The E-Sylum v6#32, August 10, 2003
whomren at coinlibrary.com
whomren at coinlibrary.com
Sun Aug 10 20:05:49 PDT 2003
Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 6, Number 32, August 10, 2003:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2003, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
SUBSCRIBER UPDATE
Among recent new subscribers are Steve Roach of
Columbus, OH, and Jeff Starck Welcome aboard!
We now have 582 subscribers.
NBS SECRETARY-TREASURER
As previously announced, the new Secretary-Treasurer
of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society is W. David Perkins.
He may be reached via email at wdperki at attglobal.net.
The society's mailing address is now:
NBS
P.O. Box 212
Mequon, WI 53092-0212
USA
LAKE BOOKS 70TH SALE
Fred Lake writes: "Lake Books announces that its 70th Mail-
Bid sale of numismatic literature is now available for viewing
on their web site at: http://www.lakebooks.com/current.html
The sale features Part One of the library of Dr. William E.
Hopkins, EAC #85. In addition to fine reference material on
Early American Coppers, "Hoppy" was also interested in
Ancient and World coinage. Many unique items will be found
in this 508-lot sale, including "Robby" Brown's inventory of
the 1986 sale of his Large Cents with handwritten notes.
Also, an original 1883 "Andrews" obtained from Dr. George
French with annotations by that noted numismatist.
A full 8-volume set of the BMC "Coins of the Roman Empire"
by Mattingly etal. in mint condition is listed in addition to many
volumes relating to ancient coinage.
Special commemorative editions of the "Redbook" and books
relating to Tokens and Medals are part of the sale."
ELIBRON NUMISMATIC TITLES
Ed Snible writes: "My previous estimate of 50+ Elibron
numismatic titles was low. I've been combing their web site.
I've found over 100 titles and continue to find more. I've
been keeping a list of the titles I find at
http://www.snible.org/coins/elibron.html"
CANADIAN E-SYLUM SUBSCRIBERS
Doug Andrews of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada writes:
"We may only be the largest country in the Western
Hemisphere, and you may not particularly like our beef
exports at the moment, but Canada was omitted from your
list of countries we NBS members, and E-Sylum readers,
are proud to call home.
We don't even object when America watches much of its
television news being read by Canadian journalists, or when
you continue to listen to music sung by our talented Canadian
divas. And as far as our many so-called "comic entertainers"
are concerned that make you laugh south of the border, well,
the joke's on you!
To stretch a popular (but somewhat inaccurate) metaphor, I
am confident that it wasn't your intention to see Canada left
out in the numismatic cold!"
[Mea culpa! Our northern neighbors are indeed well
represented among our readers. Sorry for the oversight. I'm
sure there are other countries that were left off the list as well.
This may look like a well-organized publication, but that's just
a facade. In the mad rush to get an issue out the door we
sometimes forget the most obvious things. Sorry. -Editor]
NEW ORLEANS BOOK LOCATED
Dave Ginsburg writes: "I'm pleased to be able to say that
I've received a copy of "A History of the United States Mint,
New Orleans, Louisiana" by Charles J. Collins Jr. that I
asked about a few weeks ago.
Shortly after my inquiry, I received a response from an
E-Sylum subscriber who owns a copy (stored offsite,
unfortunately for me). However, he thoughtfully referred
me to an acquaintance of his who, very kindly, sent me a
photocopy."
[Look for more information on this book in a future issue
of our print journal, The Asylum. -Editor]
NEW ORLEANS PLANTERS' BANK INFO SOUGHT
Bob Leonard writes: "I am developing a corpus of PB
counterstamps on cut quarters of Mexican dollars, issued by
the Planters' Bank of New Orleans. In The Numismatist,
June 1921, Duffield wrote, "I have records of where they
have appeared eight times in sales, only one of them in a
foreign sale, but it is probable that the same pieces have
appeared in sales more than once. In two instances the cut
coin was described as a counterfeit." Duffield's records
appear to be lost (neither the ANA nor ANS preserves
them), and I have had little success in tracing these eight
auction appearances, though I am aware of two pieces
published by Howland Wood in the American Journal of
Numismatics. Can any E-Sylum reader help?
