WILLIAM IDLER, SR. (1808-1901)

William Idler, Sr. (1808-1901), was born on June 25, 1808, son of Jacob Idler (1773-1856), a wealthy importer and shipping magnate and merchant, and Sophie Idler (1781-1869), at his father's home on Bread Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father Jacob funded the Venezuelan Government from 1821 to 1825 with $252,814 for ships, arms, ammunition, and supplies. Attempting to demand payment on the loan he was imprisoned at Caracas for six years. Jacob Idler became close friends with Simon Bolivar and five wax busts of the General were kept in the Idler home at Philadelphia.

Idler is best known as a jeweler, and coin and stamp dealer in Philadelphia who issued a variety of 33 store cards struck in a variety of metals by Robert Lovett, Jr., several engraved as replicas of rare colonials.

In 1848, he married Rosanna Kelly (1821-1897), daughter of Robert and Mary Kelly (1791-1868). They had two sons : William Kelly Idler, Jr. (1849-1916), and Robert Kelly Idler. William continued his father's business after his demise. Robert became the Real Estate Assessor of Philadelphia.

In 1849, news broke out of gold discovered at Gold Hill, Rowan County, North Carolina. Idler and his father had land three counties west of the discovery site in Rutherford County and planned to mine in search of gold by the name of Philadelphia and North Carolina Mining and Smelting Company, but the enterprise failed. The Promissory Notes signed by William P. Small and Reuben Hanse of Rutherford County, North Carolina, were declared fraudulent since the land and its value and condition did not match Idler's claim. William P. Small and Reuben Hanse published a public notice in the Public Ledger, Wednesday, March 13, 1850, page 1, declaring they would not pay on the notes due to the fraud.

Beginning about 1856 his shop was located at 111 North Ninth Street, Philadelphia, PA. His shop turned into a Curiosity Shop selling not only watches, and jewelry, but also, tortoiseshell combs, stationery, fans, antiques, engravings, curios and novelties, rare books, fancy articles, minerals, shells, medals, tokens, postage stamps, and United States Coins, paper money, and autographs.

Idler as well as many collectors and dealers used to buy coins at the U. S. Mint at face and a slight premium over face.

In 1859 he published : Catalogue of Coins, Medals, Tokens, Continental Money, Autographs, Geological and Mineral Specimens, Antiques, Old Books, etc., Bought and Sold For Sale by William Idler. This catalog is not listed in Attinelli.

He either caused the 1804 Class III Silver Dollars to be re-struck or else obtained several, which he sold for $75 each. From one of these he produced electrotypes as he also had done for several different Colonial pieces.

He ran his first paid ad in Mason’s Magazine in June, 1867.

His daughter Rose A. Idler married John W. Haseltine on June 9, 1869, at the Clinton Street Presbyterian Church.

His coin collection was sold by his son-in-law John White Haseltine forming part of his first two coin auction sales on April 12, 1870 at Thomas Birch & Son, Philadelphia, and December 21, 1870, at Leavitt, Strebeigh & Company, New York.

In 1882, Idler attempted to sue the Venezuelan Government for repayment of his father's loan.

In February 1901 George Heath announced the 93 year-old was still enjoying good health. He died five months later on Tuesday, July 16, 1901, at 9 AM. He is buried at Woodlands Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His estate was valued at $32,000.

To read the complete article, see:
IDLER, WILLIAM (https://sites.google.com/a/numismaticmall.com/www/numismaticmall-com/idler-william)

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