"Lonesome" John Devine - Error Dealer - Passed Away
FredWeinberg
Posts: 6,025 ✭✭✭✭✭
I just walked into my office this morning and there was a
message from Peggy Devine that John Devine, aka:
"Lonesome" John Devine - passed away July 10th from
cancer. He was 79 years old.
John was a MAJOR force in the mint error hobby back in
the late 60's/70's - the largest dealer of errors - he shared his
knowledge and enthusiastic love of error coins easily
with any collector or dealer that came in contact with him.
His catalogs featured the best quality photos, widest
selection of error coins, and he was a significant part
of the local error clubs in Hollywood, Orange County,
and San Diego.
Because his Print Shop business, office, and his home
were only about 30 minutes away from me at that
time, I was lucky enough to spend alot of time with
him and his wife Peggy - helping with the catalog,
talking and dealing in errors, and just having a great
time. John had a wonderful sense of humor, and was
always concerned with how his friends were doing.
He'll be missed - I've known John since about 1967.
Fred Weinberg
message from Peggy Devine that John Devine, aka:
"Lonesome" John Devine - passed away July 10th from
cancer. He was 79 years old.
John was a MAJOR force in the mint error hobby back in
the late 60's/70's - the largest dealer of errors - he shared his
knowledge and enthusiastic love of error coins easily
with any collector or dealer that came in contact with him.
His catalogs featured the best quality photos, widest
selection of error coins, and he was a significant part
of the local error clubs in Hollywood, Orange County,
and San Diego.
Because his Print Shop business, office, and his home
were only about 30 minutes away from me at that
time, I was lucky enough to spend alot of time with
him and his wife Peggy - helping with the catalog,
talking and dealing in errors, and just having a great
time. John had a wonderful sense of humor, and was
always concerned with how his friends were doing.
He'll be missed - I've known John since about 1967.
Fred Weinberg
Retired Collector & Dealer in Major Mint Error Coins & Currency since the 1960's.Co-Author of Whitman's "100 Greatest U.S. Mint Error Coins", and the Error Coin Encyclopedia, Vols., III & IV. Retired Authenticator for Major Mint Errors for PCGS. A 50+ Year PNG Member.A full-time numismatist since 1972, retired in 2022.
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Comments
My condolences to his Wife, Family & Friends.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coin collecting is not a hobby, it's an obsession !
New Barber Purchases
Prayers out for all
"Detecting Counterfeit Gold Coins, Book 2"
My condolences to you, Fred, and of course all his family and friends.
bob
I didn't know John personally, but I have his Counterfeit detection guides and I often refer to them.
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
I remember always reading/hearing about "Lonesome John" the error dealer back when in the 70s and 80s when I was a YN. I also enjoy his book on counterfeit gold.
Fred, what is the story (if any) behind Lonesome John's nickname?
In the late '60's, John (Devine) worked for
Northrup-Grumum (sp?) out in the Thousand
Oaks/Newberry Park area of the Valley.
He shared an interested in coins, and error coins,
with another person who also worked at Northrup -
John Burrison.
They started "John-John Specialties" - a mostly
mail-order business for error coins. After a few
years, John Burrison decided to retire, and left the
partnership.
John Devine thought about his new business, and
what to call it. I believe it was his wife Peggy, or
maybe one of his two daughters, Stella and Brenda,
who suggested " If you're not John-John any more,
and you miss your business partner, why not call
your new company "Lonesome John" ? Arn't you?
And so that's how John Devine's new business name
became "Lonesome John" - and his nickname for the
rest of his life!
I just talked to Peggy this morning - John was a heavy
smoker - 3 full packs a day - and he was just diagnosed
with Lung Cancer 5 weeks before he passed away.
Larry L.
The one incident that I do remember in connection of "Lonesome" John was being able to have in hand the 1969-S Lincoln cent doubled die obverse that was attributed to him on the encapsulation label. That coin was later stolen from that dealer.
BJ Neff
I've often repeated something he told me in the 80's. At that time there were only about 200 serious error collectors in the United States. We were a pretty tight knit group. Main stream collectors and dealers often ridiculed error collectors. John once told me, "Mike, if everyone that collects coins collected error coins, the coins you're paying $10 for would cost you hundreds of dollars." Now that error coins are more mainstream, he was absolutely right.
It sounds like did a lot of good over this lifetime.
Rest easy John. You left a mark that many wish for but few succeed in. God bless you and "thanks".
Hoard the keys.
He certainly was a force in the hobby.