Also, Frank Van Valen told me that he saw an old
illustrated book in Dave Bowers' library on several
occasions that pictured one. This was a French book,
in horizontal (landscape) format, published in 1863, Frank
recalled, and showed the PB counterstamp on a plate of
"Coins of America" (in French). Dave does not recall
possessing such a book, and I haven't found it in any
bibliography or library yet--though I have pretty scanty
information to go on. If anyone recognizes it, I'd like to
purchase copies of the title page, plate, and key to the
plate. Thanks!"
RARITY OVERDOSE
Last week I asked if any E-Sylum readers were among the
group of six experts who examined the 1913 Liberty Head
nickels on display at the American Numismatic Association
convention in Baltimore. Until last Wednesday, Eric Newman
had been the last living person to view all five of the coins
together.
Tom DeLorey writes: "On Sunday afternoon, after the show
closed, I was privileged to be allowed to follow the exhibit
into the Security Room where ANA Curator Larry Lee let me
pick up and look at each coin out of the display case. The
ANA and Smithsonian coins were in Kointains, the Walton
piece in its 40-year-old Capital Plastic holder, and the other
two in slabs. All I can say is WOW. A tremendous rush. I
have handled five 1804 dollars over the years, but not all at
once."
Susie Nulty of ANA headquarters writes: "You mentioned the
5th 1913 Liberty Head nickel in your last newsletter. Donn
Pearlman took a few interesting pictures that you may see at
http://www.money.org/press/5thnickel.html including a photo
showing six of seven authenticators with the five genuine
nickels."
[Thanks for the photos, Donn - numismatic history in the
making! The authenticators were Mark Borckardt, John
Dannreuther, Jeff Garrett, David Hall, Lawrence Lee, Paul
Montgomery and Fred Weinberg. COIN WORLD and
Numismatic News had cover articles. As a numismatic
ephemera collector, I especially enjoyed the COIN WORLD
photo of the envelope in which the long-missing nickel was
stored for 41 years (p34, August 18, 2003 issue). On it
was written "This is a changed date and not real 1913.
George used it for display instead of real one which has
never been located." -Editor]
LILLY GOLD BAR PRONOUNCED A FAKE
One previously-thought fake was declared genuine, and
another famous numismatic item was declared fake. In what
would have been front-page news in the numismatic press
were it not for the hoopla over the 1913 Liberty Nickels
was a presentation at the ANA convention by Bob Evans,
Fred Holabird and Dave Fitch where they presented their
evidence that the Justh & Hunter gold bar in the Lilly
collection at the Smithsonian Institution is a modern
forgery. NBS Vice-President John Adams attended the
presentation and sends this report:
"The subject of Western precious metal ingots has been a hot
one in recent years. Some new light was shed on the subject
at a Numismatic Theatre presentation at ANA 2003. The talk
was appropriately entitled "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly."
Three scientists who were intimately involved with the recovery
of treasure from the S.S. Central America - (Bob Evans, Fred
Holabird and David Fitch) - gave a well-illustrated presentation.
Unfortunately, a late start foreclosed any opportunity for Q&A.
The first 45 minutes of the talk were devoted to establishing
the authors' mining credentials (impeccable), expertise in
analytical instrumentation (considerable) and knowledge of
Western history (well up the learning curve). Whereas some
analytical data were discussed, most was held in reserve to be
used against future perpetrators of fakes, to whom the speakers
said "We will bust you".
