The E-Sylum v6#03, January 19, 2003

[whomren at coinlibrary.com]

Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 6, Number 3, January 19, 2003:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2002, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.


SUBSCRIBER UPDATE

   Among recent new subscribers is Martin Logies,
   courtesy of W. David Perkins.  Welcome aboard!
   We now have 514 subscribers.


UPCOMING DAVIS SALE

   Charles Davis writes: "My next auction will include duplicates
   from the American Numismatic Society and others. Included
   are plated Chapman Lyman, Beckwith and Cleneay catalogues,
   a 22-plate Elder Lawrence catalogue, plated Mortimer
   Mackenzie sale, numerous volumes of the AJN, early issues
   of The Numismatist, and an early Berlin periodical containing
   perhaps the first published numismatic photograph.  The sale
   will close February 15 and catalogues are now in the mail."


SPRINGARN MEDAL

   Monday is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day in the U.S.
   Dr. King was awarded a number of medals, including the
   Spingarn Medal.

   "In 1915 the NAACP initiated the Springarn Medal to be
   awarded annually for outstanding achievement by a black
   American. The first award was won by Dr. Ernest Everett
   Just, a 32-year old marine biologist from Charleston, South
   Carolina. Head of the Howard University Department of
   the Zoology at the time, Dr. Just was the only person to
   graduate magna cum laude from Dartmouth college with a
   degree in zoology, special honors in botany and history,
   and honors in sociology.

   Over the years the Springarn Medal has come to signify
   the highest honor available from the NAACP. Although
   the significance of the organization declined with the
   culmination of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, the
   Springarn Medal remains a coveted award.  Past winners
   include statesmen (Ralph Bunche, Martin Luther King),
   musicians (Marian Anderson, Duke Ellington), authors
   (Maya Angelou, Alex Haley), politicians (Barbara Jordan,
   Andrew Young), civil rights leaders (Medger Evans, Rosa
   Parks), athletes (Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron), and
   entertainers (Paul Robeson, Bill Cosby)."

   [Excerpted from "The History of the Springarn Medal"
   http://or.essortment.com/springarnmedal_rlwp.htm.
   Other web references include:
   http://www.lfpl.org/reference/rflksgarn.htm
   http://spingarn.k12.dc.us/sclub/medal.html

   In my searches of the web I've been unable to find an
   image of this medal.   Has anyone ever seen one?  Or
   know anything about the design and designer?  -Editor]


WASHINGTON STATE MEDALS

   Terry Trantow writes:  "I am always amazed at the range of
   news and comments, search requests and informational items
   the E-Sylum provides.  I read more than I can offer, but came
   across this site regarding the medals of honor and valor given
   by the State of Washington each year, which is currently open
   for nominations. A picture of the obverse[s] of the medal[s] is
   provided, which depicts a somewhat unattractive-looking piece.
   The site is http://www.secstate.wa.gov/Medals.


NOTIFY YOUR HEIRS: COPYRIGHTS GOOD 70 YEARS.

   Dick Johnson reports: "The Supreme Count upheld, on
   Wednesday, January 15th, the extension of United States
   Copyrights by 20 years. Authors' heirs can now collect
   royalties for 70 years from the date of death of the author.
   For numismatic authors this could gain some royalty money
   for their estates.  For numismatic publishers, you will have
   to wait a while to reprint that numismatic classic for free.

   Previously the length of an American copyright was life
   of the artist plus 50 years. The new legislation (upheld by
   the Supreme Court) introduced in 1998 and known as the
   Sony Bono law, changed the law to be life of the artist plus
   70 years. This brings our copyright law more in line with
   that in Europe.

   For works copyrighted by corporations, it dates from year
   first published. Formerly it was 75 years. Now it is 95 years.
   Those in favor of the changing the law were concentrated in
   Hollywood, as early movies were approaching the deadline
   for this copyright protected work to pass into public domain.
   Had this not been approved by the Supreme Count, we
   could have had "Steamboat Willie" Mickey Mouse all over
   the internet."


NEW BOOK: GREENBACK

   The January 9, 2003 issue of the Christian Science Monitor
   published a review of a new book, "Greenback: The Almighty
   Dollar and the Invention of America" by Jason Goodwin,
   published Henry Holt, 321 pp., $26.

   "The billions of electronic dollars zipping from computer to
   computer each day provoke an interesting question: What
   really is an American dollar? British author and journalist
   Jason Goodwin takes a crack at the answer with "Greenback,"
   a biography of the buck that traces it from native American
   wampum to today's almighty bill.

   It is a riveting story with a quirky cast of early American
   characters that includes a few of the Founding Fathers,
   inventors, counterfeiters, secret agents, bankers, and
   swindlers, each placing their thumbprint on the young
   country's currency and monetary system, whether they
   knew it or not."

   For the full review, see:
   http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0109/p17s01-bogn.html

   From Publishers Weekly (published on Amazon.com, where
   the book is offered for $18.20):

   "After a strong start, this history of American money loses
   its thread and ends up as an entertaining collection of trivia,
   personality profiles and vignettes rather than the compelling
   narrative promised in its opening. Still, Goodwin's flair for a
   colorful tale makes for rich reading,  covering such odds and
   ends as a brothel in the Treasury Department, a prayer vigil
   over banking deposits, exploding printing presses and even
   a counterfeit scheme run from behind prison bars. Goodwin
   (Lords of the Horizons) makes some excellent points about
   the role of paper money in early U.S. history-it was the
   earliest symbol of the new country; it helped push colonists
   West; it even helped familiarize Americans with their native
   artists-but the significance of the stories he's chosen to include
   isn't always clear. After presenting a single national currency
   as one of the holy grails of early American banking, for
   instance, he glosses over the moment it finally arrives, a true
   turning point in American financial history. Goodwin's position
   as a foreign observer (he is an English journalist) occasionally
   trips him up: no one in America, for example, says "that will
   be four dollars thirty six."

   The more I learn about numismatic history, the less surprised
   I am to read about various scandals.  Somehow, I think I
   would have remembered reading about a brothel in the
   Treasury Department.  Unless it's something new, perhaps
   staffed by holdover interns from the Clinton Administration...
   Alas, according to another Amazon reviewer, the book has
   no footnotes or endnotes.  Does anyone know of a source
   for the Treasury brothel story?  Perhaps he's referring to the
   Spencer Clark scandals.   From an earlier review of
   the book in The New York Times, December 29, 2002:

   "But once in motion, the dollar rewarded fellow raconteurs
   like Spencer Morton Clark, who ran the currency bureau
   during the Civil War era like a personal harem, and tried to
   slip his own face onto a five-cent bill.  Goodwin observes,
   with typical wry amusement, ''Queer things had turned up
   on dollar bills in the past, from Santa Claus to the Delaware
   rat, but nothing to match the appearance, on a U.S. note, of
   a bankrupt sex pest under investigation for embezzlement
   and fraud.''

   Benny Bolin wrote a good article on Clark, originally
   published in Paper Money, the journal of the Society of
   Paper Money Collectors.  It has since been posted to the
   web:  http://www.fractionalnotes.com/spencerclarkarticle.htm

   "Due to the war and the subsequent shortage of available male
   workers, it became a necessity for a large number of women
   to be hired to work in the printing department. This was a new
   and radical idea in the workplace. The private bank note
   companies used this new idea, especially the fact that a large
   number of women were employed at night, to raise charges
   against the bureau.  Charges of fraud and promiscuity rocked
   the Treasury Department. Reports of drinking, orgies and
   required sexual favors to keep jobs were numerous. It was
   widely reported that the printing bureau had been converted
   into a place for debauchery and drinking, the very recital
   of which is impossible without violating decency."


FROSSARD SALE OF CLARK COLLECTION

   Also online is the October 1893 "Special List No. 8"
   of Clark's "Unique Collection of Essays & Proofs of
   United States Fractional Currency"
   http://www.fractionalnotes.com/frossardsaleofclarkcollection.htm


BRAZIL REFERENCE SOUGHT

   Ron Haller-Williams writes: "I want to verify a reference I
   found.  According to J A Golsalves de Mello (Rev.IAHGP
   vol.48, 1976), the 3rd edition of Santos Leitão's "Catálogo
   de Moedas Brasileiras" was published in 1941 (not 1940
   as indicated in the list of earlier editions to be found at the
   front of the 8th edition and onwards).  Can anybody confirm
   this? (from sight of the 3rd edition itself!)

   Apparently, among the "moedas obsidionais" (siege-pieces),
   it mentions one dated 1647, as well as the three values of
   1645 & 1646.  Can anybody confirm this?  What does the
   2nd edition (1933) say? Thanks very much.  Replies direct
   to moedas at heraldstar.u-net.com or, of course, via The
   E-Sylum."


