Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 7, Number 29, July 18, 2004:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2004, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.


SUBSCRIBER UPDATE

  Among recent new subscribers is American Numismatic
  Association Executive Director Christopher Cipoletti,
  courtesy of David Sklow.  Welcome aboard!  We now
  have 669 subscribers.


UPDATE FROM GEORGE KOLBE

  George Kolbe writes: "Currently, one more Ford sale is
  planned for next June. It may be a mail bid sale or
  combination public and mail bid auction.

  Hardbound cloth ($95) and quarter leather ($175) editions
  were available only through us. We ordered a few extra of
  both. If any of our regular sale participants forgot to place an
  order, we'll try to help while we can if they call us at
  909 338-6527.

  The August 19, 2004 American Numismatic Society Library
  Chair Benefit auction sale catalogue is currently being printed.
  Any NBS members not on our mailing list can obtain a copy
  of the catalogue by sending $5.00, made payable to the
  American Numismatic Society, to George Frederick Kolbe,
  P. O. Drawer 3100, Crestline, CA 92325. Fifty lots are
  featured in the sale, covering a wide variety of topics; average
  lot value is slightly over $1,000. The catalogue is also
  accessible on our web site: www.numislit.com.

  We would also like to announce that the English translation of
  Ernest Babelon's "Ancient Numismatics and Its History,
  Including a Critical Review of the Literature" has, after long
  last, been published by Kolbe & Spink. It remains the best,
  and only, comprehensive introduction to the history of ancient
  numismatics ever written. Hardbound copies of this 248 page
  book are available from us for $68.50 plus $5.00 shipping
  in USA; elsewhere $12.50 air mail or $6.50 surface mail
  (£35 from Spink plus shipping). Further details are available
  on our web site."


NBS TABLE AT ANA CONVENTION

  Howard A. Daniel III writes: "The ANA misplaced the NBS
  (and IBNS & NI)  applications for a club table at the upcoming
  Pittsburgh convention.   They were mailed in with my
  applications for IBNS & NI  meetings on Saturday at 11AM
  and Noon, that were processed, but somehow the club table
  was not processed.

  Luckily, Rachel Irish at the ANA remembered I usually have
  a club table and contacted me about it.  No more club tables
  were available but arrangements were made to sit with the
  Philippines Collectors Forum club table.  Sharing a table will
  make NBS less visible but I've also discovered that the club
  tables are hidden off to the right of the entrance and no one
  was probably going to find me anyway.  For those NBS
  members attending this convention, if you find someone who
  wants to join us or renew their membership, please send
  them to table 15, and hope they can find it."


RARE NBS EPHEMERA PRINTING ERROR

  [The ANA's mistake isn't the first snafu regarding
  the Numismatic Bibliomania Society club table.
  The following is from the July 11, 1999 issue of
  The E-Sylum (Vol 2, No. 28). -Editor]

  Speaking of errata, somewhere in my vast "archives" is a
  sign rescued (i.e. "looted") following the 1989 A.N.A.
  convention in Pittsburgh.  The sign hung over the NBS
  table and proudly proclaimed our organization as the

     "NUMIATIC BIBOMANIA SOCIETY"

  Spelling was apparently not a strong point of the
  ANA's sign printing firm that year.


THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL ISSUE

  Asylum editor Tom Fort writes: "By the time this issue of
  The E-Sylum is published the special issue of The Asylum
  celebrating the 25th birthday of our organization will be at
  the printer.  Measuring in at 276 pages this is by far the
  largest  issue of our journal that has ever been published.
  The previous record holder is Fall 1996 which measured
  in at 60 pages.


NBS BENEFIT AUCTION

  NBS President, Pete Smith writes to remind everyone that
  there are TWO "fund-raising literature auctions at the
  Pittsburgh ANA convention. The first auction, for the benefit
  of the American Numismatic Society, offers high-value items
  averaging $1,000 per lot at a $50 per plate benefit dinner.

  The second auction, for the benefit of the Numismatic
  Bibliomania Society, is inclusive, accepting the most humble
  working-class items of any value. There is no admission charge
  for the sale and non-members are invited to attend. We will
  accept donations from red states, blue states, swing states,
  and from our members around the world.

  If you wish to support the NBS, please bring items to the sale
  during the membership meeting, or send them with someone
  who will attend.  The proceeds will support the special 25th
  anniversary issue of The Asylum and on-going activities of
  the NBS.

  Tom Fort writes: "The 25th Anniversary meeting of the NBS
  will be held on Friday, August 20th at the ANA Convention in
  Pittsburgh. Among other activities will be the annual auction of
  numismatic literary items to benefit our society. To do this we
  shall need your donations.  Wayne Homren has agreed to
  collect lot donations.  Bring them to the meeting if you're
  attending.  If you can't attend, ship them prior to the convention
  to P.O. Box 452, Glenshaw, PA 15116.

  Please send any material that in some way involves numismatic
  literature.   All those who contribute to the auction, as well as
  the items they donate will be listed in the Fall issue of
  The Asylum.

