@breakdown said:
I read the Newman biography and it is clear we all owe him a great debt for the state of numismatics. In my favorite numismatic book, Moulton's Ford and the Franklin Hoard, Mr. Newman is the clear hero, the most prominent of a few in the field that took a stand against Ford and his shenanigans. Regulated said it perfectly, a champion for those that value the truth.
Thanks for the remind. I will have to spend some time again with Moulton's book. Eric Newman certainly will live on through the contributions he made while alive.
Until a couple of years ago I e-mailed Eric a few times.
He answered the next day, every time.
He also signed a couple of my books:
The Fantastic 1804 Dollar, signed by Eric Newman & Ken Bressett - original printing, without the Chapter IX, discussing the 1962 ANA find of the King of Siam set. There are only about 6 copies known, this one I got from Ken Bressett.
The story is fascinating. Ken & Eric finished the book and then went to the ANA -- where the King of Siam set was revealed. Ken & Eric literally called the printers and yelled 'stop the presses' then after the show they rewrote the chapter and published the book. 6 of the original copies were preserved and Ken had 2 of them, I have his duplicate now.
Eric would only sign the books if I promised to have Ken also sign them, which I did
The Fantastic 1804 Dollar, signed by him & Ken Bressett
The Fantastic 1804 Dollar, signed by him & Ken Bressett, Tribute edition, 50th anniversary published by Whitman.
The Fantastic 1804 Dollar, signed by him & Ken Bressett, Tribute edition, 50th anniversary published by Whitman, leather edition, only #250 copies produced.
@Treashunt said:
Until a couple of years ago I e-mailed Eric a few times.
He answered the next day, every time.
He also signed a couple of my books:
The Fantastic 1804 Dollar, signed by Eric Newman & Ken Bressett - original printing, without the Chapter IX, discussing the 1962 ANA find of the King of Siam set. There are only about 6 copies known, this one I got from Ken Bressett.
The story is fascinating. Ken & Eric finished the book and then went to the ANA -- where the King of Siam set was revealed. Ken & Eric literally called the printers and yelled 'stop the presses' then after the show they rewrote the chapter and published the book. 6 of the original copies were preserved and Ken had 2 of them, I have his duplicate now.
Eric would only sign the books if I promised to have Ken also sign them, which I did
The Fantastic 1804 Dollar, signed by him & Ken Bressett
The Fantastic 1804 Dollar, signed by him & Ken Bressett, Tribute edition, 50th anniversary published by Whitman.
The Fantastic 1804 Dollar, signed by him & Ken Bressett, Tribute edition, 50th anniversary published by Whitman, leather edition, only #250 copies produced.
How many people get to do a major numismatic work, and 50 years later get to do a Tribute Edition of it?
Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
@Treashunt said:
Until a couple of years ago I e-mailed Eric a few times.
He answered the next day, every time.
He also signed a couple of my books:
The Fantastic 1804 Dollar, signed by Eric Newman & Ken Bressett - original printing, without the Chapter IX, discussing the 1962 ANA find of the King of Siam set. There are only about 6 copies known, this one I got from Ken Bressett.
The story is fascinating. Ken & Eric finished the book and then went to the ANA -- where the King of Siam set was revealed. Ken & Eric literally called the printers and yelled 'stop the presses' then after the show they rewrote the chapter and published the book. 6 of the original copies were preserved and Ken had 2 of them, I have his duplicate now.
Eric would only sign the books if I promised to have Ken also sign them, which I did
The Fantastic 1804 Dollar, signed by him & Ken Bressett
The Fantastic 1804 Dollar, signed by him & Ken Bressett, Tribute edition, 50th anniversary published by Whitman.
The Fantastic 1804 Dollar, signed by him & Ken Bressett, Tribute edition, 50th anniversary published by Whitman, leather edition, only #250 copies produced.
How many people get to do a major numismatic work, and 50 years later get to do a Tribute Edition of it?
not many, only him and Ken Bressett, who also worked on the Red Book from about 1962, so he hit 60 years or so
Timing, opportunity, and money came together with the purchase of the Col. Green Estate. What is a fabulous collection which I truly believed I would never see sold in my lifetime. Thank you Eric for sharing your amazing coins!
Sorry to hear the news. What a legacy he's left through his foundation!
"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.
RIP, but I'm not really saddened. If you make it to 90 with both physical and mental health YOU WIN! He beat that by 16 years. I was always astounded by him and his contributions. I wonder if there was still a stack of letters in his in-basket, or if got them all answered before he left.
Not only did Eric Newman accomplish more than any other numismatist in research, collecting achievements, writing, and uncovering deceit, but his influence will live on beyond our lifetimes with his Newman Numismatic Portal.
I was fortunate to exchange emails with Eric during the research of my book on Robert Scot. As a then 100 year old, he was very interested and gave me excellent advice.
Robert Scot: Engraving Liberty - biography of US Mint's first chief engraver
A warm, heartfelt obituary, though it does contain one small error. It states that Newman and Burdette Johnson sold the five 1913 Liberty nickels decades later for millions of dollars. I believe that they actually sold them in the 1940's for just a few thousand dollars each.
Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
The entire above-linked text from @WillieBoyd2 was a virtually full-page print tribute on about page 5 of today's NYT, which is prime news placement, not just a major cultural figure's obituary placement.
This is likely more column inches than numismatics (Pogue sales included) has gotten in aggregate from that estimable (albeit failing) news source in the previous ten years.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - Geo. Orwell
@ColonelJessup said:
The entire above-linked text from @WillieBoyd2 was a virtually full-page print tribute on about page 5 of today's NYT, which is prime news placement, not just a major cultural figure's obituary placement.
This is likely more column inches than numismatics (Pogue sales included) has gotten in aggregate from that estimable (albeit failing) news source in the previous ten years.
Was on P. 20 of the edition delivered out here in flyover country.
Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
Definitely the end of an era, but his legacy lives on. There are many collectors, if not most of us, who will be forgotten shortly after the hammer falls on his last auctioned coin. Not Eric Newman. His contributions to this hobby are so vast that he will be remembered for as long as coins are of interest.
RIP
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
As a fellow St. Louisan, I am very disappointed I was never able to meet him in person, but proud to be a numismatist from the same region. I am happy that I own two of his coins.
Great gentleman and mentor. Back in 1965 when I was getting my History Degree at SIU and became the Illinois researcher for the Wilmer SPMC project he let me come over to his office and go through his currency and make notes and photocopies and gave me much guidence.
Link to his biography and bibliography from the ANS in celebration of his 100th birthday. An amazing 82 sole-author publications and 17 co-authored publications. Clearly a great scholar, and based on the above comments, a great man.
I wonder how he amassed his collection? The biography doesn't suggest a source of wealth consistent with $72,000,000 in coins. Maybe he bought with incredible foresight many decades ago.
Stuff used to be amazingly cheap by modern standards. In the early 1960's, some 1804 Dollars used to be listed in the Redbook at $10,000. I used to dream about having $10,000 someday so I could buy one. Now it is what I paid for my hot tub.
Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
@savitale said:
Link to his biography and bibliography from the ANS in celebration of his 100th birthday. An amazing 82 sole-author publications and 17 co-authored publications. Clearly a great scholar, and based on the above comments, a great man.
I wonder how he amassed his collection? The biography doesn't suggest a source of wealth consistent with $72,000,000 in coins. Maybe he bought with incredible foresight many decades ago.
FInd a copy of his biography and you will get all of the details.
Collector and Researcher of Liberty Head Nickels. ANA LM-6053
He will be missed. I had the pleasure of staying at his home on several occasions
and the conversation was to be remembered.
The last time I was there he asked if I would like to see some of the rare pieces in
his collection. I of course said yes and we met at his bank. He went to a small lock
box and started to open it. I told him that I could not see how such a large collection
could fit in such a small lock box. He then opened the box and I understood. It was
filled with keys (some 30 or more) to other lock boxes! Some of the coins were even
stored in old cigar boxes that he had inherited from his father.
Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
Newman was born into a well-to-do, though not extraordinarily wealthy family. His father was a physician. Newman made first contact with the Col. E. H.R. Green estate in the 1939, which led to making acquisitions from the bank handling the estate over the next few years. His cost was minimal, as he partnered with St. Louis dealer Burdette Johnson who would sell pieces from the Green collection, and quite successfully so. The profits offset a large portion of the acquisition cost - it was a good deal for Newman, who had the connections, and Johnson, who was able to sell at retail prices. Both ended up with many Green coins w/minimal investment. Johnson flipped most of his coins, though a few survived as a group until sold at auction by Spink in the 1990s. Eric rarely sold anything, and the current series of Heritage sales of his collection began in 2013.
