From esylum at binhost.com Sun Aug 5 15:16:53 2007 From: esylum at binhost.com (esylum@binhost.com) Date: Sun Aug 5 15:22:54 2007 Subject: The E-Sylum v10#30, August 5, 2007 Message-ID: <002201c7d795$34048980$98634b4b@corp.cmdinfo.com> Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 10, Number 30, August 5, 2007: an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society. Copyright (c) 2007, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society. WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM 5 AUGUST, 2007 Some anonymous new subscribers this week bring our total to 1,166. Welcome aboard! This week we open with an announcement of a new book on error coins and a review of the new Stack's eCatalogue format. In the research department, Peter Huntoon provides some information on the 1943 U.S. emergency banknotes, Al Roy provides an example of numismatic trading cards in Canada, and readers seek information on the 1927-31 U.S. Treasury gold coin offering and other topics. In the news, banknote printer De La Rue is involved in a criminal inquiry, U.S. Mint artist Susan Gamble is profiled, and a 1794 Chain Cent is uncovered in a woman's garden. No London Diary this week - I've been in the U.S. on vacation with my family (but I'm heading back tonight). For those attending the American Numismatic Association convention, be sure to attend the Numismatic Bibliomania Society events and look for numismatic literature exhibits. Send us some reports for The E-Sylum! To learn how ornamental glass sulphides are connected to numismatics, read on. Have a great week, everyone. Wayne Homren Numismatic Bibliomania Society BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT: WORLD'S GREATEST MINT ERRORS BY MIKE BYERS Zyrus Press issued an announcement of a new book this week: 'World?s Greatest Mint Errors' by Mike Byers. The retail price has not yet been announced. "Available in November 2007, the World?s Greatest Mint Errors is the latest release from Zyrus Press and the first full-length book by Mike Byers, a well-known expert on government issued error coins. He is the editor and publisher of Mint Error News Magazine, and has been a professional numismatist for over two decades. Today, he is the largest dealer in the U.S. of mint errors, die trials, and other numismatic rarities from around the world. "Available in a ?coffee table" format, Mike Byers brings us the wealth of all his years of buying, selling, and discovering the most dramatic and amazing mint errors and die trials ever found in the U.S. and across the world, including new findings and new types of errors. Every single mint error published in this book is imaged in a high resolution, full color, large-sized photo, with information on value, rarity, and grade. "Some chapters included are: Bonded Coins, Brockages, Die Caps, Double / Multiple Strikes, Double Denomination, Fold-Over Strikes, Gold Errors, and the new Presidential Dollar errors, among others. "Look for copies of World?s Greatest Mint Errors in November 2007 in bookstores nationwide, Amazon.com, and your local coin shop. For information on wholesale price and our discount programs, please contact Zyrus Press, PO Box 17810, Irvine, California 92623. Phone: (888) 622-7823. Web: Stay up-to-date! Visit www.zyruspress.com. E-mail: info@zyruspress.com. NOTES ON THE STACK'S ECATALOGUE FORMAT Tim L. Shuck of Ames, IA writes: "I just noticed that Stack's is offering a new "eCatalogue" for their current J. A. Sherman and Roraima Shield Collections auction (August 5). This digital catalog is available at stacks.com, with links to it from their Auctions and Current News sections. "Though I like the idea of digital catalogs, and there are some interesting features here, I have mixed feelings about this implementation. It duplicates much of the Browse Lots capabilities currently available on Stack's online auctions; and you end up in that format anyway if you use the "Bid on Lot" function of the eCatalogue. There are some fairly robust viewing tools, and image quality is good at maximum allowable zoom. "A more significant issue is the limited viewing area, which is not user size-adjustable as far as I can tell. Readability is limited for me until I go to maximum zoom. I don't see that a downloadable pdf version is available, though I was able to print to a pdf from a Windows machine but not from a Mac (not with the image clarity of the online version however). "With additional hands-on experience since the earlier discussion on E- Sylum regarding the future of printed catalogs, I more and more favor pdf files on a local machine. Benefits include greater access speed, more robust view and search options, a minimal physical footprint, and easily stored and backed up data formats. At the same time I have purchased and will continue to purchase hard-bound printed versions of auction classics for my reference library. "But it seems we are in a time of transition. The Internet has shifted considerable market focus to digital information delivery, companies continue to innovate in that direction, and I think that is a good thing. It will be interesting to see how this develops in the next few months and years." THE OPEN LIBRARY PROJECT Stephen Pradier forwarded an article about the Open Library project, which if successful, could become a useful source for numismatic information: "An ambitious project to create an online catalogue of every book in every language ever published is under way. Public goodwill is not in doubt, but some libraries remain to be convinced. "A few years ago, the idea of getting random people around the world to write their own encyclopaedia would have been madness - but that didn't stop the founders of Wikipedia doing just that, and it has turned out to be one of the most successful web projects of recent years. "With that in mind, does it sound mad to want to try and build an online catalogue of every book ever published, anywhere in the world? "The Open Library, newly launched in the USA but global in scope, is designed to make that happen. "In the words of its creators, the idea is to build a virtual library that stores details of not just 'every book on sale, or every important book, or even every book in English; but simply every book.' "Aaron Swartz, leader of the technical team working on Open Library, suggests that every book ever published needs a single authoritative page on the internet, a bit like a personal homepage. "'Right now, if you want to link to a book on the web, the main place people go is Amazon. It's kind of a bad idea for one commercial site to be the definitive source for book information on the internet, so we want to have a site that brings together information from commercial publishers, reviewers, users, libraries, everywhere. "'This site will become the place where you can find interesting books and information about them, whether they're in print, out of print, out of copyright or whatever.'" To read the complete article, see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6924022.stm To visit the Open Library web site, see: http://www.openlibrary.org/ TOKEN AND MEDAL SOCIETY SYMPOSIUM COVERS F.I.D.E.M. WORLD CONGRESS Bob Fritsch forwarded a press release of the upcoming TAMS symposium. Here are some excerpts: "The Token and Medal Society (TAMS) will hold its 2007 Symposium during its annual meeting at the ANA World?s Fair of Money? in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Andy Dickes, coordinator of the 30th Art Medal World Congress, and George Cuhaj of Krause Publications, will present a program on this event. "The F?d?ration Internationale de la Medaille (F.I.D.E.M.), (International Medal Federation) holds a World Congress every two years in a different location throughout the world. This year?s event will be held at ANA Headquarters in Colorado Springs in September. These congresses bring together medallic artists, collectors and curators of art medals to exchange information in seminars, workshops and informal gatherings. Additionally, an outstanding exhibition of art medals is held. This is the first time the F.I.D.E.M. Congress has been held in the United States since 1987." 1943 U.S. EMERGENCY FEDERAL RESERVE BANK NOTE INFORMATION An anonymous reader writes: "In last week's E-Sylum, you asked if anyone can provide additional information on World War II Federal Reserve emergency notes. "As a collector of paper money, I am familiar with these issues, but I'm not an authority on the FRBN series. If any records exist which would indicate which Federal Reserve districts, denominations, and serial numbers were issued in 1943, I believe Peter Huntoon would have located them. Pete has spent many years poring over records at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian, and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) looking for this kind of documentation. I e-mailed a copy of your E-Sylum article to Pete. Here's his e-mail response: "Here is all the information that seems to be available: "'Emergency currency' was also to serve in another critical situation 10 years later. After the last delivery was made in 1934 there remained on hand 7,317 packages comprising some 29 million of these notes in the vaults of the Bureau. During World War II these stocks were used to help meet the large demands made for currency. "(from page 117 of: Bureau of Engraving and Printing, 1962, History of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, 1862-1962, Treasury Department, Washington, D. C.: U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 199 p.). "It appears that the 29 million notes mentioned here had a face value of $450 million as per Jim Downey's article. "Unfortunately, some of the documents that paper money researchers would like to see have been destroyed. Pete told me of a lode of Federal Reserve records from the 1928-1940 period that were destroyed only weeks before he learned of them at the Federal Records Center in Suitland, MD." RESEARCHER SEEKS RECORDS OF 1943 U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE BANK NOTE ISSUES http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n30a14.html U.S. TREASURY DOUBLE EAGLE OFFERING SOUGHT Roger Burdette writes: "Do any E-Sylum subscribers have a copy of the Treasury Department offering of double eagles and other coins that was made from about 1927 to 1931? This was the source of some of the 1927-D $20 and other piece not considered very rare. The information is for use in a research article I am preparing. Thanks to all!" CHRISTENSEN SALE #54 BRAZILIAN COUNTERSTAMP INFORMATION SOUGHT Pete Smith writes: "I am doing research on a Brazilian counterstamp and would like a copy or scan of the catalog description for lot 46 of Henry Christensen's 54th sale dated December 6, 1974. The coin envelope makes reference to Kurt Prober's book, 'Carimbos de Minas', pages 138-140. I would also like copies of those pages. Can any E-Sylum reader help?" VOCABULARY QUESTION: EXONUMIA ADJECTIVES Ron Abler writes: "I have a question that I would like to pose to the members of the E-Sylum, because I cannot think of a more qualified audience to provide a thoughtful and definitive answer. I collect medals and tokens, which makes me an exonumist, one who studies exonumia (more than one of an exonumium, I presume). That takes care of the nouns, but what about the adjective? Do I collect objects that are exonumic, exonumical, exonumial, or what?" [Good question, and I'll expand it as follows. In the U.K., the field known in the U.S. as exonumia is paranumismatics. So what are the adjectival forms of these two words? -Editor] GLASS COIN WEIGHTS ADDRESSED IN BRESSETT'S MILESTONE COINS Dennis Tucker of Whitman Publishing writes: "I read Chick Ambrass's request for information on glass coin weights, in the latest E-Sylum. "In the recently released 'Milestone Coins: A Pageant of the World's Most Significant and Popular Money', Ken Bressett discusses glass coin weights in intriguing detail, and illustrates several colorful examples. In total, he explores three related classes of items: 1. glass weights; 2. glass vessel stamps; and 3. glass tokens. "Ken gives general valuations and market notes for each class, as well as delving into their history and various theories on their meaning and function. Here's an excerpt: "Egyptian glass weights, vessel stamps, and tokens were most likely made in the period from A.D. 700 to 900, although many other guesses have been proposed. Some speculate they may have continued in use as late as 1170. Others have even proposed that they were made hundreds of years earlier, but that is unlikely because of epigraphic evidence. They are attributed to the Umayyad and Abbasid cultures and were very likely common to many areas beyond Egypt." "I would direct Mr. Ambrass to pages 77 and 78 ("Glass Coins of Egypt") in Chapter Five, 'The World of Islam.'" GLASS COIN WEIGHTS AND THE CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n30a16.html NUMISMATIC GLASS SULPHIDES AT THE CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS Dick Johnson writes: "Chick Ambrass learned about glass coin weights on his visit to the Corning Museum of Glass reported in last week's E-Sylum. On my last visit there I learned about another numismatic sideline: sulphides! "Not all that well known to either numismatists or glass enthusiasts, sulphides are ornamental glass objects that use medals -- yes medals! -- for their copied relief designs. Usually portraits, and only seldom incorporating the legends or inscriptions found on the medal pattern, sulphides employ a technique in their manufacture called 'cameo incrustations.' - cameo like the relief on a medal. "A wide range of glass objects can be found that used medals as their patterns. This includes paperweights, glass plaques, tumblers, goblets, cups, plates, flasks, vases, obelisks, candlesticks, and a wide range of bottles. Even buttons. The medallic design on these can be clear, white, silvery or in full color depending upon how they are made. "A lot of famous glass manufacturers made sulphides, including the famed French firm of Baccarat, which has made sulphides from mid-nineteenth century to the present. Also French firms Clichy and Saint Louis, and the John Ford Company in Scotland (no relation to the John J. Ford of numismatic fame). "For numismatists the fun of collecting sulphides is locating and matching up the medal from which the relief was taken. Because the glass relief must be the same size as the medal relief, size is the first clue. The design, obviously, is the second and most important clue. This is not only a 'crossover' of two collecting topics, but a 'leapover' as one of the many uses of medals. "To make a glass sulphide object, a plaster cast of the medal was made. A special clay-glass paste was used to form a positive cast from this mold. The clay would then be trimmed around the relief desired, and here is where lettering would be eliminated. The clay can be slightly bent. That's how you get a flat medal design to form the round side of a bottle or cup. "The surface of the clay is treated for the color and transparency of the incrustation. If it was to be clear it would be coated with molten glass; if silver was desired it would be coated with silver dye. If the glassmaker did nothing, it would take the color of the clay. "If the object was anything but a flat button, paperweight or plaque, several parts of a glass mold would be required. Then molten glass would be poured into this assembled mold, when cooled the parts of the mold disassembled, and the object removed. The clay would be broken away and discarded. That is an oversimplification, but you get the general idea of sulphides. I viewed many of these at Corning. "If you have a further interest, get a copy of 'Sulphides, The Art of Cameo Incrustation' by Paul Jokelson. Page 93 illustrates some sulphides made from medals with lettering intact." [Many thanks to Dick Johnson for a submission on yet another fascinating numismatic sideline. -Editor] For images and more information on the art of cameo sulphides, see: http://paperweights.cristallerie-hartwig.com/history.html GLASS COIN WEIGHTS AND THE CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n30a16.html CHARLETON'S NUMISMATIC TRADING CARDS Responding my call for examples of numismatic trading cards, Al Roy writes: "I have a few trading cards produced by Jim Charlton's company in the early or mid 1960s. They were promos used by Lever Potato chips. According to Mr. Charlton, this series of cards (called series 'A') included 100 numbered cards each with a different Canadian coin. There wasn't a series 'B'. Here is an example: http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=977660600&size=o "I also recently obtained 2 lenticular cards from the Royal Canadian Mint. One features a 2006 'Lucky Loonie'. As it's tilted, you see the reverse, obverse, and the RCM logo, along with a figure skater, hockey player, and skier. The second features the 2006 breast cancer quarter (reverse / obverse / RCM logo), and a breast cancer survivor / her daughter / granddaughter. The women are named on the back of the card. The cards are numbered '1' and '2' respectively. I don't know if any more were or will be made." Mike Paradis noticed the following item (#130137610059)on eBay - Les Fox is (or was) selling a set of promotional posters for the new Upper Deck card series. The item has been withdrawn from sale. http://tinyurl.com/2s3jlt UPPER DECK NUMISMATIC TRADING CARDS DEBUT http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n30a17.html MORE ON THE 99 PENCE COIN - THE CORNET Last week's item about a sarcastically proposed 99 pence coin noted that it was to be called a 'cornet'. Martin Purdy writes: "Just in case any non-UK readers are scratching their heads, I should mention that 'cornet' is the British term for an ice-cream cone, and '99' is a common term for a cornet with a chocolate flake in it. I had to learn to stop saying 'cornet' rather than 'cone' when I first moved to New Zealand as a child. It shows how well the '99' ice-cream is ingrained in the British psyche for someone to link it with a joke 99p coin." Here's a quick reference for good measure: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99_Flake THE 99 PENCE COIN http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n30a12.html ON THE LEGALITY OF THE GOLD SACAGAWEA DOLLARS Regarding the Sacagawea dollar coins struck in gold, George Fitzgerald writes: "I was at a press meeting at the American Numismatic Association convention in 1998 or 1999, when the director of the Mint said he was authorized to make these and sell them to the public. I remembered because I asked them how they were going to distinguished them from the regular coins. He said they would have a W mint mark. There were a lot of questions about his authority to do this. I don't remember exactly, but I think he said Congress authorized these. They were going to strike these on half ounce Gold Eagle planchets." THE REAL GOLD 'GOLDEN DOLLARS' GO ON DISPLAY http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n30a40.html CORRECTIONS AND TYPOS Regarding my comment in last week's issue about the value of the British penny, Tom DeLorey writes: "With the Pound at approx. $2, one penny is worth approximately 2 cents, not half a cent." [At least six other sharp-eye readers on both sides of the Atlantic noticed the blunder, including Phil Mernick, Joe Boling, Charles Riley, Jeff Kelley and Steve D'Ippolito. I can't blame that one on beer or a typo - it's a genuine brain-o. Sorry!] Charles Riley adds: "Pence is the plural of Penny (you can't have one pence - although sometimes you do hear this said, incorrectly, in the UK)" [Mea culpa! I could have sworn the coins actually said "One Pence", probably because I'm so used to the U.S. coins which say "One Cent". The coins do indeed state their denomination as "One Penny". -Editor] Pete Smith writes: "There is another error in the last E-Sylum. A reference to the "Furst U. S. Mint" should be "First U. S. Mint." This was spelled wrong in the copy I sent to you. Furst came to America in 1808 so he was not there at the beginning." Jeff Kelley writes: "The article on the new Maltese Euro coins quoted the original source of the item as saying 'The outside edge around the circumference of the EUR2 coins, 10 million of which are being produced at the Monnaie De Paris, bears small images of the Maltese cross instead of euro stars.' "This is simply not true - 'euro stars' are not mandated on the edge of the 2 euro coin. Germany, for example, uses text. I am not sure about all the others, but I know that Malta would not be the first to use something other than stars." [Again, sorry for the editing lapses on my part. The last issue was assembled and published quickly due to my travel schedule, as was this one. -Editor] MONSTER CANADIAN GOLD COIN TO BE AUCTIONED Regarding comments by myself and Dick Johnson on Teletrade's auction of the monster Canadian gold coin, Ian Russell of Teletrade, Inc. writes: "I read your e-mail where it mentioned you could buy the $1 million Canadian Coin direct from the Royal Canadian Mint at $1 million (Canadian)." Please note, that the gold melt value is in excess of $2 million (U.S.) - of course, the Royal Canadian Mint would not sell for $1 million or everyone (with $1 million) would be doubling their money and just buying to melt down." [It is Dick Johnson's submission Ian is referring to. He wrote "... you can buy this from the Canadian Mint direct and pay $970,000 U.S. instead of the bid price plus 12 percent." Of course, the $970,000 is simply the $1 million Canadian dollar face amount of the coin (in dollars), not the actual bullion value or selling price. I edited that item too quickly and let the figure slip in accidentally (sorry!). But the point of Dick's post is not the value of the coin but the amount of additional sales commission a buyer would pay beyond the price of the coin direct from the Royal Canadian Mint. It's doesn't make much sense economically to pay an additional fee to a middleman when the same item is available directly at a lower cost. But as Bill Burd points out, the offering does have some publicity value to the sellers. Thanks to the others who pointed out the error, including new subscriber Jeff Kelley. -Editor] John Regitko writes: "If Dick Johnson was selling these for $970,000 U.S., I would buy as many as he was willing to sell me and pay him the additional 12%, because I would have no problem convincing the bank to loan me an unlimited amount of money. "The original selling price was $2.6 million but, because of the cost of bullion gold, will probably now sell for closer to $3 million. Like with any non-circulating precious metal coins, the mints place a face value on them but sell them for quite a bit more. Bill Burd writes: "The Canadian gold coin is 100 kilograms of pure gold which is 3215 troy ounces. At $663.00 US per oz the coin contains $2,131,545 worth of gold. 12 percent would be about $250,000. The Canadian Mint would charge a percent over to make the coin but it would not be that high of a premium. Teletrade and A-Mark will get a lot of exposure on this sale." MONSTER CANADIAN GOLD COIN TO BE AUCTIONED http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n30a32.html BANKNOTE PRINTER DE LA RUE FIGHTS CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS News reports this week noted that word of a criminal inquiry hit shares of bank note printer De La Rue: "Shares in De La Rue fell sharply in London this morning after it emerged that the world's largest commercial banknote printer is being investigated by police over allegations of corruption. "On Friday, the City of London Police said that its new anti-corruption unit had launched raids on two company premises in Hampshire and one in Bedfordshire as part of a joint investigation with the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). "De La Rue said it believed that the allegations that sparked the investigation came from ?a former employee against whom the company has obtained a judgment for the recovery of monies stolen from it.? "De La Rue said that it believed the allegations were false and it was confident that the matter would be resolved quickly. "De La Rue prints more than 150 national currencies as well as passports, travellers' checks, stamps and passports, through its security paper and print division." To read the complete article, see: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/support_serv ices/article2167191.ece ZIMBABWE ISSUES NEW BANKNOTES AS RUNAWAY INFLATION CONTINUES "The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe will on Wednesday unveil a new 200,000-Zimdollar banknote as runaway inflation continues to erode the purchasing power of the local currency. "The new bearer cheque begins its circulation from Wednesday, becoming the highest denomination in an economy battling world record inflation now estimated at more than 5,000 percent. "Zimbabwe has not had real banknotes since 2004 and uses temporary paper money known as bearer cheques. "The original idea was for the cheques to run for a year up to 31 December 2004, while the government stabilised the economy and reined in inflation. "The lifespan of the bearer cheques has repeatedly been extended after the government has failed to control inflation." To read the complete article, see: http://www.afriquenligne.fr/news/daily_news/zimbabwe_has_new_banknote_as_inf lation_erodes_buying_power_200707314383/ NEW YORK TO SELL ANOTHER BATCH OF REJECTED PARKING METER COINS According to news reports, "The city of New York is selling 500 pounds of foreign coins that found their way into its parking meters this year. "'We have pretty much every denomination from every continent,' said Anthony Alfano, the city's deputy chief of meter collections. The most common coins are Greek drachmas, he said, which are no longer in circulation. "The Department of Transportation, which makes about $90 million from parking meters annually, has collected bids for the 227 kilograms of foreign coins and planned to announce the best offer Monday. "About a decade ago, the agency decided to sell the foreign coins it had collected because it was impractical to exchange them for U.S. currency. In previous years, selling the coins has netted between $2 and $4 a pound." To read the complete article, see: http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/30/business/hot.php [Dick Johnson comments on the article, and how it also turned up in a Chinese publication. -Editor] Dick Johnson writes: "For sale! Five hundred pounds of foreign coins collected from New York City parking meters. Think that's not news? It happens every year. True. "What is news is that that this news article ran in the Xinhua, China newspaper. You see, the Chinese want to buy our coins whether they were struck here in America or elsewhere. They want the metal. Months ago they had two freighters anchored in the Delaware Bay prior to the Treasury order of no coin melting ready to buy all the cents returned to the Philadelphia Mint. "Five hundred pounds won't fill much of that cargo hold in the two Chinese freighters if they are still there. They want the big haul. They want to buy all our Lincoln cents when the government recalls all the cents because they are worth more than one cent." This article is in English: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/31/content_6453348.htm BILL BURD ON 'GETTING RICH MELTING COINS' Bill Burd forwarded a copy of a write up he did on the melting of cents in response to many customers talking about melting their cents as a way of dissuading them from thinking it?s a way to get rich quick. "Let's assume it is legal to melt cents and lets assume copper is $3.00 a pound and the smelter will pay you 80% of the spot price of copper. In order to make it worth while you want to receive a check from the smelter for $5,000.00 on your first transaction. "A copper cent weighs 3.11 grams and is 95% pure. 154 cents equals one pound of pure copper. Cents from 1909 thru 1958 trade in the numismatic community for 2 to 3 cents each which is more than their melt value. Cents from 1959 thru 1981 are copper and would be the only candidates for melting. Coins from 1982 to present are not copper and would have to be removed. "With copper valued at $3.00 a pound one cent contains $.0195 worth of copper. At 80% the value is $.0156. In order to receive the $5,000.00 you need to melt 320,000 cents which is 2,200 lbs. "From 1959 thru 1981 approximately 152 trillion cents were produced and from 1982 thru 2006 approximately 273 trillion cents were produced. If each year was evenly represented 36% would be copper and the remaining would be zinc. "In order to find your 320,000 copper cents you would need to sort through 890,000 cents which would be 6,100 lbs. If you sorted through 10,000 cents each day it would take 89 days to accomplish. Once sorted you need to return the 3,900 lbs of zinc cents to the bank and deliver the 2,200 lbs to the smelter. "Now the $5,000.00 you receive from the smelter is not profit. The 320,000 cents cost you one cent each so your initial investment is $3,200.00. That leaves you with $1,800.00 to cover transportation, labor and profit. "Still want to melt cents?" WHAT IS CAUSING THE RISE IN COINAGE METALS COSTS? Dick Johnson writes: "It may be obvious to some, but there are two reasons for rising metal costs driving up the cost to manufacture coins, not just for the United States, but for all coin-issuing countries. It is just a fact the United States has not attacked the problem head on (at least Treasury Department officials remain extremely closed-mouthed about any plans they may have). "Major reasons for the rising costs are labor strikes in metal producing areas of the world, like Chile, Peru and other areas. This is causing a shortage at a time of increasing demand. Labor problems can be solved, however. "Of far more critical influence is China. Their rising economy is causing a tremendous demand for products, all kinds of products, particularly those with metal components. China is the culprit, their demand for metal is unfettered, forcing up metal prices. "With rising world metal prices this is having an effect for scrap metal dealers everywhere (they now called themselves in the metal recycling business). Copper, for example -- the most prominent component in coins worldwide -- has risen in cost from 60c a pound as recently as June 1999, to now around $3.50 a pound. "And this is leading to theft of copper, as in pipes, roofing, and appliances, particularly in America. The travails of the metal recyclers are increasing. An interesting article was published this week in the Asbury Park Press of a New Jersey metal dealer. The law against melting cents and nickels is prominent in his mind. He refuses to buy coins for their metal content." To read the complete article, see: http://tinyurl.com/3ckxkf ON DOLLAR COIN CIRCULATION Roger deWardt Lane, Hollywood, Florida writes: "Dick Johnson was quoted on the subject of the new American Golden Dollars not circulating. I can confirm this with my actions at our Fort Lauderdale Coin Club meetings. When the new dollars first came out, I went to our bank and asked about the new dollars. "No we do not have any, but maybe next week". Finally I purchased $100 of the George Washington dollars. "At the next Fort Lauderdale Coin Club meeting, where we always have a good auction of numismatic items (I'm the Treasurer and make change). I stopped using paper dollars and put out over $50 of the new coins in change. I would get a few back and immediately put them out again. At the end of the evening the four rolls were all gone. This routine continued for about four meetings, including using the new Adams Dollars. "Last week (although I still have two rolls in my bank) I did not use any of the coin dollars, receiving none and passing out none too. So, where there were close to 100 members at each of our meetings and I take in about 100 paper dollars note more than I pass out, none this week were coin dollars. I guess we know the answer by now, - even coin collectors do not want the new coin dollars! "Readers can see pictures, read our newsletters and read about our monthly shows by checking our new web site www.ftlauderdalecoinclub.com. People can read a little about me on my new page, www.dewardt.net " 1890 ARTICLE ON COUNTERFEIT U.S. DIMES Granvyl Hulse writes: "I am writing the history of our local weekly newspaper, and ran across an item which is 'hot off the press.' from The Upper Coos Herald for 23 April 1890: 'The new counterfeit 10 cent piece is getting into quite extensive circulation. It is a very deceptive dime and bears the date of 1887.' I thought that The E-Sylum readership should be alerted so that they won't get cheated." MINT COIN DESIGNER SUSAN GAMBLE PROFILED Register & Bee of Danville, VA profiled U.S. Mint artist Susan Gamble August 4th: "An artist with Danville ties now proudly works as one of seven master designers in the Artistic Infusion Program of the U.S. Mint. "'When my husband and I were living in Oklahoma City, I saw a newspaper headline that read ?U.S. Mint Calls for Artists,?' Susan Gamble recalled. 'The headline caught my attention, and I decided to apply, never thinking that I could possibly be one of the artists that they chose.' "Gamble, who now lives in Arlington, has been a master designer since 2004 - one of the first - and, as such, can take the credit for the design of four coins: the 2007 First Spouse Martha Washington reverse; the 2007 Washington Quarter reverse; the 2007 Jamestown Commemorative silver reverse; and the 2007 Jamestown Commemorative gold reverse. "Five more have been chosen for minting in 2008, including the Oklahoma and Alaska quarters. "Her current contract is for five years, assuming her work continues to please the judging panels. "'I am basically representing the nation by doing the nation?s coinage,' Gamble said. 'We all see it that way and we are willing to knock ourselves dead to do it. "'It?s the only art that lasts 2,000 years. The appeal of the job is partly the competition because you have to go above and beyond to do the work, but for all of us, and I?ve talked to everyone, it?s the most important work we?ll ever do.' "Gamble?s full-time job is as a graphic designer and production coordinator for the National League of Cities. For her Mint work, she works after hours and weekends from home studio only blocks from the Washington office of the Mint, and delivers her designs in person." To read the complete article, see: http://tinyurl.com/2sdklz BULGARIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM EXHIBITS COINS According to a Sofia News Agency report, "Bulgaria's National Museum of History exhibited for the first time on Tuesday artefacts unearthed near the Bulgarian towns of Peshtera and Ivalylovgrad. "The first group includes 14 gold coins from the time of the Roman emperors Justinian I and Justin I. The coins, which were unearthed in the St. Petka Stronghold near Pesthera, bear record of the last days of the stronghold, which was taken in the 6th century AD by the Bulgarians, the Slavs and the Avars." To read the complete article, see: http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=83660 NEW NIGERIAN SCAM INVOLVES COINS Phil Mernick notes that a new Internet scam making the rounds involves 1780-dated silver Maria Theresa coins. He writes: "I have received copies sent to Bexley Coin club and London Numismatic Club. Presumably it is going to all clubs in UK, the World? I suppose they hope to get the 'commission for brokers' fee in advance. With silver in excess of $12 (equivalent to about $10) for the 80% alloy their "selling price" will no doubt tempt the gullible." "We are looking for serious buyers for very large following quantities: - First Quantity: 1000,000,000 (one billion pieces), - Type: Silver Coins Maria Theresa manufactured in 1780 year, - Weight: 27,5 grams per piece, consisting of 80% silver, 20% other minerals and metals, - Certification: registered and certified by the Higher Court in Kingdom Saudi Arabia, - Price: 13 (net price for seller)+1 (commission for brokers) = 14, fourteen Saudi Riyals per piece, which equals around $3,74 USD." 1793 CHAIN CENT, 1889 INDIAN CENT FINDS FUEL NEWSPAPER ARTICLES Earlier this week there was a short Associated Press article about a 1793 chain cent found by a woman in her garden. There was little of real numismatic use in it, and initially I declined to put anything in The E-Sylum. But there are connections for some of our readers, so here it is: "Cheryl Corbin first thought she had picked up a quarter while planting flowers in June. Then she saw the date and thought it was a bicentennial coin. "At work the next day, Corbin said she had the office in an uproar. "Co-workers searched the Internet and identified the coin as a 1793 copper 'chain' cent. The front featured Lady Liberty and the back had a circle of 15 chain links representing the 15 states in the union at that time. "Though Corbin's coin was heavily corroded, she said a specialist told her it still could be worth 15 hundred to three thousand dollars." To read the original Associated Press article, see: http://www.wmcstations.com/Global/story.asp?S=6871967 Chick Ambrass writes: "The 1793 chain cent was found in a person's garden in Burnham, PA - that's just a few miles down the road from me. They have talked with the local coin dealer, Dave Wilson of 4-star jewelry and coins. Apparently the coin is heavily corroded, but identifiable as a 1793 chain cent. The coin now is at Stack's in NY soaking in some oil and will be featured in Stack's auction in September. There was a longer article on the front page of the local Lewistown paper, The Sentinel. According to the article an extensive search with metal detectors was done after the find, but nothing else turned up. Also, it was said that before the house was built, the area was used as a dumping ground for Freedom Forge." [Perhaps one of our readers at Stack's can tell us more about the coin. Here are a couple excerpts from the Sentinel article. -Editor] "Wilson said people could find a lot of coins in this area if they really looked. He said the most effective way is by using one of the new and very expensive metal detectors. "Corbin did have two men come to her home with sophisticated metal detectors after she found the chain cent to see if they could find more. Corbin said all they found were modern coins and the top of a Mason jar. "?We were hoping maybe we?d find a whole Mason jar full of those coins,? Corbin said." To read the complete Lewistown Sentinel article, see: http://www.lewistownsentinel.com/News/articles.asp?articleID=8235 [As another example of the popular fascination with old coins, there was also an article this week in the Hudson Star Observer of Hudson Wisconsin about a girl who found an 1889 Indian Head cent in the till of her lemonade stand. -Editor] To read the complete article (registration required), see: http://tinyurl.com/2x25m7 FEATURED WEB SITE: TOKEN CORRESPONDING SOCIETY This week's featured web site is suggested by John and Nancy Wilson of Ocala, FL. They write: "While doing research we came across an excellent site for tokens and medals. It is the site of the United Kingdom Token Corresponding Society." http://www.tokensociety.org.uk/ The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. For more information please see our web site at http://www.coinbooks.org/. There is a membership application available on the web site at this address: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_member_app.html To join, print the application and return it with your check to the address printed on the application. Membership is only $15 to addresses in the U.S., $20 elsewhere. For those without web access, write to: David M. Sundman, Secretary/Treasurer Numismatic Bibliomania Society, P. O. Box 82 Littleton, NH 03561 For Asylum mailing address changes and other membership questions, contact David at this email address: dsundman@LittletonCoin.com To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, just Reply to this message, or write to the Editor at this address: whomren@coinlibrary.com Those wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All past E-Sylum issues are archived on the NBS web site at this address: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_esylum_archive.html Issues from September 2002 to date are also archived at this address: http://my.binhost.com/pipermail/esylum From esylum at binhost.com Sun Aug 12 17:32:40 2007 From: esylum at binhost.com (esylum@binhost.com) Date: Sun Aug 12 17:32:53 2007 Subject: The E-Sylum v10#32, August 12, 2007 Message-ID: <00cd01c7dd28$5060cce0$3f0110ac@corp.cmdinfo.com> Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 10, Number 32, August 12, 2007: an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society. Copyright (c) 2007, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society. WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM 12 AUGUST, 2007 One anonymous new subscriber this week brings our total to 1,167. Welcome aboard! This week we open with some news from this week's ANA convention, and an announcement of a new book on modern world gold coins. In the research department, we had a tremendous response to Pete Smith's query about a Brazilian counterstamp, some thoughts from several readers on forms of the word 'exonumia', and information on the use of Maria Theresa thalers in Saudi Arabia. In the news is a profile of money artist Peter Simensky, a newsman flips an original 1913 Library Nickel on the air as his guests gasp, a Colorado Congressman introduces a bill to allow for the alteration of the metallic composition of U.S. coins, and New Hampshire's governor pays a visit to Littleton Coin Company. For medal collectors there is a nice new article on the history of the Purple Heart, and for every numismatist the Featured Web Page holds an interesting essay on the history of metals. My London Diary returns with a vengeance this week, with entries on Sir John Soane's Museum, the Samuel Johnson house, St. Paul's Cathedral and The Tower of London. To learn whether you'd be entitled to buy a ticket for the box, pit, first or second galleries at London's Haymarket Theatre, read on. Have a great week, everyone. Wayne Homren Numismatic Bibliomania Society NBS EVENTS AT THE 2007 ANA CONVENTION Intrepid numismatic photo-journalist Dan Gosling took some pictures of the two public Numismatic Bibliomania Society events at this week's American Numismatic Association convention. These were Thursday's numismatic literature symposium with speakers John Adams and Harold Welch and the general membership meeting Friday morning, where Len Augsburger and Joel Orosz presented. Adams spoke on "How Comitia Americana Came To Be - A New Way to Make a Book." Welch's topic was "British Token Literature - Putting Together the Pieces of the Puzzle." Augsburger and Orosz spoke about "Frank Stewart and Artwork of the First U.S. Mint." Dan's photos will be posted on the NBS web site. NBS President John W. Adams writes: "There was quite a bit doing at the three NBS events. The Symposium played to a full house and, with spirited questions, ran well over the appointed time. The Board proposed and the members confirmed three important new initiatives: 1) homage to our co-founder George Kolbe. Scott Rubin will assemble "George stories", biographic material, George's favorite lot descriptions, George's many contributions to the hobby, etc. and then run them in The Asylum with a special offprint thereafter; 2) Joel Orosz will compose a history of the club's first 28 years, an effort for which he invites the contributions of all; and 3) Len Augsburger will direct the compilation of a list of The 100 Greatest Items of U.S. Numismatic Literature. Nominations may be sent to him beginning immediately; a preliminary list will be run in The Asylum and, based on feedback, a list will be finalized and probably off-printed. Enthusiasm ran high at the meeting and spilled over into our best donated book auction ever (Wayne's coffee-stained notes on his London adventures was Lot #1)." In other convention news, frequent E-Sylum contributors John and Nancy Wilson were received the highest award of the American Numismatic Association -- the Farren Zerbe Memorial award, given to recognize "numerous years of outstanding, dedicated service to numismatics". Bravo! E-Sylum participants received honors from other organizations at the convention. I've only gotten a few unofficial reports, but understand that Roger Burdette, numismatic researcher and author of the 'Renaissance of American Coinage' series has been elected to membership in The Rittenhouse Society. Congratulations! David Kranz of Numismatic News reported in his blog that Gene Hessler won this year's Clemy award at the Numismatic Literary Guild's annual NLG Bash Aug. 9. I've also heard unconfirmed reports that Roger's book, 'Renaissance of American Coinage 1905-1908' also got an award at the Bash. I'm a world away in London and couldn't attend this year's convention. I hope everyone had a good time and that bibliophiles were out in force. If you were there and have additional reports or recollections of the event to share, please drop me a line at whomren@coinlibrary.com. Cheers! To read David Kranz's blog entry, see: http://www.numismaticnews.net/watermark/default,date,2007-08-10.aspx BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT: MODERN WORLD GOLD COINS, 1801-PRESENT The numismatic book division at Krause Publications has released a new title: 'Modern World Gold Coins, 1801-Present' by Colin R. Bruce II and Thomas Michael. The 816-page softcovered book has over 15,000 black & white photos. George Cuhaj described the new book in his Monday blog entry: "Modern World Gold Coins, 1801-present, includes the most actively traded area in the World Gold Coin market, 'modern' coins! The easier to find issues of sovereigns, francs, marks and roubles are included, as are the mid-20th century Franklin Mint commemoratives, and late 20th century bullion issues. "Gold, platinum and palladium are all included. Soft cover, $65.00, 772 pages, with prices updated based on gold market value of $650-670 per ounce! So nearly every price has been reviewed or updated since the 5th edition of the Standard Catalog of World Gold Coins. "The product features sharper illustrations and expanded descriptions. The softcover book makes it a lighter-weight and easy-use item for travel." To read George Cuhaj's original blog entry, see: http://www.numismaticnews.net/currency/Modern+World+Gold+Coins+1801present+R eleased.aspx For ordering information, see: http://www.krausebooks.com/product/832/4 THE E-SYLUM MAKES TIME STAND STILL Dick Johnson and Bruce Perdue noticed a glaring error in last week's issue - I'd forgotten to increment the issue number to 31 (so shame of the rest of our resident nitpickers who missed this one!) I wish I could say I did it on purpose as a test - sorry! Anyway, we've fixed the online archive and made sure this week's issue is properly numbered 32. This wasn't the only off-by-one numbering error in the issue - Dick Becker found a whopper in the Wayne's Word's item. He writes: "Your headline announcement of a lady finding a 1794 CHAIN cent in her garden is outstanding. This earth-shattering news will, no doubt, have all of us waiting to see which auction house will feature it in their next sale. Look for a new sales record for a US coin. "Isn't it fun when we can make fun of ourselves once in a while? I wonder how many other Asylum "inmates" caught this one. Seriously, keep up the good work. I look forward, and read each issue." [So far Dick is the only reader to report this one. It has also been fixed in the online archive. -Editor] NEW YORK TIMES MAY MAKE ONLINE ARCHIVE AVAILABLE FREE Speaking og online archives, Dick Johnson forwarded an article from the New York Post noting that the New York Times may soon open up its online article archive. He writes: "This is good news for numismatic researchers. I have passed on quoting New York Times articles in past because I didn't pay for their Internet news items." Here are some excerpts from the article: "The New York Times is poised to stop charging readers for online access to its Op-Ed columnists and other content, The Post has learned. "After much internal debate, Times executives - including publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. - made the decision to end the subscription-only TimesSelect service but have yet to make an official announcement, according to a source briefed on the matter. "While other online publications were abandoning subscriptions, the Times took the opposite approach in 2005 and began charging for access to well-known writers, including Maureen Dowd, Frank Rich and Thomas L. Friedman. "The decision, which also walled off access to archives and other content, was controversial almost from the start, with some of the paper's own columnists complaining that it limited their Web readership." [Back issues of The New York Times are invaluable for numismatic research, and not just U.S. numismatics. As the newspaper of record its reporters cover important stories from around the world, and much useful information can be found in its archives. I found the Times especially helpful in my research on emergency monies of the U.S. Civil War. Researchers and anyone interested in particular numismatic topics should watch for this development and try their favorite queries once the archive becomes freely available. -Editor] To read the complete article, see: http://www.nypost.com/seven/08072007/business/timesselect_content_freed_busi ness_holly_m__sanders.htm Dick adds: "Remember that recently New York Times publisher Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr. stated he did not know if there would even be a print edition in the future (mentioned here in The E-Sylum March 4, 2007). "Most major libraries have microfilm runs of New York Times (the larger the library the further back they go), and printed yearly indexes. These are especially useful in that other newspapers typically carry similar articles near the date first published in the Times, so it is, in effect, an index to all newspapers. "Also, don't overlook the Obituary index since 1851 (two volumes last time I looked). There is also a Personal Name Index to the New York Times since 1975 (now in 7 volumes). There are even special subject indexes for sports and theater." [As more of the back issue archive becomes available freely online, the microfilms will be much less necessary. But the human-generated indexes should continue to prove very valuable; keyword search only goes so far, and unless the Times digitizes the indexes the hardcopies found in your local library will continue to be very useful. -Editor] THE INTERNET - NUMISMATIC INFORMATION FORMAT OF FUTURE? http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n09a10.html CHRISTENSEN SALE #54 BRAZILIAN COUNTERSTAMP INFORMATION FOUND Responding Pete Smith's request for a copy or scan of the catalog description for lot 46 of Henry Christensen's 54th sale, E-Sylum readers came through in spades, forwarding images of the catalogue entry and other information and offers of help on the object of Pete's quest, a Brazilian counterstamp. Many thanks to Bill Rau, David Levy, Alan Luedeking, Ralf W. B?pple and Ted Buttrey, a.k.a. Prof. T.V. Buttrey, Dept. of Coins & Medals, Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge University. Ralf W. B?pple writes: "The lot description reads: "46 CEARA. Star C/M Star on obv of an 1815 Bahia 960 Reis of Brazil, which was struck over a Spanish Amer 8 Rs. ca 1834. Fonr 8830. A study of Prober's major opus. pp. 138-140, indicates that this is one of the few "good" c/m's. Ex Fine. (325.00-375.00") "According to the PR, it brought $275.00. Unfortunately, I cannot help with the Prober book. I have seen it only once, in a George Kolbe sale a few years ago, and I was the underbidder. So many books on counterstamps in my library, and you guys ask for the one that's on the top of my want list!" Alan Luedeking adds: "Note that Christensen's reference to Prober pp. 138-140 is incorrect. The correct page range in Prober is 133-135, with p. 134 being blank. Moreover the reference is not to Prober's "Carimbos de Minas" (a short work) but to a similar chapter in his work "Cat?logo de Moedas Brasileiras de Prata", Sao Paulo, 1947." David Levy writes: "I published the book 'The 960s Overstrikes' in 2002 which contains a lot of information on brazilian counterstamping and I?d be very glad in give any help." CHRISTENSEN SALE #54 BRAZILIAN COUNTERSTAMP INFORMATION SOUGHT http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n31a08.html VOCABULARY ANSWERS: EXONUMIA ADJECTIVES Responding to Ron Abler's question, last week I asked, "In the U.K., the field known in the U.S. as exonumia is paranumismatics. So what are the adjectival forms of these two words?" J?rgen S?mod writes: "exonumia is paranumismatics. I do not like and do not use any of these words. For me, tokens as well as medals and banknotes are all part of numismatics." Martin Purdy writes: "I would say exonumismatic and paranumismatic, respectively. I get 37 hits for exonumismatic on Google, which is low, but then it's quite a specialised field, so that doesn't perturb me too much. One reference is from a site we are familiar with." [... meaning The E-Sylum, of course - see link below. -Editor] UNRECOGNISED STATES NUMISMATIC SOCIETY http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v08n12a15.html David Gladfelter writes: "I get away with "exonumic" in articles for our local exo society newsletter, Jerseyana. But, for the definitive answer go to Russell Rulau - 'Exonumia' is Russ's word." Dennis P. Skea writes: "There are also subcategories of exonumia collecting. I collect transportation tokens, so I'm a "Vecturist". Do I practice "Vecturism"? I also collect wooden nickels. I'm a "Lignadenarist". I won't even try on this one. Some "transportation tokens" (good for one ride on a carosel, for example) are wooden nickels. Have some fun with that combination." VOCABULARY QUESTION: EXONUMIA ADJECTIVES http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n31a09.html FRANK STEWART, COIN COLLECTOR REVISITED Len Augsberger asked me to connect him with George Polizio regarding his item on Frank Stewart. He writes: "I am wondering if he can give his source for the information on Stewart's purchase of the 1823 quarter out of the May, 1914 Chapman sale. "The reason I ask, is because this coin does not appear in the records of the Congress Hall collection which Stewart endowed. It is interesting because the 1823 quarter was listed as a coin they needed, and yet it does not appear in the accession records." FRANK STEWART, COIN COLLECTOR http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n02a15.html ON THE USE OF MARIA THERESA THALERS IN SAUDI ARABIA Regarding the email scam involving Maria Theresa thalers discussed last week, Jim Downey writes: "I was stationed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1997-98. I witnessed more than one transaction involving Bedouins in the markets where Maria Theresa thalers were used as the medium of exchange. They were available from money changers for 30 SR. I bought one as a souvenir even though I could get them in the US for less. The money changers that I talked to about them insisted they were from France. I tried to explain their origins but they insisted. I later learned that they considered all coins that were not of Arab origin to be from France. No one could explain why." OTHER METAL DETECTORIST COIN FINDS: WASHINGTON SHIP TOKEN, 1795 HALF DOLLAR Don Hartman of Mays Landing, NJ writes: "I thought readers might be interested in this find by a metal detectorist from near Williamsport, Pa. I have been following metal detecting forums for many years and many great finds but I don't think I had seen a 1793 Washington Ship Token ever found." http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,99654.0.html "Also found this week was a somewhat decent 1795 O-113a variety Flowing Hair Half Dollar found near Albany, NY. It has nice detail but appears to have some pit corrosion and scratches. The detail is very fine I believe." http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,100493.0.html ON THE 99 DENOMINATION Regarding the satirical proposal for a 99 pence coin, J?rgen S?mod writes: "There are many Austrian WWI notgeld with face value 99 heller. The law said notgeld should have a value lower than one corona. And that is 99 heller." MONEY ARTIST PETER SIMENSKY PROFILED The San Diego Union-Tribune published a profile August 5 of money artist Peter Simensky: "Peter Simensky makes art about money. Currency is his medium. He crafts intricate collages from existing notes, keeping them true to scale. These bills are the main attraction in his exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego downtown, ?Cerca Series: Peter Simensky,? curated by Lucia Sanroman. "The Brooklyn-based artist isn't the first to make art about or with money ? and we can be sure he won't be the last. Nineteenth- century fool-the-eye painters, including William Harnett and John Peto, liked to render American notes in their canvases. In their early 20th-century dada days, Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray had fun with the concept of money; Duchamp appeared as sort of satyr on ?Monte Carlo Bond? (1924) in a Man Ray photograph. "More recently, there have been artists who draw their own bills. J.S.G. Boggs is a notable, sometimes notorious example, who has been doing it for years. He has happily substituted his meticulously executed versions of currency for real ones when making a purchase, telling the person at the receiving end he'll give them the option of taking real money or Boggs' bills. Still, this hasn't always kept him out of trouble; he was arrested at least twice for counterfeiting and acquitted on both occasions. "Some artists have generated their own currency, distinct from conventional money. The late Edward Kienholz is highly regarded for life-size sculptures that offer gut wrenching social commentary, but his ?Watercolors? are a trenchant take on artistic reputation and the commodity value of art. The words he stenciled on paper, the same way each time and against the same lightly colored background, were for goods or money. He made them for barter. So, if he put the words ?For a New Oven and Range? in the work, that meant he received an oven and range in return. He did the same for horses, a suit, screwdrivers and even a jeep. He also made them in different dominations for a 1969 exhibition, writing an amount on each ? from $1 to $1000 in systematic increments ? and selling them for the amount on the picture surface. "Simensky's art mixes both approaches. He makes bills, but unlike Boggs he has no desire to make you think that his resemble the real thing. Simensky's money is utterly implausible, verging on slapstick. He combines faces, so that glasses are too big and features don't match. Call it comic currency." To read the complete article, see: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20070805-9999-lz1a05art.html WHERE TO ORDER FAUVER BOOKS? Web site visitor Werner Press writes: "You published a review by Rulau on a new book by L.B. Fauver titled 'Nuremberg and Nuremberg Style Jetons'. The internet is silent about Oak Grove Publications - can you tell me where to order the book? Thanks in advance." NUREMBERG JETON BOOK PUBLISHED http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v07n03a14.html [I'm not sure myself - can any of our readers help? -Editor] BRITISH COINS USED AS SLUGS IN GERMAN SUBWAY SYSTEM Regarding the headline on last week's item about the sale of non-U.S. coins found in New York City parking meters, Bob Leuver writes: "I have searched my notes and fail to find a prior sale. So, this is a Paul Harvey anecdote without the usual corroboration." [Well, I could swear I've seen reports of such sales in the past, but maybe we haven't covered them in The E-Sylum. I'm sure this is a perennial problem for them, so they must have disposed of unusable coins and slugs before in some manner. -Editor] Bob adds: "When I was director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, I was out to a long lunch in Frankfurt, Germany with a couple of executives from the Deutchesbundesbank. They told me that the subway system -- I believe it was Frankfurt -- was being overrun with coins from England that were about 1/10 or so of the equivalent of the West German coin required by the subway. "The bank was perplexed as what to do with the coins as the bags of English coins were beginning to consume space and they were heavy to move. As the horde increased they kept hefting the bags of coins and moving them to larger quarters -- no pun intended. After a high-level meeting the Germans decided to ship the coins to England as a goodwill gesture." [Using cheaper coins from another country to fool vending machines is an age-old pastime. I wouldn't be surprised if someone maintains a web page with a table listing what coins or tokens are known to be effective substitutes for other, higher-valued coins or tokens. Can anyone locate such a chart for us? -Editor] NEW YORK TO SELL ANOTHER BATCH OF REJECTED PARKING METER COINS http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n31a18.html CANADIAN OPINION POLL ON ELIMINATING THE CENT Dick Johnson writes: "An enterprising Canadian newspaper, the London Free Press -- under their Access to Information Act -- obtained and published the fact last Sunday (August 5, 2007) that the Royal Canadian Mint spent $110,515 for a public opinion poll whether or not to abolish their penny coin. That's a lot of money to cover your backside before a decision is made. "A spokesman for the Mint revealed the study has been completed and is under review before it is publicly released. Other countries such as Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Finland have quit making one-cent coins. Winnipeg New Democrat MP Pat Martin is planning a private member's bill to discontinue use of the penny. Prices would be rounded up or down as they are in Australia. "He didn't mince words in what he said: 'I wish they'd stop wasting money on public opinion polls and hand-wringing and just stop making the damn things.' "Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently expressed a coin-collectors' sentimental attachment to the penny." To read the complete article, see: http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/National/2007/08/05/4394902-sun.html Dick adds: "In another Canadian news article the headline reads 'Ottawans differ on losing cents' I expected some support for keeping the cent. However, the comments strongly are in favor of abolishing the denomination as a circulating coin." To read the complete article, see: http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/OttawaAndRegion/2007/08/06/4396961-sun.html NEWSMAN FLIPS 1913 LIBERTY NICKEL ON AIR [Donn Perlman reported the following incident on the Collectors Universe coin forums. -Editor] "Thank goodness for 'Cointains.' "Mark Concannon, a Milwaukee television anchorman, unexpectedly flipped the Bebee/McDermott specimen 1913 Liberty Head nickel during a live interview segment on WITI-TV's Fox 6 Wake Up News program on Wednesday morning, August 8. (Yes, he'd been politely informed before we went on the air that the "props" for the interview could be handled, but with care.....) "Dawn Haley, Director of External Affairs for the U.S. Treasury Department's Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and I were the interview guests on the segment to promote the opening of the ANA World's Fair of Money. She brought along a few eye-opening items from the BEP's popular Billion Dollar Display including Series 1934 Gold Certificate $100,000 notes and a $500 million Treasury Bond. With the gracious permission of the ANA and the assistance of ANA Money Museum Curator, Douglas Mudd, I had the Bebee/McDermott 1913 nickel which is making its "homecoming" appearance in Milwaukee for the first time in 40 years. "During the interview, newscaster Concannon picked up the nickel and flipped it in the air. Fortunately, it's in a Cointain protective holder, and fortunately, Concannon caught it. A similar situation occurred with me in the late 1990's when I was on KTLA-TV in Los Angeles with Greg Roberts to show an 1894-S dime that was going on display at the Long Beach Expo. Comedian Bill Cosby was also on the set. During the live interview, the Cos came over to look at the coin (it was in a PCGS holder), took a dime from his pocket, put it on the table, picked up the '94-S and began doing a "Fat Albert" walk off the set with the '94-S. It was very funny, and after the segment he graciously posed for a photo holding the coin (which was safely returned to Roberts.) "Newscaster Concannon was enthusiastic about coin collecting and genuinely interested in the items Haley and I brought for 'show 'n' tell.' It was a great promotion for the ANA convention. As a numismatist, I was briefly stunned by the coin flip. As a 30-year broadcaster (before turning to The Dark Side of the Force, PR), I knew it was 'good television.' But I hope that this was a TV first that has no sequel...." To read the complete article, see: http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=26&threadid=601460 WAYNE'S LONDON DIARY 7 AUGUST, 2007: SIR JOHN SOANE'S MUSEUM I arrived back in London on the Sunday night Virgin Atlantic redeye from Dulles International. In what's getting to be too much of a routine, I caught the Heathrow Express train to Paddington Station and walked several blocks to my hotel with my wheeled luggage in tow. After unpacking and taking a shower, I got dressed and headed to the office. After work I checked the schedule of events I'd lined up for the week. Patrick McMahon of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts had recommended visiting Sir John Soane's museum. He wrote: "There is no numismatic material there that I can recall (unless his designs for the Bank of England count), but there is nothing quite like it." The Soane web site states that "Soane designed this house to live in, but also as a setting for his antiquities and his works of art. After the death of his wife (1815), he lived here alone, constantly adding to and rearranging his collections." Never one to turn down good advice from those in the know, I had made plans to visit the Soane after work Tuesday. Ordinarily open only until 5pm, the museum has a special candlelight event until 9pm on the first Tuesday evening of the month, so I had planned my visit for the first Tuesday of August. Luckily, work didn't get in the way. I left the office about 6:45. Fortunately, the Soane was in walking distance. According to my map, it was pretty much a straight shot, although in typical London style the street changed names at various intersections. Turning off Charing Cross Road I walked down Newport Court to Long Acre and then Great Queen Street on my way to 13 Lincoln Inn Fields. Along the way a storefront caught my eye at 23 Great Queen Street. As a numismatist I'm familiar with many types of medals, orders and decorations. In the window were various sashes, decorations and several books relating to medal-issuing societies. The name of the store? Central Regalia Limited - "manufacturers of fine regalia." Aha - another only-in-London moment. The bibliophile in me made note of the books, which could well contain information on the issuance and use of various medals and decorations. Included were 'The Knights Templar" by Sean Martin, 'The Mark Degree" by David Mitchell and multiple titles by Richard Johnson such as 'The Lodge treasurer, Charting Steward and Almoner - A Practical Guide'. Also on display was a copy of 'Freemasonry Today' magazine. Two doors down at 19-21 Great Queen I was stopped in my tracks again. Signs declared Toye Kenning & Spencer Ltd, founded in 1685, "manufacturers of ties, trophies, badges & medallions, special commissions, presentations & long service awards." Gold lettering on the transom window spelled "Regalia House". So what are the odds of stumbling upon not one, but TWO regalia peddlers in one block? Try THAT on your next trip to the mall. The widow displays included clocks, watches, picture frames, ties, Masonic badges, emblems, cufflinks, glassware, etc. Books were on display here, too. In addition to some of the same tiles found in the neighboring store were 'The Concise History of Freemasonry' by Robert Freke Gould and 'Rose Croix: A History of the Ancient and Accepted Rite for England and Wales'. The firm's web site is www.tksmedalsandribbons.co.uk . The site states that "Since 1685, the name Toye, Kenning & Spencer has been synonymous with quality, craftsmanship and service." "As medal manufacturers for over one hundred years, we supply the armed forces and emergency services in both full size and miniature medals and ribbons as well as offering a full mounting service. "As leading international medal ribbon weavers, we have a comprehensive stock service for United Nations & International Mission medal ribbons. "We also supply organisations such as the Royal Life Saving Society and the National Rifle Association with all of their medal requirements." The hour being late, the regalia shops were closed, but might make a fruitful stop for collectors of medals and decorations while visiting London. I continued on to the Soane only to discover a queue of some forty people waiting to get in. The Soane is a private home and relatively small by museum standards. Only 75 visitors are allowed in at a time. People wait outside to be let in only when enough others leave. So I waited. A group of seven young Londoners was in front of me. A young woman with a Spanish accent got in line behind; next a group of people speaking German arrived. So who was this man whose museum has been drawing people from around the world since 1837? Born in 1753, John Soane was the son of a bricklayer who became one of England's greatest architects, responsible for interiors at No. 10 Downing Street, and for Britain's first public art gallery. His favorite and most famous work was the headquarters of the Bank of England (see there - a numismatic connection and I haven't set foot in the door yet). Soane's home is an architectural showpiece featuring a beautiful spiraling white marble staircase and a hundreds of feet of built-in glass-front bookcases (a bibliophile's dream!). He died in 1837, leaving his home as a public museum. The original endowment has long since been exhausted and the museum is supported by the Government and private donations. But admission is FREE to what is perhaps the most idiosyncratic of all London museums. Although Patrick McMahon didn't remember any numismatic material, my numismatist's nose could sniff some. I mean, what educated gentleman of his day DIDN'T appreciate numismatics? As I was to find out, there were indeed some numismatic treasures waiting inside. By the time I got to the front of the line there were about sixty people behind me. Finally the door manager motioned me inside. The narrow hallway sported six large plaster wall medallions depicting classical allegorical scenes. Four of them were about two feet in diameter; two others were about four feet across. There were others in the alcove and hallway beyond, nine in all. Turning to the right I entered a combination dining room/library. Books were shelved throughout the entire home, but the core of the 6,000+ volume collection is stored here. It was about this time that I realized that a nostalgic candlelight tour is not the best time to view either coins or books - in the dim light it was difficult to read the spines and see what books were present. But I was able to make out a few. The first item I encountered was a nicely bound set of Gentleman's Magazine v1-54, 1731-1764. No, it's not forerunner of Playboy - Gentleman's Magazine was a potpourri of news, announcements and discussions on a wide range of topics, driven largely by news and reader letters. Sound familiar? I like to think of The E-Sylum as a faster-paced GM for numismatists of today (both Gentlemen and Ladies, thank you). There are many interesting numismatic tidbits within, such as a contemporary announcement of Franklin's Libertas Americana medal in the March, 1783 issue. Other books in the library include the works of Chaucer, a beautifully bound 25-volume set of 'Swift's Works', a 20-volume Encyclopedia Britannica, Raleigh's 'History of the World' and Malcolm's 'History of Persia'. On a bookshelf in the Kitchen I found the five-volume 'Catalogue of the Library in Sir John Soane's Museum'. According to the museum's website, "Work to recatalogue the Library to modern bibliographical standards is nearing completion, and over the next three years groups of entries will be made available on the website at intervals as the editing is completed." Surely there must be a few, but try as I might, I could not locate a numismatic tome anywhere. To access the online catalog of Soane's library, see: http://www.soane.org.uk/library/ In the Dressing room beyond were four hanging frames filled with "casts of gems" by Edward Birch and Nathaniel Marchant. These were pretty coin-like cameos in plaster. On the far wall I spotted a man's portrait labeled "Nathaniel Marchant R.A. Die Sinker To the MINT". Aha! Another numismatic connection. I've found little about him on the