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Numismatic graves in Omaha. Byron Reed and J. Hewitt Judd Pictures and a little history

In the October 2006 issue of Numismatist magazine there was an article about finding the graves of famous collectors. Well, my Dad and me decided to try and find the graves of Omaha's famous collectors, Byron Reed and J. Hewitt Judd.

Last Saturday we went out to find their graves. First we went to Prospect Hill Cemetary and found Byron Reed's grave. imageimageimage

It's in a really old part of town and the whole cemetary is really over grown. We had to dig through about a foot of dead grass to find his stone on the ground. That made me feel sad. I've seen his collection a bunch of times and have read about how important he was to Omaha when it was just starting, how rich he was and to see his grave that way was awful. (We noticed that Warren Buffett's dad is buried right across this little road from Byron Reed's grave and it was over grown too. You'd think a billonaire would take care of his Dad's grave. But I guess not.) The grass was so long that my dad kept finding crickets and grasshoppers crawling up his pants legs. You should have seen him jumping around to get them out! image

image

Byron Reed made his money in real estate. As a matter of fact, the "Byron Reed Company" is still doing business in Omaha today!

The October 1996 Spinks auction catalog had a great biography of Byron Reed. One part said, "BYRON REED PASSES AWAY", read the headline of the World-Herald on June 6, 1891, "A PIONEER CITIZEN AND MILLIONAIRE LANDOWNER GATHERED TO HIS FATHERS."

My Dad and I found a CoinWorld article from 07/25/01 that was called "Byron Reed Collection worth $7.9 million" by William T. Gibbs that talked about Byron Reeds collection.

Here's some quotes from that article.



<< <i>"The 333 patterns in the Byron Reed Collection are the brightest stars in the entire collection, carrying a value representing 40.6 percent of the holding's total value, recently assessed at nearly $7.9 million.

Lawrence F. Lee, curator of the Reed collection in Omaha, Neb., said July 19 that the pattern collection was assessed at a value of $3.21 million. The U.S. coin portion of the Reed collection, including the patterns, is valued at $6,447,000, Lee said.

The collection is owned by the city of Omaha and housed at the Durham Western Heritage Museum. The collection of coins, paper money, exonumia, literature and historical documents was willed to the city in 1891 after the death of Byron Reed, whose reputation and standing as a 19th century numismatist has been underestimated, Lee believes." >>






<< <i>"The assessment, which will not become a public document until the Omaha City Council formally accepts it, gives the collection a total value of $7,894,013. Lee categorized the collection into five sub-collections: U.S. coins, 1,163 pieces, valued at $6,447,000; world coins, 693 pieces, $95,000; exonumia (medals and tokens), 1,400 pieces, $322,000; paper money, 673 pieces, $54,000; and books and documents, 2,850 pieces, $975,000.

Lee categorized the U.S. coin collection into five sub-collections. The most valuable section is the pattern collection, totaling 333 pieces. Lee notes that the pattern collection has 13 duplicates, valued at $40,000.

The U.S. coin sub-collection comprising federal coins totals 602 pieces valued at $2,844,000, Lee said. That includes a specimen of the 1804 Draped Bust silver dollar, with a value of about $2 million, the single most valuable object in the collection.

The Colonial coin collection, totaling 139 pieces, is valued at $266,000, Lee said.

The 51 pioneer gold coins in the collection are valued at $116,000, Lee said." >>





<< <i>"Currently, 410 objects from the Reed collection are on display, Lee said, representing 6 percent of the total collection. While 6 percent might seem small to the layman, Lee said that 6 percent is actually a high number by museum standards.

Even though 94 percent of the collection remains unseen, Lee said that visitors to the Durham Western Heritage Museum would see the best material from the collection on display. In some categories, significant portions are on display, including 37 percent of the pioneer gold pieces and 29 percent of the Hard Times tokens. In contrast, just 1 percent of the modern world coin collection is on display.

Just as the late Harry Bass can be considered one of the greatest collectors of the 20th century, Byron Reed was one of the greatest collectors of the 19th century. And, Lee believes, Reed's reputation as a numismatist is largely unrecognized." >>



Here's a link to the article. Article link


The other famous numismatist grave we found in Omaha was J. Hewitt Judd's.
imageimage

Dr. Judd's grave is at a newer cemetary in Omaha called Forest Lawn
.
I talked to a couple of the really old members of the Omaha Coin
Club that knew him, but no one was able to give me much information about Dr. Judd. They knew the Omaha Coin Club used to meet at his house once. He had a big vault in his house and that e was robbed once. They didn't know or remember if he was ever President of the Club but they knew he was president of the ANA for 2 years from 1953 to 1955. He had Alzheimer's disease when he died and was living in a nursing home. That was kind of sad to learn too.

