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About Us The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit association devoted to the study and enjoyment of numismatic literature. For more information please see our web site at coinbooks.org Subscriptions Those wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page link Membership There is a membership application available on the web site Membership Application To join, print the application and return it with your check to the address printed on the application. Print/Digital membership is $40 to addresses in the U.S., and $60 elsewhere. A digital-only membership is available for $25. For those without web access, write to: Jeff Dickerson, Treasurer Numismatic Bibliomania Society P. O. Box 578, Weatherford, TX 76086 Asylum For Asylum mailing address changes and other membership questions, contact Jeff at this email address: treasurer@coinbooks.org Submissions To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com BUY THE BOOK BEFORE THE COIN Sale Calendar Watch here for updates!

 

Content presented in The E-Sylum is not necessarily researched or independently fact-checked, and views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.

WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM MARCH 16, 2025

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 a numismatic literature sale, six new books and two periodicals, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, notes from readers, and more.

Other topics this week include a visit to London, relic medals and coins, PCGS, auction previews, Vera Rubin's quarter, Tom Sampson's Lifesaving medal, Lord Ashcroft's Victoria Cross collection, Walter Breen's manuscript on the Stepney hoard, and banknotes in Japan and Iran.

To learn more about Zlatko Pleša, Paul Manship, Private and Pioneer Gold Coins, the coinages of Carausius and Allectus, stock certificates, John Harper, and the Washington Cents, American Bank Note Co. reports, ausbeutemunzen, 1907 Panic scrip, the colored seal notes of colonial Georgia, Pancake Day certificates, and paperbush plants, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

ZLATKO PLESA NUMISMATIC LIBRARY

Literature on Numismatics and Archaeology: The Zlatko Pleša Library

On 20 and 21 March, Paul-Francis Jacquier is offering an important library with books on numismatics and archaeology. It contains the 1,402 lots of the Zlatko Pleša Library with monographs, magazines and auction catalogues on numismatics and archaeology.

Zlatko Pleša was one of the friendliest coin dealers you could meet at a coin show. Born in 1952 in Zemun, Serbia, he opened his coin shop in Frankfurt am Main, where he also dealt in ancient objects. Zlatko Pleša died unexpectedly on 2 November 2022 in the south of France. He left behind an extensive and well-maintained library, which he had assembled over many decades. Paul-Francis Jacquier is now offering the books in his 54th auction. It is a final service to a dear friend with whom he sat side by side at coin shows for many years.

The library consists of three parts: First, there are the books bought by Zlatko Pleša himself. In the late 1990s, Zlatko acquired the library of the late Munich numismatist Marcus Höllersberger. Shortly before his death, he purchased the books of his long-time friend, the Frankfurt antiquities dealer Bernd Gackstätter, who died a few months before him. This explains why there are so many books on archaeology and art history.

The Zlatko Pleša Library is a wonderful opportunity to add important books to your own working library, and thus to have on your bookshelf the reminder of a man whose unwavering smile always came straight from the heart.

Numismatics with a Focus on Antiquity
After some bibliophilic works, such as partial volumes of "Köhlers Münzbelustigungen" or Schulthess-Rechberg's "Thaler-Cabinet", there are 372 lots presenting works on ancient numismatics. Celtic numismatics is particularly well represented, but the 29 volumes of the British Museum Catalogue will also be of great interest. Connoisseurs will find extensive Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum series as well as all the essential reference works on Roman numismatics. These include, for example, the important and long out-of-print Roman Provincial Coinage catalogues. There are also separate sections on sigillography, ancient tesserae and seals, as well as on ancient weights and coin scales.

Interesting Works on Medieval and Modern Coins
But collectors of European coins from medieval and modern times should also make sure to study the catalogue carefully. It contains about 150 lots with rare works, most of which are still indispensable for the identification of coins. These include the complete reprints of Bahrfeldt's “Münzwesen der Mark Brandenburg” and the eleven volumes of Fiala's “Münzen und Medaillen der Welfischen Lande”. The library offers many standard works that belong in every library.

At the heart of the sale are some 160 lots with important auction catalogues, many from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The great auctioneers of the past, such as Brüder Egger, Leo Hamburger, Otto Helbing, Adolph Hess, Sally Rosenberger and Felix Schlessinger recall a golden age of the coin trade when important collection as those of Ernst Justus Haeberlin, Apostolo Zeno, Cyril Lockett, Commerzienrath C. F. Pogge and Grand Duke George Mikhailovich were sold. Important catalogue rarities as well as carefully assembled multiple lots offer the opportunity to expand your own library with works that are indispensable for provenance research.

Archaeology, Art and Cultural History
It is safe to say that most numismatists are also interested in gems, ancient jewellery and Roman art. Now is the time to acquire the most important literature on the subject. About half of the lots include important monographs on archaeology. It is worth studying this part of the auction catalogue carefully, especially as you will find many works on cultural history. Most books are in German, but there is also French, Italian and English literature.

Zlatko's son Konstantin introduces the catalogue with a short foreword in which he says: "My father Zlatko Pleša's remarkable collection of books not only gives an idea of the wealth of his knowledge of numismatics, but above all embodies a passion that he had cherished since childhood. His numismatic enthusiasm can be felt in every book, every page and even between the lines. It all reminds me of him in cosy, yet exciting moments, with a glass of wine in his hand, coins on the table and a twinkle in his eyes. Even though Zlatko passed away, the magic of this special passion remains. It lives on in his book collection and will reappear whenever a book is opened."

Bidders can participate in the auction via Redpoint, NumisBids and biddr. The catalogue can be ordered from Paul-Francis Jacquier for a nominal fee of 15 euros.

https://auctions.live-bidder.com/clients/jacquier/en/
https://www.numisbids.com/sale/9065
https://www.biddr.com/auctions/jacquier/browse?a=5597

office@coinsjacquier.com

NEW BOOKS IN WHITMAN RED BOOK SERIES

Whitman Brands™ proudly announces the latest editions of two best selling reference guides, Washington Quarters & Shield and Liberty Head Nickels, as well as a new addition to the Red Book Series™ lineup, Private and Pioneer Gold Coins.

Washington Quarters, 3rd Edition

Washington Quarters, in a fully updated and expanded third edition, is an in-depth study of our nation's most popular modern coin series, including the silver coins of 1932 to 1964 and all modern quarter types, Bicentennial through American Women Quarters. Packed with over 850 listings and all new issues since 2017, it now features updated market values based on Collector's Price Guide (CPG®) Retail pricing and Greysheet Identification (GSID?) catalog numbers.

Washington Quarters includes the detailed and colorful historical research that readers expect from Whitman, including a biography of the United States' first president, the early years of the quarter dollar, and the history of the series. A year-by-year analysis is featured for the quarters from 1932 to 1998, and a comprehensive section is focused on the last 25 years' worth of modern programs.

In an all-new foreword, John Feigenbaum, President and CEO of Whitman Brands, reflects on his father's influence, his early beginnings in numismatics, and his deep connection to the Washington Quarter. "The only book I've authored is The Complete Guide to Washington Quarters (1994). Now, as Publisher at Whitman Brands, my career has come full circle. It's an honor to contribute my insights—and pricing—to the 2025 edition of such a rich reference work on a coin series that is very near and dear to me."

Key Features

• Over 750 images
• Over 850 listings
• Circulating, Proof, and Special Mint Set coins from the Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco, and West Point mints
• Market values in up to nine grades based on Collector's Price Guide (CPG®) Retail pricing
• GSID? numbers that identify and link a coin across the entire family of Whitman products
• Detailed history of modern programs, including State, D.C., and Territories, America the Beautiful, Crossing the Delaware, and American Women series
• New Foreword by John Feigenbaum, Publisher of A Guide Book of United States Coins (Red Book)

Shield & Liberty Head Nickels, 2nd Edition

Shield & Liberty Head Nickels, the leading reference book on America's first two five cent pieces, returns in a fully revised and updated second edition. With over 200 listings, this comprehensive guide covers the popular Shield nickels minted from 1866 to 1883, and subsequent Liberty Head (V) nickels minted from 1883 to 1913, including proofs and varieties. Collectors of all levels will enjoy the historical background, date-by-date analysis, and updated market values for every coin in the Shield and Liberty Head series. Additionally, this edition also sees the introduction of CPG Retail pricing and GSID catalog numbers, as well an all-new Foreword by Patrick Ian Perez, Editor of the Greysheet and Greensheet magazines.

Jeff Garrett, Senior Editor of A Guide Book of United States Coins and President of Mid-American Rare Coin Galleries, who is leading the upcoming revision of United States Type Coins, shared his excitement about the future of numismatic publishing: "The ecosystem being formed—with the all-new, reimagined 2026 Red Book, Red Book Quarterly (formerly CPG® Coin and Currency Market Review), The Red Book Podcast (now in its fifth episode), and major updates and expanded titles in the Red Book Series—is truly special to watch. Stay tuned."

Private and Pioneer Gold Coins, 1st Edition

Private and Pioneer Gold Coins, the newest addition to Whitman's popular Red Book Series, delves into the fascinating world of these rare and historic coins from a time when private mints stepped in to provide much-needed local circulating currency during America's gold-rush era. Industry experts and authors Donald Kagin and David McCarthy bring to life the story of these extraordinary coins, minted outside federal authority from 1786 to 1862, and explores the denominations that set them apart. From early Brasher doubloons to tiny fractional pieces to hefty $50 slugs, private and pioneer gold coins are a window into the challenges and triumphs of early American commerce.

