"I was shocked to read in The E-Sylum that Tom Fort has passed away. He was three years younger than me--the very definition of leaving us too soon. I enjoyed my visit to the "Fort Memorial Library" during the 2004 Pittsburgh ANA, and never dreamed that this ironic designation would become sadly apposite so soon.

I last saw him several years ago, when I took him and one of his friends to lunch in Kalamazoo during a break from their presentations at the Medieval Institute held annually at Western Michigan University. He was, as Kenny Lowe would have said, a mensch, and will be remembered as a fine editor of The Asylum."

Indeed. I was able to attend services for Tom this past Wednesday. Don Carlucci, Chairman of the Board of the Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists gave a wonderful eulogy. Tom will be in our hearts and on our minds at this week's PAN show. -Editor

"Thanks for covering the porcelain 'Coin Collector'. Attached are a couple others I've collected over the period of several moons."

"I saw the little blurb about the Goebel Coin Collector figurine. I went on eBay and snapped one up. I had no idea they even made this. One more item for the coin room."

Glad to help! Happy collecting. -Editor

Scott Miller submitted these notes regarding the Lucky Tillicum pieces. -Editor

After about six people had asked me what ‘Lucky Tillicum' means, I started to try to find out for myself. You know, they're those little metal disks with my father's likeness stamped on them. I asked at several stores that sell them, but couldn't learn anything. Finally, a newspaper man told me that ‘Tillicum' is an Indian word meaning ‘lucky piece.' That makes the erdunant translation ‘Lucky Lucky Piece.'

Thanks. Interesting that there was a gold version struck. I wonder where it is today? -Editor

"I had to look that up, and assume 'erdunant' is a typo for 'redundant'."

"I was pleased to see that the Newman Numismatic Portal has looked at the catalogues from the old established firm of Glendining & Co., a firm well-known to Eric Newman. However, as the last Managing Director of the firm (1986-2000), I found the portal's resumé rather too simplistic. Glendining - UK auction house, today (2019) absorbed by Bonham's. Data source: content provided by auction company.

Glendining's had been absorbed by Phillips Son & Neale after World War II [1946] keeping its name and still run by its founder Douglas William Glendining, but had all but ceased trading following my departure. So the sad but real demise of the company started before the Bonhams purchase of Phillips in July 2001 (at a time after Bonhams had closed their separate Coin & Medal department). I think it would be fair to say that Bonhams have never captured the magic of the Glendining sales of old. However, I hope that the portal access will allow collectors and students of numismatic alike to realise the place Glendining's held in London for 90 years and just how amazing a company it was."

Thank you. I provided Daniel's note to Len Augsburger, and the company description has been updated. -Editor

"In the 1970's-80's I travelled frequently to both Turks and the American Pacific Islands for the collectibles business. Along with my associate, SGE (Robert A. Siegel's son-in-law) we'd seek out contracts with world governments (for coin, banknote & stamp production, distribution etc), setting up local employment bureaus to service the demand etc.

Turks & Caicos was a prime example, where I'd spend several months a year. Like many other island communities, it was a close knit society, and everyone knew that I wanted to buy paper money, tokens and conch pearls.

In Palau, where many of the Fei (I like this term better than Rai or Yap-Stones, as it reminds me of my friend and author of The Top 100 Morgan Dollar Varieties: The VAM Keys, M. Fey), were from, the Government treated me like royalty (with generous gifts and many ceremonial dinners, consisting over 20+ varieties of raw sea delights). And in the Federated States of Micronesia (where Yap is) I would hang out with the Postmaster General (previously the PMG of Hawaii), who of course knew everyone.

Naturally, I'd bring back many treasures, most of which have been sold over the years. Occasionally, I'll find a little treasure (usually a token or pearl - we had given a golf ball size conch pearl to Lady Diana for her wedding) stuffed in a drawer. And the only reminder of the Fei is this wood crocodile carving made by a prisoner at the Palau jail & signed in 1983.

Thanks! Cool stuff. -Editor

"I've been reading the weekly E-Sylum for the last couple years, complimentary of my ANA membership, and wish to thank you for putting together an incredible learning resource. While I'm not a bibliophile, there's enough info about coins themselves that make me want to read it first thing Monday. I also enjoyed watching a March NNP Symposium session with you, Craig Whitford, Jim Halperin and George Cuhaj [who I connect with Cliff Mischler's off-and-on column in Numismatic News and his "I had lunch with George Cuhaj at ____ Tuesday...].

Having retired three years ago from leading a software/data company for 31 years [the #3 largest real property title data company in the country], I can appreciate the "bleeding edge" risk. Salaries and related costs were, by far, our largest expense, with IT consuming the lion's share.

Speaking of retirement, that's how I got back into coins, after a 53-year hiatus [like many, I was a paperboy, delivering the New Haven Register growing up and started collecting coins as an outgrowth of this activity]. College, military service, raising a family and a career in business led me to put everything on hold until I had the time to pick up this fantastic hobby again December 2018.

Again, thank you for YOUR passion in putting together The E-Sylum each week---you do an outstanding job, one for which no amount of money could properly compensate you."

Thank you! Glad you enjoy it. It's always nice to hear from readers. -Editor

"Thank you for featuring my web site in your recent E-Sylum edition. Coincidentally, just this week I changed the domain name of my website as part of a rebranding effort, retiring the old business name north-trek. Would you please be willing to change the link provided to https://www.shawnhewitt.com/ ?"

DONE. Our webmaster Bruce Perdue updated the back-end link on that page to go to the new address, but since we keep our web archive as a historical record, "north-trek.com" is still seen as originally presented in the Featured Web Site article. Thanks for the update! Check out Shawn's site for great information on Minnesota obsolete notes and National Currency. -Editor

"This weekend's Wall Street Journal column Word On the Street by Ben Zimmer cites John Evelyn's 1697 Numismata as a source for the etymology of this week's word Melange (presently related to the new movie Dune). Interesting, if obscure, connection."

"And in Numismata, a 1697 treatise on ancient coins, John Evelyn describes a metal alloy known in antiquity as Corinthian brass, which was thought to fuse copper with gold and silver: There were indeed many exquisitely wrought Vessels said to be of that precious Melange."

Thanks! I missed that. Interesting connection. So what's the etymology of "rich, Corinthian leather"...? -Editor