Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 7, Number 26, June 28, 2004:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2004, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.


LAKE BOOKS SALE #75

  Fred Lake writes: "Lake Books announces that its sale #75
  is now available for viewing at: Current Sale

  The sale contains 491 lots of fine numismatic reference
  material covering a wide variety of subjects. The U.S.
  section features Bowers & Ruddy (Merena) sale catalogs
  hardbound by year, a nice run of Thomas Elder emissions
  and many of W.Elliot Woodward sales. The hard to find
  two-volume set of Dave Bowers' Silver Dollars & Trade
  Dollars in mint condition is offered and the very scarce
  Empire Investors Report in original copies is listed.
  Early Copper specialists will find books by Sheldon,
  Noyes, Lapp, Jack Robinson, etc. to add to their libraries.

  Ancient coinage, Token & Medal works, Paper Money
  and Guidebooks are also to be found. Books relating to
  treasure coinage, banking histories are listed in the
  miscellaneous section.

  The sale has a closing date of July 27, 2004. Bids may
  be entered by email, fax, telephone or via U.S. Mail."


INCREASING NBS MEMBERSHIP ROLLS

  David M. Sundman of Littleton Coin Co., Inc., writes:
  "I read with interest the recent report that "there were still
  more than 100 former members who have not renewed for
  the current year.

  For many years I was a member of the NBS, and
  mysteriously to me, about a year ago I discovered I wasn't
  receiving The Asylum.   I had my assistant Melissa Plasencia
  check into this, and was shocked to discover that the notice
  appeared in a certain issue of The Asylum.  As I don't read
  each issue-but save them all, I eventually discovered the
  problem of my lapsed membership when I found I was
  missing some issues.

  From my experience managing a coin business with more than
  150,000 active customers employing 325 staff, I can advise
  you that there is a direct link between the declining membership
  of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society and the current renewal
  request technique.  If I used such hidden message as you are
  using to retain customers, I wouldn't be able to afford the
  computer to send you this email.

  Personally, I believe the NBS's present method of renewal is
  crazy.  It may make things easy for the NBS - but it does not
  make it easy for the NBS member? thus your high dropout
  rate.  I doubt that any for-profit publication would run their
  renewal effort this way as it is guaranteed to increase your
  discontinued rate because you have made it difficult for the
  member/subscriber.  The NBS should do a separate renewal
  mailing, just as all publications do.   Even though it adds a little
  to the expense side, it is the only way you are going to grow
  the organization membership."

  Numismatic Bibliomania Society President Pete Smith writes:
  "Thank you for your comments. We have had general
  discussion about our renewal process at board meetings but
  no uniform policy. Each of the Secretary/Treasurers on our
  board has handled the process differently with varied emphasis
  on e-mail notification, Asylum notification and letters.

  It is obvious that we need to do more. We will discuss this again
  at our board meeting in Pittsburgh."


NBS LIFE MEMBERSHIP

  One way to bypass the membership renewal process is to
  become a Life Member.  It's been a while since we mentioned
  this option in The E-Sylum, so here goes.   According to the
  NBS constitution, Life Members are members who pay 20
  years of regular membership dues in full in advance.  At our
  current rate of $15 per year to addresses in North America,
  this equates to $300.  See the next item for our Secretary-
  Treasurer's address.


25TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE DEADLINE APPROACHING

  Asylum Editor E. Tomlinson Fort writes: "As has been stated
  here over the past few weeks, July 1 is the deadline for those
  who want to join the NBS or renew their membership in order
  to receive our special 25th anniversary issue this summer. The
  application for can be found at coinbooks.org
  and send it along with a cheque for $15 ($20 outside the US)
  to our treasurer [see below]

  In more Asylum news: The Spring issue is at the printer and
  should be in the post within a fortnight or so. Believe it or not,
  work on the Summer issue has been proceeding according to
  schedule. It is hoped that it will be on its way to the printer
  after the July 4 weekend."

