Anyone have a picture of Don Taxay?
Shamika
Posts: 18,785 ✭✭✭✭
Always wondered what he looked like.
Buyer and seller of vintage coin boards!
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Just trying to help keep the confusion down.
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I realize that this photo was probably taken from this thread, but it reminds me of Gene Bruder.
The name is LEE!
<< <i>There are pictures of Taxay in the Karl Moulton John J. Ford book. >>
I think among the many interesting tidbits in the book is that Taxay sold parts of his numismatic library in 1976 to return to India (he had been there previously to follow a spiritual leader, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh). After 1976, Taxay never resurfaced in the coin industry and his fate remains a mystery. I assume many here knew this bit of coin lore but I did not.
"Look up, old boy, and see what you get." -William Bonney.
<< <i>I think among the many interesting tidbits in the book is that Taxay sold parts of his numismatic library in 1976 to return to India (he had been there previously to follow a spiritual leader, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh). After 1976, Taxay never resurfaced in the coin industry and his fate remains a mystery. I assume many here knew this bit of coin lore but I did not. >>
Yes, I knew this. It's something that has always fascinated me. What drove such an educated and worldly person to walk away from everything he knew and owned? Where is he today, what's he doing, is he even alive?
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I now remember seeing this picture of Taxay, but it's the only one. Looks like a detective from one of those 1970's TV shows (Rockford Files, Adam 12, The French Connection).
<< <i>DON TAXAY WHERE ARE YOU?
Dick Johnson writes: "I had extensive contact with Don Taxay in New York City prior to 1971. He was employed for a time by Harmer Rooke, and launched an early series of auctions for this firm. One was a book auction in which I consigned several hundred books. After that he freelanced. He had contacts with a number of banks and wanted to build money displays for banks. I gave him several hundred dollars as seed money to build a miniature display as a sales sample to show bankers with the proviso that I could be an investor if the project panned out. It didn't.
The rumors about him are never entirely true or entirely false. He did travel to India and he did live in Florida. My last recollection of him was a full page ad in Coin World with an address in Florida offering his services as a numismatic consultant. I don't recall what year this was (can anyone date that advertisement)? The last rumor I heard was that he had married a wealthy woman and was living in Florida."
Only three Americans are listed with the last name Taxay in phone directories (two in Pittsburgh and one in Miami) and only eight Taxays are listed in the U.S. Social Security Death Index (none remotely close to Don). If he is still alive, I believe he is outside the country."
George Fuld writes: "I last heard from him about 1976!! Some years ago I was told that he resided in India. I have heard nothing else about him."
Tom DeLorey writes: "I last saw Taxay in 1977. Not long afterwards he disappeared.
The rumor that I heard most often was that he had gotten seriously into transcendental meditation and had moved to the Himalayas. However, when I met his nephew in the coin shop at Harlan Berk's in the early 1990s, all he could add was that the family had no idea what had become of him, and would like to know if he is still alive. I may still have the nephew's card in my desk, in case anybody can offer the family any information I can pass on."
John Kraljevich writes: "The Don Taxay story has somewhat puzzled me over the years too. I never knew him, but I've certainly asked what happened to him to several people who knew him before his disappearance around 1977. The story that he moved to India to follow up on his religious beliefs seems pretty unanimous.
Apparently Don was a Hare Krishna, and one person who used to work with him at Harmer Rooke recalled him distracting everyone in the office by chanting while he worked on coins! Somehow Frank Van Valen (my colleague at ANR) singing doo-wop while cataloguing doesn't seem quite as bad now.
He seems to have been an interesting character, though more of a researcher than a numismatist. Breen apparently felt that Taxay improperly used some of his material and grew jealous of him over the years. Whatever happened, Taxay's books continue to be quite useful, though some of his conclusions in US Mint and Coinage have been shown to be wrong by Craig Sholley and others."
Karl Moulton writes: "In my forthcoming book titled "Henry Voigt and Others Involved With America's Early Coinage" I comment on Don Taxay and his 1966 book "The U.S. Mint and Coinage". In Chapter 13, called Modern Misinformation, I point out a few random errors in the text of Taxay's book, which were either miscopied from previous original source documents, made up, or embellished from other previously unconfirmed publications, including notes by Walter Breen.
