Q.David Bowers
Statements from Raymond to Garrett during early 1923 show duplicate items sold, including: Washington half dollar, $100, Rosa Americana pattern penny (date not given), $165; Rosa Americana pattern with Rosa Sine Spina, $350; Carolina 1694 elephant half penny, $150; New Hampshire 1776 cent, $350; several varieties of New York cents as pictured in Crosby; Immune Columbia cent in silver, $100; Inimica Tyrannis cent, Crosby plate 7, picture 2, $1,000; Nova Constallatio 100 mills in silver, $2,200; Baldwin & Co. 1855 $5, $100; Miners Bank $10, $175; 1849 Oregon $5, $80; 1855 Wass Molitor & Co. $50, $1000; many Massachusetts silver pieces; and a wide range of other items. From these prices Wayte Raymond deducted a 10% selling fee.
On August 10, 1923, Wayte Raymond, who was staying at Ledge End Inn at Twilight Park, Hainesville Falls, New York, wrote to Garrett:
Your favor of the 7th received. You do not have to hurry any in deciding on the coins sent the other day. I will be glad to get at the balance of the duplicates ... and think we can move them in a short time as I have two or three new prospects for such pieces. I found practically nothing in fine American coins abroad.
Will you please take credit on the consignment you have for the Moffat bar $500, less 10%, $450.
On December 26, 1923, Garrett wrote to Raymond:
Thanks very much for the Bement catalogue which arrived this morning. I shall look it over and let you know what pieces I should particularly like to have. By the way, I noticed in your list you sent me some time ago that my Virginia shilling and Annapolis sixpence were not mentioned as well as a few lesser pieces of mine that you have for sale. In looking over Mr. Newcomer's collection a couple of weeks ago I noticed he did not have the Virginia shilling and wondered if you had offered mine to him.
On December 27, 1923, Raymond replied proposing a meeting for after the New Year holiday:
I am leaving town tonight and will not return until the 23rd, after which I will be glad to come down and see you in regard to the Bement sale. There will be plenty of time. Will hold all my bids until I hear the lots you are interested in so as not to interfere.
My impression is that I offered Mr. Newcomer the Virginia shilling, but I will bring it to his attention again.
On March 5, 1924, John Work Garrett wrote a lengthy letter to Wayte Raymond about a much different matter from his concern over selling the Ellsworth duplicates:
I have decided to take all that Spink sent on approval with the exception of No. 494 which I am returning to you. I have deducted the purchase price of that coin plus 15% from the total amount of Spink's bill and enclosed for you herewith a draft to his order for $3,756 pounds sterling, together with his bill. It is advisable to forward this draft by registered mail, requesting return receipt to guard against falling into the wrong hands, as European banks may pay without requiring identification. I should be glad if you would send the bill to him and obtain his receipt.
I think it would be well for you to tell him at the time of the condition of some of the coins and suggest that it would add to the desire of American purchasers like myself to obtain sales in Europe. When we are precluded from seeing the coins themselves the catalogues should be made to describe the" defects" of the coins as well as their merits. The use of the word "superb" is greatly overdone and when you come down to examination of coins so designated you very often find that it means nothing, or at least that it is far from accurate. It seems to me that bad discoloration should be noted.
One other thing that is particularly noticeable in the Bement catalogue is the fact that the plates, having been made from impressions of the coins (as is indeed usual, I believe) and not directly from the coins themselves, show the defects in the edges very indifferently. [It was the standard European practice to make plaster casts of the coins and photograph the casts rather than the coins themselves, so that the lighting would be more even, the details more sharply defined, and the coin more "pleasing" in appearance.] Indeed, in some cases the edges appear quite perfect, when in reality they are not so at all. I am very much pleased with the majority of the pieces, however, and I think that Spink or rather, his man whose name that I have forgotten, executed my bids satisfactorily.
I am keeping only four of the pieces you sent me in your last invoice, which totaled $290, which with your bill of incidental expense for the Bement Sale makes $299. You may deduct this from the $540 that you owe me on account of the sale of my Virginia shilling.
On April 8, 1924, a very interesting and rare specimen became available and Raymond suggested a possible trade:
I have had placed in my hands for sale the very rare Washington Confederatio cent, Crosby plate VII.14. It is in about the same condition as the Ten Eyck specimen (Newcomer Collection) which sold for $1,050. To the best of my knowledge there are only three known. The price is $900, and I think the owner might be inclined to take a fair part of that amount in some of your duplicate colonials. This coin is the Appleton specimen mentioned by Crosby.
On April 11, 1924, Raymond wrote:
I am sending you another package of coins and include the Washington cent. It has some wear but is not a bad piece. I think it is as fine as the Parmelee, Ten Eyck, Newcomer specimen. It has a good pedigree and is the very piece mentioned by Crosby as being in the Appleton Collection. I have made up the means of a possible basis of exchange for part payment. I will waive my 10% commission to make it as attractive as possible for you.
During the mid-1920s John Work Garrett spent a great deal of effort acquiring Ancient Greek and foreign coins for his collection and added only an occasional Americanpiece. Apparently Wayte Raymond presented a proposal to acquire the Garrett Collection of American coins, for on March 16, 1926, Garrett wrote:
I have thought over the matter about which you came down to see me the other day very carefully and have decided that I do not care to sell my collection of American coins.