NUMISMATICS IN FICTION Publique Deposited

WILLIAM VEACH AND THE GOLDEN FROG

Contenu de l'article
  • The E-Sylum: Volume 10, Number 6, February 11, 2007, Article 4

    NUMISMATICS IN FICTION: WILLIAM VEACH AND THE GOLDEN FROG

    Roger Moore writes: "My interest in William N. Veach began during
    the first few years of the Twenty First Century, when I volunteered
    to be the moderator for the Virginia Colonial Coin Internet Research
    eSIG Group developed by Jim Spilman. As I delved into the numismatic
    history of the Virginia coinage, I was lead to a series of newsletters
    devoted to this coinage, published by William Veach between August
    1990 and June 1993.

    "The publication was called 'The Generation Newsletter', and it was
    readily apparent that the editor was one of the few people in the
    world with an in-depth appreciation and knowledge of the Virginia
    coinage. By hook and crook I was able to obtain a full set of these
    Newsletters and learned that Mr. Veach had also written a book called
    'The Gold Frog', which he had distributed to the readership of his
    newsletter.

    "My curiosity was peaked as to why the readers of a Virginia coinage
    based newsletter would have an interest in such a novel, but my primary
    curiosity was “what had happened to William Veach”? He seemed to have
    disappeared in 1995 and no one knew where he was. Google searches,
    Internet investigations and telephoning all the previous subscribers
    of 'The Generation Newsletter' did not solve the mystery. However,
    having feelers out finally paid off and I was able to locate the
    mystery man in a peaceful Florida retirement.

    "It is from him that I received a signed copy of 'The Gold Frog' (I
    had also gotten a copy during my unsuccessful attempt to find him
    while calling all his previous subscribers.) I am very happy to say
    that we have continued to communicate and he will be a co-author on
    a paper that will be coming out in The Colonial Newsletter in August
    which discusses Virginia coinage forgeries.

    "Now the real reason I write this summary is for the numismatic
    bibliophile who is most like unfamiliar with The Gold Frog. This
    book is not only a fantasy novel but is also a numismatic riddle.
    It was written in 1991 and self-published by the author using
    Business Images, Inc. with a publication run of 500 copies.

    "The prose are unusual and the story line is reminiscent of Alice
    in Wonderland, but with a decidedly Virginia coinage twist. In
    essence, Mr. Veach provides hints throughout the book concerning a
    “hidden treasure”. In hunting for the treasure a Virginia coin turns
    up in the story line and it is actually pictured in the book. In
    fact, the Virginia colonial coin is the only photograph in the book.

    "I belatedly found out from the author that his photo has major
    significance. However, to elucidate this significance you need to
    be an astute student of the Virginia coinage series. To use the
    author’s own words to describe the book, 'this story is not merely
    a simple work of fiction, for there is that single, irrevocable thread
    of historic and romantic presence of an era gone by, a land with a
    dream, a people with a destiny and rigid standards set by men who
    lived “the old ways”.'

    "Though there will be no Pulitzer nominations for this book, it does
    nicely fit into the numismatic library for those with an eclectic, if
    not very eccentric, interest in unusual literature associated with
    colonial coins."

    [Roger has donated copies of The Golden Frog book to the American
    Numismatic Society (ANS) and the Colonial Coin Collectors Club (C4)
    libraries in Mr. Veach's name. -Editor]

URL source Date publiée
  • 2007-02-11
Volume
  • 10

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Auteur NNP