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Kosoff, Abraham

Born in New York City. Married to Molly Katzke December 24, 1933. They had a son and a daughter. She died April 25, 2008. Their son Stephen Barry Kosoff was in numismatics briefly but died in 1969 at age 28. Daughter Sonnie (Kliman) Frowein worked in the firm in the 1970's. Molly Kosoff died April 25, 2008.

Graduate of New York University. He also attended New York City College and Columbia University.

Kosoff opened his first coin shop in 1937. In 1940 he opened the Numismatic Gallery in New York City. In 1948 he opened a branch of Numismatic Gallery in Beverly Hills, California. Partner with Abner Kreisberg prior to July 1, 1954. Under various names he conducted 85 auction sales with 106,590 lots from 1940 to 1971. These included eight ANA convention sales. He received the ANA Medal of Merit in 1958. In 1982 he joined the Board of Overseers for Adelphi University Institute of Numismatic and Philatelic Studies.

Author of Early U. S. Dimes in 1945. Kosoff worked with co-editor Ken Bressett to produce the Official American Numismatic Association Grading Standards for United States Coins originally published in 1977. He compiled the 7th edition of United States Pattern, Experimental and Trial Pieces written by J. Hewett Judd.

He founded the Professional Numismatists Guild Inc. in 1954. He served as president of the PNG in 1954 to 1955 and again 1964 to 1965. He wrote a column for Coin World called "Kosoff Commentary." His Coin World columns were collected and published as Abe Kosoff Remembers in 1981. He also wrote for Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine. He received the ANA Farran Zerbe Memorial Award in 1972. He was named a Numismatic News Numismatic Ambassador in 1979.

He died in a hospital in Palm Springs, California. In 1982 he was elected to the ANA Numismatic Hall of Fame. His library was sold in two auctions conducted by George Kolbe in 1985. Bowers and Merena conducted a major sale from his collection November 4, 1985. He was inducted into the PCGS CoinFacts Coin Dealer Hall of Fame in 2012.

bio: Adams II (photo) profile: NN/WWH 3/19/74; NSM Apr 1940 page 244 (photo)

obit: NN 4/2/1983; CW 4/6/1983; NUM 96 May 1983 page 981; ANAHist 1400

 



2 entries found

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    An Illustrated History of United States Coins 1962

    An Illustrated History of United States Coins

    An Illustrated History of United States Coins (Dr. Judd Collection), by Abraham Kosoff, 1962.

    Abe Kosoff Remembers... 50 Years of Numismatic Reflections 1981

    Abe Kosoff Remembers... 50 Years of Numismatic Reflections

    Abe Kosoff Remembers... 50 Years of Numismatic Reflections by Abe Kosoff. This is an in-copyright publication. "Snippet" results will appear in the Newman Portal search results.

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