The E-Sylum:  Volume 8, Number 52, December 11, 2005, Article 9

SOCIETY FOR U.S. COMMEMORATIVE COINS WEB SITE LAUNCHED

David Provost writes: "Thanks for another interesting
collection of news, tidbits and tips!

I'm writing to provide you with a few notes about a
website that might be of interest to the group.  I took
over as president of the Society for US Commemorative
Coins (SUSCC) last year and have been working to make
the collecting public more aware of our group.  One of
the problems we faced this past year was the restructuring
of the ANA's website and the loss of our web page.

I recently launched a new SUSCC website (www.suscconline.org)
and, like many a fledgling webmaster, have started simply
but with plans for continued expansion.  Once I completed
the home page with basic info about the organization and
how to become a member, I was faced with the decision as
to what 'content' page I should add first.  It didn't take
me long to decide that it should be a page that featured
an annotated bibliography of books about US commemorative
coins.  If you have a moment, check it out and let me
know your thoughts.

The titles listed are all from my personal collection,
with a few more yet to be added.  I would like to reach
out to the NBS membership, however, to seek assistance
finding a few titles that I haven't been able to locate.
I have been searching for Fred Morton Reed's book about the
commemorative series (published in 1972, I believe) as well
as any volumes of Ray Mercer's Buyer's Guide series beyond
Volume One.  Of course, I'd be interested in hearing from
anyone with any other titles on the series -- I'm sure
there are more than a few that I haven't come across!

I can be reached at commems@aol.com if anyone would like
to correspond."

[One obscure title to add to the list is "One Fatt Calfe",
a great book on the history of the New Rochelle half.
I bought my copy from George Kolbe several years ago, and
he forwarded the following details: "Skipton, Amy C. One
Fatt Calfe: Being an Account of the New Rochelle Half-Dollar
and of the Celebration Marking the 250th Anniversary of the
Founding & Settlement of the City of New Rochelle New York.
New Rochelle: New Rochelle Commemorative Coin Committee, 1939.
(8), 123, (1) pages, 13 plates.

One of only 200 copies printed in Caslon type on Linweave
Rag Book paper at Pell Press. The author was the Executive
Secretary of the Coin Committee and she wrote this work
"in the hope that it may serve as a signpost to future
Celebration Committees in planning an event such as was
celebrated in 1938." It includes portraits of the main
participants, including the designer Gertrude Lathrop
and her "Fatt Calfe" model. This work remains the most
detailed account ever written surrounding the issuance
of a commemorative half dollar."

Some I found on my shelf are:

Foster, Charles W., Historical Arrangement of United
States Commemorative Coins, Rochester Museum of Arts
and Sciences, Rochester, NY, 1936, 75 pages, softcover

Ganz, David L., 14 Bits: The Story of America's
Bicentennial Coinage, Three Continents Press, Washington,
D.C., 1976, 102 pages, softcover

Hyder, William D. and Colbert, R.W., The Selling of
the Stone Mountain Half Dollar, a reprint from The
Numismatist, no date, 20 pages, card covered

Ruby, Warren A., Commemorative Coins of the United
States (Gold and Silver), Graphic Publishing Company,
Lake Mills, IA, 1961, hardcover

Reed, Mort, United States Commemoratives 1892-1954,
Coin World, 1972, 36 pages

The Foster and Ruby titles are very scarce. The Mort
Reed booklet from Coin World includes a bibliography
by Frank Katen, and it lists this title, which I
haven't seen:

Weber, C. E., Let's Have New Commemorative Coins.
Reprint NM, 1961

Can our readers provide more information on these
titles, or suggest other titles on U.S. Commemoratives?
-Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

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