NNP

JERRY FOCHTMAN AND DANIEL W. VALENTINE

The June 13, 2010, issue of the E-Sylum had Quick Quiz: Mystery Numismatist in 1885 withthe photo of a man in a softball uniform. Jerry Fochtman wrote, I've attached a picture of ayoung man who later in life wrote a couple of milestone books on numismatics. The Editoradded, No fair if you attended a recent presentation by Benny Bolin.

My response was published the following week, The photo gives no clue to the identity of themystery numismatist. So I ask, where do the interests of Jerry Fochtman and Benny Bolinintersect? The answer I come up with is ... That's where the Editor cut off my answer until thefollowing week. A second photo of the mystery numismatist was then provided.

Two weeks later I still had the only correct answer. The two photos were of Daniel W. Valentine.

 

Jerry Fochtman and Benny Bolin were both interested in Valentine because of their mutualinterest in fractional currency, My interest came from the direction of the Valentine half dimebook and the New York Numismatic Club medals. My interaction with Fochtman came throughour mutual interest in Valentine.

At the ANA Fall National Money Show in Dallas in October of 2012, Fochtman received theRadford Stearns Best-in-Show Exhibit Award for Laban Heath's Counterfeit DetectorMicroscopes.

 

In 2013, the ANA World's Fair of Money returned to Rosemont, Illinois. I was a judge for thenumismatic literature exhibits. I was very impressed with Dr. Daniel W. Valentine: Profile of aNumismatic Pioneer. It included a bronze Valentine medal, a silver medal and photographs fromthe Valentine family. It was very deserving of first place in the class and the Aaron FeldmanMemorial Award.

I asked Steve Crain about it thinking he might have been the exhibitor. He was also impressedbut could not identify the exhibitor. When the awards were announced, we both learned it wasJerry Fochtman. Daniel Valentine had no grandchildren but Fochtman was able to locate familyphotographs through a more distant family member.

The E-Sylum carried an article on November 3, 2013, Daniel W. Valentine Medal CensusInformation Sought, reporting on an article in The E-Gobrecht. Jerry Fochtman reported that hewas attempting to determine how many of the Valentine medals issued for the New YorkNumismatic Club are surviving. The medal is key to the series of NYNC medals as it is collectedby members of the club, fractional currency collectors, half dime collectors or, like me, peoplewho collect medals of numismatists. A year ago, Jerry reported to me that he had tracked thirteenof the fifty bronze medals produced and just two of the eight silver medals.

He was also attempting to track copies of Fractional Currency of the United States. He was ableto locate 37 copies of the 225 original regular editions and four copies of the leather-boundissues.

He made a Money Talks presentation about Valentine at the ANA National Money Show inIrving, Texas, on March 8, 2018. His topic was familiar, Dr. Daniel W. Valentine: ANumismatic Pioneer.

In June of 2018, Fochtman spoke at the forum for the International Paper Money Society(IPMS). His topic was Dr. Daniel W. Valentine - Postage and Fractional Currency & Half DimePioneer.

Last year for Valentine's Day, I submitted an article on Valentine to The E-Sylum. I sent a draft toFochtman for his review. He provided information on the Valentine medals and also on thefractional currency books.

I hope his Valentine medals and photographs find a new home with an equally appreciativecollector.

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
QUICK QUIZ: MYSTERY NUMISMATIST IN 1885(https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n24a19.html)
MORE ON THE MYSTERY NUMISMATIST OF 1885(https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n25a10.html)
MYSTERY NUMISMATIST OF 1885 REVEALED: D. W. VALENTINE(https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n27a14.html)