The E-Sylum v6#30, July 27, 2003

[whomren at coinlibrary.com]

Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 6, Number 30, July 27, 2003:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2003, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.


SUBSCRIBER UPDATE

   Among recent new subscribers are Steve Abramowitz of
   New York, and Steve Feller.  Welcome aboard!  We now have
   577 subscribers.


NEXT E-SYLUM

   Your editor is making no promises for next week - with
   travel to and from the ANA convention it may not be
   possible to publish an issue next Sunday night.  But keep
   those submissions coming!


LITERATURE DEALERS AT THE ANA CONVENTION

   Charles Davis and John Burns will be set up at the show
   (Tables 902/903 and 611/1613).  Stop by and buy
   something.  Hauling books to a convention is no small
   undertaking - show your support!


NBS EVENTS AT THE UPCOMING ANA CONVENTION

   Reminder: the Numismatic Bibliomania Society has scheduled
   two events at this week's convention of the American Numismatic
   Association in Baltimore.  I hope to see many of you at the
   annual meeting.

   Thursday July 31, 2003, 1 PM
   Numismatic Bibliomania Society Symposium
   Barry Tayman and George Fuld will present a paper on the
   research methodology for their upcoming monograph on
   Blacksmith tokens

   Friday August 1, 2003, 11.30 AM
   Numismatic Bibliomania Society Annual Meeting
   Leonard Augsburger will present a paper entitled
   "132 South Eden: House of Gold"


NBS DONATION ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

   Alan Luedeking writes: "I read with interest your plea for
   donations to the NBS's donation auction in the last E-Sylum
   and your subsequent report that Mr. Davisson was so far
   the only one to 'step up to the plate.'  Hats off to Allan!
   However, I wonder whether the underwhelming response
   might have something to do with the fact that a previous
   such auction (August 2001) never had its donations listed
   in The Asylum, and the results of the auction went likewise
   underreported in subsequent E-Sylum and Asylum issues.
   This proceeding might not have been the most conducive to
   stimulating waves of generous donations in future.  I know
   of at least one NBS member who still wonders to this day
   what his donations brought at auction, or whether they
   even sold at all!

   The David Fanning question concerning who won the
   best article of the year award in last year's Asylum is
   perhaps another symptom of the NBS not giving
   sufficient recognition to those of its members who
   contribute in one way or another to the society, and
   while it may be irrelevant to the majority of its members
   this should still be done on principle and might serve as
   stimulus to others contemplating similar contributions.
   For instance, I have rarely (if ever?) seen in the Asylum
   or The E-Sylum any mention of appreciation for the superb
   job of editing  The E-Sylum on-line newsletter (now in its
   sixth year!) that the editor of this great resource does;  for
   what it's worth, I think Mr. Homren should receive an NBS
   medal for his efforts, and that's something I would happily
  contribute to."

   [Well, Allan was the first to report to me that he planned
   to donate;  often donors simply show up at the meeting
   with items without necessarily announcing their intention.
   In fact, just before your email arrived Hal Dunn chimed
   in with another donation offer, and others arrived just after
   your note.

   As for reporting the donors and results in The Asylum, this
   certainly would be nice.   In the confusion of running the
   annual meeting, sometimes things fall through the cracks
   that shouldn't.  Hopefully the organization can make it
   happen this year.  Even though typically most if not all
   donors are in attendance it would still be nice to have a
   record of the event as well as publicly acknowledge
   donors and bidders.  A complicating factor is that some
   prefer to remain anonymous, but that shouldn't stop us
   from acknowledging the others.

   Thanks for your kind words on The E-Sylum.  I've received
   a number of nice notes and even a couple of great gifts from
   readers over the years.  They keep me going on evenings
   like this, when it's storming outside and I'd just as soon go
   to bed before my computer hiccups.  But it's true that time
   flies when you're having fun.  Six years was a lifetime ago
   for me - two career changes, a wife, a new house and two
   kids later, here I am still editing The E-Sylum.   I started
   it for the same reason most authors write books - it's
   something I wished I  could read but it didn't exist yet.
   Now it does, and it thrives because of the great input from
   readers like you. -Editor]


AUCTION LOT DONATIONS

   NBS Vice President John Adams writes: "I will bring a
   copy of the Indian Peace Medals of George III - it retails
   for $150 or thereabouts.  With what is coming up in the Ford
   Collection - he owns more than W.W.C. Wilson did -
   anyone with the slightest interest in the subject should have
   the book."

   Myron Xenos writes: I'll be bringing two items for the NBS
   auction:

   1. 1977 Special Edition Redbook, New, #1169 of 1200
       produced.  Value: $100

   2.  1954, Paul Revere's Engravings, American Antiquarian
        Society, Folio size, HB, 181 pages.  Value: $90


E-SYLUM WINS ANA SPECIAL MERIT AWARD

   Guess what?  Our little e-journal won a prize after all.
   Marilyn Reback, Senior Editor of the American
   Numismatic Association's NUMISMATIST, writes:

   "It is our pleasure to inform you that The E-Sylum has been
   awarded a Special Merit Award in the Specialty Club
   category of the ANA’s 2003 Outstanding Club Publications
   Contest.

   The actual award will be presented at the ANA’s 112th
   Anniversary Convention in Baltimore during the
   Representative Program Awards Breakfast and Meeting
   scheduled for 8:00 a.m., Saturday, August 2, in Room
   308 of the Baltimore Convention Center.

   Congratulations to you and to the Numismatic Bibliomania
   Society!"


BIRMINGHAM MINT

   Dick Johnson sent this link to a BBC News article about
   plans for a museum at the Birmingham Mint.  The article
   notes:

   "The Birmingham Mint, the world's oldest private coin
   maker, has signed a deal to keep part of its operation open
   as a working museum.

   The struggling firm, which first began turning out coins in
   1794, ceased trading in May after running into financial
    problems.

   Birmingham City Council has entered into a deal with two
   companies to keep part of the Hockley-based operation
   going."

   "Birmingham Mint had employed more than 100 people
    and was one of the largest makers of blank euro coins."

   http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/3037770.stm

   Dick adds: "Now that it is out of work, can we take up a
   collection for it?  I certainly would like to see it continue, as
   an operating mint ... or a museum!

   I wonder what Dick Doty would have to say about this from
   his years of study of it."


HOLOCAUST AND CAMP MONEY EXHIBIT

   [The following article by Steve Feller is reprinted with
    permission from the July 24, 2003 issue of MPCGram,
    an electronic newsletter for collectors of Military
    Payment Certificates.  To subscribe, go to this web
    page: http://www.papermoneyworld.net/WebMailList/
    -Editor]

   Beginning August 28, the Charlton E. Meyer, Jr. and
   Gloria B. Meyer Collection of Holocaust and Camp
   Money will be exhibited at Holocaust Museum Houston.
   You are strongly urged to see it if at all possible. It is one
   of the most complete collections of this money ever
   assembled. It will run through November 9. On August
   28 I will give an overview presentation on this
   collection.

   The currencies of the camps of World War II speak
    to us of the tragedy, depravity, horror, liberation, hope and
   salvation of that time and those places. Many times
   collectors of such items have been asked why on Earth
   anyone would collect these monies. Or even how can you
   possibly tolerate collecting these currencies?

   The answer is that these bits of paper and metal can
   speak to us of the broad tragedy in a most personal and
   understandable manner. After all, money has been used
   within sight of the chimneys of Birkenau inside the barbed
   wire at Auschwitz.

   Hold a piece of concentration camp currency from the
   Westerbork Transit Camp in Holland with its vignette of
   the main road of the camp. This road was known as the
   "Boulevard des Miseres," or the street of misery. One can
   imagine a young Anne Frank walking on it to the trains to
   the "East" in 1944.

   Mr. Charlton E. Meyer, Jr. is a gentleman from Shreveport,
   LA. He discovered the existence of this money from a well-
   known dealer who showed him some camp scrip.  The rest
   is a tribute to the tenacious drive of Charlton. In his own words:

   "The one thing that I learned early was that nobody knew a
    lot about the subject and no Holocaust museums had any
   sort of a collection. My drive was centered on not only
   collecting this scrip and related areas, but to get it into a
   museum as a permanent exhibit -- not for any thanks but
   simply because it needed to be done."

   Camp money from the Second World War is an enormously
   broad topic. Generally speaking the topic may be divided
   between issues of the Allied, Axis, and neutral powers.
   Within the Axis domain there is money from prisoner of war
   camps, concentration camps, ghettos, work camps, and
   civilian internment camps.  While the money was used by all
   people caught up in the tragedy of the war special mention
   must be made of the money used in the Holocaust. As is well-
   known and thoroughly documented nearly 6,000,000 innocents
   lost their lives in mankind's most organized program of murder.
   Many of the examples of money in this collection silently speak
   of this loss. These notes move our souls to anguish.  This
   exhibition, The Price of Existence: Ghetto Scrip from the HMH
   Archives bears witness to the full scope of the Holocaust through
   its breadth and depth.

