The E-Sylum v26n47 November 19, 2023

[The E-Sylum]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The E-Sylum
  
  An electronic publication of
  The Numismatic Bibliomania Society


Volume 26, Number 47, November 19, 2023
** WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM NOVEMBER 19, 2023 <#a01>
** SIGNED AND INSCRIBED RED BOOKS OFFERED <#a02>
** NEW BOOK: MONNAIES FRANçAISES, 1789-2023 <#a03>
** NEW BOOKS: ALPHA BANK EXHIBIT CATALOGS <#a04>
** NEW BOOK: PAPER TIGERS <#a05>
** BOOK REVIEW: GUIDE BOOK BARBER COINS 3RD ED. <#a06>
** ANA OPENS THE READING ROOM <#a07>
** ERIC BROTHERS ON THE SUSAN B. ANTHONY DOLLAR <#a08>
** VIDEO: U.S. MINT LIMITED EDITIONS & SPECIAL FINISHES <#a09>
** NUMI: AI-POWERED COIN IDENTIFICATION APP <#a10>
** NUMI: HOW THE AI SAUSAGE IS MADE <#a11>
** TAYLOR SWIFT AND NUMISMATICS <#a12>
** NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: NOVEMBER 19, 2023 <#a13>
** MONEY MUSEUM OF THE NATIONAL BANK OF DETROIT <#a14>
** SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL QUARTER DESIGN IDEAS <#a15>
** ON CIRCULATING COMMEMORATIVE COINS <#a16>
** VOCABULARY TERM: OROIDE <#a17>
** COIN-A-RAMA CITY <#a18>
** DAVID SCHENKMAN INTERVIEW, PART THREE <#a19>
** TITANIC VICTIM JOHN GILL'S SILVER DOLLAR <#a20>
** 2024 MADISON COUNTY COIN CLUB MEDAL <#a21>
** JAMIE FRANKI ART WORK BENEFITS PAN <#a22>
** NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: NOVEMBER 19, 2023 <#a23>
** HOLABIRD NOVEMBER 2023 SALE SELECTIONS <#a24>
** ARCHIVES INTERNATIONAL HUNTSVILLE SELECTIONS <#a25>
** HAYDEN DECEMBER 2023 TOKEN SELECTIONS <#a26>
** WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: NOVEMBER 12, 2023, PART 3 <#a27>
** 3,000 ANCIENT COINS UNCOVERED IN ITALY <#a28>
** 100,000 ANCIENT COINS UNCOVERED IN JAPAN <#a29>
** COPPER COIN POT UNEARTHED IN PAKISTAN <#a30>
** ‘INVERTED JENNY’ STAMP BRINGS $2 MILLION <#a31>
** 1624 PERPETUAL DUTCH BOND STILL PAYS INTEREST <#a32>
** THE UNKNOWN SALVOR REVEALED <#a33>
** LOOSE CHANGE: NOVEMBER 19, 2023 <#a34>
** FEATURED WEBSITE: BOOKS ON COINS <#a35>






  

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To comment or submit articles, reply to whomren at gmail.com


 



Content presented in The E-Sylum  is not necessarily researched or independently fact-checked, and views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.




WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM NOVEMBER 19, 2023





New subscribers this week include: 
Harold Fears. 
Welcome aboard! 



Thank you for reading The E-Sylum. If you enjoy it, please send me the email addresses of friends you think may enjoy it as well and I'll send them a subscription. Contact me at whomren at gmail.com anytime regarding your subscription, or questions, comments or suggestions about our content. 



On this date in 1863, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.



This week we open with a signed Red Book offering, four new books, a review, updates from the ANA and Newman Numismatic Portal, and more.



Other topics this week include Barber coins, a coin identification and grading app, Taylor Swift's great-grandfather banker, 
the Money Museum of the National Bank of Detroit, oroide, Coin-A-Rama City, fixed price and auction offerings, ancient coin hoards, the Inverted Jenny, and a 1624 bond that still pays interest.