SUBSCRIBER PROFILE: TERRY TRANTOW

   Terry Trantow writes "I joined the ANA as a junior in 1961
   because I had been 'into' coin collecting with my Dad, with
   a short gap, since 1953.  Dad had a small container of Lincoln
   cents from which we both built our penny collections in 1957,
   missing only the 1909-S VDB and1914-D cents plus some
   minor dates.   I 'borrowed' out of that container as a kid on
   a few occasions to buy a nickel candy bar, and he may have
   been correct in 'suggesting' I spent some of those missing dates.

   Due to my interest in history and being a consummate collector,
   I discovered the field of medals, then tokens, and will always be
   grateful to Charlie Kappen for his collaboration in producing the
   work on So-Called Dollars in 1962, which set my direction into
   token/medal collecting and for which I will always be in debt to
   him. It would not surprise me to see continued works on tokens/
   medals and its fraternity overshadow that of coin collecting."


EUROPEAN LIBRARIES

   J. Moens of Belgium writes: " The following addresses might
   interest Mr. Knepper for his trip to Europe :

   - the "Cabinet des Médailles" of the Royal Library in Brussels
   holds one of the finest collections of numismatic books in the
   world.  The collection can be consulted on-line at the following
   site : http://www.kbr.be;  go to "Catalogues connectés";
   information about opening hours can be found under
   "Départements et collections" and then under "Cabinet des
   Médailles"

   - the National Bank of Belgium has a good museum on the
   history of money.  Information can be found at
   http://www.nbb.be, then "Museum"

   Both institutions are situated in Brussels, at walking distance
   (5 min.) from the Central Station."


COINING A PHRASE

   In response to last week's question about the origin of
   "Coin A Phrase",  David Klinger and Jess Gaylor both
   offered this history of the phrase from
   http://www.wordorigins.org

   "Sometimes interesting words a phrases are right under
   our noses. After using it countless times on this site, a
   reader asked me where the term to coin a phrase came from?

   The verb to coin originally meant to literally mint a coin. It
   dates to the 14th century. In the late-16th century, the sense
   generalized to become to create or invent something. In
    1940 the specific usage of coin a phrase came into use."


TOKEN MANUFACTURERS LOSING BIGGEST CUSTOMER.

   Dick Johnson writes: "The commonest transportation token
   for collectors have almost always been from New York City.
   For token manufacturers NYC, their biggest customer,
   won't be buying any more of the brass discs with the familiar
   grill border with the pierced centers.

   New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority said
   Monday, January 13th, this is the end of the line for their
   subway token (which also was used for surface buses and
   Staten Island Railway fares). It took the first step to phase
   out tokens and many of the booths at subway entrances
   that dispense tokens: so long to the curt "How many?"

   Also involved is the projected increase in price. Would you
   believe they are floating a $2 per ride price?  And how many
  of us remember the ten-cent fare?

   The token changed over the years. As prices increased
   intermittently since 1953 so did the token varieties. Early
   tokens of that period had the Y of NYC pierced out. When
   the fare changed in 1970 the MTA kept the same design
   -- and the same Y-shaped hole -- but increased the size. In
   1979 they introduced a solid token (with a commemorative
   design, really!) for a 75th anniversary.

   Following 1980 and a new fare increase they kept a solid
   token with no piercing.  In 1986 incuse grill work with
   round center hole and finally, in 1995 raised grill with
   pentagon aperture.

   What's coming are more Metro-Cards to be swiped at the
   turnstiles.  And $120 will give you unlimited rides for an
   entire month.  For their centennial next year, in 2004, will
   the MTA issue a commemorative swipe card?  No?  How
   about a Century of Straphanger Abuse Medal then?"


ST. NICK'S COINS?

   While looking for other things on the web I came across
   a reference to St. Nicholas delivering "bags of coins".  Since
   we just discussed St. Nick on paper money a few issues ago,
   I thought I'd write it up.  Is anyone familiar enough with the
   origins of the figure to confirm that he delivered coins before
   morphing into the modern concept of Santa Claus?

   The article by Richard O'Mara was published January 5,
   2003 in The Baltimore Sun.  Titled "An American in Turkey"
   it's a travelogue of a recent trip there.

