The E-Sylum v6#42, October 19, 2003

[whomren at coinlibrary.com]

Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 6, Number 42, October 19, 2003:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2003, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.


SUBSCRIBER UPDATE

   Among recent new subscribers is Michael Toma.  Welcome
   aboard!   We now have 596  subscribers.


ANA LIBRARY DEDICATION

   The American Numismatic Association Library has been
   officially dedicated in honor of Dwight N. Manley,
   "recognizing his generous contribution to the ANA's
   Headquarters Renovation Fund."   From the press release:

   "The ANA completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of its
   Museum and Library in 2001, which more than doubled the
   Library's shelf space and provided better access to its growing
   collection of books, auction catalogs, periodicals and videos.
   The expanded, climate-controlled rare book room preserves
   and displays many of the Library's most important references,
   and a new security system protects the valuable inventory.

   "We have more than 9,000 titles available, circulate more than
   2,500 items a year to ANA members around the world and
   annually respond to nearly 2,000 research queries," says ANA
   Librarian Nancy Green. "As members of the Colorado Library
   Consortium, we also circulate material to anyone with a valid
   Colorado public library card, and we are seeing an increase
   in local circulation as more and more people discover this great
   resource."

   When he made his donation for the Library renovation, Manley
   said it was his experience as a teenager at an ANA Summer
   Seminar--a week-long event that now draws 450 people every
   year--that launched his numismatic career."

   "For more information about the Dwight N. Manley Numismatic
   Library, contact Librarian Nancy Green at 818 N. Cascade
   Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903-3279; phone
   719-632-2646; fax 719-634-4085; e-mail library at money.org;
   or visit the ANA at www.money.org."


LAKE BOOKS 71ST SALE

   Fred Lake writes: "The libraries of Dr. William Hopkins
   (Part II), the late Stu Hodge, and Tom Madigan are featured
   in Lake Books 71st mail-bid sale of numismatic literature
   which is now available for viewing at
   http://www.lakebooks.com/current.html  The sale has a
   closing date of November 18, 2003. In addition to early
   Crosby works, there are selections by Gilbert, Elder,
   Frossard, Chapman, Clapp and others who gave impetus
   to the collecting of early coppers.  Other sections of the
   catalog present reference material for Tokens and Medals,
   Paper Money, World Coins, Guide Books, and Exonumia."


FORD SALE PRL AND PHOTOS ONLINE

   Stack's has placed online the prices realized for the first sale
   of the John J. Ford collection.  See  http://www.stacks.com/

   Byron Weston uploaded some photos of the event to the
   Colonial Coins area of Yahoo.  Here's a link to one of them:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/colonial-coins/files/Ford%20Sale%20Images/Mvc-006f.jpg



ARGONAUT ROCKS!

   Dave Ginsburg writes: "This morning, I received my copy of
   the winter 2002 issue of The Argonaut, that Dave Bowers
   was so kind to recommend in the Sep. 28th E-Sylum.  All I can
   say is that it's probably the best $10 I've ever spent on a book!
   Lots of great pictures, footnotes and a bibliography - and I
   haven't even started reading the articles yet!  Please convey
   my thanks to Mr. Bowers for the recommendation."


NEW ORLEANS MINT BUILDING INFO

   Dave Ginsburg adds: "If no one else has responded, and
   if he hasn't already done so, I encourage Mark Borckardt
   to contact Greg Lambousy, Director of Collections of the
   Louisiana State Museum (and author of an article on the
   New Orleans Mint building in the March 2003 Numismatist)
   for details about the New Orleans Mint building.  Mr.
   Borkhardt will discover that he needn't make his own sketch
   of the building's floor plan and that it is indeed "known what
   each room in the building was used for".

   Hal & Sharon Dunn write: "In response to Mark Borckardt’s
   request for information regarding floor plans of the branch
   mints, those for the Carson City Mint can be found in “Mint
   Mark ‘CC’ The Story of the United States Mint at Carson
   City, Nevada,” by Howard Hickson.  The basement, first
   and second floors are illustrated (pp.52-56).  These plans
   are not the original working plans, and they are identified as
   “re-created from 1868, 1878, and 1881 plans and interior
   photographs taken in 1895.”  Measurements are not provided.
   Perhaps Bob Nylan, the curator of the Nevada State Museum,
   can offer additional assistance.

