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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 can go to the following web page Subscribe You may Unsubscribe Here 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 Kolbe & Fanning November 22, 2025

 

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 NOVEMBER 9, 2025

New subscribers this week include: Owen McKee, courtesy Terry Freed; Isaac Solomon, Charlie P. Coffey, Len Buth, and John Csaszar. Welcome aboard! We now have 6,782 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 more numismatic literature sale highlights, three new books, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, notes from readers, and more.

Other topics this week include the coins of England, the final days of the Dahlonega Mint, Gold.com, sandblasting, Mint cabinet curator George Bull, fixed price and auction previews, Colombian banknotes, the Bunnik hoard, brandy new 1793 and 1943 cents, the Dickin Medal, and script payable on Confederate notes.

To learn more about the Grand Duke Georgii Mikhailovich's legendary collection, the Henry C. Miller collection, Scarborough medals and tokens, the Lyman William Hoffecker archive, a mystery spiked large cent pair, the Cathedral of St. Peter & St. Paul in Philadelphia, William A. Philpott Jr., the American Colonization Society, Horatio Rust, and Choctaw Nation scrip, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

 

KOLBE & FANNING NOVEMBER 2025 SALE HIGHLIGHTS

Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers will be holding our 175th auction sale on Saturday, November 22, 2025, starting at 12:00 noon eastern time. The sale features excellent material on U.S. numismatics from the library of John Hoskins, in addition to the outstanding library on Russian numismatics formed by Igor Shneyderov. With over 500 lots, there is something for everybody.

Some highlights of this first sale include:

 

Lot 208: a priced and named copy of the 1950 Christie's catalogue of selections from the Grand Duke Georgii Mikhailovich's legendary collection of Russian coins and medals

Lot 256: a complete original set of the Imperial Russian Archaeological Society's Zapiski, with works by Markov, Tolstoi, Kaufman, Ilyin, Demmeni and others

Lot 302: Ricaud de Tiregale's masterwork, the 1772 Médailles sur les principaux evénémens de l'empire de Russie, with 111 fine engravings of Russian medals

Lot 348: Abe Kosoff's file on Isadore Snyderman's important collection of Russian coins, including copies of the inventories and accompanying correspondence

Lot 349: an original letter, signed by hand, from Princess Xenia of Russia to Edward Gans, discussing the collection of her father, Grand Duke Georgii Mikhailovich

Lot 425: S.H. Chapman's 1921 catalogue of the Dr. J.M. Henderson collection, one of eight known copies with the four superb photographic plates of half cents and large cents

Lot 433: Carl Würtzbach's copy of the very scarce 1878 printing of the first edition of Sylvester Crosby's foundational study, The Early Coins of America

Lot 441: Tom Elder's 1920 catalogue of the Henry C. Miller collection, featuring 28 superb photographic plates depicting ancient, English, and American coins and medals

Lot 488: a handsomely bound set of the auction catalogues of William H. and T.R. Strobridge, comprising 23 catalogues bound in six volumes, with two catalogues being named.

Lot 445: a bound volume of eight American auction catalogues of the 1880s, six of which feature photographically printed plates, also from the library of Carl Würtzbach

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
KOLBE & FANNING NOVEMBER 2025 SALE ANNOUNCED (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n44a02.html)

 

 

NEW BOOKS: COINS OF ENGLAND 2026

Sovereign Rarities are proud to present the 2026 editions of the Coins of England and the United Kingdom, otherwise known as the Standard Catalogue of English Coins, the historic reference work for British coins.

Comprising Pre-decimal and Decimal issues, and with over 5,000 price revisions, these are not only the go-to guide for collectors and detectorists alike, but providers of insight into British history itself.

With delivery expected in late November, we offer the Pre-decimal issue for £35, the Decimal issue for £25, but if you order both, we can offer a discount to £55 for the pair to include UK shipping.

Pre-order now in time for Christmas!

Coins of England and the United Kingdom, 2026, Pre-Decimal Issue
£35

The historic reference work for British coins is the only catalogue featuring all major coin types from Celtic and Roman Britain through to the pre-decimal coinage of Elizabeth II, arranged in chronological order and divided, within each reign, into coinages, metals, denominations and varieties.

The catalogue includes information helpful for explaining numismatic terms and guides beginners with their budding coin collections, as well as providing independently-agreed updated values for each and every coin. Hammered British coinage is seen from our Celtic ancestors, through periods including Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Norman, Plantagenet, Lancastrian and Yorkist, up to Tudor and Stuart, in which periods British milled coins start to be produced for the first time, specifically in 1561 during the reign of Elizabeth I.

Coins have been used by states and monarchs for millennia to communicate with their peoples; Coins of England as such is not only a collectors reference book, but provides an insight into British history itself, casting light upon the land's culture, religion, politics and technological development. Over 3,000 price changes were made in the latest edition to reflect market movement across the past year.

Hardback
216 x 138mm
TBC pages with colour illustrations throughout
ISBN 978-1-917269-02-5

For more information, or to order, see:
Coins of England and the United Kingdom, 2026, Pre-Decimal Issue (https://www.sovr.co.uk/products/coins-of-england-and-the-united-kingdom-2026-pre-decimal-issue-km39924)

Coins of England and the United Kingdom, 2026, Decimal Issue
£25

The Decimal volume comprises the entirety of the decimal coinage minted by the Royal Mint during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II since 1971, and subsequently the coinage of King Charles III.

Sets and commemorative issues are also reflected, as well as coins from exclusive Royal Mint series such as the Great Engravers, Queen's Beasts and City Views ranges, giving a full and accurate display of our modern British coinage.

Hardback
216 x 138mm
TBC pages with colour illustrations throughout
ISBN 978-1-917269-03-2

We expect delivery of these books in late November.

For more information, or to order, see:
Coins of England and the United Kingdom, 2026, Decimal Issue (https://www.sovr.co.uk/products/coins-of-england-and-the-united-kingdom-2026-decimal-issue-km39925)

To read an earlier E-Sylum article, see:
SOVEREIGN RARITIES ACQUIRES SPINK PUBLICATIONS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n16a02.html)

NEW BOOK: SCARBOROUGH MEDALS & TOKENS

Janusz (Peter) Machulec and John Csaszar of Scarborough have developed a wonderful book on the subject of Scarborough, Ontario related medals and medallions. Both Peter and John are long time members of the Scarborough Coin Club that have a keen interest in these medals.

The first part of the book provides some general information about the history of Scarborough which dates back to its founding in 1796. Scarborough is a thriving city with a population of more than 600,000 people.

Scarborough has a rich history of medals and tokens being issued throughout the years. Peter and John wanted to show these items in a book as a celebration of the fifty-year anniversary of the Scarborough Coin Club.

The first section of the book deals with an in-depth review of the medals, tokens and scrip issued for Scarborough. The second section features the medals issued by the Scarborough Coin Club since the club's founding in 1975. The final section shows the medals of the Peace Games and school medals.

All of the medals and tokens are illustrated by colour photos. This is accompanied by composition, diameter and weight for each of the medals and tokens. The medal striker is also included if known.

A rarity scale is used rather than assigning values to each item. This rarity scale includes the following terms : Very Common, Common, Uncommon, Scarce and Rare. Values can change but the Rarity scale should remain in place for many years.

Peter and John provide a short history about the reason for the medals and tokens being issued. This adds to the informational content of the book.

The format of the book is well laid out and easy to read. Further addition of medals can be added in a second volume. This book has a wealth of information that will be important to the collector.

I am sure that you will enjoy reading this book and learning more about the medals and tokens of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.

NEWMAN PORTAL ADDS 2025 SUMMER FUN VIDEOS

Newman Portal Adds FUN Videos

Courtesy of the Florida United Numismatists (FUN), Newman Portal has added six videos representing presentations given at the 2025 Summer FUN convention. Speakers include Tom Scopp, Randy Campbell, William Jones, Steve Howard, Jay Chamberlain, and Bob Hurst. The FUN convention returns to Orlando with its 71st convention in early 2026, January 8-11. Many thanks to FUN board member Steve Martin for assistance with this content.

Link to FUN videos on Newman Portal:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/multimediadetail/549321

Link to FUN website:
http://www.funtopics.com/

VIDEO: FINAL DAYS OF THE DAHLONEGA MINT

Hear the story of the mint in Georgia where so many rare gold coins were created in the early 1800's. Speaker: Carl Lester.

To watch the complete video, see:
US Branch Mint at Dahlonega: Final Days of the Mint (https://youtu.be/cvYb2EqYqwY)
US Branch Mint at Dahlonega: Final Days of the Mint (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/549141)

L.W. HOFFECKER ARCHIVE DISCOVERED

A once-in-a-lifetime numismatic event has taken place along the U.S./Mexican border. In the desert city of El Paso, Texas, surviving documents and artifacts belonging to the late Lyman William Hoffecker (1868-1955), designer of the 1935 Old Spanish Trail / El Paso half dollar, have been discovered. These items, which have remained unknown to the numismatic community for the last seventy (70) years, were discovered during renovation efforts of the L.W. Hoffecker property. To those not familiar with L.W. Hoffecker, he was the originator of the Old Spanish Trail (El Paso) half dollar and was a former President of the American Numismatic Association.

During renovations, new homeowners John and Naiomi Falvey found the items tucked away in the carriage house located at the back of the old L.W. Hoffecker house. Soon after, Falveys would reach out to local El Paso numismatist and award-winning numismatic author Jason Elwell (Numismatics of the Borderland, 1st Edition, Honorable Mention Best Reference Book 2024, International Latino Book Awards), asking him if he would like to have the L.W. Hoffecker records. As the Falveys knew the L.W. Hoffecker records were of historic significance, they felt it was important to find the right person to give the files to. As a numismatist, Jason Elwell saw the importance of preserving these documents and artifacts and is now the new owner of those items. Jason Elwell would also become the new owner of L.W. Hoffecker's double-door steel vault, which resided within the same carriage house where the files were found. Currently, these items are part of the Jason Elwell Numismatic Collection.

As this could very well be one of the most important numismatic discoveries of the last 70 years, Jason Elwell has dedicated much time, research, and effort into writing a four (4)-part series titled "Go tell it on the Franklin Mountains…L.W. Hoffecker is Reborn". Jason Elwell's four part series article will

• share how he acquired the Hoffecker files
• address comments about the Spanish Trail (El Paso) half dollar
• provide evidence to support L.W. Hoffecker's eyewitness account and unfair treatment he experienced, and
• why us numismatists should be thanking L.W. Hoffecker for doing so much in our hobby.

Fittingly, this multi-part article series "Go tell it on the Franklin Mountains…L.W. Hoffecker is Reborn" will be published by the Texas Numismatic Association as it is Texas-related numismatic news and will be available to read beginning with the December 2025, Vol . 68, No.4 edition of TNA News magazine.

To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
LYMAN WILLIAM HOFFECKER (1868-1955) (https://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n18a13.html)
NEW BOOK: NUMISMATICS OF THE BORDERLAND (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n43a07.html)
NUMISMATICS OF THE BORDERLAND WINS AWARD (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n44a05.html)

NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: NOVEMBER 9, 2025

More on Postmarked Scrip Notes
Regarding postmarked scrip notes, David Gladfelter writes:

Todd adds:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
Alonzo H. Sawyer, Postmaster : Alonzo H. Sawyer, Postmaster (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n44a11.html)

More on the Restrike 1804 dollars

Craig Sholley writes:

To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
STACKS BOWERS: UNPUBLISHED 1804 DOLLAR (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n33a09.html)
MORE ON THE JAMES STACK JR. 1804 DOLLAR (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n33a10.html)

Lange's Coin Collecting Albums Books Sought
Recent subscriber Isaac Solomon writes:

Justin writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
NEW BOOK: COIN COLLECTING ALBUMS, VOLUME ONE (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n32a02.html)
NEW BOOK: COIN COLLECTING ALBUMS, VOLUME THREE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v23/esylum_v23n25a03.html)

The Changing Face of Money
Greg Burrus writes:

To read the complete article (subscription required), see:
From Paper Continentals to Next Year's $10 Bill: The Changing Face of U.S. Money (https://www.wsj.com/finance/currencies/american-dollar-money-history-b944c2c0)

Query: Spiked Large Cent Pair
Matt Hansen writes:

Tricks for Using Ancestry.com for Research
Ted Banning writes:

To watch the video on YouTube, see:
4 Ancestry Genealogy Archival Tricks You Probably Never Knew (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYZpUioN2YY)

STACK'S BOWERS PARENT BECOMES GOLD.COM

A-Mark Precious Metals (Nasdaq: AMRK), a fully integrated alternative assets platform that offers an extensive range of precious metals, numismatic coins, and collectibles to consumers, collectors, and institutional clients worldwide, today announced a corporate rebranding initiative that will change its name to "Gold.com" and transfer its common shares from the Nasdaq to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), effective Dec. 2, 2025. The shares of the Company, to be known as Gold.com, are expected to trade under the symbol "GOLD."

This strategic evolution better aligns the Company's corporate identity with its category leadership in precious metals, coins, currency, and other collectibles, with services spanning Direct-to-Consumer, Wholesale Sales & Ancillary Services (including proprietary minting, logistics, and secure storage capabilities), and Secured Lending. With $11.9 billion in revenues for the 12 months ending Sept. 30, 2025, and a strong balance sheet, Gold.com will operate as one of the most comprehensive vertically integrated precious metals platforms for global customers, retailers, collectors, and institutional clients.

"Gold.com perfectly encapsulates our identity and the whitespace in front of the business as we fortify our category leadership and work to define the future of precious metals, numismatics, and other collectibles," said Gregory N. Roberts, CEO of A-Mark. "Gold's history as the original store of value goes back generations, as does our heritage as a steward of this industry since our founding in 1965. We're thrilled to continue growing and building on this foundation, now under this dynamic new name that reflects our forward-thinking and trusted approach. This name change is just the first step in positioning ourselves for long-term success, enhancing our operational excellence, and delivering value for our customers, partners, and shareholders."

While Gold.com will serve as the corporate brand, A-Mark's Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) segment will continue to operate through its portfolio of trusted brands and channels (including JM Bullion, Stack's Bowers Galleries, and others). Additionally, the Company's Wholesale Sales & Ancillary Services segment will continue to operate under the A-Mark name. Collateral Finance Corporation, the Company's wholly owned, California-licensed finance lender that originates and acquires commercial loans secured by bullion, numismatics, and sports cards, will also retain its name.

"Investor interest in gold and silver has surged in recent years, and as we expand into additional high-growth adjacent categories, including fine wines, sports cards, and other collectibles, now is the ideal time to update our name as we revolutionize how these assets are managed and transacted," continued Mr. Roberts. "Furthermore, transferring to the NYSE provides strong credibility and a tremendous opportunity to leverage the public markets as we continue to expand and execute on our strategic growth plan."

To highlight this milestone, the Company will design a range of gold and silver bullion bars that feature its new name and logo. Beginning Dec. 2, 2025, these items will be available for purchase from JM Bullion. Sunshine Minting, Inc., the Las Vegas-based company in which A-Mark holds a 45% equity interest – which also works with sovereign entities such as the United States Mint, the Royal Canadian Mint, and The Royal Mint – will manufacture the products.

The rebranding initiative is not expected to result in any management or leadership changes. In addition, Gold.com's headquarters will be located in Costa Mesa, California, where the Company plans to expand offices currently occupied by Stack's Bowers Galleries, an A-Mark DTC brand. A new corporate website, www.Gold.com, will also be launched on Dec. 2, 2025, and will feature enhanced investor resources, streamlined access to the Company's portfolio of brands, and educational content about alternative assets and precious metals markets.

To read the complete article, see:
A-Mark Precious Metals to Become Gold.com and Transfer to the New York Stock Exchange (https://ir.amark.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/211/a-mark-precious-metals-to-become-gold-com-and-transfer-to)

To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
STACK'S BOWERS ACQUIRED BY A-MARK (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n06a10.html)
MORE ON A-MARK STACK'S BOWERS ACQUISITION (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n06a11.html)
SOME A-MARK COMPANY HISTORY (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n06a12.html)

 

VOCABULARY TERM: SANDBLASTED, SANDBLASTING

Sandblasted, Sandblasting. An abrasive blasting process; the pelting of a metal surface with very fine sand to break up a smooth finish. This action produces a matte surface of very low reflectiveness. A tiny individual point of impact with a grain of sand is called a crater, thousands of these would appear in a small area of a medallic surface after sandblasting, also called abrasive blasting. These craters are ideal for processing with a liquid or slurry, as they retain liquid until it forms a chemical reaction with the metal. Sandblasting is often the first step in a medal finishing department because it can accommodate several subsequent steps as metal coloring, relieving, torch finish and such. The process was first developed at the Paris Mint circa 1880. Once the surface is sandblasted it is called matte, or the French term is sablé.

The coarseness of the sand is critical. The finest grain sand was used until shortly after World War II, when more progressive metal manufacturers had turned to glass beads to be able to obtain a finer grit abrasive. This would produce a smoother surface with finer craters while still able to retain liquid. Other abrasive alternatives exist –tumbling and shot peening for example – but these can only be done prior to a piece being struck as a form of metal cleaning.

To read the complete entry on the Newman Numismatic Portal, see:
Sandblasted, Sandblasting (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/dictionarydetail/516696)

GEORGE BULL (1838-1886)

This week I went down a research rabbit hole and came up somewhat short of catching the rabbit. My interest started with William Spohn Baker who wrote a book about Washington medals. This led me to James Ross Snowden who also wrote a book about Washington medals. Next came Snowden's 1860 Mint Manual. Turns out that book was compiled by a little-known curator of the Mint Cabinet, George Bull.

George Bull was born in Towanda, Pennsylvania, on May 21, 1838, the son of Colonel James Perry Bull (1802-1842) and Ann E. Wallis (1809-1886). His sister Ann Wallis Bull (1830-1893) married Orville Hitchcock Platt who served as senator from Connecticut.

To add to the confusion, James Perry Bull had an older brother named George Hart Bull (1796-1870). George Bull and George H. Bull lived in Towanda at the same time.

The 1850 U. S. Census, taken in September, showed George Bull, age 13, living in Towanda, Pennsylvania, with his mother Ann E. Bull.

This brings me to the first question that could not be answered by that pesky rabbit I was chasing. What are the credentials required for a person hired to be curator at the Mint? How would a person get educated on numismatics when there are no books? Whatever the answers, George Bull was in that position by age twenty.

A theft occurred at the Mint in 1858 and one of the crooks attempted to spend a rare gold coin. At trial, George Bull testified that he recognized the coin as being in the Mint Cabinet.

The 1860 U. S. Census, taken in June, showed George Bull, age 22, working at the Mint. He was not linked to his parents or siblings. The only link to George Bull of Towanda is his age.

In the preface to the Mint Manual, also known as A Description of Ancient and Modern Coins in the Mint of the United States, Mint Director Snowden states:

While the Mint Manual is usually credited to Snowden, and his authority as Director of the Mint, the actual work was done by George Bull, then a twenty-two-year-old employee. The book required a considerable effort. Did Bull compile this in his spare time while guiding visitors through the Mint Cabinet? This remains a puzzle.

In July of 1860, George Bull bought the Carbon Democrat. This may have given him an entry into politics. He became very active in the party. In 1861 he was identified as Army Correspondent for the Cincinnati Times.

George was married to Annie Vincent Moodie (1846-1882) on May 1, 1861. At the time his profession was listed as painter.

In 1865 he was president of the Dunkard Oil Company.

In 1868 he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from Philadelphia County.

The 1870 and 1880 U. S. Census listed George Bull as an attorney. There are references to the attorney coming from Towanda.

He was an unsuccessful candidate for the U. S. Congress in 1880. In 1881, he was elected chairman of the Democratic city executive committee.

Attorney George Bull is not noted for any numismatic activity after 1860. He died of consumption (tuberculosis) at the home of his sister and Senator Platt in Meriden, Connecticut, on February 16, 1886.

When I started this article, I did not recall ever paying attention to George Bull previously. He is mentioned in The Numismatist three times. One of those is a column I did on Snowden in 1999.

The following story has no numismatic content. It may be of slight interest to those who understand the pursuit of rabbits down holes.

On the morning of July 28, 1881, George Bull had breakfast in the Girard House when he read a dispatch in The Times. On the previous day, a guide made an attempted assault on his wife. Mrs. Bull was on the way to Long Lake in the Adirondack Mountains to visit Senator Platt of Connecticut. While on a portage, a guide had assaulted her, attempted to choke her and tore her clothes. The guide ran off into the woods with other guides searching for him. Mr. Bull quickly caught a train to be with his wife.

Much printers' ink was sacrificed in the telling and retelling of the story. The victim was described as "a lady of attractive personal appearance and marked affability of manner." She was never mentioned by name but rather as Mrs. George Bull. The papers reported she was on her way to visit Senator Platt but fail to mention that the wife of Senator Platt is her sister-in-law.

An August 4th letter to The Philadelphia Times had comments:

The alleged perpetrator, Charles Parker, was arrested by Constable Warren S. Cole in Kingston, Ontario, on Thursday, July 28. That night Cole and Parker went to bed handcuffed to each other. Somehow. Parker got out of the handcuffs and escaped. Constable Cole tracked him for days and caught up with him on August 5. When Parker reached for his gun, Cole shot him from a hundred yards away. Parker died of his wound a few days later on August 9.

Mrs. George Bull, Annie Vincent Moodie, died of consumption on May 15, 1882.

In June of 1882, Warren J. Cole was arrested and indicted for murder by the Grand Jury of Hamilton. Earlier a Coroner's jury had acquitted Cole on grounds of justifiable homicide. In October of 1882, the Hamilton County Grand Jury ignored the bill of indictment, effectively vindicating Cole.

George Bull was also accused as an accomplice before the fact in a bill of indictment. Bull was accused variously of paying Cole $500 to kill Clark, asking Cole to kill Clark and insulting Adirondack guides at a hotel. They vowed to get even with Bull. In October the Grand Jury ignored the bill and vindicated Bull.

So, after all of this, I can't confirm that attorney George Bull from Towanda was the same as Mint Curator George Bull. Perhaps some E-Sylum reader can find that confirmation.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
GREAT NUMISMATIC THEFTS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n08a15.html)
NUMISMATIC RESEARCH AND THE ONLINE BROOKLYN EAGLE 1850-1900 (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v09n47a12.html)

NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: NOVEMBER 9, 2025

103267 | UNITED STATES. Philadelphia. Cathedral of St. Peter & St. Paul silvered white metal Medal. Issued 1864 (80mm, 223.19 g, 12h). By Anthony Paquet.

CATHEDRAL OF ST. PETER AND ST. PAUL, PHILADELPHIA, frontal view of the cathedral; in two lines in exergue, BEGUN 1846 / COMPLETED 1864 // TU ES PETRUS ET SUPER HANC PETRAM AEDIFICABO ECCLESIAM MEAM / VAS ELECTIONIS EST MIHI ISTE UT PORTET NOMEN MEUM CORAM GENTIBUS, perspective interior view, from a vantage point just left of center. Edge: A few light marks as noted, otherwise plain.

Eidlitz 1129. About Uncirculated details. Deeply toned, with some minor scuffs and bruises scattered about that do not overly interfere. Nevertheless, a very rare and extremely popular type that, when encountered, almost always exhibits an issue or two. Compare to the Q. David Bowers example, graded Choice About Uncirculated, though clearly with similar rim and surface issues, that realized a total of $1,680 in the Stack's Bowers Spring 2022 Auction (lot 1119).

An obvious analog to the architectural medals of the Wieners from Belgium and Bianchi in Italy, this piece by U.S. mint engraver Anthony C. Paquet stands out on account of its size and majesty, as well as its ability, similar to the other 3-D architectural types, to draw in the gaze and astonishment of the viewer. The New York Times even referred to it as "...the handsomest ever issued in the United States and the most artistic and elaborate design ever cut by this celebrated engraver."

To read the complete item description, see:
103267 | UNITED STATES. Philadelphia. Cathedral of St. Peter & St. Paul silvered white metal Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/103267)

103386 | GERMANY. König Wilhelms Railway Bridge bronze Medal. Issued 1870 for the completion of the bridge across the Rhine between Hamm and Neuss (71mm, 12h). By Leopold Wiener.

+ WILHELM KOENIG VON PREUSSEN + AUGUSTA KOENIGEN V PREUSSEN, jugate bare heads right of Wilhelm and Augusta // KOENIG WILHELMS / RHEIN–EISENBAHNBRUCKE / ERBAUT IN DEN JAHREN / 1868 BIS 1870, nude river god of the Rhine reclining right, resting elbow upon overturned urn from which liquid flows and resting hand upon civic coats-of-arms of Hamm and Neuss; in background, perspective view of the bridge.

Ross M292; Döry/Kubinszky 145; Henckel 4933; Schulten 9; Brettauer 337. PCGS SP-64. Extremely vibrant and glossy, with rich brown surfaces and a wondrous overall appearance that would seemingly make this somewhat conservatively assessed. As such, a premium quality example, and likely one of the finest of the type that one will encounter. The only representative of the type in the PCGS census.

The initial bridge for Düsseldorf over the Rhine, the König Wilhelms Railway Bridge was begun in 1868 and completed just two years later—an event commemorated on this medal. Over the years, the bridge has been extended, renovated, and completely rebuilt, with the current incarnation aesthetically similar to its predecessor, and with the original watchtowers (which can be seen at the far left side on the reverse of this medal) still standing right next to the current bridge.

To read the complete item description, see:
103386 | GERMANY. König Wilhelms Railway Bridge bronze Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/103386)

103270 | UNITED STATES & ITALY. Electrification of Niagara Falls bronze Medal. Issued 1904 for the American excursion of the members of the A. E. I. from August to September (59mm, 88.21 g, 12h). By Egidio Boninsegna & Angelo Cappucio for Stefano Johnson in Milano.

Seminude female allegory of Electricity standing slightly right, holding up electrified torch which powers electrical poles at a distance; Niagara Falls in background, with small boat upon Niagara River below // Two medallions containing portraits of Alessandro Volta and Benjamin Franklin facing one another; below, decorative cartouche reading "A J. W. LIEB Jr. / IN MEMORIA DELL' A. E. I. / AGOSTO–SETTEMBRE MCMIV" in four line; laurel branch in background. Edge: Plain.

150° Johnson 1461; Wolfsonion Coll. #83.1.154; lamoneta.it W-MEITB/58-1. Choice Mint State. Charming olive-brown surfaces, with a matte aspect throughout. An extremely rare issue, especially for those collecting exonumia relating to Franklin and depictions of the Falls.

This medal features two pioneers in the field of electricity, with Benjamin Franklin famously conducting an experiment in 1752 that, with the assistance of a kite and a key, proved that storm clouds were electrically charged and that lightning was merely a form of electricity, and with Alessandro Volta creating the first electric battery, which he called the "voltaic pile," in 1800. Nearly a century later, the idea electrifying Niagara Falls, given its vast hydroelectric capacity, was considered, with inventing giant Nikola Tesla consulted on the best manner in which this could be done. By 1904, the final phases of the plan were complete, with the Canadian side able to generate and send electricity across longer distances, and pairing with the American side from nine years prior. This very rare medal was issued the year of the Canadian side's completion, featuring a great Beaux Arts rendition of Electricity as well as the Falls themselves.

To read the complete item description, see:
103270 | UNITED STATES & ITALY. Electrification of Niagara Falls bronze Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/103270)

103387 | GREAT BRITAIN. Pair (2) of Sir Francis Chichester silver Medals. Issued 1967. Commemorating the first person to sail around the world single-handedly. By Paul Vincze for Spink.

SIR FRANCIS CHICHESTER, capped bust left / GIPSY MOTH IV 1966-67 GOLDEN HIND 1577-80, Neptune on bent knee left, raising up laurel wreath and holding trident; behind, projection of the globe surmounted by the Gipsy Moth IV (Chichester's ketch) and the Golden Hind (Sir Francis Drake's galleon).

(1): 57mm. Edge: SILVER 153. Eimer 2113a. PCGS SP-63.

(2): 38mm. Edge: SILVER 153. Eimer 2113b. PCGS SP-64.

An extremely lustrous and vibrant pair, each of which offer a great gilt nature to the toning and wondrous iridescence. Includes original box of issue.

A businessman and aviator as well as a solo sailor, Sir Francis Chichester became famous first for his adventurous aviation, landing his de Havilland Gipsy Moth aircraft on remote lands like Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands in the South Pacific (being the first person to do so). Later in life, he turned to solo sailing, navigating his ketch Gipsy Moth IV from Plymouth all the way around the world, returning 226 days later in May 1967. Just a few weeks later in July, Chichester was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, with the monarch using the sword her namesake, Elizabeth I, used for the knighting of Sir Francis Drake upon his circumnavigation of the world in 1581.

To read the complete item description, see:
103387 | GREAT BRITAIN. Pair (2) of Sir Francis Chichester silver Medals. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/103387)

103293 | FRANCE. Domitian copper Medal. Issued 1968 (68mm, 223.50 g, 3h). Imitating a sestertius from circa 95/6 CE.

IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XVII CENS PER P P, laureate and draped bust right // Two-doored triumphal arch surmounted by two elephant-driven quadrigae; S - C across field. Edge: «cornucopia» CUIVRE 1968 No. 180/500.

Gem Mint State. Deep brown surfaces, with some hints of green around the devices.

Part of a series of ancient coins struck in much larger, medallic form by the Paris mint in the mid 1960s to early 1970s, these examples serve as direct analogs to renaissance issues like Paduans and Cavinos, which themselves were fairly faithful imitations of ancient coinage. Here, the coin celebrated is a rare sestertius (RIC 796) dating to Domitian's 17th consulship (95/6 CE), which led up to his assassination. The reverse depicts a rather fantastic arch that is still not fully known, though it may well be the same as that mentioned in an epigram of the Latin poet Martial (Ep. 8.65).

To read the complete item description, see:
103293 | FRANCE. Domitian copper Medal. (https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/103293)

STACK'S BOWERS NOVEMBER 2025 CURRENCY SHOWCASE

VT-1. Vermont. February 1781. 1 Shilling. PMG Very Fine 20 Net. Severed & Reattached, Repaired. No. 2622. Serial number in cartouche along the top margin. Signatures of both Walbridge and Fasset penned distinctly in a stacked arrangement. The signature of Walbridge is notably thicker than that of Fasset which appears along the bottom margin. Dimensions are 71mm by 90mm with some roughness evident while the basic design resembles that of the notes issued by both Connecticut and Rhode Island during the period. Border cuts at left and right depicting thin vines which Ford dubbed the "simple swaying vine" which support a keystone-like frieze emblazoned "VERMONT CURRENCY" with both the serial number and denomination below. Text and obligation may be seen at center with a Fugioesque chain with 14 links encircled by motto "VERMONT CALLS FOR JUSTICE" which is largely unobscured by the repairs best observed on the verso. A similar arrangement is noticed on the verso with the denomination stacked above the counterfeit warning and imprint for Judah P. Spooner along with a date of "1781." The aforementioned repairs are best observed along the left and right margins with stiff paper strips applied to reinforce the brittle paper body while a similar repair has been applied to mitigate the split evident along the horizontal crease. Some minor chips may be observed along the margins but are noted for the sake of posterity as this is one of the finest Vermont Colonials that was once part of the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection. To emphasize and to paraphrase the description from Ford III, this example is very likely one of the finest known for its type and denomination and vastly superior to many of its known counterparts. For the collector looking to acquire a quality Vermont Colonial for their own collection this is an opportunity not to be missed as opportunities comparable to Ford are rare even among exceptional auctions. PMG comments "Severed & Reattached, Repaired."

Estimate: $8,000 - $10,000.

Provenance: Ex. F.C.C. Boyd, Stack's sale of the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, Part III, May 2004, Lot 842.

To read the complete item description, see:
VT-1. Vermont. February 1781. 1 Shilling. PMG Very Fine 20 Net. Severed & Reattached, Repaired. (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1MX7PK/vt-1-vermont-february-1781-1-shilling-pmg-very-fine-20-net-severed-reattached-repaired)

CC-9. Continental Currency. May 10, 1775. $20. PMG Choice Very Fine 35. No. 8098. Unique among its peers in technical terms. This $20 Continental issued under the resolution dated May 10, 1775, offers a colorful, albeit foreign sight among its contemporaries. Printed on marbled polychrome paper supplied by none other than Benjamin Franklin and adorned with vignettes adapted from Franklin's own hand, these elements underscore the popularity of the $20 Continentals issued under this emission and their rarity regardless of condition. Most of the survivors are impaired with comments like "Edge Damage" and "Repaired," but imperfect specimens manage to command strong prices as evidenced by the example we sold in our Spring 2025 Showcase Auction (Lot 20116) which realized $15,600 despite being severed and subsequently reattached. This specimen, although lacking with regards to the marbled edge, still offers traits seldom encountered among comparable peers as its color remains both bold and original while the penned signatures of John Mease and Joseph Sims (Jr.) offer a pleasing sight that contrasts nicely with the printed balance of the design. Together these elements offer a compelling testament to both the workmanship of the period and the bleeding edge of period anti-counterfeiting features and should no doubt command considerable interest from bidders before one bidder may finally claim it for their own collection. PMG comments "Paper Pull, Minor Edge Damage."

Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000.

To read the complete item description, see:
CC-9. Continental Currency. May 10, 1775. $20. PMG Choice Very Fine 35. (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1MX7PR/cc-9-continental-currency-may-10-1775-20-pmg-choice-very-fine-35)

San Jose, California. $10 1874. Fr. 1148. Farmers National Gold Bank. Charter #2158. PMG Very Fine 20. Representative of a type that is beyond popular in numismatic circles and a tangible legacy of the California Gold Rush; National Gold Bank Notes were an oddity introduced into circulation to placate the hard money inclinations of those in California who held firm memories of bank failures and unsound paper money back East. Issued by one of eight National Gold Banks to operate within the State of California. The Farmers National Gold Bank of San Jose (Charter# 2158) was first chartered in 1874 with the purpose of serving the farmers who populated the Santa Clara Valley and the lucrative trade that prospered between San Jose and San Francisco. With the resumption of specie payments in the late 1870s, the Farmers National Gold Bank converted its charter in 1880 and became the First National Bank of San Jose (Charter# 2158) before changing its title once again in 1929 to incorporate an accent mark. The bank would last long past 1935 and through February 2023 when it fell victim to a merger with a Chicago-based bank. A reflection of that history; this example is not your typical "Very Good" or "Fine" often encountered with frequency regardless of the issuing bank. Assigned a grade of Very Fine 20 by the likes of PMG, this example has nonetheless seen some minor restorations that were seemingly effected with noted skill to mitigate some minor splits along the margins. The note itself retains solid eye appeal and retains a degree of honesty with regards to the paper quality and the clarity of individual design elements. The all-important vignette of assorted Pre-33 gold coins on the back is quite clear with the coins clear and identifiable unobstructed by the fruits of extensive circulation. A collector seeking to represent this iconic and short-lived type would do no wrong in acquiring this example for themselves. PMG comments "Minor Restoration."

Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000.

To read the complete item description, see:
San Jose, California. $10 1874. Fr. 1148. Farmers National Gold Bank. Charter #2158. PMG Very Fine 20. (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1MX8PI/san-jose-california-10-1874-fr-1148-farmers-national-gold-bank-charter-2158-pmg-very-fine-20)

Stockton, California. $10 1873. Fr. 1146. First National Gold Bank. Charter #2077. PMG Choice Fine 15. A type which has it roots in the preference for "hard money" in California and the far-flung reaches of the West, National Gold Bank Notes are as much an aesthetic masterwork as they are relics from a time when paper money was rightly met with skepticism in the minds of the general public. Reminiscent of their counterparts which circulated back east, the vignettes entitled Franklin and Electricity at left and America Seizing the Lightning at right are among the familiar elements of this composition that remains distinctly Western. With "REDEEMABLE IN GOLD COIN" printed plainly along the top margin, it would be no secret to even the most skeptical of Californians as to what backed this new-fangled form of paper money in circulation. Between the yellow-tinted paper and the large vignette of assorted Pre-33 gold coins on the back, these traits speak once again to that reality and would serve to ease one's skepticism and concerns that would be replaced with a resounding reassurance upon walking through the doors of the First National Gold Bank (Charter# 2077) and redeeming it for a freshly-struck 1874-S $10 Eagle that had only just come off the coining presses of the San Francisco Mint. Wearing its tenure in commerce quite well for a type infamous for displaying extensive circulation, this example will do well to represent this coveted and iconic type in a manner that your average example from San Francisco could not hope to match. PMG comments "Pinholes."

Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000.

To read the complete item description, see:
Stockton, California. $10 1873. Fr. 1146. First National Gold Bank. Charter #2077. PMG Choice Fine 15. (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1MX8QH/stockton-california-10-1873-fr-1146-first-national-gold-bank-charter-2077-pmg-choice-fine-15)

St. Louis, Missouri. $100 1902 Red Seal. Fr. 686. Fourth NB. Charter #283. PMG Very Fine 25. Issued from just 1902 to 1908, the Series of 1902 Red Seal National Bank Notes are a brief entry in the numismatic canon that owes its demise to the passage of the Aldrich-Vreeland Act in 1908. During that period the bulk of National Banks that were organized served rural areas and kept minimal circulations that often never exceeded $6,250 or $12,500. Even so the number of banks that opted to renew their charters or organized between the Act of April 12, 1902, and the Aldrich-Vreeland Act which passed in May 1908 was rather limited even among urban locales such as Saint Louis or Chicago where large banks dominated the financial ecosystem. Certain banks like the Carbonate National Bank of Leadville (Charter# 3746) which were largely tied to the presence of industries like mining or agriculture in the case of the First National Bank of Concordia (Charter# 3066) are represented by populations compounded by limited resources among other factors.

This helps explain why so few institutions actually issued $50-$100 sheets and helps underscore the rarity of this type and denomination in the present. The Fourth National Bank of Saint Louis (Charter# 283) was among the few institutions of the period to issue Series of 1902 $100 Red Seal National Bank Notes in quantity and issued a total of 9,957 $100s alongside a like number of $50s representative of this short-lived type across at least two shipments. In fact, the Fourth National Bank records a total of nine examples out of 17 notes recorded overall by the National Bank Note Census making it one of the small number of institutions that can be considered "common" when one looks to add an example of this type to their own holdings.

Yet the use of "common" in this context is a misnomer as any Series of 1902 $100 Red Seal represents a sight infrequently seen even among the offerings of both established auction houses and dealers. The added benefit of bold penned signatures applied by the hand of Cashier G.A.W. August and President Hamilton Atchison Forman account for a nice contrast against the red overprint and the engraved elements of the design making this not only a rarity in a numismatic context, but also in an aesthetic one making this essentially a rarity among rarities ripe to be at the center of a battle for ownership among bidders.

Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000.

To read the complete item description, see:
St. Louis, Missouri. $100 1902 Red Seal. Fr. 686. Fourth NB. Charter #283. PMG Very Fine 25. (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1MX8XD/st-louis-missouri-100-1902-red-seal-fr-686-fourth-nb-charter-283-pmg-very-fine-25)

Fr. 2405. 1928 $100 Gold Certificate. PCGS Banknote Gem Uncirculated 65 PPQ. Blessed with technical and aesthetic qualities typically lost upon the surviving $100 Gold Certificates issued under the Series of 1928, this specimen is truly a miracle of survival among its peers and one that has duly earned the grade assigned. Sharp knife-like margins and plain registration may be observed in the company of a gorgeous contrast between the overprinted and engraved elements of the design. The yellow-gold Treasury overprint is perhaps the most captivating of these traits and offers not only a testament to original qualities often lost upon most examples of this Friedberg Number, but also the appealing qualities endemic to Gold Certificates as a class as collectors are often faced with circulated examples that offer an indistinct overprinted Treasury seal. Small details such as the Latin inscription "THESAUR AMER SEPTENT SIGIL" can be read in-full and seen alongside distinct scales and the key seen below. A rare quality in its own right, the uncommon detail evident here does well to complement the boldness of each letter and digit in the serial numbers seen at left and right. Each one comes nicely embossed and offers testament to a quality typically lost upon "improved" specimens or lost entirely at circulated grade levels. As a result, nothing is left to wonder as to why this note managed to earn a grade of Gem Uncirculated 65 PPQ from PCGS Banknote, but that distinction is only part of the proverbial equation. Spared the autocratic provisions of Executive Order 6102 which claimed most of its high-grade counterparts that were easily redeemed, this example somehow managed to survive as part of period cash hoard that went undisturbed for decades until it found its way to the numismatic circuit at some point in the not-so-distant past. Here in the present, this note offers an opportunity worthy of the utmost in consideration. Collectors know well that high-grade $100 Gold Certificates issued under the Series of 1928 are a rare sight at the Gem Uncirculated grade level and should no doubt see this specimen to a realization reflective of its premium qualities that are bound to draw a premium bid. PCGS Banknote Pop 2/1 Finer.

Estimate: $30,000 - $50,000.

To read the complete item description, see:
Fr. 2405. 1928 $100 Gold Certificate. PCGS Banknote Gem Uncirculated 65 PPQ. (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1MXBRZ/fr-2405-1928-100-gold-certificate-pcgs-banknote-gem-uncirculated-65-ppq)

Fr. 2408. 1928 $1000 Gold Certificate. PMG Extremely Fine 40 EPQ. A textbook example of the grade assigned and a survivor when weighed against the historical context of the period. This $1000 Gold Certificate is certainly a survivor among the circumstances that claimed most of its peers during the early 1930s when Executive Order 6102 came down in April 1933. As most high-denomination Gold Certificates were held by banks and other financial institutions, most were in a prime position for compliance when the order came down and saw those notes consigned to an unceremonious end while those that managed to survive did so from the depths of a period hoard or safe deposit box far out of sight from the overreach of the authorities. From these circumstances only less than 100 pieces managed to survive for the benefit of collectors. Most of those that survived offer clear signs of circulation while only a handful are known towards the top of the grading spectrum. This particular piece is absent any repairs or restorations and demonstrates faint signs consistent with circulation and has managed to earn PMG's coveted EPQ designation for "Exceptional Paper Quality." The Treasury overprint and serial numbers are nicely accomplished in a distinctive shade of yellowish-gold which serves to offer a nice contrast with the balance of the design that shares a strong resemblance to contemporary Federal Reserve Notes albeit with modifications and the portrait of President Grover Cleveland who was a noted contrarian within his own party during the 1890s over his support for the Gold Standard. Cleveland's portrait is nonetheless seen amidst the accoutrements and clauses typical of the type which manage to round out much of the design. This is more or less an academic distinction for the collector looking to represent this difficult Friedberg Number in their own collection with a premium specimen and should portend a battle for ownership when this note crosses the auction block.

Estimate: $30,000 - $50,000.

Provenance: From the José Octavio Busto Collection.

To read the complete item description, see:
Fr. 2408. 1928 $1000 Gold Certificate. PMG Extremely Fine 40 EPQ. (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1MXBSR/fr-2408-1928-1000-gold-certificate-pmg-extremely-fine-40-epq)

Fr. 119. 1901 $10 Legal Tender Note. PCGS Banknote Superb Gem Uncirculated 67 PPQ. Bound to stand like a beacon amongst the offerings of this auction; this most attractive and exceptional example of what is arguably one of the most iconic designs ever put to print by the Bureau of Engraving & Printing offers a compelling glimpse into the aesthetic conventions of a bygone era long lost to standardized designs that value utility above all other considerations. Featuring elaborate Corinthian-type columns adorned with the portraits of Lewis & Clark framed by a pair of female allegorical figures, this design further embodies the ethos of the untamed frontier by way of the vignette depicted at center between the overprinted elements of the design. Here the viewer's focus is shifted upon a forward-facing rendition of an American bison that was once held by the Washington Zoo. This composition which was engraved by one M.S. Baldwin from a sketch prepared by Charles R. Knight who specialized in detailed sketches and paintings of prehistoric wildlife with an emphasis on dinosaurs has since become iconic among numismatists earning it the #6 position in Bowers and Sundman's book 100 Greatest American Currency Notes. Each element of the vignette testifies not only to the skills of Baldwin as an engraver, but also to the skills of Knight whose works have brought life to extinct forms of life having greatly contributed to how we envision the prehistoric past. To that end, both the efforts of Baldwin and Knight are accompanied by details that speak a fine testament to the skills of Bureau engravers and the rarely applied grade assigned. Details such as individual blades of grass complement the lifelike details endemic to the portraits of Lewis and Clark and the graceful female form of Progress seen on the back. Each of these elements held together with the grade assigned by PCGS Banknote serve to uphold this note as more than just a survivor that avoided circulation, but alas a testament to the artistic thought of the early 1900s where notes like this were more than simple financial instruments but rather a reflection of American identity that helps underscore the popularity of these notes in the present. This combined with the exceptional status of this piece as the sole finest example of the Parker - Burke signature combination at PCGS Banknote is sure to see uncommon interest in this specimen from bidders before the bidding process ends. PCGS Banknote Pop 1/None Finer.

Estimate: $30,000 - $50,000.

To read the complete item description, see:
Fr. 119. 1901 $10 Legal Tender Note. PCGS Banknote Superb Gem Uncirculated 67 PPQ. (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1MXBXY/fr-119-1901-10-legal-tender-note-pcgs-banknote-superb-gem-uncirculated-67-ppq)

Fr. 212. 1864 $50 Interest Bearing Note. PMG Very Fine 20. No. 118501. Plate A. Issued amidst the economic challenges of the period that prompted a shortage of both coin and currency in circulation, this note represents one of the many fiscal measures taken during the period and is in-part discussed in great detail by Nicholas J. Bruyer in his book U.S. Treasury Notes 1812 - 1865: An Illustrated History. Part of the second issue of 7-30 Interest Bearing Notes authorized by the Act of June 30, 1864, many of the notes from this emission went to Army paymasters while large quantities also went to creditors and National Banks across the country. This note lacks the five coupons that would have been attached along the right margin when this note first made it to circulation. Those coupons were payable semi-annually and clipped as required by the bearer with the final interest payment due to the bearer when the note was ultimately surrendered. These notes were nonetheless popular, and Treasury Secretary William P. Fessenden opined that "the Secretary has great satisfaction" in reference to the fact that many 7-30s went to fulfill outstanding Army payrolls despite their lack of legal tender status. Later emissions followed much and the same route with the "July 15, 1865" imprinted 7-30s becoming a popular means of fulfilling outstanding payrolls while some even found their way to circulation before their eventual redemption.

Yet somehow this piece managed to avoid the inglorious fate that claimed most of its peers. Graded Very Fine 20 by PMG with a comment that states "Restoration," this piece offers a strong degree of eye appeal despite imperfections including a series of curious punch-type cancellations that may be noticed along the bottom margin. This represents a sight rarely encountered among comparable pieces implying that this note had been redeemed (or may confiscated) and not destroyed as a result. The reason behind such a distinction is open to speculation and invites further research with the assistance of the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. As for the balance of the note, even circulation may be observed while the impetus behind the "Restoration" comment applied by PMG can best be observed along the top margin. A penned signature attributable to one "John Green" whom this note was issued to can be observed in two different signature panels on both sides. The same basic design of the 1861 7-30 Interest Bearing Notes is emulated, but with modifications. The centermost vignette engraved by Johan Heinrich "Henry" Gulger is visually similar to the vignette used on the 1861 7-30s, but the eagle faces left as opposed to right while the ornamental elements along the margins have become more complex. The back design by comparison shares a strong similarity to the $50 one-year 5% notes save for a revised obligation.

Barring additional historical and aesthetic minutiae, this is an exceptionally rare item when speaking in strictly numismatic terms. Track & Price records only six surviving examples for this Friedberg Number barring the inclusion of any errors while a similar distinction is demonstrated by the old Generke Census. The level of eye appeal demonstrated by this specimen is particularly wholesome for the grade assigned while the imperfections noted by PMG are easily overlooked and best observed with the added aid of backlighting. Held together these traits underscore the material condition of something that should have been redeemed and destroyed almost 160 years ago but managed to survive for unknown reasons. For the advanced collector with the means to match, this note presents more than just an opportunity to represent a rare Friedberg Number, but one that quite possibly traces an unusual history when compared to its fellow survivors that awaits further research. PMG comments "Punch Hole Cancelled, Restoration."

Estimate: $60,000 - $80,000.

To read the complete item description, see:
Fr. 212. 1864 $50 Interest Bearing Note. PMG Very Fine 20. (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1MXC15/fr-212-1864-50-interest-bearing-note-pmg-very-fine-20)

Fr. 831. 1918 $50 Federal Reserve Bank Note. St. Louis. PCGS Banknote Choice Uncirculated 63. Representative of a rarity that should not have survived. This $50 Federal Reserve Bank Note issued under the Series of 1918 is one of just 4,000 issued and among a small handful of survivors which currently stands at 53 pieces per the Track & Price census. That figure even though it may seem limited, underscores the reason behind the survival of this note and its fellow survivors as the population recorded for the Series of 1918 $50 Federal Reserve Bank Notes owes almost everything to the efforts of a Texas-based collector by the name of William A. Philpott Jr. who was the long-term secretary of the Texas Bankers Association. Philpott, an astute collector in his own right, alerted various Federal Reserve Banks and bank employees to his interest and dozens of examples were saved from the prospect of redemption as a result during the 1920s. Philpott's efforts serve to underscore the fact that most of the known Series of 1918 $50 Federal Reserve Bank Notes are clustered above the grade of "Extremely Fine." This specimen has nonetheless been known to collectors since at least the late 1960s per an article in the April 1969 edition of The Numismatist having been pedigreed to the collection of Morris Loewenstern (1913 - 2007) of Amarillo who later sold this piece during the 1970s. Since then, this note has appeared at a handful of auctions most recently in 2003 when it realized $10,350. Market conditions have nonetheless changed since 2003 but bearing in mind the rarity of similar offerings at auction, this is a note that should come to see much in the way of interest from bidders as it currently stands as the sole finest at PCGS Banknote as of 2025.

William A. Philpott Jr. (1885 - 1971)

Born in St. Jo in Montague County to W.A. Philpott, Sr. and Mary R. Bellah Philpott on September 17, 1885, William A. Philpott Jr, was among the most distinguished collectors of his era. After graduating from the University of Texas in the early 1900s, Philpott briefly worked for the San Antonio Express and as a night editor for the Austin Statesman before moving to Dallas in 1912 to serve as the editor of The Texas Bankers Record. By 1916 Philpott had become the managing officer of the Texas Bankers Association and had become the Association's Secretary by the early 1920s. In that position, Philpott became a prolific collector of coins and currency using his position to save many great rarities from redemption. Institutional holdings such as the Philpott - Moody speak to the breadth of Philpott's holdings while his efforts to save Series of 1918 $50 Federal Reserve Bank Notes from circulation speak to his uncommon means during a time when $50 represented a significant sum of money for the average layman. Philpott eventually died in 1971 at his home in Dallas at the age of 86 after a round of golf with some friends. Today Philpott stands remembered as a collector who was among the most accomplished of his time and often remembered alongside names of luminaries in the vein of Beebe, Carter, Donlon, and Grinnell. PCGS Banknote Pop 1/None Finer.

