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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 DECEMBER 7, 2025

New subscribers this week include: Marc Vazsonyi, courtesy Jeff Garrett; and A. Ikraam (United Kingdom). Welcome aboard! We now have 6,729 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 welcome two new sponsors - Stack's Bowers Galleries and Florida United Numismatists. Thank you for your support!

This week we open with a new Asylum issue, three numismatic literature offerings, four new books, two periodicals, an app review, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, and more.

Other topics this week include U.S. silver proof coins, coins in fashion, the Farouk 1933 double eagle, Charles Morgan, Bill Middendorf, Bob Evans, fixed price and auction offerings, a Roman-era "piggybank", and making wampum.

To learn more about George F. Kolbe, U.S. Shell Cards, hats and hairstyles on coins, paper money of Eastern Bavaria, the Volunteers of Cuba, CoinSnap, the Royal Mint Museum, gold dust, the Battle of the Nile medal, and the Ferracute Machine Company, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

ASYLUM WINTER 2025 ISSUE PUBLISHED

Welcome to The Asylum's Winter 2025 digital edition.

The George F. Kolbe Memorial Issue

Remembrances by:

• Douglas Saville
• Dan Hamelberg
• P. Scott Rubin
• Per-Göran Carlsson
• Pete Smith
• Leonard Augsburger
• David Gladfelter
• Dave Steine
• Dennis Tucker
• Joel J. Orosz
• David F. Fanning
• and lots of photos!

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BRYCE BROWN SALE OF DICK JOHNSON LIBRARY

Dick Johnson (1930-2020) was an author, editor, researcher, cataloguer, and long-time medal and medallic art dealer. Along the way, he acquired dozens of numismatic books and catalogs which were either signed or inscribed by the authors. These are now individually offered on eBay, under seller name dwj-numismatic-library. Link: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?item=317632104582&rt=nc&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l170197&_ssn=dwj-numismatic-library

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LANG NUMISMATIC LITERATURE AUCTION 9

We cordially invite you to our 9th literature auction at Numismatisches Antiquariat Lang GmbH. On December 16, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. CET, we will be presenting the first part of the duplicates from the Leu Numismatik AG library on Auex. As usual, you can also place advance bids via the Sixbid, Numisbids and Biddr platforms. The focus is on monographs on ancient numismatics and auction catalogs up to 1945. Many titles feature beautiful bindings, significant collections, and important reference works. The pleasantly moderate estimated prices offer a wonderful opportunity to enrich your own library – perhaps even with an early Christmas present.

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TAMS BOWERS BOOK SALE

About the author:

Q. David Bowers is best known for his work as a historian of American coins and has authored numerous books, including detailed cataloging of coins, auction records, and historical accounts. His writings have shaped the understanding of American numismatics and are highly regarded in the field.

Bowers has been involved in various prestigious numismatic institutions, including TAMS. He played a significant role in auction houses, serving as an expert consultant and advisor, and was instrumental in organizing major coin auctions. Throughout his career, Bowers has been recognized with numerous awards for his outstanding achievements in numismatics. His long-standing influence on both the academic and commercial aspects of numismatics has left a lasting legacy. Today, he is considered one of the foremost authorities on US coins, particularly in the areas of historical coin cataloging and valuation, and continues to be a leading voice in the numismatic community.

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NEW BOOK: U.S. PROOF COINS VOL III: SILVER

Dannreuther's United States Proof Coins Volume III: Silver Available for Pre-order

There are two volumes (684 and 588 pages) covering all dates and varieties of Three Cent Silvers through Silver dollars (1792-1922). Full color with large photographs of each date and close-up photos of every variety. Significant examples with provenances are listed for every variety. Some dates have differences other than their date placements, so these issues will have full illustrations of each variety.

