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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 upcoming auctions

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 JUNE 8, 2025

New subscribers this week include: Clark Davis. Welcome aboard! We now have 7,231 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 three new books, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal and the American Numismatic Society, notes from readers, and more.

Other topics this week include trade dollar varieties, Hundis used in India, the FUN and PAN shows, the Cherrypickers' Guide, Alfred S. Robinson, Fred Holabird, Seth Huntington, the Sundman lectures, fixed price and auction selections, the SS Central America, the Panic of 1837, and physical cryptocurrency.

To learn more about varieties of Polish banknotes, the Art Directors Club medal, the 1860 Fireman's Medal, the Coin Collecting Podcast, the Gold Bar Mine, the Art of American Coinage, "coin fossils", the Dorrien Magens shilling, the Peh Family Collection, whale oil, and spending eight bitcoins on a pizza, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

NEW BOOK: U.S. TRADE DOLLAR

Joe Kirchgessner Publishes U.S. Trade Dollar: Rarity, Collection Types and Top 37 Varieties

Among Liberty Seated denominations, the Trade dollar has heretofore lacked a comprehensive guide to the die varieties in that series. With the publication of Joe Kirchgessner's U.S. Trade Dollar, that problem has been solved, and collectors looking to explore the world of Trade dollar die marriages now have a well-defined starting point.

This 522-page compendium contains just about everything collectors need to know, with the strengths of the book being the Top 37 varieties (I'm not sure why it wasn't the "Top 25" or "Top 50" – perhaps Kirchgessner likes the fact that the number 37 has some interesting mathematical properties) and the lengthy enumeration of obverse and reverse dies for each issue.

For these chapters, Kirchgessner has adapted the variety attribution template from Bill Bugert's "Register" volumes on Liberty Seated halves, making the layout appear immediately familiar and straightforward to use. The large format (8.5x11) and photographic enlargements make attribution a snap, with ample arrows highlighting the pickup points.

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NEW BOOK: HISTORY OF HUNDIS USED IN INDIA

This book provides a detailed history and usage of Hundis, which were a form of scrip used in India for quite a long time.

One early seventeenth-century French traveler to India, Mr. J. B. Tavernier, writes:

While collecting and researching Hundis, it becomes very clear that Indian bankers were using a variety of innovative financial and credit instruments to facilitate trade and the movement of large sums of money across the subcontinent in a most secure and efficient manner, hundreds of years before the Western banking system.

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NEW BOOK: TABLES OF POLISH BANKNOTES

Janusz Parchimowicz:
TABLE SERII BANKNOTÓW POLSKICH OD 1944
Tables of Poland's banknote series from 1944

• 60 pages, each note shown in color,
• Format 10 x 15 cm, staple binding,
• 1st edition, Stettin 2025,
• Price 30 zloty (approx. 7 €)
• ISBN No. 978-83-87355-10-4

For several years now, the JEFRYT publishing house has occasionally published miniature editions of coin catalogs in addition to the main catalog, measuring 9 x 12 cm and featuring varying content. A similar booklet for banknotes has now been published by the publisher. However, this book, which costs 40 zloty, is not a miniature of the complete catalog, but rather a table of Polish banknotes in circulation from 1944 onwards. It is divided into three parts: the People's Republic of Poland from 1944 to 1965, banknotes from 1974 to 1994, and the most recent banknotes from 1994 onwards.

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NEWMAN PORTAL ADDS FUN CONVENTION VIDEO

Newman Portal Adds FUN Convention Video

The Florida United Numismatists (FUN) winter and summer conventions are two of the most prominent events on the annual coin calendar, with the winter edition being especially attractive to collectors seeking warmer climes. Indeed, FUN describes itself as a "snow-free coin show." With the assistance of FUN board member Steve Martin, Newman Portal has added 12 videos representing educational presentations from the January 2025 convention. Included are David Harper, former Numismatic News editor, presenting his "Ten Numismatic Predictions for 2025." Harper reviews his performance on last year's predictions (a rare bit of accountability in today's world!) and issues a new set of prognostications for 2025. Among other sessions are Tom Walker speaking on the detection of cleaned coins, Bill Jones holding forth on early Lincoln cents, and John Zampedro presenting on "Errors 101." Many thanks to Randy Campbell for continuing to organize the FUN convention educational forums.

