The E-Sylum v18#08 February 22, 2015

The E-Sylum esylum at binhost.com
Sun Feb 22 19:51:06 PST 2015


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


Volume 18, Number 08, February 22, 2015
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WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM FEBRUARY 22, 2015
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KOLBE & FANNING FEB. 28 ONLINE SALE REMINDER
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NEW BOOK: GUIDE BOOK OF UNITED STATES COINS, 69TH ED.
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NEW BOOKS IN THE MONETA SERIES: #183-184
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BOOK REVIEW: COINS OF ENGLAND 50TH EDITION
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BOOK REVIEW: THE CORPUS OF THE NOMISMATA, 976-1067
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THE RISE AND FALL OF NUMISMATIC SCRAPBOOK MAGAZINE
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THE CSNS JOHN BURNS MEMORIAL BOOK SIGNING BOOTH
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MORE ON JOSEPH BARNET
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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: FEBRUARY 22, 2015
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"SECRETS" OF THE DENVER FEDERAL RESERVE
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1815 TIME CAPSULE AT BALTIMORE'S WASHINGTON MONUMENT
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THE SIMON KUZNETS 1971 NOBEL ECONOMIC SCIENCES MEDAL
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COINWEEK INTERVIEWS HARVEY STACK
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MORE ON THE ARAGON BALLROOM 
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SWEDISH AMERICAN TERCENTENARY COIN HOLDER
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QUERY: ROMAN PROVINCIAL COIN ATTRIBUTION SOUGHT
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THE MYSTERY OF THE MOVING MINT MARKS
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THE SCHMANDT SALE AND THE BLIZZARD OF 1957
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SLAVES, UNDERGROUND RAILROAD TOKENS AND 1799 CENTS
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MORE ON ORPHANAGE TOKENS
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TOKENS FROM HOMES FOR INEBRIATES
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LYN KNIGHT 2015 CPMX WORLD PAPER MONEY SALE
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ARTICLE FEATURES  BANKNOTE DESIGNER HENRY STEINER
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PLACES ON VIETNAM'S BANKNOTES
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AUSTRALIA AGREES TO PRODUCE TACTILE BANKNOTES
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ISRAELI SCUBA DIVERS FIND GOLD COIN CACHE
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PRINCETON UNIVERSITY RECEIVES $300M RARE BOOK COLLECTION
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COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL SELECTIONS FROM BALDWIN'S
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CORNWALL BOY FINDS TUDOR SIX PENCE IN SNOWBALL
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FEATURED WEB SITE: ANGLO-SAXON COINAGE
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Click here to read this issue on the web
				
			

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

		



WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM FEBRUARY 22, 2015







New subscribers this week include:
Jeremy Cheek, courtesy of David Powell.
Welcome aboard!
We now have 1,822 subscribers.


This week we open with an update from Kolbe-Fanning, three new books, reviews of two others, plus a nice history of Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine.


Other topics include dealer Joseph Barnet, banknote designer Henry Steiner, the Denver Federal Reserve, another Nobel Prize medal coming to market, the Stack's Schmandt sale, and Harvey Stack's new CoinWeek video interviews.


To learn more about Nomismata, the mystery of the moving Mint Marks, Arlie Slabaugh, gun portholes, an 1815 time capsule, Underground Railroad tokens, Orphanage tokens, tokens from homes for inebriates, and saltpeter money, read on.   Have a great week, everyone!


Wayne Homren
Editor, The E-Sylum




	
KOLBE & FANNING FEB. 28 ONLINE SALE REMINDER


David Fanning forwarded this note about the February 28th Kolbe & Fanning online sale. Thanks.
-Editor



Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers wish to remind clients that their February 28 online sale has been posted, and that bidders may browse the sale’s contents through the firm’s online bidding portal at 

auction.numislit.com. 


The first in what is expected to be a series of smaller online numismatic book auctions, the Feb. 28 sale focuses on North American numismatic literature, and features 380 lots ranging in estimated value from $20 to $2000. All lots are illustrated.


Some sale highlights include:


 
Thirty-one lots of pre-WWII volumes of The Numismatist, including 1896 and 1897 (lots 3 through 33).


Early ANA sales, including rare catalogues for 1908, 1910, 1922 and 1933 (lots 34, 35, 37 and 39). 


A number of early Edward Cogan catalogues, a plated copy of the Mackenzie Sale (lot 121) and a lovely 1859 Cogan storecard designed by Robert Lovett, Jr. (lot 116).


A copy of the 1893 Frossard & Hays volume with a rare authorial inscription by Frossard (lot 167).


 
A hand-priced and plated copy of Lyman Low’s catalogue of the Benjamin Betts collection (lot 228).


A 1914 handwritten letter, signed, from Hillyer Ryder on the subject of Massachusetts coppers (lot 278).


 
The online sale is available now for browsing and absentee bidding at auction.numislit.com. A PDF of the catalogue can be downloaded for the convenience of the reader through the firm’s regular website at www.numislit.com. While bidders are encouraged to bid through the online platform, bids may be submitted through the traditional methods as long as any such absentee bids are received by Kolbe & Fanning by the day before the sale. Absentee bids may be placed directly online at any time prior to the lot being sold. On Saturday, Feb. 28, beginning at noon eastern time, the sale will be conducted as a live internet auction.


Customers who have participated online in any of Kolbe & Fanning’s recent sales will be familiar with the process. Others are encouraged to set up an iCollector account through auction.numislit.com and see for themselves how easy it is. Bidders wishing to participate in the live sale are strongly encouraged to register in advance.


Any questions may be directed to David Fanning at df at numislit.com or by phone at (614) 414-0855. We look forward to your participation.



	
NEW BOOK: GUIDE BOOK OF UNITED STATES COINS, 69TH ED.


Dennis Tucker of Whitman Publications forwarded this press release on the latest edition of the classic Red Book.  Thanks!
-Editor



 
The newest edition of the Guide Book of United States Coins (known to collectors as the “Red Book”) will debut at the Whitman Baltimore Coin and Collectibles Expo on March 26, 2015. The 69th edition, with a 2016 cover date, can be pre-ordered online (including at Whitman.com) and after the Expo will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide.


The Red Book, used by coin collectors to identify and value their coins, prices 7,700 entries in up to nine grades each, with more than 32,900 retail valuations in total. Keeping up with the latest coins from the U.S. Mint, the 69th edition has the newest cents, nickels, dimes, National Park quarters, half dollars, Native American dollars, Presidential dollars, commemoratives, official Mint coin sets, and bullion coins. The 69th edition includes 94 new coin issues and 8 new sets, with information about all formats of the 1964–2014 50th-anniversary Kennedy half dollars (including the .9999 fine gold version). Mintages of modern coins have been updated across the board using the latest government data.


A team of experts led by Senior Editor Kenneth Bressett has updated and expanded the pre-federal section on Confederatio coppers and related speculative patterns, with more photographs, new research, and three times as many pricing entries. Expansions are also seen in the addition of Very Fine pricing for Shield nickels, a new entry for the controversial 1859 Indian Head cent with experimental reverse, and a description of the special Uncirculated Mint sets of 1942–1946.


As in past years, collectors will benefit from the Red Book’s recent auction records provided for significant rare coins. Listed throughout the charts are more than 170 notable auction results. Combined with the listed retail prices, the auction data help advanced collectors understand the modern market for high-end rarities.


In addition, the appendix of the “Top 250 U.S. Coin Prices Realized at Auction” has been fully updated. Since the last edition 14 more coins have broken the $1 million mark, for a new total of 79. This includes four new coins that auctioned for more than $2 million apiece since the 68th-edition Red Book debuted one year ago.


In a promising measure of the health of the hobby, the Red Book’s numismatic bibliography includes 26 standard references published within the past five years.


The cover of the spiralbound 69th edition shows three beautiful and historic American coins: a Draped Bust copper large cent, a Liberty Seated silver dollar, and a modern Native American dollar.


 
In addition to the regular editions of the Red Book, a special limited-edition hardcover with a unique design will celebrate the 125th anniversary of the American Numismatic Association. The special edition will be offered by the ANA as part of its 2015 Annual Appeal, launching in October.


A Guide Book of United States Coins, 69th edition
448 pages
Full color
By R.S. Yeoman; senior editor Kenneth Bressett; research editor Q. David Bowers;
   valuations editor Jeff Garrett
$14.95 spiralbound
$16.95 hardcover
$19.95 spiralbound hardcover
$29.95 Large Print Edition
$49.95 expanded Deluxe Edition (1,504 pages)
$69.95 leather-bound Limited Edition (500 copies)
 [price TBD] ANA 125th Anniversary Edition (500 copies)


For more information, or to order, see:


www.whitman.com




	
NEW BOOKS IN THE MONETA SERIES: #183-184


Here are the latest publications on monetary history from Georges Depeyrot. 
-Editor








 Moneta 183
J. Ch. Moesgaard, Les trésors monétaires médiévaux découverts en Haute-Normandie (754-1514), Collection Moneta, 183, Wetteren, 2015, 308 p. ISBN 978-94-91384-51-6


For more information, or to order, see:


www.moneta.be/volumes/moneta_183.htm



 Moneta 184 
Documents and Studies on 19th c. Monetary History, Korea, Le commerce de la Corée selon Victor Collin de Plancy ministre plénipotentiaire (1887-1906), S. Michon, préf. de G. Depeyrot, Collection Moneta, 184, Wetteren, 2015, 152 p. ISBN 978-94-91384-52-3


For more information, or to order, see:


www.moneta.be/volumes/moneta_184.htm










	
BOOK REVIEW: COINS OF ENGLAND 50TH EDITION


Ursula Kampmann published a review of the latest edition of Spink‘s  Coins of England in the February 19, 2015 issue of CoinsWeekly.  Here's an excerpt.  Be sure to read the complete version online.
-Editor









Standard Catalogue of British Coins, 2 volumes, 50th edition. Spink, London, 2015. Vol. 1: Coins of England & The United Kingdom. Pre-Decimal Issues: 536 p., 14.3 x 22.3 cm, Hardcover. ISBN: 978-1-907427-43-5. / Vol. 2: Coins of England & The United Kingdom. Decimal Issues: 157 p., 13.7 x 21.6 cm, Paperback. ISBN: 978-1-907427-44-2. Both volumes throughout illustrated in colour. Both volumes together: GBP 30.


The cover of Spink’s “Coins of England & The United Kingdom” 50th edition features the sovereign that was struck in 1887, to celebrate the 50th reigning jubilee of Queen Victoria. Such a sovereign is the prize five readers of the new catalog can win. This is just one example of what the editors have come up with to mark this incredible anniversary.


Spink‘s Standard Catalogue of English Coins harks back to the price guides published by coin dealer B. A. Seaby before the War. These lists became quite popular with the collectors who started to use them as reference for their own coins. In 1945, the first official edition of “The Standard Catalogue of British Coins” was released. Back then, it still covered Scotland, Ireland and the Isles as well until the material became so vast that a new catalog was developed, specifically for those areas. 


Hence, the current “Coins of England” deals with the coinage of England and the United Kingdom from Antiquity to the Present. The range covers Celtic coins, coinages related to Roman Britain until the Migration Period, Anglo-Saxons and early Norman coinages. The material becomes more overseeable with the Norman Kings after the conquest of 1066. All royal coinages are listed here, in the order of the succeeding kings.


On the occasion of the 50th edition, the editors treated themselves to a second volume and hence evaded the problem known from the many editions of the Royal Mint’s catalog which became heavier with each year. The Standard Catalogue is divided into before and after the decimal system, with both catalogs being distributed together (yet). 


In short, the latest Spink Standard Catalogue is a must-have for everyone dealing with English coins. That this area has gained a great number of new collectors is evidenced by the considerable price increase of British coins that was to be witnessed in the previous months. To all true bibliomaniacs, Spink offers something very special: of the 50th edition there is a collectors’ edition available that features a golden frontispiece, gilt edge and other carefully designed details.


To read the complete article, see:


50th Edition of Spink‘s Standard Catalogue “Coins of England”

(www.coinsweekly.com/en/News/4?&id=3274)



As noted earlier, Charles Davis is distributing the new Coins of England in the United States.  See his web site for more information:

www.numisbook.com

-Editor



To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:


NEW BOOK: COINS OF ENGLAND, 50TH EDITION

(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n49a03.html)



	
BOOK REVIEW: THE CORPUS OF THE NOMISMATA, 976-1067


Ursula Kampmann also published a review of an important new work on Byzantine coinage in the February 19, 2015 issue of CoinsWeekly.  Here's an excerpt.  Be sure to read the complete version online.
-Editor



 
Franz Füeg, Corpus of the Nomismata from Basil II to Eudacia 976-1067. Classical Numismatic Group, Lancaster (Pennsylvania) / London, 2014. 161 p., 21,3 x 29,7 cm, figures and graphics in black and white, Hardcover. CD-ROM attached. ISBN: 978-0-9898254-9-8. $125


Franz Füeg is one of the most meticulous researchers currently working on the Byzantine coinage. His new opus commands deep respect from every reader, acknowledging the care with which the author has treated the relevant material. With this impressive publication Franz Füeg provides a die corpus for the nomismata from 976 to 1067 that accesses not only the objects in museums collections but all specimens sold in auction sales as well.


The diligence and the analytic intellect that are necessary to finish such a well-wrought work have to be admired in themselves. Together with his first book that dealt with the nomismata coinage from 713 to 976 (the addenda to which are part of this volume), Franz Füeg has exhaustively researched the Byzantine gold coinage except for the semisses and tremisses of the 8th and 9th centuries. 


Let’s face it: anyone writing an auction sale catalog and being in a hurry to find a reference on a coin will be out of sorts with Franz Füeg. It does take some time to identify the exact coin in his work, which makes every reader realize how complex the Byzantine coinage really is – despite the fact that the author has come up with good ideas to keep the actual catalog as lean as possible. He split it into the printed book with the die variants and their descriptions and the actual catalog containing all the accessed specimens – not in a printed format but on an CD-ROM that comes with it. 


The most important element to dealers and collectors, however, is Füeg’s thorough list of forgeries he had come to know (an alarming number, by the way). Thanks to his extensive die study he was able to identify several objects as forgeries that could not have been detected with conventional techniques. If only one single forgery is not being bought after checking with the new Füeg then the book is already worth its prize!


