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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 2/28/2026 - Kolbe & Fanning George F. Kolbe Anniversary Auction

 

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 FEBRUARY 8, 2026

New subscribers this week include: Mike Miller. Welcome aboard! We now have 6,702 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, four new books, two obituaries, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, and more.

Other topics this week include U.S. minting technology, overdates, the 2026 Newman Grants, 1794 Large Cents, the 1822 Half Eagle, Larry Jewett, Paul Hollis, the amazing Super Bowl LX toss coin, short snorters, fixed price and auction selections, Swedish mining tokens, Olympic medals, and Bois Durci.

To learn more about the Dr. J.M. Henderson collection, Columbiana, the Banker Who Made America, the Foxfire collection, the Seated Half Society, the Libertas Americana medal, the Quantitative Collectors Group's new coin grading machine, the gold 1962 ANA-CNA Convention medal, Harlan Page Smith, and when Queen Elizabeth II got stung by bees, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

KOLBE & FANNING SALE 176 ANNOUNCED

Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers are pleased to announce that we will be holding our 176th auction sale on Saturday, February 28, 2026. This date marks the 50th anniversary of the first mail-bid sale held by our founder, George Frederick Kolbe, on February 28, 1976. The sale features a wide variety of rare and out-of-print works on ancient, world and U.S. numismatics, including a number of works from Kolbe's personal library.

Some highlights of the sale include:

Lot 43: the impressive five-volume 1708 Antwerp edition of Goltzius on ancient coins, including the magnificent Icones volume, from the library of George Kolbe

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LANG NUMISMATIC LITERATURE AUCTION 10

We are delighted to announce our 10th auction of numismatic literature, which will take place on February 24, 2026, as usual on the Auex platform.

As usual, you can expect a wide range of literature from various fields of numismatics.

Particularly noteworthy are:

• Several magnificently bound works on French numismatics
• another section of the renowned Jordan Library with a focus on Eastern European
• numismatics Magazines, including a complete series of "Blätter für Münzfreunde" and an almost complete series of "Revue Numismatique" – in particularly attractive bindings
• numerous auction catalogs, including a large number of rare pre-1945 copies from Hamburger, Helbing, Hess, Rosenberg, etc.
• personal copies belonging to the auctioneers of the respective auction houses, including those relating to the Gnecchi and Ebner collections
• duplicates of auction catalogs from the famous BCD library.

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NEW BOOK: U.S. MINTING TECHNOLOGY 1793 - 1840

The Evolution of U.S. Minting Technology
Craig Sholley

2025
$36.00 ppd

As part of our on-going commitment to numismatic education, we are happy to offer EAC member Craig Sholley's book on early US minting technology. Why should you buy this book? We can think of no better words than those in the foreword by noted author John W. Dannreuther:

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NEW BOOK: OVERDATES

Overdates, the Top U.S. Die Variety by Kevin Flynn is currently at the printers. This book is being self-published, with only a limited number printed. The book is 8 1/2 by 11, 240 pages. Softcover Retail $64.95 plus $5 for media rate shipping.

Overdates are one of the most sought after and in-demand type of die variety. An overdate is a coin that exhibits more than one date or part of a date than intended for that coin. Over the 230+ years the U.S. Mint has been striking coins, there are only approximately 112 overdates that have been documented. The majority of these overdates were created in the first 50 years of the Mint's history. Of the 112 overdates known, 71 (67%) were created between 1796 and 1929.

These die varieties are sought after because they are sometimes so dramatic and visually stimulating, especially on the early overdates, whereas you can sometimes see the full current and previous digits overlapping. Rarity is normally relatively high for overdates, leading also to very high demand. Most overdates command a nice premium over the normal date, with the exception only a single die was used for a date in a series and denomination, making all coins struck from that die an overdate.

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NEW BOOK: REFERENCING COLUMBIANA, 3RD EDITION

New "Preview Deluxe" reference for World's Columbian Expo collectors

Steve Starlust introduced "Referencing Columbiana - World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago" at the ANA Money show at the Cobb County Convention Center in Atlanta, Georgia last February. He never expected it to be so well received. Nominated by Scott Travers, editor of COINage magazine, it wound up winning Best Reference Book of 2025 (Tokens & Medals) by the Numismatic Literary Guild.

He traveled to Oklahoma City to receive his award from Jerry Jordan, president of the NLG. Todd Imhof, co-owner of Heritage Auctions bought every remaining copy of the second edition "Preview Plus" he had left, to give to preferred clients. Heritage will be auctioning Steve's 1,500 pc. collection, which contains some of the nicest and rarest medals, badges, and souvenirs from the Exposition later this year.

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NEW BOOK: THE BANKER WHO MADE AMERICA

Dear Delanceyplace friends, I am very happy to report that my new book, The Banker Who Made America, Thomas Willing and the Rise of the Financial Aristocracy, is now available on Amazon. I must say that if you think you know the America Revolution—think again. I've spent a lifetime studying that period of American history, but the life of Thomas Willing brings a depth of understanding of that is far beyond anything I had previously imagined. If you enjoy American history, you will love it. Here's an excerpt from the introduction.

On July 1, 1776, at the Continental Congress being held in the stately building we now call Independence Hall, Pennsylvania delegate Thomas Willing cast a vote against independence.

In the stifling heat of that day, the Congress was meeting as a "committee of the whole" to take a preliminary vote on the question of independence in advance of the official consideration. Opinions ranged from a passionate endorsement to adamant resistance.

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WILLIAM VAN ORNUM: ABOUT MY LIBRARY

A Numismatic Library and the Way I Collect
If you want to understand how a collector thinks, it is often more revealing to look at the books on his shelves than the coins in his cabinet. A numismatic library is not simply a reference tool. Over time, it becomes a quiet record of questions asked, habits formed, and values gradually settled into place.

When I step back and look at my own library, I see that it falls naturally into several families. Each family reflects not only a subject area, but a way of approaching coins—and, ultimately, a way of collecting that has grown more deliberate with time.

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CLAUDE E. DAVIS (1926-2025)

Recently, with the passing of Dr. Claude Davis, it has given me the time to reflect on how our friendship developed over the past 50 years. We had many years of great friendship discovering and acquiring coins that would help him build one of the greatest type sets of United States federal issue, Silver and Copper coinage ever assembled. There were many times where we would have wonderful visits discussing our families, important numismatic news of the day, and what the U.S. Coin markets were doing.

I first met Dr. Davis at the 1973 F.U.N. show auction in Miami, Florida. I was working with another friend to help him acquire an 1876 Gem Uncirculated 20 cent piece. My instructions were "not to come home without the coin." I bought that very coin and paid $875, which was three (3) times Red Book pricing, an unheard price at that time. At the end of the auction Dr. Davis approached me, provided me his business card, and stated, "Young man, when you want to sell this piece, I am the buyer. Give me a call." This was the beginning of our incredible coin journey since we lived 65 miles apart from each other, he in Angola, IN and I, in Battle Creek, MI.

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PHILIP SKINGLEY (1972-2026)

It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of Phil Skingley, a Director of Coincraft and a long-time friend. On the 4th of February 2026, he had a stroke and passed away that night. He was only 54 years old, in my terms a youngster. Coincraft and numismatics in general will be a much sadder place without him. We didn't always agree but always found a way to compromise in the end. He did a lot to make the company what it is today, Britain's Coin Shop. His experience and guidance will surely be missed and not just for his bringing pizzas to the Monday night board meetings. He will be hard to replace with his depth of knowledge of the coin business and the coin trade. In numismatics he was well known and liked by so many people in this country and all over the world.

Phil had spent 20 years working at Spink, where in the end he ran their book publishing side. Many important works on coins and medals were published under his guidance. Ten years ago he left Spink and joined Coincraft, rising to becoming one of our Directors. His wisdom and knowledge of numismatics and publishing will be greatly missed by all in this company and by his many friends in numismatics world-wide.

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NEWMAN PORTAL ADDS HALF CRAZY

Newman Portal Adds Half Crazy

The latest issue of Half Crazy, the newsletter of the Seated Half Society, is now available on NNP. The Seated Half Society is an honorary group whose membership is open to those owning significant collections of Liberty Seated half dollars, similar to the Bust Half Nut Club. This issue reports a newly discovered 1878-S half dollar, the 55th example now listed in the Bill Bugert census. Bugert further calls for census information on the 1849 WB-6 Dramatically Doubled Date and 1873 No Arrows Open 3 half dollar varieties. This issue also includes coverage of the 1877/6 and 1842 Small Date, Small Letters varieties. Half Crazy is edited by Dennis Fortier, for more information on this group he may be contacted at ricajun@msn.com.

Image: 1878-S Half Dollar, the 55th example identified in the Bill Bugert census.

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2026 NEWMAN GRANT PROGRAM ANNOUNCED

Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society Invites Applications for Newman Grants

The Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society (EPNNES) announces the opening of the application period for the 2026 Newman Grant program. Newman Grants are designed to financially assist numismatic authors and organizations pursuing original research in American numismatics. This program was launched in 2019 and supports research projects related to colonial numismatics, U.S. federal coinage, counterfeit detection, and other areas.

Authors, researchers, and numismatic organizations are encouraged to apply for amounts between $1,000 and $5,000. Awards may be applied toward related research costs including but not limited to photography, reproduction of research material and graphic art services, database access fees, and travel. Electronic publications will be preferred as EPNNES wishes to direct funds toward expenses specifically related to numismatic research, rather than the print publication of research. Newman Grant awardees agree to non-exclusive publication of their research on the Newman Numismatic Portal (NewmanPortal.org). EPNNES intends to make approximately half a dozen grants in 2026.

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VIDEO: THE HECK COLLECTION OF 1794 LARGE CENTS

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LARRY JEWETT JOINS WHITMAN BRANDS

Whitman Brands™, a leading full-service provider of data, media, and product distribution for the numismatics and collectibles marketplace, is pleased to announce that Larry Jewett, longtime editor at Coin World, has joined the company, strengthening its publishing team at a pivotal moment for the numismatic hobby.

Jewett brings decades of editorial leadership and deep market knowledge, filling the role most recently held by Diana Plattner. "We're thrilled to welcome Larry to Whitman," said Patrick Perez, Chief Publishing Officer. "He's stepping into an important role, and his experience, judgment, and passion for the hobby will help us continue building something truly special."

Whitman released more than 50 new titles and products last year, including the reimagined 2026 Red Book, a redesigned 2026 Stamp Catalog, a new Professional Series of books for advanced topics, and an elevated album line dubbed Whitman Prestige, with an even more ambitious publishing slate planned for 2026.

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MINT DIRECTOR PAUL HOLLIS AT FUN SHOW

The next chapter in the storied history of the United States Mint holds promise for coin collecting. A lifelong collector, one with aspirations to the position long ago, has succeeded in becoming the 41st Director of the United States Mint. Paul Hollis was officially sworn in at the U.S. Treasury Building on January 30. House Speaker Mike Johnson administered the formal oath of office a little more than three weeks after Hollis took the oath of office virtually to start his tenure.

As one of his first acts of business, Hollis attended the 2026 FUN convention, joined by Treasurer Brandon Beach. The duo met the public, some not familiar with either one by that point. Hollis was no stranger to coin shows, though, and clearly found himself in his element. With the coin that his grandmother gave him many years ago to start his interest in numismatics tucked in his pocket, the smile never left his face as he greeted the Florida crowd.

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LIBERTAS AMERICANA SUPER BOWL LX TOSS COIN

Restrike of the Libertas Americana medal with the NFL logo and "HEADS" and "TAILS" on its respective sides. Image courtesy of The Highland Mint

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MORE ON QUANTITATIVE COLLECTORS GROUP

Bill Eckberg writes:

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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: FEBRUARY 8, 2026

Who won an Olympic medal AND a Nobel Peace Prize?
Responding to last week's Quick Quiz asking "Who won an Olympic medal AND a Nobel Peace Prize?", Ira Rezak writes:

Ira adds:

Pete Smith writes:

The serious son of Quaker parents, Philip Noel-Baker was first a scholar, then an Olympian, and finally a Nobel Peace Prize winner. He is the only person ever to have won both an Olympic medal and a Nobel.

By 1912, Noel-Baker had already earned honors in history and economics at Cambridge, and he was on the way to a graduate degree in international law.