Internet, other than a reference to an article by Gertrud Seidman in the Fifty-Third Volume of the Walpole Society titled 'Nathaniel Marchant, Gem-Engraver, 1739-1816'. The Ashmolean Museum at Oxford University mounted a small exhibition on Nathaniel Marchant in honour of Miss Seidmann in 1999-2000. Can anyone shed more light on Mr Marchant? Was he an engraver at the Royal Mint? The Portrait room held 28 paintings and sketches, including twelve by William Hogarth (1964-1764). There were more paintings throughout the house. In the gift shop were some beautiful large landscapes with water and buildings including two by Venetian artist Canaletto (1697-1768) - Piazza S. Marco and Rialto, Venezia. The sheer amount and diversity of the Soane holdings is amazing. There are architectural elements, busts, statues, pre-Columbian pottery and even a huge sarcophagus of an Egyptian King. What a treasure palace - I can only wonder what the value of the collection is today, 170 years after Soane's death. How did Soane assemble his collection? The docents told me that although he took the Grand Tour of Europe as a young man he rarely traveled, and bought much of his collection through auctions and dealers. He also purchased entire collections. When I asked about coins and medals I was told that Soane wasn't much interested in numismatics. Pity - imagine the numismatic treasures that could have found their way into this collector's centuries-old time capsule. The docents threw me a bone, though, telling me that upstairs was a set of medals Soane bought in Paris in 1819. Hmmmm - more later. I had already encountered a few numismatic specimens on display. In an alcove in the basement were five medals including gold and silver examples of a "medal presented to John Soane by the Architects of England. Engraved by Wyon the Chief Engraver of His Majesty's Mint. The silver version shows the reverse featuring a portion of his favourite work: the Bank of England." The obverse of the medal features a portrait of Soane. Unfortunately, much of Soane's earlier Bank of England building was demolished as part of a renovation in the 1920s which some called "the greatest architectural crime, in the City of London, of the twentieth century". Finally completing my rounds of the basement and ground floor, I made my way upstairs in the dimming evening light. How come they don't make candles with more candlepower? Anyway, just as the closing hour approached I found the numismatic Holy Grail of the Soane museum, sitting in two glass-topped wooden cases on a window seat in the back bedroom. Each case held four custom-made wooden trays of bronze medals of all sizes, about 130 in all. Despite the poor lighting I could see that the medals were in great condition, many with superb mahogany surfaces. The label read as follows: "Medals struck at the Paris Mint between 1796 and 1815 to celebrate the victories and other episodes in Napoleon's career. Designed by Baron Denon (1747-1825) and engraved by various French artists, this collection is traditionally said to have been assembled by Baron for the Empress Josephine." I was agog at the sight of the collection and wished for just three things: 1. a good magnifier 2. a good flashlight 3. a good deal more time But soon it was 8:55PM and downstairs one of the docents said "Do guard your ears!" before clanking a large hand bell to signal closing time. Reluctantly, I left the building. I visited an Indian restaurant for dinner on my way back to the tube stop. Passing a Tapas restaurant decked out in red chintz, it looked to me like a French bordello on Bastille Day. I guess I still had visions of Paris on my brain. It was 10pm and few cars were about on Charing Cross Road. I jaywalked straight across without a care, a death-defying act in midday. The only moving vehicles were six tricycle rickshaws, some pulling tourists, most empty. The sidewalks were as packed as ever with people, though, including families with children coming from the thratre. I wished my family could be with me. Soon I was on the tube, hurtling back to my hotel on a Central Line train. So ended another day in London. While writing this diary entry I came across a great article on Soane's museum. Here's an excerpt that we collectors can relate to: "John Soane's problem was that he couldn't stop collecting fantastic things and cramming them into his house on Lincoln's Inn Fields in London." "He was one of those splendid and productive wackos who make life worth living for the rest of us by leaving behind something astonishing to remind us that the secret to being interesting is being interested." "The tidy chaos of Soane's Museum is what makes it so enchanting -- unlike other museums, the collection is not organized according to any perceivable linear or thematic thread. He arranged his exquisite hodgepodge the way he wished, juxtaposing objects for his own aesthetic satisfaction. Great cooks don't bother with recipes." [Has the existence of Soane's set of Napoleonic medals been recorded in the numismatic literature? Is there any other record of its provenance? -Editor] To read the complete Salon article on Soane's museum, see: http://www.salon.com/wlust/pm/1998/05/13post.html For more information on Napoleonic medals, see: http://fortiter.napoleonicmedals.org/ For more information on Baron Denon, see: http://www.nndb.com/people/456/000097165/ For more information on the Soane museum, see http://www.soane.org/ For more information on Sir John Soane, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Soane LIBERTAS AMERICANA http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v02n17a04.html WAYNE'S LONDON DIARY 11 AUGUST, 2007: SAMUEL JOHNSON'S HOUSE, ST. PAUL'S My work week got busier and busier and I stayed later at the office each night. On Thursday I didn't leave until nearly 11pm. On the tube home the driver announced, "we're stopping at this station for a few minutes so we can clean up some vomit on the first car." That was just what I needed to hear as I attempted to digest a few pieces of late-evening pepperoni pizza from the office. The driver came on the loudspeaker a couple minutes later and said, "Really, it's only vomit, there's no need to look down the car." I wasn't among those looking - all I wanted was to get back to my hotel. At 6am my alarm rang and by seven I was standing outside on my suit and tie. Three of us hopped into a car driven by our client. We circled around some local street closures, then alongside Hyde Park to Marble Arch. The large archway was built as an entrance to Buckingham Palace, but it was later moved and reassembled at the southwestern corner of Hyde Park. Here we turned onto Edgeware Road heading north out of London. This is the beginning of what is now the A5 expressway, following a route originally paved by the Romans. We arrived in Leavesden well before our 9am meeting. The building had a caf? in the lobby, and our client offered to buy us breakfast. I'm not a ham and eggs person on a good day and would have been happy with some toast or cereal. But the caf? was mainly offering hot wrapped sausage sandwiches, basically sausage hot dogs. Everyone bought one. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, I thought. So I ate a sausage hot dog for breakfast. Our meetings went well, thanks in part to our preparation work the night before. But a lack of sleep was catching up on me. I had to concentrate to not doze off as others droned on. But that wasn't my biggest problem - that would be the silent sausage farts. My biggest fear was that I'd fall asleep and my colleagues would wheel me out of the room so I would stink up the hallway instead. But the storm passed and a supply of caffeinated cola kept me awake. About 5 o'clock our client dropped us at a train station and we took the tube back into London. We worked until 6:30 or so, then walked toward the Lowlander Pub in Covent Garden, where we'd been a few Fridays before. My co-worker, who's usually very good with London directions, ended up detouring us a good bit out of our way, but it gave me a chance to see Covent Garden Market again. The place was alive with hoards of people. An acrobat entertained by juggling while riding a unicycle on a rope suspended between two columns. Tourists were having their photo taken with a man dressed as a statue of a Roman soldier. A sign chiseled in a nearby wall noted that Samuel Pepys watched his first Punch puppet show near the site in May 1662. Over three centuries later, the place was still a magnet for street entertainers. We finally got to the pub around seven. Our client joined us later, along with his wife. We had some nice conversation, but I was fading fast - exhaustion was setting in. I couldn't bear to eat and drink like the locals - screw the Romans, screw Wild Boar Sausages, and screw the beer, too. I ordered a bottle of water and a hamburger. I left around 9:30 and could barely keep my eyes open. But I made it home, looking forward to a good night's rest. I guess I got my rest - I didn't set the alarm and didn't crawl out of bed until after 10am. The forecast was for a sunny day with a high of 79 degrees Fahrenheit. That would make it warmest day I've seen my whole stay in London. Earlier this week it had hit 102 degrees back home in Virginia. Here in London the high was only 70; going to work in the morning I saw people wearing jackets. I gladly put on shorts and a T-shirt, looking the part of a proper American tourist. I left my hotel around noon. As I walked to the main street, I could already tell it was going to be a perfect day, one where the skies are clear, the air is warm, and all the women are beautiful. Alongside Prince Alfred pub, a florist displayed colorful cut flowers for sale. I wanted to buy my wife a bouquet, but she and my kids were thousands of miles away. Wishing to try something different for lunch, I walked into Halal, a local eatery run by a Muslim. I hadn't been in before, but was impressed with the cleanliness and brightness of the place. I ordered a chicken curry dish, and it was very good. As I paid my bill I noticed some Euro coins in the tip plate. I asked the manager about the exchange rate, and then offered to pay in pounds for the coins. He agreed, and I took the coins - two fifty cent coins of country different designs, and a twenty cent and ten cent coin. I walked into my regular Queensway tube station. As I turned the corner onto the platform, a train was just arriving. See - I just knew it would be a perfect day. I hopped on and exited at the Holborn station. One woman walking near me had a little dog walking ahead of her on a leash. A woman up ahead of me was wearing a pair of jeans cut a little bit too low around the waist, revealing an inch or so of, shall we say, "cleavage". She must have felt a breeze (or my eyeballs) and gave her pants a tug upward. On the way to my destination was Sir John Soane's museum. This time there was no wait to enter and I went in for some unfinished business. I made a beeline for the Napoleonic medal set on the second floor. The sunlight beaming through the window made it easy to see the medals this time. I confirmed Tuesday evening's impression - the medals were generally in superb shape, although some could benefit from some conservation work. Two small holes in the trays were unfilled, causing me to wonder if they had ever been filled. Two round patches of background material less faded by sunlight than the surrounding areas made me suspect two larger medals had either been lost or (hopefully) taken by the curators for study or conservation. One of them had suspended via a hole or bezel - a small nail remained behind. My favorite medal? There on many, particularly those with very high relief. They had allegorical motifs, nudes, Gods, warriors and of course, Napoleon. In the daylight I could read the spines of many of the books I saw. Remember, Soane was an architect and he used his collections and library partly for the education of himself and his pupils. Some of the books were tour guides and town histories, undoubtedly acquired for information on old buildings. Some titles included "Walks Through Bath", "Beauties of England and Wales", "Oxford Guides", "Winchester & Cambridge", "History of Exeter" and a four-volume set of "Hughson's London". Before leaving I took a quick walk around, and it was a better experience now that the rooms were better lit. Light poured through the windows and skylight domes. Outside in the court I could see Soane's tall monument to the family dog, inscribed "Alas / Poor Fanny". The Picture Room revealed its secrets. I had wondered why it contained so few paintings. It didn't. Today I could see that the walls open up on hinges, an ingenious space-saving design revealing many more paintings and prints behind on hinged panels. Many are paintings and drawings of Soane's architectural designs. On a shelf is a scale model of Soane's South Front of the Bank of England. Once outside I decided to walk through Lincoln's Inn Fields, a city park across the street. It is the largest public square in London and is thought to have been one of the inspirations for New York's Central Park. The trees are a wonder - with trunks measuring several feet across, they must be centuries old. The oldest building facing Lincoln's Inn Fields is Lindsey House, built in 1640. At nearby Powis House, the charter of the Bank of England was sealed in July 1694. As I continued my walk I heard the beep-beep-beep of a construction vehicle backing up. It was a flatbed truck (pardon me, "lorry") carrying wooden timbers, perhaps for scaffolding. Construction cranes towered nearby. I imagined John Soane's excitement if he could be with me today - he'd probably run over to the site foreman's office, imploring to be shown the plans. I passed the Courts of Justice and Law Society on Chancery Lane. A plaque on one building noted what had been lost to earlier construction: "Site of Old Serjeant's Inn 1415-1910". My destination was the home of Samuel Johnson, author of the first major dictionary of the English language. An elderly couple from Chicago that I'd met at the Benjamin Franklin house recommended it, but noted that it was difficult to find in narrow lanes off Fleet Street. So onto Fleet Street I turned. A double-decker tour bus passed by. Across the street was a tall, narrow building housing Ye Olde Cock Tavern. Following my map I came to Pemberton Row. There was a construction fence and another tall crane. But the fence held clues that I was drawing near. Painted on the fence were definitions of interesting English words, including: "Equinumerant - Having the same number", "Discalceation - The act of pulling off the shoes", "Circumferaneous - Wandering from house to house ' 'A circumferaneous fiddler, one that plays at doors.'" Around a corner I walked onto Gough Street and spotted my goal, but my heart sank as a read the sign on the locked gate: "Dr. Johnson's house will be closed today..." But I was relieved to read the rest: "... between 1-2 pm". I was even more relieved as I checked the time on my mobile phone: 1:57pm. The admission was 4.50 GBP. I pulled out a fiver and waited. I was soon joined by five other people. A pretty blond woman walked out of the house and clapped with excitement - "Ooh, a crowd!" She unlocked the gate and let us in. I paid my admission and was given a 50 pence coin in return. I looked at it disappointedly. "You should be giving out Johnson coins in change," I said. In 2005 the Royal Mint issued a circulating commemorative 50p coin in honor of the 250th anniversary of the 1755 publication of Johnson's Dictionary. Finding one of the coins in change had partly inspired my visit. The clerk explained that they'd tried to get a supply of the coins, but it had taken months to get their order filled by their bank. They had none in the till, but did offer some uncirculated ones for sale in Royal Mint packaging. The gift shop also sold books on Johnson, including, of course, James Boswell's classic, "The Life of Samuel Johnson." In the front hallway, the original front door was secured with two large deadbolts and an even larger iron chain. Partway up the stairs was a small built-in closet that once stored candles, handy when going upstairs after dark. At the top of the stair was a nook with chairs and a video player. I pushed in a tape and watched a 20-minute video with costumed actors portraying Johnson and Boswell touring the house and discussing Johnson's life. He had been born into a poor family in 1728. He entered Oxford University but was too poor to complete his studies. He later found work as a teacher and founded a private academy. He only had three pupils, but one was David Garrick, who became Johnson's friend and later went on to fame and fortune as an actor. By 1737 Johnson was penniless and he and Garrick set out together to make their fortunes in London. There he found employment writing for The Gentleman's Magazine. For the next thirty years, Johnson wrote biographies, poetry, essays, pamphlets and parliamentary reports. In 1745 he signed a contract with a publisher to write his dictionary, worth the equivalent of over $300,000 today. He thought the project would take three years; it took a decade. He moved to the Gough street house to work on the project and be close to his printer. Johnson scoured his extensive library for references, underlining words and sentences for inclusion in his dictionary. He had a team of six clerks working for him in the attic of the house. They transcribed the excerpts onto cards and organized them for him. Johnson would study the cards and write his definitions. Eventually the cards were assembled and prepared for the printer to typeset. I climbed to the attic workroom. While Johnson's dictionary was not the first dictionary of the English language, it was by all accounts the best to date and came along at a fortuitous time - the declining cost of printing and the corresponding rise in literacy demanded clearer standards in meaning spelling, and grammar. The workroom was dim, but large enough to accommodate the clerks and their work. It held no furniture or artifacts relating to his dictionary. If there was copy of his original dictionary anywhere in the house, I did not see it. So what's the numismatic connection? Well, we at The E-Sylum love words, although it's been a while since we've defined an unusual numismatic term. That's all that led me here. But there were some interesting numismatic items here besides the 2005 commemorative. In the attic room through 18 September is "Behind the Scenes", an exhibit on Georgian Theatres 1737-1784. In one case was a Shakespearian Jubilee Medallion, a silver medal struck in 1769 to "commemorate the Jubilee organized by David Garrick in Stratford- Upon-Avon to celebrate the bicentenary of Shakespeare's birth. The medal was displayed with its original hanger, ribbon and box. In another case was a group of 1778 Haymarket entry tokens. These were used as admission tickets to the Haymarket Theatre. The four apparently polished tokens were encased in Lucite. Their inscriptions included the words "Box", "Pit", "First Gall'y" and "Second Gall'y". The exhibit text explained that Boxes were for people "of quality". The Pit was for "ladies, gentleman and intellectuals." The First Gallery was for "tradesmen and their wives" and the Second Gallery was for "the mob." [Quick quiz: name a U.S. numismatic item relating to a theatre. -Editor] Finally, a third case contained another unusual numismatic item: "John Philip Kemble's 'George'", a crude-looking medal of "silver or nickel alloy c1781-1817." The text explained that "A George Medal was "... traditionally worn onstage by actors in the role of Richard III; it depicts George slaying the dragon'. It was nearly 3pm. I made my way out of the Johnson house and found a new passage back to Fleet Street. The dome of St. Paul's Cathedral loomed in the distance. I was thirsty, but passed up the first shops I encountered - A McDonald's and a Starbuck's. Not enough of the local color for this numismatourist. But I soon came across Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese restaurant. A sign noted that it was rebuilt in 1667 (after the London fire of 1666) and was "a known haunt of Samuel Johnson, Charles Dickens and countless others." To the right of the entrance was a sign: "Under 15 Sovereigns ... Rebuilt in the reign of Charles II and continued successively in the reigns of ..." The sign listed all monarchs from James II (1685-1688) through Elizabeth II (1952-). The most telling sign of the restaurant's longevity was the stone stoop in front of the door - it was worn down several inches by centuries of patrons' shoes. A grate above it allows today's visitors to enter without tripping. But I didn't need a restaurant, just a drink. This being Saturday in the City of London, a booming business district during the week, many shops were closed. Local chains Pret A Manger, E.A.T. and William H. Smith were closed for the weekend. I found an open convenience store and bought a cold Coke Zero. I walked down the street and entered St. Paul's Cathedral. After waiting in line with other tourists I bought my ticket and was told "if you want to climb the dome, you'd better start now - there's not much time left." So I found the first of the 400+ steps and began my ascent, but not before marveling at the absolute beauty and splendor of the magnificent structure. "Stairway to Heaven" I heard someone quip. The first landing is the Whispering Gallery, a shelf of seating surrounding the lower part of the main dome. A choir began to practice and the sound and view were heavenly. Entering another door, I climbed the second set of stairs to a higher landing. It's as if Christopher Wren designed the stairs with tourists in mind; the various landings allow you to catch your breath before resuming the ascent. There are also benches at various points along the stairs. The final journey is on a narrow winding iron grill stair. If you look down, you'll see the faces of others below looking up at you. The line of people backs up here, as people linger at the very top before coming back down a separate stair. At one point in the final climb, you have to squeeze through a narrow stone doorway. The trek is not for the obese, acrophobic, claustrophobic, or discreet women in skirts. A one point there is a glass window in the floor at the very center of the dome. You can look down from an angel's perch to the floor of the Cathedral below, where people look like ants. Near the pinnacle of the dome you step outside onto a walkway to a magnificent view of London. The Thames sparkles below. Downstream is the Tower Bridge and Tower of London. Upstream are the Houses of Parliament, the Millennium Bridge and the London Eye, the huge Ferris Wheel also built to celebrate the millennium. I took some photos, like everyone else. What would the architects Wren and Soane think to view their city from this vantage point today? The climb down was quick and uneventful. I entered the American Chapel at the East End of the Cathedral. A sign read "This area, originally containing the high altar, had suffered major bomb damage in October 1940." Later, downstairs in the crypt, was a placard stating "following the bombing raid of 29 December 1940, when St. Paul's was seen rising above the smoke and flame all around, Winston Churchill telephoned the Guildhall to insist that that Cathedral must be saved at all costs. St. Paul's was a symbol of the nation's defiance in the dark days of WWII." After the war, restoration work began on the Cathedral. The replacement of the high altar area "revived an unfulfilled plan of Sir Christopher Wren and provided a space for a chapel of great beauty and significance." The American Chapel was dedicated in November 1958. The sign reproduced Winston Churchill's letter about the Chapel: "Our two countries, parted long ago by war, were brought together again by war in a unity and understanding such as we had never known. Through long years of endeavour and endurance we shared all things, and though we lost so much we found a lasting friendship. We shall not forget those gallant American soldiers, sailors and airmen who fought with us..." Churchill's was the only non-royal state funeral held in St. Paul's, on 30 January, 1965. The others were Nelson and Wellington, who have huge monuments in the basement crypt. I lingered a bit, then went outside to continue my journey. I followed my map toward The Tower of London, passing the Bank of England on Threadneedle Street. By the time I arrived at the Tower it was 5:30 and too late to enter. I walked around the outside of the old structure, and viewed some remaining parts of the old Roman wall that once encircled the City. I hopped on the tube and headed home for dinner. Back at the hotel Saturday evening I did my laundry and worked on The E-Sylum in my room. Twice I returned to the laundry room to find that one of the other guests had mucked with my dryer - after an hour and a half my clothes were still wet. I stalked back to my room and brought my laptop down to the laundry room, where I worked on the E-Sylum with the computer atop a dryer. Next one to touch my clothes will find themselves stuffed into a washing machine with the agitator in an awkward place. So my Saturday evening wasn't as glamorous as the ANA awards banquet in Milwaukee. But it was a fun day of numismatic adventure. For more information on the Marble Arch, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marble_Arch For more information on Covent Garden and Punch and Judy, see http://www.coventgardenlife.com/info/street_entertainers/punch_judy/punch_ju dy.htm For more information on Lincoln's Inn Fields, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln's_Inn_Fields For am image of the Samuel Johnson commemorative 50 pence coin, See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:50PENCE05.jpg For more information on Samuel Johnson, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Johnson For more information on the Royal Haymarket Theatre, see http://www.theatrehistory.com/british/haymarket001.html WAYNE'S LONDON DIARY 12 AUGUST, 2007: THE TOWER OF LONDON Earlier in my visit Jim Spilman wrote: "While you are there in London with the Bloody British be certain to stop by the Arms Museum within the Tower of London. It is just 'around the corner' in one of the buildings adjacent to the Crown Jewels exhibit. Last time I was there they had on display the ORIGINAL Steam Gun invented by Jacob Perkins (ca. 1820). It could penetrate a 19" brick brick wall with iron slugs. "Reference: Jacob Perkins, His Inventions, His Times, & His Contemporaries. Page 111ff. Greville & Dorothy Bathe. The Historical Society of PA. 1943 (200 copies)" Not having yet been inside the Tower of London, I made this my goal for Sunday. I had some salad and an apple for lunch at my hotel and headed again for the tube. This time I walked up to the Notting Hill Gate station and took the Circle Line, which stops directly at the Tower station. Wearing shorts and a T-shirt in giddy anticipation of a repeat of Saturday's weather, I was sadly encountered with cool and cloudy weather. Too lazy or stubborn to go back and change, I pressed on. The sun shone thru enough times that I made do, but warmer clothes would have been welcome. I passed through the main tower gate about 1pm, just in time to catch up with a tour group led by a member of the Yeoman Warders, the famous "Beefeaters". He seemed to really enjoy his work, teasing the crowd, yet doling out very interesting bits of history and lore about the Tower. At the center of the complex is The White Tower. Built by William the Conqueror along the banks of the Thames in 1078, the structure which served as the royal palace for over 500 years. In the 12th century, King Richard the Lionheart enclosed the White Tower with a curtain wall and had a moat dug around it. Various other building and towers were built within the walls. "The Tower of London" is a term referring to the entire complex. After our tour most of the hundreds of tourists got in line to view the Crown Jewels. As one who hates lines, I decided to go look for the coin exhibits. "No one will be there". I thought. It turned out to be a good decision. I waited until about 4 pm and by then there was no line at all to see the Jewels. I skipped in giddily like a kid on a private visit to Disneyland. Disneyland is an apt analogy - prepared for huge crowds, the exhibit walks visitors through multiple waiting galleries before delivering the crowd to the main event. Projection screens show films of the coronation of Elizabeth II, and discuss some of the more famous diamonds and gems that adorn the crowns. In the final exhibit room visitors are herded into two lines, one in front of a line of exhibit cases, and one behind. The floors are moving walkways like those seen in airports. What better way to move the cattle along and prevent lingering? No such precautions were needed at the numismatic exhibit, which turned out to be pitifully small. There was no signage anywhere, and two of the guards I spoke to had no idea it was there. A third guard directed me to the top floor of the White Tower. I entered the Tower in awe of its thousand-year history. The White Tower is today basically a museum of armaments, filled with suits of armor, muskets, cannons and other weapons. It was an interesting exhibit, but I have to say I enjoyed the armaments at the Fitzwilliam Museum more. At the Fitzwilliam the armor is right out in the open, close enough to touch. The Tower museum lacks that wow factor - there are far more items on display, but they are farther back from visitors or behind glass. Once inside I also had to ask for assistance finding the Jacob Perkins gun. Because of the steam power mechanism, I was expecting something very large, but as it turns out the gun itself is fairly small, as it is meant to be attached to steam source by a tube. Within a case displaying a number of experimental weapons was the Perkins steam gun, circa 1840. It is not the original Jacob Perkins gun as Jim remembered (unless that was also there and I missed it). This one was an improved version built by Jacob's son Angier. The final room at the top of the White Tower held the new "Hands on History" exhibit, where visitors heft axes and feel the tension of an archer's bow. Along the center of the room is a long exhibit by the Mint with large-scale reproductions of different coins, each about a foot across. As anyone who has seen the early hammered coins knows, the artwork was typically crude. I over heard one visitor, while looking at the enlarged coin likeness of William I comment sarcastically, "What a beautiful likeness!" There were some real coins in the exhibit, but only twelve - displayed were obverse/reverse examples of: Silver penny of William I Gold noble of Edward III Gold sovereign of Edward VI Silver crown of Charles I Silver crown of George II In all, the numismatic exhibit was pretty disappointing. I guess I expected too much from a venue that once housed an actual mint. The old mint facilities were not in the White Tower, but in an outbuilding elsewhere in the compound. There is a "Mint Street", but this area is private and closed to visitors. I left the Tower of London complex about 5pm and walked toward Tower Hill, to the place where the Royal Mint relocated upon leaving the Tower. The Royal Mint building was there, across the road leading to the Tower Bridge. It too, was closed to the public. The Mint had long ago packed up again and removed to Llantrisant, Wales. Time marches on, and so did I. This time I walked several blocks to the Liverpool Street Station to catch a tube train back to my hotel. That's all for this week's numismatic adventures. Cheers from London! ROYAL MINT EXHIBIT AT THE TOWER OF LONDON http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n30a25.html THE E-SYLUM: A NUMISMATIC BLOG? Dick Johnson writes: "The headline stated ?The Blog Turns 10? in my morning newspaper. Blogs have been around for a decade! Can you believe it? The article tells me there are more than 53.1 million individual blogs now ? on every conceivable subject -- and 175,000 new blogs are created every day! "But I am glad there is a blog on numismatics, and numismatic literature. Or, perhaps you do not consider E-Sylum a blog, editor Wayne Homren?s personal blog. Unlike the gossip, politics, and shear running off of the mouth ? there is now a word for this ?blogorhea??that you will find on most other web postings, I am certain you will agree what you read here every week is a cut above anything else on the Internet. "Wayne Homren was a visionary. Look at the first line in this issue. It says vol 10, number 32. Wayne envisaged many years ago what a weekly discourse of news, announcements, gripes, comments and discourse on numismatics would find an audience on the Internet. Way ahead of its time. He has found that audience. He has built a readership based on the freshness, quality, importance and service to his subscribers by providing numismatic information we all wanted. And he has maintained that every week since. "As a high school senior in 1946 I could not get enough news of numismatics in the then existing publications (Numismatist, Numismatic Scrapbook). So I subscribed to a newspaper clipping service for any news clipping on coins. For a class in journalism that year I wrote a paper ?Establishing a numismatic news service.? This came about, somewhat, 14 years later when I started Coin World. So you see I have some insight of the subject. "I recognized Wayne was on to something when I first learned of E-Sylum. He foresaw the Internet as an effective way of publishing without paper, print and mailing. It comes to us every Monday on our computer screen. "No, I don?t consider E-Sylum a blog. To me it is an Internet newsletter. Make that a Newsletter with a capital N." [I often call The E-Sylum a blog when explaining to people outside the hobby what I do with my spare time ? it?s a popular term and most people know what it means now. But it think Dick's right ? The E-Sylum not exactly a blog. From the start it was a newsletter - an email newsletter. Now that we've grown into having a web archive and RSS feed, it looks and acts a lot more like a blog, but it holds to its newsletter roots. Many thanks to all E-Sylum readers for your interest and participation. It's reader input that really differentiates The E-Sylum from a "mere" blog, which is typically a one-way publishing street. -Editor] Dick adds: "I say I write at least one article a week for an Internet Newsletter. People seem to understand that. Perhaps it is time to put 'Newsletter' as a subhead somehow." [Instead of ?an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.?, I guess we could be more specific and label it ?an online newsletter.? It?s not just email since we have an RSS feed as well; both forms qualify as ?online?. If you know what "RSS" is, you can use the following address to set up The E-Sylum in your RSS feed reader: http://coinbooks.org/feed.xml . -Editor] ON HOW OBSOLETE-DENOMINATION AMERICAN COINS WERE RETIRED Ralf W. B?pple of Stuttgart writes: "On the question of how obsolete -denomination coins were taken out of circulation, I can only make a guess. I understand that most odd denominations were either never widely used, or at least no longer so in the years prior to their termination. So the number of pieces in circulation should have been very low to begin with. "The regular way in such a situation would be that people spend them (even if they are not officially demonetized, there is a strong incentive for the public to do so, for fear that the government might change its mind in the future). The shopkeepers turn them over to their banks, because their clients are reluctant to accept them as change, and the banks send them off to the Federal Reserve or whoever might be in charge of the local cash supply. "If the coins were made of silver, they might have been hoarded (there is a psychological difference between paying with a silver half dime and a nickel, even though both are worth 5 cents) and were then melted down in later years." HOW WERE OBSOLETE-DENOMINATION AMERICAN COINS RETIRED? http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n30a13.html ON NUMISMATISTS AND COIN AND PAPER MONEY CIRCULATION On a related topic, Ralf W. B?pple writes: "Regarding Roger deWardt Lane's attempt to circulate dollar coins in a coin club meeting, I would simply say that numismatists tend to keep unusual coins they get in circulation, so it appears to me quite logical that they put them aside and did not spend them. The effect of people NOT wanting the new dollars should be increased circulation, because people would try to get rid of the unwanted coins as quickly as possible! It