"Salamat Po! (Tagalog for Thank you, Sir!) Anting-anting medals have enjoyed more publicity and numismatic chatter in the past two years than in the twenty years preceding. Interesting bits of Filipino Catholic culture. "

"Anting-anting Medals have been known among collectors of Philippine numismatics for many many years. A book about these medals was published in 2018 in the Philippines. There were only 100 copies printed."

Thanks, everyone! Here's more about the book from a recent auction listing. -Editor

"That's not the late Joe Rust with Ron Landis in the photo, but former ANA board member Mike Ellis."

"That is Mike Ellis in the background (a one time Gallery Mint Museum employee) not Joe Rust. Other notable people who worked at GMM for a while include Phil Bressett, Ken's son."

Duly noted. We'll correct our archive. Thanks, everyone. -Editor

"Your question was: 'Is that obverse inspired genius, or just weird?' -Editor

"I suspect it is a mental health disaster waiting to happen, in a way, but as with much art, the very means to introduce ill logic is also the very handle by which one can object to the same.

"I think John Lennon did an album cover in later years about as twisted, but we knew he was on acid.

"The concept goes all the way back to The Iliad with the opening line "sing in me, muse". That's great if your muse is truly divine, but if your muse turns out to be a sourpuss, you might really start to wonder why people tolerate such intrusion, but, what intrusion? How would you describe it on the first day you had had enough? How could you be so bold as to risk being thought crazy just for the saying of such things? Indicating a medal such as this one with a complaint that "it's like this, but much less graceful" might accomplish the task."

'scuse my muse... -Editor

"I am sad to report that Martin Chmelik (1972-2025) has died.

"Martin was the paper money curator at the Múzeum mincí a medailí Kremnica , Museum of Coins and Medals, which is under the stewardship of the National Bank of Slovakia.

"These photos are from when I was a participant in the 2013 Medallic Art Symposium. - Martin at his desk, and standing visiting with IBNS member (and author) Ludek Vostal."

Thank you. Sorry to hear this news. -Editor

Dear friends, I am still looking for an image of the following tokens:

N.L.B.T.C.L Estate shop:

• 1 cent with on the reverse, on the right side (the Chinese word) the wavy sign with two points above.

Sandakan Tobacco Company Limited – Batuh Puteh estate:

• One dollar in tin/zinc/nickel.
• Ten cents copper.
• Five cents copper.

Sandakan Tobacco Company Limited:

• Ten cents copper with on the reverse in Chinese the (wrong) value of Twenty cents.

The Labuk Planting Company Limited:

• Twenty cents silver with KB on the reverse.
• One dollar silver.

Friendly regards from the Netherlands,
Adrian J. Lansen

Mail to: lansenkil@hotmail.nl or ajlansen@caiway.nl

Can anyone help? -Editor

Please permit me to draw on reader experience with coin specialty books.

What are the best, most accurate numismatic books on:

• Half cents
• 2-cents
• 3-cents Nickel
• 3-cents Silver
• 5-cent shield nickels
• Half dimes

Someone wrote asking about these obsolete coin types, and I realized that I don't have a good grasp on the subject.

I'm looking for both high level, and detail books....Things that would appeal to someone who is interested in specializing, but wants both basic and historical information before they "dive in."

Great topic, and one we haven't discussed in a long time. The Whitman/Bowers series usually do a good job of summarizing what is known to date, but I don't think they covered all of these types. Bill Bierly published a detailed book on the creation of the cent piece, but that's only the historical side. One new one is the 2nd edition of Shield & Liberty Head Nickels.

I have older books on most of these coins on my shelves but I don't actively collect any of them and wouldn't be a good person to ask. What do our readers think? -Editor

"This American Liberty 2025 Gold eagle is not bad. It's better than the eagle head on the official gold bullion."

Something different - I like it too. -Editor