Feb 19, 2012 | books, review
For the second time in a year I read a fiction e-book because its premise is coin-related. This time, I read Wild World by Ginger Rapsus. Rapsus is the author of United States Clad Coinage published in 1992 and is currently a columnist for Numismatic News. Her website says that she began writing fiction “a few years ago.”
Wild World is the story about Stacey Morgan, a nurse’s aide that works in a large Chicago hospital, who inherited an old silver dollar. Not being an expert in coins, Stacey researches the coin on the Internet and begins to realize that she has something special but not sure how special. The coin, an 1873 Seated Liberty Dollar, is something special because none exist except in the world of fiction writers.
After discussing the coin with her friend Peg, a nurse who works on the same hospital ward, Stacey plans to go to a coin show to try to figure out what her coin was worth. The story is woven between Stacey dreaming about a better life away from the grind of being an aide at the hospital and how the grind at the hospital is driving her to find out more about the coin.
Stacey and Peg are young women, both basically starting their respective careers. In some ways, Stacey envies Peg a bit for being a nurse while she was not being treated well as a nurse’s aide. Both women are not only interested with improving their future, hopefully out of that hospital, but finding a life partner.
Not knowing how to approach the coin community at the coin show, Stacey brings Peg for moral support. Both being young women also think about meeting someone interesting at the coin show but Stacey is more interested in finding out the value of her coin. They playfully play their “what if” scenarios as they ride the train to the show.
The women arrive at the coin show and go on their separate ways. Peg is looking for someone to date as Stacey tries to figure out who to talk with about her coin. After roaming the floor for a while, Stacey approaches a dealer who is less than friendly and tries to take advantage of her. While Stacey was being disappointed by this dealer, Jacob Grant, a numismatist with a secret about his real life, steps in and rescues her from this unscrupulous dealer.
Jacob helps Stacey talk with dealer who is an expert on dollars. Ironically, it was a dealer who Stacey discounted talking with because of a mistaken impression she made from the Internet. Stacey showed the dealer the coin and the adventure begins. In a scene that resembles the authentication of the George Walton 1913 Liberty Head Nickel, the unique 1973 Seated Liberty Dollar was considered authentic and became the buzz of the show.
Stacey was overwhelmed with how the coin was received by the people at the show and how she was treated by Jacob. In fact, she began to fall for Jacob. As the story unfolds, Stacey became disturbed by an incident at the coin show involving the first dealer she spoke with which she would learn that misinterpreted. Also, Jacob has a secret life and was worried that his secret was unsavory until she learned he is a professional football player in Chicago.
Wild World is written from the perspective of Stacey Grant, a somewhat naive young woman with no experience in the numismatic world. She has some preconceived notion of the people in that world, but later discovers that while some stereotypes are true, most of the time, the coin world is filled with “normal” people with an interest in coins. For the non-numismatist, this may help change their attitudes on coin people.
As a story, Wild World flows well after the first two pages, which I have described as a “word salad” trying to say too much to set the scene. The story paints a good mental picture that would help both those experienced with coin shows and those who have attended large conferences to imagine how the scene would feel.
After Jacob and Stacey meet, the book handles the relationship building process between these two young people very well. Rapsus does not rush the relationship and keeps the Jacob and Stacey out of bed until the relationship really heats up. When it did come time for the bedroom scene, Rapsus wrote about it in a manner that I think would not be objectionable to most people—basically, not overtly descriptive while giving the reader an idea of the scene. It also helped build on the relationship between Jacob and Stacey that also helped explain how he deals with his secret life.
One lesson that I do not think Rapsus was intending on delivering was that you have to be guarded as to what you learn on the Internet. Stacey’s misinterpretation of what the good dealer had on his website is an example of how researching information online needs to go past single sources. It is also a subtle lesson to dealers that maybe they should consider hiring a non-numismatic editor to understand how those not in the numismatic community sees their public face.
My only real complaint about the book is that Rapsus uses “Clout” as the nickname for the Chicago professional football team while using the real names for other NFL teams that the Clout plays. While the team, stadium, and Chicago landmarks have been fictionalized, not using Bears seemed out of place with the rest of the football-related story.
