Woodward, William
Born at Oxford, Maine. He came to Boston in 1848. He managed a pharmacy in Boston. At one time he owned a large amount of real estate in Roxbury. Married Clarissa Eliza Rays in 1848. They had two sons including Harlow Elliot Woodward who inherited much of his collection. Elected to the Boston Common Council in 1873. He was interested in mnemonics, a topic best forgotten.
He purchased collections from Jeremiah Colburn, J. O. Emery, John McCoy and Joseph Mickley. He issued fixed price lists 1862 to 1864. He conducted auctions 1 thru 17 in 1860 to 1867. He sold off an extensive library in 1867. He temporarily left the numismatic business to become a real estate developer in Boston. His 18th sale was in 1874. In 1878 he resumed regular sales conducting several each year until 1890. Gengerke lists 112 total sales 1860 to 1890.
He was a member of the Boston Numismatic Society and the Washington Lodge of Freemasons. He died at home in Roxbury, Massachusetts.
In 2010 he was inducted into the PCGS CoinFacts Coin Dealer Hall of Fame.
bio: Adams I; Attinelli; The Asylum X:1 1992; NUM/NIN 2/97
obit: AJN 26 Jan 1892 pages 70-71 (gives DOB as 11/25/1825)
1 entries found
Displaying records 1 — 1
1865A list of Washington memorial medals.
[p. 16 ; 8 vo,correspondence to Woodward found tipped in]. Copy from American Numismatic Society library rare book room.
