The E-Sylum v13#19, May 9, 2010

Sun May 9 20:28:16 PDT 2010

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The E-Sylum

  An electronic publication of
  The Numismatic Bibliomania Society

Volume , Number 19, May 9, 2010
**
WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM MAY 9, 2010
<#a01>
**
NEW BOOK: WORLD PAPER MONEY ERRORS BY MORLAND FISCHER
<#a02>
**
NEW BOOK: BOSTON NUMISMATIC SOCIETY 150TH ANNIVERSARY REDBOOK
<#a03>
**
CANADIAN CLUBS BROADEN ACCESS TO JOURNALS
<#a04>
**
TRIP REPORT: LEN AUGSBURGER VISITS ANNAPOLIS AND WILMINGTON
<#a05>
**
HARRY WATERSON'S TOP TEN REASONS TO READ THE E-SYLUM
<#a06>
**
QUIZ ANSWER: WHO IS THE MYSTERY NUMISMATIST?
<#a07>
**
QUERY: J. GOLDSBOROUGH BRUFF
<#a08>
**
SUSAN TRIPP'S EVERGREEN HOUSE LECTURE 
<#a09>
**
GOLD CONFEDERATE CENT RESTRIKES
<#a10>
**
QUERY: CONFEDERATE CENT RESTRIKES IN OTHER METALS SOUGHT
<#a11>
**
DICK JOHNSON: GLOSSARY TERMS OFTEN MISLEADING
<#a12>
**
POLITICAL SHAKEUPS AT THE U.S. MINTS
<#a13>
**
QUERY: 2008, 2010 SPECIAL EDITION RED BOOKS
<#a14>
**
QUERY: MERKIN, CHAPMAN AND LIMPERT PHOTOS SOUGHT
<#a15>
**
QUERY: UNKNOWN COPPER TOKEN IDENTIFICATION SOUGHT
<#a16>
**
THE EMERGENCY MONEY COLLECTOR, VOL. 2 NO. 2
<#a17>
**
MICHAEL MAROTTA ON NUMISMATICS AND THE LAW
<#a18>
**
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: MAY 9, 2010
<#a19>
**
QUERY: NEW ENGLAND NUMISMATIC AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY PRLS
<#a20>
**
QUERY: COLLECTORS OF CANADIAN TOKENS AND MEDALS SOUGHT
<#a21>
**
MORE ON THE PAPERS OF CHARLES EDWARD BARBER
<#a22>
**
QUERY: FRANCIS SHALLUS, PHILADELPHIA ENGRAVER
<#a23>
**
GIANT CHINESE COIN OF LE DYNASTY FOUND
<#a24>
**
ARTICLE ON STATE DEPARTMENT'S COIN IMPORT RESTRICTIONS
<#a25>
**
IN POLL CANADIANS VOTE AGAINST KEEPING THE CENT
<#a26>
**
SHADES OF STANDING LIBERTY: VIRGINIA'S BARE BREAST COVERED
<#a27>
**
BOOK QUOTE OF THE WEEK: JOHN RUSKIN
<#a28>
**
MOTHER’S DAY COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT PASSES U.S. HOUSE
<#a29>
**
FEATURED WEB SITE: NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM
<#a30>

Click here to read this issue on the web

WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM MAY 9, 2010

Among our new subscribers this week are
Robert Stump, courtesy of Harold Levi, and Jeff Fournier.
Welcome aboard! We now have 1,339 subscribers.  

This week we open with information on two new books and word of novel arrangement between two Canadian clubs to broaden access to their journals. Next up is a trip report from Len Augsburger with word of an interesting discovery.

There are several reader queries this week.  Topics include J. Goldsborough Bruff, Francis Shallus, Frank Limpert and the New England Numismatic and Archeological Society.

To learn about Henry Voigt's account book, the identity of our camel-riding numismatist and political shakeups at the U.S. Mints, read on.  Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
 Numismatic Bibliomania Society

NEW BOOK: WORLD PAPER MONEY ERRORS BY MORLAND FISCHER

Jessica Mullenfeld of Zyrus Press forwarded this press release about the new book,  World Paper Money Errors by Morland Fischer.
-Editor

Collectors worldwide have been anticipating the arrival of World Paper Money Errors by Morland Fischer. Now available, this one of a kind reference guide offers pricing for international error notes in striking full color.

