Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 5, Number 34, August 18, 2002: 
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society. 
Copyright (c) 2002, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.

SUBSCRIBER UPDATES

 	We have three new subscribers this week: Erin Klatt of 
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Stefan De Lombaert of 
Belgium and Chris Fuccione. Welcome aboard! Our 
subscriber count is now 483.

 	REMINDER: The E-Sylum will not be published Sunday, 
August 25th, or Sunday, September 1st.

JOHN HULL BOSTON MINT BOOK AVAILABLE

 	In the July 14, 2002 issue, Ray Williams noted that Lou 
Jordan's new book about the Boston Mint was at the 
printer. It is now available for sale from the publisher, 
University Press of New England. The book's full title 
is "Studies on John Hull, the Mint and the Economics of 
Massachusetts Coinage." (348pp, 55 illustrations, folio 
size, cloth binding with dust jacket, $50.00)

 	Ray has posted the table of contents on the C4 website: 
http://www.colonialcoins.org/lou_jordan_table_of_contents.htm

 	To order the book online, go to the publisher's web site at 
http://www.dartmouth.edu/acad-inst/upne/

NEW ONLINE EXHIBIT

 	Thanks to NBS President Pete Smith, Eric Holcomb and 
his digital camera, exhibitor Jim Neiswinter and webmaster 
Bruce Perdue, we now have another online numismatic 
literature exhibit on the NBS web site.

 	"First Photographic Plate in American Numismatics" won 
1st Place in Class 22, the Aaron Feldman Numismatic 
Literature category, at the American Numismatic Association 
convention in New York City earlier this month.

 	Congratulations to Jim on a fine exhibit. To view it, go to 
our web site (http://www.coinbooks.org), click on "Exhibits", 
then scroll down to the list of exhibits for all past years.
MPC BOOK WINS NLG AWARD

 	Howard A. Daniel III writes: "The fourth edition of the 
"Comprehensive Catalog of Military Payment Certificates" 
by Fred Schwan won the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) 
award for the best new book about United States Paper 
Money at the ANA Convention. There is also a "Collectors' 
Edition" with many additional pages to add notes, information 
about new pieces found, and other data.

 	You can contact the author at "MPCGram@Yahoo.com" or 
at "FredSchwan@aol.com" for an autographed copy. The 
former email address is also where you can request to be sent 
the free emailed MPCGram newsletter, where MPC and many 
other militaria is written about and discussed."

ANA CONVENTION NOTES

 	Your Editor had a great time at the recent ANA convention. 
It was nice to see so many of our subscribers and put some 
faces to the names. The NBS general meeting was well 
attended and very enjoyable.

 	A Friday afternoon visit to the American Numismatic 
Society library was a short but interesting diversion. I had 
no agenda in mind and simply browsed through the pamphlet 
files for amusement, making copies of a handful of items for 
my own files, including:

 	A 1953 newsletter about Encased Postage Stamp literature 
published by F. H. Ames, Jr. of Richland, Washington.

 	A September 1869 offprint from a Banker's Magazine by 
William E. DuBois on "Propositions for a Revised System of 
Weights and a Restoration of Silver Currency."

 	A June 1952 article by E. R. H. Dicken on "Scottish Beggar's 
Badges"

 	A May 1961 Coin World interview with John J. Ford on the 
menace of numismatic counterfeits made by the spark erosion 
process.

 	An 1893 "Memoir of Jeremiah Colburn, A.M." by John 
Ward Dean AM.

ANOTHER NEW SUBSCRIBER CAUGHT IN OUR WEB

 	New subscriber Chris Fuccione writes: "I was surfing last night 
trying to find info on Massachusetts coinage in the 1800s and 
I found your club's site. I've heard of your club but this was 
the first time I was here and I was very impressed. Can I sign 
up for your e-newsletter? "

 	[You sure can, and you just did! Welcome! -Editor]
	
PRICES REALIZED PROTOCOL

 	Bill Daehn has some questions for E-Sylum readers: "Most 
numismatic literature collectors have many auction catalogs for 
which they have no Prices Realized List (PRL). Certainly, 
there were far more catalogs printed than PRLs for most sales. 
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to easily acquire the PRLs we 
need to facilitate pricing research? Yet I never see literature 
dealers offering copies of them. Nor have I seen any offers 
from collectors to make copies available from their libraries.

