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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 NOVEMBER 8, 2026

New subscribers this week include: Terome Mitchell ii. Welcome aboard! We now have 6,299 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 the NBS Publications Committee, a numismatic literature auction, one new book, three obituaries, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, and more.

Other topics this week include the Continental Dollar, territorial gold, portraits of Cleopatra, the 'GW' peace medals, flowlines, XRF analysis, a Tennessee coin hoard, fixed price and auction selections, the National Gallery of Art, and new Australian coins.

To learn more about Dennis Tucker, Robert Downing, X-ray micro-diffraction technology, the origin of the Silver Taler, Portrait Medals of the Renaissance, what was in President Lincoln's pockets, Cherokee Brides, Contemporary Counterfeit Bust Half Dollars, the Bryan Dime, the Springhead Hoard, the Higley Copper, the Amazonian Half Dollar pattern, the Torpedoing of the Tubantia, the Society of the Cincinnati plate, Dubreuil's "Safe Money", privy marks, and Jumbo the Elephant's Coin Collection, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

NBS PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE UPDATE

NBS Publications Committee Update

At the 2026 NBS board meeting, held in conjunction with the ANA World's Fair of Money in Pittsburgh, the board approved the formation of a Publications Committee, with the goal of encouraging and supporting the publication of worthy numismatic books. The initiative reflects the Society's longstanding commitment to numismatic literature and recognizes the important role that NBS can play in bringing significant research to the collecting community.

Dennis Tucker has graciously agreed to chair the committee, bringing considerable experience in numismatic publishing to the effort. We are now seeking additional NBS members who would be interested in serving on the committee and helping to shape this new initiative. Responsibilities will include reviewing prospective manuscripts, assessing their scholarly and numismatic merit, and developing recommendations to the board regarding potential NBS sponsorship.

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LANG NUMISMATIC LITERATURE AUCTION 14

We are pleased to announce our 14th auction at Numismatisches Antiquariat Lang, which will take place on November 25, 2026, via the AUEX auction platform. The highlight of this auction is an extensive and diverse selection of 1,364 lots of numismatic literature. In addition to numerous interesting individual works, you can look forward to standard reference works, historical publications, and bibliophile rarities.

Special highlights of our 14th auction include:

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NEW BOOK: THE CONTINENTAL DOLLAR

Was the legendary 1776 Continental Dollar one of America's first coins—or was it a medal produced elsewhere? Who made it, where was it struck, and what purpose did it serve?

For 250 years, those questions have surrounded one of the most mysterious artifacts associated with America's founding. Now, as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, acclaimed researcher and collector Robert L. Rodriguez reopens the case in The Continental Dollar: A Journey of Discovery, a groundbreaking new book from Whitman Brands.

Dated 1776 and bearing imagery closely associated with Continental Currency and Benjamin Franklin, the Continental Dollar has long occupied a tantalizing place in American numismatics. No known surviving records of the Continental Congress document its creation, leaving generations of collectors and researchers to debate its origin, manufacture, and even whether it should properly be considered a coin.

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HOWARD ALYN MINNERS (1931-2026)

On Thursday the American Numismatic Society announced:

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STEPHEN K. SCHER (1934-2026)

New York Numismatic Club Secretary-Treasurer John Janeczek writes:

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NORMAND PEPIN (1961-2026)

New York Numismatic Club Secretary-Treasurer John Janeczek writes:

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NNP ADDS TERRITORIAL GOLD COIN DATABASE

NNP Adds Territorial Gold Coin Database

Bob Cassling has been carefully tracking auction appearances of U.S. territorial gold coins for some time and has recently shared his data with Newman Portal. The database enumerates approximately 11,000 appearances of territorial pieces in major auctions, including Heritage and Stacks-Bowers. Historic sale catalog series such as the Chapmans are also represented. The recent migration of Newman Portal to the Quartex platform allows for greater customization of filters and sort options, which are available here. Many thanks to Bob for sharing this information via NNP.

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VIDEO: NUMISMATIC PORTRAITS OF CLEOPATRA

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VIDEO: WHAT WAS IN LINCOLN'S POCKETS?

