Q. David Bowers
By John lay Pittman
It was my pleasure to know Abe Kosoff for over 40 years. He was a family man, a gentleman, a businessman and a scholar, but most of all, I think of him as my friend. As a family man, Abe was devoted to his wife Molly and his two children, Steve and Sonnie. They were always first in his thoughts and plans. The great family tragedy was the early death of Steve who, Abe hoped, would continue the proud tradition of the family business.
I first came to know Abe in New York City in the early 1940s, as a dealer not only in U.S. numismatic material but also in world coins. Since my interests were in both these areas, we soon found we had much in common and our friendship grew. I remember Abe as a well-educated person in the hobby when many collectors and dealers had not been so fortunate to receive such an education. However, Abe never took advantage of those who might know less about business and the numismatic hobby than he did. He always wanted to help and to teach, which he did with such a pleasant manner that he endeared himself to collectors and dealers in all phases of coin collecting.
My business travels from Rochester, N.Y. to New York City and elsewhere gave me the opportunity to visit and know many collectors and dealers in the U.S., Canada, and abroad. I found all who had dealings with Abe Kosoff had good words to say about the young, astute dealer who was at that time a partner with Abner Kreisberg in the well-known and reputable Numismatic Gallery.
In Abe's early coin business years, "buy" bids at auctions were common but, after the boom started in World War , Abe as well as many other dealers would no longer accept "buy" bids. Even while such bids were in vogue, I always Found that if you discussed with Abe how badly you wanted an item, he would use his good judgment to be sure you did not overpay. Then, as now, I found it great fun to attend public auctions. Quite often at these auctions one could learn more about what was going on in the coin hobby world.
In the early 1940s, collecting coins and paper money was primarily a hobby for enjoyment, not a speculative investment activity which many would have it in the 1970s and 1980s. In those earlier years there were no weekly numismatic publications as there are today and collectors relied on such monthly numismatic publications as The Numismatist (the magazine of the ANA), Lee Hewitt's Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine, and numerous dealer catalogues and price lists. Abe had for several years been producing interesting numismatic literature for collectors and dealers.
In these early days the collecting "tempo" seemed slower in retrospect. There was a definite lull in numismatic activities in the summer months; many collectors just did not buy heavily during the summer until the ANA convention and auction.
I had been collecting coins for a number of years, but it was only after meeting George Bauer, a past president of the ANA and my earliest Rochester collector-friend and mentor, that I learned of the benefits of belonging to the ANA. I joined the organization in 1943. With Mr. Bauer I started to attend ANA conventions and soon found out about the high quality auctions held by Abe Kosoff at the ANA conventions.
Abe was one of the greatest friends the ANA has ever had. He was always willing to work for the organization. He would do any job, take on any project which he felt would further numismatics for all. Many times well-meaning friends tried to get Abe to run for ANA office, but he told me he felt that dealers should not hold office in the ANA and he refused to run, although he recognized that not all dealers felt as he did.
After World War II, numismatics in the U.S. and worldwide made a dramatic change. There was increased interest in the hobby-as a hobby and as an investment activity. A whole new group of collectors and speculators entered the hobby. Abe was instrumental in getting many of them to become knowledgeable numismatists.
In the late 1940s, soon after World War II, Abe Kosoff showed his business and numismatic acumen by seriously considering, and subsequently moving his home and business headquarters to southern California. It was my good fortune to have had many discussions with him about this time and I realized that his visions of a growing numismatic base on the West Coast were starting to come true. Beginning in 1948, I was able to take one or two trips every year to California to attend Abe's auctions and to visit with him. In 1948, his first all-gold auction was a forerunner of many successful auctions to be held in California. However, Abe never forgot his East Coast base and he was able to draw on his friendship and business dealings with many collectors in that area to provide material for his expanding business.
Numismatics continued to grow on the West Coast, and the ANA had the foresight to hold its 1949 convention in San Francisco. Abe's 1949 ANA Convention auction was outstanding and, through his generosity, ribbons were awarded for outstanding exhibits at this convention for the first time. I was fortunate to receive a blue ribbon for time. I was fortunate to receive a blue ribbon for my U.S. coin display that year.
