Visit our NBS Sponsors

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 Workman's Books November 1, 2026 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 AUGUST 2, 2026

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 four new books, a new interview and other updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, notes from readers, and more.

Other topics this week include the Twelve Caesars, Roman coin hoards, British Coronation medals, National Bank Notes, the Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation, stock designs, fixed price and auction offerings, cardboard scrip, and polymer banknotes.

To learn more about the coinage of Reims, Adrian Perez, Muriel Eymery, John Hickman, the Miserable Mill, Mary Sauvain, coin provenance, the Commonwealth Shilling, coin clumps, the Janvier reducing machine, the currency of Ober Ost, coin necklaces, the Drunkard, demonyms and the Year of Madness, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

NEW BOOK: HALF A DOLLAR OF HISTORY

A special edition of a new book about silver United States early commemorative coins is now available. Marcin Rotocki's Half A Dollar of History, subtitled Classic U.S. Silver Commemorative Coins, The Complete Collector's Guide – 50 Types 1892-1954, debuted in late June. The book is available via print-on-demand through Amazon.com in either a paperback or hardback version.

Rotocki has partnered with numismatic bookseller Jeff Starck in the United States to offer 100 limited edition examples with signed and numbered bookplates. To add to the excitement of the offer, each of the bookplates feature the obverse of one of the 50 types featured in the book.

Sales of the limited-edition book were launched through coin groups on Facebook, and now sales are being opened to readers of The E-Sylum. The books are 272 pages, with full color images provided by Professional Coin Grading Service.

Read more here

NEW BOOK: GOLD COINS OF ANCIENT ROME, 2ND ED.

Adam writes:

Gold Coins of Ancient Rome, 2nd Edition
by Adam J. Crum

$79.00

The long-awaited Second Edition of Gold Coins of Ancient Rome: Featuring the Coins of the Twelve Caesars is complete and ready to ship

Now expanded to 270+ pages, this edition offers a deeper, sharper look at the gold coinage spanning 49 BC through the Flavian Dynasty (AD 96)—where history, power, and money converge.

What's New Inside

• Comprehensive coverage of key Roman gold issues
• Updated census data and 20 years of market prices realized
• Dozens of newly added coins and high-quality images
• Rich historical context and expert commentary

Read more here

 

NEW BOOK: ROMAN COIN HOARDS ACROSS FRONTIERS

Roman Coin Hoards Across Frontiers
Benjamin D R Hellings (ed.), Marguerite Spoerri Butcher (ed.), Chris Howgego (ed.)

Published: 28 May 2026
Available in print: 26 June 2026
Online ISBN: 9780198986478
Print ISBN: 9780198986447
Publisher: Oxford University Press

The book presents an introduction and thirteen other chapters on the hoarding of Roman coin outside the Roman Empire from c. 30 bc to ad 518, and later where appropriate. It rests upon data gathered for the Coin Hoards of the Roman Empire Project, which is creating an online database of all known Roman coin hoards for this period.

The introductory chapter draws out the thematic cohesion of the book around the topics of the export, use, and deposition of Roman coin beyond the Empire, while also enhancing awareness of the geographical and chronological disparities in the data, and identifying various proxies for the movement of coin where hoards do not survive.

The later chapters are grouped into four parts. The first contains select studies on some aspects of deposition within the Empire, as to understand what goes on beyond the frontiers, one also needs to grasp behaviour within. The second part presents regional studies from north, central, and eastern Europe, focusing on southern Scandinavia, Germany, and eastern Europe. The third part is devoted to the east, both close to, and far away from, the Empire. The chapters range from the eastern part of the Roman Empire and its adjacent regions, including Caucasian Iberia and Armenia, to India. The fourth part expands explanatory frameworks by looking outside the Roman hoard evidence itself, offering insights from a later period and from metallurgy. A final chapter presents an analysis of the key textual evidence for the export of coin outside the Empire.

Read more here

NEW BOOK: THE COINAGE OF REIMS

La monnaie de Reims de la fin du IXe au XIVe siècle
The Coinage of Reims from the Late 9th to the 14th Century

59,00 €
Author: Pierre Crinon
Publisher: Maison Gadoury Numismatique
Year: 2026
Language: fr

A new publication devoted to one of the most fascinating medieval French coinages.

