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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 (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page link 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 upcoming auctions

 

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 JUNE 1, 2025

New subscribers this week include: Eric Jensen of Calgary, AB, Canada, courtesy Ron Greene; Welcome aboard! We now have 7,237 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 three new books, two new Banknote Book chapters, a review, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, and more.

Other topics this week include Roman and Swedish coins, electrum coinage, new coin albums, auction previews, cardboard chits, the medals of Franz Ferdinand, coin designer Jennifer McKenna, and a Dickin medal.

To learn more about Riksbank's banknotes, Polish banknotes, doubled date Liberty Seated half dollars, WWII Nazi banknote counterfeits, the Higgins Museum, reverse proofs, Francis X. Lepère, 1864 Interest Bearing Notes, John Adams Bolen medals, Paul Manship bronzes, Frank Vittor water fountains, Allegheny Bridge Company foot passage tickets, Westinghouse medals, and Andy Warhol's money art, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

NEW BOOK: ROME - THE LEGACY

Rome - The Legacy - Coins as Storytellers
Roberto Delzanno (Author)

Author Roberto Delzanno describes his new book that uses ancient coins to tell stories about Rome.

"Rome - The Legacy - Coins as Storytellers is a book deeply rooted in my passionate relationship with ancient history and its significance for Western civilization. My ambition is to convey a thrilling, captivating, inspiring, and sometimes harrowing history narrated through the reverse sides of the coins. My sincere hope is that this will inspire collectors as well as historically interested readers in the intriguing realm of numismatics. I hope that this book will be a substantial contribution to recruiting new collectors and fostering growth for numismatics.

The creation of this book and the selection of coins have been entirely influenced by my subjective judgments regarding what I consider significant milestones in Roman history. To some extent, the choice of coins is based on identifying physical objects from the ancient world that compellingly recount chosen episodes and can be reflected in the reverses of the coins.

The story begins before the existence of the universe, in a time when only chaos prevailed, and from this, the first primordial gods emerged, represented on the reverses of Roman coins. Subsequently, the narrative unfolds, describing the development of mythology and humanity and their synchronization. We trace the arrival of the first humans in Europe and Italy, along with the various catastrophes that occurred during interglacial periods, as well as the Bronze Age collapse, to the reestablishment of civilization with the rise of the Etruscans and then the integration with the emerging Roman Empire. To arrive in Rome in imperial times would have been like coming to Las Vegas, with everything lit up in bright colors, temples, statues, and other monuments almost standing on top of each other. All the imagery in the book adapts to the latest research on how the white statuary supposedly appeared during ancient times, colorized in bright colors."

The book will be available at the end of June for $79 and can also be ordered directly from Jim Helin of Northern Illinois Coin & Stamp, Inc. or Amazon and eBay at $79 plus freight.

Roberto Delzanno is the winner of the IAPN "Book Prize" 2020 & 2021 & NLG "Book Prize" in 2024. He is a life member of the American Numismatic Association and the Numismatic Literary Guild and a member of the American Numismatic Society.

CONTACT:
http://www.delzanno.se/
roberto@delzanno.se

NEW BOOK: SWEDISH COIN YEARBOOK 2025

Mint Yearbook 2025 - A5, paperback, color - approx. 550 pages - MINTS YEARBOOK 2025 - Now in stock for immediate delivery!

The COIN YEARBOOK is printed in color and published as a paperback in A5 format and catalogs all national Swedish coins from the Viking Age, the Middle Ages and up to the present day, as well as the Riksbank's banknotes from 1666 to the present day. The paperback version is SVERIGES GULDMYNT 1512-2020 and SVERIGES MYNTBOK 995-2022 compressed and uses the same serial number system to easily identify the coins. The COIN YEARBOOK 2025 is heavily revised with the latest price updates compared to the previous edition of the COIN YEARBOOK 2022. Many new variants have been added. The COIN YEARBOOK is a living document that handles all changes on an ongoing basis to give you as a customer maximum benefit and insight into changes in the market.

A brand new introductory section has been added, of approximately 60 pages, which covers everything about the life cycle of the coin: from the coin blank, the stamp production and manufacturing methods, to the wear on the stamps and coins and various damages, and how these aspects affect the appearance and value of the coin. I generously share my life experience as I take you on this numismatic journey. The introduction can be read separately as a textbook. In addition, I do a thorough review of what certification of coins means and how the different grading companies provide their services, as well as its advantages and disadvantages. Finally, I illustrate several different so-called quality equalizers for different coin types, where I show what the coins look like in different qualities and comment on them. The work presented is an excerpt from the upcoming, more comprehensive book in a larger format - The Big Grading Book.

MYNTÅRSBOKEN 2025

• - Comprehensive introduction of approximately 60 pages that can be read as a textbook (see above)
• - Sweden 995-2024
• - Viking Age, Middle Ages & Modern Times
• - Comprehensive variant description with detailed images and explanations
• - Riksbank's banknotes from 1666 to the present
• - Rarity description based on 50 years of statistics
• - Number of known copies in private ownership
• - Numbering according to SVERIGES MYNTBOK (SMB) & SVERIGES GULDMYNT (SG)
• - With concordance to older standard reference works
• - Color
• - approximately 550 pages
• - Author: Roberto Delzanno
• - Publisher: Roberto Delzanno Numismatic books

For more information, or to order, see:
MYNTÅRSBOKEN 2025 - Nu i lager för omedelbar leverans! (https://delzanno.se/litteratur/mmyntarsboken-2025-utkommer-december-2024-bestall-redan-nu)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NEW BOOK: SWEDISH COIN YEARBOOK 995-2021 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n26a04.html)

NEW BOOK: POLISH BANKNOTES, 19TH EDITION

Janusz Parchimowicz:
Catalogue of Polish and Polish-related banknotes

284 pages, each note mostly shown front and back in color,
Format 12 x 18.5 cm, hardcover,
19. completely revised and supplemented
Edition, Szczecin 2023,
Price 130 zloty (approx. 30.50 €)
ISBN: 978-83-87355-09-8

The 19th edition of the 2025 Polish Banknote Catalogue has been published every two years and features a reduced number of pages. The 2025 book ends with the Chapter 10 (Replicas). This time, the 0-euro notes are not included. The tables, which were Chapter XII in the 2023 book, are this time separated into a small booklet, which is discussed separately. All prices are given in Polish zloty (PLN). The Polish currency has maintained its value steadily; 100 PLN is equivalent to approximately €23.50.

Already on the first pages of the new catalog, prices for 18th-century banknotes have been significantly increased, in some cases by 30%, and not only for top-quality items. For the Duchy of Warsaw taler notes, the publisher has listed prices three to four times higher for 2-talar notes. Prices for Russian Poland in the 2023 catalog are often supplemented with "approx.", meaning "connoisseur's price." Many General Government banknotes are also listed at prices three times higher than before. The mint condition 10 million mark note from 1923 saw a "price jump" from 5,000 PLN to 9,000-10,000 PLN in 2025.

The attentive collector will not fail to notice that in 2025, some banknotes now have prices that were previously only marked with an approximate value. Banknote collectors interested in Poland know that banknotes from the 1920s are very rarely found at dealers or exchange partners; only the 1930s notes are – usually only used – on offer. Danzig banknotes were always highly sought after, even in Germany; here's just one price: The 1000-guilder note from 1923 was listed at 25,000 PLN (approx. €5,879) in the earlier book, similarly to €5,000 in the Grabowski catalog of 2024. Today, Parchimowicz values ??this note at 30,000 zloty. All in all, prices for paper money from the People's Republic of Poland have risen somewhat, due to the lack of supplies of older material, and many Polish coin collectors are still interested in banknotes from their country. Anyone who has been collecting mint-condition Polish banknotes for some time, which are still in circulation today, may have found a bargain. Not only mint-condition notes are now listed with prices significantly above their current value. The early commemorative banknotes have also seen significant price increases, proving that the number of paper money collectors continues to grow.

Paper money enthusiasts whose main collecting area is Poland will surely acquire this new work, but it can also be of great help to dealers who carry paper money in determining the correct price. If German bookstores don't offer the catalog, it can be ordered directly from the NEFRYT publishing house in Szczecin (Stettin), which will deliver it for 130 PLN plus shipping. The email address is: Parchimowicz.janusz@gmail.com.

To read the complete article, see:
Janusz Parchimowicz: Neue 19. Auflage des Katalogs zu polnischen Banknoten von 2025 (https://www.geldscheine-online.com/post/uwe-bronnert-die-million%C3%A4re-vom-westerwald-1)

 

BANKNOTE BOOK BADEN, WURTTEMBERG CHAPTERS

To read the complete articles, see:
Baden chapter now available (https://banknotenews.com/?p=46906)
Württemberg chapter now available (https://banknotenews.com/?p=46922)

For more information, or to subscribe, see:
The Banknote Book The ultimate reference for world paper money. (https://www.greysheet.com/publications/the-banknote-book-world-paper-money)

BOOK REVIEW: ELECTRUM

ELECTRUM AND THE INVENTION OF COINAGE
Joseph Linzalone

I have always been interested in electrum coinage, but unfortunately have never owned one. There are a small number of books on the subject and most of the books are relatively expensive, up to and above $200. These books are not readily available off the shelf and I am hesitant to purchase one sight unseen. I met a dealer at the last Ogden show with two copies of this book and I was able to flip through it and was impressed so I purchased a copy. The price was $95 which is still fairly expensive but after looking at it I made the purchase.

Although written in 2011 the information was what I was looking for. The title "Electrum and The Invention of Coinage" is very accurate as electrum was indeed the first coinage in the world dating from 660 BC in Ionia and Lydia in what is now western Turkey.

Electrum is a natural alloy of gold and silver usually found in small pieces (or nuggets) in local rivers and streams. Initially it was stamped with crude markings and through the years designs were impressed. Gold content did not matter but rather basic size and weight is what determined value.

The book is quite informative and is illustrated in full color with hundreds of specimens identified and pictured.

The book measures 6x9 and is published hardcover and in full color. It consists of 231 pages and I found it contains excellent information and easy reading. Electrum truly was the invention of coinage and again with a price of $95 I found the book a great value for my library.

For more information on the Utah Numismatic Society, see:
https://www.facebook.com/UtahNumismaticSociety

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NEW BOOK: ELECTRUM AND THE INVENTION OF COINAGE (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v14n45a04.html)

 

NNP ADDS BILL BUGERT DOUBLED DATE CENSUS

Newman Portal Adds Bill Bugert Doubled Date Census

Bill Bugert is well-known as the authority on Liberty Seated half dollar (1839-1891) varieties and has published well over a thousand die marriages in his ongoing series, A Register of Liberty Seated Half Dollar Varieties, with six volumes published to date. In addition, Bugert maintains separate censes on the more notable issues in this series, including the rare 1878-S. Bill has developed an extensive network of contacts with the Liberty Seated half dollar community, and any public appearance of an example will not go unnoticed. Bill's pedigrees are lengthy, and the bar to offer a new coin as "fresh to the market" is exceptionally high. Bill's latest publication, A Register of 1849 WB-6 Dramatically Doubled Date Liberty Seated Half Dollars, represents a census of the 38 known examples of the WB-6 variety and includes photographs of nearly every piece. Such studies are necessarily involved but deliver more reliable population information than provided by the grading service reports.

Image: 1849 WB-6 Dramatically Doubled Date Liberty Seated half dollar, with date initially punched to the left

Link to A Register of 1849 WB-6 Dramatically Doubled Date Liberty Seated Half Dollars:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/647959

Link to Bill Bugert publications on Newman Portal:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/booksbyauthor/361

 

NAZI BANKNOTE COUNTERFEITS DURING WWII

Cole Schenewerk is an accomplished Young Numismatist and distinguished author and exhibitor. In a World War II concentration camp, Jewish prisoners were printing thousands of pounds worth of British currency. The counterfeits are considered by many to be the best ever made. German agents were passing off the notes without any trouble. How did they do it?

Speaker(s): Cole Schenewerk.

To watch the complete video, see:
Nazi Bank Note Counterfeits During WWII (https://youtu.be/IW_7I3oCK1A)
Nazi Bank Note Counterfeits During WWII (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/557333)

NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JUNE 1, 2025

Cut Half Dime Mystery Solved
Regarding a great item he brought to our Nummis Nova dinner last week, John Kraljevich writes:

To read the complete article, see:
1795 H10C LM-3 (Regular Strike) (https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1795-h10c-lm-3/38587)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: MAY 25, 2025 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n21a21.html)

Doubling Up on Treasure Troves
Last week we quoted a Grunge.com article that referenced an E-Sylum article (which in turn excerpted a Greysheet piece):

From the Department of Redundancy Department, Gary Beals writes:

To read the complete article, see:
‘Treasure Trove' (https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/magazine/09FOB-onlanguage-t.html)
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/treasure_trove

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
LADY LIBERTY'S TREASURE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n21a27.html)

WANTED: 1958 RCNA Convention Program
Darryl Atchison writes:

On Coin Designs and Denominations
Thomas Lovelace writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: MAY 25, 2025 : Designs for the 2026 U.S. Semiquincentennial (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n21a10.html)
PENNY PRODUCTION TO HALT (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n21a24.html)

Cents on the Beach
Wayne Pearson writes:

More on the Rijksmuseum Numismatic Display
Max Hensley writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
GARRETT'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: THE NETHERLANDS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n21a20.html)

The Higgins Museum Opens for 2025 Season
George Cuhaj is returning for his third year as summer curator of the Higgins Museum. He writes:

For more information, see:
https://thehigginsmuseum.org/

Money Artist Tim Prusmack

John and Nancy Wilson write:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
SLABBING MISCUE: PRUSMACK VS. J.S.G. BOGGS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n15a26.html)

WHITMAN RELEASES NEW PRESTIGE COIN ALBUMS

The wait is over. Whitman Brands™ proudly announces the debut of Whitman Prestige™, an all-new premium coin album line designed with the modern collector in mind. Following months of anticipation and chatter across the numismatic community, Prestige redefines what it means to store and showcase a coin collection — combining elevated aesthetics with trusted functionality.

Crafted as an upgrade to the beloved Whitman Classic line, Prestige albums are larger, sturdier, and feature new art, measuring 7.8 x 9.4 inches with durable, soil-resistant grained leatherette covers. Unlike other albums on the market, each album includes a sleek protective slipcase for both style and protection. Available in multiple embossed finishes and colors, Prestige albums start at $69.95.

"The community was ready for something new," said John Feigenbaum, President and CEO of Whitman Brands. "My mandate to the team was to create a premium coin album that is both elegant and functional — and designed with the collector in mind. The result is, I believe, the new standard in storage and display for years to come: bold, beautiful, and accessible to collectors of all levels."

Initial Prestige Series Titles Include:

• Lincoln Cents 1909–1958, 1959–2008, Starting 2009
• Statehood Series Quarters 1999–2009
• Liberty Walking Half Dollars 1916–1947
• Kennedy Half Dollars 1964–1996, 1997–2026
• Morgan Dollars 1878–1891, 1892–1921
• Peace Dollars 1921–1935
• American Silver Eagles 1986–2021, Starting 2021

"At Whitman, we are extremely proud of our legacy of accuracy, quality, and innovation — and the Prestige line continues that tradition," said Mike Pfeiffer, Chief Operating Officer of Whitman Brands. "While the initial rollout includes popular and time-honored series like Lincolns, Morgans, and Silver Eagles, we are already developing future series and sets based on community input. There is more to come!"

Titles Coming Very Soon:

• Buffalo Nickels 1913–1938
• Jefferson Nickels Starting 1938–2003, Starting 2004
• Mercury Dimes 1916–1945
• Roosevelt Dimes Starting 1945
• Washington Quarters 1932–1964, 1965–1998
• Franklin Half Dollars 1948–1963

Each Prestige album is available in black and burgundy in three different spine widths depending on page count. Clear plastic slides protect both sides of each coin, while thumb notches on each page allow for effortless removal. Labeled openings, historical context, mintage data, and series specifications are standard — reinforcing Whitman's reputation for collector-first design and educational value.

"The new line gave us the chance to make subtle but important improvements," noted Patrick Ian Perez, Chief Publishing Officer of Whitman Brands. "We brought current coin series more up to date, improved organization for sets spanning multiple volumes, and kept Proof coins separate from circulating issues. We also removed varieties not practical for album storage and standardized terminology across the board."

Published by Whitman®, the most trusted name in numismatic literature, Whitman Prestige™ albums are available now at Whitman.com, Whitman's Official eBay Store, bookstores, hobby shops, and authorized retailers nationwide.

New titles, themes, and global series will be added as the Prestige line expands.

For a closer look inside the new albums, click here.

For more information, visit www.whitman.com.

VOCABULARY TERMS: REVERSE PROOF, SHADOW

Reverse Proof. A proof finish of the entire coin or medal's surface with reflective mirror-like surface on the devices and lettering only with background or field in a satin matte finish. It is the "reverse" of the customary cameo proof where the devices are satin matte, and background is proof polished (because this area is highest in the die, it is easiest to proof polish).

The Royal Canadian Mint was first to issue coins in reverse proof in 1981. It struck gold Maple Leaf bullion coins that year with the new proof polishing technique, calling it "brilliant relief on a satin background." Other countries followed – Great Britain, Austria, Australia – and the United States in 2006. The choice of the two proof surfaces are to give contrast to each other on the same side of a coin or medal.

Reverse Shadow. A light reflective area on tin and high tin alloys, including pewter and some white metal struck pieces caused by surface displacement during striking. This is an unusual property of coining metallurgy where the surface will not tone but becomes lighter and reflective than adjacent areas. Tin compositions do not work harden in certain areas where the flow marks will continue to be bright while the remainder of the surface will darken by toning. Usually lettering (because of the stress in forming these) will exhibit this bright reverse shadow effect. The surface tones in time, the stress area remains bright, forever! Evidence of this "negative shadow" is a diagnostic that the composition is high in tin content.

To read the complete entries on the Newman Numismatic Portal, see:
Reverse Proof (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/dictionarydetail/516646)
Reverse Shadow (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/dictionarydetail/520557)

 

FRANCIS XAVIER LEPERE (1822-1906)

The topic this week was suggested by Len Augsburger. Len's interest comes from a letter to Lepère found in the Eric Newman files.

Francis X. Lepère was born in St. Louis on September 7, 1822, the son of Martin Le Père (1794-1862) and Elizabeth Spaulding (1799-1884). Martin was an early settler in St. Louis with holdings in real estate and a successful grocery business.

Francis was employed as a clerk for David Nicholson before starting business as a retail grocer. Lepère promoted his business with small ads in the local English and German language newspapers as early as 1847. In the early 1870's, he ran ads in The Times of Shreveport, Louisiana. These might catch the attention of people heading upriver before travelling west.

On April 8, 1859, he entered a partnership with J. Tilden Richards to form the firm of Lepère & Richards in the wholesale grocery business. They were located at Second Street and Washington Avenue in St. Louis.

He married Catharine Matilda Dyer (1828-1913) in St. Louis on October 17, 1848. At the time of the 1850 Census, they were living with his parents. Catherine had fourteen children but only two outlived her.

An 1862 letter from Joseph J. Mickley to Lepère was in the Newman collection and sold at auction. However, the original Lepère query to Mickley has not been located. The Mickley response provides no insight into Lepère's collection. It is quite possible that Lepère was looking for a market for his duplicates rather than for items to add to his collection.

Lepère was a successful grocery merchant in St. Louis following the Civil War. People with origins in other countries passed through St. Louis on their way west. If he let it be known that he would accept foreign money in trade, he may have had access to a large source for his collection.

He was elected a corresponding member of the American Numismatic Society on February 13, 1868.

In the 1870 Census, Francis and Catherine had seven children living at home as well as his mother, Elizabeth. They also had four young women from Ireland listed as domestic servants.

Lepère filed for bankruptcy in 1875. The largest creditor was the Central Savings Bank of St. Louis. His assets included 90 shares of stock in the bank.

Francis Lepère was a director of the Central Savings Bank, organized in 1857. They made bad investments and went bankrupt on July 17, 1876. It is unlikely that Lepère's default alone brought down the bank. It is likely that the bankruptcy forced the sale of his collection.

John W. Haseltine conducted the 1776 Centennial Coin and Curiosity Sale. Part IV on July 17-18, 1876. This was identified as "The Collection of Francis Lepère of St, Louis." There was no biography of the consignor. It had more foreign coins and medals than American material. The sale included a long run of United States Store Cards with many selling for 1 cent each. Most lots brought less than a dollar each.

Not surprising, there were no Morgan Dollars in the sale and no Mint State grading. A 1794 Dollar, described as "a good specimen of this rare dollar" realized $54. Generally, the dollars were well circulated. I was amused to see a 1792 "Trial piece designed for a Cent" realize 5 cents in the sale.

There was a group of "Tokens of the War 1861-1865" described as "The following collection is the finest collection that I have ever seen and should be kept together." This was just six lots but included 1413 pieces. The first 1309 pieces sold for just 1.5 cents each.

In general, the American coins were well circulated and in the Fair to Fine range. These appeared to be coins that were pulled from circulation rather than choice pieces acquired at auction. A Lepère pedigree on a coin would have little prestige.

By the 1880 Census, Francis and Catherine were down to five children living at home and down to just one servant.

The second sale of Lepère coins was conducted by the Chapman brothers on February 15-16, 1904. The first 414 lots were designated as coming from Lepere with other consignments following. The dollars of 1878 to 1904 were called "Standard" dollars rather than Morgans. Many of the American silver coins sold at face value or a very small premium higher.

The ANS has a file of letters from Lepère to the Chapman brothers. In a letter dated October 7, 1903, he informs them that he has relocated to Pueblo, Colorado. A letter dated November 13, 1903, mentions his collection and that most of the coins were obtained from their sales. On April 2. 1904, he requested return of his coins that were not included in the sale.

Perhaps the most significant letter from Lepère to the Chapmans was dated April 11, 1904. He expressed frustration that the price received for his coins was extremely low.

Lepère died at the home of a daughter in St; Louis on January 8, 1906, and is buried at Calvary Cemetery and Mausoleum in St. Louis.

Lepère is not mentioned in the Bowers book on American Numismatics Before the Civil War 1760-1860. Before the war he was collecting but not an active player in the market.

The History Channel had a two-part program on Sitting Bull this week. Here is how he fits into this story.

During 1871 and 1872, Indians under Sitting Bull attacked railroad survey parties that were plotting the route for the Northern Pacific Railroad through disputed Indian Territory. This caused the railroad to suspend construction, the railroad failed causing great losses to investors and the Panic of 1873 followed.

Investments by land speculators lost value and caused banks to fail. Among those bank failures was the Central Saving Bank of St. Louis. Investment losses caused the bankruptcy of Francis Lepère and he was forced to sell his collection at auction.

There were other factors in the world economy that led to the Panic of 1873. Blaming Sitting Bull for the sale of the Lepère collection might be a bit of a stretch.

To read the correspondence on the Newman Numismatic Portal, see:
Lepére, Francis Xavier, 1901-1904 (St. Louis, Missouri [and] Pueblo, Colorado) [ANS Chapman brothers business correspondence] (https://archive.org/details/leprefrancisxavi00lepr)
Letter from Joseph J. Mickley to Francis Lepere (https://archive.org/details/letterfromjoseph0000jose)

 

TREASURE TALK WITH BOB EVANS, EPISODE 5.1

It is safe to say that we have all experienced rust. Rust is common everywhere. Everyone has grabbed some dirty object only to find their hands soiled with the reddish-brown stains of iron oxide. While it may seem odd to talk about rust in an article about treasure, the reader should realize that the greatest lost treasure in United States history sat for decades in a rusty world.

Hundreds of tons of iron were used in the construction of the S.S. George Law, the steamship that would see its name changed to Central America in June of 1857. At the bottom of the sea, over the course of 13 decades, the massive engines and boilers of the great steamer were transformed into ghostly monuments, reduced to rusty hulks, appearing to melt into the surrounding seafloor. Both chemical and biological agents were responsible for the scene we found in September of 1988.

