Eric P. Newman Collection, Part I (Envelopes)

1879 10C Morgan Ten Cents, Judd-1587, Pollock-1780, High R.6, PR66 Red NGC. CAC. Design. The obverse depicts a head of Liberty facing left with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around and the date, 1879, below. The head is essentially a miniature of that featured on the regular issue Morgan dollar. On the reverse, the denomination ONE DIME, the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM, and an arc of 13 stars are inscribed within a circle of dots. Around the circle is a wreath of corn, tobacco, cotton, and wheat. Struck in copper with a reeded edge. Commentary. In addition to the estimated 13 to 16 pieces known in copper, a similar number of silver examples are also known. Morgan's Liberty Head, made famous by the silver dollar that is named for the engraver, appeared on pattern issues of all four then-current silver denominations. A total of 20 submissions have been examined at NGC and PCGS, including a few likely resubmissions. Physical Description. A stunning Premium Gem proof, this miniature Morgan pattern exhibits bold design elements with brilliant orange mint color. The fields are lightly mirrored around lustrous devices, with trivial dark toning flecks attesting to its originality. From The Eric P. Newman Collection.

From Newman I (Heritage Auctions, 4/2013), lot 4017, realized $14100.00. Image and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions, https://ha.com.

1850 P3CS Three Cent Silver, Judd-125 Original, Pollock-147, R.4, PR65 NGC. Design. The obverse shows a Liberty cap with resplendent rays surrounding. LIBERTY is on the bottom part of the cap, and the date 1850 below. A palm branch encircles the entire reverse to form a wreath, enclosing the numeral III. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA rings the rim. Struck in silver with a plain edge. Commentary. It is thought that originals and restrikes were minted, although they are indistinguishable today. The design is a close copy of Christian Gobrecht's 1836 gold dollar pattern, Judd-67. These patterns were produced in anticipation of regular issue coinage that began the following year. Physical Description. This deeply toned Gem has reflective fields beneath pale gold and cobalt-blue patina with splashes and spots of darker toning. From The Eric P. Newman Collection.

From Newman I (Heritage Auctions, 4/2013), lot 3913, realized $3818.75. Image and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions, https://ha.com.

1852 $10 Humbert Ten Dollar MS68 NGC. CAC. Kagin-10, R.5. The United States Assay Office operated as a provisional mint from 1851 through 1853 prior to the San Francisco Mint, which opened in 1854. The provisional mint was operated under the supervision of Moffat & Co. in 1851 and 1852, Augustus Humbert serving as the assayer. After Moffat retired early in 1852, Curtis, Perry, and Ward continued the operation. Throughout the three year period, gold coins were issued in the denominations of ten, twenty, and fifty dollars. The earlier issues under Moffat & Co., such as this specimen, identify Augustus Humbert as the United States Assayer of Gold in California, while later pieces omit Humbert's name. Description of the Dies The obverse depicts an eagle above a shield with wings spread, its head turned toward its left wing, arrows in one talon, an olive branch in the other talon, holding a ribbon inscribed LIBERTY in its beak. Below the eagle, the denomination is expressed as TEN DOLS. with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around. A scroll in the field over the eagle expresses the gold purity as 884 THOUS:. The shield is crudely engraved, with no horizontal crossbars and five vertical stripes. The leftmost and rightmost vertical stripes have two individual lines (i.e. two pale gules) while the three central stripes have three lines each (three pale gules). The entire obverse die is covered with tiny raised dots usually described as die rust, along with a spider web of die cracks far too numerous to itemize. The reverse has a central block for its inscription: AUGUSTUS HUMBERT. / UNITED STATES ASSAYER / OF GOLD. CALIFORNIA. / 1852. The areas above and below are filled with elaborate scrollwork. There is no evidence of lettering errors or repunching on either die. The letters in the reverse inscription were formed through the use of individual punches. The letter A appears six times on the reverse, and each has an identical doubled crossbar. The letter E appears four times, and each has identical filling within the letter. Other repeated letters also show common characteristics. The Newman Specimen The remarkable Superb Gem specimen from the Newman Collection is, by three points, the finest existing U.S. Assay Office gold piece, possessing brilliant light yellow surfaces with satin luster and tinges of greenish color natural to California-mined gold. It is the finest business strike of any California gold issuer. The fields are pristine and reflective, nearly prooflike in appearance. A few scattered planchet voids are unique to this piece and confirm the provenance to the Zabriskie sale, being visible in the plate of that Henry Chapman sale. Obvious care was taken when this specimen was minted in 1852, and since that day it has been handled with its full preservation in mind. From Augustus Humbert to his estate and Andrew Zabriskie after him, this piece was briefly held by Waldo Newcomer and Col. E.H.R. Green, followed by Eric P. Newman for the last seven decades. This amazing gold piece was plated in the Zabriskie catalog and on the Waldo Newcomer plate, and has only had a few owners since the day it was made. Heritage acknowledges the assistance of Stuart Levine, who discovered that this example was Humbert's own specimen by matching it to the Zabriskie plate, and Dan Hamelberg, who first noticed the Newcomer plate appearance. Provenance Augustus Humbert; Humbert Estate; Captain Andrew C. Zabriskie (Henry Chapman, 6/1909), lot 358, which realized $101; unknown intermediaries; Waldo Newcomer; "Colonel" E.H.R. Green; Green Estate; Partnership of Eric P. Newman / B.G.Johnson d.b.a. St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.; Eric P. Newman; Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society. The Zabriskie Sale Henry Chapman's sale of the Zabriskie collection included 1,429 lots that were sold over two days in June 1909. The $101 price of the Humbert $10 was substantial in a sale that had an average lot price of slightly more than $18. The Zabriskie sale included nine Higley coppers that sold for an average price of $51. An 1879 Flowing Hair Stella realized $85. The same price was realized for an 1848 CAL quarter eagle. There were only three dozen items that exceeded a $100 price tag including a Brasher doubloon that sold for $3,650. However, it was also a sale where six dollars bought a 1776 Continental dollar and nine dollars bought a copper Haseltine Restrike Confederate cent. Captain Andrew Christian Zabriskie Following the death of Augustus Humbert, his estate retained ownership of this piece and other examples that he had collected during the Gold Rush. Eventually, Captain Andrew Christian Zabriskie took advantage of an opportunity to acquire coins directly from the Humbert estate before the balance of that collection was sold at auction in 1902. Zabriskie was the son of Christian A. Zabriskie and his wife, Sarah Jane Zabriskie, n?e Titus, born in New York on May 30, 1853, and died at his country estate in Barrytown-on-Hudson, New York, on September 15, 1916. He served in the New York National Guard, entering as a private in 1873 and leaving the service as a captain 25 years later. He was married to Frances Hunter on June 6, 1895. His obituary appeared in the New York Times: {blockquote}"Andrew C. Zabriskie of 34 West Fifty-third Street, President for ten years of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society, and known for his charities, died yesterday at his country home, Blithewood, at Barrytown-on-Hudson, N.Y., in his sixty-fourth year. He was a member of one of this country's oldest families, being descended from Albrecht Zaborowsky, who came here on the ship Fox in 1662. "Mr. Zabriskie was born here and was a son of the late Christian A. Zabriskie and Mrs. Sarah J. Titus Zabriskie. He was educated in private schools and was a graduate of the School of Mines of Columbia University. In 1873 he entered the Seventh Regiment, N.Y.N.G., subsequently serving as Inspector of Rifle Practice for the Seventy-first, in which he was Captain of Company C, and from which he resigned in 1897. Mr. Zabriskie was active in politics in Duchess County, a member of the Democratic State Executive Committee, and Chairman of the Duchess County Board of Supervisors. "All his life Mr. Zabriskie was a collector of coins and medals, and owned one of the best collections in this county, in which are many rare Lincoln medals and many rare Polish coins and medals. His collection of books and prints relating to the early history of New York is also notable. "Mr. Zabriskie was also interested in breeding Ayreshire cattle and fancy poultry on his 1,000-acre estate at Blithewood. He was a Director of the Poughkeepsie Trust and the Bonner Brick Companies, Vice President of the Hospital and House of Rest for Consumptives, a Trustee of the Sheltering Arms and of the Parochial Fund of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and President of the Board of Trustees of the Church of St. John the Evangelist at Barrytown. In addition, he was a member of the St. Nicholas and Holland Societies, the Society of Colonial Wars, the Military Society of the War of 1812, and the Union, Metropolitan, Army and Navy, City, Riding, and Church Clubs and the Aero Club of America. "He was one of the largest real estate owners of this city and spent his time taking care of his estate, making his offices at 52 Beaver Street, in the building erected more than seventy years ago by his grandfather, William M. Titus, on land once owned by his great-grandfather, Thomas Gardner. "Mr. Zabriskie married Miss Frances Hunter, daughter of Charles F. Hunter, President of the People's Bank for many years, in 1895. They had two children, Miss Julie Romeyn Zabriskie and Christian Andrew Zabriskie."{/blockquote} Zabriskie amassed an impressive collection, most of which was sold in a Henry Chapman auction in June 1909. However, his collection of Polish coins was kept and improved by his son Christian Zabriskie, who donated the collection to the Smithsonian Institution in 1962. The younger Zabriskie donated the family home, Blithewood, to Bard College in 1951, and the mansion serves today as home of the Levy Economics Institute. Captain Zabriskie was known as a cattle breeder who also had real estate interests, and owned Province Island in Lake Memphremagog on the border between Vermont and Quebec. At one time the island was known as Zabriskie Island. Zabriskie developed his numismatic interest at a young age. His work, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Political and Memorial Medals struck in Honor of Abraham Lincoln, was published in 1873 when he was just 20 years old. He joined the ANS the next year and eventually served as its 10th president from 1896 to 1905. He was an unsuccessful Congressional candidate in 1908. Importance of the Newman Specimen All of the U.S. Assay Office gold coins were official issues of the U.S. government and should be collected alongside regular issue U.S. gold coins struck at Philadelphia and the branch mints. Carrying the Superb Gem grade of MS68, this Augustus Humbert ten dollar piece, Humbert's own specimen, is the finest existing U.S. Assay Office gold piece by three points and the finest business strike California gold coin of any maker. From The Eric P. Newman Collection.

From Newman I (Heritage Auctions, 4/2013), lot 4058, realized $1057500.00. Image and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions, https://ha.com.

1852 $10 Humbert Ten Dollar MS68 NGC. CAC. Kagin-10, R.5. The United States Assay Office operated as a provisional mint from 1851 through 1853 prior to the San Francisco Mint, which opened in 1854. The provisional mint was operated under the supervision of Moffat & Co. in 1851 and 1852, Augustus Humbert serving as the assayer. After Moffat retired early in 1852, Curtis, Perry, and Ward continued the operation. Throughout the three year period, gold coins were issued in the denominations of ten, twenty, and fifty dollars. The earlier issues under Moffat & Co., such as this specimen, identify Augustus Humbert as the United States Assayer of Gold in California, while later pieces omit Humbert's name. Description of the Dies The obverse depicts an eagle above a shield with wings spread, its head turned toward its left wing, arrows in one talon, an olive branch in the other talon, holding a ribbon inscribed LIBERTY in its beak. Below the eagle, the denomination is expressed as TEN DOLS. with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around. A scroll in the field over the eagle expresses the gold purity as 884 THOUS:. The shield is crudely engraved, with no horizontal crossbars and five vertical stripes. The leftmost and rightmost vertical stripes have two individual lines (i.e. two pale gules) while the three central stripes have three lines each (three pale gules). The entire obverse die is covered with tiny raised dots usually described as die rust, along with a spider web of die cracks far too numerous to itemize. The reverse has a central block for its inscription: AUGUSTUS HUMBERT. / UNITED STATES ASSAYER / OF GOLD. CALIFORNIA. / 1852. The areas above and below are filled with elaborate scrollwork. There is no evidence of lettering errors or repunching on either die. The letters in the reverse inscription were formed through the use of individual punches. The letter A appears six times on the reverse, and each has an identical doubled crossbar. The letter E appears four times, and each has identical filling within the letter. Other repeated letters also show common characteristics. The Newman Specimen The remarkable Superb Gem specimen from the Newman Collection is, by three points, the finest existing U.S. Assay Office gold piece, possessing brilliant light yellow surfaces with satin luster and tinges of greenish color natural to California-mined gold. It is the finest business strike of any California gold issuer. The fields are pristine and reflective, nearly prooflike in appearance. A few scattered planchet voids are unique to this piece and confirm the provenance to the Zabriskie sale, being visible in the plate of that Henry Chapman sale. Obvious care was taken when this specimen was minted in 1852, and since that day it has been handled with its full preservation in mind. From Augustus Humbert to his estate and Andrew Zabriskie after him, this piece was briefly held by Waldo Newcomer and Col. E.H.R. Green, followed by Eric P. Newman for the last seven decades. This amazing gold piece was plated in the Zabriskie catalog and on the Waldo Newcomer plate, and has only had a few owners since the day it was made. Heritage acknowledges the assistance of Stuart Levine, who discovered that this example was Humbert's own specimen by matching it to the Zabriskie plate, and Dan Hamelberg, who first noticed the Newcomer plate appearance. Provenance Augustus Humbert; Humbert Estate; Captain Andrew C. Zabriskie (Henry Chapman, 6/1909), lot 358, which realized $101; unknown intermediaries; Waldo Newcomer; "Colonel" E.H.R. Green; Green Estate; Partnership of Eric P. Newman / B.G.Johnson d.b.a. St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.; Eric P. Newman; Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society. The Zabriskie Sale Henry Chapman's sale of the Zabriskie collection included 1,429 lots that were sold over two days in June 1909. The $101 price of the Humbert $10 was substantial in a sale that had an average lot price of slightly more than $18. The Zabriskie sale included nine Higley coppers that sold for an average price of $51. An 1879 Flowing Hair Stella realized $85. The same price was realized for an 1848 CAL quarter eagle. There were only three dozen items that exceeded a $100 price tag including a Brasher doubloon that sold for $3,650. However, it was also a sale where six dollars bought a 1776 Continental dollar and nine dollars bought a copper Haseltine Restrike Confederate cent. Captain Andrew Christian Zabriskie Following the death of Augustus Humbert, his estate retained ownership of this piece and other examples that he had collected during the Gold Rush. Eventually, Captain Andrew Christian Zabriskie took advantage of an opportunity to acquire coins directly from the Humbert estate before the balance of that collection was sold at auction in 1902. Zabriskie was the son of Christian A. Zabriskie and his wife, Sarah Jane Zabriskie, n?e Titus, born in New York on May 30, 1853, and died at his country estate in Barrytown-on-Hudson, New York, on September 15, 1916. He served in the New York National Guard, entering as a private in 1873 and leaving the service as a captain 25 years later. He was married to Frances Hunter on June 6, 1895. His obituary appeared in the New York Times: {blockquote}"Andrew C. Zabriskie of 34 West Fifty-third Street, President for ten years of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society, and known for his charities, died yesterday at his country home, Blithewood, at Barrytown-on-Hudson, N.Y., in his sixty-fourth year. He was a member of one of this country's oldest families, being descended from Albrecht Zaborowsky, who came here on the ship Fox in 1662. "Mr. Zabriskie was born here and was a son of the late Christian A. Zabriskie and Mrs. Sarah J. Titus Zabriskie. He was educated in private schools and was a graduate of the School of Mines of Columbia University. In 1873 he entered the Seventh Regiment, N.Y.N.G., subsequently serving as Inspector of Rifle Practice for the Seventy-first, in which he was Captain of Company C, and from which he resigned in 1897. Mr. Zabriskie was active in politics in Duchess County, a member of the Democratic State Executive Committee, and Chairman of the Duchess County Board of Supervisors. "All his life Mr. Zabriskie was a collector of coins and medals, and owned one of the best collections in this county, in which are many rare Lincoln medals and many rare Polish coins and medals. His collection of books and prints relating to the early history of New York is also notable. "Mr. Zabriskie was also interested in breeding Ayreshire cattle and fancy poultry on his 1,000-acre estate at Blithewood. He was a Director of the Poughkeepsie Trust and the Bonner Brick Companies, Vice President of the Hospital and House of Rest for Consumptives, a Trustee of the Sheltering Arms and of the Parochial Fund of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and President of the Board of Trustees of the Church of St. John the Evangelist at Barrytown. In addition, he was a member of the St. Nicholas and Holland Societies, the Society of Colonial Wars, the Military Society of the War of 1812, and the Union, Metropolitan, Army and Navy, City, Riding, and Church Clubs and the Aero Club of America. "He was one of the largest real estate owners of this city and spent his time taking care of his estate, making his offices at 52 Beaver Street, in the building erected more than seventy years ago by his grandfather, William M. Titus, on land once owned by his great-grandfather, Thomas Gardner. "Mr. Zabriskie married Miss Frances Hunter, daughter of Charles F. Hunter, President of the People's Bank for many years, in 1895. They had two children, Miss Julie Romeyn Zabriskie and Christian Andrew Zabriskie."{/blockquote} Zabriskie amassed an impressive collection, most of which was sold in a Henry Chapman auction in June 1909. However, his collection of Polish coins was kept and improved by his son Christian Zabriskie, who donated the collection to the Smithsonian Institution in 1962. The younger Zabriskie donated the family home, Blithewood, to Bard College in 1951, and the mansion serves today as home of the Levy Economics Institute. Captain Zabriskie was known as a cattle breeder who also had real estate interests, and owned Province Island in Lake Memphremagog on the border between Vermont and Quebec. At one time the island was known as Zabriskie Island. Zabriskie developed his numismatic interest at a young age. His work, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Political and Memorial Medals struck in Honor of Abraham Lincoln, was published in 1873 when he was just 20 years old. He joined the ANS the next year and eventually served as its 10th president from 1896 to 1905. He was an unsuccessful Congressional candidate in 1908. Importance of the Newman Specimen All of the U.S. Assay Office gold coins were official issues of the U.S. government and should be collected alongside regular issue U.S. gold coins struck at Philadelphia and the branch mints. Carrying the Superb Gem grade of MS68, this Augustus Humbert ten dollar piece, Humbert's own specimen, is the finest existing U.S. Assay Office gold piece by three points and the finest business strike California gold coin of any maker. From The Eric P. Newman Collection.

From Newman I (Heritage Auctions, 4/2013), lot 4058, realized $1057500.00. Image and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions, https://ha.com.

1852 $10 Humbert Ten Dollar MS68 NGC. CAC. Kagin-10, R.5. The United States Assay Office operated as a provisional mint from 1851 through 1853 prior to the San Francisco Mint, which opened in 1854. The provisional mint was operated under the supervision of Moffat & Co. in 1851 and 1852, Augustus Humbert serving as the assayer. After Moffat retired early in 1852, Curtis, Perry, and Ward continued the operation. Throughout the three year period, gold coins were issued in the denominations of ten, twenty, and fifty dollars. The earlier issues under Moffat & Co., such as this specimen, identify Augustus Humbert as the United States Assayer of Gold in California, while later pieces omit Humbert's name. Description of the Dies The obverse depicts an eagle above a shield with wings spread, its head turned toward its left wing, arrows in one talon, an olive branch in the other talon, holding a ribbon inscribed LIBERTY in its beak. Below the eagle, the denomination is expressed as TEN DOLS. with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around. A scroll in the field over the eagle expresses the gold purity as 884 THOUS:. The shield is crudely engraved, with no horizontal crossbars and five vertical stripes. The leftmost and rightmost vertical stripes have two individual lines (i.e. two pale gules) while the three central stripes have three lines each (three pale gules). The entire obverse die is covered with tiny raised dots usually described as die rust, along with a spider web of die cracks far too numerous to itemize. The reverse has a central block for its inscription: AUGUSTUS HUMBERT. / UNITED STATES ASSAYER / OF GOLD. CALIFORNIA. / 1852. The areas above and below are filled with elaborate scrollwork. There is no evidence of lettering errors or repunching on either die. The letters in the reverse inscription were formed through the use of individual punches. The letter A appears six times on the reverse, and each has an identical doubled crossbar. The letter E appears four times, and each has identical filling within the letter. Other repeated letters also show common characteristics. The Newman Specimen The remarkable Superb Gem specimen from the Newman Collection is, by three points, the finest existing U.S. Assay Office gold piece, possessing brilliant light yellow surfaces with satin luster and tinges of greenish color natural to California-mined gold. It is the finest business strike of any California gold issuer. The fields are pristine and reflective, nearly prooflike in appearance. A few scattered planchet voids are unique to this piece and confirm the provenance to the Zabriskie sale, being visible in the plate of that Henry Chapman sale. Obvious care was taken when this specimen was minted in 1852, and since that day it has been handled with its full preservation in mind. From Augustus Humbert to his estate and Andrew Zabriskie after him, this piece was briefly held by Waldo Newcomer and Col. E.H.R. Green, followed by Eric P. Newman for the last seven decades. This amazing gold piece was plated in the Zabriskie catalog and on the Waldo Newcomer plate, and has only had a few owners since the day it was made. Heritage acknowledges the assistance of Stuart Levine, who discovered that this example was Humbert's own specimen by matching it to the Zabriskie plate, and Dan Hamelberg, who first noticed the Newcomer plate appearance. Provenance Augustus Humbert; Humbert Estate; Captain Andrew C. Zabriskie (Henry Chapman, 6/1909), lot 358, which realized $101; unknown intermediaries; Waldo Newcomer; "Colonel" E.H.R. Green; Green Estate; Partnership of Eric P. Newman / B.G.Johnson d.b.a. St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.; Eric P. Newman; Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society. The Zabriskie Sale Henry Chapman's sale of the Zabriskie collection included 1,429 lots that were sold over two days in June 1909. The $101 price of the Humbert $10 was substantial in a sale that had an average lot price of slightly more than $18. The Zabriskie sale included nine Higley coppers that sold for an average price of $51. An 1879 Flowing Hair Stella realized $85. The same price was realized for an 1848 CAL quarter eagle. There were only three dozen items that exceeded a $100 price tag including a Brasher doubloon that sold for $3,650. However, it was also a sale where six dollars bought a 1776 Continental dollar and nine dollars bought a copper Haseltine Restrike Confederate cent. Captain Andrew Christian Zabriskie Following the death of Augustus Humbert, his estate retained ownership of this piece