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        by Published on 07-21-2012 10:55 AM
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        Tesserae from the famous Greek city of Corinth usually take the form of amid-sized piece struck in bronze. Although sharing similar types with the circulating coins, the crude nature of these uniface pieces haslead most authors to exclude them from the catalogs of the 'official'issues of the city. I ...
        by Published on 01-27-2012 10:26 AM
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        Behind every 19th century campaign medal is a story. Some of the candidates for whom these medals were struck are all but forgotten today. I collect anything numismatic (coins, tokens, medals and notes). I also collect historical sources which explain the time and circumstances of their issuance. I’d like to share with you some of both collections.

        Sullivan’s American Political Badges and Medalets catalogs 387 medals and buttons for the elections spanning 1840-1856.(1) By comparison, a mere 57 medals were issued for the five preceding elections. It is perhaps no coincidence that this increase occurs at the same time American democracy was evolving. In 1820, state legislators, and not the popular vote, selected presidential electors in nine of the 24 states.
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        by Published on 01-14-2012 05:20 PM
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        Wales, Anglesey DH 252c (RR) • Druid Penny Pattern by William Williams

        William Williams, of London, struck fewer than 30 examples of this pattern variety. It has a plain, rough edge and was struck not in collar. Most Druid tokens had a lettered edge and upset rims. Williams was originally a grinder and latterly a button manufacturer, with a business at 103 St. Martin’s Lane, Charing Cross, London.

        It is thought he was Welsh which reinforces his relationship with Parys Mines and Thomas Williams.

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        by Published on 01-12-2012 04:55 AM
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        Zavala County is a county located in the state of Texas. Its county seat is Crystal City. Zavala is named for Lorenzo de Zavala, Mexican politician, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, and first vice president of the Republic of Texas.

        The town of Crystal City
        is located some 92 miles (148 km) southwest of San Antonio and 35 miles (56 km) from the Mexico border. The city site was platted by land developers Carl F. Groos and E.J. Buckingham on the Cross S Ranch. They named the city for the many crystal-clear springs (used for irrigation) in the area. The arrival of a railroad assured the city’s development as a processing, packing, and shipping centre for vegetables, especially spinach grown in the surrounding area. The city became known as the “Spinach Capital of the World”.
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        by Published on 12-24-2011 04:15 PM
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        The Duchy of Prussia was founded in 1525 by Albrecht von Brandenburg. He was the last magister of the Teutonic Order. In 1525 Albrecht became a Protestant, and secularized the lands that belonged to the Order.

        Consequently, Albrecht von Brandenburg became the first Prussian Duke. In that historical period the Kingdom of Poland was the one of the strongest countries in Central and Eastern Europe. And that is why Duchy of Prussia became a Polish vassal.

        During the long reign of Duke Albrecht von Brandenburg (1525-1568), Prussia became a rather rich country. Moreover, Prussia became the one of Europes foremost educational centers, including the famous Koenigsberg University, which was founded in 1544.
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        by Published on 12-24-2011 07:34 AM
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        The Morgan silver dollar was first produced in 1878 only because of the avarice of the western silver mine owners, who were producing vast amounts of silver from their newly discovered mines and had no outlet for their product. Several European countries had given up the silver standard for their coinage and had reverted to gold, as a result, they not only exited the silver market, but they also had silver for sale.

        As a result of the massive amounts of silver that the western mines had begun to produce, the open market value of silver had begun to plunge. The western mine owners decided to do what all honest American business owners did, then and today. They approached and pressured Congress to help them to use their product.

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