The publication of Franz Füeg is a catalog that will still be a reference work in 100 years’ time. For his first volume the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres of the Institut de France awarded him the Prix DUCHALAIS in 2010. We are curious about how many prizes this second volume is going to win. We would award him a prize right away if we had one to give.


To read the complete article, see:


The Corpus of the Nomismata, 976-1067

(www.coinsweekly.com/en/News/4?&id=3273)



	
THE RISE AND FALL OF NUMISMATIC SCRAPBOOK MAGAZINE


David Alexander published an excellent article February 17, 2015 for CoinWeek about the history of  Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine .  Here's a short excerpt.  Be sure to read the complete article online.
-Editor








When Lee Hewitt planned his new magazine, it was going to be literally a “scrap book” offering excerpts from books published years before that were now long out of print and inaccessible to collectors of 1935. Then monthly news and notices were added to the mix when they could be obtained.


Volume 1, Number 1 appeared dated January 1935. It was a small (4 3/16 x 3 1/3 inches” eight-page publication boasting a bright yellow cover with bold scarlet sunburst enclosing NUMISMATIC/ SCRAPBOOK/ JANUARY 1935. Precisely 200 copies were printed, but by 1938 the year’s run totaled 524 pages. The first year saw new issues every two months but monthly appearance was soon the rule.


Subscriptions were $1 per year. The only serious competitor then existing was The Numismatist, journal of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), a kind of cross between an overgrown club publication and a learned journal.


Lee F. Hewitt recalled in June 1969 that in his magazine’s first year the ANA was 47 years old and had only 1,200 members. There were only 35 functioning coin clubs in the U.S. and perhaps a dozen significant, full-time coin dealers. He became an active member in the Chicago Coin Club and in 1939 helped found the Central States Numismatic Society (CSNS), first major regional coin organization.


A huge boost to Numismatic Scrapbook was the U.S. commemorative coin boom that came to a boil in 1935. American commemorative half dollars had first been issued in 1892, and continued to appear intermittently through 1934, when 50 cents was a still a respectable amount of money.


In 1935-1936 a commemorative madness erupted with dozens of subjects proposed and many actually getting through Congress on subjects ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. Any modern collector has but to look in the Guidebook of United States Coins (the “Red Book”) to see how many 1936-dated commemoratives were actually issued.


Going monthly, Hewitt’s magazine grew to 5 x 7½ inch format. Its beige and light red cover now bore a fixed design with red script Numismatic Scrapbook MAGAZINE, America’s Authority on Coin Collecting over a large Morgan dollar obverse. The coin’s date 19—was blocked by a tablet announcing A monthly magazine for the Collector of Coins, Tokens, Medals and Paper Money. The issue date appeared at the bottom. This basic design was retained until 1969.



Internally, Hewitt separated editorial (written materials, articles and news) from the fat body of advertising that made the magazine marvelously profitable for decades. Each issue included a “Beginner’s Primer,” and each January boasted a “Crystal Ball” of predictions by dealers and a few collectors.


Critics sometimes sneered that the predictions were merely disguised advertising for what this or that dealer happened to have in stock. This overlooked such contributions as Miami dealer William Fox Steinberg’s mid-1950’s urging just after the 1950-D Jefferson nickel boom, “Don’t worry about how many nickels the Mint is going to make, just enjoy your coins and good health!”


Another Hewitt secret weapon was a brilliant young linotype operator named Arlie Slabaugh (born 1926) a deaf-mute whose unerring eye could tell him what space would be left blank by a story he was typesetting. His fast-moving mind and fingers would compose a short to fill the space before his type-setting reached the bottom of the column.


To read the complete article, see:


The Rise And Fall Of Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine

(www.coinweek.com/education/the-rise-and-fall-of-numismatic-scrapbook-magazine/)



	
THE CSNS JOHN BURNS MEMORIAL BOOK SIGNING BOOTH


Central States Numismatic Society (CSNS) Convention Chairman Kevin Foley forwarded this note for E-Sylum readers.
-Editor



I am writing to ensure that numismatic authors are aware of the opportunity to participate in an authors’ book signing and sales booth at the upcoming 76th Anniversary Convention of the Central States Numismatic Society during our complimentary public admission hours on Thursday-Friday-Saturday April 23-24-25.  


Inaugurated in 2014 to perpetuate the memory of numismatic literature dealer John Burns, the “John Burns Memorial Book Signing Booth” will give scheduled numismatic authors the opportunity to sell their books directly to the public without charge for the booth space. Authors will be able to have up to two separate one hour periods. Scheduling arrangements and reservations should be made by contacting me directly, either by calling  (414) 807-0116 or via e-mail at kfoley2 at wi.rr.com. 


Our event site will be the Schaumburg Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center, located at 1551 North Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg, IL 60173.



