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V21 2018 INDEX       E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 21, Number 47, November 25, 2018, Article 12

VOCABULARY TERM: BALL FEET

Dick Johnson submitted these entries from his Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Terminology. Thanks. -Editor

1919 Milwaukee Journal Pulitzer plaquette obverse

1919 Milwaukee Journal Pulitzer plaquette reverse

Images from Collectors Weekly. See Milwaukee Journal Pulitzer Prize Brass Paper Weight (https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/174932-milwaukee-journal-pulitzer-prize-brass-p)

Ball Feet. Hemisphere of metal attached to the back of a medallic item to make a paperweight of it. Most manufacturers used half spheres; called half ball feet, which they make themselves or obtained from jewelry supply houses. If the piece was struck with the hemispheres formed from such cavities in the reverse die it was called integral ball feet, but most were made by fabricating (attaching) separate ball feet. Other styles of feet appearing on paperweights are square, pylon and flat-top pyramid. This form of medallic item was popular in the first half of the 20th century.

In 1919 the Milwaukee Journal won the Pulitzer Medal and issued a plaquette to commemorate this event. The unknown maker attached two size brass ball feet – larger in back, smaller in front – to give a sloping effect to the piece lying on a flat surface. The brass spheres resemble ball bearings. A more sophisticated medal manufacturer would have used bronze half ball feet.

Book lovers should be word lovers as well.

Looking for the meaning of a numismatic word, or the description of a term?  Try the Newman Numismatic Portal's Numismatic Dictionary at: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/dictionary

Or if you would like a printed copy of the complete Encyclopedia, it is available. There are 1,854 terms, on 678 pages, in The Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Technology. Even running two a week would require more than 19 years to publish them all. If you would like an advance draft of this vital reference work it may be obtained from the author for your check of $50 sent postpaid. Dick Johnson, 139 Thompson Drive, Torrington, CT 06790.

Fred Weinberg ad02



Wayne Homren, Editor

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The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com

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