"Kagin and McCarthy are true professionals and experts in the field of private and territorial gold," lauded Feigenbaum. "This resource is an overdue addition to an ever-growing Red Book Series, designed as companions to A Guide Book of United States Coins (Red Book) and an expanded resource for collectors to learn more about a specific coin type, series or topic."

In the 2026 Red Book's "Private and Territorial Gold" section, "California Small-Denomination Gold" has been significantly expanded, and now includes BG (Breen-Gillio) attribution numbers. Formerly covering about 100 listings in two-and-a-half pages, the section now has more than five pages with some 580 listings. As is in this case, the all-new, reimagined 2026 Red Book has led to significant improvements to the Red Book Series of guide books.

Whitman's renowned Red Book Series™ comprises nearly 30 volumes, each dedicated to in-depth coverage of various U.S. coin types and programs. Collectors of all levels can immerse themselves in a wealth of content, including stunning photographs, historical insights, price charts across multiple grades, mintages, market analysis, collecting tips, and more.

Upcoming Red Book Series Releases:

Shield & Liberty Head Nickels, 2nd edition Private and Pioneer Gold, 1st edition Flying Eagle and Indian Head Cents, 4th edition United States Type Coins, 4th edition

Published by Whitman®, the most trusted name in numismatic literature, Washington Quarters is available now and can be purchased through Whitman.com, Whitman's Ebay Store, Amazon, and Walmart.com, and bookstores, hobby shops, and other retailers nationwide. Shield and Liberty Head Nickels will be available for pre-order later this month. Private and Pioneer Gold is set to release in Spring of this year.

For more information, visit whitman.com.

NEW BOOK: ROMAN IMPERIAL COINAGE VOL. V.5

Roman Imperial Coinage Volume V Part 5: Carausius and Allectus
by Sam Moorhead

£195.00

It is almost 100 years since the coinages of Carausius and Allectus were covered by Percy Webb in Roman Imperial Coinage Volume V, Part 2. Since then Volume V of the series has been re-divided into five parts, with this brand new Part V covering these coinages during the period AD 286-296. It comes in two volumes, with a new organisation of the material reflecting our better understanding of the structures of the coinages.

Due to the enormous number of new types which have been found since 1933, the catalogue has well over 2,500 extra entries which are illustrated on 176 plates. The provision of a firmer chronology for the various issues will assist the research of numismatists, historians and archaeologists.

Furthermore, a clearer outline of the types employed, especially for Carausius, will enable more detailed study of the rich symbolism of the coinages.

Hardback, jacketed, in two volumes
Volume 1: Introduction and Catalogue (712pp)
Volume 2: Indices and Plates (304pp)
276 x 219mm portrait

For more information, or to order, see:
Roman Imperial Coinage Volume V Part 5: Carausius and Allectus by Sam Moorhead (https://spinkbooks.com/products/roman-imperial-coinage-volume-v-part-5-by-sam-moorhead)

NEW BOOK: A DOOR IN TIME

A Door in Time: What People in Lower Canada did for Money in 1837-38
by Christopher Faulkner

£75.00

The years 1837-38 in Lower Canada were defined by two crises, one political and the other financial. The political crisis led to armed Rebellions against the authority of the colonial government with the aim of establishing a Quebec state independent of the British Crown. An international credit crisis brought on by British uncertainty about the liquidity of American debtors led to a full blown Depression in the United States that became known as the Panic of 1837. The fallout for Lower Canada was the refusal of its banks to pay out silver and gold in redemption of their notes. This financial crisis, coupled with the absence of legal tender copper, was the direct cause of what precipitated a severe shortage of small change.

This book is about the copper tokens and low denomination paper scrip that appeared in Lower Canada in 1837-38 in response to the shortage of an everyday medium of exchange brought about by the crises of those years. The majority of copper tokens are known as bouquet sous from the motif of plants that appears on their obverse. Some were issued by the Bank of Montreal and the Banque de Peuple and approach the weight of legal tender halfpennies; most were lightweight, mass produced imitation sous illegally imported into Lower Canada from New Jersey. The scrip comprised nothing more than so many paper chits, issued by various merchants who promised to redeem them against non-existent shillings, reales, and half dollars. This makeshift currency was emergency or necessity money, and it was readily accepted by a needy populace under trying circumstances. A Door in Time constitutes the most thorough study of the background and description of the bouquet sous to date.

Christopher Faulkner is the author of three other Spink books, The Holey Dollars and Dumps of Prince Edward Island (2012), Coins Are Like Songs: The Upper Canada Coppers, 1815-1841 (2017), and Imperial Designs: Canada's Ships, Colonies & Commerce Tokens (2019). His ongoing numismatic research concerns the circulating currency of pre-Confederation Canada.

Chris adds:

For more information, or to order, see:
A Door in Time: What People in Lower Canada did for Money in 1837-38 by Christopher Faulkner (https://spinkbooks.com/products/a-door-in-time-what-people-in-lower-canada-did-for-money-in-1837-38-by-christopher-faulkner)
A Door in Time: What People in Lower Canada did for Money in 1837-38 by Christopher Faulkner - Bouquet Sous (https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/ancient_numismatic_enterprise
/9/product/a_door_in_time_what_people_in_lower_canada_did_for_money_in_
183738_by_christopher_faulkner__bouquet_sous/2218297/Default.aspx)

NEW BOOK: STOCK CERTIFICATES

Imagine holding a piece of financial history in your hands — a beautifully engraved stock certificate from a long-defunct railroad company, or a bond signed by a financier of the American Revolution. This is the captivating realm of scripophily, where collectors hunt for these paper treasures that tell the stories of bygone eras and economic booms and busts.

While there may only be about 40,000 enthusiasts worldwide, this niche hobby packs a punch when it comes to intrigue and visual appeal. Think of it as a time machine that transports you through the annals of financial history, all while admiring exquisite artwork that adorned these financial instruments.

From the lavish Art Nouveau designs of Alphonse Mucha to the sleek Art Deco motifs of the Roaring Twenties, these certificates are more than just financial documents — they are miniature masterpieces. And let's not forget the thrill of owning a piece signed by a titan of industry like John D. Rockefeller or a certificate from an infamous scandal like the South Sea Bubble, or John Law's Mississippi Company.

Scripophily isn't just for history buffs or finance geeks. It's for anyone who appreciates the intersection of art, history, and the human drama behind booms, busts, and daring economic ventures. Whether you're drawn to the intricate engravings, the stories of railroad empires, or the autographs of business legends, there's something in scripophily to capture everyone's imagination.

So, buckle up as we embark on a journey through time, exploring the colorful world of stocks, bonds, and other financial ephemera. Who knows? You might just find yourself joining the ranks of scripophilists, proudly displaying framed certificates that are conversation starters and windows into our economic past. Let's dive in and discover the hidden gems of this fascinating hobby!

From the back cover:

There are nine chapters:

• Scripophily — what is it?
• Artistic stocks and bonds
• Famous signatures and personalities
• Some interesting and important companies
• Other iconic stock certificates
• History of the Dow Jones Industrial Average
• How to rank the wealthiest Americans
• Putting money and finance into big history
• Tables and charts of US GDP, GDP per capita, population, CPI, labor costs, gold price, gold:silver ratio, £/$ conversion, inflation, DJIA, stretching back to 1774

223 pages, profusely illustrated with color photos
89 full-page color photos of artistic and historic stocks and bonds
hardback 9 by 12 inches coffee table book
2,000 word index
copyright 2025

To order a copy, please go to www.booksoncoins.com for more details and email Peter Jones to order. Price $69, plus $5 post and packing in the US.

For more information, or to order, see:
STOCK CERTIFICATES ART AND HISTORY (https://www.booksoncoins.com/stock-certificates-art-and-history)

JOURNAL OF EARLY AMERICAN NUMISMATICS V7N2

Table of Contents

Editor's Preface

The First Numismatic Artwork in Puerto Rico Arises From Sedition An Investigation Into "LIGHT" Countermarked 8 Reales (1795)
by Ángel O. Navarro Zayas, Ph.D.

Grenada's Bitts: A French Creation Due to the Independence War (1780)
by Jérôme Jambu

The 1787 Standing Indian / New York State Arms Cent Pattern A Census of Known Specimens
by Jeff Rock

John Harper, J.G. Hancock, and the Washington Cents
by Julia H. Casey

Four Eighteenth-Century Stamp Acts and the Differing Political Responses to Them
by Roger A. Moore MD

Editor's Preface

Welcome to another dynamic issue of JEAN. I had hoped that a portion or all of this issue would be in color, but that has been delayed until the next issue when we shall present an article of landmark significance by a well-known and respected leader in the numismatic community. Until then, you must be satiated with Julia Casey's article on John Harper, one of the most consequential monographs ever to appear in JEAN or CNL. As expressed in these pages, I am a devotee of the theory that many numismatic questions that vex us can be resolved through biographical research. One need look no further than Gary Trudgen's body of work to validate this view. In the absence of direct primary source evidence, we are left to nibble about the edges to taste the truth.

Many researchers, Ye Editor included, have whispered about John Harper for years, feeling he was the unknown orchestral conductor of a colonial numismatic symphony. A saw-maker by trade, Harper is a ghostly figure, moving in and out of our consciousness but always with his finger in one numismatic pie or another. One moment, he is in New Jersey making state coppers and preparing minting equipment; the next, he is in England on a secret mission to bring engravers to America, followed by a kerfuffle with the fledgling U.S. Mint's employees that eventually involved Congress. Always on the go, always scheming, when it came to pre-federal coins, John Harper was, as Lin-Manuel Miranda might say, "in the room where it happened." Then, he disappeared, seemingly vanishing into thin air, neither to be seen nor heard from again. Who was he, what was his role in the various mints, and what can his story tell us about our collective numismatic heritage? I have been gathering data on him for years, asking questions, urging others to dig deeper, all with little gain, until now.

