SELECTED PERIODICALS IN DAVIS FEBRUARY 2017 SALE

Lot 37: Early Volumes of the Numismatist ex Norweb Family

[A.N.A.]/GEORGE HEATH: The Numismatist, 1894- 1907, Volumes 7-20, 14 volumes complete, matching full black Morocco, spines a bit discolored on three, 4638 pages, bindings sound except for Volumes 16 and 20 where the front board is detached. Otherwise a Fine contemporary set. (850.00)

From the Norweb library purchased at the 1984 Christie’s sale of the contents of Katewood, the family home. Most volumes bear the diminutive label of the Exline Co, binders, Cleveland, and the final volume is signed by Emery May Norweb’s father "A. F. Holden, Bratenahl, Ohio."

Lot 38: Handsome Run of The Numismatist

[A.N.A.] GEORGE HEATH: The Numismatist, 1894- 1946, Volumes 7-59 complete, all except 1941, which is included unbound, individually bound in half red cloth, black cloth sides, card covers or wrappers bound in place through 1922, contents are crisp and fresh, about as attractive set as possible without spending $4,000 the bindings alone, also included for completeness is the 1963 Olympic Press reprint of Volume I-VI (1888-1893) in full red cloth. (3,500.00)

An immaculate set with all issues being crisp and unchipped prior to this 1980s binding. Curiously Volumes 4 & 5 in the identical binding appeared in the Kolbe & Fanning Sale January 2015 @ $1300. A treasure trove of information and so much more readily accessible when bound.

While the 19th and early 20th centuries provided numerous society, dealer, and private publications, by the end of the World War, all were gone. The American Journal of Numismatics, Mehl’s Monthly, the publications from Tom Elder had ceased to bring news, biased or otherwise, into the collector’s home. The Numismatist filled that gap with a blend of association news and significant works that took front and center stage leaving the nonetheless informative advertising in the back. The early years are quite scarce, especially in fine condition, due to the poor quality of paper used by Heath.

Lot 42: The American Journal of Numismatics Complete in 53 Volumes

AMERICAN NUMISMATIC & ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY/ THE BOSTON NUMISMATIC SOCIETY/ W. T. R. MARVIN/ THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC SOCIETY: The American Journal of Numismatics, 1866-1924, Volumes 1-53 complete, bound in twenty-six, first 20 in contemporary (i.e. c1910) brown cloth, gilt spines, balance in recent brown cloth, green spine labels, all bindings sound and strong. A fine set. (6,000.00)

Davis 21. No periodical or other body of work is as important to our understanding of American numismatics, especially during the second half of the nineteenth century. The original works by Crosby, his 1869 The United States Cents of 1793 (here with the first printing of the photographic plate), and extracts from The Early Coins of America, initially appeared in the Journal, as did Marvin’s Masonic Medals, Low’s Hard Times Tokens, Edgar Adams’ The Private Gold Coinage of California, and Miller & Ryder’s State Coinage of New England.

Initiated by the A.N.A.S. as a monthly periodical that would incorporate the society’s proceedings, the uncertain future faced by that organization forced control to be passed to the Boston Numismatic Society in 1870. Designed to be an annual rotation with publishing responsibilities shared among the various societies, the Journal remained in Boston for 38 years as a quarterly. In 1893 all rights were acquired by W. T. R. Marvin, who continued to edit and publish the work until 1908 when it was sold back to the A.N.S.

During its Boston years, under the guidance of Colburn, Appleton, and Marvin, the Journal recorded for posterity American numismatic history in the form of society minutes, auction notices and results, book reviews, quips, barbs and bantering, as well as erudite original papers. When control returned to New York, an era had passed, and the Journal was well on its way to becoming a forum for monographs, largely on classical works, only. Concerns by authors, however, that their works would not receive critical attention if they shared covers with papers on other subjects led to its discontinuance, and the institution of the Numismatic Notes and Monographs series.

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web