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KARL MOULTON ON THE "GREAT DEBATE" TAPES
Karl Moulton submitted these clarifying comments about the "Great Debate" tapes of the sessions filmed at the American Numismatic Association summer convention where participants discussed the evidence surrounding the controversial ingots which passed through the hands of dealer John J. Ford. Moulton is the author of "John J. Ford and the "Franklin Hoard".
-Editor
When I was doing research about John J. Ford, Jr., I inquired to the American Numismatic Association about the "Great Debate" tapes made by the ANA in 1999, and was told they were "missing". This includes the two made on Saturday, and one which was made on Sunday. I had attended the 1999 debate and had to leave on Saturday, so was unable to attend the Sunday session by John Ford; hence the inquiry. In the Ford/"Franklin Hoard" book, there is a section on the "Great Debate" (pgs. 755-761), and I did use the Saturday tapes which were in my library, to quote a passage between Harvey Stack and Ted Buttrey; along with the closing comments by Ford to Buttrey (both quoted in the book). I also presented an appeal for the return of the "borrowed" tapes to their rightful owner, the American Numismatic Association. I believe my research was the key in finding out these tapes were no longer available for review from the ANA, and also believe that Elizabeth Hahn was correct in her belief that the American Numismatic Society is the only numismatic organization that now has a copy of these tapes. The "Great Debate" tapes were not used to validate or refute anything Ford mentioned regarding the authenticity of the material. On Saturday, he kept silent until the very end and then only said a few rather libelous things to Buttrey. The John J. Ford/"Franklin Hoard" book was not written to authenticate or condemn any of the material, as it was primarily concerned on the objective presentation of the background issues surrounding the lengthy controversy.
To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: SEPTEMBER 1, 2013 : Great Debate Tapes
(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n36a16.html)
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