Supersleuth Julia Casey has cracked the case wide open. Harper's story leads us to a treasure trove of numismatic records and connections, answering questions we did not even know to ask or wrongfully thought were put to rest. Our editorial team worked overtime on this piece, gathering images for Julia from New Jersey to England. Guest editors like Roger Siboni were brought in to review the manuscript and provide expert feedback. Now, it is in our subscribers' hands to contemplate the conclusions and the story's long-term significance. Ye humble Editor says bravo and shouts, "Numismatic article of the year"! JEAN exists to provide a forum for deep numismatic research like this.

What other gems await inside this edition? How about a virtual vacation from our cold winter climate to the Caribbean islands' warm, crystal-blue waters? Dr. Ángel O. Navarro Zayas, our resident expert on all things Puerto Rico, brings us a charming little article on the first numismatic artwork from that island. It is a piece that tells us a great deal about European potentates' fears and hysteria after King Louis XVI lost his head. The other West Indies monograph is from none other than Professor Jérôme Jambu from Le Havre Normandy University, who tells us of cut coins in the Lesser Antilles. These distinguished and learned gentlemen have one thing Ye Editor lacks—mastery of a European tongue other than English. When researching and writing about the numismatic history of the Caribbean, bilingualism is a prerequisite to discovering something new and significant. Google Translate does not cut it. We are fortunate to have these men in our stable of contributors. They broaden our southern horizons into the vital tropic colonies. With incredible hubris, many Americans look back at history and focus on the thirteen original English colonies in North America, focusing on them to the exclusion of all else. The Spanish Main, with its silver and gold, and the lush islands, with their sugar and other cash crops, were the economic engines of the New World, not the rural backwater that would become America.

After our lovely excursion to the warm sands of the exotic islands, we return to America. Waiting for us in New York Harbor is Jeff Rock, who has authored an essential census of the 1787 standing Indian / New York State Arms cent patterns. A catalogue raisonné of this coinage is long past due. Jeff continues to thrill us with his in-depth research and writing skills. He is a favorite of our subscribers, a selfless contributing editor of JEAN, and a friend. He has made many praiseworthy contributions to American colonial numismatics, and many of these smaller series would go unexplored were it not for his curiosity and intellect.

The final piece is from Dr. Roger Moore, who explores tax stamps. If it were not for the imposition of these stamps, there might not be an America as we know it. The struggle over these levies ignited scuffles that led to the Shot Heard Round the World at Lexington. Such an article stretches the definition of numismatics. However, we cannot understand the coins we love without understanding the milieu from which they arose. Moreover, the great interest in the recent paper money Happenings table at the November C4 Baltimore convention is a testament that the colonial numismatic community has a great interest in such things. Ye Editor, for example, collects spoons produced by silversmiths who also made coins and tokens. Moreover, like tax stamps, numismatically connected items such as silver spoons, letters, and legal documents have appeared in many auction catalogs alongside coins. If presented with an article on any such miscellany with a numismatic bent, we would print it. Thus, we bring you this significant monograph on colonial-era tax stamps.

As the year ends, I extend my deepest gratitude to JEAN's editorial staff. Without the hundreds of hours of volunteer service from the individuals listed in the front of this publication, none of what we do would be possible. We don't do it for pay; we do it out of love for our hobby.

Until our next issue, I wish you good health and success in your collecting and research endeavors.

Christopher R. McDowell, Esq.
Cincinnati, Ohio

Chris McDowell adds:

For more information on the American Numismatic Society, see:
http://numismatics.org/

For more information on the Journal of Early American Numismatics, see:
https://numismatics.org/about-us/publications/journals/

PERIODICAL: THIRD SIDE OF THE COIN

Coins were first issued in northern India at least as early as the 4th century BC, and their purpose was to make payments. By the end of the 1st century BC, their efficiency caused them to spread to all levels of society and to the rest of India and the surrounding countries. Because of their religious designs and integral value, coins began to hold a unique place in Indian culture, quickly entering spheres other than simple payment--conjuring up mythologies of magical powers and inspiring art. They have been used as religious offerings, royal gifts and as personal ornaments for over two thousand years. And when real coins couldn't be used, imitations of coins began to be used as substitutes from the 1st century AD—whether as copies of Roman coins in southern India or down to today's Diwali gift coins and coin jewellery. Rather than focus on their archaeological or economic value, or use them to determine chronologies of monarchs, this volume explores how coins create, and mobilise, an aura of the sacred and the precious.

CONTENTS

The Third Side of the Coin
Joe Cribb

Beyond Trade and Transactions: Coins in Caskets, Sculpture, Epigraphy and Rituals
Suchandra Ghosh $2

Roman Coins and Venetian Ducats in India: Repurposed and Reinterpreted
Emilia Smagur $2

The Life Story of a Necklace of Gold Coins, From Venice to India via Egypt
Joe Cribb

There is a Little Bit of Magic in all our Coins
Robert Bracey

Portable Shrines: Imagery and Iconography of Hindu Religious Tokens of India
Garg, Sanjay

From a Collectors Gallery: Hindu, Sikh and Islamic Coins
Heinz Bons

Lotus Flowers and Bodhisatvas, Horses and Dragons: Buddhism on Chinese Coin Charms
Alex Chengyu Fang

Metamorphosis: Coins and the Contemplation of Change
Stephen Sack

Sikh Coins and the Gurus
Marg , Joe Cribb

Bringing Blessings and Good Luck: Coins in Zoroastrian Customs and Culture
Marzbeen Jila

Memorials in Miniature: The Exonumia of the Indian National Movement
Bhandare, Shailendra

The Third Side of the Coin
The third side of the coin reveals an unexpected and often hidden part of the history of coins, their use as symbols of religious devotion and as personal ornaments. The designs on the heads and tails of coins were applied to enable them to be used to make and receive payments and will continue to do so until digital technology eventually removes coins from their economic role. But the third face will enable coins to live on as their loss of monetary value does not diminish their symbolic and decorative roles.

This third side is alive and well, even as the coins in our pockets and purses gradually disappear. In August last year the Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala announced the offer for sale of gold coins, weighing 1, 2, 4 or 8gr, decorated with images of the temple and its god Lord Padmanabhan. These new coins represent a tradition reaching back over two thousand years of Indian history. The temple itself is a living part of that history as in its vaults are preserved many thousands of gold coins given as offerings to the temple over many centuries. The creation of sacred coins by the temple and its long tradition of receiving gold coins as acts of worship by the temple's devotees illustrate well the Indian tradition of removing coins from their economic function to become symbols of religious devotion.

The origins of the religious power of money and coins
Narratives in ancient Indian texts of money being used to make religious offerings can be found which even pre-date the invention of coinage. In the Veda (I.126.2), and the Mahabharata (7.LXVII) specially designated gold ornaments called nishka were offered to brahmins. The Satapatha Bramana (XIII.2.2–3, XIII.4.1–2) also described similar payments of 100 pieces of gold, called satamana to brahmins when offering sacrifice. Gold being used in payments, i.e. as money, was attested in the Veda where a hundred nishkas was used to pay a dowry (I.125–126) and ten lumps of gold were given as a reward to a poet (VI.47.23). In the Manusmirti nishka were said to have the specific value of four suvarna (a term later used to describe gold coins issued by the Gupta dynasty) and set as the value of fines for breaching agreements and for personal injuries.

Coins were first issued in northern India to make payments by at least the 4th century BC, silver karshapana (punch-marked coins) replacing the earlier use of gold. Their efficiency caused them to spread to all levels of society and to the rest of India and the surrounding countries by the end of the 1 st century BC. Because of their religious designs and integral value, coins became a firm part of Indian culture, quickly entering spheres other than simple payment. Like the gold described in the ancient texts, they were used to make religious offerings, royal gifts and as personal ornaments and have continued to do so for over two thousand years.

The earliest images of coins in Indian art show them being used to make religious offerings. At the Buddhist sites of Bodh Gaya and Bharhut, first century BC reliefs show the Buddha's retreat known as the Jetavana park with its surface covered with coins, because, according to Buddhist legend, the park was acquired by one of the Buddha's followers offering to cover its surface with coins. Another early sculpture from Besnagar shows a sacred tree surrounded by offerings, including pots full of coins. The offering of coins in this way is also recorded in the Buddhist Hatthi Pala Jataka (509.474), which describes a king offering a thousand coins every year to the deity residing in a banyan tree in the hope of having a son. As the vaults of the Padmanabhaswamy temple show the tradition of offering gold coins to the gods continues to the present day.

Another Buddhist story, the Maha-Ummagga Jataka (546.346–7) provides evidence of the use of coins as personal ornaments, describing how a king drilled a hole in a coin and put it on a string to hang around the neck of a chameleon. Many ancient Indian coins, particularly silver coins from western India and imported Roman gold and silver coins, are found with such holes (often in pairs, so that the coin lies flat). In other cases mounts were soldered onto the edge of the coin so they could be worn in necklaces. This practice was more prevalent in northern India where Kushan and Gupta gold coins were treated in this way. The ornamental use of coins could also be part of the ritual of making offerings, as described in the Linga Purana (38.1–5), which specifies that cows being offered to Shiva should have gold coins hanging around their necks.

