Prize medal of the International Exposition, Athens, 1903, gilt bronze, by Hond, Paris.

The folks at the Princeton Numismatic Library Collection have been busy.

Many institutions are taking their coins off display, or worse yet, deaccessioning them, but Princeton continues to make new numismatic acquisitions. Here’s their latest press release.

To showcase its recent acquisition of a collection of more than 120 medals of modern Greece, the Princeton University Numismatic Collection has installed an exhibition of a selection of historically important pieces in the Boyd Room of the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections in Firestone Library. The exhibition has been curated by Mary Thierry, Princeton Class of 2012, who has been working in the Numismatic Collection for the past three years and has taken the University’s graduate seminar in numismatics. The medals will be on display for an indefinite period during hours when the department is open to the public.

The collection was put together by a private collector in Athens and purchased by Princeton with funds from the Stanley J. Seeger Hellenic Fund and the Townsend-Vermeule Fund. It is believed to be the largest collection of modern Greek commemorative medals in an American public collection. Among the highlights of the collection and the current exhibition are a set of medals from1836 by the Austrian engraver Konrad Lange, who also engraved early coin dies for the newly established Greek Republic, and participation medals of the early Olympics, including the national Greek games that preceded the establishment of the International Olympic Games in 1896.

The public is invited to attend a celebration of the opening of the exhibition, and the graduation of its guest curator, on Thursday, May 31, at 4 p.m. in the Boyd Room. The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections is open to the public Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed holidays. Further information can be obtained from Alan Stahl, Curator of Numismatics, at astahl@princeton.edu or (609) 258-9127.

OUPEL = LOUPE
DATGILI REMCAA = DIGITAL CAMERA
SEGVOL = GLOVES
DER BKOO = RED BOOK
SLBAUM = ALBUMS
GIFMINNAGY SASLG = MAGNIFYING GLASS
BSLAS = SLABS
LOFDERS = FOLDERS
POECOMCISR = MICROSCOPE
RECHRSAE = RESEARCH
KUJN VELSIR = JUNK SILVER
TOGASACL = CATALOGS
PEYT TES = TYPE SET
ALOYL = ALLOYS

Phrase: JANUARY IS NATIONAL HOBBY MONTH

Continental Currency, 1776, tin pattern, obverse, Princeton University Numismatic Collection.

Continental Currency, 1776, tin pattern, reverse, Princeton University Numismatic Collection.

Press release: On Sunday, May 6, the Friends of Princeton University Library will sponsor a public lecture by the noted scholar of early American coinage, Louis Jordan, entitled “Transformations in Numismatic Iconography during the American Revolution.” The talk will take place at 4 p.m. in 101 McCormick Hall on the Princeton campus. The lecture will be preceded at 2:30 by a curatorial tour of the exhibition “Capping Liberty: The Invention of a Numismatic Iconography for the New American Republic” by Alan M. Stahl, Princeton’s Curator of Numismatics, in the Leonard L. Milberg Gallery of Firestone Library, Princeton University.

Louis Jordan is one of the pre-eminent experts on the coinage of the early AmericanRepublic. In addition to his many public lectures and publications on the topic, he maintains an extensive scholarly website: “The Coins of Colonial and Early America” (http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCoin/index.html/). Dr. Jordan is Librarian and Director of Special Collections, University of Notre Dame Libraries, the institution from which he received his Ph.D. in Medieval Studies in 1980. He is co-editor of and a frequent contributor to The Colonial Newsletter: A Research Journal in Early American Numismatics, and author of John Hull: The Mint and the Economics of Massachusetts Coinage (2002) and Lord Baltimore Coinage and Daily Exchange in Early Maryland, currently in preparation.

Louis Jordan

In his talk at Princeton, Jordan will trace the various attempts by the Continental Congress to devise a symbol for the new Republic, including the devices of a linked chain and a sundial invented by Benjamin Franklin, which were adopted on the 1776 Continental Currency patterns and on the 1787 Fugio coppers. Another common motif, the circle of stars representing the colonies and then states, appeared on the Nova Constellatio coppers and became the basis of the firstUnited States flag.

