Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 7, Number 33, August 15, 2004:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2004, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.


SUBSCRIBER UPDATE

  Among recent new subscribers is John McCullagh.
  Welcome aboard!  We now have 680 subscribers.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY "MR. F.U.N."

  It seems like only yesterday that I attended the 100th birthday
  party for collector Bob Hendershott of Florida.   Bob turned
  106 on August 7.  Happy Birthday, Bob!


LAKE BOOKS SPARED CHARLEY'S PUNCH

  Numismatic literature dealer Fred Lake, writing just before
  Friday's hurricane hit ground near his home in St.
  Petersburg, FL, noted: "I am writing this at 11:00 AM and
  we are awaiting the storm.  It is eerily quiet as is usually the
  case before a hurricane. As far as our home is concerned,
  we are situated high enough to be out of the danger zone for
  floodwaters or tidal surge.  Our biggest concern would be
  wind damage, but we just had a new roof put on and it is
  designed to withstand some pretty high winds."

  On Saturday evening, Fred wrote: "We are relieved and
  thankful!  After spending two days preparing for the arrival
  of a powerful storm, the Tampa Bay area was spared from
  the direct onslaught of Hurricane Charley.  The path of the
  storm took it into an area of Florida that is some 100 miles
  south of our home. It was a strange coincidence that the
  name of our previous auction, The Sanibel Island Sale,
  was the location of the storm's entry into Florida. We felt
  none of Charley's punch.

  Joan and I want to thank all of you who telephoned and
  emailed us expressing your concern and good wishes as
  the storm approached St. Petersburg. It is a good feeling
  to know that we have such support from our friends in the
  numismatic community Calls and emails came from all
  parts of the world.....Puerto Rico, Europe, the Far East,
  South America and from all areas of the United States.

  Again, we are very grateful for your support."


JACOB PERKINS MINT BUILDING THREATENED

  Dick Hanscom of Alaska Rare Coins writes: "I am from
  Newburyport, MA, so I read the Daily News every day.
  Below are two links to articles about Jacob Perkins that
  might be of interest.

  Full Article
  Full Article

  [The first article is a good overview of Perkins'
  career, and notes: "Newburyport was host to the first state
  mint. The brick building in which the commonwealth's
  currency was printed still exists today at the rear of 14 Fruit
  Street, directly on the property line of The Historical
  Society of Old Newbury.

  The second article opens: "A local lawyer wants to make an
  apartment out of a historic building that housed the state's
  earliest mint, and if the city says he can't, he intends to
  tear it down."

  -Editor]


JOHN BURNS AT THE ANA CONVENTION

  Numismatic literature dealer John Burns is setting up at the
  American Numismatic Association convention this week.
  He writes: "It's that time of year again. I'll have booths
  434-436 at the A.N.A. in Pittsburgh Aug. 18-22 with
  approximately 5,000 pounds of  books, catalogs, pamphlets
  and more from the 17th century to brand new reference
  books (including the hot off the press 2nd edition Peterson
  Ultimate Guide to Attributing Bust Half Dollars) covering
  ancients, medieval, foreign and the good old U.S.A.
  See you there!"


NBS ACTIVITY AT THE ANA CONVENTION

  NBS President Pete Smith writes: "I hope to see many
  Numismatic Bibliomania Society members at the ANA
  convention in Pittsburgh this week.  There are a couple of
  corrections to the published schedule that affect our members.

  We have combined the NBS symposium with Scott Rubin's
  Numismatic Theater presentation. Both events will be at the
  same time in room 330 on Thursday at 1 p.m.

  Our general meeting is scheduled for Friday at 11:30 a.m.
  in room 327. We originally planned a luncheon between our
  meeting  and "The Great Numismatic Libraries of Pittsburgh"
  tour.  We were unable to get a lunch at a reasonable price at
  the convention center.  Instead, we will have a lunch on the
  bus for those taking the tour.

  It is my understanding that all spaces on the bus are filled
  with advance reservations.  At previous ANA conventions,
  this type of event has been a highlight for bibliophiles.

  We will continue to accept donations for the fund-raising
  auction during the general meeting. The sale is important this
  year because of the high cost of the special 25th Anniversary
  issue of The Asylum. If possible, plan to attend and bid
  generously.

