Item 1975/2 - Two letters from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart with various attachments and two letters from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt with various attachments

12 items, paper

Two letters from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart with various attachments and two letters from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt with various attachments:
(a) letter from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from the House of Commons on 5 September 1975, noting that he enjoyed re-reading CEB's "Vikings" on which he has made a few comments in pencil. He sends a paper of his own entitled "The early period" to CEB for comment (see item (b) below), noting that he has also sent a copy to Michael [Dolley], who he suspects will disapprove on the grounds that it represents an intrusion on his preserve. He nevertheless explains that he initially "devised this for [his] own records" after "trying to cope with Exeter, Barnstaple & the Sussex mints without a simple scheme of types [...] and found that it saves endless space and confusion". He then complains that "a trivial thing" that he submitted to the BNJ for Miscellanea in late 1973 has not yet reached the proof stage, noting that Michael [Dolley] is also anxious and wondering whether Hugh [Pagan] needs a little support. He finally refers to an enclosed note from Denzil Davis following their meeting (see item (c) below).
(b) "The early period" (attached to item (a) above), typescript (photocopy), two pages on two folios (recto only), undated and unsigned, but there is a manuscript annotation in the upper right margin, in CEB's hand, that reads "Sussex mints, BHIHS".
(c) letter from Denzil Davies [Labour MP & Treasury Minister from 17 June 1975], typescript, single page, dated from Treasury Chambers on 31 July 1975 (attached to item (a) above), in reply to IS's letter of 9 July [1975] to Bob Sheldon [Labour MP & Treasury Minister from 18 October 1974] about the Mint Museum. Denzil Davies notes that he read Dr [John] Kent's memorandum and that careful thought is being given to it as the Mint considers proposals for a Mint Museum. He expects to have the full study before him "fairly soon" and therefore refrains from making any comment on Dr Kent's memorandum.
(d) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, single page, dated from Ramsbury on 26 September 1975, enclosing his correspondence with Peter Seaby as well as notes of what he has in mind to say [at a BNS meeting] (see items (e-g) below). He describes it as "not an easy discussion" and appears to refer to political machinations within the BNS.
(e) letter of Peter Seaby to Christopher Blunt, typescript, single page, dated 11 September 1975 (attached to item (d) above), offering to read a paper at the BNS "on the 'York' group of Stephen's irregular issues", introducing his main lines of argument, enclosing notes that show "in what direction [his] mind is working" (see item (f) below), and asking CEB to comment upon the notes. He also asks CEB whether he has an offprint of his paper with FEJ [i.e. F. Elmore-Jones] on 'Two Wiltshire coin hoards in the time of Stephen' that he can spare.
(f) "The 'EBORACI' coins of Stephen's reign and related issues", typescript (photocopy), five pages on five folios (recto only), undated and unsigned but identifiable as the notes to which Peter Seaby refers in his letter of 11 September (see item (e) above).
(g) letter from Christopher Blunt to Peter Seaby, manuscript (carbon copy), two pages on two folios (recto only), dated 26 September 1975 (attached to item (e) above), thanking Peter Seaby for his letter with notes on the curious coins of Stephen. He encloses in return his paper with FEJ [i.e. F. Elmore-Jones] from the WAM [i.e. Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine]. He acknowledges that the series is difficult but expresses his opinion that it cannot be dissociated from Northumbria, and he goes on at some length to justify his opinion, but he adds that he is not an expert on Stephen and his comments may have little validity. In a postscript, he notes that Ian Stewart would be interested to see what Peter Seaby had written and hopes that he has objection to CEB having shown the notes to him.
(h) letter from Christopher Blunt to Ian Stewart, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from Ramsbury on 3 December 1975, enclosing a draft of his paper to the RNS [i.e. Royal Numismatic Society], which is entitled "Viking coinage in England to 954" (see item (i) below), and asking IS for comments and corrections. He notes that he had to differ with [Michael] Dolley on some points, so he needs his facts to be straight, and he add that it will be obvious how much he owes to IS, Stewart [Lyon] and Hugh [Pagan].
(i) "Viking coinage in England to 954" (attached to item (h) above), typescript (copy), twenty-one pages on as many folios (recto only), undated and unsigned but identifiable as CEB's paper that he referred to in his letter of 3 December.
(j) letter from Ian Stewart to Christopher Blunt, manuscript, one folio (recto & verso), dated from the House of Commons on 20 December 1975, enclosing his revision of the section on Athelstan – Edgar for his paper on Sussex (see item (k) below) and another passage (see item (l) below) on which he would like to have CEB's comments.
(k) "The early period" [i.e. the Athelstan – Edgar section for IS's Sussex paper], typescript (photocopy), four pages of text plus a further two pages of notes and/or references and a manuscript table on seven folios (recto only), undated and unsigned but identifiable as the paper to which IS refers in his letter of 20 December.
(l) untitled passage on Widia, the first moneyer of Steyning, typescript (photocopy), single page, undated and unsigned but identifiable as the passage to which IS refers in his letter of 20 December.

In connection with items (d-g), please see also the related correspondence of Peter Seaby with Ian Stewart, catalogued at JCPP/Stewartby/1/1/SEABYP/1975/1