Circulating Counterfeits of the Americas
COAC 98
The Coinage of the Americas Conference on "Circulating Counterfeits of the Americas" had one of the largest turnouts for a conference in recent memory. This topic embraced many areas of student and collector interest as those concerned with the coins of the Confederation period are also concerned about counterfeits and the involvement of Machins' Mills. But this COAC was also able to tap into some of the interest of the bust half collectors, paper money collectors, and bibliophiles.
In the morning session, Charles W. Smith gave an overview of counterfeit halfpence, with special attention to the problem of cast counterfeits--when they were made and how many issuers there were. Mike K. Ringo, a longtime researcher of counterfeit halfpence discussed "Attributing Bungtown Halfpence" and cleared up many problems, in particular the variety 2.4-T, which is complex because Barnsley appears to have given four different variety designations to four specimens which are actually from the same dies. John Kleeberg gave some preliminary results from his die study of counterfeit 2 reales and suggested that the brass counterfeits, the most common part of the series, may have been made in Waterbury, CT, in the first decade of the nineteenth century. Keith Davignon, well known for his recent book on circulating counterfeit bust half dollars, gave an overview of the some of the questions involved, in particular a counterfeit which looks so good that it was even encapsulated by one of the slabbing services and then put up for sale as a new die variety. Brad Karoleff discussed some of the more common counterfeit half dollar varieties. Particularly astonishing for the audience was one die variety which was made from a hub taken from the United States Mint in Philadelphia.
After a buffet luncheon, attendees heard Michael Sullivan discuss counterfeit detectors. He suggested that most were actually failures, because rather than eliminating the counterfeits the detectors taught the counterfeiters how to make better counterfeits. His work was based on pieces in his own collection, plus extensive study of material in the ANS library which he was able to access through librarian Francis D. Campbell. John Lorenzo then gave his opinion on counterfeit 2 reales. He emphasized the importance of metallurgical analysis. Although much attention has been given to metallurgical analysis of ancient coins, the important questions posed by modern circulating counterfeits have been neglected. Richard G. Doty discussed the altered notes of the Southern Bank of Georgia in Bainbridge present in the National Numismatic Collection. Emmett McDonald who has attended every COAC since they began, gave a paper on counterfeit coin detecting devices, with many slides of material from the US Patent Office.
Attendees at the COAC could see some fine exhibits, put together with the help of ANS curatorial assistant Elena Stolyarik. Anthony Terranova put on a dramatic exhibit of US coin scales and counterfeit detecting devices. He also displayed a collection of evasive halfpence, plus some Blacksmith tokens and related pieces, such as Columbia farthings. Mike Ringo put together an impressive exhibit of Bungtown halfpence, including items borrowed specifically for the occasion from the Eric P. Newman collection. The American Numismatic Society exhibited counterfeit Mexican 8 reales from the book by J. L. Riddell, plus some counterfeit half dollars listed in the Riddell book. Other ANS exhibits include counterfeits made in platinum and some unusual counterfeit halfpence. The exhibits will remain on display through January.
First Fowler Memorial Lecture
On September 26, 1998, Frank L. Holt, Associate Professor of History at the University of Houston, delivered the first Memorial Annual Harry W. Fowler Lecture on: "Every Coin a Mystery: The Quest for Ancient Bactria."
Harry W. Fowler, as many of our readers and members know, was a long-time friend and charismatic leader of the ANS, its President from 1984-90. The coins of ancient Bactria were his major area of interest and he formed a very important collection over the years, bequeathed to the ANS in 1995. His wife Emily Tucker Fowler and his children, Angela and Lucius Fowler, generously endowed a lecture in his memory.
It seemed only fit to have the leading American authority in Bactrian numismatics inaugurate the series. Frank Holt spoke mainly on the coinages of the Diodoti, the first two kings of Bactria, after this region separated itself from the Seleucid Empire around the middle of the third century B.C. to form an independent kingdom. The chronology of these coins, struck in all three metals, gold silver and bronze, and their precise classification has been much debated. Professor Holt suggested his own new arrangement based on a careful investigation of the symbols and monograms on the coins, as well as of the scant literary sources. Far from being a dry and technical numismatic presentation, the lecture fascinated the general public and the layman as well by putting the coins in their historical context with the help of some modern writers and investigators, like Rudyard Kipling and Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes's methods can now safely be applied to die studies thanks to the distinguished speaker!
