The E-Sylum v6#31, August 3, 2003

[whomren at coinlibrary.com]

Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 6, Number 31, August 3, 2003:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2003, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.


POST-ANA CONVENTION ISSUE

   Len Augsberger writes: "We'd better have an issue this week.
   If I can get home from the ANA and send in a contribution,
   there is no excuse for those on the east coast :)

   [Well, here it is.  We should have more convention news
   next week.  My family and I made it home safe and sound
   this afternoon.  My only regret is having so little time this
   year to spend with my numismatic friends.  Baltimore was
   a blur. -Editor]


SUBSCRIBER UPDATE

   Among recent new subscribers are David Sundman of
   Littleton Coin Company.  Welcome aboard!  We now have
   579 subscribers.


RESEARCHING TAX ASSESSMENT RECORDS

   Len Augsberger writes: "There is an adjunct to city
   directories that never occurred to me until I  saw these
   books in the Baltimore Pratt library. The tax assessment
   record  books, at least for Baltimore, are arranged in a
   reverse address fashion,  allowing you to check an
   address, see who owned it, and what the property
   valuation was.  For the cases I looked at, the information
   wasn't always  100% correct (it seems that the authorities
   aren't too concerned about whose name the property is
   listed under for tax purposes, as long as they get  their
   money), but still makes a useful "go with" item if you are
   looking at city directories."


MISSING 1913 NICKEL APPEARS

   Christopher Rivituso sent a link to an Associated Press
   story shortly after it appeared on the wires Wednesday.
   Apparently the missing 1913 Liberty Head Nickel showed
   up at the ANA show in Baltimore and has been determined
   to be genuine.

   "Relatives of the late George Walton, a North Carolina
   coin dealer, took the coin to the experts at the American
   Numismatic Association convention that opened Wednesday.
   The relatives did not want to be identified.

   The family had put the coin away after Walton's death
   because they didn't believe it was genuine, said Paul
   Montgomery, president of Bowers and Merena Galleries,
   a Louisiana-based coin dealer and auction house.

   The association brought the six experts together late
   Tuesday. After comparing the coin to four documented
   coins, they declared the coin authentic early Wednesday."

   [Were any E-Sylum readers among the six who examined
   the coins?  Until Wednesday, Eric Newman was the last
   living person to view all five of the coins together. -Editor]


NBS DONATION AUCTION

   Hal Dunn couldn't attend the ANA convention, but shipped
   two autographed copies of his book "Tokens and Medals
   Depicting The Carson City Mint."    He writes: "Although
   these are certainly not rare (retail at $7.50 at the State
   Museum), my experience with fund raising auctions is that
   stuff sells for unheard of prices.   I have a reminder that this
   is true hanging on my living room wall  --- a print that retails
   for around $400 framed, that I got run up on the price to
   almost $800!  But it was for a good  cause and it looks
   great on the wall.

   Hope you have a great NBS meeting and a great visit to
   Baltimore.  Wish I could be there."

   [Many thanks to Hal and all of our donors and bidders.
    $845 was raised at the meeting, which goes a long way
    toward covering our expected defecit.  President Pete
    Smith has a list of all auction lots, donors and winning
    bidders, and will acknowledge everyone in an upcoming
    Asylum issue.]


WORLD NUMISMATIC LITERATURE

   Ferdinando Bassoli writes: "I am an associate and would like
   to know, among those whom you so punctiliously count, how
   many you have this side of the Atlantic (I am writing from
   Turin, Italy). This only to point out that the vast majority of
   your communications come from USA (as it is only right)
   and very little is dedicated to what may be called ancient
   (classical) and European numismatic books.  Don't you have
   correspondents enough?  Had you any notice about European
   auctions which took place in the last Spring  in Italy (Olivari)
   and France and attracted the attention even of  American
   customers?"

   [We do have a number of overseas subscribers, including
    eight with Italian web addresses.  We have subscribers in
    France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark. England and Wales.
    In the Americas we have subscribers in Mexico, Brazil,
    Argentina, and Uruguay. We also have subscribers in
    Australia and New Zealand.  We undoubtably have subscribers
    in other countries I'm not aware of.

    We do on occasion receive notice of literature sales outside
    the U.S.   We certainly wish to promote ALL numismatic
    literature, but need help from our readers to bring events
    to our attention.  Readers: If you become aware of something
    that might be of interest to other bibliophiles and researchers,
    please send me a submission for The E-Sylum.  -Editor]


AMERICAN NUMISMATIC SOCIETY ON THE MOVE

   Dick Johnson writes: "I didn't see the notice and there is
   no article in their news items, but their web site states the
   ANS is now closed, effective July 6th. It is closed to
   researchers and the public.

   The Big Move is underway.  Imagine moving 750,000
   numismatic items and 100,000 library objects to their
   new location on the southern tip of Manhattan Island!
   The reality is setting in:  I have made my last trip to
   Audubon Terrace. (Secretly I said my good-bye to Anna
   Hyatt Huntington's statue of Joan of Arc on my last visit.)
   I am ready to visit the new building. Save me a parking
   spot!"

