Errors And Omissions In 2015 Charlton's

Wow..could you tell us more please DBM?

The reverse of the Chinese counterfeit Victoria 25 cents is not R4 it is a late punch state R1, any similarity to R4 has been induced by the spark erosion process. The broken stem shown as a marker for counterfeits is found on genuine coins.Some 1872,some 1874,all 1875 and all 1880 genuine coins have the broken stem.
One can't expect that MM is well versed in all varieties of the coins represented by the Chinese fakes, I'm sure his plate is full, But someone along the way should have picked up on this and other errors before publication. I once said that nearly all of our Canadian coin collecting institutions are mediocre and second rate, IMO this is a step down.

This hobby in Canada is dominated by a small number of intersecting Mutual Admiration Societies, until this stops we are doomed to mediocrity.

Its very frustrating when the book you turn to for info is getting it wrong
Its up to you but if you like errors hang on to those Charltons..lol

I will see Bill Cross at Coin Expo - maybe I can offer to take a copy and pass it around to a few astute collectors I know (including you DBM) and mark it up for corrections. As far as I know, there is no "editing team" Bill and Jean do it all themselves.

I agree we are doomed for mediocrity, but it will take the collecting community to step up, not a publication business. Some of us really try, with articles in the CN Journal and such, but there are so many collectors out there, like our friend Bill Hall, who have tons of information in their head, but won't put pen to paper...

The collecting community out there, are the experts. For a better long-term reference, it is up to us to roll up our sleeves and pitch in with editorial revisions. It is thankless work (i.e., unpaid), but the long term benefits outweigh any short term loss, for the collecting community as a whole.

With respect to the supplements, the main contributor should be responsible for the content, not the editor. MM was unavailable for a good few months this year (he stated for health reasons in another thread), which I suspect was the main reason stuff got through with errors. Perhaps a time crunch on publication and distribution contracts also weighed in - remember, Charlton's is a publication business.

When I did the 67th supplement (nickel dollars), I did things differently than previous contributors - For new varieties, I took the photos myself, I assigned the Charlton numbers and wrote the introduction - then I insisted on reviewing the copy proof. I even reached out to other nickel dollar collectors, to collate new findings and to establish rarity for prices. I have written and edited books as part of my career, so that is how I approached it. The 65th edition (large cents) had a minimum of three experts that reviewed it (Rob, Bill and Dan)...

Again, this is a bottom-up driven process, and it ultimately depends on how the main contributor pitches in. I think the current edition would have benefitted greatly from input who know the obverses, like yourself DBM or Zonad. That is where the "expert lead" needs to reach out for that expertise, because the general veil of secrecy with Charlton Press supplements does not allow those who do know, to step forward and help.

Thanks must go to SPP and Dan and Mike and Rob..and lastly Bill and the many other educators that do the hard research,

..and then work so hard to get it out for the benefit of all of us..and for their ongoing efforts in teaching us.

We'd be lost in the woods without them..

Consider me a proud member of the MAS...thanks guys.. greatly appreciated..

..and now back to Rob's Turner's amazing book ..
" The 1858 Cents of Provincial Canada "..loving it...

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If change is to be a bottom-up proccess what better place to start than here? Of course Charlton Press will be hearing from me.
As publisher and editor Mr. Cross bears ultimate responsibility for this fiasco, there are no excuses.
Charlton's is an annual publication, relatively little changes from year to year. For the last ten years the supplement is what drives up sales, previous to the supplements there was little incentive to buy a copy each and every year. Charlton's is "the bible" of Canadian coin collecting, many at the true bottom echelons take every word in it as the unerring truth. A system should have been in place to check the supplements.
I have empathy for all those collectors who will shun as counterfeit any 1872,1874,1875 or 1880 25 cent piece having broken stems. And sympathy for MM whose hard work IMO has been reduced to mediocrity through no fault of his own.

Amazon right now--$20