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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 Watch here for updates!

 

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 NOVEMBER 30, 2025

New subscribers this week include: Glenn Hamilton, courtesy Steve Starlust; Katie Williams, courtesy Bob Hurst; and David S Dunlop. Welcome aboard! We now have 6,741 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 one new book, a periodical and a price list, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal and ANS, and more.

Other topics this week include siege notes, stock certificates, agricultural medals, Alaska Rare Coins, doctored paper money, Steve Feller, Adam Levine, Ed. Frossard, the Long Beach Expo, auction previews, the Omega cents, gold thnickels and the Thick Coin Mint, Gaza banknotes, bibliomania, and Hell Notes.

To learn more about A.P. Giannini, counterfeit Capped Bust half dollars, rectangular Japanese gold coins, Civilian Camp Money of World War II, benders, Eli and Samuel, water scrip, Hauptmann Trial commemorative cents, and gemme numari, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

NEW BOOK: SIEGE NOTES OF THE WORLD 1793–1913

SIEGE NOTES OF THE WORLD 1793–1913
Korchnak, Lawrence C.

Gahanna: Kolbe & Fanning, 2025. 8vo, original dark gray leatherette, printed in silver. iv, 92 pages; illustrated in color.

Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers have announced the publication of Siege Notes of the World 1793–1913, by Lawrence C. Korchnak, Ph.D. A companion volume to the author's previously published Siege Coins of the World 1453–1902, Korchnak's new study focuses attention on the paper currency issued to pay soldiers involved in sieges. It is the first book-length work of its kind, bringing together information scattered throughout a number of more general references and supplementing this synopsis with new information gleaned from decades of study.

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PERIODICAL: SCRIPOPHILY OCTOBER 2025

NEWS AND REVIEWS

• IBSS AGM 2025
• Holabird Reports Retirement; Auctions to Cease
• Medieval Tally Stick Sells for GBP 50,400
• ... and more besides

EVENTS CALENDAR

COX'S CORNER

FEATURES

The Curious Experience of Confiscated Letters of Credit and the Nightmares of their Owners
by Alex Witula

The Long History of Fiat and its Stocks
by Alex Witula

Samuel Sarphati, an Amsterdammer of Stature
by Gerrit Terpstra

Scripophily Accessories
by Max Hensley

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PRICE LIST: COUNTERFEIT BUST HALF DOLLARS

I am pleased to provide you with my 1st ever fixed pricelist (FPL) sale with highlights from none other than the long-time collector of counterfeit Capped Bust half dollars (CBH), Larry Schmidt. Larry assembled his advanced collection of more than 100 die struck counterfeit CBH varieties over several decades. For this collection subject matter, this is a level of completion and achievement that fewer than 10 numismatists (per my estimate) have ever ascended to, notably due to how rare or scarce many of these varieties are.

For many years, Larry managed the website http://cccbhcc.com/, growing the content and uniting collectors with this shared interest following Keith Davignon's second edition of Contemporary Counterfeit Capped Bust Half Dollars in 2010. Many of Larry's pieces have been off the market for decades offering a rare opportunity to acquire some seldom available pieces. Included in this FPL are 98 lots including about 80 of Larry's CBH varieties (with some duplicates), other type, and 3 counterfeit coin detector devices.

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A DIE STUDY OF KEICHO ICHIBU

Lianna Spurrier Publishes UNTANGLED: A Die Study of Keicho Ichibu

This work presents the first comprehensive die study of the Keicho ichibu, a rectangular Japanese gold coin minted from 1601 to 1695. Spurrier analyzes 306 specimens—including auction records, museum holdings, and reference-site images—to reconstruct how dies were made, shared, and reused across mints and time periods. The study proposes a new three-phase chronology (early, intermediate, late) based on the position of the character ?, the arrangement of border dots, stylistic features of the inscriptions, and the overall quality of manufacture.

Spurrier also redefines the traditional calligraphic attributions, replacing the historical Kyoto/Suruga/Edo classifications with neutral letter-groups (K, S, E) and identifying three rare subsidiary handstyles (H, U, Y). Extensive die maps show how A- and B-side dies pair across hundreds of examples, revealing patterns of reuse, sequencing, and cross-type relationships.

