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Curriculum vitea J. B. Westerhof

(07.07.1950 – 08.03.2018)

Geboren 1950 in Friesland uit een middenstanders milieu, zoon van een garagehouder.

Het verzamelen werd hem door zijn vader vroeg aangeleerd. 

Alles wat men in de jeugd verzamelde, postzegels, sigarenbandjes, lucifersmerken en natuurlijk munten. Was op zeer jeugdige leeftijd al op antiekveilingen te vinden.

Zette op 14 jarige leeftijd een postzegelabonnementenservice op. 

Eén van zijn eerste muntveilingen die hij bezocht was die bij de Fa. J.C.A van Loon in 1967. Daar kocht hij in de aftersale een kwartje van 1817 voor Fl. 350,= (recent resultaat € 70.000,=) omdat hij dat eigenlijk niet duur vond, tenslotte kostten een drie Gulden Willem I destijds ook Fl. 300,= .

Nadat hij de middelbare school verliet handelde hij in woningtextiel o.a. Perzische tapijten.

Toen zijn militaire dienstplicht er op zat besloot hij zich in 1972 zelfstandig te vestigen onder de naam “De Sneeker Vlieger”. Was regelmatig op alle beurzen en veilingen te vinden en was bijna wekelijks in Amsterdam te vinden waar hij erg bevriend raakte met Jaap Schulman.

Deze stelde hem ook voor als lid voor het A.I.N.P. zijn specialiteiten waren Provinciale munten met die van Friesland in het bijzonder en wist van deze provincie de grootste  collectie aller tijden bijeen te brengen. Die ging grotendeels over (> 700 ex) naar het Fries Museum te Leeuwarden.

Zijn penningvoorraad bedroeg ruim tienduizenden stuks, op land en thema geordend.

 1^e prijslijst 1981

1^e veiling in samenwerking met wijlen oud-collega Arie van der Dussen in Maastricht 1984-1986, vervolgens veiling voor eigen rekening sinds 1987.

Lid van het A.I.N.P sinds 1985.

Was mede auteur met D. Purmer van “het Handboek Nederlandse Muntslag 1568-1795.

Initiatiefnemer en mederedactielid van de oeuvrecatalogus “Johannes Cornelis Wienecke 1872-1945, medailleur en stempelsnijder 2017.

Vele ambtstermijnen voorzitter van de N.V.M.H en oprichter van de numismatische kring Mr. Jacob Dirks.

Geruime tijd lid van het Belgisch Genootschap namens de N.V.M.H. afgevaardigde voor de FENAP.

 Jean Luc,

Je moet zelf maar een slotzin verzinnen, want ik leef nog, maar ben wel ernstig ziek (geweest?).

Hartelijk gegroet, 

Preliminary note: 

After Jille’s own will, this will be used as his obituary. As unusual as it might seem, he wrote it himself and sent it to me in September 2017. 

Born 1950 (actually July 7th, 1950 in Woudsend) from a middle-class family, son of a garage owner. The passion for collecting was transmitted soon from his father.

Everything which youngsters collect, stamps, cigar bands, boxes of matches and of course coins. Attended antiquities auctions at a very early age. Created a service of new stamps supply when he was 14. 

One of his First coin auctions he attended was the one of the firm J.C.A van Loon in 1967. There he bought after the sale a quarter gulden piece of 1817 for 350,= NLG (recent result € 70.000,=) because he thought it was cheap; at the same time the price for a piece of 3 Gulden Willem I was also 300,= NLG. 

After he left the middle-class school, he was active in the handling of textile, Persian carpets among others.

After his military service, in 1972, he decided to open his own business under the name “De Sneeker Vlieger” [“the pilot from Sneek”]. He attended regularly coin fairs and auctions, and went almost every week to Amsterdam, where he became a friend of Jaap Schulman.

This one sponsored him for membership to the IAPN. His speciality was the coinage of Dutch provinces, and especially of Friesland. He put together the biggest collection of those ever. Those went mostly (over 700 coins) to the Fries Museum in Leeuwarden.

His offering of medals amounted to about 10,000, classified by country and theme. 

First fixed price list 1981

First auction in co-operation with his old friend and colleague Arie van der Dussen in Maastricht 1984-1986, then auctions for his own name since 1987.

Member of the I.A.P.N. since 1985.

Co-auteur with D. Purmer of the “het Handboek Nederlandse Muntslag 1568-1795” [pocket-book of the coinage of the Netherlands].

Took the initiative and co-redactor of the catalogue  “Johannes Cornelis Wienecke 1872-1945, medailleur en stempelsnijder 2017”.

Many terms as president of the N.V.M.H [Dutch association of coin dealers] and founder of the numismatic club “Mr. Jacob Dirks”.

Member of the Belgian Association [Belgian Society for Numismatics] and representative of the  N.V.M.H. to the FENAP [European federation of national coin trade associations].

Jean Luc,

You have to find yourself a final word, as I am still alive, even if I am (I was?)seriously ill.

Best regards. 

What should I add? Exceptional man, as everybody who had meet him could realize, horse-lover, passionate about art in general, numismatics in particular, gifted artist himself, dandy, very eccentric chap, too-much smoker and drinker, always interesting to listen to: a “rare vogel” [rare bird]as they say in Dutch. Even his obituaries and this note speak better than everything else. We will remember him!

J.B. Westerhof, with the co-operation of J.L. Van der Schueren.

Bjarne Ahlström 1938-2017

Bjarne Ahlström was born in Stockholm, 30^th of November 1938.  He passed away the 12^th of September 2017 in his apartment on Narvavägen, Stockholm. 

Bjarne Ahlström´s father John was a very important stamp-collector (philatelist). Thus Ahlström had the understanding for collecting, but his career was supposed to be as a Diplomat.

In 1954 Bjarnes Ahlström´s brother, Bernth Ahlström, started the company B. Ahlström Mynthandel AB. In the late 1950´s, Bjarne took over the company. In 1972 B. Ahlström Mynthandel held their first auction. Through the years 1972-2004 the company held 71 auctions. From the very beginning Ahlström´s auction catalogues were highly well-produced, regarding both numismatic information as well as layout and presentation of the marketed items.

Bjarne Ahlström had the privilege to sell several fine collections during his time as an auctioneer. The most remarkable may be The Gunnar Ekström collection. Bjarne decided along with Wera Ekström, the widow of Gunnar Ekström, to start a foundation for numismatic research in the name of Gunnar Ekström, Gunnar Ekströms stiftelse för numismatisk forskning.

In 1967 the first edition of Sveriges besittningsmynt (translated “Coins of the Swedish Possessions”) was released – which was a modern and groundbreaking publication.  The second edition was published the year 1980 and it is still the main reference book regarding these coins. The modern Swedish coins got its reference book in 1976 – Sveriges mynt 1521-1977 (translated “Coins of Sweden 1521-1977”). The same year he also published Norges mynter (translated “The Coinage of Norway”). 

Late in 2004 Bjarne Ahlström sold his auction company to Thomas Høiland (from Denmark). Unfortunately for Ahlström, Høiland liquidated the company only three years later. 

When Bjarne wasn’t at work, he preferred to stay at his beloved country mansion Siggenäs – a much needed contrast to the business life´s hectic speed and seriousness. 

He had been elected member of the IAPN in 1969 and had organized the General Assembly in Stockholm in 1992.

Grande Dame of Numismatics Passes Away at 97

(Byline James A. Simek)

          Catherine Bullowa-Moore, a very highly respected Philadelphia coin dealer for six and one-half decades, passed away peacefully May 15, 2017. She was 97 years of age and was originally from Larchmont, New York. She was likable, charming, engaging and very interested in educating people about the joys of numismatics. She was particularly fond of talking to youngsters about coins because she felt they represented the future of the hobby.

          I first met Catherine in 1966, I believe, at a coin show in downtown Chicago. I was a teenager with very little money to spend, and I let her know that. She graciously spent time visiting with me and even let me have a coin on “memo” since I did not have enough money with me to pay for it (at the time I did not even know what “memo” meant!). I was taken aback, since we had just met and did not really know each other, but she said “that’s OK, I trust you.” That left an indelible mark and led to a friendship that has endured for more than half a century. She is one of the reasons I am in this profession today.

