The E-Sylum:  Volume 4, Number 13, March 25, 2001, Article 11

AUCTION HOUSE SYMBOLS (CONTINUED). 

   Dick Johnson writes: "My discussion of auction house 
   symbols with Karl Moulton grew from the need to record 
   a large quantity of auction lot references in a databank 
   I am building on the engravers, diesinkers and medalists of 
   American coins and medals.  At present I have entered these 
   citations for only a handful of auction houses, coding these 
   with a three-letter symbol. 

   I was suggesting (even hoping!) Karl would set an industry- 
   wide standard for this in his new directory of numismatic 
   auction sales (USNAC), the continuation of Martin Gengerke's 
   earlier directory. Obviously Bowers & Merena auction sales 
   would bear the symbol B&M.  But what do you do when 
   B&M joins forces with a Stack's or with Presidential Coin & 
   Antique as they did in the Julian Liedman and David Dreyfus 
   sales? (And how would you identify the Apostrophe sales?) 

   Joe Levine is very conscientious in identifying artists in his lot 
   descriptions in his Presidential C&A auctions. I have resolved 
   to cite all his auction sales as far back as practical.  I asked 
   him what symbol he preferred.  He chose "PCA" and I have 
   used this. 

   So maybe each auction house would like to pick their own 
   symbol. And (hopefully) Karl would be the clearing house 
   for these and publish these in his (USNAC) directory. 
   Karl would have to resolve any conflicts. But he could be 
   like the New York Stock Exchange in selecting the 
  symbols for each company's stock listed on the exchange. 

   Incidentally, the citation for the first lot in LaRiviere's Betts 
   medal section in Bowers & Merena's recent catalog reads: 
   B&M 181:2001" 

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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