MINIATURE AND POCKET-SIZED NUMISMATIC LITERATURE

I'm in the process of putting together a new exhibit for the ANS Library rare book room (which I do every year in conjunction with the ANS annual meeting in October). There is always an online component too for anyone that cannot make it to New York. The title of the exhibit this year is "Small Wonders: Miniature and Pocket-Sized Numismatic Literature." It includes one of the smallest (that I know of!) numismatic books, measuring 20mm x 20mm, and is titled "Old Coins of the World." I've attached a photo with a U.S. dime for reference. It is clearly a novelty item and has limited useful purpose, but the exhibit will touch on both novelty and practical reasons for smaller versions of literature. NBS President Dan Freidus also alerted me to an earlier discussion of this topic in The E-Sylum.

Some of these items will also feature in the ANS Library exhibit. For the present purposes, I am going with the definition presented by the Miniature Book Society, which states that a miniature book in the United States is “usually considered to be one which is no more than three inches in height, width, or thickness. Some aficionados collect slightly larger books while others specialize in even smaller sizes. Outside of the United States, books up to four inches (about 10 cm) are often considered miniature.”

I'll send the link to the online version once it is completed. I hope that anyone who is able will come to the ANS 155th Annual Meeting on October 20 (starting at 3pm) and have a chance to see some of these small objects in person! I think they are quite fun.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: THE LITTLEST COIN BOOKS (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v06n19a11.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web