The E-Sylum v11#13, March 30, 2008

[esylum at binhost.com]

Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 11, Number 13, March 30, 2008:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2008, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.


WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM MARCH 30, 2008

Among our recent subscribers are Christopher Bolton and Shawn 
Hewitt.  We now have 1,141 subscribers.

This week we open with NBS annual meeting news, an update on 
the ANS duplicate book sale, and upcoming Chicago convention 
events.  Next up are announcements of new books on the numismatics 
of Mexico, Canada and Jersey, and a new archive of online 
numismatic books.  

In follow-ups to topics from prior issues we discuss coin 
rebasing, protecting libraries from fire, coin-inspired 
architecture, arras tokens and the dumbing-down of stage money.  
Web site visitors this week bring word of a 94-year-old Better 
Baby medal winner and a curious note without serial numbers.

In the news, the ANS has been hit with a lawsuit, a group of 
companies proposes a new system for electronic payments, and 
Iraqi citizens return coins to a museum in a Baghdad ceremony.  
As if that's not enough, for fun we introduce a new game for 
bibliophiles.  To learn about Swedish Rounding and  the Peek 
Frean's Teddy Bear Biscuits token die, read on. Have a great 
week, everyone.

Wayne Homren
Numismatic Bibliomania Society


NBS EVENTS AT THE 2008 BALTIMORE ANA CONVENTION

The American Numismatic Association's World's Fair of Money 
will be held in Baltimore, MD July 30 - August 3, 2008.  The 
Numismatic Bibliomania Society holds its annual meeting at 
the convention and often hosts a numismatic literature 
symposium as well.

NBS President John Adams writes: "Syd Martin and David Lange 
have agreed to speak at our symposium on Thursday, July 31st 
at 11:30.  Both showed great creativity in architecting their 
books.  Anne Bentley will speak at our meeting on the following 
day, describing the many numismatic items to be found in the 
publications of the Massachusetts Historical Society."

[The convention dates will be here before you know it, and I 
encourage all numismatic bibliophiles to make plans to attend 
the convention and NBS events.  -Editor]


THE ANS DUPLICATE BOOK SALE HAS BEEN EXTENDED

Joanne Isaac of the American Numismatic Society in New York 
writes: "We have had great success with the duplicate book 
sale, but there are still many duplicates available for sale 
on our premises at 140 William Street.  Prices have now been 
reduced by 50% or more.  The sale hours are:

Mon, March 31, 10:00am - 4:00pm
Tue, April 1,  10:00am - 4:00pm
Wed, April 2,  10:00am - 4:00pm
Thu, April 3,  10:00am - 4:00pm
Fri, April 4,  10:00am - 4:00pm

"Also, the sale of the duplicate journals and auction catalogues 
listed on our website has also been incredible. Thousands of 
items were requested. We want to thank all those who have placed 
orders and are waiting patiently to hear about the fulfillment 
of their order requests.  We are working hard to fill requests 
in the order in which they were received. It is taking some time 
but if you have not yet heard back from us, please know that 
you will."

For more information on the ANS duplicate book sale, see:
http://www.numismatics.org/about/DUP_BOOK_SALE.htm


NUMISMATIC LITERATURE DEALER GRADY AT THE APRIL 2008 CENTRAL STATES SHOW

Orville Grady writes: "I will have a table at the Central 
States Numismatic Society show in Chicago. CSNS is at the 
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center (Hall G) 5555 North River 
Road, Rosemont, IL, not too far from O'Hare International 
airport. The dates for the show are April 16-19th."

Julian M. Leidman adds: "E-Sylum readers and their guests 
are invited to attend PNG Day, April 16, 2008, 10AM-5PM in 
Hall G of the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center preceding 
the Central States Numismatic Society convention."


AUTHOR BERK WILL DISCUSS ANCIENT COINS BOOK AT 2008 CHICAGO COIN FAIR

[Dennis Tucker of Whitman publishing forwarded the following 
press release relating to an upcoming publication.  -Editor]

Harlan J. Berk, one of the nation's premiere coin dealers 
and author of Whitman Publishing's new 100 Greatest Ancient 
Coins, will give two presentations in Chicago on Saturday, 
April 26, 2008.

Berk will talk about his new book, which covers numismatic 
antiquities from Greece, Rome, the Byzantine Empire, and 
other parts of the ancient world. 

His first presentation will be at 11:00 a.m. at the 33rd 
annual Chicago International Coin Fair, at the Crowne Plaza 
Hotel (River Road, Rosemont, Illinois), for the meeting of 
the Chicago Ancient Coin Club.

His second presentation is an "Antique Show Booth Talk" at 
the Artropolis International Antiques Fair at the Merchandise 
Mart in downtown Chicago, at 3:00 p.m.

In 100 Greatest Ancient Coins, Berk tells the stories behind 
100 coins ranked by collectors, dealers, historians, and 
researchers as the most significant. He also describes how 
to collect and enjoy ancient coins, aspects of the marketplace, 
grading, conservation, and smart buying. The book is coffee-
table-size, 144 pages, with enlarged full-color photographs. 
Retail price is $29.95. 100 Greatest Ancient Coins is available 
for pre-order at www.whitmanbooks.com, and will be sold at 
hobby shops and bookstores nationwide starting in late April.


NEW BOOK: BIBLIOGRAPHY OF MEXICAN NUMISMATICS BY CHRISTOPHER BOLTON

Christopher Bolton writes: "Recently I self published a small 
bibliography of Mexican numismatics. The publication is soft 
cover, digitally printed and has 915 references to Mexican 
numismatics (with some Latin American crossover). The 
bibliography is divided into Mexican numismatic eras, with 
an author index at the end.  It is by no means complete, 
however, I do believe it to be a good first step. The 
commentary and notes are in Spanish although the references 
themselves are easy enough to understand. If demand warrants 
I will publish a bilingual edition sometime later this year."

[The author is willing to supply a review copy - would any 
of our readers like one?  If you're willing to write a review 
for The E-Sylum, just send me your mailing address and I'll 
forward it. -Editor]


NEW BOOK: THE CANADIAN DICTIONARY OF NUMISMATICS BY SERGE PELLETIER

Serge Pelletier writes: We are starting to take advance 
orders for my Canadian Dictionary of Numismatics.  AmEx, 
MasterCard, VISA and PayPal are accepted.  I've attached a 
review by World Coin News columnist Doug Andrews. Please 
note that the hardbound copies will be numbered and signed 
by the author.  Orders can be placed by email to: 
bonavita at eligi.ca, by fax at: 1.613.599.7630, or by mail at:

  Bonavita
  Box 11447, Station H
  Nepean, ON  K2H 7V1

[The full text of Doug Andrews' review follows. Prices are 
in U.S. dollars. -Editor]

Dictionaries tend to be dull recitations of definitions 
peppered with a few facts and examples. “Enjoyment” is not 
a word that often comes to mind when thinking about reference 
books. Until now. Readers will be surprised as to how they 
refer to The Canadian Dictionary of Numismatics, the latest 
book by world-renowned coin writer, Serge Pelletier. The 
result of about a decade of research, this work is as 
meticulously documented as it is entertaining to read. 
Entries are crisp, informative, and provide revealing 
insights into the collection and study of coins, tokens, 
and paper money.

The book is completely bilingual (with French and English 
entries cross-referenced) and ably fills a void that has 
always existed in Canadian numismatic publishing. This 
all-new volume is 6” x 9” in size with 320 pages, 40 of 
which are colour plates. 

It is available in three formats : hardbound @ $90 post-paid 
(ISBN 978-0-9808944-1-7) with an initial run of 25 copies; 
perfect bound @ $45 post-paid (ISBN 978-0-9808944-0-0) with 
an initial run of 500 copies; and perfect bound with CD-ROM 
@ $60 post-paid (ISBN 978-0-9808944-2-4). The CD-ROM contains 
a PDF copy of the dictionary.

Although the focus is on Canadian coin collecting, there is 
extensive coverage of American, British, and French coinage. 
The book is authoritative and thought provoking, and is sure 
to become an eagerly sought after reference for both beginning 
and advanced collectors, or those with everyday questions 
about Canadian currency and its fascinating history.

Pelletier is the award-winning author of several books including 
A Compendium of Canadian Municipal Trade Tokens and the six-volume 
Standard Catalogue of Canadian Municipal Trade Tokens. He has 
served as President of the Association des numismates francophones 
du Canada and as Vice President of the Canadian Numismatic 
Association. He was a contributor to the Canadian Numismatic 
Correspondence Course, Parts One and Two, and has been published 
throughout the world in most of the major numismatic periodicals.


NEW BOOK: PRE-DECIMAL COINS AND TOKENS FROM THE ISLAND OF JERSEY

Harold Fears writes: "I just published my book, “Some Notes 
and Observations Concerning the pre-decimal Coins and Tokens 
from the Island of Jersey.” It contains 325 pages total with 
many images. It is on 8x11 paper and is coil bound with full 
color printing.  The price is $69.99 plus shipping from the 
Lulu.com web site.  The URL is http://www.lulu.com/content/2124163 ."

[Harold will make an electronic review copy available - would 
anyone like to write a review for The E-Sylum?

Self-publishing via Lulu and other print-on-demand sites is 
gaining some ground in the numismatic world.  Harold Fears' 
book is the latest; Harold Levi's book on the Confederate 
Cent and Eric Leighton's NUmiS Worthy were among the first. 