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NEW BOOK: COINS IN FASHION

Coin images are among the smallest portraits in the world. Making use of extremely confined space, they show finely detailed half-length likenesses, usually in profile. The small size of coin portraits frequently calls for highly symbolic imagery. The hairstyles, garments, and accessories that are depicted go beyond being aesthetically pleasing add-ons: they reflect the Zeitgeist and open a window into the cultures of bygone ages.

More than a hundred coin portraits are on show from a cultural history perspective in the exhibition Head & Shoulders, illustrating several millennia of fashion and lifestyle.

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NEW BOOK: SYLLOGE NUMMORUM ARABICORUM OSTERREICH

Nikolaus Schindel (2025)

Sylloge Nummorum Arabicorum Österreich Band I:
Early Islamic Copper Coins after the Reform of 77 AH (696/697 AD)

Wien, hardback, black-and-white illustrations, ISBN 9783200103207, €44 (plus shipping), order directly from the author, Nikolaus Schindel, Nikolaus.Schindel@oeaw.ac.at Numismatische Gesellschaft.

It presents early Islamic copper coins dating from the coin reform of the Umayyad caliph ?Abd al-Malik (77 AH, 696/697 CE) to the middle of the eighth century CE. The plates depict a total of 1,434 bronze coins. In addition, more than 150 pages offer a general overview of copper coinage from the Umayyad period, and the collection is discussed in its broader numismatic context.

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NEW BOOK: PAPER MONEY OF EASTERN BAVARIA, VOLUME 2

The paper money of Eastern Bavaria 2
The emergency money in the area of ??today's districts of Deggendorf, Dingolfing-Landau and Freyung-Grafenau
Manfred Dietl

Self-published by the author, oO 2025.
Paperback, softcover. 274 + VIII pages.
21.5 x 29.7 cm, full color throughout.
Price: 50 EUR plus shipping, to order from the author: Dietl.Manfred@yahoo.de

In October 2022, Manfred Dietl presented the first volume of the series "The Paper Money of Eastern Bavaria", which was reviewed here on the blog by Hans-Ludwig Besler: https://www.geldscheine-online.com/post/neuer-katalog-das-papiergeld-ostbayerns.

This volume covers the emergency money of the present-day districts of Cham, Straubing-Bogen, and Regen, and is now out of print. The second volume, covering the emergency money in the area of ??the present-day districts of Deggendorf, Dingolfing-Landau, and Freyung-Grafenau, is now available.

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THE TAMS JOURNAL NOV-DEC 2025

Table of Contents

Articles

The 20th Century Medallic Milestones of New Rochelle, NY
Harry Waterson

An Interesting Die Sinker Brochure
David E. Schenkman

Remembering the "Madness" of the Past – Beanie Babies
Mark Benvenuto

Dossier of the Medal Design for the Volunteers of Cuba (1871)
Ángel O. Navarro Zayas, PhD

Sacagawea: Hero, Mother, Native American
Bennett Henrikson

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ORIENTAL NUMISMATIC SOCIETY AUTUMN 2025

Journal of the Oriental Numismatic Society
261 Autumn 2025

Editorial
Pankaj Tandon

A new variant on a copper coin of the Sasanian King Kawad I
Nikolaus Schindel

An imitation of a solidus of Anastasius from Kafir Kala, the site of ancient Rivdad near Samarkand
Aleksandr Naymark, Simone Mantellini and Amriddin Berdymuradov

The Rustam hoard of late Sasanian and Arab-Sasanian coins
Joe Cribb and Muhammad Khalid

The forgotten Qing dynasty mint and its coinage
Tong Yu

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APP REVIEW: COINSNAP

This article is intended to help me think through and explain why I believe Coinsnap (as well as the many other similar apps) aren't fit for anything more than having a bit of fun.

Don't get me wrong, I love the possibility that an app can be used to identify and value coins, but the reality is, the technology isn't there yet. Coinsnap has been around since late 2022, I downloaded the free version shortly after it was released and thought the technology showed real potential. I don't want a potential solution though - I want an actual solution! So after a few fails, I've never bothered with it.

