Q.David Bowers
On December 31, 1931, Garrett wrote to Howland Wood:
Thank you very much for sending me the plaster cast of the Good Samaritan shilling and the Massachusetts pattern cent which –I am very glad to have. I have "The Wheele Goes Round" piece [a Higley copper coin of Connecticut] which you discovered and I bought years ago. I shall try and get casts of the other pieces about which I wrote you.
In 1934 America was in the midst of the Great Depression. Affected were the fortunes of nearly everyone, John Work Garrett and the American Numismatic Society included. On January 18, 1934, Edward T. Newell, then president of the American Numismatic Society, wrote to Garrett:
Recently an exceptional opportunity to build up the collections of our Society was offered to us. A member, who has been collecting bronze and copper coins for nearly his entire lifetime and whose cabinet now contains something like 30,000 items, has offered the first choice of these coins which are in unusually fine condition to the Society under terms which are extremely reasonable. It is felt that the present is hardly a time to ask our members for contributions. If, however, you have, as we should like to hope, been more fortunate than the others and feel that you would like to make even a modest contribution which could be used to take advantage of this opportunity, we should feel very grateful indeed. Moreover, if you do not feel in a position to contribute, we shall understand.
Garrett replied on Jaunary 26, 1934 with his comments:
I should like to make a real contribution to the Society to help purchase the coins about which you wrote me on January 18, but all I feel justified in doing is to send you a check for $25 which won't help much unless you get a good many more like it. We all hope that things will be going better next year, but there is no assurance of it as far as I am concerned.
Edward T. Newell (who was staying for a brief visit at the Chalfonte-Haddon Hall Hotel in Atlantic City), New Jersey, responded on February 3, 1934:
Your letter of January 26 reached me a few days ago, and your recent note with your generous check enclosed came just as I was leaving New York for a short sojourn in Atlantic City. Please accept the Council's and my own personal thanks for your friendly and very helpful contribution. I am glad to say that a number of our good friends have all contributed a little, in these very difficult times, so that at present our fund stands at about $500. This will enable us to fill in the most serious gaps, even if it does not allow us to secure all the pieces we like. I feel that this is a very real achievement at such a time as this, and I am deeply grateful to our loyal friends for their generous cooperation.
On December 31, 1931, Garrett wrote to Howland Wood:
Thank you very much for sending me the plaster cast of the Good Samaritan shilling and the Massachusetts pattern cent which –I am very glad to have. I have "The Wheele Goes Round" piece [a Higley copper coin of Connecticut] which you discovered and I bought years ago. I shall try and get casts of the other pieces about which I wrote you.
In 1934 America was in the midst of the Great Depression. Affected were the fortunes of nearly everyone, John Work Garrett and the American Numismatic Society included. On January 18, 1934, Edward T. Newell, then president of the American Numismatic Society, wrote to Garrett:
Recently an exceptional opportunity to build up the collections of our Society was offered to us. A member, who has been collecting bronze and copper coins for nearly his entire lifetime and whose cabinet now contains something like 30,000 items, has offered the first choice of these coins which are in unusually fine condition to the Society under terms which are extremely reasonable. It is felt that the present is hardly a time to ask our members for contributions. If, however, you have, as we should like to hope, been more fortunate than the others and feel that you would like to make even a modest contribution which could be used to take advantage of this opportunity, we should feel very grateful indeed. Moreover, if you do not feel in a position to contribute, we shall understand.
Garrett replied on Jaunary 26, 1934 with his comments:
I should like to make a real contribution to the Society to help purchase the coins about which you wrote me on January 18, but all I feel justified in doing is to send you a check for $25 which won't help much unless you get a good many more like it. We all hope that things will be going better next year, but there is no assurance of it as far as I am concerned.
Edward T. Newell (who was staying for a brief visit at the Chalfonte-Haddon Hall Hotel in Atlantic City), New Jersey, responded on February 3, 1934:
Your letter of January 26 reached me a few days ago, and your recent note with your generous check enclosed came just as I was leaving New York for a short sojourn in Atlantic City. Please accept the Council's and my own personal thanks for your friendly and very helpful contribution. I am glad to say that a number of our good friends have all contributed a little, in these very difficult times, so that at present our fund stands at about $500. This will enable us to fill in the most serious gaps, even if it does not allow us to secure all the pieces we like. I feel that this is a very real achievement at such a time as this, and I am deeply grateful to our loyal friends for their generous cooperation.
Correspondence with M. L. Beistle
On January 11, 1929, M. L. Beistle, president of the Beistle Company, manufacturers of "seasonable tissue paper novelties," wrote to John Work Garrett. Later that year Beistle published a comprehensive book on United States die varieties of half dollars, a reference which was to remain a standard in the field until Al C. Overton's research superseded it in the 1960s.
As you perhaps know, during the past 15 years I have been specializing in half dollars, and at the same time I have been writing up a check book, and now I have this just about ready to go to press.
It appears that you have the only 1853 half dollar [New Orleans Mint] without Rays and without Arrows, and I was just wondering if you would care to send this to me for examination and listing, and then I would give you credit in my book as owning same. I also would like to photograph it along with a few other rarities. My book will contain seven or more photograph inserts ...