is like the two dollar bill (another topic recently discussed). During my very first visit to the US some time back, I received one in change, and I found it so exciting that I kept it, and still have it today. If I wouldn't have found it interesting and exotic, I would have made it circulate as quickly as possible, right?" ON DOLLAR COIN CIRCULATION http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n31a21.html DENVER MINT BEGINS STRIKING WYOMING STATE QUARTERS On Monday the U.S. Mint in Denver held a ceremonial striking of Wyoming's commemorative quarter with a number of Wyoming state officials present. The Denver Post published a short article: "Participants in the ceremony included Bradford Ross, the grandson of the first woman governor of Wyoming and the first woman director of the Mint, Nellie Tayloe Ross; Milward Simpson, director of the Wyoming Department of Parks and Cultural Resources; and James Helzer, Wyoming Quarter Commission Member. "According to a news release, Wyoming's state quarter is the fourth coin released in 2007 and the 44th released in the Mint's 50 State Quarters Program. An image of a bucking horse and rider are featured on the coin, along with the inscription, "Equality State," which acknowledges the state's historical role in establishing equal voting rights for women. The coin also is inscribed with "Wyoming" and the year "1890," the year the state was admitted into the Union." To read the original article, see: http://www.denverpost.com/rapids/ci_6556911 The Jackson Hole Star-Tribune published a video on its web site. To view the video, see: http://www.casperstartribune.net/video/video.php?v=quarters The Wyoming Tribune published a lengthier piece: "Some may look at the Wyoming quarter - which was the subject of a ceremonial striking at the U.S. Mint here Monday - and see the duality in the state's culture engraved on the tails side of the coin. "On the right of the coin is the state slogan, 'The Equality State,' celebrating Wyoming's groundbreaking role in providing equal rights for women. "On the left is the well-known cowboy on a bucking bronc - a masculine symbol of individualism that brings to mind the popular moniker 'The Cowboy State.' "Nellie Tayloe Ross, Wyoming's first female governor and the first woman in the nation sworn in as a state governor, would not see those values in opposition though. "On Monday, her grandson, Bradford Ross, said, 'I think my grandmother would say that the suffrage issues really helped illustrate the reality of the (cowboy on) the bucking horse symbol. "'The men of Wyoming - the cowboys of Wyoming - are so self-confident that they don't feel like they're losing anything by giving women the right to vote. My grandmother saw the people of Wyoming were progressive and insightful.' "Dignitaries and media milled about the highly secured production floor of the Mint in Denver, a facility Ross knew well. "Milward Simpson is director of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. He also was a member of the Wyoming Coinage Advisory Committee that reviewed and whittled down the options for the coin. "He said public suggestions for the bucking bronc and cowboy as a symbol for the coin ran 10-1 as the most recommended symbol in 3,200 suggestions. "Some people see the two slogans - 'The Equality State' and 'The Cowboy State' - as contradictory, but he does not. "'The nature of the cowboy as a symbol is retrospective, and the Equality State is aspirational. So they sort of fit together,' he said. "Simpson said Ross' role at the Mint made her the logical choice to exemplify Wyoming's commitment to equality for women during the striking of a coin. "She was appointed to head the U.S. Mint by President Roosevelt in 1933 and served until 1953. "Bradford Ross said his grandmother's accomplishments at the Mint included overseeing the opening of a new building in San Francisco in 1937; producing coins for European nations after World War II; and pushing for automation and efficiency at the Mint facilities. "Bradford Ross said, 'Walking the halls of this building as a little 12-year-old boy with my grandmother, I could see how proud she was of the people who work here and the work that they do.' "Ross' legacy lives on at the Mint, said Barbara Hurtgam, acting deputy plant manager. "She said she hoped the attendees witnessing the ceremonial striking would find the facility 'as automated and efficient as (Nellie Tayloe Ross) would want us to be.' To read the complete article, see: http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2007/08/07/featured_story/01top_08-07-07 .txt COLORADO SENATOR INTRODUCES BILL TO ADJUST METAL CONTENT OF U.S. COINS "U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., has introduced legislation that would authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to adjust the metal content of coins distributed by the U.S. Mint. The bill is an effort to save taxpayers over $100 million per year. "'This common sense legislation will allow our government to alter the composition of coins so we no longer have to spend so much money making our money. As a representative of one of the two states with a U.S. Mint Department circulating coins, I will work hard to ensure that this bill is passed expeditiously so our government can start saving money today,' Allard said in a press release. "The U.S. Department of the Treasury has reported that changing the composition of our pennies and nickels will save the government over $100 million a year. This legislation could also lead to a saving of nearly $400 million a year by making similar changes to the dime, quarter and half dollar. "Allard added that once this bill is enacted, the United States Mint, which is a part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, will seek industry and public comment on alternative compositions for the coins." To read the complete article, see: http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20070807/NEWS/70807013 To view the full text of the bill, see: http://allard.senate.gov/_files/CoinMaterialsMdernizationActof2007080207.pdf [David Ganz published a detailed article on this legislation on Numismatic News' Numismaster site. Here are a couple excerpts. -Editor] "Legislation has been simultaneously introduced in the House and Senate to allow the Treasury secretary to change the composition of American coinage, and to allow public participation in the process. "This marks the third time in the last 42 years that the Mint is being asked to make serious changes in its coinage composition. The first came with the Coinage Act of 1965; the second came with the proposal in 1973 to change the composition of the cent from copper to aluminum. Copper-nickel clad coins and a zinc cent that is copper plated were the end result. "This legislation is far more encompassing and looks to the future and the need for prompt action by the Treasury secretary as the price of copper, nickel, zinc and other raw materials rises faster than Congress can cope with them. "Treasury has undertaken several major studies of coinage composition in the last half century. First of these was by the Treasury and entitled, "Treasury Staff Study on Silver and Coinage" (1965). Treasury also contracted for private studies. "One of these was by the Battelle Memorial Institute, entitled "Final Report on a Study of Alloys Suitable for Use as United States Coinage" (1965). "Before any changes take place, both the Senate and House must approve in identical bills and the President must sign it into law. Odds are this one will move ahead, given its powerful backers." To read the complete Ganz article, see: http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ad=article&ArticleId=2671 NEW HAMPSHIRE GOVERNOR VISITS LITTLETON COIN COMPANY On Monday, New Hampshire Governor John Lynch visited the town of Littleton and made a stop at Littleton Coin Company. His visit was chronicled in the Caledionian-Record of Vermont. "After getting an earful about health care needs, and being very impressed by what happens each day at Littleton Regional Hospital, the governor headed over to the Littleton Coin Co. for an up-close and personal look at one of the region's top employers - employing 360 people, said Milton Bratz, director of Administrative Operations. "The company was a dream of Maynard Sundman, who was a coin collector, and after the war desired to start a company based on his passion - he found an investor and had his wife look for a site in New Hampshire. "They moved the fledgling business from Bristol, Conn., to Littleton, the 92-year-old Sundman shared with the governor. He said the city he grew up in had a brass mill, and he got the idea that a coin company would make a good business. "The governor and he inspected the old Royal typewriter he still uses, 'but not for important things,' he said with a smile. "Bratz told the governor that even when the economy isn't so strong, that people continue to purchase things for their hobbies - such as coin and stamp collecting. People may cut back on eating out or buying fancy suits, but they 'keep buying stamps and coins.' "The plant, located in the Littleton Industrial Park, has expanded several times and occupies an 85,000-square foot facility. "Littleton Coin has 'the largest inventory of any coin company in the United States,' today, said Bratz, as Gov. Lynch moved around the company, learning about the ins and outs of collecting new coins, and the value of ancient coins excavated the world over." To read the complete article, see: http://www.caledonianrecord.com/pages/local_news/story/ef8ecc4c8 CANADIAN COUNTERFEITERS SWITCH HOLOGRAPHIC STRIPS Crooks in Canada are playing switcheroo with a real security feature on Bank of Canada notes. "The RCMP are warning the public to be wary of funny money sporting a genuine security feature. "Counterfeiters are stripping the holographic stripes off of lower denomination bills and gluing them onto poor quality $20, $50, and $100 notes, according to the RCMP Bureau for Counterfeit and Document Examinations (BCDE). "What?s more, the crooks are taking the genuine notes without the holographic stripes to banks to be replaced, or pasting $20 stripes on counterfeit $20 notes, then returning the damaged bills to the bank. "The majority of incidents have occurred in Alberta but the bills have also popped up in B.C., Ontario and Quebec. "The public and merchants should be on the alert for bills which have a genuine holographic stripe with a lesser denomination than the actual bank note." To read the complete article, see:http://www.abbynews.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=38&cat=23&id=1041169 &more=0 COUNTERFEITERS WASHING, REPRINTING HIGHER DENOMINATION NOTES Counterfeiters in Louisiana are washing genuine notes and using the paper to print higher-denomination fakes. "The pen commonly used to identify counterfeit money isn't enough to tell that $100 bills being passed in Central Louisiana are phony. Bank tellers and store clerks need to look at other security features built into every bill, police say. "Counterfeiters have been removing the ink from $5 bills and printing them as $100s, said Alexandria Police Sgt. Lee Leach, who is a financial crimes detective. Because they use the paper from real money, they will pass the pen test, he said. "The pen's ink checks for chemicals embedded in currency. 'The pen can only tell if the paper is authentic or not ... If the money has been washed and you have a fake $100, it's no good and you're out of money,' Leach said. "Some businesses won't take any bill larger than a $20. But people counterfeit $20s and $10s, too, Leach said. 'We have counterfeit detection on currency counters, and it's a good idea for people to look to find Abraham Lincoln's face on a $100 bill,' Abshire said. 'I was a teller before, and those fake $100 bills look different. They are real good quality, but the color is faded looking.'" To read the complete article, see: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,292783,00.html PAKISTAN INVESTIGATES IMPROPERLY PRINTED BANKNOTES According to published reports, "The speaker of Pakistan's parliament has ordered an inquiry into why the national flag depicted on the new 1,000 rupee banknote is not in green but red and carries a close resemblance to its Turkish equivalent. "A senior finance official told the National Assembly that a cabinet committee had approved the note, which went into circulation in late 2006 and is worth the equivalent of $16. "The controversy comes at a time when Pakistan finds itself in the middle of a political storm." To read the complete article, see: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Pakistan/Pak_officials_irked_by_Tur kish_flag_on_banknote/articleshow/2269650.cms THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF THE PURPLE HEART American Heritage has published an interesting article on "The Curious History of the Purple Heart" on August 7th, the 225th anniversary of its creation. "The Purple Heart is known among servicemen as the ?medal no one tries to earn,? yet hundreds of thousands have been awarded. It is the oldest military decoration still in use in the world, having been established by Gen. George Washington at a moment when he feared losing his army to mutiny or revolt, yet for a century and a half it was all but forgotten, only to be reborn in the 1930s. "Washington personally awarded the badges?small hearts of purple-sprigged silk edged in silver thread, purportedly designed by Pierre L?Enfant, who would later plan the city of Washington, D.C. ?to Brown and Churchill at his headquarters in Newburgh on May 3, 1783... On June 10, Washington presented a third badge to Daniel Bissell, Jr., another sergeant with the 2d Connecticut. "And that?s where the official chronicle ends. In his original orders, Washington had directed that each recipient?s name be ?enrolled in the book of merit which will be kept at the orderly office.? The book, if it ever existed, seems to have become a casualty of the haphazard storage of records in the nineteenth century. "Although no other documentation exists, it?s unlikely that Washington awarded only three Badges of Merit, and all to Connecticut residents. For one thing, a fourth badge later turned up in a New Hampshire barn. In the 1920s, an officer of the New Hampshire Society of the Cincinnati found a dust-covered, moth-eaten Continental Army uniform coat hanging limply from a peg in a Deerfield stable. On the left breast was a heart-shaped silk badge, believed by experts to be a genuine Badge of Merit. The original owner is unknown, but he could not have been Churchill (whose badge is in a New York State museum), Bissell (whose badge was destroyed in an 1813 fire), or Brown (whose badge was stolen in 1924 and had a different design)." To read the complete article, see: http://www.americanheritage.com/events/articles/web/20070807-purple-heart-ge orge-washington-military-decorations-medals-army.shtml NUMISMATICS: A CULT OF SOME SORT An obituary published Saturday in the Chicago Tribune shows how you can keep people guessing about what a "numismatist" is. "Paul A. Downing, a retired savings and loan executive who once served under former Gov. Jim Thompson, gained a reputation for honesty and integrity but also displayed a mischievous wit that left co-workers laughing or running for their dictionaries. "He once introduced himself to a new secretary as a "numismatist," said one of his former employees at Uptown Federal Savings and Loan in Chicago, where he worked the majority of his professional life. "By day's end she was pretty sure he belonged to a cult of some sort," said Dory Hofvander. "That evening she looked the word up in the dictionary and found out he was a coin collector." FEATURED WEB PAGE: A SHORT HISTORY OF METALS This week's featured web page is recommended by John and Nancy Wilson, Ocala, FL. They write: "Here is a great place to find out everything you might want to know regarding metals. The title and credits are, 'A Short History of Metals', by Alan W. Cramb, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University." [I found the paper very interesting. It's a short but thorough overview of "what we knew when" about various metals. What's most fascinating is how mankind developed using so few metals. "... seven metals, known as the Metals of Antiquity, were the metals upon which civilisation was based..." (Gold, Copper, Silver, Lead, Tin, Iron, Mercury) "These metals were known to the Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Greeks and the Romans." "Currently there are 86 known metals. Before the 19th century only 24 of these metals had been discovered and, of these 24 metals, 12 were discovered in the 18th century. Therefore, from the discovery of the first metals - gold and copper until the end of the 17th century, some 7700 years, only 12 metals were known." http://neon.mems.cmu.edu/cramb/Processing/history.html The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. For more information please see our web site at http://www.coinbooks.org/. There is a membership application available on the web site at this address: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_member_app.html To join, print the application and return it with your check to the address printed on the application. Membership is only $15 to addresses in the U.S., $20 elsewhere. For those without web access, write to: David M. Sundman, Secretary/Treasurer Numismatic Bibliomania Society, P. O. Box 82 Littleton, NH 03561 For Asylum mailing address changes and other membership questions, contact David at this email address: dsundman@LittletonCoin.com To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, just Reply to this message, or write to the Editor at this address: whomren@coinlibrary.com Those wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All past E-Sylum issues are archived on the NBS web site at this address: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_esylum_archive.html Issues from September 2002 to date are also archived at this address: http://my.binhost.com/pipermail/esylum From esylum at binhost.com Sun Aug 19 19:12:30 2007 From: esylum at binhost.com (esylum@binhost.com) Date: Sun Aug 19 19:14:23 2007 Subject: The E-Sylum v10#33, August 19, 2007 Message-ID: <01a301c7e2b6$6b5b2890$4c0110ac@corp.cmdinfo.com> Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 10, Number 33, August 19, 2007: an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society. Copyright (c) 2007, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society. WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM 19 AUGUST, 2007 Among our recent subscribers are Kierstin Egan of Littleton Coin Company, and Marc Mayhugh. Welcome aboard! We now have 1,173 subscribers. After reading last week's issue Alan Luedeking asked, "What's a Library Nickel"? In my Wayne's Words item there was a reference to "an original 1913 Library Nickel". It's either a spell-check error or a special issue struck for numismatic bibliophiles. Regarding Dick Johnson's note about The E-Sylum and the tenth anniversary of the web log (or 'blog') Roger deWardt Lane writes: "Congratulations on the ten years of this blog. I think like Clinton's Vice-President, who invented the Internet, we should give you credit for inventing the blog." Actually, The E-Sylum's 10th anniversary is still a year away. Our first issue entered the email ether on September 4, 1998. This week we open with several items of news relating to activities and awards at the recent ANA convention in Milwaukee, including reports from Pete Smith and others on numismatic literature exhibits, and a report from Alan Weinberg on some superb coins and medals and new and upcoming numismatic literature. In the "comings and goings department" are items on career moves at the ANA and Stack's, and in the "what's new in online numismatics" department we discuss some of the new electronic offerings from Krause Publications. Getting back to the world of paper pages, spines and bindings, I review the new Adams-Bentley book on Comitia Americana medals and Patrick McMahon reviews the Boston Public Library exhibit and catalog on Alexandre Vattemare, ventriloquist/numismatist/diplomat extraordinaire. In my London Diary I visit the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms. In research queries this week, Leon Worden seeks information on the author of The Official Black Book of United States Coins. Follow-ups on topics discussed last week include an important web site publishing technical specifications of world coins, and information on Royal Mint engraver Nathaniel Marchant. Other topics this week include pattern Amero coins, a prot?g? of U.S. Mint Chief Engraver frank Gasparro, and numismatist Julius Guttag. To learn the history of the E&T Kointainer Company, read on. Have a great week, everyone. Wayne Homren Numismatic Bibliomania Society PHOTOS OF NBS EVENTS AT THE 2007 MILWAUKEE ANA CONVENTION NBS webmaster Bruce Perdue created pages for Dan Gosling's photos of NBS events at the recent American Numismatic Association convention. Click on an image to see a large version. Pete Smith and I reviewed the labels, but we could use some help identifying others in the crowd. We spotted Pete Smith of course, speakers John W. Adams, Harold Welch, Len Augsburger, Joel Orosz, and P. Scott Rubin, David Davis, Gene Hessler, Ken Bressett and David T. Alexander in the audience. Were you there? To view Dan Gosling's photos of the 2007 NBS events, see: http://www.coinbooks.org/ana2007/ NUMISMATIC LITERATURE EXHIBITS AT THE 2007 MILWAUKEE ANA CONVENTION The Numismatic Bibliomania Society raised and donated funds to endow the American Numismatic Association's Class 22: Numismatic Literature exhibit category, the Aaron Feldman Memorial award for printed and manuscript (published or unpublished) literature dealing with any numismatic subject. Chief Judge Joe Boling reports that the following exhibits were on display this year: * Leon A. Saryan, Ph.D.Seminal Works of 19th Century Armenian Numismatic Literature * Emmett McDonald Metric Coinage * Lawrence Sekulich The Provenance of Tudeer 99a A list of all past exhibits can be found on the NBS web site at: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_exhibits.html "Former NBS President Pete Smith reports: Competition was strong in all areas of exhibits at this year's ANA convention in Milwaukee. Exhibits in the class of numismatic literature stood up very well against this competition. "Third place winner in the class was "Metric Coinage" placed by Emmett McDonald. His one-case exhibit showed a government pamphlet with a proposal for metric coinage along with two pattern metric coins. "Second place went to Larry Sekulich for "The Provenance of Tudeer 99a." I was very impressed with this exhibit when I saw it earlier at a Michigan State show. As explained in the exhibit, Tudeer 99a is a choice example of a Syracusian tetradrachm showing the head of Arethusa. Sekulich previously won the Howland Wood Best-of-Show award for his exhibit on the nymph Arethusa. "Leon Saryan, Phd. served as Co-chairman for exhibits in Milwaukee. His exhibit was "Seminal Works of 19th Century Armenian Numismatic Literature." As I began to read the text in the first case, it was clear this exhibit deserved the first place award it received. Shown were the classic monographs on Armenian literature in the finest condition one would expect to find. The Armenian literature exhibit also received the Rodger E. Hershey Memorial People's Choice Award. "Finally, Saryan placed third in the competition for Best-of-Show. He was up against a three-time winner for Best-of-Show and the winner from the Charlotte convention. These are the best results for a literature exhibit since 1996." [Pete's too modest, but I have to mention that in 1996 the Best-of-Show award was won by Pete himself with "The Challenging Literature of A. M. Smith". An online version of his winning exhibit is displayed on the NBS web site. -Editor] To view Pete's exhibit on The Challenging Literature of A. M. Smith, see: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_exhibit_amsmith.html Steve D'Ippolito writes: "The second runner up exhibit for best of show (a/k/a the Bronze Howland Wood medal) was Leon Saryan for 'Seminal Works of 19th Century Armenian Numismatic Literature' in the Numismatic Literature class. Dr. Saryan ALSO won the People's Choice award, and this is the first time someone has done that and been one of the three top in show, according to the judges. I was really happy to see that happen. "My own winning exhibit has a more tenuous connection to literature -- it dawned on me about two months ago that I had at least one coin from almost every section of the back chapters of Uzdenikov's 'Russian Coins' and that if I could come up with a common theme better than 'Coins from the back of Uzdenikov' I could make an exhibit of it. I did, naming it 'Russian Coins of Conquest' and it took best in show a/k/a the Gold Howland Wood medal, which makes three in a row for me." [Congratulations to all this year's exhibitors, and thanks to the ANA and the judges for making it all happen. Time to start planning for next year in Baltimore! -Editor] 2007 NLG AWARD WINNERS Regarding the winners of the Numismatic Literary Guild awards at last week's American Numismatic Association convention, Leon Worden writes: "The rumor you heard about Roger Burdette winning the Numismatic Literary Guild award for Book of the Year is correct. For Roger, it was a reprise of his success in 2006 when he shared the honor with Scott Travers. This year, Roger stands alone. The complete list of winners can now be found on the NLG Web site." Congratulations, Roger! Whitman Publishing was also a big winner with seven NLG awards. The company summarized them in a press release this week. We've reviewed a number of these in earlier E-Sylum issues: Best Specialized Book, United States Coins Early U.S. Gold Coin Varieties, A Study of Die States, 1795?1834, by John W. Dannreuther and Harry W. Bass Jr. Best Specialized Book, World Coins Money of the World: Coins That Made History, Ira Goldberg and Larry Goldberg, editors Best Specialized Book, United States Paper Money Obsolete Paper Money Issued by Banks in the United States, 1782?1866, by Q. David Bowers Extraordinary Merit Award A Guide Book of Southern States Currency, by Hugh Shull Extraordinary Merit Award Cherrypickers? Guide to Rare Die Varieties, Fourth Edition, Volume II, by Bill Fivaz and J.T. Stanton Extraordinary Merit Award 1947 Tribute Edition Red Book Best Dealer Web Site www.WhitmanBooks.com (The Whitman Review) ?Whitman is dedicated to creating high-quality books for the numismatic hobby community,? said publisher Dennis Tucker. ?We?re committed to careful research, strong writing, and professional book design. These prestigious awards reflect that commitment.? Whitman president Mary Counts said, ?The secret to successful numismatic publishing is to start with the best authors, combine them with an experienced publishing team, and produce attractive books with valuable information.? To access the full award list on the NLG site, see: http://www.numismaticliteraryguild.org RITTENHOUSE SOCIETY INDUCTEES: ROGER BURDETTE AND ERIK GOLDSTEIN Regarding the Rittenhouse Society, John Kraljevich writes: "The Society is pleased to announce the election of TWO new members this year, a break with the tradition of one member per year based on the strength of the nominations. "Roger Burdette and Erik Goldstein have been elected to membership. Congratulations to both of them! Roger is well known as the author of ground-breaking new works on U.S. coinage of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the recent NLG Book of the Year Renaissance of American Coinage, 1905-1908. Erik is the curator of numismatics and mechanical arts at Colonial Williamsburg, a specialist in the coins, medals, and paper of the 17th and 18th centuries (and a well known military historian)." John adds: "Thanks again to Whitman Publishing for sponsoring this year's breakfast, which was described by one window passer-by as a "numismatic Last Supper." [So who was the numismatic Jesus? "Bible Coins" Bressett? And who's Judas? - the guy with thirty pieces of silver in his pocket? Probably one of those bloody coin dealers... -Editor] ALAN V. WEINBERG'S 2007 MILWAUKEE ANA CONVENTION REVIEW Alan V. Weinberg forwarded the following observations from the recent Milwaukee American Numismatic Association convention, with notes on some great coins, medals and numismatic literature: "The ANA bourse was on the 3rd floor of the convention center with registration on the 2nd floor. Access to the bourse was via three escalator levels, somewhat like the setup for the San Francisco ANA. This arrangement is certainly a discouragement to the unwelcome homeless or the grab-it-and-run thief. The downtown area around the hotels and convention center was remarkably clean of undesirables, even at night, unlike San Francisco. However, the streets around at least half of the convention center were torn up by construction which may have dampened the general public's desire to park and attend the free-entry show. "The Walt Husak early large cents, to be auctioned by Heritage in Long Beach next February, 2008 were on display for the first time in slabs. The coins were in first time, entirely clear, see-through PCGS slabs and those cents with lettered or decorated rims were in 3 'pronged' entirely clear slabs so their rims are visible and easily readable. I'm reliably informed that PCGS developed four slab dies before they came up with exactly what was needed for the Husak coppers. The result is superb. Hopefully, this type of slab will be adopted for all future encapsulations - with no more opaque white centers or unreadable rims. It's almost like holding the coin in your fingertips. With this type of slab, I can be persuaded. "I also had the privilege of seeing part of the Husak catalogue manuscript largely written by Mark Borckardt with some additional assistance from Denis Loring. I was impressed. Aside from extensive pedigree information, most of the large cents are graded four ways - that is, the PCGS slab grade, the Del Bland grade, the Bill Noyes grade and the EAC standard grade with both Mark and Denis concurring on this final grade. Four grades for each coin, a first in any numismatic catalogue! "If it sounds confusing having each cent graded four different ways, it is not. I found the EAC grade with the Borckardt-Loring concurrence to be almost always 'right on' in my 'hobby oldtimer's' opinion. Additionally, there was a sale 'prospectus' catalogue with condensed lot descriptions and a magnificent blue cover picturing in color some of the cents (Walt Husak's own photography) available at the Heritage bourse alongside the coppers themselves. This certainly whetted the appetite. "I'm informed the lot by lot photography will be Heritage's own. I frankly prefer Walt's coin photography which is more vivid but taken at a very slight angle with a shadow at the bottom of each early copper. The coins look more 'real' in my opinion with the lustre and surfaces more alive. "Walt is thinking of a novel proposal: Heritage photographs lot by lot - straight on images, and Walt's photography in full page plates of dozens of pennies at one time - two different full color views of the each large cent in the catalogue. Hopefully, this may fly. "I was contemplating buying the Martin Logies 1794 Dollar book with each then-known dollar pictured, characteristics and pedigrees. An impressive reference ... until I learned from the author himself that a 2nd edition is planned for November release with additional dollars since discovered and a more extensive narrative. Dave Perkins tells me that George Kolbe will be this year publishing Jack Collins' 1794 dollar manuscript 'as is' with pictures missing, etc. So this will compete with Logies' 2nd edition. "Martin (former owner of the Cardinal bust dollar collection auctioned by American Numismatic Rarities) was at the show with his magnificent 1792 half disme on display and at the same booth, Karl Moulton's new reference on Henry Voigt's classic Early American coinage for sale at $79. I inquired of the seemingly high price, considering the forthcoming much larger & more pictorial "100 Greatest Medals and Tokens" Bowers-Jaeger book will be sold for $29.95. Author Moulton explained that his book was printed in the U.S. whereas the Whitman Bowers book is being printed in much larger numbers in China. "I also examined a slabbed MS66 1799 dollar which until the 1980's was in a private family's hands. What a magnificent, originally toned, full cartwheel early dollar! There is reportedly no finer condition early bust dollar, although Dr. Robert Hesselgesser reports this exact dollar was once in an MS-63 slab." [Hesselgesser, with whom I flew home to Los Angeles, is a renowned early bust dollar collector]. "A magnificent silver Libertas Americana silver medal found in Europe within the past year and among the three or four finest known hammered for $130K in the Heritage auction to a Wnuck-Agre-Labstain buying partnership. With the 15% buyer's fee, this comes to approximately $150K, a record for this medal. The medal was found with an MS65 bronze version which was recently auctioned by Heritage for over $40K. "The Harry Bass-Cardinal Collection silver Libertas Americana medal is the cover medal in the soon-to-be-released Dave Bowers-Katie Jaeger authored Whitman Publishing Company '100 Greatest Medals and Tokens' book, to be released this Fall. The Heritage medal, new to the hobby, is superior to the Bass-Cardinal Collection medal, both examined by me. No doubt the anticipation of the Bowers-Jaeger book and its cover image (and anticipation that the medal is #1 or #2 in the '100 Greatest') as well as the picturing of the medal in the latest Redbook has lead to the hugely increased market demand and value of this silver Comitia Americana medal proposed by Benjamin Franklin. There are at least 25-30 silvers known. 2-3 years ago, a really choice silver Libertas Americana medal was worth $35K. "I enjoyed the show immensely, with the most valuable thing coming home with me - increased knowledge. After 50 years in this hobby, I still learn an awful lot by attending these shows." CIPOLETTI OUT AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ANA By now most readers are aware that Christopher Cipoletti, executive director of the American Numismatic Association, was put on paid 'administrative leave' by a unanimous vote of the new ANA board of governors in its first meeting last Sunday. Among the first reports to circulate on the Internet was Numismatic News editor Dave Harper's article: "The action was announced following an executive session to a packed public session of hobbyists including members and ANA employees." "Replacing Cipoletti on an interim basis is former ANA president Ken Hallenbeck, who will serve as acting executive director for an indefinite period." "A special audit committee, headed by Camden, S.C., CPA Austin Sheheen, was appointed to determine whether a full forensic audit of the ANA would be required. He has 60 days to make his determination and report back to the board." To read the complete article, see: http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ad=article&ArticleId=2689 As it turns out, the action was taken exactly one year ago after a muckraking article was published in the Colorado Springs Gazette about the organization "beset by questions over its finances and complaints that its leadership fosters a culture of excessive secrecy and demands loyalty oaths. Some of the group?s 32,000-plus members blame the turmoil on Christopher Cipoletti, a lawyer who took the helm as executive director in 2003." To read the August 13, 2006 Colorado Springs Gazette article, see: http://www2.gazette.com/display.php?id=1320477 That week in The E-Sylum we discussed the article and the ANA's ongoing employee turnover problem and its lawsuit against former employees. ANA LAWSUIT HEADS TO COURT http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v09n33a16.html The Colorado Springs Gazette this week published another article noting that "Cipoletti has been removed from his daily duties of the 32,000-member federally chartered nonprofit organization, which promotes studying and collecting money. Cipoletti now will focus on [the] lawsuit scheduled to go to trial in 4th Judicial District Court on Sept. 25..." "In the lawsuit, Cipoletti accuses four former association employees of conspiracy, defamation of character and theft of business property, among other claims. Cipoletti is a coplaintiff with the numismatic association in the civil lawsuit, and the association is paying legal fees. Cipoletti said he is unsure how much money has been spent on legal fees to date." To read the complete article, see: http://www.gazette.com/articles/cipoletti_26027___article.html/board_associa tion.html The legal fees have added to the organization's operating deficit at a time when many members felt that its priorities should be focused on its core educational mission. I understand that at an open meeting of the old board, it was revealed that for the quarter ending June 30, the ANA spent more than $151,000 on legal fees, and spent $35 on buying books for the library. Library matters are near and dear to the hearts of we bibliophiles, and NBS stalwart Joel Orosz began writing a series of scathing opinion pieces for Coin World. JOEL OROSZ ASKS FOR THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT ANA FINANCES http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v09n53a14.html The last chapter in this story has yet to be written as the ANA's lawsuit and Cipoletti's tenure draws to a close. There are many possible outcomes, but unfortunately I think most are bad for the organization, resulting in further expenditures in areas far from its core mission. But thankfully the hobby and the ANA's membership are strong, and I believe the organization will survive and thrive in the future, just as it has managed to do for over one hundred years. The new Board, many of whom are E-Sylum regulars (and most of whom were endorsed in my commentaries) has a big job ahead - healing the wounds of the recent turmoil and moving on to the next chapter. Some have asked my thoughts on the organization's direction. As one who's only followed events from afar it's difficult to have an informed opinion, but I trust the legal system and the new board to come to a just conclusion of the matter. I can only offer the following observations, which are only one opinion among many. Again, I have trust in the new board to consider the thoughts and opinions of all members and interested parties in formulating policies going forward. 