The E-Sylum v21n33 August 19, 2018

The E-Sylum esylum at binhost.com
Sun Aug 19 19:40:38 PDT 2018


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


Volume 21, Number 33, August 19, 2018
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WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM AUGUST 19, 2018
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NBS PRESIDENT TOM HARRISON'S CONVENTION MUSINGS
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ADAMS NUMISMATIC LIBRARY SALE HARDCOVER EDITIONS
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HOLABIRD OFFERS MINING AND FINANCE LIBRARY
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NEW BOOK: CHARLTON NUMISMATIC LITERATURE 
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NEW BOOK: THE PILLAR COINAGE
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NEW BOOK: WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL LIBRARIES
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BOOK EXCERPT: A NATION OF DEADBEATS
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BOOK REVIEW: PEACE MEDALS
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BOOK REVIEWS: TOKENS OF KOREA
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DON BAILEY (1933-2018)
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RESEARCHERS PUT EARLY SILVER COINS TO NEW TESTS
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NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: AUGUST 19, 2018
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THOUGHTS ON MICRO-ENGRAVED BANKNOTES
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ON THE PENNSYLVANIA FIRST DEFENDERS MEDAL 
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DISCOVERY SPECIMEN 1943 BRONZE CENT GRADED
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VOCABULARY TERM: COMPUTER ENGRAVING
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TRUMAN BISHOP DISNEY (1829-1884)
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2018 PROFESSIONAL NUMISMATISTS GUILD AWARDS
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2019 AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL QUARTER DESIGNS
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MOLDOVA'S COLLECTIVE "JIGSAW PUZZLE" COIN DESIGNS
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GASVODA PURCHASES CLASSICAL NUMISMATIC GROUP
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HOLABIRD AUGUST 2018 AMERICANA SALE HIGHLIGHTS
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NUMISMATIC NUGGETS: AUGUST 19, 2018
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WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: AUGUST 19, 2018: PART 1
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WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: AUGUST 19, 2018: PART 2
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WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: AUGUST 19, 2018: PART 3
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WAYNE'S NUMISMATIC DIARY: AUGUST 19, 2018: PART 4
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YOUNG COLLECTOR ACTIVITIES IN AUSTRALIA 
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IN OTHER NEWS: AUGUST 19, 2018
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1921 ANA CONVENTION LADIES PHOTO
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SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST BEAUTIFUL LIBRARIES
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FEATURED WEB SITE: BARRINEAU CURRENCY
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Content presented in The E-Sylum  is not necessarily researched or independently fact-checked, and views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.



WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM AUGUST 19, 2018





New subscribers this week include: 
Jeff Nelson, courtesy of Jim Contursi;
Mike Barry, 
David Hoover, 
Joe Lang, 
Lee Minshull, 
Jim Paicz, 
Arthur Stephen Patrick, and
Maryna Syntsya.
Welcome aboard! We now have 5,786 subscribers.


Thank you for reading The E-Sylum. If you enjoy it, please send me the email addresses of friends you think may enjoy it as well and I'll send them a subscription (but let me know if they are located in the European Union). Contact me at whomren at gmail.com anytime regarding your subscription, or questions, comments or suggestions about our content. 


This week we open with convention musings from the NBS President, a hardcover catalogue offer, a future library sale, three new books, one excerpt and three reviews.


Other topics this week include research into early silver coins of the U.S. Mint, the Pennsylvania First Defenders medal, the discovery specimen of the 1943 bronze cent, computer engraving, new U.S. coin designs, and Georgia currency.


To learn more about American financial history, Charlton numismatic literature, Peace medals, Don Bailey, laws on defacing banknotes, jigsaw puzzle coin designs, the 5 Cent Forage and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, read on. Have a great week, everyone!


Wayne Homren 
Editor, The E-Sylum

 



NBS PRESIDENT TOM HARRISON'S CONVENTION MUSINGS



NBS President Tom Harrison submitted this note about the recently concluded American Numismatic Association World's Fair of Money.
-Editor



I want to share a couple of random thoughts and observations from the just completed Numismatic Bibliomania Society events at the ANA Convention in Philadelphia. This year we had over 
twice the number of donors to the NBS benefit action as compared to 2017. There was an amazing variety of quality lots that  sparked spirited bidding on many 
items. These donors, combined with twenty enthusiast bidders, raised over $9000 for the NBS!!


