COLIN EDWARD KING (1862-1921)

Colin Edward King (1862-1921), was born in Indiana on April 13, 1862, son of Edward King (1818-1888), a native of Connecticut and president of the Indianapolis and Saint Louis Railroads, and Rebecca Jane Suydam (1834-1909), a native of New York. He was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution.

He studied at Butler College (now University), Indianapolis, Indiana. He was a member of Sigma Chi. He was elected Class Prophet. He was the Delegate to the Thirteenth Biennial Convention, Grand Rho Chapter Sigma Chi. He was a student of Catherine Merrill a well-known writer. His school diaries are preserved in the Butler Library Archives and have been used by researchers and published in part regarding American nineteenth century English composition and literary criticism. His studies brought him into collecting ancient Greek and Roman coins.

From 1883-1884 he worked for the Chicago and Alton Railway.

In 1887, he is listed in the Indianapolis City Directory as the Chief Clerk for the The Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad, living as a boarder at 352 Home Avenue. He worked for that railroad from 1884-1887.

He moved to New York City in February 1887, working in the General Passenger Department of the New York, Lake Erie and Western Railroad.

On June 3, 1890 he married Martha L. Wemple at Manhattan, New York.

On April 5-6, 1892, King was a consignor to the Chapman Brothers coin auction sale of 1455 lots of gold, silver and bronze coins and fractional currency at the auction house of Davis & Harvey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to the February 1892 issue of The Numismatist the auction was set to go off in February. The fine collection of ancient, medieval, European and American coins was enhanced with an extensive collection of fractional currency which was the most complete offered at that time.

One of three known at that time (now four) 1853-O NO ARROWS Half Dollar (lot 854), the grand-prize piece of the collection in this sale sold to Ed Frossard for $151. Among the ancient coins the grand-prize piece was a superb example of a Syracuse dekadrachm (lot 56, illustrated on Plate II) sold to Lyman H. Low for $150. Most of the fractional currency was purchased by Ed Frossard. The prices realized were mixed even for 1892. The 1793 AMERI brought $14. The 1804 Uncirculated Large Cent counterstamped by Wm. W. Baldwin brought $102. An 1855 Kellogg & Company Double Eagle brought $32. An 1830 Georgia Quarter Eagle brought $62.50. The beautiful cabinet brought $110. The catalogue was illustrated with five phototype plates.

In 1895, he moved to Passaic, New Jersey. He was a member of the Passaic Club.

In 1902 he married his second wife Kate Ditmars in New Jersey.

In 1910, he worked for the Indianapolis Fire Insurance Agents Association and lived at 2108 Talbott Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, with his wife Kate D. King (1871-), and daughter Kathryn Emma King (1903-).

In 1912, he lived on Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois working for a the Indianapolis Fire Insurance Agents Association.

In 1920, he still worked as a secretary for the Indianapolis Fire Insurance Agents Association and lived at 1803 North Talbott Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, with his wife Kate Ditmars King (1871-), and daughter Kathryn.

He died of arteriosclerosis and apoplexy in a downtown bank on Tuesday, November 22, 1921, at Indianapolis, Indiana. His funeral was at St. Paul's Episcopal Church and he was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Indiana. He was survived by his wife, and daughter Kathryn Emma King, (who ten years later at age 28 married a Hungarian immigrant Julius Hollander); a brother Roderick A. King and his sister Emma B. King, both of Indianapolis.

To read the complete article, see:
KING, COLIN EDWARD (https://sites.google.com/a/numismaticmall.com/www/numismaticmall-com/king-colin-e)

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