The E-Sylum v6#22, June 1, 2003

[whomren at coinlibrary.com]

Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 6, Number 22, June 1, 2003:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2003, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.


SUBSCRIBER UPDATE

   Among recent new subscribers is Margaret LaCugna.
  Welcome aboard!  We now have 560 subscribers.


SPRING 2003 ASYLUM ISSUE ON THE WAY

   Tom Fort, editor of our print journal, The Asylum, writes:
   "Good News/Bad News.  First the good news. The Spring
   2003 issue of The Asylum should be in the post and some
   people may even be receiving it as they read this. The
   contents are as follows:

   "'Guard this one with your life':  W. Elliot Woodward's
   Ninety-Second Sale," by David Fanning

   "A Union of Three Numismatic Scholars,"
   by  E. Tomlinson Fort

   Candidate Bios for the 2003 Election of Officers for
   the Numismatic Bibliomania Society

   "Letters to the Editor"

   David Fanning's lengthy article is an in-depth look at a rare
   sale (only 12 copies are known today) by one of the late
   19th century's leading coin dealers.

   Now the bad news. As usual, we need material for future
   issues.  If anyone out there has been thinking about sending
   us material I urge you to please do so.  If you have questions
   about submissions please do not hesitate to contact me.

   I have heard through a couple of sources that I have not
   printed or acknowledged material that people have sent me.
   This may be because I have not received it.  I changed post
   boxes some months ago and my old post office is not always
   good about forwarding mail.  If you send something to me
   and do not hear back please contact me via e-mail.  My
   address is Etfort at aol.com.

   Also, I shall be breaking a perfect record of nonattendance
   of ANA conventions this summer at Baltimore. I should
   be there Friday and most of Saturday.  Please feel free to
   come up and give me stuff there or ask questions."


JOHN J. FORD LIBRARY SALES

   George Kolbe writes: "The remarkable American numismatic
   library formed by John J. Ford, Jr. will be offered for sale by
   Stacks' and George Frederick Kolbe, starting with a major
   public auction in Southern California in early June, 2004, and
   in one or more sales thereafter.  The June 2004 sale will
   feature the most outstanding works in the Ford library,
   including famous American coin auction catalogues with
   photographic plates, classic books and periodicals, unique
   coin inventories, photographic records, etc.

   In many respects, the Ford library promises to eclipse the
   landmark Harry W. Bass, Jr. and Armand Champa library
   sales. Though perhaps not as complete in some respects,
   the overall condition of the library is essentially unimprovable,
   and the importance of the many annotated works in the library
   and their famous provenances will combine to make the Ford
   library sales a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. More details
   will follow when available."

   [Have any of our readers visited Ford's library over the
   years?   We'd love to hear your stories.  George's comment
   about completeness probably results from Ford's devotion
   to numismatic content.  In building his library, if a particular
   sale didn't have any significant numismatic content, he was
   happy to be without it.  He did not pursue complete runs
   for completeness' sake.  He was also a fanatical stickler for
   condition, and often he would ask for second or even third
   copies of every new catalogue until he found one he was
   satisfied with.  -Editor]


ALAN GRACE, BOOKBINDER

   Charles Davis writes: "Alan Grace is still very much working.
   I had an email from him in early April saying that he was going
   to be in Devon for 6 weeks at a family reunion (must be one
   Hell of a family if it takes 6 weeks).  He should be back by
   now and may be reached at gbindings at aol.com."

   When I confirmed with him that it was OK to publish his
   email address, Alan replied: "Yes, we are still bookbinding
   and still doing numismatic books. We have been bookbinding
   here in Jacksonville, Florida.  We were in St. Simon's Island
   before that.  We are still busy and getting older."


NEW 1913 LIBERTY NICKEL PUBLICITY

   W. David Perkins writes: "B. Max Mehl's offer just got
   topped, from $50 to $1 Million for a 1913 Liberty Head
   Nickel (Five Cent Piece):

   [David sent a copy of an article from USA Today dated
   May 27, 2003, titled "Liberty Head or tail, you win
   $1 million" -Editor]

   "A New Hampshire coin dealer is offering $1 million for
   a 1913 Liberty Head nickel that has been missing for at
   least 40 years.  In 1913, the Buffalo or Indian nickel
   replaced the Liberty Head, but five illegally minted 1913
   Liberty Heads surfaced in the 1920s.  Two are in private
   collections and two are in museums, but the fifth is
   unaccounted for.

