MORE ON DAVID ULYSSES PROSKEY (1853-1928)

3. Third Period - 1886 -1887 - The Calman Brothers Syndicate - Scott Stamp & Coin Company, Ltd.

From 1885 to 1887 he published a series on Pattern Pieces based on the work of Robert Coulton Davis in Scott's Coin Collector's Journal.

In 1886, the Proskey Brothers circulated a round brass rimmed cardboard check which they purchased from some unidentified manufacturer. Around the rim printed THIS CHECK IS GOOD FOR/ FIVE CENTS, and second variety reads TWENTY-FIVE CENTS. They handstamped with violet ink a rubber stamp PROSKEY BROS. / MERCHANDISE/ AND SHINGLE MILL/ SILVER SPRINGS, FLA. (See E-Sylum, Vol. 17, No. 4, January 26, 2014, report on ANA Hall of Fame author David Schenkman's article published in The Numismatist)

The H. F. Haines Collection

5. Fifth Period - 1888 - 1901 - Partnership with Harlan Page Smith in New York Coin and Stamp Company.

In the Fall 1887, Proskey was a business partner with Harlan Page Smith in New York Coin & Stamp Company, where Smith served as the financial backer for Proskey to act as the front man buyer and dealer. This afforded Smith the cherry pick the cream of the crop of what came on for his private collection. They employed a clerk at their store, who most probably was David's ten year younger brother Samuel. Smith operated out of New York and Proskey usually from New Jersey, where he lived variously in Little Falls, and also at Patterson, and later in life at North Caldwell. However, they did have an office and coin shop in New York located at 853 Broadway, in the Singer Building, and after the dissolution of the partnership from about 1907 to 1926 at 11 West 30th Street, New York City, New York, and finally from 1926 to 1928, at 912 6th Avenue, which were managed by Proskey.

The 853 Broadway office was also shared by the Proskey Brothers real estate company. The Proskey brothers were also associated with the Allen Brothers, John T. Allen and James G. Allen, in various real estate transactions. Also, the Proskey Brothers about 1891 were located at 371 Fulton Street, Room 129, Arbuckle Building, Brooklyn, New York, managed by Samuel, Nathaniel and Margueritta. Samuel Proskey was one of the real-estate owners of the Spanish-Adams plot of land earmarked for a public park bound by Park and Prospect Places and Kingston and Brooklyn Avenues purchased by this city in April 1892, for $149,000. Samuel Proskey received $45,000 of that sale. The Proskey Brothers also loaned money secured by assets such as stock holdings or land. Throughout the 1890's the Proskey Brothers were very busy in the real estate market, while Samuel was also busy in the coin industry and managed to also serve as the secretary and treasurer of a local Bowling Club at Brooklyn.

After Proskey's death his son David V. Proskey continued the company with the same name at the Little Falls, New Jersey address running full page ads in The Numismatist in 1929 and seems to have been bought out by F.C.C. Boyd after Black Thursday, October 24, and Tuesday, October 29, 1929. In 1940, David V. Proskey was the proprietor of an antiques business.

Figures 11 and 12

Fig. 12. Publicity stunt by Harlan Page Smith and David Proskey to catch the eye and capture the imagination of newspaper readers to spark interest in collecting Roman coins. "A Roman Tribute Money," The News, Tuesday, March 13, 1888, page 4, reprint from the New York World.

To read the complete article, see:
PROSKEY, DAVID ULYSSES (http://www.numismaticmall.com/numismaticmall-com/proskey-david)

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
DAVID ULYSSES PROSKEY (1853-1928) (https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n18a18.html)
MORE ON DAVID ULYSSES PROSKEY (1853-1928) (https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n19a18.html)

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