BOOK REVIEW: THE GOLD INDIANS OF BELA LYON PRATT

As a decades-long collector and archivist of historical collections, I am always looking for well researched, significant books that can enhance my perspective and knowledge-base. Numismatics is a relatively new passion of mine after 40 years of building collections that can serve as historical documents for posterity. I also spent twenty years as a rare book and document dealer, and am a member emeritus of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America.

You can tell what my daily activities include by looking at the books and magazines in my sitting area at home. Allan Schein’s new book The Gold Indians of Bela Lyon Pratt has a prominent place. Though I do not exclusively collect gold $2.50 and $5.00 Indians, in fact it’s currently just a small part of my growing collection which includes U.S. gold of the 19th century and Liberty Seated silver of the same period, it is one area that suddenly, after reading Schein’s book has my full interest.

His book speaks of a labor of research love and dedication to making it an eminently readable and useful guide for the novice or advanced collector. In this respect it is a significant numismatic reference book. Weaving Pratt’s artistic legacy, his place in U.S. coin design, the coins’ initial acceptance by the public, along with an extensive biography of Pratt, fits well with the detailed analysis of every aspect of the collectibility of these coins down to analysis of mint marks, rarity, and varieties.

The author’s attention to photography, down to the finest detail of these icons of numismatic art is an educational pleasure. It all began with a President Roosevelt at the beginning of the Golden Age of US coinage and ended with another President Roosevelt mired in economic crises. Thanks to Allan Schein for his dedicated work in illuminating this golden period of U.S. monetary history.

Also, Charles Morgan of CoinWeek did a Podcast about Allan's book about a week ago. -Editor

To listen to the complete podcast, see:
CoinWeek: Bela Lyon Pratt's Gold Coins (http://coinweek.podomatic.com/entry/2016-09-13T23_50_16-07_00?utm_source=web-player&utm_medium=episode-link)

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
NEW BOOK: THE GOLD INDIANS OF BELA LYON PRATT (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v19n31a07.html)
BOOK REVIEW: THE GOLD INDIANS OF BELA LYON PRATT (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v19n32a09.html)

For more information, or to order, see:
THE $2.50 & $5 GOLD INDIANS OF BELA LYON PRATT BY ALLAN SCHEIN (www.taekwondograndmaster.com/The-2-50-5-Gold-Indians-of-Bela-Lyon-Pratt-p/isbn-978-0-692-71313-6.htm)

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