Longtime reader and contributor Bob Rightmire has passed. -Editor

Bob was an E-Sylum regular as early as 2006. Here's what he wrote as we approached our 1,000th subscriber in November, 2006. -Editor

"I tend not to get caught up with a single number; numbers 999 or even 299 are important too. After publishing subscriber 1000's name, the spotlight should then turn to the very "publication" that we are reading. Might this be a time to honor all those, with you leading the way, who have made this wonderful source of information available? I indeed feel fortunate to be part of this circle."

He was a bibliophile, asking about book repairs in 2009: -Editor

"Recently two works, Loubat's The Medallic History of the US, 1776-1876 (1878) [oh, the wonderful plates!] and Baker's Medallic Portraits of Washington (1885) came my way. While the bindings were in deplorable condition, internally they were sound. In fact, the Baker had 12 uncut sheets.

"The decision to rebind (with 3/4 leather & marbled paper) was made so that the works could be consulted without additional damage to the contents; yet, the loss of the original bindings means that the books no longer exist as totally original documents. The intent of the authors/publishers now exist only as photographs. Is rebinding/restoration a detriment or an asset to maintaining the record of our numismatic literary heritage? "

One of Bob's research specialties was the Guttag Brothers of New York and their tokens and medals. In 2006 he asked for information and I and a number of readers responded to his call. -Editor

"Since you first posted my inquiry on the Guttag Bros., I had some excellent help and advice from several numismatists. Dick Johnson has lead the way with both information and some solid leads. Your copies of Guttag's Coin Bulletin yielded several facts about their business.

"I have learned that there is a picture postcard of the Guttag building at 42 Stone St., New York City (ca. 1930). Has anyone seen this postcard?

"The suggestion that I check the NY Times for references to the Guttag Bros. has been expedited by the Times' Select program which allows subscribers to download up to 100 entries, from 1851 to the present, per month.

"I'm currently looking for leads to Louis Guttag's children Alvin, Evelyn and Erma Frank (as of Mar. 29, 1972)."

"Bob was not just a collector. He enjoyed researching the topic to become more knowledgeable. He was always willing to share his findings with anyone who asked.

"I remember had a gold piece that he offered up in an auction. (I think in the late 80's early 90's.) We left school and headed into NYC to attend the auction in the Twin Towers. Some items were sold very quickly. When Bob's item came up, the bidding was constant, but with small increments. Bob was a little worried. Soon the bidding got very active and the coin sold for a little more than he anticipated. He bought a new car."