I'm back home after a few days in Zurich. I had 120,000 Swiss francs worth of bids for the Hess-Divo sale, and managed to buy only 30,000 of lots. There were some erratic prices in my view, and some extremely high prices for relatively mediocre copies of not-that-rare works. Some lots were in poor condition.

There were some bargains as usual in such sales. I am pleased with what I bought, and my customers who gave me bids are also pleased...on the whole the prices were very high, and shows interest in books continues to be very strong. Apparently very few U.S. bidders participated unless they bid directly with the auction house. Was the economy a factor for them? It's very difficult to analyse, as with all sales of this kind.

John H. Burns will be setting up at the following shows with his massive inventory:

November 7-9
Coinfest
Hilton Executive Meeting Center
One First Stamford Place
Stamford, CT

November 14-16
Ohio Coin Expo
Quality Inn
Richfield, Oh

November 20-22 (No Sunday)
Whitman Coin Show
Baltimore Convention center

November 27-30
Michigan State Show
Hyatt Regency
Dearborn MI

This is an up-to-date and comprehensive bibliography for the field of ancient Greek coinage. Over 4000 books and articles in English, published between 1686-2000, are listed. In addition to a full bibliographic citation, nearly every item includes a summary of the contents or conclusions of the work. Extensively cross-referenced. Fully indexed.

"There are no shortcuts to knowledge. But this book happens to be the next best thing as far as Greek coins are concerned: a shortcut to Information."

"...as near complete as humanly possible. One cannot help admiring and respecting the author for his meticulousness and dedication."

"For the collector who is ready to respond to the mental challenge of advancing from Roman coin collecting to the mind blowing world of Greek coinages, this treasure house of information will become the guiding light in a new and infinitely more fascinating realm."

This book offers summaries of most English-language articles and books on Greek coins. I recommend it to anyone who wants to research Greek coins or who buys numismatic books sight-unseen and needs to know which ones are appropriate for a particular collecting focus.

Although easy to use this book can be frustrating to operate at home because it points out tantalizing sources that are expensive or unobtainable.

These photos were taken by us at the 2008 Whitman Expo - Atlanta "Cobb Galleria" Convention. Richard Mantia from Mastro Auctions and Dennis Tucker from Whitman Publishing Company are standing in front of the special "Unique Red Book in Braille" exhibit, courtesy of the Richard Mantia Family.

Quoting information from the exhibit, "Davyd Pepito, a blind 17-year old coin collector in California was in need of A Guide Book of United States Coins (the "Red Book") in Braille. The nonprofit group Uncap International took on the challenge and produced a nine-volume Braille edition of the 1969 Red Book."

Your "1876" Haseltine looks like it may be the unidentified facsimile reprint (the double-rule border does not look like the original, nor does the color and texture of the cover appear to be 'right').

A Large Paper copy is featured in my January 10, 2009 sale. I believe the printing is identical to the regular 1876 edition.

1) It is printed by an offset process, not the letterpress or stereotype method used at the time, i.e., printed from type which is impressed into the paper, whereas offset printing deposits the ink on the surface of the paper;

2) The paper and cover stock is quite different from that manufactured in the nineteenth century;

3) the cover border already mentioned (in the original the inner line is quite thin and was probably too difficult to replicate with the technology of the time and in the reprint both lines are of similar width).

One theory first advanced in the 1860s suggested 1804 dollars had been included in diplomatic presentation sets prepared by the Mint at the request of the State Department circa 1834 (documentation of the request of the sets existed). By the end of the 19th century though, some researchers concluded that no evidence existed proving 1804 dollars were included in any 1830s diplomatic presentation sets that might have been produced.

The Newman-Bressett book in its original form contained a chapter concluding that the diplomatic gift origin of the set was a "delusion."

After the unveiling of the set, Bressett contacted Whitman to literally "stop the presses." The presses were printing the original manuscript while he was at the convention.

About David Lange's lament that wholesalers want 60% off list for his books, that's the way the publishing world works. Untold numbers of authors have never found markets for their books because they are unrealistic in pricing them - the commercial world won't handle them, and consequently buyers never see them. The retailer gets 40% off, so the wholesaler is not working on a big margin.