          After marrying David Bullowa, one of America’s premier professional numismatists, Catherine was thrust into the rare coin business when David died unexpectedly in October 1953 after only 1-1/2 years of marriage. Although approached by numerous dealers who wanted to purchase the business name and location, Catherine was determined to make a career of it herself. “Determined” is a good word to describe Catherine. She was independent, strong-willed and extremely capable and was admired by many for having these traits.

She had acquired a love of coins from her late husband and, in his memory, decided to continue the business. Keep in mind that, at the time, there were only a handful of female coin dealers in the entire country so this presented quite a challenge for the young lady who had majored in zoology at Connecticut College.

          Catherine loved to read and made good use of David’s extensive numismatic library. She studied not only United States coins and currency, but foreign and ancient coins as well. It was not long before she was a self-taught expert in several aspects of numismatics.

          In 1959, Catherine married Earl E Moore, an autographs and manuscripts specialist. Their union was to last 41 years. They were frequent attendees at coin shows and conventions throughout the country and world and both of them enjoyed the camaraderie and interactions with old friends that these opportunities afforded.

          Through the years, Catherine held membership in numerous professional and hobby-related organizations. Among them were the American Numismatic Society (ANS) of which she was a Life Fellow and to which she contributed generously; the Royal Numismatic Society (RNS) of which she was a Fellow; the International Association of Professional Numismatists (IAPN) where she was a member of the Executive Committee for many years, as well as an Honorary Member; the American Numismatic Association (ANA) in which she held Life Membership #355; and the American Society of Appraisers (ASA) where she had Senior Member status. She was also a founding member of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG), and one of only a handful of individuals to have been given Life Member status (#3) by the organization.

          Catherine received many awards and accolades throughout her illustrious career, and one she was quite pleased to receive was the PNG’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. She also received their Art Kagin Numismatic Ambassador Award in 2013.

          One achievement of which she was particularly proud was to have been chosen in 1965 as a member of the United States Assay Commission. Names were submitted by the Director of the Mint to the White House where the final choices were made. Members would check random samples of the previous year’s coinage for weight and purity and membership in the Commission carried with it a great deal of prestige. She also was a member of the Old Time Assay Commissioners’ Society and enjoyed that immensely.

          Catherine’s rich legacy and fond memories remain with countless people she has come in contact with throughout her long and illustrious career in numismatics. She will be greatly missed by her family, as well as by numerous friends and associates.

Benjamin Bell
March 8, 1976 – April 10, 2017

Memories of a good friend… Ben passed away on Monday, April 10, after a long, hard fought battle with cancer, his loving family at his side. Well educated in traditional historic studies, Ben worked as a numismatist at Classical Numismatic Group and was the co-founder, co-owner and President of Civitas Galleries, Ltd. Ben was loved and respected by everyone, and was duly considered one of the rising stars in professional numismatics. He was snatched far too soon from the coin world, and will be dearly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his parents, Rob and Rebecca and his sister Rachel.

J’ai le pénible devoir de vous informer du décès de Marco RATTO de Milano, IT, au terme d’une courte maladie, le 13 juin 2016. La firme RATTO comptait parmi les membres fondateurs de l’AINP, et Marco est demeuré membre correspondant jusqu’à son décès. Nos pensées vont à la famille de ce grand numismate.

IAPN Congress, Amsterdam 2016

The IAPN (International Association of Professional Numismtists) held its 65^th annual general assembly from Thursday 5^th May to Sunday 8 May 2016, in Amsterdam, Holland. The association has 100 members from five continents. 39 numismatic companies sent representatives, and there were a further 30 in attendance by proxy.

Since its founding, this is the second time that the IAPN has held a general assembly in Amsterdam. The association is not for profit and was formed in 1951 in the wake of the second world war at a time when the professional numismatics faced serious challenges. Now, just as in 1951, the objectives of the IAPN are the development of a healthy numismatic market conducted with the highest standards of ethics and good practise, to encourage academic research, to popularise numismatics and to create strong and lasting working relationships between professional numismatists the world over. The annual congress is a chance for IAPN members, the most prestigious numismatists and numismatic companies, to meet each other and discuss the major issues affecting the industry.

