The E-Sylum:  Volume 6, Number 20, May 18, 2003, Article 12

JOSEPH MICKLEY AND THE TURK

  A letter to the Editor in the May 19th issue of COIN WORLD
  makes reference to American numismatist Joseph Mickley.
  The writer is Dr. Gerald M. Levitt, author of the 2000 book
  "The Turk, Chess Automaton."

  "The Turk" was a mysterious contraption created in 1769 by a
  Hungarian nobleman named Wolfgang von Kempelen. "The
  Turk" was a mechanical man positioned over a chessboard.
  In performances, Kempelen would open it to reveal a rat's
  nest of  gears and machinery, then challenge audience members
  to play the Turk.  Very few were able to beat it. Audiences
  were baffled and many concluded that they'd witnessed a
  machine that could think.  Napoleon and Charles Babbage,
  inventor of an early computing machine, played games against
  the Turk.  Edgar Allan Poe wrote essay about it. In 1826 a
  later owner brought the machine to America, and in 1854, it
  was destroyed in a fire.

  At the end of Levitt's letter he mentions that "Joseph Mickley,
  the noted American coin collector, is closely associated with
  Turk history."   Can anyone tell us the connection?

  A web search turned up the fact that a reproduction of The
  Turk has been created and it "will make an appearance at
  the National Open Chess Tournament at the Riviera Hotel
  in Las Vegas on Saturday, June 14, 2003.   There will be no
  charge for admission.  Performances are scheduled at 9 a.m.
  and at 4 p.m."  See http://rfeditor.tripod.com/turk0303.html

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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