Q.David Bowers
Correspondence from this time onward is mainly related to ancient and world coins with a few exceptions.
One of these is Wayte Raymond's letter of February 3, 1931:
I am very sorry to report that it has been impossible to secure any of the 1930 coins for you. The lc, 5c, 10c, 25c pieces and the $10 and $20 pieces were struck, but only the cents released. These coins can only be secured by a special order from the secretary of the Treasury, so I presume if you will write a personal letter to him, the coins will be forthcoming.
After a two year hiatus, correspondence resumed between Wayte Raymond and John W. Garrett, who had recently returned home from diplomatic service in Rome, with Raymond's July 1, 1933 letter:
I am very pleased to know that you are home again and hope we can again open up our numismatic relations.
You asked me some time ago in regard to the Jacob Perkins dollar. Until quite recently the only specimen known was the shell from the Stickney Collection, now owned by W. H. Woodin. I was fortunate enough to discover in an old Philadelphia collection a solid specimen of this piece which I enclose together with a hitherto unknown pattern of 1819 which compares with the pattern cent of 1818. All of these pieces are undoubtedly made by Perkins' machine. [Jacob Perkins, an engraver of Newburyport, Massachusetts, devised an engraving process for bank notes which became well known. He also engraved numerous coin dies.]
It may interest you to know that I am in the position to get almost anything you want from the Brand Collection. Perhaps some of the private gold might interest you?
On October 8, 1933, Garrett wrote to Raymond:
I have just looked over the catalogue of the Morgenthau sale to take place October 18th. Although I have not been buying coins lately, there are a few items in the sale that I may want to bid on, and I wonder if you would handle my commissions for me.
The items in which I am interested are No. 266, the Humbert pattern $50, and the two Pacific Company pat" terns, No. 275 and No. 276. Is No. 282, the Wass, Molitor $10 the large or small head?
I shall be glad if you will let me have your opinion as to fair bids on these pieces, and if you would also send me a copy of Scott's new catalogue of Early American coins, mentioned on page 5 of the sales catalogue.
Raymond complied with the request for suggested bids however when Garrett saw them he was' 'rather disconcerted by the valuations .............. I do not feel that I can possibly go to such limits ................. " Also, Raymond called his attention to Lot 242 as "this is the only Bechtler trail piece I have seen and is a different die from the gold one." The lots purchased from the sale for Garrett were 242 at $80, 266 at $535 and 276 at $175.
Garrett was pleased with the success, especially about Lot 266, as his letter of October 23, 1933 indicates:
Thanks very much for executing my order at the Morgenthau sale. The pieces arrived in good condition and I enclose my check. I am particularly glad to get the Humbert piece which, as far as I know, makes my collection of California slugs as well as my patterns of them, complete.
In January 1934, Raymond sent: by registered mail, the commemorative coins and the lot of counterfeit British halfpence. These last are selected from some 300 to 400 and are in the most unusual condition.
During this period Raymond supplied Garrett with many contemporary commemorative coins. The British halfpence referred to are the so-called "bungtown tokens" made in imitation of British halfpence but with different legends so as to evade the counterfeiting laws.
On January 27, 1934, Garrett replied:
I enclose my check in payment of the counterfeit British and commemorative coins.
To complete my set of commemoratives I need two more of the Oregon pieces, namely those dated 1926 of the Philadelphia and San Francisco Mint. I have checked off my catalogue with a list of your types of United States coins, and I believe that there is only one type, as distinguished from the die variety, missing from my collection, namely the quarter dollar of 1932 with the head of Washington. If you have this in Uncirculated or Proof condition I should like to have them from all three mints, and if there are any new types issued since your lists were published, I should like to have them too.
In response to this request Raymond supplied the commemoratives necessary to complete the collection.
His invoice of January 29, 1934, included a 1926 Oregon half dollar for $1.50, 1926-S Oregon at $2, 1932 Washington quarter at 50c, and 1932-D and 1932-S quarters at $1.50 each. Wayte Raymond enclosed a note informing Garrett, "The quarter dollar mint marks are very scarce, have never had over five or six of each."
While completing the commemoratives Garrett had the idea: It might be interesting for me to add to my collection, if it is not against the law, the last gold pieces, $20, $10, $5, $2.50. I do not know whether any or all of these were struck last year, but perhaps if you can come across the actual last ones, in Proof or Uncirculated condition you might set them aside for me.
On March 6, 1934 Wayte Raymond made a startling inquiry: Would you consider selling either one of your Brasher doubloons? I have an inquiry which mayor may not be serious.
However, Garrett would not consider the idea, saying: I do not want to sell my Brashers, at least not now. Some day I may want to.
Finally on March 29, 1934, Raymond answered his earlier inquiry concerning current gold coins: In reference to your inquiry February 3, 1934 about gold coins, I would say that the $10 and $20 were struck in 1933 but I have never been able to get them.
On August 23, 1936, Wayte Raymond wrote from his summer home on Montauk, Long Island: I have recently acquired a Kohler bar $37.31 in perfect condition and I am wondering if you would be interested in it.
The price is $3,000. I expect to be in New York Wednesday afternoon and all day Thursday and August 26th and 27th, if you wish to phone me at WI2-9114 or at the Ritz Tower= WI2-5000.
Garrett replied that he did not want to buy the Kohler bar as he already had the $50 issue, but asked where the piece came from. On February 12, 1937, Wayte Raymond writing from his 465 Park Ave. New York City address, said:
I feel quite ashamed to answer your letter of September 28th at this time. It came while I was abroad and in some way got buried in my basket.
The Kohler bar was bought from an old family in New Haven by the name of Castle. I purchased it through a stamp dealer in that city. So far I have not offered the piece to anyone else and it is still available if you are still interested.