It cannot be a coincidence that the publication of Ira Reed's 1907 Jamestown Exposition reference comes on top of a flood of superb Jamestown Expo exonumia and related "smalls" suddenly on the marketplace. I first became aware of quite a number of really choice Jamestown Expo material for sale at the recent Baltimore ANA at California dealer John Heleva's bourse table: badges, reverse painting on glass items, enameled badges and spoons. I wondered where John had gathered such an impressive array.

Then, less than a week later, at the American Political Items (APIC) national convention in Las Vegas, dealer/collector Tom Morton of Northridge California had hundreds of superb condition pinbacks, enameled badges and coins, and other exonumia related to the Expo, all attributed to the Ira Reed estate by Tom.

And just yesterday I noted a Delaware exonumia dealer was offering a unique bronze U.S. Mint medal awarded for a Jamestown exhibit, also attributed to the Ira Reed estate.

So it seems the publication of the book comes on the heels of the acquisition of the Ira Reed Jamestown Expo collection which had laid intact and unknown for many decades. I'm told it turned up on the East Coast. Quite a find!

Reed, Ira S. Dealer (ca. 1893 d. 10/20/1954)

Married Mary E. Scarborough. They had two daughters. He served on the board of trustees of the Bethany Orphans Home for 35 years. In 1930 he contributed the Reed Baby Cottage to the home.

Dealer in Glenside, Pennsylvania. He conducted 31 auction sales 1935 to 1946 including the 1941 ANA convention sale. Reed is believed to be responsible for 1937 cents and nickels with reeded edges distributed at the 1941 ANA convention. The reeding was applied after the coins left the mint and may have been a "play on words" by Reed. In 1946 he sold out to David Bullowa. He died at home in Glenside, Pennsylvania.

obit: NUM 67 Dec 1954 page 1298