I plan to go to press with my El Numiscadero English-Spanish Numismatic Dictionary   in April. I will spend February 4 and 5 at the Long Beach Coin and etc. show. If there are any readers who want to chat with the guy from Spain, here is my California cell phone: (619) 495-3134. We will be down in San Diego Feb 6 -- March 11 -- then back to Spain.

As any good fisherman can tell you, the "Abbey Fly" is not a fly at all, but a spinner.

"At the beginning of the article on demonetization of Pakistani bank notes is the statement "The United States only very rarely demonetizes a bank note design, and only then in very special circumstances." My understanding is that from the first federal currency in 1861 (I don't count the War of 1812) to today, U.S. Federal currency has never been demonetized. It is still redeemable at its face value. Gold and silver certificates are no longer redeemable in the metals but the notes are still valid US currency. The notes over $100 were withdrawn in 1969 but are still legal tender. We did have several "illegal to hold" situations – gold certificates from 1933- 1960s, and regular currency in Hawaii during WWII (currency not marked "HAWAII"), but both were temporary and the notes in question were redeemable.

"When I occasionally show a school group the Money Room at the Museum of American Finance on Wall Street in NYC, I usually ask "What is one of the most unusual features of US currency?" And after getting answers such as "the red and blue fibers" and the like, I say "It's not a physical feature" and go on to explain that from 1861 to today, US currency is still valid at its face value. Unlike many (if not most) countries, old designs are not demonetized."

I always enjoy The E-Sylum, thanks for doing what you do. Toward the end of the last issue there was information about credit card collecting, etc. I have an accumulation/collection of approximately fourteen to fifteen thousand cards. I'm not sure just how many, I just keep accumulating them, and am too lazy to sit down and actually count them. Perhaps someday I will.

My oldest card is dated 1884 and is good for charging collect Western Union telegrams. Having this, I'm naturally looking for an older one. With all these cards, I do not have a 1950 Diners Club nor 1958 American Express card, and would love to acquire these someday.

I actually have a safe completely filled with credit cards, charge coins, and charg-a-plates. I started collecting them when I had graduated from the University of Michigan in 1955 and fulfilled my military commitment (Army) in 1957, which puts my time frame at late 1957 or 1958. It is fun to collect them and one never knows when one or more will turn up.