World Paper Money Errors tailors to the young hobby of collecting foreign currency errors. Readers will learn how mistakes are created during the production process, the difference in market prices of United States error notes versus international error notes and more about this growing branch within numismatics. Featuring over 200 unusual and rare currencies, Morland Fischer has categorized his vast collection into 19 types of errors. Each error note is presented alongside a correct note to emphasize the shocking shapes and distorted designs that contribute to the value of the notes.

Comprehensive collection featuring rare notes from over 70 countries.

Provides descriptions and examples for 19 types of errors.

Insightful comparison between domestic and foreign currency

Explanation of valuing notes using an innovative Foreign Error Note (FEN) Scale

Market price for each featured error note.

Exhibiting hundreds of extraordinary banknotes from around the world, numismatists and spectators alike will be intrigued by the currencies that are scarcely seen by the public. World Paper Money Errors enhances this new and advancing form of collecting.

Please call if you wish to request additional information. 
Contact: Jessica Mullenfeld, Zyrus Press, at www.zyruspress.com. 

NEW BOOK: BOSTON NUMISMATIC SOCIETY 150TH ANNIVERSARY REDBOOK

Charlie Davis forwarded this release about the upcoming special edition of the 2011 Guide Book of United States Coins.
-Editor

2011 Guide Book of United States Coins
Special Commemorative Edition
Boston Numismatic Society 150th Anniversary

With the 150th anniversary of the Boston Numismatic Society coinciding with the 2010 Annual Convention of the American Numismatic Association in Boston, we thought it appropriate to work with Whitman Publishing Company to produce a special edition of the 2011 Red Book.  Commemorating a significant milestone of the third oldest numismatic society in the United States, the result has been the best executed of any of the special editions.

Improving on the concept used with the 1987 Milwaukee edition, we asked the Society to identify three members, past or present, who have contributed greatly to its success over the past 150 years.  Selected were Sylvester S. Crosby, William Sumner Appleton, and Arthur M. Fitts.  

Working from photographs that we supplied, Whitman produced a cover with an excellent likeness of each, the B.N.S. logo and the words “Boston Numismatic Society. 1860-2010. Commemorating 150 years.”  

The edition consists of 450 numbered copies (500 were ordered, 450 were delivered) with each bearing an attractive bookplate produced by letterpress in red and black ink with the book’s serial number added in gold by a calligrapher.  

In addition, an accomplishment card, also executed by letterpress, for the three honorees has been laid into each copy.  The books will be available May 15. We did not ask Ken Bressett to sign bookplates or leaves later to be glued in as has been done with most other special editions as we do not feel that constitutes a signed book.  Ken has indicated he will be available at the Boston convention August 3-8 to autograph copies.

The price has been set at $85.00 plus $5.00 shipping.  Checks should be made payable to the undersigned. Paypal is available at Numislit at aol.com

Charles Davis
Numismatic Literature
Box 547 Numislit at aol.com
Wenham MA, 01984
(978) 468 2933

THE BOOK BAZARRE

Blue Older Sister: “Hey! What About Me!”

Every numismatic bibliomaniac knows and loves the Red Book. She’s praised, fussed over, kept on a pedestal, consulted regularly. But what about her slightly older (yet no less attractive) sister, the Blue Book? The 68th edition of the Handbook of United States Coins — the annual guide to dealers’ wholesale prices—has debuted and is looking for eligible collectors. $9.95 softcover, $12.95 hardcover. 

Call Whitman Publishing at 1-800-546-2995, or order online at 

www.WhitmanBooks.com
.

CANADIAN CLUBS BROADEN ACCESS TO JOURNALS

Serge Pelletier, editor of moneta, the journal of the Ottawa Coin Club, forwarded this press release headlined "Edmonton and Ottawa join in a “coalition of like-minded clubs”"   It's about a novel new arrangement giving two clubs access to membership in the other, spreading access to their club journals.
-Editor

The Ottawa Coin Club (OCC) and the Edmonton Numismatic Society (ENS) have signed a memorandum of understanding that allows members of one club to join the other at a discounted rate.

“The whole idea came when I saw, for the first time, a copy of The Planchet, the journal of the ENS,” explains Serge Pelletier, editor of moneta, the journal of the OCC. “I was quite surprised to see how close our editorial approaches were.” 

Roger Grove, editor of The Planchet, concurs “I was equally astonished when I saw moneta for the first time! “Here we are, two guys putting together local numismatic journals at opposite ends of the country, with the same approach to layout and editorial content. And we did not even know one another!”

