D. Hillman & Sons an Iron Clad Mystery

The next lot to catch my eye in the upcoming Smythe Schingoethe sale is lot 1901. This Obsolete note is denominated at 5 cents, printed in blue ink and hosts an oustanding vignette of the Tennessee Rolling Works. This is a large mill scene which streches over most of this unissued remaider note, making it most attractive to anyone interested in building vignettes. Also of interest to collectors of Iron Works items and ofcourse, a nice item for any Obsolete or Scrip collector. There is a lot of cross appeal working for this numismatic item.

In addition there is a good deal of mystery to solve. Under the main title, a note reads D. Hillman & Sons, who were the original owners of the mill, which later seems to have passed to Ewald Iron Company. The Internet offered a few references to a D. Hillman & Sons located in Trigg county Kentucky running a mill under the name Empire Iron Works, but I'm not sure when, or if, this changed to Tennessee Rolling Works, or if this is even the right D. Hillman & Sons. A quick check of the History of Trigg County revealed quite a bit of background on Daniel Hillman, with ties to Cumberland Furnace, Trigg County and Lyon County. Daniel established a company which eventuall became known as D. Hillman & Bros., so it's a short, but logical guess that it may have evolved over time into D. Hillman & Sons, the issuers of this note.

Ewald Iron Company ran at least two mills, one in St. Louis and one in Louisville. The St. Louis mill was called Tennessee Rolling Works and was established in 1846. According to the 1881 buisness directory of St. Louis, the Tennessee Rolling Works was located at 519 North Main Street near Washington Avenue, though I also found an address of 801 North Second Street. These may be the offices of the company, as I noticed a works location in Lyons county. The Louisville location was built later in 1869 and originally opened under the name Kentucky Rolling Mill, later changed to Tennessee Rolling Mills. A third mill mentioned in one source ran under the name of Tennessee Iron House. Maybe this one was on the Cumberland?

As you can see, there's plenty of mystery to go around on this note. But I'll leave further research for the new owner to enjoy after the auction closes on April 9th

Die Variety of Hadrian Cistophoric Tetradrachm

While reading through the October issue of the British coin publication, Coin News, I noticed a really striking Roman coin for sale. British coin dealer Mike R. Vosper, who lists coins for sale on his site, at V-Coins and in an eBay Store and specializes in ancient Greek and Roman coins, as well as Celtic and British hammered coinage, had in his Coin News ad a beautiful Cistophoric Tetradrachm of Hadrian. This coin is very sharp in detail and hosts a lovely temple design on the reverse. Vospers price is 1,500 Pounds, or a little over $3,000 US Dollars.

A Cistophoric Tetradrachm is a large silver type, struck to the weight of four drachm or denarius. This particular coin uses Greek style lettering and would have been made for use in what is now Turkey. These were areas of the former Greek provinces and so this Roman Provincial coin would have been competing with coins of Alexander still in use in that area.

If you are interested in obtaining more information on Hadrian's Cistophoric Tetradrachms circa 117-138 AD, you might want to check out Bill Metcalf's book published through the American Numismatic Society, The Cistophori of Hadrian, Numismatic Studies No.15, 1980. There is also an earlier volume, Numismatic Studies No.14 by Fred Kleiner and Sydney P. Noe, titled The Early Cistophoric Coinage, dealing with Greek coins from 228-133 BC which display snakes on both obverse and reverse.

Friend and fellow Blogger, token historian, medallist and Checker enthusiast, George Cuhaj, was working at the ANS at the time that Metcalf was researching, compiling and writing the Hadrian volume. He did much of the legwork involved in carting coins and photos back and forth from the ANS vault to photography, though he did not get any recognition in print. He did, however, get an autographed book though his ANS membership subscription. George was also kind enough help me to better understand this particular coin and the references involved. In fact when I pointed out to George that Vospers example differs in several respects from the similar example noted in Metcalf, RIC459b, he offered to contact Bill with the information and image from Vosper's offering in an effort to help further the study.

What a friendly hobby we share!

Stack's Capital City Sale Holds Some Surprises

Amidst all the seminal John J. Ford, Jr. collection auctions, Stack's continues to offer sales of quality numismatic items for all kinds of collectors. The Capital City Sale, offers a vast array of U.S. paper money, including Fractional Currency, Federal Currency, Obsolete bank notes, Continental Currency, Colonial Currency, Bank of the United States paper money, American Bank Note Company plates, cylinders, vignettes and seals, plus hidden way at the back of the catalog, a nice very nice selection of U.S. coins with a few standout items.

In this U.S. coin section, which will be closing later this evening, there are several lots, which caught our attention, and which we thought should be brought to your attention. The first is an excellent example of the key date 1811 Half Cent. This coin grades EF-40 and has a bold and attractive appearance. Most Early American Copper collectors have to be satisfied with lower grade and less attractive examples of the 1811 Half Cent, but today you all have a chance to upgrade in style. Current bid as this posting is $3350, check it out online at Stack's, the lot number is 1662.

The second and third items of extra interest are both grade rarities of accessible dates. Lot 1724 offers a 1923 S Buffalo Nickel graded MS-65. It's a good strike and has the peripheral yellow toning common to coin album storage of the day. Current bid rests at $8250 as of this posting time. Washington Quarters have experienced a nice renaissance of late possibly due to some new collectors advancing from State Quarters. Lot 1798 showcases a stunning MS-65 example of the most sought after date of the type; the 1932 D. It's an exceptional piece and should draw its share of attention. Currently the bid is at $9767 while I write this posting.

The last item we'll bring to your attention is a stunning Liberty Seated Half Dollar, 1868 Proof-65. A nice original gem from a small mintage of 600 pieces. Take a look at it in lot 1834 online at Stack's and consider bumping the current bid of $6302, if is the right item to build your collection.

Gutenberg From Every View Point!

In the upcoming UBS Auction 73 set to close September 5-7, 2007 there is a great run of Book and Printing related medals. Most of the over 60 medals in this group commemorate Gutenberg, but there are few relating to other events. Estimates are reasonable, ranging mostly between 100 to 800 CHF, or about $85 to $665 US dollars each.

There are ornate designs like this large silver medal from Haarlem dated 1740 and simple designs like this modern silver medal from Wiesbaden. You can see many busts of Gutenberg in this group as well as several medals with flatbed letterpresses and even some with modern printing presses like this fabulous printing technology medal from R. Hoe and Company.

It's an impressive collection and well worth a look. Check it out at the online catalog section of the UBS numismatic site.