The E-Sylum v10#42, October 21, 2007

esylum at binhost.com esylum at binhost.com
Mon Oct 22 06:44:40 PDT 2007


Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 10, Number 42, October 21, 2007:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2007, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.


WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM OCTOBER 21, 2007

This issue was published Monday morning because well, I just 
couldn't stay up late enough to get it all done - sorry!

Among our recent subscribers are Al Adams of Gold Rush Gallery, 
Inc., courtesy of Alan Weinberg and Fred Holabird; Alan Stahl 
of Princeton University, and John Sallay.  Welcome aboard!  
After purging some inactive email accounts we now have 1,072 
subscribers.

This week we open with information on the latest issue of The 
Asylum (our print journal) and Roger deWardt Lane's 'Modern 
Dime Size Silver Coins of the World'.  Next, Alan Weinberg 
fills us in on action at this week's John J. Ford auctions 
at Stack's, and the U.S. numismatic world is buzzing over 
the ANA's anticlimactic firing of Executive Director Chris 
Cipoletti.  

In news from the old Mints, the New Orleans Mint museum reopens 
with an exhibit on gold, and archaeologists working on the 
grounds of the old Carson City Mint building report on 
artifacts they've uncovered.

In responses from last week's issue, Saul Teichman writes 
about Brand, Farouk, Newcomer, Woodin and Breen pedigrees, 
and Warner Talso opens a new discussion on the aftermarket for 
numismatic literature.  Thanks also to W. David Perkins of 
Centennial, CO for responding to Jonathan Brecher's request 
for medals needed to illustrate the new edition of the 
Hibler-Kappen So-Called Dollars book.

I've penned a short numismatic diary for this week covering 
a number of events that may be of interest to some of you.  
In the news are reports on the Utah quarter striking ceremony, 
problems with the new sheqalim copper-nickel coins in Israel, 
and Spain gets up close and personal with the Odyssey Explorer.  
To learn about the elongated pig coins from the 'Pork BBQ 
Capital', read on.  Have a great week, everyone.

Wayne Homren
Numismatic Bibliomania Society


LATEST ASYLUM ISSUE ON THE WAY

David Yoon, editor of our print journal, The Asylum writes: 
"I've sent another issue of The Asylum (vol. 25 no. 3) to the 
printers.  The contents are:

Howard Spindel - Revolutionizing the Numismatic Reference 
John W. Adams - The Legend of Storelli 
Leonard Augsburger and Joel Orosz - An Evening with Harry Forman 
Report on the Meetings in Milwaukee "

[Back issues of The Asylum have become quite valuable as 
references.  While The E-Sylum is free to all, only paid-up 
members of NBS receive The Asylum.  As always, information 
on joining the Numismatic Bibliomania Society can be found 
at the end of every E-Sylum issue.  -Editor]


ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SMALL SILVER COINS BY ROGER DEWARDT LANE

Roger deWardt Lane writes: "Nearly forty years ago, I 
started my interest in Modern Dime Size Silver Coins of 
the World, and put together a type set of 18 mm silver coins 
from countries around the world.  The dates started with the 
issues of Queen Victoria and ended with the last circulating 
silver coins of this size - 1970 Netherlands Antilles, minted 
in Holland.

Several years later, I enlarged the series to include 17mm - 
19mm, all dates, mintmarks, assay initials and fineness 
arranged by date order within mints. The collection will 
never be completed, unless taken over by an institution or 
individual with unlimited time plus some wealth and great 
fortitude. 

The manuscript was reworked many times: hand-printed, 
AppleWriter, WordStar, MSword, Adobe PageMaker and finally 
Acrobat. A laser printed copy was donated to The American 
Numismatic Society Library and I have the other copy. In 
2002 a CD-ROM was burned with a few copies to numismatic 
friends and a few sold at my local coin clubs.

In 2003 an improved disc was created and copies were presented 
to the American Numismatic Association, Numismatic International, 
Numismatic Literary Guild and others. Since the subject is 
extremely specialized, I have, with this final update, presented 
it to the numismatic community.

This 2007 Third Edition in Adobe Acrobat is posted on 
TheDimeMan's web site, with each country a separate chapter.  
Files can be copied to your hard drive. The full works is 
copyrighted 2001 by Roger deWardt Lane. There are over one 
hundred files. Excluded are countries outside this series."

To read 'Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?' see:
http://www.dewardt.net/brother.html 

[Many thanks to Roger for making his effort available to all 
numismatists.  More than "just" a catalog, the work includes 
a lot of interesting stories and anecdotes about some of the 
coins.  I encourage readers with interest in world coins to 
review the files and let us know their thoughts.  -Editor]


WHAT FABULOUS ASSAY INGOTS

Pete Smith writes: "I was amused by the quote from John 
Ford, 'I have a monetary assay ingot that I think is a 
fabulous piece.' I looked up the definition of 'fabulous' 
in my dictionary: Fabulous 1. of or like a fable, imaginary, 
fictitious or legendary. Was Ford admitting that the piece 
was fictitious?"

[Last week in my comments following John Kleeberg's review 
of the John J. Ford sale XXI catalog I noted the unusually 
wide estimate ranges for Ford's Western Assay Bars and was 
curious to see how the numismatic market would react to the 
sale.  Alan Weinberg's attended the auction and the answer 
is in his report below.  -Editor]

  JOHN KLEEBERG ON THE FORD INGOT SALE
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n41a07.html


ALAN WEINBERG ON THE STACK'S JOHN J. FORD XX AND XXI SALES
 
Alan V. Weinberg writes: "Wow! I've just last night 
returned from the final two catalogued and scheduled 
John J Ford, Jr. Stack's auctions in New York in the 
penthouse of the Le Parker-Meridien Hotel across 57th 
Street from Stack's offices.

"These sales have continued since October 2003. It seems 
like just yesterday that an enthusiastic Larry Stack called 
me and others to announce the coup. Ford had personally 
told me many times that his collection would not come up 
for auction for 20 years after he died. So much for the 
plans of mice and men. 
 
"These two final sales were a fitting close to this 
historic four-year offering. The audience in the penthouse, 
with a full view of Central Park and the New York skyline, 
was enthusiastic and largely filled. For the first time, 
everyone had a table top. Some of the active attendees 
and bidders were Bill Anton, Tony Terranova, Russell 
Augustin, Don Kagin, Fred Holabird, John Kraljevich, Ron 
Karp, John Dannreuther, Martin Paul, Scott Rubin and  
private collectors unknown to me. And of course master 
cataloguer Mike Hodder, one of the two men singularly 
responsible for the Ford sales being so successful and 
historic - the other being Larry Stack.
 
