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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 October 29, 2025 Lang

 

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 OCTOBER 26, 2025

New subscribers this week include: Royal Mint Museum Director Dr Kevin Clancy, and John Koar, courtesy Dave Hayes. Welcome aboard! We now have 6,782 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 two numismatic literature sales, one new book, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, and more.

Other topics this week include collectible early slabs, the FIDEM conference, the Higgins Museum, rusted dies, a tsunami of auction selections, Mexican coins, Scandinavian banknotes, the Norman Wait Harris prize medal, museum thefts, and MrBeast's cash stunts.

To learn more about modern numismatic rarities, Edwin L. Hobart, Baron Von Steuben medals, Fancy Turning, Jim Licaretz, Don Everhart, Revolutionary War Loan Certificates, banknote designer Richard Adams, the Liberty Medal, and the metal-detecting Man from Nantucket, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

CNG ANS LIBRARY DUPLICATE CATALOG SALE

CNG Auction of Numismatic Literature from the ANS Library

An online auction now underway at CNG presents a great opportunity to expand your own numismatic auction library while supporting the Harry W. Bass, Jr. Library at the American Numismatic Society. Lots 1202–1393 of CNG's Electronic Auction 598 feature duplicate catalogs from the ANS Library, dating from 1900 through 1977. Among them are selections from Leonard Forrer (Stroehlin Collection, 1911), Adolph Hess, Brüder Egger, Jacques Schulman, Émile Bourgey, Bank Leu, Michele Baranowsky, Rodolfo Ratto, Adolph E. Cahn, Ludwig Grabow, P. & P. Santamaria, and many others.

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JULIAN LEIDMAN NUMISMATIC LIBRARY SALE

Starting this Monday, I'll begin sharing select pieces from Julian M. Leidman legendary numismatic book collection!

Initially, items will be available for fixed-price purchase + shipping on my personal Facebook page. After 24 hours, we'll cross-post them elsewhere for wider access.

Please allow 3–5 business days for shipping once payment is received.

Get ready — there are some incredible coin reference guides, Personally signed literature from the authors, historic auction catalogs, quite a few with personal annotations from Julian himself coming your way!

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NEW BOOK: MODERN NUMISMATIC MASTERPIECES

Global Coin is proud to announce the upcoming release of Modern Numismatic Masterpieces: Rare U.S. Coins of the 20th and 21st Century by Stephen Pfeil, an authoritative and visually striking exploration of America's most remarkable modern coins. Officially releasing October 21st, 2025, the book is available now for preorder at ShopGlobalCoin.com.

With forewords by Stephanie Sabin, President of the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), and Anna Escobedo Cabral, the 42nd Treasurer of the United States, Modern Numismatic Masterpieces bridges artistry, history, and investment insight in a way few publications ever have.

"A visually stunning and thoughtfully curated collection that showcases the diversity and craftsmanship of modern coinage… a valuable resource for anyone interested in how contemporary coins continue to tell the stories of our time."
— Douglas Mudd, Curator, Edward C. Rochette Money Museum, American Numismatic Association

The book's thoughtful presentation and rich educational value have earned it a place in the American Numismatic Library, cementing its position as a defining reference for both collectors and researchers.

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BUY THE PLASTIC, NOT THE COIN

Buy the Plastic, Not the Coin

The advent of third party grading in the 1980s has revolutionized the field of U.S. coin collecting, and the slabs themselves have become collectible. What is collecting if not preserving significant artifacts of the past? In this sense, these plastic holders have legitimately captured collectors' attention (and wallets), with recent eye-popping results. The latest issue of David Schwager's Sample Slab Newsletter comments on the earliest PCGS holders.

One can quibble with the valuations, but the market impact of these plastic containers is undeniable.

