LOOSE CHANGE: APRIL 13, 2025

Legislation introduced in the 119th Congress would specifically limit production of the Lincoln cent, a coin that has been struck for nearly 116 years since its introduction in 1909.

The inventory of unstruck ready-to-strike cent planchets combined at the Denver and Philadelphia Mints is considered by the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Mint enough to handle production needs for the near future as the mintages wind down, with no more planchets ordered from the lone outside vendor.

The unstruck planchets are also sufficient for striking Uncirculated Lincolns cents at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints for inclusion in 2025 Uncirculated Mint sets and for Proof sets executed at the San Francisco Mint.

The ready-to-strike planchets with raised rims have been produced for decades by the same contracted outside vendor in Tennessee. The vendor has undergone several name changes — Alltrista Corp. in Greeneville, Jarden Zinc Products at the same location in Greeneville, and now Artazn LLC, as a subsidiary of One Rock Capital in Tusculum, Tennessee.

To read the complete article, see:
Planchet supply is enough to keep the cent in production (https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/planchet-supply-is-enough-to-keep-the-cent-in-production)

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
THE PENNY PURGE: COMMON CENTS OR CENTSLESS? (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n07a29.html)

No new numismatic products were released by the U.S. Mint last week, so collector favorites – proof coins and proof sets – saw the strongest sales gains. They accounted for seven of the eight most purchased products for the week ending April 6.

To read the complete article, see:
US Mint Sales: 2025 Proof Set Nears 212K in First Month Since Launch (https://www.coinnews.net/2025/04/10/us-mint-sales-2025-proof-set-nears-212k-in-first-month-since-launch/)

In the quiet village of Sonala, the retirement from government service for a 70-year-old agriculture extension officer has birthed a different kind of harvest: a trove of ancient coins painstakingly gathered over 30 years. Each piece, sourced from Hyderabad's markets or Adilabad's soil, serves as a timestamp of dynasties long gone. His mission? To ensure the whispers of Kanishka's reign and Alamgir's rule aren't lost to time, but instead ignite curiosity in young minds.

The journey of B Muralidhar as a coin collector began three decades ago, sparked by a visit to a coin exhibition in Hyderabad. That single visit sowed the seeds of a lifelong passion — one that led him to amass and preserve more than 100 rare and ancient Indian coins.

Recently, on Ugadi, Muralidhar curated a special coin exhibition at Kalashram in Adilabad, offering the public a rare glimpse into the country's numismatic heritage. Around 130 coins were displayed, spanning centuries of Indian history and even featuring coins from Japan. The collection captivated visitors, drawing admiration for its depth and diversity.

The exhibition showcased coins from dynasties that ruled India between the 1st century AD and 600 years ago — including relics from the era of Kanishka, the Vishnukundins, Bahmani Sultans and the Mughals. A highlight of the display was a gold coin weighing 11.8 grams, minted during the reign of the 15th Mughal emperor, Azizuddin Alamgir II (1756–1759).

To read the complete article, see:
A retired officer's harvest of history (https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/2025/Apr/13/a-retired-officers-harvest-of-history)

The fragment's condition posed a significant challenge. It was fragile, with tears and folds that made it difficult to handle. Traditional methods of conservation might have involved physically removing the binding to unfold the fragment, but this risked causing irreparable damage.

Instead, the team decided to preserve the fragment in situ, keeping it as an example of 16th-century archival binding practices while using cutting-edge technology to virtually unfold and digitise it.

Using mirrors, prisms, magnets, and other tools, the team at CHIL carefully photographed each section of the fragment. The hundreds of resulting images were then painstakingly reassembled digitally, much like a jigsaw, to create a coherent image of the text.

By manipulating the digital images, the team could simulate what the document might look like if it were physically opened.

To read the complete article, see:
The discovery set off an extensive conservation and research project, supported by the University Library with funding from Cambridge Digital Humanities. (https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/merlin-manuscript-discovered-cambridge)

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