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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 can go to the following web page Subscribe You may Unsubscribe Here 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 Kolbe & Fanning October 4, 2025

 

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 SEPTEMBER 28, 2025

New subscribers this week include: B. Washburn. Welcome aboard! We now have 6,851 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 numismatic literature, five new books, a review, multiple book awards, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, and more.

Other topics this week include banknote stories, Dave Bowers, Walter Breen, Robert Bashlow, the 1859 the J.N.T. Levick auction sale, stock certificates, rolling mills, auction previews, coin finds in Galilee, tally sticks, wampum beads, and museum thefts.

To learn more about Myron Xenos, the IAPN and IBNS book prizes, the Columbia superkids project, author Ivan Charles Michels, the Similar Sixpence Scandal of 1887, embarrassingly drunk Senators, Bulgarian numismatists, the Israel Numismatic Research Journal, the "Regnbuetræffet" at Christiania Medal, and the only convicted forger depicted on a banknote, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

ASYLUM AUTUMN 2025 ISSUE PUBLISHED

Welcome to The Asylum's Autumn 2025 edition.

In this issue:

• NBS 2025 Charity Auction Report
• NBS Treasurer's Report
• NBS Annual Meetings, Symposium, and Charity Auction NBS at the ANA in OKC
• ANA Numismatic Literature Exhibit Awards By Leonard Augsburger
• Remembering Myron Xenos (August 3, 1938 to July 20, 2025) By Thomas D. Harrison
• Memories of Myron By Joel J. Orosz
• Original Varieties of Levick's Plate of 1793 Cents By Jim Neiswinter
• Five Imaginary Nineteenth-Century American Numismatic Books By Joel J. Orosz
• Fifty Years Later: The Bicentennial of the United States. A Final Report to the People. By Mike Costanzo
• Elder's 1908 ANA Dinner Invitation By William D. Hyder

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KOLBE & FANNING OCTOBER 2025 SALE SELECTIONS

Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers will be holding our next auction sale on Saturday, October 4, 2025. Sale 174 features an eclectic selection of rare and out-of-print works on ancient, world and U.S. numismatics, the property of over twenty different consignors from around the world. The wide variety of material to be found in the 500 lots comprising the sale means that there is something for everybody.

Some highlights of this first sale include:

 

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NEW BOOK: ALEXANDREIA TROAS COINAGE

The American Numismatic Society is pleased to announce the release of an exciting new publication in our Numismatic Studies series: Alexandreia Troas in the Hellenistic Period: War, Finance, and Civic Identity.

This book uses the best but least exploited evidence we have for Alexandreia Troas—its coinage—to explore the city's Hellenistic history and the reception of that Hellenistic past in the imperial period after the polis was replaced by a Roman colony under Augustus. Alexandreia was especially valued by the various states that contended for control of the Greek world in the Hellenistic period for its strategic location at a crossroads in the eastern Mediterranean. As a result, the fate and fortunes of this community were tied to the shifting geopolitics of the Hellenistic world to an unusual degree. In the relative absence of other evidence, it is the coinage of Alexandreia that allows us to reconstruct the city's complex relations with external powers, to trace the community's struggle as a newly founded polis to define its place in the Greek world, and to understand how the city's Hellenistic past was rewritten in the imperial period.

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NEW CHAPTER: NEW ZEALAND MEDALS 1860S-80S

Martin Purdy of Upper Hutt, New Zealand writes:

 

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NEW BOOK: BANKNOTE STORIES

Every banknote tells a story. There is visual interplay between the various elements on the banknotes. In this way, a banknote resembles a well-rounded story that includes a fascinating plot and characters.

A banknote is a representation of a country in a miniature format. If we look closely enough, banknotes of the world tell us interesting stories of the time they were printed and used, places, politics, culture, and history. Banknotes feature mythical creatures, local heroes, national treasures, or natural wonders, but sometimes they also feature unintended design elements.