The final 15 minutes of the talk were devoted to much-awaited
comments on good ingots and bad ingots. First discussed were
some well known fakes, such as a series of ingots ostensibly
from Wells Fargo. Then the authors turned to four ingots in the
Smithsonian Collection. One of these was deemed a fake, one
was considered doubtful and two (one gold ingot and one silver)
were declared to be genuine. The ingot declared a fake was
done so partly on historical grounds that there was evidence
that the alleged maker, Parsons & Co., never made any gold
bars at all. In the talk - but not in the published paper - the
authors alluded to another Parsons bar which, being traceable
back to ownership by a well-known California family in the
19th century, is almost certainly good.
The whole subject is a complicated one. Not discussed in the
one hour available were future plans, if any, to test the many
remaining bars at the Smithsonian. Nor were any plans put
forward to test/validate the many ingots now in collectors'
hands. Thus this category of numismatics is likely to remain
in limbo until future publications by the Evans group, a rumored
paper being written by John Kleeberg and/or a Stacks' catalog
describing the considerable volume of ingots in the John J. Ford,
Jr. Collection."
[Reuters and the Associated Press each carried stories on the
announcement.
"Scientists compared the museum piece to ingots recovered
from a ship that sank off the coast of California in 1857 while
carrying thousands of gold rush coins and bars, according to
a study published in the August issue of Numismatist magazine.
The bar, a gift from the estate of pharmaceutical tycoon Josiah
Lilly, was revealed to be of modern origin. Bob Evans, the
geologist who coordinated the investigation, said in a statement
that Lilly had not known the bar was a forgery."
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?storyID=3203238
"... researchers said it's more likely the bar dates only to the
1950s. ... The scientists used new technology to study the
chemistry of the ingots. Evans said they also compared the
questionable Smithsonian bar to genuine ingots recovered
from an 1857 shipwreck.
Evans said the ingot at the Smithsonian has the words, "Justh
& Hunter assayers" stamped on it. The genuine bars, he said,
had only "Justh & Hunter" on it -- without the word "assayers."
According to Evans, the fake ingot had a date and location of
the manufacturer on it; the real ones do not have those markings.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/South/07/31/offbeat.smithsonian.fake.ap/
COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG NUMISMATIC FORUM
In the Colonial Numismatics mailing list on August 7th,
E-Sylum subscriber Dave Menchell reported on the recent
forum at Colonial Williamsburg. His note is reprinted here
with his permission:
"For those of you who did not have an opportunity to
participate in the ANA course on 18th century numismatics
at Colonial Williamsburg following the Baltimore Convention,
I just wanted to provide a brief summary. The course was
well planned, with an introductory discussion of the economics
and coinage circulating in Virginia during the 18th century,
given by John Kraljevich. The participants then toured the
facility where much of the research and conservation of
artifacts is conducted. A particularly fascinating demonstration
was the delamination of a piece of Colonial currency previously
sealed between two pieces of acetate.
The highlight of the course was the second day, in which the
Colonial numismatic collection was brought out. After a short
discussion on the circulating coinages of the period by Joseph
Lasser, the coins and medals, largely assembled by Joseph
Lasser and donated to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation,
was brought out and displayed on two parallel tables. The
material was divided up into several trays by category, with
curators seated behind the tables and the salivating collectors
seated in front, eager to see and handle the goodies in the
cases. What was there to see? The range and quality of the
material was simply spectacular: virtually complete runs of
Mass silver Oak and Pine tree coinage (a number with Hain
pedigrees), an NE shilling, several Willows (with sharply
defined trees!), Somers Island coinage, a number of New York
pattern pieces (George Clinton, a knockout Eagle on Globe,
Confederatio, Standing Indian and NY Coat of Arms, etc.)
several Continental Dollars, including a brass specimen, rare
Washington pieces, including a Getz silver half dollar, the oval
gold Funeral medal previously owned by John Marshall, a
multidenominational pattern copper, Roman Head cent, Non Vi,
etc. great medals, such as the 4" Jefferson Indian Peace medal,
a gold William and Mary College medal, the silver De Fleury
medal, silver and copper examples of the Germantown medal,
a silver Kittaning medal, and other pieces too numerous to
mention. I would suggest that the ANA extend the course a
day just to allow more time to examine the collection.
