I really enjoy reading your numismatic compilation - it energizes me every week. Today I was happy to see you had noticed my exhibit "Numismatic Prelude to the 13th Amendment" and had included a picture of it on your FLIKR link- it made my morning!

I was surveying your photos of the exhibits at the recent ANA convention and was pleasantly surprised to see my exhibit (They Also Ran: Select 19th Century Political Medals of Defeated Presidential Candidates) among those you photographed. Thanks for the attention!

I never made Eagle Scout (in fact I didn't even come close). However, I'd like to know the meaning of the silver star contained with the medal.

The star could be a local award for best patrol within a troop and worn near the patrol emblem. Or it could be a local activity award.

Early (pre-1945 ish) tenure was noted by a plain star (similar, but not of this design) with either green (1), purple (3), red (5) year felt circle back grounds).

Since the 1950s tenure stars have had a numeral at the center, raised, within an incuse blue enamel center circle, with plastic backgrounds for the year in each program (Tiger Cubs (orange), Cub Scouts (yellow), Boy Scouts (green), Exploring (red), Adult tenure (blue). They can work cumulatively or as one. So for example This year I celebrated my fiftieth year of registration. I could wear just one 50 star with a blue background, or I could wear a 3 with yellow, 7 with green, and 40 with blue.

I'm looking for prices for three lots:
Lot 167 : baker 282. - Washington founder / A decisive...
Lot 303 : baker 620 - Washington bust / Soldier's tag
Lot 304 : baker 620-A - Washington bust / Emancipation

Lot 167 - .15 (15 cents)
Lot 303 - .50 (50 cents)
Lot 304 - .90 (90 cents)

Looks like lot 304 gets the high honors. Big spender. Interestingly, the two most expensive lots in the sale were both numismatic literature lots. Lot 1158 was a set of the American Journal of Numismatics at $40, and lot 1159 was a set of Spink & Son's Numismatic Circular at $42. Good news for the numismatic literature market back in 1932!

Incidentally, there was a 1792 half disme in the sale (lot 1503) graded VF back then that sold for $38. Today, a complete set of AJN's would sell for much less than what a 1792 VF half disme would sell for. I guess turnabout is fair play.

A few months ago I sent in some photos of political graffiti on currency and thought readers would enjoy seeing this new one.

It has been my experience that it is rare to find numismatic items at yard sales, but this past weekend I made back to back finds of two neat, I think, items.

The first is a framed Russian Czarist bond, issued in 1911 for 22,500,000 rubles, numbered, and signed, and with four coupons attached. Also a stamp,(first word not completely legible) ETRANGERES GRATIS 1937 FRANCE.

The next is a commemorative plate issued by the Imperial Glass Corp. with the coinage of 1964 etched into it, titled Crystal Coins. It is in perfect condition in the original box, even in the original shipping box. It is interesting to me because of it being the last year of our silver coinage. Returning home with these finds, I was a happy camper.

I bought a 1958 Seaby’s Standard Catalogue this week for £1.00. Inside was an advertisement for The J W Scott. Co L’d offering to identify coins starting at 10 cents.

If anyone has the Dansco Panama album #7451 (not the Panama Type, which is #7452), please contact me at johnokerson@gmail.com .

In regard to the Rand Dist. Fire Company token you noted: "Interesting St. Louis item."

The only relation to St. Louis is that the token manufacturer was located there. This is a California token from Randsburg, Kern County. This is a fairly common token.

Then there is the Rio Cosumnes Correction Center token. This is a very common token – I know I have at least six or eight of them stuck away somewhere around here. And all are in at least AU condition – the piece pictured is in quite poor condition. And there is a catalog of prison tokens: Prison Token and Medals of the United States, Jerry Zara (1992).

I knew Jack Burns quite well. He was active at the Carnegie Museum at the same time I was doing work there every Saturday. My area of activity was attribution of Byzantine coins – I had a collection of them at the time.

While working at the Museum, someone brought in a batch of parking tokens from the Pittsburgh area. The curator of coins Bill Woodside asked if someone of us would find out more about them. I volunteered to do so, and that is what really got me started in tokens!