This year we renewed our tradition of hosting a club table. The table provided an opportunity for literature enthusiasts to meet, enjoy a marvelous Chapman Brothers 
M.A. Brown Sale display, view Friday’s auction items and purchase NBS souvenir mugs. I’d like to thank those who manned the NBS table and encouraged new 
members to join the club. This was another example of NBS members freely giving of their precious time to benefit the mission of the NBS. 


I sincerely appreciate each member’s contribution to a great week of NBS fun and fellowship.











ADAMS NUMISMATIC LIBRARY SALE HARDCOVER EDITIONS



Numismatic booksellers
Kolbe & Fanning are offering hardcover versions of the catalog of their recent sale of highlights from the John W. Adams Numismatic library.
-Editor





Kolbe & Fanning will be producing hardcover editions of the amazing John W. Adams Numismatic Library Sale.


We will be producing a maximum of ten Deluxe Editions of the sale available for pre-order for $400 per copy.


We are offering our regular hardcovers for a special pre-order price of $60. Copies sold after pre-orders close will be available for $75 through our website. Subscribers to Kolbe & Fanning hardcovers will receive this edition for the regular subscriber price of $50.















For more information, or to order, see: 


https://www.numislit.com/new-arrivals.php?orderBy=saleprice2&action=recarr&cat_conj=or&category_id=280

 



HOLABIRD OFFERS MINING AND FINANCE LIBRARY



Fred Holabird submitted this announcement of his upcoming sale of a landmark library of material on American Mining and Finance.
-Editor




Important American Mining and Finance Library



Holabird’s Western Americana announces the sale of one of the great private research libraries. This
original source material library centers on several key and important categories:


1. American Mining History. Covers all facets of antiquarian mining in America, from c1770 to
c1950. The library covers almost every American mining rush, from Maine and Newfoundland
westward to California.


2. American Financial History. c1770-1945, including a number of early American key and
important series where few are known today, c1780-1850


3. The History of Assaying and Metallurgy, as well as early mining history. Contains many
exceptional rarities and early works back to c 1600. Includes: first English translation of Pliny,
Agricola, both Pettus, etc.


4. History of Precious Metals, including numismatics.


5. American Directories. These are critical reference works to determine backgrounds of American
businessmen. The collection numbers approximately 350 different directories, many used in the
owner’s published works. They center around the decade or two prior to the California gold rush
period and beyond. Includes an important huge string of New York City directories, nearly
impossible to replicate today.


6. Railroad history. From Poor’s volumes to the volumes on Railroad Officers, etc.


The contents of the library are so rare that in many instances the only copy ever seen for sale over a
span of approximately 40 years was purchased, regardless of condition. The library’s owner always
cared about content, and was not a “cover” book collector, caring more for the quality of the work
contained and presented by the original authors. Others still have been professionally restored. Many
are from the libraries of important historical financial figures or men of science.


The library will be offered in several parts now through December through Holabird’s auction sales. For
more information, please contact Fred Holabird, 775 851-1859, or fredholabird at gmail.com


To visit the Holabird Americana web site, see: 


http://holabirdamericana.com/

 










NEW BOOK: CHARLTON NUMISMATIC LITERATURE 



Alan Roy has published a useful 20-page free checklist of Charlton publications. Thanks!
-Editor





Alan writes:


I did a talk, an introduction to
collecting Canadian numismatic literature, at the RCNA convention and wanted to give the audience something to take home with them. So I created a "Checklist of Charlton Numismatic Literature". I'm hoping this will provide interest in some to begin collecting the most popular series of coin catalogues published in Canada.


