Readers might ask whether the fiftieth anniversary of a death of even someone as significant as Churchill warrants the issue of a coin. The portrait on this coin is striking and the design is unusual. Although he photographed well it is difficult to convey his character on a coin. The original Churchill crown is probably one of the most unsuccessful (from a collector's point of view) commemorative coins ever because of the vast numbers produced.

With regard to David Pickup's comments, I wonder why numbers issued should affect the success of a coin from a collector's point of view. From an investor's, maybe, since they have never appreciated in value; but as for collectors, just about every collector in the world should be able to get the original Churchill crown, so why is this a bad thing?

In your article on THE ROYAL MINT'S 2014 REMEMBRANCE DAY COIN you included some nice photos of the art installation titled “Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red” which has captivated London for the past few months. Artist Paul Cummins created an impressive arrangement of 888,246 hand-made ceramic poppies, each one representing a British or Commonwealth soldier who died during WWI. The poppies spilled out of one of the Tower of London’s windows and flowed into the dry moat which surrounds the Tower. Unfortunately, this impressive and solemn display got too little coverage in the United States.

I lived in London in 1997, and the Tower of London was one of my favorite places. The castle, which sits on the banks of the Thames and dates back 1000 years, has played a prominent role in England’s history, including its numismatic history. My daily commute allowed me the option of exiting the Tube one stop early and then walking past the Tower of London to pick up the final leg of my journey a few blocks away. I never tired of the view to my right as I hurried to the next station.

While I was in London the dry moat was unutilized and inaccessible, but I do recall that some archeological excavations were underway in part of it. In a letter that I had written to the person in charge of the excavations I suggested that when they were done they should fill the moat with water and stock it with alligators. Artist Paul Cummins obviously found a better use for it.

I note that E-Sylum membership has now reached 1792. May I suggest that you freeze membership at that number and accept no additional subscribers? Of course, it would be a shame to limit the growth of The E-Sylum and deny its benefits to others. Perhaps you can come up with another phrase, such as "The E-Sylum now has 1792 subscribers and 100 additional readers" or "The E-Sylum now has 1792 subscribers and 200 additional participants." You might think of something more creative.

Can any of the E-Sylum readers tell me when the term "Roman proof" was first used in numismatic literature, and by whom? Also, who first used the term "wire edge" to describe the thin fin found where the rim and edge meet on some gold coins?