HORACE MAITLAND GRANT (1873-1960)

Horace Maitland Grant (1873-1960), was born January 24, 1873 at Bellingham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. Grant was an innovative coin and stamp dealer for thirty-seven years from 1921 to 1958.

Born the son of Eldridge [Ellridge] Grant (1846-) and Elizabeth T. Rockwood Grant at Bellingham, Massachusetts. His father was a retail grocer who owned a general store in Bellingham according to the 1880 Census. He began collecting coins in 1885 at the age of twelve. Horace would relate later in life how as a boy he would cherry pick rare coins from his father's cash box at the store. His first coin collection was stolen when he was 15 years old in 1888 comprising mainly Early American Copper half cents and large cents and U. S. silver coins.

According to the family records his father also ran a post office within the store as Postmaster, and young Horace was the Assistant Postmaster. Resulting from this office he amassed a whole peck filled with encased postage stamps. His coin collecting began by selecting coins that came over the counter in his father's store, which he was allowed to keep. In the 1920's he worked at his company Selected Electric Appliance Company of Providence Rhode Island. With a career in the electrical appliance industry he clung to coin and stamp collecting and developed an interest in buying and selling as a dealer.

In 1900 he lived at Dean Avenue, Franklin, Massachusetts and worked as an Express Agent. According to his 1918 Draft Card he lived at 38 Norwich Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island, and was the General Manager manager of Grant Vacuum Cleaner & Sales Agency.

Grant was a member of the ANS and was also ANA Member No. 2239, having joined in 1921 and still living at 38 Norwich Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island. Beginning about 1923 opened his hobby shop at 109 Empire Street, Providence, Rhode Island...

The 1946 Mail Bid sale included an original
copy of Crosby's Early Coins of America.

He began publishing half page ads in The Numismatist in June 1929. In 1930 he acquired a black walnut loving cup made in the 1790's that was inlaid with coins from the 1790's to the late 1920's all uncirculated. A photograph of this cup was published in The Numismatist in March 1930, page 152.

He founded The Hobby Shop on Empire Street, Providence, Rhode Island. He ran coin auctions by mail bids beginning in March 1938. Remy Bourne published the photograph of Grant's Hobby Shop, August 1936 Fixed Price List of U. S. Commemoratives.

He retired in 1958 and the business was taken over by his son and co-worker Ernest A. Grant operating coin auction sales at Grant's Hobby Shop. The first auction was held on May 30, 1958 with Towne Coin Company. Two more auctions were held in October 1959 and posthumously to Horace Grant on October 15, 1960. Ernest gave talks and presentations on coins at various clubs including the Newport County Coin Club in 1962. He died of Bronchopneumonia and Coronary Sclerosis on January 9, 1960 at the Roger Williams General Hospital, Rhode Island.

To read the complete article, see:
GRANT, HORACE MAITLAND (https://sites.google.com/a/numismaticmall.com/www/numismaticmall-com/grant-horace-maitland)

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