It's nice to keep prices low so that as many collectors as possible can afford them, but if you do that you have to be willing to be the only source for the book - with the concomitant costs of advertising being paid for out of your low markup. Few dealers will stock the book, even if you deliver it to them, if they cannot get their customary markup for it.

Joel Orosz and I are searching for contact information for Thomas W. Becker, author of The Coin Makers and a number of articles in The Numismatist and Numismatic Scrapbook, circa 1960-1970. Becker worked at the Franklin Mint and the Money Museum at the National Bank of Detroit.

We believe this is not the same Tom Becker of Bowers & Merena fame, who is still in the business in New Hampshire. Thomas W. Becker unearthed a portion of the Frank Stewart first Mint collection in Philadelphia in the 1960s, the focus of our research.

The best compilation of 1838-O pedigrees is in David L. Ganz's new book, Profitable Coin Collecting (p177-178). There is a "Benson" specimen listed from an 1880 Bangs & Co. sale (it realized $23.50). Could this be the Beeson specimen?

It certainly is the Besson specimen. Charles Steigerwalt listed the price realized "1838-O half dollar, uncirculated, $23.50" in his article, .Coin Sales,. The Coin Journal, Vol. 2, No. 2, March (1881) : 2

I do not have David Ganz's book so I do not know what he includes. My research is focused on 19th century numismatics and I have the following to report to offer.

[01] Mason's Coin Collector's Herald, Vol. 1, No. 4, March (1880) : 33, cites an uncirculated one in the cabinet of the US Mint. Currently, the Smithsonian specimen. Sent to Robert M. Patterson, Director of the US Mint. However, no mention of it is made in his annual report to Congress. (see scan) Mason's Coin Collector's Herald, Vol. 2, No. 2, September (1880) : 14, cites six known specimens including the US Mint cabinet already mentioned as well as that owned by James B. Clemens which was cataloged by Ed Cogan and sold by Messrs. Bangs & Co., on October 22, 1878. He also mentions one in a collection in Nevada, another in Lynn, Massachusetts, and another owned by C. H. Brenner, Jefferson, New York. A rubbing of one was sent in to Mason from Texas which he was negotiating to buy.

[02] James B. Clemens, cataloged by Ed Cogan and sold by Messrs. Bangs & Co., on Octobe7r 22, 1878.

[03] December 16-17, 1880, John W. Haseltine, Cataloger, Catalogue of Charles A. Besson Collection, of Philadelphia . . . . Bangs & Co. Charles Steigerwalt listed the price realized "1838-O half dollar, uncirculated, $23.50" (Besson sale) in his article, .Coin Sales,. The Coin Journal, Vol. 2, No. 2, March (1881) : 2

[04] Nevada, as per E. L. Mason, Jr. Nothing is known of this person.

[05] Lynn, Massachusetts, as per E. L. Mason, Jr. There was an S. L., Lynn, cited in Mason.s Monthly Illustrated Coin Collectors. Magazine, Vol. I, No. 1, June (1884) : 13; a long shot since I do not know where S. L. Lee lived but his coin collection was sold by John Walter Scott on June 12, 1899. Regardless, we have only straws to grasp to decipher who this anonymous person could be.

[06] C. H. Brenner, Jefferson, New York, as per E. L. Mason, Jr. However, we also find a C. R. B., Jefferson, Soho County, New York, cited in Mason.s Numismatic Herald, Vol. II, No. 1, June (1880) :2d, leaving us to wonder if this is C. R. Brenner or C. H. Brenner, or else a unlikely but possible coincidence of similar initials of coin collectors from the same place at the same time.

[07] Texas, as per E. L. Mason, Jr. Nothing is known of this person.

Some of he remaining specimens cited maybe redundant of those cited above since the provenance of purchasers are not listed in my files. E-Sylum readers may contribute to clarifying the census if they have priced catalogs with buyer.s names.

[08] Ferguson Haines specimen cataloged by the Chapman brothers sold at Davis & Harvey, Philadelphia, on October 17, 1888. Later called the Empire Specimen. See below.

