LOOSE CHANGE: DECEMBER 8, 2019

1643 Deed Acquired By Brooklyn Historical Society

It arrived at the Brooklyn Historical Society's stately headquarters in Brooklyn Heights in an unassuming brown package, fresh from Christie's, where the historical society bought it in October for $27,500. Upstairs in the library, a small group gathered as Maggie Schreiner, the manager of archives and special collections, placed the package on a low shelf used to store fire-insurance atlases and gently sliced it open.

"There it is!" Deborah Schwartz, the historical society's president, said in an awed whisper, as the document — deeply creased from repeated folding, its ink slightly faded to brown — came into view. "Wow."

The deed, which will be on view at the historical society from Dec. 11-15, is "far and away" the most important item it has acquired recently, Schwartz said. It's also one that arrived at a fortuitous moment.

When the auction listing popped up, the historical society had just completed a three-year oral history project and exhibition documenting Muslims in Brooklyn — a community that has deep roots in the borough but was all but invisible in the society's archives.

The story of Anthony van Salee, who was born in 1607, certainly provides plenty to think about. His father, Jan Jansen, a Dutch privateer, was captured by one of the Moorish states in 1618. He reportedly converted to Islam, possibly by force, and became one of the famed Barbary pirates. (Van Salee was a reference to the Moroccan port of Salee, where the family lived for a time; "Turk," as in "Anthony the Turk," was a derogatory term used at the time for Muslims of any ethnicity.)

Anthony set sail for New Amsterdam in 1629 and before long acquired a large farm just north of the city stockade at Wall Street, along with a reputation as one of the most quarrelsome characters in a town full of them.

To read the complete article, see:
For a colorful Brooklyn real-estate pioneer, a 376-year-old receipt (https://artdaily.cc/news/119000/For-a-colorful-Brooklyn-real-estate-pioneer--a-376-year-old-receipt#.XevEsOhKhPY)

Creating the Peace Dollar

De Francisci's original obverse design portrayed a more normal-looking Miss Liberty as opposed to a more allegorical representation of her. The approved design removed the stops before and after the date and changed the date from Roman to Arabic numerals.

The approved reverse design [left] and de Francisci's original design [right].

To read the complete article, see:
Peace Dollars—The "Other" Silver Dollars (http://blog.greysheet.com/peace-dollars-the-other-silver-dollars/)

Ancient Gold Coin Dropped in Salvation Army Kettle

"This small coin has the power to make a huge difference in the lives of the people we serve," said Captain Andy Miller, the Area Commander of the Salvation Army of Tampa.

To read the complete article, see:
Anonymous donor drops rare $2,000 gold coin into Salvation Army Kettle (https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/anonymous-donor-drops-rare-gold-coin-valued-at-2000-into-salvation-army-kettle/67-20aadb71-4439-4389-bf15-014dba9295e0)

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web