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VIDEO: 2009 MONEY SHOW OF THE SOUTHWEST

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MORE ON DENVER MINT GUIDE PUBLISHER E.L. HOBART

Regarding Roger Burdette's question about Denver Mint guide publisher Edwin L. Hobart, Julia Casey writes:

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MORE ON THE BARON VON STEUBEN MEDALS

Regarding Bob Fagaly's question on the Baron Von Steuben medals, Julia Casey writes:

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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: OCTOBER 26, 2025

Book: Specimens of Fancy Turning
NYC dealer Peter Kraus of Ursus Books, Ltd. writes:

[WOOLSEY, Edward J.] Specimens of fancy turning: executed on the hand or foot lathe: with geometric, oval, and eccentric chucks, and elliptical cutting frame. [2], 2 pp. and 30 unnumbered leaves of plates. 4to, 220 x 180 mm, publisher's green cloth. Philadelphia: Henry Carey Baird, 1869. $15,000.00

A fine copy of this wonderful example of the use of photography in America in the nineteenth century. In the preface Woolsey states that he made these images. Inspired by "an amateur friend", whose "exquisite productions" were too delicate to be successfully photographed, these "coarser" designs were produced by first applying India ink to an enameled card with a "flat camel's hair brush". The card was then fastened to the face of a chuck with tacks or mucilage, whereby a spring tool "cut through the blackened surface of the card, exposing to view the white paper". The cards were subsequently photographed. "They lack, however, the depth of black background, which cannot be equaled by the solutions of silver employed by the photographer." A fine copy of this rare book.

For more information, see:
Specimens of fancy turning: executed on the hand or foot lathe: with geometric, oval, and eccentric chucks, and elliptical cutting frame (https://www.ursusbooks.com/pages/books/171762/edward-j-woolsey/specimens-of-fancy-turning-executed-on-the-hand-or-foot-lathe-with-geometric-oval-and-eccentric)

This early photography book features thirty tipped-in albumen silver prints of geometric designs created on "the hand or foot lathe". Resembling something between spirograph drawings and textbook diagrams of orbiting electrons, the figures were created using geometric, oval, and eccentric chucks and an elliptical cutting frame. Attributed to "an amateur" on its title page, the book is the work of Edward J. Woolsey (1803–1872), an heir of the mercantile Woolsey family and partner in the New York Patent Sugar Refinery.

To read the complete article, see:
https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/fancy-turning/ (https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/fancy-turning/)

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2025 FIDEM CONFERENCE REPORTS

The winner of the coveted Gran Prix award at the XXXVIII FIDEM MÜNICH 2025 (Fédération Internationale de la Médaille d'Art), was American medalist Jim Licaretz. Licaretz is only the second American to win since the Grand Prix was established in 1992.

According to the FIDEM website, The jury, comprised of Australian delegate and former Grand Prix winner Michael Meszaros, Portuguese delegate and Executive Committee member João Bernardo dos Santos, and congress organization member David Weidgenannt, made the following considerations regarding their decision: Jim Licartez's work Autoritratto di Fantasia presented a strong design that directly addressed the subject. The title of the medal perfectly captures the key to its meaning. In this excellent self-portrait, the face looks into the distance while the brain focuses on fantasy and recalls the past. The ring forms a circle that contains the idea and creates a private space for the imagination. A range of fantasies, memories, and influences is suggested by the small panels springing from the head — antiquity, literature, music, mystery. The medal was beautifully modelled, cast, and patinated, representing a perfect marriage of innovation and traditional values.

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VOCABULARY TERM: RUSTED DIES

Rusted Dies. Since dies are made of ferrous metals they tend to rust in time if their striking surface is exposed to moist atmosphere. Often rust occurs first in the highest part of the die (lowest part of the design on the struck piece), generally in the field around the device, but not exclusively in this position. Rusting causes pits in the die and if allowed to continue this action becomes widespread and deeper. The pitting appears as jagged indentations in the die. Pieces struck from rusted dies – restrikes – will show raised jagged lumps or bosses from the rust pits in the die; these can be removed by chasing.

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VISITING THE HIGGINS MUSEUM

On Monday, August 18, I set out on a road trip to Oklahoma City for the ANA World's Fair of Money. Mark Anderson was driving and Shawn Hewitt was another passenger. Our goal for the first day was the Higgins National Bank Note Museum in Okoboji. Iowa.