Joe adds:

For more information, or to order, see:
The Third Side of the Coin (https://marg-art.org/product/UHJvZHVjdDo1NTMx)

BREEN MANUSCRIPT ON THE STEPNEY HOARD

Walter Breen Manuscript on the Stepney Hoard

The Stepney, CT hoard of approximately 200 high-grade Connecticut and Vermont coppers and British halfpence was discovered in 1950 and announced to the numismatic community by Walter Breen in the January 1952 Numismatist. Facts regarding the exact location of the find and circumstances of its discovery are scarce, leading to varying opinions – was the hoard a modern concoction, or did it represent a legitimate contemporaneous deposit? In the August 1998 Colonial Newsletter, Phil Mossman concluded that the hoard was indeed closed in 1788.

We recently received a research request for the 1951 Walter Breen manuscript on this topic. At the time, Breen worked for Stack's, who handled the hoard. The Breen manuscript was transcribed and published by Phil Mossman in the afore mentioned Colonial Newsletter. While our researcher was aware of the transcribed copy, good research practice demands examining original documents whenever possible. After some searching, a photocopy of the Breen manuscript was located in the Walter Breen papers at the American Numismatic Society library.

Image: 1787 George III halfpence, Machin's Mills (Vlack 19-87C), from the Stepney hoard. Ex. Newman IX (Heritage Auctions, November 1, 2017), lot 15042, realized $7,800.

Link to Breen manuscript on the Stepney Hoard:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/archivedetail/323

Link to Phil Mossman's related article in the Colonial Newsletter:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/513972

VIDEO: 2009 LOS ANGELES ANA CONVENTION

The opening ceremony for the ANA World's Fair of Money is always a lavish event when all the participating parties are acknowledged. This year's event includes comments from Jerry Brown, Attorney General of California as well as other dignitaries. Once the convention is opened we go on the floor of the bourse and speak with Cole Schenewerk, ANA Young Numismatist of the Year, David Hunt of Certified Assets, new NGC Ancient Grader David Vagi, Don Ketterling recent Superior President, Dwight Manley who just donated $250,000 to the ANA, Jerry Brown, AG of California, ancient coin dealer Harlan Berk, and James Taylor, president and CEO of ANACS grading service. They all share aspects of the current coin market.

Speaker(s): Larry Shepherd and Barry Stuppler.

To watch the complete video, see:
ANA Convention Highlights 2009 Los Angeles (https://youtu.be/G2vvlCke-jw)
ANA Convention Highlights 2009 Los Angeles (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/557319)

NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: MARCH 16, 2025

Tiffany Dewey Medal Master Hub
Eric Schena writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NEW BOOK: U.S. NAVAL AWARDS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n09a06.html)

More on the 1864 to 1876 American Bank Note Co. Reports
David Gladfelter writes:

Newman Numismatic Portal Project Coordinator Len Augsburger adds:

David adds:

To read the ANS catalog entry, see:
[Annual report of the business done by the American Banknote Company], [1864-1876] / American Banknote Company. (https://donum.numismatics.org/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=212368)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
AMERICAN BANK NOTE CO. REPORTS 1864-1876 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n10a02.html)

Paul Manship

Born Saint Paul, Minnesota, 25 December 1885.

Manship created medals for both the major medal series in America: Circle of Friends of the Medallion (1914) and Society of Medalists (1930). He was one of only two so honored (John Flanagan was the other artist).

Manship's medallic productions spanned six decades, creating medals during his entire sculptural career. His work is recorded in twelve categories, lised below – more than any other American artist as an example of his wide creative versatility.

His medallic work is dominated by bold portraits and highly significant symbolism, choosing some of America's most prominent American subjects and subject themes. Thus his medals are sought by museums, also widely collected by both numismatists and art collectors.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
Cartoon: 'Manship' (https://www.dailykos.com/story/2025/3/4/2307849/-Cartoon-Manship)

To read the full Paul Manship entry, see:
MANSHIP, Paul (1885-1966) sculptor, medalist. (https://dickjohnsonsdatabank.com/manship-paul.html)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NNP ADDS DICK JOHNSON MEDALLIST DATABANK (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n10a08.html)

Picture Post Cards of India
Author Anil Bohora writes:

To read some earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
NEW BOOK: CATALOG OF HUNDIS USED IN INDIA (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n15a07.html)
NEW BOOK: HUNDIS IN PRINCELY STATES OF INDIA (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n11a08.html)
NEW BOOK: DENOMINATIONS OF WORLD BANKNOTES (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n50a07.html)

On Dave Ginsburg and the Newman Publications book
Jeff Burke writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
NNP ADDS SOUTHERN GOLD SOCIETY NEWSLETTER (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n10a09.html)
NEW BOOK: PUBLICATIONS OF ERIC P. NEWMAN (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n09a03.html)

Query: Bonanza Press
Mike Costanzo writes:

Castorland Jeton Examples Sought

Chester Sullivan writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
HELP SOUGHT FOR CENSUS OF CASTORLAND JETONS (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v18n16a15.html)

 

TOM URAM VISITS LONDON

This past Friday I had the opportunity of receiving an invitation from Carlos Kearns who has a working relationship in London. He invited me to this very formal dinner.

Of course, I could not pass up the opportunity to promote the ANA. Probably against protocol, however without creating any international incident, I was able to make several presentations.

 

I decided to do a surprise visit to Sovereign Rarities. I thought I would be there five minutes or so. We ended up talking for over an hour. And to my surprise, Steve showed me a terrific collection of Maundy Money.

I ended up purchasing a 1977 complete Maundy set. Not only did it have the red and white traditional pouches. It also had the green pouch which contain the souvenir £.50.

Sovereign Rarities is a proud supporter of the ANA. I was able to leave them all challenge coins for themselves and staff. Very Welcoming!

VOCABULARY TERM: RELIC METAL

Relic Metal. A numismatic or medallic item formed from metal or other material which was previously an artifact of a different form. Relic material is usually salvaged from its previous state, reformed to be part of a new coin or medal, the new item bearing an inscription indicating its relic status (often this says "made from" and collectors call these items made froms because of this).

Five types of relic items exist: (1) the entire composition is of relic status; (2) a small amount of relic metal is added to a larger mixture during alloy formulation, (3) the relic material is made into a plug and inserted in a frame or opening in a medallic item, (4) a small piece of relic material is laid on the planchet – or struck medal before the final blow – and impressed into the surface, or finally, (5) made into a drop hung from a header or pendant medal, or attached by some other method of mounting.

Metal of relic status has to come from some object of previous form (as a man-made artifact, or manufactured item). Rarely it can be notable bullion; but it is not newly mined metal (the German word ausbeutemunzen means struck in metal from a particular area – this is not a relic status).

Relic metal usually has aged and is very hard (work hardened). As such it is very difficult to strike in untreated state. It is often necessary to melt the metal, reformulate it, roll and blank into new form rather than use in original state. In 1872, an attempt to use a captured Confederate cannon for striking the Washington Grays 50th Anniversary Medal at the U.S. Mint (CM-1), led mint officials to reject this idea because they knew the difficulty of working with such relic metal.

Relic medals. Medals are ideal for relic metal use. Typical relic medals are made from captured cannon, the bronze propeller or other marine hardware from a famous ship, the metal from a bell or roof, or metal from a famous object, such as the Statue of Liberty. Bronze, iron, precious metals, space alloys have been fashioned into relic medals.

In 1880 the Vienna medalist Anton Scharff engraved a medal with a portrait of Joseph Hilarius Eckhel on the centennial of his appointment as curator of the Habsburg Imperial Coin Cabinet in Vienna. Eckhel is considered the father of scientific numismatic study for his 8-volume work, Doctrina Nummorum Veterum, a catalog of Greek and Roman coins. The medal was struck from worn and abraded melted coins of this ancient time making this a relic metal.

In 1975 the scrap copper sheeting was available from the refurbishing of the Statue of Liberty. Despite the knowledge of this difficulty, an edition of medals was struck in this untreated copper. All medals bore an inadequate impression because it was so hard (the long weathering had caused the metal to be work hardened). Even despite increased pressure during coining they still looked worn as they came from the press. The full relief in the die could not be reproduced in the struck piece. See composition (2).

Relic decorations. Captured war material was often employed for the composition of war medals and decorations. Perhaps the most famous was the Cannon Cross of Imperial Austria, 1813-1814.

Relic coins. Rarely have coins been struck from famous salvaged metal, even fewer are marked with their relic status, but this has occurred. The first recorded instance was in Athens in 407 bc when gold statues in the Acropolis were melted after the Spartans had suppressed the supply of silver to Athens from Asia Minor. Instead gold coins were struck in the gold formerly the composition of the statues.

The most famous relic coinage is the Vigo coins of British Queen Anne in 1702-06. British and Dutch forces under Sir George Rooke in 1702 captured Spanish galleons in the Bay of Vigo (near Galicia, Spain). The ships contained precious metals and gems from America. Great Britain struck coins in silver and gold from this bullion, including shillings, crowns, half crowns and sixpence, plus gold five guinea, guinea and half guinea pieces. All coins have VIGO beneath the queen's bust to celebrate the naval conquest over the Spanish during this battle.

To read the complete entry on the Newman Numismatic Portal, see:
Relic Metal (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/dictionarydetail/516614)

THE 1888 SAMPSON LIFE SAVING MEDAL

This story is told through quotes in newspapers and excerpts from Statutes at Large with additional commentary. Life Saving medals were authorized by an 1874 Act of Congress.

