Len Augsburger writes:

Regarding the design of the Union Shield cent, Arthur Shippee writes:

Regarding the National Public Radio transcript of a piece on the Union Shield cent, Pete Smith writes:

Last week Fred Schwan described how members of the Military Payment Certificate (MPC) collecting community often collect particular "numbers" - serial number, plate position number, etc. Describing Larry Smulczenski's favorite number 39, Fred asked, "Can anyone figure out why he collects this particular number?"

Pete Smith writes:

Pete's first guess was correct about Larry's obsession with the number 39. Fred writes: "It is his age and has been for many years."

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:NUMBER NUTS: COLLECTING SPECIALLY NUMBERED BANKNOTES(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n51a16.html)

Spectrum Group International, Inc. (SPGZ.PK) announced today that its subsidiary Bowers and Merena Auctions, one of the world's pre-eminent auctioneers of rare coins and currency, has entered into an agreement with Stack's, the oldest rare coin retail and auction company in the U.S., to combine their operations.

The new company, which will be known as Stack's-Bowers Numismatics, with a world coin division to be known as Stack's-Bowers and Ponterio, will be owned 51% by Bowers and Merena Auctions and 49% by Stack's. The closing, which is subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions, is expected to take place in early 2011.

Greg Roberts, president and chief executive officer of Spectrum Group (SGI), commented, �We believe that this combination, once consummated, will create a major player in the coin industry. Stack's had over $65 million in aggregate sales in 2010 and between them, the two companies have handled many of the significant coin collections that have sold at public auction, including the Eliasberg Sales, the Norweb Sales and the Ford Collections.�

To read the complete article, see:BOWERS AND MERENA AUCTIONS TO JOIN FORCES WITH STACK'S TO CREATE STACK'S-BOWERS NUMISMATICS(www.coinlink.com/News/auction-news/bowers
-and-merena-auctions-and-stacks-announce-merger/)