The event concluded with a reception at the ANS and a dinner at The Terrace at Butler Hall of Columbia University. Friends and colleagues gathered to continue a lively discussion and were honored and delighted by the presence of Mrs. Fowler and Harry's two children.
LIBRARY NOTES
Library patrons will be pleased to learn that some 38,000 card catalogue records have been converted to machine readable format by Gaylord Information Systems of Liverpool, NY. The proofing of these records will occupy much of the library staff's time in the coming weeks and, upon the eventual completion of the conversion project, we hope to have the library's catalogue records available on the worldwide web. Owing to a recent upgrade of library hardware and software, the editing of these records and the processing of library data in general will be greatly facilitated. The installation of Windows 95 software has provided Assistant Librarian, Tamara Fultz, with much greater flexibility in switching from one library program to another, such as moving from our Mitinet/Marc cataloguing program to our subject heading list in the Advanced Revelation database.
As in the past, the Graduate Seminar kept library staff busy during the summer months. Where possible, works needed by students, but not in our collection, were acquired. Also acquired, were those volumes of the Encyclopaedia Iranica, thus far published. This work will prove of particular use to those interested in Islamic numismatics and Islamic studies in general.
Normand Pepin continues his assistance in the library as a loyal volunteer and two new part-time student assistants have recently joined the staff. They are Dahiana Jimenez of Fordham University and Ivette Van Der Linde of Hunter College. We will miss our former assistants, Mayra Castillo and Grizelde Pena, both of Fordham University.
Gifts to the library have included Report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the State of the Finances, (Washington, DC, 1850), donated by Michael F. Capen of Blacksburg, VA. Additional gifts of auction sales and periodicals have been received from James Schwartz, New York, NY, Gordon Frost, Forest Hills, NY, and Ralph R. Sonnenschein, Malibu, CA.
Among the publications generously donated by authors, publishers and others are H. al-Ajjabi, Jama'al-Maskukat al-'Arabiyya bi-Ifriqiya 2 (Tunis, 1996), received from Adnan Djaroueh; Jean Andreau, et al, eds., Les échanges dans l'Antiquité: le rôle de l'État (Barbazon, 1994) and, Économie antique: Prix et formation des prix dans les économies antiques (Barbazon, 1997); Lorenzo Bellesia, Le monete di Federico Landi principe di Val Di Taro (Lugano, 1997) and Le monete di Francesco D'Este: Marchese di Massa Lombarda (Lugano, 1997); Jan C. Besteman, Vikingen in Noord-Holland? De Zilverschat van Wieringen in het Licht van de Noormanneninvallen (Haarlem, 1997).
Additional gifts include Lee E. Bishop, Jr. and J. Robert Elliott II, American Society Medals: An Identification Guide (Santa Monica, CA, 1998); Bernard Bouyon, Études de gravure monétaire de l'Italie grecque archaïque à l'Europe du 17e siècle (Wetteren, 1998); Q. David Bowers, American Numismatics before the Civil War, 1760-1860: Emphasizing the Story of Augustus B. Sage, foreword by Dr. Joel J. Orosz (Wolfeboro, NH, 1998).
Christian Charlet and Jean-Louis Charlet, Les monnaies des princes souverains de Monaco, preface by S.A.S. Prince Rainier III (Monaco, 1997), donated by Richard Margolis; Georges Depeyrot, Le numeraire merovingien: L'age de l'or, 2 vols (Wetteren, 1998); Mike Dunigan and J. B. Parker, Resplandores: Cap and Rays 8 Reales of the Republic of Mexico, 1823-1897 (Beverly Hills, CA, 1997): Jaroslaw Dutkowski, Ceny monet polskich i z Polska zwiazanych na aukcjach w latach 1960-1998 = Preise polnischer Goldmünzen und Goldmünzen aus mit Polen verbundenen Gebieten auf Auktionen 1960-1998 (Gdansk, 1998), donated by Tomasz Guska; David L. Ganz, The World of Coins and Coin Collecting (Chicago, IL, 1998); C. van Hengel, Penningen Hollants (Amsterdam, 1998); Gary Kinder, Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea (New York, 1998), received from Leslie Elam.