Estimate: $40,000 - $60,000.

Provenance: M.H. Loewenstern advertisement in Paper Money Magazine, March 1975; Lyn Knight Fixed Price List of May 1979; American Numismatic Rarities Sale of December 2003, lot 191.

To read the complete item description, see:
Fr. 831. 1918 $50 Federal Reserve Bank Note. St. Louis. PCGS Banknote Choice Uncirculated 63. (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1MXC90/fr-831-1918-50-federal-reserve-bank-note-st-louis-pcgs-banknote-choice-uncirculated-63)

HERITAGE: U.S. ERROR CURRENCY SHOWCASE

As most US currency collectors know, the US Government began issuing Large Size paper money in 1861 to help finance the Civil War. The notes were printed through the National Bank Note Company and American Bank Note Company, both in New York. These companies were joined by the National Currency Bureau in 1863, which became the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in 1869. In these early days, every step of the printing process needed human hands. Each step was closely monitored from beginning to end to produce attractive, quality banknotes and to avoid releasing errors and misprinted notes into circulation. This hands-on approach with repeated inspection resulted in very few Large Size Errors reaching circulation. The few that escaped unnoticed would become numismatic collectors' trophies once discovered.

In the early years of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, notes like the 1917 $1 Legal Tender with an Inverted Back Error seen above, started as a sheet of paper that was run through a roller press which transferred ink from an engraved steel plate onto the paper. Printing was done in three stages, first the back was printed, then the face, and finally the seals and serial numbers were added, with inspection of the print and drying of the ink required after each print stage. Once the sheets were printed, inspected, and fully dried, they were cut into individual notes and sorted before being sent to the issuing banks for circulation. This frequent handling throughout the printing process provided high assurance that few mistakes were made. Consequently, these rare error notes have become quite valuable. The highest price realized for a Large Size Inverted Back Error was a Fr. 1187 $20 1922 Gold Certificate PMG Choice Uncirculated 64 EPQ which realized $16,800 in 2020.

Typically, when errors occurred in the midst of a run of notes, one of the BEP employees would remove the misprinted piece and order a replacement for that note or sheet. Replacement notes were printed with a star incorporated into the serial number to serve as a marker and maintain a proper account of the total issue. While some errors are common, errors on star or replacement notes are much rarer. A 1906 $20 Gold Certificate Star Note Inverted Back Error realized $17,625 - the highest price realized for a Large Size Star Note Error.

Missing Printing or Partial Printing Errors on Large Size US Currency are also extremely rare. The Bart reference describes just two large-size examples that exist. Both were auctioned in our January 2022 FUN auction, a $500 Gold Certificate which realized $11,400, and an 1862/3 $10 Legal Tender which brought $6,000. Perhaps less rare, but more exciting are the Double Denomination Errors. The highest price realized on a Double Denomination note was when this Kansas City, MO - $50/$100 Double Denomination 1882 Brown Back Fr. 512 The Aetna National Bank Ch. # 4251 realized $70,500 in 2015. Error enthusiasts' favored Double Denomination Errors can be found on both Large and Small Size notes. Because of the hands-on nature of the early printing process, Large Size Errors entered circulation less frequently than Small Size Errors, which were first introduced into circulation in August 1929. Hand-operated presses were still used, albeit less often than before. The BEP began using sheet-fed rotary presses in 1957, increasing production to 32 notes per sheet, with the first currency printed using this technique being the 1957 series of Silver Certificates. Direct human handling of the notes dwindled as printing was automated. Consequently, the number of errors slipping into circulation increased, as BEP employees no longer inspected every note being printed.

The new system created new types of errors including mismatched serial numbers, like the one above, inverted overprint errors, offset errors, and doubled printing errors. One stand out example, a Doubled Second Printing Error Fr. 1974-G $5 1977 Federal Reserve Note, realized $22,800 in January 2021. The more dramatic the error, the more these happy accidents can fetch at auction. Error notes are yet another fun way to engage in the paper money hobby and fascinate yourself with the foibles of banknote production. Be sure to check out the exciting array of Large and Small Size Error notes in our upcoming November 16 U.S. Error Currency Showcase Auction.

DAVISSONS E-AUCTION 52 SELECTIONS

E-Auction 52, closing Wednesday, November 19th 2025, is online now!

This sale features our first offering from The Peter Bartlett Collection. Peter's carefully assembled collection features an exceptional array of classic Greek and Roman coinage. We discussed Peter's background in our introductory note, as a Life Fellow of the ANS and a world-renowned expert in coins of the Visigoths. The pieces we have chosen for this first offering from his collection are from Magna Graecia through mainland Greece and the Peloponnese, and are representative of his collection as a whole – beautiful style, well centered pieces on large flans, including many rare types and denominations, purchased from significant auctions and important dealers since the 1960s.

We have included some highlights below, along with a few exceptional pieces from another consignor, but do take a minute to browse the full 60 lots from the Bartlett Collection that are included in our Greek section. They represent a rare opportunity to acquire pieces of remarkable quality.

SKYTHIA. Geto-Dacians. Koson. Circa 42-29 B.C. AV stater. 8.54 gm. 18.5 mm. Roman consul accompanied by two lictors holding fasces advancing left; monogram to left, KOSON in exergue / Eagle with wings spread standing left on scepter, clutching laurel wreath in right talon, pellet below. RPC I 1701A. HGC 3.2, 2049. Choice Extremely Fine; sharply struck; attractive lustrous rich gold tone.

The Peter Bartlett Collection.

To read the complete item description, see:
SKYTHIA. Geto-Dacians. Koson. (https://davcoin.com/lot/e-auction-52-lot-1?)

CALABRIA. Tarentum. Circa 290-281 B.C. AR didrachm or nomos. 7.61 gm. 19.5 mm. Dies signed by Philistion. Nude warrior riding horse leaping right, holding two spears and shield, preparing to cast a third spear; monogram to left, FI below / Phalanthos, nude and holding distaff, riding dolphin left; to right, eagle with closed wings standing left; FI?IS to left, waves below. HN Italy 933. Fischer-Bossert Group 78b, 1072 (V405/R826). Vlasto 571 (same obverse die). Good Very Fine; attractive old toning with blue and orange iridescence; slight roughness; minor bits of soil adhering on reverse; a few small areas slightly flat from strong strike. Well centered on an even round flan; struck from fresh dies. Exceptionally fine style and centering for type and die.

The Peter Bartlett Collection. Ex Coin Galleries (11 June 1965) lot 2.

To read the complete item description, see:
CALABRIA. Tarentum. (https://davcoin.com/lot/e-auction-52-lot-30?)

LUCANIA. Poseidonia. Circa 530-500 B.C. AR half nomos – drachm. 3.38 gm. 22 mm. Poseidon, beardless and nude but for chlamys draped over both arms, striding right, preparing to cast trident; FSSM to left, ????S (retrograde) to right / Incuse of obverse, except trident and legend are in relief. Gorini 8. HN Italy 1108. SNG ANS 629 var. (legend). Fine to near Very Fine; nice old toning but with some old scratches and damage, all fully toned; of pleasant archaic style. Very Rare. A special opportunity to acquire this elusive type that typically commands well into four figures and above.

The Peter Bartlett Collection. Ex CNG 41 (19 March 1997) lot 108. Ex Coin Galleries (29 July 1975) lot 662.

To read the complete item description, see:
LUCANIA. Poseidonia. (https://davcoin.com/lot/e-auction-52-lot-35?)

LUCANIA. Sybaris. Circa 550-510 B.C. AR third nomos – drachm. 2.54 gm. 18.5 mm. Bull standing left, head right; V M in exergue / Incuse of obverse. Gorini 4. HN Italy 1736. SNG ANS 849. HGC 1, 1232. Good Very Fine; attractive old toning with slight iridescence; deeply struck and well centered on nice flan for issue; slight edge irregularity from 11-1'.

The Peter Bartlett Collection. Ex Aureo 111-4 (15 December 1999) lot 4002.

To read the complete item description, see:
LUCANIA. Sybaris. (https://davcoin.com/lot/e-auction-52-lot-37?)

SICILY. Naxos. Circa 531-510 B.C. AR litra. .57 gm. 10.5 mm. Possibly a contemporary imitation. Head of Dionysos of archaic style to right, with pointed beard and ivy wreath; heavy dotted border / Bunch of grapes; heavy dotted border; ?? - ????. Bérend, Réflexions p. 11 and pl. 2, 4. Cahn -. HGC 2, -. Cf. SNG ANS 531. Good Very Fine; attractive old toning; perfectly centered and well struck on an even round flan. Extremely Rare. An elegant little coin of great historical interest.

The Peter Bartlett Collection. Ex Numismatic Fine Arts XXXIII (3 May 1994) lot 49 ("Unpublished, but see Cahn 50-53").

Though stylistically unarguably Naxian, there are several factors that distinguish this piece from the usual archaic issues of Naxos – Dionysos faces right, and the reverse legend breaks NA-XION instead of NAX-ION. It may well be an experimental issue from Naxos, or a contemporary imitation struck by a nearby city; in either case, it is exceptional and rare.

A similar piece in better condition was sold for $3,547 on 21 May 2023 by Nomos.

To read the complete item description, see:
SICILY. Naxos. (https://davcoin.com/lot/e-auction-52-lot-50?)

SICILY. Selinos. Circa 515-480/70 B.C. AR didrachm. 8.13 gm. 18 mm. Selinon leaf, trilobate / Palm-like selinon leaf within incuse square. Arnold-Biucchi 9. SNG Lockett 858. Cf. HGC 2, 1216. Very Fine; rich old tone; well centered and sharply struck, a pleasing coin. Extremely rare.

The Peter Bartlett Collection. Ex CNG eAuction (18 June 2001) #62970.

To read the complete item description, see:
SICILY. Selinos. (https://davcoin.com/lot/e-auction-52-lot-51?)

SICILY. Syracuse. Timoleon and the Third Democracy. 344-317 B.C. AR stater. 8.48 gm. 20 mm. Struck under Timoleon, 344-339/8. Pegasos flying left / Head of Athena right, wearing Corinthian helmet. Pegasi 2. HGC 2, 1400. Good Very Fine; well centered and sharply struck, with stunning iridescent toning. Choice coin, fine style.

The Peter Bartlett Collection.

The Corinthian style staters struck at Syracuse are of the finest artistic style of this lovely type. They are part of the phenomenal artistic output of the Syracuse mint particularly in the late 5th to early 4th centuries BC, the finest era for Greek artists engraving dies for classical Greek coins. This is known as the "Era of the Signing Masters" -- artists competed with each other to produce masterpieces, leading to a peak in innovation and artistry that saw coins "finely engraved and of great beauty" (David Sear, "Greek Coins & Their Values," 1975).

To read the complete item description, see:
SICILY. Syracuse. Timoleon and the Third Democracy. (https://davcoin.com/lot/e-auction-52-lot-57?)

ISLANDS OFF THRACE. Thasos. Circa 500-480 B.C. AR stater. 7.55 gm. 22 mm. Nude, ithyphallic satyr with long beard and long hair, advancing to right in archaic "kneeling-running" position, carrying off protesting nymph / Quadripartite incuse square. HGC 6, 331. Le Rider, Thasiennes 2. Good Very Fine; well centered and boldly struck in high relief on good metal, with dramatic old toning. Powerful late Archaic style. Lovely example, unusually fine for this coinage, and most attractive in hand.

To read the complete item description, see:
ISLANDS OFF THRACE. Thasos. (https://davcoin.com/lot/e-auction-52-lot-64?)

LOKRIS. Lokri Opuntii. Circa 350-340 B.C. AR stater. 11.67 gm. 24.5 mm. Head of Persephone right, wearing wreath of grain ears, elaborate earring with rosette and five pendants, and pearl necklace / Ajax, nude but for crested Corinthian helmet, holding sword in right hand, shield decorated with griffin on left arm, advancing right on rocks; O?ONTION to left; diagonal spear behind his legs. Humphris & Delbridge Group 21, 154c (O25/R61 – this coin). BCD Lokris 457.2 (same obverse die). HGC 4, 991. Very Fine; lovely cabinet tone with iridescence; well centered on a full flan. Fine style. Beautiful coin.

The Peter Bartlett Collection. Ex Superior Galleries (22 August 1994) lot 1736. Ex Leo Hamburger 98 (3 April 1933) lot 564.

