Linda Kolbe was the unsung hero of numismatic bibliomania in the United States. Without George Frederick Kolbe, there wouldn't have been a numismatic literature hobby, or at least not one nearly so robust, but without Linda, there wouldn't have been a George. Linda was the exemplar of the back-office worker, self-effacing, but so capable in so many ways that without her, George's business could not have taken off as it did.

She rendered similarly unheralded, but equally essential, services to the Numismatic Bibliomania Society from its founding in 1979 through George's second stint as editor of  The Asylum, ending in 1999. Those who were fortunate enough to be guests in the Kolbe home discovered that Linda epitomized the gracious hostess, and made all feel welcome, no matter how much the guest lived up to the "mania" part of our title.

We who collect literature about money owe this remarkable woman our respect and our gratitude, for upon the sturdy base of her quiet accomplishments rests so much of today's hobby. Linda, we mourn you, and will always miss you.

Enjoyed your poem, in lines quite pedantic;
Got the meaning intact, from lines quite semantic.
Had it not been your daughter, who found in the lauder,
A strawberry jelly roll, now removing proof glint.
You would have screamed all the packaging wrapped by the Mint.
Was not enough trouble, in plastic peanuts and bubbles.
In comments you raise all the way to the roof,
Their proof coin packaging was not enough to make it Child Proof.

I am looking for information on George B. Gillin, who was superintendent of the San Francisco Mint. Google search hasn't turned up much on him, except that he resigned the position rather then being removed, because he was operating an insurance business on the side.

The old Coin World Almanac says he held office from 1 July 1948 through 30 November 1951, when he resigned. I would like to know his dates (birth and death), what he did before and after his mint job, and what qualifications if any he had for the job.

I think he was born about 1896 and his father may have had the same name. There was another George B. Gillin in San Francisco who was in the University of California class of 1875 (or maybe 1885). Any help? Thanks.

HON. GEORGE B. GILLIN, Supt. of San Francisco Mint, is really swell; recently had the Junior Coin Collectors of San Francisco, East Bay & Peninsula Clubs, under Roy Hill's leadership, at the Mint. MR. GILLIN was responsible for the ANA tour during the Convention.

I own the unique gold US Mint-struck Cyrus Field Congressional medal acquired perhaps 30 years ago from the late coin dealer Cy Phillips Temple City, CA.

And perhaps 40 years ago Dave Schenkman offered me a Andrew Carnegie lifesaving gold medal for around $8-10,000 but I declined due to rim dents. I doubt the gold fireman's gold Carnegie Hero medal would be worth $50,000 - let alone $100,000 - as it is easily acquired in silver and quite plentiful in bronze which impacts its value and desirability in gold.. These appraisal fairs usually appraise on the extremely high side for publicity and to please the owner.

“For him that stealeth, or borroweth and returneth not, this book from its owner, let it change into a serpent in his hand & rend him. Let him be struck with palsy & all his members blasted. Let him languish in pain crying aloud for mercy, & let there be no surcease to his agony till he sing in dissolution. Let bookworms gnaw his entrails in token of the Worm that dieth not, & when at last he goeth to his final punishment, let the flames of Hell consume him for ever.”

Of course, he doth not “sing” into dissolution, but rather “sink.”

I am told that this charming curse does not date to the Middle Ages. I have a lovely, hand-printed version of it (in a slightly different form) on the wall in my office. It is undated, but was purchased from the artist in the late 1970s-early 1980s. The quote is alleged to be from “The Monastery of San Pedro, Barcelona.” The artist, herself, told me that the story is entirely apocryphal. However, Snopes.com seems not to be aware of such a quote.