Abe Kosoff

Abe Kosoff
Born
Abraham Kosoff

(1912-12-31)December 31, 1912
New York City, United States
DiedMarch 19, 1983(1983-03-19) (aged 70)
Palm Springs, California, United States
Resting place
Wellwood Cemetery
EducationNew York University
Columbia University
OccupationsCoin dealer, numismatic writer
SpouseMolly Katzke (m. 1933)
Children2

Abraham Kosoff (December 31, 1912 – March 19, 1983), better known as Abe Kosoff, was an American coin dealer and numismatic writer.

Biography

Education

Kosoff graduated from New York University and also studied at New York City College and Columbia University.

Career

Although he initially planned to become an accountant, Kosoff was hired by A. Celender in New York in 1929 to trade in antique jewelry and coins. Through this work, he recognized the profitability of the coin trade at the time.

His subsequent career remained closely connected with numismatics, initially as a dealer and later also as an author and editor. He opened his first coin shop in 1937 and established the Numismatic Gallery in New York in 1940. In 1948, he opened a branch in Beverly Hills, California. He entered into a partnership with Abner Kreisberg in 1944.

Operating under various business names, Kosoff conducted 85 numismatic auctions between 1940 and 1971, with a total of 106,590 lots. These included eight auctions held at conventions of the American Numismatic Association (ANA).

In 1954, he founded the Professional Numismatists Guild and served as its president during its first year. He held the presidency again from 1964 to 1965.

His numismatic publications included Early U. S. Dimes (1945). Kosoff worked with editor Kenneth Bressett on the American Numismatic Association's official grading standards for United States coins, first published in 1977. He also compiled the seventh edition of United States Pattern, Experimental and Trial Pieces, published in 1982.

Kosoff wrote a column called "Kosoff Commentary" for Coin World. His columns were collected and published in 1981 as Abe Kosoff Remembers. He also contributed regularly to Numismatic Scrapbook.

In 1982, he joined the Board of Overseers of Adelphi University's Institute of Numismatic and Philatelic Studies.

Kosoff's library was sold in two auctions conducted by George Kolbe in 1985. Bowers and Merena also auctioned his coin collection in New York in November 1985.

Personal life

Kosoff married Molly Katzke on December 24, 1933. They had a son and a daughter.

He died at Eisenhower Center hospital in Palm Springs, California, on March 19, 1983, from a brain tumor.

Awards and honors

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Smith, P. (2012). "Kosoff, (Abraham) 'Abe'". American Numismatic Biographies. p. 246.
  2. 1 2 3 Bowers, Q. David (July 28, 2022). "Abraham "Abe" Kosoff". Stack's Bowers Galleries.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Obituaries: Abraham Kosoff". The Numismatist. 96 (5): 981. May 1983.
  4. ↑ Official American Numismatic Association Grading Standards for United States Coins. Western Publishing Company. 1977. ISBN 978-0307090973.
  5. 1 2 Judd, J. H.; Kosoff, A. (1982). United States Pattern, Experimental and Trial Pieces. 7th ed. Wolfeboro: Bowers and Ruddy Galleries. ISBN 978-0307090591.
  6. ↑ Kosoff, Abe (1981). Abe Kosoff Remembers... 50 Years of Numismatic Reflections. ISBN 9780915262458.
  7. ↑ Rare Coins from the Abe Kosoff Estate: Public Auction Sale, November 4, 5, and 6, 1985, New York City. Wolfeboro: Bowers and Merena Galleries. 1985.
  8. ↑ Bowers, Q. D. (1985). Abe Kosoff: Dean of Numismatics. p. 308.
  9. 1 2 "American Numismatic Association Past Award Recipients". American Numismatic Association.
  10. 1 2 Bowers, Q. D. (1985). Abe Kosoff: Dean of Numismatics. p. 329.
  11. ↑ "Official Awards Given by the PNG". Professional Numismatists Guild.
  12. ↑ "The Clemy Award". Archived June 7, 2023, at the Wayback Machine. Numismatic Literary Guild.
  13. ↑ "Numismatic Ambassador Award Winners". Florida United Numismatists.
  14. ↑ "Past Hall of Fame inductees by year". American Numismatic Association.

Further reading