From esylum at binhost.com Sun Jul 1 19:25:27 2007 From: esylum at binhost.com (esylum@binhost.com) Date: Sun Jul 1 19:26:09 2007 Subject: The E-Sylum v10#26, July 1, 2007 Message-ID: <005e01c7bc37$1c90bfe0$2b0110ac@corp.cmdinfo.com> Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 10, Number 26, July 1, 2007: an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society. Copyright (c) 2007, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society. WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM 1 JULY, 2007 Among our recent subscribers are Ron Pope and Robert T. Manning MD, courtesy of Dave Bowers, also Rickie Rose and Dan Burleson. Welcome aboard! We now have 1,145 subscribers. This week we open with good news about (and a review of) a long-awaited numismatic publishing project - the Canadian Numismatic Bibliography. Also of interest to bibliophiles is the SPMC Author's Forum at the upcoming Memphis Paper Money show. In research queries this week, a new subscriber seeks information on Wayte Raymond's Standard Catalogue. In response to a question last week, E-Sylum readers come through with a flood of great information on the Laura Gardin Fraser Better Babies Medal. Also, John Meissner provides the answer to his 1960's classified ad quiz, but not before Dick Johnson takes a crack at solving it. Dick also provides us with insight into the creation of the classified advertising schemes used in weekly American numismatic publications. My London Diary is up next, with a look at life during a tense weekend of terrorist activity. Numismatic activities continued with a visit to Westminster Abbey and a spy-movie-style rendezvous at Heathrow airport. In the news, the Canadian "medal detector" has been nominated for an award for his efforts to unite Canadian war medals with families and museums, the Indian coin shortage continues, and the Royal Canadian Mint manages to sell a few of the Million Dollar gold coins. To learn what the American Eugenics Movement, razor blades and the "Pyx Chamber" have to do with numismatics, read on. Have a great week, everyone. Wayne Homren Numismatic Bibliomania Society CANADIAN NUMISMATIC BIBLIOGRAPHY READY FOR PRINTING Canadian Numismatic Bibliography Project chairman Ronald Greene writes: "We are pleased to be able to report that the work is completed as follows: i) all text is complete ii) all photographs have been inserted iii) the final formatting has been done iv) the index has been checked against the entries v) photo credits compiled "All that remains is to compile the computerized, press-ready disc that will go to the printer. This will be delivered to me at the Canadian Numismatic Association convention and I will take it to the printer when I return from the Niagara Falls. "At the convention Darryl Atchison, Paul Petch and I will have available photocopy quality print-outs for those interested in a preview. If the odd error that may have slipped past the proof-readers is spotted those will be correctable, although additional entries will not be possible as they impact on all following work and force re-formatting... With luck we should have books ready to ship in early September." [Those of us who ordered the bibliography at its pre-publication price are getting a bargain. Since then the book has grown considerably along with printing and distribution costs. Addressing pre-publication subscribers, Ron adds: "If you have moved in the last four years and are not certain that you have given me your new address please do so within the next month. I feel quite confident that you will approve of the final product and agree that the lengthy wait has been worthwhile." I can attest that the book has indeed been worth the wait. Darryl Atchison passed through London's Heathrow airport yesterday on his way from Ireland to Canada for the C.N.A. convention; we met there while he was waiting between flights and I had the pleasure and privilege of reviewing the page proofs, housed in an ungodly thick binder. The manuscript will be published in two volumes. The entire CNB is 1246 pages, with 606 pages in volume one and 640 in volume two (which includes a 96-page index section to be printed on a different coloured paper). There are illustrations throughout, with one or more pictures for every two pages. The illustrations are not just of numismatic literature, but of many important numismatic items as well. The illustrations and the inclusion of a number of exclusive essays, special listings, and biographical compilations make this publication far more than "just" a bibliography. To read it is to gain an education in the whole of Canadian numismatic history. It is also a marvelous starting point for anyone hoping to do new research in the area; in addition to the bibliographic listings, the book includes contact information for virtually every major research institution and archive across Canada and the world with any connection to Canadian numismatics. At one point the authors considered naming it the "Canadian Numismatic Research Handbook", but it's far too massive to be a mere "Handbook". I won't reproduce the entire table of contents here, but topics cover the entire numismatic map from card money to modern cheques, including coins, tokens, medals, ration books, P.O.W. currency, War of 1812 Army promissory notes, private banknotes and everything in between. The original essays include Peter Moogk's "Historical Introduction to Canadian Currency and Numismatics", J. Graham Esler's "Brief History of the Bank of Canada Numismatic Currency Collection," Moogk's essay on "French Regime Coins, Currency and Counters" and Chris Faulkner's volume-by-volume synopsis of Fred Bowman's unpublished Encyclopedia of Canadian Numismatics (now at the Bank of Canada). Chapter 12, "Collectors and Collections" consists of about 60 pages of biographies, obituaries and photos of prominent collectors of Canadian coins. Which brings us to the illustrations - a large number of numismatic books, catalogues and price lists are pictured, old and new. These alone make the book a pleasure to browse. But in addition to the images of literature are many images of numismatic items themselves, some common (like a 2004 Poppy Quarter) but many quite rare. The authors went to great lengths to obtain the illustrations and permissions to publish them. In the numismatic world, among those generous in providing images were Dan Hamelberg, Stack's, Heritage, American Numismatic Rarities and Richard Doty of the Smithsonian Institution. A prime example of their taste and persistence in choosing and securing images is the frontispiece: The Royal Charter of the Hudson's Bay Company. Dated May 2, 1670, the document is the company's trademark and much communication was required to secure the rights to publish it. Other examples of images include: * The only known example of a specimen banknote for Magdalen Island, 1815 (from a 2002 Morten & Eden sale) * A leather banknote from Prince Edward Island * A photograph of registrants attending the 1909 American Numismatic Association convention in Montreal, Quebec, including P. N. Bretton, Thomas Elder, Ludger Gravel, J.C. Mitchelson, Edgar Adams, Frank Higgins, Waldo Newcomer, William Poillon, Frank Duffield and Ben Green. * Depression scrip of the Kitchener-Waterloo Mutual Aid Association, a "time certificate" in the denomination of one hour. (I found this quite interesting following my recent purchase of an 1830s British co-operative society note, also in the denomination of "one hour"). * The U.S. Congressional Gold Medal awarded to Canadian Ambassador Kenneth Taylor March 6, 1980 for his role in spiriting six American hostages safely out of Iran. A final example of the team's persistence is the inclusion of a photograph of Bert Koper, who established the first national Canadian numismatic organization. No picture of him was known to have been published. Through an old-time collector in Winnipeg, contact was made with Koper's family, who provided a photograph. (Incidentally, Koper produced Whitman-style coin boards for Canadian coins in his kitchen for sale to collectors). OK, we get it - the book includes everything, right? Is nothing missing? Well, with any project of this scope there are bound to be omissions. Many items with only a marginal Canadian connection are deliberately skipped. And while there are a couple significant inclusions from 2005, the book effectively stops at 2004. The biggest omission is that no articles from Canadian Coin news are included - the authors were unsuccessful in obtaining a complete run of the publication, and decided not to include a partial run. The brochure for the Annual SPMC Author's Forum (see below) includes a colorful (and insightful) quote from Benjamin Franklin, currency engraver & printer: "If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead & rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing." This certainly applies to the accomplished Author's Forum speakers, but it applies as well to Darryl Atchison, Ron Greene and all those associated with the Canadian Numismatic Bibliography Project. This twelve-year labor of love, like most worthwhile numismatic publishing projects, has been a thankless task replete with late nights and long weekends of unpaid labor, and various project setbacks and disappointments. But the finished work will live for the ages; henceforth every numismatic researcher and collector with an interest in Canadian numismatic history will be indebted to this team for their Herculean efforts. According to Ronald Greene, the retail price of the Canadian Numismatic Bibliography is expected to be Can$225.00 (about US $212) plus postage. Sound like a lot of money? Not for what you're getting. Luckily, many of our readers are among those who subscribed at the much lower pre- publication price. About 250 of the planned 300 copies are already spoken for. For more information or to place an order, contract Ron at ragreene@telus.net. Please show your support for the project and help ensure that the book is distributed widely. If you have even the slightest interest in numismatic research in general or Canadian numismatics in particular, purchase a copy for your library, or raise funds from your fellow club members to add a copy to your club's library. Mention the book to your favorite dealers. Encourage your national associations, libraries and numismatic museums (especially outside of Canada) to acquire copies as well - no institutional library will be complete without one. Even those of us who are "in" at the prepublication price should consider adding a donation for the good of the project. This was no boondoggle funded by a grant from a wealthy benefactor. Those involved with the project have donated not just years of toil, but buckets of hard cash as well. I'll be sending a check, and I hope many of you do as well. The project is an extraordinary effort, and deserves the support of every numismatist. -Editor] BOOK: THE GUIDE TO COINS AND BANKNOTES OF YUGOSLAVIA In March of this year we published an announcement of a new book on the coins and banknotes of Yugoslavia and its successor countries titled 'The Guide to Coins and Banknotes of Yugoslavia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia'. Author and publisher Zlatko Viscevic writes that "The interest for the book is very large and the book will be out of stock soon. The price of the book is: 25 EUR (or 32 US$) + shipping. Shipping: 7,10 US$ (ordinary mail), 10,30 US$ (registered). The book can be ordered via e-mail: zviscevic@pravri.hr or mobile: +385 91 727 5837. The necessary data about the book can be found on my webpages." http://www.pravri.hr/~zviscevic/catalog2.htm English version: http://www.pravri.hr/~zviscevic/catalog2.htm#e2 [Zlatko has produced what looks to be a very useful reference. The web site shows sample pages of the book and lists the contents in detail. He also publishes a blog on Croatian numismatics: http://hrvatskanumizmatika.blog.hr/ -Editor] BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT: THE GUIDE TO COINS AND BANKNOTES OF YUGOSLAVIA http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n10a05.html JULY 6 SPMC AUTHOR'S FORUM SPEAKER LINEUP Fred Reed, editor of Paper Money, the official journal of the Society of Paper Money Collectors, forwarded a press release with details of the Fourth Annual SPMC Author's Forum to be held at the Memphis Paper Money Show July 6th. Wendell Wolka will emcee the event featuring the following stellar lineup of numismatic authors: * R. Shawn Hewitt, author of "Minnesota Obsolete Bank Notes and Scrip" * Doug Murray, author of "The Complete Catalog of United States Large Size Star Notes 1910-1929)" * Art Friedberg, "Updating Paper Money of the United States and other projects" * Ray and Steve Feller, authors of 'Silent Witnesses: Civilian Camp Money of World War II" * Pierre Fricke, author of 'Collecting Confederate Paper Money - Type Edition 2007 e-Book' * Mary Counts and Q. David Bowers, 'An overview of paper money book publishing, including current and future projects' * Wendell Wolka, 'CD revised edition of Indiana Obsolete Notes and Scrip' The event brochure notes: "This forum was conceived as a way for authors and prospective authors of paper money books to exchange ideas, "tricks of the trade," and form mutual support on the long road between conception and publication of a worthwhile book. This Forum, in tandem with our Society's George W. Wait Memorial Prize which supports research of book length paper money projects, is part of SPMC's outreach to hobbyists by supporting numismatic education. Our Author's Forum is unique in the hobby. We invite all prospective authors and others interested in paper money books to attend and participate in this event. As in the past, this year's presenters' works cover a wide diversity of paper money topics, so you should find something of interest to you. All presenters are experienced and well known in the hobby, so I'm sure you will benefit from their talks. Stick around to the close of the forum for a time to meet & greet our illustrious panel." PBS HISTORY DETECTIVES TO FEATURE CONTINENTAL CURRENCY Dick Johnson writes: "U.S. readers should check their local listings this week for an episode of PBS History Detectives, one segment of which will be on Continental Currency." [Dick provided a link to the show's web site, which is excerpted below. -Editor] "CONTINENTAL CURRENCY AIRING: Season 5, Episode 2 THE DETECTIVE: Gwen Wright THE PLACE: New York City THE CASE: Between the pages of a book, a family in Omaha, Nebraska has found a puzzling $6 bill dated February 17, 1776. "The bill's text and designs are replete with mysteries and clues. How could it claim to be federal currency when it's dated five months before the colonies actually declared their independence? Why does it say it's backed by "Spanish milled dollars"? What do the strange images on it mean? "Britain rightfully considered these monies sheer provocation, and reacted by flooding the market with counterfeit bills. Is our bill real - or perhaps real fakery? "History Detectives investigates an artifact that could represent America's first declaration of its independence." For more information on the program, see: http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/investigations/502_continentalcurre ncy.html [As noted in last week's London Diary, I recently purchased examples of the Nazi WWII "Operation Bernhard" counterfeits of British banknotes. I know colonial U.S. paper money was often counterfeited, and recall reading of some British efforts to counterfeit notes of the revolting colonies, but don't recall reading about any "flooding" of the market with British- made counterfeits. Were the Brits more successful than the Nazis in wartime counterfeiting? Can anyone point us to particular resources for information on this topic? -Editor] WAYTE RAYMOND STANDARD CATALOGUE INFORMATION SOUGHT Dave Bowers forwarded the following query from Ron Pope, who writes: "I read with interest a recent article in 'Coin World' wherein you mention the old 'Standard Catalogue' by Wayte Raymond. "I like non-traditional stuff. Therefore, instead of trying to assemble a complete of 'Red Books,' I am trying to obtain a complete set of the 'Standard Catalogue,' a task I believe to be more difficult to achieve than the 'Red Book.' "Can you give me any information on the start and end (1st edition-last edition, etc) of this book? I always thought the 18th edition (1957) was the last edition but I believe you mentioned a 1958 edition. Also, were the first two editions (1934 and 1935) in paperback? Thanks for any help you may be able to give me." [For a long time I worked on completing a set of these myself, and had a very nice group of top-condition volumes, some of which were from the James O. Sloss library. But with my last house move I ran out of space and sold them in a Lake Books sale. Since I'm away from my library I don't have access to my bibliographic references - can anyone fill us in on what constitutes a complete set? -Editor] LAURA GARDIN FRASER BETTER BABIES MEDAL Regarding the Laura Gardin Fraser 'Better Babies' medal, Dick Johnson writes: "It was stuck by Medallic Art Company in 1913 and carries the catalog number 13-5 in MAco archives. The inquirer had only to look at the edge of the medal to find the Medallic Art name. It did not come from a 'foundry', of course - it was not cast, but struck in bronze in two sizes: 2-inch (51mm) and 1 5/16-inch (33mm). "The medal was sponsored by Woman's Home Companion magazine (they paid for it and their name is on the reverse). However, it was prepared for a quasi-governmental U.S. organization (which generally do not patent or copyright their products). This is one of the few medals that was issued such protection -- Design Patent D46,399 issued 15 September 1914. "The application was filed by Laura Gardin Fraser herself, who, undoubtedly, had a hunch this could have been an important creation that deserved protection. (She took this precaution inspired by husband James Earle Fraser's experience, who, early on, had several of his creations commercialized by others where he earned no royalty.) "The American Numismatic Society has two of these medals in their collections. Anyone can go to their website and find this medal described by clicking on 'collections' and entering the name Better Babies. Or click on these URLs: http://www.numismatics.org/lookup.cgi?string=1914.33.1 http://www.numismatics.org/lookup.cgi?string=1976.263.27 "The medal was exhibited the year it was created at the National Academy of Design in New York City. It was item #51 in their Winter 1913 exhibition. It was illustrated in a catalog of a National Sculpture Society exhibit, also in New York City, in 1923 (page 298). "It has been widely illustrated, appeared in articles and cataloged several times. It is Baxter (Beaux-Art Medals) 355, it appears twice in Storrer (Medical Medals) 4384 and 5624. It was reported and illustrated in 'Medal In America,' edited by Alan Stahl (1988) page 212. "While the medal is not common, an example does come on the medal market every year or so. As for value, I sold one once in one of my auctions, but Joe Levine has sold them at least a dozen times, the latest of which was in his auction 73 in 2005 (lot 664) where it brought $143.75. "You might also hear from Fred L. Reed in answer to this E-Sylum appeal. Fred has done some fantastic research on the Frasers' medallic work and can undoubtedly add something interesting." [According to our next submission, at least one example struck in gold exists. -Editor] Harry Waterson and Donald Scarinci forwarded information from Joe Levine sales of the medal. Harry writes: "This medal is known in two varieties, 34mm in Gold and 51mm in Bronze. The one Gold example was sold by Joe Levine in Presidential Coin and Antiques Auction #69 Lot 384. It sold for $759. The medal is signed Laura Gardin, Sculptor. In the auction catalogue, Joe Levine wrote: 'This medal was executed in 1913 just before Ms. Gardin married James Earle Fraser and changed the signature on her medals. Elaine Leotti, in her paper, 'The American Woman Medalist', comments as follows: "Fraser's Better Babies Medal done in 1913 for the Woman's Home Companion is her only piece which can truly be called feminine. It is a well balanced medal, nicely executed if a bit on the sentimental side. The babies' bare flesh is soft, almost palpable, their curls and dimpled elbows invite touch, thus appealing to exactly the audience the medal was meant to impress.' "The bronze version of this medal is fairly common. I have tracked it since 1999 and Levine has sold 5 examples and 8 examples have sold on eBay to date. The average price has been $166, although the eBay prices have almost all been below the average. One medal was unawarded and only two were awarded to males. The bronze medals are edgemarked Crowell Pub. Co. and they are all edge dated starting in 1912, with the bulk dated 1913 and two dated 1916. The Gold medal is dated 1913 on the edge and 1922 in the cartouche. I would conclude that the medal was in active use for about 10 years ending in the mid twenties and that there are probably hundreds of bronze examples extant. "It was in the mid twenties that these Better Babies Contests were transformed into Fitter Families for Future Firesides competitions under the auspices of the American Eugenics Society and took on a more racist overtone. It was no longer just looking for "A sound mind in a sound body" I refer you to a paper by Steven Selden which chronicles this change. And you can track this change obverse to obverse because in 1927 Julio Kilenyi did a Fitter Families Medal which is illustrated in Selden's paper." To read the Steven Selden paper on the American Eugenics Movement, see: http://www.aps-pub.com/proceedings/1492/490205.pdf Harry also forwarded a link to a picture of Laura Gardin working on the obverse of her Better Babies Medal: http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/research/images/r_a_fras_imag_babe_lg.jp g Roger deWardt Lane of Hollywood, Florida writes: "I was intrigued by the reference to the Better Babies Medal. I had once written about a Better Babies medal that I found at a flea market three or four years ago, I and dug around to find the article. Then I went back to The E-Sylum to read the information you had and was very surprised to see that it is not the same medal." [Roger's medal is a Better Babies Contest medal from 1931, and it's a product of Whitehead & Hoag, not Medallic Art. It is NOT Fraser's design. Roger describes it as "BETTER BABIES CONTEST - Conferred By - THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS, around a chubby baby. The other side - INDIANA STATE FAIR - INDIANA - SEPTEMBER 1931, around center figures of a ball player and a buffalo. In very small letters, below - W & H Co. Newark, N.J." To read Roger's article on the http://www.geocities.com/dewardt/flcc/muttjefftoohot.html TOM ELDER PHOTOS - WERE THERE DINNERS IN BOTH 1908 AND 1910? Regarding the Tom Elder banquet picture discussed recently, Dave Hirt writes: "I am writing from Budapest, away from my library, so these are the facts as I remember them. The banquet was not in 1910, but rather 1908, following the ANA convention in Philadelphia, just prior to Elder's James Wilson sale. An account of the banquet is in The Numismatist of October/November of that year. I have a copy of the picture, and in addition to Mr. Virgil Brand, I have identified 5 or 6 others." [Karl Moulton's analysis of the photo in question last week seems definitive in placing it in 1910 at Keen's Chop House in New York. Lacking library access, Dave may be recalling a different Elder photo. -Editor] 1910 ELDER DINNER PHOTO IDENTIFIED http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n25a14.html ABNCO HAWAIIAN BANKNOTE SOUVENIR CARD SERIES ANSWER In response to Don Cleveland's question last week about American Bank Note Company Hawaiian currency cards, souvenir card dealer Ken Barr writes: "The complete ABNCo Hawaii currency set consists of eight cards, namely (listed by Souvenir Card Collectors Society numbers): SO 14 ANA 1981 Midyear face 1895 $5 Silver Certificate SO 57 ANA 1987 face 1895 $10 Silver Certificate SO 58 NWPMC 1987 face 1895 $20 Silver Certificate SO 60 IPMS 1988 face 1895 $50 Silver Certificate SO 61 ANA 1988 face 1895 $100 Silver Certificate SO 62 FUN 1989 face 1895 $5 Gold Certificate SO 67 IPMS 1989 face 1895 $10 Gold Certificate SO 68 ANA 1988 face 1895 $20 Gold Certificate The ABNCo representatives never offered a clear reason as to why cards featuring the 1895 $50 and $100 Gold Certificates were not issued to round out the set." ABNCO HAWAIIAN BANKNOTE SOUVENIR CARD SERIES INFORMATION SOUGHT http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n25a12.html ON NUMISMATIC EPONYMS Dave Bowers forwarded this query from Robert T. Manning MD, who writes: "I am a retired physician and a latecomer to numismatics. Medical history has long been a subject of great fun and education -- particularly in the search for stories behind eponymic disease, for example -- Who was Alzheimer? "Interest in eponyms and coins made we wonder if there are eponymic coins. I see that a number of collections, e.g. Eliason, are noted by the name of the collector." Dave replied: "The spelling is Eliasberg, as in the Eliasberg Collection. There are no coins specifically called Eliasberg coins, unless used as a pedigree. There are Gobrecht dollars, named for Mint engraver Christian Gobrecht, who cut the dies, the Paquet reverse $20 gold coin (for Anthony Paquet, Mint engraver who created the dies), etc. Hope this helps!" [Certain high-profile coins are known by the name of the earliest known (or most prominent) collector in its pedigree chain. One example is the Dexter 1804 Dollar; another is the Jefferson Davis Confederate Half Dollar. Dealers of course, have been known to coin names for merchandising purposes. Some of these may quickly go by the wayside, but others may "stick"; only time will tell. The "stickiness" does seem to increase with the rarity and value of the item. The "Wayne Homren 2007 Dime" won't stick, but the "Lee-Homren-Bowers Sand's Ale Encased Postage Stamp" might someday (and it's not even a coin). -Editor] NUMISMATIC NEWS QUIZ ANSWER Last week John Meissner posed the question, "It's the early 1960's. You have $100 to spend. Which of the following regular or semi-regular advertisers in "Coin World" or "Numismatic News" might it be best to avoid?: 1. Miczek & Co., Corry, Pennsylvania 2. Loser's Coin Store, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 3. Ned Davis Coin and Toy Shop, Reading, Pennsylvania 4. H.C. Buell, Lone Tree, Iowa 5. Buell and Son, Washington, Missouri 6. Daniel J. McBride, Atlanta, Georgia 7. Norman "Poor Ole Broke" Brock, San Antonio, Texas 8. Fred Johnson, Camden, New Jersey 9. Toivo Johnson, Brewer, Maine 10. W.E. Johnson, Santa Barbara, California Extra-credit for details of why it might be best to avoid your choices." Dick Johnson writes: "Please thank John Meissner for his quiz. This brought back memories. I would spend all $100 with Norman Brock. He ran a bookstore and dealt in coins (and tons of other stuff). "He called himself 'Poor ole broke Brock.' But he was broke like a fox. This was actually a brilliant marketing ploy. He often said he lost three fortunes before he got into the book / coin business. This could have been true (in Texas real estate? oil? other high risk ventures?). "His San Antonio bookstore was piled to the rafters. He also said he could never sell anything since he could not find it. True! There were piles of everything everywhere. He kept buying and added new purchases to the piles of old. Had he been in existence today his store would have been a delight to browse for any eSyluminary. "The three Johnsons (8, 9, and 10) also had to be good guys. Tovio Johnson issued the Coin Designer Medal Series of six medals struck by Metal Arts of Rochester. "The name Buell on two choices were aliases of a teenager gone bad. He offered scarce coins at bargain prices in both Coin World and Numismatic News and never shipped the coins. This quickly caught up with him. We had suspicions of him when his ads came into Coin World at the time. I ran into him at a coin show and came up behind him and called out the name he had given us in the ads. No response. He didn't turn around nor acknowledge my greeting, adding further suspicion. When the complaints came in we alerted the postal inspectors. "I don't remember his real name but the postal inspectors did arrest him and he went to prison. Many people who wanted a coin bargain lost money. I have often wondered what happened to him after he got out of prison. Had he learned a lesson, or was this his first act in a life of crime?" John Meissner writes: "The 'bad' dealers include numbers 1, 3, 5, 6, and 8. Numbers 1 and 5 were the same individual (number 5 was a shell company set up by number 1, John Miczek. While in Corry, the teenage Miczek was at least a somewhat honest dealer if slow, but by late 1960 he was wanted by Corry police for passing bad checks). Numbers 3 and 6 were also a single individual. Number 3 was an alias used by Daniel McBride, wanted for mail fraud in Atlanta and almost caught when members of a coin club recognized him in Reading, Pennsylvania. Number 8, Fred Johnson (an alias) actually sued two local banks, saying that they were hurting his business by not providing him with an unlimited supply of mint sealed bags at face value. When he lost the case, he disappeared, having bilked collectors and other dealers out of thousands of dollars in undelivered Philadelphia mint rolls and bags. Federal authorities charged him with mail fraud, and eventually turned up working at a used book store in Hawaii, again flushed out by a savvy coin club member." EARLY HISTORY OF CLASSIFIED COIN ADS Dick Johnson (founding editor of Coin World) writes: "Here are some further comments on John Meissner's study of classified ads. Numismatic News existed before Coin World and their format was largely the tiny ads placed by individual collectors to buy, sell or trade numismatic items. Strictly speaking, these were not "classified ads" but were instead, "word ads" as NN did not arrange them under any classification system. I believe they had only three different headings at the top of any column: For Sale, Wanted, For Trade. They were placed indiscriminately under one of these three columns. "Before I started Coin World I had studied those NN ads. How could this be improved? I had been classified ad manager on the Kansas City Kansan so I was familiar with the concept of classified advertising pages. Also I had created a scheme of arranging ads for numismatic items under useful categories. Basically these were denominations that were collected by the readers, or subjects of collector interest. "These were spelled out in the Pilot issue of Coin World. The concept stuck and was used right from the beginning. I chose numbers for these categories under 100 and left room in this schedule for new categories to be added where I thought this could occur (called "open numeric"). The ads came in from readers and the text was pasted on forms that had the classification number in the upper right hand corner. "The forms were arranged by this classification number. When the deadline came, the new ads were sent to the typesetter who set the text from the original copy. Meanwhile pages from the previous week were marked up as to those to kill and those that would run again. "A compositor would merge the old and new ads as he laid out the columns. Remember this was metal type he was handling. The entire operation was highly manual, labor intensive. Oh, what a contrast today! Today classified ads are all handled by computer -- not only setting the text image -- but also arranging them in the proper classification. "It can be said I invented the classification system for coin ads as it appeared in the first issues of Coin