One of the most important features of banknotes is that people need to trust them. Banknotes have played a critical role in shaping the global economy, acting as a medium of exchange for transactions. These pieces of printed paper hold immense power, as they serve as a symbol of trust in financial systems worldwide.

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NEW BOOKS: THE ALMIGHTIER, MAKING MONEY WORK

In The Almightier, journalist Paul Vigna uncovers the forgotten history of money, tracing the uneasy and often accidental alliance between wealth and religion as it developed from ancient city-states to today's secular world, where religious devotion has receded and greed has stepped in to fill the void. Through engaging anecdotes, original research, and fresh perspectives on the causes of the many challenges we face today, Vigna makes a compelling argument that money has no power apart from the power we give it.

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BOOK REVIEW: THE ROMAN PROVINCES, 300 BCE–300 CE

The Roman Provinces, 300 BCE–300 CE: Using Coins as Sources
by Andrew Burnett

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2024. Pp. xlii, 362. Illus., maps, chron., sidebars, appends., biblio., index. $39.99 paper. ISBN:1009420100

Using Local Coinage for Insights into Provincial Life and Society

In the urbanized, largely Greek-speaking cities of the eastern half of the Roman Empire, hundreds of towns issued their own small change, mostly in copper alloy. Small change was a big problem in the ancient world; imperial authorities went to great pains to ensure a supply of precious metal coins to pay the troops, but the needs of an urban economy, where people need to make daily small purchases to survive, were often neglected.

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2025 IAPN BOOK PRIZES AWARDED

Since 1982, in order to encourage the publication of books of scientific and general interest, the International Association of Professional Numismatists (IAPN) has awarded an annual honorary prize for a numismatic work published the previous year. During the annual IAPN General Assembly, members hold a vote to select a winner from among the many titles submitted to the competition.

The IAPN Book Prize consists of a medal, a diploma and a monetary award of CHF 1,000 (Swiss Francs). Prize winners are formally presented with their awards during future IAPN gatherings.

Books suitable for the prize must be submitted to the Chairman of the Publication Committee at least 90-days before the General Assembly of the Association convenes.

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2024 IBNS BOOK OF THE YEAR RESULTS

PHILIPPINE EMERGENCY AND GUERRILLA CURRENCY OF WORLD WAR II (SECOND EDITION 1)
-Matthias Voigt, Kenneth Berger & Neil Shafer
s Ahrensburg, Germany (2024)

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COGAN LEVICK SALE CATALOG EDITIONS

Editions of the Edward Cogan Levick Sale Catalog (1859)

Lara Jacobs, the Internet Archive scanner working at ANS under sponsorship of Newman Portal, recently called to our attention an alternate edition of the J.N.T. Levick auction sale catalog. We were previously aware of a 976-lot post-sale, priced edition. Lara located an unpriced, 973-lot version in the ANS library. The Levick collection represented Cogan's fifth sale; the previous four catalogs are all known by post-sale, priced editions produced by Attinelli.

The Gengerke and Adams bibliographies are the first resources to consult. Adams reports the 973-lot version, however, his 2001 errata notes "Should be 976 lots." Gengerke noted only the 976-lot version. This writer's copy of the Attinelli bibliography is best described as "6 over 3," in which case the printer seems to have etched a 6 over the final digit of the lot count. However, Attinelli makes an important clarification: "This catalog was reprinted after the sale with the prices printed in," the key word being reprinted. The confirms the two versions of the catalog.

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VIDEO: PNG LIVING HISTORY: Q. DAVID BOWERS

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BREEN, BASHLOW, SHELDON AND THE X-FILES

Dlugosz writes:

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MORE ON THE 16TH 1804 DOLLAR PROVENANCE

More on the 1804 Dollar Provenance

Thanks to John Dannreuther for his further commentary. I believe we agree in principle. I have one question that's been a sticking point for me. I have read a number of articles which recounted the "two heavy trunks in a wagon" story (or was it three?), but I have not seen any documents or written account of this incident. Maybe John or others have such information? I doubt it occurred, since auction appearance records do not reflect the continued introduction of patterns to the market place after 1885, or the 1892 Woodside auction. This, despite that more than 400 patterns had not appeared until after 1910. Also, without a substantial Mint hoard as a trade, why would Mr. Woodin return the Half Unions to the Mint? Documentation confirmed that the Treasury department dropped its interest in them when their claims were reduced to off-metal patterns.

