The E-Sylum v9#13, March 26, 2006

[esylum at binhost.com]

Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 9, Number 13, March 26, 2006:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2006, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.


WAYNE'S WORDS

Among our recent subscribers are Sheldon Banoff, courtesy of 
Dick Johnson, Richard Faubion and Nguyen Hung Hai.  Welcome 
aboard!  We now have 869 subscribers.

Last week's lead item on Paul Franklin's prior counterfeiting 
arrest generated a good deal of interest, and this week we lead 
off with additional thoughts on the subject by Dave Bowers, Ken 
Bressett and John Adams.

Good news for those of us who can't seem to get enough numismatic 
literature - a new numismatic publication debuts next month - the 
ANA Journal.  There is also a tantalizing tidbit about the possible 
creation of a money museum at JP Morgan Chase bank.

Dick Johnson chimes in with comments on George Fuld's Scovill 
visit, and word that Bob Heath's New England city medal catalogs 
will continue.  

In the news this week are the ongoing worker's suit at the U.S. 
Mint in Denver and word that charges will be reinstated against 
the Massachusetts roofers who concocted a story about their 
discovery of a currency hoard.  A writer in California compares 
the new $10 bill to "a circus ticket" and a New York paper 
editorializes against the recent return of coins to Saudi Arabia.  
Have a great week, everyone.

Wayne Homren
Numismatic Bibliomania Society


DAVE BOWERS COMMENTS ON THE RECENT E-SYLUM MENTION OF PAUL FRANKLIN

Regarding John Kleeberg's item last week Dave Bowers writes: 
"Interesting stuff on Paul Franklin. According to John J. Ford 
a bunch of marvelous new discoveries were found by Franklin in 
the "Blake estate," in Boston, descended from the Blake of Gold 
Rush fame. 

I was suspicious of these and did not rise to the opportunity 
to publish Ford-supplied research about certain new coins. 
However, another writer on territorial gold coins did so, and 
a bunch of this was published in a book intended to be a 
standard reference.

The Franklin technique seems to have been to find something 
in historical records bearing the name of a person or firm 
associated with the Gold Rush. A "new discovery" was then 
presented, an item needing research. A writer, dealer, cataloguer, 
or someone else was then guided toward contemporary directories, 
history, etc., of the Gold Rush and was able to find that John 
Doe did indeed go to San Francisco, or that John Smith was listed 
as a jeweler or something else in a San Francisco directory or 
newspaper or other account. This "proved" that the new item was, 
in fact, made in San Francisco, etc. Then, a scenario was 
constructed by the writer about John Doe going to San Francisco, 
making gold coins or ingots, but "today little is known about 
him" etc.

Some efforts were made to have certain pieces listed in the 
Guide Book of United States Coins, but editor Ken Bressett 
fended most off.

My fine friend John Adams takes the view that Ford had no idea 
that these were fake, but swallowed Paul Franklin's stories 
whole.  

I am not aware that Ford ever manufactured anything, or had 
"new" dies for old-looking things in his possession, or new 
punches, etc. He openly credited Franklin for his amazing finds 
and on occasion financed Franklin's forays into the Southwest, 
seeking out new types of ingots, coins, etc.

I knew both Ford (well) and Franklin (in passing). Ford and 
Franklin collaborated to create "Republic of Texas doubloons," 
with Walter Breen sworn to secrecy. However, Walter told me, I 
discussed the project with Ford, he was upset to know that I 
was aware (at the time Breen and Ford were in one of their 
estranged periods), and promised me a souvenir doubloon.

According to Ford, this was but a caper to fool the know-it-all 
experts in numismatics and, in particular, to sell one to John 
Murrell, a Texan who bought a lot of gold coins.  After being 
duly amazed, etc., etc., Murrell was to be told the real story, 
a refund made, and a good laugh was to be enjoyed by all. Or, 
that is how the story was told to me. New Netherlands had been 
advertising to buy South American doubloons in The Numismatist. 
The scenario was to have been that, surprise!, some incoming 
doubloons were of a marvelous and hitherto unknown Republic of 
Texas style, counterstamped on real doubloons.

I was told that Breen researched the type of lettering, etc., 
that was to be used, and that the die was to be made in Milan. 
There is a somewhat related scenario in which Ford had Franklin 
arrange to have made close copies of the Libertas Americana medal, 
to be sold and described as copies, by First CoinVestors.  These 
were made overseas and became a reality.

I never did see a Republic of Texas doubloon in the flesh, but 
there is an illustration of one in Dr. Gregory Brunk's counterstamp 
book."

Ken Bressett adds: "I quite agree with all that Dave says, and 
have independent confirmation of most of his observations. Over 
the years a few questionable Territorial Gold pieces have found 
their way into the Guide Book, but were quickly removed. Only one 
piece now remains to be proven false, and that will someday be taken 
out. In the mean time, it is a relatively harmless novelty that is 
rare enough to be of little interest to the average collector, and 
has been only the plaything of a couple of dealers."

John Adams adds: "Dave states my views on JJF/PGF accurately. As 
an avid medal collector, I should add a comment regarding the 
reproduction of the Libertas Americana. Ford's discovery of the 
original dies in the Musee des Monnaies, where they had lain 
uncatalogued for 200 years, was quite a coup. 

The French had disavowed all knowledge of this American treasure 
and only someone with JJF's knowledge and intensity would have 
tracked down the prize. The dies were too rusty to be used but 
transfer dies were made, with the resulting product aesthetically 
pleasing on the one hand and in no danger of being confused with 
an original on the other."


BOB HEATH'S MEDAL CATALOGS TO CONTINUE
 
Dick Johnson writes: "Mary Mansfield, Robert Raymond Heath's 
daughter, has informed me of the plans to continue the New England 
city medal catalogs first created by Bob in 1977 and continued over 
the last twenty-five years. Bob died December 11, 2005 (E-Sylum, 
vol 8, no 54, article 2, December 25, 2005).
 
Sam Allen has agreed to take over both the New Hampshire and 
Maine series. Bob Hewey will continue the Connecticut book. Peter 
Irion was offered the Vermont cataloging chore. Bob's instructions 
were to have Anne Bentley at the Massachusetts Historical Society 
chose who will spearhead the Massachusetts series. For Rhode Island, 
Bob's instructions were to have Richard Lavimodiere work that state, 
he has replied he will "do what he can."
 
She further added "Bob started selling off his medal and coin 
collection a few years ago.  However, we did find several coins 
and medals in his file cabinet.  We are planning on contacting 
the Centennial Auction company in NH to see what they think of 
the collections."
 
May I offer a suggestion?  How wonderful it would be if these 
catalogers would work together and perhaps cooperate with Illinois
numismatist Sheldon Banoff -- who collects city medals of ALL 
American cities -- and compile one major catalog of the entire 
nation. I know, collectors may only collect those of one state, 
but how far more useful to the entire field to have all this 
numismatic data in ONE reference volume. 
 
I have mentioned in E-Sylum before the superior numbering system 
created by Bob and used throughout his catalogs -- he numbered 
every city in the state listed alphabetically -- then numbered 
the medals in chronological order. How marvelous! And every medal, 
old or new, could be added by this numbering system forever! It 
is surprisingly easy to locate any specific medal by this system.
 
Perhaps E-Sylum readers -- who would be the ultimate consumers 
of any United States city medal catalog -- would care to chime 
in. What is your preference? One master volume or separate state 
pamphlets?"


ANA JOURNAL TO DEBUT IN APRIL

The following information is taken from a draft press release 
forwarded by Barbara Gregory of the ANA:

"April will mark the debut of ANA JOURNAL (ANAJ), the American 
Numismatic Association¹s new quarterly publication devoted to 
advanced studies in numismatics. The inaugural Spring 2006 issue 
highlights the proceedings of the Maynard Sundman/Littleton Coin 
Company Lecture Series presented at the ANA World's Fair of Money 
in San Francisco in July 2005."

"The 64-page, first edition of the softbound journal is available 
at the special, introductory price of $16.95 postpaid; an annual
subscription to the series is $65.95, with individual copies 
regularly priced at $21.95.  Order from the ANA MoneyMarket, 
phone toll-free 800-467-5725"

Featured articles include:
Q. David Bowers: Great Collectors & Their Collections
Peter Huntoon, Ph.D.: 73 Years of National Bank Currency
Douglas Mudd: Image and Republican Sovereignty
Christopher Pilliod: History of Die-Making in the United States
Wendell Wolka: The Dark Side of Antebellum Banking
    
".. the American Numismatic Association's new quarterly 
publication [is] devoted to novel and emerging numismatics 
and its relation to culture, art, science and history. ANAJ 
is a peer-reviewed publication that reflects the research 
efforts of numismatists and other scholars who use coins, 
tokens, paper notes and other forms of money to study the 
world around us. It examines money as a cultural icon, how 
the necessity of distant trade led to the need for portable, 
identifiable wealth, and what the future of money holds for us."

Gail Baker adds: "There is also information on the ANA website 
at www.money.org  Click on "ANA Journal" from the "communications" 
drop-down menu or click on the link from the homepage under 
"News and Upcoming Events."


ANA NUMISMATIC BOOK CLEARANCE SALE
 
Dick Johnson writes: "The American Numismatic Association needs 
money or space, or perhaps both. Their Winter 2006 "Money Market" 
flyer arrived this week featuring a warehouse clearance sale. 
Lots of books with other products as well. 
 
Here is a chance for E-Sylum readers to fill in some gaps in 
their library at a savings. Clearance books are listed on page 
3 and 4. I smiled at their tag line on the cover "Almost-Free 
Reprints from Numismatist."  But it hooked me.  I sent off an 
order.  Try to keep your total order under $250 for an economical 
$9 shipping fee.  Bargain!"


CANADIAN WHITMAN COIN FOLDER RESEARCH PROJECT

Steve Woodland writes: "I am embarking on a small research 
effort to look into the history and production of the ubiquitous 
Whitman Coin Folders and Albums produced by the Whitman Publishing 
Company. Specifically, I am looking for information about those 
folders and albums that were produced to hold Canadian, Newfoundland, 
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island coins.
 
While I have quite a collection of the various folders and albums 
to examine, I am also interested in finding information on what 
years they were published, how many, where they were made, who 
designed them, etc, etc.  I contacted Whitman Books, but they 
were of no help, having acquired the rights from St Martin's 
Publishing via Western Publishing.  I would appreciate it greatly 
if any of the E-Sylum readers could provide me with a lead on 
where to obtain the information I seek.  I can be reached at
steve.woodland at ca.inter.net." 
 

MAIL BID AND INTERNET SALES

I noticed that the April 19, 2006 Coin Galleries sale is termed 
a "Mail and Internet Bid Sale" on the catalog cover.  I haven't 
been paying close attention and wonder if this is the first time 
this term has appeared in print.  In numismatic literature, MBS 
is the long-standing abbreviation for Mail Bid Sale.  Is the 
Coin Gallery sale a MIBS?  

Perhaps another term (such as "Absentee Sale" or "Catalogue Sale" 
would be more appropriate and long-lasting.  After all, when the 
telephone appeared, we didn't have "Mail and Telephone Bid Sales", 
did we?  Dealers have always accepted bids via all manner of 
technologies, including telephone, cable, fax, email and Internet 
as well as the old-fashioned bid sheet.  "Mail Bid Sale" has never 
been a completely accurate term, but "Mail and Internet Sale" isn't 
entirely accurate, either.  Thoughts, anyone?

To view the online Coin Galleries catalog, see:
http://www.stacks.com/auctions.php?auction=CG0406


DENVER MINT SUIT COVERED BY WALL STREET JOURNAL

We've been following the story of the Denver Mint employee suit 
for some time now.  On March 22 The Wall Street Journal covered 
the story in a page-one article.  Here are a few short excerpts.  
Certain words which might trigger spam filters have been replaced 
with alternate terms in brackets [].

"Neither the EEOC nor officials of the mint will discuss particulars 
of the allegations. The proceedings are "closed to protect the 
integrity of the process and those involved," said David Lebryk, 
acting director of the U.S. Mint..."

"The Denver Mint opened in 1862. It employs 414, including 93 
women. Most who complained to the EEOC -- women with jobs such as 
running coin-counting machines and coin presses -- earn about 
$31,000 to $43,000 a year."

"Linda Kemp, while inspecting a men's room for cleanliness, 
noticed a loose ceiling tile, moved it, and found 40 to 50 
[naughty] magazines. Ms. Kemp, who described her experiences 
in a statement given to the U.S. Mint, also told of making 
another discovery months later.

She said she was checking for rats in an attic above the plant 
engineering division. What she found there, she said, were 
"countless stacks of [naughty] magazines," a jury-rigged bare 
light bulb above and a chair with a desk-arm. It was, she wrote,
"what appeared to be [a place for doing something boys are 
told will affect their eyesight]."

[So THAT'S where those "carbon" spots came from ... -Editor]

To read the complete article (subscription required):
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114299238565404810.html 

Another copy of the article (no subscription needed) is available at:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06081/674722.stm


ARTICLE RECALLS SAN FRANCISCO MINT'S 1906 EARTHQUAKE ORDEAL

Werner G. Mayer writes: "I believe I am one of the original 
members of our organization.  I'm a member of the Token and 
Medal Society (TAMS) and Civil War Token Society (CWTS), and 
have had numerous articles published by them in the past.  
My book collecting interests are now in the Germanic area. 

The reason for this note is to alert everyone to the fine 
article in the April 2006 issue of Smithsonian magazine about 
the San Francisco earthquake and the effort it took to save 
the San Francisco Mint."

Dave Kellogg writes: "Next month is the 100th anniversary of 
the great San Francisco earthquake and resulting conflagration. 
The Smithsonian article describes the successful efforts, mainly 
by mint employees, to save the mint.  Some interesting edited 
excerpts:

"Led by a political appointee with no experience in fighting 
fires, they fought back against an inferno that melted the glass 
in the windows, burned the clothes off their backs and exploded 
the granite stone in the walls, which sounded like the thunderous
detonations of 13 inch shells."

Another: "The 'Granite Lady' was producing 60% of U.S. gold and 
silver coins and held fully a third [$300 million] of the country's 
gold reserves."  Moreover, "It was the most beautiful building west 
of Denver."

And: "With the glass melted out of so many windows, great tongues 
of flame darted into the building, setting the interior woodwork 
aflame.  The men dashed into the rooms to play water on the flames 
for as long as they could hold their breaths and  then came out to 
be relieved by another crew of willing fighters."

The author, Michael Castleman, makes the point that had the mint 
been lost, the U.S. economy would have been thrown into turmoil."

To read the full article, see:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/issues/2006/april/earthquake.php 


CONVERTING LOOSE-LEAF BOOKS TO BOUND COPIES

Following up on the comments by Dick Johnson and others about 
the shortcomings of the loose-leaf format for numismatic books, 
Bob Fritsch writes: "Like Dick, I had a problem with Bob Heath's 
New England Medal catalogs.  Those binders were just too hard 
to find.  So I asked Bob to deliver a complete set without any 
holes punched in them.  I then took them to work and used a GBC 
binder to put them together (using my binding spines of course).  
The spines have several tongues that fit into the many holes 
punched into the paper.  It makes a nice little package in a 
handy portable format.  I know some of the copy houses also do 
GBC style binding.  Get those stored catalogs out of the boxes 
and bind them so you can use them!"


RECORD-SETTING COIN MURAL MADE OF 100,000 CENTS

According to an article in the Pioneer Press of Minneapolis, "It's 
almost official: The largest permanent mural made of coins is in
Minneapolis.

On Saturday, Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer measured a mural 
inside a taco shop at Seventh Street and Marquette Avenue in 
downtown Minneapolis and, at 209.5 square feet, pronounced it 
larger than the previous record holder in Ranchero, Calif.

Now all Bill Himmelwright has to do is send in the paperwork to 
Guinness World Records, culminating 2½ months of plastering pennies 
to the wall of his restaurant to make a giant beef burrito.

The mural measures 10½ feet tall by almost 20 feet wide and is 
made up of 100,000 pennies, give or take. That's about $1,000."