Like-minded in many ways:
But the similarities do not stop there. “Like us, the ENS hosted a very successful RCNA convention” continues François Rufiange, president of the OCC.

“It was also clear that both clubs are very invested in the promotion of both numismatics and money collecting,” says David Peter, president of the ENS, “so when the OCC proposed the idea, we jumped on it!”

How it works:
The way it works is really quite simple. Folks join one of the clubs, which becomes their ‘home club’, and then they can join the other club at the discounted rate. What’s in it for the collector? More reading! Both editors have agreed to coordinate their publications. This means you will not see the same article published in both journals (except for book reviews, which are not considered articles). So a collector may have as much as 40 to 60 (letter size) pages illustrated with large photographs in full colour to read! 

“It’s a win-win situation for the clubs as well as the members” says Grove.

“We’re hoping it’s the beginning of a beautiful relationship!” adds Pelletier laughing.

For more information on each club, please visit their respective websites at: 

www.edmontoncoinclub.com 

and 

www.ottawacoinclub.com
. 

For more information contact:

Serge Pelletier, 613-949-9541 (day), serge_pelletier at sympatico.ca	

Roger Grove, 780-297-1012, grove_ra at shaw.ca

TRIP REPORT: LEN AUGSBURGER VISITS ANNAPOLIS AND WILMINGTON

Len Augsburger submitted this update on his research and recent visits to Annapolis, MD and Wilmington, DE during the recent Early American Coppers convention.
-Editor

During the recent EAC in Annapolis I was able to make a side trip to the Hagley Library in Wilmington.  This was carefully timed so as not to miss John Kraljevich's excellent walking tour of old Annapolis.  I had been to Annapolis probably half a dozen times to do work at the Maryland State Archives for the Baltimore gold hoard book, but such was my monomania that I had only visited two places in the city, the Archives and a pizza place in the strip mall a little bit west of there.  

The dignity of that book was such that I could not discuss how great the pizza was, fortunately The E-Sylum  has enough latitude for such digressions.  Did I mention that the pizza was really good?  There were great documents in the Archives, too.  

But it was all superseded by John's walking tour, which included the Charles Carroll house (a plaque bears a reproduction of the Charles Carroll medal by Christian Gobrecht), and the possible "first Mint" of the United States, where the Chalmers pieces may have been struck (later at the EAC, Will Mumford gave a fascinating talk about his excavation of the property, which uncovered a Chalmers piece buried in the cellar).

Now on to Hagley - this is the old DuPont family library, now open to the public, and the grounds are spectacular.  The reading room would make Thoreau proud - curators bringing old books on one side and a floor to ceiling view of unspoiled countryside on the other. 

Hagley has a strong collection of industrial trade catalogs, and I had known for some time that they had a number of early Frank H. Stewart Electric Company catalogs which are probably unique - not even present in Stewart's personal papers at Rowan University.  These lent some additional insight on the early days of the company (prior to their acquisition of the first U.S. Mint building in Philadelphia), but the real prize was something I found by sheer luck while cruising their online catalog prior to visiting.

Catalogued as an "account book of the chief coiners of the United States Mint," hopes were raised that this was the long lost first account book of Henry Voigt from 1792, obliquely referred to in Snowden's Mint Manual (1860) and missing ever since.  I didn't get that lucky, but what we have here is a personal account book of Voigt which indicates a business relationship with Adam Eckfeldt, outside of the Mint, personal loans to John Reich, and a possible accounting of Jefferson inauguration medals (Julian PR-2).  

The book was acquired by Hagley in the 1960s - where it was before that is anyone's guess, although certain notations in the book suggest it stayed in the Voigt family.  Further study is underway and will be published in due course.  I can't imagine anyone (with the possible exception of Eric Newman!) would have found this without an online catalog, and we are fortunate to live in the era where all these resources are first appearing and we get to be the ones to harvest them.

Joel Orosz adds:

If there is such a thing as a bloodhound of numismatic research, his name is Len Augsburger!  Not even Bob Julian knew of the existence of this ledger before Len unearthed it.

Congratulations to Len on a great research find!  He's quite correct that these are great days for researchers - as museums and libraries get their collection catalogs online it's becoming much easier to learn what exists and where to find it.  But there's no substitute for traveling to inspect the items in person.

By the way, since Len mentioned Eric Newman, and he's got a birthday coming up.  On May 25 he'll be 99!  Go, Eric!