To learn more about the Alpha Bank Collection, paper money dealers, 
the Reading Room,  the Susan B. Anthony Dollar, counterfeit coins in fake PCGS holders, semiquincentennial quarter design ideas, Sprague and Blodgett's Georgia Minstrels, another numismatic Titanic relic, the Abundance medal, the Kingdom of Pomona, the Pedley Ryan dollar, mutoscopes, scrip payable in salt, John Dannreuther and I-shoulda-bought-that-when-it-was-cheap remorse, read on. Have a great week, everyone!



Wayne Homren 
Editor, The E-Sylum




For the complete story and text of the Gettysburg Address, see: 


The Writer's Almanac from Sunday, November 19, 2017

(https://thewritersalmanac.substack.com/p/the-writers-almanac-from-sunday-november-cb8)



 


Image of the week



 
   

 


 




SIGNED AND INSCRIBED RED BOOKS OFFERED


 






George Cuhaj writes:


"I am selling this week (closing on November 22nd) a bunch of Red Books inscribed to Chet Krause and either signed by RS Yeoman or Ken Bressett.



Easily found under my seller name: cuhaj, 100% donation auction to the Iola Historical Society."









By their nature, all but the earliest Red Books are easily found, but special copies like these with signatures and inscriptions are uncommon, and a direct link to important hobby figures.
-Editor



 






For more information, or to bid, see:


https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?item=115978169393&rt=nc&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l2562&_ssn=cuhaj


 














NEW BOOK: MONNAIES FRANçAISES, 1789-2023



Collectors of U.S. coins have the Red Book. Collectors of French coins have the Rouge Book. Here is the announcement for the latest edition of the Gadoury book on French coins, as it reaches the 50-year milestone. Happy birthday!
-Editor






Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2023



Author: Pastrone

Publisher: Editions V. Gadoury

Year: 2023

Language: French

Price: € 39.00



This year Gadoury is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary of the edition of the red book 1973-2023: 


TRADITIONAL NUMBERING We have integrated all the essays and pieforts into the book according to the numbering of the famous 1989 special edition. 



NEW CHAPTERS Numerous essays, pieforts and Convention, Constitution, Louis Philippe, Henri V, 1st Republic and Government of National Defense tests added in this new edition. 



MANY NEW PHOTOS The most beautiful coins sold in the best auctions around the world. 



UNPUBLISHED COINS As in each new edition, our experts have pointed out coins and variants not listed in previous editions. 



CISALPINE REPUBLIC The 6 Lire and 30 Soldi coins of the Cisalpine Republic 1800 - 1802 not listed in previous editions. 










We had to adapt to the global rise in prices and, after more than 20 years of unchanged prices, the price of this new 2023/24 edition increases to 39 euros.



For a video look at the book (narrated in French), see: 


50ème anniversaire du Livre Rouge des Monnaies Françaises 1789-2023

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBt8Vvr985c)



For more information, or to order, see:


FRENCH COINS 2023 FIFTY YEARS

(https://www.gadoury.com/en/books/monnaies-francaises-2023-cinquantenaire)

 













NEW BOOKS: ALPHA BANK EXHIBIT CATALOGS



Demetrius Siatras of Athens passed along this announcement of two new books based on exhibitions organized by the curator of the Alpha Bank Collection. Thank you!
-Editor



 






To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the creation of its world-famous Numismatic Collection, Alpha Bank recently organized two major retrospective exhibitions, one in Athens and one Bucharest, Romania.



The first exhibition under the title "The Other Side of the Coin" took place at Goulandres Museum, Athens, Greece. The catalogue presents 150 rare coins from this collection, today one of the most important of its kind.



The second exhibition under the title "Two Sides of the Same Coin" took place at the Museum of the National Bank of Romania. The catalogue presents 100 of the most important coins from the Alpha Bank Numismatic Collection, which travelled to Romania for the exhibition and explores coins as both a means of transactions and a work of art that narrates stories and captures moments from the era in which they circulated.






To remind to those interesting for Greek coins that the pioneer who organized this great collection was the Greek numismatist A. Tzamalis, who seems to have been forgotten from today's curators.



THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN: Persons - Images - Moments
by D. Tsangaris (ed,)



Athens, 2023. In English. Soft cover, 30 cm, 276 pp., ill.; net weight 1680 gr. ISBN: 978-618-5072-50-6.



Orders at: 

https://www.biblio.com/book/other-side-coin-d-tsangaris-ed/d/526197814




TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN - Means of Transactions: Masterpieces of Art

by D. Tsangaris (ed.)



Athens, 2023. In English. Hard cover, 30 cm, 192 pp.; rich illustration; net weight 1250 gr. ISBN: 9786185072520.



Orders at: 

https://www.biblio.com/book/two-sides-same-coin-means-transactions/d/1570426334




For more information on the Alpha Bank numismatic collection, see: 


https://www.alphapolitismos.gr/en/numismatic-collection/


 









 



NEW BOOK: PAPER TIGERS



Paper Money dealer Tom Denly is offering copies of Paper Money dealer Len Glazer's new book about Paper Money dealers.
-Editor






Paper Money dealers have all the fun as noted in Len Glazer's long-awaited new work. This book of 164 pages tells how Paper Money dealers enjoy themselves at shows. If you have a favorite dealer, you will find him or her in the pages that abound with pictures and illustration which tell of our way to enjoy life.



Soft Bound Book $50.00 postpaid

Hard Bound Book $80.00 postpaid



You will love this book!



Author
Len Glazer, a co-founder, and president of Currency Auctions of America, is widely recognized as one of the country's foremost authorities on paper money. Still in high school, he entered the market as a coin dealer at local trade shows and continued to buy and sell coins throughout his years at St. John's University. Before graduating, he became a recognized dealer of - and authority on - Fractional Currency. In 1975, Len founded Fractional Currency Incorporated.. In 1990, Len helped start Currency Auctions of America, Inc. Today, Len Glazer is recognized as the country's foremost authority on Fractional Currency, as well as one of the most respected figures in the entire paper money community.






Denly's of Boston

P.O. Box 29

Dedham, MA 02027



(781) 326-9481


tom at denlys.com




For more information, or to order, see:


https://www.denlys.com/



https://www.google.com/books/edition/Paper_Tigers/KEfDzwEACAAJ?hl=en


 













BOOK REVIEW: GUIDE BOOK BARBER COINS 3RD ED.



Mike Thorne published a review of the the third edition of A Guide Book of Barber Silver Coins on Numismatic News. Here's an excerpt - see the complete article online.
-Editor






Like previous editions, Bowers begins his look at the three Charles E. Barber silver series by establishing the historical context within which the new coins appeared. He recounts the work of three judges to choose the best entry from a group of submissions. In the end, the three concluded that none of the submissions were decided improvements over the then-circulating Liberty Seated design.



Of course, one of the judges was Mint Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber, and in the end, Mint Director Edward O. Leech chose Barber for the design. Unfortunately, his creations did not meet with universal acclaim. One writer began his critique with the following sentence: “The mountain has labored and brought forth a mouse.”






In one of the book’s many interesting chapters, Bowers gives the reader a look at what was happening in current events and on the numismatic scene in each of the years that Barber silver coins were produced. Having a personal interest in a few of the years, I looked at what Bowers had to say about 1905, the year my late father-in-law was born.



To read the complete article, see: 


Review of Third ‘Guide Book of Barber Silver Coins’

(https://www.numismaticnews.net/collecting-101/review-of-third-guide-book-of-barber-silver-coins)

 

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: 


NEW BOOK: GUIDE BOOK BARBER SILVER COINS 3RD ED.

(https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n26a04.html)















ANA OPENS THE READING ROOM



The ANA has created a new member benefit, an online publication called the Reading Room. Check it out during the limited free trial. I'll look forward to getting mine as an ANA member. 
-Editor



 




The team behind the American Numismatic Association's (ANA) official publication, The Numismatist, has launched the Reading Room - a brand new ANA member benefit. This online publication allows members the opportunity to stay on top of breaking industry news, access exclusive articles, read fan-favorite columns from The Numismatist, and listen to audio versions of articles on the go.



Through December 15, you can access the Reading Room, even if you aren't an ANA member. 








