The NBS Symposium will be held on Thursday, August 15, from 11:30 to 1:00 p.m. in Room 6 of the Stephens Convention Center. Our special guest speaker will be Karl Moulton discussing his new book, "John J. Ford and the Franklin Hoard".

The NBS General Meeting will be held on Friday, August 16, from 11:30 to 1:00 p.m. in Room 24 of the Stephens Convention Center. We will have presentations from authors (including Bill Bugert) on their new books, reports from the ANS and ANA Librarians, presentations of the Joel Orosz and Jack Collins Literary Awards, installation of new officers, and an auction of important numismatic literary works that have been donated by our members.

We hope these events will be well attended by Young Numismatists, collectors, and bibliophiles, and if past conventions are any indication of future events, the meetings should be informative and spirited.

I've got a signing in downtown Chicago on Saturday at noon the last day of the upcoming ANA convention for my new book, Abraham Lincoln: Beyond the American Icon. The event will be held at Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, 357 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60654 p. (312)944-3085 f. (312)944-5549.

E-Sylum readers can attend the event on their computers. It will be broadcast live and listeners can send in questions that moderator Dam Weinberg will ask the author. The format of the presentation is for the moderator to interview the author. A live audience will also be present to ask questions of the author. Listeners can also order autographed copies of either of my Lincoln books. Those attending the ANA convention are especially invited, but any E-Sylum reader can tune in on www.virtualbooksigning.net

On Thursday, at 3pm, Joel, myself, and Pete Smith will have a Money Talks presentation, "1792: Birth of a Nation's Coinage" in which we will cover our latest research on the 1792 half disme.

In our presentation we will reveal some surprising findings about when and where the 1792 half dismes were struck.

From the recent issues, I cannot determine if you will be visiting the ANA Convention in suburban Chicago, near O'Hare Airport. On the chance that you might be undecided, maybe I can tempt you with some of this year's Collector Exhibits.

From mentions in the E-Sylum of medals for heroism and things from Pennsylvania, "Pennsylvania Railroad Heroic Service Medals" should interest you. "Dr. Daniel W. Valentine: Profile of a Numismatic Pioneer" should appeal to your interest in numismatists of the past, and "Laban Heath's Counterfeit Detector Microscopes" should appeal to the ephemera collector in you.

Among the eye-catching titles, we have "I Collect Weird Stuff" and "Hwenne Gold Was Smite in Coign." Let me know if you need more convincing -- fifty more exhibits will be on display.