World. The schedule remained in use, and was modified from time to time as new classifications were needed over the years (like, "bullion items" when these came on the scene). The basic scheme is still in use 46 years later. "A requirement of classified ads is accuracy. In addition to editorial duties in the early Coin World days, I processed all the classified ads. I prided myself in this accuracy. When I left CW the processing of the classified ads was turned over to someone who did not have this concept. For months afterwards CW ran a form in the classified ad pages for an advertiser to use to correct a missfiled or misclassified ad (or ad with any other error). "Later, Numismatic News followed Coin World's innovations, not only moving up to weekly publication but also creating their own classification system for their individual ads." WAYNE'S LONDON DIARY 1 JULY, 2007 Last week's E-Sylum was published from Pittsburgh, where I was visiting relatives over the weekend. I arrived back in London Wednesday afternoon. So it's been a short week with few numismatic events, but it's been interesting nonetheless. On Friday morning I turned on the television during breakfast and the big story seemed to be the Royal Mail strike - postal workers throughout the country had walked out in a labor dispute. There was a much shorter mention of "potentially viable" explosive device found in a car in London overnight; the report seemed inconclusive and almost routine. If a location was mentioned, I didn't notice. I took my usual tube ride to the office and everything seemed quite normal. A television monitor in the building lobby showed a news report with more information and a more serious tone. The "potentially viable" device was now being described as a bomb, which had been disabled by police. The car was in Haymarket, but I didn't know just where that was. As it turned out, it was only three or four blocks away from the office, near Piccadilly Circus. By coincidence, my officemates had scheduled a lunchtime outing - a walking tour including a visit to Westminster Abbey. A phone call confirmed that the tour was still on, and midmorning we ventured out toward Piccadilly. Soon we encountered police crime scene tape blocking the sidewalk and road. Police were directing crowds and traffic away from Piccadilly Circus. Down a side street we saw more police tape blocking out the entire area. The center of Piccadilly with its famous fountain was empty. Normally teeming with people, the sight was eerie and disturbing, reminiscent of the recent horror film "28 Weeks Later", which depicts a deserted London in the aftermath of a deadly epidemic. Other than the area immediately around the crime scene, London life went on as normal. It was cloudy and cool, as normal. With dozens of others our guide led us through Green Park toward Buckingham Palace. Huge crowds of tourists were on hand for the changing of the guard ceremony. We waited at curbside to watch the uniformed guard march down the street toward the Palace, led by a marching band. Next we walked along St. James Park and ended up at Westminster Abbey. By now it was pouring down rain. We gladly entered the Abbey. Site of coronations since William the Conqueror in 1066, the magnificent living church symbolizes the endurance and lasting power of London. The present building was begun in 1245 by Henry III and has survived centuries of political and economic upheaval, and the Nazi bombings of World War II. I was unable to take notes, but was pleased to see a number of engravers (probably not coin engravers) honored with burials in the Abbey. The most famous numismatic resident of Westminster Abbey is Master of the Royal Mint Isaac Newton, whose tomb is adorned with a huge sculpture including a globe, alluding to his non-numismatic fame as an astronomer and mathematician. On the way out I noticed a sign for the "Pyx Chamber" and quickly scooted inside. My tour was unplanned, but I recognize a numismatic term when I see one. The chamber became a treasury in the 13th century. There are two large rectangular chests in the Chamber dating to the 13th and 14th centuries which were apparently built inside the room. For numismatists, this room is "best known as the home of the wooden boxes, called Pyxes, where a sample of the coinage of the realm was kept to await the "Trial of the Pyx". This was a public demonstration to show that the coinage was pure and samples of coins were "tried" by being melted down and the silver content measured. The Trial itself was never held in the Chamber but in the Palace of Westminster. It still takes place today in Goldsmiths' Hall in the City of London." (text from the Westminster Abbey site) We took a taxi back to the office, grabbed sandwiches and got back to work. By now the street in front of our office was half blocked, preventing traffic from heading toward Piccadilly. All afternoon various sirens rang out around London, although that's not unusual. We heard reports of other suspicious cars, but nothing yet definitive. About 6pm we grabbed a taxi back to our hotel. After dropping off our bags we walked to a nearby pub for a pint. All of London seemed to proceed as usual. Our excursion was uneventful, but historic in another way - it was the next-to-last night when smoking would be permitted in pubs, restaurants and other enclosed public spaces in London. As of today, 1 July 2007, London pubs are be smoke-free. As a nonsmoker the change is a welcome one - the clothes I wore that night still reek of cigarette smoke. I understand sales of beer kegs have risen dramatically, though - the pubs could be in for a slow time for a while. Back at the hotel television and Internet reports explained that two rigged cars had been parked near Piccadilly. The second one, illegally parked, had been towed by police to a pound near Hyde Park, not realizing what was inside. For a time Hyde Park was emptied by police while the bomb was disarmed. Thankfully, neither car caused any injuries. Saturday morning I got up and worked a bit on The E-Sylum, then went out for lunch (the hummus and warm pita were divine). Walking to Paddington Station, I caught the Heathrow express train to the airport and found a table at a coffee shop. I was waiting for a plane from Cork, Ireland carrying Darryl Atchison, editor of the Canadian Numismatic Bibliography project. We'd never met in person before and it was a pleasure to finally put a friendly face to the name. I knew I'd like him right away - he was carrying his airline reading material - a bound copy of Out on a Limb, the house organ of numismatic literature dealers The Money Tree. Written and edited by the late Ken Lowe, Out on a Limb was (and still is) a bibliophile's delight. E-Sylum readers should remain on the lookout for back issues in literature sales. Darryl and I talked about Ken, whom he'd never had the chance to meet. Soon after I learned the answer to my one burning question - how did an Irishman get hooked on Canadian numismatics? Well, it's simple - Darryl is a Canadian who married an Irish woman. Out of his bag Darryl pulled the real star of our meeting - a very thick binder holding the complete Canadian Numismatic Bibliography manuscript. We poured over it for a couple hours, with me taking notes for today's E-Sylum issue. I just can't stop gushing over what I saw. The project is well worth every minute of waiting, and as I said above, subscribers and any numismatist interested in research should consider making a cash donation to the project to help cover the increased costs. Reversing my steps when it was time to part, I took the train back to Paddington. The rain was pouring down outside, so I waited a bit and browsed in the shops. Once the rain slowed I put up my umbrella and walked back toward my hotel. It was nearly dinnertime. I browsed in a nice little art gallery on Westbourne Grove Road and when the woman asked if she could help, I explained that I was interested in artworks relating to money. She referred me to the nearby Bankrobber Gallery for one upcoming graffiti artist who has done some things on a money theme. She hadn't heard of J.S.G. Boggs, but I left a card. So far I haven't bumped into anyone in the numismatic or art worlds who'd encountered Boggs in his time in London. I'd like to add one of his Bank of England "Boggs Bills" to my collection. Simon Narbeth knew about him but had never handled one of his bills - he said the art world is where they tend to land. But if the art dealer directory I picked up at the gallery is any indication, my search will be for a needle in a haystack - the 70-page booklet was crammed with hundreds of listings for British dealers. I had dinner at a Brazilian Grill, but went vegetarian instead of having beef sliced fresh by waiters at my table. Go ahead, call me a wimp (this means YOU, John Burns!), but the sight of dripping blood on a plate in front of your face is enough to make a vegetarian out of anyone. The salad bar and veggie casserole were great. Stopping in a grocery store for some bottles of water and juice I saw a television monitor covering the latest news. At 3 pm, while I had been talking with Darryl at Heathrow, a flaming car was driven into the arrivals terminal at Glasgow airport in Scotland. The bollards did their job, keeping the car at the curb. The rest of the evening the news stations covered the unfolding story. Two people were arrested at the scene, one with critical burns. Luckily none of the innocent public was hurt. So it's an interesting and uneasy time to be in London. We're nearing the two-year anniversary of the 7 July 2005 bombings which killed 52 people and injured some 700. Below is a link to an E-Sylum article following the attack with an account from Doug Saville. Doug was working at Spink at the time, and one bomb was very near their location. But life goes on. So far the 2007 score is +7.5 million Londoners and visitors, -5 terrorist suspects (three more were arrested today in connection with the recent attacks, but at least one suspect remains at large). We'll see what next week brings. Last night the government raised the security level to its highest point (Critical), meaning further attacks "are expected". SPINK NEAR LONDON BOMB SITE, BUT UNAFFECTED http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v08n30a02.html To view images of Isaac Newton's Westminster Abbey tomb, see: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1277 For an online tour of Westminster Abbey, see: http://www.westminster-abbey.org/tour/ For more information on the modern Trial of the Pyx, see: http://www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/company/trial.htm For a history of the London Assay Office, see: http://www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/assayoffice/ For more on the Bankrobber Gallery, see: http://www.bankrobberlondon.com/ MORE ON THE TYPOGRAPHIC SYMBOL FOR COIN REVERSE Three weeks ago week Ed Snible asked: "Perhaps E-Sylum readers can help me locate the name and origin of a typographic symbol meaning 'coin reverse'. The symbol usually looks like mismatched parenthesis: )(" Harry Waterson writes: "The opposing parenthesis is also used in the film industry. Directors and editors mark their scripts with a slightly overlapping reverse parentheses to indicate a dissolve. I have always found that to be a very appropriate symbol to indicate a cross fade from one picture to another. Maybe there is some linkage here with the concept of going from an obverse to a reverse." [The Internet is a wondrous place, with experts on just about any topic within easy reach. But whether they will respond to you is always a question mark. In a fit of curiosity a couple weeks ago I fired off email queries to the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, Germany, The Type Museum here in London, the International Printing Museum near Los Angeles, the Museum of Printing in North Andover, MA and the JAARS Museum of the Alphabet in Waxhaw, NC. Only one replied, but was unable to help. Duncan Avery of the Type Museum suggested the St. Brides Printing Library, also in London. I haven't had time to call (during the day work has a pesky habit of getting in the way of numismatic fun). But today I dashed off an email. Like any library or archive, one can't expect the staff to do one's work for you, but it's worth a try to at least see if anyone can tell us where to look for an answer. -Editor] USING FLICKR AND OTHER WEB IMAGE STORAGE SITES Dick Johnson writes: "You haven't told us enough about Flickr and the E-Sylum Photostream. You have linked to this before -- and again last week with photos of the Better Babies Medal by Laura Gardin Fraser -- but we need to be reminded about this valuable resource. "It is a great idea to be able to add photos to E-Sylum text only items. Among the ten illustrations on this site already you have color photos and a clipping. I assume black-and-white photos are acceptable, as well as drawings and a variety of art prints. "But tell us how to use it. Send you the image, and you place it on the site? How about charts? Is there any image that is NOT acceptable (as long as it illustrates an E-Sylum article)? How about color slides and DVD discs? How about video? Any copyright protection for photos? Clue us in, please." [Well, Flickr was a spur-of-the-moment experiment when I was investigating a web-based blog publishing site. It asked for a link to a personal photo, and I needed someplace to put one. Flickr is just one of many free web sites that allow users to upload and host photographs. I could have used the NBS web site, but I'd forgotten how to update it since Bruce Perdue and John Nebel have stepped up to those tasks. Sites like Flickr require no webmaster tools or special access - anybody can create an account and manage their photos through an easy-to-use web interface. It's just the right way to go in 2007. Once I had a Flickr account in place (which took only minutes), it was easy to add new photos when I wanted to link to them in an E-Sylum issue. Early on I made the decision that The E-Sylum would be text-only. This was for two reasons. Primarily, it's difficult to determine image copyrights. While I can be confident that the text excerpts I publish fall within the fair use provisions of the copyright laws, you can't exactly excerpt an image - it's all or nothing. So as much as I'd love to include images, they involve too much uncertainty. The second reason is simply the effort involved, and this is partly due to personal aptitude and preference. I'm a Word guy, not an Image guy. I'll happily stay up late getting the text just right, but adjusting, clipping, sizing, placing and captioning images just isn't my cup of tea. When a reader emails me images for publication (such as the Fraser Better Babies medal or President Bush's personal Challenge Coin) or when I feel confident that the publisher wouldn't object (such as with photos in Press Releases), AND I HAVE THE TIME, I will upload the images to Flickr. But I do this only rarely. I don't want E-Sylum subscribers to start emailing me images willy-nilly. It's so easy to use a site like Flickr that I would encourage any submitter who would like to include a picture to upload it themselves and simply include the URL in your email submission to me. If you send me a Flickr link for publication, you have to make it a PUBLIC link, available to anyone. If you wish to retain copyright to your image be sure to mark it as such and be aware that anyone on the Internet could still copy and reuse it regardless. Any appropriate image that a site like Flickr will host (no porn or kids under 18) is fine for inclusion in The E-Sylum. As for videos, sites like YouTube are fair game as well; if a public web site will host it and you send me the URL, I'll publish it. We have included links to YouTube videos on at least one occasion in the past. -Editor] The E-Sylum Flickr Photo Archive http://www.flickr.com/photos/93563538@N00/ CANADIAN "MEDAL DETECTOR" DAVE THOMSON HONORED A number of earlier E-Sylum articles covered the efforts of Canadian Dave Thomson to purchase important medals for survivors' families or various Canadian museums and institutions. Many of the medals were purchased via eBay, and this week eBay Canada nominated Thompson for an award of his own. "eBay Canada has nominated Canadian military history enthusiast Dave Thomson for the prestigious Governor General's Caring Canadian Award. eBay Canada's nomination is in recognition of Thomson's patriotic and altruistic efforts at preserving Canada's war heritage. "Thomson, who has been called Canada's 'medal detector,' uses the Online marketplace to source and retrieve Canadian war medals. He then returns the medals to the families or communities of the fallen soldiers. Using his eBay auction skills, Thomson has bid on and won more than 65 medal groups that are now in the hands of the soldiers' remaining relatives or community museums. "'I am honoured that eBay is acknowledging me for what essentially is a hobby,' said Thomson. 