About UsThe 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 SubscriptionsThose wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page link MembershipThere 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 AsylumFor Asylum mailing address changes and other membership questions, contact Jeff at this email address: treasurer@coinbooks.org SubmissionsTo submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com BUY THE BOOK BEFORE THE COINSale Calendar
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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.
New subscribers this week include: Alan & Sandy Sadwin of the Massapequa, NY coin club, courtesy Gregory Mirsky; Welcome aboard! We now have 7,253 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 highlights of Kolbe & Fanning's numismatic literature sale, four new books, book and website awards, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, and more.
Other topics this week include current circulating coins, the money of Bavaria, banknote security, the numismatic Wayback Machine, recoinage, coin hoards and other discoveries, new coin designs, the Boy Scout Liberty Loan medal, fire marks, and U.S. Mint Director Elias Boudinot.
To learn more about Italian Medals of the Renaissance, John Beck, George Hetrich, Carl Würtzbach, Harry Salyards, Zuleima Bruff Jackson, Alexander Nicoll, the 2025 Salmon Fifty Pence, the Walhalla medal, the Glory Bank, the Hammersley Collection, the 1976 Kessler book on Fugio Coppers, signevierists, and the Four Horsemen of the FUN Show, read on. Have a great week, everyone!
Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum
Here's a final group of highlights from the January 25, 2025 Kolbe & Fanning numismatic literature sale. -Editor
Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers will be holding our next auction, featuring rare and out-of-print works on ancient, world and U.S. numismatics, on Saturday, January 25, 2025. Including material from several consignments, most notably the L.D. & I.P. Library (with exceptional auction catalogues on ancient and world coins) and the Barry Tayman Library (outstanding U.S. and Canadian material), there is something for everybody with numismatic interests.
Some highlights of this first sale include:
Lot 91: a bound volume from the Seltman and Salton Libraries, containing three heavily annotated Jacob Hirsch catalogues (Sales 18, 19 and 20)
Lot 120: Agostino Pennisi and Giulio Emanuele Rizzo's 1940 Siciliae veteres nummi, with five remarkably fine phototype plates of coins
Lot 150: a complete set of Rodolfo Ratto's twenty-three later (1931–1939) fixed price lists, bound with two rarely encountered supplementary lists
Lot 163: Herb Kreindler's beautifully bound copy of Rollin & Feuardent's 1896 catalogue of the Montagu Roman & Byzantine gold coins, priced and mostly named
Lot 264: a complete set of Pierre-Ancher Tobiésen Duby's three folio volumes on obsidional and French feudal coins (1786 & 1790), in contemporary bindings
Lot 279: George Francis Hill's classic two-volume folio Corpus of Italian Medals of the Renaissance before Cellini (1930), a core reference on the subject
Lot 298: a nearly complete set of the Canadian Antiquarian and Numismatic Journal (1872–1933), published in thirty-three volumes across four series
Lot 403: a well-preserved plated copy of S.H. Chapman's 1911 catalogue of the Julius Brown collection, from the Merkin and Adams Libraries
Lot 493: a presentation copy of J.L. Riddell's 1845 Monograph of the Silver Dollar, Good and Bad, inscribed by him to the superintendent of the New Orleans Mint
Lot 501: one of five sets of the magnificent 52 Collection catalogues (Stack's, 2010–2011), sumptuously bound in a single volume in full black morocco.
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 has been 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
To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
KOLBE & FANNING JANUARY 2025 SALE ANNOUNCED
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n01a03.html)
KOLBE & FANNING SALE 172 HIGHLIGHTS
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n02a02.html)
In the full disclosure department, I can't help myself and have to comment on some of my own consigned lots in the upcoming Kolbe & Fanning sale, all rare or unique and interesting in their own way. -Editor
Adams, Edgar H. UNITED STATES STORE CARDS. A LIST OF MERCHANTS' ADVERTISING CHECKS, RESTAURANT CHECKS, AND KINDRED PIECES ISSUED FROM 1789 UP TO RECENT YEARS, INCLUDING MANY OF THE TOKENS WHICH PASSED AS MONEY AND KNOWN AS HARD TIMES TOKENS. New York, 1920. 8vo, later red boards; original printed front card cover trimmed and mounted. (4), 75, (1) pages.
Heavily annotated throughout, with handwritten additions, deletions and corrections (see comments); a couple of inserts laid in, including Donald Miller's receipt for this copy, purchased from David Bullowa in 1949 for $12.50. Binding very worn, with rear cover loose. Good. An important work, extensively annotated by Joseph Barnet, one of the foremost token experts of his day, and later in the library of Donald Miller, whose 1962 A Catalogue of U.S. Store Cards or Merchants Tokens is a revision and expansion of Adams with updated pricing.
The annotations in this copy would appear to be Barnet's collection inventory, with notes on unlisted tokens that he had encountered and various corrections and emendations to Adams's text. Every page except for the preliminaries has some annotations by Barnet, making this a most notable copy for the specialist, and an important source of information for Miller. Barnet is best remembered today for his work on Civil War store cards, and he is a member of the Civil War Token Society's Hall of Fame. Ex Joseph Barnet Library; ex Donald M. Miller Library; ex Wayne Homren Library.
I was delighted to meet and befriend Don Miller, meeting with him at his home in Indiana, PA and later purchasing his numismatic library from his widow. He and I had very similar numismatics tastes, and the majority of the books were duplicates to me, which I consigned to The Money Tree. But many rarities were added to my library, including this great association copy. -Editor
To read the complete lot description, see:
With Annotations by Joseph Barnet
(https://bid.numislit.com/lots/view/1-A0JIXJ/with-annotations-by-joseph-barnet)
[Beck, John A.]. ARCHIVAL RECORDS RELATING TO THE JOHN A. BECK COLLECTION. Materials include: a thorough appraisal of the Beck collection conducted by Ray Byrne, consisting of 139 legal-size pages of reproduced typewritten inventory with valuations (accompanied by some carbon copy correspondence by Emerson Smith); a contemporary copy of Abner Kreisberg's 72-page typewritten inventory of the collection; safe deposit box inventories; perhaps 300 pages of photocopied numismatic correspondence between Beck and many of the most prominent collectors and dealers of his time, including B. Max Mehl, Henry Chapman, Edgar Adams, C.F. Clarke & Co., S.H. Chapman, Tom Elder, Alvin Fink, W.F. Greany, Theo Leon, Atlas Leve, Lyman H. Low, C. Johnson, Edward Michael, H.E. Morey, Jacob Roth, Spink & Son, Wayte Raymond, Charles Steigerwalt, Elmer Sears, Walter Webb, Howland Wood, Farran Zerbe and others...
John A. Beck (1859–1924) was a major collector of United States coins, specializing in pioneer and territorial gold coins. His coin collection was kept off the market for half a century after his death, with it finally appearing in three sales conducted by the Abner Kreisberg Corporation in 1975–1977. Unfortunately, it is occasionally unclear whether a given coin in the sales belonged to Beck, as additional material was included by Kreisberg. The appraisals, which act also as inventories, have research potential in this regard. The appraisals conducted by Ray Byrne and Abner Kreisberg in 1971 were remarkably close: Byrne's appraisal came to $708,969, while Kreisberg's totaled $701,140—a difference of about 1%. Charles Wormser also evaluated the collection but does not appear to have formally appraised it. When the coins were sold a few years later, these appraisals were shown to be extremely conservative, with the results being far greater. A fascinating archive. Ex John Beck Library; ex Wayne Homren Library.
To me, John Beck was one of the first, if not THE first numismatic investor in the U.S. He purchased rarities in quantity. The inventory is jaw-dropping - there are DOZENS of pages listing $50 gold slugs, and HUNDREDS of 1856 Flying Eagle Cents, comprising about half of the total mintage. The collection passed to his two daughters on his death, and remained locked in bank vaults until the last of the daughters died. What a King Tut's tomb discovery for a numismatist in the early 1970s.
These were among the records I rescued from being trashed by the estate of Emerson Smith, along with the Howard Gibbs archive sold in an earlier sale. -Editor
To read the complete lot description, see:
The John A. Beck Collection
(https://bid.numislit.com/lots/view/1-A0JIY3/the-john-a-beck-collection)
American Numismatic Association. 1937 ANA CONVENTION BANQUET PHOTOGRAPH. Washington, D.C., August 25, 1937. Photographed by "Rideout." Original black and white photograph [24 by 48.5 cm. Some slight breaks to the emulsion from having been rolled. Very good or better. The image is identical to the halftone found on page 926 of the October 1937 issue of The Numismatist. Ex Wayne Homren Library.
I've forgotten how I acquired this one, but original ANA Convention photos are amazing records and display pieces. -Editor
To read the complete lot description, see:
1937 ANA Convention Photograph
(https://bid.numislit.com/lots/view/1-A0JIXT/1937-ana-convention-photograph)
Curto, James J., and Max M. Schwartz. SUTLERS AND THEIR TOKENS 1861–1866 (THE REBELLION SERIES OF THE UNITED STATES). Grosse Pointe, December 10, 1944. Original typescript. 27 leaves, typewritten in two colors on versos only. Housed in clasp folder. Occasional annotations in pencil and ink. Accompanied by a sheet of legal-size paper on both sides of which Curto has recorded handwritten corrections keyed to the final published versions of the article in The Numismatist (see comments). Near fine.
An original typescript of this detailed article, which was published in three issues of The Numismatist (August, September and December 1946). While the typescript precedes the formal publication, the list of corrections follows it, making this material of interest for multiple reasons. See Clain-Stefanelli 14003 for the published version. Ex Money Tree Sale 19 (1994), lot 173; ex Wayne Homren Library.
As a specialist in U.S. Civil War numismatics, I was delighted to acquire this unique original manuscript of an important article on the topic. -Editor
To read the complete lot description, see:
Original Annotated Sutler Token Typescript
(https://bid.numislit.com/lots/view/1-A0JJ01/original-annotated-sutler-token-typescript)
Hand, General Edward. REVOLUTIONARY WAR PAY AUTHORIZATIONS FOR OFFICERS SERVING AT FORT PITT. One sheet of note paper [20.5 by 16.5], written on both sides, signed three times by Hand and signed or initialed three times by J. Irving and "MK." All three authorizations are addressed to Sergeant John Baynton, Paymaster, and request funds for Captain David Scott ($1330), Major Henry Taylor ($158 and a third), and Captain George Hill ($1635.65). A well-preserved document, accompanied by a typewritten transcript. Fine.
Revolutionary War pay authorizations from the western frontier. General Edward Hand (1744–1802) was an Irish-born physician who became an officer in the Continental Army and rose to the rank of general. He was named a member of the Society of the Cincinnati and served as a member of the Congress of the Confederation in 1784 and 1785. Ex Wayne Homren Library.
As a Pittsburgh native and collector of early Pittsburgh obsolete paper money, I was glad to acquire this document from a local bookseller. I always thought I'd end up donating it to the Fort Pitt Museum administered by the Senator John Heinz History Center, but I never got around to it. Neat museum piece for the colonial collector. -Editor
To read the complete lot description, see:
Fiscal Paper of the American Revolution
(https://bid.numislit.com/lots/view/1-A0JJ15/fiscal-paper-of-the-american-revolution)
Hetrich, George, and Julius Guttag. CIVIL WAR TOKENS AND TRADESMEN'S STORE CARDS. A TENTATIVE LIST OF THE CIVIL WAR TOKENS, AND STORE CARDS ISSUED BY THE MERCHANTS OF THE UNITED STATES, AND USED AS MONEY DURING THE PERIOD FROM 1861 TO 1864. (Kutztown, Pennsylvania), 1924. Large 8vo [26.5 by 17.5 cm], original blue cloth, gilt. 289, (1) pages, interleaved with blank paper; 16 halftone plates; errata sheet tipped in. Nearly every page of the book has been annotated, with hundreds of corrections noted (including on the errata sheet), new varieties recorded, and observations based on close examination of various collections, including that of the ANS.
Various inserts are present, and many of the interleaves also bear annotations. A few original photographic plates have been inserted by the halftones provided in this edition. Binding very worn and stained, with backstrip near detached and old tape repairs present. Good, with contents better.
A remarkable volume, from the library of one of the great token collectors of the 20th century. Hetrich & Guttag's landmark publication was the Civil War Token collector's vade mecum in the decades before the father and son team of Melvin and George Fuld began writing on the subject. This copy is filled with hundreds (probably thousands) of annotations, entered over a period of years, the work of a meticulous and sophisticated collector. Miller is best remembered today for his 1962 A Catalogue of U.S. Store Cards or Merchants Tokens, and it is clear that the present volume served Miller well in the compilation of his book (a revision of and update to Edgar Adams's work on the subject).
