Well! Who knew that John Quincy Adams our 6th president collected coins? I didn't... and he collected ancients! Learn somethin' new everyday.
Interesting. There is an elderly autistic man who hangs out in my shop who is decended from JQA. I'll have to let him know.
I was lucky enough to purchase an ex JQA. VESPASIAN Æ Dupondius OBVERSE: IMP CAES VESP AVG P M T P COS V CENS, radiate head left REVERSE: FELICITAS PVBLICA S-C, Felicitas standing facing, head left, holding caduceus & cornucopiae Struck at Rome, 74AD 10.2g, 28mm RIC 716, (RIC [1962] 555), Cohen 152, BMC 698 Ex: J.Q. Adams lot 785 of the John Quincy Adams sale (Stacks, 1971) purchased by Christian Blom. Chris sold it to Mendel Peterson of the Smithsonian Institution (it comes with his tag) who sold it to Gene Brandenberg, Trojan Antiques.
Of all the statements of provenance, those attributed to historical figures like J.Q.A appeal to me most---the rest barely raise an eyebrow.
Just remember that the JQA collection was the accumulation of a tourist in Europe and not a noted numismatist. He has some very nice coins and some real dogs. The nice ones rarely sell. I have two of which one is nice except for a flat strike on part of the reverse and the other i would have been disposed of long ago if it were not a JQA. A fair question: if a coin is worth $10 on its own merits, how much is it worth being a JQA? I will tell you that my copies of the two volume sale catalog is worth a lot more than the coins.
Very curious. At times I've wanted to be a great athlete or a famous scientist, but I've never wanted to be a coin. Oh, wait, you meant owner of a JQA coin... That's very different. Never mind.
Won this at auction the other day: The obverse is pretty rough, but it is a welcome addition to my non-portrait Julius Caesar collection, nonetheless. It was advertised as: Ex Stack's Public Auction Sale of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Part 1, 5-6 March 1971, Lot 633; Ex Stack's Public Auction, 15-17 March 1979, Lot 1225. Reading through letters, it is apparent JA, AA, JQA, and especially JQA Jr. were Shakespeare lovers (the latter a Cornell English prof), the former quoting from "Julius Caesar" occasionally. If anyone has other Ex MA Historical Society coins, please feel free to post.
I'd love to get my hands on even one of his rougher coins. Even a very common, rough coin is fascinating if it has a special historical significance attached.
I also have a JQA and like @Bing mine comes via Mendel Peterson. Carcacalla, 196-198 AD, denarius 17mm 2.77g Obv: M AVR ANTON CAES PONTIF, Bare head bust right, draped and cuirassed Rev: PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS, Caracalla standing left holding branch and spear, trophy of arms behind RIC 13b, RSC 505, Van Meter 81 ex-Stacks, President John Quincy Adams Collection, ex Massachusettes Historical Society, March 1971, lot 884 (part of) ex Mendel Peterson collection
The problem, though, is that you would have a hard time proving the coin was actually owned by JQA, as coins were added after his death by his family.
My illustrious provenance of choice would be the fantastic/infamous Queen Christina of Sweden https://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=231824 Or the remarkable Isabella d'Este https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3108180
Did not realize Descartes' "Ice Queen" was a collector. I am a math guy, so that is connection enough to pique my interest. For those interested, here is an online copy of the 1971 catalog: https://archive.org/details/partimassachuset1971stac
I have never seen that reverse! "The reverse of this interesting Festival of Isis of Julian II medallion shows the husband-wife siblings Serapis and Isis with serpentine bodies, holding between them a large, sacred vase from which emerges a uraeus-snake."
Yes, I happen to have an Elizabeth I groat from his collection with auction house ticket and a PDF of the original auction catalog listing it. I sure with it had JQA's original ticket with it but it does have decent documentation.
