Typed Letter Secretarially Signed ("J. R. R. Tolkien")

One octavo sheet (6" x 8.75") of Tolkien's personalized stationary at his publisher's ("Professor J. R. R. Tolkien c/o George Allen & Unwin Ltd.") and dated 18 March 1971. Old folds for mailing, near fine. Original envelope present and a bit impatiently opened resulting in modest tears. A letter to Mr. C. Huggett Esq. in Cookham, Berks: "Dear Mr. Huggett, Thank you for your letter of the 8 March. I am delighted that my books have given you so much pleasure. Unfortunately, I have been inundated with requests to autograph books and as I live far from a post office and the books are large and heavy (added to the fact that I am extremely busy with another book) I am afraid I have had to make a rule not to autograph any more books. I do hope that you will understand. Yours sincerely, J. R. R. Tolkien [followed by a secretary's monogram initials]." Toklien's "signature" is preceded by "pp", meaning "per procurationem", meaning by agency or permission of the author. So just to be clear - this is a secretarial, NOT an original, Tolkien signature, signed with Tolkien's name by the secretary with his permission. One well-informed source has suggested to us that the letter was typed by Tolkien's longtime assistant Joan Hill. Nevertheless an interesting artifact and evidence of Tolkien's then growing fame.…