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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 5/31/2025 - Kolbe & Fanning

 

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 MAY 25, 2025

New subscribers this week include: Carlos Kearns. Welcome aboard! We now have 7,239 subscribers.

Thank you for reading The E-Sylum. If you enjoy it, please send me the email addresses of friends you think may enjoy it as well and I'll send them a subscription. Contact me at whomren@gmail.com anytime regarding your subscription, or questions, comments or suggestions about our content.

This week we open with a new Asylum issue, more Kolbe & Fanning sale selections, one new book. two obituaries, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, notes from readers, and more.

Other topics this week include circulating contemporary counterfeit coins, the 2025 Newman Grants, lost and found coins and documents, a stolen coin, fixed price and auction previews, a rare Irish Free State coin, two numismatic diaries, scrip for displaced Jews, and the end of the U.S. cent.

To learn more about Jacob Perkins' Bank Bill Test, NBS events at this year's ANA summer convention, the Matthew Stickney collection, Numismata Cromwelliana, the story of the Bicentennial coinage, U.S. Postal Notes, Rebecca Salisbury, the Grand Army of the Republic, Contamin's die cutting machine, the New Treasure Room, Lady Liberty's Treasure Hunt, and the Cowboy Coin Contest, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

ASYLUM SUMMER 2025 ISSUE PUBLISHED

Welcome to The Asylum's Summer 2025 digital edition.

In this issue:

• NBS Board of Trustees 2025–2027 Slate of Candidates
• Early Attempts to Preserve U.S. Mint History By Roger W. Burdette
• A Census of Jacob Perkins' Bank Bill Test (1809) By Leonard Augsburger
• The Search for William Veach and His Gold Frog Riddle By Roger A. Moore

Message from NBS President Len Augsburger

Welcome to our spring issue, as always capably orchestrated by our editor, Maria Fanning. We are grateful for your article contributions, and the wide array of content demonstrates active interest in numismatic literature and research. While spending time with The Asylum and our numismatic libraries is always pleasant, there is no substitute for in-person interaction, and we hope to see many of you at the ANA convention this summer. I like to think there is something inherently human about face-face contact, and for this reason I have no fear that coin shows will disappear. Perhaps there will be consolidation or other evolution, but people like to get together and always have. While online connection is a useful supplement, in-person connection remains richer and more nuanced.

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MORE KOLBE & FANNING SALE 173 HIGHLIGHTS

On Saturday, May 31, 2025, Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers will be holding our next auction, Sale 173, featuring material from the library of Barry Tayman and the second half of the L.D. & I.P. Library. The sale includes rare and out-of-print works on ancient, world and U.S. numismatics, with the 500 lots offering something for everybody.

Some highlights of this first sale include:

 

Lot 3: a well-preserved original copy of the enormously important catalogue of the Dr. Samuel Pozzi collection, sold at auction by Naville/Ars Classica in 1921

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NEW BOOK: BAD METAL: SILVER 50C TO $1

Bad Metal Silver. 50c to S$1
Circulating Contemporary Counterfeit United States Coins
By Winston Zack

Researcher and Author Winston Zack has completed his next book "Bad Metal Silver. 50c to S$1. Circulating Contemporary Counterfeit United States Coins". This is the 3rd book in the award-winning 4-part encyclopedic publication series on the fascinating history of circulating contemporary counterfeit U.S. coins. This book documents more than 500 varieties of die struck counterfeit half dollars and silver dollars across 400 pages. It records for the first time a wide array of contemporary counterfeit coins from Flowing Hair to Walking Liberty half dollars, along with Bust to Peace dollars.

These counterfeit coins were made for circulation over a 150-year period from 1800 to the mid-20th century. This book is the culmination of 11 years of research, and provides important new information and significantly builds upon the body of knowledge from the likes of Riddell (1845), Davignon (1996, 2010), Leroy Van Allen, and others. A publication like this could not be complete without the contributions of dozens of people and organizations as acknowledged and referenced therein.

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MARVIN LESSEN (1934-2025)

MARVIN LESSEN

Baltimore MD. USA February 17, 1934 – April 3, 2025, Albany NY. USA

Marvin spent his youth in Baltimore, Hazleton, PA. and then in Albany. He earned his Batchelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. He spent his career in the aerospace/defence industry, working in various locations - nationally in Boston, Alaska, and latterly in Los Angeles. In the early 1960's he was based in Scarborough and worked at Fylingdales in North Yorkshire.

Marvin was a collector by instinct - stamps, arms and armour, cameras - and coins. His time in England sparked a serious interest in British coins. In Scarborough he saw a Charles I or was it a Cromwell coin? amongst a handful of other coins on a plate in the window of an antique dealer, and purchased it. He started to become more and more interested in coins - and medals - of the period, and - was hooked. He became a member of the British Numismatic Society in October 1964, and subsequently a fellow of the Royal Numismatic Society. He subscribed to Seaby's Bulletin, and to Spink's Numismatic Circular, and whilst in Yorkshire Marvin got to know Corbitt and Hunter in Newcastle. When he returned to the USA he formed strong relationships with dealers with an interest in British coins - Chris Blom, Bill Castenholz, CNG, Dave Hess and Joel Malter.

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DAVID L. GANZ (1951-2025)

David L. Ganz a practicing attorney in New York and New Jersey, who served four terms as ranking (majority) member of the Bergen County, New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders, has died at 73 after a long battle with Parkinson's. He died peacefully in his sleep the morning of May 20th, according to his wife, Kathy.

Ganz also served seven consecutive one-year terms as Mayor of Fair Lawn, a borough whose population of more than 32,000 is 18th highest among New Jersey's 573 municipalities.

Ganz is the author of many books including Planning Your Rare Coin Retirement (1998); The Official Guide to U.S. Commemorative Coins (1999); The Smithsonian Guide to Coin Collecting (2008); Profitable Coin Collecting (2008); The Official Guide to State Quarters (2000); America's State Quarters (2008) and Small Claims Court Defense (2012). He was named a Numismatic Ambassador by Krause Publications in 2006.

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NEWMAN GRANTS 2025 AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT

Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society Announces Newman Grants

The Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society (EPNNES) today announces its sixth set of Newman Grants, created to financially assist numismatic authors and organizations pursuing original research in American and world numismatics. Newman Grants are awarded annually on the late Eric P. Newman's birthday and assist with direct costs of numismatic research such as travel, photography, and graphic arts services.

Five awards are being made this year, touching on varied aspects of American numismatics. The 2025 Newman Grant awardees are as follows:

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MEMORIAL DAY AND THE G.A.R.

Memorial Day & The Grand Army Republic

Memorial Day originated in the aftermath of the American Civil War as a solemn day of remembrance for those who died in military service. Initially known as Decoration Day, it began informally when citizens across the country began decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers. The first widely recognized observance occurred on May 30, 1868, when General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)—a fraternal organization composed of Union veterans—issued General Order No. 11, designating the day for "strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country." This act formalized the practice and established a tradition that quickly spread across Northern states.

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VIDEO: LOCAL CURRENCIES AND COINS

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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: MAY 25, 2025

Sandrock's Ancient Chinese Cash Notes Found

Ed writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: MAY 18, 2025 : Sandrock's Ancient Chinese Cash Notes Sought (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n20a10.html)

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LOST MINT DOCUMENTS FOUND

The current Finding Aid for Record Group 104, United States Mint, is the "Preliminary Inventory of the Records of the Bureau of the Mint" compiled by Forrest R. Holdcamper, January 1968, as identified on the cover page.

The final 26 pages of this Finding Aid consist of degraded photocopies of several hundred documents that were collected at the Philadelphia Mint by WPA employees sometime before October 12, 1936, and later compiled by L. J. Holverstott (May 1, 1947). Almost all of the listed documents are of a general correspondence nature and would be expected to be at NARA Philadelphia in RG104 Entry 1 "General Correspondence, 1792-1899." However, they have not been found.

