The E-Sylum:  Volume 4, Number 44, October 28, 2001, Article 9

HALLOWEEN ANSWER.    

  "The American numismatist was M.L. Beistle. His full name   
  was Martin Luther Beistle.  His book, of course, was "The   
  Register of Half Dollar Die Varieties and Sub-Varieties."   
  (Beistle's firm published his book in 1929, based on his   
  own half dollar collection. It was reprinted in 1964.)    

  Early in the 20th century Beistle purchased a paper product   
  company he worked for, whose major product was fake trees.   
  In 1910 he purchased the technology to manufacture a party   
  goods specialty, honeycombed tissue.  The firm prospered in   
  World War I when such party goods could not be imported   
  from Germany.  And over the years the firm manufactured   
  millions of tissue pumpkins and ghosts and goblins and bells   
  and hundreds of other items.    

  Beistle was a native of central Pennsylvania, but the early   
  company was located in Pittsburgh.  After he purchased it   
  he moved his company to Shippensburg in 1907.    

  Born in 1875, Beistle died in 1935. But his company lived on   
  and is still owned by his family.  For his Halloween connection   
  see:  http://www.spookshows.com/beistle/beistle.htm    

  For pictures of Beistle and his story see:   
  http://www.cumberlink.com/50_in_250/beistle.html    

  But most interestingly, visit his company's home page.  Here   
  you will see a medal the firm had struck for their 100th   
  anniversary in 2000.  In 1950,  for their 50th anniversary,   
  they had Medallic Art Company strike a medal with three   
  portraits.  In addition to Beistle's portrait is that of Henry E.   
  Luhrs (his son-in-law) and Jeremiah S. Omwake (another   
  company founder).  The obverse with three portraits was   
  created by sculptor Jeno Juszko.  The present medal, whose   
  design is based on the earlier one, shows five portraits.   
  The reverse (unfortunately not shown) displays eight company   
  products; it was by Rene P. Chambellan.   
  See: http://www.beistle.com    

  Happy Halloween!"   

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization 
promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor 
at this address: whomren@coinlibrary.com

To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum