MORE SELECTIONS FROM DAVIS FEBRUARY 2017 SALE

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V20 2017 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 20, Number 6, February 5, 2017, Article 2

Here are a few items that caught my eye in the upcoming numismatic literature sale from Charlie Davis. -Editor

Lot 63: Taylor Collection Photographic Plates

BOWERS &MERENA: Limited Edition Photographic Plates, State Copper Coinage 1785-1788, The Taylor Collection, March 1987, 23 cloth-hinged fine photographic plates of coins with tissue guards, oblong quarto, purple leatherette, gilt. As New. (250.00)

The photo supplement of the Frederick Taylor collection sold March 1987. Copy No. 5 of 182 signed by Dave Bowers, Michael Hodder, and Cathy Dumont. The edition, bound by Alan Grace, was issued in a style reminiscent of the Wurtzbach plates of Massachusetts silver

A beautiful book and highly collectible in its own right, the volume documents an important collection of U.S. colonial coins. -Editor

Lot 71: Bushnell's Early New York Tokens
CHARLES I. BUSHNELL: An Historical Account of the First Three Business Tokens Issued In The City of New York, 1859, 17, (1) pages, plate of tokens printed in bronze ink, 19x12cm, original salmon wrappers, top inch of the title page neatly cut out (probably to remove an ownership signature or stamp), otherwise a crisp and near New example. (150.00)

Davis 163. The history of the Mott, and the two Talbot, Allum and Lee Tokens. Originally published on large paper for presentation, a second printing, apparently all on small paper, with a footnote on the Preface noting “By particular request, a limited edition has since been printed for sale.”

The late 1850s were the formative years of organized numismatics in the United States. With interest driven nationwide by the retirement of the old large cents from circulation, collectors caught the numismatic bug in a big way. Early publications like these are the incanabula of American numismatic literature. -Editor

Lot 84: Gold and Silver Coins of All Nations

Ede Gold and Silver Coins of All Nations plate 4

JAMES EDE, Goldsmith: Gold and Silver Coins of All Nations, Exhibited In above Four Hundred Copper Plate Engravings correctly executed by an eminent Artist. To which is added a regular index, The Name Assay, Weight, and Value of Each, Also, Isaac Newton’s Tables of Foreign Gold and Silver Coins, made in the year 1700 by Order of the Privy Council, London: Sept. 1, 1808, second edition, (2), 73, (1) pages, engraved chapter heading, 34 engraved plates of coins, 15x14 cm, original paper boards with printed label affixed, previous owner’s signature on first blank leaf, front board detached, else Fine. (100.00)

The second edition with plates interspersed throughout the text rather than isolated at the back as in the first. Plate 4 depicts a rather unusual item, a flowing hair United States dollar dated 1793. We wonder if, as a result of the seeing the illustration, any collectors began a life-long search for the coin as Matthew Stickney did when he saw an 1804 dollar in Eckfeldt-DuBois.

A highly collectible early cambist. It's fanciful illustration of the non-existent 1793 dollar makes it a curious piece of numismatic ephemera. -Editor

Lot 129: Wayte Raymond Price List No. 7

WAYTE RAYMOND: 1911 Catalogue of Canadian Coins and Tokens, for Sale by Wayte Raymond, South Norwalk, Conn, eight pages, self covered. Crisp (100.00)

A great rarity in the Raymond series and lacking in the otherwise complete Sullivan collection. Apparently considered No. 7 by Raymond who used both number 6 (February 1910) and 8 (March 1911). Raymond notes “the following coins are simply the Canadian coins in stock at the time this catalogue goes to press. Canadian coins are one of my specialities and I am always in the market to buy as well as sell rare pieces.”

Sets of dealer price lists are quite difficult to assemble. As ephemeral items they were often discarded after use, yet can contain surprisingly interesting and important information. -Editor

Lot 589: Beazell's Instantaneous Counterfeit Detection
GEN JOHN W.BEAZELL:The Government Tests for Instantaneous Detection of all American Counterfeit Paper Money and Bonds, 1879,single sheet 12x17" folded to make 4 pages, small defiant eagle vignette, two light horizontal fold, two minor repairs to the blank margins. Fine. (500.00)

Rare. The text provides 13 paragraphs detailing salient points to be checked to determine the authenticity of a questionable note. The back page contains an “Affirmation and Agreement” to be signed by the subscribers that “do hereby affirm and agree in the presence of the Great Ruler of the universe that we will not intentionally reveal to any person or persons at any time the secret tests for ‘Instantaneous Counterfeit Detection received from J. W. Beazell ...”

The counterfeit paper money literature in the sale is superb. This is just one of many rarities offered. -Editor

[J. ARBUTHNOT]: Tables of ancient coins, weights and measures, explain’d and exemplify’d in several Dissertations, London: J. Tonson, 1727. Title page in red and black, (4), (2), (3), 327, engraved headpieces, decorative chapter initials, engraved tailpiece, 18 plates including one folding. Quarto, original tree calf boards, well worn and both detached, but interior is generally clean with supple pages, Complete. (50.00)

First edition, although the tables had already appeared in 1707, of this famous work by John Arbuthnot (1667-1735).

Several pages of lots on ancient, British and world numismatics round out the sale. -Editor

This will be an opportunity for bibliophiles to pick up some great rarities. See the articles in previos issues for more sale highlights. -Editor