"Himmelwright crafted the burrito's shell and other features 
using natural color variation in pennies. He estimates he and 
friends combed through 365,000 pennies to come up with 55,000 
coins that were brown."

To read the complete article, see:
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/twincities/news/local/14133500.htm 


NOTES ON THE SCOVILL ARCHIVES AND DIES

Dick Johnson writes: "Fellow Rittenhouse Society member George 
Fuld will be pleased to know that much of his correspondence 
with Edward H. Davis (1879-1976), longtime Scovill historian, 
is in the Baker Business Library at Harvard University among 
the Scovill papers. Davis’ papers are here as well as those of 
Scovill Manufacturing Company itself. 

We are thankful for George’s report in last week’s E-Sylum, 
which contains vital and useful data on his experience with 
Edward Davis and Scovill’s token and medal productions. But 
his last paragraph included a few misstatements and I'd like 
to offer some corrections.

Although George stated that "Davis lived for a few years 
into the early sixties", Davis died June 1976. 

And though George believed that Scovill's "medal and token 
production ceased in the 1920's", the business actually 
continued to at least 1939.  We have photocopies of Davis' 
typed inventory of the Scovill company archive collection. 
There are token and medal issues all through the 1920s and 
1930s. The last dated item in their archive collection was 
the Golden Gate Expo Medal of 1939. It was World War II that 
halted their token and medal manufacture.

Most importantly, although it was George's understanding that 
Scovill dies were sold as scrap metal.  In fact, the dies were 
very much in existence and transferred to the Waterbury Companies 
in 1961 when it took over the assets of Scovill. This firm hired 
museum consultant Bruce S. Babelon, who examined between 15,000 
and 16,000 dies, determining that 2,044 had historical significance 
and he distributed these to 18 museums in America. Not all the 
remaining dies were scrapped.  I reported on the Scovill dies in 
the March 5, 2006 E-Sylum.  
See http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v09n10a08.html.

Mint history expert Craig Scholly joined me in meeting with 
museum authority Bruce Bazelon 23 October 1998 who gave us each 
a half dozen or so Scovill dies. Thus some Scovill dies are in 
private hands. The bulk of these were button dies, since, 
obviously, the bulk of Scovill’s work (since 1829) was the 
manufacture of buttons."

Andrew W. Pollock III also noted that the archives of Scovill 
still exist, providing the following record from the National 
Union Catalogue of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC):

Author: Scovill Manufacturing Company.
Title:  Records, ca. 1790-1956 (inclusive).
Description: 321 linear ft. (942 v., 174 boxes, 81 cases)

There is much additional detail available on the web site:
http://www.loc.gov/coll/nucmc/


BANK OF ISRAEL RETURNS FAULTY SHEKELS TO DUTCH MINT

YnetNews.com published a report on March 22 that "The Bank of 
Israel suspended an order of shekel coins from the Royal Dutch 
Mint until it becomes clear how millions of faulty 1 shekel coins 
arrived in Israel. 

About a year ago it was discovered that 40 percent of a delivery 
of 9.5 million 1 shekel coins manufactured in Holland are faulty. 
At the coins department they were amazed, refused to accept the 
delivery and returned it to Holland where faulty and fine coins 
were separated." 

To read the complete article, see:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3230829,00.html 

[Are any of our readers aware of the nature of the errors?  Have 
any of the errors found their way into collector hands? -Editor]


JP MORGAN CHASE ARCHIVES $10,000 BILL

An article by Todd Haefer in the March 23 Numismatic eNewsletter 
from Numismatic News describes how a rare $10,000 note came 
into the possession of JP Morgan Chase bank.  An interesting 
tidbit at the end of the article hints that the company may be 
considering forming a numismatic museum.

"The large bill, issued from Chicago, was discovered in a bank 
customer's safety deposit box after the owner died 20 years ago. 
The woman's family exchanged the note at face value at that time 
and the bank stored the bill in a plastic sleeve for protection. 
Now, 20 years later, the bill is worth between $50,000-$85,000." 

"Marc Michaelsen, a paper money dealer based in Boca Raton, Fla., 
said government figures he has seen show that there are 334 
unredeemed $10,000s. Of those, dealers have recorded about 200. 

Coleman said while the Chase archives are currently available 
only to employees, there is discussion about starting a money 
museum."

To subscribe to the Numismatic News eNewsletter, go to:
http://www.collect.com/coinemail/ 

[It would be a curious turn of events to see a new numismatic 
museum coming about under the auspices of the new JPMorgan 
ownership so many years after the dispersal of the wonderful 
Chase Manhattan Money Museum.  I wonder if the current management 
is event aware that there was such a thing at one time. -Editor]


THE BILLION DOLLAR BOND SCAM

Regarding last week's story about the billion dollar bills, 
Tom DeLorey writes: "The (insert Extremely Large Denomination 
here) notes / bonds / whatevers are a Philippine version of 
the old Nigerian oil money scam. Some fellow over there has 
these "whatevers" that were hidden from the Japanese during 
World War II and recently found, and he needs help from 
somebody in the United States to cash them in. The helper 
will receive a 20% commission for doing so, but there are 
some trivial expenses that need to be met first, if you can 
only send us $5,000????
 
We have had two potential victims come into the coin shop 
asking if it could be true. One of them had a photocopy of 
a $50,000,000 bond dated 1934 that was photoshopped together 
including a portrait of President Grant from the $50 bill that 
came out around 2001. Him we convinced. The other guy left 
the shop still wanting to believe that he was going to make 
all that commission....."

