The E-Sylum:  Volume 8, Number 33, July 31, 2005, Article 14

KAGIN ON JUDAISM AND NUMISMATICS

Dealer Don Kagin, son of the late Art Kagin, was interviewed
in the July 29th issue Jewish News Weekly of Northern California:

"(Jews) have always been merchants, and how much more
merchant can you get than handling money, especially not only
as a business but as a collectible,” he said. “There is no greater
artifact about a civilization, a culture and a people than their
coinage.”

Coins, he noted, can reveal secrets about economics, history,
political science, language, metallurgy, society and fashion in
a single artifact.

And for those with an interest in Jewish history, he added,
there are coins and paper money with Jewish themes or Hebrew
letters, coins from early Jewish civilizations such as the Bar-Kochba
era, coins of pre-Israel Palestine and the original currency from
the early state of Israel."

"Jews have been at the forefront of coin collecting even before
it emerged as a business in the 1850s, he said. Jews (including
the Rothschilds) have handled and collected the oldest and
greatest collections, added Kagin, a member of Congregation
Kol Shofar.

Kagin thinks Jews’ prominence in the industry can be explained
by the connection between Judaism and numismatics. “Jewish
people seem to always be interested in their history and culture
and heritage, and [are] always questioning and curious about
who they are. And numismatics is a great way to find answers
to that, and to keep in touch with your heritage.”

His interest in numismatics comes from his family. His father,
who recently died at age 85, had been a professional since 1933.
A man who helped promote the Lubavitch movement in Iowa,
his passions for Judaism and numismatics converged. He lectured
about Jewish influence on American money and the American
monetary system.

Kagin remarked that his father enjoyed telling the stories of
Benjamin Levy and Benjamin Jacobs, who signed the colonial
Continental currency of 1776-1777. One of the financiers of the
American Revolution — Chaim Solomon — was also Jewish,
Kagin pointed out.

In 1777, he added, Francis Salvador, a printer of money in
South Carolina, used Hebrew letters as a counter-counterfeiting
device."

To read the full story, see: Full Story

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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