| 2002
| ScrapBook
Subjects
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Page
Index
Links
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Link:
A GMM Deerhead Tracked To Its Lair
Link:
Turtle Hill Banjo Co.
Link:
[ This USA Bar REALLY Appeals To Me ]
Link:
Craig Scholley's 1996 Peace Dollar Gift
Link:
[ www.SmallDollars.com ]
Link:
Wrong Color... but they sure are pretty!
Link:
[ It's Always Something! ]
Link:
[ Traveling Companions ]
Link:
An Imaginative Brockage
Link:
[ Squaw Lake Bear Hunter ]
Link:
Our First Glimpse Of The Horseman
Link:
[ The Blue & The Gray ]
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Enlargement scans available on WWW and ScrapBook CD-ROM.
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| 12/31
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A GMM Deerhead Tracked To Its Lair
I bought a GMM Deerhead at the second Annual C4 Convention on Oct. 12, 1996 in
conjunction with the C4 sale called "The Scott Barnes Sale." As I recall Dennis
Wierzba had a list of 10 GMM oddities. They were sold (i.e. auctioned) for the
benefit of the club. The story about the deerhead was that it had missed hardening,
such that it failed quickly in use. I don't know how many were made. Very few I think.
Buell Ish...Saturday, November 23, 2002 12:10PM
How interesting! There was a Fall 1996 C4 Auction of really unusual
GMM New Jersey creations in addition to the Spring 1996 NJNS Auction.
The Deerhead specimen shown above is Lot#H from the C4 auction. The Deerhead (34dh)
die is most readily identifiable by the fancy design just below the horse head
(closeup here on the right.)
Buell actually laid his hands on a six year old single sheet of paper. Way to go
Buell! The full list of C4 lots sold is shown below. I understand all the
references except the LargeDate Maris8 reference. I know that there are two 1786
obverse dies; 1) used with the NJNS reverse die and 2) used with the GMM Maris8F
regular issue reproductions. The horse heads are distinctly different on those two
1786 dies but the size of the dates doesn't seem all that different to my eye. The
description of Lot#1 from the spring NJNS 1996 auction also mentions the LargeDate
die:
LOT#1: In pencil on flip insert by Ron Landis "MY 1ST DIE
LARGE DATE LARGE "A"". In ink on flip insert by Dennis Wierzba "MAY BE
UNIQUE LANDIS WAS NOT SATISFIED". Date thicker and less regular,
particularly the "1", than the final issued replicas. The thicker "A"s
give a richer appearance. Well centered.
Guess there are a few things left for me to learn... surprise! SURPRISE!! ;-)
Here are a few measurements on my GMM Deerhead specimen: 147.7grains dry,
131.2grains wet in distilled water. Specific gravity: 8.952. Diameter: 31.86mm
(largest 4:30-10:30 axis relative to obv.) x 31.33mm (smallest 2:00-8:00 axis.)
The coin is rounder than I anticipated given how it is double struck off-center.
It is a bit cupped (obverse convex.) Buell Ish...Monday, December 02, 2002
1:35PM
Thanks to Buell we now know that there were two auctions of GMM NewJersey recreations
in 1996; 1) 4/15/96 NJNS seven lots and 2) 10/12/96 C4 ten lots.
The trouble is that I was primarily interested in tracking Lot#7 from NJNS but
now we not only need information on that lot but on a number of the C4 lots...
particularly Lot#B "Small 62.5 over large 62.5.", Lot#G "Large Date/Small Date 8
Obv." and Lot#I "Deerhead over 8F." Finding Lot#1 from NJNS has also moved up in
priority in order to learn about the LargeDate Maris8F die.
Is there anybody out there who can tell us anything about the remaining sixteen
lots that we haven't located yet? Any help, memories, whatever... would
be GREATLY appreciated.
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
 8
 62.5ws
 34dh
 62.5
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Enlargement on WWW
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 F
 r
Since the other GMM New Jersey dies are posted above I am including these two
for the sake of completeness.
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The Maris Plates
(excerpt from SBpage32)
Link:The Coins of Colonial and Early
America, A Project of the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic
Endowment University of Notre Dame, Department of Special Collections, by
Louis Jordan. The level of information to be found there quite
simply boggles this old man's poor tired brain. With-in that extensive
website I found
Link:New
Jersey Coppers 1786-1790 and there I found
Link:New
Jersey Die Charts which gives you links to a circa 1940 photograph of the
Stephen K. Nagy plate of electrotypes of NJ specimens on large zinc sheets. This
plate is known today as the Maris plate because it was used to illustrate Maris's
New Jersey book which, while certainly available from a multitude of sources, I
found offered here:
Link:Coins
of New Jersey by E. Maris.