"The phone bank was very active with many phone bidders 
being quite successful in their pursuits. A phone bidder 
may be at some distance or may be nearby in his hotel room, 
not wishing his prospective competitors to know who's 
bidding. Additionally, Larry Stack and Bruce Hagen handled 
a dozen or more selected clients' "floor bids" and cell 
phone bids which were bid aggressively and successfully. 
 
"There was some pre-sale speculation about part XXI (the 
Ingot sale) not being successful due to the controversial 
nature of many ingots and their Paul Franklin provenance. 
So it was something of a surprise to watch this vigorously 
contested auction succeed with every lot selling for record 
prices. A dated Wiegand $20 gold ingot for $87,500 hammer 
to Don Kagin, a unique Meyers gold $18 ingot for $75K hammer 
to bidder 890 underbid by Tony Terranova, and so many 
others in the $20K- $30K range.
 
"I know little of obsolete paper currency but there were 
certainly more than a few knowledgeable bidders for this 
group with the California Salt Lake Mail Line $50 at $32,500 
hammer to agent Bruce Hagan bidding for phone bidder 174, a 
Utah Territory currency copper plate hammering for $24K to 
phone bidder 429 and an interesting Brother Jonathan Steamship 
cabin ticket for $3,500 hammer to Fred Holabird underbid by 
John Kraljevich. Bill Anton, Kagin-Holabird, Ron Karp and 
Tony Terranova dominated the obsolete currency and paper 
ephemera among physically present floor bidders but the 
phone bidders were hugely successful too.
 
"The tokens, medals and Pioneer gold patterns really opened 
one's eyes. Standing out as undoubtedly the most unusual 
and aesthetically-pleasing item in the entire Ford collection  
was the gold nugget -encrusted hand-constructed 1850 San 
Francisco gold Alderman's medal which sold for a total 
$316,250 to Tony Terranova for a client, Larry Stack for 
himself, the underbidder. (JJF's favorite two medals were 
his silver John Jacob Astor Indian Peace Medal and this 
Alderman's medal )   

This was the third highest auction price ever realized 
for an American medal, surpassed only by the Stack's-sold 
gold Zachary Taylor Congressional gold medal at $460K 
total two years ago and the Saint-Gaudens 1889 Centennial 
George Washington Inauguration medal in gold at $391K.  
The three 1850's Committee of Vigilance silver medals all 
sold to Don Kagin for $31,625 and $25,300 for the last 
two medals. It was only a few years ago that Kagin sold 
one for $7,500 to a California dealer!
 
"But there were some literally laughable auction results 
too - in a 'what were they thinking?' fashion : a set of 
three 1969-struck Empire City Mine fantasy tokens for $1,300 
hammer, a set of three J.J. Conway restrike denominations, 
struck in 1956 and quite common on eBay, for (gasp!) $4,000 
hammer. And to cap this off, how about two Unc specimens 
of the extremely common  1849 Liberty Head / kneeling miner 
brass game counters (I've seen 500 if I've seen 1) for $650 
and $750 hammer to Kagin and Karp. What were the bidders 
thinking?
 
"Mid-way, Stack's set up a sumptuous Greek food buffet, 
thoughtful since the auction commenced at 5 PM and would 
go on into the late night. Could the influence of Christine 
Karstadt and American Numismatic Rarities have something 
to do with this? Yup. 
 
"At the conclusion of the two Ford sales parts XX and XXI, 
Larry Stack and Mike Hodder bear-hugged each other in the 
auction room, clearly overjoyed that all their blood, 
sweat and tears resulted in magnificent results. It was 
more than just a higher gross. It was a vindication of 
the cataloguing effort, the sales and publicity effort, 
and a fitting final salute to a man they both knew very 
well - John Ford. Ford would have been proud. 

[I understand that four members of the Ford family attended
the sale.  So it seems the market has spoken - the assay 
ingots, several of which had been in question, sold for 
record amounts.   Skeptics may well note that it only takes 
two fools to create a record price, but that can be said 
of any auction.  The high prices paid for relatively common 
pieces described by Alan could be cited as evidence of the 
presence of fools among the bidders, yet this phenomenon 
is not uncommon in big-name collection sales, where bidders 
have been known to overpay as a premium for the name. 

Since the beginning of The Great Debate over assay bars it's 
been clear that the controversy has long legs.  The questions 
initially raised many years ago will continue to be debated 
into the future; this sale is only the latest episode in a 
long saga.   It will be interesting to see how events unfold 
from here.

I look forward to purchasing the remaining hardbound 
versions of the Ford sale catalogs to complete my set.  
Despite the controversies and mysteriously missing items 
the sales remain a landmark record of a legendary 
never-to-be-seen again collection.  They are a core holding 
of an American numismatic library and I expect the set will 
remain in high demand for generations.  Congratulations to 
Mike Hodder and Stack's for a job well done.  -Editor]
 
Alan adds: "Steve Tanenbaum advises me that the remaining 
unsold Ford collection segments detailed in last week's 
E-Sylum should also include one of the finest collections 
of early Canadian Breton tokens and Donald C. Miller-listed 
storecard tokens.
 
"Additionally, there was an error last week splitting a 
paragraph and leaving it open to interpretation. Accurately, 
it should list as still unsold the finest collection of 
pseudo-Low Hard Times tokens (documented Hard Times tokens 
but unlisted in the original Lyman Low listing) which 
surpasses in value Ford's Hard Times tokens which were 
auctioned in Chicago."


ANA FIRES FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CIPOLETTI

[It's old news by now, but because of our coverage of the 
various goings-on surrounding the ANA, here is the complete 
text of the organization's press release following the 
recent Board of Governors meeting.  -Editor]

The American Numismatic Association Board of Governors, 
on Tuesday, announced that Executive Director Chris Cipoletti 
has been terminated with cause, effective 5:01 p.m. Oct. 16. 

The Board, meeting at ANA headquarters, voted 8-0, with 
Governor Edward C. Rochette abstaining, to end Cipoletti's 
tenure as the Association's Executive Director and General 
Counsel. The Board also voted 8-0, with Governor Chester 
Krause absent, to terminate all financial and trustee 
relationships including the position of corporate agent 
held by Cipoletti by virtue of his employment as executive 
director and general counsel. The action refers specifically 
to removing Cipoletti's name as a signature authority on 
all ANA credit card, investment, pension and banking accounts. 

ANA President Barry Stuppler said he could not give specifics 
about the decision because it was a personnel matter but 
added, "We felt there was adequate cause to fire him." 