Provenance Post Script

The fate of a significant coin collection consisting of cherished mementoes representing one's earthly exploits is usually handled by an auction company these days. Thus, the perceived maximum return on investment can be extracted and the proceeds distributed amongst heirs. This can be done in either the present life or posthumously. In the event of an untimely demise, the arrangements are orchestrated by an executor.

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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: SEPTEMBER 28, 2025

More on the 16th 1804 Dollar Provenance
Rich Kelly writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
MORE ON THE 16TH 1804 DOLLAR PROVENANCE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n38a13.html)

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2025 ANA PHILANTHROPY AWARD

The American Numismatic Association's (ANA) Philanthropy Award publicly honors those who have made significant contributions to the Association that further its strategic mission to expand, enhance, and sustain the hobby of coin collecting. This year, the ANA recognizes Mary Lynn and Jeff Garrett for their many years of hobby support.

Mary Lynn and Jeff Garrett are passionate champions of numismatics and long-standing supporters of the ANA. Mary Lynn, a life member of the ANA for over 32 years, has served three terms as a governor (2019-25), is the current ANA vice president (2025-27), and has contributed to numerous ANA committees. A cofounder of the Bluegrass Coin Club in Lexington, Kentucky, she is deeply committed to educating future generations of collectors. Her leadership has helped shape young numismatists, some of whom are now professionals in the field.

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THE 2025 NATIONAL STOCK CERTIFICATE SHOW

The 39th Annual National Stock & Bond Show to Convene in January 2026

The organizers of the National Stock Certificate & Bond Show are pleased to announce that the 39th Annual Show will be held on Friday, January 23, and Saturday, January 24, 2026, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel – Dulles Airport, Herndon, Virginia. Recognized as the premier event in the United States devoted to the field of scripophily, the show attracts collectors, dealers, and scholars dedicated to the preservation and study of historic stock and bond certificates.

The two-day event will feature leading dealers and exhibitors offering rare and historically significant securities from a wide range of industries and eras. Attendees will have the opportunity to acquire collectible certificates, engage with experts in the field, and learn about the history of American and international finance through original documents.

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VOCABULARY TERM: ROLLING MILL

Rolling Mill. A machine with multiple rollers through which metal in plate or ingot form is rolled back and forth to reduce its thickness to a required size, creating strips for blanking. Rolling mills have developed dramatically over their history but the concept remains constant, to reduce metal thickness. The rollers – of solid steel – are often stacked and rotate in opposite directions so a second pass needs only to be fed into a set of rollers above or below the set previously used (with an operator on each side of the mill). The number of passes is dependent upon the desired thickness, the original thickness and the hardness of the metal. Rolling work hardens the strip, which must be annealed or softened before blanking and sometimes before additional rolling.

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IVAN CHARLES MICHELS (1829-1906)

This week I pulled out a 145-year-old book to hold in my hands rather than read it on the Newman Numismatic Portal. Sorry Len! I was interested to find the source of a story about the 1804 Dollar that was quoted in several newspaper accounts.

As a service for those who don't want to bother pulling out the book, I will quote It here. This is taken from a book by Ivan C. Michels published in 1880, The Current Gold and Silver Coins of All Nations… The full title runs 19 lines in the front of the book. My 1884 copy is noted as the fifth edition.