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MARQUIS WHO'S WHO ADDS DON EVERHART

Don Everhart has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

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HOLDBIRD GRAND FINALE SALE SELECTIONS

Two black cases (5 x 4 1/2 inches) with purple lining. Gold printing inside top: Panama-Pacific / International Exposition / 1915 - San Francisco - U. S. A. / Commemorative Coins / Authorized by Act of Congress / Struck at San Francisco Mint. Bottom half of the case has room for the five coins made: silver half dollar; gold dollar; gold quarter eagle; gold fifty dollar round; gold fifty dollar octagonal. All you need is the coins to go in 'em!

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HERITAGE: MEXICO WORLD COINS SHOWCASE

Ferdinand VII gold 2 Escudos 1815 Mo-JJ AU55 NGC, Mexico City mint, KM134, Fr-55, Cal-1644. Seldom encountered issue under Ferdinand VII, this being the first example we've auctioned in a decade. Tied with one other coin for NGC's top pop, nice appearance on the reverse.

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BRUUN SCANDINAVIAN PAPER MONEY RARITIES

An extremely rare Danish West Indies note from the 18th century that has been certified by Paper Money Guaranty® (PMG®) and is pedigreed to the L. E. Bruun Collection is turning heads in an ongoing Stack's Bowers Galleries auction. It is just one of more than 200 PMG-certified Scandinavian notes being offered in Stack's Bowers' L. E. Bruun Collection, a Corpus of Scandinavian Numismatics Part III – Paper Money auction, which is set to end on October 28, 2025.

The Danish West Indies 1799 5 Rigsdaler Vestindisk Courant graded PMG 12 Fine NET (lot 10189) has an estimate of €30,000 to €50,000 (about $35,000 to $59,000). Notes of the Danish West Indies from this time period are very scarce; of all the notes between 1788 and 1842, only three other examples are known to exist. Of these, this note is likely in the best condition, and it may be the sole example in private hands. Denmark sold the Danish West Indies (located just east of Puerto Rico) to the United States in 1917, and they were renamed the US Virgin Islands.

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ARCHIVES INTERNATIONAL SALE 107 SELECTIONS

Australia (Van Diemen's Land), Tasmania. Derwent Bank, 1836 Issued Cashier's Draft
Australia (Van Diemen's Land), 19 December 1836. Printed cashier's draft of the Derwent Bank, black on off-white with vertical left guilloche panel inscribed "DERWENT BANK." Pre-printed location "Hobart Town" is struck through and corrected in manuscript to "Campbell Town;" filled out to "Mr. H. J. Emmett" for Eight pounds 4/6, payable "or order;" bold cashiers' imprint "CASHIER OF THE DERWENT BANK" at center; contemporary signatures at lower left and right; unobtrusive clerical notations.

An attractive early Tasmanian banking form showing branch use outside Hobart with the imprint corrected in period ink. XF-AU Condition. The payee, Henry James Emmett (1782–1848), was a prominent early official and settler in Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania). Originally a clerk in the Colonial Secretary's office in Sydney, he was transferred to Hobart in 1814 where he held numerous government posts, including clerk to the Bench of Magistrates and Postmaster General. Despite later financial difficulties, Emmett remained a well-known figure in colonial Tasmania. Documents payable to him, such as this 1836 draft, are sought after for their direct association with one of the island colony's early administrators.

To read the complete lot description, see:
2 Australia (Van Diemen's Land), Tasmania. Derwent Bank, 1836 Issued Cashier's Draft (https://auction.archivesinternational.com/Australia-Van-Diemen-s-Land-Tasmania-Derwent-Bank-1836-Issued-Cashier-s-Draft_i58219565)

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SEDWICK AUCTION 38 SELECTIONS

MEXICO, Mexico City, gold cob 8 escudos, 1715 J, NGC MS 62 (1715 Fleet Shipwreck Label), ex-McGregor. S-M30; Cal-2214; KM-57.2; Fr-6. 27.04 grams. Incredibly bold strike, especially the 100% full shield and oMJ, with brilliant luster over light yellow color all over, the cross practically full as well (just a part of the tressure flat), and with clear bottom half of date with odd piece of extra metal between the 17 and the 15, some peripheral beveling (as made) as usual, a very eye-catching piece overall. From the 1715 Fleet, with Philip Flemming photo-certificate from 2015, pedigreed to the McGregor Collection (stated on label).

