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May 07 2024

Newman Portal Search Hints

Newman Portal searches from the home page are exact text only. If you enter multiple words, it will search for that entire phrase.

If you wish to search for multiple terms all one page, but not in exact order, use the search form at https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/powersearchform. For example, if you wish to locate pages containing the words "Washington," "medal," "birth," and "centennial," enter the search:

ItemContent:Washington AND ItemContent:medal AND ItemContent:birth AND ItemContent:centennial

You can also use Google to search the Newman Portal site. From Google, enter, for example:

"washington medals" site:nnp.wustl.edu

Finally, you can search the Newman Portal document repository directly (https://archive.org/details/newmannumismatic), which, in some cases, will deliver additional results. On this page, check the box "Select text contents" before searching.

For additional assistance, please email us at NNPCurator@wustl.edu.

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Oct 28 2025

Kelly & Oliver Publish on the Charlotte Mint


The Charlotte Mint 1837–1861, by Richard G. Kelly and Nancy Y. Oliver, presents a detailed chronological history of the Charlotte Branch Mint based largely on the original correspondence of Superintendent John H. Wheeler and other officials preserved in the U.S. National Archives. Established by the Act of March 3, 1835, the Charlotte Mint was one of three southern branch mints created to process locally mined gold. The volume traces the Mint’s formation, its first bullion deposits in 1837, and the long-delayed start of coinage in March 1838. The authors compile the surviving letters between the Superintendent, Mint Director Robert M. Patterson, and key officers like Coiner John R. Bolton and Assayer Dr. John H. Gibbon, revealing the logistical, mechanical, and administrative struggles that marked its early operations—broken rollers, leaking zinc roofs, acid shortages, and personal disputes.


The treatise proceeds year by year through the Mint’s turbulent history—covering fires (notably the devastating 1844 blaze), personnel controversies, coinage production issues, and the final Confederate takeover in 1861, after which Charlotte ceased striking coins and later functioned only as an Assay Office until 1913. The editors highlight significant documents on coinage, die shipments, and production discrepancies to correct or clarify historical mintage figures. Intended as a research donation to the Newman Numismatic Portal, the work acknowledges earlier archival efforts by scholars Roger Burdette and Robert Julian and aims to preserve the first-hand administrative record of one of the most historically significant southern U.S. mints, documenting its challenges, personalities, and eventual decline amid the Civil War.


Link to The Charlotte Mint 1837–1861 on Newman Portal: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/651780
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Oct 27 2025

Numismatic Trick-or-Treat for Halloween

As the annual festival of sugar approaches, we review numismatic approaches to dealing with dressed up candy collectors. The November 8, 2015 E-Sylum reported “John Nebel of Colorado collects ancient coins, and on Halloween he offers trick-or-treaters a choice of candy or an ancient coin. Cruel choice, but a fun exercise.” Nebel said that many selected “treats” in favor of more valuable coins.


David Gladfelter noted in the October 22, 2017 E-Sylum “A trick-or-treat idea that has worked well for us for a number of years is to put fright stickers on half dollars and hand them out. Many of the kids have never seen a half dollar before, and ask what they are. The kids are always happy, and so are we. No thrown-out fruit or candy littering our lawn, no parents disapproving of what the kids bring home, and best of all, no left over bags of candy growing stale for us to use up and gag on.”


Steve Roach wrote in the October 27, 2008 issue of Coin World “My friend and world coin aficionado Bob Skye used to give out modern, shiny world coins in 2-inch by 2-inch holders, labeled with descriptive information as to their country, date and denomination.” 


The Chicago Coin Club Chatter, January 1983, included a satirical piece on the chocolate coin market, which noted market peaks coinciding with Halloween. The article described a 1968 debacle known as Brown Friday: “Texas billionaire Nelson Bunker Hunt had been stockpiling chocolate coins since early 1963 and the value of chocolate coins grew steadily until it hit an all-time high of $55 per ounce on November 2, 1968. But the very next day, Bunker Hunt, in a fit of depression, walked into his vault and ate two-thirds of his chocolate coin portfolio. The effects were catastrophic and sent shock waves across the country.” In a similar vein, David Pickup reported in the April 1, 2014 E-Sylum on a fictitious reference work, A Guide to Chocolate Coins, said to be built on earlier studies such as the German work Ein Yarbuch die Chockiekoiningmitderwrappenon.


Link to the Chicago Coin Club Chatter on NNP: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/publisherdetail/525556
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