The lecture is being held in conjunction with the exhibition “Capping Liberty,” which is running through July 8, 2012, in the Leonard L. Milberg Gallery of Firestone Library,PrincetonUniversity. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., closed holidays. The exhibition and its associated events are free and open to the public. A website devoted to the exhibition, including high-resolution images of both sides of all coins on display and images from associated books, manuscripts, and graphic arts, is online at http://rbsc.princeton.edu/capping-liberty and will remain on the site after the close of the exhibition. Further information can be obtained from Alan Stahl, Curator of Numismatics, at astahl@princeton.edu or (609) 258-9127.

The showcase includes rarities from the ANA’s Edward C. Rochette Money Museum and exclusive private collections. Located on the bourse floor at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, the showcase will feature informative, museum-quality exhibits with audio tours. Several rarities will make their Showcase debut in Denver, including the 1792 Half Disme.

“The Museum Showcase is an unparalleled feature of ANA shows and provides visitors with an educational and entertaining view of spectacular numismatic objects,” ANA President Tom Hallenbeck said. “We are able to present these treasures because of our wonderful collection and the generosity of our members.”

Most exhibits will be accompanied by Money Talks, the ANA’s cell phone-guided audio tours, which are written and narrated by some of the country’s most knowledgeable authors and experts. Go to www.NationalMoneyShow.com/museum-showcase to listen to podcasts of these tours as they are released.

Following is a list of Museum Showcase exhibits to be displayed in Denver. The ANA is also completing arrangements for exhibits on Indian Peace Medals, Colorado territorial gold and Colorado gold nuggets.

The 1792 Half Disme
An estimated 1,500 half disme silver coins were struck in the basement of a saw-maker’s shop in Philadelphia in 1792 because the U.S. Mint was not yet operational. The coins – slightly smaller than a modern dime and weighing half as much – were first authorized by President Washington under the Mint Act of 1792. Thomas Jefferson, who was then serving as secretary of state, personally received the coins on Washington’s behalf.

Modern researchers estimate that about 275 of the 1,500 originally struck survive today. The coin on display in the showcase was donated to the Money Museum in January by Steven L. Contursi, president of Rare Coin Wholesalers of Irvine, Calif.

Lesher Referendum Dollars
Seldom-seen, oddly shaped Lesher Dollars are interesting, rare pieces of money in Colorado’s history. These octagonal silver “coins” were privately issued by Joseph Lesher in Victor, Colo., in 1900 and 1901 to boost local commerce and support silver mining. Various merchants punched their names into the coins, which was a form of advertisement and a message that Lesher dollars could be used to trade for goods and services at said business.

It’s not clear how many Lesher dollars were actually struck — Lesher himself said in a 1914 interview that between 3,000-3,500 were minted, but noted Lesher Dollar researcher Adna Wilde believed only about 1,870 were made, of which only 550 were documented at the time.

Money Talks audio tour: Token dealer and Lesher Dollar collector Chris Marchase tells the story of Joseph Lesher’s unusual dollars. Call 719-325-7608 and press 5#.

The Idler/Bebee Class III Specimen 1804 Dollar
Known as “The King of U.S. Coins,” the 1804 dollar is extremely rare, with only 15 known examples. No U.S. dollars dated 1804 actually were struck in that year; Class I specimens were struck in 1834-5 as diplomatic gifts (8 known), while Class II (unique) and III specimens (6 known) were struck during the 1850s for collectors. The Idler/Bebee specimen was donated to the ANA by Aubrey and Adeline Bebee in 1991.

Money Talks audio tour: Kenneth E. Bressett, who co-authored “The Fantastic 1804 Dollar” with Eric Newman, discusses the lore, origins and history behind the 1804 Dollar. Call 719-325-7608 and press 1#.

The McDermott/Bebee Specimen 1913 Liberty Head “V” Nickel
Five Liberty Head nickels were made in 1913 under mysterious circumstances. The existence of the nickels was unknown until 1919, when an advertisement in The Numismatist offered to purchase any example for $500. The ad was placed by Samuel W. Brown, a former Mint employee. In 1920 Brown exhibited all five nickels at the ANA convention in Chicago. The McDermott/Bebee specimen was donated to the ANA by Aubrey and Adeline Bebee in 1989.

