Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 9, Number 24, June 11, 2006:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2006, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.


WAYNE's WORDS

Among our recent subscribers are Dr. Richard MacMaster, courtesy
of Dave Bowers,  Bill Bugert, courtesy of Dick Johnson, Bill Yarger,
Remy Bourne, Peter Mosiondz, Jr., David M. Walsworth and Canan Ozbil.
Welcome aboard!  We now have 925 subscribers.  Who will be number 1,000?

Due to technical difficulties, this week's issue did not go out until
Monday morning.  Sorry!  And speaking of difficulties, regarding the
mangled date on last week's issue, Harold Levi writes: "I know, this
was a test to see how many readers would notice the wrong date on the
last issue - - April 4, 2006?

A year or two ago, Karl Moulton, in one of his fixed price catalogues,
commented in the description of one of the 1880s auction catalogues
that there were no airmail stamps in the nice run of stamps listed
in the catalogue.  I asked Karl the same question, was this a test?"

Well, Harold was the first reader to report noticing the E-Sylum date
problem and Karl was second; David Gladfelter was the third.  Thanks
for keeping me honest!  At least we nipped the problem in the bud.
As noted in an earlier E-Sylum, "The New York Times used the new
millennium to fess up to a mistake that had appeared on its front
page every day for more than a century."
esylum_v03n01a03.html

And how many noticed the YEAR in that issue's header? 8-)
club_nbs_esylum_v03n01.html

On another topic, I don't know how to configure our email system
not to tell people to send submissions to esylum@binhost.com, but
please don't.   Always email them to me at whomren@coinlibrary.com.
This is more of a problem for people who use the Digest option.
Since we only have one issue a week digests are unnecessary, so if
you subscribed to the digest option, consider changing your
subscription.  When you hit Reply to a regular (non-digest) version
of an E-Sylum issue, your reply will go to the correct address.

This week's lead item will be a shocker for those who haven't heard
the sad news.  Next is a report on results from George Kolbe's 100th
numismatic literature sale, followed by reports on new books on
coins and medals ranging from Elizabeth I to outer space.

Also in the shocker category is a report from Forbes magazine that
investors in the Central America gold treasure apparently have yet
to be paid, and the proceeds have gone missing.

Two articles discuss the disposition of bank corporate archives,
one dispersed long ago but another, dating to 1803 which may someday
be made available to researchers.

Inquiries this week range from a verification of John J. Ford's
signature to an 1871 Strobridge sale lot of Magdalen Island coinage.
Query answer topics include the Feversham Hoard, the Devonshire sale
catalog, the two versions of the Delieb-Roberts book on Matthew
Boulton, Civil War identification discs, and an outpouring of
information on The Numismatic Pilot.

Ever wonder where the phrase "a Penny for your thoughts" came from?
Read on to find out. Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Numismatic Bibliomania Society


JOEL MALTER 1931-2006

As we noted last week, Joel Malter was recently interviewed by
Coin World about the sale of his numismatic library.  "The end
of my life is close and I thought, 'I don't want to be six feet
under when my library is disposed of," Malter said."

Joel Malter passed away in the early hours of Monday June 5.

George Kolbe writes: "I attended Joel Malter's library sale
Sunday; it was a phenomenal success. On Monday I received a
call from a friend attending the remainder of the auction
to inform me that Joel died in the middle of the night. Before
I left the auction I had congratulated Joel on its remarkable
success and shook his hand; he was in good spirits. As I am sure
Joel would have liked, the sale continued. When our time comes,
as it must, I cannot imagine leaving on a higher note."

Chris Hoelzle of Laguna Niguel, CA writes: "Joel Malter, who
was VERY pleased with the results of the first day of the auction
of his 45 year collection of Numismatic Literature on Sunday June
4, went to bed a happy man. He awoke at 4 am, collapsed and died.
Efforts to revive him failed.

I attended lot viewing at the Malter library in his home Saturday
evening and Joel was well and in good spirits but seemed tired
from all the work involved in setting up the auction.

During the Sunday auction, he seemed very alert and was involved
in calling out late phone and mail bids in to Michael Malter
(his son) the auctioneer. The day was horribly hot - more than
100 degrees in the library that served as the auction room. Joel
took a break during the afternoon when the lack of breeze and
the high temperatures were getting to us all.

After the bidding was closed for the day, Joel came back and
seemed to be in good form - congratulating bidders, helping them
pick their lots from his beautiful library shelving and helping
reconcile the invoices. Everyone left the auction at about 7 pm
in an upbeat mood. Wonderful books, and a great feeling of friendship
and enjoying a once in a lifetime chance to purchase items from
such a tremendous library.

At 7 am Monday morning, I received a phone call from Michael Malter
telling me what had happened to his father. I was in shock. It was
one of those events where once I had hung up the phone, I just shook
my head trying to decide whether it was real or just a bad dream.

The family decided that the auction would go on. Everything was in
place - bidders in attendance from as far away as the UK, the internet
live auction connection, the mail bids, phone bids - everything was in
place. The family uniformly stated that they "knew" that Joel would
want the auction to continue.

The family was very shaken by the events of just a few hours prior.
Michael had a family friend, who is also an auctioneer, call the lots.
After just a few bumps during the first few lots, all went smoothly.

As a real family-run operation, the various family members would
tell us privately about his love of the books, his wonderful home
and the pride he had in his library.

I remember talking with Joel a few years ago about his fabulous
book collection and he told me that he wanted to make sure the books
would go into the hands of other collectors of numismatic literature
when he no longer needed them.

A gentleman to the end - he made sure that we got the benefit of
his life's work."

On Thursday, Mike Malter posted a very nice farewell letter to his
father on the Malter company email list.  Describing his father's
entry into the coin business in 1961, he wrote: "A large family
required a change in occupations. He now took a huge chance ...
and ventured away from teaching and to start his own company that
dealt with his love of history and coins. Joel L. Malter and Company
was born with its world headquarters in the garage of his Venice
home. They say that timing is everything and my dad had just that
touch. When he got into the coin business in the early 1960's there
was a plethora of coins and collectors and little competition. He
soon learned the tricks of the trade and turned what started out
as a one man coin business into one of the largest and most
successful firms of its type in the world by the 1980s."
[Thanks to Larry Mitchell for forwarding a copy. -Editor]

Kerry Wetterstrom, Editor/Publisher of The Celator writes:
"I was just told this morning about Joel's passing and I did know
him and his son Mike, who has been managing the family coin and
antiquity business for some time now. Quite tragic and sad,
especially considering the timing -- the day after the sale of
his beloved library.   Or perhaps it was a blessing as at least
he was able to enjoy the fact that his books fetched record prices.

