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Which major collector had the largest collection?

ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,811 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited December 7, 2020 5:05AM in U.S. Coin Forum

John J Ford Jr had about 11,000 items
Joseph N.T. Levick had over 20,000 items

Who had the most?

Hoards of coins like cents in garbage canisters don't count ;)

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  • 1630Boston1630Boston Posts: 13,772 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Virgil Michael Brand ??

    350,000 pieces


    Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb

    Bad transactions with : nobody to date

  • rec78rec78 Posts: 5,675 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited December 7, 2020 5:20AM

    Perhaps Louis Eliasberg? He not only had U.S. coins, but a lot of foreign coins as well. Or King Farouk of Egypt
    ? People today forget this King being a major coin collector. It says in this article: https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/signal/coins/soltaylor021608.html
    that he had over 8,500 U.S gold coins alone!

    image
  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,811 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited December 7, 2020 5:38AM

    @1630Boston said:
    Virgil Michael Brand ??

    350,000 pieces


    Wow! 350,000 pieces? I knew he had a lot of pieces but that's huge!

    I don't think anywhere near that many can be traced to him today.

    Imagine a Registry Set of that size!

  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wow... 350,000 coins.... that is huge. I would assume, with that quantity, there were a few favorites that the collector would have kept accessible. Far too many for me to consider....Cheers, RickO

  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,811 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ricko said:
    Wow... 350,000 coins.... that is huge. I would assume, with that quantity, there were a few favorites that the collector would have kept accessible. Far too many for me to consider....Cheers, RickO

    He had some nice ones!

    Check out the following thread:

    https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1046512/virgil-brand-the-most-underrated-coin-collector-of-all-time-or-the-king-of-coin-collectors#latest

  • BoosibriBoosibri Posts: 11,839 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,811 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Has anyone else ever come close to Brand?

    I can't think of any.

  • ExbritExbrit Posts: 1,237 ✭✭✭✭

    I can't think of anyone either. Other CCC hall of farmers:

    Hall of Fame
    – Chicago Coin Club –

    The first monthly meeting of the Chicago Coin Club was held in February, 1919. In honor of the centennial of the Chicago Coin Club, the club created a Hall of Fame to recognize some of the prominent numismatists among its ranks over the past century. Twelve inductees form the Inaugural Class, with one member announced each month during 2019.

    1. J. Henri Ripstra
    2. Dr. Alexander Michaels Rackus
    3. William Forrester Dunham
    4. Virgil Michael Brand
    5. M. Vernon Sheldon
    6. Lee Francis Hewitt
    7. Harry X Boosel
    8. Glenn B. Smedley
    9. Elston G. Bradfield
    10. Arlie R. Slabaugh
    11. Harry Flower
    12. Charles J. Ricard
      After the inaugural class of twelve has been named, the criteria for future membership shall be listed here, along with some mention of the committee responsible for nominating new members, the voting on the nominees, and all of the other tasks in support of this endeavor.
  • ExbritExbrit Posts: 1,237 ✭✭✭✭

    It would be nice to read the poem he Supposedly wrote about coins, anyone have a copy?

  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 23,896 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I suspect Virgil Brand had the largest collection by a wide margin. He may even have challenged or beaten Scrooge McDuck's money bin in terms of number of pieces.

    All glory is fleeting.
  • 1630Boston1630Boston Posts: 13,772 ✭✭✭✭✭


    An original paper-wrapped roll of 25 Masonic Fraternity Temple tokens from Chicago was among the numismatic items discovered in one of the last remaining crates of numismatic items formerly part of Virgil M. Brand's holdings.
    Original images courtesy of Chicago Coin Company.

    Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb

    Bad transactions with : nobody to date

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