As for the book at hand, George Hetrich became a collector early in life and, in his later years, selected Civil War tokens as his numismatic specialty, forming one of the finest collections of the time. Julius Guttag referred to him as "the first person systematically collecting these coins with whom I became acquainted." Their collaborative effort was the first substantial work on the topic ever published and it remained the standard work for close to fifty years. Clain-Stefanelli 14031*. Davis 505. Ex J.F. Jennings Library; ex Donald M. Miller Library; ex Wayne Homren Library.
Another acquisition from the Miller Library. I knew this was special at the time, but it took me a while to realize just how special it was. Another unique Civil War numismatic literature highlight. -Editor
To read the complete lot description, see:
Donald Miller's Heavily Annotated Copy of Hetrich & Guttag
(https://bid.numislit.com/lots/view/1-A0JJ1N/donald-millers-heavily-annotated-copy-of-hetrich-guttag)
Homren, Wayne K. THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC SOURCEBOOK: GLEANINGS FROM CONTEMPORARY NEWSPAPERS. Computer-printed typescript of this unpublished work. Pittsburgh, undated. 121 leaves [8.5 by 11 inches], housed within black three-ring binder. Four sheets of handwritten notes included. Fine. [with] Homren, Wayne K. THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC SOURCEBOOK. NUMISMATICS IN THE NEWS: GLEANINGS FROM CONTEMPORARY NEWSPAPERS. DRAFT. AUGUST, 1995.
Computer-printed typescript of this unpublished work. Pittsburgh, 1995. 143 leaves [8.5 by 11 inches], housed within black three-ring binder. Also included are perhaps two dozen pages of drafts, correspondence and photocopies. Fine. Two drafts of this very interesting compendium of substantive articles on numismatic topics published in various contemporary newspapers. Compiled before the existence of current online resources, Homren's production was the result of considerable work and involved not only actively collecting such material, but corresponding with others of similar interest, including Eric P. Newman, Pete Smith, Harry Colborn and others. Ex Wayne Homren Library.
This was my pre-E-Sylum numismatic labor of love. I've mentioned before that I was too much of a perfectionist to consider it ready for publication, and never did publish it. These were mostly compiled from my collection of newspapers with numismatic content, many of which were sold in Kolbe & Fanning sale 119 in November, 2010. -Editor
To read the complete lot description, see:
Numismatics in the News
(https://bid.numislit.com/lots/view/1-A0JJ1X/numismatics-in-the-news)
To read the Kolbe & Fanning sale 119 on NNP, see:
Auction Sale 119: Important Numismatic Literature
(https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/auctionlots?AucCoId=513111&AuctionId=528121)
Lee, Wm. THE CURRENCY OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA. A DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS NOTES, THEIR DATES OF ISSUE, VARIETIES, SERIES, SUB-SERIES, LETTERS, NUMBERS, ETC.; ACCOMPANIED WITH PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DISTINCT VARIETIES OF EACH ISSUE. COMPILED FROM OFFICIAL RECORDS AND OTHER SOURCES. Unsigned and undated manuscript partial transcript of the text of the original 1875 publication, possibly the work of A.C. Hutchinson, who owned this volume. 8vo, original (c. 1920s) blue textured boards, gilt; 144 ruled pages, over which the first 29 are devoted to neatly transcribing the text of Lee's publication, from the start to the top of page 14 [of the 27 pages comprising the text]. Ink stamp of A.C. Hutchinson in two places. Spine and board edges worn; contents fine.
Lee's work is exceptionally rare and of the utmost importance, being the first major treatise on Confederate currency, as well as the first book to describe and photograph the Confederate cent. Of the 30 copies printed, we are able today to trace only 10, half of which are in institutional libraries. As such, it is a major numismatic rarity, and one can understand why a serious collector of Confederate paper would have found it worthwhile to carefully copy the text out by hand (although the present transcription covers only the first half of it). A.C. Hutchinson was most active in the hobby in the 1920s, which seems a reasonable guess as to when this transcript was written. Ex Charles Davis's February 1996 auction, lot 376; ex Wayne Homren Library.
Another collector's labor of love, this unique manuscript was the closest I ever came to obtaining a copy of the rare Lee work for my library. -Editor
To read the complete lot description, see:
Manuscript Transcription of a Major Rarity
(https://bid.numislit.com/lots/view/1-A0JJ2L/manuscript-transcription-of-a-major-rarity)
Würtzbach, Carl. (COMPLETE SET OF MASSACHUSETTS COLONIAL SILVER MONEY). Lee: Carl Würtzbach, 1937. Oblong 4to, original maroon leatherette folder. Blank leaf, 8 printed leaves; portrait of the author; 8 fine facing photographic plates depicting both sides of eighty coins. Addendum slip affixed to seventh leaf. Binding somewhat worn, particularly at spine, but intact; signed by the author; contents fine. A scarce and important illustrated record of Würtzbach's notable collection, prepared for presentation purposes. Würtzbach apparently gave out few copies, however, and most were probably distributed after his death in 1947.
Würtzbach dedicated his work "To the lovers and collectors of the most interesting and historically the most important issues of all our colonial and United States coinage." The excellent plates remain useful for establishing pedigrees. Depicted are coins once in the collections of famous numismatists such as Finotti, McCoy, Mickley, Clay, Bushnell, Davis, Cleneay, Parmelee, Whitman, Winsor, Mills, H.P. Smith, Stickney, Gschwend, Zabriski, Earle, Parsons, Bement, Jackman, Jenks, Ten Eyck, Brand, Clapp, Ellsworth, Hall, Granberg, Col. Green, Guttag, Newcomer, Ryder, DeWitt Smith, T. James Clarke, Stearns, W.S. Lincoln and Dr. Clay.
Würtzbach's collection was purchased by T. James Clarke, passed in turn to F.C.C. Boyd, and thence to John J. Ford, Jr., finally being dispersed in the remarkable October 18, 2004 Stack's sale. The portfolio's binding is fragile, and copies are frequently encountered with one or both covers detached. Intact examples such as this are seldom offered. Ex Money Tree Sale 21 (1994), lot 196; ex Wayne Homren Library.
While not as rare as other items discussed here, this is indeed scarce and hard to find intact. An important record of a landmark collection, this was among the most expensive individual book purchases I made for my library. If memory serves, I paid about $600 for this.
Thanks for indulging me in this trip down Memory Lane. May everything find loving new homes with other numismatic bibliophiles and researchers. -Editor
To read the complete lot description, see:
Würtzbach Plates on Massachusetts Silver
(https://bid.numislit.com/lots/view/1-A0JJ69/wrtzbach-plates-on-massachusetts-silver)
To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
KOLBE & FANNING JANUARY 2025 SALE ANNOUNCED
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n01a03.html)
KOLBE & FANNING SALE 172 HIGHLIGHTS
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n02a02.html)
Classical Numismatic Group has published a new book by Brian Kritt on the Elephant Chariot Period in the Coinage of Susa. -Editor
The Elephant Chariot Period in the Coinage of Susa
Kritt, Brian.
[Classical Numismatic Studies No. 16].
Lancaster, PA, and London, 2024.
Hardbound with dust jacket.
132 total pages and 44 plates. (GR 367).
From the author's synopsis:
In recent years, there have been several studies of the Seleucus I coinages of Susa, but mostly focused on coins of the first half of the reign: the Trophy coins and Alexanders. Although a large number of new coins of those types have appeared since my publication of ESMS, very few new control varieties have been discovered, none for the Trophy tetradrachms. This book is the first major study since ESMS of the coins of the second half of the reign, what I call the Elephant Chariot Period. Besides the elephant chariot coins, this includes a number of related issues: Zeus / elephant staters, Artemis biga gold staters, Baal / lion staters, and others. Many new varieties of this period have now been identified, including ten new varieties with elephant types, and a new Baal / lion stater variety of Susa, the first since the time of Newell.
These varieties have important consequences for the relative and absolute chronologies of Susa in this period, as well as opening windows into its history: such as the first known transfer of a magistrate from Babylon to Susa, and the identification of SCB Mint A in Bactria as a likely colony of Susa. In addition, a new concept has been introduced here: the Susa Type/Variety cluster, a burst of exotic coin types in a short time interval. These can elucidate local events across mint lines.
One such cluster from the time just before the Elephant Chariot Period, Cluster C, importantly, has shown the involvement of Antiochus I as new co-regent in reconfiguring the coinage of Susa at the time of the Persid Revolt. Another cluster (Cluster 2) has provided details into the foundation of the city and mint of Bactrian Mint A. In a related issue (Chapter 4), the analysis here uses chronologically identifiable elements at Susa and Aï Khanoum to provide the first internal chronology for Mint A. In Chapter 5, some new Bactrian coins appearing on the market have been discussed, and a new type of Sogdian imitations of Seleucid coins has been identified.
The extensive new, fully illustrated die studies of these coinages developed here provide a useful tool for identification and cataloging of the coinage issues of this very important period in Seleucid history at one of the most storied cities in Hellenistic antiquity.
For more information, or to order, see:
COIN VARIETY CLUSTERS at SUSA – Windows into History
(https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=396620)
See also:
The elephant chariot period in the coinage of Susa / by Brian Kritt.
(https://donum.numismatics.org/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=220315)
The fourth edition of the Directory of Circulating Coins has now been published – the first since 2019. Thanks to Pabitra Saha for letting me know. -Editor
Directory of Circulating Coins 4th edition
The coins being issued today increasingly combine technological innovation and new security features with novel designs and more cost-effective materials. Keep up-to-date with the latest coin issues around the world the Directory of Circulating Coins.
Published by Coin & Mint News™, the Directory of Circulating Coins is the only global guide to every circulating coin – making it an invaluable reference and research tool.
This edition will see a more up to date and comprehensive version of the 3rd edition, last released in 2019. Featuring over 200 A4 pages covering the obverse and reverse of real-size coins from all around the world, information on composition, weight, edge and security features amongst others.
The directory is available in print and pdf formats.
Every Coin, Every Country: One Indispensable Guide
The directory provides detailed information on all the circulating coins in the world – including up-to-date information, specification and images in one concise and easy-to-use volume.
This makes it an indispensable guide for anyone involved in the design, production, quality control, validation or use of coins.
For more information, or to order, see:
Directory of Circulating Coins 4th edition
(https://estore.reconnaissance.net/product/directory-of-circulating-coins-4th-edition/)
See also:
Directory of Circulating Coins – Out Now!
(https://currency-news.com/news/2024/dec/23/directory-of-circulating-coins-out-now/)
COINage has published a new edition of their book of lists. The product page doesn't have any information beyond the title and price, but I've copied the description from the 2024 edition. -Editor
COINage 2025 Book of Lists
$9.99
For more information, or to order, see:
COINage 2025 Book of Lists
(https://www.coinagemag.com/product/2025-book-of-lists/)
Here's a Google-translated article from Geldscheine Online about a new book on the money of Bavaria. -Editor
The book "The Money of Bavaria" brings together all Bavarian coin issues and all supra-regional Bavarian paper money issues from the Kingdom to the Free State . In the process, numerous new findings were gained that help to expand the knowledge of modern Bavarian numismatics.
With an introduction by Dr. Richard Loibl from the House of Bavarian History.
The book turned an initially vague idea into reality. From Elector Maximilian IV Joseph, who ascended to the throne in 1806 as the first Bavarian king, through his heir to the throne to the last king of Bavaria, Ludwig III, all Bavarian circulation coins, river gold ducats, and historical and prize thalers are listed, illustrated in color, and described and evaluated in detail, including the variants, samples, patterns and strikes.
A special role is played by the important people who have been honoured since King Ludwig I,newly erected monuments and buildings as well as so-called historical thalers issued on historical occasions, with which the first German commemorative coins were created in Bavaria. The king himself was a passionate numismatist and had a great influence on the choice of themes, design and inscriptions on these coins.
The coin section was prepared by studying the current holdings of the Munich State Coin Collection, from which almost all of the images were newly created, as well as historical and modern specialist literature and sources from specialist retailers. The private designs of the Munich medalist Karl Xaver Goetz for the accession of Ludwig III to the throne in 1913 are also documented in unprecedented detail with variants.
The basis for cataloguing the coins was the "Great German Coin Catalogue" (AKS), to which additions and corrections were necessary. The catalogue numbers of the AKS and the Wittelsbach numbers from the compilation of the Royal Conservatory of the Coin Cabinet from 1901 and from 1871 onwards for Jaeger are given as a concordance.
In the second part of the book, all supra-regional paper money issues in Bavaria are listed, described, illustrated in color and evaluated. It starts with the first Bavarian banknotes from the Bayerische Hypotheken- und Wechselbank from 1836.
This is followed by other important paper money issues such as those of the Bavarian Central Bank from the time of the Kingdom and the Free State of Bavaria, but also nationwide emergency issues as state paper money such as those of the Bavarian State Bank from the inflationary period after the First World War. The catalogue of Bavarian paper money is rounded off by the issues of the administrative districts of Swabia and Palatinate as well as the Bavarian branch of the Reich Ministry of Transport, the Munich department of the Reich Ministry of Posts and the General Directorate of the Bavarian Mines, Metallurgy and Salt Works.
