The E-Sylum v7#03, January 18, 2004

[whomren at coinlibrary.com]

Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 7, Number 03, January 18, 2004:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2004, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.


SUBSCRIBER UPDATE

   Among recent new subscribers is Roger Moore, courtesy
   of David Gladfelter.  Welcome aboard!  We now  have
   621 subscribers.


NBS MEETING AT FUN

   Fred Lake writes: "The Numismatic Bibliomania Society held
   a meeting at the annual Florida United Numismatists show in
   Orlando, Florida on January 10, 2004.  Some of the people
   in attendance were:

   David Crenshaw
   Howard Daniel
   George Fitzgerald
   Bob Fritsch
   Dan Hamelberg
   John Kraljevich
   Fred Lake
   Jan Monroe
   John Reichenberger
   Elmer Rhode
   Tom Sebring
   Tom Sheehan
   Wendell Wolka

   After introductions, there were interesting comments regarding
   collecting interests, recent auctions, George Kolbe's narrow
   escape, etc.  Dan Hamelberg talked about his library and also
   updated the audience on the ANS plans for their library and
   new publications."

   With Fred's permission, Bruce Perdue has added his photo
   of some of the attendees to the NBS web site.  Check it out:
   http://www.coinbooks.org/nbsfun.html

   [I know many of the faces in the picture, but not all.  Let's
   add a list of their names to the web page.  Who can help?
   Thanks.  -Editor]


NBS/NI/IBNS TABLE AT PORTLAND ANA

   Speaking of NBS meetings,  Howard A. Daniel III, has
   received oral confirmation from the ANA at the FUN Show
   for an ANA National Money Show club booth in Portland,
   Oregon, where he will promote NBS,  Numismatics International
   (NI) and the International Bank Note Society (IBNS) from
   March 26th to 28th, 2004.

   Howard will also be moderating separate meetings and
   educational forums on March 27th (Saturday) for IBNS
   at 11 AM and NI at 12 Noon in the same room.  The
   date and times are regularly approved, so he is not
   expecting any changes, but everyone should check their
   show program.

   NBS members are invited to both meetings, but especially
   the NI meeting because Scott Semans will be speaking
   about his recommendations for creating numismatic catalogs.
   Howard will be the speaker at the IBNS meeting and will
   show and speak about North Vietnamese Army (NVA)
   military monies used on the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

   A special invitation has been made for the Chopmarked Coin
   Collectors Club and Philippines Collectors Forum to also
   attend one or both of the meetings.  Each meeting will have
   everyone introducing themselves and a Show & Tell where
   everyone can talk about a piece from their collection or just
   bought at the show for 1-5 minutes.  If you have any questions,
   please contact Howard at Howard at SEAsianTreasury.com

   NBS members and all others are also invited to visit the booth
   and use it for leaving messages for other NBS members,
   meeting others there, or just to take a break and rest.  If an
   NBS member finds a prospective member at the show, please
   send them to the booth and Howard will convince them to join
   us, or at least to sign up for  The E-Sylum.

   [Thanks, Howard!  -Editor]


LAKE BOOKS SALE #72 CLOSING

   Fred Lake writes: "A reminder that Lake Books' sale #72
   closes on Tuesday, January 20, 2004 at 5:00 PM (EST).
   Bids may be made by FAX, Email, or telephone until that
   time. The sale features Part III of the library of Dr. William
   E. Hopkins and features the reference material on Ancients
   and World Coinage that were a big part of his library."


UPDATE FROM DAVE BOWERS

   Q. David Bowers writes: "As announced in Coin World,
   Numismatic News, the American Numismatic Rarities
   website, and elsewhere, I have signed on with American
   Numismatic Rarities as their "numismatic director," rejoining
   a great "dream team" group of people, many of whom I had
   the pleasure of working with in earlier times.

   The numismatists there include John Pack and Rick Bagg
   (consignment gathering specialists) and  Frank Van Valen,
   with whom I've worked for a long time, but long ago he
   took some time out to catalogue for Christie's.  Then there is
   Beth O. Piper, who got her first job in coins with me many
   years ago. One of my favorite anecdotes about Beth relates
   to one day when a group of the biggest "names" among
   American coin dealers were in Wolfeboro looking at rarities
   for an upcoming sale.  Rick Bagg came into the room, stating
   that someone had consigned a "grading set" of PCGS
   Saint-Gaudens twenties, one each MS-60 to MS-65.  A
   test was proposed on the spot, a piece of masking tape was
   put over the label of each, and each was given a designation,
   1 to 6, for the six holders.  The country's greatest experts all
   wrote down their evaluations. The  tape was then removed
   and---guess what?--Beth came closest to the PCGS score!