The result of many years of research and observation, this work by Pierre Crinon provides an in-depth study of the coinage of Reims, from the reign of Emperor Charles the Bald (875–877) to the episcopate of Jean de Craon (1355–1374).

A true labour of passion, this typological catalogue brings together and analyses several centuries of coin production in Reims. It offers collectors, researchers and enthusiasts of monetary history an invaluable reference for the identification, classification and study of these often rare and little-known issues.

Read more here

NEW BOOK: BRITISH CORONATION MEDALS

An article titled "The History of Coronations in the United Kingdom" on the website of the Royal Mint informs readers that "For the various monarchs who have reigned through out British history, their coronations, adorned with pomp and pageantry, have marked the culmination of their individual journeys to the throne. A symbolic occasion signaling the official crowning of a new king or queen, coronations have been a fundamental part of the British monarchy for more than a thousand years." And, for a period spanning more than three hundred years, medals were an integral part of these historic events.

The practice of distributing medals at British coronations originated in 1603 with the coronation of James I. A rare medal was issued in 1547 for the coronation of Edward VI, and while neither its purpose nor its manufacturer has been unquestionably established, its 60mm size would have precluded its distribution at the coronation ceremony. Therefore, it is not included here as part of the series of official medals.

Read more here

ADRIAN PEREZ INTERVIEW, PART ONE

Greg Bennick
Hi everybody, it's Greg Bennick. I'm back again with yet another interview in my ongoing series with fascinating, amazing, and accomplished numismatists. These are all, of course, on the Newman Numismatic Portal, and if you like this interview, you can look through and find more of my interviews with other interesting people. Today we have another interesting person: Adrian Perez. Adrian is from Rhode Island, and he is vice president — am I right? — of the Young Numismatists of America.

Adrian Perez
Yes.

Greg Bennick
We met at Summer Seminar, and we'll get into all of that, and then the fascinating work he's been doing. But hey, Adrian — thanks for being here today. I appreciate it.

Adrian Perez
Thank you so much, Greg.

Greg Bennick
Awesome. So, tell me, how did you get your start in coins? Let's start with the bare beginnings.

Read more here

VIDEO: MURIEL EYMERY JOINS SPINK

Read more here

10,000TH NEBRASKA NATIONAL BANK NOTE RECORDED

August 1, 2026, marked a significant milestone when the 10,000th Nebraska national bank note was officially entered into the National Currency Foundation's National Bank Note Census (https://nbncensus.com).

Figure 1: Series of 1929 Type 1 $20 note from Charter 2848, The Fremont, National Bank, Fremont, Nebraska. This note was the 10,000th Nebraska national bank note to be reported to the National Bank Note Census. (Image credit: Don Mark, 2026)

Read more here

NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: AUGUST 2, 2026

Canadian Numismatic Literature Resources
Eric Jensen writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
ERIC JENSEN INTERVIEW, PART ONE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v29/esylum_v29n28a12.html)
ERIC JENSEN INTERVIEW, PART TWO (https://www.coinbooks.org/v29/esylum_v29n29a12.html)
ERIC JENSEN INTERVIEW, PART THREE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v29/esylum_v29n30a13.html)

Read more here

MARY SAUVAIN NAMED ACEF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Mary Sauvain has been named the new executive director of the Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation, effective Aug. 1. She succeeds Beth Deisher, who is stepping down after serving in the executive role since April of 2024.

"The ACEF Board of Directors welcomes Mary in her new capacity and thanks Beth for her leadership and work during the past two-plus years," said ACEF President Barry Stuppler. "Beth will serve as a consultant for a month as needed to ensure a smooth transition," Stuppler added.

The new executive director will represent ACEF at the upcoming World's Fair of Money in Pittsburgh and be located at a section of Great Collections on the bourse – tables 1001, 1003, 1005, 1100, 1102 and 1104.

Since January 2024 Sauvain has served on the ACEF Board of Directors. An expert in counterfeit detection, she is a long-time leader in the numismatic community, both as an educator and as a professional numismatist.

