Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 2, Number 38: September 19, 1999:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
SUBSCRIBER UPDATES
New subscribers this week are: Victor Holden, Paul
Landsberg, Jeff Oxman, Jeff Widman, Dave Surber,
Mark Watson, Ron Haller-Williams, of Surbiton, Surrey,
England, and Gian Angelo Sozzi of Italy. Welcome, all!
This brings our subscriber count to 235.
ADAMS INDIAN PEACE MEDAL BOOK PUBLISHED
James C. Spilman writes: "I have just received a copy of
John W. Adams' new book “Indian Peace Medals” or
“His Majesties Sometimes Allies.” This book is an absolute
gem in both content and as an example of excellence in the
bookmaker’s craft and represents a stellar addition to the
numismatic resources now available on early American
numismatics.
Adams has departed from the current habits of modern
numismatic writers by presenting in-depth historical
backgrounds to accompany each of the medallic types of
Indian Peace Medals produced during the American “colonial”
era as well as the War of 1812 era. A substantive number
of historical inaccuracies of earlier researchers and
writers have been corrected in his book.
For those of us with an interest in the Indian Peace Medals
in America - we have a new “bible”."
500 copies were printed by George Frederick Kolbe.
For more information, write to George at
Numislit@compuserve.com
ERRATA
Oops: I forgot to include David J. Davis' email address
when we reported his research request last week. He's
looking for 1802 half dime information in the publications
of Charles Steigerwalt. His address: djdavis4@provide.net
I misquoted Ed Krivoniak. He writes: "Thanks for the credit,
however it is the Lampard book which lists both Andrews and
Rennik numbers. The Renniks catalogue only lists the
Andrews numbers."
W.E. DU BOIS HANDWRITING CONFIRMED
In a previous E-Sylum, David Cassel asked for help
confirming a handwriting sample attributed to early U.S.
Mint office William Du Bois. In a letter to NBS Board
member Joel Orosz (and copied to The E-Sylum), David writes:
"You are a great detective to notice so many matches of
handwriting samples. ... If this isn’t a case of the
old adage, “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours,”
then I don't know what is. We both proved each other’s query.
I am not sure how valuable the proof of your documents is to
you, but the proof of my documents used in the writing of my
yet to be released book, United States Pattern Postage
Currency Coins, validates much of my research, study, and
theories, and disproves some of what was offered by the
“experts” before me. I am grateful that you responded to my
query for samples of the handwriting of William E. Du Bois."
STAR OF BETHLEHEM COMMENTS
Regarding Mike Molnar's book on a numismatic connection
to the mystery of the Star of Bethlehem, Granvyl G. Hulse,
Jr., writes: "Scientists may not have had success, but
any high school with a first rate planetarium can reproduce
it. Ask one to program the conjunction of three planets
(I think that they were Mars, Venus, and Saturn, but I can't
remember) lined up one behind the other over Bethlehem.
This occurs every 700 years if I recall. Programs nicely to
3 or 4 BC, to the day and month. Explains why the "Star"
lasted very briefly. They did it for my son and I at the
high school in Herndon, Virginia, back before we went off to
Ethiopia in 1973."
Mike Molnar notes: "As an astronomer I also thought that
this planetary conjunction was the answer until I saw the
coins of Antioch. They showed me that my colleagues were
not only looking in the wrong part of the sky, but that
they also did not know what signified a king's birth during
ancient times. Those splendid planetarium programs show
conjunctions, not omens. And I had to do a lot of research
to understand the difference. I thank Ray Williams for his
kind words about my book. If anyone is interested
in learning how an ancient coin revealed the clue
to understanding the Star of Bethlehem, see my web
page, which also has information about the book:
http://www.eclipse.net/~molnar/
THE GREAT DEBATE, A BIBLIOMANIC PERSPECTIVE
Michael E. Marotta offers the following perspective
on our recent discussions of "The Great Debate":
"I was not at the debate, but I heard a lot about it,"
said the colonial collectors. Angel Pietri and Jim
Spilman, cheering their champ, Michael Hodder, in
E-Sylum v2#36.
I gave Buttrey's claims merit because I collected
ancients and I respect Buttrey. I knew Michael Hodder's
name but not much about him. I never heard of John J.