1. Reconnect with local members. Relations have been strained with local and regional club representatives. A number of regional representatives have resigned their positions or even their ANA memberships. Reach out to these hardworking volunteers and try to repair the relationship. 2. Repair employee relations. The massive turnover in headquarters staff has created a huge strain on the organization. Institutional knowledge has been lost. Work to stem the tide and retain, recruit or even rehire key personnel. 3. Review employee salaries. While a time of deficit is not the best time to consider raising salaries, this is one way to help retain the best employees. I and many others have been mystified at the large salaries we heard were being paid to a number of new "revolving door" hires while longtime key employees were overlooked. One absolutely key position is that of Convention Director and another is that of the Publications Editor. Thankfully we still have experienced pros in these positions, but parties and press releases shouldn't be their only form of recognition. 4. Train recent hires in the ways of numismatics. While many talented new people have been brought on board, not all have a numismatic background. While that is not necessary in all new employees, this knowledge should be developed over time. Encourage and assist new employees in their acquisition of hobby knowledge. 5. Continue outreach initiatives. The ANA's announced plans to fund new exhibits are admirable, and hopefully some way will be found to continue them despite the recent turmoil. But focus first on exhibits rather than museums - setting up an exhibit within someone else?s museum is a good form of outreach and far more economical and sustainable than building a museum of one?s own. 6. Build a world-class online museum. The costs of building and hosting massive web sites have fallen dramatically and an online money museum would be accessible to far more people than any physical museum (or museums) anywhere in the country. 7. Restore the core! Finally, ensure that the ANA's core educational departments receive their fair share of funding to continue their mission. Restore library acquisition funds, and find a way to catch up on acquisitions of new items that may have been passed over recently due to lack of spending. Again, the best of luck to acting executive director Ken Hallenbeck, the organization, its employees and members as the coming year unfolds. JOHN KRALJEVICH LEAVES STACK'S, FOUNDS NEW FIRM Another numismatic figure moving on to new adventures is John Kraljevich, who this week parted ways with Stack's to found a new firm. In an August 14 press release, John writes: "I am pleased to announce that today marks the formation of my first independent firm after a dozen years as a numismatic cataloguer. The firm, to be known as John Kraljevich Americana and Numismatics, will be based here in New York City and specialize in the types of early American historical items for in which my interest has become widely known: colonial, pre-Federal, and early Mint coins up to the introduction of steam; early American paper money; American historical medals; and unusual paper and metallic Americana. Consulting, research, and auction representation ? tasks for which my professional background have prepared me well ? will also be offered to my new clientele. "Though this new beginning is exciting for me, I will miss the collegiality and knowledge of my long-time associates in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Though three different company names (Bowers and Merena, American Numismatic Rarities, Stack's), a core group persisted of which I remain proud to have been a part. Eighteen years ago this week, I met Q. David Bowers. As a wide-eyed boy of eleven years, I resolved that by the age of 30 I'd be either the Phillies starting third baseman or an independent professional numismatist. Dave was my numismatic Mike Schmidt: a man to be emulated. After a high-school era stint with McCawley and Grellman Auctions ? the first brave souls to hire me as a cataloguer ? and a short career in radio, Dave Bowers and Chris Karstedt wooed me to the small town of Wolfeboro to begin to realize my dream. "Now, seven full years later, I feel prepared to depart the New York offices of Stack's and ready to offer what I've learned to collectors and fellow professionals. I will continue to consult with Stack's on special projects and will maintain a warm relationship with those on staff. "Details of my new business are still being composed. Email will be the easiest way to reach me for the time being at jkamericana@gmail.com. A website at www.jkamericana.com is being built and will, in the future, include listings of interesting objects for sale, research articles, and commentary. My new mailing address will be John Kraljevich Americana, Ansonia Station, PO Box 237188, New York, NY 10023-7188. I invite correspondence, and I would be grateful for new friends to introduce themselves at an upcoming show." [John is well known to most U.S. E-Sylum readers. His numismatic research, writing and cataloging skills are top-notch. I've had the pleasure of knowing John since he was but a wee lad destined for Great Things. He handled last year's sale of my Civil War numismatic collection at American Numismatic Rarities, picking up the collection and cataloging many of the lots. Best of luck, John, and keep us posted as your business evolves. -Editor] KRAUSE PUBLICATIONS OFFERS WORLD COIN STANDARD CATALOGS ON CD In his Thursday blog entry Tom Michael of Numismatic News discussed Krause Publications' recent publication of its Standard Catalogs on computer discs. "At the ANA this year Krause Publications released a special three volume set of the 19th, 20th and 21st Century volumes of the Standard Catalog of World Coins as a three disc DVD set. This caused a good deal of excitement, as one might have expected. "There have been plenty of people asking for the Standard Catalog on Disc over the years, but it was some recent developments regarding database development which finally led us to be able to provide this long awaited product. "The set features the most recent editions of the three catalogs, each of which was produced within the past eight months or less. The book covers can be seen on the right front of the DVD case shown here. Each disc presents one volume in it's original page format, so it's just like scanning the pages of the catalog, but without the girth of a heavy book in your lap or on your desk. "Total page count is about 3,760 and total images are roughly 82,750. You can enlarge the images pretty well also, as these are direct from our files, without any second generation degrading." http://www.numismaticnews.net/ideas/PermaLink,guid,e88057f0-6441-41aa-8f25-9 b14d84edcd1.aspx NUMISMATIC NEWS AND KRAUSE PUBLICATIONS' ONLINE PUSH CONTINUES Numismatic News has created a digital edition of their August 21 issue. In an email sent out last Friday week along with a reader input survey, David Harper wrote: "You can page through the easy-to-navigate digital magazine just as you would a paper version (minus the ink on your fingertips). You can also take advantage of the special features the digital format offers: * Quickly find articles and ads with easy keyword searches * Link directly to web sites and email addresses mentioned in the magazine * Email articles to friends with a click of a button "If you're a subscriber, you'll still get your hard copy of this issue in about a week, but we know that the earlier you get Numismatic News, the sooner you can scoop up the great deals in our classified ads section and learn about the latest products and news important to coin and paper money collectors." To view the sample online Numismatic News issue and take the survey, see: http://www.numismaticnews-digital.net Under their new owner, F+W publications, Krause Publications, has taken several strides toward bringing numismatic content to electronic media. The online version of the weekly Numismatic News is the latest move; others were the daily weblogs (or blogs) by Numismatic News staff, the development of the Numismaster web site and the recent announcement of the availability of the Standard Catalog of World Coins on CD described this week in the previous item. Online venues offer new ways for publishers to offer their material to the public. For example, the September 2007 issue of COINS Magazine has a nice article by Tom LaMarre on the 1844 "Orphan Annie" dime. In the past, once published, the article would only be available again to librarians and bibliophiles bothering to accumulate and index piles of back issues of the publication. But now Tom's article can also be viewed on the new Numismaster web site, enabling the publisher to sell new ads all over again when presenting the article to a new audience - a win/win for all parties involved. These are all great moves, and all part of the natural evolution of the connection between physical and electronic publishing. The lines are being blurred. The next step will be finding a way to bring all the electronic products under one roof somehow, so there is a common starting point. Today we have four different starting points for electronic Krause content - the new digital Numismatic News site, Numismaster.com, NumismaticNews.net, and the CDs. This situation is an artifact of history - each publication has its own internal tools for creating and managing content that are geared for a different publishing goal. Except for the new Numismaster, all are more rooted in the world of physical publishing, with the new electronic versions coming as an add-on. I believe that over time publishers will discover the value of turning today's model on its head - eventually all internal tools for creating and managing content will be geared toward electronic publication first, while retaining the ability to generate physical editions (perhaps as a print-on-demand feature). Forwarding an article this week on the decline of local newspapers, Dick Johnson asked, "Are we -- in a very small way -- helping to kill off newspapers?" The article noted that "News audiences are ditching television and newspapers and using the Internet as their main source of information, in a trend that could eventually see the demise of local papers, according to a new study Wednesday. 'As online use has increased, the audiences of older media have declined...' " I would say that it's simply the march of technology that's affecting publishers. The Internet is just another of many different forms of media. News is news and information is information regardless of how it is published. Writers, editors, publishers and their work will continue to be as important and valuable as they have been for centuries; the medium changes but the work goes on. Only those who don't adapt to the new media will be left behind. Congratulations to Krause for taking active steps toward the brave new world of electronic numismatic publishing. To read The Mysterious 1844 Dime by Tom LaMarre, see: http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ad=article&ArticleId=2712 To read Bob Van Ryzin's blog on Doty's Numismatic Theatre presentation, see: http://www.numismaticnews.net/flipside/PermaLink,guid,7eeb6410-dc73-47d3-a93 f-e80c324c582a.aspx To read the article on the decline of local newspapers, see: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070816211426.guamdbxe&show_article=1 THE INTERNET - NUMISMATIC INFORMATION FORMAT OF FUTURE? http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n09a10.html BOOK REVIEW: COMITIA AMERICANA BY JOHN W. ADAMS AND ANNE E. BENTLEY Earlier this year George Frederick Kolbe Publications issued "Comitia Americana and Related Medals: Underappreciated Monuments to Our Heritage" by John W. Adams and Anne E. Bentley. True to Kolbe's high standards of quality, the 304 page hardbound volume is bound in full linen with a leather spine label, lettered in gilt. The full color photos are of the highest quality. The book was printed by Meridian Printing using offset. Henry Morris of Bird & Bull Press, the modern master of the craft, will do a very special edition using letterpress printing. The press release for the book accurately describes it as follows: "Extremely well-written by two highly respected, published scholars, this work covers in great detail the "Comitia Americana" medals approved by Congress to commemorate significant victories during the American Revolutionary War and the officers who achieved them. Also covered are the "Diplomatic Medals" created by Thomas Jefferson and the celebrated "Libertas Americana" medal, the brainchild of Benjamin Franklin. The volume is brim full of original research and documentary evidence, and is written in an engaging manner." The book is available directly from George Frederick Kolbe Publications for $135.00 plus $10.00 shipping in the United States and $25.00 elsewhere. Christopher Eimer reviewed the book in the Spring 2007 issue of our print journal, The Asylum. I finally had the opportunity to read the book on a recent transatlantic flight, and thought I'd share some observations. The Acknowledgements (p. vii) list an impressive array of individuals and institutions. Of particular note are Michael Hodder and Stack's; Hodder's cataloging of the John J. Ford Comitia Americana medals make this book and the recent Stack's sales of those medals ideal companions. Fellow bibliophiles will appreciate the book's Introduction (p. xi) which includes a review of the literature relating to these medals. Loubat's work provided the first published assemblage of original documents relating to the medals, and Betts' work, while more accessible and comprehensive is so large that the Comitia Americana medals are somewhat lost within it. In 1976 Vladimir and Elvira Clain-Stefanelli published 'Medals Commemorating Battles of the American Revolution', which provided excellent photos and some related material, but "relatively little [new] numismatic substance. Alan Stahl's 1995 COAC paper on the Comitia American series "provided much of what was lacking in the Clain-Stefanelli's book." One largely unrecognized source that the authors drew on for this book is Volume 16 of 'The Papers of Thomas Jefferson' which "adds rich details regarding the personalities and process involved in the procurement of the medals." For those like myself who aren't well versed in Latin, "Comitia Americana' means "American Congress". The medals are those authorized by the American Congress, the first of the Congressional Gold Medals. The very first one was awarded to George Washington, the famous Washington Before Boston medal. The original medal in gold, presented to Washington himself, resides at the Boston Public Library today. Congress authorized a series of these medals and directed that 350 sets of them be produced. Yet only two such (partial) sets exist today. The authors conclude that the will of Congress was not carried out. They believe that for many reasons, particularly the inaction of Thomas Jefferson, most were never made. This rarity contributes to the relative obscurity of these important medals over the centuries. The Adams-Bentley book attempts to correct this historical oversight and bring new attention to the once nearly-forgotten series. Combining previous scholarship with surveys of collections, a review of sale catalogs and new research, the authors have created a new and important work. Chapter 1 dives directly into 'The Mystery of the Missing Sets' and provides a great starting point for understanding the overall series. But here at the beginning of the book is where I fear its greatest shortcoming lies, although it lies not with what is on the pages but rather with what is left out. As students of American history the authors dive directly into their subject but without providing much context for those less familiar with the era and the personalities which populate it. For example, references are made to John Jay and David Humphries without explaining to the readers just who they were (Jay was President of the Continental Congress and the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and Humphries was Washington's aide). When the authors note that "Jefferson purchased wooden boxes from Upton, a local cabinetmaker" to house the sets no mention is made of where Jefferson was located. Philadelphia? Virginia? No - a later entry notes that the boxes were paid for in Livres; at the time Jefferson was living in France. Another welcome addition, I think, would be a short, gentle introduction to the world of medals for the non-numismatist. On p19 the authors discuss "R-8" and "R-7" without ever introducing a numismatic rarity scale. They also mention elsewhere the "Dreyfus sale", but I could not find this catalog defined in the index, bibliography or list of catalogs consulted. I know what it is and have a copy of the sale on my library shelf, but even many numismatists would have trouble placing such a cryptic reference. Together, these additions would make this wonderful book a bit more accessible to those not already steeped in the realm of numismatics and early American history. But those are small nits to pick and easily remedied by readers willing to look up those things elsewhere. The first three photos alone are staggering to view for anyone aware of their historical and numismatic importance. The frontispiece is a color photo of a terra-cotta model for the reverse of Dupre's Libertas Americana medal; facing the introduction is a color photo of the original gold Washington Before Boston medal; on p12 is a photo of the Washington-Webster set in the original Upton box at the Massachusetts Historical Society. Other absolutely fabulous images include Dupre's sketch for the reverse of the Daniel Morgan medal (p133), the obverse die for the John Eager Howard medal (p147), more Dupre sketches for the Benjamin Franklin medal of 1784 (p176-177), and the die for the Benjamin Franklin medal of 1776 (p181). The authors correctly lament that many of the events commemorated by these medals are little known today, despite the fact that they were of such monumental importance to the new nation at the time: "Few Americans have heard of the battle of the Cowpens. Fewer still appreciate its strategic significance and the intensity with which it was fought." (p145) Yet Congress awarded no fewer than three medals for the battle. I'm grateful to have learned (or relearned) a good bit of American history just by reading the Adams-Bentley book. Chapter 14, 'Benjamin Franklin, American' is the first of three chapters on the 'Related Medals' of the book's title. While these medals were not authorized by Congress, they are very closely intertwined with the Comitia Americana series. Chapter 14 covers three different Benjamin Franklin medals of 1777, 1784 and 1786. Chapter 15 covers the legendary Libertas Americana medal, conceived and financed by Franklin. Chapter 16 addresses the Diplomatic Medal of the United States. A second nitpick would be to suggest dividing the book onto two explicit sections to make this distinction more clear - section one for the true Comitia Americana medals, section two for the related medals. As many of you know by now, I tend not to judge a book by its cover but by the sources consulted by the authors. The Adams-Bentley book does not disappoint. There are 377 individual notes to the chapters, and the nine page bibliography lists hundreds of books, articles, auction catalogs, newspapers, magazines, manuscripts and published correspondence. There is also an eight-page index. Comitia Americana and Related Medals is a wonderful book and highly recommended reading for anyone with an interest in early U.S. medals and history. For more information on the Comitia Americana book, see: http://www.numislit.com/adams_Bentley.html [The story of the replacement of Morgan's gold medal (p138) reminded me of a presentation John Kraljevich gave on the topic at a banquet of the Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists. He already knows so much about the medals of this era - when he gets married will the union be called "You, Me and Dupre"? -Editor] ALEXANDRE VATTEMARE EXHIBIT AT THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY [Patrick McMahon recently visited the Boston Public Library and submitted this report on the current exhibit "The Extravagant Ambassador: The True Story of Alexandre Vattemare, the French Ventriloquist Who Changed the World." -Editor] This small but dense exhibition at the Boston Public Library on the life of Alexandre Vattemare is certainly worthy of a visit and has lots to reward bibliophiles and numismatists alike. It is organized into a number of short (mostly) chronological sections such as "The Early Years and the Stage," "System of Exchanges" (which includes the Album Cosmopolite published 1837-39), and "Collector" (chiefly autographs). These give a basic background on his development and early career. Beginning with the section "The Bridge Between Two Worlds" the installation of objects becomes quite dense and though most of the items here are books, it does include the Caunois medal for the monument to Moliere which he sent to the Boston Public Library in 1844 and medallion portraits of Clementine and Celeste Moreau (by Barre, I think--I forgot to note the artist). This section and the next one (The Exchange System's Cabinet of Curiosities) are where I spent most of my time. If you have a chance to see the exhibition before it closes and are only interested in the numismatic material you can head right for the Cabinet of Curiosities. The Exchange System's Cabinet of Curiosities is a wide-ranging mixture of material, including Audubon prints, medals, mineral specimens, photographs, material from the 1855 Universal Exposition and Vattemare's numismatic works. The first case in this section focusing on Vattemare himself includes the plaster medallion by Barre from 1831 and a bronze medal of Sir Walter Scott by Bain ca. 1824. Another case focuses solely on historical medals given to the museum in St.-Malo. Some of them are hard to view in the case but they include a bronze medal of Louis XIV by Mauger, another commemorating the birth of the Dauphin in 1781 by Duvivier, one by Tiolier of Kaiser Friedrich Wilhelm III, another by Andrieu and Gayrard called "Gallia et America Foederata" (commemorating a commercial treaty between the U.S. and France in 1822), a Pingret medal commemorating the accession of Czar Nicholas I, and a satirical 18th century medal by J.-C. Roettiers entitled "Ridere Regnare Est" (this one is very hard to see). Two large medals, one commemorating Bibiliotheque Sainte Genevieive in Paris and another by Bovy for the Chemin de Fer de l'Ouest (Western French Rail Road) in 1854 are a powerful presence in this case because of their condition--twisted and rent by bombings during World War II. A later case in this section focuses on Vattemare as a numismatist and includes a copy of 'Souvenirs Numismatiques de la Revolution de 1848' (which he sent to the BPL in 1862) and the manuscript 'Du Systeme Monetaire aux Etats Unis from 1851', and the BPL's copy of the famous 'Collection de Monnaies et Medailles de L'Amerique du Nord'. This is supplemented with a number of numismatic items from the BPL collection as examples of the subject of that work. They include a plaster Libertas Americana medal with painted gold highlights by Dupre and Esprit-Antoine Geblein, and a number of bronze Comitia Americana medals (Washington, Jones, Morgan, and Green). Also included is an 1806 Peace Medal from the Madison administration and a hub for the central design of the Morgan medal (this is identified as a die on the label but I don't see how it can be--the design is raised). The rest of the Cabinet section of the exhibition gathers up a number of objects that represented the United States at the 1855 World's Fair in Paris where Vattemare acted as the agent for a number of States. These range from mineral specimens to standards for weights and measures, stuffed birds, an alcohol heated iron, iron mooring toggles, and other industrial items. There are also ship models and an 1845 Springfield carbine rifle. Most of this material remained in Paris after the fair and entered various museum collections there. The next section of the exhibition focuses on Vattemare's trips to North America and includes a case of material related to his trip to Canada, a case focusing on George Caitlin's illustrations of American Indians, some of whom became his friends (as did the artist). There is a also a large panel displaying various commissions and commendations from the Federal and State governments that recognized him as an official agent for cultural exchange. The final sections focus on the history of the BPL and the Administrative Library of the City of Paris, where Vattemare was instrumental and include large selections of books from the library exchanges. Many of these are open to their inscriptions but the bindings are also beautifully embossed with their cities and states of both origin and destination. This is a wonderful little exhibition and so dense with material to see and read that it could have stopped here and been very satisfying. But there is one more section focusing on the growth of the French collections at the BPL after Vattemare's death to show that his legacy continued. This includes a small case of Frankliniana that has some numismatic elements in it. There is a ceramic portrait medallion circa 1782 (very similar to ones usually attributed to Nini but the label does not identify the artist) and a sketch by Dupre for his Franklin medal of 1783. There is also a pair of obverse and reverse die trials for a small medal of Franklin which includes one of the dies. This is identified on the French label but not the English one. Because this exhibition opened first in Paris at the Bibliotheque Forney in January and was organized with the Paris Bibliotheques, there are two labels for each object and section of the exhibition (one in English and one in French). Interestingly, they are often not the same. My French is pretty weak, but it was obvious with the Franklin case mentioned above and areas where the length of texts varied a great deal. Given that this is an exhibition of largely archival materials there is a lot to read on the objects themselves as well as the walls! There are also two catalogues for the exhibition, one in French and the other in English, and they are only available in paperback (for $38). I haven't spent much time with my copy yet but I do think it was worth the buy. Obviously it goes into greater depth than the exhibition and it is generously illustrated. Since the book does not appear on Amazon or anywhere else that it can be "browsed", here is a short list of the contents. It is divided into two sections, the first covering Vattemare's biography (Alexandre's Adventure) and then a series of essays by a dozen or so different authors, including a short essay (five pages) on Vattemare and Numismatics by Alan Stahl. Other essays include: * Alexandre Vattemare-- Ventriloquist by Stephen Connor; * Vattemare's Album cosmopolite by Suzanne Nash; * At the Heart of Vattemare's System: the Central Agency for International Exchanges by Martine Deschamps; * Vattemare and the Smithsonian Institution by Nancy Gwinn; * The Paris Exposition Universelle of 1855 by Helene Harter; * Vattemare and the Transatlantic Dissemination of Photographic Practices by Claude Baillergeon; * Alexandre Vattemare and Reciprocal Knowledge by Alain le Pichon; * The American Library of the City of Paris by Pierre-Alain Tilliette; * Public Libraries: Origins of a Definition by Cecile Oulhen; * Free to All: the Boston Public Library and the Beginnings of the Public Library Movement in America by Earle Havens; * a postface called Composite Portrait of my Cosmopolitan Double Ancestor by Yann le Pichon. A big part of what makes the book interesting (beyond the subject) is that it includes so many contributions by French scholars that give perspectives that might be otherwise hard to find in English. Different perspectives on history are always interesting although so far I have had one cringe when one of the essays says that the "Indian cultures of North America have virtually disappeared without a trace"... If anyone is interested in the book it can be obtained from the business office of the Boston Public Library (payment by check only) for $38 plus $5 for shipping (in the US). The English version is catalogue number 449 on their list. They can be reached by phone at (617) 536-5400 x 2346. [Many thanks to Patrick for being our eyes and ears at the exhibit, which remains open through September 29, 2007. I was curious about the exhibit catalogue and now I hope to add a copy to my library. It's a shame it's not available in hardcover format. I had called earlier and was told to send my check to Boston Public Library, Attention Denise, Business Office, P.O. Box 286, Boston, MA 02117. -Editor] WAYNE'S LONDON DIARY 19 AUGUST, 2007: WHITELEYS, CABINET WAR ROOMS This week was a grueling one at the office, leaving little free time for numismatic pursuits. After putting in a 58-hour workweek, Friday evening was a welcome chance for a break. Figuring correctly that everyone in their right mind would be out at the pubs, I got my weekly laundry done without a hitch. While the washers were spinning I popped down the street to Whiteleys for dinner. Entrepreneur William Whitely had come from Yorkshire in 1845 and opened a small shop in a then unfashionable part of London called Bayswater. By 1885 the area was booming and Whiteley's business employed thousands - his was the first and largest department store in the country, earning an unsolicited Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria in 1896. When George Bernard Shaw wrote his play Pygmalion (My Fair Lady), he sent Eliza Dolittle "to Whiteleys to be attired" Today Whiteleys is a modern indoor shopping mall housed in the former Whiteleys department store building. This building was erected in 1911 after a fire destroyed the previous building in 1897. It was the height of luxury at the time, including a theatre and even a golf course on the roof. By a twist of fate the beautiful Edwardian building survived the World War II bombing raids. It is said that Adolf Hitler ordered the Luftwaffe not to bomb Whiteleys as he wanted it as his headquarters once he'd invaded Britain. Although the building closed in 1981 after a business decline, it was fully renovated and reopened in 1989. Just a five minute walk from Kensington Palace, Diana, Princess of Wales, used to shop there and made her children stand in line for the cinema. The theatre is on the third floor along with some nice restaurants - this is where I had dinner Friday. After finishing my laundry I returned to treat myself to a mindless movie - The Simpsons. It was an expensive treat - $9.25 GBP, or about $18.50. Doh!! Saturday was a lazy day. I didn't leave the hotel until about 3pm when I set out for the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms. Several people had recommended the museum to me, and the cold rainy day seemed like a fine time to visit. For the first time my tube journey became a nightmare. After getting off at an intermediate station the announcer noted that there were severe delays on the train I was planning to take. Long story short, after much confusion and train-changing I got to the Westminster station nearly half an hour later than planned. I emerged near the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Tourists snapped photos and I did the same despite the rain. After getting my bearings I followed my map to the Clive Steps on King Charles Street. Below the steps was a small door and sign. After entering and paying the admission, I was given an "audio stick", a portable audio tour guide that looks like a long remote control on a loop of string. Visitors hang the stick around their necks and press numbers into the keypad to hear narrations and other recordings associated with the displays. One of the first exhibits is the Cabinet Room. "Shortly after becoming Prime Minister in May 1940, Winston Churchill visited the Cabinet War Rooms to see for himself what preparations had been made to allow him and his War Cabinet to continue working throughout the expected air raids on London. It was there, in the underground Cabinet Room, he announced 'This is the room from which I will direct the war'." At the end of the war the occupants of the bunker basically turned off the lights and went home for a well-deserved rest. Although valuable equipment and other fittings were moved elsewhere, much of the cramped office space was left just as it was and sealed off for decades, perhaps in cold storage for future use which never became necessary. The rooms have been refitted based on old photographs and memories of those who worked there during the dark days of the war. Huge world maps cover the walls; banks of telephones, typewriters and radio equipment show how the command center communicated with the outside world, even during air raids. Mannequins dressed in period uniforms and attire simulate workers in action. It's a very well done museum despite the naturally cramped quarters. One can only stand in awe of the responsibility carried on the shoulders of those who worked there. Thousands of lives and the fate of the nation hung on every decision and piece of communication - there was no room for mistakes or even clerical error; there was no waiting for tomorrow, for if the war effort were unsuccessful there would be no tomorrow for Britain. In such a light numismatics is naturally only a bit player. Although the war completely transformed daily commerce, coins and currency worldwide, there is little evidence in the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms. The first numismatic item I came across was a bronze medallion (over 3 inches in diameter) presented by Churchill to Lord Swinton, "wartime Minister Resident in West Africa: after his election defeat, Churchill had these medallions made to thank people who served in his wartime administration, as well as senior commanders, Commonwealth leaders, and the King." The medallion has a very simple design - a wreath around the outside with simple text in the center. This example reads "TO / SWINTON / FROM /WINSTON CHURCHILL" The name "SWINTON" is engraved. Although mounted near a mirror to show the reverse side, the case was so dark I could not make out much of the reverse, although it seems to display the same wreath as the obverse. Have any of our readers seen one of these medals? Have any appeared in the numismatic marketplace? A nearby exhibit case housed all of Churchill's orders, decorations and medals, nearly sixty in all, including his WWI Star and Victory medals, a 1901 King George V coronation medals and a 1937 George VI coronation medal. Another case addresses Churchill's hobby of painting, displaying his smock, brush, palette, and framed and unframed painted canvases. Churchill was also a voracious reader and prolific author, winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953. His Nobel award is displayed, but rather than a medal it takes the form of a copy of his 1937 book 'Great Contemporaries', bound in silver. It's a very beautiful item, although I wonder if houses a medal inside. Reflecting Churchill's love for literature, The Museum's gift shop has the greatest book selection I recall seeing in any museum. One book which stood out was Gavin Mortimer's 'The Longest Night 10-11 May 1941 Voices from the London Blitz' which makes use of survivors' accounts of one harrowing night to describe the horrors of the Blitz on London. The haunting cover photo shows a uniformed woman holding and comforting a distraught young girl, making me miss my own family all the more. There was nothing much numismatic in the gift shop unless you count miniature reproductions of the Victoria Cross and George Cross medals or a large chocolate coin of the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms. I stepped outside into the grey drizzle. Not wanting to repeat my earlier tube debacle, I began walking toward my familiar Tottenham Court station on the Central Line. I walked along Whitehall Street, passing Downing Street and the Prime Minister's residence at No. 10. Up ahead I could see Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square, near where I first stayed in London. A school of black London taxis swam in unison through the rain as I waited to cross the circle. Trudging up Charing Cross through the thickening pre-theatre crowd, I stepped onto a quiet side street to phone my wife and mother back in the states. After taking the tube back toward my hotel I bought some groceries and had dinner, reading the two books I'd bought for my kids at the Churchill gift shop - one about the Cabinet War Rooms and the other a biography of Churchill. Saturday evening I ended up watching on television the 1964 film 'Becket' starring Richard Burton as Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury and Peter O'Toole as King Henry II. I just can't escape the bloody English these days. On Sunday, I rested and worked on personal chores and The E-Sylum. Around 9:30pm I went out for a walk. The Price Alfred was still open and I stopped in. It's heresy, but I didn't feel like having a beer. I ordered a glass of French Cabernet. The barmaid asked, "small or large?" "What time do you close? Fifteen minutes? Make it a large." I found a table outside under an awning. I watched the crowds pass by while the rain came down and made a couple phone calls. Soon someone came out to fold up the chairs and tables. Maybe that's why people here start drinking at noon - the pubs close too early. I stood up and finished my drink, then I started walking while continuing my conversation with my wife. I gave her a running commentary on the sights - some nice homes, hotels, youth hostels, offices, and more hotels. On one street the trees were so large they nearly blocked the sidewalk - at three feet wide there was barely enough room left to walk. I passed a hotel with a pub still open. I was tempted to have another drink, but I kept walking. Back on Queensway people sat in front of the middle eastern restaurants smoking hookahs, large water pipes burning a mixture of tobacco and treacle, honey or sugar, with fruit- flavored distilled water. The convenience stores and many of the restaurants were still open. The fancy new bowling alley in the basement of Whiteley's was closed. Time to call it a night. For more information on Whiteleys, see: http://www.whiteleys.