The E-Sylum v17#34 August 17, 2014

Sun Aug 17 19:30:59 PDT 2014

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

  An electronic publication of
  The Numismatic Bibliomania Society

Volume 17, Number 34, August 17, 2014
**
WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM AUGUST 17, 2014
<#a01>
**	
2014 NBS LITERARY AWARDS ANNOUNCED
<#a02>
**	
NEW BOOK: GERMAN RENAISSANCE MEDALS
<#a03>
**	
ANS COAC TO BE HELD IN BALTIMORE OCTOBER 30, 2014
<#a04>
**	
ANS CATALOGS FIRST WORLD WAR MEDALLIC ART
<#a05>
**	
1792 HALF DISME LISTING ASSISTANCE SOUGHT
<#a06>
**	
THE 1989 BIBLIOPHILE INVASION OF PITTSBURGH
<#a07>
**	
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: AUGUST 17, 2014
<#a08>
**	
THE R.L. MILES JR. COIN COLLECTION
<#a09>
**	
SELF-PUBLISHING WITH 48HRBOOKS.COM
<#a10>
**	
THE GEORGE WASHINGTON OF VIRGINIA MEDAL
<#a11>
**	
THE FRENCH NARRATIVE MEDAL
<#a12>
**	
CONSERVING THE HULL OF THE H.L. HUNLEY
<#a13>
**	
THE BUSINESS OF HOLLYWOOD MOVIE MONEY
<#a14>
**	
MINT ENGINEER'S IMPROVEMENT SAVES $MILLIONS
<#a15>
**	
STANFORD PROFESSOR AWARDED FIELDS MEDAL
<#a16>
**	
THE GRANVILLE STOKES ATLANTIC CABLE RELIC TOKEN
<#a17>
**	
J.H. CHILDREY, RICHAMOND COIN BUYER
<#a18>
**	
JOHN BURNS MEMORIAL FUND UPDATE 
<#a19>
**	
V&A ACQUIRES RARE MEDAL CABINET
<#a20>
**	
CHARLES MORGAN'S ANA PHOTO DIARY
<#a21>
**	
WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: AUGUST 17, 2014
<#a22>
**	
HOW THE INTERNET IGNITED NUMISMATICS
<#a23>
**	
RICHARD L. LISSNER SALE RESULTS
<#a24>
**	
2ROOKS ANCIENT COIN REPRODUCTIONS
<#a25>
**	
HARVARD PROFESSOR CALLS FOR END TO U.S. $100 BILL
<#a26>
**	
HIGH-QUALITY COUNTERFEIT NOTE MAKERS FINALLY APPREHENDED
<#a27>
**	
KIM IL-SUNG ERASED FROM NORTH KOREAN BANKNOTES
<#a28>
**	
$21K INSURANCE SETTLEMENT PAID IN COINS
<#a29>
**
FEATURED WEB SITE: MEDAL COLLECTORS OF AMERICA
<#a30>

Click here to read this issue on the web

Click here to access the complete archive

To comment or submit articles, reply to 
whomren at gmail.com

WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM AUGUST 17, 2014

New subscribers this week include:
Mike Diamond and Robert Gabriel, courtesy of John and Nancy Wilson,
John Feigenbaum of David Lawrence Rare Coins, and
TMG Investments.
Welcome aboard!  
We now have 1,758 subscribers.

This week we open with the NBS 2014 Literary awards, an old-but-new-to-me book, and two announcements from the ANS.
Other topics include 1792 half dismes, The Invasion of Pittsburgh, the French Narrative medal, movie money, and reports from last week's ANA convention.

To learn more about the Fields medal, German Renaissance medals, the "Carolina Gold" counterfeits, the first Atlantic cable, "Skinny" Miles, 
Nanotribology, evaporating calories, and the Cult of the Biblio-Tie, read on.   Have a great week, everyone!

Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum

2014 NBS LITERARY AWARDS ANNOUNCED

NBS Treasurer David Sundman submitted the following announcement of the winners of the 2014 Numismatic Bibliomania Society literary awards.

For the Joel J. Orosz Award for Best Article of 2013, the winner is George Kolbe, for his column “Reminiscences of a Numismatic Bookseller”. The runners-up were Bill Bugert and John Adams.

For the Jack Collins Award for Best New Author of 2013, the winner is Arnold Tescher for his article “Hidden Voices in the ANS Archives”. The runners-up were Jon Amato and Tony Lopez.

Despite strong competition from many deserving authors, both of the winners achieved their well-deserved victories by a substantial margin.

For more information, see:

NBS Awards

(www.coinbooks.org/about/awards.html)

NEW BOOK: GERMAN RENAISSANCE MEDALS

OK, so 1997 isn't exactly "new".  But it's "new to me", and I thought it would be of interest to readers given the recent resurgence of interest in German medals.  While editing the article on the Victoria & Albert Museum elsewhere in this issue, I saw a link to this book which catalogues the German Renaissance Medals in the museum's collection.
-Editor

TITLE:  German Renaissance Medals - 
A Catalogue of the Collection in the V&A Museum
AUTHOR: Marjorie Trusted
 FORMAT: Hardback
ISBN NUMBER: 9781851770137
DATE PUBLISHED: 1997
PAGES: 128
DIMENSIONS: 29.8 x 21.4 x 1.8 cm

As the first book in English on German medals, the catalogue includes a full introduction to the subject, as well as thoroughly researched study of the collection in the Victoria and Albert Museum.

For more information, or to order, see:

German Renaissance Medals - A Catalogue of the Collection in the V&A Museum

(www.vandashop.com/German_Renaissance_Medals_Catalogue_Collection/dp/B00GUJDGYC)

ANS COAC TO BE HELD IN BALTIMORE OCTOBER 30, 2014

Joanne Isaac of the American Numismatic Society forwarded this press release about the next Coinage of the Americas Conference (COAC).  Thanks!
-Editor

Coinage of the Americas Conference (COAC) to be held at the Annual C4 Convention at the Whitman Expo in Baltimore in October The American Numismatic Society and the Colonial Coin Collectors Club will jointly present on Thursday, October 30, 2014 “Circulating Coinage in Pre-‐Federal America,” a Stack Family Coinage of the Americas Conference.  

This program, for ANS and C4 Members only, is generously funded by C4 and the Stack Family Fund at the American Numismatic Society.

The speakers and topics are: 

Oliver Hoover -‐ “Coins of our Forefathers: The Circulating Money of North America before 1780” 

Chris Salmon -‐ “The Silver Coins of Massachusetts: Evolution of Minting Techniques” 

Jack Howes -‐ “Thomas Machin: The Man and his Coinage”

John Kraljevich -‐ “World Coins that Circulated in Colonial America: Sources and Methods”

A reception will be held from 5:00 pm to 6:45 pm with the conference beginning promptly at 7:00 pm at the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel, Harborview Room, 300 S. Charles ST, Baltimore, MD 21201.

There is no fee for this program, but in order to help with the planning of this event, ANS and C4 members are asked to register by October 24th with the Membership Department of the ANS at: membership at numismatics.org or212-‐571-‐4470 ext. 
117

For more information, please visit numismatics.org/Events/COAC or www.colonialcoins.org

To read the complete press release, see:

 Coinage of   the Americas Conference (COAC) to be held at the Annual C4 Convention at the Whitman Expo in Baltimore in October

(numismatics.org/wikiuploads/NewsEvents/2014_0815_PR_COAC.pdf)

For more information, see:

http://numismatics.org/Events/COAC

ANS CATALOGS FIRST WORLD WAR MEDALLIC ART

Joanne Isaac of the American Numismatic Society also forwarded this press release about a new online exhibit of WWI Medallic Art.
-Editor

As part of its commemoration of the centennial of the First World War, the American Numismatic Society announces the launch of Art of Devastation  (http://numismatics.org/aod/) an important new web-based research catalogue of the thousands of art medals, commemorative medals and tokens produced in
response to this major conflict.

