Michael Hodder and Q. David Bowers
In the Norweb library there is a copy of the Illustrated History of the United States Mint, the 1893 edition, published by George Evans. The inside cover bears Liberty Holden's bookplate, the Holden arms, and the flyleaf is inscribed "L.E. Holden Cleveland Ohio Nov. 21, 1893" The book was Liberty's own copy. On the first plate of United States cents the obverse of a 1793, noted by Evans as sold for $75, bears a small penciled tick mark. It is impossible to say if the hand was Liberty's, as the Norweb Collection today does not contain a 1793 noted as purchased this early, or one with a purchase price of $75. Whatever the meaning of the mark, the book itself was Liberty's and its tables of silver production, history of the Mint, and other information would have appealed to him if only as to a silver mine owner interested in the largest market for his bullion. It is certainly important that the date of inscription, November 21, 1893, was just 20 days after the Sherman Silver Purchase Act's repeal. It may have been that Liberty was preparing himself for the fight to come, by reading as much as he could about a subject, just as he had done once before. Twenty years earlier he had studied mine engineering and metallurgy to prepare himself for his job as superintendent of the Pittsburgh and Lake Angeline mine.
The repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1893 led to nationwide economic depression. For Liberty Holden, and his fellow silver mine owners, it meant the closure of their biggest market, the United States government. Liberty told Charles Kennedy in 1894 that his mines were then losing $15,000 a month. Editorials in the Plain Dealer supporting free silver were stepped up. More practically, Liberty swallowed his Yankee patrician's pride and joined forces with the mixed bag offactions supporting William Jennings Bryan's candidacy in the 1896 election. The "Bryan Money" that made this campaign so memorable for a later generation of collectors would not have escaped Liberty's attention. Most of the satirical Bryan Money pieces were manufactured in Chicago, Columbus, and Fostoria, Ohio, and their major markets were in Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
As far as real collecting of coins is concerned, there are few references available concerning Liberty Holden. His son, Albert, was a major buyer of United States colonial and federal issues, as well as ancient and foreign coins. His interest in coins seems to have started in 1907; we shall learn more about him in the next chapter, where his numismatic activities will be discussed at length.
Albert's copy of the Stickney Sale catalogue (1907) is among the few that have been preserved over the years. It is annotated with his comments and with scattered prices realized penciled in. Against the description of Lot 2, a Massachusetts Bay Willow Tree Shilling said to resemble Crosby 1a.A1 is the annotation, "We have two?' According to Emery May Holden Norweb's inventory books, listing all coins in the collection she inherited from her father Albert, the earliest purchase of a Willow Tree Shilling was a specimen from S.H. Chapman's sale of the Major Richard Lambert Collection, held on October 21, 1910. The two pieces referred to by the annotation in the Stickney Sale catalogue must have been sold before Mrs. Norweb drew up her inventory in the mid 1930s. It is impossible to be sure, but the two Willow Tree Shillings referred to in the Stickney catalogue notes may have been Liberty's. They would have fit with his well-known love of all things New England.
The only coin that is certainly known to have belonged to Liberty is a 1799 $10 gold piece, holed for use as a watch fob, which Mrs. Norweb recorded as having received from her grand-father (Liberty). The annotation on the envelope housing it reads "1799 $10. Given to Emery May by Liberty Holden. The coin that started the collection?' Whether she meant that this piece was the first coin that Liberty bought; or the first coin she owned; is not known. But, at least we know that Liberty thought enough of it to keep it, and then pass it on to his granddaughter.
The only other reference to Liberty's activity with collecting coins we have so far been able to trace comes to us from John J. Ford, Jr., the well-known numismatist and a personal friend of Mrs. Norweb's during her most active collecting period. John remembers hearing hertell him that her grandfather, Liberty Holden, collected Washington coins and medals. Emery May remembered that the gold skull and crossbones type funerary medal in the collection (Baker-165) was Liberty's.
How much the Norweb Collection owes to Liberty Holden is unknown, at least as far as particular coins is concerned. However, his political activities in support of the resumption of silver coinage and bimetallism; and his fascination with New England and its early history; had a direct influence on his son Albert Fairchild Holden, the founder of the collection inherited by his daughter Emery May Holden Norweb. We must now turn our attention to him.