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An Unparalleled Portrait of Copper CollectingHe served as the company president of Edison Brothers Stores, the chain of women's shoe stores established in 1922 by the five Edison brothers of the preceding generation (though, keeping with family practice, he started out with the company as a shoe salesman). He and Evelyn (Edison) Newman, wife of Eric P. Newman, were first cousins. Bernard shared Eric's interest in coins, and eventually focused on forming a magnificent collection of United States half cents, occasionally in partnership with Eric, that became known as the Missouri Cabinet. Valuing his privacy, Bernard decided to collect under an assumed name. As he explained in an August 6, 1992, letter to Walter Breen, {blockquote}"Robert Tettenhorst is an invention. The origin is straightforward (in a convoluted sort of way). When I first became active in buying coins by mail, I was advised by security consultants not to use my own name, in order to avoid having burglars, etc. invade my home. My secretary, Rose Tettenhorst, offered to open the post office box in her name. And, for mail purposes, I shortened it to R. Tettenhorst to avoid questions at the counter when signing for registered packages. At the time, I had no intention of actually meeting any of the people with whom I corresponded. However, as I became more interested and more involved, RT took on an increasing appearance of reality." {/blockquote} The alias, frequently shortened to "Tett," became the name under which he was known to most of the numismatic world. Tett's personal correspondence constitutes a remarkable portrait of serious coin collecting in the second half of the 20th century and the beginnings of the next. As a record of the world of early copper, it is unparalleled. It is at times highly informative, and at other times amusing. His kindness, warmth, and humor are almost always on display, and his peacemaking personality comes through as he attempts to play diplomat between the Cohen and Breen camps in the Half Cent War. He took amusement in the fact that he had become famous in the coin collecting world, while most people continued to be ignorant of his actual name. The Tettenhorst Archives Tettenhorst, Robert (pseud. Bernard Edison). Numismatic Archives of Bernard Edison, a.k.a. R. Tettenhorst. Ten boxes of correspondence, invoices and purchase records, research papers, photographs, and other material primarily related to Edison's numismatic activities (conducted under the name of R. Tettenhorst), but also touching on various other topics. 1952-2014. Edison donated his numismatic archives to the Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society (EPNNES). Notable sections of the archives include the following (page numbering is approximate): {blockquote}Correspondence with Prominent Numismatists Correspondents include: Walter Breen, 177 pages; Eric P. Newman, 50 pages; Roger Cohen, 70 pages; Del Bland, 62 pages; Jim McGuigan, 148 pages; Jon Hanson, 35 pages; W.K. Raymond, 41 pages; Denis Loring, 78 pages; Gene Braig, 34 pages; Don Partrick, 9 pages; Ron Guth, 30 pages; Julian Leidman, 42 pages; Jules Reiver, 31 pages; Frank Wilkinson, 226 pages; Darwin Palmer, 26 pages; John Wright, 16 pages; R.E. Naftzger, Jr., 31 pages; Jack Robinson, 30 pages; Wallace Lee, 31 pages; Don Valenziano, 63 pages; Bill Weber, 226 pages; Ernest Montgomery, 18 pages; Harry Salyards, 29 pages; Bob Grellman, Jr., 29 pages; Mike Packard, 45 pages; Gene Reale, 36 pages; Bill Eckberg, 59 pages; Bill Noyes, 36 pages; Jon Lusk, 27 pages; Ron Manley, 60 pages; Bob Yuell, 27 pages; Ed Fuhrman, 32 pages; Russ Butcher, 35 pages; Mike Spurlock, 61 pages; Bob Kebler, 46 pages; and many others. In addition to the correspondence with individual numismatists, the Tettenhorst Archives include letters exchanged with various coin firms and dealers including Stack's, Abner Kreisberg, Q. David Bowers, Hans M.F. Schulman, and many others. Research Papers: Highlights include Tett's research files on: proof half cents, primarily containing correspondence with Rick Coleman (174 pages); the 1853 $20 United States Assay Office of Gold controversy of the mid-1960s, and including Tett's copy of John J. Ford, Jr.'s report to the Professional Numismatists Guild Arbitration Panel (130 pages); the Dr. Edwards copy of the 1796 half cent, mostly drawn from Tett's research conducted while writing an article on the subject for Penny-Wise in 1988, including correspondence, provenance records, and working drafts (200 pages); the 1854 copper-nickel pattern half cent, on which he published an article in 1990 in Penny-Wise (279 pages); the Alexandre