NNP

Courtesy of Joseph Daragon, Newman Portal has added a fixed price list from the Washington, DC dealer Ben. M. Douglas. This 1964 list included important examples of early American paper money, including seven Vermont notes and the always popular May 10, 1775 Continental $20, featuring a marbled edge. Douglas writes “Once every 20 years or so there appears on the Numismatic horizon a truly choice and historical collection of Colonial & Continental Currency. We have just purchased such a collection…” 

Not surprisingly, the colonial paper money collector Eric P. Newman was not far behind, and his correspondence file lends additional context. Newman apparently traded with Douglas for some of the notes, and by mistake forwarded to Douglas an October 1, 1755 Pennsylvania one-shilling example, serial no. 6889. Newman reacquired the piece from Douglas, which later appeared in the Newman VI sale (Heritage Auctions, April 2015), lot 19530, and realized $1,527.50.

Martin Gengerke lists nine auction sales for Douglas, ranging from 1952 to 1956 and presented in the Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine. An additional six sales, 1957-1969, are listed for D&W Auctions, representing a partnership with the Baltimore dealer Thomas Warfield.

Link to Ben M. Douglas fixed price list on Newman Portal: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/641478
Link to Newman / Douglas correspondence on Newman Portal: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/521678

Arno Safran, who currently resides in Georgia, was raised in New Jersey and collected from his teenage years. His “aha” moment took the form of a low-grade 1857 cent, discovered by his father in a New York City subway gum machine. Safran’s professional career was spent as a music professor, and more than a few numismatists have demonstrated crossover expertise in the music field – names such as Gene Hessler and Douglas Kurz come to mind. The Bicentennial was the occasion for Safran’s renewed interest in numismatics as an adult, of which the EAC group played a large part. 

Greg Bennick recently interviewed Arno Safran, Greg’s 11th installment in this series. Safran touches the connections between classical and rock music, and his family’s musical background. Along the way he comments on the numismatic scene in the various places he has lived, in additions to his contributions to the Augusta (GA) Coin Club and the Stephen James CSRA Coin Club in Aiken, SC. 

Link Arno Safran interview on Newman Portal: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/641275
Link to Arno Safran interview transcript on Newman Portal: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/641274
Link to Arno Safran numismatic presentations: https://augustacoinclub.org/presentations