Directed by Dr. Peter van Alfen, with assistance from Sylvia Karges, Art of Devastation   aims to be the first comprehensive catalogue of this abundant and varied material, one that takes full advantage of the web environment and linked open data. Intended to help identify medals and tokens in users’ hands, Art of Devastation offers unique catalogue numbers for types and variants for future referencing, and illustrates, where possible, multiple examples for comparison. 

Mapping tools allow users to locate where the item was created, and where the events associated with it took place. Links to other websites, such as Wikipedia, take users to entries discussing the artist who created the item, as well as the people, events, and things, like the weapons or symbols depicted on it. In addition to serving as an identification and learning resource, Art of Devastation provides easy access for non-numismatists to an important, yet often overlooked body of primary evidence from the Great War.

Before the War began, medals and tokens had served for centuries as a significant means of communication where easy and durable forms of mass communication did not exist. Whether issued by states, organizations, or individuals, their commemorative and propagandistic function was already well known and understood. Increasingly, by the turn of the century, the medal had also become an important medium of more reflective and private artistic expression. Art medals could be distinguished from traditional types of medals by their frequent lack of words, non-elite representation, greater emotional
intimacy, experimental shapes, and cast production rather than striking. 

During the War, these various public and private functions continued, converged, and were greatly intensified by the enormity of the conflict. Thousands of different types of medals and tokens were produced on both sides, consuming scarce metallic resources. This outlay underscores the fundamental role that these items played in feting heroes, marshaling support, directing public opinion, and, more poignantly, expressing grief and disgust.

Art of Devastation enables users to explore the range of artistic responses to the War and particular events within it. The sinking of the Cunard passenger liner RMS Lusitania by the German submarine SM U-20 on May 7th 1915, for example, attracted considerable artistic output on both sides of the conflict. René Baudichon, a French artist, responded with a medal with themes paralleling those of Allied atrocity propaganda, depicting a drowning child avenged by Ultrix America, the Statue of Liberty with a sword. 

On the German side, the emotions were more complicated. The artists Karl Goetz and Walther Eberbach derided Allied hypocrisy on purported bans on armament shipments on passenger liners with their satirical takes on the sinking, while Ludwig Gies cast enmities aside to focus solely on the human tragedy of the event.

The creation of this new web tool is the work of ANS database developer Ethan Gruber. At launch, Art of Devastation incorporates the roughly 1,400 relevant items in the ANS’s collection. In collaboration with other institutions, such as the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, the Royal Library of Belgium, and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, the catalogue will continue to expand.

Here are a few of the exhibit medals that caught my eye.  Be sure to browse the exhibit.
-Editor

GOETZ:  FRIEDE . MIT . GROSSRVSSLAND

http://numismatics.org/aod/id/7513.7155.206

 GOETZ:  . IM . DIENSTE . DES . WELTKRIEGES . 1914

http://numismatics.org/aod/id/7513.7155.147

 GOETZ:  BARALONG MOERDER

http://numismatics.org/aod/id/7513.7155.162

To read the complete press release, see:

Art of Devastation: A Web-based Catalogue of First World War Medallic Art

(/numismatics.org/wikiuploads/NewsEvents/2014_0812PR_theArtofDevastation.pdf)

To visit the exhibit, see:

http://numismatics.org/aod/

1792 HALF DISME LISTING ASSISTANCE SOUGHT

Pete Smith submitted this request for assistance with a research project to catalog all surviving 1792 half dismes.  Please help!  Many hands make light work...
-Editor

Authors Len Augsburger, Joel Orosz and Pete Smith continue to work on their book on the coinage of 1792. They are compiling a census of all surviving 1792 half dismes and are seeking reports from current owners. If you own a 1792 half disme, please report this to 

petesmith1793 at gmail.com.