The firm Leo Hamburger was a significant numismatic firm in Germany in the early 20th century, with connections to significant numismatists of the day such as Felix Schlesinger, Hans Nussbaum, and Adolph E. Cahn. This was the final sale (98) of the firm Leo Hamburger, founded by Leo the Elder and continued by his cousin Leo the Younger, who passed in 1929.

To read the complete item description, see:
LOKRIS. Lokri Opuntii. (https://davcoin.com/lot/e-auction-52-lot-68?)

ATTICA. Athens. Circa 454-404 B.C. AR tetradrachm. 17.19 gm. 24 mm. Helmeted head of Athena right, with frontal eye / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent behind; ?T? before. HGC 4, 1597. Kroll 8. SNG Copenhagen 31. Extremely Fine; crisp and attractive, with lustrous lightly iridescent tone; well centered and deeply struck. Fine style. Superb coin.

To read the complete item description, see:
ATTICA. Athens. (https://davcoin.com/lot/e-auction-52-lot-71?)

ATTICA. Athens. Circa 406/5 B.C. Fourrée drachm. 2.79 gm. 13 mm. Emergency issue, struck during the Peloponnesian War against Sparta. Helmeted head of Athena right, with frontal eye / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig to left, ?T? to right; all within incuse square. HGC 4, 1690. Kroll p. 7-8. Kroll, Piraeus 3-54 (dies a/a). Good Very Fine; silver plating over bronze core, plating broken in areas; well centered, sharply struck, and with substantial surviving silver in good condition; areas of corrosion where the base metal core has been exposed. Very Rare, and historic.

The Peter Bartlett Collection. Ex Superior Galleries (5-7 June 2000) lot 3571.

One of the famous plated issues struck in the emergency issue of 406/5 B.C., at the low point of Athens's struggle against Sparta in the Peloponnesian War. These rarely come on the market, and a few records show sale prices well into four figures. Most probably come from the hoard discovered in 1902 at the Athenian port city of Piraeus.

To read the complete item description, see:
ATTICA. Athens. (https://davcoin.com/lot/e-auction-52-lot-76?)

ISLANDS OFF ATTICA. Aegina. Circa 550-530/25 B.C. AR stater. 12.24 gm. 19 mm. Sea turtle, [head in profile,] with thick collar and row of dots down its back / Deep incuse square of proto-"Union Jack" pattern with eight incuse segments, some filled. Holloway, Archaic, Group A, unlisted dies. Meadows, Aegina, Group Ib. HGC 6, 425. Selinus Hoard Group I. Good Very Fine; light toning over bright surfaces; slight roughness/porosity. Particularly crisply struck, high relief turtle shell. Nice high grade example with great eye appeal of this rare early issue.

The Peter Bartlett Collection.

To read the complete item description, see:
ISLANDS OFF ATTICA. Aegina. (https://davcoin.com/lot/e-auction-52-lot-78?)

ISLANDS OFF ATTICA. Aegina. Circa 525-480 B.C. AR triobol or hemidrachm - quarter stater. 3.05 gm. 11 mm. Sea turtle, head turned left in profile, with thick collar and row of dots down its back / Deep incuse square of proto-"Union Jack" pattern. Meadows, Aegina, Group IIa. HGC 6, 446. Good Very Fine; lovely old toning; well centered and struck, with complete, exceptionally clear turtle. Rare.

The Peter Bartlett Collection. Purchased from John Jencek (tag) ("Rough incuse square, with undeveloped pattern.").

To read the complete item description, see:
ISLANDS OFF ATTICA. Aegina. (https://davcoin.com/lot/e-auction-52-lot-79?)

CORINTHIA. Corinth. Circa 525/10-490 B.C. AR stater. 7.6 gm. 19 mm. Pegasos flying left; koppa below / Quadripartite incuse square with swastika pattern. HGC 4, 1815. Ravel Period I, 91 (P64/T65). Pegasi 39/3 (same obverse die as illustration). BCD Corinth 3. Good Fine; attractive old toning with iridescence; light scratches/cleaning marks, all toned. Rare archaic issue.

The Peter Bartlett Collection. Ex Baldwin 28 (9 October 2001) lot 1027.

To read the complete item description, see:
CORINTHIA. Corinth. (https://davcoin.com/lot/e-auction-52-lot-81?)

PTOLEMAIC KINGS OF EGYPT. Kleopatra VII Thea Neotera. 51-30 B.C. Æ diobol - 80 drachmai. 16.99 gm. 26 mm. Alexandreia mint. Bust of Cleopatra VII, diademed and draped, right / Eagle standing left on thunderbolt; cornucopia to left, ? (mark of value) to right. CPE B825. Svoronos 1871. SNG Copenhagen 419-421. Near Very Fine; rich brown patina; light roughness. Fine portrait for issue.

Ex Kirk Davis 81 lot 44 (tag).

To read the complete item description, see:
PTOLEMAIC KINGS OF EGYPT. Kleopatra VII Thea Neotera. (https://davcoin.com/lot/e-auction-52-lot-86?)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
DAVISSON'S E-AUCTION 52 (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n43a19.html)

HERITAGE: ANDES COLLECTION OF COLOMBIAN BANKNOTES

Our November 23 auction of The Andes Collection of Colombian Banknotes offers a radiant array of pieces sure to captivate collectors. While the appeal of paper currency often lies in its vibrant colors and intricate designs, such as seen on the striking Colombia Banco de la Republica 1 Peso Oro 6.8.1938 Pick 385a Commemorative PMG Choice Uncirculated 63, the notes' attractiveness only scratches the surface of what makes these artifacts appealing to collectors. Arguably, one of the most compelling aspects of currency is its ability to capture the story of the moment in time in which it was created. Few examples illustrate this better than the 1900 República de Colombia 1, 5, and 10 Pesos. At first glance, these notes, rendered in stark black-and-white lithography, stand in sharp contrast to the more ornate pieces in the collection. However, their minimalist design is not a flaw, but rather a telling reflection of the political and economic turmoil gripping Colombia at the turn of the century.

Between the years 1889 and 1902, Colombia underwent a civil war between the Conservative and Liberal Parties. A variety of factors contributed to the rise of violence during this period. The international market for coffee declined, resulting in significant losses for coffee farmers. A flood of unbacked currency was thrown into circulation, depreciating the peso. This economic tension worsened the pre-existing political animosity, precipitating civil war. On October 18th, 1899, the War of a Thousand Days officially began, and for the following three years, sieges, guerilla warfare, disease, and famine surged throughout the country, resulting in the death of between 70,000 and 120,000 people. The Colombian society was in shambles, leading to the mélange of government, local, and emergency notes circulating during that time.

The 1, 5, and 10 Peso notes offered in this auction were printed under Liberal General Rafael Uribe at Ocaña, using whatever limited materials were available. Despite their simple appearance, these notes are steeped in symbolism. Their vignettes of Lady Justice, La Laja Bridge, and the steamship Peralonso carry deep meaning for the Liberal cause. During the first major campaign of the Thousand Days War, the Battle of Peralonso, fought on December 15th, 1899, was a highlight and turning point for the troops. After a series of setbacks, the Liberal army secured a vital victory by holding La Laja Bridge and repelling Conservative forces, preventing them from crossing the Peralonso River. This triumph allowed the Liberals to resupply and regain a previously lost military base, boosting morale and momentum.

From battle-inspired vignettes to printing techniques shaped by crisis, every detail, whether elaborate or austere, honors an incredibly somber chapter in Colombia's past. The Andes Collection doesn't just showcase the aesthetic evolution of Colombian banknotes, it captures moments of triumph, turmoil, and transformation. We invite collectors and historians alike to explore these remarkable pieces in our November 23 The Andes Collection of Colombian Banknotes World Paper Money Showcase Auction, where beauty, rarity, and evocative symbolism converge.

KUENKER AUCTION SALE 433

Those interested in coins of Roman Asia Minor will be familiar with the name of Willi Schleer. He often let young researchers view his collection, which is why many of his coins were published. With much enthusiasm for the subject and extensive knowledge, this collector succeeded not only in assembling an extremely comprehensive collection of Roman Provincial issues. Willi Schleer also made sure that the specimens in his collection are often by far the best preserved out there.

Those familiar with Greek aesthetics and Roman portraiture may initially be put off by the civic coinage of Asia Minor. After all, they do not align with our visual habits. However, no other coins of antiquity offer such direct insight into the political, religious and cultural life of wealthy provincial populations.

Provincial Roman coinage depict bridges, temples and images of gods. They refer to regional festivals and cults, some of which are depicted in great detail. These coins celebrate the emperor, particularly if he visited the province, perhaps even the city itself. Coins from Asia Minor are the best source to understand the inscriptions of cities, and to reconstruct a small part of ancient everyday life based on all available evidence.

Enjoy the many images from the past of the Roman Empire and take the time to delve into the details on the reverse. The Willi Schleer Collection is ideal for this because, as mentioned above, it is very rare to see Roman Provincial Coinage of this quality!

If the aesthetics of Roman Provincial Coinage does not appeal to you, then you are sure to be impressed with the Greek coins found in the collection of a North German friend of antiquity.

In auction 433, Künker will present a wide range of Greek coinage with a focus on curated aesthetics. Whether archaic or classical, this sale offers the most beautiful and best-known coin types, particularly from Sicily. And many of the pieces have pedigrees stretching far back in time. While the North German friend of antiquity prioritized quality, he was willing to compromise but only if it meant adding one of the great works of art of Greek antiquity to his collection.

Künker's auction 433 offers the opportunity to acquire one of the highly sought-after highlights of Greek numismatics, either from the collection of a North German friend of antiquity or from other sources, as the collection will be supplemented by other consignments. This means that you will see all your favorites, such as Straton's two eagles on the Akragas tetradrachm, or the heads of the youthful river god of Katane, engraved by Herakleidas or Euainetos. There is also the archaic Dionysos from Naxos, a Syracusan tetradrachm by the Demareteion Master, and several Syracusan tetradrachms from the period of signing artists, including the famous frontal depiction of Athena created by Eukleidas.

However, there is also much to discover from other Greek-influenced Mediterranean regions. Anyone enthusiastic about Greek art will find plenty to fuel their passion in Künker's auction 433.

Do you prefer Roman portraiture to the Greek ideal? If so, you can look forward to when the collection of a Hessian pharmacist will go up for auction. It contains many aurei that many collectors have long dreamed of acquiring.

Have you always wanted to own the portraits of all emperors and empresses in gold one day? Then this is your opportunity, and not only if you want to treat yourself to the best quality – as this selection might suggest. Of course, Künker's auction 433 features many "extremely fine +" pieces. But those who collect "very fine" aurei will also find what they are looking for.

The material covers the classical Roman period, with a particularly large offer regarding coins minted under the Tetrarchs, Constantine and his successors, and the late Roman era.

Anyone who has ever met Christoph Buchhold is unlikely to forget him. From a young age, he struggled with paralysis in his left arm and leg, and was often in pain. Yet he made a point of attending many auctions in person. He was always friendly, open-minded and approachable, and would take his time viewing the pieces, selecting the coins he wanted to bid on with great expertise. He preferred everything that seemed historically interesting. He had a significant although not unlimited budget to acquire the pieces he liked. Sometimes this meant pieces in the best possible quality (especially regarding denarii); at other times he was willing to compromise to be able to purchase great rarities.

His collection, which is now returning to the market following his death last year, demonstrates the immense joy that numismatics and the study of ancient history can bring to someone's life. The Christoph Buchhold Collection contains a wealth of outstanding rarities that are sure to delight any connoisseur of Roman numismatics. In his moving obituary for his uncle, his nephew kindly asked: "If you enjoy the splendor and the exquisite engravings of Roman portraits, please spare a thought for the little boy who never learned to ride a bike, the young man who never became a father and the elderly senior who bravely endured the pains of old age, yet took his place with dignity in the long line of those who preserved these coins for us."

Of course, auction 433 contains many more coins than the pieces from these three collections. Many lots are from various possessions, including numerous particularly spectacular pieces. We present a few of them.

To order a catalog contact Künker, Nobbenburger Straße 4a, 49076 Osnabrück; phone: +49 541 / 962020; fax: +49 541 / 9620222; or via e-mail: service@kuenker.de. You can access the auction catalogs online at www.kuenker.de. If you want to submit your bid from your computer at home, please remember to register for this service in good time.

 

KUENKER AUCTION SALES 434-435

The first part of the Sayar Collection, featuring coins from the southern Turkish regions of Lycia, Pamphylia and Cilicia, was auctioned off on 14 March 2024. Now, the second part containing all other regions is being offered at eLive Premium Auction 434. The auction presents more than 850 lots, mainly from the eastern Mediterranean. As well as the expected coins from Asia Minor, the collector was interested in the entire Greek cultural region, which is why the spectrum of the Sayar Collection spans from Gaul to Egypt. The focus is on cities of Asia Minor. Those who enjoy travelling through Asia Minor will recognize many familiar names in the auction catalog.