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1933 DOUBLE EAGLE LITIGATION RECORDS

1933 Double Eagle Litigation Records on Newman Portal

If multiple books have been written about a single issue of coinage, the subject is probably the 1794 large cent or the 1933 double eagle. In the case of the 1933 twenty, the legal records extend the available documentation even further. Courtesy of Todd Imhof of Heritage Auctions, nearly a thousand pages related to the litigation surrounding the Fenton/Weitzman example of the 1933 $20 is now available on NNP. While some material is redacted, the available papers clearly outline both the U.S. government and Stephen Fenton's respective cases for ownership of the coin. In the end, the two parties split the difference, and created the only example that is legal to own. Note, this material relates only to the Fenton coin and not the Langbord examples that appeared later.

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VIDEO: SEATED LIBERTY COINAGE

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PCGS HIRES COINWEEK'S CHARLES MORGAN

Professional Coin Grading Service (www.PCGS.com) welcomes longtime CoinWeek publisher and editor Charles Morgan to the team while promoting several internal specialists to new leadership roles within the company. Morgan joins PCGS as its manager of numismatic research and programs, a new position created by the company as it looks to further develop PCGS CoinFacts and enhance its numismatic education outreach programs. Meanwhile, several longtime PCGS employees are being elevated to new leadership roles, including Taryn Warrecker as director of sales, Luke San to become PCGS chief of staff, Jordan Lang as principal professional of business development management, and Colin Hudson as director of strategy and corporate development. 

"We are thrilled that we have so many bright minds and collector-oriented professionals rising the ranks," said PCGS President Stephanie Sabin. "And we are excited to welcome Charles, who brings his decades of numismatic experience and the incredible industry insights he gained from helming CoinWeek, a popular website that had a large presence in the growing digital sphere of numismatics." Sabin says Morgan's talents go beyond running a popular coin media website.

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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: DECEMBER 7, 2025

Time Enough at Last
Alan Luedeking writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
IN PRAISE OF BIBLIOMANIA (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n48a27.html)
QUIZ ANSWER: HENRY BEMIS, LAST BIBLIOPHILE ON EARTH (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v12n13a14.html)

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VOCABULARY TERM: SCHOOL OF ART, ART STYLE

School of Art, Art Style. Two or more artists whose style is so similar that their work is well known collectively or as a group, than perhaps individually. The name of the school is often that of the founder, the leader, or the city in which the artists practiced. There is not necessarily a "school" involved, yet some of the practitioners may have studied together or some may have legitimately been the student of another. Schools of art do not usually last for more than a generation or two, but their influence may indeed be widespread. The common denominator, of course, among the members whose work is attributed to a school, is their style. Often the style is the result of a technique of modeling or production which is intentionally passed along – or copied – among the members.

The designation for a school of art is usually applied by an author or art historian after considerable study of the collective work (very seldom by contemporary writers). Such classification is similar to historians who like to group related events or people together and give them a name for posterity.

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JOHN WILLIAM MIDDENDORF II (1924-2025)

An entire article could be written about Bill Middendorf's public service and the honors he received under five presidents (Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan). Another article could be written about his collections of paintings, prints and documents. He was so much more than these. He was a successful athlete, an accomplished artist, a prolific composer, a published author and a collector of coins and exonumia. I chose to feature his activities beyond his public service, which I find more interesting.

John William Middendorf II was born on September 22, 1924, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was the son of Henry Stump (1893-1972) and Sarah "Sally" Kennedy Boone (1902-1971) Middendorf. His father was an investment banker.

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TREASURE TALK WITH BOB EVANS, EPISODE 9

"We are going to find gold dust."

I made the statement with confidence.

"Nah… what? Gold dust? We're not looking for gold dust. We're looking for specie, coins. And gold bars." Tommy Thompson replied.

"Yes, we are. And we're also going to find gold dust."

