“big, fat, and good natured” - Dr. George Francis Heath

1630Boston · December 28, 2020 5:37AM

Heath was a larger-than-life figure, both in physical stature (numismatic writer Jack Ogilvie once wrote that the doctor was “big, fat, and good natured”) and in the role he played in his community on Monroe. He was not only a leading physician in the community but was also elected mayor three times.

In 1888, Heath debuted a four-page pamphlet called The American Numismatist. The publication attracted a small but loyal following in the succeeding years, becoming the mouthpiece of a growing hobby in the United States. The response it garnered from other collectors – eager to learn from and trade with their fellows but stymied by their isolation from each other – inspired Heath to work towards establishing a national organization to facilitate the community he so enthusiastically wanted.

The February 1891 issue of Heath’s Numismatist famously asked “What is the matter with having an American Numismatic Association?”, and by October 8 of that year the American Numismatic Association (ANA) was born.

Heath was a co-founder.

For his role in founding the ANA and bringing collectors together from all across the U.S. into a singular organization, Heath was given ANA member number 1.

From 1892 to 1894, Heath served as the Association’s second president (the first was William G. Jerrems, in case you were wondering). Heath proposed that the ANA hold annual conventions so that the hobby’s leading collectors could meet once a year to share their expertise, exhibit their collections and share in a brotherhood of friendship.

The early ANA had all of the characteristics of a small and elite club; many of its early members are still known today to serious students of the hobby.

Intriguingly, in addition to his work on The American Numismatist, Heath assumed the nom de plume “Numismatic Sphinx” for a column he wrote for American Boy magazine, starting in January 1900.

In that regard, Heath introduced countless boys to the hobby of coin collecting.

After his death, Heath’s friend Howland Wood managed the sale of his collection. Beyond coins, Heath collected ancient pottery, antiques, and literature.

A great article here:
http://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/2016/06/evolution-of-ana-numismatic-journal.html

Zoins · December 28, 2020 5:52AM

The Monroe News had a nice article about him. Thankfully E-Sylum captured the article as the Monroe News article link is broken now.

https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v12n40a21.html

Monroe doctor a giant in coin world

Dr. George F. Heath, who practiced medicine in Monroe from 1884 until he died in 1908, founded the American Numismatic Association.

Dr. Heath enjoyed collecting coins as a way to gain knowledge about world history, according to the ANA Web site, www.money.org. But because he was isolated in a small town, he reached out to other numismatists by pushing a four-page leaflet, "The Numismatist," in 1888.

The leaflet's circulation grew, so in 1891, Dr. Heath proposed starting the American Numismatic Association. "There is nothing like the alliance of kindred pursuits to stimulate growth and interest," he wrote.

The ANA was founded during a meeting in October, 1891, in Chicago with 61 charter members.

The ANA now is the largest nonprofit numismatic organization of its kind in the world, the group says.

The ANA's headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., houses the largest numismatic library in the world along with a museum.

Besides being a physician, Dr. Heath served four terms as mayor of Monroe and was the first president of the Monroe County Medical Society.

He died unexpectedly on June 16, 1908, and is buried at Woodland Cemetery.

Here's his FindAGrave.com link:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8236834/george-francis-heath