The general assembly at Amsterdam was organised by Andrew Absil of Schulman b.v., together with his Amsterdam based team, and at the welcoming cocktail party the president of the association continued the theme with brief history of Dutch numismatics and commerce in Amsterdam. During the two congress business sessions the members discussed topics ranging from counterfeiting to new international laws affecting numismatic trade today. During the working sessions the passing of formers members was respectfully marked as we remembered Gérard Barré, Tom Cederling and Dieter Raab while, by coincidence, we also welcomed three new members:

Kapaan & Mades Münzhandels GbR, Herr Philip Kapaan, Brüderstrasse 2, DE – 44787 Bochum – Germany

Lustig, Andrew, Rare Coins, Inc., Mr. Andy Lustig, P.O. Box 806, US – Nyack, NY 10960 – U.S.A.

Oslo Myntgalleri a/s, Mr. Gunnar Thesen, P.O.Box 1403 Vika, NO – 0115 Oslo – Norway.

The association awards and annual prize for numismatic literature and this year’s winner was

Vanhoudt Hugo, with

De munten van de bourgondische, spaanse en oostenrijkse nederlanden en van de franse en hollandse periode

Second prize went to

Rizzolli H., Pigozzo F., with

Der veroneser Wahrungsraum, Verona und Tirol

Third prize went to

Frynas, J. G., with

Medieval Coins of Bohemia, Hungary and Poland

The three winners were chosen from a short list of 12 excellent numismatic publications all of which were donated to the Amsterdam Library.

The attending members enjoyed fine weather while they toured the city by canal boat, then visited the national maritime museum and boarded a Dutch East India Company trading ship replica where a guide described life on board the often perilous, six to nine month crossings endured by VOC sailors. On another excursion the members enjoyed a one and a half hour cruise to and around the beautiful windmill region of Zaanse Schans. And at the final evening Gala Dinner €2860 was raised for the charity “Medical Care for Africa”.

The next congress will take place in Lucerne in 2017 and will be organised by Ulf Kuenker of Hess Divo AG, Zurich.

by Fritz Rudolf Künker
translated by Annika Backe

source : CoinsWeekly newsletter of May 19, 2016 

May 19, 2016 – The life of numismatist Peter N. Schulten had many facets. While his father Wolfgang Schulten (1904-1996), a devoted coin collector, had kindled his interest in numismatics while he was still young, he inherited the love for music and literature from his mother. Through his uncle Prof Hans Schulten (1899-1965), Full Professor for Internal Medicine at the University of Cologne for many years, he was also exposed to other, positive influences that sparked a deeper interest in archeology and, in particular, the ancient world.

Peter N. Schulten (1936-2016).

Peter Schulten had been born into a family of merchants and physicians of a conservative orientation. Already his grand-father had worked as a doctor in Wuppertal, and his father Wolfgang had been a senior executive in a Wuppertal-based textile company. His father’s true passion, however, was numismatics, and even after he had already retired, he formed part of the staff of the coin houses Dr. Busso Peus in Frankfurt and the Münz Zentrum Albrecht und Hoffmann GmbH in Cologne. In his capacity as a numismatist, Wolfgang Schulten set a monument for himself with his book on the coinage of Charles V (“Deutsche Münzen aus der Zeit Karls V.“, Frankfurt am Main 1974).
The Schulten family lived in Denklingen in the Bergischer Kreis, not far from the city of Gummersbach. Peter Schulten who had two brothers – one of whom died while still a child – took his high-school diploma in Waldbröhl. His younger brother Heiner became a specialist surgeon. 

It was probably thanks to the influence of his uncle Professor Hans Schulten that Peter, after graduating from school, began to study Classical Archeology in Munich with Prof Ernst Buschor (1886-1961), who was one of the most influential archaeologists of his time.
After this academic excursion into archeology, an absolute professional reorientation followed suit. Peter Schulten studied at the Teacher Training College in Wuppertal and became an elementary school teacher.
Sometime around 1960, the Cologne coin dealer Heinrich Pilartz won Peter Schulte as employee. Pilartz being a professional goldsmith, a young colleague with a scientific interest was the ideal complement to the well-known Cologne-based coin house Pilartz.
In those years, Schulten also worked on his Master’s thesis and studied with Prof H. Kähler in Cologne. In the winter term of 1967, the University of Cologne accepted his Master’s thesis. The work was entitled “Die Typologie der römischen Konsekrationsprägungen” and was published, in expanded form, by the Numismatischer Verlag P.N. Schulten in 1979. 

