Finally filled a vacancy in my Library after a six year search!
Broadstruck
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Info on Montroville Dickeson from a Stack's blog-
Among our favorite “characters” in 19th century numismatics is Montroville W. dickeson, M.D. We have mentioned him a number of times over the years in various studies, including in the book, American Numismatics before the Civil War. However, he remains generally unknown to most numismatists today, and is absent from the ANA Hall of Fame.
As were many other important figures early in our hobby, dickeson was a man of many interests—multi-tasking we would say today, but with regard to different pursuits. While he was a numismatist, dickeson was also a medical doctor, an archaeologist, an expert in Indian culture, and a Philadelphia landlord (one of his tenants was E.B. Mason, Jr., the coin collector). Today, dickeson is probably better remembered for his excavation of Indian mounds in the prairie states, than he is for his numismatic contributions.
In the realm of coin collecting, his American Numismatical Manual, published by Lippincott in 1859, was large in size, comprehensive in scope, and illustrated in color (with tinted, embossed plates). At this time there was very little for dickeson to draw upon in the way of earlier published information. An Historical Account of American Coinage, by John Hickox had been published in 1858, but only in an edition of 205 copies, mainly to historical societies, and of a very small size. Other than that, nothing, except for some scattered auction catalogues, treatises on medals, and Joseph B. Felt’s 1839 book on coin and paper money of Massachusetts.
dickeson made some assumptions, some of which are humorous today. For example, he suggested that the letter C on the reverse of a gold coin meant that it was made in California. Today, we all know that the letter signifies the Charlotte Mint. Some coins that we know are rare today were listed without comment, and others he called rare are now thought to be, if not common, at least only scarce. Still, in the main, the reading of the American Numismatical Manualis very educational and informative. Some related discussion of this appears in our current “Spotlight” feature on our Website. The book went through subsequent editions in 1860 and 1865, at which time the title appeared slightly differently as American Numismatic Manual. As the coin hobby had started in a large way in 1857 and 1858, terminology was still in a state of flux. What we now call numismatics in 2007 was often called numismatology in the late 1850s. We use the adjective numismatic to describe something, such as a numismatic book, but numismatical was certainly not out of keeping with practice in 1859. dickeson died on April 14, 1882, at the age of 69.
Today, it is easy enough to become acquainted with dickeson and his book by submitting a “want list” to any leading dealer in out of print numismatic publications or, for that matter, searching on the Internet. The original press runs for the three editions must have comprised many thousands of copies. The typical example encountered is apt to have clean contents, but with the brown cloth cover sometimes scuffed or a bit loose. Such a book is an excellent addition to a numismatic library.
To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!
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Comments
We'll use our hands and hearts and if we must we'll use our heads.
<< <i>You did well, I thought the price was good. Mine is in better condition, but I paid up for it...but I looked at that and almost had a second copy.
Thanks Shorecoll, As I had to do some pricing research on it prior to to just hitting the buy-it-now.
<< <i>Excellent thread. I had never heard of the man, but he sounds as though he was quite the fellow. I love these threads with some history thrown in. >>
mdwoods, Here's another reason why I've wanted this book...
I was able to acquire this 1850's Dickeson Re-Strike at the Philly Whitman show 09 which made my day, as I first read about them when I received a copy of Breen's Encyclopedia in the late 80's and have followed them on and off since. Upon researching although the Breen 1380 variety with the Eagle perched on a half shell or rock has been available within the last decade alone on a few occasions. I have not seen this Eagle wings spread on a shield Breen 1381 variety cross any major coin auction since the Abe Kosoff era. I had seen this example become available a few weeks earlier and was drooling at my keyboard, it was one of the main reasons I ventured to the show.
As the story goes Dickeson obtained a pair of dies created by early mint employee Adam Eckfeldt. Those dies were never used for coinage or pattern purposes, and were assuredly sold as scrap metal by the Mint. Dickeson apparently believed the die was connected with the 1792 Getz or Birch cents. Dickeson thereby had a reverse die made which read "TRIAL PIECE/DESIGNED FOR/UNITED STATES/CENT./1792." and struck his tokens. The dies where actually not for the 1792 Cent as Dickeson believed but embossing dies for stamping revenue paper in 1816.
These are also listed in the Judd US Pattern book, along with a bit of info on www.USPatterns.com
It's NGC MS63BN lots of red present with a nice overcast of blue patina. The obverse has a few die cracks and is a bit hard as it was struck from rusted dies, whereas the reverse is somewhat proof-like. It's 1 of 6 known which where struck by Dickeson and just another final frontiers of numismatics esoteric item that fits my collection well
- Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BC
<< <i>A big congrads, can you show the plates for bust dimes and bust half dimes please!!!!!!!!!!!
Realone, Don't be a cheapskate buy your own copy!
Seriously I don't have it in hand yet and it has 24 plates.
Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners.
The color lithographs were a first in this country and were made in Philadelphia.
Fortunately, the 1859 edition lithographs show the $25 gold Templeton Reid coin before it was stolen from the Mint in August of 1858, so that provides a clue as to when this book was in production.
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