  [Once again, Brad Karoleff has agreed to be our auctioneer.
   -Editor]


NUMISMATIC LIBRARIES OF PITTSBURGH TOUR

  Tom Fort adds: "After the NBS auction and celebration at
  the ANA it will be time for the Great Numismatic Libraries
  of Pittsburgh Tour. The bus is now over half full so NOW is
  the time to send your $20 to NBS Treasurer David Perkins
  so you won't miss out on the chance to see lots of books on
  a wide variety of numismatic and related subjects.

  Once the tour sells out you may have to wait another 15 years
  before this opportunity comes around again.  Payment MUST
  accompany all reservations.  No money, no space on the bus.
  We cannot accept promises that people "will pay us Tuesday
  (or at the ANA) for a bus tour today." This means way too
  much work for our busy treasurer. Again, the address is:

  W. David Perkins
  NBS Secretary-Treasurer
  P.O. Box 3888
  Littleton, CO  80161-3888"


CARNEGIE LIBRARY NUMISMATIC LITERATURE

  We're sorry we were unable to fit a visit to the Carnegie
  Library of Pittsburgh into our tour plans.  The numismatic
  literature is under the care of Greg Priore, and he is willing
  to host bibliophiles able to make the trek on their own
  during normal library hours, M-F 10am-5pm.   Greg may
  be reached at (412) 622-1932 or via email at
  oliver at carnegielibrary.org.

  The following description of the collection is on the Library's
  web site:

  "This collection was acquired through a transfer to Carnegie
  Library of Pittsburgh from Carnegie Museum of Natural
  History. The literature had formed the reference library of
  the coin section of the Museum. Because of its ties to the
  Museum, this body of numismatic literature is a reflection of
  the Museum's former coin collection and the collectors who
  formed it. The chief curator and all major volunteer curators
  were members of the Western Pennsylvania Numismatic
  Society founded in 1878.

  Due to the efforts of these people, Carnegie Library of
  Pittsburgh's numismatic literature collection is very strong in
  books, catalogs, research notes, and correspondence. The
  areas represented include: Early American copper coinage,
  colonial coinage, communion tokens and prison money.
  Due to their connection with WPNS, the library collection
  is also very strong in items written by or formerly owned by
  WPNS and its members.

  Highlights are: Panoramus Antiqua 1695, a handwritten
  manuscript by Valentine on Sassonian Coins; Rudding's
  Coinage of Great Britain; Burns' The Coinage of Scotland;
  and Clapp's leatherbound personal copy of his own book,
  The Cents of the Years 1798-1799. Another rarity is a
  set of The Numismatist, a periodical in continuous publication
  since 1888. Only a dozen complete sets are known to exist.
  The key to the set is the first six volumes."

  http://www.clpgh.org/locations/oliver/rarebk.html#link17


OLYMPIC MEDAL COLLECTION DISPLAYED

  There was an Associated Press story this week about
  a display of Olympic participation medals in San Diego:

  "Art Prior has 16 Olympic medals -- six first-place,
  seven seconds, and three thirds. He's been a regular at
  the Summer Olympics since 1972. And, at 63, he still
  runs sprints every day.

  But the last time the San Diego resident had a medal
  hung around his neck was in high school.  And, to be
  honest, he's never been cheered on the Olympic podium.

  Instead, Prior is one of a small but dedicated group of
  people worldwide who collect Olympic medals -- a
  feat in itself.

  "It's probably as difficult as collecting the Medal of Honor,"
  Prior said."

  "Despite the challenges, Prior's collection -- which is on
  display this summer at a local sports museum, the San Diego
  Hall of Champions -- has slowly and steadily grown at a
  rate of about a medal a year. For 15 years he has combed
  garage sales, antique stores, memorabilia catalogs and
  eBay for medals, though many have come to him through
  Olympic memorabilia dealers.

  The difficulty is, of course, that few medal winners want to
  part with their prizes."

  "You put scarcity and personal involvement together, and
  you've got something that's very hard to get out of somebody's
  hands," Cincinnati-based collector Pete Wade said. "Even if
  there were 10,000 of them, people would be hard-pressed to
  give them up."

  "Still, Wade has managed to collect almost 50 Olympic
  medals, which were displayed at the Salt Lake City and
  Atlanta games.

  Both Wade and Prior have gotten help building their collections
  from Ingrid O'Neil, an Olympics memorabilia dealer in
  Vancouver, Wash., who each year auctions off between 20
  and 30 medals. O'Neil said the medals become available in a
  variety of ways."

  "A medal that was minted but never awarded -- if there was a
   tie, for example -- might be had for as little as $1,500, but a
   rare medal from the first modern Olympics in 1896 can go for
   upward of $20,000. Medals with documentation showing
   they belonged to famous winners sometimes go for more.

  Australian track and field star Shirley Strickland de la Hunty
  sold her seven medals as part of a lot of Olympic memorabilia
  at a 2001 auction, fetching about $200,000. She was criticized
  by some for doing so, but said she owed it to her 11
  grandchildren to help pay for their education."

