Table Of Content

asYLam TRE The Quarterly Journal of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society www.coinbooks.org Volume XX, No. Winter 2002 1 CONTENTS President’s Message 2 by Pete Smith My Amazing Story by a 1795 B-10 Dollar 3 by W. David Perkins The Development of the Coin Album, Part 6 7 by David W. Lange Numismatics in the Age of Grolier 11 by George Kolbe F. A Selection of Desirable 19th Century Auction Sales Containing Important Canadian Numismatic Material 14 by Darryl A. Atchison Authorring in the Collecting of Titles 22 by Michael E. Marotta “You Don’t Say” Numismatic Gleanings from the Past 24 by Myron Xenos so U(A book'sfirst fife, it is true, depends upon its contents, but two or three years afterpubCication and thepagination, theprint, thepaper, the cover, the shape ofthe book begin to attract, andyear by year they attract more andmore untifthe book attains the gfory ofa Chinese vase in which there nothing but a dust” is fittfe giEongz mocxrje 1852-1933 ProvidedcourtesyofGeorgeFrederickKolbe/FineNumismaticBooks ~ www.numislit.com THE ASYLUM Y WINTER 2002 1 Bibliomania Society Officers President Vice-President Secretary-Treasurer Pete Smith John W. Adams David Sklow 2424 4th Street. NE, 60 State Street, 12th floor P.O. Box 761923 Minneapolis, MN 55418 Boston, MA 02109 Ocala, FL 34481 [email protected] [email protected] Members ofthe Board Dave Hirt, 591 1 Quinn Orchard Rd., Frederick, MD 21704. [email protected] John Kraljevich, P.O. Box 1224, Wolfeboro, NH, 03894 [email protected] Bob Metzger, P.O. Box 307, Lakeville, MN 55044-0307, [email protected] Joel Orosz, 4300 Old Field Trail, Kalamazoo, Ml 49008, [email protected] Scott Rubin, P.O. Box 6885, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, [email protected] Tom Sheehan, P.O. Box 1477, Edmonds, WA 98020, [email protected] The Jlsylum Vol. XX, No. 1 Consecutive Issue No. 77 WINTER 2002 Editor: E. Tomlinson Fort Editor-in-Chief: David Fanning P.O. Box 5035 1055-A Bruck St. Pittsburgh, PA 15206 Columbus, OH 43206 [email protected] [email protected] Advertising Rates Full Page $60.00 Inside Front, Inside or Outside Back Cover $65.00 Half Page $35.00 Discounts for multiple issue advertisers are available. For rates please contact editor. The Asylum is published quarterly. Manuscripts sent to the editor should be accompanied, if possible, by a Macintosh (preferred) or PC (if necessary) compati- ble floppy disk, zip disk or CD. Authors, please put your name(s) on all submitted material. All accepted manuscripts become the property of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society. For more information, please contact the editor. N.B.S. Membership: $15.00 annual dues in North America, $20.00 else- where. Members receive all issues of the current volume. Requests for membership should be submitted to the Secretary-Treasurer. ©2002 Numismatic Bibliomania Society 2 WINTER 2002 * THE ASYLUM message President’s by Pete Smith Each year NBS members have posium. We are looking for sug- an opportunity to meet at the gestions for the program. If you ANA convention, and we will would like to make a presenta- meet again this year in New York tion at the symposium, contact City. Your NBS board is making any board member with your plans for the event, and hope suggestion. that many members can make Our general membership meet- plans to join us. ing is scheduled for the follow- The Numismatic Bibliomania ing day, August 2, at 11:30 a.m. Society will be hosting a litera- This meeting will also be in the ture symposium at 1:00 p.m. on Ziegfield Room. Thursday, August 1. The meeting In past years, we have con- is scheduled for the Ziegfield ducted an auction of donated Room on the fourth floor of the items during our general meet- Marriott Marquis Hotel. ing. If you wish to make a dona- In past years, we had speakers tion, please contact any board or a panel discussion at the sym- member. Hew members Rudy Bahr, Colorado Springs, CO. Robert Knepper, Anaheim, CA Bryce Brown, Avon,CT Lucien R. Philppon, Southboro, MA Chris Connell, Colorado Springs, CO David Sundman, Littleton, NH David Crenshaw, Lawrenceville, Ronald Swerdloff, Long Beach,CA GA John Dembinski, Wayne,MI Barbara Gregory, Colorado Len Harsel, Springfield, VA CO Springs, Ira Rezak, Stony Brook, NY THE ASYLUM Y WINTER 2002 3 my Amazing Story by a 1795 B-10 Dollar As told to W. David Perkins I am a fine 1795 Bolender-10 July 1950. My photo is still there silver dollar. I have quite a tale after 50 years.3 to tell. Mr. Bolender took us many My story begins in the 1st half places so others could see us and of the 20th century. My earliest get to know us. went to con- I recollections are that am in the ventions with Mr. Bolender in I care of