NEW BOOK: FUGIO COPPER NOTES

Many colonial collectors remember Rob Retz and know that when he passed away in 2004 he left behind a book on the 1787 Fugio coppers, which he had worked on for several years, gaining access to some of the largest collections of the series then formed. The book was nearly ready for publication at that time, but Rob’s final months were – understandably! – spent with his family and friends, and numismatics was not as pressing as it had been before. The non-publication of this book was a loss to the colonial hobby, even though a few years later the new edition of Eric Newman’s work on the Fugio coppers did see print.

In helping to edit the Newman book, John Kraljevich made the decision not to use any of the material Rob had put together for his own book, in the hope that Rob’s work would soon be published. Unfortunately that was not the case, and the book remained dormant for a decade.

It is with great pleasure though that we announce that Rob’s book has finally been published. Through the generosity of Syd Martin and Tony Terranova, who underwrote the printing costs, this work is now available to collectors. This 162-page book gives detailed information on every variety of Fugio copper, along with high quality photographs, a detailed introduction by the editor, die state information, attribution tips and an appendix examining the Dr. Hall collection of Fugio coppers. The heart of Rob’s book though is the Condition Census information he compiled, with examples graded by him and named to the collections in which they were then held; all this information was state of the art at the time, not available anywhere else, and it was felt that it would be useful to collectors to have it in print.

While the book itself is a testimonial to Rob Retz, it is more than a museum piece – it should be quite useful to today’s collector, and blends perfectly with the Newman book. With these two references and a handful of major auction catalogues the collector will have everything he needs to pursue this series.

The book itself has been a labor of love, something of a rarity in numismatics. Extensively edited pro bono by Jeff Rock, with all-new photographs contributed through the kindness of Stack’s-Bowers and a handful of collectors and distributed for free by Charlie Davis, ALL sales proceeds – not just the profits, but every penny! – go to the Rob Retz Memorial Fund set up with C4 to further work with Young Numismatists, the very future of our hobby, and a cause near to Rob’s heart.

The book is being released in a limited edition of just 90 perfect-bound, soft-covered copies. There are 10 special edition hardcover copies that are reserved for presentation purposes, for a total press run of just 100 books. But if you are a diehard bibiliomaniac and want one of the hardcover volumes, one will be offered in this year’s C4 auction as a donated lot – ALL proceeds will again go to the club (and as it is a nonprofit there are probably tax advantages to bidding strong!).

If the demand is greater than expected a second printing (noted as such) might be run, but there will only be the 10 hardcover editions printed, each of which is signed by the editor, Rob’s wife Margaret and their two daughters Angela and Nicole.

The regular soft cover editions will be available at the 2016 C4 Convention in Baltimore at the table of Charlie Davis. They are priced at $45 if you pick them up at the show, or $50 mailed to you. Charlie, who also knew Rob as a friend, is distributing the book free of charge and can be reached by email at: numislit@aol.com.

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