WILLIAM J. SEXTON
The E-Sylum (9/20/2020)
Book Content
John Lupia submitted the following information from the online draft of his book of numismatic biographies for this week's installment of his series. Thanks! As always, this is an excerpt with the full article and bibliography available online. This week's subject is coin dealer William J. Sexton. -Editor
William J. Sexton was a member of the Board of Directors of the California State Numismatic Association.
His 1939 advertisement in Hobbies, The Magazine For Collectors says it all "WILL SWAP 42 different Lincoln cents for each 1909S VDB, or 16 different Lincoln cents for each 1914D, good to uncirculated. Please include postage. Offer limited." One wonders how many innocent good natured hobbyists got taken in by this claptrap?
Fig. Sexton correspondence with Calvin F. Clarke postmarked June 16, 1946, Santa Maria, California.
William J. Sexton was the first president of the American Coin Dealers' Association, with Harold L. Bowen, vice-president, Frank J. Katen, secretary (q.v.), and Carl Curcio, treasurer, having a board of directors including : James Kelly, John H. Hanson, George B. Rogers, and Early C. Schille. The ACDA was innovative in that it offered members its very own credit card advertising : "Credit card service is an unusual service in numismatics. It is not new in other business deals, having been used successfully by gasoline companies, department stores, more recently by railroad and air transport companies ... To obtain a credit card simply write to the ACDA secretary. Within a few days you will receive an application blank. .. Over 700 collectors now possess an ACDA credit card." The organization went defunct and notices were published in the Numismatic Scrapbook 1952 on page 314, where readers who had a complaint should file it with the Postmaster, M. H. Storment, Postal Inspector, Santa Maria, California.
Sexton was a Life Member of the ANA.
To read the complete article, see:
SEXTON, WILLIAM J. (http://www.numismaticmall.com/numismaticmall-com/sexton-william-j)