   "At Antalya, on the Turkish Riviera, we rested by the sea.
   A museum there holds a relic, a bone from the jaw of a 4th-
   century bishop thought to be the St. Nicholas who gave rise
   to the legend of Santa Claus. He was known for providing
   dowries to impoverished young girls, dropping bags of coins
   down their chimneys."


http://www.sunspot.net/travel/bal-tr.turkey05jan05,0,774925.story?coll=bal-artslife-travel



PARANUMISMATICA DEFINED

   Paul Withers writes: "Those who had not heard of the term
   'paranumismatica' may like to read the following, taken from
   "Alphabetical Classification f World Paranumismatica" by
   Brian Edge which was written in 1977 and published by the
   Token Corresponding Society - but read on and you will
   discover more - even who 'coined the phrase' !

   The very first problem encountered at the beginning of this
   study was to find a blanket term, which could be adopted to
   cover the many coin like objects, which for many years have
   been loosely known as tokens.  Numismatic Miscellanea,
   and Numismatic Oddments were terms in fairly frequent use
   and other collectors referred to these objects as Peripheral
   Numismatics, Manablins, or just plain '0 & S" (Odds and
   Sundries). In the United States many such items are known
   as Exonumia. In view of all this, it was clear that it would be
   necessary to coin a new word to describe this subsection of
   numismatics and when, after considerable thought had been
   given to the matter, TCS activist David Sealy mentioned a
   word that he had invented there was little point in searching
   further. The word was PARANUMISMATICA.

   The ultimate object of this work is to produce a classification,
   wherever possible under generic headings, of all items which
   come within the bounds of world PARANUMISMATICA.
   The term PARANUMISMATICA is to be interpreted as
   any coin-like object, which is not in fact a coin.  It may be
   produced in metal, plastic, wood, etc , normally unofficial,
   bearing an inscription, either with, or without a value. It is
   acknowledged that many paper tokens exist, but, as they
   are not coin-like objects, they have been disregarded.

   It soon became apparent that different collectors used a
   variety of terms to describe precisely the same thing. In
   general, most of the terms were applied loosely, and
   without any reasoning. The result of the practice was
   considerable confusion and some items emerged with as
   many as four different terms.  For example the "To Hanover
   Counters" were also known as "To Hanover Medalets",
   "To Hanover Tokens" and "Cumberland Jacks"!  This
   problem occurred in so many cases that it became
   abundantly clear that some form of standardisation was
   necessary.  In order to achieve this, all members of the
   TOKEN CORRESPONDING SOCIETY were contacted
   for their ideas in an effort to attain some form of agreement
   about the application of the various terms.

   From the resultant correspondence it was clear that there
   would always be a few pieces which would never conform
   to complete standardisation. A good example of this is the
   Italian Telephone Token which bears the inscription "Gettone"
   but which is not, in any way, a Jeton in the accepted sense
   of the word.  Allowing for such examples, the following list
   of paranumismatic terms, which were generally accepted,
   how proved to be applicable to virtually all PARANUMISMATICA.

   Previous efforts to produce such a work as this by others
   outside the TOKEN CORRESPONDING SOCIETY seem
   to have been tackled without the necessary enthusiasm
   required for the task, and the results haw been a hotchpotch
   of listings. One of the main weaknesses has been hosts of
   entries such as "Australian tokens", "Canadian tokens",
   "Foreign tokens" and so on. These are, as I am sure you will
   agree, very wide issues. Certainly, many of the entries in this
   classification will have their origins in many different parts of
   the world. If one takes the entry "Merchants and Store
   Trading and Discount tokens" under SHOPS AND STORES
   it will be realised that items will still come under this category,
   whether they emanate from Australia, the U.S.A. or from
   long suffering Ramsbottom! It is not necessary particularly
   to distinguish one from the other as a separate entry in the
   classification.  The collector may decide to sort his tokens
   from this particular category into, say, alphabetical order of
   country of issue, then subdivide these into counties, towns or
   cities within that country and then into particular trades or
   businesses completely ad libatum. You will see, therefore,
   that only one entry is actually required in the classification to
   cover the lot.

   We have certainly gone far since the first humble list appeared
   in T.C.S Bulletin Volume 2 No. 1 in November 1973, which
   was soon followed by No. 4 of that same Volume, in MAY/
   JUNE 1974, with a piece entitled PARANUMISMATIC
   REFERENCES.  However, in spite of the obvious progress
   that we have made, the listings are far from complete. There
   must still be hundreds of missing entries and doubtless some
   of these that are entered already are incorrectly positioned.
   However, the exercise is falling into a general pattern, which
   has for its skeleton about 42 generic headings so far. The
   very fact that the author has been puzzling, sorting and
   resorting for almost four years, has lead him to the conclusion
   that it may well be a case now of not being able to see the
   wood for trees! He, therefore, earnestly solicits from members
   their constructive criticism of the work so far together with
   additional entries with a view to the classification eventually
   becoming the most detailed in existence."

