The E-Sylum v17#06 February 9, 2014

[The E-Sylum]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The E-Sylum
  
  An electronic publication of
  The Numismatic Bibliomania Society


Volume 17, Number 06, February 9, 2014
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WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM FEBRUARY 9, 2014
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LAKE BOOKS SALE #117 PRICES REALIZED AVAILABLE
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KREINDLER LIBRARY PART II SALE CLOSES FEBRUARY 13, 2014
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NEW BOOK: GRADING GUIDE FOR EARLY AMERICAN COPPER COINS
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NEW BOOK: THE ISLAND STANDARD: COINAGES OF PAROS
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FROM A THANKFUL NATION: LATIN AMERICAN MEDALS
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TOKEN PUBLISHING’S YEARBOOKS GO DIGITAL
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JOURNAL OF ANCIENT NUMISMATICS TO RESUME PUBLICATION
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LOUIS VAN BELKUM 1924-2013
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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: FEBRUARY 9, 2014
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INTERVIEW: E-SYLUM EDITOR WAYNE HOMREN
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JOHN BURNS AND THE BRAZILIAN COMMEMORATIVE BARS
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MORE REMEMBRANCES OF JOHN H. BURNS
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UPDATE ON THE JOHN H. BURNS MEMORIAL FUND
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MORE WHITMAN COIN IMAGE PRINTING PLATES
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THE LIFE AND WORK OF ANTHONY DE FRANCISCI
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ON THE LEGALITY OF OWNING  ALUMINUM CENTS
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JOHN KLEEBERG ON THE NON-COLLECTIBLE DESIGNATION
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QUERY: IMAGE OF 1881 SWISS 20 CENTIME SOUGHT
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FILM: GOLD FEVER AND THE BECHTLER MINT
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HARVEY STACK REMEMBERS COLLECTORS DENNIS AND SAMUEL WOLFSON
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CANADIAN POLICE SEIZE U.S. BANKNOTE COUNTERFEITING  PRESS 
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DICK JOHNSON ON SLABBING HISTORICAL MEDALS
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BRITISH COUNTERMARKED U.S DOLLARS
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W.L. WARING TOKEN DATED TO EARLY 1860S
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THE AMERICAN LEGION SCHOOL AWARDS
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TURKEY COUNTERSTAMP ON A FRANKLIN HALF DOLLAR
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HERITAGE TO SELL RUTH HILL BANKNOTES
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MONEY ARTIST BRAD TROEMEL EXHIBITION
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FEATURED WEB PAGE: UNITED STATES ASSAY COMMISSION MEDALS
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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 FEBRUARY 9, 2014






New subscribers this week include
John Jackson, courtesy of Mark Tomasko,
Len Cicero, courtesy of Russ Sears, 
Bob Fagaly, courtesy of Bill Eckberg,
Grant Hansen, and
Dennis Fuoss.
Welcome aboard!
We have 1,697 email subscribers.


This week we open with notes from literature dealers Fred Lake and David Fanning, followed by two new books and a new exhibition catalog.  Other topics include author Louis Van Belkum, collectors Dennis and Samuel Wolfson, the Bechtler Mint, and the Ruth Hill banknote collection.

 
To learn more about the new grading guide for early American copper coins,  Latin American Medals, Brazilian commemorative bars, and the superior intellect of medal collectors, read on.   Have a great week, everyone!


Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum




	
LAKE BOOKS SALE #117 PRICES REALIZED AVAILABLE


Fred Lake submitted this note on the results of last week's sale. 
-Editor



Lake Books has posted the prices realized list for its mail-bid sale of numismatic literature #117 which closed on February 4, 2014 on its web site at  

www.lakebooks.com/current.html  Results were very strong for hardbound sale catalogs, especially those from George Kolbe with prices earning three to four times estimate in many cases. United States material from the 19th century also garnered top prices. Fred Lake announced that their next sale will have a closing date in late April, 2014 and will feature selections from the libraries of J. H. Cline and Harry Warren. Good Luck with your bidding,  Fred.