   Doug Plasencia is so busy taking pictures for the upcoming
   ANR sale that he won't talk with me now about some photos
   for a book I am now completing for Whitman--a 288 page
   volume about double eagles, probably everything you wanted
   to know, and a lot of other stuff you never cared about.
   There will be a lot of hitherto unpublished information (at least
   not in a single volume) giving interesting and specific
   information on vast quantities of double eagles being exported
   to Europe, personal interviews conducted by me with many
   importers (beginning with Jim Kelly and Paul Wittlin in the
   1950s, when I first became interested in hoards), and more--
   including recent talks with Mark Yaffe and Marc Emory, just
   to keep up to date, including the expose of a fantasy hoard, a
   practical joke, but it landed in Breen's 1988 Encyclopedia!

   If any E-Sylum readers would care to send me previously
   unpublished information on hoards of double eagles, secret
   finds, etc., etc., and can do this within the next few days, I
   will use anything of interest to me. I will also keep confidential
   any information, if desired, as I have done for several Swiss
   and other foreign bankers and for the one-time owner of four
   1933 double eagles (my gosh, am I piquing anybody's interest?).
   There will also be some new (to most readers) stuff on how
   Matte Proofs and Roman Finish Proofs were made, some
   great info sent to me by Roger W. Burdette (who lives close
   enough to the National Archives to poke around there on a
   regular basis), some nifty info from David E. Tripp (who can
   with equal facility regale listeners on the subject of MCMVII
   Ultra High Relief or 1933 double eagles), and from others.
   Of course, you can expect that if Whitman Publishing Co.
   were not involved and if budget were not a consideration,
   the double eagle book could be a thousand pages! Really.

   Back to the ANR staff, it was nice to see Cynthia LaCarbonara
   and Laurel Morrill on the auction podium the other day in
   Orlando at the Rarities Sale, which totaled about $4 million.
   After reading the description in the catalogue of the Thomas
   Sebring Collection of treasure coins, I could not resist bidding
   on and buying an 1856-S $20 from the Fort Capron treasure,
   the marvelous Herndon medal, ex the Garrett Collection years
   ago, made to honor the captain of the lost S.S. Central America,
   and even a Chinese export porcelain cup fished up from a 1799
   wreck in the Antipodes or somewhere like that.  My wife
   Christie out-collects me on many things, can even read Chinese
   coin inscriptions, etc., and when I brought this prize little cup
   home,  she reminded me that some years ago she had bought
   similar pieces from a shop in New Bedford (or was it Salem?),
   Mass.,  and told me the story about the wreck.  John Kraljevich,
   Jr., is,  of course, the very definition of a young numismatist
   with talent.  The other day I had a nice lunch with Mike Hodder
   (who is up to his ears in cataloguing the Ford Collection for
   Stack's), and we both agreed that the future of numismatics was
   in good hands with John K and John's friend, Vicken Yegparian,
   also in his twenties, and a Stack's staffer. Of course, in the
   modern market of certified coins, perhaps numismatic
   scholarship is a dead science. But, I hope not.

   Christine (Chris) Karstedt has held the ANR banner high for
   about a year now, with impressive success--it is fun to sit back
   and watch! Such an excited, enthusiastic staff I have never seen.
   While I am at it, I'll mention Chris' daughter Melissa, by now a
   familiar face at conventions and auctions, Jennifer Meers
   (graphics artist and guru extraordinaire, whose talents
   constantly amaze me, and who did the entire layout work for
   my 1,050-page A CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH HISTORY,
   produced without budget limitations under the aegis of Dwight
   Manley and the California Gold Marketing Group), is now
   laying out some ideas for new ANR magazine to be called
   THE NUMISMATIC SUN, of which I will be editor (if I pass
   the spelling test which they plan to give me). Joel Orosz
   writes to say that he has already subscribed---hopefully not a
   leap of faith, but faith well placed! Now I will HAVE TO write
   it!

