B. Max Mehl (1884–1957) was a prominent coin dealer in the U.S. for
more than 50 years. He was born in Congress Poland, which was then part
of Imperial Russia, but his family moved to present-day Lithuania, and
then to the U.S.; Mehl lived in Fort Worth for most of his life. He
started selling coins as a teenager, and joined the American Numismatic
Association aged 18. By 1910 he was one of the most prominent dealers in
the U.S. His customers included Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston
Churchill. He auctioned coins from the collections of prominent
numismatists, and he was the first dealer to advertise in non-specialist
publications, helping to broaden the hobby's appeal. To generate
interest and sell his books, he offered to buy a 1913 Liberty Head
nickel for $50, knowing there were none in circulation. His great
auction sales were in the 1940s, but he later became less active, dying
in 1957. He was elected to the Numismatic Hall of Fame in 1974, and the
CoinFacts Dealer Hall of Fame in 2010.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._Max_Mehl>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1678:
Trunajaya rebellion: After a series of difficult marches,
allied Mataram and Dutch troops successfully assaulted the rebel
stronghold of Kediri in eastern Java.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1678_Kediri_campaign>
1936:
Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan signed the Anti-Comintern
Pact, agreeing that, if the Soviet Union attacked one of them, they
would consult each other on what measures to take to "safeguard their
common interests".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Comintern_Pact>
1975:
Upon Suriname's independence from the Netherlands, Johan
Ferrier became its first president.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_Ferrier>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
vinous:
1. Pertaining to or having the characteristics of wine.
2. Involving the use of wine.
3. Having the colour of red wine; vinaceous.
4. Tending to drink wine excessively.
5. Affected by the drinking of wine.
6. Induced by the drinking of wine.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/vinous>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
I am grateful for what I am & have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.
It is surprising how contented one can be with nothing definite — only
a sense of existence. Well, anything for variety. I am ready to try this
for the next 1000 years, & exhaust it. How sweet to think of! My
extremities well charred, and my intellectual part too, so that there is
no danger of worm or rot for a long while. My breath is sweet to me. O
how I laugh when I think of my vague indefinite riches. No run on my
bank can drain it — for my wealth is not possession but enjoyment.
--Henry David Thoreau
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Henry_David_Thoreau>