Item 1974/1 - Two letters from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart and two letters and a card from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt

5 items, paper

Two letters from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart and two letters and a card from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt:
(a) card from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt, manuscript, dated from St George's Rd, London SE1, on 12 February 1974, asking CEB to see the Numismatic Chronicle volume for 1932, pl. XI.14 and remark at the foot of p. 107, which he had missed. He says that the British Museum as a die-duplicate that is ex-Balcolmbe. He further says that he doesn't have NC 1898 but asks whether the report [of the Balcolmbe find] makes any reference to the coin in question. On another matter, he notes that he has been speaking with Stewart Lyon about Eadmund / red / wig / gar, a subject they hope to pursue at Ramsbury.
(b) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from Ramsbury on 14 February 1974, stating that there is nothing comparable in the 1898 report [on the Balcolmbe hoard] to the coin illustrated in the Lawrence paper in NC 1932. He suggests that IS look at lot 156 in the forthcoming Glendinings sale of 13 March, and discusses the example.
(c) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from Ramsbury on 6 June 1974 "(D-Day in 1944!)", making arrangements to meet with IS at the City University Club on the 12th at 12.45. He thanks IS for his advice about the introduction of MM [i.e. Michael Metcalf] and mentions the necessity of treating the matter delicately. He says that he has read IS's Caistor note and observes that "every reference relies on the Astronomer sales catalogue, lot 189, which gives as reference Ruding, pl. 20.8". He says that the description "corresponds and is convincing", noting that the moneyer's name reads as LEOFMANN. He adds that, according to his notes, "RCL 672a is ex Burstal 70 ex Stockholm duplicates", which suggests that there is a die duplicate in Stockholm; he further notes that "a cursory glance at BEH doesn't throw one up, but it could well be a later acquisition". In closing, he thanks IS for taking an extra copy of his [Pyr... Illustrations?], which he is glad to have "because one so easily ... forgets what one has (often labouriously) worked out".
(d) letter from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from the House of Commons on 13 June 1974, thanking CEB for a copy of Asser but focusing on [Michael] Metcalf's paper, the text of which he describes as "much improved", but he promises to bear in mind CEB's doubts about it when forming his own judgment, which he will report at the next sylloge meeting.
(e) letter from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from St George's Rd, London SE1, on 14 July 1974, giving his initial favourable impressions of CEB's Athelstan text and wishing him happy birthday. He says that he has had little time for anything apart from "Westminster and the City", but he describes an idea that has in mind for a note and asks CEB whether he may consult his records on the pre-reform coinage of Edgar. He refers to an attached note for CEB's files "in case you return to Stephen hoards, etc."