Some of the individual electrotypes in those four photographs are extremely dark
so I dropped the scans into my graphics editor and, if you are reading this from
a Gallery Mint Museum ScrapBook CD-ROM, you can use the following
links to view the modified
Link:Upper Left,
Link:Upper Right,
Link:Lower Left and
Link:Lower Right quadrant scans ...or...
the following links to view the original Notre Dame
Link:UL,
Link:UR,
Link:LL and
Link:LR quadrant scans from the CD-ROM.
For your convenience here are links to view the WWW original Notre Dame
Link:UL,
Link:UR,
Link:LL and
Link:LR
quadrant scans but be patient because they are HUGE files.
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| 12/19
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Click for
Enlargement on CD-ROM
"TURTLE
HILL BANJO CO."
1996 Landis Carving #135
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Turtle Hill Banjo Co.
Regarding the "Turtle Hill Banjo Co." nickel: as you know that's the name of
my business. I have a very specialized shop, with probably the largest
inventory of banjos in the country. Ron and Joe have been here, and we've
played music on a number of occasions. I teach the course on US tokens at
the ANA Summer Seminar, and we usually play for the students there.
This nickel carving came as a surprise. Shortly after I wrote an article on Ron
and the Gallery Mint, it arrived in the mail as a gift from Ron. I had no idea
he was doing it. David E. Schenkman...Thursday, December 19, 2002 5:52PM
Link:Turtle Hill Banjo Co.
Somebody famous (or was that infamous?) once observed that Ron uses the entire
canvas provided by the nickel when he creates a carving. This Turtle Banjo
Player carving certainly is a case in point. Thank you Dave for sharing
your three Landis carvings with all us Landis fans.
I have replaced the illustration of Ron's "The High Lonesome Road" nickel
carving, in our previous SBsubject entitled
Link:The Answer, Simply, Is Tradition,
with a wonderful new scan provided by Dave. Be certain to go "back" and enjoy
this additional example of Ron's genius.
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
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Click for
Obverse or
Reverse enlargment on CD-ROM
A Ron Guth photograph.
Bar "Cent" Struck Over 1780 India Half
Anna
30-32mm (irregular) - 12.8g (197.5 grains)
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This USA Bar REALLY Appeals To Me
This piece was struck over an AH1195 (1780) Copper 1/2 Anna from India (a Prinsep
coin issued during the Bengal Presidency.) A positive attribution is possible
because enough details of the host coin remain visible. The dies are nearly identical
to those used to strike known Bar Cents. Either this is a new, separate die variety
or an exceptionally well-made counterfeit. Sources and/or recommended reading:
"Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia Of U.S. And Colonial Coins" by Walter Breen.
-
Link:www.CoinFacts.com's
Link:Bar "Cent"
R.S.Yoeman tells us;
The Bar "Copper" is believed to have first circulated in New York during November,
1785, and may have been made in England.
I know I have gone astray from the main theme of our ScrapBook more on this page
than on any other to date... please forgive me. I find many things interesting
in addition to the creations from the Gallery Mint Museum and this neat Bar Cent
is so similar in many ways to the best of the creations TheGuys produce. Just think...
people were striking unusual specimens like this over two hundred years ago.
I am absolutely astounded and overwhelmed by the fantastic reference
material Ron Guth is posting on his
Link:www.CoinFacts.com
website. Check out the links to his actual "web" of pages provided for you at
Link:Colonial Coins.
There are too many to tell you about here but I sure do like the specimen headlined on
Link:Vermont
Copper Coins.
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
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| 12/15
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Craig Scholley's 1996 Peace Dollar Gift
eBay item 3300234349 (Ends Dec-21-02 13:10:02PST) -
RARE Gallery Mint 1996 'PEACE' Dollar.
This is of one of the rarest of the Gallery Mint creations, the 1996 dated
"PEACE" dollar! The Gallery Mint created this special presentation issue
utilizing dies that did not meet their standards for use on the 1796 Draped
Bust Dollar reproductions.
This modified obverse shows only twelve stars, the word "LIBERTY" was replaced
with "PEACE", and date was stamped 1996 instead of 1796! In place of "UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA", the reverse lettering reads "UNITED STATE OF MERRIMENT" and
the olive branches on the left were replaced with holly.
