MORE ON DAVID ULYSSES PROSKEY (1853-1928)

In 1900, he is listed in the U. S. Census as a coin dealer still living at 448 River Street, Paterson, Passaic County, New Jersey, with his wife, three sons and daughter.

At the Collector's Club, 351 Fourth Avenue, New York City, New York. The first public numismatic exhibition held at the Collector's Club took place on Saturday, January 25th 1902. This exhibit was comprised of collections of five exhibitors : John G. Mills, David U. Proskey, Charles Gregory, Albert R. Frey, and H. G. Mandel. Proskey won first place in the exhibit and Gregory took second place.

Harlan Page Smith died on Sunday, March 2, 1902, just sixteen days short of his sixty-third birthday and ninety-five days after the dissolution of his partnership with David Proskey in New York Coin and Stamp Company.

In mid-April Proskey quickly held a coin sale whose date was not fixed at the time of printing the April 1902 issue of The Numismatist.

In May 1902 a poem was written about Proskey and was published in June issue The Numismatist.

Corneliuett Smith brought a lawsuit against David Proskey for losses as administratrix of the estate in 1902. Apparently Proskey kept the four safes filled with coins, medals, accounting ledgers, etc. formerly belonging to the New York Coin and Stamp Company, which were supposed to be given to Smith or his estate. The safes and their contents were estimated to be valued at $15,000. Mrs. Smith sued for that amount plus an additional $1,000 in legal fees. Mrs. Smith won the case. David Proskey appealed to the Supreme Court of Appeals. This lawsuit went back and forth filing motion after motion in a long protracted hearing, which always seemed to skirt the real issue of Mrs. Smith is that she had neither any inventory of the safes, nor way of knowing who owed her husband's company money nor how much, which Proskey had access to the four safes knowing the combinations; and consequently no objective authoritative accounting existed for her peace of mind and was forced to merely take Proskey at his word. Mrs. Smith was keenly aware of the value of rare coins, gold coins, etc., which she knew filled the safes, besides outstanding invoices of buyers who owed the firm money.

In 1910, he is listed in the U. S. Census as a coin dealer still living at 448 River Street, Paterson, Passaic County, New Jersey, with his wife daughter and brother-in-law Walter Van Houten.

Proskey's 1926 business card.

In 1920, he is listed in the U. S. Census as a dealer in stamps and coins living at 61 Mountain Avenue, North Caldwell, New Jersey, with his wife, son David, and daughter Elsie and son-in-law Charles.

He joined the ANA in 1923 and is member no. 2459. He was also a member of the New York Numismatic Club.

George H. Clapp, as reported years later in Penny Wise, called him the most knowledgeable source on large cents he had ever met.

He died on August 16, 1928. His son David Verus Proskey continued the family run business.

Martin Luther Beistle made tribute to Proskey publishing a halftone photograph portrait of him in the classic work A Register of Half Dollar Varieties and Sub-Varieties (1929).

There were eight posthumous coin auction sales liquidating the coin collection of David Proskey that were held by Stack's from Stack's sale No. 24, January 27, 1939 to sale No. 64, March 27, 1943.

Photograph of David and Madge Proskey in North Caldwell, New Jersey.

To read the complete article, see:
PROSKEY, DAVID ULYSSES (http://www.numismaticmall.com/numismaticmall-com/proskey-david)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
MORE ON DAVID ULYSSES PROSKEY (1853-1928) (https://www.coinbooks.org/v24/esylum_v24n21a14.html)

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