I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea. What we saw was the aftermath of a disaster that took hundreds of human lives, an appalling tragedy. My intention has always been to honor the memory of those 425 men who were lost, and the legacy of the 153 survivors, whose lives were changed forever by the Great Storm of 1857. There is a profound spiritual element involved in working on this important site.

As a scientist, there is also the physical reality, and the practical matters that accompany difficult work under challenging conditions, on a deep-sea site that is utterly fascinating and complex, a wonderful manifestation of history as well as natural processes, a shipwreck that shouts obvious facts, but gives up other secrets slowly, if at all.

The S.S. Central America was a wooden ship, constructed of oak and pine.

Marine biologists have a term for what happened when the SSCA sank to the seabed. It was a "woodfall," usually a word applied to trees that drift out to sea and sink. In the case of the SSCA, it was an enormous woodfall, the equivalent of dozens of trees. From a deep-sea biological resource point of view, in addition to around 600 tons of nutritious wood, it also had lots of small and large nooks and cavities. Even at a depth of 7,200 feet (2200m,) more than a mile below where any sunlight can penetrate, life still proliferates.

And so, on September 12, 1857, the S.S. Central America sank, fell through the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, passed into the cold depths of the Western Boundary Undercurrent, and impacted the seabed 2200 meters down. It settled onto a flat, slightly sloping field of microscopic shells of plankton, in a region otherwise devoid of any large features.

Suddenly, 600 tons of wood and a few hundred tons of iron plopped down in the middle of this setting. For benthic animals, those who live at the bottom of the sea, this was a huge opportunity, the base for a food web to develop, and a hard substrate.

Sessile animals are those who attach to objects and grow on them, like sponges and corals. These animals and many other invertebrates begin life as free-swimming larvae, which drift with the currents until attaching to something hard. It can be anything non-poisonous, a piece of wood, a lump of coal, a gold bar.

The arrival of the wood triggered a feast. Bacteria immediately started to colonize and consume the timbers. Small invertebrates began to graze on the bacteria, and these were in turn eaten by larger species. The nutritious waters provided plenty of food for filter feeders like corals, sponges, and adaptive starfish. The structure of the shipwreck introduced another commodity rare in that vast, flat plain: a third dimension. Animals that crawl could also climb. We found several filter-feeding starfish arrayed high atop the paddle wheel frame and other features that protruded up into the nutritious current.

Iron.

Iron is the fourth commonest element in the earth's crust, after oxygen, silicon, and aluminum. So, we know a lot about iron, and with both iron and oxygen so abundant on the planet it is no surprise that rust is as well.

When first recovered, some of the artifacts showed this layering, the changes in chemistry from the thin rust forming in the open water with abundant oxygen, descending into the brownish-red rust at the sediment surface, then deeper into darker and blacker deposits where less and less oxygen is present, and then clear, with no rust forming once deep enough.

What this means for the S.S. Central America shipwreck site is that rust is everywhere. Iron-fixing bacteria proliferate, and they have spread the rust onto almost every exposed surface. Rust bubbles from every iron surface and is redeposited on the ceramics, the coal, and even the gold.

It appears to flow down the sides of machinery and to drip from chains and water tanks like so many icicles or stalactites, like flowstone in cave formations. The team that discovered the shipwreck of R.M.S Titanic dubbed the dangling formations "rusticles."

Rust was in fact quite an issue for the SSCA treasure.

I have heard it a million times, "Wait a minute! Rust on gold? Gold doesn't rust, does it?"

No. The rust doesn't form from the gold. The rust forms on the gold. The rust forms around the gold. It is a surface deposit. In a sense, it is the rock that encases the gold, like the sedimentary rock matrix around fossils.

This is completely unlike tarnish on silver, which involves a chemical reaction between the elements in the air and the silver itself. (Airborne sulfur is a major contributor to tarnish.) So, tarnish is actually a silver mineral, and it represents a change of the original silver surface.

Not so with the rust on the gold of the SSCA. The presence of rust on the gold is due to chemical reactions, aided by biology, but the gold was not involved, except as an inert surface for the deposit.

After the 1988 season, I had a few double eagles to work with, a few rusty gold coins. How could I properly remove the rust and reveal what were obviously pretty fabulous coins that were hiding under the dirt? How could I "clean" the gold?

Wait a minute! Numismatists don't like the term "clean."

Honestly, coming from the world of science, numismatists don't like a lot of things. They have high standards, and they are very particular about originality. They are also a very semantic bunch, a fact I find both aggravating and endearing. In a normal world a whole host of synonyms might be useful, in addition to just straight "cleaning." Washing, rinsing, scrubbing, scouring, polishing, restoring, conserving, preserving, curating.

In the semantic, numismatic world:

"Scrubbing," "scouring," and "polishing" are strictly forbidden, because they imply manipulation of the original surface, alteration or movement of metal, so originality is lost.

"Washing" and "preserving" are too general. How did you wash it? What did you do to preserve it?

"Restoring" implies manipulation of surfaces as well, that the restorer has done something to regain the originality, which, let's face it, cannot be achieved. It also suggests an even worse practice, "doctoring," in which a coin's surface or features are treated in a way to either conceal or enhance something about the coin, in other words, to deceive.

This leaves us with "conserving" and "curating." It could be argued that these are also too ambiguous to be useful. But they sound better than "cleaning," which is something you do to a dirty bathtub, or a carburetor. They sound more "scientifical."

I'm fine with being either a conservator or a curator. In my mind, a conservator is a technician, who applies specific treatments or actions to an object to achieve the desired condition. Also, in my mind, a curator is one who cares (from the Latin, curare: to care.) Perhaps it is splitting hairs, but the curator conserves, and catalogues, and studies the objects in question. Curation and conservation are about intent. My intention has always been to do no harm, neither concealing any defect nor enhancing any weakness, and to present a gold coin in as natural and original a condition as possible, to reveal it for what it is.

Somewhere, early in the project, probably after the flood of gold from the 1989 season, I settled on the title Curator to describe my relationship to the treasure. The sudden addition of thousands of pieces to the project's "collection," including thousands of the same thing (mint-state but rusty 1857-S double eagles) called for broader curatorial techniques, mostly cataloguing and tracking, rather than the more specific lab work of "conserving" gold.

But as Curator, I was also serving as conservator, and I have ever since. So, call me either.

To read the complete article, see:
Treasure Talk: Episode 5 Part 1 GOLD & RUST (https://finestknown.com/treasure-talk-episode-5-part-1gold-rust/)

For the complete series, see:
Category Archives: Treasure Talk with Bob Evans (https://finestknown.com/treasure-talk-with-bob-evans/)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
TREASURE TALK WITH BOB EVANS, EPISODE 1 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n12a12.html)
TREASURE TALK WITH BOB EVANS, EPISODE 2.1 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n13a17.html)
TREASURE TALK WITH BOB EVANS, EPISODE 2.2 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n14a15.html)
TREASURE TALK WITH BOB EVANS, EPISODE 3.1 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n15a16.html)
TREASURE TALK WITH BOB EVANS, EPISODE 3.2 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n17a16.html)
TREASURE TALK WITH BOB EVANS, EPISODE 4.1 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n18a13.html)
TREASURE TALK WITH BOB EVANS, EPISODE 4.2 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n19a20.html)

 

SOVEREIGN RARITIES: HIGHCLIFF PART II

There have been some wonderful opportunities for historical medal enthusiasts over the past few weeks. NAC in association with David Guest Numismatic's Traveller Collection followed by Sincona's British Collection Auction 96 have offered spectacular medals in a field where collectors are all too often thwarted by the lack of supply. Underbidders and discerning collectors alike will therefore want to know that Sovereign Rarities will offer Part II of the outstanding Highcliff Collection on June 11 in Auction 18. Featuring earlier medals than Highcliff Part I, the medals are once again of the very highest quality available and with some impressive provenances too.

Auction 18 is available online on the Sovereign Rarities website as well as number of auction platforms. Some highlights from the Highcliff Collection are listed below and highlights from the coins in Auction 18 will be discussed in a separate advertorial to follow.

Lot 411: Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 1588, struck silver Medal by Gerhard van Bijlaer, Philip II of Spain, and the heads of the Catholic Church and state, blindfolded, seated in discussion, their feet on a spiked floor, O. COECAS. HOMINVM. MENTES. O. PECTORA. COECA. [Oh the blind minds of men, oh the blind hearts], DVRVM. EST. CONTRA. STIMVLOS. CALCITRARE [It is hard to kick against goads], rev., the Spanish fleet, some foundering on rocks, TV. DEVS. MAGNVS. ET. MAGNA. FACIS TV. SOLVS. DEVS, VENI. VIDE. VIVE. 1588 [You God are great and do great things, You God alone. Come. See. Live. 1588], 51mm, 45.77g (Eimer 56a; MI i 144/111; Van Loon I, p. 384, i.). Insignificant light rubbing/tooling in fields, trace of old mount at 12 o'clock on reverse, otherwise toned and extremely fine, very rare.

Ex: Nomos, Auction 13, 7 October 2016, lot 15; Bought Sovereign Rarities, July 2018

To read the complete item description, see:
Lot 411: Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 1588, struck silver Medal by Gerhard van Bijlaer, (https://auctions.sovr.co.uk/index.php?option=com_timed_auction&view=lot_detail&auction_id=28&lot_id=758685)

Lot 414: Queen Anne, 1603, silver Medal by C Anthony (?), draped and jewelled bust three-quarters left, ANNA. D'. G'. REGINA. MAG', BRIT'. FR'. ET. HIB'. FILIA & SOROR REGV. DANIÆ:, rev. crowned armourial shield, ASTVTIA. FALLAX; TVTIOR. INNOCENTIA., 29mm, 7.46g (Eimer 81; MI i 192/12). Good extremely fine.

Ex: Peter Earthy Collection, Baldwin's of St. James's 21, 26 September 2018, lot 511. Therein stated to have been bought from A. H. Baldwin, 1978

To read the complete item description, see:
Lot 414: Queen Anne, 1603, silver Medal by C Anthony (?), (https://auctions.sovr.co.uk/index.php?option=com_timed_auction&view=lot_detail&auction_id=28&lot_id=758688)

Lot 417: Charles I, Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, Military Reward, undated (c. 1642), armoured bust of Essex almost facing, wearing plain collar and scarf, EARL OF ESSEX, rev. Essex shield; with integral suspension rings, 31.5 x 22mm, 5.62g (cf. M.I. I/298/117; Platt vol. II, p. 84, G7, this piece). Toned extremely fine and apparently the only known example with this obverse inscription.

Ex: Platt & Platt G7, this piece; Ex Morton & Eden, 26 April 2024, lot 191; Morton and Eden, 9 June 2009, lot 333; Spink Auction 140, 16 November 1999, lot 693

To read the complete item description, see:
Lot 417: Charles I, Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, Military Reward, undated (c. 1642), (https://auctions.sovr.co.uk/index.php?option=com_timed_auction&view=lot_detail&auction_id=28&lot_id=758691)

Lot 419: Prince Rupert, 1645, silver-gilt medal or Military Reward, unsigned [by T. Rawlins (?)], half-length bust three-quarters left, holding a baton and wearing a Royalist badge on sash, lace collar over armour, his hair long and tied with a ribbon, rev. arms of the Prince on three shields, with lion supporters, crested helm and decorative scrolls above, between RP [Rupertus Princeps], 42 x 30mm, 19.93g (Platt II, pp.268-9, type B [B1, this piece]; MI I, 323/159; MH 30). Very fine and rare.