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REWARD FOR STOLEN CONNECTICUT COPPER

Last year I sold the above 1786 Connecticut copper, Miller 5.3-B.2 to a private collector. It was sent via registered mail, but was never delivered to its new owner. The Post Office has been unable to locate it – and even though registered mail is supposed to be signed for at every step, this package never was. It was either lost or, more likely, stolen in transit. The owner and I have decided to offer a $5,000 reward for the safe return of the coin – with no questions asked, and no legal repercussions as a result of that return. As the coin cannot legally be sold since it lacks clear title and has been reported as stolen to authorities, we hope this reward will ensure a return of this coin.

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COPPERS OF GEORGE WASHINGTON'S AMERICA

George Washington's Coppers

At the well-attended Fairfax Coin Club meeting on Tuesday, May 13 at the Vienna Community Center, John Kraljevich gave a talk on "The Coppers of George Washington's America: 1732-1799." Kraljevich, an expert on the coinage of Colonial America, is Director of Numismatic Americana for Stack's Bowers Galleries, a leading auction house. ( https://stacksbowers.com/ )

Although scarce gold and silver coins of many nations circulated in early America based on their bullion value, humble copper coins used as small change were basically just tokens, not "legal tender." Kraljevich explained that "if it was small and round and brown, it passed as a copper." Officially, 96 coppers exchanged for one Spanish milled dollar, but in the "Copper Panic of 1789" ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_Panic_of_1789) when the colonies were flooded with lightweight counterfeits, the rate rose as high as 180.

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VOCABULARY TERM: REVERSE

Reverse. The back or opposite side to the obverse. The symbolism or allegory on the reverse must supplement or support the principle device on the obverse. Designers claim the reverse is often the more difficult side to design, since the obverse is the principle theme – usually an easy design concept – the reverse is more difficult since it must complement the obverse and further develop the total theme of the coin or medal design.

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PATRICK W. BARNARD (1940-2017)

I could write about people who are familiar names in numismatics. I prefer to tell a story that no one has read before. Pat Barnard was a little-known author of an obscure numismatic reference. I thank John Mutch for suggesting this topic.

Patrick W. Barnard was born in Niagara Falls, New York, on August 20, 1940. He was the son of William Earl Barnard (1902-1967) and Nora Josephine O'Grady Barnard (Pruester) (1920-2003).

In some ways, the story of William Barnard and his family is more interesting than the story of Patrick. William married Thelma Elnora Smith (1906-1946) on October 6. 1923. They got busy producing a family and by the 1930 Census in Lockport, New York, they had a son Robert William Barnard (1925-1967) and two daughters, Betty Lou Barnard (1926-1993) and Mary Ann Barnard (1929-2006). The marriage ended in divorce on August 26. 1940.

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NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: MAY 25, 2025

103190 | PHILIPPINES & UNITED STATES. Louisiana Purchase/St. Louis International Exposition bronze award Medal. Issued 1904. Presented at the expo for the "bronze" award at the Filipino Exhibit (63mm, 12h). Round shape. By Adolph Alexander Weinman at the Philadelphia mint. VNIVERSAL EXPOSITION SAINT LOVIS VNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Columbia standing slightly right, wearing Phrygian cap and outstretching American flag over Native American maiden standing to right, removing flag with intricate bee design (representing industriousness); rising sun in background // Eagle, with head left and wings spread, standing facing on oak and laurel branches; below, rectangular cartouche decorated with scallop shell and inscribed • BRONZE • MEDAL • / • PHILIPPINE • EXHIBIT • / • LOVISIANA • PVRCHASE • / • EXPOSITION • in four lines; two inward-facing dolphins below. Hendershott 30-41; Honeycutt 70c. NGC AU Details—Environmental Damage. Red-brown surfaces, with some light handling and mild mottling of the color from the noted environmental damage. This aspect, however, does not interfere with its overall appearance, charm, and rarity. A very rare subset of the more typically encountered general award specifically designed for the Filipino exhibit and with a mintage of just 975 pieces. Fairly comparable to the McFadden specimen, an NGC AU-55, though clearly with some environmental issues of its own, and for which its current owner wants at least $1,800 (via HA) $1,495.