Money Talks audio tour: NGC Chairman Mark Salzberg has authenticated all five 1913 Liberty Head Nickels and has many insights on these coins. Call 719-325-7608 and press 2#.

The National Bank Notes of Colorado
A wide range of rare National Bank notes from Colorado, as a territory and state, will be on display.

Money Talks audio tour: ANA Governor and paper money expert Wendell Wolka leads this tour of National Bank Notes. Call 719-325-7608 and press 3#.

The BEP Billion Dollar Display
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is also participating in the Money Talks tours. Paper money expert and ANA Governor Wendell Wolka narrated a five-stop tour of the BEP’s Billion Dollar Display. Call 719-325-7608, press 7#, 8#, 9#, 10# and 11#.

The National Money Show features more than 500 dealers with an exhaustive numismatic inventory, great educational programming, and a variety of special events, family events and children’s activities. Show hours are 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. May 10-11 and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. May 12. Admission is $6 for adults and free for ANA members and children 12 and under.  For more information or to download a $2-off admission coupon, go to www.NationalMoneyShow.com.

[Sarasota, Florida] Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), http://www.ngccoin.com, the world leader in third-party coin grading, announced the opening of a new European branch office in Konstanz, Germany. The new location will address growing demand for NGC’s expert services throughout Europe, while offering coin dealers and collectors a faster, more efficient method to submit coins to NGC’s U.S. headquarters for certification and grading.

“We are very excited about the location in Konstanz and the opportunity to connect with more hobbyists in Europe,” said Steve Eichenbaum, NGC CEO. “Offering a straightforward submission process out of Germany will hopefully make a big difference for dealers and collectors throughout the EU. Mostly, we’re looking forward to seeing some beautiful European rarities surface in the coming year.”

European dealers and collectors currently rely on NGC’s Switzerland location to submit coins to NGC’s headquarters in Sarasota, Fla., USA. While the current office is reliable, efficient and cost effective for dealers and collectors in Switzerland, the new location will benefit customers in EU member states.

“The new Germany location will no doubt generate excitement throughout the EU member states,” said Richard Stein, director of NGC European operations. “NGC grading — not to mention the NGC holder — is in high demand here in Europe, and we’re thrilled to think of the many great World coins we’ll be able to certify. I can’t help but think the auction prices will be impressive, as well, with so many NGC-graded World coins going to market.”

NGC brings 25 years of experience certifying and grading collectible coins in the popular and growing numismatic marketplace. The U.S.-based company employs a large staff of full-time coin graders, many of whom are among the most skilled and acclaimed in their field, making NGC the world’s largest third-party coin grading company. The knowledge, integrity and dedication of NGC’s grading team ensure a level of accuracy and consistency unparalleled among grading services, allowing hobbyists around the world to collect with confidence.

About Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC)
Founded in 1987, NGC has become the global leader in rare coin authenticating and certifying, having graded more than 24 million coins. With a presence in the U.S., Switzerland, Germany, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea and China (Guangzhou and Hong Kong), NGC provides customers with an independent, impartial source of grading integrity and guarantee of authenticity. The trusted choice for thousands of collectors and dealers worldwide, NGC’s record of uncompromising standards has helped to foster greater stability throughout the rare coin marketplace.

1916 China Yan-Shih-kai Dragon Gold Dollar struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1921 for coin dealer Henry Chapman

Special to COINage from Ronald J. Gillio

1916 China Yan-Shih-kai Dragon Gold Dollar Struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1921 for Philadelphia Coin Dealer
Henry Chapman

After years of research, and convincing evidence in the form of receipts for purchases, I believe that the famous 1916 Yan-Shih-kai Dragon gold dollars were struck in the United States in 1921 for Philadelphia coin dealer Henry Chapman, and not made in China.  The historic receipts will be offered in a public auction in Hong Kong in April.