If you see one at a dealer's table, please report it. If you know of a local collector who has one, please report it. If you see one in a museum, please report it. Even if you know the coin is already in the census, please report it.

There have been many coins in the grading service population reports that are not linked to a coin in our census. Reports including certification numbers are appreciated.

There may be some statistical value in comparing repeat notifications with notifications of unreported coins. If there are any significant results, these will be reported in a future issue of The E-Sylum.

THE BOOK BAZARRE
SELECTIONS FROM THE JOHN HUFFMAN LIBRARY:  
Browse and Shop Approximately 3,000 Numismatic Books from the Respected Library of John Huffman—All Books Recently Discounted 20%.    Click here or go to www.SecondStorybooks.com
click on “All Subjects” and select “John Huffman Collection”

THE 1989 BIBLIOPHILE INVASION OF PITTSBURGH

Tom Harrison brought back some memories for me last week at the ANA convention when he showed me an item I put together back in 1989 when I was a baby bibliophile in training.  He kindly forwarded several images this week for The E-Sylum.
-Editor

Tom writes:

While going through some files several months ago, I discovered this copy of “The Invasion of Pittsburgh” compiled by Wayne Homren. The album is a record of the visit of  ten numismatic bibliophiles to the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh during the 1989 ANA Convention. The late John Burns made the arrangements for the visit. 

The guests included Mark Auerbach, John Bergman, Armand Champa, Nancy Green, Wayne Homren, Frank Katen, George Kolbe, Ken Lowe, J. Roger Persichilli, and Myron Xenos. Of note, these visitors were treated to seeing the library's original first six volumes of The Numismatist. 

The introductory remarks in “The Invasion of Pittsburgh” state the library was used by the curators of the coin collection housed at The Carnegie Museum of Natural History. The majority of the collection was sold in the early 1980s and subsequently the library was transferred to the Carnegie Library.

The copy of “The Invasion of Pittsburgh” at hand is number 1 and signed by Armand Champa. As a footnote, I found lot 199 in The Money Tree Sale 29. The lot was in a consignment from the Armand Champa estate. It appears to be a different version of my edition – possibly a “special edition” as it is housed in a cream leatherette binder and has 16 photos. My copy has a clear vinyl cover and 12 photos.

I prepared these albums as a souvenir of our visit that day, and sent Armand Copy #1 as a thank you for hosting "The Invasion of Louisville", when he'd hosted a busload of bibliophiles and numismatists to visit his home and view his marvelous numismatic library.    That was  the day I got schooled in numismatic literature and met many of the bibliophiles who became lifelong friends and mentors to me.  Thanks again, Armand!
-Editor

The Numismatist

Ken Lowe, John Bergman, Myron Xenos

Nancy Green, Myron Xenos

Group photo: Kolbe, Persichilli, Champa, Xenos, Green, Lowe, Auerbach, Bergman, Homren, Katen

Tom adds:

Four photos are missing from the copy of my album. I am hopeful someone might help  fill in the blanks. According to the descriptions on the album, there were 12 photos included. I am missing page 1, no. 2 and no. 3; page 2, no. 2 and no. 3.

My own copy is likely buried in a box in my garage along with the negatives (remember those)?    Someday I'll unearth them and help Tom complete his copy.   It's great to see these again after all these years.  Thanks!
-Editor

NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: AUGUST 17, 2014

 More on Non-Circulating Legal Tender Coinage 
Dave Lange writes:

I want to second the comments of Kavan Ratnatunga. I've appealed to various Krause Publications staffers over the years to split all NCLT coins off into their own volume, so that the general catalogs will be limited to "real" coins that actually serve or have served as currency. Unfortunately, it seems that the modern "fantasy" coins are driving the coin market to a large extent. Witness the chaos that prevailed during the ANA convention, as people having no interest in numismatics bought up most of the gold Kennedy Halves to flip for quick profits.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:

