NUMISMATIC SCRAPBOOK CONTRIBUTOR TOKENS

 

Bill Gibbs' comments on the Numismatic Scrapbook reminded me of a short set of brass contributor tokens that Lee Hewitt had had struck by Osborne Register as small thank you gifts to contributors of the magazine. The obverses are simply the first five Presidents in one of Osborne's stock token sets. The standard reverse has TO A CONTRIBUTOR -- FOR YOUR EFFORTS IN THE ADVANCEMENT OF NUMISMATICS within a circle with THE NUMISMATIC SCRAPBOOK MAGAZINE around the top and CHICAGO at the bottom. See attached.

I had found one of the early issues at a coin show somewhere, and by checking with token and medal dealers was able to complete the first three. I then spoke with Arlie Slabaugh at an ANA convention, and he wrote out the attached note.

 

   

After that I wrote to Mr. Hewitt and asked if by any chance he had the 4th and 5th ones, explaining that I had been writing for the Scrapbook at its end, and he graciously sent me one of each, along with one of each for David T. Alexander, the last Editor of NSM.

His letter (attached) reads as follows:

Sept. 9/ 78
Dear Mr. DeLorey
Your letter regarding Contributor Tokens recd.
I believe 100 each of the first 5 presidents were struck by Osborne.
I'm enclosing a 4th and 5th for you and 4th & 5th for Alexander.
The 1st and 2nd were distributed in total and 4th & 5th all that I can lay hands on immediately.

Yours,
Lee F. Hewitt

It was somewhat ironic that Hewitt sold the Scrapbook to Amos Press because the weekly format introduced by Coin World in 1960 had destroyed the market for a private monthly numismatic magazine, and yet today Coin World itself only sees paper and ink once a month.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 : Numismatic Scrapbook and Coin World (https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n36a08.html)

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web