  Several NBS officers and members are giving presentations at
  the Numismatic  Theater. I will mention Tom Fort speaking
  Wednesday at 1:00, Scott Rubin speaking Thursday at 1:00,
  and Joel Orosz speaking Saturday at 5:00.  The E-Sylum has
  previously mentioned other talks by NBS members.  Check the
  convention program."


THE GREAT NBS AUCTION

  Asylum Editor Tom Fort writes: "Most people think that the
  auction to benefit the library chair for the ANS on Thursday
  Night is the only numismatic literature sale of the ANA.  Such
  people are wrong.  Another place to get truly unique
  numismatic literary material will be the auction to benefit the
  NBS at our Annual meeting on Friday, 20 August. Among
  the items to be sold are:

 1. Christian Dekesel, "Jean Fois-Vaillant Antiquary of the King"
  Original manuscript of lengthy essay sent to The Asylum for
  25th anniversary issue. Includes a card signed by the author and
  the original zip disks with essay in MS Word format.

 2. Pete Smith, Signed original manuscript of his article on
    American Numismatic Pioneers that will appear in 25th
    anniversary issue of The Asylum. Also includes a signed early
    draft of this work.

  3. John Cunnally, Signed original manuscript, with illustrations,
    of his essay on Renaissance numismatic works. Also included
    are floppy disk and zip disk with same material that
    accompanied the manuscript.

  4. Douglas Saville, Signed original manuscript of his memoirs
      of 34 years at Spink and Son's Numismatic Book
      department.

  5. Pete Smith, Signed original manuscript of his essay

  6. Wayne K. Homren, Signed original manuscript of his
      essay on the beginnings of The E-Sylum.

  7. David Fanning, Signed original manuscript of his bibliography
      of the works of Walter Breen.

   8. Ink jet proof copy of The Asylum (meaning it is printed on
       8.5x11 paper, on one side only), Summer 2004, signed by
       E. Tomlinson Fort and Malgorzata Fort. Contains lots of
       comments on Dekesel's article by Dr. Fort who holds a
       PhD in Library Science and is the Head of Bibliographical
      Services at Falk Library, University of Pittsburgh. Comments
      and corrections by myself are more limited since I work
      more from a screen text. This lot also includes all back up
      CDs created as back-ups as work on the issue was in progress.

  9. Ink jet proof copy of The Asylum, Summer 2004, signed
      and with extensive comments by editor in chief David
      Fanning.

  10. Ink jet proof copy of The Asylum, Summer 2004, signed
        and with comments by NBS president Pete Smith

  11. Printed and bound proof copy of The Asylum, Summer
        2004. First version.

  12. Printed and bound proof  copy of The Asylum, Summer
         2004. Second version.

  13. E. Tomlinson Fort, "Barbarians within the gates: The mints
       of Norman England under David I of Scotland." Signed
       manuscript of presentation I shall be making at the ANA
       on Wednesday.

  14. "A Million Bucks." Courtesy of Wayne Homren. An
       original pack of Whitman Publishing play money from the
       1960s still in its original packing.

  15. Ink jet proof copy of The Asylum, Winter 2003. Also
         courtesy of Wayne Homren.

  16. "The E-Sylum." Printed proof pages of Wayne's
      forthcoming book that will publish the first four years of
      The E-Sylum. This consists of pages 8-27 and covers from
      January 4, 1999 through June 13 1999.

  17. An error copy of the third printing of Hal Dunn's Tokens
     and Medals Depicting the Carson City Mint. Donated by the
     author. Rather than double sided pages, the printer's assistant
     ran them as single sided. Also, one of the postcards depicting
    the mint became detached and was remounted at a slight angle.
    The author will supply a corrected copy when it becomes
    available.

  18. Another of the same.

  19.  A rather large piece of numismatic ephemera donated by
      Wayne Homren.  Measuring 52 inches long by 14 1/2 inches
      tall, it is a visual aid employed by Eric Newman at a talk he
      gave April 5, 1992 at the St. Louis, MO convention of the
      Early American Coppers club.  It is a sketch of a feeding arm
      used to move planchets into place for striking.  Dusty from
      storage but interesting.  Signed and dated in ink by Eric.