THE GROWTH OF NON-CIRCULATING LEGAL TENDER COINAGE

(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n33a16.html)

 The United Daughters of the Confederacy World War II Cross 
Dave Alexander writes:

A footnote to the excellent review of the United Daughters of the Confederacy World War II Cross. This was designed by the late Chester L. Beach (then of Brewster, NY and New York City). Beach designed such U.S. commemoratives as the Monroe Doctrine, Hudson NY and Hawaiian half dollars. This surviving files are (I believe) at the ANS. Stack's handled the Beach estate's models, sketches, medals a few years ago, catalogued by me. The poor sculptor had more grief, fussing and double-think over the UDC cross than any other commission except the Hawaiian.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:

OMSA MEDAL QUIZ ANSWERS

(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n33a22.html)

 More on the Silver-Plated 1977 Two Pence 

Regarding Philip Mernick's silver-plated 1977 Two Pence coin,
Rodrigo de Oliveira Leite writes:

When I saw the silver-plated 1977 British 2 Cent piece from the last edition of the E-Sylum, I remembered a coin that I have in my collection: a 1872 Newfoundland One Cent, that is also silver-plated. I acquired it from a Brazilian Numismatic Association auction about an year ago. In 1872, the Queen Victoria celebrated her 35th anniversary as Queen. Does it have anything to do with the fact that this coin is silver-plated? I don't know the answer, but it's a really interesting item.

Flickr user Ian Sutton writes:

The Queen's Silver Jubilee was that year (1977). It could be that some plating companies made them to hand out as keepsakes or souvenirs. Some might even have been sold on to tourists :)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:

NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: AUGUST 10, 2014

(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n33a08.html)

 Counterfeit "Carolina Gold" Coins 

Pioneer gold researcher Dan Owens submitted these notes relating to the counterfeit Bechtler $5 Gold coin mentioned in the July 27, 2014 E-Sylum.    Thanks!
-Editor

In a recent online inventory of rare coin dealer Dave Wnuck was the following counterfeit piece; dealer's description was as follows:   

"Circa 1840's, Bechtler $5 Gold Contemporary Counterfeit. Struck in copper with a gold wash. Fine [uncertified]"

Georgia Gold, 128 grains type. Purchased as genuine by a dealer, this coin is a rare but known  contemporary territorial gold coin. So unusual that most dealers and advanced collectors have never even seen or laid eyes on one.     

I remember coming across a newspaper passage from 1840 that described in detail a similar piece, only it was stamped "Carolina Gold" instead of "Georgia Gold". The coin was struck by a gang of counterfeiters named Wm. Myers, John Richards, Wm. McMillan, and Samuel Griffith.

   They were rounded up in a St. Louis police raid with all of the implements needed for the production of counterfeit coin together with 68 pieces of coin. A considerable amount of raw material for making the coin was on hand, and it was believed that several persons were constantly employed in the coining scheme. 

   Myers occupied the house that was raided and his principal business had been that of a gunsmith or locksmith.      

Source: New York Sun

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:

DAVE WNUCK'S COIN IMAGE LOGO

(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n31a14.html)

THE R.L. MILES JR. COIN COLLECTION

Harvey Stack's latest blog article begins a new series on the collection of R. L. Miles.  It mentions the long-lost tradition of displaying coin collections in banks.  Those were the days!
-Editor

In a tradition started in the mid 1950s by Louis E. Eliasberg, collectors started to lend their collections to various banking institutions for special displays.

