BOARD OF GOVERNORS Chairman & Past-President: President: Vice President: Recording Secretary: Corresponding Secretary: Treasurer: Michael Jones James Terry Carl Young Christopher Carson Gordon Robinson Don Douglas e-mail: grobinsonl@netzero.net All past Presidents are members of the Board of Governors. APPOINTED STAFF Curator, NI REFERENCE COLLECTION Philip L. Lawrence Editor Emeritus, NI BULLETIN Marvin L. Fraley Editor, NI BULLETIN Herman Blanton P.O. Box 247 Mount Vernon, OH 43050 e-mail: hblanton@yahoo.com Chairman, NI PUBLICATIONS John E. Vandigriff P.O. Box 1481 Lewisville, TX 75067 e-mail: johnvan@grandecom.net Index Editor, NI BULLETIN Christopher D. Carson Archivist Ross Schraeder Membership Chairman Ross Schraeder e-mail: rossschraederl@yahoo.com Librarian, NI LIBRARY David Gracey PO Box 570842 Dallas, TX 75357-0842 davidfg248@grandecom.net Auction Manager, NI MAIL BID SALES Carl Young P.O. Box 810521 Dallas, TX 75381-0521 Telephone: 972-247-0634 Moderator, NI EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS Howard A. Daniel III P.O. Box 989 Deltaville, VA 23043-0989 e-mail: HADaniel3@msn.com Book Orders: Elmore Scott: NIBooks@verizon.net NUMISMATICS INTERNATIONAL e-mail: johnvan@grandecom.net Website: http://www.numis.org Discussion Group: http :// groups. yahoo .com/ group/numismatics/ Correspondence should be directed to those persons and addresses above for departments indicated. All other correspondence should be mailed direct to NUMISMATICS INTERNATIONAL, P.O. BOX 570842, DALLAS, TX 75357-0842. OBJECTIVES OF NUMISMATICS INTERNATIONAL Numismatics International is a non-profit educational organization. Its Objectives are: to encourage and promote the science of numismatics by specializing in areas and nations other than the United States of America; to cultivate fraternal relations among collectors and numismatic students; to encourage and assist new collectors; to foster the interest of youth in numismatics; to stimulate and advance affiliations among collectors and kindred organizations; and to acquire, share, and disseminate knowledge. MEMBERSHIP FEES: Individual & Club Memberships, $20.00 annually; Junior Membership (18 years of age and under), $15.00 annually; Senior Membership (70 years of age and older), $15.00 annually. Numismatics International Bulletin Volume 44 September / October 2009 Numbers 9/10 NI Membership Report 133 Letters to the Editor 134 Member Notice 170 Ira & Larry Goldberg, Inc. Constantine the Great, Filius Augustorum 137 Kent M. Ponterio, Ponterio & Associates The Coinage of Mexico, Struck During the Reign of Charles and Johanna 138 Gregory G. Brunk Coins Countermarked with Political Messages and Related Pieces (D-F) 155 Bob Fritsch Quiz 163 David Astwood The 100-Peso Bi-metallic Mexican State Series 164 CNG Henry II of Germany 168 Jorge Emilio Restrepo Assayer Anuncibay in Colombian Silver Cobs 169 Reichskreditkassen (Reich Credit Institutes) 170 ffl Membership Report The following persons have applied for membership. Unless objections in writing are received by Oct 1 , 2009 the memberships are effective that day. Todd Allison, 4461 Sharpsburg Dr., Grand Prairie, TX 75052. Worldwide David Astwood, World crowns (silver) & Colonial Canadian tokens John W. Barber, English shillings & Spanish colonial David Eagle, 3030 SW CR 0018, Corsicana, TX 75110. US-Philippines, Worldwide Adam Hamner, 317 Carter, Howe, TX 75459. Worldwide Firdosh Mehta, 313 Charlie Way, Weatherford, TX 76087 Jfl Letters to the Editor Robert Ronus writes requesting information. The September 2009 UBS Auction (Lot 3412) features one of the oddest Habsburg Talers in the whole Austro-Hungarian series, Davenport 3199 (other references are Voglhuber 209, Herinek 483, Montenuovo Collection 829 and KM #147). This 1655 ISSN: 0197-3088 Copyright 2009 Numismatics International, P.O. Box 570842, Dallas, TX USA 75357-0842 133 Taler minted in Kremnitz has on one side — called the obverse in Davenport but it is really the reverse — the standard Kremnitz reverse: the imperial title of Ferdinand III and a crowned imperial double eagle with arms on its breast. The other side, however, is very special: the initials IK and EM divided by stars and roses and below the date 1655. UBS also offers a similar Half Taler (Lot 3413: Herinek 592, Mont. 830, KM #A146). (28.27 g., 42 mm) IK stands for Johann Kewiczky, recorder of Kaschau. I have been told that his widow, Elisabeth Medaralpy, without asking the Emperor's permission, had this Taler struck for her husband’s funeral. When the Emperor learned about it, he ordered the coins to be withdrawn and melted down. However, Voglhuber and Herinek both say that the coins were struck with the Emperor's permission. If so, Kewiczky must have been very distinguished or a particular favorite of Ferdinand III. There is also disagreement about the spelling of the widow's name, which is not so unusual in Hungary where most officials had both German and Hungarian forms of their name. UBS follows Davenport in calling her Elisabeth Mederalpy. However, the noted German numismatist Dr. Gerhard Schoen tells me he has never seen it spelled Mederalpy. He says the name of the widow of Janos (using the Hungarian form of Johann) Kewiczky is normally written Erzsebet Madarasz, Madarassy or Madarassy. Voglhuber, Herinek and Krause all call her Elisabeth Madarassy. I would be very interested if any reader has further information on Johann Kewiczky and on this whole incident. Robert Ronus Bruce Smith writes: I would like to offer some comments on Greg Brunk's article “Coins Countermarked with Political Messages and Related Pieces (A-C)” in the July / August 2009 of the bulletin. HANKOW 1938 The origin of this medal was long uncertain. Kann pictured one in his collection on Plate 195 of his Illustrated Catalog of Chinese Coins (1954), labeled simply 134 “Hankow Volunteers 1938.” Exactly who issued it and to whom it was given were mysteries, until this article prompted me to do some research. Kan n 's example is counterstamped on a Sun Yat Sen Memorial Dollar, first struck in 1927. The counterstamp is divided, on either side of Sun's portrait. That piece sold as lot 3060 in the third Kann sale on 20 March 1972. The Lin Gwoming catalog ( Illustrated Catalogue of Chinese Gold & Silver Coins ) records this piece as number 967, and the illustration there may be Kann's own coin. The example shown in Brunk's July- August 2009 Numismatics International Bulletin article, has the counterstamp on a 1914 dated Yuan Shih Kai Dollar, with HANKOW and the date appearing together at the bottom of the obverse. This type was first seen as lot 708 in Jess Peters Sale #1 13 of 12 August 1983. When the Japanese attacked Shanghai in 1937, beginning the Sino-Japanese War, which eventually merged into World War II, the Chinese capital was at Nanking. As the Japanese army advanced on Nanking, the capital was moved to Hankow, across the Yangtze River from Wuchang (both of which are now part of the city of Wuhan). Nanking was soon taken, and the Chinese government moved again, this time far up the Yangtze, to Chungking. A great battle was fought in the Wuhan area from June to October 1938. The Chinese lost the battle but did manage to cover the withdrawal of the government, numerous industrial plants, and various Chinese universities and research facilities, to the interior of China, beyond the reach of the Japanese. The foreign concessions at Hankow had long before organized a volunteer defense force known as the Hankow Volunteers, to protect foreign interests in the city. It was suspected that the Hankow medal was connected with this group, but the evidence was lacking. An internet search, however, pulled up information on a British sailor named Stewart Chapman, Stoker 2nd Class, written by his daughter, Janice Brady. Her father had served on the British warship, HMS Petrel during 