  In view of the high prices people have been paying for numismatic
  literary manuscripts at auction in recent years this may be your
  chance to bid on historic material at reasonable prices. Don't
  miss out. Remember that all funds do to the NBS. Also, those
  who cannot make the ANA, George Kolbe has agreed to act
  as the agent for any absentee bidders. George can be contacted
  at GFK at numislit.com."


1794 DOLLAR BOOK PUBLISHED

  Martin Logies writes: "I just thought the readers of the E-Sylum
  might be interested to learn of the publication of my new book
  exclusively on the topic of the 1794 Silver Dollar.

  The topic of the 1794 Dollar has been of great interest to me
  for more than the past decade, and something that has absorbed
  an enormous amount of my research efforts.  Being rather a
  numismatic bibliophile, I sought out to assemble a library that
  would include every auction sale in which a 1794 dollar
  appeared.  Thanks to Karl Moulton, the John Ford Library sale
  and others, I accumulated enough research to put together a
  picture of the surviving population of 1794 dollars.  That
  research has now been compiled into a new book -- The
  Flowing Hair Silver Dollars of 1794: An Historical and
  Population Census Study."

  The book consists of 212 pages (8-1/2" x 11" format), with
  nearly 200 separate images (many more if you count obverses
  and reverses separately), and information on every individual
  specimen of 1794 dollar that I was able to positively identify.

  The first printing (soft-cover) of the first edition will be released
  at the ANA show in Pittsburgh next week.  Hardcover editions
  are expected to be available sometime in September.  Here are
  links to a few preview pages of the book, posted on the PCGS
  U.S. Coin Forum:

Preview Pages

Preview Pages

Preview Pages

Preview Pages



ANS OLYMPIC CON AND MEDAL EXHIBIT CATALOG

  From the press release:  "A Simple Souvenir: Coins and Medals
  of the Olympic Games, by Peter van Alfen, the Margaret
  Thompson Assistant Curator of Greek Coins at the American
  Numismatic Society (ANS), is now available from David
  Brown Books. This richly illustrated catalogue of the current
  ANS Olympics exhibit at the Federal Reserve Bank, New
  York (temporarily closed as of August 2, 2004 due to
  heightened security in lower Manhattan), explores the social
  and political function of Olympic numismatics. Dr. van Alfen
  traces the history of the Olympics from its ancient Greek
  origins to the modern Olympic revival movements,
  encompassing not only the well-known IOC Olympics, but
  also the lesser-known Olympics held in Athens before 1896
  and in Much Wenlock, England, as well as the Socialist
  Olympics movements of the 1920s and 1930s. Illustrating
  over 120 objects, including ancient vases and sports
  equipment, early 20th century posters and other ephemera,
  in addition to the coins and medals, the book offers a unique
  perspective on the Olympics and its numismatic heritage.

  160p, illus., ISBN 0897222938. Hardback. Price US $50.00
  American Numismatic Society members receive a 30%
  discount

  The David Brown Book Co
  PO Box 511, Oakville CT 06779
  Toll-free: 800-791-9354  Tel: 860-945-9329
  email: david.brown.bk.co at snet.net
  Web site: <oxbowbooks enter the site,
  then  click "distributed titles", and choose  - The American
  Numismatic Society and miscellaneous publications.

  For more information contact Juliette Pelletier, Membership
  and Development Manager at: 212-571-4470 ext. 1311
  or email Pelletier at numismatics.org"


COIN COLLECTOR'S ADVOCACY GROUP FORMED

  Arthur Shippee forwarded this note from the Explorator
  mailing list:

  Collectors of ancient coins, noting the recent proliferation of
  cultural property legislation whose hastily drafted and poorly
  thought out provisions could (probably unintentionally) cause
  very serious problems for coin collectors, have founded the
  Ancient Coin Collectors Guild.  The goal of this guild is to
  foster an environment in which the general public can continue
  to confidently and legally acquire and hold, for personal or
  professional use, any numismatic item of historical interest
  regardless of date or place of origin.

  Some objectives of the ACCG are:

  * To lobby effectively against the imposition of import
     restrictions on coins of any age or place.

