The Numismatic Bibliomania Society

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Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 2, Number 34:  August 22, 1999: 
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society. 
   

SUBSCRIBER UPDATES  

   This week's new subscribers are Georges Depeyrot of 
   France,  Dennis Bumb, Eric Cheung, and Cathy Earley. 
   Welcome aboard!   This brings our subscriber count to 203. 
   

HELLENISTIC COINAGE OF MARSEILLES  

   Georges Depeyrot announces the publication of his book, 
   "Les Monnaies Hellénistiques de Marseille",  1999, 128 pages. 
   Thanks to E. Tomlinson Fort for providing a summary of the 
   Press Release, which yours truly undoubtedly butchered in 
   summarization:  

   "Marseilles was the most  important Greek colony in Gaul.  It 
   produced Greek coins for nearly 525 years beginning in the 
   middle of the 5th century BC.  

   The text discusses the major coin designs, such as a lion on the 
   reverse of the silver issues and a bull on the reverse of the 
   bronze issues.   The work has a full listing of all the types struck,  

   their chronology, with illustrations in text, as well as four plates 
   at the end of the book and illustrations as well as an index to 
   aid in identification."  

   For more information, contact Georges Depeyrot via email at 
   Georges.Depeyrot@ehess.fr 
   

HISTORY AND COINAGE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE  

   Sam Kazmi of NumisART Galleries announces the publication 
   of David Vagi's new book, "History and Coinage of the Roman 
   Empire"  He writes: "This two volume reference covers over 550 
   years of Roman history and coinage is unlike any previous work 
   on the subject.  

   This hardcover set -- with over 1,000 images included in 1296 
   pages of text -- covers the period between 83 BCE to CE 480; 
   reign of Sulla to the fall of the Western Roman Empire."  

   For more information, contact Mr. Kazmi via email at 
   skazmi@numisart.com 
   

SO-CALLED DOLLAR BOOK  

   In response to last week's query by Bill Fivaz about the 
   So-Called Dollars book, literature dealer George Kolbe writes: 
   "How times do change.   I recall in the late 1970s being offered 
   1,000 - yes, one thousand - copies of Hibler & Kappen 
   @$1.00 per copy and passing on the deal. These books were 
   a drug on the market, dogs!  Anyone acquainted with the 
   numismatic literature marketplace knows the phenomenon 
   well: when a book is in print or widely available you can't sell it; 
   when it is out of print you can't buy it. Others more prescient 
   than I bought the deal (in all, there were several thousand copies 
   involved - the late Herb Melnick, I believe, was the seller) and 
   the buyers issued a price supplement to enhance sales of the 
   main work. The rest, as they say, is history." 
   

EARLY  ASSAYERS' WRITING SAMPLES  

   David Cassel's request for writing samples of early mint assayers 
   Eckfelt and DuBois turned up assistance from Pete Smith and 
   Joel Orosz.   Pete wrote that "Craig Whitford sold a handwritten 
   document from Jacob Eckfeldt in his sale of October 6, 1995, 
   lot 264.  The document is illustrated in the catalog."  

   Joel wrote: "I have two samples that are supposedly pertinent. 
   One is a purported inscription on the Mint Manual from Jacob 
   Eckfeldt, the authorship of which I doubt, and the other is an 
   inscription on Pledges of History which may have been penned 
   by DuBois.  I will send photocopies to Mr. Cassel this 
   weekend."  

   To his note Joel added: "Keep the E-Sylum coming - as we 
   say in Battle Creek, it's Grrreat!" 
   

HALF DIME BOOK UPDATE  

   Russ Logan writes "FEDERAL HALF DIMES 1792-1837 
   made its debut at the Chicago ANA.  It is the first completely 
   new reference book on Bust half dimes since Valentines' 
   monograph 68 years ago. This reference book has over 300 
   pages of research material and describes in detail 123 die 
   marriages and 31 remarriages. The section on the 1802 half 
   dime describes 167 appearances of this coin since 1859. 
   Copies  may be purchased for $75 by sending your check to: 
   R.J. Logan, Treas.,  John Reich Collectors Society, 
   P. O.  Box 39541  Solon,  OH  44139." 
   

