Wayne Homren

Among our new subscribers this week areDon Walsh andGeorge A. Petrulakis.Welcome aboard!We have 1,454 email subscribers, plus 159 followers on Facebook, includingDaniel Krustev.

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society's Internet email newsletter was launched on Friday, September 4, 1998. Now known as The E-Sylum and published each Sunday evening, it's been a blog since before the word was invented, one of the oldest on any topic on the web. To put this in perspective, in December of that year my first son Christopher was born, and now at nearly 13, he stands taller than my wife (and he's gaining on me).

The E-Sylum has inspired several other electronic newsletters, but remains something special. Its secret sauce is you, the readers, who infuse each issue with some of the most interesting numismatic commentary and discussion to be had anywhere.

It's been an honor and a privilege to edit this little journal all these years. Yeah, it's a lot of work too, but the fun and camaraderie make it all worthwhile. Thanks for sticking with me on this experiment. Now back to our regular programming.

First, I'd like to apologize to some of our readers who sent items for publication in tonight's issue. There were so many responses this week that I just ran out of time. I may be able to use a couple next week. Sorry!

This week we open with word from half a dozen numismatic literature dealers, followed by an announcement of a new book on Rosa Americana coinage. Other topics include The Register of the Confederate Debt, National Coin Albums, NASCA and Herb Melnick, and Liberty Dollars.

To learn more about the spectacular Gold Double Daric of Alexander the Great, Izzy Switt and a winner's medal from the first World Cup, read on.Have a great week, everyone!