1938. She writes, in part, “Four hundred officers and men, along with the crew of HMS Petrel, received mementos for events in Ha nk ow in 1938 from Acting Consul General, Mr. C. E. Whitemore, on behalf of the local British community of Hankow. Each man, including my father, was presented with a silver Chinese dollar stamped “Hankow 1938.” At last we know who issued this medal, to whom it was given and why. For more information, see: http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/petrelcrew/chapman.html LIMCHOW APRIL 1931 An internet search also solved part of the mystery of this counterstamp. Limchow was the name of a ship, a French steamer, which in April 1938 was attacked by 38 pirate junks in the Straits of Hainan in extreme southern China. The ship was grounded, looted, then burned. She managed to stay afloat, and was later towed by a tug, escorted by the British warship, HMS Sterling, to Hong Kong. The story was reported in the Straits Times of 20 and 27 April 1931 (and undoubtedly in the Hong Kong newspapers as well). Apparently someone made one or more souvenirs for this event, the first of which appeared in Heritage Auction #378 of 2 June 2005 in Long Beach. The owner of that piece purchased it from California coin dealer, A1 Tom, in 1986. This piece, then, is a souvenir rather than a political statement. The name Limchow appears to be Malayan Chinese. 135 “SOVIET” Counterstamp in Chinese This piece was illustrated in Eduard Kann's 1954 Illustrated Catalog of Chinese Coins but no information was provided there. Supposedly, this coin was counterstamped for circulation in areas of Central China held by the Communists during the late 1920's or early 1930's. There is debate today in China as to the origin of this counterstamp. At least two varieties of the counterstamp exist, differing in the writing of the characters. Some in China say that one is genuine and the others are modem fakes. Others say that all of them are fantasies. I do not know whether any resolution has been reached in this matter. “ALLIED VICTORY” Counterstamp in Chinese As far as I know, the only source of information on this counterstamp is the statement by Arthur B. Coole quoted in Brunk's article. The assumption is that Coole either witnessed a presentation of these pieces or had heard about it from someone who was present. China Freedom Dollar This counterstamp was distributed by and probably produced by California coin dealer, Richard Nelson, in 1989 or 1990 following the Tiananmen Square massacre. Various common Chinese dollars, such as the Sun Yat Sen Memento Dollar and the Yuan Shih Kai Large Head Dollar, were counterstamped and sold, supposedly to raise money for one of the Chinese student federations. I bought one of these from Nelson (who operated The Money Company auctions and the Hong Kong coin show) at the time they came out. I thought this was in 1989, but the literature which came with it, mentions the Second Annual conference of the Federation of Chinese Students & Scholars Canada (FCSSC) held in Montreal in July 1990. The address of the organization is in Toronto, Canada. The hammer and sickle inside the circle with a bar across it means “No Communism.” As I recall, Nelson was selling these counterstamped dollars in sealed envelopes. He said most were common dollars, but some were counterstamped on better or even rare coins. Apparently the counterstamped Szechuan- Shensi Soviet dollar was one of the rare coins. Whether the host coin is genuine or not, I do not know. The coin in my envelope was a Yuan Shih Kai Large Head Dollar. Hammer & Sickle in Star on Honan 20 Cash I have no information on this piece, but suspect it is a fantasy. If anyone has further information on any of these Chinese related counterstamps, please contact me: Bruce W. Smith, P.O. Box 529, Sheboygan, WI 53082 USA. Email: chinasmithbr@yahoo.com Bruce Smith m 136 Constantine the Great Filius Augustorum Ira & Larry Goldberg, Inc. (Image enlarged) Constantine I, the Great as Filius Augustorum, AD 308-309. Gold Aureus (5.13 g) minted at Thessalonica. "CONSTANTINVS FIL AVGG," laureate head of Constantine right, with slight beard / "CONSVL DD NN," Constantine in consular robes standing left, holding globe and sceptre; "SMTS" in exergue. RIC 28; Depeyrot 412; Cohen 115. Sharp tetrarchic portrait. The collapse of Diocletian's carefully constructed tetrarchic system in 307 prompted the senior emperor Galerius to call for a conference at Camuntum in November of 308, at which the various claimants to imperial power were supposed to restore an orderly division of the empire. Constantine and Maximinus II Daia were each demoted from the rank of Augustus to that of Caesar, a proposition they found intolerable. To mollify them, Galerius proposed in 309 that they each receive the title "Son of the Augusti" ( Filius Augustorum). Not surprisingly, both men rejected the meaningless epithet and resumed calling themselves Augusti. However, eastern mints under Galerius' control briefly included the title in the inscriptions of what are today rare folles and aurei. An additional feature of interest on this aureus is the small symbol in the right field, apparently a mark of value indicating the coin was intended to be struck at sixty to the Roman pound (approximately 5.4 grams). From Ira & Larry Goldberg Pre-Long Beach auction 26 May 2009, lot 1930. Visit the Numismatics International Web site http://www.numis.org m 137 The Coinage of Mexico Struck During the Reign of Charles and Johanna (Revised 06/2009) Kent M. Ponterio, Ponterio & Associates, NI #1221 Early Series (without waterlines) The decree to establish a mint in Mexico City was issued on May 11, 1535; however, officials from Spain did not arrive in Mexico until November 14, 1535, and the first coins were not minted until April of 1536. 1) The first assayer at the Mexico City Mint was assayer “R,” Francisco del Rincon, who struck coins between the years 1536 and 1538. The assayer at the time held only a two-year lease. a. Dating the coins of Rincon is much easier than for most assayers in this series. When the Mexico City Mint began production of coinage in April of 1536, it was only authorized to strike coins in denominations of 1/4, 1/2, 1,2 and 3 Reales. On November 18, 1537, a decree was issued authorizing the minting of 4 and 8 Reales, while at the same time calling for the minting of 3 Reales to cease. b. Although the decree authorizing the mintage of 4 and 8 Reales was issued on November 18, 1537, it would have taken several months for this information to reach the Mint in Mexico City, and most certainly these issues were not struck until the following year. In studying the punches used to produce dies and the die styles themselves, one can conclude that the production of 4 Reales began some time before that of the 8 Reales. This is seen in the use of older gothic punches present in the legends and assayer's mark of the earliest 4 Reales. The 8 Reales contain a rhomboid banner across the pillars, a characteristic found only on the latest 4 Reales of Rincon. Dies with the rhomboid banner were used only for a brief period of time near the end of Rincon's term in office and were then carried over by the next assayer. c. Denominations for this assayer: 1/4, 1/2, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8 Reales. Scholarship , Integrity and Friendship - since 1 964 NUM SMAT 1 CS INTERNATIONAL 138 139 2) The second assayer to produce coins in the early series was assayer “P.” Both the name of this assayer and the exact dates when the coins were struck are at this point unknown. The assayer could have been Pedro de Espina or Pedro de la Membrilla, whose names appear on several contemporary documents pertaining to this subject. a. It is known for fact through die linking that “P” is the second assayer in this series. The first emissions of assayer “P's” coinage are all produced from reworked dies of the previous assayer. They all appear with assayer “P's” initial re-punched over that of assayer “R” (photo above). When Francisco del Rincon's lease on the office of assayer expired, he naturally requested to have it reinstated for another term, at which point the owner refused to reinstate it for reasons of favoritism. The dies for coining were kept in a locked box; there were two separate locks with two separate keys. The assayer had access to one key while a different official at the mint kept the other. At the time when Francisco del Rincon left the mint, he would have been able to take the punches used to make dies with him but would not have been allowed to take the already prepared dies. This would explain why old dies were available and re-used for a brief period of time until new dies could be produced. With the exception of a few random remaining punches, the new dies were produced with an entirely new set of punches. b. Dating the coins of assayer “P” is somewhat more complicated than that of the previous assayer. Assayer “P” began striking coins sometime in 1538. It is uncertain as to exactly when his responsibilities as assayer ceased. It is, however, certain that he did hold this position for some period of time. Evidence would suggest at least a full two-year term if not longer (probably longer). Out of the four assayers in the early series, this assayer is by far the most frequently encountered. There are more known dies for this assayer than for the other three early series assayers combined; this suggests that he held a rather long term in office. c. Denominations for this assayer: 1/4, 1/2, 1, 2 and 4 Reales. 3) The third assayer in the early series used the initial “F.” Both the name of this assayer and the exact dates when his coins were struck are at this point unknown. Possibilities for the assayer are Francisco de Loaysa or Esteban Franco, whose names appear on several contemporary documents pertaining to this subject. a. There is very little known about this assayer. Coins of this assayer vary from extremely rare to unique. A limited number of dies were used to strike coins during “F's” term as assayer, suggesting a very short time period in which he was in office. It is likely that this individual took over the job of assayer as either a temporary replacement until the position could be permanently filled, or perhaps for some reason had his term cut short. Data points toward coins being struck sometime in 1540 or 1541. 140 b. Very few new dies were prepared during the office of this assayer, with most being re-worked dies from the previous assayer. c. One outside possibility as to the identity of this assayer (although no evidence can be linked to this) would be Francisco Rodriguez, the individual who was assayer for the mint in Santo Domingo. d. Denominations for this assayer: 1/4, 1/2, 1, 2 and 4 Reales. 4) The fourth and final assayer in the early series was assayer “G,” Juan Gutierrez. a. This individual held multiple terms as assayer, producing coins in both the early and late series. Previously thought to be the second assayer in the early series, recent evidence of die linking (photo below) as well as other documentation has clearly proven otherwise. b. The exact date Gutierrez began minting coins is unknown. He renewed his two-year lease in 1543, which points to the date of his original lease being sometime in 1541. c. It is during the office of this assayer that the transition from early series to late series clearly took place. Evidence would suggest this transition probably took place in 1542, at which point new punches to prepare dies arrived from Spain. d. It is during the office of Gutierrez that copper Maravedis were introduced for the first time in 1542, produced for a period of about a year until the dies were replaced by those of the new late series style. All early series coppers should be considered rare. e. Denominations for this assayer: 2 and 4 Maravedis, 1/2, 1, 2 and 4 Reales. Early series 1/4 Reales of this assayer are currently unknown. One should not rule out the possibility they were struck, as there are three known examples produced during his term in the late series. 141 Late Series (with waterlines) 1) The first assayer in the late series was assayer “G,” Juan Gutierrez. a. The arrival of new punches from Spain in 1542 is an important event, as it clearly pinpoints where the early series ends and the late series begins. Note that none of the old punches are mixed with the new punches from early to late series. The first issues of Gutierrez in the late series bear the king's name spelled with a “CH,” and bear a small “o” above and below both the mintmark and assayer's letter, a characteristic of early series coinage. This emission is considered somewhat of a transitional type from the early series to the late series. Assayer “G” is the only assayer in the late series to have this characteristic. An interesting fact to note on some late series issues of assayer “G” is the feature of the “Mo” (Mexico City mintmark), which appears for the first time in the manner that is still used to this day. b. The first emissions of assayer “G” are on smaller planchets or “modules,” similar to the planchet diameters of the early series coinage. 142 143 c. On January 17, 1543, Gutierrez signed his second two-year lease for the office of assayer. There was, however, a brief interruption in this lease. On March 21, 1543, Francisco del Rincon (first assayer in the early series) swindled his way into purchasing the position of assayer for 550 Pesos of Gold De Minas 1 from Pedro de la Membrilla, the rightful owner of the position and controller of its lease. This allowed Rincon a very brief period for minting coins in the late series which ended in a lawsuit. After de la Membrilla realized the office had been purchased for a fraction of its actual value, he re-signed a lease with Gutierrez on August 1, 1543, and filed a lawsuit against Rincon on September 29, 1543. The eventual outcome was that de la Membrilla leased the office back to Gutierrez on April 22, 1544, for 1500 Pesos of Gold De Minas. It should be noted that, although rare, there are a few examples of coins with the assayer’ s mark “G” punched over an “R.” d. Gutierrez marked the peak of quality for the series. The finest style and execution of coins were struck under this assayer. Many of his coins are struck on full round planchets with full legends and nice deep strikes. The coins of this quality may be attributed to the year 1545. In that year the “7e//o de Sandoval Investigation” was conducted. This was a full mint investigation that spanned several months, and it produced one of the most important documents pertaining to this period of Mexican numismatics. All of the workers at the mint were closely monitored and interviewed. What better reason to make sure that the coins came out perfect than not only your job being on the line but possibly your life? It is interesting to note that during the investigation coins were selected at random for assay and analysis. It was concluded that not only were the coins of correct weight and fineness, but that many contained a slightly higher silver content than ordered by official decree. e. Denominations for this assayer: 2 and 4 Maravedis, 1/4, 1/2, 1, 2 and 4 Reales. 1 Peso de oro de minas "Peso of mined gold" was 22.5 carat gold valued at 450 maravedis and equivalent to 13 and 1/4 reales of silver — Ed. See Humberto Burzio, Diccionario de la Moneda Hispanoamericana 2:193 (1958). 