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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 21, 2025

New subscribers this week include: Kathleen O'Neil, courtesy Ingrid O'Neil. Welcome aboard! We now have 6,703 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.

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This week we open with four new books, a periodical issue, a book review, the Penny's Funeral, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, and more.

Other topics this week include the new U.S. Mint Director, a Gilbert Stuart Washington portrait, the screw press, William Woodin, Bob Evans, fixed price and auction selections, modern Olympic coinage, Judaica Art Medals, notgeld, and the Twelve Days of Christmas in coins.

To learn more about Inaugural medals and ribbons, the coins of pre-Islamic Central Asia, the banknotes of Bhutan, emancipation in D.C., Abraham Lincoln's second cousin, six times removed, Hanukkah gelt, a pledge-week prank gone wrong, made-up citations and Mint rarities, "Great disgust" at the Morgan dollar, Little Wooden Willie, early half eagles, and the Night Before the Numismatic Book Hunt, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

NEW BOOK: OFFICIAL INAUGURAL MEDALS AND RIBBONS

Jimmy Hayes, general counsel for the National Coin & Bullion Association (NCBA), has announced that 100 percent of the profits from sales of his forthcoming three-volume reference series, Each New Beginning: An Illustrated History of Official Inaugural Medals and Ribbons, will be donated to NCBA in support of its mission to advocate on behalf of the numismatic and precious-metals bullion community.

Planned for publication in the first quarter of 2026, Each New Beginning is a comprehensive, richly illustrated history of US presidential inaugurations, as told through the medals, ribbons, and documents created to commemorate them. The set will be offered at $375 plus shipping, with all profits designated as a philanthropic gift to NCBA.

The project's origins are rooted in Hayes's belief that numismatic objects deserve to be presented with the political and human stories they were meant to preserve. As he writes in the dedication, the goal was to move beyond merely cataloging designs to reveal "the marriage between politics, medals, and ribbons associated with the Presidential Inaugurations," preserving stories that might otherwise be lost to time.

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NEW BOOK: COINS OF PRE-ISLAMIC ASIA

Coins of Pre-Islamic Central Asia

Author(s): Shagalov V. D.
Place of issue: Tashkent
Date: 2025
Number of pages: 432
Language: Russian & English

Where to buy: vld1968@gmail.com

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NEW BOOK: EMERGENCY MONEY IN GERMANY IN 1945

Caught between the front lines. Emergency paper money in Germany in 1945.
By Michael H. Schöne.

Reprint with additions and corrections.

2025. Self-published by the author.

Softcover, spiral binding. 80 + XI pages, 29.7 x 21.5 cm, full color throughout.

Price 24 EUR plus postage, to order from the author: michael@schoene-pirna.de

The German emergency money issues from 1914 to 1923 are still the subject of intensive research and comprehensively cataloged. In contrast, the emergency money issues within the territory of the German Reich in April 1945 are likely unknown to many collectors.

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NEW BOOK: BANKNOTES OF BHUTAN

Author Anil Bohora writes:

Banknotes of Bhutan
By Anil R. Bohora & Gylfi K. Snorrason

First Edition: 2009
ISBN 978-81-7525-881-5

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PERIODICAL: MCA ADVISORY AUTUMN 2025

Table of Contents

President's Message

Editor's Message

Letters to the Editor

MCA and Hobby News

A Conversation with Harry & Lev, Finale
Edited by Doug McIndoe

Joseph Francis Lifesaving Medal
by Roger W. Burdette

The Portrait of Brother Gideon (Freemason) and the Numismatics of Ponce, Puerto Rico (1882)
Dr. Ángel O. Navarro Zayas, Ponce, Puerto Rico

 

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BOOK REVIEW: THE HISTORY OF MONEY

Now here is a book. It instructs and provokes and entertains. Even its mistakes are worthwhile. The secret of "The History of Money" is in the subtitle: "a story of humanity."

For David McWilliams, an Irish economist, podcaster and chastened former central banker, monetary economics is a branch of humane letters. For every nod to John Maynard Keynes he makes 2 1/2 to James Joyce, Dante, Martin Luther or Johannes Gutenberg. As for Friedrich Hayek and Ludwig von Mises, two of Keynes's foremost monetary sparring partners, he makes none. Regrettable omission.