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ATLAS NUMISMATICS SELECTIONS: DECEMBER 7, 2025

1083465 | GREEK. MACEDON UNDER ROME. Macedonia, as Roman Province. Aesillas, as Quaestor. Struck circa 95-65 BC. AR Tetradrachm. NGC MS (Mint State) Strike 4/5 Surface 4/5. Thessaloniki . 27.5mm. 16.96gm. MAKE?ONON// B?. Portrait of Alexander III, the Great with flowing hair and Ammon's horn facing right; monogram in lower right field AESILLAS// Q. AESILLAS/ Q with club between fiscus (treasury chest) and the praetor's chair all within laurel wreath. SNG Cop.-1327; Bauslaugh Group III.

Struck in the name of Aesillas; uncertain mint without mint mark.

To read the complete item description, see:
1083465 | GREEK. MACEDON UNDER ROME. Macedonia, as Roman Province. Aesillas, as Quaestor. Struck circa 95-65 BC. AR Tetradrachm. NGC MS (Mint State) Strike 4/5 Surface 4/5. (https://atlasnumismatics.com/1083465/)

1085711 | BRAZIL. Joao V. 1732-M AV 12800 Reis. NGC MS63. Minas Gerais. 28.68gm. IOANNES · V · D · G · PORT · ET · ALG · REX. Laureate head right Arms on crowned ornate shield. KM 139; Fr.-55; Gomes-61.06; LMB-288.

To read the complete item description, see:
1085711 | BRAZIL. Joao V. 1732-M AV 12800 Reis. NGC MS63. (https://atlasnumismatics.com/1085711/)

1084092 | GREAT BRITAIN. England. Commonwealth. 1656 AV Broad (20 Shillings). NGC MS62. Dies by Simon. Blondeau's mint, Drury House, London. Edge: Reeded. LIVAR · D · G · R · P · ANG · SCO · HIB · &c PRO ·. Laureate and draped bust of Oliver Cromwell left PAX · QVÆRITVR · BELLO ·. Crowned coat of arms below date. KM Pn25; SCBC-3225; Friedberg 273; North 2744; W&R 39.

Fully prooflike and attractive.

To read the complete item description, see:
1084092 | GREAT BRITAIN. England. Commonwealth. 1656 AV Broad (20 Shillings). NGC MS62. (https://atlasnumismatics.com/1084092/)

1082648 | ITALIAN STATES. Papal States. MDCCCXXIII (1823)-II-B AR 1/2 Scudo. NGC MS67. Bologna. 35mm. 13.21gm. SEDE VACANTE... Cardinal arms Seated female in clouds holding keys and church. KM 1291.

Sede Vacante issue. Currently the finest known at NGC as of April 2025

To read the complete item description, see:
1082648 | ITALIAN STATES. Papal States. (https://atlasnumismatics.com/1082648/)

1084591 | NETHERLANDS. Holland. (1681) ND AV Off-Metal Pattern 2 Gulden of 8 Ducats Weight. PCGS SP62. 27.6gm. Crowned arms divides denomination 2 – G Standing female figure leaning on Bible on column, holding spear with Liberty cap. KM Pn13; Vanhoudt-Saunders 1250; Delmonte 797 (R3).

To read the complete item description, see:
1084591 | NETHERLANDS. Holland. (https://atlasnumismatics.com/1084591/)

Updates to their online inventory are issued monthly.

For more information and to sign up for the firm's monthly newsletter, visit:
atlasnumismatics.com.

NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: DECEMBER 7, 2025

103428 | ITALY. Holy Roman Emperor Federico (Frederick) III cast bronze Medal. Dated 1469, though a contemporary or an early cast from the late 15th/early 16th centuries. (55mm, 61.31 g, 1h). By Bertoldo di Giovanni, [circa 1420/30-1491].

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HERITAGE: GREAT BRITAIN SHOWCASE AUCTION

BRITAIN. Durotriges. Ca. 50 BC-AD 40. AR unit (13mm). NGC Choice VF. Badbury Rat type. 'Three men in a boat' design / Vertical thunderbolt and line of pellets across field; rodent-like object, two rings with annulets, and clamshell motif on each side. ABC 2214. Van Arsdell 1260. Fascinating lapis and aquamarine toning glimmers in the light.

