Local dealers & numismatists we lost in 2019

dcarr · December 25, 2019 3:40PM

Howard K. Hinsey was a collector and part time dealer in the Denver area. He usually had a table at local shows. Howard passed away in October at the age of 86.

Jaben Broach was the owner of Collectons in Boulder Colorado and for a time he ran the twice-a-year Denver Coin Expo. He passed away in November, due to medical causes, at the young age of 42. Some people on this forum may have known him from the national scene.

Don Koontz was a mentor, teacher, numismatist, and small time dealer in the Denver area. I remember many fond interactions with him at local coin clubs starting in the 1970s. He passed away in October at the age of 93. In 2016, on the occasion of his 90th birthday celebration, I produced a medal with his portrait on the obverse and an Oregon Trail half dollar reverse (which was first issued in the year Don was born - 1926).

In 2013 I purchased the bulk of his remaining collection. Most of it was relatively-inexpensive foreign coins and minor error coins. But I did keep these two favorites of mine from his collection (I believe that he found both of these by going through rolls and bags of coins purchased for face value at banks):
1964-D Lincoln Memorial Cent with a struck-in staple:

1971-D Lincoln Memorial Cent, flip-over double-strike, with pretty coloring:

Insider2 · December 25, 2019 3:44PM

I like this thread. It is like they do at the Academy Awards.

CaptHenway · December 25, 2019 5:04PM

I had not heard about Jaben. I visited him at the store about a week after the last Denver Expo and he seemed fine.

Coinstartled · December 25, 2019 5:20PM

Maurice Storck of Tucson died at 97 in late November. He was a survivor of the attack at Pearl Harbor and was the last living attendee of the Farouck sale.

Zoins · December 25, 2019 8:34PM

Every one is a loss to us.

I have 2 of Dan's Don Koontz medals. They are hard to find. Thanks to Dan for creating these to celebrate his accomplishments and contributions. I think it would be great for every notable numismatist to be remembered with a medal.