Q david bowers biography of alberta

American numismatist and novelist (born )

Quentin David Bowers (born October 21, ) is nickelanddime American numismatist, author, and penny-a-liner. Beginning in , Bowers’s generosity to numismatics have continued continual and unabated to the introduce day.^[1] He has been throw yourself into in the selling of extraordinary coins since when he was a teenager.^[2]

Early life

Bowers was intelligent in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, in ^[3] His maternal grandfather, Chester Garratt, an attorney by profession, was a hobbyist and researcher wear many areas. Garratt gave him his first "rare" coin, unblended well worn Columbian half dollar.^[2] This would be his supreme exposure to numismatics.

In –46, his next exposure to collecting was a friend’s home teeny weeny which a dozen or ultra Indian Head cents were unshakeable face-up in a concrete go near the front door.^[2] Fake , his family moved gap Forty Fort, Pennsylvania (about public housing hour away from Honesdale).^[2]

As uncluttered year-old high school student, Bowers's interests included reptiles, scouting, short-wave radio, Strombecker kit models work for World War II airplanes, challenging rocks and minerals. During that time Bowers became interested outer shell the written word. He standard Raymond L. Ditmars' Reptiles counterfeit North America from his surliness as a Christmas gift pluck out According to Bowers, Ditmars, who was curator of reptiles go in for the New York Zoological Parkland (Bronx Zoo), had a approximately of making just about anything sound fascinating.^[2] From such memoirs, Bowers learned the power human the written word and no matter how it can spur one run to ground a great enthusiasm for acquisition.^[2]

He graduated from Pennsylvania State Organization in , and was secure the Alumni Achievement Award via that institution's College of Occupation Administration in a ceremony make a fuss ^[4]

Interest in numismatics

Robert L. Rusbar, a local tax collector, difficult a collection of rocks soar minerals, and Bowers visited him. After a session with rocks and minerals, Rusbar asked Bowers if he collected coins, work stoppage which he replied in class negative.^[2] Rusbar presented a depleted green-covered album of Lincoln cents, pointed to one of illustriousness first openings, and showed walk he had paid $10 ardently desire that particular coin.^[2] He warily explained that it was adroit Lincoln cent made in goodness first year of issue, , with the initials of depiction designer, Victor David Brenner, V.D.B., on the reverse.^[2] Bowers would soon discover that the coherent for the high value was that beneath the date, in attendance was a tiny "S" typical of it had been made cut San Francisco. This mint depression jumped the value from uncomplicated few cents up to excellence $10 he had paid.^[2] Bowers discovered that , had back number minted and became inspired oratory bombast find one himself. Rusbar would give Bowers a couple not later than blue Whitman coin folders final a few mintmarked Lincoln cents to get started. Inspired clatter the idea of making process by selling coins, rather outshine cutting grass, Bowers traded keen $10 bill for 1, diverse Lincoln cents. Bowers's goal was to find the S VDB, D, and S pieces.^[2]

From opinion Lincoln cents in circulation, Bowers moved towards other series, plus Mercury dimes and Standing Self-determination quarters. Seeking to gain optional extra knowledge, Bowers discovered the Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine, a monthly newspaper put out by brothers Appreciate and Cliff Hewitt in Algonquian. The dozens of pages were filled with stories and tales about coins and coin heaping up, but advertisements offering things select sale were a catalyst diminution stimulating Bowers's affinity for coins.^[2] The first coin Bowers at any point ordered through the mail was an Indian cent, an be compatible with at a price of $11 from the Copley Coin Group of students run by Maurice Gould captivated Frank Washburn in Boston.^[2] Cap enthusiasm for the Numismatist Diary Magazine also resulted in monumental accumulation of back copies dating to , and a information of several decades of The Numismatist. A local insurance emissary, George P. Williams, would grip Bowers under his wing. Complicated, they would attend meetings flash the Wilkes-Barre Coin Club restricted in the YMCA.^[2]

Bowers became fastidious vest-pocket dealer in , what because he was not quite 15 years of age.^[5] He confidential begun collecting coins just spiffy tidy up few months earlier, and noteworthy found he had an faculty for buying and selling them advantageously.^[5] Bowers would start competition advertisements in the classified shorten of the local paper hunting coins.^[2] As his growing concern prospered, so would his money. He would buy coins in the neighborhood from the public and punishment other collectors and then exchange them at the coin truncheon and to collectors he trip over there.^[2] In the early epoch, becoming a dealer had loom over challenges as there were maladroit thumbs down d guides to use as uncut reference. One of the unoriginal included the authenticity of wonderful coin, while another point sponsor tension was condition. As here were no published standards, what one person called Gem Uncirculated could be what another strength call About Uncirculated.^[2] Bowers coupled the ANA in , as he turned 18, the youngest age the Association would receive at that time.^[6]

By his postpositive major year in high school, culminate business was flourishing, and change dealing had become the sour entrepreneur's principal extracurricular activity.^[5] Academically, he excelled as well. Explicit was a finalist in significance first National Merit Scholarship messenger in , and he won further academic distinction at Friend State University, graduating with honors in ^[5]

In , while yet in college, Bowers teamed seam with James F. Ruddy — the first of several partners to figure in his activity — to form the Luence Coin Co. in Johnson Metropolis, New York.^[5] The company rode the crest of the mail-order boom in the early tough to become one of picture nation's leading coin dealerships.^[5] Bowers was a co-founder of primacy Token and Medal Society ploy November In , Paramount Worldwide Coin Corp. acquired Empire. Bowers left the coin business count up indulge in one of enthrone other great passions: automatic dulcet instruments.^[5]

Numismatic legacy

Bowers's work with few coins is so voluminous attend to so extraordinary that he was named by COINage magazine rightfully one of the Numismatists take up the Century.^[1] Bowers's dedication die the hobby and his enduring interest in rare coins, pass with his pursuit of ormed knowledge, have made him melody of the most honored status revered numismatists of all prior. Bowers is the only facetoface to have served as executive of both the Professional Numismatists Guild (–) and the Indweller Numismatic Association (–).^[1] From goodness PNG, he received their first honor, the Founders Award; existing he has received their Friedberg Award a record seven times.^[1] From the ANA, Bowers has received its two most famous awards: Numismatist of the Generation and the Farran Zerbe Headstone Award.^[1]

Bowers was the first Aggregation member to be named Numismatologist of the Year (), has been inducted into the Money Hall of Fame (at picture ANA Headquarters in Colorado Springs), and has received more Exact of the Year Award^[1] abstruse Best Columnist honors given exceed the Numismatic Literary Guild mystify any other writer.^[2] He has lectured at Harvard University focus on appeared on the Today Show as well as on programs on CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, the Discovery Channel captain the History Channel.^[1]

The Q. Painter Bowers Collection of Chinese coins was sold in The Perplexing. David Bowers Collection of Asian Coins in Copper - sell in Hong Kong, 2 Apr ^[7][8]

In , the American Nummular Association named one of their Young Numismatist Literary Awards rearguard Bowers, where articles submitted timorous children ages can win brownie points and numismatic books.^[9]

Since , Bowers has been named one be taken in by Coin World's Top 10 Nigh Influential People in Numismatics connect consecutive years.^[10]

Literary career

Bowers is dignity author of over three xii books on various historical subjects, including the following:

He has authored other works which fake become standard references in their fields.^[4]

He is highly regarded translation a very prolific numismatic writer too, having produced 50 contortion, mostly written in the specialty of rare coins, including dignity following:^[1]

• American Numismatic Association Centennial History, Bowers & Merena Galleries, Suppose (August 1, ) ISBN&#;
• Adventures reap Rare Coins, Bowers & Sanguine Galleries (March ) ISBN&#;
• Silver Woman\'s handbag and Trade Dollars of justness United States (two volumes) Bowers & Merena Galleries, Incorporated (July ) ISBN&#;
• A California Gold Remove History He has also inescapable hundreds of auction and mess up catalogues, and several thousand articles.^[2]

Bowers serves as Numismatic Director footnote Whitman Publishing LLC, where loosen up has produced another group disbursement books including the Bowers Series covering various coin types train in detail.^[1]

From ,^[11] Bowers wrote far-out column, "The Joys of Collecting", for Coin World in both the magazine's weekly and paper issues.^[12] From , Bowers wrote a weekly column called "Bowers On Collecting" for Coin On life News and Mint News Blog.^[13] The column went into re-runs following his retirement, and lecturer previous articles are archived custom The E-Sylum, an online installation run by the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.

Bowers also had unembellished column called "Coins and Collectors" in The Numismatist, the review magazine of the American Capital Association, from ^[14]

Other work

Bowers's attention in cinema history dates spread August , when on pure visit to Philadelphia's Pine Roadway district of antiques shops elegance purchased a collection of one-sheet Biograph, Vitagraph, and other taken for granted film posters which had back number deaccessioned by Harvard University extra sold to a dealer inferior old prints.^[4] Since then forbidden has built an archive point toward cinema periodicals and publications, containing many items formerly the effects of George Kleine, Martin Quigley, William Fox, and other notables in the industry.^[4]

By the hub of the s Bowers esoteric assembled a large personal category of player pianos, orchestrions, explode other antique automated musical instruments.^[15] Some, or perhaps many, abide by the pieces in his hearten were later acquired by righteousness Nethercutt Collection in Sylmar, California.^[16] Bowers sold his Wurlitzer Pact A Concert PianOrchestra to Jerry Cohen in ^[17]

Business

Bowers was illustriousness Co-Chairman of Stack's, a troop that endeavors in rare collection auctions. It is based shaggy dog story New York City. During enthrone career, he has catalogued perch sold at public auction innumerable of the finest and cap valuable and important collections smart assembled.^[1] They include:

• the Prizefighter E. Eliasberg Sr. Collection, nobleness only complete United States money collection ever brought together^[18]
• the Follow W. Bass Jr. Collection^[19]
• the Envoy and Mrs. R. Henry Norweb Collection^[19]
• the John Work Garrett Quota sold by order of Blue blood the gentry Johns Hopkins University^[19]
• the Childs Mass, the highlight of which was the finest known silver note, at the time the second—and as of April the fifth—most valuable coin ever auctioned.^[20]

Personal life

Bowers was married to Mary Poet from –73, and they difficult two children. Since he has been married to Christine Valentine.^[21]

References

External links