NNP

On April 8, 2023, Kellen Hoard and Jonas Denenberg visited the Wayne Homren numismatic library in Ashburn, VA, and recorded video of Wayne presenting an overview of his library. Wayne begins with the laws, a good place to start when it comes to numismatics – most modern coinage has a legislative record behind it, and researchers will do well to collect a few books in this area. From there we move into the core references for American coinage and paper money.

The rare book case includes the rare 1846 Pledges of History, a bound volume of early auction sales including the 1851 Roper auction, and a set of the Scott’s Coin Collectors Journal (1875-1888). From there we move into Wayne’s extensive ephemera files. Key items here include an original printing of the ANS constitution and bylaws, and a 1792 newspaper that published the text of April 2, 1792 Mint Act. 

Wayne presents Eric Newman and Ken Bressett’s The Fantastic 1804 Dollar as a case study in numismatic investigation, a veritable detective novel in Wayne’s view. Homren’s copy is signed both Newman and Bressett in addition to the volume’s “Associates in Research” Walter Breen and Lynn Glaser – the only such copy known.

Wayne concludes with an inside view of the E-Sylum creation process and provides a glimpse into the weekly evolution of everyone’s favorite numismatic e-publication. NNP acknowledges Lianna Spurrier, who edited the final video.

Link to Wayne Homren Library video on NNP: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/631024