The paper money of the 19th century played an important role in the Industrial Revolution and the associated railway construction, which could not have been realized with coin money alone.
The book "The Money of Bavaria" is the first standard and reference work on modern Bavarian numismatics and notaphily from 1800 to the end of Bavarian monetary history in 1925, which had only been partially independent since the unification of the empire in 1871. (in circulation until 1935).
Hans-Ludwig Grabowski:
The money of the Bavarians –
coins, banknotes, government paper money
and supra-regional emergency money for Bavaria
1800 to 1925
Publisher: Battenberg Verlag
Edition : 1st edition 2025
ISBN: 978-3-86646-256-4
Format: 17 x 24 cm
Illustrations: full-color illustrations throughout
Cover type: Hardcover
Number of pages: 248
Price: 24.90 EUR
For more information, or to order, see:
https://www.battenberg-gietl.de/produkt/das-geld-der-bayern
To read the complete article, see:
Grabowski: Das Geld der Bayer
(https://www.geldscheine-online.com/post/grabowski-das-geld-der-bayern)
Congratulations to author Harry Salyards, whose 2022 book, Eagle Poised on a Bank of Clouds: The United States Silver Dollars of 1795-1798 has been awarded the A. George Mallis Literary Award for 2024 by the Society of Silver Dollar Collectors. -Editor
Copies of the book remain available from the author at hesalyards@gmail.com. -Editor
For more information the Society of Silver Dollar Collectors, see:
https://ssdcvams.com/
To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
NEW BOOK: EAGLE POISED ON A BANK OF CLOUDS
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n06a03.html)
DELUXE EDITION OF SALYARDS' DOLLAR BOOK
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n16a04.html)
The ANS has announced the 2025 Collier Prize in Ancient Numismatics. This year's award goes to the Moneda Ibérica online catalog of the numismatics of the Iberian Peninsula and southern France. -Editor
The American Numismatic Society (ANS) is pleased to announce the 2025 Collier Prize in Ancient Numismatics has been awarded to Moneda Ibérica, developed and edited by Manuel Gozalbes Fernández de Palencia (Museum of Prehistory of Valencia) and Pere Pau Ripollès Alegre (University of Valencia). The Collier Prize is awarded to the best single or multi-authored book, catalog, or online digital work related to ancient numismatics (650 BCE to 300 CE). Moneda Ibérica is the preeminent digital catalog and digital reference of ancient coins of the Iberian Peninsula and the south of France minted between the 6th and 1st centuries BCE. The award ceremony will be held on March 18, 2025, at 5:30 PM ET, at the ANS headquarters in New York City, followed by a lecture and a reception.
Moneda Ibérica (MIB), at monedaiberica.org, is the result of decades of work from a global team of researchers, developers, and collaborators. It is organized through Numisdata, based on the open-source tool Dédalo. MIB contains more than 100,000 coins with images from significant museums, public auctions, and private collections, including 4,000 coin types from the Greek, Punic, Iberian, Celtiberian, Vasconian, and Lusitanian cultures, more than 7,000 publications, and 40,000 bibliographic citations.
The Collier Prize is one of the most substantial monetary prizes offered in support of scholarship in ancient numismatics, with the winner(s) receiving $20,000 to be split equally for multi-authored works. A jury of five senior numismatists is appointed biennially by the President of the American Numismatic Society, including a senior ANS curator. The prize was established in 2020 with the generous support of ANS Trustee Carole Anne Menzi Collier in honor of her late husband Professor James M. Collier. The Collier Prize was previously awarded in 2022 to Richard Abdy's Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC) Vol.II: From AD 117 to AD 138 – Hadrian (Spink, 2020).
To read the complete article, see:
ANS Announces Collier Prize in Ancient Numismatics to Moneda Ibérica
(https://numismatics.org/25-collier-pr/)
For more information on the Collier Prize , see:
The Collier Prize in Ancient Numismatics
(https://numismatics.org/pocketchange/collier/)
Newman Numismatic Portal Project Coordinator Len Augsburger provided the following report on NNP's extensive website archive. -Editor
NUMISMATIC CONTENT ON THE WAYBACK MACHINE
The Wayback Machine is the most significant collection of archived web pages on the Internet, with a current collection size of 916 billion web pages. Wayback Machine content is frequently accessed by journalists and historians wishing to verify what did, or did not, exist on a certain web page at a certain point in time. Pages from the Wayback Machine have been accepted in courts as a non-partial historical record, and the research value of this archive is hard to overstate.
Under sponsorship of the Newman Portal, the Wayback Machine has archived nearly a thousand numismatic websites, with additional sites being constantly added. More than a few of these sites have in time gone defunct, meaning that this is the only record of the site that is accessible to the general public. The archive is not completely comprehensive, meaning that not every page of every site is saved. However, users will always find top-level pages in addition to substantial subsidiary content.
This Newman Portal collection on the Wayback Machine was launched in 2018 and to date has collected 35 million web pages, representing nearly three terabytes of data. Note, this data is not incorporated into Newman Portal itself but may be searched separately via the Newman Portal collection page on the Wayback Machine site. Wayne Homren has recently created useful search facets, available in the left column, that can be used to narrow search results to topical groups of web pages (for example, tokens, medals, paper money, etc.).
A sample search on the term "Rittenhouse" delivers David Rittenhouse biographies (the first U.S. Mint Director), accounts of the Rittenhouse medal that is awarded annually by the U.S. Mint, press releases regarding the so-called Rittenhouse 1792 half disme (currently on exhibit at the ANA), and Dick Johnson's account of the Rittenhouse Society medal presented to Eric P. Newman in 2011. Scrolling through the search results further reveals David Finkelstein's comments on his article in the September 2017 Numismatist, regarding the David Rittenhouse deposit used to coin the 1794 silver dollars.
Note, page retrieval times may be on the order of ten seconds or more, no doubt a consequence of the gargantuan data store, nearly a trillion pages. On the flip side, the immense size of the collection is precisely its strength. This archive will be especially useful when searching for content of recent origin, particularly content that has never reached print. Not every site is ideal for resolving every question, but numismatic researchers will do well to add this resource to their arsenal. We welcome feedback at NNPCurator@wustl.edu.
For example, a search on "counterstamp" provides thousands of webpage results, and the first several pages show relevant hits from sites across the world. Check it out, and let us know what you think. -Editor
Link to the Wayback Machine:
https://archive.org/
Link to NNP collection on the Wayback Machine:
https://archive-it.org/collections/9633
The David Lisot Video Library on the Newman Numismatic Portal can be found at:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/multimediadetail/522852
We highlight one of his videos each week in The E-Sylum. Here's one from 2009 with Steve Cox speaking about banknote security technology. -Editor
The most rapidly developing area in numismatics today is the changing technology of the bank note system. Keeping currency a secure medium of exchange has always been important. See and handle various types of currency while learning how security techniques have evolved over the centuries to meet this challenge.
Speaker(s): Steve Cox. From the 2009 ANA convention.
To watch the complete video, see:
Bank Note Security
(https://youtu.be/Pav4k7Nvj04)
Bank Note Security
(https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/557309)
Edwin Johnston writes:
"I've got a 2011 test prototype coin from United Future World Currency dated 2011. I had corresponded with the organization in Europe and it came in a plush case with a Certificate of Authenticity. It's made from recycled Lira coins.
The illustration is the style that I have. I don't have any notes/correspondence at hand to fill in more of the story."
Thanks! Nice piece. Coincidentally, this week I came across this article with background on the idea of a unified world currency. Found via News & Notes from the Society of Paper Money Collectors (Volume X, Number 31, January 14, 2025). -Editor
The dream of a universal currency isn't new. Before credit cards and digital payments dominated finance, gold served as a natural global currency. Countries backed their money with precious metals, creating a simple system everyone understood — though it left governments with little room to manage economic ups and downs.
Everything shifted after World War II. In 1944, representatives from 44 countries met in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, with a bold plan to rebuild the global financial system. They effectively made the U.S. dollar the world's go-to currency, promising to exchange dollars for gold at $35 per ounce. Other countries pegged their currencies to the dollar, creating the financial pecking order that still largely exists today.
Fast-forward to 1999, when Europe launched perhaps the most ambitious currency experiment in modern history. Several nations retired their traditional money — goodbye German mark, farewell French franc — and adopted the euro. This wasn't just about making travel easier. It aimed to create a unified market that could compete with economic powerhouses like the United States.
But the euro's journey hasn't been smooth sailing. During the 2009 financial crisis, Greece's struggles highlighted a crucial weakness: sharing a currency means sharing problems. When Greece needed to adjust its currency value to manage its debt crisis, it couldn't — that power now belonged to the European Central Bank, which had to consider the needs of all member countries.
To read the complete article, see:
Could a one world currency work?
(https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/could-a-one-world-currency-work/)
To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
VIDEO: UNITED FUTURE WORLD CURRENCY
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n02a12.html)
Last week Roger Burdette wrote:
A question for E-Sylum readers: who was "Zeleima Bruff Jackson"?
"I am researching the large gold medal presented to Joseph Francis on April 12, 1890. He later donated it to the Smithsonian. Museum and archive sites claim the medal was "designed by Zeleima Bruff Jackson and modeled by the famous American sculptor Louis St. Gaudens (sic.)." However, no reference to Ms. Jackson has been located and the Louis Saint-Gaudens attribution, while stylistic with Augustus' "Washington" medal is not mentioned in documents (per SG papers at Dartmouth College). Likewise the papers of Sen. Evarts and others involved are silent.
"All ideas would be appreciated."
Here's what readers had to say. -Editor
Pete Smith writes:
"Zeleimia Bruff Jackson was born in Washington, D.C. in 1843 and died in Washington D.C. in 1915."
Pete forwarded this FindaGrave listing. -Editor
Pete adds:
"I suspect someone along the way got the name wrong."
Indeed. There are multiple name spellings out there, and even FindaGrave got it wrong, although it looks like the grave marker is correct. -Editor
Roger writes:
"The "Zeleima Bruff Jackson" mystery has been solved -- mostly.
"The name is misspelled in Treasury documents and reports. The name is:
"Zuleima Bruff Jackson, daughter of Joseph Goldsborough Bruff who worked at the Treasury Dept. Zuleima was a painter of floral arrangements and a small number of landscapes. Native Washingtonian, etc. I'm filling in bits and pieces - presumably she made a drawing for the Francis medal reverse. This was based on an 1852 illustration on Francis' surf-boat catalog."
Thanks also to Steve Tompkins, Scott Miller, Bob Van Ryzin and another reader who forwarded links to various resources. Roger continued his search at the National Archives and discovered several new details, including a full copy of Barber's description of the Joseph Francis Congressional Life Saving Medal. It was presented to Joseph Francis on the late morning of April 12, 1890 in the Blue Room of the White House by President Benjamin Harrison. -Editor
For more information, see:
Zuleima Jackson
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zuleima_Jackson)
JACKSON, Zeleima Bruff (1843-1915) artist, designer.
(https://dickjohnsonsdatabank.com/jackson-zeleima-bruff.html)
Joseph Francis Congressional Gold Medal, United States, 1890
(https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_1119554)
Zuleima Bruff Jackson - Design of Medal Presented by POTUS to Joseph Francis
(https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-critic-and-record-zuleima-bruff-jack/11816977/)
Zuleima Bruff Jackson widow of Major John J. Jackson buried at Arlington National Cemetary.
(https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-herald-zuleima-bruff-jackson-widow/31509507/)
[Tray and vase decorated with floral patterns. Nasturtium tray design]
(https://www.loc.gov/item/2002708872/)
To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JANUARY 12, 2025 :
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n02a13.html)
More on "Ancient Rome in Twelve Coins"
Rob Luton writes:
"I received "Moneta" for Christmas and absolutely love the book, fully agree with last week's review."
Good to know - thank you. Both versions of the book are shown above. -Editor
To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
NEW BOOK: MONETA: ANCIENT ROME IN TWELVE COINS
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n19a02.html)
BOOK REVIEW: ANCIENT ROME IN TWELVE COINS
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n02a08.html)
Numismatic Reprints from Chicago
Ken Bressett writes:
" In reply to the query about Numismatic Reprints from Chicago, there is a very detailed article about this very subject in the September 2016 issue of The Numismatist. It was written by Gene Anderson, and includes all the important information relative to the seven different reprints made over the years, as well as the important background comments that have been published by other authors."
Laurence Edwards writes:
"My thanks to Ken Bressett for this quick response! It is indeed a very useful article, and I am adding it to my file. It does not quite, however, address my particular question, which had to do with reprints made in Chicago of various numismatic works, roughly mid-20th century. Gene Anderson's article treats only the various reprints (as well as the original) of Crosby's Early Coins of America. I did learn from Gene Anderson that the R. Green reprint (Chicago, 1945), which I own, is the first of some six reprints of the book.
