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The E-Sylum: Volume 10, Number 36, September 10, 2007, Article 8 Q DAVID BOWERS ON J. COLVIN RANDALL Dave Bowers forwarded a copy of a piece he's just completed on J. Colvin Randall, and here are a few excerpts: "The writer (Q. David Bowers) and John Dannreuther are putting the finishing touches on The Official Red Book of Gold Dollars 1849-1889, scheduled to be published by Whitman in 2008. The book will cover many different aspects of this interesting series, ranging from the obvious considerations of rarity and market value, to tradition, history, and romance. "In the 19th century J. Colvin Randall was one of America's leading scholars with regard to die varieties of American coins. A biographical sketch is given below, created by the writer some years ago in connection with a book on the 1804 silver dollar and Randall's connection with it. "Relevant to the current “Focus on People,” we'd like to herewith send out an “all points bulletin” to see if any readers have a basic listing of varieties of gold dollars compiled by Randall. Tantalizing mention of his study appears here and there in early auction catalogues, such as in this sale by George W. Cogan titled “Property of J. Colvin Randall,” sold in March 1882: "Lot 592: “1849 Star not directly under front of bust. Rev. Open wreath. 12 berries. Fine. (R. 1.)” Realized $1.20. Lot 593: “1849 Star not directly under front of bust. Rev. Same as No. 1. Fine. (R. 2.)” Realized $1.20. Lot 594: “1849 Star off from and not directly under the bust. Large planchet. Rev. Same as No. 1. Very Good. (R.3.)” Realized $1.25. "The “R” numbers were “Randall numbers” and were used for a short time. This is a very early effort to sort out the obverse varieties of the 1849 Open Wreath, part of Randall's wider studies of this denomination. If any readers have more information on Randall's study, we'd be delighted to hear from you! "In the 1860s J. Colvin Randall was a dealer in Philadelphia. Rather than conduct his own sales, typically he consigned to others, such as to E.L. Mason, Jr., of the same city, who put Randall's name as consignor on the front of an auction catalogue dated October 28-29, 1868. The venue was the sale room of Thomas Birch & Son, with the elder Birch wielding the gavel. Bidders each held a copy of Mason's text, and many if not most had viewed the coins beforehand, as they were spread out on tables in the auction room. "In January 1895 in The Numismatist, Augustus G. Heaton described a visit to Randall: “Not far from the Chapman brothers' office in Philadelphia was the residence of J. Colvin Randall, an old-timer who was reported to be comfortably situated from a financial viewpoint, and who dabbled in coins simply as a pastime. His lair was to be found in a second story back room crammed with cabinets, bookshelves, prints and curios. He has a shrewd genial face fringed with short gray hair and beard, talks fluently in clear-cut Saxon, enjoys storytelling and with special gusto, when someone's blundering in coins is the subject of merriment. From May to November, however, he annually sheds his numismatic shell on the Jersey shore, and then collectors may bait their hooks for him in vain.”" Wayne Homren, Editor The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org. To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@coinlibrary.com To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum | |
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