Lake Books
PMB 118
6822 22nd Ave. N
St. Petersburg, FL 33710-3918
727-343-8055  FAX: 727-381-6822



	
KREINDLER LIBRARY PART II SALE CLOSES FEBRUARY 13, 2014


David Fanning forwarded this reminder of the upcoming closing date of the Kreindler Library Part II  eLive Auction.
-Editor



 
Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers wish to remind their clients that the second part of the outstanding and comprehensive library on ancient numismatics formed by New York coin dealer Herbert Kreindler will be offered in a joint sale with Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH, of Osnabrück, Germany.


The sale will be an online-only eLive auction held on Thursday, February 13, 2014 starting at 11:00 AM Eastern Time.


Live online bidding and virtual lot viewing is available at    
 
kuenker.de.


Absentee bids may be placed by contacting Kolbe & Fanning and MUST be placed by Wednesday, February 12.


Register for online bidding at 

elive-auction.de.


View lots (numismatic literature lots start with lot 4001) at: 

elive-auction.de/auktion?o=%2Fauktion%2Flose%3Fcategory%3D8160
.


Download the PDF catalogue at 

numislit.com/numislit/images/pdfs/133eLive.pdf
.


Please note that the online sale will be conducted in euros. The estimates in the Kolbe & Fanning version of the printed catalogue are expressed in dollars for the convenience of their U.S. bidders. Absentee bids can be accepted in either currency.


For more information, see the Kolbe & Fanning website at 

www.numislit.com or email David Fanning at 

df at numislit.com. Please note that Kolbe & Fanning staff will not be available to answer questions during the sale itself.



	
NEW BOOK: GRADING GUIDE FOR EARLY AMERICAN COPPER COINS


Co-author Bill Eckberg forwarded this announcement of the long-awaited EAC   Grading Guide For Early American Copper Coins.   Thanks, and congratulations to EAC and the authors for completing this important undertaking!
-Editor




ANNOUNCING: GRADING GUIDE FOR EARLY AMERICAN COPPER COINS



 
Early American Coppers, Inc. (EAC) is pleased to announce the upcoming publication of its first book, the new Grading Guide For Early American Copper Coins. This profusely illustrated, 192-page hardcover book fully describes the process of grading early American copper coins as practiced by collectors who specialize in them. It will become available to members at the EAC convention in Colorado Springs, CO, May 1-4, 2014 and to the public immediately thereafter. 


The cover price will be $54.95 plus $5 P&H. EAC or C4 members in good standing will get a $5 discount. Members purchasing the book at the EAC convention will pay only $45. All proceeds from the book will go to EAC to support its educational and outreach activities.


Because copper coins were the money of the people and (unlike gold coins) were heavily used in commerce, because they are heavy and soft, and because copper is more reactive to oxidation than silver or gold, they received more wear and damage than early gold and silver coins. Because their relative value did not fluctuate like that of gold and silver coins, they were less subject to mass meltings during their time of circulation. Thus, many stayed in circulation until they were unrecognizable due to wear or corrosion. Yet, because these coins were the money of the fledgling United States, and because the insults that plagued them add to their charm, the collectors of early copper are among the most dedicated and involved in all of numismatics. 


Nevertheless, the different grading standards early copper specialists use from the commercial standards in the rest of US numismatics, and the different way they account for damage to coins from that used by the rest of numismatics adds an extra level of complexity and concern for those who might wish to collect these endlessly fascinating coins. This book addresses that complexity and concern by thoroughly describing the grading standards and processes used by specialists in the field and comparing them to the commercial standards and processes used in the rest of numismatics, with the goal of making copper collecting easier, more enjoyable and more fulfilling for all. 


Grades from About Good to Mint State (and higher Mint State grades, where such coins exist) of nearly all series are illustrated by full color photos twice the diameter of the coin. Most of the images have been taken, with permission, from the auction lot archives of Ira and Larry Goldberg, Auctioneers, Heritage Auctions and Stacks-Bowers Galleries.


The book addresses each of the different types of half cents and large cents individually. Earlier grading guides have lumped together several half cent and large cent head styles with substantially different wear patterns, causing confusion that this guide avoids. Liberty Cap half cent and cent grading standards are illustrated and discussed by date, as are two distinct head styles each of Chain, Draped Bust and Braided Hair cents, and four head styles of Coronet cents. Of particular importance, there is an illustrated explanation of the differences between the traditional technical sharpness standards used in EAC and those used commercially. 


No other guide provides as much information about grading the Confederation era coinages. A chapter is devoted to standards for grading Confederation era state copper coins (Connecticut, Vermont and New Jersey coppers and Massachusetts cents and half cents) and Fugio cents.


In addition, about 20 pages are devoted to fully explaining and clearly describing the unique and supposedly mysterious process of “net grading” used by specialists to account for post-striking damage in determining a grade. Since defects impact the grade of higher-grade coins more severely, net grading is described for each sharpness grade from Good to Mint State. Large color photos identify the defects that lead to the net grade.








Its chapters also directly address the history of the grading of early coppers, the differences between technical and market grading, authentication, the handling and preservation of early coppers, and factors other than grade that affect value. 
EAC members have discussed producing such a guide ever since the second meeting of the club in 1969, so it can be said that this book has been 45 years in the making. The authors have worked for two years to produce it. For anyone with an interest in the first coins of the United States, and especially for anyone who wants to learn to grade these coins as well as a professional, and thereby find the greatest possible value in early copper coins, this book is indispensable.


An order form can be downloaded at: 

http://eacs.org/Book%20Invoice.pdf



A full-page ad can be downloaded at: 

http://eacs.org/Grading%20Guide%20ad.pdf



For additional information including ordering for resale, please contact   
  
halfcent at mac.com. 



Praise for the new Grading Guide For Early American Coppers



Bim Gander, President, Early American Coppers


One might legitimately ask why a coin club like EAC needs its own grading standards. On the surface, the very idea smacks of exclusivity, like some fraternal handshake to be shared only by the snobbish brethren of some secret society...


The question is eloquently answered in this superb new book by Messrs. Eckberg, Fagaly, Fuoss, and Williams. To be sure, EAC grading has been around for a long time, but the concept of net grading has likely been applied in as many ways as there are members of the club. A major contribution of this volume is that it provides standardization with color photography and the judicious selection of those coins which best illustrate the technical EAC grades for every early copper design. Even more important are the dozens of photographs of where EAC damage evaluation is applied: the essence of “net grading.”


Without a doubt, the ability to evaluate a coin’s post-production damage, and its impact on value, is an essential skill for all collectors. It is especially important for the connoisseurs of our early copper denominations, where even some low grade examples are highly prized.


Denis Loring, large cent expert and charter member of EAC


 “At last! The mystery of EAC grading, that arcane process used by alleged “copper weenies” and the dealers who love them, is finally revealed. This comprehensive, profusely illustrated guide presents the what, the why, and – most important – the how of EAC grading, detailed by type, date and even die variety. Of particular interest is a textual and pictorial comparison with grading by PCGS and NGC. This long-awaited book is immediately an indispensable reference for anyone interested in the early copper coins of the United States.”


J. R. (Bob) Grellman, Jr. , cataloguer of copper coins for Ira and Larry Goldberg, Auctioneers


Where was this book when I needed it over 50 years ago? It would have saved me from so many bad decisions when buying early coppers. While no book alone can be an adequate substitute for experience, the authors have done a remarkable job simplifying the very complicated subject of “EAC Grading.” Grading disagreements will not disappear, of course, but at least this book can help focus our thinking on the matter. I am proud to have been a part of this landmark project.


Mark Borckardt, Senior Cataloguer, Heritage Auctioneers and Galleries


Since joining Early American Coppers (EAC) 40 years ago, I have developed a thorough understanding of early copper grading. Today, I provide all of the EAC style grades for half cents and large cents that appear in my company’s auctions. However, when asked to explain how I arrive at those grades, I am unable to comply. The topic is that complex. The authors of the Grading Guide for Early American Copper Coins have accomplished what I never could. They explain EAC style grading for half cents and large cents, and even include Colonial coins. Not only do they explain EAC style grading, they teach the reader how to grade by those standards. Every early copper collector needs to understand EAC grading. Every early copper collector needs this book. 


