WORKMAN'S BOOKS SALE 8 SELECTIONS

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V29 2026 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 29, Number 14, 2026, Article 3

Alan Workman has a numismatic literature sale closing April 25, 2026. Here's an update and selected lots. -Editor

Workman's Books announces its eighth bid sale is LIVE
A Fine Selection of Numismatic and Treasure Books, Auction Catalogs and Magazines

Workman's Books is pleased to present its eighth sale, featuring a substantial and carefully curated selection of literary material and related media focused on Spanish American, United States, Ancient, and World numismatics, as well as buried and sunken treasure, metal detecting, treasure hunting, underwater archaeology, and piracy. The auction includes a number of rare and desirable works bearing author signatures or inscriptions, with notable names such as Mel Fisher, Kip Wagner, Mendel Peterson, Robert Marx, and "Frogfoot" Weller represented. This single-session sale will begin closing at 10:00 AM EDT on April 25, 2026, and will offer 503 lots, including rare, vintage, and out-of-print books, post-auction catalogs, magazines and journals, maps, postcards, and vintage media formats such as VHS tapes and DVDs.

This bid sale is being held through the online venue iCollector, and all registrations, approvals, and bids will be handled there. For this bid sale the lots will be closing on a timed interval with extensions of 1 minute for any bids placed within 1 minute of closing. If you already have an iCollector account, you still must "GET APPROVED" to bid for each sale by entering and confirming your information for this bid sale, like reviewing your shipping information and choosing your preferred way of payment. Remember, tie bids go to the earliest bidders, so don't wait for the lots to close to bid on anything for which you have a strict number in mind.

Now is the perfect time to register for the bid sale, as any registration issues can certainly be accommodated more easily in advance. Do not wait to register the last day. Registration and bidding online are always FREE (no extra fees or percentages for bidding online). Once you are registered and automatically approved, first be sure to bookmark the items that interest you.

Lot 30: Borrell, Pedro J. THE QUICKSILVER GALLEONS - THE SALVAGE OF THE SPANISH GALLEONS NUESTRA SENORA DE GUADALUPE AND EL CONDE DE TOLOSA. Underwater Archaeological Recovery Commission, Dominican Republic. 1984. 8vo. 122 pages. original pictorial card covers. B&w and color photos and illustrations throughout. English text. Fine. This book tells how two Spanish Galleons, the 'Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe' and 'El Conde de Tolosa', sank in 1724 off the coast of the Dominican Republic.. and the salvage of them in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Many of the artifacts recovered are illustrated. Lot weight: 0 lbs 11oz. Subject(s): Sunken Treasure.

Lot 40: Breen, Walter. WALTER BREEN'S COMPLETE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF U.S. AND COLONIAL COINS. FCI Press, Inc/Doubleday, New York. 1988. 4to. xiv, 754 pages. original black cloth, gilt, jacket. Tables. Glossary. Bibliography. b&w coin photos throughout. English text. Fine. Drawing on a lifetime of research, America's top coin historian presents the most comprehensive guide to U.S. coins ever published. It covers every conceivable aspect of American numismatics. The definitive numismatic reference book for the advanced collector, with over 4,000 illustrations. Lot weight: 5 lbs 0oz. Subject(s): United States Coinage.

Lot 61: Calico, Xavier. NUMISMATICA ESPANOLA. CATALOGO DE LAS ACUNACIONES REALIZADAS DESDE LOS REYES CATOLICOS A JUAN CARLOS I 1474 A 2020. Aureo & Calico, Barcelona. 2019. 4to. 575, (1) pages. original black leatherette, gilt, jacket. Eleventh Edition. Color coin photos throughout. Spanish text. Fine. This book is a comprehensive illustrated catalog and price guide to the gold, silver, and copper coinage of the various monarchs and mints in Spain and Spanish America from 1474 to 2020. Lot weight: 5 lbs 13oz. Subject(s): Spanish, Spanish American Coinage.

Lot 85: Craig, Alan K. SPANISH COLONIAL GOLD COINS IN THE FLORIDA COLLECTION. The University of Florida Press, Gainesville. 2000. 4to. xiv, (2), 94, (2) pages. original dark tan cloth over ochre boards, gilt, jacket. Inscribed by the author. Map. Tables. Appendices. Notes. Bibliography. 16 color coin plates. B&w photos and line illustrations. English text. Fine. This is a catalog of the gold cobs in the State of Florida Collection that were recovered from the 1715 Spanish Plate Fleet wrecks and handed over to the state as part of their division from the salvors. A history of the salvage operations, the minting processes, the mints, and the coins are covered in this work. Lot weight: 1 lbs 2oz. Subject(s): Spanish American Coinage.

Lot 145: Gilboy, Frank F. THE MILLED COLUMNARIOS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA - SPANISH AMERICAN PILLAR COINAGE, 1732 TO 1772. Prairie Wind Publishing, Inc., Regina. 1999. 4to. x, 293, (1) pages. original blue cloth, lettered in silver, jacket. Maps. Appendix. Bibliography. B&w coin photos and line illustrations throughout. Errata sheet laid in. English text. Fine. This is THE BOOK on pillar dollars, with incredible detail on design features and changes, development history, and background. Covers all denominations and mints and notes each coin's rarity. Lot weight: 2 lbs 13oz. Subject(s): Spanish American Coinage.

Lot 201: Lazaro, Jose Luis. LOS REDONDOS DE LIMA, MEJICO Y POTOSI Y OTRAS ACUNACIONES ESPECIALES. Jose Luis Lazaro Dominguez, Madrid. 1996. 8vo. 461, (3) pages. original brown leatherette, lettered in silver. First Edition. Limited edition, copy #546 of 1000 copies. B&w coin photos throughout. addenda booklet laid in. Spanish and English text. Fine. This book is a foundational reference for identifying and classifying some of the rarest and most prestigious Spanish colonial silver coins: the "redondos" (round) pieces of eight. Unlike the typical irregularly shaped "cobs" of the era, these special round strikes from the mints of Lima, Mexico City, and Potosí were often produced for specific ceremonies or as high-quality presentation pieces. The work provides essential technical data, historical context, and detailed illustrations that help collectors distinguish authentic specimens from common issues and understand the unique minting circumstances of these "special strikes". Lot weight: 3 lbs 1oz. Subject(s): Spanish American Coinage.

Lot 239: Mathewson, R. Duncan, III. TREASURE OF THE ATOCHA - A FOUR HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR ARCHAEOLOGICAL ADVENTURE. Pisces Books, New York. 1986. 8vo. 160 pages. original black embossed cloth, gilt, jacket. Signed and inscribed by Mel Fisher. Published in conjunction with the Seafarers Heritage Library. Mapped endpages. Appendices. Bibliography. Maps. B&w and color photos and illustrations throughout. English text. Fine. This book tells the story of the finding and salvage of the 'Atocha', which sank off Key West, Florida in 1622, from the archaeologist's perspective. The author was the lead archaeologist who worked on the 'Atocha' salvage. Lot weight: 1 lbs 5oz. Subject(s): Sunken Treasure.

Lot 308: Rock, Jeff. ROSA AMERICANA, LTD. PRESENTS FIXED PRICE LIST NUMBER NINETEEN. Rosa Americana, Ltd, San Diego. 2010. 4to. 276 pages. original tan printed card covers. 28 b&w coin plates. English text.Fine. Lot weight: 1 lbs 14oz. Subject(s): United States Coinage.

Lot 444: Ponterio & Associates, Inc. THE PAUL KARON POTOSI COB COLLECTION. March 17, 1990. 4to. 1-1212 Lots. Original pictorial card covers. Public Auction Sale. Sale No. 42. Chicago. 96 Pages. 29 b&w plates. PRL. English text. Fine. This post auction sale catalog is a seminal reference work specifically focused on the Potosi mint. It documents the Paul Karon Collection, which was groundbreaking for its time because it featured high-quality photographs of nearly every lot, including smaller and often overlooked denominations. Beyond being a simple auction record, the catalog is valued for its expert scholarly articles on rare 1652 transitional cobs and half-reale denominations, making it an essential "bookcase" resource for identifying and pedigreing high-grade Bolivian silver cobs. Of special note in this collection are 28 heart-shaped cobs including a 1710 and a 1734 8 reales, a 1701 and a 1734 4 reales, and 58 royals including a 1725, 1751 and 1756 8 reales and 1727 4 reales. Lot weight: 1 lbs 0oz. Subject(s): Bolivian Coinage.

Lot 454:Sotheby's - New York. TREASURES FROM THE 'S.S. CENTRAL AMERICA'. December 8-9, 1999. 4to. 1-250 Lots. Original pictorial card covers. Signed by several well-known individuals related to Sotheby's, United States gold coin market and sunken treasure salvage as follows (from top to bottom, left to right): Dick Downes, treasure salvor and coin dealer; Tom Sebring, author of the sunken treasure book, "Treasure Tales. Shipwrecks and Salvage"; James Morton, head of Sotheby's numismatic branch; David Tripp, the Sotheby's cataloger for the sale; Don Kagin, well-known US gold coin dealer; the late David Redden, Sotheby auctioneer; John Kleeburg, a well-known numismatic author; and an unidentified signature. Public Auction Sale. New York. 205 pages. b&w and color coin and ingot photos throughout. PRL. English text. Fine.

This auction sale catalog includes numismatic material from the United States with the main focus on coins recovered from the wreck 'S.S. Central America'. The sale includes 250 lots of spectacular Gold Rush era gold coins (mostly double eagles), gold bars (many from rare private California mints), and nuggets salvaged from the steamer, 'S.S. Central America,' which sank off the coast of North Carolina in 1857. The history of many of the private mints are also provided, along with many vivid color photographs.

New York, Sale 7415, original pictorial card covers, 205 pages, color & b&w plated throughout, fine, includes revised estimates list laid in, The auction was originally scheduled to be held on December 8 & 9, 1999 in New York City but was actually held on June 20 & 21, 2000 due to a law suit which delayed the sale. Lot weight: 1 lbs 9oz. Subject(s): United States Coinage.