In May of 2026 at the Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists (PAN) Coin Show, we introduced "10 Tumultuous Years" as the theme for our new series of numismatic, nautical, and economic civics educational programs. Our 10 Tumultuous Years exhibits there focused on the connections between the California Gold Rush, 1857 Coinage Act, the 1857 sinking of the S.S. Central America, and the massive monetary changes impacting the U.S. Civil War.

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MORE ON THE 'GW' PEACE MEDAL

Last week Alan Weinberg wrote:

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THE SECOND GW PEACE MEDAL

In 1972, a tribal dispute developed between two Indian bands belonging to the Micmac Nation. The controversy centred around the ownership of a rare ‘peace medal,' which features George Washington and his initials on one side, and an Indian sitting at the base of a classical column, crowned by thirteen hands, on the other.

A matching silver medallion, engraved with the same images, is harbored in the collection of the British Museum's Department of Coins and Medals. In 1982, this medal appeared in Jonathan King's book Thunderbird and Lightning. The existence of both extraordinary medals remains largely unknown, and has never been chronicled in professional journals of the United States or Canada. In 1984, while researching Micmac Indian history in Maine, I became aware of the two medals and their curious distribution.

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COMMENTS ON FLOWLINES

The November 1 issue of The E-Sylum had an item on "Vocabulary Term: Surface Displacement" from Dick Johnson's Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Terminology. It included this description of surface displacement.

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MORE ON MINT AND FEDERAL RESERVE BAGS

Here is a file copy of a letter from the Director of the Mint to the Denver Mint in 1922 informing it as to what size coin bags it could order from the Philadelphia Mint, which made the actual bags. Note that the different size bags are identified by number, including the interesting size 7-1/2. Unfortunately the letter does not identify the actual size of each bag, which presumably the Denver Mint already knew.

It would be logical that the Federal Reserve Banks receiving coins from the various Mints would use the same bag size numbering system for the bags that the FRBs ordered for themselves.

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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: NOVEMBER 8, 2026

More on Blackinton
Regarding the badge and medal maker Blackinton, Bob Fritsch writes:

Bob adds:

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
ROBERT HEATH'S NEW ENGLAND MEDAL CATALOGS (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n01a20.html)
MORE ON THE NEW ENGLAND MEDALS BOOK SERIES (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n04a17.html)
HOW BADGE AND MEDAL MAKER BLACKINTON USES AI (https://www.coinbooks.org/v29/esylum_v29n44a16.html)

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QUERY: XRF COIN COMPOSITION ANALYSIS

I am an independent researcher investigating anomalous coin compositions. Recently, I analyzed two coins from opposite sides of the Iron Curtain using an XRF spectrometer (Olympus Vanta): a Soviet 10 Kopecks from 1939 and a US 5 Cents "Buffalo".

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EXHIBIT AT ANA'S VIRGINIA BEACH SHOW

We have four months until the ANA's National Money Show is held in Virginia Beach on March 4-6, but members who would like to enter an exhibit at that show must submit an application by January 21.

Please visit https://www.money.org/
convention-exhibits/ for an overview of the Collector Exhibit Area -- this page has links to the NMS Exhibitor Rules and to the NMS Exhibitor Application (each exhibit requires its own application form).

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VOCABULARY TERM: SURROUND

Surround. A supplemental part of a medallic design, always a wreath, forming a separate appurtenance that partly encircles a medal or medallic item. A surround does not form a complete circle (as does a bezel for a coin or medal) but is open at top or bottom for artistic purpose. Its most popular form is an open wreath to frame the medallic item. The open top wreath is symbolic of victory, success or achievement, the open bottom wreath is symbolic of death and used as a memorial. The surround can be attached, by solder, to the medallic item to become a permanent part of it. (In contrast a bezel is never soldered to the item it encircles.)

A surround is not customarily in the die and struck at the same time (thus it is not an integral part), but it is made separately and later the two are fabricated together. An example was made in 1971. A medal was created for the Puerto Rico Festival of Arts by native sculptor Jose Buscaglia. He also modeled a separate wreath surround, designed to be open at the top and attached to the 3-inch medal making the overall diameter 4 5/8 inches (132mm).