  "Prior says he is proud of his collection, but his pride can't
  match that of an athlete who earned it.

  After all, he said, "I just bought these things."

  To read the full story, see: Full Story



COIN WORLD "BUY THE BOOK" ARTICLE

  Dick Johnson writes: "Kudos to Michele Orzano for the
  Coin World article on numismatic books this week. As brief
  as it was it covered the field brilliantly -- listing eight online
  book sources, five specialist dealers, all NBS members --
  in addition to mention of Numismatic Bibliomania Society and
  especially E-Sylum's allure. Expect a bump in our ratings with,
  perhaps, new members and subscribers. What Orzano
  overlooked, however, was mention that most NBS book
  dealers have their auction lists available on the net in addition
  to printed format."

  The issue also caught the eye of our Secretary-Treasurer,
  W. David Perkins, who writes: "For those who have not seen
  it yet, the Numismatic Bibliomania Society (NBS) was
  referenced twice in the Monday, July 26, 2004 issue of
  Coin World.  The first mention was as part of an article on
  page 16 by Michele Orzano titled "Buy book before coin /
  Web sites offer collectors opportunities to add to personal
  numismatic libraries."   Six paragraphs under the heading
  "Book club" were dedicated to NBS, including membership
  information.

  The second mention was in Q. David Bowers "The Joys of
  Collecting" (column), page 46.  This week's column was
  titled "The published word / Out-of-print books contain
  wealth of info."  David's suggestion, "If you like collecting
  literature, write out a check for $15 ($20 if you do not live
  in North America) to the Numismatic Bibliomania Society"..

  Good advice David!  Thanks from the Numismatic
  Bibliomania Society for this recommendation.  Many
  bibliophiles must agree - lately, NBS has been receiving
  many new membership applications.  E-Sylum subscribers,
  if you are not already a member we encourage you to join
  today.

  [As always, instructions for joining appear at the end of
  this issue. -Editor]


MENDACITY REVISITED

  Brad Karoleff writes: "I read with intense interest Myron
  Xenos' article in the current Asylum on the conjecture as
  to the identity of the prankster responsible for the greatest
  practical joke in numismatic bibliophile history.  After
  reading the article I feel that I must adjust my thinking on
  the culprit.

  What better way to divert suspicion from oneself than to
  try and find the "true" culprit?  Is Myron using the O. J.
  Simpson defense in scouring the Florida golf courses for
  the "criminal"?  Or, is he overusing the Bart Simpson
  defense of  "I didn't do it and you can't prove it?"  Me
  thinks thou doust protest too much.........."


GARRETT AT EVERGREEN HOUSE

  Larry Mitchell writes: "My thanks to Leonard Augsburger
  for his informative article on Perry Fuller in the Spring 2004
  issue of The Asylum.

  In a footnote on p.57, Leonard seems to suggest that the
  title "John Work Garrett and his Library at Evergreen House"
  is an "unpublished manuscript."  In fact, this title was privately
  printed in Baltimore in 1944 by Schneidereith & Sons.  My
  copy (75 pp., ill.) is bound in gilt-stamped light blue cloth with
  a dark blue cloth backstrip.  Limitation is unknown.  The work
  goes into some detail regarding the titles in Garrett's library,
  but there is NO mention of numismatic titles -- the focus is
  very much on what modern booksellers term "high spot" book
  collecting (e.g., 14th-15th century manuscript horae [Hours
  of the Virgin], a nice run of incunabula [western works
  printed from movable type before 1500 BCE],
  Shakespeare in the earliest quartos and folios, etc.)."


LOCAL AND TRADE DIRECTORIES ONLINE

  Larry Mitchell writes that he found online "...a collection of
  historical local and trade directories for England and Wales.
  Currently directories from 1750-1920, divided by era....
  Click on the title of the directory and you'll get a set of
  images through which you can browse. Pages are zoomable;
  information about the directory is available on the left. There's
  also a link to search the entire collection"

  From the web site: "The University of Leicester's New
  Opportunities Fund project is creating a digital library of
  eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth century local and
  trade directories from England and Wales.  Directories of
  counties and towns are among the most important sources
  for local and genealogical studies. They include lists of
  names, addresses and occupations of the inhabitants of the
  counties and towns they describe, and successive editions
  reflect the changes in the localities over a period of time.

  High quality digital reproductions of a large selection of these
  comparatively rare books, previously only found in libraries
  and record offices, will be freely available online to anyone
  with an Internet connection.  This online collection will bring
  together a greater number and range of directories than any
  one repository could provide.   There is also a powerful search
  engine available so that names, occupations, addresses and
  other key words or phrases can be located to their exact
  places on pages within the text."

  historicaldirectories.org

  [Directories have always been a great starting point for
  researchers of tokens and other local numismatic items.
  -Editor]


NEW COMPOSITION FIGHTS "NEGATIVE SEIGNIORAGE'

  Dick Johnson writes: "A joint press release this week from
  the Royal Canadian Mint and a metal supplier, Alltrista Zinc
  Products Company of Greenville, Tennessee, announced a
  new metal composition for low value  coins, which is called
  "multi-ply plated steel ... with inclusion of zinc." This is a
  proprietary coin  composition of the Canadian Crown
  Corporation. It has a nickel gray color.