The third day the group visited the brass foundry to see how
brass counterfeits would have been produced in the 18th
century. Molds had been made from a 1771 British halfpenny.
The group observed how molten brass was then poured into
the mold. After cooling, the molds were opened and, viola,
a tree of 12 brass counterfeits popped out! The coins were
wirebrushed to remove any residual sand (to the horror of
the people watching), sawed off the sprues, then finished by
the participants with files to smooth the edges. A little pickling
in sulfuric acid to darken the planchets, and you have a very
nice cast counterfeit, which we were allowed to keep. A
very nice touch!
Although there wasn't enough time to see everything, there
is also one of the premier libraries in the country containing
material dealing with Colonial history. If the course is
repeated, I would encourage everyone to sign up. You
could also contact Eric Goldstein, who said that he would
be happy to go through items from the collection with
individuals, given some advanced notice. The only sad note
was, having bid on some of these items in past sales, the
realization that the material in the collection will not be available
to collectors in the future. Oh well, we all had an opportunity
to examine these great coins and there was no bidding pressure
or drained bank accounts as a result. Anyone interested in a
very contemporary cast counterfeit?
[A December 2002 press release describes the Joseph and
Ruth Lasser donation of colonial era coins to the Colonial
Williamsburg Foundation:
http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/foundation/press_release/displayPressRelease.cfm?pressReleaseId=142
-Editor]
ANA EXHIBITS
Due to time constraints I breezed through the ANA convention
exhibit area at a slow trot, but noted several interesting exhibits:
Class 1: United States Coins
Second Place--Greg D. Ruby, "Symbolism of the
Chalmers Shilling."
Class 3: Medals
First Place--Lenny Vaccaro for "A Selection of US Mint
Medals from the War of 1812, Engraved by Moritz Fuerst."
Class 4: Tokens
First Place--Millard W. Hajek for "Oyster and Fruit Packers:
A Selection of Tokens."
Second Place--T.E. Klunzinger for "The Nuremburg Streetcar
Tokens of 1920."
Third Place--Robert Rhue for "Hawaiian Plantation Tokens."
Class 14: General or Specialized
First Place--Howard A. Minners for
"Birth of the Taler (Dollar)."
Second Place--Emmett McDonald for
"United States Coin Scales."
Third Place--John Grost for "Leprosy's Numismatic Legacy."
Class 22: Numismatic Literature
Third Place--Radford Stearns,
"Researching the Sestroretsk Ruble."
REVIEW: NUMISMATIC BIBLIOGRAPHY AND LIBRARIES
"Numismatic Bibliography and Libraries"
by Francis D. Campbell, Jr.,
Reprinted by Numismatics International, 1986, 42 pgs.
Reviewed by Howard A. Daniel III
I have seen several requests in The E-Sylum for information
about numismatic museums and libraries around the world.
This reference has a long list of numismatic libraries in Argentina,
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, England,
Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy,
Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Scotland,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United States, and
most seem to have collections as part of them too. It is written
the American Numismatic Society Librarian and also includes
information about numismatic literature. This card-covered
booklet may be available from your favorite dealer, but it is also
sold by Numismatics International at http://www.numis.org for
$5.00 plus $4.95 shipping and handling in the United States and
it is calculated for other countries. I think this is an excellent
addition to the library of a traveling bibliomaniac. If you want
more information about it, please contact me at
Howard at SEAsianTreasury.com.
GRADING SERVICE POPULATION REPORTS
Rusty Goe writes: "An interesting sidenote to the inaccurate
population listing for the 1873-CC "No Arrows" dime in the
April, 2003 PCGS Population Report:
Apparently after a bit of further research, PCGS discovered
that the one example of this date that they had listed as an
MS-64 was no longer in one of their holders, and they
removed it from their listings as well. As a result, the next
issue of their Population Report listed, not two, but zero
1873-CC N/As dimes.