 

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HERITAGE: NETHERLANDS AND DUTCH COLONIES

Brabant. Albert & Isabella of Spain (1598-1621) gold 2 Ducats ND (1600-1611) MS62 NGC, Antwerp mint, KM11 (under Spanish Netherlands), Fr-84, Delm-142 (R). 7.00gm. ALBERTVS ET ELISABET DEI GRATIA. Confronted busts of Albert and Isabella / ARCHI AVST DVC BVRG ET BRAB Z. Crowned shield in collar of the Golden Fleece. A beautiful early 17th Century Spanish Netherlands gold type that our firm only gets the pleasure of handling every few years. Only a single example of the issue sits above the current selection on the NGC population records, a particularly impressive piece in such a quality Mint State assignment.

To read the complete item description, see:
Brabant. Albert & Isabella of Spain (1598-1621) gold 2 Ducats ND (1600-1611) MS62 NGC, (https://coins.ha.com/itm/belgium/brabant/belgium-brabant-albert-and-isabella-of-spain-1598-1621-gold-2-ducats-nd-1600-1611-ms62-ngc-/a/61549-22009.s)

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HERITAGE: ERROR US COINS SHOWCASE

1804 1/2 C Half Cent, Plain 4, No Stems, C-13, B-10, R.1 -- Flipover Double Struck in Collar -- MS63 Brown NGC.

From The Siesta Key Collection.

To read the complete item description, see:
1804 1/2 C Half Cent, Plain 4, No Stems, C-13, B-10, R.1 -- Flipover Double Struck in Collar -- MS63 Brown NGC. (https://coins.ha.com/itm/errors/1804-1-2-c-half-cent-plain-4-no-stems-c-13-b-10-r1-flipover-double-struck-in-collar-ms63-b/a/60482-53006.s)

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GUT-LYNT AUCTION 22 COIN SELECTIONS II

On Sunday, 5 October 2025, the Gut-Lynt auction will start at 9:00 a.m. (CEST). The spectrum of foreign coins and medals ranges from Afghanistan to Cyprus, with the usual mixed lots at the end of the section, and comprises more than 1,400 lots. Of particular note is a series from Spain and its colonies in excellent condition, the Habsburg series.

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FRANK ROBINSON 129TH AUCTION ANCIENTS

ANCIENT COINS FEATURED IN ROBINSON AUCTION

Dealer Frank S. Robinson's 129th mail and internet auction of Ancient and Early Coins will include 585 lots, low starting bids, and no buyer fee. LIVE BIDDING will take place beginning at 11 AM Eastern Time October 26 on the biddr.com website. (The deadline for pre-bidding will be October 25.)

Featured in this sale is a further segment of a major collection of Judaean and Judaic related material, highlighted by Judaea Capta Sestertius of Titus that is the plate coin in the Hendin standard reference.

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COINS OF THRACE'S WARRIOR KINGS

Thrace is a historic region in the southeastern corner of Europe, encompassing modern-day Bulgaria, the European part of Türkiye, and a small portion of northern Greece. Ancient Thracians were a warlike tribal people known mainly through the writings of their Greek neighbors and the magnificent tombs where their kings were buried. The Thracian Odrysian kingdom ruled much of the region from approximately 460 BCE until it was absorbed by the Macedonian king Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great, around 340 BCE. Odrysian cavalry served as scouts in Alexander's army. The Odrysian kings produced a fascinating series of coins that have been extensively studied by Bulgarian numismatists and other scholars in recent years.

Although intriguing, this coinage was of limited output and had a moderate impact on the overall pool of money in circulation in Thrace from the fifth century to the middle of the first century CE. The available statistical data demonstrate that such coinage should be regarded more as a powerful symbolic claim by the kings of Thrace rather than as a regular currency with economic value. The sequence of rulers and their coin issues remains uncertain in some cases.

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COIN FINDS IN GALILEE

A rare hoard of 22 copper coins dating back more than 1,600 years has been uncovered in a hidden underground complex in the Lower Galilee, offering a tangible link to the region's Jewish history under Roman rule, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Thursday.

The coins were unearthed in Hukok, an ancient Jewish settlement near the Sea of Galilee associated with Jewish resistance under Roman rule.