These were struck on the same planchets prepared for their uncirculated 1796
Dollar reproductions, with the lettered edge reading "HUNDRED CENTS ONE DOLLAR
OR UNIT". All examples were counterstamped with the "COPY" on the reverse and
were struck as business strikes, (uncirculated, not proof).
The mintage was limited to only 85 pieces and were presented to a select group
of GMM patrons, making this one of the rarest and most difficult "Type Coins"
to find of all the Gallery Mint creations! >>>>>NONE WERE SOLD!!!<<<<<
Both pieces in my collection, this one and another, show the same "rolling marks"
on both sides. Those are the diagonal lines that show up so well in the photo of
the obverse, but are fairly unnoticeable on the coin.
Clifford Bolling...Saturday, Dec-14-02 13:10:02PST
This has been a fantastic GMM week! First a 1-of-61 14star dollar specimen
and now a 1-of-85 peace 'dollar' specimen. WOW! I was a serious competitor
for the 14star... and the eventual high bidder ...but I already have one of these
peace 'dollar' specimens so I won't be in your face bidding against you. Here is
your chance to bid on this current offering. Just use this shortcut
Link:RARE Gallery
Mint 1996 'PEACE' Dollar!
By the way, this is a SUPER provenance specimen because Cliff bought it directly
from Craig Scholley. Craig was the original recipient of this gift directly from
Ron Landis. GOOD LUCK!
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
Postscript: I showed all y'all the full text of the holiday greetings, that
Ron Landis sent out to the folks who got one of these exceptional gifts, on our
VERY FIRST ScrapBook webpage in a SBsubject entitled:
Link:1996 Holiday PEACE Medal.
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www.SmallDollars.com
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Our good friend and serious numismatic student Mike Wallace has moved his
Link:United States Small Size Dollar Coins
and Related Items website. Mike's numismatic interests are every bit as eclectic
as the ol' FatMan's... so it is my opinion that you will consider it time well spent, and
that you will definitely enjoy yourselves, reading Mike's various posted subjects.
Mike gave us scans of his two Felix Schlag autographs, as well as his commentary on them,
because he is dropping them from his website. I've posted them with
Link:The Jefferson Full Step Nickel Club SBsubject since that
is where I originally had a link to them on Mike's old website. Enjoy!
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
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| 12/12
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Click for
Obverse or
Reverse
enlargment on CD-ROM
1796 "14 Star" PROOF Dollar - Strike #12
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Click for
Obverse or
Reverse
enlargment on CD-ROM
1796 "16 Star" BU Quarter
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Wrong Color... but they sure are pretty!
I don't know how Bert (Skeetxcoins) took these colored coin scans. While they do not
accurately reflect the actual specimens... they certainly catch a person's attention.
I fiddled with both of the above scans, in an attempt to bring them back to a more
normal color, and have posted them below with Bert's descriptive text.
Both of these specimens are actual production errors (NOT pièces de caprice) since they
both have the wrong number of stars. They are distinctly different in one one regard
however... the dollar is RARE (61 struck) while the quarter is COMMON
(1,298 struck.) Regardless... both are fantastic Ron Landis creations.
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
Postscript: Bert was so kind as to send me a copy of the letter that Ron Landis
sent out after the "14 star" dollar error was discovered. I am providing it here for
the record:
DEAR GALLERY MINT PATRON
We recently sent you the 1796 Dollar Proof reproduction(s). We appreciate your patience
in waiting for this, the second piece of your pre-paid 1796 proof set.
The original dollars of 1796 had 15 stars on all varieties. After months of engraving
and set backs and our endless efforts for accuracy, I still goofed up and punched only
14 stars into the first proof die. Only 61 pieces of this variety were struck and sent
before we were made aware of the error. This die has now been canceled and the 14 star
version can no longer be purchased. A new die has been made and we are back in
production.
Our records indicate that you were sent one of these rare varieties. If you wish to
return the piece(s) to be replaced with the more accurate 15 star variety please feel
free to do so. You will be given a $3.00 credit towards your next purchase to cover
your cost of returning the error via insured mail.
You will be receiving the December 1996 issue of the Gallery Mint Report soon. More
details covered in this newsletter will better explain all the setbacks that caused
the delays in shipping this piece to you. Please accept our apologies again for any
inconvenience this may have caused you. Our best wishes for the holiday season!