What, then, is money? It is, according to Mr. McWilliams, "a store of wealth that motivates and excites us. It amplifies human behavior, bringing into focus attributes such as enthusiasm, hope and optimism, as well as greed, envy and pride." Also: It is "a living thing, and like the adoption of a new word, phrase or idiom, each innovation made money more useful; the more useful it was, the more used it became."

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THE PENNY'S FUNERAL

This weekend, Washington, D.C. residents will gather to bid farewell to the penny, just over a month after the U.S. Mint stopped producing the 1-cent coin.

The "very serious funeral" honoring the penny's legacy will take place at the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 1:01 p.m., according to a flyer for the event on Partiful.

Funeralgoers are encouraged to BYOP— "bring your own penny"— to give the copper coin a proper sendoff. Mourners can also expect to hear from guest speakers, including a "real Lincoln family descendant," a coin appraiser and a noted penny economist, among others.

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CHOCOLATE HANUKKAH GELT

Mmmm, Chocolate

We are nearing the end of the annual celebration of Hanukkah, which this year runs from December 14-22. A modern Hanukkah tradition is the presentation of chocolate gelt (a German or Yiddish word for "money"), which typically comes wrapped in gold or silver foil, although purists prefer unwrapped versions covered with gold or silver dust.

A check of Amazon reveals well over a hundred offerings, although many of these appear to represent "normal issue" chocolate coins simply rehoused in Hanukkah-themed packaging. We suggest that more apt "Hanukkah gelt" pieces bear designs related to the actual event. Careful searching reveals examples with menorahs, or Hebrew text indicating "Happy Hanukkah / A great miracle." We located one vendor that offers Hanukkah gelt "molded to replicate an actual Judean coin dating back to the 4th decade BCE." These may be the best for the numismatist!

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VIDEO: CHINESE COINS STRUCK DURING TIANANMEN

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PAUL HOLLIS CONFIRMED AS MINT DIRECTOR

... Paul Hollis cleared the final hurdle to become director of the U.S. Mint when the U.S. Senate approved 97 nominees at one time Thursday night.

The Senate voted 53-43 to confirm President Donald Trump's nominees shortly before closing down for 2025. The Senate returns to Capitol Hill in January after the holidays.

The Senate used a special procedure that expedites confirmation by taking a single vote on a large number of nominees, said Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor who closely follows judicial nominations. Thursday night's group had 97 nominees, another group in September had 48 and more than 90 were included in a group approved in October.

A lifelong coin collector, Hollis, of Covington, represents St. Tammany Parish and parts of Jefferson and Orleans parishes on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. He was a Republican member of the state House of Representatives between 2012 and 2024.

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GILBERT STUART WASHINGTON PORTRAIT FOR SALE

The image is so familiar that it often goes unnoticed: the powdered hair, the ruffled shirt, the stoic smile.

George Washington's rendering on the $1 bill may be the most widely distributed portrait in U.S. history. And now one of the original painted portraits that inspired the U.S. Mint's engraving can be yours, if you have 500,000 to 1 million Washingtons to spare.

On Jan. 23 in New York, the auction house Christie's will put up for bidding an 1804 oil portrait of Washington by Gilbert Stuart. The painting, commissioned by James Madison, has a storied history passing through the hands of the Founding Father and a gold rush tycoon.

Stuart churned out more than 100 paintings of Washington that later served as the model for the image on the dollar bill, including the piece on offer.

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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: DECEMBER 21, 2025

More Colorized Versions of the 2026 Liberty Dime
Edwin Johnston writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
U.S. MINT SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL COIN LAUNCH (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n50a23.html)

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ANS LONG TABLE: ERIC BROTHERS ON THE MORGAN DOLLAR

Eric Brothers Presents Morgan Dollar Research

Numismatic author Eric Brothers recently made a video presentation on the Morgan Dollar. It was produced as part of the American Numismatic Society's Long Table series of lectures. His talk can be found on YouTube under the title, "Long Table 247. The Morgan Dollar: An Artistic Failure." This presentation is based on his article in Numismatic News, ""Pelican Bat of the Wilderness": Creation and Reception of the Morgan Dollar" (September 9, 2025).

The Morgan dollar is arguably the most popular collectible United States coin. However, the artistry of this silver dollar was severely criticized upon its debut in 1878. This criticism continued well into the 20th century. Employing primary sources, Brothers discusses the critical reception that the Morgan dollar received. Among the criticism Morgan's dollar received was published in the Carson City Morning Appeal (April 17, 1878): "Great disgust was expressed at the general appearance of the [design]. All that has been said as to the wretched workmanship of the Philadelphia dollar, will be equally true of the Carson dollar …. The [reverse design] represents the same wide, flat, pelican-bat of the wilderness …."

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VOCABULARY TERM: SCREW PRESS

Screw Press. A striking press whose force is derived from a spindle with steep-pitched threads; an early press that remained in use for nearly four centuries before being replaced by modern presses. The first screw presses derived their power from men, working in teams – pushing on opposite ends of a long balance beam and walking around the press – later by horses or by water power; thus their capability was limited to striking coins and medals of limited diameter (certainly less than 40 millimeters, but more often less than 25mm). Not only was the screw press used for striking, see illustration by Benvenuto Cellini who used one in 1530, but was also used for hubbing and adapted for blanking.

Prior to the screw press, coins were made with a blow from a sledge to a punch (containing one design) on a blank laid on a die in the lower position called the pile (containing the opposite design). This coinage is known collectively as hammered and produced by a moneyer. With the development of the screw press, coins and medals truly became struck (see striking).

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WILLIAM WOODIN ASSOCIATION ITEMS

William Woodin was mentioned in The E-Sylum last week. I won't bother to write his biography. Instead, I will use him to introduce my collection of association items for American numismatists.

I don't have a clear idea of what qualifies as an association item. I collect autographs and I collect business cards. I think a business card qualifies but an autograph does not. The difference is probably not important.

I have a copy of the sheet music for "Franklin D. Roosevelt March," composed by William H. Woodin with words by Irving Caesar and introduced in 1933. It was published by Miller Music, Inc. There is a note "The Profits from the sales of this composition donated to Warm Springs Foundation."

 

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TREASURE TALK WITH BOB EVANS, EPISODE 10.1

Last time, in Treasure Talk Episode 9, I discussed how I had become convinced we would find gold dust on the S.S. Central America shipwreck site. Contemporary survivor accounts related stories of despondent men pouring out bags and belts full of gold dust onto the decks as the ship was about to go down, realizing that gold was worse than worthless in their impending situation.

Before the SSCA Project I had no experience of gold dust. Zero. Sure. I studied geology and mineralogy at the Ohio State University. And so, as a geologist, 29-year-old Bob might be expected to know a bit more about the science of gold, a mineral, than the average Joe. But Columbus is not exactly the hotbed of gold mining. Resting on thousands of feet of Paleozoic sedimentary rocks, OSU was a great place to study fossils, and that is what I did.

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NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: DECEMBER 21, 2025

103281 | GREAT BRITAIN. The Adoration of the Wise Men white metal Medal. Issued circa 1830. Medallic Illustrations of the Holy Scriptures series: the Adoration of the Wise Men (73mm, 117.91 g, 12h). By Sir Edward Thomasen in Birmingham.

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HERITAGE: HARVEY JACOBSON EARLY HALF EAGLES

An extraordinary collection of the rarest and most important varieties in the entire early half eagle series will take flight in Heritage's U.S. Coins Signature Auction - FUN Special Sessions: Ellsworth & Jacobson Jan. 8.

The Harvey B. Jacobson, Jr. Collection of Early Half Eagles stands as a 68-lot tribute to Jacobson's desire to acquire the rarest of the rare, a mission that ended with his acquisition of every early gold variety that eluded Harry W. Bass, Jr., with the exception of two unique 1797 varieties that are housed in the Smithsonian Institution.

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ANCIENT COINS IN FRANK ROBINSON AUCTION 130

Dealer Frank S. Robinson's 130th mail and internet auction of Ancient and Early Coins will include 590 lots, low starting bids, and no buyer fee. LIVE BIDDING will take place beginning at 11 AM Eastern Time January 18 on the biddr.com website.

Included in this sale is a further segment of a major collection of Judaean and Judaic related material, highlighted by rare variety Judaea Capta Sestertius of Vespasian in nice VF.

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KUENKER AUCTION SALE 437, PART ONE

No matter what field of modern numismatics you are interested in: If you are looking for a great rarity in perfect condition with an impressive provenance, Künker's Berlin auction on 28 January 2026 is the ideal opportunity for you. The catalog is filled with exceptional pieces, and this auction preview will present the most interesting ones. Although it is probably enough to note that the 694 lots have a total estimate of 6 million euros. Connoisseurs will recognize that this figure indicates numismatic treasures of the highest caliber.

Rarities from Brandenburg-Prussia

The auction opens with a selection of coins and medals from Brandenburg-Prussia – a fitting start given that the sale is taking place in Berlin. A large part of the pieces come from the collections of two renowned Berlin collectors.

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MODERN US OLYMPIC COINAGE

The Olympics as a competition began in Greece in roughly 776 BC and were celebrated every four years as is traditionally done today. These celebrations were political, artistic, religious, and athletic in nature and occasionally coins were struck commemorating these events. One early coin that commemorated these Olympic Games was struck in the 460s BC and depicts an eagle flying to the left on the obverse, and a depiction of the Greek Goddess, Nike, who represents victory, on the reverse. She is depicted as running while holding a wreath, presumably to crown an Olympic victor.

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THE PENNY PRESS IS HERE TO STAY

Robert Hoff was amazed the first time he saw a coin press machine in action in the 1970s. Hoff was in his twenties when a person passed him while carrying the machine and watched as they pressed pennies for a quarter a piece.

That moment created a lifelong collecting hobby for Hoff and his family, shared by people around the country and the world who love to feed their pennies into a slot, choose a unique design that mirrors whatever attraction they are at, and crank an arm around and around until a flattened, bronze coin is spit out.

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PENNY HERE, PENNY THERE, REALLY ADDS UP

It's been a little over a month since the U.S. Mint produced its last penny.

Businesses are starting to run out of the one-cent coin, and they're trying to figure out how to make change — especially because rounding up or down five cents can have a serious impact on a business's bottom line.

Steve Kenneally with the American Bankers Association said banks are telling him that they had penny inventory on hand, although it was "shrinking perilously low."

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THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS, COIN EDITION

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GIFTS FOR COIN COLLECTORS

The Christmas season can become a coin-free zone because other things get in the way. What sort of gifts would suit a numismatist? Perhaps there are some ideas here and you can drop some hints to people stuck for ideas…

A glass
I do not mean a drinking glass, but a magnifying glass although a tumbler is always useful if regularly filled with something cheering. Have you noticed that coins seem to be getting smaller? I probably need a stand and light as well so I can look at a book and type or write at same time. I do not have enough hands.

A Mat
I need somewhere to put coins when I am writing about them or examining them. It needs a rim so I do not lose them and they do not get damaged.

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'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE BOOK HUNT

'Twas the night before book hunt, when all through the stacks,
Not a catalog rustled in leather-bound racks;
The want list was perched on my desk with great care,
In hopes that a plated Elder soon would be there.

The collectors were nestled, each dreaming in kind,
Of Mehl circulars rare and the treasures they'd find;
And I with my loupe (for spotting plate flaws),
Had settled with Chapman sales bound in morocco-emboss.

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JIM LICARETZ WINS JUDAICA ART MEDAL AWARD

Jim Licaretz's innovative medal Autoritratto di Fantasia not only won the coveted Gran Prix award at the XXXVIII FIDEM MÜNICH 2025 (Fédération Internationale de la Médaille d'Art), but has additionally won the Mel Wacks Judaica Art Medal award. Wacks congratulated Licaretz on his "well executed, exceptionally imaginative self portrait," depicting the medallist thinking about three of his recent medals, two of which depict Jewish subjects – conductor/composer Leonard Bernstein and British neurologist/author Oliver Sacks. Information about acquiring the Autoritratto di Fantasia medal, the Leonard Bernstein medal or the Oliver Sacks medal is available from Licaretz by emailing jimlicaretz@gmail.com or calling (310) 686-0920. Jim Licaretz worked at the U.S. Mint as a Sculptor-Engraver from September 1986 to March 1989, and then he returned as a Medallic Sculptor in late 2006, working there until his retirement in 2016. In 2008, Jim Licaretz was the recipient of the American Numismatic Association's prestigious Numismatic Art Award for Excellence in Medallic Sculpture, and he won the American Medallic Sculptors Association's 2023 American Medal of the Year Award for his medal honoring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (with all profits going to Ukrainian charities).

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FEATURED WEBSITE: NOTGELD.COM

This week's Featured Website is Notgeld.com. Found via News & Notes from the Society of Paper Money Collectors (Volume XI, Number 26, December 9, 2025).

https://notgeld.com/

ABOUT THIS ISSUE: DECEMBER 21, 2025

 

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