Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 7, Number 14, April 4, 2004:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2004, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.


SUBSCRIBER UPDATE

  Among recent new (and renewing) subscribers are
  Erik Heikkenen (the American Numismatic Association
  Museum Registrar), courtesy of David Sklow,
  F.Gordon Frost, and Bruce Wonder.  Welcome aboard!
  We now have 647 subscribers.


SAN FRANCISCO MINT CORNERSTONE MYSTERY CRACKED

  Rich Kelly and Nancy Oliver write:  "After six years of
  searching we have found something that we believe to be quite
  exciting news.   We have found government documented proof
  of the exact coinage that was placed into the cornerstone of the
  second San Francisco Mint.  There has been much speculation
  on this issue, but no more.  There were a few interesting surprises
  which will be revealed in the April 12th issue of Coin World ....
  we hope you all get a chance to read it!"

  [The article appeared on the front page of the issue, which many
  of our readers may have already seen.  Congratulations on the
  find - perseverance isn't always rewarded in numismatic research,
  but it's great to see it happen once in awhile, if for no other reason
  than to serve as an example and incentive for others on the track
  of important bits of information.  Their search uncovered a June
  1, 1870 warrant noting the exact denominations of coins
  purchased to including in the cornerstone.  The document is also
  the first documented evidence of the existence of an 1870-S
  quarter dollar coin."  -Editor]


KOLBE FORD SALE CATALOGUE AVAILABLE

  George Kolbe writes: "The sale catalogue of the June 1,
  2004 John J. Ford, Jr. Numismatic Library auction is now
  accessible at our web site: www.numislit.com - all 308 pages
  of it.  We hope to have an illustrated version of the catalogue
  also available online in the next few weeks. The printed
  catalogue should be available around the end of April.
  Printed catalogues are $35.00."


LAKE BOOKS SALE 73 CLOSING APRIL 6

  Fred Lake writes "This is a reminder that our mail-bid sale
  of  numismatic literature (#73) will close on Tuesday, April 6,
  2004 at 5:00 PM EDT. Your bids may be emailed, faxed,
  or telephoned to us prior to that time.  You can view the
  catalogue at: Current Catalogue"


NBS AUCTION CATALOG CENSUS UPDATE

  Karl Moulton writes: "The 19th century auction catalogue
  census is going well at this point with nearly 50 responses
  having been received from NBS members.  There were
  approximately 350 census forms mailed out last month, so
  we are off to a good start.  There's still plenty of time left
  for those who have rather extensive holdings in this area,
  as the deadline isn't until the end of June.

  The compilation of the totals has already begun, however
  the figures don't come anywhere close to what we know is
  out there.  Hopefully, when the larger libraries are tallied,
  we will have a better idea on the number of extant copies.

  If you haven't responded yet, please be sure and make
  some time to fill out the survey.  When it's completed,
  please send it to:

  Karl Moulton
  PO Box 1073
  Congress, AZ  85332"


MUDD NAMED ANA MUSEUM CURATOR

  From the organization's press release:  American Numismatic
  Association Executive Director, Christopher Cipoletti, surprised
  and delighted the ribbon cutting audience when he announced
  the hiring of a new employee during opening ceremonies of the
  ANA's National Money Show in Portland, Oregon, March
  26.

  "I am pleased to announce the ANA has filled an important
  job opening, and this will be wonderful for the entire hobby.
  Douglas Mudd, who has served as Manager of the National
  Numismatic Collection at The Smithsonian Institution since
  1991, will be joining the ANA Money Museum in Colorado
  Springs as our curator later this spring," Cipoletti told the
  crowd.

  "He brings impressive numismatic education and credentials
  to his new position at ANA headquarters. Doug Mudd has
  been responsible for the care, storage and security of 1.6
  million items in the Smithsonian's numismatic collection. He
  has extensive knowledge about museum data entry, cataloging,
  numismatic photography, research and of course, creation of
  exhibits.  The ANA Board of Governors is elated he is joining
  the ANA team. Of course, I am, too!"