'I was already an avid eBay user for my car parts business, but when I stumbled upon that first war medal, I found a new purpose for the site. I believe in preserving our country's history and respecting the soldiers who sacrificed so much to make Canada what it is today, and I am happy to help safeguard Canadian history.' "In 2006, while working on a project to restore a First World War Memorial plaque in St. George, Ontario, Thomson found his first war medal up for sale. After researching and sourcing the town from which the honoured soldier came, he bought the medal and donated it to the Princeton Museum. Since then, Thomson has reunited families and communities with lost First and Second World War Victory medals, Memorial Crosses, and Military Crosses. "The Governor General's Caring Canadian Award was established in 1996 To honour Canadians for their work in unpaid voluntary activities and Recognize their extraordinary help to individuals, communities and to the country. More information on the Caring Canadian Award can be found at www.gg.ca/honours/awards." To read the complete article, see: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2007/28/c9830.html SALE OF BLACK SOLDIER'S MEDAL CAUSES UPROAR http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n08a10.html TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS FOUNDER'S WWI MEDAL SOUGHT FOR HOCKEY MUSEUM http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n12a17.html INDIAN COIN SHORTAGE CONTINUES; COINS BEING MADE INTO RAZOR BLADES Stephen Pradier forwarded this BBC news article about the shortage of small coins in India: "Millions of Indian coins are being smuggled into neighbouring Bangladesh and turned into razor blades. And that's creating an acute shortage of coins in many parts of India, officials say. Police in Calcutta say that the recent arrest of a grocer highlights the extent of the problem. They seized what they said was a huge coin-melting unit which he was operating in a run-down shack. "'Our one rupee coin is in fact worth 35 rupees, because we make five to seven blades out of them,' the grocer allegedly told the police. 'Bangladeshi smugglers take delivery of the blades at regular intervals.' "Police say that initially the smugglers took coins into Bangladesh and then melted them down, but as the scale of the operation has increased, more and more criminals in India are melting them down first, and then selling them as razor blades. "To deal with the coin shortage, some tea gardens in the north-eastern state of Assam have resorted to issuing cardboard coin-slips to their workers. The denomination is marked on these slips and they are used for buying and selling within the gardens. The cardboard coins are the same size as the real ones and their value is marked on them. "'We will commit an offence if these cardboard slips go out, but we have to use them in our gardens because there are hardly any Indian coins in circulation here,' said a manager of a tea garden in northern Assam. "In Calcutta alone, India's central bank - the Reserve Bank of India - has distributed coins worth nearly six million rupees ($150,000) to overcome the shortage in the last two weeks, bank treasurer Nilanjan Saha said. "Shopkeepers ask customers to buy more to make it a round figure so that small change does not have to be given out." To read the complete article, see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6766563.stm [So is anyone actively collecting examples of these cardboard money substitutes for numismatic collections? How about some of the razor blades? The time to gather these artifacts is NOW, while the event is happening. The U.S. Civil War era cardboard scrip and postage stamp envelopes that I collected were only available because some astute collectors in the 1860s put them aside. If no such actions are taken, future numismatists will only be able the read about these items in old newspaper accounts, but will never be able to examine the actual artifacts. -Editor] POW-MIA LOGO STAMP INFORMATION SOUGHT Recently we discussed and discovered the origin of the "I Am Not Terrorized" stamp on U.S. paper money. In his blog this week David Kranz of Numismatic News asked about another less mysterious stamp: "The stamped design shows a person's head in silhouette with a guard tower behind, what might be a strand of razor wire running horizontally near the chin, and the letters POW*MIA above... Given the design elements and familiar acronyms for "Prisoner of War" and "Missing in Action," a military theme is clearly intended. "I suppose it was stamped onto the note to encourage people to remember those who have been prisoners of war or who have been categorized as missing in action. "But this is a Series 1999 $5 bill. Isn't it unusual that this overstamp appears on this note?" To read Dave's original post, see: http://www.numismaticnews.net/watermark/PermaLink,guid,8454f221-02a1-491b-af 21-cc29b4775a57.aspx [The stamp looks to be identical to the official logo for the American "POW/MIA Freedom Fighters" organization. The goal of the nonprofit organization is "to bring all Americans home, alive or dead, from where ever they may be held, or lay lost." Founded many years ago (following the Vietnam War, I believe), the group is apparently still active. The latest post on their site concerns Spc. Ahmed K. Altaie of Ann Arbor, MI, who was declared missing-captured in Baghdad, Iraq on Dec. 11. -Editor] http://www.powmiaff.org/ http://www.powmiaff.org/mission.html To view the "I AM NOT TERRORIZED" note, see: http://www.foundmagazine.com/find/208 "I AM NOT TERRORIZED" STAMP SOURCE: ARTIST DAVID GREG HARTH http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n25a10.html HOUSTON ARTICLE DISCUSSES MILLS Dick Johnson writes: "Leon Hale, who writes for the Houston Chronicle, received an Oklahoma mill token in the mail from one of his readers this week. This was the first mill he had ever seen. His June 26, 2007 column recounted this event plus a remembered story of saving cents in his youth, each of which his family told him was worth 10 mills. "Leon's correspondent stated that a mill in 1940 was worth more than a cent today. Boy, is this ever an invitation to tout my plan to abolish the cent coin! Not only is the cost of the metal composition in each cent coin wavering above the value of the cent denomination, but his correspondent is correct in that the purchasing power of the cent has diminished. "What's more important, we don't need pennies for a dynamic American economy anymore. And that's good. Our economy has advanced so far that a dime can be our smallest denomination coin. "Thomas Jefferson invented our coin denominations -- cent, dime, dollar, eagle -- and of course, the mill. But we did not need a coin valued at one mill, even in 1792 when the first U.S. coins were struck. The mill was a money of account then, as it still is a money of account now. Yes, we did have a half cent then, but it was abolished in 1857 for the same reasons the cents are destined to be abolished today -- the rising cost of the metal in the coin and the increase in the American economy. "As E-Sylum readers may remember I suggested the Treasury Department abolish both the cent and five-cent nickel, and revalue all these coins in circulation to ten cents. This would prohibit any coin shortage that would result from inaction or any other proposed solutions. This plan was outlined in the September 26, 2006 E-Sylum and the March 26, 2007 editorial in Coin World. "Independently, a Federal Reserve Bank economist, Francois R. Velde (an E-Sylum subscriber!), came to the same conclusion to revalue the coins, but he called his plan "rebasing" and he wanted to revalue the cent only. He based his conclusion after an exhaustive scholarly study, and published a book with co-author Thomas J. Sargent on "The Big Problem of Small Change" (published by Princeton University Press). He said it better than I did. He publish his plan in the February 2007 Chicago Fed Letter "What's A Penny (or a Nickel) Really Worth?" See: www.chicagofed.org/publications/fedletter/cflfebruary2007_235a.pdfe "As for the mill that Leon Hale received in the mail, this was struck here in Connecticut at the Scovill Manufacturing Company, in aluminum, as were most of the metal tax tokens for other states. Sales taxes were enacted in the Great Depression and tokens were ordered to facilitate collecting these taxes when citizens really had to pinch their pennies. "At first, states employed a variety of paper receipts and cardboard tokens to collect these fractions of a cent. As a teenager I visited a plant in Kansas City that normally made the cardboard caps that fit on glass milk bottles. They manufactured the first Missouri Mills of cardboard on the same machinery that made the milk bottle lids! "State tax officials realized the sales tax would be permanent (when is a tax ever not permanent?) they turned to metal tokens. But when aluminum became a war metal in the early 1940s, states had to have their mills made of something else. Plastic was an obvious answer. So decades later sales tax tokens are a delight for numismatists to collect for their variety of compositions, sizes, center holes, and different colors of the plastic tokens. "Those states that had a sales tax but did not issue mill tokens used a tax schedule, rounding off and collecting only whole cents. In the future when Americans abolish the cent and nickel -- which we must do at some time! -- we will do the same, but round off to the nearest dime. To critics who say this would be more costly need only look back to the success of those wartime years when sales tax charges were rounded off. That plan is still in use today, a half century later, to collect sales tax. Today cash registers automatically round off the tax to the nearest cent. "That Oklahoma tax token is an artifact of the past, but a precursor of something yet to come, a change for America's small change." To read Leon Hale's published article, see: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/features/4922663.html DICK JOHNSON'S DRAMATIC SOLUTION TO THE RISING COST OF CENTS http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v09n39a13.html ROYAL CANADIAN MINT REPORTS SALES OF NEW MILLION-DOLLAR GOLD COIN There have been at least a few takers for the massive new Canadian gold coin: "The Royal Canadian Mint has sold five of its $1-million gold collector coins, and at least four of them are headed where the money is - to the West Coast. 'But as the mint and the dealers disclosed, a million bucks is just the face value of the 100-kilogram, 99.999-per-cent-pure gold coins. "The mint sold them for at least $2.3 million apiece based on market values... "But J & M Jewellery Ltd. of Vancouver confirmed it did purchase one - after paying the mint $175,000 down - but has already sold it to a wealthy buyer who remains anonymous. "An official with A-Mark Precious Metals Inc. of Santa Monica, Calif., confirmed his firm bought three of the coins, but he would not discuss their fate." To read the complete article, see: http://www.stpauls.co.uk/page.aspx?theLang=001lngdef&pointerid=169345dwprEOV ViTRLd8xXbHBDHGbzge VDB? I HADN'T HEARD THAT FOR DECADES Dick Johnson writes: "Man gets cent in change, dated 1917. Man tells brother about cent. Brother asks if he has a VDB. 'VDB? I hadn't heard that for decades.' "Funny, once you have collected coins in America you never forget those initials. And we all remember that monogram and who the initials identity. The lore of the story of Brenner's signature being ripped off the cent in 1909 reverberates from the 9-year-old who first collects coins to the seasoned numismatist who long since advanced to other series and coins to collect. "Treasury officials who ordered the initials removed from the reverse of the 1909 cent unknowingly cemented Brenner's fame. (His original model had "Brenner" in script on bottom reverse; the famed initials were a replacement to that.) I have studied American sculptors and medallists. Brenner's work, while prodigious as a medallist, was not that top drawer as a sculptor. Yet he is included in most every list I have found of American sculptors. Included, perhaps, because of the story of that one unthinking act of removing an artist's signature. "And the reply to the brother's question: "Any boy worth his salt 40 or 50 years ago would recognize those initials." And they still do. "Here's a charming story by news editor Richard Lodge for the Waltham, Mass, Daily News Tribune. It will trigger memories perhaps of your own early days finding an unusual cent in circulation: http://www.dailynewstribune.com/opinion/x1421522198 " PRE-1982 CENTS MASQUERADE AS QUARTERS IN DENVER PARKING METERS Until someone let the cat out of the bag, students at Colorado State University enjoyed a nice discount on campus parking. "'If you put pennies from 1980 or before in the gray parking meters, they count as quarters,' an anonymous item in the campus paper, The Rocky Mountain Collegian, advised. "That led the university to contact the meters' manufacturer, POM Inc. "The Russellville, Ark.