  W. David Perkins
  NBS Secretary-Treasurer,
  P.O. Box 3888, Littleton, CO  80161-3888.
  email address: wdperki at attglobal.net


POLITICS, NUMISMATICS & THE E-SYLUM

  From last week's E-Sylum: "Illustrating the divisions that
  surround Reagan's legacy is the following note ..."

  Warner Talso writes: "I suggest you keep political diatribes
  out of the E-Sylum.  I understand how you justify this
  "illustration", but this is truly a slippery slope."

  Myron Xenos writes: "Sunday nights always afford me a
  chance to gain some more numismatic knowledge, thanks to
  The E-sylum. This Sunday, however, disturbed me more than
  a little. I refer to the posthumous denigration of Pres. Ronald
  Reagan. I would like to take this opportunity to suggest to the
  readers and contributors to The E-Sylum that this seems like
  an inappropriate forum in which to vent one's political
  persuasions. It would seem that "Letters to the Editor" in such
  newspapers as Numismatic News or Coin World would be a
  more useful venue.   It would be a shame to turn The E-Sylum
  into a political opinion column and cause it to lose its novel
  approach to disseminating information literally world-wide.
  Even the writings of some of our esteemed authors and writers
  lose their punch when political agendas rear their heads,
  especially prior to elections. I would prefer to keep The
  E-Sylum more narrowly defined in its goal of numismatic truth."

  [I very rarely turn down any submission, and in the past have
  published opinions from both sides of the political fence, as long
  as there was a connection, preferably numismatic, to an ongoing
  discussion.  Having just discussed several proposals for
  honoring Reagan, I didn't feel it would be out of line to include
  a short opinion from the opposite camp.

  Editing things out is just as slippery a slope as leaving
  certain things in - it is difficult to know where to draw the line
  and inevitably some party will feel wronged.  Publishing any
  plan to honor a public figure is almost guaranteed to generate
  a counter from the opposite camp.   Should we have not
  published the several Reagan proposals in the first place?
  That doesn't feel right, either.  Any coinage proposal is fair
  game.

  The majority of our writers self-censor their comments,
  making such decisions unnecessary.  This is certainly what I
  prefer, as dealing with political issues is nothing I have the time
  or patience for.  So please, let's heed Warner and Myron's
  advice and keep our comments focused on numismatics.
  Thank you.    -Editor]


MEDAL OF FREEDOM AWARDS

  Now here's a headline President Reagan would have
  been shocked to read: "Medal for President Hinckley is 94th
  birthday present"

  "It comes from Utah's Deseret Morning News and the
  Hinckley mentioned is not Reagan's would-be assassin
  (whose last name is spelled differently), but Mormon
  Church President Gordon B. Hinckley, who
  "received a rare gift for his 94th birthday Wednesday - a
  Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian
  award."

  "He was one of 13 recipients honored at an East Room
  ceremony. Others included such people as Pope John Paul II
  (who received his medal recently when Bush visited the
  Vatican), golfer Arnold Palmer, actress Rita Moreno,
  cosmetics company founder Estee Lauder and National
  Geographic Society chairman Gilbert M. Grosvenor.

  "President Hinckley, smiling and walking briskly, joked with
  Bush as he placed the gold medal around his neck. When
  President Hinckley was asked later what the two said, he
  responded, "I was so awestruck that I can't remember what
  he said."

  "To show how much the treatment of his church has
  improved since early persecution, President Hinckley
  contrasted his high honor Wednesday with how Joseph
  Smith, the first president of the church, was treated when
  he visited Martin Van Buren in the White House in 1839.

  "They came here to plead the case for our people who
  had been despoiled and persecuted and driven, and were
  turned down by President Van Buren - who said, 'If I
  help you, I will lose the state of Missouri,' and rebuffed him."

  "The Medal of Freedom was established by President
  Truman in 1945 to recognize civilians for their service in
  World War II. It was reinstated by President Kennedy in
  1963 to honor distinguished service.