The 1874 Act established the gold First Class life saving medal. The first examples [LS-5] were 76 mm. The size was reduced to 50 mm [LS-7] for medals issued during 1877-1882. The size was reduced again to 44 mm [LS-9] for medals issued after 1883. Size was reduced again after 1903 to 37mm. The 44 mm medal contained almost three ounces of gold.

The New York Times, Apr. 3, 1880:

Brooklyn Eagle, Jan. 18, 1882:

Report of the Committee of Commerce February 10, 1882, (excerpt):

Act of Congress, July 19, 1886, (excerpt):

The Act of June 20, 1874 also stated:

The Buffalo Times of August 4, 1886:

New York Tribune, May 4, 1888:

The Act of Congress stated, (excerpt):

The National Archives microfilm:

The National Archive reported the inscription:

The NARA form had additional information:

The New York Times, Dec. 11, 1888:

The medals shown are two first class gold lifesaving medals (44 mm) that are not the medal presented to Thomas Sampson. I have not located a photo of that medal.

In his book, Medals of the United States Mint The First Century 1792-1892, R. W. Julian gives the Captain Thomas Sampson medal the designation of LS-16. Julian states that the dies were the same as those of the First Class life saving medal LS-9 with the date for the Act of Congress changed to May 14, 1888. Julian mentions a letter from the director of the mint ordering the change by letter dated August 20, 1888.

Julian had not seen a photo of the medal and I have not seen a photo. I am not aware of any auction appearance.

The Act of July 19, 1886, directed the Secretary of the Treasury, "to cause to be prepared a medal of honor, with suitable devices, to be bestowed upon Thomas Sampson." This would have required a change in the die.

The Act of May 14, 1888, only stated that the Secretary of the Treasury was "directed to award to Captain Thomas Sampson, of New York, a gold medal of the first class," This could have been accomplished with one of the standard medals LS-9.

The medal needs to be seen to verify the date on the obverse die.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
HONEST TOM SAMPSON (1827-1901) (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n10a14.html)

PCGS EXPANDS HEADQUARTERS

Professional Coin Grading Service (www.PCGS.com) recently unveiled its new headquarters in a move that greatly increases office area for the third-party grading firm. The new PCGS Headquarters includes more than 100,000 square feet of floor space and creates new and expanded areas for coin and banknote grading, encapsulation, customer service, and other operations.

"We are excited to open the door on the next chapter of our nearly 40-year journey," says PCGS President Stephanie Sabin. "Moving into our significantly larger headquarters opens up so many opportunities as we continue improving turnaround times for our customers, increasing our efficiency, and expanding the number of services we provide," Sabin comments. "The next months and years bring continued growth not only domestically but internationally. We want to ensure PCGS Headquarters offers our team every resource necessary to continue being the best at what we do."

The expansion of PCGS Headquarters was more than three years in the making, kicking off the planning stages during the remarkable growth throughout the collectibles industry in the early 2020s. It was a project that involved many PCGS leaders and demanded great flexibility on the team as it seamlessly continued operations amid months of construction. "It's a major investment in the core services that PCGS offers," remarks PCGS Senior Director of Real Estate & Workplace Erik Joyce.

"It's a huge undertaking for a unique company like ours, where we have a large team of highly specialized professionals working together to handle valuable items," Joyce continues. "We worked very hard to optimize the design of this new space to ensure maximum efficiency so we can take good care of our customers. We also wanted to make sure that the new PCGS Headquarters has been future-proofed, so we are ready to adapt to and evolve for whatever comes in the years ahead."

For more information about submitting coins, banknotes, or other numismatic collectibles to PCGS, please visit https://www.pcgs.com/services.

 

ARCHIVES INTERNATIONAL SALE 100 1907 SCRIP

Oakland, California, 1907. $1 Issued Certificate from the "Clearing House Committee of the Associated Banks of Oakland California", S/N 38962, Black print with orange-brown underprint. Ornate brown design on back. Fine condition. Printed by the Union Litho Co. San Francisco. This certificate was issued as a result of the Panic of 1907, a financial crisis caused by a significant drop in the New York Stock Exchange and a subsequent run on banks. Clearing House Scrip Notes such as this would be issued in place of paper money due to the crisis.

To read the complete item description, see:
Oakland, California, 1907. $1 Issued Certificate from the "Clearing House Committee of the Associated Banks of Oakland California". (https://auction.archivesinternational.com/CA-Oakland-Clearing-House-1907-Issued-Panic-Currency-Banknote_i55814359)

Stockton, CA., November 12, 1907. $500 I/C clearing house certificate, Black text and border on light chestnut brown undertint, S/N 74. Rare high denomination panic currency-depression scrip, this type of certificate was usually utilized between banks. First time offered by us. AU condition. Union Litho, S.F.

To read the complete item description, see:
Stockton, CA., November 12, 1907. $500 I/C clearing house certificate. (https://auction.archivesinternational.com/CA-Stockton-Clearing-House-Certificate-1907-500-Panic-Currency_i55814362)

Peoria, Illinois, November 19, 1907, $5, I/C Cashier's Check, Black on light yellow paper, back with purple handstamp "Paid through the Peoria Clearing House…",Pin punch "PAID through signature block, PCGS graded Very Fine 30, Signed by the cashier and assistant cashier. First time we have offered a 1907 panic currency note from this issuer. As a cataloger, I feel that this series should be collected by National Bank Note collectors, since they were issued by a national bank concurrently with the 1902 large size National Banknotes, but most are extremely rare.

To read the complete item description, see:
Peoria, Illinois, November 19, 1907, $5, I/C Cashier's Check. (https://auction.archivesinternational.com/IL-First-National-Bank-of-Peoria-Peoria-Clearing-House-1907-Panic-Currency-Cashier-s-Check_i55814363)

Atchison, Kansas, 1907. $1 Panic currency - Cashier's Check from the Exchange National Bank in Atchison, Kansas, Payable through the Atchison Clearing House, Dark blue print with portrait at left, S/N 8496, Paid POC at center. Uncirculated condition. Union Bank Note Co. This Cashier's Check was issued due to the Panic of 1907, a financial crisis caused by a significant drop in the New York Stock Exchange and a subsequent run on banks. Scrip Notes such as this would be issued in place of paper money due to the crisis.

To read the complete item description, see:
Atchison, Kansas, 1907. $1 Panic currency - Cashier's Check from the Exchange National Bank in Atchison, Kansas. (https://auction.archivesinternational.com/KS-Exchange-National-Bank-1907-Depression-Panic-Currency-Cashier-s-Check-Remainder_i55814365)

Cleveland, Ohio, 1907, $1000, Specimen Bank Money Order paying 4% interest annually, Male portrait at left, Archival hand stamp, Black on olive green, POC's, Specimen overprint. VF with nibbled top right corner, ABNC. Possibly used interbank as a Clearing House Certificate with legend on bottom "This Money Order Combines the Functions of Savings Bank Book with Negotiable Paper - Good anywhere, Anytime, transferable as a Certified Check". The first year of issue was in 1907. It was possibly issued as a form of long term financing, since obtaining money or loans may have been difficult due to the financial panic. Rare 1907 Panic Currency related item.

To read the complete item description, see:
Cleveland, Ohio, 1907, $1000, Specimen Bank Money Order paying 4% interest annually. (https://auction.archivesinternational.com/OH-Depositors-Savings-Trust-Co-1907-1000-Specimen-Panic-Currency-or-Clearing-House-Related-Ce_i55814371)

Richfield, Utah, 1907 (Redeemable on May 10, 1908). Lot of 3 I/U 1907 Panic Currency Scrip Notes, Includes $2; $5; and $10, Black print with large red denomination underprint, S/Ns at top right near dates. Payable at the Richfield Commercial & Savings Bank in Richfield, Utah. All are in VF to AU condition with blank backs. These notes were issued as a result of the Panic of 1907, a financial crisis caused by a significant drop in the New York Stock Exchange and a subsequent run on banks. Scrip notes were issued in lieu of paper money. Rare trio. (3)

To read the complete item description, see:
Richfield, Utah, 1907 (Redeemable on May 10, 1908). Lot of 3 I/U 1907 Panic Currency Scrip Notes. (https://auction.archivesinternational.com/UT-Gold-Mountain-Consolidated-Mining-Co-1907-Panic-Currency-Trio_i55814374)

Lynchburg, Virginia. 12th Day of November 1907, $1, Associated Banks of Lynchburg, I/U Clearing House Certificate, black printing on off white paper, back light orange, S/N 5107, "This certifies that The First National Bank, Lynchburg National Bank, Peoples National Bank, National Exchange Bank, American National Bank, and the Lynchburg Trust & Savings Bank, comprising the Lynchburg Clearing House Association....", PCGS graded Very Fine 20. Rare Virginia Panic of 1907 currency.

To read the complete item description, see:
Lynchburg, Virginia. 12th Day of November 1907, $1, Associated Banks of Lynchburg, I/U Clearing House Certificate. (https://auction.archivesinternational.com/VA-The-Associated-Banks-of-Lynchburg-Virginia-1907-1-Clearing-House-Certificate_i55814375)

Spokane, Washington, 1907. $1 Issued Panic currency Check from the Spokane Clearing House Association, Payable in Clearing House Funds Only, S/N 75469, Black print on green underprint, George Washington at left, Orange print on back. Fine-VF condition. This Clearing House Check was likely issued as a result of the Panic of 1907, a financial crisis caused by a significant drop in the New York Stock Exchange and a subsequent run on banks. Scrip Notes such as this would be issued in place of paper money due to the crisis.

