Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 3, Number 41, October 8, 2000:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2000, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
SUBSCRIBER UPDATES
We have three new subscribers this week: Francisco Prado
of Spain, Fabrizio of Italy, and Janet. Welcome aboard!
This brings our subscriber count to 346.
CASTLEDINE BOOK LIST AVAILABLE
Numismatic literature price list #24 (October 2000) is
available from J R Castledine, "Numismatist and
Bookseller" of Herts, England. Castledine can be reached
as follows:
Email: richard@moneta.ndo.co.uk
Web: http://www.moneta-coins.co.uk/
YOU FIGURE IT OUT
Last week we mentioned the death of Frank Spadone,
publisher of a magazine initially called "You Name It."
Charles Davis, in his November 4, 2000 sale, offers a
run of 77 of the 86 issues published (lot 999).
"The run is full of sequencing anomalies ... In the middle
of the run, Spadone jumped from volume numbers to
consecutive issue numbers without dropping the volume
designation... Perhaps Spadone should have called the
first issues "You Figure It Out."
THE POWER OF WRITING
Tom DeLorey writes: "I read with interest your note on the
passing of Frank Spadone. In the early 1960s, his error and
variety book (mistakes and retouched pictures notwithstanding)
led me deeply into the field of errors and varieties, which led
to my working for Coin World in the Collectors Clearinghouse
department, which led to my working for the ANA as an
authenticator, which led me to where I am today. All because
of one book. Such is the power of writing."
HEAVY NUMBERS
A great example of Tom DeLorey's writing appears in the
November 2000 issue of COINage magazine, asking the
question, "How do you accurately count billions of coins?".
In "Heavy Numbers" (p30), he examines the U.S. Mint's
practice in recent years of counting coins by weight, and
goes on to discuss earlier methods, such as counting-boxes.
After discussing how mintages were often reported by
counting the number of $1,000 sacks or kegs filled, he asks
another key question: "What happened to the leftover coins
that could not fill up a bag at the end of the year?"
The answer? ".. if you are a wise coiner, you will keep
these coins on your books as planchets and deliver them as
coins the following year. Thus, your first bag for each year
should be a mixed one - and unless that bag is opened by
a coin collector, nobody will ever care.
That did happen one time, however, in the early 1950's -
with amazing good fortune to the collector who opened
a Mint-sewn bag of 1894-S dollars only to find 20
brilliant uncirculated 1893-S dollars mixed in the bag.
All of the other 100,000 1893-S dollars records by the
Mint were released into circulation shortly after striking,
and to this day virtually every uncirculated 1893-S
dollar can be traced to that bag of 1894-S's."
ARTICLE SEARCH ENGINE
John and Nancy Wilson write: "The below search engine is
pretty good and if you think it can benefit E-Sylum subscribers
please pass the site on. We think it is the most simple way to
get numismatic related stories all at one time. Go to the site
and try it out with numismatic terms. Make sure you also use
the Reference/Ed tool on the left."
http://www.findarticles.com/PI/index.jhtml
SALATHIEL ELLIS MUSINGS
Mike Bozovich writes: "Thanks for your continued issuance
of our little electronic journal of ramblings.
I was intrigued to read Dick Johnson's example of Salathiel
Ellis in conjunction with his extolling the virtues of
genealogical research - an opinion with which I heartily
concur. I had never before encountered this name, other
than in association with one of my wife's direct ancestors,
Salathiel Starkey. Furthermore, Ellis is the surname of a
distant ancestor in *my* line.
There really must only be six degrees of separation."
LANGE'S BUFFALO NICKELS 2ND EDITION
David Lange writes: "The second edition of my book, The
Complete Guide to Buffalo Nickels, is now at the printer and
is expected in about four-six weeks. The publisher is again
DLRC Press. John Feigenbaum of DLRC tells me that he is
doing the entire standard edition in pictorial hardcover. The
printer is the same one used by Bowers & Merena, so the
book should be similar in treatment to their recent publications,
such as QDB's books on the 1804 dollar and early American
numismatics. I don't yet know the retail price, but I would
estimate it around $40.
I'm pleased to say that this book is a tremendous advance
over the first edition, which has been sold out for the past
three years. It is nearly 200 pages and includes an extremely
thorough, fully documented history of the creation of Fraser's
nickel. Letters that were only excerpted or paraphrased
by Taxay and Breen will appear in their entirety for the first
time. All other chapters have likewise been expanded and
updated.
As with my previous books on Mercury Dimes and Lincoln
Cents, I'm planning to have Alan Grace bind 25 numbered,
signed and dated copies in quarter calf with marbled boards
and endpapers. E-Sylum readers probably know already that
Alan was the binder for Armand Champa's library, and his
work is of incomparable quality. As may be expected, costs
have risen. The price of this edition will therefore be $185,
which represents my combined cost for the unbound signatures
and Alan's services. Since I will be offering this at no profit to
myself, I will do it only if there is sufficient interest to cover my
investment.
Of course, previous purchasers of my limited edition books
will have the right of first refusal to their established numbers.
Since a few of the previous buyers have either passed away or
withdrawn from collecting, there will also be some slots available
for new purchasers. I ask that anyone interested in ordering this
limited edition, whether a previous or new buyer, contact me
ASAP. My email address is DWLange@aol.com, and my
mailing address is POB 288, Morris Plains, NJ 07950-0288.
