Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 2, Number 41: October 10, 1999:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
SUBSCRIBER UPDATES
New subscribers this week are Ed Zimmerman, Susan Nulty, the
ANA's web site manager, and Hector Carlos Janson of
Argentina. This brings our subscriber count to 243.
Welcome aboard!
Also, subscriber Darryl Atchison and his wife Fiona of Ireland
"are proud to announce the birth of their new daughter, born at
3:23 a.m. October 7th." Congratulations!
PUBLICATION NOTES
The 1997 Coinage of the Americas Conference proceedings
have been published by the ANS - "The Medal in America,
Volume 2" . The book has a marvelous selection of papers
on the topic, leading off with John W. Adams' "The Peace
Medals of George III",
The November 1999 issue of COINage magazine has an
extensive article on "The Great Assay Bar Debate" by Tom
DeLorey, along with Part II of Richard G. Doty's article on
"The Great Seal and American Numismatics". Great, great!
The October 11, 1999 issue of COIN WORLD contains
Part One of William T. Gibbs' article on John Leonard
Riddell, "scientist, physician, professor of chemistry, and
melter and refiner at the New Orleans Mint." One little-
known source of information for the article is a rare pamphlet
on the New Orleans Mint published by Riddell in 1845.
Eric P. Newman discovered the pamphlet and reprinted it
in the April 1968 issue of The Numismatist.
ANA LIBRARY NOTES
The September 1999 issue of The Numismatist contains
this note of interest to bibliophiles on page 1067: "ANA
Member James Bixler, a certified appraiser and rare book
dealer, has prepared a preliminary bibliography of the ANA
Library's rare books. To acquaint readers with the richness
and variety of the ANA's holdings, this column regularly
highlights one of these fine publications."
The month's featured book was donated by J. Roy Pennell,
Jr. - "Acts and Laws of His Majesty's Province of the
Massachusets-Bay in New England", 1743. Some of the
interesting non-numismatic laws include an "Act for the
Relief of Idiots and Distracted Persons." Does that include
bibliomaniacs...?
As Librarian Nawana Britenriker noted in her presentation
to NBS at the recent ANA convention, bibliophiles can
help support the library's efforts by joining FOLIS (Friends
of the Library/Libris in Socii). For details, contact Nawana
via email at library@money.org.
ANS LIBRARY NOTES
The Summer 1999 newsletter of the American Numismatic
Society notes "Since our last progress report, another 23
boxes of library cards have been returned from Gaylord
Information Services of Liverpool, NY, bringing the library's
catalogue conversion project to approximately 80%
completion. ... The auction card catalogue will be converted
next." When the ANS catalogues finally go online it will be
a banner day for numismatic research.
BASS III SALE REPORT
Karl Moulton provided the following report on the Bass sale,
which had less than ten floor bidders: "As expected, the
prices realized were usually at or far above George Kolbe's
conservative estimates. Any successful bidder had to "reach"
for most everything. Comments such as "unbelievable" or
"that's a new record" were heard after several winning bids.
The book was strong, but I would guess that nearly a third of
the U.S. material went to floor bidders or to phone bidders.
At one point, on lot #411, the set of Woodward's
@$16,000, the bidding was done by two different phone
bidders. It was rather interesting to just sit and watch the price
increments of $1,000 go back and forth with the two phone
agents. Speaking of phone bidders, there appears to be a new
bidder for the top end material, based on results of this and the
last Bass sale. Although a few dealers know this person, he
wishes to remain anonymous for the time being.
All told, this sale proves once again that Harry Bass was one of
the more knowledgeable numismatists of the past 50 years.
When all of the Harry Bass library is finally sold, it will stand as
a high mark in numismatic literature for many years."
BREEN'S WIFE DIES
The wife of the late numismatic researcher Walter Breen is
dead. In a New York Times article republished in other
newspapers September 30th, "Marion Zimmer Bradley, a
science fiction writer and creator of the Darkover series of
fantasies died Saturday in Alta Bates Medical Center in
Berkeley, Calif. She was 69 and lived in Berkeley." One
of Walter's non-numismatic works is "The Darkover
Concordance, A Reader's Guide", a companion volume to
Bradley's series, published in 1979.