If one delves into Taxay's presentation of American numismatic history, which he himself labeled a "difficult manuscript", it becomes obvious that he didn't do enough original research, but simply followed the ABC's of misinterpreting the facts. This would be Accepting, Believing, and Copying from others without first validating their claims. Unfortunately, this has happened frequently throughout American numismatics. Please understand that I did not set out to pick apart Taxay's book, which is still usable if the reader scrutinizes the claims made, but wanted to make note about a few of the questionable passages which he and others had written about people connected with the United States Mint.
What happened to Taxay? He became a Rajneeshee. What is that you ask? A Rajneeshee is a devout follower of the Indian cult leader/terrorist Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, whose world wide headquarters was/is in Poona, India. Some background is necessary for further understanding (please note: most of the following isn't included in my book as it doesn't relate to the subject matter of the title).
In the mid 1960's, after Breen returned to New York from Berkley, he and Taxay became very good friends. Breen was cataloguing for Lester Merkin and Taxay was then the curator of the Chase Manhattan Money Museum (having been previously involved with New Netherlands Coin Co. and John Ford). They were both at that time what I would refer to as intellectual hippies. Over the years that followed, Breen related the Indian culture and religions to Taxay, who then became obsessed. Taxay's family in Chicago was not pleased. Eventually, Taxay made an initial pilgrimage to Poona. He found that was what he was seeking and returned home in the early 1970's to get as much money as possible. You see that was the real basis for the commune at Poona. The Bhagwan owned 93 Rolls Royces at one time. He brought all of them with him when he came to the U.S. in 1983 (imagine the import duty). Plus, he was the first person to have conducted biological warfare on American soil, but that's another story in itself.
Let's get back to Taxay in Poona (Pune in Indian). He left this country when the government was decaying rapidly under the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam conflict. His last contact was with Harry Forman when he helped catalogue an auction held 12/6/1974. He then sold the rights to "The U.S. Mint & Coinage" for a reported $100,000, and left for India via Florida around 1977 and has not been heard from since.
For several years in the late 1970s (before the Poona commune was temporarily shut down) Taxay became a brainwashed and untraceable person to western culture (similar to Osama Bin Laden today). He divorced himself from all he had known and presumably gave away all of his money to the Bhagwan. When the commune was transferred to Oregon for several years, it is unknown if Taxay made the trip to the U.S. or remained in India at another similar commune (of which there were several). I have an inscribed copy of a Taxay book dated 5-30-1980, the same date as the Chicago International Coin Fair. He may have returned briefly to visit with certain members of his family and then went underground.
When the Bhagwan was deported back to India, he tried to go elsewhere, but no other countries would allow him in, so he re-established the Poona site. The name of the commune was changed to OSHO. When the Bhagwan died in the early 1990's, several of his wealthy followers took control and continued to expand the concepts of "enlightenment" to others worldwide. Yes, they have a website now. All they require to join initially is your passport and taking an aids test. Everyone is provided with a red, full body robe. The removal of your wealth comes later.
What actually happened to Don Taxay, the individual, remains unknown, and may never be fully discovered. He will probably not return to the western world, even if he is still alive. For those interested in American numismatics, we will only have what he presented some 40 years ago. If he is alive, it would be appropriate if he would make contact with the numismatic fraternity once again.
My new book will present many different people and events of the first United States Mint, based on contemporary source documents, personal accounts and actual historical facts. As I state in the cover letter of my latest numismatic literature list for January 2006, "it will definitely change what you now know". Plans are to have this informative, original researched book ready sometime this summer."
Wayne Homren, Editor >>
Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners.
If you head off to a commune in India, 35 years from now I will ask for your picture.
<< <i>What drove such an educated and worldly person to walk away from everything he knew and owned? Where is he today, what's he doing, is he even alive? >>
it is more common than most of us know. those with what is referred to as higher intelligence aka gifted are always seeking out where they belong in this world and not just settling where they can bemost financially comfortable and just because one excels at one thing or another doesn't automatically make it synonymous with what puts them at peace. i have a profound respect for those that can and do walk away from what others may consider them to be best at and/or excel at.