Below is some more information on the Hagley, which sounds like a great resource. 
-Editor

Hagley Museum and Library collects, preserves, and interprets the unfolding history of American enterprise. Hagley is located on 235 acres along the Brandywine River near Wilmington, Delaware.

The Hagley Library is the nation's leading business history library and archives. It is organized into five departments: Manuscripts and Archives, Pictorial Collections, Imprints, Conservation, and the Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society.

Hagley’s collections document business activities since the late eighteenth century as well as the interaction between business and the cultural, social, and political dimensions of our society. Researchers come to Hagley from all over the world to use our resources in studying a wide array of subjects, as business records and personal papers are relevant for many interests and projects. Travel grants are available to support research visits.

To learn more about the Hagley library, see:

About the Hagley Library

(www.hagley.org/library/about/)

HARRY WATERSON'S TOP TEN REASONS TO READ THE E-SYLUM

Harry Waterson submitted his personal list of the "Top Ten Reasons To Read The E-Sylum"
-Editor

Drum-roll...

10.	Read the E-Sylum every week and learn stuff.

9.	Pick up on A Gentle Madness by Nicholas Basbanes 15 years after publication.

8.	Read A Gentle Madness.

7.	Have a serious re-evaluation meeting with oneself.

6.	Call the Springfield Art Museum to see if they will take one’s Western Art/Frederic Remington collection.

5.	Revise the donation bibliography deleting the books one just can’t do without.

4.	Give the undeleted books to the Museum Library.

3.	Get a 1st refusal on any book the Library decides it doesn’t want.

2.	Put numismatic books onto the newly available shelf space.

1.	Re-arrange the numismatic books again and again until one gets it right.  Continue as required.

I’ve just done some housecleaning myself – first the garage, then my file cabinet, my desk, and finally my library.  After throwing out junk and selling/giving away stuff I didn’t need, I was left with a much cleaner and organized office.   I miss some of my “stuff”, but I’m happier with what I’ve kept.   
-Editor

THE BOOK BAZARRE

RENAISSANCE OF AMERICAN COINAGE:  
Wizard Coin Supply is the official distributor for Roger Burdette's three volume series that won NLG Book of the Year awards for 2006,  
2007 and 2008.  Contact us for dealer or distributor pricing at

www.WizardCoinSupply.com 
.

QUIZ ANSWER: WHO IS THE MYSTERY NUMISMATIST?

Last week, I thought I'd make a quiz out of a postcard in my ephemera collection.  It depicts a famous U.S. numismatist. I asked, "Who is it?  Where is he?  When was this taken?"
-Editor

Nick Graver writes:

I cannot identify the numismatist in the photo post card, but he is pictured in front of the Great Sphinx and in the background is the second tallest of the three Great Pyramids at Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt.  This pyramid of Khafre (or Chephren) retains a major portion of its original smooth dressing which shows in the photo.   The number 9 at the bottom tied the prints to the customer's order after processing.

Dick Margolis writes:

I don't think the mystery numismatist is much of a mystery; he very much looks to me like Abe Kosoff doing the obligatory tourist bit on a camel, in front of the Sphinx, in February or March 1954 while he was in Cairo attending the Farouk sale.

Alan Weinberg writes (with the subject line "the dude on the camel"):

I'm gonna guess it's Abe Kosoff on a camel while visiting  Cairo for the Farouk numismatic auction in 1954.

Dick Johnson and Paul Horner guessed Abe Kosoff as well.
But it's not Abe - this is a tricky quiz in more ways than one.
The numismatist is Don Taxay - he's holding the camel's reins.  Actually, I made that part up. The numismatist IS the dude on the camel, but it's not old Abe.
-Editor

Larry Dziubek writes:

Howard Gibbs at the Farouk Sale, most likely after he got
out of jail.
He worked for coal companies and was used to carrying a gun at all times. 
I believe he was arrested for carrying a weapon as he deplaned in Egypt. He was not held very long and did not miss the sale as I recall. I wonder
if this story was told by Schulman in one of the Gibbs sale catalogs?

Larry's half right - it's indeed Howard Gibbs.  But it wasn't at the time of the Farouk sale.  Here's the other side of the postcard.
-Editor

Howard Gibbs sent this card to fellow Pittsburgh numismatist Emerson Smith in 1964.    As Larry noted Gibbs did go to the Farouk sale, but that was 10 years earlier than this postcard.
-Editor

Dick Margolis adds:

I knew Howard very well, even had dinner at his house in Pittsburgh, but didn't know about his 1964 Egyptian trip. His wife, a very good cook, was famed quarterback Johnny Unitas's mother. How is that for a bit of numismatic-related trivia?

