Q.David Bowers
Following his acquisition of the coin collection from his brother in 1919, John Work Garrett set about expanding it in all areas of United States, ancient, and world coinage of interest to him. The numismatic library, which had been formed by T. Harrison Garrett and which contained reference books and auction catalogues through the late 1880s, was brought up to date. Want lists were sent to leading dealers, most of whom, including B. Max Mehl and Wayte Raymond, had not done business with the Garrett family earlier. In the field of American coins, Garrett was especially interested in colonial and territorial pieces. He read avidly on the subject and soon was able to discuss the rarity and provenance of most issues.
In 1923 the collection of Col. John W. Ellsworth came on the market. Working with Wayte Raymond, Garrett paid $50,000 (half the value of the entire collection) and obtained pieces he needed in the field of United States coinage. Prime among the items acquired Were unique silver Nova Constellatio pattern coins of 1783, the only surviving examples of the first coins specifically minted by the United States government. Earlier, the Nova Constellatio pieces had been the main feature of the 1914 exhibit of coins held by the American Numismatic Society in New York and had been the subject of a four-page presentation in The Numismatist, journal of the American Numismatic Association. Important coins from the Parmelee, Mills, Stickney, Zabriskie, and other collections had earlier been acquired by Ellsworth and thus passed into the hands of Garrett.
The acquisition of large sections of the Ellsworth Collection resulted in many duplicates being obtained. These were subsequently sold through Wayte Raymond, B. Max Mehl, and others.
Throughout the 1920s there were many other important additions to the American collection, especially in the areas of colonial and territorial pieces. When the collections of Col. E. H. R. Green, Virgil Brand, and Waldo Newcomer were sold privately, Garrett was given an early opportunity to acquire pieces of interest. In 1940 B. Max Mehl, who had just purchased the magnificent collection of William Forrester Dunham of Chicago, Illinois, offered John Work Garrett first pick of the treasures in it. By that time, however, Garrett was no longer making additions to his holdings.
Correspondence between Garrett and leading dealers of the 1920s is excerpted in. an appended section of the present book and furnishes a view of numismatics during the time. John Work Garrett is revealed as an astute and knowledgeable collector, a connoisseur of the first order.
Following his retirement from the diplomatic service in 1933, John Work Garrett spent most of his time at Evergreen House. His collections of coins and books were studied with renewed interest. In 1937 he was named to the board of trustees of The Johns Hopkins University. In 1941 his health failed. In June 1942 he died at Evergreen. His widow, Alice Warder Garrett, remained at Evergreen House until her death in July 1952.
Evergreen House, its contents, and the surrounding estate of 36 acres was given to The Johns Hopkins University.
Under the direction of Ms. Sarah Elizabeth Freeman, curator, the collection of coins was exhibited at Evergreen House after the death of Mrs. Garrett. Following Ms. Freeman's retirement Carl Carlson became curator of the numismatic treasures. Later, Susan (Mrs. David) Tripp supervised their care. In the 1970s, security costs became prohibitive, and the trustees of The Johns Hopkins University decided to move the valuable collection to a downtown Baltimore bank vault. It was subsequently resolved to sell certain pieces which were either duplicates or which differed from each other by date rather than by type. In 1976 Stack's, of New York City, conducted an auction sale which featured many important pieces. By 1979 the trustees of the university believed that the assets represented by the main part of the Garrett collection of American coins could be better used in other areas of the university. Realizing also that in their bank vault location the coins were no longer readily available for scholarship, the university named Bowers and Ruddy Galleries, of Los Angeles, California, to sell the Garrett collection of United States, colonial, territorial, and related American issues. A series of sales was scheduled for the next several years.
So that the numismatic importance of the Garrett coins would be preserved, the trustees directed that the present volume, containing a history of United States coinage illustrated by the Garrett Collection, be prepared.