[The ones who came to the coin shop were the smart ones. 
How many dummies actually fall for this scam?  -Editor]
 

THE NEW $10 BILL: A CIRCUS TICKET?

Every new coin or banknote design draws attracts critics.  
A March 20 article in the Contra Costa Times of Walnut Creek, 
CA was among the first to publish an article criticizing the 
new U.S. $10 note.

"I fired up the Andy Jackson and slid it across the counter 
to the clerk.  She didn't seem impressed by my rare flash of 
wealth, but, as she gave me my change, she inadvertently 
installed a molehill on my learning curve.

"What's this?" I asked. "A circus ticket?"

"It's the new 10," she said, "Strange, huh?"

"Growing up, I became accustomed to having money that was 
plain and dull, with pictures of uncomfortable-looking 
patriots and 16th century heroes. It was monochromatic, and 
the only interesting stuff was in things like the eye on top 
of the pyramid, or the two kids selling Kool-Aid in front of 
the White House on the back of the 20 (OK, I made that one up).

Generally, though, all I've known throughout my life is dull 
money.  And then this 10 comes along, loud as a calliope in 
a Laundromat, and looking every bit as garish as the francs 
my uncle brought home after World War II."

"What's the deal with the colors? The 10 is now printed in 
about a million different colors that will certainly tell 
those around the world, who look to us for leadership, that 
the United States of America is facing a severe ink shortage."

"There's also that numeral 10 on the lower right of the bill. 
It's printed in color-shifting ink, that looks like a 10 when 
you see it head on, but like Ruth Bader Ginsburg driving a 
Pontiac when you turn it to the left..."

To read the complete story, see:
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/local/states/california/141
41593.htm 


MONTANA QUARTER DESIGN VOTING HITS SNAG

The Great Falls Tribune of Montana reported on a delay in the 
selection process for the new Montana state quarter design:

"Although Gov. Brian Schweitzer originally had planned to announce 
the new design by the end of the month, the U.S. Treasury Department 
has yet to approve the four finalists, according to Schweitzer 
spokesman Adam Pimley.

So, the Web site where Montanans could cast their vote isn't up 
and running.

Alert numismatist (most of us would call her a coin collector) 
Debbe Harris of Great Falls noticed that the voting page wasn't 
working when she went to the site to record her preference."

The four designs may be viewed at
http://governor.mt.gov/hottopics/mtquarters.asp  

To read the complete story, see:
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060323/NEWS01/
603230302/1002 


THOMPSON'S 1783 ESSAY ON COINING

Jeff Hawk writes: "I am reading (and enjoying) "Money of the 
World", by Richard G. Doty. Some of the illustrations in the 
book are taken from "An Essay on Coining", described as a 
one-of-a-kind hand-drawn book by Samuel Thompson, written in 
1783.  I believe I have seen drawings from this book in other 
books I have read.

Has anyone ever commercially or privately published a facsimile 
edition of this interesting book, so that those of us who have 
seen selected drawings from it could buy or at least borrow a 
copy?"

[Great question.  I checked with Dick Doty and learned the 
book is in the library of the American Numismatic Society. 
A query to ANS Librarian Frank Campbell brought the following
Response. -Editor]

Frank Campbell writes: "An Essay on Coining," by Samuel Thompson 
(Die - Sinker) was produced in 1783. The verso of the fly-leaf 
includes the following hand-written information: "Mathew Bredon, 
13 [unclear letter, perhaps S.] Camden St., Dublin and "original
illustrative drawings in india ink."  There is no accession 
information present.

In Library Committee discussions concerning possible candidates 
for facsimile reproduction, I have mentioned it as a candidate. 
However, it consists of some 56 pages (some blank) and would be 
a departure from the single page broadside of the 1828 sale of 
the Benjamin Watkins estate, by George Nichols, that is presently 
in preparation.  Consequently, any consideration of producing a 
facsimile would have to be guided by the expense of the 
undertaking.

Before I became Librarian of the Society, some of the plates in 
the volume were reproduced for an article that appeared in "The 
Colonial Newsletter." The same negatives used for that article 
were used again for subsequent publications, among which were 
ones used by Taxay and Doty."
   
[There you have it - the original resides safely in the ANS 
Library, but is not known to have been reprinted in its entirety.
Many thanks to Dick and Frank for their prompt responses to
Jeff's query.  Subscriber participation is what makes editing
The E-Sylum a delight.  -Editor]


SPINK SALE OF RARE BERWICK COINS FROM LARIVIERE COLLECTION

Berwick Today of Scotland published an article on the upcoming 
Spink sale of coins minted in their town:
 
"Four rare coins made in Berwick more than five hundred years 
ago are expected to fetch a total of £3150 when they are 
auctioned at Spink in London on March 29.
 
The most valuable of these coins, tipped to sell for up to £1200, 
is a silver groat made in Berwick during the reign of King James 
III of Scotland in or around 1467 — just 36 years after the burning 
of Joan of Arc and 25 years before Christopher Columbus discovered 
the West Indies."

"May Sinclair, Scottish coins expert at Spink, said: "In 1467, 
a groat would certainly have been enough to keep an entire Berwick 
family for a week or more." 

"The coins are among 289 Scottish coins — described by Spink 
as one of the finest privately-owned Scottish collections — 
which are expected to fetch between £332,000 and £407,000 at 
the auction. 

