The E-Sylum v6#41, October 12, 2003

[whomren at coinlibrary.com]

Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 6, Number 41, October 12, 2003:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2003, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.


CANADIAN NUMISMATIC BIBLIOGRAPHY DEADLINE

   Darryl Atchison writes: "the deadline is rapidly approaching
   for people to order the new Canadian Numismatic Bibliography
   at pre-publication prices.

   If anyone needs ordering instructions again or any further
   information, they can contact either myself at atchisondf at hotmail.com

   or Ron Greene at ragreene at telus.net.  Thank you."


JOHN KRALJEVICH INTERVIEW

   NBS Board member John Kraljevich was featured in a
   Washington Post article last Sunday, October 5th.
   "I've always had an interest in history, and I've always
   liked money. When I was 7 years old I went to Europe,
   and instead of buying souvenirs, I collected coins from
   each country and put them in a little album."

   "There's not a coin that passes through my hands that
   I don't look at. I do collect the state quarters. I put
   away the first I find -- not the nicest or the prettiest, just
   the first."

   To read the full article, see:
   http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33979-2003Oct2.html


NEW 20'S SPOTTED YET?

   The new U.S. $20 notes were to be released into circulation
   this week, but your editor has yet to see any.  I asked at a
   local bank only to be told they would have them "sometime
   in November."  Have any of our E-Sylum subscribers seen
   a new $20 in circulation yet?


MINT BUILDING INFO SOUGHT

   Mark Borckardt of Bowers and Merena writes: "I am
   working on preparations for an ANA Summer Seminar
   class on the history of the second United States Mint and
   branch mints. As part of this class, I want to discuss the
   physical building, construction thereof, and a floor plan.
   Do you or any E-sylum members have such information
   or know where the same is located? I have found a few
   clues and may need to recreate the actual floor plan as
   close as possible. AM Smith’s history of the Mint has a
   “tour” of the mint, letting us know that the entry hall is
   round, the coining department encompassed nearly all
   of the east side of the first floor, etc. Another article
   appeared in an issue of Harper’s Monthly with a similar
   guided tour of the mint building, telling us for instance
   that the coining department was separated in the middle
   by a walkway with iron fences.  This is illustrated in
   Harper’s.  I have seen floor plans of the first Mint
   building, but not the second. I am also planning a trip to
   the old New Orleans Mint building to sketch a floor plan.
   My understanding is that the physical New Orleans Mint
   building is virtually unchanged from the days of coinage
   production, and that it is known what each room in the
   building was used for!"

   [See The E-Sylum, v6n32 (August 10, 2003) for mention
   of "A History of the United States Mint, New Orleans,
   Louisiana" by Charles J. Collins Jr.  -Editor]


1986 JOHN J. FORD VAULT ARTICLE

   One interesting side aspect of the John J. Ford
   collection being auctioned by Stack's is the way in
   which it was housed for many years.  In 1986
   Coin World published an article titled "Ford has
   special shelter for sale" which described Ford's
   fallout shelter turned numismatic vault/workroom.
   Since he was moving from the New York area to
   Arizona, Ford's old house and shelter were up
   for sale.

   The 187-ton nuclear blast shelter, designed to survive
   a 10 megaton five-mile surface blast, was later converted
   by Ford into "a quiet, comfortable place to sort and
   list coins and things."

   The August 6th article was followed up by an
   article by Ford himself on October 8th (from which
   the above quote was taken).


U.S. COLONIAL COIN FOUND IN BRITAIN

   Gar Travis sent an Associated Press article dated October
   8th about an "exceptionally rare American coin found in
   Britain."

   "The rare New England silver sixpence turned up when
   relatives of a deceased British man were rummaging through
   his belongings. They sent it to an expert for identification.

   ''It just came through the post in an unregistered envelope
   but when I opened it I recognized the sixpence straight away
   and my heart leapt. It is exceedingly rare and a very exciting
   find,'' said Rick Coleman, the senior valuer at Bonhams
   auctioneers."


CATALOGUING FUN

   Reading auction lot descriptions can be enlightening and
   amusing.  We note a couple items from the September 26,
   2003 sale by Heritage's Currency Auctions of America.

   Lot 1046 is a 25 cent New York, NY scrip note which
   "bears one of the great all time vignettes used on any
   scrip note, depicting a crowd of thin, almost stick figures,
   rushing to enter the establishment, while from the other
   door pours a group of obviously well fed and corpulent
   individuals, no doubt sated after dining at this eatery."
   (Pettit & Crook, Harris 872)

   The cataloguer describes lot 1082, a 25 cent notes from
   Archibald & John C. Blue as "an interesting notes from
   the Blue's brothers, printed, quite appropriately, in blue."


WALDO C. MOORE HALLOWEEN SCRIP

   Appropriately for the season, the October 6, 2003 issue
   of The Numismatic Perspective (Issue #4) by American
   Numismatic Galleries features an article by Frank Van
   Valen about "Halloween Carnival Currency" produced
   by Ohio numismatist Waldo C. Moore from about 1912
   through 1933.


CALICO, CALICO & TRIGO BOOK SOUGHT

   Granvyl Hulse, Numismatics International librarian
   writes: "In reply to my query regarding  Ferran Calico,
   Xavier Calico, and Joaquin Trigo's  "Monedas Espanolas
   desde Felipe IV a Isabel II 1621 a 1868" someone
   mentioned that it was still in print in a later edition. We
   have been asked to find out where this later edition could
   be purchased. Does anyone in the E-Sylum group know
   who is selling current copies?  Thanks."


MORE HAITIAN NUMISMATIC SALES

   Mike Knight writes: "I just stumbled across your website
   and noticed the recent correspondence on Haitian coinage.
   I have a copy of a Sotheby Wilkinson & Hodge sale 18 Feb
   1907, that contains the TW Kitt of Woodbridge Road,
   Guildford collection of Haitian material.  Lot 182 contained
   201 coins plus 15 medals in gold. silver and copper.  The
   following lot contained his collection of paper currency, a
   letter from Henri Cristophe, postage stamps, and a book of
   postcards (124 items in all)."


WORLD COLLECTORS ORGANIZATION?

   Granvyl Hulse writes: "Is there any such organization known
   as the "World Collectors Association?" It supposedly has
   branches around the world."


SO THIS BUFFALO WALKS INTO A BAR...

   Submitted by Dick Johnson:

   A buffalo with only three legs walks into a coin shop. He sees
   a 3-Legged Buffalo Nickel in the dealer's case of coins for
   sale. "I posed for that," boasted the buffalo.

   "No you didn't," said the coin dealer, "it was created by
   sculptor Fraser. The missing leg was due to a filled die in
   the press at the Denver Mint."

   "Denver has a Mint?" asks the buffalo.

   "Ever since 1906!" exclaimed the coin dealer.

   "Where is it?" asked the buffalo, and the dealer gives the
   address to the buffalo.

   A month later the buffalo shows up at what he thinks is the
   Denver Mint having walked all the way on his three legs.
   But he didn't remember the exact address and had showed
   up instead at a saloon down the street.

   "I lost a leg here in 1937," the buffalo told the saloon keeper,
   "I want it back."  The buffalo raises the stump of his front leg.

   The saloon keeper paused for a minute, then walked away.
   He came back with a platter of deep fried meat.

   "Here," said the saloon keeper, "we don't have your leg, but
   I see you lost your wings as well!"


QUIZ: THREE-LEGGED BUFFALO DISCOVERER

   We haven't had a quiz question in some time, so here
   goes:  Who is credited with the discovery of the
   3-legged buffalo nickel variety, and when did this occur?
   -Editor


LIVING AT THE POST OFFICE

   Gar Travis saw the following exchange on the Moneta-L
   mailing list "and thought the "chuckle" was worthy to share...."

   "Does anyone have a phone number or another email (other
   than the email provided by "customer service") for Elibron
   book co.? I ordered a book." - Rob

   Thank you John,  I just received an email from them that
   the book was returned from my PO box address because
   "nobody lived there." What the ----?

   "I responded that indeed, nobody lives there; it's too small."
   -Rob


FEATURED WEB PAGE

   This week's featured web page is about an early contemporary
   reference to the chopmarking of coins in China.

      http://www.sycee-on-line.com/Chopmark_publication.htm


  Wayne Homren
  Numismatic Bibliomania Society


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