If anybody has questions or corrections, I can be reached at 

alroy477 at gmail.com






Here's an overview from the publication's Introduction.
-Editor








The Charlton Catalogue has been the true “standard” for
Canadian collectors for over sixty years. James E. Charlton, the
proprietor of Canada Coin Exchange, began publishing a
pamphlet listing the values of Canada’s coins. He wasn’t the
first; New York dealer Wayte Raymond had already issued a
price guide to Canada’s decimal coins and tokens. But Charlton
began publishing his catalogue yearly, and it was well received.
Whitman Publishing of Racine, Wisconsin began printing
Charlton’s catalogue in 1960. Many collectors are now familiar
with these blue hard cover catalogues. Whitman’s distribution
system increased sales. After the Charlton catalogue returned to
Canada in 1971, Whitman decided to produce a competing
reference called Coins of Canada, by James Haxby and Robert
C. Willey.


A boom in the coin market prompted Charlton Publishing
to make changes to the Standard Catalogue. It was split into
several separate volumes covering coins, bank notes,
government paper money, and colonial tokens. In the late 1970s
and early 1980s, they began publishing the Standard Catalogue
of Canadian Coins twice a year to document the quickly rising
prices in the coin market.


Since the 1990s, Charlton sought to expand its scope by
publishing catalogues on Canadian Tire cash bonus coupons,
die varieties, medals, communion tokens, trade dollars, and
more.


To download a free copy, see: 


https://drive.google.com/open?id=1oUZu-qTlk22MD4eRl0Vv6QXAkk8bvHyP





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





NEW BOOK: THE PILLAR COINAGE



Author Brad Yonaka shared this press release for his new book on  pillar coinage. Thanks!
-Editor




A Variety Guide to the Pillar Coinage of the Guatemala, Bogota, Lima, Potosi, and Santiago Mints 1751-1772


by Brad Yonaka
ISBN: 978-0-9986825-1-8
377 pp. | 8 ½ x 11 inch softbound




In 1728 a royal decree from Philip V mandated the manufacture of machine-struck coins in the
Spanish colonial mints. However, the mints of Guatemala, Santa Fe de Bogota, Lima, Potosi, and
Santiago were only able to fully comply, at the earliest, over twenty years later. The coins were dubbed
pillars or ‘columnarios’ due to the prominent rendition of the Pillars of Hercules flanking globes
symbolizing the Old and New Worlds, united under the Spanish banner. They, along with nearly identical
coinage already being produced in Mexico City, quickly became an international currency, trusted and
traded around the world.


This book, self-published in August 2018, is a detailed variety guide for all denominations (half, one,
two, four, and eight reales) of the pillar issues from the mints of Guatemala, Santa Fe de Bogotá, Lima,
Potosi, and Santiago. It is essentially a companion volume to a previous offering by the author entitled
“A Variety Guide to the Fractional Pillar Coinage of Mexico City, 1732-1771”. As such the layout is quite
similar. The targeted audience is the collector of Spanish colonial coinage, and presumes the reader has
a basic knowledge of 18th century minting processes. It draws from a database of nearly 4000 high
resolution coin images gathered over a period of eleven years from online auctions and photographs of
private collections. 


It has been over a decade since the last published accounting of die varieties for
these series, and since that time, a significant number of previously unlisted design variations have been
recorded by the author. Additionally, some speculative variety types and dates listed but unproven in
past research are refuted by lack of current evidence, to the end of simplifying the task of the ardent
variety collector. 


With over 550 black and white photos of full coins and close-ups of variety details, this
book strives to provide collectors with the most descriptive tools possible in pursuit of this famous coin
type, from the relatively abundant eight reales issues of Lima to the ultra-rare minors of Santa Fe de
Bogota and Santiago. Full cross references to previous catalog numbers (if they exist) are given for each
entry.


The book also contains descriptive and historical information on the various mints, estimated rarities
(based on the author’s extensive auction database and comprehensive die pairing study), and pricing
guide based on recent auction results.  
Price: $36, add $5 for shipping within USA. Overseas shipping please inquire.