"I suspect, as Wayne had mentioned, that Lee Hewitt will loom large in the story. Hewitt was in the printing business and produced the 1933 reprint of Crosby's smaller book, Coinage of 1793: Cents and Half Cents. Purely speculative at this point, but Hewitt may well have done the printing of the Green reprint. Hewitt also published a reprint of Newlin's Early Half Dimes.
"Hewitt and Green were co-authors of Mint Record of United States Coins.
"So this may be the whole story, but I still feel that there may be more to uncover.
"Thanks again for running my inquiry, which has so quickly borne fruit!"
Thanks, everyone - we're one step closer now. -Editor
To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JANUARY 12, 2025 : Query: Numismatic Reprints from Chicago
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n02a13.html)
More on the Mystery Coins
Bill Daehn writes:
"Regarding the "Mystery Coins" shown in the January 12 E-Sylum, they do indeed seem to be cheap souvenir copies. They are copying the types of ancient Greek coins (references are to O. Hoover, Handbook of Greek Coins):
Thanks for the confirmation - I'll let my neighbor know. -Editor
To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JANUARY 12, 2025 : Mystery Coins
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n02a13.html)
Medals for Coin Clubs
Justin Perrault writes:
"I was just corresponding with another area club leader and thought of an interesting issue. Basically, when a small local or regional club is in the planning stages to have a medal struck, I have found that it always is a challenge to find someone willing to work on and execute a medal design, especially with a smaller batch order that can be kept within a reasonable budget. I wish there was a central resource to go to when local clubs around the country decide to get medals made. Everything seems so disparate in terms of contacts. The only other big players I know of are the Osborne Mint in Cincinnati, Landis Studios in Arkansas, and Daniel Carr.
It would be nice to have a list of key players that are reliable, ready and willing to do work for a coin club, understand their needs, and do a good job at a relatively reasonable price point."
Great topic. Has anyone been down this road recently? Please share your experiences, and let us know if you'd be willing to consult with other clubs to guide them. -Editor
The Four Horsemen of the FUN Show
Bob Steinberg writes:
"Here's a picture from the FUN show - the four horsemen: Mal Varner, Larry Hanks, Bill Youngerman (left to right standing) and myself seated. All four of us are 76. Bill, Larry and myself have been friends since we were 13! And we've known Mal almost that long too! We haven't changed a bit (well, check out the grey hair on the quartet - ha!)"
Thanks - great photo! Sorry I missed the FUN show. -Editor
Australian Coin Roll
Wayne Pearson writes:
"I ordered an Australian King Charles III fifty cent coin. The seller included a picture of the roll he took it from. Pretty cool. I've never seen a coin roll from another country."
Nice - thanks. -Editor
2025 Great Britain Salmon Fifty Pence
Wayne Pearson has a request for readers in Great Britain. Could anyone help? -Editor
Wayne writes:
"I want to get a 2025 Great Britain salmon fifty pence coin with the new design but the prices are outrageous on eBay. One example is 39.99 GBP ($48.66 US) and 14.26 GBP shipping ($17.35 US). The prices for the 2024 version are about the same. Someone living in Great Britain could go to the bank and get one for fifty pence."
Nice coin design. Could anyone provide the coin for a more reasonable price? -Editor
Here's another entry from Dick Johnson's Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Terminology. I added an image from Baldwin's website. -Editor
Recoinage. Melting one class of coins and using the metal to fabricate a new class of coins, or to retire the metal from the old class and issue new coins in a different composition. In a way, recoinage goes on constantly as old, worn coins are withdrawn from circulation, and melted for the metal these contain. However some notable recoinages have taken place in history. In 1696 the Tower Mint in London could not produce a new silver coinage fast enough to replace existing coins, so country mints (Bristol, Chester, Exeter, Norwich and York) – under control of Sir Issac Newton – were called upon to aid in striking the new coins. As it was, it required two years to complete the recoinage.
During the silver shortage in England from 1790-1815 the Bank of England accumulated a supply of Spanish silver eight reales coins for emergency use. To make them acceptable in circulation they were sent to Matthew Boulton to be overstruck at his foundry in Soho where dies were made with an appropriate design and the inscription BANK OF ENGLAND 1804. In many cases these five-shilling pieces show traces of the old Spanish coins as the UNDERTYPE
In more modern times extensive recoinage has occurred twice in the 20th century. In 1920 Great Britain effectively went off the sterling standard, cutting the silver content of their coins in half, replacing silver coins with a quaternary coinage (of silver, copper, nickel, zinc). In 1947 Great Britain replaced even that coinage with an all cupro-nickel coinage. Major economic factors, as the rising price of coin alloys, cause drastic changes in coin compositions (necessitating recoinages). Smaller countries usually follow the actions of major countries.
For a brief time during recoinage, both coins circulate simultaneously. In the 20th century, machines were developed to separate out the old coins until only the new coins remain in circulation. The separation can be done by several ways; often, however, mechanical or magnetic separation cannot be used, so electric resistivity is used to distinguish between the two compositions. These separating machines are usually developed by the vending machine industry because of their experience with detecting good coins from bad in their machines.
Reference:
CH23 {1954} Stride, p 16.
To read the complete entry on the Newman Numismatic Portal, see:
Recoinage
(https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/dictionarydetail/516594)
E-Sylum Feature Writer and American Numismatic Biographies author Pete Smith submitted this quiz article on businessman Alexander Nicoll aka "Nicoll the Tailor". Thanks! -Editor
I recently started collecting Victorian trade cards from Nicoll the Tailor. The paper they are printed on is limp and cheaper than typical trade cards. Can any E-Sylum reader figure out why I have an interest in them?
Alexander Nicoll was born in London on June 1, 1821, the son of Alexander Nicoll (1781-1851).
The father was a tailor in London. He was married in 1841 to Elizabeth Powell (1819-1877). They had ten children.
Alexander moved to Australia in about 1854. In 1856, he was in the Australian Census in Collingwood, Melbourne and employed as a tailor.
He moved to New York in 1869 and opened a tailor shop at 143 Bowery near an area called "Little Australia." Bowery is the oldest street in the city and was once an Indian trail. He did business under the name of Nicoll the Tailor. It was reported that his store had the first electric lights in the city. The street was described as "The liveliest mile on the face of the earth." The street hosted saloons, dance halls, concert halls and theaters.
Nicoll spent $100,000 a year on publicity and promotion. The business was successful and he expanded to other locations. By 1879 he had fifty-two stores and was represented in every state in the Union (37).
The New York Times of October 30, 1878, carried a description of the business:
"In a dingy little back office at No. 141 Bowery sits, day after day, a white-haired old gentleman, who manages the business of 42 merchant-tailoring establishments. The principal house is contained in the block numbering from 141 to 149 Bowery. In the basement is located the receiving room. Where all the cloth used in the several establishments in this city is delivered. It is then removed to another floor and cut into patterns by hundreds of boys. Each pattern is represented by a similar number, and the 42 houses each receive a share of every style. The upper floors are occupied by the cutters and by men, boys and girls, who work at sewing machines operated by steam. When a pair of pantaloons is ordered by a customer, his measure is sent up stairs, the cloth is cut, and then the garments passes through the hands of 12 different operators who turn out a complete pair of trousers in two hours and a half."
The store at 145 Bowery was destroyed by fire on March 8, 1887. This was followed by a fire sale of water-stained merchandise.
An elevated railroad ran by the store. During the fire, a train stalled near the building. Some riders got out to walk down the track. When the train started up again, some of these walkers were knocked off the track and fell head first twenty feet to the ground. Three men were killed and several others injured.
Alexander retired in 1885. In retirement, he travelled around the world twice and crossed the Atlantic forty times. His son Donald took over the New York stores and other eastern locations
He died in London on September 25, 1895. His body was cremated in London and the remains returned to Brooklyn for internment at Green-Wood Cemetery.
Smarty-Pants question of the week: What is the numismatic connection?
I've never heard of a "Little Australia" in New York or any other city. While Pete's article could be an elaborate prank, I'm sure there is indeed a numismatic connection somewhere, even if not readily apparent on the Newman Numismatic Portal (yeah, I looked).
When you've been immersed in numismatics long enough, you can't help but see numismatic connections everywhere. They can be tenuous and indirect, but once seen, can't be unseen. There are often many direct connections too, although perhaps only a dedicated researcher will find them.
A successful businessman and prolific advertiser who produced trade cards surely also produced other items to promote his business, and numismatic items could be among them. The patent medicine maker J. C. Ayer produced a wealth of these trade cards as well as Encased Postage Stamps, which I collected for many years. Nicoll could have put his name on tokens, scrip, advertising notes, counterstamped coins, medals, etc. As a company owner managing hundreds of employees or contractors doing piece work, perhaps the business used tokens to manage worker payments. Or as a wealthy businessman, Nicoll could well have been a coin collector rather than a maker of numismatic items.
Usually numismatists start their research with a numismatic item in hand and work backwards from there to find its history. Starting with a history and searching for a numismatic item is a taller order. But E-Sylum readers are up to the task. Who can name the numismatic connection? Bonus points for locating connections Pete wasn't already aware of, and including images of your finds. -Editor
Greg Bennick's latest interview for the Newman Numismatic Portal is with Liberty Seated dime expert Gerry Fortin. Here's the third part, where Fortin talks about focusing on Seated dime die varieties and the career developments that allowed him to level up his Seated dime collection. Be sure to check out Gerry's upcoming auction of his world class Seated dime collection at www.seateddimevarieties.com. -Garrett
GREG BENNICK: So eventually your set became something majestic, and would it be possible to talk about that, or have we missed a step on the way to majestic?
GERRY FORTIN: What happened from 1990 to about 1995: I was focused on varieties. I was not focused on high-grade mint state pieces. I was more focused on identifying dies and buying, typically if I could find them, nice XF-AUs. Because on XF-AUs, you can get all the die details, the die cracks and any die polishing or die defects. You can see it. You can photograph it. When you get to VFs and below, it's very, very difficult. So, my semiconductor career was moving along nicely in Fairchild. We got bought out by National Semi in ‘87. So, I was now officially working for National Semiconductor, even though I hadn't moved. I was still in Portland, Maine. It's just...we had a new owner.
And let's skip ahead to 1997. So, 10 years later, the Portland people had not assimilated well in National, because National was west coast based, and there's different philosophies, work ethics, and so on. So, we never really merged. And in ‘97, I'm trying to remember who the CEO of National was, but he had this brilliant idea he was going to challenge Intel on microprocessors. And he needed about $350 million to launch that initiative. So, he approached our divisional president in Portland said, "Do you want to buy a piece of the company and turn it back into Fairchild?" And...the gentleman's name was Kirk Pond.
My boss at the time was a German named, Loren Schmidt. And I was running test operations in Malaysia and the United States and responsible for all the yields and productivity for the product lines that were located in Portland, Maine. So, I said, sure, I'm going to go with Fairchild. I'm going to go with the spin out, take the risk. My boss had just said, "You really got to come with us. You know, you're part of the main team." So, I said, "Okay, I'll do it." So when that happened, we got founder's shares. I was in the second round. We went public and those stocks became quite valuable. So, I cashed out some of it. I wish I had cashed out more at the time. You know, hindsight's 20-20. But I had a nice chunk of change. I said, "All right, I'm going to start collecting the high-end seated dimes." And that's what happened.
So, starting in 1997, I was still doing varieties, but I had a new layer that I was focused on. And that was the high-end material. Because I knew what I was doing at that point.
GREG BENNICK: Sure. Now, just before we get into the high-end stuff, in terms of the varieties, were there varieties that you either discovered or helped popularize or brought to the fore that maybe people who had preceded you hadn't focused on or recognized as vitally important?
GERRY FORTIN: Oh, sure. I've discovered many varieties. When you say discovered, it's really, you're the first one to publish it. Let's put it that way. Other people have probably seen it, but they've never said anything. So, my role was to just...I was publishing a lot in the Gobrecht Journal, which was, you know, of the Liberty Seated Collectors Club. And as I found stuff, I would just write articles and send pictures and just continue to raise the awareness of how exciting this series was. And then in 2004, that's when I published the book on Liberty Seated Dimes, but it was not a traditional paper book. It was a web book. It was an internet-based book.
I was the first person in numismatics to go digital with a book of this importance, because I could understand the convergence of technology into handheld devices. I could see this coming.
GREG BENNICK: This is one of those parallels, again, between your two worlds.
GERRY FORTIN: Right, another parallel! So, I remember announcing to the Liberty Seated Collector's Club in one of our annual meetings that it was just going to be digital. And they were floored. And I got people coming up and saying, "You'll leave no legacy. You have to do a hardbound book. This is the standard." And I said, "I'm sorry. I don't have time." It's so much easier for me to publish online. You know, just with a little HTML knowledge.
