The E-Sylum:  Volume 9, Number 13, March 26, 2006, Article 18

THOMPSON's 1783 ESSAY ON COINING

Jeff Hawk writes: "I am reading (and enjoying) "Money of the
World", by Richard G. Doty. Some of the illustrations in the
book are taken from "An Essay on Coining", described as a
one-of-a-kind hand-drawn book by Samuel Thompson, written in
1783.  I believe I have seen drawings from this book in other
books I have read.

Has anyone ever commercially or privately published a facsimile
edition of this interesting book, so that those of us who have
seen selected drawings from it could buy or at least borrow a
copy?"

[Great question.  I checked with Dick Doty and learned the
book is in the library of the American Numismatic Society.
A query to ANS Librarian Frank Campbell brought the following
Response. -Editor]

Frank Campbell writes: "An Essay on Coining," by Samuel Thompson
(Die - Sinker) was produced in 1783. The verso of the fly-leaf
includes the following hand-written information: "Mathew Bredon,
13 [unclear letter, perhaps S.] Camden St., Dublin and "original
illustrative drawings in india ink."  There is no accession
information present.

In Library Committee discussions concerning possible candidates
for facsimile reproduction, I have mentioned it as a candidate.
However, it consists of some 56 pages (some blank) and would be
a departure from the single page broadside of the 1828 sale of
the Benjamin Watkins estate, by George Nichols, that is presently
in preparation.  Consequently, any consideration of producing a
facsimile would have to be guided by the expense of the
undertaking.

Before I became Librarian of the Society, some of the plates in
the volume were reproduced for an article that appeared in "The
Colonial Newsletter." The same negatives used for that article
were used again for subsequent publications, among which were
ones used by Taxay and Doty."

[There you have it - the original resides safely in the ANS
Library, but is not known to have been reprinted in its entirety.
Many thanks to Dick and Frank for their prompt responses to
Jeff's query.  Subscriber participation is what makes editing
The E-Sylum a delight.  -Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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