This virtual portal, accessible from mobile devices, tablets, and desktop computers, offers:


News articles delivered weekly, including stories not appearing in the magazine.



A weekly "Notable News" article covering numismatic headlines.



Two monthly "Reading Room Exclusive" articles covering various topics.



Access to "U.S. Coins," "Paper Money," "Tokens & Medals," and "Counterfeit Detection" two weeks before the digital edition of The Numismatist is published.



Exclusive feature articles published throughout the year.




 




A monthly eBlast to members and subscribers, "Reading Room Rundown," will include links to the editor's top five stories, a relevant article from the archive (with audio), and notable news from the world of numismatics. 



To visit the ANA Reading Room, see: 


https://readingroom.money.org/


 









 



ERIC BROTHERS ON THE SUSAN B. ANTHONY DOLLAR



Newman Numismatic Portal Project Coordinator Len Augsburger provided the following report.
-Editor




Eric Brothers on the Susan B. Anthony Dollar





The Fall 2023 issue of Financial History, recently published by the Museum of American Finance, includes an article by Eric Brothers on the Susan B. Anthony dollar. This journal often contains well-written numismatic content and deserves to be more recognized among coin and paper money collectors. 



Brothers explores the related legislation, artistic development, and public reception of this well-intentioned but failed coin. In 2022, Newman Portal scanned the Frank Gasparro papers at the American Numismatic Association, which includes additional background information on the Anthony dollar, including Gasparro’s clip file, drawings, and concept renderings of Liberty.



Image: Gasparro sketch for Susan B. Anthony dollar, courtesy of the National Museum of American History






Link to Financial History on Newman Portal: 


https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/publisherdetail/519588




Link to Frank Gasparro papers on Newman Portal: 


https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/archivedetail/801


 













VIDEO: U.S. MINT LIMITED EDITIONS & SPECIAL FINISHES



The David Lisot Video Library on the Newman Numismatic Portal can be found at:


https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/multimediadetail/522852




We highlight one of his videos each week in The E-Sylum.
Here's one from 2017 with Paul Gilkes of Coin World speaking about U.S. Mint Limited Editions & Special Finishes.
-Editor



 









Mr. Gilkes, the senior staff writer for Coin World, covers the U.S. Mint beat and has extensive knowledge of U.S Mint products. Today he will discuss certain mint items of particular interest to a large segment of modern coin lovers. Classic coin collectors, too, will gain some real insights from one of the very best numismatic reporters in the land, the one and only Paul Gilkes! Speaker: Paul Gilkes. Running time: 34:55.



To watch the complete video, see: 


https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/540312








THE BOOK BAZARRE

 A GUIDE BOOK OF AMERICAN SILVER EAGLES,  
by Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez, is volume 27 in
Whitman Publishing’s popular “Bowers Series.” It’s a history-packed reference for both investors and
collectors of the best-selling bullion series. Foreword by Q. David Bowers. 384 pages. Order your copy
online
at 
Whitman.com
, or call 1-800-546-2995.








NUMI: AI-POWERED COIN IDENTIFICATION APP



Justin Hinh has created an app using OpenAI's ChatGPT4 platform to provide coin identification and grading estimates.  Here's his description.
-Editor




Do you remember a few weeks ago when I brought up how OpenAI's artificial intelligence models were making major strides in generating realistic images of coins? Well, OpenAI just made another massive update with the release of 

GPTs. GPTs are a way to create highly customized ChatGPT apps. 



I got access to it and in less than 10 hours I was able to create the initial alpha build of Numi, a fine-tuned version of ChatGPT4 specifically made to provide objective grading estimates and coin identification.





 








You can upload up to 10 photos of a coin and the AI will run a combined analysis. You will get back info such as:

 
Short Description 



Coin Type 



Year 



Mint Mark 



Estimated Grade
 




What's cool is that you can continue the conversation with the AI to learn more about your coin. 

 
Want to know who designed the coin? 



Want to know why a certain symbol was used? 



Just follow up and ask!
 




In order to access it, you will need to have a ChatGPT Plus subscription [paid]. But here is a 

video demo of the app in action in case you don't have a subscription.



