Lippincott's Magazine Of Popular Literature And Science, Old Series, Vol. 36—New Series, Vol. 10, July 1885Various
Science
Lippincott's Magazine Of Popular Literature And Science, Old Series, Vol. 36—New Series, Vol. 10, July 1885
Various
Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals
Mr. Mickley's most remarkable success in life was obtained as a
numismatist. His habit of collecting coins began almost in childhood. It
has been stated that at the age of seventeen he first became interested in
coin-hunting, owing to his difficulty in finding a copper cent coined in
1799, the year of his birth. Every student of numismatism knows that this
piece is exceedingly rare. The one sold in Mr. Mickley's collection after
his decease brought no less than forty dollars. The taste thus formed
continued a prevailing one for sixty years. It is surprising to find how
speedily he became a leading and recognized authority. Although as
guileless as a child and the easy victim of numerous thefts throughout his
life, he was scarcely ever deceived in the value of a coin, token, or
medal. Once, at Stockholm, in 1871, he visited a museum where rare coins
were exhibited. "The collection," says his diary, "is very, very rich in
Greek and Roman, but particularly in Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon. There
are not many United States coins, but among them I was astonished to find
a very fine half-eagle of 1815." The known rarity of this coin thus on
exhibition in a far country very naturally attracted the keen eyes of the
aged collector.
These researches, continuing year after year, grew to be more and more
valuable, until they became widely celebrated. By the time he had reached
middle age he was as well known among the guild of antiquarians as a
Quaker is known by his costume. Before his death he had been elected a
member of all the prominent societies in numismatics, history, and
archaeology throughout the world. The last honor of this kind, which
reached him in his eightieth year, was a notice of his election to
membership in the Société Française de Numismatique et d'Archéologie. His
great collections in this department of knowledge were not confined to
coins, but extended also to the literature of the subject. This was
splendidly illustrated in his famous library, which comprised many works
of the utmost value and scarcity.
A taste thus developed in early youth naturally became in the course of
years a habit, a sentiment, a leading passion of Mickley's nature. By the
year 1867 his coin-collection had become the most extensive in this
country. By this time also the entertainment of curious visitors absorbed
a good share of the collector's daily duties. He was naturally proud of
his treasures, and took a great delight in showing them to all who came.
Utterly devoid of suspicion, he was a ready victim to designing persons.
The following memorandum, which was found among his later papers, will
show how he suffered from this source:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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