NLG AWARD TO CARL HONORE  

   Subscriber and Asylum author Carl Honore writes: "I was 
   privileged to win the editors award this ANA for the 
   best article to be featured in the Numismatic Literary Guild 
   Newsletter for last year.  I wasn't there to receive it but I 
   wanted to thank all my peers for their help and encouragement 
   since I began writing in the hobby.  Keep up the quality work 
   and thanks  for a great newsletter." 
   

NO CIGAR FOR NBS  

   The Asylum came away empty-handed from the ANA's 
   Outstanding Club Publications Awards for 1999.  Authors: 
   sharpen your pencils and help us win next year!   In the 
   Specialty Clubs category, we were bested by:  

      1st: Paper Money, Society of Paper Money Collectors 
      2nd: Errorscope, CONECA 
      3rd: John Reich Journal, John Reich Collectors Society  

   Congratulations to these organizations and their editors, 
   Gene Hessler, Deborah Wiles, and Brad Karoleff, 
   respectively. 
   

HODDER'S COMMENTS ON THE "DEBATE"  

   Subscriber and "Great Debate" participant Mike Hodder writes: 
   "Wayne:  I take exception to some of your comments about the 
   "Great Debate".  If you ask around, I think you'll find that one of 
   the participants behaved badly and the other received official 
   ANA apologies for being subjected to a personal attack.  

   Further, there was no "threat of a lawsuit" leveled. Rather, 
   Buttrey stated that he had turned over his materials to his lawyer, 
   with instructions to deliver them to the NY State Attorney 
   General for prosecution of Ford, Stack's, and Hodder for 
   criminal fraud.  

   Finally, you will find, when you read my paper on the subject 
   of western assay bars to be published this fall by the ANS, 
   that a series of analyses of bars has already been carried out. 
   Bob Rhue's offer to fund further research is welcome, since 
   such work is not cheap and thousands of dollars have already 
   been spent." 
   

FUNCTION ASSOCIATES SALE 48  

   Fred Lake notes that "Function Associates is holding its 48th 
   mail-bid sale of numismatic literature with a closing date of 
   September 28, 1999.  The sale contains over 700 lots... 
   The catalog is available via email and may be sent in either 
   MS Word or WordPerfect format.  Please specify which 
   format you prefer."   Fred may be reach via email at 
   fredlake@aol.com 
   

LOT DESCRIPTION OF THE WEEK  

   At the risk of stealing thunder from Joel Orosz'  Printer's Devil 
   Column,  I can't help but give the "Most Harshly Worded 
   Return Policy" award to lot 230 from the catalog of the 
   September 10-11, 1999 sale of Currency Auctions of America:  

   "This is the remains and rejects from the winning 1992 
   Memphis competitive exhibit of the world's worst 24-piece 
   Fractional Type Set. ...   This group contains many of the 
   most wretched Fractional Notes to have ever been seen, 
   including a number of notes taped together and composed 
   of pieces of several different notes as well as a sprinkling 
   of notes we suspect to be counterfeit. ... There are no returns 
   on this lot for any reason.  Anyone attempting to return it 
   will be shot."  

   The pieced-together "Frankenstein" notes remind me of 
   a rare mythical creature described by Woody Allen as 
   having "the head of a lion, and the body of a lion, but not 
   the same lion...." 
   

FEATURED WEB SITE  

   On the heels of the ANA convention, it's time to revisit the 
   ANA website, home of a new online exhibit on the Lesher 
   Dollars, produced between 1900 and 1901 by Joseph 
   Lesher of Victor, Colorado.  The text and illustrations are 
   courtesy of Adna G. Wilde, Jr.  

      http://www.money.org/lesher/lesher.html  

   The illustrations are outstanding, particularly the large 
   close-ups reachable by clicking the links under the smaller 
   photos.   These may take a while to download depending 
   on the speed of your internet connection.  Exhibits like these 
   sure make me glad to have a cable modem... 
   

  Wayne Homren 
  Numismatic Bibliomania Society  

  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.  To join, print the application and 
  return it with your check to the address printed 
  on the application.   For those without web access, 
  contact Dave Hirt, NBS Secretary-Treasurer, 
  5911 Quinn Orchard Road, Frederick, MD 21701  

  (To be removed from this mailing list 
   write to me at whomren@coinlibrary.com)   

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