144 2) The second assayer in the late series was assayer “R,” Francisco del Rincon. a. This assayer struck coins for only a very brief period of time. Judging from the date he purchased his lease and the date when he was brought to court, he could have only struck coins sometime between 1543 and 1544. The longest period of time he could have held the position of assayer is approximately 13 months. It is, however, unlikely that he minted coins for the entire 13 months, since he had to return to Spain to endure a lawsuit brought by Pedro de la Membrilla. (Please see sub-paragraph “b” of the previous assayer.) b. It is possible that some of the late series copper Maravedis were struck under Rincon. However, this is impossible to confirm considering they bear no assayer's mark. c. None of this assayer's coins bear the mintmark with a small “o” above it. 145 d. Denominations for this assayer: 1, 2 and 4 Reales. Currently, 1/4 and 1/2 Reales for this assayer are unknown. 3) The third assayer in the late series was assayer “A,” Alonso del Villaseca. a. Evidence for Alonso Del Villaseca can be found documented in a lease agreement dated 1543 between Gutierrez and Membrilla. At this point Gutierrez signed a lease for the office allowed two full years as principal trustee. This document identifies Alonso Del Villaseca as trustee to Gutierrez. It also states Villaseca is to lease the office; however, it does not disclose a date as to when this would take effect. This document was renewed and re- signed after a deposit was made on the office in 1544, following a string of interfering events caused by Francisco Del Rincon (see sub-paragraph b. under Gutierrez.) Judging by the fact that Gutierrez was still assayer during the Sandoval Investigation in 1545 and that his two-year lease would have expired in 1546 points towards Villaseca minting coins either in 1546 or 1547. b. It is uncertain as to how long Villaseca held his term as assayer. Several facts point toward it being a very brief period of time, the first being the rarity of the coins. When Robert Nesmith wrote ANS monograph No. 131 The Coinage of the First Mint of the Americas at Mexico City in 1955, he noted only 16 coins produced by assayer “A,” out of over 2400 late series coins examined. Since then, more examples have appeared on the market, either from hoards, shipwreck finds or collections that were unavailable at the time of his analysis. Even so, one can conclude this assayer struck coins for a much shorter term than the majority of the others in the late series. 146 c. Several of the coins examined bear the initial “A” over the initial “G” of Juan Gutierrez. When this assayer took office, dies from the previous assayer were re-used and re-punched rather than being replaced. A limited number of new dies were prepared during the office of assayer “A” suggesting a limited term in office. d. Denominations for this assayer: 1/2, 1, 2 and 4 Reales. Currently, 1/4 Reales for this assayer are unknown. 4) The fourth assayer in the late series was assayer “L.” a. This assayer has been documented in several publications as Luis Rodriguez. However, this attribution is highly unlikely and appears to originate from a letter to Spain dated 1570 informing the Council of the Indies of this individual's death. Several factors conflict with this theory and suggest otherwise. Large quantities of this assayer's coinage were present on the 1554 Padre Island shipwrecks, suggesting the time period of minting nearly two 147 decades before the previously suggested date. In 1556, Charles I abdicated the throne to his son Philip II; and the mint in Lima, Peru, began striking coinage in the name of the new King two years prior to the previously suggested date of 1570. It is doubtful this individual was still striking coins in the name of “Charles & Johanna” 14 years into the reign of a new king. Historically posthumous issues extended a year, maybe two into the reign of the new king, usually only long enough for the news to reach the New World and the time it took to make new dies. Josep Pellicer suggests this assayer as “Luis Gutierrez.” This may be a possibility but I have yet to see any supporting documentation. b. It is important to note that the coins of assayer “L” recovered from the Padre Islands shipwrecks all bear the mintmark as a plain “M,” of good style and on round planchets. Coins of assayer “L” struck on smaller compact planchets and often not completely round for the most part bear the mintmark “Mo” and come later in the series. It is worthy of note that this latter type of “L” was not present on the 1554 Padre Islands wrecks, nor were they present in a more recent hoard discovered in the early 1990s. The “Mo” mintmark and deterioration of style take place shortly after the brief intervention of assayer “S” directly following these coins. c. The first coins minted under this assayer are struck from dies of the previous assayer. The “L” assayer mark can be found punched clearly over an “A.” A few examples have been recorded where the assayer letter is punched over a much older reverse die of assayer “R.” d. This assayer put out a very large emission of coinage. Dating the coins at this point is virtually impossible. Not enough documentation has come to light as of yet to narrow dates down any closer than sometime before 1553. e. Denominations for this assayer: 1/2, 1, 2 and 4 Reales. Currently, 1/4 Reales for this assayer are unknown. 148 5) The fifth assayer in the late series was assayer “S.” a. Much like the previous assayer, very little is known of this individual. Most of what we can gather comes from hoard and shipwreck evidence. Published in Pellicer's “Glosario De Maestros De Ceca Y Ensayadores’’’ as being Gomez 149 de Santillan; however, more recent evidence would suggest otherwise. Hoard evidence recovered from the 1554 Padre Islands shipwrecks would suggest a date of 1554 or slightly earlier. b. This assayer's coins come with both the “M” and “Mo” mintmarks. The first coins struck by this assayer bear the mintmark as “M.” The remainder of this issue bears the mintmark as “Mo.” Examples have been cited struck from re- cut dies of the previous assayer “S” over “L.” c. This individual obviously held the office for a very brief period of time due to the rarity of coins and the minimal amount of documented dies. Nesmith noted only 12 examples of this assayer out of the over 2,400 late series coins examined. One must take into account that this book was written before the discovery of the 1554 Padre Islands shipwrecks. Most of the heavily corroded examples which appear occasionally originated from this source. d. Denominations for this assayer: 1/4, 1, 2 and 4 Reales. Currently, the 1/4 Real is unique, and no 1/2 Reales for this assayer are known. 6) The sixth assayer in the late series was assayer “L.” a. Possibly and quite probably “L” is the same individual as the fourth assayer in this series, interrupted by the fifth assayer for reasons as yet unknown. b. Examples have been noted struck from re-cut dies of the previous assayer where the “L” assayer letter is clearly punched over an “S.” c. Examples are frequently encountered struck from re-cut dies of the following assayer where the “L” assayer letter is clearly punched over an “O.” d. Most of this issue bears the mintmark as “Mo,” and are of much cruder style than that of earlier coins bearing this initial. The planchets are of lower quality, often uneven, thicker and unrounded. e. One very important and sometimes confusing point about this assayer is the fact that many of the coins are re-cut from dies of assayer “O.” Assayer “O” obviously is the last assayer in this series continuing coining through the first portion of the reign of Philip II. On a similar note, many of the coins of assayer “O” are struck from re-cut dies of assayer “L.” Over assayers “L/O” 150 and “0/L” exist back and forth for the last two assayers in this series. The most likely explanation for this is that assayer “O” was either working as an apprentice or working side by side with assayer “L” at the same time. It was not uncommon for the mint to have multiple assayers in office at the same time. For example the “MF” assayers' mark which is present on pillar coinage during the reign of Philip V was for Manuel de la Pena and Francisco de la Pena y Flores. f. By this time, production at the mint had increased enormously, focusing efforts primarily on quantity of production rather than quality. This is evident when examining the quality and style of the coins. g. Denominations for this assayer: 1/2, 1, 2 and 4 Reales. Currently, 1/4 Reales for this assayer are unknown. 