While Abe was knowledgeable in many fields of business and numismatics, he told me he could always learn more about any subject by asking questions and seeking information from many people. It was not unusual for Abe to call or write me with questions on a variety of subjects. However, after obtaining advice or information, he always made his own decisions. For example, Abe knew I was an avid collector and student of numismatic literature published during the past 100 years. I had been able to accumulate a lot of literature on U.S. and world rarities which seldom came on the market. When Abe wanted to know anything in this area, he would call me and he would always reciprocate with information he needed.
Abe was noted for his many and varied activities and mention should be made of his special interest in pattern coins. He collected world pattern coins and also had a great interest in U.S. patterns. He persuaded Dr. J. Hewitt Judd, a former ANA president, to compile the standard work on U.S. patterns. Abe was later responsible for a number of reissues of this important work. It was through Abe that I also developed an interest in this field, especially patterns in off-metals.
Unknown to many collectors, but known by many world coin dealers, an accumulation collection of U.S. and world coins, including many rarities, was being built by the king of Egypt, Farouk. No one suspected in 1950 that by 1954 Farouk would be deposed, his government overthrown, and the palace collections placed on the market at public auction in Cairo's Koubbeh Palace early in 1954. By this time, some collectors had learned that many numismatic items they had not been able to purchase from Abe and other world dealers had been going to the king of Egypt. When the Farouk auction was announced, a few of us in the U.S.A., including my wife and myself, decided to attend this two-week sale.
Having numismatic contacts in Europe, I was aware that a number of European dealers as well as U.S. dealers would attend. I was also able to persuade some of mv collector friends to attend, most of whom were-also long-time customers of Abe Kossoff. I had no hesitation in letting Abe know what U.S. and world coins in the sale-I was interested in. With his help and cooperation, I was able to purchase many of these rare items. The "cumulative" aspect of the Farouk Collection meant that many items in the auction were sold in large lots, but Abe was quite willing to sell items out of the larger lots he had bought for stock.
It must be mentioned that Fred Baldwin, a well known and respected dealer of London, England, worked under extreme difficulty and pressure, including personal and government restrictions, to prepare this catalogue for an international sale under a new military government.This catalogue is a landmark work for world numismatic material, especially of the 19th and 20th centuries, and should be studied by collectors and dealers. Not only were coins, paper money, and stamps sold, but the government also sold many other collectibles and objects of art. In all fairness, it must be said that the representatives of the Egyptian government treated us fairly and some of us were allowed to buy many early 20th century gold and silver coins (Proof and Uncirculated) of Egypt, including the gold Proof 5 pound piece of Farouk. The memories my wife and I have of the two weeks spent in Cairo are highlighted by the activities we enjoyed with the Kosoffs-Abe, Molly and Sonnie.
No story of Abe Kosoff's activities can be complete without mention of his great friendship and business dealings with Sol Kaplan of Cincinnati, Ohio. Sol and Abe were great friends and business associates, but, to me, they seemed to be of entirely different temperament. Abe was smooth and low key, while Sol was volatile and aggressive. Fortunately, I was able to maintain a very good relationship with both of them and enjoyed frequent telephone conversations with them.
Toward the end of the 1950s, after having served on ANA committees and attending numerous ANA conventions, I was finally elected to the ANA Board of Governors in 1959, with the unswerving support of Abe Kosoff. During my tenure on the Board, including the offices of vice president and president, I was always able to receive good advice from Abe on ANA matters. I also enjoyed working on various committees with him. Abe did so much for the ANA that his work was recognized officially in 1972 when he received the Farran Zerbe Award. This was during my term as ANA president, and I felt truly honored to be able to personally present, on behalf of aIl members of the ANA, this highest award of the ANA to Abe Kosoff.
To know Abe Kosoff was to respect him, to admire him, to appreciate him, not only for his great wealth of knowledge and experience but as a true friend.