The Board also authorized a search for a new executive 
director. The Executive Review and Compensation Committee, 
comprised of Stuppler, Vice President Patricia Jagger Finner, 
Governor Clifford Mishler and General Counsel Ron Sirna, 
were charged with setting up a procedure to implement the 
search. Applications for the position will not be accepted 
until the procedure is established. 

Kenneth Hallenbeck will continue as acting executive director 
until a new executive director is hired, with Kim Kiick 
serving as chief operating officer. Sirna, an attorney from 
Flint, Mich., was transferred from his appointment as 
Counsel to the President to General Counsel. 

Cipoletti, who replaced Rochette as executive director in 
2003, was placed on administrative leave in August. He began 
working for the ANA in 1997 and was named its general 
counsel in 1998. 

The ANA Board of Governors met in executive session on Oct. 
15 and 16, and held an open session beginning at noon on 
Oct. 16. An audio tape of the open session can be heard in 
streaming audio on the ANA website at
http://www.money.org/Content/NavigationMenu/AboutANA/BoardofGovernors2/defau
lt.htm .

[The Colorado Springs Gazette published an article about 
the board's move.  Here are some excerpts.  -Editor]

Christopher Cipoletti has been fired as executive director 
and legal counsel of the Colorado Springs-based American 
Numismatic Association, the nation’s largest coin collector 
organization, effective 5 p.m. Tuesday. 

"The association’s nine-member board of governors voted to 
'terminate with cause' Cipoletti’s employment in a closed 
executive session Monday evening and announced the decision 
Tuesday during a public meeting broadcast to the organization’s 
35 staff members. 

"The move by the board, voted in by the organization’s 
32,000 members a few months ago, caps years of turmoil for 
the association, which was federally chartered by Congress 
in 1891 as an educational, historical and scientific 
nonprofit organization. Questions about finances, claims 
of secrecy, staff turnover and a pending lawsuit have 
plagued the organization. 

"'It may be fall outside, but to us it’s bright spring — 
this board and staff are paving the way for the association 
to move up and beyond where it’s been,' said Ed Rochette 
after Tuesday’s announcements. Rochette served as association 
executive director before Cipoletti’s term and is now a 
board member. The local money museum is named after him. 

"An arbitrator will help settle Cipoletti’s employment 
contract with the association, which runs through Dec. 31, 
2008, with an option for a five-year renewal, Stuppler said. 
The organization’s projected $800,000 operating budget 
deficit for this fiscal year could be affected by the 
outcome of the arbitration, he said. 

"Cipoletti gave a presentation of an undisclosed nature 
to the board for more than an hour during a working dinner 
Monday, Stuppler said. 

"'After his presentation, we decided to terminate him,' 
Stuppler said. 

"Board members also in August raised questions about 
the organization’s operating budget deficit, which for 
the past five years under Cipoletti’s leadership has 
ranged annually from $266,000 to more than $1 million. 

"The board hired an independent certified public accounting 
firm to determine whether an audit is needed. Stuppler said 
Tuesday that the board had not received the report. 

"'We have a new management change, a new structure and a 
new culture,' he said. 'In the past, there hasn’t been an 
open line of communication, and we’re trying to remedy that.'" 

http://www.gazette.com/articles/cipoletti_28554___article.html/association_o
rganization.html


THAT'S *THE* NUMISMATIST, THANK YOU

Kerry K. Wetterstrom writes: "I was told that the American 
Numismatic Association Board has voted to change the name 
of the Numismatist back to The Numismatist." 

[What's next, restoring the Lamp of Knowledge to the 
organization's logo?  8-)   Actually, there's been no 
official communication on the name of the club's journal, 
the logo, or anything else of more substance.  But I await 
further coverage of events in the hobby press and from 
the ANA itself.  -Editor]


ANS MAGAZINE NOW ONLINE

The October 2007 ANS E-News reports that "Previous issues 
of 'American Numismatic Society Magazine' are now online. 
The initial release of ansmagazine.com features our Spring 
2007 issue, with past issues including Spring 2002 through 
Winter 2006 also available on the web. We are currently 
looking for corporate sponsorship of ansmagazine.com and 
the development of additional features for this new ANS 
website. At this time, the most current issue of ANS 
Magazine will continue to be exclusively available, only 
in hard copy format to ANS members and subscribers."

[As with the printed versions of ANS Magazine, the photography 
is stunning.  The articles are well illustrated with many 
beautiful photos.  Below are direct links to a few selected 
articles.  This online archive is a great resource - many 
thanks to the ANS for making it available. -Editor]

A Doctor for All Seasons: David Hosack of New York
by Robert Wilson Hoge
http://www.ansmagazine.com/spring07/hosack.html

The Meaning of a Memory: The Case of Edith Cavell and the Lusitania in
Post-World War I Belgium
by Peter van Alfen
http://www.ansmagazine.com/spring06/cavall.html

A New Birth of Freedom: The American Civil War Collection at the ANS
by Robert W. Hoge
http://www.ansmagazine.com/winter05/civilwar.html

Monuments, Medals, and Metropolis, part III: The Machine Age
by Peter van Alfen
http://www.ansmagazine.com/winter04/monuments3.html

The ANS Bids Washington Heights Farewell
by Joseph Ciccone
http://www.ansmagazine.com/summer04/aud.html

To view all back issues of ANS magazine, see:
http://www.ansmagazine.com/


NEW ORLEANS MINT MUSEUM REOPENS WITH GOLD EXHIBIT

Local newspapers are report on the reopening of the old 
New Orleans Mint building:

"The Old U.S. Mint in New Orleans is reopening for the 
first time since Hurricane Katrina with an exhibit this 
weekend on a subject that couldn't be more fitting -- Gold.

"The Old U.S. Mint made millions of silver and gold coins 
while in operation in the French Quarter between 1838 and 
1909. On Tuesday, curators were working to prepare the 
hundreds of gold nuggets, coins and jewelry pieces that 
will be showcased in the old building beginning Saturday.

"The gold exhibit will run through Jan. 2 at the Old Mint, 
which has been under repair since Hurricane Katrina ripped 
off much of the building's roof two years ago.

"The exhibit will include more than 400 natural gold 
specimens, cultural objects, gold bars and coins. Among 
the items is an 1887 Mardi Gras Rex pin in the shape of 
a crown and a gold treasure box recovered from a 1715 
shipwreck off the coast of Florida."

To read the complete article, see:
http://www.wdsu.com/news/14358928/detail.html


ARTIFACTS FOUND DURING CONSTRUCTION AT CARSON CITY MINT

Yesterday the Nevada Appeal published a lengthy article 
on artifacts recently recorded by archaeologists working 
on the grounds of the old Carson City mint building:

"It came as no surprise to anthropologist Gene Hattori 
when construction crews working on the Nevada State 
Museum project turned up signs of buried artifacts in 
the courtyard next to the historic old mint.

"In fact, he anticipated it, making arrangements with 
Reyman Brothers Construction of Sparks before they 
even started digging.

"Less than a week into the project to connect the old 
mint building with the museum annex, Hattori, curator 
of anthropology at the museum, and his assistant, Cindy 
Southerland, found themselves in a four-foot-deep trench, 
carefully outlining the walls of an old pit where 
workers at the mint long ago buried some trash.

"The pit was next to where the old steam boiler that 
powered the coin presses and other machinery in the 
mint once sat.

"'When they shut down at the end of the federal fiscal 
year, they'd replace the old boiler tubes, replace the coin 
dies and bury the trash,' he said. 'We haven't found any 
assay crucibles, what I'm hoping to find is old coin dies.'

"A project seven years ago turned up several old coin dies, 
all deliberately damaged by mint officials so they couldn't 
be used to make counterfeits. Hattori said those were found 
just a few yards from the new dig.

"After five days of careful probing - and with Southerland 
running every bit of dirt through a fine screen to make 
sure nothing is missed - they found a number of items for 
future study, including a piece of a crockery ale bottle 
and a glass stopper for a chemical bottle. There were also 
fragments of other liquor bottles.

"'And we did find a cast-iron rectangle, we do not know 
what it is,' he said.

"In the pit Friday, he pointed to a collection of steel 
barrel hoops. The wooden stays had long since rotted away. 
On the other side, he pointed to a thick layer of charcoal, 
evidence of the fires that powered the steam engine, which 
powered the coin presses through a series of leather belts.

"'In fact, there was an article in the Appeal at the time 
complaining about the cord wood piled too high on Curry 
Street,' he said."

To read the complete article, see:
http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20071020/NEWS/110200129


COIN COLLECTORS, NUMISMATISTS AND SCHOLARS

Regarding some text I contributed to Col. Bill Murray's 
Coin World column, Allan Davisson writes: "Your paragraphs 
on why to read books are great. Thanks for running them. 
I hope you don't mind if I quote a bit from them in my 
upcoming catalog.

"A collector whose name sometimes appears in 
letters-to-the-editor  columns has sent me placards which 
I have on display in my office.  I particularly like the 
following two:

"A numismatist is a consummate scholar, with a keen 
mind and a  discerning eye, a keeper of art and history 
for future generations.  In Europe, numismatists are 
considered scholars, and as numismatists,  we are a part 
of a fraternity that transcends nations and time.  
(Steven Roach, Attorney)

"A coin collector is a relic hunter, patient and persistent:
a  searching soul seeking completions, but never achieving 
perfection-- just simple satisfaction--from the journey 
into the shadows of the  past.  (Henry R. Dittmer)"

  WHY SHOULD A BEGINNING COLLECTOR READ BOOKS?
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n41a04.html


ATHENS NUMISMATIC MUSEUM REOPENS

[A web article describes the recent renovations at the 
Athens Numismatic Museum, and it sounds like a wonderful 
setting for coinage displays.  The article also mentions 
some numismatic publishing efforts by the museum. -Editor]

"The revamp of the Numismatic Museum has revealed the 
grandeur of an earlier era. As well as thousands of coins, 
visitors can admire the wall paintings in the style of 
Pompeii and mosaic floors made by Italian master craftsmen.

"The three-story building with a large courtyard built 
in a mix of neoclassical and Renaissance styles is a sight 
to admire on Panepistimiou Street. It was designed by Ernst 
Ziller, who was responsible for such fine buildings in 
Athens as the National Theater, the Stathatos Mansion, 
and the Church of Aghios Loukas on Patission Street. The 
former was the home of the archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann.

"When the last pieces of scaffolding were removed, the 
revamp was deemed a success. The balconies with their 
terracotta railings and the marble on the facade are bright 
again, while the metal railings have been gilded in the 
style of the era when the gate used to open every Thursday 
to admit the cream of Athens society.

"The work has revealed the building’s impressive decor. 
The frescoes by Slovenian painter Yuri Subic were done 
according to the owners’ wishes, with subjects taken 
from the villas of Pompeii. The mosaic floors were made 
by Italian master craftsmen, with decorative motifs 
inspired by or copied from finds excavated by Schliemann.

"Conservators have worked wonders on the second floor, 
which had suffered damage when rented out to state services. 
What used to be the home of Heinrich and Sophia Schliemann 
and their children is painted ocher, deep green, sweet 
red and blue and houses the museum’s collection of 500,000 
items. There is an elevator for people of limited mobility, 
and a modern cafe is an added attraction.

"Yiorka Nikolaou, Panayiotis Tselegas and their assistants 
have created a period atmosphere with scales, lead seals, 
stamps and coins that have been made into jewelry and amulets.

"Denarii, dirhams, ducats and even modern Greek drachmas 
are among the exhibits that trace the history of money. 
The six ground-floor rooms present the evolution of ancient 
Greek coins, from the turtles of Aegina and owls of Athens, 
to coins used throughout the ancient world, such as the 
Athenian tetradrachm and the gold coin of Alexander the 
Great. On the same floor, which is associated with the 
social life of the Schliemann family, visitors can learn 
about the history of the museum and its major donors.

"On the second floor, the journey into the world of coins 
starts with the Roman era. Visitors can see how coins were 
minted, what the images on them represent, bronze coins 
minted for local use, and a banner portraying the system 
of coins and their fluctuations in value. You can see how 
much a meal at a hotel or a haircut cost, and what happens 
when coins go out of circulation and are used as amulets 
or jewelry.

"The library will be used for the Museum’s temporary
exhibitions, and currently holds old studies of numismatics, 
while the last room tells everything you might want to know 
about forgery and counterfeiting in the 19th century, when 
the forgery of ancient coins became common, as the Museum’s 
Director Despina Evgenidou explained. 

"The next goal is to produce publications. The museum has 
500,000 coins, of which visitors see only 10,8666, and the 
collection is constantly enriched with new acquisitions. 
Gradually some of them will appear in exhibitions related 
either to the history of the building or to the coins. The 
Numismatic Museum is the only one of its kind in the Balkans 
and one of the few independent numismatic Museums." 

