The response to that article in The E-Sylum was, I think, a good indication of the strength of the hobby community's interest in cherrypicking --- by Monday morning, I already had seven potential book reviewers lined up!

In addition to the review copy I offered in The E-Sylum, I decided to throw my own "publisher's copy" into the mix, since so many readers were interested in the book.

I drew two names at random, and will be sending review copies to Michael Luck and Tony Hine. To everyone else: I look forward to hearing your thoughts after the new Cherrypickers' Guide debuts later this month.

Thank you to all who volunteered to review this latest volume.

You'll find a very good review of this book on www.nybooks.com/issues/2011/nov/10/ . It is fascinating how this topic has suddenly caught the attention of the general public.

I departed the USA on Oct 5 and arrived here in my townhouse in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) on Oct 6. Three days later, I was in Singapore with one of my nieces. We attended a Chinese Wedding Dinner that evening for a lady cash-style coin collector friend. She sat us at a table with four Chinese coin dealers. They were speaking only in Chinese and my niece and I were speaking only in English. We stared at them and they stared at us.

So in my shy manner, I stood up and introduced myself. The men immediately recognized my name from the local numismatic society membership roster (I am a life member) and one said he remembered I spoke at a meeting many years ago. The one man who could speak English moved next to me and translated for me to the dealers and for my niece to the wives. It was a great time!

We came back to Viet Nam on Oct 11. I am now preparing for trips to Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Vientiane and Hanoi. I also am trying to obtain an appointment in the new Ho Chi Minh Trail Museum in Buon Me Thuot in the Central Highlands.

Last week I sent you the note about the cheque from DC comics for the rights to Superman. Now the highest graded surviving copy of that famous issue is going up for auction as well. A somewhat lesser copy sold for 1.5 million a couple of years ago. The book and information about it can be found here: www.metropoliscomics.com You will have to scroll down a bit.

The exhibits were first class. All six classes had a record three winners. Sam Deep ran away with the Best in Show and the People's Choice Awards, for his "Off the Beaten Numismatic Path" exhibit. Approximately eight PAN and WPNS members won exhibit ribbons and awards, Tom Uram, yours truly, Rich Crosby, Paul Schultz, Tom Corey, John Eshbach, Josh Wadsworth and Sam Deep. This must be a record of some sort!

The PAN Banquet at the Lemont was outstanding. Over a hundred people came out to honor PAN's three Lifetime Achievement awardees, John Eshbach, Gerry Kochel and Dick Duncan. The food was great, the scenery from Mount Washington was spectacular, we had rainbows and fireworks, too! What a gala evening!!!

I read an article about the Armand Champa magnets and found it so interesting. Could you tell me who wrote it? Armand Champa is my grandfather.

Having visited famed numismatic bibliophile Armand Champa at his Louisville home, I had a photo of him I'd taken with my camera. On a whim, I took the picture to a photo shop and had it made into three refrigerator magnets.

I wrote that piece. I was among a group of collectors Armand invited to his home to view his library. I visited two or three times. I've always been grateful to him for the opportunity. I was young and just beginning my own library, and learned a great deal from my visit and made several lifelong friends from the first event. I probably wouldn't be editing this newsletter if it weren't for him.

He was a very gracious and generous host. I always looked forward to seeing him at our conventions. I bought a few books from his library when it was auctioned.

When I originally figured out the signature on the note it was a group effort. I posted the information on the US Coin Collecting website along with the picture of the note from this newsletter and a blowup of the signature that I had skewed. Here is that post:

Can you figure out the name on this North Carolina 10 cent note.
Posted by Caveman144 on October 3, 2011 at 3:15pm in U.S. Coin Collecting View Discussions
A collector from E-sylum is trying to figure out the signature on a 10 cent note from North Carolina. He has looked up records of those authorized to sign and can't match the name on the note to the authorized list.

Here are pictures of the note, the signature as it appears on the note and the signature after I got done playing with it in Paint Shop Pro X2. (see attached)

Here is the link to my original post: uscoin.ning.com/forum/topics/can-you-figure-out
-the-name-on-this-north-carolina-10-cent-note