"In Praise of Bibliomania reminded me of The Twilight Zone episode "Time Enough at Last". That's all we need to see to understand everything!"
Indeed. We discussed this back in 2009 - see the earlier article (linked below) for more.
-Editor
The photo is from an episode of the "Twilight Zone". This bibliophile was named Henry Bemis (played by Meredith) and is from the first season of the show, in 1959. The name of the story is "Time Enough at Last" and is about a bookish bank teller who has a childlike fascination for the written word...any written word be it books, periodicals, or newspapers.
He delights in taking any moment to read, through his incredibly thick "coke-bottle" glasses, even on his salaried time. He is constantly harassed by his wife, customers and boss for his love of print to the point that he must sneak into the bank's vault where he works to read on his lunch hour.
During one such visit, a nuclear bomb blast levels his city, leaving him unscathed, whereupon he exits to find that he has "time enough at last" to read all he wants when he finds the local library's contents scattered about.
David Fanning submitted this minor correction. Thank you.
-Editor
I enjoyed Pete Smith's article on Frossard, who has always been a favorite of mine. I have a small correction to make, though. He wrote:
"With George M. Parsons, he wrote Franco-American Jetons, Fully Described and Illustrated [bound with] The Colonial Jetons of Louis XV and Other Pieces Relating to the French Colonial Possessions in America, and to their Conquest by England, published in 1899."
These are two completely different works, one by Parsons and the other by Frossard. Neither work was jointly written. They were published 15 years apart and are usually encountered separately. I have handled two copies that were bound together, as both are short monographs on the same subject, such as this:
Frossard & Parsons on Franco-American Jetons
127 Frossard, Ed. FRANCO-AMERICAN JETONS, FULLY DESCRIBED AND ILLUSTRATED. New York: Privately Published, 1899. 14, (2) pages; 52 descriptions; 2 very fine plates. [bound with] Parsons, George M. THE COLONIAL JETONS OF LOUIS XV AND OTHER PIECES RELATING TO THE FRENCH COLONIAL POSSESSIONS IN AMERICA, AND TO THEIR CONQUEST BY ENGLAND. Columbus: Reprinted for Private Circulation from the American Journal of Numismatics, 1884. 15, (1) pages; 1 fine plate of jetons and medals. Tall 8vo, later blue cloth, gilt; original printed card covers bound in. The Frossard work is a bit worn, and bears some modern annotations; the Parson work is nearly fine; the overall volume is near fine. $200
The first work is very scarce, of which only 100 copies were printed. The monograph was dedicated to the notable Chicago numismatist Charles Morris, whose collection of jetons undoubtedly formed the basis of Frossard's detailed catalogue. Still cited and quite useful. The offprint of Parsons's AJN article is at least as scarce: this copy is unusually well-preserved and includes the original printed card covers. Ex Joseph Foster Library; ex Richard Cooper Library.
To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
EDOUARD FROSSARD (1837-1899)
(https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n48a16.html)
Richmond, VA Chinese Workers Paid in Chinese Cash Coins?
David Pickup writes:
"I picked up a cheap Chinese cash coin and when I found it there was a reference to Chinese labourers working on the railroad in Richmond, Virginia who were paid in Chinese cash. Do any readers know of this? I could only find one reference to it. It would make sense as they would have to use the cash at company stores. It was a coin of the Emperor of China, Kao Tsung. His reign title was Ch'ien Lung."
David found a discussion on a metal detecting forum.
Can anyone help?
-Editor
To read the complete thread, see:
Chinese Coin: Real or Fake?
(https://metaldetectingforum.com/index.php?threads/chinese-coin-real-or-fake.24142/)
The Hidden Treasures Of The Royal Mint Museum
Kavan Ratnatunga writes:
"To mark the coronation of King Charles the III and the entry of coins with the Kings image into circulation HistoryHit were invited behind closed doors of the Royal Mint to get a unique glimpse of the processes that go into designing and minting of Britain's currency and discover some of the pivotal moments in the history of the relationship between the crown and their coinage.
A very interesting YouTube Video, including Newton, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, and the value of coinage. Worth watching the 15-minute video 1.25X works. I learned a lot that I did not know."