Peter Kos and Andrej Semrov have donated Zbirka Numizmaticnega Kabineta Narodnega Muzeja = The collection of the Numismatic Cabinet of the National Museum. II.Rimski novci in kontramarke iz 1. stoletja = Roman Imperial Coins and Countermarks of the 1st Century (Augustus-Traianus) (Ljubljana, 1995); Chester L. Krause, and Clifford Mishler, Standard Catalogue of World Coins, 1801-1900, 2nd ed. (Iola, WI, 1998); Roger deWardt Lane, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" Modern Dime Size Silver Coins of the World with Footnotes to History (Hollywood, FL, 1997); Jean-Marc Leconte, Le bréviaire de la numismatique française moderne 1791-1997 (Paris, 1997) and, Le bréviaire de la numismatique française moderne 1791-1993 (Paris, 1993) donated by Richard Margolis; Agneta Lundström and Helen Clarke, eds., Excavations at Helgö X: Coins,Iiron and Gold (Stockholm, 1986); Margaret Olsen, and Alison Matthews, The Platinum & Palladium Buyer's Guide (Westminster, CO, 1997) and, The Gold Book: A Guide to Commonly Traded Gold Bullion Coins and Bars (Westminster, CO, 1992.
Stuart D. Sears has given the library A Monetary History of Iraq and Iran, ca. CE 500 to 750, vol. 1., Ph.D. diss., University of Chicago (Chicago, 1997); Richard E. Snow, The Fly-In Club Attribution Files, 1998 ed. (Palo Alto, CA, 1998) and Stephen M. Sullivan, U.S. Error Note Encyclopedia (Melbourne, FL, 1997), both donated by J. T. Stanton; Dirk Vorlauf and Niklot Klüssendorf, Die evangelische Pfarrkirche St. Georg in Alten-Buseck, Kreis Giessen (Wiesbaden, 1998); James Wiles, The RPM Book, 2nd ed.: Lincoln Cents (Savannah, GA, 1997) and, The Kennedy Half Dollar: An Attribution and Pricing Guide (Savannah, GA, 1998), received from J. T. Stanton; E. B. Wilkinson, Isaac Van Wert in the Revolutionary War (Van Wert, OH, 1919); Richard S. Yeoman, 1999 Handbook of United States Coins with Premium List, 56th ed. (Racine, WI, 1998) and, A Guide Book of United States Coins, 52nd ed. 1999, ed. Kenneth Bressett (Racine, WI, 1998).
Readers wishing further information concerning the above publications should address inquiries to the Librarian.
Turkish Coins Featured in ANS Exhibit for NYINC
"Turkish Treasures in the ANS" is the title of an exhibit of coins featuring the recent gift of the Jem Sultan Collection by Olivia Lincoln. The exhibit will open at the New York International Numismatic Convention on December 4.
The Jem Sultan Collection was formed by the late William B. Holberton who catalogued it in a luxurious two-volume set using the name of the Ottoman sultan Jem who reigned briefly in 1481. It was purchased by the Lincolns as a core resource for the study of Ottoman history and society and was considerably augmented by them. The total collection numbers 5,601 coins, medals, decorations, and weights including many rare and beautiful examples.
With the Society's original holdings, its Ottoman collection now numbers 10,889 coins and other objects, perhaps the largest in any public collection outside Turkey itself. The exhibit will include coins, banknotes, medals, and decorations drawn from both collections as well as material loaned by ANS members, including Council Member Langdon Thomas. One of the six cases will be devoted to non-Ottoman coins of Turkish rulers from Algeria to China and another to the coinage of Anatolia before the establishment of the Ottoman empire. Three cases will illustrate the history and geographical extent of the Ottoman empire, and a last case will include rare Ottoman medals and decorations.
