DON CORRADO ROMANO (1903-1984)

Don Corrado Romano, usually called "Corrado" was a dealer in coins and stamps in his early years at 25 Harrison Avenue, Springfield, Massachusetts. For some he is known as the owner of a 1776 Continental Silver Dollar,1792 XF Silver Center Cent, he acquired in 1958, and of the 13 Silver Dollars he owned struck before 1800 is the 1794 B-1, BB-1, XF-40 Silver Dollar, he acquired in 1957, and an 1836 Gobrecht Dollar.

Don Corrado Romano (1903-1984), was born the seventh of eight children on January 21, 1903, in Salerno, Italy, son of Andrea "Andrew" Romano (1863-1960), a bank president, and Raffaella Cerrato Romano (1869-1931), both natives of Salerno, Italy. His family came to America in 1915, when he was an adolescent of twelve. He had already acquired coins from his father who was a banker at an early age. They lived at 29 Locust Street, Springfield, Massachusetts. By 1918, at age 15, like Henry Chapman, Jr., before him, he was already buying and selling coins. However, in later years his ads in Numismatic Scrapbook said : "Dealer Since 1923", i.e., when he was twenty.

In April 1926 he and his brother-in-law Fred Fopiano incorporated F & R Candy Manufacturing Company, 939 Main Street, Springfield, Massachusetts.

From 1927 -1929 Springfield City Directories he and his wife Alice E. V., are listed as living at 935 Main Street. In 1927 he was working as an insurance agent for Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company. In 1929, he is listed as a clerk in his father's bank.

From February to July 1931 he held five coin auctions under the name Romano's Coin Shop.

In 1939, he married Mildred K. Grammont (d. 1968), at Hull, Massachusetts. They had a son Don Corrado Romano, Jr. (1926-1999), and a daughter Ella "Penny" Louise Romano (1947-). There is an interesting story surrounding the birth of Ella Romano that was reported by the coin columnist Maurice M. Gould for the Boston Herald in an article "Flying Eagle Cent Lucky," published Sunday, November 29, 1964, on page 260. Gould relates the story of Corrado Romano late in the day about to close his coin and stamp shop when a man walked in wanting to sell him two 1856 Flying Eagle Cents, one for $45 and the second in better condition for $75. Romano, Sr., did not have enough cash on hand to buy both so he opted to buy the better grade for $75. When he got home he discovered his wife Mildred had just been rushed to the hospital to have her baby. When he saw her he told her the story about the coin purchase and they both wanted to call their new daughter "Penny", since she sure brought luck in a good investment. When Ella was married her father gave her and her husband the 1856 Flying Eagle as a wedding present.

Don Corrado Romano, Jr. (1926-1999), was born on February 24, 1926, at Rutherford, New Jersey. Romano, Jr., followed in his father's footsteps and also became a coin dealer.

In 1943, he opened Worthy Coin Company, 23 Cornhill, Boston, Massachusetts, and published and sold coin premium catalogues.

During the 1950s and early 1960s Romano, Sr., hoarded a few hundred or more Proof 1878 trade dollars.

On January 7, 1984, two weeks before his 81st birthday Don Corrado Romano died at Hingham, Massachusetts.

On June 16, 1987, Stack's sold his coin collection comprising 1,625 lots, including : a 1776 Continental Dollar, Lot 24; and a 1792 Silver Center Cent Lot 143;

To read the complete article, see:
ROMANO, DON CORRADO (https://sites.google.com/a/numismaticmall.com/www/numismaticmall-com/romano-don-corrado)

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