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VIDEO: PEOPLE, COINS AND CATALOGUES

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MORE ON THE PIONEER BASE BALL CLUB

The more common metal for the token is "white metal." Here is an example:

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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JUNE 8, 2025

Pittsburgh Travel Guide
Larry Dziubek writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: JUNE 1, 2025, PART ONE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n22a17.html)
WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: JUNE 1, 2025, PART TWO (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n22a18.html)

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ANS ALFRED S. ROBINSON DIE GROUP

With many thanks, a recent archival donation given by Roman Golebiowski helped answer several questions regarding a long-held donation of medallic dies from the 1860s in the ANS collection. A two-sided handwritten letter dated May 23, 1896 from Frank DeWette Andrews to Bauman L. Belden—at the time, the ANS librarian who later became the secretary, council member, and director—provides insight into how the ANS acquired the dies and even into the finished pieces themselves.

According to the accession books in the ANS Archives, the 12 dies were officially accepted into the collection on June 11, 1896, and given the accession group number of 1896.29. This is significant because the dies have long since been divorced from one another. The obverse and reverses were not only separated, but all of the dies were scattered in the die cabinet unattributed. Once digitization of the ANS collection began in the early 1980s, the dies were given numbers from the 0000.999 accession group—indicating that their accession history was unknown by that point—and they were not given consecutive numbers—indicating that their relation to one another was also lost. The recently donated letter allows us to reattribute them to the same donation from June 1896. The medals have now been reassigned with their proper numbers.

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FRED HOLABIRD ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

I was talking with my buddies yesterday and reminiscing about our running days. The hundreds (or more) long, unforgettable runs through the Sierra Nevada trails, the races – Western States 100, Silver State 50-miler, and all those marathons, including Boston 5 times. Now we're all much older, but still out there in our 70s and 80s doing our stuff together. It was a helluva run. Age and injuries caught up to us… but it was, truly, a helluva run.

Today, another "helluva run" is coming to an end.

It is time for me to retire while I still have some gas in the tank and hopefully the wheels can stay on.

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NOAL WHITE NAMED CHERRYPICKERS CO-EDITOR

Whitman Publishing is excited to announce the appointment of respected numismatist Noal White as co-editor of the acclaimed Cherrypickers' Guide to Rare Die Varieties of United States Coins. Development of the highly anticipated 7th edition is underway, with a refreshed editorial vision for the beloved series.

In a significant shift from past editions—traditionally split into multiple volumes—the new 7th edition will be published as a single, comprehensive volume. This all-in-one reference will cover U.S. coinage from half cents through double eagles, along with classic commemoratives, bullion coinage, and U.S.-Philippine coins, bringing unprecedented breadth to the numismatic classic.

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SUNDMAN LECTURES: COINS REFLECT CULTURE

Coins are more than just currency—they're tiny time capsules that tell the story of the world. From hairstyles on ancient Roman coins to pop culture tributes on today's commemoratives, money has long mirrored the styles, values, and moments that shape our lives. During the American Numismatic Association's (ANA) World's Fair of Money®, taking place August 19-23 in Oklahoma City, experts will explore how coins, medals, and tokens reflect the culture of the times during the Sundman Lecture Symposium. This year's theme is "Culture's Mirror; How Coins Reflect Popular Culture."

The Symposium will be held at the Oklahoma City Convention Center on Wednesday, August 20, from 10 am to 4:15 pm. This year's speakers and their lectures include:

10 a.m. – Bob Bair: Reflections Upon U.S. Popular Culture, Heritage, and History, As Influenced by Numismatics: A Look at Some of the Events, Individuals, and Coins Which Have Shaped Our Popular Culture

U.S. coins reflect the nation's evolving popular culture, history, and values—making them a unique part of our national heritage. This presentation explores how 19th- and early 20th-century coinage both shaped and mirrored American culture, highlighting ideals like Liberty and the Rule of Law. Influenced by key events such as westward expansion and the Civil War, artists like St. Gaudens, the Frasers, and Weinman created designs that captured the spirit of their time—leaving a lasting impression on the coins Americans used, saved, and admired.

