JEREMIAH COLBURN (1815-1891)

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V20 2017 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 20, Number 6, February 5, 2017, Article 15

John Lupia submitted the following information from his Encyclopedic Dictionary of Numismatic Biographies for this week's installment of his series. Thanks! As always, this is an excerpt with the full article and bibliography available online. This week's subject is Jeremiah Colburn. -Editor

Jeremiah Colburn (1815-1891), was born January 15, 1815, at Cambridge, Massachusetts, the eighth of ten children, the sixth of seven sons of Calvin Colburn (1773-1834) and Catherine Sybil Lakin (1770-1858). His grandfather served in the American Revolution.

In his youth he worked as a clerk for Colonel Seth J. Thomas selling men's haberdashery. He took over the business in 1840.

According to his obituary published in the Boston Journal, Thursday, December 31, 1891, page 7, he began collecting coins at age 15, i.e., in 1830. Additionally, the obituary reports he collected minerals, natural history, books, autographs, manuscripts, engravings and other items chiefly regarding American colonial history.

In 1858, he was one of the founders of the Prince Society, an organization devoted to printing historical works.

On March 3, 1860, he was one of the founding member of the Boston Numismatic Society. They met at the New England Historic Genealogical Society. 13 Broomfield Street, Boston. Dr. Winslow Lewis was elected the first president; Jeremiah Colburn, Vice-president and Curator; Henry Davenport, Treasurer; William Sumner Appleton, Secretary. Colburn was one of the principal driving forces of the Boston Numismatic Society seven years after his death the Society gave its holdings of coins and books to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

Augustus B. Sage had a portrait of him struck on a medal in bronze in 1860, as Sage's Numismatic Gallery, No. 3.

His collection was sold by Woodward in 1863. Mason mentions him in connection with the McCoy Sale, Colburn, Jeremiah – Colburn’s coins were purchased by W. Elliot Woodward and subsequently sold at auction. The first sale took place on April 28-May 1, 1862; the second followed on October 24, 1863. Several others collectors' coins were included in the first sale. Each sale contained large cents.

He died of pneumonia on Wednesday morning, December 30, 1891, at Boston, Massachusetts.

John also discovered this curious notice in the Boston Herald, Saturday, February 12, 1853. He once was lost, but apparently was later found. -Editor

To read the complete article, see:
COLBURN, JEREMIAH (https://sites.google.com/a/numismaticmall.com/www/numismaticmall-com/colburn-jeremiah)