151 7) The seventh and final assayer in the late series was assayer “O.” a. This is the final assayer of the late series and first assayer for the following king, Philip II. In the past, it has been published that this assayer struck coinage in the name of “Charles & Johanna” up until the year 1572. However, this theory is very unlikely. Posthumous issues typically only extended one or two years into the reign of the new ruler. Philip II ascended the throne in 1556 and like all Spanish monarchs, would have wanted his name as new king in the public's eye as much as possible. Another fact that points against posthumous issues being struck in Mexico this late would be that the mint in Lima, Peru, was already striking coins under the name of Philip II. It is possible that assayer “O” struck coins up until 1572; however, later issues were in the name of Philip II. b. The last coins struck in the name of Charles and Johanna were most likely struck in 1557. It is doubtful they would extend much beyond this date. Once word of the new king reached Mexico City, the assayer would have had new dies prepared. c. This individual probably apprenticed under or held office at the same time as assayer “L” (see sub-paragraph “e” under the previous assayer). d. The quality of coinage produced at this point is the poorest of any we have discussed. Many examples are of uneven strike or uneven planchets, display planchet cracks, or have double strikes. Planchets tend to resemble those used on the later cob coinage. It is quite apparent that at this point the mint's primary focus was mass production. e. Denominations for this assayer: 1/2, 1, 2 and 4 Reales. Currently, 1/4 Reales for this assayer are unknown. 152 4 Reales with neither Assayer nor Mintmark Die style would indicate these pieces were struck during the office of assayer “R,” ca. 1543 or 1544. These are extremely rare and interesting pieces, struck without mint mark or assayer's letter punched into the reverse die. Currently, four specimens are known with unconfirmed reports of a fifth. There are two known obverse die combination for this type, both sharing the same reverse die. 153 Bibliography Calbeto De Grau, Gabriel. Compendio de las Piezas de Ocho Reales. San Juan: Ed. Juan Ponce de Leon, 1970. Calico, X, Calico, F and Trigo, J. Numismatica Espanola. Barcelona. Grunthal, Henry and Sellschopp, Ernesto. The Coinage of Peru. Manuscrito Original en el Archivo General de Indias en Sevilla, ESPN, Section de Justicia #277, estante 48, legajo 2. cajas 20-22. Document 1543. Nesmith, Robert I. The Coinage of the First Mint of the Americas at Mexico City 1536-1572, Monograph No. 131. New York: American Numismatic Society, 1955. Pellicer i Bru, Josep. Glosario de Maestros de Ceca y Ensayadores. Barcelona: Asociacion Numismatica Espanola, 1975. Ponterio & Associates, Inc., 1818 Robinson Ave. San Diego, CA 92103. Various auction catalogs. Sadler, Jerry. Treasure Tempest in Texas. Austin: General Land Office of State of Texas, 1969. “Visitation de la Casa de la Moneda de la Ciudad de Mexico Hecha Por El Sehor Visitador Aho de M.D.X.L. V. Ahos Por el Licenciado Francisco de Tello Sandoval el Escribano, Miguel de Legazpi.” Document 1545. This article is reprinted from Ponterio & Associates, Inc. Sale 150 “The 2009 Los Angeles ANA Auction.” 7V7 Quiz Answers 1 . They all wrote catalogs of German Emergency Money. 2. [obvious] German is in pfennigs and marks whereas Austrian is in heller and kroner, [not-so-obvious] German notgeld is generally more colorful than Austrian. 3. Joe Boling and Fred Schwann, in World War II Remembered. 4. From Copper-Nickel to Iron to Zinc. The zinc version also dropped the mintmarks. 7V7 154 Coins Countermarked with Political Messages and Related Pieces Gregory G. Brunk, NI #749 (Continued from July / August 2009 NI Bulletin) Catalog: Parts D to F (France Royalist) © 2009, Gregory G. Brunk — Denmark — Frederick II In 1864 the Prussians took Schleswig-Holstein from Denmark in a quick war. No countermarked coins are known of that war, but this engraved 1857 sixteen skilling may refer to it. The bust of Frederick VII (1848-1862) has been changed so that he wears a high collar, a skull cap, and a monocle. Dickerson (1978) interprets this engraved bust to represent a German. Sixteen Skilling (enlarged 1.5 x) Hammers and Sickles In 1951 Victor Hermansen noted two types of communist propaganda countermarks on Danish coins. One variety is a very large hammer and sickle. The other is only a hammer, which is stamped across the 5 of a five ore so that if turned upside down the result is a hammer and sickle. In 1975 Peter Flensborg illustrated another five ore with a larger hammer, which was made from two separate stamps so that it does not overstamp the 5 on the coin. Hammer (across “5” of coin) Five Ore: 1941 UK 155 Large Hammer and Sickle Krone: 1943 References Dickerson, Richard E. 1978. Auction of the Richard E. Dickerson Collection of Satirical and Political Coins and Medals. Jess Peters Auction 92. Decatur, March 10-11, 1978: 18-23. Flensborg, Peter. 1975. “ Danske og Ungarske propaganda monterf Skandinavisk Numismatik, Nov: 5. Hermansen, Victor. 1951. “ Penge og Propaganda El or disk Numismatisk Unions Medlemsblad, Feb: 17-23. — France — The French have a long tradition of political and satirical pieces. An entire series of pseudo-coins from five centimes to five francs was struck for Henry V, who was a Pretender to the Throne and leader of one of the two competing French monarchial factions. Indeed, much of the political history of 19th century France involved disputes among Republicans, Royalists, and Bonapartists, who favored democracy, monarchy, and a Napoleonic-style political system, respectively. 1832 Henry V Two Francs (enlarged 1.5 x) So many satirical pieces were struck during the Revolution of 1848 that Louis Felicien de Saulcy published Souvenirs numismatiques de la Revolution de 1848 in 1850. A similar book called Souvenirs numismatiques de la Revolution francaise 1870-1871 was proposed by Auguste Brichaut and Charles van Peteghem. Only the first two sections were printed before the project was abandoned for lack of sales. As Peteghem noted in regret, “In 1872 a grand effort was made to publish the medals struck during the years 1870 and 1871, as a kind of history of the founding of the Third Republic. Since feelings were still running too high at the time, the authors received no encouragement and abandoned publication” (quoted in Dickerson and Schulze 1975: 2408). As a result, numismatists do not have much contemporary information about the various tokens and medals and the numerous engraved and 156 countermarked pieces that were issued during and shortly after the Franco-Prussian War. Royalists Auctioneers have attributed a number of countermarks to the Wars of the Vendee. These counter-revolutionary revolts were centered in the religiously conservative and economically backward Vendee region of Western France. The first and largest of the revolts began as a peasant uprising in 1793, which quickly was supported by prominent nobles. Subsequent Vendee rebellions occurred in 1799, 1815 and 1832. In the latter revolt the royalists supported the young Pretender Henry V in opposition to the constitutional monarchy of Louis-Philippe, who ruled from 1830 until he abdicated as a result of the pro-democracy Revolution of 