and other examples that he had collected during the Gold Rush. Eventually, Captain Andrew Christian Zabriskie took advantage of an opportunity to acquire coins directly from the Humbert estate before the balance of that collection was sold at auction in 1902. Zabriskie was the son of Christian A. Zabriskie and his wife, Sarah Jane Zabriskie, n?e Titus, born in New York on May 30, 1853, and died at his country estate in Barrytown-on-Hudson, New York, on September 15, 1916. He served in the New York National Guard, entering as a private in 1873 and leaving the service as a captain 25 years later. He was married to Frances Hunter on June 6, 1895. His obituary appeared in the New York Times: {blockquote}"Andrew C. Zabriskie of 34 West Fifty-third Street, President for ten years of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society, and known for his charities, died yesterday at his country home, Blithewood, at Barrytown-on-Hudson, N.Y., in his sixty-fourth year. He was a member of one of this country's oldest families, being descended from Albrecht Zaborowsky, who came here on the ship Fox in 1662. "Mr. Zabriskie was born here and was a son of the late Christian A. Zabriskie and Mrs. Sarah J. Titus Zabriskie. He was educated in private schools and was a graduate of the School of Mines of Columbia University. In 1873 he entered the Seventh Regiment, N.Y.N.G., subsequently serving as Inspector of Rifle Practice for the Seventy-first, in which he was Captain of Company C, and from which he resigned in 1897. Mr. Zabriskie was active in politics in Duchess County, a member of the Democratic State Executive Committee, and Chairman of the Duchess County Board of Supervisors. "All his life Mr. Zabriskie was a collector of coins and medals, and owned one of the best collections in this county, in which are many rare Lincoln medals and many rare Polish coins and medals. His collection of books and prints relating to the early history of New York is also notable. "Mr. Zabriskie was also interested in breeding Ayreshire cattle and fancy poultry on his 1,000-acre estate at Blithewood. He was a Director of the Poughkeepsie Trust and the Bonner Brick Companies, Vice President of the Hospital and House of Rest for Consumptives, a Trustee of the Sheltering Arms and of the Parochial Fund of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and President of the Board of Trustees of the Church of St. John the Evangelist at Barrytown. In addition, he was a member of the St. Nicholas and Holland Societies, the Society of Colonial Wars, the Military Society of the War of 1812, and the Union, Metropolitan, Army and Navy, City, Riding, and Church Clubs and the Aero Club of America. "He was one of the largest real estate owners of this city and spent his time taking care of his estate, making his offices at 52 Beaver Street, in the building erected more than seventy years ago by his grandfather, William M. Titus, on land once owned by his great-grandfather, Thomas Gardner. "Mr. Zabriskie married Miss Frances Hunter, daughter of Charles F. Hunter, President of the People's Bank for many years, in 1895. They had two children, Miss Julie Romeyn Zabriskie and Christian Andrew Zabriskie."{/blockquote} Zabriskie amassed an impressive collection, most of which was sold in a Henry Chapman auction in June 1909. However, his collection of Polish coins was kept and improved by his son Christian Zabriskie, who donated the collection to the Smithsonian Institution in 1962. The younger Zabriskie donated the family home, Blithewood, to Bard College in 1951, and the mansion serves today as home of the Levy Economics Institute. Captain Zabriskie was known as a cattle breeder who also had real estate interests, and owned Province Island in Lake Memphremagog on the border between Vermont and Quebec. At one time the island was known as Zabriskie Island. Zabriskie developed his numismatic interest at a young age. His work, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Political and Memorial Medals struck in Honor of Abraham Lincoln, was published in 1873 when he was just 20 years old. He joined the ANS the next year and eventually served as its 10th president from 1896 to 1905. He was an unsuccessful Congressional candidate in 1908. Importance of the Newman Specimen All of the U.S. Assay Office gold coins were official issues of the U.S. government and should be collected alongside regular issue U.S. gold coins struck at Philadelphia and the branch mints. Carrying the Superb Gem grade of MS68, this Augustus Humbert ten dollar piece, Humbert's own specimen, is the finest existing U.S. Assay Office gold piece by three points and the finest business strike California gold coin of any maker. From The Eric P. Newman Collection.