Order by sending personal check to:


Agorocu Consulting Inc.
PO Box 41515
Long Beach, CA 90853
Or payment by Paypal to: 

acanthite at live.com



To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: 


NEW BOOK: MEXICO CITY FRACTIONAL PILLAR COINAGE

(http://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n26a04.html





NEW BOOK: WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL LIBRARIES



Getting away from numismatics for a moment to focus just on books, there's a new one sure to delight the bibliophile.  Here's the description from Amazon.  See the last article in this issue for selected photos I found on the Colossal blog.
-Editor





>From the mighty halls of ancient Alexandria to a camel bookmobile on the Kenyan-Somali border, human beings have had a long, enraptured relationship with libraries. Like no other concept and like no other space, the collection of knowledge, learning, and imagination offers a sense of infinite possibility. It's the unrivaled realm of discovery, where every faded manuscript or mighty clothbound tome might reveal a provocative new idea, a far-flung fantasy, an ancient belief, a religious conviction, or a whole new way of being in the world.


In this new photographic journey, Massimo Listri travels to some of the oldest and finest libraries to reveal their architectural, historical, and imaginative wonder. Through great wooden doors, up spiraling staircases, and along exquisite, shelf-lined corridors, he leads us through outstanding private, public, educational, and monastic libraries, dating as far back as 766. Between them, these medieval, classical, baroque, rococo, and 19th-century institutions hold some of the most precious records of human thought and deed, inscribed and printed in manuscripts, volumes, papyrus scrolls, and incunabula. In each, Listri’s poised images capture the library’s unique atmosphere, as much as their most prized holdings and design details.


Featured libraries include the papal collections of the Vatican Apostolic Library, Trinity College Library, home to the Book of Kells and Book of Durrow, and the priceless holdings of the Laurentian Library in Florence, the private library of the powerful House of Medici, designed by Michelangelo. With meticulous descriptions accompanying each featured library, we learn not only of the libraries’ astonishing holdings – from which highlights are illustrated – but also of their often lively, turbulent, or controversial pasts. Like Altenburg Abbey in Austria, an outpost of imperial Catholicism repeatedly destroyed during the European wars of religion. Or the Franciscan monastery in Lima, Peru, with its horde of archival Inquisition documents.


For more information, or to order, see: 


Massimo Listri: The World's Most Beautiful Libraries XXL (Multilingual Edition) (German, French and English Edition) (German) Hardcover – July 4, 2018

(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/3836535246/ref=as_li_tl)



Temples of Knowledge: 
Exceptional access to the world’s illustrious libraries

(https://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/photography/all/05763/facts.massimo_listri_the_worlds_most_beautiful_libraries.htm)









BOOK EXCERPT: A NATION OF DEADBEATS



Pablo Hoffman forwarded a post from the Delancey Place blog with an excerpt from the 2012 book A Nation of Deadbeats by Scott Reynolds Nelson.
-Editor





During the first years of the existence of the United States, its economy had been boosted by supplying the combatants in the Napoleonic Wars in Europe, supported by credit made available by the First Bank of the United States. That bank's charter ran from 1791 to 1811 and was not renewed because of opposition from Democrats. But in the waning years of that bank's life, its services had favored New England shipping merchants, who were largely Federalists, and those merchants were tied closely to British interests. In part because of those ties, they had opposed the coming War of 1812 with England. It was that divided loyalty that helped doom the Federalists as a viable political force:



"Dissolving the Bank of the United States in 1811 was a crucial step toward war. Congress destroyed an efficient financial machine but also -- most assuredly -- a political one. Some Democrats believed that dissolution of the bank would finally prevent Britain from corrupting the American legislature. Federalists worried that the bank could no longer quiet the rumblings of a war with England. Whatever it meant, the destruction of the bank can be seen as the first shot in what Americans would call the War of 1812.



To read the complete article, see: 


THE DEMISE OF THE FIRST BANK AND THE FEDERALIST PARTY -- 8/13/18

(https://delanceyplace.com/view-archives.php?p=3655)




BOOK REVIEW: PEACE MEDALS



Barry Tayman writes:


Readers may enjoy this article which includes very nice comments about the Gilcrease book on Indian Peace medals.





Barry  forwarded an article by Smithsonian Secretary David J. Skorton reviewing "Five Books That Expand the Definition of Art".  Thanks!  Below is a link to an earlier E-Sylum article about the book which includes contributions from a number of our readers including Barry, John W. Adams, Skyler Liechty, Tony Lopez and the late George Fuld.
-Editor



Peace Medals: Negotiating Power in Early America by Robert B. Pickering


Stebich’s next selection tackles significant questions for many museum goers: what makes something a work of art and how do curators decide which objects have both aesthetic and historic resonance.