Ex: Platt & Platt B1, this piece; Bought Dr. Jerome J Platt Collection, Noonan's Auction 265, 23 November 2022, lot 74; Baldwin Auction 28, 9 October 2001, lot 1917; Daniel Fearon, Spink Auction 8, 27 February 1980, lot 381; Lt-Col. Sir G. Dalrymple White, Glendining's, 24-26 July 1946, lot 1; Brigadier-General G. Ll. Palmer, Glendining's, 18-20 June 1919, lot 2; J.E. Hodgkin, Sotheby's, 22-23 April 1914, lot 27; H. Montagu, Sotheby's, 24-29 May 1897, lot 160

To read the complete item description, see:
Lot 419: Prince Rupert, 1645, silver-gilt medal or Military Reward, unsigned [by T. Rawlins (?)], (https://auctions.sovr.co.uk/index.php?option=com_timed_auction&view=lot_detail&auction_id=28&lot_id=758693)

Lot 423: Charles I, gold Royalist Badge, oval, by T. Rawlins, crowned bust right, draped and wearing a lace collar, CAROLVS D.G. MAG. BRI. FR. ET. HIB. RX., rev. Royal arms within garter, 45 x 36mm, 20.50g (Platt I, p.160, type A [A1, this piece]; MI I, 360/232 and pl. xxxii, 9 [only recorded in silver and silver-gilt]; Farquhar, BNJ 1905, p.261; Eimer 168). Extremely fine and of the highest rarity.

Ex: Bought Noonan's Auction 265, 23 November 2022, lot 89, Dr. Jerome J Platt Collection; DNW Auction 47, 8 September 2000, lot 667; Mrs Greta Heckett, Sotheby's Auction, 25 May 1977, lot 214

To read the complete item description, see:
Lot 423: Charles I, gold Royalist Badge, oval, by T. Rawlins, (https://auctions.sovr.co.uk/index.php?option=com_timed_auction&view=lot_detail&auction_id=28&lot_id=758697)

Lot 429: Peace with Holland, 1667, silver Medal by John Roettier, laureate bust of Charles II right, * CAROLVS. SECVNDVS. DEI. GRATIA. MAG. BRI. FRAN. ET. HIB. REX, rev. Britannia seated left at the base of a rock contemplating her navies, FAVENTE DEO, in exergue, BRITANNIA, edge CAROLVS * SECVNDVS * PACIS * ET * IMPERII * RESTITVTOR * AVGVSTVS, 53mm, 74.09g (Eimer 241; MI i 535/185; vL II 544). About as struck, with russet tone.

Ex: Bought A H Baldwin & Sons Ltd., June 2013; Marquess of Bute Collection, Sotheby's, 2 July 1951, lot 90

To read the complete item description, see:
Lot 429: Peace with Holland, 1667, silver Medal by John Roettier, (https://auctions.sovr.co.uk/index.php?option=com_timed_auction&view=lot_detail&auction_id=28&lot_id=758703)

Lot 434: James II and Mary of Modena, complimentary silver-gilt Medal, 1685, by George Bower, conjoined busts right, his laureate and with mantle draped over plain armour, hers draped, rev. the Sun in Majesty, FORTES. RADII. SED. BENIGNI 1685, 52mm, 53.60g (Eimer -; MI i 610/16). Nearly extremely fine and extremely rare.

Ex: Bought A H Baldwin & Sons Ltd., June 2013; Marquess of Bute, Sotheby's, 2 July 1951, lot 103

To read the complete item description, see:
Lot 434: James II and Mary of Modena, complimentary silver-gilt Medal, 1685, by George Bower, (https://auctions.sovr.co.uk/index.php?option=com_timed_auction&view=lot_detail&auction_id=28&lot_id=758708)

Lot 435: James II, Accession and the Throne Protected, 1685, silver Medal by George Bower, laureate bust of the King right, hair long falling over mantle, IACOBVS II DG MAG BRI FRAN ET HI REX, rev. an angel protects the Crown which is placed on a chair of State, TUTAMEN AB ALTO, 43.5mm, 29.85g (MI i 611/18; Eimer -). Good extremely fine.

Ex: Bought Peter Earthy, Baldwin's of St. James's, Auction 21, 26 September 2018, lot 550; Therein stated to be Ex Spink Auction 8, 27 February 1980, lot 467 [Hugh Jessop]

To read the complete item description, see:
Lot 435: James II, Accession and the Throne Protected, 1685, silver Medal by George Bower, (https://auctions.sovr.co.uk/index.php?option=com_timed_auction&view=lot_detail&auction_id=28&lot_id=758709)

Lot 440: Peace of Ryswick, 1697, silver Medal by Robert Arondeaux, European rulers including Leopold I, Louis XIV, William III and Carl XII, closing the doors of the Temple of Janus, CAESA FIRMABANT FOEDERA PORCA , rev. Coats-of-Arms around view of Ryswick Palace within border, RYSWYK GUILELMI III D G M BRITAN ETC R PALAT , MDCXCVII in exergue, plain edge, 49mm, 46.85g (Eimer -; MI ii, 169/453; van Loon IV, 273; Harding 32). Practically as struck.

Ex: Harding 32, this medal; Bought Sovereign Rarities Ltd., February 2023; Harding Collection, Spink Auction 283, 18 October 2022, lot 762

To read the complete item description, see:
Lot 440: Peace of Ryswick, 1697, silver Medal by Robert Arondeaux, (https://auctions.sovr.co.uk/index.php?option=com_timed_auction&view=lot_detail&auction_id=28&lot_id=758714)

Lot 452: Floods in the Netherlands, 1741, silver Medal by Nicholas van Swinderen, a river god surveys a flooded land whose inhabitants attempt to stay above water, in the distance, unaffected, a church, in a cartouche, O DEVS A MVLTIS AQVIS NOS REDDE SECVROS, rev. legend in eight lines, 48mm, 43.33g (Brettauer 1828). Beautifully toned, good extremely fine.

Ex: Bought A H Baldwin & Sons Ltd., March 2016; Marquess of Bute Collection, Sotheby's, 2 July 1951, lot 274 (part)

To read the complete item description, see:
Lot 452: Floods in the Netherlands, 1741, silver Medal by Nicholas van Swinderen, (https://auctions.sovr.co.uk/index.php?option=com_timed_auction&view=lot_detail&auction_id=28&lot_id=758726)

Lot 453: Gustav II Adolph, 1629, cast silver-gilt and enamelled complimentary Medal, unsigned, bust of Gustav facing slightly to right, GVSTAVVS ADOLP D:G: SVEC: GOTH: WAND: Q: REX, rev. beneath the name ????, JAHWEH in Hebrew, DEVM COLE / AVRVM CONTEMNE / VIRTVTEM SECTARE / ARGENTVM SPERNE / PATRIAM DEFENDE / 1629, all within partially enamelled wreathed border, 61mm, 38.09g (Hildebrand I, S. 140, 73). An original cast, partially enamelled, very rare thus, and very fine.

Ex: Bought Christopher Eimer, January 2014; Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co. KG, Auction 141, 19 June 2008, lot 4547

To read the complete item description, see:
Lot 453: Gustav II Adolph, 1629, cast silver-gilt and enamelled complimentary Medal, (https://auctions.sovr.co.uk/index.php?option=com_timed_auction&view=lot_detail&auction_id=28&lot_id=758727)

ARCHIVES INTERNATIONAL SALE 103

Ottawa, Canada, May 1st, 1912, $5, DC-21c, Issued banknote, No Seal, Prefix B, Black with blue undertint, locomotive L-R through countryside, Various | Boville signatures, S/N B465023, PMG graded Gem Uncirculated 65 EPQ. This 1912 $5 Dominion of Canada note is a beautiful example of early Canadian currency. The note features crisp, original paper with sharp design details and excellent margins. The front of the note depicts a highly detailed scene of a steam locomotive, symbolizing Canada's industrial development at the time, with the iconic "DOMINION OF CANADA" inscription across the top. The serial number B465023 is printed in red, contributing to its visual appeal. The reverse side of the note showcases intricate vignettes and patterns with the denomination "FIVE DOLLARS" prominently displayed. An exceptional note missing from most collections in this high grade designation.

To read the complete item description, see:
Ottawa, Canada, May 1st, 1912, $5, DC-21c, Issued banknote, No Seal, Prefix B, Black with blue undertint, locomotive L-R through countryside, Various | Boville signatures, S/N B465023, PMG graded Gem Uncirculated 65 EPQ. (https://auction.archivesinternational.com/Dominion-of-Canada-1912-5-High-Grade-Issued-Banknote_i56733912)

New Orleans. ND (1836-1839), Citizens' Bank of Louisiana, $500 = 2650 Francs = £104.3.4 Stg, 5 1/2% Interest Per Annum, Proof Obsolete Interest Bearing Post Note, Black printing on india type of paper, pp B, PMG graded Choice Extremely Fine 45 with note of "previously mounted and corner tips missing, 6 interest coupons, 3 on the left and 3 on the right side." A highly attractive and historical proof note issued by the Citizens Bank of Louisiana in the mid-1830s. This unique proof features the intricate engraving of a reclining partially nude Native American woman in middle, Large "$500" on left over title, text states "The Citizens' Bank of Louisiana Promise to pay Four Years after date to the order of ______ or Bearer Five Hundred Dollars........with interest at the rate of 5 1/2 per cent per annum payable half yearly.......", The Citizens Bank of Louisiana, a prominent institution in New Orleans during the early 19th century, played a critical role in financing both local and international trade, This is very possibly a discovery piece from this bank of a circulating and interest bearing Post Note, similar to the 1864 Interest Bearing Notes and Compound Interest Bearing notes issued by the United States during the Civil War. This and the previous companion piece are from an old estate and have never appeared at auction before, nor have any records of a previous auction appearance or sale of this design and type been found. "Childs, Engraver, New Orleans". Very possibly unique, First time seen by describer.

To read the complete item description, see:
New Orleans. ND (1836-1839), Citizens' Bank of Louisiana, $500 = 2650 Francs = £104.3.4 Stg, 5 1/2% Interest Per Annum, Proof Obsolete Interest Bearing Post Note, Black printing on india type of paper, pp B, PMG graded Choice Extremely Fine 45 with note of "previously mounted and corner tips missing, 6 interest coupons, 3 on the left and 3 on the right side." (https://auction.archivesinternational.com/LA-The-Citizens-Bank-of-Louisiana-ND-ca-1836-39-500-Proof-Interest-Bearing-Post-Note-Obsolete_i56734141)

Jefferson City, Missouri, 1862. $1, MOCR13, Issued Obsolete Banknote, Black with red underprint. Portrait of Jefferson Davis at center with flags flanked by other vignettes, S/N 27519, PMG graded Choice Fine 15 NET with comments "Tape Repairs, Rust Stains."

To read the complete item description, see:
Jefferson City, Missouri, 1862. $1, MOCR13, Issued Obsolete Banknote, Black with red underprint. (https://auction.archivesinternational.com/MO-State-of-Missouri-1862-Obsolete-Banknote_i56734145)

Washington, D.C., August 15, 1864, $50, Fr#212, Issued and punch cancelled "Interest Bearing Note". Black printing with green border, Colby | Spinner signatures, S/N 118501 pp A. PMG graded Very Fine 20 with note of Punch hole Cancelled and Restoration. This note, issued under the Act of March 3, 1865, earned 7.3% interest per annum, payable after three years. It features a green border with intricate security prints, including a central eagle vignette—larger than the one on $10 Legal Tender Notes. This eagle, when inverted, resembles a donkey, leading to the nickname "Jackass Notes." A red spiked Treasury Seal is positioned at the right, while the engraved signatures of Colby and Spinner appear at the lower left and right, respectively. Red serial numbers are printed at the lower left and upper right. The reverse is ornately printed in green, with a clause stating that the note could be converted into bonds after five years, accompanied by large "50" counters on either side. Originally, these notes included five coupons at the right edge; however, none remain on this example. Only seven examples of this catalog number are known, with one housed in the Smithsonian Institution's National Numismatic Collection. $50 Interest Bearing Notes are extremely rare, making this an important opportunity for collectors.

