LOOSE CHANGE: MAY 24, 2026

 
Lot 1582. George III, 1760-1820. AR Pattern Crown, 1817. By B. Pistrucc

To read the complete lot description, see:
https://www.numisbids.com/sale/10607/lot/1582

To read the complete article, see:
Benedetto Pistrucci, the Parthenon frieze, and St. George (https://new.coinsweekly.com/coins-medals-more/benedetto-pistrucci-the-parthenon-frieze-and-st-george/)

 

The idea for the library gained steam in the late 1800s, with the death of former New York governor Samuel J. Tilden. In life he had strongly believed in the need for a public library, and his will left over $2 million for its inception.

For years, New York City had already had two major libraries — the Astor and the Lenox. The Astor Library was purely a reference stock hold, and as such it did not circulate its books. The Lenox was even more exclusive as a collection of rare books intended primarily for scholarship. The Lenox was free, but required tickets of admission.

In 1895, a plan was solidified to combine the Lenox and Astor libraries with the Tilden funds to create a truly public New York library. More than 1 million books were available for checkout. Around 40,000 visitors showed up on opening day. In the following years, Scottish-American steel baron Andrew Carnegie helped to fund branch libraries across the city.

To read the complete article, see:
The Writer's Almanac from Saturday, May 23, 2015 (https://www.writersalmanac.org/index.html%3Fp=10044.html)

To read an earlier E-Sylum article, see:
ARTICLE: THE PUBLIC LIBRARY IS STILL HERE (https://coinbooks.org/esylum_v15n37a20.html)

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