The Constitution and 'In God We Trust'
Ben Weiss writes:

To read the Wikipedia entry, see:
In God We Trust (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_We_Trust)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
BOOK REVIEW: IN GOD WE TRUST (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n42a07.html)

Fact-Checking the Stella-Bordello Connection

I saw the note regarding the $4 Stella Stack's Bowers Galleries has in the November Baltimore auction and thought I would drop a note since I wrote the historicaldescription for that coin. I had heard about the purported brothel connection for decades ever since I first saw reference to it in Breen's encyclopedia. Sure enough, justchecked my copy:

He even includes this note under #6408:

Unfortunately, Breen makes no specific citations for the original newspaper stories and I couldn't find any such references in contemporary news accounts other than a fewbanal announcements of new bills authorizing the coins in Congress. Considering his sometimes rather questionable/exaggerated scholarship and the lack of reference to primarysource materials, I chalked it up to artistic license or recounting a second- and third-hand story, so I have studiously avoided stating that story as fact. Makes for great copybut poor scholarship.

There are certainly many impaired examples - I actually cataloged such an example in an earlier sale. The coin is a great candidate for jewelry: not too large and not toosmall, plus I can see how the large star makes it particularly appealing for that purpose. Interesting stuff and hopefully someday we can get to the source of that story.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
HOW THE $4 STELLAS CAME TO BE (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n42a21.html)

Was Charles Ira Bushnell really an Uncle of the Chapman Brothers?
Julia Casey writes:

Pete Smith adds:

To read the Bushnell ANB bio entry on the Newman Numismatic Portal, see:
Charles Ira Bushnell (https://nnp.wustl.edu/Library/PersonDetail/380)

More Paperboy Collecting Stories

I just read "Paperboy Collecting Lessons" in the 9 October edition of The E-Sylum. Here is my story:

I had some newspaper routes beginning in the late '50s through the mid-'60s on Long Island in NY. Not surprisingly, I collected one-cent pieces. I never found asingle Indian Head penny or those half dozen or so key Lincoln dates. Nonetheless, I enjoyed searching.

I lived in a very hilly area and had one customer who lived on a very steep hill. She always appreciated that I got her newspaper delivered to her front door nice and dry, evenon days with such heavy snow that no car could make it up that hill (I left my bicycle at the bottom of the hill and walked up). Six days of delivery cost thirty cents; a fewcustomers might give me an extra five-cent tip. This old-to-me woman, however, would give me a half dollar every Saturday. Almost always it was a Walking Liberty; otherwise it wasa Franklin. Saving pennies for a collection was affordable; even though it was strain, I did put aside those Walkers-I really liked the design. No, I never received any 1921s.Duplicates and Franklins went into the bank, along with all of my other earnings. Between that and the money I earned from shoveling snow (no snow-throwers in those days!), I hadenough to pay for my first year of college!

But there is more. Since all I could afford to collect were the pennies and halves, I never looked at other coins that went through my hands before the bank. On one Saturday(collection day), my eye happened to be caught by this one particular five-cent piece. I could clearly see the S mint mark below the buffalo on the plain, and then flipping itover saw the bold 1913 date. I don't know why, but I decided to look it up in my Red Book. It had a value of $35. What should I do? I don't collect nickels. Maybe I couldsell it, but I don't know how. I should probably just put it in the bank as usual. As I held it, I fell victim to the beauty of James Earle Fraser's design. And thus Iexpanded my collection to include Indian Head nickels. I eventually picked up the attractive Standing Liberty quarter dollars since it was a short series (with lots of holes).

My paper carrier career afforded me the opportunity to search through a reasonable amount of change (without roll searching from banks) and build a relatively nice, strictlypocket-change collection. Thank you Long Island Press.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
PAPERBOY COLLECTING LESSONS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n40a30.html)

Wife's Coin Collection Plan
John Regitko of Toronto, Canada writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
WHAT'S YOUR COLLECTION EVACUATION PLAN? (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n42a24.html)