I’m getting quite fascinated by the Cross-and-Crosslets pennies of King Henry II of England recently. This coinage is mysterious but difficult for me. Maybe it is among the most bad-struck hammered coins and most examples are very hard to identify. In this case, every collector will need the bible of this coinage, D. F. Allen’s A Catalogue of English Coins in the British Museum the Cross-and-Crosslets (‘Tealby’) Type of Henry II. But this book was published in 1951 and it is quite hard to find a copy, especially when I’m far away from UK. One of my friends in UK promised to find me one and did find this one after about half years’ searching. I received it last week and I’m so excited! I saw the signature R. H. Dolley inside the front cover but didn’t realize what it means at first. Then one day I saw the letters inside the back cover. OMG, this is Michael Dolley’s copy! Reginald Hugh Michael Dolley was a renowned numismatist of British coins. He was once the president of the British Numismatic Society (BNS) and the editor of the British Numismatic Journal (BNJ) for many years. In 1951 he joined the British Museum as an Assistant Keeper in the Department of Coins and Medals. BTW D. F. Allen also worked in the position of Assistant Keeper in the Department of Coins and Medals of the British Museum since 1935, and once the president of the BNS and editor of the BNJ. What a coincidence! I’m so lucky to get this book! It is the most exciting coin book on my bookshelf!
It's always exciting to get a copy of a book you've been looking for, doubly so when it once belonged to a noted numismatist. Are there any notes or marginalia?
Wow. That's a great story and a really exciting book. It reminds me of something that happened to me many years ago (1969) when I was an undergrad at Yale. The guy across the hall was taking a course on, I believe, the History of Science or some such, and he went to Sterling Library to check out a copy of Sir Isaac Newton's Principia Mathematica. Couple of days later I hear him yelling, "George, George, you gotta come see this!" It turns out he had checked out, from the common library stacks, a Signed 1687 First Edition of Newton's masterwork. Of course he took it promptly back to the library, pointing out to the librarian on duty what it was. Who gulped and sent it immediately to the Beinecke Rare Book Library, where I assume it still is today. Best Regards, :hail: George
Yes, the BM books are very good. I wish they would update many of them. I own most regarding ancients, but would still like to pick up the Arab Sassanian one. Yeah, getting a book from a noted numismatist make its even better. My copy of Gobl Hunnic is from Joel Malter's library.
We have a saying in my house... Books 1st, Mortage/bills second, then food if there is any extra This however has now been altered to.... books 1st mortage/bills 2nd, then any extra on coins Food if there is anything left over
That is so cool ! And Assur, I want to thank you, you've given me an idea, something I never thought about until now. I doubt that it would ever matter to many, but there are some I know it would matter to. When I sold my coins, that mattered to some. When I am gone, all of my books will be sold.
Thank you! There isn't any note or marginalia and the book is very neat. But I think I can confirm its previous ownership. Michael Dolley added Michael to his name in 1953 and in 1960's he didn't use Reginald and Hugh as his name any more. I don't think as Allen's friend, he would not get this book until 1953. So at the time he got it, his name was just R. H. Dolley!
We always prove that coins outlive peoples and I think books do too. It is a nice thing to pass books to some one else as long as he needs them with his heart.
