The E-Sylum:  Volume 5, Number 2, January 13, 2002, Article 10

MORE DEFINITIVE CATALOGS

  Bill Rosenblum writes: "As usual, the E-Sylum is a jewel
  sitting amongst the junk mail and the unsolicited questions
  asking me how much a roll of 1804 dollars is worth.

  As for Definitive Catalogs in my area, Judaic Numismatics,
  I would like to recommend a few.  For ancient coins The
  Abraham Bromberg Collection of Jewish Coins Parts I and
  II come to mind as the among most important ever and at
  least the most important of the last part of the 20th century.
  The sales were conducted in December of 1991 and 1992
  by Superior in collaboration with Leu Numismatics of Zurich.
  They were primarily written by Paul Rynearson with perhaps
  some input from Leo Mildenburg. The material offered was
  incredible and the sale would be important if it just listed the
  coin and the grade. But of course it didn't. Wonderful
  photographs (many enlargements), precise weights and
  alignments, wonderful research and pedigrees where known
  are all included. And of course the sale was attended by
  virtually ever dealer and collector who specializes in this field
  world-wide.

  On a more pedestrian note, our Spring mail bid sale of May
  2001 was highlighted by the Harry Flower collection of
  Albert Einstein coins and medals. We offered 140 lots of
  Einstein material with photographs of the obverse and reverse
  of most every lot. While certainly not as "important" as some
  fields of numismatics, I would doubt that a more important
  numismatic collection of Einstein material will come on the
  market in the near future."

  Bob Cochran writes: "I concur with the comments of Fred
  Lake that the seven Bluestone catalogs of the Albert Grinnell
  collection of U.S. paper money are magnificent.  However,
  in my mind the "set" of Grinnell catalogs isn't complete without
  a copy of the Max Mehl catalog of  "The Albert A. Grinnell
  Collection" sale of June 15, 1943.  Supposedly Mr. Grinnell
  was disappointed in the results of the Mehl auction, and that
  was the reason he consigned the remainder of his collection to
  Barney Bluestone.

  Among the "bargains" in the Mehl auction was a set of the
  Confederate Montgomery issues of the $1000, $500, $100
  and $50 notes, graded "practically uncirculated," "Uncirculated"
  (and Uncancelled), "Beautiful uncirculated" (and Uncancelled),
  and "Uncirculated and uncancelled" respectively, which fetched
  $55, $65, $21, and $15.

  Nolan Mims proposed the CAA Sale catalog containing the
  Dr. Walter B. Jones Collection of Alabama Obsolete Notes
  and Scrip as his choice for a definitive work.  I would certainly
  agree.

  I talked with Walt Rosene about his book a few times, and
  he said he'd been given complete access to Dr. Jones'
  collection.  Some years ago, the late Paul Garland did me a
  great favor.  I was seeking an illustration of the $20 note
  (Rosene 134-7) issued by the Northern Bank of Huntsville
  (my home town).  Rosene's description of the vignette in the
  center of the note is "Two females seated, view of Huntsville."

  I mentioned my quest to Paul, since he had lived in Huntsville
  for some time.  Paul gave me the name and phone number
  of a man in Huntsville and said to ask him about the note.
  The man was Warren P. Jones, and he turned out to be Dr.
  Jones' son.  Warren kindly provided me with a photocopy
  of his father's note, and I used it in an article for Paper Money,
  published by SPMC.  The vignette was adapted from a painting
  of the famous "Big Spring" in Huntsville, and it includes a portion
  of the rear of the building of the Northern Bank of Alabama!

  I'm pretty sure I met Dr. Jones at least once.  I was a
  12-year-old Charter Member of the Rocket City Coin Club
  in 1958, and I'm certain Dr. Jones attended a few of the club's
  early meetings."

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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