Q.David Bowers
I have this day forwarded to you by express, charges prepaid, what I believe to be the finest and most complete set of 1837 tokens ever offered in this country either at auction or at private sale, which I submit to you for your inspection. I claim to know something about the series and when an amateur gave it much study, I contributed to the article in the Coin Collector's Journal (which numbers I now use in designating them) and will say that in establishing my price for the above set I carefully reviewed every point worthy of consideration in order to arrive at a fair value and reasonable figure which is $200. I challenge any man in this country whether dealer or collector to duplicate it, (to say nothing of the condition of the pieces) with the single exception, that exception being a customer of mine for whom I have purchased the leading rarities that have come up in sales during the last four or five years; his valuation of the same today is $500, and they have cost him quite that amount. There are a few missing links which however do not belong to the leading rarities and are obtainable at reasonable prices. I may add that my friend has one in silver that came from the Bushnell Sale, Lot 2169 which I bought for him. No other specimen that I am aware of has appeared and which is now considered to be a rarity manufactured to order; that is to say the dies were intentionally destroyed after a single specimen had been struck. I venture to remark that Lot 1666 in WEW's [W. Elliot Woodward] coming sale does not belong to the series. This identical piece I picked out some two years ago from the remains of Ponce de Leon's Collection and sold to Frossard for $5. I think Mr. Woodward bought it out of his sale. The obverse is the same type as the reverse of the gold coinage of the Pacific Company of California 1849; there is no reverse die to the piece. I beg that you will give them a careful examination at your convenience....
On September 7, 1885, Low wrote:
Yours of the 5th received but I have sent by Adams Express tonight volume six of the Coin Collector's Journal. The Levick Sale May 1884, the Bushnell, and the Haseltine type table (the latter no extreme rarity) have contained the greatest number of these series offered at any sale; each of them will show the prices realized. Mr. Levick also several years ago described them in the American Journal. You will note that there are several on the lots submitted to you that were unknown to Scott plus some he did not include with this series, that others do, such as the Belleville Seaman, Gibbs, etc. With his degrees of rarity I do not agree. Numbers 1 and 10 grade in the same degree of rarity as No.2. No. 12 is more difficult to obtain than either of these. I am satisfied that the most careful investigation on your part will establish the fact that I have placed a low price on them. I consider numbers 1, 10, and 12 as obtainable. They have never realized more than $5 or $7, more times between $1 and $2.
On September 8, 1885, Lyman H. Low wrote: I should have mentioned in my letter of yesterday that numbers 1 and 10 are considered by everyone (Scott excepted) as purely political. I enclose a small piece which belongs in the series, and the history of which is unknown.
On October 21, 1885, an invoice was sent which listed 73 pieces of 1837 tokens for $200. Included were the following items attributed to Low's numbers: 1, 3-8, 14-17, 19-52, 54, 55, 57, 59-74, 76-82, and 84-86. Included was this note:
I have shipped to you today by Baltimore & Ohio Express Co. to your address the above tokens which I hope will reach you safely. Those that are marked with a cross in red ink are in addition to those sent on the first invoice [numbers 1, 27, 41, 81, 85, and 86]. Above you have my numbers to correspond with Scott's, by which the new arrangement in shown.
On November 13, 1885, Lyman H. Low wrote:
I am sorry to hear you have been indisposed. I hope you will not put yourself out respecting the coins as there is no immediate hurry. I was only anxious to know that you had received them.
On December 3, 1885, Low wrote:
Your telegram is received in reply will state that I went over the ground pretty carefully before I made my price. I consider cheap at the price and will challenge anyone to duplicate them. I cannot afford to take less than $200 since I must adhere to this evaluation of them.
On December 8, 1885, Low wrote:
I have to acknowledge the letter of the 5th with your check for $200 in payment of the 1837 tokens for which please accept my best thanks. I enclose the bill duly receipted and regret that the acknowledgement of the check was overlooked yesterday.
Correspondence with Dr. Edward Maris
Born in 1832 in Woodside, Pennsylvania, Edward Maris, M.D., was to become known as one of the earliest authorities in the field of early American copper coinage.
He began as a mathematics instructor at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. In 1855 he graduated from the Jefferson Medical College and in 1869 he published Varieties of Copper Issues of the United States Mint of 1794. Drawing upon his knowledge of medicine, history, and Latin, he gave colorful descriptions to one-cent pieces of the 1794 year. Such terms as Amatory Face, Pyramidal Head, Ornate, and Roman Plica, are still used today. Maris then went on to assemble one of the finest collections of American state coinage, with particular emphasis on the copper coins of New Jersey minted from 1786 to 1788. His collection of the latter series formed the nucleus of his book, A Historical Sketch of the Coins of New Jersey, published in Philadelphia in 1881.
The Maris Collection was offered by Stan Henkels & Co. in 1886. Included was his complete collection of New Jersey cents which was listed individually but was sold in the sale as a single lot to Harold P. Newlin (refer to Newlin correspondence for details), who was acting as an agent for T. Harrison Garrett.
Maris, who died in 1900, had just one significant ex-change of correspondence with Garrett. On February 28, 1885, he wrote to Garrett with an unusual offer.
Confidential. I have concluded to offer at private sale my celebrated collection of the coins of New Jersey. It comprises all of the pieces described in my work published in 1881, excepting No. 8 (all unique pieces)-seven of the latter number being represented by electrotypes.
A number of the pieces are unique and many of them are the finest specimens known. For instance, a pair of the Mark Newby, quite Uncirculated. Running horse on the reverse after the legend. Punctuations with quatrefoil before and after the legend, and many others that- should be examined to be appreciated. I want $1,000 for the entire collection. One of my finest books will also accompany it.
I also have a silver Fugio with the names of the states in the rings, in almost Proof condition. Crosby mentions it as being unique and [contained] in the collection of C. 1. Bushnell. When the Bushnell Collection was offered for sale this piece was not found in it. I suspect Bushnell never owned one, but knew of [one] which was the property of a friend of his. If this is correct my piece is unique and of course very interesting. I want $500 for it.