This week, as Valentine's Day approaches, our subject is a numismatist named Valentine.

Daniel Webster Valentine was born in New York City on March 7, 1863, the son of real estatedealer and hardware merchant, Charles Wesley Valentine (1834-1905) and Sarah ElizaFleetwood Valentine (1834-1885). When Daniel was four years old in 1867, the family moved toEnglewood, New Jersey. Before going to college, Daniel worked in the family store.

Daniel was married on October 28, 1896, to Ada Belle Colwell (1863-1941) at the PresbyterianChurch in her home town of Harrisville, Michigan. She graduated from Elmira Female Collegein 1884 and worked as a teacher. They had two daughters. Marion and Margaret, and both gotmarried but neither of them had children.

As a young man, Valentine played baseball with the Englewood Pioneers.

Daniel attended the New York College of Dentistry and received a D.D.S. on March 9, 1887.Fresh out of college, he spent a year in Vienna learning of dental practice on the continent. Hispractice was in New York City during 1888 to 1896. After his marriage, he moved toEnglewood, New Jersey, and practiced there for thirty-five years until his death.

Valentine Joined the New York Numismatic club in 1910. He joined the ANA as member #1484effective March 25, 1911. His name was listed as Dr. D. W. Valentine.

In 1914 the American Numismatic Society conducted an and published a photo illustrated catalog. Dr. Valentine contributed a smallgroup of 43 half dimes to the exhibition.

Valentine was an active member of the New York Numismatic Club (NYNC) and served twonon-consecutive terms as president in 1918 and 1920. He was honored with a club presidentialmedal designed by Jonathan M. Swanson with fifty struck in bronze and eight in silver.

The Valentine medal is one of the tougher ones in the series to acquire. At the sale of the Dr, Jay Galst collection on May 26, 2021, a bronze medal sold for $780 and the silver medal sold for$1560. Prices at the sale were very strong.

Valentine chaired a committee of the NYNC in 1913 to make a listing of postage and fractionalcurrency and is credited as the author of Fractional Currency of the United States published in1924. His collection of fractional currency is untraced. It may have been acquired by F. C. C.Boyd but that is still speculation.

Valentine had an extensive collection of half dimes. His second book was The United States Half Dimes published in 1931 as ANS Monograph #48. It was published with tan card covers. It listed 257 die varieties of half dimes.

Most of his collection was sold at auction by Thomas Elder in 1927. It was a broad collection ofUnited States and world coins and medals. Noted was a complete set of gold dollars for all datesand mints. His half dimes were not included. It was not known what happened to his collectionof half dismes, for most of the pattern varieties outlined in his book have not been seen since perStephen Crain.

Dr. Valentine was a member of the Elks and the Masons. He was ill for two years prior to hisdeath. He died of apoplexy (stroke) at home in Englewood, New Jersey, on January 24, 1932. He is buried with his parents at Brookside Cemetery in Englewood.

One obituary stated, It realized $128 in the 1927 Elder sale.

Valentine was inducted into John Reich Collectors Society (JRCS) Hall of Fame in 2010 andinto the Society of Paper Money Collectors (SPMC) Hall of Fame in 2017.

Researcher Jerry Fochtman had been unable to find a quality photo of Valentine. Since bothdaughters died without children, there were no archives with descendants. Eventually he foundthe studio photo that illustrates this article through a cousin of Margaret Valentine Beatte inCalifornia. He related the story in a Money Talks presentation at the ANA World's Fair ofMoney.

In recent years I compiled a census of known examples of the 1792 half disme. This included theplate coin for the Valentine book on half dimes. It is noted for a partial piercing at the Y ofLIBERTY on the obverse. It has a special significance to me as the coin owned by the author ofthe reference book on the topic.

The NYNC presidential medal for Valentine is considered the key to the series. I recall StephenCrain writing about his long quest for an example and his joy at finally getting one.

In 2013 I served as a judge for the numismatic literature exhibit class at the ANA World's Fair ofMoney. An exhibit on includedphotos acquired from his family as well as a bronze and silver medal. The exhibit placed by JerryFochtman was very deserving of first place.

Fochtman also wrote in The E-Sylum that he was attempting to compile a list of known examples of the Valentine medal. He asked people to check for the edge number and report them to him.

Mark Anderson sold current club medals and recorded their serial numbers. I learned that he wasalso recording the serial numbers for the Valentine medals. When I acquired a bronze example atan ANA WFM, I brought it to Mark so I could show off what I had acquired.

The medal is strongly held for a variety of reasons. Mark Anderson wanted one since he collectsthe NYNC series. Jerry Fochtman collected them because of his interest in fractional currency.Steve Crain wanted the medal because of his interest in half dimes. I wanted it because I collectmedals for numismatists.

There may be competition, but sharing a common interest like this can bring collectors together.I learned much about Valentine this past week through contact with Jerry Fochtman.

On February 9, 2023, my local coin club sold books from the club library in a silent auction. Ibought a Durst reprint of the Valentine half dime book for $1.

Jerry Fochtman commented on the Valentine Fractional Currency book and medals: