THE COLLET AND KOLIT SCALES

Mark Wilks Collet (1826-1863) was a physician practicing in Camden, New Jersey. He was married to Rosalie Jane Donath and had three children.

Collet was one of eight men to form The Numismatic Society of Philadelphia, holding their first meeting on January 1, 1858. It is credited as the first numismatic society in the United States. An earlier group in New York is also noted.

He joined members J. Ledyard Hodge and Alfred B Taylor as co-authors of Catalogue of American Store Cards, &c., With Space for Marking the Condition, Price, Rarity, &c. of Each Piece, Designed for the use and Convenience of Collectors, published in 1858. The book included more open space than text.

Attinelli (Numisgraphics) wrote, Though useful at that time, the above-named society would probably find more honor than profit in issuing a revised copy. The above has, like an old city directory, become useless. Bowers wrote in American Numismatics Before the Civil War, Apparently, Hodge and his co-authors ventured into a territory beyond their collective expertise.

The book included on page 1 Scale of the Numismatic Society of Philadelphia which was divided in increments of 1/16 inch and used to describe the size of medals. This is more commonly known as The American Scale. Although Collet is credited with developing the scale, it is never called the Collet Scale. Any contributions from Hodge and Taylor are ignored.

Collet had prior experience serving in the army of czarist Russia and served as a colonel in the Union Army during the Civil War. He died during the battle of Chancellorsville (Salem Church). He is buried at Saint James the Less Episcopal Churchyard in Philadelphia. A son, also named Mark W. Collet, was born six months after his death.

Michael Robert Kolman, Jr. (1906-1970) was born in Glassport, Pennsylvania. He was married to Violet Mason and had a son and a daughter.

Kolman owned the Mason Coin Shop in Williamsburg, Pennsylvania, before opening Federal Brand Enterprises, Inc, in Cleveland in 1942. In 1958 he opened a branch office in, The Arcade, in Cleveland. He conducted 41 mail bid sales between 1956 and 1964.

He joined the ANA in 1944 as member 10398. In 1954 he converted to life membership LM-79. He was also a member of the ANS.

Kolman was a specialist in error coins, one of the founding members of the Collectors of Mint Errors (C.O.M.E.) and founding president in 1956. He served as editor of the C. O. M. E. Bulletin.

Kolman and Dr. Jack Litman developed The Kolit Position Gauge which was announced in the December issue of the newsletter. It was used to describe the size for off center strikes and clipped planchets.

Directions were based on the hands of a clock. Thus a clip at 3 o'clock was in the K-3 direction. The system was also described in Hobbies Magazine.

He was the author of Numismatic Lincoln Cent Errors in 1960. This illustrated the Kolit Position Guide and brought it into public usage. In 1963 the book was enlarged and revised as Numismatic Flying Eagle, Indian and Lincoln Cent Errors.

The use of Kolit position numbers has been adopted beyond the field of error coins. An example might be a rim ding described as located at K-3.

Kolman died in a Pittsburgh nursing home with the funeral at the Byrne Memorial Home. This was run by Pittsburgh numismatist Ray Byrne. He is buried at Homewood Cemetery in Pittsburgh.

Jack Howard Litman (1916-1967) was born in Pittsburgh but lived most of his life in Akron. He graduated from the University of Akron and later the Ohio University Dental College. He was a captain and dentist in the Air Force during World War II.

He was married to Beverly with two sons and practiced as a dentist in Akron.

Litman joined the ANA in 1955 as member 24354. He was an award-winning numismatic exhibitor. He served as president of the Akron Coin Club, the Penn-Ohio Coin Club and Collector of Mint Errors (C.O.M.E). Also he was general chairman for Akron coin shows.

Litman did not write books or articles. It was Kolman who got all the attention and most of the credit for the Kolit Position Gauge.

Litman died in Akron General Hospital and is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery.

 

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