  While at the Smithsonian, Mudd developed a digital image
  database of more than 3,500 objects and created web pages
  for the National Numismatic Collection. Based on his extensive
  experience in cataloging and Internet programming, more of
  the ANA museum's collection is expected to be available for
  online viewing and study in the months ahead.

  Mudd was one of the Portland convention's scheduled
  Numismatic Theatre speakers, discussing money and
  sovereignty, on Saturday, March 27, and earlier shared his
  expertise by teaching ANA Summer Seminar courses on the
  topic, "Numismatics for the Museum Professional." Mudd's
  expertise will be used again in the "Numismatics for the
  Museum Professional" course at this year's ANA Summer
  Seminar.

  An international relations graduate of the College of William
  and Mary, he has taken post graduate American history
  classes at George Mason University and a class on ancient
  Greek coinage at the Department of Agriculture Graduate
  School.

  Mudd also was a student at four ANA Summer Seminar
  courses between 1993 and 2001: Coinage of the Ancient
  World, Advanced Coinage of the Ancient World, Oriental
  Coinage, and Early British Coinage.

  His experience in creating exhibits includes traditional types
  of displays, interactive computer exhibits and online
  presentations. Mudd recently completed work on two
  interactive computer stations in the National Numismatic
  Collection exhibit hall that incorporated over 300 coins with
  text and images. He also worked on the Money & Sovereignty
  exhibit that opens in April 2004 at the International Monetary
  Fund Center in Washington, D.C.

  Mudd has wide ranging experience cataloging coins, and has
  authored numerous educational brochures. His numismatic
  photography has appeared in many journals and books,
  including "Life in Republican Rome on its Coinage," by Elvira
  Clain Stefanelli.

  His first duties at the ANA Money Museum will include
  work on the museum's exhibit schedule. Mudd will also
  continue work on online access to the museum collection,
  and generating new museum donations and acquisitions.

  For additional information about the ANA and the ANA
  Money Museum, contact the American Numismatic
  Association, 818 N. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs,
  CO 80903. Phone: (719) 632 2646.
  Online: ANA"


FIRST CIRCULATING EURO COMMEMORATIVE

  Ralf W. Böpple of Stuttgart, Germany writes: "The first
  circulating Euro commemorative coin is about to be released.
  For the first two years after the introduction of the euro in
  2002, no redesigning of the coins has been allowed to help
  the citizens to get acquainted with the new money. This
  applied only to the circulating coins, whereas at the same
  time, collector coins, that is, euro-denominated coins
  issued by the member countries as part of their
  commemorative programs, differ from the euros in
  circulation in denomination, size, shape, materials, etc.

  However, from 2004 on the countries will be allowed one
  redesign per year of the national side of one of their coins
  to commemorate special events. These coins will thus have
  the same technical details as the 'regular' issues.  At the
  same time, the reverse of all euro coins will remain
  unchanged until at least 2008.

   The first and most likely the only country to issue a
  commemorative 2-euro-coin in 2004 is Greece. To
  celebrate this year's Olympic Games in Athens, the national
  obverse (Europa and Zeus disguised as a bull) will be
  replaced by a discobolus (this, according to my dictionary,
  being the English word for a sportsman throwing a discus)
  and the five Olympic rings.  The coin will not be part of a
  commemorative program, but rather circulate alongside the
  regular euro coins.

  Year of issue will, of course, be 2004. Market rumour has it
  that the coins will be available early April, according to the
  distribution plans of the Central Bank of Greece and the
  vendors who are already offering the coin on Ebay. Declared
  purpose of the issue is to raise the popularity of the Olympic
  Games with the people in Greece and the rest of Europe. In
  this sense, these coins fulfill a tradition that actually goes back
  to ancient times. On the other side, these coins will be used
  as collectibles, and given the ongoing eurocoins collecting
  craze, they are likely to be stashed away by the millions by
  coin collectors and other memorabilia hunters, thus creating
  a nice seignorage profit to help pay for the Olympics. I don't
  know if this idea stood behind Olympic issues in ancient
  Greece as well?

  The Olympic 2 euros of Greece will start a series of circulating
  commemorative coins from Euroland that will surely ignite the
  people's interest in coin collecting the way the State Quarter
  Program did in the United States."


