The E-Sylum:  Volume 9, Number 13, March 26, 2006, Article 23

JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY TOKEN AND MEDAL COLLECTIONS

Alan V. Weinberg writes: "Perhaps George Fuld, who catalogued
the Garrett/JHU collection of medals and tokens, can write an
E-Sylum story on acquiring the collection for auction,
transporting it, cataloguing it and his impressions as he
unwrapped and examined some of the most extraordinary collectibles
ever seen, many of which sold to John J. Ford and other notable
collectors.

I'm certain George examined at length the medals and tokens
under the auspices of Dr. Sarah Freeman, Evergreen House curator,
many times before JHU decided to auction the collection as both
George and the Garrett collection were in Baltimore. He probably
also knows some details behind later JHU numismatic curator, the
late Carl Carlson's private transactions with early American
coin dealer Richard Picker.

I recall distinctly going up to the Bowers & Ruddy Galleries
office in Hollywood right after the Garrett/JHU collection came
in and was being unwrapped. I asked George what particular medal
in the collection most impressed him. He showed me a paper-wrapped
package which revealed an astonishing piece: a large, heavy,
prooflike, toned  completely hand-engraved silver medal with a
detailed hand-engraved portrait of Abraham Lincoln on obverse
and on the reverse a detailed engraved award inscription from
Secret Service head General LaFayette C. Baker to  Capt. George
Cottingham  for tracking and shooting down John Wilkes Booth,
the President's assassin.

The inscription indicated the Captain also rec'd $1,000, an
enormous amount at that time. The medal was pedigreed all the
way back to an 1884 H G Sampson auction of the J C Hills collection
where T.Harrison Garrett obtained it for $42. The medal and dollar
award were mentioned specifically in General Baker's published 1867
Secret Service memoirs.

I asked George what he expected it to bring at auction - he replied
"perhaps $5,000." I acquired it in 1981 at Garrett IV for $26,000
and still have it."

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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