   Jenna King, who answers the ANR telephone at 1-800-569-0823
   and sounds as if she always enjoys hearing from me, takes
   care of incoming calls at ANR, while Jeremy Wiggin helps
   with mailing, shipping, and many other things, including, the
   other day, a scramble through a storeroom full of "stuff" to
   find a stack of papers about a certain double eagle. Mary Tocci
   I've known for a long time--10 years? 15 years?--and if you
   order a copy of my new double eagle book from ANR, she
   will be the one who takes care of your request.  I almost forgot
   to mention my son Andrew, who has been around coins ever
   since he first learned how to walk and talk, or even before
   then. He is on the ANR staff, too, and, according to Jenna
   King, "never rests--he has your work ethic." Now, if he can
   only learn to look at 1,000 Morgan dollars at a convention
   and cherrypick 10 or 20 good ones. Actually, he can already
   do some of this sort of thing--good for ANR customers who
   like quality.

   My new e-mail address within a day or two will be
   qdavid at anrcoins.com, but until then it remains
   qdbarchive at metrocast.net. My new business mailing address,
   in case anyone wants to send me an old-fashioned letter with
   a stamp on it, is Dave Bowers, American Numismatic Rarities,
   Box 1804, Wolfeboro, NH 03894.  Wonder where they got
   that nifty box number!

   That's about it for now. Happy New Year and good health
   and fortune to all."

   [It's always great to hear from Dave, and we'll be looking
   forward as always to his new numismatic publications.
   Let the Numismatic Sun shine!   -Editor]


ASYLUM INDICES POSTED

   Bruce Perdue writes: "I finally have posted the complete
   Author and Subject Index for our print journal, "The Asylum."
   They can be reached through the "Asylum" link on the main
   page or at:
   http://www.coinbooks.org/asylum_subject_index.html
   http://www.coinbooks.org/asylum_author_index.html

   NOTE: these addresses have changed since the last
   announcement, so old bookmarks will be out of date.

   Both documents are available as downloads as either a
   Microsoft Word document (.doc) or as an Adobe (.pdf)
   file...  if anyone wants them in any other format let me
   know."

   [This is the cumulative index from volume I through XX
   (1980-2002), as compiled by William Malkmus.  Bill
   has been hard at work keeping it up to date for later
   publication.  -Editor]


FRACTIONAL CURRENCY SHIELD SITE SOUGHT

   Speaking of changed web addresses, Michael J. Sullivan
   writes: "Here is an extract from The E-Sylum v6n49.
   Does anyone know what happened to this web site?  It
   had great content, but can no longer be located."

   This week's featured web page is Shannon and Paul
   Burkhard's page on U.S. Fractional Currency Shields.

   "Fractional Currency Shields consisted of a printed shield-
   shaped background (nearly always gray in color, but
   sometimes pink or green) on which were pasted by hand
   39 different Specimen (printed on one side only) Fractional
   Currency notes, typically consisting of 20 fronts and 19
   backs, all from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd issues."

   http://www.fractionalnotes.com/fractionalshields.htm

   [The fractionalnotes.com web site is indeed gone.  A
   web search did not turn up a relocated site.  Can anyone
   help?   By the way, the search did turn up a page using
   the identical text to describe Fractional Currency Shields.
   The text is on the Harry Bass Foundation web site, in
   text taken from the Bowers and Merena sales of the Bass
   holdings.   Perhaps the Burkhards borrowed the text from
   there.  Here's the address:
   http://www.harrybassfoundation.org/basscatalogs/BASSSALE1/b1-1-g.htm
   -Editor]


BECKER/ROSA COUNTERFEITS

   Regarding Bob Leonard's commends on the "Becker"
   counterfeits last week, Gene Anderson writes: "Let me say
   that I am in complete agreement with Bob Leonard's belief
   that the "Becker" counterfeit I inquired about a couple of
   weeks ago was a Peter Rosa production.  I had read the
   book "Classical Deception", and my correspondence with
   author Wayne Sayles this past summer tended to support
   that idea. I was hoping to find proof regarding this item.
   Perhaps someone out there has some old Rosa catalogs or
   advertisements that would shed the light of certainty on the
   matter. For clarification, the name Becker is not on the edge
   of either the obverse or reverse. It is on the blank side of each
   uniface piece."