   Allied Camp money includes POW issues and internment camp
   notes as in the well-known issues of Camp Hay Australia, Canada,
   and the Isle of Man. All are in this collection. This collection
   includes the rarest of the rare, usually unseen notes. Examples of
   the rarities include the unique Natzweiller note, Sokolka Ghetto in
   Poland, many Auschwitz notes, many UNRRA notes, and so
   much more.

   If there are questions please send them to me at  sfeller at coe.edu."


MCNALL IS BACK

   Long out of circulation as a guest of the federal penitentiary
   system, former high-flying coin dealer Bruce McNall is back
   in the news, this time peddling a book on his escapades as
   a coin dealer, movie producer, hockey team owner, bank
   defrauder and inmate.

   From a review in the Toronto Star:  "Back when McNall was
   14, he took a part-time job as a clerk in a coin and stamp shop.
   With seemingly lightning speed, he could distinguish a sestertius
   from a denarius, and, borrowing $3,000 from his grandmother,
   he bought a tray of coins from a vet who walked into the shop.
   He sold the coins, repaid his granny and ended up with more
   than $10,000 in profit. He was still in high school."

    A July 19th Reuters article noted:
   "In the 1980s and early 1990s, McNall was a major
   Hollywood player. He leveraged his first fortune as a
   dealer in rare coins into producing movies such as
   "WarGames" and "Mr. Mom," and he bought the Los
   Angeles Kings professional hockey team.

   McNall, now 53, accomplished what many thought to be
   the impossible and lured hockey legend Wayne Gretzky
   from Canada to Los Angeles, gave advice to Walt Disney
   Co. chief Michael Eisner, counted Michael J. Fox and Jim
   Belushi among his friends and hosted dinners for Ronald
   and Nancy Reagan.

   It was, as McNall titled his new book that landed in retail
   stores this week, "Fun While it Lasted."

   "In the early 1990s, he came under suspicion of defrauding
   banks out of more than $200 million. He eventually pleaded
   guilty and in 1997, began serving a 70-month sentence in
   federal prison.

   http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3119537



OUT-OF-COPYRIGHT NUMISMATIC TITLES OFFERED

   Ed Snible writes: "The following is the product of web
   research;   I have no connection to the company discussed:

   Adamant Media is one of the largest numismatic publishers.
   Adamant's 50+ numismatic titles are sold exclusively through
   the Elibron.com web site.  The company doesn't devote itself
   to numismatic titles: they claim to offer over 40,000 "replica
   paperback" titles, adding 100 new titles daily!

   By reprinting works in the public domain, Adamant doesn't
   waste time negotiating copyright clearance from authors'
   estates.  Books in the Russian State Library and Russian
   National Library are scanned cheaply in Russia, and Russian
   artists design the new cover art.  Books are printed on demand,
   reducing inventory costs to zero.

   A book listed as shipping in two weeks is that rarest of
   editions: no copies exist!  Anyone ordering the title is likely to
   receive the the very first copy printed.  The first order
   triggers the scanning process; books that have been scanned
   offer sample pages on the web site.  Such books will be
   printed five minutes after the order is received.

   An earlier version of the web site sold PDFs of every title, as
   CD-ROM or download.  (This option has been discontinued
   for most titles.)   Perhaps my discontinued CD-ROM copy
   of  "Catalogue of the Greek Coins of  Ionia"  is unique?  If so
   I got a bargain: $14 for a unique edition of Barclay Head's
   famous catalog!"


SEARCHABLE BOOKS

   An article this week in the New York Times notes that
   "Executives at Amazon.com are negotiating with several of
   the largest book publishers about an ambitious and expensive
   plan to assemble a searchable online archive with the texts
   of tens of thousands of books of nonfiction..."

   http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/21/technology/21AMAZ.html?th


HATHAWAY & BOWERS

   John Kraljevich, Jr writes: "To answer Phil Carrigan's question,
   about his Hathaway & Bowers item, it is the first page of the
   list that is essentially Rare Coin Review #2.  Issues #1 and 2
   are both very rare, 1 more so than 2 -- the series becomes
   collectible at number 3.  My own set has 1 and 2 only in
   photocopy. Number 2 is 4pp in total -- see Davis 486."
   [John is referring to Charles Davis' book, "American
   Numismatic Literature: An Annotated Survey of Auction
   Sales 1980-1991."  -Editor]

   Bill Burd adds: "I have Vol III, Catalogue No. 3 dated
   December 1969 it is titled "Hathaway and Bowers Galleries,
   Inc. presents... Choice and Desirable Coins for sale to
   discriminating numismatists...".  It is 36 pages.  I have No 4
   dated March 1970 32 pages, No 5 dated May 1970 36
   pages and no 9 dated Jan/Feb 1971 44 pages."


PHOTO OF FORD RECEIVING SLABBED CATALOG

   Bill Malkmus writes: "Perhaps in the "Thanks anyway, but
   I've forgotten now why I asked" category:

   In the June 8 E-Sylum, Fred Lake refers to his photo of John
   Ford receiving a slabbed Stack's catalog.  The photo was
   published in The Asylum, Vol. XI, no.3, p. 24.

   And no, the Index wasn't good enough to locate it; I found it
   the old-fashioned way -- running across it accidentally!"


CENT SEIGNORAGE

   In response to last week's item about the Lincoln Cent,
   David Ganz writes: "The latest mint annual report shows
   that the Mint makes a profit of at least a tenth of a cent
   on each cent produced. Do the math: 13 billion x .001
   = $13 million profit annually.  Who wouldn't give their
   right arm for that ability?


OCEAN CITY TOKEN MYSTERY

   The Press of Atlantic City published an article on July
   10, 2003 that may interest collectors of tokens.

   "Steve Barlage, of Mullica Hill, was planting a bush in his
   back yard Sunday when his spade struck something that
   went "clink."

   He dug around and removed a dirt-encrusted coin the size
   of an Eisenhower silver dollar. By its heft, it seemed to be
   made, at least in part, of some type of precious metal.

   "Finder will receive deed to one building lot high and dry
   in Ocean City Manor, N.J., 13 minutes from Boardwalk,"
   the coin read. Barlage flipped it and the offer continued:
   "Return this check within 96 hours to Koch Realtor, Inc."

   "I just laughed," Barlage said. "My 12-year-old son said,
   'Finally, we can get a beach house.' "

   How much is a building lot worth today in Ocean City?
   Who buried the coin in his back yard? More importantly,
   was the offer still valid?"

   http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/cape/071003OCCOIN.html


‘DEAD PRESIDENTS’ NOW IN DICTIONARY

   Dick Johnson writes: "Merriam-Webster has just published
   its latest, eleventh edition of its widely used Collegiate
   Dictionary.  Among the 10,000 new words is one of
   numismatic interest: “dead presidents.”

   Their definition of dead presidents: U.S. money in the
   form of bills, specifically Dollars.  The first use of the
   plural noun 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.

   Numismatically the term is not quite accurate.  Benjamin
   Franklin ($100) and Alexander Hamilton ($10) on current
   paper money were never presidents. A better term would
   have been “dead patriots” but why should people who
   create and use slang (see above) be accurate? Or even
   educated?"


MORE MEHL NOTES

   Carl Honore writes: "I have Star Rare Coin Encyclopedia
   number 27 with the expanded title on it...you stated it
   started with 28 or am I wrong?"

   [Nope - I'm the wrong one.  That's a typo.  My 27th
   edition also has the expanded title.]

   Dan Hamelberg writes: "I have the following Mehl items
   you can add to the list:

   For the Star Rare Coin Encyclopedia---
   11th  (1914)
   18th  (1919)
   49th  (1941)
   59th  (1955)
   62nd (1960)

   For the Star Coin Book----
   1st  (c-1904)
   3rd   (no date)
   6th   (no date)
   50th (no date)
   51st (no date)

   I have all the other Books and Encyclopedia items on
   the list as per last week's edition of The E-Sylum."


B. MAX MEHL "IN BUSINESS" DATES

   Bill Burd writes: "This is in regards to B. Max Mehl
   publications.  He put out a booklet titled "The Star Coin
   Book" subtitled "An Encyclopedia of Rare American and
   Foreign Coins".  I have 6 different editions, each is priced
   at fifty cents and contains about 112 pages.  None have
   a date but 4 of the issues refer to being "in business over
   XX years". My copies are: 28th and 31st edition - no
   mention of how long in business.  34th edition over 34
   years; 40th edition over 41 years; 43rd edition over 50
   years; and 44th edition over 51 years.