I printed a two-part article by Joel about his library and how
he acquired various rare titles over the years in the March and
April 2006 issues of The Celator. Joel was a pillar in the ancient
coin hobby in the U.S., and many collectors (and dealers) think
of him as their mentor.

He was the founder of the (new) Numismatic Fine Arts, a name acquired
from Edward Gans, and subsequently he hired Bruce McNall to work for
NFA. When Bruce and Joel decided to part ways, Bruce purchased the
rights to the NFA name from Joel. Interestingly enough, today the
rights to the NFA name are co-owned by Classical Numismatics Group
(Victor England and Eric McFadden) and Freeman & Sear (Rob and Tory
Freeman and David R. Sear). Eric, Rob, Tory and David all are former
employees of NFA, and I believe that the hope is to revive the
firm's name someday, and restore it to its former glory, so-to-speak.

Of course, Joel continued on with his eponymous coin firm after
selling NFA to Bruce McNall, and he built a business dedicated to
collectors by a collector. Joel's deep knowledge and love of
numismatics was reflected in the just concluded sale of his library.

Joel and I shared an interest in the coinage of ancient Egypt.
While I was still in high school, I was given a copy of his Auction
No. II (Joel L. Malter & Co., Inc., held on Feb. 23-24, 1978), which
contained many Egyptian rarities. This catalogue was my primary
reference for many years, and when I finally met Joel in person at
a Los Angeles coin show in 1983 (C.O.I.N. or the Convention of
International Numismatists, held just prior to the San Diego ANA,
as I then drove from L.A. To San Diego with Frank L. Kovacs,
another California dealer whose library rivals Joel's for ancient
numismatics), I told Joel this and he seemed quite pleased by
this little fact."

[Many thanks to everyone who forwarded information to me for
this issue.  I contacted Malter's office for confirmation and
was asked not to publish anything until Mike had a chance to
respond.  Since I was unable to get out a timely special issue,
I waited until our usual publication date.  Our thoughts go out
to the Malter family. -Editor]


KOLBE 100TH SALE RESULTS

The results of George Kolbe's 100th sale are in: "On Saturday,
June 3, 2006, George Frederick Kolbe/Fine Numismatic Books
conducted their 100th auction sale, issued in four catalogues,
at the Long Beach, California Coin and Collectibles Expo. It was
a remarkable success. The pre-sale estimates came to $317,000 and
90% of the lots sold for a total of $496,000 (including the 15%
buyer premium, as do prices noted hereafter)

Highlights include: a remarkably fine copy of Ricaud de Tiregale's
superbly produced 1772 work on Russian medals @ $5,865; Pope Innocent
XI's superb large paper copy of Claud du Molinet's classic 1679 work
on Papal medals @ $6,325; an exceptionally fine 1875 'Nova Constellatio'
edition of Crosby's classic work on American colonial coins @ $11,212;
one of only five large paper copies of Hickcox's 1858 work on American
coinage @ $40,250; a complete set of the American Journal of Numismatics
@ $14,950; Copy No. 1, signed, of Newcomb's work on 1801, 1802, and 1803
cents @ $1,725; a fine copy of the rare 1870 edition of the Maris work
on 1794 cents @ $5,175; an original 1876 edition of Attinelli's
Numisgraphics @ $2,760; a superbly bound set of the first four large
format Chapman Brother Auction Sales issues with plates, ex Harry W.
Bass, Jr. Library @ $43,700; B. Max Mehl's own Deluxe Leatherbound
Edition of the famous 1941 William F. Dunham Auction Sale Catalogue
@ $4,370; an unusually nice 1870s United States Treasury Department
'Vignette Book,' containing over 140 superb bank note engravings
executed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing @ $9,200; and other
lots too numerous to mention.

A small number of copies of all four catalogues, including a prices
realized list, are still available and may be obtained by sending
$25.00 to the firm."


NEW BOOK ON TOWER MINT HAMMERED SILVER COINS OF ELIZABETH I

Paul Withers writes: "This morning we got the proofs of our book
'The Galata Guide to the Pennies of Edward I and II back from the
printers.  We are working on a book 'Anglo-Gallic Coins' which is
going to have all of the very latest material and research.  As
well as which Galata Print Ltd is pleased to be publishing a new
volume entitled "The Hammered Silver Coins Produced at the Tower
Mint During the Reign of Elizabeth I"

Size A4. Card covers. 84 pages, 18 of which are plates of
illustrations of the coins, either photographs, or superb line
drawings of punches. Price £24 plus £2 postage.

Elizabeth inherited a currency that consisted largely of her
father's debased coin, though by the opening of her reign the
mint was once again striking in sterling silver and was producing
the same denominations that had been struck by her grandfather
and his predecessors. The coins however contained only two thirds
as much silver as those of Henry VII and there is ample evidence
that Elizabeth's hope was to restore not only the denominations
but also the weights to what they had been in earlier times.

But turning the clock back was not an option. Spain was transporting
the treasure of the New World to Europe and the increased use of
money in England required a new approach. Setting her dream aside,
Elizabeth experimented with different combinations of denominations,
and by the end of the reign had chosen a set that then remained
unchanged until the introduction of decimal coins three and half
centuries later.

This excellent new work is written by I D Brown, C H Comber, and
W Wilkinson, who may be known to some of you as David, Chris and
Wilkie respectively. Even more of you may know the writer of this
note, who stood on one leg and squinted through a camera viewfinder
to take the photographs for the illustrations.

Such books as this are not written without a great deal of painstaking
effort and this one has been under construction for many years, each
of its authors bringing his own special talents to the project. Chris
Comber has an eye for the unusual, Walter 'Wilkie' Wilkinson an eye
for detail, while David Brown, the one with the computer, was left to
write the text and put it all together.

The authors resisted the temptation to produce a catalogue with rarity
ratings and check boxes as such an approach to the hammered coinage
is not appropriate, but their hope is that they have produced a book
that students of the Tudor series will find helpful and informative
whether they are collectors or students of history.

A photograph of each coin type is shown as is a line drawing of the
finer points of the illustration so that identifying features may be
spotted on worn, damaged or clipped coins."

For ordering information, see the Galata web site (www.galata.co.uk)
or email Paul at Paul@galata.co.uk.


2006 SCANDANAVIAN COIN AUCTION PRICE YEARBOOKS AVAILABLE

Morten Eske Mortensen writes: "I am certainly happy to be able to
inform, that the printed 2006 editions of the Scandinavian Yearbooks
covering the full calendar years 2004 + 2005 now are in the hands of
the editor and at this time have been mailed to all those who have
ordered it and thus made the project be realized. Many thanks for
your support!

Danish vol. includes 6.000 entries. Swedish vol. includes  4.000
entries. Norwegian vol. includes  4.000 entries."

