Our newer subscribers may not realize it, but The E-Sylum has been around for a while. Our first official issue was published on September 4, 1998. So this week we're entering our 13th year.

What started out as a simple way to communicate with members and friends of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society has blossomed into one of the more influential and closely followed publications in numismatics. We don't have the high readership volume of the major print publications, but our readers include the cream of the numismatic crop - top researchers, authors, collectors, dealers, numismatic librarians and museum curators from around the U.S. and the world.

I've often described it as a weekly cocktail party with all the top numismatists. Conversations cover topics all over the numismatic map.In any given issue we could discuss Vietnamese cash coins, a Love Token, a multi-million-dollar rarity, or a rare piece of New Zealand scrip.

We have a small amount of advertising revenue, but what keeps me going are the interesting subject matter, our wonderful readers and contributors, and the occasional compliment, like this note from Andrew Hurle:

This year The E-Sylum won second place in the Electronic Newsletter category of the American Numismatic Association's top club publications for 2009. First place was taken by the "MCCA Newsletter" of the Metropolitan Coin Club of Atlanta (Joe Meyers, Editor). See www.mccatl.org.There was no third place winner. As it turns out, there were only two entries this year! I asked Numismatist editor Barbara Gregory, who writes:

But we've gotten our share of recognition and awards over the years. The highest honor was the 2008 Burnett Anderson Memorial Award for numismatic writing. The award is presented annually to a researcher, author or journalist in recognition of his or her career contributions to numismatics and is judged on the recipient's body of work. Past winners include Q. David Bowers, Beth Deisher, David Harper, R.W. Julian, Clifford Mishler, Eric P. Newman, Edward C. Rochette, Margo Russell and David Alexander.

It's been a great twelve years. I'm still having fun and enjoying doing it. Keep those great submissions and questions coming!

Wayne Homren
E-Sylum Editor

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:MORE ON THE BURNETT ANDERSON MEMORIAL AWARD FOR NUMISMATIC WRITING(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v11n32a03.html)

To visit the complete E-Sylum Archive, see:www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_esylum_archive.html