DR. GEORGE HETRICH (1862-1928)

Dr. George Hetrich (1862-1928), was born on June 7, 1862 at Bernville, Berks County, Pennsylvania, son of Jonas Hetrich (1821-1907), a contractor/builder, and Mary Anlenbach Hetrich. His great-grandfather was an immigrant from Germany and was one of the first settlers in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Hetrich grew up as a youth in the village of Bernville attending the local school. Next he studied at the Oley Academy and taught for two years. Inspired by his boyhood physician Dr. W. G. Bayerle, he studied under him learning the medicine profession. He graduated Jefferson Medical College in 1885. Later he studied dermatology under Dr. Shoemaker of the Philadelphia Skin Hospital. He became a member of the Berks County Medical Society and was one of the five incorporators in 1904. After completing his studies he began his medical practice in Monocacy, Berks County, Pennsylvania, staying there until 1891, when he moved to Birdsboro.

On December 10, 1891, he married Laura Turner (1863-1895), at the German Reformed Church, Douglassville, Pennsylvania. They had three children but only one survived infancy, a son George Roberts Hetrich, Jr. (1893-1949), who fathered George R. Hetrich III, MD (1931-1992), an ANA Member 1982. This third generation of numismatists resulted in The Dr. George P. Hetrich Collection: Bowers and Ruddy Galleries Public Auction Sale January 28-30, 1982.

In 1898, he became a member of the Berks County Historical Society.

He was an antique collector and specialized in china ware. He also was a curio collector and was said to have one of the largest collection in the country. He was a specialist in Civil War Tokens amassing a collection of several thousand specimens. His collection of Civil War tokens was eventually sold by Pennypacker Auction House to a private collector, a young Hungarian-born, Barney V. Sipos (1913-1973) of Indiana, Pennsylvania. Sipos and his wife Mary Ann also obtained Hetrich's notes for his manuscript and loaned them to Melvin Fuld when he was writing with his son George mentioning this in the introduction of Civil War Store Cards (1975) : XVI.

He began purchasing coins directly from the Philadelphia Mint in the last half of the 1890's from 1895 - 1899. Dave Bowers mentioned this when cataloging proof coins in 1982. See The Numismatist, March (1982) : 652.

In 1924, he collaborated with Julius Guttag in publishing their definitive study : Civil War Tokens and Tradesmen's Cards, listing tokens by HG numbers. This became the standard until the Fulds published using Fuld numbers in their series Patriotic Civil War Tokens, originally published serially in The Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine (Chicago, 1959); later revised and updated in a 4th edition issued by the Civil War Token Society (1994). Nevertheless, Hetrich and Guttag in their epic making pioneer opus described 8,345 specimens comprised of 1,194 patriotic tokens and 7,241 store cards.

In 1926, he retired from his medical practice handing it over to his son.

He died of chronic interstitial nephritis on August 10, 1928. He is buried at Saint Michael's Cemetery, Birdsboro, Pennsylvania.

On October 25, 2002, the Civil War Token Society (CWTS) inducted Hetrich into their Hall of Fame.

To read the complete article, see:
HETRICH, DR. GEORGE (https://sites.google.com/a/numismaticmall.com/www/numismaticmall-com/hetrich-dr-george)

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