ERIC P. NEWMAN'S M. L. BEISTLE HALF DOLLARS

I've been attributing Eric P. Newman coins since getting back from the ANA Seminar, and there are countless amazing specimens. Most of these are ex: "Colonel" E. H. R. Green and are so noted on the labels, which are themselves special printings for the Newman Collection. I'm doing variety attributions, not the provenances. Those are already established.

I'm particularly taken with the early half dollars, as these are nearly all Green coins and thus also ex: M. L. Beistle, author of the first variety book devoted to half dollars. Beistle sold his half dollar reference collection to Green en bloc during the summer of 1928, and this transaction is documented in my forthcoming book on The National Coin Album and related products.

Of course, the National Album was originally created by Beistle in 1927 as the Unique Coin Holder, and he housed his own collection in these pages for easy comparison while writing his reference book. The coins were acquired by Green still mounted inside Unique Coin Holders, hundreds of which he had already purchased from Beistle earlier that year for his other coins. I've reproduced much of this correspondence in my book, yet more remains within The Beistle Company Archive for the interested researcher.

Bidders who are successful in acquiring ex: Green halves during November's auction in NYC should keep in mind that they are also possessors of coins that may be traced directly to M. L. Beistle, author and inventor of the first coin album product.

Wayne Homren, Editor

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