    "It's all about trying to find the coin," says Paul
   Montgomery, president of Bowers & Merena Galleries
   of Wolfeboro, N.H., which is offering the reward."

   [It was only a matter of time before someone resurrected
   Mehl's publicity gambit, but the missing 5th nickel is a
   new twist.    And as with all widely-published accounts of
   rare coins, they draw a lot of crazy stories out of the
   woodwork.   An Associated Press story out of Bend,
   Oregon recounts the story of a man who claims to have
   had the missing nickel at one time.

   "If John Finney is right, no one will ever claim the million-
   dollar bounty offered by a New Hampshire coin dealer
   for a rare 1913 Liberty Head nickel.

   The Bend, Oregon man believes the coin vanished under
   tons of concrete when his mother's girlhood home in Sparks,
   Nevada was razed in the early 1960s to make way for a
   freeway overpass.

   Finney says his uncle, Geno Questa, began collecting coins
   as a youngster and obtained the nickel in the 1920s. He says
   Questa hid the coin in the home from his seven brothers and
   sisters. But when he went to get it, it was gone.

   Finney's mother, Evelyn, says she remembers finding it as a
   little girl. She thinks she may have splurged on ice cream."

   For the full story, see:
   http://www.krnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1297619&nav=8faOG4ao


AMERICAN ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY CATALOG

   The Real Dave Bowers forwarded a publication of the
   American Antiquarian Society, which included an item
   about the society's updated online catalogue of its
   extensive collection.   They call it ISAIAH, for
   Internet Sources for Access to Information on American
   History.  Over 350,000 records are included in the index.
   I would invite all researchers on American numismatic
   topics, especially colonial era numismatics, to submit their
   favorite search terms and see what turns up.  One never
   knows what treasures await.  For example, a talk at the
   recent American Numismatic Society Coinage of the
   Americas Conference (COAC) discussed two previously
   unreported specimens of 1792 quarter patterns among the
   collections of the New-York Historical Society, where
   they resided for decades generally unknown to
   numismatists.     One quick ISAIAH search uncovered a
   entry for a 1705 document by the governor of Massachusetts:
   "His Excellency, Joseph Dudley Esq. ... A proclamation. :
   Whereas Her Majesty by her royal proclamation, for
   settling and ascertaining the current rates of foreign coines,
   in Her Majesties colonies and plantations in America"

   The catalog resides at:  http://catalog.mwa.org/


GEORGE W. BOWERS

   David Sklow, ANA Historian and NBS Secretary-Treasurer
   writes: "I can shed some more light on George W. Bowers.
   He was a member of the ANA, having joined in September
   1926 from West Virginia as member # 3042, he then became
   a life member in February 1928 # LM 27. He died in 1944."


RAYMOND PUBLICATIONS

   George Fuld writes; "I noted the comment about the leather-
   bound Raymond book on gold--I had one in my library sale
   along with other Raymond rarities.  These came from C. J.
   Edgar of Long Island, who purchased them from John Ford
   from the Raymond estate.  These included bound interleaved
  copies of the Standard Catalog (about ten made of most years).
   All publications of Raymond were represented, including
   auctions.  You can glean some from the 1971 Katen sale of
   my library.    Oh for the good old days--most at $5 per
   copy!!"


MORE MICKLEY LORE

   Bill Swoger writes: "Regarding Joseph Mickley, I'd like
   to add another story:  In September of 1777, when the
   British under Lord Howe were moving on Philadelphia,
   John Jacob Mickley, grandfather of our Joseph, organized
   a wagon train and gathered therein the large bells that were
   to be found in Philadelphia.