To read the complete item description, see:
Spokane, Washington, 1907. $1 Issued Panic currency Check from the Spokane Clearing House Association. (https://auction.archivesinternational.com/WA-Spokane-Clearing-House-Association-1907-Issued-Panic-Currency-Banknote_i55814380)

MUENZEN GUT-LYNT ONLINE AUCTION 20

Münzen Gut-Lynt, online auction 20
Saturday, 29 and 30 March 2025, 9/10:00 am (Central European Time) each day

The fifth business year of the auction house Münzen Gut-Lynt starts again with a weekend of two full auction days and a record-breaking 3500 lots. On offer will be coins from the ancient world, numismatic literature, banknotes and coins and medals from the modern era.

The Gut-Lynt Auction 20 will start on Saturday, 29 March at 9:00 a.m. (Central European Time), as is tradition, with the Ancient World coins. In addition to Roman and Byzantine issues, the focus will be on Greek silver coinage from an old collection at moderate estimated prices. Approximately 900 lots will be auctioned.

- Lot 87: Greek coins, Sicily, Leontini, tetradrachm ca. 450-40 BC, Very fine, estimate 200 Euro

- Lot 101: Greek coins, Sicily, Syracuse, tetradrachm, c. 240-215 BC, slightly corroded, very fine- extremely fine, estimate 500 Euro

- Lot 432: Greek coins, Phoenicia, Sidon, double shekel (25.37 g), cleaned and smoothed, beautiful, estimate 300 Euro

- Lot 150: Greek coins: Macedonia, Mountains, stater c. 525-480 BC, Near fine, estimate 120 Euro

- Lot 524: Mauritania, Juba II, denarius (drachm) c. 11 - 23, Geimensam with Cleopatra selenium, Very fine, Estimate 200 Euro

- Lot 638: Roman Republic, C. Julius Caesar, denarius, Aeneas carrying his father Anchises, Good very fine, Estimate 750 Euro

- Lot 876: Byzantine coins, Phocas, Tremissis, Almost extremely fine, Estimate 100 Euro

Following on from around 14:00 (Central European Time), numismatic literature will form the second section of the first auction day. Here, among other things, the third part of the Bernt Ahlström Numismatic Library will be auctioned, now with the chapters Journals and Series, Annual Festschriften, Auction Catalogues, Fixed Price Lists and Monographs. This part of the famous coin dealer's library comprises around 800 catalogue numbers (the essay on his life can be found on our website).

- Lot 1054: Monographs, GALSTER, G.: Danske og norske medailler og jetons ca. 1533 - ca. 1788, Estimate 250 Euro

- Lot 1079: Monographs, CASOLARI, G. F. 25 anni di storia. Medaglie e decorazioni mussoliniane 1922 - 1945, estimate 100 Euro

- Lot 1103: Monographs, KIENAST, G.W. The Medals of Karl Goetz, estimate 150 Euro

The day will end with the banknotes, which will be auctioned from around 17:00 (Central European Time). Among them is a collection of French assignats from the revolutionary period.

- Lot 1831: Germany, Deutsche Bundesbank, 100 Deutsche Mark 1948, Roter Hunderter, Washed and pressed, III-IV, estimate 200 Euro

- Lot 1879: Germany, Deutsche Bundesbank, 20 Deutsche Mark 2.1.1980, exchange note / replacement note, ZE/B, very rare, stained, III, estimate 1000 Euro

- Lot 1947: Germany, Deutsche Bundesbank - misprints. 200 Deutsche Mark 2.1.1996. AK1823789N9. Partial copy of the obverse on the reverse, II-III, estimate 130 Euro

- Lot 1788: Cayman Islands, 50 Dollars 203, plus 25 and 2x 1 Dollars, I. Estimate 100 Euro

- Lot 2047: Finland, 20 Markkaa 1883, Rare, VI, Estimate 100 Euro

On Sunday, 30 March, the Gut-Lynt 20 will start at 10:00 a.m. (Central European Summer Time) and present over 1000 lots. German coins and medals will kick things off, followed by coins from all over the world.

- Lot 2529: Brandenburg-Prussia, Otto I, Bracteate, Very fine, Estimate 120 Euro

- Lot 2553: Brandenburg-Prussia, Taler 1816 A, Kammerherrentaler, above average, Very fine, Estimate 400 Euro

- Lot 2593, Brandenburg-Prussia, double thaler 1865 A, good extremely fine, estimate 1200 Euro

- Lot 2666: Brunswick-Calenberg-Hanover, Taler 1865, Upstalsboom, Extremely fine, Estimate 500 Euro

- Lot 2694: Hesse-Darmstadt, crown thaler 1833, extremely fine, estimate 200 Euro

- Lot 2688: Halbestadt, diocese, 1/2 thaler 1538, Almost very fine, estimate 500 Euro

- Lot 2725: Magdeburg, archbishopric, thaler 1536, Very fine, estimate 2000 Euro

- Lot 2737: Mecklenburg-Güstrow, silver medal 1702 on Louise of Denmark, Good extremely fine, estimate 600 Euro

- Lot 2756, Saxony, Thaler 1612, Very fine, Estimate 100 Euro

- Lot 2814: Saxony-Gotha-Altenburg, thaler 1669, small handle mark, good very fine, estimate 200 Euro

- Lot 2838: Württemberg, double guilder 1824, almost extremely fine, estimate 300 Euro In the section of coins after Jaeger from 1871 there are sought-after individual types.

- Lot 2884: Brunswick-Lüneburg, 3 Marks 1915, with title Lüneburg. Near brilliant uncirculated from first strike, price 100 Euro

- Lot 2894: Mecklenburg-Schwerin, 5 Mark 1904, wedding with Alexandra, small scratches, proof plate, estimate 200 Euro

- Lot 2913: Prussia, Wilhelm II, 5 marks 1888, small scratches, good extremely fine, estimate 500 Euro

- Lot 2935: Reuss Older Line, 2 Marks 1901, Good Extremely fine, Estimate 250 Euro

- Lot 2979: Weimar Republic, 50 Reichspfennig 1925 E, good very fine, estimate 800 Euro

- Lot 3004: Weimar Republic, 3 Reichsmark 1928 D, Dinkelsbühl, Extremely fine, Estimate 300 Euro

- Lot 3039: Third Reich, 5 Reichsmark 1933 J, Martin Luther, extremely fine uncirculated lustre, estimate 80 Euro

- Lot 3077: BRD, 2 Deutsche Mark 1958 G, Max Planck, only 45 examples minted in proof, estimate 120 Euro

And the foreign coins and medals range from Ajman to Venezuela.

- Lot 3150: Ajman, 7 1/2 riyals 1970, brilliant uncirculated, estimate 80 Euro

- Lot 3328: Iran, Nasir al-Din Shah, 1/2 crane 1855, above average condition, extremely fine, estimate 100 euro

- Lot 3370: Latvia, Riga, silver medal 1888, Rare, Very fine-extremely fine, Estimate 60 Euro

- Lot 3433: Poland, Thaler 1628, Rare, Very fine-extremely fine, Estimate 1200 Euro

- Lot 3458: RDR / Austria, Pewter medal 1624, On the introduction of the Jesuits in Vienna and the handover of the Academy. Rare, extremely fine, estimate 200 Euro

- Lot 3459: RDR / Austria, Taler 1662 KB, Banderolentaler, Slightly adjusted, Good very fine, Estimate 800 Euro

- Lot 3561: Switzerland, Bern, French ecu (thaler) with Bernese counterstamp to 40 batzen 1792 A, Very fine-about-extremely fine, Estimate 300 Euro

The online catalogue of Gut-Lynt 20 will be available on the auction platform www.auktionen.gut-lynt.de from the beginning of March. Please do not forget to register in good time if you would like to bid for the first time. We accompany every auction with exclusive highlights on Instagram ‘muenzen_gut_lynt'. Our website www.gut-lynt.de also offers previews and reviews as well as up-to-date information on auction dates and consignment deadlines.

If you have any questions about the Coins Gut-Lynt Auction 20, please do not hesitate to contact us. Simply write to info@gut-lynt.de or give us a call: (+49) 0 2156 4874819 We look forward to hearing from you.

FAIRMONT HOARD: AN APPRECIATION

In case you've spent the last five-plus years in Numismatic Siberia, you've no doubt heard of this accumulation of coins.

It's huge. Likely well into the hundreds of thousands of coins. The value is likely in the area of $1,750,000,000 (this is figuring 500,000 coins at an average value of $3,500).

The hoard contained half eagles, eagles and double eagles produced from 1834 through 1932. Coins from all mints were represented: Carson City, Charlotte, Dahlonega, Denver, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. It was marketed and sold by Stack's Bowers beginning around 2018 and extending to the present.

It contained some six figure coins (with the individual high price achieved by a nice PCGS/CAC XF45 1870-CC double eagle at $815,000) but most were in the collector sweet spot of $2,500 to $10,000. Price records were broken by dozens of issues in all three denominations.

I get it: not everyone liked the Fairmont look. If your experience with pre-1933 US gold is combing through eBay listings or going through boxes and boxes of doctored coins at shows, these coins with their deep, dark, dirty appearance looked funny. I've been an advocate of dirty gold for four-plus decades and I loved 75% of the coins from this source. The other 25%, not so much.

I'm not alone. The success rate that these coins had at CAC was impressive, particularly on the No Motto half eagles and eagles. In many cases, over 50% of the coins in a specific category stickered. What's really critical to note is that many seemingly ho-hum coins (like a random XF45 S-Mint half eagle from the early 1870's) were essentially unknown with undoctored surfaces prior to the release of Fairmont into the market. Amongst the cognoscenti certain Fairmont coins now command sizable premiums above non-Fairmont coins based on their natural appearance.

Assuming that the majority of the scarce to rare pre-1908 Fairmont coins have been sold, I believe that these coins will trade for even larger premiums a decade from now. A new collector of Liberty half eagles in 2035 will browse through the Stack's Bowers sales from 2022 and 2023 and wonder with amazement how nice the coins were and how reasonably they sold for.

For some areas of the market, the appearance of multiple examples of specific dates was enough to kill it dead on the spot. For other areas, these additions to a starved market were welcome additions.

Thin markets such as No Motto fives and tens from San Francisco couldn't handle the infusion of multiple Condition Census coins. Areas with a strong collector base such as Charlotte and Dahlonega half eagles not only welcomed the additional coins but thrived as a result.

If you bought the really special coins in the sales (not the most expensive; just the specific issues which you never see nice) and you can hold them for a few full market cycles, you'll do fine financially. If you are a true collector of dated gold, you didn't buy these coins just to flip them in a year or two.

Unless your collection is full of bad deals and dangerous dates (i.e., those which were prime candidates to be discovered in quantity in overseas hoards or in shipwrecks), I can't see a single reason why Fairmont did nothing but good things for the better date gold market. Among other things it did the following for me:

• It taught me what 100% unadulterated US gold coins should look like.
• It showed me what dates in the Liberty Head half eagle and eagle series were truly rare and which were not. My conclusions for all three design types of Liberty Head double eagles were especially enlightening and you can read about them in various blogs and articles that I've written or my website.
• It reminded me that for most pre-1900 issues, low mintages figures were an excellent predictor of what was truly rare.
• It gave me a larger pool of really special coins to sell than at almost any time in my career. This included a large percentage of coins that I could re-sell for under $5,000 which made these coins perfect for beginners and dabblers.

To read the complete article, see:
Fairmont: The Aftermath (https://www.greysheet.com/news/story/fairmont-the-aftermath)

 

THE VERA RUBIN U.S. QUARTER

Vera Cooper Rubin, M.S. '51, a pathbreaking astronomer whose life's work included procuring the scientific evidence to prove the existence of dark matter, is being featured on the 2025 batch of the American Women Quarters Program.

According to Cornell history expert Corey Ryan Earle '07, Rubin is believed to be the first Cornellian ever depicted on a circulating U.S. coin.

Rubin's fellow honorees for 2025 – the program's final year – are athlete Althea Gibson, Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low, disabilities activist Stacey Park Milbern, and journalist and suffragist Ida B. Wells.

The five designs will be circulated throughout the country over the next several months.

And, he said, prior to the launch of the quarters program in 2022, only three women – Susan B. Anthony, Helen Keller and Sacagawea – had ever been featured on circulating (non-commemorative) coins.

The "Standing Liberty" quarter, produced from 1916-30, did depict a female figure, albeit allegorical. As Earle said, it has its own Cornell connection: It was designed by Hermon Atkins MacNeil, who taught industrial arts at Cornell in the 1880s and sculpted the Ezra Cornell statue on the Arts Quad.

The 2025 quarter also means that Rubin "becomes the only astronomer ever featured on a U.S. circulating coin. What an amazing honor," Beeton said.

In 1985, the body of work she presented to the International Astronomical Union fundamentally shifted scientific conceptions of the universe and opened new directions for research in both astronomy and physics.

She went on to win both the U.S. National Medal of Science – awarded by President Bill Clinton in 1993 – and the Gold Medal from the U.K.'s Royal Astronomical Society.

To read the complete article, see:
Rubin, barrier-breaking astronomer, graces a US quarter (https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2025/03/rubin-barrier-breaking-astronomer-graces-us-quarter)

While other tech companies usually name their products using combinations of inscrutable letters and numbers, most of Nvidia's most recent GPU architectures have been named after famous women scientists.

Nvidia is naming its next critical AI chip platform after Vera Rubin, an American astronomer.

Rubin discovered a lot of what is known about "dark matter," a form of matter that could make up a quarter of the matter of the universe and which doesn't emit light or radiation, and she advocated for women in science throughout her career.

Nvidia has been naming its architectures after scientists since 1998, when its first chips were based on the company's "Fahrenheit" microarchitecture. It's part of the company's culture – Nvidia used to sell an employee-only t-shirt with cartoons of several famous scientists on it.

To read the complete article, see:
Nvidia's next chips are named after Vera Rubin, astronomer who discovered dark matter (https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/13/nvidia-to-detail-vera-rubin-chips-at-gtc-conference.html)

 

PIGEON TOMMY'S DICKIN MEDAL DISPLAYED

The Dickin Medal – considered the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross – was awarded to the pigeon Tommy VC, from Dalton, in recognition of his vital work delivering a message from the Dutch Resistance about the location of a German arms factory, which allowed the planning of a successful bombing raid.

The Dickin Medal has only ever been awarded to 75 animals, including 38 dogs, 32 pigeons, four horses and one cat.

Tommy's Dickin Medal was successfully acquired at auction in January by the Furness Maritime Trust on behalf of the town's Dock Museum, operated by Westmorland and Furness Council.

Tommy's medal now takes pride of place in a new display at the Dock Museum honouring the area's war heroes, alongside the medals awarded to Barrow's most decorated World War Two hero James (Jimmy) Freel.

The display was unveiled at a ceremony on Thursday by Richard Higgin and Louise Burrow, who are relatives of Tommy's late owner William Brockbank.

Tommy flew the 400 miles to Britain carrying the secret information, along the way being shot at and wounded by German soldiers, and found his way back to owner William Brockbank in Dalton.

In 1946, Tommy was recognised for his bravery and was awarded the Dickin Medal, as well as a Dutch medal for valour.

To read the complete article, see:
Hero pigeon Tommy's Dickin Medal goes on display (https://cumbriacrack.com/2025/03/15/hero-pigeon-tommys-dickin-medal-goes-on-display/)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
PIGEON TOMMY VC DICKIN MEDAL SALE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n04a28.html)

 

VENUES VIE FOR ASHCROFT VICTORIA CROSSES

War medals awarded to British battlefield heroes could be permanently displayed...in Australia.

The previously unthinkable move comes after the Imperial War Museum [IWM] said it was closing The Lord Ashcroft Gallery, home to 230 Victoria Crosses and a smaller number of George Crosses from his personal collection, from June 1.

It means the priceless lot, the world's largest collection of gallantry gongs awarded for feats of outstanding bravery, could now be shipped 10,000 miles away and displayed for the first time abroad.

Speaking exclusively to the Express Lord Ashcroft, 79, said: "It is true that I have had generous offers from other nations that have expressed an interest in displaying my VC and GC collection abroad. However, it would be wrong of me to identify these countries while discussions on this are ongoing."

The decision to shut the wing and remove from public display the stunning collection of medals awarded to military greats for acts of derring do has sparked outrage.

The Express understands Lord Ashcroft has revived offers from two Commonwealth nations with the King as head of state which also award the Victoria Cross and whose militaries have been awarded many VCs.

Only Canada, New Zealand and Australia have their own awards that honour the Victoria Cross, given for bravery in action. In each case, their highest award for most conspicuous bravery was named in honour of the British (Imperial) Victoria Cross.

The sensational development comes days after an unprecedented programme of events was announced to commemorate and celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day on May 8, which marks the end of the Second World War in Europe. Victory over Japan Day on August 15 is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered, effectively bringing the Second World War to an end.

A source close to the row said: "Understandably, Lord Ashcroft has been approached by interested parties all saying, ‘please, bring the collection here'. Although it would be an enormous shame, publicly displaying them, despite not being in the UK, is far more preferable than this extraordinary living history being kept under lock and key in a dark vault and out of sight. That was never the intention."

The Express understands the IWM refused a request to keep the gallery open beyond June 1 until an alternative venue was found.

To read the complete article, see:
Priceless war medals awarded to British battlefield heroes could be lost to AUSTRALIA (https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/2023524/War-medals-Britan-Australia)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
MUSEUM TO CLOSE VICTORIA CROSS EXHIBIT (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n09a27.html)

COLONIAL GEORGIA COLORED SEALS, PART 6

To read the complete exhibit pages, see:
The Colored Seal Notes of Colonial Georgia (https://www.money.org/howlandwood2017/)

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
Colonial Georgia Colored Seals, Part 1 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n06a25.html)
Colonial Georgia Colored Seals, Part 2 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n07a31.html)
Colonial Georgia Colored Seals, Part 3 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n08a23.html)
Colonial Georgia Colored Seals, Part 4 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n09a31.html)
Colonial Georgia Colored Seals, Part 5 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n10a27.html)

KANSAS PANCAKE DAY CERTIFICATES

IN THE CHRISTIAN LITURGICAL CALENDAR, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, the period leading up to Easter when Christians commemorate the forty days that Jesus spent fasting and praying in the wilderness with their own acts of sacrifice. The days preceding Ash Wednesday are known as Shrovetide, when Christians prepare for the Lenten season through rituals of self-reflection and repentance (the term derives from the verb "shrive", which means to receive absolution through confession). The last day before Lenten season begins is called Shrove Tuesday and is traditionally marked by acts of indulgence in those culinary pleasures that believers will abstain from during Lent. Among English speaking Christians in particular, Shrove Tuesday is commonly known as Pancake Day, since pancakes are made of rich ingredients like eggs, milk, and sugar that need to be used up before the Lenten period of sacrifice begins.