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DAVISSON'S E-AUCTION 52

Greek and Roman coinage, featuring the first offering from a significant new consignment – The Peter Bartlett Collection. Peter, a Life Fellow of the American Numismatic Society and member of Barcelona's Asociación Numismática Española, has been an avid collector since his youth, receiving a merit badge in numismatics in junior high school in New Jersey in the 1950s from an illustrious ANS member. Though his academic background is in the biological sciences, with a BA from Duke University, an MS from the University of Colorado, and a PhD from the University of California in Riverside, Peter is also a world-renowned expert in the coins of the Visigoths, having written and contributed to numerous important articles and studies in the field while collaborating with academics worldwide from Costa Rica where he resides.

His carefully assembled collection features a magnificent selection of Greek coinage, chosen with a keen eye for style and quality. In this sale we begin with coins from Magna Graecia (the historically Greek-speaking area of southern Italy), continuing through mainland Greece and the Peloponnese. Look for rarely-encountered pieces, with numerous pedigrees from the 1960s-1990s from major auction houses in the U.S. and Europe. Amongst numerous highlights, be sure to note stand-out pieces such as a stater from Lokri Opuntii (lot 68; included in the Humphris & Delbridge study and pedigreed to 1933), numerous fine coins from Sicily including a rare Naxos litra (lot 50), and a high grade example of the earliest issue of staters of Aegina (lot 78). Even the modest issues are special, with rarity, beauty, cabinet tone, and condition.

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BRADBURY WILKINSON BANK NOTE DESIGNS AND ESSAYS

This important auction will be in two sections. The first section will concentrate on bank note designs, essays, models and test prints from Bradbury Wilkinson & Co Engravers and Printers from the 19th and 20th century. It will include banknotes from the Far East, Africa, Europe and around the World. The second section will focus on bank notes and projects that Richard Adams worked on at his time and Bradbury Wilkinson & Co.

As a bit of background, Richard joined Bradbury Wilkinson Security Printers in 1972 aged 24. It was here working alongside six other notable designers as well as the very best engravers he learnt that security printing was all about cheques, bonds, stamps and passports which became a good preparation for embarking on designing banknotes. Bradbury's was quite unique in having the sales, design and engraving, plate making and print shop all on one site at New Malden, producing currency for over 150 countries. The 1970s and 80's saw many changes at New Malden, new printing machines and advances in photography all playing their part in the fight against forgery that lead to new techniques or features each time a new series of note were envisaged as a business with such complexity and unique demands.

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WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: OCTOBER 26, 2025

Tuesday, October 21, 2025 brought the monthly gathering of my Northern Virginia numismatic social group Nummis Nova. Daryl Haynor was our host, at Kob Kun Fine Thai Cuisine in Oakton, VA. I walked in thinking I was early but I found Daryl, Jon Radel, Eric Schena and Dave Schenkman already there. Before long we were joined by Mike Packard, Steven Bishop, Robert Hoppensteadt, John Kraljevich, Julian Leidman and my guest Greg Bennick. Our server kindly took this group photo.

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SPANISH COIN DISCOVERED ON NANTUCKET

A mysterious 18th-century coin recently resurfaced on a beach in Nantucket, thanks to one determined metal detectorist.

Hobbyist Travis Nichols found the coin — a 1782 silver Spanish one-reale — at a beach on the south shore of the island, according to an Oct. 9 report by the Nantucket Inquirer and Mirror.

