Dealer Burdette G. Johnson was born January 2, 1885, and he died on February 24, 1947. He was written up in an article in the August 1, 1979, issue of Coin World. In part it said, "He was born in DeSoto, Mo., and moved to St. Louis when he was 12 years old. For more than 40 years he owned and operated the St. Louis Stamp and Coin Co. at 408 Olive street. His death occurred on a street car on his way to his office. The funeral was held from his home in Clayton. His grave is in Vahalia cemetery, St. Louis county."

Burdette G. Johnson was born in DeSoto, Missouri on January 2, 1885, and died in St. Louis on February 24, 1947. He was self educated and read a book a day after he learned to read. Johnson was never married. He and his partner, David A. Sutherland, operated St. Louis Stamp and Coin Company, which they bought from F.E. Ellis on July 7, 1907.

Just over a year later, Johnson bought out his partner. Johnson conducted 36 auction sales from 1902 to 1915. He was a mentor of Eric Newman, and these two purchased all five 1913 Liberty Nickels from the Colonel Green estate in 1942. Johnson received numerous large consignments from Armin Brand, representing coins from the Virgil Brand estate.

"I always like to tell a story about when I was ten years old, and my allowance was five cents a week," replied renowned numismatic scholar Eric P. Newman when asked to reflect upon his distinguished career. "For three cents I could ride on a street car every couple of weeks to Burdette G. Johnson's coin shop in downtown St. Louis to buy something. That man changed my entire life."

Eric recalls that Johnson "had an absolutely spectacular memory; he had absorbed a total 20-volume history of the world... I remember his saying to me one day, 'Eric, I won't sell you this coin because you don't know anything about it. But here's a book... You take it home and read it, and then tell me what you learn.' I did, and he became my very close friend and mentor. I bought many coins from him, American large cents, colonials, and in due course we purchased most of the Col. Edward H. R. Green collection together."