Last week author Alan Roy announced his new book on Royal Canadian Mint medals and exonumia. Here's an update. See the earlier article for Alan;s contact information. -Editor

"I am participating in the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association's "Book Fair" at the Ottawa convention. I, or my wife Diane, will man a table to sell my new book, Medals and Exonumia of the Royal Canadian Mint, and field questions about it. The book fair will take place on July 22nd and 23rd during bourse hours. Howard Engel (of Richard Stockley Numismatic Books) will also have a few copies to sell.

"In other news, I have finally sent the text in for printing, and sorry to say, the printing cost is higher than originally quoted by the printer. Consequently, the selling price will be higher than I thought. I will be selling copies for $18.95 CAD. Sorry for any problems this may cause."

"I was interested to read Chriss Hoffman's note about Dave Bowers' Garrett catalogue, about which I echo his remarks on its usefulness, quite apart from being an excellent read!

"I couldn't obtain a copy of the first printing in 1979, but my copy, bought in 1980, is of the second printing and is complete, for what that is worth. I suspect that the book was printed in sections of 24 pages (books are often printed in sections of multiples of 8 pages, depending on the total pagination) and somehow a section was omitted at the binding stage."

"In last week's issue of The E-Sylum there is a neat photo of a Bank Note tin. It is strikingly similar in appearance to a cigar label and very much popular with currency collectors and/or cigar aficionados."

Thanks. The cigar label is at the top, with the tin shown below. I'm sure there are many more examples out there. Feel free to share. -Editor

"I have examples of the Mint Mini bags shown containing 15 cents (5 from each mint) from 1971, 1972 and 1973. I also have 3 similar bags containing 20 cents (all from one mint) dated 1971 from each of the three mints."

Nice set! Illustrated is one of Dave Lange's bags. -Editor

"Dave Lange's submission about US Mint canvas bags in the June 26 E-Sylum newsletter reminded me that I had some nickel bags that were less than the normal size. Regular nickel bags have $200, but these photos show $50 bags from the Philadelphia and Denver Mint dated 1938, and a letter of their provenance. The two nickels in flips laying on the bags were in the bags when I purchased them from a collector some years ago, one P and D mint, now nicely toned.

"The personal letter, from Albert Johnson, who is listed on the letterhead as auditor of the First National Bank and Trust Company, Evanston, Illinois, was addressed to a John and Iris Black of New Britain, Connecticut and dated December 8, 1938. The letter states Another bag from Denver mint with new nickel from each is enclosed. Denver nickel has a D at right of building. Phila. mint uses no marks on the coins. The remainder of the letter doesn't have any other coin related information.

"Despite that confusing statement, it appears that $50 bags were available in 1938, at least from the Philadelphia and Denver mints. I do know that $200 bags were in use – the late Ed Fleischman (of Coin World and later the ANA Certification Service) once showed me a $200 Denver Mint nickel bag commenting I wonder if this bag was for Buffalo or Jefferson nickels. Denver made both types in 1938, either could have been in the bag.

"Was the US Mint making sample bags of the new Jefferson nickel available in 1938 to banks for distribution to customers? Perhaps the demand for the new nickels was such that the mints were limiting the distribution. And did San Francisco have $50 bags also?

"And speaking of mint bags, what is the oldest dated mint bag? A reader contest perhaps?"

Great idea! Anyone have or know of a bag dated earlier than 1938? All those 19th century silver dollar bags that came out in the 1960s didn't have dates and mints printed on them or people wouldn't have had to open or cut a hole in them to see the contents. -Editor

"Reading the coverage provided in last week's E-Sylum issue reporting the passing of Don Kelly, drew my thoughts back to the two or three years he served as the curator/docent at the Higgins Museum. A detail focused person, he invariably evidenced a light-hearted attitude towards those details. When presenting attendance results to the board . . . he referred to those days when there were no visitors as a . . . Maytag Day . . . on which he could devote his total focus on whatever new information he might dig out of the National Bank Note records at his hand there. Don was a truly wonderful guy that it was always a delight to spend some time with."

For our younger readers, the archetypal Maytag Repairman was played for years by actor Jesse White - perpetually bored with nothing to do, since those darn dependable Maytag appliances never broke down. That was the story anyway. -Editor

"I found some really cool looking colorized paper money. I copied two different $100 bills as they are on the site, and I made each in a lightened version. They have other denominations as well. They look great hanging up."

These are stock photos made for sale. -Editor