Who are your favorite writers online?

I mean, first, which posters on which forums do you find most (a) interesting to read and ( most often correct with helpful answers?

I also mean, which of the print writers who participate online do you like and why. Why is important.

Discussing this here is important.

In addition, if you could PM me your list (Top Ten or Top One) with your reasons or at least with url pointers, I will begin to establish a nomination list.

Awards are always in order.

Do not be shy, folks. If you like something you saw online mention it. I asked for PMs because, really, we all write here and if I say "Jorg Lueke" or "Aetheling" then someone else is sleighted for not being mentioned. I am aware of that, believe me. That is why I asked for PMs.

That aside, if you read something online that you liked, mention it here. There is no harm in that.

I asked that because I could not think of any offhand. We have something of a gulf in the hobby. I flipped through Numismatist and could not find any of the columnists participating here or at Coin People or Omnicoin. Of course, it is a bit of a challenge to figure out who ShinyOldCoins44 might be.

You write online and in print.
Some of the Celator columnists also post, at least on Moneta-L do varying degrees.

And of course your buddy Reid, he has written a few in print articles and certainly is active online

I'll have to think about my favorite online writer and PM you.

Steady...

I too would have to nominated Reid though, i've read alot of his stuff in the past and one cannot help but get some appreciation for ancient coins and a desire to own a few. Words can be powerful indeed.

Vox populi, vox dei.

Who, especially, did you have in mind on Moneta-L from the The Celator, or vice versa?

I have a feeling that this will end up in the Numismatist in some future issue, but none of those lists will include that one writer whom I will not mention by name, but everybody knows.

As I look, as I guess not too many. Sometimes I get email and Moneta confused as well. I think Zach of Beast coins would be one other who does appear in both now that he's half of a column in the Celator.

A lot of the posters on Moneta-L deserve consideration for special mentions and awards. There are some truly thoughful and interesting responses. There's a few more on some of the speciality lists.

My first nomination would have to go to Edward C. D. Hopkins the moderator of Parthia-L and creator of http://www.parthia.com. His website is truly a model, one I consider the best on ancient coins to date.

As for the first part, there is really too many for me to list well as a lot of times it depends upon the area being discussed. Conder101 sticks out in my mind from reading him here and the PCGS forums. As does cladking from several forums. Others too such as CoinGuy1 (Mark Feld from PCGS forums), Ira Stein from rcc, GDJMSP from various forums. Ætheling would be the first person I would go to for UK info, there's a guy on PCGS called TradeDollarNut who is an expert I would go to for anything trade dollar like, I love to read Art on IHCs and copper coins in general. For Austrian, Dale on rcc is hard to beat. And on and on.

As far as print writers who are online...I am not sure I know any except for the usual suspects that have already been mentioned. If you can get Bowers in here...

I'm sure there were a few more around on RCC that had points. But i haven't visited the place in over a year. Wasn't Eric Tillery the toned Morgan Dollar guy who knew more about Morgans than was healthy?

Yep, he is certainly an authority on them, IMO. I only have 3 toned Morgans but they were all bought from him.

I agree with the broad observation: there are too many to list. It is one of the reasons that I hate awards. I like the ones I have gotten and I have them in my den and I believe that I deserved them... At least that's what I tell myself.

The only one that I am comfortable with is the first Heath that I got for The Origins of Coinage. I believe that the nomination came from Elvira Clain-Stefanelli. As for the others, I always ask myself "Why this one and not that one? Why me for this and not him for that?" And when it is not me, I ask, "Why him for that and not me for this?" It is all very arbitrary. Also, these awards tend to be annual. However, the true and abiding merit in a work may not become apparent until the year has passed.

So, the online awards I am contemplating come with some limitations. GDJMSP definitely stands out. But remember that National Dealer was going great guns and then bowed out. The "annual" thing would eliminate him from consideration and I think that is unfair.

Also, there is the problem of the "winner takes all." This was from a book called The Winner Take All Society. Perhaps 12 to 20 people make a fulltime living playing tennis. They earn less than $100,000 to less than $250,000 per year doing that. They make a good living doing what they enjoy, but you do not read of them on the front page, or even on the front page of the sports section. And their share of the earnings is disproportionately small. The case is even more dramatic in basketball, American "football" and baseball. I admire the skill of the guys getting paid $100 a game to play Class A Baseball on Saturdays. But some guys get $100 a minute -- and they are not 120 times better at the mechanics of game.

So, it is nice to thank those who have helped us in the hobby, but, then what about those whom we do not mention?

Is there a solution to this?

I don't know if there is a 'solution' but consensus is usually the way it is resolved. Not every deserving person will always win an award but I don't think that awards should be done away with just because of that. My 2cents only, of course.

I nominate Michael for one of his NOW awards because as here he's unfailingly clear with his intentions in everything he writes.

This forum is a good idea. I'm up to my ears right now but I'll try to respond over the next week or so to some of the queries, including Stujoe's about ways to support what you write, an important and interesting issue, and potentially controversial too...

P.S. Thanks to Ætheling, etc., for the nice comments.

Oscar Wilde, the writer who dares not mention his own name?

I have spent a week thinking about this and I give up, Ukra. Come clean. Who is it?

ah pazhalusta...

I would never argue with a troll or the moderator, but I must point out...


I would like to get away from subjectivity and being in with the in crowd. I think that objectively, Jorg Lueke's Electronic Numismatist stands out as unique.

There must be a hundred of us who write a lot online -- and writing a lot online is all there is for those 100 of us. Jorg has accomplished something special. I would like to name the first award after him.

But what can we give him? (I can make a certificate, but I think I already sent him one for something else he did.) Any ideas for the Jorg Lueke Originality Honorarium?

Jorg Lueke I know the name from somewhere, but i'm not familiar with the Electronic Numismatist.

Jorg Lueke Numismatic Accomplishment Award?

the Jorg Lueke Award for the Evolution of Numismatics?

I am not either, at least I don't think so. Unless you are talking the Popular Coin Idol Competition...then I Rule Supreme!



I tend to have more faith in the masses than in any other medium. I tend to believe that we can be objective and judge well.

Another way to do it is, of course, to appoint a panel of experts (or a single expert) to judge. My feeling on that is that when you have an elite for something like that, that is when true corruption begins. They truely vote the 'In Crowd' with said crowd usually being one of themselves or their buddies.

I don't think this is akin to science.

But, of course, that is my own bias involved and my own opinion, which has no more or less weight than any other poster's.

Anyway, I do indeed agree that Jorg's work is quite something special and very worthy of note.

Stujoe
'I just run a coin competition...'

Heh heh. I like to think of myself as original but the Electronic Numismatist is more of a perserverence thing. The idea had been around since 1995 according to the ANA people involved. They just kept coming up with reasons not to do it, so I finally decided I couldn't wait any longer.

I do appreciate the support from yourself, Art, and the others who have commented on the work. It is nice to find out that there are at least some people as enamoured with the old journals as I.

I think the process for another volume will begin soon as well.

Darn. Sorry Jorg with my mental shutdown there.

Were you on RCC? (that's probably where i knew you from, however i didn't equate JLueke as being the same) I know you by your avatar... please don't change it or i'm gonna be completely confused!

Yes, I was on RCC, actually I am back again for a while.

But you probably remember my name due to the scintillating article on Sasanian coinage I wrote for the Celator last winter

Ah! That Jorg Lueke!

As i don't subscribe to any magazines digitally or not, it's somewhat unlikely.

I spend most of my non-coin money on non-coin books. I don't have room for magazines, plus i've been disappointed with the printed one in the UK 'Coin News'. Too much emphasis on advertising modern junk (and just advertising) and they even make a whole section for Paper money. Which really belongs in it's own catalogue.

UK Coin News sounds a lot like Coinage or Coins over here. Numismatic News and Coin World are weekly but do contain a few interesting articles or columns but still buried in a lot of ads. The Numismatist has a lot more content per unit space as does the Celator.

Well when you write your article you can see what you think of the magazine

When is the word indeed!

Well never let it be said that i'll not try something new, every now and again. As long as i don't make a habit of it!

Well, the online world is immediate. So, I immediately nominate JORG LUEKE for the NOW "Innovator Award." (Anyone care to post iin support?)

We are getting down to the wire and nominations pretty much slacked off right away. If there are any last minute thoughts on this, feel free.

What I would like to do is to send out UK Pennies. I have a bag of them, all uncirculateds from 1964, I believe. What do you suggest for holders, besides 2x2s or flips? A certicate is appropropriate, but personally, I keep mine in a box in the attic, though I do have some plaques on the wall here in my office. Maybe a "card" instead of a "certificate" would be better.

Getting as fancy as the Coinbucks and Guineas will be a challenge, but I can do a pretty good job with paper.

As for the winners...

May I have the envelope, please.

Nominator: Nominee (plus reason, if any)
Mike Marotta: Jorg Lueke for Electronic Numismatist.

Aetheling: GD, aka Doug Prather.
Two of his articles are here (published on Omnicoin. previously published in print);

Atheling: This is my nomination for Reid;
... But you cannot deny
he has alot of passion for the coins he specialises in, and whilst some of his i
deas may not represent the mainstream he has a point or two;
Here's one example, just on Alexander the Great;

Aetheling: Eric Tillery toned Morgans

Jorge Lueke Zach of Beast coins

Jorge Lueke: Edward C. D. Hopkins the moderator of Parthia-L
and creator of Parthia Dot Com

StuJoe: Conder101 sticks out in my mind from reading him here
and the PCGS forums.
StuJoe: cladking from several forums.
StuJoe: CoinGuy1 (Mark Feld from PCGS forums),
StuJoe: Ira Stein from rcc,
StuJoe: GDJMSP from various forums.
StuJoe:: Ætheling would be the first person I would go to for UK info,
StuJoe: TradeDollarNut who is an expert I would go to for anything trade dollar like
StuJoe: Art on IHCs and copper coins in general.
StuJoe: Austrian, Dale on rcc is hard to beat. And on and on.

Reid Goldsborough: Mike Marotta

Clearly, we should call this the Mutual Admiration Society. ("No, no, Alphonse, after you...")

StuJoe definitely an award for this:

http://www.numislinks.com/

Read the press release
'Human Spidered’ Coin Collecting Resource Launched http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2005/12/emw327209.htm

Then, visit the site.

Another of StuJoe's projects is at www.coinpedia.net -- which I only found out about by reading Tiffibunny's touting of the Press Release and then following the posts in Coin People's "News" forum.