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AGRICULTURAL-THEMED COINS AND MEDALS

Tokens of Plenty and Prosperity

Many agricultural-themed coins and medals naturally lend themselves to Thanksgiving imagery, including Hard Times Tokens (cornucopias), So-Called Dollars (celebrating expositions of agriculture and industry), and Civil War Tokens (liberty caps, wheat, and farming implements). These pieces remind us that prosperity has always been expressed through the symbols of food, harvest, and industriousness. This South Carolina Agricultural Society award medal from the Alan Weinberg collection is typical, with imagery evoking agricultural production. This is a rare item, and one can be "thankful" simply for owning an example of the medal itself!

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A VISIT TO ALASKA RARE COINS

A Visit to Alaska Rare Coins in Fairbanks, Alaska

I was in Fairbanks over Thanksgiving (long story) and had the opportunity to visit Alaska Rare Coins. Dick Hanscom and his partner Jerry Cleworth have been in business in Fairbanks for nearly half a century, opening in 1976. Like most storefront coin shops, they do their share of gold and silver bullion business. Dick noted their over-the-counter business is healthy on the buy side, surprising to me as the city is rather remote. Still, the metro population is about 100,000, the second largest in Alaska, and includes a good number of collectors. They also have the most extensive book selection of books I've ever seen in a coin store, focusing on Alaska content (Alaskiana?) and early Alaskan imprints.

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VIDEO: ALTERED AND DOCTORED PAPER MONEY

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2026 ANS GALA TO HONOR ADAM M. LEVINE

The Board of Trustees of the American Numismatic Society (ANS) is pleased to announce that the 2026 Trustees' Award has been given to Adam M. Levine, the Edward Drummond and Florence Scott Libbey President, Director, and CEO at the Toledo Museum of Art (TMA). The award, which will be presented at the ANS Annual Gala on January 15, 2026, at the Harvard Club of New York, recognizes Levine's tremendous assistance and partnership with the ANS in facilitating the future relocation of the Society to Toledo, Ohio.

Adam M. Levine joined TMA in 2012 as an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow and later served as deputy director and curator of ancient art before assuming his current role as director of the TMA. In his current role, he oversees the TMA's $23.5 million budget and 220 employees, advanced the Museum's first campus master plan, and has curated a diverse range of exhibitions. Prior to the TMA, Levine served as the George W. and Kathleen I. Gibbs Director and CEO of the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens in Jacksonville, Florida, and as a collections management assistant in the Greek and Roman Art Department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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STACK'S BOWERS ACQUIRES LONG BEACH COIN EXPO

Stack's Bowers Galleries is pleased to announce that it has acquired from Collectors Universe, Inc. the popular Long Beach Expo, The Collectibles Show, one of the longest-running and most respected numismatic events in the United States. Celebrated by collectors and dealers alike, this iconic West Coast venue has served the numismatic community for more than 60 years, offering a premier gathering place for buying, selling, education, and camaraderie.

"Our mission is to ensure that this historic venue remains a vibrant hub for collectors and dealers," said Brian Kendrella, President of Stack's Bowers Galleries. "We are proud to support a show that has played such an important role in numismatics, and we look forward to strengthening its future, beginning with our first Expo in February 2026."

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MORE ON STEVE FELLER

Mel Wacks writes:

Jeff Burke writes:

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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: NOVEMBER 30, 2025

Coins Carried But Not to Be Spent
Further on the topic of those conjoined Large Cents, Carol Bastable adds:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: NOVEMBER 23, 2025 : Double Large Cent Birth Years Token? (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n47a08.html)

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SANTA CLAUS, OR ELI AND SAMUEL…OR BOTH?

With Saint Nicholas Day in a few days and Christmas less than a month away, I thought it might be a good time to share a Sunday School medal that depicts Santa Claus with an excited child, or maybe not – you decide!

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FIVE FUTURE DIRECTIONS IN NUMISMATICS

Numismatics has always been a field that honors the past while quietly reinventing itself. Archival researchers still sift through dusty ledgers; metal detectors still hum across old fields; collectors still chase the elusive die state or the coin with the "look." And yet beneath this long continuity, the hobby is shifting. New tools, new communities, and new forms of evidence are emerging. If the last generation was shaped by the computer and the online auction, the next will be shaped by expanded access, sharper data, and a willingness to rethink how knowledge is built.

Here are five future directions likely to influence the next decade of numismatic study.