To read the complete item description, see:
Washington, D.C., August 15, 1864, $50, Fr#212, Issued and punch cancelled "Interest Bearing Note". Black printing with green border, Colby | Spinner signatures, S/N 118501 pp A. PMG graded Very Fine 20 with note of Punch hole Cancelled and Restoration. (https://auction.archivesinternational.com/D-C-50-1864-Interest-Bearing-Note-Fr-212-Issued-Banknote_i56734181)

Washington, D.C., Lot of 6 Large Die Proofs of the back vignettes used on the Original Series (1863 to 1875), and the Series of 1875 National Bank Note Issues for the denominations of $10; $20; $50; $100; $500, and $1000 denominations, all are PMG graded Choice Uncirculated 63, and all are printed on india paper mounted on large thin card, printed in black with a blue Serial Number on the back of each card. The back designs include: $10, "De Soto Discovering the Mississippi", Fr.#409-423a, HUNL5aBD; $20, Baptism of Pocahontas, Fr.# 424-439, H729BD; $50, Embarkation of the Pilgrims, Fr.# 440-451, H104BD; $100, Declaration of Independence, Fr. #452-463, H1151BD; $500, Surrender of General Burgoyne, Fr.# 464-464a, HUNL500aBD; and, Washington Resigning His Commission, Fr.#465, H1403BD. All have a decorative and embellished birder that was removed from the main design that was used on the final banknote back design. All were graded PMG Choice Uncirculated 64 but all appear Gem Uncirculated. These historic back vignette die proofs were produced by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) and reflect some of the most iconic allegorical and historical scenes ever featured on U.S. currency. The imagery was originally engraved for the backs of the National Bank Notes during a time when elaborate artwork was used to instill confidence in the financial system and emphasize national pride. Each proof includes a blue control serial number on the reverse, a common practice for archival tracking by the BEP. Die proofs of this caliber and completeness, particularly in uniformly high grade, are seldom seen as a group. This lot represents an extraordinary opportunity to acquire a matched set of high-grade examples of all six major denomination back designs, each illustrating pivotal moments in American history.

To read the complete item description, see:
Washington, D.C., Lot of 6 Large Die Proofs of the back vignettes used on the Original Series (1863 to 1875), and the Series of 1875 National Bank Note Issues for the denominations of $10; $20; $50; $100; $500, and $1000 denominations, all are PMG graded Choice Uncirculated 63, and all are printed on india paper mounted on large thin card, printed in black with a blue Serial Number on the back of each card. (https://auction.archivesinternational.com/D-C-Historic-Original-and-Series-of-1875-Large-Die-Proofs-of-Reverse-Vignettes-ca-1864-1875_i56734184)

New York, April 5, 1882. 1000 Shares I/C Stock Certificate Issued to W. C. Andrews, S/N 213. Black text with green border, U.S. Capitol Building at top center. Signatures have been cancelled. VF condition with signs of wear along top margin, FBN. Signatures are: J. D. Rockefeller as President; J. A. Bostwick as Treasurer; H. M. Flagler as Secretary, and ITASB, W.C. Andrews, who also signed the back. Very rare set of signatures. Wallace Corydon Andrews was born in Vienna, Ohio 17 June 1833. He was one of the original directors of the Standard Oil Company, and in 1879 became President of the New York Steam Company. John Davison Rockefeller (July 8, 1839 - May 23, 1937) was the guiding force behind the creation and development of the Standard Oil Company, which grew to dominate the oil industry and became one of the first big trusts in the United States. The Standard Oil Company was organized in 1870, with Henry Morrison Flagler (January 2, 1830 - May 20, 1913) and Jabez Abel Bostwick (September 23, 1830 - August 16, 1892) serving as founding members, alongside J.D. Rockefeller. Rockefeller is widely considered the wealthiest American of all time and the richest person in modern history. Standard Oil Co. was an American oil-producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Standard Oil's history as one of the world's first and largest multinational corporations ended in 1911, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in a landmark case, that Standard Oil was an illegal monopoly. Rare and valuable set of signatures from influential and famous American businessmen.

To read the complete item description, see:
New York, April 5, 1882. 1000 Shares I/C Stock Certificate Issued to W. C. Andrews, S/N 213. Black text with green border, U.S. Capitol Building at top center. Signatures have been cancelled. VF condition with signs of wear along top margin, FBN. Signatures are: J. D. Rockefeller as President; J. A. Bostwick as Treasurer; H. M. Flagler as Secretary, and ITASB, W.C. Andrews, who also signed the back. Very rare set of signatures. (https://auction.archivesinternational.com/Standard-Oil-Trust-1882-Issued-Stock-Certificate-Signed-by-J-D-Rockefeller-J-A-Bostwick-H-M-Fla_i56734332)

Aurora, Nevada Territory, 1862. 10 Shares Capital Stock I/U Stock Certificate, Black printing with bee hive at top center under company title and Native woman with bow and arrow at left, S/N 14, Fine to VF condition with light stains at center. Towne & Bacon, Printers.

To read the complete item description, see:
Aurora, Nevada Territory, 1862. 10 Shares Capital Stock I/U Stock Certificate, Black printing with bee hive at top center under company title and Native woman with bow and arrow at left, S/N 14, Fine to VF condition with light stains at center. (https://auction.archivesinternational.com/Nevada-Territory-Strawberry-Mining-Co-1862-I-U-Stock-Certificate_i56734347)

 

STACK'S BOWERS: JOHN ADAMS BOLEN MEDALS

Undated (ca. 1861) Pioneer Baseball Club Medal. By John Adams Bolen. Musante JAB-1. Copper. MS-64 RB (PCGS). 31.5 mm. Handsome red and brown surfaces with intense orange red around the letters of the obverse legend. Gentle blue and green iridescence accents the centers, the reverse being a bit more mellow brown overall but still featuring the same pleasing accent colors. Traces of reflective character remain in the fields. A few trivial patina spots are noted for accuracy, but the eye appeal and overall quality are excellent. All details are boldly struck up with evidence of double striking on the reverse. A prized medal in the Bolen series, indeed, one of the most beloved, and the medal that initiated Bolen's career as a medalist.

The dies for this issue were cut in 1861, commissioned of Bolen by Charles E. Vinton, a hotel clerk at Massasoit House in Springfield, and an associate with the Pioneer Baseball Club in that city. The dies themselves were sold to Vinton, as clearly indicated in Bolen's own manuscript notebook, now in the care of the ANS. The entry pertaining to the dies, however, is in the hand of Major Charles P. Nichols, a prominent Springfield collector. The annotations, as discussed in the introduction to this offering, include various entries as to numbers struck, etc., and were the basis for the listing of Bolen's works in the June 1868 issue of the American Journal of Numismatics. As of 1882, when Edwin Johnson published his listing of Bolen's works, he reported that the dies were still in Vinton's care, but that would not last long, as Vinton is reported to have died by his own hand in January 1883. In Bolen's own 1905 listing of his works, he entered the Pioneer Baseball Club medals as entry number one, clarifying that this was his first medallic commission as a die-sinker.

The Pioneer Baseball Club medals are among the most prized of Bolen's works, and have been since the time of their production. Not only are they his first commission, but they are among the few issues that combine two of America's favorite pastimes, baseball and numismatics. It was reported that club member, Ham Downing "carried his medal with him at all times" and was supposedly buried with it!

Just 75 were reported to have been struck in copper, all of which would have been by Bolen, as these dies are not known to have been sold into the numismatic trade. This is the most desired composition and seems quite a bit rarer than the suggested mintage might indicate. We have just seven appearances in copper in our online archives going back two decades (including this example in 2017).

Ex: From the Claremont Collection. Earlier ex Henry South; our sale of the Tim Gabriele Collection, November 2017 Baltimore Auction, lot 217.

To read the complete item description, see:
Undated (ca. 1861) Pioneer Baseball Club Medal. By John Adams Bolen. Musante JAB-1. Copper. MS-64 RB (PCGS). (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1JHKYV/undated-ca-1861-pioneer-baseball-club-medal-by-john-adams-bolen-musante-jab-1-copper-ms-64-rb-pcgs)

"1794" (ca. 1862) United States Arsenal Medal, Without Sun. By John Adams Bolen. Musante JAB-4. Copper. MS-63 BN (NGC). 27.8 mm. Soft blue and violet iridescence dominates both sides while outlines of rich retained copper red are seen around the U.S. Arsenal building on the obverse. Slight olive mottling is noted on the reverse and soft prooflike reflectivity remains through the fields. A lovely specimen, beautifully struck and with minimal handling. Probably one of Bolen's reported 75 struck, as noted in the annotations of his notebook, and in the 1868 AJN listing.

Bolen, in his own hand, referred to this medal, without the sun, as "a more correct view of the building," clarifying that it was a second attempt at the design in which he found greater satisfaction. Not terribly rare, but still missing from Musante's collection in this metal.

Ex: From the Claremont Collection. Earlier ex Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society; Heritage's Long Beach Tokens & Medals Signature Auction, June 2016, lot 99369.

To read the complete item description, see:
"1794" (ca. 1862) United States Arsenal Medal, Without Sun. By John Adams Bolen. Musante JAB-4. Copper. MS-63 BN (NGC). (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1JHL0P/1794-ca-1862-united-states-arsenal-medal-without-sun-by-john-adams-bolen-musante-jab-4-copper-ms-63-bn-ngc)

1864 George Washington / Soldier's Fair Medal. By John Adams Bolen. Musante JAB-16, Musante GW-679, Fuld-760-1e, Baker-365. White Metal. MS-64 (NGC). 28 mm. Lovely light silver gray with some prooflike character remaining in the fields adding to the overall eye appeal. Just an all-around pleasing example of a medal that almost always has a condition qualifier added to the description from the following list: dull gray; worn; pested; damaged; holed, or some other problem. A survey of the images of white metal impressions of this variety in our archives speaks volumes. Though this is not a rare medal, this is one of the nicest we recall having handled.

As we have presented in past offerings:

"The Soldiers' Fair was held in Springfield from December 19 to 24, 1864. It was a charitable event, with proceeds earmarked for the Soldiers' Rest, a facility maintained for soldiers who were traveling through Springfield by rail. This designation was different from certain related events, usually known as Sanitary Fairs, in which the proceeds went to the United States Sanitary Commission (which also provided services to soldiers.). The event was staged in the Springfield City Hall. A special newspaper, The Springfield Musket, was issued during the fair. Among the exhibits and concessions were a United States Post Office stand which sold postage, including a special 10-cent Soldiers' Fair stamp (all known original letters with this stamp bear the postmark date of December 20); and the New England Kitchen, staffed by local ladies who dispensed home-style meals. The December 23rd issue of The Springfield Musket noted that John A. Bolen, "one of the best die sinkers in New England," was on hand and had struck hundreds of medals in recent days."

The Johnson list indicates two impressions in copper and 350 in tin, but nowhere near that number survives today.

Ex: From the Claremont Collection. Earlier from Heritage's April 2021 Certified American Tokens & Medals Special Monthly Auction, lot 93184.

To read the complete item description, see:
1864 George Washington / Soldier's Fair Medal. By John Adams Bolen. Musante JAB-16, Musante GW-679, Fuld-760-1e, Baker-365. White Metal. MS-64 (NGC). (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1JHL8Q/1864-george-washington-soldiers-fair-medal-by-john-adams-bolen-musante-jab-16-musante-gw-679-fuld-760-1e-baker-365-white-metal)

Undated (ca. 1865) Moore Brothers Store Card. By John Adams Bolen. Musante JAB-21, Rulau Ma-Sp 61. Copper. MS-64 BN (NGC). 28 mm. Generous blue-green toning over olive-brown copper on both sides. Sharply struck with satiny fields and very nice eye appeal. A tiny oxidation spot is nestled against the rim on each side with little impact. An extremely rare card in any composition. While the Bolen notebook, the AJN and Johnson listings all include five of these struck in copper and 400 struck in tin, there is no way the number actually struck or distributed in tin could be anywhere near the figure given. It is clear the tin impressions were intended to be the store card for Moore Brothers' distribution and that those in copper were a few delicacies for sale to collectors. The ANS has Bolen's own copper impression, marked B 5 COPPER on the edge. This is the only copper one we have in our archives, from its last sale in 2019, and we find none of any composition in the Heritage archives. Interestingly, Musante only cites the historic auction appearance of three pieces, a single copper and two in white metal, group-lotted in our (Bowers & Ruddy's) 1982 New York Public Library sale. This matches the numbers recorded in our modern sales archives, this lone copper and two in white metal. It is conceivable that they are the same three. The five-piece mintage in copper is likely accurate.

Ex: From the Claremont Collection. Earlier from our sale of the Ralph A. Edson Collection, Spring 2019 Baltimore Auction, March, lot 43.