Q. David Bowers, Chairman Emeritus, Stacks-Bowers Galleries


I have been following the evolution of EAC grading for many years. I congratulate the authors for their discussion of issues such as luster, porosity, and the importance of various defects at various grade levels. Taken together, these considerations yield an EAC grade that represents old-time conservatism and tradition. Put another way, I can bank on an EAC EF-40, for example, being a very nice EF-40, whereas a commercially-graded EF-40 can range anywhere from desirable, to a coin I would never want to own. Beyond that, the authors – and the leaders of EAC – are to be commended for encouraging their members to study their coins carefully, which adds greatly to the pleasure of ownership.


James L. Halperin, Co-Founder of Heritage Auctions and author of How to Grade U.S. Coins


An insightful and incredibly useful guide for anyone who wants to learn how to grade copper coinage like a specialist. It’s about time that someone finally wrote this book. Impressive! 



  EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY!  
Live and Work in Southern California



Stack’s Bowers Galleries offers an important employment opportunity for the right person. We are seeking an experienced numismatist in the American series—coins, tokens, medals, and paper money—to work with our “dream team” of catalogers, building on the tradition of the Ford, Eliasberg, Bass, Cardinal, Norweb, Battle Born and other great collections. 


If you can write in an authoritative and compelling manner with a high degree of accuracy, this may be just right for you!
You will be working in Irvine, a modern community in dynamic Orange County, California—one of the finest areas to live. We offer generous benefits including medical and dental coverage, 401K plan, and more. Our offices are in our own modern, state-of-the art building with all amenities. 


If you would like to be considered for this position please contact Q. David Bowers by mail or by email with your resumé, samples of your past writing (on numismatics or other subjects), and salary requirements:
Mail to the attention of Q. David Bowers, PO Box 1804, Wolfeboro, NH  03894.  Email to: 

Ckarstedt at stacksbowers.com





	
NEW BOOK: THE ISLAND STANDARD: COINAGES OF PAROS


In the February 2014 ANS Enews, the American Numismatic Society has announced the forthcoming publication of  The Island Standard: The Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman Coinages of Paros by John A N Z Tully.    The book is scheduled to come out this Spring.
-Editor




The Island Standard: The Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman Coinages of Paros (Numismatic Studies Volume 28)


by John A.N.Z Tully


List price: US$120
ISSN 051-7404-x
ISBN 978-0-89722-329-4
Hardcover, 250 pages


This book is the first comprehensive study of the monetary history of one of the major coin-producing states of the Hellenistic and Roman Aegean. It analyzes the Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman coinages of the Cycladic island of Paros. It presents a die study of all known silver and bronze issues, and argues that Paros and its neighbor Naxos minted in the Hellenistic Period not on the Rhodian standard as has sometimes been thought, but on their own distinct standard: the ‘island standard’. All coin types are fully described, and die varieties are illustrated in 27 plates.


John Tully read Greats at Magdalen College, Oxford before moving to Harvard, then Princeton, where he finished his PhD dissertation on “Networks, Hegemony, and Multipolarity in the Hellenistic Cyclades” in 2012. In 2010, he took the Eric P. Newman Graduate Seminar in Numismatics at the ANS in New York; this book is a direct result of the project he started there. He is currently a consultant in New York.


For more information, or to order, see:

The Island Standard: The Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman Coinages of Paros (Numismatic Studies Volume 28)

(numismatics.org/Store/TheIslandStandardTheClassicalHellenisticAndRomanCoinagesOfParos)



	
FROM A THANKFUL NATION: LATIN AMERICAN MEDALS


Alan M. Stahl, Curator of Numismatics at Princeton University forwarded this upcoming exhibit announcement.  Thanks!  The catalog looks like it will be a great reference.
-Editor




Spectacular Exhibition of Latin American Medals Opens at Princeton University Library


In celebration of the two-hundredth anniversary of Latin America’s wars of independence, the Princeton University Library has mounted a dramatic display of medals and orders that illustrate the recognitions awarded to soldiers and civilians in the form of wearable insignia. “From a Thankful Nation” opens on Tuesday, February 25, in the Main Exhibition Gallery of Firestone Library on the Princeton campus.