   [Every ending is a new beginning, sad and exciting at the
   same time.  I'll miss the Audubon Terrace home as well,
   but look forward to the new downtown home  -Editor]


BOB HOPE

   Entertainer Bob Hope died this week at the age of 100.
   An article on Hope in The New Yorker mentioned a
   couple numismatic references to him:

   "I feel very humble," he said to President Kennedy when
   he was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in 1963,
   "but I think I have the strength of character to fight it."

   "In "Welcome to Britain," a 1943 instructional film for United
   States troops in England, ... he explains English coinage to
   Burgess Meredith only to shortchange him ... Hope enjoyed
   playing the impostor who admitted his larceny but still happily
   practiced it."

   http://www.newyorker.com/archive/content/?030804fr_archive03

   A web search found this reference to the film:

   "A Welcome To Britain (1943) was made to explain funny
   money, warm beer, driving on the wrong side of the road,
   and other British customs to apprehensive young GIs
   arriving in war-time Britain.

   ...   features a hilarious sketch with Bob Hope trying to
   explain pound shillings and pence... "

   http://www.panamint.co.uk/war.html


A THOUSAND GUINEAS

   Paul Withers writes: "The new collector of British coins, and
   members of the non-collecting public are often confused by
   the many brass imitations of the guinea, especially the so-called
   'spade' guinea that are to be found.  More often than not, they
   are quite wrongly convinced that what they have is a genuine
   gold coin.

   Of course, there are so many of these pieces, some of which
   are very common, that they can be easily collected, and a
   collection of two or three hundred is not difficult to amass for
   very little cost.  However, to put together a really good
   collection - one that has more than say five hundred different
   pieces - takes a considerable amount of time and effort, and
   more than seven hundred is an difficult challenge for all but
   the keenest.  Why collect them ?  There are many reasons,
   not the least of which is that they are there !  Other grounds
   are that they make an interesting study of advertising;  local
   items can be researched, and the manufacturers of these
   items traced - all providing hours of innocent pleasure - for
   example, discovering that M.C.M.D.S.T.M.S.P.ET.C is
   not a meaningless jumble of letters put on the coin to impress,
   or fill space, but may be expanded to read : Machine Chain
   Maker. Die Sinker. Tool Maker. Stamper. Etc.  Machine
   chain maker ?  That's watch chains, or jewelry, not chains
   for restraining prisoners or anchoring boats  !

   Readers who have seen these pieces may be interested to
   learn that a new book is about to be born.

   It is  A THOUSAND GUINEAS. A Checklist of Imitation
   Guineas and their Fractions, by  W Bryce Neilson, with
   assistance from David Magnay, David Young and J Gavin
   Scott.   It provides :

   € A checklist and basic guide to the series, listing imitations
   of five guineas, guineas and their fractions, including thirds,
   double sovereigns, sovereigns, and a half sovereign from
   Queen Anne to Victoria.

   € Lists 1,000 examples of currency imitations and advertising
   types using an expandable numbering system.

   Details are as follows :  Size A4. 70pp with card covers.
   UK price £15 or 35 US dollars including postage to the US.

   This is a book that has been needed for a long time, for
   although there are the R N P Hawkins articles in BNJ, they
   are restricted mainly to the advertising issues, so the majority
   of examples that one turns up are not listed.  There was David
   Magnay¹s 1997 listing, which whilst useful is neither
   comprehensive, nor really widely enough distributed.  Then
   we heard that David, Bryce, and others, were continuing
   working on the subject, but by the time that we heard about it,
   they had pooled their efforts and Bryce was viewing collections
   and preparing a new listing with detailed descriptions of all
   imitations previously recorded or published.

   The book begins with a concise introduction with very short
   notes on the various issues of the original coins, treating them
   with as much regard as the collectors of the real gold coins
   treat imitations, which the real cognoscenti know are much
   more interesting, and cheaper !  There is a page of illustrations
   of the main types and brief notes on how to use the checklist.
   The imitations covered are Anne guineas and half guineas,
   Early George III guineas and half guineas, Commemorative
   guineas and halves (referring to royal visits to Cheltenham, etc.)
   Spade guineas and halves, In Memory guineas and
   halves, Advertising guineas and halves and then a miscellany
   section of related pieces including forgeries.  The book ends
   with brief notes on the makers and issuers and an index.

   Alas, there are illustrations of only a very few pieces, but in
   general, the descriptions are good enough to locate most
   pieces with certainty, if not with speed, and one does need
   to be a real enthusiast to find one's way around the in
   memory series, which is where photos would have helped
   considerably.  However, the author promises a second
   volume which will include an analysis of die links within the
   advertising series, details of original boxes and containers,
   a valuation guide and illustrations covering both volumes.

   Useful ?  We wouldn't be publishing it if we didn't think so!
   We shall be using it, as will most dealers and collectors."