"it is not what we carry with us but what we let go that defines who we are"
2 others that popped in my mind that walked away from their supposedly natural milieu for better or worse are stu unger and bobby fischer. for what reasons, i shall not presume.
thanks for adding another to my list via this thread and i'll stop here as there is much more to say but this is a numismatic forum not a discuss the meaning of life forum.
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<< <i>keyman64:
If you head off to a commune in India, 35 years from now I will ask for your picture.
Thanks Mark!
Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners.
"it is not what we carry with us but what we let go that defines who we are"
2 others that popped in my mind that walked away from their supposedly natural milieu for better or worse are stu unger and bobby fischer. for what reasons, i shall not presume.
Well said, first person he reminded me of was Bobby Fischer. (When Fischer finally reemerged from obscurity those who loved him in the 70's wished he had stayed in obscurity.)
Also J.D Salinger. There is nothing more intriguing than than someone who turns their back on success instead of capitalizing on it.
There was an interesting article in COINWeek earlier this year about FCI, where Taxay worked for 6 months before abruptly leaving. Link
<< <i>2 others that popped in my mind that walked away from their supposedly natural milieu for better or worse are stu unger and bobby fischer. for what reasons, i shall not presume. >>
Lance - I never knew the story of Stu Unger until your post lead me to look him up. Thank you for mentioning him. As for Bobby Fischer, I assume he's a borderline personality disorder type thus explaining his anti-establishment stance. As for Taxay, this is an individual who authored books, spent time in the public eye, and worked with people everyday making him different than the other two. But then again I certainly never knew him.
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<< <i>2 others that popped in my mind that walked away from their supposedly natural milieu for better or worse are stu unger and bobby fischer. for what reasons, i shall not presume. >>
Lance - I never knew the story of Stu Unger until your post lead me to look him up. Thank you for mentioning him. As for Bobby Fischer, I assume he's a borderline personality disorder type thus explaining his anti-establishment stance. As for Taxay, this is an individual who authored books, spent time in the public eye, and worked with people everyday making him different than the other two. But then again I certainly never knew him. >>
I'd be willing to bet that Bobby Fischer and Ted Kaczynski could have played a rousing chess match.
If Bobby was still around they could have co-authored the "Luddite Gaming Theory of Chess"; make the wrong move and go BOOM!
<< <i>2 others that popped in my mind that walked away from their supposedly natural milieu for better or worse are stu unger and bobby fischer. for what reasons, i shall not presume. >>
Not sure you can say Stu Ungar walked away from anything. He had a serious drug problem, but still
won a third WSOP title in spite of it.
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<< <i>There are pictures of Taxay in the Karl Moulton John J. Ford book. >>
I think among the many interesting tidbits in the book is that Taxay sold parts of his numismatic library in 1976 to return to India (he had been there previously to follow a spiritual leader, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh). After 1976, Taxay never resurfaced in the coin industry and his fate remains a mystery. I assume many here knew this bit of coin lore but I did not. >>
He visited the offices of Coin World on 4-23-77, where I had him autograph my personal copies of his books. I did not hear that he had disappeared until many months after that.
<< <i>He visited the offices of Coin World on 4-23-77, where I had him autograph my personal copies of his books. I did not hear that he had disappeared until many months after that. >>
That's awesome! If you ever want to sell any of these copies, let me know.
<< <i>Fischer - narcissistic personality disorder with schizoid features. Paul Morphy ended up worse. >>
i only read the wiki entry about paul but it would be very interesting for me to hear someone effectively debate how paul ended up worse than bobby. thanks for that name though as it was for sure apropos for this topic and an interesting albeit short read.
the entertaining part to me isn't someone's opinion about whom actually ended up worse since we can't read minds and emotions and their reaction(s) to them but the debate itself is where i derive the most pleasure from.
guess i should answer this to be at least somewhat on-topic
<< <i>Anyone have a picture of Don Taxay? >>
i do not have any that haven't already been provided in this thread.
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I realize that this photo was probably taken from this thread, but it reminds me of Gene Bruder. >>
It resembles a little of "The Razor's Edge", about a young American who goes to India for "enlightenment".