Designed by famed German-born U.S. coinage engraver Adolph Alexander Weinman, this series of award medals displays the elegant artistry that would make appearances the following decade on the 'Mercury' dime and the 'Walking Liberty' half dollar. Issued in various shapes, the entire series (bronze, silver, gold, commemorative, and grand) were nominally named, as all of the award medals were struck in a new bronze alloy (initially referred to as 'government bronze'), and meant to convey the level of recognition for the recipient. The expo itself was held in St. Louis, Missouri, and had, as its backdrop, the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase to commemorate—a factor which prominently influenced many design aspects of the award medals.

To read the complete item description, see:
103190 | PHILIPPINES & UNITED STATES. St. Louis Int'l Expo bronze Award Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/103190)

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NOONANS TO SELL BRITISH IRON AGE COIN HOARD

67 British Iron Age Coins (silver staters) discovered over a five-day period in April 2022 by a 90-year-old metal detectorist buried by a fence within a remote Dorset meadow in Cranborne are estimated to fetch in the region of £20,000 at Noonans Mayfair in a sale of Coins, Historical Medals and Numismatic Books on Thursday, May 29, 2025.

As the finder, who lives just 15 miles away from the discovery location and wishes to remain anonymous recalled: "I have been metal detecting since 2002 and on the day that I found the staters, at about midday, it was nice and clear weather."

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NOONANS TO SELL RARE IRISH FREE STATE COIN

A rare Irish Free State Pattern Florin dating from 1927 that was discovered in an antiques market in Italy over 40 years ago by an Italian collector could fetch up to £10,000 when it is offered at Noonans Mayfair in a sale of Coins, Historical Medals and Numismatic Books on Thursday, May 29, 2025.

As Oliver Hepburn, Coin Specialist at Noonans explained: "This rare copper florin was designed by Publio Morbiducci (28 August 1889 - 31 March 1963). He was born in Rome and was a leading Italian sculptor, medalist and painter in the early and mid-1900s. Morbiducci was among a group of international artists who were asked to submit designs for Ireland's first coinage. The competition was won by the British engraver Percy Metcalfe."

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STACK'S BOWERS: BRUUN COLLECTION CONTINUES

 

DENMARK. Semi-Bracteate, ND (958-985). Haithabu (Hedeby) Mint. Harald Blåtand (Bluetooth). NGC Unc Details--Holed. Hauberg-1; Malmer-KG 9d:I(this coin, plate 14:24); Bruun-1233. Weight: 0.20 gms. Possibly unique sub-type of the Malmer CE IV group. The reverse is very faint but the obverse is distinct and from the only die with a 'V' shape inside the arch. Besides the purposely done holing there are a few cracks in the flan.

Provenance: From the L. E. Bruun Collection. Hints of red wax indicate a previous plating.

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GARRETT'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: THE NETHERLANDS

As my plane landed in the Netherlands, my first observation was how this country's flat land sharply contrasted with the steep hills of my adopted home of Pittsburgh. My destination was Den Bosch, a quintessential Dutch town of about 160,000 people. From here it was easy to catch a train to various locations within the country.

I travelled to the Netherlands to do some biking as well as to learn more about Dutch history. Since history and numismatics go hand in hand, I planned to visit De Nieuwe Schatkamer (The New Treasure Room), located in De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) headquarters in Amsterdam. DNB is the central bank of the Netherlands and also manages the Dutch National Numismatic Collection. It contains over 400,000 objects, approximately 400 of which are on display in this new exhibit. The National Numismatic Collection also includes a numismatic library with 50,000 titles and is open to the public by appointment. I contacted the library prior to my trip to schedule a visit, but they informed me it isn't currently accessible because it's being relocated. The news was disappointing, but it ultimately allowed me to spend more time in De Nieuwe Schatkamer.

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WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: MAY 25, 2025

On Tuesday May 20th I made my way to a familiar venue, Southside 815 in Alexandria. It was the monthly dinner meeting of my Northern Virginia numismatic social group, Nummis Nova. I arrived about half an hour early and discovered I wasn't alone - Dave Schenkman was the first to arrive. Our long table was already set up and we sat in the middle across from one another.

Before long we were joined by John "JK" Kraljevich and Jon Radel, who sat on either side of me. Other evening attendees were Tom Kays, Julian Leidman, Daryl Haynor, Erik Douglas, Mike Markowitz, Steve Bishop, Chris Neuzil and my guest Jonas Denenberg, who was home from college for the summer.