1848. Crowned V An example of this political countermark on a Belgium five centimes was illustrated by Prosper Mailliet in Catalogue descriptif des monnaies obsidionales et de necessite (1870, plate 118, no. 13). While this certainly is a genuine issue, its origins are unclear. The stamp is not aligned in any specific way. Nor is it consistently found at any particular place on coins. Both the coins and their countermarks often are well worn, and most specimens are so beat-up that it proved difficult to find good photos. Maillet’s illustration of a Belgian five centimes (greatly enlarged) Complicating matters further, another Crowned V stamp of similar style, but in a smaller oval also is found on coins. This second type of countermark is the viewmark of the London Gunsmith's Company, and was stamped on the guns that it examined (Pridmore 1954). That Crowned V is listed elsewhere as a merchant issue (Brunk 2003: 58-59). By chance, an example of the viewmark also appears on a Spanish-American eight reales that was turned into a holey dollar by Price Edward Island in 1813. Because of that strange happening, for many years it was believed that the Crowned V was a Canadian governmental countermark! To quote a Numismatist article by Howard Gibbs, the famous collector of odd and curious coins whose collection was sold by 157 Hans Schulman in 1966, “we believe these coins can safely be attributed to British Columbia” (1952: 459). Boy, was he wrong! A British cartwheel penny countermarked many times with the Gunsmith's Company viewmark to either test a new stamp or make a worker's souvenir. An apparently legitimate Prince Edward Island Holey Dollar, which happened to have been countermarked with a viewmark before it was holed and stamped. Because of the false belief that the Crowned V was a Canadian issue, fantasies were created that copied the smaller Crowned V stamp, and they found their way into the classic books on Canadian coins! By now the reader should understand why it can be so difficult to determine the origins of many political countermarks. Discovering their true origins may be complicated by later fantasies, counterfeits, and misreported specimens. (The writer's best guess is that about five percent of previous listings of countermarked coins are wrong in some way, either providing the wrong date, denomination or nation of a coin.) Three hypotheses have been proposed for coins that are not stamped with viewmarks. First, this type of Crowned V countermark may be an issue of the 1832 Vendee Revolt. It was started by the Duchess of Berry in the name of her son, Henry V, Count de Chambord, grandson of Charles X, and Pretender to the Throne of France (Mailliet 1870). Accordingly, “V” represents either Henry V or Vendee. 158 Second, a series of liberal revolts called the Revolutions of 1830 occurred against a number of conservative European monarchies from 1830 to 1832. This countermark may have been issued in the Low Countries (Belgium and the Netherlands) to commemorate the revolts. That hypothesis explains why some Low Countries coins are found countermarked, but does not explain why mostly French coins are stamped, nor why the countermark has been reported on a coin dated a decade later. The third explanation also is connected to the Vendee hypothesis. While Mailliet assigned the countermarks to 1832, he cannot have been correct since 1839 and 1842 countermarked coins have been reported. On the other hand, pretender coins with the title “Henri V Roi de France” were minted from 1831 to 1873, and some of these apparently were struck in Belgium, probably by August Brichaut of the Brussels Mint. Therefore, V might indicate Henry V (Pridmore 1954). As such, the countermarked pieces could have served as royalist pocket pieces and were similar to Masonic mark pennies in indicating membership in an organization. If this explanation is correct, whatever sort of coin a new member happened to have in his pocket at the time of his initiation would have been stamped as a sign of membership. Since a number of Belgium coins have this countermark, a branch of the hypothesized club could have been in Brussels and been composed of expatriate Frenchmen. It might be possible to find something about it by consulting such contemporary documents as city directories, newspapers and journals (see Brunk 2007). Crown / V in Oval Depression Copper Coins Belgium Five Centimes: 1832 (2), 1842 Belgium Twenty-Five Centimes: 1825, 1833 France Two Sols: UK France Twelve Deniers: UK Netherlands Two Centimes: 1825 Silver Coins France Half Franc: UK France Franc: 1829 France Two Francs: 1808, 1827, 1829 France Ecu: 1726 France Five Francs: 1827, 1835, 1839 159 Five Francs (enlarged 1.5x) Two Francs (enlarged 1.5*) Examples of the political Crowned V stamp, which is larger than the Gunsmith's Company viewmark Louis XVIII The Bourbons were restored to the throne in 1814 with the coronation of Louis XVIII, who ruled until 1824. The only example of this countermark that has been illustrated is incuse, rather than in relief. That indicates it may have been made from a master punch intended to make working coin or medal dies. A number of similar sorts of incuse countermarks of Napoleon are known, and they will be listed later. Incuse Bust of Louis XVIII Five Francs: 1811 Eight Reales: 1794, 1815 Forty Francs Gold: L'an 1 1 160 Forty Francs (enlarged 1.5x) Henry V The Count of Chambord was known as Henry V to his followers. He was born in 1820, seven months after his father had been assassinated. His grandfather was Charles X, who abdicated in 1830. Charles' eldest son quickly did likewise in favor of the young Henry, who was unofficially proclaimed Henry V. Seven days later, the French National Assembly decided the throne should be given instead to Henry's cousin, the Duke of Orleans, who was crowned as King Louis-Philippe. For the next fifty years, two groups of monarchists, Orleanists and Legitimists competed for the French throne with the Legitimists supporting Henry's claim. He went into voluntary exile and lived in a number of European countries until marrying the daughter of the Duke of Modena in 1851 and inheriting the Frohsdorf lands near Vienna. He spent most of the rest of his life there, but continued to encourage the French people to make him their King at every opportunity. Pretender coins of various denominations were issued in the name of Henry V, King of France and Navarre, Count of Chambord from the 1830s onward. Most of the pretender coins do not have a mintmark and probably were minted in Belgium, but a few pieces also are known to have been minted in England and Switzerland. Five Francs 161 After the French defeat at the battle of Sedan in 1870 and the abdication of Napoleon III, the National Assembly offered Henry the crown. At that time the Orleanists also supported Henry in hopes he soon would die and their candidate would succeed him since Henry had no heirs. The sticking point was the French flag. Henry refused to become king unless France abandoned its revolutionary tricolor and returned to the fleur-de-lis of the old monarchy. France refused, so the Third Republic was established by default. Five Francs A number of coins described as being countermarked with a “Bust of Henry V” have appeared at auction. For example, at least three specimens appeared in grouped lots in the 1954 King Farouk of Egypt Sale (2133, 2136, 2169), but none of them was illustrated. So it is not certain if all of them are from the stamp illustrated below. Henry V Bust Half Franc: UK Ecu: Louis XV Five Francs: 1831, 1834, 1852, UK Five Francs Philip of Orleans When Napoleon III abdicated in 1870, the Orleanist candidate was the nine-year-old Philippe d'Orleans, Count of Paris. As a tactical move the Orleanists decided to 162 support Henvy V's claim since he had no heirs. When Henry refused the throne unless his conditions regarding the French flag were met, the Third Republic was created in hopes he would die and the Orleanist candidate would then become king. But Henry did not die until 1883, and by that time the French had decided that a republic is a more reasonable form of government than a monarchy. VIVE / LE DUC / D'ORLEANS English Halfpenny: 1876 Spanish Five Centimos: UK Spanish Five Centimos (enlarged) France section to be continued... m Coin Quiz Bob Fritsch, NI #LM134 Notgeld and Emergency Money is an interesting field, one which can yield a lot of learning. Here are some questions about it. 1. What do the names Eckehard Gottwald, Wilhelm Doll, and Bernd Thier have in common? 