 
The exhibition features hundreds of Latin American decorations, ranging from a plain silver medal awarded to an officer of the Buenos Aires armed forces that freed Montevideo from Spanish colonial rule in 1814, to Guatemala’s highest award given to foreign presidents, the Collar of the Order of the Quetzal with its Mayan motifs, to a gilt example of the Cuban Order of Che Guevara, awarded for assistance to Latin America’s many left-wing movements of national liberation. Unlike the United States, which has generally avoided the award and wearing of medals as a vestige of European royal practice, the Spanish-, Portuguese-, and French-speaking nations of the New World have embraced such displays as tangible expressions of appreciation for the efforts of their soldiers and citizens.


Miguel Angel Centeno, Professor of Sociology and International Affairs and Chair of Princeton’s Department of Sociology, writes in his introduction to the exhibition catalogue, “These medals and orders allow us a unique perspective on the development of Latin American states and the qualities they have chosen to represent and reward.” On Sunday, April 13, at 3 p.m., Professor Centeno will give a public lecture on the ideals exemplified by the pieces in the exhibition. The lecture in McCormick Hall 101 will be preceded by a curatorial tour of the exhibition at 1:30 p.m. and followed by a reception in the Main Gallery. Additional curatorial tours will take place on Friday, February 28, and Thursday, May 29, at 3 p.m.


The exhibition is based on the collection assembled by Robert L. Ross, a retired investment banker who worked throughout his career to improve living standards in Latin America as the best way to promote democratic rule and civil society. Ross has donated his medals to the Princeton University Numismatic Collection for study, research, and teaching purposes in support of the University’s Program in Latin American Studies. This gift has made Princeton’s holdings the world’s most comprehensive collection of Latin American orders and medals. 


 
“From a Thankful Nation” traces the development of Latin American medals from their origins in the emblems of medieval crusading knights and the Spanish, Portuguese, and French royal and imperial orders through the revolutionary battles and the building of republics throughout the region. The use of medals as part of the governing strategies of dictatorial caudillos and adventuring “filibusters” is illustrated by such pieces as the pearl-adorned example of the Grand Cross badge of the Juan Pablo Duarte Order of the Dominican Republic that the dictator Rafael Trujillo, as grand master of the order, awarded to himself. While tracing the awards to common soldiers and laborers, the exhibition is most eye-catching with the display of no fewer than ten examples of Collars, the highest grade of an order (usually reserved for heads of state), as well as seventy Grand Cross sets, most replete with brightly colored silk sashes enameled gilt badges, and breast stars.


The exhibition is accompanied by a full-color catalogue written by Ross and Princeton’s Curator of Numismatics, Alan Stahl. In 736 pages of text and with 969 color photographs, it sets all of the official medals of each country in their historical context. The catalogue is for sale from the Library for $125; inquiries should be directed to loliveir at princeton.edu. The exhibition is also documented in a fully illustrated website: 

rbsc.princeton.edu/thankful-nation/
.


“From a Thankful Nation” runs from February 25 through August 3 and is open to the public without charge on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Further information is available from Princeton’s Curator of Numismatics, Alan Stahl, astahl at princeton.edu , (609) 258-9127.



	
TOKEN PUBLISHING’S YEARBOOKS GO DIGITAL


The January 26, 2014 issue of CoinsWeekly has an article noting that Token Publishing Ltd has made its Yearbooks available in digital format.
-Editor



 
The Coin Yearbook 2014, Medal Yearbook 2014 & Banknote Yearbook 8th Edition, are now available in digital format. Token Publishing Ltd publishes the magazines Coin News and Medal News every month and have been producing Yearbooks for over 20 years.


The Banknote Yearbook details, in full colour, every English, Scottish, Irish and Island (Jersey, Guernsey, IOM) banknote since the turn of the 20th century – now in its 8th edition.


The 2014 Coin Yearbook, the 21st edition, is THE handbook for dealers and collectors alike, it lists every British coin since Celtic times in an easy to read format giving you instant access to the information – no confusing numismatic terms here – this book is 100% useful and 0% baffling.


The Medal Yearbook is world renowned – now in its 20th edition the 2014 yearbook lists every official British medal ever issued (and some unofficial ones) as well as those of Ireland and the Commonwealth dominions of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Every medal is illustrated in full colour, with an up to date valuation and a breakdown of when it was awarded, why and to whom! An essential book.



In addition to the printed versions, these books are now available as a digital download from the Token Publishing website.


You can purchase them online and access them through ‘My Account’ ‘Digital Downloads’. You can download the books or view them online. They are suitable for computers, mobile devices & most tablets, so you can read them on your tablet, smart phone for computer device, on the go or at home.


To vist the Token Publishing website, see:

www.tokenpublishing.com










	
JOURNAL OF ANCIENT NUMISMATICS TO RESUME PUBLICATION


Alfredo De La Fé of Agora Auctions published the following press release announcing that the publication of the  Journal of Ancient Numismatics will soon resume. Great news!
-Editor








The Journal of Ancient Numismatics (JAN) is a free online journal dedicated to the study of Ancient and Medieval numismatics and history. 
I am very pleased to announce that thanks to the generous sponsorship of
Agora Auctions
we will begin publishing again!
The Journal now has a new website where you can access all of the old issues and where new issues will be posted: 

http://coinproject.com/jan



The Journal will be published electronically every quarter starting some time in March and all members of the Agora Auctions mailing list will be notified.
We are always looking for good article submissions. If you have an article you would like to submit please contact us.


As many of you know, JAN started out as a newsletter of my numismatic business. If you are receiving this announcement it is because at one point you were either a customer of mine or you had signed up for my mailing list via my blog or the JAN website.


I have been blessed with the support of many friends and colleagues. Thanks to you projects such as Coin Project, the Journal of Ancient Numismatics and Agora Auctions have been possible.



	
LOUIS VAN BELKUM 1924-2013


Peter Huntoon submitted this obituary for author Louis Van Belkum, who was one of the biggest names in U.S. National Bank Notes.  Thanks.
-Editor



 
The birth of the modern era of national bank note collecting can be definitively fixed at 1968 when Louis Van Belkum's landmark National Banks of the Note Issuing Period, 1863-1935 was published.


This book, which summarized the history of every note-issuing bank, also listed the final circulations for the banks.  The information in the book was abstracted from the endless tables found in 67 annual reports of the Comptroller of the Currency.


It became an instant buyer's guide for those of us chasing nationals, and was so successful it was reprinted in 1973.  For the first time, we had some idea of what was out there and how much it totaled.


But that was only the beginning of this man's monumental contribution to national bank note research.  Over the next 11 years, from 1968 to 1979, he and his wife Barbara compiled the bank-by-bank issuance data for every note-issuing bank in the country.


This Herculean task at last count involved tracking 12,631 different banks that issued 81,259 different sheet combinations over a period of 67 years.  To compile this enormous trove of data, they had to sift through 410 huge ledgers housed at the National Archives, which were then located in Washington, DC, but now in College Park, Maryland.


This benchmark achievement quantified national bank notes.  We now knew exactly what was issued and how many by every bank in the country.  The modern era of national bank note collecting now rested on a bedrock solid foundation.  All else that has followed is window dressing.


At the time, Louis was a school teacher in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  He and Barbara would undertake marathon driving trips to DC, whereupon they wrote frantically and doggedly eventually assemble some 5,000 type-written pages of data.  The National Currency and Bond Ledgers that they scoured still yield his pull slips dating from that period.


This work was carried out for individual state collectors who would contract with him to compile information on a state or county basis at a fixed charge per bank.  As the program gained momentum, the data was traded around and accumulated by both John Hickman and Lyn Knight.