[09] The Robert Coulton Davis specimen cataloged by David Proskey and Harlan Page Smith of the New York Coin & Stamp Company (3rd Sale) sold by Bangs & Co., on January 20-24, 1890, with a lot description commentary from Dr. Riddell, superintendent N.O. Mint, 1838, which accompanied a similar half dollar, in which it was stated that only four half dollars of this date and mintage were issued . . .. Heritage Auction Galleries who follow Breen, Walter Breen.s Complete Encyclopedia of U. S. and Colonial Coins (New York : Doubleday, 1988) : 391 (no. 4) the provenance of the Norweb Specimen. J.N.T. Levick; W. Elliot Woodward; R. Coulton Davis; Lorin G. Parmelee (New York Coin and Stamp Co., 6/1890), lot 655; James B. Wilson (Thomas Elder, 10/1908), lot 346; Albert Fairchild Holden; Emery May Holden (Mrs. R. Henry Norweb); Norweb family (Bowers and Merena, 11/1988), lot 3119; unknown; Andrew Lustig. http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=376&Lot_No=6244&type=prte-pr060305b&ic=

According to Breen (op. cit) and Heritage, sometime between 1880 and 1890 the above specimen passed from Joseph Napoleon Tricot Levick (1828-1908), to William Elliot Woodward (1825-1892), to Robert Coulton Davis (1813-1888), and was purchased by Lorin Gilbert Parmelee (1827-1905).

[10] Professor Alexander D. Bache was given one as a gift from Rufus Tyler the coiner. The Professor William M. Friesner specimen was cataloged and sold by Edouard Frossard on June 7-8, 1894. Frossard mentions this in an article, .The 1838 Half Dollar New Orleans Mint,. The Numismatist, Vol. 7, No. 7, July (1894) : 138 (see scan) The specimen was purchased by Augustus Goodyear Heaton (1844-1931). The note from Tyler was given to Heaton by Benjamin H. Collins (1845-1928), an employee of the Treasury Department, who, was also a Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. coin dealer specializing in early American coppers.

[11] The Chapman brothers cataloged a specimen belonging to one of the consigners, either Elisha Turner, Joseph Hooper, George J. Bauer, Louis Winkler, or J. C. Trenaman that sold at Davis & Harvey, Philadelphia, on February 5-6, 1903.

[12] The William H. Bridgham proof specimen cataloged by David Proskey and Harlan Page Smith of the New York Coin & Stamp Company (23rd Sale) sold by May 26-27th, 1908

Nota Bene : Colonel Edward Howland Robinson Green (1868-1936), son of Hetty Green .The Witch of Wall Street., apparently owned seven specimens according to Walter H. Breen (vide supra) Note : Breen incorrectly cited The Numismatist as Vol. 4 1894, 198. It should be Vol. 7, page 138. See also below in asterisks.

Additional specimens also cited by Heritage Auction Galleries on the above link.

*Cox Specimen. Col. E.H.R. Green; Burdette G. Johnson; Wayte Raymond; J.G. Macallister; Charles M. Williams (a likely owner); Numismatic Gallery; Adolphe Menjou Collection; R.E. Cox, Jr. (Stack's, 4/1962), lot 1873; Empire Coin Co. (Q. David Bowers and James E Ruddy); Hazen B. Hinman (Paramount, Century Collection, 4/1965), lot 1151; unknown; Bowers and Ruddy Galleries (Rare Coin Review #17); Ellis H. Robison (Stack's, 2/1982), lot 1605; Marvin Browder.

*Neil Specimen. Waldo C. Newcomer; Henry Chapman; Col. E.H.R. Green; Maurice Ryan; B. Max Mehl (May 1945), lot 936; Will W. Neil (B. Max Mehl, 6/1947), lot 580; James Aloysius Stack (Stack's, 3/1975), lot 415; Julian Leidman; New York City Collection; Steve Ivy (ANA sale, 8/1982), Lot 2320; Anthony Terranova; Kevin Lipton; George W. Vogt (Colonial Coins); RARCOA (Auction '84), lot 1666; David Queller (Stack's, 10/2002), lot 446. The enlarged reverse in the Queller Catalog is incorrect, and is actually the 1836 Reeded Edge Half Dollar.

*Atwater Specimen. Col. E.H.R. Green; William Cutler Atwater (B. Max Mehl, 6/1946), lot 555; unknown; Reed Hawn (Stack's, 8/1973), lot 122; Superior (Auction '79), lot 1569; James Bennett Pryor (Bowers and Merena, 1/1996); Doug Noblet; Bowers and Merena (10/2000).