AI is making massive gains and numismatists can now create any app they want. It's amazing how in less than I day I created an app to help automate grading. I'm excited to see what others have in store.



I don't make any money from this free app as I consider it a project to help out the community. I would welcome any feedback from readers. I'm looking for ways to improve the AI model and user experience. Readers can contact me via my email 

justintsn10 at gmail.com
.



To watch the video demo, see: 


https://i.imgur.com/5rZzOVa.mp4





That was last week.  Here are Justin's updates.
-Editor




I have significantly revamped Numi to be more accurate and concise. I have also integrated Numi to have access to 

Numista's database. Users can now just not only use Numi to identify and grade their coins, but they can also follow up and ask Numi for additional facts about their coins. Facts such as:


Mintage figures


Coin values


Coin details such as composition, diameter, weight, etc





One of the main parts of building Numi was giving it highly custom instructions and grading criteria. I've been actively testing Numi with my local coin shop and at coin club meetings. It has been honestly thrilling (and a little scary) when I pull out Numi and test it live out in the field. Some collectors were blown away. Others simply scoffed and brought up memories of Compugrade back in the 1990s.



Numi's grading is still not perfect, and there are still inconsistencies. But they are decreasing by the day with more testing and fine-tuning. Readers should consider that Numi is still in the alpha stage. It's very much a proof of concept right now to validate if AI models have gotten so good that AI grading is now truly viable.



AskNumi.com
I also got a web domain for Numi. Readers can use 

AskNumi.com for easier access to the AI chatbot. Much easier than remembering 

https://chat.openai.com/g/g-A6VlWyUDW-numi



Ancient Coins
I updated Numi to handle identifying and grading ancient coins. Here are some results.



Denarius - Julius Caesar (CAESAR; Elephant)

AI Grade: Choice Very Fine (Ch VF)


Full AI Response



Video




Denarius - Sextus Pompeius

AI Grade: Choice Very Fine (Ch VF)


Full AI Response



 








If I could relay one message to readers, it would be this. The full force of Artificial Intelligence is coming to numismatics very soon. It won't impact just grading, but everything. If ChatGPT4 is this powerful, just wait until we see the release of ChatGPT5 next year.



Insights
An online collector asked me why I built Numi. Below is a copy of what I sent to them:


"Over the years, I have observed how high the barrier to entry can be to coin collecting. It can feel intimidating for new collectors to build up the courage to go to a local coin shop or coin show. And once they are there, they are bombarded with words like “grade”, “obverse”, “slabbed”, “mintage”, and hundreds of other insider terms. No wonder so many new collectors only show up once and never return. With the rise of the younger generation of collectors, I felt it was important to make numismatics as accessible as possible.



"I have been closely following the developments of OpenAI and ChatGPT. In November 2023, OpenAI released GPTs and I got access. I knew this was the chance I was waiting for. Within just 10 hours of getting access, I developed the initial build of Numi, a fine-tuned AI chatbot designed to simplify coin grading and identification for collectors of all levels.



"I built Numi for the everyday collector. An example I imagine is Numi being used by a collector who lives far away from a coin shop. Before Numi, they would take a long drive to the coin shop, only to be disappointed to learn their grading estimate was off and that it wouldn't make sense to send their coin in to a third-party grader. With Numi, they could now see if it's worth it to make that drive."





Additional Materials
Here is a video of Numi in action




PF 69 2005 S Lincoln Cent





Photo of slab



 







As seen in the video, Justin provided the app with photos of the two sides of the coin, not the complete slab and label.  Based on its evaluation of the images, it matched the slab grade - Proof 69.
-Editor




To Keep In Mind
In order to access Numi or any of the thousands of custom GPTs being made right now, users will need to have a ChatGPT Plus subscription to OpenAI [$20 a month].  



If I can validate that Numi is viable, I will work on a more open and free version of Numi so everyone can have access.  A heads up though, demand for GPTs got so high that OpenAI has 

temporary paused ChatGPT Plus signups. Hopefully they will allow signups again soon. 