To read the complete article, see:
The only person to win an Olympic medal and a Nobel Peace Prize (https://www.popsci.com/technology/philip-noel-baker-olympics-nobel/)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: FEBRUARY 1, 2026 : Quick Quiz: Who won an Olympic medal AND a Nobel Peace Prize? (https://www.coinbooks.org/v29/esylum_v29n05a09.html)

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HARLAN SMITH'S 1822 HALF EAGLE

In 2021, Stack's Bowers Galleries sold a record-setting 1822 Half Eagle for $8.4 million. This coin was previously offered in 2016 as part of the Pogue Collection. It is one of only three known 1822 Half Eagles and the only one held privately. The Stack's Bowers cataloger noted how Harlan Page Smith (1839-1902) owned his 1822 Half Eagle until his death and "was fond of telling the story of his coin's discovery, plucked from a bullion dealer's stock for $6.50." The Smith coin was donated to the National Numismatic Collection in 1967 by Josiah K. Lilly, "the pharmaceutical magnate." Also at the Smithsonian is the third known 1822 Half Eagle, the Mint cabinet specimen.

I recently discovered a fascinating newspaper article in the February 26, 1888 St. Louis Post-Dispatch in which Smith spoke candidly about how he obtained his 1822 Half Eagle. Seeing that Dave Bowers wrote "The 1822 Gold Half Eagle - Story of a Rarity" while promoting the Pogue coin in 2014, I asked Joel Orosz to check his copy (I knew, without even asking, that Joel would have a copy of this book in his extensive library!) to see whether Dave included the Post-Dispatch article's information. Joel reported that Dave had only cited Ed. Frossard's May 1884 Numisma account of the Smith discovery:

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CLARK GABLE SHORT SNORTER EXHIBIT

Tom writes:

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VOCABULARY TERM: SETUP

Setup. The procedure of readying a press for the striking of a new coin or medal. It entails placing the dies in the press, aligning the dies, locking the dies in the chucks, positioning the collar (if any) in the collar plate, adjusting the pressure, taking a first blow, examining the struck trial, and resetting the dies and press until the alignment, pressure and feeding mechanism are perfect. This is the responsibility of the pressman and the foreman of the pressroom.

There are various methods and devices for aligning dies – keying, guide mark, notching, guide pin and bushing – the object is to align the axis of the obverse with the axis of the reverse. Adjusting the pressure must be done carefully not to break a die; too little a pressure will cause a weakly struck piece (die trial) – which is no serious problem –too great a pressure will crack or break a die. See pressroom practice, die alignment, axis, keying, die trial, weakly struck.

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CHARLES EDWARD KIRTLEY (1948-2017)

This week I came across a reference to Charles E. Kirtley. I wondered if he was still living. I don't recall seeing a death notice in any numismatic publication.

Charles E. Kirtley was a dealer in tokens, medals and related literature. He also had an interest in North Carolina currency.

Kirtley was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on October 2, 1948. He was the son of Thomas Mahlon Kirtley (1928-1975) and Margy Ann Hartmann (1930-2024) Kirtley.

Charles E. Kirtley ran ads in Coin World in 1968 before he turned twenty. The address was in Cullowhee, North Carolina, the location of Western Carolina University.

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NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: FEBRUARY 8, 2026

103396 | FRANCE & EGYPT. Conquest of Lower Egypt silver Medal. Dated Year VII of the Republic (1798/9), but issued circa 1802 (33mm, 13.92 g, 12h). By Nicolas-Guy-Antoine Brenet at the Paris mint.

River god Nilus (Nile) reclining left, head turned slightly right, with eight small nude attendants around, along with crocodile, cornucopia, and sphinx; CONQUÊTE DE LA / BASSE EGYPTE / AN VII in three lines // View of the Giza pyramid complex; in three lines in exergue, DENON DIR G. DU / MUSÉE C. D. ARTS / BRENET. Edge: Plain.

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HERITAGE: LATIN AMERICAN SHOWCASE AUCTION

Ferdinand VI gold "La Luz" 8 Escudos 1750 So-J MS61 Prooflike NGC, Santiago mint, KM3, Cal-822. First year of issue. Salvaged from the "Nuestra Señora de la Luz" (sunk in 1752 off Montevideo, Uruguay). Softly struck, as usual, but one a reflective planchette. Despite the field marks, expected from a shipwreck piece, this piece retains marvelous mirrored surfaces, making this a prime specimen for both the type and the wreck.