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiteleys For more information on the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, see: http://cwr.iwm.org.uk/ WHERE TO ORDER FAUVER BOOK ON NUREMBERG JETONS Regarding Werner Press's query about ordering a recent book by L.B. Fauver titled 'Nuremberg and Nuremberg Style Jetons', David E. Schenkman writes: "Benj Fauver's address is P.O. Box 521, Menlo Park, CA 94026-0521. As I recall, Benj publishes under the name Oak Grove Publications. WHERE TO ORDER FAUVER BOOKS? http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n32a13.html BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT: BUST HALF FEVER, SECOND EDITION Myron Xenos writes: "The second edition, second printing of Bust Half Fever by Ed Souders has arrived from the printer. Copies are available from the author by e-mailing him at esouders@chartermi.net. Dealer inquiries may be made at myron@moneytree.ohiocoxmail.com." DICTIONARY OF PARANUMISMATICA SOUGHT Ron Abler writes: "I have spent quite a bit of time trying to chase down a copy of The First Dictionary of Paranumismatica by Brian Edge, to no avail. Do you (or perhaps one of the E-Sylum's subscribers) have any suggestions as to where I might find a copy for purchase? "I learned about Brian's book while following up on the Paranumismatic thread resulting from the answers to my question about exonumismatic adjectives. Brian's book popped up in a past E-Sylum. "I would like to review Brian's book just to make sure that my grasp and use of paranumismatic terms squares with those who are much more knowledgeable than I. I suspect I can borrow it from the ANA Library, which I will do while I search for my own copy." INFORMATION ON 'BLACK BOOK' AUTHOR MILTON DINKIN SOUGHT Leon Worden writes: "I'd love to hear from anyone with information about Milton Dinkin, author of "The Official Black Book of United States Coins" (1976 et al.). Specifically, I'm looking for corroboration that he personally knew Lincoln Cent designer Victor D. Brenner. My email address is scvleon@hotmail.com. Thank you." THE E&T KOINTAINER COMPANY Last week we reprinted a web posting by Donn Perlman where he wrote "Thank goodness for 'Cointains.'" Tom DeLorey writes: "The correct name is "Kointains," from the E&T Kointainer Co., P.O. Box 103, Sidney, OH 45365. I know because I have been using Kointains for over 35 years, with great success, and once had the opportunity to buy the company. It seemed that the founder of the firm had sold it about four years earlier, and it had been bought by a collector who gave it to his son as a means for the son to work himself through college. The son had done so, but now wanted to pursue his chosen career. As I was a long-term customer, he wrote me and asked if I wanted to buy the company. "Unfortunately I am not mechanically inclined, but had a friend in the Shelby County Coin Club named Bern Nagengast who was an applications engineer at a local company. I contacted him and said that he should buy the company and keep it in business, because I did not want the product to disappear. He contacted the owner, bought the company and moved it to Sidney. I just placed an order with him last week for use at the coin shop." [Thanks for the great background information on this important coin supply firm. I met Bernard Nagengast once when he came to a meeting of the Western Pennsylvania Numismatic Society. He's been quietly serving the hobby for decades. -Editor] NEWSMAN FLIPS 1913 LIBERTY NICKEL ON AIR http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n32a16.html WORLD COINS USED AS SLUGS IN TORONTO SUBWAY SYSTEM Responding to last week's item about British coins being used as slugs in a German subway system, Tony Hine forwarded a copy of an article he wrote about world coins being used on the Toronto, Canada subway system. It was published by the Canadian Ethnic Media Association. "Just as thrifty Canadian tourists may try to tip an unwary third-world bellhop with Sandy McTire?s Canadian Tire bills, so too some Caribbean immigrants know that some nickel coins from the West Indies, especially bearing a likeness of Queen Elizabeth, may pass as Canadian if added quickly to a TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) fare box. "Aluminum coins from Russia, Japan or even China looked suspiciously like TTC tokens before the switch to bimetallic versions in October 2006. "TTC spokesperson Marilyn Bolton mentions the zloty of Poland as an aluminum coin which regularly impersonated as an aluminum token, prior to the changeover to the bimetallic token. But spokesman Dave Hughes in Revenue at TTC says the foreign coin taken in at TTC fare boxes is less than people think at only $700 or $800 per year." To read the complete article, see: http://tinyurl.com/35e9ep BRITISH COINS USED AS SLUGS IN GERMAN SUBWAY SYSTEM http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n32a14.html COIN REGISTRATION OFFICE INTERNATIONAL COIN SPECIFICATION DATABASE On the topic of subway slugs I wrote: "Using cheaper coins from another country to fool vending machines is an age-old pastime. I wouldn't be surprised if someone maintains a web page with a table listing what coins or tokens are known to be effective substitutes for other, higher-valued coins or tokens. Can anyone locate such a chart for us?" Alan Roy writes: "Their site doesn't have the information available yet to the public, but while researching the Mint Directors' Conference (or MDC), the trade association for national mints, I found the website for the Coin Registration Office. Currently handled by the Monnaie de Paris, the CRO maintains a database of technical specifications of the coins of 43 countries. "According to the website, the purpose of the CRO 'was to allow members to consider whether a new coin would have any consequent problems for the coinage systems of their own country, or other member countries, and to identify potential misuse in vending machines.' I can only assume that the German subway system mentioned hadn't checked the database." To access the Coin Registration Office database, see: http://coinro.com/ [I'm curious - do our friends at Krause Publications and other guidebook publishers make use of this database in compiling catalog entries for new coins? It sounds like a very useful tool. Once word gets out that a certain coin can be used to cheat vending machines, some people will go to great lengths to lay in a supply. Tom Delorey has a special way of dealing with them. -Editor] Tom writes: "About ten years ago, people in Chicago discovered that German one pfennig pieces would usually work in the Chicago subway turnstiles. We got many calls at the coin shop from people asking if they could buy a quantity of the pfennigs. Since we knew what they wanted them for, we would usually ask them as innocently as possible why they wanted the coins. The most common answer was for an 'art project' of some unspecified kind. We always declined the sale. "One day a caller said that his daughter was taking German in school, and that he wanted one hundred of the pfennigs for her to give out to her classmates. I said to come on down, and that we'd be happy to take care of him. He came in all excited, and I smiled and presented him with one hundred German two pfennig coins to give out, at the same cost as one hundred one pfennigs (i.e., one dollar U.S.). He sputtered and kept saying that he needed one pfennigs, but couldn't bring himself to explain the real reason why. I just kept smiling and telling him that these were better because they were bigger. He left without the coins." BRITISH COINS USED AS SLUGS IN GERMAN SUBWAY SYSTEM http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n32a14.html DANIEL CARR CREATES FANTASY AMERO PATTERN COINS In May 2007 Andrew Pollock alerted us to an interesting article about a proposal for a common North American currency modeled after the Euro, nicknamed the "Amero'. This week Andrew notes that coin designer Daniel Carr has created imaginary North American Union currency pattern coins. Andrew also forwarded a link to an article about Carr's designs; see below for excerpts. "Carr notes on his website that, 'These 'private-issue fantasy pattern' ameros will be struck as an annual series (until such time as it is no longer legal to do so), starting in the later part of 2007.' "'I think of myself as a sculptor,' Carr told WND. 'I am a professional coin designer and I specialize in the design and the engraving of the coin. The goal is to make a coin that is interesting and attractive.' "'Like any artist I have to survive by selling my work,' Carr said. 'I have been reading about the amero and I started asking myself what I would come up with if I was in charge of minting the amero coin for the North American Union.' "In 1999, Carr was the designer of the 2001 New York and Rhode Island commemorative statehood quarters for the U.S. Mint. "His designs were selected as the winners in a competition with 14 state designers from outside the mint and 10 from within the mint that were asked to create the five statehood quarters minted in 1999. "'Truthfully, I prefer the Union of North America,' he explained, 'because then you end up with U.N.A. and you can say 'UNA,' whereas you can't really say 'NAU' in a word.' "Carr's 2007 issue amero coins are available for order until Dec. 31, 2007, after which no more of the 2007 series will be minted or available for sale. "Carr's 2007 design features various Seated Liberty obverses and a similar Eagle and Globe reverse. "His '100 ameros' silver coin features a Pocahontas obverse with a Jamestown background and a standing Eagle on a North American globe on the reverse." To read the complete article, see: http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57194 To read and comment on Amero currency ideas, see: http://www.amerocurrency.com/ THE AMERO: A EURO-STYLE CURRENCY FOR NORTH AMERICA? http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n21a20.html DANIEL CARR CREATES PARODY "GODLESS DOLLARS" The article quoted in the previous item about Daniel Carr's prototype Amero coins also mentions Carr's parody "Godless Dollars". "The Coin Collecting Insider gives Carr credit for designing the Rhode Island and New York statehood quarters, but it also notes that his skill at forging edge lettering on coins threatens to create confusion among collectors who buy and sell non-certified error coins on sites such as eBay. "Earlier this year, the U.S. mint [issued] a large quantity of Washington dollars with smooth edges that failed to say 'In God We Trust.' "These coins were being named the 'Godless Dollar.' "As a joke, Carr took some Sacagawea dollars and engraved on the edge 'Darwin Rules,' to draw contrast with the 'In God We Trust' that is printed on the face of that dollar and to harass the U.S. Mint for their omission. "Carr sold about five of the 'Darwin Rules' dollars on eBay for about $5.00 each. "He is also known among collectors of privately minted coins for his parody state quarters. "His two most collected parody state quarters are the New York 'Defiant Finger Tower' quarter which show a rebuilt World Trade Center in a five finger design, with the middle finger extended." To read the complete article, see: http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57194 GASPARRO PROT?G? STEVEN KILPATRICK PLANS TRIBUTES TO FIRST RESPONDERS "Sculptor Steven F. Kilpatrick of Woodbury [New Jersey] launched a campaign last year to put a bronze monument in every town honoring all firefighters, police, emergency and military personnel. "'Some of these people put their lives on the line every single day for other people. They have become some of the most unappreciated people in our society. It is my goal to help change that,' said Kilpatrick, 48. "In spring 2005, Kilpatrick was one of three featured sculptors picked from a two-year worldwide search to exhibit his works in Washington, D.C., alongside works by Michelangelo." "Kilpatrick wasn't always a sculptor. He graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1980 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and business administration. "After college, he joined the staff at the Lankenau Hospital Psychiatric Unit in Wynnewood, Pa., and later became the director of the Employee Assistance Program for Underwood-Memorial Hospital in Woodbury. "Shortly after starting work at Underwood, he began attending Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial school in Philadelphia part time. "There was an opening in a class conducted by world-renowned master sculptor Frank Gasparro, Kilpatrick said. "Gasparro, who died in 2001, was the tenth chief engraver of the United States Mint, from 1965 to 1981. "'I am a firm believer in divine intervention or providence. I am sure that it was meant to be,' said Kilpatrick of his studies under Gasparro." To read the complete article, see: http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070818/LIVING/ 708180313/1004 WILLIAM WYON AND ASSISTANT ROYAL MINT ENGRAVER NATHANIEL MARCHANT In my London Diary last week I mentioned seeing a collection of gems by Nathaniel Marchant. I'm not the only traveler around here. Hadrien Rembach writes: "I always love reading your diary! I came back last night from Sicily, where I was able to see some amazing Roman mosaics. As for Marchant, the engraver, I attach here an article in which you can see a gem he engraved, and find several references to him." [The article is "Eighteenth and Nineteenth-Century Engraved Gems in the British Museum; Collectors and Collections from Sir Hans Sloane to Anne Hull Grundy" by Judy Rudoe, published in 1996 in 'Zeitschrift f?r Kunstgeschichte', pp. 198-213. The article is a nice introduction to gems and their makers and collectors. There are a number of numismatic ties to these items, which straddle the line between medallic and sculptural arts as indicated by this short excerpt: "Many late 18th and early 19th gem engravers were also medallists; Mrs Hull Grundy gave medals by gem engravers with her gems because she wanted them to be shown together. In the second half of the 19th century the links were more with sculpture..." Hadrien also forwarded a short biography of Marchant he'd found on Answers.com. -Editor] "Nathaniel Marchant (b Sussex, 1739; d London, 24 March 1816). English gem-engraver and medallist. He first came to notice as the main prizewinner of the London Society of Arts' premiums for intaglio-engraving between 1762 and 1766... he created remarkable gems after ancient reliefs and statues ... In time he became recognized as the only rival to Giovanni Pichler, then considered the foremost engraver in Rome." To read the complete Answers.com entry on Marchant, see: http://www.answers.com/topic/nathaniel-marchant-1 Jim Duncan writes: "Marchant rates a five-page illustrated entry in Forrer's Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, and yes, he was an engraver at the Royal Mint from about 1782, to make models for engravers L Pingo and T Wyon, to copy. He was also Engraver of His Majesty's Seals. "He did a bust of George III which appears on the Bank tokens of c1804, England and Ireland; and the Military Guinea of 1813 which is by Thomas Wyon. Half Guineas of 1804-06, 1808-11 and 1813, and seven shilling pieces of the same dates. It was copied by William Wyon on his pattern crown of 1817. And on, and on. He does the work - someone else gets the glory! "Forrer includes an almost two-page listing of his known works (pages 560-565 of volume III)." Gar Travis forwarded several links to small items relating to Marchant, including the following page on the web site of Christopher Eimer. It pictures a c.1790 East India College Reward of Merit medal attributed to Marchant. http://www.christophereimer.co.uk/single/7903.html Another of Gar's links referenced an article mentioning an interesting connection between Marchant and Royal Mint engraver William Wyon. An article published in The Gentleman's Magazine, "William Wyon and his Works" states that in 1811 "William Wyon engraved a head of Hercules, which was shown to Nathaniel Marchant, R.A. then the best English gem-engraver, and elicited from that gentleman an earnest recommendation that the youth should be employed upon objects of higher art than those which his father was accustomed to receive from the tradesmen of Birmingham." To read the William Wyon article on Google Books, see: http://tinyurl.com/2plpyc [Finally, Gar included this information: "He was appointed assistant engraver at the Royal Mint in 1797 and held the office till 1815 when he was superannuated (Ruding, Annals, i. 45; Numismatic Journal, ii. 18)" Gar adds: "superannuated = retired due to age". Many thanks to everyone who responded. This goes to show you just never know where a line of numismatic inquiry can lead. FAMILY PROVIDES INFORMATION ON JULIUS GUTTAG Web site visitor Mark Guttag discovered our earlier discussions about numismatist Julius Guttag of the firm Guttag Brothers, inspired by Bob Rightmire's request for information. Guttag was the founder of National Coin Week and coauthor of a book on U.S. Civil War Tokens. He writes: "Julius Guttag is my grandfather and I was born shortly after he died, which resulted in my being named after him - my full name is Mark Julius Guttag. Two of Julius' children are still living: my aunt, Evelyn Guttag, and my father, Alvin Guttag. My aunt Erma, his oldest child, passed away a few years ago." [Mark put me in touch with his father Alvin and I gave him a call from London Thursday evening. He was very helpful and it turns out he wrote an article about Julius Guttag for the Bowers and Merena Rare Coin Review #66 (Autumn 1987, p48-49). He also remembers "Joey Lasser" from the old neighborhood. Last year Joe wrote to us with his recollections of Julius Guttag, his numismatic mentor. I'm having trouble locating Bob Rightmire's contact information - email me Bob, and I'll put you in touch with Alvin to assist your research on the Guttags. -Editor] JOE LASSER ON HIS NUMISMATIC MENTOR, JULIUS GUTTAG http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v09n47a15.html MORE INFORMATION ON THE GUTTAG BROTHERS http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v09n42a13.html PUBLICATION TAKES A POLL ON ABOLISHING THE U.S. CENT Dick Johnson writes: "An August 16, 2007 appeal was made in a Washington, DC publication for opinions on the cent from the public. The page won't stay up for a long time, but for a day or two you can express your opinion. "The article lists two links. One is to an article on the zinc supplier to the U.S. Mint and their lobbying efforts. The other is to results of this poll. By the following day there were more than two dozen comments. You are invited to add yours. Try to make your comments distinctive. "Vote to keep or abolish the cent. Add any comments you wish. Go to this URL, scroll down to fill out their form: http://www.readexpress.com/read_freeride/2007/08/poll_center_banish_the_penn y.php [The poll is very localized - it asks respondents to choose their nearest Metro Station. Still, the results and comments should be interesting. -Editor] "The nation's sole supplier of zinc 'penny blanks,' Jarden Zinc Products, is lobbying the federal government to protect its interests. "The subsidiary of Rye, N.Y.-based Jarden Corp., paid Baker & Daniels LLP $180,000 in 2006 to fight legislation that would have allowed retailers to round off cash transactions to the nearest nickel, effectively creating a penniless society. Fortunately for Jarden, the House legislation did not gain traction. In the past two weeks, however, bills in the House and Senate were proposed that would give the Treasury Department the power to decide - without congressional approval - the type of metals used for all coins." To read the complete article, see: http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_6634932 GANZ: METAL CONTENT BILLS LIKELY UNCONSTITUTIONAL David Ganz writes: "I'd like to add one comment on the two mint bills, S1986 and HR3303, from my Under the Glass column for next week's Numismatic News: 'There's only one problem with the Mint's proposed solution, and the two bills introduced in the Senate and House. They are likely unconstitutional.' "The reason: an unconstitutional delegation of powers by Congress which under article I section 8 of the Constitution, 'The Congress shall have Power ... To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures....'" COLORADO SENATOR INTRODUCES BILL TO ADJUST METAL CONTENT OF U.S. COINS http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n32a24.html PHILLIPINE NUMISMATIC EXHIBIT OPENS On Tuesday the Sun-Star of The Philippines published an article about a new numismatic exhibit: "The Heritage Museum of Philippine Coins and Paper Money launched an exhibit at the NCCC Mall, showcasing Philippine currencies used from the Spanish colonial period up to the present. "Rene Adapon, numismatist for more than 20 years now, told Sun-Star Davao Monday that the exhibit aims to raise awareness among Filipinos regarding the currencies of the country during the Spanish colonial period, the revolutionary period, American regime, Japanese, and Philippine Republic. "'Yesterday (On Sunday), a lot of (pupils) were here with their parents. We understand that the exhibit is part of their lessons. Their parents were also educated because they were the ones taking down notes for their children,' Adapon said. "'For the past few days, a lot of visitors who came from as far as Cotabato City, General Santos City, and Tagum City were amazed at what they saw here, Adapon said. "The exhibit, which opened August 7, will last until August 15, at the ground level of NCCC Mall. "The exhibit showcases about 56 frames of Philippine currencies. Adapon said his Philippine collection is part of his total collections of more than 200 currencies." To read the complete article, see: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/dav/2007/08/14/bus/first.coin.paper.money.e xhibit.at.nccc.mall.html WILL NEW PRESIDENTIAL DOLLARS HELP EDUCATE AN IGNORANT AMERICAN PUBLIC? This week an Associated Press story noted that "Most folks can correctly name George Washington as the nation's first president. After that, things get tricky. The U.S. Mint is hoping its new dollar coin series will help refresh some hazy memories of Adams, Jefferson and all the rest. "That could be a tall order, however, given the results of a poll the Mint commissioned to find out just how much knowledge Americans have about their presidents. "According to the telephone poll, conducted by the Gallup Organization last month, nearly all those questioned knew that Washington was the first president. However, only 30 percent could name Thomas Jefferson as the nation's third president, and memories of the other presidents and where they fit in was even more limited. "Mint Director Edmund Moy believes the new dollar coin series will be an antidote for that. And he can cite a good precedent. The Mint's 50-state quarter program, the most popular coin series in history, has gotten 150 million Americans involved in collecting the quarters that are honoring the states in the order they were admitted to the Union. "Moy released the survey results at the Jefferson Memorial on Wednesday at an event staged to publicize the release of the new $1 Jefferson coin. That coin will go into circulation nationwide on Thursday, the day that people will be able to visit their banks to purchase it." To read the complete article, see: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070815/ap_on_bi_ge/jefferson_dollar MORE ON NUMISMATISTS AND COIN AND PAPER MONEY CIRCULATION Last week Ralf W. B?pple wrote: ?The effect of people NOT wanting the new dollars should be increased circulation, because people would try to get rid of the unwanted coins as quickly as possible!? Ron Thompson writes: "While the logic is correct, the reality is, of course, quite different. The reason for that is that in order for people to have the coins to reject them, many, many entities, such as banks and major stores, need to give them out as change. The half dollar and dollar coins, as well as the two dollar bill are almost never given out as change. "The only exceptions I am aware of are when I am at the Post Office and use their machine or at a parking garage paying my parking. Those machines give dollar coins as change. Banks do have the half dollar and dollar coins as well as two dollar bills, but you have to ask for them. I doubt if a million numismatists demanding these coins and two dollars bills from their banks and using them daily would have any discernable effect on the coins and dollars in circulation." ON NUMISMATISTS AND COIN AND PAPER MONEY CIRCULATION http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n32a22.html PARIS, TEXAS COIN FINDERS GET TO KEEP THEIR PRIZE On May 22 The Paris News of Paris, Texas published a story about a couple who made an interesting discovery along an old railroad track - an unopened box containing 500 one-ounce silver bullion pieces dated 1996. They reported their find to the local Sheriff's Office. This week they got word that no owner could be found. "Russell and Rennie Herron got the windfall they had long been wanting Thursday. Five hundred pure silver dollars they found while searching for firewood in May were returned to them in a Lamar County Justice of the Peace Court." To read the complete article, see: http://web.theparisnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=db57005830b5f3c9 WHERE YOUR MISPLACED U.S. MINT ORDERS WIND UP http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n21a27.html FEATURED WEB PAGE: GUERNSEY AND SARK TOKENS This week's featured web page is the Guernsey & Sark Tokens page by Steven Gibbs, including spurious tokens of the Channel Islands occupation 1940-45. http://www.guernsey.net/~sgibbs/numismatics/tokens.html The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. For more information please see our web site at http://www.coinbooks.org/. There is a membership application available on the web site at this address: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_member_app.html To join, print the application and return it with your check to the address printed on the application. Membership is only $15 to addresses in the U.S., $20 elsewhere. For those without web access, write to: David M. Sundman, Secretary/Treasurer Numismatic Bibliomania Society, P. O. Box 82 Littleton, NH 03561 For Asylum mailing address changes and other membership questions, contact David at this email address: dsundman@LittletonCoin.com To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, just Reply to this message, or write to the Editor at this address: whomren@coinlibrary.com Those wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All past E-Sylum issues are archived on the NBS web site at this address: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_esylum_archive.html Issues from September 2002 to date are also archived at this address: http://my.binhost.com/pipermail/esylum From esylum at binhost.com Sun Aug 26 22:19:29 2007 From: esylum at binhost.com (esylum@binhost.com) Date: Sun Aug 26 22:20:49 2007 Subject: The E-Sylum v10#34, August 26, 2007 Message-ID: <1188181169.46d234b104ee1@webmail.telerama.com> Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 10, Number 34, August 26, 2007: an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society. Copyright (c) 2007, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society. WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM 26 AUGUST, 2007 Among our recent subscribers is Ian Stevens. Welcome aboard! We now have 1,175 subscribers. My apologies to anyone who Submitted material over the weekend; I've had limited access to my email and the web, but expect to be fully online again soon. This week we open with information from George Kolbe on the publication of Jack Collins' 1794 dollar manuscript, and an interesting honor for David Lange's U.S. Mint book. Queries this week include coin photography, dealing with sticky book covers, and Sacagawea dollars circulating in Ecuador. In the news, the BEP plans to reveal its new five dollar bill designs in an Internet event, the exhibit of highlights of the National Numismatic Collection has been extended again, and an investor in Baldwins plans to branch out into additional areas of numismatics as well as stamps. In this week's abbreviated London diary I retrace some earlier steps, revisiting Colin Narbeth & Son and dining with John Andrew. To learn why the "Toronto Coffee Nazi" hates small change, read on. Have a great week, everyone. Wayne Homren Numismatic Bibliomania Society KOLBE TO PUBLISH JACK COLLINS' 1794 DOLLAR MANUSCRIPT Last week Alan Weinberg wrote: "... George Kolbe will be this year publishing Jack Collins' 1794 dollar manuscript 'as is' with pictures missing, etc..." George Kolbe writes: "Alan Weinberg's description of the upcoming publication of Jack Collins' manuscript on 1794 dollars may be technically correct but could be misleading to some. Jack's book WILL BE ILLUSTRATED with good quality enlargements of all but a few of the 1794 dollars described therein. The price will probably be $65.00 postpaid and the edition will be limited to the number of orders received. An order form will be sent out with our November 1 auction catalogue featuring the John J. Pittman library and other notable consignments. Information will also be posted on our web site: www.numislit.com and we will be happy to send an order form to anyone requesting same." ALAN V. WEINBERG'S 2007 MILWAUKEE ANA CONVENTION REVIEW http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n33a06.html [My apologies to George for not having a chance to confirm the details before publishing the reference to Jack's book. I've fined myself half of my last week's E-Sylum editor's salary. But I'm delighted to hear that Jack's manuscript will at long last see the light of day, and look forward to adding a copy to my library. I remember very well the first time I met Jack in the company of numismatic literature dealer John Bergman. John and his wife Mary were wonderful hosts to me on a visit to Los Angeles. John showed me his library and when Jack joined us we all went out to dinner at a nearby Mexican restaurant. Later we toured the Queen Mary docked in Long Beach harbor. Jack and John have both passed on, and are dearly missed by the bibliophile community. -Editor] LANGE'S U.S. MINT AND ITS COINAGE CHOSEN AS ESSENTIAL COLLEGE READING I learned recently that David Lange's book "History of the United States Mint and Its Coinage" was included as one of the books considered essential reading for college-bound students by Amazon booksellers. Their "Outstanding Books for the College Bound" list, published earlier this year, consists of 195 titles. Lange?s book comes in at #182, just after "An Empire of Wealth" by John Steele Gordon, which I've recently read and would also highly recommend. Topping the list are 1) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 2) Silas Marner by George Eliot 3) Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger 4) Catch-22 by Joseph Heller 5) To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee Notable titles that Lange's Mint book edged out include 185) How to Solve It by George Polya 186) As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner 191) Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky 193) The Year of the Great Crash, 1929 by William K. Klingman To read the complete the complete list, see: http://blog.cupobooks.com/?p=104 [This is an outstanding achievement for a numismatic book, and I applaud the booksellers for spotting it and considering it in the voting. Like any popularity contest, it does seem to skew toward including a number of fairly recently published titles in addition to the great classics. It remains to be seen if a recent title such as Freakonomics (which I've also read and recommend) will appear on such lists 50 years hence. But a classic treatment of a classic topic of American history such as David's book on the early Mint could well endure. Congratulations! I understand Lange's book was commissioned by the American Numismatic Association's Education department around 1995 and was written as a volunteer effort to create classroom materials for the ANA's Summer Seminar. But after cancelling those plans, the ANA struck a deal with Whitman to publish Dave's material commercially. From what I understand, the book's royalties have all gone to the ANA and nothing to David. It's an unfortunate situation; although the new ANA board has a lot to deal with right now, it would good to review the situation and at least acknowledge the financial contribution of Dave's efforts to the ANA coffers. -Editor] AUTHORS' NOTES ON ADAMS-BENTLEY COMITIA AMERICANA Regarding last week's review of 'Comitia Americana', coauthor John W. Adams writes: "At the end of the day, I am proudest of 1) catching Jefferson in