The E-Sylum v6#24, June 15, 2003
whomren at coinlibrary.com
whomren at coinlibrary.com
Sun Jun 15 20:14:42 PDT 2003
Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 6, Number 24, June 15, 2003:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2003, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
SUBSCRIBER UPDATE
Among recent new subscribers are Peter Dedel and NBS
member Paul Harris. Welcome aboard! We now have
566 subscribers.
LAKE SALE
Fred Lake writes: "Our 69th mail-bid sale of numismatic
literature is now available for viewing on our web site at:
http://www.lakebooks.com/current.html
Selections from the library of John and Nancy Wilson (and
other consignors) are contained in the 527-lot sale."
JOHN BURNS SHOW SCHEDULE
Numismatic literature dealer John H. Burns writes: "I will have
a table at the following shows:
Mid-America at the Rosemont Convention Center, site of the
1991 and 1999 ANA's. The show will be June 27-29.
ANA at the Baltimore Convention Center July 30-Aug. 3.
I will have approximately two TONS of books, auction
catalogs, pamphlets etc. and other works spanning from
17th-century antiquarian works to in-print Krause, Bowers,
Spinks and other titles. I can be contacted at
johnh.burns at verizon.net ."
CANADIAN BIBLIOGRAPHY PRE-PUBLICATION ORDERS
The following news release was submitted by Darryl A.
Atchison:
The J. Douglas Ferguson Historical Research Foundation
and the Numismatic Education Society of Canada are
pleased to announce publication of a new Canadian
Numismatic Bibliography edited by Darryl A. Atchison,
F.C.N.R.S.
The Ultimate Book for the Collector of Canadian material.
An absolute necessity for the collector who wants to know
and understand his coins, tokens, medals or paper money.
Over four hundred years of North American numismatic
and economic history is covered in this important reference.
This is a massive work in two volumes, over 1100 large
format pages containing references to books and significant
articles, annotated in most cases, with introductory essays.
It covers the entire range of works relating to Canada, the
French Regime, Pre-Confederation Coinage, Decimal
Coinage, Patterns, Newfoundland Coinage, Banks and
Banknotes, Biographies, Artists, Engravers, Trade Tokens,
Medals, Collectors, Collections, Auction Sales and Fixed
Price Lists. Mr. Atchison has spent much of the last eight
years compiling this text, assisted by several prominent
numismatists who have contributed to its development.
Due to the cost of this publication, the quantity printed will
be strictly limited to the number of orders received by
October 15 th , 2003 with no more than fifty extra copies
printed for late orders. Do not be disappointed — order
early and take advantage of the special pre-publication
price.
Can.$
US.$
Regular Price $ 200.00 $140.00
Pre-Publication Price* $ 140.00 $ 98.00
(* = orders received before Oct. 1, 2003)
Shipping & Handling
within Canada $ 14.00
to USA $14.00
to Europe $ 23.00 $16.00
Dealers, please write or e-mail for details concerning
multiple orders: All Orders must be accompanied by
full payment
Cheques payable to: “Numismatic Education Society of
Canada” c/o Ronald Greene P.O. Box 1351, Victoria,
B.C. Canada V8W 2W7 e-mail: ragreene at telus.net
We urge members to order as quickly as possible so that
we can anticipate the demand for this publication ahead
of the upcoming CNA convention in Windsor, Ontario
this July 17 - 20.
E-SYLUM BOOSTERS
I'd like to thank subscribers Neil Rothshild and Nick Graver
for their recent efforts to promote The E-Sylum in other
venues (Neil on the Colonial Coin Collectors' email list, and
Nick in private email to his fellow photography buffs. Our
promotion is mostly word of mouth (or should I say,
keyboard?). As always, please consider helping to promote
The E-Sylum in any numismatic venue where the opportunity
presents itself, particularly other online forums. We get our
readers the old-fashioned way: one at a time.
1873-CC NO ARROWS DIME DISCOVERY
Rusty Goe writes: "For the information of E-Sylum subscribers,
I want to share this bit of news from PCGS (Professional
Coin Grading Service)..
Michael Sherman has confirmed by phone that PCGS graded
a discovery specimen of an 1873-CC "NO" Arrows Seated
Liberty dime.
We noticed in the Population Report that a specimen of this
rare suddenly appeared, but we were skeptical. That's when
we called PCGS to confirm if it was true. Their representative
Michael Sherman checked on it and affirmed that an 1873-CC
No Arrows dime had been graded in December 2002. It is in
the VG-VF range.
(This is not to be confused with the fact that both PCGS and
NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation) list an Uncirculated
specimen of this date - this is the Eliasberg coin.)
For 130 years (or at least since there was interest) it has been
believed that only one specimen of the 1873-CC N/A dime
existed. This is an Assay Commission coin, saved from melting,
eventually passing through the hands of John Haseltine, Stephen
Nagy, William Woodin, Rudolph Kohler, Charles M. Williams,
and finally in 1950, Louis E. Eliasberg, Jr. It remained in
Elaisberg's collection until 1996, when Waldo Bolen purchased
it at the Bowers & Merena sale for $550,000. The coin was
subsequently sold in a Heritage auction in 1999 for $632,500.
After speaking to Michael Sherman at PCGS, my wife was
surprised that there had been no press release issued regarding
the coin. With the media frenzy surrounding the 1913 Liberty
nickel, and the disposition to report any and every discovery
in the coin hobby, it seems like the discovery of a second
1873-CC N/A dime would at least be the story of the year.
We contacted Coin World and Numismatic News and were
told that they had not heard of this new discovery. William
Gibbs at Coin World was very interested and agreed that it
would be a sensational story. He began researching it.
Numismatic News was apathetic.
When Michael Sherman was asked why PCGS had not issued
a press release, his response was that since the coin has been
graded since December, and everyone has had an opportunity
to hear about it, the story is old news.. Well, no one I have
contacted, from dealers, collectors to the media, knew anything
about the coin.
We explained to PCGS that we are putting the finishing touch
on our book about the coins from the Carson City Mint, and
since the acknowledgment of a second specimen of this
classic rarity is of paramount importance, we want to be able
to revise our text, if necessary.
ust as Bowers and Merena has done regarding their offer of $1
million for a 1913 Liberty nickel, we are on the verge of posting
an offer of approximately $200 K for the second 1873-CC N/A
dime.
Any information can be forwarded to: Rusty Goe / Marie Goe
Southgate Coins / 5032 S. Virginia St. / Reno, NV 89502 /
mariesgate at sbcglobal.net / 775 -322-4455"
AUCTION SALES SOUGHT
Rusty adds: "Does anyone have a copy of the 1899 J. W.
Scott sale of the S. L. Lee Collection? ... for sale, loan,
fax a page, or whatever..
Also, I need a copy of prices realized for the John Swan
Randall sale in 1878, auctioned by Edward Cogan.
Thanks for any help. Email: mariesgate at sbcglobal.net
DENVER MINT HARASSMENT COMPLAINT FILED
This week the Rocky Mountain News has been following the
story of a petition submitted to the U.S. Treasury department
by 32 women worked at the Denver Mint "alleging decades of
harassment and discrimination by male co-workers and
supervisors."
"There has been unfair treatment to women in promotions,
job assignments, training opportunities - there's been such
harassment, and it has created an overall hostile work
environment," said Beverly Mandigo Milne, who has
worked at the mint since 1978."
"The Denver Mint employs 528 people and 107 of them are
women, according to Lynn Feiger, the attorney for the women
who have complained formally to the U.S. Treasury
Department, which operates the mint."
U.S. Mint Director Henrietta Holsman Fore "ordered the
immediate search of lockers, toolboxes and other areas after
the Rocky Mountain News reported Tuesday on the
complaint that 32 women workers filed with the U.S.
Treasury Department."
"The complaint said women have been denied promotions,
training and raises; subjected to demeaning sexist comments
from men; treated more favorably if they have sexual
relationships with some managers;"
"Posters of naked women on the walls and pornographic jokes
on the government e-mail system have been common for years
at the Denver Mint while the top brass in Washington has turned
a blind eye, a lawyer representing several women working at the
mint said Thursday."
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_2025540,00.html
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_2028392,00.html
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_2034870,00.html
NUMISMATIC MUSEUMS
Granvyl Hulse, Numismatics International librarian, writes:
"I have received a query from an overseas individual asking
for the mailing address (not e-mail) of two coin and medal
museums in the U.S., two in Europe, and two in Asia (if any).
Can you or the group help?