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VOCABULARY TERM: REVISION

Revision. A second or subsequent design replacing a prior design not considered satisfactory for further reproduction. Revisions of coins occur to change designs for better wearing qualities (as lowering of lettering on the reverse of the 1913 Buffalo nickel). Revisions of medals occur for a variety of reasons:

(1) Correcting errors of design or inscription.
(2) Change in sponsor's name or title.
(3) Correcting mechanical errors.
(4) Change of seal or trademark.
(5) Addition of lettering.
(6) Removal of lettering.
(7) Modernizing design.
(8) Reinstating medal or sponsoring program.

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JOHN SMITH GARDNER (FL. 1794-1796)

When I began this article, I knew very little about John Smith Gardner. By the time I finished, I knew even less.

Gardner was employed at the U. S. Mint as an assistant engraver in November 1794. What we know comes mostly from payment records. These were reported by Robert W. Julian in a series of articles in The Numismatist.

• January 18, 1795 $70.40 John Smith Gardner, 44 days engraving dies @ 1.60, to December 31.
• March 31, 1795 $121.60 John Smith Gardner, 76 days sinking dies @ 1.60 per day.
• June 30, 1975 $174.88 John Smith Gardner. Engraving dies, 78 days @ 2.24.
• September 30, 1795 $174.72 John Smith Gardner. Salary for the Quarter.
• December 31, 1795 $ 234 John Smith Gardner. 78 days as assistant engraver at 3.00 per day.
• March 31, 1796 $234.00 John Smith Gardner Wages as assistant engraver @ 3.00 per day.
• August 26, 1796 $150.00 John Smith Gardner Fifty days engraving dies @ 3.00 per day.

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SETH G. HUNTINGTON (1920-2021)

Seth Huntington was one of three artists selected for their designs for the Bicentennial coinage. His rendition of Independence Hall appears on the reverse of the 1976 Kennedy half.

As I was compiling the initial listings for American Numismatic Biographies, I discovered that he lived in Minneapolis and I could call him without incurring a long-distance charge.

I called on March 2, 1991, and he was very pleasant and accommodating with my request for information. I could tell that his wife was in the background and concerned about him revealing personal information to a stranger.

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TREASURE TALK WITH BOB EVANS, EPISODE 5.2

The rust deposits on the SSCA gold come in many types, thick and thin, earthy and stony, red, orange, brown and black. When I am removing the rust it all responds to the solution I use, but sometimes it takes several days and changes of solution. The point is not to dissolve the iron minerals completely, although some is sequestered in the water turning it a kind of yellow resembling urine.

The objective is to alter the rust just enough that it loses its physical grip on the surface of the coin. Again, the bond is physical, not chemical.

In very rare instances large pieces of blackish (oxygen-poor) rust spall off the coins and ingots, showing perfect reverse impressions of the gold surface. The impression is so exact and detailed (down to microns) that the microscopic flow lines from the dies, struck into the coin and imbuing it with mint luster, is replicated in this process of rust mineralization, making a perfect duplication of the original die. A "coin fossil." Lustrous rust!

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NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: JUNE 8, 2025

103158 | SPAIN. Toledo. Primate Cathedral of St. Maria bronze Medal. Issued 1865. Issues paralleling the Most Remarkable Edifices of Europe series (59mm, 91.34 g, 12h). By Charles Wiener in Brussels. CATEDRAL DE TOLEDO 525 POR S EUGENIO, REEFICADA EN EL STYLO GOTICO EN EL XIIIº SIGLO. ARQUITº Pº PEREZ, perspective view of the cathedral exterior from the southwest, from the vantage point of the Plaza del Ayuntamiento // Perspective interior view. Edge: Plain. Ross pp. 20-1, fig. 7. Choice Mint State. Rich brown surfaces, with great glossiness in the fields. A rather scarce offering not from Jacques, but instead from Charles, done in the style of the former's "Most Remarkable" series. $595.