flagrante, thereby solving a longstanding mystery; 2) introducing the quality of stochastic screening to numismatic publications and 3) legitimatizing the presence of copies in a serious collection. There are many who would dispute this, but, in the case of the Comitia Americanas, there is no alternative." Coauthor Anne Bentley writes: "Many thanks for the kind words and gentle corrections. No book is ever perfect or finished--especially not a history tome. I know that I, for one, look forward to any new information that comes to light: we know that there is more out there somewhere, and hope that our research provides a sound base for those to follow." BOOK REVIEW: COMITIA AMERICANA BY JOHN W. ADAMS AND ANNE E. BENTLEY http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n33a11.html QUERY: HOW TO DEAL WITH STICKY BOOK COVERS Ray Williams writes: "I have a situation where there are a number of hardbound catalogs on my bookshelf, and after a while, the covers stick to each other. Specifically, they are the hardbound catalogs published by the Colonial Coin Collectors Club for their annual auction. Sometimes they are so stuck that I'm afraid I might damage them by pulling apart. The covers are a type of simulated leather (leatherette?). Are there any recommendations of what I can do to prevent the sticking? I was toying with the idea of wiping the covers with baby powder, but thought I'd inquire here first. I guess if all else fails, I could make jackets for them, but then they don't look as nice on my bookshelf..." [This is indeed a sticky situation, one that many bibliophiles had found themselves in at one time or another. Suggestions, anyone? -Editor] PRICING NOTE ON KRAUSE STANDARD CATALOGS ON DVD Tim L. Shuck of Ames, IA writes: "Just a brief note on the pricing of the Krause World Coin Standard Catalogs on DVD, which wasn't mentioned in your article last week. Following the link in your article shows the DVD set price to normally be $100, but until October 1st the company is offering an "ANA Show - Blog Extension" price of $80 (plus $3.95 shipping U.S., $11.00 global). Cover price for the three volumes is about $150, but even at a place like Amazon the total is over $95; so for someone like me for whom this will be an occasionally used reference, the special DVD price was too good to pass up. I look forward to using these, and if they are as good as expected that will be three books off my 'to buy' list." KRAUSE PUBLICATIONS OFFERS WORLD COIN STANDARD CATALOGS ON DVD http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n33a09.html [Actually, I was aware of the "blog special" but wasn't sure it I would be letting a cat out of the bag. But if it's freely advertised on the web, jump right in. It's a book purchase that that one's spouse never has to know about - a DVD is far easier to sneak into the house than a pile of telephone-book style catalogs. I'm tempted to get a set myself even though I don't regularly look up world coins. I may be wrong, but I would predict a runaway bestseller for Krause - what dealer or collector wouldn't want to have the whole three-volume set at their fingertips? I'd be interested in hearing from readers who have the DVD - what do you think of the product? How easy is it to use? -Editor] DOUGLAS SAVILLE ON THE 2007 MILWAUKEE ANA CONVENTION Regarding the recent ANA convention, numismatic bookseller Douglas Saville writes: "I had a hectic three days in Milwaukee. I found it to be a really worthwhile trip, selling (and buying) some books, and I met up with some (very) old and new friends and clients, and met some people who I had been doing business with recently and who I had not previously had the chance to meet. I especially enjoyed the two NBS meetings that I attended and by chance met a few fellow members who I had not been in touch with for a number of years." [So here I sat in London while Doug crossed the Atlantic to attend the convention. Such is life. Sorry I missed it - the Numismatic Bibliomania Society events are always a worth a trip to the annual convention. -Editor] ANA LAWSUIT DETAILS PUBLISHED An article by David Ganz published online by Numismatic News August 23 reviews the background of the lawsuit by the American Numismatic Association against former employees and consultants. Unless withdrawn or thrown out by the court, the case is heading for a September 25th trial. I'll publish a few excerpts here, but I encourage ANA members and interested readers to study the article for background information on the suit. Many of the defendants are E-Sylum readers, and I'd be happy to forward queries to them. ??The plaintiffs' law firm of Davis, Graham & Stubbs, LLP, claim the suit was brought ?to protect the security of its Internet site and the privacy of membership and other confidential information.? ?Named as defendants are ANA life member and former computer consultant John Nebel and his consulting firm, Computer Systems Design Company of Colorado Springs. The other defendants are Wayne Abraham, a former ANA controller and former interim executive director; Barbara ?Susie? Nulty, a former ANA Internet technology director, and Larry Lee, former ANA curator.? ??The first claim is for intentional infliction of emotional distress by outrageous conduct, and pits Cipoletti against Nebel, Nulty, Abraham and Lee. The second claim is for intentional interference with prospective business relation and economic advantage, and pits the ANA against Nebel, Nulty, Abraham and Lee. ?Third is a routine breach of contract claim (ANA against Computer Design Systems), fourth is a claim of breach of settlement agreement between ANA and Abraham, fifth is a civil theft claim against all defendants, sixth is a breach of fiduciary claim against Abraham, Nulty and Lee, and finally a civil conspiracy claim against all defendants is lodged.? ??Ultimately, a conspiracy was alleged. ?In or around November or December, 2003 ANA employees witnessed Lee, Nebel and Nulty having lunch together. ANA believes that Nebel, Nulty, Abraham and Lee continued to meet for the purposes of harassing and conspiring against ANA and Cipoletti.? ??Evidently dissatisfied with Cipoletti's leadership as ANA executive director, Nebel claims in his papers to have set up an alternative Web site that was password protected and which had limited access to 26 people... The Nebel Web site was visited by 23 of the 26 people who were given passwords.?? To read the complete article, see: http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ad=article&ArticleId=2736 [Prior to the 2004 ANA convention where I was General Chairman, I visited ANA headquarters in Colorado Springs and went out for lunch with a group of ANA employees. Later, I had a nice dinner with John Nebel. If having a meal in public is tantamount to conspiracy, then I suppose I could be sued, too. And if publishing one's opinion is cause for legal action, then I suppose I flout the law weekly. Stating one's opinion is a constitutionally protected right. Publicly revealing confidential information is another matter, and that aspect of the suit may have to be resolved by the court. But free speech is protected, and I'm surprised that at least some of the ANA's complaints haven?t been tossed out of court yet. If this indeed goes to trial it will prove interesting to watch on many levels. Every single ANA member has a vested interest in its actions and success, and is entitled to their opinion, and to sharing it with any member who cares to listen. -Editor] COIN PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE QUESTION Dick Johnson writes: "I was reminded by something Alan Weinberg said in his ANA and Heritage Auction report last week when he mentioned the photography work of Walt Husak. Alan said "I frankly prefer Walt's coin photography which is more vivid but taken at a very slight angle with a shadow at the bottom of each early copper. The coins look more 'real' in my opinion with the lustre and surfaces more alive." "The ?slight angle? triggered memories of two professional photographers I had hired over the years. Larry Stevens, whose work appeared in COINage, and Robert J. Myers, longtime photographer of Stack's, both photographed round coins and medals slightly tilted. "They processed their own prints so they knew how much to tilt back in the printing process to compensate for this so the end result -- the final prints -- would be perfectly round coins and medals. Other photographers I had hired over the years did not do this. Coin photography is a subject I admit a lack of knowledge so I am curious. "I am wondering if this technique is used by other coin photographers, or is this just something a handful of professional coin photographers would do. "I would like for someone like John Nebel, a stellar coin photographer, to express his opinion. I have one of his photographs of a silver dollar blown up 18 times original size as an example. If you saw it you would understand why I call him a "stellar" coin photographer.? [Dick copied John in his note to me, and here's his reply. -Editor] John Nebel writes: "There are images of my photo apparatus on http://ancientmoney.org - see the About page. The lighting is axial with a half-silvered mirror adjustable with 3 degrees of freedom. The mirror can be seen better in the first photo which is of an earlier setup, then at ANA. The second photo is the current setup except the constant-intensity xenon source has now been replaced with a precise strobe with a digital 1/10 stop luminance adjustment. The coin is not tilted; the adjustment on the stage holding the coin is useful for ancient coins which were not made to neatly stack in piles." [John photographed some of my Pittsburgh medals for a couple of Numismatist articles I wrote the year of the Pittsburgh ANA convention. The photography was indeed stunning. The resolution was so high, and the photos so detailed, that I saw parts of the designs I'd never noticed in all the years I'd owned the pieces. -Editor] BEP TO UNVEIL NEW U.S. FIVE DOLLAR BILL DESIGNS SEPTEMBER 20, 2007 Dick Johnson forwarded an article on the upcoming new designs for the U.S five dollar note: "The world will get its first look at a more colorful Abraham Lincoln next month and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing is planning for it to be a high-tech event. "Bureau Director Larry Felix said for the first time the bureau was staging a digital unveiling for one of its redesigned currency notes. The new $5 bill, which features the 16th president, will be shown to the world by way of an Internet broadcast on Sept. 20 which the government has dubbed a "Wi-5" event. "'We wanted to make the most of the digital environment so that U.S. currency users will have worldwide access to all of the information we can give them,' Felix said in an interview with The Associated Press. "The event will be hosted at the bureau's web site, which will offer a variety of materials on the new $5 bill including the new design starting on Sept. 20. In addition, there will be an online question and answer session for reporters with officials from the bureau and other government agencies participating. "Originally, the government was going to exempt the $5 bill from the design makeovers introduced in recent years for the $50, $20 and $10 bills. "But officials changed their minds after counterfeiters began bleaching the ink off the current $5 bills and printing fake $100 bills on the bleached paper because certain security features including the watermark were in basically the same place on both notes. "The new $5 bill will have similar design changes as have been added to the other notes in an effort to thwart counterfeiters armed with more sophisticated computers and printers." To read the complete article, see: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-new-five,1,328129.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines To read the original BEP press release, see: http://www.moneyfactory.gov/newmoney/main.cfm/media/releases5_082107 SMITHSONIAN NUMISMATIC EXHIBIT EXTENDED The exhibit of highlights of the National Numismatic Collection has been extended again, this time through January 2008. "An exhibition by the Smithsonian?s National Museum of American History which explores rare and historically significant artifacts from its National Numismatic Collection?more than half of which have never been on view or have not been displayed for many years. ?Legendary Coins & Currency? draws 56 objects from this internationally acclaimed collection. "The display, unique in its interpretive approach, is organized under five themes: Legendary Firsts, Legendary Beauties, Unexpected Legends, Golden Legends and Legends of the Human Spirit. Visitors can examine some of the NNC?s rarest and most prized pieces to learn why history has elevated these artifacts to legendary status. Of particular interest is the 1913 Liberty Head nickel, one of the most celebrated 20th-century coins; the 1877 U.S. $50 (?Half Union?) pattern, the largest U.S. coin ever struck; and the 1849 Double Eagle ($20), a significant reminder of the California gold rush. Other objects include a 1652 Massachusetts Pine Tree Shilling; the 1906 Barber pattern Double Eagle; and the 1907 Saint-Gaudens Ultra High Relief Double Eagle, often considered to be among America?s most beautiful coins." To read the complete article, see: http://www.huliq.com/30851/numismatic-rarities-exhibition-extended For more information on the exhibit, see: http://americanhistory.si.edu/coins/visit.cfm http://americanhistory.si.edu/coins/flash/exhibition.shtml [I recall a visit I made to the National Numismatic Collection many years ago with a small group from the Western Pennsylvania Numismatic Society. At that time many of these same collection highlights were housed together in a single holder, which was taken from the vault for us to view first hand. These included the Half Union patterns. The new display really does justice to this small but important group of collection gems. ?Editor] TREGWYNT COIN HOARD EXHIBITED IN WALES On August 20 a newspaper in Wales reports that "the greatest hoard of Civil War coins ever found in Wales have gone on display for the first time in the county in which they were discovered. "Gold and silver coins dating back to the 1640s are the centrepiece of an exhibition at Scolton Manor Museum near Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. "The exhibition, entitled The Tregwynt Hoard: Coins, Cromwell and Cavaliers, highlights the importance of the hoard as well as explaining the impact on Wales and Pembrokeshire of the Civil War. "In total 500 coins were recovered from the site at Tregwynt, along with shards of pottery and a piece of lead thought to make up the container and lid of the vessel housing the coins. A fine gold posy ring, engraved with the words, 'Rather death then falce of fayth,' was also found. "The coins cover the reigns of Henry VIII (1509-1547), Edward VI (1547-1553); Philip & Mary (1554-1558), Elizabeth I (1558-1603), James I (1603-1625) and Charles I (1625-1649). "It is thought the collection was most likely to have been buried in 1648, the year of rebellion in Pembrokeshire, one of a number of uprisings known as the 'Second Civil War'. "The hoard was bought for the nation with the help of Heritage Lottery Fund and housed at the National Museum Wales in Cardiff. The Pembrokeshire exhibition runs until October 31st." To read the complete article, see: http://www.newswales.co.uk/?section=Culture&F=1&id=12329 SAN ANTONIO COIN HOARD FOUND A coin hoard of a different sort was uncovered in San Antonio, Texas recently. According to an August 21 article, "Jack Suneson bought a downtown property on Commerce Street thinking it was a good spot for tourists to part with their money. But someone had already parted with a stockpile of coins at the site ? nearly 130 years ago. "Suneson is a businessman from Nuevo Laredo who owns Marti's, a Mexican arts and crafts store. On Monday, a construction crew was digging up dirt to lay a foundation for Suneson's new store at 310 W. Commerce St. "A backhoe uncovered about 200 U.S. quarters, half dollars and silver dollars dating between 1852 and 1880. The crew also found a gold coin from that era. "The hoarder might have lived around 1880 because the most recent coin was a Morgan Silver Dollar dated that year. "Suneson said he plans to clean the coins that can be saved and display them in his new store. " To read the complete article, see: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA082207.1B.coin.discovery.3329726.html {Wash the coins, maybe; but clean them? Them's fighting words to many a numismatist. Let's hope a gentle washing is all the owner has in mind. -Editor] IRANIAN INVESTS IN BALDWIN'S PARENT, PLANS TO ADD MEDALS AND BANKNOTES According to The Telegraph August 21, a new investor in the Baldwin's and Noble numismatic firms plans to branch out into other collectible areas. "The Iranian-born Tchenguiz has ploughed ?2.5m into Noble Investments, which sells antique coins out of a shop it owns on the Strand in London. "The company has raised an extra ?300,000 from a placing with institutional investors such as Allianz Cornhill. Collins Stewart placed a total of 1.5m shares at 185p a share. "Noble plans to use the funds to expand into stamps, in collaboration with expert philatelists Andrew Claridge and Andrew Lajer. ?The deal will give Mr Tchenguiz an 8pc stake in the enlarged group. It is the latest in a string of investments he has made this summer, including a ?40m stake in an alternative investment fund launched by Nicola Horlick and a ?900,000 bet on ?45m energy fund Sigma alongside Sir Tom Hunter. "Noble ... bought 135-year-old coin dealer Baldwins at the end of 2005, and has since moved into profit. In the first half of the year, turnover almost doubled to ?5.2m, while pre-tax profits quintupled to more than ?1m. It has a stock market value of ?30m. "Baldwins traces its origins back to the Victorian era when founder Alfred Baldwin began trading coins. Among the treasures handled by the company is an Edward III double florin that fetched ?460,000 at auction, a record sum for a British gold coin. "Mr Goldbart, a former stockbroker, also wants to move into areas such as military medals and bank notes. But he said: "We won't move into paintings or furniture as we don't have the room." "He declined to comment on whether Noble would buy rival Stanley Gibbons, which operates from a neighbouring store." To read the complete article, see: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/08/21/cnnoble121.xml DICTIONARY OF PARANUMISMATICA PUBLISHER LOCATED Last week Ron Abler inquired about locating a copy of "The First Dictionary of Paranumismatica" by Brian Edge. Bob Lyall helped me put Ron in touch with the author. Many thanks! DICTIONARY OF PARANUMISMATICA SOUGHT http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n33a16.html SACAGAWEA DOLLARS IN ECUADOR While searching for other things I stumbled across a reference to U.S. Sacagawea dollars circulating in Ecuador. I don?t recall reading about this before ? can anyone shed some light on this? "Somebody at the mint, perhaps tired of stubbing their toes on bags of Sac dollars in the vaults, had a brain storm and commencing on April 15, 2002 the U.S. began sending some $500 million of the unwanted dollar coins to Ecuador for use as circulating currency. And, wow, did they circulate! So much so that in less than a year they became the most popular currency item in the country." "Many uninformed Ecuadorians believe the central device on the obverse is that of an Ecuadorian woman from the mountains. They know nothing of Sacagawea or the exaggerated role the politically correct U.S. Mint spin doctors gave to her being part of the Lewis & Clark expedition." To read the original articles, see: http://www.coinpeople.com/index.php?showtopic=16313 http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/344374/counterfeit_us_1_coins_exist_check.html UPDATED MICROPERFORATION SYSTEM TO PROTECT BANKNOTES According to a press release issued in The Netherlands August 21, ?Industrial Automation Integrators (IAI) B.V. in Veldhoven, a subsidiary of DOCdata N.V. in Waalwijk, will supply a Laser- Perforation-System for the application of the patented security feature MicroPerf(R) to a banknote printing company. The delivery of this system is planned by mid-2008. This system will replace a MicroPerf(R) system that is operational since 1997. ?Main contractor for this project is KBA-Giori S.A. in Lausanne, Switzerland, the marketing and sales subsidiary of K?nig & Bauer (KBA) in W?rzburg (http://www.kba-print.de) for the banknote- printing market. KBA-Giori is by far the leading supplier of equipment to banknote printers. ?The MicroPerf(R) security feature, an invention of the Swiss security printer Orell F?ssli (http://www.ofs.ch), is now applied in Swiss, Latvian and Russian banknotes. It consists of a pattern of minute, laser-applied holes, which become visible when the note is held to the light.? To read the complete press release, see: http://media.netpr.pl/notatka_83942.html WAYNE'S LONDON DIARY 26 AUGUST, 2007 It was another busy week at the office, and with travel home to the U.S this weekend there wasn't much time for numismatic adventures, all of which had to wait until after an important Wednesday deadline. At lunchtime Thursday I paid another short visit to Simon Narbeth, whose shop is just five minutes from our office. I stopped in to ask "What's New" and the ever-gracious Simon pulled out a number of tempting items. I passed on not one, but two nice examples of the Jacob Perkins siderographic sample note. Of most interest to me was an item I had to pass on due to the price, but it would have been an interesting addition to my collection of books related to counterfeiting. Bound in green cloth, it was a nicely preserved copy of an 1819 London publication titled "Report of the Committee of the Society of Arts &c. together with the approved communications and evidence upon the same relative to the mode of Preventing the Forgery of Bank Notes. Simon explained that members of the Society (and many of the general public as well) were growing uncomfortable with the high incidence of prosecutions against people for the crime of merely possessing a counterfeit banknote. On my first visit I'd seen a satirical note on the same subject by illustrator George Cruikshank. The purpose of the Society's report was to encourage the government to require higher standards in producing banknotes, making them much harder to counterfeit. Pictured in the book was a sample note produced by engraver Thomas Ranson who at the time was serving a prison sentence for possessing a counterfeit. Simon pulled out a copy of the book 'Promises to Pay' - the book was published by Spink and covers the Bank of England banknotes. The note in the book was illustrated on page 63. I noted that the Society's publication was printed in the same year as Jacob Perkins' rare book - 1819. Perkins' book was in a similar vein, calling for more sophisticated anti-counterfeiting measures and putting forth a system for remedying the problem. Simon said that Britons at the time were loathe to consider an invention by some upstart Yankee; this wasn't long after the War of 1812. Simon noted the Perkins book's rarity and said he had a customer who'd been asking for one for years, telling Simon to call day and night to reach him should he ever locate a copy. I?d love to have the book too, but I guess I?ll have to settle for my Fuld reprint. It was a delight to talk with someone who was familiar with such rare and interesting numismatic items. Simon was the only dealer I?d talked to who was familiar with the work of J.S.G. Boggs. When I asked if he had any notes of Emperor Norton of San Francisco, he not only knew about Norton but he was very familiar with the notes? rarity. While there may be some bargains to be found in his stock, don?t expect any great rarities to sell too cheaply. While I?d walked away empty- handed this time, I truly enjoyed our conversation. I?ll miss having his shop so close by. Thursday evening was my first chance in weeks to get out of the office as a decent hour. At 6:15 I met John Andrew in the building lobby. John is COIN World?s London correspondent, and he?s a managing editor and regular columnist for Britain?s Coin News magazine. We walked a block to Kettner?s for dinner. Coincidentally, we both ordered the Kettner?s salad, a specialty with chicken, aubergine and almonds. We talked of many things, only some numismatic. John gave me a copy of the September 2007 issue of Coin News, which has some nice articles by John including his regular Market Scene column commenting on recent auction results, one on Inhuman Traffic, an exhibit on the slave trade at the British Museum which incorporates related banknotes, coins and tokens; and finally a profile of Richard Beale of the Warwick & Warwick auction house. It was a wonderful, civilized dinner, greatly beating the Subway sandwiches which served as meals while working late the previous three nights. We went our separate ways sometime after eight o?clock. I made my way back to my hotel and stayed up late dealing with laundry, receipts, email and packing. On Friday at the office we put some finishing touches on work to be used be our client over the next two weeks. At mid-afternoon I left the office wheeling my suitcase behind me. Not finding an available taxi, I walked to Piccadilly Circus and took the tube to Paddington Station. Reversing my steps from a couple weeks ago, I took the Heathrow Express to the airport. While waiting for my plane I read that celebrity rocker Amy Winehouse and her husband had argued in an expensive hotel on Regent Street, spilling onto the streets at 3:30 in the morning. I?d walked the same street late Wednesday night catching a bus to my own hotel after a long night at the office. Offering my boarding pass at the gate I had a start when the machine rejected it with a loud beep and a bold red light. What was the problem? Was I flagged by the authorities for some infraction? I swear, I just forgot to turn off my cell phone on the last flight ? it wasn?t my fault! And that mass of metal in my checked luggage is four pounds worth of pennies and two pence coins destined for the Coins4Kids program run by the Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists. Was a body cavity search in the cards? As it turned out, I?d been upgraded to Upper Class. How?d they know it was my birthday (August 24)? It was a nice comfy seat, and of course now I?ll be too spoiled to ever be comfortable in steerage (I mean, ?Economy Class?) again. The comfy private reclining seat was convertible into a bed. The tray was large and a power source was available for my laptop. The wine flowed. At 38,000 feet I worked for a while on The E-Sylum, getting caught up with a week?s worth of editing chores. The meal was top-notch, opening with a great carrot soup. For my main course I chose a potato and cheese pie, which was very tasty, followed by a strawberry tart. No candles or singing, but it sure hit the spot. And did I mention the wine? God bless the flight attendant, who guessed me to be well over ten years younger than I am. Thanks to John Andrew as well, who also thought I was younger. But grey hairs are starting to appear, so I won?t get away with the act much longer. Anyway, for a nearly eight-hour flight, first class has a lot going for it. But I?m still puzzled why the Heathrow Express train has a First Class car. Exactly how does one enjoy a comfier seat on a fifteen minute train ride? Lap dancers? Unless I get upgraded sometime I?ll never know. When I got tired I put away my computer, watched a bit of a movie, then rested. The last two weeks were exhausting. I looked forward to getting home to my wife and family and celebrating my son Tyler?s seventh birthday (August 20). I couldn?t sleep and ended up reading my copy of the Clara Semple book ?A Silver Legend: The Story of the Maria Theresa Thaler?. It was a nicely illustrated book that does a great job of presenting centuries of history around this interesting trade coin. Eventually our flight landed at Dulles Airport and I stepped out into the hot and humid summer night to grab a taxi, a welcome change from the cold and rainy London weather. My son Tyler greeted me at the door with a Happy Birthday message and a handmade birthday card. Home, Sweet Home ? it was great to be back. TELETRADE'S AUCTION FAILS TO SELL GIANT CANADIAN GOLD COIN Dave Harper reported August 23 that as we predicted, there were no takers for the Canadian coin that Teletrade spun up their publicity machine for. He wrote: ?It wouldn't fit in anyone's pocket. ?Nobody took home the big Canadian $1 million gold coin offered in Teletrade's Aug. 16 auction. "?While the big Canadian coin did not sell it came very close to the reserve was $2 million, and the bid was up to $1,950,000,? reported Teletrade President Ian Russell. "The 100-kilogram coin, created by the Royal Canadian Mint in part to highlight availability of .99999 fine gold in its Maple Leaf bullion coin offerings, contains more than $2 million in gold. "Another example of the 220-pound (3,215 troy ounces) coin was displayed at the American Numismatic Association convention in Milwaukee, Wis., Aug. 8-12. "The piece was put up for bids Aug. 16 to promote a new service, Teletrade Direct, a way for collectors and investors to purchase gold, silver or platinum bullion items. Among offerings are Canadian Maple Leaf and U.S. American Eagle and Buffalo bullion coins." To read the complete article, see: http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ad=article&ArticleId=2734 THE FROZEN AIRMAN'S POCKET CHANGE "A 1923 buffalo nickel, an old Army uniform and a crumbly wallet with faded photographs might help investigators figure out exactly which missing World War II airman's remains are lying in the county morgue in Fresno. "But it will probably come down to something more modern and foolproof -- DNA matching. "The remains of what is believed to be the second of four crewmen who died on a 1942 training flight were found by hikers last week on a remote Sierra mountainside in Kings Canyon National Park. The body was brought by helicopter and coroner's van to the morgue Monday. "A coroner's deputy took a quick peek inside the wallet, to see if there might be identification. All she found were faded photographs, the images not recognizable, Hadden said. Deputies also found the nickel and an 87-year-old dime. "The remains were found less than 100 feet from where climbers found the ice-covered body of airman Leo Mustonen in 2005. "Mustonen was one of four men aboard the AT-7 navigational plane that disappeared in a blizzard Nov. 18, 1942, after taking off from Mather Air Force Base near Sacramento on an Army Air Force training flight. The others were pilot William Gamber, 23, of Fayette, Ohio, and cadets John Mortenson, 25, of Moscow, Idaho, and Ernest Munn, 23, of St. Clairsville, Ohio." To read the complete article, see: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/21/BAG4URMITA9.DTL CANADIAN "COFFEE NAZI" REFUSES SMALL CHANGE Dick Johnson writes: "There is a trendy coffee bar in Toronto whose proprietor refuses to accept payment in cents, nickels, and dimes. All his prices are rounded off in full dollar amounts and quarters are the smallest coin he will accept. He has been called the 'coffee nazi' by his regular customers after Seinfeld's 'soup nazi.' "'I don't deal with that stuff. See,' says Stuart Ross of cents, nickels and dimes in his Bulldog Coffee bar. A journalist put him to the test and offered him a stack of ten dimes for his dollar purchase. ''Just take it,' he scoffs, pushing a cup of steaming gourmet java towards me before turning to the next woman in line, his thin bearded face immediately flipping from a sneer to a smile' wrote the journalist. "He has even removed his tip jar. 'So one day I take the huge jug down to Dominion [bank] to the coin machine. Put it all in and get $27,' he scoffs. 