JNR Issue #3 - WW-II, gold, silver & SS treasure

[RWB]

Issue #3 of the Journal of Numismatic Research (JNR) has just been released by Seneca Mill Press LLC.

 

 

This issue, Summer 2013, is devoted to the valiant attempts by Filipino and American military and civilian personnel to prevent gold and silver from falling into the hands of the invading Japanese Army at the onset of World War II.

 

The successful voyage of the “golden ship” USS Trout from Corregidor Island to Honolulu with its ballast crammed with gold, received considerable publicity on the American Homefront. Several popular articles appeared during and after the war that outlined the general events but omitted, or altered many details for war-time consumption. The article beginning on page nine, presents the best modern research on the background, execution and conclusion of this amazing event. Copies of declassified relevant War Patrol Reports are included.

 

After all the gold and some of the Philippine silver were smuggled out on the Trout, a large quantity of silver coins remained. These were dumped into Manila Bay. The Japanese soon learned the location and conscripted American Navy divers to bring the money to the surface. This fascinating story of bravery and determination was unknown during the war and received little public attention afterward. This is the first comprehensive description and analysis of silver recovery.

 

A closing feature reveals the U.S. Mint’s role in recovering Nazi looted treasure following VE Day, and provides the first numismatic estimates of American gold coins contained in the treasure.

 

Copies may be purchased directly from the distributor, Wizard Coin Supply, Chantilly, VA www.wizardcoinsupply.com, or from leading coin dealers.

 

[DaveG]

Very exciting topics!

[okbustchaser]

Doesn't appear to be available on the Wizard site, yet. I will definately be getting a copy as my father was a radioman second class on the Trout for several war patrols. (But not the gold run from the Philippines) Luckily for my presence he transferred off the Trout in July 1943 after her 9th patrol. She was reported lost with all hands during her 11th patrol April 1944.

[RWB]

All of the USS Trout war patrol reports have been declassified and are on microfilm at NARA in College Park, MD. Your father's name might be mentioned in some of them. The notes with the article will tell you exactly where in NARA to look. It might also be possible to borrow a copy of the microfilm through your local library.

 

Wizard should have the order page up in a short while.

[DaveG]

Doesn't appear to be available on the Wizard site, yet.

 

 

As is right and proper, Roger always announces the appearance of a new publication to us "Cool Kids" before Wizard makes it available for sale.

 

 

 

 

[KeyMan64]

Cool, congrats Roger.

[KeyMan64]

It's now available! Ohhhh Boy!

 

LINKY

[Hard Times]

This is an advertisement for a product - shouldn't it be in the Money Marketplace?

 

Arch?

 

Best, HT

[johnny9434]

sounds like a real interesting read for sure.

[TD Henson]

Just picked up issue #1 from Wizard and I have to say this is an awesome publication. Can't wait to order again from them to order #2 & #3. Not only is it jammed packed with information but the publishing quality is top rate.

 

Very pleased!!!

 

Todd

[RWB]

Thanks, Todd! I'm doing my best to make it a quality, informative, accurate and long-lasting source of information on US Coinage.

 

Issue #4 will be going to a new printer next week, so we'll see if they can do even better.

[wdrob]

Just picked up issue #1 from Wizard and I have to say this is an awesome publication. Can't wait to order again from them to order #2 & #3. Not only is it jammed packed with information but the publishing quality is top rate.

 

Very pleased!!!

 

Todd

 

 

Maybe I could borrow your copy. I just bought mine and nothing. No download link. Nada!

 

I noticed also the 'Promotional Shipping Offer' was from 3 - 10 days and cost more than the 2 day USPS Priority Mail.

 

Maybe mine is coming in the mail.

 

 

 

[TD Henson]

Just picked up issue #1 from Wizard and I have to say this is an awesome publication. Can't wait to order again from them to order #2 & #3. Not only is it jammed packed with information but the publishing quality is top rate.

 

Very pleased!!!

 

Todd

 

 

Maybe I could borrow your copy. I just bought mine and nothing. No download link. Nada!

 

I noticed also the 'Promotional Shipping Offer' was from 3 - 10 days and cost more than the 2 day USPS Priority Mail.

 

Maybe mine is coming in the mail.

 

 

 

Hmm... This was my first order with Wizard and it went smooth. However, I did order a box full of supplies and my first JNR journal. Well packed and it only took 3 days to get here on the promotional shipping.

 

I also noticed that depending on the size of your order there were better shipping options than the 9.95 Promo.

 

Hope yours arrives soon.

[wdrob]

Hmm... This was my first order with Wizard and it went smooth. However, I did order a box full of supplies and my first JNR journal. Well packed and it only took 3 days to get here on the promotional shipping.

 

I also noticed that depending on the size of your order there were better shipping options than the 9.95 Promo.

 

Hope yours arrives soon.

 

I guess I should clarify. I ordered a few things but mainly went there after reading this thread since I have a interest in the Philippines under US Sovereignty and what Roger had researched. I have ordered from Wizard on a few (actually quite a few) occasions previously.

 

I had initially saw that the issues were downloadable and thought that this issue was as well. That was my mistake as I returned to verify and noticed that this issue, #3, was not described as downloadable as I originally thought.

 

I am sure I will receive the shipment in record time as I have always had very good shipment times from Wizard in the past. It was just a slight letdown thinking I would be knee deep into the article after a few keystrokes only to realize I had not read the descriptions correctly.

 

The shipping charges though I think are a mistake on their web site and I thought I would bring that up since I found that to be humorous that the promotional discount shipping, that is listed as taking between 3 to 10 days was more expensive than flat rate which will arrive much sooner.

 

Since I have to wait for the issue to arrive I expect Roger to not only deliver it but to sign it as well.

 

 

[RWB]

I want to have all the issues available in PDF as well as printed versions. But, sometimes the file size can get very large....much depends on the images. I will make sure Wizard has a PDF version for issue 3 and all the others - even if it is a large file.

[wdrob]

 

Thanks Roger

 

I have no objections over large files. Actually, the more stuff you can cram in there the better. (thumbs u

[DaveG]

I've always been impressed by Wizard's outstanding service.

 

I ordered a book from them on November 6th and, as usual, I paid for media mail shipping.

 

The book was delivered to northern New Jersey today!

 

 

[wdrob]

 

Roger; I received my issue from Wizard just an hour or so ago and I must say that this is of the highest quality and well worth waiting for the hard copy. I look forward to further issues of interest.

 

You seem to have a knack for this kind of stuff. Have you ever considered doing this for a living?

[RWB]

Wdrob,

Thanks for the kind words. "Doing this for a living" would be nice, but not even a fly could live on profits from numismatic research...

 

Each issue involves hundreds of hours of painstaking digging in musty files and archives. It is common for me to be the first person who has accessed certain government files in 50 or 100 years, or more. Many of the articles published so far, and in preparation, were started up to ten years ago, and gradually expanded as more information became available. For example, the USS Trout voyage first appeared in print during WW-II - it was great home front publicity. This was also printed in several magazines in the 1950s. But, every version was a watered down summary - something that gave no credit or recognition to the people who made this happen. All of the life and humanity was squeezed out while simultaneously trivializing the courage and innovation it took to succeed. I researched the subject, along with other topics, over a period of six years.

 

To get a better idea of the research work involved, look at the footnotes and bibliography. For every source given in the article there might have been 5 or 10 that were checked and led nowhere. Also, a lot depends on availability of archive specialists at NARA. The military records were fairly easy to find because NARA in College Park, MD has a bunch of specialists who know where to find material. The Navy and Army historical centers also have excellent staff (although many have left due to budget and service cuts). At the same facility, finding anything about the Philippine Commissioner’s office took several weeks of page-by-page slogging until I finally located the material I wanted. Once located, copying or photographing files is the easy part, although it might take a full day to copy one file folder. Then it all has to come to the office for identification, correlation, analysis and preparation of follow-up research. Only after the bottom of the information pile is reached can interpretation then outlining and drafting begin – then photos have to be found and copyright permission obtained.

 

The bottom line is that to make a modest living, nearly every article – not issue, but article – would have to produce $10k in revenue.

 

Please enjoy the JNR and I hope you will buy future issues. I am working with Wizard to facilitate downloading in PDF format, and it will get done.

 

Thanks!

 

 

PS: When you read a coin collecting book by David Lange, Len Augsberger, Joel Orosz, Eric Newman, Ken Bressett and others, just remember the work that goes into what you are reading. Your price for knowledge is a few dollars - their cost of acquiring that knowledge is unmeasurable.

[wdrob]

 

Funny you should expound on this since, while reading I was in fact looking at all the footnote references and thinking that you must be the quickest researcher on the planet if you are able to get this far in depth in what I previously thought was such a short amount of time.

 

The fact that this work is part of a much longer process than I originally thought is easily identifiable by how deep and detailed the accounts are and what I find makes this such a good read. I am waiting until my granddaughter heads home later before I get much further into the remainder, since her constant interruption makes it difficult at times to concentrate and pick back up where I was, but I am especially looking forward to the unexpected account of the Nazi gold find in the salt mines.

 

You can count on me picking up a issue every chance I get and I would definitely recommend to anyone interested in a very detailed presentation of these historical events to do the same. I am very happy, in this instance, that fate played a very welcome role in making sure I was able to get the hard copy and not just a download as I had initially expected. I am making space for future volumes in my small bookshelf near my desk I use for quick reference.

 

Oh ... and 10 grand, for me, is definitely out of the question regardless of the quality.

 

I will try to get 500 people interested though.

 

Bill