the Guttag Brothers, Chicago, Philadelphia, New somewhere in New York. York, Boston, Washington, Sometime prior to 1950 (my Milwaukee and various other memory is foggy), I am acquired cities. What fun we had. People by a Mr. Milferd H. Bolender loved seeing us wherever we who gives me a new home in went and were most appreciative Freeport, Illinois.1 I believe that that we were there.4 Julius Guttag and Mr. Bolender Mr. Bolender shared my photo were good friends as Mr. Guttag with those who collected us proposed Mr. Bolender for mem- when they bought his book. In bership in the American Numis- addition, was so special he I matic Association in January mailed my photograph so others 1925.2 could admire and study my Mr. Bolender loved me and details. And maybe find another studied me in great detail. He like me, although I doubt it - always said I was a very rare I'm pretty special. I can't remem- specimen and that there weren't ber to whom he mailed the pho- many like me. Mr. Bolender tos, but one person was a nice eventually adopted 183 or so of doctor in Baton Rouge, Louis- us. We were all similar, but dif- iana, who liked me (and the oth- ferent in our own little ways, ers like me). This doctor kept my even those the same age. In the picture for many years. Even- late 1940s Mr. Bolender pho- tually he gave my photo away tographed some of us. I feel very along with some books. I heard lucky to have been chosen. He the photo ended up with a gen- wrote a book about us and pub- tleman named Armand Champa lished along with my photo in somewhere in Kentucky. He kept it, 1 See 183rd Sale M.H. Bolender, February 23, 1952, lot 12. Pedigree information from sale catalog lot description. 2 “M.H. Bolender dies; early dollar scholar," Coin World, November 30, 1977. 3 M.H. Bolender, The United States Early Silver Dollars from 1794 to 1803 (Freeport, 1950), pi. II. M 4 "Introduction," 183rd Sale H. Bolender, February 23, 1952, p.4. 4 WINTER 2002 * THE ASYLUM this photograph of me until a gone. Interestingly, this photo couple of years ago when Mr. too was eventually sent to Champa mailed it to New Littleton, Colorado (by Mr. Hampshire for a short time. The Austin).7 But I digress again. photo then went to Baltimore Mr. Austin gave us all a good for a week or so, then back to home for years. Sometime New Hampshire for another around 1961, he can't remember week and then off to Littleton, nor can I, Mr. Austin sold us Colorado where it is now reunit- (here we go again, what a life!) ed with me.5 But digress. either to Mr. Bolender for a short I Saturday, February 23, 1952, 1 time or directly to a Mr. A. J. remember sadly. Mr. Bolender Ostheimer and his wife. Neither sold me (can you believe it) and I, nor Mr. Austin can remember the other 182 of us. For the most exactly how it came about. part we were to be separated Although Mr. and Mrs. widely for the remainder of our Ostheimer loved us and gave us lives. was slightly more fortu- a good home know we were I I nate as was kept "intact" with missed greatly by Mr. Austin.8 I all of us the same age. We were The Ostheimers kept us in acquired as a group in Bolender's Philadelphia and Hawaii. I'm not 183rd Sale and were mailed to sure but once or twice they may our new home in Salisbury, have taken us to a home they Maryland.6 A nice gentleman kept in Santa Fe, New Mexico.9 named K. P. Austin immediately We were lucky again (to be took up where Mr. Bolender left loved and to have a good home). off. Mr. Austin also loved and And life was pretty good. I now studied us. had year round tan as a result of Mr. Bolender sent photos of my travels and living in Hawaii. most of us "95s", myself includ- My tan is slightly on the dark ed, to Mr. Austin. This photo side, but I'm told look pretty I stayed around long after was darn good today. Everything was 1 5 Armand Champa Library Sale, Auctions by Bowers and Merena, Inc., September 10, 1995, lot 2093. Photo originally sent to Dr. Joseph Presley by M.H. Bolender. Correspondence and phone interview with Dr. Presley, 1996. 6 M.H. Bolender Sale, February 23, 1952, lots 3-19. K.P. Austin copy of sale catalogue, with invoice and correspondence from M. H. Bolender. Catalogue acquired at the Armand Champa Library sale, Auctions by Bowers and Merena, Inc., November 28, 1995, lot 3160. 