Numismatic Museum, 12 Panepistimiou Street, Athens, tel 
210 3643774, 210 3612190, 210 3612519

To read the complete article, see:
http://grhomeboy.wordpress.com/2007/10/14/the-history-of-coins-in-the-schlie
manns%E2%80%99-old-home/ 

For more information on the Athens Numismatic Museum, see:
http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/1/eh151.jsp?obj_id=3368 


WICKES BABY MEDAL QUERY SUCCESSFUL

Sam Pennington, publisher of the Maine Antique Digest writes: 
"We had an excellent response to our query about the Edward B. 
Wickes baby medal of 1917. Scott Miller sold the medal to John 
Marqusee.  Karl Kabelac and Michael Reed did some Internet 
and genealogical survey work that led us right to a 90-year-old 
Edward B. Wickes. Thanks to all and to The E-sylum!"

  QUERY: EDWARD BAILEY WICKES JR. MEDAL INFORMATION SOUGHT  
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n39a10.html

[Wow - I know that E-Sylum readers are rarely stumped by a 
question, yet they continually amaze me with what they come 
up with.  And I'll be Mr. Wickes was just as amazed to be 
tracked down because of a 90-year of metal with his name on 
it.  -Editor]


REAL COINS VS FANTASIES

Ginger Rapsus writes: "How about the sale of the 1804 $10 
gold coin, a coin in the same league as the 1804 dollar and 
the 1913 Liberty nickel...not only because of their million-
dollar price tags, but also because they were not really 
coins made for circulation?  One of my favorite coins in 
the U.S. series is the 1802 half dime.  It's a real coin, 
struck to do what a coin does, circulate as money.  Last 
year I wrote an article for The Numismatic Sun on this coin."

  1804 U.S. TEN DOLLAR GOLD SELLS FOR $5 MILLION
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n40a19.html


COIN PEDIGREES: BRAND, FAROUK, NEWCOMER, WOODIN AND BREEN

On the same topic Saul Teichman writes: "With regard to 
the 1804 and 1838 eagles that were just sold, the pedigree 
of the 1838 eagle is fouled up. 

"Parmelee's probably did go to Woodin where it was purchased 
by Virgil Brand for $200 in the Elder's 1911 sale of Woodin's 
non half eagle gold. It was entered into the Brand journal 
as number 57063. 

"It is unclear if this piece is in fact the Farouk coin.  
In any event, to my knowledge, no coin went from the Brand 
hoard into the Colonel Green collection as the timing was 
off.  Breen has pedigreed the Brand coin to the Cardinal 
Spellman and Paramount's Davies sale.  If that is correct 
then the Pittman coin is ex Col Green and Farouk but the 
earlier part of the pedigree is wrong. 

"Regarding gold pedigrees, Breen placed Newcomer, Col. 
Green pedigrees on many items of Woodin's gold coins.  
The only problem with that is that those pedigrees are 
only valid as a whole for Woodin's half eagles which 
Woodin kept since he was doing die studies on them 
until finally sold 
to Newcomer in the mid 1920s. 

"Many of Woodin's proofs like the 1854, 1856-1858 gold 
dollars, the 1848 quarter eagle, and the 1848 and 1844-O 
eagles for example were purchased by Brand  and were never 
in the Newcomer or Col Green collections.  By the way, 
Brand already had two 1855 proof gold dollars which is 
why Brand did not buy that one!! 

"This is one area of pedigrees need to be 'un-Breened' ". 

"It is rather obvious that the Pittman proof 1854 gold dollar, 
and the 1848 $10 for example ex Woodin, Brand.   It is not 
as clear if the Pittman's 1856-8 gold dollars are also the 
Woodin, Brand examples !! 

"Brand's more significant purchases from Elder's 1911 
Woodin sale are below. 

1827 quarter restrike lot 416 $180 57014 
1854 proof gold dollar lot 851 $65 57033 – later to Pittman 
1856 proof gold dollar lot 856 $30 57034 
1857 proof gold dollar lot 859 $25 57035 
1821 proof $2.50 lot 939 $63.50 57041 
1834 $2.50 with motto lot ??? $300 
1843 proof $2.50 lot 966 $94 57049 
1848 proof $2.50 lot 973 $95 57050 
1857 and 1858 proof $2.50 were also purchased 
1838 proof $10 lot 1201 $200 57063 
1839 UNC $10 lot 1202 57064 - later to Pittman as this 
   specimen is described as having the die cracks 
1843 proof $10 lot 1203 $100 57065 
1848 proof $10 lot 1213 $100 57066 – later to Pittman 
1858 proof $10 lot 1223 $102.50 57067 same price as 
   Jewett coin (is it the same coin? - if so, then there 
   are only 3 of these and this is Amon Carter's) 
1844-O proof $10 lot 1263 $50 57068 
1858 proof $20 lot 1359 57069 "

  1804 U.S. TEN DOLLAR GOLD SELLS FOR $5 MILLION
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n40a19.html


NOTES ON BRYAN BURKE'S 'NAZI COUNTERFEITING OF BRITISH CURRENCY' BOOK

Last week I wrote: "The Burke book Larry mentions is 
Bryan Burke's ‘Nazi Counterfeiting of British Currency 
During World War II’ (San Bernardino, CA, 1987).   It's 
a short book, but very well illustrated and a great 
starting point for collectors interested in the story 
of the Operation Bernhard notes."

Warner Talso writes: "That comment is a little misleading.  
One can certainly 'start there' but one must be willing to 
pay something like $250 for the Burke book.  I would suggest 
checking a copy out of the American Numismatic Association 
library to see if you think it is worthwhile before 
buying a copy."

[Holy cow – I'm a bibliophile, but I wasn’t aware that 
the book was that valuable these days.  I have a copy 
sitting here that’s been in my library for years.  

I must be getting old.  I used to marvel at how little 
the old timers in my club knew about the current value 
of their own coins – they could remember to the penny what 
they paid for something, but didn’t really have a clue about 
what things would sell for today.    When I helped a friend’s 
widow sell his collection, I estimated it at $100,000 and 
eventually it sold for $110,000.   She said later that her 
husband, a knowledgeable numismatist, thought it would 
bring about $10,000.   From his price codes I could see 
there were lots of coins he’d paid $20 for that were now 
worth $200 or more. -Editor]

  COLLECTING OPERATION BERNHARD COUNTERFEIT BANK OF ENGLAND NOTES
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n41a12.html
 

ON THE AFTERMARKET FOR NUMISMATIC BOOKS

Regarding my "sticker shock" on hearing a $250 pricetag 
for a 1987 numismatic book (see the previous item on the 
Bryan Burke "Operation Bernhard" book), Warner Talso writes: 
"I do believe you have identified an interesting phenomenon 
worthy of some discussion.  The first time I experienced 
this type of 'sticker shock' was when I attempted to buy 
a copy of Neil Shafer's book on depression scrip.  On-line 
book sellers' prices started at $300 - this for a book 
that initially sold for $28.00.  Since then I have seen 
this price inflation several times.
 