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THE NORMAN WAIT HARRIS PRIZE MEDAL

Established in 1902, the Norman Wait Harris Prize was a medal and cash prize awarded to an artist for a painting displayed in the Art Institute of Chicago's annual exhibition of American paintings and sculpture. Both a Silver Medal and a Bronze Medal were presented annually, and in 1936 the Bronze Medal was awarded to leading Ashcan School painter William James Glackens for his painting The Soda Fountain (1935; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts). The obverse of the medal bears an allegorical representation of the art of painting, a classically garbed figure holding a palette and brushes. She stands in an architectural entranceway with a cloud-filled sky behind her. The reverse depicts the central façade of the Art Institute of Chicago, with oak and laurel branches flanking the central inscription.

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HAMILTON AND CHERNOW WIN LIBERTY MEDAL

The National Constitution Center's annual Liberty Medal honors men and women of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe. On Friday, October 17, 2025, we honored beloved Broadway hit, Hamilton, which marks its 10th anniversary this year, and the acclaimed historian and biographer, Ron Chernow, whose book inspired the musical.

The 2025 Liberty Medal Ceremony

The 37th annual Liberty Medal was awarded on October 17, 2025, to the beloved Broadway hit, Hamilton, which marks its 10th anniversary this year, and the acclaimed historian and biographer, Ron Chernow, whose book inspired the musical. The Liberty Medal ceremony took place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

In addition to a fireside chat between Ron Chernow and NCC President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen, the ceremony included performances from Philadelphia native Ta'Rea Campbell, who played Angelica Schuyler in the national tour of Hamilton for five years, and Heather Leslie Sanchez, a senior at Piscataway Magnet School, the 2024-2025 Hamilton Education Program competition winner.

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THE SMITH AND WINCHESTER MACHINE SHOP

John writes:

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FRENCH MUSEUM THEFTS

A small museum in northeastern France reported a theft on its premises on Monday, October 20, one day after the astonishing daytime jewels heist at the Louvre. La Maison des Lumières Denis Diderot, housed in the Hôtel du Breuil-de-St-Germain private mansion in Langres, said that a display had been broken into and several gold and silver coins stolen while the institution was closed on Monday per its usual operating schedule.

According to a press release issued by the Langres municipal police, museum staff arrived on Tuesday morning to find evidence of forced entry as well as shards of the display case that held the coins scattered across the floor. Investigators believe that the burglary was both targeted and planned, and the museum remains closed to the public until further notice.

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MRBEAST CASH STUNTS

The content is similar to that of reality competition shows such as Fear Factor or Survivor, but it's tailored to the short attention spans of the internet. Donaldson begins each video by shouting the premise to hook the viewer and dangling a huge reward or twist, typically a large cash prize, to keep people watching. A recent example: "I just bought this luxurious private jet, and if this pilot can spend 100 days trapped inside, he keeps it!" A clock at headquarters gives a live update of the subscriber count, which grows by the minute. Donaldson's channels across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and X reach more than 1 billion unique viewers every 90 days, the company says.

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LOOSE CHANGE: OCTOBER 26, 2025

Junk Silver Liquidity Crisis

The market for junk silver, primarily pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver coinage, is currently experiencing an unprecedented liquidity crisis. This disruption is stemming from severe refining backlogs and an associated spike in the cost of financing silver, which has effectively frozen the process by which scrap and less-than-.999-fine silver is converted into investment-grade bullion. The result is a growing disconnect between the spot price of silver and the real-world ease of buying or selling physical metal, placing a strain on both retail and wholesale market participants.

Refiners have been inundated with material, partly due to Americans liquidating silver assets in response to high prices. However, the true breaking point has been a massive surge in silver lease rates—the interest rate paid to borrow physical silver. In normal times, refiners borrow silver or cash at low rates to finance the metal while it is being processed. Recently, these lease rates have skyrocketed from typical single-digit percentages to levels nearing 100% or more. This makes it uneconomical for refiners to accept and hold new material, as the financing costs wipe out any potential profit.

To read the complete article, see:
The Silver Freeze: Refining Backlogs Create a Liquidity Crisis for Junk Silver (https://coinweek.com/the-silver-freeze-refining-backlogs-create-a-liquidity-crisis-for-junk-silver/)

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ABOUT THIS ISSUE: OCTOBER 26, 2025

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