In England, one variant on Pancake Day celebrations takes the form of pancake races, a practice that is traced back to the town of Olney, Buckinghamshire, in the mid-fifteenth century. There, it is said that a tardy housewife busy making pancakes once ran to Shrovetide service at the sound of the church bells with her frying pan (and pancake) still in hand, a story which became the basis for Olney's centuries-long tradition of pancake racing. Since 1950, a version of this race has been practiced as a good-natured transatlantic competition between Olney, England, and Liberal, Kansas, a city just shy of 20,000 people that serves as the seat of Seward County.

The piece of novelty currency featured here, styled as a "Pancake Day Certificate", celebrates the annual running of these parallel races.

For Olney and Liberal, the International Pancake Race takes the form of two, separate 415 yard courses over which the respective teams of each town's womenfolk run, with frying pan containing pancake in hand. Racers must flip their pancakes at least twice en route to demonstrate that they have not dropped them. The required uniform includes a skirt, apron, and headscarf. Both begin at 11:55 am, although because of the transatlantic time difference, Olney's contest takes place several hours before Liberal's; victory goes to that racer on either side of the Atlantic with the fastest time. The winner of each race receives a "kiss of peace" from that person designated as the verger, or bell ringer, of the church (in past races at Liberal, this gesture has been bestowed by a representative from the British consulate).

Although they are not mentioned in the event's souvenir programs of the time, the Pancake Day Certificates seem to have been an official emission of the Liberal, Kansas Jaycees. According to a brief account in Linn's Stamp News, the note was produced as an advertising novelty by Robert and Helen Baughman, a husband-and-wife pair of stamp dealers who had a business in Liberal (Robert was once President of the Society of Philatetic Americans). The Baughmans put out different versions of these notes over the years, with the earliest dating from 1955. A newspaper account of that year's race winner, Mrs. Binnie Dick, mentioned that she attempted to deliver to President Dwight Eisenhower (a fellow Kansan) in Washington, D. C. a "short snorter" fifteen feet long consisting of pancake certificates taped together and bearing the signatures of one thousand of Liberal's citizens. Over the years, not all versions of these notes bore dates, but the latest ones seems to have been put out in 1968. Robert Baughman himself died in 1970.

Like other novelty funny money of the 1950s-60s that incorporated topical or humorous themes, these examples were large, measuring 5 inches by 12 inches. The Pancake Day Certificate illustrated here, dated March 5, 1957, has a blank space in the center of the note's front which allowed customers to order customized notes printed with their own advertising. For example, the Baughmans' own version of the note featured a portrait of the couple, affixed as a perforated stamp. The content and arrangement of the note's reverse also varied over the years but generally consisted of a description of the pancake race and its origins.

To read the complete article, see:
The Pancake Day Certificate of Liberal, Kansas (https://www.spmc.org/blog/pancake-day-certificate-liberal-kansas)

NEPAL PAPERBUSH BECOMES JAPANESE NOTES

The path from shrub to bill begins at the foot of the Himalayas in Nepal, near towns that have long been famous not for their agriculture but as gateways to Mount Everest.

Here, every spring, hillsides erupt in yellow – the flowers of the mitsumata plant, also known as argeli or paperbush, native to the Himalayan range. Its bark has long, strong fibers that are perfect for making thin yet durable paper, according to the Kantou website.

It used to be grown domestically in Japan, but production has been slowly dwindling for years, said Matsubara. It's hard work tied to the countryside, and people are increasingly moving from rural areas to big cities like Tokyo in search of jobs – leaving shrinking villages and dying industries.

"The current reality is that the number of farmers who produce paperbush is becoming smaller and smaller," Matsubara said.

That's where the Nepali supply chain came in.

Kanpou first went to Nepal through a charity program in the 1990s to help farmers dig wells – and once there, discovered paperbush growing on mountains as far as the eye could see. They began teaching farmers to cultivate the crop, initially only produced and exported in small quantities.

But as the shortage of Japanese paperbush became evident in the following years, Kanpou and the Nepali farmers ramped up production until they became the main source of the yen bill.

It's a protracted process, said Matsubara: farmers plant seedlings in early summer, harvest their branches in the fall, then spend several months processing the bark through steaming, peeling, washing and drying.

Once the raw paper is ready in the winter, it's sent to the Nepali capital Kathmandu and driven to the western Indian city Kolkata, where it's brought by ship to Yokohama, Japan.

The profits from the paperbush sales have provided a new revenue stream to Nepali communities, said Matsubara. He claimed the growing industry has helped build new facilities and infrastructure in Kanpou's partner villages, and provided newfound financial stability to vulnerable families.

In 2015, rural Nepali households had an average monthly income of 27,511 Nepalese rupees (about $205), according to global economic database CEIC.

Meanwhile, the latest crop of paperbush from Nepal's Ilam district was sold to Japan for more than 180,000 yen (about $1,114) – meaning a revenue of about 30,000 yen ($185) for each of the six farmer groups that participated within the district, Matsubara said.

To read the complete article, see:
How Japan's newest yen note came from the Nepali mountains (https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/02/business/japan-yen-note-nepal-paperbush-intl-hnk/)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NEPAL CROP MAKES JAPANESE BANKNOTE PAPER (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n16a23.html)

IRAN RELEASES NEW 200,000 TOMAN BANKNOTE

Iran's Central Bank announced on Friday the release of a new series of banknotes with a face value of 200,000 Toman (1.9 USD current price).

According to the bank, the new design features an image of the Mosque of Ruhollah Khomeini in Isfahan on the front, while the back displays a painting of "Chogan" by the artist Mahmoud Farshchian.

This announcement comes as Iran faces an unprecedented wave of popular protests, fueled by worsening economic conditions and the collapse of the national currency, which has reached record lows.

The US dollar has surged to 95,300 Toman, and the price of a gold bullion coin has surpassed 79 million Toman.

To read the complete article, see:
Iran: new 200,000 Toman banknote released (https://shafaq.com/en/World/Iran-new-200-000-Toman-banknote-released)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
IRAN CONSIDERING CURRENCY REVALUATION (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n05a27.html)

LOOSE CHANGE: MARCH 16, 2025

Smithsonian Wooden Money Exhibit

One of the featured exhibits at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History is "The Value of Money," which provides visitors with educational experiences that include unique forms of money.

Recently, Wayne Fournier, current Thurston County (Washington) Commissioner and former mayor of Tenino, had the opportunity to visit the display, where he was re-acquainted with a familiar initiative.

The exhibit features Tenino's 2020 COVID wooden money alongside the original wooden currency printed in 1932, demonstrating how an innovative, community-driven solution from the Great Depression was revitalized to address the challenges of the 2020 pandemic. The initiative received national and international attention, symbolizing not just local economic action, but also the power of community leadership in times of adversity.

To read the complete article, see:
Former Tenino mayor views historic wooden money display (https://www.coinworld.com/news/paper-money/former-tenino-mayor-views-historic-wooden-money-display)

The 1976 Quarter's Big Lie

Call me old fashioned, but I'm the kind of fella who believes in paying an honest price for an honest product. And I believe there's an honest price for every kind of collectible and a justifiable reason for any collector to pursue any area of collecting if they so desire.

I say that because today, I think we need to talk about the 1776-1976 Bicentennial Quarter, a perennial favorite among collectors and an eternal chestnut for SEO companies looking to hoodwink Google. I've written about this before, but the TL:DR of it is that, thanks to flaws in Google's algorithm, tens of thousands of articles have been written claiming this common coin still found in circulation is worth big bucks. Some of these spammers even claim the coin is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. I'm not kidding. Let's call it for what it is: a big lie. And this big lie is hurting people.

Until humans take a bigger role in curating the type of content that Google and other social media companies disseminate, disinformation will continue to proliferate, and no amount of human expertise will be able to outshout a computer algorithm. I've done my part, but it remains to be seen if the refutation of a noted numismatic expert will be able to out-disseminate the 1976 quarter's Big Lie.

To read the complete article, see:
Dumb People Are Paying $1,000 or More for Bicentennial Quarters on eBay (https://coinweek.com/dumb-people-are-paying-1000-or-more-for-bicentennial-quarters-on-ebay/)

Will the Mint Lose Money Without the Cent?

Eliminating the penny won't save the government money. In fact, such a move would have a significant negative impact on the U.S. Mint's cost structure. Many overhead expenses at the Mint would remain and would need to be absorbed by other coins, increasing their per-unit costs. Additionally, without the penny, the demand for nickels would rise to fill the gap in small-value transactions. Since each nickel costs nearly 14 cents to produce, this shift would drive up overall production expenses for the government. Rather than saving money, eliminating the penny would increase and redistribute financial burdens.

"Many Mint overhead costs would remain and have to be absorbed by other coins without the penny," said Mark Weller, Executive Director of Americans for Common Cents. "Also, there would be greater demand for expensive nickels, which means even more costs," Weller added.

To read the complete article, see:
The Government Won't Save Money by Eliminating the Penny — Here's Why (https://pennies.org/the-government-wont-save-money-by-eliminating-the-penny-heres-why/)

ABOUT THIS ISSUE: MARCH 16, 2025

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

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

Pete Smith
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.