By the way, the March/April 2008 issue of Paper Money (the 
official journal of the Society of Paper Money Collectors) 
has a great article by Michael McNeil of "The Pros and Cons 
of Self-Publication".  McNeil authored a great book on The 
Signers of the Confederate Treasury Note 1861-1865.  His 
article includes a step-by-step how-to guide for using 
InstantPublisher.com to prepare and publish a book. -Editor]

  PRINT-ON-DEMAND PUBLISHING
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v09n34a09.html

  BOOK REVIEW: NUMIS WORTHY - OLD NUMISMATIC NEWS 1752 TO 1800
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v09n53a03.html


TOKENS AND MEDALS GUIDE BOOK AUTHOR THANKS E-SYLUM COMMUNITY

Katie Jaeger writes: "Last week, Dennis Tucker announced my 
upcoming Guide Book of United States Tokens and Medals and said, 
'valuations editors [were] Steve Tanenbaum and Steve Hayden, 
with assistance from Anthony Terranova, Paul Cunningham, and 
others.'  I really wanted to make sure that Alan Weinberg's 
assistance as valuations editor was also mentioned.  He did a 
ton of work on this project.  

"Come to think of it, probably half the members of this group 
have helped me, one way or another, in the writing of this book!  
It seemed OK that a beginner to exonumia (me) would write a book 
for beginners to exonumia, but it meant I had a million questions 
and had to seek expert advice countless times.  I did formal 
telephone interviews with Joe Levine, David Gladfelter, and Cindy 
Wibker. I called Dick Johnson probably 20 times, and we went on 
a research trip together, to the Tiffany Archive in Parsippany, 
New Jersey.  Dave Bowers, Russ Rulau, John Adams, Anne Bentley, 
George Fuld and John Coffee were always a phone call or email away, 
and always responded promptly to my queries -- what authors do this?  
I hung out at Charlie McSorley’s table at the Allentown (PA) shows 
for hours at a time, to catch earfuls of lore. Ditto John Burns, 
at his table in Baltimore.

"The above-mentioned valuations editors, and many others, answered 
countless questions across their show tables.  A dozen people read 
the manuscript, or sections of it (among them Ken Bressett, Cliff 
Mishler, Dave Bowers, Bob Julian, and Bob Leonard) and sat down to 
write me point-by-point critiques.  Dozens more furnished medals, 
tokens, and altered coins for photography.  Through Dave Bowers and 
Vicken Yegparian at Stack’s, I was able to get my hands on those 
fabulous images from the Ford sales, and the ANS allowed Tom Mulvaney 
and me to come for three days last October, so Tom could shoot over 
500 items from their collections. He shot hundreds more besides those, 
and perfected each photo in his studio at home in Kentucky.  
Thanks Tom!

"This has been a team effort all the way, and such a tremendous 
learning experience for me.  Above all, I discovered that numismatists 
are good, generous-hearted people who show patience and tolerance to 
the newbie, and are willing share their own hard work and research, 
asking nothing in return. (This is a far cry from the mainstream 
historical research community.)  As I sit today reading the page 
proofs, I realize I owe a huge debt of thanks to all of you, and to 
everyone else named in the credits of the book.  I hope you all 
know how much I value your help, and how much I enjoyed working 
with you."


NEW ZEALAND COIN ISSUING AUTHORITY: A CLARIFICATION

In last week's E-Sylum Martin Purdy stated, "The correct 
issuing authority for current New Zealand collector issues 
is: New Zealand Post".

Kerry Rogers writes: "In point of fact The Reserve Bank of 
New Zealand has the sole authority to approve any issue of 
New Zealand currency. Currently, the Bank has a commercial 
contract with New Zealand Post. This contract allows New 
Zealand Post to design, procure and sell collectors coins 
and coin sets that may also include circulating currency. 
However, all proposals by New Zealand Post for any New Zealand 
legal tender circulating or non circulating coins require 
the approval of the Reserve Bank in whom the ultimate 
authority is vested by law. This same condition would apply 
if the contract were to be held by any other commercial 
entity in the future - such as the private New Zealand Mint.  
And I gather the contract is up for grabs later this year!"

[Thanks to both Martin and Kerry (who contacted the Bank 
on Tuesday) for their assistance in finding and correcting 
the error.  I forwarded the clarification to Dennis Tucker 
at Whitman Publishing.  -Editor]

  NEW ZEALAND ERROR SPOTTED IN 'MODERN WORLD COINS' 14TH EDITION
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v11n12a03.html


PUBLIC DOMAIN NUMISMATIC BOOK PUBLISHING EXPERIMENT

J.C. Spilman of the Colonial Newsletter Foundation (CNLF) 
has been experimenting with posting large book files on the 
Internet to ease access to source materials for researchers.  
To date at least eight books have been posted; I've listed 
them here in order of file size.  

   A History of the Bank of New York 1784-1884 (Domett, 1884)
   History of the Bills of Credit or Paper Money Issued by New York
   The American Numismatic Manual (M. W. Dickeson, 1865)
   History of the U.S. Mint (Evans, 1890)
   Coins Medals & Seals. (W. C. Prime, 1860)
   History of the United States (E. Benjamin Andrews, 1894)
   Dye's Coin Encyclopedia
   Life & Times of John H. Hickcox (Stimson, 1995)

Some of the files are from Project Gutenberg.  Others are 
from Google's library digitization project.  Others are 
from various university libraries, each of which has its 
own eBook system. These can sometimes be located directly 
on various sites, but the CNLF experiment provides a 
convenient single location for finding specific items of 
numismatic interest.

The 367-page .pdf file of Dickeson's American Numismatic 
Manual was scanned from a copy in the University of Michigan 
library.  It had been donated to the University by H.S. 
Jewett of Dayton, OH.

Spilman adds: "I also plan to include a wish list for members 
to indicate worthwhile eBooks that they would like to see 
included in our 'Library'.  We must then locate them, if 
they exist, and that is where members can really help --  
in searching.  These eBooks are scattered all over the 
country -- especially in university libraries that do not 
particularly advertise the fact that they have them available.  
Donations of eBooks to CNLF will also certainly be appreciated."
 
To access the book archive, become a member of the CNLF Google BLOG here:
http://groups.google.com/group/CNLF "

John Nebel notes that "A Kirtas book scanner for $150,000 
can scan 1,000 pages per hour.  Let's install a scanner at 
the ANA library and put on-line everything that is out of 
copyright."

[If I were the Executive Director of a numismatic association, 
I'd definitely consider proposals for doing just that.  
Digitization is an unstoppable force - better to get ahead of 
the curve than behind it.  There are also lower-cost (but more 
labor-intensive) solutions, and these would probably be 
preferable for the rarest books.   John graciously hosts the 
NBS web site on his servers, and he tells me he'd be willing 
to host a digitized numismatic library. 

What do other bibliophiles think of digitization?  Godsend 
or Gomorrah?  How will it affect the value of our research 
libraries? While I realize there's a big downside I think 
there's also a possible upside.  Greater access to and 
awareness of rare numismatic literature could help increase 
demand by bringing more potential book collectors into the 
market.  After all, reprints of many important numismatic 
works have been available for years yet the originals are 
still very much in demand.  -Editor]

To view a video of the Kirtas machine in action, see:
http://www.kirtas-tech.com/


THOUGHTS ON AN ANA ONLINE NUMISMATIC REPOSITORY

[By complete coincidence, few hours after writing the above 
item about digitized numismatic books I received a copy of 
an email from Benjamin Keele to the chairs of ANA Committees 
on Publications & Communications, Technology & Website, and 
Library regarding an Online Numismatic Repository.  Ben 
offered his letter for publication in The E-Sylum for comment.]

I am semi-dormant numismatist attending law school in Indiana. 
I have been an ANA member since I was twelve. Through my 
experiences publishing my undergraduate thesis and serving 
as an editor on a law journal, I have seen the great benefits 
of electronic archiving of scholarly materials. This led me 
to think that an online archive of open-access numismatic 
scholarship would be an immense resource. Many of these online 
repositories are being established at universities. I think 
it would outstanding if the ANA could make a repository of 
archives in ANA publications, especially the Numismatist. 
Perhaps other journals could offer their content for preservation 
in the repository as well.

Of course, these sorts of projects require resources that 
the ANA may not have at the moment. However, I think such 
a project would greatly further the ANA's educational and 
scholarly goals. Free, open-source software for institutional 
repositories called DSpace is also available. DSpace was 
developed by MIT for its repository. 

I also know that copyright over the articles may be an issue. 
While it would perhaps be too ambitious to convince every 
author to consent to his or her work being archived and 
published online, I am sure many authors would be willing 
and future authors could be asked to agree as part of being 
published in the Numismatist. I, for one, would be delighted 
to sign a consent form for the two articles I have published 
in the Numismatist (or any other numismatic publication, 
for that matter).

Such a project would take a long time, but I thought I would 
offer it up for your consideration. Perhaps the ANA is 
already doing something similar that I was not aware of.  I 
do know that a few articles from each Numismatist are published 
in PDF on the ANA website. I think this is great, but a more 
comprehensive and searchable archive would be an even greater 
resource.


THOMAS CUNNINGHAM: PIONEER RESEARCHER ON POSTAL AND FRACTIONAL CURRENCY 

[Jerry Fochtman published a nice article recently on Thomas 
Cunningham's landmark Postal and Fractional Currency article 
in the American Journal of Numismatics.  It appeared in the 
2008 Winter Newsletter of the Fractional Currency Collector's 
Board (FCCB).  The article's title is "Thomas Cunningham – 
First Fractional Collector/Author."