GREG BENNICK: For sure.
GERRY FORTIN: Images, you can publish online and I don't have to pay to have books printed and then run around coin shows trying to sell books. I mean, I'm just too busy of a person. So, I'm just going straight online. "And trust me, you'll love it in a few years." And that's what happened.
GREG BENNICK: This is great. I love the fact that we're talking also about the Gobrecht Journal, because I made mention of my one Liberty Seated Dime error, an off-center and struck through Liberty Seated Dime. I'm writing it up for the Gobrecht Journal. It'll be my first article for the Gobrecht Journal.
GERRY FORTIN: Oh, good for you. Good for you. I've got a couple of what is it? The annual Best Article Awards.
GREG BENNICK: Great.
GERRY FORTIN: Kamal Ahwash Awards. Yeah, I've got those. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
GREG BENNICK: I'm glad. I'm glad to hear that. So, okay. So then from there, your collection takes on this new level where you're doing varieties on one side. You're doing high-end on the other side. You end up with sets and pieces representing both worlds. Were there favorite coins from your collection that you've handled over the years? I know that in looking at the coins online, there's coins like the 43-O and 45-O and 60-O and 74-CC, which are extraordinary. And I'm wondering if I've missed any, or if you wanted to maybe speak to those as coins that were standouts.
GERRY FORTIN: Yeah, but there's a number of standouts. So, when I was building the high-end set, I, again, being an engineer and being very methodical, I had three collecting parameters. If a coin didn't meet those three, I would not buy it. The first was full strike. There's nothing worse than having a Liberty Seated dime with a partial head or a partial wreath. I knew that the fully struck pieces were much scarcer. But you didn't have to pay a premium. It's like standing Liberty Quarters. You know, you got the full heads. You have to pay that premium. Well, back then, nobody was even thinking about full strikes. But I was focused on that. So that was number one.
Number two was strict originality. Coming out of the semiconductor business, again, a parallel. When you're doing yield analysis, if you understand the process, you have to evaporate metals or sputter metals to interconnect the transistors. So, I was well-versed in metallurgy. And I understood grain structures of metals and so on and so forth. So, when I looked at a silver coin, I knew right away if it was strictly original or if it had been messed with. I could just see it.
GREG BENNICK: You could see it.
GERRY FORTIN: You could see it. So, my second criteria was strict originality. And thirdly was the coin pretty? A coin can be original, but it can be dark, crusty, and ugly. It had to have light toning, and it had to be just pretty. So, if a coin met those three parameters, I put it in the set. If it was missing one of the parameters, I would ignore it. Now, many collectors have bought labels and haven't paid attention to those three parameters. You know, they're building registry sets, and they're more interested in the label. And the numerical calculation of their set rating. In my case, I was, no....I'm buying the coin.
GREG BENNICK: Because 67, a coin that grades 67, doesn't say anything about some of the parameters that you've just said.
GERRY FORTIN: No, it doesn't. No. And some 67s are poorly struck, and they're ugly. So, I had this discriminating set of parameters, and I bought accordingly. That has proven to be one of the smartest things I've done. Because I was only buying exceptional coins.
GREG BENNICK: There you go. I was going to say smartest in terms of financial return, but also in terms of quality and eye appeal to the set. So, where some of the dates, like the ones I mentioned, jump out and that's just extraordinary.
GERRY FORTIN: Right. They jump out because the other thing is that I was collecting in a period of time when there were no giants in the business. I was collecting from 1995 through 2005. So, in that era, there were no very, very wealthy collectors collecting seated dimes. So, I was able to pick off the best material that hit the market in that era. And 2005, Eugene Gardner stepped in. I remember going to a New York City auction. It was the Stellar Sale, it was Queller, and he was selling part of his collection. He was going through a divorce. And Gene Gardner was there.
And I was after the 1865-S in gem, from the Queller collection. Never got it because Gene was there. I soon realized in 2005, I'm done. Because Gene has stepped in, and he's got infinite money. There's no way I can compete with him. So, in 2005, I put the set away. I stopped. In 2004, I had published the variety book. So, the variety research had come a long, long way to the point that I could publish. And then there was a couple of years of crowdsourcing that once I went online with the book, a number of people used the book to identify their coins, and they found some other varieties, which helped populate, you know, the online reference.
So, by 2007, my interest in Seated Dimes waned.
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)
To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
GERRY FORTIN INTERVIEW, PART ONE
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n01a13.html)
GERRY FORTIN INTERVIEW, PART TWO
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n02a18.html)
Coming up April first is the deadline for submissions to the ANA Young Numismatist Literary Awards. -Garrett
Young writers can hone their skills and submit articles based on a numismatic topic for the chance to win awards. Submissions for the American Numismatic Association's (ANA) annual Young Numismatist Literary Awards competition are being accepted through April 1. The awards were established to encourage young writers in three age groups, all of whom compete for cash awards and numismatic books.
Eligibility
To compete in this year's competition, participants must be ANA members. Submitted articles will focus on a numismatic topic of the competitor's choice.
Bill Fivaz Young Numismatist Literary Award
Ages: 8-12
Article should display basic knowledge of a numismatic topic. Creativity and original conclusions are encouraged. Suggested length: 450-900 words.
Q. David Bowers Young Numismatist Literary Award
Ages: 13-17
Article should display advanced knowledge of a numismatic topic. Logically presented facts and original conclusions are encouraged. A bibliographic list of sources is recommended, but not required. Suggested length: 900-1,800 words.
Kenneth E. Bressett Young Numismatist Literary Award
Ages: 18-22
Article should display in-depth knowledge of a numismatic topic. Logically presented facts and original conclusions are required, as is a bibliographic list of sources. Inclusion of charts, graphs, tables or other illustrations is encouraged. Suggested length: 1,800-3,600 words.
Guidelines for Submissions
When submitting articles:
Article submissions will be evaluated by a panel of judges that includes well-known numismatists and authors Bill Fivaz, Mitch Sanders and Kenneth Bressett.
Award Structure
The following prizes will be awarded in each of the age categories:
Completed entries should be emailed to sstewart@money.org.
The ANA is also now accepting applications for its YN college scholarship program. -Garrett
Applications for the Gerome Walton Memorial College Scholarship provided by the American Numismatic Association (ANA) are being accepted through March 14. The scholarship fund was established in 2014 to provide a graduating high school senior who is also a member of the ANA with $1,000 to use at the post-secondary school of the student's choice. Scholarship winners will be chosen based on numismatic merit.
The scholarship can be used for tuition, books, or supplies directly related to class requirements. Up to two scholarships may be awarded annually. Students with a full class schedule, who maintain a B average throughout their higher education, can receive the $1,000 scholarship for up to four years.
"As an educational organization, the ANA is proud to present this scholarship opportunity to students," said Paula Knepper, the ANA's eLearning and Education Programs Manager. "We hope this scholarship will encourage students to continue their study and involvement in numismatics and help them in their educational journey."
Besides holding membership in the ANA, applicants must be a graduating high school senior with a cumulative grade-point average of at least a 3.0. The winning students may use the scholarship at any two- or four-year college, university, or trade school within the United States.
Two letters of reference must be sent on the applicant's behalf. The authors of the references may not be family members. Reference letters must be submitted by the person writing the reference, not the scholarship applicant, and must be received at the ANA by March 14.
The first scholarship was graciously underwritten by Brian Fanton, ANA Education & Young Numismatist Committee Chair and former ANA Governor, and Walter Ostromecki Jr., ANA Governor and past President. Funds for future scholarships will be raised through donations.
Applications must be postmarked by March 14, 2025. Completed applications and references should be sent to:
ANA College Scholarship Committee
c/o Paula Knepper
818 N. Cascade Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
For additional information, contact Paula Knepper via email at pknepper@money.org or call (719) 482-9852.
Jeremy Bostwick at Numismagram forwarded these four medals from his upload of new medallic art to his site. Great medals! For all of the new items, please visit https://www.numismagram.com/inventory. -Editor
102936 | GERMANY. Regensburg. The Walhalla bronze Medal. Issued 1859. Most Remarkable Edifices of Europe series (59mm, 12h). By Jacques Wiener in Brussels and struck at the Geerts mint in Ixelles. DIE WALHALLA, exterior view of the building, face-on, from an eyepoint directly centered in front of the structure; DER GRUNDSTEIN GELEGT / DEN 18 OCTOBER 1830 / VON LUDWIG / KÖNIGE VON BAIERN in four lines in exergue // EINGEWEIHT DEN 18 OCTOBER / 1842 | BARON VON KLENZE ARCH, interior view down the long axis of the hall towards opisthodomos. Ross M222 (R1); van Hoydonck 169; Reinecke 95. PCGS SP-64. Rich red-brown surfaces, with a tremendous glossy nature. $495.
From what is today eastern Netherlands and western Germany, the Wieners were a Jewish family of exceptional medalists, especially known for numerous numismatic works throughout the Kingdom of Belgium. Eldest brother Jacques, along with younger brothers Leopold and Charles, created some of the finest works of medallic art of the 19th century, and all are particularly noted for their work in the highly detailed and intricate work of architectural renderings.
To read the complete item description, see:
102936 | GERMANY. Regensburg. The Walhalla bronze Medal.
(https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102936)
102922 | GREAT BRITAIN. Tynemouth. North East Coast Exhibition silver Award Medal. Issued 1882 for the expo held 6 September–14 October (51mm, 12h). By Reid & Sons in Newcastle upon Tyne. • NORTH EAST COAST EXHIBITION • / PRIZE – 1882 – MEDAL, Neptune/Poseidon, holding a wreath and a trident, in a sea carriage being drawn left by two hippocampi; coastline and ship in the background // NAVAL / ARCHITECTURE / MARINE / ENGINEERING / FISHERY LIFE SAVING / AND COAST LIGHTING / APPLIANCES ETC / TYNEMOUTH in eight lines; all within a combined land and sea wreath comprised of shells, coral, grains, dolphins, and an anchor. BHM –; Eimer –. PCGS SP-61. Deeper gray surfaces, with some hints of cobalt and scattered brilliance in the fields. A rare and interesting piece. $695.
To read the complete item description, see:
102922 | GREAT BRITAIN. Tynemouth. North East Coast Expo silver Award Medal.
(https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102922)
103064 | SWEDEN. Stockholm. Vårfest aluminum Medal. Issued circa 1893/4. Commemorating the initial Vårfest (spring festival) held at Skansen (31mm, 4.11 g, 12h). By August Högel. A Skansen runestone, carved with a cross, serpents, and runes reading "KIIN ÞIK SIALFAN" (know thyself); NORDISKA / MUS??T in two lines in exergue // MINNE FRÅN SKANSENS VÅRFEST (to commemorate the spring festival at Skansen), two daffodils tied near their base. Edge: Plain. Gustafsson 1:7. Gem Mint State. Exceptionally prooflike and lustrous, with alluring frosting on the devices. An early use of aluminum for medals. $145.
In an effort to create more interest in a Swedish national day, Artur Hazelius, the founder of the Nordiska Museet (Nordic Museum) and the Skansen, Sweden's first open-air museum and zoo located on the island of Djurgården in Stockholm, planned a vårfest (spring festival) to be held at Skansen. This fest had its final day on 5 June, with 6 June already being recognized as Gustafsdagen (Gustav's Day). Eventually, the latter became Sweden's national day, being known as Swedish Flag Day until 1983, then simply as Sveriges nationaldag (Swedish national day). For more information on this medal and the vårfest, see "Svensk Numismatisk Tidskrift" 4 (2011), p. 83.
To read the complete item description, see:
103064 | SWEDEN. Stockholm. Vårfest aluminum Medal.
(https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/103064)
102939 | GERMANY, CHINA, SCANDINAVIA & UNITED STATES. Wilson's Successes cast bronze Medal. Dated 1917. "Wilsons Werbung bei den Neutralen"—on President Wilson's attempts to convince neutrals to declare war upon Germany (57mm, 59.98 g, 12h). By Karl Goetz in München. WERBUNG, Wilson, in the guise of Uncle Sam, standing left, cradling palm frond while pointing to face, and enticing coiled dragon to left (representing China) // WILSON'S ERFOLGE (Wilson's Successes), neutral parties, with their backs facing, sit on bench, as if on the sidelines: Scandinavia (holding newspaper reading "Scandinavian neutrality), the Netherlands (holding tulip), Spain (wearing sombrero), and Switzerland (holding crossbow). Edge: Some filing marks as made, otherwise plain. Kienast 194; Klose 8.35; Art of Devastation –. Mint State. Deep olive-brown surfaces, with some light rub upon the high points and some dusty gray-green in the recesses. $565.