 	I presume PRLs are considered to be copyrighted materials, 
and thus legal and ethical concerns prevent the free exchange 
of photocopies. I'd like to hear from E-Sylum readers on this 
topic. Is it unethical/illegal to exchange or sell photocopies of 
PRLs? Do the dealers who presumably own the copyrights 
care? If someone lets it be known that they'd make copies of 
PRLs for E-Sylum readers, would anyone cry "foul"? Or must 
we quietly seek the copies we need from trusted friends? 
Opinions please."

MOULTON WEB SITE DEBUTS

 	Coincidentally, there is a new website for American numismatic 
literature. It features the online listings of literature dealer Karl 
Moulton, who has written several interesting numismatic articles 
which can be reviewed on the site: http://www.coincats.com/

 	Karl specializes in American coin auction catalogues and prices 
realized lists from 1859 to date. There is a varied assortment 
of other reference materials offered as well.

 	In response to Bill's question about PRLs, Karl writes: 
"As far as I'm aware, there is no problem in copying any prices 
realized for an auction of any sort. Since it is merely a reporting 
of figures, there is no worry about any creative copyright 
infringements.

    I have the largest selection of American prices realized for 
numismatic auctions, and have long believed they were an 
important, yet overlooked factor in the overall coin market. 
The first ever (4 page) printed prices realized list in this 
country, printed by Ed Cogan, sold for over a hundred 
dollars a page at a George Kolbe sale a few years ago."

NEW PUBLICATIONS

 	U.S. numismatic publications crossing my desk 
recently include:

 	Bowers, Q.David, "More Adventures With Rare Coins," 
a sequel to his popular 1979 book. A hefty 459 pages 
of great stories about classical and modern U.S. coins 
and tokens. Published 2002.

 	Harris, Gordon L., "New York State Scrip and Private 
Issues," a heavily-illustrated 192-page catalog of private 
paper money, with rarity ratings. Published 2001.

 	Neale, Robert S., "The Bank of Cape Fear of 
Wilmington, North Carolina," 192pp. Published 1999.

 	[Who else has some recent works to mention or review 
for us?]

MONASTERY TOKENS?

 	Rich Hartzog writes: "I would not think that monastery 
tokens are communion tokens, as such tokens are 
basically given out as proof the person is eligible to 
receive communion, for taking communion at a later date.

 	Tom DeLorey writes: "I highly doubt that Monastery Tokens, 
whatever they are, would be communion tokens. In the closed 
community of a monastery, there would not be a need to 
identify the faithful qualified to receive the sacrament.

 	Bob Leonard writes: "I believe that Gar is mistaken about 
"monastery tokens" being Communion tokens. They are 
mentioned in "British Tokens and Their Values" by Peter 
Seaby and Monica Bussell (Seaby's Numismatic Publications, 
1970), p. 7:

 	"Seventeenth Century Tokens - These tokens were the first 
genuine trade tokens to appear in this country. Hitherto crude 
lead tokens either in imitation of long cross pennies or bearing 
a rough design such as a pascal-lamb or a mitre had been 
issued by the monasteries to pay artisans employed by the 
monks. Villagers nicknamed them "Abbot's money" and they 
had a small local circulation." The mitre tokens from East 
Anglia are now thought to be "Boy Bishop" tokens. See 
Michael Mitchiner and Anne Skinner, "English Tokens, 
c. 1200 to 1425," BNJ 1983 (53), pp. 29-77, and "English 
Tokens, c. 1425 to 1672," BNJ 1984 (54), pp. 86-163, for 
additional information on early English lead tokens, including 
a bibliography."

RESEARCH HELP SOUGHT

 	Asylum Editor-in-Chief Dave Fanning writes: "I am in the 
process of working on a few research projects and am 
looking for help on the following:

 	1. I am compiling information on extant copies of 
Woodward's 92nd sale. I have been in touch with most 
people who own one, I believe, but I'm sure there are 
ones I don't know about. If you own a copy or know of 
one in an institution, please contact me so I can ask a few 
questions about it (basic bibliographical stuff). If the results 
of my research are published, I will not use the names of 
private owners.

2. If someone has a priced copy of David McGilvray's sale of 
the Henry Cook collection (July 30, 1862), would you 
contact me? My copy is priced, but really amateurishly and 
confusingly and I have a couple questions about particular 
lots.

3. I am in need of a photocopy or scan of T.H. Garrett's 
signature and one of T.H. Garrett's name in W. Elliot 
Woodward's handwriting. Would be very appreciative if 
anyone can help me out.

 	Thanks. I can be reached at fanning32@earthlink.net or at 
(614) 449-8408 (evenings)."

TANTALUM MEA CULPA

 	Following up on the recent exchange about the metal 
tantalum, Alan Luedeking writes: "My apologies -- Mr. 
Schmidt is right of course; moreover, I was wrong about 
the conductivity of tantalum altogether: While it is quite 
conductive, it is less conductive than both silver and gold, 
having a thermal conductivity of 57.5 J/m-sec-deg and 
an electrical conductivity of 80.321 1/mohm-cm.

 	Silver and gold both have significantly higher values. For 
more information on all aspects of elements I recommend 
the following interesting website: 
http://www.scescape.net/~woods/elements/. 
I apologize to all for my misinformation!"
 	[While web surfing your Editor came across the following 
related page - a listing by Tony Clayton of metals used 
in coins and medals: 

http://www.tclayton.demon.co.uk/metal.html 
-Editor]

OF CABBAGES AND KINGS

 	We certainly cover a wide range of topics here in The E-Sylum. 
David Lange writes: "While doing an Internet search on testing 
laboratories to find a facility that could perform a SEM/EDX 
analysis of a coin, I got the following reference:

 	E-Sylum v04n03 
... could look up local laboratories offering SEM/EDX services 
or x-ray ... www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_esylum_v04n03.html

 	It seems the E-Sylum is like Mastercard . . . it's everywhere you 
want to go!"
MEDALS BY JOHN PINCHES

 	Geoff Bell writes: "Could you ask our readers if they know 
where I can locate a copy of the book "Medals By John 
Pinches, A Catalogue Of Works Struck By The Company 
From 1840 To 1969"? Thanks!"

 	[A web search located a couple of copies for sale. There 
is also a copy in the ANA library. It was published in 
hardcover in 1987, and later in paperback.

 	Can anyone provide us with some more information about 
the firm and its work? See this week's Featured Web Page 
for a few early examples of the firm's work. -Editor]

EURO LAUNDERING

 	Kavan Ratnatunga writes: "I found this item of Early Stress 
tests on the Euro which I thought you might find amusing 
Berlin, January 2):

 	"Euro notes survive being washed at close to boiling 
temperatures but should not be ironed, a German daily said 
on Tuesday after its reporters put the new money through 
some everyday stress tests. The Bild newspaper found the 
notes looking as good as new, only wetter, after a half-hour 
wash at 95 degrees Celsius and a quick spin dry. They also 
survived being put through a tumble drier.

 	But when the notes were ironed, their shiny security strip, 
which displays their value, quickly became pockmarked. The
notes' embedded security thread also burned when put through 
a microwave, Bild reported.
	
 	The notes changed colour and shrank briefly when dipped in 
red wine, but expanded again as they soaked up the fluid. 
Needless to say, the coins were completely destroyed when 
run over by a tram."

FEATURED WEB PAGE

 	This week's featured web page features Medals of Robert 
Burns. The page is published by the Hunterian Museum, 
University of Glasgow, Scotland.

 	http://www.hunterian.gla.ac.uk/Archives/MetalicBard/burns_medals.html
Wayne Homren 
Numismatic Bibliomania Society