AUCTION 5 REMINDER

The year 2025 starts with a special event for us: Our 5th auction will take place on January 8th, 2025 at 4 p.m. (CET) and will also mark our first auction of the new year. We cordially invite you to participate in this fascinating online auction, which will feature a wide selection of outstanding numismatic literary treasures and bibliophile rarities.

What can you expect?

Our 5th auction includes a careful selection of literature that will make collectors' hearts beat faster. Particularly noteworthy are an extensive number of bibliophile works that will delight lovers of historical literature. The works include not only classic numismatic literature, but also rare books that reflect the knowledge and history of numismatics in a unique way. In addition, you will once again find numerous books on ancient numismatics as well as on the Middle Ages and modern times. This time, the auction catalogs section is very well represented, including beautiful bindings and sought-after collections.

Lot 382: Dannenberg, H. Die deutschen Münzen der sächsischen und fränkischen Kaiserzeit. : Berlin 1876-1905. 4 Bände. XIX, 510 S.; V, S. 511-757, 1 Faltkarte, Tfn. 62-100; VI, S. 759-874, mit Textabb., Tfn. 101-110; VI, S. 875-1019, Tfn. 111-121; 1 Karte, 61 Tfn. Dazu beiliegend: Bahrfeldt, E.: Beiträge zu den deutschen Münzen der sächsischen und fränkischen Kaiserzeit. Berlin 1895. 23 S., 4 Tfn. Broschiert mit Knickspur. Neueres Halbleder. Prachtvolle Erhaltung. Selten im Original. Schätzpreis: 1.300 €

Lot 731: Glendining & Co., London. Auktionen von 1955 - 1961. Drei Sammelbände mit Versteigerungen der Sammlung Lockett. : Catalogue of the Celebrated Collection of Coins formed by the late Richard Cyril Lockett. Halbleder. Prachtvolle Erhaltung. Teilweise mit Bibliotheksstempel. Schätzpreis: 550 €

Lot 139: Biaggi, E. Le Preziose Patine dei Sesterzi di Roma Imperiale. Ivrea 1992. : 299 S. mit zahlreichen Abb. Kunstleder in Schuber. Schätzpreis: 350 €

Lot 728: Florange, J., Paris / Feuardent, M., Paris. Auktion vom 17.06.1927. : Importante collection de Monnaies et Médailles, Consulat et Empire, Napoléon I et sa famille, Napoléon III. Médailles historiques et de personnages, jetons et décorations français et étrangers appartenant au Prince d'Essling. 3057 Nrn., 68 Tfn. Halbleder, etwas bestoßen. Prachtvolles Exemplar. Schätzpreis: 180 €

Participation and bidding information:

The auction will be held online on the Auex platform, so you can participate from anywhere in the world. Details on registration and auction conditions can be found on our website. We recommend that you register early to ensure that you can participate in this unique event.

You will also have the opportunity to place pre-bids via the following platforms:

• Sixbid
• Biddr
• Numisbids

We look forward to welcoming you on January 8th, 2025 and are convinced that this auction will be an unforgettable experience for every collector in the field of numismatics and bibliophilia.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you a magical Christmas season and look forward to welcoming you again as literature lovers in the New Year.

For more information, or to bid, see:
https://auktionen.numismatisches-antiquariat.de/Auktion/Onlinekatalog?intAuktionsId=1563

 

KOLBE & FANNING JANUARY 2025 SALE ANNOUNCED

Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers are pleased to announce that we will be holding our next auction sale on Saturday, January 25, 2025.

This sale includes a wide variety of material, with something to appeal to all sorts of numismatic interests. The first half of the L.D. & I.P. Library is offered, most notable for its comprehensive runs of classic European auction catalogues. Of particular note are the catalogues of the Italian firms, with exceptional holdings from Michele Baranowsky, C. & E. Canessa, Vincenzo Capobianchi, C. & C. Clerici, Raffaele Dura, Mario Ratto, Rodolfo Ratto, Giulio Sambon, Giuseppe Sangiorgi, P. & P. Santamaria, Ortensio Vitalini and others. French auction houses including Feuardent Frères, Henri Hoffmann, Rollin & Feuardent, and Arthur Sambon are also included. These can be found both in the Ancient Numismatics section as well as under Medieval & Modern World Numismatics, depending on the focus of each catalogue. The second half of the L.D. & I.P. Library will be included in our next auction, and will feature catalogues of additional French firms, as well as German, English, Belgian and other catalogues.

This sale also includes an initial offering of material from the library of Barry Tayman, a longtime client and friend. His library focuses most heavily on U.S. and Canadian numismatics, with occasional forays into other areas. Most notable in Barry's consignment are his set of the Canadian Antiquarian and Numismatic Journal, his original copy of Sharp's rare catalogue of the Sir George Chetwynd collection of provincial copper tokens, his plated copy of the Chapman Brothers' 1905 sale of the Charles Morris collection, and his complete 38-volume set of the American State Papers. His collection of material relating to the W.W.C. Wilson collection is also notable, including as it does the rare plated edition of the catalogue of Wayte Raymond's 1925 sale, and the original photographs of Wilson's collection of Bouquet sous and Franco-American jetons.

Additional highlights include a 1590 edition of Camden's Britannia in a 16th-century armorial binding, a complete set of Milford Haven on Naval medals, Gianfrancesco Galeani Napione's 1826 folio on the medals of the House of Savoy, a remarkable run of the ANA publication The Numismatist, including Volumes 5 and 6, and a fantastic presentation copy of J.L. Riddell's 1845 Monograph of the Silver Dollar, inscribed by the author to the Superintendent of the New Orleans Mint.

Some highlights of this first sale include:

Lot 38: a 1590 edition of Camden's Britannia, in a contemporary armorial binding featuring the arms of Jacques Auguste de Thou & Marie de Barbançon-Cany

Lot 110: a set of Giuseppe Mazzini's Monete imperiali romane, with 531 fine plates illustrating an incredible 8051 coins, tesserae and contorniates

Lot 128: a nearly complete run of Rodolfo Ratto's very rare early (1894–1911) fixed price lists, a much more difficult series to collect than his later emissions

Lot 210: Giuseppe Sangiorgi's excellent plated catalogue of the Prospero Sarti collection of Roman coins, entirely priced and mostly named

Lot 289: José Toribio Medina's scarce and important 1919 work on the obsidional coins of Spanish America, in a contemporary binding

Lot 362: a fine presentation copy of Thomas Sharp's 1834 catalogue of the Chetwynd collection of provincial copper coins, a legendary rarity

Lot 372: an extensive set of The Numismatist, an unparalleled, comprehensive chronicle of coin collecting in America

Lot 398: a very rare plated copy of the Chapman Brothers' 1905 catalogue of the Charles Morris collection, from the Armand Champa Library

Lot 400: Henry Chapman's massive 1921 catalogue of the John Story Jenks collection, with 42 superb photographic plates

Lot 484: Wayte Raymond's rare 1925 W.W.C. Wilson catalogue featuring 45 exceptional photographic plates, definitive for early American and Canadian material.

Register early to bid online
Bids may be placed via post, email, phone, as well as online. Kolbe & Fanning use Auction Mobility as our third-party online bidding platform. 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. The sale will also be listed on Biddr and NumisBids in the near future.

The printed catalogue is being mailed to all active customers on our mailing list. As international mail speeds have been inconsistent, we encourage our foreign clients to consult the electronic catalogue in case their printed catalogue does not arrive promptly. A PDF of the printed catalogue has been posted to our main website at numislit.com for those who prefer that format. Bids placed via post, email, or phone must be received by January 24 the day before the sale, in order for them to be processed. Advance absentee bids may also be placed at any time online at bid.numislit.com. Internet bidding will be available during the sale itself through the same platform.

Maria Beth Fanning, doing business as Kolbe & Fanning, is licensed by the State of Ohio Department of Agriculture (license 2024000216) as an auctioneer, and is bonded as required by law in favor of the State of Ohio. 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 read the Catalogue PDF, see:
https://numislit.cdn.bibliopolis.com/images/upload/kolbefanningsale172.pdf

WHITMAN ACQUIRES FRIEDBERG BOOK TITLES

Whitman®, a leading publisher of numismatic literature, is proud to announce the acquisition of worldwide intellectual property rights to several iconic coin and currency reference works authored by renowned experts Art and Ira Friedberg. This acquisition includes globally recognized titles such as Gold Coins of the World and Paper Money of the United States, along with the universally respected Friedberg Numbering System™, the standard for cataloging, describing, buying, and selling gold coins and U.S. currency.

These enduring references are celebrated for their scholarly accuracy, depth, and practical value to collectors and researchers. Gold Coins of the World is an indispensable guide for exploring gold coinage from ancient to modern times, while Paper Money of the United States, widely regarded as the definitive currency price guide, has been a cornerstone of U.S. paper money valuation and study for over seven decades.

"Art and Ira Friedberg are synonymous with excellence in numismatic scholarship," said John Feigenbaum, President and CEO of Whitman Brands. "Their works have set the industry standard, and we're honored to carry forward their legacy by making these titles even more accessible to collectors and researchers worldwide."

The acquisition also includes other notable works such as So-Called Dollars by Harold Hibler and Charles Kappen and America's Foreign Coins and Coins of the British World by Robert Friedberg. Additionally, Whitman will distribute titles previously published by the Coin & Currency Institute, including:

• A Collector's Guide to Postage & Fractional Currency
• Complete Catalog of Large Size Star Notes:1910–1929
• Early Dated Coins of Europe:1234–1500
• The Complete Book of World War II USA POW & Internment Camp Chits
• The Investor's Guide to United States Coins
• United States Paper Money Errors

This acquisition strengthens Whitman's commitment to delivering the most comprehensive and trusted resources in numismatics. Future editions of these works will be updated under Whitman's stewardship to reflect the latest research, trends, and pricing data.

"The Friedberg family has long been a pillar of numismatic education and research," Feigenbaum added. "It's a natural fit. With this acquisition, we're ensuring these essential guides will continue to serve collectors for generations to come."

Art and Ira Friedberg's longstanding relationship with Whitman includes authorship of popular titles like Coins of the Bible, Modern World Coins: 1850–1964, and A Guide Book of United States Paper Money (part of the Red Book Series™), which has already sold over 8,000 copies since its summer 2024 release.

"Once we decided to sell, there was no doubt who we would entrust these titles to," said Art Friedberg. "Whitman is the leading authority in numismatic reference books and price guides, and we're confident they will uphold and enhance the legacy of these works."

Whitman has incorporated these titles into its distinguished catalog and ONIX 3.1 feed, making them available through its established retail network and wholesale channels. Current inventory can be purchased from Whitman.com, Whitman's Ebay Store, Amazon, and Walmart.com, and bookstores, hobby shops, and other retailers nationwide.

For wholesale information and pricing, contact Dawn Burbank at dawn.burbank@whitman.com or (256) 246-1131.

About the Friedbergs

Arthur and Ira Friedberg have been professional numismatists for over 30 years, leading their family firm, Coin & Currency Institute. The firm is a founding member of the prestigious International Association of Professional Numismatists (IAPN). Arthur made history in 2001 when he became the first American elected as president of the IAPN in its 50-year history. He now serves as its Honorary President.

Both brothers joined the firm after college and have co-authored numerous celebrated numismatic references, including Gold Coins of the World (10th edition) and Paper Money of the United States (23rd edition). Their work on Appraising and Selling Your Coins has sold over a quarter-million copies. They have also edited R.S. Yeoman's classics, Modern World Coins and Current Coins of the World, and contributed to the Standard Catalog of World Coins.

Arthur Friedberg, a life member of the American Numismatic Association and member of the Professional Numismatists Guild since 1977, has consulted for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and testified before the U.S. Senate Banking Committee on commemorative coins. His articles have been published widely, and he serves as the paper-money columnist for Coin World.

The Friedbergs' contributions have earned numerous accolades, including the Medal of Merit from the American Numismatic Association (1992), the Prix d'Honneur from the IAPN (1993), the Heath Literary Award (1994), and the Swiss Vrenelli Prize (1999) for outstanding contributions to numismatics.

To read the complete article, see:
Whitman Acquires Rights to Influential Numismatic Titles from the Friedbergs (https://www.greysheet.com/news/story/whitman-acquires-rights-to-influential-numismatic-titles-from-the-friedbergs)

 

GREG BENNICK INTERVIEWS GERRY FORTIN

GREG BENNICK INTERVIEWS GERRY FORTIN

This interview with Gerry Fortin, conducted by Greg Bennick for the Newman Numismatic Portal, explores Fortin's journey as a coin collector and expert on Liberty Seated dimes die varieties. Fortin recounts his early fascination with coins during his youth, a hiatus during his teenage years, and a rediscovery of his passion in 1987, sparked by receiving a roll of Morgan dollars. This rekindled his interest, leading him to specialize in Liberty Seated dimes due to their historical significance and ties to the Civil War era. Leveraging his engineering background in semiconductor technology, Fortin developed meticulous research methods and became the leading authority on the series. He also highlights his transition from collector to researcher and dealer, underscoring his dedication to preserving and understanding the history and varieties of these coins.

Image: 1850-O 10c, NGC MS67 Star, from the upcoming auction sale of the Gerry Fortin Liberty Seated dime set

Link to Gerry Fortin interview video:
https://youtu.be/aNYBgaAxv7k

Link to Gerry Fortin interview transcript:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/643416

Link to Gerry Fortin auctions:
https://www.seateddimevarieties.com/auction.html

FORGING A NATION U.S. MINT EXHIBIT

FORGING A NATION EXHIBIT OPENS AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

The exhibit Forging a Nation: The Founding of the U.S. Mint, 1792 is now open at Washington University in St. Louis and will run through the end of June 2025. With documents loaned by Dan Hamelberg, the exhibit conveys the legislative evolution of the U.S. Mint from its conception under the Articles of Confederation through the 1792 Mint Act passed by the second Congress. The highlight of the exhibit is the Thomas Jefferson-signed copy of the April 2, 1792 Mint Act (ex. Swann Galleries, April 8, 2014), which is, as far as we know, the only such signed copy.

This exhibit is located in the Declaration chamber on the first floor of Olin Library on the Washington University main campus. This space also hosts the Eric P. Newman copy of the Declaration of Independence, an early broadside copy produced by Solomon Southwick in Rhode Island, shortly after receiving the first printed (Dunlap) version. This is one of seven known examples of the Southwick broadside.

Image: Forging a Nation exhibit case in Olin Library at Washington University

Link to Forging a Nation landing page:
https://library.wustl.edu/exhibitions/forging-a-nation/

Link to Southwick Broadside landing page:
https://library.wustl.edu/exhibitions/declaration-of-independence/

VIDEO: SILVER COINS OF 1809

Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809 and the silver coinage of that year has some interesting varieties. Learn about these interesting coins from Dr. Glenn Peterson, long time collector of the early silver coins of America.

Speaker(s): Glenn Peterson.

To watch the complete video, see:
Silver Coins of 1809: During Lincoln's Bicentennial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZOe5GrY0to)
Silver Coins of 1809: During Lincoln's Bicentennial (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/560192)

 

2024 MCA AWARD MEDALS

Medal Collectors of America will be presenting the winners of the Carl Carlson and Georgia Stamm Chamberlain awards for 2024 at the January 2025 New York International Numismatic Convention (NYINC). Congratulations to Robert Lewis Fagaly for earning the Carl Carlson award, and to Robert Rodriguez for the Georgia Stamm Chamberlain award. NYINC will be held January 16th to 19th, at the Intercontinental New York Barclay, 11 East 48th St, New York City, NY 10017.

The MCA meeting will take place January 18 th, between 11:30am and 1pm, at the Astor Suite 1. For more information on the show: http://www.nyinc.info.

About the Recipients

Robert Lewis Fagaly
A native of Nantucket, Massachusetts, Dr. Robert Lewis Fagaly received his B.S. in Chemistry from San Jose State, an MBA from the University of San Diego, and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Toledo. He is the author of over 120 publications in cryogenics, quantum interference, fusion energy, and medicine, in addition to another eight in numismatics. He is a Fellow of the Institute of the Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and a recipient of the IEEE's Swerdlow medal for contributions to the field of superconductivity. He served on the Department of Commerce's Technical Advisory Committee for nearly three decades and was Treasurer of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. He is a member of the International Electrotechnical Commission, the American Society of Hematology, and the Society of The Cincinnati, serving on its Museum Committee.

He was the lead author for the Grading Guide for Early American Copper Coins, which was awarded the Numismatic Literary Guild's Book of the Year in 2015. He has been a Merit Badge Counselor for both the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. He is a member of numerous numismatic organizations, including the ANA, ANS, C4, EAC, OMSA, and the Medal Collectors of America. His current interests are focused on the Comitia Americana medals, the medals of the Marquis de Lafayette, and the Continental Dollar. 

Robert L. Rodriguez
In 2016, I retired from the investment management field after forty-five years that included thirty-two years with First Pacific Advisors, LLC, where I lead in building it into a $35 billion investment management firm. For twenty-six years, I managed equity and fixed income funds, along with institutional separate accounts. Morningstar, the leading evaluator of mutual funds, named me its Mutual Fund Manager of the Year three times, one of only two, and the only one to receive it for both equity and fixed income management. When I stepped down from active investment management at the end of 2009, my equity fund, FPA Capital Fund, was ranked number one for over twenty-five years, worldwide, by Morningstar.

In 2013, I became reacquainted with coin collecting, after a fifty-two-year absence, when an article about a 1792 silver half disme, the Starr Specimen, caught my attention in a local newspaper. After eight months of researching the field, I re-entered it in 2014. Six-months later, I was able to acquire the Starr Specimen, for my newly named Resolute Americana Collection, out of the August 2014 Heritage auction.

While investigating the half disme, one of the finest bronze Libertas Americana Comitia Americana medals caught my attention. The following year, my acquisition of the bronze Diplomatic medal brought me into contact and friendship with John Adams and Anne Bentley. From then on, not only did I acquire other great numismatic rarities, but more importantly, enduring friendships.

Returning to numismatics has allowed me to redirect my research investigative talents into this new field. During the past ten-years, my collecting pursuits have focused on early federal and colonial coinage, historic medals, British hammered, and Spanish colonial coinage. Quality, rarity, and historical importance have been the key attributes I have used in selecting numismatic additions for the Resolute Collection. I am truly humbled and honored to be the recipient of the 2024 Georgia Stamm Chamberlain Award.

For more information on the Medal Collectors of America, see:
https://www.medalcollectors.org/

NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JANUARY 5, 2025

Johann Strauss Father and Son Coin
Ken Spindler writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
THE COINS OF GLADIATOR II (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n52a19.html)

Another St. Eligius Item
Dick Hanscom of Alaska Rare Coins writes:

Dick adds:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: DECEMBER 29, 2024 : Eligius Devotee Claude Proulx (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n52a10.html)

Peter Jones on Bitcoin
Peter Jones writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
LOOSE CHANGE: DECEMBER 29, 2024 : JP Koning (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n52a28.html)

Copper and Brass Coins of the Early Republic of China
Michael Zachary writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
VIDEO: COLOR HISTORY OF LARGE CENTS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n52a08.html)

Everybody Wants My Body (Because of the Coins)

Ken writes:

To watch the complete video, see:
Everybody Wants My Body (Because of the Coins in My Body) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szbEoXeH0dU)

2025 TRUMP INAUGURAL MEDAL

I found this proposed 2025 Trump Inaugural Medal by sculptor Jurek Jakowicz. Jurek designed the reverse of the 1997 Clinton/Gore "Bridges to Tomorrow" inaugural medal. He is offering examples of the 2025 Trump medal on his Facebook page. As Trump fumbled the ball with his 2017 medal, I wonder if he is considering this beautiful design.

Trump wanted the White House on his 2017 inaugural medal and needed permission to do so. The White House Historical Society didn't grant it to him and by then time had almost run out. The Ohio Republican Party issued one instead but it is still considered un-official. Trump did issue a medal in September of 2017 but it looked more like a campaign medal. In the end I think nobody was happy either way.

Mike adds:

To visit the Facebook page of Jurek Jakowicz, see:
Jurek Jakowicz (https://www.facebook.com/jurek.jakowicz)

To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
MEDALCRAFT MINT TO PRODUCE TRUMP INAUGURAL MEDAL (https://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n04a25.html)
OHIO TRUMP INAUGURAL MEDAL OFFERED IN SILVER (https://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n19a26.html)
PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION MEDALS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n03a12.html)
TRUMAN LIBRARY INAUGURAL MEDAL EXHIBIT (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n44a15.html)

VOCABULARY TERM: RAYS

Rays. Lines on numismatic or medallic items indicating beams of light, as sun rays or radiant light. Rising rays are said to be ascendant; falling rays are descendant; rays from a center going outwards in all directions are radiated. Rays that fill a large segment of the design is said to be radiant, they radiate from a central point (which may be outside the design). Radiant or diving light around the head or body of a sacred person when expressed as rays is a nimbus or aureole (while the more common halo is usually a ring). See glory.

Rays have been used in medallic art since the Renaissance and designers of coins and medals have made liberal use of them ever since. The lines are usually raised in the design and are of various thickness, some are tapered, some alternated between long and short. The termination or ends of rays are noted as pointed or blunt, particularly in describing numismatic items. In American colonial coins particularly thick rays are termed club.

For medallic designers rays are sometimes employed as symbolic means of adding balance to a design; or as a means of adding special emphasis to a design element (as a portrait, device, date, lettering or such). The U.S. Assay Commission Medal of 1876, for example, appears with rays surrounding the date 1876 – the American centennial year – to give it special emphasis. Also rays are used in other creative ways, as to separate subsidiary elements (as on the Minnesota Bicentennial Medal of 1976).

Certain topical medals show rays in their design. Optical medals show rays of light as beams passing through lenses, prisms, projectors and such. Incandescent light is shown as rays on some lamps and lighting device medals. Also medals on the theme of electricity or electronics show rays as a wave of electrical charge.

When rays are used in lettering they generally form an arabesque.

Rays between the arms of a decoration are often silhouetted forming points. These are located in the four areas (cantons) in a four-armed cross. The silhouetting gives the design distinction in its unusual shape.

Infrequently varieties are created by adding or removal of rays – with rays and without rays are terms used by numismatists to designate these varieties (example: U.S. Shield nickel of 1867).

To read the complete entry on the Newman Numismatic Portal, see:
Rays (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/dictionarydetail/516589)

THE OSBORNE COINAGE COMPANY

On December 15, 2024, Wayne Homren wrote to suggest I might write about the various private mints that struck medals. Shortly after that I got the TAMS publication Encased Coin Production Records of the Osborne Coinage Company. After months without Coin World, I got the December issue with an ad for the Osborne Mint, "The Oldest Privately Held Mint in the USA." Then the December 29 issue of The E-Sylum had an announcement of the TAMS book. I decided to write my first article on Osborne.

The company traces its origin back to 1835 and Z. Bisbee Co. a/k/a Bisbee Stamp Cutting Shop in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Cincinnati city directory for 1849-1850 lists the location on the south side of Canal Street between Race and Elm in Cincinnati. This was not a private mint.

Ziba Bisbee was born on March 17, 1792, in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, the son of John Bisbee (1747-1817) and Mary Edson (1772-1833). He was married to Serena Lincoln (1797- 1860) on April 9, 1814. For the 1820 census, he was still living in Bridgewater. In 1827, he was making cast steel shovels in East Bridgewater. By the 1850 Census, taken July 16, 1850, he was a stamp cutter in Cincinnati. On August 28, 1862, he married Sarah A. Thatcher in Lyndon, Wisconsin. He died on February 22, 1865, in Juneau, Wisconsin, and is buried at Lake Delton Cemetery.

Ira Bisbee, son of Ziba, took over the company, Z. Bisbee & Son, in 1848. He was located at 112 Fifth Street between Pine and Race Streets.

Ira Bisbee was born in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, on July 31, 1831, the son of Ziba and Serena Bisbee. He was married to Sarah Ann Denny (1837-1891) in Ohio on December 31, 1851. By the 1860 Census, he was living in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, He died on August 22, 1892, in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and is buried at Evergreen Cemetery.

Ira joined John Stanton to create Bisbee & Stanton in 1851, located at 249 West Fifth Street.

John Stanton was born in Orange County, New York, on March 9, 1829, and moved to Cincinnati in 1851. He worked for Ira Bisbee and bought the company in 1853. He was married to Katherine F. Carr (1842-1929). He died in Cincinnati on September 10, 1921, and is buried at Spring Grove Cemetery.

John Stanton was independent from 1853 until 1864 and employed William W. Spencer and James Murdock, Jr. In 1864 he sold out to his employees to form Murdock & Spencer, located at 139 West Fifth Street in Cincinnati. Stanton continued to work at the new firm until at least 1876. The combined efforts of Stanton, Murdock and Spencer produced many Civil War tokens.

William W. Spencer was born in Cork, Ireland, on December 30, 1839, and moved to Cincinnati in 1849. He was married to Mary Anna Coates (1842-1904). He died in Cincinnati on May 20, 1910, and is buried at Spring Grove Cemetery.

James Murdock, Jr. was independent from 1869 until 1920. From 1875 to 1887, he was located at 165 Race Street. The James Murdock Jr. Company dates to 1906. He retired in 1911 and passed the company on to his son, Winslow. The W. James Murdock Co., was at 116 Opera Place.

James Murdock, Jr. was born in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on November 15, 1839. His family came to America about 1850 and settled in Cincinnati. He served as a musician during the Civil War. He was married in 1903 to Susan Foster Phelps (1848-1920). He died in Price Hill. Ohio, on December 22, 1924, and is buried at Spring Grove Cemetery.

Winslow James Murdock was born in Cincinnati on September 7, 1872, son of James. He was married to Anna Hecker Murdock (1879-1958). He died on February 19, 1956, and is buried at Spring Grove Cemetery.

Wiley W. Osborne acquired the company in 1920.

Wiley W. Osborne was born in Wise, Virginia, on November 11, 1890. He was married on November 6, 1915, and divorced in 1933. He worked as an engineer for the Consolidated Coal Company in Jenkins, Kentucky. There he developed the idea for the Osborne Register Company. After leaving Consolidated, he joined his brothers in a coal mining company. He created the Osborne Register Company in Cincinnati in 1920. They merged with other companies and expanded into other product lines. He was married to Mary (1907-1984). He died on April 5, 1981, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and is buried at Lauderdale Memorial Park.

In 1944, the company was sold to Dayton Acme Company. In 1945 they were at 2346 Gilbert Avenue. In 1947 the name was changed to the Osborne Coinage Company. They were located at 2851 Massachusetts Avenue in Camp Washington, Ohio. By 1950, Dayton Acme and Osborne Register became bankrupt.

In 1947, The Osborne Coinage Company was incorporated with 500 shares of stock issued to Clifford F. Stegman, Duane T. Winter and Fred D. Orelup, formerly working at Dayton Acme. Winter died in 1969 and Orelup died in 1966.

The Doran Manufacturing Co. is a related company at the same location.

Clifford Fred Stegman, Sr, was born in Cincinnati on July 18, 1902. He was the son of Edward Henry Stegman (1868-195) and Minnie Bartling Stegman (1878-1955). He was married in 1928 to Marguerite Alice Miller. He retired in 1972, passing control to his son Clifford. He died in Cincinnati on August 30, 1981, and is buried at Spring Grove Cemetery.

Clifford Fred Stegman, Jr. was born in Cincinnati on July 6, 1929. He was married to Bertie Mae Cuthbert. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering in 1952. He started working at Osborne in 1962. He left the Osborne Coinage Co. in 1986 to start a software firm, Exodus Software. Control of the firm passed to his brother Thomas. He died at home in Finneytown on December 11, 1994, and is buried at Arlington Memorial Gardens at Mount Healthy., Ohio.

Thomas E. Stegman was born in 1930 and had a degree in physics from Cincinnati University. He began working at Osborne in 1965. He took control of the company in 1986. He passed control to his sons Jeffrey and Todd. Some sources continue to list him as president. He was last reported living in Cincinnati.

Jeffrey James Stegman was born in 1956, the son of Thomas. He graduated from the University of Michigan. He may have been married more than once or may be confused with another Jeffrey Stegman.

Todd R. Stegman was born in 1958, son of Thomas, He graduated from Cornell University. He was married in 1983 to Cathy Cromer. Todd is described as co-owner and COO of Osborne.

The Royal United Mint acquired the company on April 3. 2023. In turn, the Royal United Mint was acquired by The Heimerle + Meule Group, a German company, on January 25, 2024. The Osborne website does not mention this.

Next Week: Some contrarian comments.

To read some earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
OSBORNE MINT (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v06n42a14.html)
THE OSBORNE COINAGE COMPANY (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v06n43a04.html)
THE OSBORNE COINAGE COMPANY OF CINCINNATI, OH (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v14n31a05.html)
OSBORNE COINAGE SOLD TO BELGIAN COMPANY (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n15a17.html)
NEW BOOK: OSBORNE COINAGE CO. RECORDS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n52a05.html)

GERRY FORTIN INTERVIEW, PART ONE

GREG BENNICK: Hi, everybody. This is Greg Bennick once again with the Newman Numismatic Portal, and I am here tonight with Gerry Fortin, noted coin dealer and expert on Liberty Seated Dime varieties. I'm really excited to have this conversation because there are many things I don't know as much about as other topics. Liberty Seated Dime varieties is one of them.

I am currently the owner of one Liberty Seated Dime error coin in my collection, and the coins that Gerry has in his collection far surpass in unlimited description what I have in my one coin. So, I'm very excited to dive in today, hear about Gerry, hear about his collection, his experiences as a dealer and researcher, and we're going to dive right in. Gerry, thanks for being here tonight.

GERRY FORTIN: Well, Greg, thank you for staging this interview. I think it's going to be a lot of fun.

GREG BENNICK: Awesome. I'm very glad. So, tell me, how did you get your start in coin collecting?

GERRY FORTIN: Well, like most people of our age, you know, as a youngster, I was, I mean, I'm from Maine, so we have a lot of snow. So, in the winter, I would shovel driveways for neighbors, especially the old women who had lost their husbands. In summer, I mowed lawns. And, you know, you did the newspaper route, so you raised a little bit of money. And I got into early Lincolns, the Indians, and I was collecting right at the point where the silver disappeared from our coinage. So, 1964.

So, I was able to still pull out of circulation silver Roosevelt dimes, and a few Washington quarters. My mother worked at a five and ten cent store in downtown Lewiston, Maine. So, she would go through the the cash and the change in her register and pull out the silver pieces and bring them home. So that's how I got my start.

But of course, by the time I became a teenager and entered high school, coin collecting kind of disappeared because there was....girls, right? The hormones kicked in.

GREG BENNICK: It's true.

GERRY FORTIN: There was sports. There was girls. There was so much more to do in high school than collecting coins. So, I put that away. Actually, my mother put whatever I collected in the attic of our home. And it wasn't until 1987 that I reengaged.

GREG BENNICK: And what was it that reengaged you in 1987?

GERRY FORTIN: It was a fairly, a very lucky event in my life. My wife has four siblings. And at a Christmas get together in 1987, Diane's (my wife's) mom, bought each of the siblings a roll of Morgan dollars. You know, it's probably like off the Home Shopping Network or whatever, but she did that. So, Diane opens her gift and there is a roll of Morgan's, and they're mostly circulated or sliders. But she looks at it and she's the furthest thing from a coin collector. And she knew I liked coins. So, she hands me the roll, and said, "This is for you." I opened up the roll, started looking at it, and it was kind of like a switch flicked in my head. All the memories of collecting as a kid came back.

GREG BENNICK: So, this is 23, 24, 25 years after you'd been actively collecting. 20 years after you'd been actively collecting.

GERRY FORTIN: Yeah. Oh, yeah.

GREG BENNICK: And that sense memory was there and all of a sudden it just came back.

GERRY FORTIN: It came back, and it came back really strong.