Estimates start at 10 euros. Numerous interesting bronze coins are available in the low double-digit range. In addition, many pieces have been grouped together in sensible multiple lots.

Anyone who has ever dealt with coins of the Gallic Empire or the Trier Mint, will be familiar with the name of Dr. Carl Friedrich Zschucke. After all, he is the author of many important works on these two mints.

Let us remember: Prior to the publication of the new edition of the RIC on the Gallic Empire in 2024, the RIC from 1933 was the only important reference work on this subject. Of course, it did not take into account the numerous new research findings and hoards. This was the situation, when Dr. Carl Friedrich Zschucke, a doctor of medicine by profession, and born in Cologne, developed a particular interest in these very coins. He collected them with great enthusiasm and quickly realized that he knew much more about them than coin dealers could learn from the RIC. This enabled him to purchase great rarities at reasonable prices until he decided to publish his own research. In 1993, "Die römische Münzstätte Köln" (The Roman Mint in Cologne) was published, followed by "Die Römische Münzstätte in Trier" (The Roman Mint in Trier), a book that went through three editions – an absolute exception for a numismatic publication. And these were just his initial works.

Zschucke's knowledge of Cologne and Trier numismatics of the Roman era is reflected by his collection, which will be on offer at Künker's eLive Premium Auction on 18 November 2025. Connoisseurs will discover a wealth of highly rare coins whose rarity is not immediately apparent. This collection and its catalog are an absolute must for special collectors from around the world.

To order a catalog contact Künker, Nobbenburger Straße 4a, 49076 Osnabrück; phone: +49 541 / 962020; fax: +49 541 / 9620222; or via e-mail: service@kuenker.de. You can access the auction catalogs online at www.kuenker.de. If you want to submit your bid from your computer at home, please remember to register for this service in good time.

WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: NOVEMBER 9, 2025

On Thursday I went to my day job in the morning but after a meeting ended at Noon I made a beeline up to Baltimore for the Whitman Baltimore Expo. I was just parking my car when I got a text from longtime advertiser Bob Steinberg. I met up with him in the lobby and we had a nice conversation.

At registration I was given a card for a drawing at the Whitman table and made my way over there to speak with Billie Blattel, who I work with on Whitman's E-Sylum advertising. After scratching off a prize card I was given my pick of books from a table and I chose a blank Red Book Journal, which I hadn't seen before.

The afternoon felt like a blur - I was in constant motion walking up and down the aisles. Often I stopped at the table of one of our friends and advertisers, but they were with clients or away from their table. I missed speaking to Chris Karsteadt of Stack's Bowers, Tom Caldwell of Northeast Numismatics, David Kahn, Doug Winter, Steve Hayden, Jeff Garrett, Daniel Frank Sedwick, Pierre Fricke and others.

I did manage to stop and chat at the table of Jon Sullivan. At John Kraljevich's table I spoke with him and Erik Goldstein, and at Charlie Davis' table I spoke with him, Neil Musante, Len Augsburger, Marcus Davis, and Jimmy Hayes.

I didn't think to pull out my camera until I got to Classical Numismatic Group (CNG) where I spoke for a while with David Michaels. I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to go old-school and look at and handle raw, unslabbed coins.

At the Stack's Bowers table I looked at highlights from the James A. Stack collection including the newly-discovered 1804 dollar. I picked up this pamphlet to read later and add to my ephemera collection.

After finding Len Augsburger at Charlie Davis' table and arranging to meet at 4 to discuss some Newman Numismatic Portal and E-Sylum business, I went upstairs for lot viewing. Conveniently, Garrett and Devi at the registration desk looked into an issue I've been having with logging in to their site to bid (somebody got a really bargain on a great piece of numismatic ephemera recently becuase I was unable to enter a bid). We're still working it out, but with their help I'll get it fixed before I have to bid again. Here's what I looked at.

 

The Famous Boyd-Cardinal 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar
The reverse of this piece made me say "Wow!" It's gorgeous. Not having studied earlier photos, I was surprised to see what looked like gouges on the obverse. But the description describes these as planchet flaws, and after looking more closely, I agreed. A stunning coin.

To read the complete lot description, see:
1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar. BB-1, B-1. Rarity-4. MS-63+ (PCGS). CAC. CMQ. (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1MX282/1794-flowing-hair-silver-dollar-bb-1-b-1-rarity-4-ms-63-pcgs-cac-cmq)

American Colonization Society. 1846 1 dollar.

I'd only read of these and had never seen one in person.

To read the complete lot description, see:
LIBERIA. American Colonization Society. 1846 1 dollar. Pick-S102. Fine-12 (PMG). (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1MZWOX/liberia-american-colonization-society-1846-1-dollar-pick-s102-fine-12-pmg)

C. Wyllys Betts Fantasy "Pattern" Fugio Cent

To read the complete lot description, see:
Undated (ca. 1859) "Pattern" Fugio Cent. "C. Wyllys Betts Fantasy." Newman 101-BB, W-17520. Rarity-8. All-Seeing Eye Reverse. Silver. MS... (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1MZY1L/undated-ca-1859-pattern-fugio-cent-c-wyllys-betts-fantasy-newman-101-bb-w-17520-rarity-8-all-seeing-eye-reverse-silver-ms)

That was fun and educational. I picked these out of the catalogs because I wanted to discuss them in The E-Sylum. Mission accomplished.

Next I went back down to the bourse to meet Len at the Liberty Seated Collector Society table. We talked about some time-saving tools my E-Sylum assistant Garrett Ziss has been building, and how we can use and improve them to boost our productivity, content and quality. Then we moved on to Newman Portal topics and I handed over three items for scanning in St. Louis.

With a little time to kill before dinner I walked around the bourse again and visited the table of once and hopefully future advertiser #1 Money Man. He had a nice stock of world paper money and Bob Schwartz of Archives International was there looking. Afterwards Bob and I talked about some possible future E-Sylum articles.

Who'd I miss? Along the way I'd also spoken with Julian Leidman, Tony Terranova, Kerry Wetterstrom, Mike Markowitz, Darryl Low, Jesse Kraft, Ute Wartenburg-Kagan, Brian Kendrella and several others..

As the show closed at 6pm I went to the lobby to meet up with Len again. In a few minutes we were joined by Tom Caldwell and Frank Sawin of Northeast Numismatics. The four of us grabbed an Uber to The Black Olive, a Greek restaurant in Fell's Point that's a favorite of Tom's. We had a great meal and evening, talking of numismatics and pretty much everything under the sun. Led by Tom we walked the mile or so back to the convention area. I'd managed over 14,000 steps that day, and my feet were hurting. But I made to my car and got home to Virginia in about an hour and a quarter. It was a great day.

John Kraljevich and Erik Goldstein of Colonial Williamsburg
Here's some more on the James Stack 1804 silver dollar in this Greysheet Market Report podcast where John Kraljevich of Stack's Bowers Galleries and Erik Goldstein of Colonial Williamsburg join John Feigenbaum in the new Whitman Alexandria studio.

In this episode the guys dive into the current state of the rare coin market and then drop a big reveal regarding held by the recent discovery of the James Stack 1804 dollar.

Other topics include:

• The effects of low bullion prices (gold, silver) on collectible-coins;
• The tightening supply of high-quality rarities and how auction results are increasingly reflecting that scarcity;
• Condition, pedigree and grade are more critical than ever for collectors and dealers. Even well-known issues need exceptional presentation to command the top dollars;
• JK reveals heretofore unknown details regarding the recent discovery of the James Stack 1804 silver dollar -- the undisputed king of American coins;
• The discovery acts as a reminder that even in a mature market, "dream finds" still occur—and when they do, they ripple.

To read the complete article, see:
Greysheet Market Report: 1804 Dollar, Whitman Expo, Colonial-Era Firearms (https://www.greysheet.com/news/story/greysheet-market-report-1804-dollar-whitman-expo-colonial-era-firearms)

 

THE BUNNIK ROMAN COIN HOARD

Two metal detectorists uncovered a Roman treasure hoard containing hundreds of ancient coins in a meadow near Bunnik, a town in the Dutch province of Utrecht. The cache dates to the years around the Roman invasion of Britain under Emperor Claudius.

The find is remarkable because it blends Roman and British money in one stash. It also links a quiet Dutch field to events that reshaped life on both sides of the North Sea.

The hoard is the first mixed Roman and British coin find recorded on the European mainland, and it is the largest Roman coin hoard found in Utrecht, according to a university-curated database.

Lead archaeologist Tessa de Groot of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) has guided fieldwork that explores why the coins were buried and who might have placed them there. Her team studied soils, vegetation clues, and the ancient landscape.

The hoard's makeup points to soldiers moving between Britain and the Rhine frontier. It connects local history to a campaign that changed the map of northwestern Europe.

The total value equaled nearly eleven years of a typical Roman soldier's pay, which hints at an owner with rank or a group pool of savings.

The mix includes 44 British gold staters, 72 Roman gold aurei, and 288 Roman silver denarii, with minting dates from about 200 BC to AD 47, according to an initial analysis.

No jar fragments or wood survived. The evidence points to a cloth or leather pouch that rotted away. The coins probably sat in a shallow scoop in an open, boggy place.

Why hide so much value there? One idea is military pay saved for later by an officer. Another is a ritual offering after a safe return from Britain.

A donativum was a money gift sometimes given to soldiers after a campaign. This could explain the British staters. The Roman gold and silver likely came from regular pay.

To read the complete articles, see:
Friends with metal detectors discover a Roman treasure hoard lost for over 2,000 years (https://www.earth.com/news/friends-with-metal-detectors-discover-roman-treasure-hoard-lost-for-over-2000-years/)
The Bunnik Hoard 2023 Outline and Initial Analysis of the Roman Coin Hoard Bunnik (Utrecht, The Netherlands) (https://www.rmo.nl/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/ARTIKEL-The-Bunnik-Hoard.pdf)

CELTIC QUARTER STATER FOUND IN SAXONY

The gold coin unearthed by a metal detectorist in a field in Gundorf, northwest of Leipzig in Germany, may be small, but it belies a considerable history. The Saxon State Office of Archaeology, to which the finder Daniel Fest reported his discovery, has revealed that the two-gram, 2,200-year-old artifact is Saxony's oldest known coin. What's more, it's part of a larger story of 3rd-century B.C.E. trade in the region.

The office has confirmed the object is a Celtic coin, similar to pieces found in the formerly Celtic area of northern Bohemia. Today, that area sits at the northern edge of the Czech Republic and borders the Saxony region at Germany's eastern edge, where the piece was unearthed.

The coin's size and appearance designate its value as a "quarter stater." One side features a head, perhaps of a deer, with stylized eyes, snout, and antlers. The reverse features open, concentric rings with a sphere at the center. The form is also called a "rainbow bowl." The office's statement said that the name "originates from the superstition that where the rainbow touches the earth there is treasure and that the bowl-shaped gold pieces have fallen from the sky." The superstition may derive from the fact that rainwater washed such coins out of the earth, to be found in the fields after heavy rainfall ended.

The find confirms regular connections between Saxony and the Celts, as well as an appreciation of coinage that went beyond the merely commercial. State archaeologist Regina Smolnik noted that while her team refers to the object as a "coin," its "almost mint-fresh" condition means it was "hardly in circulation in the sense of a coin economy."

Intensive field surveys in recent years have produced nine other Celtic coins. The Gundorf rainbow bowl breaks a previous record from 2007, set by the discovery of a quinarius. That silver coin was minted in southern Germany in the early 1st century B.C.E. and was discovered near Zauschwitz, southwest of Leipzig. The Gundorf discovery offers insight into histories that extend even further back.

To read the complete article, see:
Metal Detectorist Unearths Saxony's Oldest Known Coin, Dating Back 2,200 Years (https://news.artnet.com/art-world/oldest-coin-saxony-metal-detectorist-2705435)

1793 NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ON THE NEW CENTS

To the EDITOR of the NATIONAL GAZETTE.

SIR,

I HAVE lately heard much respecting the CENTS of the United States, and have obtained some with difficulty, having called five times at the national bank, and found "no cents to day."

The value of these must increase in general estimation, when it is known that they cost the United States six pence a piece, calculating the salaries of the public and private officers engaged in their manufacture. However, there are many causes to which we may attribute their scarcity – Connoisseurs have been deputed from different antiquarian societies in Europe to collect all the varietys of coins issued by this flourishing country; and as it is necessary to give good impressions, the frequent breaking of the dies must be thus accounted for, and not attributed to the imperfect knowledge of the artists engaged in the work. Another cause of the coins being in demand, we have lately ascertained to arise from speculation for the French, who will at any price buy the head of Liberty engraved so freely and unconfined. It represents natural liberty, which is the most perfect – the face is consequently savage, the hair like wire, or strong Indian hair never combed, despising the easy wave of ringlets as too foppish for republicanism. A chain is on the reverse, shewing clearly that American liberty is the reverse of slavery. The smallness of the coin may be considered in more advantageous lights than one.