THE BOOK BAZARRE
AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS:  
Are your books carried by Wizard Coin Supply?
If not, contact us via

www.WizardCoinSupply.com 
with details.




	
MORE ON JOSEPH BARNET


Last week I mentioned in my Numismatic Diary that David Schenkman was looking for information on Joseph Barnet.   Below is the token and envelope that sparked his question. Thanks, Dave.
-Editor















Dave Bowers writes:


Joe Barnet is well recorded in magazines of the 1930s and 1940s. “Abe Kosoff Remembers,”  copy of which is not at hand as I send this e-mail, probably tells of him. He was a dealer and in the field of Civil War tokens a great resource.




Indeed - there are about a dozen listings for Barnet in the index of the 1981 book Abe Kosoff Remembers.  The book is a compilation of Kosoff's Coin World columns.  Dave passed along a number of facts about Barnet from his research file.  A few are shown below.  Thanks!
-Editor





1901-06: Listed in The Numismatist as new ANA member #304.

1902-08: From The Numismatist: Barnet solicited want lists for 19th-century Proof coins

1904-01-08: Issued catalogue of American and foreign coins, medals, tokens and fractional currency,



Don Erlenkotter writes:


Joseph Barnet was inducted into the Civil War Token Society Hall of Fame in 2003.  He's listed on the page for the Hall of Fame on the CWTS Web site.  



Here's the listing:


Joseph Barnet was a major collector and researcher of Civil War tokens during the first half of the 20th century. He is noted for bridging the years from Hetrich and Guttag to the Fulds. Barnet did extensive research into attempting to locate maverick Civil War merchants. He produced a supplement to Hetrich and Guttag’s work in 1943-44, updating that book and adding information previously unpublished. Barnet amassed a wonderfully diverse and high-grade collection of Civil War tokens, which eventually found its way to George and Melvin Fuld in 1948.



Don adds:


I did a bit of digging on Joseph Barnet and was able to come up with some documentation of his background.


The key piece of information is the 1940 census for Kings County, NY, which identifies him as a dealer in coins.


There's a genealogy for this family on Ancestry.com which seems to be mostly correct. However, it misspells Joseph's name as "Jesue" as taken from the 1880 census. There's nothing more on him in this genealogy.


>From several passenger lists on Ancestry.com I found the information that Joseph Barnet was born in New York City on 18 June 1868.  There's an entry in the New York City death index for Joseph Barnet, age 80, who died in Kings County, NY on 29 November 1948.  This seems right for a man who phased out his numismatic activities in the mid to late 1940s. Obtaining a copy of the death certificate here would complete the documentation of this linkage.




Thanks!  This is great information.
-Editor



To read the complete page, see:


CWTS Hall Of Fame

(www.cwtsociety.com/halloffame.html)



	
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: FEBRUARY 22, 2015


 The Society of Medalist Medals 
 
Dave Bowers writes:


The Society of Medalist medals, 1930 onward, are one of the greatest “hidden secrets” in numismatics. Sculptors, medalists, and others were given free will to create medals of their own design (not influenced by commerce or patrons, as usual). Offered for sale by Joe Levine (recently in the list you mention) and frequently on eBay, and often for less than $100 each, these are worth adding to any collection. Dave Alexander’s book on the subject, published by ANS (with my encouragement), tells all.



To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:


SOME INTERESTING MEDALS: FEBRUARY 15, 2015

(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v18n07a18.html)

 Coin & Currency Institute Distributing Hungarian Wooden Medals
Regarding the wooden medals from Hungary,
Jeff Starck of Coin World writes:


I just learned that distributor Coin & Currency Institute will offer the medals and keychains to North American buyers, for $9.95 and $12.50, respectively. To order, visit its website, 

www.coin-currency.com.



To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:


HUNGARIAN MINT STRIKES WOODEN MEDAL

(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v18n07a23.html)

 Shipping Books from Germany 
>From the British Airways Executive Club lounge at London’s Heathrow Airport, Numismatourist Howard Berlin writes:


On my last trip I had put 4 copies of my recent book in sealed mailing envelopes to be sent from Berlin to people (in Germany and Switzerland) I owed copies to. It was cheaper to mail from Germany to other parts of the world (7 euros, or about $9.50 per book) compared to $24-$25 the United States Postal Service charges (per book!). And this is without insurance or tracking. Then the TSA tore open every mailing envelope, I guess to see what was inside. 


Well, I learned a lesson for the several books this time I had to mail to Greece, India and the UK – I left the books unpacked and pre-addressed the mailers, leaving them unsealed and separate from the books. The books arrived unharmed this time. Two of the books were sent (from London) to other parts of the UK, costing only £3.20 ($4.94) each. 


