The E-Sylum:  Volume 7, Number 1, January 4, 2004, Article 2

DEAR NUMISMATIC BRETHREN

To start the first issue of the new year, I thought I'd quote
from another Number 1 issue of a numismatic publication,
the March 1880 Volume 1, Number 1 issue of A.M. Smith's
Coin Collectors' Illustrated Guide:

"TO OUR READERS:
In launching our craft out into the journalistic sea, we presume
to attract the attention of Numismatic readers. We know our
task is hard and we will have up-hill work before us; we do not
expect to avoid unjust criticism, we know we shall be joked at
and ridiculed - but dear Numismatic brethren do not be jealous,
give us a chance in our small boat, and by your aid, we are
positive to make our voyage and appear before you once a
quarter. We hope, with the promise of assistance of many of
our noted collectors in Coins, Medals, Currency and
Autographs, to make this a favorite guide to the Coin Collector
in general. We will post you, dear reader, on the price which
fine and rare coins bring at auction, and shall try to tell you all
about Copies, Counterfeits and Electrotypes of rare coins.
Beginning with Number I, we treat about Colonial Coins, first
U.S. Copper Cent, first U.S. Dollars; and as we continue the
history of America's coinage to the present time, we shall spare
no expense for illustrations or for as good writing on the subject
as money will procure.

As our pages are not for advertising purposes, we shall be
enabled to devote part of our space to a Counterfeit Detector
of U.S. Coins and currency.

N.B. We intend to use a good pair of scissors liberally, and
clip wherever we shall find anything of importance, relating to
our subject; we shall not let our own want of knowledge stand
in the way of putting before you the good things we shall come
across."

Smith's stated intentions are similar in many ways to our goals
with The E-Sylum, particularly the parts about the "assistance
of many of our noted collectors" and the intention "to use a
good pair of scissors liberally." Thanks again to all who make
submissions to our little publication - it wouldn't be the same
without you. And as long as interesting articles, pamphlets,
book and catalogs about numismatic keep appearing, we'll
keep on clipping with our 21st-century equivalent of scissors
and paste.

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization 
promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

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at this address: whomren@coinlibrary.com

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