'When I got back to my car, there was a $30 parking ticket.' "For sheer pleasure, read the article. There is also mention of the Royal Canadian Mint's pending report on abolishing the cent, and a sidebar of cent trivia 'Making Cents.'" To read the complete article, see: http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/248626 FEATURED WEB PAGE: THE FOOTE COUNTERFEIT DETECTOR AND ARMAND CHAMPA This week's featured web page is Michael J. Sullivan's article on the NBS web site titled 'The Foote Counterfeit Detector and Armand Champa. http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_asylum_foote.html The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. For more information please see our web site at http://www.coinbooks.org/. There is a membership application available on the web site at this address: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_member_app.html To join, print the application and return it with your check to the address printed on the application. Membership is only $15 to addresses in the U.S., $20 elsewhere. For those without web access, write to: David M. Sundman, Secretary/Treasurer Numismatic Bibliomania Society, P. O. Box 82 Littleton, NH 03561 For Asylum mailing address changes and other membership questions, contact David at this email address: dsundman@LittletonCoin.com To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, just Reply to this message, or write to the Editor at this address: whomren@coinlibrary.com Those wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All past E-Sylum issues are archived on the NBS web site at this address: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_esylum_archive.html Issues from September 2002 to date are also archived at this address: http://my.binhost.com/pipermail/esylum From esylum at binhost.com Sun Aug 26 22:52:52 2007 From: esylum at binhost.com (esylum@binhost.com) Date: Sun Aug 26 22:54:29 2007 Subject: The E-Sylum v10#34, August 26, 2007 Message-ID: <1188183172.46d23c84cebf9@webmail.telerama.com> Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 10, Number 34, August 26, 2007: an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society. Copyright (c) 2007, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society. WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM 26 AUGUST, 2007 Among our recent subscribers is Ian Stevens. Welcome aboard! We now have 1,175 subscribers. My apologies to anyone who submitted material over the weekend; I've had limited access to my email and the web, but expect to be fully online again soon. This week we open with information from George Kolbe on the publication of Jack Collins' 1794 dollar manuscript, and an interesting honor for David Lange's U.S. Mint book. Queries this week include coin photography, dealing with sticky book covers, and Sacagawea dollars circulating in Ecuador. In the news, the BEP plans to reveal its new five dollar bill designs in an Internet event, the exhibit of highlights of the National Numismatic Collection has been extended again, and an investor in Baldwins plans to branch out into additional areas of numismatics as well as stamps. In this week's abbreviated London diary I retrace some earlier steps, revisiting Colin Narbeth & Son and dining with John Andrew. To learn why the "Toronto Coffee Nazi" hates small change, read on. Have a great week, everyone. Wayne Homren Numismatic Bibliomania Society KOLBE TO PUBLISH JACK COLLINS' 1794 DOLLAR MANUSCRIPT Last week Alan Weinberg wrote: "... George Kolbe will be this year publishing Jack Collins' 1794 dollar manuscript 'as is' with pictures missing, etc..." George Kolbe writes: "Alan Weinberg's description of the upcoming publication of Jack Collins' manuscript on 1794 dollars may be technically correct but could be misleading to some. Jack's book WILL BE ILLUSTRATED with good quality enlargements of all but a few of the 1794 dollars described therein. The price will probably be $65.00 postpaid and the edition will be limited to the number of orders received. An order form will be sent out with our November 1 auction catalogue featuring the John J. Pittman library and other notable consignments. Information will also be posted on our web site: www.numislit.com and we will be happy to send an order form to anyone requesting same." ALAN V. WEINBERG'S 2007 MILWAUKEE ANA CONVENTION REVIEW http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n33a06.html [My apologies to George for not having a chance to confirm the details before publishing the reference to Jack's book. I've fined myself half of my last week's E-Sylum editor's salary. But I'm delighted to hear that Jack's manuscript will at long last see the light of day, and look forward to adding a copy to my library. I remember very well the first time I met Jack in the company of numismatic literature dealer John Bergman. John and his wife Mary were wonderful hosts to me on a visit to Los Angeles. John showed me his library and when Jack joined us we all went out to dinner at a nearby Mexican restaurant. Later we toured the Queen Mary docked in Long Beach harbor. Jack and John have both passed on, and are dearly missed by the bibliophile community. -Editor] LANGE'S U.S. MINT AND ITS COINAGE CHOSEN AS ESSENTIAL COLLEGE READING I learned recently that David Lange's book "History of the United States Mint and Its Coinage" was included as one of the books considered essential reading for college-bound students by Amazon booksellers. Their "Outstanding Books for the College Bound" list, published earlier this year, consists of 195 titles. Lange?s book comes in at #182, just after "An Empire of Wealth" by John Steele Gordon, which I've recently read and would also highly recommend. Topping the list are 1) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 2) Silas Marner by George Eliot 3) Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger 4) Catch-22 by Joseph Heller 5) To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee Notable titles that Lange's Mint book edged out include 185) How to Solve It by George Polya 186) As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner 191) Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky 193) The Year of the Great Crash, 1929 by William K. Klingman To read the complete the complete list, see: http://blog.cupobooks.com/?p=104 [This is an outstanding achievement for a numismatic book, and I applaud the booksellers for spotting it and considering it in the voting. Like any popularity contest, it does seem to skew toward including a number of fairly recently published titles in addition to the great classics. It remains to be seen if a recent title such as Freakonomics (which I've also read and recommend) will appear on such lists 50 years hence. But a classic treatment of a classic topic of American history such as David's book on the early Mint could well endure. Congratulations! I understand Lange's book was commissioned by the American Numismatic Association's Education department around 1995 and was written as a volunteer effort to create classroom materials for the ANA's Summer Seminar. But after cancelling those plans, the ANA struck a deal with Whitman to publish Dave's material commercially. From what I understand, the book's royalties have all gone to the ANA and nothing to David. It's an unfortunate situation; although the new ANA board has a lot to deal with right now, it would good to review the situation and at least acknowledge the financial contribution of Dave's efforts to the ANA coffers. -Editor] AUTHORS' NOTES ON ADAMS-BENTLEY COMITIA AMERICANA Regarding last week's review of 'Comitia Americana', coauthor John W. Adams writes: "At the end of the day, I am proudest of 1) catching Jefferson in flagrante, thereby solving a longstanding mystery; 2) introducing the quality of stochastic screening to numismatic publications and 3) legitimatizing the presence of copies in a serious collection. There are many who would dispute this, but, in the case of the Comitia Americanas, there is no alternative." Coauthor Anne Bentley writes: "Many thanks for the kind words and gentle corrections. No book is ever perfect or finished--especially not a history tome. I know that I, for one, look forward to any new information that comes to light: we know that there is more out there somewhere, and hope that our research provides a sound base for those to follow." BOOK REVIEW: COMITIA AMERICANA BY JOHN W. ADAMS AND ANNE E. BENTLEY http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n33a11.html QUERY: HOW TO DEAL WITH STICKY BOOK COVERS Ray Williams writes: "I have a situation where there are a number of hardbound catalogs on my bookshelf, and after a while, the covers stick to each other. Specifically, they are the hardbound catalogs published by the Colonial Coin Collectors Club for their annual auction. Sometimes they are so stuck that I'm afraid I might damage them by pulling apart. The covers are a type of simulated leather (leatherette?). Are there any recommendations of what I can do to prevent the sticking? I was toying with the idea of wiping the covers with baby powder, but thought I'd inquire here first. I guess if all else fails, I could make jackets for them, but then they don't look as nice on my bookshelf..." [This is indeed a sticky situation, one that many bibliophiles had found themselves in at one time or another. Suggestions, anyone? -Editor] PRICING NOTE ON KRAUSE STANDARD CATALOGS ON DVD Tim L. Shuck of Ames, IA writes: "Just a brief note on the pricing of the Krause World Coin Standard Catalogs on DVD, which wasn't mentioned in your article last week. Following the link in your article shows the DVD set price to normally be $100, but until October 1st the company is offering an "ANA Show - Blog Extension" price of $80 (plus $3.95 shipping U.S., $11.00 global). Cover price for the three volumes is about $150, but even at a place like Amazon the total is over $95; so for someone like me for whom this will be an occasionally used reference, the special DVD price was too good to pass up. I look forward to using these, and if they are as good as expected that will be three books off my 'to buy' list." KRAUSE PUBLICATIONS OFFERS WORLD COIN STANDARD CATALOGS ON DVD http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n33a09.html [Actually, I was aware of the "blog special" but wasn't sure it I would be letting a cat out of the bag. But if it's freely advertised on the web, jump right in. It's a book purchase that that one's spouse never has to know about - a DVD is far easier to sneak into the house than a pile of telephone-book style catalogs. I'm tempted to get a set myself even though I don't regularly look up world coins. I may be wrong, but I would predict a runaway bestseller for Krause - what dealer or collector wouldn't want to have the whole three-volume set at their fingertips? I'd be interested in hearing from readers who have the DVD - what do you think of the product? How easy is it to use? -Editor] DOUGLAS SAVILLE ON THE 2007 MILWAUKEE ANA CONVENTION Regarding the recent ANA convention, numismatic bookseller Douglas Saville writes: "I had a hectic three days in Milwaukee. I found it to be a really worthwhile trip, selling (and buying) some books, and I met up with some (very) old and new friends and clients, and met some people who I had been doing business with recently and who I had not previously had the chance to meet. I especially enjoyed the two NBS meetings that I attended and by chance met a few fellow members who I had not been in touch with for a number of years." [So here I sat in London while Doug crossed the Atlantic to attend the convention. Such is life. Sorry I missed it - the Numismatic Bibliomania Society events are always a worth a trip to the annual convention. -Editor] ANA LAWSUIT DETAILS PUBLISHED An article by David Ganz published online by Numismatic News August 23 reviews the background of the lawsuit by the American Numismatic Association against former employees and consultants. Unless withdrawn or thrown out by the court, the case is heading for a September 25th trial. I'll publish a few excerpts here, but I encourage ANA members and interested readers to study the article for background information on the suit. Many of the defendants are E-Sylum readers, and I'd be happy to forward queries to them. ??The plaintiffs' law firm of Davis, Graham & Stubbs, LLP, claim the suit was brought ?to protect the security of its Internet site and the privacy of membership and other confidential information.? ?Named as defendants are ANA life member and former computer consultant John Nebel and his consulting firm, Computer Systems Design Company of Colorado Springs. The other defendants are Wayne Abraham, a former ANA controller and former interim executive director; Barbara ?Susie? Nulty, a former ANA Internet technology director, and Larry Lee, former ANA curator.? ??The first claim is for intentional infliction of emotional distress by outrageous conduct, and pits Cipoletti against Nebel, Nulty, Abraham and Lee. The second claim is for intentional interference with prospective business relation and economic advantage, and pits the ANA against Nebel, Nulty, Abraham and Lee. ?Third is a routine breach of contract claim (ANA against Computer Design Systems), fourth is a claim of breach of settlement agreement between ANA and Abraham, fifth is a civil theft claim against all defendants, sixth is a breach of fiduciary claim against Abraham, Nulty and Lee, and finally a civil conspiracy claim against all defendants is lodged.? ??Ultimately, a conspiracy was alleged. ?In or around November or December, 2003 ANA employees witnessed Lee, Nebel and Nulty having lunch together. ANA believes that Nebel, Nulty, Abraham and Lee continued to meet for the purposes of harassing and conspiring against ANA and Cipoletti.? ??Evidently dissatisfied with Cipoletti's leadership as ANA executive director, Nebel claims in his papers to have set up an alternative Web site that was password protected and which had limited access to 26 people... The Nebel Web site was visited by 23 of the 26 people who were given passwords.?? To read the complete article, see: http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ad=article&ArticleId=2736 [Prior to the 2004 ANA convention where I was General Chairman, I visited ANA headquarters in Colorado Springs and went out for lunch with a group of ANA employees. Later, I had a nice dinner with John Nebel. If having a meal in public is tantamount to conspiracy, then I suppose I could be sued, too. And if publishing one's opinion is cause for legal action, then I suppose I flout the law weekly. Stating one's opinion is a constitutionally protected right. Publicly revealing confidential information may be another matter, and that aspect of the suit may have to be resolved by the court. But free speech is protected, and I'm surprised that at least some of the ANA's complaints haven?t been tossed out of court yet. If this indeed goes to trial it will prove interesting to watch on many levels. Every single ANA member has a vested interest in its actions and success, and is entitled to their opinion, and to sharing it with any member who cares to listen. -Editor] COIN PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE QUESTION Dick Johnson writes: "I was reminded by something Alan Weinberg said in his ANA and Heritage Auction report last week when he mentioned the photography work of Walt Husak. Alan said "I frankly prefer Walt's coin photography which is more vivid but taken at a very slight angle with a shadow at the bottom of each early copper. The coins look more 'real' in my opinion with the lustre and surfaces more alive." "The ?slight angle? triggered memories of two professional photographers I had hired over the years. Larry Stevens, whose work appeared in COINage, and Robert J. Myers, longtime photographer of Stack's, both photographed round coins and medals slightly tilted. "They processed their own prints so they knew how much to tilt back in the printing process to compensate for this so the end result -- the final prints -- would be perfectly round coins and medals. Other photographers I had hired over the years did not do this. Coin photography is a subject I admit a lack of knowledge so I am curious. "I am wondering if this technique is used by other coin photographers, or is this just something a handful of professional coin photographers would do. "I would like for someone like John Nebel, a stellar coin photographer, to express his opinion. I have one of his photographs of a silver dollar blown up 18 times original size as an example. If you saw it you would understand why I call him a "stellar" coin photographer.? [Dick copied John in his note to me, and here's his reply. -Editor] John Nebel writes: "There are images of my photo apparatus on http://ancientmoney.org - see the About page. The lighting is axial with a half-silvered mirror adjustable with 3 degrees of freedom. The mirror can be seen better in the first photo which is of an earlier setup, then at ANA. The second photo is the current setup except the constant-intensity xenon source has now been replaced with a precise strobe with a digital 1/10 stop luminance adjustment. The coin is not tilted; the adjustment on the stage holding the coin is useful for ancient coins which were not made to neatly stack in piles." [John photographed some of my Pittsburgh medals for a couple of Numismatist articles I wrote the year of the Pittsburgh ANA convention. The photography was indeed stunning. The resolution was so high, and the photos so detailed, that I saw parts of the designs I'd never noticed in all the years I'd owned the pieces. -Editor] BEP TO UNVEIL NEW U.S. FIVE DOLLAR BILL DESIGNS SEPTEMBER 20, 2007 Dick Johnson forwarded an article on the upcoming new designs for the U.S five dollar note: "The world will get its first look at a more colorful Abraham Lincoln next month and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing is planning for it to be a high-tech event. "Bureau Director Larry Felix said for the first time the bureau was staging a digital unveiling for one of its redesigned currency notes. The new $5 bill, which features the 16th president, will be shown to the world by way of an Internet broadcast on Sept. 20 which the government has dubbed a "Wi-5" event. "'We wanted to make the most of the digital environment so that U.S. currency users will have worldwide access to all of the information we can give them,' Felix said in an interview with The Associated Press. "The event will be hosted at the bureau's web site, which will offer a variety of materials on the new $5 bill including the new design starting on Sept. 20. In addition, there will be an online question and answer session for reporters with officials from the bureau and other government agencies participating. "Originally, the government was going to exempt the $5 bill from the design makeovers introduced in recent years for the $50, $20 and $10 bills. "But officials changed their minds after counterfeiters began bleaching the ink off the current $5 bills and printing fake $100 bills on the bleached paper because certain security features including the watermark were in basically the same place on both notes. "The new $5 bill will have similar design changes as have been added to the other notes in an effort to thwart counterfeiters armed with more sophisticated computers and printers." To read the complete article, see: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-new-five,1,328129.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines To read the original BEP press release, see: http://www.moneyfactory.gov/newmoney/main.cfm/media/releases5_082107 SMITHSONIAN NUMISMATIC EXHIBIT EXTENDED The exhibit of highlights of the National Numismatic Collection has been extended again, this time through January 2008. "An exhibition by the Smithsonian?s National Museum of American History which explores rare and historically significant artifacts from its National Numismatic Collection?more than half of which have never been on view or have not been displayed for many years. ?Legendary Coins & Currency? draws 56 objects from this internationally acclaimed collection. "The display, unique in its interpretive approach, is organized under five themes: Legendary Firsts, Legendary Beauties, Unexpected Legends, Golden Legends and Legends of the Human Spirit. Visitors can examine some of the NNC?s rarest and most prized pieces to learn why history has elevated these artifacts to legendary status. Of particular interest is the 1913 Liberty Head nickel, one of the most celebrated 20th-century coins; the 1877 U.S. $50 (?Half Union?) pattern, the largest U.S. coin ever struck; and the 1849 Double Eagle ($20), a significant reminder of the California gold rush. Other objects include a 1652 Massachusetts Pine Tree Shilling; the 1906 Barber pattern Double Eagle; and the 1907 Saint-Gaudens Ultra High Relief Double Eagle, often considered to be among America?s most beautiful coins." To read the complete article, see: http://www.huliq.com/30851/numismatic-rarities-exhibition-extended For more information on the exhibit, see: http://americanhistory.si.edu/coins/visit.cfm http://americanhistory.si.edu/coins/flash/exhibition.shtml [I recall a visit I made to the National Numismatic Collection many years ago with a small group from the Western Pennsylvania Numismatic Society. At that time many of these same collection highlights were housed together in a single holder, which was taken from the vault for us to view first hand. These included the Half Union patterns. The new display really does justice to this small but important group of collection gems. ?Editor] TREGWYNT COIN HOARD EXHIBITED IN WALES On August 20 a newspaper in Wales reports that "the greatest hoard of Civil War coins ever found in Wales have gone on display for the first time in the county in which they were discovered. "Gold and silver coins dating back to the 1640s are the centrepiece of an exhibition at Scolton Manor Museum near Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. "The exhibition, entitled The Tregwynt Hoard: Coins, Cromwell and Cavaliers, highlights the importance of the hoard as well as explaining the impact on Wales and Pembrokeshire of the Civil War. "In total 500 coins were recovered from the site at Tregwynt, along with shards of pottery and a piece of lead thought to make up the container and lid of the vessel housing the coins. A fine gold posy ring, engraved with the words, 'Rather death then falce of fayth,' was also found. "The coins cover the reigns of Henry VIII (1509-1547), Edward VI (1547-1553); Philip & Mary (1554-1558), Elizabeth I (1558-1603), James I (1603-1625) and Charles I (1625-1649). "It is thought the collection was most likely to have been buried in 1648, the year of rebellion in Pembrokeshire, one of a number of uprisings known as the 'Second Civil War'. "The hoard was bought for the nation with the help of Heritage Lottery Fund and housed at the National Museum Wales in Cardiff. The Pembrokeshire exhibition runs until October 31st." To read the complete article, see: http://www.newswales.co.uk/?section=Culture&F=1&id=12329 SAN ANTONIO COIN HOARD FOUND A coin hoard of a different sort was uncovered in San Antonio, Texas recently. According to an August 21 article, "Jack Suneson bought a downtown property on Commerce Street thinking it was a good spot for tourists to part with their money. But someone had already parted with a stockpile of coins at the site ? nearly 130 years ago. "Suneson is a businessman from Nuevo Laredo who owns Marti's, a Mexican arts and crafts store. On Monday, a construction crew was digging up dirt to lay a foundation for Suneson's new store at 310 W. Commerce St. "A backhoe uncovered about 200 U.S. quarters, half dollars and silver dollars dating between 1852 and 1880. The crew also found a gold coin from that era. "The hoarder might have lived around 1880 because the most recent coin was a Morgan Silver Dollar dated that year. "Suneson said he plans to clean the coins that can be saved and display them in his new store. " To read the complete article, see: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA082207.1B.coin.discovery.3329726.html {Wash the coins, maybe; but clean them? Them's fighting words to many a numismatist. Let's hope a gentle washing is all the owner has in mind. -Editor] IRANIAN INVESTS IN BALDWIN'S PARENT, PLANS TO ADD MEDALS AND BANKNOTES According to The Telegraph August 21, a new investor in the Baldwin's and Noble numismatic firms plans to branch out into other collectible areas. "The Iranian-born Tchenguiz has ploughed ?2.5m into Noble Investments, which sells antique coins out of a shop it owns on the Strand in London. "The company has raised an extra ?300,000 from a placing with institutional investors such as Allianz Cornhill. Collins Stewart placed a total of 1.5m shares at 185p a share. "Noble plans to use the funds to expand into stamps, in collaboration with expert philatelists Andrew Claridge and Andrew Lajer. ?The deal will give Mr Tchenguiz an 8pc stake in the enlarged group. It is the latest in a string of investments he has made this summer, including a ?40m stake in an alternative investment fund launched by Nicola Horlick and a ?900,000 bet on ?45m energy fund Sigma alongside Sir Tom Hunter. "Noble ... bought 135-year-old coin dealer Baldwins at the end of 2005, and has since moved into profit. In the first half of the year, turnover almost doubled to ?5.2m, while pre-tax profits quintupled to more than ?1m. It has a stock market value of ?30m. "Baldwins traces its origins back to the Victorian era when founder Alfred Baldwin began trading coins. Among the treasures handled by the company is an Edward III double florin that fetched ?460,000 at auction, a record sum for a British gold coin. "Mr Goldbart, a former stockbroker, also wants to move into areas such as military medals and bank notes. But he said: "We won't move into paintings or furniture as we don't have the room." "He declined to comment on whether Noble would buy rival Stanley Gibbons, which operates from a neighbouring store." To read the complete article, see: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/08/21/cnnoble121.xml DICTIONARY OF PARANUMISMATICA PUBLISHER LOCATED Last week Ron Abler inquired about locating a copy of "The First Dictionary of Paranumismatica" by Brian Edge. Bob Lyall helped me put Ron in touch with the author. Many thanks! DICTIONARY OF PARANUMISMATICA SOUGHT http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n33a16.html SACAGAWEA DOLLARS IN ECUADOR While searching for other things I stumbled across a reference to U.S. Sacagawea dollars circulating in Ecuador. I don?t recall reading about this before ? can anyone shed some light on this? "Somebody at the mint, perhaps tired of stubbing their toes on bags of Sac dollars in the vaults, had a brain storm and commencing on April 15, 2002 the U.S. began sending some $500 million of the unwanted dollar coins to Ecuador for use as circulating currency. And, wow, did they circulate! So much so that in less than a year they became the most popular currency item in the country." "Many uninformed Ecuadorians believe the central device on the obverse is that of an Ecuadorian woman from the mountains. They know nothing of Sacagawea or the exaggerated role the politically correct U.S. Mint spin doctors gave to her being part of the Lewis & Clark expedition." To read the original articles, see: http://www.coinpeople.com/index.php?showtopic=16313 http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/344374/counterfeit_us_1_coins_exist_check.html UPDATED MICROPERFORATION SYSTEM TO PROTECT BANKNOTES According to a press release issued in The Netherlands August 21, ?Industrial Automation Integrators (IAI) B.V. in Veldhoven, a subsidiary of DOCdata N.V. in Waalwijk, will supply a Laser- Perforation-System for the application of the patented security feature MicroPerf(R) to a banknote printing company. The delivery of this system is planned by mid-2008. This system will replace a MicroPerf(R) system that is operational since 1997. ?Main contractor for this project is KBA-Giori S.A. in Lausanne, Switzerland, the marketing and sales subsidiary of K?nig & Bauer (KBA) in W?rzburg (http://www.kba-print.de) for the banknote- printing market. KBA-Giori is by far the leading supplier of equipment to banknote printers. ?The MicroPerf(R) security feature, an invention of the Swiss security printer Orell F?ssli (http://www.ofs.ch), is now applied in Swiss, Latvian and Russian banknotes. It consists of a pattern of minute, laser-applied holes, which become visible when the note is held to the light.? To read the complete press release, see: http://media.netpr.pl/notatka_83942.html WAYNE'S LONDON DIARY 26 AUGUST, 2007 It was another busy week at the office, and with travel home to the U.S this weekend there wasn't much time for numismatic adventures, all of which had to wait until after an important Wednesday deadline. At lunchtime Thursday I paid another short visit to Simon Narbeth, whose shop is just five minutes from our office. I stopped in to ask "What's New" and the ever-gracious Simon pulled out a number of tempting items. I passed on not one, but two nice examples of the Jacob Perkins siderographic sample note. Of most interest to me was an item I had to pass on due to the price, but it would have been an interesting addition to my collection of books related to counterfeiting. Bound in green cloth, it was a nicely preserved copy of an 1819 London publication titled "Report of the Committee of the Society of Arts &c. together with the approved communications and evidence upon the same relative to the mode of Preventing the Forgery of Bank Notes. Simon explained that members of the Society (and many of the general public as well) were growing uncomfortable with the high incidence of prosecutions against people for the crime of merely possessing a counterfeit banknote. On my first visit I've seen a satirical note on the same subject by illustrator George Cruikshank. The purpose of the Society's report was to encourage the government to require higher standards in producing banknotes, making them much harder to counterfeit. Pictured in the book was a sample note produced by engraver Thomas Ranson who at the time was serving a prison sentence for possessing a counterfeit. Simon pulled out a copy of the book 'Promises to Pay' - the book was published by Spink and covers the Bank of England banknotes. The note in the book was illustrated on page 63. I noted that the Society's publication was printed in the same year as Jacob Perkins' rare book - 1819. Perkins' book was in a similar vein, calling for more sophisticated anti-counterfeiting measures and putting forth a system for remedying the problem. Simon said that Britons at the time were loathe to consider an invention by some upstart Yankee; this wasn't long after the War of 1812. Simon noted the Perkins book's rarity and said he had a customer who'd been asking for one for years, telling Simon to call day and night to reach him should he ever locate a copy. I?d love to have the book too, but I guess I?ll have to settle for my Fuld reprint. It was a delight to talk with someone who was familiar with such rare and interesting numismatic items. Simon was the only dealer I?d talked to who was familiar with the work of J.S.G. Boggs. When I asked if he had any notes of Emperor Norton of San Francisco, he not only knew about Norton but he was very familiar with the notes? rarity. While there may be some bargains to be found in his stock, don?t expect any great rarities to sell too cheaply. While I?d walked away empty- handed this time, I truly enjoyed our conversation. I?ll miss having his shop so close by. Thursday evening was my first chance in weeks to get out of the office as a decent hour. At 6:15 I met John Andrew in the building lobby. John is COIN World?s London correspondent, and he?s a managing editor and regular columnist for Britain?s Coin News magazine. We walked a block to Kettner?s for dinner. Coincidentally, we both ordered the Kettner?s salad, a specialty with chicken, aubergine and almonds. We talked of many things, only some numismatic. John gave me a copy of the September 2007 issue of Coin News, which has some nice articles by John including his regular Market Scene column commenting on recent auction results, one on Inhuman Traffic, an exhibit on the slave trade at the British Museum which incorporates related banknotes, coins and tokens; and finally a profile of Richard Beale of the Warwick & Warwick auction house. It was a wonderful, civilized dinner, greatly beating the Subway sandwiches which served as meals while working late the previous three nights. We went our separate ways sometime after eight o?clock. I made my way back to my hotel and stayed up late dealing with laundry, receipts, email and packing. On Friday at the office we put some finishing touches on work to be used be our client over the next two weeks. At mid-afternoon I left the office wheeling my suitcase behind me. Not finding an available taxi, I walked to Piccadilly Circus and took the tube to Paddington Station. Reversing my steps from a couple weeks ago, I took the Heathrow Express to the airport. While waiting for my plane I read that celebrity rocker Amy Winehouse and her husband had argued in an expensive hotel on Regent Street, spilling onto the streets at 3:30 in the morning. I?d walked the same street late Wednesday night catching a bus to my own hotel after a long night at the office. Offering my boarding pass at the gate I had a start when the machine rejected it with a loud beep and a bold red light. What was the problem? Was I flagged by the authorities for some infraction? I swear, I just forgot to turn off my cell phone on the last flight ? it wasn?t my fault! And that mass of metal in my checked luggage is four pounds worth of pennies and two pence coins destined for the Coins4Kids program run by the Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists. Was a body cavity search in the cards? As it turned out, I?d been upgraded to Upper Class. How?d they know it was my birthday (August 24)? It was a nice comfy seat, and of course now I?ll be too spoiled to ever be comfortable in steerage (I mean, ?Economy Class?) again. The comfy private reclining seat was convertible into a bed. The tray was large and a power source was available for my laptop. The wine flowed. At 38,000 feet I worked for a while on The E-Sylum, getting caught up with a week?s worth of editing chores. The meal was top-notch, opening with a great carrot soup. For my main course I chose a potato and cheese pie, which was very tasty, followed by a strawberry tart. No candles or singing, but it sure hit the spot. And did I mention the wine? God bless the flight attendant, who guessed me to be well over ten years younger than I am. Thanks to John Andrew as well, who also thought I was younger. But grey hairs are starting to appear, so I won?t get away with the act much longer. Anyway, for a nearly eight-hour flight, first class has a lot going for it. But I?m still puzzled why the Heathrow Express train has a First Class car. Exactly how does one enjoy a comfier seat on a fifteen minute train ride? Lap dancers? Unless I get upgraded sometime I?ll never know. When I got tired I put away my computer, watched a bit of a movie, then rested. The last two weeks were exhausting. I looked forward to getting home to my wife and family and celebrating my son Tyler?s seventh birthday (August 20). I couldn?t sleep and ended up reading my copy of the Clara Semple book ?A Silver Legend: The Story of the Maria Theresa Thaler?. It was a nicely illustrated book that does a great job of presenting centuries of history around this interesting trade coin. Eventually our flight landed at Dulles Airport and I stepped out into the hot and humid summer night to grab a taxi, a welcome change from the cold and rainy London weather. My son Tyler greeted me at the door with a Happy Birthday message and a handmade birthday card. Home, Sweet Home ? it was great to be back. TELETRADE'S AUCTION FAILS TO SELL GIANT CANADIAN GOLD COIN Dave Harper reported August 23 that as we predicted, there were no takers for the Canadian coin that Teletrade spun up their publicity machine for. He wrote: ?It wouldn't fit in anyone's pocket. ?Nobody took home the big Canadian $1 million gold coin offered in Teletrade's Aug. 16 auction. "?While the big Canadian coin did not sell it came very close to the reserve was $2 million, and the bid was up to $1,950,000,? reported Teletrade President Ian Russell. "The 100-kilogram coin, created by the Royal Canadian Mint in part to highlight availability of .99999 fine gold in its Maple Leaf bullion coin offerings, contains more than $2 million in gold. "Another example of the 220-pound (3,215 troy ounces) coin was displayed at the American Numismatic Association convention in Milwaukee, Wis., Aug. 8-12. "The piece was put up for bids Aug. 16 to promote a new service, Teletrade Direct, a way for collectors and investors to purchase gold, silver or platinum bullion items. Among offerings are Canadian Maple Leaf and U.S. American Eagle and Buffalo bullion coins." To read the complete article, see: http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ad=article&ArticleId=2734 THE FROZEN AIRMAN'S POCKET CHANGE "A 1923 buffalo nickel, an old Army uniform and a crumbly wallet with faded photographs might help investigators figure out exactly which missing World War II airman's remains are lying in the county morgue in Fresno. "But it will probably come down to something more modern and foolproof -- DNA matching. "The remains of what is believed to be the second of four crewmen who died on a 1942 training flight were found by hikers last week on a remote Sierra mountainside in Kings Canyon National Park. The body was brought by helicopter and coroner's van to the morgue Monday. "A coroner's deputy took a quick peek inside the wallet, to see if there might be identification. All she found were faded photographs, the images not recognizable, Hadden said. Deputies also found the nickel and an 87-year-old dime. "The remains were found less than 100 feet from where climbers found the ice-covered body of airman Leo Mustonen in 2005. "Mustonen was one of four men aboard the AT-7 navigational plane that disappeared in a blizzard Nov. 18, 1942, after taking off from Mather Air Force Base near Sacramento on an Army Air Force training flight. The others were pilot William Gamber, 23, of Fayette, Ohio, and cadets John Mortenson, 25, of Moscow, Idaho, and Ernest Munn, 23, of St. Clairsville, Ohio." To read the complete article, see: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/21/BAG4URMITA9.DTL CANADIAN "COFFEE NAZI" REFUSES SMALL CHANGE Dick Johnson writes: "There is a trendy coffee bar in Toronto whose proprietor refuses to accept payment in cents, nickels, and dimes. All his prices are rounded off in full dollar amounts and quarters are the smallest coin he will accept. He has been called the 'coffee nazi' by his regular customers after Seinfeld's 'soup nazi.' "'I don't deal with that stuff. See,' says Stuart Ross of cents, nickels and dimes in his Bulldog Coffee bar. A journalist put him to the test and offered him a stack of ten dimes for his dollar purchase. ''Just take it,' he scoffs, pushing a cup of steaming gourmet java towards me before turning to the next woman in line, his thin bearded face immediately flipping from a sneer to a smile' wrote the journalist. "He has even removed his tip jar. 'So one day I take the huge jug down to Dominion [bank] to the coin machine. Put it all in and get $27,' he scoffs. 'When I got back to my car, there was a $30 parking ticket.' "For sheer pleasure, read the article. There is also mention of the Royal Canadian Mint's pending report on abolishing the cent, and a sidebar of cent trivia 'Making Cents.'" To read the complete article, see: http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/248626 FEATURED WEB PAGE: THE FOOTE COUNTERFEIT DETECTOR AND ARMAND CHAMPA This week's featured web page is Michael J. Sullivan's article on the NBS web site titled 'The Foote Counterfeit Detector and Armand Champa. http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_asylum_foote.html The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. For more information please see our web site at http://www.coinbooks.org/. There is a membership application available on the web site at this address: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_member_app.html To join, print the application and return it with your check to the address printed on the application. Membership is only $15 to addresses in the U.S., $20 elsewhere. For those without web access, write to: David M. Sundman, Secretary/Treasurer Numismatic Bibliomania Society, P. O. Box 82 Littleton, NH 03561 For Asylum mailing address changes and other membership questions, contact David at this email address: dsundman@LittletonCoin.com To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, just Reply to this message, or write to the Editor at this address: whomren@coinlibrary.com Those wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All past E-Sylum issues are archived on the NBS web site at this address: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_esylum_archive.html Issues from September 2002 to date are also archived at this address: http://my.binhost.com/pipermail/esylum