STEPHEN KENNETH NAGY, JR., (1884-1958)

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V19 2016 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 19, Number 26, June 26, 2016, Article 15

John Lupia submitted the following information from his Encyclopedic Dictionary of Numismatic Biographies for this week's installment of his series. Thanks! As always, this is an excerpt with the full article and bibliography available online. This week's subject is Philadelphia dealer Stephen Nagy. -Editor

Stephen Kenneth Nagy, Jr., (1884-1958), was born on January 13, 1884 at Newark, New Jersey, son of Stephen Kenneth Nagy (1856-), and Maria Nagy (1863-), both Austro-Hungarian immigrants. His father worked as a harness and saddle maker in Egg Harbor City, Atlantic County, New Jersey, where the child Stephen lived with his parents. They all spoke German and English.

Nagy is especially noted as the coin dealer who purchased [the] 1804 Silver Dollar specimen (Proof 60+), known as the Idler Specimen, and sold it to Henry O. Granberg. Somehow Nagy became identified as a business partner of Haseltine and considered a shady character and crooked dealer, "the top crook of them all" responsible for unauthorized restrikes of coins from Mint workers. Perhaps true, though conjecture indeed, and unsubstantiated.

In September 18, 1909 he married Gertrude B. Devere (1887-1937) in Wilmington, Delaware. They moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The following month in October Nagy attended a New York coin auction with Henry Chapman. Also in 1909 Nagy sold William H. Woodin an 1877 $50 gold piece for $10,000.

The 1920 U. S. Census lists him living with his wife Gertrude at 1536 North Willington Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and as the owner of an antique shop. Nagy is well known as a dealer in curios, guns, pistols, antiques, coins, stamps, paper money.

He died of a heart attack on August 29, 1958 at the Hahnemann University Hospital, Philadelphia. He is buried at Egg Harbor City Cemetery, Egg Harbor, Atlantic County, New Jersey, next to his wife Gertrude.

To read the complete article, see:
NAGY, STEPHEN KENNETH, JR (https://sites.google.com/a/numismaticmall.com/www/numismaticmall-com/nagy-stephen-kenneth-jr)

Nagy is an enigmatic figure in American numismatics and not a lot is known about him. He was apparently a small-time dealer other than the 1907-1911 period when he was associated with selling coins from the Idler collection.

Here is a 1928 Nagy price list found on the Newman Numismatic Portal. -Editor