Bradford Exchange's Fine-Print Subscription Plan

Lloyd Walker, 92, ordered a collector's coin from the Bradford Exchange for his great-granddaughter's birthday in July 2023. He says he was unwittingly enrolled in an auto-renewal program that he couldn't get out of for months.

The packages from the Bradford Exchange, an American company that's been selling collectibles, trinkets and jewelry since the 1970s, had been coming to his St. John's home since July.

Walker said he didn't knowingly sign up for any subscription program, nor does he want the coins he received. But despite writing to the company to cancel, Walker continued to be charged.

It started in July when Walker says he believed he ordered a single Platinum Jubilee coin of Queen Elizabeth II as a keepsake for his great-granddaughter's birthday, after spotting it in a brochure from the Bradford Exchange among other flyers in the mail.

He said nothing in the flyer led him to believe he would be signing up for anything.

The business appears to target elderly people with products they sell - many of which are advertised as gifts for grandchildren - and the way in which they sell them, she said.

To read the complete article, see:
This man, 92, thought he ordered a collector's coin. $1,000 later, the coins kept coming(https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/bradford-exchange-coins-1.7120887)

Bank of Estonia Seeks Finnish Boys Coin Designs

The Bank of Estonia has announced a competition for the design of a silver collector coin dedicated to the Finnish Boys (soomepoisid) - the thousands of Estonian volunteers who fought against the Soviet Union in World War II among the ranks of the Finnish Army.

The new Finnish Boys commemorative coin will mark the first in a new series of collector coins issued by the Bank of Estonia dedicated to resistance, the central bank announced Monday.

An estimated 3,500 Estonians fought in the Winter War and the Continuation War resisting attempted Soviet occupation "For the freedom of Finland and the honor of Estonia," as stated by the volunteers' chosen motto.

In 1944, some of the Finnish Boys also fought against the Soviet Union in Estonia, giving hope that the latter would regain its independence following successive Soviet, Nazi and Soviet occupation.

To read the complete article, see:
Bank of Estonia accepting silver coin designs commemorating Finnish Boys(https://news.err.ee/1609271642/bank-of-estonia-accepting-silver-coin-designs-commemorating-finnish-boys)

Queen Camilla to Present 2024 Maundy Coins

The Queen is set to step in for King Charles at the annual Royal Maundy Service at Worcester Cathedral.

The King continues to undergo treatment for his cancer, which has seen him miss public engagements. Behind the scenes, he continues to work on his red boxes of state papers.

On Thursday 28 March - Maundy Thursday - the Queen will hand out the traditional Royal Maundy gifts, including the ceremonial coins given to 75 men and 75 women from around the country.

The Royal Maundy Service is a notable fixture on the royal calendar, and those receiving the specially minted coins are recognised for their community service.

The tradition runs back to at least the 4th century, with the first record of a monarch taking part in 1213.

Last year, the King and Queen attended the ceremony at York Minster.

To read the complete article, see:
Queen Camilla to step in for King Charles at annual Royal Maundy Service as monarch to miss event(https://news.sky.com/story/queen-camilla-to-step-in-for-king-charles-at-annual-royal-maundy-service-as-monarch-to-miss-event-13087290)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
KING CHARLES DISTRIBUTES 2023 MAUNDY COINS(https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n15a30.html)

Panama Tomb Yields Gold Treasures

Archaeologists in Panama have uncovered the spectacular tomb of a pre-Hispanic chieftain whose funerary offerings include lavish gold items and earrings made of whale teeth, among other treasures. Dated to around 750 CE, the adult male buried within the grave is likely to have been a high-status member of the ancient Gran Coclé culture, which was famous for its gold artisanry in pre-Columbian times.

The burial was discovered within a necropolis known as the El Caño archaeological park, where other tombs as well as stone monoliths and wooden ceremonial structures have previously been found. According to the Panamanian Ministry of Culture, the site was in use between roughly 700 and 1000 CE and has already yielded a number of , each of which contains between eight and 32 bodies belonging to elites and lower-ranking individuals who were sacrificed in order to accompany their superiors in the afterlife.

Among these funerary items were five gold chest-plates, two belts of golden beads, two human-shaped earrings (one man and one woman), another earring in the form of a , and a series of circular gold plates. A further five earrings decorated with gold-capped sperm whale teeth were also found in the tomb, as were bracelets and clothing elaborated with dog teeth.

To read the complete article, see:
Dazzling Gold Treasures Found In 1,300-Year-Old Tomb In Panama(https://www.iflscience.com/dazzling-gold-treasures-found-in-1300-year-old-tomb-in-panama-73233)