FORGING SECRETS BOOK LAUNCH

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V25 2022 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 25, Number 36, September 4, 2022, Article 11

Louise Boling published an article about the Forging Secrets book launch event at last month's ANA convention in the latest issue of MPC Gram, the newsletter for collectors of Military Payment Certificates and other military numismatica (MPCGram Series 23 No. 2538 3 Sep 2022). With permission, we're republishing it here. Thank you. -Editor

Collectors of military currency celebrated an event of great significance this evening: the release of the book Forging Secrets: Faces and Facts Inside the Nazi Operation Bernard Scheme. The publication of this book marks the culmination of the work of many workers, including several Festers. Among the attendees at this festive event were Festers Steve Feller and Ray Feller, Roger Urce, Dave Frank, Jim Downey, and Danny Spungen, co-authors, Joseph Boling, co-author and general editor, as well as Festers Danah Downey, Neil Shafer, Brian Geise, Louise Boling, Kathy Freeland, and Jeffrey Daniher [Zoom fester].

Others in attendance were Agnes Ohm, Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial, Curator and Historian and co-author, Debbi Walter, daughter of Hans Walter, co-author, Kiel Majewski, executive director of the Spungen Family Foundation and book publisher, Douglas Mudd, curator of the ANA Money Museum, Joel Shafer, Glen Jorde, Oded Paz, Simcha Kuritzky, and many other luminaries of the numismatic world. Following is a description of the event and the book, taken from the Florence and Laurence Spungen Foundation invitation to the event:

In continuing with a tradition of hosting unique educational events at numismatic gatherings, the Spungen Foundation invites you to celebrate the release of a new book, Forging Secrets, with a dinner event at this year's World's Fair of Money®. Forging Secrets tells the story of Operation Bernhard, the Nazi counterfeiting scheme which used concentration camp prisoners to forge Bank of England notes in an effort to destabilize the British economy during WWII.

This book is one-of-a-kind, both in look and content. It features a die-cut cover, special insert sleeves for Operation Bernhard notes, and sixteen (16) different authors, aided by an army of researchers, translators, and volunteers. Your keynote speakers and panelists for the evening will include Agnes Ohm, Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial, Curator and Historian; and Debbie Walter, daughter of Hans Walter, one of the forgers of Operation Bernhard.

The evening opened with a rousing performance by Melody Elegy Studio youth choir, with singers from the Chicago Ukrainian community. These young singers gave a fiery performance of the Ukrainian national anthem as well as several other numbers urging support of the Ukrainian people. Funds the choir raises support Revived Soldiers Ukraine, a non-profit dedicated to providing aid to the people of Ukraine and to the medical rehabilitation of Ukrainian soldiers. (From their website.)

Debbi Walter spoke on growing up with Holocaust survivor and (in)famous forger (and Fester!) Hans Walter, and Agnes Ohm, on Sachsenhausen and Operation Bernard. Finally there was a panel of Agnes Ohm, Debbi Walter, and Joseph Boling, moderated by Kiel Majewski, answering questions from the attendees. Each book is numbered: X of 1000. Book #1 was auctioned with a short but exciting bidding war, and was won by Chris and Sharon Bower, of the Indianapolis Coin Club, with a bid of $500.00, which will support the work of the Spungen Foundation.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NEW BOOK: FORGING SECRETS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n28a04.html)
NEW BOOK: FORGING SECRETS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n31a05.html)