Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers are pleased to announce that we will be offering the numismatic libraries of Margo Russell and Raymond Hale, along with other properties, in two upcoming sales.

Margo Russell is a name well-known to many in this country. She served as the editor of Coin World from 1962 to 1985, having joined its staff in 1960 as assistant editor. Not content to simply sit at her desk in Sidney, Ohio, Margo Russell became in many ways the public face of the hobby, and was a tireless advocate for coin collectors and their concerns. Her personal charm was such that she befriended many whom she first met in purely professional contexts: Mint Directors Eva Adams and Donna Pope became especially dear friends, as did Chief Engraver Frank Gasparro. The many effusive inscriptions from authors of the books in her library attest to the widespread esteem in which she was held.

The name of Raymond Hale is not as well known to collectors. He was a friend of the firm as well as a customer, and would call every so often to chat about books, bust half dollars and baseball. His death last year at age 50 came as a very unpleasant surprise, and underscored the notion that we're only the temporary caretakers of the items we collect.

These two libraries, along with other works, are being offered in a pair of sales: an online sale on July 25 and a traditional auction with printed catalogue on August 22. Both sales feature a nice selection of books on ancient and foreign coins, as well as a strong and varied offering of works on U.S. numismatics. More modest works will be offered in the July 25 online sale, with the delicacies held over for the August 22 printed sale.

As a reminder, bidders may participate in both sales in a variety of ways: regular, mail, email, phone, fax or online bidding (live or absentee). Full details will be included with the announcement for each sale. For more information, contact David Fanning at df@numislit.com or see the Kolbe & Fanning website at numislit.com.

Thanks for your continued support!