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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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Feb 03 2025

Super Bowl Toss Coins & Medals

Super Bowl Toss Coins & Medals

With the Super Bowl being the most watched event on the American sports calendar, it’s no surprise that connections to nearly all walks of life, including numismatics, come to the fore. Super Bowl medals were apparently first produced by MintAmerica in North Miami, Florida, beginning in 1973. A Coin World ad (August 22, 1973) notes “the National Football League for the first time has authorized the Official Super Bowl Medals…..” These pieces were 50mm silver proofs.

Coin World reported on February 7, 1973, that a Franklin Mint-produced piece featuring Vince Lombardi was used as the toss coin for Super Bowl VII. The February 14, 1979 edition of Coin World noted that Chicago Bears owner George Halas donated a 1920 double eagle (commemorating the birth year of the NFL) as the Super Bowl toss coin. Halas announced the loser of the toss would receive the coin, which went to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Jack Lambert following the toss ceremony. The Steelers ended up winning both the game and the coin.

The Super Bowl toss coin is currently manufactured by the Highland Mint in Melbourne, Florida. Ten thousand examples are produced, with coin #1 being used for the opening coin toss and coin #0 in case of overtime. The Highland Mint has been producing the Super Bowl coins since the mid-1990s. The Danbury Mint in Norwalk, Connecticut also sells officially licensed Super Bowl “flip coins,” which are marketed as “commemoratives.” A set of 50 such pieces is currently listed on ebay, by a secondary seller, at $800.

Link to Super Bowl XIII coin toss video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9ceVwCdLU0#t=5m53s
Link to New York Times coverage of the Super Bowl XIII coin toss: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6100532/2025/02/03/super-bowl-coin-toss-bet-odds/
Link to CBS coverage of the Highland Mint: https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/coin-that-kicks-off-super-bowl-is-made-in-florida/

Link to “Super Bowl” search results on Newman Portal: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/searchwithterms?searchterm=Super%20bowl

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Jan 30 2025

Numismatics of Punxsutawney

Wikipedia notes “Punxsutawney is a borough in southern Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, United States. Punxsutawney is known for its annual Groundhog Day celebration held each February 2, during which thousands of attendees and international media outlets visit the town for an annual weather prediction by the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil.”

Numismatically, Punxsutawney is best known for a series of National Bank Notes. Issuers includes the Farmers National Bank (charter no. 5965), the First National Bank of Punxsutawney (no. 3030), the Punxsutawney National Bank (no. 5702), and the County National Bank of Punxsutawney (no. 9863). The Andrew W. Pollock III reference on U.S. National Banks is now complete through charter no. 4600 and provides statistical data for the First National Bank of Punxsutawney (no. 3030).

Link to “Punxsutawney” auction search results on Newman Portal: https://nnp.wustl.edu/Library/AdvancedSearch?&searchterm=Punxsutawney&contenttype=Auction
Link to Pollock summary for the Punxsutawney National Bank: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/628167
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