-based company agreed to replace any of the 674 meters with the glitch, a process that should be complete by the end of summer. "In its more than two centuries, the American penny has been made of mostly copper - until 1982. "It is the pre-1982 pennies - and many from 1982, as coins of both compositions appear in that year - that are treated like quarters on some of the meters at CSU. "It's unclear if it's the copper-heavy composition, weight or another factor that causes the coins to fool the meters. "Briana Daughenbaugh, a CSU graduate student, lamented: 'I wish nobody ever said anything.' " To read the complete Denver Post article, see: http://test.denverpost.com/news/ci_6228614 Dick Johnson forwarded a link to the article as well, plus an Associated Press account of the story on the Forbes web site: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/06/26/ap3859200.html FEATURED WEB PAGE: GOOGLE ANSWERS ON MAGDALEN ISLAND HALF PENCE TOKEN This week's featured web page is a lengthy discussion on Google Answers initiated by an earlier item in The E-Sylum. A reader asks: "I would like to see proof & an image (jpeg) confirming the reported existance of a halfpence token from the Magdalen Islands (Iles de la Madeleine)." http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=759796 The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. For more information please see our web site at http://www.coinbooks.org/. There is a membership application available on the web site at this address: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_member_app.html To join, print the application and return it with your check to the address printed on the application. Membership is only $15 to addresses in the U.S., $20 elsewhere. For those without web access, write to: David M. Sundman, Secretary/Treasurer Numismatic Bibliomania Society, P. O. Box 82 Littleton, NH 03561 For Asylum mailing address changes and other membership questions, contact David at this email address: dsundman@LittletonCoin.com To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, just Reply to this message, or write to the Editor at this address: whomren@coinlibrary.com Those wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All past E-Sylum issues are archived on the NBS web site at this address: http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_esylum_archive.html Issues from September 2002 to date are also archived at this address: http://my.binhost.com/pipermail/esylum From esylum at binhost.com Sun Jul 8 18:03:57 2007 From: esylum at binhost.com (esylum@binhost.com) Date: Sun Jul 8 18:04:29 2007 Subject: The E-Sylum v10#27, July 8, 2007 Message-ID: <007101c7c1ab$e81a13e0$2b0110ac@corp.cmdinfo.com> Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 10, Number 27, July 8, 2007: an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society. Copyright (c) 2007, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society. WAYNE'S WORDS: THE E-SYLUM 8 JULY, 2007 Among our recent subscribers are Brett D. Irick, courtesy of John Nebel, Rickie Rose, Dan Burleson, David Kahn, John P Andrew, Anthony Portner and Julian Brook. Welcome aboard! We now have 1,150 subscribers. This week we open with news on the disposition of John J. Pittman's numismatic library. Dick Johnson reviews the recent History Detectives segment on Continental currency and contributes a number of items related to the Lincoln Cent, including an extraordinary photo in Popular Science magazine. Bill Snyder presents a mystery box for storing U.S. half dollars, and Alan Weinberg reviews the recent Presidential Coin & Antique Co. medals auction in Baltimore. In response to earlier queries, David Gladfelter provides background on Wayte Raymond's Standard Catalogs, and we learn about the origin of the POW/MIA stamp on U.S. paper money. In a new research query, Roger Burdette seeks information on William Ashbrook of the 1908 Assay Commission. My London Diary this week includes a visit to the London Numismatic Club, dinner with Coin World London correspondent John Andrews, and visits to the Savoy Hotel and le Tour de France. Next weekend I'm traveling back to the U.S. to visit my family. Please send any submissions early in the week to ensure they make it into the next issue. To learn how to explode a post-1982 Lincoln cent, and where to find Euro notes falling from the sky, read on. Have a great week, everyone. Wayne Homren Numismatic Bibliomania Society KOLBE TO SELL SELECTIONS FROM THE JOHN J. PITTMAN LIBRARY George Kolbe writes: "We are pleased to announce that important works from the Numismatic Library of the late John Jay Pittman will form a part of our fall 2007 auction sale. Many rare American numismatic works will be featured in the sale, among them a dozen plated Chapman brother catalogues, other 19th and early 20th century auction catalogues featuring photographic plates, classic works on American coins, and extremely rare ephemeral publications. "Also featured in the sale, from various other consignors, are rare and important works covering the numismatic spectrum, including an example of the first illustrated numismatic book, published in 1517. Catalogues may be ordered by sending $15.00 to George Frederick Kolbe, P. O. Drawer 3100, Crestline, CA 92325. The catalogue will also be accessible at our web site: www.numislit.com." LANGE COIN BOARDS BOOK In our June 17th issue we reported that David Lange's book 'Coin Collecting Boards of the 1930s & 1940s: A Complete History, Catalog and Value Guide.' had been completed. This week Dave writes: "I've found a printer, and the book is a go. The price is $39.95 plus $5 for shipping, and I'm now taking orders for delivery in mid-August. "Interested persons can view sample pages at my website. They will also find complete ordering information there." To visit Dave Lange's Coin Collecting Boards web site, see: http://www.coincollectingboards.com DAVID LANGE'S COIN COLLECTING BOARDS BOOK COMPLETED http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n24a04.html For more information, see the publisher's web site at: http://www.zyruspress.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=16 CHICHESTER 2007: CURRENCIES IN CRISIS Yesterday (Saturday 7 July 2007) was the Summer Meeting of the British and Royal Numismatic Societies, held in Chichester and titled "Currencies in Crisis". I wasn't aware of the conference in time for later week's newsletter, but it's worth noting. Perhaps one of our readers can give us a report next week. The following description is from the British Numismatic Society web site: "This year?s will be a day of lectures examining the origins and impact of crises that have affected British and world currencies. From major debasements to abortive reforms, from the aftermath of wars to the decline of empires, currencies have suffered and failed and been rejuvenated. The changing fortunes of monetary systems have themselves also visited periods of economic and social disruption on the countries and regions within which they operated. "The lectures will span numismatics from the Roman world to the twentieth century. The speakers are Paul Cavill of Merton College Oxford (16th-century debasement), Kevin Clancy (17th and 18th centuries) and Graham Dyer (20th-century currency) of The Royal Mint; Professor Edmund King of the University of Sheffield (English coinage 1138-1153), Barbara Mears of Spink (early colonial Indian coinage), and Sam Moorhead (Roman currency) and Helen Wang (Tang dynasty coinage) of The British Museum." For more information on Chichester 2007, see: http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/dept/coins/britnumsoc/meetings/chichester2007.html FUN SHOW EVENTS AND THE SUNKEN TREASURE LITERATURE CLUB One event we're not late in reporting is next week's Summer FUN show. Cindy Wibker of Florida United Numismatists writes: "This is just a quick reminder to all bibliophiles that the first-ever Summer FUN show is next week, July 12-14, in West Palm Beach, Florida. We (FUN) hope to see many of you there! The list of dealers and schedule of events is on our website. "There are four educational seminars, two on Thursday and two on Friday. None of the topics are directly literature-related, but there is a club meeting of the Sunken Treasure Literature Club on Friday from 3:00-5:00 PM." [Here are a couple of the seminars that might be of interest to E-Sylum readers. -Editor] Thursday July 12 2:30 PM: Educational Seminar. ?EARLY AMERICAN COPPERS,? by CHUCK HECK. Charles ?Chuck? Heck is a recognized expert on the early copper coinage of the United States. He is a frequent lecturer on this subject at club meetings and coin shows across America. Chuck?s program will provide in-depth analysis of early U.S. Large Cents, Half Cents and Colonial coinage. Friday July 13 2:30 PM: Educational Seminar. ?COINS OF THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY,? by ROBERT LeNEVE. Palm Beach Coin Club member Bob LeNeve is a serious student of the Southern Confederacy ? its history, traditions and its coinage. In this program, Bob will give a short background on the events leading up to the Civil War, the shutting down of the southern mints and a detailed look at the regular coinage and restrikes of the Confederacy. To visit the FUN web site, see: http://www.funtopics.com To view the Summer FUN show schedule, see: http://www.funtopics.com/coinshow_events_S.html [A web search reveals that there is an online bibliography of over 950 "Sunken Treasure & Underwater Archaeology Books plus Shipwreck Auction Catalogs, National Geographic Shipwreck Articles & Shipwreck Coin Books" from the collection of Dave Crooks. -Editor] To view Dave Crooks' Sunken Treasure Bibliography, see: http://www.sunkentreasurebooks.com/ REVIEW: HISTORY DETECTIVES TV SHOW NUMISMATIC SEGMENTS Dick Johnson writes: "I caught the TV show History Detectives segment on the Continental currency this week. It was pretty much what I expected. It did feature interviews with two numismatic personalities, Glenn Jorde, chief authenticator of the Paper Money Guaranty authentication service and Bob Hoge, curator at American Numismatic Society. "E-Syluminiaries will recognize the scene in the ANS library with their mobile bookcases. (I have mentioned these in E-Sylum before, and have nightmares of being crushed by these someday). Most all the statements were accurate, save for one segment at the end, kind of a summary of coin collecting. They had to tell the story of the bare breast design of Harmon McNeil's 1916 type I quarter, but their misstatement was that all these were 'recalled.' They weren't, of course. "It was followed by a segment on short-snorters, also of interest to currency collectors. If you missed the show here is a transcription of the audio portion (with Bob Hoge's name misspelled): http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/pdf/502_continental.pdf [Actually, I think that link is broken. Here's a link to the page for the episode. -Editor] http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/investigations/502_continentalcurrency.html ANS LIBRARY MOVE STATUS REPORT http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v07n21a06.html WAYTE RAYMOND STANDARD CATALOGUE INFORMATION Regarding Ron Pope's question last week on the Wayte Raymond Standard Catalogs, David Gladfelter writes: "See entry #867 in Charles Davis's 'American Numismatic Literature' for information on this series of catalogs. "The 1935 edition (published in 1934) was the first, and it continued annually through the 1945 edition (published in 1944) except for 1943 when only a 16-page supplement was published. The 1946 edition was the first numbered one, the 11th, and thereafter this catalog was published irregularly through the final 18th edition of 1957, of which Olga E. Raymond, Wayte's widow, was the editor. In that edition only, the substantial contributions of John J. Ford, Jr., and Walter H. Breen were recognized, although the 1938 edition and all subsequent to it did list names of the contributors. "The contents of the catalogs, as well as the titles, varied somewhat from year to year. The 1940, 1941 and 1942 editions had extensive merchant token supplements and for that reason are desired by token collectors. Others included listings of colonial, obsolete and confederate paper money. "None of the editions are particularly rare, but a precursor, titled 'United States Coins & Currency' and consisting of five separate WR publications bound together, is quite scarce. This precursor was advertised for sale at $2.50 on the inside front cover of the first five issues of Raymond's 'Coin Collectors Journal' in 1934. The separate publications included are 'The United States Copper Coins' (1931), 'Silver Coins of the United States Mints' (1933), 'United States Gold Coins of the Philadelphia and Branch Mints' (1933), 'Private Gold Coins Struck in the United States, 1830-1861' (1931) and 'United States Notes, 1861-1923' (1933). "As you can see, Raymond's topical catalogs as well as the 'Standard Catalog' had quite an influence on the development of the coin hobby in the U.S. in the early to mid 20th century. Raymond also influenced the collecting of world coins, publishing five editions of 'Coins of the World -- Twentieth Century Issues' through 1955 and two of 'Coins of the World -- Nineteenth Century Issues' through 1953, in a similar format. "For the specialist, interleaved copies of these catalogs, as well as fancy bindings can be had. Plain brown paper dust jackets were provided for the early issues, and illustrated ones for the last few. "Now for a trivia question: What rather prominent mistake can be found in each and every edition of the 'Standard Catalog of United States Coins' from the first through the 18th?" [I was stumped on this one. Can some eagle-eyed reader give us an answer? -Editor] WAYTE RAYMOND STANDARD CATALOGUE INFORMATION SOUGHT http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n26a06.html MYSTERY HALF DOLLAR BOX INFORMATION SOUGHT Bill Snyder writes: "I am wondering about this small, dove-tailed wooden box. It is marked '$250$ HALVES' on all four sides and on the sliding lid. Here are links to three images of the box: http://web.infoave.net/~bsnyder/box/box1.jpg http://web.infoave.net/~bsnyder/box/box2.jpg http://web.infoave.net/~bsnyder/box/boxlid.jpg The Dimensions are: interior - 6 1/4 x 6 1/4 x 1 7/8", exterior - 6 7/8 x 6 7/8 x 2 9/16". You can lay a five-by-five pattern of fifty cent pieces in the bottom of the box and have about 1/4" left over each way. The box easily accommodates stacks of twenty coins. So, who made it, when, and for whom?" Bill adds: "Per my Red Book, all U.S. Half Dollars (Seated Liberty to Kennedy) have the same diameter specification (30.6 mm). Unfortunately, the lid on this particular box in so warped that it will not slide completely into place." REFERENCES ON BRITISH COUNTERFEITING OF U.S. COLONIAL PAPER MONEY In an earlier E-Sylum I recalled reading of some British efforts to counterfeit notes of the revolting colonies and wondered if the Brits were more successful than the Nazis in wartime counterfeiting. Bob Neale writes: "You may be in the perfect place to look up an article by Eric Newman in Brit. Numis. J. 29 (1959) pp 174-87: "The successful British counterfeiting of American paper money during the American revolution." I cannot access this for free. I don't know that the article specifically addresses the amount of counterfeiting that took place on a ship in New York harbor, but I'll bet it is interesting. "Jason Goodwin also has a relevant quote in his book, Greenback, on p 134, and Richard Doty seems to agree in his book 'America's Money America's Story', p 49." [Many thanks - I'll start tracking down some of these resources. -Editor] MORE ON THE LAURA GARDIN FRASER BETTER BABIES MEDAL Last week helpful E-Sylum readers responded to Lynn Tice's question on Laura Gardin Fraser's Better Babies medal with an avalanche of information. Dick Johnson noted that these were produced by Medallic Art Co. and were so marked on the edge. But Joe Levine's cataloging indicated that they were also marked by Crowell Publishing company. To learn which version Lynn has, I asked her to take a look for us. This week, from the foothills of the Blue Ridge, Lynn writes: "Many thanks to you and your readers for the information and research. Our medal is edgemarked with a copyright Crowell Pub. Co. 1913. Not a glimpse of Medallic Art Company on the edge or elsewhere. My eagle eye husband confirms this with a loupe. It's about 2" wide. "My dad's brother Alfred was born Sept. 2, 1915, died Feb. 12, 1918. His picture hung in our grandmother's parlor and we have a lock of his hair. When we think of state fairs, beauty contests, etc, we tend to think of ribbons being awarded, not medals. Your interest in an old family mystery has been making the rounds of our family emails." LAURA GARDIN FRASER BETTER BABIES MEDAL INFORMATION SOUGHT http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n25a16.html LAURA GARDIN FRASER BETTER BABIES MEDAL http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n26a07.html REVIEW: PRESIDENTIAL COIN & ANTIQUE CO. 77TH AUCTION Speaking of Joe Levine, Alan V. Weinberg writes: "Joe Levine of Clifton VA conducted his 77th Presidential Coin & Antique Co. medals and tokens auction in Baltimore June 30 in connection with the Baltimore coin show recently acquired by Whitman Publishing Co. of Atlanta. "This token, medal and political ephemera auction is now an annual affair as Joe is now semi-retired. His catalogues, going back to the early 70's, are notable for not only very rare material but the historical background emphasized with each lot. Like Q. David Bowers, Joe has always rightfully felt that an educated and informed client is a stronger bidder, a long term collector and potential future consignor. "While PCAC was unlisted in the show's roster of bourse