"I asked Fred Schwan about it.  His theory, which seems 
logical, is that this happens to specialty books fitting 
a narrow niche that had a limited initial printing and 
are now out of print (and little or no prospects of a 
re-printing).  Booksellers run the price up knowing that 
there is a very limited supply and expecting anyone who 
really wants a copy will have to come to them.
 
"Interestingly, there is potential alternative - eBay.  
I stumbled across Shafer's book on eBay and won it for 
$25.  That was pure serendipity, but it sure beats paying 
hundreds of dollars.  In the end, it is the buyer's 
decision."

[I’m still amazed at what the Haxby paper money catalog 
and Bowers’ Silver Dollar encyclopedia bring these days.  
The Hibler-Kappen So-Called Dollars book was another 
high-flying wonder, at least until a new edition was 
finally announced.  What other relatively recent books 
are bringing high multiples of their issue price?   
Again, I'm showing my age here, because 1987 seems like 
yesterday to me, when in fact (gasp!) it's been 20 years 
already. -Editor]


WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: OCTOBER 21, 2007

Due to the high interest in U.S. paper money these days, 
another item of numismatic literature bringing strong 
prices are the Heath counterfeit detectors.  I was speaking
to numismatic literature dealer John Burns about these on 
the phone this week.  A couple weeks ago I'd been offered 
a decent copy of the 1866 second edition and had ordered it.  
After talking with John the book arrived and I was pleased 
with its condition despite a spine chip.  It's one I didn't 
already have in my library, so on the shelf it went.

Another acquisition this week came from the Stack's John J. 
Ford sale XX. Via Internet bidding I purchased lot 3086, 
a pair of two different Denver CO. Labor Exchange notes.  
I've gotten interested in Labor Exchange notes since I 
purchased some 1833 Robert Owen Labour Exchange notes from 
Simon Narberth in London.  The Ford Denver notes are the 
first U.S. labor exchange notes I've bought.  There are 
others, and I hope to build an exhibit of them someday.   
Here's a link to the auction lot on the Stack's site:
http://www.stacks.com/lotdetail.aspx?lrid=AN00074691 

Also during the week I corresponded with a currency dealer 
who was offering what he called a rare J.S.G. Boggs note on 
eBay.  It may well have been an early genuine piece, but 
I was not able to convince myself that the offered note 
was genuine.  It lacked Boggs' typical authentication 
devices on the reverse, which on this piece was blank.  
It was similar to a large acrylic work pictured in a book 
about a 1990s Boggs museum exhibit, but the book did not 
mention any smaller size versions of the piece.  The dealer 
who responded quickly to my first query didn't answer my 
question about the provenance of the piece and later I 
noticed that the lot had been withdrawn from eBay.

I received multiple emails from several sources about the 
ANA's sacking of its Executive Director.  On Wednesday 
afternoon I got a phone call from my friend Sam Deep, who 
had been in Colorado Springs for the public portion of the 
ANA Board's meeting.  We talked mostly about our preparations 
for next weekend's Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists 
coin show.

Wednesday night I had my first numismatic outing since 
returning from London.  I met Roger Burdette and coin dealer 
Wayne Herndon for dinner at a restaurant in Herndon, VA.  
I'd never met Wayne before and three of us had a fine evening 
getting to know one another.  I'd organized the dinner as 
a way to kick off the creation of a numismatic social 
organization modeled after The Sphinx Society, a great 
club I'd belong to along with Sam Deep in Pittsburgh.   
With no officers, no duties and no projects, the club is 
purely a social gathering for numismatists.   We're 
recruiting additional members and we would love to hear 
from E-Sylum readers in or near Northern Virginia who 
might be interested in becoming either regular members 
or occasional guests for our gatherings.  Email me for 
more information.

Finally this week, I made a deal with Terry Flaherty to 
sell him my copy of the S.Q. Lapius 'Current Coins' book 
I'd written about in The E-Sylum.  Flaherty is researching 
the life of physician James Ball Naylor, who wrote the 
book under the Lapius pseudonym.  I'll get it in the mail 
later this week.

Whew - it's been a far busier week for numismatics than 
I'd expected.  No wonder I ran out of time to finish this 
darned issue of The E-Sylum.  I should also take a moment to 
apologize to the many authors of new numismatic books I've 
recently purchased, or to the publishers who've sent me 
review copies.  My pile of to-be-reviewed literature was 
threatening to topple over and I had to put it in a box. 
I will eventually get to most books, but it's going to 
take a time.

  MORE ON S. Q. LAPIUS, PEN NAME OF JAMES BALL NAYLOR
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n25a27.html


NEW ISRAELI SHEQALIM COINS CAUSING BANKS PROBLEMS

Yossi Dotan writes: "Maariv, the daily Hebrew-language 
newspaper, reported this week about a problem related to 
the two new sheqalim copper-nickel circulation coins to 
be issued later this year here in Israel. Their diameter 
is 21.6 mm, compared to 22 mm for the 10 agorot 
aluminum-bronze coins. 

"The problem is that the banks' automatic coin counting 
machines sort and count coins according to their size and 
will be unable to differentiate between the two coins. 
When the banks raised the problem with the Bank of Israel 
it was already too late to make changes. They will now 
have to replace all automatic machines, at a cost of $ 2.5 
million. The new machines will sort the coins not only by 
size but also by metal composition."


UTAH STATE QUARTER STRIKING CEREMONY

There were several newspaper reports this week on the 
Denver Mint striking ceremonies for the new Utah quarter:

"Dozens of Utahns were all smiles Monday at the U.S. Mint 
as the official Utah quarter was available for public viewing 
for the first time. Lawmakers and state officials handled 
the still-warm quarters as they poured out of the coining 
press and each person, with a quick push of a button, 
ceremonially struck their own piece of history.

"'Can you believe it?' Rep. Sheryl Allen, R-Bountiful, 
asked happily. 'I got to make a quarter.'

"Unfortunately, Mint officials retrieved the coins as 
quickly as they were made, as the quarter won't be officially 
launched into circulation until Nov. 5. Production of the 
quarter began a week before today's ceremonial striking.

"Bruce Griggs, president of the Utah Numismatic Society, 
was also on hand in Denver to take part in the ceremony.

"'I just can't believe I'm here,' Griggs said. 'It's a 
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for someone to witness a 
first strike of any coin,' let alone one that celebrates 
your own home state, he said.

"The demand for Utah quarters is definitely there, said 
state Sen. Kevin Van Tassell, R-Vernal, who drove from 
Vernal to attend the Monday event. Van Tassell is manager 
of the Vernal Zions Bank office, and said he's been getting 
inquiries about the state coin for some time.

