What I like most about The E-Sylum is the scope. So many different areas are covered --- Ancient, Foreign, US. Coins, medals, paper money, books, and books about books; stories about collectors and their collections -- and everything is just so interesting.

My hobby is limited to U.S. Large Cents --- and just the year of 1794 because it has 69 distinct varieties. But I always look forward to your outstanding e-mail.

The Board of Governors for Central States during the Spring board meeting voted to increase the Author Grants program to $40,000 for the upcoming Fiscal Year. The maximum per author is still $5,000, but we can now support more research efforts. The program information is available at: www.centralstates.info/bookgrants.html

After reading last week's E-Sylum about Morse Code on coins, I thought someone might have mentioned the attractive series of Merchant Tokens issued by S.W. Chubbuck, of Utica, NY, and catalogued by Russ Rulau as NY1055 through NY1063. Not only was Chubbuck a silversmith, he manufactured and dealt in Telegraph equipment, hence the advertisement on these tokens, including Morse Code. At one time, I owned his tokens in copper, brass, and white metal, but never found NY1060, the one issued in silver.

I do remember seeing "Who's Minding the Mint" when it first came out as a made-for-TV movie. Naturally I was appalled, even at my tender age, at the blunders in the movie, including the use of "Mint" rather than "Bureau of Engraving and Printing" just because Mint was alliterative. It was dumb then, and it is dumb now. But that's Hollywood!

Fred Reed has two photos and some text about "Who's Minding the Mint" in his book, Show Me the Money!

The Canadian space arm thingie has been on two Canadian coins also, both with a holographic applique. KM#668, silver 30 Dollars, 2006. Same design in gold, 300 dollars, KM 678.

Austria had done a great series of technology on their bi-metallic 25 euro coins. Their 2011 features the Mars rover.

How heavy if actual size?

One of the finest achievements of European furniture making, this cabinet is the most important product from Abraham (1711--1793) and David Roentgen's (1743--1807) workshop. A writing cabinet crowned with a chiming clock, it features finely designed marquetry panels and elaborate mechanisms that allow for doors and drawers to be opened automatically at the touch of a button. Owned by King Frederick William II, the Berlin cabinet is uniquely remarkable for its ornate decoration, mechanical complexity, and sheer size.

This cabinet is from Kunstgewerbemuseum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, and is on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in the exhibition Extravagant Inventions: The Princely Furniture of the Roentgens.

"It's the healthy choice. Tom Elder says so." I love it!