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About Us The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit association devoted to the study and enjoyment of numismatic literature. For more information please see our web site at coinbooks.org Subscriptions Those wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page link Membership There is a membership application available on the web site Membership Application To join, print the application and return it with your check to the address printed on the application. Print/Digital membership is $40 to addresses in the U.S., and $60 elsewhere. A digital-only membership is available for $25. For those without web access, write to: Charles Heck, Treasurer Numismatic Bibliomania Society P. O. Box 2058, Bluffton, SC 29910-2058 Asylum For Asylum mailing address changes and other membership questions, contact Chuck at this email address: treasurer@coinbooks.org Submissions To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com BUY THE BOOK BEFORE THE COIN Sale Calendar September 18, 2021 KOLBE-FANNING October, 2021 WORKMAN BOOKS Watch here for updates!

Content presented in The E-Sylum is not necessarily researched or independently fact-checked, and views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.

WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM AUGUST 15, 2021

New subscribers this week include: Stan Varnon, courtesy Larry Dziubek; William Brenner, and Jeff Koyen. Welcome aboard! We now have 6,677 subscribers.

Thank you for reading The E-Sylum. If you enjoy it, please send me the email addresses of friends you think may enjoy it as well and I'll send them a subscription. Contact me at whomren@gmail.com anytime regarding your subscription, or questions, comments or suggestions about our content.

As noted last week, we're running late because of my travel to the ANA convention. But here we are! This week we open with a summary of NBS events at the ANA show, a call for contributions to The Asylum, offerings from Richard Stockley Books, three new numismatic books, the NLG awards, updates from the Newman Numismatic Portal, and more.

Other topics this week include Dwight Manley, Gerome Walton, Walter Breen, Bernard von NotHaus and the Liberty Dollar, the Eliasbergs, auction highlights, my ANA show diaries, coin finds, and the Medallic Art Company archives.

To learn more about The BiblioFiles, the Cherrypickers' Guide, U.S. Paper Money, Nebraska National Bank Notes, Pandora's Burning Breeches, the Festival of Coins, Hetty Green's Greenbacks, the Bartlett Collection, William Guild's Plexiglas coin slides, and 1870-CC Half Dollar replicas, read on. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

SUMMARY OF NBS EVENTS AT 2021 ANA

Although we missed many of our friends at this year's NBS events at the ANA World's Fair of Money, those who were able to attend brought along plenty of enthusiasm for numismatic literature. At the NBS Symposium, Carson City Mint authority Rusty Goe, delivered an entertaining and informative presentation about the Mint on Carson Street.

The general meeting was highlighted by the presentation of The Asylum awards, a talk by NBS Vice President, Len Augsburger, and the annual charity auction. Lawrence Lee received the Jack Collins Award for his fine article John, the Deaf Guy. The Joel J. Orosz Award was presented to Len Augsburger and Joel Orosz for their outstanding article titled The Rare First Printing of The Fantastic 1804 Dollar: An Explanatory and Comprehensive Census of Surviving Copies. Len's talk provided a fascinating look at the digitalization of Coin World and Numismatic News.

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CONTRIBUTE TO THE ASYLUM!

Send your photos and stories from this year's ANA to editor Maria Fanning at asylum@coinbooks.org by August 24 for inclusion in the next issue of The Asylum.

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STOCKLEY BOOKS OFFERS U.S. TOP 200 SELECTIONS

Howard R. Engel of Richard Stockley Books currently has more than 50 of the top 200 nominations for the "100 Greatest Items of United States Numismatic Literature" in his stock (as listed in The Asylum, vol. 27 no. 2, consecutive issue no. 104, Apr.-June 2009, p. 66-75). Send your wants from this list (whether one or 100, plus!) to Howard at richardstockleybooks@mymts.net as there is at least a 25% chance he could provide you with what you're looking for. If not this time, Howard will keep his eyes open and he'll let you know once your item(s) become available.

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NEW BOOK: CHERRYPICKERS' GUIDE, SIXTH ED., VOL. 2

The newest volume of the Cherrypickers' Guide to Rare Die Varieties of United States Coins has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic that shook much of the publishing world as well as society at large. The book's original coauthor, Bill Fivaz, along with volume editor Larry Briggs and a distinguished panel of contributing specialists, have continued to work on the project, which covers die varieties of U.S. coins from half dimes to gold double eagles, plus commemoratives, bullion, U.S./Philippine coinage, and other series.

To cherrypick in the coin-collecting hobby means to examine a coin that appears normal at first glance, looking for unusual characteristics — like doubled and tripled dies, overdates, and repunched mintmarks — that reveal it to be rare and valuable. In the Cherrypickers' Guide, close-up photographs and text descriptions instruct the reader in what to look for. The book includes rarity ratings, market analysis, and retail values.

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NEW BOOK: PAPER MONEY OF THE U.S., 22ND EDITION

Sixty-eight years after its introduction, the twenty-second edition of Paper Money of the United States, the standard reference book on American currency, is being released by the Coin & Currency Institute at the end of August. In 1953, the late Robert Friedberg (1912-1963) broke new ground when the Treasury Department granted permission for photographs of American paper money to be printed for the first time. The current edition's 328 pages feature notes from America's greatest currency collections, as well as most of the greatest rarities, all reproduced in color.

The inaugural edition of Paper Money of the United States also introduced other innovations never before attempted. The subject became standardized and the book earned a permanent place on reference shelves. During the past three decades, it has been completely expanded, revised, and edited by Arthur L. Friedberg and Ira S. Friedberg.

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NEW BOOK: ANTHROPOLOGIE DE LA MONNAIE

Jean-Marc Doyen, Professeur at Lille University (France), just published a new book entitled Pour une anthropologie de la monnaie. Réflexions sur l'enseignement de la numismatique en France. It is available for only EUR 15 + postage, directly from the author who can be contacted at librairie.archaion@skynet.be Several other of his books are available too.

Jean-Marc DOYEN
Pour une anthropologie de la monnaie. Réflexions sur l'enseignement de la numismatique en France
Bruxelles, Archaion, 2021
19,5 x 25,5 cm, 210 pages, 6 figures dans le texte.
Broché
ISBN 978-2-87214-003-9
Prix : 15 € + port

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2021 NUMISMATIC LITERARY GUILD AWARDS

Esteemed researcher and award-winning numismatic author Roger W. Burdette is this year's recipient of The Clemy, the highest honor given by the Numismatic Literary Guild (www.NLGonline.org).

The Clemy is a coveted, annual award presented in recognition of writing skill, dedication to numismatics, sense of humor and dedication to the Numismatic Literary Guild, explained former NLG Executive Director Ron Guth.

Founded in 1968, the NLG is a nonprofit organization open to any editors, reporters, authors, writers, catalogers, webmasters, bloggers or producers of audio or video involving all forms of money, medals, tokens and other numismatic collectibles. Information about applying for NLG membership is available online at www.NLGonline.org/membership.

The organization's annual awards presentation was delivered on August 6, 2021 and can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh3xytPDvvE. The video was produced by current NLG Executive Director Charles Morgan.

Here is a list of the 2021 award categories and winner as compiled by NLG awards coordinator David W. Lange.

BEST SPECIALIZED BOOKS

United States or Early American Coins

The Confident Carson City Coin Collector – Rusty Goe

Ancient or Medieval Coins (pre-1500)

Money and Power in Hellenistic Bactria – Simon Glenn

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GEROME WALTON (1934-2021)

Gerome Walton suffered a severe heart attack on July 22, 2021 and succumbed August 7th in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he lived. He was 87, having been born June 26, 1934.

Walton devoted his free time to amassing the most comprehensive collection of Nebraska national bank notes ever assembled. His publication in 1978 of History of Nebraska Banking and Paper Money was a pioneering release of an encyclopedic book on the national bank note issues from a particular state. The book was 647-pages.

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NNP ADDS WALTER BREEN ARCHIVAL MATERIAL

Newman Portal Posts Material from Walter Breen Archives

Bruce Vogel acquired portions of the Walter Breen papers in the early 1990s and has graciously shared this material with Newman Portal. Recently added is a 14-volume work on U.S. gold coins, 1795-1933, compiled by Vogel (aka Seymour Wampum) from Breen's notes and sources. Although superseded by references such as Doug Winter's series on mintmarked gold varieties, or John Dannreuther's groundbreaking 2-volume set on proof U.S. gold coins, one still finds useful tidbits within the Breen work.

Breen includes numerous auction citations as well as references to National Archives material such as the Charlotte Mint Bullion Journal. Much of the material seems to have been left on the cutting room floor when preparing his 1988 Encyclopedia, no doubt for reasons of brevity. Breen's work here has been compiled by Vogel in scrapbook form, with entries apt to contain typed or handwritten notes, pages excerpted from auction sale catalogs, etc. Researchers or collectors looking for information on specific dates and mintmarks will do well to consult this source, in addition to more modern references such as those noted above.

Link to Breen's compiled notes on U.S. gold coins:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/archivedetail/323?Year=2021&take=50

VIDEO: LIBERTY DOLLAR REBORN

Liberty Dollar Reborn!

Bernard von NotHaus, Monetary Architect,
David Lisot, Interviewer, CoinTelevision.com. July 9, 2021.

The Liberty Dollar has been a controversial coin ever since it was first introduced. The original issue was in violation of Federal Law Section 486 and caused its creator, Bernard von NotHaus, to be incarcerated. Hear the story of the new Liberty Dollar and the book that explains the history of how and why it was created.

An excerpt of the video is available for viewing on the Coin Television YouTube Channel at:
https://youtu.be/ZpQ9XR1hUWY

QUERY: PANDORA'S BREECHES

Ray Williams writes:

Serpent Pandora's Breeches, 1792, designed by Thomas Spence, London. It depicts Priestley as a serpent below a burning pair of straw-filled pants, labeled "Pandora's Breeches."

If the plot to burn down Parliament had succeeded, the token implies that all hell would have broken loose, just as in the myth of Pandora's box.

To read the complete posts, see:
Its Friday and the weekend is here....post anything you want (https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/807536/its-friday-and-the-weekend-is-here-post-anything-you-want)
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/lets-see-your-conder-tokens.107719/page-20

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: AUGUST 8, 2021 : The Three Thomas's (https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n32a15.html)

NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: AUGUST 15, 2021

Catalog of the World's Most Popular Coins
Martin Purdy writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
A LONG-OVERDUE NUMISMATIC LIBRARY BOOK (https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n32a32.html)

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GEORGE WASHINGTON MEDALS DONATED TO ANA

Benefactor's multi-million dollar exonumia donation includes over 800 medals from Historical Society of Pennsylvania's famous Baker Collection

More than 850 gold, silver and bronze medals related to President George Washington that were deaccessioned by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania have been donated intact to the American Numismatic Association's (money.org) Edward C. Rochette Money Museum by prominent California rare coin dealer and real estate developer Dwight Manley.

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VOCABULARY TERM: FIELD

Field. The background of a numismatic item not occupied by device, symbols or lettering. The field is generally smooth – collectors call this clean field – particularly for coins. All relief design projects from this surface. The term field differs little in meaning from background; background may have additional design in it (called background texture), while the field has no design as such. Thus background differs from field in that it can be smooth or have texture.

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LOUIS ELIASBERG, SR. AND JR.

Last week we asked the question, What person named Eliasberg is in the Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs? Some readers may have thought the answer was Louis Eliasberg, Sr. This is incorrect. Here is the bio for him from American Numismatic Biographies.

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HARVEY STACK'S NUMISMATIC FAMILY, PART 102

The year 1987 witnessed a mass expansion of the use of third-party grading services in the numismatic hobby, both by dealers and collectors. The issue of standardizing grading was not new as it had been an ongoing situation that could be traced back for decades, even centuries. Over the course of time there had been various attempts to define and perfect the art of grading, as have been discussed in earlier parts of this story. These included Dr. William Sheldon's numerical grading system that he first published in Early American Cents in 1949, as well as steps taken by the American Numismatic Association and other entities to define grades and to offer professional grading to collectors and dealers. All with the goal that the hobby could provide confidence to those who could easily be taken advantage of by unscrupulous people in the industry. The need for improved third-party grading was essential.

