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Nine pound Redbook

nencoinnencoin Posts: 1,221 ✭✭✭✭
edited August 2, 2018 10:42AM in U.S. Coin Forum

I was Googling to see if they made Redbooks or any coin books in braille and came across this E-Sylum article. What a cool story!

The E-Sylum: Volume 7, Number 44, October 31, 2004, Article 24

FIRST AND ONLY NUMISMATIC BOOK IN BRAILLE?

Rich Mantia writes: "I just read an issue of The E-Sylum while
jumping around on the internet and one of the articles caught
my attention. The question was posed as to the thickest
numismatic book and I'm reasonably sure that I own it. I
realize that pages and paper thickness matter, but for shear
thickness it would have to be my copy of the "Redbook".
Yes, The Guide Book of United States Coins by R. S.
Yeoman. I own the 1969 edition which was typed in braille
and is to the best of my knowledge unique. The book is
slightly thicker than 12 inches. It was so thick when typed
that it couldn't be bound in one volume. It takes nine volumes
to create the single book. Page counts vary from volume to
volume while the cover size remains at 11 1/2 by 12. It is
considered to be one book because it is fully transcripted
from the regular 1969 edition. This was done in 1969, not
recently. I also believe that it is the only numismatic book
that was ever written in braille. On the lighter side, it is not
this thick from ever having been water logged."

[If the date were April first I'd be certain this was a joke.
Blind numismatists? This sounded to me like something
cooked up after drinking one too many steins of German
beer after a Milwaukee Central States coin convention.

Of course, one needn't collect or even see coins to
appreciate their history. When I asked for more information
about the edition, Rich sent pictures along with the following
note. -Editor]

Rich Mantia writes: "I don't mind giving more information
about my "Redbook". I first became interested in "Redbooks"
when I read an article by Ginger Rapsus in the September
1988 issue of "The Numismatist". I didn't start to collect
"Redbooks" actively until several years later, but I'm blessed
with a good memory and I referred back to the issue when
I wanted to collect on a serious level. I'm aware that the value
in any collection is in its completeness as well as condition
and I decided to start with the rare copies first. I used the
article as the basis for my collection and I've collected every
item listed in it as well as some items that aren't listed.

I purchased the braille "Redbook" some years back in a
private transaction for a substantial price that I shall keep to
myself. I have sent along some photos of it which help verify
its existence. In the photos one can see that the book was
transcribed for Davyd Pepito who was a member of the
Covina Coin Club. It was done by Ms. Lois Kelly of the
San Gabriel Valley Transcibers in Covina, California over
a period of 3 months in 1969. The page counts vary from
volume to volume, but on average it took 4 braille pages to
equal 1 printed page. My guess is that there are about 1000
pages in the 9 volumes total.

The 9 volumes combined weigh more than 26 pounds. The
book has only been displayed a few times at some regional
shows over the years and I have no desire to bring it out for
more displays because it doesn't look as impressive as a
showcase full of rare coins. It is rather bland in its appearance,
because after all it is page after page of impressed bumps
with no inked words to accompany. To my knowledge it is
unique in that it is the only "Redbook" to be in braille and also
the only numismatic book ever written in braille.

More than anything else the greatness of Mr. Richard Yeo
stands out because it is his book that stands out as being the
one that reached into the darkness of a blind childs' life and
helped him enjoy a hobby that we take for granted. Perhaps
Davyd Pepito can be known as a pioneer coin collector
who loved coins without ever seeing them and his name
should be chiseled in stone on the new A.N. S. building as
prominently as the scholars of the past. I hope this helps
answer your questions."

Comments

  • nencoinnencoin Posts: 1,221 ✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2, 2018 10:48AM

    Here's a link to a slideshow with images of the book (flash required):
    https://flickr.com//photos/coinbooks/sets/72157604113900589/show/

  • SmudgeSmudge Posts: 9,208 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Interesting. Thanks for posting.

  • BillDugan1959BillDugan1959 Posts: 3,821 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have known a few coin collectors with highly impaired vision, and knew one coin dealer who practically lost his vision as he approached and passed the age of ninety. The quality of the coins in that dealer's showcase did slip, yet I believe that he still made some money! Thankfully, he was well-off and didn't rely on his income from selling coins.

  • oih82w8oih82w8 Posts: 11,867 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 3, 2018 6:25AM

    I did not see this coming.

    oih82w8 = Oh I Hate To Wait _defectus patientia_aka...Dr. Defecto - Curator of RMO's

    BST transactions: dbldie55, jayPem, 78saen, UltraHighRelief, nibanny, liefgold, FallGuy, lkeigwin, mbogoman, Sandman70gt, keets, joeykoins, ianrussell (@GC), EagleEye, ThePennyLady, GRANDAM, Ilikecolor, Gluggo, okiedude, Voyageur, LJenkins11, fastfreddie, ms70, pursuitofliberty, ZoidMeister,Coin Finder, GotTheBug...
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Now that is impressive.... I did not know a braille version existed. Cheers, RickO

  • oih82w8oih82w8 Posts: 11,867 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 3, 2018 6:25AM

    :(

    oih82w8 = Oh I Hate To Wait _defectus patientia_aka...Dr. Defecto - Curator of RMO's

    BST transactions: dbldie55, jayPem, 78saen, UltraHighRelief, nibanny, liefgold, FallGuy, lkeigwin, mbogoman, Sandman70gt, keets, joeykoins, ianrussell (@GC), EagleEye, ThePennyLady, GRANDAM, Ilikecolor, Gluggo, okiedude, Voyageur, LJenkins11, fastfreddie, ms70, pursuitofliberty, ZoidMeister,Coin Finder, GotTheBug...
  • carabonnaircarabonnair Posts: 1,387 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I attended the talk by Tom http://blindcoincollector.com/ three years ago at the Chicago ANA. Great guy and practical tips for any collector who loses/lost their vision.

  • topstuftopstuf Posts: 14,803 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I hope nobody loses so much vision that they have to use a metal detector to appreciate their coins.

  • This is fascinating. I'm trying to find this book for years now, I am not sure if I would buy it, but it wold be great just to touch such a historical piece.
    I am completely blind, I am the Tom referenced above, and while I do read braille, I have to say that these days it is much more practical to read catalogs in an electronic format. Of course, the most difficult thing is that there isn't a good way to transfer the pictures into a braille book. One could describe them, which would be quite a bit of work, but still it would lose much from the original visual value.

  • HemisphericalHemispherical Posts: 9,370 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Welcome to the forum @tbabinszki!

    How does the electronic format work?

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