  Past winners include former U.S. presidents Carter, Ford
  and Reagan; current Secretary of State Colin Powell (who
  attended the ceremony Wednesday); former South African
  president Nelson Mandela; civil rights activist Jesse Jackson;
  and former Czech President Vaclav Havel."  Full Article

  [This web site has more information on the Medal of
  Freedom:  medaloffreedom.com.  -Editor]


NBS SILVER ANNIVERSARY MEDAL?

  Adrián González Salinas of Monterrey, N.L. México writes:
  "As always, I enjoy reading The E-Sylum every Monday
  morning. It's a superb electronic publication!

  In accordance with NBS' 25th Anniversary I would like to
  suggest the possibility to manage the striking of a
  commemorative medal about this important fact.  The medal
  could be rectangular or square with The Asylum Vol. 1 No.
  1 cover in the obverse.   On the reverse could be the names
  of the founders, for example.

  This medal could produces some funds for our Society.
  It would be interesting to know the reader's comments."


LAST CALL FOR CATALOGUE CENSUS

  Karl Moulton writes: "This is the LAST CALL for submitting
  your 19th century American auction catalogues for the census
  that is being conducted by the NBS.

  There has been a good response so far, considering that this
  is the first attempt at such a compilation.  Unfortunately, there
  are several large, privately held libraries that haven't been able
  to respond for various reasons.  However, the results, which
  are to be published in The Asylum, should be a nice guideline
  for those interested in knowing the numbers of these catalogues
  still extant.

  Question: where did all of the nearly 5,000 Wylie hoard
  catalogues end up?

  For further information, please contact Karl Moulton at
  numiscats at aol.com."


NEW "SMALL CHANGE" MONOGRAPHS PUBLISHED

  Paul Withers writes: "We have again been busy writing
  and our laser-printer has been working overtime.  This week
  sees the publication of two more monographs in our
  'Small Change' series.

  IV    The Halfpennies and Farthings of
          Edward IV to Henry VII

  V     The Small Silver of Henry VIII to the Commonwealth

  Vol VI,  Irish Small Silver John to Edward VI was published
  a short while back.

  The cost is 12 GBP per vol. For those collectors of the British
  hammered coin series in the USA who want copies this equates
  to 26 US$ for one, 50 US$ for two.  We accept US personal
  cheques.  Further details from our website: galata.co.uk

  We are currently working on Scottish silver coins that are
  smaller than a penny - Alexander III to James III, so if you
  have anything unusual or interesting, do let us know - and send
  us a nice clear image or scan."


CANADIAN MINT PRESENTS GOLD BAR

  This week The Royal Canadian Mint donated a gold bar to
  the Canadian Cancer Society:

  "The Royal Canadian Mint presented a gold bar worth
  $72,924 to the Canadian Cancer Society yesterday at its
  historic Sussex Drive headquarters. The donation represents
  the portion of the proceeds pledged from the sales of the
  Mint's 2003 Golden Daffodil Coin."

   "The Mint donated $2 from every 2003 Golden Daffodil
  coin sold to support the Society's five priorities - prevention,
  advocacy, research, information and support."

  [The coin is a proof silver 50 cent piece with a mintage of
  55,000.  Interestingly, the coin's designer is Royal Canadian
  Mint Engraver Christie Paquet, who bears the same last name as
  U.S. Mint engraver Anthony C. Paquet.   Is anyone aware of
  a family connection between the two?  -Editor]

  To read the full story, complete with images, see: Full Article


'SC, OTHER SIGNATURE ABBREVIATIONS REVEALED

  Last week Art Tobias questioned what the "Sc" in
  "W.L.Ormsby Sc. N Y" stands for.  Boy, did he ever come
  to the right place for an answer.

  Arthur Shippee writes: "Sc N.Y. suggests to me Schenectady"
  That's a plausible explanation, but there's another more
  likely answer.  Ken Barr was among the first to discover it
  with a clever Internet search.  He writes:  "Let me be one
  of presumably many to report that ...

  Sc. or Sculp.  Sculpsit, He engraved it.

  Source: Source

  "sc." by itself was too broad a Google search term, so I
  "cheated" by searching for "sc. fecit", figgering that the two terms
  were related ..."

  Wendell Wolka writes: "Some terms referring to the engraver
  or etcher, the craftsman who created the printed image:

  "f., fec., fect., fecit., fac., faciebat: made by or did.
  Aquatinta fecit: engraved in aquatint by.
  Lith., litho., lithog: lithographed by.
  Sc., sculp., sculpsit., sculpt: carved or engraved.
  Exc., exct., excudit: struck out or made. "

  Early bank note engravers used both "Sc" or "fct".
  So "W.L. Ormsby Sc. NY" would be the equivalent of saying
  "Engraved by W.L. Ormsby New York".

  print_terms.html"

  Dave Bowers writes: "Sc = Sculpsit, in this case, "engraved it."
  Ormsby made transfer rolls (as used in the siderographic
  process for bank notes) with RAISED designs on them, which
  were then transferred by Colt to the firearms."

  Alan V. Weinberg, Gene Hessler and Joe Boling also submitted
  "Sculpsit" as the answer.

  Dick Johnson writes: "Art Tobias should have asked any
  medalist (or medal collector!) worth his salt the meaning of
  "Sc."  This abbreviation is among seven such abbreviations
  found on, ironically, both paper engravings and medallic
  engraving. "Sc" means "sculpsit" Latin for he (or she) sculpted
  it or made it.

  Medalists are familiar with this and the other six abbreviations.
  The most common is "Fecit" or simply "F" after a name, very
  similar to Sc, it means he (or she) did it (or made it, or created
  it).

  Others are "Del" or "Des" meaning delineated it (as a rough
  sketch) and designed it (a sketch with most all details). Both
  of these are further abbreviated as "D" and obviously you do
  not know which abbreviation was intended, but "designed it"
  covers it.

  More obscure are "Inv" Latin for invenit, the person who
  invented or created it, and "Inc" Latin for incisit, the executor
  of the design.

  Most rare is "Mod" the person who models the relief, Latin
  modellavit.  Obviously you won't find this on flat engraving,
  as for paper money (unless it was copied from a relief), but it
  has appeared on medals.

  Most numismatists mispronounce "fecit." It is notable for
  appearing on certain U.S. coins.  Gobrecht signed his1836
  Seated Liberty silver dollar with both "F" and "Fec" after his
  name on the base of the obverse device or below.  Unknowing
  collectors say something like 'fek-it" or "fac-it."  The
  correct pronunciation is "FEE-sit."

  Among medallic sculptors, they chide each other by referring
  to fecit as  "faked it."  As "Hey Bill I see you signed your
  model Jones Faked It!"  Perhaps you could chide a fellow
  sculptor, but NOT a superior artist. I can't imagine anyone
  saying that to August St-Gaudens or Adolph Weinman.

  That should answer Art Tobias question about "W.L. Ormsby
  Sc N Y" and explain what "Sc" stands for.  But, tell me, what
  does that strange "N Y" stand for?"


MOTTO QUIZ ANSWER

  Last week we asked who was the person who first suggested
  the slogan, "In God We Trust" for U.S. coinage.  The bonus
  question was, "in what publication was this fact first
  documented?"

  So far, there has been no response to the bonus question.
  As for the main question,  Ray Williams writes: "The answer to
  your question is a minister from Pennsylvania, M. R.
  Watkinson on November 13, 1861.  Those were truly troubled
  times in our history!"

