CATALOGUE OF THE COLLECTION OF AMERICAN COLONIAL AND STATE COINS, UNITED STATES COINS AND FOREIGN CROWNS, THE PROPERTY OF CLARENCE S. BEMENT, ESQ., PHILADELPHIA.
Philadelphia: Davis & Harvey, May 29, 1916. 4to, later blue linen, gilt. vi, 61, (3), (4) pages; 827 lots; halftone frontispiece plate; 9 very fine photographic plates; prices realized list bound in. Some very light signs of wear to plate margins, not affecting images. Near fine. Item #7990
Adams 29, with plates. A nice copy of the rare, post-sale plated edition, with the prices realized list bound in (though this copy has been rebound). Clarence Sweet Bement was a collector’s collector. Indeed, in the Dictionary of American Biography, though he was a very successful businessman for many years, “collector” is given as his profession. A.S.W. Rosenbach, his biographer there, further notes that Bement “was prominent among a small group of Americans who found relaxation from their occupations in the pursuit of some branch of art or science. It was to minerals that he devoted the most of his leisure and the greatest care... His collection of minerals became the foremost of its class in America... Another pursuit, perhaps the second to find expression, was Bement’s search for rare books, which resulted in the formation of one of the most noted private libraries in the country.” This is high praise indeed from perhaps the most famous antiquarian bookseller of all time. Rosenbach goes on the note that “During the latter years of his life he became interested in numismatics. At first this interest extended to both ancient and modern coins, including the American series and paper money. He concentrated later on Greek and Roman coins, of which his collection in time became one of the finest in America.” Only Clarence Bement was honored with two large format catalogues by Henry Chapman, one for his American and the other for his European series. These, along with three stand-alone Ars Classica sale catalogues encompassing his superb ancient Greek and Roman coins, eloquently confirm his numismatic accomplishments. Davis 207.
Price: $1,500.00