In 1752, the Spanish ship"Nuestra Señora de La Luz" was headed to Cádiz from Buenos Aires carrying gold bars and coinage. While anchored, it was blown by a storm onto rocks. claiming most lives abord. Most of the treasure was contemporaneously salvaged, with the power hold only re-discovered in 1992, when several Santiago 8 Escudos in exceptional condition were recovered.

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HERITAGE: MACEDONIAN KINGDOM SHOWCASE

What was once a small kingdom surrounded by dominate city-states, the Macedonian Empire , in less than forty years, would become the largest empire of the time. It not only defined the culture of the Hellenistic period but went on to shape the empires that followed - most notably, Augustus' Rome. The success of Macedonia is credited to the military abilities of Philip II and his son, Alexander III. While true, it was the strategic use of currency that would be the foundation of the empire's expansion, both for funding expenditures and soliciting their imperial image.

The minting of coinage for use of royal funding began with Alexander I (498-454 BC), whose silver tetradrachms featured parallels to Macedonian warriors. Mintage significantly increased with Philip II (359-336 BC) during his military expansion out of Pella into Thessaly, Illyria, Paeonia, and Thrace. With Philip II came gold staters, displaying not only mythology, but varying symbols which designated the cities in which they were minted. Following the success of Philip II was Alexander III (336-323 BC), whose imperial expansion as far south as Egypt and as east as Punjab made Macedonia the most powerful in the world. The coinage of Alexander III surmounted that of his father, both in quantity and in image popularity. Like his predecessors, Alexander III used mythology to replace his likeness. On his silver and bronze issues, he used the demigod, Hercules, who not only represented a divine familial connection, but a model for Alexander III's own military success. This visual became well practiced, becoming a symbol of the height of Macedonia's supremacy with over thirty mints recorded under his reign.

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DAVISSONS CUPBOARD SALE 3

Cupboard Sale 3 is online now, a test drive for our new auction platform. Our "No Estimate Over $100" selection features interesting, collectible, desirable coins, tokens, and medals that fill in important parts of any numismatic collection that seeks to be comprehensive. It also enables us to publish an auction with less time, energy, and capital investment than our E-Auctions or our major sale. There are many high quality lots in this sale, some estimated below our cost, alongside some unplanned-for bargains, particularly in terms of silver. Silver was near $80 per ounce at Christmas but opened January 26 at over $116 per ounce. (We changed no opening bid numbers.)

In this sale: A run in interesting ancient Greek and Roman coins, and British hammered and milled pieces including some high grade 20th century pieces (British history offers a couple millennia of numismatic interest, the 20th century is often ignored by collectors because it seems so "new"). Also take note of interesting medals in choice condition, and a good run of high quality 18th century provincial tokens ("Conders" as many Americans call them). Look carefully at some of these and their $80 opening, then look at what is being offered elsewhere in a fixed-price format, and expect to spot some bargains.

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QUEEN'S PORTRAIT DRAWS CRITICISM IN AUSTRALIA

The Royal Australian Mint's latest commemorative coins, marking 100 years since Queen Elizabeth II's birth, have sparked a colourful mix of reactions online.

The design features a portrait of the late Queen surrounded by symbols of her life, passions, and reign, including horses, corgis, theatre, art, and her favourite flowers

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RESEARCHING SWEDISH MINING TOKENS

Diving head-first into a new numismatic field is as exhilarating as it is daunting. As always, we numismatists stand on the shoulders of those before us, deeply dependent on their printed works. Not all books and catalogs are easy to use; many older ones have no illustrations, some use antiquated measurements or odd abbreviations, and some are not readily available online or at the local library. Any swan dive could see you stuck in a proverbial quagmire.

Then again, sometimes such a dive, regardless how poorly executed, opens a new, marvellous world like that I experienced while working on the March 18-19 Collectors Choice Online Auction of selections from the L. E. Bruun Collection.