For more information, see: More Info


NEW BOOK ON ASTRONAUT MEDALS

Howard Weinberger writes: "Katie Jaeger recommended that I contact
you regarding the new release of my second book on the Robbins
Medals struck for the U.S. astronauts that were flown aboard the
manned space missions.  The title is "The Robbins Medallions -
Flown Treasure from the Manned Space Program".

The Robbins Medal tradition began with the first manned Apollo
mission, Apollo 7, in 1968.  Every manned mission since has had
a Robbins Medal struck to honor and commemorate for the astronauts.
One of the astronauts decided on a memento to take with him aboard
the mission.  He hired the Robbins Company in Massachusetts to
strike a small silver medal that depicted the mission emblem on
the obverse.  The reverse would have the mission dates engraved.
Each medal is serial numbered.

These flown treasures numbered anywhere from a 100 to 450 on a
mission and were the private property of the astronauts.  They
were given to family, close friends, and important workers who
helped the program.  They are now among the most coveted of all
flown space artifacts.  NGC has now begun grading and encapsulating
the medals.  The second book covers all medals, populations, which
were flown, mission crews and dates for all medals after Apollo,
including Skylab, ASTP, Shuttles and ISS.

Here is the review site of the first book.
Review

Here is a link to Collectspace.com where the buzz the biggest.
Collectspace.com "

[The new book is priced at $39.95 plus $5 shipping. I knew that
astronauts often took coins and medals aboard missions, but wasn't
aware there was such an organized series of medals.  For ordering
details and more information about the books, email Howard directly
at: assetalt@aol.com. -Editor]


SPMC AUTHOR's FORUM AT MEMPHIS PAPER MONEY SHOW

Dennis Tucker, Publisher of Whitman Publishing writes: "At the
Memphis Paper Money Show on June 16, Whitman Publishing author Q.
David Bowers and president Mary Counts will share the dais for a
talk on books about paper money. This is part of the Society of
Paper Money Collectors' annual Authors Forum. Dave will offer
insight on how The 100 Greatest American Currency Notes (coauthored
with David Sundman) went from first-draft manuscript to beautiful
coffee-table book. Mary will talk about the role the publishing
firm plays in bringing numismatic books to the hobby. Audience
members will receive complimentary copies of the 100 Greatest book
and the Guide Book of United States Paper Money.

Dave will also have a scanner set up at the Whitman booth, to capture
images of scarce and rare notes. E-Sylum readers are invited to stop
by and say hello, or have some of their "pet" notes scanned for
possible use in upcoming books."


FAUVER BOOKS ON EXONUMIA REVIEWED

In the introduction to his upcoming auction #75, Joe Levine of
Presidential Coin & Antique Company writes about consignor Benj.
Fauver and the books he published on exonumia:

"Fauver was a collector of tokens; mostly those which appealed to
his fascination with American and European history. One of his
first interests was Civil War tokens. He was an early member of
the Civil War Token Society and served as its Treasurer for thirty
years. He was the voice behind 'Horatio Speaks' a regular and
sometimes controversial column which appeared in the Journal
of the CWTS.

In 1982, he authored 'Exonumia Symbolism & Classification, A
Catalogue of Kettle Pieces and an Examination of the Symbolism
and Classification of Kettle Pieces and of American Exonumia of
the Hard Times, Compromise, and Civil War Periods'.

This was followed by his six part definitive study of American
Counters. Both of these efforts, especially the first, are much
more than mere listings of types and varieties. An attempt is
made to place the tokens in historical context and to explain
the symbolism of the devices used to ornament them. The result
is that the reader is intellectually challenged  no small feat
for a numismatic work in this field!"

To read the complete catalog, see: Full Catalog


FORBES CENTRAL AMERICA ARTICLE FOLLOWS THE MONEY: SHIP OF FOOLS?

Nick Graver writes: "The June 19 issue of Forbes Magazine has a
several page story on the Central America gold treasure that has
never been shared by the investors who financed the recovery!"

"Where is Tommy G. Thompson? Not so long ago the marine engineer
from Columbus, Ohio was everywhere, raising $55 million in equity
and debt financing and promoting the latest underwater technology
to salvage gold from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. He once gave
frequent press interviews and authorized books and TV documentaries
to commemorate his recovery of a vast sunken treasure from the
shipwrecked S.S. Central America--hundreds of gold Double Eagle
coins, bars and ingots valued at $100 million to $400 million.
Some of that loot went on national tour; an estimated $100 million
was sold in heavily publicized sales and auctions.

Today Thompson, 54, is hard to find. His last residential address
in public records: a trailer park in Fort Pierce, Fla. No one
answers the phone there or at his former Columbus address. Investors
who financed Thompson's Recovery Limited Partnership haven't seen a
penny of returns, 19 years after the recovery of the treasure, and
fear that Thompson left town with many millions."

To read the complete article, see: Full Story

Fred Holabird writes: "I was interviewed for about 3 hours by
Gottfried. I expected a long, in-depth article full of the kind
of details that everyone has long wanted to see in print. What
they published is nothing like what was discussed, unfortunately.
It is very unfortunate that one of the great treasures of America
is smeared by bad business. I hope the web can get untangled, and
the public can one day find out what happened. Meanwhile, the SSCA
gold is very real, but the new gold, the cash, seems to have
vanished."


THE HOMREN COLLECTION SALES

Many thanks to all of you who wrote about the items I consigned
to the June American Numismatic Rarities sale.  Here are a few
samples:

George Fuld writes: "Your ANR consignment is awesome!!"

Joel Orosz writes: "I've always admired your ability to convert
your knowledge into cool collectibles.  It definitely shows in your
library, and also now in your exonumia collection.

Could be a downside though--in the future, when you introduce
yourself as Wayne Homren, some folks will say, "Oh yeah, you sold
all that--that--STUFF in the ANR sale!"

Nick Graver writes: "What a beautiful catalog!   You and your
family should be so proud of the way things are presented.
Congratulations on the whole idea of collecting those interesting
pieces, then giving them new homes, and helping your college fund."

John Kraljevich, Dave Bowers, John Pack and the whole team at ANR
did a great job, and I'm still getting used to the idea of being
a consignor.  It was an unusual feeling to see an ad for the
upcoming sale with a number of my pieces pictured.

But as the TV hucksters say, 'but wait ... there's more!'

My collection of Pittsburgh Obsolete Currency is consigned to
the July R.M. Smythe sale.  The notes will be available for viewing
at the Memphis paper money show next week.  I've seen a draft of
the catalog text and they've done a nice job as well (thanks, Bruce!).

This is another collection I've assembled over a 25-year period.
A conversation I had with paper money dealer Tom Denley at the
Pittsburgh ANA convention confirmed what I'd learned over the years:
Pittsburgh notes are RARE!  In an article he wrote for the Civil
War Token Journal about some Pittsburgh cardboard scrip, Larry
Dziubek pointed to what may be the reason - flooding.  The Pittsburgh
area has been hit with a number of devastating floods over the years,
and this could account for why so few examples of early paper money
of any kind have survived.

Some of the Bank of Pittsburgh notes (including the uncut sheet of
1815 scrip) came from Emerson Smith.  Emerson was a banker, and one
of his first assignments was to liquidate the assets of the Bank of
Pittsburgh when it went out of business in the Great Depression.
After supervising the sale of the bank's real estate, furniture,
safes & etc., there were several boxes of records left unsold.  He
asked his boss if it would be OK to buy them himself.  He got the
OK and hauled them home.  Inside were piles of correspondence dating
back decades.  He sold these to stamp and autograph dealers.  He also
found a few uncut sheets, some cancelled notes and a few other pieces
of obsolete currency, which he kept after selling duplicates to
friends and dealers.

My favorite note is probably the 25 cent scrip by the Butchers of
Allegheny. This is the plate note in the Hoober book on Pennsylvania
Obsolete currency.  I may be proven wrong, but to the best of my
knowledge it's unique.  I did some digging in the microfilms of local
Civil-War era newspapers and found a wealth of articles about the
scrip, which was recalled after a lawsuit was filed.  I wrote the
story up for The Clarion, the journal of the Pennsylvania Association
of Numismatists and The Historical Magazine published by the Historical
Society of Western Pennsylvania. There was no room for any of this in
the auction catalog, but I'll make the information available for anyone
who wants to further research the note.  -Editor]


PNC BANK INVENTORIES RIGGS BANK ARCHIVES

At least one bank's archives have been kept intact for posterity.
As part of its purchase of Riggs Bank of Washington, D.C., PNC
Financial Services gained control of the bank's archives, a
treasure-filled store of materials from Riggs Bank and its
predecessors, dating back to 1803.  Archivist Mary Beth Corrigan
is reviewing the materials in a basement one block from The White
House.

"A few months after buying Riggs, PNC hired Ms. Corrigan part
time to cull through 1,200 ledger books, some weighing as much
as 40 pounds and dating back to 1803 -- covering the history of
Riggs, which was founded in 1836 by William Corcoran, and several
predecessors. Many books had been neglected, relegated to a damp
basement.

She also has tried to get a handle on more than 100 letters from
U.S. presidents -- many of them former Riggs clients -- countless
signature cards, stock certificates and currency that predates the
establishment of the Federal Reserve."

"The records show how Riggs collected $7.2 billion in gold for the
federal government's purchase of Alaska, that it financed the 1909
North Pole expedition led by Robert Peary, that it handled arrangements
for Elizabeth II's first trip to the United States as queen of England
and that it funded the renovation of the Capitol dome during the Civil
War -- work that Mr. Lincoln insisted be done as a way of restoring
national confidence."

"PNC wants a full accounting of what it has by the end of the year
so it can make a decision about what to do with the collection --
which also includes checks signed by non-Riggs clients George Washington,
Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Those documents were acquired
by Riggs in the 20th century. All options are being considered -- from
donating the artifacts to a museum to preserving the collection in a
PNC building. But the bank promises something will be done."

To read the complete article, see: Full Story


$100 BILL ERRORS FOUND IN DELAWARE - AUTHENTICITY DISPUTED

According to an article in the Delaware State News, "At least 64
misprinted $100 bills that are missing their seals and serial
numbers were delivered last week to banks between Harrington and
Maryland's Eastern Shore, a Dover coin shop owner said."

"Steve Bryan, owner of Midatlantic Coins in Dover, hopes to collect
all the bills...  He's seen six so far, although some customers
opted not to sell.

Ten notes, he said, have surfaced at Midway Slots in Harrington.
He became aware of the bills last week when a casino employee
brought one to him."

"The mistake, the shop owner said, happened in the third part
of the printing process, when the treasury seal and serial
numbers are stamped."

"Raymond Gesualdo, owner and manager of First State Coin Co.
in Dover, doesn't want anything to do with the bills.

"What they are is stolen," said Mr. Gesualdo, who has been
in the coin and currency business since 1972.

He said someone brought a couple of the $100 notes to his
shop Saturday and were refused sale."

"When we saw the notes and saw the cutting was irregular,
knowing how the production process runs, there's no way they
could have come through the bureau," Mr. Gesualdo said.

He also reported the bills to the Secret Service and said an
officer agreed that the money must have entered the marketplace
illegally."

"Mr. Bryan said he could tell a counterfeit from the real deal
- and these $100 bills are genuine."

To read the complete article, see: Full Story


MARGOLIS ON THE FORD FRANKLIN MEDALS BY LAGEMAN

Dick Margolis writes: "A couple of belated comments on Alan Weinberg's
extremely interesting report on Ford XIV, which I was very happy to
attend. The pair of Franklin medals by Lageman (I don't know whether
they are by the father or the son, both of whom were engravers) were
struck in Holland, not Germany. JJF told me years ago that he owned
this pair, so I've been quietly waiting in the wings ever since for
the opportunity to acquire them. The Fernand David sale (J. Schulman,
March 11, 1930) is the last prior public offering I am familiar with,
and David only had a silver specimen. Comparison of its illustration
in the David sale catalogue indicates that it is a different example
from Ford's."


PRIOR SALES OF JOHN FORD COLLECTION MATERIAL

In response to last week's question, George Fuld writes: "As I believe
I related earlier, Ford sold many coins through Bowers and Ruddy.  Ford
sold all his U. S. coins (including a mint red roll of half cents)
starting in 1979 to raise money for his projected expenses at the
Garrett sales.  His main interest was the Nova Constellatio patterns
which he eventually bought (these have not yet been auctioned by
Stack's).

While I was Americana maven at B&R, Ford consigned a number of
collections to be sold, at least one under his name about 1982-3.
The major group was his collection of Hitler medals with his name
attached..  Also were his souvenir silver spoons, a collection of
belt buckles, some Civil War tokens and several others that I do
not recall.  A perusal of the B&R catalogs from 1980 will reveal
others.  I did sell copies of many of his consignments through Lake
Books a year or so ago.

Thus, I think the 1989 Ford sale was only one of a series of
consignments over the years."


JOHN FORD SIGNATURE COMPARISON SOUGHT

Leon Worden writes: "Through eBay, I recently purchased a 1959
copy of the Adams-Woodin pattern book. Inside the front cover is
penciled a name that appears to read, "John Ford." I'm wondering
if anyone knows what John J. Ford's signature looks like? Does
anyone have a picture of it on a web site somewhere? Also inside
the cover is the name, "J.L. Massetti, L.M. 343," which I'd think
refers to an ANA life member..."


