If Breen is one bookend of American numismatics, Crosby is surely the other. In 1875, Crosby had not even the use of a telephone to aid his research. On the other hand, he had access to the great collectors and collections of yore, among them Bushnell, Stickney, Parmelee, Appleton, Maris and others, all giants on the 19th century American numismatic scene. Crosby?s dive into the primary source documentation surrounding colonial issues is beyond remarkable, particularly in light of the lack of modern bibliographic resources. Coupled with his observant technical eye and capable cataloguing, this work is properly described by Davis as "the masterpiece of nineteenth century numismatic literature." Voted #2 in the top hundred items of numismatic literature by the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
The 1870s and 1880s represented the heydey of the dealer "house organ," with a trio of prolific authors (Mason, Frossard, and Proskey here) informing the public on various aspects of numismatics. Competing with other periodicals, the Coin Collector's Journal generally stood above the fray, avoiding the politics of personality and focusing on purely numismatic matters. The Journal boasts important technical content, such as the Robert Coulton Davis series on U.S. patterns beginning in 1885. A die variety study of U.S. large cents appears in serial form beginning in 1887. Note, the Coin Collector's Journal was edited by Edouard Frossard during its first year, and then by David Proskey for the remainder of the series. (Note: the 1876 volume is bound with the 1875 volume, which contains but a single issue, for the month of December.)