Here, Goetz presents American President Woodrow Wilson as Uncle Sam, charming a dragon to left meant to represent the Republic of China. Indeed, China declared war upon Germany in August 1917, though it was of little consequence given the geographical difference. Meanwhile, Wilson's attempts to court other neutrals did not succeed, with Goetz satirizing this aspect on the reverse, with caricatures of the various neutral countries or regions, turning their backs, with their posteriors in full display, to the Americans.
To read the complete item description, see:
102939 | GERMANY & UNITED STATES. Wilson's Successes cast bronze Medal.
(https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102939)
Heritage Auctions will be hosting their Winter Obsolete Currency Showcase Auction on January 26. Select items are discussed below. -Garrett
South Bend, IN- University Bank $10 186_ Schingoethe IN-550-10 Proof PCGS Choice New 63. Notes from the University Bank at the University of Notre Dame have always been recognized as the kings of College Notes, but this piece is truly exceptional, as it is a true rarity in Proof form. It features vignettes of a passenger train, Minerva holding an American flag, and farmers harvesting corn. The note has an overall red tint and a red and white TEN protector. Printed on card stock. A crucially important example that should sail well past our estimate.
To read the complete item description, see:
South Bend, IN- University Bank $10 186_ Schingoethe IN-550-10 Proof PCGS Choice New 63.
(https://currency.ha.com/itm/obsoletes-by-state/indiana/south-bend-in-university-bank-10-186-schingoethe-in-550-10-proof-pcgs-choice-new-63/a/62379-94143.s?ctrack=200071&type=collectorj-img1-coinus-news-tem011425#)
Austin, TX- Republic of Texas $10 July 26, 1839 Cr. A5 Medlar 25 PMG About Uncirculated 55. The lovely Republic of Texas cut cancelled $10 in this lot features splendid color. A bright orange "Lone Star" back is present, as is a full frame and little evidence of circulation. At right is an always desired vignette of a ship sailing the high seas, and at left is Jupiter with a lightning bolt. We auctioned a PMG 58 EPQ in August 2024 for $1,620.
To read the complete item description, see:
Austin, TX- Republic of Texas $10 July 26, 1839 Cr. A5 Medlar 25 PMG About Uncirculated 55.
(https://currency.ha.com/itm/obsoletes-by-state/texas/austin-tx-republic-of-texas-10-july-26-1839-cr-a5-medlar-25-pmg-about-uncirculated-55/a/62379-94340.s?ctrack=200071&type=collectorj-img1-coinus-news-tem011425#)
Washington, DC- Glory Bank $20 Satirical Note May 1, 1834 Rulau HT-N16M PMG Choice Very Fine 35. Like other notes from the "Glory Bank" series, this note is critical of both Andrew Jackson and Amos Kendall, a very influential Jackson "kitchen cabinet" member and United States Postmaster General from 1835-40. Seldom offered and quite rare since these notes were printed on poor quality paper and were not saved in any appreciable quantity. At this point, we are aware of three or four examples. PMG notes a damp stain that covers the left and bottom margins.
To read the complete item description, see:
Washington, DC- Glory Bank $20 Satirical Note May 1, 1834 Rulau HT-N16M PMG Choice Very Fine 35.
(https://currency.ha.com/itm/obsoletes-by-state/district-of-columbia/washington-dc-glory-bank-20-satirical-note-may-1-1834-rulau-ht-n16m-pmg-choice-very-fine-35/a/62379-94057.s?ctrack=200071&type=collectorj-img1-coinus-news-tem011425)
St. Paul, MN- (Treasurer of) Ramsey County $3 18__ Hewitt D3-2 Remainder PMG Gem Uncirculated 65 EPQ. These notes were issued between 1861 and 1863. There was only $240 outstanding in 1877. The $3 design features a detailed vignette of a pioneer family traveling to a new life on a log raft and an oval portrait of a Native American at lower right. There are a number of design elements printed in red including a protector panel containing a large red and white THREE.
To read the complete item description, see:
St. Paul, MN- (Treasurer of) Ramsey County $3 18__ Hewitt D3-2 Remainder PMG Gem Uncirculated 65 EPQ.
(https://currency.ha.com/itm/obsoletes-by-state/minnesota/st-paul-mn-treasurer-of-ramsey-county-3-18-hewitt-d3-2-remainder-pmg-gem-uncirculated-65-epq/a/62379-94203.s?ctrack=200071&type=collectorj-img1-coinus-news-tem011425)
Boston, MA- (Dix & Brinley?) $3-$4 180__ Uncut Pair PMG About Uncirculated 50. The tentative identification of the issuer of this pair of most unusual merchant notes is based on a name written in the margin of another denomination from this issuer. With notes this early, many of the usual research aids such as newspaper items, census records, and city directory listings are either few and far between or non-existent. We have, however, discovered a catalog issued by George Brinley, who was a dealer in drugs, medicines, dye stuffs, painters' colors, and surgeons' instruments among other products, located at the address shown on these notes. So these notes are almost assuredly associated with this business. It remains unclear if "Dix & Brinley" was the banner this business was operating under when these notes were in use, before 1810. The notes themselves are delightful, however, both featuring pachyderms. The other denomination of which we are aware also has an elephant vignette, and it would be interesting to discover what the fascination with elephants was all about. The bottom of an end panel and bottom frameline for another note is in evidence in the top margin of the $3, indicating that this is a partial sheet rather than a complete two subject sheet. This is our first offering of any issues from this rare early Boston issuer.
To read the complete item description, see:
Boston, MA- (Dix & Brinley?) $3-$4 180__ Uncut Pair PMG About Uncirculated 50.
(https://currency.ha.com/itm/obsoletes-by-state/massachusetts/boston-ma-dix-and-brinley-3-4-180-uncut-pair-pmg-about-uncirculated-50/a/62379-94172.s?ctrack=200071&type=collectorj-img1-coinus-news-tem011425)
Athens, GA- Athens High School / Excelsior Bank 25¢ ND (ca. 1873-74) Schingoethe UNL PMG Choice Fine 15. Benjamin T. Hunter, a Civil War veteran serving with the Georgia militia, taught at and became president of the University High School in Athens. Mention is later found that the Athens High School (which may be either a name change or a different institution) operated briefly in 1873 under the direction of Professor Benjamin T. Hunter. This note seems to belong to the 1873 incarnation. Another denomination lists a third possible name, the Athens Grove Academy. In any case this small 25¢ note is rather ornate, printed in black with a red seal (listing Benjamin T. Hunter as Principal) and a busy back design depicting books, a telescope, and other educational resources. What appears to be the reverse of an Indian Head Cent serves as the counter for the 25¢ denomination on the face. The note mentions fractional currency which was still in circulation when this note was being used. PMG notes pinholes which are of little consequence. This is the second example of this denomination that we have been able to offer.
To read the complete item description, see:
Athens, GA- Athens High School / Excelsior Bank 25¢ ND (ca. 1873-74) Schingoethe UNL PMG Choice Fine 15.
(https://currency.ha.com/itm/obsoletes-by-state/georgia/athens-ga-athens-high-school-excelsior-bank-25-nd-ca-1873-74-schingoethe-unl-pmg-choice-fine-15/a/62379-94075.s)
Columbus, IN- Kentucky Stock Bank $20 18__ Remainder G12a Wolka 0380-17 About Uncirculated. The Indiana free bank got its curious name because a large part of its circulation was secured by Kentucky bonds deposited with the state auditor. The bank opened in 1854, succeeding B.F. Jones & Co. It remained in business until voluntarily closing its doors in 1863. It then became McEwen & Sons Bank. This final incarnation failed disastrously in 1871, with depositors receiving 6¢ on the dollar. The $20 design is quite striking with only a small female portrait at top center, but with a border of twenty geometric counters, equal to the denomination. The note is covered with a brown-orange tint and a large orange and white TWENTY protector. There is a small split and light stamp hinge residue. Rare and always popular.
To read the complete item description, see:
Columbus, IN- Kentucky Stock Bank $20 18__ Remainder G12a Wolka 0380-17 About Uncirculated.
(https://currency.ha.com/itm/obsoletes-by-state/indiana/columbus-in-kentucky-stock-bank-20-18-remainder-g12a-wolka-0380-17-about-uncirculated/a/62379-94136.s)
Boone Furnace, KY- Ohio & Kentucky Coal, Iron & Railroad Company 25¢ Jan. 1, 1874 PMG Very Fine 30. Signed by Finlayson, Childs & Co., this scarce Kentucky scrip features a vignette of a train traveling around a bend in the tracks at left. A decorative green back is also present. The last example we auctioned of this denomination and design appeared in November 2021, and it was a raw Fine that brought $241. Our current offering, which is in a higher grade than that piece, should outperform that figure.
From The Fred Hiatt Collection
To read the complete item description, see:
Boone Furnace, KY- Ohio & Kentucky Coal, Iron & Railroad Company 25¢ Jan. 1, 1874 PMG Very Fine 30.
(https://currency.ha.com/itm/obsoletes-by-state/kentucky/boone-furnace-ky-ohio-and-kentucky-coal-iron-and-railroad-company-25-jan-1-1874-pmg-very-fine-30/a/62379-94152.s)
Noonans has announced their upcoming sale of the Hammersley Collection of British Milled Sovereigns. -Editor
Noonans Mayfair will offer The Hammersley Collection of exceptional British Milled Sovereigns on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at 2pm. Comprising 62 lots, the collection represents the best group of milled sovereigns to be dispersed in London for over a decade and is estimated to fetch in the region of £265,000.
As Bradley Hopper, Head of Coins at Noonans commented: "Introduced as a replacement for the Guinea after three decades of economic turbulence caused by the war with France, the purpose of the Sovereign, as its name suggests, was to re-establish the political and economic power of Britain and its Empire."
He continued: "The title of the collection, ‘Hammersley', was suggested by the vendor, a UK based gentleman who wishes to retain his anonymity. It references the Hammersley family of royal bankers, to whom the vendor is distantly related. The bank operated from 1786 until being absorbed by Coutts in 1840."
These Sovereigns are of superb aesthetic quality and include several key rarities. An example from the reign of Queen Victoria, dated 1841, which is described as "The King of Victorian Sovereigns", is in a superb mint state and estimated at £30,000-36,000 [lot 2030] while an extremely rare example dating from 1823 and the reign of George IV (1820-1830) is estimated at £10,000-£15,000 [lot 2010]. Also of note is a superb ‘827' Sovereign from 1863 which is estimated at £10,000-15,000 [lot 2053].
As Mr Hopper adds: "The enigmatic ‘827' sovereigns come in two varieties: those with the die number 22 on the reverse and those without. Both are extremely rare, the latter being perhaps the more difficult to acquire in higher grades. Die numbers for 1863 run from 1 to 26, and on this basis the ‘827' issues can be placed towards the end of the calendar year."
For more information, see:
https://www.noonans.co.uk/
https://www.noonans.co.uk/auctions/calendar/822/
Max Hensley passed along this BBC News article about a gruesome coin discovery in the ruins of Pompeii. Thanks. -Editor
After lying hidden beneath metres of volcanic rock and ash for 2,000 years, a "once-in-a-century" find has been unearthed in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii in Italy.
Archaeologists have discovered a sumptuous private bathhouse - potentially the largest ever found there - complete with hot, warm and cold rooms, exquisite artwork, and a huge plunge pool.
The spa-like complex sits at the heart of a grand residence uncovered over the last two years during a major excavation.
Analysis of two skeletons discovered in the house also shows the horror faced by Pompeii's inhabitants when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD79.
The bodies belonged to a woman, aged between 35 and 50, who was clutching jewellery and coins, and a younger man in his teens or early 20s.
They had barricaded themselves into a small room, but were killed as a tsunami of superheated volcanic gas and ash - known as a pyroclastic flow - ripped through the town.
The skeleton of a woman was found lying on top of a bed, curled up in a foetal position. The body of a man was in the corner of this small room.
"She was probably someone higher up in society," says Dr Hay. "She could have been the wife of the owner of the house - or maybe an assistant looking after the wife, we just don't know."
An assortment of items were found on a marble table top in the room - glassware, bronze jugs and pottery - perhaps brought into the room where the pair had tucked themselves away hoping to wait out the eruption.
But it's the items clutched by the victims that are of particular interest. The younger man held some keys, while the older woman was found with gold and silver coins and jewellery.
The gold coins still gleam as if they were new, and he shows us delicate gold and natural pearl earrings, necklace pendants and intricately etched semi-precious stones.
Max writes:
"I liked the coin image, skeleton clutching three aurei - all gem BU except the skeleton! Too bad she didn't outlive the eruption to today. Gem BU aurei from 70 CE. Worth big bucks. Is that Titus? Nero? Maybe an ancient expert could weigh in."
