I just had to write a few words about Eddie Milas' passing........

I first met Ed in 1962 in Waukegan Illinois. I was a junior in high school, working after school in a coin shop, called Mel-ode coins (owned by Erv Beskow & Jack Melcher), which was across the street from Waukegan High School. I don't believe he had yet founded Gold Stella, but was still a "vest pocket dealer", but I could be wrong. I know he came to meetings of the Lake County Coin Club, that I was a member of since 1959.

I graduated in 1963 and worked part time in construction and semi-full time at the coin shop now called Waukegan Coin and Supply relocated to Lewis Ave. and now owned wholly by Erv Beskow and his wife Sharon. We soon acquired a teletype machine for buying and selling, and I would operate it most of the time as I was only one that could type!!!

Ed would come to the new location occasionally, and one day brought a nice collection of Canadian tokens listed by Breton, which i purchased from him in late 1964 or early 1965 and he let me make payments on it , as it was several hundred dollars at the time and a lot of money for me!!!! Things slowed down in 1965 in our business , and I left Waukegan for Richmond, VA in the fall of 1965 to go into construction full time.. I know i corresponded with him and finished paying for the collection in Richmond.

I believe he had started Gold Stella, and later on, of course RARCOA. I know I corresponded with him for several years, and he occasionally found something for me in my collecting interests of Canadian tokens, medals and numismatic literature...

He was only 5 years older than me, but was always very good to me, sharing his knowledge readily....He was a good guy....my respects and condolences to his family.