Sincerely, Ron Landis, Chief Engraver
Here's a copy of the 1796 small eagle reverse draped bust
silver dollar produced by the Gallery Mint originally as part of their 1796
Proof set. This coin was the first proof 1796 dollar minted, the obverse die has
7x7 stars for a total of 14. this error was discovered after about 60 coins
had been shipped. some may have been returned, but most likely nearly all of
these survive. This coin is a fantastic deep mirror proof, and like all Gallery
Mint copies, is struck from hand-engraved dies, and has the authentic legends on
the rim, 'hundred cents one dollar or unit' with ornamentation. Reverse is small
letters style, copy stamp on reverse below eagle. Skeetxcoins...Thursday,
Dec-05-02 09:13:20PST
Here's a copy of the 1796 small eagle reverse draped bust quarter dollar
produced by the Gallery Mint originally as part of their 1796 mint set. This
coin was the first 1796 quarter minted, the obverse die has 9x7 stars for a
total of 16. Original 1796 quarters have 15 stars, and so do all later copies
from the Gallery Mint. This coin is a gem BU, and like all Gallery Mint copies,
is struck from hand-engraved dies. Reeded edge, copy stamp on reverse below
eagle. Skeetxcoins...Thursday, Dec-05-02 09:21:57PST
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It's Always Something!
eBay item 805572436 (Ends Dec-17-02 18:23:01PST) -
1857 SS Central America Silver & Gold Treasure.
Here's a neat piece of history!! This 1/4 ounce silver medallion has an actual
gold piece from the shipwreck of the SS Central America in 1857. This medallion
is PROOF-LIKE in condition and sealed in a global certification case which gives
interesting information about history as well as artwork of this ill-fated ship.
The SS Central America was one of the LARGEST underwater treasuries discovered
and this is a unique way to capture a piece of that history without paying
thousands of dollars as many of the relics from that ill fated ship.
recondo62@hotmail.com...Thursday, Dec-12-02 18:23:01PST
This creation isn't my cup of tea but it struck my interest simply because it is
ANOTHER promotion related to the "Ship Of Gold." I just wanted to show it to all
y'all for grins. Who knows... perhaps it is precisely YOUR CUP OF TEA!
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
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| 12/11
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Ron Landis "Favorites" Icon Created
Now when anyone bookmarks any of our Gallery Mint Museum ScrapBook webpages they
should see this cool icon I cobbled together today... at least that is the way it
is supposed to work! Please let me know if things don't work for you as expected.
I have no clue if the Netscape browser can use this favorites icon but my Microsoft
Internet Explorer browser sure does!
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
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Black Diamond ... before and after!
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Traveling Companions
Did you recognize "BLACKIE" (L-81)? I have been told my lying down like this is
not polite, but I have been standing for longer than I care to remember. For 25
years, they have had me standing in Philadelphia, standing in Denver, and even
standing in San Francisco. You don't know how many times I have wanted to get
off my feet, even for just a couple of minutes. The raised ground wasn't that
bad, but it didn't last that long. Then we got flat ground and all I can say is
"God Bless Monticello". Right now I would like to go home with someone who likes
Buffalo and understands the need for a "Take Five" once in a while. Just remember,
you will look a long time to find another beautiful 1937 host nickel with a
"Double Full Horn". Cliff Kraft...Tuesday, Dec-03-02 17:56:57PST
Quite sometime back I asked Cliff to carve me a Dahl Sheep on a nickel. When "Black
Diamond" arrived I found he had a traveling companion... the SUPER Dahl Sheep carving
shown below. At first I thought the horn tip peaking over his nose was awkward but
then Cliff sent me the picture he worked from and... I should have known ...he got it
just right! He also included the two sheep scans shown here on the left and right. I
just couldn't let them go to waste... they are definitely COOL!
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
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| 12/7
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An Imaginative Brockage
eBay item 804820470 (Ends Dec-15-02 13:40:07PST ) -
Gallery Mint 1793 Large Cent/Hobo Token ERROR.
This is a Gallery Mint Museum COPY of a 1793 Liberty Cap Large Cent (reference
Sheldon 13), which is also a FANTASTIC error coin. Before the piece was struck,
a 1997 Gallery Mint Hobo Token was centered on the unstruck planchet. Then the
piece was struck, producing a Gorgeous Mated Brockage strike on both the Large
Cent and the Hobo Token. As with all Gallery Mint products, the Large Cent is
struck on a planchet of the original specifications (Pure Copper), and the Hobo
Token was overstruck on a Jefferson Nickel, using the same technology as that
available to the early U.S. Mint (i.e., on a Screw Press). Gorgeous Red (and
White) Uncirculated!