dealers and Joe's booth was ignominiously isolated in a dark, extreme rear corner of the huge convention hall bourse room (while centrally located booths were unoccupied and unassigned), Joe's booth had a multiple-lamped exhibition table away from the main bourse floor's maddening crowd and bourse noise. So there was some benefit to the isolation. "There was some eye-opening action Saturday night at the PCAC auction in a quiet room on the 3rd floor of the convention center. The sale featured a collection of American Agricultural and Mechanical Society medals. This was the finest and largest collection of these often aesthetically pleasing award medals ever sold at auction. Thus, the catalogue will serve as a reference work on the subject until someone produces a more comprehensive study. "Aside from a decidedly strong bid book (mail, emailed and telephoned absentee bids), there were some fierce floor battles between some determined dealer/collectors and collectors on the floor. No bidder collusion here although two of the main bidders were close friends and sat across from each other. New price levels were set as some medals soared over $1,000 apiece. "The sale also featured the collection of Henry Clay political and historical medals and tokens of the late Pittsburgh coin dealer and collector Charles Litman, an unrivaled assemblage of over 100 pieces. Several pieces soared over $2,000 each. "But the highlight of the sale was the finest known Augustus Saint- Gaudens 1905 Theodore Roosevelt bronze inaugural medal with accompanying letter that sold for $44,850 to a prominent New York City numismatist, a world's record price for this official medal, 1 of only 125 struck by Tiffany & Co. It might well have gone higher but for the tactical error of the underbidder admittedly not realizing that his "cut bid" was his final bid. This was also a new world's record for any non-gold inaugural medal. "Shortly afterward, the even rarer but less famous silver Warren Harding inaugural medal sold for $40,825 to the aforementioned floor bidder who was so disappointed in losing the Roosevelt medal. This is the 2nd high world's record price for a non-gold inaugural medal. Inaugural medals have been a specialty of PCAC for decades and the field is what it is today largely because of Joe Levine's input. "Throughout the auction, there was humorous banter both from the auction podium manned by Joe himself and from the audience members which led to a relaxed and entertaining three hours." [I have a copy of the catalog with me here in London. Of additional interest to bibliophiles are lots 365 and 367, two different examples of the 1909 Lincoln Centennial medal and Book. The book in lot 367 is titled "The Lincoln Tribute Book". Joe notes that "This is the second and scarcest of the two books of the period with medals bound in." -Editor] POW/MIA STAMP MYSTERY SOLVED Last week I referenced a blog entry by David Kranz of Numismatic News asking about a POW*MIA stamp he'd encountered on U.S. paper money. Curious, I did a web search and emailed Sjana Bauer, Founder and President of POW/MIA Freedom Fighters. He writes: "The logo itself is a public domain graphic. The wording itself says, 'You are not Forgotten"' or 'Let Us Not Forget', or something similar to that will be found on the graphic. "Many POW/MIA organizations and members and the general public continue to use this logo and fly the POW/MIA Flag, which itself is flown as mandated by Federal law on certain days throughout the year, in memory of those men and women that were left behind and are waiting to return home for burial. "For the families of these men and women, they are simply waiting for the government to give the answers as to what happened to their loved ones. No one expects unrecoverable remains to be returned, but there are questions yet to be answered and it is time for the families and the public to be told the truth. It is time for the men and women that can come home, to come home. It is time for the remains that are available to be returned to American soil, to be returned and buried here. "Why is the logo showing up on American money? To make sure the American people don't forget!" To visit the POW/MIA Freedom Fighters web site, see: http://www.powmiaff.org/ POW-MIA LOGO STAMP INFORMATION SOUGHT http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n26a18.html WILLIAM ASHBROOK 1909 FIXED PRICE LIST AND CATALOG SOUGHT Roger Burdette writes: "I am searching for the following items for research and hope someone can direct me to copies. Many thanks. 1. Fixed price list dated February 1909 issued by William Ashbrook, Johnstown, Ohio. 2. Auction catalog Ohio State Numismatic Association, October 28-29, 1909. Auctioneer was Ray Patton. 745 lots. "There will be an article in Coin World (written by Jeff Reichenberger and myself) in a month or so that lists most of the original owners of the 1907 $10 with normal rim and periods - only 50 survived melting. Jeff examined all of Ashbrook's 40-year-long personal diary and discovered quite a trove of numismatic information. "William Ashbrook acquired more than 1/5 of the total available during the 1908 Assay Commission meeting. He also had a huge run of gold proof sets bought from a Delaware estate. The private sale and auction were of duplicate pieces from his collection. I'd like to know more about what he sold in 1909 so I can try to trace a couple of the pieces or proof sets to institutional or possibly private owners." BOSTON GLOBE ON THE JACOB PERKINS NEWBURYPORT BUILDING As Karl Moulton noted on July 24, media descriptions of the Jacob Perkins Newburyport, MA building as a former 'mint' are incorrect. In a lengthy article this week, the Boston Globe gets it right. "Commonly referred to as the "Mint Building" -- a misnomer because it was paper currency, not coins, that it produced -- the structure is adjacent to the Caleb Cushing House Museum, the Federalist building that serves as the society's headquarters and features rooms furnished in the style of the early to mid-1800s." "At age 12, Perkins apprenticed with a goldsmith. Later he was employed to make dies for the production of the copper coin used in Massachusetts. "In 1795, he invented a machine for manufacturing nails. He followed that in 1804 with the discovery of a new technique for making steel engraving plates for printing currency. The discovery was significant because it allowed for more detail to be included on the paper notes, which made them less susceptible to counterfeiting. "At first, Perkins and his brother sold the plates to banks. But after opening the Mint Building, they began to print the currency. The Mint Building, where the printing took place, is believed to have been part of a complex whose other buildings are now gone. "Mack said the new museum would display artifacts from Jacob Perkins's life, some of which it has already accumulated over the years, and from the early currency printing industry." To read the complete article, see: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/07/01/collaboration_will_restore_historic_mint/ KARL MOULTON ON THE JACOB PERKINS BUILDING http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n25a20.html CORRECTION: COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY LOCATION A headline in last week's issue was incorrect, as Dick Johnson pointed out. Colorado State University is in Fort Collins, not Denver. PRE-1982 CENTS MASQUERADE AS QUARTERS IN DENVER PARKING METERS http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n26a22.html LEN AUGSBURGER ON CHRISTIAN GOBRECHT'S WOODCUTS [With permission I'm reprinting from the July 2007 issue of The E-Gobrecht (Volume 3, Issue 7, Whole Number 28) the following article on "Christian Gobrecht?s woodcuts" by Len Augsburger. See the original article for illustrations. -Editor] I recently purchased, via abebooks.com, an old volume that contains woodcuts executed by Christian Gobrecht while he lived in Baltimore. "A Key to French Conversation and French Idiom," published by Warner & Hanna in Baltimore in 1812, is a primer to the French language, with numerous woodcuts illustrating the text. Many are unsigned, but probably most are the work of Gobrecht. The engraver cleverly hid his signature within the base of the cuts, some indicating "G", others "Gobrecht". Three of these images were rendered in the Hanover Numismatic Society series of medals from 1966-1981 honoring Christian Gobrecht and are illustrated here, scanned from the 1812 volume. Some of these woodcuts apparently originated in an earlier volume, "The Baltimore Spelling Book : Containing Easy Lessons in Spelling & Reading, Ornamented with Elegant Cuts", this also published by Warner & Hanna in Baltimore, and thought to have been published in 1811. This volume was referenced at the Maryland Historical Society. Warner and Hanna published anumber of other books, and it is quite possible that Gobrecht woodcuts could be located in these as well." POPULAR SCIENCE MAGAZINE: HOW TO EXPLODE A LINCOLN CENT Dick Johnson writes: "There is a photograph in the July 2007 Popular Science magazine that is worth the cost of the entire magazine. It shows a 1999 Lincoln cent. What's so special about that? Let me tell you! "It is an 'exploded' view of the thin copper shells -- obverse and reverse -- that covers the zinc core of the struck cent. I have never seen the zinc core of a Lincoln cent before, nor the shells separated from a cent. "There is a simple technology for doing this columnist Theodore Gray explains in his column, 'Gray Matter,' this month. 'Turn your cheapest coins inside out,' he states, 'using some hardware store chemistry.' "The copper shells are formed by dissolving away the zinc core. This is done by carefully grinding away the smallest amount from the edge until the zinc is exposed. Then place this cent in hydrochloric acid -- that's muriatic acid you can get in the hardware store (for cleaning concrete). "After the zinc is completely dissolved the shells remain but will be extremely thin -- like foil -- but if done properly will exhibit the intact surface of the cent. "To get the zinc core you have to dissolve the copper away with cyanide and Gray does not recommend anyone do this because cyanide is so poisonous. [See the link below for previous E-Sylum discussion about the numismatic uses (and misuses) of cyanide. -Editor] "Popular Science hired a professional chemist to do this. Likewise we don't recommend any collector try this as well. "Take a peak at this web site, view the photo and the YouTube video and see if you don't agree with me. Amazing!" [It's a wonderful photo that ought to find its way into future numismatic books on the cent. It would be interesting to see if a similar process can be applied to split the layers of higher denomination clad coinage such as the U.S. dimes and quarters. On the downside, the existence of this recipe for the manipulation of coins will undoubtedly lead to the marketing of coin components in the guise of mint errors. Be aware! Here are a couple excerpts from the article. -Editor] "Looking for something more interesting to do with that jar of pennies than just cash it in? One word: acid. "In most years before 1982, American pennies were 95 percent copper. Then the price of copper went up until you could get $100 worth of pennies at the bank, melt them down, and sell the metal for more than $100. So the government started using a core of cheap zinc with only a thin plating of copper. "The fact that pennies are made of two different metals opens up the interesting possibility of separating them. "... these two methods let me prepare this real-life exploded view?proving that what the U.S. Mint has joined together, an Icelandic chemist and an American teenager may put asunder." To read the complete article, see: http://www.popsci.com/popsci/how20/0091804df3c83110vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html QUIZ ANSWER: NUMISMATIC USES OF CYANIDE http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v09n32a14.html WAYNE'S LONDON DIARY 8 JULY, 2007 Regarding my stay in London, Roger Burdette writes: "When do you begin spelling words with extra letters and taking the 'lift' to your hotel room? I replied that "I?m already taking the tube and the lift every day, and using colourful phrases!" Roger's retort was: "Bilmey, let's hope you don't come down with 'pub elbow' from lifting all those pints. That would put the cotter in the hill! If you're driving, be sure to stay off the vergis - driving there could land you in gaol for a fortnight." Well, I haven't driven in London and don't plan to. And I doubt I'm in danger of getting pub elbow - this week brought some late nights in the office. We even put in a full day and then some on the Fourth of July, which strangely, the Brits don't seem to celebrate. Work keeps getting in the way of fun, but I try. Although I missed the first half, on Tuesday I made it to the meeting of the London Numismatic Society. I wasn't the only late arrival. Outside the Warburg Institute on Woburn Square I met David Dell, a well-dressed older gentleman who introduced himself as a 50-year member of the club. I learned that he collected the short cross coinage. But we were both locked out of the building. David reached through the bushes and tapped on the meeting room window, which was conveniently on the first floor just off the lobby. It's the same room where the British Numismatic Society meets. After an officer of the club had some cross words with the building guard who had left his post with the door locked inside and out, we were let inside. Harry Mernick was finishing up his presentation on "The Royal Mint Centenary Medal Series, 1986-1999". Counting myself, there were seventeen attendees. Beautifully illustrated with images projected from his computer, Harry's talk was quite interesting. Examples of all the medals were laid out for viewing on the table at the front of the room. The series commemorates important British events. Mintages were 5,000 in bronze, 2,500 in silver and 25 in gold. The series was discontinued after 1999 for lack of public interest. It's a shame, for many of the medals are quite well executed. Harry suggested that the problem could be due to the availability of so many commemorative coins in circulation and the high prices charged by the Mint for the medals. He noted that the Royal Mint is testing the waters with a new series, priced at 1,495 GBP for a set of six silver medals. One attractive medal honored the Llantrisant Longbowmen. The Welsh archers changed the course of warfare forever when their technological advances ended the reign of Knights on horseback which had dominated battlefields since the later years of the Roman Empire. At 100 yards their bodkin-tipped arrows could pierce not only chain mail, but plate armour. In a famous battle in 1346, "the French sent in wave after wave of cavalry, hoping to overwhelm the English line. It held. Each time the longbowmen made terrible slaughter from the protection of their ditches and caltrops. As supplies of arrows ran shot, they sallied out in groups to drag arrows out of dead and living, horses and men; and took prisoners for later ransom. "By midnight, Philip's brother, Charles II of Alen?on and his allies, King John of Bohemia and the Count of Flanders, Louis II of Nevers, as well as 1,500 other knights and esquires were dead." [Taken from the web site listed below. -Editor] How events from 1346 ended up commemorated on a modern Centenary medal I don't know, but I deserved to be confused for arriving late. It was an elegant medal regardless. I learned more than just the story of the archers - I finally learned how to pronounce the name of the town of Llantrisant, Wales. Harry explained that it means the "Land of Three Saints" - Llan/Tri/Sant. QUIZ QUIZ: What is Llantrisant's numismatic connection? Harry's vocabulary also includes the word "penultimate", which I remember is also a favorite of numismatic author Q. David Bowers. Harry used the term correctly, but many of us misunderstand. So what does it mean? Other medals in the series are proper centenary medals, commemorating events occurring 100 years earlier. The 1994 Tower Bridge medal commemorates the 1894 opening of the iconic London landmark. A majestic composition with extraordinary detail, the medal is a delight. If you're in London and looking for a souvenir, pass up the trinkets and get something like this. I also enjoyed the beautiful art deco-style design of the 1997 Women's Institute medal, commemorating the founding of the organization in 1897 (in Canada, actually). In the question-and-answer session following Harry's talk, Frances Simmons spoke about the Royal Mint's efforts to attract new engravers, and another member noted that the remains of John Harrison (a renowned clockmaker commemorated on one of the medals) are interred near Royal Mintmaster Isaac Newton in Westminster Abbey. Following the meeting I was delighted to be invited to dinner at a usual post-meeting haunt. Our party included Phil and Harry Mernick, David Powell, Anthony Portner, and Robert H. Thompson, who edits a bibliography of the British Numismatic Journal. We walked down Tavistock Place past a nice a pretty public square, eventually stepping into a little Indian restaurant. Starters and a round of cold Cobra beers was served. Conversation was a delight, and covered topics in and out of the numismatic realm. I noted that the pound coin seems to be the real workhorse, with most examples I've seen being well worn. Phil Mernick said that apparently 1% or more of all pound coins in circulation are actually counterfeits. Apparently the high face value and worn condition of most of the genuine coins makes it ripe for fakery. Phil told us about some of the diagnostics, which are mainly on the edge. He pronounced the two coins I drew from my pocket as genuine. I looked at them through a borrowed loupe to view the details. When I asked Phil why the words "One Pound" were backwards, he politely informed me that I was looking at the coin upside down. OK, no more Cobras for me tonight. We exited the restaurant after a great meal and walked toward the Russell Square tube station. On July 7, 2005 a train traveling to Russell Square from the next station (King's Cross's St. Pancras) was violated with the explosion of a terrorist's bomb, killing 26 people. Built in 1906, the station has many interesting original architectural features, including mosaic tile signage. Harry pointed out to me the blast doors, large heavy safe-like doors used to seal the tunnels against Nazi bombs in WWII. Life goes on. We boarded a train and said our goodnights as we exited at our stops. By Thursday the pace of work cooled down a bit and I was lucky to be able to go through with my planned dinner with John Andrew. Numismatists in the U.S. know him as the London correspondent of Coin World. We met about 6 pm in the lobby of my building. I had my laptop open to check a phone number and offered to show him the draft of this week's issue. It's not necessarily a pretty sight - like software and sausages, one is better off not knowing how it is made. The draft is a very long conglomeration of unedited and unformatted text. Since Monday morning I'd been plopping in emails from subscribers and the entire text of newspaper articles from the web. To keep things straight every item is separated by a draft headline in the same format as the finished product. If you think the final issues are big, you should see a draft. But disk space is cheap, so everything under the sun gets thrown in to the pot. I was shocked, shocked! to learn that John was not already a subscriber. Sacrebleu! But we remedied that quickly and walked down Shaftesbury Avenue in the London drizzle to Bali Bali, an Indonesian/Malaysian/Thai restaurant. We had a wonderful dinner, sharing tales of our collecting experiences. John has over 30 years experience in banking and has published over twenty books on topics ranging from personal finance to Faberge, and has contributed to all of the major U.K. newspapers including The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Times, The Independent, The Financial Times and The Scotsman. He has written extensively on numismatics in numerous countries and is Consultant Editor of the U.K.'s Coin News. He has a healthy numismatic library and offered to make me a copy of the item Bob Neale recommended - Eric Newman's 1959 article in the British Numismatic Journal on "The successful British counterfeiting of American paper money during the American revolution." Two thousand miles away and I'm still trodding in Eric's footprints on the numismatic landscape. John doesn't actually collect coins anymore, just books and information. He decided to stop collecting when he began writing about numismatics professionally. His collecting passion is post-WWII British silver and gold. Not coins, but tableware and decorative pieces. A few years ago he sold a collection of Faberge pieces he'd assembled over the years, including elegant gold cigarette and match cases set with precious stones. The collection included a number of pieces in their original presentation boxes including gifts from the Tsar of Russia. Walking into a London jewelry exhibit recently he spotted a piece on loan from comedienne Joan Rivers and exclaimed "That's my brooch!" A good friend of John's is Gerald Hoberman, known numismatically for his beautiful 1981 Spink publication, "The Art of Coins and Their Photography". Hoberman has published scores of books of photographs. John wrote the text for one on London which he showed me at dinner. The photographs of London landmarks and quintessential sights (local pubs, cheesemongers etc) were stunning. A number of shots of palaces, parks and gardens were taken from the air, offering a heavenly perspective. Having spent time around London I could really appreciate the book's charms - it's highly recommended for non-numismatic reading. Our conversation lasted throughout our long dinner which included appetizers and dessert. We talked about Stephen Fenton (who lives near John) and the 1933 Double Eagles, and my collection of J.S.G. Boggs material. At John's request, back at my hotel I emailed him citations for some of the books on the topics. It was a delightful evening and I look forward to visiting him again before my time in London is done. Together we'll work on a piece about The E-Sylum for Coin News. Friday morning I had to be up bright and early for a breakfast meeting with Tom Patterson, CEO of my company, Command Information. Tom is a pioneer in Internet security and formed the company to jumpstart commercial use of the next generation of the Internet (IPv6). He had with him a new T-Mobile phone which can switch from the standard cell phone network to faster Wi-Fi connections. The phone uses IPv6, as does the new iPhone from Apple. The meeting was at the Savoy Hotel. Hopping into a cab at 7am, we passed preparations for the Tour de France in Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square. Once at the hotel we were greeted by a chatty top-hatted doorman. The lobby of the Savoy is huge, topped by a large decorative plaster border unlike any I've ever seen before. The restaurant was equally immense and framed in marble. Our table was at the window, overlooking the Thames. I chose the buffet. It was an absolute delight to the eye - the food was presented meticulously. There were three kids of marinated smoked salmon, dozens of types of sliced fruit, and usual breakfast fare of eggs, sausage, bacon, etc. The waitress poured glasses of fresh orange- mango juice. It was a far cry from my usual breakfast of cereal and O.J. from a supermarket-brand carton. After work on Friday a colleague and I walked the few blocks down Charing Cross Road to Trafalgar Square where the opening ceremonies of the Tour de France were being held. No cars could get near - the streets were closed. It was fun to walk down the center of Charing Cross Road, normally jammed with traffic. Police were out in force, but I saw no one being stopped or searched. Together with throngs of people we strolled right past the security barriers. The square was packed with thousands of people on temporary bleachers and chairs. From my spot on Charing Cross I could see the stage through the trees. The head of operations for the Tour introduced himself and then the crowd was treated to a history of the bicycle as people pushed or rode antique bicycles across the stage. One of the earliest was an example of the classic Victorian style with no gears and one huge wheel in the front. A large video screen made it easier to see the action on the stage, but where I stood it was all very noisy and difficult to hear, as people squeezed past us holding conversations and vendors hawked T-shirts from a truck behind. We watched a man climb atop a bus shelter to take a photo - after he was in place someone handed him up a backpack and a camera with a huge zoom lens. I didn't stay long and walked back toward my tube stop. I don't mind crowds, but my nervous family wants me to stay away from them. That's easier said than done in Central London. I stopped for a haircut and then walked to my tube stop at Oxford Street. Had the weather been better I would have walked all the way home, and that would have made for a much more pleasant journey. The sidewalk at Oxford Street was jammed with people, and officials were turning people away from the entrance to the underground. I assume it was because of the traffic generated by the Tour; this entrance was now an exit only - I would have to cross two streets to get into the station. Crossing those streets took a while - there were mobs of people. Finally I reached the train platform and it was also quite crowded. A train arrived soon but was already jammed with passengers. Two people got off, three people squeezed in, and off the train went with me and hundreds of others still stranded on the platform. Somehow I managed to get on the next train which was equally packed nutztobuttz with people. What was that about avoiding crowds? When I reached my stop at the Queensway station I squeezed off the train. The Central Line is deep underground at that point and to get to street level riders have to take a lift (elevator) or brave the stairs. I chose the stairs. Normally I'm the only one but tonight there were dozens of people hoofing it up the 123 steps. No, I didn't count them, but there's a sign to warn the faint of heart. It was a relief to reach the street and breathe the cool evening air. While the rest of London was out and about Friday night, I was quite content to have the hotel laundry facility to myself to take care of the weekly washing. While waiting I read some email and popped a few more submissions into this week's E-Sylum draft. Saturday morning brought a strange sight to my windows - blue skies and sunshine. It had been at least a fortnight since we had such a nice day. I faced the day with mixed emotions, though. It was the anniversary of the London bombings which killed 52 people on the London transportation system. Checking email at breakfast I got a note from ANS Executive Director Ute Wartenberg Kagan who was traveling in Berlin. She writes: "Two years ago on July 7 I was in London and just about to enter Edgeware Road, one of the stations where a bomb went off on a train. Later I heard that one of my numismatic colleagues from the British Museum was on one of the trains, but was unharmed. But in London people expect this sort of thing, I am sure you noticed." Although I had been invited to attend, I decided not to go to the 'Currencies in Crisis' conference in Chichester. I also passed up a chance to visit Wimbledon for the playoffs. It had been a long week and I wanted to complete my E-Sylum chores at a leisurely pace and take a few casual walks in the warm sun. I opened the windows wide to let in the fresh cool air. After having some lunch I went for a long walk in Hyde Park, home base of the London leg of the Tour de France bicycle race. Hundreds of trucks and buses were parked three deep along one long road. I soon came across the People's Village, basically a peddler's fair piggybacking on the Tour. There were booths selling T-shirts, all manner of food and drink and traditional French products. I saw a few of the racers whiz by to the cheers of the crowd. This was only the prologue race - the official race starts Sunday and goes on and on. One rider described it as "the only sporting event in the world where you need a haircut halfway through." On Sunday I worked some more on The E-Sylum in the morning and after lunch set out on another journey. My cross-town destination was Sotheby's, to view lots in their 12 July sale of English Literature and History. It was a quiet afternoon. I checked my backpack in the cloakroom and entered the book room for lot viewing. There were only three others viewing lots. I filled out a lot viewing sheet, but was never asked for identification. Viewers are not allowed to copy or transcribe any part of the documents in their notes, but the staff was quite helpful and I had free reign to handle the items. I was particularly interested in just one lot, and only for viewing since it would be too expensive to buy. Here's the lot description (estimate 2,000-3,000 GBP): "Newton, Sir Isaac. Collection of documents relating to the Royal Mint including a receipt for plate taken from three ships, subscribed ("recd the plate above mentioned ... by me") and signed by Newton as master of the mint, 1 page, folio, 28 May 1703, endorsed on verso, tear resulting in loss of half of signature, professionally restored. "[together with:] a group of 16 documents relating to the Royal Mint including: letters to and from various correspondents, some being copies, on such subjects as the use of an iron screw press "that may be used for forginge or Counterfeiting the current monies and coyne of this Kingdom", the discharge of goods seized from a pirate by the Hull mint, building work at the Chester mint, and a patent held by Sir Talbot Clarke for the smelting and refining of copper; receipts including sums received in taxes by various county receivers, the costs of assaying and transporting plate brought from Vigo, and the salaries of officials at the Exeter mint; in total 22 pages, various sizes and locations, 2 December 1682 to 23 December 1712, professionally restored and strengthened, waterstaining (17)" That the document is missing part of Newton's signature is a shame. Only "Isaac" remains. An interesting group, particularly the pirate item. I recall the spelling as "Pyrate". They're not for me at that price level, but I hope they find a good home. While I was there I took a peek at a few other items. Lot 15 is a very nice large autographed photographic portrait of inventor Thomas Edison, suitable for framing. Lot 44 is a two-volume, first edition set of Adam Smith's 1776 treatise, "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations." It was a treat to hold the first edition of this landmark work. Chapter IV is titled "Of the Origin and Use of Money". Lot 92 is a two-volume first edition of Charles Dickens' "Sketches by 'Boz'" with sixteen wood-engraved plates by George Cruikshank, known numismatically for his famous "hanging" satire note. Lot 105 is an 1849 edition of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's "Frankenstein: or The Modern Prometheus". Not all of the lots were centuries old. Lot 282 is a 1997 first edition of J.K. Rowling's first Harry Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", estimated at 1,000?1,500 GBP. The book carried a marking from the Portsmouth City Council Library Service and a date of 8/97. The original cover price was 10.99 GBP. My neighboring lot viewer questioned why the book didn't been marked as a discard, since "a lot of these get nicked from public libraries." Leaving Sotheby's I continued walking down Bond Street, London's upscale shopping district comparable to LA's Rodeo Drive or New York's Fifth Avenue. Since it was a Sunday the shops were closed. I turned left on Piccadilly and wandered into the Royal Academy of Arts. Situated on a beautiful plaza together with the Astrological and Geological Societies and the Society of Antiquaries, the setting is similar to the American Numismatic Society's former home on Audubon terrace, only in a civilized neighborhood. I had seen my fill of Impressionist Paintings and passed on the summer exhibit, "Impressionists by the Sea". I was disappointed that the library was closed - I would have liked to ask the librarians about works pertaining to coin designers. Established in 1768, the Academy's library is the oldest institutional library in the U.K. I walked through the public galleries viewing paintings and some interesting artifacts such as Sir Joshua Reynolds' palette. Making use of my E-Sylum vocabulary, I recognized the word "Tondo" in the exhibit guide, and made my way upstairs to view what the Academy considers its greatest treasure - the marble sculpture the Toddei Tondo: The Virgin and Child with the Infant St. John by Michelangelo (1503-1504). Leaving the Royal Academy I walked through Mayfair past Shephard's Market and other landmarks, making my way into Hyde Park near Apsley House at Hyde Park Corner. The park was still full with the Tour de France, and I climbed up a temporary staircase and bridge to cross over the racecourse on Serpentine Drive. Stopping to buy some water (1.65 GBP for a 500ml bottle), I continued along the far side of Serpentine Lake, past the Diana Memorial Fountain and Round Lake back to my Bayswater neighborhood. It was about a three mile walk in all - time to rest my weary feet. To visit John Andrew's web site, see: http://www.johnpandrew.com To read more on the Llantrisant Longbowmen, see: http://www.llantrisant.net/crecy.htm To view images of counterfeit British one-pound coins, see: http://www.coinauthentication.co.uk/newsletter1.html To learn some diagnostics of fake one-pound coins, see: http://wiki.chiark.greenend.org.uk/HowToSpotAFakePoundCoin http://blog.alism.com/fake-one-pound-coins-part-one/ To view Sotheby's lot description http://www.sothebys.com/app/live/lot/LotDetail.jsp?lot_id=159370901 LONDON POLICE DOG AWARDED MEDAL FOR BRAVERY London newspapers reported on Tuesday that "Heroic hound Jake the cocker spaniel is to be honoured today for his bravery after the 7/7 London bombings. "Handler PC Bob Crawford and two-year-old Met police dog Jake (full name Hubble Keck) formed part of the emergency services response after the attacks. "They were sent to Tavistock Square and later Kings Cross. "At Tavistock Square, injured people were in need of urgent medical attention but the bus was believed to contain a further suspect device. "Jake and PC Crawford searched a safe route to the device ensuring that it was safe for paramedics to reach the passengers. "They then searched an area close to the bus so a make-shift field hospital could be set up. "Afterwards they set about searching a mile long route underground from Russell Square tube station to Kings Cross to ensure people could be rescued safely. "Today, Jake will be given the animal equivalent of the George Cross by HRH Princess Alexandra at St James's Palace." To read the complete article, see: http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007300563,00.html [We've discussed previously in The E-Sylum about medals awarded in Britain to animals. A related article published last year notes that Bamse, the canine mascot of the Norwegian Forces during WWII received a postumous PDSA Gold Medal (the 'animals' 'George Cross') for saving the lives of two crew members of his ship. The PDSA Gold medal (called the equivalent of the George Cross) seems to be different than the Dickin medal (called the equivalent of the Victoria Cross). Can anyone confirm this? -Editor] To read about Bamse, the life-saving Norwegian dog, see http://www.norway.org.uk/edinburgh/events/bamsemedal.htm DICKIN MEDAL: THE VICTORIA CROSS FOR ANIMALS http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v07n48a15.html SPY PIGEON'S MEDAL FETCHES ?39,200 http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v07n49a05.html FAKE COINS ABOUND IN CHINA Britain isn't the only country plagued with counterfeit coins. A Friday article in China Daily notes that "Fake coins can now be found in several Chinese cities. Many convenience stores, snack bars, and newspaper stands are buying them and giving them as change to customers, who then spend them in other places, according to Nanfang Weekend. "Two employees of a fake coin retailer in Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong Province, who gave their names as B Zai and A Wei, told the paper that many local convenient stores and snack bars buy from them. "Their boss buys fake coins, valued at 1 yuan each, from a wholesaler and sells them to shops at 35 fen. "Retailers stick posters on walls and lampposts, and also advertise on the Internet. "'Most coin identification machines cannot detect them from genuine ones,' he said." "'Coins are simple to copy as they do not have anti-counterfeit safeguards,' he said. "In the first eight months of last year, Hubei Province confiscated more than 10.52 million counterfeit coins with 1 yuan face value." To read the complete article, see: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-07/06/content_911167.htm STILL MORE ON THE TYPOGRAPHIC SYMBOL FOR COIN REVERSE For a while now we've been following Ed Snible's quest to learn more about the typographic symbol for coin reverse with limited success. In his July 1 blog Ed speculates on why use of the symbol died out. He writes: "The )( symbol is a new obsession of Wayne Homren, who reports in today's e-Sylum that he has contracted the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, Germany, The Type Museum here in London, the International Printing Museum near Los Angeles, the Museum of Printing in North Andover, MA; the JAARS Museum of the Alphabet in Waxhaw, NC; and the St. Brides Printing Library in London. "No useful replies yet. "In a June 3 comment here, Dr. Robert J. O?Hara pointed to an 18th century list of alchemical symbols, Medicinisch-Chymisch- und Alchemistisches Oraculum (1755), which includes both )( and ?. Both symbols abbreviate words beginning with RE (Realgar and Recipe). If one needed to abbreviate ?reverse? down to a single character to save space it makes sense to use a symbol which had already served that purpose. )( was such a symbol, but would numismatic readers in the 18th century have understood it? "The earliest numismatic use that I know of is from 1758, in a book published in Vienna, Prague, and Triest by Ioannis Thomae Trattner. However, I just haved looked. I don't have any 17th or 18th century books, and Google has scanned only a few. I would be curious to find earlier citations of the symbol. It would be interesting if the symbol started with publishers known for printing alchemical works. I have before never considered a connection between numismatics and alchemy. "It is interesting that the symbol died out. It was used by Eckhel, who is the father of numismatics as a science. It seems logical that authors would want to make the works look more like Eckhel's, so why did the symbol die out? Possibly type setters didn't have the symbol, but perhaps even in the 19th century no one knew the name of the symbol or its exact meaning?" To read Ed's original July 1 blog entry, see: http://digitalhn.blogspot.com/2007/07/more.html TYPOGRAPHIC SYMBOL FOR COIN REVERSE http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n23a17.html TYPOGRAPHIC SYMBOL FOR COIN REVERSE HAS E-SYLUM READERS STUMPED http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n24a14.html NOTES ON THE TYPOGRAPHIC SYMBOL FOR COIN REVERSE http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n25a21.html [Ed raised a very interesting question, which could be destined to remain a numismatic mystery. Thanks to Karl Moulton we have some additional background on the symbol's use in the U.S., but little proof of where it came from originally, what it was called or why it died out. Perhaps someday an answer will turn up. Meanwhile, researchers should keep an eye on Ed's blog for his regular updates on numismatic literature being added to Google Book search. The latest include three titles in the BMC Greek series: Vol. 16 Ionia, by Head, 1892. Vol. 17 Troas, Aeolis and Lesbos, by Wroth, 1894. Vol. 19 Lycia, Pamphylia and Pisidia, by Hill, 1897 -Editor] STEPPING THE MAST COIN CUSTOM TAKES TO THE SKIES Dick Johnson writes: "If you are an aircraft mechanic raise your hand. I don't see many hands raised among E-Sylum readers. This story is about a 75-year-old (best guess) custom with Lincoln cents. Even though I have collected and written about Lincoln cents for almost an equal time (68 of those 75 years) this story is new to me. "The custom is to place a Lincoln cent -- which automatically becomes a 'lucky penny' and extending that luck to every thing it touches -- on the engine of an airplane. Specifically, one kind of aircraft engine, Pratt & Whitney engines, which are manufactured here in Connecticut. "It seems the mechanics who make these engines place a Lincoln cent of the current year on every one made. When an engine is restored or overhauled at some later date, the mechanic has the option of retaining the original cent bearing the date of manufacture, or, use one of the current year. "A contributing writer for Aircraft Maintenance Technology magazine, Giacinto Bradly Koontz, wrote an article, published this week, where the writer wanted to track down the origin of this curious custom and how long this has been going on. Learning the answer wasn't easy. "The best guess would be the 1930s, since the 'engine pennies' were found on one type of engine, R1340 WASP, which was first manufactured in 1940. One mechanic the author interviewed listed two other engines in which the custom could have started. "An aircraft owner stated he picked up the custom from a crop duster, who wouldn't think of flying without a penny on his own P&W. 'It's just one of those things some of us do, but probably don't know why.' He speculated it could be placed there to signify the last overhaul, like a date stamp. Other mechanics said they did it because their fathers and grandfathers did. The custom continues today. Fly safely!" [The lengthy article relates the custom to the ancient shipbuilding custom of placing a coin under the mast in a ceremony called Stepping the Mast. We've written about this in previous E-Sylums. -Editor] To read the complete article, see: http://www.amtonline.com/publication/article.jsp?pubId=1&id=4204 NAVAL COIN CUSTOM IN THE NEWS: STEPPING THE SHIP'S MAST http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n11a26.html UPCOMING JAEGER ARTICLE ON STEPPING THE MAST http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n12a19.html ON ELIMINATING THE CENT Tim Shuck writes: "Dick Johnson?s comments on why we no longer need the cent are persuasive, and I agree that ?deficit? minting of coins needs to end. However, if rounding to ten cents is implemented he might want to reconsider removing cents and nickels from circulation, either physically or by revaluation. [Revaluation has been one of the options proposed. -Editor] "Under such a scenario, if I use quarters to pay for a purchase ending in 20 cents (using one quarter), 60 or 70 cents (using three quarters), how would I get the five cents in change back? Forced use of dimes would be an inconvenience that, along with political (and practical) issues related to revaluation, will make elimination of the nickel a non-starter in my opinion. And we might need those cents as well to make up five cents in change. "I could suggest, tongue halfway in cheek, that if cents and nickels go, the quarter also needs to be replaced with a new 20 cent piece; history in the making and a host of new collecting possibilities. If that happened all circulating coins would then be an even multiple of the lowest denomination coin, which is needed to avoid the five-cents- in-change problem. This seems too obvious; am I missing something here?" ABOLITION OF CANADIAN CENT PROPOSED Dick Johnson writes: "Canada is getting serious about abolishing the cent denomination. Last week the national bank issued a statement endorsing its demise. This week a member of parliament, Pat Martin, is drafting a bill to accomplish just that. The $30 million is the amount the Canadian Mint would save annually by abolishing the penny, says a study by the Library of Parliament, whose facts Mr. Martin is using to bolster his argument that the penny should no longer "nickel and dime Canadians." "Canada is not facing the problem, as does the United States, that of the U.S. cents costing more for its metal composition than its face value, since Canadian cents are made of steel. The Royal Canadian Mint manufactures steel cents for 0.7 cents each, which means a penny is still actually worth something, but not much. The problem with pennies is that Canadians lose them, throw them away or store them in buckets by the millions. Last year the mint stamped out 815 million pennies. At 2.35 grams each, they are in weight as they are in value -- pretty much nothing. But together, they weigh almost two million kilograms. Moving all those coins from the mint to banks alone costs about $33 million. "By abolishing the cent Canadians would have to do some rounding off. Not all prices, just the final tally. An editorial in the Winnipeg Free Press noted this has already been done in Australia, New Zealand, France and Spain. We could add Finland to that list." To read the Winnipeg Free Press editorial, see: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/editorial/story/4001387p-4616055c.html LOBBYIST HIRED FOR ZINC BLANK MANUFACTURER Dick Johnson writes: "Congress can expect a lot of pressure from a lobbyist hired this week by Jarden Zinc Products. They manufacture the copper-coated zinc blanks the U.S. Mint purchases to strike into Lincoln cents. "Since the cent's existence is vulnerable -- because the market price of its two metal components is waverying above the coin's face value and the importance of the cent to the American economy is declining -- this poses a tremendous loss of business to this company should the coin be abolished. "In addition to the U.S. Mint, Jarden supplies zinc coin blanks to the Royal Canadian Mint as well as other countries. Canada has advanced further in their plans to abolish their cent coin; their national bank recently endorsed the cent's elimination. U.S. Mint officials are mute on the subject. "Jarden Zinc Products is a subsidary of Jarden Corp, headquartered in Rye, New York. Their zinc processing plants are located in Tennessee and elsewhere." To read the original Associated Press report, see: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/05/ap3887237.html THE TOKENS OF THOMAS CHURCH [Last week's discussion of the Canadian Numismatic Bibliography illustrates the vast number of topics under that umbrella. One interesting Canadian item that I learned about from my friend Larry Dziubek are the privately-made tokens of Thomas Church. He gave a presentation on the topic at a local Pittsburgh club meeting one month, based on a Canadian Numismatic Journal article by Fred Bowman. Larry gave me permission to republish the text of his presentation for the benefit of E-Sylum readers. -Editor] Thomas Church was born in 1843 in Ireland. His father was an artist that painted murals, some of which are in the Canadian Parliament. The family lived in Ottawa since 1851 and Tom got in his career field as a lumberman by 1860. He eventually became the manager of the mill. He lost his left hand in an industrial accident a few months before the entire lumber yard and town was destroyed by fire in 1900. Mr. Church had no children by his first two marriages, but had seven with Margaret Spratt his third wife. In his mid-thirties he became a serious collector of Canadi