The sub-title to Scott Rubin's remarkable article in the January 2016 issue of The Numismatist, entitled "The Discovery of the Original Confederate Cent," is revealing: "With the help of vintage auction catalogs, a numismatist pieces together the story behind this 19th-century rarity." Scott has been acquiring American coin auction sale catalogues for over five decades and has one of the most extensive collections ever formed.

Dating from the mid-nineteenth century to date, Scott has amassed over 10,500 catalogues. More importantly, he has searched through them all and has organized the results of his findings. For years, major American coin auction firms have relied on Scott's statistics and research to enhance their descriptions of rare American coins. Recently, Scott came across a description in an 1891 auction catalogue that he had not before noticed. It revealed how a fabled rarity "became available to the collecting public and who was involved." The article is a must-read.

In addition to 200 or more non-U.S. sales featuring important American content, domestic auction sale catalogues in Scott's numismatic library break down by date range/number as follows :

In an email providing the statistical data above, Scott observed: "Some day I will have a large collection, unless Deb [Mrs. Rubin] gets a truck to take them all to the dump."

Note to Debbie: When you decide on a date and time, David and George will be there with the truck.

Look for more articles from P. Scott Rubin on these 19th-century catalogues in upcoming issues of The Asylum.

To read the complete Numismatic Bookseller #53, see:
Numismatic Bookseller #53