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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 04/25/2026 Workman's Book Sale 8

 

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 MARCH 15, 2026

New subscribers this week include: Gary Moeller, courtesy Rich Kelly; and Cassidy Stroud. Welcome aboard! We now have 6,634 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 three numismatic literature sales, five new books, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, Philadelphia Mint exhibit renovations, and more.

Other topics this week include U.S. silver proof coins, Missouri trade tokens, Catholic medals, savings banks, shields, the American Institute of Numismatic Research, auction previews, Lord Ashcroft's medal collection, Tommy Thompson, and the birthplace of banking.

To learn more about electrum coinage, Medallic Portraits of Adolf Hitler, the rise and demise of coins, the earliest-extant Emperor Norton promissory note, the Master at Study, S.S. Central America ingots, the Trinity College Gold Award Medal, coins of Phanes, encased postage stamps, the 1855 Kellogg & Co. $50 Commemorative Restrike, and publishers Wigglesworth & Ghatt, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

GUT-LYNT SALE 24 NUMISMATIC LITERATURE

 

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BRYCE BROWN MARCH 2026 NUMISMATIC LITERATURE SALE

Auction of Ancient, Medieval, and Modern World Numismatic Literature

Numismatic literature on ancient, medieval, and world coinage is the topic of my current auction, which includes material from the Dr. R. Craig Kammerer and Dick Johnson libraries.

References from the scarce to the common are offered at bargain prices.

These are now open for bidding on eBay, under seller name ancient-numismatic-library. All lots close the evening of Wednesday, March 25, 2026. Link: https://www.ebay.com/usr/ancient-numismatic-library

Any questions can be asked through eBay, or by contacting me at numismatics@att.net.

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MCKEE COINS NUMISMATIC LITERATURE SALE

1991 ; A Complete Encyclopedia. Q.David Bowers, signed. #863 of 900.

1962 U.S. Half Cents 1793-1857, by Bowers & Ruddy. Die Varieties. Soft cover. 47 pages. Deluxe edition

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

JD writes:

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NEW BOOK: MISSOURI TRADE TOKENS

Missouri organization announces token book publication

The Missouri Numismatic Society is coordinating the release of the first ever book on Missouri trade tokens. Expected to be released around the end of April or early May, the book by Bruce W. Smith is titled Missouri Trade Tokens – Small Business Pocket Change of the Show Me State.

The book relies upon more than four decades of research from the Missouri native, a renowned numismatic researcher.

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NEW BOOK: THE HISTORY OF PAPER MONEY

Dr. Sven Gerhard is now well-known in German and international notaphily as the author of highly interesting and well-researched articles, including those on Geldscheine-Online and in the "Geldscheinsammler" section of the magazine "Münzen & Sammeln" (Coins & Collecting). On January 29, 2026, the first volume of his collected articles (over 30 specialist articles) on the history of paper money was published.

This volume contains a selection of articles on the history of German and European paper money in the 20th century, which the author published in various print media and online between 2022 and 2025. All the contributions share the common goal of presenting the issuance and circulation of paper money within the context of the historical circumstances of the time. Anyone who collects historical banknotes is invited to explore the history of their use.

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NEW BOOK: HEADS & TALES

Heads & Tales: The Rise and Demise of Coins
Granville Allen Mawer

For some 2700 years we have used them to pay our debts and claim our dues. We have minted trillions of the little metal discs. Even the invention of paper money hardly slowed their proliferation. Indeed, coins made of gold continued to underpin the finances of the world until the twentieth century, but from that eminence the descent has been precipitous.

It is safe to predict that sometime in our century coins will cease to circulate as currency. Our pockets will be the lighter but so will our connection to the past. We will have dispensed with something which for half of recorded history has preserved in hard copy, sometimes uniquely, an account of our doings. We should at least say goodbye.

This book is a valedictory survey. It follows the story of coins from conception through substance to shadow. Presenting on average a tale for each generation since the beginning, it celebrates the rise and chronicles the demise of a remarkable invention.

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NEW BANKNOTE BOOK CHAPTERS PUBLISHED

CDN is proud to announce the initial publication of the 50-page Prussia catalog covering notes issued by numerous banks from 1766 to 1871.

CDN is proud to announce the initial publication of the 5-page Lübeck catalog covering notes issued by the Privat- Disconto- und Darlehen-Kasse zu Lübeck, Lübecker Privat-Bank, Credit- und Versicherungs Bank in Lübeck, and Commerz-Bank in Lübeck from 1819 to 1865

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2026 RED BOOK BREAKS SALES RECORDS

Whitman Brands™, a leading full-service provider delivering data solutions, media services, and product distribution to the numismatics and collectibles market, announces a second and third print run of the Official Red Book®: A Guide Book of United States Coins 2026—the all-new, redesigned, and reimagined edition of the hobby's most iconic reference and price guide.

This year's landmark edition, released in April 2025, has already surpassed prior-year Red Book sales volumes across all retail and wholesale channels by more than 30%. Recognized with the Numismatic Literary Guild's 2025 Award for Extraordinary Merit for Best Book on United States Coins, the redesigned edition features new scholarship, expanded pricing data, industry- standard Greysheet values, and a more intuitive, collector-friendly layout—all available in four formats.

"Our goal with the redesign was to take our flagship product to the next level for collectors—making thoughtful enhancements, adding industry-standard Greysheet pricing, and introducing a more intuitive, collector-friendly layout," said John Feigenbaum, Publisher and President/CEO of Whitman Brands. "We're grateful for the enthusiastic response from the collecting community, and it's been incredibly rewarding to see the team's efforts resonate."

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NNP PUBLISHES CUHAJ ROMAN CATHOLIC MEDALS BOOK

George Cuhaj Publishes on Roman Catholic Medals

Sponsored in part by a grant from the Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society, George Cuhaj's latest work, Medals of the Hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, is now available on Newman Portal.

Cuhaj's work documents medals issued by Catholic dioceses, archdioceses, and church institutions in the United States from 1789 through 2020. Organized primarily by diocese, the work identifies and describes medals that commemorate bishops, cardinals, cathedrals, jubilees, church anniversaries, and other significant ecclesiastical events. The catalog includes medals ranging from small medalets to large presentation pieces and captures both widely distributed commemoratives and more obscure issues from diocesan archives, collectors, and institutional collections.

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VIDEO: COLLECTING METAL SAVINGS BANKS

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PHILADELPHIA MINT TOUR RENOVATIONS

The United States Mint (Mint) is suspending public tours and access to the gift shop at its Philadelphia facility beginning March 9, as renovations to the building's front entrance are completed. Tours are expected to resume by the end of April.

The renovations will provide visitors with a new entrance experience featuring updated exhibits and a larger assembly space—just in time for the celebration of America's 250th anniversary. During the renovation period, coins and merchandise can be purchased by visiting the Mint's website at www.usmint.gov.

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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: MARCH 15, 2026

California State Library Emperor Norton Artifacts and Ephemera
John Lumea of the Emperor Norton Trust writes:

To watch the complete Facebook video, see:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DxXjX7jMU/

To watch the complete video, see:
The Real Story Behind America's Emperor (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHO4blRmUIc)

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VOCABULARY TERM: SHIELD

Shield. A form or shape derived from the protective armor carried on the arm in battle. The shield is widely used in heraldry where it is decorated with numerous design elements – as such it is called an escutcheon or coat of arms. Such coat of arms or other heraldry items are frequently employed in coin and medal designs. If more than one shield appears in the design, the center shield is the one of most importance; the French term for this is ecu central, the German is mittelschild. A form of a shield in mythology is called an aegis, a shield or breastplate of Zeus or Athena.

The shield as a form of ART RELIEF was popular at the beginning of the 20th century, most often used as a wall plaque. Any such shield-shaped medallic item is called scutiform. See heraldry, unusual shapes.

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AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF NUMISMATIC RESEARCH

We pay a lot of attention to the authors of books we read. How important is the publisher? With the competing 1980's half cent references, the publisher made a huge difference.

Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of United States Half Cents 1793-1857 was published in 1983 by the American Institute of Numismatic Research of South Gate, California. The name of the publisher sounds impressive and this was probably the intent. They even had a classical logo with an Athenian Owl.

The address was 2840 Indiana Avenue in South Gate, California. This was a modest two-bedroom bungalow where Jack Collins lived with his mother. George F. Kolbe described the library.

