KOLBE SALE #111: THE STACK FAMILY NUMISMATIC LIBRARY

On January 9th, 2010, George Frederick Kolbe/Fine Numismatic Books will offer for sale at public auction highlights from the remarkable numismatic library carefully assembled over seven decades by the New York numismatic firm founded by brothers Morton and Joseph and ably carried on by Norman, Benjamin, Harvey, Susan, and Lawrence Stack.

For over fifty years, the fabled American portion of the library has resided in antique bookcases lining one wall of Harvey Stack's office, and along the opposite wall as well. Other portions of the library were, for many years, located throughout the main floor of the firm's New York City retail location at 123 West 57th Street and many of the great classic works on ancient and foreign coins and medals were carefully arranged on the second floor in the Coin Galleries offices.

Covering virtually all aspects of numismatics and replete with rarities, it is one of the finest working libraries on numismatics ever formed in the United States.

Key works from this magnificent library will be sold at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City in conjunction with the New York International Numismatic Convention this coming January. The profusely illustrated catalogue will be arranged in two parts: 190 lots of rare and classic works on American coins, medals, and tokens, and 210 key works on ancient, medieval, and modern numismatics.

The auction will also feature 100 lots of duplicates from the American Numismatic Society Library, offered as lots 401-500 in a separate catalogue. Copies of both catalogues may be reserved by sending $35.00 to George Frederick Kolbe, P. O. Drawer 3100, Crestline, CA 92325. Telephone: (909) 338-6527; Fax: (909) 338-6980; Email: GFK@numislit.com. The catalogue will also be accessible free of charge several weeks before the sale at the firm's web site: www.numislit.com.

Lot viewing will be held at the American Numismatic Society, 75 Varick Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10013. On Thursday, January 7th, lot viewing will be from 8 AM until 7 PM and on Friday, January 8th, from 8 AM to 8 PM. The auction itself, as previously mentioned, will be held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, 301 Park Avenue between East 49th & 50th Streets, New York, NY 10022.

Some American highlights include: the Stack firm's own complete bound set of their auction sale catalogues, comprising an unparalleled source of data on rare American coins, medals, tokens, and paper money; a photographic record of the fabled collection of $2.50, $5.00, and $10.00 United States gold coins from the collection of Colonel E. H. R. Green, housed in three handsome leather-bound volumes and original inventories and financial details of the collection; inventories of the incomparable Louis Eliasberg collection; most of the Chapman brothers auction sale catalogues issued with original photographic plates; classic works on large cents from the library of legendary collector Henry Hines, often filled with letters and research notes assembled by the "Big Three of the Big Cents": Hines, Howard Newcomb, and George Clapp.

Also featured are long runs of classic nineteenth and early twentieth century coin auction sales, including many great rarities; the 1915 United States Coin Co. sale of the Granberg collection, with 7 photographic plates; complete sets of The Numismatist (including the first six volumes), the American Journal of Numismatics, Frossard's Numisma, and Scott's The Coin Collector's Journal; deluxe leather-bound editions of various classic Stack's sales; unique Lyman Low bid books;

J. N. T. Levick's own annotated copy of his April 27-29, 1865 coin collection (postponed to May 28, 1865 due to the assassination of President Lincoln), one of only twelve specially issued; a large paper copy of Hickcox's 1858 "Historical Account of American Coinage"; etc.

Among classic works on ancient and foreign numismatic topics to be featured in the January 2010 Stack sale are: a complete original set of Georgii Mikhailovic's monumental work on Russian coins, including part 2 of Peter the Great, bound in thirteen volumes; classic Russian coin sales; key works on ancient numismatics including runs of the classic Danish and other Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum series, Haeberlin on Aes Grave, Gnecchi on Roman medallions, Mazzini, Hunter, RIC, Ars Classica sales, etc. Classic sets on medieval and modern German numismatics include Hoffmeister on Hesse, Dannenberg on Saxony, Bahrfeldt on Marienburg, and Fiala on Brunswick, among others. Included as well is a set of Corpus Nummorum Italicorum and classic works on Renaissance medal.

A second Stack Family Library sale is planned for Spring 2010. Highlights among the sale of 100 duplicate numismatic works from The American Numismatic Society include: classic European auction sale catalogues featuring ancient coins, among them Rhousopoulos, Montagu & Ponton d'Amécourt Roman gold, Bunbury, Lockett, Ratto Byzantine, and others; Browning's original 1925 Early Quarter Dollars of the United States; key works on Islamic coins including Nützel's 1898-1902 Katalog der Orientalische Münzen and Miles' Numismatic History of Rayy; a handsome set of Montagu sales of English coins and medals; a nine volume set of Sestini's Lettere e Dissertazioni Numismatiche from the Newell library; Waddington's classic four part work on the Greek coins of Asia Minor; the rare 1925 W. W. C. Wilson sale of American and Canadian coins and medals, with photographic plates; and other key works.

Wayne Homren, Editor

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