The E-Sylum v6#19, May 11, 2003
whomren at coinlibrary.com
whomren at coinlibrary.com
Sun May 11 21:16:33 PDT 2003
Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 6, Number 19, May 11, 2003:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2003, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
NBS PUBLICATIONS
Roger Siboni writes "I would really like to start receiving
hard copies. Is there a member fee? Also, is there a way
to acquire back issues? I really enjoy getting the Sunday
e-mail which comes in just after we conclude the Sunday
Night Colonial Con Collectors Club (C-4) online chat room."
Glad you asked. Since The E-Sylum is open to non-
members, we should discuss our organization more often.
The Numismatic Bibliomania Society (NBS) publishes two
journals - the quarterly print journal The Asylum and the weekly
online E-Sylum. Only members receive the print journal. Dues
are $15 per year to North American addresses, $20 elsewhere.
Back issues are available from our Secretary-Treasurer.
Instructions on how to join NBS are at the end of each E-Sylum.
There is a membership application available on our web site:
http://www.coinbooks.org/. To join, print the application and
return it with your check to the address printed on the
application. We'd be very glad to have you join us.
E-SYLUM SUBSCRIPTION PROBLEMS
Problem solved: Our perplexed subscriber writes: "I
purchased a new PC for home use only. I subscribed to
The E-Sylum from there, and finally received an issue."
A different subscriber may be experiencing the same
problem. Several of you wrote in with advice. Having
tried just about everything already, the best answer seems
to be to get in touch with your Internet Service Provider
(ISP) if you are having such trouble.
NUMISMATIC BOOKS FOR CHINA
Remy Bourne forwarded the following request from the
Chinese Numismatic Society. Remy has helped the
society with book donations, and perhaps some E-Sylum
subscribers can assist as well.
"I would like to say more words about the background of my
request.
1 The China Numismatic Society was founded only 20 years,
after the open and reform policy of Deng Xiaoping. In the first
decade and more, the China Numismatic Society only
concerned about Chinese historical coins ( cash ) and gave
very little attention to world coins. Following the increasing of
international contacts, the China Numismatic Society began to
be aware that the China Numismatic Society should not be
only be a Society of Chinese Numismatics, but a Chinese
Society of Numismatics home and abroad. Since 1997, a
Foreign Currency Committee was established, and I am a
member in it.
2 I am an engineering-educated person. Only after retiring,
I indulged myself in world coins. Actually, owing to limited
budget (my retiring pension about $200 per month ) and
getting more and more white-grey hair, I am not a world
coin collector in any sense, but rather to be a propagandist
of Western Numismatic culture. After publishing the
GREEK-ROMAN COINS, first in Chinese, finishing the
writing of BYZANTINE COINS, I am trying to move
along the Silkroad.
3 The China Numismatic Society Library has very few
Western numismatic books that worries me. After I
acquainted with you, I decided to ask you for help. Thanks
for your generous donations. My aim is to help the Library
building a basic collection of Western numismatics. Though
you have exited from the business, I am confident you could
use your influence and relations to urge more US donators
to help the CNS Library.
4 What the China Numismatic Society Library needs at
present I would suggest the following:
A Numismatic bibliography, such as Clain-Stefanelli's work
( I myself only bought a selected one ).
B Basic reference books. Such as Sear series, Seaby series,
Mitchiner series, and Broom-Handbook of Islamic Coins,
Breen-Encyclopedia of US Coins, Pridmore-Coins of British
Commonwealth, Smith-American Numismatic Biographies,
etc.
C Chinese numismatics written by foreign numismatists, such
as Kann, Schjoth, Lockhardt.
5 As for myself, I am moving along the Silkroad, ambitiously
preparing to introducing the Parthian, Sasanian, Bacterian and
Kushan coins to the Chinese numismatic circle. So I am hoping
to have: Gardner-Coins of Parthia, Sellwood-An Introduction
to the Coinage of Parthia, Bopearachchi-Indo-Greek/Scythian/
Parthian Coins ( I already got Sasan numismatic books ).
Maybe more, Jones-A Dictionary of Ancient Roman Coins
(I've already got the Greek one ), Mosher-Coin Mottos and
Their Translations, etc.
6 As for the Sayle's, Coincraft's, KP's, we could buy
them in China.
Please send all donated books to:
Professor Li Tiesheng
31-1-4 Gvnt. Res. Bldg., North Yingbin
Hohhot 010050
Peoples Republic of China"
NOTES ON MARGINALIA
Gary Dunaier writes: "Regarding handwritten notes in the
margins of books: I, personally, don't care for them. But
I don't think it's something that should be rejected on a
wholesale basis.
For example, I don't think any self-respecting numismatic
student would turn down the opportunity to acquire a
used coin book solely on the basis of writing in the margins
-- if the notes were written by Q. David Bowers or
someone of his caliber."
Bill Spengler of Colorado Springs writes: "While in general
I abhor the practice of underlining or writing in the margins
of serious books, especially in irremovable ink, this once
worked to my considerable advantage. On a visit to my
favorite Oriental bookseller in England in 1976, I was
fortunate to acquire a 39-volume numismatic library of
original editions of most of the museum catalogues and
other standard references on ancient and medieval coins
of South Asia -- my specialty -- published between 1866
and 1941, including all the Numismatic Supplements to the
"Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal" 1904-1937. They
were all beautifully bound in tan leather with gold lettering and
decoration, and were in nice condition.
Several of the volumes, particularly those covering gold coins
of the Gupta Dynasty of ancient India, contained "marginalia"
written in blue pencil -- routinely used by British colonial
administrators in annotating documents and exchanging notes.
What a great find, evidently the personal reference library of
a British collector of Indian coins while stationed in the
Subcontinent!
I was eager to know who of the rather small group of such
British numismatists had owned and used this important library
long ago. Sadly, however, these volumes did not contain a
single bookplate, owner's signature or other overt indication
of ownership, and the bookseller had had them in stock so
long that he couldn't recall where, how or when he had acquired
them! I took this as a challenge in detection and eventually
discovered the solution in the volume on "The Coinage of the
Early or Imperial Gupta Dynasty of Northern India" by the
famous British Indian numismatist Vincent A. Smith, bearing
on its cover a faint inked note presenting the book to one
H. Rivett-Carnac Esq. "with the author's kind regards". This
was the only such clue in the entire library.
Confirmation came in a notation on one of the plates in this
volume on which someone had written "to BM" in blue pencil
alongside a gold stater of Kumara Gupta. When I looked up
this piece in the British Museum I found on the coin's little
round ticket that it had been donated by none other than
H. Rivett-Carnac. This established ownership of this volume
and, by association, all the others.
I'll save other details of this interesting story, including the
identity and numismatic background of Rivett-Carnac, for
an article I intend to do for The Asylum. But for now let the
story speak for the sometimes value of "marginalia".
[Feel free to print out The E-Sylum and scribble all over it.
-Editor]
LOTS MORE ON S. Q. LAPIUS
Ron Haller-Williams writes: "Thought I'd check the on-line
1901 census for England & Wales, for anybody with the
surname "Lapius": "No results found". No surprise, really,
I guess.
At http://www.blackmask.com/olbooks/grftrdex.htm we get
another listing of the O. Henry story referred to by one
respondent: "The Gentle Grafter". Relevant extract:
'Doc,' says the Mayor, 'I'm awful sick. I'm about to die.
Can't you do nothing for me?'
'Mr. Mayor,' says I, 'I'm not a regular preordained disciple
of S. Q. Lapius. I never took a course in a medical college,'
says I. 'I've just come as a fellow man to see if I could be of
assistance.'
At least this one has frequent financial if not numismatic
references, including some "marked Bank bills".
But a word of warning: Don't blame me if, after reading the
whole thing, you appear to be in as much distress as this Mayor!"
Bill Daehn writes: "Regarding the discussion of S. Q. Lapius in
the latest E-Sylum -- I don't know who he was, but the name is
certainly a pseudonym taken from the Greek mythological
character Asclepius, sometimes spelled Aesculapius (S Q Lapius,
get it?).
Asclepius appeared in Homer's Iliad as a physician. He was
known as a great healer who could even raise men from the
dead. In ancient Greek times, a cult arose in honor of Asclepius,
with numerous centers of worship established around the Greek
world. He is often depicted on ancient Greek coins, and is usually
accompanied by his symbol, the staff with a snake entwined
around it."
[Wow. I guess I spent Greek Literature class looking out the
window or at the pretty girl in front of me. I had never heard of
Aesculapius, but it sure makes sense. Martin Purdy mentioned
this connection as well. This is why I encourage smart people to
subscribe to The E-Sylum. -Editor]
Len Augsberger writes: "For some reason, it is more fun to work
on other people's problems. The 1930 census was recently
indexed & released on ancestry.com. There are some problems
working with it (occasional misspellings, etc.) but the cost is well
worth it.
I have a Justin A. Garvin in the 1930 census living in Shaker
Heights, OH. Age 43 (census taken April 9, so agrees with
Kleeburg's 1886 birth date), owning his own home valued at
$20000, and working as a doctor in a hospital.
