Dick Margolis — 87! Yowtch. I had not realized he was up there. I remember him as a young(ish) feller. Well, it’s been half a century. I bought a lot of coins from him back in the day. Many French ones still in my collection. One I particularly remember was an 1852 Franc, scarce one-year-type, in gorgeous quality.

He was always a very fine gentleman, a pleasure to deal with. Likewise his lovely wife Sara, always at his table.

There was also a guy in my local area named John Kirkpatrick, who was a supreme enthusiast for French coins, and was always talking about the treasures he bought from Margolis. John would show a coin, and say, “Choice, choice, choice.” John is long gone too.

Time marches on. One day you’ll get a message like this from David Vagi saying “Frank Robinson — 103! I remember buying coins from him when I was a kid.”

I knew and bought from Dick Margolis for many decades. He was a numismatist of the "old school", a real gentleman, soft spoken and as eager to impart or receive information as to sell, his profession. His wife Sara , an attractive blond lady, always had a smile and would eagerly show you trays of tokens or medals if Dick was occupied.

He often traveled to Europe and had access to the "hidden archives" of European dealers, bringing back treasures inaccessible to others. He exhibited his Benjamin Franklin cameos and Jean Baptiste Nini Terra cotta medallions at major NY shows...I recall decades ago Tony Terranova and I salivating over these delicacies on exhibit.

Dick's eyesight slowly faded over the past decade or so but he lived a good long life and will be fondly remembered both here and in Europe.