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2018 TENNESSEE MASON JAR HOARD DISCOVERY

Concealed beneath a fieldstone wall, the five jars of coins in the Tennessee hoard ranged from the late 1800s to the early 1900s and included an abundance of pre-1933 gold. Their discovery, made by the most improbable alignment of erosion, sun, and vantage point, was a formula of coincidence. Or was it? Does a treasure pick its own time to talk?

"I could see almost right away the coins were real," recalls Dunbar, who purchased the hoard. "The smell and patina matched the origin story. A true rarity: Buried treasure."

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ROBERT DOWNING (1826-1909)

Three weeks ago, I started research for an article on Robert Downing, a coin dealer who issued Civil War Tokens. I was unable to find him listed in a Census so I was unable to identify his parents or age. I have no information from his first thirty years of life.

I found him listed in Cincinnati city directories from 1857 to 1876. During the period of 1857 to 1865, he was selling periodicals from 288 West 6 th street in downtown Cincinnati. His tokens from this era stated that he was a "Publisher of Sheet Songs & Dealer in Old Coins" in Cincinnati without his street address.

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NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: NOVEMBER 8, 2026

103668 | UNITED STATES. Statue of Liberty/"The World" silver award Medal. Issued 1886 to commemorate the newspaper's record-breaking circulation of over 250,000 (45mm, 31.36 g, 12h). By G. A. Rowe in New York City.

STATUE OF LIBERTY / HEIGHTH OF PEDESTAL 89 FT TOTAL HEIGHTH 306 FT 9 IN, view of the Statue of Liberty facing slightly left // THIS MEDAL / PRESENTED / WITH THE COMPLIMENTS OF / The World / IS COMMEMORATIVE OF THE PASSING OF / THE 250,000 MARK / THE LARGEST CIRCULATION / EVER ATTAINED BY ANY / AMERICAN NEWSPAPER / SEPTEMBER / 1886 in 11 lines. Edge: Reeded.

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HERITAGE: THE STARLUST COLLECTION

1893 Medal Mrs. Potter Palmer Brooch, World's Columbian Exposition, Starlust STND-S64, R.8, Uncertified. 33 x 42mm, silvered white metal. Palmer was the president of the Board of Lady Managers for the Exposition, directly linking this brooch to the Isabella quarters struck by the U.S. Mint.
From The Starlust Collection of 1893 Columbiana.

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NOONANS: SPRINGHEAD HOARD, PART ONE

Noonans are to sell the first part of the Springhead Hoard of Late Roman Coins in an auction on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at 3pm. Discovered by members of the Gravesend Historical Society more than 60 years ago when the A2 in Kent was being widened. The Springhead Hoard will be offered in several parts. Part I, which consists of 114 Siliquae, including many attractive and well-preserved pieces is estimated to fetch up to £15,000 with the proceeds going to support the society which is still in existence today and has recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. The remaining coins will follow in Spring 2027.

As Richard Taylor, Honorary Secretary of the Gravesend Historical Society explains in the foreword of the catalogue: "The Gravesend Historical Society was founded in 1924. Early talks ranged from butterflies to bees, but by 1950 the Society had found its true calling: the Roman site at Springhead, known to the Romans as Vagniacis. Led by Bill Penn, members dug there Sunday after Sunday, summer and winter. They uncovered the temples, shops and roads of one of Roman Britain's most important religious centres, where travellers on Watling Street probably stopped to pray for healing and good fortune."

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STACK'S BOWERS: COLONIAL COINS

1652 Pine Tree Shilling. Large Planchet. Noe-8, Salmon 7-E, W-740. Rarity-4. Without Pellets at Trunk, Ligatured NE in Legend. AU-58 (PCGS). 71.0 grains. A spectacularly toned Noe-8. On this piece the obverse shows iridescent gold, rose and pale blue while the reverse is a richer combination of iridescent reddish-russet and cobalt blue with softer golden-gray in the field areas. The tree is a little soft at center, but most of the branches can be made out. The peripheral letters are a bit soft at right and (especially) left, being sharpest at top. On the reverse the date and denomination are a little soft, peripheral letters likewise despite the fact that they show no die breakage from an earlier state of the die. Both sides are bright in places and show some original mint frost that is particularly pronounced in the protected areas around and among the design elements. We've handled a number of nice AUs for this Noe number, as well as a few Uncs, and this ex Boyd-Ford specimen features prominently in that group.

