The E-Sylum v7#07, February 15, 2004
whomren at coinlibrary.com
whomren at coinlibrary.com
Sun Feb 15 18:50:07 PST 2004
Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 7, Number 07, February 15, 2004:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2004, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
SUBSCRIBER UPDATE
Among recent new subscribers is Clifford Mishler. He writes:
"This afternoon I was spending some time reading the contents
of The Asylum quarterly journal of the NBS for the Fall of 2003,
which arrived in today's mail. When I happened upon the “Get
on Board” notice relative to E-Sylum subscriptions, as I've
never previously reacted to related notifications, I thought I
should do so at this time. While I certainly do not consider
myself an active bibliophile in any sense of the word, now that
I'm retired from Krause, and somewhat on the outside looking
in where active interaction with the numismatic field is concerned,
I guess I should establish this contact point to help me keep in
the swim of things. If you'll add me to the subscription list I'll
appreciate it."
Welcome aboard! We now have 628 subscribers.
CENTRAL STATES NBS MEETING
Numismatic Bibliomania Society President Pete Smith
writes: "There will be an NBS meeting during the Central
States convention in Milwaukee. The meeting is scheduled
for Saturday, May 8, at 1 PM in room 202E."
CANADIAN NUMISMATIC BIBLIOGRAPHY UPDATE
[The following update has been delayed in publishing because
of email difficulties between Darryl Atchison and myself. I'm
sorry for any inconvenience this has caused the committee or
those awaiting the book's publication. -Editor]
Dear Friends:
On behalf of the Canadian Numismatic Bibliography Committee
I am pleased to provide you with some current news on the
project's progress. We have been appreciative of the wide
support this project has received in the form of inquiries,
advanced sales and the volunteer efforts of many individuals.
Most importantly, as the proofreaders correct incomplete,
missing and erroneous citations, the text of the document
continues to be revised and improved. Those readers who
had the opportunity to review the sample Bibliography at the
C.N.A. 2003 Convention will be impressed with how it has
evolved in detail and graphic design.
A second aspect of the Bibliography is its commitment to fine
illustrations. We are gratified and in debt to many individuals
and institutions as they willingly opened their picture archives
to us. These pictures are being converted to digital form and
are being enhanced in preparation for publication.
It has come as a surprise to all committee members at
how much work is involved in bringing the manuscript to a
print-ready state. As we work at greater levels of detail, the
scope and magnitude of the task increases. Original estimates
for publication in 2003 have proved unrealistic. A revised
objective for release at the C.N.A. 2004 Convention is now
thought to be similarly optimistic. That being said, it is now our
objective to achieve print production of the Canadian
Numismatic Bibliography before the end of 2004.
Should any pre-publication subscribers find this arrangement
to be unacceptable, we are, of course, prepared to make a full
refund upon request. The Committee is confident, however, of
how well received and indispensable a volume the Bibliography
will prove to be. Pre-publication sales are now closed, but
remainder copies will be offered at publication price as soon as
the initial distribution is complete.
Should you have questions or comments, please contact either
Ron Greene at ragreene at telus.net or Darryl Atchison at
atchisondf at hotmail.com and we will do our best to address all
concerns.
The C.N.B. Committee
--------------------------
I would like to add the following personal comments to the
statement above.
First of all, I would like to apologize for the inconvenience that
this delay may cause anyone. While we have all worked as
hard as possible to get the text completed, we really had no
conception of just what sort of difficulties we might encounter
along the way or just how long it was going to take to proofread
the manuscript. Nonetheless, the proofreaders are progressing
and - as stated above - their work is adding immensely to the
finished text.
However, there is one area specifically that will cause us the
biggest delay overall and that is in regards to the illustrations
mentioned above. Yes, we have been incredibly fortunate that
many individuals and institutions have provided us with a superb
range of illustrations. Unfortunately, however, the vast majority
of these were not - and still are not - in a digital (i.e. printable)
format. Without counting, we estimate that we currently have
approximately 300 photographs, etc. that must be converted to
a usable digital format (i.e. the images must be scanned,
cleaned-up and ready for cropping, editing and insertion into
the manuscript).
On behalf of he review committee, I would like to ask if there is
anyone out there in the E-Sylum readership who can offer us
assistance in converting these pictures to good quality digital
images. Ideally we need someone who has the equipment (i.e.
a good-quality high-speed scanner) and the time and ability
to do this work. I feel it necessary to state up front that such
assistance would have to be provided on a strictly voluntary
basis as this project is both non-funded and non-commercial
(i.e. none of the authors and contributors are being paid to
either produce the text or to publish it).