*Baldenhofer Specimen. The coin presently offered. Col. E.H.R. Green; W.G. Baldenhofer (Stack's, 11/1955), lot 708; Robert Pelletreau (Stack's, 3/1959), lot 782; Jerome L. Cohen; Lester Merkin; Q. David Bowers; Charles Jay (Stack's, 10/1967), lot 181; Dr. E. Yale Clarke (Stack's, 10/1975), lot 253; Julian Leidman; NASCA (Bryan Collection, 11/1977), lot 708; Julian Leidman; Paramount (Auction '82), lot 1689; unknown; the present example.

*Boyd Specimen. Col. E.H.R. Green; Wayte Raymond; F.C.C. Boyd; Numismatic Gallery ("World's Greatest Collection," 4/1945), lot 410; Stack's (1971 ANA sale), lot 805; Dr. George J. Oviedo (Stack's, 9/1983), lot 830.

*Anderson-Dupont Specimen. Col. E.H.R. Green; Anderson-Dupont sale (Stack's, 11/1954), lot 2104; Mr. Gottschalk; Federal Coin Exchange (1957 ANA sale), lot 1535A; "TAD" Collection (Stack's); Julian Leidman; Steve Ivy; Manfra, Tordella, and Brookes; Kagin's (1983 ANA), lot 2494; Mid-American (5/1985), lot 392; Kagin's (1986 ANA sale), lot 4657A; H.W Blevins (Superior, 6/1988), lot 3567; Bowers and Merena (3/1989), lot 2000; Vintage Auctions (8/1989), lot 202.

*Empire Specimen. New Orleans private collection; Ferguson Haines; (S.H. & H. Chapman, 10/1888), lot 483; Col. E.H.R. Green; Charles A. Cass (Stack's, Empire Collection, 11/1957), lot 1344; Stack's "Empire Collection" sale, November 1957, Lot 1344; New Netherlands Coin Company; Jerome L. Cohen; Kreisberg-Schulman (4/1967), lot 1065; Kreisberg Mail Bid Sale (6/1970), lot 1044.

Guggenheimer Specimen. Fred S. Guggenheimer (Stack's, 10/1953), lot 830. (#6226)

A transpositional error was the cause of the difficulty in the book. "Benson" is Besson or Beeson (a Google search shows both spelling variants). In the actual catalogue the consignor is listed as Charles Besson Esq of Philadelphia.

The 1838-O was supposedly given to Director Patterson in 1839. The 1840 report shown here is on all New Orleans Mint activity for 1839. Apparently Patterson's report focused purely on statistics and gross dollar amounts and makes no reference to any specific denomination or about his receiving a specimen of the 1838-O half dollar.



I sent this in so people who never saw this report can see it corroborated that there is no mention of the half dollar specifically. I do not have the 1838 report to see if any mention was made in it.

The accompanying copyrighted, close-up photograph is the .bald. head and beak area of an 1855 Flying Eagle Large Cent pattern. You can easily judge the magnification; the coin is basically the size of a large cent, only a tad smaller!

There is inexplicably no engraved detail visible on the entire head area of this .Proof. coin except for our cauldron girl, the .Witch!. The quintessential cartoon Witch: (large floppy hat, big nose and an overly exaggerated pointed chin), occupies the eye/head area and gazes forever to the East, thanks to Mr. J. B. Longacre.s macabre sense of humor. Stack.s considered this coin .rare. as struck surfaces, at the January 2007 Americana Sale. This coin is a slabbed J-171A Proof with noted Environmental Damage. For the record, I have never had this coin in a raw, unslabbed, state.

Within this very decade experts might have mistakenly proclaimed this coin a crude copy in the wrong alloy, or a spotted counterfeit of dubious origin. We have come a long way in just a few short years, expanding our knowledge of .real. patterns, but there is still a long, uncharted road to travel!

The Judd 171A is a perfect example of a previously unknown pattern coin that appears from seemingly nowhere. The existence of this German silver coin was only speculation and unrecorded for over 150 years. Even though we knew the Mint never used German silver for 1855 Flyers, this coin is indeed the real McCoy and certified as such! Apparently what we thought we knew for 150 years was proven totally inaccurate by the certification of several Judd 171A.s

In 1855, Mr. James Barton Longacre assembled for presentation and the Mint .cabinet,. extremely rare sets of eight pattern coins per set - one coin supposedly of each alloy. Who knew that German silver was one of J.B.L..s original eight alloys in 1855? No one! Each coin was hand engraved with an identifying Roman numeral.