Thanks for playing, everyone. I thought this would be a good lesson about NOT jumping to conclusions.  I did this myself when I first saw the card, thinking, "Wow - a neat postcard from a Farouk sale bidder."   Then I saw the postmark date and thought "Whoa!"   I pulled my copy of the Farouk sale off the shelf to confirm the date - 1954, a full decade before the card was sent.

Now - who will serve up the next numis-mystery for us to solve?
-Editor

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:

QUICK QUIZ: WHO IS THE MYSTERY NUMISMATIST?

(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n18a22.html)

QUERY: J. GOLDSBOROUGH BRUFF

This isn't exactly a numis-mystery, but while looking things up in Dave Bowers' American Numismatic Association Centennial History, I came across this reference to another coin and medal artist I hadn't heard of:

... an autographed letter by James Ross Snowden, Director of the Philadelphia Mint, which discussed a pattern double eagle design by I. Goldsborough Bruff, of Washington, D.C. 

An quick Internet search lead me to believe the "I" should be a "J" (for Joseph).
So - can anyone tell us more about J.  Goldsborough Bruff's numismatic work?
-Editor

SUSAN TRIPP'S EVERGREEN HOUSE LECTURE 

Max Spegiel submitted this item about a lecture at the Evergreen House by Susan Tripp, who was the curator when Johns Hopkins University sold the Garrett coin collection.
-Editor

Last Wednesday (April 28), I had the pleasure of attending a presentation by Susan Tripp, the former curator of the Evergreen House, once the home of the Garrett family and their remarkable numismatic collection. Her presentation, “Discovering Evergreen,” was a part of The House Beautiful Lecture Series held at Evergreen in the spring. 

The main part of the lecture focused on her interesting (and sometimes amusing) experiences as curator of Evergreen and the $4.3 million restoration of the building that she oversaw. Although I went primarily to see what she had to say about the numismatic collection, I enjoyed hearing her stories about the house, the collections, the Garretts, and other personalities. 

	Susan told how she came to Evergreen in 1974, succeeding the previous curator Sally Freeman, who had retired. Her first goal was to organize and catalog the collection so that the Johns Hopkins University and the Evergreen House Foundation could ultimately determine what to sell. The house was filled with objects; not just from the Garrett collections, but from the entire university. She was guided by Elizabeth “Libby” Baer, who had been John Work Garrett’s librarian since 1936 and was now the Director of the Evergreen House Trust. 

	Sally Freeman began working with the coin collection in 1955 and added notations to the Garretts’ index card filing system. John Work Garrett’s library was apparently the center of the household, and he often entertained and ate his meals there. The ingenious coin dumbwaiter that Garrett had installed to bring coins up from his vault meant that he would never have to leave his favorite room in the house. 

Susan told an amusing anecdote about how, while she was preparing the numismatic collection for sale, she would often work downstairs in the vault beneath the library. When a tour would come by the security guard would yell down to alert her and then shut the hatch. After the tour had finished the security guard would open the vault and check on her. This worked fine until one time they closed the hatch without realizing she was down there and eventually went looking for her when she was not at lunch. (She was fine.)

	Susan spoke only briefly about the sale of the Garrett numismatic collection. Sotheby’s had been providing significant help to the Evergreen House because they knew that the Foundation and University were interested to sell. Apparently they were a bit annoyed that the first Garrett coins went to Stack’s in March 1976. (Sotheby’s was still given a Picasso, among other items, to sell.) The bulk of the collection, however, would eventually be sold by Bowers and Ruddy and Numismatic Fine Arts.  

 	Overall, Susan Tripp’s lecture at the Evergreen House was enlightening and it was great to hear the perspective of a former curator. She has an abundance of interesting stories and is highly knowledgeable. While the Garretts have already been extensively studied (such as Dave Bowers’ book on their coin collection), the behind-the-scenes part is far more obscure. Someday it would be nice to look through all of the Johns Hopkins University archives related to the numismatic collection.  

GOLD CONFEDERATE CENT RESTRIKES

Harold Levi submitted this note on his research into fake gold Confederate Cent restrikes.  
-Editor

In The E-Sylum vol. 9 no. 46, November 12, 2006, Tom Delorey very correctly expressed his view of how the making of restrikes can get out-of-hand.  He presented a letter from Robert Bashlow concerning 2nd restrikes of the Confederate cent.  Adding to this problem, there seems to be little if anything that can be done about the counterfeits that are being created.  I have seen two thin planchet gold Confederate cent 2nd restrikes and a gold reverse hub impression, along with a host of other recently made junk.