MPCGRAM - MORE THAN MPC

   Fred Schwan writes: "Just a brief note to chid you a bit.
   Thanks for the credit on the Meyer museum opening
   story. We are always happy to share info.  However, I
   want to point out that you underestimate us (the Gram)
   when you say that we are for collectors of Military
   Payment Certificates (MPC). We are far more than that
   even if I say so myself. Our masthead (such as it is)
   claims that we cover the entire world of military
   numismatics. I must further suggest that that is far more
   broad than anyone not involved in the hobby would
   suspect. Finally, there is even a specialty literature
   subgroup and the collectors edition of the current MPC
   book includes an essay and check list on military
   numismatics literature!"

   [Thanks, Fred.  In my haste to edit items for publication
   important details sometimes get left out.  Sorry to sell
   you short.    I again encourage any E-Sylum readers
   who have even the slightest interest in military numismatics
   to subscribe to the 'Gram.  See last week's E-Sylum for
   details.  -Editor]


FAMOUS CELLINI GOLDWORK STOLEN

   Dick Johnson writes: "Perhaps the most exquisite work of
   Renaissance goldsmithing, Cellini’s Salt Cellar was stolen
   back on May 11th. It was taken from its heavy glass case in
   a Viennese museum, the Kunsthistorisches Museum.  It may
   cost the director his job since the treasure, valued at $57
   million and one of a kind, has not been returned in nearly
   three months and the theft was undoubtedly due to lax security.

   Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1574) was an Italian medallist,
   sculptor, in addition to being the world's most outstanding
   goldsmith. He engraved and struck coins and seals and cast
   medals. Despite his colorful career (he killed his brother's
   murderer), he wrote two books, his “Autobiography” and
   “Treatise on Goldsmithing,” both of which discuss his
   technology of engraving and minting.  He was an early
   proponent of the screw press over the hammer method to
   create his excellent productions from dies he engraved
   himself.

   Book Notes:  I have studied both of Cellini’s books, and
   have several editions of his Autobiography in my library.
   The most modern work on Cellini is a coffee-table edition
   by John Pope-Hennessy (former director of the British
   Museum) with scrumptious photographs by David Finn
   (of New York City). The Salt Cellar occupies the entire
   Chapter five (pages 101-132) with dozens of detailed
   views of the Renaissance goldwork. A detail of the female
   figure is the frontispiece.  Cellini’s coins, medals and seals
   occupy chapters three and four."


TOPIC OF THE WEEK: LIBRARY ORGANIZATION

   Dan Gosling writes: "I am not sure if you have covered these
   topics before but just in case, here goes:"

   [Dan included several sets of interesting questions for our
   readers.  I'll publish them gradually over the next several
   issues.  Here's the first set.  -Editor]

   How should a library be sorted?
        * by author?
        * by topic, then author?
        * by size or color or date of purchase?
        * sort? who has the time to sort the darn things?
        * piled on the floor is more like it - don't others stack
           them on the floor - biggest on the bottom?

   [On this question, my preferred ordering method is first
   by topic, then by author, although in practice within each
   section the books are in a jumble with no particular order.
   -Editor]


SLABBING GAINS POPULARITY IN HIP-HOP SLANG

   Last week Dick Johnson wrote that  Merriam-Webster
   added "dead presidents" to their dictionary.  The phrase
   "was tracked to 1944 but required a half century of slang
   use before reaching a permanent status in book form.
   It had gained popularity in hip-hop and rap."

   Doug Andrews writes: "At this rate, it should take at least
   390 years before "slabbing,"  in the numismatic context,
   first makes an appearance in Merriam-Webster. We can
   only hope!"


BRUCE MCNALL

   Bill Rosenblum writes: "I was surfing my TV the other night
   and came across a 5-10 minute blurb on some cable TV
   station about Bruce McNall.  I flipped right through at first
   and then said to myself, I know that guy and went back to
   the program.  While I missed the first part it was mostly
   about McNall saying how sorry he was and what he was
   doing to pay back all he had 'harmed.'"

   [Actually, the last word of Bill's submission begins with an
   "s" and ends with "crude"   I'm no prewd, but the word
   might trigger some readers' spam filters and send the issue
   into their dustbin.  I'd rather not reply to a dozen "where's
   my E-Sylum" messages.  Addicts get testy when they miss
   their weekly fix.  -Editor]


MARYLAND CLOSED INDEFINITELY

   Getting the final word in, David Lange writes:  "I understand
   that now, not only is the governor available for sale, but the
   entire state, too:

   http://www.theonion.com/onion3928/deficit_wracked_maryland.html


FEATURED WEB PAGE

   This week's featured web page discusses "Imitation Spade
   Guineas."  The page has a link to a copy of an article about
   some Spade Guineas that were used by merchant
   Sainsbury's from 1882 until 1913.

      http://grogansite.homestead.com/counters.html


  Wayne Homren
  Numismatic Bibliomania Society


   [NOTE: We have a new Secretary-Treasurer,
   W. David Perkins.  As soon as updated contact
   information is available, we will update the following
   text as well as the web site. -Editor]

  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,
  write to David Sklow, NBS Secretary-Treasurer,
  P.O. Box 76192, Ocala, FL  34481.

  For Asylum mailing address changes and other
  membership questions, contact Dave at this email
  address: sdsklow at aol.com

  To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum,
  just Reply to this message, or write to the Editor
  at this address: whomren at coinlibrary.com

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