The E-Sylum:  Volume 7, Number 4, January 25, 2004, Article 6

BOOK ON COUNTERFEIT HOLOCAUST ARTIFACTS

  Michael J. Sullivan submitted the following review of a
  new book by Alec Tulkoff on the modern counterfeiting
  of artifacts relating to the Holocaust.   He writes:

  "While counterfeiting is a sad reality, particularly in the
  context of the Holocaust, it is admirable for someone to
  have dedicated 25 years to research this material to
  prevent modern day exploitation of one of the worst
  chapters in modern history.  The book includes some
  information on banknotes which may be of interest to
  our E-Sylum readers.

  I found this book to be well written, with great illustrations
  and images. It was very informative regarding this interesting
  area that is ripe with forgeries.  It covers everything from
  stamps and currency, to uniforms and markings. Below is an
  excerpt from the press release. This book is a reference and
  resource guide to help determine the authenticity of these
  artifacts, and provides a detailed look at various Holocaust-
  related artifacts in a manner that follows the experiences of
  the survivors and victims. As an example; the Germans
  identified some individuals with outward markings, forced
  them to register, pressed them into forced labor, ghettoized,
  and eventually deported them to concentration camps or
  labor facilities, and due to the different times that these
  activities took place in conquered and occupied countries,
  they are distinguished here by the action rather than by a
  general timeline (for example, Jews in occupied Poland were
  forced to wear "Jewish badges" in 1939, while this did not
  occur in Germany until 1941). The Holocaust is a difficult
  period of history to examine, and although some of the
  photographs contained in this book are horrific in nature,
  this book in no way trivializes the magnitude of the
  Holocaust by discussing the collection and identification of
  Holocaust-related artifacts. The issue at hand is the callous
  disregard by those who profit from the Holocaust by
  manufacturing and selling counterfeit and fake items.
  Alec Tulkoff has been a collector of World War II militaria
  for the past twenty-five years. Over the past seven years he
  has taken an interest in Holocaust history and artifacts.
  During the past two years, while working at the SHOAH
  Visual History Foundation as a cataloguer, he compiled the
  information and materials contained in this book. As a
  cataloguer in the Foundation, he had the opportunity to hear
  hundreds of first hand Holocaust survivor testimonies. Tulkoff
  has worked hard in combating the vast amount of Holocaust
  artifact fraud that has spread in the collecting community and
  has posted a website dealing with this fraud and also publishes
  a quarterly newsletter on this topic. Size:8 1/2" x 11"
  Illustrations: over 160 color and b/w photographs Pages:
  88 NEW"

  [Michael was unable to locate  the author's web site.
   Perhaps we'll have more information next week.  Can any
   of our readers provide more information on the book?
   Thanks. -Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

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