REAGAN DIME BILL KILLED

  From the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette:  "Former President
  Reagan's likeness won't be on a dime soon after key
  Republicans pulled their support from Rep. Mark Souder's
  bill to redesign the 10-cent piece.

  His idea drew 89 supporters in the 345-member House but
  also sparked opposition, particularly from Democrats, FDR
  fans and the March of Dimes.

  Even Nancy Reagan said she thinks it's inappropriate to
  replace Roosevelt with her husband.

  "While I can understand the intentions of those seeking to
  place my husband's face on the dime, I do not support this
  proposal, and I am certain Ronnie would not," the former
  first lady said in a written statement last year."
  Complete Article


IS WEARING MEDALS NOW POLITICALLY INCORRECT?

  Dick Johnson writes: "An article in the Opinion section of the
  Wall Street Journal, February 13, 2004, sent shivers down my
  back. It stated that a picture of a man wearing medallions is
  now politically incorrect.

  The author, Diane Ravitch, should know. She wrote the book,
 "The Language Police" and in her Journal article, "You Can't
  Say That" states that textbook publisher Harcourt/Steck/Vaughn
  now sends out a printed guideline to textbook authors to remove
  pictures from their books that, in part, shows a "woman with big
  hair or sleeveless blouses and men with dreadlocks or
  medallions."

  So now it is politically incorrect to display medals? This should
  come as a slap in the face to the 26.4 million American veterans
  who served in the military.  Campaign medals and decorations
  of honor are a mark of accomplishment. And now school
  children are not to view illustrations in their textbooks which
  show some Americans have received these symbols of
  achievement!

  How misguided is this instruction?  To what direction is our
  culture, our country, going?  How much further nonsense must
  we endure to appease these wimps?  Because some people
  cannot (or won't) serve in the military that it is now NOT NICE
  to show that some people did and proudly wear these badges
  of military service that these medals symbolize.

  Just who is behind political correctness?  Ravitch states
  "feminists, religious conservatives, multiculturalists and ethnic
  activists, to name a few."  She also lists the words that must
  be purged from textbooks: "landlord, cowboy, brotherhood,
  yacht, cult and primitive" are at the top of her list.

  The picture comes to mind of Mark Spitz after he won seven
  gold medals at the 1972 Olympic games. He is shown with
  these seven medals on his nude chest. I could fault him for
  banging the medals together (as a numismatist I recognize this
  creates minor nicks) but I admire him for this unprecedented
  accomplishment. No one in the world has ever accomplished
  a similar feat!

  This picture should be displayed  in every classroom in
  America to show that hard work can achieve goals and gain
  special recognition -- not to be purged from the very textbooks
  that children are exposed to.  Hard work, motivation,
  perseverance, self reliance should be encouraged and
  rewarded, not discouraged.

  I wonder about the status of the Boston School Medal. Are
  educators in that city to stop giving out the Franklin Medal?
  This has been bestowed to student scholars since 1792, at the
  direction of Benjamin Franklin's will. What would Franklin
  think of our educators today?

  Opinions anyone?"


KACZOR LOSS LAMENTED

  John and Nancy Wilson of Ocala, FL write: "The E-Sylum
  recently reported the passing of Illinois Numismatist LeRoy
  "Jim" Kaczor.  In the mid 1990's I served on the Central
  States Numismatic Society Board with Jim.  He was a
  terrific numismatist and a fantastic bibliophile who will be
  greatly missed in our hobby.  Our sincere condolences to
  his wife and other family members."

  [Jim was a fixture at NBS meetings for years - I'll miss him,
  too.  -Editor]


E-SYLUM KUDOS

  Ralf W. Böpple of Stuttgart / Germany writes: "In reply to
  Mr. Bassoli?s call, two weeks ago, for more non-U.S.-related
  contributions to The E-Sylum, I can only hope that readers
  are not deterred from sending in non-U.S.-related material
  because they perceive the newsletter to be focussed on U.S.
  numismatics. It is precisely the scope of this e-zine which has
  so far been my greatest delight - just because the topics were
  not only U-S.-related (and not necessarily literature-related,
  for that matter). To give one example, the greatest benefit I
  have had from the E-Sylum in the past, apart from finding
  some highly interesting readings in my mailbox every Monday
  to start the week with, has been the information on newly-
  published books or documents, be it that they cover U.S. or
  non-U.S. topics. My library would definitely not be as
  extensive as it is today without the E-Sylum!

  I can only encourage all readers to bring to our attention any
  new publications or reprints in the field of world-wide
  numismatics. And if known to you, don't forget to mention
  where they might be ordered!"

  [I'll second Ralf's suggestion - authors, publishers and
  readers alike are encouraged to notify us whenever there
  is a new publication of numismatic interest on any topic.
  It was one of my goals in starting this newsletter to spread
  the word about new publications and encourage numismatists
  to add them to their libraries.   Too many new books receive
  little publicity at the time of their publication and quickly go
  out of print before many collectors even know they are
  available.  One habit which has served my library well over
  the years has been to immediately order new books as soon
  as I learn of them.  Typically, the numismatic press will publish
  the press release just once, and if you miss that week's issue,
  it may be years before you learn again about the publication.
 -Editor]


STACK'S OFFERS FORD HARDBOUNDS

  David Gladfelter writes: "Stack's is offering to the general
  public a hardbound edition of the Ford I sale and is accepting
  advance orders for hardbounds for parts II and III. The price
  is $95.  Fewer than 300 copies will be available.  Multiple
  orders of 3 copies will be accepted.  You can call in your
  order to (212) 582-2580 or order on line at stacks.com.
  Taking bets on when the run will be sold out?"

  [I ordered my copy immediately, and hope that all of our
  readers who also desire a copy are equally successful.
  The is the sale of the century for U.S. collectors. -Editors]


A GENUINE REPRODUCTION

  Charles Davis writes: "I just had to share this eBay double
  talk. Lot 3906345737 makes the following up-front statement
  . . . . . .
  PLEASE NOTE THAT WE OFFER ONLY GENUINE
  ITEMS OF HISTORICAL QUALITY. We do not offer
  reproductions nor copies . . . . . .

  And then they describe the lot ....

  THE EARLY COINS OF AMERICA., by Sylvester S.
  Crosby., Printed by the Token and Medal Society., 1965.,
  an exact reprint of the very scarce 1875 edition."


ROBINSON 1871 CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL SOUGHT

  Dick Johnson writes; "A Californian newspaper columnist is
  asking about the whereabouts of the 1871 Congressional gold
  medal bestowed to George Foster Robinson (Julian PE-27).
  I don't know and I asked medal dealer Joe Levine who
  likewise replied in the negative. Anyone know the answer?"

  [Well, I wouldn't be surprised to see it turn up in an upcoming
  John J. Ford sale.  I recall John telling me one time that he
  had "a few" of these in his collection. -Editor]


HANOVER QUIZ ANSWER

  Pete Smith writes: "I have a response to the question from
  Ron Haller-Williams about Hanover in the news.  The town
  of  Hanover, Massachusetts, was chartered in 1727, so
  there was little of note going on in 1714.

  Over in England, the House of Hanover began to rule under
  George I. His descendants included George II, (known to
  Wendell Wolka as George the Eye Eye) George III  and
  George IV, known to students of the American Revolution
  and collectors of Conder tokens. The last of the Hanover line was
  Victoria.

  Thus, without George I from Hanover, there would have been
  no Victoria and Victoria's secret might be known as Bruce's
  secret.

  The connection between George I and Jill Goodacre is pretty
  obscure but shows how numismatic research can lead in many
  different directions."

  On a related note, Pete adds: "In phone conversations with
  Tom Fort, editor of The Asylum, we occasionally talk about
  Sports Illustrated swimsuit models and how a picture on the
  cover might increase membership interest in our journal.
  Although we had been unable to come up with a numismatic
  reason to put a swimsuit model on the cover, I feel a Victoria's
  Secret model would probably work as well. Thanks to The
  E-sylum for broadening our knowledge on the topic.