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TALLY STICKS AND THE ORIGIN OF MONEY

When we picture the history of money, many imagine barter leading naturally to coins, then paper bills, then cards and digital balances. But new research led by University at Albany Anthropology Professor Robert M. Rosenswig shows that this familiar narrative doesn't hold up—and that lessons from ancient wooden and bone tally sticks matter for how we understand money today.

His conclusion: Orthodox economics, which treats money primarily as a medium of exchange, does not fit the evidence. Tally sticks, he argues, suggest that money originates with governments as a system of accounting and taxation.

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WAMPUM BEADS UNEARTHED IN NEWFOUNDLAND

Seven tiny beads unearthed in Newfoundland, Canada, are a rare discovery — they may be the only wampum ever found in the province, and they hint at trade between Indigenous people and European colonists.

The beads were found in July at the Colony of Avalon site in Ferryland, which was an early European settlement and a trading post for Indigenous people in the 17th century.

The tubular beads are white and purple, and they were crafted from the shells of whelk (carnivorous sea snails) and quahog (hard-shelled clams). They were unearthed by archaeology student Calum Brydon, who told CBC News that at first he didn't know what he had discovered. Minutes later, however, archaeologists in charge of the excavation recognized the beads as wampum.

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LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL BANKNOTE BENCHES

If you've ever dreamed about sitting on a fortune, literally, you'll get a chance to do so at London Design Festival with the Bank of England Museum's newest pop-up, "Reconstructing Value". A collaboration between designer Saskia Boersma, the Surface Matter collective and the material studio Plasticiet transforms £2.5 million worth of withdrawn British banknotes into a series of sculptural benches that echo the pound sign (£) while questioning what we consider valuable .

The process begins with the systematic removal of old notes from circulation. Once shredded, the paper fibers are reconstituted using a proprietary plasticiser that binds the material without compromising its texture. The resulting sheets retain the iconic hues and subtle security patterns of the original currency, allowing the benches to retain a recognisable, yet abstract, financial language. Surface Matter then curates complementary surface palettes like roman mosaic tiles, Portland stone and patinated brass, mirroring the historic interiors of the Bank while reinforcing the dialogue between past and present .

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THIEVES STEAL GOLD FROM MUSEUMS

Thieves broke into a gallery at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris overnight Monday and stole nuggets of raw gold worth about $700,000, officials said on Wednesday.

The theft occurred in the geology and mineralogy gallery, the museum said in a statement. The gallery includes meteorites, giant crystals, rocks, minerals and other specimens relevant to the history of the Earth and the solar system, the museum said.

The stolen pieces were taken from a display of unrefined gold, the museum said. The theft was detected by the museum's security personnel and is under investigation by the police.

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LOOSE CHANGE: SEPTEMBER 28, 2025

John Feigenbaum Interview on the End of the Cent

The penny could soon be a thing of the past. President Donald Trump is pushing to end production of the one-cent coin, citing its rising costs. Each penny costs nearly four cents to make and scrapping it could save taxpayers about $56 million a year. Deema Zein discussed more with John Feigenbaum of Whitman Publishing, a leading producer of numismatic reference books.

To read the complete article, see:
Does it make sense to keep minting the penny? (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/classroom/daily-news-lessons/2025/09/does-it-make-sense-to-keep-minting-the-penny)

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FEATURED WEBSITE: COINS & HISTORY FOUNDATION

The foundation's purpose is to share the passion for history and numismatics, to promote the hobby of collecting coins and medals to a wide audience, as well as to increase the knowledge and awareness of rare and historical coins, modern coins and medals.

The Coins & History Foundation is a registered Dutch foundation established by various key members of the numismatic world in order to support and promote a broader understanding of coins and currency, while also offering help and information about the collecting, display, and appreciation of coins. Our objectives are to:

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ABOUT THIS ISSUE: SEPTEMBER 28, 2025

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