In 1939 Eric married Evelyn Edison, whose father and uncles formed Edison Brothers Stores in 1922. At one time the largest retailer of women's footwear in the country, with over 2000 locations, the company eventually reached the billion dollar mark in the 1990s. Eric began working for Edison early in the 1940s as an attorney, rising to executive VP and over time becoming a substantial shareholder.
@Coinosaurus said:
Newman was born into a well-to-do, though not extraordinarily wealthy family. His father was a physician. Newman made first contact with the Col. E. H.R. Green estate in the 1939, which led to making acquisitions from the bank handling the estate over the next few years. His cost was minimal, as he partnered with St. Louis dealer Burdette Johnson who would sell pieces from the Green collection, and quite successfully so. The profits offset a large portion of the acquisition cost - it was a good deal for Newman, who had the connections, and Johnson, who was able to sell at retail prices. Both ended up with many Green coins w/minimal investment. Johnson flipped most of his coins, though a few survived as a group until sold at auction by Spink in the 1990s. Eric rarely sold anything, and the current series of Heritage sales of his collection began in 2013.
In 1939 Eric married Evelyn Edison, whose father and uncles formed Edison Brothers Stores in 1922. At one time the largest retailer of women's footwear in the country, with over 2000 locations, the company eventually reached the billion dollar mark in the 1990s. Eric began working for Edison early in the 1940s as an attorney, rising to executive VP and over time becoming a substantial shareholder.
And that's how I meet him in 1988. I was promoted into the home office in St Louis from a store I was running for them on 5th Avenue in NYC. I was making 26K a year in NYC with two young kids and wife. St Louis was a little easier on the wallet.
I just loved being around him
mark
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Eric retired in 1987, but remained on the board after that.
The 5th Avenue store in midtown Manhattan was a goldmine for Edison Brothers. It was one of the few locations they purchased rather than leased. They sold it for something like $30m. Eric handled the negotiation for the original purchase. He dealt with William Zeckendorf, a big time NY real estate developer. Eric related that he had to break off negotiations during the middle of the day, because he had an appointment with someone at the New York Public Library on a matter related to numismatic research. Eric came back afterwards and finished the deal.
Yes. I ran that store. Chandlers Fifth Avenue in 1987. I was there for the market crash. I actually showed the property to the geologists that the buyer of the building hired (Japanese) . It was only two stories at the time and they wanted to make sure they could build it multi stories which they did.
Andy Newman ran Edison Bros at the time and Peter Edison ( Eric's nephew) was my direct boss. A bunch of us used to run the stairs at the Arch DT at lunch time. Andy Newman once yelled at me for sweating on the hardwood floors in the atrium after a run . I feared being called up to the Fifth Floor for weeks.
Eric was around the office from time to time during my time their from 1988 to 1995. Peter was close to him. I left a couple years before they went chapter 11.
mark
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
@Coinosaurus said:
Newman was born into a well-to-do, though not extraordinarily wealthy family. His father was a physician. Newman made first contact with the Col. E. H.R. Green estate in the 1939, which led to making acquisitions from the bank handling the estate over the next few years. His cost was minimal, as he partnered with St. Louis dealer Burdette Johnson who would sell pieces from the Green collection, and quite successfully so. The profits offset a large portion of the acquisition cost - it was a good deal for Newman, who had the connections, and Johnson, who was able to sell at retail prices. Both ended up with many Green coins w/minimal investment. Johnson flipped most of his coins, though a few survived as a group until sold at auction by Spink in the 1990s. Eric rarely sold anything, and the current series of Heritage sales of his collection began in 2013.
In 1939 Eric married Evelyn Edison, whose father and uncles formed Edison Brothers Stores in 1922. At one time the largest retailer of women's footwear in the country, with over 2000 locations, the company eventually reached the billion dollar mark in the 1990s. Eric began working for Edison early in the 1940s as an attorney, rising to executive VP and over time becoming a substantial shareholder.
Comments
RIP
Gonna get me a $50 Octagonal someday. Some. Day.