Wild World is only available in e-book form and available from the popular digital bookstores for $2.99, which is a great price. One of those stores described the book as being 150 pages. While what constitutes a page is different between e-readers, it does come in shorter than many other books I have downloaded making it a comfortable length even for someone who prefers non-fiction, like me. The story is well developed and only part of the ending is predictable. Since this is not a numismatic book but a work of fiction surrounding a numismatic setting, I am giving Wild World a specimen grade of SP67 because the first few pages need to be tightened a bit and the end should have been less predictable. Wild World is underpriced for the quality of the writing and should be on your reading list.
Cover image courtesy of Books by Ginger at booksbyginger.com.
Nov 14, 2011 | books, review
Could you build a story around the appearance of a fabled coin and make it an interesting read? We know there are true stories about the 1913 Liberty Head nickels and the 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles. But what would happen if the little known 1873-S Seated Liberty Dollar was discovered and put up for auction?
Numismatist know that the Coinage Act of 1873 put the United States on the gold standard and demonetized silver. This law hurt western mining interests who wanted both gold and silver to remain in circulation. It became known as the “Crime of ’73.”
At the U.S. Mint, the branch mint in San Francisco reported that it struck 700 Seated Liberty Coins but none have ever surfaced. What happened if one was found that was a heirloom of a rich family from the west coast? Then what would happen if the patriarch dies, wills the coin to a maid/personal assistant who then consigns it to an auction that attracts worldwide attention. This is the premise of the novel One of a Kind by Barbara Erlichman.
According to her bio, Barbara Erlichman was raised in England and came to the United States intending to work her way across America. Arriving in New York, she met her future husband and they started a rare coin business. Based in New York, they traveled throughout the United States and Europe buying coins and collectibles. When she contacted me about her book, she and her husband retired to Florida and this this is her first book.
One of a Kind weaves together four plot lines surrounding the auction of this one of a kind coin. Adam Sloan is the son of the business man who died and left the coin, a family heirloom, to his maid. Sloan, who is successful running the family business in his own right, wants the coin back because of its family heritage. Claire Waring, the efficient assistant of the head of the company handling the auction, has a personal stake in wanting this auction to go well. Ex-union boss Salvatore Corelli and his daughter Lucia returns to New York from their self-imposed Florida exile where Salvatore was convalescing after having two heart attack, to add this one last coin to his collection. Howie Roth is a vest pocket dealer, working the shows just to make it through his life, comes up with a scheme to try to get the coin before the auction. Finally, Lord Welton, whose passion are unique items, brings his American wife “back home” in his quest for the elusive coin.
Claire, who was tasked with organizing the auction, becomes a central focus as the lot viewing begins four days before the auction. As the organizer, she meets with each of the potential bidders as they view the lot and with Adam Sloan, who was trying to convince the auction house not to auction his family’s prized possessions.
With everyone in New York and vying for this prize, Lucia, whose physical appearance is first described in a less than flattering light, meets Howie and Lord Welton’s personal aide. Lucia falls for both but did not like ones approach over the other. She ends up falling into the arms of one of these men whose life changes from then on.
After arguing with the auction house and being stood up to by Claire, Adam Sloan becomes intrigued with her but finds out that her situation is more complicated than expected. Still, Adam pursues Claire almost losing interest in the coin. Then Lady Welton comes in to make the interaction interesting.
In the mean time, Howie looking for easy money convinces Salvatore Corelli to go along with his scheme until Lord Welton somehow finds out and makes Corelli an offer he cannot refuse.
Intrigued? You will have to read One of a Kind to find out more. Most of the interactions between these story lines in pursuit of the coin are nicely woven. The romance that is struck between some of the parties seem a little shallow. While certain passages make this book adult reading, some of these encounters seem like they move too quickly.
As for the description of the auction, the circumstances around the auction, the life of a dealer, coin shows, and the attitudes of all involved, Erlichman relies on her many years of experience traveling with her husband to coin shows to make the scenes more realistic. Her English heritage and life in New York City also adds to the richness of how the characters interact, especially when dealing with collecting coins. Erlichman’s handing of the setting allows the reader to absorb the story without the background becoming a distraction.
By the way… you have to read the book through the “Epilog” in order to find out what really happened to this one of a kind coin. It is a worthwhile twist!