The NYINC show takes place on the mezzanine of 1 World Trade Center. After the NYINC show closes on December 5, the exhibit will return to the ANS where a special re-opening will take place on December 12. It will remain on exhibit until February 7.
In connection with the exhibit, the Society is co-sponsoring, with the Oriental Numismatic Society and NYINC, a colloquium at the show in the forum area on the third floor of the Marriott World Trade Center hotel. The symposium will take place on Saturday, December 5, from 6:00 to 8:00. The speakers will include Kenneth M. MacKenzie on the coinage of Turkey from the fourteenth century, Wayne G. Sayles on the coinage of the eleventh and twelfth century Atabeg coinages, William F. Spengler on the coinage of the eastern Islamic world from the eleventh to thirteenth centuries, and Admiral Sohail Ahmad Khan on the coinage of the Delhi sultans.
THE ANS AT THE NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL, December 4-6, 1998
The 27th Annual New York International Numismatic Convention will take place December 4 through 6 at the One World Trade Center Mezzanine in New York City. The Society will have a strong presence at the Convention hosting many activities.
The Society will mount an exhibition of Turkish treasures from its own collection. The exhibit has been organized by Kenneth MacKenzie and Islamic Curator Michael Bates While focusing on the coinage of the Ottoman sultans, the exhibit is introduced by a display of the range of coins issued by Turkish governments throughout history from ancient Xinjiang to Egypt to China to the new republics of Central Asia. Other displays will show the origin and development of Ottoman coinage, the diversity of mints and regional issues, and the progress of industrialization of the mint from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. In conjunction with the exhibition, there will be a colloquium at the NYINC on "Turkish Coins of the Islamic World" on Saturday, December 5, from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. in the Marriott World Trade Center Hotel.
The Society will have an information booth staffed by ANS curators and volunteers who will be answering questions and giving out information about the Society. There will be a display of our books and our new CD Rom on Roman Coinage.
There will be another exciting event taking place on Saturday and Sunday, December 5 and 6, between the hours of 2:00 and 4:00 P.M. that we think will be of great interest to our members. The Society will host wine and cheese receptions at our new location 140 William Street, just four blocks from the World Trade Center. Our members are urged to drop by and preview our new space and help us envision our future.
Our annual cocktail reception for Fellows and Circle Members will take place on Friday, December 4 from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. This event will take place in the Commodities 2000 room. Are you a circle member? If not, do join a circle and become a part of this tradition.
The New York International Coin Convention is always an exciting time for our members. This year it will be even more exciting. Our exhibit of Turkish Treasures is not to be missed. And a visit to our future home promises to excite the imagination.
BULLOWA MEETING
The fourth annual Bullowa memorial conference featuring Graduate Seminar alumni will held at the museum on Saturday, January 16, 1999, at 3:00 P.M. Three students from the 1998 seminar will be featured: Melanie D. Grunow (University of Michigan) will speak on "Architectura Numismatica with Figures," Daniel F. Hobbins (University of Notre Dame) on "The Economics of Coinage Reform in Fourteenth-Century France," and Susan Spinale (Harvard University) on "Messages and the Market: The Portrait Medals of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II."
This conference continues the earlier tradition of the David M. Bullowa Memorial Conference but now focuses on reports from seminar alumni of the previous summer. The conferences, which are sponsored by Catherine Bullowa-Moore, are designed to expose the work of Seminar students to a broader audience and they provide a special opportunity for seminar alumni to gather. The meeting will be followed by a reception.
Arab-Byzantine Forum IV
Arab-Byzantine coinage fans were to re-assemble at the ANS again on November 14 for a day of talks, discussion, and display of coins relating to the Islamic and Late Roman coinage of the eastern Mediterranean in the seventh and eighth centuries A.D. The Forum was organized this year for the first time by a volunteer, Charles Karukstis.
Seven presentations were expected, with a total attendance of about 25, from as far as England and Australia. An exhibit of the Arab-Byzantine coins in the Slocum collection was to be featured. There is plenty of time for free discussions on these occasions, with coffee and doughnuts in the morning, a light luncheon, and more coffee in the afternoon.