Vattemare collection housed in the Biblioth�que Nationale (76 pages); a U.S. half cent struck over an Immunis Columbia copper recorded by Burdette G. Johnson around 1919 (12 pages); as well as drafts of articles and presentations by Tett on U.S. half cents and related topics (200 pages). Collection Inventories, Photographs, and Invoices Records include Tett's Coin Journal (60 pages) and hundreds of accompanying receipts and invoices for coins purchased; photo files including photographs of the Tettenhorst half cent collection taken in 1982; hundreds of additional photographs, many of them full-color enlargements, of half cents; notes regarding the purchase of coins from the collections of Harold Bareford, the Norweb family, and others (200 pages); later purchase records (23 pages), plus provenance notes (81 pages) spreadsheets and inventories (360 pages). Notes, Annotated Catalogues, and Correspondence Regarding Major Copper Sales and Collections: An extensive part of the archive, with major collections including: the Roger Cohen sales, with provenance notes, correspondence, summaries, notes on grading and comparison of pieces with those already in the Missouri Cabinet, editing suggestions, and much more (nearly 1000 pages); the Norweb Family collection, including Bill Weber's notes on their half cents (205 pages); earlier half cent collections including those of George French, Howard Newcomb, Col. E.H.R. Green, Carl W�rzbach, and Virgil Brand, with inventories (89 pages); the Philip Showers half cent collection, selections from which were acquired by Tett in 1976 (116 pages); the second Garrett sale in March 1980, with lot viewing notes (30 pages); the 1996 Louis Eliasberg sale (Bowers & Merena), including lot viewing notes and invoices (27 pages); and the Floyd Starr collection (June 1984), with annotated catalogue drafts (71 pages). The archive also includes modern photographic plates of all of the coins in the 1963 Stack's sale of the Brobston collection, as well as surveys of collections and information on coins shown in various EAC Half Cent Happenings (110 pages). Several boxes of coin envelopes are present, drawn from a number of important collections. A file of perhaps 75 pages is devoted to the ANS/Sheldon large cent controversy and legal proceedings. Finally, there are hundreds of pages devoted to various sales of duplicates from Tett's collection. Notes Concerning the Cohen and Breen Books on Half Cents: Tett cooperated with both Roger Cohen and Walter Breen in the development and production of their half cents books, diplomatically declining to take part in what often seemed a partisan conflict between the two and their allies. Items present relating to the second edition of the Cohen book include: a draft of Cohen's Table of Equivalents; a letter from Cohen concerning Jules Reiver's and his visit to St. Louis to photograph Tett's coins for the book; a list dated December 1981 of the owners of the plate coins for the book; provenance information; and drafts of the new sections of the book (27 pages). Items present relating to the Breen book include: a detailed list of the coins provided by Tett to Breen for study; notes on a phone conversation with Jack Collins to arrange photography of some of Tett's coins; Tett's detailed handwritten errata and addenda to a draft of the book; his order of four copies and for the planned deluxe edition that never came to fruition (and for which he was refunded); various advertisements; a copy of John Wright's review of the book in Penny-Wise; a negative review of the book published in Cal Wilson's Repository in 1984 by Bill Weber; and Breen's response in the following issue (35 pages).{/blockquote} Please note that page counts are estimates and may include printed materials as well as handwritten or typewritten matter. Generally speaking, both sides of correspondence are present, with Edison's being copies and the correspondent's being originals. The Partrick correspondence includes a letter addressing "Mr. Grove" and signed "Tett," acknowledging with a wink these two major aliases of the American coin scene. Tett's letters to Walter Breen, written while Breen was dying in prison, are truly touching, and his generosity is evident throughout his letters. While the correspondence adds immeasurably to numismatic history, it perhaps says the most about the individuals involved in the hobby. The sale of these archives provides a unique opportunity. Estimate $10,000. Ex: Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society.
Heritage Auctions 11/2018 (Newman XI), lot15144 (realized $2640).
Heritage link: http://www.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=1283&lotIdNo=11209 |
