Q.David Bowers
As far as I know, there is no catalog or list of the collection available. But if you could kindly send me a list of the American colonials you lack, I should be glad to advise you which of them are still available and at what prices they may be had. I am sure that I could arrange to have anything you want submitted to you on approval without any obligation on your part.
Attached to the above was a description of the following assay bars: an electrum (mixture of gold and silver) bar of unknown origin at $55; a large silver bar, serially numbered 1320, issued by Blake & Co., Assayers, located at Owyhee priced at $90; 1912 Denver Mint bar containing 840 parts gold, 140 silver, and valued at $125; and a round 1907 Baker City, Oregon, bar marked" In Gold We Trust" and of approximately two ounce weight. Pricing the latter item at $160, B. Max Mehl noted: "I think this should be classified as a necessity piece. This is the only one I have ever seen."
On November 19, 1937, John Work Garrett replied that the assay bars were not of interest and requested a listing of the rare colonial coins. Apparently nothing resulted from this.
September 8, 1939, Garrett wrote briefly, informing Mehl:
Although I always look through your catalog with interest, I am not now buying any coins. I think, perhaps, it is only fair to let you know this so that you will not continue to send me your catalogues.
This letter from Mehl, dated September 9, 1939, apparently crossed Garrett's earlier letter in the mail:
I have a beautiful specimen of the Parsons & Co. $5 gold struck in copper. It is by far the best I have ever seen and is better than the specimen in the Newcomer Collection. My price for it is only $125. The Newcomer specimen cost $250.
I will not offer this coin to anyone else until hearing from you and, therefore, will appreciate a reply from you at your earliest possible convenience.
Garrett expressed interest saying:
Although I wrote to you ... I have stopped buying coins for the time being, I think it would be just as well for me to add to my collection the Parsons $5 trial piece. Would you send it to me on approval? I will either take it or return it to you immediately if I decide against it.
The coin was sent, and on September 15, 1939, Garrett wrote:
I am glad to keep the Parsons trial piece and enclose my check in payment. There are a few patterns that might interest me if you come across them, for instance, the Denver City Assay Office 1860 reverse with eagle, and also reverse with pan, shovel and pick. I have the reverse with a whorl [a spiral design]. They are all in copper. I also might consider the original Mormon 1849 $10 gold piece.
There was no further business between Mehl and Garrett in 1939. In 1940, in a letter which he dated "February 27th of my 40th Numismatic Year, 1940," Mehl offered: Knowing you are interested in the unusual trial pieces of pioneer gold, I am sure you will be interested in a specimen I have just discovered and which I believe is the first and only specimen known. It is an impression of the Parsons $2.50 gold piece of Colorado struck on a United States silver half dollar of 1855. It is undoubtedly, of course, a trial piece, as there are other pieces of similar issues struck on various United States silver coins, but they are usually of the same size. What I mean by that is that a $2.50 gold piece would be struck on a United States dime, etc.
As you know there is a Shultz $5 or trial piece known to be struck on a Mexican silver dollar. This was in the Newcomer Collection, for which Mr. Newcomer paid approximately $1,500.
As the demand for these pieces is not so great, I would sell the Parsons piece for only $150. Of course, I shall be delighted to send it to you on approval for your inspection. Even if you do not care to purchase, but only want to see it, I shall be glad to send it to you.
John Work Garett expressed his interest and the piece was invoiced March 6th with Mehl's accompanying comment:
This is the first and only specimen of this piece I have ever seen or heard of, and I feel quite certain that I would be safe in pronouncing it as unique.
The coin was retained for the Garrett collection. On June 6, 1940, another offer came from Mehl:
It has been so long since I have had the pleasure of viewing your wonderful collection, and as it contains so many rarities, I do not recall if you have the greatest of all United States rarities, the 1822 half eagle. If you do not have it, would you be interested in its purchase?
As you know, there are only three specimens known to exist, one of which is in the United States Mint Collection, and two in private hands. I think one of them may be now obtained, and if interested, I shall be glad to hear from you. Of course, I understand that any expression from you shall be without the slightest obligation on your part.
Garrett refused this particular opportunity giving his same reason used on previous occasions:
Of course the 1822 half eagle ought to be in my collection, but I feel at this time quite unable to set aside the money for its purchase in view of other calls. I should be glad to know in whose hands it goes when you dispose of it. It would interest me also to know where the third example is.
According to his next letter, dated June 14th, Mehl received Garrett's letter just as " . . . I was leaving for the train, leaving on a trip to endeavor to purchase a collection including the 1822 half eagle." However, he took the time to provide the following information on the location of the three half eagles:
The three specimens of the 1822 half eagle are the one in the Mint Collection, the other in the Dunham Collection (formerly in the Harlan P. Smith Collection). Then there is another specimen in the Brand Collection in Chicago, but this piece is not pedigreed. I have never seen it, and there seems to be a little" cloud" about it. I realize the importance of a coin of this kind with a pedigree. Of course, the specimen in the Dunham Collection is the only other specimen outside of the Mint specimen which has been known for the past 75 years or more.
I don't know just exactly what the coin may be purchased for at this time, but I believe if I secure the collection it may be possible for me to offer the coin at a great deal less than what it would have brought a few years ago. Should I secure the collection I shall be glad to again get in touch with you and we may be able to work out some sort of a deal on it.