Jerry kindly forwarded the text and images for reprinting here 
in The E-Sylum.  I posted two of the images on the E-Sylum 
photo gallery - see the links below.  Thanks! -Editor]

By all accounts, the first real collection of Postage and 
Fractional Currency was probably formed by Thomas Cunningham.  
He owned a dry goods store in Mohawk, N.Y., where he spent 
his entire life.  He also happened to be a neighbor and a 
close friend of Francis E. Spinner, who is called the Father 
of Postage and Fractional Currency.  Even after Spinner left 
office and retired, they corresponded for many years, with 
Spinner even giving many of the proto-types and other materials 
to Thomas Cunningham.  It is the Cunningham collection that 
became part of the Herman Crofoot collection, which was 
donated to and now resides in the Smithsonian.

By 1893 very little postage and fractional currency remained 
in circulation.  In April, 1893 Thomas Cunningham wrote what 
is thought to be the first paper on this part of our numismatic 
history, published in the April, 1893 issue of the “American 
Journal of Numismatics”, which was a periodical published by 
the American Numismatic Society.

I had been searching for a copy of this article to include 
in my library for some time.  One day I happened to stumble 
onto an auction which offered several old black leather books 
on numismatics.  What caught my eye was one listed as a reprint 
by author Thomas Cunningham.  Fortunately I was successful in 
my bidding.  In arranging shipment of the material I learned 
that the books came from the library of William A. Philpott, Jr, 
who was a well-known Texas banker and numismatist.  His 
collection of early Texas documents resides in the Special 
Collections at the University of Texas Library.

Cover of William Philpott's Cunningham AJN Offprint
http://www.flickr.com/photos/coinbooks/2358998590/

Title page of William Philpott's Cunningham AJN Offprint
http://www.flickr.com/photos/coinbooks/2358998862/ 

  BOLIN ON FRACTIONAL CURRENCY LITERATURE
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v09n08a30.html

  QUERY: THOMAS CUNNINGHAM ARTICLE SOUGHT
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n51a10.html 


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Web site at <www.fanningbooks.com>. In stock: John Hull, the Mint and 
the Economics of Massachusetts Coinage, by Lou Jordan. 4to., hardcover. 
xx, 348 pages. An important and well-done work. New. $43 postpaid. 
e-mail <dfanning at columbus.rr.com>

<******************************************************************>


HISPANIC SOCIETY SUES ANS OVER CONTROL OF COLLECTION

On February 12, 2008 the Hispanic Society of America filed a 
suit against the American Numismatic Society over control of a 
collection of some 37,000 Spanish coins formed by Archer Huntington, 
who was a major benefactor of both the Hispanic Society and ANS. 
It was Huntington's largesse that enabled the construction of 
Audubon Terrance at 155th and Broadway in New York, where the 
two societies resided for decades until the ANS's recent move 
to lower Manhattan.

I checked the ANS web site description of its Latin American 
coin cabinet, which it says numbers only 20,000 pieces in 
total.  In addition to acquisitions from the Greenwood, 
Guttag, Echenique and Herz collections made possible by 
Henry Grunthal, Harry Bass and other donors, the site says 
that "In the 1950s, the Hispanic Society of America agreed 
to place on permanent loan its unsurpassed collection of 
coins of Spain and all Spanish dominions."

I was aware that the ANS had the Hispanic Society collection 
but am not aware of the loan conditions.  These cases can be 
complicated to settle – since half a century has passed, the 
original parties to the transaction are gone and the contracts 
and paperwork may be missing or incomplete, enabling both 
sides to plausibly interpret the situation in their favor.  
The HSA's argument will likely be "what part of the word LOAN 
don't you understand?"  The ANS's likely response will be, 
"What part of PERMANENT don't YOU understand?"

Having been down this road before when the Carnegie Museum 
of Pittsburgh decided to deaccession its extensive collection 
in the late 1970s, I can guess what this is really about: 
raising money.  The Hispanic Society will make all sorts of 
public noise about how the coins don't fit with their core 
mission, but suggestions that the coins be donated to a more 
appropriate venue will fall on deaf ears.  In Pittsburgh the 
Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania came forward with 
a plan to take over the collection and display significant 
parts of it, but in the end, of course, the Carnegie sold the 
collection in a series of sales in London, New York and Zurich.  
Instead of handing clear title to the ANS and walking away, 
the HSA is trying to regain control of the collection so it 
can sell it.  Auctioneers worldwide have likely already been 
contacted.

I can also guess what the reaction of the collecting community 
will be - "Stop the sale!  Protect the collection!"   Editorials 
will be written and petitions may be circulated.  But petitions 
unaccompanied by a passing of a big hat to raise funds are often 
a lesson in futility.  I learned that, too, having gone door to 
door collecting hundreds of signatures on a petition to stop the 
Carnegie sale.  Oh, to be young and idealistic again.  But still, 
I hope and pray for the sake of numismatic scholarship that the 
collection will somehow remain with the ANS.

So what are the facts?  First, I consulted the best information 
source I know - the “The American Numismatic Society 1858-1958” 
(Edited by Howard Adelson, 1958).  The book, scheduled for an 
updated edition this year, is a very detailed history of the 
organization, its collections, and benefactors.  The Hispanic 
Society collection is discussed on p278-279.

  By far the most outstanding collection to come to the Society 
  was that of the Hispanic Society of America, brought together 
  originally by Archer M. Huntington.  It consisted of 30,355 
  pieces when first placed into the custody of the American 
  Numismatic Society but has since been materially increased by 
  about 7,000 pieces.  The actual ownership remained in the hands 
  of the Hispanic Society but the study and publication was to be 
  carried out under joint auspices.

  Dr. Herbert E. Ives, President of the American Numismatic 
  Society in 1946, had carried on the negotiations with Mr. 
  Huntington regarding the deposit of these coins and the provision 
  for their publication... Once all these arrangements had been 
  reduced to writing by Mr. Huntington they were sent in the form 
  of a letter to President Ives, and all the members of the council 
  signed a copy of that letter at the meeting of June 21, 1946, as 
  a token of acceptance.

The ANS has taken on a considerable amount of expense over 
the years caring for, studying and documenting the collection.  
Would those expenses have to be reimbursed by the Hispanic 
Society?   Do the documents specifically state that the 
transfer was a PERMANENT loan?  Does the Hispanic Society 
have a case?

Next, I naturally checked with ANS Executive Director Ute 
Wartenberg Kagan.  Here's what the ANS is able to say at 
this point:

“The Huntington collection is probably the most comprehensive 
collection of Iberian and Iberian-related coinage outside 
Spain. In some areas, such as the Visigothic gold, it may 
be the finest anywhere.  The ANS is committed to trying to 
trying to preserve this collection in so far as it can.  It 
is a highly important scholarly tool and educational resource, 
of obvious relevance to many Americans.
 
It is clear to us from his correspondence that Archer Huntington, 
the most generous benefactor in the history of the ANS, intended 
this collection to remain whole and in the hands of the ANS.  
He regarded the formation of the collection and its deposit 
alongside the foremost numismatic collection in the US as a 
service he had performed for his country.  
 
For the past 60 years the ANS has been cataloguing and 
researching the collection itself, and has been facilitating 
the work of others on the collection. Like other parts of our 
collection, Huntington’s coins are an important resource in 
our educational program, including the annual Summer Seminar.  
While the ANS may not have clear title to the coins, we are 
negotiating as strenuously as we can with the HSA to try to 
preserve the most important areas of the collection for future 
generations of students and scholars.”

Regarding the web site's Latin American item count, Ute 
writes: "The 20,000 figure on the ANS site doesn't refer 
to the HSA collection, which is primarily ancient, medieval, 
Islamic, with some Latin American pieces."

Andrew Meadows of the ANS adds: "On the question of the date, 
although the portion that Huntington personally transferred 
to us came in the 1940s, after his death in 1955 a further 
portion of his collection was discovered in the basement at 
HSA and transferred to us under the same conditions as the 
first batch.  So technically it is only since 1957 that we 
have had the whole collection.  I believe that’s what the 
website text refers to."

An article about the suit appeared in a Spanish publication.  
I used Altavisa.com's Babelfish translator to get a crude 
English version.  One excerpt reads:

  The Hispanic Society has indicated that 'we want to recover 
  the pieces because the American Numismatic failed to fulfill 
  the loan agreement'. And it is that the Hispanic knew that 
  the Numismatic was going to change its location a year ago 
  without to have requested the pertinent permission

I read this to mean that the Hispanic society is using the 
ANS' move from Audubon Terrace as a reason to nullify the 
permanent loan agreement.  

The case is before the Supreme Court of the State of New York 
(case index number 600423-2008, Justice Charles E. Ramos).  
The documents are public records, available on the court's 
web site.  The ANS' move is relevant to the lawsuit, if only 
as a pretext for the suit.  In their complaint, the Hispanic 
Society states that when the ANS moved from Audubon Terrace 
in 2004 a new one-year agreement was made with the ANS to 
enable the transfer of the collection to the new location at 
96 Fulton Street.  The agreement was to be renewable yearly. 
When the ANS announced its latest move from Fulton Street to 
Hudson Square, the Hispanic Society declined to renew its 
agreement.

On March 4th, the ANS was given 20 days to respond to the 
suit.  As of today a response has not been posted to the 
court's web site.