The only downside was that until I actually could mail the books, I had to schlep them around. At almost 1.9 pounds each, the 5 books added an extra 9.5 pounds (20.5 kg) when I left home. You should note that from this experience, if you plan to carry any presents/gifts on any flight starting from the US, either to another US city or overseas, DON’T WRAP IT. Just leave it naked in the original box.




Although neither of us would recommend flying to Europe just mail things cheaper, it is an interesting option for frequent travelers like Howard.
-Editor


 Determining the Highest Value Banknote 
Alan Luedeking writes:


I see nobody understood David Pickup's question properly. He wanted to know what is the world's highest priced currency in unit terms. Thus, for example, the one US dollar (USD) is 0.87822 Euros (EUR) and just 0.6503 British pounds (GBP) as of this writing. The most "valuable" currency I found was the terms of units per US Dollar was the Seborgan Luigino (SPL) at 0.16666 (or 6 dollars per Luigino) followed by the Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD) at 0.29618 units per USD, or 3.37637 USD per Dinar. 


The best source for this information is XE's currency converter table, to be found here:

http://www.xe.com/currencytables/#


To use XE Currency Tables, just follow these simple instructions:
1.	Select your base currency.
2.	Set your preferred date.
3.	Press "►" button




Well, this gets us closer, but we still need to map currency units to actual banknotes, by multiplying the value of the base unit by the denomination. If the Northumbrian Bango is worth 5 cents but their largest banknote is 2,500 Bangos, then the value of that note is more than the largest U.S. banknote, the $100 bill.   I was hoping some economic publication might have a table laying that out for us.
-Editor



Alan adds:


I believe the largest US banknote is $100,000, not $100. In any case, the $5,000 and $10,000 notes are larger too.




True.  I think I would qualify the question to eliminate non-circulating notes like those and the British 100M pound note, but point taken.  Speaking of large-denomination notes, see the next item from Phil Iverson.
-Editor



To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:


NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: FEBRUARY 15, 2015 : Determining the Highest Value Banknote

(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v18n07a10.html)

 Binion’s Horseshoe Casino $10,000 Notes

Phil Iversen writes:


Sometime last year there were some articles about the million dollar exhibit in Las Vegas at Binion’s Horseshoe Casino.  While going through a box of photos I found a couple of photographs of some of the $10,000 notes I took at the February 2000 Long Beach Expo. that a dealer had.  










Thanks! -Editor



To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:


ARTICLE TRACES HISTORY OF LAS VEGAS' MILLION-DOLLAR MONEY DISPLAY

(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v12n48a17.html)



	
"SECRETS" OF THE DENVER FEDERAL RESERVE


>From Denver comes this fun article about the "secrets" of the Denver Federal Reserve Branch.  Here's an excerpt.  Be sure to read the complete version online to see the gun portholes.
-Editor



What building in downtown Denver, specifically on the 16th Street Mall, has billions in its basement?


It is the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, in Denver.



We took a tour inside and while we can't show you everything, here are 10 secrets of the Federal Reserve Bank.


Secret No. 1: While the building doesn't look like it, it has five stories. Two stories are underground and that's where the money is kept.


Secret No. 2: While we can't show you the basement vault, we can tell you it's the size of the entire building! It can hold approximately 2,450 cash containers.


Each container holds 300,000 notes, no matter the denomination. If each one was filled with $100 bills, it would add up to more than $73.5 billion!



Secret No. 6: The Denver Federal Reserve bank DESTROYS $2 to $3 million in cash every day! But don't try Dumpster diving here. The money is shredded by the machines in the basement.


The shredded bills are bagged as souvenirs or shipped to a recycling facility where it is turned into compost. Visitors to the Money Museum get a bag for free.


Secret No. 9: While the Federal Reserve used to print $500 bills, $1,000 bills, $5,000 bills, $100,000 bills and the $10,000 bill seen here, it does not anymore. The largest bill printed today is the $100 bill.








Man, there are $10,000 bills floating around everywhere this week.  The Denver Fed museum seems well worth a visit.  Anyone been there lately?
-Editor



To read the complete article, see:


CHECK THIS OUT: 10 secrets of the Federal Reserve Bank in Denver

(www.thedenverchannel.com/lifestyle/discover-colorado/secrets-of-colorado/check-this-out-10-secrets-of-the-federal-reserve-bank-in-denver)









	
1815 TIME CAPSULE AT BALTIMORE'S WASHINGTON MONUMENT


This must be the season for uncovering time capsules.  Here's an excerpt from a Coin World story by Joe O'Donnell on a capsule unearthed this week in Baltimore.
-Editor




Another centuries-old time capsule has been discovered during restoration work on a notable American building, and coins could very well be inside. 


An original cornerstone of the Washington Monument in Baltimore, placed in 1815, that, based on records of the time, is believed to contain coins, paper items and a copper plate, was discovered on Feb. 16 and opened on Feb. 18.


“This has all unfolded very, very quickly,” said Cathy Rosenbaum of Mount Vernon Place Conservancy, the organization working to preserve the Washington Monument.


Rosenbaum said that during the opening, three glass jars with newspapers rolled up inside could be seen and were photographed. However, the cornerstone and its contents were too cold to begin removal, so whatever else is inside and under the jars has not yet been revealed. 


Mount Vernon Place Conservancy does not have any information yet about the number or type of coins that are believed to be inside.


Conservators are currently developing a plan to remove the items from the cornerstone, Rosenbaum said, but no time frame has been announced.  








To read the complete article, see:


Granite cornerstone at Washington Monument discovered Feb. 16 and opened Feb. 18

(www.coinworld.com/news/time-capsule-1815-baltimore-washington-monument-coin-world-numismatics-discoveries.html)



Here is an excerpt from the original press release by the Mount Vernon Place Conservancy.
-Editor



The laying of the cornerstone in 1815 was of national interest because Baltimore’s
Washington Monument was the first American monument dedicated to the Father of
American democracy. Interestingly, the cornerstone laying ceremony was well
documented, but the location of the cornerstone was not mentioned, and its location had
been lost to time. The stone was discovered while George Wilk, II, Project
Superintendent for Lewis Contractors, was overseeing the digging of a pit for a sewage
tank off the northeast corner of the building.


The cornerstone is a large square of granite with a marble lid. Its overall dimensions
form a nearly-perfect cube measuring 24 inches. Conservators from the nearby Walters
Art Museum will assist in removing the contents of the cornerstone. Accounts mention
papers items and coinage, typical cornerstone offerings at the time. The condition of the
items is unknown. As the cornerstone is well below grade, 200 years of dampness may
have compromised their condition. After the cornerstone has been opened the contents
will be taken to the nearby Walters Art Museum for safekeeping and conservation
analysis while work on the Monument restoration continues.


To read the complete press release, see:


200-Year-Old Cornerstone Discovered During
Baltimore’s Washington Monument Restoration

(http://mvpconservancy.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/MVPC_Cornerstone_PR_2_16_2015_v4.pdf)



	
THE SIMON KUZNETS 1971 NOBEL ECONOMIC SCIENCES MEDAL


The parade of Nobel Prize medals coming to market continues.  
-Editor








The 1971 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences awarded to prominent economist Simon Kuznets will be auctioned by Nate D. Sanders Auctions on February 26. It is the first Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences to ever be auctioned and only the fifth Nobel Prize to ever go under the hammer. Interested bidders may participate in the auction online. 


Dr. Kuznets, a Harvard University economist, pioneered the measurement of national income and economic development. He developed a macroeconomics-based measurement system, which the Commerce Department uses to estimate the gross national product. The World Bank and private economists adopted Kuznets’ system to estimate economic growth in industrial and third- world countries.


In 1971, the Swedish Royal Academy of Science awarded Dr. Kuznets the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science for his ''empirically founded interpretation of economic growth, which has led to new and deepened insight into the economic and social structure and process of development.'' 


The gold medal bears Alfred Nobel’s image and the engraving ''Sveriges Riksbank Till Alfred Nobels Minne 1968” on one side. The medal’s reverse side features the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences’ north star emblem with the engraved phrase “Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien.'' “Simon Kuznet 1971” is engraved on the medal edge. The medal is displayed in the original red leather case with Dr. Kuznets’ name gilt stamped. 







To read the complete article, see:


Economist Simon Kuznets' 1971 Nobel Prize to be auctioned by Nate D. Sanders Auctions

(http://artdaily.com/news/76575/Economist-Simon-Kuznets--1971-Nobel-Prize-to-be-auctioned-by-Nate-D--Sanders-Auctions#.VOowMPkVi5U)



The Nobel Economics medal is a different design than the more iconic medals awarded for science and medicine, and Dr. Kuznets is far less well known than Watson and Crick, whose medals were sold recently for seven figures.   Is $150K a fair estimate?  Time will tell.
-Editor



To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:


FRANCIS CRICK'S 1962 GOLD NOBEL PRIZE MEDAL TO BE AUCTIONED

(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n09a34.html)


WATSON'S 1962 NOBEL MEDAL BRINGS $4.75 MILLION

(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n50a13.html)


WHAT'S A GOLD NOBEL PRIZE MEDAL WORTH?

(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n16a12.html)



	
COINWEEK INTERVIEWS HARVEY STACK


CoinWeek published two great new video interviews of Harvey Stack by David Lisot.  Check 'em out!
-Editor








To view the complete videos, see:


History of Stack's and When We Decided to Hold Coin Auctions.

(www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6O70jyJbO8)


How I Was Trained to Be in the Family Coin Business.

(www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0amss3cpJc)




THE BOOK BAZARRE 
Top quality 

coin tubes. Use code "coinbooks10" for an instant 10% OFF discount!