2. Name two differences between German and Austrian paper notgeld. [Of the ones I have in mind, one is obvious and one is not.] 3. Who wrote the book on World War II numismatic issues? 4. Trace the evolution of the composition of the German 10 Pfennig coin from 1910 to 1920. Answers may be elsewhere in this edition. m 163 The 100-Peso Bi-metallic Mexican State Series David Astwood A very unique series of crown-sized coins has made their appearance in the world of numismatics. This set is the circulating Mexican 100-peso bi-metallic state coins. This series was one of the first of a number of different Mexican coin series which are bi-metallic and contain silver. These 100-peso coins are just over 39 mm or 1-1/2 inches in diameter. This measurement is just slightly larger than that of the U.S. Morgan dollar (which is about 38 mm in diameter). Unfortunately, the typical 2x2 silver dollar holder will not fit this coin since it is slightly wider and significantly thicker than the silver dollar. The 100-peso coin weighs in at almost 34 grams and is about 34% heavier than the old U.S. silver dollar. These impressive measurements make it quite large. This coin set is unique among world coinage because it is the only circulating coinage which contains silver. The center of each coin contains 20.18 grams of sterling silver (i.e., a fineness of 0.925) which all told adds up to 0.5405 troy ounces or just over half an ounce of pure silver. The ring around the sterling silver center is made of aluminum-bronze. One must be careful in storing these coins. Since the coins contain dissimilar metals, an electrochemical reaction can occur in a damp environment which will turn the aluminum-bronze dark over time, making it rather unattractive. If encapsulating the coin is undesirable, the best thing to do is probably to place each coin in a 2-1/2 x 2-1/2 inch cardboard holder and keep it in a dry environment to prevent oxidation. By all means do not put these coins in a soft PVC (polyvinyl chloride) flip. Acid leaching from the PVC holder will cause considerable damage to the coin besides turning it green. As most probably know, the United States started its state quarter series in 1999. Canada had come out even earlier with its own commemorative quarters in 1992, celebrating the 125 th anniversary of Canadian Confederation. Each of the Canadian quarters commemorated a different province in Canada. The Mexican government probably did not want to be left out, so in 2003 the Mexican Mint came out with an extraordinary set of commemoratives, the 100-peso bi-metallic silver/aluminum- bronze coins. Like the United States and Canada and their commemoratives, Mexico wished to celebrate the 180th anniversary of federation. The coins were too late for the 175th anniversary and the Mexican government certainly did not want to wait around for an even 200 years to celebrate, so the coins were minted for this rather uniquely numbered anniversary. The Mexican Mint decided to do things differently than Canada or the U.S. Canada produced all its coins in the same year, and the U.S. minted quarters for each state based on the date they entered the union. The Mexican mint spread them out from the end of 2003 through 2005, minting coins for their 31 states and the Federal District in reverse alphabetical order starting with Zacatecas, then Yucatan, and proceeding finally to Aguascalientes. The coins sport some attractive designs. The obverse of the 100-peso coin shows the Mexican coat of arms. These arms depict a Mexican golden eagle perched upon a nopal cactus devouring a snake. The coat of arms is completely contained within the silver center of the coin. The aluminum-bronze ring contains the legend “ Estados Unidos Mexicanos ” above a wreath. The legend and the wreath each occupy half the 164 circumference of the bronze aluminum ring. The reverse of the 100-peso coin contains the words “ Estado de,” followed by the name of the state being commemorated, all placed within the aluminum-bronze ring. The silver center contains the arms unique to each state. Coins were minted for Zacatecas, Yucatan, Veracruz, and Tlaxcala in 2003, of which the first three are valued at about $50 to $60 in brilliant uncirculated (BU) condition. In 2004 coins were minted for Tamaulipas, Tabasco, Sonora, Sinaloa, San Luis Potosi, Quintana Roo, Queretaro, Puebla, Oaxaca, Nuevo Leon, Nayarit, Morelos, Michoacan, the state of Mexico, and Jalisco. Series 1 ended in 2005 with coins minted for Hidalgo, Guerrero, Guanajuato, Durango, the Federal District, Chihuahua, Chiapas, Colima, Coahuila, Campeche, Baja California Sur, Baja California, and finally Aguascalientes. The remaining 100-peso coins in the series are valued at about $35 a piece in BU condition, although many may be purchased for significantly lower prices, depending on the dealer. 100 Peso: Estado de Sonora The semi-key coins in the series are the Yucatan coin with a mintage of 235,763 and the Zacatecas with a mintage of 244,900. Some might want to add to that list the Sinaloa coin which has a mintage of 244,722, just slightly less than that of Zacatecas. The rest of the coins in the series have mintages ranging from 248,000 to 249,000 or just less than a quarter of a million coins for each state. According to Fernando Razo, a numismatist who specializes in Mexican coins and who is an officer of the Alamo Coin Club in San Antonio, Texas, these coins proved difficult to find in Mexico. Evidently half the mintage of each state's 100-peso coin was sent to banks within that particular state, while the remaining half of the coins was sent to the other Mexican states. That meant less than 125,000 of each state series was available in 30 of the 31 states. Remember that the 1909 S-VDB Lincoln cent had a mintage of 484,000. Mr. Razo reported great difficulty finding the coins at Mexican banks along the border with Texas. The 100-peso state pieces are not the only bi-metallic silver coins. There were a number of different denominations minted and circulated before this time, such as the 50 Nuevo Pesos from 1993 to 1995 which celebrated the Ninos Heroes (Boy Heroes). In addition to this the Mexican Mint put out 100-peso bi-metallic coins commemorating different events and places in Mexican history, such as the 400th 165 anniversary of Cervantes's Don Quijote de la Mancha in 2005. These coins and others provide a rich field to choose from for Mexican and bi-metallic collectors. 