   Brian, as some token-interested readers may know, went on
   to write "The First Dictionary of Paranumismatica.  All about
   Tokens, Checks, Medalets Counters, Tallies and Weights."


GARRETT LIBRARY?

   In response to the query regarding possible NBS speakers
   in Baltimore this summer, Nick Graver writes: "One fantastic
   resource in Baltimore was the John Work Garrett Collection
   at Johns Hopkins University.  It was at Evergreen House (the
   mansion), and was under the care of Sarah Elizabeth Freeman.

   I attended a great meeting there in 1960 or 1961, shortly after
   we moved there. (Certainly before we left in Spring 1963.)
   There was a very distinguished scholar speaking, and the
   exhibit of ancient gold was super.  The collection was later
   auctioned by Dave Bowers, and the staff must have been put
   out to pasture.  Who knows if any of the staff are there in
   retirement, and if any of the numismatic library remains at
   JHU?"


HELLENIC NUMISMATIC SOCIETY

   In response to the question about the Hellenic Numismatic
   Society, Kerry K. Wetterstrom Editor/Publisher of The
   Celator reports: "The Hellenic Numismatic Society is still
   very active and I just recently received their latest journal.
   It is an excellent organization, especially important to the
   collector of ancient Greek coinage."

   Bill Daehn adds: "The Hellenic Numismatic Society is
   indeed still active. I am a member. HNS continues to
   publish an excellent annual journal, Nomismatika Kronika,
   devoted to all aspects of Greek numismatics, but especially
   strong in ancient Greek coinage.  They also continue to
   publish monographs on Greek numismatic topics. The
   society has about 400 members around the world."


NAME CHANGES

   Relating to our earlier discussions of the slight name change
   for the American Numismatic Association's monthly journal,
   Kerry adds: "By the way, in the spirit of making the ANA
   more mainstream, it has now been suggested that they drop
   the word "American" from the official organizational name.
   "Numismatic Association" does have a nice ring to it!"


THE HOBBY OF "THE KING"

   According to a January 3, 2003 Associated Press article,
   one man says Elvis alive and collecting old coins. Here are
   some excerpts - follow the link for the full article.

   "Bill Beeny's roadside ''Elvis Is Alive'' museum serves up
   plenty for folks with suspicious minds over whether Elvis
   really ever left the building.

   Barely bigger than a living room, the place about 40 miles
   west of St. Louis is a conspiracy theorist's dream, from its
   government documents to the pathology reports, DNA testing
   results and photos, including one that purports to show Elvis
   shadowing Muhammad Ali in 1984."

   Beeny insists Elvis has surfaced in recent years--not at a
   Kalamazoo, Mich., Burger King or as a Miami undercover
   cop, as legend would have it, but as an arthritis sufferer who
   in 1997 sought treatment from Dr. Donald W. Hinton, a
   Kansas City, Mo., psychiatrist.

   Supposedly with Elvis' help, Hinton co-wrote "The Truth
   About Elvis Aron Presley, In His Own Words." Published
   last year, the book chronicles the years since the King's
   ''death,'' saying it took Elvis three years to get clean and
   sober.

   Hinton says the King--now his pal--collects old coins and
   American Indian artifacts, and isn't too shabby with fishing
   gear.

   http://www.jsonline.com/onwisconsin/music/jan03/107911.asp


FEATURED WEB SITE

   This week's featured web site is recommended by W. David
   Perkins of Mequon, Wisconsin.  He writes: "I learned of a
   new website this week that E-Sylum readers may want to
   check out.  I especially enjoyed exploring this site as it is
   dedicated to one of my specialties,  the study and collecting
   of the early United States silver dollars 1794-1803.

   Included in the site is an overview on the early dollars, with
   high quality descriptions and illustrations all of the major types
   and (Red Book) varieties of dollars.  There are also "micro
   photographs" of key features and differences in the varieties.

   Also of interest to Bibliophiles are three publications, two
   that appear to be available now and one in the works to be
   published later in 2003.   The two books available now are
   Early Dollars: A Pocket Guide to Major Varieties and An
   Introduction to Early Dollars, both published by the
   Cardinal Collection Educational Foundation."

      http://earlydollars.org


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

  For Asylum mailing address changes and other
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  address: sdsklow at aol.com

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