1871 STROBRIDGE SALE MAGDALEN ISLAND LOT INFORMATION SOUGHT

Darryl Atchison writes: "I was hoping that one of the E-Sylum
readers would be able to provide me with the lot description,
price realized and buyer of lot no. 44 in the William Harvey
Strobridge auction sale conducted on Dec. 5 - 7, 1871.

This lot was comprised of two 'mysterious' halfpence tokens from
Magdalen Island.  Most of our readers will be familiar with the
large, attractive copper penny token issued c1815 which depicts
a seal on one side and some dried cod on the other.

However, the present whereabouts of any halfpence tokens is unknown
despite the fact that Sir Edward Thomason records their manufacture
in his autobiography entitled, Memoirs During Half A Century, which
was published in 1845.

I would also be extremely interested in hearing from anyone who may
have heard any 'rumours' concerning the whereabouts of the two
pieces sold in the Strobridge sale or otherwise.  I can be contacted
at atchisondf@hotmail.com.  Thank you."


THE FEVERSHAM HOARD

In response to Philip Mernick's earlier query on the Feversham
Hoard, Bob Leonard writes: "The Feversham "Hoard" isn't a hoard
in the usual sense, but the coins recovered from the wreck of the
British frigate Feversham.  Besides Joseph R. Lasser's article in
The Numismatist, February 1989, the best description and listing
is to be found in the auction catalogs: Christie's, New York,
February 7, 1989, "Coins from the Wreck of H.M.S. Feversham" (lots
852-1080), and Stack's Public Auction Sale, Americana, Colonial and
Federal Coins, Medals and Currency featuring Coins from the H.B.M.S.
 FEVERSHAM and LE CHAMEAU Shipwrecks, January 12, 13, 1999."  Stack's
divided the "American" coins from the "foreign" coins in their catalog,
so the Feversham items are cataloged as lots 1-48 and 1146-1190.

(Incidentally, Michael Hodder alerted me that lot 47 is NOT a
Massachusetts silver coin, though listed in that section.  Neither
is lot 48, apparently.)  The coins sold in 1999 may have been unknown
to Lasser at the time of his 1989 article.

Also, the catalog of the Jeffrey Hoare Auctions, London, Ontario,
sale of February 26-27, 1993, contains some Feversham coins in addition
to other shipwreck coins and other material (I lack this catalog).
Other coins were sold in two Coin Galleries auctions, July 13, 1994
and April 15, 1998 (don't seem to have these either).  The latter
citations are possible through searching the ANS Library Catalog for
"Feversham," which brings up a total of 11 records including a few
more articles.  Unfortunately, this is probably not a complete listing,
and Mr. Mernick is encouraged to develop one if he can."

[In addition, Darryl Atchison forwarded to Philip Mernick all
Feversham references in the yet-to-be-published Canadian Numismatic
Bibliography.  Many thanks for everyone's help.  -Editor]


MORE ON THE DEVONSHIRE SALE CATALOG

In October Jerry Platt inquired about the date of "The Duke
of Devonshire's sale" referred to in Medallic Illustrations.
esylum_v08n43a10.html

Ted Buttrey of the Fitzwilliam Museum adds: "The Duke of
Devonshire's collection was sold by Christies (London) in two
sales, 18 March and 26 March, 1844.  The first sale included only
ancients (wonderful stuff); the second had British of all periods
and a bit of foreign -- largely coins but a good number of British
medals.

Lot 551: "Oliver Cromwell: a small oval, obv. his head, rev. the
olive tree, and 1, larger, struck on the battle of Dunbar, rev. the
House of Commons, both by Simon.. the latter very fine; and a cast. 3"

Bought by Warrington for 1/6/0.

The second piece is Hawkins 13.  Platt is asking after Hawkins 15
which is described by H. as unique, "a mere dab in lead".  There is
nothing else in the auction catalogue (I've been through it twice)
that refers to anything that would fit Hawkins 15 or the Battle of
Dunbar.  Hawkins 15 seems to have been a pretty nondescript item
anyhow, so I suspect that it was the third piece in Lot 551, described
by Christies only as "a cast". "


TWO VERSIONS OF THE DELIEB-ROBERTS WORK ON MATTHEW BOULTON

Darryl Atchison writes: "Further to my earlier query concerning
the two texts authored by Eric Delieb and Michael Roberts on Matthew
Boulton ... it turns out that the two publications are identical
in every respect except for the title including the illustrations
and plates."

Here's Darryl's original submission: esylum_v09n16a13.html


COLLECTORS OF CITY DIRECTORIES SOUGHT

George Fuld writes: "Does anyone collect city directories of
the Nineteenth century?  I started to collect directories about
1955, obtaining many 19th century ones from Baltimore and New York.
When studying token history, directories are invaluable for dating
issues since addresses change so often.  Most of the directories
in the Ford Kolbe sale were originally from me.  I am curious how
many people collect them. I'd be happy to talk to anyone about this.
Contact me at fuld1@comcast.net"


SUBSCRIBER PROFILE: RICHARD MACMASTER

Dave Bowers writes: "I am forwarding your latest (and, as always,
excellent) E-Sylum to my sister and brother in law (Dr. Richard
and Eve MacMaster) The MacMaster duo is currently working on a
Whitman project about Civil War money, and Robin is a "pet"
proofreader for Whitman Publishing."


SUBSCRIBER PROFILE: GEORGE KIMMICH

George Kimmich writes: "I ran into a good friend of mine, Nick Graver,
when I was shopping last week.  He and I share a long-standing mutual
interest in numismatics, including exonumia.  Nick was waxing eloquent
about the value of the wide ranging numismatic topics covered in your
weekly newsletter and said that "the best thing he could ever do for
me was to 'introduce me' to your newsletter".  He shared a recent
example, and I went directly to your website and enrolled as a
'subscriber' myself.  Thank you!

I retired recently after 34 years as a faculty member in Biochemistry
at the University of Rochester.  I have multiple numismatic interests,
but Civil War Tokens are of particular interest and have held my
attention the longest."

[Welcome to Richard, George, and all of our recent subscribers.
Word of mouth is our best advertisement.  I really appreciate
it when subscribers recruit others into our ranks.  Our little
"online clubhouse" is getting bigger all the time, but the more
the merrier.  -Editor]


THE NUMISMATIC PILOT

Regarding Edith Willey's query about The Numismatic Pilot, Bill
Malkmus writes:  'In the Winter 2004 issue of The Asylum (Vol. XXII,
No. 1, pp. 2-35), Ken Lowe, in "American Numismatic Periodicals from
1860 to 1960," devotes a paragraph to The Numismatic Pilot:

"Another periodical of note was The Numismatic Pilot, subtitled
To Ancient Coins and Their Uses, produced by Robert Morris, in
LaGrange, Kentucky, in November 1876. This newspaper-like periodical
apparently was the first in the United States to be devoted exclusively
to the study of ancient coinage. However, it seems to have only run for
four issues ending in June 1877. Additionally, in the first issue, Morris
noted that The Numismatic Pilot was to be published monthly as the organ
of The American Association of Numismatists, in what must have been
another early attempt, in name if not in fact, at creating a national
numismatic organization."