In 1984 I was in India and met a young German woman on a bus who was a member of the Rajneesh Pune commune.
She seemed to be a level-headed person.
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Living in Seattle, I very clearly recall the Rajneeshpuram news as it flowed out of Oregon.
And there were many very bright people who had been working in Seattle high tech areas that threw it all out the window and joined his commune...
I actually had a very well known Seattle radio personality recommend - that I become one of his followers! She was a Published and well respected PhD! (PM me if you'd like her name as I'd rather spare her the public embarrasment).
I didn't follow her advice though I did a bit of research on "The Bhagwan" as he was known..
He was a pretty interesting guy, formally a widely published professor of philosophy. His teachings with a combination of anti-establishment leanings, sexual freedom, and intelligent philosophical discourse, ending in the all too elusive 'enlightenment', found no shortage of disenchanted Westerners to join their ranks.
Interesting stuff!!! Thanks for the memories! I hadn't thought of them in a LONG time.
Happy, humble, honored and proud recipient of the “You Suck” award 10/22/2014
<< <i>Great thread and read!
Living in Seattle, I very clearly recall the Rajneeshpuram news as it flowed out of Oregon.
>>
I remember the battles they had with the locals there - and the poisonings they attempted to fix an election in their favour. It was brought up recently in an episode of Travel Channels "Mysteries at the Museum".
<< <i>Fischer - narcissistic personality disorder with schizoid features. Paul Morphy ended up worse. >>
I believe Fischer was normal. He didn't "go with the flow" and didn't care what people said or thought about him. No one could control him or really understood him, thus, the labeling of mental illness. He had a lot of anger
against the US Government, mostly justified. No excuse for the anti-Jewish rants, but that doesn't make one mentally ill.
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<< <i>Great thread and read!
Living in Seattle, I very clearly recall the Rajneeshpuram news as it flowed out of Oregon.
>>
I remember the battles they had with the locals there - and the poisonings they attempted to fix an election in their favour. It was brought up recently in an episode of Travel Channels "Mysteries at the Museum". >>
Yes, very interesting and crazy times! They really ran off the rails!
Getting back on topic... I bet there's great roll searching out in the wilds of eastern Oregon though.
Happy, humble, honored and proud recipient of the “You Suck” award 10/22/2014
<< <i>Great thread and read!
Living in Seattle, I very clearly recall the Rajneeshpuram news as it flowed out of Oregon.
And there were many very bright people who had been working in Seattle high tech areas that threw it all out the window and joined his commune...
I actually had a very well known Seattle radio personality recommend - that I become one of his followers! She was a Published and well respected PhD! (PM me if you'd like her name as I'd rather spare her the public embarrasment).
I didn't follow her advice though I did a bit of research on "The Bhagwan" as he was known..
He was a pretty interesting guy, formally a widely published professor of philosophy. His teachings with a combination of anti-establishment leanings, sexual freedom, and intelligent philosophical discourse, ending in the all too elusive 'enlightenment', found no shortage of disenchanted Westerners to join their ranks.
Interesting stuff!!! Thanks for the memories! I hadn't thought of them in a LONG time. >>
I've traveled quite a bit and over time, have met a number of bright, financially comfortable Western educated people who thought that there was more to life than the life they were living. One of the most interesting was a fifty year old French woman who left Paris and her husband. She was in Hanoi, Vietnam, on her own, selling real estate to expats. She told me she has never been happier as an adult than she was at this point in her life.
Another was a German lawyer in his 30s who gave it all up, learned Portuguese, and went to live in Rio de Janeiro.
"Seu cabra da peste,
"Sou Mangueira......."
<< <i>It resembles a little of "The Razor's Edge", about a young American who goes to India for "enlightenment". >>
GREAT MOVIE!!!
in re-organizing my library i came across what i think is the only book i own by taxay (counterfeit, mis-struck and unofficial u.s. coins) and i haven't as-of-yet spent much time in it and i decided to flip through it in light of this thread and i came across these 6 names within 30 seconds, so it seems i've been missing out.
(in no intentional order)
dox taxay
john j ford jr
wayte raymond
eric p newman
walter breen
george fuld
edited to add: no pics of any of them though
.