When Erik arrived with his dark beard and a camo green tee shirt, I remarked that he had a Volodymyr Zelenskyy look. We looked for a Vladimir Putin lookalike to sit him beside for peace negotiations, but no luck.

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HEREFORDSHIRE HOARD COIN RECOVERED

A coin missing from a stolen Viking hoard has been discovered for sale in Croydon, London.

George Powell and Layton Davies, from Wales, dug up more than 300 silver coins and gold jewellery in a Herefordshire field in 2015.

If the metal detectorists had declared the hoard, they could have been millionaires, but instead they sold it for profit and were sent to prison.

Ten years since the treasure was discovered, more than 230 coins are still missing and police investigations are ongoing.

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CASTLE ACQUIRES ANGLO-SAXON COIN HOARD

A museum is to become the new home to what is believed to be the largest collection of 7th Century gold coins found in Britain.

Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery in Norfolk has acquired the hoard which is made up of 129 coins and includes 118 different coin designs and 51 different European mints.

The hoard was discovered by two metal detectorists in a west Norfolk farmer's field between 2014 and 2020.

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PENNY PRODUCTION TO HALT

The U.S. government is phasing out the penny, whose use has spanned more than two centuries.

The Treasury Department will stop putting new pennies into circulation by early next year. Afterward, there won't be enough pennies to use in everyday cash transactions, and businesses will need to start rounding up or down to the nearest 5 cents, the Treasury said in a statement.

The move is the culmination of a long bipartisan effort to do away with the lowest- denomination unit of American currency, which is more likely to end up lost or buried under couch cushions than to be used for transactions.

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SCRIP FOR DISPLACED GERMAN JEWS AFTER WWII

The headline is Yiddish and reads "Wer weys epes wegen dem?" (Who knows something about this?). And in Hebrew, the question would be "lemi yesh meda al zeh?" (??? ?? ???? ?? ??? = Who has information about this?). In short, there are many unanswered questions about the banknotes issued for Jewish survivors in Germany in 1946/47.

The number of people displaced from their homelands in Germany—excluding the roughly 15 million displaced Germans—was estimated by Allied authorities to be about eight million in the spring of 1945. These were former concentration camp inmates, prisoners of war, or forced laborers who had already been liberated by Allied troops in the final weeks of the war. By fall 1945, about six to seven million of them had returned to their home countries. The approximately one million who remained had to be housed and provided for—including around 250,000 Jewish individuals.

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LOOSE CHANGE: MAY 25, 2025

On Reeded Edges

You've probably noticed that of the four coins that are in wide circulation in the United States today, two, the dime and the quarter, have a series of ridges on the edge. According to the U.S. Mint, this is technically referred to as a reeded edge. But is the reeded edge purely decorative, or does it serve a purpose? The answer goes all the way back to the 17th century, before the U.S. was even founded.

To read the complete article, see:
Why Do Some Coins Have Ridged Edges? (https://historyfacts.com/us-history/article/why-do-some-coins-have-ridged-edges/)

To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
VOCABULARY TERM: REEDED EDGE, REEDING (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n05a16.html)
ON THE TYPES OF COIN EDGES (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v18n07a15.html)
ON COUNTING THE EDGE REEDS ON A COIN (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v11n35a10.html)

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LADY LIBERTY'S TREASURE

The discovery of a buried treasure, which included valuable old coins and antiques, is the talk of downtown St. Albans, Vermont.

"I was just dumbfounded, really," said gardener Kelly Wakefield, who discovered the treasure while taking care of the plantings in Taylor Park in St. Albans.

Wakefield had been reading the book "Lady Liberty's Treasure Hunt," which makes learning about history fun. It provides clues about real treasure chests hidden throughout the Northeast. During her spring cleanup in the park, Wakefield found a rock with a skull and crossbones on it. The stone also had a code matching Wakefield's book at home, so she knew to dig.

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ABOUT THIS ISSUE: MAY 25, 2025

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
MORE ON EUGENICS SOCIETY FITTER FAMILIES MEDALS (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v19n19a12.html)

Read more here