Request to the community
There are two requests I have for the community/readers. 
My first request is for high-quality photos of lower graded slabbed coins. 
I do not have any graded slabs between Poor (PO) and About Uncirculated (AU). I would need at least 8 high-quality photos [4 on each side]. I will provide the reader with a copy of the results and Numi's response. 



My second request is for readers who consider themselves advanced/expert coin graders. Here is a link to a google word doc outlining the exact grading standards that Numi uses to grade coins. These grading standards were made using a combination of the top third-party grader's standards, as well as feedback I have gotten from experienced graders in the hobby. I am turning to the wisdom of the crowds to get their thoughts on the wording of these standards. If you would like to leave your thoughts to help make Numi more accurate, please consider 

leaving a comment in this google doc. Your feedback will be invaluable in making Numi more accurate for the hobby.

 


See the next article in this issue for some background on how the Numi app was created.
-Editor




for more about Justin Hinh, see: 


https://justinhinh.webflow.io/








 







NUMI: HOW THE AI SAUSAGE IS MADE



Justin Hinh kindly provided this background on how his Numi app was created using ChatGPT4. Very interesting! 
-Editor




Here's a brief overview of the development process:



Creation Effort: It took about 10 hours to develop an alpha build. The key task was fine-tuning the AI with detailed custom instructions [all written in English] and background documents [also in English] about coin grading, particularly the Sheldon scale.



Here are some of the custom instructions I used:






Directive: Process all images collectively to ensure a complete assessment. Mitigate bias by not over-relying on any single image and reconcile discrepancies to reach the most accurate conclusion.









Directive: Perform a thorough cross-reference check across all images to confirm the coin type and detect any varieties. Identify if the coin is a variety. If so, mention this and explain your justification. If it is not a variety, do not mention this.









Example Challenge and Solution: Initially, Numi struggled with identifying 's' mint marks on US coins. I updated the instructions to give it context about proof coins, and now it can better identify proof coins and give a PR grade rather than an MS grade.



Interface and Back-end: The app uses OpenAI's existing chat interface. There was no work done, or needed, to update the front-end user interface. The back-end customization involved only instructing the AI in natural language, without coding. It is possible to link the app to 3rd party APIs so the AI can interact with outside websites. One feature I will build is eBay integration so that users can pull up recently sold listing and see how much their coins [with the estimated grade] is worth.



Field Testing: I went to my local coin shop yesterday and tested the app with the shop owner. Results were mixed, with some estimates being in the ballpark while other estimates were off by as much as 20 points. I'm working on improving this by experimenting with lighting conditions and additional instructions. 



The AI is not consistent at the moment. I am testing out various lighting conditions, adding new custom instructions, etc. I'm excited when OpenAI allows videos to be uploaded instead of just photos. Videos have a lot more info and may be the key to successful grading estimates.



Ability to follow up on conversations
 One of the best things about Numi is it does much more than identify and grade coins. Users can ask follow-up questions to learn more about their coins. Users can follow up with questions such as:


Who designed this coin?
 


What are the mintage figures?
 


Tell me more about the history of this coin
 




Example Results



Jefferson Nickel - 1980 S Proof


AI Grade Given: PR 67
 

 

Photos Used

 

 

Full AI Response

 




Lincoln Wheat Cent - 1948 D


AI Grade Given: VF 20 - VF 25
 

 

Photos Used

 

 

Full AI Response

 




Mexico One Peso - 1971


AI Grade Given: VF 20
 

 

Photos Used

 

 

Full AI Response

 




Another collector asked me how I built Numi and what I think is next. Below was my response:


"I built Numi using only natural language. No coding was necessary and no photos or training were involved. My value add was creating highly customized instructions to try to get a grade corresponding with the top TPG's grading standards. The base core model is GPT4, which everyone has access to.



"My bet is that by the end of this year, the concept of AI Grading will start to be taken seriously by the hobby. By the end of next year, especially if GPT5 is released, AI Grading will be accepted as a valid way to test coins before TPG submission."





I'd appreciate it if readers could send photos of their slabbed coins (8-10 photos, 4-5 per side, with the grade out of view for testing. Once I run the analysis, I'll report back to the reader and then they can give me the grade of the coin [if they know]. 



