Regarding the name of one of our Facebook fans, Ecureuil Inoffensif is French for "Harmless Squirrel." What's that all about?

Anyone attempting to navigate the labyrinthine ways of the replacement notes of the Bank of England would do well to consult Token Publishing's "Banknote Yearbook".

In toxicology, the dose makes the poison. More poison leads to more adverse effect. The scientists from New York have found a contaminant on money, but do they discuss whether that amount is toxicologically significant? The BPA levels on currency seem miniscule, especially compared with those on the cash register receipts we all receive and handle when making purchases (using a "thin film" of BPA as part of the way the receipt is printed).

If this stuff is toxic, why not go after the more contaminated items--the cash register receipts--rather than pointing a finger at currency? Tell us how much BPA is found on the receipts, and whether that amount is harmful, and whether the receipts should be banned from use.

I have been a toxicologist for thirty years. In almost every instance I can think of, if a big problem is solved the little ones tend to disappear.

If these scientists were the first to find that the thermal receipts were contaminated by BPA, that would be important. Otherwise I am not impressed by the New York study.

I have been considering self-publishing for some time now, and I find Abbott Press' prices to be quite expensive. Lulu is cheaper, and there are other POD (print on demand) companies that can do the job for lower prices. Does Abbott Press supply anything else with their publishing package, such as ISBN, editing etc? I highly recommend "The Fine Print of Self-Publishing" by Mark Levine for anyone thinking of self-publishing. BTW, I plan to publish for the Kindle.

Those of us who were on the staff of Bowers & Ruddy Galleries when the Garrett collection was sold had a lot more opportunity to see these famous Nova Constellatio pattern coins than anyone else ever has, other than Garrett himself perhaps, or John Ford. I held each of them in my hands and examined them at length under a glass. I assume that Ford did as well. I also held and felt the heft of each of Garrett's Brasher doubloons. Now they are all embedded or held in plastic, through which their gleam does not come across quite so appealingly as when "naked."

I enjoyed rereading Dick Johnson's "The History of Coin Presses" originally in the October 3, 2004 E-Sylum and reprinted August 7. Readers interested in the subject might want to read my 11 page plus two plates paper "Coining and Die-Making Techniques in the 17th Century" published in volume 3 of the series "Metallurgy in Numismatics" edited by M.M. Archibald and M.R. Cowell, Royal Numismatic Society Special Publication No. 24, London, 1993.

Unfortunately, do not have an electronic version of the paper, but if I receive several requests for it, I will have it scanned and provide it.

[1] Re: 8th Coin World Almanac. I've used my 1st edition (1976, 883 pp) many times and often thought of upgrading to a newer one. I hope that The E-Sylum will publish more reviews of the latest edition with emphasis on things beyond the lack of coverage of medals, which are probably way too extensive for inclusion in what is likely to be the last edition in printed book form. But, I'll probably buy the new Almanac anyway.

[2] The note about Mihm's article in the Boston Globe made me wonder: do any E-Sylum readers regularly, or occasionally, write about numismatics for their local newspapers? That could be quite useful to promote the hobby, especially in those areas of the country where radio and TV pieces are not aired.

[3] There have appeared several suggestions for additions to the 16 U.S. government-authorized minting facilities about which I first inquired in v13 #23 (June 2010) and listed in v13#24. It would be great if someone decides to compile and write an article about the latest (final?) list. Although I do expect to go through the E-Sylum issues to assemble the present list for myself, including Ganz' striking (had to do it) Mint for a Day, I'm not prepared to independently confirm those entries since my original 16, as necessary for publication. It's sufficient for me to take the word of the well-respected numismatists from whom the additional suggestions have come. It's been fun!