  The release also contained a new phrase - "negative
  seigniorage."  It is obvious what the term  means - its metal
  cost and manufacturing costs are greater than a coin's
  denomination - and that's ideal for the term's clear meaning.

  Iron and zinc are two of the world's least expensive coinage
  metals, aluminum is another.  Alltrista president Albert Giles
  made the announcement his firm's ability to manufacture the
  new coinage composition for the Canadian Mint.  The
  composition is not for Canada's coins, said an  Alltrista
  spokesperson, but for coins of low value for foreign countries
  to be struck by the Royal Mint.

  Giles further stated "With the price of metals increasing
  dramatically over the past year and metal  availability being
  an issue, zinc offers many countries the opportunity to retain
  their lower  denomination coins which are in or are under
  threat of negative seigniorage while maintaining the prestige
  of a quality coin."

   "Economically," he emphasized, "lower denomination coins
  are essential in curtailing the pressures of inflation." His firm
  had developed an aluminum plated zinc coinage composition
  two years ago that has been employed for the coins of
  Columbia.

  Economic pressure of rising metal costs will continue to
  create potential negative seigniorage for  the lowest
  denomination coins of all countries. American coins are not
  immune to this effect.  The present U.S. cent composition of
  copper coated zinc -- Alltrista is one of two American firms
  which had supplied this metal since 1982 and now the leading
  supplier-- is getting closer to  "negative seigniorage" every
  year as metal costs rise.

  This may be leading to abolishing the copper color cent.
  (Would it have to be replaced by a solid  aluminum cent,
  or an aluminum coated zinc composition?)  Yet a Harris
  poll, also released this  week, states that Americans
  continue to oppose abolishing the cent denomination 59
  to 23  percent (with 18% not sure).

  Not only is metal cost a factor for any new coin composition,
  but scrap technology must also be  considered. Coins do not
  remain intact forever, most are reclaimed for their separate
  metal  components. America's copper coated zinc was a
  brilliant choice in 1982, since it can be melted  and easily
  reformulated into brass.

  It is yet to be seen how the new Canadian composition for
  coins can be scrapped for its two core metals, iron and zinc.

  The joint release mentioned can be found at:joint release

  The Harris poll on possible cent abolishment is at: Harris Poll


HARVEY THE BISON GOES TO WASHINGTON

  The Casper, Wyoming Star-Tribune published the
  following article, based on a press release:

  "To celebrate continued efforts to restore the American
  bison from near extinction to a now thriving population,
  U.S. Sens. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., and Ben Nighthorse
  Campbell, R-Colo., are unveiling a proposal Tuesday to
  commemorate the bison.

  The senators, as well as Dave Carter of the National Bison
  Association and Bob Pickering of the Buffalo Bill Historical
  Center in Cody, plan to unveil the legislation during Senate
  Swamp at 10 a.m. in the nation's capital. They will speak on
  the heritage, conservation and future roles of the American
  bison, according to a release.

  Harvey, a live bison, is also expected to attend."  Press Release

  The numismatic connection went unnoted in that story,
  but thankfully Christopher Rivituso forwarded the following
  story from United Press International (UPI), also published
  July 13.  The UPI reporter neglected to mention the name of
  poor Harvey the bison:

  "Western lawmakers and bison ranchers are  proposing the
  U.S. mint temporarily restore the Buffalo Nickel to celebrate
  the revival of bison herds."

  "Fewer than 1,000 buffalo were alive in 1900, even though
  more than 70 million roamed the North American continent
  before 1600.

  Republican senators Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado
  and Mike Enzi of  Wyoming appeared with a live buffalo to
  introduce the Bison Nickel Restoration Act of 2004.

  "The original buffalo nickel honored a heritage that was nearly
  lost," said Dave Carter, executive director of the National Bison
  Association. "This new proposal celebrates the fact that bison
  are once again a growing part of the American landscape.

  The "heads" side of the original Buffalo Nickel minted in 1913
  featured a portrait of an American Indian. The "tails" side was
  a 1,500-pound bison named Black Diamond."


H. O. GRANBERG ARCHIVE TO BE AUCTIONED

  Mark Borckardt writes: "For the upcoming American
  Numismatic Association auction held by Heritage, I just
  finished cataloging one of the most impressive numismatic
  archives I have seen in quite some time (if not ever), and
  this will be offered as the first lot in the ANA Signature Sale.
  This is an accumulation of letters and other documents
  received by H.O. Granberg during his tenure as chairman
  of the board of governors of the ANA. There are 45
  individual items including letters, financial statements, and
  other items. Each monthly report of receipts for The
  Numismatist for the year 1913 is included, itemizing every
  individual amount of money received. Each monthly report
  of expenditures for 1914 is also included. Most important is
  an original legal document executed by W.W.C. Wilson
  transferring ownership of The Numismatist to the American
  Numismatic Association. Quoting from Pete Smith's American
  Numismatic Biographies: "The Numismatist was owned and
  published by George F. Heath until his death in July 1908.
  It was purchased by Farran Zerbe who published for two
  years. It had been designated as the official journal of the
  ANA and there was a desire to transfer ownership. Wilson
  arranged to purchase the publication and donated it to the
  ANA in 1911."   By the way, Heritage is donating the entire
  15% buyer's premium for this lot to the ANA Young
  Numismatists Program."