BAY AREA COUNTERFEITS

   Eric Newman writes: "In your Gene Anderson counterfeit
   story in the last issue, I recall Bay Area counterfeits which
   were the subject of litigation in or near Nebraska about 20
   years ago.  I do not remember any names involved but the
   forgeries were beautiful and were all early American without
   edge decoration. They were dental stone centrifugal casts, I
   believe, rather than spark erosion.  I begged George Hattie
   at the American Numismatic Association to do something
   about it on behalf of the ANA but nothing happened.  The
   suit was settled and the source not disclosed.  I have a large
   file on the entire matter but without any name I cannot locate it.
   You may ask Mr. Anderson whether he can help me help him.
   I would like to know what forged coins Mr. Anderson is
   working with and when he thinks they were made."

   [I asked Eric, "Did the Bay Area counterfeits include Jules
   Reiver's 1794 Dollar?  He showed me two 1794 dollars one
   evening, and they were identical down to the last detail, save
   one: one of them had a flat spot on the edge, which was where
   the sprue was cut off and filed down - that coin was a
   counterfeit taken from the other one."

   Eric replied: "The 1794 US dollar was a centrifugal cast and
   as you point out the port was on the edge. He showed the
   cast to me long before he acquired the original and the fact
   that the cast had a file mark or so was very deceptive.  When
   he saw the original and it had the same file mark as the cast
   then he was really impressed with the quality of forgery.  I have
   no idea where the cast came from and never heard that it was
   a Bay Area product. I will look a little more to see if I can
   find my file but wish I had some name as a clue."

   [The "file mark" Eric refers to is an adjustment mark on the
   planchet, made when a mint worker filed some silver off
   it to bring its weight into tolerance.  The adjustment mark,
   as well as all die characteristics and circulation wear were
   identical on the two pieces, making for a very deceptive
   counterfeit.  The piece came to light through Jack Collins'
   research in the 1794 dollars.  Jack had matched Jules' piece
   via plate photos to a particular auction, but Jules had purchased
   his piece (later found to be the counterfeit) elsewhere.  Several
   years later Jules was able to purchase the genuine coin and
   reunite the pair for study.  -Editor]


CYBER COUNTERFEIT DETECTOR

   Adrián González Salinas. of Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
   sends a link to an interesting article about software designed
   to detect potential counterfeiting of currency.  It comes from
   Wired magazine, which notes the the features are easily
   defeated.  Here's an excerpt:

   "Anti-counterfeiting provisions in the latest version of Adobe
   Systems' flagship product have proven little more than a speed
   bump, but company representatives insist that including them
   was the right thing to do.

   Adobe acknowledged last week that its Photoshop CS digital
   editing package includes a "counterfeit deterrence system"
   designed to prevent users from accessing images of currency.

   When the counterfeit deterrence system detects an attempt to
   access a currency image, it aborts the operation, displays a
   warning message and directs the user to a website with
   information on international counterfeiting laws.

   Almost as soon as word of Photoshop's new anti-counterfeiting
   provisions started to circulate, users began finding ways around
   the system."

   "With digital counterfeiting on the rise worldwide, partly due to
   software like Photoshop, Adobe voluntarily chose to work with
   international banks to help solve the problem, said Kevin Connor,
   Adobe's director of product management for professional digital
   imaging."

   "Central banks are pushing for counterfeit protections in
   software as well as hardware. The anti-counterfeit software in
   Photoshop CS was developed by the Central Bank Counterfeit
   Deterrence Group, an organization established by the governors
   of the G-10 central banks to promote the use of anti-counterfeit
   devices in the computer industry.

