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LEISER WOLF SCHNELLING (1897-1981)John Lupia submitted the following information from the online draft of his book of numismatic biographies for this week's installment of his series. Thanks! As always, this
is an excerpt with the full article and bibliography available online. This week's subject is German-born U.S. coin dealer Leiser Schnelling. -Editor
About 1912, as a teenager in high school in Berlin, Germany, a friend of his father gave him a 5 Franc coin with the portrait of Napoleon on it, inspiring him to travel and collect coins. About 1914 he worked for a bank in Berlin, Germany. In an interview published in Hobbies, April, 1933 pages 84-85 he is quoted saying : "Every moment I could spare I spent in the Foreign Exchange Division and had a grand time adding to my collection by making purchases at a small premium. In 1919 realizing the possibilities in the buying and selling of coins I started a coin business and about six years ago came to the United States where I felt there were greater opportunities. I had the usual difficulties experienced by a man who arrives in a strange country unable to speak that country's language, but through perseverance learned how to speak English and accumulated enough money to start a coin company here." On March 8, 1927, he arrived in New York. He began working and studying English to pass a naturalization exam. By 1929 or 1930 he began as the proprietor of Colonial Coin Company, 505 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York. Interesting that he had his start on the stock market crash and became a success. One of Schnelling's more prominent customers was the Prince of Siam. When the King of Siam came to America in 1930 Schnelling was one of the very few who received a personal letter signed by Prince Vipulya, Private Secretary to the King expressing the King's thanks for his best wishes on his successful eye surgery. His Fixed Price List of 1933 listed coins at prices in three grades. His minor contribution was the cellophane clear view coin boards. In April 1934 he applied for membership in the ANA. From September 29, 1942 to February 2, 1943 he served in the military as a Warrant Officer, Fort Jay, Governor's Island, New York, during WWII. On June 15, 1944, he married Lillian Schwartz at Bronx, New York. He traveled to Cherbourg, France in 1948 returning to New York on April 20th that same year. He died on August 21, 1981, North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.  To read the complete article, see: The entire inventory of the Lupia Numismatic Library is for sale. Individual items will be available before the remaining archives are broken up into parcels sold at philatelic auctions in the U. S. and Hong Kong. Check NumismaticMall.com frequently as dozens of new items with estimates will be posted daily until everything is sold. All inquiries will be given prompt and courteous attention. Write to: john@numismaticmall.com .  Wayne Homren, Editor The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org. To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All Rights Reserved. NBS Home Page Contact the NBS webmaster 
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