Book Description
"Strong mental faculties and a vigorous constitution" were among the attributes of Zenas Leonard, according to the publisher of the 1839 edition of this book, which the Bison Books edition reproduces. In the spring of 1830, Leonard, a native of Clearfield, Pennsylvania, "ventured to embark in an expedition across the Rocky Mountains, in the capacity of clerk to the company. The last letter received by his parents, left him at the extreme white settlement [Independence, Missouri], where they were busily occupied in making preparations for the expedition to the mountains—from whence he promised to write at short intervals; but one misfortune after another happening to the company, he was deprived of all sources of communication—so that no tidings were received of him until he unexpectedly returned to the scenes of his childhood, to the house of his father, in the fall of 1835—after an absence of 5 years and 6 months!"
Written "in response to popular demand," so to speak, Leonard's account of these years, based in large part on "a minute journal of every incident that occurred," is recognized as one of the fundamental sources on the exploration of the American West. A free trapper until the summer of 1833, when he entered the employ of Captain B. L. E. Bonneville, Leonard was part of the group sent under command of Captain Joseph Walker to explore the Great Salt Lake region—an expedition that resulted in Walker's finding the overland route to California. The Narrative ends in August 1835, with Leonard's return to Independence.
Download Description
Zenas Leonard was a true mountain man. He lived in the Rockies for five years, cut off from civilization, surrounded by hostile Indian tribes and vicious grizzly bears, providing for himself with his guns and traps.
Customer Reviews:
Exciting, thrilling, never a dull moment.......2001-05-22
I'd give this book six stars if it were allowed! Zenas Leonard came out to the American West as a fur trapper in 1831, this is his own narrative. He started out under the leadership of Captain Gant trapping beaver and traveling extensively throughout the west. Later he joined in with the famous Captain Joseph Walker expedition to explore a passage to California. You simply can not put this book down! Indians, grizzlies, starvation and thirst, freezing temperatures, more Indian troubles, first white men to see Yosemite and the Redwoods, one adventure after another! Vivid descriptions of what it was like back then. An engrossing book!
Product Description
Readex Microprint. Zenas Leonard, a farm boy from Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, left home in 1830 when he was twenty-one and set out to make his fortune in the Great West. After a brief period at Pittsburgh, he joined in April, 1831, the Gantt and Blackwell Company of trappers and traders headed for the Rocky Mountains. For the next four years, Leonard was one of the 'mountain men,' those hardy and adventurous trappers who first explored unknown mountain regions and found their way to the Pacific Coast. He was a member of the Joseph Walker expedition, which crossed the Sierras, first saw the Yosemite Valley, and reached Monterey, California, in November, 1833. Leonard returned with Walker across the southern Sierras by way of what is now called Walker's Pass and at last reached home in the autumn of 1835. He kept a journal, a portion of which was destroyed by the Indians, but he remembered enough to enable him to publish an account of his adventures in a newspaper, the Clearfield Republican. The publisher persuaded him to expand his story into a book, which he brought out in 1839 at Clearfield as the Narrative of the Adventures of Zenas Leonard.
Product Description
In this beautifully illustrated book, two of Americas best-known numismatists take the reader on a personal guided tour of our nations greatest currency notes. Theyre all inside: the Lazy Deuce, the Tombstone Note, the Buffalo Bill, and more. Youll see some familiar faces, such as Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and even Santa Claus... and meet some unique and colorful characters like the mad Emperor Norton. Battleships and locomotives, Army officers and Indians, politicians and polar bearsall these and more await you among the 100 Greatest American Currency Notes. By Q.David Bowers and David M. Sundman. Forward by Chester Krause and Clifford Mishler
Customer Reviews:
100 Greatest American Currency Notes.......2007-03-21
This is an incredible book to have in your library if your a collector of U.S. Paper Currency or not. Stunning pictures of each of the notes this book goes into great detail in discussing. I have this book and the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins book sitting out in my livingroom for all to see and everyone who has stopped by can not help but pick up these books. Then the oh's and ah's start pouring out !!! Absolute incredible book to have in anyone's private library without a doubt.
Is as expected but have not proof read it to date.......2007-01-10
CS:
I received this book and believe it is as expected. Price is at FMV (Fair Market Value). I have not yet proof read it but what I have seen it makes a great reference for those who collect currency. However, it would have been helpful to include the Friedberg number in the Appendix along with the description. Yes, this number can be variable but you have included prices that are also variable and approximate. It may have been better to give a ratio(range)year column price divided by the face value of the currency.
Simple & Informative Book.......2007-01-05
This book was exactly what I expected. Good photos and stories behind 100 of the most famous notes in history. Great as a reference or as a coffe table book.
A Rare Book.......2006-09-11
It is the rare numismatic book that is educational AND entertaining. This book is one of those rare books.
I wrote a review of this book for the Bank Note Reporter, the newpaper for collectors of paper money. I have included an only slightly altered version of that review below.
My best purchase at the Chicago Paper Money Exposition was a copy of the new book 100 Greatest American Currency Notes by two of my favorite numismatists--Q. David Bowers and David M. Sundman. Chet Krause and Cliff Mishler wrote a foreword for the book making that four of my favorites all in one book. No, that is not right. Tom Denly was something called valuations editor for the book so that makes five of my favorite--and greatest--numismatists all in one volume.
In short, the book is beautiful to behold and a joy to read. That sums it up quite nicely, but I do have a lot more to say about it. I feel that I am particularly qualified to do this because I had started a book with exactly the same premise. I still have my notebook with my work. That means that they stole my idea! Of course that is easy to say after they have completed their work and I only have a notebook. It is also untrue. The original idea was Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth's popular 100 Greatest American Coins. Imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery. I must also say that Bowers and Sundman did a far better job than I would have done (not that I did not have a few enhancements).
The basic premise of the book is to select and discuss the 100 greatest American notes. The authors have done this admirably. The basic methodology was to survey a wide group of dealers asking them to list what they considered to be the top notes. While the methodology was good and the results were great, my first complaint is that I would have liked to have learned more about the methodology. The authors tabulated the results then provided the discussion. As the creators of this project, they have a greater insight than anyone on the subject. I would at a minimum have liked to read more of their thoughts on the results, but these are small complaints.
If you have not seen the book you can cast a silent vote right now for your top note or top ten. Now that you have done that, you will probably not be surprised that the clear favorite of the survey was the "Grand watermelon" ($1000 Series 1890 Silver Certificate). The authors expected it to be number one and I had it number one in the notes for my book. You have to figure that a note with a nickname like that would come in first or to look at it the other way that a note worthy of being first would have a nick name. Indeed, nine of the top ten have nicknames.
Two pages are devoted to discussing the grand watermelon and each of the top ten notes. Thereafter it is one page per note. This is the meat of the book. Indeed, the book could just as easily have been something like 100 Great Paper Money Stories.
The two Davids excelled in the preparation of the text to describe the notes. They supplemented the illustrations of the notes and their discussions with additional illustrations (some of these of coins (gasp)). Most ot these are excellent and some are great in both content and quality. They are a highlight of the book. This seems to be an appropriate place to mention the superb quality of book production. It is color throughout and truly excellent. My one complaint is that the book is in a large format 10 x 12 inches. Many people will consider this a feature. Authors (including me) like these large formats, but they are harder to read. They look great on the coffee table, but are difficult to handle curled up in a chair or in an airline torture seat.
I did not know that the watermelon description of this note could be traced back to an 1891 newspaper story. Perhaps I had read this before, but if I had, I had forgotten it. The entire quotation from the paper is included. From the footnotes at the back of the book I learned this interesting tidbit. The quotation is "From an 1891 clipping, no day date, in a scrapbook compiled in 1891 and 1892 (now owned by Q. David Bowers)." I found many of the notes worth reading.
Each entry includes a box with "historic Market Values" and "Commentary on Value." This is the work of the valuations editor. This book is not a catalog of values (I like that), but the inclusion of this information is interesting in its own right and is nice balances with the text and graphics. When I was working on my project, I had not thought of anything like this.
Number two in the survey is the $500 national bank note. It is a good and obvious choice. It was also number two on my list.
The third note in the survey is Massachusetts Bay Colony 5-shilling notes of December 10, 1690. It is the first government-issue American paper money (according to Eric Newman). Among other interesting (amazing) things that I learned in this entry is that in the 17th century the annual calendar ran from March 25 to March 24. I also learned that the unique example of this note resides in the Essex Institute, Salem, Massachusetts. That is certainly an appropriate city. I wonder if the note is on public display.
The balance of the top ten are very interesting indeed. Instead of being great rarities they are dominated by relatively common notes and certainly are affordable in circulated grades to most collectors. The one exception is number eight, the "Spread Eagle Note" (Series of 1862 and 1863 $100 Legal Tender note).
The others are respectively in positions four though ten (except eight): Lazy Deuce ($2 National Bank Note), $5 Educational note (Series of 1896 Silver Certificate), and Bison Note" (Series of 1891 $10 Legal Tender note), $1 "Educational Note (Series of 1896 Silver Certificate," $20 "Technicolor note" (Series of 1905 Gold Certificate, and the "Indian Chief" (Series of 1899 $5 Silver Certificate).
The other ninety notes include a wide array of interesting and historical notes. The entry on every single one is worth studying, but to me the most interesting (especially for discussion here) are those that might not be obvious choices.
United States fractional notes get two entries on the list. Interestingly, number 14, the fractional currency shield, is not a note at all, but a virtual collection of notes. Having said, that I think that it is a good choice.
Four Confederate notes make the list with several of them having nicknames (the Indian Princess and Montgomery notes (two denominations making the list)).
That vast, amorphous, and ill defined area known as obsolete notes are also included. Numbers 23 and 24 are Santa Clause notes and polar bear notes even though they are more categories than actual notes. Again, I think that they were good choices.
I was pleased and even a little surprised to see both World War II issues (Hawaii and North Africa) make the top 100. They won their places because of their extraordinary historical reasons for issue.
These various categories of notes included in the book are the apparent reason for the awkward book title. I offer this criticism with respect because I struggled with this problem in my unversion of this book. If you say United States notes you probably should not include Confederate notes. Colonial and Continental notes would not really fit. "Obsolete" notes would be in doubt too. Even American notes (as chosen) presents some problems. Does American include Canada? Mexico? I do not like the term currency notes, but I understand the problem. Bank notes does not fit because most of the notes selected were not issued by banks under any definition. Many people (unfortunately) would simply say currency but that is a very bad choice because currency is coins and paper money. In most constructions paper money does not work (100 Greatest American Paper Money). Even notes has some problems. Certainly, national bank notes are notes. but are silver and gold certificates notes? In the final analysis, having said that I do not like what we was used, but I do not have a better title.
I love the book, but I disagree with some of the choices. That is one of the wonderful aspects of books of lists. They are certain to generate discussion if not controversy. I was surprised that no error or star notes made the list. I can understand that they can be excluded as being sort of varieties of other issues, but, still, I think that a token from either or both of these categories could have been included.
You will probably not be surprised that I think that a military payment certificate should have been on the list. Having said that, I should be prepared to tell you which one. I gave that considerable thought in my work. I considered the unknown replacements and the unique replacements. Of course there is the Series 541 $5 with its attractive design and world record price history. I thought about the unique specimen booklets for Series 541 and 591. I really liked them because they have nicknames ("Comptroller Booklets"). Finally, I decided that the best choice would be the unique specimen and progressive proof set of Series 661. It does not have a widely recognized nickname, but it is still a good choice. I had a brief exchange with Tom Denly on this very subject after drafting this review. He said that he thought that if an MPC were to be included, it should be something like a Series 692 $10 or $20 because they would be very recognizable and would also be collectible. I like his thinking!
There are other good features good features of the book that I have not mentioned. The formatter is all quite good. You can imagine my surprise at finding my name mentioned. Earning that honor as an old timer (my term) is a double edged honor. The selected bibliography and recap of the top 100 in an appendix are also useful.
I expect that this will be a very successful book, just as the Garrett-Guth version on coins was. Can it generate more spinoffs like the 100 Greatest World Notes, or even the 100 Greatest National Bank Notes? I doubt it, but I would love to have both of those in my own library.
