Item 1974/2 - Four letters from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt with a page of notes

5 items, paper

Four letters from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt with a page of notes:
(a) letter from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from St George's Rd, London SE1, on 2 August 1974, thanking CEB "for sending the Edw V card", which IS now returns along with a page of notes that he "basically compiled when [he] was last at Ramsbury" (see item (b) below). He says that he is considering the idea of publishing [i.e. writing?] "a brief note about the Parsons/Baines [coin] die, which does not appear to have been recognised (as altered) previously, unless '10' is an error for '9' in the B & W note". He says that he has intended to ask CEB whether "he had a note of a BH groat from the die of Montagnii 634 altered". Although not very important, he would be interested to know how many S/R dies are known to have been altered to BH, and how many not, because the question has implications for "the likely length of Ed IV [type?] XXII". If the nearly all the S/R dies were altered, he says, then S/R was probably introduced shortly before the death of Edward IV. Concerning the 10th century, he is surprised at the number of Edgar's moneyers who can be associated with named mints. There is a note in CEB's hand in the upper right margin to the effect that he answered the letter on 10 [December?] 1974, but there appears to be no letter of CEB of that date among the papers.
(b) "Notes on Edward V groat", manuscript (photocopy), single page, signed "IS" and dated 31 July 1974. The page of notes begins with one on "CEB doubtful B.H. groat (not in JSF trays, but in bottom drawer) has POSVI [followed by vertical double-x], which IS believes may be an altered Edward IV [type] XXI groat. Second lengthier note concerns "die-links amonst S/R & B.H. groats" and his assessment of the "rather confused" lists in BNJ, vol. 24, 177 (CAW) & vol. 25, 325 (B & W).
(c) letter from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from St George's Rd, London SE1, on 21 October 1974, thanking CEB for his gift of two Edward IV coins and a Henry [IV?] groat.
(d) letter from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from the House of Commons on 24 November 1974, noting that he will miss the BNS but "feels that Stewart Lyon is the strongest competitor for [the] Sanford Saltus [medal]". He has nevertheless "asked [Stuart] Rigold to air the idea of Potter in view of his tenuous hold on life", noting that he has developed a high opinion of his work. He wouldn't push Potter's case if others were unenthusiastic but notes that it may be his last chance. He next discusses the card index, stating that he favours "the Litilmann-Osulf form", like CEB, but he puts forward two suggestions that he supposes CEB may not like. In closing, he speaks of the difficulties involved in putting together a "classification or system when you are not exactly sure what you are expecting to emerge from it".
(e) letter from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from St George's Rd, London SE1, on 29 December 1974, hoping that CEB had a good Christmas and commenting on his failure to send out any cards. He returns Whitton's note about the Edward V dies, thanking CEB for for allowing him to see them and stating that he made a photocopy of them for his records. There is further discussion about comparison of the RCB & Hunter sun/rose pennies against CEB's with BH and the possibility of die-links. He also says that Stewart [Lyon] had told him about an Offa link.