The collection belongs to and has been put up for sale by an 
American collector named Lucien LaRiviere."

http://www.berwicktoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=970&ArticleID=1396
102 


SALE OF HEAVIEST HAMMERED BRITISH GOLD COIN

The Scotsman reports on an upcoming auction of another Scottish 
coin, but fails to tell us who the auctioneer is.  Tom Fort tells
me it refers to the same Spink sale of the Lucien LaRiviere 
collection.

"The 20lb gold piece, dating from 1575 and featuring the "Boy 
King", is the heaviest hand-hammered gold coin ever struck in 
the British Isles and is only one of seven believed to be in 
the hands of private collectors. The auction will be in London 
on 29 March."

To read the complete article, see:
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=417902006 


EDITORIAL PROTESTS RETURN OF COIN CACHE TO SAUDI ARABIA

Last week we mentioned the cache of ancient coins seized from 
a Florida man and returned to Saudi Arabia.  

A March 21, 2006 editorial in the New York Sun asks "Why is 
the American government using money it extracts from American 
taxpayers to enforce other countries' misguided cultural 
patrimony laws?"

"Now that the Italians have managed to raid the Metropolitan 
Museum of Art under Mussolini's patrimony laws, who's going 
to be next? How about Saudi Arabia? If you think that's 
far-fetched, feature what happened earlier this month, when 
federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers leaned 
on a Florida man and forced him to surrender to the Saudis a 
trove of medieval Islamic coins he'd found in the Red Sea and 
saved and was preparing to preserve."

The private collector was trying to dig up information on how 
best to conserve his finds in preparation for finding a willing 
buyer. In other words, the activities of this individual 
illuminate that a private market for antiquities provides 
incentives to care for those antiquities. The big fear now 
shouldn't be whether other private individuals will join in 
the trade of antiquities such as these coins, but rather whether 
the government has provided a disincentive to preserve valuable 
objects out of fear that doing so might draw the unwanted gaze 
of cultural enforcers."

To read the complete editorial, see
http://www.nysun.com/article/29514

To view images of the coins, see:
http://nyjtimes.com/cover/03-14-06/13thCenturyCoinsReturnedToSaudis.htm


ANOTHER ELONGATED COIN PRESS REPORT
 
Dick Johnson writes: "Of all the peripheral numismatic material, 
elongated coins, it seems, gets the greatest amount of mainstream 
press. Forty years ago articles on elongated items were no where 
to be found. Today it seems there is one a week.
 
This week's article is a charmer. It comes from Yakima Washington 
Herald entitled "Guilty Pleasures - Penny Smashing."  The article 
is unsigned, undoubtedly "Guilty Pleasures" author is a man (for 
the language he uses). But it's great writing!
 
Do click on this. You'll enjoy it.
http://www.yakima-herald.com/page/dis/323065636687409 "


JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY TOKEN AND MEDAL COLLECTIONS

Alan V. Weinberg writes: "Perhaps George Fuld, who catalogued 
the Garrett/JHU collection of medals and tokens, can write an 
E-Sylum story on acquiring the collection for auction, 
transporting it, cataloguing it and his impressions as he 
unwrapped and examined some of the most extraordinary collectibles 
ever seen, many of which sold to John J. Ford and other notable 
collectors. 

I'm certain George examined at length the medals and tokens 
under the auspices of Dr. Sarah Freeman, Evergreen House curator, 
many times before JHU decided to auction the collection as both 
George and the Garrett collection were in Baltimore. He probably 
also knows some details behind later JHU numismatic curator, the 
late Carl Carlson's private transactions with early American 
coin dealer Richard Picker.
 
I recall distinctly going up to the Bowers & Ruddy Galleries 
office in Hollywood right after the Garrett/JHU collection came 
in and was being unwrapped. I asked George what particular medal  
in the collection most impressed him. He showed me a paper-wrapped 
package which revealed an astonishing piece: a large, heavy, 
prooflike, toned  completely hand-engraved silver medal with a 
detailed hand-engraved portrait of Abraham Lincoln on obverse 
and on the reverse a detailed engraved award inscription from 
Secret Service head General LaFayette C. Baker to  Capt. George 
Cottingham  for tracking and shooting down John Wilkes Booth, 
the President's assassin. 

The inscription indicated the Captain also rec'd $1,000, an 
enormous amount at that time. The medal was pedigreed all the 
way back to an 1884 H G Sampson auction of the J C Hills collection 
where T.Harrison Garrett obtained it for $42. The medal and dollar 
award were mentioned specifically in General Baker's published 1867 
Secret Service memoirs.
 
I asked George what he expected it to bring at auction - he replied 
"perhaps $5,000." I acquired it in 1981 at Garrett IV for $26,000 
and still have it."
 

NEW CHARGES EXPECTED IN ROOFERS BANKNOTE HOARD CASE

Dick Hanscom forwarded a link to the latest news in the tale 
of the Massachusetts roofers who found a valuable cache of paper 
money while working on a barn.

"Police say they are ready to take another attempt at charging 
four men they say stole thousands of dollars in antique bills 
from a Newbury barn and later fabricated a story about finding 
buried treasure in a Methuen backyard.

Charges were dropped against the men a month ago when their 
lawyers argued the police did not have enough evidence when 
they arrested them. 

Methuen Police Chief Joseph Solomon said the main problem was 
clerical: The judge did not like the way the police report was 
filed with the court, he said. 

He said the police have been working with the District Attorney's 
Office to compile a new report, which they will use to refile 
the charges in the next two to three weeks."