To read a newspaper article about the suit (in Spanish) see:
http://www.larazon.es/29355/noticia/Cultura%20y%20Espectáculos/38.000_moneda
s_al_mejor_postor 

To access the New York Supreme Court web site, see:
http://www.nycourts.gov/supctmanh/ 

For a description of the ANS Latin American collection, see:
http://www.numismatics.org/collections/culatin.html 

For more information on the American Numismatic Society, see:
http://www.numismatics.org/

For more information on the Hispanic Society of America, see:
http://www.hispanicsociety.org/ 

[There is an informative article about the ANS in the April 
2008 issue of COINage magazine.  "An Enduring Society" by Dom 
Yaunchunas explores the organization's 150-year history and 
plans for the future.  The article also notes the planned 
publication later this year of a book titled "The 150 Greatest 
Treasures of the ANS."


ON REBASING COINAGE

In response to our recent discussions of the U.S. Mint's 
problem with high metals prices, Martin Purdy wrote: "I've 
heard of lots of countries that have abolished their lowest 
denomination but never any that have actually revalued their 
one-cent coins to circulate as fives - if any country has, 
I'd love to have the details since it would make a great 
quiz question."

I put the question to François Velde of the Federal Reserve 
Bank of Chicago.  Velde is an E-Sylum subscriber and he has 
proposed rebasing our lowest denomination coins as a solution 
to the situation.  He was not aware of any countries that had 
actually done this, though.  It's an interesting and novel 
solution nonetheless.

  DICK JOHNSON: STEEL CENTS WON'T WORK!
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v11n11a20.html

  COUNTERPOINT: STEEL CENTS COULD WORK
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v11n12a14.html


PROTECTING LIBRARIES FROM FIRE AND WATER DAMAGE

Responding to Acting American Numismatic Association Executive 
Director Ken Hallenbeck's recent query about protecting the ANA's 
rare book room from fire, Anne Bentley of the Massachusetts 
Historical Society writes: "I admit, as a former paper conservator, 
I still have nightmares about disaster recovery case studies 
presented at professional meetings, where we were shown slides 
of un-sprinklered libraries in complete disarray after the fire: 
wooden furnishings and art splintered beyond recognition from 
the force of the water hitting them and piles of waterlogged 
books hurled from shelves, boards and papers ripped out, again 
from the force of the water stream directed at the fire. 

"We have a gas fire suppression system in our building, but 
probably the water-based systems are the less expensive route 
for smaller organizations.  I sound like an ad for fire 
sprinkler systems but as a conservator, I could always deal 
with wet items -- there's not a thing to be done with ashes 
or objects that have been pulverized by fire hoses." 
 
"I understand the anxiety about water near rare collections...
but even if the odds are greater that a sprinkler system would 
accidentally discharge before they'd ever have a fire in their 
library, I'd personally still prefer to have a sprinkler system
--especially given the relatively inexpensive water incursion 
alarms and super-efficient micro-mist sprinkler heads now 
available.  

"I'd also like to point out that, as far as water damage to 
libraries is concerned and ignoring floods, you don't necessarily 
need a sprinkler system to have a water incident in your building.  
Water pipes running through walls and ceilings could leak at any 
time. We had a weekend steam leak back in the late '70s that 
resulted in drenched archives, which we dried out and reboxed 
without adverse effects.   
 
"From the Northeast Document Conservation Center, here is 
Nick Artim's  Introduction to Fire Detection Systems  -- 
very useful to understand how the systems are designed to 
work together
http://www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets/3Emergency_Management/02IntroToFireD
etection.php
 
"I'd recommend any librarian to lookup this National Park 
Service site
http://www.ncptt.nps.gov/Product-Catalog/Product.aspx?ProductID=1995-01
where they can 
download the following program:
 
Culture Shock: Fire Protection for Historic and Cultural 
Property. Boston University, Preservation Studies Program, 
1995. VHS video. 

"A 23-minute color video that provides a persuasive argument 
for the importance of fire detection and suppression systems 
for cultural collections. Diagrams illustrating dry, wet pipe, 
gaseous and water mist systems aid in understanding technical 
and operational differences. The last few minutes focuses on 
fire protection needs for historic structures and strategies 
for concealing sprinkler heads to maintain the aesthetics of 
a historic building  
 
"For overall disaster planning, they might find the following 
helpful:

Brooks, Constance. Disaster Preparedness. Washington, DC: 
Association for Research Libraries, 1993.    A Preservation 
Planning Program resource guide that is a useful compilation 
of hard-to-obtain resources to use as a starting point when 
beginning the disaster planning process.        
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmin
i.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED360999&ERICExtSearch_Search
Type_0=no&accno=ED360999

"In addition, a simple internet search under such terms as 
'disaster planning,'  'Library conservation,' and using the 
Conservators On Line (CoOL) website at  
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/genpub/  will open an 
endless array of material available online.  That should be 
plenty to chew on for starters!"

  QUERY: PROTECTING THE ANA RARE BOOK ROOM FROM FIRE
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v11n10a05.html


CENTURY OF PROGRESS EXPOSITION CHICAGO 1933-34

Rich Mantia writes: "The 'Public Enemy #1' articles are 
interesting and timely. The filming of the movie has made 
the local news here in Chicago in 'snippets' because of the 
celebrities involved and the location sites. Chicago is prime 
for film locations when it comes to gangsters and vintage 
period architecture. 

"The unheralded connection to Chicago, beyond the many bank 
robbery sites of the Midwest is that this year is the 75th 
anniversary of the Century of Progress exposition held here 
in the city from 1933 thru 1934, which is the exact same time 
period with which the film centers. John Dillinger was the 
recipient of the moniker of "Public Enemy #1" and he was shot 
and killed while exiting the Biograph Theater here in Chicago 
on July 22nd, 1934, but his death wasn't the only event of 
the year! 

"The Century of Progress expo opened on May 27, 1933 and closed 
on October 31st, 1934 during the height of the Great Depression 
and it made a profit! It was only scheduled to run for the year 
1933, but because it was making unexpected profits it was kept 
around for 1934. With violent crime being in the news, Chicagoans 
came out in droves to spend their few dollars and cents on the 
lakefront and the result is a plethora of numismatic material 
and ephemera for us today. 

"Century of Progress tokens, medals, exonumia, and ephemera 
are catalogued in many books and sources, but the most common 
ones known to numismatists are Martin and Dow 'Yesterday's 
Elongateds' and Hibler and Kappen's 'So-Called Dollars'. Both 
of these are the standard reference books for their specific 
topics and cover the majority of the most easily collected 
items. They are the first source for getting started, with a 
long awaited new updated edition to the Hibler and Kappen book 
available now. This book is a MUST HAVE for even the occasional 
collector. 

"There are other sources for ephemera that are little known. 
The best source is the archives of the Century of Progress Expo 
held at the University of Chicago which is fully catalogued and 
digitized and the holdings at the Chicago Museum of Science and 
Industry. Both collections come from archived material collected 
during the Exposition itself. The Museum of Science and Industry 
is unique and remarkable in that it is also the only temporary 
building from the Columbian Expo of 1893, then called The Palace 
of Fine Arts, that was made permanent and reopened and expanded 
for The Century of Progress Exposition of 1933! Chicago is 
truly a numismatic GEM of a city!

"The 75th anniversary World's Fair show is going to take place 
on March 30th in Elk Grove Village here in Chicago. 1933, the 
year Roosevelt took us off the gold standard, the 1933 St. 
Gaudens became legend, and the Century of Progress opened. 
John Dillinger and company are just a footnote, for our 
entertainment."

To visit the University of Chicago's Century of Progress site, see:
http://century.lib.uchicago.edu/ 


COLLECTING NUMISMATIC ASSOCIATION ITEMS

Pete Smith writes: "Today (3-30-08) I attended a local bottle 
show with related advertising items. This is something I did 
regularly 15-20 years ago but haven’t done lately. Also at the 
show was Robert (Bob) Smith, great-grandson of A. M. Smith. I 
first met him years ago when Remy Bourne sold items from the 
A. M. Smith library. Bob and I are the two most serious 
collectors of A. M. Smith memorabilia that I know of.

As I was driving home I got to thinking about what I collect. 
"It falls under the general category of “association items,” 
that is, items associated with a numismatist. In the case of 
A. M. Smith, these are advertising promotion items for his 
other business, the California Wine Depot. Are there other 
numismatists who also had advertising items for other businesses? 
A great example is an advertising mirror I have for Grinnell 
Brothers, associated with Albert Avery Grinnell. 

"I have a box labeled, “I collect weird stuff.” Among the 
contents are a campaign button for William Woodin and a wooden 
postcard from Farran Zerbe. I have tobacco scrip for the Lewisburg 
Tobacco Company signed by Waldo Moore. I have a Civil War patriotic 
envelope printed for A. S.  Robinson and addressed to W. Elliot 
Woodward. I also have a piece of scrip for Woodward’s Mount 
Pleasant Apothecary Store.

"Although I keep this in a box, I have trouble putting a “box” 
around what I collect. I can’t describe what fits the collection 
and what does not. I would be interested to hear from other E-Sylum 
readers who collect association items. Can you define what it is 
that you collect? How much of it is there? "


ELEPHANTS FOR MR. LINCOLN: CIVIL-WAR ERA DIPLOMACY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
 
Howard A. Daniel III writes: "I recently finished reading the 
book, 'Elephants for Mr. Lincoln, American Civil-War Era Diplomacy 
in Southeast Asia'.  Co-author Dr. Anita Hibler is an old friend 
and she has spent a lot of her adult life in Southeast Asia; she 
loves the people who live and work in the region and is currently 
living and teaching in Jakarta while her husband Will Tuchrello 
heads the Library of Congress office for the region.

"The book is not going to keep you up overnight to finish reading 
it, but if you are interested in Southeast Asian history, economics
and American activities in the region just before, during, and 
after the Civil War, you will find many different tidbits of 
information and sources in it.

"There are also quite a few instances of the Confederate Navy 
operating in the region and its affects on American shipping and 
trade so researchers interested in this area will want to read 
about them.  One of the war supplies needed from the region was 
hemp so the competition to acquire it dramatically raised the 
prices to purchase it.  There are a few items about the French 
taking over Viet Nam and Cambodia in the late 1850s and early 
1860s that are interesting to me and I will research those sources.

"This was a time when the King of Siam (Thailand) offered 
elephants to President Lincoln to fight the Civil War.  A 
previous president sent the infamous King of Siam Proof Set 
to a Thai king, but coins are not mentioned in the return gifts.  
A gold sword to the king and a silver sword to the second king 
are mentioned.  I bet another proof set and other gifts are 
itemized in the references listed in the extensive Notes and 
the Selected Bibliography.

"I have found some interesting information in my research of 
Catholic missionaries in the region but I did not think of the 
Baptist missionaries from the United States, like these authors 
did.  There are many, many currency transactions with the monies 
received from the Baptist Churches in the United States and the 
locals in Southeast Asia.  I am sure I will not live long enough 
to go through the hundred or more missionary references listed!

"The other author is William Strobridge, and the ISBN 10 is 
0-8108-5762-6.  The publisher is The Scarecrow Press in Lanham, 
Maryland, and it is available through Amazon.com."

[The King of Siam proof set is believed to have been presented 
to the King on April 6, 1836 by Edmund Roberts on behalf of 
President Andrew Jackson.  -Editor]


LAURA GARDIN FRASER BETTER BABIES MEDAL RECIPIENT FOUND

Web site visitor Judith B. Martin writes: "I am in possession 
of a two-inch bronze medal sculpted by Laura Gardin Fraser and 
awarded to my father in a Better Babies contest that took place 
in March of 1915 in Los Angeles, CA.  My father will be 95 years 
old in November of this year. Inscribed on the back is my father's 
name and that he was 100% perfect.  We tease him about this 
'perfection' as often as we can.  I was very interested to read 
about Mrs. Fraser and her many accomplishments.  Thank you for 
posting the information about her."

  LAURA GARDIN FRASER BETTER BABIES MEDAL INFORMATION SOUGHT
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n25a16.html

  MORE ON THE LAURA GARDIN FRASER BETTER BABIES MEDAL
  http://coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n27a10.html


NUMISMATICS AND TEDDY BEARS: PEEK FREAN BISCUIT TOKEN

Inspired by our articles on the late Milt Friedberg's collecting 
obsessions with currency and Teddy Bears, Philip Mernick of 
London writes: "There is a UK advertising disc (aluminium, 1930s?) 
for Peek Frean's Teddy Bear biscuits showing, naturally, a Teddy 
Bear.  Peek Frean is a very well known London biscuit maker.  I 
just happen to have the actual reverse die, showing aforementioned 
bear, picked up from a flea market years ago.  The maker is Wright 
& Son of Edgware. The maker's name also appears on the die but its 
alignment is slightly different to that on my 'coin' indicating 
the use of several dies."

Peek Frean's Teddy Bear Biscuits token
http://flickr.com/photos/coinbooks/2366474465/

Peek Frean's Teddy Bear Biscuits token die
http://flickr.com/photos/coinbooks/2366474543/ 

  NUMISMATICS AND TEDDY BEARS
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v11n10a10.html

  CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER OBITUARY OF MILTON R. FRIEDBERG
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v11n09a23.html 


COIN-INSPIRED DECORATIONS IN ARCHITECTURE: READING, PA

Bob Merchant writes: "I read the E-Sylum article about coin 
decorations in bank building architecture. About two months 
ago I was in Reading, Pennsylvania when I noticed a bank building 
that had some beautiful copper decorations around the front 
windows, including a Walking Liberty Half Dollar (both sides). 
I took some photos."

[Bob provided links to several photos - thanks! I've put four 
of them on the E-Sylum photo archive - here are the links.  There 
are other U.S. coin decorations on the building; look close and 
you'll see a Buffalo Nickel, Standing Liberty Quarter and others.  
Are any of our readers near Reading?  Some close-up photos of 
these other decorations would be nice to see. -Editor]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/coinbooks/2361485977/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/coinbooks/2362316832/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/coinbooks/2362316832/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/coinbooks/2362316574/ 

  MORE COIN-INSPIRED DECORATIONS IN ARCHITECTURE
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v11n12a11.html


ON THE DUMBING-DOWN OF STAGE MONEY

Regarding the filming of "Public Enemy #1", last week I wrote: 
"There's certain to be a need for stage money in filming; 
hopefully what the producers come up with will closely resemble 
the circulating cash of the day."
 
Joe Boling writes: "I recently watched all three seasons of 
'Deadwood.' In season one the notes were amazing. By freezing 
the action and stepping through the money-handling scenes a 
frame at a time, you could make out brown backs and original 
series nationals (or series 1875, which used the same designs). 
In the second season, the money got much more like what Fred 
Reed has in his 'Show Me the Money' book - you could make out 
the Sonora notes in one scene. By the third season, the money 
did not resemble anything I am familiar with. 

"I surmise that someone got in Dutch over the accurate reproductions 
used in season one, and the accuracy went downhill fast after the 
props-master was visited by some supercilious federal agent."

Fred Reed adds: "There's been a real tug and pull over on-screen 
depictions of federal currency for more than a century now.  I 
chronicle a wide variety of real currency used in films in my 
book SHOW ME THE MONEY!  The Standard Catalog of Motion Picture, 
Television, Stage and Advertising Prop Money (McFarland, 2005).  

"In fact, the history of money in films predates the silver 
screen and Hollywood.  Thomas Edison's c.1895 kinetoscope movie 
of a cock fight clearly shows the two young men in the background 
passing money, wagering on the result of the action.  Often 
genuine U.S. notes are used as 'flash' for close-ups, while 
the imitation prop notes are used more generally in mid- and 
long-shots.

"The first use of 'flash' I noted in my book was a saloon scene 
in the 1920 William S. Hart western 'The Toll Gate.'   In a scene 
in which Hart's character Black Deering is down on his luck and 
looking for a quick score, he spies a dish on the back bar filled 
with change and some currency, the most prominent of which is a 
Third Charter $10 National Bank Note.  Other real federal currency 
is shown prominently in Harold Lloyd's 'Safety Last' (1923), and 
Edward G. Robinson's 'Smart Money' (1931).

"Real German high-value notes are prominently shown in John 
Barrymore's 'Grand Hotel' (1932).  In recent years very realistic 
movie prop money has brought visits from the feds several times.  
I show these notes in my book, but if you want details you'll 
have to read about it there."


ARRAS TOKENS DEFINED

In last week's preview of upcoming Whitman numismatic books, 
I asked about a term mentioned in Katie Jaeger's new Guide 
Book of United States Tokens and Medals: Arras tokens. Pete 
Smith writes: "Arras tokens are used in Mexican wedding ceremonies. 
A group of 13 tokens is given by the groom to the bride as a symbol 
of his ability to provide for her. They are also used in some 
other countries. Sometimes they are called 'wedding souvenirs.' "

Ralf W. Boepple of Stuttgart, Germany writes: "Arras tokens are 
part of a Spanish or Hispanic wedding tradition. The groom 
presents 13 coins or tokens to his bride during the wedding 
ceremony. The tokens are blessed by the priest. They are handed 
over to the bride as a symbol of the groom's intention to provide 
for her well-being and are accepted by her as a symbol of her 
trust in his pledge. I assume the number 13 stands for Jesus Christ 
and the 12 apostles, not for the bad luck usually associated with 
this number.

"Arras are traditionally made of gold, which means most arras 
are gilded. Out of pure curiosity, I once asked around among my 
Mexican wife's friends (they found it quite funny that anybody 
would actually be interested in these details. I guess, they 
translated my explanation that I'm a 'numismatist' with 'crazy, 
but harmless') .They described their arras to be tokens with 
religious motives, depicting praying hands or the pope. In one 
instance, they were gilded five centavo coins from Guatemala. 
My mother-in-law's arras were lost in a robbery, but she 
remembered them to have been the tiny 2 pesos gold coins the 
country produced in the 1940s.
Must have been quite some dowry at that time."

  PREVIEW OF UPCOMING WHITMAN NUMISMATIC BOOKS
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v11n12a04.html


1794 CENTS DEACCESSIONED FROM THE GARRETT COLLECTION

Regarding coins deaccessioned from the Garrett collection at 
Johns Hopkins, Dan Demeo writes: "In 1982, Bowers and Ruddy 
Galleries issued a fixed price list of the Celebrated John W. 
Adams Collection of 1794 U.S. Large Cents.  Similar to some 
recent collections, John Adams assembled a collection traceable 
to early collectors (Maris, Hays, Beckwith, et al).  Of the 
coins, 17 were from the Garrett collection, most from the Stack's 
(1976) and Bowers and Ruddy (1979) sales, but also a number 
obtained by private treaty from the Johns Hopkins University 
before the public sales.  No mention of Richard Picker or other 
dealers was made in connection with these coins;  Adams, Bowers, 
and Bagg were all involved with the catalogue and could comment 
further.  The coins obtained by private treaty were:

5.  S18b, the finest known, graded in the catalogue as MS65, $55,000.

6.  S19b, "acquired...directly...in 1973".  Choice VF35, $7,500.
Incidentally, the photo of the reverse of this coin was 
inadvertently switched with the S20 in the catalogue.

