Mehl, B. Max. CATALOG OF THE CELEBRATED NUMISMATIC COLLECTION FORMED BY WILLIAM FORRESTER DUNHAM, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. COMPLETE SERIES OF THE UNITED STATES COINAGE FROM HALF-CENTS TO TWENTY-DOLLAR GOLD, FROM THE FIRST COINAGE TO 1936, INCLUDING THE MOST FAMOUS OF ALL RARITIES. THE "KING OF AMERICAN COINS" THE 1804 DOLLAR! AND THE "KING OF ALL RARITIES" THE 1822 HALF EAGLE! ... Fort Worth, June 3, 1941. 4to [27.5 by 20. 5 cm], original full maroon grained leather, gilt. 287, (1) pages; 4169 lots; frontispiece portrait of Dunham; text illustrations; 6 very fine enlarged photographic prints, mounted back to back, depicting both sides of the 1804 dollar, the 1822 half eagle and the 1855 Kellogg & Co. proof fifty dollar gold; prices realized list bound in. Inscribed and signed by Mehl on the front flyleaf. Board edges a bit rubbed, particularly at spine ends; housed in later clamshell case. Near fine. The Deluxe Leatherbound Edition. From the library of Clint Hester, with his name stamped in gilt at the base of the front cover. Inscribed by Mehl in blue ink on the front flyleaf: "To Mr. Clint Hester, with highest esteem and every good wish (signed) B. Max Mehl." With Hester's "Numismatist" stamp at the bottom of the title page. Adams 97, rated A+: "Landmark sale. Virginia shilling. 1822 $5. Proof Kellogg $50. MS 1822 10¢. 1804 $1, 12 page write-up. Proof 1852 half cent, original. Definitive for encased postage, pattern dimes. Fine Confederate, Canadian, hard times tokens." The only Mehl catalogue issued with photographic plates. Very scarce; perhaps twenty-five copies were originally issued. Dunham's collection of American coins is one of the finest ever to cross the auction block. At the time, Mehl considered the sale to be the "capstone" of his long and distinguished career. In the foreword, Mehl recounted meeting Dunham "One evening in June 1910, while Mrs. Mehl and I were in Chicago on our belated honeymoon, a refined gentleman called on us at our hotel, introducing himself as Mr. Dunham. 'I came to pay my respects to both of you,' he said. He handed Mrs. Mehl a box of candy, and he handed me a box, the contents of which he invited me to examine, admonishing me to do so very carefully. I recall there were several important American numismatic rarities, but just what they were I do not now recall for the reason that the 'shining light' of the little lot was no less than the 'King of American Coins,' the 1804 dollar! The first I had ever seen... from that evening in June, 1910, my dream and ambition was to some day be the fortunate dealer to catalogue the famous 'Dunham Collection.'" This is the only deluxe copy we recall encountering with the prices realized list bound in, though in all other respects it is identical to others. Selections from Hester's collection were sold by Abe Kosoff in 1956. Ex Kolbe Sale 67, lot 1560; ex Phil Ralls Library (Kolbe & Fanning Sale 134, lot 178); ex Cardinal Collection Library.