GREG BENNICK: That's amazing. So, what did you do in between, say, 1964/1965 and 1987 when you weren't collecting coins?

GERRY FORTIN: I was intensely focused on my semiconductor career. I graduated from the University of Maine with an electronics degree in 1978 and I went to work for IBM. So, this was in Dutchess County. This was at the infancy of the mainframe age. IBM had just released the 370 generation, 360, 370 generation of mainframe computers. And they were working on the next generation, and they were hiring. And luckily, I had some really sterling grades at UMaine, and I got hired. So, I spent six years in East Fishkill, New York, working on the development of processor chips for these mainframes.

GREG BENNICK: I love that many people follow a similar path, not semiconductors necessarily, but people follow a similar path in terms of they get really interested in coins and then it's either, you know, girls/dating, what have you, cars, anything like that in high school. And then they come back to it later somehow, some way through some fortuitous set of circumstances later in life. So, I'm really glad this roll of Morgan dollars came your way.

So, here's the missing question at this point. So, you get into Morgan dollars and then what happens in terms of being a coin collector, coin dealer. And I guess I'm asking in a sense a leading question because I'm curious about where this leads us in terms of eventually Seated dimes coming into play. What happened after that roll of Morgan dollars?

GERRY FORTIN: Okay. Well, that's a great question. So, the Morgan dollars lasted all of six months. It became pretty obvious, after going to a few coin shows, some coin shops, and I was subscribing to Coin World...there was always the large ads for, you know, BU Morgans that were all sliders. Remember those days?

GREG BENNICK: Yes.

GERRY FORTIN: Within six months, there was no challenge. I mean, you could go find Morgans. It was just a matter of how much money you had to build a set. There was nothing really rare about Morgans. So, I got bored. I'm a very intense individual. When I jump into a hobby or into a subject matter, I like to dive deep and explore and Morgans just didn't provide that stimulation. So, by the summer of 1988, I said, "That's it. I'm done with Morgans. I want to collect something really memorable." Liberty Seated coinage became the target. The question was what denomination? I really enjoyed civil war history. I'd read a number of books. I was just really a fan of the North and the South struggles during the Civil War. So, I wanted to collect coins that spanned that era.

One evening I grabbed the Red Book, sat in my chair, and I was going to make a decision. And after I made that decision, I was going to go for it. So looked at the values in the Red Book, the series, how long they were, key dates, the stoppers. So, half dimes were too small, and it was too short of a series. It was just not exciting. The Liberty Seated quarters were way too tough. Just a lot of low mintages, dates, a very expensive set to put together. And I had to consider finances too, at the time.

GREG BENNICK: Like some of the CC dates in there are extraordinarily rare and valuable.

GERRY FORTIN: Yeah. The CC dates. And, but there's just, the whole series is very tough. It's an expensive set to put together. And the half dollars were doable except for the 78-S. The 78-S is the stopper. That'll cost you $50-70,000 for one coin. So that left the dimes. And I said, "Okay, the dimes seem to be reasonable. The 74-CC is really tough. There's a few other dates, but you know, fine...VF." I thought, "I had the resources. I could pull this off."

So, I said, "Okay, I'm going to collect Liberty Seated dimes."

GREG BENNICK: That's great. What was it in particular that attracted you to the denomination or rather the type? For many people, they look at Morgan dollars. They think that it's a big coin, Liberty's big on the front, and that's alluring and attractive. You picked a small coin amidst the Liberty Seated series. What was it about the Liberty Seated coinage itself that was attractive to you? Or was it just economical that you could access these coins for the budget that you had?

GERRY FORTIN: No, actually it was history. The history associated with that period in the United States was fascinating and I tend to be a history buff. My father was in the Korean War. He came back and he would build a lot of those plastic models of battleships and airplanes and tanks. And I got into that and before long, I was studying World War Two history.

So, I was studying Civil War history and World War Two history. So, the coins kind of spoke to me in terms of being historical artifacts. I wanted something that was struck during those turbulent times. And this was also going to be a bit of a financial investment because Liberty Seated coinage, I mean, quality in Liberty Seated coinage is not inexpensive. So that's pretty much the thinking at the time.

GREG BENNICK: Yeah, that makes sense. And it harkens to what you mentioned before about North and the South and the Civil War and those times and whatnot and what was happening in the United States that you were driven by, by history.

GERRY FORTIN: I was driven by history. So, I just wanted artifacts, to collect artifacts, from that period of time. That makes sense to me. When you make an initial decision, and you've got some parameters to guide you, then it develops afterwards.

GREG BENNICK: That makes sense, certainly. And I think that as you pick a type of coin to collect, you eventually find that even if it seems like you're narrowing your focus, then the world opens up from there as you dive in and become an expert like you did.

GERRY FORTIN: Absolutely. Absolutely. You got it right.

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 and US counterstamps. He is on the board of both CONECA and TAMS and enjoys having in-depth conversations with prominent numismatists from all areas of the hobby. Have ideas for other interviewees? Contact him anytime on the web or via instagram @minterrors.

To watch the complete video, see:
Gerry Fortin Interviewed for the NNP by Greg Bennick (https://youtu.be/aNYBgaAxv7k)

To read the complete transcript, see:
Gerry Fortin Interviewed for the NNP by Greg Bennick (Transcript) (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/643416)

PHILADELPHIA MINT SUPERINTENDENT SHALLIE BEY JR.

"Well, this is a proclamation from the U.S. Treasury Department," said Shallie Bey, pointing to a framed document.

This proclamation stands as a testament to the strides Fort Worth resident Shallie Bey Jr. made as the head of the United States Mint in Philadelphia from 1978 to 1981, from introducing the Susan B. Anthony coin to improving plant safety and leading the production of billions of coins.

"But none of that could have happened unless he had the confidence to say, 'I'm gonna give you the chance to do it,'" said Bey.

President Jimmy Carter was the one who gave him that chance.

"I was the first African American and also the youngest person in history to be assigned to manage the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia," said Bey.

At just 29 years old, Bey was nominated by President Jimmy Carter to become the 16th superintendent of the United States Mint in Philadelphia. Years later, President Carter nominated him for a second time, to be the chairman of the Philadelphia Federal Executive Board, where he oversaw the collaboration between 83 agencies and 53,000 employees.

"Here I was, 29 years old, and I was dealing with people who were admirals and generals and so forth, and they were taking my advice seriously and acting on it, and that was a phenomenal experience," said Bey.

Bey recalls attending an event at the White House with his wife and the kindness of President Carter and his team.

"We had a child on the way, and they were just making very major efforts to make sure that she was going to be comfortable—all kinds of attentiveness," said Bey. "That was the way that he was. He didn't have to do things like that, and his wife didn't have to do things like that, but that was the nature that everybody was important to them."

To read the complete article, see:
Shallie Bey Jr.: Leading the U.S. Mint with President Carter's trust (https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/shallie-bey-jr-leading-the-u-s-mint-with-president-carters-trust/)

NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: JANUARY 5, 2025

102772 | LOW COUNTRIES & AUSTRIA. Reception of the Salzburg emigrants silver Medal. Issued 1733 (48mm, 46.13 g, 11h). By Martin Holtzhey. BELGIUM FOEDERATUM, Belgia (female personification of the historical region) seated right on ship, holding pole surmounted by phrygian cap and resting elbow upon shield; grain field in background; to left, ox reclining right // PERFUGIUM MISERIS, Belgia standing facing, head slightly right, protecting the emigrants with her shield and stretching out her right hand towards an altar (around which the personifications of Faith and Mercy stand); to inner left, lion reclining left, holding bundle of arrows; in three lines in exergue, DCCC SALISBURGENS IB' / SEDES ASSIGNATÆ / MDCCXXXIII. Edge: Plain. van Loon II, 80; Whiting 473; Opitz 2953; Zöttl 2723. PCGS SP-58. Intense brilliance in the fields, with some scattered marks and irregular toning; a few trivial marks on the edge are noted merely for completeness. A fairly rare and desirable type, and the only representative observed in the PCGS census. $965.

In 1731, the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, Leopold Anton von Firmian, issued an expulsion edict to drive out the remaining Protestant population. Over the next few years, this led to their subsequent resettlement in more religiously-friendly areas of Europe, such as the Dutch Republic (as recounted on this medal), and even in the American colony of Georgia.

To read the complete item description, see:
102772 | LOWLANDS & AUSTRIA. Reception of the Salzburg emigrants silver Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102772)

103052 | SWITZERLAND. Bern. Silver Academic Prize Medal or "Gärtnerpfennig". Issued circa 1824/5 for outstanding pupils in the canton (35mm, 12h). LABOR OMNIBUS IDEM (work is the same for all), bees in flight around a beehive set upon an altar; sapling to the right; PRÆM DILIG (a prize for diligence) in exergue // RESPUBLICA BERNENSIS, crowned cantonal coat-of-arms of Bern within a laurel wreath. SM 704; Meier & Häusler 164. NGC MS-65. Deeply toned, with tremendous brilliance and crispness. Fairly rare in this elevated and rather attractive state of preservation, and the only such representative of the type in the NGC census. $395.

Quite popular in the canton of Bern during the 18th and early 19th centuries, the so-called "Gärtnerpfennigs," or "gardener's pennies," were a special form of scholastic prize given to deserving students for their academic achievements. They would sometimes feature a kneeling gardener on one side (accounting for the name), as the gardener was considered an allegory of diligence. Here, however, the iconography of industriousness is represented by a beehive with numerous bees flying around.

To read the complete item description, see:
103052 | SWITZERLAND. Bern. Silver Academic Prize Medal or "Gärtnerpfennig". (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/103052)

102945 | ITALY. Papal States. Pope Pius IX/Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls bronze Medal. Issued 1854 (82mm, 256.22 g, 12h). By Giuseppe Bianchi in Rome. PIVS IX PONT MAX, bust left, wearing zucchetto, mantum, and decorative pallium // PIVS IX P M BASILICAM PAVLI APOST AB INCENDIO REFECTAM SOLEMNI RITV CONSECRAVIT IV ID DEC MDCCCLIV, interior view of the basilica, from a vantage point just to the left of center. Edge: Plain; thickness: 8mm. Bartolotti, "Massimo Modulo," 7; Mazio 731; Molinari 216. Choice Mint State. Glossy dark brown surfaces, with great relief and depth. Given its large-format status, extremely rare in this advanced state of preservation, with no scuffs, distracting marks, or bruising. Includes original box of issue, though rather distressed. $1,295.

Architecture in general plays a heavy role in the medallic art of Pius IX, given the number of restorations done to religious edifices during his rather lengthy reign. In the case of this medal, the Basilica of St. Paul Outside of the Walls (of the Vatican), which suffered a near-total destruction by fire in July 1823, and which was formally reconsecrated in late 1854. Pius IX presided over the longest verified papal reign in history, serving as pope from 1846 to 1878, and also saw the loss of papal dominion over the states (parts of central mainland Italy) to which it laid claim for centuries. Following Italian unification under the King of Sardegna (Sardinia), Vittorio Emanuele II, the peninsula began to coalesce under a single regnum, leaving the rule of Pius in question.