19.  S26, third finest, and plated in the Frossard and Chapman texts,
$9,000.

30.  S40, finest known, MS-63, not bad for a coin considered 
R6 at the time, $22,500.

35.  S43, tied third finest.  AU50, $3,750.

45.  S50, AU50.  "Acquired by John Adams in a transaction 
with The Johns Hopkins University nearly a decade ago."  $10,000.

67.  S66, only F12, but still tied for 6th finest.  Obtained 
in 1973, traded back and forth with Denis W. Loring.  $1,500.  
(Why didn't I buy any of these?) 

74.  S71, 3rd finest.  AU55, from the Frossard collection.  $8,000.

"Surprisingly, despite the large format and one coin per page 
in the catalogue, previous owners are only mentioned, and 
detailed pedigrees (or provenances), with dates and venues, 
are lacking, though there is a short biographical sketch on 
many past collectors and dealers in an appendix.  In looking 
at a short catalogue (there are 75 coins in the collection), 
it is certainly impressive how many had been owned by the 
giants of large cent history, from Dr. Maris to Dr. Sheldon."

  MORE ON THE DEACCESSIONING OF COINS FROM THE GARRETT COLLECTION
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v11n12a08.html



THE CASE OF THE MISSING SERIAL NUMBERS

Drew Nyman of Florida furnished a partially obscured image 
of his curious $100 bill lacking serial numbers.  Obtained 
from the Bank of Palm Beach several years ago, it has been 
examined by some knowledgeable people at a FUN show who believed 
it to be authentic, but there are still questions about how 
this error occurred.

Drew found us by reading an earlier E-Sylum item on our web 
site (see link below).  In that article I wrote: "I was naturally 
curious when I noticed an ad which showed a U.S. dollar bill 
that did NOT have any serial numbers.  Even more curious was 
the fact that the Treasury Seal WAS present, an impossibility 
since both the seal and the serial numbers are printed together 
in the overprinting process."

The image in the ad turned out to have been altered deliberately 
to avoid Secret Service scrutiny.  I don't recall seeing a real 
note with such an error.  As the article states, such an error 
is thought to be impossible.  Although I have a small collection 
of error notes, I've not studied the area in detail.  Was I 
correct in saying that the serial numbers and Treasury Seal 
are printed simultaneously?  If so, how might have this error 
occurred?

To view an image of Drew's note, see:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/coinbooks/2368139307/ 

  CASE OF THE MISSING SERIAL NUMBERS
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v02n45a06.html


INDUSTRY COALITION ANNOUNCES NEW PAYMENT TECHNOLOGY

It hasn't hit the mainstream papers yet, but a group of 
technology companies is circulating a proposal that could 
solve a number of sticky problems relating to electronic 
payments and revolutionize the way money and even coinage 
is used.  Working groups from such diverse organizations 
as Apple, eBay, Google, Linden Labs, MIT's Lincoln Laboratory, 
Mastercard, Bank of America, the Federal Reserve Bank of New 
York and the U.S. Treasury spent months working out the 
details of a highly secure, privacy-protected national 
(and someday international) electronic payment mechanism.

Why eBay? Because eBay owns PayPal, the most successful 
online payment company.  PayPal technology links credit 
card accounts to email, allowing shoppers to pay for online 
purchases (such as eBay auctions) with the click of a mouse.  

Why Linden Labs?  Because Linden owns and operates Second 
Life, the most successful "virtual world", a kind of game 
where players mimic real life - buying and selling virtual 
real estate, holding down virtual jobs, and creating online 
businesses.  Second Life residents use "Linden Dollars", a 
virtual currency that is actually convertible to and from 
real U.S. dollars.

Why Lincoln Laboratory?  For over half a century Lincoln Labs 
has been at the forefront of computing and defense technology.  
Lincoln built the DEW Line (Distant Early Warning), a radar 
surveillance system protecting the U.S. borders from missile 
attacks.

Working with other key partners worldwide, the core group of 
researchers, computer scientists, engineers, bankers and 
economists and have designed a new system to cleanly integrate 
all manner of electronic payments and accounting systems.  The 
interesting part of this for numismatists is how the system 
would integrate banknotes and even coins.  The quotes to follow 
are extracted from a .pdf copy of the proposal my boss received 
last week.

"We reached an epiphany early in our brainstorming sessions 
when we realized just how much people distrust electronic 
money.  Although we use it all the time, we never feel completely 
comfortable.  There's just something about the feel of a physical 
object," said Marissa Mayer, Google's Product Manager and 
spokesperson for the group.

"So what we came up with is a bit of a throwback, but one with 
a complete update for the 21st century," she continued.  Instead 
of carrying a walletfull of credit/debit cards and having to 
remember dozens of different passwords or PIN codes for our 
accounts, we would carry a pocketful of special new coins which 
(using a highly secure data protocol) would know who we are and 
link seamlessly to our accounts.  Developed by Lincoln Labs 
scientists, these new universal coins will be called UbiquiCoins 
(or Quoins for short).

The obverse of the Quoins would carry the standard official 
Federal emblems and insignia, but in another throwback will 
also include the name of an issuing institution, such as your 
local bank or credit card company - not unlike the old National 
Bank notes.  This private-issue connection made me think 
immediately of Liberty Dollar proponent Bernard von NotHaus.  
I reached him on his cell phone, and he's intrigued with the 
idea.  We both had a laugh at the thought, though - it's not 
likely that the Fed would allow it, but Bernie's going to talk 
to his bank about issuing a Liberty-dollar affinity Visa card.

The reverse side of many Quoins would carry Federal emblems, 
but commercial and personal images would be permitted, as long 
as they fall within FCC decency standards.  The commercial part 
is where Google comes in.  Like John Gault, who sold advertising 
on the back of his encased postage stamps in the Civil War, 
Google will sell ads on the back of Quoins, splitting revenue 
with both the government and individuals.

"It's a win-win-win for all parties," said Marissa Mayer.  
"Individuals basically get a small rebate for every coin they 
use, and the government gets funds to help support the 
infrastructure.  And course, business is helped by getting 
their message out to the right people at the right time." 
I can see it now - you're about to drop a coin in a vending 
machine and an ad appears: "Buy Coke!  Here's a 10-cent-off 
coupon!"

Individuals could opt out of the program and in fact, could 
program their Quoins to display personalized images or photos 
on the reverse.  Check-printing companies will get into the 
game with web sites that allow bank customers to choose from 
galleries of standard designs or create their own.  A member 
of one of the focus groups testing the product already had 
an idea: "My Quoins will show Mt. Rushmore, only the faces 
will be me, my wife and our two kids."

Ubiquicoins could be used anywhere, for anything.  They 
display a nominal denomination just like coins today, but 
they're more versatile.  Suppose you want to buy a 50-cent 
can of Pepsi from a vending machine.  Drop in a $1.00 Ubiquicoin, 
and watch it slide down a clear chute.  It comes right back to 
you in the coin return, only now it's a half dollar.  The design 
and value change before your eyes.

"We liked this feature so much we installed vending machines 
in one building at our Mountain View campus.  It's weird - food 
and soft drinks are free for Google employees, but so many people 
used the machines instead that we made over $2,500 in a week."

Environmentalists like the feature too, reckoning that by 
immediately recycling coins over 35 million tons of carbon 
emissions would be saved annually because vending machine 
operators and banks no longer have to transport and count 
coins.  Al Gore claims to have invented the feature.

They also have a sort of overdraft feature, so you never have 
to run out of coins as long as you have money in the bank.  
Need to pay a toll?  Just drop in one of your coins.  If there's 
any leftover money on the coin it will be deposited in your 
account.  If you're short, your account would be debited for 
the difference.  What could be easier?

All manner of electronic devices would be outfitted with 
"Quoin slots" to accept payments.  Buying on eBay?  Just 
pump your coins thru a slot on the side of your computer.  
Daughter running low on her wireless minutes?  A friendly 
voice chimes in saying "Deposit 50 cents for the next three 
minutes.  Please deposit 50 cents."   She would have to stick 
a coin in the slot on the side of her cell phone, just like 
it were an old-fashioned pay phone.

"This back-to-the-future stuff is so retro it's cool," said 
another member of a focus group testing the product.  "And 
they've thought of everything - they're even waterproof so 
you can toss them in a fountain."  The coins actually shimmer 
MORE underwater.

U.S. Mint Director Ed Moy practically beams at the prospect.  
"I'm so sick of talking about the high cost of metal.  We're 
hoping to shut down all our facilities and outsource 
manufacturing to my cousin's semiconductor fabrication plant 
in Taiwan."

But the Mint isn't going out of business. The creative work 
would go on.  The Mint's coin designers would have their hands 
full dreaming up commemorative and custom designs for all these 
new coins.  "We don't get our hands dirty with engraving tools 
anymore anyhow," said Sculptor-Engraver John Mercanti.  "All 
my folks use computers now, so I thought, what the heck."  
Mercanti's team would relocate to rented office space elsewhere 
in Philadelphia.  I understand negotiations are underway to 
sell the building to an electrical supply company. 

And what about the Bureau of Engraving and Printing?  They'll 
shut down production, too.  High-denomination Quoins eliminate 
the need for paper.  This could to save another 48.3 million 
tons of carbon emissions annually.