The last recording of a Roman numeral engraved 1855 Flying Eagle Pattern Cent was, according to my research, over 100 years ago! Sadly, for numismatic historians, all contemporary pattern books have inexplicably omitted any mention of J.B.L..s rare Roman numeral Flying Eagle pattern sets. Are they all gone or just forgotten?

We know for a fact from Dr. Judd.s 5th Edition that these Extremely Rare Roman numeral eight piece sets did indeed exist! Who, among us, has the right to delete known numismatic history, verified in print, by the late Dr. J. Hewitt Judd M.D.? We must all answer in unison, .No One.!

Having two of Mr. Longacre.s Roman numeral 1855 Flying Eagle Patterns: numbers I and IIII; this glaring omission from all the pattern books, I find a little more than recondite! Witch Eye(TM) is Roman numeral .IIII. from Mr. J. B. Longacre.s long forgotten and extremely rare, complete eight piece, Mint sets.

In 1855, the Mint distributed a few complete sets of that year.s pattern cents, identifying each one numerically by small Roman numerals scratched into the obverse field.

(1799) George Washington Funeral Medal. .Skull & Crossed Bones. Type. Struck in Silver. NGC graded Extremely Fine-45.

Baker 165A, Obverse 1, Reverse A1. 29mm. The purpose of this significant variety was to honor the George Washington upon his death. Holed, as always, at the top for suspension.

The rarity of the Skull & Crossbones variety is much greater than that of the Urn type. The Rulau/Fuld reference estimates of the surviving population of each type, the difference is a ratio of about 8-10 .Urn. types for every 1 .Skull and Crossbones. type.

When I first started this, I was advised to find a skilled engraver, use a mint, etc. That was not the point. I am still having fun, and learning something every time I go down in the basement to play with gold.

I recently looked at a 1929 GAR Representative Badge on eBay and wrote the seller and asked her to identify the artist who did the bust. She wrote back "AA*KOLB" and gave me this website to go to. I had never come across Mr. Kolb before but will now be looking for his work. The University of Rochester has put together a very nice 10 page piece on his life and loves.

One must not forget the Birmingham dealer, who on being asked for a discount for books would tear them in half in front of the customer. What particularly irked him was the phrase 'What can you do on this?' A red mist would descend and he would reply 'I'll show you what I can do on this...' and tore up the book. One imagines that this was selective, possibly only books under #20. Not a wise business stratagem but probably quite satisfying...

I work at a moderately successful used bookstore in San Francisco, sort of serving as the public face. Let me tell you that the reputation people who work at small bookstores is generally true, and we are all a bunch of miserable smarty-pants bastards. Nothing gives me greater vindication than giving a customer a flat 'no' when they seek a barter, especially when I can see it coming a mile away.

About Eric Newman's new book: you report "features up-to-date pricing by Stuart Levine in the highest grades currently available." I have not seen the book yet, so I don't know how the values are presented, but if it's only for AU and better notes, I'd just as soon they had not bothered. How about values for the grades that collectors of this material actually collect?

But what was supposed to be in this passage about the gold coins coming into Canada? "exchanged at not more than 548 each. Numerous U.S. 55, $10, and $20 goldpieces arrived, too,..." What are 548 and 55? $48 and $5 perhaps?

I was making the rounds of the show pedaling duplicates...

That is a great idea, peddling your duplicates by pedaling to get around at a large show. If someone took a picture of you on your bike, please share it with the E-Sylum readership.

It's the 100th anniversary of the "Car that put the World on Wheels!"

The most important car in history! And now -- for its centennial celebration -- we release the first ever pure silver clad 2008 Ford Model T Dollar. colorized in original Model T Red, with headlights that light up and the sound of the original Tin Lizzy Brass Bulb horn!

It.s a government authorized non-circulating legal tender tribute to America.s most famous car that still holds the all-time production record of 2.2 million vehicles in one year. Watch the headlights light up and listen to the sound of the original 1908 horn when you press the Ford logo on the reverse.

The e-paper section of the Moneta web site has been updated this month with about 150 new links to scholarly papers, books, periodicals, free to download.