THE UNIQUE COIN HOLDER

Seeing the images of Colonel Green's collection ledgers in The E-Sylum prompts me to write about another treasure that was held by the Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society (EPNNES) but won't be receiving a lot of attention. I began writing to Eric about a year ago inquiring about any vintage coin album materials that he might have that were associated with Colonel Green, since Eric had been quite involved in the dispersal of that collection 70 years ago. After several rounds of correspondence, and after sending Eric the manuscript for my book on the coin holders published by The Beistle Company, from which Green had bought hundreds of Unique Coin Holders and accessory covers, Eric found what I was most seeking.

Unlike The National Coin Album, Wayte Raymond's successor to the Beistle product, the Unique Coin Holder did not have a binder. Instead, the pages were covered by two separate panels that were linked to the pages with round, steel rings. I have a number of the 1927-30 Unique holders, and I was able to photograph several others at The Beistle Company in Pennsylvania, but I've never been able to locate any of the Beistle covers. A few weeks ago a package arrived from Eric that included two pair of these covers that are presumably remnants of Green's vast holdings of Beistle products. These were a gift, but I was more than pleased to make a donation to the EPNNES in exchange. So far as I know, these are the only survivors of a once very popular item, though others may be lurking unidentified among the junk that accumulates in the typical coin shop back room.

I'm attaching photos of one pair of panels taken by Doug Placensia of NGC. This will be included in my book on Beistle, Raymond and Meghrig coin albums which is perhaps 80% complete at this point. I was hoping to have it for the ANA convention in Chicagomont, but the color photography and layout process is complex enough that it probably won't be in print until later this year.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: B. G. JOHNSON’S LEDGER: NEWMAN DOLLAR PATTERNS (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n13a12.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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