100 Peso: Don Quijote de la Mancha with Jose Guadalupe Posada's engraving Calavera Quijotesca on the reverse This author recommends the 100-peso bi-metallic Mexican state series of coins to any serious collector of foreign coins for the following reasons: • The coins are aesthetically appealing. They contain a bright silver center and golden colored ring. They are also large, making them one of the more attractive foreign bi-metallic coins. • The coins have low mintages and were circulated in Mexico. Coins in BU condition may become difficult to find in the future as difficult economic times might cause people to spend these coins rather than hold onto them. Coins in mint state condition may therefore become scarce and command a premium in the future. • The coin is unique. Mexican bi-metallics are the only circulating silver coins in the world and represent an interesting display of Mexican culture. A study of the state arms would be of great interest historically and culturally, if one decides to collect this series. • The coins contain over half a troy ounce of silver. In hard times these coins will have real value, much more than coins with base metals. The 100-peso denomination also means it has a significant nominal value as well. • These coins and others like them may become obsolete soon as Canada, the United States, and Mexico are supposedly preparing to enter the North American Union in or around 2012. New collectors of this series should have a happy experience finding and collecting these exciting commemorative coins. 166 Supplemental Data Year KM# State Mintage 2003 KM688 Zacatecas 244,900 2003 KM689 Yucatan 235,763 2003 KM690 Veracruz 248,810 2003 KM691 Tlaxcala 248,976 2004 KM692 Tamaulipas 249,398 2004 KM693 Tabasco 249,318 2004 KM694 Sonora 249,300 2004 KM695 Sinaloa 244,722 2004 KM803 San Luis Potosi 249,662 2004 KM736 Quintana Roo 249,134 2004 KM734 Queretaro 249,263 2004 KM738 Puebla 248,850 2004 KM740 Oaxaca 249,589 2004 KM742 Nuevo Leon 249,199 2004 KM744 Nayarit 248,305 2004 KM746 Morelos 249,260 2004 KM804 Michoacan 249,492 2004 KM748 State of Mexico 249,800 2004 KM750 Jalisco 249,115 2005 KM717 Hidalgo 249,820 2005 KM716 Guerrero 248,850 2005 KM715 Guanajuato 249,489 2005 KM714 Durango 249,774 2005 KM713 Federal District 249,461 2005 KM754 Chihuahua 249,102 2005 KM712 Chiapas 249,417 2005 KM729 Colima 248,850 2005 KM752 Coahuila 247,991 2005 KM727 Campeche 249,040 2005 KM725 Baja California Sur 249,585 2005 KM723 Baja California 249,263 2005 KM721 Aguascalientes 248,410 Source : Harper: 599-605 References Banco de Mexico at URL: http://www.banxico.org.mx/sitioingles/billetesymonedas/didactico/notesManufact FeaturesHistory/currentManufactNotes/coin_100_currentManufact.html Harper, David C., 2009 North American Coins & Prices: A Guide to U.S., Canadian and Mexican Coins, Krause Publications, Iola, WI, 2008. Lois and Don Bailey Numismatic Services, “Modem Commemoratives”, at URL: http://donbailey-mexico.com/cgi/Process.cgi?act=LISTINGS&CAT=Modem%20 Commems&search=&session=null 167 Henry II of Germany CNG Heinrich II, King of Germany from 1002 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1014, was the only German king to become a Catholic saint. He spent much of his reign putting down rebellions within the Empire and reinforcing the borders of his lands. On the urging of the Pope, Heinrich led a campaign in southern Italy to counter the growing influence of the Byzantine Empire, which had gained the allegiance of some Italian principalities. Although he was able to extract oaths of loyalty from several Italian dukes, Heinrich was not able to capture any Byzantine territory with his forces. The emperor was more successful, however, in his ecclesiastical reforms. He strongly supported the rights of bishops to reign over territories as temporal lords, in addition to their responsibility as spiritual leaders. In addition, he championed the policy of celibacy among the clergy in an attempt to prevent battles of succession among their heirs. (image enlarged) GERMANY, Augsburg ( konigliche Munzstatte). Heinrich II. 1002-1024. AR Pfennig (1.19 g, 3h). R/X down left field, H/IH/RI down right, crowned bust right / AVGVSTA • CIV • (pellet in A; S horizontal), small cross pattee; annulet in first quarter, triple pellets in second and third quarters, wedge in fourth quarter. Hahn Type 3, 145 (dies XII/73); cf. Kluge, Salier 87-9. m A cross pattee (also known as a "cross pattee", "cross patty", "cross formee" or "cross formy" or in German "Tatzenkreuz") is a type of cross that has arms which are narrow at the center, and broader at the perimeter. The name comes from the fact that the shape of each arm of the cross was thought to resemble a paw (French patte). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross__patt%C3%A9e 168 Assayer Anuncibay in Colombian Silver Cobs Jorge Emilio Restrepo, NI #2708 Colombian numismatics is a recent phenomenon; it was only in 1970 that Ignacio Henao published the first listing of Colombian coins. In 1972 Alcedo Almanzar of San Antonio, Texas, published the first catalog of Colombian coins, a booklet in English. It was based on Henao's listing but organized the coins by type, a most valuable contribution for collectors and dealers. I assembled the first catalog on Colombian Cobs with the help and co-authorship of Joseph Lasser of New York in 1998. I later wrote a comprehensive catalog of Colombian coins that contains an updated and improved section on cobs was written with the help of Herman Blanton and published in 2006. Two updated versions followed. With discovery of the Mesuno hoard along the Magdalena River in 1935, hundreds of gold two-escudo cobs, dated from 1628 to 1642, were found, but nobody understood what they were. Later, when a few people began collecting coins in a serious way, pioneers like Don Alberto Lozano of Bogota, understood the meaning of the pieces discovered at “e/ Mesuno ” and began their classification. Foreign visitors to the Banco de la Republica, the Central Bank of Colombia, bought from that institution several of these cobs, the choice dated pieces. Articles about the hoard of coins were written in Spanish and English. Most of the cobs of this hoard had the assayer initial “A,” for Alonso de Anuncibay, who was active as assayer at the Santa Fe mint from 1632 to 1642. Because of the overwhelming number of Anuncibay gold cobs, the numismatic community recognized him as an assayer for gold only. At the ANA coin fair of 1978 I met up with my friend Clyde Hubbard, who had kept for me a one real dated 1633 with Anuncibay's initial “A.” I was extremely happy with the little coin since it was the first silver cob known with the assayer “A” initial. In September or October of the same year I attended a medical conference in Bogota. While in Bogota I visited with Don Alberto,* as I frequently did. He already knew of my discovery but was extremely excited with his own recent acquisition of a four-real cob with N/R/A to the left but unfortunately without even a trace of the date. I was enthralled with the large and heavy silver cob, beautiful to behold, and immediately got prepared to photograph this discovery. The coin is on page 20 of the cob catalog but was changed for the general coin catalog book due to my custom of varying images for the benefit of the readers. The mentioned four-real coin was sold at auction last July 10th in Bogota. I felt nostalgic at the sight of this coin, and I felt regret at the indifference of the public, who did not appreciate the coin. * Alberto Lozano Villegas, pioneer and preeminent numismatist in Colombia. Sr. Lozano died in 1999 — Editor. [An image of the four-real coin appears in the May / June NI Bulletin 44:5/6 p.83. — Ed.] 169 Reichskreditkassen http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Reichsmark German coins and banknotes for circulation in the occupied territories during the war were issued by the Reichskreditkassen (Reich Credit Institutes). Holed zinc coins in 5 and 10 Reichspfennig denominations were struck in 1940 and 1941. Banknotes were issued between 1939 and 1945 in denominations of 50 Reichspfennig, 1, 2, 5, 20 and 50 Reichsmark. These served as legal tender alongside the currency of the occupied countries. m Member Notice Gallery Numis (Tom Galway), P.O. Box 620421, Middleton, WI 53562-0421. My largest list ever, forty-four page fixed price list #30 is available, with lots of nice coins from many different countries. Free to NI members by request or send $1 for postage (appreciated and receive next two lists also). Email: galleryl4@charter.net 170