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SOVEREIGN RARITIES AUCTION XX

Charles III (2022- ), Charles III (2022- ), gold proof One Ounce of One Hundred Pounds, 2025, The Two Georges, One Ounce of 999.9 fine gold, design by Bella Biggs to commemorate the start of the American Revolutionary War, head left, CHARLES. III. D. G. REX. F. D. 100 POUNDS. 2025, effigy by Martin Jennings,rev. images of George III and George Washington, facing each other in two frames, either side of a scrolling flourish 'OUR LIVES, OUR FORTUNES AND OUR SACRED HONOR' a phrase from the Declaration of Independence surrounding, 31.21g.Immaculate proof state, slabbed and graded by NGC as PF70 Ultra Cameo, First Day of Issue.  

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STACK'S BOWERS: ASIAN COINS

Impressive Mother Coin 10 Cash (t) CHINA. Qing Dynasty. Mother Coin or Pattern 10 Cash, ND (June 1853-February 1854). Board of Revenue Mint, Southern Branch. Emperor Wen Zong (Xian Feng). Graded 88 by Zhong Qian Ping Ji Grading Company. cf. Hartill-22.691 (for regular issue). Weight: 19.9 gms. Variety with Er bao and seven stroke bei. Nicely preserved and attractive, these special issues seldom appear on the market and should be considered VERY RARE and highly desirable. The characters are well-formed and easily read as would be expected for the issue with smooth fields. The surfaces display light brassy patina with richer coloration amongst the devices. Close inspection reveals minor deposits on both sides mentioned for accuracy. A heavily sought after type offering a pleasing appearance with much originality that is sure to catch the attention of many collectors.

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STACK'S BOWERS: DECEMBER 2025 HONG KONG AUCTION

(t) CHINA--REPUBLIC. Bank of Communication. 10 Dollars, 1912. P-108c. Expedient Specimen. PMG About Uncirculated 55. Tientsin. An extremely rare Year 1 (1912) 'Crossed Five Colour Flags' 10 Dollar specimen on serial number 826085.

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ROMAN-ERA COINS UNEARTHED IN FRENCH VILLAGE

Archaeologists in France have discovered three ancient storage jars brimming with tens of thousands of Roman coins. The vessels were buried in pits 1,700 years ago in the house floor of an ancient settlement, possibly as a type of safe or piggy bank.

These three jugs, known as amphorae, were uncovered during excavations run by the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) in the village of Senon in northeastern France, and may contain a total of more than 40,000 Roman coins.

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KEN MARACLE, MODERN WAMPUM MAKER

The license plate on the Jeep Cherokee reads WAMPUM.

And the man who owns it — Ken Maracle, who also goes by his Cayuga name, Haohyoh — is widely acknowledged to be one of the premiere practitioners of the centuries-old craft of creating wampum, strips with geometric patterns woven in purple and white beads.

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1715 FLEET: SCABBARD

Our Treasure of the Month for December is this scabbard, which was found during the 2023 dive season by a subcontractor for 1715 Fleet-Queens Jewels, LLC.

This artifact measures approximately 7.6" long and 2.3" at its widest point. The scabbard itself is unique in that it is made of wood with silver adornments. The silver on the scabbard is engraved, as is the hand guard, which was also recovered with this piece. It is believed that there was a knife in the scabbard when it was lost, as ferrous material was found in the scabbard at the time of conservation. This supports the opinion that the knife blade was made of iron or steel and disintegrated after years of submersion.

Upon close inspection, a tiny thread can be found adhering to the back of the scabbard. This has led to the conclusion that the wood on the scabbard was covered with something, most likely leather, which would explain the remarkable state of preservation of the scabbard itself.

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ABOUT THIS ISSUE: DECEMBER 7, 2025

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