To read the complete article, see:
'Once-in-a-century' discovery reveals spectacular luxury of Pompeii
(https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c15zgvnvk4do)
Luxembourgish archaeologists have discovered an incredible hoard of 141 Roman gold coins in the North of the country. -Garrett
An extraordinary treasure of 141 Roman gold coins, or solidi, of the late 4th century CE has been unearthed by archaeologists from Luxembourg. The finding was made at Holzthum village in northern Luxembourg after several years of excavations headed by the National Institute for Archaeological Research (INRA).
These solidi were struck between 364 and 408 CE, carrying portraits of nine emperors. The pieces of money found include the rare coins of Emperor Eugenius, who reigned for only two years (392–394 CE).
The coins, valued at approximately €308,600 (about $322,000), were found near the foot of a late Roman fortified tower, burgus, which was used for military observation. Of the emperors that can be made out from the remains found, Eugenius is the most outstanding. He had a very short and stormy government, proclaimed by the powerful general Arbogast as emperor of the Western Roman Empire following the mysterious death of Emperor Valentinian II; Eugenius tried to recover elements of the Roman pagan traditions, and for a time he enjoyed the support of the nobility of the West.
His reign, however, was contested by the Eastern Roman Emperor, the Christian Theodosius I, who refused to allow Eugenius to exercise authority. This inevitably led to the Battle of Frigidus in 394 CE, which saw the defeat and subsequent execution of Eugenius. His coins remain among the rarest relics of his short rule.
"This is a major archaeological discovery," announced INRA researchers in a statement, "as it is extremely rare to be able to study an entire ancient monetary deposit in its archaeological context."
To read the complete article, see:
1,700-year-old hoard of Roman gold coins discovered in Luxembourg
(https://archaeologymag.com/2025/01/roman-gold-coins-in-luxembourg/)
Here's the story of a medieval coin hoard find. -Editor
A hoard of coins dating back to the 11th Century has been found at the site of a future nuclear power station.
Oxford Cotswold Archaeology discovered a lead package containing 321 silver coins in mint condition during excavations at Sizewell C on the Suffolk coast.
The team believed the bundle of coins could have been the savings pot of a local figure, fearing regime changes following the coronation of Edward the Confessor in 1042.
Archaeologist Andrew Pegg said he was shaking when he found the coins.
The coins date between 1036 and 1044 during the reigns of Harold I, Harthacnut and Edward the Confessor.
A large number of them were minted in London, but others were struck at locations including Thetford and Norwich in Norfolk, as well as more locally in Ipswich and further away in Lincoln and Stamford in Lincolnshire.
The archaeologists said it represented a substantial amount of money to most people of the time and likely belonged to someone of middle status, rather than anyone of very high status or national importance.
However, they do not know why the collection was never retrieved.
To read the complete article, see:
Hoard of 11th Century coins found at Sizewell C
(https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9wl9re5j1qo)
See also:
Ancient silver coins unearthed by Oxford archaeologists
(https://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/news/24840946.ancient-silver-coins-unearthed-oxford-archaeologists/)
Coin hoards are most often discovered buried underground, but here's a substantial stash from the 1600s, found in German church where Martin Luther preached. -Editor
Restorers at a famous Gothic church in Germany have discovered a "huge fortune" that was hidden in the leg of a statue nearly 400 years ago. The treasure — four bags of coins from the 1600s — was likely concealed during the Thirty Years' War, when Swedish soldiers frequently plundered the region.
The discovery is an "incredible story," Ulf Dräger, curator and head of department at the State Coin Cabinet of Saxony-Anhalt in Germany, told Live Science in an email. The restorers, who made the find in May 2022 but didn't announce it until November 2024, uncovered the coins at St. Andrew's Church, a Gothic church in Eisleben, a town in the east-central state of Saxony-Anhalt. This church is where Martin Luther, the Protestant Reformer who wrote the "Ninety-five Theses" against corruption in the Roman Catholic Church, delivered his last four sermons in 1546.
Around 100 years later, in about 1640, someone used the church as a safe haven to hide their stash. They put the four "bulging purses" holding 816 coins into a cavity in a leg of a sandstone statue, which is part of an epitaph for a countess and count, Dräger said.
"It is nothing short of a miracle that the treasure did not come to light sooner," he added. It will take time for coin experts to assess the hoard's value, but "at the moment, I can only say that it is a huge fortune. Much more than a craftsman could earn in a year," he noted.
The most valuable gold coins were wrapped in paper and labeled in a way that indicates the money belonged to the church treasury. "However, it is not the bell pouch for the Sunday collection," Dräger said. "Instead, it is the collected income from special services provided by the pastors," such as weddings, baptisms and funerals. Pastors also collected money from "chair fees," in which congregants would pay to sit in prominent seats in the church, he added.
The stash includes a gold coin known as a "golden angel"; gold ducats and double ducats; silver coins known as thalers, half-thalers and quarter-thalers; and hundreds of pennies.
To read the complete article, see:
'Huge fortune' from the 1600s, including gold and silver coins, found in German church where Martin Luther preached
(https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/huge-fortune-from-the-1600s-including-gold-and-silver-coins-found-in-german-church-where-martin-luther-preached)
The U.S. Mint has revealed designs for the latest American Innovation dollars, covering Arkansas, Michigan, Florida, and Texas. -Garrett
The United States Mint (Mint) today released the designs for the 2025 American Innovation $1 Coin Program. This multi-year series that began in 2018 honors innovation and innovators by issuing $1 coins for each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories. The Mint works with the office of the Governor or other Chief Executive for each state, territory, or city, along with subject matter experts, to determine design concepts emblematic of innovation that are significant and meaningful to its jurisdiction and/or its role in the Nation. Once the Secretary of the Treasury approves the design concepts, the designs are developed and reviewed. The Secretary of the Treasury selects the final design for each coin. The 2025 designs honor innovations and/or innovators from Arkansas, Michigan, Florida, and Texas.
American Innovation – Arkansas
Designer: Elana Hagler, Artistic Infusion Program Designer
Sculptor: Eric David Custer, U.S. Mint Medallic Artist
This design features Raye Montague visualizing a United States Navy Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, a ship she designed by computer. The grid pattern over the sea evokes the engineering and drafting techniques she digitalized to accomplish her design. Included inscriptions are "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "ARKANSAS," and "RAYE MONTAGUE."
American Innovation – Michigan
Designer: Ron Sanders, Artistic Infusion Program Designer
Sculptor: John P. McGraw, Mint Medallic Artist
This design features a 1930s-era assembly line where a team of auto workers lowers an automobile cab into place. Included inscriptions are "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "MICHIGAN," and "AUTO ASSEMBLY LINE."
Designer: Ron Sanders, Artistic Infusion Program Designer
Sculptor: Eric David Custer, U.S. Mint Medallic Artist
This design presents an image of a NASA Space Shuttle lifting off from Launch Complex 39 at Florida's Kennedy Space Center. Smoke from the solid rocket boosters fills the lower edges of the design with stars in background. Included inscriptions are "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and "FLORIDA."
Designer: Ron Sanders, Artistic Infusion Program Designer
Sculptor: John P. McGraw, Mint Medallic Artist
This design features an American astronaut conducting a spacewalk outside the International Space Station. The image represents the culmination of the Mission Control Center's economic, logistical, and intellectual support for NASA's human space program, as well as its support of astronauts from the many countries that participate in the International Space Station program. Included inscriptions are "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and "TEXAS."
The obverse (heads) design of American Innovation $1 Coins features a dramatic representation of the Statue of Liberty in profile with the inscriptions "IN GOD WE TRUST" and "$1." The design also includes a privy mark of a stylized gear, representing industry and innovation. The edge-incused inscriptions are "2025," the mint mark, and "E PLURIBUS UNUM."
The Florida and Texas designs seem bland to me - the Space Shuttle and Space Station are very old news. The other subjects are old too, but NASA has been on coins and medals many times over. To channel Bob Dylan, "How many times must we land reusable boosters before that gets its own coin?" Two U.S.-based commercial companies have now accomplished that feat, and it's nothing short of game-changing for space exploration. -Editor
Images are available at https://www.usmint.gov/news/image-library/american-innovation-dollars. On-sale dates for products containing the 2025 American Innovation $1 Coins will be published on the Mint's 2025 Product Schedule. When available, the Mint will accept orders at http://www.usmint.gov/. Information about shipping options is available at https://www.usmint.gov/help-center/shipping.html.
The U.S. Mint has revealed designs for the final five coins in the American Women Quarters series. -Garrett
The U.S. Mint is wrapping up its four-year American Women Quarters Program with new quarters coming out this year depicting historic figures like a tennis star, an astronomer whose work is credited with leading to the discovery of dark matter, and the founder of the Girl Scouts.
The final class of new quarters includes Ida B. Wells, a Black woman born into slavery in Mississippi during the middle of the Civil War who went on to work in journalism, fight against lynching, champion women's right to vote, and found the National Association of Colored Women's Club. Wells's quarter, sculpted by Mint medallic artist Phebe Hemphill, cites her professions as a journalist, suffragist, and civil rights activist.
Juliette Gordon Low founded what would later be known as the Girl Scouts in 1912 after meeting the British founder of the Boy Scouts, Lord Robert Baden-Powell. The following year, the organization published its first handbook, How Girls Can Help Their Country. Sculptor Eric David Custer depicts Low in uniform alongside the first Girl Scout Trefoil, which she designed.
When Vera Rubin told her high school teacher she was attending Vassar University, he told her "as long as you stay away from science, you should do okay." Rubin went on to prove that teacher wrong, making discoveries as an astronomer that expanded our knowledge of the universe. Rubin also published more than 100 scientific papers, according to the National Women's History Museum. Rubin's quarter, sculpted by Mint medallic artist John P. McGraw, shows her staring off into the cosmos with a spiral galaxy background.
Born in 1987 with congenital muscular dystrophy, Stacey Park Milbern was a disability rights activist who founded the Disability Justice Culture Club. She was named by then-President Barack Obama to the President's Committee for People With Intellectual Disabilities in 2014. Milbern was a producer for Netflix's Oscar-nominated documentary Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution in 2020. Milbern died that same year at the age of 33. Her coin is sculpted by Craig A. Campbell.
Before Venus, Serena, and Billie Jean King, there was Althea Gibson. A tennis star of the 1950s, Gibson faced segregation and discrimination and went on to become the the first Black woman in history to win the U.S. Nationals, French Championship, and Wimbledon. Gibson was a multi-sport athlete, later becoming a golfer and the first Black woman on a Ladies Professional Golf Association tour. Her quarter, sculpted by Renata Gordon, calls Gibson a "trailblazing champion."
A great batch of honorees, and I'm particularly glad to see Ida B. Wells getting recognition. -Editor
To read the complete article, see:
These 5 remarkable women will be on quarters in 2025
(https://www.fastcompany.com/91256164/american-women-quarters-program-2025)
Jim Haas submitted this article about United States Treasury War Service Medals given to Boy Scouts for participating in a WWI bond sale drive. Thanks! -Editor
Back in 2011 when I began research on my hometown, College Point, NY, and its involvement in World War One, I came upon an article dated October 25, 1917 with a headline reading College Point Takes $282,700 Liberty Bonds. Included was a sentence that I failed to notice at the time saying that Queens County Boy Scout Executive Charles A. Worden had come to present honor medals to twenty-one scouts who had solicited at least ten subscriptions from ten separate families, and to acknowledge the splendid work performed in the nation's first Liberty Loan drive.
At the time, the small town had six troops, including one, Troop 2, that was organized on August 6, 1910 by Poppenhusen Institute Director John Gyger Embree, a very good friend of sculptor and Institute Board member, Hermon Atkins MacNeil. On March 20, 1930 Troop 2 would be recognized as being the oldest Boy Scout Troop in the United States.
Knowing nothing about the medal, I did some research and learned that in late June, Secretary of the Treasury William G. McAdoo asked the Boy Scouts of America to make a house-to-house canvas of their respective cities and villages between April 27 and May 4. The medal was issued by the Treasury Department.
The medal and bar bearing the inscription "United States Treasury War Service Award", was designed by Edward Herrick Thompson. It was cast in bronze by the Gorham Company showing the statue of liberty on the obverse flanked by the scout symbol and inscribed "War Service" above Lady Liberty and "Every Scout to Save a Soldier" beneath. On the reverse the name of the holder is engraved with the words "Presented by the United States Treasury Department for Service in Liberty Loan Campaign, Boy Scouts of America, June, 1917." Additional award bars were given for subsequent Liberty Bond drives. The Boy Scouts were heavily involved in selling these bonds to the public, and this medal served as recognition for their significant contributions to the campaign.
The response to McAdoo's request was spectacular with at least 75,000 scouts across the country reaching and/or exceeding the minimum number of ten subscriptions, and through their efforts raising $23,000,000.
For anyone wishing to read a brief, but informative article, click on https://sossi.org/journal/scouts-ww1-liberty-bonds.pdf.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will be working with the Monnaie de Paris (the French state mint) to replace defective medals as they are requested. -Garrett
The mint in France responsible for producing medals for the 2024 Summer Olympics will replace some of the hardware given out to athletes following complaints of deterioration in the medal varnish.