Now.......here's the interesting part......Garvin's birthplace is
given as Chile, and his mother's birthplace is given as Turkey!
The father is born in America. Garvin has two children, John
(possibly "Jack", age 13) and David (age 6).
Justin is also listed in the 1920 census (age 33) as a physician
in private practice in Cleveland Heights, OH.
A WWI military record is at ancestry.com (subscription site):
Name: Justin Allis Garvin
Serial Number: First Lieutenant
Race: W
Residence: 3155 Sycamore Reserve Division, Cleveland
Heights, O.
Birth Place: Valparaiso, Chili.
Birth Date / Age: 7 June 1886
Assigns Comment: 1 Lieutenant MC 10 Aug 1918 from
CL. General Hospital 9 to Discharge Lakewood NJ;
Cp Dix NJ. Honorable discharge 28 June 1919.
It also gives the reference:
"Garvin, Justin Allis 1886-1946 Biography Index. A
cumulative index to biographical material in books and
magazines. Volume 1: January, 1946-July, 1949. New York:
H.W. Wilson Co., 1949. (BioIn 1)
I am not familiar with this source ("Biography Index") but
probably any large library has it.
So, Garvin is obviously a doctor, and obviously well traveled.
And probably smart enough to publish something so young ....
but is he the same as Mr. Lapius???
You are totally right about the Internet -- it can only take you
so far. But what amazes me the most is how fast it grows -
you can repeat searches after a few months and have a good
chance of finding something new. Anyway, the material I
need to see these days is all in Maryland and I have no easy
way to get at it except to go there. Kinda frustrating!"
CC MINT FIGURES
In response to the earlier query, Bob Julian writes: "The
mintage figures of Carson City for 1870 through June 1873,
by months, can be found in the May 1977 issue of Coins
Magazine."
INTERNMENT CAMP TOKEN REFERENCE
Howard A. Daniel III writes: "I do not know of references
about these tokens but I can write that if anyone wants to know
about them, they can send an email to MPCGram at Yahoo.com
and request a subscription to the MPC Gram, a free almost
daily newsletter not only about Military Payment Certificates,
but many, many other military financial instruments. Anyone can
submit a letter to the editor or write a small item about their
question(s) and I am VERY sure he or she will receive at least
one email with the answer(s).
The editor of the MPC Gram, Fred Schwan, is one of the
authors of "World War II Remembered" and can probably
answer any question(s) about these tokens too. But he will
usually wait for a reader to take a stab at answering before
he jumps in."
The other author, Joe Boling writes: "Where did you find
anything in Schwan-Boling about Japanese-American
internment camp tokens? I have never heard of any."
[Well, I'm just plain lazy sometimes and didn't take the time
to confirm the listing in Schwan-Boling before publishing last
week's item. After seeing Joe's note I recalled that the
source of information was Lance Campbell's "Prisoner of
War and Concentration Camp Money of the Twentieth
Century" Second Edition, 1993, also published by BNR
Press.
An entry on p87 lists fiber tokens of the Crystal City, Texas
civilian internment camp. "This camp was open from 1943-
1948 and housed families of predominantly Japanese heritage."
-Editor]
HERALDRY AND NUMISMATICS
Steve Huber writes: "My collection consist of many world
crowns and talers. As you can imagine, lots of portraits,
kings, monarch, reigns, etc., mostly European but more
recently South America. Many of the Royal families are
related. For example, I'm sure you are aware of Queen
Victoria's long span as Queen and prolific family of other
monarchs, Kings etc.
I've been looking to purchase the reference "Lines of
Succession: Heraldry of the Royal Families of Europe."
I can be reached via e-mail at shuber at mchutchison.com.
This book is long out of print. I'll find one but thought
one of our readers might be aware of an extra copy.
It's just for my own development of the lines of succession
of these many monarch pictured on Crowns and talers and
how they may oftentimes be related."
NEWTON'S AFFLICTION
Regarding last week's note about minter Issac Newton and
Asperger's Syndrome, Martin Purdy writes: "I've also seen
articles suggesting that Newton had Asperger's Syndrome, a
form of mild autism. However, an item in the New Zealand
Numismatic Journal, December 2000, by Dr. K.A. Rodgers
(Correspondence, page 30), suggests that Newton was
afflicted with heavy metal poisoning from having dealt at close
range with mercury, antimony and arsenic, which ultimately
resulted in his being "mad as a hatter" - perhaps we need
look no further than this?
Regarding Newton's lectures to an empty room, he adds:
"If no one was there, how did anyone know? Sounds a bit
fanciful to me!
If a lecturer delivers a talk to an empty room, does he make
a sound?"
PHILIPPINE COUNTERSTAMP BOOK
Ken Berger sends this information regarding last week's
query:
Title: Philippine Counterstamped Coins 1828-1839 with
Original Archival Documents"
Author: Quint Jose Ma. Oropilla y Fortich, M.D.
Publisher: Noumisma-Economic History Research
Publishing Company Quezon City, Philippines
Copyright: 2001
Pages: 193 + appendix
Printer: Visual Color Inc., Quezon City
Size: 9.25" x 12.25"
According to the dust jacket, it can be ordered by phone.
The number is 815-9911 Local 51. Since it is in the
Philippines, you'll need the appropriate country code.
By the way, I asked a certain individual about this book at
the Long Beach, CA show & he was not very forthcoming
with respect to information regarding how I may obtain a
copy. It's almost as if he wanted to keep it a secret! I
received my copy from Bill Elwell of Bishop Coins, who
very graciously, gave me his own personal copy. Thanks
again, Bill. Hope this information helps."
THE LITTLEST COIN BOOKS
Doug Andrews writes: "When we consider which is the
"smallest" numismatic book, we can't judge it by its length,
otherwise one sheet of paper folded once could qualify as
a four-page "book."
I submit a book from my collection as a candidate for the
smallest modern numismatic tome. Although it has an
astounding 146 pages, it measures only 8.5 cm x 10.5 cm
and is hard-covered. It is entitled "Navigators" by S. Petrov,
published in St. Petersburg, Russia (where I bought it) in
1995. It deals exclusively with coins having nautical and
maritime exploration themes."
George Kolbe writes: "I recall handling a few copies of a
miniature book on American colonial coins years ago, but
do not recall specifics. I believe it was published by a small
private press in the U. S., had a few illustrations (it took a
full page to depict one side of a coin), and very little useful
information. When I set up a bourse table in those days I
would often place a copy atop a set of Loubat; it made
for an eye-catching display."
Joel Orosz writes: "The smallest numismatic book in my
collection is: Mark Hoff, American Coins. Kansas City:
Ariel Books Andrews and McMeel, 1996. ISBN
Number 0-8362-0990-7
The book is gray cloth, with the image of the obverse of a
Buffalo Nickel on the front cover, and the reverse of same
on the back cover. It has a pictorial dustjacket and
endpapers, and is illustrated with color photos from the
ANA Museum. It contains 127 numbered pages. Cover
dimensions are 4.5 cm wide by 5.8 cm tall. The book is
from the aptly-named "Tiny Tomes" series."
Chris Hoelzle and Bob Leonard reported having this one
in their libraries as well.
Carl Honore describes a candidate for the "small and thin
hardcover books category: "It's about the size of a Redbook
but its really thin. It's called called "Pillars and Portraits".
I've
lost it in my book shelves a few times because its so thin it's
gotten hidden between larger volumes. It's not as thick as the
Redbook its maybe even smaller in size. It has information
about the Mexican 8 reale pieces. It's actually about as thick
as two Eisenhower dollars or other silver dollars."
E-Sylum readers are well connected. Our most authoritative
response come from Julian I. Edison of St. Louis, MO, the
editor of "Miniature Book News."
My brother-in-law, Eric P. Newman asked me to respond.
The 2 smallest numismatic books that I am aware of are:
1) "Colonial Coins, Illustrated with numerous Photo Engravings,"
published by the Hillside Press, 1974. Preface is by F. E. I.,
but no author. Book measures 2 3/8 by 2 inches.
2) Hoff, Mark; "American Coins," published by Andrews and
McMeel (1996). Book measures 2 1/4 by 1 7/8 inches.
BULGARIAN REFERENCE
Regarding our previous request for a book on Bulgarian
coinage, Larry Gaye writes: "I have a reference that might fit.
It is "Coinage of the Balkans 820-1355, D.M. Metcalf, 1966,
Argonaut Publishers. The book is in English and has 16
photographic plates. I hope this is helpful. It might be worth
a shot to see if the ANA has one in their library. They do
lend books out."
NUMISMATIC VISITORS
On Saturday The Asylum's Dynamic Duo, David Fanning
and Tom Fort, visited the E-Sylum War Room. A bunker-
buster bomb could have wiped out the entire NBS editorial
staff, online and off. David was in town for the Pennsylvania
Association of Numismatists (PAN) show, and the three of
us happily pawed through numismatic literature and ephemera
for a couple of hours. What fun!
FEATURED WEB SITE
This week's featured web page is an article by Fred Reed
on postage stamp envelopes which circulated as small change
during the U.S. Civil War.
http://www.psestamp.com/articles/article1099.chtml
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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