The E-Sylum:  Volume 8, Number 10, March 6, 2005, Article 17

LIBRARIES AND BASEMENTS

Coin World News Editor William T. Gibbs writes: "Until this
past January, my library contained a copy of "Carnival
Panorama: New Orleans Mardi Gras Medals and Krewes"
by Jay Guren and Richard Ugan. This interesting hardcover
book bears a die cut cover in which rests a Mardi Gras
doubloon. The medal is the 1966 New Orleans Carnival
Schedule Medal, struck in "golden" aluminum. This version
of the medal only appears with this book.

Jay personally inscribed a copy to me about more than a
quarter century ago, when he was features editor and I was
a new staff writer on the staff of Coin World. Jay had cataloged
the medals for the book, which was published in 1966 by
Anderson Publications, New Orleans, and printed by Sidney
Printing & Publishing Co. Inc., publishers of Coin World,
World Coins and Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine. Jay's
work on the book helped catch the attention of Coin World's
owners, who hired him for the editorial staff.

Unfortunately, this book was among the library materials in
my basement in January when a power failure of five days
duration shut down my sump pumps and allowed 41 inches
of ground water to creep into the basement. I lost a number
of common "Red Books," numerous Stack's and Bowers
and Merena catalogs and a few other books and magazines
from my numismatic collection (plus various other books
and items from other collections, like my James Bond
soundtrack LP collection). Fortunately, most of my library
was upstairs and unharmed.

The Guren-Ugan book was beyond salvage, having spent
the better part of five days submerged.

I have learned my lesson: I will never store my library in
the basement if I can help it."

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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