[Green, Colonel Edward Howland Robinson]. Three Volume Set of the Photographic Plates of the Famous Green Collections of Quarter Eagles, Half Eagles and Eagles.Included are: strongThe Green Collection of Quarter Eagles./strong Front cover title cited. No place or date of publication (New York: Stacks, c. 1944). Five thick linen-hinged card-stock album leaves, on the front and back of which are mounted very fine photographic prints depicting the obverses and reverses of 188 United States quarter eagles, dated 1796-1929; strongThe Green Collection of Half Eagles./strong Front cover title cited. No place or date of publication (New York: Stacks, c. 1943). Fourteen thick linen-hinged card-stock album leaves, on the front and back of which are mounted very fine photographic prints depicting the obverses and reverses of 336 regular issue and pattern United States half eagles, dated 1795-1929; strongThe Green Collection of Gold Eagles./strong Front cover title cited. No place or date of publication (New York: Stacks, c. 1943). Eleven thick linen-hinged card-stock album leaves, on the front and back of which are mounted very fine photographic prints depicting 260 obverses and 259 reverses of regular issue and pattern United States eagles, dated 1795-1933. All volumes Crown 4to [26 by 23 cm], original matching dark brown full baby calf, upper covers charmingly decorated in gilt with inset medium brown baby calf title and ownership panels. Accompanied by the original green cloth slipcases with black leather labels on the half eagle and eagle volumes, gilt. Covers with light occasional scuffs; cloth slipcases restored, though the end panel of the half eagle volume slipcase has separated. Generally near fine, with fine contents.pppppMorton M. Stacks personal set of this monumental photographic record, with his name stamped in gilt on an inset leather label at the base of each front cover. Affixed to the rear pastedowns are the printed labels of B.A. Martin, the official Stacks special edition binder. Colonel Greens remarkable collection of United States gold coins by variety, including many pieces from the famed Waldo Newcomer collection, remains one of the finest ever formed. The three volumes present here posthumously record his front-line collection in each of the series depicted. Taken around the time the coins were sold, in 1943 and 1944, to His Majesty the King of Egypt, these well-produced photographs continue to be extremely significant and particularly important for establishing provenance. A number of Colonel Green / King Farouk coins passed into the hands of John Jay Pittman, Harry W. Bass, Jr., D. Brent Pogue and other major collectors. Only a few copies of each of the above volumes were prepared and, to our knowledge, a complete set has come to auction only twice before. Joseph B. Stacks set was sold as part of the Stack Family library by George F. Kolbe in 2010 for $80,500. It was the first such set ever offered and sold accordingly. The current set was sold by Kolbe & Fanning as part of their 2012 New York Book Auction and realized $40,250. In Kolbes June 10, 2000 Harry W. Bass, Jr. Library sale, examples of the half eagle and eagle volumes bound in quarter leather were sold, which was the first appearance at auction of either volume; the 2012 Kolbe & Fanning New York Book Auction also included stray examples of the half eagle and eagle volumes bound as here in full leather. The quarter eagle volume included here has only been publicly offered as part of the two complete sets known to be privately held. As with the inventory offered above, these photographs are of extreme importance due to the unparalleled nature of the collection and the fact that it was never properly catalogued, with the absence of a proper illustrated catalogue constituting a serious gap in the provenance record. It is interesting to note that Walter Breens famous 1841-"O" $5 does indeed seem to be depicted in the half eagle volume, due to an unfortunate shadow effect also seen on the illustrations of several other 1840s Charlotte mint emissions. The entertaining story of this contretemps is well told on page 231 of David Akers October 21-23, 1997 catalogue of the John Jay Pittman collection. Of extraordinary importance.From Morton M. Stack; A Major University Library; Kolbe & Fannings 2012 New York Book Sale, January 2012, lot 288; our August 2017 ANA sale, lot 68.