I also wrote to Saul Teichman.

Saul wrote back and said:

<< <i>"With regard to the Judd book itself, I believe Dr.
Judd was more involved in the financing of the book, not its
content. I believe the actual content/writing for the first edition
was done by Walter Breen and William Guild, a pattern collector whose
name has been mostly forgotten today but he was a contemporary of
Judd and Lohr collecting patterns in the 1940-50s.

As for Dr. Judd himself, believe it or not, I know very little.
His U.S. collection was offered by Abe Kosoff in the early 1960s as
the "Illustrated History of U.S. Coins". He collected first year of
type as well as patterns. I believe he was also a past president
of the ANA." >>


[

I was really suprised to read that! I always thought Dr. Judd wrote that book. I also found a biography, an obituary and a picture of Dr. Judd. I'll just copy and post the biography and obituary instead of trying to type it all out.
imageimageimage


As far as Dr. Judd's collection, I didn't find out much about that. But that will be my next project.

Thanks to my Dad, boiler78, Saul Teichman, Wayne Homren and Amber at the ANA library and a bunch of other people for their help.

I hope you enjoyed what I found out. I know I learned a lot.



edit to add
Here's some thing else that I thought was interesting about Byron Reed.

In 1917, Mrs. Reed rented the house she and Byron built and she had lived in since 1875 to a young priest, Father Flanagan, who used the house to start a home for boy's later known as.....





.......Boys Town.


And now you know the rest of the story. image
----------------------------

Judd biography from
American Numismatic Biographies
Pete Smith copyright 1992

Judd Obituary
ANA Numismatist
February 1987/Volume 100, Number 2
page 384

Judd picture
ANA Numismatist
December 1955 / Volume 68, Number 12
page 1314

What Mr. Spock would say about numismatics...
image... "Fascinating, but not logical"

"Live long and prosper"

My "How I Started" columns

Comments

  • LeianaLeiana Posts: 4,349
    Wow, Samuel! That was really very interesting. image

    Thank you for sharing what you learned!

    I thought Dr. Judd had written the pattern book, too.

    It's too bad Mr. Reed's grave was overgrown. image It sounds like he was a very prominant citizen.

    Great post. image

    -Amanda
    image

    I'm a YN working on a type set!

    My Buffalo Nickel Website Home of the Quirky Buffaloes Collection!

    Proud member of the CUFYNA
  • ziggy29ziggy29 Posts: 18,668 ✭✭✭
    Interesting stuff. With reference to Judd, it's amazing how frequently widowers die so soon after the passing of their wife. It's as if they just let go.
  • ShamikaShamika Posts: 18,759 ✭✭✭✭

    Great post by notlogical.

    Buyer and seller of vintage coin boards!
  • Bravo!

    Superb Report!

    Loved every last bit of Info!

    Mustve have been great having to stand by his grave, one of the greatest collectors in those days!

    TKC!
    Want List
    Proud member of the CUFYNA
    Need a Banner Made? PM ME!
    image
  • LindeDadLindeDad Posts: 18,766 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 23,898 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Excellent report.

    Reed's overgrown grave and Judd's Alzheimer's Disease is instructive. All glory is fleeting.
    All glory is fleeting.
  • TwoSides2aCoinTwoSides2aCoin Posts: 43,796 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That's a great write-up, Samuel.
    As a side note, the city of Omaha in it's infinite wisdom, broke up and sold the Reed collection. image


  • << <i>That's a great write-up, Samuel.
    As a side note, the city of Omaha in it's infinite wisdom, broke up and sold the Reed collection. image >>




    "The value of the Reed collection would have been even greater had the city not sold portions of it in 1996 to raise funds for various municipal projects (the sale raised about $5.6 million). The decision to sell portions of the collection was a controversial one, pitting city officials who saw the collection as a revenue source against others who wanted to maintain the collection intact."


    Well, at least they didn't sell all of it. image
    What Mr. Spock would say about numismatics...
    image... "Fascinating, but not logical"

    "Live long and prosper"

    My "How I Started" columns
  • LakesammmanLakesammman Posts: 17,282 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thanks for posting - really cool info! image
    "My friends who see my collection sometimes ask what something costs. I tell them and they are in awe at my stupidity." (Baccaruda, 12/03).I find it hard to believe that he (Trump) rushed to some hotel to meet girls of loose morals, although ours are undoubtedly the best in the world. (Putin 1/17) Gone but not forgotten. IGWT, Speedy, Bear, BigE, HokieFore, John Burns, Russ, TahoeDale, Dahlonega, Astrorat, Stewart Blay, Oldhoopster, Broadstruck, Ricko.
  • Great post Samuelimage

