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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: MARCH 9, 2025
Gold Piece Mystery Last week I posed this: QUICK QUIZ: What gold piece is in the background of Joel's photo, and for extra credit, what material is it made of? -Editor Chriss Hoffman writes: "Has to be the 1851 $50 RE Humbert Fifty Dollar, Reeded Edge, 887 Thous. It's the only one I recall that says offices (plural) and not just office. They were struck in two fineness amounts, the .887 and the .880 This is the .887 gold octagonal slug. "Now the one behind Joel is likely made of carved wood that big." Pete Smith writes: "The plaque behind that white-haired guy is a replica of the 1852 United States Assay Office(s) of Gold octagonal Fifty Dollar piece. I am guessing it is made of wood. If not, it may be resin poured into a wood mold." Joel Orosz writes: "Answer: United States Assay Office of Gold Octagonal $50, dated 1852 "Extra Credit Answer: Epoxy Resin" Always fun. But I came up empty when I tried to find a coin image to match the background piece. So I reached back to Chriss and Pete. -Editor Chriss writes: "I must have dreamed that up, because I also cannot find any gold Humbert or any other maker that has a plural OFFICES in the legend. I did find one I thought it might be but it was just wear and the legend said OFFICE only." Pete writes: "From what I can see the 1851 pieces do not have the word office or offices. I made the identification based on the placement of the word "Assay," In my answer I used the word "office(s)" to suggest a problem with the large replica. Thus Joel's replica is an item that did not exist. "Apparently, Chriss and I were the only two readers who were fooled by your quick quiz. Your 7000 other readers were smart enough to not fall for Joel's deception." So 1851 or 1852, Joel owns a big unique coin! Thanks everyone. -Editor Joel adds: "Pete is correct : "Offices" is an error. "BTW, the manufacture of the piece was the Cortright Company of Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania, date unknown; possibly during the 1970s."
To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
Ron Gillo at the Singapore Coin Show Last week I wondered if that was Ron Gillo at the far left of this old Singapore Coin Show photo submitted by Jeff Zarit. -Editor 
Richard and Clare Lobel, Jeff Zarit Ron Gillo writes: "Yes I'm in the photo, but not next to Richard. I'm sitting behind Richard's wife." So I was only sort-of right. Seems it's a good bet that Ron's somewhere around at nearly any major coin show in the world. -Editor
To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
Trump Money "I love the illustrations of the proposed "Trump Money". Is This inflation money or what? Both of the notes displayed are "Error" notes, as they have $250 all over the note but "Twenty-Five" under the seal. Does this mean that it is paid out as $250 but only has purchasing power of $25?" 
Leave it to a numismatist to notice that detail! -Editor Wayne Pearson writes: "Here are my ideas for a $250 bill. If this becomes a reality it would be the only current bill with someone wearing a necktie. I have sent this to Joe Wilson's office." 
Less cheesy mockup than the others. I like the red, white and blue coloring of "250". -Editor
To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
Video on Making Counterfeit Roman Coins This may interest some: a 10-minute YouTube video on the casting of counterfeit Roman coins, in German with English subtitles, from the University of Tübingen (Germany). The article is here: https://new.coinsweekly.com/news-en/how-the-romans-made-counterfeits/ The video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJIh9JGpzT4 Thank you - very interesting. -Editor
Wayne Homren, Editor The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org. To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All Rights Reserved. NBS Home Page Contact the NBS webmaster 
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