  David Ganz writes: "From the records of the Treasury
  Department,  it appears that the first suggestion of the
  recognition of the Deity on the coins of the United States was
  contained in a letter addressed to the Secretary of the
  Treasury, Hon. Salmon P. Chase, by the Rev. M. R.
  Watkinson, Minister of the Gospel, Ridleyville, Pa., under
  date of November 13, 1861.

  "One fact touching our currency has hitherto been seriously
  overlooked, I mean the recognition of the Almighty God in
  some form in our coins," Rev. Watkinson wrote to Secretary
  Chase.   "You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic
  were now shattered beyond reconstruction? Would not the
  antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our
  past that we were a heathen nation?   What I propose is that
  instead of the goddess of liberty we shall have next inside the
  13 stars a ring inscribed with the words "perpetual union";
  within this ring the allseeing eye, crowned with a halo; beneath
  this eye the American flag, bearing in its field stars equal to the
  number of the States united; in the folds of the bars the words
  "God, liberty, law."  This would make a beautiful coin, to
  which no possible citizen could object.  This would relieve us
  from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us
  openly under the Divine protection we have personally
  claimed. "From my heart I have felt our national shame in
  disowning God as not the least of our present national disasters.
  To you first I address a subject that must be agitated," he
  concluded.

  A week later, on November 20, 1861, Secretary Chase wrote
  to James Pollock, the Director of the Mint, "No nation can be
  strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His
  defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared
  on our national coins."

  He concluded with a mandate: "You will cause a device to be
  prepared without unnecessary delay with a motto expressing
  in the fewest and tersest words possible this national recognition."

  [For more information, see my own web site: ingodwetrust.html
  -Editor]

  Gene Hessler writes: "Regarding the use of "In God We Trust"
  on coins, readers might be interested in an article I wrote for
  PAPER MONEY in 1978:  Precursors of the Motto "In God
  We Trust." "God and our Right," and "In God is our Trust"
  were used on some interest-bearing treasury notes and
  compound interest treasury notes during the Civil War.
  Although not authorized for use on paper money until 1957,
  "In God We Trust" appears on the back of the $5 silver
  certificate, Series 1986.   The reverse of the Morgan silver
  dollar is part of the design with "In God We Trust" clearly
  visible."


COUNTERFEITS OF CURRENT COINS SEEN AGAIN?

  Arthur Shippee reported the following item from
  The Ethicist, a column in the latest New York Times
  Magazine:

  Q: "I have a counterfeit quarter. I don't know where I picked
  it up, but it is obviously fake. Spending it would be wrong.
  It is hard to imagine the police taking an interest in it, so I have
  not reported it. But maybe this reluctance to report a fake
  25-cent piece is why counterfeiters coin quarters in the first
  place. Can you solve my two-bit problem?"

  A: "It would not be honorable either to spend the fake or to
  pass it along to another sucker. If someone steals my TV,
  I may not replace it by burgling the house next door. But
  I'm with you: the intriguing question is, Who would bother
  to counterfeit a quarter? In your place, I'd have it mounted
  and framed, a monument to the grotesque squandering of
  human ingenuity (you know, like prime-time TV).

  Curiously, I have witnessed the shadowy world of the
  counterfeit quarter. When I was a teenager, I took a metal-
  shop class where we were taught sand-casting, which for
  the timid majority like me meant pressing a wooden plaque
  into a box of sand, removing it and then pouring molten
  aluminum into the impression it left.  The result: an aluminum
  plaque that said -- if memory serves, and it doesn't --
  ''Say No to Books'' or ''Drugs Are Fundamental'' or
  something. A friend of mine, taking metal shop at a nearby
  junior high school, instead pressed quarters into the damp
  sand and used his aluminum knockoffs to buy lunch in the
  cafeteria. His life of crime lasted about three days. But we
  were all impressed when Treasury agents came to the
  cafeteria and hauled him away. Ah, school days."

  To read the full article, see: Full Article


WHAT TO DO WITH THE LINCOLN CENT IN 2009?