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STACK'S BOWERS: U.S. COINS RARITIES NIGHT

None Graded Finer by PCGS in the CAM Category 1877 Indian Cent. Snow-PR3. Proof-66 RD Cameo (PCGS). This is an incredible strike and condition rarity that will nicely represent this eagerly sought issue in the Proof Indian cent series. Both sides are wonderfully original with vivid color. The obverse displays even rose-orange and the reverse exhibits a medium orange and olive with hints of silvery tinting. Otherwise highly reflective in finish, a soft satin texture to the devices provides appreciable cameo contrast. The strike is full and the surfaces are silky smooth and virtually pristine.

With a mintage of 852,500 pieces and a low rate of survival in high grades, the circulation strike 1877 is the key date in the Indian cent series. Consequently, survivors of the year's Proof mintage enjoy heightened demand. The United Sates Mint did not begin recording the number of Proof minor coins struck each year until 1878, so there is no way of knowing exactly how many Proof cents were produced in 1877. In his 1977 Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Proof Coins, Walter Breen estimated the mintage of the 1877 at 510+ pieces, but more recent research by R.W. Julian confirmed that Breen's figure represented only the total number of silver and minor coin Proof sets sold. According to Rick Snow (2014), a more accurate estimate for the distribution of this issue is 910 coins, which takes into account the fact that the Mint also sold at least 400 minor coin Proof sets that year. It is thought that upward of 1,500 Proof 1877 cents were actually struck, the unsold pieces destroyed in the Mint.

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ARCHIVES INTERNATIONAL SALE 118 SELECTIONS

Bermuda, 20th October 1952. British Administration, £1, Pick# 20a, Issued Banknote, blue and multicolor, Hamilton harbor view at left, portrait of Queen Elizabeth II at right, back with arms, Wmk: Bank Title, S/N P/1 370667. PMG graded Choice About Unc 58 with comment "Minor Rust." Printer: BWC.

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WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: NOVEMBER 8, 2026

One thing I'd hoped to do in retirement was visit museums, something my wife has little interest in. So on Thursday morning I set out for downtown Washington, D.C. to visit the National Gallery of Art. First I drove a couple miles to the Ashburn Metro station and caught a Silver Line train to Metro Center. It was a cloudy day but it never rained on me. I walked about 20 minutes to my destination, passing other D.C. landmarks including the Old Post Office and Department of Justice. I snapped a ton of photos, and here's a selection.

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IRON AGE RULER VERICA WAS FEMALE

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NEW AUSTRALIAN COINS FEATURE NATIVE ANIMALS

The next time you reach for a gold coin, artist Ryhia Dank hopes you'll discover something new about First Nations culture.

The Sunshine Coast-based Gudanji/Wakaja and Kalkadoon artist has illustrated a collection of $1 and $2 coins with six native animals and their names in language.

"I want the kids back home to pick up the coin and say, 'Oh, that's the crocodile that's floating down the river, or the brolgas that are dancing there'," Dank said.

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LOOSE CHANGE: NOVEMBER 8, 2026

The Artistry of Adolph Weinman

When numismatists hear the name Adolph Weinman, two of his works immediately come to mind: the Winged Liberty dime and the Walking Liberty half dollar. However, those iconic coins represent only a tiny portion of his creative output over the course of many years as a medalist, figurative sculptor, and monumental sculptor. Two elements found upon those coins were representative themes throughout his career: wings and eagles. In this essay, we shall discuss some of his most important works that include those elements.

When numismatists hear the name Adolph Weinman, two of his works immediately come to mind: the Winged Liberty dime and the Walking Liberty half dollar. However, those iconic coins represent only a tiny portion of his creative output over the course of many years as a medalist, figurative sculptor, and monumental sculptor. Two elements found upon those coins were representative themes throughout his career: wings and eagles. In this essay, we shall discuss some of his most important works that include those elements.

To read the complete article, see:
Of Wings and Eagles: The Artistry of Adolph Weinman (https://www.numismaticnews.net/of-wings-and-eagles-the-artistry-of-adolph-weinman)

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ABOUT THIS ISSUE: NOVEMBER 8, 2026

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