I am very confident that if there is someone out there who is
willing and able to provide us with this assistance we can
greatly reduce the delay and get the finished text out much
sooner than the "end of 2004".
I can only ask for everyone's patience and understanding as
we continue to work towards producing a text of which we
all will be proud.
Should you wish to contact Ron Greene or myself about
anything whatsoever connected to this project our email
addresses are included above.
Yours very sincerely,
Darryl Atchison
Editor
Canadian Numismatic Bibliography
COAC ON BETTS MEDALS
From the ANS Press Release:
"The Stack Family Coinage of the Americas Conference,
May 14-15, 2004 "Medals Illustrating American Colonial
History, the Work of C. W. Betts Revisited"
The American Numismatic Society is pleased to present the
2004 Stack Family COAC. This conference reviews the
theme of "American Colonial History Illustrated by
Contemporary Medals," the famous classic reference by
C. Wyllys Betts on this important subject. The speakers
and their presentations will explore the content of this work
and these medals, including updates to Betts' 19th century
inventory and new research on some of the many series it
incorporated. This field was both pioneered and
well-explored by Betts, but ongoing research contributes
much to our current understanding.
Friday, May 14, 2004
6:30pm Reception and Opening Lecture (free of charge)
at 140 William Street
Lecture by John W. Adams and Ann Bentley:
"An International Survey of the Comitia Americana Medals"
8:00pm Dinner to follow at Fraunces Tavern, 54 Pearl Street
(corner of Broad and Pearl) - $40 per person
Saturday, May 15, 2004
Conference fee (including lunch): $35
8:00 am Coffee
9:00 am
David T. Alexander: "The Enigmatic John Stewart Comitia
Americana Medal"
Eric Goldstein: "Exonumia of the British Armed Forces,
1740-1780"
Robert W. Hoge: "A Survey of the Betts series of Medals
in the Collection of the American Numismatic Society"
D. Wayne Johnson: "How Many Betts Medals Are
America American?"
12:30 pm Buffet Lunch
1:30 pm
John Kraljevich: "Thomas Jefferson, Medal Collector"
Richard Margolis: "Benjamin Franklin in Terra Cotta, Portrait
Medallions by Jean-Baptiste Nini and Jean Martin Renaud"
David Menchell: "Betts Medals Not Included in his Canon"
Vicken Yegparian: "The King's College (Columbia University)
Medal of 1760"
The 2004 Stack Family COAC will take place at our new
building at 140 William St (at Fulton). Parking is available at
William St./Beekman St. (two blocks north of Fulton). By
subway, take the 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C to the Broadway-Nassau
St./Fulton stop.
To reserve for opening lecture, dinner and conference, please
contact Juliette Pelletier at 212-234-3130 x230 or
pelletier at numismatics.org by May 12, 2004
ROYAL MINT TOKENS
Neil Shafer writes: "I can give you some details on the British
Mint tokens you mentioned a few weeks ago. They are paper
laminated in plastic, and the set consists of 6 values: Face sides
are 1/2p printed in green, 1p in brown, 2p in black, 5p in blue,
10p in orange, and 50p in lilac. All have background color of
a very light lavender. Backs have black text and a serial number
on white without any background tint or anything else. Sizes:
plastic dimensions for all except the 50p are 73 x 47mm, with
rounded corners. The 50p is square, 47 x 47mm. All have
heading "Royal Mint Token" at top, value at center, and text at
bottom "Valid only within the Royal Mint Llantrisant." Back text
on all: (serial no. at upper right) "THIS TOKEN WILL BE
ACCEPTED AS PAYMENT OR PART PAYMENT FOR
ARTICLES PURCHASED WITHIN THE ROYAL MINT
ONLY." The face value of the token is shown on the back only
as a number preceding the serial number. That's the whole story
- I think they were used in the 1970s, but not sure. Never were
easily available. "
SIXTEEN CENTS
Tom DeLorey quotes the following from a letter in the
Ford Sale lots:
Two 1853 California Gold Rush Letters, one reading in part:
Enclosed I send you a Gold 1/4 Dollar, another: get all
the 16¢ pieces and the French one franc pieces and send
them out here and I can get 25¢ for all"
He writes: "What, pray tell, are "the 16c pieces?" My best
guess would be Spanish Pistareens, but I have never heard
them referred to as 16c pieces. Schilke and Solomon in
"America's Foreign Coins" (p. 73) quote a Mint report of 1827
valuing them at 17c, but goes on to say that by 1843 they had
quite disappeared from circulation. If they were around in
1853 I could see them passing at six to the dollar with
individual coins rounded down to 16c, but can anybody cite
a reference to this usage?"
THE UNIVERSITY OF ERIC NEWMAN
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently interviewed Evelyn
Newman, wife of numismatist Eric Newman, about her
life, her work, and her charitable endeavors. Here are a
few excerpts from an article published February 12th:
"Evelyn Edison Newman, 83, has focused her
considerable energy and imagination on St. Louis
philanthropic causes for more than 60 years. A member
of the family that founded the Edison Brothers Stores Co.,
she used her retail smarts to invent the Greater St. Louis
Book Fair, the largest of its kind in the nation; the
Scholarshop; the Wishing Well shop for Barnes-Jewish
Hospital and countless other enterprises that help to
support nonprofit institutions, including the Little Shop
Around the Corner, slated to open today and benefit the
Missouri Botanical Garden.
You married young. Did you consider going to college?
I went to Goucher (College) for a year. I came home for
Christmas, and I met Eric, and we got married. My family
said, "You've got to finish college."
I tried to go a little bit to Washington University for a
semester, and I had a child, and then I had the books, so
I don't have a degree.
My degree is in the university of Eric Newman, I say,
because I married a very interesting person who brought
a lot to my marriage in terms of excitement, in terms of
his interests. And his interest in travel, which was profound.
Give a thumbnail sketch of your husband.
He went to MIT and then Washington University law
school. So, he's an engineer and a lawyer. His main
interest is numismatics, the history of coins. He is the
guru of early American coinage.
A tremendous interest of his was travel, so together
we've been to maybe over 200 countries. I feel so much
about what travel has done, in terms of exciting me and
giving me creative ideas."
To read the full article, see:
http://tinyurl.com/2kqsx
THE NUMISMATIC AUCTION LTD
John Cadorini writes: "While collating a copy of volume 1 of
"The Numismatic Auction Ltd."; "Ancient Coins"; of December
13, 1982; the following questions arise:
1) After page 16 of the items for sale listings, an unnumbered
Plate 3 and Plate 4 follow; then follows the next numbered
pages; being page numbers 81 - 96 , taking the place of
pages 17 - 32. The same pages 81-96 also repeat in their
proper sequence leaving this copy missing entirely pages
17-32. The reverse of the title page states that 3,525 copies
of the catalog were printed. Do any other list members have
copies of this catalog with the correct pages in sequence?
2) Despite a lengthy preface in each volume in both French and
English text hailing the virtues of the collector who assembled
the items offered for sale, at no place in any of the volumes is
that collector mentioned by name. Do any of our readers
know who the collector in question might have been?
3) The company T.N.A. LTD. whose name is prominent in the
title is listed as being at 210 5th Avenue in New York City.
Is anyone able to direct me to information regarding this
company?
I thank any and all of you for your consideration in this matter."
[John Cadorini may be reached at jcadorini at mail.com. -Editor]
IMPORTANT BANGKOK AUCTION
Howard A. Daniel III writes: "The online catalogue for the
Bangkok Stampex Auction was just put online and is available
at http://www.eurseree.com. The dates of the show are
February 25-29, 2004. The lots not only include many Thai
banknotes and coins, but also NCLT, medals, tokens and other
pieces. There are also some pieces in it from surrounding
Southeast Asian countries and China, and some French
newspapers with articles about Siam (Thailand). In several
cases, the pieces have not been seen on the international
numismatic marketplace in decades, so this auction is
important to Thai specialists. The last auction had a hardcopy
of the catalog available but I have not yet taken the time to see
if it can be ordered for this auction because I am traveling and
want to get this out to The E-Sylum readers before I forget to
type this."
PRINTING 2x2 COIN ENVELOPES
Dave Wnuck of Wallingford, CT writes: "Over the past 8
months I have been looking for a company that will print my
company name and logo on some 2x2 paper envelopes.
I thought it would be cool to have printed envelopes of the
type that I actually collect from famous auctions & dealers
of the past. I thought it would be easy to get this done, but
it took many phone calls, internet searches and emails to
find someone who would & could do it.
I did find someone who would do it, and that is the purpose
of this posting. His name is Lance Williams, and he runs a
small business in New York State called “Williams Stationary”.
These envelopes apparently are quite hard to print on, and it
requires some degree of skill (and old letterpress equipment).
Long story short -- he did a great job for us! At the end of our
transaction, I asked him how business was. He said, “Pretty
slow, actually”. I said that I would do my part to spread
the word. Here is his contact info:
Williams Stationary Company
P.O. Box 266
Camden NY 13316-0266
(800) 425-2338
kadet at americu.net
He can obtain and print on archival quality envelopes, in many
colors, in 2 x 2 or 3x3 or several other sizes, and can sell you
printed envelopes with built-in cotton liners, or built-in archival
tissue, or …
Before you get the wrong idea, let me say that I have no
financial interest in this. It just seemed a good way to help
someone out and let hobbyists know where to get this obscure
service performed."
ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER AND ANOTHER
Peter Koch writes: "We're still trying to nail down a copy of
Dr. George Hetrich's sale catalogue of Civil War and Hard
Times tokens held by little known Pennypacker Auctions in a
sale we thought took place in 1959. Dr. Hetrich was a
Pennsylvania-based physician who along with Julius Guttag
published a then definitive reference on American Civil War
Tokens in 1924.
When the latest edition of EAC's (Early American Coppers)
Penny-Wise arrived last week we were delighted to see the
name 'Kenneth W. Rendell, South Natick, MA' among a
listing of candidates for new EAC membership. It got us thinking
- risky business, but turning the wheels has on occasion reaped
modicum benefit. We never really took a close look at one of
our winnings from the recent Kolbe 'wildfires' sale: Ken Rendell's
"A Descriptive List of an Outstanding Collection of Hard Times
Tokens," a Fixed Price List published, according to Kolbe, in
1957. The nicely executed 16-page saddle-stitched booklet set
the record straight: "the sale of the collection of Dr. Geo. F.
Hetrich was sold in 1954."
This is our second copy of the Rendell FPL. Our first has been
long lost in darkness, interleaved no doubt in another book.
Here with this booklet we share a "collyeresque" moment with
our esteemed editor. (See E-Sylum: Volume 5, Number 52,
December 29, 2002)
The assumption of the 1959 date was due in large part to
Pennypacker's sale of Leonard Holland's wonderful Large Cent
collection in 1959; a legendary sale that has been a delightful,
favorite adventure recounted over the years within the copper
community.
So, to all the correspondents we've pestered, it's the 1954
catalogue, not the 1959.
Really, the dates, 1959 or 1954, should make little difference
in searching for a catalogue, especially from a non-numismatic
auction house. Evidently, Pennypacker was a country auction
center specializing in furniture and the like. However, we suspect
correspondents searching our requests for the Hetrich catalogue
may have come up with only the 1959 Holland sale and
became frustrated not finding Hetrich and dropped out of
correspondence, or must have felt we didn't know what the hell
we were talking about.
Much of this information would not be possible were it not for
George Fuld's eloquent E-Sylum recollection in Volume 4,
Number 24, June 10, 2001.
For the interested HT specialist, the Rendell 1957 FPL featured,
indeed, an 'outstanding' collection of HT tokens. The specimens
were, and remain, among the finest known, captured early by
discriminating pioneer collectors Shumway, Bird, Tilden. A
number of these specimens eventually appeared in the Oechsner
collection sale held by Stack's in 1988; a catalogue whose
appearance seldom fails to command a premium. Many of those
specimens remain today in strong hands.
A plea to anyone reading this: retain your original of the 1954
Pennypacker catalogue, a photocopy of simply the front cover
and the Hetrich listing(s) will be met with your premium ask and
our genuine thanks."
FIRST COIN COLLECTOR?
On Friday the 13th John M. Kleeberg published the following
item on the Colonial Coinage email list, in response to the
question, "Who was the FIRST documented coin collector????"
Kleeberg writes: "Petrarch, in the fourteenth Century, is generally
considered to have been the first coin collector in modern times.
He was very excited by the fact that by examining Roman
sestertii, he could see what emperors really looked like.
I once researched the earliest printings of coin illustrations.
They begin in the late fifteenth century, when the Netherlands
was using Rhenish gold gulden, and counterfeiters produced
many false ones. In order to warn people about the the false
ones, Philip the Fair issued placards with woodcuts depicting
them. It is thanks to those worthy counterfeiters that the
modern study of numismatics began. A pity that the
contribution of counterfeiting to civilization is not more widely
recognized.
Early printed numismatic literature can be divided into two
types: a scholarly group devoted to ancient coins, and a very
practical, modern group for moneychangers and bankers,
designed to warn them about counterfeits and inform them
about coins that were no longer current but only traded at the
value of the metal in them. Since rulers were constantly
changing coin types (and a change in type usually indicates a
debasement), people brought their non-current coins to the
moneychangers, and an Antwerp moneychanger wanted to
know what to pay for, say, a Carlos and Juana piece struck
in Mexico."
THE CONTROVERSIAL INGOTS
In response to Mike Hodder's "mention that John Ford's
collection of private and territorial gold coins and gold ingots
will be sold in Stack's upcoming May auction in New York ..",
Tom DeLorey writes: "One can only hope that this sale will
include ALL of the Western Assay Ingots found in the John J.
Ford Collection, and not just those pieces deemed to be safely
non-controversial, so that scholars more worthy than myself
can study the collection in its entirety, however briefly. I, for
one, would love to see the burning question of the controversial
ingots laid to rest forever.
ART OF THE BOOKPLATE
Nolan Mims published the following book review in the
January, 2004 issue of Numismatic Views, a newsletter he
edits for the Gulf Coast Numismatic Association. With his
permission, we are reprinting it here. -Editor
"THE ART OF THE BOOKPLATE" by James P. Keenan.
Forward by George Plimpton. Barnes & Noble, 2003.
175 pages, illustrations, black cloth, DJ. $15.
Although this is not a numismatic book, it is of definite
interest to bibliophiles everywhere. The world is full of people
who love books and since the fifteenth century, many collectors
have commissioned their own bookplates. They are sometimes
an indulgence of the rich and famous. While many bookplates
are simple, some are quite ornate works of miniature art.
Herein are found the bookplates of many famous people such
as George Washington, Kaiser Wilhelm II, John D. Rockefeller
and Walt Disney as well as unknowns like Marie Gerard
Messenger. Other bookplates found here include John F.
Kennedy, Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt and Harry
Houdini.
Each of the bookplates is illustrated and described so that the
reader learns the history behind the plate. Whether plain or
fancy, they gave the owner a sense of proprietorship and
increased the chances of the book being returned if borrowed.
I certainly enjoyed seeing the various plates and found THE
ART OF THE BOOKPLATE to be a fascinating read.
The author, James P. Keenan, is director of the American
Society of Bookplate Collectors and Designers as well as
being an avid collector himself.
WHERE'S GEORGE
Denis Loring writes: "A few months ago I found a "Where's
George" bill on the floor of a movie theater in West Palm
Beach. I took it with me to London and changed it for pounds
with an independent currency exchanger. No sign of it yet."
Tom DeLorey writes: "Over the years I have received a few
"Where's George" bills in circulation, and in the original spirit
of the game have reported the serial numbers before passing
the bill on, in another state whenever possible. It was fun.
Now, however, I have in front of me a $1 bill with a large red
stamp on the front "TRACK THIS BILL/
www.wheresgeorge.com" and a larger red stamp on the reverse
"CURRENCY TRACING STUDY/ ENTER SERIES AND
SERIAL #/ AT WHERESGEORGE.COM." In addition,
there is a small blue www.wheresgeorge.com in the border at
both ends of both sides of the note.
Perhaps I am being a bit curmudeonly, but this excessive
marking has crossed the line between fun and games and the
deliberate mutilation of currency. I have not reported this bill,
and I am going to tear it in half and turn it in at the bank for
replacement. Any comments from our members?"
DELLQUEST & OTHER EARLY "RED BOOKS"
Chris Fuccione found the following entry in the Library
catalogue of the American Numismatic Association:
"GA30.D4
Dellquest, Augustus Wilfrid.
Burt's United States coin book ...
3rd, 6th ed. New York, Blue Ribbon Books, 1935, 1940.
73p. scattered illus. U.S. "
Kenneth Bressett writes: "It is always fun to start off each
week reading your informative newsletter. They just keep
getting better and better.
The recent piece from Neil Shafer about his 1935 Red Book
brought back fond memories of the many friendly one-upmanship
contests that we have waged for decades. I may have bested
him this time: I have a Red Book dated 1889 and the title is
"Rare Coins," and it is the fifth edition. I recall that the
publication went on for many more years after that. It is hard
bound with a red cover that is very similar in color to the first
few editions of the more familiar Yeoman Red Book.
"Rare Coins" was published by Wm. von Bergen for his
company Numismatic Bank of Boston. It was essentially a
buying price guide for coins that he wanted, but it also included
information about U.S. and world coins as well as Colonial
paper money, tokens and even a smattering of ancient coins."
DEAD PRESIDENTS AND OTHER WORTHY OFFICIALS
A Monday, February 9th article in the Express Times of
Pennsylvania published the following about counterfeit money
turning up recently:
"While the U.S. Secret Service and city police investigate the
incidents, area cashiers should get more familiar with their
dead presidents, said Wachovia Bank spokesman Jim Baum.
"Know your presidents and know what president goes on
what bill. If you find a $20 bill and it's got George Washington
on it, you know you've got a problem," he said. Andrew
Jackson is the president that appears on genuine $20 bills.
People who work cash drawers should also pay attention to
bills' serial numbers, coloration and paper quality, Baum said."
QUIZ QUIZ: They're all dead, but they're not all Presidents.
Which portrait(s) on current U.S. paper money are NOT of
U.S. Presidents?"
To read the full article, see:
http://www.pennlive.com/news/expresstimes/pa/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1076322854136641.xml
20 JULI SURVIVOR
Last week we mentioned the medals issued to survivors of
the July 20, 1944 attempted assassination of Adolph Hitler.
Coincidentally, a February 9th Reuters article highlighted the
incredible story of one of those survivors who is still around
to tell the tale.
"Philipp von Boeselager's sleep is troubled by furtive chats
with conspirators, concealed bombs and a desperate
horseback ride from the battlefield on the day he and his
friends tried to kill Hitler.
In his dreams, the 86-year old baron talks to friends and
co-plotters -- high-ranking German military officials -- who
tried to blow up Adolf Hitler with a bomb on July 20, 1944
and who were killed or committed suicide when the attempt
failed.
"If you are the only one among some 100 who is still alive,
that makes you think. I feel they are watching me and I have
a certain responsibility toward them," Boeselager told
Reuters in Paris, where he received the prestigious Legion of
Honor medal.
"I call on young people to get politically involved, to feel
responsible for their country. If that's not happening and if
someone like (Nazi propaganda minister Joseph) Goebbels
appeared today -- as millions are unemployed -- I would be
very scared."
Army officer Boeselager was only 25 when he was asked to
join a secret team of officers who planned to kill the dictator
-- and who were ready to sacrifice their own lives."
"In his brown leather suitcase, Boeselager smuggled several
British bombs -- "I realized English ones were the best" -- to
General Hellmuth Stieff at Army High Command.
"Getting out of the plane, I was limping, because I had been
injured in the leg. Several young soldiers came up to me,
offering to carry my suitcase. But I refused. I thought they
would notice at once that the suitcase was far too heavy."
"Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, a tall German aristocrat who
deeply opposed the Nazis' treatment of Jews, planted one of
Boeselager's bombs in a briefcase under a table close to Hitler."
"In the days after the attack, the Nazis killed Stieff, Stauffenberg
and many accomplices. Relatives of the plotters were arrested
and Tresckow, like many others, committed suicide.
Historians say thousands were killed or sent to concentration
camps in the purge. Though the Nazis brutally tortured the
conspirators, no one revealed Boeselager's name."
To read the full story, see:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?storyID=4315015
RAINING MONEY IN TAIWAN
Also from Reuters comes this story: "Relatives of a kidnap
victim in Taiwan struck a passing motorcyclist with more
than $600,000 in cash when they tossed the ransom money
to the kidnappers from a highway overpass.
The $600,000 ransom, packed into two nylon bags, landed on
57-year-old Lu Fang-nan when he rode under the overpass
just as a relative of the victim delivered the money according to
kidnappers' instructions, local media said on Thursday."
"Lu, who later sought medical attention for swelling and bruising
of his left leg, said he rode off not realizing he had been toppled
off his motorcycle by a small fortune."
To read the full story, see
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?storyID=4345080
FEATURED WEB SITE
This week's featured web site is recommended by Larry
Mitchell. It is Australia's Museum Victoria Numismatic
Timeline.
"This timeline of more than 180 coins and medals tells
many stories about people, places and events in Victoria's
history. The subjects and designs reflect the social and
political events that were considered important at the time.
The coins and medals are organised chronologically within
eight key themes in Victoria's history."
The site is very well done and includes many great images
of coins and medals. One I personally like is Coppin's
Balloon medal, 1858. See
http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/coins/1851/coppins_baloon_medal.html
http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/coins/
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)
More information about the Esylum
mailing list