   These were conveyed first to Allentown, and then to
   Bethlehem, where they arrived on September 23rd, thus
   saving for posterity the "Liberty Bell" that would be depicted
   on a half dollar less than a century and a half later.  John
   Jacob Mickley, Jr., Joseph's father, then a lad of 11 years,
   rode in the wagon with the "Liberty Bell" from Philadelphia
   to Allentown.  He died on April 1st, 1857, just 12 days shy
   of his 91st birthday."


AUSTRALIA HAS CENTENARY MEDAL SURPLUS

   Dick Johnson writes: "It was announced Wednesday this
   week, May 28, that the Government of Australia has 2,500
   Centenary Medals from two years ago that have not been
   bestowed.  They ordered too many.

   More than 15,500 Australians got their medals, issued for
   the 100th anniversary of the first Parliament of the Australian
   Commonwealth, albeit two years late.   Officials cannot find
   300 others who were entitled to receive theirs -- but what is
   concerning officials at the Government House in Sydney are
   the 2,500 medals they have on hand.

   It cost the Australian Federal Government A$21 each, so
   these unbestowed medals cost A$52,458.  The news article,
   written by Fleur Anderson, stated "The Opposition said the
   award system was a fiasco." It termed these "wasted
   centenary medals."

   Well, this retired art medal dealer in America has a suggestion
   for the Australian Government:  Sell these medals worldwide!
   Save out the 300 for replacement or finding the lost awardees,
   but sell 2,200.

   Offer these to medal collectors, Australian history buffs, recent
   Australian tourists, and pure Australiaphiles, on the world
   market. I am certain there are that many potential buyers in
   America alone.

   Also -- and of far more importance! -- with that many medals
   overhanging the market, their value will never increase on the
   secondary market. Yes, your 2001 Centenary Medal must
   ultimately come on the collector market (present owners
   cannot keep them forever!) they will be sold whether it is this
   year or a hundred years from now.  Collectors and museums
   are the obvious custodians of these historically important art
   objects.

   By completely dispersing the entire issue immediately makes
   everyone's medal worth more.  Particularly the 15,500 who
   received the medals officially.  At the instant all medals are
   completely dispersed, then market forces kick in and demand
   must confront supply. But don't keep that unsold supply on
   hand or nobody wins."

   [What to do with remaining supplies of medals has always
   been a quandary.  What were some of the more creative
   ways of disposing of an overage?   One tactic is to pretend
   it doesn't exist, or even lie about the issue being "sold out".
   After making a public offer to buy back the medals, the issuer
   then offers a new supply for sale at a higher price.  Classic
   price manipulation, but one way to coax more money out of
   collectors' pockets.  This is what happened with the Scott
   restrikes of the Confederate Half Dollar.  Does anyone
   happen to know who first revealed this story, and where it
   first appeared in print?  -Editor]


1879 AUCTION SALE REPORT

   Dave Bowers writes: "I am enclosing herewith a “fun” item
   from the Portsmouth Journal, Saturday, October 18, 1879,
   sent to me by a research friend, Richard Winslow, III.  This
   is simply an out-of-town press release, and this instance from
   New York City, run as a filler in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
   Although I haven't done so, no doubt the sale would be
   quickly identifiable by checking a few of the prices:

   “Collectors of coins in this city, will be interested in knowing
    that at an auction sale in New York last week a cent of 1799
   sold for $52; one of 1806, for $33; one of 1795, for $25;
   one of 1811, for $23.50; one of 1796, for $19.50; one of
   1823 and 1809 for $15.  A twenty-cent piece of 1874,
   brought $18; one of 1877 for $5.10, one of 1878 for $4.50"


FEATURED WEB PAGE

   This week's featured web page is from the Coin Facts
   web site, on the subject of the New York Theatre penny.
   "The New York Theatre Penny was issued in London circa
   1796 by Skidmore as part of a series of Penny tokens
   depicting various buildings of architectural importance.
   Although the coin is more properly a part of  the British
   so-called "Conder" tokens, the New York Theatre Penny
   has become a "must-have" item for U.S. Colonial coin
   collectors."

      http://www.coinfacts.com/colonials/new_york_theatre_penny.htm


  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

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