Does anyone have a copy of the Walter H. Childs coin auction catalog from Bowers & Merena, Aug 1999? If so, can I get a copy of the multipage biography of Childs that is included? I'll reimburse copying and postage fees. Thanks.

The show bourse was sold out- quite unusual - and attendance by the public was grand, reminiscent of years ago shows. Roaming the bourse floor, I heard nary a complaint or whisper about sales although several dealers told me many dealers are capital-strained or short. Once again, Whitman put on a well-organized and heavily attended show.

The Stacks-Bowers colonial session of 1000 lots Friday night started at 6 PM and went to 3:30 AM. - perhaps a record for a numismatic auction session. I left at 8 PM, being pooped from roaming the concrete bourse floor but up to that time the Internet bidding, despite a heavily occupied bidder floor, dominated the sale. As I recall, the "dug" partially sheared New England sixpence hammered for $375K and the George Clinton cent in Fine hammered for $190K- I think both to the Internet. That's not including the 17.5% buyers fee.

From my experience there Wed-Sat, the hobby is healthy and still very enjoyable

With regard to the Platinum half dollar, I do not know why PCGS slabbed this as a J44a as having it counterstamped and engraved does not make it a new variety. Even worse, no one knows where or when this counterstamping and engraving occurred. Because of this, it is not likely that it will be listed as a separate variety in the next edition of the Judd book.

The image on both the stamp and the medal are of the V-2 Rocket Testing that was conducted at the White Sands Missile Range post 2nd world War. (1946 into the early 1950’s). If he has not already would suggest that Mr. Rightmire contact the museum & historical society at the missile range. Contact information can be found at: www.wsmr-history.org/Museum.htm

I don't know Raymond Ladd, but JSD also were dealers in ancient coins. Two people, Jack Glowe and Dennis Tupper operated JSD in the 1970's out of Orange County, CA. I haven't seen Dennis in years, but did run into Jack a few years ago. I'm sure I could find him, but I'll let Larry do some of the search. Last I knew, Jack Glowe (the J in JSD) was living in Orange County, in the Costa Mesa - Fountain Valley area, still interested in coins (I ran into him at a coin show, where else?). Now I'm going to have to tear apart my not-as-organized-as-it-needs-to-be library, looking for my copy of Ladd's book--I haven't seen it in years.

In reference to The Revised Standard Reference Guide to Indian Paper Money - I don't understand the publication date shown (8 November 2012), as the book was released to the hobby at a grand ceremony on 13 January 2012. Don't get rid of your first edition. It showed more notes with more information for Junagadh and Kutch, and more illustrations of backs for Palitana.

While the new edition is a great piece of work, it has some deficiencies - such as no index, and lack of any kind of rarity or value information for the pieces listed. The two-page table of POW camp issues at pages 454-455 contains no data (an errata sheet is promised "once the data is completely tabulated" - that promise came last February, but no errata sheet has appeared). In several places the text assumes an understanding of jargon associated with Indian notes, with no glossary or other explanation. By all means buy the book, but be prepared to scratch your head a few times.

The book is available at this website for $180 postpaid (not the $200 in the Press Release that you referred to): www.vedamsbooks.com/no109373/revised-standard-reference-guide-
indian-paper-money-rezwan-razack-k-jhunjhunwala

Incidentally, the photo of five volumes in the book listing for that title is misleading - it's a single volume. Mine is nicely slipcased - I assume all are.

Regarding the book, Chips & Coupons in Old Shanghai by Pan Junxiang - this is the third book I know of on Shanghai tokens. The first, by Hu Youwen, was published in 1991. This book is a poorly printed paperback and illustrated with rubbings. The second book, by Ma Chuande, was published in 1998. This is hardcover and illustrated with nice color photos. All three books are in Chinese. There is also a catalog of merchant scrip (paper money) issued in Shanghai during 1938-1940. The eBay seller, coinsxzh, carries many numismatic books, including books on Chinese stocks & bonds, ration coupons and Mao badges. I have successfully ordered a few books from him, but his prices and shipping charges are very high.

Regarding Thomas Kinder (1817-1884), who was in charge of the Hong Kong Mint and then the Osaka Mint, there is a biography in English: Thomas William Kinder and the Japanese Imperial Mint 1868-1875, by Roy S. Hanashiro, Brill Academic Publishing, 1999 (234 pages). I haven't seen the book, so I can't comment on it. I believe it is available through Amazon.com.

It is indeed available on Amazon, where I found the cover image and description below.

Regarding the Italian coin for the 150th anniversary of the Lira - the designs on the reverse are all taken from various Italian coins from that period -- the flying woman, flying horse, grapes, etc.

The recent recollections of the Million Dollar display at the Seattle World's Fair recall another era in the growth and development of Coin World. The lavish publicity accorded to what was little more than an enormous heap of silver coins piled on a floor mirrored the paper's desperate need for copy. When the founding editor, knowledgeable numismatist, D. Wayne Johnson, was ousted, there was a spell without a whole lot of real numismatic leadership at CW, and much was made of such marginal items as the Behlen pile, that was made into what the kids call a B.F.D.