It was great to read in the November 2017 issue of the ANA's "Numismatist" magazine that the Indian Chief depicted on the Half and Quarter Eagle gold coins, beginning in 1908, has finally been definitively identified. The proud Indian Chief is Brule' Sioux tribe Hollow Horn Bear. It's taken over 100 years but it shows that even well known coin types still benefit from rigorous research.�

Collecting ancient coins depicting ancient architectural buildings, temples, and monuments is a popular specialist area of ancient coin study. This popular book on the subject reviews many of the most famous structures to appear on ancient coins, including the Temple of Jerusalem. The book is full of maps, architectural drawings, and line drawings of coins that allow the reader to see the smallest details. Many temple lay-outs are included so that the scale of the buildings, often just seen from the entrance, can be appreciated. This fine hardback volume is a medium-large format of 242 pages and was published by Krause in 1999. The book was written by Marvin Tameanko. Prices for the book are very low ($12.30 on Amazon) considering the quality and interesting reading contained in this book.

In your never ending quest to seek out and learn about REALLY interesting world coins you may happen upon the tragic series of coins from the Lotz Ghetto of Litzmannstadt. Following the invasion of Poland (1939) by the forces of the 3rd Reich of Germany, the Nazis set up an illusion of a "self administered" Jewish enclave in an occupied Polish town. They did this by walling in a section of town in Litzmannstadt, which already had a robust Jewish population. They forced the poor inhabitants into forced labor while they slowly starved the elderly and the leaders. Those were the good times, because beginning in 1942 they started moving some of the Jews to the extermination camps.

Early Japanese Coins is the latest catalog of pre-Meiji copper, gold and silver coins. �As �well as official issues, the often decorative provincial issues are covered. A selection of the intriguing Japanese amulets known as E-sen is also included. It replaces Munro and other western works. It is designed to be used both by advanced collectors who have some knowledge of characters, and beginners who will find the layout easy to follow and will quickly gain a knowledge of this coinage. It draws on historical, as well as the latest western and Japanese numismatic sources, and describes the circumstances under which many of the coins were issued and used. Guides to the Japanese language are given, and maps and lists of era names and rulers add to the background information. There is a description of how the coins were made, illustrated from a contemporary document. What I found particularly valuable was a guide to the varieties �found in the Tempo Tsuho series of oval coins. These are readily available at reasonable prices with rare varieties for those who become specialists. A rarity guide, linked to an approximate value, is provided for each coin. The author has been studying and collecting Far Eastern coins for over fifty years, and has also written the prize winning Cast Chinese Coins, and the definitive Qing Cash, books that I also have and will review here. Even if you can't collect them the book will provide an excellent education on this important field.

#1 It's not in great shape and they come in several varieties, I have two different large dollar sized ones. I have one that's considerably smaller but with the same US Army soldier taking aim, the reverse of that one has the "Lord's Prayer." These were intended to be given to soldiers as a 'pocket piece' by family as a reminder from home and a comfort during battle. These relate to the response by the USA to the border incursion by Pancho Villa on the community of Columbus, New Mexico. Please add a comment if you'd like to see more from the USA / Mexico Border Wars of 1916 - 1917.