Of course, the only known specimen of this date has been
housed in an NGC MS-65 holder for quite some time.
There are numerous instances of both of the major grading
services retaining population entries for some of the more
celebrated rare coins. However, it is indeed beneficial to
researchers and future generations of numismatists when
these grading services audit their databases and accurately
adjust the numbers."
LIBRARY ORGANIZATION
In response to Dan Gosling's Topic of the Week, Library
Organization, Granvyl Hulse, Numismatics International
Librarian writes: "For a moment I had a panicky feeling
that the question related to a club library which should be
by author with a printed subject index for cross reference.
The answer for private libraries would depend on the size
and subject scope. Any private library under a hundred
books I would suggest alphabetical by author. For a private
library with over a hundred books your preference of subject
and author I think is the best. I cannot stress a printed
subject index with books filed by author strongly enough for
those with libraries covering a broad range of topics. Some
books are multi-subject and fit in no single location. NI uses
the ANA subject index. While it has its weaknesses they
have been most kind in allowing us to modify it to satisfy a
narrower breakdown."
Len Harsel writes: "I use the "where-ever-it fits" system. My
shelves were built in by the former owner of the house and
they are not adjustable! I try to begin by subject and it falls
away after that. And even the subject grouping isn't alphabetic
either! It's not easy being a bibliophile."
FROM COIN HOLDERS TO COIN ART
Mr. Anonymous wrote: "Okay. Dave Lange got in the last
word last week. (But adding the state of Maryland is for sale,
over and above the governor in that little satire the week before,
added a ninth Degree of Separation -- from “coin.”) What if,
instead of collecting albums, bags, et al, we tuned our numismatic
concentration inward. What six Degrees -- from “coin” --
would we find in the opposite direction?
Coin - Metal Composition - Striking - Dies - Engraving -
Artists - Art.
If you studied one of these six Degrees wouldn't this be of more
numismatic importance than coin albums? One book, one author,
did just that! “Numismatic Art in America” by Cornelius
Vermeule. I even like this book's subtitle: “Aesthetics of the
United States Coinage.”
EARLY REFERENCE TO ERIE CANAL MEDALS
Ed Krivoniak sends the following contemporary newspaper
item from the American Traveller, Vol 1, No. 85 (April 25,
1826):
"Canal Medals.--We have seen one of the Medals struck in
honor of the Canal celebration by order of the Corporation
of New-York On one side is Pan's visit to Neptune--with
cornucopia, distant view of the ocean, light house, &c. with
the inscription--"Union of Erie with the Atlantic." On the
reverse, are the arms of the state ; on the right the
representation of the canal, with its locks, and on the left the
city of New York. The medal was designed by Archibald
Robertson, and engraved by C.C. Wright, and struck by
Pelletreu. The whole is neat and appropriate. The medals
struck on composition will be presented to all the invited
guests of the corporation ; silver ones will be transmitted to
the President, Heads of Departments, Foreign ministers,
Governors of States, &c. It is with great pleasure we learn
that three gold medals will be transmitted to the surviving
signers of the Declaration of Independence.--New York pap."
[A web search turned up an extract from the Buffalo Journal,
Nov. 29, 1825, describing the ceremony for the completion
of the canal, along with the detailed legislation indicating
who was to receive an example of the medal.
"The boat arrived in our harbor, from the Atlantic, on
Wednesday the twenty-third instant, after a pleasant and
quick passage, laden with a rich cargo of merchandize from
New York, having on board a goodly number of passengers,
a healthy crew, and an elegant keg filled with water taken from
the "briny deep," which was presented by the Corporation of
New York to the citizens of this village, for the purpose of
being mingled with the waters of Lake Erie. This keg was
handsomely ornamented with the arms of the city, over which
were the words, in letters of gold "Neptune's Return to Pan,"
and under the same, the words "New York, 4th Nov. 1825."
Upon the other side of the keg were the words "Water of the
Atlantic."
After welcoming the return of the boat, with the Buffalo
Committee, it was resolved that the ceremony of mingling the
waters should take place on Friday, the twenty-fifth instant.
On that day a large and respectable number of ladies and
gentlemen, with the village band of music, repaired on board
the boat, at the upper dock, and were towed from thence
through the basin into the Lake, by several yawl boats, which
were politely furnished by the masters of the different vessels
then lying at the wharves. At ten o'clock, A.M. the ceremony
of mingling the waters under a salute from Captain Crary's
artillery, was performed by Judge Wilkeson..."
http://www.history.rochester.edu/canal/bib/colden/
http://www.history.rochester.edu/canal/bib/colden/App19.html
http://www.history.rochester.edu/canal/bib/whitford/1906/j02-06.html
Another search turned up some information on the medal's
designer, Archibald Robertson:
http://www.artnet.com/library/07/0724/T072415.asp
-Editor]
GUNTER KIENAST LOCATED
Greg Burns writes: "Browsing around came across the
following in the E-Sylum v6n4. Ask and ye shall receive…"
Dale Krueger writes: "Does anyone know what ever
happened to Gunter Kienast, author of the two books on
Karl Goetz and his medals? ..."
[Greg provided a mailing address for Mr. Kienast in
Lincoln, NE, which I forwarded on to Dale Krueger.
-Editor]
CONTROVERSIAL MISSOURI QUARTER DEBUTS
Dick Johnson writes: "This is the week the much-criticized
Missouri quarter is released to the public." Dick pointed out
an article by Todd Frankel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
"Missouri's state quarter has caused trouble at every turn,
or flip of the coin.
It's altered the way the U.S. Mint designs the nation's
quarters. It helped foil a marriage and close an art gallery.
It got a Baltimore newspaperman suspended. And it made
a demonized celebrity of a Missouri artist."
http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/6450725.htm
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascitystar/6451701.htm
[Have any of our readers seen the quarters artist Paul
Jackson affixed with stickers bearing his original design?
He spent thousands of these as part of his protest against
the Mint's changes to his design. -Editor]
COINLESS SLOT MACHINES
An article in Wired magazine reports that
"... one casino after another is abandoning coin-operated
machines, adopting instead slots with new technology, known
prosaically as Ticket-in/Ticket-out, which replaces nickels,
dimes and quarters with paper tickets.
Players start off by inserting paper currency into the machines.
The slot then keeps track of the winnings. When players are
ready to cash out -- assuming there's anything left -- they get a
bar-coded card, which they can take directly to a cashier or to
another of the casino's slots."
"The casinos and slot-machine makers say that players want
them. They say players are tired of idling for up to 30 minutes
before floor managers show up to pay off sizable jackpots --
which the old slots never have been able to pay in full. And
they say players no longer want to lug around coin-laden cups
or get their hands dirty gathering up hundreds of coins of
questionable provenance."
"But others feel nothing can replace good, old-fashioned coins.
"Coinless machines take away part of the fun," says Brownstein.
"It's like using a thick cond at m when you're having s at x."
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,59871,00.html
[In the hopes of bypassing some spam filters, the above
vowels have been replaced with @ signs. -Editor]
SEPTEMBER 11 COINS
An August 6 Wall Street Journal article put the spotlight on
"September 11" coins being marketed as relics from the
2001 World Trade Center attacks.
"The coins -- some gold, others platinum, but mostly silver --
were in an underground vault below 4 World Trade Center
that belonged to ScotiaMocatta, the precious-metals trading
unit of Bank of Nova Scotia, also known as Scotiabank. A
Bank of Nova Scotia spokeswoman said a coin specialist
and wholesaler approached Bank of Nova Scotia and offered
to buy some of the coins from the Toronto bank. The coins
are being sold in plastic coin holders emblazoned with the
phrase "9-11-01 WTC Ground Zero Recovery." The bank
isn't involved in the sale of the coins."