To read the complete item description, see:
Undated (ca. 1865) Moore Brothers Store Card. By John Adams Bolen. Musante JAB-21, Rulau Ma-Sp 61. Copper. MS-64 BN (NGC). (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1JHLC3/undated-ca-1865-moore-brothers-store-card-by-john-adams-bolen-musante-jab-21-rulau-ma-sp-61-copper-ms-64-bn-ngc)

Undated (ca. 1881) Pynchon House Medal. By John Adams Bolen. Musante JAB-39. Silver. MS-66 PL (NGC). 25.3 mm. Uniform dark steel gray surfaces with faint blue and gold undertones and subtle rose toning seeming to glow from the windows of the Pynchon house. Satiny and sharp devices with reflective fields. Just a trace of minor handling in the devices but no serious marks. Johnson did not report any mintages for the Pynchon House medals, but Bolen did, in his 1905 listing. He stated that 10 were struck in silver, which seems reasonable considering the frequency of appearances. Among those we have offered, the weight standards seem quite consistent, suggestive of a single planchet stock and a one-time striking event with no additional pieces produced later. The ANS holds Bolen's silver impression, marked with his initial B on the edge.

The Bowers Collection included the original steel dies for this issue, but it was notably missing this medal in silver. The dies were offered again by us in the Musante Collection, and most recently in 2019. The dies were not sold by Bolen, but retained in his family until 1940. The following Pynchon House history was given in our (Stack's) January 2011 New York Americana Sale catalog:

King's Handbook of Springfield, Massachusetts, 1884, included this: "In 1660 was built the first brick building ever erected in Springfield. It was the dwelling-house of John Pynchon, who is called in the records 'The worshipful Major Pynchon' and later, 'The Worshipful Colonel.' The bricks used in its construction were made at Northampton. The carpenters and masons were from Windsor. The building was 42 feet long, and 21 feet wide. The walls were very thick and solid, rising about 22 feet from the ground to the eaves. The roof was very steep, and the ridge was about 22 feet in perpendicular height above the garret-floor. It was designed to be a fortified house, and was actually used as such during the Indian War. This building remained in the occupation of the Pynchons until it was demolished, in 1831, to make room for a modern house. It was long known as the 'old fort.' John Pynchon was engaged in a very large business as a merchant. He purchased furs very extensively of the Indians and others. These were sent down the river to his warehouse, at what is now known as Warehouse Point in East Windsor, and thence to Hartford, from which place they were shipped to Boston and England. He was an owner, or part owner of, several vessels."

Ex: From the Claremont Collection. Earlier from our sale of the Neil Musante Collection, February 2014 Americana Sale, lot 145; Steve Hayden, December 2017.

To read the complete item description, see:
Undated (ca. 1881) Pynchon House Medal. By John Adams Bolen. Musante JAB-39. Silver. MS-66 PL (NGC). (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1JHLQ2/undated-ca-1881-pynchon-house-medal-by-john-adams-bolen-musante-jab-39-silver-ms-66-pl-ngc)

"1787" (ca. 1869) Excelsior Copper. George Clinton. Copy by John Adams Bolen. Musante JAB-37, Kenney-8, W-14390. Copper. MS-67 RB (NGC). 26.7 mm. An outstanding specimen of this popular and beautifully made colonial copy. The surfaces have a coarsely frosty appearance from the somewhat crude die finishing applied by Bolen. Considering his skill as a die-sinker, this finishing treatment was certainly intentional (and is seen on his other colonial copies), with the intent of giving these copies a more rustic, "authentic" appearance. Beautifully struck with razor sharp definition through the fine details and no visible handling marks. Though these can come nice, we are not sure we have seen a finer one than this. Indeed, only the lightly spotted PCGS MS-66 example that realized $2,400 in our November 2021 sale seems to come close to the quality seen here.

One of just 40 believed to have been struck, a mintage given by Edwin Johnson in 1882 and matching that stated for the Excelsior copper copy offered above. As with the Excelsior type, this and a single muling, JAB M-11, were presented by Bolen to the ANS as of January 1870. He might have intended these as a set, which would suggest that the mintages were indeed the same in copper. Appearances in our sales for JAB-36 and 37 are virtually equal in number. This said, the AJN notice mentioned that, "Mr. Bolen will furnish either of these pieces, in copper, at the price of Two Dollars...", so it is quite possible that individual orders resulted in an uneven final production number. In any case, the dies were said to have been canceled and presented to the Boston Numismatic Society, so restrikes are seemingly out of the question. All are Bolen originals, and some have probably either been lost or artificially worn to suggest greater age. All are very desirable entries into Bolen's body of works and are "extremely well done," as also mentioned in the AJN.

Ex: From the Claremont Collection. Earlier ex Presidential Coin & Antique' Co., Inc.'s Auction Sixty, June 1996, lot 348; Anthony Terranova.

To read the complete item description, see:
"1787" (ca. 1869) Excelsior Copper. George Clinton. Copy by John Adams Bolen. Musante JAB-37, Kenney-8, W-14390. Copper. MS-67 RB (NGC). (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1JHLP5/1787-ca-1869-excelsior-copper-george-clinton-copy-by-john-adams-bolen-musante-jab-37-kenney-8-w-14390-copper-ms-67-rb-ngc)

WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: JUNE 1, 2025, PART ONE

Bishop's Beauties
First, I'd like to wrap up a loose end from last week's diary. I'd been so busy pulling together last week's issue that I'd forgotten to send a draft of my diary article to those who'd attended the May dinner meeting of my Northern Virginia numismatic social group, Nummis Nova. As a result I didn't manage to publish these images of some nice toned type coins brought to the event by Steve Bishop.

Pittsburgh Bound
My plans this week expanded gradually. Originally I planned to take off work Thursday and Friday to visit my sister in Pittsburgh and take in the PAN Show. Then I made plans for the PAN Banquet Thursday night and added Wednesday so I could still see my sister. As the date got closer I looked at the calendar and realized Monday was the Memorial Day holiday, so I decided to take Tuesday and have the whole week off.

I had no particular plans for Tuesday, but after reading a Washington Post article and learning about the city's new AI Strike Team I reached out to the group's Executive Director and soon I had a lunch meeting planned for Tuesday. I'd worked at Pittsburgh's first artificial intelligence company, a Carnegie Mellon University spinoff. In the intervening years AI's star waned and waxed again, and today there's a big tech presence including Google, Duolingo, Nvidia and several startups. Many of the firms congregate in Bakery Square, a development of office and commercial space built in and around an old bakery building.

So Tuesday morning I drove straight to Bakery Square and had a lovely lunch where I reminisced about my career path and we talked about the new cohort of Pittsburgh tech and AI companies and organizations. I helped make some introductions and may come back for an event in September.

The Carnegie Museums
The rest of my visit was all for fun. I drove straight to the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History where I met up with my E-Sylum assistant Garrett Ziss. He recently graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and is staying in town where he'll start a Master's program in the fall. The dinosaur hall is not to be missed, and we went there first check it out. It's humbling and awe-inspiring to see close-up the massive size of these ancient creatures.

And guess what? Today (June 1st) happens to be National Dinosaur Day in the US. So happy National Dinosaur Day.

But our main destination was the art collection. I was Pitt student myself and spent a lot of hours between classes at the museum. My focus was math and computer science, but I was one class away from having a minor in Art History. I learned a lot in my art classes that's helped inform my understanding of numismatics.

Here are some of the works I enjoyed seeing - some with a numismatic form or other connection.

This next group is all from the ocean liner Normandie.

Some of the art was pretty fishy...

The Magritte reminded me of a medal.

I'm a sucker for Tiffany stained glass.

Touring Pittsburgh's East End
After the museum we drove around my old stomping grounds, first visiting the neighborhood where I bought my first house - Highland Park. Just a block or so away is a hidden little one-way street with this unusual home the locals call "the Witch's House".

Although it started to rain again, we stopped to see the large reservoir in Highland Park itself, and I was excited to see this bronze art deco drinking fountain still in service with its delightful fish motif. The numismatic connection is that this was designed by sculptor Frank Vittor, who also designed the iconic Gettysburg Half Dollar.

Based on an article I wrote about Vittor I got my 15 minutes of numismatic fame by convincing Redbook editor Ken Bressett that Vittor was from Pittsburgh, not Philadelphia - changing a single word that had been incorrect since the first edition in 1947.

For dinner we went to another old stomping ground, a local bar in the next neighborhood over, Morningside. A few blocks from the house where I grew up, it was called Petrilli's then. From around age 10 or 12 my father would take me there with him on Saturday afternoons, where I'd drink a Pepsi while he had beers with his buddies. There was a pool table in the back room where his buddies taught me to shoot. On New Year's Eve the owners threw a party with free food for the regulars, and our whole family would attend.

After changing hands a couple times the place is now called the Bulldog Pub, and it's not the neighborhood shot-and-a-beer steelworker hangout it was back in the day. Serving a wide variety of draft and craft beers and a good menu of food, it's a popular spot today. There were only a few people there when we arrived around 5pm, but it was packed by the time we left and I saw an Uber drop off a group of four young adults from elsewhere in town.

I just had the salad... and a couple drafts and a little sandwich...

To walk it off we drove a couple blocks and got out at the bottom of one of Pittsburgh's ubiquitous city steps. Up, up, and up we walked until we were on a street a few blocks above. Then at Garrett's suggestion we walked even higher up that street to see what we could see.

What we found was a commanding view of the Morningside neighborhood, Highland Park, the Allegheny river and the suburbs beyond. Well worth the hike up and back.

Senator John Heinz History Center
Wednesday morning I worked on The E-Sylum a while at my hotel before heading to the Senator John Heinz History Center. I'd made arrangements to meet up with Bob Stakely who works at the Center and does a great job running the Kids' events at PAN Shows.

We talked for a while in front of one of the first-floor displays, a car from the Racer rollercoaster at Pittsburgh's Kennywood amusement park. It was nice to be near a museum exhibit that one is allowed to touch. It's a classic rollercoaster, and well worth riding.

Here's sampling of the exhibits I saw. Some are numismatic.

The exhibit label states, "George Fleck used this wagon to move his family and belongings across the Allegheny Mountains in Western Pennsylvania in 1784. At that time most families traveled west on foot, using ox carts to carry their possessions. Conestoga wagons were commonly used to transport large shipments of goods and were considered the tractor trailers of their day."

As a coin collector I know that coins easily last thousands of years and as a bibliophile I know books have already lasted hundreds of years. But more utilitarian items wear out and get broken up for parts or thrown in a dump once made obsolete by new products. I was floored that such an artifact survived to the present day.

Drawn by two horses, these luxury carriages were built in Pittsburgh.

Before moving on I bought a soft drink at the Center's cafe, and the young woman manning the checkout was the same one who'd accepted my payment for admission when I arrived up front earlier in the morning. My next stop was the gift shop, and there she was again. "What are you, twins?," I asked. I later learned from Bob that when a staffer goes to lunch, others rotate into their position, and I just happened to time it right to follow the young lady around. At the gift shop I looked for a copy of the book on Pittsburgh's steps, but it was out of stock.

There was a steady rain when I stepped out of the building. I opened my folding umbrella and headed to Condado Taco near the Pittsburgh Convention Center, where I'd had a great lunch at the last ANA show there. I had a nice meal and got a kick out of the generic restroom signs.

Amid the steady rain I walked across the old Seventh Street Bridge (now the Andy Warhol Bridge) to the Andy Warhol museum. It had opened shortly before we moved our family from Pittsburgh, and I'd never gotten inside. Time to change that.

 

WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: JUNE 1, 2025, PART TWO

The Andy Warhol Museum
I came looking for some of Warhol's money-related works, but I'll open with his iconic Marilyn Monroe.

Warhol was a prolific collector. Above is just a sampling of the everyday objects he acquired, often at weekend flea markets around New York City. Below is a sampling of his Time Capsules. Periodically he would empty the contents of his desk into a box, seal it and send it off to storage. The collection is a work of art in itself, and a trove of information about Warhol's daily routines.

I got a kick out of this article headline. We're still being told machines are taking over. Maybe someday the headlines will be right.

The rain had let up a bit by the time I left the museum. I couldn't help but notice the "love locks" attached to the bridge railings, in imitation of the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris. Things got out of hand in Paris, but we'll see where this leads. Imitation is a sincere form of flattery, so why not? It seemed an apt metaphor for Warhol, who relentlessly used the work of others as the starting point for his own.