"The four men were arrested last April after appearing on a 
series of national television shows describing how they found 
the money buried in Kevin Kozak's Methuen backyard. 

Police said Billcliff, 28, of Manchester, N.H., and Tim Crebase, 
24, of Methuen actually found the money stashed in the eaves of 
a Newbury barn when Sylvia Littlefield, 75, hired them to repair 
her roof. Billcliff and Crebase then convinced their friends 
Kozak, 28, and Matthew Ingham, 23, of Newton, N.H., to 
corroborate their story, the police said.

The trove of 1,800 antique bills dating from 1899 to 1928 had 
a face value of about $7,000, but a coin dealer who had been 
contacted by the roofers to appraise the money said he received 
an offer of $400 per bill — a total of $720,000 — from a collector."

To read the complete article, see:
http://www.ecnnews.com/cgi-bin/05/ntstory.pl?sec-News+fn-nrefiled-20060320- 


JEFFERSON PORTRAIT: BY SMILLIE OR BURT?

Bob Neale writes: "Was the engraver of Jefferson's portrait for 
stamps and currency (as per the painting by Gilbert Stuart selected 
as the official rendition in 1867): James Smillie, or Charles Burt? 
Both have been credited, and both repeatedly. I have not yet found 
a definitive source. I wonder whether Burt worked for Smillie? I 
would appreciate reference to such a definitive source 
(robtneale at aol.com) should a reader have it handy." 


GILROY ROBERTS VISITS PRESIDENT KENNEDY

Katie Jaeger writes: "In response to Mr. DeLorey's question, 
The Jefferson Coin & Bullion website has this on Gilroy Roberts 
White house visit to do Kennedy's inaugural medal:

Roberts had met the young president at the White House in 1961, 
while working on his portrait for the presidential medal, and 
that session provided invaluable insights when the time came to 
prepare the new coin. “I was favorably impressed by President 
Kennedy during our brief meeting,” Roberts recalled years later. 
“He was very personable, very dynamic, and he had a very outgoing
personality.”

“He didn't give me a critique of my work,” the artist added. 
“Rather, he asked for my opinion. And he also wanted to know what 
political significance this medal had – which, of course, is a 
politician's view of anything that's being done. I was kind of 
amused by that, and I told him: ‘Mister President, this has no 
political overtones at all.’ In any case, I found the experience 
very worthwhile – and very helpful, too, when it came time to do 
the half dollar.” 

To read the complete article, see:
http://www.jeffersoncoinandbullion.com/article32.shtml 


DO PRESIDENTS POSE FOR MEDAL ARTISTS?

Dick Johnson writes: "Artist Emil Fuchs in his autobiography 
relates how British royalty sat for this artist in his preparation 
of both official British postal stamps and medals. Theodore Roosevelt 
sat for Victor D. Brenner at the president’s home on Oyster Bay Long 
Island, for a medal for the Panama Canal. For most American presidents,
however, it is more often photographs that medal sculptors work with. 
This is in reply to Tom DeLorey’s inquiry in last week’s E-Sylum on
presidential visits to mint engravers (more likely engravers visit 
the president!) for their inaugural medal portraits.

Sitting for a mint engraver was such a rarity that John R. Sinnock 
added "Ad Vivum" (from life, that is, posed in person) to two medals 
in 1929 (first use of this term I know of in America). One was a 
Thomas Edison Plaquette, the other was J. Ramsay MacDonald Medal 
(British prime minister who visited America that year); both medals 
were struck by Medallic Art Company. 

Flush with this success Sinnock requested and received permission 
for Franklin D. Roosevelt to pose for him in 1933 for his U.S. Mint
President medal. He did this also for Harry S Truman in 1945, and 
for four Secretaries of the Treasury - William H. Woodin (1932), 
Henry Morganthau Jr (1935), Fred M. Vinson (1946) and John W. Snyder 
(1946). Nellie Tayloe Ross also sat for him in 1933 for her Mint 
Director Medal.

For the official inaugural medals, Jo Davison watched films of 
Franklin Roosevelt for his inspiration for the Roosevelt Inaugural 
Medal of 1941. Ideally when preparing a bas-relief portrait for a 
medal, a sculptor would like to see detailed photographs from a 
number of views. Since most portraits are side views, a sculptor 
would like to choose which side but examine photos of both sides, 
front and three-quarter views. 

Harry Truman sat for Carl Paul Jennewein for his official inaugural 
medal of 1949. He added "Ad Vivum." The term always appears with a
signature.

Decisions for the sculptor and the private medal firm to strike 
the official inaugural medals are made quickly after a presidential
election. I was involved with the Ronald Reagan medal of 1981 as a
consultant to Medallic Art Company which had won the contract to 
strike the Reagan Inaugural Medal. In Reagan’s case he had a 
favorite sculptor he wanted to do his portrait, Edward Fraughton 
of Utah. 

Reagan would be at his ranch in California for only a short time 
before going to Washington. So we had to get the sculptor to his 
ranch, and since the sculptor had never done a medal before he had 
to get a crash course in medal modeling (no undercuts!). We hired 
a public relations firm, Ruder & Finn for this project, one of 
their responsibilities was hiring a photographer in California to 
record Reagan sitting for the artist. Those of you who have Joe 
Levine’s book "A Collectors Guide to Presidential Inaugural Medals 
and Memorabilia" (which my partner and I published) can view the 
photographs of this event. Seven photos pages 104-106.