Director Larry R. Felix emphasized that the security and 
anti-counterfeiting goals of the Treasury Department would 
remain the same - "Our engineers are the best in the world at 
what they do, and have always adapted to changing technologies.  
Being one step ahead of the counterfeiters is our only mission.  
With these innovations, we figure we'll be at least one and 
three-eighths steps ahead."


A NEW GAME FOR BIBLIOPHILES: BIBLIO BATTLESHIP

Dr. Sheldon, in the final chapter of his book "Early American 
Cents" describes the game of "Old Cent Whist" invented by 
collector George French (p338-339).  In the game, collectors 
compare their sets of large cents one by one, scoring points 
for ownership of varieties and the best condition specimens.  
The game foreshadowed today's Registry Set craze, and could 
be adapted to virtually any collecting field, even numismatic 
literature.  But our field is so broad that I doubt any two 
libraries would have a common basis for comparison.  But if 
bibliophiles were to have their own game, what might it be?

I've mulled the idea over off and on for a couple years.  
Finally something occurred to me that might be an interesting 
feature for The E-Sylum. Remember the game "Battleship" from 
when you were a kid?  You'd set up your ships in a hidden grid 
and call out positions to your opponent.  "B9" - Miss!  "G4" - 
HIT! Etc.  The game goes on until all of someone's fleet is 
sunk.  Well, in Biblio-Battleship, players call out random 
coordinates that lead to an item in another player's library.  
That player tells us something interesting about the item, 
then has the chance to fire a shot at the next player's library.  
Nobody's boats get sunk, but we all get treated to some 
discoveries, which could well generate some interesting 
threads of discussion.

To kick things off, I asked a bewildered Peter Gaspar (our 
first official E-Sylum subscriber) to think of three random 
numbers between 1 and 12.  His response led me to a couple 
of interesting items described in the next articles.


AN UNUSUAL DEVICE FOUND ON AN UNDERTAKER'S STORECARD

[This item is the first in what I hope will be a series 
of articles submitted by our readers as part of the 
Biblio-Battleship game discussed above.  Peter Gaspar's 
number sequence {2,5,7} led me to bookcase 2, shelf number 
5 in my numismatic library.  A little past the halfway 
point on the shelf (7 out of 12) I found a set of Numismatic 
Gallery Monthly, complete from Volume 1, No, 1 through 
volume 5, no. 8).  The house organ was published by Numismatic 
Gallery (dealers Abe Kosoff and Abner Kreisberg) beginning 
in May, 1948.  The set came from dealer John Bergman and 
was given to me by NBS member Bob Wester when he stayed at 
my house in Pittsburgh during the 1989 ANA convention.

I plucked an issue from the middle of the pack - September 
1950.  On page 10 I found a short article contributed to 
the publication by reader Edward C. Briggs titled "An 
Unusual Device" -Editor]

  On the majority of all coins, we see images of great leaders, 
  devices representing our ideals or the scenes of some great 
  historic event.  The coin which I write about, however, is 
  none such.  The engraving which it bears is no great leader, 
  no place where much history was made, and I hope it is not 
  a symbol of our ideals!  The main design is devoted to ... 
  a coffin.  This unusual item is one of the series of hard-times 
  tokens issued by individual merchants during the Civil War 
  period.  This piece was issued by J. J. Diehl, an undertaker, 
  of 133 Essex Street, New York City.  It is dated 1863 and 
  made from copper.  It is truly one of my most interesting 
  pieces.

[It's interesting that the article refers to the civil war 
as a "hard-times" era. That's an apt description of the 
economic climate of the time, but today U.S. collectors 
think of only the 1830s/1840s tokens as "Hard Times Tokens."

John Bergman passed away and I lost touch with Bob Wester 
some years ago.  I met him at the legendary Invasion of 
Louisville trip to Armand Champa's home.  It was Bob's visit 
during the 1989 ANA that spurred me into action to build my 
numismatic library.  The phone rang one morning before the 
show. Larry Dziubek of the Western Pennsylvania Numismatic 
Society knew that Bob was a big coin book collector and told 
me about a rare book he'd seen at dealer Hank Spangenberger's 
table the day before.  I had a good numismatic library but 
was not a big spender on rare books yet, so (like an idiot!) 
I passed the word to Bob.

When we arrived at the show, Bob went to Spangenberger's 
table and bought the book for about $300.  It was a copy of 
the Newlin work on half dimes.  Within an hour or so Bob 
turned around and sold it to George Kolbe for $1,000.  To 
this day my library still lacks an original Newlin, but I 
vowed that my library shelves wouldn't remain bare for lack 
of trying.  Right after the convention I put out my shingle 
as a numismatic book dealer.  

I remember showing John Burns my new business cards and he said, 
"Since when are you a book dealer?"  I said, "Since I printed 
these cards."  I placed ads in various publications and began 
purchasing numismatic literature from book and ephemera dealers 
across the country.  I also purchased several complete libraries 
which I incorporated into my own, consigning the duplicates to 
various sales.

So - does anyone know what became of Bob Wester?  George Kolbe 
writes: "I knew Bob from seeing him at a few ANA's and his 
participation in my sales for a short period. I lost touch years 
ago. His enthusiasm, though brief, was certainly infectious and 
I expect he spurred others on to expand their numismatic libraries."

And who was Edward C. Briggs?  Isn't this fun?  Another 
Biblio-Battleship item from the same Numismatic Gallery 
Monthly issue follows. -Editor]


B. MAX MEHL TESTIMONIAL DINNER, AUGUST 26, 1950

[This item is the second part of this week's Biblio-Battleship 
game discussed above.  It's an excerpt from Numismatic 
Gallery Monthly, September 1950, p10). -Editor]

  Over 100 friends of B. Max Mehl greeted "Mr. Coins" at a 
  Testimonial Dinner in his honor on August 26th at the 
  Schroeder in Milwaukee.  Col. Joseph Moss was a grand 
  toastmaster and old-timer George Bauer and William Philpott 
  spoke briefly about B. Max and their experiences with him.

  President Sheldon announced that the ANA had awarded our 
  honored guest an Honorary Life Membership in the Association.  
  The Max was presented with a beautiful plaque to commemorate 
  the occasion.

  A swell fillet mignon dinner accompanied by the strains 
  of popular and classical tunes was followed by songs by 
  the Hi-Lo Barbershop Quartette.  All in all a grand time 
  for a grand guy.

[It's interesting that this random library selection would 
bring us back to Dr. Sheldon, whose account of Old Cent Whist 
inspired this game.  And William Philpott shows up for the 
second time in this issue.  Can anyone tell us more about 
him?  -Editor]


CHARLOTTE MINT MUSEUM ANNIVERSARY ARTICLE

[An E-Sylum reader forwarded this article from the Charlotte 
Observer about the anniversary of the first coins struck at 
the old U.S. Mint building in Charlotte, NC.  The Mint's 
first gold coin was struck 170 years ago, on March 28, 1838. 
-Editor]

It was a beautiful coin, with a profile of a crowned Lady 
Liberty on its face surrounded by 13 stars, one each for 
the original colonies.

And it shone brightly, made of pure gold, gold likely taken 
from the ground under Charlotte.

On March 28, 1838, the first gold coin -- a $5 Half Eagle -- 
was struck at the U.S. Mint branch. It was on West Trade 
Street where the federal building now stands. The old mint, 
moved in the 1930s, now houses the Mint Museum on Randolph 
Road.

"This was a small courthouse town around a trading crossroads," 
said Tom Hanchett, historian at the Levine Museum of the New 
South. "Having the mint here drew people from literally around 
the world."

The 1849 discovery of gold in California eclipsed Charlotte. 
In 1861 the Confederacy took control of Charlotte's mint 
branch and it ceased production.

One of four statues at the Square is a miner holding a pan 
and spilling gold onto the head of a banker modeled on 
former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan.

Fated to be torn down, the U.S. Mint was salvaged by a 
devoted group who scraped together $950 to buy the building. 
Its stones were numbered so it could be reassembled, and 
dumped on donated land near Briar Creek.

Through a federal program, the building was re-erected and 
opened as the state's first art museum in 1936.

The Mint has an exhibit of gold coins made in Charlotte, 
Half Eagles ($5), Quarter Eagles ($2.50) and One Dollar 
($1) coins with the tiny "C" mint mark.

To read the complete article, see:
http://www.charlotte.com/arts/story/549096.html

For more information on the Mint Museum and exhibit, see:
http://www.themintmuseums.org 


BAY STATE COIN SHOW ARTICLE QUOTES HOBBY FIGURES
 
[Dick Johnson submitted the following notes on a Boston Herald 
article by a team reporting from the recent Bay State show.  
-Editor] 

A father-son team -- both named Ted Ancher -- attended the Bay 
State Coin Show this weekend.  The father is the narrator/
photographer, the son is the writer/producer.
 
They interviewed and photographed Harry Miller of Miller's 
Mint of Patchogue, NY at his bourse table who said: “collectors 
feel confident they have assets of real value and appreciation” 
in the coins they own and purchase.
 
"It was not so long ago that we had the first million-dollar 
coin,” he said. “Now it is almost a common event.”

Miller cautions anyone eager to launch into coin collecting 
to study up on the field and become familiar with possible 
pitfalls, such as overpriced coins and even fakes. “Go, look, 
ask - speak to reputable people and look into areas you need 
to know about,” he said.

Both Beth Deisher of Coin World, and Doug Mudd, ANA curator, 
were also quoted in the article, recounting recent events in 
the field leading to the popularity of collecting coins, both 
in new coins from the Mint and current economic factors.
 
