MORE ON AMERICAN COINS IN THE SHORTHOUSE COLLECTION

Mr Shorthouse made some interesting comments. Having held this sale in Birmingham, rather than London, and not being too happy with the result, he decided not to try that route again. When he sold a collection of US coins in 1889, he requested the Chapman Bros. to sell the coins in New York City, rather than Philadelphia.

The Shorthouse post sale "Blog" was not new to me. It appeared in a 19th century periodical. It may have been a Ebenezer Mason publication. He states that the prices of US coins in England have doubled in the last five years, then states that Dr Clay's coins sold for a mere song in NYC. However, that sale was held more than 10 years previous.

Speaking of the Clay sale, I can not speak of the British coins, but I always thought the US coins brought rather good prices for the time. (This despite the "sour grapes" statements of Mason, whose bid to buy the collection en-bloc was rejected.)

Under the paragraph titled PLUMS, which describes The Shorthouse US collection, most of these coins were sold in the 1889 New York sale. Here are some of the prices realized:

Cents, 1793 Ameri $85, 1795 lettered edge $40, 1796 $63, Nine other 1793's $6.50-$17, 1794's $1.35- $10,1804 $17& $10.50,Half cents 1793 $12&$10, the 1796 was not offered. Colonials, NE shiling $30, 1659 Md shilling $30,NY 1787 Indian standing $126. Dime 1796 $10, Quarter 1796 $40. Canada 1838&1839 side view tokens $33&$24,Pitt,no stamps $25.

He concludes with the statement that American coins are the most uninteresting in the world. However, I would wager that he was quite happy to receive the fat check for the results of his 1889 sale.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: AMERICAN COINS IN THE SHORTHOUSE COLLECTION (www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_esylum_v14n23.html#article12)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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