ON THE FATE OF NUMISMATIC SCRAPBOOK AND WORLD COINS MAGAZINES

I greatly enjoyed the references to Lee Hewitt's generic coin price guides. I have only one, a specimen of his world coin book imprinted with the name of Chicago dealer Bill Mertes. Prices for vast numbers of coins were five cents each in the early 1950's. It is reported that Hewitt was the discoverer and employer of the late Arlie Slabaugh. Arlie was a type setter, linotypist for Hewitt and it was said that his mind operated at such supersonic speeds that as he set type for a Numismatic Scrapbook article, he would be able to so accurately gauge the amount of space that would be left over at the bottom of a column that he could compose a filler to occupy the space before coming to it...

Many collectors objected to Hewitt's sale of Numismatic Scrapbook to Amos Press (Coin World's parent) in 1968. What was not recognized was that the weekly coin papers had made Scrapbook obsolete, and Lee artfully disguised the run-down nature of the publication from the normally gimlet-eyed J. Oliver Amos who, in effect, bought a flat tire. Nor did Amos have any developed plan for Scrapbook's future other than assigning it to the late Russ Rulau, who had no burning enthusiasm for U.S. numismatics, occupied as he was by his work with the brilliantly successful World Coins magazine.

Scrapbook limped along, slowly losing ground until 1975 when I was appointed to the post of executive editor. During 1975, we made some perceptible progress, especially with introduction of 20th century layout and design, gained new contributors and subscribers until one fine day in January 1976 (right before the Amos Centennial) when Courtney Coffing and I were ordered to the office and informed that both magazines (Scrapbook and World Coins) were being discontinued, NOW. Four more minutes' notice than the 14 staffers who were summarily terminated. I don't know what Hewitt thought of that, though Krause Publications did him honor soon after. The last executive editor was not invited.

Sic transit gloria, as they say.

To read the complete article, see: U.S. COIN BUYING GUIDE HISTORY (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n07a21.html)

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