7 September 12, 1996, letter to the author from K. P. Austin, with photos of 1795 dollars from Bolender collection enclosed. The note partially stated "Enclosed the copy of photos which came from Bol. when 1 bought the set." 8 Phone interview with K.P. Austin, September 12, 1996. Mr. Austin recalls selling his early dollar collection to Bolender, Bolender then selling the complete collection to A. J. Ostheimer by private sale. Author's research. A. J. Ostheimer and his wife had a home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, per Art Rubino, Numismatic Arts of Santa Fe, Fine Numismatic Books. THE ASYLUM * WINTER 2002 5 going well in Hawaii until one then it happened to the rest of We night in June 1968. About half us. were sold to a Mr. of us, including me and 112 oth- Goldberg of Superior Rare Coin ers that lived with the Galleries in Beverly Hills, Ostheimers, were kidnapped - California and were shipped to stolen from the Ostheimer's him and our new home shortly home while they were out!10 We after. He sold some of us to a Mr. were enclosed all together and Edwards Huntington Metcalf but were roughly handled, bumping that did not last long.14 don't I into each other frequently. 14 want to talk about where was 1 None of us were conscious so we until 1975. don't remember the details. In August 1970 was inter- I Were we dumped into the ocean viewed by Coin World newspa- at one point?12 Thankfully, Mr. per. They wrote about me and Ostheimer negotiated our return published my full picture in and we were on our way home. their August 1970, edition. 5, But when we got home we They called me "extremely rare" learned that the Ostheimers had and the only one known to Mr. been upset over this whole Ostheimer. They also mentioned ordeal and had shipped a bunch two old friends of mine, Mr. of us that were not kidnapped to M.H. Bolender and Mr. K.P. a Mr. Lester Merkin in New York Austin. But the rough times con- City to be sold. 13 And sure tinued - many of my friends enough, despite some possible were bought and sold in 1973 regrets by Mr. and Mrs. Os- and 1974 (and know said I I I theimer, over 100 of us were sold didn't want to talk about it!). to the highest bidder on Wed- Then in 1975, we learned that it nesday evening, September 18, was going to happen again to all 1968 at the Drake Hotel, Park of us. However, despite knowing Avenue and 56th Street, New was to be sold on Wednesday I York City. Those of us who had evening, August 20, 1975, the been kidnapped, and not sold in weeks prior to being sold were this 1968 sale, were now back fun.15 A large number of promi- home locked up safely (finally). nent numismatists viewed and We led a more dark and lonely studied me closely. remember a I existence for a few years. And gent with a long beard and a 10 "Burglars steal rare coins from Ostheimer," Coin World, July 3, 1968, p. 1. 11 "Ostheimer pays ransom for return of coins," Coin World, September 25 1968, p. 1. 12 "Ostheimer corrects error concerning missing proof," Coin World, October 23, 1968, p. 3. 13 Phone interview with Jules Reiver, 1999. 14 Interview with Larry Goldberg at Ira and Larry Goldberg Rare Coins, Beverly Hills, California, August 12, 2000. 15Superior Stamp and Coin Co., Inc. ANA Auction Sale, August 19-23, 1975. 6 WINTER 2002 * THE ASYLUM funny shirt on - think his called "the bourse." I name was Breen. noted that he remained with Mr. Willasch I I wrote in his catalog by my until May 27, 1990, when my description "R-7+, Probably 2nd new owner, a David Perkins in or 3rd" [finest known] and Littleton, acquired me in Color- underlined "Reverse illustrated ado. 18 He, like the majority in Bolender book." He and before him, loves and studies another gentleman, a Mr. Jack me. He writes letters to my for- Collins, must have been friends mer owners. He buys auction as Mr. Collins upon seeing me catalogues that were owned by wrote in his catalog "high R-7 my former owners and others and 1 of 3 finest, probably sec- who had made notes while view- ond finest." They both made me ing me. He acquired miscella- feel special - guess you could neous items pertaining to me 1 say that "I still had it" after all and to the former owners. He those years! 16 1 also remember has pictures of me from all over. being carefully handled by a nice He even found a photograph of man named Jules Reiver.17 And me a book by in a Robert P. Hilt so many others don't remem- called Die Varieties ofEarly United I ber.... States CoinsJ9 I'm not even sure Somehow was acquired by a how my picture got in this book. I Mr. H. Roland Willasch who, like But I do know my latest owner the majority before him, loved loves me, keeps me in a safe and studied me. know him place and comes to visit with me I acquiring me in an auction sale often. Most importantly he was unusual. believe he liked to promised to keep me for a long 1 find those like me on something time. Until next time... 16 A.N.A. Auction Sale, Superior Stamp and Coin Co., Inc. August 19-23, 1975, Walter Breen copy and Jack Collins copy (ex. Kolbe 5/94), owned by author. 1 7 Phone interview with Jules Reiver, 1996. Jules Reiver attended Superior Stamp and Coin's ANA Auction Sale and lot viewing in person, August, 1975. 18 The Father Flannagan's Boys Home Sale, Superior Galleries. May 27-29, 1990, lot 448. 19 R.P. Hilt II, Die Varieties ofEarly United States Coins (Omaha, 1980), pp 64-65 (plates). THE ASYLUM * WINTER 2002 7 Development o! the Coin fflbum Part 6 by David W. Lange “Imitation is the most sincere Delaware River, as Lester is just form of plagiarism." south of Philadelphia. I wish I'd said that. Well, who- These folders were of the same ever did say it may have been basic dimensions as the referring to coin folders - at Whitman folders and used the least, I'd like to think so. same layout and color scheme of The immense success of silver printing on navy blue cov- Whitman's blue folders for col- ers. Inside, royal blue boards lecting coins led to most rival replaced the insignia blue typical manufacturers adopting the of Whitman folders, and their same format and dimensions. silver lettering was a little more The most obvious exceptions stylish than Whitman's black. were those manufacturers whose Shore Line's graphics were slight- folders preceded those of ly different, and the backing Whitman, namely Oberwise and paper of each folder was coated Dansco. I'll have more to say with a tarnish-resistant “poly- about these makers in later ethelene" [sic] film. While a installments of this series. For worthwhile nod toward preser- the present, let's look at just one vation, it's doubtful that this fea- line of folders that were near ture was truly effective, since the clones of the Whitman product edges of the holes were not coat- right down to the color scheme ed, and the coins could simply used. The early 1960s witnessed the peak of coin collecting's mass popularity. Not surprisingly, this period produced the greatest outpouring of coin folders and albums, though the recent mania over statehood quarters has already rivaled it in the sheer number of brands to be found. One maker of coin folders during the peak years of 1963-64 was Shore Printing, of Lester, Pennsylvania. Its line of folders was issued under the banner of Shore Line Coin Collector, and more than fifty titles were offered. The shoreline of this brand's name was that of the a WINTER 2002 # THE ASYLUM tarnish from their edges inward. that time. Collections assembled It's likely that this brand was a during those years are still being regional one, distributed primar- brought into coin shops today. ily within the eastern states. I Used Shore Line folders are occa- say this not only because the sionally offered within the piles folders were printed there but of Whitman folders found in also because rarely encountered shops and at shows, and they 1 them when lived in California. make nice collectibles. The sell- I They are far more prevalent ers typically don't even notice among dealers' stocks of used that they're not Whitman fold- folders now that I live in New ers, and prices of 50 cents to a Jersey and do my album hunting dollar are common. here. Well made, the Shore Line doubt that all of the titles I folders have held up better than listed on the endflap of each most competing brands, and the folder were actually produced. more basic titles may be found I've encountered only a small in collectable condition. percentage of the total roster As with most manufacturers of given, and these same few titles coin folders and albums active keep reappearing. If the remain- during the early 1960s, Shore ing titles were indeed produced Printing did a cut and run when and distributed, they may be the popularity of collecting coins considered rarities today. from circulation fizzled at the As will be noted from the list- end00o3f 1964. A search on the ing below, there are a few vari- Internet failed to turn up a Shore ants of the same basic titles. For Printing in Lester or in any other example, Shore Line corrected city, and the company probably itself when someone noticed no longer exists. that "Buffalo Head Nickels" was 1002 I've never seen any advertise- a misnomer, and the revised ver- ments for Shore Line folders in sion reads "Buffalo Nickels." The contemporary numismatic publi- folders actually own and whose I cations, so their target market exact titles have thus been con- wa1s11c3learly the general public firmed are indicated by a plus (+) caught up in the coin mania of sign. Number Title Large Cents 1793-1821 Large Cents 822-1 857 1 1 1004 ..+... Eagle-lndian Head Cents 1857-1909 1005 ..+... Lincoln Head Cents 1909-1940 1006 ..+... Lincoln Head Cents 1941 -Present 008 Cents-Plain 1 Shield Type Nickels 866-1 883 1 1114 ..+... Liberty Head Nickels 883-1 912 1 1115 ..+... Buffalo Head Nickels 91 3-1 938 1 1115 Buffalo Nickels 191 3-1 938 1116 ..+... Jefferson Head Nickels 1938-Present