  * To seek, in the event of adverse legislative action, a
      federal court ruling affirming the right of individuals to
      collect objects from the past.

  * To fight for the continued existence in the U.S. of a
     free market for all collector coins.

  * To bolster legitimacy of the ancient coin market through
     establishment of a national dealer code of ethics.

  The ACCG website address is ACCG.

  There has been a huge response to the announcement of
  this new advocacy group's formation, and membership of
  the ACCG is rapidly growing as coin collectors, alarmed
  about efforts to portray collecting of antiquities as immoral
  and unethical, flock to join.


COLLECTOR QUIZ ANSWER CONFIRMED

  Regarding my answer to his earlier quiz question,
  W. David Perkins writes: "Alfred J. Ostheimer is
  correct."


GAME SHOW BIBLIOPHILE QUESTION

  Mike Greenspan writes: "Some of the more erudite E-Sylum
  subscribers might already know this:

  On the "Do You Want To Be A Millionaire," quiz show which
  aired about a week ago here in Houston, one of the questions
  was, "What do you call a person who studies literature printed
  before 1500?"

  The answer: An incunabulist.  Who knew??? Certainly not I."


SCRIP FOUND AMONG OLD MUNICIPAL RECORDS

  Allegheny City, annexed to the City of Pittsburgh in 1907,
  was once a separate thriving city across the Allegheny River
  from Pittsburgh.  The area is now known simply as "The
  North Side" and is the home of PNC Park and Heinz Field,
  where the Pittsburgh Pirates and Steelers play.   A recent
  newspaper article discusses "Allegheny city's records [which]
  were transferred to Carnegie Library on the North Side for
  storage and largely forgotten. In 1969, the records were
  moved to the University of Pittsburgh, where they sat
  untouched for decades, most recently on 43 pallets on a
  loading dock at Hillman Library.

  "It had a roof over it, but it wasn't environmentally controlled.
  The records were filthy. It looked as if some attempts were
  made over the years to restore them, but I guess it was
  overwhelming for the resources they had at the time," said
  Jerry Ellis, one of two state archivists who have been working
  for months to restore the collection so it can be viewed by
  historians, social scientists and doctoral students. "Here's a
  19th-century collection. A complete package."

  "Under current record management laws, municipalities are
  required to keep records such as fiscal receipts for three to
  seven years. But 150 years ago, especially in Allegheny city,
  the process seemed to be to keep everything. For historians,
  it's a boon. "They had no records management," said archivist
  David W. Shoff, who is working on the project with Ellis.
  "This stuff was just kept."

   "Using a special vacuum cleaner, dry paper towels and a
  dust-gathering sponges, they've spent any free minute they've
  had cleaning the documents and indexing what is there.
  Everything is now stored on one floor in the state's archives,
  a 21-story records tower that is light-, temperature- and
  humidity-controlled. The documents are in acid-free folders
  and containers to slow deterioration. Some of the most
  critical documents, such as books of minutes, have been
  or will be microfilmed, ensuring that they'll be around for
  400 years.

  "The paper is probably good for another couple of hundred
  years," Ellis said. "Now that it's not being attacked any more,
  it'll last. You can't stop the deterioration, but you can slow it
  down."

  "Ellis said the most difficult part of processing the records
  was trying to work without getting sidetracked and fascinated
  by what they contained."

  "The centerpiece of the collection is contained in more than
  300 volumes of financial records, including two volumes of
  bond books for city streets such as California Avenue; 11
  cartons of contracts; two folders of circulation reports from
  newspapers including the Pittsburgh Gazette, a predecessor
  of the Post-Gazette; all manner of tax records, housing
  surveys, sewer assessments and auditors' records. There are
  receipts for fees paid by butchers, push cart peddlers and
  wagon vendors, and correspondence from various city
  departments including the controller. Ellis has even found scrip
  issued by banks in the 1840s."

  "For more information about the Allegheny city records, call
  the Pennsylvania State Archives at 1-717-783-3281 or go to
  www.phmc.state.pa.us."

