Item 1962/1 - Two letters from George Tatler

2 items, paper

Two letters from George Tatler:
(a) manuscript, three pages on two folios, dated from Bunhill Row, [London] EC1, on 29 January 1962, regarding Edwardian pennies, possibly in connection with the very beginning of preparations for their joint article on the 'Edwardian sterlings in the Montrave hoard', BNJ, vol. 31 (1963), pp. 80-87 & pl. 5. The two coins that they thought were [class] X/VIII mules, he says, are instead X/XI mules, having compared them to the reverses on [class] XI coins and noting that obverses are late. In addition, the [class] VIII coins that they found amongst the Xs is a [class] X. He makes several references to coins from the [Shirley-]Fox collection and to his own coins and those of IS. He discusses P. Frank Purvey's article on the Durham [class] XVc-d coins in BNJ, vol. 29-30 (1958-1959), pp. 322-325 & pl. 27, and he asks IS to look through the article to see if he "can make sense of the plate". He regrets that he cannot find more time to devote to the subject but says that he is unable to let it go and is convinced that they have compiled "a wealth of new detail". He talks about curbing his acquisitions, except for rarer coins like those of [class] VI or XII, but suggests that "it would be convenient to admit the new batch from Spink's" into their collections. He concludes by discussing the prospect of further meeting and notes that they "have much to publish".
(b) manuscript, two pages on one folio, dated from Bunhill Row EC1 on 26 March 1962, appraising IS of his recent research on Edwardian pennies. He notes that he has spent some time in the British Museum counting "group IX dies", focusing specifically on coins from the mints of Chester, York and Bury St Edmunds. He further notes that one of the dies from Bury St Edmunds accounts for five specimens: IS's IXa, the coin illustrated by [Shirley-]Fox and three in the BM, including one classified as group VII and one as group VIII. He says that he is sure that IS's other coin from Bury is an VIII, though he has yet to find another example from same die. Exeter and Hull, on which he did not work, seem to have about 40 and 60 obverse dies, respectively. He mentions that Mr Dolley claims to have manufactured an Anglo-Saxon and to understand exactly how they were made. In closing, he says that he returns to medical school on 14 April and asks whether they could arrange a chat beforehand.