"'I've never seen people so excited about something,' he 
said. 'I took calls last week, 'Are the Utah quarters in yet?' "

To read the complete Deseret News article, see:
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695218907,00.html

To read a related Denver Post article, see:
http://www.denverpost.com/travel/ci_7185167


SPAIN BOARDS THE ODYSESSY EXPLORER 

Spain has turned up the heat on the Odyssey group, which 
it suspects may have recovered rare coins from a shipwreck 
that country may hold claim to.  The Guardian reported 
Wednesday that "A Spanish warship forced a US treasure 
hunting vessel back into port at gunpoint yesterday as 
it tried to leave Gibraltar in the latest episode in a 
battle over what is claimed to be the world's largest 
recovery of treasure from the sea.

"The Odyssey Explorer, a 250ft salvage vessel, was trying 
to leave Gibraltar, where it had been effectively blockaded 
for three months after Spain claimed a share of millions of 
dollars worth of gold and silver coins it had recovered. 
After setting sail, it was approached by a Spanish navy 
gunboat and civil guard patrol ship once it passed the 
three-mile "buffer zone" that surrounds Gibraltar and forced 
to turn round and head for the Spanish port of Algeciras. 

"Following a stand-off, the boat was boarded and searched 
for information that Spanish authorities hope could lead 
to the site of the treasure.

"The captain of the Odyssey Explorer, Sterling Vorus, was 
arrested last night for disobeying orders and was facing 
the night in jail.

"The row centres around Odyssey Marine Exploration, run 
by Greg Stemm, the world's leading underwater treasure 
hunter. His company trawls the ocean's floors, looking 
for sunken treasure, which it then sells to collectors. 
Founded in 1994, its first major success came with the 
recovery of $75m worth of booty from the SS Republic, 
which sank off the coast of Florida in 1865. But now it 
has come up against the Spanish government in a diplomatic 
tussle that is costing the company millions of dollars 
in lost revenue.

"In May Odyssey spirited away what it subsequently claimed 
were $500m worth of silver and gold coins that it found in 
international waters in the Atlantic Ocean. The coins were 
flown out of Gibraltar airport and are now sitting in an 
undisclosed location in Tampa, Florida, where Odyssey is 
based. The Spanish government believes they were transported 
with the complicity of the British and that the coins may 
belong to Spain. Odyssey and the governments of Britain and 
Gibraltar deny any foul play, saying that Odyssey flew the 
treasure out from the airport in full compliance with customs 
requirements.

"Spain has filed a suit in Tampa against Odyssey to clarify 
the details of its discovery, to prevent future recovery 
efforts and to claim back what has already been discovered. 
But the company refuses to reveal specific information about 
the treasure, admitting only that it was found around 180 
nautical miles west of Gibraltar. Mr Stemm argues that as 
'custodians' of the site - which Odyssey has named the Black 
Swan - they have a responsibility to protect it from other 
interested parties, including potential treasure hunters."

"The battle is unlikely to be resolved on the high seas, but 
in the Tampa courtroom. Odyssey describes its work as 'commercial 
archaeology' and says that, as the treasure was found in 
international waters, it should keep 90% of the proceeds. 
Spain's lawyer, James Goold, counters that 'Spain has not 
abandoned its sunken property and it does not permit 
unauthorised salvage'. "

To read the complete article, see:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/spain/article/0,,2192773,00.html


THE INDEPENDENT ON THE HISTORY AND FUTURE OF MONEY

On October 16th The Independent published a long and 
well-written article on the history of money.  Here are 
a few excerpts, with a focus on the future on money.

"Primitive Banks 

"At this stage there were no coins. Instead, the value of 
metal was judged by its weight. The legacy of this can be 
seen in words such as the English 'spend', which is derived 
from the Latin verb expendere, meaning 'to weigh'. 

"The launch of the Barclaycard in 1966 (and its now defunct 
but long-running rival Access in 1972) was the start of 
"plastic" – the discovery that a small rectangle of 
polyvinylchloride (always measuring 85.60 by 53.98mm) 
could transform your life. 

"E-money: the future of cash 

"We may not be that far away from a world where cash 
follows the chequebook into oblivion and few transactions 
are conducted face to face. There are in excess of 20 
billion payments of less than £10 made every year; they 
could all go cashless. 

"E-money comes in three forms, two of them specifically 
creations of the internet. First, there is the "card not 
present" phenomenon, where you have sufficient faith in 
the online retailer – nowadays, anyone from Tesco to 
Amazon and lastminute.com – that you feel happy to tap 
your payment card details on to a web page. You and the 
"shopkeeper" never actually meet, and you never leave 
your home or office. 

"Money thus moves from being a physical commodity – a gold 
coin, a paper banknote or a plastic card – to being a purely 
virtual commodity (though of course banks themselves have 
long held your current account in virtual form, as a series 
of binary codes in a computer file). 

"Second, we have seen the growth of outfits specifically 
set up to facilitate payments on the web. Perhaps the most 
high-profile of these is PayPal, as featured, and trusted, 
on eBay. Barclays Bank can chart its origins back to 1685, 
the Royal Bank of Scotland to 1727 and Lloyds to 1765; 
PayPal dates back only to 2000, yet it now operates in 103 
markets, manages more than 133 million accounts and allows 
customers to send, receive and hold funds in currencies 
from the US dollar to the Polish zloty. 

"The real revolution, though, may be the abolition of cash, 
cheques, credit cards and debit cards and their replacement 
by one single means of payment which you just wave, possibly 
nonchalantly, at the shop assistant. This is what the 
'contactless' card promises, so called because you don't 
even have to put it into a reader to buy something. 

"The Barclaycard OnePulse card, for example, was launched 
only a month ago, with 4,000 guinea-pig customers in London. 
It will combine the functions of an Oyster card (Transport 
for London's existing "cashless" method of prepaying for 
bus and Tube journeys), a Barclaycard, and a "One Touch " 
contactless technology card. 

"This is the novel bit. It allows cardholders to make 
purchases of £10 or under more quickly and conveniently 
with a single touch of their card against a reader instead 
of entering a PIN or signature, thus reducing the need to 
use and carry cash. 

"The first six sections of this article are from Minted: 
the story of the world's money by Johnny Acton, published 
by Think Books on 31 October. To order a copy (free P&P), 
call Independent Books Direct on 0870 079 8897 or visit 
www.independentbooksdirect.co.uk " 

To read the complete article, see:
http://money.independent.co.uk/personal_finance/invest_save/article3065040.e
ce 

[I used an Oyster card daily on the London tube last summer.  
It was very convenient to use. As the article states, it worked 
on both the subway and bus systems.  It did not work on other 
trains, which are owned and run by a different organization.  