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VOCABULARY TERM: SCALES

Scales. Machine for determining weight, as a balance scale. Scales have been employed to weight coins and medals, as metal for formulation of their composition, as blanks, as freshly struck pieces and as specimens for collecting, archiving or offered for sale. These scales appear in a variety of kinds: balance beam, double or triple beam, collapsible, folding, spring scales, platform and electronic. Since individual coins or medals are fairly low in weight, as a few grams to less than a pound, the scales for their measurement are fairly small or simple. These are in contrast to scales that weigh large amounts of bullion, ingots or precious metal ore once used by mints. Calibrations of these scales are in the weighing systems used for metal commerce or local custom (see weights and weighing).

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EDOUARD FROSSARD (1837-1899)

I came across an interesting newspaper article this week in the San Francisco Chronicle for April 14, 1899. It announced that famous numismatist Edourad Fossard was dead. I did not recognize the name and began to search various resources.

Spelling was a problem. Similar articles giving the name as Edouard Fossard appeared in papers from Bay City, Michigan, Butte, Montana, Chambers, Nebraska, Esterville, Iowa, Macon, Missouri, Marion, Indiana, Muscatine, Iowa, Norfolk. Nebraska, and Warrington, Missouri.

Other articles giving the name as Eduard Fossard appeared in Earlington, Kentucky, and Unionville, Missouri.

He must have been famous for his death to get such wide coverage. I suspect most E-Sylum readers have gotten ahead of me by now.

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STACK'S BOWERS DECEMBER 2025 CONFEDERATE PAPER

T-5. Confederate Currency. 1861 $100. PCGS Currency Choice About New 58. Apparent Minor Mounting Remnants on Back. No. 5771. Plate B. Following the breakout of open hostilities after the Bombardment of Fort Sumter in April 1861, the Confederacy was forced to look inwards to fulfill its currency needs. One such institution that worked to fulfill that need was the Southern Bank Note Company out of New Orleans. Formed from the remnants of the American Bank Note Company's operations in New Orleans, the SBNC was able to produce notes with a level of technical sophistication that came close or even sometimes matched its northern counterparts. Issues such as the T-5 and T-6 were produced in limited quantities and offer a stark contrast to the oft-seen issues of Hoyer & Ludwig and Keatinge & Ball in technical terms. That contrast is brought to a distinct form by this lightly handled albeit slightly imperfect specimen that was issued during the opening stages of the conflict and should serve the collector well in representing a difficult entry in their collection. PCGS Currency comments "Minor Mounting Remnants on Back."

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HERITAGE DECEMBER 2025 HONG KONG SALE

Numerous Pattern Dollars from one of the world's premier numismatic collections are expected to claim many of the top results in Heritage's HKINF World & Ancient Coins Platinum Session® and Signature® Auction Dec. 6-9.

A Republic Chang Tso-lin silver Specimen Pattern Dollar Year 16 (1927) SP63 PCGS, from the Peh Family Collection, Part III, is a spectacular example of a coin that has become among the most sought-after and record-breaking items in all of Chinese numismatics. Only four official dollar designs were minted across the Mukden Tiger's brief hold over Tientsin and Beijing from 1926-28, but they were not released into circulation and are currently available to collectors only in Pattern format.

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FRED HOLABIRD DECEMBER 2025 SALE SELECTIONS

State of Arkansas Script, issued 1861, "Ten Dollars", #65262 War Bond. Ragged edges.

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SOVEREIGN RARITIES AUCTION XX

Sicily, Syracuse, Timoleon and the Third Democracy (344-317 BC), Sicily, Syracuse, Timoleon and the Third Democracy (344-317 BC), silver Stater, struck under Timoleon, 344-339/8 BC, Pegasus flying left, rev. S?????S?O?, head of Athena right, wearing Corinthian helmet, 8.57g, 6h (Calciati II, 607, 1-2, HGC 2, 1400). Slabbed and graded by NGC as Ch XF Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5.

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LOT 10232: THE VERY LAST CENTS AND DIES

Omega Privy Mark 2025 Lincoln Cents Three-Coin Set. The Last Circulating Cents. Set Number 232 of 232. (PCGS).

Set #232 of 232, corresponding to 2025. Included are:

• 2025 24 Karat Gold Cent, Omega Privy Mark, MS-69 (PCGS)
• 2025 Circulating Cent, Omega Privy Mark, MS-64 RD (PCGS)
• 2025-D Circulating Cent, Omega Privy Mark, MS-66 RD (PCGS)

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FLORIDA MAN WANTS TO SPEND OMEGA CENTS

A Tallahassee-based artist and content creator known for gag gifts like the "thnickel" (a thick nickel) is launching a protest against the U.S. Mint over their plan to auction off the final "Omega pennies."