FT. WORTH B.E.P. OPENS FOR TOURS

  The following is a new article by Bill McNease
  reprinted from the July 12, 2004 issue of the MPCGram,
  an email  newsletter covering the World of Military
  Numismatics.  For more information,  see BEP Information

  The Fort Worth printing plant (BEP) opened today
  (Apr. 27) for the first time for public viewing.  It was a
  great tour and my brother and I were in the very first
  group of only 6 people to go through the tour.

  The tour is very interesting and it takes about 45
  minutes to complete.  It starts with a 15 minute movie
  and then proceeds through an upstairs viewing corridor
  so you can see all the operations as they are conducted.
  We even we the first people to see the new $50 bill live
  and in person.  They will not be issued until October.
  Purple is the predominate color.

  On a normal day about $250 million dollars are produced.
  This is the only place that the new $50 are produced.  The
  $100s are only produced in Washington.  There is a lot of
  money at this place.  800 employees and a really big facility.
  (Don't remember the sq. footage, but it was a lot)
  The vault holds 1.3 billion notes."


ANA NUMISMATIC THEATRE PRESENTATIONS

  Denis Loring writes: "I'm doing an NT presentation
  too: "The California Gold Rush through Numismatic
  Eyes: How to Tell a Story with Coins."  It's really
  a story -- CA gold rush coinage from the CAL quarter
  eagle through the Wass Molitor $50 --  within a story
  -- how coins illustrate history --  just as the name implies."

  Mark Borckardt writes: "I will also be giving a numismatic
  theatre presentation:  "Affordable Numismatics - Great
  Coins You Can Afford to Own."  Essentially, this will be
  an interactive discussion of coins with great stories that
  can be acquired even by novice collectors and YNs on a
  limited budget.  Items discussed will include such coins as
  the 1909 VDB cent, the 1943 steel cent, 1913 Type One
  Buffalo, the Morgan dollar, etc.  I would be interested in
  the opinions of E-Sylum readers who might suggest other
  great but affordable coins. I am expecting that this may
  also evolve into a monthly article in The Numismatist.
  The primary purpose of the presentation is to suggest new
  ways to approach numismatics as an answer to those who
  say that coin collecting is not affordable.  E-Sylum readers
  may also be able to help me prepare for this program. I
  am seeking a couple references from the 19th and early
  20th century where collectors complained that coin collecting
  was "a rich man's hobby" or some such.  I know I have
  seen such comments in The Numismatist and elsewhere,
  but since I am literally in the process of moving, my entire
  library is packed in boxes (which is a very uncomfortable
  place to be)."


W.L. ORMSBY, SCULPT

  In a followup to our earlier discussion on what the "Sc"
  stands for after W. L. Ormsby's signature on Colt's Walker
  revolver, Art Tobias writes:  "On an earlier engraved scene
  done for Colt's 1830s Paterson production the word "Sculpt"
  appears after "W. L. Ormsby".   Ormsby did not use either
  Sculpt or Sc again when signing work done for Colt after
  1847.


PAPER MONEY A BARGAIN

  PAPER MONEY, the official journal of the Society of
  Paper Money Collectors (SPMC) is edited by E-Sylum
  subscriber Fred L. Reed III.   Under his tenure the
  publication has greatly expanded.   For only $30 a year
  SPMC members receive 500 pages of information and
  entertainment per year.   I've been a member for about
  twenty years, and the quality of the publication has
  always been high.  For more information about the
  society, see their web site at spmc.org
  Dues should be mailed to:

  Frank Clark,
  P.O. Box 117060
  Carrollton, TX 75011-7060

  The current issue (July/August 2004) has a number of
  items of interest to bibliophiles, three of which are
  reprinted with permission below.

  For example, the issue includes a 10-page article by
  Q. David Bowers titled "W. L. Ormsby, Idealist".
  The 1852 Ormsby book is a classic of American
  numismatic literature and original copies are a
  cornerstone of better numismatic libraries.  I know
  Armand Champa was particularly proud of his copy.
  Dave's article is the first extensive work in the
  numismatic press (or anywhere, no doubt) about the
  life and work of Ormsby.

  As a bibliophile I scour all the specialty club journals
  for word of new publications.  In another valuable
  work for researchers, the issue announces an indexed
  and searchable CD produced by George B. Tremmel
  and Tom Carson titled "Correspondence of the Treasury
  Department of the Confederate States of America,
  1861-65, by Raphael P. Thian.  Thian's rare works
  are also key components of a U.S. numismatic library,
  and this disc brings a wealth of original historical source
  material to the fingertips of readers (see below for
  details).


COLUMBIAN TOKEN WORK PUBLISHED

  From the July/August issue of PAPER MONEY:
  "A new work Fichas de Colombia by Ignacio Alberto
  Henao was released last fall, according to Latin America
  correspondent Joaquin Gil del Real.

  Written in Spanish, the work is ?excellent, well presented
  and documented,? according to the Panamanian researcher
  and frequent Paper Money author.   Coverage not only
  includes Columbian tokens, but those from Panama when
  the isthmus was part of Columbia, he added.  Additional
  information and pricing on the volume may be obtained
  from fichascolombianas at yahoo.com"


SOUTH CAROLINA CURRENCY BOOK PUBLISHED

  From the July/August issue of PAPER MONEY:

  "A life spent collecting and studying obsolete currency of
  his native state has enabled past SPMC President Austin M.
  Sheheen Jr. to completely revise and update his 1960 catalog
  with the release of his new 368-page South Carolina Obsolete
  Notes and Scrip.

  Sheheen's work is not only a comprehensive survey of his
  subject (state, bank, railroad, town, city, private, depression
  scrip, and miscellaneous notes), but a sumptuous one at that.
  Printed on heavy 80-pound glossy paper, virtually every note
  (more than 1,000) is published in full color.

  The book's dapper author credits a brace of deceased and
  current collectors as well as the State's Museum and
  Department of Archives and History for advancing his
  knowledge of this field.

  The catalog includes basic information on the banks of issue,
  their officers, capitalization and dates of organization.  Rarities,
  note descriptions, printers? imprints, as well as listings of
  counterfeit, spurious, altered and raised notes are detailed as
  well.  A very helpful index and a comprehensive set of running
  heads (folios) make navigating the book a breeze.  Certainly
  an excellent addition to the literature and highly recommended
  as a definitive listing.

  This hardbound volume is priced at $45 (dealers inquiries
  invited) from its author at PO Box 428, Camden, S.C.
  29020.  --Fred Reed"


THIAN E-BOOK PUBLISHED

  From the July/August issue of PAPER MONEY:

  "Correspondence of the Treasury Department of the
  Confederate States of America, 1861-65, by Raphael P.
  Thian.  An indexed and searchable CD produced by
  George B. Tremmel and Tom Carson.  2659 pages.
  Requires a reasonably modern PC or Macintosh and
  Adobe Acrobat Reader version 6 (free software).

  Many know Raphael P. Thian's Register of the
  Confederate Debt through the 1972 Quarterman reprint.
  This is a highly detailed compilation of data about
  Confederate treasury notes by issue, serial number, plate
  letter, signer, etc--190 pages of tables.  But Thian, in his
  remarkable and long career as Chief Clerk in the Adjutant
  General's Office, did much more to preserve the history of
  Confederate finance since he believed that "'the history
  of the purse is as valuable as that of the sword'".

  This CD duplicates four volumes of Thian's compilations --
  incoming and outgoing Treasury Department correspondence
  and Treasury reports to the Confederate Congress, President,
  cabinet officials, and others.  They were published in very
  limited editions about 1878-1880 and today are very rare
  and fragile volumes.

  Most of the correspondence from the Treasury Department
  is that of Secretaries Memminger and Trenholm.  They wrote
  to President Jefferson Davis and other Confederate government
 officials, to bankers, to printers such as Keatinge and Ball, to
  foreign officials, and to many others.  Correspondence to the
  Treasury Department is as varied.  Henry Savage, an official of
  the Commercial Bank of Wilmington, NC, writes secretary
  Memminger on May 26, 1864: "SIR:  I regret to report the
  capture by the enemy of the steamship Greyhound, on which
  vessel I shipped for account of the Treasury Department
  $26,600-in gold."

  Memminger writes to Joseph D. Pope of Columbia, SC on
  August 4, 1862: "I have had a full conference with Mr. Keatinge
  in the relation of the practicability of printing engraved signatures

  to Treasury notes, and of new issues in place of the present
  issues which have been counterfeited.  It seems to me that we
  shall be compelled to create something like a Government
  establishment to make everything secure."

  The correspondence is by no means just about money, but
  includes the full and broad scope of the business of the
  Confederate Department of the Treasury.  This is the raw
  material of historians and the fascination of Civil War and
  Confederate paper money enthusiasts.

  The 2,659 pages are reproduced on your screen exactly as
  they were originally printed.  The CD uses Adobe Acrobat
  technology.  While you see the facsimile pages on your screen,
  the file also stores the words so they can be searched.  In
  constructing the CD files, Acrobat uses an automatic word
  recognition methodology called optical character reading
  (OCR).  OCR is not 100% perfect when the original paper
  or microfilmed page is dirty, marred, or deteriorated.  This
  is the case for part of this manuscript.  The compilers estimate
  that about 85-90% of the words were captured accurately for
  searching.  I searched on "Keatinge" and found 139 listings
  of the word.

