"The cash register picture in last week's E-Sylum brought back memories. I started working at Perdue Radio Co. in New Jersey in May of 1967. There was a modern cash register and an antique as you had pictured. They were both used for different purposes. I remember Charles Perdue (founder and born in the 1880's) telling me during an idle moment, that all the old cash registers had that marble plate above the cash drawer. He said any suspect coins would be dropped on it and if they didn't sound right, they were rejected. I thought I'd share the memory."

Thanks! I don't think I've heard that technique described in relationship to a cash register before, but it's very plausible. -Editor

Last week numismatic bookseller Jeff Starck announced the availability of a new book on classic U.S. silver commemoratives. -Editor

"A few people have told me that they've emailed me and I've never responded. If that's the case, it's because I never received the email. If people trying to order the book are encountering issues, I'd like to advise them to contact me at starckreality@gmail.com."

"My friend Daniel Leininger, a descendant of Hermon Atkins MacNeil, is webmaster of https://hermonatkinsmacneil.com. Among his many posts was one on the "Cosgrove Airways" medal that he had purchased. Cosgrove Airways was never a commercial passenger airline, but rather a historical aviation curiosity from 1928, primarily known as the name stamped on a series of commemorative tokens that used a slightly enlarged image of the obverse of Hermon Atkins MacNeil's 1916 Quarter.

"The tokens were created in 1928 by Cornelius Burton Cosgrove, (1906-1999) more familiarly known in aviation history as C. B. (Burt) Cosgrove, an early aviation pioneer. Cosgrove made his first solo flight at the age of 15 in a Curtiss "Jenny" (JN-4D) bi-plane that he had assembled himself. Starting in 1928 he managed the Davis-Monthan Airport in Tucson where he worked with Col. Charles Lindbergh setting up the nation's first transcontinental airline route.

"The exact purpose of the tokens remains a bit of a mystery, but it may have simply been an expression of the man's sense of humor. Among his many achievements he piloted the experimental B-17 bomber. In 1941 he helped set up a bomber squadron to protect the American Commonwealth of the Philippines and was at Clark Field when it was bombed on Pearl Harbor Day.

"More information about this fascinating individual can be found at https://airandspace.si.edu/support/wall-of-honor/col-c-b-burt-cosgrove-jr.

"Fascinating story."

Indeed. I've never seen one of these. Do any of our readers have one? -Editor

"The story mentions that Peters was associated with Hobart, NY. My sister moved there a few years ago, after living in Manhattan for half a century. She describes it as a town of 400 people with five bookstores. It has nothing to do with Hobart College.

"The bookstores are fairly good, so it must be that people pass thru the town."

Well, bookstores these days (at least used and rare bookstores) sell a lot of inventory online and could be located anywhere. But bookstores are a great reason to go visit a quaint small town. -Editor

"As I was plowing through a couple older Civil War Token Society publications I found a great link to a Newspapers.com clipping. It was a Fall 2020 article by Cole Hendrickson titled "John Gault and his New Metallic Currency."

The "Small Change Panic" as it was called at the time was at its height in the summer of 1862. Everyone hoarded specie, and scrip notes and other money substitutes of all kinds were pressed into service. The clipping is from the Brooklyn Evening Star of Brooklyn, NY. July 19, 1862. Thanks! That's wonderful. -Editor

Howard Berlin passed along this video of the National Printing Bureau in Tokyo, where Japan's banknotes are made. Thanks! -Editor

"I'm looking for an old-time political cartoon. The cartoon showed a dour-faced schoolmarm pointing to a blackboard and making a political commentary on the removal of the VDB from the penny in 1909. Do you know where I can find it?

"I'm asking because I think you published it at one point or another in the E-Sylum, but I couldn't find it and apologize if this wasn't something you did at some point.

"On a similar note, do you know of any one archive that has aggregated the various 19th and 20th century cartoons commenting on monetary issues?"

I wasn't able to locate a cartoon like that in our article or image archives. Is anyone familiar with it? How about a cartoon archive? That would be fun to peruse.

Here's a cartoon from the END of the Lincoln Cent, rather than the beginning. -Editor