A Wild Time in the Harz By: Marc Bink Last month I wrote an introduction to German Thalers, with the hopes that I would be able to generate a few articles on some of my favourite ones. This month I’ll focus on one from the wilds of the Harz Mountains, in the Duchy of Braunschweig-Wolfenbuttel, in what is now Brunswick, Germany. The modern-day “Bundesland”, or State of Brunswick, is situated in the middle of Germany and has a low mountain chain on its eastern border. The history of this area is rife with folk tales and superstition, due to the fact that at one time there used to be a … [Read more...]

1895 Society of Colonial Wars Relic Medal By: M. Goudreau As those of you who know me can attest, I collect numismatic items from across a wide spectrum of fields, I am however always looking for items with Canadian connections. One item that sparked my interest, although issued in the United States in 1895 by The Society of Colonial Wars, was the War Relic Medal. What turned out to be its raison d’être is the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the capture of Louisbourg in 1745. Map courtesy of Wikipedia. The Society of Colonial Wars was incorporated in New York on Oct 7, … [Read more...]

Tax Time (121 A.D. The Emperor Hadrian) By: Terrance Cheesman In this joyous time when citizens are lining up to pay their taxes, it is nice to look back on an event in the Roman Empire. In 121 A.D. The Emperor Hadrian minted a Sestertius advertising what would be called today a tax holiday. On the Obverse one finds the portrait of Hadrian with the legend IMP.CAESAR TRAIANVS HADRIANVS AVG. P.M. TR.P. COS III. The supreme army commander Caesar Hadrian, successor of Trajan the Emperor Chief Priest Tribune of the People and Consul for the third time. The reverse features a lictor who is an … [Read more...]

The U.S. Standing Liberty Quarter, 1916-30 By: Marc Bink Imagine if you will; a protest of thousands of people taking place in front of the Parliament buildings; - over a lousy quarter! This sort of thing did happen once, but not in Canada, it happened in the United States in 1917. All it took was one little coin, one with an effigy of Liberty standing carelessly with her right breast hanging out to bring people into the streets, writing nasty letters to their Congressmen, crowing in public places that the world was coming to an end, and that the Devil was on the loose. One has to remember … [Read more...]

Certified Graded Coins By: Roger Paulen At Boston Pizza following the December ENS meeting, an interesting debate took place regarding the place of certified coins or "slabs" in our hobby. That discussion prompted me to write this article for our ENS members, particularly those who are young and/or new to the hobby. Coin grading is the process of determining the grade or physical condition of a coin, which is the key factor in its value. When buying and selling coins, it's important to have basic knowledge of grading and its terms, since a small difference in grade can mean a big … [Read more...]