NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: DECEMBER 26, 2010
The E-Sylum (12/25/2010)
Book Content
Len Augsburger writes:
Tom DeLorey is retiring from Harlan Berk at the end of 2010. Tom notes that he will continue numismatic writing, in addition to some well deserved "goofing off" time. Tom has been at Harlan Berk since 1989, and a coin store has been at this location even longer (since 1949), at the corner of Clark and Madison Streets in the Chicago loop.
Regarding the design of the Union Shield cent, Arthur Shippee writes:
It looks like the Warner Brothers shield to me... I keep expecting Bugs Bunny to burst through!
Regarding the National Public Radio transcript of a piece on the Union Shield cent, Pete Smith writes:
Who transcribed the item about the NPR interview with Robert Hoge? I understand how "dyes" might be an issue in the printing of paper money, but I do not believe our current cents are dyed prior to release into circulation.
Last week Fred Schwan described how members of the Military Payment Certificate (MPC) collecting community often collect particular "numbers" - serial number, plate position number, etc. Describing Larry Smulczenski's favorite number 39, Fred asked, "Can anyone figure out why he collects this particular number?"
Pete Smith writes:
Why does Larry Smulczenski collect items with the number 39?
1. Perhaps, like Jack Benny, it represents his age.
2. Taking a hint from this week's "Car Talk Puzzler", perhaps it represents the number of letters in his name.
Pete's first guess was correct about Larry's obsession with the number 39. Fred writes: "It is his age and has been for many years."
To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: NUMBER NUTS: COLLECTING SPECIALLY NUMBERED BANKNOTES (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n51a16.html)
Spectrum Group International, Inc. (SPGZ.PK) announced today that its subsidiary Bowers and Merena Auctions, one of the world’s pre-eminent auctioneers of rare coins and currency, has entered into an agreement with Stack’s, the oldest rare coin retail and auction company in the U.S., to combine their operations.
The new company, which will be known as Stack’s-Bowers Numismatics, with a world coin division to be known as Stack’s-Bowers and Ponterio, will be owned 51% by Bowers and Merena Auctions and 49% by Stack’s. The closing, which is subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions, is expected to take place in early 2011.
Greg Roberts, president and chief executive officer of Spectrum Group (SGI), commented, “We believe that this combination, once consummated, will create a major player in the coin industry. Stack’s had over $65 million in aggregate sales in 2010 and between them, the two companies have handled many of the significant coin collections that have sold at public auction, including the Eliasberg Sales, the Norweb Sales and the Ford Collections.”
To read the complete article, see: BOWERS AND MERENA AUCTIONS TO JOIN FORCES WITH STACK’S TO CREATE STACK’S-BOWERS NUMISMATICS (www.coinlink.com/News/auction-news/bowers
-and-merena-auctions-and-stacks-announce-merger/)