The Numismatic Bibliomania Society

PREV        NEXT        V3 2000 INDEX        E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 3, Number 51, December 10, 2000: 
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society. 
Copyright (c) 2000, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society. 
  

SUBSCRIBER UPDATES 

   We have one new subscriber this week:  NBS member 
   Ferdinando Bassoli of Torino, Italy.  Welcome aboard! 
   This brings our subscriber count to 353. 
  

NBS LIFE MEMBERSHIP 

   As noted in my President's Message in the recent 2000 
   No. 3 issue of The Asylum, a number of NBS members 
   have inquired about Life Membership in our society. 
   We do have a Life Membership category, although few 
   have taken advantage of it yet.  The category was created 
   just recently, with the adoption of our current constitution 
   and bylaws.  The cost of life membership is set at 20 times 
   the annuals dues, which currently amounts to $300 in 
   North America, $400 elsewhere.  To convert your 
   membership to life status, simply send a check made out to 
   NBS for the proper amount to our Secretary-Treasurer, 
   Dave Hirt.  His address appears at the end of this newsletter. 
  

LAKE BOOKS PRICES REALIZED 

   Fred Lake writes: "The prices realized list for our sale #55 
   which closed on December 5, 2000, is now posted to our 
   web site.  You may view the PDF format list by going to our 
   web site (see link below) and going to the "Past Sales" page 
   and scrolling down to sale #55:  http://www.lakebooks.com/ 
  

NEW BOOK: NUMISMATIC LEGACY OF THE JEWS 

   From a recent press release:  "Stack's is pleased to 
   announce the publication of an important new numismatic 
   reference entitled 

      THE NUMISMATIC LEGACY OF THE JEWS AS DEPICTED BY A DISTINGUISHED AMERICAN COLLECTION 

   The book is a masterful interweaving of Jewish history and 
   religious traditions, illustrated by one of the world’s foremost 
   collections of ancient Jewish coins. It is a collaborative work 
   by Claudia Wallack Samuels, Paul Rynearson and Ya’akov 
   Meshorer, with a foreword by Leo Mildenberg. It studies 
   Jewish history from the Persian Period to the Bar Kokhba 
   Revolt, interweaving the events of the period with their religious 
   and cultural context, all illustrated by the wonderful collection 
   of Alan I. Casden, whose eye for quality and rarity is evident 
   throughout. 

   The book concludes with a detailed numismatic catalogue 
   of the 228 coins of the Casden Collection which serve as its 
   anchor.  Included are the small silver coins of the Persian and 
   Ptolemaic periods, the bronzes of the Jewish rulers and Roman 
   governors, the silver issues of the two Revolts, the city coins 
   and the Roman issues relating to Judaea. Each coin is fully 
   described with regard to identification of city or ruler, metal, 
   weight, die axis, inscription (in the original language and 
   translation), obverse and reverse types and major numismatic 
   references. 

   The book is a must for the beginning or advanced student of 
   Jewish history, religion and numismatics. Published in hardcover 
   and available exclusively from Stack’s for $125, the book is 212 
   pages long with an extensive index, bibliography and glossary, 4 
   maps, 11 black and white plates, and over 200 illustrations 
   throughout the text, most enlarged to reveal fine detail." 

   [Editor's note:  Stack's has just published a new holiday 
    numismatic booklist, offering "20% off on all orders received 
    by December 29, 2000."    Their web address is 
    http://www.stacks.com/. 
  

KARL MOULTON CATALOG 

   Karl Moulton of Congress, AZ has released his December 
   2000 catalog of American Numismatic Literature. He can be 
   reached at numiscats@aol.com 
  

BRITISH TOKEN LITERATURE RESEARCH 

   Harold Welch writes: "I would like to put out an appeal to 
   E-Sylum readers.  I am working on a book that I call The 
   Virtuoso's Arrangement.  It deals with the classic literature 
   of the 18th and 19th century token coinage of Great Britain. 
   The work covers three basic areas: 

      1. A description and review of each work. 
      2. A biography of the authors and past owners of the works. 
      3. An inventory of individually identifiable copies of the 
          various titles. 