Lars Emil Bruun had a large collection of Swedish coins, medals, and tokens. With few exceptions, the coins and medals were purchased en bloc when he acquired the amazing Countship of Brahesminde Collection, just a year before his passing. The Counts Bille-Brahe had amassed their collection over generations and often travelled abroad to attend important auctions in person.

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THE WORLD'S FIRST OLYMPIC MEDAL

As the Olympic Winter Games are currently taking place in the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, a unique piece of Olympic history has found its way to our auction house. It is none other than the world's first Olympic medal from 1896.

Have you always dreamed of owning an Olympic medal but never competed among the world's top athletes? Now you have the chance to bring home an exceptionally rare piece of sports history. This is an original winner's medal from the first modern Olympic Games, held in Athens in 1896.

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THE 2026 WINTER OLYMPICS MEDALS

Athletes on the podium at the Winter Olympics in Italy this month will be awarded the most expensive medals in the history of the Games, thanks to soaring precious metals prices.

More than 700 gold, silver and bronze medals will be presented to the world's top winter sports athletes taking part in events from skiing and ice hockey to figure skating and curling.

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OLYMPIANS SELLING MEDALS

It's a long fall from the Olympic podium to financial ruin — but it's not an uncommon path. Some of the golden girls and guys that nabbed medals, headlines and hearts years ago are now strapped for cash, selling their medals and even their bodies for money.

"People spend the better part of a decade trying to make an Olympic game or two. And when they finally decide to hang it up, they are behind their friends who entered the workforce a decade ago," Tom Jackovic, CEO of the USA Track and Field Foundation, told The Post. "It's always a struggle."

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1715 FLEET: IRON CANNONBALL

This month's featured treasure is an item that sold for a considerable amount of money at our conference banquet and auction a few weeks ago. This iron cannonball was found in July 2015 by Chris Tisack, who was the captain of the MV AU Royal, a recovery vessel operating near the Sand Point wreck site, a few miles south of Vero Beach. Several iron cannonballs were found attached to the hard bottom, which is common to that area. The extraction process was slow and deliberate so that the cannonballs were not damaged in the process.

Our featured treasure weighs about 6 pounds and has a smooth, dark coating, which is from the conservation of the item. Without proper conservation, this iron cannonball would simply disintegrate over time, leaving behind a rusty pile of debris. This process can be seen with unconserved iron cannons and anchors located in front of government buildings in some Florida towns and cities. Fort Pierce, for example, has a rather large collection of cannons decorating the lawns of public buildings and property in that city. Regretably, they are deteriorating at a rapid rate. (See our Treasure of the Month for October 2020.)

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LOOSE CHANGE: FEBRUARY 8, 2026

Defaced U.S. Mint Coinage Dies

Since at least 1995, the United States Mint has operated a program that sells retired and defaced coinage dies to the public. Each die is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (COA). These certificates document key technical and operational details from the die's service life.

The certificates typically list the die's date range of use, the number of strikes produced, the denomination, the press type, and the stated reason for retirement. Additional information sometimes appears as well. Together, these records offer an unusually detailed view into modern Mint production practices.

This article summarizes findings from a growing body of certificates and explains why this information matters to collectors and researchers.

The data referenced here comes from two primary sources. The first includes publicly posted images of Certificates of Authenticity and their corresponding dies on online selling venues. The second consists of certificate copies provided directly by private individuals.

At present, the dataset contains just over 150 recorded dies. While this sample size limits statistical certainty, it still provides meaningful insight into press configurations, die orientations, and common causes of die retirement.

To read the complete article, see:
Certificates of Authenticity for Retired U.S. Mint Dies: What the Records Reveal (https://coinweek.com/certificates-of-authenticity-for-retired-u-s-mint-dies-what-the-records-reveal/)

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FEATURED WEBSITE: BOIS DURCI

This week's Featured Website is Harold Mernick's Bois Durci site, recommended by his brother Philip. Thank you! Brett Follmer asked for more information about this material last week.

https://www.mernick.org.uk/BDWeb/

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: FEBRUARY 1, 2026 : Bois Durci Information Sought (https://www.coinbooks.org/v29/esylum_v29n05a09.html)

ABOUT THIS ISSUE: FEBRUARY 8, 2026

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