If you know someone who may be interested in this edition and
does not have email access, please pass this notice on to them.
I'd really like to produce this edition, but I cannot unless there
is sufficient response from bibliophiles."
ANS LIBRARY GOALS
The American Numismatic Society has published its long-
range planning goals. The document is available on their
web site at this address:
http://www.amnumsoc.org/news/LongRangePlan.html
Bibliophiles may be interested in the plans for the ANS'
incomparable numismatic library. The Library goals are
shown below:
"Library Goal: Support the informational needs of
membership, scholars and the general public and staff
through the referencing of numismatic publications,
domestic and foreign utilizing information technology.
Objectives:
1. Complete library's online catalog component as part of
already established ordering, acquisitions, and subject
authority database (LOAC).
2. Provide "clean" bibliographic records devoid of
unauthorized/incorrect subject headings, editing records
online using global change capabilities of the online catalog.
3. Ensure the reader is guided to all works of a single author
by developing and installing a procedure for name
authority work.
4. Provide comprehensive and timely coverage of articles in
all numismatic journals; catalog backlog of approximately
12,800 articles.
5. Explore possible use of RLIN or downloading records
from Library of Congress at no cost.
Goal: To become an information center that efficiently uses
modern technology.
Objectives:
6. Provide online public access computers for library visitors
allowing quick searches by keyword, title, author, ISBN
etc and the capacity to print search results.
7. Provide access to numismatic websites by cataloging them
according to accepted standards; incorporate a strategy
for updating cataloging of numismatic websites on a regular
basis.
8. Provide information about the library and its collections
over ANS website.
9. Acquire multi-volume reference works or journals in fiche,
film, or CD-ROM and microfilm/fiche reader/printer
equipment to facilitate use of non-paper format."
JAMES ROSS SNOWDEN
In recent years, your editor acquired two books authored by
U.S. Mint Director James Ross Snowden, who served from
June 1853 to April 1861. Most U.S. bibliophiles are familiar
with Snowden's books on the Mint Cabinet and Washington
medals (printed in 1860 and 1861, respectively). But these
two acquisitions are much less commonly seen, and it would
be interesting to learn if other bibliophiles have copies.
The first is a small tract published in 1866, titled "The Coins
of the Bible, and Its Money Terms." This copy is 16mo in
size, 94pp, covered in raised green cloth with gilt lettering.
It is the "enlarged edition." The first edition was published in
1864. In his foreword Snowden notes:
"A few years ago the writer made some remarks to a
Sabbath-school with which he was connected, and exhibited
specimens of some of the Coins mentioned in the Bible,
namely, a denarius, or "penny;" a shekel, a silver stater, and
a lepton, or "widow's mite." There was present on that
occasion a clergyman, at whose request the writer prepared
a series of articles on the same subject, which were published
in the "Sabbath-School Visitor."
In compliance with the repeated request of the same
gentleman, and other clergymen and laymen, the writer has
arranged these articles, and with several additional chapters,
and some introductory remarks, they are presented to the
public in the present form.
As the articles were originally written for a Sabbath-School
paper, so now, this little work is mainly intended to be used
as a Sabbath-school book .The writer begs to express the
hope its pages will give useful information to youthful inquirers
after truth; and that the statements and tables herein presented,
will be found valuable to all readers of the sacred Scriptures,
into whose hands it may come, and thus advance the interests
of our beloved Zion."
The book was published by "The Trustees of the Presbyterian
Board of Publications" While scarce, the book is known, and
is listed in the Sigler and Clain-Stephanelli bibliographies.
George Kolbe reports that a copy appeared in his Sale 65,
lot 260.
We'll save the second Snowden book for next week, and I'll
be quite surprised if anyone can guess what it is. Hint: it's
non-numismatic.
FAVORITE TYPOS
The topic of Snowden brings to mind your editor's all-time
favorite typo in a numismatic book. The following is from
Richard Snow's "Flying Eagle & Indian Cents", 1992, p8:
"In late 1856 the new small nickel cent was being pushed
through Congress by Snowmen."
A runner-up is referenced in lot 647 of the current Charles
Davis sale: "Comprehensive Guide to American Colonial
Coinage. It's {sic} Origins, History and Value," 1976,
Sanford Durst. The lot description notes "What else can you
say about a book that has a typographical (or grammatical?)
error in its title."
MORE GROUCHO MARX ON BOOKS
From the Quote Archive:
http://www.quotearchive.com/Groucho_Marx.htm
"I must say that I find television very educational. The
minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and
read a book."
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.
Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read"
And some non-book quotes:
"Remember men, we're fighting for this woman's honor;
which is probably more than she ever did."
"Quote me as saying I was mis-quoted."
-Julius "Groucho" Marx, 1890-1977
FEATURED WEB SITE
This week's featured web is The Celtic Coin Index -
"a collection of more than 31000 images of Celtic coins
found in Britain."
http://units.ox.ac.uk/departments/archaeology/ccindex/ccindex.htm
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 21704
(To be removed from this mailing list
write to me at whomren@coinlibrary.com)
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