As a sidebar article they wrote on the Lincoln cent, with a 
photo of an S VDB. They told of early events of the cent and 
the anticipated four new reverses in 2009. I was impressed with 
the accuracy of the information in both articles.
 
Main article on the show:
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1083786
&srvc=home&position=1
 
Sidebar article on the Lincoln cents:
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1083791
&srvc=home&position=also


BOOK ON THE ROYAL MAUNDY COINAGE BY BRIAN ROBINSON

Yossi Dotan writes: "In The E-Sylum of March 23 I liked 
the item on the distribution of Maundy money in Ireland. 
I have printed the article and added it to my copy of Dr. 
Brian Robinson's book 'The Royal Maundy' (London: Kaye & 
Ward, 1977). Maundy money is a fascinating, typically 
English, subject."

[I have a copy of the Robinson book as well.  Wondering 
if a book or monograph on the topic had been published 
more recently than 1977, I did a search and found a 1992 
Spink publication, also by Brian Robinson, titled "Silver 
Pennies and Linen Towels: Story of the Royal Maundy" -Editor]

Yossi adds: "I have also a monograph on the topic written 
by Charles R. Hosch in 2005: Great Britain Maundy Coinage 
Since 1822: A Guide to the History, Ceremony and Coinage 
of the Royal Maundy. Now updated to 2008, the monograph 
can be found at 
http://site440.mysite4now.net/hoschcoins/site1/Portals/0/MAUNDYwork.pdf .

[Yossi reminded me that we discussed Hosch's web site in 
The E-Sylum on January 27, 2008.  -Editor]

  QUEEN ELIZABETH DISTRIBUTES MAUNDY COINS IN IRELAND
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v11n12a15.html

  CHARLES HOSCH PUBLISHES NUMISMATIC WEB SITE
  http://coinbooks.org/esylum_v11n04a09.html


MORE ON THE RARE 1878 LONDON TEMPLE BAR MEDAL FOUND IN NEW ZEALAND

Last week we published a story about a rare British medal 
discovered by a New Zealand man named Kevin Homan.  Martin 
Purdy writes: "Upper Hutt is a pretty small town by world 
standards (30,000 or so), though it counts as a city here in 
New Zealand.  As it happens Kevin Homan and his wife are 
friends of my in-laws, so I popped round for a visit after 
the story made the front page of our national newspaper 
during the week.  I took some photos of both sides of the 
medal and posted them here, along with the text of the 
newspaper article:
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~translate/templebar/ 

Here's an older story on the find on the Temple Bar research website:
http://www.thetemplebar.info/News/rare_temple_bar_medal_found.html "

  RARE 1878 LONDON TEMPLE BAR MEDAL UNEARTHED IN NEW ZEALAND BACKYARD
  http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v11n12a16.html


SWEDISH ROUNDING AND THE ELIMINATION OF LOW-DENOMINATION COINS

Kerry Rodgers forwarded an article about the elimination 
of the lowest denomination coin in Malaysia beginning April 1.  
He notes "However, the report perpetuates misinformation in 
its reports of the rounding system practised in a number of 
countries that have ditched their lower denomination coins.  
I have noted this same misinformation appearing in North 
America the debate over whether the US and/or Canada should 
dispense with their one cent coins.

"Australia and New Zealand use 'Swedish rounding'. This is 
not the rounding up to the nearest 5 cents stated in the 
article. If a cash sale is involved, places such as supermarkets, 
gas stations and even corner shops have a sign saying something 
along the following lines:

  all sales ending in 1c, 2c, 6c, 7c are rounded down 
  to the nearest 5 cents;

  all sales ending in 3c, 4c, 8c, 9c are rounded up 
  to the nearest 5 cents"

"Of course sales ending in 0c or 5c remain unchanged. 
Essentially what we gain on the swings we lose on the 
roundabouts. No one is aggrieved.  It works very well.  
And if you want to pay the exact $19.99, then use plastic.

"Someone else may have stated all this but I continue 
to see a confused version of the situation, whether the 
on is deliberate or not I can't tell but have become highly 
suspicious! "

Kerry adds: "I was in a supermarket last evening and now 
that we have dumped the 5 cent coins the notice simply said:

  all sales ending in 1c, 2c, 3c, 4c and 5c are rounded 
  down  to 0 cents;

  all sales ending in 6c, 7c, 8c, 9c are rounded 
  up to 10 cents"


COINS AMONG ARTIFACTS RETURNED TO IRAQI MUSEUM

Ordinary people have surrendered 2050 artifacts to antiquities 
officials in southern Iraq, according to a senior Antiquities 
Department archaeologist.

The pieces were handed over to the Ministry of Tourism and 
Antiquities in a ceremony in Baghdad, said Ali Kadhem.

Kadhem heads the Antiquities Department’s branch in the 
southern Province of Nasiriya, home to some of the most 
fascinating remains of the Sumerian civilization, including 
their fabulous capital city of Ur.

He said 1100 pieces were metal coins belonging to various 
Mesopotamian epochs.

“The collection is bound to enrich the magnificent 
possessions of Iraq Museum’s numismatics gallery,” he said.

To read the complete article, see:
http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news%5C2008-03-24%5Ckurd.htm


WILL RUSSIA ELIMINATE THE KOPECK?

[An article published this week by the Russian news agency 
Novosti implies (but doesn't seem to specifically state) 
that Russia will cease production of its smallest coin, the 
kopeck.  Here are some excerpts from the article, which 
focuses more on economics and inflation than coinage.  
-Editor]

The ten-year history of the Russian kopeck has come to an 
end. Arkady Tkachuk, Director of Goznak Association in charge 
of printing banknotes, said, "Kopecks cost more than their 
nominal value and do not return to banks. This is why there 
is no point in minting them." 

This verdict and the start of the mass minting of ten ruble 
coins, which was also announced by Tkachuk, mean that the 
government has acknowledged its defeat in curbing inflation. 

The kopeck returned into circulation after the 1997 denomination. 
But the new Russian coin was different from its Soviet predecessor. 
A Soviet kopeck could buy a glass of soda water or a box of 
matches. A Russian kopeck is worth nothing and can buy nothing, 
but it was not supposed to buy anything. In bringing it back, 
the then Russian leaders merely wanted it to symbolize the 
strength of the national currency and the advent of stability 
in the Russian economy. 

The appearance of new zeroes on banknotes is not far off - 
a 5,000-ruble banknote was put into circulation in 2006. 
Now the printing of a 10,000-ruble banknote is under 
discussion. In the meantime, the 1997 symbol of stability 
has become a real burden in the wallets of Russians. People 
have long stopped taking kopeck change, or bending to pick 
up a dropped coin. Now, ten years after, Tkachuk said, 
"Kopecks are mostly used in payments for utilities. If we 
round these sums, we will save on getting rid from small 
coins." 

Withdrawal of kopecks from circulation and replacement of 
ten-ruble banknotes with coins are justified economically, 
but they make it abundantly clear that inflation is out 
of control. 

To read the complete article, see:
http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20080326/102244795.html


MAN HELD ON $MILLION BOND FOR COIN ROLL CAPER

[The Cincinnati Inquirer published an article this week 
on the strange case of a man held in jail on a million-dollar 
bond as a result of a 18-year old incident where he was accused 
of spending rolls of dimes that turned out to have dimes only 
on the end and nothing but cents in between.  The unusual size 
of the bond is a result of a quirk in the laws - because of 
an unrelated felony conviction, this incident was also treated 
as a felony. -Editor]

Gary Weaver had no idea his criminal past would catch up to 
him in the oddest way when was arrested Wednesday... 

Weaver pleaded guilty to that charge today and Hamilton County 
Municipal Court Judge Richard Bernat sentenced Weaver to the 
one night he’d already spent in jail.

But court officials also noted Weaver had a warrant for his 
arrest on an old theft case – from 1990.

Assistant Prosecutor Betsy Sundermann said the allegations 
in that case are that Weaver, on Jan. 12, 1990, walked into 
a store and bought items valued at $21.64, paying the bill, 
at least in part, with rolls of dimes.

Later, though, store employees discovered the rolls of dimes 
actually were rolls of pennies with dimes on each end.

The case, despite a loss of less than $25 if the allegations 
are true, was charged as a felony.

Bernat then imposed the original bond on the case.

“How much is that?” Guinan asked because he didn’t have the 
bond paperwork on the 18-year-old case.

The answer was $1 million.

That means Weaver is in the jail – that officials say is 
overcrowded and in need of replacement – on a bond that is 
$999,978.36 higher than the amount he is accused of stealing 
18 years ago.

To read the complete article, see:
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20080327/NEWS01/30327
0027/


FEATURED WEB SITE: WARREN ESTY'S ANCIENT COIN AUCTION CATALOG SITE

This week's featured web site was mentioned by Ed Snible 
in his February 26 blog entry.  He writes: "If, like me, 
you are interested in the catalogs for their research value 
I'd like to remind you of Warren Esty's ancient coin auction 
catalog site. This site tells how many ancient coins are in 
each catalog, how good the coins are, and breaks the counts 
down into Greek, Roman, Byzantine, etc.
http://digitalhn.blogspot.com/2008/02/ans-sale-of-duplicate-catalogs.html 

http://esty.ancients.info/catalogs/ 


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 for First Class mail, and 
$25 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

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, just 
Reply to this message, or write to the Editor at this 
address: whomren at coinlibrary.com

Those wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers 
(or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page:
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All past E-Sylum issues are archived on the NBS web site at this address:
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