LOT #5550 |
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Compilation of approximately 60 documents pertaining to B. Max Mehl's business transactions.... (Total: 62 items)
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Description
Numismatic Correspondence Between B. Max Mehl
and Various Collectors, Including Waldo Newcomer, King Farouk, Fred Olsen, and Charles W. Green
Compilation of approximately 60 documents pertaining to B. Max
Mehl's business transactions. Important original
correspondence, primarily of a testimonial nature, between B. Max
Mehl and many of his most important customers. The lot includes
approximately 60 items in various formats, some typed on
letterhead, some carbon copies, and some hand written. The dates of
correspondence range from the 1920s to the 1950s. The most
important items include:1. Waldo Newcomer's typed, signed letter, dated September 25, 1931, confidentially informing Mehl of his intention to sell his collection and soliciting his help with the dispersal.
2. A typed, signed letter, dated July 9, 1947, from King Farouk's Private Secretary, thanking Mehl for the successful sale of Farouk's duplicate 1913 Liberty Head nickel.
3. A typed, signed letter, dated July 9, 1921, from James H. Manning, thanking Mehl for the successful sale of his collection, including his 1804 dollar.
Other correspondents of note include William Cutler Atwater, Jr., Fred Olsen, Dr. Charles W. Green, Henry Elrod, William Philpott, Jr., George Bauer, Alex Rosborough, and Charles Slack.
While the correspondence is often testimonial, some little known facts emerge from careful reading of this compilation. For instance, a letter from James H. Manning, dated July 11, 1922, reveals James Ten Eyck's fabulous collection was originally bequeathed to the Albany Institute and Historical and Art Society in Ten Eyck's 1910 dated will. The Albany Institute was unable to properly care for the huge collection and secured court approval to offer the holding at public sale. A Committee on the Ten Eyck Memorial was formed to consider how best to dispose of the collection. The committee members were James Manning, Henry Kohn and Samuel W. Brown, (not the gentleman of 1913 Liberty Head nickel fame). The committee selected Mehl to auction the collection, which is remembered today as his first true blockbuster sale.
The present lot includes important documentation of celebrated numismatic transactions, little known information about behind-the-scenes maneuvers, and a general testimonial to one of the greatest coin dealers of all time.
Auction Info
2010 August Boston, MA Signature & Platinum Night ANA Coin Auction #1143 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
August, 2010
11th-15th
Wednesday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 16
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 2,128
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
15% of the successful bid per lot.
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