RIP Dean Oakes 1936-2026
telephoto1
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Anyone involved in the paper money hobby or business for any length of time knows the name Dean Oakes. Not just a collector, dealer, and scholar since the early 1950s, he was also someone with the heart of a teacher who was very giving of his time and expertise. He was a contributor to and/or co-author of numerous currency publications including Small Size Catalog, the National Banknote Project, The Iowa Obsoletes catalog, the Hickman-Oakes National banknote catalog, and more. Above all that he was just a good human being who led a great life. My interactions with him were always positive and informative and I'm sure many others over the decades can certainly say the same. My deepest condolences to his friends and family.
Here's a link to the well-written obituary detailing his life and legacy:
https://gayandciha.com/tribute/details/5406/Dean-Oakes/obituary.html#content-start
RIP Mom- 1932-2012
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R.I.P and condolences 🙏 to all
First time I met him was over 26 years ago
Dean was a fixture at all of the 40 Memphis paper money shows as well as hundreds of coin show around the country. I was proud to be a contributor to the Hickman-Oakes National Bank Note catalog. He will be missed.
I don't think I ever met him in person. But I visited his shop in Iowa City a few times (my daughter was going to college there). I interacted with the shop employees and bought several things on each trip.
One time, I happened to notice a full uncut sheet of red-seal $2 United States Notes, in a frame on the wall. It was in a location that would not garner much attention, and it appeared to have been there for a very long time. I couldn't tell what grade it was, but the price seemed fair, so I bought it. Later, when I took it out of the frame at home, I was (at first) very concerned that it had been permanently laminated in plastic. But the layers of plastic film came right off. Several months later I sent the sheet in for grading and it came back MS66 EPQ