   The inner workings of the counterfeit deterrence system are so
   secret that not even Adobe is privy to them. The Central Bank
   Counterfeit Deterrence Group provides the software as a black
   box without revealing its precise inner workings, Connor said."

   http://www.wired.com/news/infostructure/0,1377,61890,00.html


BRITISH NUMISMATIC LIBRARY FOR SALE

   Gar Travis writes: "I found this on the net - 172 books -
   what a library...
   http://www.goldenbks.co.uk/NumismaticBooks.html"

   [Golden Books of North Devon, England is offering a
   "Collection of 172 Good Numismatic, Coin and Medal
    Books from the library of: Mr Edwin D. Burt"  The
    collection is being offered as a single lot at a fixed
    price, including shipping anywhere in the world.
    -Editor]


NEW JERSEY COINAGE BOOK PUBLISHED

   Gary A. Trudgen forwarded the following press release
   from the ANS:

   The American Numismatic Society is pleased to announce
   the publication of The Copper Coinage of the State of New
   Jersey: Annotated Manuscript of Damon G. Douglas, Edited
   by Gary A. Trudgen.  The book contains the original
   manuscript of researcher Damon G. Douglas on the early
   copper coinage of the state of New Jersey.  The original
   manuscript, which was written several decades ago, has
   been annotated by some of the leading specialists in this field
   [David D. Gladfelter, Roger A. Moore, MD, FAAP, Gary A.
   Trudgen, Dennis P. Wierzba, Raymond J. Williams.]  130p,
   3 illus., ISBN 0-89722-289-X.  The book is available through
   the ANS' distributor, David Brown Book Company,  Toll-free:
   800 791 9354, Tel: 860 945 9329, Fax: 860 945 9468, Email:
   david.brown.bk.co at snet.net.  Price $45; 30% discount to
   ANS members with valid ID.

   When the American Revolutionary War ended in 1783, there
   was no central mint to supply the newly independent states
   with coinage. In fact, nearly a decade passed before Congress
   formed the US Mint in 1792 and attempted to unify the
   growing nation's coin types. In the meantime, some of the states
   produced their own coins, under what were often primitive and
   difficult circumstances. Mute witnesses to our nation's
   beginnings, these coinages have not always received the proper
   study they deserve. A case in point are the copper coins minted
   by the State of New Jersey, some of the more interesting state
   coinages because of their design and the circumstances under
   which they were made.

   Decades ago, Damon G. Douglas began an extensive research
   project on the history of the New Jersey state coins. This
   important project was never completed, but Douglas' unfinished
   manuscript was acquired by the American Numismatic Society
   where it has been one of the more frequently consulted items
   on early state coinages in the library collection.  In the interest
   of making Douglas' work more widely available, the American
   Numismatic Society publishes this valuable study for the first
   time....

   For further information contact: Pamala Plummer-Wright at
   212-234-3130 x 231, or by email: wright at numismatics.org


CHARGE COIN BOOK PUBLISHED

   According to an item in the January 20 issue of Numismatic
   News (p30), "Alpert's Catalogue of Charge Coins" has been
   written and published by dealer Stephen P. Alpert of Los
   Angeles.  This is the book's first edition.  In his introduction,
   Alpert explains the history of charge coins, predecessors of
   the modern credit card."

   The 72-page book "sells for $15 postpaid, plus sales tax
   in California.  Send orders to Stephen P. Alpert, P.O. Box
   66331, Los Angeles, CA 90066."

   [Charge coins are another specialty of mine.  I collect by
    type nationally, and by variety for the Pittsburgh area.  The
   only prior work on the subject that I'm aware of is the one
   by Philadelphia-area collector Ed Dence, who published
   two or three editions of a simple photocopied catalog.
   The first one didn't even have an index.  I wrote one, sent
   it to Ed, and it was incorporated in the next edition.
   -Editor]


NUREMBERG JETON BOOK PUBLISHED

   The same issue of Numismatic News (p30) has a review
   by Russ Rulau of a new book by L. B. Fauver titled
   "Nuremberg and Nuremberg Style Jetons."   The 300-
   page hardbound catalog "will almost certainly replace
   the works of Eklund, Barnard, Berry, Drewing, Gebert,
   Levinson, Mitchiner and others insofar as their Nuremberg
   coverage overlaps the current volume."

   "Fauver said he spent some eight years preparing this
   work.  The book may be ordered from Oak Grove
   Publications, P.O. Box 521, Menlo Park, CA 94026.
   It retails at U.S. $31.95 postpaid domestically, or
   $33.95 overseas postpaid by surface delivery. For
   overseas airmail, add $16."


CARSON CITY MINT BOOK PUBLISHED

   Rusty Goe's new book on the Carson City Mint
   has been published.  An ad in the January 26th issue of
   Coin World offers the book, titled "The Mint on Carson
   Street: A Tribute to the Carson City Mint & A Guide to
   a Complete Set of CC Coins."   The 530+ page book
   "pays tribute to the popular Nevada branch mint and
   and the many wonderful coins produced there."

