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The Adolphe Menjou Catalogue

I recently acquired this "Special Library Edition Showing Prices Realized" which was limited to 300 copies of which this is copy no. 27. The
sale was conducted by Numismatic Gallery catalogued and sold under the direction of A. Kosoff and Abner Kreisberg on June 15-17, 1950 with a further mail bid sale ending on June 20, 1950. The cataloguers describe this as "the finest and most complete collection of United States coins ever offered in one auction catalogue".
Some of the rarities were the 1841 quarter eagle, the 1815 half eagle, the 1875 $3 gold piece, the 1876CC twenty cent piece, the 1838-O half dollar, the Trade Dollars of 1884 and 1885 and also the Quintuple Stella of 1879.
Many of the proof Indian cents of the '60's realized under $20. A superb proof of 1877 was estimated at $75.00 but realized $67.50. A proof 1876-CC 20 center in Gem Uncirculated was estimated at $2000.00 but only brought $1325.00.
The proof 1884 Trade Dollar was estimated at $1000.00 but only brought $765.00, while the 1885 proof was estimated at $2000.00 and brought $1350.00.
This collection was quite voluminous and went from cents to gold. If anyone would like to a price realized on any particular coin, just let me know.

I wonder if there are any coins slabbed with the Menjou pedigree?
USAF RET. 1963-1984

Successful BSTs with: Grote15, MadMarty, Segoja,cucamongacoin,metalsman.

Comments

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  • BroadstruckBroadstruck Posts: 30,497 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It's a great catalog and I too have a copy of the hard bound along with at least one or two soft covers.
    To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!
  • firstmintfirstmint Posts: 1,171
    Realone is right. Most of the coins that appear in the Menjou catalogue belonged to Cincinnati insurance executive Charles M. Williams.

    The Williams owned 1822 half eagle and 1804 dollar were sold privately before the coins were catalogued. Same with the private and territorial gold (only the fractionals were offered).

    Sol Kaplan (in Ohio) and Abe Kosoff (in California) were friends and silent business partners, even though Kosoff was business partners with Abner Kreisberg (in New York) at the time. Kaplan & Kosoff were instrumental in forming the P.N.G. this year.

    My hardbound copy #79, is inscribed by both Kosoff and Kreisberg, and came from the John J. Ford, Jr. library. He got this from one of his mentors, Wayte Raymond, whose name is printed in gilt on the front cover.
    PM me if you are looking for U.S. auction catalogs
  • BroadstruckBroadstruck Posts: 30,497 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Adolph Friedman's name is embossed in gold gilt on the front cover of my copy.

    I've never done any research on Adolph, but his provenance is often associated with coins owned by astute collectors of the time such as E.H.R Green and F.C.C Boyd.
    To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!
  • I acquired my copy from a friend who owed me a favor and knew I was looking for a copy. The reason I wanted it was that Menjou (many years before me) attended the same prep school I did-----Culver Military Academy. I'll check later as to the name on my copy.
    USAF RET. 1963-1984

    Successful BSTs with: Grote15, MadMarty, Segoja,cucamongacoin,metalsman.
  • The name embossed on my copy is B. Toggweiler.
    USAF RET. 1963-1984

    Successful BSTs with: Grote15, MadMarty, Segoja,cucamongacoin,metalsman.

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