  Many of you know of my interest in author and dealer A.M.
  Smith. When I interviewed one of Smith's grandsons, I learned
  that his granddaughter (A.M. Smith's great-great-granddaughter)
  was pursuing a modeling career.  I don't recall her name and
  have not followed her career. Perhaps I now have the incentive
  to pursue this more actively."

  In the opposite camp, Rich Kelly and Nancy Oliver write:
  "Up until the last issue of E-Sylum, we were very pleased with
  the intellectual content and conversation going on in each issue.
  However, in the most recent issue we were quite unhappy to
  see a link to the Victoria Secret website.  We all get links for
  sexually oriented websites in our email and we hoped that the
  E-Sylum would be above this kind of garbage.  Please refrain
  from such material that has nothing to do with numismatics or
  exonomania."

  [I'll grant you that the numismatic connection is scant, and I'm
  sorry you were unhappy with the inclusion of the links, which
  were not to Victoria's Secret, but other web sites.  I would
  certainly not purposely include links to sexually oriented
  websites.  While I looked at the linked pages and thought them
  harmless, I did not inspect the rest of the referenced sites.
  -Editor]

  Several other wrote in with the Hanover answer.
  Martin Purdy writes: "Maybe something to do with Queen Anne
  dying, having outlived all of her children, and the consequent
  need to import a distant cousin from Germany to take the
  CEO's job at UK Monarchy Inc.?"

  James Higby of Dixon, IL writes: "The answer to the Hanover
  question posed in E-Sylum is that King Georg of Hanover
  became King George I of England upon the passing of
  Queen Anne."

  John Isles, formerly of England, now a registered elector in
  Hanover, Michigan writes: "Well, obviously, because the Elector
  of Hanover became King George I of England."

  Supplying the complete answer to his question, Ron
  Haller-Williams writes:

  Short Version:
  When Queen Anne died in on August 1st 1714, her successor
  was her nearest Protestant relative.  This was Georg Ludwig,
  Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and King of Hanover, better
  known to us as George I, our first "Hanoverian" king.

  Long Version (for those who want the background!):
  When Queen Anne died in on August 1st 1714, having had
  many children, all of whom had died in childhood or earlier,
  there would have been several claimants to the throne.  In
  order of seniority, they were:

  1. Her half-brother James Francis Edward Stuart, "The Old
  Pretender", who saw himself as the rightful successor of their
  father James II.  However, the British (English & Scottish)
  authorities were not willing to have a Catholic on the throne
  again, as made clear in the Act of Settlement (1701) and the
  earlier Bill of Rights (1689).

  2. Another Catholic, the Duke of Bavaria, descended from
  Henrietta, daughter of Charles I and thus a cousin.

  3. Her second cousin Georg Ludwig, Duke of Brunswick-
  Lüneburg and King of Hanover, one of the seven Electors of
  Holy Roman Empire (and its Arch-Treasurer!), better known
  to us as George I, our first "Hanoverian" king.  His mother
  Sophia had been declared heir presumptive in the 1701 Act
  of Settlement, in default of any "heirs of the body" of Mary II,
  Anne, and William III.

  In order to prevent any upheavals or civil unrest, the death of
  Queen Anne was officially hushed up for a while, until there
  was confirmation of Georg's willingness to settle permanently
  in Britain and to rule here.  His mother Sophia had died less
  than eight weeks earlier, but he soon decided: "I come for
  your good."

  This censorship, however well-intentioned, was technically
  high treason, punishable by death!  News had leaked out,
  so when at last there was an official announcement of the
  Queen's death, the crowd chanted in derision   "Queen
  Anne is dead - didn't you know?"  and to this day "And
  Queen Anne is dead" is a standard rejoinder to somebody
  who bears stale news or states the obvious.

  Use of the form "Georg" above is NOT a typing error, but
  it seems appropriate to use the German form of the name
  there."