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HERITAGE: MARCH 2026 COLONIAL CURRENCY RESULTS

Heritage Auctions' Winter Colonial Currency Showcase Auction, held March 8, delivered a $255,068 total with spirited results across historically resonant emissions from the American Revolution and the decades leading up to it. Featuring well-preserved Colonial Currency and Continental Currency — notes that document early American fiscal policy, wartime finance and anti-counterfeiting ingenuity — the auction drew strong demand for problem-free survivors and visually compelling designs that continue to define the collecting categories of Revolutionary War currency and Colonial paper money.

Topping the sale was a Continental Currency April 11, 1778 $4 graded PCGS Banknote About Uncirculated 50, which realized $10,980. Authorized by Acts passed at Yorktown (York, Pennsylvania), the April 11, 1778 emission is widely regarded as the scarcest Continental issue, due in part to extensive counterfeiting efforts intended to undermine confidence in the young nation's paper money. The emblematic boar charging a spear, paired with the Latin motto AUT MORS AUT VITA DECORA ("Either death or an honorable life"), encapsulates the era's urgency and resolve; the reverse's nature print and the Hall & Sellers imprint underscore the period's evolving mechanics of printing and authentication.

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HERITAGE: MARCH 2026 U.S. COINS SIGNATURE

A 1796/5 BD-1 Half Eagle, MS64 NGC, once of the famous "Mr. 1796" collection, and an 1825 BD-2 Quarter Eagle, MS66 NGC will be among the top treasures that will cross the block in Heritage's March 26-28 U.S. Coins Signature® Auction.

The 1796/5 BD-1 half eagle is the second-finest example of 1796-dated half eagles, of which the original mintage was estimated by John Dannreuther to be no more than 2,000 pieces, from which he estimated that between just 80 and 100 remain in all grades. The offered example is the finest ever offered at auction, fully two grade points higher than any other example ever offered previously at Heritage.

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STACK'S BOWERS: MARCH 2026 MANHATTAN SALE

DENMARK. 2 Speciedaler, 1747. Copenhagen Mint. Frederik V. NGC MS-65?. KM-563; Dav-1298; Hede-26; Sieg-17; Schou-11. Weight: 57.80 gms. Mintmaster: Ingeborg Maria Wineke. Engraver: Magnus Gustavus Arbien (A). A wonderful Gem with all the qualities of a true gemstone with multicolored flashes of beauty practically leaping from the superlatively lustrous surfaces; a scarce and impressive Double Taler in an unparalleled condition that is bound to excite competition.

Although this type is often referred to as a coronation type, this is incorrect; following the introduction of absolute monarchy in 1660, Danish kings were not crowned, based on the principle that only God could crown the King. Instead, this type was struck to commemorate the King's anointing, which took place in the Chapel of Frederiksborg Castle on September 4, 1747.

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COINAGE OF PHANES IN DAVISSON'S AUCTION 45

The celebrated coins of Phanes are among the earliest of Greek coins, and are the first coins to bear a legend.

The Phanes coinage consists of seven denominations, from a full stater down to 1/96 stater, with some slight variation within denominations (the stag facing in different directions, and sometimes with the addition of a pentagram or a triad of pellets). Only the two largest denominations bear the name of Phanes. The staters carry the legend F????S ??? S??? (or similar) ("I am the badge of Phanes"), and the trites (1/3 staters, such as this one) bear the name F????S ("of Phanes").

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SIEGEL AUCTION GALLERIES OFFERS ENCASED POSTAGE

Aerated Bread Co., New York, 1c Blue (EP1). Stamp with fresh color, slight mica wrinkling and lamination at left

VERY FINE. AN EXCEPTIONAL EXAMPLE OF THE VERY RARE AERATED BREAD COMPANY ONE-CENT ENCASED POSTAGE.

The Aerated Bread Co. was located on the corner of Lafayette Place and 4th Street in New York City. The firm was based on the novel "aerated" bread process, but it folded after two years. Aerated Bread Co. produced only two denominations of encased postage -- 1c and 5c -- but the 5c is believed to be unique; therefore, the only practical way to represent this firm is with one of the 11-15 examples of the 1c value.