Legboot, a play on "bootleg," is launching a fundraiser in an attempt to purchase one of the final sets of pennies and return them to circulation. That way, he said, any collector or everyday person might own a rare penny.

The protest is quirky, no doubt, but also serious. There's a lot of work to do. So far, the GoFundMe has raised just over $1,100, but one thousand of that is from Legboot himself.

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GOLD AND SILVER THNICKELS OFFERED

This is a pre-order for one (1) of Theo's new Thnickels, made in either 22k gold or pure silver. You can read more about them on his website.

• Coins to be die-struck in 22k gold and .999 fine silver
• Total weight: 3 oz t (2.75 oz t fine gold), and 1.75 oz t (silver)
• Each coin will have a serial number engraved on the side
• Both versions come with a mahogany display / presentation box
• Gold version will have an assay certificate from an independent firm verifying gold content
• US Only! Free shipping fully insured (USPS Registered Mail)
• Expected to ship Fall 2025
• Total quantities to be produced: 7 gold / 77 silver (there will NEVER be more made)
• Remaining: 5 gold / 0 silver

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THEODORE'S THICK COIN MINT

Hello this is Theodore Nichols and welcome to my world wide web page.

Nickels are too thin we need a much heftier coin. That is why I am making thicker coins in my new minting facility.

Some burglars recently entered my garage to pilfer my things. The only weapon nearby was a bag of nickels, which I brandished at the ruffians.

The burglars laughed at me about the slight bag of coins. They did not respect me or fear my purse.

They stole the nickels and my best push broom. I have never felt so humiliated.

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JEWELRY INCORPORATING ANCIENT COINS

You might be surprised to know that "Modern Uses of Old Coins" — a New York Times article about what it called the "popular craze" for jewelry set with ancient coins — was published in 1881. But Joost van Rossum, a Dutch lawyer living in Chicago, was not.

As the founder of Peregrine Pendants, an online business specializing in such jewelry, he knew the genre had been a popular style for some time — and added that it was "very neat" to be among the scores of artisanal jewelers today working with a lot of those same coins.

Mr. van Rossum, 35, had been collecting coins for about two years. But when he found himself "wanting to wear them," he said, he began to teach himself how to work with gold. "Now, it's this side thing that I love."

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REPAIRING GAZA'S TATTERED BANKNOTES

With a pot of glue, a blade and a keen eye, Manal al-Saadani repairs tattered banknotes -- a necessity in the Gaza Strip, where the cash in circulation is wearing out.

For every revived note she gives back to a customer, they give her a few coins in return.

As Gaza remained blockaded for much of the Israel-Hamas war since October 2023, basic supplies were depleted, including banknotes, with no new ones supplied to its banks.

Every day, Saadani carries her small plastic table a few kilometres from Al-Bureij refugee camp and sets it up in the market in Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip.

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IN PRAISE OF BIBLIOMANIA

Using my own rudimentary arithmetic to arrive at an estimate of how many volumes I've collected over the past thirty years and I've arrived at around 3,000 books, which though paltry when compared to the vast hoard of the black-clad vampiric fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's 300,000, is within spitting distance of Ernest Hemingway (9,000), Thomas Jefferson (6,487), and Hannah Arendt (4,000). "I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library," wrote Jorge Luis Borges, and of course.

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LOOSE CHANGE: NOVEMBER 30, 2025

Toledo Arts Community Wins Coin Toss

The choice of a handsome Old West End building to house the American Numismatic Society's relocated museum from New York City shows a reassuring vote of ...

To read the complete article (subscription required), see:
Editorial: Arts community wins coin toss - Toledo Blade (https://www.toledoblade.com/opinion/editorials/2025/11/26/editorial-arts-community-coin-toss-numismatic-society/stories/20251127029)

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PUTTING HELL MONEY IN A TEMPLE DONATION BOX

A Chinese man who placed joss paper into a fortune-drawing money collection box at Japan's Sensoji Temple has sparked online outrage and criticism of bad tourist behaviour.

A video that circulated on social media in November showed the unidentified man putting a piece of joss paper, also known as "hell money", into the box on the desk where fortune sticks are drawn.

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ABOUT THIS ISSUE: NOVEMBER 30, 2025

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