The E-Sylum:  Volume 11, Number 19, May 11, 2008, Article 3

BALLOTS MAILED FOR GREATEST AMERICAN NUMISMATIC LITERATURE SURVEY

Len Augsburger writes: "The ballots for the Numismatic Bibliomania
Society survey of the greatest American numismatic literature
(announced in the Fall 2007 issue of The Asylum) have been mailed
to the membership.  President John Adams has taken the lead by
completing and returning the first ballot.  I'll issue updates in
this space over the next few weeks as ballots are submitted."

Alan Weinberg writes: "The list neglects to list Joe Levine's
Presidential Coin and Antique Company's auction catalogs from
approximately 1970 to date (which I'd rate in the top 25),
DeWitt/Sullivan American Political Badges and Medalets which lists
and pictures many hundreds of tokens and medals (which I'd rate
in the top 30) and Frent/Schlesinger which pictures its share of
tokens and medals (which I'd rate in the top 75).

"The Frent/Schlesinger reference is a massive two-volume set that
is titled 'Running for President'. And yes, the co-author
Schlesinger is THE Arthur Schlesinger, Harvard Professor and
noted advisor to JFK.

"These are expensive books - Sullivan ($200) and F/S ($200 or so)
- and are more widely known among political ephemera collectors-
- but have considerable plates and listings of tokens and medals
- in the case of Sullivan (DeWitt is an earlier less complete
version of Sullivan) literally multi-hundreds of rare tokens
and medals are pictured, described in detail, etc.

"But Joe Levine's PCAC catalogues, which go back to the early
70's, have had extensive sales of great tokens and medals with
plates and historical descriptions. How his auction sales
catalogues escaped the list sent out is a mystery. The PCAC
catalogues have a prominent place in my library. They are much
more prominent in the numismatic hobby than perhaps 1/3rd of
the references listed."

["Top 100" projects such as this always stir controversy,
but that's part of the appeal and fun of them.  I'm sure
many worthy publications didn't make the first cut, but let
us have your thoughts.  I'm a bit perplexed myself on how
I'll cast my votes for despite my long association with
American Numismatic Literature, there are quite a number
of items on the list (particularly auction catalogs) that
I do not have in my library and would have a difficult
time evaluating. -Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

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