NNP: LINDERMAN COLLECTION REMNANTS?

PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE FULL ISSUE PREV FULL ISSUE

V25 2022 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 25, Number 22, May 29, 2022, Article 8

NNP: LINDERMAN COLLECTION REMNANTS?

The latest additions to the Newman Numismatic Portal are letters from American Numismatic Society archives. Project Coordinator Len Augsburger provided the following report about one recently digitized letter. -Editor

Extract of letter from M. H. Linderman to Archer M. Huntington

Linderman Collection Remnants?

As part of the American Numismatic Society early correspondence scanning, Newman Portal recently processed a 1908 letter from M. H. Linderman to ANS President Archer M. Huntington, asking about disposing of a collection of 275 one cent U.S. copper coins, of various dates and in various conditions or stages of preservation. The Linderman name is well known among numismatic historians, as Henry R. Linderman served as U.S. Mint Director from 1873 to 1878.

Pete Smith notes in American Numismatic Biographies

Linderman was a coin collector. His position gave him the opportunity to have pieces struck to order. He had an 1804 dollar in his collection that came directly from the mint. It sold for $470 to James Ten Eyck. His collection included a number of patterns. It was cataloged for sale by Lyman Low June 28, 1887. A dispute arose over the legality of some of the patterns and the collection was withdrawn from sale. It was finally sold February 28, 1888.

The 1887 sale included a substantial offering of pattern cents, along with the note the entire collection is here offered; not a single piece held back. This entire sale was cancelled and offered again the following year, with a few pieces excepted. The cataloguer noted After mature consideration of all the questions of law and equity involved in the sale of trial and experimental pieces formerly classed as ‘pattern' pieces, made at the United States mint, the government has allowed us to sell the celebrated Linderman collection… Again, this catalog included a good-sized offering of pattern cents.

If indeed these coins were from the Linderman family, one wonders if they were somehow more special than a random accumulation of pocket change.

Image: Extract of letter from M. H. Linderman to Archer M. Huntington, December 10, 1908

Link to Lyman Low June 28, 1887 sale of the Linderman collection:
https://archive.org/details/catalogueofvalua00lowl_2

Link to J. W. Scott February 28, 1888 sale of the Linderman collection:
https://archive.org/details/catalogueofvalua00scot_1

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@gmail.com

To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum

PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE FULL ISSUE PREV FULL ISSUE

V25 2022 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE