Appreciating Ellis H. (Roby) Robison - Like Pogue did!

Zoins · December 25, 2020 7:15AM

I just ran across Ellis H. Robison while researching the 2021 PCGS calendar as his coin is featured for November.

He's seems to be a well-regarded collector it would be great to know more about.

Did anyone know him or have any of his coins?

It's worth noting some of his top coins ended up with Brent Pogue!

Here are some articles and coins. He seemed to be fairly involved with philanthropic activities and donated coins to schools and sold coins to fund schools.

Harvey Stack wrote on August 27, 2020:

One such name collection was the fabulous Robison Collection of U.S. Gold Coins which we brought to market in January 1979. The formation of the Robison Collection was a family affair with Ellis and Doris Robison as partners. Ellis was a successful pharmaceutical distributor in upper New York State. He headed John L. Thompson and Co., of Troy, N.Y, one of the country's oldest wholesale pharmaceutical firms, which had served New England drugstores for close to two centuries. He was dedicated to education and had contributed for decades to colleges and universities in America. Many an athletic field, herb garden and foundations are named after him and his family. He was especially interested Cornell University, his alma mater, and in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The proceeds of this sale were designated to benefit the cultural and athletic endeavors of these two institutions.

http://www.bowersandmerena.com/News/Pages/Blogs.aspx?ArticleID=Harvey-Stack-Remembers-Part-77

New York Times wrote on October 19, 1984

Ellis H. Robison, a philanthropist who headed John L. Thompson Sons & Company of Troy, N.Y., one of the country's oldest wholesale pharmaceutical concerns, died Wednesday at Samaritan Hospital in Troy. He was 88 years old and lived in Troy.

Mr. Robison was the company's chairman of the board, chief executive officer and treasurer at the time of his death.

In 1981, he and his wife, the former Doris Burgess, sold a coin collection at auction and distributed the $3.5 million proceeds to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Russell Sage College, both in Troy; Cornell University in Ithaca, and Brown University in Providence, R.I.

The following year, his collection of rare dimes was sold at auction in New York City for $2.4 million.

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/19/obituaries/ellis-robison-head-of-a-drug-company-and-philanthropist.html

He was also a sports fan:

Although a graduate of Cornell University, he provided financial and moral support to RPI Athletics a great many years … A Troy businessman, he started his financial support to RPI sports when he discovered grants were given to academic departments in the school, but none to the athletic department … One of his first and most obvious gifts came in the form of the trophy case that stands in the lobby of the ’87 gym … Donated funds to renovate the hockey locker rooms and also to pay for hockey helmets … Constant rooter for RPI athletic teams, on hand for many hockey, basketball and baseball games, in particular … Once honored at the RPI vs. Cornell hockey game by the RPI hockey team and Olympia … Was honorary member of the school’s Hall of Fame Committee in addition to being an honorary member of Olympia … Contributor to the Hall of Fame as well as numerous other facilities around campus ... Baseball team plays at Robison Field ... Softball team plays at Doris Robison Field ... Swimming & diving compete in Robison Pool.

https://rpiathletics.com/honors/hall-of-fame/ellis-h-robison/67

1802 Flowing Hair Dollar PCGS PR64 POP 0/4/0 - Ex-Robison, Einstein, Pogue

Price Realized (2019): $352,500

Stack's provenance:

Provenance: Dr. G.F.E. Wilharm Collection; B. Max Mehl's sale of the Dr. G.F.E. Wilharm Collection, February 1921, lot 592; William Forrester Dunham Collection; B. Max Mehl's sale of the William Forrester Dunham Collection, June 1941, lot 1055; Abe Kosoff; Michael F. Higgy Collection, by sale, August 1942; Numismatic Gallery (Abe Kosoff); Numismatic Gallery's (Abe Kosoff) sale of the Michael F. Higgy Collection, September 1943, lot 817; Beverly Hills Stamp & Coin Co. (Max L. Justus), August 1957 fixed price list; Newport Balboa Savings and Loan, by sale, via Abe Kosoff and Ken Nichols; Stack's sale of September 1978, lot 304; Ellis Robison Collection; Doris and Ellis Robison; Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute, Cornell University, Brown University, and Russell Sage College, by gift, 1981; Stack's sale of the Robison Collection, February 1982, lot 1884; Superior Galleries' session of Auction '84, July 1984, lot 171; Bowers and Merena's sale of the Harry Einstein Collection, June 1986, lot 1734; Bowers and Merena's sale of the Collections of Phillip Flannagan, Dr. Robert I. Hinkley, Dr. John C. Wong and Tree Many Feathers, November 2001, lot 4297.

1838-O Capped Bust Half Dollar - PCGS PR63BM POP 3/3 CAC - Ex-Morgan, Green, Cox, Robison

Price Realized (2019): $504,000

Here's the full provenance from Stack's:

Provenance: From the E. Horatio Morgan Collection. Ex "Colonel" E.H.R. Green; Burdette G. Johnson; Wayte Raymond; J.G. Macallister; Charles M. Williams (the likely owner); Numismatic Gallery; Numismatic Gallery's Adolphe Menjou Collection sale, June 1950, lot 1073; Numismatic Gallery's ANA Sale of August 1953, lot 905, per Carl Carlson; our (Stack's) sale of the R.E. Cox, Jr. Collection, April 1962, lot 1873; Empire Coin Co. (Q. David Bowers and James Ruddy); Hazen B. Hinman; Paramount's sale of the Century Collection, April 1965, lot 1151; unknown intermediary; Bowers and Ruddy Galleries (Rare Coin Review numbers 17 and 18); our (Stack's) sale of the Ellis H. Robison Collection, February 1982, lot 1605; Marvin Browder; David W. Akers.