Exhibition catalogues, says Stebich, are often “the only lasting element of something that is, by nature, temporary.” Fortunately she’s had the opportunity to see many museum shows across the country, including a 2011 exhibition, Peace Medals: Symbols of Influence and Prestige, at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that has a catalogue that discusses the changing nature of art. Drawn from the museum founder’s personal trove of silver and brass coins, the Gilcrease exhibition explores the historical and meaning of peace medals exchanged between explorers and Native American leaders, objects that weren’t necessarily categorized as art in their time, but take on artistic meaning in the present.


Starting with European settlers and continuing on through the founding of the United States, white leaders issued their Native American counterparts a kind of peace medal” to curry favor and build diplomatic alliances. Whether historical artifact or works of art, peace medals are not without controversy. Worn around the recipient’s neck, they often incorporate Native American imagery, representing a pledge of peace.


“Through the catalogue, viewers can see how the imagery changed over time through various presidencies and how the medals were valued by the recipients and incorporate portraiture of Native Americans, giving a sense of status to the sitter,” says Stebich.


To read the complete article, see: 


Five Books That Expand Our Definition of What Art Can Be
Read more at https://smithsoniansecondopinion.org/arts/stephanie-steibich-director-saam-180969647/#f0j1OPXwflgibzpR.99

(https://www.smithsoniansecondopinion.org/arts/stephanie-steibich-director-saam-180969647/)




I found another review online from AnthroSource, published by the American Anthropological Association.
-Editor



To read the AnthroSource review, see:


Peace Medals: Negotiating Power in Early America. Robert B.Pickering, ed. tulsa, ok: gilcrease museum, 2012. 128pp

(https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/muan.12032)


To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:


NEW BOOK: PEACE MEDALS: NEGOTIATING POWER IN EARLY AMERICA

(http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v14n48a07.html)









BOOK REVIEWS: TOKENS OF KOREA



Ray Bows submitted these reviews of Patrick O'Donnell's two companion books of South Korean tokens.   Thanks!
-Editor





UNITED STATES MILITARY TOKENS OF KOREA 

and TOKENS OF KOREA 

by Patrick R. O'Donnell



by M/Sgt Ray Bows, US Army (ret.)








                                                                

As a military token collector I find it a pleasure to review the books UNITED STATES MILITARY TOKENS OF KOREA ($29.99) and TOKENS OF KOREA ($8.95) by Patrick R. O'Donnell (Raleigh and Wilmington North Carolina), having begun my own quest into the history of military tokens at the age of 22, some fifty years ago, and having issued two catalogs on the subject on Vietnam military tokens myself. Actually, I spent more time in South Korea than I ever did in Vietnam. First in 1963 and 1964 when most South Koreans were still living in mud huts with thatched grass roofs, and US Army units were still adhering to Korean War regulations. I returned again for two more years in 1978 through 1980, and was there during the period when President Pak-Chung-Hui was assassinated. While the entire country was placed off-limits and citizens were restricted to their homes during President Pak's funeral, from my quarters I witnessed Pak's caisson and his interment procession cross the Han River Bri
 dge to its final resting place. Yet, my understanding of the country of South Korea and my knowledge of South Korean military tokens pales in comparison to Patrick O'Donnell's knowledge of the history of the Korean peninsula and its inter-connection with South Korean exonumia.


I first met Pat O'Donnell when a group of us, stationed in Seoul, formed the Korean/American Numismatic Association in 1980. It was then that Pat's enthusiasm and knowledge about the tokens used by the military in South Korea first impressed me. I knew back then, that to be a cataloger of military related monies, one must have a background in insignia and heraldry, military lineage, order of battle, and boots on the ground knowledge of the locations that issued such pieces. Pat was eminently qualified in all of those areas. I realized that the monumental undertaking that he had laid out as his goal would not be an easy one, but 37 years later his 270 pages of research in two 8 by 10 volumes rose to the task, and is certainly a labor of love.