  Dick Johnson writes: "The Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
  in Washington met on June 7th and announced last week they
  would like the Mint to do something special with the Lincoln
  Cent in 2009 -- Lincoln's 200th birth anniversary (and
  centennial of the Lincoln Cent, don't forget).

  They would like a special reverse change, even several designs
  made for the anniversary year (retaining Victor Brenner's
  obverse!). Michael F. Bishop, spokesman, said this "could
  include three or four different designs .. reflecting different
  significant themes or locations in Lincoln's life."

  The commission also said it would like to see the color of the
  cent changed for that year.  [That's easy! Instead of copper
  clad zinc, used at present, formulate the two metals into
  yellow-brass using the same two metals. The composition,
  weight, diameter, specific gravity would all be the same.
  Only color and surface resistively would be different!  It
  should present NO problems of rolling the strip stock,
  blanking, upsetting or striking, because of the similarity of
  the two alloys. The same suppliers of blanks could be used
  and the cost should be nearly the same in the quantity
  needed.]

  The commission meets next on September 20th.  Any ideas,
  E-Sylum readers?  Email the Commission at:
  ALincBi-Comm at loc.gov.  Their website:
  http://www.lincolnbicentennial.gov


FOOD STAMP PHASEOUT

  One sideline of certain token collectors are food stamps
  and food stamp change tokens.  In the U.S. token section of
  my library is a June 1980 fixed price list by Paul Cunningham
  containing an article by Neil Shafer titled "Food Stamp Tokens"
  These came into use after 1939 when the U.S. government
  created the original Food Stamp Plan.  Recipients could buy
  food stamps at a discount or receive some free.  Grocers were
  required to accept the stamps but could not give out cash in
  change - they were required to provide change substitutes that
  could only be redeemed for food.  The program went through
  several changes and in 1978 it was decided to allow merchants
  to use regular coins as change.  In the meantime a large number
  of food stamp change substitutes were created and issued by
  grocers in towns all across the country.

  Can any of our readers tell us if a more recent catalog of
  food stamps tokens has been published?  Have any of the
  major numismatic institutions collected examples?

  The Food Stamp program is taking another turn.  The
  New York Times reported in a June 23, 2004 article
  that electronic cards will replace food stamp coupons:

  "The Bush administration announced Tuesday that it
  had completed one of the biggest changes in the history
  of the food stamp program, replacing paper coupons with
  electronic benefits and debit cards.

  At the same time, the administration said it wanted to rename
  the program because the term "food stamps" had become an
  anachronism. It is inviting the public to suggest how to update
  the name of a program that became a permanent part of the
  government, and the nation's vocabulary, during Lyndon B.
  Johnson's Great Society era."

  "Food stamp recipients generally like debit cards because
  they avoid the stigma that can be associated with the use of
  paper coupons. Grocers like the new technology because they
  are paid faster, often within 48 hours; cashiers do not have to
  handle vouchers; and there are no coupons to sort, count and
  bundle."

  "Robbin Smoke, 44, said she would prefer to have the paper
  coupons. "The cards don't always work," she said. "It's a pain.
  You can't get cash back now."

  She and several other food stamp recipients said they found it
  somewhat easier to keep track of their unused benefits when
  they had a booklet of  paper coupons."

  To read the full article, see: Full Article


A NOTE ON THE CROSBY AJN REPRINT

  In response to our earlier question, David Gladfelter writes:
  "The American Journal of Numismatics only published heavily
  condensed excerpts from the Crosby manuscript.  Using
  Sydney P. Noe's 50 year index I found condensations of the
  Vermont chapter in vol. 9, p. 49, the Fugio chapter at 10:1
  including the Continental Currency piece and the Mass. Pine
  Tree and Janus coppers, and the Nova Constellatios including
  the Mark and Quint at 10:25. All were illustrated by plates
  made up of the Crosby text drawings. All were published in
  1875."


