| Description |
Eric P. Newman Correspondence Files: Raymond H. WilliamsonOver 300 pages, consisting of original letters to Eric P. Newman from Williamson and carbon copies of Newman's letters in return, 1952-1997, as well as various other original and photocopied material including typescript drafts of article by Williamson. Materials are generally well-preserved. Raymond H. Williamson (1907-1997) had an engineering background and an interest in early American coinage in common with Eric P. Newman, with whom he began to correspond in 1952, directing his first letter (on the possible role played by Paul Revere in engraving dies for early American coins) to Newman through the offices of the Coin Collector's Journal. Williamson's correspondence is dense with information, often passing along to Newman lengthy excerpts from his reading in various primary documents, published papers and diaries of persons of interest. He was also quick to send Newman drafts of articles on which he was working: "The Franklin Press Token of 1794" was one; "The 'Why' of American Paper Money" was another. Newman shared galley proofs of Coinage for Colonial Virginia and The Fantastic 1804 Dollar with Williamson. On August 28, 1962, Newman wrote to Williamson that: {blockquote}"God has saved me. A few days before the release of our book, the 1804 Dollar presented to the King of Siam is announced. I stopped the release of the book and insisted on a complete rewrite which has now been finished. The presses actually broke down and that is why the book was not printed. The presses knew more about numismatics than I did. The type is being reset this week and the book will be out in about one month."{/blockquote} Unlike much of Newman's correspondence, the letters with Williamson very infrequently mention trading or any such negotiating of collectible coins or currency. The focus is on research. While Colonial specialists may be familiar with Williamson from his occasional contributions to the Colonial Newsletter, the depth of his knowledge and the devotion he had to panning for numismatic gold in the often-dry papers of states and persons of the late 18th and early 19th centuries demonstrate that he should be remembered as a numismatic scholar of the first rank, something Eric P. Newman clearly considered to be the case. Estimate $1,500. Ex: Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society.
Heritage Auctions 11/2018 (Newman XI), lot15131 (realized $660).
Heritage link: http://www.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=1283&lotIdNo=11491 |