Joel Orosz writes: "Robert Morris, born August 31, 1818, lived in
LaGrange, Kentucky, and was a noted collector of Greek and Roman coins
in his day.  He was very active in the masonic order, and composed the
poem "The Level and the Square" that is still memorized by Masons today.

A biography and portrait of Morris are found in Mason's Coin Collector's
Magazine, Vol 1, No. 4, August, 1884.

I have in my library two periodicals published by the American Association
of Numismatists, of which Morris was Secretary.  One is undated, while the
other is dated January 1875.  The latter says that the AAN was founded in
1871 as a branch of the American Holy Land Exploration, and the purpose of
the AAN was to introduce the science of numismatics into the curriculum of
schools and colleges.

I don't know when Mr. Morris--and the AAN--died, but neither is still of
this world."

Remy Bourne writes: "It was offered free and scheduled on a frequency
of 6 times. Printed on newsprint in a 12"x18" format.
Publisher: The American Association of Numismatists.
Probably owned by Morris.

Vol. 1. No. 1. October, 1876. 4 pages. Free. Printed on newsprint.
Vol. 1. No. 2. December, 1876. 4 pages. Free. Printed on newsprint.
Vol. 1. No. 3. February, 1877. 4 pages. Free. Printed on newsprint.
"The" was added to the title for this issue only.
Vol. 1. No. 4. June, 1877. 4 pages. Free. Printed on newsprint.

Also, Earl of Crawford showed no ending date of this publication.
I will check current owner of this publication to see if any of
the other three issues are in the collection.

You can find this information and a photo of the periodical in
my book: American Numismatic Periodicals. 1860-1960. an illustrated
collectors guide. Book 1."

Karl Moulton writes: "Morris was a dedicated and well versed
American numismatist who happened to be primarily interested in
Ancient coinage.  He had made a trip to the Holy Land in the late
1860's, where he bought numerous coins from the locals.

He became an ardent supporter of historical research through his
association with the American Association of Numismatists, of which
he was the club Secretary.  This American branch was begun in
conjuction with the American Holy Land Exploration - which had
been established in 1869.  The President was Rolla Floyd of Joppa,
Palestine, while the Vice President was E.T. Rogers in Cairo.
Thomas Ward of Philadelphia was the honorary American director.
According to promotional announcements, there were 7,000 members
worldwide.

Morris actively recruited for members in this country.  He sent out
many flyers and started various publications, beginning in 1870,
regarding the study of Ancient coinage.  One of the later ones was
the Numismatic Pilot in 1876.  If memory serves, there were 4 to 6
issues with that title.  Among his writings were articles in the
American Journal of Numismatics, various newspapers and church
pamphlets, and several Masonic publications, of which he was also
a member.

A biography and sketch of Morris is included in Mason's Coin
Collectors' Magazine, August 1884.  In there, he states he was
friends with William E DuBois, who was among other things, the
assistant assayer at the Philadelphia Mint and the curator of the
Mint Collection of "Specimens of Ores and Coinage".

This writer has Morris' personal scrapbook from the 19th century
in his library.  Among the various flyers and newspaper articles
is perhaps the only extant copy of a membership certificate from
the American Association of Numismatists.  Membership to the AAN
was without fee.

Their charter reads in part "Our association is a union of
Coin-Students desirous of increasing our own stores of ancient
numismata from the fountain-head of supply (the East); of combining
our personal influence to introduce the science of numismatics into
schools and colleges as a handmaid to history."  There had been 15,000
coins (mostly bronze) distributed, and many more were offered for
sale, beginning at $1.00.

While it can't be proven specifically, this worldwide association
of Ancient coinage scholars (including several in the U.S.) could
well have been the seed for Dr. George Heath's idea to form the
American Numismatic Association a few years later."

David Gladfelter writes: "Morris also put out a 56 page folio on
the coins of Suetonius's "Twelve Caesars," both hard and soft covered.
The style is a bit pedantic but the plates are well done. On the back
cover is a plug for "The American Association of Numismatists" of
which he was secretary. The president was Rolla Floyd of Joppa, Syria,
the VP the Hon. E. T. Rogers, formerly a diplomat in Cairo, later in
London, and the treasurer H. J. Goodrich  of Chicago. The notice
states: "This society was originally a branch organization of the
American Holy Land Exploration, established in 1869, and had the
same regulations, officers, etc., as the parent stem. In 1877 the
Society was placed upon an independent footing, and a formal
application is now (May 1877) ready to be made to the Legislature
of Kentucky for an act of incorporation under the name in the caption.
In the meantime, all persons interested in numismatic pursuits are
welcome, without fee, to membership with the society and to the
issues, gratuitously, of our organ, the NUMISMATIC PILOT, published
semi-monthly. The specific aims of the American Association of
Numismatists are:

   "1. To collect in foreign countries, import, describe and
   distribute ancient coins, illustrating the history, religions
   and manners of ancient people.

   "2. To publish numismatic works, and to aid in a larger
   dissemination of such literature among our private and public
   libraries.

   "3. To supply colleges, public institutions and individuals
   with full collections of historical coins, arranged and
   described under the full light of the science.

   "4. To reproduce rare coins and medals of historic interest,
   of which the originals are unique and cannot be obtained in
   this country."

This organization and its periodical may have folded for lack of
dues, or its intent to copy rare coins may have offended collectors
and museums. You know what I know about it. Could this be a topic
for our master sleuth, Joel Orosz, to develop into a Printers Devil
column?"


PRIVATE COPIES OF THE E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

Stephen Searle writes: "I am wondering if you might have a
compressed file of the entire E-Sylum archive, either by year, or
just the whole thing. With hard drives being so inexpensive now,
I wanted to suck down the whole archive to my computer for easy
searching and having to do it file-by-file would be very time
consuming."

[Now that we have the master table of contents it might be worthwhile
considering publishing a CD of the first nine volumes after the end
of the year.  NBS President Pete Smith would like to gauge demand -
how many copies might sell?  Any thoughts on the topic would be
appreciated.  -Editor]


THE FATE OF THE GREAT LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA

Regarding the recent New York Times Magazine article about
book-scanning and the future of books, Ken Berger writes:
"The article stated: "The dream is an old one: to have in one
place all knowledge, past and present. All books, all documents,
all conceptual works, in all languages. It is a familiar hope,
in part because long ago we briefly built such a library. The
great library at Alexandria, constructed around 300 B.C., was
designed to hold all the scrolls circulating in the known
world... ".