1878-S LIberty Seated Half Dollar - WB-1 Very Small S - PCGS MS66 POP 0/1/0 CAC - Ex-Cox, Robison, Queller, Pogue

Unique
Price Realized (2020): $288,000

Here's the full provenance from Stack's:

Provenance: From the D. Brent Pogue Collection. Earlier, from our (Stack's) sale of the Howard D. Egolf Collection, May 1961, lot 1131; our (Stack's) sale of the R.E. Cox, Jr. Collection of Half Dollars, April 1962 Metropolitan New York Numismatic Convention Sale, lot 2024; our (Stack's) sale of the Dr. E. Yale Clarke Collection, October 1975, lot 352; our (Bowers and Ruddy's) Fairfield Collection sale, October 1977, lot 552; our (Stack's) sale of the Robison Collection, February 1982, lot 1721; our (Stack's) sale of the Queller Family Collection of United States Half Dollars, October 2002, lot 678.

Zoins · December 25, 2020 8:12AM

As I go through and find Ellis H. Robison's coins, one thing that really struck me is how many coins seemed to end up with Brent Pogue.

Here's another POP 1/0 Robison-Pogue coin.

1801 Draped Bust Half Dollar - Overton 101 - PCGS MS63 TOP POP 1/0 CAC - Ex-Robison, Pogue

Price Realized (2015): $129,250

Stack's Provenance:

Provenance: Stack’s American Numismatic Association sale, August 1976, lot 1089; Ellis Robison Collection; Stack’s sale of the Robison Collection of United States Silver & Copper Coins and Colonial Coins, February 1982, lot 1527.

Inspired70 · December 25, 2020 8:18AM

I really enjoyed reading this post Zoins! Thank you for posting as I love reading about these old time collectors and collections!

Zoins · December 26, 2020 7:44AM

@Inspired70 said:
I really enjoyed reading this post Zoins! Thank you for posting as I love reading about these old time collectors and collections!

Thanks! I'm fascinated by the journey these coins took and the collectors of the past. It's great to be able to research this and put this together now thanks to PCGS, Stack's, Heritage and others!

Zoins · December 26, 2020 7:48AM

One thing that's interesting when looking though old auction catalogs is that a collection is notable when descriptions mention coins that aren't in certain named collections!

When I looked through old auction lot descriptions for Robison, a number mention great colonial coins that Robison didn't have, so here's one that he did have:

The Robison 1783 Chalmers Sixpence
Second Finest Certified by PCGS
1783 Chalmers Sixpence - W-1765/1770 - Large Date - PCGS EF45 POP 0/1/1
Ex-Ellis H. Robison, E. Pluribus Unum

This specimen is only associated with Robison and the E. Pluribus Unum collection sold last month.

Stack's Bowers wrote:

Chalmers sixpence suffer from any one of a number of typical issues: poor strikes, usually from axial misalignment; damage or jewelry use; heavy or uneven wear; and more. Choice examples in any grade are great rarities.

Zoins · December 26, 2020 7:53AM

As awesome as his coins are, I'm even more in awe of his philanthropic activity. It's great to combine the two and makes him a very interesting collector for me.

Harvey Stack wrote:

He was dedicated to education and had contributed for decades to colleges and universities in America. Many an athletic field, herb garden and foundations are named after him and his family.

Here's his bio from the Cornell Hall of Fame page:

His devotion, advice and financial support to his alma mater started as soon as he graduated in 1918. He was a man with foresight; he saw a need and then filled it. The financial support from Robison and his wife, Doris, enriched such diverse programs as athletics, the Cornell Plantations, and the University Libraries. His concern for student-athletes prompted him to provide funds for such practical gifts as vans for team travel, improvement of the tennis courts, and for women's crew, a shell and a shell house, which is named for his wife. He also provided funds to build the Ellis H. Robison '18 Hall of Fame Room, which housed the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame memorabilia. In 1978, he initiated the reactivation of the Red Key Society, Cornell's athletic honorary society.

https://cornellbigred.com/honors/hall-of-fame/ellis-h-roby-robison/178

pursuitofliberty · December 26, 2020 8:32AM

Thank you!! @Zoins

Man I love this place

Hydrant · December 26, 2020 8:40AM

Thank you Zoins. Another top notch topic/thread.

Zoins · December 26, 2020 9:04AM

Thanks @pursuitofliberty and @Hydrant!

For my part, it's great that people appreciate these topics and threads

I find the coins and the collectors fascinating.

Here's another great coin with the only known provenance associated with Virgil Brand and Roby Robison.

The Brand-Robison Silver 1785 Immune Columbia Pattern
A Relic of One of Our Nation's Earliest Coining Proposals
1785 Immune Columbia pattern - Silver - W-1985. Extra Star - PCGS AU55
Ex-Virgil Michael Brand, Ellis H. Robison

Stack's Bowers wrote:

The total number of silver Immune Columbias appears to be just over a dozen pieces. Few are equal to this one, fewer are measurably finer. Garrett's appeared in the 2015 Partrick sale as an NGC AU-55. The Newman coin was offered in 2014 as an AU-53 (NGC) and was later upgraded to AU-58 at PCGS, leaving it as the only one to receive a higher certified grade than this one.

Has anyone compared this coin to the Newman coin which was graded NGC AU53 and PCGS AU58?

Appreciating Ellis H. (Roby) Robison - Like Pogue did!

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