I do not read fiction that often. Aside from my numismatic interests, my interest in history and politics have been filling the ebook apps on my iPad. After receiving a copy of the book from the author, I decided I would finished reading other books I started to concentrate on this one. Since this is not a numismatic book but a work of fiction surrounding a numismatic setting, I am giving One of a Kind a specimen grade of SP67 (remember, the Sheldon scale is based on 70 points) downgrading it just a little because the relationship development seems a little shallow. Over all, the book is a comfortable read for those interested in numismatics. New Yorkers, or transplanted New Yorkers, should also feel a home with the mental image of the scenery. If you are uncomfortable with the description of sexual encounters, then you could scan past those passages—these sections are not overly graphic but not suitable for younger people. Otherwise, you should enjoy reading One of a Kind.
Jul 2, 2011 | books, technology
Since January, I have been advocating more electronic numismatic books. Up until this past year, the only e-books I have found were the books on CD/DVD and downloads from Krause Publications. After I posted those comments, I heard from Dennis Tucker at Whitman Publishing who partially corrected me and said that they do have plans to sell more e-books. Subsequently, I heard from Scott Tappa, Publisher at Krause Publications who said, “This year you will see more and more KP books available for e-reader devices like the iPad, Kindle, Nook, etc.”
Although both companies have started to publish e-books, it looks like Krause has embraced electronic as a full business model.
Earlier this week, sent out emails advertising their 4th of July Weekend sale by offering four of their Warman’s e-books to download for free. The Warman’s books are basic guides with the essential information in full color. For example, Warman’s Coins & Currency Field Guide is a solid price guide, but not as extensive as the U.S. Coin Digest. In fact Warman’s Coins & Currency Field Guide would be great to have on a smartphone when attending a coin show.
After receiving the notice from Krause, I was able to ask Meghan McKeon, Publicist for F+W Media, Krause’s parent corporation, about the number of e-books that were available on line. McKeon wrote, “Currently we have over 1,500 eBooks at all of our vendors (Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Sony, Google, iTunes). As of right now, we will continue to make our catalogs available in CD form with selected downloadable PDFs (from their website).”
I spot checked iTunes, Google, and Amazon.com to find quite a number of Krause books available on in e-book format. In fact, while checking iTunes, I download three of the four free e-books (I omitted Warman’s Stamps Field Guide since I am not a stamp collector).
While there, I also spot checked what was available from Whitman Publications. Comparatively, there were fewer choices than their competition. I was able to find e-books for titles like Cherrypicker’s Guide and 100 Greatest US Modern Coins, but not the Red Book or other books in their Red Books series. I like the Red Books series, but if Whitman is not delivering them electronically, I am looking for books elsewhere.
I currently own several e-books from Krause including two of the Standard Catalog of World Coins, U.S. Coin Digest, and now the Warman’s Field Guides in their recent advertisement. As long as Krause and F+W Media is publishing books in the form I want, I will continue to buy their products.
Book cover image courtesy of Krause Publications.
Apr 19, 2011 | apps, books, review, technology
Speaking of apps, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society has created an app for its electronic newsletter, The E-Sylum.
For those who have not heard of The Numismatic Bibliomania Society, NBS promotes the use and collection of all types of numismatic literature. The E-Sylum is their weekly electronic newsletter sent to email subscribers interested in numismatic literature and other topics of interest. It can be best described as eclectic with news, reviews, interesting numismatic tidbits, and discussions from a broad range of numismatists, authors, and collectors. It is worth subscribing or reading the issues on line.
While catching up with reading back issues, I found the announcement and immediately downloaded the free app from iTunes App Store. After a quick sync, the application was on my iPhone and ready to use.
As with many apps, it opens with a splash screen with the NBS logo. After a few seconds, the app presents a list of articles from the most recent edition. So far so good as I tapped on the entry for the reader feedback on the app. I was then presented a page with the title of the article and a link that says “Read More.” I am not sure why the app does this. It should open the page with the text of the story. For me, this type of interface tends to become monotonous and turns me off to the app.
After pressing “Read More” I open up the web page from the NBS site with the story. The problem with this is that the article’s formatting is for a webpage to be read on the computer. This makes the text smaller and requires additional manual manipulation in order to read the article. I know it is possible for a website to tell what type of device is reading it. NBS should consider updating the style of the page to display better for the smaller phone screen when being read by the app.
Another element I found curious is that the upper-left corner of the reading pane has what looks like a Notepad icon. I was not sure what it did so I pressed it. The article pane slid over revealing a light blue page with “Back” and “Save” buttons at the top of the screen. I am not sure what this does, but the screen stays blue and the “Save” button does not seem to do anything. At least the “Back” button slides the reading pane back into view.
