WHAT IS A NUMISMATIST?
Benjamin Max Mehl was born in 1884, and was shoe clerk before entering the field of numismatics in 1903. He rose from a simple home office in 1903, to become America s most famous coin dealer of the first half of the 20th century. Recently deceased local legend R. E. “Bob” Wallace got his start in coin dealing by buying coins and selling them to Mehl for a small profit. Mehl s real claim to fame, was his promotions and advertising. He was one of the first coin dealers to recognize the possibilities of national advertising. He placed his first ad in the December 1903 issue of the Numismatist. In March of 1904, he issued the first of many coin booklets, which became a standard reference in this country before the first “red books.” His 1904 booklet was entitled “Catalogue of Fine Selections of Choice United States Gold, Silver, and Copper Coins, Private and Territorial Gold, United States Fractional Currency, etc., etc.” In 1906, Mehl spent $12.50 on an ad in Colliers magazine. Also in 1
