Charles T. Steigerwalt was born on June 28, 1858, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania to Henry and Mary Ann Steigerwalt. His father died while Charles was still young. After his father passed the family moved into his maternal grandfather Michael Trissler home, at 130 East King Street. This address became his permanent home where he lived with his housekeeper, Louise Fink. Grandfather Trissler was a butcher by trade, and the property had a few out buildings that Steigerwalt converted into his central auction rooms.

Steigerwalt began collecting at an early age, particularly the early copper cent and half-cent series. His interest in both series continued throughout his life and he wrote several articles about them. Numismatically speaking, Steigerwalt was a man of many facets. At various points between 1878 and 1909, he published no fewer than four periodicals.

The first publication Steigerwalt published was The Coin Journal. It was intended to be a monthly, priced at 10 cents, but only two issues were published, April and then May-June 1878. The Coin Journal was reissued in 1879 but now as a bi-monthly at 25 cents a year. The Coin Journal was newspaper size and had eight pages starting January 1880. It contained a number of coins for sale, questions to the editor, and results of auction sales. Only two issues of the third volume of The Coin Journal were issued in 1881 with the July issues being the last.

The second publication Steigerwalt's Coin Journal appeared in July 1883 as a bi-monthly priced at one dollar and consisted of two volumes containing eight issues. The pages were numbered consecutively with each issue containing between thirty and forty pages. This was probably his best series of publications and can often be found at auction as a complete set in respectable condition.

The third publication was between 1895 and 1896. Steigerwalt published four issues of his Numismatic News. The numismatic publication of today mirrors in many respects the content of Steigerwalt's Numismatic News. Copies of this publication are difficult to acquire in any condition.

The Curio was Charles Steigerwalt's fourth and last publication and was issued occasionally between 1898 and 1909 for a total of twelve issues. Both his Numismatic News and The Curio were sent to his customers at no charge upon request. As the name suggests, The Curio offered various items for sale from coins to stamps to Indian artifacts, stone implements, rocks, autographs and other collectables.

Steigerwalt issued a total of seventy-one auction catalogs between 1881 and 1910. The number of lots per sale varied from a low of 173 to a high of 2268 in a two-day sale in his Central Auction Rooms in Lancaster. He also held auctions in Philadelphia and New York City, first at Bangs & Co. and later at the auction rooms of Daniel Kennedy and Thomas Elder.

The life-blood of Steigerwalt's enterprise was his fixed price lists. He was the first dealer to effectively use this method of merchandising to sell inventory. He published over 110 fixed price lists between 1885 and 1911.

Charles T. Steigerwalt suffered a debilitating stroke late in 1911. His continued poor health caused him to check into a local hospital where he took his own life on March 29, 1912, at the age of 53.

Are there any complete collection of Steigerwalt material? Probably not. Some of his publications are scarce and a few are rare with only one copy presently known and obscure unknown pieces surface from time to time.

Steigerwalt is not recognized as a prominent dealer of the 19th century, but many of his merchandising techniques he utilized are used today in the same style as he introduced them a century ago.

STEIGERWALT'S COIN JOURNAL

The Steigerwalt's Coin Journal's on display are dated 1883 and 1884. Their pages measure 6 X 9 inches. Each journal has a colored cover and back made out of a heavy paper. The inside pages are newspaper like. Some of the journals are bound by staples while others are bound by thread.

The open Steigerwalt's Coin Journal is dated March, 1884. Page 104 on the left shows that it had a circulation of 1,000 with the subscription to it costing $ 1 dollar per year. An ad for Steigerwalt's Illustrated History of United States and Colonial Coins is the subject on the page.

Page 105 on the right is a fixed price list of coins for sale by Charles Steigerwalt.

Steigerwalt's Coin Journal's contain numismatic articles in the front with his fixed price list of coins for sale in the back.

The Curio

The Curio's on display are dated 1899, 1907, and 1909. There made of a coated paper measuring 5 ½ X 9 inches. Some are bound by staples while others are bound by thread. The Curio was sent to his customers at no charge upon request. Charles Steigerwalt's fixed price of coins for sale was the main content of the booklet with an occasional numismatic article in it.

The Curio that is open is dated February, 1899, number 4. You can see the thread that is bounding it together. Foreign coins are for sale in this booklet.

Charles Steigerwalt's Auction Catalogs

The auction catalogs on display going clockwise are.

Steigerwalt's first coin sale catalog. This sale consisted of U.S. coins, medals, paper money, gems, stone implements and curiosities. The auction was held in Lancaster, PA., on February 28, 1881.

Steigerwalt's second coin sale catalog. The sale consisted of U.S. coins, medals, centennial medals, foreign silver, and union war envelopes. The auction was held in Lancaster, PA., on June 28 and 29, 1881.

Steigerwalt's eleventh coin sale catalog. The items in this sale were the property of a G. T. McCombe of Lock Pork, NY. The sale consisted of U.S. gold, silver, copper coins colonial notes and numismatic books. Foreign silver and copper coins were included. The auction was conducted by Bangs & Co. and held at 739 & 741 Broadway, in New York, N.Y., on January 19, 1883.

A photo of open catalog is of Steigerwalt's first catalog. The prices realized are written in ink next to each lot.

Steigerwalt's twenty-four coin sale catalog. Offered the numismatic collection of the late Henry S. Barclay of St. Louis, MO. The auction included a rare 1796 quarter eagle with stars, dollars of 1794, 1839, and some handsome uncirculated cents. Rare pattern pieces and autographs including two of George Washington were also offered. The auction was conducted by Messrs. Thomas & sons and was held at 139 & 141 South Fourth St. in Philadelphia, PA., on April 9 and 10, 1885.

The final Steigerwalt catalog on display is his twenty-sixth coin sale. The property of a well-known western collector and of O. Schmidt, of Hoboken, N.J. The sale consisted of U.S. and foreign coins, medals and paper money. This sale included dollars of 1838, 1851, and 1852. A half dollar of 1797 and a half dime of 1802 were also in the auction. The auction was conducted by Messrs. Thomas & sons and was held at 139 & 141 South Fourth St. Philadelphia, PA., on October 30, 1885.

Bibliography

• Who was Charles Steigerwalt John Eshbach, printed in FUN-TOPICS (Summer 2006)
• Lancaster Historical Society Lancaster, Pennsylvania