But, don't forget, it & its books were destroyed by fire. So,
one place is not necessarily a good idea."

[The article discusses the fate of the library of Alexandria.
But the Internet archives are only aggregating digital COPIES of
the original works, which are returned to the contributing
libraries. The originals continue to be dispersed around the world.

One danger though is that once scanned, some libraries may attempt
to deaccession some of their books.  While good for book collectors,
this is not such a good idea for the preservation of knowledge.
When microfilm came along and many libraries filmed their newspaper
holdings, many decided to sell the originals.  Some went to paper
mills and other sets were broken up and sold individually to collectors
by middlemen.  But the long runs of original newspapers were either
lost or scattered to the winds, and the libraries were left with
only poor microfilm copies.  Now that better electronic imaging
technology is here the originals are unavailable. -Editor]


FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE INTERNET AND THE FUTURE OF BOOKS

Arthur Shippee forwarded another article from the New York Times
on the Internet and the future of books.  Here are a few excerpts:

"Hovering above the discussion of all these technologies is the
fear that the publishing industry could be subject to the same
upheaval that has plagued the music industry, where digitalization
has started to displace the traditional artistic and economic model
of the record album with 99-cent song downloads and personalized
playlists. Total album sales are down 19 percent since 2001, while
CD sales have dropped 16 percent during the same period, according
to Nielsen BookScan. Sales of single digital music tracks have
jumped more than 1,700 percent in just two years."

"Liberating books from their physical contexts could make it easier
for them to blend into one another, a concept heralded by Kevin Kelly
in an article in The New York Times Magazine last month.

"Once text is digital, books seep out of their bindings and weave
themselves together," wrote Mr. Kelly in an article that was derided
by Mr. Updike in his BookExpo polemic. "The collective intelligence
of a library allows us to see things we can't see in a single,
isolated book."

"Does that mean 'Anna Karenina' goes hand in hand with my niece's
blog of her trip to Las Vegas?" asked Jane Hamilton, author of "The
Book of Ruth" and a forthcoming novel, "When Madeline Was Young."
"It sounds absolutely deadly." Reading books as isolated works is
precisely what she wants to do, she said. "When I read someone like
Willa Cather, I feel like I'm in the presence of the divine," Ms.
Hamilton said. "I don't want her mixed up with anybody else. And
I certainly don't want to go to her Web site."

To read the complete article, see: Full Story


WORLD COIN WEB SITE FOLLOW-UP

Dennis M. Gregg writes: "Thank you for your tireless work and
dedication to our hobby - I truly look forward to each issue.
I had missed reading one issue in which you discussed coinarchives.com.
Shortly after asking you about a world coin database, I realized you
had already  discussed this site - which IMO, is the best on the net
to date.   Thank you.  Please also thank Larry Gaye for his oriental
coins database - I've bookmarked it for future reference."


HISTORY OF "PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS"

A subscriber writes: "When did the saying "a penny for your
thoughts" start, and how much would that penny be worth today?
This was Yahoo!'s 'Question of the Day' for June 9, 2006.
Sometimes it's interesting to know how the general public
perceives numismatics."

The Yahoo article notes: "The phrase was mentioned in 1522 by Sir
Thomas More in his work "Four Last Things." Playwright John
Heywood included "a penny for your thoughts" in his catalog of
proverbs published in 1546 or 1562. These are the earliest recorded
uses, but the saying probably dates further back, as the penny
itself has a long history."

To read the complete article, see: Full Story


CIVIL WAR ID DISC INFORMATION

In response to last week's question from Larry B. Maier, Esq.,
Dick Johnson writes: "I have no record of these Civil War discs
in my Scovill papers but it is possible they were produced by
Scovill. Unfortunately Scovill did not sign these but my question
is:  What is the best "diagnostic" for Scovill-struck items?

The closest I could think of would be the quality of the edges
of their struck pieces. Scovill early on used collars and thus
their pieces have nice flat edges with a sharp rim/edge juncture
that forms a perfect 90 degree angle."

Joe Levine, who has handled hundreds of Scovill tokens and medals
in his Presidential Art auctions, adds this:  "In the higher
conditions, the surface of Scovill items appear almost proof-like.
Of course, as these wear this surface diagnostic is worn away. But
I concur that the overall indication is the higher quality of
Scovill items."


QUERY: BEST WOOD FOR LIBRARY SHELVING?

Last week Ed Perkin asked about the best wood for library shelving.
David Ganz writes: "My experience is that Home Depot wood (typical
pine) that is either stained or polyurethaned works well. The key
is to brace every 18 inches to preclude bowing. I have done this
many times in my law office and for home numismatic library and the
distance between posts is more important than the wood or the
protective covering."


E-SYLUM SUBSCRIBERS ON THE CITIZENS COINAGE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Last week we noted that E-Sylum subscriber Dr. Ute Wartenberg
Kagan is a member of the U.S. Mint's Citizens Coinage Advisory
Committee.

Donald Scarinci writes: "Actually, we have two subscribers on the
Citizen Coinage Advisory Committee.  I serve with Ute."


1913 LIBERTY NICKEL CASE UPDATE

George Fuld writes: "Maybe there were TWO "original" cases for
the 1913 nickels.  In the new book, it refers to a six coin case
(page 54) with five slots for the 1913's and a copper buffalo.  I
am still sure I saw a six coin case when visiting Eric Newman - it
had five empty slots and the copper buffalo nickel still in place."

[I don't have my copy of the book handy, but I did recently come
across an old Coin World article by Paul Whitnah about the nickels,
and it also describes TWO cases  one after Col Green and one before.
The article didn't list his sources of information, though. -Editor]


PELLEGRINI ON THE GOETZ MEDAL SALE IN KASSEL, GERMANY

Steve Pellegrini writes: "A few weeks ago the enormous Bottcher
collection of Karl Goetz medals was auctioned at the Ramada-Plaza
in Kassel, Germany. I think it is safe to say that this was the
largest auction ever devoted to one medallist. Harald Moller a
well-known dealer in German coins and medals prepared the auction
and its catalogues as well as acted as auctioneer for the 3-day
event.

Moller issued 3 catalogues for the separate auctions. The opening
auction was devoted to a large varied selection of general interest
German medals.

The last day was devoted to Herr Bottcher's extensive collection
of Kaiser Reich gold, modern talers and crowns and German colonial
coins. But it was the Goetz collection scheduled between these two
sales which drew the crowd - and rightly so.

Bottcher's collection of Goetz medals was almost complete. It may
well have been complete, the few medals missing may have been
pulled or cherrypicked in advance. One surprising absentee was
the iconic '5 Mai' Lusitania Sinking medal of 1915. But there
were no complaints. There was more than enough on offer for even
the most enthusiastic buyer.