When Rome fell, then taking a new role as the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, Pius became trapped, literally and figuratively, and considered himself a prisoner in the Vatican—a standoff between the papacy and the kingdom that would last for nearly 60 years. In 1929, and brokered by then-Pope Pius XI and leader of the Fascist Party, Benito Mussolini, the Lateran Treaty ended the longstanding feud between the two factions over the sovereignty of the papacy within the kingdom. The treaty gave the Vatican City to the papacy—a separate city-state headed by the pope within the city of Rome itself—as well as compensation to the papacy by the Italian government for the loss of the territory within the former papal states.

To read the complete item description, see:
102945 | ITALY. Papal States. Pope Pius IX/Basilica of St. Paul bronze Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102945)

102882 | GERMANY. Confirmation silver Medal. Issued circa 1850 (28mm, 10.65 g, 12h). By Drentwett in Augsburg. SIE EMPFIENGEN DEN HEIL. GEIST (thou shall receive the Holy Spirit), confirmation scene: Bishop, wearing miter and holding crozier, standing left, confirming youth to right; attendants around; radiant dove above // DER GEIST IST'S DER LEBENDIG MACHT / JOHANN 6 V 63 (it is the Spirit that makes life, —adapted from John 6:63), radiant dove. Edge: Plain. GPH –; Forster –. PCGS SP-64. Highly brilliant and mirrored, with a great iridescence sprinkled throughout. $295.

While one may now purchase a silver round, usually struck to the weight of one ounce and with a variety of religions-themed designs, as a gift for a child upon said child's baptism or confirmation, the practice is in no way modern. In 18th and 19th century Germany in particular, the practice was commonplace, with mints in Nürnberg and, later on, the Loos workshop in Berlin and the Drentwett workshop in Augsburg, striking countless tokens and medals to be used as baptismal (amd related) gifts. While the Nürnberg issues tended to verge upon actual coinage, such as the multiple and fractional gold ducat agnus Dei—or Lamb of God—issues, or billon kerzendreier that had more of an ecclesiastic token status, those later from the Loos and Drentwett workshops were fully in the medallic realm, with the firm mixing and matching various obverse and reverse dies with numerous Biblical scenes. One of the leading references for this area of medallic art is Kreß auction 115 from 1960, which presented the combined collections of Marie Luise Goppel and Dr. Plum-Holler, commonly referred to as Goppel-Plum-Holler, or simply GPH.

To read the complete item description, see:
102882 | GERMANY. Confirmation silver Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102882)

103060 | UNITED STATES & SPAIN. Carlos III/American Bankers' Association bronze Medal. Issued 1966 for the 13th annual meeting in Madrid (60mm, 162.66 g, 12h). CAROL III D G HISP ET IND R / 1716-1788, garlanded, armored, and draped bust right // XIII ANNVAL MEETING / MADRID MAY 1966, THE / AMERICAN / BANKERS / ASSOCIATION in four lines within garlanded wreath. Edge: Plain. Choice Gem Mint State. Deep brown surfaces, with intense relief on the obverse. An impressive specimen for any collector of Spanish and/or Latin American issues, with an obverse clearly inspired by the portrait coinage of Carlos (Charles) III. $195.

To read the complete item description, see:
103060 | UNITED STATES & SPAIN. Carlos III/American Bankers' Assn bronze Medal (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/103060)

HERITAGE BUST COINAGE SHOWCASE

Bust coinage covers a crucial period in early American numismatics, with silver issues minted in denominations ranging from half dimes through dollars. Notable types such as the Draped Bust and Capped Bust designs prominently feature the classical depiction of Lady Liberty on the obverse, which was a popular motif symbolizing the young nation's ideals. Explore these coins through our January 6 Showcase Auction of Bust Coinage, with bidding taking place now through the live session at 7PM CT on Monday, January 6.

Bust coinage is often collected by variety, most notably the half dollars by Overton variety. However, specialists in other denominations love their varieties as well, and will pay nice premiums for rare varieties. This auction features a rare Browning variety, an 1836 B-5 Bust Quarter graded VF20 by PCGS. This rare variety shows a diagnostic die crack running from the rim through star 1 and into Liberty's neck, where it joins an equally heavy die crack from the rim through the curl near 6 in the date. At a high R.6, B-5 is, by a wide margin, the rarest 1836 die marriage. A rising crack through STATE on the reverse confirms the late die state. This coin is plated in the Rea-Koenings-Haroutunian Census.

You can place your bids on these coins now at Coins.HA.com. Choose your favorite and place your bid today!

HERITAGE FUN US CURRENCY AUCTION

Newnan, GA - $50 1882 Brown Back Fr. 513 The First National Bank Ch. # (S)1861 PMG Very Fine 20. A wonderful Georgia rarity, this is one of only three $50 Brown Backs reported for the entire state and the only one of the three to have ever appeared at public sale. Two of the three reported notes are from this Newnan bank, while the third is from a bank in Macon, but, as mentioned, only this Newnan $50 has ever made a public appearance. That lone occurrence was when we auctioned this note as part of The Rome Collection in our 2004 FUN auction. It is a pleasing, well margined piece with sharp ink colors and bold pen signatures. PMG has noted a sprinkling of pinholes but they are a mere trifle when considering the extreme rarity of this Georgia trophy note. With the other two Georgia $50 Brown Backs tied up in long-term holdings, it may be many years before any opportunity to acquire this rare type and denomination presents itself again.

More information about Georgia National Bank Notes.

To read the complete item description, see:
Newnan, GA - $50 1882 Brown Back Fr. 513 The First National Bank Ch. # (S)1861 PMG Very Fine 20. (https://currency.ha.com/itm/national-bank-notes/georgia/newnan-ga-50-1882-brown-back-fr-513-the-first-national-bank-ch-s-1861-pmg-very-fine-20/a/3597-20425.s?ctrack=200071&type=featured-img1-currency-picks-3597-FUN-tem123024#)

Poplarville, MS - $10 1902 Red Seal Fr. 615 The National Bank of Poplarville Ch. # (S)8719 PMG Very Fine 30. This is an incredible Mississippi rarity that is certainly one of the highlight notes of tonight's auction. It hails from the only bank to issue in southern Mississippi's Pearl River County - a short-lived venture that issued only a handful of Red Seals and Date Backs between 1907 and 1910. Tonight's offering is the only note reported from this charter and, in the famous words of John Hickman, "it is a real peach of a note." It is a bright and crisp $10 Red Seal with wonderful color, even, problem free wear, and loads of eye appeal for the grade. It is a truly wonderful and rare National fit for the finest of collections. More information about Mississippi National Bank Notes.

To read the complete item description, see:
Poplarville, MS - $10 1902 Red Seal Fr. 615 The National Bank of Poplarville Ch. # (S)8719 PMG Very Fine 30. (https://currency.ha.com/itm/national-bank-notes/mississippi/poplarville-ms-10-1902-red-seal-fr-615-the-national-bank-of-poplarville-ch-s-8719-pmg-very-fine-30/a/3597-20685.s?ctrack=200071&type=featured-img1-currency-picks-3597-FUN-tem123024#)

Fr. 311 $20 1880 Silver Certificate PMG About Uncirculated 53. The design for this Silver Certificate is rather unique in that it is bereft of the usual green color for any part of the note including the unusual back design which goes to great pains to state that this is a SILVER CERTIFICATE. The ink used for the backs on series 1878 and 1880 Silver Certificates of all denominations was a black-brown color, high in iron oxide, which was used on no other issues. The only color incorporated is on the large brown Treasury seal and XX protector on the face which also features a portrait of Naval Commander Stephen Decatur prepared by Charles Schlecht. The present Track & Price census numbers 162 examples for this Friedberg number, which is rarely offered in higher grades. In fact, it has been nearly two decades since we last offered a higher grade example of this note. Of the 90 examples currently recorded in the PMG Population Report, only two have higher grades than this note.

From The Charlton Buckley Collection

To read the complete item description, see:
Fr. 311 $20 1880 Silver Certificate PMG About Uncirculated 53. (https://currency.ha.com/itm/large-size/silver-certificates/fr-311-20-1880-silver-certificate-pmg-about-uncirculated-53/a/3597-22157.s?ctrack=200071&type=featured-img1-currency-picks-3597-FUN-tem123024#)

T22 $10 1861 PF-1 Cr. 150 PMG Very Fine 30 EPQ. The T22, dated September 2, 1861, had an issuance number of 58,860. Printed by the Southern Bank Note Co., it shared a sheet with the T15 $50, T19 $20, and T31 $5. At right is a female holding an X, which denotes the denomination, and an ear of corn, at left is Thetis, one of the 50 daughters of the ancient Greek sea god Nereus, and at center is a Native American family. Red-orange protectors complete the design. T(emple) Ellett, who often endorsed with H.H. Goodloe (as demonstrated on this note), signed for Register. Ellett's sister, Sarah, was also a Confederate Treasury Note signer. H(arvel) H(arris) Goodloe's signature appears for Treasurer. One of the first Confederate signers, Goodloe signed notes until September 1861, when he asked for a transfer to the Office of Chief Clerk of the War Tax. Our current offering is a conditional rarity for several reasons. First, the "Exceptional Paper Quality" commendation awarded is an extremely scarce designation for this type. Only six percent of all examples of this type certified by PMG carry the EPQ modifier. Secondly, just twelve percent of all PMG graded T22s are certified VF 30 EPQ or higher, with six at the VF 30 EPQ level. Third, this piece possesses a full frame with wide margins. Finally, the exceedingly vibrant red-orange overprints are completely free of any signs of oxidization. In Pierre Fricke's 2014 book Collecting Confederate Paper Money, he lists market value on page 218 for a VF 30 EPQ/PPQ at $1,700 to $2,500. PMG mentions an as made serial number correction, which contributes further to the historical aspect.

From The Confederate Treasury Collection

To read the complete item description, see:
T22 $10 1861 PF-1 Cr. 150 PMG Very Fine 30 EPQ. (https://currency.ha.com/itm/confederate-notes/1861-issues/t22-10-1861-pf-1-cr-150-pmg-very-fine-30-epq/a/3597-20119.s?ctrack=200071&type=featured-img1-currency-picks-3597-FUN-tem123024#)

Fr. 264 $5 1886 Silver Certificate PMG Gem Uncirculated 65 EPQ. Serial number B32490802 in this lot sits all alone as the second highest PMG graded example on this better Silver Dollar Back Friedberg number. The sole highest graded Fr. 264 is a PMG 66 EPQ note with serial B32490814. We auctioned the latter example in May 2024 for $37,200. Those two notes are just twelve serial numbers apart and both are plate letter B pieces. Also, they are the only Fr. 264 examples above PMG 45 EPQ that have earned the highly coveted EPQ grade modifier. Our current offering possesses full margins with wonderful centering, excellent color, and natural paper wave. Overall, it is a gorgeous note to represent the type.

