EDNESS KIMBALL WILKINS (1896-1980)

Edness Merrick Kimball was born in Casper, Wyoming, on January 31, 1896. She was the daughter of Wilson S. Kimball, Sr. (1866-1952) and Edness Jane Merrick Kimball (1867-1912). Her father had served as mayor of Casper for ten terms. The family was well-to-do with large oil interests, ranching and a string of drug stores.

Edness Kimball graduated from Casper High School in 1914. She was class president and valedictorian. This was a girl with great potential.

She attended Ward-Belmont College in Nashville in 1914. Then she transferred to the University of Kentucky for the 1915-16 school year. In 1916, she was proclaimed as one of the four most popular and beautiful girls at the school. At school she was a reporter for the college newspaper. Back home in Casper, she was the society editor for the Natrona County Tribune. Later she attended the University of Nebraska, studying journalism.

She was married in Casper, Wyoming, on November 3, 1917, to Lloyd Mosler Tully (1895-1949) and moved to Alliance, Nebraska. Mr. Tully was a law school graduate and manager of his father's extensive estate. Mr. Tully was drafted into the Army a few months after the wedding. They had a son, Charles Henry Tully (1920-1988).

She worked in the office of the Wyoming state auditor in Cheyenne in about 1925 to 1927. Lloyd Tully was no longer mentioned after about 1924.

On May 22, 1926, Wyoming Governor Nellie Tayloe Ross attended a luncheon hosted by Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Kimball at the Casper Country Club. Among the dozen guests was Mrs. Edness Kimball Tully of Cheyenne.

She was married in Denver on October 6, 1928, to Captain Roland Wilkins (1887-1933). She joined her husband stationed at Fort Russell (renamed Fort Warren in 1930) near Cheyenne. He died of a heart attack on February 20, 1933, while serving at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery,

On May 22, 1933, it was announced that Edness Kimball Wilkins was appointed as private secretary and administrative assistant to Nellie Tayloe Ross, the Director of the Mint. She began work in July and became an unofficial Mint historian.

Edness Kimball Wilkins joined the American Numismatic Association in August of 1936 as member 5536. In 1937 she was appointed to the Reception Committee for the ANA Convention to be held in Washington, D.C.

She was a member of the Washington Numismatic Society. In 1938 she offered an exhibit of presidential medals. On February 6, 1939, she exhibited a 1792 half disme, In 1940 she was elected Secretary. In 1943 she made a presentation on Mint Presidential medals.

Promotion for the 1937 ANA Convention included a story on a woman member of the host club. Edness Wilkins was featured with a large photo in an article in The Evening Star (Washington) on August 25, 1937. Across the top of the page was the headline, "Secretary to Director of the Mint Tells Fascinating Lore of Coins." The article was repeated in the Casper Star Tribune for September 5, 1937. She displayed what was described as an 1804 Dollar, one of 13 known. Her name is not associated with any of the known examples.

 
Edness Wilkins studies coin

I enjoyed this quote from the article:

In 1935, M. H. Bolender sold a VG 1792 half disme at auction for $8.00. This may not be one of the pieces mentioned, but gives an indication of current market value.

Another article on Edness Wilkins appeared in The Evening Star for April 18, 1938, The Buffalo News for April 21, Pasadena Star-News for April 21, Battle Creek Moon-Journal for April 23, The Star-Press for April 24, The Casper Tribune-Herald for April 27, and The Oregon Daily Journal for May 8. Each of the articles included a version of the photo of Wilkins examining a coin.

The Library of Congress has a file copy of the Wilkins photograph. The description includes much of what was included in the newspaper articles. The description has her name misspelled.

"Coin Collector." Washington, D.C., April 11. Edness Wilkens, Secretary to Nellie Tayloe Ross, Director of the Mint, for the last four years has been collecting coins as a hobby, thru gifts, trades, and buys, she has a collection of over 400 coins ramping from half pennies to the old silver cartwheels, she is shown inspecting a half-dime, one of the first struck from the Philadelphia Mint in 1792, and Mint tradition has it that the silver it contains is from the tableware of Martha Washington, she at that time lived two doors down from the Mint, and gave part of her silverware for the first coins, April 11, 1938." (the date of the photo)

This article indicates that the Mint was promoting the Martha Washington story, based on tradition rather than Mint records.

The large photo and its cropped version have been reproduced many times, often without attribution. It has been used as a generic picture of a woman coin collector.

In September 1947 she retired from the Mint to return to Casper, Wyoming, and to care for her ailing father who had recently retired. In October 1947 she gave a talk to the Casper Lions Club. She stated that "The history of a nation is written in its coinage,"

Wilkins worked in the personnel department for the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation. Then she managed the Casper Water and Sanitation Department. When the water and sanitation departments were split, Wilkins managed the sanitation department. On April 3, 1951, the Casper City Council abolished her position.

Following the 1952 death of her father, Edness filed for a seat in the Wyoming legislature. In 1954 she was elected to the Wyoming House of Representatives and served 1955 to 1967.

She was selected to be Speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives and served May 30. 1966, to January 9, 1967. However, she served in the second year of the legislative session when the House did not meet. She was the last Democrat to have that title in Wyoming.

She was elected to the Wyoming Senate and served January 9, 1967, to January 12, 1971. She returned to the Wyoming House of Representatives and served from 1972 until her death in 1980.

Edness died in Casper, Wyoming, on July 15, 1980, and is buried with her parents at Highland Cemetery in Casper. Her death was noted in the May 1980 issue of The Numismatist as member R-14978.

The Edness K. Wilkins State Park was established at a former rock quarry purchased by the state in 1981. It is located about six miles east of Casper, Wyoming. Is there any state park named for a male numismatist?

The Wilkins photo (misspelled Wilkens) was reproduced on page 79 of the April 2010 issue of The Numismatist.

In our book, 1792: Birth of a Nation's Coinage, we list pedigrees for about 165 1792 half dismes. This is followed by an alphabetical list of coin owners. Of the 129 names listed, four are women.

The coins owned by Edness Wilkins cannot be linked to a photo or pedigree. While it is unusual for a woman to collect one, it is unique for her to have two.

Most past owners remain unidentified. Many of the pedigrees have coins from an unidentified consignor passing through an auction to an unidentified buyer (63). Any of these could have been owned by a woman.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
WHEN COINS ARE INHERITED (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n24a28.html)

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