Item 1985/1 - Seven letters from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart and one envelope

8 items, paper

Seven letters from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart:
(a) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from Ramsbury on 11 January 1985, thanking IS for sending his little paper on that curious variety of the Portcullis groat of Henry VIII and inviting him to cite the JSF [d.1939?] specimen, which he believes may be RCB's [i.e. Raymond Carolyn-Britton] second specimen. CEB tells IS that he has prepared a binder comparable to the one he sent to him for Stewart Lyon, to which he may add what he likes, and discusses further the status of their volume [i.e. CTCE = Coinage in Tenth-Century England], proposing an Easter target date for all manuscripts. He says that "Rosemand Gunstone has 'surfaced' (her phrase)", and he asked her whether she's available to do some typing for CTCE, which she is happy to do. He notes that he has secured the Edgar CC of Northampton by [the moneyer] Eadulf, which was found in the vicinity of Stevenage. He asks IS to thank Deborah for his "Erik Bloodaxe mug".
(b) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from Ramsbury on 19 February 1985, stating that he has written "a little note on the NEAT coin of Edgar, which he intends to offer to SNC [i.e. Spink's Numismatic Circular], and further discussing Neatishead as the possible mint. He reiterates his resolve to obtain the coin and then turns to Peggy Dolmi-Radcliffe's coins, Edw I to Henry VII, which are coming up for sale at Glendinings on 17 April. He encloses a copy of his piece on the Edgar and would welcome comments.
(c) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, single page, dated from Ramsbury on 6 March 1985, sending "another batch for CTCE" [i.e. Coinage in Tenth Century England], having sent a set to Stewart [Lyon]. He reports that Spinks (Finn) "bought NEAT from a small, reasonably reliable dealer" who claims that it was found within seven miles of Neatishead. He says that they may need to revise his little note. In a postscript, he writes "Ashdon hoard enclosed".
(d) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from Ramsbury on 15 March 1985, reporting that Michael Metcalf has visited him and has left "first-rate" photographs of the Forum coins that he will retrieve upon his return from Cyprus. CEB says that DMM will adopt their classification, which he will send him, and welcomes advice. He said that DMM became involved in the Rome project as a result of an assistant keeper from Rome coming to work at Oxford and getting to know him. A new keeper was appointed in Rome and arranged to have the coins from the hoard cleaned. She then wrote to Michael asking him whether he would be interested in writing it up. The initiative thus came entirely from the other side. After cleaning, most of the coins are in very good condition, though a few have suffered some damage in cleaning, about which he provides some additional details.
(e) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from Ramsbury on 15 April 1985, noting that he has received an invitation to the Trial of the Pyx in which he detects IS's hand, but stating that he must decline the invitation because it takes place soon after his departure for the USA to visit her daughter Anne in her new home. Turning to CTCE [= Coinage in Tenth-Century England], he says that "Stewart [Lyon] has now come up with a detailed listing of moneyers", which he is now studying. He says that, incidentally, Stewart may be in a good position, based on his work on Edward, to learn whether Marion is starting a second Sylloge volume. He notes that he leaves for Lawrence, Kansas, [USA], on the 30th [of April] and stays there until 16 May. In a postscript, he says that he hopes "soon to get down to Athelstan in the light of Stewart's work".
(f) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from Ramsbury on 2 May 1985, relating how he talked to David Wilson about concerns over "the non-publication of major hoard reports" and noting how he is becoming bored with their persistence in this. He says that Wilson told him about "a young man called [Barrie] Cook", who had been appointed to the vacant post of Assistant Keeper and will eventually assume some of the responsibilities that now belong to Marion [Archibald] and relieve her of a lot of pressure. CEB says that he also asked DW whether Marion was starting to work on a second Sylloge volume. If she was, and the period were from Alfred to Edward the Elder, as has been mentioned, "then she could build on Stewart for the latter", but she would need to do her own research on Alfred, but DW didn't know. Anyway, he says that he suggested giving priority to hoards like "Fishpool, Prestwich, Lincoln and Colchester. CEB suggests that unless they "can find out if Marion has been told to prepare BMS II – and stop it – the prospect of seeing the hoard reports in print is as remote as ever". In speaking with DW, CEB says that he tried to stress that they were not in any way criticising Marion, "who works like a beaver – but just has too much put on her". He looks forward to the Easter break and the prospect that Stewart [Lyon] will finish Edward for CTCE, since his own revision of Athelstan will depend in part on Stewart's revised arrangement, but he understand that the work has already produced a new moneyer for both Edward the Elder and Edmund.
(g) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from Lawrence, Kansas [USA], on 10 May 1985, folded into quarters for enclosing in an envelope addressed to "Ian Stewart" and carrying the instruction "To be given to him after my death" (see item (h) below), telling IS how much he has "valued the friendship of [him] and [his] family, especially since Elisabeth died". He tells IS that, "as an entirely inadequate return, [he has] asked that a few little things that might be of interest should be sent to [him]. With most of these things, he says, IS will have no problem, but his "fairly voluminous numismatic correspondence and papers (including a large box of Dolleyiana!) may well prove more" than IS either wants to have or cope with. A lot of the material "is only fit for a bonfire", and he hopes to sort it out "once CTCE is out of the way", but some will likely be of interest. If IS feels he cannot cope with the material, then he suggests that it may be worth exploring whether Mark Blackburn/Fitzwilliam Museum is/are interested. He notes that "there will obviously be in some of the letters things that are indiscreet or confidential and hope[s] they will be treated accordingly". He says that he also has smaller parcels of papers from Winstanley and King, which should be treated in the same manner. In the event that no-one wants that papers, Reading University would probably want the Stenton letters. He adds that he has instructed his executors, his children Simon and Judith, to consult IS about the handling of the coin collection, with Peter Mitchell acting as a provisional advisor. The greatly increased value of coins makes the collection an important part of the estate.
(h) envelope with which item (g) above was associated, undated but addressed to "Ian Stewart" with the instruction "To be given to him after my death", in CEB's hand.