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STEPHEN ALBUM AUGUST 2021 E-AUCTION 11

Stephen Album Rare Coins will hold its Internet Auction 11 at its offices in Santa Rosa, California on August 16, 2021. Internet pre-bidding has begun and can be accessed through their website.

The auction is made up of an even 500 lots, all of which are certified in PCGS Secure Holders and have high quality PCGS TrueView images available for viewing.

Lot estimates in this auction range from $40 to $700. Sample lots from the sale follow:

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BARTLETT COLLECTION AUCTION TO BENEFIT ANS

The American Numismatic Society (ANS) is pleased to announce that the Robert W. Bartlett Collection is being offered at auction by Classical Numismatic Group, LLC (CNG) through September 2, 2021. Inspired by Mr. Bartlett's own commitment to travel and learning, the proceeds will support ANS staff travel to research other collections and attend conferences. Members and friends of the ANS are invited to support the Society through participation in this CNG Keystone Auction. Mr. Robert W. Bartlett, of San Diego, California, was an enthusiastic traveler and avid collector of ancient Greek and Roman coins. Mr. Bartlett participated as an active member of the ANS from 1981 until his death in 2017. Upon his passing, the Society received his generous bequest of over 350 objects. Portions of the Bartlett Collection were accessioned into the Society's holdings and the remaining objects designated to be sold at auction to support the organization's mission to research and educate. Mr. Bartlett's surviving niece, Ms. Cynthia Davis, facilitated this extraordinary gift to the ANS.

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WAYNE'S AUGUST 2021 ANA DIARY

This past week I travelled to the Chicago area for the American Numismatic Association World's Fair of Money. I heard many people had great difficulties travelling by air on Tuesday due to stormy weather. A typical disruption was experienced by Dave Lange - his flight was delayed a couple hours due to bad weather in Chicago, then bad weather in Florida kept his flight from leaving for another couple hours. And while the passengers could deplane for a spell, due to the pandemic and labor market there were few shops or restaurants open to serve anyone. He eventually arrived at O'Hare airport about midnight. Other people had flights rerouted all over the country; at least one person (Bill Hyder) had a 48-hour trip to contend with.

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WAYNE'S AUGUST 2021 ANA DIARY: EXHIBITS

My first stop at the show was the exhibit area, conveniently located near the front of the hall. Among the first people I encountered was Clifford Mishler, who appeared Zelig-like nearly everywhere I turned at the show. He's got an impressive row of ribbons.

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WAYNE'S AUGUST 2021 ANA DIARY: NBS MEETING

The Friday Numismatic Bibliomania Society meeting was well attended and the bidding was spirited at our annual fundraising auction. Annual membership dues don't cover the full cost of printing and mailing our journal, The Asylum, and these auctions help close the budget gap. About $9,000 was raised this year.

I arrived early to start setting up the room. Jeff Dickerson was already there. He'd come expecting to buy, carrying along an extra piece of luggage for books. He helped me set up chairs along the back wall to display the lots.

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WAYNE'S AUGUST 2021 ANA DIARY: RITTENHOUSE

My last event of the show was Saturday morning's Rittenhouse Society Breakfast. It was a delight to see a good crowd of old and new members, including founding member Ken Bressett. At my table were Barbara Gregory and her husband Steve Bobbitt, Mark Borchardt and his wife, and Pete Smith.

Ken Bressett speaking about the group and his recently completed book project.

In the foreground are ANA Museum Director Doug Mudd, John Dannreuther, David McCarthy of Kagin's, Neil Shafer, David Fanning, and Christopher McDowell.

Having already checked out of my hotel, I next headed to the Hyatt's airport shuttle. I'd just missed the previous one, so I had to hang out for a bit. A white-haired California gentleman in a T-shirt was talking with the bellman. My half-composed limerick: "It wasn't Walter Breen, Who'd passed from the scene..." Turns out it was Bill Hyder, who introduced himself before I got the chance. Bill's journey to the show took an epic 48 hours of delayed and cancelled flights. Hopefully his trip home was uneventful, as mine was.

What a marvelous show. It was so great to see people again after such a long show hiatus. I'm looking forward now to visiting the upcoming PAN and Whitman Baltimore shows.

NORFOLK HOARD COIN: DEFACED OR JUST DAMAGED?

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TALMUDIC ERA COIN FOUND IN GALILEE

A coin dating back to Talmudic times was found by a family visiting the Korazim National Park in the Galilee, the Nature and Parks Authority announced Tuesday.

Korazim features the remains of a Jewish village from the third to sixth century CE), including houses, an olive press, a ritual bath and a decorated synagogue built around the end of the fourth century, when Korazim was in its heyday.

The Yitzhaki family was visiting the site and participating in one of the activities offered to visitors, when one of the daughters found the coin near the ritual bath.

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GLOUCESTERSHIRE MEDIEVAL COIN HOARD

A hoard of medieval coins found last winter by a metal detectorist on a Gloucestershire hillside has been declared as treasure.

The oldest coin dates back to King Edward IV with a silver groat minted between 1464 and 1470 which bore the marks that resemble a rose on one side and a crown on the reverse.

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1870-CC LIBERTY SEATED HALF REPLICAS STRUCK

See historic Coin Press No. 1 in action Saturdays in August at the Nevada State Museum, Carson City, before it goes on hiatus in September for maintenance.

The press will be minting reproductions of the 1870 Liberty Seated half dollar from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday in August. The original Liberty Seated coins were minted at the Carson City Mint from 1870 to 1878; the reproductions are minted from Nevada silver and sell for $125.

The Liberty Seated design is a beautiful depiction of the Liberty archetype, Myron Freedman, director of the Nevada Division of Museums and History, said. Different versions of that design were used on coins in the 19th century, with the 1870 Carson City half-dollar being one of the final versions.

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MOVING MEDALLIC ART COMPANY ARCHIVES, PART 2

On May 22, with laptop, overly-detailed excel spreadsheet, and solid strategy in mind, I boarded a plane destined for Reno, Nevada. My fine Hyundai Santa Fe rental then took me half-an-hour south to Carson City (just 6.5 miles east of Mound House), to the hotel I would call home for the next 13 nights.

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FEATURED WEB SITE: WAR MEDALS

This week's Featured Web Site is Project Gutenberg's War Medals and Their History, by W. Augustus Steward. It is suggested by Paul Horner, who writes:

My collection of medals enables me to cover over a hundred years of history; takes me back to the stirring times when men yet met face to face in the Peninsula and at Waterloo; to the men who founded our Indian Empire. It enables me to keep in touch with sailors who fought in the battle of the Nile, at Trafalgar, and at Navarino, that last of all naval battles in which we British took part—our allies were then the French and Russians—until our battleships met those of the Germans in the great war now waging.

It reminds me of the horsemen who made the world wonder ere, with deathless glory, they passed their little day, and of that "thin red line" of Scots, whose cool daring at Balaklava has only been bedimmed by the gallantry of the Light Brigade. It enables me to think more intimately of the men I know who faced the Russians in that terrible winter, and then, like heroes, plodded through the inferno of the Mutiny. It brings back vividly to my mind the days of the Zulu War and the heroism of Rorke's Drift. It reminds me of the daring march to Kandahar and the frontier wars so necessary to hold back the turbulent human surf which beats on the shores of our great Eastern Empire.

It enables me to keep closely in touch with those who so quickly dealt with Arabi Pasha and later faced the fanatical hordes of the Mahdi; the young men of this generation who fought so stubbornly at the Modder River, and who stormed the Tugela Heights. It enables me to keep in touch with those "handymen" and scouts on the fringe of Empire who in Somaliland, Gambia, Benin, Matabeleland, and Bechuanaland uphold the dignity of Britain.

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/49986/49986-h/49986-h.htm#