Tom Marringer’s Lord of the Rings Fantasy Coinage

With the revision of the fifth edition of Unusual World Coins now off to the printer, it is time to reflect for a moment on some of the stuff I have been exposed to during the production of this latest update of a ‘fun’ numismatic reference. Everyone wants a catalog for their stuff, even if it is out-of-the-ordinary stuff, UWC has provided that medium, and now with listings on the Web, www.numismaster.com does too! (via a subscription, thank you very much!).

As collectors of numismatic stuff, my co-editor Tom Michael and I often jump with both feet to support modern producers of UWC items. Yes, we do support the hobby we report on as book editors.

Mention of coinage in books has always been a welcomed treat while reading.

However, seldom has only three references in a famous trilogy created such a wonderful group of fantasy coinage, sadly now ended due to legal issues.

Tom Marringer, of Springdale AR, operated as the Shire Post Mint. He created at first a system of rubber stamps and postage labels mimicking postage stamps from the Shire and other lands in the J.R.R. Tolkien series. In time this operation was expanded to the creation of coins for some of the different lands in the Lord of the Rings series. The Shire, Mordor, Elves, men of Dale, Gondor and even the dwarfs were all eventually represented.

Sadly, there was a bit of a legal entanglement with the Tolkien Enterprises, the minting of LOTR material has now come to an end.

However, Tom does produce some items relating to other lands, such as Leif Erickson coinage from Vinland, items from Westeros, and a short series for Camelot and Arthur Pendragon.

George

Today, I read in the NY Times, the obituary of Joseph V. Noble, a former director of the Museum of the City of New York who earlier (1956-1970) was an administrator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, died Saturday September 29th in West Orange, N.J. He was 87. 

The New York Times obituary by Alison J. Peterson continued "While Mr. Noble exposed forged pieces of art, he also openly created some of his own. Through his research of Egyptian and Greek ceramic material, he discovered the secrets of the techniques used in making the ancient art. He made a hobby out of creating replicas on a kiln at his home in Maplewood. He later published a book on his research, “The Techniques of Painted Attic Pottery.”"

When he arrived at the Museum of the City of New York, it had been primarily concerned with New York history. Mr. Noble worked to make his exhibitions more contemporary and accessible. This photo to the right is from the era of his Museum directorship.

In a 1972 interview, he said: “I feel we should keep one foot in the past. The past is only prologue, but unless you know what the prologue is, you can’t really know the present.”

Friends of sculpture know Mr. Noble as a supporter of the sculptor. Connecting with many of them thru the National Sculpture Society, and getting them commissions by introductions to those developers working in the city.

To collectors of Medallic Art, we know him from his association as artistic director of the Society of Medallists. The twice-annual subscription based contemporary art medal group begun by Medallic Art Company in the 1940s. He was active selecting artists, thems and then working with artists to get a nice product produced. This association lasted thru the late 1990s after which the new owners of Medallic Art Company changed emphasis.

I first meet Mr. Noble at a NY City Hall Ceremony in March of 1979 During the 75th Anniversary of the opening of the NYC Subway. The Museum of the City of New York has the silver spade shovel which was used at the 1900 ceremony, and Mr. Noble had brought the shovel to participate in a re-enactment of the groundbreaking ceremony. Although surrounded by politicians, the shovel never left his hand. I got to photograph him at the event.

I later got to enjoy many other meetings with him thru attendance at events of the National Sculpture Society, the American Numismatic Society and the American Medallic Sculpture Associationn and FIDEM.

He was always friendly with advise for further research and encouraging of ongoing projects.

Postage Envelopes used during the Civil War era.

As was mentioned in the previous posting about fractional currency issued by the federal government during the Civil War, there was extensive hoarding of coins. To fill the need for small change merchants resorted to several alternatives. Some had one cent tokens minted, with patriotic themes or advertising; others printed small envelopes and enclosed mint postage stamps in them, still others used advertising encased postage stamp in a brass and mica frame, finally some printed cardboard chits.

If they chose the postage stamp envelope option, they come in several forms. Sometimes the envelopes were printed with just the name of the printer or stationary company on the flap, and the other side with a large legend with the value of the stamps enclosed.

Others were printed as full advertising envelopes, not only stating the value, but advertising the merchant who had the envelope made. They are known from Boston, New York, Philadelphia and several other cities, New York being the most common.

After the war, many of these envelopes were destroyed and the postage stamps used. Those that remain have often been preserved by having been mounted in scrap book albums. Some are now just the advertising side, complete envelopes are scarce.

Postage Stamp envelopes have been embraced by both the stamp collecting community as well as the numismatic community as an emergency type of currency. They are listed in both the Scott’s Specialized U.S. Postage Stamp Catalog, and the Standard Catalog of U.S. Paper Money published by Krause Publications. Their values were steady in the 200-500 dollar range until about six years ago when interested started to turn in that direction. Now most damaged common envelopes sell in the $500 range, with the commonest complete envelopes $2,000-4,000 range. The very rarest will soon be aproaching the $10,000 mark.

In a R.M. Smythe auction of April 2007, the Western Reserve Historical Society collection of postage stamp envelopes was sold. It consisted of 51 envelopes, of which there were 17 new issuers or varieties.

In the October 11th sale of Stack’s, part XIX of the John Ford Collection, there is an extensive offering of Postage Stamp Envelopes. Many of which are unlisted varieties (Mr. Ford was often hard to work with, and usually did not share information or collected items which took a lifetime to acquire. He kept what he knew about stuff close to his vest to be used for his own advantage). The illustrations in this blog come from the upcoming Ford Sale by Stack’s.

The appearance of these two large offerings will cause me to re-number and expand extensively the Postage Stamp Envelope section in the 27th edition of the Standard Catalog of United States Paper Money. Watch for it midyear 2008!

George Cuhaj