NNP

Can you think of a numismatic firm that has maintained the same address for over a century? Remarkably, the Paris dealer Bourgey has held forth at 7 rue Druout since 1907. The business was founded by Étienne Bourgey (1864-1943) in 1895. Among other accomplishments, Étienne cataloged the 1922 Arras hoard, an important group of Roman coins that most notably included gold medallions. He was succeeded by his son Émile (1914-1993), a co-founder of IAPN, and today the firm is operated by Sabine Bourgey.  Newman Portal has recently added 94 auction sale catalogs from this firm, most of which were scanned at American Numismatic Society in New York. This is a useful resource for ancient numismatics, as John Spring’s Ancient Coin Auction Catalogues 1880-1980 includes Bourgey catalogs as nos. 9-59. Newman Portal acknowledges Sabine Bourgey for extending permission to present these catalogs with full view.

Link to Bourgey catalogs on Newman Portal: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/auctioncompanydetail/515406
Link to Sabine Bourgey Numismatique: https://sabinebourgey.com/

Following the Heritage Auctions’ sales of the frontline portions of the Eric P. Newman numismatic library in 2018 and 2024, the Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society (EPNNES) is now freely deaccessioning its library remainders to the numismatic public. The remainders consist primarily of modern American auction sale catalogs and periodicals, in addition to archival materials from the Newman museums and a wide variety of reference works. Materials scanned since the advent of the Newman Numismatic Portal (NNP) are voluminous, and EPNNES wishes to continue to grow its digital presence, rather than maintaining a physical collection. 
 
Eric P. Newman collected not only coins and paper money but further collected libraries. Beginning with the Burdette G. Johnson library in 1947, Newman acquired libraries from multiple individuals and institutions. The sheer mass of material was never completely consolidated, so searching through the library as it stands today is somewhat of a treasure hunt, and there is no doubt a surprise or two remaining in the stacks.
 
While we are unable to accommodate requests to search for individual items, collectors are invited to visit the library in St. Louis and to take any material of interest. Higher priority will be given to those intending to remove large portions of the collection. The library is currently housed at Washington University in St. Louis at the West Campus location (7425 Forsyth Boulevard). A loading dock is available. Viewing is by appointment only, please contact NNP Project Coordinator Len Augsburger (leonard.augsburger@wustl.edu) for further information.

The Stepney, CT hoard of approximately 200 high-grade Connecticut and Vermont coppers and British halfpence was discovered in 1950 and announced to the numismatic community by Walter Breen in the January 1952 Numismatist. Facts regarding the exact location of the find and circumstances of its discovery are scarce, leading to varying opinions – was the hoard a modern concoction, or did it represent a legitimate contemporaneous deposit? In the August 1998 Colonial Newsletter, Phil Mossman concluded that the hoard was indeed closed in 1788.

We recently received a research request for the 1951 Walter Breen manuscript on this topic. At the time, Breen worked for Stack’s, who handled the hoard. The Breen manuscript was transcribed and published by Phil Mossman in the afore mentioned Colonial Newsletter. While our researcher was aware of the transcribed copy, good research practice demands examining original documents whenever possible. After some searching, a photocopy of the Breen manuscript was located in the Walter Breen papers at the American Numismatic Society library. 

Link to Breen manuscript on the Stepney Hoard: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/archivedetail/323
Link to Phil Mossman’s related article in the Colonial Newsletter: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/513972

Through the efforts of Mark Schlepphorst and John Sallay, and the cooperation of Shirley Johnson, the D. Wayne Johnson artist “databank” is now available on Newman Portal. For American artists, this is the most significant contribution to the field since Leonard Forrer’s Biographical Dictionary of Medallists (1902-1930). The work covers seven volumes, nearly four thousand pages, and presents capsule biographies of American engravers along with lists of their related works. 

Many thanks to Mark, John, and Shirley for recognizing the value of this work and going above and beyond to ensure its preservation for future generations. Collectors and catalogers of American medals will do well to consult this reference frequently.

Link to D. Wayne Johnson databank on Newman Portal: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/booksbyauthor/519080
Link to Leonard Forrer’s Biographical Dictionary on Newman Portal: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/booksbyauthor/511633

Courtesy of David Crenshaw, the newsletters of the Southern Gold Society are now available on Newman Portal. This mission statement of this group notes “The Southern Gold Society was formed to increase the enjoyment and study of Southern gold coins and related history, through an informal, relaxed mix of education and fellowship. “ The SGS periodically meets at regional coin shows, typically in a southern locale.

Particularly noteworthy in this periodical are the feature articles by David Ginsburg, including “Antebellum Gold Deposits at the New Orleans Mint” in the January 2009 issue, “The Post-Civil War Operations of the New Orleans Mint” in the January 2010 issue, and “The Bechtlers’ Production and Some Other Aspects of the Southern Gold Rush” in the July 2013 issue. 

Link to Southern Gold Society newsletters: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/publisherdetail/555594

Link to Southern Gold Society website: https://www.southerngoldsociety.org/

Link to David J. Ginsburg obituary: https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v19n06a10.html

Newman Portal has recently processed another batch of U.S. Mint fixed price lists (FPLs), bringing the total size of this series to 131 items, and ranging in time from 1858 to the present date. Although much of the current marketing is electronic, these FPLs serve to document what has become a profitable business for the Mint – creating collectable coins and medals while appealing to the public appetite for “completion” of a given series. A Newman Portal user recently consulted this series to investigate the issue price of American Gold Eagles in 1986. 

Link to U.S. Mint fixed price lists on Newman Portal: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/publisherdetail/512757

Courtesy of photographer Steve Herrman, images of the Jim Matthews early U.S. dime collection are now available on Newman Portal. The Capped Bust portion of the collection is nearly complete by JR variety and features several examples with late state die cuds. The collection represents a 45-year quest for Matthews, who began collecting the series around the time of the publication Early United States Dimes 1796-1837 (1984) by David J. Davis, Russell J. Logan, Allen F. Lovejoy, John W. McCloskey and William L. Subjack. The majority of the Matthews collection is currently imaged, with the remainder to be posted shortly.

Link to Jim Matthews Early U.S. Dimes on Newman Portal: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/imagecollection/518211