Read more here

 

ANA TO RECOGNIZE 2026 HOBBY CONTRIBUTORS

The American Numismatic Association (ANA) is recognizing leading role models in the numismatic community that have exhibited an influential, and positive presence. The Outstanding Adult Advisor and Outstanding District Representative will be awarded during the Pittsburgh World's Fair of Money® Member Awards and Donor Celebration, Thursday, August 27 from 3-4:30 p.m. at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The ANA Dealer of the Year will be awarded at the convention's 135th Anniversary Awards Banquet, Friday, August 28 from 7-10 p.m. at the Westin Pittsburgh Hotel.

Abigail Zechman is the recipient of the ANA's 2026 Lawrence J. Gentile Sr. Memorial Award for Outstanding Adult Advisor. Passionate about education, Zechman serves as a counselor for the ANA's Young Numismatists of America and at Summer Seminar. As the Professional Coin Grading Service's program manager of Numismatic Education and Development, she seizes daily opportunities to connect with kids about coins. She has also served on the board of the Florida United Numismatists (FUN) and helped organize FUN's coin shows.

Read more here

1913 LIBERTY HEAD NICKEL PAINTING OFFERED

Extraordinary painting of the ANA's Bebee Specimen legendary 1913 Liberty Head Nickel, created by NFP.io and Laura Verschoore to benefit the American Numismatic Association (ANA) during the celebration of America's 250th Anniversary. This is the inaugural large-format work of fine art created using NFP.io's proprietary and patented secure substrate authentication technology. Developed to protect high-security documents and banknote materials, this breakthrough is being applied to a museum-quality work of art for the first time, creating an object whose authenticity is inextricably bound to the artwork itself.

Read more here

U.S. MINT TO DISPLAY 1933 DOUBLE EAGLES

United States Mint (Mint) Director Paul Hollis today announced that the Mint will display all 11 of its 1933 Double Eagle gold coins together for the first time at the upcoming American Numismatic Association World's Fair of Money in Pittsburgh on August 28.

"Mint history is American history," said Director Hollis. "As America celebrates its Semiquincentennial, we reflect on our Nation's storied past. These 11 coins were minted during a time of hardship and strife, yet nearly a century later, they endure as treasured emblems of growth, resilience, and opportunity."

Read more here

 

VOCABULARY TERM: STOCK DESIGN

Stock Design. A bas-relief design for a medallic item which can be ordered by anyone and made into a medallic item. The stock design can be in any form, from plaster model, galvano pattern, hub, die, or even completed medals sitting on a shelf for immediate use. Stock designs may be complete with both obverse and reverse, or one side only, or may be custom fabricated by adding additional parts (as a center emblem).

Every medallic manufacturer has some stock designs available. Usually stock designs are wreaths or similar designs for reverses needing only some further embellishment and/or lettering and to be mated with a custom obverse to complete the medallic item. Such stock designs reduce the cost of original art work and modeling, as the cost of these have already been borne by the medallic company or amortized by previous users.

Read more here

 

ROSA AMERICANA COLONIAL COINS PRICE LIST #29

The right provenance could add hundreds or thousands of dollars in value to a coin, not (solely) because of the desire to own something from a famous past collection, but because we know that most collectors buy the best examples they can find and afford, which gives us some reassurance that the coin is likely to be nice for both the price and grade – and when a coin has been in multiple famous collections, it is likely to be one of the best known of the variety. Coins traced back to the most famous early collectors – think Crosby, Parmelee, Bushnell, the Garrett family and others – quite often found their way into the major collections of today when they were last sold, and many of them will, again, be locked up for decades more. More than most collectible areas (fine art being the obvious exception), numismatics has always privileged provenance. While few of the earliest auction catalogues bothered to name previous owners, even of notable coins, as the hobby grew so too did the desire to cite and preserve provenance. Today, auction houses like Stack's Bowers will list this detail on colonial coins – even those of minor value, because that history is important. Specialists and researchers have become adept at using plated or named auction catalogues, articles in journals or newspapers, archival letters, old coin envelopes and more to piece together provenance chains for rare varieties – which is vitally important, not just for a "Who's Who" listing of owners, but to get an accurate idea of how many examples of a variety actually exist. 30 auction records of 30 different coins is a very different thing from 30 auction records of just 5 different coins that have periodically reappeared for sale, and provenance tracking allows us to tell the difference.

