NEW BOOK: THE REFERENCE LIBRARY OF A NUMISMATIC BOOKSELLER

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V16 2013 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 16, Number 5, February 3, 2013, Article 4

Wow. Now HERE'S a book bibliophiles should be aflutter over - a detailed catalog of the reference library of the dean of America's numismatic literature dealers, George Kolbe. -Editor

The book begins with a foreword by Jonathan H. Kagan and the preface traces the early years of Kolbe’s career as a numismatic bookseller. It is followed by a brief introduction. Interesting and informative notes and commentary will be found throughout the book, including anecdotes, observations on the importance and rarity of certain titles, including their scope and content, etc.

The volume comprises a detailed catalogue of the compiler’s reference library, formed over four decades as a dealer in rare and out of print numismatic publications. In essence it is a bibliography of numismatic bibliographies and related publications. While the author makes no claim of completeness, well over one thousand publications are listed and described, organized into categories such as early numismatic bibliographies (listed chronologically); numismatic bibliographies published from 1822 to 2012 (arranged by topic or locale); economic, financial, and banking bibliographies; philatelic reference works with numismatic content; numismatic library and exhibition catalogues; numismatic bookplates; numismatic institution and society histories; numismatic biographies; numismatic directories; numismatic literature auction sale catalogues; and various other headings.

Despite a narrowly defined focus, it is hoped that the book will be more generally useful to serious numismatic researchers, collectors and dealers by both its organization and extensiveness. Seventy-five copies of the regular edition, 7.5 by 10.25 inches, remain available for sale, each priced at $195.00 plus shipping. Inquiries or orders may be sent directly to the author at P.O. Box 3100, Crestline, CA 92325–3100; email: GFK@numislit.com. The Large Paper copies are attractively bound in quarter leather and are approximately an inch wider and taller than the regular edition. Inquiries on availability and price may be directed to the author.

Co-founder of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society, promoter of the hobby and tireless cataloguer and seller of numismatic books of the world, George's reference library contains a trove of data from the very first numismatic book onward.

The book's Foreword by Jonathan Kagan summarizes it well:

"This is no ordinary dealer's reference library; but quite simply the finest specialized library of numismatic bibliography ever established. It is a labor of love and skill that required almost half a century to assemble... When annotated and most importantly, as is the case here, intelligently organized, a bibliography of bibliographies - often called a metabibliography - can be a valuable tool. I have no doubt that "The Reference Library Of A Numismatic Bookseller will be valued by researchers for the next 350 years."

-Editor