Item 1981/2 - Three letters from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart and four letters from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt

7 items, paper

Three letters from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart and four letters from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt:
(a) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from Ramsbury on 18 June 1981, thanking IS for the extract from the Economist. He says that he "collected the stycas for Eliz[abeth] Pirie", who photographed them, and that he has now left them with Marion [Archibald] for IS together with the flower fragment and Anlaf plus his own Regnald hand type fragment (ex Grantley), which he asks IS to accept, since "it will perhaps fill a gap until you have the same good fortune as I have had as to get a whole one". He notes that there are two more Raven coins of Anlaf in the SCBI text for Norse Kings, providing references but adding that they are unchecked, and asks for the return of his cards on this series. He then turns to "some interesting points" that IS raised about Offa's coins, noting his difficulty of accepting Eadberht as bishop but allowing that the coin of the moneyer Osmod might have come from an obverse die prepared for Æthelheard. He nevertheless says that he "wouldn't be entirely happy about having Offa's coinage start with portrait coins", which he reads as the implication of a suggestion made by IS. In closing, he notes that "Michael [Dolley] turned up to take his medal looking less ill than when we last saw him" and that "he made a very good reply".
(b) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from Ramsbury on 23 June 1981, observing that there is a "snag" in the hoard section. He refers to the surprising number of hoards and suggests that "a certain number of them can probably be omitted, but he notes that this would still leave a large number and thinks that they cannot afford the space. He suggests that "maybe the best solution is to list the hoards and cut the text that follows to a bare minimum" [i.e. by giving less than full descriptions of the contents] and asks for IS's views.
(c) letter from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), on House of Commons letterhead, dated 6 July 1981, thanking CEB for his kind remarks about the Academy and for his support, and adding that he was happy to learn about Philip Grierson's collection. There is reference to plans for coming to Ramsbury and about the typing of manuscripts. There is an annotation in the upper margin of the recto in the hand of CEB to the effect that he answered this letter on 8 July, but there is no letter of this date among IS's papers.
(d) letter from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from Baldwin Crescent, London SE5, on 11 August 1981, thanking CEB for his hospitality, the Regnald [coin?] and his "birthday halfpenny". He expresses his concern that CEB is doing the bulk of the work towards their 10th-century volume but is pleased with the progress. He says that his [separate publication of the] "Regnald-Bossall paper will enable [him] to shorten the first Viking chapter considerably" and that he will be interested in CEB's reaction "to the bits about St Peter and the general arrangement of the York coinages.
(e) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from Ramsbury on 21 August 1981, stating that "typing is such a bore" but wondering whether IS can struggle with his writing. Most of the letter consists in CEB's comments on IS's paper on the Bossall hoard. After that, he asks whether IS has seen the Bonham sale catalogue, 14-15 September, lot 1141, which he describes as the second known half-penny of Edwig and a curious variety of Eadred.
(f) letter from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from Baldwin Crescent, London SE5, on 24 August 1981, thanking CEB for his comments on his Regnald paper, which he has updated taking them into account, and expressing relief that CEB finds his argument acceptable. He says that he has acquired a copy of Smyth II, which contains much of interest but is "rather undisciplined", and has taken an copy for CEB. He hasn't seen the Bonham catalogue but says that he's not competing. He notes that Philip [Grierson] is looking forward to visiting with CEB.
(g) letter from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from Baldwin Crescent, London SE5, on 7 September 1981, beginning with further discussion of Regnald/Bossall before turning to the Repton William the Lion, for which he gives the reading +RAVL: ON ROCE:, "or similar", and briefly discusses the inscription and its variations. He says that he has been reading CSSL [i.e. Stewart Lyon] on Edward the Elder and finds it "terribly difficult to follow (not his fault)". Having worked through the chapter, however, he has been at the early Athelstan coins with two-line inscriptions and suggests that these in most cases can be sorted by style. He suggests adding a postscript to either CSSL's chapter or to CEB's chapter on Athelstan about this. The letter has an annotation in pencil in the upper right margin in CEB's hand that reads "Re Repton William the Lion, Ack 10/9".