NEW BOOK: EL NUMISCADERO

A 354-page book just published called El Numiscadero is now the most extensive Spanish – English numismatic dictionary in the field. It is now being distributed by its author from both Spain and California. A first edition of 1,000 serially numbered copies have been printed in Spain. Half of the books for distribution in Europe are in Spain, and half for the Americas have been shipped to California.

The dictionary’s author is veteran numismatist Gary Beals, of San Diego, California who has lived in Spain for 16 years. The inch-thick book has a full color, plastic laminated cover with a sewn spine and fold-in wings. It lists 2,543 Spanish terms, 1,876 English terms and has 1,264 illustrations and photographs. The book’s price is $39, or $30 for numismatic association members.

The book has four sections: An introduction, a Spanish to English glossary, a English to Spanish glossary, and a special lists section that includes major numismatic associations, grading coins, current spending power of old Spanish coins, money slang, monarchs of Spain, monarchs of Great Britain, Roman emperors, a list of popes, and Presidents of the USA. The listings at the rear of the book augment the main glossaries and clarify certain points quickly and easily.

“Spanish-speaking and English-speaking collectors have a lot to share with each other,” Beals said. “This book is a tool to make the numismatic learning curve more fun and a richer experience. This is a jumping off point into deeper corners of the coin collecting world. Sometimes there are three or four numismatic languages to consider. For example the process of rolling the edges of coins for stacking capability is called upsetting in USA English, rimming in UK English and torculadora work in Spanish. There are Spanish terms in the Americas which are different from those of Spain.”

Spanish-speaking collectors could be baffled by such English words as bucks, slabs, crack-outs, brockages, hubs, banknote pinholes, cuds, junk silver, basining, non-circulating legal tender, Sacagewea, smackeroos, chops, bits, whizzing, trussels, tressures and artificial toning.

“English speaking collectors might wonder about Spanish terms like media leche, patacones, pachucos, pacificos, pasta, patolcuachtlis, menudo, mereauz, perra gorda, marias, marinos, ochavos, onzas, óbolos, novenos and vellón — both rico and pobre.

Technical Editor for the book is D. Wayne Johnson, past editor of Coin World and a veteran medals production expert for Medallic Art Company. “Thanks to Dick we have some fascinating and little-known details about coin and medals manufacturing,” Beals notes.

“The English to Spanish glossary makes this book a far more complete cross-cultural reference. It relates the two languages more completely by listing expressions in English about coin production, collecting and a full range of numismatics — much more on medals, tokens and banknotes. Our hope is that Spanish speaking numismatists will add to their English vocabulary of British and American coin collecting with this section at hand,” Beals said. “We can imagine new collectors in Argentina wondering ‘Que es un slab?’ Well amigos, los gringos invented the slab, or encapsulated coin, in 1972. It began its major growth in 1989. Interestingly, slabs are pervasive in the USA now yet still almost unknown in Europe where collectors like a close touching rapport with their coins”

“Some great numismatists generously helped in the research and preparation of these books. As a young collector and author of the 1966 book I received the assistance, friendship and encouragement of noted numismatists who I remember to this day for helping with Numismatic Terms of Spain and Spanish America.

Interested collectors and dealers can contact Beals directly at: Segovia.gary@Yahoo.com .

El Numiscadero Gary Beals, Calle Roble 10B 1-E Segovia, Spain 40002. 34 921 413138

El Numiscadero’s ISBN is: 0-86549- 950-0
Member: American Numismatic Association

The Numiscadero dictionary is a legacy stretching back 50 years. Your library might have a ¼-inch thick, 85-page book called Numismatic Terms of Spain & Spanish AmericaNumiscadero, with its 354 pages and pound and a half weight is what contemporary research, writing, design and production can create. There may be some wisdom there too, after a half century of life on two continents.

I discovered writing as a columnist for the monthly newsletter of the San Diego International Numismatic Club in the mid 1960s. About the flunk out of college for lack of any career focus, thanks to the late Maury Weekley, our newsletter editor, I found writing as a skill I could connect with. Maury named me “El Numiscadero” for my column — so I used that unique word for the name of my Spanish-English numismatic dictionary.

I got my degree in journalism from San Diego State University in 1966 and began my six years as a USAF officer — ending up in Spain just three years later.

I am something of a numismatic Rip Van Winkel in that I dropped out of coin collecting about 1970 and did not return to the field until 2013. So my ANA membership has a 40 year gap in it.