  To read the full article, see:
  Full Article

  [I've contacted the archivists about the scrip that was found
  in the collection.  Perhaps someday research in the archives
  will reveal more information about the issuance and use of
  municipal scrip in the early 19th century.  Thank heaven for
  pack rats. -Editor]


NEW WEB FOR TRANSFERRING MONEY

  Dick Johnson writes: "The Federal Reserve has developed a
  new internet-based system to move money around.  But this
  money is debits and credits ? not coins and currency of
  interest to numismatists.

  On an average day the Fed transfers $1.8 trillion this way.
  This is more than twice the $675 billion of total U.S. coins
  and currency in circulation (as of last count, December
 2002).

  An article in the August 15, 2004 New York Post, writer
  Hilary Kramer tells about the Fed?s new web plan. It?s
  called FedLine Advantage. Previously it did all this on a
  closed, stand-alone,  Microsoft DOS operation system
  computer network, which is said to be outdated. The
  article  discusses the obvious security concerns.

  Of concern to numismatists is the growing tendency of
  money transactions away from traditional  forms we collect.
  Are we destined for a coinless, currencyless money system?

  The article can be found at: Full Article


CARSON CITY QUARTER SPENT IN COIN SHOW STUNT

  An August 11 article in the Reno Gazette-Journal recounts
  how E-Sylum subscriber Rusty Goe spent a valuable Carson
  City mint coin to promote a local coin show.

  "The search is on for an 1877-CC Liberty Seated quarter
  minted in Carson City that is worth $300 to the person who
  redeems the valuable coin at the Nevada State Museum.

  Reno coin dealer and collector Rusty Goe purposely spent
  the quarter in Carson City last weekend to raise awareness
  for the Carson City Mint Coin Show on Aug. 28-29 at the
  state museum."

  "Goe said he made a $2.37 purchase at [a] store and paid
  with a stack of quarters with the rare coin tucked among the
  modern quarters.

  "I tried to divert the clerk's attention in the hope that he
  wouldn't just look at each quarter and he didn't," he said.

  Goe said he has the receipt that shows the date, time and
  location of his purchase. He said the transaction was
  photographed from a distance.

  "I winked into the camera then I walked out of the store,
  and we took pictures outside to use as a reference. The
  cashier had no idea what was going on," he said."

  Full Article


DR. THOMAS ADDIS EMMET CONFEDERATE CURRENCY

  Fred Reed writes: "I am researching Dr. Thomas Addis Emmet
  and his Confederate Currency collection for a future article and
  understand that Mark Rabinowitz authored an article several
  years ago about Emmet's Colonial Currency collection.

  I'd like to trade ideas with Mark, but only have an outdated
  e-mail address for him.  Mark does great research and doubtless
  somebody on the E-Sylum list knows his whereabouts. If a reader
  could put me in touch with Mark, I'd be obliged.  My email
  address is freed3 at airmail.net.  Thanks"


S.O.B. NEWSLETTERS SOUGHT

  Alan Roy writes: "I have a question for the readers.  Recently,
  I received a couple of issues of the "Society of Bearded
  Numismatists Newsletter." One is Vol. 1 # 1 (cover titled
  "Learned S.O.B.Servations"), dated April 1977. Does anybody
  know when the last editions was issued?  I was hoping to
  expand my collection.  If there are any former S.O.B.s with
  newsletters, or other Society material, they are willing to part
  with, I would be very interested. They can contact me at
  aroy at theoffice.net."


ANS BUILDING QUIZ

  Pete Smith writes: "In response to Dick Johnson's question,
  I know that Sylvester S. Crosby is the only American author
  with his name in stone at the ANS. (And so the only name
  within my area of expertise).  I am not aware of a source
  with a complete listing of names."

  [Surely there is someone else out there who can give us
   more of the names.  Don't New Yorkers ever look up?
   -Editor]


U.S. MUSEUM NUMISMATIC COLLECTIONS

  Pete Smith writes; "In response to Chris Faukner's question,
  I recall an article in Coin World or Numismatic News that
  listed numismatic museums in the U.S. I don't know if I
  pulled it for my clipping file. Unfortunately my clipping file
  is a disorganized black hole where information frequently
  falls in but is infrequently retrieved."

  Fred Reed writes: "Regarding the request for a listing of
  numismatic museums, this is just the kind of listing that we
  used to compile when I worked for Coin World 25 years
  and more ago.

