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The E-Sylum: Volume 12, Number 6, February 8, 2009, Article 27

FEATURED WEB PAGE: ON THE TRAIL OF KING FAROUK

This week's Featured Web Page is an article by Carl Lester titled Numismatic "Gumshoe:" On the Trail of King Farouk. It's a great piece of writing detailing Carl's detective work in tracking down a Dahlonega gold coin from the 1956 Farouk sale. Numismatic literature provided the signposts on Carl's tour, beginning with a copy of the Farouk sale catalog. Click the link and give it a good read!

Aside from a casual interest, I first became really intrigued with the "King Farouk auction" after purchasing a copy of Abe Kosoff Remembers , a compilation of Coin World articles on various topics by the "Dean of Numismatics." Mr. Kosoff had devoted an entire chapter to "The Farouk Story," which described the famous Palace Collections of Egypt coin auction, featuring the numismatic collection of the former King Farouk of Egypt, that took place at Koubbeh Palace, Cairo, in February and March 1954. As I read Abe Kosoff's reminiscences of the long-ago auction, I felt that the "Cairo coin caper" was the ultimate numismatic adventure.

After reading about the "cloak and dagger" surrounding the King Farouk auction, I was fascinated! I wanted to acquire a King Farouk piece that would fit my specialty, Dahlonega gold coins.

One of the items that I acquired in Baltimore was an original copy of the coins and medals volume of The Palace Collections of Egypt , obtained from numismatic literature dealer Charles Davis.


One item from the first Champa sale really piqued my interest. It was lot 493, dealer Sol Kaplan's "sales room copy" of The Palace Collections of Eqypt coins and medals catalog, magnificently bound, presumably by Alan Grace, in green half morocco. Most importantly, Mr. Kaplan had recorded the buyers of the lots in the American section of the sale. What an important research tool this would be!

Farouk Catalog


www.goldrushgallery.com/news/gumshoe.html



Wayne Homren, Editor

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