U.S. Mint Director correspondence for the period July 14, 1885 to October 8, 1885. From the U.S. National Archives & Records Administration (NARA), record group 104 (U.S. Mint), entry 235, volume 39. Courtesy of Roger W. Burdette.
Numismatics International Bulletin, Numismatics International
Description:
May-June 2018, vol. 53, nos. 5-6.
Redgy Dewulf, whose article is cited on pp. 78-79, clarified in email to NNPCurator@wustl.edu (11/21/2020): "In 'The Patard of Philip the Fair with Tower Countermark', NI May /June 2018, the subtleties of my 2017 article entitled 'That damned (sic) 'Tournai' countermark' are rendered with much accuracy. Nonetheless, allow me to reproduce part of my original article I borrowed from the most distinguished Dutch numismatists H. Enno van Gelder and J.S. Boersma's booklet 'Munten in muntvondsten', Bussum 1967 'Coins in coin finds', and which is crucial for understanding. It reads as follows: 'Around 1557 a distinction arose between serious money (gold coins and high alloy silver) and small change (in silver bullion less than 50% pure or other silver that was not pure). The latter lost much of its value'. In my opinion the tower countermark had to confirm the value of that low alloy stivers which otherwise would have lost much of their value."