The E-Sylum:  Volume 10, Number 21, May 27, 2007, Article 2

WAS THERE A WILLIAM VON BERGEN - B. MAX MEHL ALLIANCE?

Jim Hirtle writes: "It has been my belief for a number of years
that the "Star Rare Coin Encyclopedia" did not spring full-blown
from the head of B. Max [Benjamin Maximilian], Mehl the famous
Fort Worth coin dealer.  Now, I have discovered evidence that
supports my theory and I am proposing this hypothesis.

"William Von Bergen -- a Boston coin dealer in the period of the
1880s to the early 1900s was the author of two widely-read coin
books which succeeded each other in the marketplace: first came
THE RARE COINS OF AMERICA, ENGLAND, IRELAND, SCOTLAND FRANCE,
GERMANY, AND SPAIN, followed by THE RARE COIN ENCYCLOPEDIA
(UNIVERSAL COIN DEALERS DIRECTORY).

"The early book went through about nine editions beginning in
the 1880s (the earliest that I have been able to locate is dated
1889), only to be replaced by the THE RARE COIN ENCYCLOPEDIA which
went through about seven editions, the last being published in 1907.

"Since every copy of the Von Bergen book that I own has a different
colored cover, it is obvious to me that -- in the tradition of many
such books of the period -- the buyer got a paperback copy which
he then contracted with a bookbinder to put into hardback form. Thus,
I have red, blue and maroon-covered copies of Von Bergen's works.

"The interesting thing about Von Bergen's works is that they disappear
from the numismatic scene at almost exactly the same time that Mehl's
works begin to appear.  Now, any student of numismatic literature will
tell you that works of B. Max Mehl prior to about 1920 are very seldom
met with if at all.

"In the 1920s, Mehl's Star Coin Book is a very prolific work but, prior
to that decade, few Mehl works are available.  An Internet search of
"Mehl," "B. Max Mehl," or "Max Mehl" will quickly confirm this fact.
However, after many years of searching, I finally located the earliest
copy of Mehl's "Star Coin Book" which I have been able to acquire.  It
is dated 1910 and is described as the "Fourth Edition" which would mean
that Mehl began producing it about the year 1907.  Interestingly enough,
1907 is the last year that I can trace any Von Bergen book to (1906-1907
Edition published in 1907).  This would seem to me to indicate that
the two publishers' careers meshed neatly, with Von Bergen leaving
the stage just as Max Mehl appeared.

"As further evidence of the business relationship of the two men, a
study of Von Bergen's format and content would indicate that his and
Mehl's works were very similar both in content, size, and scope with
each containing much the same material about grading, how to mail coins
to the company, and other general information. Even more interesting,
Von Bergen referred to his business as the "Numismatic Bank," a name
that Mehl used into the early 1920s for his coin operation. Note, in
addition, that Mehl always carefully referred to himself as a "compiler"
of his book, in effect saying that at least some of its content was
not original with him.

"Based on the timing and similarity of the two men's books, it is my
belief that Max Mehl and Von Bergen had some sort of business relationship
in which the Texas dealer bought the rights to the Boston dealer's
publication and business name and began producing the "encyclopedia"
of the "Numismatic Bank" under his own name. This would certainly
explain the fact that Von Bergen's book ceased publication at about
the same time that Mehl's appeared, probably in the same year -- 1907."

[I don't have my library handy, but I think Jim's theory has a lot going
for it.  I believe the earliest copy of the Mehl book that I own is the
1910 fourth edition.  I had noticed the "Numismatic Bank" connection and
other similarities, but like many of us I assumed Mehl had just copied
the earlier book.  I had also assumed that the early editions that no
one has ever been able to locate were made up by Mehl to make his book
sound more established.  But the dovetailing dates make a Von Bergen -
Mehl connection a possibility.  What are our readers' thoughts?
-Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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