	
MORE ON THE ARAGON BALLROOM 


Dave Lange submitted this background information on the Aragon Ballroom.  
Thanks!  It's fun to see where a little numismatic item can lead us to.
-Editor



I have some supplemental information on the Aragon Ballroom referenced on the encased half dollar that appeared in The E-Sylum, as well as Pacific Ocean Park in general.
 

When Lawrence Welk moved on to another venue, Freddy Martin's orchestra became the house band at the Aragon. This lasted only briefly, as by 1963 it was evident that the main audience for the Aragon had become teenagers, and they wanted rock bands. This led to the Aragon being renamed as the Cheetah, and it operated under this banner from early 1967 through the fall of 1968. The park itself was already closed by then, and access to the pier was made difficult by a massive urban renewal project by the City of Santa Monica that blocked many of the adjacent streets.
 

A number of movies and television shows were filmed at Pacific Ocean Park, including the famous climax of The Fugitive, where Dr. Kimball confronts the one-armed man who killed Kimball's wife. This final act takes place atop the park's tallest ride, and the murderer meets his end when he falls to the deck below.
 

POP (as it was labeled in the park's own advertisements) opened in 1957 amid great publicity, with many celebrities in attendance. The park shut down just ten years later in November of 1967, for the simple reason that it was losing too much money to repay its loans. While the Aragon did burn to the deck level of the pier, as noted in last week's issue, the deteriorating remains of POP succumbed to a series of fires, the worst being in 1973-74. All of these later fires were determined to have been acts of arson, and the local fire departments eventually stopped trying to put them out, because the pier on which the park had been built was riddled with huge holes and was unsafe for both men and equipment.
 

It wasn't until the fall of 1974 that actual demolition of the remains was undertaken. Since the property straddled the border of Santa Monica and Venice, there were many jurisdictional disputes. Lick Pier, on the south side, was in Venice (part of greater Los Angeles), while Ocean Park Pier was in Santa Monica. Los Angeles had the money for demolition, but Santa Monica could not put up its share until 1974. There were also a half dozen federal and state agencies that needed to approve everything, as well as the land owners who argued that the cities were not paying them what the land was worth. As this dragged on year after year, most of the privately owned land was forfeited to the city of Santa Monica for nonpayment of taxes.
 

The only persons who mourned the lost piers were the local "Dogtown" surfers, who found that the waves created by the pier structure were superior to any naturally occurring waves in the immediate area. These surfers were local legends, and they guarded their stretch of water fiercely against any outsiders.



Duane Feisel  submitted these notes and images on the Aragon ballroom encased coins.  Thanks!
-Editor



First of all a correction to what was presented earlier – the Aragon Ballroom was definitely located in Ocean Park.  Not in Venice and not in Santa Monica, but in Ocean Park!  The location information obtained from the Internet can be confusing as city boundaries are changed over time.


Over the years the Aragon Ballroom issued a number of different encased coins, all holed as made so the encasement could be threaded onto a keychain.


Let’s begin with the simplest, an aluminum frame 35mm diameter, 1953D cent, and an inscription that provides the location Lick Pier.  For many encased coins the date of the coin often provides information as to when it was manufactured.  In this case I’d say 1953 or 1954.







Then a horseshoe shaped frame 35x41mm that provides a bit more location information with Ocean Park the locality and a 1953D cent, but also known with a 1954D cent, so it possibly was manufactured in 1955.
  






Back to the round frame with even more specificity for the locality.  This encasement is known with two different cents – 1954D and 1955D suggesting manufacture in 1956.
  






Then comes an interesting series where a half dollar is embedded in plastic with an imprinted inscription.  The clear plastic frame is 41mm diameter, 2mm thick, with an extended loop.  The half dollars used for these encasements seem to have been taken from circulation, so a range of dates, mintmarks and designs are encountered meaning the date of manufacture has to be after the latest date half dollar.


Now this series comes in transparent plastic, uncolored or colored, with a hot-printed colored inscription.  One piece was reported to me as a reddish brown colored frame with a white imprint, but I have never actually examined this piece.  Another piece has a clear plastic frame and a red imprinted inscription, and I have only ever seen a single example.
  






The remaining items in this series have a red plastic frame with a gold imprinted inscription.  The first of these with only an obverse inscription is quite common and is what is usually encountered for the Aragon Ballroom.
  






Being a ballroom, the Aragon had fox trot dance contests as evidenced by these two pieces with an inscription imprinted on the reverse, the first for SECOND PLACE and the next for THIRD PLACE.  I have never seen or heard of a piece for First Place!
   











The final piece known to me is unusual and I have only ever encountered one example.  Note the obverse inscription refers to Pacific Ocean Park.
  






However, it seems that the Aragon Ballroom was actually located immediately adjacent to Pacific Ocean Park, but never considered to be included in Pacific Ocean Park.  This is evidenced by a thoroughly documented map as shown on the site 

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