COUNTERFEITS OF CIRCULATING COINS

  Bob Johnson writes: "A few years ago while on a missions
  trip rebuilding a church in Trujillo, Peru I was offered a few
  counterfeit 5 Soles dated 1995.  They were bimetal coins
  that would fool many people if not inspected closely.  Their
  value was about $1.50 US, a princely sum for the average
  wage earner ($10.00 US per day).  They were happy to
  relinquish their misfortune for my 5 Soles of good coinage."


POSSESSING COUNTERFEIT COINS

  Reid Goldsborough writes: "There are differing opinions about
  the the legalities of owning counterfeit coins in the United States
  as no U.S. statute specifically addresses this issue and no U.S.
  court has specifically addressed it either.

  Two areas of U.S. law deal with counterfeit coins. Title 18,
  Part I,  Chapter 25 (Counterfeiting and Forgery) of the U.S.
  Code, Sections 485, 489, and 492 deal with counterfeits of
  U.S. and world coins.  The Hobby Protection Act of 1973
  (Title 15, Chapter 48, Sections 2101 through 2106 of the
  U.S. Code, plus 1988 amendments) deals with counterfeits of
  ancient coins.  Nothing in the above statutes says that simple
  possession of counterfeits of collectible coins is illegal.
  According to Armen R. Vartian, the most visible numismatic
  legal expert in the U.S., a lawyer, numismatist, Coin World
  legal columnist, and author of the book A Legal Guide to
  Buying and Selling Art and Collectibles, "The statutes do not
  criminalize the mere possession of counterfeit money."

  Though the courts have addressed peripheral issues, no court
  in the U.S. has ever ruled on the legality of owning a counterfeit
  of a collectible coin. For there to be "judicial clarity," a court
  ruling has to address this issue specifically, according to
  Vartian.

  The American Numismatic Association does recommend that
  you turn in counterfeit coins to it or the U.S. Secret Service.
  But it recognizes that hundreds if not thousands of auction
  houses, dealers, and collectors keep counterfeits of collectible
  coins on hand for educational purposes and for help in
  counterfeit detection. Robert W. Hoge, former curator at the
  American Numismatic Association and current curator at the
  American Numismatic Society, recommends that those who
  elect to keep counterfeits should clearly identify them on the
  labels of their holders to help prevent them from someday
  inadvertently being sold as genuine coins.

  Some collectors also are attracted to the subject of
  counterfeits and counterfeiting for its own intrinsic interest.
  In his ANA video titled "Famous Fakes and Fakers," Ken
  Bressett, editor of the Red Book  and past president of the
  ANA, points out that some counterfeits can be considered
  "true numismatic items" that are "enjoyable to study and
  collect."

  I've put together a Web site, below, that includes more
  information about counterfeit coins: rg.ancients.info/bogos


HENNING NICKEL FAKES

  Regarding our discussion of the counterfeit U.S. nickels
  made in the 1950s, Jørgen Sømod writes: "I remember Bob
  Leonard showed me that fake at the numismatic congress in
  Berlin 1997, but I am not sure, I said the dies were simply
  cast. I also remember Bob told me, that it for Henning was
  necessary to have a coin if he should make dies. I concluded
  the Henning dies were made in style how Josef Majnert did.
  Josef Majnert, who lived in the middle of 19th century was
  a son of a mint director in Warsaw. Josef Majnert made
  impressions of extremely rare Polish coins and from the
  impressions casts in iron were made. These casts were then
  used as poincons from which dies were made."

  [My copy of "The Counterfeit 1944 Jefferson Nickel" by
  Dwight H. Stuckey arrived this week, and it was a very
  interesting read.   With research based on U.S. Secret
  Service and local police documents, interviews with
  collectors, and published stories in the local and numismatic
  press, Stuckey weaves an interesting portrait of
  counterfeiter Francis Leroy Henning and his nickels.
  -Editor]


GEORGE ESCOL SELLERS REMINISCENCES POSTED

  Jim Spilman  writes: "The Colonial Newsletter Foundation
  (CNLF ) has uploaded to the FILES section of CNLF-
  The First American Mint eSIG the pages which comprise
  Chapter 9 "The United States Mints" from Early Engineering
  Reminiscences (1815-40) of George Escol Sellers.  This
  material originally appeared in a series of articles in the
  American Machinist magazine.

