ASYLUM AUTUMN 2019 ISSUE PUBLISHED

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V22 2019 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 22, Number 35, September 1, 2019, Article 2

The latest issue of our print journal The Asylum is on the way to the mailboxes of Numismatic Bibliomania Society members. Here is the table of contents and a message from our President Tom Harrison. Another great lineup of articles! -Editor

Thanks to all members who have been submitting such interesting articles. Keep them coming!

• Report from the NBS Symposium and NBS Annual Meeting, including The Asylum awards and results of the NBS Annual Benefit Auction By Joel J. Orosz

• A Small Beginning: The First Six Volumes of The Numismatist By Len Augsburger

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society's 40th anniversary milestone is now history. It was a great week of biblio fun, education and fellowship. Again this year we hosted the NBS club table that was located between literature dealers Charles Davis and Kolbe & Fanning. The table provided an opportunity for friends of the NBS to view items from Friday's Benefit Auction, receive a commemorative 40th anniversary coffee mug for a $25 donation to the NBS, and most of all, it served as a gathering place to share our passion for the hobby. Throughout the week, members and friends of the NBS stopped by, pulled up a chair and engaged in discussions on a variety of topics. Thanks to Len Augsburger, Joel Orosz and Kellen Hoard for hosting the table.

On Thursday our Symposium featured two outstanding presentations. First we were excited to have NBS Vice President Len Augsburger, provide a fascinating in-depth discussion on the legendary first six volumes of The Numismatist (see article in this issue for more). Also, we were privileged to welcome American Numismatic Society Deputy Director, Dr. Gilles Bransbourg, who gave a presentation on the ANS publication policy and shared other news from the ANS.

Friday's General Meeting included The Asylum author awards and the presentation of the George Fredrick Kolbe Lifetime Achievement Award. The Jack Collins Award for the best article by a first time author was presented to Michael Shutterly for his fine article Buy the Book for the Coin: Books for the Byzantine Coin Collector. The Joel J. Orosz Award for the best article appearing in The Asylum was presented to Joel J. Orosz for his outstanding article Associations: Del Bland's William H. Sheldon-Inscribed Copy of Early American Cents: Before the Sheriff Nabbed the Switcher. The George Fredrick Kolbe Lifetime Achievement Award was last bestowed in 2015. This year the Board awarded this medal to the late Charles Ricard who with his son, Marc, designed and funded the dies for this prestigious medallic award. The meeting also featured presentations by The E-Sylum Editor, Wayne Homren, and Newman Numismatic Portal Coordinator, Len Augsburger, reporting on The E-Sylum and Newman Numismatic Portal respectively.

Again this year, our one major fundraising event, the Benefit Auction, was a success due to many generous donors and enthusiastic bidders stepping up to the plate. The auction, a generous $250 donation and the sale of our 40th anniversary coffee mugs raised nearly $6000 for the NBS! On behalf of the entire NBS membership, I want to share a heartfelt thank you to the donors and bidders and to David Fanning for cataloging the sale and serving as our auctioneer.

Visiting the collector exhibits provided bibliophiles an opportunity to view two outstanding literature exhibits. Conventioneers were treated to an amazing display of rare books related to Napoleonic medals titled The Numismatic Literature of Napoleonic Medals. The other outstanding display demonstrated how a single gold solidus struck by Byzantine emperor Theophilos launched one collector's bibliomania.

The special 40th anniversary week was capped off by a tour of Dan Hamelberg's incomparable library on Sunday. Not only was this an opportunity to visit the most comprehensive private library of American numismatic literature, but it also provided a wonderful day of fun and fellowship. A very special thank you to Dan and his wife Connie and to Len Augsburger who made the travel arrangements.

As a result of many devoted members giving their time, talent and resources, this was an amazing week of NBS enjoyment from start to finish. THANK YOU ALL! May your numismatic library provide investigation, discovery and most of all, enjoyment.

Invasion of Champaign
Following this year's World's Fair of Money, NBS members joined Dan Hamelberg at his home in Champaign, Illinois to explore his numismatic library. Watch a video tour of this event, produced by Lianna Spurrier, under sponsorship of the Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society. (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/567853)

Remember, while The E-Sylum is free to all, only paid members of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society receive our print journal, The Asylum. Print/Digital membership is $40 to addresses in the U.S., and $75 elsewhere. A digital-only membership is available for $25. -Editor