Lawniczak, James
Author of references on encased coins.
3 entries found
Displaying records 1 — 3
1/15/2026Catalog of New York Encased
This work catalogs over 2,000 encased coins associated with New York - more than any other state - produced from the turn of the twentieth century to the present. It explains the historical development of encased coins, their manufacturing methods, terminology, shapes, reverse legends, and dating practices. The catalog emphasizes New York’s outsized role due to its population, commercial density, and historical prominence, highlighting major series such as the Pan-American Exposition, the Stork Club, Gamler Jewelers, RCA television promotions, and Niagara Falls souvenirs. The work addresses valuation, originality, die varieties, maverick attribution, and research methodology, while acknowledging contributions from collectors, auctions, and archival sources. Overall, the volume serves both as a technical guide and a historical survey of New York’s commercial, social, and numismatic landscape as reflected through encased coins.
1/19/2026Catalog of Ohio Encased
This reference documents 1,478 encased coins associated with Ohio, while estimating a final total of roughly 2,000 distinct issues. Building on nearly three decades of research, the catalog traces the historical development, manufacture, terminology, and collecting challenges of encased coins from their origins around 1899 through the late twentieth century, with particular attention to Ohio’s major urban centers such as Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, and Toledo. The work provides guidance on valuation, originality, maverick attribution, and research methodology, drawing on auction records, archival sources, and collaboration with collectors.
1/19/2026Catalog of Michigan Encased
This work documents 841 known Michigan encased coins, including 267 from Detroit, with the expectation that the final total will likely reach 1,200 issues or more. The catalog explains what encased coins are, how they were made, and how they are oriented, dated, and authenticated, then lists Michigan pieces by city using a standardized numbering system based on state, city, merchant or event, and die variety. It distinguishes pieces by different dies rather than just different dates, addresses issues such as replaced coins, holed pieces, and pricing variability, and provides guidance on identifying and attributing “maverick” pieces that lack clear location information.