I would also love to get feedback from advanced/expert coin graders on Numi's current grading criteria. You can see the exact criteria in this

Google word doc and leave comments there.



Readers can contact me at 

justintsn10 at gmail.com. I am also actively updating the app and posting results on my 

Instagram page for those who would like to follow my progress.




Impressive. 
It's not the first attempt to automate these tasks, and it won't be the last. We'll look forward to further reports as the technology develops.



In the past I've remarked to people that when I started The E-Sylum I wasn't writing a newsletter, I was building a website - and now our archive holds over 33,000 numismatic articles and 55,000 images.  When I began my Coin Library website (before joining forces with the Newman Numismatic Portal) I told some people that I wasn't building a website, I was building a database of numismatic images - with the goal of someday training a computer program to recognize numismatic items visually.



NNP moved more in the direction of digitizing text, but it does have a lot of images.  I remember a year or two ago when Len Augsburger reported that bots were driving a ton of traffic to the site - we figured it was just companies offering print-on-demand versions of out of copyright works.  In the back of my mind though, I remember thinking, "...or it's artificial intelligence becoming sentient."



I didn't say that part out loud for fear of being thought of as a tinfoil-hat weirdo, and the "becoming sentient" part was a joke (we're still a long way from that). But I wouldn't be surprised if AI companies the likes of OpenAI were sucking up massive quantities of data to train their models.  And all the coin images and descriptions, not just on NNP but everywhere, from every auction and dealer site in the world were a part of that. That's an immense amount of information that no one human could fully comprehend, let alone read in an entire lifetime.  This could get interesting very quickly.
-Editor


 

For more information on GPTs, see: 


Introducing GPTs

(https://openai.com/blog/introducing-gpts)



To read some related articles, see: 


GPT is a New Type of Computer

(https://embracingenigmas.substack.com/p/gpt-is-a-new-type-of-computer)


Opinion  How AI could revolutionize banking and eliminate much of the risk

(https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/11/17/ai-big-banks-risks/)



for more about Justin Hinh, see: 


https://justinhinh.webflow.io/




To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: 


THE HISTORY OF THE COIN LIBRARY

(https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n51a09.html)


NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: OCTOBER 8, 2023 : AI-Generated Numismatic Images

(https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n41a14.html)







 







TAYLOR SWIFT AND NUMISMATICS





Readers were just as amused as Len Augsburger with my news that I would be 
 "flying to Zurich for a Taylor Swift concert" next year. -Editor




Jim Haas writes:


"Congratulations on your trip to the Taylor Swift concert. That’ll teach you"





Dave Schenkman writes:


"I never realized that you were a Swiftie, Wayne."









Well, I wasn't. but I guess I am now.
-Editor




Loren Gatch writes:


"While she is technically not a "nepo baby", fans of Tay Tay are well aware that she grew up in financially comfortable circumstances, with bankers as part of her lineage, starting with her father. In particular, her paternal great-grandfather, Archie Dean Swift, Sr. (1877-1961) was active during the national banking era first as Cashier at the Elk County National Bank of Ridgway, PA (charter #5014) and then later as Cashier and President of the Central National Bank of Philadelphia, PA (charter #723).



"Banker Swift's profile, with picture, can be accessed at the SPMC's new National Bank Lookup website. This provides access to the SPMC's Banks & Bankers Database, which includes historical data on all 14,348 National Banks that were chartered between 1863 and 1935. It also includes information on 65,000+ bankers, with all the bank Presidents & Cashiers listed in the OCC reports from 1867-1935, as well as many other potential banknote signers (VPs & Asst Cashiers). 



"You don't need to be a member of the SPMC to use this interface; it's open to the public. All you need is the charter number of the bank (#5014 or #723). You can also search the database by city and state, which will produce lists of the banks and bankers active in those places (SPMC members can search by banker name by signing in through the SPMC website).



"People interested in browsing the public access to this database can use the following link: 

U.S. National Bank Lookup (1863-1935) (spmc.org)"


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