SOMETHING FISHY IS GOING ON
On back-to-back pages of the October 1999
issue of Bank Note Reporter, currency dealer and fishing
aficionado Tom Denly is running an interesting promotion.
The first page is a normal ad, featuring some rare colonial
notes, and currency books and supplies. The second page
is "Free Fish Wrap" for Tom's "Best Fish Story" contest.
"... the winner will get 4 - 2 lb. fresh lobsters packed in pure
Massachusetts seaweed." That's one way to recycle old
hobby periodicals.
VIGNETTE BOOK DISMEMBERED
In another form of recycling, the same issue of Bank Note
Reporter also carries a full-page ad from Arri Jacob, a
California currency dealer, selling "Rare Proof Vignettes
Found on U.S. Currency! All vignettes are the same as
found on U.S. currency. These vignettes came from a rare
presentation book the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
made during the late 1860's to mid 1870's. There are
less than 50 of these vignette books known." Well, it
looks like now the population is "less than 49." Wait ...
was that the sound of a bibliophile turning in his grave ... ?
ADS SUPPORT BOOK PUBLICATION COSTS
While on the subject of the effects of commerce on
numismatic literature, consider the ad from BNR Press
on the opposite page, promoting the new book by
Carlson R. Chambliss, "U. S. Paper Money Guide and
Handbook" Yours truly picked up one of these at the
recent ANA show for a mere $20, a welcome low price
in light of the three-digit pricetags seen on some books
lately. The hardbound 480-page book's "ultra low
introductory price" was "supported by our sponsors."
By my count there 42 pages of ads from currency dealers
and coin clubs such as the ANA and FUN.
Any comments on the practice? I guess I'm all for anything
that keeps the price down while still delivering a quality
product. But boosting the pagecount of every book by
10% chews up shelfspace. Where would bibliophiles
prefer to draw the line?
Ads in books are nothing new. For example, they were a
common feature of George Evans' History of the United
States Mint. The 1891 edition features 11 pages of ads
for Philadelphia businesses. Only a couple of these relate
to coins, but there were only a handful of dealers at that
time. Other advertisers include a business college, a dealer
in "Human Hair Goods", a photographer, a jeweler, a printer,
and a gas lamp manufacturer.
The final ad notes: "When you have seen the Mint you
haven't seen everything worth seeing in this City. There's
another establishment here over whose threshold enough
men and women have passed to make a fair-sized
commonwealth. The home of the COMPOUND OXYGEN
TREATMENT, 1529 Arch Street. Everybody welcome.
Consultation free."
"COMPOUND OXYGEN is shipped to all parts of the
world. It can be used with full effect in the privacy of home."
CIVIL WAR TOKEN RESEARCH
Speaking of ads, Dave Bowers is looking for "contemporary
advertisements, newspaper notices, paper material, trial
strikings, dies, etc., relating to the origin and history of Civil
War Tokens," according to a back-page ad in the Fall 1999
issue of The Civil War Token Journal. Contact Dave via
email at this address: chris@bowersandmerena.com.
FEATURED WEB SITE
Jan Monroe writes: "Thanks for the tip on the article on
scanning coins by Chuck D'Ambra and a tip of the hat to
Chuck for his help. I plan to make immediate use of this
information for my forthcoming book on Official State
Anniversary Medals."
This week's featured web site is the French Mint.
http://www.monnaiedeparis.com/
Wayne Homren
Numismatic Bibliomania Society
The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a
non-profit organization promoting numismatic
literature. For more information please see
our web site at http://www.coinbooks.org/
There is a membership application available on
the web site. To join, print the application and
return it with your check to the address printed
on the application. For those without web access,
contact Dave Hirt, NBS Secretary-Treasurer,
5911 Quinn Orchard Road, Frederick, MD 21701
(To be removed from this mailing list
write to me at whomren@coinlibrary.com)
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