That's always the rub with new currency solutions - interoperability 
and acceptance by other organizations.  The Barclays OnePulse 
card takes that next logical step.  By marrying the ATM card 
with touchless micropayments, it could well be the true future 
of money for the rest of this century.

In the U.S., there are relatively few uses of touchless 
monetary transactions.  One example is the "Speedpass" 
available to Exxon gas station customers.  Being able to 
use a single card for such transactions would allow the 
technology to become ubiquitous.  Stay tuned - I think this 
is one idea that has legs.  -Editor]


THE TAKE A NICKEL, LEAVE A NICKEL TRAY
 
Dick Johnson writes: "A journalism senior at Penn State 
wrote an opinion piece for his university's Daily Collegian 
this week on abolishing the cent. He went so far as to 
criticize one of his professors who opposes elimination 
of the cent.
 
"The student, Jim Tuttle, reports such support for the 
cent as the State of Illinois. It still accepts cents at 
its tollbooths undoubtedly because of Lincoln's close ties 
with the state. (Illinois was not the birthplace of Lincoln 
as stated in his article)

"However he does list several factors for the cent elimination 
including the cost greater than its value and the stench of 
handling a large quantity of the coins. 'You can't count and 
roll 50 cents in pennies,' he states, 'without getting that 
greasy residue all over your fingers. It's disgusting.'
 
"The professor he disagrees with is against rounding off 
odd cent purchases. 'If the penny was eliminated, cash 
purchases would be rounded to the nearest nickel. This is 
probably the most controversial part of the whole issue, 
and Raymond Lombra, a Penn State economics professor, is 
one major proponent for keeping the penny. 

"'Lombra argues that since convenience stores commonly 
price items ending in 99 cents, prices would usually be 
rounded up, resulting in a loss to the consumer more often 
than not.' The writer contends this would even out in 
multiple item purchases. 

"The writer foresees in the future we might obverse at 
store checkouts 'take a nickel, leave a nickel' trays."

To read his full article, see:
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2007/10/15/american_cents_dont_make_muc
h.aspx

[I've already seen these "penny" trays stocked with some 
nickels as well as cents.  -Editor]


ON TRANSACTION ROUNDING AND COLLECTOR'S ITEMS IN SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa is one country that has recently eliminated its 
lowest coin denomination and is already having to deal with 
the issue.  As one example, here is an article published in 
Cape Town about one couple's adventure in rounding:

"There it was, in black and white, on the Edgars account. 
Fanie and Susan Bosman owed the chain store a princely R0.01. 

"But the clothing group had not bargained for the twinkle in 
the eyes of the Bosmans from Stellenberg in Cape Town: she is 
70, and he is 75 years old. They set off to pay the account and 
in the process had the entire store in an uproar. 

"Susan said it all began when she went to pay an account for 
R53.41 at an Edgars branch. 

"'I asked the man at the cash register to round it off, meaning 
to 40c. But he rounded it off to 45c. I flatly refused and said 
no ways, I'm not paying 4c more than I should, so I paid R53.40. 

"'At the end of the month I got an account from Edgars for the 
outstanding amount of R0.01.' 

"'Armed with the one cent, we set off' 

"But Edgars had not reckoned with 'my mischievous husband'. 

"He scratched around and found a 1c coin from 1961, the year 
South Africa first went decimal. 

"'Armed with this old cent we set off to Edgars. The girls 
behind the counter weren't even born when the coin was issued 
and they had no idea what to do with it. They eventually called 
in the manager's help. 

"'He took us off to his office, because people were starting 
to gather round us. He looked at the vintage coin from this 
angle and that and summarily declared it to be an official 
collector's item. 

"'My husband and I glanced at each other and Fanie said the 
man could keep the collector's item. At first he didn't want 
to, but later he did. And so we left there.'" 

To read the complete article, see:
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2205138,00.html


QUIZ QUESTION: UNI KENETA

Here's a quick quiz question for readers: what coin bears 
the denomination "Uni Keneta", and who designed it?  Hint: 
it's not from South Africa.  -Editor


ELONGATED PIG PENNIES ISSUED IN LEXINGTON NORTH CAROLINA
 
Dick Johnson writes: "Three different elongated cents which 
show a pig are being rolled in Lexington North Carolina. 
The unusual motif was chosen to honor Lexington-style barbeque, 
a noted local delicacy. The city claims to be -- as stated 
on the elongated cents -- the 'Pork BBQ Capital.'
 
"The souvenir coins are the inspiration of Dwayne Padron, 
who is attempting to get as many restaurants in the area to 
have their own pig pennies. Padon choose the first two 
restaurants because he is familiar with the owners. David 
Guest, who owns Southern Barbecue near high Rock Lake with 
his wife, Darlynn, is Padon's cousin, and he eats almost 
daily at Smiley's where Steve and Tena Yountz are the owners. 
 
"The pig was from a drawing by Pardon's mother, Don Rea 
Padon. 'Pork BBQ Capital'  appears above the pig and 
'Lexington, N.C.' below on the rolled cents. Padon began 
his project four months ago, when he bought a machine that 
smashed the pennies. He operates out of his home and usually 
spends 30 minutes to three hours every other day cranking 
the machine. One hundred pennies can be made in about an 
hour. Nothing would have been possible without Padon's 
father, Mel Padon, girlfriend Pam Nunnery and his mother, 
whom he described as the driving force behind everything.

"Out-of-town collectors can obtain the pig pennies from 
Merle Norman Cosmetics (owned by Dwayne's mother) at 16 W. 
Second Ave, Lexington, NC 27292. Prices range from $1 to $3 
depending upon how they are mounted. Better add postage."
 
Or, you can read the complete article at
http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20071020/NEWS/710200317/1005/NEWS01
s


FEATURED WEB PAGE: GOLD RUSH GALLERY

This week's featured web page is the news page of The Gold 
Rush Gallery, a commercial site.  The page features links 
to a dozen good articles relating to private and pioneer 
gold coinage in the U.S.

http://www.goldrushgallery.com/news/ 


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 
at this address:
http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_member_app.html 

To join, print the application and return it with your check 
to the address printed on the application. Membership is only 
$15 to addresses in the U.S., $20 elsewhere.  For those without 
web access, write to:

David M. Sundman, Secretary/Treasurer
Numismatic Bibliomania Society, 
P. O. Box 82 Littleton, NH 03561

For Asylum mailing address changes and other membership 
questions, contact David at this email address: 
dsundman at LittletonCoin.com

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