A word of warning; if what you have or see is a gold Confederate cent 2nd restrike piece, it is fake.  David Laties, Bashlow’s business partner, has stated to me, in no uncertain terms, that they struck three (3) thick planchet gold pieces – and that is it!  No other gold pieces were struck! 

Authentic Thin Goldine

Fake Thin Gold

Mr. Laties still has his gold Confederate cent 2nd restrike, one was donated to the Smithsonian and Bashlow lost his piece.  Dr. Doty of the Smithsonian has confirmed that the donated gold piece is still at the Smithsonian.  Keep in mind that the Gold Confiscation Proclamation of 1933 was still in effect in 1962.  Bashlow had already had a run-in with the Secret Service and was terrified of having another brush with them.  This attitude has been confirmed by Mr. Laties.

The letter from Bashlow, mentioned above, provided some insights into some of the items that were struck.  In particular, he mentioned that there were two or three thin planchet restrikes in silver and about six in bronze.  He did not mention goldine, but that is not surprising since he mentioned reverse hub impression in goldine and bronze and failed to mention those in silver.  

Laties Gold

You know, it is true that now and then a blind hog does find acorns.  I now own one thin planchet silver and one goldine 2nd restrike.  The thin planchet pieces were not weakly struck as some have argued.  These pieces are as well struck as the thick planchet pieces.  I have confirmed the provenance of these pieces as having come from Bashlow.  I will be making a presentation to The Calumet Numismatic Club on June 16th and will show the diagnostic problems with the fake pieces.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:

BASHLOW'S CONFEDERATE CENT RESTRIKES

(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v09n46a20.html)

QUERY: CONFEDERATE CENT RESTRIKES IN OTHER METALS SOUGHT

On a related note a web site visitor writes:

I read your website article at: http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n18a15.html  and, being the owner of several rare Bashlow 1 cent Confederate restrikes offer the following observations:

Regarding thin flan metals used, I have two, one a in a TOMBAC metal (90% copper, 9% zinc), which would be in Breen's "other metals", and the other in a "Nickel Silver" metal (66% copper, 18% nickel, 16% zinc, 0% silver).

I also have in my collection,  Bronze, Silver, Goldine and PLATINUM which are thick flan, measured by NGC as  3.04 mm thick, measuring the edge of the plan and not including any high points of the devices.

I have an Aluminum one, but cannot determine its thickness without removing it from the holder, but I assume it is likely thick flan.

I am looking for the following other metals that are mentioned by Breen:  Gold, Tin, Lead, Zinc, Red Fiber and any additional "other metals".  Any information on sources for any of them will be most welcome.

I worked with NGC to have metal tests performed on most of my Bashlow cents, including both the common and rare ones.  Goldine was found to have 85% copper, 15% zinc, and Silver was 90% AG and 10% CU.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:

BASHLOW GOLD CONFEDERATE CENT RESTRIKE INFORMATION SOUGHT

(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n18a15.html)

DICK JOHNSON: GLOSSARY TERMS OFTEN MISLEADING

Dick Johnson submitted these new thoughts on numismatic glossaries.
-Editor

Howard Daniel was exceptionally kind to send me this week his private file of glossary terms he has gathered over the years for his own wide-ranging numismatic pursuits. I can detect from his chosen word lists the extent of his curiosity as he lists words of philately, oriental items, banknotes, in addition to strictly numismatic items. I detect he is even interested in polymer as a modern trend replacing security paper for currency. 

He captured the terms as he encountered them, recording them -- often in the words of the original writer -- other times rewriting it in his own words. Both are useful for his own private purposes. Learning technology and terms of the field dramatically widens your numismatic knowledge. Never overlook an opportunity to learn a new word. It heightens your understanding by being able to think in new ideas, new concepts, and be more precise in thinking of old concepts.

In my first glance at his list I detected a far too common flaw. The fuzzy thinking of the original writer. The world "Lamination," for example, gives the exact opposite definition for the term. Here is what Howard found and recorded:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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:
https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum

All past E-Sylum issues are archived on the NBS web site at this address:
http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_esylum_archive.html

Issues from September 2002 to date are also archived at this address:
http://my.binhost.com/pipermail/esylum
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.binhost.com/pipermail/esylum/attachments/20100509/460acc90/attachment.html>