Thanks for the remind. I will have to spend some time again with Moulton's book. Eric Newman certainly will live on through the contributions he made while alive.
My condolences to Eric’s family and friends. A true legend and philanthropist.
sad news
BHNC #203
Never had a chance to meet him, but his name is everywhere in the numismatic world. RIP.
Hopefully we can get the post count thread up to 106 in honor of his age...
10-4,
My Instagram picturesErik
My registry sets
Truly a giant in numismatics.... Condolences to family and friends. RickO
RIP. His legend and research will live forever.
it's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide
Until a couple of years ago I e-mailed Eric a few times.
He answered the next day, every time.
He also signed a couple of my books:
The Fantastic 1804 Dollar, signed by Eric Newman & Ken Bressett - original printing, without the Chapter IX, discussing the 1962 ANA find of the King of Siam set. There are only about 6 copies known, this one I got from Ken Bressett.
The story is fascinating. Ken & Eric finished the book and then went to the ANA -- where the King of Siam set was revealed. Ken & Eric literally called the printers and yelled 'stop the presses' then after the show they rewrote the chapter and published the book. 6 of the original copies were preserved and Ken had 2 of them, I have his duplicate now.
Eric would only sign the books if I promised to have Ken also sign them, which I did
The Fantastic 1804 Dollar, signed by him & Ken Bressett
The Fantastic 1804 Dollar, signed by him & Ken Bressett, Tribute edition, 50th anniversary published by Whitman.
The Fantastic 1804 Dollar, signed by him & Ken Bressett, Tribute edition, 50th anniversary published by Whitman, leather edition, only #250 copies produced.
BHNC #203
my condolance to family and friends who are involved
How many people get to do a major numismatic work, and 50 years later get to do a Tribute Edition of it?
Damn! Been away for a while and see this... RIP.
not many, only him and Ken Bressett, who also worked on the Red Book from about 1962, so he hit 60 years or so
BHNC #203
Timing, opportunity, and money came together with the purchase of the Col. Green Estate. What is a fabulous collection which I truly believed I would never see sold in my lifetime. Thank you Eric for sharing your amazing coins!
Rest in peace, EPN. Such a gift to the world of numismatics. Thank you for all you did.
A true giant in numismatics, and also a nice and generous person!
RIP, Mr. Newman!
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
Sorry to hear the news. What a legacy he's left through his foundation!
RIP, but I'm not really saddened. If you make it to 90 with both physical and mental health YOU WIN! He beat that by 16 years. I was always astounded by him and his contributions. I wonder if there was still a stack of letters in his in-basket, or if got them all answered before he left.
New York Times Eric P. Newman obituary:
Eric Newman, Whose Coins Told of America’s History, Dies at 106
https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/11/16/obituaries/eric-newman-dead-leading-authority-on-coins.html
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
Coins in Movies
Coins on Television
Not only did Eric Newman accomplish more than any other numismatist in research, collecting achievements, writing, and uncovering deceit, but his influence will live on beyond our lifetimes with his Newman Numismatic Portal.
I was fortunate to exchange emails with Eric during the research of my book on Robert Scot. As a then 100 year old, he was very interested and gave me excellent advice.
A warm, heartfelt obituary, though it does contain one small error. It states that Newman and Burdette Johnson sold the five 1913 Liberty nickels decades later for millions of dollars. I believe that they actually sold them in the 1940's for just a few thousand dollars each.
An official notice will appear in the Colonial Newsletter.
The entire above-linked text from @WillieBoyd2 was a virtually full-page print tribute on about page 5 of today's NYT, which is prime news placement, not just a major cultural figure's obituary placement.
This is likely more column inches than numismatics (Pogue sales included) has gotten in aggregate from that estimable (albeit failing) news source in the previous ten years.
Was on P. 20 of the edition delivered out here in flyover country.
Definitely the end of an era, but his legacy lives on. There are many collectors, if not most of us, who will be forgotten shortly after the hammer falls on his last auctioned coin. Not Eric Newman. His contributions to this hobby are so vast that he will be remembered for as long as coins are of interest.
RIP
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Though perhaps few will agree, I count him as one of Boston Tech's greatest alums. RIP Mr. Newman.
I'm sorry to hear of this.
RIP my coin brother.
As a fellow St. Louisan, I am very disappointed I was never able to meet him in person, but proud to be a numismatist from the same region. I am happy that I own two of his coins.
John
siliconvalleycoins.com
Wow. Dude was 74 years old when I was BORN.
RIP.
Great gentleman and mentor. Back in 1965 when I was getting my History Degree at SIU and became the Illinois researcher for the Wilmer SPMC project he let me come over to his office and go through his currency and make notes and photocopies and gave me much guidence.
Link to his biography and bibliography from the ANS in celebration of his 100th birthday. An amazing 82 sole-author publications and 17 co-authored publications. Clearly a great scholar, and based on the above comments, a great man.
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/534410?page=11
I wonder how he amassed his collection? The biography doesn't suggest a source of wealth consistent with $72,000,000 in coins. Maybe he bought with incredible foresight many decades ago.
LIBERTY SEATED DIMES WITH MAJOR VARIETIES CIRCULATION STRIKES (1837-1891) digital album
Stuff used to be amazingly cheap by modern standards. In the early 1960's, some 1804 Dollars used to be listed in the Redbook at $10,000. I used to dream about having $10,000 someday so I could buy one. Now it is what I paid for my hot tub.
FInd a copy of his biography and you will get all of the details.
He will be missed. I had the pleasure of staying at his home on several occasions
and the conversation was to be remembered.
The last time I was there he asked if I would like to see some of the rare pieces in
his collection. I of course said yes and we met at his bank. He went to a small lock
box and started to open it. I told him that I could not see how such a large collection
could fit in such a small lock box. He then opened the box and I understood. It was
filled with keys (some 30 or more) to other lock boxes! Some of the coins were even
stored in old cigar boxes that he had inherited from his father.
Love that story, Bob!
Newman was born into a well-to-do, though not extraordinarily wealthy family. His father was a physician. Newman made first contact with the Col. E. H.R. Green estate in the 1939, which led to making acquisitions from the bank handling the estate over the next few years. His cost was minimal, as he partnered with St. Louis dealer Burdette Johnson who would sell pieces from the Green collection, and quite successfully so. The profits offset a large portion of the acquisition cost - it was a good deal for Newman, who had the connections, and Johnson, who was able to sell at retail prices. Both ended up with many Green coins w/minimal investment. Johnson flipped most of his coins, though a few survived as a group until sold at auction by Spink in the 1990s. Eric rarely sold anything, and the current series of Heritage sales of his collection began in 2013.
In 1939 Eric married Evelyn Edison, whose father and uncles formed Edison Brothers Stores in 1922. At one time the largest retailer of women's footwear in the country, with over 2000 locations, the company eventually reached the billion dollar mark in the 1990s. Eric began working for Edison early in the 1940s as an attorney, rising to executive VP and over time becoming a substantial shareholder.
And that's how I meet him in 1988. I was promoted into the home office in St Louis from a store I was running for them on 5th Avenue in NYC. I was making 26K a year in NYC with two young kids and wife. St Louis was a little easier on the wallet.
I just loved being around him
mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Eric retired in 1987, but remained on the board after that.
The 5th Avenue store in midtown Manhattan was a goldmine for Edison Brothers. It was one of the few locations they purchased rather than leased. They sold it for something like $30m. Eric handled the negotiation for the original purchase. He dealt with William Zeckendorf, a big time NY real estate developer. Eric related that he had to break off negotiations during the middle of the day, because he had an appointment with someone at the New York Public Library on a matter related to numismatic research. Eric came back afterwards and finished the deal.
Yes. I ran that store. Chandlers Fifth Avenue in 1987. I was there for the market crash. I actually showed the property to the geologists that the buyer of the building hired (Japanese) . It was only two stories at the time and they wanted to make sure they could build it multi stories which they did.
Andy Newman ran Edison Bros at the time and Peter Edison ( Eric's nephew) was my direct boss. A bunch of us used to run the stairs at the Arch DT at lunch time. Andy Newman once yelled at me for sweating on the hardwood floors in the atrium after a run . I feared being called up to the Fifth Floor for weeks.
Eric was around the office from time to time during my time their from 1988 to 1995. Peter was close to him. I left a couple years before they went chapter 11.
mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Thanks!
LIBERTY SEATED DIMES WITH MAJOR VARIETIES CIRCULATION STRIKES (1837-1891) digital album