1st. It expends less copper, and consequently gives less encouragement to the miners of England, our political enemies.

2ndly. The coin is more portable, and will not necessitate us to call so soon for silver and gold coins;

And the workmanship is so exquisite that no tiro in engraving will ever think of issuing counterfeits, through the temptation of gaining by copper; for though the coins are so various that no person can find two alike, yet the same great masterly touches of the artist, have given them a stamp of originality, that can never be perfectly imitated; and we hear it is in contemplation to cut a die in diamond, which will never suffer injury; but if none can be found in our own mountains, the Regent lately presented by the French to the Emperor of the Turks, will be purchased by our Ambassador for the purpose.

I am, Sir, your most obedient,
And most humble servant!
A FREE MAN.

PATHFINDER 1943 STEEL CENT ENVELOPE

Website visitor Marie Garcia writes:

A "Pathfinder war time cent envelope" is a manila paper envelope, often found with a 1943 steel cent, that claims to have obtained the coin from the U.S. Treasury in Washington, D.C. for a customer through the publication Pathfinder Magazine. These envelopes were a piece of numismatic ephemera created to draw attention to the new 1943 steel cents, which replaced copper due to wartime shortages.

• Purpose: The envelopes were likely created to publicize the new 1943 steel cents to readers of Pathfinder Magazine.
• Description: They are typically made of manila paper and feature red ink text claiming the coin was obtained from the U.S. Treasury "several weeks in advance of general circulation". They are sometimes machine-signed "E.H.".
• Historical Context: In 1943, copper was needed for the war effort, so the U.S. Mint used steel to make cents, which were coated with a thin layer of zinc.
• Value: These envelopes are considered a collectible numismatic item, or "ephemera," especially when they contain a 1943 steel cent. While the 1943 steel cents themselves are not rare, the combination with the specific Pathfinder envelope makes the set more interesting to collectors.

To read the complete articles, see:
A First-Release 1943 Steel Cent (https://stacksbowers.com/this-that-06192014/)
A FIRST-RELEASE 1943 STEEL CENT ENVELOPE (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v18n45a13.html)

WASHINGTON, COOLIDGE, TRUMP, LAW AND TRADITION

Nearly a century ago, the United States paused its 1920s roar to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the country's birth. There were speeches, a Philadelphia flop of a World's Fair, more speeches and a commemorative coin mostly remembered now as a numismatic misfire.

The 1926 coin featured the long-dead first president, George Washington, beside the very-much-alive current president, Calvin Coolidge, whose appearance broke with American convention not to depict a sitting president on money. The custom was inspired by Washington himself, who was so anti-monarchical he could have coined the phrase "No Kings."

The Washington-Coolidge half-dollar is the only American coin to feature a sitting president. But not for long.

The Treasury Department recently announced plans to celebrate the country's 250th anniversary in 2026 with a one-dollar coin depicting President Trump. In a draft rendering, he appears twice, and alone: on the obverse, in a profile partly eclipsing the word LIBERTY; and on the reverse, his fist raised below the words FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT.

The very idea of such a coin reflects the national divide over the Trump presidency. Is depicting the current president on money a pitch-perfect way to celebrate the Declaration of Independence, the world-altering denunciation of royal tyranny? Or is it a tone-deaf overreach with an unabashed "L'état, c'est moi" vibe?

Questions like these have coursed through nearly a quarter-millennium of American coinage history, as the country has sought to stamp reflections of its ideals on flat, round pieces of metal.

Emperors, kings and rulers had appeared on coins for some 2,000 years by the late 18th century, when the daring democratic experiment known as the United States came into being. Its founding fathers worked to create a constitutional republic after having just extricated the colonies from England, where coins depicting the double-chinned bust of King George III jingled a constant reminder of who lorded over whom.

Heeding the first president's aversion to anything hinting of monarchy, Congress passed the Coinage Act of 1792, which stipulated that American coins bear an allegorical depiction of freedom, along with the inscription "Liberty." It did not specifically forbid the use of a president's likeness, but the implication was: No image of any leader, past or present.

"Washington very consciously modeled himself on the Roman leader Cincinnatus, who refused to be a dictator for life and went back to his farm," said Douglas Mudd, the director and curator of the Edward C. Rochette Money Museum in Colorado Springs. "That's the foundation of this idea."

The custom was reinforced in the 1860s when Spencer M. Clark, a currency superintendent and subject of a recent sex scandal, had the temerity and vanity to put his own full-bearded likeness on the 5-cent note. Afterward, a furious Congress passed a law stipulating that "no portrait or likeness of any living person hereafter engraved, shall be placed upon any of the bonds, securities, notes, fractional or postal currency of the United States."

The law did not specifically mention coins. Still, no American president was depicted on currency until 1909, when Abraham Lincoln appeared on the penny to honor the 100th anniversary of his birth. He was nearly a half-century dead by then, and a personification of liberty.

In 1926, the misbegotten Washington/Coolidge half-dollar was struck. The coin was meant to symbolize the country's audacious beginnings and prosperous present. Still, Mr. Mudd said, it was, in retrospect, unfortunate.

Living people have occasionally appeared on commemorative American coins. Among them: Carter Glass, a Virginia senator and devout segregationist, who was featured on a 1936 half-dollar recalling the 150th anniversary of the incorporation of Lynchburg, Va.; and Eunice Kennedy Shriver, whose image adorns a 1995 silver dollar celebrating the Special Olympics World Games.

But no sitting president, save Silent Cal.

How posterity would judge an American coin featuring a sitting president remains an open question. But if the Washington/Coolidge coin of 1926 is any measure, the answer is: Not well.

The U.S. Mint struck a million of the half-dollars featuring the first and 30th presidents. Nearly 860,000 of them were returned and melted.

To read the complete article, see:
A Two-Headed Coin That Always Comes Up ‘Trump' (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/us/trump-commemorative-coin.html)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
TRUMP COMMEMORATIVE COIN PROPOSED (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n40a25.html)
LIVING AMERICANS ON US COINS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n41a24.html)
THE FIRST LIVING PERSON ON A ROMAN COIN (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n41a25.html)

STATUE OF DICKIN MEDAL DOG BING

A dog, who played a key role during the Second World War, has been honoured with a special sculpture in Loughborough.

Bing, an Alsatian and Collie cross, was given to the army in 1945 when his owners could no longer feed him due to rationing.

He trained at the Army War Dog Training School in Hertfordshire, before being assigned to an army unit.

In 1947 Bing was awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal for bravery in service during WW2 – the animal equivalent to the Victoria Cross, given to soldiers who show extreme courage.

Bing took part in many important battles, being parachuted into Normandy on D-Day in 1944 as part of the 13th Parachute Battalion, 6th Airborne Division.

He served in France until September 1944 where he used his training to locate the enemy and protect the soldiers he was with.

He also went into the Rhine in Germany with his unit in 1945, the year the war ended.

Bing went back to live with his family following the end of the Second World War.

Bing was awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal in 1947 for bravery in service.

The statue of Bing was unveiled in Queen's Park on 6 November, ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

The unique sculpture of Bing was designed and created by local artist, Duncan Thurlby.

To read the complete article, see:
WW2 hero dog gets special memorial (https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/c62962pjlylo.amp)

CHOCTAW NATION CONFEDERATE SCRIP

Lot 6108 in our November 2025 Showcase auction is an interesting piece of scrip with a storied past. This $3 denominated piece dated May 16th, 1862 and bearing serial number 30 is signed and issued by Wm. Quesenbury, Major & Quarter Master, Indian Territory. In the Burgett tome, Indian Territory and Oklahoma Obsolete Notes and Scrip, it carries a Rarity-7 rating. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first public offering of any example from here, as multiple searches through various auction records have turned up nothing. Graded Very Fine 20 by PMG with a minor repair and previous mounting, the penned signature and printed elements retain plenty of sharpness. It carries a conservative pre-sale estimate of $1,250-$1,750.

After the southern states seceded from the United States of America, Albert Pike negotiated treaties between the Five Civilized Tribes and the Confederate government, promising that the Confederacy would take over the obligations that the Union failed to fulfill, as well as defense for the Indian Territory. Pike was appointed commander of the Department of the Indian Territory in November 1861. His first assignment was to construct a fort north of Bacone College on the Arkansas River near Muskogee. He named this site Cantonment Davis. However, he and his troops were ordered to leave the site to support the Confederate troops at Pea Ridge. They never returned to Cantonment Davis.

Pike's Native American troops participated in the Battle of Pea Ridge near Leetown, Arkansas in March 1862, which resulted in a defeat for the Confederate Army. Pike then considered that his Indian Territory command post at Fort Davis, Cherokee Nation, was vulnerable to a Union attack and ultimately abandoned it. He retreated to the Choctaw Nation in southern Indian Territory. Pike chose a site on a bluff on the west side of the Blue River near Nail's Crossing, where he established Fort McCulloch, named for General Benjamin McCulloch, who fell in battle at Pea Ridge.

The site, about three miles (4.8 km) southwest of the present-day town of Kenefic, Oklahoma in present day Bryan County OK, controlled military roads linking Fort Smith with Fort Washita, Fort Gibson and north Texas. The fort had earthworks, but no permanent buildings. Its importance diminished after Pike resigned his command in July 1862, but was not abandoned until the end of the war. Meanwhile, it served as a haven for pro-Confederate refugees. General Stand Watie used it briefly as a command post in 1865. The site of Fort McCulloch was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

To read the complete article, see:
Rare Civil War Era Indian Territory Confederate Issued $3 Sutler Scrip (https://stacksbowers.com/rare-civil-war-era-indian-territory-confederate-issued-3-sutler-scrip/)

To read the complete lot description, see:
Fort McCulloch, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory. W. Quesenbury. 1862 $3. PMG Very Fine 20. Sutler Scrip. (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1MX86I/fort-mcculloch-choctaw-nation-indian-territory-w-quesenbury-1862-3-pmg-very-fine-20-sutler-scrip)

LOOSE CHANGE: NOVEMBER 9, 2025

1795 Dollar Discovered in Newcastle,

A rare 18th-century American silver dollar discovered in the North East which could be worth about £15,000 is set to attract intense interest when it goes under the hammer next week.

The discovery, made in Newcastle, will be up for auction at Anderson & Garland's Stamps and Coins Auction.

Coin specialist Fred Wyrley-Birch authenticated the discovery and submitted it to the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) for grading, where it earned an AU-55 score—confirming both its authenticity and exceptional condition.

"It is a wonderful example of an early American silver dollar," said Mr Wyrley-Birch.

To read the complete article, see:
Rare 1795 US Silver Dollar found in the North East (https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/25598758.rare-1795-us-silver-dollar-found-north-east/)

Coin Manhole Covers in Sweden

Manholes in Sigtuna's main street, Sweden, feature local coinage of the period AD 995 onward.

To read the complete post, see:
https://archaeo.social/@mrundkvist/115491766755051765

Swimming Pool Turns Out to be Gold Mine

A man earlier this year discovered a gold treasure worth $800,000 while digging a swimming pool in his garden in France, local officials have said.

The man informed the local authorities after he made the discovery in May, and they allowed him to keep the gold as it did not come from an archeological site, the council in the eastern town of Neuville-sur-Saone said on Wednesday.

He found "five gold bars and many coins" buried in plastic bags, local newspaper Le Progres reported.

Police found the gold had been acquired legally and had been melted down some "15 or 20 years ago" at a nearby refinery, it said.

Because the gold bars had unique numbers that could be traced, police were able to determine that they had not been stolen, the outlet reported.

To read the complete article, see:
Man digging a swimming pool in his garden in France discovers gold worth $800,000 (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-finds-gold-garden-france/)

Pokémon Card Thefts Rise

Pokémon is a fast-growing segment of the multibillion-dollar trading card business, with the rarest finds valued at tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. One sold for more than $5 million. That lottery-ticket temptation has proved attractive to thieves around the region in recent months.

In Reisterstown, Maryland, a man distracted the sales clerk while three others grabbed Pokémon boxes and walked out. Unopened, the loss to the store was about $1,700. But a single rare find inside could boost the value by leaps and bounds.

Two men who signed up for a card game in Eldersburg, Maryland, sneaked into an office and stole three binders of Pokémon cards worth an estimated $25,000.

And in Fairfax, a 36-year-old named Mohammad Asif is accused of setting up the robbery of a man's girlfriend this summer as a distraction to lure the man away from home. Then, authorities say, Asif broke into empty Fair Oaks residence to steal a $50,000 Pokémon card collection.

To read the complete article, see:
Pokémon card thieves strike in D.C. region. Can police catch them all? (https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/11/01/pokemon-cards-thefts/)

ABOUT THIS ISSUE: NOVEMBER 9, 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.