In time, Hickman convinced William Higgins of the Higgins National Bank Note Museum in Okoboji, Iowa, of the merits of these data, so after all other avenues were tapped out, Higgins sprang for the orphan states so Louis could complete the job.


The data became widely available in 1981 with publication of Don Kelly's National Bank Notes, a guide with prices followed by the Hickman-Oakes Standard Catalog of National Bank Notes, in 1982.


Along the way, in 1970, Louis collaborated with M. Owen Warns and Peter Huntoon to produce the blue book of 1929 nationals,  The National Bank Notes Issues of 1929-1935.


Van Belkum is known by us as Louis or Lou; however, within his family he went by Bill.  He was born Louis William Van Belkum III in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
His odyssey into national bank notes started when he began collecting Michigan nationals in 1964.  He sold most of his collection in 1976 through a Donlon auction, but the last of his Michigan holdings came out a few years ago.


He and Barbara moved to Las Vegas and once there he got heavily involved in collecting casino chips.
 

Lou succumbed July 31, 2013, to Alzheimer's disease at age 70, in Grand Rapids, to which he and Barbara returned a few years ago.  He is survived by Barbara, his wife of 50 years, and his children Sandra, Paula and Louis William IV.


Van Belkum's compilation of national bank note issuance data probably ranks as the largest single block of numismatic research ever undertaken by an individual and will forever loft him to the highest ranks of numismatic researchers.  Every national bank note collector is in his debt.  



What an amazing legacy to leave to the hobby!  A book can transform the collecting landscape, and create countless new collectors and dealers.  Researchers like Van Belkum are the bedrock of numismatic publishing.
-Editor




	
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: FEBRUARY 9, 2014


 On Handling Coin Slabs 
Alan Weinberg writes:


The unusual and welcome variation in exhibiting and handling  the Tettenhorst half cents was that each slab was isolated and protected by a manila paper "sleeve" so that the slabs would not scuff up against each other and obscure the half cent's condition and detail. This was not done with the Walt Husak large cents or, I believe, the Holmes large cents and there were negative comments made about this seeming lack of care. Good to see that public demand was not ignored. I wish our governments would be so responsive.



To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:

BILL ECKBERG'S MISSOURI CABINET DIARY

(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n05a13.html)

 ANS Library Duplicate Available for Pick-Up 
In the February 2014 ANS Enews, the American Numismatic Society announced:


The ANS Library has a reprint copy of the Bibliographie der deutschen Zeitschriften-literatur to give away. Interested individuals must arrange for pick-up, although library staff can be available to help with the loading process (There are over 100 volumes, so it would take a car or multiple trips to pick it up). If you are interested, please contact Elizabeth Hahn Benge at 

hahn at numismatics.org   or by phone: 212-571-4470, ext. 170.




A great opportunity for researchers in the New York area.  I confirmed with Elizabeth that the offer is available to anyone, not just ANS members.
-Editor


 Mark Twain and the Million Pound Bank Note 
Dave Ginsburg writes:


Great edition of The E-Sylum, as usual, but. . .
 How is it you can mention the million pound bank note and not mention Mark Twain?




Well, we have mentioned Twain's great story in the past - see below for links.  Dave also supplied these links to the Wikipedia page describing the short story and one to a copy of the book on Google Books.  Thanks!
-Editor



 
To read the complete Wikipedia article, see:

The Million Pound Bank Note

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Million_Pound_Bank_Note)


To read the complete story on Google Books, see:

The £1,000,000 Bank-note, and Other New Stories

(books.google.com/books?id=O1YPAAAAYAAJ&dq=intitle%3Aother%20intitle%3Anew%20intitle%3Astories%20inauthor%3Atwain&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false)


To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:


THE BANK OF ENGLAND £1M AND £100M BANK NOTES

(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n05a19.html)


THE MILLION POUND BANK NOTE, OR "GOT CHANGE FOR THAT?"

(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v06n09a09.html)


MILLION POUND NOTES

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