   Another reader adds: "There should be a wealth of information
   in the National Archives records: NARA at www.nara.gov.
   They have a very nice search guide as well as mint material at
   four different archives locations - five if you count Washington,
   D.C."


U.S. COLONIAL COIN FOUND IN BRITAIN

   In reference to the New England sixpence found in Britain,
   the anonymous reader also wrote: "This article appeared also
   on the Internet.  The version I saw showed the coin, however,
   it was an identical match for the sixpence coin that appeared in
   my 1989 Red Book (pg 14).  It was such an exact match,
   dark spots and all, that I think they are the same coin.  Perhaps
   someone used the photo from the Red Book on the Internet
   version of the article and not the coin actually found.  Is there
   some place I can see the actual coin discovered?  It is worth
   checking out!"

   [The Bonham's web address is http://www.bonhams.com/.
    They may have an online photo of the auction lot. -Editor]


FRANK HIGGINS PHOTO SOUGHT

   Darryl Atchison writes: "I was wondering if any of our readers
   have a photograph of Frank Higgins who was one of the 1909
   A.N.A. Presidential candidates.  I am trying to figure out which
   individual he is in the 1909 A.N.A. convention photograph.  I
   don't have any early copies of The Numismatist so I do not know
   if his picture was ever published in the run up to the election.
   If anyone has any information they can contact me at
   atchisondf at hotmail.com"


NEW TWENTIES REPORTED

   Brad Karoleff  writes: "One of my customers works at the
   branch of the Federal Reserve in Cincinnati.  He came in on
   the 9th and spent three of the new $20's which I then took
   to the Post Office and had canceled on the official first day
   of issue.  I had spent most of the morning trying to obtain
   some from any of the local banks, or the Fed itself without
   any luck.  Did anyone else get any on the first day?"

   Jeff Starck writes: "I found a new $20 on Oct. 10, the second
   day in circulation, in my cash drawer at work, a Walgreens
   pharmacy in Ballwin, MO (a suburb or St. Louis).

   Randy Partin reports: "I received 4 of the new $20 bills out of
   my ATM on Sunday October 12."

   On Thursday, Chick Ambrass wrote: "I got four of the new
   twenties (in numerical sequence) today...first I've seen..."

   Tony Tumonis writes: "Bank of America has the new $20 Bills
   here in Tucson."

   Dave Ginsburg writes: "I managed to get one of the new $20s
   last night (the manager of the diner we ate dinner at had one
   he was willing to let me have).  I like the addition of color - I
   thought that the Series 1996 bills had too much white space on
   them."

   Your editor finally came across some of the new twenties on
   Thursday.   With the help of a bank teller, I chose two nice
   examples, plus two of the previous series and two of the older
   small portrait type.  I'll use them for an exhibit at next week's
   coin show and convention of the Pennsylvania Association of
   Numismatists at the Pittsburgh Expo Mart in Monroeville, PA.
   If any E-Sylum readers are at the show, I hope to run into you
   there.

   Is anyone archiving the promotional materials and print
   advertisements for the new twenty?  What about the TV
   commercials?    These videos ought to find their way into the
   major numismatic literature repositories.


NEW IRAQI NOTES DELIVERED

   The Washington Post had an article about the delivery of the
   new Iraqi currency.

   "U.S. armored trucks fanned out yesterday across Baghdad
   on final deliveries of the new currency, which does not bear
   the face of ousted President Saddam Hussein and is due to
   be put into circulation tomorrow.

   Convoys drove through the crowded streets of the capital,
   escorted by Humvees from the 1st Armored Division and
   helicopters hovering overhead."

   "Large planes have been flying into Baghdad from London
   several times a week for the last two weeks to transport the
   new currency. Smaller planes have been delivering new bank
   notes to Mosul in the north and Basra in the south."

   For the full story, see:
   http://washingtontimes.com/business/20031013-095150-5035r.htm
   See also this week's Featured Web Site.


A BRAHMIN NUMMULARIIST

   Adrián González Salinas of Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
   writes: "As always, I enjoy reading The E-Sylum every Monday
   by morning...it has very valuable information.  Please keep up
   the good work!

   I would like to share the following numismatic information that
   I read recently:   The source is Mason's Coin and Stamp
   Collectors' Magazine, Vol. I No. 11, February, 1868,  pages
   102-103:

   A BRAHMIN NUMMULARIIST
   A Brahma rooster was recently killed in Amesbury, Mass., and
   in its crop were found thirteen nickel cents and two two-cent
   pieces." - Philadelphia Ledger, Dec. 20. [1867]

   The above is, probably, the first instance on record of the
   numismatic fever attacking the lower animals; and, if it takes in
   the natural way, poultry will become the cheapest meat in the
   market, besides furnishing a new locality for collectors to delve
   for uncirculated coins.  Fortunately, gold coins are not "lying
   around loose," to be "gobbled up" by every foreign rooster
   that struts on American soil. As as faithful recorder of numismatic
   doings, we cannot but acknowledge the addition of the new
   collector to our ranks.

   Questions to the readers:
   a) Do you know if similar facts have been appeared in another
      publication?
   b) Has the term "nummulariist" ever been used elsewhere?"


CALICO, CALICO & TRIGO BOOK FOUND

   Alan Luedeking writes: "I'm pleased to come to Granvyl's
   rescue again: he can order the latest  edition (9th) from
   A.N.E.'s website in Spain, item LACO-25 on page 4 of 9
   of ANE's book offerings, for Euros 60.50. See
   http://www.ctv.es/ane/Bibliografia.htm and click on the
   "Libros" link on the left. Even if he's not an ANE member,
   I have no doubt they'd honor Numismatics International's
   order as an inter-society courtesy.  Otherwise, I have no
   doubt the book is available from any of the major Spanish
   dealers, links to which are also available on this website.

   [A.E.E. is La Asociación Numismática Española. -Editor]


DISCOVERER OF THE THREE-LEGGED BUFFALO NICKEL

   Responding to last week's quiz question, Ron Guth (owner of
   the CoinFacts website) submitted the following from his site
   (http://www.coinfacts.com):

   "...discovered sometime between 1937 and 1939 by C.F.
   "Cowboy" Franzen of Billings, Montana.  Originally, this
   variety was believed to have been caused by a filled die, but
   later researchers suggest that a press operator named "Mr.
   Young" created the variety when he ground the die down
   with an emery stick to remove clash marks in the die.  On
   genuine examples, the bison appears to be urinating, the hind
   legs of the bison appear to be moth-eaten, and the front foreleg
   is missing, even though the hoof remains."

   Your Editor found the following on the Southern Idaho Coin
   Club web page: "Ivan Fitzwater was one of the founders of the
   club - his name will always be remembered as the discoverer of
   the "three-legged" Buffalo nickel."
   http://www.money.org/clubs/sicc/

   So - can anyone else weigh in on the topic?  What records
   are in the literature to confirm either of these claims?


OSBORNE MINT

   Your Editor came across a web page for The Osborne Mint.
   Can anyone point us to other sources of information on the
   firm?  Here's what the web site says:

   "The Osborne Mint has a rich history covering over 165 years
   of continuous coin, token and medallion manufacturing.
   Established in Cincinnati in 1835, the company that is now
   Osborne Mint produced coins during the California Gold Rush
   and struck campaign medallions for politically important
   presidential races, including Abraham Lincoln's successful
   1860 race against Steven Douglas.

   Later developments brought Osborne to its patented lines of
   tough-to-counterfeit ORCO scrip money, used extensively by
   the coalmines in West Virginia and Kentucky. During the Second
   World War, Osborne was called upon to support America's war
   effort by minting the famous Red and Blue ration tokens
   distributed by the U.S. Office of Price Administration."
   https://secure.dminsite.com/st/?sid=MINT


NOT A RECOMMENDED SAVINGS PLAN

   On October 16th Reuters report datelined Berlin states:
   "A German man dug a hole the size of a large mattress in a
   park in a vain attempt to recover a 100 euro note he had
   buried a week earlier, police said on Thursday.

   Police in the city of Aachen at first mistook the shovel-wielding
   35-year-old for a construction worker, but were suspicious
   because he was still digging at dusk on Wednesday.

   He told them he had resorted to burying money to stop
   himself buying alcohol but had decided to dig up his savings
   for a birthday drinking session.

   http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?storyID=3627973


SAN FRANCISCO MINT EMPLOYEE IDENTIFICATION

   Steven Olson writes: "Greg Burns suggested I contact you
   about this.....

   I was wondering if your readers could help me identify a San
   Francisco Mint employee from the Civil War Era?   I have a
   letter (just the envelope, actually) sent from New York to him
   in the early 1860's, but the handwriting is bad.

   I'm sure that if a list of employees from that period exists, the
   name will be easier to decipher.  Does such a list exist?  Is
   anyone familiar with the name?  You can see a scan of the
   envelope here:   http://www.fofex.com/stamps/index.htm
   Any help you could provide would be sincerely appreciated."


1941 KELLY NUMISMATIC LIBRARY SALE

   Nolan Mims writes: "At the Oct 4-5 GCNA show in Mobile,
   one of the dealers brought me a few old publications. One
   was  a January 1941 James Kelly auction catalog featuring
   "PATTERN CENTS", "1802 HALF DIME" and a "FINE
   NUMISMATIC LIBRARY".   It was interesting to see the
   estimated prices for some of the books. For example:

   Lot  1221. "LOUBAT, Medallic History of United States.
   2 vols. 1 Vol. of Plates and 1 Vol. of Text. Autographed
   copy to a member of the Royalty in Paris. $15."

   Lot 1222. "Annual Reports of Director of Mint. 58 copies.
   1874 to 1935. No Duplicates.... Value 25 cents per volume.
   Bid for lot." Lot

   Lot 1283. "History of Augusta. Pub. Rome 1641. 376 pages,
   many plates and cuts throughout text.  Bound in full vellum.
   9x13 1/2 inches. Value $6.00."

   In coins, Lot 360 was an uncirculated 1909-S Indian Head
   Cent "Worth $5.00." I guess this just proves that nothing
   ever remains the same."


WORLD CROWN COLLECTORS

   ANA Librarian Nancy Green writes: "The only reference I
   could find in the Bass Numismatic Index of Periodicals was
   for the Worldwide Crown Collectors Association.  There
   was an article about them in The Numismatist, March, 1966."


AUSTRALIAN CRICKET COIN MOSAIC

   "A unique mosaic made from thousands of Australian coins
   and depicting a trademark Don Bradman cover drive is
   unlikely to go on display at Bowral - due to its size and weight.

  "It is important that we celebrate the life of Sir Donald Bradman
   and it is very pleasing to see a crossover of sport and art," said
   Mr Mulvaney.  "Clearly the artist is a man who pays attention
   to detail as he has used 6996 coins, the same number as The
   Don's Test batting aggregate.  "However it is 2.5m high - and
   that coupled with its weight would make it difficult to hang."

   Created by Melbourne numismatist Jim Johnson, the mosaic
   features commemorative Bradman 20c pieces, pennies and a
   half penny from 1908 - the year of the late cricketer's birth.

   http://southernhighlands.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?story_id=261106


FEATURED WEB SITE

   This week's featured web site is recommended by David
   Klinger.  He writes: "Here is a nomination for the web site of
   the week - it is the DOD organization in charge in Iraq,
   headed by Paul Bremer, called the Coalition Provisional Authority
   (CPA).  This is their web page:  http://www.cpa-iraq.org/

   You can see all the new Iraqi currency which was introduced
   on 15 OCT 03, on this site at the following link:

    http://www.cpa-iraq.org/pressreleases/20031014_currency.pdf


  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 W. David Perkins, NBS Secretary-Treasurer,
  P.O. Box 212, Mequon, WI  53092-0212.

  For Asylum mailing address changes and other
  membership questions, contact David at this email
  address: wdperki at attglobal.net

  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

   (To be removed from the E-Sylum mailing list
   send an email message with the word "Unsubscribe"
   in the body of the message to: esylum-request at binhost.com)