HENRY JACOB SCHUHMACHER (1884-1968)

Henry Jacob Schuhmacher (1884-1968) was president of the Board of Trade, Massachusetts and also of the Boston Numismatic Society (retired 1949). He was the ANA, Massachusetts District Secretary for many years. He worked as an electrician and lived at 11 South Fairview, Roslindale, Massachusetts.

Schuhmacher rose to fame in the field of numismatics during the Great Depression. What Shirley Temple was to film Henry Schuhmacher was to American numismatics. He was a great promotor of token and medals that were far more affordable to collect during the lean hard years of the 1930's that help bring new life and good spirits within the ANA and Boston Numismatic Society spreading fun and good will through commemorative numismatics, talks and exhibits at all events especially National Coin Week.

During the Washington Tercentenary of 1932 he began collecting Washingtoniana for the next twenty years amassing one of the largest known collections in the country. In 1943 and 1944 the Boston Numismatic Society won first and second place awards for their exhibits during National Coin Week, thanks to Henry Schuhmacher who spearheaded those efforts.

It was the first time these awards were ever made in New England. In the later 1940's he was chairman of the ANA National Coin Week Committee. Yet, Schuhmacher did not exhibit in numismatics exclusively but was also as active in the field of philatelics also winning awards in that field too for his exhibits.

During the Tercentenary Pageant at Roslindale, Massachusetts, June 5-6, 1930, Schuhmacher was the coin dealer who not only conceived the idea to have special medals struck but was also selected by the Associated Societies of Roslindale to sell the golden medalets minted for the celebration.

In February 1931 Schuhmacher created the Tercentenary Exhibit of Medals at the Boston Public Library for Massachusetts Bay Tercentenary, comprising 180 souvenir coins, tokens, medals, buttons and badges.

His vast collection of Tercentenary Tokens and Medals was the primary source of illustrations for Shepard Pond's descriptive list "Medals of Massachusetts Bay Tercentenary," published in June 1931 issue of The Numismatist.

In April 1933 Schuhmacher exhibited over 200 coins, tokens and medals at the First National Bank, Boston, Massachusetts for the celebration of the Bicentennial of Washington. In the ANA Annual Convention in September 1933, Schuhmacher gave each banqueter a bronze key-shaped medal inscribed "Key to Massachusetts Hospitality 1630-1930".

He was elected the ANA District Secretary for the State of Massachusetts in 1934. From 1934 to 1935 he was in charge of organizing the Boston Hobby Show for the New England Hobby Collectors held at Horticulture Hall, Boston.

In 1937 he introduced the public radio broadcast on numismatics for the Boston Numismatic Society.

Schuhmacher had invited the ANA to Boston for the 1948 Annual Convention (57th Anniversary Convention).

In 1960 he headed the Pine Tree Shilling Tercentenary Committee.

He died on October 15, 1968 at Boston, Massachusetts.

To read the complete article, see:
SCHUHMACHER, HENRY JACOB (https://sites.google.com/a/numismaticmall.com/www/numismaticmall-com/schuhmacher-henry)

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