[Well, any listing of numismatic museums in the U.S. would
include
The American Numismatic Association
http://www.money.org
The American Numismatic Society
http://www.numismatics.org/
Other U.S. and overseas museums have been mentioned
in previous E-Sylums. Anyone care to pick two in Europe
or Asia? -Editor]
AMERICAN BANKNOTE COMPANY ADDRESS
In response to the earlier query, Dave Ginsburg writes:
"The current address of the successor company to American
Banknote is:
American Banknote Corporation
560 Sylvan Avenue
Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632-3119
(201) 568-4400
The company emerged from bankruptcy a few years ago and,
I believe, auctioned off their archive of sample stock and
bond certificates a few years ago."
NUMISMATIST PHOTOS SOUGHT
Darryl Atchison writes: "Could you please ask our readers
if anyone can supply me with a photographs of Virgil Brand,
Maurice Gould, Joseph Hooper and Mr. and Mrs. Henry
Norweb that we can publish in our bibliography on Canadian
numismatics? I can be contacted at atchisondf at hotmail.com
if anyone can help. Thanks."
GERMAN-AMERICAN INTERNMENTS
Ken Berger writes: "I was not aware of the internment of
German-Americans during WW II. However, I do know
that during WW I, many German-Americans were forced
to register with the government. Just as we hear nothing
about the events regarding German-Americans during the
second war, we rarely hear anything about their treatment
during the first war."
WALTER GARRABRANT INFORMATION SOUGHT
Roger Siboni writs: "I recently purchased and had restored
Walter W. Garrabrant's original copy of Maris' "The Coins
of New Jersey". While I have been an avid collector of
colonial coins and particularly New Jersey Coppers for some
time, I have waited until I could purchase a copy of Maris'
book with some interesting provenance. Frankly, I have
never heard of Walter Garrabrant, but what came with book
fascinated me.
It included two newspaper articles circa. 1935 discussing
exhibits he arranged of the Fredrick Canfield collection of
New Jersey Coppers housed within the New Jersey
Historical Society. It listed him as an authority and leading
collector of New Jersey Coppers. Additionally, it contained
a series of rubbings of the Boyd Maris 4-C, 7-E and 51-G.
The 7-E notations suggest that he obtained them from the
Lewis collection before they were sold to Boyd. Each of
these coins will likely be the top bid getters in the upcoming
Ford auction. Also, it also worth mentioning that for over a
decade, it has been near impossible to view the Canfield
collection of New Jersey Coppers in the New Jersey
Historical Society, let alone present an exhibit of them.
So, I was hoping some of the readership might shed some
light on Garrabrandt. I do not ever recall hearing his name
in the pedigree chain of any New Jersey Copper and yet in
1935 he was a top collector. He was chosen to arrange the
exhibit for the Canfield collection of the New Jersey Historical
Society and he was tied into the collecting community enough to
acquire rubbings of some of the rarest and finest New Jersey
Coppers in existence.
Is there another major New Jersey collection lurking out
there we (I) don't know about?"
WORLD'S SMALLEST BOOK
In previous issues we discussed the smallest numismatic
books. This week saw publicity for the world's smallest
book, period.
"To the naked eye, it looks like a fleck of tile decorated with
the Greek letters alpha and omega. But when it is magnified
by a factor of 600, its true nature becomes evident - the
world's most portable copy of the New Testament."
An assistant professor of visual neuroscience at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology created software to
enable the writing in gold on a silicon chip, using a font four
microns high - about the height of a red blood cell.
See the New York Times article for more information:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/09/technology/09TINY.html
18-CENT COIN?
A tongue-in-cheek paper titled "What this country needs is an
18-cent piece" was published in the April issue of "Mathematical
Intelligencer" and picked up by Forbes magazine.
"Despite three attempts and millions of dollars in promotions, the
U.S. mint can't get Americans to accept a dollar coin. Maybe it
should try an 18-cent coin. So says Jeffrey Shallit, a University
of Waterloo (Ont.) computer scientist with a bit of time on his
hands.
Counting all possible change amounts from 0 to 99 cents, Shallit
found that the average transaction, if handled in optimal fashion
by the 7-Eleven clerk, involves 4.7 coins. It just so happens that
if the Mint ditched the dime and added an 18-cent coin, the
average number of coins would fall to 3.9.
... for 41 cents the clerk hands back a quarter, a dime, a nickel
and a penny. The Shallit system [selects] two 18-cent coins and
a nickel."
To read the article and original paper, see:
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2003/0623/058.html
http://www.math.uwaterloo.ca/~shallit/Papers/change2.pdf
FEATURED WEB SITE
This week's featured web site was suggested by Nolan Mims.
It is a reference collection of images of counterfeit coins.
http://www.cgb.fr/monnaies/articles/faux/indexgb.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
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