The E-Sylum:  Volume 8, Number 3, January 16, 2005, Article 12

MYSTERY QUOTE ANSWER

David Fanning writes: "Regarding the mystery quote, I'm
pretty positive this is a Breen quote, but I can't think of
what it's from and don't have time to look into it. Big help,
huh?"

Later, David added: "Actually, now that I think about it, I
think Breen was talking about only one coin--not "these
coins." I think it was a silver center cent."

Well, it's a good start. David was barking up the right tree.
Mark Borckardt sent us the following: "I guess it's time for a
hint: It is from a firm that took its name from the State Tree
of Maine." Figured it out yet? Karl Moulton did, and he
didn't even need Mark's hint:

Karl writes: "The answer to Mark Borckardt's quotation
(of sorts) can be found by looking at the cover of the
September 18, 1974 GENA sale conducted by Pine Tree.
Walter Breen wrote "I didn't think I'd ever see (let alone
catalogue) this coin!" He was referring to the 1792 silver
center cent which appeared as lot #1272a."

John Kraljevich also had the answer. He writes: "I'm
surprised no one guessed the source of the mystery quote.
It's from the Pine Tree 1974 GENA sale regarding a 1792
Silver Center cent, the one that showed an uncomfortable
close up of Walter Breen and the quote in his own
handwriting. Here's hoping no other auction firm ever
decides to put a larger than life image of their cataloguer
on the cover of a catalogue (including mine!)."

[Thanks to Mark and our contestants for a fine exchange.
Karl and John win bragging rights until the next quiz, and
as runner up David gets a coupon for half off next year's
E-Sylum subscription. -Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization 
promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor 
at this address: whomren@coinlibrary.com

To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum