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V16 2013 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 16, Number 19, May 12, 2013, Article 9

My great-great-grandfather was J.C. Lighthouse. A portion of his collection was auctioned many years ago, and a portion remains in private hands. Our family can verify the true scope of his massive collection.

In the John C. Lighthouse article, the date of the San Francisco earthquake should read 1906, not 1905.

Sorry I missed that one. We'll correct our archived version of the article. W. David Perkins of Centennial, CO submitted these notes on some coins formerly in the collection of John C. Lighthouse. Thanks! -Editor

In last week’s issue of The E-Sylum under “John C. Lighthouse” you asked the question, “Would any of our readers know the current whereabouts of Lighthouse-pedigreed coins?”

I can shed a little light on the location of some Lighthouse-pedigree coins, in particular six early silver dollars dated 1795-1801.

Milferd H. Bolender, dealer and author of The United States Early Silver Dollars from 1794 to 1803 (1950) sold his personal reference collection of silver dollars in his 183rd Sale, February 23, 1952. Bolender was very careful to note pedigrees for the majority of the early dollar Lots offered. And great pedigrees they had, including Stickney, Parmelee, Earle, Haseltine, Mougey, Newcomer, Col. Green, Jenks and many others. Lighthouse was another.

Bolender was likely a buyer in J. C. Morgenthau & Co.’s sale of the J. C. Lighthouse Collection, February 18-19, 1936. Bolender was actively forming his reference collection at this time. (If anyone has a copy of the 1930 Morgenthau & Co. Lighthouse Sale with buyer’s names please let me know at wdperki@attglobal.net). Regardless, Bolender has six early dollars in his personal collection that were listed as having come from the Lighthouse Collection. In Bolender’s February 1952 sale catalog I note six lots pedigreed to Lighthouse, as follows:

Lot 17. 1795 B-14 Draped Bust, Small Eagle Dollar (DB SE), Very nearly uncirculated. Both obverse and reverse of this coin are the plate photos in the Bolender book. This specimen was purchased by Kenneth P. Austin of Salisbury, MD in this sale. Bolender purchased the Austin early dollar collection privately and sold the collection including this specimen to the Ostheimers. This specimen was next offered at public auction as Lot 814 in Superior Stamp and Coin’s 1975 A.N.A. Sale, August 19-23, 1975. The obverse and reverse were plated in this sale catalog.

Lot 41. 1798 B-4 Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle (DB HE) Knob Nine Dollar. Ex. fine. Reverse of this coin was plated in the Bolender book. This was purchased by W. G. Baldenhofer in this sale and was later sold privately by Baldenhofer to Bolender. Bolender sold the Baldenhofer early dollar collection to the Ostheimers, including this specimen. 1798 B-4 is a rare die marriage (R-5), and a decent specimen in Extremely Fine or higher grades is very difficult to locate.

Lot 106. 1799 B-10b, DB HE Dollar. Fine. Like Lot 41 above, this specimen was purchased by W. G. Baldenhofer in this sale and was later sold privately by Baldenhofer to Bolender. Bolender sold the Baldenhofer early dollar collection to the Ostheimers, including this specimen. No plate photos for this specimen.

Lot 149. 1800 B-14a, DB HE Dollar. Very fine. Like Lots 41 & 106 above, this specimen was purchased by W. G. Baldenhofer in this sale and was later sold privately by Baldenhofer to Bolender. Bolender sold the Baldenhofer early dollar collection to the Ostheimers, including this specimen. No plate photos for this specimen.

Lot 165. 1801 B-2, DB HE Dollar. Extremely fine. No plate photos for this specimen.

In summary, at least a couple of the early dollar specimens can be traced in the future to the Lighthouse Collection by plate photos and public auction sale plate photos, with additional pedigree information available on some specimens. The original auction flip from the 1975 A.N.A. Sale: 814 was retained for the 1795 B-14 DB SE Dollar.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: JOHN C. LIGHTHOUSE (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n18a14.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor