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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: MARCH 15, 2026
California State Library Emperor Norton Artifacts and Ephemera "[March 12th] is the 180th anniversary of a pivotal but little-known episode in the "prehistory" of Emperor Norton: Joshua Norton's arrival in Boston on 12 March 1846 — with San Francisco still 3½ years in his future. Working with The Emperor Norton Trust to amplify this episode, the California State Library produced this video that also highlights items in the Library's collection of Norton-related artifacts and ephemera — including the earliest-extant Emperor Norton promissory note, printed by Cuddy & Hughes, signed and dated 11 November 1870." 
Norton is our favorite San Francisco mad eccentric - he declared himself "Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico." The city press and residents adopted him as a beloved civic mascot and the city's first genuine tourist attraction. He issued his own "Imperial Bonds," which were handy for separating tourists from some of their pocket change. Today they are rare collectibles. I never managed to add an original note to my collection, but I had a set of reproductions in my ephemera collection. -Editor
To watch the complete Facebook video, see:
Here's a Saturday Evening Post video on YouTube with a nice historical overview of Norton's reign. -Editor
To watch the complete video, see:
Human and AI Transcription "Thanks - it's good to see other viewpoints. Humans can be just as wayward as AI systems, too - I participated in a group transcription project once and was horrified at some of the random things that some transcribers had put down which showed they couldn't have been looking at the letter shapes any more closely than ChatGPT does."
To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
Coins Found in Roman Necropolis in Romania Leon Saryan passed along this article about a Roman Necropolis found in Romania. Coin were among the artifacts uncovered. -Editor
According to a statement from the Constan?a Museum of National History and Archaeology, archaeologists uncovered these tombs while excavating the area surrounding Constan?a Municipal Hospital, which is currently undergoing upgrades. Because the hospital is known to stand near a Roman necropolis, experts carried out a series of digs ahead of the relocation of the building's utilities. In all, the excavations revealed 34 burials dating back to at least the third century C.E., some 200 years before the fall of Rome. Archaeologists also unearthed an intact set of tile stairs leading down into catacombs, along with a trove of well-preserved grave goods. These artifacts included jewelry, coins, glassware, and even amphorae from North Africa, revealing evidence of trade between the furthest reaches of the Roman Empire.
To read the complete article, see:
Wayne Homren, Editor The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org. To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com To subscribe go to: Subscribe All Rights Reserved. NBS Home Page Contact the NBS webmaster 
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