James Ruddy (March 31, 1933 to April 12, 2017)
EagleEye
Posts: 7,677 ✭✭✭✭✭
Sorry to hear of his passing.
Date copied from PNG press release (edited to 2017 from 2007)
Here is their statement:
We are saddened to inform you of the passing of James Ruddy (March 31, 1933 to April 12, 2017). He passed away on Thursday after a brief illness. Jim was general secretary of the PNG for a number of years in the early 1960s. There will be no funeral or memorial service as per his wishes. He is survived by his wife Sue and two daughters, Janet and Linda. Jim was well respected in the industry and will be missed.
Rick Snow, Eagle Eye Rare Coins, Inc.Check out my new web site:
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Comments
May he Rest In Peace
RIP.
Sunshine Rare Coins
sunshinecoins.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
Wow, Last I heard (decades ago) he got out of coins and into model trains. The B & R Grading Photo Guide was a ground-breaking addition to the hobby.
08/24/1981
The Bowers and Ruddy catalogs gave me hours of reading pleasure. I have a number of coins in those old B&R flips pictured above.
An early pioneer for sure. Sad to see this happen.
His "photograde" book was a landmark numismatic publication. I am sorry to hear of his passing.
RIP
Sorry to hear of his passing - he was a good man. Met him for the 1st time at the Eliasberg auction!
RIP
Among other things, I will remember Jim Ruddy for discovering the 1888/7 Indian Cent overdate in 1970. A dealer friend in the Minneapolis area told me this fact in the 1980s, and that he (the dealer) had found a few of these over the years.
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...._Photo courtesy of PCGS Coin Facts.
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W. David Perkins Numismatics - http://www.davidperkinsrarecoins.com/ - 25+ Years ANA, ANS, NLG, NBS, LM JRCS, LSCC, EAC, TAMS, LM CWTS, CSNS, FUN
Sorry to hear this - he was a true icon of the hobby!
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What an excellent day for him to die.
I assume most of you don't know this, but after he got out of coins (what finally pushed him essentially all the way out was the introduction of TPG's), he bounced around in collecting for a little bit, and then got FULL blown into collecting early space memorabilia, in particular items flown on the Apollo missions. I've had a variety of interesting talks with him about collecting both space memorabilia and coins. He was kind enough to even give me a piece of lead from Gene Cernan's Apollo 17 lunar surface flown mechanical pencil.
A year or two ago he disposed of his space collection, essentially in it's entirety, to a well known Venture Capitalist in Silicon Valley.
The reason April 12 was such a good day for him to die was that it was the 56th anniversary of the first manned spaceflight, Vostok 1, flown by Yuri Gagarin, on April 12, 1961, and the 36th anniversary of the first space shuttle flight, STS-1, flown by John Young and Bob Crippen, launched on April 12, 1981. I think one thing, at least by most space memorabilia collectors that I know, is that we would prefer America to be first in space, but we are certainly willing to celebrate other countries' space exploits as well, as it all has to do with the advancement of the human species.
RIP, Jim, I hope the view is Great from up there.
U.S. Type Set
Sad to hear this. He and Q. David Bowers opened a lot of new ground in coin collecting and buying/selling coins.
I recall David Bowers writing at one time that Jim Ruddy had an old General Store in Southern California (?).
W. David Perkins Numismatics - http://www.davidperkinsrarecoins.com/ - 25+ Years ANA, ANS, NLG, NBS, LM JRCS, LSCC, EAC, TAMS, LM CWTS, CSNS, FUN
RIP
Joseph J. Singleton - First Superintendent of the U.S. Branch Mint in Dahlonega Georgia
Findley Ridge Collection
About Findley Ridge
Very sorry to hear this news, Jim Ruddy was definitely legendary in the coin business.
My condolences to his family and many friends.
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
Very sad news. He blazed a path for all of us. May he rest in peace.
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
RIP
Fan of the Oxford Comma
CCAC Representative of the General Public
2021 Young Numismatist of the Year
Condolences and prayers to all people involved.
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
One of the first two coin books I got in 1975. Still have it.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Although I never met James Ruddy, he was one of the early coin dealers (Emprie Coin Co.) that with whom had transactions in 1962. I learned a lot from Ruddy back then because he shared his knowledge through Empire Coin Company catalogs.
RIP, James Ruddy.
OINK
RIP. An early version of Photograde was my very first numismatic book, and the one I used to learn to grade (along with the ANA guide I bought shortly thereafter).
"If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"
My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress
I acquired several really cool coins from Jim and i still own them today. RIP Jim.
The BlueBird
From Richard Burdick: As a teenager, Richard found this coin offered by Jim Ruddy for about $2,500 in the 1960's. He had to buy it in payments and Jim was happy to accommodate. Richard went on to buy and sell many important coins over the years, but this coin, now called the "Bluebird" was one of his favorites.
This is one gorgeous piece of original blue copper!
Bowers and Ruddy! Miss them. Condolences to his family and friends he was a very good person...
My condolences to his family and friends.
"A dog breaks your heart only one time and that is when they pass on". Unknown
From the stories above, it sounds like he lived a diverse and interesting life.
Rest in peace, Mr. Ruddy.
RIP Mr. Ruddy
Condolences to the Ruddy Family.
BST transactions: dbldie55, jayPem, 78saen, UltraHighRelief, nibanny, liefgold, FallGuy, lkeigwin, mbogoman, Sandman70gt, keets, joeykoins, ianrussell (@GC), EagleEye, ThePennyLady, GRANDAM, Ilikecolor, Gluggo, okiedude, Voyageur, LJenkins11, fastfreddie, ms70, pursuitofliberty, ZoidMeister,Coin Finder, GotTheBug, edwardjulio, Coinnmore, Nickpatton, Namvet69,...
A legend in the numismatic world. RIP
Rare Coin Review.
B&W and as good as it got in the 60's and 70's.
That 1856 cent is a knockout!
I got my first copy of Photograde in 1970 when I was in the military. It's still the best grading guide for circulated coins there is IMO. Sad to hear of Mr. Ruddy's passing-he contributed much to the hobby.
R.I.P.
A true legend! Deepest sympathies to his family....
Larry L.
RIP
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
+1
Insider2:
SkyMan:
QDB told me that Jim Ruddy abruptly decided to retire, when Ruddy was in his mid 40s, certainly before 1981. Would TPGs really have been a factor?
Later, Ruddy developed a representation of a general store from a past era, characterized by an incredible degree of authenticity, with a variety of 'original' products! He found and acquired old furniture, signs, posters, and surviving items of the kind that likely would have been sold in such a general store in a particular earlier era. In one of the Bowers & Merena publications, there is a photo of Ruddy inside this 'general store,' somewhere in California. I do not remember the details. I was fascinated by the apparently authentic and considerable inventories of a wide range of products from the past that he included in this project, which seemed to be both a collection and a museum!
SkyMan:
This is interesting. I like to hear about coin dealers who are true collectors, rather than the types who seem to only care about profiting.