If it is not obvious, I highly recommend 100 Greatest American Currency Notes by Q. David Bowers and David Sundman. It was published by Whitman Publishing and should be available wherever numismatic books are sold and even in many book stores at around $30.
Book Description
Few objects in history tell a tale that can match this one coin's for drama and sheer improbability.
Stolen from the U.S. Mint in the depths of the Great Depression, shipped via diplomatic pouch to Egypt, hidden for forty years, seized in a 1996 government sting at the Waldorf-Astoria, and finally sold in a record-setting auction….
One coin, for years the only known 1933 twenty-dollar Double Eagle in the world, has inspired the passions of thieves and collectors, lawyers and charlatans. Its extraordinary story winds across seventy years and three continents, linking an almost unbelievable cast of characters: Theodore Roosevelt and a Philadelphia gold dealer with underworld connections; Egypt's King Farouk and an apple-cheeked Secret Service agent; London's most successful coin dealer and a retired trucker from Amarillo.
Alison Frankel's stylish narrative hums at the pace of a thriller. Her meticulously researched descriptions and vivid character studies bring the coin's history to life and illuminate the world of coin collecting, where the desire to possess often borders on madness. 8 pages of illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful story.......2007-07-26
This book is truly terrific, thoroughly engaging. One can tell the author went to great lengths to find out every little detail because there are no real gaps in a story that spans over 7 decades. Just a delight to read.
a breathtaking read.......2006-09-09
'Give us a coinage that has some beauty', ordered president Theodore Roosevelt at the beginning of the 20th century. Artist Augustus Saint-Gaudens provided the winning 'Double Eagle'-design. It was converted into a golden 20 dollar piece.
445,500 Of these coins were inscripted with '1933'. As their production coincided with the abandon of the USA's gold standard, they were never issued. A few years later these 1933-coins were melted into golden bars. Nevertheless some estimated 10 copies turned up afterwards, being illegal by US government standards.
Following their whereabouts, gradually narrowing her investigations to just one piece, Alison Frankel takes us on a breathtaking journey. It leads from the monetary politics of president Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the abundant wealth of Egyptian king Farouk; from dusty small towns in Texas to New York and London; from simple, low-paid mint-employees to top legal specialists; from honest, hard-working people via the US secret service to mafia-related criminals. In all providing a clear insight in the international coin-trade throughout the 20th century.
The story finishes with an irresistable climax: on July 30, 2002, the 'Double Eagle' was auctioned off in New York for a net-price of $ 6,6 million. Thus becoming the most expensive antique coin in the world.
Well-researched and well-written, Alison Frankel's book will leave you breathless.
Who knew?.......2006-06-13
Wow, who would have imagined that the world of coin collecting would be inhabited by the quirky collection of characters in this intriguing book? I loved the mystery of the story and the surprising and true journey of the double eagle. The book is very well written in a style that is both hard to put down and fun to read. I enjoyed the history of early twentieth century coins. The legal maneuverings in the story are great!
Read this book!
Gripping, factual and extraodinarily well written........2006-05-26
This is by far the better of the few books about the chicanery, sneeky dealings and inevitabe "sting" surrounding the 1933 $20 Saint Gaudens. The author wastes no time jumping into the thick of things and every page is full of insight and great reading. There's no fluff in this book, it's cover to cover great "stuff"....the players, the government, the mint officials and the setup man, Izzy Switt are all followed in a way worthy of a murder mystery. What's also great is that inasmuch as this will appeal to the general public, it's really appealing to coin collectors because of the author's research into the inner dealings of the coin world. One coin...one incredible non-fiction novel!
This Real-Life Detective Story Is On the Money!.......2006-05-25
I know nothing about coin collecting, but I bought this book on a whim -- the cover is striking -- and read the whole thing the first night. King Farouk, Teddy Roosevelt, obsessed Secret Service agents, shady coin dealers, clever lawyers... this book has it all, and I just couldn't stop reading until I finished the whole thing. Double Eagle is so much more than the saga of a gold coin. It's a compelling narrative, a fascinating work of history, an incisive study of collecting mania and, most of all, a thriller that ends with a twist that will shock you. I'd give it six stars if I could.