  This is the only in-depth first-hand experiences that we know
  of regarding operations at the First U.S. Mint.  Sellers was
  75 years of age when he wrote his first article in this series -
  50 years after the events occurred.

  The material was edited by Eugene S. Ferguson and
  completed on 28 September 1964 and published  in 1965 as
  Bulletin 238  by the United States National Museum section
  of the Smithsonian Institution.  The book is a remarkable
  history of early American Technology that has been little known
  to history buffs and almost completely unknown to numismatists.
  The book is MUST reading for anyone with even the slightest
  interest in the technology of the era of the First U.S. Mint.

  Those of you who may be interested in this era of American
  Technology and The First Unites States Mint are invited to join
  with us at our new eSIG at eSIG."

  [I was delighted to purchase the Smithsonian Institution Bulletin
  238 during a visit to George Kolbe's home several years ago.
  The Sellers reminiscences are a remarkable document of
  operations at the first Mint.  -Editor]


FLOOR SWEEPER TURNED CHIEF ENGRAVER?

  Greg Burns writes: "Yesterday I received the below-copied
  email from a teacher in Shanghi, China. I posed it to a group
  I correspond with, but other than a half-hearted guess as
  Eisenhower for the "general-statesman", I drew a zip. Perhaps
  E-Sylum readers would be able to help?
 ************* copy of email follows **************

  Dear sir:

    I am an English teacher in Shanghai, China. Recently I have
  met with a difficult problem concerning American coins. In one
  of my reading materials, it is said that "They remind us of a
  sculptor who once swept floors for fifteen cents a day and rose
  to become Chief Engraver of the United States Mint. Our coins
  also honor a general-statesman who became President and
  who was so nervous at his inauguration he had to apologize to
  his audience." I wonder who these two persons were.

    If you could take trouble to offer me with any information
  concerning that I would be very much obliged.

  Best regards
  Ni Yuhong"


BELGIAN NUMISMATIC LITERATURE OFFER

  Colin Bruno writes: "I inform you that a Belgian numismatic
  publisher proposes a special discount offer on its books.
  If E-Sylum members are interested, please contact him
  directly.

  2 SPECIAL PROMOTIONS (UNTIL JUNE 1st)

  PROMOTION N° 1
  The complete Moneta series - Collection Moneta complète:
  37 volumes
  Catalogue: 
  2150 euros > 1000 euros. No commercial discount  pas de
  remise libraire

  PROMOTION N° 2

  G. Depeyrot, Le numéraire mérovingien: 5 volumes
  Moneta 10, L'âge de l'or, I, Introduction, 1998, 200 pages
  45 euros
  Moneta 11, L'âge de l'or, II, Les ateliers septentrionaux,
  1998, 256 pages,
  55 planches de dessins, 4 planches photographiques
  60 euros
  Moneta 13, L'âge de l'or, III, Les ateliers centraux, 1998,
  271 pages, 67 planches de dessins, 4 planches photographiques
  60 euros
  Moneta 14, L'âge de l'or, IV, Les ateliers méridionaux, 1998,
  211 pages, 31 planches de dessins, 3 planches photographiques
  60 euros
  Moneta 22, L'âge du denier, Wetteren, 2001 194 pages,
  30 planches de dessins, 7 planches photographiques 65 euros

  290 euros...> 200 euros

  Moneta 38 to be published in summer 2004 -
  (St. Mrozek, Argent, société et épigraphie romaine
  (1er-3e siècles),
  Recueil d'études complétées, 212 pages, 50 euros)

  MONETA, Hoenderstraat 22, Belgium 9230 Wetteren
  Fax + 32 93 69 59 25; http://www.cultura-net.com/Moneta"


FRACTIONAL PRICING

  Regarding last week's items about pricing gasoline in fractions
  of the smallest coin, Martin Purdy writes: "The point, of course,
  is that you *can* pay the exact amount if you buy ten gallons.
  A similar situation exists in countries that have done away with
  their smallest coins (e.g. New Zealand and Australia), which
  still have pricing down to the last cent for most commodities,
  even though the smallest coin in use is now 5c.  There will be
  plenty of goods at my local supermarket for $1.99, but I have
  to pay $2.00 for them if paying cash.  Debit cards or credit
  cards will have the exact sum deducted.  If I buy more than
  just that one item, then the exact amount goes on the bill, and
  it's only the final total that is rounded up or down as appropriate.
  It averages out, and I certainly don't intend to lose too much
  sleep over it."

