JULIUS LEWIS BROWN (1848-1910)

Julius Lewis Brown (1848-1910), was born on May 31, 1848, the eldest of eight children, son of Joseph Emerson Brown (1821-1894), Governor of Georgia, Chief Justice, and U. S. Senator, and Elisabeth Grishom Brown (1826-1896), at Canton, Cherokee County, Georgia.

During the Civil War Julius turned down his father's offer to send him to Europe for his education choosing instead the Georgia State Military Academy. Brown and his brother cadets formed a militia to defend Athens. Brown was placed in charge of guarding Yankee prisoners. In 1864, he joined Company A and defended Atlanta. He fought with Wheeler's calvary and slowed down Sherman's advance to Savannah. He was part of the rear guard on the retreat from Savannah. Afterwards he went to Georgia Tech.

He graduated Harvard Law School in 1870. He worked as an attorney at Atlanta Georgia and was the attorney for Western & Atlanta Railroads (1870-1890), and as General Counsel for the State of Georgia co-incorporator of the Metropolitan Street Railroad.

As an initial investor with his father he became president of the Georgia Mining, Manufacturing and Investment Company. He also became president of the Walker Monument Association in the erection of the monument to Confederate Major General William Henry Talbot Walker (1816-1864), killed at the Battle of Atlanta.

Brown began writing the Chapman Brothers in the first half of 1878 attested to by correspondence found in the Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, The Chapman Family Correspondence Archive. He purchased many rarities from the Chapman Brothers including Proof Stellas, Bechtler gold pieces, colonials, 1776 Proof Pattern Pewter Continental Dollar, ancients - including a Philip II stater VF, 1795 UNC Eagle, 1795 UNC Silver Dollar, 1799 Cent VG, and European pieces. He also collected many rare Confederate notes and other collectible items.

From 1879-1881, he was a Corresponding Member of the ANS.

Since all his children predeceased him, in 1907, he appointed his brother Joseph MacKey Brown (1851-1932), of Marietta, Georgia, who served as Governor of the State of Georgia, as his executor, empowering him to sell his "library, autographs, coins, jewels, watches, miniatures, fans, porcelains, potteries, Indian relics, arms, paintings, engravings, ivories, glass, clocks, swords, bric-a-brac, &c., &c." to pay any outstanding debts due on his estate.

He died on September 4, 1910, at his home in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia. His funeral was held at the Second Baptist Church which was built by his father. The service was attended by his immediate family, brother Masons, Knight Templars, Confederate Army Veterans, Georgia Military Academy Cadets, distinguished members of the Atlanta Bar Association, and the illustrious citizens of Atlanta. He is buried in Oakland Cemetery, Fulton County, Georgia. Brown also served as president of the Mystic Owls.

His coin collection was sold posthumously nearly nine months after his demise by order of his executor, his brother who was the Governor, Joseph MacKey Brown, through Samuel Hudson Chapman.

The Collection comprised 1242 lots. The catalogue was published with 7 plates in large format. A list of highlights of the sale together with prices realized were published in The Numismatist, June (1911) : 216

Lot 343 was a rare gold 8 escudos from the Lima, Peru Mint 1741, that was plugged and countermarked being regulated in 1780 by Joseph Edwards, Jr. (1737-1783), a goldsmith at Boston to $15.

Shortly following the Chapman sale another auction was held in Boston by Charles F. Libbie, on June 7-8, 1911, selling his library [Part 1] and medal collection [90 pages 1168 lots] (McKay 6999). A second Libbie sale followed on January 10-11, 1912, selling Mary B. Hathaway autograph collection Part III, together with the autograph collection of Julius L. Brown [98 pages, 1476 lots] (McKay 7062). Among his autographs are important correspondence regarding the Mexican war.

The Brown family papers are known as MS 785 in the University of Georgia archives.

To read the complete article, see:
BROWN, JULIUS LEWIS (https://sites.google.com/a/numismaticmall.com/www/numismaticmall-com/brown-julius-lewi)

To read the complete Chapman catalog, see:
CATALOG OF THE HISTORICAL COLLECTION OF GOLD, SILVER AND COPPER COINS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME, EUROPE, THE UNITED STATES, MEXICO AND SOUTH AMERICA, FORMED BY THE LATE JULIUS L. BROWN, ESQ., ATLANTA, GEORGIA. SOLD BY ORDER OF HIS EXECUTOR, HON. JOSEPH M. BROWN, GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA. (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/auctionlots?AucCoId=22&AuctionId=510992)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
SEDWICK MAY 2018 AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS (http://www.coinbooks.org/v21/esylum_v21n19a25.html)

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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