HEEREN BROTHERS ARTICLE

  Dick Johnson writes: "I got my July Numismatist and
  read your article on Heeren Brothers of Pittsburgh with
  great pleasure!  You are to be congratulated!  Take a bow.

  Oh!  If we only had such quality articles with such great
  research on other American medallic companies.

  How do you do all this, with new baby in house, and all
  the details of a General Chairman, and keep up with weekly
  E-Sylum, and all your other projects?"

  [I have no idea how I'm managing it all, actually.  But
  my other numismatic projects are gathering dust, and I
  don't get much sleep.  I wrote the Heeren article on a plane
  to Phoenix a couple months ago.  At lunchtime last Thursday
  I completed four exhibit applications and got them in the
  mail to Colorado Springs.  This weekend we took the kids to
  see Niagara Falls and just returned, with pockets full of
  Canadian coins to add to the kids' collections.  Somehow
  the American Numismatic Association convention this August
  will all come together, but I have a feeling that sometime during
  the banquet my head will plummet face first into my salad for
  a nap...     -Editor]


THINGS FOUND IN OLD BOOKS

  Addressing a subject we've touched on before in The E-Sylum,
  the June 22 Wall Street Journal had an interesting article about
  the odd and curious things used book sellers find inside the
  pages of their merchandise:

  "A book is a good place to stash personal, valuable,
  embarrassing stuff.  Unless, forgetting all about the stuff, you
  sell the book to a used book store.

  "I'd always have a book with me when I got arrested," said
  Richard Ryan on being told that his 1985 rap sheet had fallen
  out of a book at the Strand, a store on Broadway in Manhattan
  where anybody can flip through a heap of two million volumes.
  "Books end up as filing cabinets," Mr. Ryan says, remembering
  his days as a student apartheid protester. "I'm sure I got my
  arrest ticket and filed it in the book."

  "At the Strand's main desk, Richard Lilly said, "Let this be a
  warning to those who don't look through books before they
  sell. Bored clerks see it all."

  "Yesterday, I found this really cool picture of this naked
  wrestler guy," Ms. Thompson says. In the fiction department,
  Ben McFall says: "I have a collection at home, which I can't
  bring in, of men in negligees. How do these things get away
  from people?"

  "Used books often gain value from forgotten paper -- paper
  money, for example; the Strand's staff rakes in lots of that.
  They haven't yet found a "hell scene with fish monster," as
  Cristiana Romelli did two years ago at Sotheby's in London.
  The original Hieronymus Bosch sketch fell out of a client's
  old picture album and sold for $276,000. A few years earlier,
  her colleague Julien Stock found a Michelangelo stuck in a
  19th-century scrap book.  In 2001, that one brought its
  owner $12 million.

  The Strand did buy a $15 doodled-over book of drawings
  by the Renaissance artist Ucello.  The doodler was Salvador
  Dali."

  [So, dear readers, what interesting things have you happened to
  find in purchases of numismatic literature?  -Editor]


FOUND IN A COIN BOOK

  Speaking of things found in books, Bill Murray writes:
  "The following item was sort of buried in COIN WORLD,
  and I doubt many read it:

  "John Andrew, reporting on a London auction in COIN
  WORLD's June 28th issue, noted only one book was
  offered, Snelling's British Coins. He writes, "It is not the
  volume itself that is of interest, but a four-page handwritten
  note it contains.  Dated 1756, it is addressed 'To the
  Curious' and deals with the value of coins.  It points out
  that a coin's value 'depends much on its preservation,
  but more on the Generosity of the purchaser'"


FEATURED WEB SITE

  This week's featured web site is A.J. Gatlin's CoinArchives.com
  -  "a repository of coins featured in major numismatic auctions.
  It brings together the text, images, and prices realized from
  catalogs issued by some of the world's most prestigious coin
  firms. With this site, you can search and view coin lots from
  a growing database of auctions."

     FEATURED WEB SITE
	 
	 
	 
  Wayne Homren
  Numismatic Bibliomania Society