  The chapter on museums in the 1978 edition of the Coin
  World Almanac spans 17 pages and lists (by a quick
  count) 126  or so numismatic displays at U.S. institutions
  and another 86 or so numismatic displays at international
  institutions.

  I don't know if the current staff keeps the list up-to-date,
  but if somebody wants to take on the chore, the Coin
  World Almanac would be a good jumping off place."


HOMREN PAMPHLET AND EPHEMERA FILES

  Until recently, my pamphlet and ephemera files were
  another black hole.  In my copious "free time" over the
  last couple weeks I've organized everything into a set
  of binders to ease viewing during the August 20th tour.
  I'm glad I did - it's a breeze to find things now.  Each
  binder has a cover sheet with a title describing what's
  inside, and has a number to help keep things in order.
  Here's the list:

  1      Colonial Coinage
  2      Vlack Photos #1
  3      Vlack Photos #2
  4      U.S. Coinage Laws
  5      U.S. Mints
  6      U.S. Large Cents
  7      U.S. Coinage
  8      U.S. Commemoratives
  9      U.S. Patterns
 10      Canadian Numismatics
 11      Civil War Numismatics
 12      Hard Times Tokens
 13      Hard Times Token Photos (ex-Champa)
 14      Hard Times Token Photos (ex-Miller)
 15      Other Tokens
 16      Private & Pioneer Gold
 17      Political Tokens & Medals
 18      Other Medals
 19      Proposed Coinage
 20      Colonial Currency
 21      Lotteries
 22      U.S. Obsolete Currency
 23      Counterfeit Detectors
 24      U.S. Currency
 25      American Numismatic Society
 26      American Numismatic Association
 27      ANA Conventions
 28      ANA Convention 1994
 29      ANA Convention 1998
 30      Western Pennsylvania Numismatic Society
 31      Other Numismatic Organizations
 32      American Journal of Numismatics
 33      The Numismatist
 34      Other Numismatic Periodicals
 35      Numismatic Collections & Exhibits
 36      Numismatic Americana
 37      Q. David Bowers #1
 38      Q. David Bowers #2
 39      B. Max Mehl
 40      Prospectuses
 41      Numismatic Correspondence
 42      Numismatic Literature
 43      Low's General Morelos Coinage
 44      M. N. Daycious Hoax
 45      Numismatic Supplies
 46      Coin Buying Guides
 47      Fixed Price Lists
 48      Auction Catalogs #1
 49      Auction Catalogs #2
 50      Auction Catalogs #3
 51      Auction Catalogs #4
 52      Auction Catalogs #5
 53      Auction Catalogs #6
 54      Auction Catalogs #7
 55      Audio Home Study Guide

  I can't speak for Tom, but at my house feel free to
  take photos of the library and our group.  Please save
  copies of your photos for our NBS archives and for
  a possible post-event commemorative booklet.


MORE ON THE  "E" AND "L" COUNTERSTAMPS

  Responding to Mark Borckardt's comments regarding the
  E and L counterstamps, Tom DeLorey writes:
  "Although a few old Mint dies were floating around in
  numismatic circles back in the 19th Century, the hand
  punching of the lettering in slightly variable positions would
  have made it necessary to find the precise die that struck
  this small hoard of high grade coins, and not just any reverse
  die of this type.

  Also, a private counterstamper would have had no need to
  find and use a reverse die. Judging from Brunk
  counterstamping was rather common in the 19th Century,
  and nobody seemed to mind if the coin so marked came
  out slightly bent or cup-shaped.

  As to the suggestion that a soft (as in softer than the coin)
  base could have been used, I have done a number of
  counterstamps over the years, using either an anvil or a
  block of wood as my base, and the only thing that did
  not warp was a gold Krugerrand."


COUNTERSTAMPING TRADE SECRET (NOT REVEALED)

  Dick Johnson writes: "Medal makers have been using
  punches to place dates, names, other lettering, on existing
  medals for hundreds of years.  They all face the problem
  of mashing the detail on the opposite side of the item being
  punched, as will occur when the piece is laid on some hard
  surface.   (Something in physics about ?an equal and opposite
  reaction? I suppose.)  The suggestion in last week?s E-Sylum,
  of using hard woods, oak, iron wood, ebony, are just not
  realistic.