From Newman I (Heritage Auctions, 4/2013), lot 4058, realized $1057500.00. Image and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions, https://ha.com.

1865 2C PR66 Red NGC. CAC. Plain 5. Identified on Eric Newman's envelope as Adams-Woodin 520 (Judd-408), the regular dies two cent piece, but struck in pure copper. However, NGC conducted elemental analysis that shows this piece is the normal bronze composition and, therefore, is a regular issue 1865 two cent piece. Historical records suggest a proof mintage of 500 pieces, although the actual production remains unknown. The combined NGC and PCGS population in all grades totals 361 submissions, only 33% greater than for 1864. If the 1864 mintage of 100 pieces is correct, then the 1865 mintage might have been 133 proofs. If the 1865 mintage of 500 pieces is correct, then the 1864 mintage should have been 333 pieces. The real figures for both years probably fall between 100 and 500 proofs. This lovely Premium Gem retains full, brilliant orange mint color with nicely mirrored fields and pristine surfaces showing no surface marks or spots. Slight mellowing of the fiery color is evident on the high points. Census: 6 in 66 Red, 0 finer (2/13). Provenance. "Colonel" E.H.R. Green; Green Estate; Partnership of Eric P. Newman / B.G. Johnson d.b.a. St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.; Eric P. Newman @ $17.50; Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society. From The Eric P. Newman Collection.

