Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 4, Number 36, September 3, 2001: 
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society. 
Copyright (c) 2001, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society. 
  

SUBSCRIBER UPDATES 

   We have one new subscriber this week: Douglas Saville 
   of Spink and Son, London, courtesy of George Kolbe. 
   Welcome aboard!   Our subscriber count is now 419. 
  

MECHANICAL DIFFICULTIES 

   Several readers reported not receiving their August 26th, 
   2001 issue of The E-Sylum (vol 4, no. 35).   All were 
   America Online subscribers.   This is only the most recent 
   of several incidents where AOL subscribers did not receive 
   their email.     Send them your complaints, folks!   I've 
   forwarded copies of the missing issue to all who requested 
   it.  This and all other back issues are archived on our web 
   site:  http://www.coinbooks.org/. 

   Another problem prevented the current issue from getting 
   out on time yesterday. Your editor's cable modem service 
   went out before the September 2, 2001 issue (vol 4, no. 36) 
   could be sent out.  [Help!  My modem has fallen and I can't 
   get uploads!]   The issue was delayed a day and released 
   with a revised issue date.  Sorry for the inconvenience. 
  

LAKE BOOKS SALE #60 AVAILABLE 

   Fred Lake reports: "Our sale #60 is now ready for viewing. 
   The sale is titled "Dr. R. J. Hubartt, Jr., Part Three" and 
   contains 675 lots of numismatic literature reference material. 
   The closing date is October 9, 2001. 

   Please note, in particular, Lot Number 1 is located on the title 
   page.  You may view the catalog on our web site on the 
   "Current Sale" page by clicking on the following link: 
   http://www.lakebooks.com/current.html 
  

EARLIEST USE OF PHOTOS IN A NUMISMATIC BOOK 

   Nicholas M. Graver writes: "I would like to thank subscribers 
   Ferdinando Bassolio, Karl Moulton, and Hadrien Rambach, 
   who responded to my questions about the earliest numismatic 
   book containing actual photographs as illustrations: . We are 
   indebted to all who gave thought to the topic.  The conclusion 
   was the 1864 work by Verguet.  [See the August 26, 2001 
   E-Sylum (vol. 4, no.35).  If any earlier examples come to light, 
   please let us know.  -Editor] 
  

QUOTATION'S AUTHOR SOUGHT 

   Adrián González Salinas of Monterrey, N.L. México writes: 
   "As always, I really enjoy reading The E-Sylum every Monday 
   morning...please keep up the good work! 

   Also, I would like to ask for your help.  Do you know if the 
   following phrase was coined in US and who's the coiner? 
   "Having a coin without studying is the same as having a book 
   without reading it." 

   (En español: "El tener una moneda y no estudiarla es como 
   tener un libro y no leerlo") 

   I last saw it in "El Boletín" (The Sociedad Numismática de 
   México's official quarterly publication). 
  

BIBLIO-BABY UPDATES 

   Mr. Salinas also offered congratulations on my son Tyler's 
   first birthday (August 20th).   Thanks for remembering - he's 
   a happy, healthy, walking one year old now.  And speaking 
   of babies, Darryl Atchison filed this report on Tuesday the 29th: 
   "This is a very quick email to announce the birth of our 8 lb. 7 
   oz. baby boy at 9:30 a.m. this morning Irish time. We haven't 
   named him yet and will probably do so later this afternoon. 

   The winner of the baby pool was Fiona's mother (for those of 
   you with enquiring minds - I'm sure it was a fix!!!) with a 
   guess of Aug. 29, boy, 8 lb. 10 oz.  So much for the doctor's 
   prediction last week of a 7 lb. baby.  Both Fiona and the baby 
   seem to be doing fine anyhow." 
  

PROMINENT NUMISMATIC AUTHORS 

   H. Douglas Owens writes: "The reference to Edward Gibbon 
   got me to wondering what he wrote in the numismatics field. 
   I wonder whether other numismatic works have been authored 
   by persons who rose to prominence in other fields.  Can you 
   or other readers help?  Many thanks." 

   [Back in March we addressed a related question posed by 
   E. Tomlinson Fort:   "Who is the only numismatic author ever 
   to win the Nobel Prize for Literature?" (See vol 4, nos. 10-12). 
   It turns out there were two such authors.   Other related topics 
   have been celebrities who collect coins, such as James Earl 
   Jones (See vol 3, nos. 20-23).  -Editor] 

   For the less prominent among us, Carl Honore writes: "for 
   those aspiring writers, try writing for your local newspapers first. 
   I have a pending coin column in preparation for my local paper 
   here in Sequim.   It's a way to get started..." 
  

FRANCIS MICHAEL NICHOLS INFORMATION SOUGHT 

   Mark Rabinowitz writes: "I am looking for any information 
   E-Sylum readers might have on Francis Michael Nichols. 
   Nichols was born in 1827 and died in 1890, and for most of 
   his adult life, up to the time of his death, Nichols was employed 
   as bookkeeper at the U.S. Mint.  Nichols was also the great- 
   grandson of Michael Hillegas, first treasurer of the United States. 
   I know the likelihood of there being much information out there 
   on a clerical employee of the Mint is low, but on the other hand 
   I also know there are some seasoned Mint historians who read 
   this list.  I would appreciate any information, particularly any 
   reference to a portrait of Mr. Nichols." 
  

BREEN'S WIZARD OF OZ THEORY 

   Concerning Walter Breen's "Metallic Panaceas" article in the 
   1989 COAC,  Mike Hodder writes  "I can support in part Bill 
   Bischoff's comments about the timing of Breen's use of the 
   analogies between the Wiz of Oz and the gold vs. silver fracas. 
   I remember working with Breen to edit his paper for oral 
   delivery at the 1989 COAC and subsequent publication ( I also 
   worked with QDB [Q. David Bowers] on the paper he 
   presented at the same COAC).  As I remember, Breen's 
   manuscript was a mess.   Since the 1989 COAC was held in 
   November (as I remember),  I can substantiate Breen's playing 
   with the analogies by the summer of that year." 
  

B.E.P. SOUVENIR CARD CATALOG? 

   Ray Rennick writes: "I ran into a guy on Ebay who sells the 
   Bureau of Engraving and Printing Souvenir Cards.  He said the 
   values are listed in a book published by Brookman and Mellone. 
   Have you heard of such a book?"  [I've not come across this 
   catalog - can any of our readers help?  -Editor] 
  

NUMISMATIC PERIODICAL INDEXING 

   Concerning the International Numismatic Commission's Survey 
   of Numismatic Research, Bob Knepper writes: "I would like to 
   hear a little more about the contents of these books.   I am often 
   looking for obscure info about German, and other, coins and 
   jetons from about 1540 to 1800.   I haven't yet checked to see 
   if the books are available at the ANA library." 

   On the same subject, Granvyl G. Hulse, Jr. writes:  "There is 
   an old adage that just because one has not seen an item it doesn't 
   mean that it does not exist.  Please extend my thanks to Bob 
   Leonard for updating me on the continuing efforts of the 
   International Numismatic Commission.  I had just not seen 
   anything after the 1985-90 volumes and presumed erroneously 
   that they had given up. They are indeed excellent references, 
   and if an attempt is ever made to prepare a master numismatic 
   subject index those volumes must be at hand.  Which now begs 
   the question,  "What is to be done?"  Is this to be one of those 
   re-occurring discussions where everyone laments the lack of a 
   master numismatic periodical subject index, and then quietly fold 
   their tents until the subject is brought up again, to again lament on 

   the lack, and once more let it ride, or is there some way the 
   project could actually be started now?   According to Parade 
   Magazine I have only seven and a half years to live  (if you hit 
   seventy in good health you will live to 80.)  By the time I go 
   shouting home to glory I would dearly like to see the master 
   subject index project, not only duly and truly launched, but 
   useable." 
  

NEW WORD:  BIBLIOHOLISM. 

   Dick Johnson writes: "I had to learn a new word this week: 
   Biblioholism.  For my birthday my daughter gave me a 
   sweater with it blazoned in white letters on a blue background. 
   Lucky for me it also gives the derivation and definition (right 
   on the sweater): 

   bib' li•o•hol' ism  (bibl' le e hol' iz' em)  [<Gr Biblion]  n. 
     [BIBLIO + HOLISM]  books, of books: the habitual 
     longing to purchase, read, store, admire, and 
     consume books in excess. 

   Libraries here in Connecticut all have book sales this Labor 
   Day weekend.  I can't wait to wear it.  Then everyone will 
   know I have this strange malaise.  The only apparent cure, 
   I guess .... is to buy more BOOKS.  The sweater came from 
   Wireless at giftcatalog.com.   They also offer, surprise!, a book 
   of the same name by Tom Raabe." 
  

FEATURED WEB PAGE 

   This week's featured web page is Stan Garczynski's 
   Gold Donatives of Gdansk.  "Struck in Poland in the 
   16th and 17th centuries, exquisite gold pieces combined 
   the best features of coins and commemorative medals." 

   http://www.forum-polonia-houston.com/other/monety/monety.htm 
  

  Wayne Homren 
  Numismatic Bibliomania Society