Ford or Eric P. Newman. So, I did some research. This
has been going on for over 30 years. The March 13, 1993
sale of literature offered by The Money Tree included a
copy of John J. Ford's "The Franklin Hoard of United States
Assay Office of Gold Coins: an Answer to Eric P. Newman".
The 40-page book, written in 1967, one of 14 known, sold
for $2500 on an estimate of $250. The copy was owned by
Lester Merkin who was one of the PNG arbitrators involved
in the dispute over a $20 gold proof essai sold by Ford and
denounced by Newman. Michael Hodder praised John J. Ford in
the Spring 1992 Asylum and Buttrey handed an RNS award to
Newman on June 18, 1991.
SIR ROBERT COTTON
Well, none of you even had a guess as to who was the
famous bibliophile who topped his bookcases with busts of
Roman emperors. It was Sir Robert Cotton, whose collections
became the nucleus of the British Library. Cotton assembled
his library in the 1550-1650 time period, and accumulated
a magnificent manuscript collection, including the original
Beowulf manuscript. Cotton was also a numismatist, and
some of his coins are now in the British Museum.
Much information about Cotton appears in Nicholas Basbane's
book, "A Gentle Madness : Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the
Eternal Passion for Books", a volume I've read and know I
have, but just can't seem to put my hands on at the moment.
Cotton would have had it neatly filed under "Vespatian",
shelf 4..." Here are a couple useful links to The
British Library:
http://www.bl.uk/collections/epc/homove.html
http://www.bl.uk/
WOODWARD AUCTION CATALOGUES
Past NBS President Michael J. Sullivan writes: "I've
been studying Woodward catalogues for the last few
months. I would enjoy corresponding with others who
share an interest in this pursuit. I thought the
following may be suited for the E-Sylum as printed on
the rear wrapper of WEW's sale #35, 1881:
COIN SALE CATALOGS
An interest is felt by many persons in collecting the
Catalogues of American Coin Sales, second only to their
interest in the coins themselves. Many years ago I
purchased the stocks and remainders in the hands of the
principal dealers, and have recently bought a great
number, including some of the early and rare issues,
together with illustrated and extra paper copies, so that
I am now able to furnish to order, priced or plain, the
Catalogue of almost any Coin Sale that has taken place in
the United States within the last twenty-five years.
My collection comprises some not mentioned by Attinelli,
and several prior to the Watkins Sale, which he supposed
was the first made here. Of Catalogues of my own sales I
am unable to furnish complete sets, but can supply all but
two or three. For copies of my Catalogues of June 27, 1860,
Sale at Boston; Dec. 23, 1863, Sale in Providence; and Oct.
28, to Nov. 2, 1877, the Mickley Sale in New York; I will
pay a liberal price in cash. A list of my Coin Sales, a
pamphlet of 8 pages, giving an account of thirty-four sales,
time, place, amount, etc., will be mailed to any address on
receipt of twenty-five Cents. A copy of Attinelli's work,
giving particulars of nearly every sale ever held in the
United States prior to 1876, for sale in sheets, price $5.
Probably not more than twenty-five copies of this book are
in the hands of collectors, and none are on sale. It is
invaluable to the collector of Coin Catalogues. Prices of
Catalogues quoted on application.
W. Elliot Woodward, 258 Dudley St., Roxbury, Mass.
EARLY INDIAN COINS BOOK PUBLISHED
Vedams Books International announces the publication of
"A Macro Study of Early Indian Coins", edited by C. Mani.
1999, xi, 154 p., plates, For more information, write to:
vedams@vedamsbooks.com
FEATURED WEB SITE
Speaking of Indian Coins, Andy Lustig submitted this week's
featured web site on Indian coins, maintained by Dr. Nupam
Mahajan of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
http://www.med.unc.edu/~nupam/
Wayne Homren
Numismatic Bibliomania Society
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. To join, print the application and
return it with your check to the address printed
on the application. For those without web access,
contact Dave Hirt, NBS Secretary-Treasurer,
5911 Quinn Orchard Road, Frederick, MD 21701
(To be removed from this mailing list
write to me at whomren@coinlibrary.com)
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