LOOSE CHANGE: JULY 12, 2026

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V29 2026 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 29, Number 28, 2026, Article 25

Here are some additional items in the media this week that may be of interest. -Editor

Larry Jewett published a nice Greysheet article on U.S. commemorative coins. -Editor

From the very beginning, one of the main purposes of the United States commemorative coin program was rooted in making a nod to the nation's history. It's what separates the special issues from the circulating coinage that serve their purposes for commerce.

Many commemorative coins were created long before the United States seized the idea in earnest in the 1890s. Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins traces the use of special issues to ancient Greeks and Romans. Over time, there came a need to better differentiate, which Breen explained, "the greatest difference is that commemoratives are increasingly often NCLT's (noncirculating legal tender coins) sold at a premium to coin collectors or the general public, though theoretically able to circulate."

The commemorative has proven to be a suitable means of promoting historic persons, places and events and the variety of commemorative coins seen in the course of American history offers strong evidence of that.

A list of the most impactful commemoratives that represent the nation's 250 years of growth and development is subject to debate and certainly could be more inclusive. We have selected a representative sample from the classic and modern commemoratives that have been brought forth, through approval of the legislative bodies and executive branch approval into the nation's conscience. Your own list may be different and that's OK, for the nation was built on differences.

In this Numismatic News article, Mark Benvenuto interviews sculptor and medallic artist Eugene Daub. Here's an excerpt - see the complete article online. -Editor

Eugene stated he felt he had no real formal training, although his road to sculpture and medals was winding with some rather formal connections. After leaving home, studying to be a hairdresser, and serving a stint in the Army, he ended up at an arts school in Pittsburgh, studying graphic arts, and then became the director of an advertising agency. He later became a bas-relief sculptor at the Franklin Mint, which allowed employees to take classes. He was thus able to study with nationally known sculptor EvAngelos Frudakis and further his training.

Eugene commented that learning bas relief was fascinating, and it seemed quite close to drawing while adding depth to his works. As he got started, he found himself going to the Johnson Atelier School of Sculpture. Here, he felt he learned everything from molds to sand casting to plastics.

Also, when he was starting out, he met Gary Erickson and Carter Jones, who at the time were forming the American Medallic Sculpture Association (AMSA), along with a few others. They were seeking people to join, and this young organization got everyone interested in and on fire for the medal as an art form.

Artists are very ego-driven, Eugene said, and awards are about recognition. He felt that at times it was worth pure gold. He noted that receiving the Saltus Award in 1991 really knocked his socks off.

It's a story that's been often told in numismatics - how Matt Rothert successfully lobbied the government to put the motto 'In God We Trust' on U.S. paper money. Here's a recent article from The Christian Post. Here's an excerpt - see the complete article online. It's from the Rothert family's point of view, and doesn't mention his deep involvement with organized numismatics (he was an accomplished collector, author and President of the American Numismatic Association). That's a portrait photo of Rothert I don't recall seeing before. -Editor

"It's a wonderful story, and Daddy gave God all the credit. He didn't take any credit, he just said, 'I'm in the right place at the right time, and my Dad's using me,'" she said.

Matthew Rothert Sr., born 1904, was a furniture manufacturer and avid coin collector living in Camden, Arkansas, who was passing the offering plate at church on June 21, 1953, when he believed the Holy Spirit moved him to lobby for getting "In God We Trust" on paper money.

What began as a private moment at the historic Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, where he happened to be visiting that summer for an annual furniture show, became a nationwide effort involving determination, thousands of hand-typed letters, key relationships, persistent faith and what the family believes was God's providential hand at every step.

Nelson explained that the fact the idea came to her father in the sanctuary where he was married further convinced him that it was a personal and God-given assignment.

"When he'd go back, he would go to that church, and the offering plate was being passed, and he felt God say, 'Matt, you know, the coins have 'In God We Trust' on them, but the bills don't.' And it was just such a special church for my dad, that he really knew it was God speaking to him through His Spirit," she said.

A Canadian Coin News article puts out a call for recording today's numismatic history. See also Greg Bennick's interview with Eric Jensen in this and subsequent issues. -Editor

Every year, hundreds of medals, trade notes, wooden tokens, souvenir notes and other numismatic collectibles are issued across Canada. Many are produced in small quantities, quickly disappearing into private collections before anyone records their existence.

Veteran numismatist Yvon Marquis believes that should concern every collector. While classic references by Breton, Leroux and Courteau preserved the stories behind Canada's early numismatic treasures, Marquis fears many of today's issues could be forgotten altogether.

Speaking during a recent Royal Canadian Numismatic Association virtual seminar, Marquis argued that modern medals, tokens, local currencies and souvenir notes deserve the same careful documentation as the coins and paper money that now fill our catalogues.

When I read the headline "Mint to separate critical minerals" I wondered if the U.S. Mint was following in the footsteps of the UK's Royal Mint, which embarked a couple years ago on a program to recycle precious metals from surplus electronics. A mint after all, is just another factory in need of raw materials, and the Royal Mint created a new line of jewelry from the recovered metals. Alas, the story is about the Texas operation of Mint Innovation, a New Zealand-based company. -Editor

Mint's main focus will be on recovering copper, gold, silver and other metals from printed circuit boards and other e-scrap. Linca will focus on recovering lithium, nickel and cobalt from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries. Mint's company reshuffle aims to help align its U.S. operations with the country's recent focus on boosting domestic supply chains for critical minerals used in electronics, batteries and magnets.

It's become a notable economic and manufacturing priority in the U.S., partly because countries like China have cornered the market on certain minerals used to manufacture those items, and recent geopolitical pressures like tariffs and the war in Iran have further strained supply chains for some industries.

The rise of AI and the prevalence of data centers is also driving higher demand for copper, added Matt Bedingfield, Mint's new global CEO. Bedingfield estimates an upcoming global copper shortage of between 6 million to 10 million tons by 2035.

"Every single data center, every single battery electric vehicle, every single energy transition item, be it solar farms or wind turbines — they take an absolute ton of copper, so that's what's powering societal growth," he said in an interview.