Customer Reviews:
Characters in Literature should interest us more ( not less) than they do in Life .......2006-10-05
Henry James said that every writer has their right to their own 'donnee' their own given subject and theme. If one accepts that dictum then Deborah Eisenberg is not to be faulted for supplying us characters who seem singularly unattractive and insubstantial, lost in a flurry of experiences which seem to go nowhere especially. The ironic, intelligent, satiric and often perceptive voice of this writing does not in my mind and heart compensate for characters who in my judgment anyway, do not amount to much. The emotional weight of these stories for me , which I wanted to like very much, is not truly strong . Not only is character lacking but story moving toward some kind of revelation or insight is also.
Eisenberg's stories are highly praised by many, and that many may see what I do not .
But this work will not go in my own selection of favorite personal story collections.
Average customer rating:
- America's money in the context of American culture
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America's Money, America's Story
Richard G. Doty
Manufacturer: Krause Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 087341618X |
Customer Reviews:
America's money in the context of American culture.......1999-03-29
Do we really need another book on American numismatics? In the case of Richard Doty's new book, the answer is an enthusiastic yes.
Unlike other important histories such as Q. David Bowers, The History of United States Coinage, based on the Garrett collection, this book is about America's money, not just coins. Doty examines early forms of money such as wampum and barter objects, the great influence of Spanish colonialism, and local monetary forms during our own colonial period. What may surprise some coin collectors is the importance of paper money in our history, especially non-Federal issues through the Civil War. Private bank note issues and merchant scrip-"obsolete notes"-were a vital part of circulating money during a long period when U.S. and other coins were scarce. Doty examines how vignettes used on many of these notes represented real or ideal views of our society, our relationship with Native Americans, enslaved people, women, and national heroes. One of the nine chapters examines early paper money in detail-"Rag Times: The Era of the Private Bank Note (1789-1865)." Paper is also a major part of the significant changes to our money during the Civil War era ("Civil War and Money's Change"), when private bank notes were essentially taxed out of existence and replaced with U.S. paper money.
Throughout the book, Doty places money and monetary change in historical and cultural context. Our money evolved as our experience as a nation grew--money changed and stabilized (some might say fossilized) as we developed from a struggling nation into our modern superpower status.
Richard Doty is perhaps the preeminent U.S. numismatic scholar of the 20th century. A historian with academic credentials, the book's special claim is his historian's view of the evolution of American money. His writing style is eminently readable-he has a way with words, an ability to use the language that to this reviewer is more appealing than that of any other numismatic writer.
Running 248 pages (8 1/2 inches by 11 inches, softcover), America's Money -- America's Story is extensively indexed and includes more than 250 large-size photographs of everything from items traded during the pre-European settlement days to the coins and bills that have changed with America.
Chapters cover The Thirteen Colonies and Their Monies; The War for Independence and Its Aftermath; "Hard Money" and the Young Republic; "Rag" Times: The Era of the Private Bank Note; Gold!; Civil War and Money's Change; The Gilded Age; Isolation, Depression, Intervention; and Cold War and Beyond.
Rounding out America's Money -- America's Story is a section featuring an in-depth list of suggested reading material to help enthusiasts acquire even more knowledge of the history of America and its money.
"Regardless of time or place, any exchange medium must satisfy a number of requirements," the book says." If it does so, it is viable money, likely to remain in fashion; if it does not, it will soon be replaced by something else. To be money, an object must be durable. It must be practical, either directly or indirectly. It must be easily quantifiable. It must be of moderate scarcity, rare enough to carry an aura of desirability, plentiful enough so that everyone can see it and have a minimal chance of obtaining it. Finally, attractiveness, either for display or for other reasons, gives some potential trading objects an advantage over others--without being an absolute requirement for any of them.
Doty is curator of numismatics for the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, where he is responsible for the national collections of U.S., Latin American, and medieval coinage, as well as U.S. and foreign paper money and foreign tokens. A former professor of U.S., Latin American, and world history, Doty is a numismatic scholar who has written five books and more than 100 articles concerning numismatics.
Product Description
278
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