Reports of medal degradation began even before the Olympics ended; U.S. skateboarder Nyjah Huston posted photos on his Instagram of his bronze medal, showing discoloration on the surface.
The medals were designed by Chaumet, a French luxury jewelry and watch brand, and created by Monnaie de Paris, the French mint. They include preserved pieces of iron from the original Eiffel Tower, which were put into storage after renovations in the 20th century.
"Monnaie de Paris has taken the issue of damaged medals very seriously since the first exchange requests in August, mobilizing its internal teams," Monnaie de Paris said in a statement. "Monnaie de Paris modified the varnish and optimized its manufacturing process to make it more resistant to certain uses of the medals by athletes."
The replacement of damaged medals has been initiated in liaison with the IOC and the Paris 2024 organizing committee. Monnaie de Paris said the medals would be replaced during the first quarter of 2025.
France created 2,600 medals for the Olympics and 2,400 medals for the Paralympics, but Monnaie de Paris declined to say how many will be replaced.
To read the complete article, see:
Some medals from 2024 Olympics will be replaced by French mint following complaints of deterioration
(https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6062257/2025/01/14/2024-summer-olympics-paris-medal-replacement/)
A different article contains quotes from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Monnaie de Paris (the French state Mint). -Garrett
French website La Lettre found that there have been more than 100 requests from Olympic and Paralympic athletes from across the world to replace their medals.
However, they will be replaced with identical models, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) told AFP.
"The Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organising Committee is working closely with the Monnaie de Paris (the French state mint), the institution responsible for the manufacture and quality control of the medals, to assess any complaints about the medals and to understand the circumstances and cause of any damage," the IOC said.
"Defective medals will be systematically replaced by the Monnaie de Paris and engraved identically.
"The replacement process should begin in the coming weeks."
When contacted by AFP, a spokesperson for the Monnaie de Paris refuted the term "defective" and said that the medals signalled by athletes as being "damaged" since the month of August have already been replaced.
"We have replaced all the damaged medals since August and we will continue to do so in the same professional manner as before," said the spokesperson, adding that replacements were "underway" and were being made "as requests come in."
I found it interesting how Monnaie de Paris carefully worded their description of the replaced medals as "damaged" versus "defective." -Editor
To read the complete article, see:
‘Haven't taken it out partying': Olympians return medals amid Paris farce
(https://www.news.com.au/sport/olympics/havent-taken-it-out-partying-olympians-return-medals-amid-paris-farce/news-story/24f15f4f0b3f3b9d87f44f08b8e3a662)
To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
2024 PARIS OLYMPIC MEDALS DETERIORATE
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n32a20.html)
2024 PARIS OLYMPIC MEDAL DETERIORATION
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n01a22.html)
In Pete Smith's article elsewhere in this issue, I noted that, "When you've been immersed in numismatics long enough, you can't help but see numismatic connections everywhere." How about a numismatic connection to the recent California wildfires? -Editor
When former Olympic gold-medal sprinter Michael Johnson heard the Palisades fire was heading his way, he knew his multimillion-dollar hillside home in Malibu, Calif., was in danger.
Johnson didn't simply dial 911 as others in the wildfire's path did: He turned to his private firefighting system for protection.
Johnson pays about $5,000 a year to lease the system, a pump-and-hose apparatus that can draw large amounts of water from his swimming pool to help fight the progress of wildfires and backstop the city's municipal firefighters and hydrants.
Just as Johnson and his wife started hosing down their property in hopes of preventing any embers from igniting, a man sent by the system's supplier, Fire Defense Service, showed up to help them. The Johnsons soon evacuated, believing they would never see their house again. But the man from Fire Defense stayed behind to help protect their house and a neighbor's who was also a client.
"His plan was to fight it if it came," Johnson recalled.
As the inferno engulfed parts of the Los Angeles area, tensions have flared over the crews of private firefighters who have been spotted roaming affected neighborhoods and battling the blazes for their clients.
A few years earlier, during the 2018 Woolsey fire, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian were criticized after crediting private firefighters for saving their Hidden Hills home (though residents later said the private crews showed up after the fire had gone).
The reality is more nuanced. While there are some firefighters-for-rent battling the Los Angeles blazes for the well-heeled, most so-called private firefighters aren't hired by homeowners or business owners, but by insurance companies.
As fires have become more frequent and expensive for insurers, some have taken matters into their own hands by paying for private firefighting crews. Insurers, including Chubb and USAA, feature the private-firefighter service in homeowner policies they offer in fire-prone areas across the U.S.
The insurer-paid firefighters say they don't favor more expensive properties during a fire, but give priority to client properties that are most at risk, whatever their value. They generally don't directly battle blazes. Instead, their crews try to get to client homes ahead of a fire, sealing off vents to keep embers from getting in, moving combustibles away from the structure, and sometimes spraying fire-retardant gel on the house.
As these private crews hopscotch among neighborhoods with client maps in hand, they bypass homes without such coverage.
To read the complete article, see:
Wealthy Homeowners and Their Insurers Turn to Hired Help to Fight L.A. Wildfires
(https://www.wsj.com/us-news/wealthy-homeowners-and-their-insurers-turn-to-hired-help-to-fight-l-a-wildfires-cab666e0)
I know what you're thinking - the numismatic connection is Johnson's Olympic medals. Actually no - Johnson's house survived the fire - although other Olympians have lost medals to the fire, and may get them replaced. The connection goes back to colonial times in the U.S.
Here's an excerpt from an earlier article on Fire Marks, which I first learned about many years ago from my friend Armor Murdoch, an elderly fellow member of the Western Pennsylvania Numismatic Society. -Editor
DECORATIVE CRESTS BEARING EAGLES, CLASPED hands, and shining suns were once signs of membership in a special club. They showed that the building to which they were affixed was insured against fire—and that if the building caught on fire, a private fire brigade would come to attempt to put it out. Now, long after their heyday, these plaques, known as "fire marks," have become collector's items—every bit as fascinating and artful today as they were when they were installed.
After the Great Fire of London in September 1666, which damaged or destroyed huge swaths of the historic city, the need for a more organized response to fires became tragically apparent. This led to the creation of the world's first property insurance policies, issued by what is considered the world's first insurance company, called the "Fire Office." Despite its official-sounding name, the Fire Office was not a municipal department, but a private company. At the beginning, it provided money for the restoration or reconstruction of buildings damaged by fire.
By the time that the idea of fire insurance made its way to the Untied States, volunteer fire brigades were already a well-established tradition to protect the common good. Fire marks, which first took hold in Philadelphia, where some can still be found today, functioned simply as insurance advertisements, and as a sort of turf mark.
The most iconic of Philadelphia's fire marks was that of the Ben Franklin–founded Philadelphia Contributionship, which bore the image of four hands grabbing each other by the wrists. It was often molded out of metal and affixed to a wooden shield.
Today, fire marks survive as historic points of interest or collector's items. Like philatelists and numismatists (collectors of stamps and coins, respectively), people who study and collect fire marks have a name: signevierists. Probably the most organized group of signevierists is the Fire Mark Circle of America, which oversees a number of auctions and connects enthusiasts. Their auction listings even act as a sort of database of the wide variety of preserved marks being traded around.
Are there any signevierists among our readers? -Editor
To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
SIGNEVIERISTS: FIRE MARK COLLECTORS
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n36a28.html)
Stack's Bowers Currency Specialist & Lead Currency Cataloger Bradley Charles Trotter published an article on a very interesting inscribed and signed souvenir Confederate banknote. -Editor
Consigned to us as part of a larger group of Confederate and Obsolete notes is a T-53 1862 Confederate $5 with the signature of Col. Benjamin H. Grierson. This note, graded Choice Very Fine 35 by PCGS Banknote, is distinct from its counterparts and seemingly has been overlooked. It features a number of penned contemporary annotations that are more than just simple endorsements, but mark it as something kept to remember a specific event – in this case a raid which proved crucial in the eventual capture of Vicksburg in summer 1863.
This lightly circulated Confederate States of America note reads "Captured at Newton Station Miss on the Southern Railroad April 24, during the raid." Below that the signature of Col. (B)enjamin (H)enry Grierson "Col Comdg the Calvary Brigade" can be observed. The context behind this piece is certainly remarkable, as are the circumstances which prompted its preservation.
The raid on Newton's Station was part of the larger raid through Mississippi and Louisiana led by Colonel Benjamin Grierson as part of the Vicksburg Campaign. Forces under the command of Grierson inflicted significant material damage on infrastructure related to railroad transportation and decimated Confederate communications networks.
The raid at Newton's Station was a continuance of these actions as Grierson's forces managed to lay waste to a railroad depot and destroyed or upended large amounts of track further hindering Confederate operations in Mississippi.
As for Grierson, he was originally a music teacher from Illinois who volunteered for service shortly after the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. Promoted to the rank of colonel and given command of his own regiment, Grierson would rapidly distinguish himself with his raid, shortly after which in June he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. Grierson would see further service in Mississippi and Alabama and would continue in the military through 1890 serving in the West after the end of the American Civil War. He passed away at the age of 85 in 1911.
This note will be offered in the Stack's Bowers Galleries Spring 2025 Showcase Auction and has an estimate of $1,000 to $2,000.
To read the complete article, see:
A Souvenir of the American Civil War
(https://stacksbowers.com/a-souvenir-of-the-american-civil-war/)
Len Augsburger and I both came across this recent real estate listing. Check it out. Great home for an American numismatist - once owned by Elias Boudinot, the third Mint Director. -Editor
A home along the Delaware River in New Jersey that was once owned by an American Founding Father and dates back further than the establishment of the U.S. has hit the market for $1.75 million.
Known as Towerview, the waterfront estate in South Jersey, some 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia, has origins that extend to the early 1700s, when the home began life as a farmhouse.
It has been further expanded and evolved in the centuries since into the grand Italianate-style mansion that stands today.
These days, the original farmhouse segment "serves as a functional space," within the home, Moriuchi said, and holds the kitchen, family room and two upstairs bedrooms. "The charm of the original random-width wood floors remains preserved in the hallway and at least one of the bedrooms."
Unsurprisingly for a home with such history, it has a storied past, and was once owned by lawyer and abolitionist Elias Boudinot, who served as president of the Continental Congress and was appointed as director of the United States Mint by George Washington, according to the listing agents.
Today, the seven-bedroom home spans more than 7,000 square feet—a far cry from its humble beginnings—and has a porte cochere, stately fireplaces and an updated kitchen with a tin ceiling and has an elevator that runs between the first and second levels.
Outside, there's a pool, a tennis court, a pier and lush landscaping.
Many original features remain intact, he said, including "the unpainted spindle woodwork on the staircase, stained-glass windows on the first floor, classic plaster moldings and Victorian fireplaces … and of course you have the original root cellar dating back to the one room farmhouse."
Wow, nice shack. Living in expensive Northern Virginia, the $1.75 million pricetag seems like a bargain for such an impressive and historic property. What's the catch - taxes? upkeep? Before anyone gets snarky and says, "well, it IS in New Jersey", that's an expensive area, too. If anyone lives in the area, go to an open house and check it out. Plenty of room for a numismatic library... -Editor
To read the complete article, see:
American Founding Father's Home on the Delaware River Lists for $1.75 Million
(https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/american-founding-fathers-home-on-the-delaware-river-lists-for-1-75-million-84588948)
This week's Featured Website is Daniel Altshuler's Altshuler Sculpture.
Daniel Altshuler is a professional member of the NSS and Guild of Boston Artists. A graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (1984-1988). He was sculpture assistant to Walker Hancock (1985-1998). He specializes in statuary, busts and numismatics. His works include the following: Chief Justice Warren E. Burger bas-relief, George Walker Bush Presidential Medal for U.S. Ambassador to Czech Republic, President Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter busts for the Carter Presidential Library and Museum, 375th Anniversary Medal for the City of Gloucester.
Slow week for me here, although I added a "new" book to my numismatic library - the 1976 Kessler book on The Fugio Coppers. Along with The Fantastic 1804 Dollar, this title was one of my first purchases as a collector after the usual Red Book. Both were eye-opening and spurred me to think beyond pressing Lincoln Cents into Whitman folders. I'd made an impulsive decision to sell my copy when I realized they were bringing $200 in the market, figuring I could always buy one back later if the price dropped. I think it brought $175. I had never gotten around to actually replacing it until I saw a nice copy in Alan Workman's recent sale. Glad to have this old friend back on the shelf!
I'd been refraining from bothering my L.A. friends, but on Sunday I thought I'd check in to see how they're doing amid the wildfires. While some had been evacuated and others could see the fires at a distance from their homes, so far everyone I've heard from is fine, thankfully. What a horror. -Editor
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
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.