It was readily accepted that by hosting these special displays, banks could attract more depositors and clients. In the case of R.L. Miles, Jr., (and shortly later with the John L. Roper Collection), two different banks in the Norfolk, Virginia area established special showrooms in their lobbies for displays. This happened after the banks built new buildings in the refurbished and rebuilt port area of Norfolk, The opening displays were at the Virginia National Bank, a new 21-story bank building, dedicated in 1968. It was erected near the site of the early colony of Norfolk, close to the harbor where some 300 years ago, ships would come to effect commerce in the area.

Two exhibits commemorated the new building’s opening. The first was a great historical item, the Mace of Norfolk, given in 1753 to the governor of Norfolk and the English colony, but not accepted by the City Council until 1754. The Mace was made in of silver, highly ornate and inscribed, and was carried to official functions by the mayor to assert the authority he possessed. The Mace is on display in a special glass case in the lobby of the bank, and is stored in a special underground vault when not on display. The Mace is portrayed on the reverse of the Norfolk commemorative half dollar, struck in honor of the colony, by the U.S. Mint in 1936. It is very large, and surely heavy, and one wonders how it was carried in official functions, when it was used.

The other display, which the bank received on loan from one of its directors R. Lawson Miles, Jr., was an outstanding collection of United States gold, silver and copper coins, rather comprehensive and in outstanding condition. The Stack family was privileged to help build this collection over 40 plus years, and I was fortunate to have been the family member who dealt directly with R.L. Miles, Jr. (known to his friends since early high school days as "Skinny" a nickname I was allowed to use). He had loved collecting coins since his youth when he worked for his father in the oyster business.

How Skinny got started collecting is a very interesting story. The Miles Oyster Company was one of the largest "farmers of Oysters in Chesapeake Bay.” The area they were allowed to harvest was granted to the family in early colonial times and the family maintained the beds through the decades. Skinny's early job was in the paymaster’s office of the factory. When I visited the company for the first time, it had about 1,000 sinks where the shuckers opened oysters, sorted them and prepared them for shipment all over the East Coast and as far west as Chicago. The oysters had to be refrigerated to keep them fresh and were packed in drums filled with ice, meaning that they could not be shipped by rail past the Mississippi.

To pay the shuckers coins were part of the payroll. Skinny became interested in seeing how many different dates and mints he could assemble, and he filled many collector boards with the coins he found. Though he found many -- possibly all -- the coins from the Philadelphia Mint, examples from the western mints were much scarcer. He learned that Philadelphia Mint half dollars dated 1914 and 1915 were also hard to find and he started to accumulate those in particular.

To read the complete article, see:

The R.L. Miles Jr. Coin Collection, Part 1

(www.stacksbowers.com/NewsMedia/Blogs/TabId/780/ArtMID/2678/ArticleID/64685/The-RL-Miles-Jr-Coin-Collection-Part-1.aspx)

SELF-PUBLISHING WITH 48HRBOOKS.COM

Dick Hanscom submitted these thoughts on self-publishing.  Thanks!
-Editor

I read the information on "getting your numismatic book in print."  All good points if working with a publisher.

I think very few numismatic books will require a publishing house such as Whitman.  Most will have short runs and limited sales.  Being turned down by a publisher because the book will not be a financial success could very well discourage a writer/researcher from publishing at all.

I have published five editions of my book,  "Striking Gold in Alaska, Making tokens from placer gold."  While it provides information on how to make tokens, I consider it a very large brochure to promote my gold tokens.

I have used 48hour Books for all editions, and have been very happy with their service and cost.  They have made it so simple, I just can't seem to stop ;)  I refer to it as my cheap entertainment.

For someone in a position to publish a book (numismatic or otherwise), this is a painless and cost effective method.

I received some discouraging comments when I wanted to "do it myself" when I started making tokens - leave it to those who know what they are doing.  I expect similar comments from writers, editors and publishers.  After all it is their business and they can do it better.  And for a book with a large audience, they will jump on it.

But for a book with a very limited audience, self-publishing is a viable alternative.

If anyone wants more information, they can contact me directly at

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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/20140817/491ab202/attachment.html>