  Every medal manufacture has a thick piece of ..............
  in which he places the item to be punched to add custom
  lettering if this has to be done by punches (instead of, say,
  inscribing with a motorized engraver or engraved with a
  burin).  .............  is sturdy enough to hold the piece
  intact while the blow is imparted to the punch to sink into
  the surface of the piece, yet this material is resilient enough
  to ?give? and not damage the piece on the opposite side
  (at the contraposition location).

  This is one trade secret I refuse to reveal. I?m just not
  going to tell you what  ........... is.  I personally dislike
  unauthorized counterstamping on coins, medals, tokens,
  whatever.  Yes, I know this was done in areas of the
  world where coins were scarce and counterstamping
  was done to identify pieces for use in local areas.  That
  was in the far past. Today we have enough mints
  around the world to strike coins for circulation without need
  for usurping another country?s coins by counterstamping.
  Or irrationally punching your own country?s coins.

  I will reveal this, however. For creating repousé a thin
  copper sheet is laid on a tub of tar and pitchblend. It is
  tapped with a punch to form a design.  This is the nearest
  thing to ........... being used in modern times.

  Since The E-Sylum goes on the world wide web, I don?t
  want this secret to get in the hands of hundreds of
  schoolboys who get their mitts on a punch or two and add
  their own brand of graffiti on any coins or medals. (Okay,
  you juvenile delinquents, go get a tub of tar and pitchblend
  and punch away. You didn?t learn about it from me.)"


COPPER CENTS USED IN WINE TESTING

  Dick Johnson writes: "In sixty years I have been reading about
  Lincoln Cents I thought I had heard it all.  Not so. I thought I
  had  heard of every conceivable use of a Lincoln cent for
  nonmonetary purposes.  Like substituting a cent for a burnt-out
  fuse in a fuse box, as a temporary screwdriver, a paint can
  opener, or even left over from the days of the large cent ?
  placing a coin on the eyelid of a recently deceased person to
  assure the lid is shut before rigor mortis sets in.

  Well, in a story in the Indianapolis Star this week, food writer
  Patti Denton tells of a wine testing competition at the Indiana
  State Fairgrounds for the Governor?s Cup which ended August
  4th.  Thirteen judges had to test 3,644 wine entries. Judge
  Linda Jones McKee, who is president of a Pennsylvania
  winery group and has been testing wines for 12 years,
  disclosed this trick. In Patti Denton?s own words:

  ?One of her judging tricks caught the eye of a fellow first-time
  judge.  They had a wine that was producing a strong sulfur
  smell. McKee dropped a penny in the glass, which dissipates
  some of the aroma. For that reason, McKee tries to keep
  a penny minted before 1995, when the copper content was
  higher.  Unfortunately the coin revealed some other faults the
  wine had as well, she said.?

  The next time a sommelier serves me a glass of wine that
  smells like vinegar would it help if I dumped all my pocket
  change in the glass?"

  Full Article


FEATURED WEB PAGE

  This week's featured web page is the June 10, 1999 online
  journal of Ira Glass, host of Public Radio International's "This
  American Life", where he describes an evening with money
  artist J.S.G. Boggs:

  "At the beginning of our presentation at the Art Institute,
  Boggs produced a copy of the Chicago yellow pages. He
  asked the audience for the name of a local pizza place. On
  his cell phone he called and ordered some pizzas. When
  they arrived at the theater, he asked the delivery guy up
  onstage, and tried to pay for the food with a drawing of a
  $50 bill. It was, frankly, a little uncomfortable. The guy
  delivering the pizzas suddenly found himself standing on a
  stage, lots of people watching, being asked to make a
  decision: Did he want Boggs to give him $50 in real cash
  -- or did he want the drawing instead? He broke out in a
  sweat. All the poor guy knew is that if he didn't show up
  back at work with real American currency to cover those
  pizzas he took out, he'd be in trouble.  He turned down
  the deal. It was hard not to jump in and just tell him: "You
  can make a thousand dollars here!  Take the drawing!"

  Featured Web Page

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