MINIATURE NUMISMATIC BOOKS AT THE ANS

The Harry W. Bass Jr. Library at the American Numismatic Society has a dozen or so volumes that qualify as a miniature books. The smallest by far is by the Japanese artisan bookmaker Asao Hoshino. Measuring less than an inch square, Old Coins of the World (1977) has a black leather cover with gilt lettering and edging.

Only 250 books were produced and you can see the number 188 embossed on the cover of the ANS copy. The bulk of the 192-page volume consists of small black and white illustrations of historical coins with captions in Japanese and English.

For reasons that are unclear to me, miniature books seem to have been particularly popular in Hungary. Two small hardbound volumes with well-struck silver plaquettes on their covers are the highlight of these Hungarian titles.

These little books were printed to mark the 250th anniversary of the mining officers’ training school at Selmecbánya, and use medals and plaquettes to chronicle its history. Perhaps the most useful of the modern miniatures in terms of actual content is Történelmünk penzeken by István Gedai, which was published in Budapest in 1975.

Most of the modern American miniatures are cheaply produced novelties, but the Hillside Press of Tilton, New Hampshire, published some wonderfully-made miniature books in the 1960s and 1970s. The diminutive Colonial Coins (1974) was printed in 6 point Bulmer Roman type that was set by hand. The text by F. E. Irwin gives a very brief history of the coinage of British North America and is illustrated with well-cut engravings throughout.

To read the complete article, see:
MINIATURE NUMISMATIC BOOKS (www.anspocketchange.org/miniature-numismatic-books/)

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
MINIATURE NUMISMATIC BOOKS? (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v06n18a03.html)
THE LITTLEST COIN BOOKS (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v06n19a11.html)
WORLD'S SMALLEST BOOK (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v06n24a14.html)
MINIATURE AND POCKET-SIZED NUMISMATIC LITERATURE (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v15n41a19.html)

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