I asked The E-Sylum editor Wayne Homren for his comment about my review. Wayne said, “I had a company plug our feed into one of their standard app configurations and publish it. I agree that the navigation could be (greatly!) improved. My goal would be to have an app that works more like The New York Times app I use every day, with an easy way to flick from story to story with a swipe of your finger.” It has the feel of a first version (“1.0”) app.
I really wanted to like this app but these issues may prevent me from using it on a regular basis. I hope that these issues will be fixed in a future release. Right now, I would give the app a grade of AU-58, just short of being mint state because of that blue screen that does not seem to do anything. I hope that NBS fixes the app because I really want to like it!
Here are the screen images of the app I saved from my iPhone:
Apr 19, 2011 | apps, books, grading, technology
Coin World has announced the available of their app for the iPad. “The free app offers rich content such as the News and Marketplace features that are available at Coin World’s website.” The app is free and can be downloaded from Apple’s iTunes App Store.
As part of the release, Coin World announced that Coin Values and Making the Grade are available as an in-app purchase. Coin Values, sometimes referred to as “Trends,” is their comprehensive value guide of more than 65,000 U.S. coins. It will cost $4.99 to purchase in the app. At this time, it may be the only price guide for mobile platforms.
Making the Grade is the electronic version of their popular grading guide book. It provides color image grading for 50 of the most widely collected U.S. coin series. The app leverages the iPad capabilities to zoom in on the images and adds the information about wearing for a coin. The book lists for $39.99 but will sell for $9.99 as an in-app purchase.
The Coin World app is only available for the iPad leaving those of us with only an iPhone out. iPhone users can download the PCGS Photograde app for the iPhone. Hopefully, Coin World will port this app to be used by the iPhone.
I will review the app when I purchase an iPad.
Apr 18, 2011 | books, coins, review
Recently, I was sent a copy of Coins: Questions & Answers, Fifth Edition, by Cliff Mishler. Mishler is the current president of the American Numismatic Association.
Coins: Questions & Answers can best be described as a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) of coins with sections for paper money, Civil War era money whose section is entitled “Money of the War Between the States,” exonumia, and foreign coins. Each section covers the questions every collector should know about and even bring tidbits that escape even the most seasoned collected. For example, I learned that the word “Liberty” has been used on every coin except the Flying Eagle Cent and the Shield Nickel. It was thought the eagle and the union shield would satisfy the requirement.
For each coin type, the book seem to cover the basic information and some other fun facts about U.S. coins, including my favorite: which is the only coin with the portrait of the same person on the obverse and reverse? If you did not answer the Lincoln Memorial Cent, last struck in 2008, then maybe you should pick up a copy of the book!
One area that the book falls short is in the sections after the coins. There is a history of currency and questions I have seen on public forums that are not covered in this book. Some of the questions that are in the FAQ Library one the Bureau of Engraving and Printing website has some additional items that should appear in the book. One question that I people send me is what all the elements are on the U.S. Federal Reserve Note. These are not intuitive elements and I even forgot what each means (I use this page). An idea would be to produce a similar book for currency, separate from the coins.
Other sections do have enough information for a general purpose book. I am sure that there will be collectors looking for the more information on those topics. For those, Whitman does point to other books in its collation for more information. While they do this for the currency section, I think that currency is more mainstream that expanding this section would make the book more complete.
My one complaint is that the book does not have an index. While the reader can find the general area of their question using the table of contents, it would make a better reference if it included a fully referenced index.
Coins: Questions & Answers should not be your only reference, especially without an index, but it should be one of the books on your shelf. The answers are clear, concise, and those that require more than a paragraph are well written. For this book, I grade it MS66* giving points off for not having an index and the need to beef up the currency section. But like any coin with a star grade, it has good eye appeal and worth adding to your collection.
Book image courtesy of Whitman Publishing.
Mar 4, 2011 | books, medals, review
It is difficult to live in the Washington, DC area without being interested in politics. Some statistics have shown that 60-65 percent of all people either work for the Federal Government, a contractor to the federal government, or working in a job that supports the people, contractors, and governments. For those of us whose daily habits includes watching cable news, the Sunday morning shows, and reads Politico on a daily basis, it should be no surprise that a coin collector would be interested in political exonumia.
