Correspondence Between William C. Atwater and Wayte Raymond Concerning the Stickney Specimen of the 1804 Silver Dollar.；This lot consists of a single page letter from William C. Atwater to Wayte Raymond, the associated mailing envelope, and 11 photographs, each depicting both sides of an 1804 dollar. The letter reads:<p><em>"My dear Raymond! Here are all the photos I have of my Stickney dollar. I am sending all of them to you that you may select the best for your purpose. They look pretty good to me and seem to show of[f] the individual characteristics of the coin. Please return to me the pictures you do not use. Atwater."</em><p>The letter has been folded once to fit into the envelope; otherwise it is in excellent condition. The mailing envelope bears Atwaters printed business address and is addressed to Wayte Raymond in New York City. The postal cancellations bear the date of March 7, albeit without the associated year. The three two-cent stamps affixed are 1929 George Rogers Clark commemoratives, which probably give a good indication of the year of mailing. The back flap of the envelope has become detached, but is still present. The photographs show the coin in different lighting conditions and on light and dark backgrounds, and are all in excellent condition. The two cardboard stiffeners to protect the photographs are still present.<p>The coin in question is probably the most famous coin in the world. It was the first 1804 dollar to enter the numismatic marketplace, having been acquired by Matthew Adams Stickney in a trade with officials at the Philadelphia Mint in 1843. It remained in the Stickney collection until 1894 and, upon his death, passed into the hands of his daughter. In 1907 the collection, including the 1804 dollar, was auctioned by Henry Chapman. The purchaser was Colonel James W. Ellsworth, who held the coin until 1923 when Wayte Raymond dispersed the Ellsworth collection. The purchaser this time was William C. Atwater. Shortly after the sale, this letter was sent to Raymond, who wanted a photograph of the coin for "purposes" unclear in the letter.<p>After passing through several other hands, we (Bowers and Merena) were fortunate enough to auction it in our sale of the Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection on April 6, 1997, where it reached the then-world record price for a coin sold at public auction, $1,815,000.<p>A seemingly unique opportunity for the early dollar enthusiast to acquire some historic documents concerning one of the most famous United States coins. (Total: 13 items)；
