| Description |
Eric P. Newman Correspondence Files: Paul GarlandApproximately 190 pages, consisting of original letters to Eric P. Newman from Garland and carbon copies of Newman's letters in return, 1966-1990, as well as various other original and photocopied material, mostly relating to Garland's role in the controversy surrounding the $20 USAOG pieces allegedly discovered by Paul Franklin. Much of the correspondence present in this lot was written by Newman to others, with Garland copied as it was relevant to the PNG arbitration panel which had been convened to examine the coin he questioned. Materials are generally well-preserved. The story of the $20 USAOG controversy is told elsewhere in this sale. Garland played a key role in bringing to the numismatic public's attention the problematic nature of the coin he found questionable. Eric P. Newman was brought in as an expert third party to study the piece, and presented his findings at a meeting of the arbitration panel held at the 1966 ANA convention. In a letter dated Aug. 22, 1966, Garland writes of his admiration of Newman's work: {blockquote}"Dear Friend Eric: I am still in a daze at the manner in which you destroyed the opposition in Chicago. I can only imagine the number of hours & days of work you did in research on the subject. Only the master could have accomplished so much in the time allotted you to present our case. I shall ever remain in your debt for the numismatic education I received."{/blockquote} The Garland vs. Ryan case remained in the forefront of Newman's concern for quite some time, despite the frustrations he felt at the PNG panel's verdict (which he called "inaccurate and ridiculous") and the impossibility of locating and interviewing those he felt had key information about the questioned coins. In a Dec. 6, 1967 letter to Ronnie Carr, Newman writes, "The 'vanishing American' is not the American Indian. It is anyone involved in the discovery of new varieties of Pioneer Gold." While much of the later communication here present concerns other, less significant, topics, this is an important batch of correspondence concerning this numismatic controversy. Estimate $1,000. Ex: Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society.
Heritage Auctions 11/2018 (Newman XI), lot15126 (realized $504).
Heritage link: http://www.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=1283&lotIdNo=11385 |