From what is today eastern Netherlands and western Germany, the Wieners were a Jewish family of exceptional medalists, especially known for numerous numismatic works throughout the Kingdom of Belgium. Eldest brother Jacques, along with younger brothers Leopold and Charles, created some of the finest works of medallic art of the 19th century, and all are particularly noted for their work in the highly detailed and intricate work of architectural renderings.

To read the complete item description, see:
103158 | SPAIN. Toledo. Primate Cathedral of St. Maria bronze Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/103158)

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SOVEREIGN RARITIES AUCTION XVIII

Sovereign Rarities are delighted to present Auction XVIII in partnership with the Royal Mint. Commencing at 10:00 GMT on Wednesday 11th June, the auction comprises over 450 lots and spans almost 2,500 years of numismatic history. Kicking off with a modest but interesting selection of ancient coins, the sale then weaves its way through English and Scottish history to an outstanding selection of modern British Royal Mint issues and world coins, followed by the second part of the Highcliff Collection of Medals, discussed in last Sunday's E-Sylum newsletter. A selection of highlights from the main sale follows.

Lot 3 - AU 4/5 3/5 | Philip II c. 355-348 BC gold Stater Kingdom of Macedon, Philip II (359-336 BC), gold Stater, Pella, late lifetime-early posthumous issue, c. 340/336-328 BC. Beautiful portrait of Apollo, with a wonderfully animated charioteer to the reverse. Graded by NGC as AU, Strike 4/5, Surface 3/5. Estimated at £2,800-£3,200.

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SARC ACCUMULATIONS & COLLECTIONS AUCTION 2

This is the second auction being held in the new "Accumulations & Collections Auction" format, with the first being in January 2025. Prior to 2025 the large lots (also known as group lots, accumulation lots, or collection lots) were featured on the final day of their premier auctions in January, May and September. Those lots now appear in a stand-alone auction the following month (February, June and October respectively). The first iteration of this auction format was very successful. This second auction contains exactly 750 lots from all time periods and categories. These are the same large lots that normally would have been at the end of their May 2025 sale, so there is an extensive selection of interesting coins to be found, including lots from collections such as:

• The Dr. Robert A. Rosenfeld Collection of World Coins
• The Almer H. Orr III Collection of World Coins
• The Howard A. Daniel III Collection of Asian Coins
• An Anonymous Collection of Indian Coins

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HERITAGE: PEH FAMILY COLLECTION

One of the world's finest collections of coins from around the globe will make its long-awaited appearance at the auction block when a selection of lots from the Peh Family Collection are sold in Heritage's HKINF World Coins Platinum Session and Signature® Auction June 18-20.

"It's one of the highest honors of my numismatic career to be able to present at auction amazing coins from the Peh Family Collection at our upcoming HKINF event," says Cris Bierrenbach, Vice President of International Numismatics at Heritage Auctions. "It is particularly joyful for me to revisit incredible specimens contained in the collection such as the Japanese ultra rarities pedigreed to the Dr. Norman Jacobs Collection that we brought to market in 2012. The Meiji 3 1870 Pattern Yen is one of my all-time favorite numismatic items — it checks all the boxes for one of the most iconic trophy coins in the world!"

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WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: JUNE 1, 2025, PART THREE

Here's the third and final part of my account of my enjoyable visit last week to Pittsburgh and the Spring 2025 PAN Show. I remark often that the PAN Show just keeps getting bigger and better. When I ran into PAN President Pat McBride early on my first day, I told him that PAN and The E-Sylum have something in common - we both started small and never quit. Decades later we're still here, still improving, and bigger and better than ever. Here's how dealer David Kahn described the show's evolution in his June 2025 DKRC News and Newps email newsletter.