Mark Honea...Thursday, Dec-05-02 13:40:07PST
I find this a particularly pretty pièce de caprice because of the combination of nickel
and copper. Additionally it makes dramatic use of the obverse (Indian) from a GMM Hobo
Token modeled after one of my favorite numismatic pieces... the Buffalo Nickel.
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
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Squaw Lake Bear Hunter
This is "LOREN" (L-80) who doesn't look it, but is one of the nicest,
easiest going bears I know. He is from B.C., but works as a pepper spray
tester in Alberta. Not the greatest job, but it has its good points,
I just can't think of any right now. "LOREN," who collects used aerosol
cans, will sit for hours after work with tears running down his cheeks
and tell you what a great day he had. He did apply for a job in a
breakfast food commercial, (dragging a tent away from a camp site,) but
didn't get the part. They wouldn't tell him why, but we believe it was
because of the big hairless spot on his behind from when he tried out
for the Nair hair removal commercial, which he didn't get either. His
life's ambition has been to play football for the Chicago Bears. I had
to tell him that it would never happen. He just wasn't good enough. He
has his own helmet and is just waiting for someone, anyone, to send him
in. If you know anyone who will give a good, but not great, football
player a tryout, please let us know. Our hand carved ball player is
hosted on a 1936 AU Buffalo Nickel, and fills it rather well.
Clifford L. Kraft...Tuesday, Nov-19-02 18:14:31PST
I have lost count of how many Squaw Lake bears I have captured alive...
I am definitely a proponent of catch and release. While bear hunting one
must keep in mind that it is a fine line between whether the hunter is
hunting the bear or the bear is hunting the hunter. Acquiring legal Kansa
Territory import licenses for all these bears has been no small task.
In fact, I'm starting to worry that the Parks and Wildlife folks will be
inspecting my property to ascertain whether or not I am providing adequate
facilities for all my charges. Keep the Critter Carvings coming Cliff!
By the way... Cliff Kraft has been carving some commission carvings as of
late and he is really good at it. Below is a two stage progress scan of
a neat Corgi memorial carving and a carving for a birthday boy on a really
sharp 1992D Jefferson Nickel from a Mint Set. Wish I had received such
COOL birthday gifts when I was ten years old... no such luck! I always got
things like a plastic comb or ruler that were handed out free by the
downtown Emporia merchants as advertisments.
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
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| 11/30
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Click for
Enlargement on CD-ROM
1850 Genuine $10
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Click for
Obverse or
Reverse
enlargement on CD-ROM
2002 "Ship of Gold"
Commemorative $10
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Our First Glimpse Of The Horseman
Monaco Financial ran a two page spread in the November 25,
2002 issue of Coin World telling us about the
Forty-Niner Horseman Ship of Gold Commemorative issue. I
immediately went to the WorldWideWeb and found their website:
Link:Monaco Financial but they didn't
have anything posted yet about Ron's Horseman dies or the specimens
struck, from gold recovered from the S.S. Central America, by the Royal
Canadian Mint. I did discover that their firm is an official ingot dealer
for ingots from the S.S. Central America and I thought the logo, shown
here on the right, was pretty neat.
When I EMailed the folks at Monaco
I got an immediate response from Mr. Adam Crum and he was so kind as
to attach four different views of their commemorative specimen... the
two shown above on the right and these two views (available only on
the ScrapBook CD-ROM):
Link:Obverse and
Link:Reverse.
We have discussed these Baldwin & Company 1850 TEN DOLLARS - Horseman Type
recreations previously on October 19th in SBsubject
Link:Keep Your Eyes Open!. Michael Bozynski
was so kind as to send me a copy of the Coin World article so that we
could keep current on this interesting Landis creation.
One brand-new piece of information gleaned from all this activity is that Ron
created his obverse die with an 1857 over the 1850 original date. This is not
only new information to me but it is also very COOL in my opinion.
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
Postscript:
I found this reference to an interesting American Plantation token that evokes
for me the general feel of the 1850 Horseman...
Link:American
Plantation Tokens. There were restrikes of this 1688 token done in 1828, from
the original 140 year old dies, so there could easily have been specimens around to
influence the engraver of the 1850 Horseman... stranger things have happened for sure.
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The Blue & The Gray
Here's a picture of my original blue press, next to my newest aquisition
(and current workhorse striking machine) a gray 50 ton Zeh and Hahnemann.