   He also published a booklet titled "The Star Rare Coin
   Encyclopedia and Premium Catalog" subtitled "An
   Elaborate Encyclopedia of the Coins of the World".
   Priced at One Dollar and most are 208 pages.  I have
   10 editions, none have a date nor do they refer to how
   long in business, but all have copyright dates.  Edition
   28 copyright 1925; 29 - 1926; 31 -1928; 32 - 1929;
   34 - 1930, 35 -  1931; 36 - 1932; 38 - 1933; 39 -
   1934; 40 - 1934.

   The booklet changed a little at this point and is titled
   "The Star Rare Coin Encyclopedia" subtitled "Listing
   Coins of the World".  Price One Dollar, about 208
   pages.  I have 7 editions.  Each lists a copyright and
   also states "Same ownership - same place - same
   business - same ownership for over xx years".  42nd
   edition copyright 1935 over 34 years; 43 - 1936 -
   over 34; 44 - 1936 - over 34; 46 - 1939 - over 39;
   49 - 1941 - over 41; 51 - 1944 - over 44; 54 - 1951
   - over 51.  It appears in the later editions he was
   pegging his "start date" as 1900."


MEHL'S PERIODICALS

   Bill Malkmus writes: "Myron Xenos, in last week's issue,
   expanded the discussion of Mehl's publications to Mehl's
   Coin Circular and Mehl's Coin Chronicle.  Anyone interested
   in the former publication should read Joel Orosz's article,
   "Mehl's Coin Circular: A Window on American Numismatics
   in the '20s and the '30s," in The Asylum, Vol. XII, No. 3,
   pp. 3-8, for a highly detailed study of the 15 issues between
   1921 and 1933."


ADDING TO DAVID LANGE'S COLLECTION

   Notes from anonymous sources:

   Mr Webmaster - Would you kindly relay this message to Mr
   David Lange.  my uncle was a photoengraver for whitman
   publications in racine wisconsin  -  when i closed out his estate
   i found a box of wooden blocks undoubtedly he had brought
   home from work - these hard wood blocks are all the same
   thickness - 7/8 inch thick - but of different sizes - i believe
   these were used to back zinc plates - mentioned in esylum
   last week - i let my three kids play with them when they were
   small pre school age - i would grade these wooden blocks
   vg to vf - would you be interested in purchasing these for $25?

   Note To David Lange.  My cousin wrote you about selling you
   blocks from an uncle's estate. I own the maple tree grove
   from which these blocks were made. Can I sell you one of
   these trees for $250? I will cut it to any measure you wish.
   But you will have to come pick it up in person or pay for
   freight shipment because UPS will not accept such large
   shipments. Please answer right away. We are infested with
   a parasite that is attacking our trees. This offer won't last.

   Mr. Lange.  My brother contacted you to sell one of his
   trees. I have the original deed for the family farm where this
   grove was located.  I would sell this deed for $2,500.

   Whoever Is Buying the Deed For My Familys Farm.  I
   have for sale at $25,000 the house in which this deed
   was signed.

   To Whom It May Concern.  I am the governor of the
   state where the family farm is located. I am for sale for
   $250,000.

   Imagine!  A governor, a house, a deed, a tree, a box of
   blocks, for a zinc cut, to print a cover, to go on an album,
   to hold coins.  Wow! That's more than "Six Degrees of
   Separation!"


LAPA CONNECTIONS

   Alan V. Weinberg (LAPD, retired 1991), writes: "Amazing
   how small a world it is. Talk about six degrees of separation!

   I knew Sherman Oakes who worked homicide in LAPD's
   Wilshire Division at the same time I worked its patrol division.
   He was distinctive due to his shock of silver hair, always
   perfectly coiffed, and his impeccable daily dress right out of
   GQ. A few years ago I sent Sherman in the mail an article
   regarding the Lapa Case and he may well be referring to that
   mail in his case review.

   I was also subpoenaed at the Lapa court hearings as a "coin
   expert."   I  recall testifying, confined to being able to ID
   coins from photographs due to toning , spots, abrasions, etc
   that are unique to every coin.  The prosecutor wanted to
   show the court that a particular stolen coin can be positively
   identified from a clear photograph and differentiated from
   others of the same type and date."

   I do distinctly recall Lapa's long hair on the stand and
   allegations that he changed his sexual preference while in
   prison."


FEATURED WEB PAGE

   This week's featured web page is about another famous
   Fort Worth numismatist, Amon Carter, Jr. Written by
   Frank Clark, it's on the web site of the Texas Numismatic
   Association.


http://www.ccatech.com/tna/archives/mar_apr01/whats_new/articles/famous_tx_numismatist.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
  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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