"It's morbid, disgusting and shocks the senses that any
individual or corporation could capitalize on the Sept. 11
tragedy in this horrid way," said Scott A. Travers..."
"This is a rather extreme case of making money with the
World Trade Center," said Ute Wartenberg Kagan, executive
director of the American Numismatic Society..."
"Shortly after the World Trade Center attacks, Bank of Nova
Scotia said it would supply 3,800 ounces of silver it owned
recovered from its vault at Ground Zero to make 427 "Angels
of Courage" for the families of New York fire, police and
emergency workers killed in the attacks. Additional angels
were presented to dignitaries."
[Subscription required]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB106012198859689500,00.html
[Morbid relics have a long history in numismatics. For example,
most recoveries of sunken treasure coins are basically grave
robberies, as was the recovery of coins and ingots from the
S. S. Central America and the recovery of Lt. George Dixon's
"Lucky" $20 gold piece from the wreck of the Confederate
submarine Hunley (see The E-Sylum v4n22, May 27, 2001).
-Editor]
TOPIC OF THE WEEK
Dan Gosling's topic of the week is:
Should club bulletins be stored or bound?
only in hardcover?
cirlox or spiral or perfect bound?
three ring binder? Does this reduce the value?
boxed?
SMELLY BOOKS
Jeff Hawk writes: "I got your address off the NBS website. I
recently purchased on eBay a catalog from an auction in 1986.
The catalog smells VERY musty, and is all but unusable. Is
there anything I can do to improve the smell of this book?
Thank you very much for any help you can give me, either
yourself or from the NBS membership."
[Putting the book into a bag with baking soda may help.
Letting it bake out in the fresh air and sun is another tactic
I've heard of. What else do our readers recommend?
-Editor]
SMELLY MONEY
An August 4, 2003 Reuters report says citizens of
Bangladesh are rejecting currency that has been around
the block a few too many times.
"Bangladesh's currency notes have become so dirty that
even fishmongers reckon they stink too much to use."
"The notes are losing their usefulness as currency because
people are becoming unwilling to take them, central bank
officials say. Fish-market traders, for example, have found
that their customers are demanding coins as change, they say.
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?&storyID=3215203
ANOTHER BOB HOPE QUOTE
Following up on the item about Bob Hope receiving a
Congressional Gold medal, Bob Leonard writes: "The New
Yorker left out Hope's other numismatic quip on this occasion,
which I saw on TV at the time: "I asked them to give me a
nose job, but they said it would take too much gold!"
HOLY PYX! THE SHROFF SAID MY SCISSEL IS CUPRIC!
Bruce Perdue writes: "I was directed to the web site
"Luciferous Logolepsy" by two different news letters that
I receive. The address is
http://www.kokogiak.com/logolepsy/
I thought our readers might find it as interesting as I did.
with a great interest in books, how could you not be
interested in words! Some numismatic terms from the site
follow:
cupric
adj. - applied to compounds of bivalent copper.
cupro-nickel, n. alloy of copper and nickel used for
making 'silver' and 'nickel' coins. cuprous, adj. applied
to compounds of univalent copper.
pyx
n. - vessel for reservation of Eucharist; box containing
specimens of newly-minted coins. trial of the pyx, test for
weight, etc., of newly- minted coins.
scissel
n. - metal strip from which coins have been cut.
shroff
n. - banking expert specializing in valuable coins"
[In our February 25, 2001 issue (v4n9), Michael Marotta
brought up the definition of shroff. "Scissel" is a new word
to me. It's nice to know.
Interestingly, the following fortune cookie found me at
lunch on Thursday: "You are a lover of words / someday
you will write a book." -Editor]
FEATURED WEB PAGE
This week's featured web page is J.D. White's "The Maria
Theresa Thaler and How To Identify the Restrike."
http://www.jdsworld.net/article/m_theresa_thalers.html
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
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For Asylum mailing address changes and other
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