Six letters from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, one with four (+) attachments:
(a) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from Ramsbury on 18 January 1986 (using British Academy letterhead with the BA address struck-through and the Ramsbury address stamped in the upper margin), following up on a telephone conversation about the Treasure Trove Review Committee and finding a replacement for him. He says that he told Mr Sargent that Philip Grierson would be the best person but that he doubted he would accept, which IS has confirmed. CEB also says that the BM (i.e. John Kent) suggested David Sellwood, who would be good, but he has no connection with the Academy and does not appear to be a FSA [i.e. Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries], so his own second choice is Stewart Lyon, who was elected to the Society of Antiquaries in 1972. He notes that finding a replacement for Peter [Chance?] will be more difficult, since all museum personnel are presumably barred, leaving only an academic, a collector (of something other than coins) or a dealer/auctioneer. He says that he has looked through the list [of Fellows] of the Society of Antiquaries and notes that IS had mentioned Arthur Grimwade [d. 2002] who CEB believes has retired from Christie's as an expert on antique silver.
(b) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from Ramsbury on 20 January 1986, noting that he has just received news from Stewart [Lyon] who says that he is "pressing on with the numbered corpus of Edward's exceptional types". CEB also refers to a rubbing of one of IS's coins of Edward the Elder from the moneyer Æl[werd?] that CSSL sent him to help him prepare his forthcoming at the BNS on the little Thames find, which included three comparable coins from the same moneyer. He says that, according to CSSL, they are derivative but cannot be pinned to any specific location. In closing, he notes that he is still awaiting word from MMA [i.e. Marion Archibald] on comparison of their [i.e. the BM's?] ERICVS coin with the one at Glendinings "to establish die identities".
(c) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, single page, dated from Ramsbury on 24 January 1986, stating that MMA [i.e. Marion Archibald] confirms the ERICVS/Eadred die identity and noting that they are hoping to secure the piece for the BM. He also suggests to IS not to order the BM Sylloge, as they hope to have a copy for him.
(d) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from Ramsbury on 16 February 1986, thanking IS for both his official letter and his personal one on CEB stepping down from the Treasure Trove Review Committee and outlining what he regarded to be the most important accomplishments of the Committee during his tenure. These revolved mainly around arriving at more accurate valuations on the coins that are declared treasure. He refers to the interest that IS expressed during a recent telephone conversation about an Ecgberht fragment in Spink's next auction. Most oddly, he says, another whole example turned up at London coin fair and was bought by Patrick [Finn], who sent him a photograph of it. He further says that the two coins appear to be from the same obverse die and similar (but not identical) reverse dies. CEB adds that Patrick is showing the coin to Marion [Archibald] and if she doesn't take it for the BM, he will go for it. He suggests that the two coin probably come from the same source. He mentions some of the other curious things about the sale: four base silver stycas "found near Bamby Moor, 1985", and six crux type coins, presumably from an English find.
(e) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, single page, dated from Ramsbury on 18 February 1986, informing IS that the Lough Ennell finds have been published in Peritia, vol. 3 (1984), pp. 334-381. He says that he received a photocopy from [Michael] Kenny. The notes that relevant pages [covering the Northumbrian and East Anglian Viking coins] are 350-356, adding that he'll keep IS informed about any further developments with the Ecgberhts. There are attached two letters from third parties to Ian Stewart (see JCPP/Stewartby/1/1/ADDYMAN/1982/1 and JCPP/Stewartby/1/1/HAWKES/1986/1) plus four other attachments (see items (f-i) below).
(f) untitled table, manuscript (original), single page (on graph paper), unattributed and undated, listing 11 early tenth-century English and Anglo-Viking coin hoards, including an entry for the Lough Ennal [sic] find, closed c. 907, inserted inter-linearly between Cuerdale, closed c. 905, and Harkirk, closed c. 910, with references listed for each find below, all in IS's hand.
(g) clean photocopy of item (f) above.
(h) photocopy of item (f) above, annotated in CEB's hand.
(i) list of bibliographical "References", manuscript (original), single page (on lined paper), unattributed and undated, with four entries, in IS's hand.
(j) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, single page, dated from Ramsbury on 25 March 1986, referring to an enclosed "tentative time-table", asking IS to alter it as he wishes and noting that he will be away for a week on June 16. There is mention of "Ash/Hunt", apparently in reference to a publishing subvention for the Sylloge and the implications of that may have for Coinage in Tenth-Century England. CEB asks IS to send the time-table to Stewart [Lyon] with any amendments he may have.