So I was ordering CDs from Krause Publishing and found myself short of the $49 needed for free shipping. While looking for something interesting to fill out the order, I found Warman’s Political Collectibles: Identification and Price Guide. I did not know why this was with their numismatics books, but it looked interesting and added it to my order. Satisfied my order would ship for free, I placed my order.
When it arrived, I flipped through the color pages and glanced at a number of interesting pages, but did not think twice. It was interesting but I had other things to do. This past weekend, I picked up the book and from Chapter 1, I found why this book would be of interest to exonumia collectors: “Medals, ‘Coins,’ Badges, & Plaques.” It is an entire chapter on tokens, medals, woods, and ribbons of politics from years past.
For most of the 19th Century through the early 20th Century, it was common to see medals and ribbons on the campaign trail. Hard Times Tokens with pithy statements on the political issue of the day were as common as money was not. Many of the medals shown in the book have holes so that they can be worn as jewelry. And the book shows quite a few ribbons that are real interesting and had me looking at the archives of online auctions to see who has listed these items.
Warman’s Political Collectibles is a full-color book printed on heavy glossy paper. The images are fantastic and the information appears to be solid. While the price ranges are based on the author’s research at the time the book was published (2004), there should not be a big difference between the published prices and what you should expect to spend today.
It would be impossible to catalog every political collectible that ever existed, but this book highlights some of the more interesting items and potential prices ranges for each. The one chapter about political exonumia was a pleasant surprise and worth purchasing if you have an interest in political collectibles.
Cover image complements of Krause Publications.
Jan 18, 2011 | books, commentary, technology
I am amazed at the response I have received over the topic of digital books. For those who wrote to me directly echoing my call for more, I wish you would add them as comments to my posts. I think the numismatic publishers would like to see your comment—especially since I have been contacted by both the publishers at Whitman Books and Krause Publications, they are reading and paying attention!
Roger deWardt Lane reports that his book Encyclopedia Small Silver Coins: Brother Can You Spare A Dime about modern dime-sized silver coins of the world can be purchased in both paper form and as a download. Roger also said that he gave permission to Google Books to add it to their digital database.
Thijs Verspagen wrote to let me know that he maintains the Digital Library Numis that links to many electronic numismatic books and articles that can be freely downloaded. The site has quite a list of a variety of downloadable numismatic publications.
I also heard from Scott Tappa, Publisher at Krause Publications. Scott reports that two Krause books are now available on the Kindle. Scott writes:
This year you will see more and more KP books available for e-reader devices like the iPad, Kindle, Nook, etc. For instance, here are links to Kindle editions of two recent releases, Warman’s U.S. Coin Collecting and Canadian Coin Digest. (click on the titles to view the listings at Amazon.com)
Numismatic books face certain challenges in formatting for e-readers. In particular, our catalogs are image-heavy, which makes them very large files, which can make them difficult to download. Thus, expect to see KP create e-reader specific products that are smaller and more focused than our large catalogs.
Our parent company, F+W Media, has made e-books a top priority. In fact, we are hosting the second annual Digital Book World conference in New York City starting January 24, and are keenly focused on staying at the front of this market revolution.
Numismatic publishing is a niche business. While it is a large niche, publishers are competing for the best content, the best authors, and access to the same distribution sources. These companies have to be responsive to what their readers want. I am sure that these publishers welcome your feedback.
Jan 17, 2011 | books, commentary, technology
Earlier this month I posted the question, “Where are the Electronic Numismatic Books?” That post garnered the most responses I have seen in quite some time—although many were in the form of personal notes rather than blog comments. Most of the comments were overwhelmingly positive agreeing with my assertion that there should be more electronic numismatic books.
Some of the comments, including Dennis Tucker, Publisher at Whitman Publishing, corrected me in saying that the Whitman Encyclopedia of U.S. Paper Money by Q. David Bowers is available on DVD. Tucker also said that the the Guide Book of United States Coins, Professional Edition was also available on DVD but I did not see it listed on Whitman’s website.
After receiving the note from Tucker, I asked him about Whitman’s e-book plans. He responded as follows:
Whitman Publishing does plan to distribute more books in electronic format. PDFs have certain strengths that our readers find appealing: they can be distributed on DVDs; they’re searchable; they have internal links; they’re PC and Mac compatible. Paper-money collectors love Q. David Bowers’s Whitman Encyclopedia of U.S. Paper Money — a massive 900-page reference book — and they also love having an electronic version available on a conveniently portable DVD.