1921 is an interesting era in numismatic history for it was during this period that Chapman had various coins specially made for him at the Philadelphia Mint.  It is well-known and documented that in 1921 he ordered proof Morgan dollars from the Philadelphia Mint.  What other coins did he have struck to sell to collectors?

For many years I have had three receipts that indicate Chapman had Chinese gold medals and silver medals struck at the U.S. Mint in 1921. The first receipt from the Mint is dated November 25, 1921 to Henry Chapman for 22 Gold Medals from Chinese dies and 50 Silver Medals from Chinese dies; the second is from the U.S. Mint, dated March 2, 1921, to George T. Morgan for 3 Chinese Gold Medals; and the third is handwritten from the U.S. Mint, dated March 26, 1921, to Henry Chapman and George T. Morgan for a pair of dies for medals, 1 ½ inches diameter, portrait of Chinese General, reverse dragon with inscription.

The documents describe the coins as “medals,” and there were no denominations indicated and references to them as dollars struck in gold.  But as the coins have appeared on the market, they are referred to as dollars struck in gold.

George T. Morgan, born in Birmingham, England, in 1845, came to the United States from England in 1876 and was hired as an assistant engraver at the Mint in October of that year.  He figured very prominently in the production of pattern coins from 1877 onward. To his hand can be ascribed some of the most beautiful of all patterns of the 1877-1882 era, including several varieties of 1877 half dollars and the 1879 “Schoolgirl” dollar.

Following Chief Engraver William Barber’s death in 1879, Morgan hoped that he would be named to the post. However, the nod went to Barber’s son Charles, a man of relatively few talents in the engraving field. Charles Barber remained in the position for many years, until his death on February 18, 1917. Subsequently, Morgan became chief engraver, but this was late in his life, and his “glory years” had already been spent in a secondary position. He remained chief engraver until his death on January 4, 1925.

The Chapman brothers, Henry and S.H., worked for John W. Haseltine in his Philadelphia coin shop in the 1870s, and then in 1879 started a business on their own. Their first sensational sale was the Bushnell Collection in 1882, after which they had a long string of successes. In 1906 they split up the partnership and both brothers went on their own, each registering many accomplishments over the years. Henry Chapman, more than S.H., was involved in maintaining an inventory and selling directly to customers.

The description of these “medals” struck at the Philadelphia Mint corresponds to the “Hung Hsien” dollar which is a dollar size coin but does not have the word DOLLAR in English or Chinese.  This Hung Hsien “coin/medal” has never fit in with the other coins struck during this period.

I have been researching the origins of the receipts which I bought from George F. Kolbe about 15 years ago.  Kolbe claims in the 1980s he purchased a large group of documents belonging to the Chapman estate, of which these receipts were a part.  Kolbe purchased them from New York dealer, Freddie Warner, who in turn had bought the documents from New York dealer Ed Rice in the mid-1950s. Rice purchased the documents in Philadelphia along with many Chapman catalogs, took them to his farm near Cranbury,New Jersey, and proceeded to sell off the items over the years.

The 1916 issue is the most common of all the dollars struck in gold, coming up more often than other dates.  The receipts list only 25 struck in gold and 50 in silver, but who knows if there were others struck for which no receipts have been discovered?

Listed in the Illustrated Catalog of Chinese Coins by E. Kann, 1916, 1 Dollar YUAN SHIH-KAI Hung Hsien Gold Coin (dated in Chinese – Beginning of the Hung Hsien Period) 39 mm in diameter, 3 mm thick, as #1560.

Most recently two 1916 China dollars struck in gold appeared in Stack’s Bowers & Ponterio’s Hong Kong Auction of August, 2011: Lots #70037 and #70038.  Each is from completely different dies; and each has long pedigrees:

Lot #70037
Ex: King Farouk of Egypt Collection, “The Palace Collections of Egypt”, Sotheby & co. London Auction conducted at Koubbeh Palace Cairo Egypt, February-March 1954, lot#1326.

Ex: Winter Collection, Stack’s January-February 1974 Auction, lot#76.

Ex: Chin Family Collection.