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2026 CENTRAL STATES SHOW PLANS AND SALE HIGHLIGHTS

More than 400 dealers buying and selling, informative exhibits from museums and collectors, a visit by the new director of the United States Mint (https://www.usmint.gov/about/leadership/director), and a thousand free souvenir coins will be among the enticing attractions during the Central States Numismatic Society (www.CSNS.org) 87th Anniversary Convention Coin Show.

The event will be April 23-25, 2026, with PNG Dealer Day and early bird entry on April 22 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center, 1551 North Thoreau Drive, in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Illinois.

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LORD ASHCROFT MEDAL COLLECTION FINDS NEW HOME

Lord Ashcroft's collection of Victoria Crosses and George Crosses is to have a new home at the National Army Museum in London.

The collection is the largest of its kind in the world. It has been built up by Lord Ashcroft over the past 40 years and includes nearly 250 VCs and a smaller number of GCs. It was previously housed at the Imperial War Museum, London, which closed the Lord Ashcroft Gallery in September last year after 15 years.

Lord Ashcroft spoke today of his delight at the news: "I am thrilled to have found such a superb location for this unique collection of gallantry medals. I am so pleased that these VCs and GCs, spanning many major wars and conflicts of the past two centuries, will now be enjoyed by the public once again.

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SS CENTRAL AMERICA LEADER TOMMY THOMPSON FREED

A former deep-sea treasure hunter who made one of the greatest shipwreck discoveries in American history and spent the past decade in prison after refusing to disclose the whereabouts of some of its missing gold coins is now free, federal records show.

Tommy Thompson, who in 1988 located what was known as the Ship of Gold off the coast of South Carolina, was released last Wednesday, according to federal Bureau of Prisons records reviewed by The Associated Press.

Thompson, an Ohio-born research scientist, was hailed as a hero after finding the S.S. Central America and its thousands of pounds of sunken treasure that sat at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean for more than 150 years.

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RUTHWELL: THE BIRTHPLACE OF BANKING

Tucked away in the village of Ruthwell, Scotland, lies an unassuming cottage that holds a monumental place in history. This is the Henry Duncan Savings Banks Museum, the birthplace of a concept that revolutionised the lives of ordinary people around the world – the savings bank.

While the name Henry Duncan might not be familiar to everyone, his impact resonates to this very day. This remarkable 19th-century minister, writer, and social reformer didn't simply preach about helping the poor – he created a system to empower them. In 1810, Duncan established the world's first savings bank for his parishioners, encouraging them to save small amounts for future security. His idea was a spark that lit a global fire, leading to the establishment of countless savings banks worldwide and transforming the way people managed their finances.

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LOOSE CHANGE: MARCH 15, 2026

Superintendent Snowden's 1885 Resignation

Archibald Loudon Snowden stood at the center of American coinage for nearly three decades. He mastered Mint operations. He modernized production. And in 1885, he chose principle over power.

His resignation as Superintendent of the Philadelphia Mint marked a decisive moment in U.S. Mint history. The letter reproduced below, discovered in National Archives records in 2026, provides rare insight into the politics of the Mint Bureau during the Cleveland administration. As far as the author is aware, this letter has never before been published.

Archibald Loudon Snowden began his Mint career on May 7, 1857, when he received appointment as Register of Deposits in the Treasurer's Office at the Philadelphia Mint.

He was the nephew of former Mint Director James Ross Snowden and had graduated from Jefferson College the previous year.

He worked alongside future Mint leaders and technical experts, including Henry R. Linderman, Robert Patterson, Die Forger George Eckfeldt, Assayer Fred Eckfeldt, William Steele, Engraver James Longacre, Assistant Engraver Anthony Paquet, and Machinist Robert Jefferson. These associations shaped his technical foundation and administrative skill.

When the Civil War erupted in 1861, Snowden left the Mint to organize a Pennsylvania volunteer regiment. He succeeded and was elected Lieutenant Colonel by the men. However, once federal authorities mustered the regiment into service, officials divided the companies among established units. Snowden received no command.

Mint Director James Pollock soon invited him back to Philadelphia. Snowden returned carrying the honorary title "Colonel," which remained attached to his name thereafter.

To read the complete article, see:
Superintendent Snowden's 1885 Resignation (https://coinweek.com/superintendent-snowdens-1885-resignation/)

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ABOUT THIS ISSUE: MARCH 15, 2026

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