Q.David Bowers
Garrett commissioned Newlin, who was again enormously successful and on December 7, 1885, Newlin wrote:
I secured all your pieces in Chapman's sale and forwarded them to you today. The amount due me for the coins retained by you is $346.50 plus purchases at the sale of $45. 75, equaling $392.25.
A list was appended detailing the successful bids for Lots 287, 311, 337, 427, 1198, 1221, and 1224.
The $392.25 was paid in full and on December 31, 1885, a statement outlining purchases since the preceding September was sent. Included were such diverse items as an 1872 commercial dollar at $20, a Nevada silver medal at $3, the gold-plated $50 piece at $100, a 1792 disme with plain edge at $40, an 1879 $20 in copper at $20, an 1806 quarter eagle at $50, and two nickel five-cent pieces, otherwise unidentified, at $2.50.
The subject of Newlin's next letter in May, 1886, was the news of the sale of the magnificent Maris Collection:
Dr. Maris has just informed me that he intends to sell his collection of American coins at auction in this city. He has many rare and valuable pieces, among them his collection of New Jersey cents, and many rare and some unique colonials. I shall expect to attend the sale and will send you a catalogue with plates, as soon as they come out. 1 shall be glad to execute your bids, and if you should care to examine the pieces or any of them before the sale, 1 can no doubt send them to you.
And on May 31, 1886, Newlin forwarded:
... a plate catalogue of the Maris Collection. I have also taken the liberty of noting on the margin the pieces that would probably add to your cabinet. 1 have, at the Doctor's invitation, examined the pieces with great interest, and I am very pleased with them. From what I am able to learn, his descriptions of rarity and condition are accurate. I shall expect to attend the sale and should be very glad to execute the bids. I can obtain any of the pieces that you may desire to see, and either bring or send them on to you for inspection. Maris, of course, shall not know they are to be sent to you; nor shall anyone know that 1 am buying for you. In this way the bidding will be fair, and there will be no running up.
I think the United States Mint should buy the New Jersey cents, for such a set can never be gotten together again; they are to be sold seriatim. If you want them, (and I strongly advise you to buy them), you might send me on what you already have so that I can compare them with the Maris lot and buy for you what you lack. In this way you will avoid duplicates. I believe Parmelee and the best collectors will be represented at the sale.
P.S. If you would not desire the set of New Jerseys, would not the Maryland Numismatic Society buy them? They should never be separated and should be on exhibition somewhere. I have personally not the slightest interest in it except as a numismatist. A number of the pieces are much The sale was scheduled for June 21st. In the meantime a chain of letters went to Garrett advising him on bidding.
On June 12th, Newlin informed Garrett: In reply to your favor I send you a list of prices which the lots may bring. Of course if Parmelee and some of the other large buyers are represented the pieces will sell for more. If not, I may get them for you at much less. If you remember in the Randall sale I got your pieces at a third less than the bids.
This letter included a long list of lots and individual suggested evaluations, and the following appraisal: The set of Jerseys is worth $900 or more. Many unique pieces. In regard to bids on these colonials, any that Parmelee may not have may bring several times the amount of my estimates I would advise you to buy the Jerseys as a set. If not, I would buy all the Uncirculated specimens. Lot 501 is unique, and is the only piece in the sale that does not belong to Maris (except one New Jersey cent) and will be limited by the owner, who is an expressman, at $250. I consider the piece worth more as it is unique. I have kept a copy of these bids and you may simply telegraph me if you want me to execute them. There are many very important pieces which will add greatly to your cabinet.
On the June 16th, Newlin wrote: Should you not be desirous of buying the set of New Jersey cents (1 have just examined them and ascertained from Dr. Maris that unless a bid of $800 for the set is made they will be sold separately) I would suggest that you buy the following numbers which I have selected more for their fineness of condition than for their degrees of rarity: 350, 351, 352, 355, 356, 359, 360, 367, 369, 370, 371, 375, 383, 385, 390, 392, 397, 405, 407, 428 (perfection), 431, 445, 449, 451, 452, 462, 465, 466, 467, 470, 471, 480 (a beauty), 483, 488 (only one specimen known struck over a Constellatio cent), 492 (very valuable), 493, and 494.
These if you desire I can buy for you at such prices as I myself would pay if I were collecting them. I, however, advise you to buy the entire set as I believe it will produce more money if sold separately. For example, a number of the rarest pieces Parmelee has not and would pay almost any price for them, but as he already has a large number of Jerseys he might hesitate to buy the set thinking it would give him so many duplicates. I went over the pieces the other evening and put down in pencil what they might bring if sold separately at fair bidding and found it comes to over $1,350. So, if this set can be bought for $800 I really think it is a bargain. Of the bids 1 marked for you at New York I would say that they may go for one half my estimates or may bring much over them. In any event, I am at your service. I hope to receive a line from you at my Supreme Court address. I have kept a memorandum of these lots as well as of the bids I sent in the previous letter, so you need not refer to them specifically unless you so desire.
And again on the 18th, another letter was sent:
I hope you won't think I am annoying you with so many letters, but as you expressed yourself interested in the Maris Collection it might further interest you to know that I saw Dr. Maris this morning and he told me that he intended to put up the New Jersey collection for a starting bid of $400. He also said that he had within a week or two been offered $500 for them and that he considered them worth much more than that but he desired to fix a modest limit and leave the rest in the hands of the buyers. I merely state this that you may know how to bid on them. At the low estimate he fixes (and they will positively go if there are two bids) I think they will without doubt go as a set, and the estimates on the individual pieces will not serve you as they in all probability will not go singly. Indeed, if they sell for any such price, I shall feel strongly tempted to be the buyer. The sale as you know is Monday next.