  The compilers have created an extensive index (called
  bookmarks) to the document.  For example, every letter
  from the Treasury Department is individually listed by subject
  or recipient.  Click on a letter entry like a link on a web page,
  and you go to that letter.  The correspondence index is
  arranged chronologically.  They have also color coded index
  entries:  Red, about counterfeiting; green, about currency
  production; and blue, those they found especially interesting.
  Tremmel and Carson, both advanced collectors and respected
  numismatic authors, have made a major repository of primary
  material about Confederate finance available to researchers
  and hobbyists at a low price and in a very useful format.  In
  this reviewer's opinion, having the index and the word-
  searchability, even if not fully complete, is far superior to
  having a paper or microfilmed copy.

  The CD is available for $42 from Tom Carson, 5712
  N. Morgan Lane, Chattanooga TN 37415; email
  htcarson at comcast.net.   Tom is interested in converting other
  historical documents.  Send him your suggestions.
  -- Bob Schreiner"

  [While most bibliophiles would readily agree to the
  benefits of the electronic version, to get them to give up
  their bound copies you'll have to pry them from their
  cold, dead hands.  -Editor]


ROYAL NUMISMATISTS

  Martin Purdy writes: "As the current President of the Royal
  Numismatic Society of New Zealand, I should have thought
  of this one, shouldn't I?  Apart from having the Governor-
  General as our patron, I don't think we have any current
  Royal connections, though.

  (I'm not aware of a Numismatic Society with Royal
  patronage in Australia, though someone may care to fill that
  gap in my knowledge.)"

  David F. Fanning of Fanning Books writes: "I was surprised
  you didn't have more responses to your quiz question: "who
  can list some of the famous royal numismatists of history?"  The
  one who springs to mind immediately is Vittorio Emmanuele
  (Victor Emmanuel) III, King of Italy, who wrote the 20-volume
  "Corpus Nummorum Italicorum: Primo Tentativo di un catalogo
  generale della monete mediovale e moderne, coniate in Italia o
  de Italiani in altri paesi."

  Others would include the Grand Duc Georgii Michailovich,
  who wrote an extensive catalogue of Russian coins, "Monnaies
  de l'Empire de Russie 1725-1894." Sotheby's sold a numismatic
  library belonging to "His Serene Highness the Prince of
  Furstenberg" in 1982. The Swedish Queen Lovisa Ulrika's
  library of numismatic literature is still preserved in the
  Vitterhetsakademiens Bibliotek / Library of the Royal
  Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities. I'm sure there
  are more."

  [Victor Emmanuel was my top choice as well, and we've
  written before in The E-Sylum about Queen Lovisa Ulrika.
  Then there is King Farouk of Egypt.  Who else?  -Editor]


COIN FIND IN GEORGIA

  The Catoosa County News of  Ringgold, GA reports that
  relic hunters have discovered in a 5x5-foot area atop White
  Oak Mountain"silver coins dating from the 1830s and 1850s,
  square nails, a pocket knife, and Civil War-era bullets,
  buttons and a powder flask.

  Their greatest discovery was an 1853-D Coronet Quarter
  Eagle gold coin. "

  To read the full story, see: Full Story


CURRENCY PAINTINGS

  [My apologies for not publishing the following item last week.
  It may have gotten tangled in the web of spam and deleted
  accidentally. -Editor]

  Fred Reed, Publisher-Editor  of PAPER MONEY writes:
  "Regarding the item on Victor Dubreuil and "Barrels of Money",
  trompe l'oeil currency paintings have been a favorite of mine
  for nearly 30 years now.  I have two excellent examples
  hanging in my office now.

  Dubreuil painted  ***at least***  eight different "Barrels of
  Money" paintings (and I suspect that number could actually
  be many dozens of them) all of which will be illustrated in a
  future issue of PAPER MONEY devoted to Paper Money
  Art.

  The artist's "barrels" paintings are in a variety of sizes, but
  differ most explicitly in the numbers of barrels and types and
  configurations of the large size U.S. paper money they depict.
  Especially prominently featured in several of them are

  Martha Washington $1 Silver Certificates (F215-221),
  William Windom $2 Silver Certificates (F 245-246),
  U.S. Grant $5 Silver Certificates (F 259-265),
  Edwin Stanton $1 Treasury/Coin Notes (F347-349), and
  $50 Second Charter Brown Backs.(F 507-518a).

  Dubreuil also did less "hectic" tromp l'oeil currency paintings
  featuring French notes, $5 Woodchopper Legal Tender Notes
  (F 64-92), $10 Second Charter Brown Backs (F479-492),
  and $10 Hendricks Tombstone Silver Certificates
  (F 291-297)."


WEB COPYCAT FINDER

  John and Nancy Wilson of Ocala, FL write: "We found
  this neat site while looking at latest releases of new search
  engines.  Take a look and if you think it is worthwhile let
  the rest of the E-Sylum readers know about it:
  copyscape.com."