Well over 1,000 tokens are listed in his UNITED STATES MILITARY TOKENS OF KOREA (2017) while several hundreds more used by civilian franchises are cataloged in his TOKENS OF KOREA (2016). Clear, sharp, color photos are on every page of both of his catalogs, which are enhanced by his complete descriptions and explanations.  Not only are slot machine tokens and credit checks cataloged, but so are challenge coins and U.S., allied, and unofficial medals. Pat doesn't leave the collector in the dark about prices, as he devotes five pages to listing accurate evaluations.


Historical descriptions are also abundant. One such example is:



 

K-10/Chinhae Air Base


K-10 was utilized during the war by the 12th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, the 75th Air Depot Wing which arrived from the United States in 1952 and the 67th Fighter-Bomber Squadron. The SAAF 2 Squadron from South Africa was also stationed there. After the war K-10 was returned to the control of the Korea government and it became a civilian airport.




 
Pat O'Donnell's footnotes, convey important military facts, such as that of Red Sox legend Ted Williams and his participation as a fighter pilot during the Korea War, which is the type of information that Pat weaves into his catalog. The book's dedication to Pat's long time friend CWO Leonard R. Weitzel, US Army 1912-2006 is both stirring and noteworthy.

 
Readers will see the two books appear as 100% complete and 99% accurate. When I mentioned what I perceived as one minor error, ASCOM standing for Army Service Command, I contacted Pat explaining that in 1963, I knew ASCOM as Area Support Command. He graciously came back to me with documentation proving me wrong, which simply proves that on the ground - even in the day, terminology could be incorrect.  In the military, confusion could often be created by GIs when an error in designation was made and picked up by the next GI and carried forward.  Pat didn't grope in the dark for answers to such quandaries, but rather went to the documented source in each case, which makes his catalog so perfect.

 
I can't say enough virtuous things about Pat O'Donnell's cataloging skills, but I don't have to. The highest compliment anyone could give about the two catalogs came from long time South Vietnam military token enthusiast Kevin Malloy, Tracy, California, who kindly put me back in touch with Pat after many years.  Kevin's words were, "My interests have always been in South Vietnam military tokens up until now. That has changed for me since seeing the two O'Donnell catalogs. I am now on a new quest to collect South Korean tokens and have Pat O'Donnell to thank for that. He has brought our Korean War legacy, and that which has happened since, into clear numismatic focus. 

 

Ray Bows is the author of IN HONOR AND MEMORY: INSTALLATIONS AND FACILITIES OF THE VIETNAM WAR. It is an 800 page hardbound book which lists and tells the stories of 3,600 locations named during the war in Vietnam. It is available by contacting Bows through his website 

bowsmilitarybooks.com , or by calling Ray at 386-566-2089.

 

Ray adds:


The books are easily available at amazon.com.  The UNITED STATES MILITARY TOKENS OF KOREA has 215 pages, all color photos. and is priced at $29.95; TOKENS OF KOREA has 53 pages, all color, and is priced at $8.95. 










DON BAILEY (1933-2018)



Lou Golino published an article August 15, 2018 on Coin Update with news of the death of numismatic author Don Bailey. Here's an excerpt.
-Editor





On August 10 the numismatic community lost one of its pioneers, Don Bailey, a prominent dealer and specialist in Mexican numismatics, who worked tirelessly to expand interest in this area of the hobby over the past half-century.


Born and raised in Michigan, Don left the state during the Korean War to join the U.S. Marine Corps. When he retired from the Marines, he was living in Yuma, Arizona, a state that borders Mexico. It was in Arizona that Don began his love affair with Mexican coins and the history behind them.


He began studying and writing about Mexican coins in the 1960s, writing articles that eventually appeared in every major numismatic publication as well as several award-winning books, including The Whitman Encyclopedia of Mexican Money – a multi-volume history of Mexican coinage since the pre-Columbian era that he wrote with his wife Lois.


He also wrote several books on Mexican coinage and contributed to various world coin reference books such as the tandard Catalog of World Coins and Standard Catalog of Mexican Coins – both published by Krause Publications.


