"I would like to thank the Newman Portal for the post on my catalog of the John Allan Sale. Of the 3315 lots of books, I counted 80+ with references to numismatics. W.S. Appleton was the number 1 buyer of these books. Edward Cogan was number 2. Many of the non-numismatic books were so amazing, with hand colored plates, special editions and bindings that no book lover could go through that list quickly. "

"I purchased some coins and a set of 1922 thru 1926 peace dollars were among them. But they're in a case marked "United States Mint". I can't find any information about where they were sold from. I asked some dealers and no one remembers ever seeing this set. I don't know if the mint souvenir shop sold them. Maybe one of the readers knows or has some ideas."

"I am going through my collections and finding pieces which I can donate or sell to assist me in downsizing. I found this 2 Reales 1786 FM KM-88.2a coin in my chopmarked coin album that likely circulated in the USA as a quarter. It has "Jan 1st 1878" date on the obverse and a small "JA" on the reverse. I have never determined what event is being recorded, but I am thinking there is someone out there who knows JA and his or her date. It is free to any museum collection, but if you want it for your personal collection, make me an offer at HADANIEL3@MSN.COM. First come museum gets it for free or highest offer gets it."

"The new book "Dancing on Rainbows" does show some very beautifully toned coins. However, I have watched an exposer of coin doctors air tone coins with the vapors from chemical solutions in minutes. They were beautiful, really lovely. In fact, I was reminded of the images I had seen of toned coins sold in auctions for considerable premiums. The demonstrater performed this magic at the American Numismatic Summer Sessions in June-July 2018 in Colorado Springs.

My advice to collectors is to NEVER pay a premium for toning. If anyone has seen a way to distinguish natural from artificially induced toning, I hope they will share it with readers of The E-Sylum."

"When I graduated High School in 1984, my parents gave me a 1926 $2.50 Indian. I sent this cherished present – my first gold coin ever - to NGC to be slabbed a few years back. They gladly included the line "From Mom & Dad June 1984" on the line below the date/denomination."

"BOOK UPDATE The third volume in my series of books relating the histories and product lines of coin album publishers is in the layout process, and that work is nearly completed. Expected for a late summer release, its title is Coin Collecting Albums: A Complete History and Catalog Volume Three, Whitman Publishing Company Folders and Albums 1940-1978. The book is about 350 pages and in full color throughout. I anticipate having it bound with a soft cover to keep down both weight and binding costs, but it will be a deluxe softcover with sewn signatures to prevent the falling out of pages so common to cheap, "perfect bound" books.

I'm delighted with the completed chapters from my book designer, and this entry should really fill an important gap in hobby history. In addition, Lange Numbers will now exist for each and every variety of Whitman folder and album, and this will make the collecting and cataloging of these items far more satisfying. The inventory of duplicate folders I amassed while preparing this book will soon be offered for sale, and the next list I send out may be for folders rather than boards. I'll hold off on doing that, however, until persons desiring to do so have been able to acquire the book."

"Reading the article on the Weird Things People Collect, took me back to the Open Directory Project where we met. I edited the category where all of the things people collected but were not indexed anywhere else were listed. The "Airline Barf Bag" collection category is one of the ones that I remember well. It's too bad the ODP went away."

"When annealing a bronze or brass blank or planchet, it darkens or turns black. How does one brighten the surfaces before striking?"

"It's clean-up time these days, and I found a box of old, old business cards, 1970's/1990's. Amongst them were these five Hollinbeck auction flips from yesteryear. I must have bought these coins in the 70's/80's, sold them, and totally forgotten about the flips. Interesting grade range from $10. Indian in Fine to $20. Lib. described as Unc. or Proof. Wonder what the price difference in May 1951 would have been."

"In 1951 I was 10, and that was the year my best friend was given a small box of US coins by a real estate agent who was a family friend, who found them in an abandoned house he was selling. This box contained perhaps 100+ US coins culled from circulation, nothing special or rare, as I remember. They included a 100+ year diverse cross-section of circulated type coins dating back to early coppers pre-1800 thru early 20th century. My friend graciously gave me a handful from the box, and Voila!, little did I know then that this was part of the inspiration behind my starting a long-time coin business many years later. Interesting how a simple gesture like this can steer one's life's work! My love of coins is far greater now than then, but as we all know, often passions get into your blood and never leave!

"Baltimore coin dealer Alfred Hutter, at 321 N. Charles St, in a small, corner, basement step-down location, was my go-to dealer. He later moved to Cumberland, MD. At a small Baltimore coin show, perhaps 10-15 years ago, I was rather surprised to see a sign above a dealer table with the surname "Hutter". He was related."