   It is in this third area that I seek help.  If you own any of the 
   classic token references such as Atkins, Birchall, Boyne, 
   Conder, Cotton, Dalton, Davis, Denton, Golding, Hammond, 
   Kent, Longman, Perkins, Pye, Sharp, Spence, or Waters, that 
   have prior ownership markings, bookplates, annotations, 
   letters or other materials laid-in, special bindings, etc. or 
   anything else that makes your copy unique, I would be very 
   grateful to hear from you.  I also want to know about all copies 
   of numbered editions (such as Davis' 19th Century Tokens or 
   Water's Middlesex Notes). 

   You will be given credit in the book, or if you prefer, I will 
   maintain your privacy.  Either way, PLEASE contact me.  It is 
   my desire to make this work as complete as possible, but that 
   is impossible without the help of fellow collectors.  My thanks 
   to all of those who have already helped out. 

   Harold Welch,  655 Parkwood Circle, Vadnais Heights, MN 
   55127.    (651) 429-0997  tokenmann@aol.com 
  

LANGE BUFFALO NICKEL BOOK UPDATE 

   David Lange writes: "Alan Grace informs me that the deluxe 
   edition of my Buffalo Nickel book has been delayed by his 
   supplier of marbled paper. It's possible that the books won't 
   be ready in time for those hoping to give them as holiday gifts, 
   and for that I apologize. I will ship them as soon as they are 
   received by me. 

   In the meantime, the regular edition is in stock and available 
   from me at $30 plus $4.50 shipping.  My mailing address is 
   POB 288, Morris Plains, NJ 07950-0288. AOL has been giving 
   me fits, so please address any email inquiries to 
   DLange@NGCcoin.com. 

   On another subject, I recently became engaged to Alba Acosta, 
   with our wedding planned for August of next year (after the ANA 
   Convention, of course). Though Alba has no interest whatsoever 
   in things numismatic, she has already entered the realm of NBS 
   trivia by being named in the dedication of my new book. 
   Marriage brings with it instant fatherhood, as Alba has an 
   eight-year-old daughter named Amanda. 

   As may be imagined, this new adventure has prompted a number 
   of changes. My overgrown collection of coin boards, folders and 
   albums is gradually finding its way to the basement until such time 
   that we can upgrade our digs, and some of my less often used 
   books may soon join them in the darkness.  I suspended my 
   collecting of "nice" coins over a year ago, though having so many 
   old albums around has compelled me to begin filling them with 
   coins purchased at or near their silver value.  Thus, my old 
   childhood sets, most of which were disposed of years ago, are 
   gradually being replaced.  Ironically, when one adjusts for 
   inflation, silver coins are now worth less at their bullion value than 
   they were when I was taking them from circulation at face value. 
   As they say in this part of the country, go figure!" 
  

PERKINS IMAGES AVAILABLE AT ANA WEBSITE 

   ANA Museum Curator Robert Hoge writes: "Some of your 
   readers may be interested to know that there is an example 
   of the Perkins Bank Bill Test in the collection of the Museum 
   of the American Numismatic Association, in Colorado Springs. 
   In fact, it can be viewed, nearly in its entirety, on the ANA's 
   website if one goes to the ANA's  home page 
   (at www.money.org), then selects LIBRARY from the menu, 
   and then clicks on IMAGING PROJECT.  This beautifully 
   preserved rarity was donated to the ANA Money Museum by 
   our prominent and generous benefactor J. Roy Pennell, Jr. 
   It is now obviously the only example available on exhibit to 
   the public. 

   So many numismatists seem to take the ANA for granted.  It 
   exists solely for their benefit, yet a surprising number do not 
   really support it and many even seem to be essentially 
   unaware of its existence.  However, increasing numbers of 
   researchers do appear to be taking cognizance of the ANA's 
   resources, and it is hoped that the renovation plans presently 
   under way will enable larger numbers to take greater advantage 
   of the still little-known treasures here." 

   [Editor's note:  the ANA's Perkins images were a Featured 
   Web Site in the January 23, 2000 E-Sylum (Volume 3, 
   Number 4).  Here's the direct link: 
   http://www.money.org/library/perkins/main.html  ] 
  

THE CASE OF THE SWEDISH BLOB 

   In response to Paul Hybert's request, Bill Bird sends this 
   interesting piece of detective work: "My 1886 Mint Report 
   also has the same blob on page 72.  Obviously an error at the 
   printer's.  However, I converted the Swedish currency to the 
   US value at that time and came up with the missing number. 
   The answer is $78,281." 
  

