JAMES R. MCGUIGAN (1944-2022)

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V25 2022 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 25, Number 11, March 13, 2022, Article 3

Dealer and large early copper specialist Jim McGuigan has passed. Here's an excerpt from his online obituary. Thanks to Western Pennsylvania Numismatic Society President Corleen Chesonis for passing this along. Sorry to hear the news. -Editor

Peacefully passed on March 10, 2022, with his loving wife, Claire by his side. Jim was born in Pittsburgh to the late James and Helen McGuigan. Beloved husband of Claire A. Stitzell-McGuigan. Special dad of Theresa (Ben) Edwards. Coin Pappy of Timothy and Khloe Edwards. Dear brother of David McGuigan of Wilmington, Delaware. Jim was a graduate of Edgewood High School. He then attended Carnegie Mellon University (BS), University of Chicago (MBA), University of Pittsburgh (PhD). He was a Professor at Wayne State University School of Business. Jim was a member of St. John Fisher, Churchill, Pa.

Among Jim's many accomplishments was traveling, co- author of two books; Contemporary Financial Management, Managerial Economics. Among all things Jim was a serious Numismatic enthusiast. He will also be missed by his dog, Sunny and many friends.

A visitation for Jim will be held on Tuesday from 7:00 until 9:00 PM at ALFIERI FUNERAL HOME INC., 201 Marguerite Ave., Wilmerding, PA. Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday at St. John Fisher of St. Joseph the Worker Parish at 10:00 AM.

To read the complete obituary, see:
JAMES R. MCGUIGAN (https://obituaries.post-gazette.com/obituary/james-r-mcguigan-1084629356)

I didn't know Jim well, but often stopped to chat with him at coin shows. He was a regular at the Pittsburgh-area PAN shows as well as the ANA and other national shows. In the June 2021 issue of The Numismatist, he published an article about how he became a collector and dealer. We published an excerpt in The E-Sylum - here's an excerpt of the excerpt... -Editor

As a young boy growing up in Pittsburgh, I was bitten by the collecting bug early in life. In addition to coins, I collected stamps, comic books, baseball cards and toy soldiers. I began acquiring coins when I was about 10 years old. Like many beginning collectors in this era, I started filling holes in Whitman folders with Lincoln cents my parents received in change. Later, my father brought home a few rolls of cents from the bank each week so I could look for dates I was missing. I also expanded my collection to include other denominations— nickels, dimes, quarters, half dollars and silver dollars.

I found it difficult to locate certain dates (and mintmarks) in change, so I started visiting local coin shops. After buying a copy of A Guide Book of United States Coins (the Red Book) and learning how scarce and valuable many of the key dates were in each denomination, I started saving my allowance to purchase some of these coins. My interest in early U.S. coins was sparked in 1957 when I purchased several half cents, including the 1797 1 Above 1 and 1804 Spiked Chin varieties from Addison Smith—a Pittsburgh dealer.

Since local dealers did not have many early coppers in stock, I started acquiring more pieces from auctions. One that caught my attention was the June 1970 Stack's James C. Rawls sale, which had a number of mid-grade half cents and large cents that I needed for my collection. I was a successful mail bidder on six lots, including an 1808/7 Gilbert-1 half cent (Lot 1123) for $100, graded Fine to Very Fine. I did not know the significance of this coin until I met Roger Cohen at the ANA's 1973 Boston Convention and purchased a copy of his reference American Half Cents (1971).

Bill Eckberg notes that this summer Heritage will be selling Jim's half cent collection. Here's a great error piece that caught my eye. -Editor