I took a shortcut on the way back to my car, walking the river trail alongside the Pittsburgh Convention Center. After passing the Center I took this interesting footpath to a neighboring parking lot.

After a stop back at my hotel I headed off again to meet my sister for dinner at an old Mexican restaurant in the North Hills - the Franklin Inn. the place was packed when I arrived but we got a table and had a nice time catching up over dinner.

PAN Show
I spent Thursday morning at the hotel working on email and The E-Sylum again. On the way to the show I stopped at the Barnes & Noble in Monroeville Mall to look for a copy of the book on Pittsburgh's steps. Turns out there are not one, but TWO books on the topic. I bought one and later gifted it to Garrett when I saw him at the show.

I drove over to the Monroeville Convention Center and couldn't find a parking spot for the life of me. I ended up next to the closed Doubletree hotel next door. The convention center lot was packed with cars from all over, including Maryland. Michigan, Connecticut, and even (scratches head...) Hawaii.

The bourse was bustling and larger than ever. PAN has expanded to use both halves of the convention center. This has become a major national show and you're missing out if you haven't attended. Consider the October 2025 show!

While I wasn't expecting to make a purchase, it didn't take me long to add a piece to my collection. I've been collecting error coins lately and bought this clipped-planchet error 1795 Half Cent at David Kahn's table.

Later in the day I stopped at the Great Collections table, where Consignment Director Andy Wedding indulged me to take this photo of my new coin alongside another (more expensive!) 1795 mint product. Thanks!

I stopped at a number of other dealer tables, including Dave Berg, Pat Vetter, Larry Korchnak, and Bob Hurst (above). At the CONECA table I had multiple visits with Greg Bennick, where we talked about future interviews for NNP and items from my numismatic library in this week's Kolbe & Fanning sale. He also approved of my 1795 Half Cent purchase.

Exhibits
There were some great exhibits in an area of the south hall. Here are some that caught my eye. Sorry 'bout the ceiling light glare.

PAN Banquet
The PAN Banquet is a classy affair, taking place at one of the best restaurants in town, the Le Mont atop Mt. Washington, featuring a unique commanding view of the city. I took the shuttle bus from my hotel. My fellow travelers included ANA Board member David Heinrich, George and Martha Washington, Ben Franklin, and Abe Lincoln. Here are some restaurant views before dinner commenced.

I was seated in the far corner at Ben Costello's table, which also included Bob Evans, Greg Darnstaedt and Russ Augustin of RARCOA.

Conversation at my table was enjoyable, and the food delicious. I was surprised to receive the American Numismatic Association Presidential Award from Tom Uram. A number of people including Jeff and Mary Lynn Garrett congratulated me afterwards, and I was most delighted to see my old friend PAN Chairman of the Board Don Carlucci.

It had been a long day and I nearly fell asleep on the bus ride back to the hotel.

Friday morning was also spent on email and some E-Sylum work. The rain had stopped for a while and with the sun shining I took a walk around the hotel's plaza. After lunch I went straight to the show for the rest of the afternoon, spending most of my time on the south hall attending educational presentations.

The Great Kentucky Hoard of U.S. Gold
The first event I attended was Jeff Garrett's talk on the Great Kentucky Hoard. He'd given a similar talk at the Central States show where it was recorded for the NNP Symposium. But I'd missed the streaming event and hadn't found time to watch the video yet, so I was happy to hear it in person from Jeff.

That's Garrett Ziss and Bill Bierly in the front row next to my empty seat, with Richard Crosby behind them in the yellow shirt.

Jeff displayed a group of coins he'd purchased from the hoard. It was a great talk about a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The hoard finder couldn't have chosen a better representative than Jeff; he assembled an A-team of advisors and partners to handle this marvelous hoard of some 800 mostly gold coins likely hidden during the Civil War.

Coins and Artifacts from the S.S. Central America, Ship of Gold
I enjoyed the double-team talk from Bob Evans and Greg Darnstaedt. Here's Bob discussing the ship's bell. More next week on this topic - I'll share a number of photos taken at the duo's educational exhibit.

I had to go home after the S.S. Central America talk. On the way out of the convention center I was happy to run into former PAN President Kathy Sarosi of Johnstown, PA, who was outside having a smoke.

The drive home to Virginia was mostly in the rain, but traffic flowed smoothly and I was greeted by a nice rainbow as I neared home.

This diary is dedicated to the physicists who invented "the charge-coupled device, or CCD — a technology that is an essential component of nearly every telescope, medical scanner, photocopier and digital camera in use today."

To read the complete article, see:
George E. Smith, Nobel Winner Who Created a Digital Eye, Dies at 95 (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/science/george-e-smith-dead.html)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: MAY 25, 2025 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n21a21.html)

CHIT CHAT: IRELAND'S OLD STAR HOTEL

The purpose of this column, which I hope to make a regular feature of Civil War Era Numismatics, is to explore what is probably the least collected type of numismatic items emanating from the Civil War era; the rectangular cardboard chit. I can think of three reasons for this. First of all, there is no catalog to tell you whether a chit is common, scarce, or rare. Secondly, these chits are generally undated, so you can't always know that they unquestionably fall into the 1861-1865 time frame. And finally, condition is often less than what you might want.

While it is true that there is no catalog, that is also part of the attraction, at least in my view. That's one of the reason why chits are quite a bit less expensive than their metallic counterparts. You can't look a piece up in a recent catalog and find out if it is a rarity 4, rarity 7, or even an undiscovered type. Realistically that isn't a problem, since with the exception of one or two types, ALL cardboard chits are rare, and a significant percentage of them are probably unique.

When you consider the fragile nature of chits, it is a miracle that any of them have survived the ravages of time. You'll probably notice, if you become interested in them, that numerous examples have damage to their backs. In most cases this is because they were glued in scrapbooks, and while this resulted in condition issues, it is the only reason that many of them still exist. Fortunately for collectors, most chits were only printed on one side, so the damaged side would not have had an inscription.

Although, as I mentioned, most chits are undated, once you've examined pictures of a number of examples that are unquestionably from the Civil War years, you will probably develop a feel for their general appearance. In other words, when you examine a chit you'll have a good sense of whether it is, in all probability, a Civil War issue.

Illustrated is an excellent example of a Civil War era cardboard chit. On its front, the inscription is IRELAND'S OLD STAR HOTEL / 2 / CENTS (the number is superimposed over the word) / 60 & 62 LISPENARD ST. The back is blank.

Joseph Brooks placed an advertisement in the June 11, 1855 New York Daily Herald to announce that he had opened the Old Star Hotel, "where can be had a choice selection of wines, brandies, ales, porter, segars, &c., also mutton chops, beefsteaks, cutlets, ham, cold cuts, rarebits, &c., &c." Mentioned at the end of the ad, almost as an afterthought, was the fact that there were "good beds and attentive waiters," but the emphasis was definitely on the food and drinks being offered by the establishment, and not on the accommodations.

Three years later Brooks advertised that his establishment was for sale, but he was still operating it in August, 1859. The following month, John H. Ireland took possession and renamed it Ireland's Old Star Hotel. Although he occasionally ran small ads for the hotel, his directory listings all described his business as "liquors" at 60-62 Lispenard, with no mention of the hotel. He was still listed as such in directories of the mid-1870s.

In view of the fact that the chit is undated, and Ireland was still in business long after the end of the war, you might well wonder why I would consider it a Civil War piece. For one thing, it is the same style as other chits that are unquestionably from the early 1860s. In addition, chits with small denominations were issued circa 1862 and 1863 to alleviate the severe shortage of small denomination U.S. coins; by the end of the war there was no need for chits or, for that matter, tokens. I purchased the chit, which I'd venture to say is a rarity 10, in a recent Heritage sale, and the price, even with the buyer's fee, was under $200. Just think what a rarity 10 Civil War store card would cost.

For more information about the Civil War Token Society, see:
https://www.cwtsociety.com/

FRANZ FERDINAND'S MEDALS, PART ONE

June 28 of this year will mark the 111th anniversary of the assassination in Sarajevo of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian throne, and his wife Sophie. Their murder set off a chain of events that culminated in the first World War.

I became interested in Franz Ferdinand at an early age. When I was growing up, one of the books in the household was a picture history of the world and it contained the iconic image of the couple leaving the Sarajevo city hall just minutes before they were killed. Over the years, I've assembled a small collection of medals related to Franz Ferdinand and the upcoming anniversary seems a good time to share it.

Franz Ferdinand was born in 1863. His father, Archduke Carl Ludwig, was Emperor Franz Joseph's youngest brother. In 1889, when Franz Joseph's son and heir Crown Prince Rudolf, committed suicide, Carl Ludwig became next in line to the imperial throne.

The earliest medal in my collection depicts Carl Ludwig and was issued in connection with an art exhibit held in Vienna in 1893 for which he served as royal sponsor it was engraved by Joseph Christelbauer and is 56mm in diameter Christelbauer was a prolific engraver particularly in the last decades of the 19th century See the entry concerning him on prazskamincovna.cz.

Franz Ferdinand became heir to the throne on Carl Ludwig's death in 1896.

In 1894 or shortly thereafter, the Archduke met and fell in love with Sophie Chotek, a lady in waiting to a member of the Hapsburg family. Though Sophie belonged to the Czech nobility, under imperial court protocol, she was ineligible to marry a Hapsburg archduke. Franz Joseph was vehemently opposed to their relationship as were most of the other Hapsburgs. However, Franz Ferdinand was insistent and ultimately a compromise was agreed to. The two would marry in 1900 but Sophie would not become an Archduchess nor would she become empress when Franz Ferdinand became emperor. Furthermore any sons they had would not be archdukes nor would they be in the line of succession to the throne (the Wikipedia biographies of Franz Ferdinand and Sophie provide a good summary. More details are available in Gordon Brook-Sheperd's biography "Archduke of Sarajevo").

I've acquired four medals that portray Franz Ferdinand prior to 1914. All were issued in connection with exhibitions for which the Archduke was royal sponsor.

The earliest was issued in 1894 when Franz Ferdinand was second in line to the throne. It commemorates an exhibition devoted to military hygiene, nutrition and related matters that was held in Vienna. This medal was struck in aluminum. It is 42mm in diameter and features a three quarters facing bust of the Archduke. The reverse of the medal has the name W. Pittner. Wilhelm Pittner was an Austrian engraver who is best known as the founder and owner of a firm that produced medals in late 19th and early 20th century Vienna. Information concerning Pittner is available on Numista.com.

I'm aware of but do not have two other medals that depict the Archduke when he was second in line to the throne. One was issued in 1891 in connection with an art exhibition held in Retz, Austria. The other was issued in 1894 for an agricultural exhibit in Vienna.

The second of the Franz Ferdinand medals in my collection dates from 1901, and commemorates a horticultural exhibit held in Vienna. It is 50mm in diameter and was designed by Johann Schwerdtner, who was active in Vienna in the late 19th century and the early years of the 20th. Information about Schwerdtner is available in medalbook.com.

The third Franz Ferdinand medal I have was issued in 1904 in connection with a furniture exhibition in Vienna. I found this item while browsing eBay just after beginning work on this article. It is gilt bronze or brass and was engraved by Arnold Hartig whose name is located at the bottom of Franz Ferdinand's bust under his medals along with the name of the manufacturer, the Pittner firm of Vienna. See the next part for information concerning Hartig.

The only other pre assassination medal depicting the Archduke of which I am aware was issued in 1913 to commemorate an exhibition held in Vienna to promote the culture and products of Austria's Adriatic Provinces. It is 50mm in diameter and was designed by Rudolph Marschall. See the next part for information about Marschall.

There are no pre-assassination medals bearing Sophie's portrait. Even had she been of royal blood, there wouldn't likely have been many, But if she had been of imperial rank, at the very least medals would have been issued to celebrate her marriage. This was the case in 1881 when Crown Prince Rudolf married Princess Stephanie of Belgium and in 1911 when Archduke Charles, who was then next in line to the throne behind Franz Ferdinand, married Princess Zita of Parma.

