DICK JOHNSON: LAST WORD ON NASCA, AND A NEW TOPIC

Allow me to thank all those who added their comments on NASCA, after I mentioned it in reference to Irwin Stoff's Brenner collection that NASCA auctioned. I found Paul Bosco's lengthy comments particularly enlightening. As well as Dave Bowers' statement tying John J. Ford to the NASCA empire.

This makes sense now as I reflect on the infrequent times my partner and I visited the NASCA offices. It seems every time we were there Ford came in the offices like he owned the place (he was never one to lack self-confidence). Apparently he did not have a photocopy machine at home. He brought with him a handful of documents, walked over to NASCA's photocopy machine, helped himself making his required copies.

But in reading Dave's comments that NASCA was a Ford creation, I wondered why, when Ford was a partner with Charles Wormser in New Netherlands Coin Company. Then it dawned on me Ford no longer had the outlet access of New Netherland's auctions.

Ford and Wormser had parted ways. Now THAT'S a topic for discussion!

After that split up, my partner, Chris Jensen, and I met with Charlie Wormser in his office (in hopes of obtaining some choice medal consignments for our Johnson & Jensen auctions). But I kept talking how much we admired him, Ford and cataloger Walter Breen, he never gave us the full reasons.

Charlie Wormser had inherited New Netherlands Coin Company from his father, Moritz Wormser, who was very active in numismatics and was even president of the ANA in the 1920s. Charlie was a true gentleman, quite refined and somewhat reserved. It seems like opposites attract, as John Ford was Charlie's opposite -- very aggressive and somewhat overbearing. Maybe that's what Wormser needed.

But what I would really like to know -- why did they split?

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: MORE ON NASCA AND HERB MELNICK (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v14n37a13.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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