Don was not only active in several numismatic associations and groups but also started the United States Mexican Numismatic Association in 1997 and another organization in the 1960s.


To read the complete article, see: 


Don Bailey, dean of Mexican numismatics, has passed away

(http://news.coinupdate.com/don-bailey-dean-of-mexican-numismatics-has-passed-away/)





 



RESEARCHERS PUT EARLY SILVER COINS TO NEW TESTS



Newman Numismatic Portal Project Coordinator Len Augsburger provided the following report about new research sponsored by the  Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society (EPNNES).
Thanks.
-Editor




Early U.S. Mint Research Sponsored by Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society











Before and after pictures of a 1795 O-105 Half Dollar.  The center piece in the after picture was sent for ICP-AES analysis.



At the John Reich Collectors Society meeting held August 15 at the ANA convention in Philadelphia, researchers David Finkelstein and Chris Pilliod presented preliminary results on composition testing of United States 1794 and 1795 coinage. At issue was the question of whether David Rittenhouse, Mint Director, sanctioned the manufacture of silver coinage outside the legal standard. The Mint Act of 1792 mandated an 89.24% standard, but Albion Cox, the melter and refiner, recommended a 90% standard, as coinage with a higher proportion of copper tended to turn black. Interestingly, the annual assay tests of 1795 and 1796 (for coinage for 1794 and 1795, respectively) are unrecorded in the archives.


Finkelstein and Pilliod noted the shortcomings of XRF (X-ray fluorescence) testing, which supplies data that is only “skin deep” – about ten microns below the surface. Instead, they arranged for ICP-AES (inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy) testing of cut coinage samples. Quoting from Wikipedia, ICP-AES “is an analytical technique used for the detection of chemical elements. It is a type of emission spectroscopy that uses the inductively coupled plasma to produce excited atoms and ions that emit electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths characteristic of a particular element. It is a flame technique with a flame temperature in a range from 6000 to 10000 K. The intensity of this emission is indicative of the concentration of the element within the sample.”
 

Pilliod and Finkelstein tested eight silver pieces (one 1794 half dollar and seven 1795 half dollars). Due to the value of the coins, low grade and problem pieces were selected for destructive testing. The 1794 was particularly worn, what Sheldon would have called “basal state,” and was donated by the Terry Brand estate, which recently sold a large group of 1794 half dollars through Heritage Auctions. The Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society (EPNNES) sponsored the acquisition of other coins. 


Each piece was sliced into three sections and polished, resulting in small mirrorlike fragments that were then subjected to ICP-AES. Complete statistical analysis is not complete, but preliminary results suggest that, with a high degree of confidence, 1795 silver coinage was indeed struck to a higher standard than that required by law. Chris Pilliod and David Finkelstein will publish full results in due course, and we look forward to studying the complete findings. Mint Director David Rittenhouse was a careful, precise, and rigorous scientist, and, and David Finkelstein likes to say, “there are no coincidences” in numismatic research.









NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: AUGUST 19, 2018


 Query: Library Program Suggestions Sought 
Bruce Perdue writes:




I am taking over the Illinois Numismatic Association Library project in September. Currently ILNA sends out numismatic books to about 75 of the over 600 libraries in Illinois each year. ILNA has been sending out a variety of books purchased from Whitman. We have an inventory of 72 2010 Blue books which are so out of date that I intend to give them away at our show in September. We also have a number of history books by year that are not numismatic at all and frankly I doubt that libraries would shelve them. 


I am looking for suggestions on how to make the program more effective/useful to libraries and their patrons. My hope is that some of the E-Sylum readers might have a good idea. I am considering sending a new Red Book annually to all 600 plus libraries or if that proves too costly send half of the list a new Red Book every other year. I have spoken to several different libraries in my area and am soliciting their ideas as well.





Great project - I wish more state and local numismatic organizations had programs like this.  What do readers think?  My two cents would be to include some books with a numismatic connection to local history.  If Civil War tokens were issued there, donate an old edition of the storecard book; if National Bank Notes were issued, include one of those books.  Just be sure to point out the connections  to the local librarians.  Maybe they'll let you prepare a slip to be inserted inside - "Check here for items of local interest."
-Editor



For more information about the Illinois Numismatic Association (ILNA), see: 


http://www.ilnaclub.org/



 Ordering Chinese Book Editions 


Jon Radel submitted these notes on how to order your very own copy of the Chinese edition of Collecting World Coins.
-Editor





If you want to acquire a copy of 克劳斯世界流通硬币大全 (1901至今), otherwise known as the Krause World Circulation Coin Encyclopedia (1901 to present), it's really not that difficult to just import your own copy.  Otherwise known as:  You really shouldn't underestimate what Amazon can do for you.


It's been a bit, but I've had no issue with ordering books from amazon.cn in the past.  Books are frequently relatively cheap, but the postage can more than make up for that.  There are a few minor wrinkles, particularly if you don't read Chinese.  Unlike the European Amazon sites, your US Amazon login is not recognized at amazon.cn, so you have to open a new account there.  Also my experience has been that the Amazon Marketplace vendors generally (always?) won't ship to the US, so you can purchase directly from Amazon only.  But the layout of the site is similar to that of all the other Amazon properties, so between that and using Google Translate (or just use their Chrome browser that has translation built in) I've never been more than mildly confused.   It looks like there's even an "In English" button on the site that's new since the last time I ordered a book, though only parts of the site are available in translation.


Start at 

https://www.amazon.cn/dp/B07CPJZ37D/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1534132118&sr=8-1&keywords=9787547836712


 or just search for the ISBN.  ï¿¥270.40 for the book, and I'm offered standard air shipping to the US for ï¿¥110.00, which gives a total of roughly US$58 on a credit card.


To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: 


NEW BOOK: COLLECTING WORLD COINS CHINESE EDITION

(http://www.coinbooks.org/v21/esylum_v21n32a06.html)


 Query: Niagara Falls on British Token 







David Pickup writes:


This is a new mystery for readers! I attach photos of an aluminium token with Ridgway of Staffordshire 1905 on it. The other side is blank apart from circles. What is the connection between Niagara Falls and a British pottery company?





Great question! Can anyone help with this?  Here's what I'm thinking, but I have no idea if this is right.  A web search found plates by Ridgway with a Niagara Falls pattern.  Is this token advertising a line of dinnerware?
-Editor










To read the complete eBay lot description, see: 


BEAUTIFUL EARLY RIDGWAY NIAGARA FALLS SEPIA PLATE
(ebay.com/itm/BEAUTIFUL-EARLY-RIDGWAY-NIAGARA-FALLS-SEPIA-PLATE-/161296882955)


 Query: Striking Pressure For U.S. Coins 
John Regitko
of Toronto, Canada  writes:


In the last issue of The E-Sylum, it states: "It takes between 35 and 200 tonnes of pressure to strike coins and this varies with each coin denomination and if it is a proof coin or a circulation strike," according to the Australian Mint.


In the 1970s and 1980s, the pressure in striking coins at the Royal Canadian Mint in Ottawa was between 200 tons and 300 tons when "mechanical" presses were in use. The exact tonnage depended on the denomination, size, metallic content and quality. This information was provided to me by the then Vice-President - Manufacturing. Since the U.S. Mints and the Canadian Mint used the same presses, this would also have applied in the U.S.


I don't know what it is today, because the Royal Canadian Mint is very tight lipped about questions I keep asking. Their response is usually that it is "proprietary information" even though I have found details on the world's best, although not most accurate, encyclopedia known as the Internet. Does anyone know what it is today in the U.S.?





Great question.  Does anyone know?
-Editor



To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: 


DIE ADJUSTMENT STRIKES

(http://www.coinbooks.org/v21/esylum_v21n32a13.html)

 Georgia Numismatic Association Exhibits 
Clay Barrineau writes:


Thank you so much for helping out with my exhibit at this year’s GNA.  The image of the Fulton Co-Op receipt (Atlanta Labor Exchange) you sent me from Eric Schena’s collection was a great addition for my new Atlanta Labor Exchange Exhibit.  It helped me secure 3rd place (large category, > 3 cases) which is great for a first time exhibit entry.  I also got a first place (small category, 
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