There is one additional medal relevant to Franz Ferdinand that predates his assassination. It was struck in 1910 to commemorate Emperor Franz Joseph's visit to Bosnia which Austria had annexed two years earlier after administering the province since 1878. The reverse of the medal includes a view of Sarajevo, hence its relevance to the Archduke. The medal is 75mm in diameter and was designed by Richard Placht.

FRANZ FERDINAND'S MEDALS, PART TWO

In June of 1914 Franz Ferdinand visited Bosnia. On June 26 and 27 as Army Inspector General, he took part in maneuvers in the mountains near Sarajevo while Sophie stayed in Ilidza, a spa near the city. On the morning of June 28 they arrived in Sarajevo from Ilidza to spend the day before departing for home.

Also in Sarajevo was a small terrorist cell comprised mainly of young Bosnian Serbs committed to killing Franz Ferdinand which they hoped would lead to Bosnian independence or its union with Serbia.

On the morning of June 28th, on their way to a reception at city hall. one of the plotters threw a bomb at the imperial couple's vehicle. It detonated after their car had passed, injuring multiple bystanders as well as an Austrian officer riding in a vehicle that was behind them.

After a brief reception at City Hall, the decision was made to limit their stay in Sarajevo to a brief visit to the hospital where the wounded officer from their entourage was being treated. On the way there, one of the plotters, 17 year old Gavrilo Princep fired several shots killing both Franz Ferdinand and Sophie. (The above paragraphs are based on the Wikipedia articles on Franz Ferdinand, Young Bosnia, the Black Hand and the Brook-Shepherd biography).

While Franz Ferdinand had not been popular during his lifetime, his death and that of his wife triggered an outpouring of sympathy. One manifestation of this was the production of mourning medals. I have identified six such medals designed by four different Austrian engravers.

Two of these medals were engraved by Arnold Hartig. In my opinion, they feature the highest quality medallic portraits of the Archduke. The most common of the two has a small bust on the obverse and on the reverse the date of his murder. This 50mm medal is the most frequently encountered of the medals marking the assassination.

The other medal designed by Hartig is 65mm in diameter and is uniface. It features a full bust of the Archduke.

Hartig was a prolific artist whose career spanned the period from about 1905 into the 1950's. Portrait medals were his speciality. During World War I, he produced medals depicting military leaders and battle scenes. After the war he executed portrait medals of a wide variety of people including popes and cardinals, noted professors, and especially classical composers including Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn,Strauss, and Wagner. Many of his medals are readily available on eBay and MA-Shops, which are the main sources for the above.

Rudolph Marschall designed a 70mm X 55mm uniface plaquette which features a full bust of the Archduke.

Marschall was a skilled portraitist whose subjects included Franz Joseph and other Hapsburgs, Vienna mayor Carl Lueger, Pope Leo XIII, Kaiser Wilhelm II, Joseph Haydn, and a variety of individuals of prominence in Austria in the first half or the 20th century. Medals he designed are readily available on eBay and MA Shops, the main sources for the above.

A fourth medal commemorating the murder was engraved by Rudolf Weinberger. It is 50mm in diameter and features a front facing bust of the Archduke on the obverse. The reverse features a prostate male figure strangled by a snake. The medal was struck in both bronze and zinc. The example in my collection is the latter. This medal appears to be quite scarce in any metal.

Weinberger was particularly active during World War I designing numerous medals depicting rulers and military leaders, including Franz Joseph and Kaiser Wilhelm and General Conrad Hotzendorf, the Chief of the Austrian General Staff. See entry on Numista.com.

Rudolf Bachmann designed two medals to mark the murder: a uniface plaquette measuring 43mm x 43mm and a small medallion/badge with a diameter of 24mm The reverse depicts the Archduke's coat of arms and has a small clip or fob attached. These medals have the distinction of being the only ones I know of that depict Sophie and as well as her husband.

Bachmann, who died in 1933, was an Austrian painter, sculptor and engraver who was particularly active during World War I, designing numerous medals depicting military figures. See his entry in Numista.com.

I welcome any corrections and of course would be interested to learn of any additional Franz Ferdinand medals readers.

NOONANS TO SELL DICKIN MEDAL

Judy was awarded a Dickin Medal, also known as an Animal Victoria Cross, for her actions thwarting a night-time terrorist attack on British officers in Palestine in 1946.

She also saved the life of her severely wounded brother Punch during the same incident.

The medal will go under the hammer at Noonans in June, with a guide price between £14,000 and £18,000.

Both dogs were presented with their Dickin Medals during the Royal Tournament at Olympia on June 14, 1947.

Mr Mellor-Hill said: "The sale of a Dickin Medal is always hugely emotive and this story is no different reflecting bravery and courage as well as emphasising the great British tradition of the almost human-like relationship that dogs have for us and others."

Explaining Judy's heroics, Christopher Mellor-Hill, head of client liaison at the auction house, said: "Judy and Punch belonged to Lieutenant-Colonel A. H. K. Campbell, the Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Jerusalem Military Court, and Lieutenant-Colonel H. G. G. Niven, the Adjutant General, who shared a house in a Jerusalem suburb.

To read the complete article, see:
Hero dog's medal set to sell for £18k after saving soldiers (https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/national/uk-today/25187055.hero-dogs-medal-set-sell-18k-saving-soldiers/)

LOOSE CHANGE: JUNE 1, 2025

Coin Designer Jennifer McKenna

For over a decade, coin designer Jennifer McKenna has crafted creative and beautifully designed coins for The Perth Mint. Although McKenna stays busy creating new designs—including her latest creation, a new interpretation of the famed "Australian Brumby" series—the designer generously answered questions for World Coin News about her start in the industry, her dream coin, and much more.

WCN: What is your process like when designing a coin? Are there specific details that are needed?

JM: My process starts off with a mixture of research and rough sketches. I try to figure out what works and what doesn't. You might say, I'm digging for ideas until I hit gold! As for the specific details, it's crucial to know what size the coin is going to be. The larger the coin, the more details I get to squeeze in.

WCN: What is it like to work for The Perth Mint? How long have you worked there?

JM: I have worked at The Perth Mint for almost 12 years now, a full lunar cycle! This is one way of measuring time here because of the ongoing popularity of our Lunar coin series, which features the 12 animals of the Lunar zodiac. My favorite part of the job is working with my team of designers. We all have our different styles and personalities, but we manage to learn from each other and grow as creative professionals.

To read the complete article, see:
Interview with Perth Mint Coin Designer, Jennifer McKenna (https://www.numismaticnews.net/interview-with-jennifer-mckenna)

Will Nostalgia Fuel Cent Collecting?

For Americans who grew up with memories of spending pennies on gumballs and baseball cards or saving them up in jars, seeing the cent go may trigger an emotional reaction. One might not feel it right away, but nostalgia is a powerful force that drives collectible markets. This emotional connection prompts people to seek items tied to their past, which is why analog media like vinyl and videogame cartridges have seen a resurgence in interest in recent years. The penny will likely trigger a similar nostalgia, just as in 1857 when the Mint discontinued production of the large cent in favor of a smaller version similar to the type we use today. Holding old money is like holding history in your hands, say some in the coin-collecting industry. In this way, coins serve as totems for our past selves and our memories. It might not be obvious now, but there will come a point when seeing a penny is an unusual circumstance. When that happens, those memories will come racing back!

To read the complete article, see:
The Penny is Going Away: Four Great Reasons To Collect Them Now (https://coinweek.com/the-penny-is-going-away-four-great-reasons-to-collect-them-now/)

The Maine Penny

The Maine Penny was discovered on 18 of August 1957 by an amateur archaeologist by the name of Guy Mellgren. Mellgren found the coin at the Goddard prehistoric archaeological site, which contained the remains of an old Native American settlement, at Naskeag Point, Brooklin, Maine. It was only about 20 years later, however, that the significance of the coin was revealed. In 1974, the Maine Penny, along with 20,000 (or 30,000) other artifacts discovered at the Goddard archaeological site were donated to the Maine State Museum.

Initially, the Maine Penny was identified as an English penny from the 12th century, perhaps brought to Maine by English colonists. In 1978, the artifact was examined by experts from London, who speculated that the coin might have been Norse. Subsequently, an expert on Norse coins from the University of Oslo, Kolbjorn Skaare, confirmed that the Maine Penny was indeed a genuine coin from the Norse world. Furthermore, it was established that the coin was struck sometime between 1065 and 1080 during the reign of King Olaf III. The occupation of the Goddard site, however, has been dated to between 1180 and 1235. Nevertheless, the type of coin struck by Olaf III was circulating widely during the 12th and 13th centuries, thus placing the Maine Penny within the circulation period of such coins.

To read the complete article, see:
The Controversial Origins of the Maine Penny, A Norse Coin found in a Native American Settlement (https://www.ancientoriginsunleashed.com/p/the-controversial-origins-of-the)

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
QUERY: THE MAINE PENNY (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v12n50a17.html)
THE MAINE PENNY: A MEDIEVAL COIN FOUND IN NEW ENGLAND SOIL (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n40a22.html)
RAY WILLIAMS ON THE MAINE PENNY (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n41a13.html)
THE MYSTERY OF MAINE'S VIKING PENNY (https://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n53a19.html)

Look Out Below!

Traumatic injuries are common, resulting from war, natural disasters, workplace mishaps, accidents, or sports. But severe bodily damage occurring in a library?

In 1359, the famous Italian poet, humanist, and philosopher from Arezzo, Francesco Petrarch (1304–1374), was reading a book in his library written by one of his admired Roman scholars, Cicero. The book was huge and heavy and slipped from his hands, damaging his leg. He was not treated properly, and after a year of pain and infection, was near amputation. In letters to friends, he described his suffering and ongoing attempts to not obey his physicians' misleading recommendations. He also asked why his "mentor," Cicero, was punishing him.

To read the complete article, see:
A rare case report: Near amputation of a leg from a falling book (https://hekint.org/2025/05/15/a-rare-case-report-near-amputation-of-a-leg-from-a-falling-book/)

ABOUT THIS ISSUE: JUNE 1, 2025

Wayne Homren
Wayne Homren is the founding editor of The E-Sylum and a consultant for the Newman Numismatic Portal. His collecting interests at various times included U.S. Encased Postage Stamps, merchant counterstamps, Pittsburgh Obsolete paper money, Civil War tokens and scrip, Carnegie Hero Medals, charge coins and numismatic literature. He also collects and has given presentations on the work of Money Artist J.S.G. Boggs. In the non-numismatic world he's worked in artificial intelligence, data science, and as a Program Manager for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Garrett Ziss
Garrett Ziss is a numismatic collector and researcher, with a focus on American paper money and early U.S. silver and copper coins. He is also a part-time U.S. coin cataloger for Heritage Auctions. Garrett assists Editor Wayne Homren by editing and formatting a selection of articles and images each week. When he's not engaged in numismatics, Garrett is pursuing a Master's Degree in Quantitative Economics at the University of Pittsburgh.

Pete Smith
Numismatic researcher and author Pete Smith of Minnesota has written about early American coppers, Vermont coinage, numismatic literature, tokens and medals, the history of the U.S. Mint and much more. Author of American Numismatic Biographies, he contributes original articles to The E-Sylum often highlighting interesting figures in American numismatic history.

Greg Bennick
Greg Bennick (www.gregbennick.com) is a keynote speaker and long time coin collector with a focus on major mint error coins and US counterstamps. He is on the board of both CONECA and TAMS and enjoys having in-depth conversations with prominent numismatists from all areas of the hobby. Have ideas for other interviewees? Contact him anytime on the web or via instagram @minterrors.

John Nebel
Numismatist, photographer, and ANS Board member and Fellow John Nebel of Boulder, CO helped the ANA and other clubs like NBS get online in the early days of the internet, hosting websites gratis through his Computer Systems Design Co. To this day he hosts some 50 ANA member club sites along with our coinbooks.org site, making the club and our E-Sylum archive available to collectors and researchers worldwide.

Bruce Perdue
Encased coinage collector (encasedcoins.info) Bruce Perdue of Aurora, Illinois has been the volunteer NBS webmaster from its early days and works each week to add the latest E-Sylum issue to our archive and send out the email announcement.