The Rare Showers (1969) Catalog

The catalog of the Philip M. Showers Collection of United States Half Cents (Stack’s, 1969) is one of the most prized items of modern United States numismatic literature. Placed privately en bloc by Stack’s in 1969 with Willis H. duPont, the collection represented nearly every half cent variety, mostly in uncirculated or proof condition. R. Tettenhorst, well-known Missouri collector, acquired the Showers/duPont half cents in 1976, and many of these reappeared in the Goldberg sale of the Missouri Collection, January 2014. Tettenhorst’s purchase is described in Penny-Wise, January 2006, in which he recalled how Ben Stack confidentially related duPont’s identity:“I can’t tell you his name, but I can tell you his last initial and the state he lives in.’’ And I said, “I don’t know how that could help me, but go ahead.’’ Ben said, “His last name begins with D and he lives in Delaware.’’ I thought that it was quite a cachet that the gentleman’s initial and state of residence would be enough to identify him.The Stack’s record of this collection is technically neither a fixed price list nor an auction sale catalog. It is best described as a group of photographic plates, accompanied by brief descriptions, of the Showers half cents. Twelve copies were produced. Later, c. 2005, Stack’s produced a reprint with good quality halftones that was sold at $75.The Hamelberg copy, one of the originals, was the first document scanned at the Newman Portal with recently upgraded cameras, now at 36 megapixel resolution. While there is no substitute for a photograph and a magnifying glass in hand, these images can be digitally expanded with sufficient quality to allow plate matching in most cases. The Newman Portal acknowledges Dan Hamelberg for loaning this copy and Stack’s Bowers for granting permission to scan their publications.Link to Showers catalog on NNP: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/528156Link to January 2006 Penny-Wise on NNP: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/514545?page=10