  Dick Johnson writes: "In response to last week's comments
  on the use of fractional cents, it could be said that the larger
  the contract the more decimal places in the unit price.  I had
  recalled a contract for 2.2 million World War II Victory
  Medals that Medallic Art Company received from the
  government in 1946. I thought it had four or more decimal
  places as fractions of a dollar, thus making it fractions of a
  cent as well.

  When I found my photocopy of the acknowledgment of that
  order, however, the unit price was only $.459 each, which
  makes it like the price of gasoline, always quoted in nine-tenths
  of a cent. However each 1/10 of a cent would have added
  $2,200 to the total price. A quote in 1/100ths of a cent would
  have added $220 to the total, each 1/1000th of a cent more
  would have added only $22.  So you see there are diminishing
  returns on carrying the decimal price any further.

  Incidentally, the agreement was that Medallic Art Co would
  deliver 440,000 medals at the end of the month for each of five
  successive months, August through December of 1946. That
  order sent the little plant on the East Side of Manhattan into
  three-shift overtime. They also rented nearby resident
  apartments, set up worktables and hired women to sew on
  the ribbon drapes and package the medals. Incredibly, they
  met all those delivery dates!"


AUCTION CATALOG PEEVES

  Henry Bergos writes: "Just a quick comment on your "Pet
  Peeves". I collect numismatic book auctions.  I have almost
  none from The Katens --  their catalogues were by consignor
  and NOT indexed. They are basically useless for research.
  No one has the time to go through them to get any info out.

  Regarding getting coin prices from catalogs; I basically "feel
  out the market" at shows.  I use Numismatic News trends
  and "The Gray Sheet". If I can't buy at those rates I increase
  what I am willing to pay.  A few years ago I was offered a
  coin that I WOULDN'T pay more than $900 for.  The dealer
  told me to look at the population report; I GLADLY paid
  $1050.  The market also has to take availability into
  consideration. When will the next one come on the market?
  Only experience will tell any of us that."


YAP STONE MONEY ARTICLE

  Steve Pelligrini writes: "There is an article in this month's issue
  of 'Archaeology' on the stone money of Yap. It was written
  by Scott M.Fitzpatrick, a young archaeologist who traveled
  to the Island of Yap to research his story.  The article is quite
  thorough covering the history, manufacture, denominations,
  uses of this most unusual form of coinage. For me the best
  part of the article chronicles the decline of the great stone
  disks as a store of wealth. This was brought about by an
  entrepreneurial Irish-American sea captain - a prototype of
  the 'Ugly American. It seems inflation was the culprit in this
  Micronesian economic saga as it has so often been in our
  own economic story."


JANVIER IMAGES

  Jørgen Sømod writes: "There are pictures of a Janvier machine
  on gladsaxegymnasium.dk/2/bentjens.htm
  Those interested may contact me off list and I can send some
  older pictures of different reduction machines including a photo
  from the Hermitage in Leningrad (yes, Leningrad because I
  took the photo in 1977!), where in the exhibition is a reduction
  machine from the beginning of 18th century."

  [Jørgen's email address is: numis at vip.cybercity.dk
  -Editor]


FEATURED WEB SITE

  This week's featured web site is a January 26, 2003
  San Francisco Chronicle article about the history of the
  San Francisco Mint, including tidbits about the 1906
  earthquake and fire, chief assayer Agoston Haraszthy,
  and author Bret Harte.   [QUICK QUIZ:  In what book
  (or books) is Haraszthy's story documented?  And how
  did he die?]

    http://www.donswaim.com/chronicle.mint.html

  Wayne Homren
  Numismatic Bibliomania Society