Welcome to the latest edition of Dave's Notes. It has been a busy week here at Stack's. Our Schaumburg Sale in Illinois saw a team of staffers conducting an auction that attracted much attention. Many nice items in the American series found new homes -to Internet bidders as well as to those in the auction gallery.

Earlier in the week, I and several helpers were immersed in a currency research project, scanning and studying several thousand obsolete bank notes. Although the Society of Paper Money Collectors and others have issued many great books, usually for specific states, much is still uncharted territory, except as might have been included in James Haxby's 1988 set of books on obsoletes. For some states -including New York, the most prolific issuer- there is no specialized reference.

This is at once good and bad. It is bad for someone who wants instant knowledge, but can't find it. In contrast, a newcomer to numismatics who wants to know all about an 1881-S Morgan dollar can find 173,000 "hits" on Google (I just checked). Allowing for a small percentage of these being gold coins, there are probably over 160,000 places you can check. Start now, and check back with me next year!

In contrast, if you'd like to learn everything there is to know about obsolete bank notes issued in Owego, New York, and about the issuers (who they were, what they did, etc.), you could spend a day on research on the Internet alone! This is bad if you are impatient. It is absolutely delightful if you enjoy numismatics and research in depth!

In the meantime, all eyes are looking forward to our sale in Los Angeles just before the American Numismatic Association Convention. Always a lot going on!

Thinking of selling? You've come to the right place! Right now you can still get in under the wire for our grand auction to be held with the Whitman show in Philadelphia in September, then our always-popular Anniversary Sale in October, then a star-spangled lineup of other events. While any of us and all of us can handle incoming consignments (we could say that we have dozens of "auction directors"), John Pack of our New Hampshire office or Vicken Yegparian at our New York City gallery can bring you up to date with availability, competitive rates, and more.

Ever since our first auction in 1935, Stack's has handled more great collections and rarities than has any other firm in the history of numismatics -and I am referring not just to the United States, but to the entire world.

Issue Number 15 of the Numismatic Sun is well under way, with publication anticipated in July. Watch your mailbox!

In the meantime, I hope you are having a nice summer. If business or vacation takes you to New York City, the red carpet is out for you at our gallery at 123 West 57th Street. And, we're always here, so to speak, by e-mail.

Best Wishes,