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HERITAGE: THE PANIC OF 1837

The history of banking in the United States has been a turbulent one, as the fledgling nation learned the vagaries of politics, public finance, and government intervention. This process of trial and error was deeply intertwined with the evolving political landscape and the government's attempts to establish a stable economy in a rapidly developing country. This led to a series of boom-and-bust cycles, debates over the role of government in the economy, and a gradual, often painful, evolution of banking institutions and regulations.

The Panic of 1837 represents one of the most turbulent events of its era, if not in all American history. The crisis stemmed from President Andrew Jackson's anti-banking policies and, more specifically, his battle with the Bank of the United States. Originally championed by Alexander Hamilton, the Bank of the United States was zealously promoted by prominent businessmen and politicians, such as John Jacob Astor, Stephen Girard, and John Caldwell Calhoun. This financial venture was one of the first attempts in America to establish a central bank operated by the government. Jackson opposed its operation for an assortment of reasons, but his foremost objection was his belief that a central bank was both unconstitutional and "dangerous to the liberties of the people." He also blamed the concern for contributing to the Panic of 1819, as it had lent far too much money, and then stockpiled gold to save itself at the height of the emergency, thereby sacrificing many small banks and their patrons.

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TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS ONE POUND NOTE

In a recent blog post, we covered an amazing group of notes from British Guiana, which will be offered in our Summer 2025 Global Showcase Auction. In this blog post, we look at another British Commonwealth rarity offered in the sale, this time from the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Turks and Caicos Islands are in the Caribbean, south of the Bahamas, with which they are geographically contiguous. A British Overseas Territory that has been a part of the United Kingdom since the 18th century, today it's a popular tourist destination and an offshore financial center. Before tourism came to the islands, however, salt exports were the primary industry. There are eight main islands, along with numerous smaller islands, separated into two distinct island groups. Despite a fairly large population for a British Overseas Territory, the islands were traditionally governed from elsewhere, including the Bahamas, Bermuda, and Jamaica, through various political constructs. While the islands have sought their independence, or even a joint federation with the Bahamas, they remain politically associated with Great Britain to this day.

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PANAMA-PACIFIC COIN SET LETTERS

Complete Set of Certifying Letters from San Francisco Mint Superintendent T.W.H. Shanahan for Panama-Pacific Exposition Commemorative Coin Set No. 24.

A fascinating and rare offering, each of these original typed letters are on San Francisco Mint, Office of the Superintendent letterhead, dated May 28, 1915, and state:

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PHYSICAL CRYPTO AT BITCOIN 2025 CONFERENCE

Remember when Bitcoin was only $30? In the early 2010s, people struggled to understand the concept of digital money. To make it more tangible, physical tokens were created, coins with actual Bitcoin embedded inside. Each token carried a public address and could be redeemed like any digital wallet. What began as a way to explain Bitcoin has become something much more.

At the Bitcoin 2025 Conference in Las Vegas, we showcased highlights from our upcoming June Showcase Auction. Most attendees had never seen a physical Bitcoin token in person and many didn't know they existed.

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LOOSE CHANGE: JUNE 8, 2025

The 2025 "State of Collectables" Report

The fact that coins topped the collecting charts didn't surprise me. That was the case back in 2023 and much earlier when AC Nielsen conducted similar research for eBay in 2004.

1. Universal Recognition and Accessibility: Everyone understands and handles money. You don't need to explain why a coin from 1910 is significant the way you might with a vintage toy.
2. Built-in Rarity Metrics:: Mintage figures provide objective scarcity measures. When only 1,500 1930 Pennies were minted, that's not opinion - that's math.
3. Historical Significance:: Every coin tells the story of its time. A 1942 Threepence carries the weight of wartime Australia in ways that transcend mere metal content.
4. Size and Storage:: Try storing 50 vintage cars against 50 rare coins. Coins win on logistics alone.

To read the complete article, see:
The 2025 "State of Collectables" Report by eBay and Deloitte Access Economics (https://www.sterlingcurrency.com.au/blog/news-research/the-fine-art-of-numismatics/the-2025-state-of-collectables-report-by-ebay-and/)

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ABOUT THIS ISSUE: JUNE 8, 2025

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