JOHN KIMBALL WIGGIN (1825-1875)

John Kimball Wiggin (1825-1875), was born on August 5, 1825 at Wakefield, Carroll County, New Hampshire, son of Porter Kimball Wiggin (1789-) and Elizabeth G. Wiggin (1789-) .

John Wiggin was a well-known book collector, publisher, book dealer, antiquarian bookseller, dealer in autographs, curios, rare engravings, prints, swords, coins, medals, and Tokens at his store at 14 Summer Street, and from 1864 to 1869 at 18 School Street, Boston, Massachusetts. He was also a coin collector and served as the Treasurer of the Boston Numismatic Society. He is the brother of Colonel Charles Porter Wiggin (-1877), the principal owner of the town of Nordhoff, Ojai Valley, California.

In July 1848, he was granted a license at Boston to be a funeral undertaker.

In 1851, he married Mary Jane Perry (1827-1900). They had a daughter Bertha (1859-1893).

In October 1859, he became a member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society. A few years later in the 1860's he worked with Jeremiah Colburn on the Committee of the Library of the N.E. Historic-Genealogical Society.

John K. Wiggin advertisement on the back cover of the Benjamin Haines coin auction catalogue January 19-23, 1863

The first of two known Wiggin coin auction sales selling U. S. coins was held at Leonard & Co., Boston, May 30, 1860.

The second known coin auction sale was catalogued by Ed Cogan held on March 25, 1862, held at William C. Cook, Philadelphia. Lot 747 described a 1792 silver center cent, Judd-1.

In 1869 he retired from his firm Wiggin & Lunt, Book and Publishing business. His partner William Parsons Lunt continued operating under his own name.

Leonard & Company auction sale held March 7-10, 1876 : Bibliotheca Americana : Catalogue of the Private Library of the Late John K. Wiggin, and the Duplicates Remaining from His Publications and Books on Sale, Chiefly Relating to America. There were many rare coin auction catalogues, and numismatic books in his collection in Lots 395-397, 402-415, 444-457, 461, 463, etc.

The auction sale of the autograph collection was also held by Leonard & Company on Tuesday, March 21, 1876.

He died of softening of the brain on August 20, 1875 at Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. He is buried at the North Beverly Cemetery, Beverly, Essex County, Massachusetts.

To read the complete article, see:
WIGGIN, JOHN KIMBALL (http://www.numismaticmall.com/numismaticmall-com/wiggin-john-kimball)

The entire inventory of the Lupia Numismatic Library is for sale. Individual items will be available before the remaining archives are broken up into parcels sold at philatelic auctions in the U. S. and Hong Kong. Check NumismaticMall.com frequently as dozens of new items with estimates will be posted daily until everything is sold.

All inquiries will be given prompt and courteous attention. Write to: john@numismaticmall.com .

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