In most instances a sculptor’s time with a subject is limited. 
Most often they will prepare a clay model as far as they can 
beforehand. Using photographs (far beyond the drawing stage), thus 
employing their time with the subject to refine their three-dimensional
 design, make certain the profile is accurate, the lines around the 
eyes are proper and "the warts are all in the right place." A 
professional medallic sculptor can create a portrait from life 
or from photos – it’s all in a day’s work for this artist."


NEW NOTES ENTER CIRCULATION IN AZERBAIJAN

Today.Az reports that new 10 and 20 AZN banknotes have been put 
into circulation in Azerbaijan.

"10 AZN banknote depicts the history of the statehood of Azerbaijan. 
It reflects the ancient Baku, the Palace of Shirvanshahs, description 
of typical Azerbaijani carpet, and the country's integration into 
Europe.

20 AZN worth banknote is dedicated to Karabakh symbolizing the 
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. It reflects a sword, helmet, 
shield and the Khari Bulbul which is the symbol of peace and 
national patterns behind."

To read the full story and view images of the new notes, see:
http://www.today.az/news/business/24292.html 


NOVELETTE REVIEW: DAVID HATFIELD'S "NUMISMATIST" GIVEN THUMBS UP
  
Earlier this year, in our February 19 issue, David Hatfield alerted 
us to a 20-page novelette featuring a large cent collector in the 
upcoming April issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact.

The issue has now hit the stands and Ed Krivoniak writes: "The 
story is entitled Numismatist by Richard A. Lovett and is really 
quite good."

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v09n08a24.html 


CURRENCY CONTROL COUPONS SOUGHT

Jim Downey authored a nice article in the March 20, 2006 MPC GRAM 
(v7n1441) about currency control coupons used by U.S. troops in 
Germany.
 
"Most MPC collectors are familiar with the currency control 
coupons that were used by Thai and South Korean troops in Viet 
Nam.  In addition to MPC, each soldier was also given coupons in 
an amount equivalent to the amount of pay.  The coupons were 
necessary for purchases at official establishments or exchange 
into their own currency.  The purpose of the coupons was to limit 
the amount of money that these people could spend or exchange.  
Even if they participated in black market activities or other 
unsanctioned activities, they would never be able to spend or 
exchange more than their pay amounts because of the limitation 
on the amount of coupons they possessed."

Downey's article notes a discovery of documentation stating 
that the United States used currency control coupons in the US 
Sector of Berlin in July 1946. 

"At this time US personnel in Germany were paid in Allied Military 
marks. The coupons were issued in books of 5, 10 and 20 dollars 
by the finance office of each unit.  When an individual made a 
purchase at an official establishment (PX, mess, snack bar, etc.), 
the coupon book was presented along with the marks for the purchase.  
The dollar equivalent of coupons was removed by the merchant from 
the books to validate the marks used for the purchase."

Downey notes that collectors are unaware of the existence of any 
US dollar currency control coupons for Germany. 

"Where were they printed?  What did they look like?  Did they have 
serial numbers?  What were the denominations?  Too many questions, 
not enough information.

The answers to these questions might be found in the records at 
the National Archives or other repository of information.  Hopefully, 
some of the answers can be found in a scrapbook or dealer's junk box!"


TYPO TIME: INVERTABRATE GAMBLER

Martin Purdy writes: "Thanks for the link to the Britannia article.  
I'm sure there's a typo in this part, though:

"Providentially, she met another Charles Stuart, a distant relative 
and 4th cousin of the King. This Charles was the 4th Duke of Richmond 
and 6th Duke of Lennox. He was extravagant, an invertebrate gambler 
and a drinker, but Frances saw him as a convenient way out of her 
fraught relationship with the King."

That has to be *inveterate* gambler, surely!"


BIBLIOPHILES FILL HOMES TO THE BRIM

John Kraljevich forwarded this article from the Washington 
Post about the plight of bibliophiles running out of room to 
store their libraries:

"But when he moved to a one-bedroom Dupont Circle apartment 
with a partner who collects large art and architecture books, 
Ramponi had to exile those cherished culinary texts to a pair 
of rented storage units several blocks away.

Since 2002, he has spent more than $5,000 to keep them there, 
which "may be more than they are all worth," he concedes. "But 
there is a sentimental attachment and I associate them with 
places I've been, people I know."

"Then there is the Georgetown widow who requests anonymity to 
keep her literary "addiction" secret. She admits she once 
seriously considered buying and moving into the house next door, 
leaving her mushrooming book collection at the old address. 
Ultimately she could not justify carrying two mortgages, even 
though her own living space has been reduced to narrow paths 
winding past groaning shelves and grocery sacks filled with 
secondhand books.

"You think if you keep buying books you will never die until 
you've read them all," she says. "Of course, that's absurd."

"Washington, with its affluent and educated populace, is a 
natural habitat for bibliomaniacs, defined by the late British 
author Sir Hugh Walpole as those "to whom books are like bottles 
of whiskey to the inebriate, to whom anything that is between 
covers has a sort of intoxicating savour."

To read the entire article, see:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/22/AR2006032200
557.html 


FEATURED WEB PAGE: BARBADOS COPPERS OF 1788 AND 1792

This week's featured web page is an introduction to the Barbados 
Coppers of 1788 and 1792, on the web site of the Coin and Currency
Collections at the University of Notre Dame.

http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCoin/ColCoinIntros/Barbados.intro.html 


Wayne Homren
Numismatic Bibliomania Society


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