Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 3, Number 42, October 15, 2000: an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society. Copyright (c) 2000, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society. SUBSCRIBER UPDATES We have two new subscribers this week: Stephen Pradier and Mark Nuetzi. Welcome aboard! This brings our subscriber count to 348. One of last week's new subscribers, Fabrizio Maddalena of Vicenza, Italy, writes: "I discovered The E-Sylum on the web with a link to www.coinbooks.org" CNA LIBRARY FLOODED An article in the October 23, 2000 issue of COIN World (p98) reports that that library of the Canadian Numismatic Association was recently flooded. The flooding led to a loss of "about 240 books, many journals and library supplies... Several rare books - works by Breton, Leroux and others - were included in the loss." KRALJEVICH AT BOWERS & MERENA Sharp-eyed catalog readers may have noticed that E-Sylum subscriber John Kraljevich, Jr. is now listed as a Professional Numismatist on the staff of the Bowers and Merena organization. John's work may be seen in the catalog of the firm's Robert W. Schwan sale (October 26-27, 2000), particularly in the Bryan Dollar section (lots 1132-1151). In the description of lot 1932 he provides some information on George Frederick Kunz (thought it was gonna say Kolbe, didn't you?). "In 1895 Kunz was involved in the encouragement of new designs for United States coinage, an effort which brought forth many ideas but produced no lasting results." BOWERS DRAFT AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW Dave Bowers has made a few chapters from the draft of his upcoming book available for comment by NBS members and E-Sylum subscribers. The book is prospectively titled "The History of the Gold Rush as Illustrated by Treasures from the S.S. Central America" The chapters are available for review on the NBS web site. Go to http://www.coinbooks.org/, then choose the new "Research" link. Of special interest to E-Sylum readers is the information on Ezekiel I. Barra, who was discussed in previous issues. Bowers also notes: "Another numismatist, Philadelphia physician Lewis Roper (whose coins were auctioned in 1851) is said to have been part of the Gold Rush, and to have been lost at sea - but I have not included him as I cannot find a lost ship sunk in 1850 on its way back from California (or the Panama connection) that might be a candidate." Please send any comments to Dave by October 30, 2000, as the project is nearing completion. DELUXE BUFFALO BOOK Dave Lange writes: "Thanks for running my announcement in The E-Sylum about my new Buffalo Nickel book. The response was very favorable, and I'll definitely proceed with the deluxe edition." DEVASTATING REVIEWS To continue our compilation of "Devastating Reviews" of numismatic books (as initiated by Tom Fort), your editor found this review in his "research archives" (i.e. "pile of unsorted miscellaneous stuff he could never bring himself to throw away..." The February, 1986 issue of Bank Note Reporter contained a review by Dr. Douglas Ball of "Graybacks and Gold: Confederate Monetary Policy" by James F. Morgan, Perdido Bay Press, Pensacola, FL. 1985: Headlined "Book on Confederate Money Has Serious Flaws", the review began: "Having written my own doctoral thesis on the theoretical and policy making aspects of Confederate finance, I was looking forward to reading this work. But having done so, I must regretfully report that it is so seriously flawed as to render it practically useless, if not positively misleading. For starters, the book title itself is both erroneous and misleading. The Confederate currency was popularly known as "blue backs," not "graybacks." Indeed, the term "graybacks" was a term used by both armies for the ever-present scourge of lice." Dr. Ball enumerates several flaws. One example: "he declares that Secretary Memminger was an enthusiastic advocate of fiat paper money and an enemy of coin and coinage. Memminger, as a matter of well-known record, was the hardest of hard money Jacksonian Democrats." "I can understand how this thesis might have got by the student. What puzzles me is how it got past a faculty advisor, two other readers, and then the Perdido Press. Perhaps as some of the faculty members suggested during my recent visit to the University of Oklahoma campus, it is time that Oklahoma devoted the same energy and money to the University's academic programs that they do to its athletic ones." MORE PATTERN RESEARCH HELP NEEDED Researcher David Cassel is seeking information regarding the provenance of the following J-330A pattern coins. Occasionally, collectors make notations in their auction catalogues as to who bought various coins. If you can help, please contact David by e-mail, DavCassel@aol.com Bowers and Rudy - Paxman Sale -November 1974 sale lot 1028. Any information on who bought this coin, its weight, and where it is today. Stack's - L.S. Ruder Collection - September 1987 lot 985. Who consigned this coin to this auction? Stack's - New England Museum Sale - October 1988 lot 610. Who consigned this coin to this auction? Stack's - Wm. M. Moore - March 1992 lot 1650. Any information on who bought this coin, its weight, and where it is today. JAMES ROSS SNOWDEN BOOK You people are just too smart. Last week, I mentioned a non-numismatic book by Mint Director James Ross Snowden, and practically dared you to guess its title. Well, Mike Paradis and Pete Smith both responded swiftly and correctly - the answer is "The Cornplanter Memorial", 1867. Great minds think alike, as you'll see. When I asked how they knew the answer, Pete Smith replied: "As a biographer, I am interested in things people do outside numismatics as those are frequently more interesting. Often my sources have been publications for specific professions. (Who's Who in Insurance or Who's Who in Medicine, as examples.) Last week I bought a copy of William Sheldon's "Atlas of Men" for $10.50 which I consider a very good price. I already had two other books he wrote on non-numismatic topics. Sheldon is one of very few authors where I collect non-numismatic titles. I will give you two answers to your question and you can pick the one you like best. 1) I have devoted my life to memorizing the titles of non-numismatic books written by people important in numismatics. 2) I took two minutes to search the Library of Congress website for titles by Snowden. As with magic, often the fun is lost when you learn how a trick is done." Mike Paradis confessed as well: "No, I don't own a copy. I found it at the Library of Congress web site. However, this is on ABEBOOKS." [Editor's note: the bookseller web site address is: http://www.abebooks.com/ And so I don't have to retype the full citation, I'll quote the listing Mike forwarded: ] "Snowden, James Ross: THE CORNPLANTER MEMORIAL. AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF CY-ANT-WA-CHIA - THE CORNPLANTER, AND OF THE SIX NATIONS OF INDIANS...AND THE REPORT OF SAMUEL P. JOHNSON, ON THE ERECTION OF THE MONUMENT AT JENNESADAGA, TO THE MEMORY OF CORNPLANTER. Harrisburg, Pa. 1867. 115pp. Frontis. Half title. Dbd., stitched. Cornplanter was chief of the Six Indian Nations. Also printed herein are speeches by John Luke, councilor of the Seneca Nation, and Stephen Smith, chief of the Six Nations. Appendices provide speeches of Cornplanter, an address to him by President Washington, and the present condition of the Six Nations." For more information on Cornplanter, see this web site: http://salisburypa.com/indian.html SNOWDEN DIARY? In the category of "things found while looking up other things" is this reference from the Guide to Civil War Manuscript & Newspaper Collections at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania: Snowden, James Ross. Diary (1864-65). Co. 'I,' 23rd PA Infantry & Co. 'I,' 61st PA Infantry & Co.'I,' 61st PA Infantry. Collection no. 616; call no. Am .1565. The reference is on this web page: http://www.hsp.org/library/guides/cwmss.html Pete Smith's Snowden entry in "American Numismatic Biographies" notes that "Snowden was appointed Director of the Mint by President Pierce serving June 1853 to April 1861... He resigned to accept an appointment with the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and served there until 1873." So ... does this diary belong to a different James Ross Snowden? FAVORITE TYPO Dick Johnson writes: "I had to laugh at a typo on my own computer. I was writing about two kinds of brass (for cheap tokens), one kind was red brass, the other rich low brass. In one sentence I dropped an "s" in brass and my computer screen read: rich low bras!" FEATURED WEB SITE This week's featured web site is on Scottish Banknotes and Coins, maintained by Dave Parrish. "this site has over 100 images of Scottish Banknotes and dozens of images of Scottish Coins." http://www.geocities.com/paris/cathedral/1755/index.html 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)
