Q.David Bowers
I then subsequently received your telegram in reply to my letter reporting the result of the first day's sale, increasing your limit to $1000 more, and then your second telegram making the limit $2000, not including the Chalmers shilling at $300, the Oregon at $160, and the Mormon Lion at $75. According to the latter telegram I obtained the Chalmers shilling for you at the very great bargain of $200. On the Oregon I had to go to exactly your limit, and a Mormon Lion went to $150, or double the previous price. Nearly all United States gold coins are bringing double or triple what they sold for two years ago.
Not obtaining the Mormon Lion for you and seeing that I had about $200 under the $2,000, I went on and bought a few interesting pieces for you in the Central and South American coins, but checked myself on these as otherwise I would have gone far beyond the amount indicated.
Regarding the Rosa Americana pieces, after I wrote you my last letter I read over a Crosby's mention of the Rosa Americana pattern and felt more inclined to coincide with him and to think that he had made a very strong argument for the piece and concluded to watch it on your account. Bidding very cautiously, I was able to secure it for you when it reached a flat $100, which is certainly very cheap for it.
I then also secured for you No. 5417, the excessively rare 1724 twopence, of which only three specimens are known in this country and in Europe, and is so mentioned by Dr. Nelson in his work. I looked up our bid book of the Mills sale where we bought it for Mr. Jenks at $120 and I found that your father had sent us also a bid of $100 on it. The room pushed me to exactly $120 again .. .I trust my action for your account will be satisfactory. I enclose the bill herewith and send the coins by express to your Washington address.
On December 27, 1921, S. Hudson Chapman commented further:
I received yesterday your letter of the 24th and enclosing check in payment in full for the purchases I made for you at the sale of the Jenk's Collection and the catalogues, and I thank you for your very prompt remittance.
I am grateful to you for your kind expression of satisfaction with my conduct in purchasing the lots bought for you. I certainly endeavored to purchase for you the most important pieces that you desired that would come within your limit of the amount.
Everything I bought for you is desirable and worth its price and difficult to obtain in beautiful preservation for its rarity, like the Rosa Americana pieces and the Lord Baltimore shilling, which I consider were very cheap.
I bought many of the finest pieces throughout the sale for my own account, over $6,000, outside of my orders. I was proud to see that these coins, all bought from us, were in superlative preservation throughout. In the United States series, the 1792 silver center cent I bid up to a record price, trying to obtain it for myself, to $440, about three times what it cost Mr. Jenks. Then I secured the next lot, the Birch cent, for only $500 to my gratification and surprise as I had intended to bid up to $800 for it. After this day's sale I was congratulated by Messrs. Ryder and Wurtzbach, collectors of the finest and rarest pieces, on obtaining the rare specimens I had. Mr. Wurtzbach said "I think the Birch cent you got at $500 was the bargain at the sale." I ran Mr. Wurtzbach up to $510 on a 1793 cent, bright red, at a miscellaneous sale of Elder's about a year ago, and I guess he and Mr. Ryder thought it was hopeless to try to outbid me on the Birch cent and gave up. I know Mr. Ryder wants it very much.
... I sold a specimen [of the Birch cent] which I discovered about four years ago which was brought to my office from an old collection, to Mr. Newcomer for $1000, and I consider this the true valuation of the piece, and I have set this as the price also for this specimen. There are only seven specimens known in all and of these one I know and think one of the others may be incomplete, that is, the edges were not finished and are unlettered. It is a most interesting pattern of the United States as it was the regular pattern for the coinage and the design was also made for the dime and was issued in the half dime denomination. This is the second time I have owned this specimen. In fact, this Birch cent is probably not only a pattern but was regularly issued and only a few pieces struck when it was realized that it was overweight, just as with the dime, of which was too large, of which only two specimens are known in silver and a few in copper. The full issuance of the half dime of the same design gives sound ground for taking this view.
On March 20, 1922 John Work Garrett responded to T. Hudson Chapman's notice of an impending visit to Baltimore:
I shall be delighted to see you in Baltimore at anytime this week. I would suggest that you let me know the day before when you are coming so I can make arrangements to see you. Nearly all of my coins are in my office in the Garrett Building, corner of South and Redwood Streets, and I am there myself most of the day.
On July 31, 1922, S. Hudson Chapman requested to "borrow" part of the Garrett Collection explaining:
I am writing a monograph that I have had in mind for years on the cents of 1794, and have on loan the finest collections in the United States. Knowing you were so occupied I tried to avoid requesting any from you, but today whilst making some final dispositions I found a question and referred to the Mills sale catalogue to see his 1794 Liberty cap [cent]. We bought it for $49 and sold to your brother for $55. I see it is the finest impression of the reverse known and need it badly, as the others are weakly struck causing them to appear as if ground down ... this is worth $100 today. Would you please lend me your 1794 cents, particularly this variety H-3, and if possible send registered post by return mail as I hope to make the plates [soon].
On August 2, 1922, John Work Garrett complied:
On March 20, 1922 John Work Garrett responded to T. Hudson Chapman's notice of an impending visit to Baltimore:
I shall be delighted to see you in Baltimore at anytime this week. I would suggest that you let me know the day before when you are coming so I can make arrangements to see you. Nearly all of my coins are in my office in the Garrett Building, corner of South and Redwood Streets, and I am there myself most of the day.
On July 31, 1922, S. Hudson Chapman requested to "borrow" part of the Garrett Collection explaining:
I am writing a monograph that I have had in mind for years on the cents of 1794, and have on loan the finest collections in the United States. Knowing you were so occupied I tried to avoid requesting any from you, but today whilst making some final dispositions I found a question and referred to the Mills sale catalogue to see his 1794 Liberty cap [cent]. We bought it for $49 and sold to your brother for $55. I see it is the finest impression of the reverse known and need it badly, as the others are weakly struck causing them to appear as if ground down ... this is worth $100 today. Would you please lend me your 1794 cents, particularly this variety H-3, and if possible send registered post by return mail as I hope to make the plates [soon].
On August 2, 1922, John Work Garrett complied: I sent you yesterday by registered mail 41 1794 U.S. cents as requested by you in your letter of July 31st ...