Retail pricing, distribution models, and other details of future electronic projects aren’t ready to go public yet. But I can say that nothing is off the table as we explore the best ways to bring numismatic content to our readers — PDFs, downloads, apps, online content are all possibilities. Currently we have two web sites, WhitmanReview.com and WhitmanCoinCollecting.com, that aren’t “books” or “magazines” as such, but that broadcast show reports, book reviews, numismatic interviews and commentary, auction news, and other hobby information.
Remember in the early and mid-1990s, when “CONTENT IS KING” became the mantra of every Internet consultant and Web design agency from coast to coast? It’s still a very important concept in numismatic publishing. Whitman is strongly devoted to supporting fresh, ongoing, original numismatic research and authorship. This of course includes updated retail and wholesale pricing (as found in the Red Book and the Blue Book), updated auction records, updated certified coin populations, and the like. Those kinds of market data are very important to collectors, dealers, and investors. But Whitman Publishing has a commitment to the hobby community that goes beyond just reporting on market trends. We’ve nurtured a booming renaissance in numismatic publishing over the past ten years or so in particular. That investment, that energy, that explosion of talent has created the CONTENT; without good content, distribution models (whether ink-on-paper or electronic) are irrelevant to the hobbyist. If the content is factually wrong, or if it’s incomplete or misleading, or if it’s just a stale rehashing of old previously published information, it won’t matter if it’s published in books or online — collectors won’t find it valuable. Neither the publisher nor the consumer will find true, lasting value in that formula.
Whitman Publishing has the best numismatic authors and researchers working today. Kenneth Bressett, Q. David Bowers, Jeff Garrett, Dick Doty, Roger W. Burdette, David W. Lange, Rick Snow, Mike Moran, Bill Fivaz, J.T. Stanton, Katherine Jaeger, Rick Tomaska, Nicholas Brown, David Camire, Fred Weinberg, David Sundman, Harlan J. Berk, Clifford Mishler, Jim Haxby, Art Friedberg, Ron Guth, John Dannreuther, Hugh Shull, George Tremmel, Robert Azpiazu, Ira and Larry Goldberg, Eric P. Newman, Paul Rynearson, David MacDonald, Don Bailey, Scott Schechter, Saul Teichman, Fred Reed, Adam Crum, Selby Ungar, Jeff Oxman, Frank Colletti, Bob Leonard, Len Augsburger, Joel Orosz — that constellation of numismatic stars shows Whitman’s commitment to content. How we deliver that fresh, original content will continue to evolve. And it won’t end with the current generation of numismatic superstars. Last year Whitman teamed up with the American Numismatic Association to revamp and endow three new literary awards for Young Numismatists. They’ll be the ones digging in Treasury archives, unearthing primary documents, analyzing data, making brilliant connections, and writing about their findings after we all retire.
Is the traditional paper book obsolete? No. Are distribution models changing? Yes. Will Whitman Publishing continue to bring its best to collectors and serve their needs? Yes indeed!
Interestingly, I never questioned the quality of the content of Whitman Books. On the contrary, it is because that their content is so worthwhile that I am interested in e-books that Whitman would publish. However, I believe that the those of us who are interested in technology and those who grew up in the 1990s will be more interested in e-books than dead-tree editions. In other words, I think Whitman, Krause, Zyrus Press, and any other numismatic publisher should be entrenched in electronic publishing within the next five years.
Jan 8, 2011 | books, commentary, technology
Ever since I first put my fingers to the keyboard of a PolyMorphic Systems Polly 88 microcomputer and learned to program it in BASIC, I have been very interested in technology and integrating technology in my life. I have owned computers since the early 1980s and spent a career first as a programmer, architecting systems and networks, and for the last 18 years in information security. Over my 30 year career I have seen the industry grow from million dollar mainframes to being able to put a computer in your pocket that can make telephone calls without wires and play music.
My trip down memory lane comes as the the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) opens in Las Vegas. It is the largest show that features nearly every electronic gadget and gizmo both available and not available. It is where companies announce new products, new features, and show off what they are thinking about the future—which those of us in the industry call vaporware. It is where all of the neat toys are shown off.
Even for those of us in the industry, it is difficult to predict the future, even after seeing this year’s “next big thing.” We can look back at the last CES and see what made it past the announcement and has became hotter a year later. Watching the new product introductions, the hot products are smarter phones and tablets.
Tablets are smallish computers with the functionality to consume media and content and only powered enough to be a limited content creator. Applications run locally to enhance the tablet’s functionality while giving the user access to an entire Internet of resources. This year it is clear that those introducing new products are looking to be the next iPad killer. Weather you like Apple or not, the iPad has set the tone for the tablet market the same way the iPhone has set the tone for the smart phone market.
So why am I talking about CES on a coin collector’s blog? Because this big thing will have an impact on how you consume numismatic information.
The future of content consumption is electronic. E-book readers will support the reading of books, magazines, newspaper, and some online content on a small handheld device conveniently sized for reading. They are designed to do one thing very well: provide you a way to read published content in a more convenient manner and without killing trees. While tablet and smart phones are more general devices, both have the ability for you to read published works when you are not playing the current hot game or social networking. All of these devices have programs that can tap into online bookstores so that you can buy books at a reduced price and have it loaded directly onto your device to read.
E-book readers can read many different format files, but the type used for the best reading experience is based on the concept of “electronic paper.” Electronic paper allows the reader to resize, bookmark, type notes, highlight, and do anything to an electronic page except fold it while maintaining the integrity of the book. As the read changes size or add their own notes, electronic paper allows the book to reflow, or repaginate, within the device. When a book or document is repaginated, tables of contexts and indices are also adjusted to make the text easy to search.
Currently, the only numismatic book publisher selling electronic versions of their books is Krause Publications. If you visit their online store you can search the Coin CDs/DVDs section to find a number of their publications, including the Standard Catalog series can be purchased on CD. Once you load the CD on your computer and copy the Portable Document Format (PDF) file to your hard disk, you can open the file in a PDF reader (Adobe Acrobat Reader on any system or Preview on a Mac). Once the file is open you can search for any text, zoom in to view any image up to 400 percent, add notes, bookmark pages, and highlight areas. Again, anything you can do with a real book except fold page corners.
Krause also sell sections of the Standard Catalogs and other publications as downloads. For example, if all you are interested in are Obsolete Bank Notes of the District of Columbia, you can just download that section of the Standard Catalog of United States Obsolete Bank Notes for significantly less than the entire four CD set.
Since I purchase the Standard Catalog of World Coins for the 20th century, it has been a wonderful resource to have while sitting at my computer. Searching for country coinage information and making highlights has really enhanced my appreciation for the work without having to lug around that huge volume. I also consider how many trees were saved by buying bits and not pulp.
Using a PDF document on an e-reader does not take advantage of the e-reader’s strength. Since I do not have an e-reader, I downloaded Krause’s U.S. Coin Digest onto my iPhone to use as a portable reference. It is a wonderful portable reference to have without having to carry the book. However, the use of a PDF document shows its limitation on smaller screens. A test on a friend’s Kindle demonstrated the limitation of a PDF file when it was proven difficult to navigate a zoomed PDF document because of screen size limitations. It would help those of us with e-readers if they would publish books in ePub and E Ink formats.
At least Krause has taken the first step into electronic publishing. Whitman Publishing, the other major publisher of numismatic books, only offers “dead tree editions.” I know that some people like the physical book, but they should start embracing the 21st century and offer e-books for those of us who want to read their books in a more portable format that does not kill trees. I am sure Whitman can figure out the economic benefits of replicating bits over importing physical copies from China.
Until Whitman and other numismatic publishers catch up with the e-reader, you can find classic electronic books to download to any device. The best source if Google Books. While Google Books does sell current editions in electronic format, they also have a number of scanned books they have permission to make available or whose copyrights have expired. The best way to find numismatic books is search for “coins” on the Google Books website. Books can be read online or you can download free books through the Google Bookstore. You can file early copies of The Numismatist through Google.
Publishers who have not embraced the e-reader will lose out on the business of younger numismatists and technology-oriented people like myself. CES made it clear that the future is in portable electronic devices and the publishers who cannot or will not provide the appropriate product will be losing out on new business. I hope the numismatic publishers consider this for their current and future publications
For the second time in a year I read a fiction e-book because its premise is coin-related. This time, I read Wild World by Ginger Rapsus. Rapsus is the author of United States Clad Coinage published in 1992 and is currently a columnist for Numismatic News. Her website says that she began writing fiction “a few years ago.”
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