It is not very often, since I moved from Utah and would frequent the Nevada state line and Wendover, NV. for a little excursion gambling, that I find myself in the position of actually winning something.

However, I overcame the odds somehow and actually knew the answer to the weekly Numisma-Quest trivia question a week or so ago. As is known by all that participate - knowing the answer is just part of the challenge as you have to be picked randomly as well.

I felt confident that I had answered the question correctly and when all was said and done, I was actually announced as being chosen. The prize was something far better than a certificate for a submission or something similar. The prize was a book! Not just any book either - for it was right up my alley; "The Treasure Ship S.S. New York - Her Story, 1837-1846" by Q. David Bowers.

I received the book in a very reasonable amount of time and was excited to open that flimsy paper thin Priority Mail shipping envelope - the kind that is made for sending a stack of papers and such. Well I would imagine you know where I am going with this.

I was mildly disappointed (an understatement really) when I found the book to be damaged as shown in the pictures. I tried my best to admire the book from the outside but all attempts were futile; it was damaged and that was all there was to it. Luckily for me the contents were relatively unscathed other than the indention on the pages from where the book was just tossed around during shipment.

On a positive note; this book is a really good read so far, although I am only into the first section where Bowers attempts, quite successfully I will add, to immerse the reader in the actual time period (1846) of American History. I look forward to further reading.

To summarize I will qualify my reason for this topic as a journal, not as to complain in the hopes of compensation or placing blame. I actually wanted to write this in the hopes that NGC will realize they need to re-evaluate their method of shipping books.

In the same amount of time, effort, and postage the person who was tasked to ship this book could have easily just placed it into a padded bubble envelope at the very least and it would have provided, I believe, enough protection to have avoided damaging this book to this extent. I am also aware that for a cost that is cheaper than the price they paid for shipping this book they could have shipped it 'media mail' and it definitely would not have been damaged suffering the shock that seems to have been present in this case.

I therefore am only providing this constructive criticism to help avoid this with a future book winner. Some may look upon me as a person 'looking a gift horse in the mouth' but I defend my position in the context as one that has always respected books as far back as elementary school. Luckily the damage is only present when I take it out of the bookshelf to read.

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