Lot #70038
Ex: King Farouk of Egypt Collection, “The Palace Collections of Egypt,” Sotheby & co. London  Auction conducted at Koubbeh Palace Cairo Egypt, February-March 1954, lot#1327.

Ex: Winter Collection, Stack’s January-February 1974 Auction, lot#77.

Ex: Chin Family Collection.

It is my opinion, pure speculation on my part, thatLot#70037 is one that was struck at the U.S. Mint on behalf of Henry Chapman.

The coin’s appearance is mushy, the plume on the hat is different, the breast badge is smaller and less defined, characters on the reverse are different.  Compare to Lot#70038, which is noted as a “Rare Plume Variety,” whose breast badge and coat buttons are more defined, the plume is different, characters on the reverse are different, overall the appearance is sharper.  I believeLot#70038 to be typical of the work of L. Giorgi and struck at the China Mint.  Also,Lot#70037 is the same coin design mostly seen in silver and, as I have noted from the research I have done, has shown up often after 1920.

Many events occurred in the early years of the Republic of China and many interesting events took place at the Philadelphia Mint at the time.  Following is historical speculation of what possibly happened behind the scenes in those early years:

Quoted from ‘The Illustrated Catalog of Chinese Coins’ by E. Kann, 1966:
In the summer of 1915, a movement began in favor of the re-establishment of a monarchy.  A Convention of Citizens’ Representatives was summoned to decide the problem and voted unanimously in favor of the establishment of a Constitutional Monarchy, with Yuan Shih-kai as emperor.  Before the enthronement could have taken place, a rebellion inYunnanProvincehad assumed too serious proportions to make such a step prudent, and a mandate of February 23, 1916, postponed the date of accession indefinitely.

Another reliable source (see “Donald of China”, by E.A. Selle, 1948) asserts that Yuan was surreptitiously crowned as emperor, but that such action was cancelled by a Mandate issued by Yuan Shih-kai on March 21, 1916.  To quote literally: “In mid-December (1915), and after a unanimous convention of district delegates at Peking, Yuan, in a private and lavish ceremony, ascended the throne in the great throne-room in theForbidden City.  A system of royalty was set up.  Friends of Yuan became barons, dukes and earls.  For himself he took the title of ‘HUNG HSIEN’.” On page 179 of the said book it is written: “On March 1 (1916) Yuan issued a Mandate canceling the monarchy and restoring the republic.  Once again, Yuan was just ‘Mr. President’.”

On June 6, 1916, Yuan Shih-kai died, and with him the monarchial scheme.  As will be seen, gold, silver and copper coins with the confidently expected monarchial title styled HUNG HSIEN were actually struck in preparation of the auspicious event.

Did any of these events actually happen? Were any of these coins even produced inChina? It is entirely possible that Henry Chapman had these “medals” made at the Philadelphia Mint to market as intriguing collectables based on murky knowledge and romanticized ideas of what actually took place in China a few years earlier.

These receipts from the Mint to Chapman will be sold in the Stack’s Bowers & Ponterio Hong Kong Auction of April, 2012.

Actually, we were wondering about collecting in general.

We were talking one day about what people in the office collect, how they got started collecting, what will they do with their collection in the future, etc.

Some of us are accumulators. I fall into this category. A few first-edition novels here, some concert ticket stubs and other souvenirs there. I even have a few elongated cents from museums and amusement parks.

Others inherited partial collections of Morgan and Peace dollars, and that’s where their collecting stops.

And one person became interested in coins as an easy way to make money as a kid.

Then we got “scientific.” Is there a “collecting” gene? Are some people born to collect, while others simply, ahem, accumulate, or go 180 degrees the other way and “declutter,” for lack of a better word?

Michael Shutty Jr., Ph.D., author of One Coin Is Never Enough, in fact says that he is a collector by genetics. His book approaches numismatics differently by putting the collector first. The stories, the human aspects come before the coins.

That’s what we’re interested in.

What kind of coin collector are you? Do you collect anything else? How did you get started? And, in all seriousness, how does collecting make you feel? Does it give you a rush of pleasure, or does too much of anything stress you out?

Let’s talk about this. Comment on or share this post, or email mgibbel@jmillermedia.com.