J.T. STANTON (1952-2018)

With deepest regrets I must inform you that my dear friend J.T. Stanton passed away this morning after about 10 days in the hospital. J.T. had taken a couple falls recently, had some severe health issues (heart, kidney, breathing, etc.)

A viewing will be on Monday, October 22 at 11 AM at the Radiant Life Christian Fellowship Church, 5619 Skidaway Rd., Savannah, GA 31406 and the funeral at noon. In lieu of flowers the family has requested that donations be sent to The Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka,KS 66675-8517.

Additional info: J.T. was born on March 5, 1952 in Macon, GA and was a professional printer early in his career. He loved golf, baseball, photography, wildlife and numismatics and had a deep appreciation for the military, thanking them for their service whenever he saw servicemen or servicewomen. He was married to his wife Susan for 38 years and had two sons, Jeffery and Jamie as well as two grandsons and a sister, Barbara.

He was also the co-author with Bill Fivaz of the best selling Cherrypickers' Guide to Rare Die Varieties book, now in its sixth printing and truly enjoyed sharing his vast knowledge with other collectors. He taught courses at the ANA Summer Seminar for many years and was well respected by his peers throughout the hobby, winning many awards throughout his life.

J.T. loved research and photographing coins. His expertise provided countless high quality photos of new varieties to the numismatic public who would otherwise not been aware of the new discoveries. J.T. was truly one of the "good guys" and shall be greatly missed, but his legacy shall live on long after his passing.

J.T. Stanton has proven with over a decade of service to both CONECA and the Error-Variety hobby at large that he deserves to be the next inductee into the CONECA Hall of Fame. J.T.’s loyalty to the club has never been in doubt. He has donated not only time and coins, but also money and professional services, and has done it all with an attitude of humility characteristic of the Southern gentlemen he is. I am proud to call J.T. a friend, a confidant, and in many ways a mentor. He demonstrates with bold colors the essence of what the CONECA Hall of Fame stands for: a lifetime of service to CONECA and the EV Hobby above and beyond the call of duty.

His CONECA honors include: 1. Charter member of CONECA (1983 – present), 2. Two years service on the Board of Directors (1985-1987), 3. Four years service as President of CONECA (1987-1990), 4. Doubled die attributer (1989-1991), 5 The Lonesome John Devine Photography Award (1992), and 6. The Lyndon King Award (1992).

His American Numismatic Association (ANA) and hobby-wide honors include: 1. instructor for the ANA Summer Seminar class on “The Modern Minting Process/Errors and Varieties” (1990-1999), 2. ANA Outstanding Adult Advisor (1992), 3. Numismatic Ambassador Award (1993), 4. ANA Presidential Award (1995), 5 two years service on the ANA Board of Governors (1995-1997), 6. The ANA Glenn Smedley Memorial Award (1997), 7. ANA Presidential Award (1998), and 8. ANA Medal of Merit (2000).

Most people know J.T. Stanton solely as a name on the cover of The Cherrypickers' Guide to Rare U. S. Die Varieties, but to me he was a good friend and collaborator. When he and co-author Bill Fivaz were still the editors/publishers of the CPG we would share discoveries and varieties that made each subsequent edition a little more accurate and comprehensive. The level of cooperation was so great that Bill and J. T. even dedicated one of those editions to me, an honor I still treasure.

We also had some great times as instructors and after-hours buddies at the ANA's annual Summer Seminar and conventions. Though not that long ago, it was a different time in the hobby culturally, and now that everything is so thoroughly copyrighted, trade marked and branded the easy sharing of facts and photos has largely passed. Yet, the memories remain, and I will miss my old friend very much.

With their best-selling Cherrypickers’ Guide, Bill Fivaz and J.T. Stanton took “cherrypicking” (searching for coins that look normal at first glance, but have unusual die characteristics that reveal them to be rare and valuable varieties) and grew it into a popular, fun, exciting pursuit for thousands of collectors. Whitman Publishing acquired rights to the CPG in 2005. That’s when I first met J.T. Stanton. I’m proud to have been his publisher and friend for 13 years.

J.T. (or “Bubba,” as Bill called him) was always very humble and unassuming, despite being one of the most influential hobbyists of his generation. He was quick to praise and promote other numismatists, and to give thanks when it was due. Even when he disagreed with someone or held firm to a contentious opinion, he did it with good-natured humor. “I won’t be able to do an autograph session at the ANA,” he told me a couple years ago. “No one wants me to ruin the value of their book with my signature!”

Self-deprecating. But the truth is, whenever die varieties were under serious discussion, J.T. Stanton was in the conversation. In my email archives I have more than 3,000 letters to or from him. Fans nationwide were very happy to have his autograph. And he was always happy to answer questions and share his knowledge. His eBay rating—100% positive after more than 17,000 transactions—illustrates the high regard he earned.

In recent months J.T. continued to be as generous as ever, throwing open his photographic library of modern coins and varieties for Mega Red, the Guide Book of Lincoln Cents, and other Whitman projects. We had some good conversations and he told me how content he was in his new Georgia home in the “country” after recently moving from Savannah. I was looking forward to working with him on future books.

I’m grateful for the 13 years I had with J.T. Stanton. I had no reason to think it wouldn’t be 23 years, or 33. I join the rest of the hobby community in mourning our unexpected loss, reflecting on J.T.’s special importance, and wishing the best for all his friends and his family.