Item 1954/2 - One letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart and four letters from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt

5 items, paper

One letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart and four letters from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt:
(a) letter from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso) dated from Muswell Hill, London N10, on 3 October [1954], enclosing a potential contribution for the next BNJ and discussing possible illustrations. He notes that he leaves for Portsmouth the next day and says that his book has reached the point where it is now out of his control.
(b) letter from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt, manuscript, two folios (recto & verso), dated from Victoria Barracks, Portsmouth, on 22 October [1954], thanking CEB for his letter, which was forwarded to him, and expressing the hope that his paper is of interest but also understanding in the event that there isn't room for it. He says that Mr [Herbert] Schneider has told him of M[rs] Lockett's death and the complications arising from it but noting that "the sale should be of outstanding interest" but doubting that he will be able to afford very much from it. He would like to have a complete record of the Scottish coins before the collection is dispersed. He wonders whom he should approach to ask for permission to do the job, which he suspects would only take a few days. He says that he has been doing some work on the short-cross coinage and expects to produce new material "before [Michael] Dolley starts arranging the BM coins for his catalogue. He describes the series as the only one in which the coins cannot be dated with any accuracy. He says that "Dolley's Swedish discoveries sound interesting" and notes that he has been taking greater interest in the Anglo-Saxon coinage, especially the Northumbrian series. He briefly describes his naval career, suggests that any correspondence be sent to his home.
(c) letter from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from Victoria Barracks, Portsmouth, on 31 October [1954], thanking CEB for his letter and informing him that he is now leaving for Gibraltar and expects to return for Christmas. He notes that his comments in his last letter about the short-cross coinage being the only outstanding undatable series was in reference to post-conquest coinage. He also notes the relative lack, apart from Brooke and CEB himself, of any serious work on the early Anglo-Saxon pennies. He expresses an interest in meeting Robin Porteous and thanks CEB for information about Lockett's coins.
(d) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, dated from Ramsbury on 28 November 1954, in reference to Ian Stewart's recent contribution the SCMB [no. 439, Dec. 1954, pp. 507-510] on Sun and Rose. CEB suggests that IS keep an eye out for Byzantine coins if travelling to Constantinople or elsewhere in the Mediterranean, since they can be acquired there much more economically than in London. He mentions the BNS annual meeting and talks about have some photography of the Lockett coins, with sixty-two plates of the entire series from Athelred II to Stephen.
(e) letter from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from H.M.S. Theseus, c/o G.P.O. London,, on 11 December [1954], recounting some of his experiences over the last several weeks. He explains that he sent his Sun and Rose article to Seaby [rather than the BNJ] because of time constraints. He also refers to the recent annual meeting of the BNS and his excitement about the Lockett material. He notes that he may be going to some French ports after Christmas and then to Malta.