1804 DOLLARS 

   Russ Logan writes: "...and then there is this Type IV 1804 
   Dollar that has a reeded edge!" 

   Dave Bowers writes: "After selling the Walter Childs 1804 $1 
   for over $4 million the press and television coverage was 
   worldwide  -- I remember getting a comment from Raratonga 
   (which is about as far away from New Hampshire as possible, 
   probably). 

   Anyway, then came the deluge of "1804 dollars" offered from 
   Singapore,  India, and related places in that section of the globe. 
   I recall one exchange by fax that went something like this: 

   OWNER of "1804 dollar": I have a rare 1804 dollar that has 
   been in a private family since, etc., etc., etc, [editing here] and 
   is very valuable. How do I sell it to you? 

   BOWERS AND MERENA: "Does your 1804 dollar have a 
   reeded edge--with vertical ribs all around the outer border? 

   OWNER: Yes it does! 

   (End of scenario) " 

   [Editor's note: Raratonga is in the Cook Islands, South Pacific. 
    Their official currency is 1804 dollars....] 
  

LOTTERY TICKETS ON THE WEB 

   From NEWSSCAN DAILY (www.NewsScan.com): 
   "Lottery players in Maryland will soon be able to buy their 
   tickets online, making Maryland the first in the U.S. to offer 
   online ticket sales. The new service is "just the beginning in 
   gaining access to this large and demographically desirable 
   market niche," said the Maryland Lottery director. "The 
   Internet will be a big factor in the future of lotteries." 

   Maryland players will need to file an online application, and 
   can then  choose their games, numbers and the number of 
   weeks to participate. Charges for the tickets will still have 
   to be paid by check or money order because it's illegal in 
   Maryland to pay for lottery subscriptions by credit or debit 
   cards. (Wall Street Journal 6 Dec 2000)" 

   What do lottery tickets have to do with numismatics? Well, 
   although lottery tickets didn't circulate as money, many 
   early American and British lottery tickets were designed, 
   engraved, and printed by some of the same people who made 
   paper money.   Many collectors of colonial currency collect 
   lottery tickets as interesting companion pieces. 

   Some historic lottery tickets may be found on the web at 
   the Coin and Currency Collections at the University of Notre 
   Dame Libraries: 

      http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCurrency/CurrencyText/CLT.html 
  

BOWERS DUBIOUS ON DUBOIS 

   Dave Bowers writes: "It is interesting to learn of all of the cover 
   variations of the 1850 Eckfeldt-Dubois work. In case anyone is 
   interested, it is my somewhat studied opinion that W.E. Dubois, 
   a highly competent and literate man, turned "sour" in the spring 
   of 1859--the time when the openness of restriking, making 
   patterns to order, etc., so visible (cf. Taxay's "U.S. Mint and 
   Coinage," Joel Orosz' memorable study of Gilmor, etc., etc.) up 
   to that time, went "underground." This caused many of the later 
   statements of Dubois to be discredited. The problem with Dubois 
   is that, probably, 95% of what he said was truthful, but we are 
   all left to figure out exactly where the other 5% is." 
  

NBS AMERICAN NUMISMATIC BIBLIOGRAPHY? 

   Dave Bowers writes: "The interest in the 1850 Eckfeldt-Dubois 
   work prompts me to suggest a "forum" for the NBS: 

   How about compiling an American Numismatic Bibliography 
   for the pre-Civil War (or even pre-1876 centennial)? The 
   listing could include extensive articles in periodicals (e.g., the 
   still-not-seen-by-me Jeremiah Colburn series in the Boston 
   Evening Transcript in the late 1857s, the numerous entries in 
   Historical Magazine, the several detailed articles in Harper's 
   Monthly Magazine, the handful of books published, etc.  All 
   of this could be accompanied by comments from NBS members 
   about their experiences in getting copies (ala the Newman 
   situation with the Streeter sale), modern editorial opinions and 
   reviews, etc." 

   [This would certainly be a worthwhile project for the NBS 
    membership.  Attinelli, Part III and The Historical Magazine 
    are good starting points, and since I have a run of the early 
    volumes, I could contribute if others are willing to help. -Editor] 
  

YALE COLLECTION THEFT 

   Bill Burd writes: "When considering interesting numismatic 
   robberies, the Yale University coin collection stolen on May 29, 
  1965 and valued at $1,000,000 must be added to the list. The 
   robbery was eventually tied to organized crime in Chicago.  A 
   coin dealer in Chicago was arrested on possession of stolen 
   property and interstate transportation of stolen property.  He 
   was found guilty and sentenced to prison. 

   I have the trial transcripts and a copy of the inventory of the 
   coins stolen.  Through the Freedom of Information Act I was 
   also able to obtain a copy of the FBI investigation.  Unfortunately 
   they blacked out a great deal of information they considered 
   'sensitive'. 

   The recovery of Yale's stolen Brasher Doubloon in 1967 is an 
   interesting part of this story. 

   In 1987 a $10.00 Mormon identified as part of the Yale 
   collection surfaced in Chicago and then quickly disappeared 
   again.  I hope to someday put all my information together 
   and have it published." 
  

COGAN COIN THEFT BROADSIDE 

   George Kolbe writes: "Hanging on my office wall is a small 
   broadside, 22 x 14.5 cm. (8.75 x 5.75 inches), framed, entitled: 
   "STOLEN/From the Store of Edward Cogan, No. 48/North 
   Tenth Street." 

   I bought this at, I believe, an ANA Convention years ago and 
   have never done any research on it. A "Pattern Cent, 1859" 
   and several "Edward Cogan, Washington Medal, and Store 
   Cards" dies are among the items listed. 

   The prior owner wrote on the back of the frame: "Cogan 
   Burglary took place ? between Oct 28 1859 and May 21, 
   1860" and also cites an article in the April 1867 AJN." 
  

FEATURED WEB SITE 

   This week's featured web site is recommended by NBS 
   Board member Larry Mitchell:  "The Library of Congress has 
   updated 'An American Time Capsule: Three Centuries of 
   Broadsides and Other Printed Ephemera.'  First released in 
   1998, the collection has had more than seven thousand 
   additional items added to it. It's available at 

      http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/rbpehtml/ 

   A keyword search on coin* will produce 16 rarely seen 
   broadsides on the subject!" 

   [Editor's note:  One interesting item is Ed Cogan's "Circular 
   letter regarding sale of coins in the Randall sale", February 2, 
   1869.  It begins: "In Mason & Co's Magazine for last month, 
   I find a very gassy reply to a letter of mine, commenting upon 
   the sale of coins held in Philadelphia in October last.  As I 
   could not with propriety ask to be allowed to refer again to this 
   subject, in our New-York Journal, I have taken this means of 
   replying to it, to put myself right with the Collectors, by showing 
   that I was perfectly justified in what I have said in regard to the 
   misrepresentations of the Coins in the Randall Sale. If the Editor 
   had taken my advice, and held his tongue about the remarks in 
   my first letter, he would have taken a much wiser course than the 
   one he has thought proper to adopt; and if he has been driven to 
   this course by outside pressure, I am sorry for him; but he must 
   not blame me for it." 

   Another interesting item is a printing of an April 14, 1790 letter 
   by Thomas Jefferson "certain proposals, for supplying the United 
   States with copper coinage" 

   "The Secretary of State, to whom was referred by the House of 
   Representatives the letter of John H. Mitchell, reciting certain 
   proposals, for supplying the United States with Copper Coinage, 
   has had the same under consideration, according to instructions, 
   and begs leave to report thereon as follows. 

   THE person who wishes to undertake the supply of a Copper 
   Coinage, sets forth, that the superiority of his apparatus and 
   process for coining, enables him to furnish a coinage, better and 
   cheaper than can be done by any country or person whatever: 
   that his dies are engraved by the first artist in that line in Europe: 
   that his apparatus for striking the edge, at the same blow with 
   the faces, is new and singularly ingenious: that he coins by a press 
   on a new principle, and worked by a fire engine more regularly 
   than can be done by hand; that he will deliver any quantity of coin, 
   of any size and device, of pure and unalloyed copper, wrapped 
   in paper, and packed in casks ready for shipping, for fourteen 
   pence sterling the pound." ] 
  

  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) 
  

    

PREV        NEXT        V3 2000 INDEX        E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

NBS Home Page    Back to top

Google
 
NBS (coinbooks.org) Web