   The retail price is $69.95.  Through March 31, 2004,
   the book may be ordered for $59.45 plus $8 shipping
   (and 7.375% sales tax for Nevada residents).  To order,
   contact Southgate Coins, 5032 S. Virginia St., Reno, NV
   89502 or call  775 -322-4455.


HARRY COLE, COUNTERFEITER

   David Phillips writes: "I am looking for information about early
   life of HARRY COLE, 1821 born Batavia, NY, died in prison
   1885.   Especially need information on his counterfeiting career
   between 1821-1860 before he moved to New York City and
   Philadelphia. He printed private banknotes and National  Bank
   Notes."


THROWING COINS AWAY

   Regarding the question about museums discarding ancient
   coins, Bob Leonard writes: "When I was researching cut
   bronze coins in the ancient Near East in August 1991, I
   contacted Dr. Brooks Levy at Princeton to obtain casts of
   Waage, Antioch On-The-Orontes IV, Part Two: Greek,
   Roman, Byzantine and Crusaders' Coins (Princeton, 1952)
   nos. 360 and 361, groups of halved bronze coins of Roman
   Antioch.  I was told that these coins--which should have
   been preserved with the other finds--could not be located
   and had apparently been discarded.  While these were
   fragments of coins, and corroded as well, it was a great loss
   to scholarship that they were not properly conserved and
   retained."


NUMISMATIC BOOK SALE

   George Depeyrot of Paris writes: "There is now a special
   promotion on numismatic books (see Moneta web site,
   below).

   Moneta:
   http://www.cultura-net.com/moneta/content.htm

   Romania:
   http://users.pcnet.ro/coin/page4.html

   Helsinki congress (session 30):
   http://www.valt.helsinki.fi/yhis/iehc2006/sessions.html"


VAN LOON QUIZ ANSWER

   Ferdinando Bassoli was quick to respond with an
   answer to last week's Van Loon quiz.  He writes:

   "Reply to your quiz is
   -heedendags Penningkunde... Gravenhaage 1723
   -Beschryving der Nederlandsche hist.Penningen...
        Haage 1723
   -Beschryving aloude Hollandsche Histori der Keyseren...
        Gravenhaage 1734
   -and the more known Histoire Metallique des XVII
        Provinces des Pays Bas depuis l'abdication de
        Charles V jusqu'à la pais de Bade, 1732, à la Haye,
        in 3 parts.

   I quote only the first editions. More will appear in the next
   volumes of the monumental work of Christian Dekesel
   (Bibliography of Numismatic Literature, Kolbe & Spink)."


ONE IS NOT ENOUGH

   Alan V. Weinberg writes: "Your story about the obsessive
   English bibliomaniac Richard Heber's desire for three of
   everything in rare books he sought: one for preservation/
   condition, one for personal use, one for his friends' use
   reminds me of a curious similar penchant on the part of
   our own Smithsonian's numismatic collection:

   In 1967 before Congressional sub-committee hearings, the
   two Indiana senators (Birch Bayh and another) sought to
   have a Congressional bill passed allowing the Josiah K. Lilly
   (CEO of Indiana's Lilly Pharmaceuticals and son of the founder
   Eli Lilly) family to donate the late Josiah's virtually complete
   American and foreign gold coin and ingot collection to the
   Smithsonian in exchange for a $5.5 million dollar estate tax
   credit - the modern day equivalent of perhaps $50 million
   dollars. Several prominent numismatic dealers and Vladimir
   Clain-Stefanelli, the Smithsonian's  numismatic curator,
   testified on behalf of this tax credit / essentially taxpayer
   purchase of the collection.

   I testified against the bill before the Sub-Committee as a
   large % of the collection was already represented in the S.I.
   collection and, in essence, the taxpayer was paying $5.5
   million for a bunch of expensive "duplicates" for approx.
   10% of the collection still actually needed.

   I was successful in delaying the bill for up to a year but the
   Senatorial sponsorship was just too strong, coupled with
   Clain-Stefanelli's expressed promise to Congress , under
   oath, to have the S.I. divest and sell off the duplication
   represented in the collection. Great!  That's what I'd sought.

   Decades passed and not a duplicate was released by the S.I.
   I read in the Dec '93 Maine Antique Digest that US Supreme
   Court Chief Justice Wm Rehnquist was head of a S. I.
   de-accessioning  and oversight committee and wrote him of
   the situation and the S.I.'s sworn promise to dispose of the
   numismatic duplicates. Weeks later in Feb 1994 I received
   a detailed 2 page single-spaced typed /signed letter from the
   Secretary of the Smithsonian Robt McC. Adams of whom
   Chief Justice  Rehnquist had inquired.  Adams' letter specifically
   (and absurdly) stated that "duplicate" in the normal sense of the
   word was not a "duplicate " to the S.I, according to his
   information from numismatic curator Clain- Stefanelli.

   That the S.I. required two specimens for obverse and reverse
   display [including such absurdities as two 1927-D St Gaudens
   $20's and two 1822 half eagles, both represented in the Lilly
   Coll'n and already in the S.I.. holdings] and a third for traveling
   displays to other organizations. And thus no "duplication" was
   created with the acquisition of the Lilly Coll'n !

   Today, we have absurdities like a shrinking numismatic public
   display at the S.I., dismissal of unneeded curatorial staff and a
   stripping off the walls and cases of any and all Lilly gold pioneer
   ingots as "questionable" (a not insignificant $ proportion of the
   $5.5 million collection acquisition) while not a single "duplicate"
   Lilly coin has ever been de-accessioned, despite curatorial
   promises to the contrary in 1967.

   It would appear that bibliomaniac Richard Heber's obsessive
   desire for three of every book was somehow contracted by
   the Smithsonian.

   In a follow-up note Alan added: "I still have and read this
   afternoon, before typing the piece, Sec'y McC.Adams' S.I.
   letterhead letter referring to Clain-Stefanelli, Rehnquist, et al.
   The letter does indeed re-define "duplicate" just as I indicated.
   Not Adams' understanding of "duplication" but he ascribes it
   to Clain-Stefanelli.

   I was attending George Washington University law school in
   DC at the time and thus had access to the hearings and indeed
   an invitation to testify, which I did.

   I recall Abe Kosoff testifying and Clain-Stefanelli but cannot
   specifically recall what other dealers were present although one
   would think one of the Stacks, at least, was there. Lilly bought
   much from and through them."


U.S., CANADA, MEXICO: ALL AMERICANS

   Chick Ambrass writes: "In response to Tom DeLorey's
   comment concerning the MassBay Colony being the first
   Mint in America, and the comment about it being in Canada
   --  this has been a minor pet-peeve for me for some time
   now. Not only have the citizens of the U.S., but also most
   of the rest of the world, use the term "Americans" exclusively
   for  the citizens of the United States. Canadians, Mexicans,
   as well as Brazilians are all technically "Americans".  In 1688
   when the letters in reference were written... Canada was part
   of the American colonies. I wish that we as citizens of the U.S.
   could come up with a usable, convenient term other than
   "United Statesians".  I guess I should gripe to John Adams,
   and Thomas Jefferson, and others about naming the new
   nation that they created....they should have thought more
   about the term that would be used to call its citizens.  Thanks
   for allowing me to air my gripe."


HIDDEN GOLD TREASURES REDISCOVERED

   Arthur Shippee forward the following story about
   the remarkable survival of the Iraqi Nimrud Gold
   hoard and the Afghani Bactrian horde.  The story
   came from an Australian source, thanks to Explorator,
   a weekly notice of classics, history, archaeology news
   on the net.  Non-numismatic, but fascinating nonetheless.
   I recommend reading the original article.  Here are
   some excerpts:

   "There were many features common to both the Iraqi
   campaign and the Afghan conflict: American hi-tech weaponry,
   vigorous anti-war protests all over the world, the sudden
   collapse of opposition forces ‹ and, less obviously,
   archaeological catastrophe.

   Great publicity was given to the looting of the Baghdad and
   Kabul museums, and also to the criminal destruction of the
   Buddhas of Bamiyan by the Taliban.

   Less attention has been given to the unexpected reappearance
   a few months ago of two fabulous hoards of ancient golden
   objects with oddly similar histories. Both have been compared
   with the objects found in the tomb of Tutankhamen; neither
   has ever been seen, except very briefly.

   In each case, the initial rediscovery was made just before the
   fog of war descended and the treasures were hidden away
   again, only to re-emerge in circumstances of Tintin-like
   daringdo."

   IN IRAQ:
   "On August 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, the
   United States took military action (Desert Storm) early in
   1991, and the gold vanished from view into the most secure
   vault of the Iraqi Central Bank, which was then flooded with
   sewage.

   The treasure was next seen last summer, after a team of Iraqi
   investigators, assisted by National Geographic, had pumped
   out two million litres of water (a process that required three
   pumps operating for three weeks). The Nimrud finds were in
   three boxes with intact seals, exactly where they had been
   left."

   IN AFGHANISTAN:
   "The current issue of The Economist, on the other hand,
   reports that although the vault was indeed sealed, it had been
   done by the director of the bank having deliberately broken
   his key in the lock, thus jamming it.

   As coalition troops were poised to take Kabul in 2002,
   Taliban officials had tried in vain to enter the vault. What
   they could not have known is that although the gold bars
   were in the vault, the Bactrian treasures were, in fact,
   stored in a room upstairs, in a number of ordinary travel
    trunks underneath bags containing old coins.

   The Taliban had walked straight past the treasure. But four
   months ago, Hamid Karzai, the new President of Afghanistan,
   and a number of his ministers inspected the vault, which had
   finally been opened by a local locksmith, and announced to
   the world that everything was safe.  It appears that they did
   not actually see the Bactrian gold (as they claimed) but even
   so, according to The Economist, it is apparently intact."

   To read the full story, see:
   http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/13/1073877824063.html


MINT TOKENS

   Kavan Ratnatunga noticed a Royal Mint Token for sale
   recently.  The inscription is:   "Royal Mint Token / 10p
   [in circle] / Valid only within the Royal Mint Llantrisant"
   The seller wrote: "For obvious reasons the workers in the
   Royal Mint are not allowed to have coinage on their person
   whilst at work. Thus these tokens were issued for use in the
   canteen and the like."

   Do many mints around the world use similar tokens or
   script within their walls?   In a sense, these tokens would
   have a lot in common with prison money and Leper Colony
   tokens, used only within an institution where outside money
   is for one reason or another, forbidden.


THOUSAND DOLLAR BILL CONFISCATED

   The Associated Press reported this week that the mayor
   of St. Louis suburb Pine Lawn, Missouri "fancied a rare
   $1,000 bill that was seized in a traffic stop, so the town
   wrote the driver a check and the politician kept the cash.

   Not a fair trade, according to the driver, a retired trucker
   who said he carried the bill in his pocket for two decades."

   "Experts said collectors will pay $1,300 to $3,500 for the
   bill showing President Grover Cleveland, depending on its
   condition. The U.S. government printed its last $1,000 bill
   in 1934 and took the denomination out of circulation in 1969
   after technology replaced paper notes for transfers of large
   sums."

   "According to an official report, Smith was taken to the
   police station, where the mayor watched as police counted
   Smith's money, including the $1,000 bill, several $100 bills
   and a few $2 bills."

   "The mayor fetched 10 $100 bills, and police switched the
   money and deposited it in an account for seized drug assets,
   the report said.

   In September, county prosecutors refused to charge Smith
   with selling drugs and ordered the money returned. The city
   issued Smith a check for $3,231 to cover the $1,000 bill and
   his other cash."


FINDING A PENNY

   From the Internet comes this supposedly real inscription
   of John Penny's epitaph in the Wimborne,  England cemetery:

   "Reader, if cash thou art In want of any,
   Dig 6 feet deep; And thou wilt find a Penny."


FEATURED WEB PAGE

   This week's featured web page is recommended by Larry
   Mitchell in honor of Martin Luther King day.  It is the U.S.
   Bureau of Engraving and Printing's "African Americans on
   Currency" page.

   "It is a little known fact that five African Americans have had
   their signatures on currency. The four African American men
   whose signatures appeared on the currency were Blanche K.
   Bruce,  Judson W. Lyons, William T. Vernon and James C.
   Napier.  These men served as Registers of the Treasury."

      http://www.moneyfactory.com/document.cfm/18/97


  Wayne Homren
  Numismatic Bibliomania Society


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