A few years later, he got the chance to take over the Frankfurt-based coin house Dr. Busso Peus, together with Dieter Raab (1967).
Under the management of Dieter Raab and Peter N. Schulten, Dr. Busso Peus Nachfolger soon became one of the leading coin houses in Germany. That was partly thanks to superbly prepared auction sale catalogs, of which the 1970 and 1971 auctions of the collection of the Hamburg lawyer Dr Werner Koch deserve special mentioning. 

As early as 1973, the colleagues Schulten and Raab went separate ways, and Peter N. Schulten became partner at the Cologne Münzzentrum Albrecht und Hoffmann GmbH. But even in this constellation, it became apparent only after a few years that in the trade – as in other branches – partnerships are by no means easy.

Since 1978, therefore, Peter N. Schulten followed his own path, in Frankfurt am Main from 1978 to 1983. In addition to auction sales, his fields of activity included a specialist bookstore and a publishing house for numismatic literature. In 1983, the company moved to Cologne and was located in the former premises of the coin house Heinrich Pilartz in the ‘Klingelpütz’ – also a synonym for the near-by prison, this address is well-known to everyone living in Cologne.
Even though Peter N. Schulten was held in high esteem by his customers and the auction sale catalogs were prepared with great commitment, business success fell short of expectations. At the final auction sale conducted on October 16, 1990, Münzenhandlung Schulten + Co auctioned off its own library. Both in Germany and on an international level, this well-kept object attracted wide interest. 

Late in 1990, Peter N. Schulten stopped working independently and, at the beginning of 1991, became employee of the coin house Fritz Rudolf Künker in Osnabrück. The Künker company owes a lot to him, not only the successful establishment of a department for ancient coins. Schulten also engaged in the training of the young staff members and enlarged the company’s library carefully and consistently. As a result, Künker possess one of the world’s largest numismatic libraries. 

Apart from his activities for the Künker company, he wrote the standard work of reference on the coinage of Hohnstein, therewith closing a gap in German numismatics (“Die Münzen der Grafen von Hohnstein von den ersten Anfängen im Mittelalter bis zum Aussterben des gräflichen Hauses 1593“, Osnabrück 1997). He is also the author of a publication on the Roman mint of Trier (“Die römische Münzstätte Trier von der Wiederaufnahme ihrer Tätigkeit unter Diocletian bis zum Ende der Folles-Prägung“, Frankfurt am Main 1974).
Accompanying his long career as a coin dealer, Peter N. Schulten held honorary offices and worked on the board of the Association of German Coin Dealers (Verband der deutschen Münzenhändler) as well as for the international federation AINP. From 1999 to 2007, he acted as publisher of the journal ‘Geldgeschichtliche Nachrichten’, for which he also wrote numerous contributions. 

Peter Schulten was certainly a man with a complex character, who was not afraid of experiencing conflicts. On the other hand, he was absolutely straightforward and loyal, and to his customers he was a valuable advisor. We shall remember him as an eloquent and educated interlocutor and a gentleman of the old style. Who was fortunate enough to sit right next to him at one of the numerous auction dinners was impressed with his profound knowledge and his powers of persuasion, but also with his Rhenish humor. 
His baroque lifestyle – in France, he might have been called a “bon vivant” – was a typical feature of his, as was his fatalistic attitude towards his own health. Although stemming from a famous family of doctors, he had only little confidence in medical expertise. For a long period of time, he lived life on his own terms, and, even at an advanced age, acted out his thirst for adventure through extended sailing trips.

On May 9, 2016, Peter Nikolaus Schulten died in the Bonn University Hospital after a long period of illness, at the age of 79.

Dear IAPN member, Cher membre de l’AINP.

I have to inform you that Jess PETERS passed away on April 14th 2016, at the age of 96. He was a former PNG president (1971-73) and a former IAPN member (1977-82, then corresponding member until 1989). His business was based in Decatur, Illinois, USA. He has conducted 128 auctions.

J’ai le devoir de vous informer du décès, le 14 avril, à l’âge de 96 ans, de Jess PETERS. I avait été président du PNG (1971-73) , et membre de l’AINP (1977-82, puis correspondant jusque 1989). Son activité était exercée à Decatur, Illinois, USA. Il a organisé 128 ventes publiques.

Kind regards / Meilleures salutations.