Read more here

HERITAGE: AUGUST 2026 CALIFORNIA FRACTIONAL GOLD

1854 25C Liberty Octagonal 25 Cents, BG-109, High R.5, MS66 NGC.

Read more here

HERITAGE: AUGUST 2026 GREAT BRITAIN SHOWCASE

Charles I gold Unite ND (1625) AU Details (Obverse Scratched) NGC, Tower mint, Lis mm, KM150, S-2685, Fr-246. 8.88gm. First bust. A pleasing shimmer graces this popular full Unite, which bears the bust of Charles I who would later be executed in 1649. Accompanied by an Eastern Numismatics tag.

Metal: Gold
Weight: 9g
AGW: 0.2653oz
Melt Value: $1,088.53
Gold Spot: $4,103/oz (08-01-2026 1:50PM CT)

Read more here

1715 FLEET SOCIETY: COIN CLUMP

Our Treasure of the Month for August is another in a long line of clumps, aggregates, conglomerates, and encrusted objects (EO's) that we have showcased in the past. Found in June 2026 by the crew of the Mighty Mo, our featured treasure is a nearly fist-sized aggregate, or "clump" if you prefer, that contains a number of silver coins as well as a silver buckle.

Mike Perna (Member #217), Captain of the Mighty Mo, gave us a firsthand account of this latest recovery:

Read more here

THE LITTLE CIDER MILL CARDBOARD SCRIP

As I've pointed out in previous columns, attributing cardboard chits can be a very frustrating experience. Unlike Civil War tokens, a large percentage of which are dated, very few chits have a date. To compound the problem, it is unusual to encounter one with the issuer's city and state in its inscription. Fortunately, a street address is often present, and that often simplifies the task.

Recently I purchased a collection of 44 chits, nearly all of whom were issued by merchants in New York City. Researching them will be a lengthy process, but it will give me subjects for many columns, including this one.

Read more here

INDIA TO TRIAL POLYMER BANKNOTES

The government has authorised the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to print an initial batch of 2 billion polymer banknotes for field trials, the government informed Parliament on Monday.

The RBI has recently floated a tender to procure material for polymer banknotes, reviving a proposal that has been under consideration for nearly two decades.

Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha that the RBI will print one billion Rs 10 notes and one billion Rs 20 notes. These denominations are often in short supply. He also clarified that there is no proposal to replace paper currency entirely with polymer banknotes, and that both types of currency will continue to circulate together.

Read more here

EURO BANKNOTE DESIGN PROPOSALS

Read more here

SHOW ME THE TUBMANS

U.S. Democratic senators are urging the Trump administration to revive plans to place abolitionist Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the department is no longer pursuing the redesign, according to Reuters.

The backstory:
The Obama administration announced in 2016 that Tubman — who was born into slavery in the early 1820s and later helped hundreds of enslaved people escape through the Underground Railroad — would replace President Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill. Earlier this month, however, Bessent said the Treasury Department was "not at present" planning to move forward with the redesign. Had the change been made, Tubman would have become the first Black American featured on U.S. paper currency, Reuters reported.

Read more here

LOOSE CHANGE: AUGUST 2, 2026

Evolution of Minting Technology – Part 5

While the 19th century brought steam-powered presses, which established a mechanized method of coin production, the century that followed brought automation, electronics, and computer controls, allowing mints to strike billions of coins with speed and precision.

In the 1890s, Victor Janvier developed and released the Janvier Reducing Machine, which allowed engravers to create a large plaster model of a coin design and mechanically reduce it to the size needed for a die. Before this, coin dies were often engraved by hand, making consistency between dies difficult to achieve. Additionally, the more complex the design, the more specialized engravers were needed.

The Reducing Machine made it so artists could work on larger plaster models and multiple working dies could be made from a single plaster model. Artistic detail and realism also improved significantly.

To read the complete article, see:
The Evolution of Minting Technology–Part 5 (https://www.numismaticnews.net/the-evolution-of-mintingtechnology-part-5)

Read more here

ABOUT THIS ISSUE: AUGUST 2, 2026

Read more here