Tettenhorst
Born in St.Louis, Missouri. Married to Marilyn. Harvard University (B.S., 1949) Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration (MBA, 1951).
R. Tettenhorst is a St. Louis collector best known for his half cent collection (the “Missouri Cabinet Collection”) sold by Goldberg’s in 2014. Tett is related to Eric P. Newman by marriage and both of their collecting careers followed similar arcs, being mentored as children by Burdette G. Johnson, a St. Louis dealer. After establishing professional careers, both built world-class collections. Tet worked his entire career at Edison Brothers Stores, a retail firm founded in 1922 by his father Irving and uncles Sam, Mark, Harry, and Simon. He began at Edison Brothers in 1953 after completing military service and rose to the rank for President in 1968, where he served until retiring in 1987. Edison Brothers was the largest retailer of women’s shoes in the United States, reaching $1 billion in sales in 1983.
Tett originally began by collecting large cents and, feeling he could not compete with top collectors in that field, began pursuing half cents. The Missouri Cabinet, containing pieces from Tett and the Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society , was the only collection containing every variety of circulation and proof strikes in the United States half cent series. The 2014 sale realized over $18 million, including a 1794 Cohen-7 half cent graded PCGS MS67 RB, which sold at $1.15 million. Many of the pieces came from other important half cent collections, including those of Philip M. Showers and Roger S. Cohen.
(See Bernard Alan Edison)
He used the name of his secretary, Rose Tettenhorst, to conduct his numismatic business.
Select a year
8 entries found for [year:1982]
1982Eliasberg
Tett's lot viewing notes from the Louis Eliasberg sale in 1996, including settlement invoices from Bowers & Merena.
1982Historic Half Cent Inventories
Inventories of historic half cent collections including George French, Howard Newcomb, Col. E. H. R. Green, Carl Wurzbach, and Virgil Brand.
1982Photos / Coin Slides / Photos
Composite photos of Tett half cent collection, date is approximate.
1982Literature Auction Materials
Various correspondence including Walter Breen, Charles Ruby, Howard Newcomb, and Roger Cohen, acquired from George F. Kolbe literaturesales.
1982Phil Flanagan Correspondence, 1982
Correspondence between R. Tettenhorst and Phil Flanagan on the topic of British Tokens and other subjects.
1982Joe Kane Correspondence, 1982 to 1994
A brief correspondence with Joe Kane on the topic of half cent dies.
1982Sam Ungar Correspondence, 1982
A brief correspondence with Sam Ungar on half cents.
1982Frank Wilkinson Correspondence, 1982 to 1999
Correspondence with Frank Wilkinson on a variety of topics, including discussing their research on promenant half cent collections.