For a collection this impressive the catalogue which accompanied
its sale was most unimpressive. The photos were not of the greatest
quality, although as I understand it they were not cheap. There
were no descriptions of the lots aside from Keinast number and
grade. It seemed obvious from the first that this catalogue would
serve Goetz collectors and dealers as checklist and pricelist for
some time to come.

A little more effort in producing a first rate catalogue would
not been out of place. Even a brief biographical intro of Goetz
or at least of the collector Bottcher who built the collection
would have been interesting. A numismatic essay placing Goetz the
medallist in context with his contemporaries would have even been
better.

I have to admit to being spoiled rotten by the boffo catalogues
that have accompanied Stack's serial auction of the J.J. Ford
collection. But although this catalogue is very mundane, as most
German auction catalogues are, I have no doubt that it is destined
to become an instant classic - at least with Goetz collectors like
myself. In fairness though, it only purports to be an auction
catalogue and so it is."

The prices of Goetz medals have risen dramatically over the past
4-5 years.  There are many more collectors interested in these medals
than ever before.

I believe some of the influx of new Goetz collectors has to do with
the advent of eBay. Its vast numismatic listings afford enormous
exposure of previously unfamiliar material to modern collectors.

Surely this is where many US collectors got their first exposure
to Goetz medals. I don't know one collector who wasn't stopped in
his tracks by his first glimpse of Goetz ' infamous 1920 'Black
Shame' medal. I know the first time I saw it my reaction was 'What
the Hell is that?' And what that is, is usually the beginning of
a new Goetz collector.

"It seems all things Goetz have become expensive. A signed and
annotated first edition of Gunther Keinast's 1968 book 'Medals
of Karl Goetz' brought $1,000+ in a recent George Kolbe auction."

"I have often heard that Karl Goetz was the most popular medallist
in Germany during his lifetime. And in the 56 years since his death
he has become the most collected medallist in the world. Both these
statements are probably true. Only if the second part of that
statement is true would a one-man auction of nearly 7,000 items
have been attempted, or been successful and profitable."


WHERE (AND HOW) THE PUBLIC KEEPS RARE INHERITED MEDALS

Dick Johnson writes: "I wasn't surprised at the item in last week's
E-Sylum of the New Zealand woman who placed a rare gold medal in her
button jar. Inherited from her brother, he won the medal for football,
but she was obviously unaware of its value.

I had the chore once, of informing a gentleman of the value of a
valuable Panama Canal Worker's Medal with one bar (bestowed for six
year's work constructing the canal early in the 20th century).
Inherited from his uncle, he placed the medal in his fishing tackle
box, along with fish hooks and lures! Needless to say it became
pretty well nicked and scarred after twenty years or so in that
tackle box tray.

As diplomatically as I could I had to tell him: "You put a $500
medal in your tackle box and took a $50 medal out to show me."

Almost every "Antiques Roadshow" program some owner seems to brag
about how he mistreated some inherited item. Kinda makes you want
to dispose of everything before you die, doesn't it? Let your
stupid relatives blow the money instead of ruining your prized
collectibles."


LATEST MEDIA REPORT ON ESCALA FALLOUT

Stephen Pradier forwarded a link to a new and very lengthy Fox
News story about the fall of Greg Manning's House of Escala:

"Manning, 59, is one of the best-known figures in the stamp
collecting business. Indeed, he rose from trading stamps as a
Boy Scout into the most powerful industry player in North America.
In 1993, he took his auction firm public as Greg Manning Auctions
International, with the goal of becoming a one-stop powerhouse
for all collectibles, from coins and baseball cards to stamps,
art and comics.

Manning was among the first to offer loans to mom-and-pop stamp
dealers - giving them huge cash advances and up to 90 days
repayment time to divide up and sell collection lots that they
otherwise couldn't afford to touch. The sales took place through
his auctions, and Manning made money on all sides of the
transactions.

"This can work quite nicely if you keep churning it,' explains
Keith Harmer, who sold his family's prestigious century-old stamps
business, H.R. Harmer, to Escala in 2004. 'I never issued credit
like that, but Greg did it with fervor. He had a touch of the
gambler. And when he went public, he had the biggest pockets of
anyone in the game to write the biggest checks."

To read the complete story, see: Full Story


BEST WISHES TO NANCY GREEN

John and Nancy Wilson of Ocala, FL write: "We want to congratulate
and wish recently retired ANA Librarian Nancy Green a healthy and
happy retirement.  Nancy served ANA for many years in an efficient
and outstanding manner.  She will be greatly missed and difficult
to replace.  We hope she stays involved in the numismatic hobby."


COLORADO SPRINGS COIN SHOW DURING ANA SUMMER SEMINAR

Ken Hallenbeck writes: "In reading Volume 9 Number 22 of E-Sylum
and mention of some of the classes offered by the ANA Summer Seminar
I'm offering a plug for our Colorado Springs Coin Show which is always
the weekend (Fri-Sat-Sun) between the two weeks of the seminar, this
year on July 7, 8, and 9.  The popularity of this show continues to
grow and we've recently increased the floor space from 15,000 to
20,000 square feet.  As of a few days ago we have 80 dealers and 165
tables!  Bus transportation will be provided free to and from ANA
headquarters to the show.  Nearby motels and restaurants offer
quality and inexpensive services.  ANA participants will be cruising
the bourse floor, including many of the instructors."


ON HOBGOBLINS

A subscriber writes: "I found the quote about 'hobgoblins' in last
week's E-sylum intriguing.  I asked my brother about it.  He thought
it was one of H.L. Mencken's famous lines.  Then I consulted Bartlett's
and found out it was from Ralph Waldo Emerson's 1841 essay, Self
Reliance:

"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by
little statesmen and philosophers and divines.  With consistency a
great soul has simply nothing to do . . . .  Speak what you think
today in hard words and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard
words again, though it contradict everything you said today."


QUIZ QUESTION: FICTIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR WINNERS

What fictional characters were winners of the Medal of Honor?
I'm thinking of one in particular from a 1960s television show,
but I'm sure there were others.  Any guesses?


FEATURED WEB SITE: NINETEENTH CENTURY ART WORLDWIDE

This week's featured web site is suggested by Katie Jaeger.
She writes: "It's a magnificent e-journal called Nineteenth
Century Art Worldwide. The Joy Sperling article on Art Unions
in the link is comprehensive and fascinating, and I submit it
because the American Art Union generated a three-medal series
by C.C. Wright that is familiar to many of us.  What I hadn't
known about was the 17-medal Art Union of London series, which
includes an awesome medal of William Wyon.  I'm sure our British
members know all about this, but the rest might find it pretty
interesting."

Featured Web Site


  Wayne Homren
  Numismatic Bibliomania Society