From Newman I (Heritage Auctions, 4/2013), lot 4057, realized $15275.00. Image and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions, https://ha.com.

1864 2C Large Motto PR65 Red and Brown NGC. CAC. Identified on Eric Newman's envelope as Adams-Woodin 452 (Judd-370), the regular dies two cent piece, but struck in pure copper. However, NGC conducted elemental analysis that shows this piece is the normal bronze composition and, therefore, is a regular issue 1864 Large Motto two cent piece. The mintage is historically recorded as 100 pieces, although NGC and PCGS have combined to certify 272 submissions, suggesting a higher original mintage. These pieces remain rare in proof format. This lovely Gem exhibits fully mirrored fields with considerable deep orange mint color with bluish overtones on the obverse and violet on the reverse. Census: 35 in 65 Red and Brown, 6 finer (2/13). Provenance. "Colonel" E.H.R. Green; Green Estate; Partnership of Eric P. Newman / B.G. Johnson d.b.a. St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.; Eric P. Newman @ $20; Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society. From The Eric P. Newman Collection.

From Newman I (Heritage Auctions, 4/2013), lot 4056, realized $4112.50. Image and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions, https://ha.com.

1972 1C Doubled Die Obverse MS65 Red NGC. CAC. FS-101. Several doubled die obverse varieties are known for the 1972 Lincoln cents, although only one of those is listed in the Guide Book. This fiery orange Gem is an example, with the date, LIBERTY, and IN GOD WE TRUST all boldly doubled. Although the doubling is less prominent than the variety minted 17 years earlier in 1955, it is visible without magnification. Such "naked eye" doubled die varieties are far more popular than those requiring a high-powered magnifier to view. This example has a few minuscule spots and trivial surface marks but remains as bright and fresh as the day it was made. Purchased from the late Philadelphia coin dealer Harry Forman. From The Eric P. Newman Collection.

From Newman I (Heritage Auctions, 4/2013), lot 4055, realized $1527.50. Image and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions, https://ha.com.

1955 1C Doubled Die Obverse MS62 Brown NGC. CAC. FS-101. The mintage is unknown but resulted from a single obverse die that was double hubbed. Estimates are normally pegged at about 25,000 pieces. NGC and PCGS have certified nearly 7,000 submissions in all grades. Both sides of this olive-brown example display full cartwheel luster and bold design motifs, with tinges of blue toning and faint traces of faded mint color. The obverse doubling is distinct as always. A 2x2 cardboard coin holder accompanies this lot. There are no identifying marks other than a two letter dealer code "GS." The holder suggests a late 1960s or early 1970s acquisition. From The Eric P. Newman Collection.

From Newman I (Heritage Auctions, 4/2013), lot 4054, realized $2467.50. Image and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions, https://ha.com.

1883 $1 Morgan Dollar -- Partial Collar -- AU55 NGC. This piece is similar to the 1879 Partial Collar Morgan dollar offered above. However, in this instance the collar was tilted, resulting in a "Tilted Partial Collar" strike. The thickness of the blank flange varies around the circumference of the coin. This Choice AU dollar has entirely original gray surfaces with pale blue patina. It is an amazing piece for an advanced error specialist, with an outstanding provenance. Provenance. "Colonel" E.H.R. Green; Green Estate; Partnership of Eric P. Newman / B.G. Johnson d.b.a. St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.; Eric P. Newman @ $7.50; Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society. From The Eric P. Newman Collection.

From Newman I (Heritage Auctions, 4/2013), lot 4053, realized $1410.00. Image and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions, https://ha.com.