John Lupia submitted the following information from the online draft of his book of numismatic biographies for this week's installment of his series.
Thanks! As always, this is an excerpt with the full article and bibliography available online. This week's subject is Boston collector Henry Davenport. -Editor
Henry Davenport (1811-1898), was born on November 18, 1811, at Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, son of Elijah Davenport (1773-1844), a prominent merchant, and Susan Ward
Davenport (1781-1851). He was a direct descendant of Thomas Davenport of Dorchester who lived there in 1640. The Isaac Davenport House, Green Street, Dorchester is a historical
site.
Davenport was one of the best-known mercantile men and mill owners in New England.
He most probably began collecting coins and tokens no later than the 1830's. He is also most probably the same person described by Lyman H. Low as Captain Davenport as
Lindesmith suggested in 1967, who, in 1837, acquired the 1785 Copper Confederatio (PCGS AU53 BN). That coin was subsequently acquired by J. N. T. Levick in 1864.
On June 14, 1843, he married Caroline Howe (1823-1911). They had three children : Annie Ward Davenport [Cleveland] (1850-1922), George Howe Davenport (1852-1932), and Francis
Howe Davenport (1851-).
He was an officer in the Pacific Mills company from 1854-1891.
He was a buyer at the Henry Bogert sale at Bangs, Merwin & Co., New York, held on February 28, 1859.
On February 11, 1860, Dr. Winslow Lewis, Jeremiah Colburn, Judge John Phelps Putnam, and William Sumner Appleton incorporated the Boston Numismatic Society. In 1865, Davenport
served as Treasurer, and later on Curator, and was also elected Vice-President. He was known to have owned one of the finest coin collections in New England.
In 1862, he was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln, as a member of the Committee of Examination of Coinage at the U. S. Mint, Philadelphia.
Edward Cogan to Henry Davenport postmarked May 23, 1863, Philadelphia.
Cover inverted shows the portrait of Jeff Davis transformed into an Ass.
Davenport and J. N. T. Levick are known for having token restrikes made by the Scovil Manufacturing Company, of Waterbury, Connecticut, and Hard Times tokens engraved by Edward
Hulseman.
In 1871, at a monthly meeting of the Boston Numismatic Society he exhibited his 1787 Massachusetts Cent.
He died suddenly of heart disease at the home of his son-in-law, Dr. Clement Cleveland on January 24, 1898, at New York. He is buried at Forest Hill Cemetery and Crematory,
Jamaica Plain, Suffolk County, Massachusetts.
To read the complete article, see:
DAVENPORT, HENRY
(https://sites.google.com/a/numismaticmall.com/www/numismaticmall-com/davenport-henry)
* * * * *
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until everything is sold.
All inquiries will be given prompt and courteous attention. Write to: john@numismaticmall.com .
Wayne Homren, Editor
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