NNP

In viewing the scanning queue at the American Numismatic Society, a recently digitized run of Karl Kress auction sale catalogs caught my eye. Kress, based in Salzburg, was the successor to Otto Helbing (sale nos. 1-88), and numbering in the Kress series begins with no. 89 in 1944. (As an aside, I’ve always been curious how numismatic sales managed to continue in a war-torn continent – another subject for another day.) 

Ted Buttrey’s Numismatic Auction Catalogues and Fixed Price Lists details over 55,000 auction sale catalogs and fixed price lists in the Fitzwilliam Museum at Cambridge University and is the first place to look for related bibliographic information. Buttrey notes sales no. 89 – 191, from 1944 to 1986, and nos. 89-157 are now available. John Spring’s Ancient Coin Auction Catalogues identifies four of these sales (nos. 106, 110, 112, and 116) as significant for ancient numismatics. Many thanks to Lara Jacobs, who performs scanning and metadata processing at American Numismatic Society, under sponsorship of Newman Numismatic Portal. 

Link to Karl Kress auction sale catalogs: https://archive.org/details/newmannumismatic?tab=collection&query=kress&page=2&sort=-publicdate
Link to Ted Buttrey’s Numismatic Auction Catalogues and Fixed Price Lists: https://archive.org/details/buttreylists

In this oral history interview, legendary numismatist Ken Bressett reflects on a lifetime in coin collecting that began in the 1930s with Indian cents, B. Max Mehl catalogs, and Ovaltine promotional coins. He recounts his relationships with many of the most important figures in numismatic history, including R.S. Yeoman, Eric P. Newman, Q. David Bowers, Walter Breen, William Sheldon, John Ford, and B. Max Mehl. Bressett explains how his corrections to Yeoman’s Red Book eventually led to a professional partnership, discusses his passion for ancient Greek silver coins, and shares remarkable anecdotes about the development of the hobby, including his role in popularizing the term “doubled die” for the famous 1955 Lincoln cent variety. The interview also highlights Bressett’s contributions as an author, editor, ANA Hall of Fame member, Assay Commissioner, educator, photographer, and researcher whose influence shaped generations of collectors.

The conversation illuminates the culture of twentieth-century numismatics. Bressett describes diving with Mel Fisher at the Atocha treasure site, dining with Eric Newman using silverware made by Paul Revere and Ephraim Brasher, and watching Walter Breen perform on the piano at the 1948 ANA convention. He also shares lesser-known stories about Penn Jillette’s numismatic family background, John Ford’s abrasive personality and counterfeit operations, and his own mistaken obituary published by the Royal Numismatic Society after he allowed his membership to lapse. Bressett emphasizes lifelong curiosity, scholarship, ethical conduct, and friendship within the hobby, presenting a portrait not only of his own career but also of the personalities and institutions that defined modern American numismatics.

Link to Greg Bennick’s Interview of Ken Bressett: https://youtu.be/emQlt4zLTxU
Link to Greg Bennick’s numismatic interviews on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDk2lseZ-iyrsliZhvhqz1ilIqoUeeEcw