Farran Zerbe

Zoins

We have a number of threads about Max Mehl including photos of his youth that when I ran across this photo, I thought we should have a thread about Joseph Farran Zerbe as well. He's 13 years old in 1884 here.

He was President of the ANA from 1908 to 1910 and founded the Pacific Coast Numismatic Society (PCNS), the oldest numismatic organization in the Western United States.

Post anything you want to about Farran Zerbe here.

Photo 1884

• https://sites.google.com/site/numismaticmallcom/encyclopedic-dictionary-of-numismatic-biographies/zerbe-joseph-farran

Photo circa 1908

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farran_Zerbe

3keepSECRETif2rDEAD

...those tie knots are way too loose & large to be taken seriously, but I must say that’s a fine looking moostache on the young gentleman

BG

The Numismatist, December 1916, p. 565.

keets

I'm sure Mr. Zerbe felt pretty good about that dinner, he always was about Mr. Zerbe first and last.

Zoins

I just read Zerbe was the 2nd owner of The Numismatist magazine. He purchased it Dr. George F. Heath's heirs. Heath was the founder of the ANA. It was then purchased by W.C.C. Wilson who donated the magazine to the ANA.

Zoins

BTW, the PCNS, organized in 1915 to coincide with the Panama Pacific International Exposition, is still going strong. Here are their 2015 centennial medals. I was lucky to pick up 2 sets of these.

Paradisefound

Thank you for sharing @Zoins ..... it is good piece of historical story

RogerB

PPIE - Excerpts from Renaissance of American Coinage 1909-1915.

Farran Zerbe’s exhibit was titled “Zerbe’s Unique Money of the World.” It had a prominent space in the centrally located Liberal Arts Building. His advertising flyers often called the display the Department of Coins and Medals or sometimes the Coin and Medal Department. The first snag in sales of mint and BEP products came when it was realized

Figure 67. Sales booth for coins, medals and engravings, and display of “Zerbe’s Unique Money of the World” operated by Farran Zerbe who was an employee of the exposition company. (Courtesy American Numismatic Association.)

that none of the coins would be ready for opening of the exposition. Only the souvenir medal, designed by Robert Aitken, had usable dies ready and could be struck as planned. While they were very artistic and well designed, the plain bronze version sold for just 25-cents, gold plated it cost 50-cents and a .900-fine silver version cost $1.00. A lot of medals would have to be sold to pay Zerbe’s salary and expenses.

“ The other day I wrote you relative to the possibility of shutting down our mint exhibit owing to the lack of a supply of metal.
Mr. Zerbe called me up yesterday and stated that an order was on the way directing us to re-melt medals now on hand, whenever necessary to keep things going.
This man, Zerbe, is an unsatisfactory chap to deal with. He gives you the feeling that he suspects you will not give him a square deal, and at the same time you have the feeling that he wants to ‘put something over’ on you.” [Treasury special agent, Charles A. Harbaugh]

shorecoll

Tyrone is the middle of nowhere, I had family there for years (preachers).

Namvet69

Thems was some heady times. Did he have a noteworthy collection that was passed down to anyone?

Zoins

@Namvet69 said:
Thems was some heady times. Did he have a noteworthy collection that was passed down to anyone?

From 1928 to 1977 his collection formed the core of the Chase Manhattan Bank’s Money Museum. He passed away in 1949. When the museum was closed down, the collection was disbursed. At least some of the pieces went to the Smithsonian National Money Museum to form their Lesher Dollar collection. During his life, he also donated a number of Lesher Dollars, including the original dies to the ANS.

Namvet69

Thanks for that info. I recall a school trip to the Chase money museum in the early 60's. It's when I started CRH. Have a good day. Peace Roy

Zoins

Here’s some more info on his collection:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chase_Manhattan_Bank_Money_Museum

The core of the collection was acquired by the Chase National Bank from numismatist Farran Zerbe in 1928, who became the first curator of the new museum, and contained legal tender in a variety of forms, including wampum, ancient and modern coins, and paper money.

In 1939, Zerbe retired and Vernon L. Brown became the curator of the museum.[1] After several moves, the museum opened at Rockefeller Center on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, New York City, on July 10, 1956.[2] After Vernon Brown left the museum in 1963, Don Taxay was appointed curator in April 1964.[3]

The museum closed in 1977 and most of the collection (approximately 26,000 objects) was donated to the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution on 16 January 1978. Some of the collection went to the American Numismatic Society, including an 1804 U.S. dollar. An 1862 $1 Legal Tender note with Serial Number 1 (the first dollar bill issued by the United States) is now in the Chase Bank.[4]

RegistryCoin

Ferran Zerbe, Louisiana Purchase Expo at 1904 World’s Fair - U.S./Philippines Special Mint Sets (from an old forum post)

krueger

This Faran Zerbe 1904 set is one of the composites in the. PCGS U.S. Philippine Registry sets.
I had them add it.
Original sets are essentially non existent. I have never seen one in 45 years. All sets today are put together with high grade slabs.
7 denominations of mint set quality coins. 1/2 centavo, 1 centavo, 5,10,20,50 and peso.
high grade peso is quite expensive.
still possible to put together a circulated set though.

Zoins

@krueger said:
This Faran Zerbe 1904 set is one of the composites in the. PCGS U.S. Philippine Registry sets.
I had them add it.
Original sets are essentially non existent. I have never seen one in 45 years. All sets today are put together with high grade slabs.
7 denominations of mint set quality coins. 1/2 centavo, 1 centavo, 5,10,20,50 and peso.
high grade peso is quite expensive.
still possible to put together a circulated set though.

Wow. That's great!

Here's the set with images for 3 of the coins. Hopefully, the rest can be imaged one day.

https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/private-issues-territorial-gold/territorial-private-issues/philippines-faran-zerbe-mint-set-1904/alltimeset/245081