From The Dwane Johansen Collection

To read the complete item description, see:
Fr. 264 $5 1886 Silver Certificate PMG Gem Uncirculated 65 EPQ. (https://currency.ha.com/itm/large-size/silver-certificates/fr-264-5-1886-silver-certificate-pmg-gem-uncirculated-65-epq/a/3597-22122.s?ctrack=200071&type=featured-img1-currency-picks-3597-FUN-tem123024#)

Fr. 1216a $500 1882 Gold Certificate PMG Very Fine 25. The Fr. 1216a has the unique honor of having been delivered for only two days. Delivery began on March 18, 1914 and ended on March 19, 1914 ensuring a low population of this note type.Fewer than three dozen examples are known, and this is a rather attractive example of the Parker-Burke signature combination. The margins are full and the colors, though certainly not perfect, are typical for the 25 grade. It is evenly circulated and with the comments, stains, and spindle hole. Estimate: $15,000 - up.

To read the complete item description, see:
Fr. 1216a $500 1882 Gold Certificate PMG Very Fine 25. (https://currency.ha.com/itm/large-size/gold-certificates/fr-1216a-500-1882-gold-certificate-pmg-very-fine-25/a/3597-22294.s?ctrack=200071&type=featured-img1-currency-picks-3597-FUN-tem123024#)

Postal Currency Envelope for 3¢ Notes (Washington, DC- Fisk Mills) ND (1869) PMG Encapsulated No Grade. This example was previously lot 456 when we auctioned the Milton R. Friedberg Collection on January 10, 1997. This is an excessively rare item of great interest to Fractional collectors. The story of this envelope is best told in a short article written by Milt that can be found at www.spmc,org - "Postal Currency Envelope" in Paper Money, Society of Paper Money Collectors, January/February 1980, Vol. XIX, No. 1, Whole No. 85, page 29. The example in this lot is plated with the article. In short, Milt ran across the description of this item in a postal history reference book. It is a postal envelope used to preserve stamps while they are being used as small change. This is a post-Civil War example and U.S. Patent 91,473 was issued to Fisk Mills of Washington, D.C. for a "Postal Currency" envelope on June 15, 1869. A limited quantity of orange (red to this cataloger's eyes) on buff paper examples were prepared. Milt was aware of three examples of the version in this lot surviving when the article was written in 1980. Three other different versions were also known to Milt and he believed that they were the original "working samples" supplied to the U.S. Patent Office with the patent application as was required by the patent law of the period. These samples were later sold by the Patent Office in a house cleaning procedure. An additional variation was known to Milt with an eagle facing left. When we auctioned Milt's collection in 1997 and before the piece in this lot was third party encapsulated, we described the envelope in this lot as having a short split where the flap meets the envelope. Nonetheless, this item remains rare. As being a post-Civil War example, it was not included in Fred Reed's, Civil War Stamp Envelopes The Issuers & Their Times.

To read the complete item description, see:
Postal Currency Envelope for 3¢ Notes (Washington, DC- Fisk Mills) ND (1869) PMG Encapsulated No Grade. (https://currency.ha.com/itm/miscellaneous/postal-currency-envelope-for-3-notes-washington-dc-fisk-mills-nd-1869-pmg-encapsulated-no-grade/a/3597-20215.s?ctrack=200071&type=featured-img1-currency-picks-3597-FUN-tem123024#)

Printed Fold Error Fr. 1935-A $2 1976 Federal Reserve Note. PMG Choice Uncirculated 64 EPQ. A dramatic printed fold shows the Treasury Seal and upper serial number on the back of this Boston $2.

To read the complete item description, see:
Printed Fold Error Fr. 1935-A $2 1976 Federal Reserve Note. PMG Choice Uncirculated 64 EPQ. (https://currency.ha.com/itm/error-notes/foldovers/printed-fold-error-fr-1935-a-2-1976-federal-reserve-note-pmg-choice-uncirculated-64-epq/a/3597-22587.s?ctrack=200071&type=featured-img1-currency-picks-3597-FUN-tem123024#)

JORDAN VALLEY FIND YIELDS KING JANNAEUS COINS

A rare collection of ancient coins was discovered last week by Israeli researchers, who called the find an "archaeological Hanukkah miracle."

The coins are more than 2,000 years old and believed to belong to King Alexander Jannaeus, the second ruler of the Hasmonean dynasty that presided over Judea in the final centuries leading up to the common era, according to the University of Haifa in Israel.

Archaeologists found the hoard of about 160 of the coins during ongoing excavations in the Jordan Valley, which runs between the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the eastern border of Jordan. The project is headed by researchers at the University of Haifa and the Zinman Institute of Archaeology, the university said in a news release translated from Hebrew.

The ancient coins were unearthed Friday, coinciding with the third day of Hanukkah. Researchers noted the significance of that timing, since Alexander Jannaeus descended from leaders of a revolt in 167 B.C.E. that the Talmud says led to the restoration of the temple in Jerusalem and the first celebration of the Hanukkah holiday.

Each coin bears inscriptions that include an eight-pointed star and the phrase "King Alexander 25" written in Aramaic, one of the world's oldest known languages that originated in the region around what's now Syria and is closely related to both Arabic and Hebrew. These types of coins date back to about 80 B.C.E., according to the University of Haifa.

"The site where the treasure was discovered is, apparently, a way station, which had not been recognized in research until now," said Shai Bar, one of the leaders of the excavation, in a statement to the university. Bar said the station included a purification bath, used for religious ritual, and a water storage area in addition to other buildings. It's located along a main road leading to the Alexandrion fortress, built atop a mountain in the Jordan Valley by Alexander Jannaeus.

To read the complete articles, see:
Rare trove of ancient coins found in Israel: "Archaeological Hanukkah miracle" (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ancient-coins-found-israel-archaeological-hanukkah-miracle/)
‘Miracle' hoard of Hasmonean coins discovered during Hanukkah in Jordan Valley dig (https://www.timesofisrael.com/miracle-hoard-of-hasmonean-coins-discovered-during-hanukkah-in-jordan-valley-dig/)
2,000-year-old Rare Hasmonean Dynasty Coins Discovered in Israel (https://greekreporter.com/2024/12/31/rare-hasmonean-dynasty-coins-israel/)

 

THREE VIKING GRAVES YIELD DISTANT COINS

The graves belonged to three women who lived during the early Viking Age, in the first half of the 9th century.

At that time, there was a large farm at Skumsnes. It probably belonged to a local or regional king in western Norway.

One woman was buried in a natural crevice in the rock, which was then covered with stones.

The woman was buried with costume jewellery and brooches, the characteristic oval brooches that Viking Age women used to fasten their apron dresses.

Her grave contained stones arranged in the shape of a boat. Inside the stones were boat rivets.

A four-metre-long boat accompanied this woman into the afterlife.

This grave also contained oval brooches, other costume jewellery, and a necklace made of 46 glass beads and 11 silver coins.

One of the coins is a very rare variant from the Danish Viking towns of Hedeby or Ribe. It was made in southern Denmark during the first half of the 9th century.

"That coin might be the most remarkable find here," says Diinhoff. "I plan to have it tattooed this winter."

The other coins appear to be Carolingian silver coins. These also date from the first half of the 9th century but originate from the Frankish Empire. This suggests the woman had connections to the continent.

In the middle of the boat grave, there was a stone marking the mast of the boat. When the archaeologists turned it over, they saw that it resembled a ‘vulva stone' – the stone looked like female genitalia.

To read the complete articles, see:
Found jewellery and a unique coin: Three women were buried here during the Viking Age (https://www.sciencenorway.no/archaeology-viking-age/found-jewellery-and-a-unique-coin-three-women-were-buried-here-during-the-viking-age/2441557)
'Vulva stone' and coin jewelry among remarkable treasures discovered at Viking burial site in Norway (https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/vikings/vulva-stone-and-coin-jewelry-among-remarkable-treasures-discovered-at-viking-burial-site-in-norway)

ROYAL AUSTRALIAN MINT FIRST COIN OF 2025

2025 was only a few hours old when it brought "lucky" 25-year-old Daniella Vido something she'd always wanted — the chance to strike the world's first coin for the new year.

The lifelong coin enthusiast's parents first began collecting coins when she was a baby, and she's now continued the tradition herself as an adult.

She estimates she now has hundreds of coins at home.

This year was only the second time Ms Vido had entered into the ballot, but visiting the Royal Australian Mint on New Year's Day had long been a staple of her childhood.

The Canberra local was this year among a crowd of more than 300 people who forwent the late night revelry of New Year's Eve in favour of an early morning wake up and a visit to the Royal Australian Mint.

They were all there to partake in what's become a hallowed tradition for numismatists, otherwise known as coin collectors, to try and get their hands on the first coin of the year.

Many had travelled from as far afield as Melbourne, Brisbane and regional New South Wales to be there for the occasion, and some had even backed up a visit to the Mint from the night before, where they'd tried to secure one of the last coins to be minted for the year.

Every year, the Mint bestows a new theme on the collectible coins.

This year, they commemorate 60 years of the Royal Australian Mint itself, the architecture of the building, the robots and the machines that operate out of it, the workers (affectionately known as Minties) and of course the coin collectors themselves.

Don adds:

To read the complete article, see:
Lifelong coin collector wins first coin of the year in ballot at the Royal Australian Mint (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-01/first-coin-year-2025-royal-australian-mint-canberra/104773970)

CHOPMARKED TRADE DOLLARS

In the U.S., the Trade Dollar holds the distinction of being the heaviest of the American silver dollars at 27.2 grams (or 420 grains, as noted on the coin's reverse). Thanks to considerable confusion over the type's legal tender status and its practical value in the United States, the Trade Dollar was also the only coin to be demonetized by an act of Congress, in July 1876; however, they continued to be minted as business strikes designed for export to the Far East until 1878, and in proof format for years after.

In China, the Trade Dollar had a rather different experience, enjoying some commercial success as evidenced by the presence of chop marks on many surviving examples. As part of a practice dating back to the 17th century, Chinese merchants placed chop marks on many types that were commonly used in global trade. These private countermarks, used to verify a coin's silver content and acceptability, were utilized until as recently as the early 20th century. The great majority of Trade Dollars that received these chop marks ended up in Chinese melting pots where they became bullion, typically sycee ingots. The relatively small proportion of chopmarked Trade Dollars that survived U.S. government redemption and destruction for their silver content, spanning a variety of conditions, have become highly collectible and sought after by those who are entranced by the exotic history of these coins.

Unsurprisingly, the two key dates for chopped coins are largely the same as their non-chopped counterparts—the 1875 and 1878-CC. The 1878-CC has fewer than a dozen known examples sporting chopmarks. The 1875 is even more difficult, as nearly all purported 1875 specimens feature chop marks conveniently obscuring the mintmark area, or they are actually 1875-S issues with a known, overly-polished die that eventually caused the mint mark to disappear. Fortunately, the 1875 has many distinctive die features and is usually easily identified. Unfortunately, there are exceedingly few undisputed known examples; the true population is unknown, but is likely fewer than five coins. The well-known Legend Collection, despite holding many condition census coins, was never able to add a chopmarked example of the 1875 Trade Dollar to its PCGS Registry set.

Pricing varies for the type with chopmarks. Greysheet recently updated its price guides to reflect recent auction results and private transactions (see online price guide—Ed.), but the market for chopmarked Trade Dollars, while growing, is still relatively small. For common issues, such as high-volume dates from the San Francisco Mint, a 25% discount from a straight graded example is normal. But one of the charming features of the series is the individuality of chopped coins; no two are alike. Some coins can have one or two chops and be otherwise flawless, likely the result of a shroff marking a bag of coins, immediately replacing the coins in the bag, and then disbursing the contents as part of a commercial transaction. These coins can receive grades up to MS64, as chopmarked coins are considered ineligible to receive Gem grades by virtue of their ‘damaged' status. At the opposite end of the spectrum, examples can have so many chops that a coin can become bowled and barely identifiable. The quantity, placement, and, in some cases, design of the chops can heavily influence the discount (or premium) realized for the coin. Chopmarks can add value to a seldom-encountered date, particularly the aforementioned Philadelphia issues, which are common in un-chopped condition but extremely scarce with genuine chopmarks.

There are several books addressing chop marks and their history, but Chopmarks by Frank Rose (1987) and Chopmarked Coins–A History by Colin Gullberg (2014) are out of print in English, and can only be found on the secondary market, typically at a large premium. However, a fantastic new book covering the history of chopmarks and the many host coins they can be found on was recently released on Amazon: By Weight, Not by Coyne–An Introduction to Chopmarked Coins, by W. Taylor Leverage.

To read the complete article, see:
An Introduction to Chopmarked Trade Dollars (https://www.greysheet.com/news/story/an-introduction-to-chopmarked-trade-dollars)

To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
NEW BOOK: CHOPMARKED COINS - A HISTORY (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n27a03.html)
BOOK REVIEW: CHOPMARKED COINS: A HISTORY (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n35a07.html)
NEW BOOK: BY WEIGHT, NOT BY COYNE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n24a03.html)

 

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC MEDAL DETERIORATION

Two swimmers have become the latest athletes who took part in last summer's Olympics to complain about the state of their bronze medals.

France's Clement Secchi and Yohann Ndoye-Brouard both revealed the condition of the medals on social media, almost five months after they finished third in the 4x100 metre medley relay.

The issue first emerged before the Games had even finished after skateboarder Nyjah Huston shared images showing his medal had already appeared to tarnish.

United States team-mates Nick Itkin and Ilona Maher followed suit days later by revealing the state of the medals they respectively won in fencing and rugby sevens.

Months later, Secchi posted a picture of his bronze medal along with the caption, "Crocodile skin", prompting a response from Ndoye-Brouard suggesting his own medal now looked more like one from the "Paris 1924" Games.

The images heaped further embarrassment on Paris 2024, which had promised last summer that any damaged medals would be replaced.

Huston had been the first to raise the alarm, revealing that his own had begun to deteriorate after just 10 days.

"All right, so these Olympic medals look great when they're brand new, but after letting it sit on my skin with some sweat for a little bit and then letting my friends wear it over the weekend, they're apparently not as high quality as you would think," he said.

"I mean, look at that thing. It's looking rough. Even the front. It's starting to chip off a little. So yeah, I don't know, Olympic medals, you maybe got to step up the quality a little bit."

To read the complete article, see:
Olympians reveal how much Paris 2024 medals have already deteriorated (https://sports.yahoo.com/olympians-reveal-much-paris-2024-173844682.html)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
2024 PARIS OLYMPIC MEDALS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n31a25.html)

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC MEDALS DETERIORATE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n32a20.html)

BIDEN AWARDS PRESIDENTIAL CITIZENS MEDALS

President Joe Biden on Thursday awarded the second highest civilian medal to Liz Cheney and Bennie Thompson, leaders of the congressional investigation into the Capitol riot...

Biden awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal to 20 people in a ceremony in the East Room, including Americans who fought for marriage equality, a pioneer in treating wounded soldiers, and two of the president's longtime friends, former Sens. Ted Kaufman, D-Del., and Chris Dodd, D-Conn.

"Together, you embody the central truth: We're a great nation because we're a good people," he said. "Our democracy begins and ends with the duties of citizenship. That's our work for the ages and it's what all of you embody."

Biden also awarded the medal to attorney Mary Bonauto, who fought to legalize same-sex marriage, and Evan Wolfson, a leader of the marriage equality movement.

Other honorees included Frank Butler, who set new standards for using tourniquets on war injuries; Diane Carlson Evans, an Army nurse during the Vietnam War who founded the Vietnam Women's Memorial Foundation; and Eleanor Smeal, an activist who led women's rights protests in the 1970s and fought for equal pay.

He bestowed the honor to photographer Bobby Sager, academics Thomas Vallely and Paula Wallace, and Frances Visco, the president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition.

Other former lawmakers honored included former Sen. Bill Bradley, D-N.J.; former Sen. Nancy Kassebaum, the first woman to represent Kansas; and former Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., who championed gun safety measures after her son and husband were shot to death.

To read the complete article, see:
Biden awards the 2nd highest civilian award to leaders of the Jan. 6 committee and 18 others (https://apnews.com/article/biden-citizens-medals-jan-6-cheney-thompson-f725b7003ea11239b90962a8cf0d5305)

To read an earlier E-Sylum article, see:
BIDEN AWARDS PRESIDENTIAL CITIZENS MEDALS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n02a27.html)

BIDEN AWARDS MEDAL OF FREEDOM

Vogue editor Dame Anna Wintour, U2 frontman Bono and billionaire George Soros are among those who have received America's highest civilian honour from outgoing President Joe Biden.

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined actors Denzel Washington and Michael J Fox as they also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony on Saturday.

Nineteen people received the honour this year, spanning the worlds of culture, politics and activism.

The White House said the recipients had been chosen because are they are "good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world".

Bono, who's real name is Paul David Hewson, has already been awarded the highest cultural honour of France and received an honorary knighthood.

He is known for campaigning against poverty and supporting those with HIV/Aids.

Wintour, one of the most significant players in fashion, has been serving as editor-in-chief of Vogue since 1988 and among other charities helped raised more than $20m for Aids research.

She also raised money for UK arts organisations following funding cuts in 2022.

Hillary Clinton receives the award just weeks before her former political rival is sworn in as president. She was the Democratic White House candidate lost to Donald Trump in the 2016 election.

Inter Miami soccer star Lionel Messi, retired Los Angeles Lakers basketball player Earvin "Magic" Johnson and fashion designer Ralph Lauren also received the medal.

American Film Institute founder George Stevens Jr and former Kennedy Center chair David Rubinstein were among the cohort receiving medals.

Other recipients include humanitarian and chef José Andrés, whose World Central Kitchen has helped provide food for civilians in war zones and areas hit by natural disasters; acclaimed British conservationist Jane Goodall and science educator Bill Nye.

Former US Attorney General Robert F Kennedy, former Defence Secretary Ash Carter, civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer and former Governor of Michigan George W Romney will receive the award posthumously.

To read the complete article, see:
Biden awards Wintour, Bono and Soros with Medal of Freedom (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ced87711zlno)

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM AND THE INSTITUTE OF HERALDRY (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v14n01a07.html)
STUDY REVIEWS MEDAL OF FREEDOM AWARDEES (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v19n01a21.html)
MOE BERG'S PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v19n35a33.html)
BOB COUSY AWARDED MEDAL OF FREEDOM (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n34a23.html)

HUMPHREY BOGART'S "SHORT SNORTERS"

Most of you are familiar with so-called "short snorter" notes, which were signed by various individuals, primarily military, during World War II. I have been collecting these for some time, mostly looking for interesting stories or notes signed by famous personages. I have enough of these to fill a year's worth of Banknote Reporter articles. Still, for this month, I thought you might be interested in seeing and learning about not one but two notes that I have found over the years autographed by the legendary and well-known actor Humphrey Bogart! His performances in classic Hollywood films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart as the greatest male star of classic American cinema.

Now, let's look at some of the notes. The first I will show you is an Italian 50-lire note of the type of Pick #64, issued March 31, 1943. I found this note about 25 years ago at a coin show in Syracuse, New York. A well-known currency dealer in that area had quite a few boxes of world currency, and as I perused them, I came across this note priced at $5. This seemed cheap for the note at the time (little did I realize that almost no one collects Italian currency), but then I noticed that the identifying sticker on the holder indicated "writing" (hence the low price). I turned the note over to find just one pen signature on the back. It didn't take me long to decipher it as "Humphrey Bogart." Naturally, I bought it.

Why was Bogart's signature on a 1943 Italian bank note? Well, during part of 1943 and 1944, Bogart went on USO and War Bond tours accompanied by his then-wife Mayo Methot Bogart, enduring arduous travels to Italy and North Africa, including Casablanca. It is likely that Bogart signed this note when he was in Italy during this time. A United States soldier or officer may have grabbed whatever paper was on hand, in this case, a 50-lire note, and shoved it at Bogart for an autograph.

Here we get to the second note I will present to you. It is a "Series of 1935-A" $1 silver certificate, "short snorter," covered with signatures. On the back, along the bottom left, far left, and top left margins, it is inscribed, "Nov. 15, 1941- Short Snorter – ‘Bud' Caldwell." I like this one because it has a contemporary reference to "short snorter." It is not clear if all the signatures on it hail from that date; my conjecture is that Bud started the signatures then, and others followed over time.

To read the complete article, see:
Humphrey Bogart's "Short Snorter" Bank Note Signatures (https://www.numismaticnews.net/collecting-101/humphrey-bogarts-short-snorter-bank-note-signatures)

LOOSE CHANGE: JANUARY 5, 2025

The Port Phillip Patterns

So much has been written about Australia's numismatic items that I often forget evidence can sit in plain sight for decades without being noticed or appreciated.

That reality smacked me in the face earlier this week when I was researching a few of the sixpence and shilling patterns from the Port Phillip Kangaroo Office.

While doing a search on my laptop for the spreadsheet I store these records in, I came across a reference to a paper written by a collector named AF Bassett Hull, who was perhaps the first Australian numismatist to write about the Port Phillip pattern sixpence and shilling. A lot of this material is now being digitized, so I was able to re-read the paper via the State Library of NSW website.

Basset Hull dates the milled-edge patterns to 1855, which means they were struck before the Kangaroo Office was closed in 1857. He states the plain edge patterns were struck in 1860, which does mean they were struck after the Kangaroo Office closed, but still well before Taylor and / or his sons re-struck a whole lot of material several decades later.

Now, this "evidence" has been in print for some 152 years, so it is hardly "news"!

To read the complete article, see:
Evidence In Plain Sight - AF Bassett Hull and the Port Phillip Patterns (https://www.sterlingcurrency.com.au/blog/news-research/proclamation-and-colonial-coins/evidence-in-plain-sight-af-bassett-hull-and-the-po/)

Seeking Collins-Black's Treasure

Packing a thick jacket and warm hat to ward off the December chill, Kristie Cowling hiked among thick pines and rocky outcroppings above 7,000 feet in California's Sierra Nevada – increasingly hopeful that she was nearing a hidden treasure.

The Las Vegas-area teacher, trying to beat forecasted snow, had driven more than 400 miles to an area near Lake Tahoe, where she believed cryptic clues had led her. She stuffed a backpack with water, beef jerky and a pocket knife before setting out on forested trails.

Cowling passed several other hikers, wondering if they were after the same thing: A treasure worth more than $2 million hidden by California crypto-millionaire Jon Collins-Black in five puzzle boxes in five secret locations across the country.

Gold bars from a shipwreck. A 120-carat sapphire. A Bitcoin. Historic artifacts. A rare pendant by Picasso.

Since November, legions of amateur treasure hunters like Cowling have been racing to decipher clues in Collins-Black's recently released book, "There's Treasure Inside," whose pages, including puzzles and maps, contain clues to finding the hidden fortune. The public hunt, which kicked off in November, has swelled online discussion groups and sent aspiring millionaires searching from Vermont to California.

Collins-Black says that while he can't control what people do, he designed his hunt in hopes of avoiding all that.

None of his treasure boxes are hidden on private property, buried underground or in dangerous places to reach like a cliff, he said. They don't require crossing a raging river. No special equipment is needed. Each is hidden within three miles of a public road. And he devoted a prologue to safety as people search.

"I'm really trying to drill into people's minds that you don't have to do anything dangerous," Collins-Black said, who also hasn't shared information with his family so they won't be sought out.

To read the complete article, see:
Gold coins. Hidden boxes. Secret clues: Hunting for a crypto-millionaire's hidden treasure (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2025/01/02/crypto-treasure-hunters-seek-fortune-hidden-treasure/77180422007/)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NEW BOOK: THERE'S TREASURE INSIDE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n39a07.html)

Ken Burns Profile

The white colonial and a barn are flanked by an apple orchard in the electric green hills of New Hampshire in a town called Walpole.

It's this house and this piece of land that gave him the financial freedom to make the films of his choosing.

He moved here out of necessity: In 1979, Mr. Burns's landlord raised the rent on his fifth-floor, walk-up apartment in Manhattan from $275 to $325 — a sum now so quaint that it's hard to imagine how consequential it was for the beginning filmmaker. The increase meant that he would need to get a day job, and he had a vision of himself decades later, returning haggard from the office, the reels of his unfinished documentary atop the refrigerator.

In a move that seemed rash then and remains unconventional now, he rented the white colonial, then heated by a wood-burning stove, and bought it a few years later for $94,000.

The decampment to the small town — a pinprick of a village a 3½-hour drive from Manhattan that then had a population just over 3,000 — allowed Mr. Burns to explore, gave him peace and shut him out from the rest of world so he could see it more clearly.

To read the complete article, see:
The Land That Allowed Ken Burns to Raise the Dead (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/27/realestate/ken-burns-new-hampshire-home.html)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
THE SUPERPOWER OF READING AND RESEARCH (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n52a27.html)

Edgar Allan Poe's Tamerlane

Inconspicuous, fragile, published sans fanfare, ignored by reviewers, its sales poor, had Tamerlane been Edgar Allan Poe's only publication, a one-off chapbook of melancholy romantic verse, it would now be a mere bibliographical curiosity. A fugitive document of interest to some scholar of early Lord Byron imitators or a specialist—are there any?—of Boston job printers of the period.

Instead—because its author went on to invent the modern detective story (think "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Purloined Letter"), revolutionize the Gothic genre with tales like "The Cask of Amontillado" and "The Tell-Tale Heart," pen triumphs of supernatural horror like "The Fall of the House of Usher," and write the classic macabre poem "The Raven," which many of us tried to memorize as kids—TTamerlane, for its now-insignificant deficiencies as a poem and a pamphlet, is of towering importance to Poe specialists and aficionados alike.

The Holy Grail of book collecting, Tamerlane is one of those books that—like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in the original boards, which sold at Christie's in 2021 for $1.17 million, or Shakespeare's first folio, priced at $7.5 million and sold last year by the London-based rare book firm Peter Harrington on its 400th anniversary—causes a stir among rare book enthusiasts whether or not they have any hope, or desire, of acquiring it.

To read the complete articles, see:
In Search of the Rarest Book in American Literature: Edgar Allan Poe's Tamerlane (https://lithub.com/in-search-of-the-rarest-book-in-american-literature-edgar-allan-poes-tamerlane/)
What's worth more than the rarest book in American literature? The answer may (not) surprise you. (https://lithub.com/whats-worth-more-than-the-rarest-book-in-american-literature-the-answer-may-not-surprise-you/)

A new oldest book in world

The oldest book printed with metal movable type has been discovered in Korea, eclipsing the former record holder, the Jikji of 1377. The new discovery is dated from 1239 and is called the "Jeungdoga," or "Hymn of Enlightenment."

The full name is the "Nammyeongcheon Hwasang Songjeungdoga," meaning the "Hymn of Enlightenment of the Monk Nammyeongcheon." We don't know much about the monk who is credited with this book and his song in praise of reaching enlightenment, but we are learning more about Korea's printing history, which dates back to the 13th century — fully two hundred years earlier than Gutenberg's Bible of 1455.

To read the complete article, see:
A new oldest book in world (https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2024/12/638_388929.html)

ROYAL MINT RECYCLES GOLD ELECTRONIC WASTE

For more than a thousand years, the primary purpose of Britain's Royal Mint has been to make coins. It has forged into metal the likeness of England's kings and queens from Alfred the Great, the ninth-century king of the West Saxons, to King Charles III. But as the use of cash steeply declines, the mint is undergoing a vast transformation to avoid becoming obsolete.

Its new purpose: recovering precious metals, like gold, from electronic waste. And turning that metal into jewelry. Here's how.

In the late 1960s, the Royal Mint moved from its home in the Tower of London to a vast complex of low-slung buildings outside Cardiff, Wales.

In what used to be the foundry, where metal was cast for coins, large bags of electronic waste arrive. The mint expects to process about 4,500 tons of e-waste, which includes circuit boards from televisions, computers and medical equipment, each year.

Older electronics are better because they tend to have higher gold content than modern, more efficient technology. Smaller circuit boards that have visibly high gold content are sent straight on to the mint's chemical plant to have the gold removed.

The rest goes into a depopulation machine, a multicolored, slowly rotating cylinder that heats the circuit boards to 230 degrees Celsius (446 degrees Fahrenheit) to melt the solder so the components fall off the boards.

Then the boards and various components, such as microchips and aluminum capacitors, are shuffled onto a large, pink sorting machine. The pieces move along a vibrating sieve-like conveyor belt, falling into different buckets depending on their size.

The pieces without gold are valuable, too. Metals like iron, copper and nickel can be sold to metal markets. And the rest of the waste, shredded down, can be sold to construction companies for building materials.

The Royal Mint has adapted many times in its past, from silver pennies to gold coins, then to copper and other less valuable metals. It expanded its business to make the currency of other countries, as well as commemorative coins and gold bars for investment.

But this is different. During the Covid pandemic, cash use plummeted. Since then, demand for new coins has nearly evaporated. Last year, the mint issued 15.8 million British coins, a 90 percent drop from the year before.

The Royal Mint recently shut down its business making coins for other countries. It has retained its ability to make British coins but is betting millions of pounds that the key to its survival is the precious metal recovery plant, which started operating in earnest last summer.

"Who knows about coins in 20 years' time?" said Anne Jessop, the mint's chief executive.

To read the complete article, see:
How an Old Laptop Is Transformed Into 9-Karat Gold Earrings (https://www.nytimes.com/card/2025/01/01/business/uk-royal-mint-jewelry)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
ROYAL MINT'S NEW GOLD EXTRACTION PROCESS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n10a24.html)

ABOUT THIS ISSUE: JANUARY 5, 2025

Wayne Homren
Wayne Homren is the founding editor of The E-Sylum and a consultant for the Newman Numismatic Portal. His collecting interests at various times included U.S. Encased Postage Stamps, merchant counterstamps, Pittsburgh Obsolete paper money, Civil War tokens and scrip, Carnegie Hero Medals, charge coins and numismatic literature. He also collects and has given presentations on the work of Money Artist J.S.G. Boggs. In the non-numismatic world he's worked in artificial intelligence, data science, and as a Program Manager for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Garrett Ziss
Garrett Ziss is a numismatic collector and researcher, with a focus on American paper money and early U.S. silver and copper coins. He is also a part-time U.S. coin cataloger for Heritage Auctions. Garrett assists Editor Wayne Homren by editing and formatting a selection of articles and images each week. When he's not engaged in numismatics, Garrett is a Senior Honors student at the University of Pittsburgh.

Pete Smith writes:

Pete Smith
Numismatic researcher and author Pete Smith of Minnesota has written about early American coppers, Vermont coinage, numismatic literature, tokens and medals, the history of the U.S. Mint and much more. Author of American Numismatic Biographies, he contributes original articles to The E-Sylum often highlighting interesting figures in American numismatic history.

Greg Bennick
Greg Bennick (www.gregbennick.com) is a keynote speaker and long time coin collector with a focus on major mint error coins and US counterstamps. He is on the board of both CONECA and TAMS and enjoys having in-depth conversations with prominent numismatists from all areas of the hobby. Have ideas for other interviewees? Contact him anytime on the web or via instagram @minterrors.

John Nebel
Numismatist, photographer, and ANS Board member and Fellow John Nebel of Boulder, CO helped the ANA and other clubs like NBS get online in the early days of the internet, hosting websites gratis through his Computer Systems Design Co. To this day he hosts some 50 ANA member club sites along with our coinbooks.org site, making the club and our E-Sylum archive available to collectors and researchers worldwide.

Bruce Perdue
Encased coinage collector (encasedcoins.info) Bruce Perdue of Aurora, Illinois has been the volunteer NBS webmaster from its early days and works each week to add the latest E-Sylum issue to our archive and send out the email announcement.