Its got a 3horsepower/3phase motor and one of those horizontal transfer
shaft arrangements. Will Whitfoot...Thursday, November 21, 2002
1:00PM
Tom Maringer, AKA Will Whitfoot, is the creater of a great website
entitled:
Link:Shire Post.
The Shire is the mythical country of peaceful agrarian little-people
that Professor Tolkien created in his literary masterpieces. Tom is
a most imaginative and energetic fellow who is busy establishing
another private mint in Arkansas. He has created both postage stamps
and coinage based on the fantasy world of J.R.R.Tolkien. For those of
us interested in private mints you can see many of Tom's neat creations
here:
Link:Shire Coinage.
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
I think my iron coins are the really unique things being created here
at The Shire Mint. The high purity (.999 fine) iron is the key
ingredient of course, and I finally found out the manufacturer is Thyssen
Steel in Germany. The pure iron is actually a very interesting material
to coin, as it is astonishingly soft and work hardens very very slowly.
Where copper stops moving after a couple or three hits, the iron just
keeps going and going. It strikes UP very well, the caliper thickness of
the Eye of Sauron coin is almost TWICE the thickness of the blank. And
of course, it takes a very nice blue-black color chemically.
Will Whitfoot...Thursday, November 21, 2002
1:00PM
The Eye of Sauron, Pure Iron coin.
Click for
Enlargement on CD-ROM
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- Featuring the EYE of Sauron on Obverse
- Pure .999 iron (NOT steel)
- 6.0 grams
- The fiery mountain of Orodruin on reverse
- Inscribed in archaic Angerthas Runes
- Udun Mint
- Denomination: One Tooth
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This coin was minted about the year 2985 of the Third Age after the
goblins and wargs (large wolves) had formed an alliance. Before that
time orcs and goblins used the canine teeth of wolves and wargs as
small denomination money. But the high council of the wargs complained
to the Nazgul about the fact that wargs were still being killed for
their teeth. Therefore Sauron authorized the minting of these coins to
take the place of the wargs teeth in circulation. The Iron Crowns that
had circulated among orcs since the days of Morgoth were becoming
scarce... and the value of these "teeth" were set at 1/10 the value of
the iron crown. It is an interesting fact that in the black speech of
orcs the word "tooth" also means "tenth" or "tithe" in the context of
the orkish practice of raiding villages to extract all but 1/10 of the
goods from the populace... leaving them just barely enough to survive,
and therefore be available to raid again later. The inscriptions are in
the archaic Angerthas runic form. On the obverse above the eye it says
"OBEY" while below is the inscription "MORDOR". There is NO significance
whatever to the entirely coincidental fact that the phonetic transcription
of "Obey" into Runic closely resembles "NRA" in Roman letters. The reverse
inscription names the mountain "ORODRUIN" and a sharp-eyed observer may
note the pyroclastic flow running down the mountainside, and the door of
Sammath Naur on the face of the mountain. The coin has a darkened finish
that varies from blue-black to gray-black to brown-black and sometimes
even a purplish-black.
The Iron Crown Of Morgoth, Pure Iron coin.
Click for
Enlargement on CD-ROM
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- 1 1/8 inch diameter
- 13.5 grams
- From the First Age of Middle Earth
- Pure metallurgical grade iron
- black finish
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Not a Shire issue, but an ancient coin from the reign of Morgoth in
Angmar some 5000 years ago. Generally referred to as an "Orkie" in
Hobbit lingo, they are fairly common in The Shire and surrounding
districts and are seen in a large number of designs, but are generally
found in very rusted condition. This group seems to be of one of the
earliest varieties, and was found sealed in a clay jar with oil, and
are in astonishingly fine condition given their extreme age. Inscribed
in primitivistic Angerthas runes. (See appendices of Tolkien's "Lord of
the Rings" for Angerthas syllabic value table.) The iron crown of Melkor
shown on obverse with the three Silmarils, and the dragon (thought to
represent Ancalagon the Black) spouting flame on reverse above the
battlements of Thangorodrim. (Note, this is an image of Ancalagon as a
young dragon, only partly grown.) These coins were issued by Melkor as a
medium of exchange for his slaves and minions, for purposes of gambling,
purchases of weapons, and rot-gut liquor.
Clearly Tom, in addition to working hard, is having a wonderful time with
his Tolkien Network website. You can access Tom's many imaginative
creations, including his pure iron coins as shown above, by going to
Link:Shire Post Online Store. Tom's
pure iron coins are listed under "Oddball Coins" for some reason... they
don't seem "odd" to me but "artistic license" and all that!
EMail:Verne R. Walrafen
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