  [The site is a test version of a service that uses Google
  to locate duplicate copies of web content.  If you are a
  numismatic author and would like to track where copies
  of your work have ended up on the Internet, this tool
  could come in handy.  It only works one page at a time,
  however - you feed it one web page address and it
  comes back and tells you if it locates duplicate content
  elsewhere on the web.  I tried it for one of the E-Sylum
  archive pages as follows:
  http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_esylum_v05n06.html

  The tool discovered some similar content on the American
  Numismatic Society web site; specifically, it found an
  obituary of Geoffrey H. North.  In this case, the duplicated
  text was part of an E-Sylum submission from Frank
  Campbell of the ANS.     -Editor]


BRYAN MONEY ON THE WEB

  In response to my quest for web pages picturing Bryan
  Money, Gar Travis writes: "Here are two interesting pages
  from Vassar College, with the second being the real "meat".

  http://projects.vassar.edu/1896/bryan.html
  http://projects.vassar.edu/1896/currency.html"

  [These are good pages, but they do not picture Bryan
  Money items. The second page does show a "Silver Bug Pin"
  for sale in the campaign, though.  -Editor]


PUBLISHERS BATTLE AGAINST USED BOOKS ONLINE

  The New York Times this week featured an article about
  the problems used book sales on the Internet are causing
  publishers.

  "Publishers, particularly textbook publishers, have long
  countered used-book sales by churning out new editions
  every couple of years. But the Web, particularly sites like
  Amazon and eBay, have given millions of consumers an
  easy way to find cheap books - often for under $1 -
  without paying royalty fees to publishers or authors.

  Mass-market publishers are not certain the used-book
  phenomenon is a problem worth addressing, but others in
  the industry have already made up their minds.

  "We think it's not good for the industry and it has an effect,
  but we can't measure it," said Paul Aiken, executive director
  of the Authors Guild, a trade group. "There has always been
  used-book sales, but it's always been a background noise
  sort of thing. Now it's right there next to the new book on
  Amazon."

  "Amazon has listed used books alongside new books since
  late 2000. But analysts and industry executives said the
  momentum among consumers and newly minted used-book
  sellers was just now approaching the point of biting into
  new-book sales.

  "We've not been able to pinpoint a definite effect, but my
  gut is that absolutely there's an effect," said Dominique
  Raccah, chief executive of Sourcebooks Inc. of Naperville,
  Ill., a publisher of both fiction and nonfiction titles. "And it
  concerns me that we're not formalizing a reasonable,
  proactive response."

  "This is not a new phenomenon," said Albert N. Greco, a
  professor at Fordham University's graduate school of
  business administration. "But now it's different. The computer
  and the Internet have revolutionized things."

  Furthermore, Mr. Greco said, there is no stigma attached to
  buying used books. "It's not like buying a used pair of shoes.
  And the prices are very reasonable," he said.

  To read the full article, see: Full Story


EISENHOWER DOLLAR MATH

  Mark Borckardt writes:  "The man and his hoard of Ike
 dollars was not quite correct. The hoard (assuming it is exactly
  175,000 coins), if laid end to end, would be less than 73
  football fields. To be exact, it would be 72.917 football fields
  long!"


DUE UPON RECEIPT: ONE CENT

  The July 15th the New York Daily News published a story
  about a woman who had a collection agency after her for
  the payment of a one-cent account balance:

  "Some cents-less penny pinchers at Coney Island Hospital
  are putting the squeeze on Gloria Benavides-Lal.

  The city hospital has sicced a collection agency on the
  Brooklyn mom over an unpaid bill for some back surgery.

  And how much does the 45-year-old office worker owe?

  One red cent."

  "I showed it to everyone I knew, and they all said it was
  ridiculous."

  And pound-foolish, too. Postage alone for the invoices was
  58 cents,  and the stationery and labor used to send them
  wasn't free, either.

  "I guess they need that penny more than I do,"
  Benavides-Lal laughed."

  "She carried the letter around with her to show
  friends, wondering if it was a mistake.

  But she figured the hospital was serious about getting
  its penny when she opened her mailbox yesterday and
  found a second notice."

  "I'm willing to write them a check for the penny if
  they'll just leave me alone," she said."

  To read the full story, see: Full Story


FEATURED WEB PAGE

  This week's featured web page is a biography of artist James
  Earle Fraser, designer of the original U.S. Buffalo Nickel,
  from American National Biography Online, "the premier
  biographical work on people from all eras who have influenced
  and shaped American history and culture."

  "In 1911 Secretary of the Treasury Franklin MacVeagh
  asked Fraser to design a coin to replace the Liberty Head
  nickel. The sculptor's goal was "to achieve a coin which would
  be truly American, that could not be confused with the
  currency of any other country." The result was the Indian head
  and buffalo nickel. Fraser also created several other medallic
  designs, including the Victory Medal (1919), which was
  distributed to more than four million World War I veterans,
  and the Navy Cross, which in prestige is second only to the
  Congressional Medal of Honor."

  Featured Page

  
  
  Wayne Homren
  Numismatic Bibliomania Society