WHO WAS M.H. LINDERMAN?

Regarding the identity of M.H. Linderman – I believe I found a likely candidate in Minert H. Linderman (Lindeman) of Brooklyn, NY. After digging around a little, I reached out to Pete Smith, who reached out to Len Augsburger, and I was able to see a scan of the entire 1908 letter to the mint. The return address for M.H. Linderman was P.O. Box 244, Brooklyn, N.Y. During my research I had determined this same address to be linked to Minert H. Lindeman.

I have not been able to establish any family relationship between Minert H. Lindeman and the mint director H.R. Linderman. Consequently, while I thoroughly enjoyed this research, the letter itself is probably not significant to the study of Henry R. Linderman and his actions as Director of the Mint. The death certificate of Minert H. Lindeman (1860-1927) indicates that he was the son of Martin Lindeman (b. Germany) and Ann Forbes (b. Scotland). At his death Minert was listed as an accountant, but my research uncovered that he wore several hats during his lifetime.

In the 1880s he was active as a sketch writer and actor in vaudeville. He parlayed this into ad writing and self-promotion by marketing himself and publishing instructional booklets in sketch writing, ventriloquism, and bookkeeping. He had a brief marriage in the 1890s and I believe he was the father of the actress Gladys Brockwell (1894-1929) who tragically died in Hollywood after a car accident. Gladys Brockwell had made the leap from silent film to talkies and was well-regarded – known as The Woman of a Thousand Expressions.

In a neat twist - oddly enough Gladys Brockwell's online biographies list her father as H.R. Lindeman. But I feel confident this is an error as her death certificate lists Minert Lindeman as her father. The death certificate also indicates that she was born in Brooklyn.

Minert Lindeman's ex-wife also became an actress and took on the Brockwell surname. Billie Brockwell (Lillian Voltaire (Smith?) Lindeman, 1875-1949) was said to have entered the industry as a vaudeville chorus girl. I believe I have uncovered a little more to her story that does not fit with the known biographical record, but that's probably too much to get into here!

I cannot say exactly how Minert H. Lindeman accumulated 275 One Cent U.S. Copper coins. However, since he had an interest in bookkeeping and accounting, perhaps he was also mildly interested in coin collecting?

I sent my research to Pete Smith for comment, and he observed that A group of 275 large cents with various dates and various states of preservation is more likely to be an accumulation rather than a collection. An accumulation of large cents in 1908 has little numismatic significance.

M.H. Linderman letter on the NNP: https://archive.org/details/ansearlycorrespo00amer_46/page/150/mode/1up?q=various+date

Image: "A sultry portrait of leading lady Gladys Brockwell dominates this lovely stone litho image from the silent drama A Branded Soul."

To read the complete lot description, see:
A Branded Soul (Fox, 1917). Folded, Fine. One Sheet (28" X 41").. ... (https://movieposters.ha.com/itm/drama/a-branded-soul-fox-1917-folded-fine-one-sheet-28-x-41-/a/7191-86750.s)

For more information, see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladys_Brockwell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billie_Brockwell

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NNP: LINDERMAN COLLECTION REMNANTS? (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n22a08.html)

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web