    I really enjoyed your "trip report"/essay.
  • Thanks every body. image
    What Mr. Spock would say about numismatics...
    image... "Fascinating, but not logical"

    "Live long and prosper"

    My "How I Started" columns
  • MarkMark Posts: 3,520 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Outstanding post and pictures! It's sad that Byron Reed is (slowly) being forgotten. But as 291fifth said, all glory is fleeting. Judd's name, however, has surely lived past his death due to the pattern book he financed. Regardless, the pictures of the graves were truly interesting; thanks very much for posting them.
    Mark


  • INXSINXS Posts: 1,202
    Great article and picture Samuel. image
    "Well here's another nice mess you have gotten me into" Oliver Hardy 1930
    image

    BST successful dealings with:MsMorrisine, goldman86
  • boiler78boiler78 Posts: 3,045 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great post Samuel! image Unbelievable that the city can sell part of his collection for over 5 mil to fund various civic projects but they don't have the decency to spend a few shekels maintaining his grave site.

    Keep up the good workimage
  • MacCrimmonMacCrimmon Posts: 7,051 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Great post Samuel! image Unbelievable that the city can sell part of his collection for over 5 mil to fund various civic projects but they don't have the decency to spend a few shekels maintaining his grave site.

    Keep up the good workimage >>




    image

    Samuel, superb post.image

    I hope your dad doesn't have too many nightmares about cricket attacks.....image
  • mgoodm3mgoodm3 Posts: 17,497 ✭✭✭
    nice report.
    coinimaging.com/my photography articles Check out the new macro lens testing section
  • FatManFatMan Posts: 8,977
    Great read. I learned plenty. Samuel, you impress me more every day. Keep up the good work.image
  • Thanks for sharing the information you researched image
    The glass is half full!
    image
  • mrearlygoldmrearlygold Posts: 17,858 ✭✭✭
  • GeminiGemini Posts: 3,085
    Interesting reading thanks for the good report.
    A thing of beauty is a joy for ever
  • A very nice article, thank you for sharing your trip through history.

    regards,

    dealmakr
  • JulioJulio Posts: 2,501
    Excellent read. jws
    image
  • Thanks again every body! image



    << <i>Great post Samuel! image Unbelievable that the city can sell part of his collection for over 5 mil to fund various civic projects but they don't have the decency to spend a few shekels maintaining his grave site. >>




    image My grandma even said "The Byron Reed" company could do something too.
    What Mr. Spock would say about numismatics...
    image... "Fascinating, but not logical"

    "Live long and prosper"

    My "How I Started" columns
  • CoinHuskerCoinHusker Posts: 5,030 ✭✭✭
    Sunday morning image for the kiddo.
    Collecting coins, medals and currency featuring "The Sower"
  • Here's some thing else that I thought was interesting about Byron Reed.

    In 1917, Mrs. Reed rented the house she and Byron built and she had lived in since 1875 to a young priest, Father Flanagan, who used the house to start a home for boy's later known as.....





    .......Boys Town.


    And now you know the rest of the story. image


    eidt to copy and ad to my first post. image
    What Mr. Spock would say about numismatics...
    image... "Fascinating, but not logical"

    "Live long and prosper"

    My "How I Started" columns
  • Thanks for such a nice report on your excursion Samuel. That was a lot of thought you put into it and a lot of effort to type all that out too! Although I know of Judd, I will confess to being ignorant of Byron Reed. Looks like there is another gap in my numismatical knowledge you've exposed for me. (I keep finding these gaps on this board)! I enjoyed the non-numismatic tidbits you added as well.

    You're a good asset for us, and if the truth be known, you've contributed more to our collective knowledge here than many of us.
    Hope you stick around for a long time. You are what true collecting is all about.
    Oh boy...this could be a bad thing.........image
    image
  • numismanumisma Posts: 3,877 ✭✭✭✭
    Top notch reporting. Thank you very much.
  • coinnut86coinnut86 Posts: 1,592 ✭✭✭
    image
    image
  • Great post. Great photos. Thanks!
  • MikeInFLMikeInFL Posts: 10,188 ✭✭✭✭
    An A+ post!
    Collector of Large Cents, US Type, and modern pocket change.
  • holeinone1972holeinone1972 Posts: 5,348 ✭✭✭
    Interesting. I noticed you left out the part about your metal detectors?! LOL image
    image
  • MFHMFH Posts: 11,720 ✭✭✭✭

    Excellent report Samuel. Thoughtfully written and the addition of the photos brings it "life".

    Your grandmother is right, the Byron Reed company should send a caretaker to the grave site to maintain it.

    Mike Hayes
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Coin collecting is not a hobby, it's an obsession !

    New Barber Purchases
  • CoinHuskerCoinHusker Posts: 5,030 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Also, the grass was so long that my dad kept finding crickets and grasshoppers crawling up his pants legs. You should have seen him jumping around to get them out! image >>




    The worse part of it was the more I jumped the higher they went!image


    image
    Collecting coins, medals and currency featuring "The Sower"
  • ConnecticoinConnecticoin Posts: 12,475 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Nice report -- excellent and informative!!

    Your next assignment: The Boys Town Coin Collection (just kidding!)



  • << <i>Nice report -- excellent and informative!!

    Your next assignment: The Boys Town Coin Collection (just kidding!) >>



    I'm sure that was said tongue-in-cheek, but don't be surprised if Samuel takes that as a challange. I expect we'll see a report on the Boy's Town Collection before the year is out! image
    Oh boy...this could be a bad thing.........image
    image


  • << <i>

    << <i>Nice report -- excellent and informative!!

    Your next assignment: The Boys Town Coin Collection (just kidding!) >>



    I'm sure that was said tongue-in-cheek, but don't be surprised if Samuel takes that as a challange. I expect we'll see a report on the Boy's Town Collection before the year is out! image >>




    I think the Boys Town Collection was the Byron Reed collection. It was just stored and displayed at Boys town for a while but I'll check and make sure. image
    What Mr. Spock would say about numismatics...
    image... "Fascinating, but not logical"

    "Live long and prosper"

    My "How I Started" columns
  • EagleEyeEagleEye Posts: 7,676 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Excellent post! Very informative.
    Rick Snow, Eagle Eye Rare Coins, Inc.Check out my new web site:
  • numismanumisma Posts: 3,877 ✭✭✭✭

    notlogical,

    Ever consider submitting your research in the form of an article to CW or NN? It would make for a really good read.


  • << <i>notlogical,

    Ever consider submitting your research in the form of an article to CW or NN? It would make for a really good read. >>




    I thought about Central States but I didn't think of CoinWorld or Numismatic News. thanks for the idea.

    I'm happy so many people liked it. image
    What Mr. Spock would say about numismatics...
    image... "Fascinating, but not logical"

    "Live long and prosper"

    My "How I Started" columns
  • WoodenJeffersonWoodenJefferson Posts: 6,491 ✭✭✭✭
    Nicely done notlogical, I posted a thread about a section of a museum I visited while there in Nebraska that has devoted a section of it to numismatics...lots of history there in the Corn Belt.image
    Chat Board Lingo

    "Keep your malarkey filter in good operating order" -Walter Breen
  • WoodenJeffersonWoodenJefferson Posts: 6,491 ✭✭✭✭
    My post must have gotten plowed under since we were talking about Nebraska...nicely done notlogical, I posted a thread about a museum in Nebraska that I recently visited, there is a section of it devoted to numismatics. There is a lot history there in Mid-America...keep up the good work!

    Well, that was wierd, server delay I guessimage
    Chat Board Lingo

    "Keep your malarkey filter in good operating order" -Walter Breen
  • What museum and what city? image
    What Mr. Spock would say about numismatics...
    image... "Fascinating, but not logical"

    "Live long and prosper"

    My "How I Started" columns
  • WoodenJeffersonWoodenJefferson Posts: 6,491 ✭✭✭✭
    Chat Board Lingo

    "Keep your malarkey filter in good operating order" -Walter Breen
  • Thanks!image
    What Mr. Spock would say about numismatics...
    image... "Fascinating, but not logical"

    "Live long and prosper"

    My "How I Started" columns


  • A bump for a truly informative thread! Well done, Samuel.image
    Monday April 10, 2006 9:04 AM

    SM1 calls me a troublemaker....image

    --------------------------------------------
    Sunday August 19, 2007 9:17AM

    A mentor awarded " YOU SUCK!!"
  • What Mr. Spock would say about numismatics...
    image... "Fascinating, but not logical"

    "Live long and prosper"

    My "How I Started" columns
  • RobbRobb Posts: 2,034
    I'm glad this was bumped. Fun and fascinating read. Thanks for doing the leg work.
    imageRIP


  • << <i>I'm glad this was bumped. Fun and fascinating read. Thanks for doing the leg work. >>




    Oops! I was trying to copy a picture out of this thread and must have done something. image

    But I'm glad you liked it! image
    What Mr. Spock would say about numismatics...
    image... "Fascinating, but not logical"

    "Live long and prosper"

    My "How I Started" columns
  • JoesMaNameJoesMaName Posts: 1,061 ✭✭✭
    Thanks for a good read.

    That was easily as good as any article I've read in a coin publication and better then most.
    Paul - saved by
    The Fireman...

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